by L P Peace
Vadia nodded to Rhona. ‘I’m sure they will be. My tahdi—father—will not let anything get in the way. What is your father like?’
‘My dad?’ Rhona pictured her father the last time she had seen him, standing on the dock, watching her leave. ‘Certifiably insane.’ She grinned. ‘In a good way.’
‘He’s a good father? He loves you?’
Rhona nodded. ‘I’m surprised he hasn’t single-handedly created an FTL engine and hunted me down yet.’
Vadia chuckled.
‘He’s the best.’ Rhona heard her voice break. She cleared her throat to cover.
Vadia reached out and took her hand, not fooled in the least. Rhona’s smile was small and grateful.
Finally, Vadia looked at Omin. ‘I’m fatigued,’ she said. She looked at Rhona, a good-natured smile on her face. ‘I didn’t get much sleep last night.’
Rhona grinned. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘You don’t look sorry,’ Vadia smiled back.
Omin led her away.
At the same time, Arridis got up and, with a strange look, left.
Rhona reached for some of the food in front of her. In all the talking, she’d forgotten to actually eat. She helped herself to some of the Palla tea that Devorak had left for her.
‘Arridis’s family wealth is from the sale of slaves,’ Kadian said.
Rhona glanced at him while she poured the Palla. ‘I had a feeling,’ she admitted.
‘Omin and the others like to think we were simply kidnapped,’ he continued. ‘But we were slaves.’
Rhona looked him in the eye. ‘I know.’
Kadian nodded. ‘I want to talk about the Dynexium, while the others aren’t here,’ he said. ‘The radiant,’ he added when he saw the confused look on her face.
Rhona put the carafe of Palla down and took a sip. It tasted like raspberry but had a spicy burn to it that kicked in after it was swallowed. She’d grown to see it as her coffee replacement until she could get her hands on coffee.
Rhona faced Kadian and nodded. ‘What did you want to talk about?’
‘What your Kathen told us in the station.’
Rhona nodded to indicate she knew the conversation.
‘Do you trust it’s true?’
Rhona took a moment to consider the question. ‘Well, I’ve only met Thanesh the once—’
‘High-Protector Thanesh?’ Kadian asked, surprise evident in his face.
Rhona closed her eyes, realising she’d confirmed Thanesh’s involvement. She opened her eyes and moved closer to the table, lowering her voice.
‘Okay,’ she whispered. ‘On the level, Thanesh sent Makios to get you guys and the radiant,’ she said. ‘With it, he’s going to establish a planet that can join the IGC in five years, and he’s going to start working within it to make slavery illegal for all members. But you can’t tell anyone,’ she pleaded. ‘There are so many lives dependent on this plan.’
‘Rhona,’ Kadian said.
‘Please, Kadian. So many people would benefit, including mine. We don’t have a ship capable of getting to the IGC,’ she said. ‘We can’t petition for membership, and sooner or later, the Bentari or that purple slaving bastard’s people are going to invade, and fifteen billion people will become slaves.’
‘Rhona,’ he said again.
‘Please.’ It was all she had left.
Kadian took her hand. ‘How can I help?’
Rhona felt her heart almost stop from relief. She laughed. ‘Do you know anything about building ship engines?’ she joked.
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I used to design ship engines that ran on radiant for the Todaal military.’
‘Jesus, Kadian,’ she said. ‘Do you fancy going to Earth and helping us develop an FTL engine?’
Kadian thought about it for a minute. ‘Yes,’ he replied finally.
‘Are you serious?’ Rhona whispered, barely daring to hope.
‘My experiences over the last four solars have been horrifying,’ he said. ‘No race deserves that as their fate.’
A sob erupted from Rhona’s mouth. She got up, rounded the table and threw herself into the arms of a surprised Kadian. ‘I’m going to hold you to that,’ she sobbed.
‘No need,’ he said. ‘I give you my word and I keep my word.’ After a moment, he shifted.
‘I’m sorry,’ Rhona said. She pulled away and sat back down, barely daring to believe the last few minutes had happened.
Kadian looked at her, a curious look on his face. ‘Are all humans as warm as you?’
Rhona nodded, smiling. ‘Is your species cold-blooded?’
Kadian nodded. ‘You are pleasantly warm.’ His voice was surprised.
As they docked at Dahnus Ascent, Rhona watched the procedure for future flying and docking lessons. She was confident she would pick it up quickly; she docked the Audrey Hepburn for the first time when she was fourteen. Granted, she’d left a four-foot scratch on the paintwork.
Rhona scratched at her arm for the fortieth time in the last three days since they’d left Hidinus. She was sure that was where the tracker Thalos had put in her was. Thanesh had already procured a solvent that would destroy the nano bonds in her system, but they were still at risk as long as she carried it within her and the solvent wouldn’t be available until they reached Tessa.
‘We’re here for half a day,’ Makios told her.
‘Why so long?’ she asked.
He smiled at her. ‘I’ve got you a surprise. We have to load it.’ He saw the excitement on her face. ‘And it’ll be a few days before it’s ready, but I don’t want you seeing anything, so you and Vella are going shopping.’
‘Shopping?’
Makios walked over to her and crouched. Putting his arms around her waist, he drew her up into his arms so her feet were hanging. ‘Shopping,’ he repeated. ‘Dahnus Ascent caters to races from all over, so you should be able to find clothes you like.’
‘Is it safe?’ she asked.
Makios nodded. ‘There are guards all over the station.’
‘You’re a smuggler. How is it safe for us to be here?’
‘Thanesh pulled strings,’ he said, dipping his head to steal a quick kiss. ‘Next time we come here, I’ll be a legitimate businessman.’ His smile widened.
‘Makios, the Todaal captain has confirmed his arrival,’ Deyuul said. ‘His passengers are ready to disembark.’
‘Let’s go be big vrokking heroes,’ he said.
Disembarking the ship at Dahnus Ascent was nothing like leaving the ship at Caras. For a start, Rhona walked off the ship free of any kind of disguise or cover. They walked from Tala, which was docked to the side of the station, onto a busy docking bay. Though they were surrounded by aliens, no one blinked an eye as she emerged with Makios at her side. Behind them, the Todaal were clustered together and surrounded on all sides by Tala crew. They were safe here, and it hadn’t been arranged, so Rhona figured it was just the protective instincts of her crew and she loved them for it.
As they emerged into the busy dock, a pale-skinned Amaran female approached them with a formal smile.
‘Vita Cordalin.’ She gave them a curt nod. ‘I have been instructed to show you to your meeting. Her eyes flicked curiously across the faces, resting briefly on Rhona, before taking in the ship behind the airlock. Her jaw muscles flexed, a faint look of disapproval falling over her face before it was gone. ‘This way.’ She turned and walked away, not looking to see if they were following across the enormous chamber filled with shops and stalls.
‘Everyone, stick together,’ Rhona called, and Makios pulled her forward.
As they walked, Rhona looked around the Amaran station, taking in the white and gold walls that had elaborate art motifs that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Sistine chapel. Highly detailed and doubtlessly completely superfluous pillars stood at regular intervals throughout the space.
The white and gold area of the main shopping centre gave way to a hall of dark blue and black with sub
tle golden embellishments. The shops changed from things that looked vaguely affordable, like modest clothing and tech, to items that looked like Rhona would need to mortgage Earth just to look at them.
Glass cases displayed pieces of jewellery that held rocks big enough to sink a sea ship. Two of the stones looked familiar. She realised she’d seen them when they gated into Dahnus Ascent. They were the same blue and pink glowing gradient as one of the stones inside the gate device.
‘What is that?’
‘Adian,’ Makios said after glancing at the case. ‘A gate crystal. They’re mined from pulsar wind nebulas.’
‘A what? I recognised the words, but not in that order.’
‘It’s when a star goes supernova and leaves a neutron or pulsar behind. After millions of solars, some of the new elements create small concentrations of Adian, but they’re very rare. Very hard to come by, and most of them are used to power gates.’
‘So, a person who can afford to wear one must be very rich?’
‘No one can wear one.’ Makios looked back at the case. ‘They’re even more radioactive than radiant. The case is a viewscreen.’
Rhona looked back and studied the case from their increasing distance, but she couldn’t see any evidence of it being screens.
‘How do you know?’
‘Because if we were this close to Adian without an amot shell around it or us, we’d already be radioactive dust.’
They continued following the Amaran until they came to a bank of lifts. It took two to shuttle them up several levels. When they emerged, Rhona stepped onto a small balcony overlooking at least thirty floors below. When she looked up, there were at least that many above her.
The space here was black with white wood and the all too familiar gold embellishments. Levels upon levels of staircases dotted the massive well over the balcony, and she could see aliens running up and down them, above them what seemed like a glass ceiling looking out at space.
‘Viewscreens,’ Makios said at her side. ‘We’re nowhere near any edge of the station.’ Rhona nodded and let go of a nervous breath. This place was huge.
They followed Vita down a long corridor, through three turns before they finally arrived at a door near the end. Vita hit the control and revealed a sizeable meeting room with a large table and chairs on one side of the room and seating areas scattered around low-lying tables.
‘You are the first to arrive. The others are on their way. Would you like anything to eat or drink?’ Vita looked around expectantly.
Rhona followed her gaze, but no one was answering. ‘Could you bring water, please?’
The woman nodded and left.
Rhona turned to Makios and placed her hands on his chest. He looked down at her with a look of pure love, pulling her into his arms and holding her.
‘We need to talk about the Dynexium,’ Omin interrupted.
Rhona turned to see a look of grim determination on his face.
‘I’m not letting you take it with you.’
The doors opened, and two Todaal walked inside. The first one was wearing a uniform and a stern look on his face. He looked across the crew with disinterest, before his eyes fell on his fellow Todaal. When they landed on Omin, relief softened his features.
‘Ventian.’ The two males walked towards each other and embraced. Ventian let out a long breath.
‘It has been too long, cousin,’ he said, pulling away. ‘The family are here, but we must attend to business first.’
‘Yes. We brought the Dynexium the Goedan forced us to refine. But I believe these aliens want it.’
‘That is what we are here to deal with.’ Ventian turned to the Todaal he brought with him. Rhona looked at him. Even from another species, she knew a lawyer when she saw one.
‘What is this?’ Omin looked confused.
‘The government were not interested in helping with your freedom,’ Ventian said. He turned towards the table. ‘Seats.’ He glanced at Makios, Rhona and the crew, indicating they should join them.
Ventian took the head seat. Omin led Vadia and his fellow ex-captives to one side of the table. Makios, Rhona and the crew took the other, with Deyuul and Vanoor standing behind them, arms crossed.
‘I had to make many deals to make your freedom happen. It comes with a cost.’
‘The Dynexium,’ Omin gasped. ‘You can’t mean to just give it to these smugglers.’
‘Omin,’ Vadia chastised him.
Omin’s black eyes, with bright blue diamond-shaped irises, looked at Rhona. ‘Apologies, but that’s what you are, isn’t it?’
‘I was a legitimate trader in my home system until a slaver kidnapped me.’ She glanced at Arridis, feeling irritable.
‘I am a smuggler,’ Makios said, ‘which funds my real business: buying and freeing slaves.’
Omin’s mouth opened and closed a few times until finally, he shut it.
‘A worthy endeavour,’ Vadia said, taking one of Omin’s hands and reaching across the table to one of Rhona’s, which she freely offered.
‘We have now been slaves.’
Arridis scoffed.
Vadia threw him a disgusted look. ‘I, for one, am changed by the experience. Imagine, Omin. By the laws of our world, our child born into slavery would have been a slave. If the Goedan were a part of the IGC, they would be able to petition for their return.’
Kadian was nodding to every word. Arridis was shaking his head and rolling his eyes theatrically.
‘But… we were kidnapped,’ Omin said, his mind still trying to deny the truth. ‘They couldn’t claim our child, could they?’
‘That’s how IGC law works,’ the Todaal lawyer spoke up. ‘The Bentari ensured it.’
‘But we were kidnapped!’ Omin repeated.
‘So was I,’ Rhona said, staring into his eyes as they widened with realisation, his skin turning a greyer brown as he stilled.
Their child would have been born a slave—that had to strike home.
‘Things have changed recently,’ Ventian interrupted the conversation. ‘The Protectorate has taken a homeworld and taken an interest in the slave trade to its end. They have demanded member worlds disinvest and free their slave portfolios, and the Todaali government have agreed.’
Arridis gasped.
‘High-Protector Thanesh arranged for your escape, and in exchange, we’re giving him the Dynexium.’
Arridis stood up, his lip twisted in disgust. He glared at Rhona for a moment.
‘I will have nothing to do with this.’ He pushed his chair back as Ventian got up.
‘Sit down.’ Ventian said. Just those two words carried enough authority that if Rhona had been standing, she would have obeyed immediately.
Ventian and Arridis stared at each other for a few tense moments before Vadia put a hand on Arridis’s arm.
‘Sit, Arridis. They freed us. We should listen.’
After a few more moments, Arridis reluctantly took his seat. His face was flushed a red-grey, the lines of his face tense, and he refused to look across the table.
‘This is the deal we have struck. I am grateful for it,’ Ventian said. ‘Thanesh was the only one willing to mount a rescue. This crew of smugglers—the only ones willing to actually get you out of there.’ Ventian looked at Makios. ‘The Dynexium is the Protectorate’s.’
He turned to the lawyer and nodded. A tablet was brought out and passed over.
‘This is a contract that each individual involved in this room is required to assent to. It seals the final deal and requires total silence that any such deal ever took place. If it’s found that any of you broke this contract in any way…’ He went quiet.
‘There will be no legal repercussions in any way,’ Arridis smirked. ‘Because this is not a legal transaction.’
‘It is not,’ Ventian agreed. ‘But if you talk, there will be repercussions, for you and your family.’ His voice was a quietly growled threat. Arridis paled and went silent.
The next few minutes passed
quickly. Vadia practically snatched the tablet and set her thumb to it, then encouraged Omin to do the same. Kadian followed a moment later, and then all eyes turned to Arridis, who quickly caved under the pressure. The tablet was passed across to the crew, and they each added their prints to it. Ventian went last.
‘With that taken care of, let me go get your families.’
Ventian and the lawyer left, leaving a tense room behind.
‘I really am grateful that you came,’ Omin said after a minute had passed. ‘Vadia is correct. Our child would have been born into slavery. Even on our homeworld, we would have had to buy the child’s freedom and our request to do so could have been denied.’ His eyes turned to his mate, his hand touching her stomach protectively.
Arridis scoffed, but everyone ignored him.
‘They would have used our child to coerce us, and eventually sold them on,’ Omin continued.
Vadia’s eyes closed, and a hand found Omin’s on her stomach. Rhona slipped her hand back across the table and squeezed Vadia’s free hand.
‘Does Thanesh intend on joining the IGC?’ Omin asked.
Makios nodded.
‘Then it is good he has it. I can let it go with peace, knowing he will be standing in the central chamber someday, demanding an end to slavery.’
Rhona smiled at the Todaal when he looked at her.
The moment was broken when the doors opened, and the room was flooded with emotional Todaal. Kadian, Vadia, Omin and Arridis stood and were pulled into weepy hugs.
Makios led Rhona and the crew away from the main meeting table, and they walked to the other end of the room, letting the Todaal mingle, converge and finally sit.
Vadia’s parents greeted her with shock when they saw her pregnant belly. Vadia introduced them to Omin, and the two families came together to celebrate.
Rhona turned away, her parent’s faces in her head. She wondered if her little brother had been born yet.
They discussed the Protectorate declaration. Arridis’s family were disinvesting in their lucrative slave trade. They seemed livid about it, even with the slavery their son had been subjected to.
Tala’s crew sat in one of the more intimate seating areas. Not long after the families arrived, Arridis and his brood left, followed by Vadia and Omin’s families, who went together still celebrating the new life Vadia carried.
