Never Surrender (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 16)

by Michael Anderle

  “What happened?” he asked. Bethany Anne looked at Tabitha.

  “Well, since there aren’t any buildings to fall out of, this time I decided to let my hand do something stupid, and it got reprimanded,” Tabitha replied.

  Hirotoshi nodded to his Ranger, “I will see to the new supplies and make sure the ship is ready, Kemosabe.”

  Tabitha nodded her understanding to Hirotoshi and turned to Bethany Anne, “Are you sure Achronyx is up to handling this ship?”

  Barnabas chuckled.

  “Keep it up, boss,” she looked over at him, “but I swear he is the most obstinate EI anyone has ever heard about. He will force me to rephrase shit just because he knows it annoys the fuck out of me.”

  “Tabitha,” Bethany Anne folded her arms and said, “are we going to have the same discussion about the inability of an EI to actively choose to be obstinate like that? As a programmer yourself...”

  “I was a hacker, there is a difference,” Tabitha interrupted, “Programmers were in corporations playing with their databases.”

  “And what were you doing?” Bethany Anne asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “I was on the outside, busting in, and retrieving the data they were putting into the databases.” The exhacker Ranger thought about it for half a second, “So, they were filling up the data vault while I was making withdrawals.”

  “So,” Bethany Ann tapped her lips before asking, “a common thief?”

  There was a snort from the other side of the ship.

  “My Empress,” Tabitha answered, a gleam in her eye as she waved a hand up and down, pointing at her body, “There is never anything common about this,” she added.

  Bethany Anne smiled, “Good, we have the old Tabitha back.”

  Tabitha’s smile turned melancholic as she considered the past couple of months, “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. After leaving Earth, and no boyfriend, it kinda walloped me.”

  Bethany Anne’s voice was soft, “You aren’t the only one to suffer from leaving Earth behind,” she told her Ranger, “but you came out of it. It only took a spunky teenager to help you.”

  This time, Tabitha made a face. Not too unlike one Barnabas might have made when thinking about Tabitha herself. “Not exactly the method I would suggest, but you’re right, she helped,” she admitted.

  “Well, we finally recognized the problem with Anne’s mom when she was taking it out on Anne. When Jinx chose the girl, and then we had the Pod-Doc episode, you helped her through it. You did very well, but it is time to get back on the horse.”

  Tabitha smiled, a glint in her eye, “I think it is at that.” Tabitha looked down, then stomped her right foot once, grimaced, then a second time.

  Chink.

  Then she did her left.

  Chink.

  Tabitha lifted her head and smiled, “Round them up, Tontos!” She called out as she walked towards the entrance ramp on the side of the ship, “We have a party to crash!”

  There was a slight ‘chink, chink, chink’ as Tabitha walked away.

  Barnabas stared down at her boots in horror, “Is she wearing spurs?”

  Bethany Anne just shook her head and patted Barnabas on the shoulder, “I’m sure it was a gag gift from her team.”

  Barnabas watched his Ranger walk up the ramp and disappear into the spaceship before he spoke to Bethany Anne over his shoulder, pointing to where Tabitha had just disappeared. “You realize that the first representative of your Empire could be that young, Hispanic Ranger who is wearing a black leather coat, has four Japanese vampires all responding to ‘Tonto’ and is wearing spurs.”

  Bethany Anne started walking towards the exit, so Barnabas followed. “Furthermore, there isn’t a cow for a hundred light-years around here, Bethany Anne.”

  Darryl was waiting at the door to lead the Empress out.

  Barnabas kept it up, “I don’t even think we have a horse on this whole space station!” he complained.

  The two Tontos followed Barnabas through the doors.

  The two guards chuckled as the team went down the hall and around the corner. Barnabas’s voice came back to them, “Oh, for God’s sake! She had better not come back saying ‘y’all’ in her Latino accent!”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  QBBS Merideth Reynolds - Open Court Outer Docks

  Aerolyn was struggling to figure out what options if any, he had to hide here on the Etheric Empire’s space station when the buzz of conversation on the floor increased.

  He looked around to see a group of humans heading through the center of the large area.

  “No, that’s her!” he heard a person whispering in Yollin. He wanted to turn around and see who was talking but kept his focus on the small procession. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a couple of figures heading in the direction of the parade.

  They were Ixtalis.

  Aerolyn grimaced, those aliens screwed you over and made you smile while they did it. It seemed every chance the Ixtali got, they would get you hooked on either their rare gems or their information trade.

  Usually both.

  The big dark man in front of the Empress put his arm out and then a sense of fear hit. He recognized it wasn’t only him, but most on the floor felt something. Those nearest the male seemed to be affected the hardest. Off to one side, one of the humans turned aside and threw up.

  The Ixtali backed off, and the Empress and her people swept across the floor and disappeared in the direction of the ship berths.

  “What was that?” Aerolyn looked around in shock. Most of the humans seemed to know what was going on, a few were casting irritated glances at the two Ixtali who had gone to sit down, obviously shaken.

  Aerolyn got up and left his table. If this Empress was willing to upset an Ixtali, maybe he had a chance. He needed to find out who he could talk to about his problem, and if the Etheric Empire was willing to help him.

  —

  Ixtelina found the nearest table and pulled out a chair that was at the closest empty table, and sat down.

  Ixgalan dropped into a chair beside her, “What just happened?”

  Ixtelina looked over at him, “Do you have a guess? Because I do and I do not like the idea much at all.”

  Ixgalan reached up and scratched his face, “We were pushed back by some kind of emotional weapon?”

  “Did you see a weapon pointed at us?”

  “Sure, his hand.”

  Ixtelina was quiet for a moment, “Do you believe there was a weapon in his hand?”

  This time, it was Ixgalan’s turn to pause. “My mind says yes, he had to have a weapon.” He made a gesture with his arm to show he didn’t believe it.

  “That is my point, Ixgalan.” Ixtelina admitted, “If he was able to push out a wave that was able to mess with our emotions at such a basic level, and it isn’t a technical ability, but rather an organic one…” she left the question open.

  “How would they know how to affect our physiology?”

  “I’m trying to work on that right now,” Ixtelina admitted. “It’s both scary as well as interesting.”

  Ixgalan leaned towards his lead and put a hand on her arm, “Are you ok?”

  Ixtelina looked around, leaving Ixgalan’s hand where it was for a moment. “No.” She turned to her team member, “I’ll be straight forward. The implications for this are far reaching. We can sit and ponder it all you want, but there are very few species that can do what they just did. We are the first Ixtali on their space station. Perhaps they recorded our genetics when they took our pictures earlier. If they did, what is their technology? We were barely in front of the camera for seconds.”

  “Maybe while on the transfer ship?”

  “That Executive Pod?” Ixtelina thought about that a moment, “If so, that was the most luxurious medical scanner I’ve ever been on.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think so either, but I had to ask,” Ixgalan lamented. “Then again, why aren’t my tiny spies working?” Ixtelina shook her head, and Ixga
lan grimaced, “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”

  “We are both out of sorts at the moment. If we had been able to connect the ship here, we would have been able to employ a significant amount of attacks.”

  “Which,” Ixgalan finished, “was why they didn’t allow us to dock.”

  “Exactly,” Ixtelina leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “They know who we are, they know what we offer and what we sell.”

  Ixgalan thought about it a moment, “And they don’t care.”

  “Ignorance, lack of need, or pride?” Ixtelina whispered.

  “Well, we could just ask them,” Ixgalan suggested.

  Ixtelina looked over at him, to register her opinion of that idea when she noticed he was looking back at the entrances to the ship’s berths. She followed his gaze and saw that the Empress was coming back through the floor. This time, however, she had a new male beside her, obviously in a heated (and one-sided) conversation. The two males that followed them looked similar to the ones who had guarded her going the other direction, but she was sure that they were different.

  Ixtelina pushed herself up from the chair. While she didn’t relish the thought of feeling the fear again, she had a job to do.

  —

  Darryl turned his head just a small amount, “Incoming at two o’clock.”

  Bethany Anne’s eyes flitted to the area Darryl called out, “Those are Ixtali, right?”

  >>Affirmative.<<

  “Ok, we will see what she has to say this time, this could be fun,” Bethany Anne slowed as Darryl halted their procession.

  Darryl went forward to meet the two aliens as Barnabas took his place, calmly waiting, and looking around. He made it obvious he was keeping others from the Empress. Also, Jun and Kouki spread out behind Bethany Anne, turning around.

  —

  It wasn’t lost on Ixtelina how quickly the team around the Empress spread out to protect her as she approached the Ixtalis. The lead security was headed in her direction. She worked not to shake in fear, even a little, as he approached.

  “Hello, Trade Legation Representative Ixtelina. What is it you wish to speak with Empress Bethany Anne about?”

  Not surprised he knew who she was, Ixtelina forged ahead. “There seems to be strife over my mission here to set up trade between our people and yours. I would like to see what could be done to reduce the friction?”

  Darryl caught Bethany Anne’s barely whispered ‘let her pass.’ He turned to his side and waved the Trade Legate through, “Just you.”

  She nodded her understanding.

  —

  Bethany Anne listened to the burst of information about the Ixtali from ADAM.

  I got all of that information the first time you told me, ADAM.

  >> Right. But that was your father’s request to remind you. Dan is looking into a situation with the two Ixtalis. They might have either suicide implants, or their people have set them up to be killed if they are in harm’s way. <<

  Understood.

  Bethany Anne nodded slightly to the alien. “How can I help your faction, Trade Legate?”

  Ixtelina looked around, “You wish to discuss this …”

  Bethany Anne smirked, “I didn’t approach you, Trade Legate, but rather the opposite. I can make a few assumptions and cut this rather short. I think I have the basics of how the Ixtali work. I’m willing to share them with you right here and now. I imagine nothing I’m going to say isn’t already thought by beings all through this section of the galaxy, so I doubt it will indeed affect the Ixtali reputation.”

  Ixtelina placed her hands inside her robes and considered her options. She was quickly coming to grips with the blunt attitude of the Etheric Empire, and apparently, it started at the top. It was too early to decide if it were true, or it was a front and a negotiating ploy.

  It wouldn’t be the first time.

  The Empress turned to look up, “Darryl?”

  “Yes ma’am?” he spoke out but didn’t look at his Empress.

  “I see there is an ice cream shop on the second level. What flavor?”

  Ixtelina, trying to follow along, wasn’t sure what to think. However, the Empress’s security guard merely said ‘mint.'

  “Good choice,” she told him, “One scoop or two?”

  “Better make it packed, unless you are going to change roles with me?” He asked, and she chuckled.

  “I’m not sure you want the role.”

  “There isn’t any doubt, I don’t want your part,” her guard turned to look at her, flashing the human smile, “I’m happy right where I am.”

  “I’ll eat it for him,” the other male spoke out.

  Ixtelina was still trying to figure out what ice cream was.

  “Ok Barnabas, but you will owe Darryl a mint when this is all over with.”

  “Deal,” the other human smiled, “It will help me deal with my errant Ranger.”

  “She’s not errant,” the Empress argued, “she is doing what we told her to do.”

  “You will have to excuse me,” Barnabas grinned, “I’m not using the archaic version. I mean she is straying from the proper standards.”

  “That’s so much bullshit, and you know it, Number One. Now, hold my place.” She reached out and touched her guard who had backed up a couple of steps to be near her.

  Then Ixtelina’s mind blanked out from shock as the Etheric Empress took a small step to her left and she and her guard disappeared. The crowd on the floor became so quiet, she wondered if everyone was holding their breath.

  A moment later, the Empress called out from above, on the second floor, “Barnabas!”

  Everyone on the floor looked up to see the Empress on the second level, “They are out of mint, but they have chocolate.”

  “Sure!”

  Ixtelina looked around and noticed Ixgalan was using his tablet to record his observations. Ixtelina’s mind was working feverishly. The Empress wasn’t doing this for no reason. That she could do it must not be too unexpected, because the floor had resumed their talking.

  But, logic dictated it was a rare demonstration.

  “So you see,” the Empress popped back in, with her guard next to her. He handed the human Barnabas some of this ice cream. Ixtelina was staring at the Empress, who had a utensil in a cup and was moving something light colored into her mouth. “It isn’t like we really need your gems.”

  Ixtelina didn’t say anything, but she got the message.

  “So, why do I want to work with a data acquisition group who brings me nothing in return?” She used her utensil to point around her, “My goal here, my responsibility, is to make sure they have as long a life as possible.” She pointed the utensil back at Ixtelina, “Ixtali, as near as I can tell, have negative benefits as trading partners.”

  “You have the option of re-trading the gems,” Ixtelina admitted. Although that was a common negotiation, she hadn’t realized there was a chance it would ever be true.

  “No, I don’t think we care enough to do that,” Bethany Anne took another bite of her ice cream.

  “Then you may be right, we may not have what you need to trade.”

  “Yes, that is true. Therefore, you have two options. You may stay here,” she pointed to this location they were standing in, “and ponder your course of action, or you may go back to your ship. You will not be allowed outside of this area.”

  “Why do you treat us so harshly?” Ixtelina asked.

  “That is an easy question to answer. You are users. In the end, it is all about the Ixtali at the expense of everyone else in the Universe around here. Until you decide to pick a side, you are against everyone. Therefore, you are my foe. I’ll not have an opponent allowed to roam free in the Etheric Empire. You either convince me Ixtalis aren’t a foe, or you leave now and not return. Be aware, actively working to attack, subvert our information, or reduce our ability to work with other species will be considered a declaration of war.”

  This trade mission was rapidl
y going down in flames, and Ixtelina wasn’t sure how it went so wrong, so quickly.

  The Empress pointed the spoon at her, again. “You have a few decisions to make, Trade Legate Ixtelina. The first is whether you care to attack our Empire trying to acquire information for your trade. If you use your eyes and ears? That is permitted.” She pointed to the box sitting next to Ixgalan. “However, if you continue to try and use your technology and we confirm you are doing so?” Ixtelina took an involuntary step backward when a new expression on the Empress’s face changed her demeanor, “Then you will return to your planet with the news the Ixtalis are now at war, and you and your team are at fault. Am I making myself clear?”