Pirate Throne

by Carysa Locke

  “Enough,” Cannon said. “The teams are the teams, end of discussion.”

  Declan opened his mouth, and Cannon continued “The next person who speaks will be volunteering to stay planetside with the monsters when we leave.”

  No one said anything.

  “Good. I’m glad everyone has decided to agree.”

  Seriously, did no one think the man could take care of himself?

  You can, right? Mercy asked him, trying to ignore the little buzz of worry she felt. You and Feria will be fine?

  As I've told you multiple times, we'll be fine. He gave her an amused look. Just because I'm not Reaper doesn't mean I can't take care of myself.

  I know that.

  Then stop worrying.

  That wasn't going to be possible.

  You're anxiety is making me nauseous, he added.

  Sorry. She sent him an apologetic look. I'm just a little keyed up. I don't want to lose anyone else.

  We’ll be fine, Mercy.

  I just wish we could all go together.

  Cannon was silent. Anything he said would only contradict his attempt to reassure her, since the whole reason for multiple teams was to make sure someone made it in case the worst happened.

  "Everyone gather what you need. Then strap in. Titus us will start landfall in twenty minutes.”

  "Good luck," Treon called from his chair.

  Max sulked, staring at the floor as he slouched in his seat. Mercy crossed the room to him. “Look, you were never going out onto the planet. We talked about this.”

  “That was before Sebastian disappeared,” he said. He looked up, his face taking on an earnest look. “Mercy, you know I can help! I’m not just good with mechanics and engineering, I’m great. And I’ve specialized in Ascension War-era tech. I can get you into that archive.”

  “I don’t know how I can be any more clear. You’re staying on the ship, Max.”

  He looked down at his feet again, his shoulders hunched.

  Mercy put her hands on her hips. “I want your word,” she said.

  Max went stiff. His head jerked up. “You don’t trust me?”

  “Not even remotely. When I was your age, I’d have told the Old Wolf exactly what he wanted to hear, and then I would sneak off the ship the first chance I got, sure I was right and determined to prove it.” She moved her fingers at him in a come on gesture. “Let’s hear it.”

  “How do you know I won’t just give you my word and then sneak off anyway?”

  She met his gaze and held it. “Because while you might sneak off without giving me your promise, you won’t lie to me. I know you, Max. I’m your sponsor. I’m your Queen. When I agreed to take you on, you swore an oath to me, too. If I ask for your word and you break it, I’ll revoke my sponsorship.”

  His jaw dropped. “No!”

  “Then give me your word.”

  His body sagged, the defiance draining out of him. He mumbled something.

  “What was that? I can’t hear you.”

  “I promise! I’ll stay on the ship.” He looked away, refusing to meet her gaze.

  That was all right. Finally, Mercy believed him. “Thank you.” She hesitated. “If we need your help getting in, I promise to contact you and let you walk us through it telepathically.”

  He still didn’t look at her. “It’s not the same.”

  Amused, she shook her head. “Well, it’s the closest you’re getting.”

  He shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Ugh. Teenagers. Mercy sighed. She gave his shoulder a squeeze even though he didn’t react. “See you later, Max.”

  He didn’t look up when she walked away. He was angry and resentful, she didn’t need Cannon’s empathy gift to know that. That was fine. Better mad than dead.

  Mercy outfitted herself much as she did for the holo trainings with Reaper. Armored clothing, her disruptor, a stun baton, and the new addition of a small pack with water, nutritional bars, and a survival kit. Just in case.

  She didn't anticipate getting lost or being stuck on this planet for any length of time, but Reaper wanted to be prepared for any contingency. She tried not to think too hard about everything that could go wrong.

  She hoped this was all worth it. Doubts crept in, especially with Sebastian's fate uncertain. What if all of this was for nothing? What if the archive was destroyed, or they found nothing inside? Or worse, what if the things they did find were useless? This was her idea, her plan. If it all came to nothing and they lost people, that was on her shoulders.

  Reaper came into their room, watching as she braided her unruly hair. It fell past her shoulders, thick and wavy at the best of times. The braid would only keep it mostly bound and out of the way, but it wouldn't stay neat and pretty. If the planet had any humidity — or rain — she was doomed. Her hair would frizz and do its best to escape her efforts. Chances were good that Max and Sebastian had programmed the training simulation with so much rain because the planet saw its fair share. Not a happy thought.

  At least her armored clothing had water resistance and the ability to mend and dry itself.

  Silently, Reaper started putting on his gear. When he added a chestplate, Mercy grimaced. She knew what was coming next, and sure enough, he picked up hers and brought it to her.

  She shook her head. "I'm not wearing that."

  "You are."

  "If feels restrictive. I can't move in it."

  His expression was implacable. "You wore it for the last two training sessions and moved just fine. And, I would point out, walked away with fewer injuries by over sixty percent."

  She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn't let her get a word out, as he tugged the armor over her head, using his nimble fingers to pull it tight around her torso.

  Angry at being treated like a child, she said nothing but glowered at the top of his head as he bent toward the closures on the side and secured them.

  "If you don't wear it," he said while he worked, "I'll worry. If I'm busy worrying about you, I'm going to pay less attention to what's around us and I could make a mistake."

  She snorted. "You'll be using your Talent. You won’t make a mistake. Not to mention, you can't worry about me when you're like that."

  "I always worry about you," he said. Finished, he lifted his head. He was still standing close to her, his hands resting on her hips where the chestplate curved before ending.

  She searched the pale blue of his eyes. "Even when you're—” She gestured to him, knowing he would take her meaning.

  "Always," he said.

  Her heart melted. "Fine. I'll wear the uncomfortable chestplate."

  Reaper smiled and leaned in, kissing her lightly. "I know. I keyed it to me so you can't take it off."

  She made an outraged noise and swiped at him, but he danced back out of the way.

  "I am not forgiving you for this!"

  "I'm sure I can change your mind." His eyes laughed at her, but the heat in them made it clear exactly how he planned to do that.

  "Sexual favors won't buy you out of this one," she muttered.

  "We'll see about that."

  A knock at the door had them both turning toward it, and to Mercy's surprise Feria poked her head in. "Oh good, you're ready," the other woman said, taking them both in. She stepped inside, holding out a chestplate similar to the one Mercy wore.

  “How the hell does this thing go on?”

  "Haven't you ever worn one before?" Mercy asked.

  Feria huffed a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. I have people for that. I usually travel with a team of bodyguards." An expression close to mourning moved across her face. "Of course, that was before half of them defected to that bitch. Things are a bit different now."

  "Here." Mercy took the armor from Feria and helped her into it. Reaper ghosted out of the room with a last look at Mercy.

  A few minutes later and Feria was tugging at the chestplate and frowning, moving this way and that.

  “I don’t like it. It feels bulky. Restr
ictive.”

  “It’s actually pretty flexible and moves with you better than you’d expect.” And she was never admitting that within Reaper’s hearing.

  “Hmm,” Feria said, not sounding convinced.

  “How many times have you run the simulation?” Mercy asked. Reaper had made everyone run it at least once.

  “Three.” Feria made a face. “I died the first time. It was humiliating. Cannon worked with me the other two. Reaper wanted us to get used to pairing up.”

  “And?”

  “And we work well together.” Feria smiled, and there was something in it that made Mercy stare at her. “What?” Feria asked, noticing.

  “Nothing. It’s just, I never expected you two to get along.”

  “Oh, well. The enemy of my enemy makes an excellent bedfellow, and all that.”

  “That’s not how the saying goes.”

  “It isn’t? Well, it should.”

  Holy. Shit. Feria had a thing for Cannon.

  Mercy didn’t know how to react to that. Did Cannon feel the same way? Had they slept together? She busied herself with the straps of her pack, wishing she’d never made this particular discovery.

  Why? What did it matter if Feria and Cannon had a thing?

  “Ready?” Feria asked.

  Mercy didn’t answer, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she followed the other woman out the door. She was out of time for doubts or for speculation about who Cannon might be sleeping with. It didn’t matter. If he was happy, if Feria was good for him, who cared what they did?

  They joined the others in the hangar, strapping themselves into the jump seats lining the walls. Mercy sat next to Reaper. Feria sat next to Cannon. Mercy tried not to analyze their body language.

  Everything all right? Reaper asked, noticing her mood.

  Fine.

  Reaper reached out to Titus. Take us down.

  It was time to make planetfall.

  Chapter Ten

  It was a good thing they strapped in. The landing was a rough one, throwing Mercy hard against the safety straps that held her in her seat. She was actually grateful for the chestplate that kept them from digging into her and bruising.

  Titus’s voice came through on a wide mental thread. Sorry, everyone. This planet hasn’t seen a spaceport in several decades, at least. That was rougher than I like, but we are safely down. Note that weather conditions appear to be cold and nasty. No sign of rain yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Stay safe out there.

  Everyone unstrapped and stood up.

  "Search patterns are sent to your datapads,” Reaper said. “Remember, we don't know what predators may be hunting out there, other than the human variety. Some may even be Talented. Maintain your silence until you have something significant to report."

  "Or if you run into trouble and need help," Mercy added.

  "If something goes catastrophically bad," Cannon said, "get back to the ship."

  If things went that wrong, Mercy wondered if they’d make it back to the ship, but no one brought up that point.

  The hangar door began to lower, and a blast of cold air came in, carrying in the smell of wet earth and an undertone of mildew and rot. Feria wrinkled her nose.

  "If I had to guess,” she said, shoulder her pack, “I’d say we did not arrive in summer.” She and Cannon started for the door as soon as the ramp hit the ground with a wet sounding clunk. Declan and Ghost followed, with Mercy and Reaper exiting last.

  "It's going to rain on us, isn't it?" Mercy said to Reaper in a low voice. She looked at the sky, and there was definite cloud cover, heavy and gray. No sign of the sun. She wondered what time of day it was. It seemed dark and dreary, but it was definitely still day time.

  "We did try to match the simulation as closely as we could with the planet's cycles of rotation and the season in this hemisphere.”

  "Thoughtful of you."

  He smiled, but it faded quickly. The moment they stepped onto the muddy ground, his eyes bled of color, paling to ice.

  "This way." Reaper started off. Mercy followed, taking in their surroundings.

  It was startling how much Max and Sebastian got right. Did they employ a farseer to look and report back the conditions? And did that mean a lizard-bear was lumbering around somewhere?

  She really didn't want to know.

  The ship’s landing would have been visible to anyone within ten kilometers of this place. Probably animals and predators, even big ones, would avoid something as big and loud as a ship, but the humans were another story. Of course, if they tried to take the ship, Mercy had every confidence in Treon and Titus’s ability to defend it. They had their Talent…and the plasma turrets.

  At least it was daylight. She could actually see the structures, or what remained of them.

  The ship had landed in what looked like an old public square of some type. A big, empty space that stretched for a surprising distance in all directions before dilapidated buildings began to fill the skyline.

  What had it been used for? There were no structures, nothing but flat, crumbling mechstone and stagnant pools of rainwater.

  When they finally reached the end, it was like they crossed some invisible line where the vegetation began. There was the ghost of old beauty here, mechstone walls still standing, covered in ropes of leafy vegetation ranging in color from dark green to brilliant orange. She and Reaper walked on muddy streets, sometimes finding stretches of solid ground that used to be a road, other times wading through muddy puddles of standing water, rotting leaves turned brown and withered, and the occasional clusters of fungus growing out of the deadfall.

  Mercy took care to avoid those. They had no idea what the flora and fauna of this planet were like, and some fungi had poisonous spores.

  Each pair took a different direction from the ship to start their search. According to Wolfgang's information, the archives would be somewhere in this area of the city. Unfortunately, that was as close as they could get to an exact location. Arcadius V was a planet of science and discovery. This had been the planet's capital city, and the focal point of all of that knowledge. A society like that, Mercy figured, would revere knowledge. They would want to preserve it, and the archives were meant to do exactly that. The enclave had to be the best preserved place out of the whole city. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean much. Anything could have happened since the planet was razed and quarantined. The underground archives might be totally intact, and the building above it could be nothing but rubble.

  They would have to search methodically if they had any hope of finding it.

  When they reached the first building, Reaper hopped what remained of a wall, barely a lumpy pile of stones now, and knelt down on the ground floor.

  "Stay there," he said in a low voice when she would have followed him. "Keep watch."

  Mercy stepped back and scanned the area, keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of movement, but the only thing stirring were a few trees and the rustle of dead leaves in the wind.

  Within a few minutes, Reaper was climbing nimbly back over the wall to rejoin her. He shook his head once to show he'd found nothing.

  "So that's how we're doing this?" she asked quietly. “Physically search every building?"

  "We need to be thorough."

  "This could take hours."

  "Our section is roughly two point five kilometers by half a kilometer. We should be done in a little under two hours, if we don't find it first."

  "Seriously?"

  "We don't have to search the entire building. It's enough to know if there's an underground structure, and a simple test of sensory telekinetics can tell us that."

  "I thought we weren't supposed to use Talent."

  “No telepathy unless we have no choice. A small, focused radius of telekinesis aimed at the ground beneath our feet is unlikely to be picked up on by a predator, unless that predator is literally beneath us."

  "Well, if that's all it takes, we can go twice as fast if we each take a buil
ding."

  "No. One person checks, the other keeps watch." He nodded to her pack. “Get out your datapad and note this building on the map. We’ll mark each one we check so we don’t miss any.”

  She took her pack off and dug through it until she found her datapad. The wind was already making her nose and ears go numb. Fantastic. At least her armored clothing came equipped with climate controls. The heat had automatically kicked in and was keeping her body nice and toasty warm. Even her gloves warmed her hands.

  It could be worse, she thought as she followed Reaper to the next building. It could be raining. Or snowing. Snow was pretty, and she hadn't seen any in awhile, but she had no desire to be out in it on a planet like this with danger lurking around every corner.

  They continued like that for twenty minutes, heading deeper into the city. Reaper would check out each building while Mercy kept watch. They did most of this in silence, attempting to make as little noise as possible and draw no attention to their presence. The only animals Mercy saw were a few small birds, hopping along the vines growing up the side of the buildings. They looked like they were hunting insects, and overall seemed harmless enough.

  So far, so good. Reaper exited the latest building, and Mercy marked it off on the map on her datapad.

  Ten down, only seventy or eighty to go.

  Reaper suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a building, through a giant hole in the wall. The wall itself buckled and listed at an odd angle, looking like a stiff breeze could finish knocking it down. She went still as they stood in the shadows inside the remnants of the building, listening for whatever had alerted him. This building had no roof, and no floors above the first, but the walls themselves remained standing even if they were crumbling and covered in vines.

  A scuff of something against stone, the faint splash of water. Footsteps. Mercy tensed. Those were human footsteps. She looked at Reaper, and he nodded, his face eerily expressionless. He held up his hand and showed her five fingers, closed it into a fist, and flashed all five fingers again. Ten people?

  That felt like a lot. Now she could hear voices, the rumble of them too low to make out actual words. Which group would this be? Scientists, mercs, soldiers, or slavers?