Earth Afire (The First Formic War)

them and Earth, and the first of it was surprisingly close to their position. Only two to three weeks away perhaps.
    “I will connect you to the station chief,” said the officer.
    “I do not wish to speak to her via holo,” said Arjuna. “I want to speak to her in person.”
    “You can’t dock your ship here. This is a private station.”
    “My ship will not approach. I will come in a shuttle. Alone. You are free to search me when I arrive. Anyone who wants to return with me is welcome.”
    Return with him? Why would anyone want to return with him?
    The officer put Arjuna on hold, conferred with Magashi, and made the necessary arrangements. Four hours later, the shuttle docked in the cargo bay, and Arjuna floated from the airlock and turned on his greaves. The magnets pulled his feet to the deck plates, and he stood facing Magashi who had come with four of her armed guards. Rena stood off to the side, out of sight but within earshot.
    Arjuna was a big man, well over two meters tall and wide in the shoulders. He wore a heavy coat cinched tight at the waist, thick boots, and padded pants. “Put your guns away, friends,” he said. “I come with money, not violence.” He reached into his pocket, and the guards flinched, their hands on their weapons. Arjuna slowed and delicately pulled out a money stick. “Relax. Five thousand credits can hardly harm you.” He pushed the stick through the air to Magashi, who caught it and examined it.
    “We’re not selling any food,” said Magashi.
    “I’m not here for food,” said Arjuna. “I’ve come for men. Twenty if you can spare them. These ships the Pembunuh have destroyed are there for the taking. I mean to salvage them for what parts we can find. I will give five thousand credits to every man who joins us.”
    “My crew are employees of WU-HU,” said Magashi. “They have jobs.”
    “Yes, jobs at a station that does nothing at present but burn up supplies. I can take them off your hands for a few months. They can earn a great deal, and you can save on supplies. How long do you think your food will last if you continue as you are? The interference has driven most supply ships back to Luna. The Pembunuh have destroyed others. Ask other travelers if what I say is not true. It will be months, maybe even a year before more supplies come. If the Pembunuh wage war on Earth, supplies may never come again. Your station is overpopulated. I can help alleviate that issue.”
    “By taking my crew?”
    “Borrowing them,” said Arjuna. “I doubt any of them wants to starve to death.”
    “You’ve made your offer,” said Magashi. “We’re not interested.”
    “The wreckage is a gold mine. You have a problem. I have a solution.”
    “The wreckage is a battlefield. Will you pilfer from the dead?”
    “The dead have no use for their ships. I do.”
    “Why not use your own crew?” asked Magashi.
    “I will use my crew. But with more men I can double our efforts and salvage more before others arrive.”
    “Other vultures, you mean?”
    A flash of anger came to Arjuna’s eyes. “We are not vultures, madam. We are crows. Ours is an honest trade. There are buzzards and vultures in the Black, but my crew and I follow none of their ways. We harm no one and we abhor those who poison our industry. Ask any tradesman or salvage dealer. Arjuna is a man of his word. His methods are as gentle as a lamb.”
    “Even lambs bite,” said Magashi.
    “Yes, but we bite only to chew the food we have earned by the sweat of our labors.”
    “We’re not interested,” Magashi repeated.
    “And what of the men who hold those weapons?” asked Arjuna. “Does the woman speak for them? Would they like not five thousand credits and a job that pays better than the ones they have?”
    The men glanced at each other, curious how the others would respond. After a moment, when no one responded, Arjuna said, “Very well. Then I will ask you to return my money stick.”
    Magashi pushed it back to him. He caught it, slid it in his pocket, and bowed. “May your shelves never empty and your bellies never hunger.” He pushed off the floor and launched back toward the airlock.
    “Wait!” The word was out of Rena’s mouth before she could stop herself.
    Arjuna caught a handhold at the airlock and turned back. Rena flew to him and landed beside him. “You say men, but will you take women? Free-miner women?”
    “I would take one free-miner woman over four corporate men. Free-miners are