Space Criminal and Chillboi
one
“Tarvis is going to fucking kill me.”
Nova Wiley hurriedly packed as much as she could into the luggage set she had bought the day before. She also brought along all the credits she’d been saving for the past several years. She’d hoped to disappear quietly to start her life over and lose the notorious Wiley name. But she’d fucked up. She never should’ve tried to steal from Corbin Tarvis. He was the criminal kingpin of the city-planet Xaria. Nova had stolen two of the Crillian crystals she was meant to deliver to him. They were tiny, and the shipment had had so many. She’d taken them on a whim, because selling them would mean she’s finally have enough money stashed to make her grand escape.
She would’ve had enough sooner but being the youngest of the Wiley clan, she got a smaller cut from her jobs even when she did most of the work. So much for honor among thieves, she supposed. And now she’d stolen from the most dangerous man in Xaria, and he would most definitely kill her for it. Nova finished her mad packing job, fumbling her luggage shut before tossing it out her window into the bushes below and then leaping out after it. Her family was going to be pissed when they found her gone, but Nova was done with grifts and heists. Well mostly done; she was still faking her way aboard the luxurious space cruiser, Utopia, to make her getaway.
Her cousin Dooley had made the fake ID currently inside her little purse; it was one she’d requested several months prior for a “job,” but she hadn’t used it yet because she was actually saving it for an occasion just like this. A bit of clever hacking had secured “Nova Channing” a room on board the Utopia, and she’d simply disembark at the final destination of the cruise and not make the return trip. She’d vanish beyond the limits of the quadrant and make a boring little life for herself. She’d get a coded message to Dooley and her brother Beau, who were the only members of her family who would understand. But she’d worry about that later; right now she just needed to go.
Nova adjusted the buttons on the frilly pink dress she was wearing to sell the image of her new fake persona. The hot pink and blue highlights in her black hair didn’t scream old money, but with the extra color and her hair wound up into a ridiculous updo that she’d never wear on a normal day, it made her look at least a little different than herself. The absolutely gigantic sunglasses also hid a good portion of her face and the pale green eyes that Jia Wiley had passed on to most of her children.
Nova looked out of place in her seedy neighborhood with the dress and the suitcases, but if anyone was stupid enough to try and mug her they’d regret it pretty fast. Nova didn’t go anywhere completely unarmed, not even aboard a fancy space liner. And right now she was in a hurry so god help anyone who slowed her down.
When she reached the nicer parts of the city, Nova hailed a hover cab. If she was going to be a proper lady for the next couple of months then she shouldn’t have to carry her bags herself all the way to the spaceport. Nova was on edge as she navigated the bustling port, expecting some of Tarvis’s goons to pounce on her at any moment. She didn’t know what her parents were going to be angrier about; that she’d stolen from Tarvis or that she’d disappeared. It didn’t matter. Nova was never coming back to Xaria. The pang of loss she felt in her chest was surprising. Her family was rough and her corner of this city was even rougher but it was the only home she’d ever had.
Nova found the bay she needed to board the Utopia and slipped into line, taking out the expertly crafted fake ID. Her most winning sparkly fake smile flashed up at her from the card; her megawatt grifter smile. It was the sort of smile a girl born into frilly dresses and fancy cruises would have. She handed over the ID to the hostess droid without hesitation. Dooley did amazing work and the ID wouldn’t arouse any suspicion. The droid handed her a map of the ship and a room key and gave her directions to her cabin.
“Welcome and please enjoy your stay aboard the Utopia,” the droid said in its overly chipper robot voice. Nova headed to her room, cabin #1033. It wasn’t among the absolute fanciest rooms this ship had to offer; she was more likely to attract unwanted attention if an unknown nobody booked one of the higher end rooms. But the cabin was still posh. The bathroom was all marble and gold, the bed had impossibly soft fluffy pillows. At least she could execute her escape with a bit of style. She stayed in the room until launch time, not wanting to risk wandering too much while they were still docked in Xaria. She explored her cabin, sniffing all the assorted soaps and shampoos and kicking off her shoes to jump on the bed like she was a little kid.
“So this is how the other half lives,” she said, flopping backwards across the bed and messing up the fancy hairdo she’d wrestled her hair into. She’d been in nice places among the upper crust before, always with the purpose of stealing something or blackmailing someone. But this time was different. She was there entirely of her own volition. Though she was, technically, still grifting. She was there with a fake last name and in a cabin she didn’t actually pay for. But it was for a good cause because after this, she could go her own way. She’d be free. It didn’t feel real yet.
Nova sat up as a woman’s face appeared on the screen mounted onto the wall, announcing in a perky voice that they were about to launch and people could assemble at designated viewing areas to watch. Nova thought she should stay in her room until they were well out into space, but excitement got the better of her. She’d never been on a space cruise before. She half-heartedly fixed her hair and went to watch the launch. People in clothes as or more frilly than her own pressed in around her as she stared at the panoramic window, transfixed.
The Utopia lifted away from the port and into space, and soon all of Xaria was laid out below her. Nova watched it grow smaller as people cheered and clinked champagne glasses. She was officially on the run.
Nova Wiley hurriedly packed as much as she could into the luggage set she had bought the day before. She also brought along all the credits she’d been saving for the past several years. She’d hoped to disappear quietly to start her life over and lose the notorious Wiley name. But she’d fucked up. She never should’ve tried to steal from Corbin Tarvis. He was the criminal kingpin of the city-planet Xaria. Nova had stolen two of the Crillian crystals she was meant to deliver to him. They were tiny, and the shipment had had so many. She’d taken them on a whim, because selling them would mean she’s finally have enough money stashed to make her grand escape.
She would’ve had enough sooner but being the youngest of the Wiley clan, she got a smaller cut from her jobs even when she did most of the work. So much for honor among thieves, she supposed. And now she’d stolen from the most dangerous man in Xaria, and he would most definitely kill her for it. Nova finished her mad packing job, fumbling her luggage shut before tossing it out her window into the bushes below and then leaping out after it. Her family was going to be pissed when they found her gone, but Nova was done with grifts and heists. Well mostly done; she was still faking her way aboard the luxurious space cruiser, Utopia, to make her getaway.
Her cousin Dooley had made the fake ID currently inside her little purse; it was one she’d requested several months prior for a “job,” but she hadn’t used it yet because she was actually saving it for an occasion just like this. A bit of clever hacking had secured “Nova Channing” a room on board the Utopia, and she’d simply disembark at the final destination of the cruise and not make the return trip. She’d vanish beyond the limits of the quadrant and make a boring little life for herself. She’d get a coded message to Dooley and her brother Beau, who were the only members of her family who would understand. But she’d worry about that later; right now she just needed to go.
Nova adjusted the buttons on the frilly pink dress she was wearing to sell the image of her new fake persona. The hot pink and blue highlights in her black hair didn’t scream old money, but with the extra color and her hair wound up into a ridiculous updo that she’d never wear on a normal day, it made her look at least a little different than herself. The absolutely gigantic sunglasses also hid a good portion of her face and the pale green eyes that Jia Wiley had passed on to most of her children.
Nova looked out of place in her seedy neighborhood with the dress and the suitcases, but if anyone was stupid enough to try and mug her they’d regret it pretty fast. Nova didn’t go anywhere completely unarmed, not even aboard a fancy space liner. And right now she was in a hurry so god help anyone who slowed her down.
When she reached the nicer parts of the city, Nova hailed a hover cab. If she was going to be a proper lady for the next couple of months then she shouldn’t have to carry her bags herself all the way to the spaceport. Nova was on edge as she navigated the bustling port, expecting some of Tarvis’s goons to pounce on her at any moment. She didn’t know what her parents were going to be angrier about; that she’d stolen from Tarvis or that she’d disappeared. It didn’t matter. Nova was never coming back to Xaria. The pang of loss she felt in her chest was surprising. Her family was rough and her corner of this city was even rougher but it was the only home she’d ever had.
Nova found the bay she needed to board the Utopia and slipped into line, taking out the expertly crafted fake ID. Her most winning sparkly fake smile flashed up at her from the card; her megawatt grifter smile. It was the sort of smile a girl born into frilly dresses and fancy cruises would have. She handed over the ID to the hostess droid without hesitation. Dooley did amazing work and the ID wouldn’t arouse any suspicion. The droid handed her a map of the ship and a room key and gave her directions to her cabin.
“Welcome and please enjoy your stay aboard the Utopia,” the droid said in its overly chipper robot voice. Nova headed to her room, cabin #1033. It wasn’t among the absolute fanciest rooms this ship had to offer; she was more likely to attract unwanted attention if an unknown nobody booked one of the higher end rooms. But the cabin was still posh. The bathroom was all marble and gold, the bed had impossibly soft fluffy pillows. At least she could execute her escape with a bit of style. She stayed in the room until launch time, not wanting to risk wandering too much while they were still docked in Xaria. She explored her cabin, sniffing all the assorted soaps and shampoos and kicking off her shoes to jump on the bed like she was a little kid.
“So this is how the other half lives,” she said, flopping backwards across the bed and messing up the fancy hairdo she’d wrestled her hair into. She’d been in nice places among the upper crust before, always with the purpose of stealing something or blackmailing someone. But this time was different. She was there entirely of her own volition. Though she was, technically, still grifting. She was there with a fake last name and in a cabin she didn’t actually pay for. But it was for a good cause because after this, she could go her own way. She’d be free. It didn’t feel real yet.
Nova sat up as a woman’s face appeared on the screen mounted onto the wall, announcing in a perky voice that they were about to launch and people could assemble at designated viewing areas to watch. Nova thought she should stay in her room until they were well out into space, but excitement got the better of her. She’d never been on a space cruise before. She half-heartedly fixed her hair and went to watch the launch. People in clothes as or more frilly than her own pressed in around her as she stared at the panoramic window, transfixed.
The Utopia lifted away from the port and into space, and soon all of Xaria was laid out below her. Nova watched it grow smaller as people cheered and clinked champagne glasses. She was officially on the run.