by Lexa Luthor
* * *
Charlie sensed the guard on her heels after she stepped off the elevator, and she did her best to ignore the shadow while she went down to the main entrance of the Great Tower. As the open front doors came into view, she slowed on seeing a familiar Alpha coming into the building. It took a tick to place him as the one who attempted to silence her yesterday at the meeting. She clenched her hands in natural defense and became cautious when he gave her a tight smile.
"Turen, Charlie," he greeted, almost too nicely. "I am Lennox." He wore a black robe, similar to yesterday, or perhaps it was the same one, and he hid his hands in the sleeves until offering his right one.
Charlie tried smiling and clasped his forearm in a solid, firm hold. The thick muscle tightened against her fingers and palm as they held strong, daring the other to break first.
Lennox released first and said, "I am Kal's Head Advisor."
Charlie studied his face or what she could see of it beyond his neat beard. His facial hair made up for the lack of hair on his shaven, tattooed head. Most likely the tattoo's razor pattern up his forehead, across his scalp, and down to the back of his head meant something to him.
"Kal is pleased you have taken the mission to return our citizen to us."
After a low hum, Charlie revealed a smile that was hardly friendly. "The stills make it worth it." She refused to be baited into small talk that could bite her later as gossip. It was easier to hide behind a mercenary's greedy mask.
"And the fame," Lennox suggested. Beyond his open posture was a hardness in his brown eyes.
"That can't hurt either." Charlie shifted to the left, about to sidestep him.
"Are you headed into the city?"
Charlie paused and replied, "Ja. I've had enough of my room."
Lennox nodded and offered, "I am happy to show you around the city."
After mock consideration, Charlie shook her head and forced a smile. "I prefer to wander alone." She then indicated her shadow. "Or as alone as possible."
Lennox bowed his head, an unusual thing for an Alpha to do. "It was nice to meet you."
"You too, Lennox." Charlie passed him and missed the brief exchange between Lennox and the guard. Outside the Great Tower, a beautiful autumn day greeted her, and the dual suns warmed her pale skin. The afternoon's blue sky and puffy clouds made Charlie yearn for a simpler life that she'd had as a child until there was nothing but blood and destruction. She shoved the bubbling memories away and focused on the walk into the city streets.
Tarrak was one of the oldest cities on the planet and certainly the heart that pumped life into all the fourteen provinces of the Kalmar realm. Every political movement started in Tarrak, every religious miracle and every new invention. Tarrak had grown toward the suns from the labor and tears put into it. From Charlie's earlier flight, it was easy to see how the city had sprouted alongside a prominent river, then grew out and away from the Great Tower. The original windy, narrow cobbled streets widened and straightened as the city crept farther toward the setting suns. The first homes near the Great Tower were small while the ones farther out were taller and wider as wealth and prosperity among the citizens flourished.
But there were scars on the city's face from wars and the most recent battle brought on by the Earthlings' arrival. The humans' own influence on the city had crept into the streets, on the Kalmar's bitter faces, and especially at the markets. Charlie was surprised to find pieces of tech for sale at the stalls. Much of the tech was dated, but it was still useful on Kander. It wasn't until she came to the far end of the market that she discovered the one person who was probably monopolizing tech repair.
A woman with raven hair was seated at a work table and cursing at a piece of tech in her hands.
Charlie was drawn closer, curiously watching the familiar woman fight with an old two-way radio.
As if sensing her, the woman peered over and nearly dropped the screwdriver. "Charlie?" she demanded in old English. She gently tossed the device onto the table with all the other tools and equipment. "Holy fuck."
Charlie was slightly stunned herself and couldn't back away, now that she'd been spotted. "Hey, Raine," she greeted back in old English. She hoped her English was still good after using Jero for so long.
Raine hurried around the table and exchanged a quick hug with her long lost friend. "You're actually alive." She openly admired Charlie before saying, "Everyone thought…" She shook her head, then punched Charlie in the arm. "Where the hell have you been?"
Charlie pointed up to the sky and replied, "Space."
Raine huffed and folded her arms. "Didn't you get enough of that damn place when we came across the galaxy in the Liberator?"
Charlie internally shivered at the name of the starship from her childhood. It was an ugly, oily place whose memory lived in a dark hole of her mind. "Just of the trip here." She trailed her eyes over to the stand and remarked, "Nice business."
Raine's bright grin stood out against her honey brown skin, and she shrugged before she said, "It's good money." She then nodded at Charlie's interesting dress attire that was a mixture of human and space renegade. "What's your business?"
With a smirk, Charlie replied, "Galaxy mercenary."
Raine laughed and nodded a few times. "Pretty badass." With a sly grin, she teased, "They call you Star Lord?"
Rolling her eyes, Charlie quipped, "Galaxy Master, actually." From Raine's narrowed gaze, she could tell that she was unsure if Charlie was being serious or not. For a moment, she continued taking in her old friend's features, which were slightly aged, and she now sported a scar on her left cheek. It seemed as if Kander hadn't been too kind to her friend, and it didn't surprise Charlie.
Raine had naturally dark skin from her biracial background and was about three inches shorter than Charlie. Her tight, curly hair hung just past her shoulders, but she kept it swept back with some old sunglasses. Her holey jeans and tired shirt were fairly common for the humans on the planet. Moments ago, she had walked with a soft limp, but Charlie knew Raine's attitude would make up for any weakness. Strapped to her injured leg was an old laser gun, most likely reserved for her rowdier customers.
"What brings you back to Kander?"
"Business," Charlie replied in English.
Raine was about to ask more until she was cut off.
A passing Alpha yelled, "Fucking Betas."
Raine leaned to the right and switched to perfect Kalmarese. "Come say that to my face!"
Charlie pivoted and narrowed her eyes at the Alpha's backside. She noticed others in the market looked on for a moment. But it was her personal guard's smug look that irritated her the most. She turned back to Raine, continuing the conversation in English. "Betas?"
Raine placed her hands on her hips and sighed heavily. "It's some bullshit Kalmar slur for humans." She then glanced at her portable workbench that was littered with repairs. "Maybe we can catch up later?"
Charlie lied smoothly, "Sure." She considered the future and offered, "Maybe after I get my job done." She took a step backward, closer to the crowd. "Good to see you, Raine," she called before vanishing among the people. Each bit of distance from her old friend helped ease the strain in her neck. However, her distraught nature caused her to crash into a rushing Alpha.
The Alpha dropped a clay bottle onto the cobblestones between his feet. The liquid splashed across the stones, and the shattered pieces caught several passersby's attention.
Charlie back stepped and held up her hands. "I'm really sorry ab—"
"You fucking Beta," the Alpha snarled.
Charlie lowered her hands, and her features twisted with anger after being called the slur again. She was accustomed to being called many things in many languages, but the Alpha's venomous tone made the slur feel like a weapon to Charlie. "Listen, it was an accident." She cursed at the empty holster at her side and no knife sheathed at her back.
The Alpha bared his teeth and edged closer to her. "All you Betas are an accident." He
sniffed her scent, face twisting into disgust. "A disease on our planet."
Charlie frowned when all the other Kalmar backed away from the impending fight. She glanced over her shoulder at her guard, who stood indifferent to the entire thing. She silently cursed him for failing to perform his duty. With a bitter look, she refocused on the irate Alpha who towered over her by a couple of feet. "But you don't seem to mind our tech." She indicated his wristband and then said, "Or our science."
The Alpha's lips curled up, and a low threatening sound rumbled in his chest as he took a step closer, hands at the ready. "All you fucking females think you're Alphas when you're just Omegas with a mouth."
Rather than be baited, Charlie rolled her eyes at the Alpha and remarked, "At least we know how to use our mouths where it counts." Long ago she had learned how to handle the Alpha personality, expecting him to be goaded into a fight. However, she was at a loss when the Alpha backed off and even shrank away from her. Then a raw power flowed over her and made her skin prickle with a warning. She was familiar with the sensation and knew exactly who was behind her. A heavy sigh broke from her chest, and she straightened up with a frown.
"Kal," the Alpha weakly greeted and bowed formally.
Kal towered over Charlie and closed the space between them. "What is the problem?"
The Alpha easily explained the situation and only became annoyed again when he looked at Charlie in front of Kal.
After a moment, Kal turned toward Charlie's guard and commanded him to compensate the Alpha for his trouble. After the coin was handed over, she silently willed the Alpha to continue his personal business. Once he was gone, the onlookers started scattering and whispering amongst themselves.
Charlie stared bitterly at the departing Alpha's back. "I could have handled him."
"Ja, at my political expense," Kal stated.
Charlie barely hid a grin and mostly because Kal didn't argue with Charlie's abilities to battle the Alpha. She wanted to tease further, but Kal zeroed in on the guard.
"You were instructed to protect our guest."
The guard flexed his grip on the spear in his right hand but otherwise stared directly at his supreme leader. There was no denying his disobedience, and he seemed to accept his pending fate. Rather than a public punishment, Kal ordered him to return to the barracks. Most likely the guard would suffer a worse embarrassment among his squad.
Kal expelled a heavy breath after the guard left and faced Charlie. "Where were you going?"
Charlie curiously eyed Kal, then shrugged. "I was just exploring the city. I've never seen Tarrak." She noticed a brief, puzzled look from Kal. "I've heard a lot about it."
Kal hummed low, then asked, "Perhaps you'd like to see the Koblenz?"
Charlie perked up at the idea of seeing the river that flowed beside the famous capital, but she frowned and said, "I'm sure you have better things to do than play tour guide to a Beta." A displeased growl made her jump, and she tried easing her racing heart.
"The river is this way." Abruptly, Kal turned on her boots' heels and was clearly annoyed at Charlie's comment.
Sighing heavily, Charlie followed alongside Kal. For several long minutes, she struggled with something to say, then hooked a wild strand behind her left ear. The walk continued in silence, and it made Charlie tenser but hardly compared to the startled crowds, who quickly parted upon seeing their godly ruler.
"So I noticed humans are vendors in the market." Charlie counted at least twenty stands with human owners. It wasn't a lot compared to the few hundred stands, but not long ago, Earthlings were barely allowed in the city.
"Ja." Kal glanced at Charlie before looking ahead again. "I opened the market five years ago."
After a low hum, Charlie said quietly, "Humans weren't allowed into the city before I left Kander."
"Much has changed since you left," Kal stated.
Charlie thought she heard a hint of pride in Kal's tone, and it made her smile a little. What a typical Alpha, she thought, then hesitated because Kal was indeed an Alpha but also rather different than any she had met in the past. Slowly, the distant look on her face faded away as the river came into view in front of them.
The Koblenz was a grand river with bluish brown water that stretched on for long distances as it twisted its way through the capital's province until it finally poured into a bay that reached the only ocean of the planet. Farther up the river it was narrow, but it widened as it approached the capital. Most likely it was just over a half an old Earth mile wide at Tarrak's shores. On both sides of the shore were ports that allowed both the transport of goods and people through the provinces.
But the current location Kal chose was a relaxing spot along a cobblestone walkway. She approached a metal rail and placed her hands on it as she gazed upon the beautiful river. Beside her, Charlie smiled at the river and the city's ports around them.
"Amazing," Charlie whispered. She had only heard stories about the wooden sailing ships in the ports. They reminded her of the ancient-style ships from the Greeks and Vikings of old Earth. She was hardly surprised that they were wooden rather than made of some composite plastic material like fiberglass. However, the ships probably had mechanical engines that were solar powered when the winds were being less kind.
Kal was clearly proud of her kingdom's fleet that had aided both the military and commerce over the generations. The Kalmar were hardly the best seafaring race, but they managed to learn and take advantage of the waterways throughout their planet. The great dividing ocean was the only place that the Kalmar were less confident.
"I never took Kalmar for seamen," Charlie mentioned.
"We do prefer to keep our feet on the ground."
Charlie chuckled and immediately thought of Starr, who hated flying, space, and water due to her hybrid nature. "Rarely the explorers."
Kal tilted her head, then said softly, "We don't have the human spirit of adventure."
Charlie shrugged and argued, "Not all humans are adventurous types." Then a grin played along her lips. "But certainly resilient."
Kal huffed, seeming to agree.
"Like a disease," Charlie whispered. "Like that Alpha said."
Grumbling low, Kal placed a hand on the rail and said, "It will take time for all my people to accept your people."
Charlie held up her hands, shook her head, and slapped her palms against the rail. "Not my people." She laughed bitterly and explained, "I don't have any people. I'm just stuck as a human in this lifetime."
Kal fixed a curious stare on Charlie, who was still on the run from her heritage even as an adult. "Why did you leave Kander?"
"If you found a way to escape the war and bloodshed, wouldn't you take it?" Charlie narrowed her eyes but didn't wait for an answer. "Nevermind… you're a Kalmar and an Alpha." She looked over at the river and muttered, "You wouldn't get it."
Kal remained silent, but her features were thoughtful before she pushed Charlie further. "Did you not leave family behind?"
"Joh," Charlie denied and shook her head. "I have none." She shifted closer to the rail and leaned against it. Childhood memories from her past surfaced and forced her to relive the dark, oily confines of her life on the starship, Liberator, across the galaxy. "I grew up on the Liberator. Grew up around the engine intercooler system." She shook her head and said softly, "The cooling waste and recycling was awful. Today I can still smell the harsh chemicals of the cooling waste when I transported it for recycling."
"But then you grew up here on Kander," Kal reminded.
Charlie grunted and tried holding back memories from her years on Kander. Even if the planet was beautiful, her past was painted with blood and anger from both sides of the war. It was a wonder that she returned to Kander to take a job. Not wanting to think any more on it, she turned to Kal. "How did you manage to stop the Civil War? The last High Commander died from it."
"The last High Commander's usefulness had ended," Kal explained casually. "Kalatas's spirit moved on and chose me
because I strive for peace. I believe it is possible for Kalmar and Earthlings to live together."
"The last Kal didn't?"
"Joh, the last Kal's hatred spawned the war." Kal had a slight frown.
"You still didn't say how you managed to end the war."
With a heavy sigh, Kal simply explained, "I rooted out those who stood against a ceasefire."
After a low hum, Charlie grumbled and said, "That sounds like a lot of bloodshed." The silence was confirmation enough. However, it was admirable that Kal was willing to find peace with the humans, and it meant their god accepted humans. In the beginning, many Kalmar wanted to purge the humans from Kander. It took great strength to rise above such hatred and bring any peace, even fragile peace.
Eventually, a comfortable silence stretched on between them. Normally Kal stayed rigid in her posture, but she leaned against the railing. For a few more minutes, they simply enjoyed the quiet moment and were grateful to be out of the Great Tower.
"Can I ask you something personal?"
Kal automatically straightened up and inclined her head, giving permission.
"What's your name?" Unknowingly, Charlie had leaned in closer to Kal, hoping to find out the secret. Perhaps it was a total taboo to ask, but she hardly gave a damn. It wasn't like she was a citizen of the planet or under Kal's rule.
"It is Kal."
Charlie rolled her eyes and straightened up after the failed attempt.
"My name became Kal upon my ascension."
Charlie bit her bottom lip then shook her head and tried one last time. "And your name before becoming Kal?"
"Upon my ascension, my old name left me." Kal appeared indifferent to the conversation and informed, "But it will return to me when Kalatas's spirit leaves me."
Skeptically eying Kal, Charlie wondered if it was all just a ploy or if Kal had truly forgotten her real name. Long ago she had learned that Kal was a god walking in mortal flesh among the Kalmar. Most of it was bullshit, in her humble opinion. But yet, those green eyes were a legend all on their own. Every Kalmar had brown or black eyes but not Kal.
