Never Surrender

by Michael Anderle

  >>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 rapidly 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?”

  “That is preposterous,” Ixtelina, her mind in total shock, argued. “No one goes to war over information!”

  “Apparently, you didn’t have information on our species in your database, did you?”

  “Well, of course not. We have…” Ixtelina stopped talking. Dammit, this Empress just confirmed another bit of information from her.

  “Don’t worry about it,” the Empress waved her utensil, “I know you have no information about us.”

  “Why do you say that?” Ixtelina asked.

  “Because you still wonder if you can hire someone to attack us.”

  Ixtelina squeezed her hands in frustration inside of her sleeves. What was this Empress doing, reading her mind?

  “Just think ab
out this,” Bethany Anne told Ixtelina, “do you think the group that is looking to find Kurtherians and kick their asses is going to give a fuck about whoever you can hire to attack us?” The Empress turned to her guard, “We can go, Darryl.”

  She turned back to Ixtelina as they started walking away, “Bring your hired mercs on, we could use the target practice.”

  Ixtelina watched the group walk away and head toward the hallway that led to All Guns Blazing.

  Ixtelina stood there as Ixgalan walked up to her side, “We need to go back to headquarters, this is way above us.”

  Ixtelina nodded. “They need to know what we know, and provide guidance.”

  The two Ixtalis never noticed the grins of the humans that had heard the conversation, or the way the humans seemed to make fists and bump them with each other as the two aliens left.

  Matthew, one of the crew members working in the mining and ores group, watched the two aliens move through the doors and shook his head. He turned to his two friends who were enjoying a lunch break, “One of these days, this part of the Galaxy is going to figure out you don’t try to get one over on the Empress.”

  Alicia, on the same working shift and sitting next to him, just snorted her agreement.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  QBS Achronyx, En route, Eubos

  Tabitha had stored her stuff in the Ranger’s Cabin. She was easily able to tell it was her cabin because Bethany Anne had apparently been on board, and stuck those damned yellow sticky notes, complete with arrows, pointing her down the hallway to her cabin door.

  She had taken down every one of the yellow stickies on her way down the ship’s hallways.

  The envelope affixed to her door had the Empress’s handwriting, “Yes, this is your room, Tabitha.”

  She pushed open the door and took in her room. The bed wouldn’t allow sleeping for two very easily. “Achronyx?”

  “Yes, Ranger Tabitha.”

  “Are there any beds that handle two people on this ship?”

  “Every bed will handle two people,” the EI replied.

  “Mmmm,” She moved over to the bed and started looking it over. Sure enough, she didn’t have a six-inch mattress, but two, three-inch mattresses. She looked around and found a lock. Flipping it, she was able to pull the under mattress out, and the bed became a double.

  Apparently, companionship was permitted. Or at least the understanding it could happen.

  She bumped up against the other wall.

  “Ok, close quarters when it is opened up.” She shoved the second half of the bed back under and locked it in place.

  She grabbed her go bag, tossed it on the bed and looked around. Sitting down on her bed, she opened her envelope.

  Tabitha,

  Those in Eubos did not get the request to refrain from slavery. Slavery will not be permitted. I suspect it will take a while for the understanding that no slavery, means, no slavery! I would provide the stories on how bad it is, but then you might be as pissed off as I am about it and I don’t want to be the one to color your response.

  Make it stop.

  Bethany Anne.

  She stood up, “Achronyx, call the team to the meeting room.”

  “Confirmed, Ranger Tabitha. All team members notified to assemble in the main meeting room.”

  Tabitha walked to her door and opened it. She took a step out, paused, then turned back and stuck her head into her cabin.

  “Achronyx,” she whispered, “How the fuck do I get to the team’s main meeting room?

  —

  Tabitha walked down the hallway to the room the team would now use to meet, and interestingly enough, it was also where they would eat. She waved to her four Tontos and went to the coffee maker and punched in her order.

  Moments later, her hot chocolate was ready. God, she would have killed for a body that could eat as much chocolate as she could now, and not show it.

  Well, she supposed she had killed once she got it, did that count?

  She noticed the table the Tontos were sitting had lifted out of the floor and locked into place. The right side of the rectangular room was empty, but she could see the outline of another table set into the floor. T

  This table held ten, easily, no reason to pull up another table.

  She set her hot chocolate down. “Here is the short, short version,” she started. “There have been sightings of slavers over in the Eubos system even after our Empress sent an edict forbidding the practice. Our responsibility is to go to Eubos, make friends, and slap some heads around if need be. They are now under the aegis of the Etheric Empire, and apparently, we need to give them another memo. We will be armored up at all times, everybody will have their partner, and we’ll kick ass and decide if we take names or leave corpses.”

  She took a sip of her drink, “Questions?”

  Katsu spoke up, “Data acquisition?”

  Tabitha smiled, “You have to ask?”

  “Ranger Tabitha,” Achronyx interrupted, “We are twelve minutes from Gate Transfer, do you have any ship commands?”

  Hirotoshi spoke, “Go in hot.”

  She smirked, “Going in hot is ALWAYS going to happen.”

  “Understood, Achronyx will always go through transfer gates in armed fashion.”

  Tabitha turned to look at the nearest speaker, “No! That wasn’t what I was suggesting.”

  “You do not wish to go in weapons prepared?” Achronyx asked.

  “Well, yes,” Tabitha replied, but then looked at Hirotoshi and pointed to the speaker and mouthed, See?

  Hirotoshi shook his head.

  Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Achronyx, we will go in hot until I say otherwise. Do we need to be seated anywhere specific?”

  “The bridge has the most defensive protection, and the best seats for protection in case we need to go through evasive maneuvers.”

  Tabitha stood up and walked her mug over to the sink and set it into the cleanser.

  “Let’s do this.”

  She waited for the guys to go first, to confirm which way she needed to go to get to the bridge.

  Capital City, Planet Yoll

  Kiel made his way across town and quietly entered a building that had a total of four different restaurants. Three at street level, one up on the top floor. The building next door had a landing pad at the top.

  Not that Kael-ven actually needed one, but he preferred not to show off his Pod’s capabilities if he could help it. Kiel, on the other hand, would have shown off if he was allowed.

  Nothing was terribly sexy about Kiel’s walking abilities, however.

  Kiel was playing with his dinnerware in the small, private dining room when there was a sharp knock. He had barely stood up when a Yollin head stuck itself in, looked around and then ducked back out. The door opened further, and Kael-ven walked in. Kael-ven’s annoyance was obvious when the door shut behind him.