by Reiter
“And obviously it was put to some good use,” Freund thought, turning his attentions to Rook and adding his personal library to the memory of the living crystal.
“I understand,” Shuronne said before turning to walk toward Freund. “If I may be so blessed,” she requested as her arms came away from her sides.
“You place greater worth into embraces than I do,” Freund replied, releasing his left-hand grip of his staff and walking to meet Shuronne halfway. “The blessing in this case is all mine.”
“We shall agree to disagree, Master,” she whispered as she wrapped her arms tightly around the entity. “I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for us. If you ever have need of me, Master–”
“I know, my dear,” he said, patting her back. “With you, I’ve always known!
“Get thee gone from these matters, child!” he projected to her mind. “Your colony needs you! Great is your strength, but it does not serve every place equally. You cannot lead godlings believing you are not worthy of your station. There was no question in you with the survivors of Tau Upsilon, but doubt only grows within you here and now.” Shuronne stepped back from Freund, feeling as if the world had been pulled out from underneath her. He smiled, patted her shoulders and turned to receive Shanvah.
“Hello, Trouble,” he chuckled.
“Going to miss you, old man,” the Chevalierra said before hugging him close. “Just not too much.” The two of them laughed together and Shanvah managed to step back and turn before the first tear escaped her eyes.
One by one, each person said their goodbyes. Waiting to be last, Kaila walked up to stand beside Shuronne with a knowing smirk on her face. She stood there for a moment and laughed when Reginald lifted Freund from the floor and spun around with the entity in his arms.
“Wow, that must have been a serious load he put on you,” Kaila said softly.
“Please, Kaila. Not now.”
“Okay, but don’t forget who you were talking to.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that he said whatever he thought would serve you best,” Kaila explained. “Whether it was the truth or not… well, in the words of the very same pain… that’s up to you.”
“He said that I was better off going back to the colony and leading them,” Shuronne stated.
“Only because he knows that’s what you’ve been thinking,” Kaila quickly replied. “And he’s got a point. There’s a big difference between how you act when you’re leading and when you’re just taking up the leadership position, waiting for someone else to come along and take up the reins.” Neither woman saw the children of Survaysi gather off to the side of Rook.
“And what do you think of me leading the Dark Pawns?” Shuronne asked. Kaila’s face lost its softness and she snorted in disgust, walking away from Shuronne to take her turn at embracing Freund.
“Don’t get too big for your britches, old star,” she joked. “I’ll just have to find a new way around your head and bring you back down to reality!”
“Which we both know is not too great a feat for thee, my friend,” Freund returned, taking the young woman into tight embrace. She was surprised to find the same sentiment in Freund’s embrace.
“I don’t doubt her, but tell me, please, if I should,” Kaila thought, knowing he could hear her thoughts.
“She was your choice,” Freund projected. “I’ve yet to see you miss, Kaila.”
“But I can’t make her want it,” Kaila concluded.
“True,” he projected. “But her shortcoming will not be because you chose poorly. What you must realize is what you chose her to do.” Freund released her, his fingertips touched his lips before they were placed on the side of Rook which flashed at the reception of the contact. Freund turned to leave and faded out of sight before he had taken one step.
“That did it!” Shuronne said from between gritted teeth as she squared her shoulders.
“What was that?” Kaila asked.
“If he could have moved one that quickly before, why didn’t he?” Shuronne asked in a tone that said she did not need of a response. “He had his last card to play, his last moves to make. Old bastard!
“Rook, are you capable of speech?” Shuronne asked.
“I can be heard by all the declared members of the Dark Pawns,” Rook replied, flaring with light.
“Did anyone hear anything?” Shuronne asked as she looked around the room. “Because I didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” Aleesha added.
There was a heavy silence in the room as Shuronne smiled. She quickly nodded in realization and she turned to face Shanvah. “And that only confirms what I’ve always thought and felt.
“It was a silly question I asked you, Kaila,” Shuronne continued. “Of course you believe in me. But you chose me to lead the colony. Look around. Everything that our people have come to call leader is either in this chamber or in a similar one with Hanvashi Zoll. I’m going back to where I’m needed and believe I belong.”
“Then you won’t be going alone,” Aleesha added. “Besides, it will give the rest of you a place where you can find refuge.”
“Hardly,” Reginald said as he stepped away from his other siblings. “Rook, wipe their memories of this place and send them to the hangar. Ready the shuttle Specs identified.
“What are you doing?” Shanvah asked as thin beams of light struck the heads of Shuronne Jassity and Aleesha Wohler. Neither of them could mount a defense against Rook’s overwhelming power and they were both rendered unconscious. “Belay that order!” Shanvah commanded but Rook did not stop.
“Shuronne was the leader and the only official station in our ranks,” Reginald explained. “The position of advisor holds no authority.” Edwarn reached for his pommel but he heard weapons charging behind him. Javier and Joslyn had taken position behind him and if they were called upon to fire, the only other person they stood a chance at hitting was Shanvah.
The Chevalierra then noticed that Reginald’s other siblings were also in position, but only Megan was in a position to engage in direct combat. Having seen Megan fight before, Shanvah was able to surmise that the combination of the young woman and Reginald stood a very good chance of overwhelming her relatively quickly.
“This is madness!” Ethadior proclaimed.
“Exactly the opposite, Master,” Reginald argued. “I’m not about to wager our collective asses on personal feelings. What Shanvah might’ve forgotten is that we grew up with Shuronne and Aleesha as surrogate mothers. Best damn aunts in the business. If they want to go home, so be it. We’re not going to stand in their way. Part of me envies them, but the Dark Pawns have a mission, and that comes before how we feel about these two women.”
“Try to keep in mind that if we do our jobs just right, we’ll have to take on our mother,” Specs added. “Nobody’s looking forward to that. But if we’re willing to go to that extreme, realizing what that means, understand how dedicated we are to this cause… and try to remember who we learned dedication from.”
“Stand down,” Kaila said softly.
“You’re assuming command now?” Edwarn barked. Shanvah lifted her hand signaling for his silence.
“For the moment, yes,” Kaila said as she approached Reginald, laying her hand on his shoulder. “That goes double for you, soldier.”
“Yes ma’am,” Reginald said, taking a step back. The weapons were powered down and lowered.
Kaila sighed as she put her hands on her hips. She looked at the young people she had considered to be children even after their training. All they were was just young. Taking out her gloves, Kaila looked at Rook and thought, “Where’s the hangar?” A soft glow came from the stone and she was acquainted with the entire facility. Suddenly, the castle seemed small and almost second-hand in class. A smirk formed on her face and she started for the doors.
“Specs, kindly get with everyone and let them know what you learned from Rook in the two seconds we’ve been he
re. Rook, as soon as I’m in the shuttle, rig me a door to the colony, please. Also, be on the lookout for my thoughts. I’ll probably need some help getting back.”
“As you wish,” Rook replied.
Shanvah waited for Kaila to leave before she looked at Javier and Joslyn. “What were you going to hit my Gallant with?”
“Rapid fire ThoughtWill rounds,” Javier replied.
“And the particular style of ThoughtWill?”
“Sensory deprivation,” Joslyn answered. Shanvah curled her lips downward as she nodded.
“That would have been very effective,” she admitted. “But Megan, you don’t pack a gun.”
“The edges of my swords don’t have a stun setting,” Megan stated. “But the flats will leave you with a headache. The plan, however, was to keep you from blocking Reggie’s shots.” The Chevalierra thought it best not to ask the young man what he would have used.
One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go.
Sheila Murray Bethel
(Rims Time: XII-4203.10)
“I have to be a pirate,” Jocasta said as she looked around the holding facility. “Because I spend way too much time in this room to be anything else… except maybe a Slaver. What do you think?” she asked Pulri as he slowly came to consciousness in his cell. “Do I have a future in the flesh trade?”
“You’re quick,” he said after a long moan. He blinked his eyes as they focused on the ceiling of his cell. “I’ll give you that. Damn fast! And a stretch stronger than you look, too.”
“Stop it. You’re going to make me blush!” Jocasta cooed before dropping the false demeanor. “Are we done playing footsies here?”
“You tell me, Captain,” Pulri replied as he slowly got to his feet. “You’re holding all the cards.” He looked at the cell, taking the most time with the energy field that served as the bars for the room and then set his eyes on Jocasta. “So, what’s the next move?”
“A little Q-and-A,” Jocasta advised as she took a seat she had already placed in the middle of the floor. “And don’t worry about your charges, they’re in the neighboring cells.”
“That answers my most immediate question,” Pulri stated, turning to find a place to sit. “What do you have on your mind, Captain?”
“A bit of truth coming from those lips would be a good start,” Jocasta answered.
“I wasn’t lying when I told you my name,” the man sighed as he sat down, “… but you probably know that by now. I also wasn’t lying when I said your asking price was not a problem. Those two had a thirty percent payment in my accounts inside of three minutes of taking the job. The transfer came with all kinds of account information, including the balance of the source account.”
“An account owned by Jockeys,” Jocasta added.
“We’re talking about my guild account here,” Pulri informed and Jocasta gave a slow and deep nod. Guild Accounts were expensive to open and maintain, and for good reason. Most of them employed their own private armies that they would dispatch the moment any unforeseen and inexplicable error occurred to the detriment one of their customers. “Everything checked out and they even procured transportation for me to their safe house.”
“And you thought you could handle that kind of weight going solo?” Jocasta pressed.
“Never said I was perfect,” Pulri admitted. “It was a sweet gig, and my contacts couldn’t find any open contracts on either of them.”
“Except for some guy called NBA,” Jocasta stated.
“My contacts said he was recently deceased,” Pulri returned, “… and we’re talking about a well-informed and trusted source.”
Jocasta chuckled, taking out her previously lit cigaro. “Not saying they were wrong, but when you’re talking about Jockeys, they don’t have to be alive to be a pain in the ass.” Flipping her butterfly knife from open blade to the lighter, she lit her cigaro and closed the lighter.
“New lighter?” Pulri asked, rubbing his chin.
“As a matter of fact, it is pretty new to me,” Jocasta smiled. “You like it?”
“One of the better ones I’ve seen. There should be a thumb switch along the left-hand side that lets you flip straight to the lighter first… allows you to keep a bit of the mystery.”
“Much appreciated,” Jocasta smiled as she blew out her smoke. “So… tell me… did it hurt that much?”
“Pardon?”
“My man Sinh’s punch,” she clarified. “Did it hurt that much?”
“What are you getting at?”
“Well, you were still conscious,” Jocasta declared. “… either right then and there or somewhere along the way to the brig. And before you go down that worn out path of feigned innocence, asking me how can I say that… you’re a pro. A well-paid and still earning pro. You didn’t ask about the condition of your charges because you already knew that aside from slight burns and some bruising that they’re okay. A truly unconscious man would not know that.” Jocasta’s lips received the end of the cigaro as Pulri Andrus leaned back against the wall of his cell. They held each other’s eyes for a moment before Pulri looked down and contemplated his situation. He shook his head, dismissing the thought of things changing radically anytime soon and looked back up at the captain of the ship.
“You really shouldn’t go around with those eyes and the soft looks,” he said. “It’s pretty damn insincere!”
“I’ll make a note of that,” Jocasta chuckled. “Do you know what they’re running from?”
“A Dark Embrace,” Pulri advised, using the lingo for an open assassination contract.
“Where I come from, those things can get to be pretty pricy,” Jocasta remarked.
“Then we come from the same place,” the man replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes as he recalled events from two days ago.
It had really been a bad idea for Pulri Andrus to take the job on solo. He only hoped he would live long enough to regret it. He told Jocasta of the reception he had received at the Garnet Barony and how he had been lucky to get out of a crossfire trap with only the loss of some brand new body armour. He had been able to conclude that whoever was coming after the so-called sister and brother were a team – and a well-organized one to boot. They were going to be short a few pieces of trigger-pulling muscle for a while, but Pulri had managed to escape the barony after picking up the trail of his employers.
“Hold the line for a second,” Jocasta said as she leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees.
“I don’t think that means what you want it to mean,” Pulri replied.
“You’re older than me,” Jocasta commented, “I’m willing to give you that one. But you walked into a fire-trap, got out with your ass intact, and then went about the business of finding the people who had gotten you into the mess so that you could get them out?!”
“That about sums it up,” Pulri admitted.
“I’ll be damned,” Jocasta smiled. “A true-to-life Caballero!”
“Normally when that conclusion is made, the situations are reversed.”
“I would imagine they would be,” Jocasta replied as the doors of the Brig opened and LeRoy entered. “Well, if it isn’t Nightingale. What can I do for you, Doc?”
Amos paused for a moment, acknowledging the name she had called him. Though he was still among the newer crew members, Annsura’s basic training had been very comprehensive, and the nuance of the Captain calling you by a nickname had been shared. “Captain,” he said with a nod of his head. “I could have sent these over the line, but call me one for the drama, I thought it would be better to relay this face-to-face.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Tusyll and Gazhaad aren’t brother and sister,” he reported before taking a breath. “Gazhaad is a clone of Tusyll!”
Jocasta looked at the messenger and could immediately tell that it was not a sense of drama that had motivated Amos to make the deliv
ery of the news up close and personal. She glared up into his eyes and stood up to lean in close. “We’re still getting a feel for each other, Nightingale, so I can appreciate the approach. You get all kinds of points for being bold and basically a stand-up guy. You misread me if you think I’m going to flush that kid into space or stuff him into the generator. That said, don’t think… don’t even dream your presence will keep me from any decision I enact. Understood?” She looked away as Amos nodded his acknowledgement. “I’ll let you know when you’ve arrived at that rank.”
“Aye, Captain,” Amos said softly.
Jocasta looked up into the man’s light gray eyes, an odd color for a man with his brown skin, and found an unspoken gratitude. She knew it was attached to a history that only time and a few rounds of good rum would pry loose from his lips. She put her hand on his shoulder and patted it twice.
“Are they both healthy?” she asked.
“We didn’t do the boy any favors, but I know that couldn’t be avoided,” Amos shared. “He’s healing pretty fast, almost as if he were in a regenerator. By my readings, he’s two and half years old, give or take a month.”
“They grow up so fast,” Jocasta ribbed as she looked as the boy who was still unconscious. Twelve was the youngest she would have been willing to go in estimating his age. “Any trackers?”
“Wow, you people really do think alike,” Amos said as she looked down at his comp-pad. “Llaz asked the same question.”
“And?”
“And I found three, but they have not been activated.”
“You mean they were off when you were looking at them,” Jocasta said, turning to look at the boy. “Computer, lock down the Brig! All buffers and breakers!” The lights dimmed as her orders were carried out.
“Warning, energy source detected in cell number one,” the computer advised. “Generation is quickly approaching weaponized capacity.”
“Might want to head for high ground, Doc,” Jocasta warned.
“I’m armed, same as you,” Amos replied, drawing his pistol.
