Red Planet: The Slave Queen (Tamarians Book 1)

by Jessica Snow

  “Of course, Highness,” Ambaris says, watching carefully. He can see I'm not armed, but he probably knows my training, and he's going to be wary. “I have him in my training room.”

  Ambaris leads me through the estate to what had been one of Mogar's meditation rooms, opening the door on a horrific sight. Jensen is tied to a table, IV tubes running out of his arms leading into a machine that is humming in the corner. Around Jensen's head is a set of goggles, what looks like a personal entertainment headset, and I can see where Mother got her ideas for training me from. “What is this?”

  “We started with the normal slave conditioning program, injections once a day of hypnotic, but Jensen has proven somewhat resistant to conditioning,” Ambaris says. He goes over and switches off the goggles, pulling them off of Jensen's head. “You have a visitor.”

  “Fuck you,” Jensen growls, and I can't help it, I smile briefly at my friend's spirit before reassuming a stern face. Ambaris slams a hardened gloved fist down on Jensen's chest, and Jensen groans, but grins up at him. “Is that all you got, you pussy? I bet your daughter can hit harder than that.”

  “Considering I had Kelbara use you as a punching bag yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised,” Ambaris hisses, then remembers me, looking up. “Apologies, Prince Tauren. This piece of sub-human shit seems to be too stupid to be conditioned without causing damage.”

  “No wonder Mogar had him in the Arena so much,” I comment, causing Jensen to turn his head towards me. “He did show lots of charisma though. Like a fine dog, perhaps.”

  “Tauren....” Jensen whispers, hurt in his eyes. “Oh no, they didn't.”

  “What? Wake me up to the fact that I'm a Prince, and you're just a slave? Or that I'm just.... superior to you,” I taunt, hating every word but playing up the angle. “Yes, I've been woken up. Now, I don't have time for playing around with you, Jensen. What did you have the other slaves do?”

  “What the fuck do you mean?” Jensen asks, his face hardening.

  “I mean, either Mathias or Audra just blew up a bomb at Lady Neyilla's estate, killing her and them. Now, I want to know, how many of these slaves have you rigged to blow up?”

  Jensen's eyes flare with worry, and I can understand. I don't know if it is Mathias or Audra either, I'm just trying to get Jensen safe, and then we can try to find out more. “I... I didn't do a damn thing, I'm not a monster like Neyilla was!”

  “You dare talk about an honored member of the Noble Council like that?” I ask, slapping Jensen hard across the face. Sorry Jensen, I'm trying. I look up at Ambaris, who's still looking concerned. “Lord Ambaris, I need to take this slave with me to the royal palace for more questioning. I'll need to commandeer one of your shuttles, I can't carry passengers.”

  “But Prince Tauren, wouldn't it be easier....” Ambaris starts, but I cut him off. He's been wanting a Lordship for his entire life, let's hope that his greed and unfamiliarity with the title means he's still a bit nervous and unsure.

  “Lord Ambaris, do you really want to piss off the Crown days after getting your estate?” I ask menacingly. I reach over to my ears and take out my Neyla crystals, along with the one in my forehead, the same one I gave Audra. “If your shuttle or the cost of your slave is your concern, take these as collateral. Your shuttle shall be returned. The slave... you will be compensated for.”

  Ambaris shakes his head, refusing my offer and handing back the crystals, which I slip into my pocket. “No, sire. Apologies. I will have my personal transport readied. Kelbara will stay here with you, for your safety and to start freeing the slave. Kelbara?”

  “Yes sir,” Kelbara replies, watching as Ambaris leaves before turning to Jensen. She runs a gloved hand almost tenderly along Jensen's forehead, blinking once or twice before nodding. “I'm going to take out the IVs now Jensen. Can you hold still for me, please?”

  “Yes,” Jensen says quietly, and I wonder as they look at each other. She's not acting like a slave hunter, even if her body is small and compact, well-muscled and athletic. She takes out the IV needles then amazingly goes and gets a healing spray, fixing the holes silently.

  “You are very different than your father,” I note, and Kelbara nods, not looking at me as she starts to undo Jensen's restraints.

  “I am my own woman, Your Highness,” Kelbara says, puffing out her chest. “I think strength is not dependent on being cruel.”

  “How old are you anyway, Kelbara?”

  “Eighteen, sire. I will be nineteen in three months.”

  Just slightly more than half my age, and full of fire. I try not to laugh, but it's difficult, and Kelbara notices, looking up. “Sire, please do not underestimate me. I have earned my place among my father's troops.”

  “I'm sure,” I reply, going over to help Jensen up as Kelbara finishes freeing him. “Come, help me get Jensen to the transport pad.”

  We're about halfway through the house when Ambaris returns, this time with squad of Royal Lancers. “Stop!”

  Jensen's still not a hundred percent, I don't know how long he's been tied up, so I sling his arm over my shoulders and wave Ambaris off. “Out of the way, Ambaris. I told you, I'm taking him to the royal palace.”

  The Lancer squad leader steps up and levels his powerlance at us. At least he's nervous, I can see the end of his lance shaking, he's probably never imagined having to point that thing at nobility, let alone at the Crown Prince. “Sire, please. We have gotten orders from the Queen herself to escort you and the slave Jensen to the royal palace. Under guard.”

  “You... you what?” I growl. I pull Jensen up closer to me, whispering in his ear. “How do you feel?”

  “Fuck off,” Jensen whispers back.

  “Stars above, you idiot, I'm trying to rescue you so we can find Audra!” I whisper quickly. “Help me!”

  Jensen immediately stands the rest of the way up, his body strong. “Three apiece, not counting the girl and her father. I've fought worse odds.”

  Jensen's words galvanize the Lancers, who all pull their powerlances and level them at us. The squad leader steps forward, his lance whining with the buildup of the charge it is readying. “Surrender. Prince Tauren, on authority of Queen Tauria you are to be taken into protective custody. The slave is to be executed on charges of treason.”

  “Never,” I reply, taking a stance. “I'd rather die with my brother than live this way any longer. He's no traitor, he loves Tamaria as much as you do.”

  I can see the Lancers start to assume their formation to make sure we can't get them all at once, when suddenly Kelbara steps in front of me, her arms spread out to the side. “Stop, everyone!”

  “Kelbara, what are you doing?” Ambaris asks, shocked. “Move away from them, daughter!”

  “Why, so you can perpetuate the lie?” Kelbara says, and I can hear tears in her voice. “The lie that got you this estate?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask tensely, not relaxing a bit as the Lancers keep their weapons trained on us. “Speak quickly Kelbara, Royal Lancers are not known for their slow trigger fingers.”

  “We'd been tracking you for months,” Kelbara says, turning around and looking at Jensen and I. “We knew when you moved into the missile base. We could have gotten you back all that time. But Father held back, he wanted to play for the big score, he called it. Not just money, but the Lordship. When the Resistance sent the meeting coordinates, we were less than ten kilometers away, we saw Mathias' shuttle coming in on our sensors. King Joren was even bugged, I saw and heard everything as they did what they did to him! We could have stopped it, but we didn't, not until the King was maimed and Father felt his chance of a Lordship was assured!”

  Kelbara's openly weeping, turning back to Ambaris, who looks horrified, angry... and guilty as hell. I'm horrified as well, to be played as a pawn the whole time, and to let a man be neutered just to get a title.... disgusting. Kelbara obviously agrees. “YOU betrayed our planet and our people, Father! Not Tauren! Not Jensen! YOU!”

  I see the e
yes of the Lancer leader flicker from Kelbara to Ambaris and to me. I relax my fighting stance and point to Ambaris. “Sergeant, I suggest that you have bigger problems than me and my friend.”

  “You sniveling little punk!” Ambaris growls, stepping forward before he sees the Lancer squad leader step in front of him. “Get out of my way.”

  “Lord Ambaris, you are under arrest,” the squad leader says, and I watch in relief as each Lancer turns his attention to Ambaris. “Come with us peacefully. If you do not, we will subdue you.”

  “Your men aren't here to back you up, Ambaris. Do not get yourself killed,” I advise him, and Ambaris sags, looking almost deflated in his light armor as the Lancers handcuff him and lead him away. We watch them go, Kelbara not moving but only weeping. I pat her on the shoulder, trying to offer what comfort I can. “You did the right thing, Lady Kelbara. Your father might not be noble, but what you did... you certainly are. And like you said, strong.”

  “I.... thank you, Prince Tauren.”

  “Come on, we've got to get going,” Jensen says, and I nod, patting her on the shoulder one more time before turning away. She suddenly takes off running away from us, up the stairs to the second floor. Jensen watches for a second, then turns to me. “We've got to find out about Audra.”

  “Of course. By the way, I'm sorry about what I said and smacking you,” I say as we start walking quickly towards the transport pad. “You know I was just trying to keep them off guard.”

  “You should have been an actor, not a Prince,” Jensen jokes, and I smile. We reach the outer door of the estate when suddenly we hear someone running after us.

  “Wait, wait!” Kelbara says, running up. She's got a bag over her shoulder, and she's out of breath when she approaches. “Please, don't go!”

  “No offense, but unless you've got an automated defense drone in that bag, we're going,” I say, not unkindly. “I thank you for the truth, but we've got things to do.”

  “I know....” Kelbara says, catching her breath. She must have been running her ass off. “I mean.... take me with you. I'm a good hand with a Gauss rifle, I take orders well, and I meant it when I said I can fight.”

  “You don't mind taking orders from a human?” I ask, hooking at thumb at Jensen. “He's equal to me in this whole thing.”

  Kelbara clicks her heels together and stands tall, saluting Jensen. “Sir, Kelbara, out of Liana by Ambarris reporting for duty!”

  “At ease,” Jensen says with a smirk, returning the salute. “We don't salute around here. But glad to have you on board.”

  We leave the house and head for the transports, stopping to consider which one to take. “That one's the fastest,” Kelbara says. “Shielded, and it's exoplanetary rated, too.”

  “Any of them armed? I doubt Audra's on the other side of the planet or in orbit,” I ask, and Kelbara nods, pointing to a larger, boxier transport on the edge of the line of ships. “What's it got?”

  “Type II energy shields and a Mk 47 plasma cannon,” Kelbara says. “Not a lot, but the heavy equipment my father left at our old.... assembly area.”

  “We'll take it,” I say, heading off.

  Jensen taps me on the shoulder, a grin on his face. “I know that tone of voice, you've got the beginnings of a plan already. What's on your mind?”

  “We need to find out about Audra, and the Resistance. But first.... you ever break someone out of prison? Like Mogar?”

  Jensen shakes his head, then looks down at his very lightweight clothing. “Nope, but I'm not exactly dressed for that, either.”

  “Oh, don't worry about that sir,” Kelbara says. “We've got clothes in the shuttle, for troops who damaged their kit. Full body armor, too.”

  “My size?” Jensen asks as I open the hatch, and Kelbara nods, blushing.

  “One hundred and ninety-three centimeters, one hundred and four kilograms, shoe size thirty-one centimeters,” Kelbara says without pausing. “We can fit you, sir.”

  I glance at Kelbara, who doesn't say anything as she goes to a locker on the side of the shuttle and opens it, showing Jensen what's inside. Jensen and I exchange looks, and I shrug. “Go ahead, I can pilot this thing. Kelbara, if you'd fly co-pilot for me? I'd prefer backup if the prison is being difficult. And tell me you've got other weapons in here.”

  “Nope,” Kelbara says, getting over her shyness and jumping into the co-pilot's seat. “What do you think I'm out of breath for? Check out the bag.”

  Jensen, who's still getting changed, opens the bag, whistling. “Mark VII powerlance, two Gauss pistols, and a... what is this silver thing?”

  “Monomolecular wire lash,” Kelbara says. “Personal favorite of mine.”

  I look over at Kelbara, grinning for the first time as I lift off from the estate. “You're going to fit in just perfectly around here, Kelbara.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Audra

  The storm drains eventually connect to another tunnel, one that looks like maybe a hundred years ago or more it might have been a maintenance tunnel. I follow it, wishing I had an officer's model powerlance to help guide me. With no light other than my lance, and not even a basic compass to help guide me, I have no idea where I'm going. The lance's chronometer says that I've been down here for over three hours, so I have to have moved at least a few kilometers, even at a slow walk. I just know that I've kept to a pretty straight line, and I shouldn't be anywhere near Neyilla's estate. I start looking for air vents, tunnels, anything that might lead to the surface, but before I can, I see a light up ahead. I shut off my lance light, and make my way forward carefully.

  The light is strange, it's steady but not white, not clean like I'd expect, and what greets me when I step around the corner, my lance out and ready for action, shocks me as I come face to face with five Tamarians, none of them looking over the age of fifteen. “What the...?”

  “Don't hurt us lady!” one of the children says, holding her hands up. Three of the others don't even wait for me to answer and take off running, disappearing into the darkness on almost silent feet. The one who spoke up sticks to the other one who stays, the oldest boy. “Please, we were just trying to get warm!”

  “Relax,” I reply, lowering my lance. “I... I wasn't sure what you guys were doing. Who are you?”

  The oldest of the children looks around, then points at himself. “I'm Jonpel. You're human.”

  “I am. Name's Audra.”

  “But you got a lance,” Jonpel says. “You workin' for the nobles?”

  “No, I'm on the run from them. I was Neyilla's slave. Hey, you guys know a way to the surface?” I ask, noticing their clothing. They're filthy, and the light they're using comes from something that looks like a power conduit that's being fed on a small circuit until the metal grate it's attached to glows red and throws off the heat and the light. “Nice engineering hack.”

  “Thanks. My mother was in the Outer Guards, she taught it to me before.... well, before she left us,” Jonpel says. He glances over his shoulder back into the darkness, pointing in the direction the other children took off running. “Uh, not all of them are my blood, but we're brothers and sisters, you know?”

  “I understand,” I reply, sitting down on the dry permacrete of the tunnel. “You guys are homeless?”

  Jonpel nods, followed by the girl. “Mom was sent off-planet to one of the lunar bases, and our Dad had to hire himself out to one of the fishing operations on the Southern Ocean. We were supposed to stay with some cousins of ours, but.... they weren't that nice.”

  “So you live down here?” I ask, and Jonpel nods. “Why? Aren't there places for kids like you?”

  “Yeah, as long as you don't mind putting up with gangs, and kids who'll take half your food, and the chance of us being split up,” the girl says, reaching out and hugging her brother. “Besides, if we do that, Mom gets discharged from the Guards, and we need the money. We'd rather live down here. It's not too bad really, and Mom will be home soon, or Dad maybe.”

 
; “Are there a lot of you guys?” I ask, and Jonpel shrugs. “What do you mean?”

  “Sometimes there's a lot, sometimes not. In winter there's more, in summer not so much. I think there's going to be a lot tonight, one of those kids who ran off never comes down unless there's a big problem,” Jonpel says. “We was above ground looking for food when the sirens went off and the announcements were made.”

  “What sirens? I didn't hear anything,” I remark, and the girl nods.

  “You won't down here, this tunnel's pretty deep, like twenty meters I think. But yeah, an hour ago the city went on lockdown,” she says. “We were going to try and listen to the news feeds after we got the heater rigged up.”

  “Well, let's go ahead and do that then,” I reply. “I could use some information right now too.”

  Jonpel goes over to a bag that was in the shadows and pulls out a flexi. “Normally, you can't get a signal down here, but this spot is one where if you tap into this pipe right here with a wire.... here we go.”

  He turns on the flexi, and while the image is terrible, the flexi is certainly a piece of junk that was probably thrown away by the former owners, I can hear just fine.

  “Again, a state of emergency has been declared in the capital after numerous explosions have occurred in various sites around the city. So far, five explosions, including at the Central Slave Pens and at the estate of Lady Neyilla of the Noble Council have thrown the city into chaos. Citizens of the city are advised to remain indoors, as Royal Guard troops have been mobilized to put down the human riots that are now spreading through parts of the city.”

  “Heaven and stars,” I whisper, looking at the crackly, static filled images. “Five explosions.... Mathias had four others with him. They must have....”

  “Did you know who did this, lady?” the girl asks, and I nod. “Why'd they do it?”

  “They were slaves who'd reached their breaking point,” I muse. “Mathias... the one who killed Neyilla, he'd been abused by her for years. Things that.... well, no offense, you look too young to be knowing the details about.”