Smuggler's Luck

by S. W. Gunn

  Feligrin grumbled. Jarron chuckled to himself because he knew that Feligrin hated the station.

  Hain announced, “Well we have a shipment to deliver. We’ll be leavin’ tomorrow so once we find out what they’ve got to say then we’ll go from there.”

  Jarron told him, “Well I think they’re planning to have Elyse travel to visit them. I would guess that they plan for her to go to an Eal’tain planet.”

  Hain grunted. Jarron knew immediately that Hain would not be coming along. He hated the Eal’tain much more than Jarron had ever realized, although Jarron had to admit that he could not blame him for it. Dalain said thousands died because of the Eal’tain.

  “Lad you’re gonna have to find some other way to go, I willna be goin’ to an Eal’tain planet.”

  He was not surprised by the announcement so Jarron nodded. The way the Eal’tain man had spoken left Jarron to believe that they would be the ones doing the transporting.

  “Although I’m very uncomfortable to lose half my crew for who knows how long.” Hain said rubbing his beard.

  “We’ll be fine Hain I don’t think Elyse’s father would go through the trouble to hunt her down just to hurt her. Plus, I think it would make for an exciting adventure to see something few have. I also doubt that Tiberius will be able to get to us while we are on an Eal’tain planet.”

  Hain nodded before standing and declaring, “Well let’s go back to the bar where we got Feligrin an get somethin’ to eat. I feel like a real cooked meal for supper.”

  Jarron had not realized how hungry he was. They stopped for a snack while exploring the marketplace but he was starving. Everyone stood up and walked back through the station to the pub. As soon as they entered Feligrin looked very uncomfortable. Jarron doubted he had many positive memories here. As soon as they sat down they were approached by a waitress, who immediately ignored them and went right to Feligrin.

  “Feli!” She almost screamed.

  She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Jarron chuckled when he saw that Feligrin was blushing. The woman kissed Feligrin’s cheeks many times before he was able to slip out of her grasp.

  “Where have you been?” The woman asked.

  In an almost embarrassed tone Feligrin answered, “I joined the crew of a cargo ship and we’ve been working since then.”

  Jarron could tell that he was very uncomfortable around the woman. Looking over at her Jarron examined her. She looked to be in her mid-thirties and was a bit overweight with ruddy brown hair that she had pinned into a bun on her head. Her face was round and she had dark brown eyes. She wore a tan shirt that was about a size too small for her, a loose red skirt and a wide leather belt. Jarron considered her to be slightly unattractive but he found it quite amusing that she was very interested in Feligrin it seemed though.

  After she recovered from her shock of seeing Feligrin she said, “Well let’s take your order. I’ll come back after I put it in and you can tell me all about it.”

  It was obvious that she was talking almost exclusively to Feligrin. She took everyone’s orders. Jarron ordered a nice steak and some potatoes, which Elyse copied.

  As the woman was about to leave Hain called out, “An bring an ale for everyone at our table lass.”

  She nodded at him and then left.

  Elyse said, “Hain, Ramona and I don’t drink.”

  Chuckling Hain said, “If’n you’re on my ship, ya drink.”

  Jarron chuckled. Hain had even less experience with human religions than Jarron did. No doubt the reason she said something was because of the many rules religions seemed to want to apply to its applicants.

  Jarron leaned over to her and whispered, “Just pretend to drink it, when Hain isn’t looking pour a bit into his mug. He won’t even notice.”

  She giggled at his words. Although Jarron wondered how much fun she would be if he applied some ale to her. She was already voracious in bed, perhaps she would be too much for him to handle. He decided to trick her into drinking a little of the ale, most likely it would not take much to get her a little tipsy. After a brief wait, the food and ales showed up. Jarron chuckled as he saw Ramona disdainfully push the mug of ale away from her. Elyse leaned over to her and whispered something, which caused her to giggle and then bring the mug back. Elyse then turned back to Jarron and winked at him. That little trick with the ale was how Jarron had kept himself from getting too drunk in the past when Hain drug him to the many bars and pubs that they had visited in their time together. Jarron had to admit that Hain was without a doubt one of the best drinkers in the galaxy. No matter how much he put down Jarron had never seen him incapacitated. Jarron slowly cut into his steak. It was not of the highest quality but it was still more than edible.

  After Elyse took a bite of her steak she turned to him and smiled before saying, “It’s pretty good.”

  “So you’ve never drank any alcohol at all?” Jarron asked her.

  She shook her head as she continued to eat.

  “I think you should at least try it.” He said between bites.

  She frowned. Jarron had no doubt that the church she had grown up in had repeated the mantra of how bad it was for so long that it was deep in her mind.

  Hain stated, “Lass I donna understand what the fuss is about. The entire Kalan religion is based around drinkin’.”

  Ramona spoke evenly, “The Maker has declared the loss of your faculties as sinful.”

  Jarron interjected, “Unless you drink too much, you wouldn’t lose your faculties.”

  His words caused both Feligrin and Hain to laugh. A look of grim determination crossed Elyse’s face.

  “If you’re willing to go see your father then I should at least try it.” She said.

  Jarron grinned. He thought that it was nice to see that she was as willing to do things for him as he was for her. She lifted her mug and took a sip. Her face immediately shifted to distaste. Ale was a drink that took some getting used to. Hain and Jarron both laughed at her response.

  “It’s very bitter.” She announced.

  “It takes some time to get used to the bitterness but drink about half of it and you’ll start to appreciate its finer qualities.” Jarron said to her.

  “Alright I’ll give it a chance.” She said before gingerly bringing it to her lips to drink.

  Craftily Jarron reached out and tilted her mug to help her drink much more than the sip she tried the first time. He made sure not to push so hard as to make her choke but helped her get a nice big gulp. She gagged at the bitterness, which only caused Jarron, Hain and Feligrin to laugh. Ramona even giggled at her reaction.

  “Lad just don’t make her drink too much. She’s prolly soft an you’ll be the one carryin’ her back to the ship.” Hain commented with a twinkle in his eyes.

  His words must have struck a nerve with Elyse. Her eyes steeled and she lifted the mug to her lips and took a deep gulp. She then continued to drink until the entire mug was consumed.

  She slammed the mug on the table and in a harsh voice declared, “I’m not soft.”

  Jarron was impressed although he was certain she would be feeling the effects of the ale very soon. He could hardly wait to see her reaction to it. Even Hain looked mildly impressed.

  “Alright lass, maybe ya aren’t as soft as I thought.” He replied.

  Jarron knew he was trying to goad her into a drinking contest. He had tried many times with Jarron and the one time that he succeeded Jarron was suffering for two days afterwards.

  “What do you mean, ‘as you thought’?” Elyse asked.

  “Well lass, its one thing to drink just one ale, even your soft husband can do that but lemme see how confident you’ll feel after five or six of em.” He replied mockingly.

  Jarron knew that he would have to intercede on her behalf. Even with her Eal’tain bloodlines that gave her stronger stamina, she had never drunk before and would probably find herself under the table real fast, especially against Hain.

  “Ha
in she’s definitely not soft but let’s let her get used to it first.” Jarron said.

  “No, I’ll be fine. It’s going to take a lo...” Elyse fell sideways towards Jarron, who caught her.

  Hain laughed uproariously. Jarron could feel her breathing as he slowly helped her back to her chair. He looked at her face and she looked very embarrassed.

  “I seemed to have slipped from my chair.” She said.

  Her speech was already beginning to slur a little. Jarron felt bad for her, although she was not so bad that she would get too bad of a headache tomorrow.

  “I think I’ll take her back to the Keg.” Jarron announced.

  Hain nodded at him and said, “Prolly wise lad.”

  Jarron stood and then slowly helped Elyse to her feet. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist and held one of her hands with the other. It was a bit of a surprise with how quickly the alcohol took effect. Perhaps it was another effect of her heritage? No human, even one who had never drank before, would have been affected so quickly. She stumbled slightly as he slowly guided her out of the pub and to the elevator.

  As soon as they entered the elevator she looked up to him and said, “Hey handsome, where you taking me?”

  “Back to our quarters.”

  She got a coy look on her face and stated, “I like where this is headed.”

  Jarron could only chuckle. He had wanted her just a little drunk and now he was either going to have a very good night, or need a sonic shower. Almost as soon as they got to their quarters she attacked him passionately. Her hands moved quickly to remove his shirt. Jarron was shocked at her aggressiveness. As she pulled on his pants she laughed uproariously.

  “What’s so funny?” He asked her.

  Giggling she said, “I faked it.”

  “Faked what?”

  “I’m not drunk I just wanted to have sex with you.” She replied cunningly.

  Giving out a laugh he asked, “Why didn’t you just say so?”

  She continued to pull on his pants before answering, “This is more fun.”

  * * * * *

  Jarron awoke the next morning to a loud banging on his door. He sat up, which awoke Elyse.

  Hain’s voice echoed through the door, “Lad there’s a freakin’ Eal’tain outside our ship lookin’ for the lass. Come an see him cause he ain’t comin’ on my ship.”

  They jumped out of bed quickly to get dressed. Jarron forgot for one moment that she had reorganized his room and started towards one of the cabinets that were now hers. After he opened it he remembered and went to find something to wear. He quickly got dressed and turned to Elyse. She looked lovely in the clothing she was wearing which was a sleeveless light pink top that had some kind of flower pattern and a matching plain light pink skirt. On her feet was a pair of light pink shoes.

  “Alright let’s go.” Jarron said.

  She nodded and took his hand. They walked through the Keg and as soon as Jarron opened the airlock door he could see their guest. He was a tall lean Eal’tain man. He had long brown hair that was neatly braided on the sides of his temple and then pulled back to hold his hair in place. His eyes were the same hazel color as Elyse’s. Just like her, his facial features were angular and lean. Jarron noted that the man was slightly shorter than he was and much leaner. He wore a flowing loose fitting light green tunic and a pair of pants that seemed more like a very loose fitting skirt than pants. Around his waist was a wide cloth sash. He had a pair of leather boots on his feet. Jarron thought that he seemed very out of place on the space station.

  “Are you the people looking for Iaeth?” He asked.

  Elyse nodded at him and said, “Yes, I’m his daughter.”

  “He has made arrangements for you to leave this station and be transported to Sethinalor. Are you ready to leave now?”

  “What about my husband?” She asked.

  “We are very hesitant to bring a human to one of our planets.” He responded.

  “Well either he comes or neither of us comes.” She replied firmly.

  “Very well.”

  “Good, please give us a few minutes to pack a bag for the trip.”

  He nodded at her. Jarron guided her back through the ship to their quarters and they quickly packed a bag each. Jarron made sure to fill his favorite duffel bag.

  “Bring your guitar.” Elyse said.

  “Why?” Jarron asked quizzically.

  “I don’t like this guy’s attitude so I think we should have a little fun tormenting him.” She said with a cackle.

  Jarron laughed and immediately picked up his guitar case. Once they finished packing they went to the cockpit to find Hain, Feligrin and Ramona.

  “So ya leavin’ lad?” Hain said.

  “Yes Hain,” Jarron said with a nod, “But we’ll have them bring us back here once we’re done alright?”

  “Aye, send me a message once you’re ready lad.” Hain replied.

  Elyse bent down and hugged Feligrin, then Hain and finally Ramona.

  She said, “We’ll see you guys later.”

  After a few more goodbyes they turned and left. Once they exited the ship the Eal’tain waved for them to follow and then began walking. They followed him as he went through the airlock level and to another airlock on the opposite side of the Keg. He stopped and activated the switch to open the airlock door.

  “Enter here and take a seat, the pilot will fly you to Sethinalor.” He said firmly.

  They both nodded at him and then entered as directed. Jarron was surprised by the opulence of the ship. It seemed that the Eal’tain went through a lot of effort for comfort. The chairs they sat in were soft and covered in some kind of fur. The walls were decorated with some type of lacquered red colored wood. Jarron felt the engines of the ship warming up and then the movement of the ship as it left the station and then leaped into the fold. Sadly there were no windows in the area they sat, which he suspected might have been on purpose. He heard that Eal’tain tended to be very secretive.

  Chapter 16

  They sat in their seats for several hours, only standing for restroom breaks as they needed them. Jarron was quite uncomfortable with the design since it seemed like this ship was meant to keep people from moving around. There was only one accessible door that they could enter and it was for the restroom. Eventually he felt the ship shift as it left the fold and then began to move normally. He suspected that they were heading towards a planet, which was confirmed when the ship rocked slightly as it moved through the atmosphere. Finally it thumped and came to a stop as it landed. The flight was very smooth, which let him know that the ship was probably smaller and much sleeker than most transport ships. He stood up, which Elyse responded to by standing as well. The door they had boarded the ship from opened. As soon as it opened Jarron was hit by the bright sunlight of the planet and the thick air. This planet was going to be one of those very humid ones. Jarron hated humidity, it made him sweat a lot more than he liked.

  “Whoa, the air here is different.” Elyse stated.

  Jarron nodded at her and walked towards the door, grabbing her hand as he went. As soon as he stepped out of the door he was surprised by what he saw. The landing pad was resting atop a tree! He had never seen such a thing in his life. From what Jarron could see the entire planet around them was one massive forest. Of course he was certain it had oceans and such but he could only see trees. He took a step down and Elyse looked out.

  “Wow!” She said loudly, “It’s beautiful!”

  Jarron spotted an Eal’tain man standing at the end of the steps. He had long flowing blonde hair that he let blow wildly through the breeze. His eyes were crystal green and his perfect smooth pale skin made Elyse’s seem in poor condition. He wore a tunic and a pair of pants very similar in style to the man back at the space station. The tunic was light blue, the pants were dark blue, and wrapped around his waist was a white sash. Jarron found himself admiring the style as it looked very comfortable to wear.

  An Eal’tain man
standing at the bottom of the steps of the exit door then said, “Thank you. Sethinalor is one of our proudest places. My name is Laquil and I am the senior assistant for the Speaker.”

  Jarron asked curiously, “The Speaker?”

  Laquil replied with a nod, “Indeed. The Speaker is the title of the man whom you have come seeking, Iaeth. If you both would follow me I shall take you to see him. “

  Elyse nodded at him, which he responded by turning towards a very rickety looking wooden elevator. Jarron was very hesitant to board it but since the man and Elyse boarded, he was left with little choice. The man pushed a lever and the elevator responded by slowly lowering them down to the surface of the planet. All Jarron could see through the dark forest was an occasional beacon light to guide them. The man followed the lights with Elyse and Jarron following behind him. After a long walk they finally made it to a clearing. He was surprised that the clearing was there since he did not see it from above or even from a distance as they approached it. Of course with so many trees around them it would have been hard to spot it from anywhere but directly above. All of the buildings in the clearing were a design unlike anything he ever seen before. They were almost a bell shape that twisted slightly as the sides moved upwards. It appeared that the sides of the building had some sort of funnel system. The buildings were made of a light silvery metal that shimmered as the sun struck them. Wandering through area were dozens of Eal’tain, many of which stopped to look at them as they entered the clearing. Jarron suspected that they never received guests who were not Eal’tain. He could clearly see the difference between Elyse and the people here. She was stockier and taller, even her face was not as angular as theirs. All of the men wore the same style of clothing as the man who brought them here. The women wore a variety of different colored dresses that fell loosely with a light sash around their waist. They were very similar in design as the tunics the men wore.

  “I like the dresses that they are wearing.” Elyse declared.

  The man turned back and said, “We can get you one if you would like.”