by Lisa Lace
Zuri and her underlings broke out in rapid-fire Echilean. They weren’t going to talk about me behind my back. With a subtle brush of my hand, I switched on my earpiece and activated a translator.
“Do you think she knows what it is? Is it possible this is one of the originals?”
“I think not. How could such a priceless treasure wind up in her hands? She’s trying to con us. It’s nothing more than a breathtaking replica.”
“I disagree. The statue contains authentic harasma jewels. My mother has an ancient family heirloom with a single gem, and it’s worth a lot of money. As far as I know, the harasma mines have been completely exhausted for centuries.”
“Is that so? One can only imagine what a wealthy collector would pay for this jewel-encrusted beauty.”
“What do you think, Madame Zuri?” The speaker looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Offer her thirty thousand. It’s only a fraction of what you’ll get, but it’s enough for her to walk away thinking she made a healthy profit.”
Zuri’s sagging face remained expressionless during the excited chatter. Beneath my composed exterior, my heartbeat pounded in my ears. I couldn’t believe what I heard. I wanted to scream. Instead, I dug my nails into my palms, and looked back with a poker face of my own, waiting for her to make a move.
It didn’t take long for Zuri to make her decision. With a snap of her fingers, the Echileans fell silent. She bared her crooked teeth at me in an alien attempt at a smile.
“Your item is spectacular,” Zuri said in Standard as she twiddled her thumbs. “I have a feeling you’ll be ecstatic today, Ms. Blackwood. I’m prepared to offer you thirty thousand credits.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of money.” I touched my mouth with my index finger, feigning astonishment. “In fact, I think that’s double what I paid for my first spaceship.” I couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
Zuri started to cackle along with me. She gestured emphatically to the Echileans, who doubled over in fake laughter, stomping their feet and holding their bellies. I reached for the statue and placed it back on my lap, retying the packaging around it.
“Your offer is generous, but I’ve had second thoughts. I don’t think I want to sell today after all.”
“What did you say?” Zuri’s painful grin vanished. Her face darkened, and the alien laughter faded.
“I think I’m going to pass.” I slipped the parcel into my backpack and pulled myself to my feet. “I should do some more homework before I decide on the future of this little beauty in front of me. Do you happen to know what the statue represents?”
Zuri and her crew exchanged secretive looks but didn’t answer my question.
“I guess I have a lot of reading to do. See you guys later.”
“Wait a second.” Zuri shot out of the chair with speed impressive for an alien of her girth. It was the first time I had ever seen her leave her seat. “I’ll increase the offer. Forty thousand credits.”
“That’s a very tempting amount of money, but I’ve never seen you go up like this. Are you holding out on me?” I started making my way toward the exit. “It was lovely seeing you, darling, but I think I’m going to take off now.”
Zuri puffed out her chest and nodded her chin in my direction. Three of her underlings stepped in front of me, barricading the exit. With no time to swallow the lump in my throat, I sprang into action. Before the Echileans could reach for their weapons, I managed to pull out my plasma pistol and slid over next to Zuri. I planted my feet firmly on the ground and pressed the barrel of the gun against Zuri’s temple. Around me, the Echileans froze, harpoons raised in midair.
“A good old-fashioned Echilean stand-off,” I tutted at Zuri as I disengaged the safety mechanism on the pistol. “I thought we were friends. Tell your goons to back off.”
“Stand back!” Zuri shrieked. She retreated from me with trembling shoulder. “What are you waiting for? Do what she says!”
The Echileans dropped their harpoons, making a dull thump on the dirt floor.
“Much better.” I pulled out a backup pistol, giving me a weapon in each hand. With my guns tracking both Zuri and the Echileans, I walked backward to the door. I doubted the other weapon had a full charge, but there was no way for them to know that.
I waved the gun in my left hand at the Echileans guarding the exit, who swiftly dispersed. “Keep your hands where I can see them.” When I reached the top of the stairs, I lowered my weapons. “No hard feelings, Zuri. I hope we can do business in the future.”
As soon as I dashed out of the seedy trading post and ran to my ship, I practically fell over, hanging onto the side as if someone had just attacked the back of my knees. I had seen more action in the past two days than I had in the bloody insurrection of the kysum rush three years ago. I was starting to wonder if the statue was cursed. There must have been a reason why it lay abandoned on a derelict planet.
Catching my breath, I unlocked my ship and slipped through the sliding doors. I settled into the pilot’s seat and started preparing the engines for takeoff. After quickly checking the display screen of the control panel, I buckled myself in and ran my hands over the throttle.
The soothing voice of Desiree, my ship’s assistant, started going through the flight preparations until she was interrupted a communicator’s buzz. My display flashed with a moving camera and phone icon. Sucking air in through my teeth, I paused the ship’s operations and picked up the call.
The fuzzy screen slowly focused onto a face, revealing an enlarged view of my aunt’s nostrils. “It’s good to see you, Aunt Meredith.”
“Hello? Christine? I can never get this wretched thing to work properly.” She pushed up the pink frame of her glasses onto the bridge of a pointy nose. “Can you hear me?”
“You don’t have to lean into the microphone like that. Or shout, for that matter. I can hear you just fine. How are you?”
“I’m fantastic, thank you for asking.” She adjusted the camera so I could see her leaning back against a sparkly pink throw pillow on her armchair. “As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to the charity gala at the country club.” Aunt Meredith looked closely at the screen for the first time and screamed. “You look terrible!” She shoved her face close to the monitor, putting her hands over her heart. “What in the world happened to you? Look at your face!”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say. It’s just the way I look. Isn’t it?” Frowning, I peeked at my reflection on a mirror hanging next to me. I was a mess. An egg-shaped, purple splotch of a bruise poked out of the side of my forehead. A nasty gash across my cheek stood out against my skin. I felt embarrassed and faced my aunt, smiling sheepishly. “I fell? And fell again?”
I was never good at lying.
“You might not believe me, but I promise that it’s not as bad as it looks.”
Aunt Meredith was already hysterical. The pitch of her voice rose with every word she spoke.
“I knew something like this was going to happen! I’ve always said you had no business frolicking around in space by yourself. It’s time for you to come back to Earth.”
“Slow down.” I raised my palms, thinking I might be able to deflect some of her words with a physical gesture. “I mean this respectfully, but I believe you’re overreacting. I’m here talking to you, right? I am safe out here. I’m always careful, and I never make rash decisions. Trust me. I can take care of myself.”
“It’s clear to me that you cannot!” Her nostrils flared. “Listen to me, young lady. I’ve been terribly patient with this rebellious, wild child phase of yours.”
“I’m in my thirties.”
“Come home, Christine,” Aunt Meredith hissed, her shoulders heaving. “Leave that godforsaken ship wherever you are and find a public transport to bring you back. I’ll send you some credits.”
“I think your transmission is breaking up. Listen, I’ve got to run. I’ll talk to you soon. I love you!”
“Don’t you dare hang up on me.”
I reache
d for the screen and terminated the connection.
Chapter Four
AXL
I took a deep breath before I called out, “Moiru, I’m home.” As I stepped through the front door, a glass dish came hurtling at my face. I managed to dodge the projectile before it struck me. The plate crashed into the wall behind me and shattered into pieces.
“Heed my warning, you lousy vushka! I will not go down without a fight!”
“Easy, Moiru.” I bent over and started to gather the broken shards with my hands. “It’s only me, Axl.” When I finished cleaning up the mess, I removed my weapons and laid them on the dining table. My father emerged from behind a column with his arms akimbo. His typical outfit was a shapeless black robe embroidered with holy scriptures from the Book of Zamos. Today, an odd, heavy-looking contraption covered his head. It had eight arms attached to a crown. Balls projected from each extension.
“Axl?” My father pushed up his tinted goggles. He pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed into slits. “Prove your identity. What was your mother’s favorite dessert? Nectar cakes or sago biscuits?”
“You don’t know what your son looks like?” I decided to humor him as I made my way into the kitchen. “She would turn down anything remotely sweet. Fried shnu-shnu was her dessert of choice.”
“Good, good.” My answer seemed to satisfy him. He sat down in a rocking chair, which was positioned to face the parlor window. “I don’t have too many visitors these days.” He peered out the window, eyes glazing over as he lost himself in his memories.
“I suppose there is an upside to living in the Rigsby District. The Makroid would never bother assaulting a poor area like this one.” I wondered if my attempt to lighten the mood would be successful. I poured my father a cup of warm ale and began to slice some fruit for him. “Have you eaten?”
My father glanced back at me and dismissively waved a hand. “I slept in my bed last night.”
“That’s not what I asked you.” I set the food and drink down in front of him. “You should take better care of yourself.”
“Thank you.” He lowered his goggles and turned back to the window, munching on the fruit.
“I assume you’ve heard the news?”
“Of course. I still have my sources. Gishmar came over and told me everything.” My father started to slurp his drink loudly. “I don’t sleep in these clothes, you know. Do you think I’m crazy or something?”
“I know you’re not.”
“I have been telling these fools for years that the bloody Makroid were planning an invasion. Did anyone listen to me? No! It’s too late now. Saying ‘I told you so’ is pointless.” He took another swig and slammed his fist onto the console, brown fruit jumping on his plate. “How’s it looking out there?”
“Not great. It’s a living and breathing hellhole.” I rested my elbows on my lap, rubbing my fingers in my eyes. “The palace’s defenses let it escape without a scratch, but the royals prepared more than anyone else. Five cities were almost annihilated, including a few army bases. They knew where to target us. They raided three forts and made off with nearly all the kysum.”
I paused. The creaking of our chairs filled the silence.
“They destroyed entire suburbs. The civilian death toll is a few hundred now, and we are still discovering bodies. Magnum was finishing a mission near Hardwing during the last assault. They outnumbered us. Our only choice was to engage the enemy. There weren’t any deaths on the squad, but we have seven wounded. Four are in critical condition at the hospital.”
Though no response came from my father, I knew my story had affected him. He lowered his head slightly and swirled the ale around in his cup with a trembling finger. I took a deep breath and sat up in my chair.
“Magnum headquarters was one of the destroyed buildings.” I clasped my arms behind my head and shut my eyes. “We had one lucky break today. The place was empty. Everyone at the office left early. We will have to use rental space as a temporary base until we find a more permanent solution.”
There was a firm knock on the door. “Are you expecting someone?”
“No, I rarely have visitors.” My father tossed another piece of fruit into his mouth. “It’s probably Gishmar. You know how nosy he is.”
The knocks continued, each one louder and more urgent than the last. I grabbed a hand-held neutralizer from the table and crept behind the door. I unlatched the small lock on top and pulled it back an inch.
“Who is it, Axl?”
“It’s not Gishmar.” Setting my weapon aside, I stepped back and fully opened the door. A paunchy official with the Urwanian Empire’s coat of arms stitched on the right side of his uniform stood in the doorway. He stood at attention, pounding his shoulders with closed fists.
“Good evening. I am General Wasid, from the Imperial Grand Council. I’m looking for Axl Aimes of Magnum Company.”
“Well, you found him.” I halfheartedly returned the gesture. “What can we do for you?”
“You have been summoned to the Imperial Palace. The invitation is for you personally, and you alone.”
“That’s an attractive offer.” I secured the knot of the bandage around my arm. “How about this? Tell her that I will appear at the palace as soon as I have time to spare, but my schedule is booked for the foreseeable future.”
“I think you misunderstand me. My title is general, not administrator. You will be coming with me today.” The general removed his hat and held it to his chest. “I don’t know anything about your relationship with the royals. Whatever the case, the current situation is dire. I am under orders to bring you to the palace by any means necessary.” Four soldiers appeared on the walkway behind the general.
“I suppose I’ll have to do what you say. Give me a minute to prepare myself.” Nodding, the general strode back to his shuttle.
I holstered my neutralizer and rejoined my father in the parlor. “Moiru, I’m heading out. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return.”
“Listen to me, Axl.” He pinched me by the ears and pulled my face close to him. The bulbous tip of his nose was inches from mine. When I was this close, I could see lucidity in his watery eyes. “Watch your back out there and always stay vigilant.” His voice began to crack. “Your mother is the strongest person I know. If they can take her away from me, they can take you, too.”
I took his trembling hand and pressed it against my forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You may enter.”
I acknowledged the servant with a short nod and slipped into the chamber entrance. A sweet floral scent wafted down the narrow corridor. Brick walls were lit up with floating orbs, illuminating the passageway with a soft golden light. The path took me past animated portraits of imperial ancestors and models of ancient weapons. When I reached the end of the corridor, I bowed my head before opening a set of beaded curtains.
“I hope your journey here was pleasant.” Empress Angkora stood next to the throne, pruning a healthy-looking shrub. In the corner of the room, soothing Zamoan mantras droned out of a set of speakers. I shuffled over so I was in the presence of the Empress, trying to position myself close enough to talk while keeping my distance.
“It was uneventful,” I said evenly. “Forgive my bluntness, Empress Angkora, but let’s cut to the chase. What do you want?”
“I have always found your candor refreshing.” Silver leaves fell on the hem of her elegant red and gold gown. “I have a proposition for you. But first I was wondering about the health of your father.”
“He is alive. That’s the most any of us can hope for.”
“That’s a relief.” She paused, looking like she wasn’t sure what to say. “It may take some time to explain myself,” the Empress admitted. “In the meantime, would you care for something to drink? Wine or fresh juice, perhaps?”
“No. I do not plan on staying here for long.”
“Very well.” She removed her intricate crown before sitting on the throne. “General Kikimbe
has informed me of your bravery at Fort Hardwing. I appreciate Magnum helping out during the crisis.”
“You’re most welcome, Empress.” I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. “But we both know that you haven’t brought me all the way out here just to give me your thanks.”
“Your assumption is correct.” The gold meticulously painted around her mouth shimmered as she spoke. “Have you ever heard of the pillars of Galzen?”
“We all have,” I answered slowly. “What is your interest in them?”
“I would like to have Magnum retrieve one for me.”
Dumbfounded, all I could do was stare blankly at her. “With all due respect, Empress Angkora, the pillars exist only in legends and children’s stories. I’m not in the business of chasing after myths.”
“That is not acceptable!” The hopeless in Angkora’s voice matched the frantic motions of her flying hands. “I beseech you, Axl. I know of your family’s grievances against the imperial military, but we live in interesting times. Lord Silas made it clear that he intended the attack to be an act of war.” The Empress breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. “We are in the process of assembling troops for a retaliatory strike, but we would prefer to end this situation permanently. This will not happen again, do you understand me? We will not allow it.”
The force behind her words surprised me. As I tried to make sense of the thoughts flooding my mind, the Empress continued speaking.
“I have heard countless positive testimonies about Magnum. They say you are the finest acquirers on the planet. Your company boasts a near-perfect record of successful acquisitions. I have yet to hear a single complaint about your professionalism. I have complete confidence in your ability to succeed.”
“Your Eminence, I don’t have that much confidence in myself.”
“We are prepared to pay one and a half million credits,” the Empress blurted as her grip tightened around the armrests. “Plus expenses. Would you like additional funding to rebuild your fallen headquarters?”
I couldn’t believe she had started the negotiation with a seven-figure sum. Greed immediately replaced any hesitation I had. As shallow as it seemed, that was all I needed to intrigue me. I looked at the determination in the Empress’ eyes with fresh interest. She had the face of someone taken hostage by sheer desperation and hopelessly searching for any way out, even solutions that were childhood fantasies.
