by Clara Woods
Lenah took in a sharp breath as she realized how strange that was. They’d arrived to UPL, a galactic authority, on a stolen ship and it hadn’t caused any repercussions. In fact, Ambassador Dreistein had seemed very explicit about Lenah staying with the Rambler. Wouldn’t they usually confiscate a stolen smuggler ship? So why did the ambassador think it such a good idea for them to leave on the Rambler instead of taking whatever anonymous shuttle from here? There had to be a reason. As she thought about it, she could only think of one. And that was the same reason that Corinna and her men had always shown up about the same time Lenah and her crew had come out of a warp bubble.
“I think they’re able to track the ship,” she croaked.
Everyone was silent at that.
“Given how easily they’ve always found us so far, that would make a lot of sense,” Uz finally murmured. “We shouldn’t leave on that ship.”
6 Allies Are Few
They finally reached the dinner hall, and it turned out to be one of Lenah’s absolute horror settings. It was a formal dinner ball. As in Old Earth days, important guests were paraded through the room like meat for everyone else to bow to. She hated functions like this. It wasn’t because the Callo family rarely made it onto the guests-of-honor list, but because they were stiff and pretentious. Today, however, she was part of the entourage of the guest of honor: Corinna Cheung.
Persia, who upon their arrival seemed to have noticed the conservative dress code of everyone else and closed all her buttons, and Doctor Lund were beaming as they queued to enter. Corinna stood to the side, pointedly ignoring them. Her eyes briefly flickered over to Lenah, shining coldly and her face barely hiding a sneer, but then she simply turned away. Lenah dreaded what they would say about her group when they were announced to the room. Was it unheard of to ridicule people? She worried it was not.
After a few long and dreadful minutes, the group made their entrance. Lenah walked in the front row with Doctor Lund holding her arm, while Cassius took Uz’s and Persia’s arms. They passed the tall doorway and stepped into a world of gold curtains, marble pillars, and something that looked like a ruby chandelier and was the most decadent thing Lenah had seen in all her life. That chandelier must be worth more than all of Starwide Research.
“The heroes who have brought us the Mapstone, Lenah Callo and entourage. Welcome to United Planetary Legion,” a male voice announced as the music interrupted. The crowd clapped politely, and Lenah breathed out a sigh of relief. They weren’t going to be humiliated. At least not yet. She put a pained smile on her face as Doctor Lund, still beaming next to her, walked her through the corridor that the crowd had formed in the middle of the room. How was she supposed to survive this evening?
As they passed, Lenah felt many pairs of eyes on her. But without her mind magic, she couldn’t gauge if she was being met with friendly or angry stares. What did these people know? Everyone’s faces seemed neutral and pleased; it could mean anything. Only one face, a lanky young man dressed in brown robes, smiled at them.
Was he a guild mage? The cut of the long robe with the wide sleeves suggested so, but she had never seen a mage dressed in brown; usually, they wore black. Nor a mage so young. He couldn’t be older than nineteen.
Finally, and under a lot of nodding, they reached the end of the room, and Lenah took the first opening to step behind the other guests. Hesitantly, Lund followed her. He had been visibly enjoying this, and she was sure that being a member of USO, a not-so-liked cult focusing on scientifically explaining magic, he didn’t often get positive public attention.
“Amazing. They are good hosts here.” He grinned at Lenah as they watched the others walk through the room. Cassius and Uz were among the tallest people, apart from a regal looking Cassidian, and Lenah allowed herself to take another good look at Cassius. He, too, had changed a lot since she’d first seen him with dreadlocks and a full beard. He shaved everyday now, which showed off his angular features and even his lips. A few people gasped at them, and Lenah wondered if that was because they had noticed Cassius’s enhanced arm hooked around Persia’s or because of Uz’s cut gyrums.
“And now, today’s guest of honor, Miss Corinna Cheung, leader of Cheung Corp, innovator, UPL army commander, and High Commander of the Astur II Defense Mission. Welcome to United Planetary Legion,” the booming voice announced to the room, and this time, the roar of the crowd was definitely more enthusiastic.
Just as well, Lenah thought. In case something went wrong, her group wouldn’t be the center of attention. Somehow, her skin itched uncomfortably as if her body knew something her brain hadn’t caught onto yet. She scanned the whole room with more care.
It was stuffed with at least fifty people, most of them men and women in black-and-red dress robes like the one Lenah wore. Colors reserved for members of corporate families. A few people were dressed entirely in red, the color for the most important guests. Both Corinna Cheung and Ambassador Dreistein, who was walking her in, were clad in shimmering red from head to toe. Some others wore only black, like Lenah’s friends. These were outsiders, not members of the families, but who had somehow found their way into this circle. Only a handful of guests didn’t follow that dress code. Like the young guild mage in his brown robe and the Cassidian, standing tall, and dressed in a purple robe with a white Cassidian silk shirt sticking out at the collar. He was looking around, as if searching for someone, and finally headed in their direction.
He bowed his head when he reached Lenah. “Miss Callo, may the tradition of the Old be with you. A pleasure.”
“May the tradition of the Old be with you, Wise —” Lenah answered in the way she had learned to greet Cassidians.
“Ikanobu.” He offered his name.
“— Wise Ikanobu.”
“It is said you saw the threat of the Cava Dara’s return.”
That surprised Lenah. She had assumed that UPL would try to make as little a deal out of this as possible, celebrating mostly the upcoming military mission of Cheung army. Preferably, without telling most people what was really happening and painting it like a minor defense mission. But the Cassidian High Priest had known what was coming and warned Corinna, hadn’t he? So maybe this Cassidian also knew more.
“Yes, we saw them leave the Syrr temple on Masis III.”
“Masis III?”
“A planet in the fifth octant. Outside of UPL space.”
“And it’s livable, but your people haven’t settled on it?” He arched an elegant eyebrow at her.
Right, Cassidians took some offense to the expansive nature of humans, who were always trying to settle on new planets, constantly growing their trillions of population in size. Cassidians, instead, stuck to their home planet Cassidia and the traditions they called the Old Ways. Old Ways, that had cost Uz her gyrums, Lenah reminded herself.
“It’s highly volcanic. And not very comfortable to live on.”
“Ah.” He didn’t sound convinced. In fact, Lenah figured that Masis III was not settled due to the secret about the Syrr it had held, back when the first humans thought the race had been destroyed by Cassidians, instead of Cava Dara. Otherwise, someone would surely have started to terraform the world, and it wasn’t even far away. Humans inhabited far worse places, like Oscuris, with its eternal freezing temperatures and the short day-night cycle. But the first humans who had discovered Masis III, had suspected that the temple was proof of the Cassidians committing genocide on the Syrr and tried to hide that from the rest of the humans on the Generation Ship.
“Wise Ikanobu,” Uz said from behind Lenah, “what do you know of the Cava Dara’s return?”
He tipped his head from one side to the other, looking temporarily flabbergasted to be addressed.
“Your Cut is energetic. Surprising, even outside of the home world. I’m relieved that you freed her. No one who was born Cassidian should ever end up in a human laboratory,” he finally said, eyes boring into Lenah’s. Lenah didn’t know what to say. That freeing Uz had only been
a coincidence? That it was her own father’s lab she’d been kidnapped to go to? Or that she was shocked to realize what he knew. When Lenah didn’t speak, Wise Ikanobu slowly turned back to Uz, as if inwardly stealing himself to look at her. “I know only what is taught. Even you will have learned it, or were you cut that early?” His eyes turned back to Lenah.
“And you are sure you don’t know anything else?” Uz continued as if his treatment of her was the most normal thing in the world. “You didn’t seem surprised about them returning. They didn’t teach me that in the lessons.”
His eyebrow raised again, and he addressed Lenah as he answered. “Very astute. Yes. There are circles that know, but it certainly isn’t intended to become common knowledge and especially not spread among the humans.” The way he said humans irked Lenah almost as much as his treatment of Uz. Worthless beings, the tone of his words implied.
“Don’t you think it’s important for them to know if the Cava Dara are posing a threat?” Uz’s voice sounded agitated.
Unlike her, Wise Ikanobo stayed entirely calm. “Like you, they have forgotten to follow the Old Ways. Therein lies fault.”
“The Old Ways? We are not Cassidians, Wise Ikanobu,” Lenah said. “We don’t teach following the Old Ways. We teach moving forward, not looking backward.” She tried to keep her voice calm. He seemed terribly arrogant, although she didn’t think he was trying to be mean. He was naturally condescending like that. Or what humans perceived as condescending. His treatment of Uz, however, was hard to forgive.
“And you still believe you should?” his second eyebrow met the first.
“Wise Ikanobu, it is the way of humanity,” Uz said in Lenah’s stead. “They don’t have old books to follow. Instead, they write new books about technology and progress and are constantly improving their way of life.”
The Cassidian didn’t answer at first, just frowned at Uz. Then, pointedly, he turned to Lenah, looking her directly in the eyes with a hard stare. It sent shivers down her spine. “You should put your Cut in its place.” Just like that, he nodded to her and strolled off.
Lenah turned to Uz.
“What was that about? Is that how they treat you?”
Uz swallowed. “It’s normal, he didn’t mean bad.”
“Didn’t mean bad? He treated you like you’re my pet, not my friend.”
Uz gave her a lopsided smile. She seemed way less shaken by the encounter than Lenah.
“Let it go, it’s nothing new to me, and I can take it. But now you know why I had to leave there. Let’s go check out the food, okay?” she finished, her tone making it clear that the topic was over. She turned pointedly toward the buffet that was set up along the short end of the room, conveniently located in the opposite direction the Cassidian had taken.
7 Dismissed
Her plate piled high with antipasti, caviar, and duck, all the Old Earth foods that were only served in the fanciest of environments these days, Lenah slowly walked through the room, looking for Corinna. Whatever Corinna was up to tonight, Lenah was sure it included lobbying with the most important people around. Lenah wanted to either listen in to what was being said or also talk to them.
She almost crashed plate-first into the young mage in the brown robe as he suddenly appeared in front of her, panting. Had he run? How had he managed to do that in a crowded room?
“Is it true you’re a spaceship captain?” He blurted as soon as she had stopped in front of him. “I mean, you’re from the families, aren’t you? How did you even learn that? Um, I’m Lorka Enggaard, by the way. Um, sorry.” He stopped talking, ears red and eyes downcast. Lenah couldn’t hide a grin.
“Hi, Mage Enggaard. It’s not that unheard of. In fact, our very own guest of honor, Corinna Cheung, also flies.”
“She does?” His eyes flickered over toward the back of the room, and, indeed, Lenah finally located Corinna there. She was talking to Ambassador Dreistein and another man, also dressed in red ambassador robes but adorned with even more gold and a few years older than Dreistein. Someone important, no doubt. Was that the High Ambassador Corinna had inquired about?
“Lorka.”
“What?” Lenah had to bring herself back to the conversation as she’d been staring intently at Corinna.
“You can call me Lorka,” the young mage said.
“Nice to meet you, Lorka. I’m Lenah.”
“Are you the one with the adventure? Who brought the famous stone they are showing out front?”
“They are showing the Mapstone?”
Lorka nodded eagerly. “Yes, in an exhibition room next to the guest landing bay.”
That was news to Lenah. They weren’t keeping it secret after all. The ambassadors seemed very confident.
“Did you say the stone is famous? What else do you know about it?” Lenah was intrigued.
Lorka’s ears turned red again. “I mean, not famous. Not since recently, at least.” He looked around, his eyes darting nervously over the crowd.
“You’re a guild mage, aren’t you?” Lenah changed the topic. Maybe that would make him more comfortable.
“Guild mage in training, at your service,” Lorka answered, giving an awkward bow, accentuated by his lanky build in the wide robe that was no longer covering his shoes. He wore brown sneakers with yellow socks underneath.
“And what are you doing here at UPL station?” Lenah asked. She’d never heard of young mages traveling before they could do actual work for the Guild. As far as she knew, the students were shipped off to train at the Guild’s secret location as soon as they manifested powers. That could be anywhere between six to twelve years old. The next time they reappeared to the world, they were fully formed mages, and most of them started jobs on spaceships as transporters: mages dedicated to moving ships through warp bubbles.
“I, um. . .” Lorka studied his shoes. “I’m doing an internship with High Ambassador Pantha.” He looked up toward Corinna, and Lenah followed his gaze.
“Is that the older guy talking to Miss Cheung and Ambassador Dreistein?”
“Yup.” Lorka nodded. “Thankfully, I only have two more months to go. I can’t stand making coffee with whiskey for the old man.”
“He has a mage making him coffee?” Lenah asked, amused. “Doesn’t he have servants?”
“It’s all part of my educational punishment. I’m supposed to learn to follow orders, no matter how boring. And leadership skills. And not listen in to conversations I’m not supposed to hear. Like the one about the st—some random conversation I overheard at the Guild.”
Had he been about to say ‘the stone’? Lenah finally shifted all her attention to the young man. What did he know?
“Lorka, if you think there’s something interesting, I might want to know, in exchange for me showing you the cockpit of my ship. I won’t tell anyone.”
The inner war was written all over his features, and Lenah started to feel bad for having tempted him.
Finally, he shook his head. “Nothing, Lenah. I better hurry on. I’m supposed to talk to as many people as I can without making it awkward. Um, do you think I’m doing okay? And if you wouldn’t mind telling the High Ambassador. I think he’s coming this way.”
With that, he stretched out a hand and almost bumped it into the pile of antipasti on Lenah’s plate. He retracted it as he realized she was holding the plate in one hand and the fork in the other. Lenah looked around and saw the older ambassador and Corinna Cheung walking their way.
Just great. When she had imagined talking to Corinna tonight, she hadn’t figured it would be in the presence of a senior UPL ambassador. Lenah had things to say that didn’t belong in such company.
“Miss Callo, I’m pleased to meet you,” the man said as they stopped in front of her. “My name is High Ambassador Pantha.” He also stretched out his hand, and Lenah hurriedly put her fork down to shake it. His grip was like iron and certainly not what she would have expected from someone with such narrow and droopy shoulders. His robe, though tai
lored to his size, seemed to drown him, but that was only until she met his eyes, which were sharp and seemed to see into her core.
“An honor to meet you, High Ambassador,” she replied, giving him her most professional smile.
“Corinna.” She nodded but didn’t extend her hand. By the way Corinna bared her teeth at her in a bad imitation of a smile, she wouldn’t have taken it, anyway. Venom poured toward Lenah, and she was for once glad that neither her nor Corinna’s mind magic was working.
“Lenah.” Corinna finally nodded when she noticed that the ambassador was waiting.
“Well, now that you two are on speaking terms with each other, I want to let you know the threat will be handled, Miss Callo. No one is holding a grudge against you for overestimating what’s coming. You only did what you thought was best, didn’t you? And Miss Cheung has assured me that you and your crew didn’t hurt her.”
Overestimated the threat? Of course, that was how they would spin it. But Corinna hadn’t seen the Syrr princess’s last video diary, and she had been unconscious when the reawakened Cava Dara had flown away from Masis III.
“What do you plan to do about the trigger? The mage farm?” Lenah said instead. She didn’t think an angry outburst would help with these two.
Corinna shook her head. “What about them?”
“Are you going to close them?”
“Of course not. The mage farms are far too valuable an asset for Cheung Corp and Starwide Research. We’ll handle the Cava Dara in space. Cheung army has an excellent space fleet.”
“You won’t shut the mage farm down even if they could stop the attacks?”
“Miss Callo, there is no need for that tone,” the high ambassador said. Overall, Lenah felt that he was scolding her like little child.
“Have you even seen the video that I showed to Ambassador Dreistein?”
Both didn’t answer.
“Let me show you. I promise, it will only take a few seconds,” she said to the high ambassador in the nicest tone she could muster and trying not to look away from his piercing gaze.
