Nowhere/Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV: DOUBTS
The mood in the Nowhere was fickle at best, tense at worst. The captain went his way to claim there was a traitor on board. Someone who sabotaged the ship so that it couldn’t jump into hyperspace once it passed the Imperial blockade. The Nowhere had hidden itself out of orbit at the nearest gas giant while the crew were trying to make contact with any Alliance ship or outpost nearby. No one answered. They were alone, drifting in space. No methods of communication. No hyperdrive, simply waiting for something.

Reemo, Serenity, Marius and the two grave robbers passed the time playing Pazaak. Anders sat in the back, his head resting on his knees. He was thinking of his life back on Corellia. He wished he could’ve stayed there. He never should have joined the Alliance. War and rebellion just didn’t suit him, and now he had to pay the price. He saw the crew talking, whispering. They claimed the captain had hidden himself in his quarters – his only contact being his quartermaster and pilot, Briggs.

“Who do you think it is?” Reemo asked Serenity. The latter looked up at the big Nikto and shrugged. “My guess? I think it’s the captain himself.” She suggested. Reemo chuckled, while Marius was sunken away in his thoughts, looking utterly depressed. “That’s nonsense. You saw how the captain reacted. Besides, why would he go through all this trouble of passing through that blockade only to remove the hyperdrive? Nah, if you ask me – I think it’s the cook. He’s already trying to poison us.” Reemo theorized. “Do you stand?” He asked Marius, while holding his Pazaak deck in his hands. Marius shook his head. “I end my turn.” He answered.

“What if there’s no traitor?” Anders asked in the back. The crew turned around to him. Reemo was clearly thinking, but shook his head. “So the pilot just forgot to install the hyperdrive and lied to the captain? Unlikely.” He added. Anders stood up and walked over to the Pazaak players. “I just can’t believe how there would be a traitor. Especially on a simple cargo drop? Didn’t – didn’t the captain do background checks or something?” Anders asked, scratching his head. “Yeah, that’s the thing.” Marius answered. “The captain did do background checks. Whoever the traitor is, he’s damn good at forging a false identity.” He sighed, putting his Pazaak card on the table. “I stand.” He answered. “You win some, you lose some, my friend.” Reemo snickered as he grabbed the cards.

“You know, that also got me thinking.” Serenity interjected. “The captain knows pretty much everything about our backgrounds. Who we are, where we were born, what prison time some of us served.” She noted. “But we’re not allowed to know? It’s like he wants us to be suspicious of each other.” She theorized, which made Anders think. “And this mission we’re clearly not allowed to know of? Despite the fact that it’s a ‘cargo drop’ which is blatantly a lie. Lot of trouble for simply delivering some weapons.” Marius protested. “I don’t think the captain might be a traitor – but he’s definitely hiding something. It makes my skin crawl.” He sneered.

“I don’t think it matters much, anyway.” Reemo replied. “If what the captain says is true – we got Imperials headed our way. Dunno about you but I know what it’s like on the inside of an Imperial prison cell. It eats you alive.” Reemo warned. Anders felt a lump in his throat. Fear crept inside of him. Fear of being captured by the Imperials, of being harmed by the men present. He was sitting in a glorified penal ship, a scrawny little man who can barely defend himself.

“Maybe we should ask the captain himself?” Serenity suggested. Reemo and Marius looked at her, frowning. “Ask. Not interrogate. What harm can it do?” She spoke, looking at Anders for his opinion. “Yeah, sweetheart, I’m pretty sure the captain’s not waiting for some outlaws to come and accuse him of lying about the mission. You saw how temperamental he is. For all we know he can be a paranoid bastard and throw us out of the airlock for suspecting we are the traitors.” Reemo advised. Anders thought by himself, then looked back at Serenity. “I think we should lay low. Wait what the captain says. I don’t wanna risk aggravating him.” He gave his opinion as he looked downwards, shyly. “Well.” Reemo spoke as he adjusted his seat, leaning frontward. “Maybe a little pep talk won’t be so bad.”