Tochar smiled and said, "A superior job as usual, Starla. You continue to impress and please me. I was smart to take a chance on you."
Starla forced a smile in return. "Thank you, Tochar, but I would like to settle one matter now: no more killing unless our lives are in jeopardy."
"Leaving a witness behind does place us in jeopardy, Starla. You and Moig acted wisely to eliminate any possible threat to us. As a reward for your extra task, please select any four weapons you desire from those you delivered to me. This," he said, as he handed her payment for her job, "should be an ample cut for your services this time."
Starla accepted the bag of crozes and thanked him again. It wasn't necessary to count or examine the gems, as they were spendable anywhere she traveled. "You are most generous, Tochar, and I appreciate your faith in me. If that's all for now, I'll take my leave and get needed rest."
"I will summon you when your services are required again. It will be soon, Starla, and at that time your cut will be even larger."
"I stay ready to comply." Starla nodded farewell and, af-
ter selecting the four weapons she wanted from several open crates nearby, departed.
She stepped from the trans-to at the base of the high ridge and headed toward the grid where her shuttlecraft had landed—a ten-preon walk away—leaving a landrover for Moig's use for transportation into the settlement. En route, Starla scanned the area below her still-elevated position where Tochara stretched out for a long distance in the canyon.
Since her arrival, she had learned that Noy was a world of semi-desert to arid desert terrain in various shades of red. Nature had sculpted many rocks, cliffs, ridges, and knobs into rugged and unusual formations. The oppressive red cloak was rent only by an occasional splotch of light or dark gray rock, so hard it rarely crumbled enough to add its shade to the fiery-colored soil whose dust was a nuisance. According to the weather or the time of deega, even the sky was a pale to vivid red. In every direction, mountain ranges—whose odd configurations seemed to have ruptured the ground almost violently during an upheaval eons ago— provided boundary markers. Thick-walled structures with formidable defense weapons sat on two flat-topped bluffs. Starla glanced at those sites with a feeling of hopelessness before returning her thoughts once again to a study of the locale.
Due to a lack of fertile soil in this wilderness, some food plants and fruit bushes were grown in containers inside enclosed domes and were watered by a crude system of pipes and pumps from sources owned and controlled by Tochar. However, the majority of supplies was imported, usually after being stolen by bands of nefariants who either lived or traded there, which created a steady flux of space traffic. Caves found inside three ridges possessed springs and pools of fresh water; they were guarded and their valuable resources dispensed by Tochar's thirty Enforcers, as were the two defense sites. Though rains were infrequent, when a
deluge came, it sent torrents of water gushing down the upheavals and washes, and was absorbed by dried mudflats and hardy red plants.
Tochara was one of many colonies on the secluded planet and, from what she had been told, was the best and safest place in the notorious Free-Zone; it was a vivid contrast to the mutant-roaming wastelands and other crude villages and harsh landscape where even the plants and animals were hazardous. Though noisy, the area was unlike the profound and eerie silence beyond it where only the wind was heard.
The story was that Tochar had arrived with his large band of villites two yings ago and conquered the lesser armed and unskilled inhabitants who had created the colony after fleeing oppression in an alien world. The original occupants who were not slain were sold into slavery on other planets which still allowed the barbaric practice.
Starla was glad there were no children here, as birth control with Hex was an easy task and these were not family people. There were few pets and none were permitted to roam free. Abode builders were wealthy because materials had to be imported and were expensive. Still, in many areas where the unkempt and less successftil raiders dwelled, it was smelly and dirty and cluttered. They lived in huts and shacks made of such usable scrap materials as metal and discarded wood. Lacking advanced technology, fuel for cooking sent gray and pungent smoke drifting upward where it was devoured quickly by a hungry red atmosphere, as were the ftimes from generator-created electricity from stolen fuel.
Most of the inhabitants were rough and lawless men— dregs of the universe, people from many planets and galaxies, pirates, smugglers, traitors, adventurers, bijonis, and those males and females who earned their subsistence by satisfying the villites's needs. Most clustered and worked in groups for defense and profit during raiding treks, though all were ruled and levied by Tochar and kept regulated by
his mighty band of Enforcers. The inhabitants' goals appeared to be eating, drinking, partaking in risky deeds, fulfilling sexual desires, and having a safe haven. All facets of life and the inhabitants here were primitive and coarse when compared to the people and places Starla loved and missed. Yet, a strange camaraderie flourished among them—an odd respect, affection, and loyalty to each other, and unflinchingly to their leader. That same type of bonding was true even for the carnivorous desert mutants— Skalds — and for colony fringe scavengers.
While waiting for the shuttle door to open and the steps to extend, she glanced at Tochar's abode, which overlooked the leader's domain. The rectangular, bilevel structure had been built on a wide rock shelf and nestled against a lofty peak high off the ground for defense and for observing his stronghold. Most of its many chambers had views of three directions through floor-to-ceiling transascreens made from a material visually impenetrable from the exterior, even when the interior was illuminated at night. A generator-operated trans-to carried the owner and his visitors to and from the remarkable location.
As she loaded the weapons and closed the door, Starla recalled other things she had learned. One alien slave and several robots tended to Tochar's dwelling and needs. A well-endowed and sultry female named Palesa sated his carnal cravings. A forceful and wicked alien from the planet of Icaria in the Thracian Empire, Tochar fed his lusts on riches and power, and within Palesa's sensuous body. He seemed to care nothing for politics elsewhere or conquest of any planet, but Starla feared that deega would come. His sole deprivation lay in being unable to enjoy freedom and safety anywhere he yearned to travel, at least until he obtained the capability of mounting a moonbeam laser weapon on his ship. She knew from the fiendal's record and from her observations that Tochar was clever, careful, greedy, and dangerous. He stayed in Tochara—beyond any galaxy's
boundary and authority and attack ability—while his small band of spacekis foraged the nearest sectors for goods he sold at high prices. He remained safe—his life and possessions protected—and seemingly innocent of those raids.
Discovering Tochar was indeed her target was a quick and simple task; but uncovering his distant partoers and capmring him or luring him away and into a trap seemed difficult but heady challenges.
Starla prepared the shuttle for lift-off to return to her ship. She hated Tochara and those who lived there; she could hardly wait to be gone from them. At least she had her ship—clean, safe, comfortable; she didn't want to imagine having to quarter herself in the crude settlement and was relieved the head fiendal had not insisted she do so.
She landed the shuttle in the docking bay of the Liska and joined her companion on the ship's bridge. She ordered a drink from a servo unit and sat near the control panel. She looked at Cypher and took a deep breath.
"You are tired and your spirits are low, Bree-Kayah," the android noted, having been programmed to communicate as a person. "Explain."
"After spending three malees under Tochar's probing gaze, I know he's responsible for the pirating of moonbeams we were sent to investigate, but I still don't know how he obtains facts about their transport schedules and routes. Having hirelings or parmers in Seri and Kalfa is the only way be could know when and where to strike at thos
e secret cargoes. Only men in power have access to those facts and to untraceable communications, yet, no one in either of those locations has fallen under suspicion or been caught sending word to him. Until I earn these villites' complete trust and acceptance and gather those facts, we can't finish our mission and leave."
The young woman almost leapt to her feet to pace the deck, an unusual action for her, and one the android grasped and evaluated.
She continued. "This assignment is crucial, Cypher; moonbeams are too powerful to fall into enemy hands; their uses in weapons, medicine, and defense are awesome. Researchers find more uses for them during every make that passes. No wonder the Thracians and Ceyxans and other galaxies will pay or do anything to get their hands on as many as possible. Once those crystals' full potential is known and put to use by those who aren't in the UFG, the balance of power between the galaxies will be destroyed and our worlds will be threatened by conquest or destruction, or subjected to brutal raids. We can't fail Maffei or our allies. At least Tochar doesn't suspect a female agent is working against him. If he's on the alert for a spy, he shouldn't even glance in my direction. Correct?"
The android observed, recorded, and analyzed her words and mood. "He trusts you because you passed his truth serum test. He does not realize you are immune to it; all Elite Squad members have been rendered immune to it. The false identity and record you were given cannot be dis-proven. He believes you are a rough and tough loner who seeks wealth, adventure, and survival, and have committed many daring and illegal deeds to obtain them. Bree-Kayah Saar of Maffei is unknown to him, to those in Kalfa, and to all in Seri except their supreme ruler; that is why Raz Yakir and your Supreme Commander selected you for this mission."
"This is the first time I've been loaned to a neighboring galaxy—a member of the United Federation—to carry out a mission, one which will also threaten our world if we fail." Starla went over the facts with Cypher. It was vital to success that only a few people knew of her assignment and location: Yakir, the Serian ruler; her superior in the Elite Squad; her family—the Saars—in Maffei; and her unique android. As far as everyone else was aware, Bree-Kayah Saar was on extended leave to rest following a series of difficult and exhausting missions.
"Do not forget: you infiltrated Tochar's band and earned their trust with skill and speed; if that is an inaccurate conclusion, Tochar would not allow you to go on raids on your ship and with only one man as a teammate."
"But he doesn't permit me to use my ship to go after moonbeams, and secrets of those treks are withheld from me until the astpreon," Starla reminded the android. "Isn't that suspicious, proof he doesn't fiilly believe me?"
"Tochar takes those actions because he is careful. The possibility of him learning the truth about you is minuscule. If he does, we have the means to dupe him and escape. I am your guardian and I monitor you at all times; you are safe from peril. Even if I were captured, he cannot extract information from me; my program is inaccessible to everyone except you."
"You've snatched me out of danger many times, Cypher, but no plan is totally foolproof and no person is totally unreachable by evil forces. If I'm exposed and his reaction time is swifter than ours, he could signal his attack stations to blast my shuttle or our ship into oblivion before I could reach it, cloak the Liska, vanish from their sensors, and flee."
"Do not fear, Bree-Kayah, I will not fail you or the Federation."
"I know, my friend, and I'm fortunate to have you."
As she sipped a cool drink, Starla thought how lucky she was indeed to have this particular android, the most advanced model available anywhere, one with a male appearance both in facial features and body build. His flesh and features displayed realistic human colorings, including his synthetic silver hair. The only giveaways he was nonhuman were his expressionless eyes and lack of sexual organs beneath his blue jumpsuit. His seventy-six hapax frame was strong and agile, made of a metal indestructible, thus far, until a moonbeam was discovered that could cut through most known metals. She did not want to imagine any villite
slicing him apart to reach his chips and circuits, as that would initiate a self-destruct sequence and he would be lost to her forever. She did not want to think about an existence without him. She knew she would do anything to protect him from harm, would kill to save him from evil, and Cypher was cognizant of that fact.
She was glad he had the capability to analyze any situation and to make decisions on his own when necessary. His flesh-colored face and silver eyes revealed no presence of feelings, but he had been given an emotions chip to help him understand her and other humans. With it, he could be amusing and even vexing at times, as if he possessed a real personality. She loved, respected, and trusted him as if he were human. When others were present, she called him "Cypher-T" to alert the android to a caution/duplicity mode. As part of a test program, the technologically advanced unit had become her partner during her second mission for the undercover Elite Squad of the Maffei Galaxy, her world. The pairing had worked so well that they had been left as a team. If he had been with her during her first assignment, she thought, perhaps Antarus would be alive and perhaps they would be lovers; and that auslander wouldn't have been so tempting, unforgettable. Don't think about him; he's gone forever.
Starla looked at Cypher and asked, "What if something goes wrong?"
"Relax, Bree-Kayah; you will succeed in your duty and mission; I will prevent failure and your destruction. It is unlike you to experience such doubts."
"I know, but this time it's different because so much is at risk, more than my life and the lives of those of my world. If only Tochar didn't have those incredible weapons on two ridges and atop his dwelling, Serian and Kalfan forces could attack and obliterate him. He was lucky his first crystal raid included them. Powered by such large white moonbeams, they can disable a fleet of starships, even
with their deflective shields engaged. Those crystals don't require any maintenance or other driving force and will last for yings. They can fire upward and in all four directions by fast manual movement. He also has smaller laser guns on all four sides aimed landward to thwart any ground attack. When I witoessed their capabilities, I was astounded and frightened. Those structures are impregnable, Cypher, so there's no way we can reach and disable the Destructoids. Tochar doesn't allow anyone inside those sites except his Enforcer guards and his closest friends. The same is true for the smaller version atop his dwelling."
A weary Starla flopped down in a seat and continued talking to the android. "I doubt I would be part of his band if his other unit hadn't been terminated during that first raid and he needed to form a new one. Auken, Sach, and Moig were the only ones to escape that fierce battle, but— fortunately for Tochar and horrible for our side—the weapons and crystals were on Auken's ship."
"You also have a powerful and secret weapon to aid you," Cypher reminded. "Yakir was intelligent to select you and to supply you with it."
Starla grasped his meaning. "It feels so strange when I become another woman in looks, but it's also exciting."
"It is good that shapeshifting does not cause pain."
"What's also good is that Yakir allowed me to have that Serian secret to use, as few know of its existence. Perhaps as Yana I can learn things Starla Vedris can't. We make a good team, Cypher; I'm glad you're with me. My world and family are so far away and no contact with them is possible. They must be terribly worried about me, but they realize I had to come. I would be more afraid if I were here alone and doing all the work myself."
Cypher could not smile, but his emotions chip sent a good sensation through his circuits, one his unique program understood and appreciated. "Yes, Bree-Kayah Saar, we are a good team."
"I learned on the last crystal raid that no matter what precautions the Serians and Kalfans take, Tochar learns their plans. I'm sure our band's raids are connected with some crucial matter for always having to use Auken's ship. Every time you cloak and follow us, nothing shows up on our sensors. We mu
st look harder and closer, my friend, a clue is there somewhere."
"We will find it. Tochar is clever, but we are smarter."
Starla laughed and teased, "Is that conceit and boasting I hear?"
"I speak only the truth to you as my program insists."
"Did I act wisely during that raid with Moig?" she asked her trusted android. "I was ordered to do whatever was necessary to obtain victory, but don't I have limits in some areas? What if that action returns to trouble me?"
Cypher scanned that incident file in his advanced system. "You did as you must. Delete it from your memory cells."
"I'm afraid I don't have an erase switch or command. He shouldn't have been aboard. I don't know who he was or why he was there, but if you hadn't warned me and I hadn't dealt with him as I did, Moig would have slain him, and Tochar would have kicked me out of his special unit."
"You must not do anything to expose your identity or to endanger yourself; disobedience would have provoked both." Cypher probed a matter he needed to understand. "Why did your vital signs register strange signals when you met and dealt with the intruder?"
Starla gazed at him. "What do you mean?"
"Your heart and pulse rates became fast and erratic. Your body temperature fluctuated. Your chemical balance and brain wave pattern altered. Your muscles quivered. I have not picked up that mixture of signals before, and the sensors did not malfunction. Explain."
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