by Petra Landon
Zoran turned slowly to meet the alien gold eyes.
“I know her” Zh’hir declared. “It was I who bought her passage back to her world from this station six months ago.”
Zoran said nothing. The Ur’quay Captain’s unusual interest in this particular Terran was something of a puzzle to him, though he was willing to assist the Star Captain in his endeavor to free the girl without an explanation.
“The Henia was sent to Sector Araloka almost a year ago” the Star Captain explained. “Our primary mission was to look for reserves of shtoal — it powers much of our technology. But a secondary goal was to quietly gauge the situation and assess a slice of space we had no knowledge of, barring some reports four centuries old. We came to your sector because our ancestors’ accounts talked of high-quality deposits and we hoped that the shtoal had not been depleted. But an understanding of the current politics and prevailing relationships was equally important. Without it, the Ur’quay High Council could not make an informed decision on who to trade with, even if we were lucky to find any worthwhile deposits.”
The starship Henia had returned to the Ur’quay home world at the completion of its mission with both good news and bad — they had discovered evidence of large deposits of shtoal, as well as a corner of space rendered unstable by a bloody war between two evenly-matched factions. Of the four starships dispatched from the home world, Sector Araloka had shown the most promise, despite the raging war. After much deliberation, the High Council had made the decision to overturn previous policy and seek an ally in Sector Araloka. There had been some heated discussions about entangling the Ur’quay in a civil war on a distant corner of the galaxy. In the end, the urgent need for crucial shtoal deposits had outweighed those concerns.
“You found your shtoal” Zoran interjected.
“Plenty of it, along with a civil war that razed everything in its path.”
The mercenary’s dark eyes came alive as he put two and two together. “Your warriors for their shtoal” he murmured. “That’s the agreement.”
“The gist of it, yes” the Star Captain admitted. “The Alliance has a lot of shtoal and no demand for it. What they need desperately is a victory. Not skirmishes where they push the Ketaari back, but a real military victory. One that decimates the Empire and exiles them to Ketaraana.”
“The Ur’quay can give it to them” the Star Captain said with utmost confidence, without any false modesty.
Zoran’s eyes wandered over the massive Ur’quay warrior, with his rippling muscles, braided hair and the exotic irises with their reptilian pupils.
“The Alliance is damned lucky to have the Ur’quay on their side, Zh’hir” he said candidly. “This war … it has gone on too long. The people are weary and for some, the cost has been too high.
“Like the Budheya?” the Ur’quay male suggested softly.
Intrigued and mystified by the drastic fall of the Budheya and the spectacular rise of the Ketaari since the Ur’quay’s last foray, Zh’hir had dug deeper into the complicated and tangled history of the two races. A little under two centuries ago, a barely space-faring people had approached the most advanced civilization in Sector Araloka for assistance with a deadly plague ravaging their world. As was their wont, the Budheya had acquiesced readily to the request. Nearly two hundred years later, the accounts of those early beginnings had become mangled. What was clearer was the aftermath of the Ketaari request to their more prosperous neighbors. Somehow, and the details were murky on this, a century after the Budheya had agreed to assist the Ketaari, the latter had managed to imprison their benefactors, take over their world, steal their technology and use it to further their ambition of galaxy domination. Budheyasta had been declared a colony of the newly created Budh-Ketaari Empire. The fall of Budheyasta had signaled the start of the woes in Sector Araloka. Emboldened by their conquest, the Ketaari had begun an offensive against their neighbors. Assisted by a large and well-equipped military force, the Empire had commenced an aggressive campaign, swallowing up entire worlds in a bid for resources and territory. The Alliance had been a response to this aggression, given life in the last twenty years, to oppose and counter Ketaari ambitions. Primarily a military coalition, the Alliance was a concerted attempt by Aralokans to band together to resist Ketaari attempts to colonize their worlds.
“Yes, the Budheya have paid the highest price” Zoran acceded quietly.
The Star Captain’s lips twisted wryly, his unreadable expression undergoing a subtle change.
“The Ur’quay are lucky too, Zoran. We need shtoal and it is the Alliance we must ally with to acquire it. If the situation had been reversed and the Ketaari had the shtoal, I’m not sure that the Ur’quay would agree to fight for their cause. And walking away from the shtoal would be catastrophic for us.”
Zoran wondered how close the decision had been for the Ur’quay on which side to back. Spending time on the Henia had brought home to him how much the Ur’quay’s isolation had cost them as a people. Signs like the rationing of food on their starship and tidbits gleaned about declining populations and low female to male ratios on the home world had made him realize that in their own way, the Ur’quay had been left with no choice but to reverse their stance and head to far corners of the galaxy their ancestors had withdrawn from centuries before.
“Ur’quay do not condone colonization of other worlds or subjugation of their peoples” Zh’hir stated grimly with utmost finality. “We were predisposed to the Alliance due to our ancestors’ accounts of the relationships forged here. Those old allies are all members of the Alliance now except the Budheya, reduced to rabble on their own world. And Hadari’Kor, who like before, refuse to bow down to any power.”
“Are there shtoal reserves in Empire territory as well?” a curious Zoran inquired.
“We do not know. We could not cross their border security net undetected.”
Zoran looked surprised. “What about the Alliance security net?”
“That we could navigate more easily with our technology. It was one of the first things I brought to Commander Kerovac’s attention at our initial meeting. We have since assisted them in fixing the loopholes.”
Zoran hesitated, shooting a glance at the enigmatic Ur’quay. “How did you meet Sila?”
“She was accidently swept up by a pod programmed to bring back samples of shtoal from her world — an unfortunate casualty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Zoran’s arrested eyes narrowed on the Ur’quay Captain. Being a captive of the Ur’quay, even an inadvertent one, could not have been easy for the unfortunate casualty!
“Our expedition here was the first of its kind after centuries of isolation. Our interactions with non-Ur’quay has been kept to a minimum — some missions to the neighboring star systems. And only a few Space Force warriors have been exposed to these outsiders. Ur’Qia has received no visitors for centuries. We had no clue what her species needs to survive.”
“I was the First Commander of the Henia. It was my final mission before my Captain was to retire. He made me responsible for her. She was aboard the Henia for twenty days before I was able to buy her passage home from Keeyor 9. Her people are growers and gatherers who trade their crops for other necessities on a nearby Trade Exchange. She told me that her world was under Alliance jurisdiction though we saw no ships over her planet during our survey of it. But during our negotiations, Commander Kerovac laid claim to her world. I assumed that it was protected by the Alliance.”
“Wasn’t it?” Zoran looked startled. “How in Penjem hell did slavers get through Alliance patrols?”
“After the slavers landed there, Commander Kerovac informed me that since the planet was considered at minimal risk of an invasion by the Empire, no ships guarded it. They had gambled that declaring it an Alliance world would be enough to deter other predators.” The Star Captain’s voice was even, with no trace of any emotion.
Zoran stared at the Ur’quay male with an incredulous expression,
his astonishment clear. He shook his head. “There are rampant rumors that the Armada is stretched thin, but I had not given credence to them before, Zh’hir. Even so, that is no excuse to refuse to protect an Alliance citizen.”
“From what the Commander tells me, the founders and early members of the Alliance were the great powers of this sector. They could contribute ships and soldiers to the Armada. As the Empire gets more aggressive and turns its attention to more rustic planets without the means to repel it, less advanced worlds without any forces or ships to contribute apply to join the Alliance.”
“In essence, the Alliance has a double standard when it comes to member worlds that add no military forces to their Armada” Zoran retorted. It was clear that he didn’t like what he was being told. “The Alliance will jump to their defense if attacked by the Empire but will not bestir itself if their citizens are captured by slavers.”
“That seems to be Alliance policy” the Star Captain assented. “I like it no better than you, Zoran, but their forces are stretched thin, so they give priority to member worlds that provide soldiers to their cause. War is messy and the Ur’quay have not earned the right to tell the Alliance how to run theirs.”
Zoran relaxed, to flash his companion a smile. He found more and more to like in the Ur’quay Captain as he got to know the male better, he mused. This war had become far too personal for him, but Zh’hir had reminded him, with a few well-chosen words, not to cavil at what he had no control over. The Star Captain was not. Instead, the Ur’quay male was carving his own path to correct the injustice.
“Under normal circumstances, Sseela would merely be collateral, an unfortunate victim of this policy. But this is a very special situation. Her planet, Terra Agri 5, is one of the worlds promised to the Ur’quay as part of our agreement with the Alliance. We have mining rights to their shtoal but they are guaranteed Ur’quay protection. There should have been Ur’quay starships over Terra Agri 5 to prevent any raids.”
“But there weren’t since Commander Kerovac has requested the Ur’quay to stay low” Zoran finished.
“Yes, we acceded to the Commander’s request on the condition that the Alliance continued to protect their worlds and our investment. The Alliance obeyed the letter of the agreement by sending ships to protect Terra Agri 5 when the slavers threatened the planet. Nothing in our agreement says they have to retrieve a citizen stolen away by the slavers.”
Zoran contemplated him. “You feel differently about it?”
“I do” Zh’hir said grimly, with an air of determination. “If the Alliance will not go after her, then the Ur’quay certainly will.”
The mercenary met his eyes. “The Ur’quay are to be honored for their stance.”
The Star Captain sighed. There was also their guilt at having inadvertently created this situation on Sila’s world.
“That no outsiders ever set foot on Terra Agri 5 until the Transport from Keeyor 9 makes me believe that we are inadvertently responsible for drawing the slavers to her world” he admitted.
“The Transport crew?” Zoran inquired. It wasn’t unheard of, he knew. Unscrupulous traders tended to target worlds they knew were incapable of defending themselves. Slavers and the traders who sold them slaves were notorious for not being keen to engage any organized fighting force. The war had distracted the military forces in the sector and provided the unscrupulous opportunities to target the more vulnerable worlds.
“Or other passengers on it” the Star Captain suggested. “I asked her to be careful of what she shared about her people and world on the journey home. It is our fault that her world was raided and she finds herself in her current predicament.”
Zoran was beginning to understand the situation more clearly. The Star Captain’s reasons for rescuing this particular Terran were complicated and numerous, including the belief that the Ur’quay’s actions had led to her plight. Whatever his motive, Zoran was more than willing to help. Not only because of the Star Captain’s assistance with the mission to Budheyasta but also because Zoran agreed with the principle of it. The Alliance should have done a better job of protecting the denizens of one of its member worlds, no matter how thinly spread their resources were.
“We will get Sila out, Zh’hir” he said, the dark eyes candid and intent. “My mercs and I have handled trickier tasks than tangling with slavers.”
The Star Captain inclined his head. “I know, Zoran. I appreciate it. Without you, I would have been at a disadvantage.”
Zoran smiled. “If you hear what they still say about your erstwhile ancestors, the Ur’quay walk on water, through fire and can defeat an army without breaking a sweat.
The Star Captain’s expression softened. “My ancestors seem to have marketed themselves well.”
“Perhaps.” In either case, Zoran knew that they would soon witness the Ur’quay in action, as they took on the Imperial forces on behalf of the Alliance. The mercenary, who had his own private reasons for wishing ill on the Empire, could not wait for the Ur’quay starships to wreak havoc on the battlefield.
“There is something you do not know, Zoran” the Star Captain said softly. “But it is not my secret to tell.”
Zoran shook his head, the words coming easier. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Zh’hir. The Ur’quay are back to their old stomping grounds and it is our gain. Help us bring the Empire to its knees, my friend, and there will be many more adventures.”
“I look forward to it” the Ur’quay male said.
Zoran changed the subject to the matter at hand. “Now, you took a look at the auction area. How do we verify if she’s in the slaver hold?”
“It is a few chambers behind a curtained doorway. If I could slip in, I can look for Sseela.”
“How many guards?”
“Only one by the doorway, but there are a few scattered near it.”
“Hmm.” Zoran pursed his lips. “What we need is a diversion.”
“A few minutes should suffice” the Star Captain said.
“Leave it to me. I’ll get you the time you need to search the hold.”
t
“Fight … fight” rang out the loud cry in the establishment.
An auction had just concluded and the crowd was substantially thinner in this section of the Trade Sphere where the slavers held sway.
“HadKor … it’s a HadKor beating on someone” added another voice excitedly.
That was all it took for many to hurry, drawn to the exciting prospect. A fight, especially one that involved the Hadari’Kor, promised entertainment. Among the regulars on the station, many had memories of the very public beating that a certain HadKor Captain had administered to a pompous Ketaari officer not so long ago. That Hadari’Kor Captain was back on the station though his adversary had been gone for a while now. The slaver establishment thinned out rapidly, as its customers scurried off to watch the spectacle.
“I’m in place.”
The Star Captain’s voice came clearly through Zoran’s COM earpiece. He stood on the uppermost ring of the Trade Sphere looking down at the spectacle one of his mercs was putting on as he took on two Ketaari males charging him. The original plan had been to create a diversion by staging a mock fight between two of his mercenaries, with one disguised. But the plan had been foiled when two Ketaari officers had descended on the Hadari’Kor readying to stage the fight. They had engaged the merc, supposedly in retaliation for the beating Zoran had given their friend previously for daring to harass a Budheya server girl. Gleeful at finding a lone Hadari’Kor, the Ketaari had assumed his opponent would join them in taking on the mercenary. The merc in disguise had merely swept himself to one side with a smile of pure amusement, to park himself with the other spectators and watch the upcoming drubbing.
“Set off the first one” Zoran directed into his COM, to another of his mercs in disguise near the auction platform in the establishment the slavers used on the lowest ring of the Trade Sphere.
Zoran’s role was to coordinate the e
ntire operation. Parked at a vantage point, he had the arena of the fight in sight, but not the auction platform or the slaver establishment. Jolar, his deputy, was stationed on the lowest ring with an unobtrusive eye on that section of the station. The plan was simple — the Star Captain would sneak into the slaver hold to search for Sila while the rest worked to create a diversion. But they were hampered by the fact that any Hadari’Kor presence near the slavers’ establishment would arouse suspicion since they were known for their vehement opposition to the deplorable practice.
“It’s done” Jolar announced on the COM.
The hasty crude smoke-bomb they’d assembled after bringing its innocuous components individually through the station’s auto sensors had been set off successfully near the auction platform. As smoke bellowed from behind the platform, the guards converged on it, and the few remaining customers fled in panic. A strategically stationed Star Captain, in his ubiquitous robe, took advantage of the momentary confusion to slip behind the curtained doorway into the hold where the slavers held their prisoners.
“I’m in” the Ur’quay pronounced.
Zoran watched his merc beat up the Ketaari males, egged on by a baying crowd surrounding them, like a male with all the time in the world. Jolar provided a steady stream of comments to keep everyone on the COM abreast of developments in the slaver establishment. After the initial confusion and the detection of the smoke-bomb, the guards rushed into the hold to check on their prisoners. Once they’d ascertained that the captives lay comatose in their cages, the guards turned their irate attention to the station personnel to complain loudly about the Trade Sphere’s lax security.
“I’m ready to come out” Zh’hir warned over the COM.
“Give us a second” responded Jolar calmly.
“Now, Star Captain” Jolar said sharply, the urgency evident in his voice.
Moments later, from his perch high above, Zoran spied Jolar and the Ur’quay Captain striding away from the slaver establishment. He brought two fingers to his mouth for a short, piercing whistle. The disguised Hadari’Kor watching the spectacle on the lower ring glanced up to meet his eyes. Zoran signaled at him to wrap up the fight. The male strode into the altercation, ostensibly to persuade the Hadari’Kor to spare the two Ketaari who lay prone and bleeding on the ground. Only then did Zoran turn away to walk towards his ship.