Free Bird Rising

by Ian J. Malone

  Welcome to the high life, T. The clamor of footfalls caused Taylor to stop as two units of Zuul hurried past him. By the look of things, he’d come about fifty yards from the holding area, with another hundred to cross were he to break for the perimeter. Problem was, he hadn’t a clue where to go from there. His only two options were southeast back to Nyo Colony, in which case he’d likely be gunned down, or west toward that big mesa he’d seen coming in.

  “I said move,” a Zuul barked.

  A static-charged pop ripped through Taylor’s back as the Zuul baton touched Human skin. He yelped and shuffled forward. Son of a bitch! I’m sick of those things.

  The group continued their march through the compound, turning left at the barracks, then right at a multipurpose space—again, all modern construction—before eventually halting outside a building that, even by Krulig standards, couldn’t have been more out of place. Defined by its towering columns, pointed spires, and rib-vaulted exterior, the tri-level structure looked more akin to a gothic cathedral than something one would find in a military installation.

  Now that’s what I’d call a gaudy monstrosity, all right. Taylor peered upward and recalled Valawn’s description of Sadeed’s primary residence.

  “This way,” a Zuul said.

  Taylor trudged to the entrance, where a third guard waited, palm over an access panel to grant them passage through security. Once inside, Taylor was herded down an elaborate stone corridor into what appeared to be a stateroom.

  “The lord prefect will see you shortly.” One of the Zuul shoved Taylor into a seat beside a table and sparked his baton for emphasis.

  Taylor jingled his restraints to indicate he understood. He was about to offer a witty retort when something in the corner caught his attention. It was a Rukori swirl painting like the one he’d seen in Valawn’s briefing room back in the Sanctuary. There was another like it across the room, plus a variety of other artifacts scattered around the chamber, some of them Rukori and others not.

  Looks like the lord prefect’s a collector.

  Both Zuul snapped alert when footfalls sounded from outside. Shortly thereafter, Sadeed entered alongside a third Zuul, the latter wearing an ornate gold ring in its left nostril.

  If Taylor remembered his Zuul anthropology lessons right, the ring identified this particular alien as being the drewga, or alpha in charge.

  “Leave us,” Sadeed told the guards.

  The two Zuul bowed and vanished from sight.

  “So,” Sadeed said. “You’re the one who led the infiltration of my stargate.”

  Taylor wasn’t obliged to answer that.

  “It’s all right, Chief Van Zant. We’re well aware of your identity, and that of your company.” Sadeed strode toward the table, his black cloak flowing behind him, and took a seat. “Ah, where are my manners. We haven’t yet been formally introduced. My name is Yolik Sadeed. I am the lord prefect of this region.” He gestured to the Zuul. “This is my associate, Drewga Vyxe Tulipza.”

  Tulipza nodded and folded his arms.

  So, you’re the bastard who shot at my flagship. Taylor glowered at the alien. Henceforth, you shall be called Tulips. “Nice place you got here. I’m guessin’ it’s of Krulig design?”

  Sadeed chortled out a laugh. “Oh, so he does speak. Excellent. I was beginning to wonder if I was dealing with a mute.”

  Taylor made a face.

  “Yes,” Sadeed said. “My residence is of Krulig origin. This particular building was modeled after an ancient Suvari Clan temple circa the fourth ruling dynasty of my homeworld. Naturally, our taste for architecture has evolved since then. However, the period you see reflected here remains among my favorites.”

  Taylor motioned at the painting. “Interestin’ décor choice.”

  “Indeed,” Sadeed said. “The furnishings were my idea. This job requires that I interact on a regular basis with numerous Rukori officials. It was my hope that by dressing this chamber with certain items reflecting their culture, I’d foster an environment where everyone could feel comfortable.”

  “How thoughtful.” Taylor said. “For a dictator.”

  “Oh, come now, Chief Van Zant.” Sadeed flashed a wry smile. “You speak as if our presence on Rukoria is unanimously unwanted. I can assure you, not all Rukori share the RFC’s belief that we are evil. To the contrary, there are many among the colonies who view us as allies, if not even friends. We did save them from extinction, after all.”

  “Funny.” Taylor grunted. “You sure weren’t that friendly to Valawn’s sister when you put a laser bolt through her.”

  Sadeed lowered his crimson gaze to the table. “We’ve suspected for some time that the RFC had a plant on the stargate. Alas, we didn’t know until then who that person was. I regret that the situation unfolded as it did. However, you must understand that I had no choice.”

  “There’s always a choice,” Taylor said.

  “Is there?” Sadeed tilted his head. “Tell me then. How do you respond when someone encroaches upon your company’s interests? After all, is Swamp Eagle Security not the means through which you care for your loved ones? What happens when an adversary threatens those means, and by extension, them? Do you reserve reaction in hopes of finding a compromise, or do you defend what’s rightfully yours?”

  Taylor rankled at the analogy. “This may come as a shock, but Rukoria ain’t yours to defend. It belongs to Valawn and his people.”

  “And I’d never argue otherwise,” Sadeed said. “I would, however, posit that my people went to great lengths at significant cost of our own resources to aid the Rukori’s fight against the Winter Death, then again during their reconstruction. Are we not, therefore, entitled to a slice of the pie, as your people say?”

  Taylor rolled his eyes and changed the subject. “You mentioned your homeworld earlier. How come nobody in the Union has ever heard of it, or you for that matter? Are the Krulig a race of recluses or what?”

  “Recluse is a harsh term, but not an entirely inaccurate one,” Sadeed said. “Many eons ago, my race was quite active in the greater galactic community. We explored the cosmos, conducted commerce with other species. We even played a part in founding the galaxy’s political landscape. Regrettably, though, a series of unfortunate events saw us driven from our space five thousand years ago and scattered among the stars. There we’ve remained ever since.”

  “What sort of events?” Taylor asked.

  “It’s complicated.” Sadeed dismissed the topic with a wave of his green-scaled palm. “Enough talk of ancient histories and conflicts long past. That is not why I summoned you here.”

  “And why did you summon me here?”

  “To talk about you, of course.”

  Taylor feigned a yawn. “I hate to disappoint, Mr. Sadeed, but there ain’t much to tell. When you get right down to it, I’m just another hillbilly Human from North Florida, lookin’ to make a credit wherever he can. Hell, to be honest, I still don’t even know how I got here.”

  “That makes two of us,” Sadeed said. “I was under the impression, per the reports, that Swamp Eagle Security had perished with its leader six years ago.”

  A flash of heat popped in Taylor’s cheeks. “Yeah, well, there’s your first mistake. Don’t believe everything you read on the GalNet.”

  “So I’m told,” Sadeed said. “Nevertheless, you can imagine my surprise four weeks ago when a Navarro cruiser bearing the Eagles’ colors arrived on my doorstep, causing trouble. That’s an interesting vessel, by the way. An interesting vessel with an interesting name.”

  “Thanks. We like her.”

  “Pity you’ll never see her again.”

  Taylor narrowed his gaze. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s like you said. Swamp Eagle Security has a pesky way of showin’ up when folks least expect. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Osyrys emerged from hyperspace right now to wreak all kinds of havoc on the status quo.”

  Sadeed heaved a sigh and extended a hand to Tulips, who filled it with
a slate. From there, the lord prefect swiped up a screen then faced the device toward his guest. “As you can plainly see, most of the explosion was absorbed by the stargate. Even still, the radiation fallout in the surrounding space is clearly consistent with that of a detonated nuclear reactor. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Taylor glanced at the data then back at his host. “How do I know you didn’t fabricate these numbers?”

  “Please.” Sadeed huffed. “We both saw the blast, as did your colleague in Cell Block One. She said as much in her last conversation with you.”

  Smitty. Taylor had suspected they’d had an eavesdropper.

  “I must say.” Sadeed put away the slate. “As streaks of misfortune go, yours with hyperspace seems to be never-ending. First your brother, now your friends. One wonders if perhaps the Van Zant clan shouldn’t avoid interstellar travel altogether moving forward.”

  Taylor snorted. “What do you know about my brother?”

  “Quite a lot, actually,” Sadeed said. “I’m the one who tendered the garrison contract that brought his company to Rukoria. Coincidentally, I’m also the one who had him killed.”

  Taylor lunged from his seat—teeth bared, and hands clenched to fists—only to be snatched back down by his restraints.

  The Zuul drewga laughed at him from the corner.

  “I can see by your response that this vexes you,” Sadeed said in a cool tone. “I do not begrudge you that. Were it my kin who’d been lost, I’d likely have reacted in a similar fashion. Take your time. We’ll resume our conversation when you’re ready.”

  Taylor closed his eyes and took in a few breaths, letting them all out in long, even drags.

  “For what it’s worth,” Sadeed said, “I took no satisfaction in ordering the colonel’s execution. To the contrary, few decisions in my career have weighed upon me with such gravity.”

  “Is that so?” Taylor asked.

  “It is,” Sadeed said. “Every day, in every corner of the Union, countless beings are born through no fault of their own into unspeakable circumstances. Some are born into poverty, as your brother was. Others are born into lives of slavery, or worse. It’s been my experience that most of these beings inevitably succumb their fates. But then there are some—the chosen few—who defy the universe’s will for their existence and forge ahead to seize destinies of their own. Terry Van Zant was among those chosen few. As a Krulig, I admire that more than you could possibly know.”

  Taylor wasn’t sure how to take that last statement. “So, you were a fan then.”

  “Oh, I was,” Sadeed said. “I spent months vetting suitors for the Rukoria contract, many of whom boasted portfolios far more impressive than Swamp Eagle’s. Once I’d done my due diligence on Terry, though, I knew I’d found my candidate. We met aboard a Maki cruiser just off Karma, as I didn’t want to be seen on the station. There, the documents were signed, and a date set to bring the Eagles’ forces onto my Behemoth.” The Krulig trailed off, his emerald expression visibly crestfallen. “Never in my wildest of dreams could I have imagined upon leaving that meeting that one day Terry would betray me.”

  Taylor looked up. “So you knew. You knew of Terry’s alliance with the RFC.”

  Sadeed gave a somber nod. “It cut me to the core to give that order.”

  “So why do it?” Taylor snapped. “If you were such a Terry fanboy, why not just fire him, file a grievance with the Merc Guild for breach of contract, and walk away?”

  Sadeed reclined in his seat. “As you’ve doubtless surmised, Rukoria’s existence is a secret to the rest of Union. For a great many reasons—some obvious, some not—I wish to keep it that way. Terry’s betrayal threatened to jeopardize that secrecy, so he was dealt with.”

  “How?” Taylor asked.

  “That is a topic which unfortunately requires me to keep a modicum of confidentiality out of respect for the other parties involved.”

  Taylor’s lips formed a line as understanding set in. “You put a hit out on my brother with a rival company.”

  “Not a hit, per se.” Sadeed raised a finger. “More like a request for information in exchange for payment. You see, when the colonel returned to Earth for the purposes of RFC recruiting, it was decided that the best place to neutralize those efforts was on Karma Station, where he’d be most vulnerable. By the same token, my Krulig brothers and I did not want a public conflict that would expose us all in the process. So, a plan was devised to board the Eagles’ flagship while she was docked and siphon the F11 from her reactor system while rigging the gauges to show it was full. Hyperspace would then take care of the rest.”

  Taylor shook his head. “There’s no way you could’ve accessed to the Bogrider’s engineerin’ section without her security codes. I take it that’s the information you bought?”

  “Correct.”

  “I’ll give you every credit in my account right now if you’ll tell me who took that contract.”

  Sadeed drummed his fingers. “While that is a tempting offer, I’m afraid I must decline. What I can tell you is that the party in question was extremely desperate and therefore eager to cooperate without many questions. The rest I must keep to myself as per our agreement.”

  Taylor’s thoughts churned with possibilities. While it was true that Terry had made a lot of friends during his tenure as a merc, he’d also accrued more than his fair share of enemies. The Zuul. The Oogar. The Tortantula. Terry had clashed with all of these and then some over the years. So who in the fargin blazes of hell was it?

  Patience, a new voice answered in Taylor mind. It belonged to Billy. Stay cool, be patient, and allow the situation to come to you.

  Taylor took in another breath and fought to collect himself.

  “Let us advance the discussion a bit, shall we?” Sadeed said. “I think we can both agree that I’ve been as candid and forthright with you as I can. I’ve answered your questions about the Rukori, told you the truth of your brother’s fate, and even acknowledged my own hand in the latter’s deliverance. I’ve hidden nothing from you save for those details I’m bound by guild law to uphold. Are we in agreement on this?”

  Taylor gritted his teeth but nodded.

  “Good,” Sadeed said. “Now it’s time for you to reciprocate. The RFC has been little more than a thorn in my side for years. Nevertheless, it has become clear to me of late that Valawn and his band of insurgents mean to escalate their campaign against our presence on Rukoria. The attack on the stargate is proof of this.”

  Taylor chuckled. “And here I thought you appreciated an overachiever.”

  “Indeed, I do,” Sadeed said. “At the same time, if you’ve learned anything prior to now, it’s that I do not take threats to my affairs lightly. Now, what was the RFC’s intention for the Ryley Osyrys once she’d transitioned through the stargate?”

  Taylor answered with his best eat shit and die look.

  “Come now, Chief Van Zant,” Sadeed said. “Clearly, you’re a man of reason, yes? Let us consider two facts at play here. Fact one: there’s no one coming for you. Your ship. Your crew. They’re all gone, as is the last of Terry’s legacy. It doesn’t have to be so for you or your companion. Lest we forget, I possess the means to send you both safely home when my Behemoth returns from hyperspace.”

  The family man in Taylor winced. Haven’t they been through enough? They’ve already lost Dad and Terry. It’ll kill them to lose you, too. Then there was Smitty, not to mention Lisa, Jack, and Stan, wherever they were. Maybe you can cut a deal for everyone. “How do I know you won’t just kill us in transition like you did with Terry?”

  “You don’t,” Sadeed said flatly. “This leads me to fact two, which is that in choosing not to cooperate you’ll deprive me of any possible motive to keep you alive. Let me be clear. Such an end is not my wish. As far as I’m concerned, your last two weeks in my care are penance enough for your actions against us.”

  Taylor grimaced.

  “Push me, though, and I will not hesitate to end you.”
Sadeed leaned in. “Now, I will ask you again. What was Valawn’s plan for the Osyrys? Where was she going? What was her mission?”

  Taylor dropped his eyes. Allow the situation to come to you.

  “Move aside, Lord Prefect.” Tulips strode forward and drew a battle blade from his hip sheath. “I will garner the information you seek.”

  Sadeed waved off the assault then exhaled through his nostrils. “Why must Humans insist on making everything difficult? Is such behavior merely engrained in your species?”

  “Not at all,” Taylor said. “Contrary to popular opinion, we’re actually pretty rational. You’re just a dick.”

  The Zuul sneered but was stayed again by the Krulig.

  “I understand, given all that’s been said, that you might need time to process.” Sadeed rose and pushed in his chair. “In the interest of civility, and out of respect for Terry, I’ll allow you that. Know this, though, Human. On the morrow, you and I shall speak again, and when we do, things stand to go quite differently should your demeanor fail to change.”

  “I’ll bring the beer.” Taylor grinned.

  Tulips approached his boss as the latter began to leave. “Shall I return the prisoner to his cell?”

  “No,” Sadeed said. “Our guest needs some time to think. Leave the woman where she is and put him into Cell Block Two. That way he can be alone with his thoughts.”

  That don’t sound fun.

  The drewga nodded. “As you wish.”

  Taylor watched from his seat as the lord prefect took his leave. After that, Tulips came along and hoisted Taylor up by the restraints.

  “You do realize he’s gonna kill us both, right?” Taylor asked. “Sadeed has no intention of lettin’ me leave this planet alive, nor will he do so for the Zuul when your contract here is up.”

  The drewga snorted. “My troops and I live like kings in this facility while our kin want for nothing back in Union space. Why would we ever want to leave such an arrangement?”