by Petra Landon
In the silence, Kidani chimed in. “The Benevolent Ones were led by two leaders.”
As the RimWorlders looked intrigued, she flashed Novi a conspiratorial grin, encouraging her to name the leaders.
“Lord Teodikan and Lady Yanthanika” Novi said.
It struck the RimWorlders at the same time.
“YanTeo” the Captain murmured, grasping the origin of the incantation commonly used by the InnerWorlders.
“Aye” Novi acknowledged. “We ask them to watch over us and guide us, like they once did for our ancestors a long time ago. By freeing us from the aliens and helping to set our worlds to rights, they gave the InnerWorlders the gift of a second chance.”
“How does a planet become designated as a Sacred Realm?” a curious Burok inquired.
“Usually, if there are signs that the Benevolent Ones had set foot on the world” Jerik explained.
The mechanic arched an eyebrow. “What kind of signs?”
“I say we visit the Realm to check it out, Burok” Soren suggested. “As a non-Guild administered planet, this might be our only shot.”
Zinera Jeryn interjected, a frown marring her brow. “Could Vedino have this world confused with another, Ryf? Clearly, this is not a Guild planet. And he did say the only Synth to escape Guild custody crash landed on this Realm.”
Reminded thus, Ryf puzzled over the matter. This was no minor irregularity. Had the Synth been mistaken, he wondered. Serak Vedino’s revelations about the Guild using a Sacred Realm to imprison Synths was an explosive allegation. If he intended to use it against the Coalition, he must get to the bottom of it.
“Cap’n” Kali pointed out. “The starcast from the planet welcomes all InvunWelders. We should confirm with Venn Corp about RenWelders on the Realm. They’ll not deny you.”
Neither Soren nor Commander Jeryn could dispute the wisdom of the pilot’s suggestion. It behooved a RimWorlder crew to tread lightly when it came to InnerWorlder spiritual beliefs.
“On to Venn City, Kali” Ryf directed. “We’ll spend the downtime there.”
Jerik slipped into the Co-Pilot Seat as Kali slid the Cruiser forward, speeding to the nearest Star Portal. It spurred Novi to make herself scarce. No more public spectacles when they traveled the Labyrinth, she reminded herself. But before she could escape, the Captain called to her.
“The aliens the Benevolent Ones routed from the Invun Welds — did they have a name?”
“Aye, Cap’n” she responded. “They called themselves the Zenkoti.”
Episode 6 : An Echo from the Past
Pilgrim’s treasure
Novi goes on a pilgrimage, but what she learns has enormous consequences for her …
City in the sky
As they turned the corner, Novi stumbled to a stop, her stunned eyes taking in the fantastical edifice that greeted her. Though the tallest spires of Venn City might be glimpsed from the Shuttle Vestibule, the full panorama could not. Ventini Corporation was housed in a mini-city that floated above the surrounding landscape and towered over the planet. Flabbergasted, Novi gawked at the mighty structure that rose majestically to disappear into the clouds. Yukon, striding ahead with the Captain, turned around to shoot her an amused grin. Where Burok was the oldest Renegade on Ilar’s Justice, Yukon Jeryn was the youngest. Much to Novi’s surprise, he was also sibling to Commander Jeryn. Although outwardly serious and stoic like his sister, the young RimWorlder possessed a streak of mischief that peeked out every now and then. Most of his pranks were reserved for his sober sibling, an endeavor aided by Kali and encouraged by the Captain.
Kidani paused beside Novi to smile broadly. “Something, isn’t it?” she quipped.
Her eyes huge, Novi could only nod mutely.
The city hovered in mid-air, its foundation seemingly fifty feet above the ground. Strategically placed balance beams made it appear as a fairy tale abode floating in air. A quintet of towers rose from the base, to disappear into the swirling clouds like mysterious sentinels guarding the secrets of the fortress they defended. This was the seat of Ventini Corporation’s power — the fabled headquarters that transcended the planet to soar into the welcoming embrace of the heavens. Brightly-hued hovercraft plied passengers from the ground onto the landing pads that seemed to appear at each level of the structure on sensing their approach, making for a colorful kaleidoscope against the stark background. The Inner Worlds had been under Guild Coalition rule for all of Novi’s life. But as she stared up in awe, Novi understood for the first time what formidable competition snapped at the heels of the Coalition. Venn City was magnificent and spoke to the spectacular success, power and influence its founder and president wielded in the Inner Worlds.
On the ground, around the towering edifice, was a bustling market, with traders from the breadth of the Inner Worlds plying their goods. The Vestibule on the planet did brisk business discharging passengers. Many came for the markets around the city in the sky, while the others, like the Captain, were here on business with Venn Corp. When Kidani had invited Novi to wander the markets for fresh produce and sundry supplies, she’d jumped at the chance. But nothing had prepared Novi for Venn City.
“Shyte.”
The muttered comment had Novi glancing at her companion. The flame-haired InnerWorlder wore an expression best described as hunted.
“What?” Novi quizzed her friend, riven by Kidani’s sense of urgency.
Her query served to draw the Captain and Yukon’s attention. The two men paused, to cast them puzzled looks.
Concerned by her companion’s unusually distraught mien, Novi asked her again. “What is it?”
Kidani cast a hunted glance at an expensively-dressed young man making his way towards her with an expression of mingled pleasure and astonishment on his face. “If he asks, you don’t know me” she murmured.
Novi grasped the point immediately, having handled plenty of sticky situations at The Watering Hole. “You got it” she assured her companion.
Kidani turned hurriedly to the RimWorlders, pitching her voice low. “If anyone …”
Yukon interrupted her before she could finish the sentence. “RenWelders here, Kidani. No one asks us anything” he remarked confidently.
An agitated Kidani merely nodded, her eyes darting around. The RimWorlders hesitated, unsure how to assist their overwrought crewmate. It was Novi who nudged her discreetly towards an alley between two bustling businesses.
“I’ll take care of this” she assured Kidani, with a pointed look.
Her confident assertion seemed to do the trick. The flame-haired girl hurried away without a backward glance.
Novi turned to assess the cause of Kidani’s unusual agitation. She’d observed the InnerWorlder under threat when the slingers had boarded Ilar’s Justice. Yet, even then, the flame-haired girl had not lost her composure. Clearly, Kidani considered this man a greater menace than the slingers.
It took Novi moments to come up with a plan of action. Not for nothing had she been Wy’s right hand at the taproom. Her time with the Cruiser’s crew, short though it was, had been fruitful. Their ready acceptance of her — Burok’s patient guidance, Kidani’s companionship, Kali’s tacit approval and even Commander Jeryn according her duty shifts like the other crew — had allowed the old Novi to reassert herself.
Ignoring the two RimWorlders, she strode to the young man.
“Your friend …”
Novi grasped the collar of his expensive silk shirt, to interrupt the stranger before he could finish the sentence.
“How dare you?” she cried dramatically, making sure to draw all eyes in the market to her. “You debaucher!”
“Huh?” The young man tried to take a step back but Novi held on to his collar, her expression determined and furious.
“You left her stranded on Kileko! And after the sacrifices she made for you” Novi scolded the flabbergasted stranger, while the bustling market around them ground to an abrupt standstill. “She loved you. She believed in you!�
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As the traders and their customers gawked at the spectacle before them, Novi rose to the occasion magnificently. “How could you betray her after she left her family for you?”
“Nooo” stammered the young man. “I did not leave … You have me mistaken for someone else.”
Novi let go off the hapless man with a disgusted expression. “Don’t lie to me” she said fiercely. “I would know your face anywhere. Aleyna showed me a picture of you.”
From behind her, Novi heard a choking sound she recognized as Yukon stifling his laughter. For a second, she wondered what Ryfkin Soren made of her dramatics. But she couldn’t afford to be distracted. She had the stranger on the back foot and the market on her side. While emotions ran hot, she had the upper hand. She must use it to her advantage before she lost the bystanders.
Throwing her hands up in the air, Novi turned to the silent spectators. “Can you believe this sack of derak shyte? He abandons my friend and then, lies about even knowing her.”
Murmurs swept through the bystanders and some of the older customers shook her heads, their expressions grim. The stranger seemed to realize that the crowd was turning against him. Some of the mutters grew angrier as he stood silent with a shell-shocked expression on his face. His bemused eyes passed over the spectators to take note of the large RimWorlders behind Novi watching him. Something in their determinedly impassive expressions spurred him to beat a strategic retreat. As he turned tail to hurriedly walk away from the confrontation, the crowd parted to give him way, though disapproving murmurs followed him.
A triumphant Novi watched him go. Something fluttered from his expensive clothes to the ground as he beat a hasty retreat. Absently, she bent down to pick it up. It was a square sheet of expensive embossed paper with a logo very familiar to the Inner Worlds. Considerably taken aback, she shoved the business card into her pocket, wondering whether it was a coincidence.
It took a few minutes for the market to revert back to its usual bustle, but Kidani was by Novi’s side before then, having abandoned her hideout at the stranger’s retreat. Yukon and the Captain joined her.
“That was amazing, spunky girl!” Kidani shook her head admiringly. “I’m lost for words.”
Novi shrugged self-deprecatingly. “When you work in a tavern, you learn to improvise.”
Yukon let loose a bark of laughter he did not attempt to stifle. “Sure do appreciate the improvisation, Novi. Don’t we, Cap’n?”
Ryfkin Soren contemplated Novi with an unreadable expression. “An effective and entertaining strategy, though it lacks subtlety” he remarked seriously. “But in the end, for the right result, a little indiscretion may be overlooked.”
Immeasurably pleased by the compliment, Novi took an exaggerated bow.
When she rose up to meet his gaze, Soren seemed about to say more until two men in the livery of Ventini Guards interrupted him.
“Captain Soren.” One of the men greeted him, while the other waited courteously a few feet behind him.
It was undoubtedly a greeting, not a query. Novi wondered how the guard had been sure he addressed Ryfkin Soren. She’d taken note of the sidelong glances at the two RimWorlders, though most had ignored their presence. The RimWorlders stood out in the market, towering over the others, a stark contrast to the fair-skinned InnerWorlders. Yukon appeared too green to be the legendary hero of the Five Year War and perhaps, that had allowed the guard to identify the Captain, Novi speculated.
“I’m Soren” the Captain acknowledged to the guard.
“Mr. Ventini has sent a hover for you, Captain. His pilot is at your service.” He gestured to the guard standing a few paces behind him and the man nodded respectfully to the Captain.
“I have a package for Mr. Ventini” Soren explained.
“Of course, Captain Soren. Rymin here will help you.”
Yukon strode forward to brief the pilot and Kidani nudged Novi away. With a last wave at the two RimWorlders, they set off.
The market, tumultuous at first glance, was carefully laid out on closer inspection. The stalls and businesses flanked a meandering path that allowed visitors to stroll through the market and check out the wares on display. The place had the feel of a bazaar, an open-air souk like the markets on many rustic and provincial worlds she’d visited. Yet, the goods on display here were for far more discerning tastes. And underneath the superficial pandemonium, there was order and structure. Exits were clearly marked and unobtrusive guards kept the crowds from getting too unruly. At every fork on the meandering path, there were signs to guide the visitors. But Novi noted that Kidani required no helping hand.
“You know your way around” she remarked.
“Been here many times, spunky girl. We do a lot of business with Venn Corp.”
Novi shot her a glance. “Was he after you, Kidani?” she asked hesitantly.
Her companion stopped abruptly, a look of shock on her face. “No, Novi” she said quietly. “Just someone from the past I’d rather avoid.”
Novi, who remembered the flame-haired girl’s panic-stricken reaction to the stranger, stayed silent.
Whatever she saw on Novi’s face must have convinced her for Kidani lost her serious mien. “We grew up together, Novi. He’s harmless. But when I left home, he was part of the past I left behind.”
This, Novi understood better.
“I owe you one, spunky girl” Kidani reiterated.
“Nope” Novi countered. “That pep-talk you gave me when Cap’n summoned me makes us even.”
“You didn’t need the pep-talk” her companion protested.
Novi shook her head. “You’re wrong. I did.”
Kidani grinned, linking her hand with Novi’s. “Come on then. We have a few hours to kill. Let me show you what Venn City market has to offer.”
Up in the air above the market, Ventini’s pilot maneuvered the hovercraft smoothly and Ryf took in the signs of luxury inside it. The seats were padded vaneu, the fresh spring water chilled and the latest tech provided access to Hailers across the Inner Worlds. Zufon Ventini’s fondness for the good life was no secret to Ilar’s Justice’s crew. Even his digs in the middle of nowhere were always glamorous encampments that never lacked the luxuries of life or good sustenance.
“First visit to Venn Tower, Captain Soren?” inquired the young pilot at the controls.
“My second” answered Ryf. Though the last time he’d been to the Tower, an invitation to the top floor had not been issued. That visit had led to his first contract with Venn Corp and the start of a very profitable association with the Ventini duo.
“Locking on, Captain Soren” the pilot announced, interrupting Ryf’s thoughts.
He glanced outside to see the craft approach the top of the tallest spire on Venn City. The hover’s transparent panels allowed a perfect view. A landing pad extended slowly from a balcony on the top floor. The craft approached the landing pad at an angle to align with it. The hover’s hatch swung open as the magnetic lock sealed the connection with an audible click.
Ryf thanked the pilot to exit the craft. Zufon Ventini greeted him on the landing pad as the hover unanchored from it to fly off.
“It is good to see you, Captain” Ventini said genially. “Is the Commander not with you?”
“Not this time, Mr. Ventini” Ryf said easily.
They walked through an archway into an enormous circular office and Ryf watched Ventini press a control to retract the landing pad back into the bottom of the balcony. The large, swanky office covered the entire top floor of Venn Tower, the tallest spire on Venn City. High-end furnishings in the colors of Venn Corp, and a deep plush carpet gave it a rich, hushed sense of occasion. The muted but expensive room allowed the bright energy of Venn Corp’s founder to take center stage. Much like the hovercraft, clear walls enclosed the circular room, to provide a spectacular view of the planet, the low-hanging clouds and the clear skies. Natural light flooded in through the transparent walls to light up the office. It was a beauti
ful space, lavishly furnished in keeping with the expensive tastes of its owner.
Ventini ushered him to an intimate seating area with a spectacular view of the market down below. The two men seated themselves and his host offered the RimWorlder refreshment before getting down to business.
“I’m told that you delivered a body, along with my strongbox, Captain” Ventini opened. From his demeanor, it was clear that Venn Corp’s founder was unfazed by the unexpected delivery of a body bag.
Ryf knew that Ventini, despite his wealth and success, liked to think of himself as the intrepid adventurer roughing it out in his archaeological digs without the trappings of wealth. But since Ventini’s only failing, as far as he was concerned, was a tendency to pretend to be a son of the soil, despite the power and influence he wielded in the Inner Worlds through Venn Corp, Soren was willing to give the man a pass on this. Given what the Guild was guilty of and what its ambitions had wrought upon the Ren Welds, Ryf considered Ventini’s affections harmless. Plus, he rather liked the larger-than-life Zufon Ventini with his lavish tastes and unapologetic drive.
“That is correct” Soren acknowledged.
“Anyone I know?” his host inquired.
“Someone it might be worthwhile to dig into” Ryf suggested.
Ventini looked intrigued. “Venn Corp can do that, Captain. What are we looking for?”
“He was with a team of flashslingers that boarded my Cruiser.”
This time, his host was taken aback. Ventini’s eyebrows shot up. “You were attacked?”
Ryf met his host’s eyes squarely. “The slingers were after your strongbox.”
For the first time in the conversation, Zufon Ventini’s expression seemed to freeze, his eyes turning opaque. Ryf said nothing, content to observe the man. But Ventini was made of stronger stuff. After a momentary struggle, he recovered quickly.