FTL Chapter 10

“You’re asking me for help now?” Blu asks, amused.

“I’m asking you as a sister.”

“What do you even want?” Blu gestures toward the departing vessel with a sigh. “She’s gone. Were you two close?”

“If she is still alive, I must be paid,” the Bodyguard insists.

There it is. Blu scowls. The Bodyguard has to send money home to her school. That’s her job.

“The money is for foundlings,” the Bodyguard adds.

“I know what it’s for,” Blu snaps. “And I’m not your sister. But I’ll help you out.” She turns to face the Bodyguard. “You can have her money, but I want her client list and whatever else she’s carrying.”

“Done,” the Bodyguard agrees without hesitation.

This explains Nar Uned’s fear. She must have very dangerous people behind her, perhaps even more dangerous than Blu. She must have stolen more than just some codes. It seems like there’s a good chance that Laki will be interested in whatever that might happen to be. Blu will carry out her mission to sell the codes to Crimson Dawn, as requested. But she’ll come home with a little something extra. As a treat.

“Nice ship,” the Bodyguard remarks shortly as she follows Blu up the ramp, into Seiki Ondori.

“It wasn’t always,” Blu tells her, taking her to the cockpit and pointing politely to the copilot’s seat. “Back when I was like you, it was junk.” She takes her seat and lowers her hood, pausing as she sees the Bodyguard looking at her. “When I was on my own. Working little jobs.”

“You said you were a bounty hunter,” the Bodyguard reminds her.

“I was. I guess I haven’t formally given it up,” Blu says with a smirk. “But that’s not the work I do anymore. I still have to put my ass on the line, but at least now I get paid what I deserve for it. Something to think about,” she adds, throwing the Bodyguard some heavy side-eye.

But the Bodyguard is sensibly strapping in, armor and all.

Blu snorts and powers up the ship, flipping switches and donning her headset to request launch clearance and ask the name of the ship that just departed and its destination, which Celestial City’s control tower gives out freely. The ship is called Argo. It’s a lavish sightseeing cruise that well-off people will sometimes use just to get around, as it stops in most major Republic systems.

There’s no need to wait until it reaches its next stop. A few credits are all Blu needs to dock Seiki Ondori and request maintenance while enjoying the ship. It’s a common practice. The old Blu would never have been able to afford it, and therefore would never have considered it.

That’s not an issue now.

She presses a button to complete the transaction, and the command console shows her new room number.

“We’re in,” she tells the Bodyguard.