“Corra — “ Finn heard himself grit out, but Mica pressed the bat against Finn’s throat and unleashed a grin.

“Riley, look. It’s your faithful little kroppie. I didn’t think she’d show. Types like her are more apt to run off aren’t they?” He laughed, and then cocked his head at Corra with an eerie light in his eyes. “But since you’re here. I’m going to assume you have my money?”

Corra narrowed her glare. “I’m going to assume you didn’t hear me,” she growled. “Drop. Him.”

All the good humor suddenly vanished from Mica’s face. His expression clouded and his mouth twitched. “As you wish,” he breathed, and abruptly he took Finn by the shoulder and shoved him to the ground, a heap of limbs.

Every inch of him felt bruised and beaten. Head spinning, Finn pulled himself up to his elbows, squinting in the darkness at the scene that was quickly growing dim.

But he could just make out Corra’s face. She was gazing at him, horrified.

Mica edged a step closer, holding the bat at his side. “So what is it then, slave girl?” he asked. “Walk right in here with a couple rifles and nothing to offer? You’re outnumbered, outmatched and out of ideas by the look of it.”

“Oh I have one idea,” Corra muttered. Finn saw her finger tightening on the trigger, but Mica snorted in amusement.

“You can’t kill me. What would Callahan say? Callahan’s an idiot for hiring your type to begin with, but I doubt even he will hire a kroppie who’s keen on killing his associates.” Even now, Finn could feel the power of his smirk. “And neither would anyone else.”

Mica, however, was just warming up. He nodded to the two other men in the room. “So why don’t you two just put down those guns before you do something you’ll regret,” he suggested as the men started to close in on them. Corra’s friend was glancing at her, looking for guidance.

“If you play your cards right, maybe, just maybe I’ll let you walk out of here alive,” Mica was going on. “I’m not an unreasonable man. I can let bygones be bygones.”

“Corra…” her friend muttered, stepping backwards toward her.

“Once I’ve extracted full payment of course,” Mica grinned, whacking Finn with his foot. And suddenly there was a light behind Corra’s eyes. She wasn’t frozen, Finn realized, she was thinking. She locked stares with him and gestured ever so slightly towards Mica. Well, Finn thought, he’d just have to trust her. And with a deep inhale of breath, he seized Mica’s leg.

The man let out a disgusted, “What?” and had already lifted his leg in an attempt to kick him off when a mighty battle cry filled the basement and Corra barreled towards them to crack the butt of her rifle into his face.

Blood splattered across the wall as Mica doubled over, but he bounced back up and delivered a firm right hook into Corra’s eye. As she stumbled backwards, Finn sensed his opportunity and reached up to drag Mica down. Corra, looking up, bewildered, took her chance and smacked him again with the gun.

This time, he tumbled over easily as Corra spun around and, swinging the rifle like a bat, knocked it into a second man’s head. Her friend, who had apparently taken her cue, was already slamming her foot on top of the third on the floor when Finn managed to turn to her.

He only got a second to register the image before Corra was yanking him up and pushing him towards the stairs by the small of his back. Her companion, whose height was close to rivaling his own, slipped her arm under his and helped him climb back towards the light.

Corra spun back around to the basement, moving backwards and brandishing her gun as Mica and his men started to recover from the quick and violent assault. As soon as they reached the upper level and were away from the door, they heard him cry, “After them!”

Slinging her gun over her back, Corra hurried to catch up with the hobbling pair. “Hurry,” she cried breathlessly. “Run!”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Finn felt his feet moving on the ground, and he knew his arm was slung over a woman’s shoulder, and he could see Corra running ahead of him through the alleyways — but other than that, very little was making sense. He just knew they was going somewhere. Quickly. But where?

He must’ve mumbled the question aloud, because suddenly the tattooed woman tightened her hold on his arm and said, “The Beacon. We’re going back to your ship, Finn. The Beacon. Are you alright?”

“Loud and clear,” he said quickly. “I mean — yes. Who are you again?”

“My name’s Alyx. I was on the Dionysian a year ago.”

“That’s a shame.”

“You’ve no idea. Now c’mon, we’re almost there.”

Corra hung back, stopping so she could take his other arm and throw it around her neck. “Hang in there, Riley. We’re almost to the ship. You can pass out there as long as you want.”

“In your bed?”

Corra cracked a wry grin. “Nice try. We’re almost there. Just a little further  — “

Even now, even in his own haze of confusion, Finn recognized his ship. He’d recognize her anywhere. Parked on the docks, three stories of perfect shining metal. Gods, it felt like ages since he’d sat in the pilot’s chair. He felt eager to do it again. Except —

“Wait,” Finn heard himself mumble. “Who’re they?”

A crowd of people had formed outside the Beacon’s ramp. At least twenty peopled stood tall, guns raised, forming a line. A barrier.

“Oh god,” Alyx breathed in his ear. “It’s the Ministry gang.”

“What are they doing here?” Corra groaned.

“Probably looking for me,” said Alyx, sounding shaken. “I told you they wouldn’t let me just walk out of there so easily. Someone must have seen you, found out which ship is yours. They’re here to take me back. Oh god.” She brought her free hand to her forehead, panic starting to set through her. “They’ll sell me to the ally traders this time. I’m sure of it.”

“We’re not letting that happen,” Corra said firmly. “Okay? We’ll figure this out, we’ll–”

From what Finn could discern (he was operating on a slight delay), the situation had just gone from bad to worse, especially when a shout of ‘There they are!” rang out behind them. All three heads spun around to see Mica, nursing his broken bleeding nose and flanked by his angry henchmen, guns raised.

“Move,” said Corra, her voice shaking. “Move — we have to get to the ship — !”

“What about them?” said Alyx, pointing toward the line of gang members.

“Cross that bridge when we come to it?”

All at once, the Ministry gang cocked their rifles, a sea of scowling, angry faces.

“I think we’ve come to it!” Alyx cried.

The three of them were forced to a stumbling, staggering halt, caught between groups of two armed aggressors, both looking ready to tear them all apart.

But then — it was the strangest thing — the scene started to dissolve. Finn told himself to focus, to think of what they could possibly do, but his vision was growing clouded with white light. Corra’s voice wound toward his ears, but it sounded like she was at the end of a long tunnel (“No no no, stay with us, keep it together, Riley!”). The last sound he heard was the piercing blast of a gunshot before he sank to the ground.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

” … And that’s how I ended up in the military,” Finn finished, leaning one elbow on the bar. With his other hand he tilted a glass of dark beer to his mouth and regarded the young woman standing across from him. She had long dark hair flowing down her back and a kind smile, though in this moment she looked at him rather skeptically over the rim of her glass.

“Mm, you don’t seem like the military type,” she said. Finn grinned.

“Turns out I’m not.”

“Is that why you’re here? Who did you say you were looking for again?”

“Ah — right.” Finn’s attention was slipping further and further away from the job. Something about being back home was making it hard to focus on anything but the beer in his hand and the pretty woman across from him; he could feel himself falling back into his old familiar habits.

But they had work to do. He took another drink but centered his attention. “Lookin’ for a woman named Elena. She works here, supposedly, though I can’t find her. Lives near the eastern docks. You heard of her?”

“Sort of sounds familiar.” The woman’s expression shifted. “You lookin’ to cause her trouble?”

“No, no. The opposite, actually. Trying to help her out.” Finn hoped that was true. He actually had no idea why Quin wanted this woman so badly.

“Good.” The woman pursed her lips. “Well, maybe she — “

“Hey!” came a sudden voice in his ear. Finn straightened up at once and realized it was the bartender barking at him, pointing a gnarled finger at his chest. “You Riley? Finn Riley?”

He arched a lone eyebrow. “Afraid so.”

“Good,” the bartender grunted. “Someone in the back is lookin’ for ya.”

Finn lowered his glass, feeling curious. Was it Corra, scolding him for his lack of work ethic? Elena herself, catching wind of strangers looking for her? Or maybe an old friend. He had a handful of them in this town. After assuring the woman he’d be right back, no problem, stay right there, would ya, darlin’?, Finn weaved his way to the back room of the bar.

It was much quieter here. The tables were empty. For a moment, Finn thought he’d walked into the wrong place, but when he turned back for the door, he found it had been slammed shut.

A man clutching an assault rifle blocked the exit.

His hand jumped to the pistol tucked into the small of his back, but he too slow: the man struck the end of the rifle across Finn’s face with such blinding force that his vision went black.

– – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – –

“It wasn’t your place. I was fine. I was taking care of it,” Alyx snapped, standing in the center of the room as Quin paced circles around her.

“Taking care of it? Sure as hell didn’t look like you were taking care of it,” Quin barked back at her to which Alyx rolled her eyes for the tenth time in this conversation. Corra stood quietly and patiently off to the side of Quin’s office, still reeling from this revelation. At first, she couldn’t believe it. How could Quin and Alyx be related? It was just so farfetched. And yet as soon as she’d gotten them in the same room together, all the doubt had been wiped from her mind.

“It was only a few months. Then they were going to let me go.”

Quin stopped her pacing and eyed the girl in alarm. “Tell me you’re not naive enough to believe that.”

Alyx groaned in frustration. “Fine, but what right did you have to pull others into it? If you wanted to help so badly, why wasn’t it you in that bar getting me out? Hell, why wasn’t it Aeneas? Or any of your little pawns?”

Quin’s stare grew stony. “You know perfectly well why it wasn’t.”

“Right, god forbid someone find out I’m your daughter. Every bad guy in the Span will descend upon me and at once, of course,” Alyx mocked and Quin’s eyes went wide, glancing quickly at Corra.

“Relax, I already told her,” Alyx muttered which only earned her another glare. “And on that note, why the hell get Corra involved? Now she’s gonna have the Ministry against her. I can’t think of anyone who deserves that less.”

“I don’t really mind,” Corra put in quietly, but Quin was already talking over her.

“I sent her because I thought she might actually have some chance of getting through to you. I sent her because I knew she would get you out no matter what. And I sent her because she has a ship that can take you away from here.”

Alyx’s mouth dropped open and she started shaking her head. “Oh no no. No. You’re not just sending me off again. No.”

“Well ya damn well can’t stay here,” Quin said. “The Ministry will come looking and I can’t protect you.” She frowned bitterly. “Nor do you want me to apparently.” She looked to Corra. “You got room on your ship for one more don’tcha?”

“Uh yeah,” Corra agreed because she didn’t really see a choice otherwise. It had taken all of ten seconds with these two to realize it was best to just sit and listen.

“Good. Then you’ll go on the Beacon,” Quin decided.

“Don’t I have any say in this?” Alyx demanded. “I don’t want to be on another ship. I just want to be in one place, settle down, get a job, meet some people and not have trouble coming at me from all directions.”

Quin’s frown cracked into a look of pity. “Ah honey, trouble’s gonna follow you no matter where you go.” Alyx groaned in defeat and fell back onto a couch, slumping over and putting her head in her hands. Carefully, Quin went over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Which is exactly why I want you on a ship. At least there you’ve got a shot to outrun it.”

Alyx was quiet for a moment before shrugging her mother’s hand off of her indignantly. “I want to choose which ship then,” she bit.

But just when things started to seem like they were getting better, Quin shook her head. “No,” she said abruptly.

“Why not?” Alyx demanded, standing up again.

“Because the last ship you chose to board sold you off to a gang.”

“Right, and because what happened on the Dionysian, the last ship you chose for me to board, was so much better,” Alyx snapped and the room suddenly silenced.

An image of Ludo filled Corra’s mind. She felt a lump form in her throat that she couldn’t swallow. The urge to bolt from the room was overpowering.

Unfortunately, she also felt glued to the floor where she stood. She sort of wished Finn were here for this, if only for solidarity. Then she wouldn’t have been the only person to bear witness to this mess.

Finally, Quin broke the silence. She turned from her daughter and moved away to the window. “Fine. Do as ya please. I ain’t gonna force you.”

Alyx watched her for a long moment, her expression softening. But it wasn’t to Quin that she spoke. “I’m sorry, Corra,” she said, turning to her. “I’m sure the Beacon’s a great ship, I just — I don’t want to go back to that life. I don’t want the running or the violence or the danger. I don’t want to ever pick up a gun again. I just want peace.” She frowned sadly. “Know what I mean?”

The implication wasn’t exactly a flattering one, but Corra didn’t feel offended. She knew exactly what Alyx meant. And regardless of what her mother may have wanted, Corra knew what she had to do.

“Totally,” she said softly. “That’s part of why I left the Dionysian too.” She smiled sweetly and then added with a laugh, “Except the gun part. But on the Beacon, we don’t really do much shootin’. Least not yet anyways. Got no one chasin’ us so no one to run from. Hardly any violence. Some of our crew haven’t shot a gun in their lives and probably never will. There’s always danger I suppose. But least there’s not danger of our ship fallin’ out of the sky.”

Corra tried not to meet Quin’s eye even though she was watching her intently. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to think she was doing this for any reason other than helping a friend in need. “I won’t be mad if you don’t wanna come with us,” she went on. “But if you are lookin’ for a ship, the Beacon’s a good one.” She smiled. “I think you’d like it.”

Again the room dipped into quiet as Alyx watched Corra with interest, the wheels of thought clearly turning in her head. But before she could ever give her answer, a chime dinged from Corra’s pocket. Puzzled, she pulled out her COMM to find a new message waiting for her. A new message from Addy.

What could her engineer possibly need? Corra glanced over her words, ready to discard the message. But then her insides froze with fear.

It must have shown on her face because Alyx asked, “What’s wrong? You okay?”

But Corra couldn’t speak. This couldn’t be happening. Her mouth dropped open. It was only when Quin snapped, “Out with it, girl,” that she stammered aloud what Addy had written.

“Finn was taken,” said Corra, her voice shaking so badly she could barely talk. “Mica. Mica’s the guy we met with our last job — Finn punched him and now — now they took him. They sent a message to the Beacon, saying they’ve — they’re going to — “

“Finn Riley?” Quin interrupted, her voice measured. Her mouth twitched unpleasantly. “Pity.”

Panicked, Corra shoved the COMM back into her pocket and started back for the door, though she had no idea where her feet were taking her.

She’d nearly made it out before Alyx had swept through the room and suddenly shoved a rifle into Corra’s hands. “Then let’s go get him.”

Corra stared at her, confused. “But you just said you never wanted to–”

“One last time,” Alyx said. “It was for me that you two were out there at all. I’m at least partially responsible. So. One last time before you take me away into retirement.” She smiled bitterly. “Let’s go get your friend back.”

“Elena?” she asked, daring to let a little hope seep through her voice.

“Yeah?” was the immediate response and Corra felt a gracious wave of relief. Finally, they’d found her. Soon enough she could get out of this junky part of town and get on with finishing the job.

But as the woman straightened up and turned to face her, Corra’s relief evaporated. She felt a wave of shock.

Elena, as it turned out, was more familiar than she had imagined.

“Alyx?!” Corra gasped, her eyes widening on the teal-haired, tattooed woman who Corra recognized at once.

Immediately, Alyx — Elena? — grimaced and clapped a hand over Corra’s mouth with one hand.

“Elena,” corrected Alyx with a sharp, pointed look. “It’s Elena.” She glanced sidelong to ensure no one else had heard and slowly lowered her hand from Corra’s mouth.

“Sorry,” Corra muttered carefully, feeling bewildered. “Elena.”

Corra certainly had never known her by this name. Years ago, Alyx had been a deckhand aboard the Dionysian. Corra had always been fond of her (although not quite as fond as Cyrus had been), but then Alyx had disappeared off the ship entirely. She’d left without explanation.

Later, Corra had found out exactly why. Alyx had been among Ludo’s victims. It had been heartbreaking to learn. Thank the gods Leta had uncovered Ludo for what he was. And thank the gods Fiearius had ended him for it.

In this moment, Corra felt too shocked to make sense of what Alyx was doing in a Genisian bar with an unfamiliar name. “How — why — what?” she said blankly.

“C’mon,” Alyx said quickly, nodding toward a door. “We can talk out here.”

Alyx — Elena — led them out the back door of the bar and into a narrow, dark alley.

As soon as the back door fell shut behind them, Corra couldn’t contain herself. “What’s going on? Who’s Elena? What are you doing here? Why are you working in a bar?Last I heard you were halfway across the Span. What happened?”

Alyx shook her head and held up her hands. “Whoa there, slow down, tiger. One thing at a time.”

Corra pursed her lips seriously. There were so many questions flooding  through her head. Finally, she settled on, “Okay, why are you on Archeti?”

Alyx regarded her for a moment sadly before finally she released a sigh and started to explain. “It started after the ‘incident’.” The way she emphasized the word made it clear just what incident she was talking about. Or rather, just who had been incidentally murdered when the Dionysian had last been in Alyx’s vicinity. “Shortly after you left, people started coming by my work asking about the Dionysian. I don’t know who they were. Just…people. I wasn’t that worried until one of them showed up at my apartment.” She shook her head. “It spooked me so I decided to leave. Come back to Archeti. I was born here, raised here, I thought I could get my bearings and make a new plan.”

Her expression grew dark. “Unfortunately, I got on the wrong passenger ship. I thought choosing a fake name to travel by would keep me safe, but it turned out it didn’t matter. As soon as we landed, they rounded us up, took everything we owned and handed us over to the Ministry.” She cast a dirty glare at one of the red gang signs painted on a nearby wall.

Corra’s eyes grew wide. “Handed you over? To bus tables at their shitty bar?”

Alyx shrugged. “It was this or end up with an ally trader.” Fleetingly, she glanced at Corra’s ear but looked away at once. “This seemed the better choice.”

Of course, Corra would have to agree, but only barely. Most of her wanted to turn back into the bar, find whoever had done this to her and introduce their face to the end of a stool. But she had a task to do and beating up Genisian gangs wasn’t part of it. At least, not yet. “So you’re stuck here? What’ll happen if you try to leave? Just sneak out when no one’s looking? Can’t you just go?”

“Probably, but if I’m gone too long, if someone notices?” She shook her head sadly. “I’ve got another three months left ‘til I’ve ‘earned’ my freedom according to the Ministry. They’ll come after me. I’m sure of it. They may not look like much, but I’ve seen what they can do and it’s not pretty. If they catch me running off? I really will end up with an ally trader.”

“Then we won’t let them catch you,” Corra insisted at once.

Strangely, Alyx laughed. “Hang on, step back a minute. You can’t expect me to believe you’re actually here to rescue me. You didn’t even know I was here! You were looking for Elena. Why?”

“Honestly, I don’t know exactly. We were just sent here to look for her–you–and–”

Alyx’s eyes had narrowed in suspicion. “Sent? Who sent you?”

“Quinida Utada. Do you know her?” But Alyx was already rolling her eyes, her hands on her hips.

“Of course it was her,” Alyx sighed. “Of course. Let me guess. She wants you to take me back to her?” Corra nodded. “Pretend she’s the knight in shining armor, saving me from the terrible gang? And dragging innocents into the mess to do it for her.” She groaned in frustration. “The nerve of it.”

At this point, Alyx started pacing the width of the alley, looking angry and mumbling to herself. Corra, for her part, was confused.

“Sorry,” said Corra carefully, “but I’m lost.”

Finally, Alyx stopped and the frustration in her expression faded into apology. “God, Corra, no I’m sorry.” She took a step back towards her. “You shouldn’t be here. These people are dangerous. This isn’t your problem.”

“Actually, it is my problem,” Corra corrected, frustrated herself now as well. She would never have predicted convincing Alyx to escape indentured servitude would be difficult.

“It’s not,” Alyx insisted. “Why are you helping Quin anyway? What happened?”

Feeling somewhat exposed, she shrugged. “I just need something from her, that’s all. But it doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving you here.”

“I don’t want her help, Corra,” Alyx snapped.

“It’s not her help you’re getting, it’s mine.”

Alyx met her stern stare, finally softening. “Oh Corra…” she muttered sadly.

“I’m not stepping out of this alley without you, understand? Sure I only came because she told me to, but I’m here now, you’re my friend and I’m invested. I’m taking you with me. End of story.”

Alyx lifted a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “You always were stubborn, weren’t you?” Corra grinned proudly. Finally, she relented. “Fine. Since I know there’s no way I’m getting out of this. I accept your brave and daring rescue.”

Satisfied, Corra smiled and then turned back for the door, slipping inside to retrieve Finn.

Except Finn wasn’t at this post at the bar. The woman he was with was gone, too. Had they left together?

This time, Corra decided to let him have his fun. She could handle the rest of this without him, surely. She turned back to Alyx and nodded down the alley.

“We don’t have to go see Quin,” she told her carefully, rather hoping they would anyway. “If you don’t want.”

“Nah, I’d hate for you to go through all this trouble and not even get what you need out of it,” Alyx sighed. “I’ll go with you. As long as we make it quick.”

Well that was a relief. But she had to know. “Why does she want to rescue you so much anyway?”

Alyx looked down at her with a dark sort of smirk. “Because she’s my mother.”

– – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – — – – –