Dancing in the Darkness

by Lexa Luthor

  They stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. Directly to the left were two grand, sealed wooden doors to the throne room. The guard on either side straightened when Commander Gaveston stepped out of the elevator. Each guard held a spear in their hand, more for display than purpose.

  Gaveston faced Charlie, who grew tense mirroring both Starr and Raakor's stances. They were surrounded by guards whose Alpha scents were probably bombarding Starr. Hearing a familiar grumble, she prayed Starr could keep it together rather than let the damn flare-up control her.

  Gaveston looked only at Charlie, as if the rest of the team were ghosts. "You are to address the High Commander as Kal. And you must leave all weapons with the guards."

  Charlie slowly reached for her handgun. She then sensed Starr's questioning gaze, so she nodded at her crewmembers to follow the orders.

  Starr couldn't help a grumble but unhooked her first weapon and glared at the guard who approached them.

  Charlie handed the gun to Gaveston, then jerked her sheathed blade free from under her jacket. She relinquished it next. She swore if anything happened to her weapons, she was going to twist Gaveston into a pretzel.

  "These will be returned to you once you depart Tarrak." Gaveston handed the weapons to the guard on his right. He ignored the perturbed looks and went to the doors that were opened for him and the others.

  Raakor was the last to hand over his two handguns and a small dagger, grumbling as the guard took it.

  Starr blew out a deep breath and raised an eyebrow at Charlie, who just casually shrugged in reply.

  Charlie followed behind Gaveston, whose large build blocked most of the view in front of her. The throne room was massive, holding over a hundred people inside. Like the Great Tower, it was round and had a beautiful white marble floor with grey and yellow veins snaking through it. Overhead, the ceiling was mostly made from stained-glass that depicted the birth of the planet's main god, Kalatas. Each color from the decorative glass poured down over the floor, lighting the way to the dais.

  All around the room were numerous Kalmar of high rank. Starr's low growl confirmed they were Alphas, and even Charlie was frazzled by it. She could only imagine how it felt to be in Starr's skin, having such an acute sense of smell. However, her confidence never faltered, especially with Starr and Raakor flanking her from behind.

  Commander Gaveston stepped off to his right and departed from the group. He left them in the center of the large, round throne room and stood by another Alpha dressed in warrior attire.

  Charlie pulled her attention away from the line of Alpha faces and looked straight ahead at the Kalmar throne. Before her was a grand yet natural display of an old throne set upon a marble dais. The chiseled, pale throne rose up from the white dais but had thick black veins shooting up from the base and to the arm rests. The back of the throne was adorned with tree branches that twisted and spiraled upward until they met at one point. The throne's top had a small, flat wood shelf that was large enough to hold an object or two.

  However, it was hardly the throne that captivated Charlie but the High Commander, who filled the throne with power and mystery. The ruler sat perfectly still and upright, dark clothes contrasted against the throne's sharp white. But it was the bright green eyes that conveyed something both ancient and dark within them. It appeared that before all of them, a god sat among mere mortals.

  As Charlie absorbed every detail of the High Commander, she swallowed hard at the most unusual feature about the ruler. The High Commander was indeed an Alpha, every pulse of aggressive energy proved it. However, the High Commander's chest swelled with breasts, features soft and feminine save for a scar, and black, wavy hair flowed behind broad shoulders.

  This Alpha was a different kind and looked like a female human. For a beat, Charlie mentally thumbed through all her education about Kalmar, yet nothing came to mind that Alphas were ever women. Or rather Alphas that looked like Omegas but were still Alphas… or something. Charlie was completely at a loss. But she was fairly certain Kal was a she.

  "You are late."

  Charlie lifted her chin and pursed her lips at the truthful remark. Fuck, she hated being late, and the damn High Commander had to point it out. "Our apologies." She cleared her throat that had gone unexpectedly dry. "Kal." She frowned when Kal's eyes cut from her to Raakor and then settled heavily on Starr, narrowing more.

  Starr shook with a nearly silent rumble, yet Charlie could make it out. She prayed nobody else, and especially the High Commander, heard Starr, or they may have a fight on their hands.

  "But we are here now, as requested," Charlie continued. Her stomach pitched excitedly when those bright green eyes returned to her, and she chided herself for reacting to it.

  "It would seem so." Kal canted her head, as if assessing something about Charlie.

  With a better confidence, Charlie focused on why they came here and said, "Your message mentioned a kidnapping."

  "Ja," Kal agreed. "About three days ago, a Kalmar citizen was kidnapped and taken by two male humans and one female human."

  Charlie hummed low and narrowed her eyes at the mention of humans but asked, "And you need us to recover the citizen?"

  After a slight nod, Kal remained quiet, and a curious note was in her features before it was gone. "The citizen was taken off-world from Kander beyond our reach."

  Nodding twice, Charlie better understood the issue and why they were asked to come to Kander. Kalmar hated outer space. "Have they contacted anybody since then?"

  "Ja, they contacted the family and have made demands for the safe return of the Omega."

  "What was the ransom?" Charlie asked. Rarely, anybody came to Kander, and to kidnap a citizen seemed rather purposeful. However, the drawn-out silence made Charlie wonder if she'd have an answer.

  "Ten loads of darakar." Kal's voice thundered thickly through the silent room.

  Charlie closed her eyes and opened them after inhaling a deep breath, desperately attempting to focus on the conversation rather than letting the ruler's voice affect her. She blinked once after her mind jumped to the special fuel that was only located on Kander… so far. Darakar was known for burning at an extremely slow rate in ships. The fuel was worth millions or even billions of stills out on the galaxy's market. Of course, the outer space-hating Kalmar were the only ones sitting on it.

  "You were recommended to us," Kal said.

  Briefly, Charlie considered whether Kal was ignoring the rest of her team, just like Commander Gaveston and the other Alphas.

  However, Kal shifted her attention to the rest of the mercenary team. "You all were."

  Starr only replied with a huff, which was hardly heard due to the grumbles throughout the throne room from the audience.

  Charlie was highly aware of the people's displeasure with Kal's acknowledgment of Starr, but that only improved her opinion of the ruler.

  "We want you to return the citizen to us, alive and unharmed."

  Charlie nodded at Kal's statement. "And the kidnappers?" She nearly swooned when the stoic ruler suddenly revealed a wolfish smile. She needed to get a grip and focus on the pending negotiation for the job.

  "Bring them to me. Alive."

  With another nod, it gave Charlie a beat to regain control of her hormones or whatever the hell was wrong with her. She raised an eyebrow and got down to business. "How many stills?"

  "Two hundred thousand for the Omega's return."

  Charlie puckered her lips and did some math in her head. She was good with numbers, just like learning different languages. She shook her head from side to side and argued, "Three hundred thousand stills for the Omega's return and a hundred thousand stills for each kidnapper we bring back." She clenched her jaw when Kal's eyes went from a vibrant green to nearly black.

  Then tensions rose further when a robed, bald-headed Alpha peeled himself off the wall and started approaching Charlie.

  Instantly, Charlie's team reacted, but she calmed them down with a sharp order.r />
  Kal merely lifted her right hand, which halted the robed Alpha's attempt to silence Charlie. After the Alpha returned to his spot, Kal took a deep breath and viciously replied, "One hundred thousand stills for the Omega and fifty thousand stills for each kidnapper."

  Charlie placed her hands on her hips and lowered her gaze to the floor. She could think clearer when the damn High Commander's eyes weren't drilling into her very soul. Gradually, her gaze trailed upward and met Kal's piercing stare. "A hundred thousand stills for the Omega isn't even worth us starting our ship's engine."

  Kal was starting to breathe harder with each word from Charlie, and her fingers curled into the chair's armrest.

  "Two hundred thousand stills for the Omega and fifty thousand stills per kidnapper." Charlie was placing the bulk of the stills on the Omega's life, the more important and constant part. Nobody had an idea whether or not the kidnappers were just three goons or part of a larger organization. It was probable that the kidnappers had a boss.

  As the quietness grew, so did the thick tension, and it actually made beads of sweat form on Charlie's brow. To her side, a soft hiss from Starr worried her further. If this damn deal fell through, then they were back in the ship with half a tank of fuel, stills wasted to get here, and no new job. If she could win this job, it would make them well-known; they would be the only mercenaries to ever be hired by the Kalmar.

  With clenched hands, Charlie went in for the last attempt to score the job. "You're not going to find any other mercenaries who'll do what we do." She held Kal's gaze, never breaking the contact. "And I don't think you're willing to risk the rare Omega."

  Kal's low rumble thundered through the throne room. She appeared calm, but the darkness of her eyes showed her anger. Toward Charlie or the idea of the Omega being harmed, she was unsure. Perhaps a bit of both. But Kal lifted her chin slightly and said, "Final offer is two hundred thousand stills for the Omega. Thirty thousand stills for each kidnapper brought back alive and fifteen thousand for a head." Every word dripped with a finality, and her lip curled with a silent snarl.

  Charlie was barely controlling her breathing, and her heart slammed against her chest. She tried thinking over the deal, even though her mind was foggy from the edgy bartering. It was clear that Kal was done with the game, and they had to take whatever was offered or completely lose out. After clearing her throat, she bought more time and asked, "Mind if I confer with my crew quickly?"

  Kal narrowed her eyes but indicated to her team with a single finger.

  Charlie flashed a smile at Kal and nearly chuckled at the curious glint in Kal's stone features. She spun on her boot heels and switched to speaking in Jero, knowing the Kalmar couldn't understand it. "What do you think?"

  Starr gave a displeased sound but replied, "We should take the deal." She looked to Raakor for his opinion, wondering if he was going to agree with Starr’s assessment of taking the deal. He shifted his attention from the High Commander to Charlie and gave a faint nod. "Yes," he agreed in Jero.

  "There is something else going on though," Charlie said. There was more to the kidnapped Omega, who was important, very important, if she was worth two hundred thousand stills.

  "Yes," Starr agreed, then puckered her lips in thought and said, "but it doesn't matter."

  After a deep breath, Charlie felt focused again, and the conversation helped her see the goal at hand.

  "Take the deal, Charlie."

  Charlie gave a thin smile at Raakor's urgent words. She turned back to Kal and noticed how all the Alphas went quiet after whispering amongst themselves. She grinned at Kal, who had been curious about the strange language. "We'll take the deal."

  Immediately, the Alphas spoke up, either in displeasure or frustration, that their High Commander had hired an Earthling, a Hurr, and a degenerate hybrid. But Charlie was well aware the Kalmar recognized their own limitations with space travel, especially compared to mercenaries. The Kalmar were at their mercy if they wanted the Omega returned to the planet.

  "It is done," Kal announced. Her heavy voice carried through the throne room and silenced her people. She then signaled Gaveston and said, "We will discuss the details later, but until then, you will stay as guests."

  "We prefer to get to work," Charlie argued, but Kal's darkened features made every muscle coil in reaction.

  "It was not a request."

  Gaveston approached, and the guards came up behind them.

  Charlie slotted her eyes at feeling more like a prisoner than a guest. Sharp words nearly came out, but she bit down on them before it was too late.

  "Show them each to a room, commander," Kal ordered.

  "Ja, Kal."

  Charlie itched for her handgun and noticed Starr fingering empty air where the handgun normally rested on her hip. Damn Alphas and their control issues, she thought angrily. She reined in on her frustration and took the lead before her crew had a chance to react poorly.

  Together, they followed the guards and Gaveston out of the throne room. As soon as the double-doors were closed, voices boomed from behind them, but Charlie ignored it as best as she could. Looking to her team, she switched to the Jero language. "That went well."

  "Exceptional," Raakor blandly stated.

  Starr huffed and continued toward the elevators. "We got what we wanted."

  "Not quite yet," Charlie muttered in Jero. She looked over at Gaveston, who held the elevator for them. As she stepped past him, a chill race down her back and left her skin prickly. A low rumble filled the small space between them, but she sensed Starr's front pressing into her back.

  Gaveston's eyes lifted to Starr, who was protecting Charlie.

  As the two faced off, Charlie choked on the battle of dominance between them. Quickly, she pulled on Starr's jacket to get her into the elevator. She was thankful that Raakor was just a Hurr and had no high sense of smell or need to dominate.

  Starr was reluctant at first but gave in to the command and entered the elevator along with the two guards.

  Charlie focused on Gaveston, who seemed amused by Starr's subordinate nature toward a human. For a moment, Charlie hung on a mental edge of being snide with Gaveston but knew it would only make things worse. With a deep breath, she softly but firmly said, "Starr isn't the real threat, but I can be." Smirking at his annoyed look, she winked at him and entered the elevator next to her team.

  Gaveston shut the elevator gate with more force than necessary, then stepped back once. He folded his arms and remained silent during the ride down; however, his overbearing Alpha scent filled the tight space.

  After reaching their designated floor, they exited the cramped elevator and followed Gaveston down a long hallway filled with sealed rooms, one after another, like a hotel. The assigned rooms were rather comfortable, but their supplies were on the ship, and they had nothing with them. With the unexpected circumstances, and from the look of things, it was going to be at least a night or two before they could start their job.

  Chapter 3

  "Hey, Raakor."

  Raakor filled the doorway to his assigned room and stepped out. "What's going on, boss?"

  "We're meeting in Starr's room," Charlie explained, then followed him to the next door and knocked on it. As they waited, the guards eyed them warily, but nobody spoke.

  Starr appeared relieved when she saw Charlie and Raakor on the other side and closed the door after they came into her room.

  "How are you holding up?"

  Starr shrugged at Charlie's question and went to the sofa in front of the fireplace. "The meds are helping."

  Raakor neared the fireplace and stood next to it, arms folded against his chest.

  Charlie sunk into the empty spot beside Starr and noticed the uneaten food on the coffee table in front of them. She had eaten the meal that the guard brought her, but Starr hadn't had hers. The flare-up always ruined her appetite for at least three days.

  "Have you heard anything?" Starr asked the pair.

  After holding up
a finger at her crew, Charlie dug out her techbit and tapped on it a few times.

  Suddenly, a soft pulse went through the room as an invisible sound barrier swept twenty feet around them. The techbit emitted a hum while it blocked all noise from leaving the field.

  After putting the techbit on the table, Charlie looked at her team. "I haven't spoken to anyone. Not sure what is going on here." She watched the strained lines on Starr's features and prayed that the flare-up would be faster than last time.

  "You think we'll be here long?" Raakor asked.

  With a headshake, Charlie murmured, "I don't know." She picked up the techbit again and pulled up the connection to the Pacifica.

  Starr shifted on the sofa and wiped her damp brow. "How do things look back on the ship?"

  "Everything looks fine," Charlie replied. They wouldn't have to worry about anybody bothering their ship since it was rare Kander received visitors.

  "We don't have any supplies or clothes," Raakor reminded.

  Charlie shut off the techbit's screen and returned it to the table. "Maybe I can convince the High Commander to let us go up to the ship."

  "We need more weapons than just our handguns," Starr mentioned.

  A few times Charlie's head bobbed before her mind drifted back to today's meeting. "We won't be here that long. They need that Omega back." She looked at Starr. "That Omega is important to somebody."

  After a grunt, Starr said, "She's important to our stills account."

  Sighing inwardly, Charlie knew the flare-up was hindering Starr's capacity for reasoning, even if the medication quelled most of her natural urges.

  "It is peculiar," Raakor agreed, "the Omega must be valuable to somebody."

  "It's possible that they just give a damn about all their citizens," Starr argued, her voice heavy with frustration. "Their High Commander is a god and is known for caring about all Kalmar."