by Calista Skye
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Nothing to get excited about.”
“Riley, you’re a terrible liar. I know that look better than I know my own ship…I just never expected to see it on you.”
“What look? There’s no look.”
“You’re falling for him.”
“I’m not falling for anyone. Don’t be silly.”
Kira stood up and rushed to her. “I’m so happy for you. It’s about damn time you found yourself a good man.”
Lana shook her head. “Don’t get too excited. Adaar is not good. So we kissed. So what?”
“You kissed him? Riley!” She squeezed her friend in a joyful hug. “I’m so happy for you. I know you never pictured falling for a Kamaran, but Adaar is…wow.”
“He’s a pirate, Kira.”
“So I’m told.”
“Besides, it didn’t mean anything. It couldn’t have. I’m sure it was all part of the act. He was just preparing me. Making sure I didn’t freak out in the moment, in case we need to play the part when we’re down there on Anara.”
But even as she said it, she wondered. It couldn’t have been anything more than that, right? Why would he have any interest in anything more from her? “As soon as this is over, everything will go back to normal.”
“I hope not,” said Kira. “Normal was pretty shitty.”
Lana shrugged. “We were getting by.”
“Stuck on that hellhole desert wasteland? Flying missions non-stop for next to no pay? Worrying all the time about Tanner? Keeping our heads low to stay off the radar of the Consortium, the military, the gangsters? Do I need to go on? Don’t you ever feel like you deserve something better?”
Lana’s face fell. “I’m not happy about it, Kira. It’s not a glamorous life, but it could be a lot worse.”
“Yeah, but it could be a lot better, too.”
“I don’t see how falling in love with a pirate could possibly make anything better.”
Kira shrugged. “They’re not so bad, Lana.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Well, yeah. Since we’ve arrived, they’ve been nothing but kind to us. The crew took us in, treated us like family. Trusted us on their ship. Included us in their games.”
“But they’re thugs. And killers. This is hardly a home. They don’t belong anywhere.”
“Neither do we.” She looked straight at Lana. “We sure as hell don’t belong on Tarksis, anyway. Not since the Empire showed up.”
“I suppose you have a point,” said Lana, the faint trace of a smile still lingering on her face. “But the Gamma Raiders? Seriously?”
“I get it. But let me put it this way: the only place I’ve ever felt at home was on the Endurance. And I don’t like flying for the Consortium any more than you do, but we’re free there. When we’re on that ship, we’re in charge of our lives. The Raiders have that here.”
“I guess you’ve got a point. But there has to be a better way. They’re…”
“More like a family than anything I’ve ever had.”
Lana shook her head. Kira grew up as an orphan, and it wasn’t something she liked to talk about. “They’re good to each other,” Lana agreed.
“And, Riley…I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” She gestured at her friend to lean in closer, raising a hand to Lana’s ear. “Adaar is hot. And you kissed him.”
She could still feel the tingle on her lips, her skin still aching for his touch. “He was just pretending. It was part of the training. It had to be.”
“I love you Lana, but you’re blind. Everyone else can see it, plain as day. He’s crazy about you.”
Lana shook her head. As observant as Kira could be, she was way off base. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m not. Ja’al said he’s never him like this.”
“It’s none of Ja’al’s business.”
“The hell it’s not. It’s his job to look out for his best friend, just like it’s my job to look out for you. It’s not my fault you’re too damn dense to realize a good thing when it falls in your lap.”
Lana sat back on her bunk and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s assume you’re right. You’re not, but let’s pretend for a minute. What would we do? Float around the galaxy forever plundering helpless cargo ships? This doesn’t lead anywhere. It doesn’t mean anything. And what? We just keep it up until someday we get in over our heads and somebody gets shot? Or brought in front of an Imperial tribunal?” She shook her head. “It would never work. There’s no future in it. And you can’t raise a baby on a pirate ship.”
“Planning your family already?”
“You’re a real pain in the ass.”
“You love me.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “Gods know why.”
“Because I care about you, Riley, that’s why. Because I want to see you settle down and be happy. You deserve it. And it’s my responsibility to make sure you don’t screw this up.”
“I still don’t trust him.” The easy smile finally dropped from her cheeks. “I’ll spare you my usual rant…there’s something else. I can’t escape the feeling that there’s something he’s not telling me.”
“You’re determined to sabotage it, aren’t you? Do me a favor, Riley. Just one teensy-weensy favor.”
“Maybe.”
“Admit that you have feelings for him.”
Lana glared at her. She didn’t feel anything for him. Did she?
“Admit it to yourself, at least. You don’t have to tell me what I already know. But I’m not going to sit here and let you lie to yourself. Just think about it. For all the fuss you make about honesty and trust, you should at least be honest with yourself.”
“No promises,” said Lana.
***
A loud knock at the cabin door stirred Lana from her sleep.
“Come on in,” she called as she slowly opened her eyes and let the light in. Kira’s disheveled wreck of a bunk told her that she had slept. But she was gone.
Lana didn’t have long to speculate, though, as Ja’al entered the room with a stern look on his face.
“Sorry to disturb you, Lana. I know that you’re going to need as much rest as possible before we land. But the plans here are complicated. This is a delicate situation. I need to make sure you’re prepared.”
Lana lifted herself to her elbows and rubbed her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “More dance lessons?”
Ja’al laughed. “No more dance lessons, Lana. Adaar said you picked it up more quickly than he’d anticipated.” He didn’t add anything more, though Lana sensed he was leaving something out. “He was surprised, to say the least.”
Lana still felt too groggy for a quick witted reply. “Okay, so what is it, then?”
“Like I said, this is delicate.” Ja’al gestured to the chair in the center of the room. “May I sit?”
“Um, sure,” said Lana. She had never seen Ja’al this serious. He always seemed so laid back. But now, his words were quiet and heavy. Whatever he wanted to talk to her about must have been more important than he let on.
Lana reached for the water bottle next to her bunk. “Is everything okay, Ja’al?”
“Oh, everything’s fine, Lana. Everything is going to be fine.” He paused, assessing her. “How much do you know about the Gamma Raiders?”
“I know that you’re feared across the galaxy. Even back on Tarksis, people whispered stories about you. Kira overherad,” she noticed Ja’al smile a bit at the mention of her name, “from a couple of soldiers that there’s an entire training program dedicated to ferreting you out and surviving your attacks.”
“Doesn’t surprise me,” he said. He chuckled and shook his head. “But the Kamaran military, for all their money and muscle, is never going to catch us. At least not that way.”
“Um, right,” said Lana. “That’s a relief, I guess.”
“Yes, Lana, it is a relief. And not just for us. It’s a relief for you, too.”
“Yeah, I sure feel safer wit
h the Raiders around.”
Ja’al raised an eyebrow. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you. You’re too honest, Lana. I think that’s part of the reason he cares about you so much.”
Oh gods, here we go.
“Adaar would probably kill me if…you know what, Lana? It’s not important. And it’s none of my business. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Okay, great.” Lana didn’t even notice that her legs had tensed until she released them. “So why are you here, then?”
“The Raiders’ mission is…complex. You think we just cruise around the galaxy, raiding ships willy-nilly.”
Lana laughed at the large, well-muscled, golden-skinned Kamaran man using a word like ‘willy-nilly’. She understood why Kira liked him; Ja’al had a way of putting her at ease.
“But that’s not the case. Our targets are all chosen very carefully. We always know exactly who we’re going after, and we always know why.”
“You’d be pretty sloppy pirates if you didn’t,” she said.
“It’s more than that, Lana.” He looked at her seriously. “Every ship we’ve raided…every single one…has been carrying something valuable to the empire. Something that grows their power or tightens their control of the people. Weapons, supplies, medicine, food…all things that either don’t belong to them, or that will help them force good, innocent people into lives of…let’s not mince words…slavery.”
Lana winced. She pictured the haggard humans toiling away in the Tarksian mines, extracting ore for Kamaran profit, and to build Kamaran warships. The regime never called them slaves. But the force they threatened and the meager wages told a different story. Even as a pilot, her father barely got by. And there was no possible way anyone living there could afford medical treatment, should they ever be unlucky enough to need it.
She caught the look of recognition in his eyes. He knew about her family, about her past. He knew why she was willing to help them.
“So you want me to believe you’re the good guys, Ja’al? I’ve already agreed to help you.”
He shook his head. “Lana, I need you to understand why this is important. When we head down to the planet, you’re going to be attending a wedding. You’re going to be breaking up a wedding.”
“Yes, that’s why I had to learn to dance. I’m way ahead of you.”
“But do you understand the implications, Lana? If Princess Ellistra marries the Emporer, Anara joins the Empire. Then all the food and all the medicine that the planet provides will belong to Kamara.” He paused, waiting for the implications to set in. “Anara is one of the last bastions of free trade in the sector, and their resources are abundant. Without our help, things are going to get worse for people like you and your brother.”
Coming from anyone else, Lana would have thought it was a crass attempt at emotional manipulation. But Ja’al believed what he was saying, and Lana had cultivated a pretty accurate bullshit detector as a necessary part of life on Tarksis. No alarm bells went off when he spoke.
“I understand. It’s important, and I’m on board. Why come talk to me about it now?”
Ja’al hesitated for a moment. “Because there’s no easy way to do it. We can’t just capture Ellista — the palace will be far too heavily guarded for that. Besides, the Anaran people need her. She is a good woman and a good leader.”
“So she has to stay.”
“You and Adaar are going to be inside. We’ve managed to secure the original invitation of one of the other guests, a distant cousin to the young Kamaran Emperor. You and Adaar will assume the identities of him and his wife.”
“Okay, so that will get us inside. But that still only covers two of us.”
He nodded. “Yes, and that’s all we’ll be able to manage. You and Adaar will be alone in there. We’ll be monitoring the situation from the outside and keeping close tabs on you, but the smoother things go, the better. Obviously.”
“So the rest of you are just going to sit around watching us?”
“Of course not. This is going to be quite an event…and though security in the palace itself it will be tight, we’re expecting things to be significantly lighter outside. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us to load up on supplies.” He locked eyes with her. “For distribution.”
“I’m sorry, you’re going to distribute supplies? To whom?”
Ja’al smiled. “To anyone and everyone that needs them, Lana. That is what we do. That is why the Raiders exist. The Kamaran Empire has caused too much suffering in the world as a result of their greed and brutality. We do what we can to make it better.”
Lana’s mind spun. His words rang true. And it made perfect sense, in its way. The stories whispered about the Gamma Raiders revealed that they’d captured more than a few high profile ships. But not one member of the crew seemed to care a lick about material possessions. Even the ship itself, aside from the obvious technological advantages like their systems disruptors and cloaking devices, seemed to be boiled down to the essentials. Nothing extravagant. Nothing wasted. And now she understood why.
Unless he was just spinning a story.
“You don’t believe me,” said Ja’al.
“I don’t know, Ja’al. It would explain a lot. I just don’t understand why. Why do all that? Why do you even care?”
“That’s not my story to tell,” said Ja’al.
“Adaar.”
“Yes,” he said. He sat back and folded his hands on his lap. “But like I said, it’s not my story to tell.”
“Great. So why bring it up at all?”
Ja’al shook his head. “Because there’s no easy way to stop the wedding, Lana…things might get interesting in there. You’ll be going in with Adaar, posing as the Emperor’s relatives. Except that you’re obviously not who you say you are. And we’re going to have to make a few modifications to your appearance.”
Lana’s face lit up as it dawned on her. “And that’s why it was so important for you to get the lightcycles. So that he…so that we can disguise our appearances.”
“Yes, and that’s not all. There are genetic scanners to fool, as well. Fortunately, the good doctor has prepared a special serum that will throw them off. As I said, security is going to be tight, and everything about this is risky.”
“No kidding. This sounded crazy before, but…” she trailed off.
“So you understand, now, why it’s so important for you to be able to pass as a noble when you’re out there with them. Regardless of how you actually feel about Adaar,” he looked at her curiously, probably hoping she’d betray some reaction. Lana held her face as steady as she could manage. “The two of you need to seem like you’re in love out there. Nothing to suggest that you’re anyone other than who you say you are.”
“I can handle it,” she said.
“I believe that you can, Lana. We wouldn’t be going through with this if that wasn’t the consensus opinion.”
“Consensus? Isn’t Adaar the captain?”
He smiled. “Adaar is our leader. He’s also a fair man, and he cares about the opinions of those he trusts. He trusts us…and he trusts you to pull this off.”
“But you don’t?”
Ja’al clenched his fist, a line crossing his face before he finally spoke in a careful, measured tone. “I trust you too, Lana. I think that you’re capable of doing this. I just want to make sure you don’t lose it when the time comes.”
“Why would I do that?”
Ja’al shook his head. He seemed to wrestle with himself. He reached out and grabbed her hand. “After the dance, you’ll speak with Ellistra in her private chamber. And it’s up to you to convince her to call the wedding off. She may say some things that…”
She had never heard Ja’al so unsure of himself.
“Whatever happens in there…whatever you hear…whatever is said…keep your wits about you and know that it’s all part of the plan.”
Lana’s brow furrowed. “You know something. If you’re so worried, why don’t you tell me
what to expect?”
He looked down. “I’m sorry, Lana. But I can’t. Just promise me that you’ll keep your cool. That you’ll come back here when it’s all over.”
“You’re scaring me.”
Ja’al gripped her hands. “Promise me, Lana.”
“Okay,” she said. She hated being kept in the dark. It infuriated her. But whatever Ja’al wasn’t saying pained him, too. It was a promise to the captain she knew he would keep.
She could still refuse to go through with it. But Tanner was only getting worse. And she may never have another chance to help him. He was worth the cost. Worth risking whatever it was that Ja’al was keeping from her.
Lana drew in a deep breath. “I promise.”
Chapter 13
Lana stepped off the transport shuttle in front of the palace, awestruck by the sight before her. Anara was widely known for its breathtaking views, but nothing her imagination conjured did justice to the sight before her.
Towering spires of marble and obsidian, hand-carved remnants of a bygone age, were surrounded by the most ornately decorated steel and tarkanium support bridges she’d ever laid eyes on.
Seated on top of the planet’s tallest waterfall, torrents of surging water seemed to erupt from the palace itself, as though the building were supplying the entire planet with the life-giving flow of water that spilled into the Anaran Ocean.
“My gods,” she said, taking Adaar’s hand as he pulled her forward. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”
“It’s magnificent,” he said. “And it’s worth protecting.”
“Right,” said Lana. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“You’re allowed to appreciate it, dear. All the royals do. That’s why they built the palace here. Just try to act like you’re not so entranced. A sight like this is supposed to be commonplace to you.”
“You’re right. I just wish the circumstances were different. I wish Kira could have seen this.”
Adaar smiled. “Kira has been given a special task for today. She’ll have her chance to see the planet.”
“She’s not helping the rest of the crew?”
