by A A Warren
He sighed. “I did not mean to… That is, I thought—”
She slapped his chest, sending a spray of water droplets vibrating away from his skin. “What is wrong with you? She just tried to have one of her thugs decapitate you!”
Talon shrugged. “I know. It was foolish, but I… It was as if she could control my—” His voice trailed off.
Vaki rolled her eyes. “Bulaka! I know exactly what part of you she controlled. Talon, these people, this place… something’s not right here. And 'Queen' Katara, or whoever she is… she’s dangerous.”
“I’ve fought and bled for spoiled nobles my whole life,” Talon replied. “I’m not afraid of an exiled queen.”
“Well you should be. I was born on Aoshu, but I grew up off-world, in a clan colony. It was a slum. They depleted the planet’s resources, until the environment was poison. We lived under cheap domes, we had to work for fresh air, food, water… They took everything we had, until there was nothing left of value. The clans care about one thing, and one thing only… profit. They'll kill you in a heartbeat if it increases the value of their shares.”
Talon thought for a second as the droplets continued to pulse against his skin. The vibrating water helped clear the haze from his mind. Here, away from the queen, he could think clearly once again.
Talon met her gaze and nodded. "You're right."
“So that’s what she told you? Vaki continued. “Someone exiled her here?”
“I know little of Consortium politics, but she said the Crown Prince has taken a mistress. Katara is maneuvering to secure her claim to the throne. She doesn’t want to kill me, at least not yet. She wants me to find something for her."
“Find what?” Vaki hissed.
“Her miners discovered something valuable here. A crystal she called 'black jade'.”
Vaki’s eyes opened wide, and her lips parted in a tiny gasp. “Black jade… well that’s worth killing for all right. Supplies have been dwindling since the war with the Dominion flared up.”
Talon nodded. “There’s more. Katara says there is a rival colony here on Neros, the Zigra Clan. They stole her supply of this precious mineral. If I can retrieve it from their territory, she's offered to give me a ship that can get us off this planet.”
She looked up at him with a worried gaze as the water stopped falling. Heat lamps glowed to life along the sides of the tube, and a rush of warm air blasted them from above.
“The ship we found crashed in the ice was a Zigra vessel,” she said in a thoughtful voice. “And Katara claimed a pulsar disrupted communications here, a few months ago, right?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Yes, what of it?”
“By the gods! Are you really this stupid? That ship went missing a few months ago as well. Maybe it’s connected somehow?”
Talon frowned and thought for a moment. He looked down at her. “You said the coordinates in our transport were pre-programmed?”
Vaki nodded.
“That Consortium freighter was smuggling bodies. What if this was their intended destination all along?”
“But why? What would Katara want with—”
The beeping rang out again, muted by the rushing air of the dryer.
“Come, quickly!” she hissed.
She dragged him out of the shower and back into the main room of her quarters. Throwing open the carved wood doors of her wardrobe, she tossed an embroidered silk kimono over her damp clothes.
“Enter,” she said.
The doors slid open, and Makor entered the room. B’Turo shuffled behind him. The aquatic alien’s eyes flicked over Vaki’s dripping hair and robe, then turned to Talon. “There is little time. You must leave on the Queen’s mission now. B’Turo will take you to the edge of Zigra territory. Beyond that, you are on your own.”
Talon stepped in front of Vaki.
“And what of the girl?” he demanded.
“She will remain here. Collateral, to insure the safe return of our property. I assure you she will not be harmed.”
Vaki grabbed Talon’s arm and shoved him aside. “You mean you'll lock me in this room, like a prisoner,” she snapped.
The alien regarded her with a cold stare. His gurgling breath rose in pitch. “It is for your own protection.”
Talon rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. I won’t be long. Stay here and be safe. When I return, we will leave this forsaken planet.” He glanced up at Makor. “Those are the terms of the bargain.”
The alien gave him a brief, shallow bow. “Of course.”
Talon followed him to the door, but Vaki tugged at his arm again. As he turned to face her, she threw her arms around him, showering his neck and face with kisses. His single brown eye opened wide with surprise.
“Be careful,” she breathed into his ear. “Trust no one!”
She released him and stepped back. “Now you may go,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice.
Talon blinked. Then he spun around and marched out of the room. Vaki watched him leave. Then she hurried back to the bathroom, and shut the door behind her.
Chapter Eighteen
Katara sat perched on an invisible throne, held aloft by the lifter field projectors running through the room. A tight leather gown hugged the curves of her body, flowing across her flesh in a dark wave. The garment was sewn from the hides of the reptilian birds that flew in her shimmering mural. Their dark, onyx scales glinted in the light, like a million tiny eyes gazing out from the black fabric.
A white fur shawl draped over her shoulders, and jewelry sparkled at her wrists and throat. Behind her, white-robed ladies-in-waiting, their faces hidden behind featureless ivory masks, attended to her long silvery hair. With deft, rapid motions, they bound her mercury tresses in a series of braids and knots, accented by pearls and silver clasps.
As they worked, the queen surveyed the floating holo-screen before her. She saw Talon leave the girl’s room. Their greeting had seemed awkward, more friendly than passionate. But when he left, the Aoshun woman’s embrace looked desperate. Katara knew desire when she saw it…
She watched as the woman on the screen leaned forward, staring into the invisible camera behind her mirror. The girl pushed her long, purple braid behind her ear, and bit at her tiny pink lip with perfect white teeth.
Feathers of silver and blue eye shadow shifted around Katara’s eyes as she arched a single brow. The girl on the screen was pretty… beautiful even. Earlier, when she changed out of her tattered clothes, the queen had admired her athletic figure, and the healthy, warm flush of her skin.
Katara glanced down, consulting the glowing display mounted in a large bangle on her wrist. She tapped the screen, calling up the scans her men had performed when the two strangers had arrived at the colony. The girl’s name blinked on her screen.
“Vaki,” she hissed to herself. It was a simple name. Common, most likely a peasant or worker from a clan-owned world. But Katara knew it was foolish to underestimate a rival, no matter how trivial she might seem.
The woman closest to her ceased manipulating her hair and bowed. “I’m sorry, my Queen? I could not hear…”
Katara waved her hand. “It was nothing. Are you finished?”
The woman bowed deeper. “We are not worthy to gaze upon your magnificent beauty. Men would topple empires for a touch from your porcelain hand.”
Katara allowed the lifter field to lower her to the ground. The narrow heels of her metal boots clicked against the floor. “And yet my husband seems uninterested in touching my hands. Or any part of me, for that matter.”
The white-robed woman said nothing. Her face was unreadable behind her blank white mask. She bowed lower, and remained silent.
The queen breathed a sigh, then marched toward the center of the room. The women shuffled after her, two rows of white robes carrying her flowing wake of black leather and lace across the floor. As she came to a stop, a gong sounded. The loud chime echoed off the smooth metal walls.
A beam of li
ght rose from the floor. Katara's face was a frozen, emotionless mask as the holo projector hummed to life. When the image focused, she dropped to one knee. Behind her, the white-robed ladies fell to their knees and touched their heads to the floor.
The glowing image of a man towered over them. He was tall and broad chested, and a thin black mustache curled over his wide, thick lips. Long dark hair flowed over his shoulders, gathered in a gem-studded top knot above his scalp.
The man stared down at the women with dark, almond-shaped eyes. A frown marred his handsome features. “Katara. You look… different. Your skin, your hair...”
Katara bowed her head. “I apologize if my appearance offends you, my Lord. It is a side effect of my treatments. But my bio-mancers assure me that the effects are only temporary.”
The man in the glowing hologram grunted. “Very well. I’m more concerned by your lack of communication. I’ve been trying to reach you for some time now. And this is a private conversation. Must your servants be privy to our personal matters?”
Katara rose to her feet and clapped her hands. The women bowed before the glowing image, then shuffled out of the room. “A nearby pulsar has blocked all transmissions for several months. We are alone now. It is good to see you again.”
The man ignored her and glanced around the room. “I knew conditions on Neros were harsh, but I had no idea the facilities were so… rustic.”
“Life is difficult here, my Lord. But it is a burden I gladly bear. I would do anything to bring honor to the Toho Clan… and to you, my loving husband.”
“Loving husband?” the man said, spitting out the words. He traced a faint, ridged scar along his right cheekbone. “You stabbed me. Cut me like a piece of meat.”
Katara smiled and bowed her head again. “Surely you have forgiven me by now, my Lord. I was angry, hurt… I did not know what I was doing, so clouded was I by rage. And have I not made amends for my indiscretion?”
The man leaned closer. “Perhaps… if what you have promised is true.”
She looked up, but remained on her knees, knowing the angle was flattering to her body. A sparkle glinted in her dark eyes, but her face remained a frozen mask.
“It is, husband. You cast me away, sent me here to this frozen wasteland as punishment for my… temper. But I have brought you back a valuable prize. Enough black jade to triple the size of your fleet. With that many ships…”
“I could undercut the other houses,” the man whispered to himself. “The value of their shares will plummet, while our clan’s holdings increase. But the Jotoru… The Emperor—”
“The Emperor will say nothing. Because you will gift half the jade to his house, to fuel the war effort.”
“What? Are you mad, woman? You’re talking billions of shares… perhaps more!”
Katara stood up. She slinked toward the hologram, reaching out as if to caress the man’s glowing cheek. Her hands drifted through the insubstantial beam of light.
“Yes. But you will earn something far more valuable. The Emperor will shield you from the other houses, and your position in line will be secure. In time, your power will outshine even his. But by then, it will be too late for him to stop you.”
The man shook his head. “You have a head for politics, Katara, I’ll grant you that. But do you really think I can achieve all this with one shipment of black jade, no matter how valuable?”
“An empire begins with a single sword,” she breathed. “But one must know where and when to strike. I have plans for you, my Lord. For us. With my help, you can ascend to heights you’ve never dreamt of.”
The man narrowed his eyes, and gave her a suspicious glare. “Plans? I warn you, this changes nothing between us. I still… my desires for—”
“Of course,” Katara said, cutting him off before he could utter the whore’s name. “You are the Crown Prince. It was selfish of me to impose my will upon your desires. All I ask is that you return some semblance of my old life to me.” She gazed up at him, her dark eyes damp with a film of tears. “I miss my home. All this ice, this dead, empty world… Please my Lord, I beg you. Let me return to Aoshu. As a queen, as a concubine, as a mistress… I care not.”
The man nodded. “I’m sure something can be arranged. But first, you must send me a sample. My scientists must confirm you have—”
“No, my Lord.”
The man in the hologram puffed out his chest. “What did you say? Do you refuse—”
“I refuse nothing, my husband. I seek only to protect you. The Zigra clan has encroached on our perimeter, and this colony is infested with spies. If the other houses get wind of this, they could undermine our plans. For now, we must sharpen our blades and prepare. Send your scientists here. Come with them if you do not believe me. See my discovery with your own eyes.”
“I will do just that." He smoothed out his cloak. “In fact, we are already en route. And Katara… if I find out this is another one of your games, mark my words; The next hell I send you to will not be one of ice. It will be the infernal heart of a dying star. And I will make sure you live long enough to feel your flesh burn.”
“I will prepare for your arrival, beloved husband. Our facilities are meager, but I will hold a feast in your honor.”
“Don’t bother. Just have the samples ready to load onto my ship.”
She bowed again. “It shall be done, my Lord.”
The image turned hazy. The glow from the projector’s beam dimmed, then faded away, leaving her alone in the cold, metal room.
The door chime sounded.
“Enter,” she called out. She heard the soft gurgling of his breath, and she knew…
Makor had been watching.
She turned to face him. He stood ramrod straight, gazing at her with his wide yellow eyes. His scales shimmered a pale blue in the light. She slinked towards him, her lips parted in a hungry smile. “You heard?”
The alien nodded. “I despise seeing you kneel to him.”
Her nails danced over the scales that adorned his chest. “Soon I won’t have to. It is better than we could have hoped. He is coming here. To us…” She looked away, glancing out the window at the jagged blue ice surrounding the colony. “Talon… has he left on my errand?”
“My Queen, I would have been honored to perform this task for you. It irks me that—”
“Don’t be a fool. You know that's impossible now. She would turn you against me. But Talon… he is strong, skilled. His mind is untainted. She cannot control him.”
Makor gazed at her for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. He and B’Turo are on their way to the perimeter. They are taking a beam-skater. It’s small and fast, it travels low to the ground. The skates produce minimal vibrations across the ice. Its engines will not be detected by the Zigra defense grid, assuming it is still operational.”
“Excellent. And what of the girl? This 'Vaki'?”
Makor tilted his head. “She is still in her quarters. Why do you ask?”
Katara walked away from him. She shrugged out of her gown, letting the fabric puddle on the floor behind her.
“There is something about her… I have been watching her, on the holo-vid. She is hiding something. Even Talon does not see it. But I do. Eliminate her, now. We can afford no more mistakes.”
Makor bowed, as the three bio-harvester cylinders emerged from the floor. He tore his eyes away from the queen’s naked body, and stared at the people pounding and screaming inside the clear tubes.
“Yes, my Queen. As you command.”
“When you finish, take another beam-skater and follow B’Turo. Stay out of scanner range. As soon as Talon leaves Zigra territory…”
She spun around. Her cheeks flushed, and her chest heaved as her breathing became heavy. Her skin glistened with a sheen of sweat. “You wish to face him, do you not? To restore your precious honor?”
“More than anything, my Queen.”
“Then this will be your chance. Slay him, and that doddering old fool, B'Turo. Return
with my prize.”
The alien bowed, then walked towards the exit.
“Do not fail me, Makor,” she hissed. The bio-harvesters hummed to life. Katara floated within the lifter field. She arched her back as she settled into position. “This is our chance… our chance to strike back at those who have wronged us.”
Makor gave her another bow. “I would sooner die than fail you, my Queen.” He turned and marched out of the room.
An empire begins with a single sword, she thought. Talon will be my sword. The gods have delivered him into my lap. The time to strike is now. I will take what is mine. I will be queen…
A shock of pleasure ran through her body, drowning out her racing thoughts in a warm, sensual haze. She ran her hands across her writhing flesh, as her skin drank in every droplet of life that showered down upon her.
Chapter Nineteen
Talon gripped the arms of his seat as the beam-skater made a sharp dip to the right. B’Turo sat next to him, clutching the tiny craft’s twin control sticks in his gnarled, leathery hands. The old man muttered a curse and adjusted the controls. As he corrected the balance of the sleek vessel’s energy skates, the ship righted itself and continued speeding low across the frozen surface.
“Air bubble,” B’Turo grunted. “The surface of Neros is constantly breaking up and freezing again. Sometimes bubbles of gas get locked in the ice. When the skates cut through, the ride gets a little bumpy.”
Talon leaned forward and peered out the domed cockpit. He could just make out the shimmering energy blade curving beneath the vessel on the starboard side. He knew an identical skate hung from the left wing as well. The energy constructs allowed the ship to speed over the planet’s surface using a minimum of thruster power. The propulsion system was highly efficient, and burned less fuel than traditional thrusters. As a useful side effect, the skates produced minimal heat and vibration, making the craft less likely to show up on enemy sensors.
“These tremors seem to be getting worse,” Talon said, staring at the old man. “Quakes, worms, walking corpses… This infernal planet must be cursed.”
