by Eric Vall
Fucking Warrick.
“I think you do,” I countered gently. “And I can explain why if you will just give me a few minutes of your time.”
U’eh gnashed his teeth… but wove his head side to side in consent. “For my son,” he said grudgingly, “I will hear you.”
I inclined my head once more in gratitude. “Thank you. Now, when we arrived in this star system and began our descent to your planet, I noticed that there were two ships already in orbit. They were Corporation ships. Terra-Nebula and Nova-Sol. Have you encountered them before?”
“Yesssss,” U’eh hissed and flicked his wrist dismissively. “Starmen have come for ages. A few here and there. They bring things or they take things. Technology. Goods. They never stay long.” The chief regarded me with a critical gaze. “The starmen you speak of wanted to take more than we offered. We refused them.”
“They wanted to take your home,” I clarified. “They wanted you to sell it to them.”
U’eh narrowed his eyes and blinked his two sets of eyelids. “How do you know this?”
“Because I know how they operate,” I said and took a deep breath before I bit the bullet. “I used to be one of them.”
“And now you want to take what we had refused them?” The chief hissed and drew himself up to his full height. He was nearly a meter taller than me.
“No,” I countered as I lifted my chin and met his gaze. “I said I used to work for them. I don’t any longer. I don’t want you to sell me your home.”
“Then I assssssk again, what do you want?”
“I want you to not sell it to them,” I said simply. “Not to Terra-Nebula or Nova-Sol or any other Corporation that may fall from the stars.”
This seemed to bring the chief up short. Lights flickered sporadically along the scales of his face, flashes of blue and green that reflected off the dark, flat surfaces of his eyes.
“Explain,” he said in lieu of admitting that he did not understand.
I suppressed a smile. I’d gotten him interested. Now I just needed to bring this home.
“You may not know this, but the universe is a big place beyond this planet,” I began. “There are millions of planets and peoples out there, and Corporations like Terra-Nebula and Nova-Sol want to utilize all of them to make a profit. When people began to take to the stars and discover each other, a coalition was made and galactic law was created so chaos and war would not ensue. Many of the laws are tedious and unimportant now, but the main one is that a Corporation may not take a planet by force for the interest of profit, and must first obtain consent from the governing authority of the land.”
I gestured to the chief. “That governing authority is you.”
The translator box took a moment to render all that information. When it was finished, U’eh said, “But I do not consent. I have refused them. Why do they remain?”
I held up a finger. “Ah. Here is the problem with galactic law: there are a lot of loopholes, and Corporations have hundreds of people dedicated to finding them all. You have refused Terra-Nebula and Nova-Sol, but your refusal, unlike a contract, is subject to change. You could say yes at a later time. So, the Corporations hang around until they can find a loophole or enough leverage to revise your answer… or until you sign a contract with another party. Now, a contract with a Corporation is basically the go-ahead for them to colonize the planet. Yes, they give the planet better technology, healthcare, means of production, etc. but the planet is now the property of the Corporation, for them to do with as they see fit. My contract will be different.”
“How would it be different?” U’eh clicked. “What would you do with our home? What would you get in return?”
I spread my arms open at my side and gave him my best, disarming smile. “I am just one man, Chief U’eh. I am not a Corporation. I do not want to colonize your planet, and even if I did, I couldn’t. If you signed a contract with me, it would be worded in such a way that, while I would technically own the planet, I wouldn’t have any power. You,” I emphasized. “You and the Almort would rule yourselves. Just as you have been. Nothing would change. Except no more Corporations would be allowed to try to take your home.”
“Oh,” I added with a smile. “And I’d still give you the best technology and medicine Terra-Nebula had to offer. It’s a win-win for you, Chief U’eh. For you and the Almort.”
U’eh was silent for a long time. He stood there and stared at me for so long without blinking I began to become unnerved. Had my impassioned speech not moved him? Would he now refuse me like he had Warrick? Would he toss me through the luminous glass of the window?
“And what do you win, Cccccolby Tower?” U’eh finally asked me at length, my name awkward and foreign in his mouth. “What would you take from us in return if you do not want our home?”
I had prepared for this question, this level of scrutiny. I still had to struggle with the answer. The truth was always the hardest thing to say, it seemed.
“Well, if you would agree, I would like to see your world,” I said cautiously. “I… grew up amongst the stars, as did my companions.” I turned and gestured at Neka and Akela, who had moved to stand along the back wall. “We do not have a home, not like this, and we would be honored if you would show us yours.”
The chief narrowed his eyes. “What elssssse?”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’d like to establish a port or two, if that would be agreeable, for the starmen that happen upon your home. Your planet is strategically placed near these… doors to other worlds. If you built a couple of ports, you could trade with these starmen, import goods from far off galaxies. You have a lot to offer as well: X’ebril, crops, even some of your bioluminescent tech. If it were plausible, I’d also like to trade for some of these things. I wouldn’t take a lot, just enough to barter with when we reached our next destination.”
That seemed to surprise the Almort chief. “You would leave?” he hissed.
I nodded. “After we help you integrate our tech, unless there was something else you required of us, we would leave. There are other planets out there that Terra-Nebula and the other Corporations are looking to suck dry, and I’m hoping to stop them as many times as I can.”
“Why?” the chief clicked. His face looked as perplexed as it possibly could. “Why would you do this, for us, for others, for so little gain?”
“Because I wished someone would have done it for me,” I confessed, and the truth stung as it spilled off my tongue. “And for people I care about. The universe is a cold and cruel place. Everybody is looking out for themselves, looking to get the upper hand, looking to make the most profit. For once, I’d like to see the underdog get ahead. For once, I’d like to see the Corporations lose.”
Chief U’eh considered me for another long moment before he turned his back to us and looked out the window over his city. He didn’t say anything, so I cut a glance back to Cyl’ass, but the prince was also staring at his father almost in challenge, as if daring him to question my honor.
Finally, when I thought the silence was actually going to drive me insane, the chief turned back to face me. “I will accept your offer, starman, if you will accept mine,” he said solemnly.
I blinked in shock. I almost couldn’t believe he’d said yes. Well… almost yes.
“What is your offer?” I countered.
“My people have a tradition,” U’eh explained. “It was originally intended for when a member of one tribe wanted something from another tribe. Something grand. Medicine. X’ebril. A mate. Since the starmen have come, we have offered them the same ritual. To prove their worth and their honor.”
I felt a shiver of trepidation snake down my spine. “What… type of ritual?” I hedged.
“You must complete a series of trials.” The chief held up three of his webbed fingers. “Three of them. If you can complete each trial in accordance with our ways, we can talk about this contract you speak of. But not before.”
“What do these trials consis
t of?”
U’eh clicked and flared his gills. “You cannot know the details. It is against tradition. All you may know is the first trial is a test of strength and physical prowess. The second trial is a test of intelligence. And the last one is a test of your honor.”
I swallowed tightly. “Was defeating the Opalks not all those tests in one?” I tried to joke lightly. U’eh did not seem to have a sense of humor.
“This is the only way I will hear your offer,” he declared. “If you decline to accept this challenge, I will refuse you too, starman, as I have done to those who came before you, and Cyl’ass will take you back to your ship, and you will leave our home.”
The Chief of the Almort came around the table between us and came to stand not a meter before me. He was even more imposing up close, and I had to tilt my head back slightly to meet his gaze. Like the rest of his people, he smelled of the salt and the sea, and from this distance, I could see myself reflected in his flat blue eyes.
“What say you?” U’eh asked me gravely.
I opened my mouth… but a small cough behind me beat me to it. U’eh lifted his head with a hiss, and I turned to see Neka had stepped forward away from the wall.
“Excuse me,” she said quietly. Her ears were pressed flat against her head, and her tail was tucked firmly between her legs. “Chief, sir, um. May I… may I speak to our captain for a… for a moment? Please,” she added ardently and dipped her head in deference.
U’eh seemed displeased but wove his head in assent. “You may have a moment to confer with your tribe,” he said to me. He stepped back around the table and clicked at Cyl’ass and Slal’ops to follow him. The three Almort stood close together near the window and hissed back and forth to each other.
I turned back to Neka and Akela… to see them both shaking their heads at me.
“CT, you can’t do this,” Neka mewled. She wrung her hands in front of her.
“I agree with Neka,” Akela added. Her pale brow was furrowed in distress, and fear shone in her amethyst eyes. “You have no idea what these trials entail. Hell, it could be fighting three Opalks with your bare hands for all you know.”
“They are right, Colby,” Omni chimed in my ear. His voice wasn’t very strong, given the distance between us in the ship, but Akela had amplified the transmitters well. “I do not believe these people mean us malicious intent, but these trials could very well kill you. They were designed for Almort, not humans.”
“You heard U’eh though,” I argued. “If I don’t do these trials, this trip will all have been for nothing. We’ll be stuck up in orbit with Warrick and out thousands of credits.” I turned to Akela. “I won’t be able to pay you.”
The mechanic scowled at me and reached out to grab the front of my coat. “You think I care about the money?”
I cocked an eyebrow at her, and she sighed harshly.
“Okay, I do,” she amended. “My mom and I could use the credits, but not if they come at the cost of your life.”
“You can’t die, CT,” Neka mewled plaintively. “You promised you wouldn’t scare me like that again.”
“Yeah!” Akela agreed. “We made a deal to not do any more stupid things, remember? What, you’re not a man of your word now, broker?”
She spat the word at me, and that’s when I realized how scared the mechanic was. Neka might be the one that was shaking, but Akela, with her clenched jaw and ramrod spine, was terrified. I could see the wheels in her brilliant brain turning. I could see the way she was thinking about her brother. Her father. Men that made promises to her and then left her with nothing but a broken heart. I didn’t want to hurt the silver-haired woman like that. I didn’t want to hurt her at all.
And Neka, my loyal assistant, my faithful cat-girl. She said she would follow me everywhere. Well, what would happen to her if I went somewhere she could not follow? If I died and left her all alone, what would she do then? I’d like to think that the two women would take care of each other. I’d like to think that, together with Omni, they’d continue to be the same little family we had cobbled together out of broken lives and hearts.
That was a fantasy though. Ships and space travel cost money. Akela might be able to earn a living off of her smarts and skill, but she still had her mother. And Neka? All she had was me.
There was just one problem. Without this deal, what was left for us? I had been a broker my entire adult life. Before that, I was just a skinny kid with dead parents, bloody knuckles, and the ability to charm people out of a few credits. I had no other marketable skills. Being a broker was who I was.
And I was the best fucking broker around.
I had made my decision. I took a deep breath and leaned forward to press a kiss to Neka’s forehead and then Akela’s.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I felt a stab of guilt at the concern that flooded my crew’s faces. “This is the only way I can see how to do this. Please, just trust me.”
The two women looked like they wanted to argue further. Akela definitely did, as her eyes went sharp as glass, the curve of her chin cut from unyielding metal. But Neka, my sweet, sweet Neka, she only looked me in the eyes and gave a small nod.
“I trust you, CT,” she whispered quietly, even though it looked like it pained her to say it. Akela glared at the cat-girl in shocked outrage, but one look from my assistant, and the mechanic subsided.
“Fine,” she muttered. She refused to look at me. “Do whatever you want.”
I could tell she was not happy. “Thank you,” I whispered in return.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve made my decision,” I said a little louder as I turned back to face the Almort.
U’eh looked up from where he and Cyl’ass had been bent over the table before them. As I walked up to them, I realized that a map of the land was carved into the metal surface, and the lines glowed faintly in shades of blue and green. It was beautifully rendered, and I found myself admiring the shades of the mountain ranges in the north, the details of vegetation that surrounded Ka’le and continued northwest toward another settlement in what looked to be a jungle. This world was truly beautiful.
And I was going to see all of it.
“I accept your challenge,” I declared firmly, chin lifted high and my legs spread wide. Behind me, Neka mewled in dismay. Akela was silent.
“Oh, you’ve really done it now, CT,” Omni muttered in my ear.
U’eh clicked and, for the first time, he seemed pleased. At his right shoulder, however, Cyl’ass frowned, and Slal’ops silently lay a hand on his elbow. The prince schooled his features and looked back at the tabletop before him.
“Good,” Chief U’eh said simply. “It seems my son was correct in stating that you have some honor.”
“I only wish to prove that to you, Chief U’eh,” I said. Neka and Akela had gone silent at my back, but I could feel the weight of their glares on my shoulders.
“And you will,” U’eh said with a weave of his head. “But first, I must demonstrate to you my honor.” The chief let out an undulating cry, and a few moments later three Almort materialized at the top of the stairs, like they had been waiting only a few steps below the threshold this whole time. U’eh hissed and clicked a series of commands to them and then dismissed them with a wave of his hand. The trio hissed back, dipped to their knees in their form of a bow, and disappeared back down the stairs.
Then, Chief U’eh turned back to me. “You saved my son and my advisor,” he said with ceremony as he gestured to Cyl’ass and Slal’ops in turn. “And you have conquered the great Opalks and brought sustenance to my people. For these things, I will honor you and your tribe with a great feast tonight.” He clicked at Cyl’ass, and the prince dipped his head before coming over to us, Slal’ops on his heels. “Until then, Cyl’ass will escort you to wherever you wish to go within Ka’le, and he will show you to some lodgings that you and your tribe may utilize before the feast.”
I didn’t miss the way he specified that we could only move within t
he city limits of Ka’le. I guess until I completed this trials, U’eh didn’t completely trust me.
Well… at least he wasn’t feeding me to an Opalks or throwing me out the window. Yet, I guess.
“Thank you for the hospitality, Chief U’eh,” I said as I dipped my chin. “I look forward to seeing your beautiful city, and to feasting with you and your people.”
The Almort chief chittered, but said nothing else, and we took that for the dismissal it was. Cyl’ass gestured to me and, like before, he and Slal’ops led the way. I don’t know if I imagined it, but I thought the prince’s skin and scales looked a little… duller than they had when we first entered the room. Neka and Akela wouldn’t look at me and disappeared down the stairs directly after Slal’ops. I paused, however, at the threshold and threw one last look over my shoulder at Chief U’eh.
The chief still stood by his table, and our eyes made contact across the room. I could sense no malice in them, only pride and defensiveness for his people. I inclined my head one last time and then followed my crew back down the stairs.
I really hoped I hadn’t just signed my death warrant.
Chapter 11
The trip down the tower’s long, winding staircase was somehow even more silent and tense than the trip up had been. Cy’lass and Slal’ops walked a few meters ahead, and they hissed together too quietly for our translators to pick up.
Neka and Akela were only a few steps below me, but they refused to even glance in my direction. I took in the ramrod straight line of Akela’s spine, the downcast droop of Neka’s head, ears, and tail, and I sighed. It seemed I was going to have to use my powers of persuasion on more than just Chief U’eh.
We reached the bottom floor rather quickly, and Cy’lass pointed us to the glowing portal of the front entrance.
“I must speak with Slal’ops,” the prince explained to us as he and his companion turned toward a different set of hallways. Something was off about his expression. It was hard for me to place on such a foreign face, but he almost looked distracted, like his mind was far away. “We must confer on where to take you for the tour.”
