2952-09-04 – Tales from the Inbox: The Pilgrim’s Task
Some of you might remember that years ago, we featured the account of one Thomas Nyilvas as to the redemption of a Confederated Worlds youth turned Immortal saboteur. Nyilvas himself would go on to his storied end on Margaux, but up until this point we have had no further account of the doings of the Immortal who he sought to redeem at great personal risk, at least until today.
The vessel name and the name of its skipper are not genuine (as is prudent on the part of the submitter), but I have heard through other channels that one Ayaka Rowlins did indeed go rogue from the place the Navy had assigned her some months ago.
“Are you sure about this, Miss Rowlins?“ Emilio B. leaned on the railing of the elevated catwalk at the bow end of Fey Wanderer’s small hangar.
The woman below didn’t look up; she continued to work at the module she’d pulled out of the launch craft berthed there. Emilio hadn’t seen anything like this launch before; it bore a slight resemblance to that long-time favorite of mercenary service, the Savitri Seax, but it was a bit larger and had clearly seen a lot of use and heavy modification. If present evidence was to be believed, Rowlins herself had been the author of at least some of these changes.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, Wanderer can get you there, but you aren’t paying us for a pickup. Just a drop off. In enemy territory.”
Ayaka Rowlins paused and looked up. “Would it buy your silence if I paid for you to return in a few weeks?”
Emilio frowned. “Would you be here for us to pick up?”
Rowlins turned her attention back to her work without answering.
“We’ve run people into occupied worlds like this before, but usually they at least plan to come back." Emilio gestured to the craft she was working on. “You’ve got a fancy ride all prepared. You’ve clearly thought all this through.”
Rowlins hunched her shoulders, then slowly set her tools down and stood up, scowling. “If you would please come to the point, Captain?”
Emilio shuddered as her cold eyes met his. “Well... I just mean, I’m happy to take your credits, but the crew and I need some assurances that this isn’t-”
“That this isn’t something that’ll get you branded as traitors?” Rowlins’s face softened, and she shook her head. “You need not worry on that account.”
“If you don’t intend on returning, then why should we not worry?” Emilio countered. “Self-directed suicide mission is a pretty thin story.”
Rowlins smiled. “I see. You think that if I am not scheduling a return, that suicide or treason are my most probable intents.” She glanced back at her craft for a moment. “Will a brief explanation buy your silence until we have arrived? I have many things to finish before I launch.”
Emilio nodded. “I suppose so.”
Rowlins arched one eyebrow, then bent her knees and, without any apparent difficulty, leapt three meters up to the catwalk and landed lightly beside him. Emilio staggered back in terror and reached for his sidearm; even in shipboard half-gee, even if she was acclimated to the gravity of the heaviest world in the Reach, such a jump shouldn’t be possible.
His fingers, however, found the holster already empty, and the gun, now with the magazine removed, was in the girl’s hands. “I’ve already tried treason, once. I was young and stupid, and I failed at it, like I’d failed at everything else I’d done to that point.” She held the weapon back to Emilio. “Only one person believed I might still be worth a damn.”
Emilio took the gun with trembling hands, wondering where the magazine had gone. He had plenty of spares, of course, but the meaning of this demonstration was obvious – if Ayaka Rowlins had intended him and his crew any harm, she could have easily accomplished it by now.
“Despite what I let Nate do to my body, that man still did what he could for my soul, and he helped me find that I had another chance in this life as well as the next.” Rawlins bowed her head. “And then he and I parted ways. His route led to Margaux.”
Emilio nodded. “You think he’s still down there?”
“I know he is. I spoke to one who was with him at the end and was evacuated.” She bowed her head. “He was in a group of captives processed by the Incarnate Inquisition, and they made a martyr of him.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” Emilio didn’t know what else to say. “If he’s dead, what do you think you can do?”
Rowlins shook her head. “For him? Nothing. He has crossed over. But I will visit his grave nonetheless.”
“And then?” This plan of course, did not preclude a return trip.
“Once I have done this, I intend to find out what has become of the Inquisition team responsible.” Rawlins smiled, and this time it was a very unkind smile indeed. “And perhaps I will pay them a visit.”
