by Petra Landon
“You’d better start at the beginning, Captain” he said gravely.
Ryf leaned back in his chair. Ventini was good at masking his emotions. But not good enough. He’d bet Ilar’s Justice that Zufon Ventini was rattled.
“A few days ago, a small corporation on Zubiko Ethera contacted us. They wanted to hire us to protect their payroll which had recently come under attack from bandits. I agreed to the job though some of the details did not add up.”
His host’s eyes narrowed. “Like what, Captain?”
“It was unclear how they knew about us, for one. We haven’t been in the Invun Welds long enough and did not solicit the job. Also, as far as we could tell, there were no reports of bandits on Zubiko Ethera. Once we got to the planet, it became even more clear that things were not as they seemed. In the midst of transporting the payroll, I received a distress call from my docked Cruiser. It had been boarded and your cargo trashed by slingers who were intent on locating your strongbox. We retook the ship and drove the slingers off. One was killed in the crossfire. I brought him here — had a hunch you’d be interested in who hired him.”
Zufon Ventini’s eyes searched the RimWorlder’s face.
“There is more, Captain” he concluded.
“The slingers could never have boarded us without inside help. So, I insisted on a meeting with the man who hired us, to demand some answers.”
Venn Corp’s founder leant forward. “Did you get them?”
Ryf nodded. “They were told to set us up. A powerful entity threatened to put them out of business unless they ambushed us.”
Ventini’s eyes flickered as he leant back in his seat. “The Guild Coalition” he murmured.
“That’s what I was told” Ryf affirmed.
There was a short silence. Ventini got up to pace the floor, working off his nervous energy, his eyes on the view of the clear skies outside.
“You believe this, Captain?” he asked.
Ryf refrained from pointing out that Ventini believed it too. Or else, he would not be pacing restlessly with a furrow creasing his forehead.
“I do” he said. “But the only way to be sure is to trace the dead man. They were professionals, Mr. Ventini. If you dig into his slinger friends, it should lead you to who hired them.”
After a few minutes of contemplation, Ventini remarked. “I’m unsure why the Guild is interested in artifacts from my latest expedition.”
Ryf remained silent, merely meeting the InnerWorlder’s eyes.
Eventually, Ventini plopped down on the seat across from him. “A few months ago, the Coalition approached Venn Corp with an offer to work together. I told them that I’d think about it.”
He took in the RimWorlder’s carefully inscrutable expression. “I take it you’re not surprised, Captain?” he said shrewdly.
“I suspected it” Ryf admitted. “Venn Corp provided us authorization for Kuzhampa’s records. The prison is Guild-owned.”
“A good catch” his host acceded. “Kuzhampa was a goodwill gesture, to demonstrate what Guild influence can do for Venn Corp.”
“As was the intel on the Synths planning to damage the SPL” Ventini continued, his brow creased. “Zedak says you’ve had little luck tracking down the Synth.”
Ryf chose his words carefully. His suspicions about the Guild manipulating Venn Corp into using him to do the Coalition’s dirty work had just been confirmed by his host’s admission. “I’ll continue to make inquiries, Mr. Ventini. But this is InvunWelder politics and we’re outsiders. If there’s a Synth hiding in the Badlands, it’s unlikely his friends will give him up to a RenWelder.”
Zufon Ventini, who had suspected the same, sighed softly. The matter of locating the Synth was urgent and Ryfkin Soren and his Renegade crew were Venn Corp’s best assets. Now, he’d have to approach the Guild for assistance and after the stunt the Coalition had pulled, the prospect disquieted him. He wondered what the Guild suspected.
“I’ll dig into the dead slinger” he said.
Ryf did not hesitate this time. Given Ventini’s admission about Guild overtures, he was keen to air his question. Venn Corp’s answer would decide his next course of action. “Will Venn Corp strike a deal with the Guild, Mr. Ventini?”
His host studied him. “I was never keen on a joint venture with the Guild, Captain” he answered readily. “But I did not want to reject their offer outright.”
Ryf allowed genteel curiosity to reflect on his face. Zufon Ventini took the bait.
“No matter what they say, Venn Corp would be treated as the junior partner in any venture with the Guild Coalition. That does not interest me” he said candidly.
He met the RimWorlder’s eyes. “Also, Venn Corp would be loath to lose your services, Captain. Given your history with the Coalition, we will think twice about allying with the Guild.”
Pilgrimage
When Ryf returned to the Cruiser, a skeletal crew remained in attendance. This was a trusted world and given the treachery on Zubiko Ethera, Venn City might be their best chance to feel land under their feet for a while. Burok, Jerik and the two InnerWorlder ladies were absent, taking advantage of what this fascinating planet had to offer.
The Captain’s presence seemed to jog Yukon’s memory. The young RimWorlder regaled his audience with the tale of the stowaway’s dramatics to save Kidani from an unwanted acquaintance. Zinera Jeryn looked astonished and the unflappable Vizir startled. But Kali merely arched his eyebrows at his Captain. “Told you she has moxy” he murmured.
When Ryf retired to his quarters, his friend and deputy hastened to join him. As they’d done many times over the years, they relaxed over some mihado.
The Commander took a sip of the potent liquor to sink into a chair. “How’d Zufon Ventini take the news?”
“The slingers have him rattled” Ryf said slowly, his eyes on the swirling drink in his hand. “Something’s going down, Zin. Can’t put my finger on it.”
“Likely what you suspect, Ryf” she suggested. “Thorns on his road to a pact with the Gorath.”
Zin knew from bitter experience that the Guild had no honor. If Zufon Ventini believed in any assurances by the Coalition, he would soon realize that they had no intentions of keeping their word.
Ryf shook his head. “No, he admitted to Guild overtures but told me that he wasn’t interested. It’s something else that has him spooked.”
A furrow sprang onto the Commander’s brow. But nothing could mar the RimWorlder’s incandescent beauty. Inured to it, her companion remained lost in his thoughts.
She took another sip of mihado, her eyes on Ryf’s faraway expression. “Gnarly” she murmured.
Soren glanced up to meet her eyes. “Ventini’s strongbox came from his dig, Zin. Why’s the Coalition interested in artifacts from his expedition? It’s not like Ventini would keep a discovery to himself — hiding a Sacred Realm or any signs of the Benevolent Ones from other InvunWelders buys him nothing! So, what is the Guild looking for? This does not add up.”
Zin had no answer for him. But she was mighty relieved. Even though their attempt to broaden their customer base had backfired spectacularly with Zubiko Ethera, they’d caught a break.
“If Venn Corp is not keen to tango with the Gorath, it’s a silver lining” she pointed out. “Buys us a little time to arrange alternate employment. I’ll take it, Ryf.”
He agreed with her. But something about the conversation in Venn Tower bothered Ryf. He’d glimpsed a flash of strong emotion on Ventini’s face. Zufon Ventini was not a man to unnerve easily. And Ryf wondered what might shake the powerful founder of Venn Corp.
Zin’s eyes wandered his familiar face. She’d known him since he was a boy on the verge of manhood. And she knew that he would chip away at this until he had a likely explanation for it.
“What about the Sacred Realm?” she prompted him. Like the other crew, Zin was curious about the Realm administered by Venn Corp. The retelling of the Invun Welds’ history had intrigued the RimWo
rlders. To them, Venn Corp control of a Sacred Realm was unexpected good fortune. Zin expected no concessions from the Guild.
Ryf’s expression lightened at her query. He shot her a grin. “Good news on that front. The crew has unfettered access to Realm 3.”
She looked pleased. “Even the RenWelders?”
“The RenWelders are special guests — we have official Venn Corp passes. I’m told the InvunWelders require none.”
“Kidani will be pleased” she remarked. “As will our new and temporary crewmate.”
Reminded thus, Ryf’s eyes twinkled.
“What?” she inquired, reacting to the subtle hint of amusement in him.
“The little stowaway is resourceful, Zin. She might yet make good crew for Ilar’s Justice.”
Her eyebrow arched in surprise. Ryf never talked of the stowaway having any role on the Cruiser except that of a temporary guest. He’d been ruthless in shutting down all conversations that implied anything more permanent for her.
“You’ve changed your mind?” she asked, a little puzzled by it. He was not a man to make impulsive decisions. And the stowaway, with her inexplicable actions and unconventional entry onto the Cruiser, had put him on his guard.
His silver eyes shot to her. “Something’s gnarly about her, Zin. I’m not sure whether it has to do with us or something else altogether” he admitted. “But she’s also loyal to a fault and fearless in the defense of her friends. Qualities that old Renegades like us can appreciate, hmm?”
“Only too well” the Commander agreed, sobering up.
That evening, Kidani made an elaborate dinner for the crew who’d spent most of the day stretching their legs and restocking on supplies from the planet. After, the Captain insisted on a good night’s rest for everyone. The Cruiser sailed early the next morning, arriving at the Sacred Realm at dawn. Fumiko Terra had no Star Portico to service it, but an inquiry to the only Star Hailer registered for the planet initiated a quick response. They were told that a Shuttle Vestibule on the Realm would facilitate access to the shrine.
Thus it was that Ilar’s Justice touched down on Fumiko Terra with the dawn sky as its backdrop. In the Vestibule, a notice informed them that two shuttles from nearby Star Porticos were slated to arrive at mid-day. Novi, beside herself with excitement, was glad of the uncrowded Vestibule for it meant that their pilgrimage to the dwelling of the Gods was likely to be a leisurely and relaxed experience. Since the earliest transportation to the shrine was scheduled for mid-day to connect with passengers from the Porticos, the Captain announced that they’d make their own way. Vizir was the only one content to sit out the visit and the rest piled into the Wheeler, armed with some information from the single, sleepy-eyed employee manning the Vestibule at dawn. The Wheeler followed a well-trodden and clearly marked route from the Vestibule to the shrine. Dotted with hills, the planet was lush with dense foliage and colorful flowers lining their route. It took them a little under an hour to reach their destination.
The path meandered, curving gently, until a sharp turn brought them to a large clearing. Novi’s breath escaped her in a gasp. The Wheeler ground to a halt as the others gaped at the sight before them. An enormous flame-colored ziggurat rose majestically through the encroaching forest. The stones on its surface gleamed as the light caught it, dazzling the spectators with their brilliance. Neither the architecture of the structure nor the unusually brilliant stones matched anything on the Inner Worlds. The dawn light seemed to make the ziggurat glow iridescently, despite the flora that nearly camouflaged it on all sides. The surrounding woods had been cleared, much like the path from the Shuttle Vestibule to the shrine. But over the centuries, the lush forest that enclosed it had intruded, much of it taking root in the structure. The sloping roof was nearly hidden under foliage and a thick curtain of flowers and ivy crept down the walls to diffuse the light from the flame-hued stones. Roots, entrenched in the ziggurat, made the ground around it uneven. Intertwined branches, leaves and wildflowers bloomed from between the large stones, giving the enormous structure an aura of being one with the verdant forest. Made of sturdy stone, the shrine had clearly stood the test of time.
“YanTeo” Kidani whispered, her eyes enormous.
“Never seen anything like this” Zinera Jeryn remarked in a hushed voice.
“Aye” Kali agreed gravely, his eyes on the imposing ziggurat covered by the remnants of the forest.
An enormous triangular archway greeted them, its top obscured by hanging willows. A small contingent of wardens, in the livery of Ventini Guards, hovered by the entrance. One of the wardens came forward to direct the Wheeler to a parking space in the forest by the side of the structure. Novi could sense the silent astonishment of the wardens. She supposed that a group from the Rim Worlds on a pilgrimage to an InnerWorlder shrine had them puzzled. When the RimWorlders flashed their Venn Corp passes, there were murmurs from the wardens and some respectful nods. Ryfkin Soren had been recognized. Novi knew that the ex-Renegade’s association with Venn Corp was not well-known in the Inner Worlds — she’d been stunned by the unlikely partnership when first eavesdropping on Ryfkin Soren’s conversation with the Ventini heir. But clearly, it was less of a secret within Venn Corp.
The visitors were asked to sign a large ceremonious registry by the triangular archway, before being processed through security. The wardens’ remarks indicated that they were the first visitors to the shrine this morning. Maps and special flashlights, not detrimental to the fragile artifacts inside the shrine, were provided to each of them. Then, with a reminder to stay on the marked paths and follow the suggested route of their map, they were allowed inside.
A vast triangular hall greeted them. The room was bare, with sloping, high ceilings and stone walls the same shade as the ones that gleamed under the sun on the exterior. The floor was inlaid with intricately cut stones laid in a triangular design, expanding from a motif at the center. Diffused light streamed in from high up to converge onto the motif on the floor. The gleaming stones of the wall tinged the light, making the rays appear like flames licking at the center of the inlaid floor where the colorful design beckoned them. Novi strode to the rendering on the floor to stare down at it. In the flame-hued light, colored stones depicted a cloudy circle with flames shooting from it. Under it, symbols spelled out one word.
“Breathtaking” Kidani breathed beside her.
Yukon strolled over to join them. “Seems to be a theme” he remarked, pointing upwards.
Novi glanced up. On a large piece of light-colored stone high up on the wall, an illustration greeted her — three cloudy orbs with emanating flames, set at the edges of a triangle.
“The road to …” Kidani peered at the depiction. She turned to Novi, her brow buzzled. “That read heaven to you?”
Novi reflected on the symbols. Though their script was based on the Benevolent Ones’, language in the Inner Worlds had evolved in the centuries since. It made interpreting the original script somewhat challenging and subjective.
“I would say salvation” she guessed. “Something like — the path to salvation.”
“And what about this?” Yukon asked curiously, pointing at the single flame-covered depiction on the floor.
“It’s the same word — salvation” Kidani explained. “Novi’s correct. Salvation is more apt than heaven.”
“What’s it stand for?” the RimWorlder asked the two InnerWorlders, his curiosity piqued.
Kidani shrugged. “Beats me, Yukon.”
The RimWorlder directed his gaze at Novi, who looked equally at sea.
“There’s no depiction of such orbs or flames in the archives about the Benevolent Ones” Novi responded. “Come to think of it, there’s no mention of their spiritual beliefs at all. They vanquished the aliens who’d taken advantage of us and helped to rebuild the Inner Worlds after, but nothing is reported about where they came from or their personal belief system.”
“I suppose some mystery is imperative, even mandatory, when it
comes to the Gods” Kali murmured, joining them.
Novi smiled. It was something Wy would say when faced with a shrine built by the Benevolent Ones’.
Kali looked around the vast empty hall flooded with flame-hued light. “What happened to them?” he asked.
“Lord Teodikan and Lady Yanthanika are believed to have died on the Inner Worlds” Novi explained. “After their passing, many returned to their home world while the others integrated into the Inner Worlds. Within a generation, they were all gone. Even though their influence persists today.”
The RimWorlder pilot looked taken aback. “Some of the Benevolent Ones intermarried with InvunWelders?” he exclaimed.
“That’s what the archives say” Kidani confirmed.
“Perhaps, this was a temple to their Gods” Ryfkin Soren suggested quietly. “Something to remind them of home and what they believed in, while they dedicated themselves to the Invun Welds.”
“It feels strange” Jerik remarked in the ensuing silence, his awestruck eyes on the orbs high on the walls. “To think of those we worship having their own Gods to look up to.”
Novi agreed silently. The hushed atmosphere inside the empty, stark and enormous ziggurat provided a personal glimpse of a long-ago race that had travelled the stars to a far corner of the galaxy to help a people in need. For the first time, she understood exactly why the Benevolent Ones’ influence persisted in the Inner Worlds, centuries after they were a mere speck in the InnerWorlders’ history. They were not just legends passed down by generations to inspire the Inner Worlds. Rather, a benevolent alien race had been accepted as their Gods by the InnerWorlders. Yet, the ziggurat was a reminder that their Gods had been mortals too — they’d built shrines dedicated to their own beliefs, while they played savior in a distant world far from home.
Two archways on either side of the triangular room beckoned them, shaped similarly to the ziggurat’s entrance. They turned right, per the suggested route on their map. The map guided them through a maze of interconnecting triangular-shaped rooms to eventually deposit them back to the vast hall by the entrance. The rooms were bare like the hall, lit cleverly from high up, allowing the natural light to illuminate the inside of the vast structure. The stone floors had cracked in some of the rooms, with roots springing through the ground from under the shrine. Where the ground was dangerously uneven, a path had been cordoned off for visitors. The flame-colored walls reflected different hues of light, based on the angle at which the rays hit them, giving the otherwise stark rooms a wondrous glow. As they went deeper, a few of the rooms had illustrations inlaid into the stone walls. Some depicted maps of the early Inner Worlds, with strangely-shaped starcraft hovering over them. Others depicted battle scenes in intricate detail. A chamber, midway through their mapped route, showed two figures, male and female, emerging from a flaming circle — short and somewhat frail in appearance. Novi recognized the two Benevolent Ones who’d led their army against the alien invaders to free the Inner Worlds. She’d seen similar depictions of YanTeo before, though never enclosed by the flaming orb. The circle, enveloped by flames, was an ever-present motif in the shrine; sometimes, as part of a trio arranged in a triangle and occasionally, by itself.