by Scott Baron
It was something the Wampeh Ghalian had done on occasion for much the same reasons, though that was typically while in the employ of a particular party who wished to make that point.
“Here,” Demelza hissed as they approached the shimmer-cloaked ship.
Hozark and Uzabud made a slight course correction and strode toward the emptiness, stepping up and vanishing into the invisible craft a moment later. The door sealed behind them, and the ship gently lifted off and headed into space. They then parked in orbit to see what the visla’s reaction might be.
They’d been watching for nearly an hour before a dozen of the visla’s ships hastily rocketed into space and jumped away in all directions.
“And the search begins,” Hozark said with a smile. His plan had worked to perfection.
Laskar watched the whole thing in silence, which, for that chatterbox was quite uncharacteristic.
“You’ve been really quiet,” Bud said. “You okay?”
Laskar turned to him, then looked at the two Wampeh who had come with his friend to rescue him.
“I... I didn’t think anyone would come for me,” he said quietly.
“Of course we would come for you,” Bud replied. “Isn’t that right, guys?”
“It is,” Hozark said, taking the hint. “You are a part of the team.”
Laskar’s eyes flashed with a flicker of amusement. “We’re a team now? I thought you worked alone. I thought you hated teams.”
“Dude, shut up. You know what he meant,” Bud said, smacking him on the arm.
“Just saying,” the copilot shot back.
“Aaand, the old Laskar is back,” Bud said with a chuckle. “Okay. If you’re done watching the visla’s response teams, I think it’s about time we get back to my ship.”
“Agreed,” Hozark said. “Demelza, would you please?”
She nodded and muttered the spells engaging their Drookonus. A moment later they jumped, leaving Ahkrahn and Visla Sunar in their wake.
Chapter Sixteen
Laskar was pensive and unusually quiet for a long while after they’d departed Ahkrahn. Whatever had gone on there, he did not wish to talk about it, and given what his friends knew about torture methods often employed by the more powerful men and women in the galaxy, they couldn’t really blame him.
After sitting around silently for a bit, he finally retired to his quarters to be with his thoughts a while, and the others left him to it.
“So, signs of his torture?” Hozark asked.
“None. Whoever had worked on him was very, very clean. Expert, I would say.”
“And the accommodations were up to the standards one would expect of a chamber within the visla’s innermost rooms?”
“It appeared so,” she replied. “Though we did make a hasty departure once I’d located him. But the space did seem quite comfortable.”
“All the better to put an interrogated prisoner at ease before laying into them once more.”
“I was thinking the same,” Demelza noted. “He even had a small exercise yard that afforded him fresh air in an outdoor setting, though it was walled off from the rest of the compound. That was where I found him, actually.”
“It was still a prison,” Bud groused.
“He does not realize just how fortunate he was,” Hozark said. “It could have been far, far worse, as I am sure you know. I will be interested to learn what exactly Sunar thought he might provide him to have warranted such treatment.”
They would have their chance a few hours later when the copilot rejoined them after a hot meal, a hotter shower, and a bit of quiet time alone.
“Hey, I wanted to say thanks again for saving me back there.”
“You’d do the same for us, man,” Bud said, slapping him on the shoulder.
“I know, you just couldn’t live with the thought of having to fly without me. But I’m back now, so you can relax.”
“Aaand, there’s that asshole we all know and love,” Bud grumbled.
“Love is quite a strong word,” Demelza said. “Though I can think of a few other strong ones that might apply.”
“Laskar, I wish to better understand how you managed to land in such comfortable accommodations within the compound,” Hozark said, heading off any potential name-calling. “It is highly unusual for a prisoner to be treated to such luxury.”
“Luxury?” he replied. “Sure, it may have seemed luxurious, but a prison is a prison, even if it has gilded bars.”
Hozark cocked his head slightly. “Surprisingly sage words, Laskar.”
“Good looks and piloting prowess aren’t the only things I excel at, you know,” he replied.
“But you have not answered my question.”
“Oh, that. Well, when I was captured sniffing around, they were going to throw me in that pit of a prison, but I lucked out. The visla’s personal valet happened to be present when I was brought in, which was a total fluke, I might add. But anyway, he overheard my telling the guards I was just a clueless guy hired for a secret mission. For whatever reason, the word secret got his attention, and he brought me to see the visla personally.”
“There is much subterfuge within the upper ranks of the Council at the moment. You may have stumbled upon the one thing that made you of interest and worth to the man,” Hozark mused. “But why did he keep you there so long?”
“He couldn’t break me,” Laskar replied with a bit of braggadocio. “He was trying to get information from me, but I honestly couldn’t tell him who I was working for.”
“Because you were there of your own accord.”
“Exactly. But he didn’t phrase the question the right way, so when the truth spells and torture wouldn’t yield a suitable answer, he decided to keep me nearby so he could repeat the process as often as it took to get what he wanted.”
“But all he needed was to properly question you,” Hozark mused. “Fascinating. I’d heard of some interrogation spells being too specific to allow the questioned party to answer if the phrasing was not exactly precise, but I’d never personally known any who had actually undergone such an ordeal.”
“Well, it wasn’t fun, let me tell you. I mean, I could have just said it was my own doing, but by then he had convinced himself I was somehow withstanding his spells. After that, there was no way he would believe me if I said I truthfully didn’t come on anyone’s orders.”
Bud couldn’t help but chuckle. “Holy crap, man. That’s the most ridiculously good luck I’ve ever heard of.”
“I was tortured, Bud.”
“Well, yeah. But you lived it up in a posh estate instead of some filthy cell.”
“As a prisoner.”
“But still.”
“Gentlemen, please,” Hozark interrupted. “Now, Laskar. Bud has filled me in on the particulars of your capture. How you were rooting out information about how Visla Horvath and Emmik Rostall were working together in secret long before I was engaged for that contract.”
“Oh yeah. There’s some nefarious shit going on,” Laskar said. “Real cloak-and-dagger stuff.”
“Two tools of which I am most fond,” Hozark noted. “But what of their dealings within the Council of Twenty’s affairs? And did you learn how Samara came to be in Visla Horvath’s employ?”
Laskar looked at the three so intently staring at him and paused. It was nice being the center of attention, even if for so unpleasant a reason as his capture. Finally, he answered.
“It runs much deeper than we thought,” he said. “Those two were in cahoots, and from what I could tell, your ex was––”
“She was not my ex,” Hozark corrected.
“Uh-huh. Sure. Anyway, the Ghalian working for Horvath seemed to have been attached to his service at the request of another. Really, all of this points to all of them just being lesser players with someone else pulling their strings.”
“A visla and a Wampeh Ghalian being manipulated?” Bud said. “Highly unlikely, if you ask me.”
“I’d have said the same thing, bu
t that’s what I heard. And I’ll remind you, I got tortured over it.”
Hozark nodded thoughtfully. “Do you have any idea who this person might be? What their name is?”
“I had a lead I was going to follow up on when I got captured, so no, not yet. That lead still needs to be run down.”
“Then we shall do so while completing Demelza’s contract,” Hozark said.
Uzabud leaned in to his friend. “You’ve done enough, Laskar. We can’t ask you to do any more. Just tell us what we need to know and we’ll drop you off for some downtime and take it from here.”
His shoulders stiffened. “No, I want to help. I need to finish this.”
“We must first engage Demelza’s target,” Hozark noted. “It is going to be a somewhat difficult endeavor. And time-consuming. Are you certain you are up for this?”
“I am. I want to contribute. I’m part of this team, so where you go, I go.”
Hozark studied the man a long moment. The resolve in his eye was firm, and unlike many who had fallen under the gaze of the assassin, Laskar did not waver.
“Uzabud, may I have a word, please?” Hozark said, rising and walking to the adjacent chamber.
“What do you think?” Bud asked quietly.
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” the assassin replied. “He did do the legwork, and he seems to have regained his former demeanor, though I cannot help but wonder if it is partly an act. Perhaps he would be best left behind for this outing.”
“Yeah, I know. But I worry about what he might do if he’s left alone. You know he’d probably get into some mischief.”
“True.”
“It would be good for him to have something to do. And if he’s with us, we can at least keep him occupied but also out of harm’s way.”
“When are we ever out of harm’s way, Bud?” Hozark joked.
“Valid point. But still, you see what I’m saying.”
“That I do,” the Wampeh replied. “Very well, it is decided,” he said, then walked back into the adjacent chamber. “You are a valued member of this group, Laskar, and we have decided that you will accompany us on this contract.”
“Excellent!”
“But, this is Demelza’s contract, and we must all do as she wishes. Is that clear?”
“But you’re a master Ghalian,” the copilot said.
“That matters not. I assist on this contract at the pleasure of my Ghalian sister. It is her task, and she is more than capable of planning and executing this mission without any of our input.”
“Funny you should say executing,” Laskar said with a laugh.
“Actually, this is largely an intelligence-gathering contract,” Demelza said. “There will be killing, no doubt, but that shall not occur until after I have obtained the required information.”
“Someone hired the Wampeh Ghalian to gather information? Wow, I thought you guys were all killing and stuff, not skulduggery.”
“It is uncommon, but not unheard of. And our target seems to know the rumored location of a world of some value, though for whom and for what reason, we simply do not know. But the contract is from a legitimate and well-paying source, and the order accepted it,” Demelza said.
“Well, that settles it, then,” Laskar said, perking back up with the promise of adventure. “So, who exactly are we looking for?”
Chapter Seventeen
Billian was the man’s name, and he was quite a sight to behold. Nearly a full head taller than most, his deep ochre skin and old brick-colored hair made him stand out as much as his height.
Then there were the bone ridges protecting his spine, kept out of sight by his loose-fitting clothing.
He didn’t appear that tough, but a blow to the rigid protrusions would quickly rectify that miscalculation as his incredibly strong muscles and tendons would aid him in crushing the life out of his attacker.
For all of that deadliness, though, there was one silver lining to this job. Billian possessed no magic of his own.
“That is what we’re going after?” Laskar said when an image disc Demelza had activated from her contract package presented their target. “What the hell is that thing, anyway?”
“He is a Mahgwhamp,” Hozark replied. “They are a brutish race, and not often seen in polite company.”
“Let me guess. This guy doesn’t hang with polite company,” Bud said.
“Very astute of you, Bud. Now, you should know, despite his great strength, Mahgwhamps possess limited lateral movement capabilities. Just an evolutionary flaw in their hips that presents their one notable weakness.”
“I’ll keep that in mind if I wind up face-to-face with him,” Bud joked.
“You would do well to. A quick lateral dodge could save your life,” Hozark noted.
“So what are we supposed to do? Just go up and talk to the guy and ask him what he knows?”
“No, Laskar, though that would be nice if it would work,” Demelza said. “I will handle that part of the contract. And once the intel is acquired, his lips will be sealed forever.”
“You almost make it sound poetic,” the copilot said.
“In a way, it is,” she replied. “Now, before any of the interesting bits can occur, we must first achieve objective number one.”
“Which is?” Bud asked.
“Which is finding his whereabouts.”
“And how exactly do we do that?” Laskar asked. “You know all about this guy, so what do we have to do?”
Demelza grinned at the thought of the mission ahead of them. It was challenging. It was dangerous. It was difficult. It was everything she could hope for in a contract.
“Billian runs a junker fleet,” she finally replied. “It’s made up of hundreds of small ships that cluster together and form a sort of hive during downtime. Then, when a target is acquired, they scatter and swarm, converging on their prey from all directions.”
“Sounds like a dangerous enemy,” Bud mused. “How do we even get close?”
“They are a deadly foe, yes, but they are one that avoids conflict at most times. They just go about their business, interlocked in a giant mass of vessels.”
Laskar studied her expressions, a small grin creasing his lips. “You don’t know which one of those hundreds of ships he’s on, do you?”
“No, I do not,” she replied. “Nor do I know which system they are in. They are constantly on the move, in fact, making tracking them near impossible.”
“And, yet, we are going to track them,” Hozark said with confidence.
“Yes. That we are.”
“But how? I mean, you’re not exactly making this sound like an easy job here,” Bud noted.
“Oh, it is not easy by any means,” she replied. “But there is one weak link in their system. You see, they can’t resupply all of their ships at once. To do so would negate their tactical advantage. So, instead of a hundred ships descending on a trading world, only a few of their number break away to gather goods for all and resupply the rest of the fleet.”
“Kind of like hive insects bringing nourishment back to their kin,” Laskar mused.
“Precisely. Only, this hive is comprised of a few hundred craft, any one of which could contain Billian,” Demelza said.
Bud pondered the facts he’d learned so far. “So, let’s say we do somehow manage to locate this fleet. A mess of ships like that? That’s hundreds of defensive wards, all operated by different crews. How do we even get close?”
“Hozark?” she said, looking to the master assassin.
He turned to Bud. “That’s where you come in, Bud. You and Laskar.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Because we are going to steal one of their ships.”
Laskar raised his hand. “Uh, excuse me, but I have a crazy question. How is it going to do us any good to steal one of their ships if we don’t know where the rest of their fleet is, and if we have no idea how to get past their defenses?”
Hozark looked to Demelza.
&nb
sp; “We will extract that information from the crew before returning to the fleet, the same as if we were actually a part of the collective,” she said. “The whole group is comprised of all manner of people from systems far and wide. A true multi-species conglomerate. As such, none will question our disparate appearances.”
“If we have the right spells to disable the defenses, that is,” Bud added.
“Obviously,” she replied. “But those should be easy to wrest from the craft’s crew. And with them, the passive wards and active countermeasure guards will recognize us as a friendly vessel and let us dock back into the fleet without raising a single alarm.”
“You make it sound easier than I think it’s gonna be,” Laskar said.
“Perhaps. But it is quite straightforward. We just have to find the supply ships when they make a run.”
“But how do we even do that?” Laskar grumbled.
She fixed her gaze on the man. “Legwork, dear Laskar. A lot of legwork.”
“You know, I’ve still got plenty of ties to my old pirating buddies,” Uzabud said. “I know you have your Ghalian spy network, but, if you like, I can reach out to them and see if they might be able to dig up a little information for us. You know they’ve always got an eye out for a potential score.”
“So long as it can be done with the greatest of anonymity and subtlety,” Demelza said. “Two things pirates are not exactly famous for.”
“Oh, don’t worry about them. If there’s the opportunity for some plunder, they’ll keep their mouths quite sealed. And if we’re going to scatter a few hundred ships, I bet they’ll be more than happy to scavenge a few of them in the process.”
“That’s all it would take?” Laskar asked.
“Booty is booty, my friend. And they aren’t all that particular what they take, so long as they can sell it on the market.”
“I know you talked about your old pirating days, Bud, but I thought it was just bragging,” Laskar said. “You really think you can convince pirates to help us? And for free?”
“Well, it’s free in that we don’t pay them. But there’s plenty for them to profit from if all goes well.”