by Scott Baron
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hozark was very practiced at not revealing his true thoughts and emotions, but after so many recent turns of events even he was feeling the pressure build. Of course, his visage showed none of that concern. To any who may have observed him, he was as calm and steady as ever.
Corann, however, had known him many years and could sense his unease.
“The Council has been shuffling craft around, but the spies are working hard on verifying Maktan’s location,” she said as they sipped tea on her porch. “And, of course, they are still seeking out Henni as well.”
He had left Hap and Laskar in a training facility in a nearby system as soon as he received the message that Corann requested his presence.
“I have also had word sent to the other members of the Five to have their personal connections keep an ear open for any information,” she said.
“Thank you, Corann,” Hozark said. “I am hopeful we can complete this contract soon. Visla Maktan has caused more than a little trouble for the order, and the sooner he is no longer making waves the better.”
“In this we are in agreement,” she replied. “The Maktan contract is a top priority for the order. And there has been a new development.”
“Oh?”
“One of Dohria’s closest associates brought the message. It seems that the party interested in ending Maktan’s life has also made this a top priority. The price has nearly doubled if we can achieve our objective within the next two weeks.”
Hozark raised a brow. “That seems suspicious,” he said. “We are already engaged on this task. Adding coin to the pot does not make us more likely to succeed.”
“True. But the Ghalian ways are a mystery to those of the outside, and if they wish to enrich the order further, we shall gladly take their coin.”
“I still feel this is suspicious, Corann.”
“Yes, as did I when I received word. However, in speaking with Prombatz, he made a valid point about a sense of urgency. With Visla Ravik now dead, there is a power void in the Council. With both the other members, as well as a handful of aspirants jockeying for control of his seat, it makes sense that this would be seen as the opportune moment to eliminate Maktan in all of the chaos.”
Hozark thought on it a moment and nodded. “Utilizing the internal strife already in play within the Council to not only spread their normal defenses a bit thin, but also to focus possible blame upon the Council itself.”
“Though each member possesses their own personal guard, the Council’s general ranks will be overtaxed with the current situation.”
“But we know for certain this contract did not come from one of the Twenty,” Hozark noted.
“Indeed. And this has been verified by multiple agents across the network. Our people have done a deep search among their contacts within the Council to ensure as much. Despite our goals aligning this once, we would not wish to be doing the Council’s dirty work for them, after all.”
“Indeed.”
“Has there been word from Demelza?” Corann asked.
“None yet,” Hozark replied. “It was a very unusual task you sent her on, Corann. We are not normally in the business of treasure hunting.”
“No, we are not. But on this occasion and with the intelligence we possess, for this relic, it seemed worth the effort. The Quommus would be an incredibly valuable tool for the order to possess. Especially if it can be obtained before the attempt on Maktan.”
“If any could succeed in this effort, I have confidence Demelza is up for the task. I would even say it is readily apparent that in recent months she has proven herself to be an asset far beyond her standing in the order.”
“Agreed, and we shall address that disparity in ranking soon. She has more than earned it. For now, however, we have another pressing matter that has been brought to my attention.”
Hozark chuckled. “It would seem there is always something arising of late. Strange times we are in.”
“They are at that, Brother. And this is particularly alarming. There is unrest on Sooval.”
“Sooval?” Hozark asked, a bit alarmed. “It is not Maktan, is it? The man is actively seeking any power he can acquire.”
“We cannot be certain at this time, but our spies have informed us that word has reached the network that a power user, likely a member of the Twenty, has somehow come across the location of the resettled Ootaki on Sooval.”
“There are a great many Ootaki hidden there,” Hozark said. “The power contained within the group is enormous. The order has spent many years and a great deal of coin helping hide those recovered slaves on that world, and a great deal keeping them secret as well. How could this have happened?”
“That we do not yet know. And for now, it does not matter. What does is that someone, whether Maktan or another in the Council of Twenty, or even an outsider, has learned of their likely presence.”
“Verified it, or they are just investigating a rumor?”
“It seems they are not entirely sure as of yet. But word is they will be coming in force regardless.”
“Then we still have a chance,” Hozark said. “Hopefully they will not send a full attack fleet until they’ve verified. And if it is Maktan’s forces we are dealing with, we cannot permit him to gain that additional power.”
Corann nodded. “Agreed. It cannot be allowed under normal circumstances, but especially not now. Not with our contract on Maktan pending, and certainly not after what he has done to Aargun and Prombatz.”
It was a bit strange to discuss. This was not what the Ghalian did, providing protection services for groups of freed slaves. But this case was different. These Ootaki had been rescued in the course of Ghalian contracts over the years, and the order felt they had an obligation to continue to keep them from falling back under another’s control.
And if it really was Visla Maktan who had discovered them, it was even more important than ever to keep all of that stored magic out of the power-hungry man’s hands. He had already been building a stockpile of magic weaponry, using Happizano’s father as a primary source, but if he acquired an enormous group of Ootaki, Visla Jinnik might very well become expendable.
“I shall inform Happizano and Laskar I will be away for a time, then redirect to Sooval immediately,” Hozark said, placing his cup on the table and rising to his feet.
“You shall need numbers for this, Hozark.”
“Indeed. Numbers would not be in my favor, even if Demelza and Bud were present.”
“Agreed. I shall send word for a contingent of our mercenary contacts to take up arms and meet you on Sooval. They will not be informed of the exact details of the assignment beyond that they shall possibly be fighting a numerically superior force. But knowing them, with enough coin, I doubt they would truly care even if they knew it was the Council itself.”
“True. For enough coin, some are quite willing to risk it all,” Hozark agreed.
Corann rose and bade him farewell, giving him a warm hug as they were in public view. No matter the urgency of the situation, her cover as sweet old Corann had to be maintained.
“Our contact on Sooval shall be awaiting your arrival,” she said, releasing the hug. “Good luck, and fly safe.”
“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Hap griped when Hozark returned from his brief visit with Corann.
“Yeah, what’s this about flying away without us?” Laskar asked. “You’ll need the power of the mothership for anything important.”
“I appreciate the concern, Laskar; however, my own craft is more than adequate for the task I have before me.”
“Still, it sounds like you’ll be doing something dangerous. And you know I’m good in a pinch.”
“Your offer is appreciated, but I shall be fine on my own for this short while. And besides, you have earned a bit of rest time. There are fine establishments here to cater to your needs.”
Laskar knew the drinking and carousing facilities Hozark was speaking of. He’d a
lready become quite familiar with them, in fact. But being left behind was not something he enjoyed.
“So, what’s the mission? A contract? Are you getting closer to Maktan?”
“Nothing so exciting,” Hozark replied. “I am merely running an errand for Corann. One that requires one of the Five, I am afraid, otherwise I would have tasked another. But that is no matter. I shall return quite soon.”
Laskar had a feeling the man was lying, but he knew better than to pry. That was all he’d get from the assassin.
“Why can’t I come with?” Hap whined.
“Because I have already spoken with Master Turong, and he has agreed to allow you to stay with him for a bit longer while I am away. To take you into his training house and teach you all he can as if you were one of his own students.”
“Really?” Hap asked, suddenly less upset than just moments before.
Master Turong ran a non-Ghalian martial arts facility of the highest order, and his pupils often went on to become great warriors in whichever endeavors they decided to pursue. And he had agreed to tutor Happizano for a few days while Hozark paused on his world. He owed more than a few favors to the Wampeh Ghalian, after all, and besides, Hozark was the closest thing to a friend he had within the order.
To the master’s great pleasure, Happizano seemed to take to the training quite quickly, picking up both magical and martial skills with an impressive ease. He had mentioned this to Hozark, complimenting him on priming the boy’s mind and body for the difficult lessons that come to the older students.
The boy showed initiative and drive, and that was more than he could say for several of his students whose parents had spent enormous sums of coin for their children to learn at his feet.
“Master Turong was very impressed with you, young Jinnik,” Hozark said. “So much so that when I mentioned a task out of system, he offered to take you into his training house without hesitation. For the short time I am gone, you will experience the true intensity of his instruction.”
Hap’s disappointment at being left behind was already a thing of the past. He’d been training at all of the facilities Hozark stopped at for some time now, but Master Turong was something of a legend, even among the other martial arts houses.
“This’ll be great!” he said, thoroughly cheered by the turn of events.
Hozark was glad for the change of attitude. He would leave the boy here regardless, but if he was happy about it, the process would be far more pleasant.
“Just remember, young Jinnik, that while you may travel under my protection, while you are here, you shall be under Master Turong’s wing and treated just as any other student.”
“So I’ll really live there full-time?”
“You will. All has been arranged. But know that the path to mastery is a difficult one. This will not be easy.”
Hap’s jaw set with determination. “I don’t want easy.”
Hozark grinned. It was music to his ears. The boy had changed so much since he’d first rescued him from Maktan’s men. Who knew the difficult young pest would grow on him like this? Hozark was a man who notoriously did not like children, and yet, he was actually becoming rather fond of this youngster. He was becoming someone the assassin was proud of, and that happened very rarely indeed.
“Very well. You shall undoubtedly get your wish. This will be a challenging, but also rewarding, experience. Master Turong has a great deal of wisdom he can impart to you, and I look forward to seeing what you have learned when I return.”
“So you’re just gonna leave him here? After all we’ve been through? I guess you’ll want me to keep an eye on him while you’re gone,” Laskar said.
“On the contrary. Happizano shall be within the walls of Master Turong’s training grounds. The decades of protective magic layered there, as well as the master and his top disciples’ skills, will be more than enough protection should the need arise. The facility is almost as impregnable as a Ghalian stronghold. Rest calm and enjoy your time off, Laskar. Happizano shall be in good hands.”
“Good. Then I can really enjoy myself,” the pilot said with a lazy grin. “See ya, Hozark. Good luck with whatever you’re off to do. I’ll see ya when you get back.”
“Indeed. Enjoy the downtime,” he replied, then turned back to Hap. “And as for you, let us get you situated with Master Turong. Then I shall take my leave. I think this will be an experience you shall treasure the rest of your days.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The flight to Sooval was relatively fast, despite the rather small Drookonus Hozark was using to power his craft. His shimmer ship was simply not large enough to accommodate one of the big and powerful ones that allowed truly long jumps, so he was chaining shorter ones together as best he could.
Time was of the essence, but so too was arriving at the right time. If his backup was not there yet, he would be walking into a situation the likes of which even a master assassin could not hope to prevail in.
Even so, the Drookonus was quickly overheating from the magical strain placed upon it. The faint orange glow from its receptacle made it quite clear it would be done for by the time he arrived.
But that was why the order had caches of necessary equipment, and spares of this nature were no different. He would burn this one out, no doubt, but there were multiple backups within the craft. Hozark just hoped there would be no cause to burn those out as well, for if there was, it would be a bad day indeed.
With just a few more jumps until he reached his destination, Hozark found himself reflecting on the times he’d been to Sooval in the past. Most recently, he had dropped off a small handful of rescued Ootaki, the poor men and women he had unexpectedly saved from slavery in the aftermath of a Council versus pirate battle.
By now they would be well absorbed into the existing colony and blended in with the locals without issue. There was an extremely talented stylist who worked at the most exclusive rejuvenation spas who just so happened to have been saved from a great deal of trouble by the Ghalian in the past. And now she offered her services for others they rescued, as they had done for her, free of charge.
It was that which was one of the main saving graces for the magic-haired people. Their golden hair was a giveaway anywhere in the galaxy, but this woman had managed to develop a spell that made her carefully crafted dyes bond with their magical locks. It was difficult, and nearly all who ever attempted such a thing failed, but in this instance, she had met with great success.
As a result, the Ootaki were able to live normal lives, not constantly looking over their shoulders for fear of someone kidnapping them for their hair. Now they blended in with everyone else, albeit with particularly long hairstyles, as was their custom.
All in all, Sooval had been a peaceful colony for quite some time, out of the way and unnoted by all.
But now either Maktan or one of the other Council members had somehow gotten wind of them, and that was decidedly not good. These were innocents the Ghalian had freed and relocated, and their recapture and return to a life of slavery was not acceptable. Not if the Wampeh Ghalian could help it.
It was a matter of honor.
Many would have been surprised to learn of the codes the Ghalian lived by. There were plenty of killers for hire in the galaxy with no scruples whatsoever. But the Wampeh Ghalian were a different item altogether.
Hozark’s shimmer ship popped out of its final jump just as its Drookonus began crackling from the strain. He quickly hot-swapped the spent device with a fresh one, dropping the destroyed one into a sealed vessel to contain the smoke wafting from it.
The brief moment of power loss was insignificant under his skilled flying, and the ship quickly made its way to Sooval’s orbit. He could have plunged straight into the atmosphere, making a rapid descent to his destination township, but there were things that needed to be done first. Like making several quick circuits of the planet’s orbit to see if any of the attacking ships had arrived yet.
Luckily, it seemed th
ere were none, though Hozark did note several smaller craft that appeared to be benign, but he knew to be cleverly disguised mercenary vessels. Fortunately, these were his mercenaries, sent by Corann to bolster his defense. That meant things would be ready for him on the surface.
Quickly engaging his shimmer cloak, Hozark redirected to make a circuit of the area below. There were multiple large gathering places, akin to a town square, but a bit larger, dotting the area. The city itself was comprised of several relatively tall buildings surrounding the more plentiful squat structures that made up the bulk of the township.
Despite what was evident above, apparently, a lot of the construction was subterranean at least a few levels down, utilizing the natural insulation of the soil to protect the inhabitants in the hot summer months. A logical bit of construction that saved on magic expenditures for cooling spells.
He completed his final flyover in no time. All seemed quiet, so he veered off toward the landing area outside the town, then tucked away in a little field not too far distant. Camouflaged as it was, his craft would remain safely hidden, far enough from the pending fighting to be secure, yet near enough for rapid retrieval should he require it.
Hopefully, the inevitable combat would be quick and decisive. But he knew full well that when it came to armed conflict, just about anything could happen no matter how prepared you might think you were.
He strapped his vespus blade to his back, adding to the already impressive number of weapons secreted upon his body, then slid a powerful konus onto his wrist, tucking another into a hidden pocket for later use should the need arise.
His own internal power was still strong, but not nearly as strong as it had been when he drank from Visla Ravik. That had topped him off with a heady bit of magic, but he had been forced to tap into it a few times since then, and unlike the visla, he did not regenerate that power. What he took from another was all that he had, and he would have to drink to procure more.
