by Petra Landon
In the end, Novi played it safe. “A decent one” she responded modestly.
The RimWorlder studied her in the shadows cast by the flaming torches. “The crew has access to the Cruiser’s armory” he stated.
Novi straightened. “I’m not crew, Cap’n” she said, just as Kidani nudged her to hold her tongue.
“We’ll call it a gift for services rendered to Ilar’s Justice” the Captain said equably.
Novi stared at him speechlessly, nonplussed by the offer.
“What flashers are you comfortable with?” he asked as she remained silent.
“Come on, spunky girl” Kidani prompted her. “The competition starts soon. And I’d love a blue dress.”
Reminded thus, Novi roused herself. “Uh, a long barreled flasher would work. Don’t need a fast reload for this competition.”
“Alright” Ryf directed. “Register yourself with the organizers. I’ll have Burok bring you a flasher.”
Before Novi could sputter her thanks, Kidani swept her away excitedly while the Captain used his Hailer to contact the Cruiser.
The RimWorlder’s eyes watched them go. The stowaway had proved her loyalty to the Cruiser and the crew. She was bright, resilient and enterprising. Now, here was further evidence that she possessed skills that might come in handy. But more than anything, Novia Dozanti had spirit. To a Renegade who’d refused to give up despite the overwhelming odds confronting him, spirit was prized very highly. But Ryf found himself conflicted and confounded by the stowaway and her inherent contradictions. The time was fast approaching when an InnerWorlder crew would be essential to his plans. Yet, his initial suspicions about her continued to disquiet him, stopping him from extending the invitation to join his crew.
In the end, it was well after midnight when the party returned to the Cruiser to celebrate. As the proud winner of a basket of prizes from the competition sponsors, Novi was feted enthusiastically. Commander Jeryn congratulated her warmly, while Yukon whooped gleefully. Her arms holding aloft the rich fabric they’d both salivated over, Kidani broke into a wild jig, much to the crew’s amusement. Kali opened a bottle of nau he’d purchased at the festivities, while the Captain brought out his stash of the potent mihado. The enigmatic Vizir unbent enough to raise a glass of mihado to Novi. Digging through the basket Yukon and Jerik had hauled to Ilar’s Justice for her, Novi was rendered speechless to discover passes to the healing springs on Ayako. The crate of fuel crystals she handed ceremoniously over to the Commander and the flasher she’d been lent to the Captain, along with her heartfelt gratitude for their hospitality. Mindful of the rustic nature of the competition, the Captain had produced an antique long-barreled flasher for Novi to shoot with, its holster carved in RimWorlder script.
After the late night partying, a sozzled Novi stumbled into her bed with a lighter heart. Whatever the future held, for a few days she’d been accepted by the crew that had fascinated her since her days as a stowaway aboard their ship. But the morning was to bring an unpleasant surprise, one that would turn Novi’s life and future upside down.
At dawn, Novi, Kidani and Yukon set off for the fairgrounds to redeem prize vouchers from Novi’s competition win. The two InnerWorlders were bleary-eyed after the depredations of the night while the young RimWorlder, with a harder head and more capacity for alcohol, teased them mercilessly about it. When they returned, it was to find the Cruiser making preparations to leave Dirko Zau. Novi, with a day off from any tasks for Burok, offered her assistance to Kidani. They were neither at their best, hungover from the nau and mihado they’d consumed the night before. Cruiser Control hummed this morning with a quiet sense of well-being. The trip to Dirko Zau had been a resounding success, with a new gig to look forward to.
Ryf opened a channel to Serak Vedino’s ship to have a final word with the InnerWorlder. Once Ilar’s Justice left Dirko Zau, communication with the Synth must be over StarCom routers.
“A blessing for the dawn, Captain. Did you get your answers from Kural?” Vedino inquired over the Vista Screen.
“He shed some light” Ryf acknowledged.
“You’re not satisfied, Captain?” the man on the screen remarked perceptively.
“On the contrary, Vedino. What he told me will help me get to the bottom of this.”
The InnerWorlder looked startled. “How?” he asked curiously.
“Divi was able to describe the site where the transport crashed. It is familiar — an old shuttle pad on Fumiko.”
“Familiar?” the Synth repeated, in some confusion
Ryf chose his words carefully, conscious what a Sacred Realm pilgrimage meant to InnerWorlders, including the ones banished by the Guild. “Venn Corp gave my crew passes for the Realm.”
For a moment, the man on the screen did not react. Then, the import of the Captain’s words sank in.
“You visited the shrine” the Synth breathed reverently.
“How is it, Captain?” he asked with his next breath.
“Your shrine is beautiful” Soren answered candidly. “While on the planet, we had the opportunity to look around. Divi’s description matches an abandoned landing pad on Fumiko, from before it was a Realm. The landing site is not as overgrown as it might be — it’s possible that a craft crashed there recently.”
Vedino took a few moments to reflect on the RimWorlder’s words. “You found nothing at the site — no building or anything else that could be used as a prison?”
“Nothing” Ryf confirmed. “The ruins of a cabin, used for storage, mark the landing pad. Otherwise, there is no structure of any kind.”
“This is strange, Captain” Vedino affirmed.
“We also scanned the area around the pad but found nothing” Ryf explained.
The Synth perked up. “You scanned the site?”
“A basic scan, nothing fancy. But the scanner detected no life near the landing pad.”
Vedino’s face seemed to freeze on the screen. “Life” he muttered, before recovering his composure. “If you’re of a mind to go back to the Realm, scan for power signatures, Captain.”
Ryf straightened in the Command Seat. “A prison, even a temporary one, needs power” he murmured.
“A lot of it” the InnerWorlder reiterated. “Enough to not be able to mask the power signatures from a scanner.”
Serak Vedino was not just brilliant with tech, he also knew how to use his knowledge to his advantage, Ryf reflected appreciatively.
“Scanning for life is a tricky process” the Synth explained. “It doesn’t register if a person is shielded by impenetrable material or is deep underground. Of course, with Synths, the scan does not reflect an accurate count.”
Ryf frowned silently at the cryptic comment, but before he could question Vedino further, the InnerWorlder interjected. “If you don’t mind me asking, Captain, why are you here?”
In Cruiser Control, Zinera Jeryn glanced up from her console to shoot an unreadable look at the screen but the others remained focused on their tasks, ignoring the conversation between their Captain and the InnerWorlder.
“Don’t misunderstand me, Captain” the Synth leader amended hastily. “We’re mighty glad of your presence on the Inner Worlds. And very grateful for your friendship. The Synths have no choice but to fight back against the Guild, no matter how unevenly matched we are. But you won your battle with them. You have your homes and your worlds back. Yet, you leave your hard-won freedom behind to pursue the Coalition on the Inner Worlds. I would like to understand.”
For a moment, Ryf contemplated the man on the screen. “This Cruiser is an old friend, Vedino. During the Five Year War, not once did it abandon us, no matter what we asked of it. But the ship has been rechristened since the war. The vessel that led the Renegades into battle against the Guild was aptly named Vengeance.”
The Synth cocked his head. “You changed it to Justice” he murmured.
“Not just justice, but justice for Ilarok Buron.”
Vedino said nothing, merely
meeting the somber silver eyes of the RimWorlder.
“Ilar was my brother, Vedino. Not by blood but in every way that counts. The Guild assassinated him in the waning days of the war. They ambushed and executed him, to send a message to me for daring to oppose them. By then, they knew that the war was lost. I pledged then that the men who ordered the execution would face justice for their actions. If it’s the last thing I do, I will burn their empire to the ground, so they can never again harm another Ilar for merely defending his home and friends.”
Newly arrived in Cruiser Control with carafes of water for the duty crew, Novi paused, arrested by the quiet intensity of the Captain’s vow. She’d speculated about the Renegades’ presence in the Inner Worlds. But nothing had prepared her for this. The wound ran deep for the RimWorlder crew on Ilar’s Justice. While no one reacted to Ryfkin Soren’s words, their very lack of expression hinted at anguish not yet redressed.
“I’m sorry for your loss” Serak Vedino commiserated quietly. “It is time someone reminds the Guild that there’s a price to be paid for their greed and lust for power. As I told Commander Jeryn, the Renegades are an inspiration to the Synths. A shining symbol to never lose hope.”
Reminded of the tragedy and loss the Synths faced, Ryf’s voice gentled. “You’re right to not lose hope, Vedino. Ilar’s Justice and its crew is friend to the Synths. You may call on us for any assistance in our power.”
The Synth’s expression lightened in response. “The next time we meet, you must tell me about the Sufito Nekthero, Captain. The shrine of the Gods will give us strength for the upcoming battle.”
“My InvunWelder crew required no passes to the shrine” Ryf remarked. “Perhaps, one day when the bounty on your head is no more, you might visit the Venn Corp Realm, Vedino.”
The Synth looked confused. “There are no checks to enter the shrine, Captain?”
“None” Ryf assured him.
“Not even a scan?” the Synth persisted.
“There’s a scanner that keeps an accurate count of the visitors per day.”
Vedino sighed resignedly. “Then, a pilgrimage is not on the cards for me.”
This time, Ryf did not hide his puzzlement. This was the second cryptic allusion Vedino had made about Synths. Jerik had explained to him why the Guild persecuted the Synths — the Coalition alleged they were descended from alien ancestors who’d once been sworn enemies of the Benevolent Ones. But Ryf was unclear about the origins of such a claim. It could not be the Synths’ appearance. He’d be hard-pressed to differentiate Vedino or Divi from Kidani, Jerik or the stowaway, based on physical characteristics alone. So, Ryf drew the logical conclusion.
“How does the Guild target Synths, Vedino?” he asked. “Something in your blood?”
On the screen, a lightbulb seemed to go off for the InnerWorlder. “Aah, you do not know why the Guild persecutes us — I was puzzled when you talked about scanning the Realm, Captain. It has nothing to do with blood. If our blood is different from our fellow InnerWorlders, the Guild has no way to test the difference.”
“I don’t understand?” Ryf leaned forward, a frown marring his brow.
“Those they brand as Synths have existed on the Inner Worlds a long time, Captain. In the old days, before the Guild started hunting us, the InnerWorlders called us shadows. We were never discriminated against, until the Coalition declared us apostates and not the children of the Benevolent Ones.”
Unbeknownst to the Captain, Novi paused behind him, her heart thudding in its cage. Clasping the carafe of water to her chest with nerveless fingers, she turned stunned eyes to the Vista Screen. That term the Synth leader used had connotations for her. Could Serak Vedino be implying what she thought he was, Novi wondered in alarm. Guild law outlawed Synths. They were hunted mercilessly on the Inner Worlds, at the powerful Coalition’s direction.
“Shadows” Ryf repeated, his frown pronounced. “What does that mean?”
“InnerWorlders with the ability to pass through tech undetected” Vedino explained. “The Guild brands us Synthetic because for some reason, we don’t register on life-sign scanners.”
Before Soren could respond, there was a resounding crash from behind him. He turned around to catch the stowaway staring at the screen like she’d seen a ghost. A carafe had crashed beside her, the shards strewn around her feet. Vedino’s explanation had left Ryf shocked speechless. But the little burumha’s petrified eyes had the synapses in his brain firing to make nebulous connections.
Novi caught his eyes on her and came to with a jerk. In slow motion, as if she were sleepwalking, Novi bent down to pick up the broken shards that lay at her feet, her eyes evading Ryfkin Soren’s narrowed stare.
SAMAPT
THE END
Note from the Author
Thank you for reading Star Child. I hope you enjoyed it. Please consider writing a few lines about the book on Amazon. Reviews are the lifeblood of indie authors and are greatly appreciated. Your candid reviews help spread the word about our stories.
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News, excerpts and details about my stories and book series is available on my website. For Goodreads readers, here are the book page and the author page.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The germ of an idea about a young woman’s quest for answers to questions she doesn’t quite understand herself came to me in late 2017. I had released my first book early that year and was already writing Saga of the Chosen and The Araloka Chronicles. So, I hesitated to start yet another series. But the idea would not leave me alone and soon, my imagination started coloring in little details to the universe. Suddenly, what began as a simple story about Novi’s adventures had more colorful characters popping up all over it. Finally, I succumbed and started writing chapters and releasing them to a handful of readers signed up to read them. Two books and a year and a half later, Star Child is finally out in the world. I’m a huge fan of SciFi & Fantasy adventure shows and this story is a tribute to the genre.
To everyone on the notification list, thank you for your patience as I took my time writing the episodes while working on The Rainmaker and The Starfarer.
To my husband, thank you for your encouragement and support. And for being my beacon when I find myself wavering at the infinite forks in the road.
To my sister-of-the-heart and extended family, I’m overwhelmed by all the support and love. Thank you.
To Biserka, thank you for your patience and all the revisions to get the cover just right. As usual, I love what you came up with.
To Sheena Taylor, thank you for your friendship and for all the fantastic feedback no matter what snippet and story I throw at you. My mind is always bubbling with new ideas and I’m grateful to have you to bounce them off.
Also by Petra Landon
SAGA OF THE CHOSEN
www.petralandon.com/Saga-of-the-Chosen
A rollicking urban fantasy with adventure, intrigue, suspense & romance
A naive Wizard with a kitty of deadly secrets. A formidable Shifter Alpha with a ruthless streak and a tangled past. A divided people who resist all efforts to unite them. A mysterious prophecy wielded with precision by a dangerous adversary. A perilous world of high-stakes politicking where powerful beings vie for influence over their brethren.
BOOK 1 – THE PROPHECY
BOOK 2– THE RAINMAKER
BOOK 3– THE SIREN
Excerpt from THE PROPHECY
THE ARALOKA CHRONICLES
www.petralandon.com/The-Araloka-Chronicles
A SciFi Romance & Space Opera collection with passionate love stories & swashbuckling adventure
The Araloka Chronicles narrate the stories from Sector Araloka and the Aralokans’ struggle to survive against the backdrop of a never-ending war. Spirited & feisty heroines, brave & adventurous her
oes, enduring love stories, swashbuckling adventure and thrilling action mark these tales. The stories are all standalone, with many characters recurring.
THE MERCENARY
THE STARFARER
Excerpt from THE MERCENARY
GLOSSARY
STAR SYSTEMS
Inner Worlds
The planets enclosed by the ring-shaped belt of asteroids. The denizens of these worlds are InnerWorlders. They are shorter, light-skinned, bright-haired and light-eyed.
Rim Worlds
The planets on the outer edges of the Asteroid Ring. The worlds are sparsely populated, in comparison to the Inner Worlds. The RimWorlders are larger, dark-haired, dark-skinned and dark-eyed.
Asteroid Ring
The ring-shaped belt of asteroids that encloses the sector known as the Inner Worlds. The Ring is also referred to as the Badlands, since it is tough to navigate due to the hurtling asteroids and their effect on technology of any kind.
CORPORATIONS & OTHER ENTITIES
Guild Coalition
The largest and most influential conglomerate in the Inner Worlds. Once the richest corporation, it has now been overtaken by Venn Corp. The Guild Coalition administers a majority of the inhabited planets on the Inner Worlds and is popularly referred to as the Guild and occasionally, as the Coalition. Their private military force is the Guild Corps.
Guild Corps
The military force of the Guild Coalition and also referred to as the Corps. The soldiers wear a bright red and yellow uniform.