Hand of Steel

by Jessi L Roberts

  Klate held out his huge hand. “Give me the pistol.”

  I aimed it at him again. I didn’t want to shoot him, but he couldn’t have my only weapon.

  Klate charged.

  One swipe of his gigantic hand batted the pistol from my grasp. It skittered across the floor and under the cot.

  Klate’s hand came back, ready for a second swipe. I closed my eye and waited for the killing blow.

  It never came.

  I opened my eyes. Klate stood over me, his ears perked in their usual unreadable position.

  Outside, the storm howled.

  He hadn’t killed me. He wasn’t even mad.

  Klate knelt and pulled the pistol from under the cot. He stuffed it in his belt, near his other pistol. “You couldn’t have shot me anyway. There wasn’t a round chambered.” He pointed to the bed. “You can have the bed. I’ll stay out there with the bird.”

  “How did you find me?” I demanded. “Did you use that chip you put in my head?”

  “That chip can’t be controlled by anyone but you.” Klate’s ears twitched. “I figured you’d go for the nearest settlement, so I borrowed the bird and headed after you. I hadn’t expected you to run on a planet you’d only been on for a few hours, let alone make it this far. Your dad trained you well.”

  My jaw clenched. What would Dad think of me now, trapped with a pirate I couldn’t kill? What about my looks? I was an ugly cyborg with the wrong number of fingers and toes. Some hunter I was.

  A few tears dripped from my real eye. I stumbled to the cot and sat, then wiped it away.

  Klate’s ears drooped. He came to the cot and sat next to me. “It’s okay to cry.”

  I sniffed. This time, I couldn’t stop the tears or the sobs that followed.

  Klate put his damp arm around my shoulders. I didn’t resist. It reminded me a little of Dad, even if Klate’s arm was huge and hairy. It still had warmth, warmth I hadn’t felt since the grenade, and even if I didn’t want to admit it, I needed his comfort.

  Klate held me while I cried.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Departure

  I stepped off the Deathhorn and onto the pavement of Tupra’s biggest spaceport. Klate and Melsha followed after me.

  Gray clouds hid the sky, covering the sun, asteroids, and moons I knew were above. From what I knew of Tupra, the clouds rarely lifted enough for the locals to see their wondrous night sky.

  “You’re sure you don’t want us to take you to Saddat?” Klate asked. “You might have more luck finding your family there.”

  I hefted a pack Klate had given me. “They travel around.” I hadn’t mentioned that my “family” consisted of Akar and Reva. They made a lot of their coin hunting pirates and smugglers, not the middle-rung criminals Dad and I had hunted. Klate wouldn’t like the idea of me joining with the elite hunters.

  “I’m not sure if I’ll go with them anyway. We had differences.” I added. Dad had always turned his brother and sister down when Akar offered to let us join his team, even though we could have used the extra coin from the larger bounties. Sure, they were Loyalists like us, but from what Dad told me, they’d sometimes take their beliefs in obeying the Ordained almost far enough to disobey the rest of the Bible.

  “Wait!” Doc darted down the ramp. He grabbed my cybernetic arm and pulled a small tool from his pocket.

  With a few quick flips, he opened my cybernetic hand and began fiddling with the controls in it. He wiggled a few bits around, then closed my hand up, leaving only a thin crease in the gray skin.

  “Unsheathe your claws,” Doc said.

  I stared at my fingers. Claws? The cybernetics didn’t even have fingernails.

  “Think of them as another joint in your finger.” Doc bent over and began messing with my cybernetic foot. “They’re actually needles, much like my own claws. They’ll inject paralysis serum into someone. It’s the same kind as in your darts so it won’t work on Chix.” He spoke fast, obviously proud of his creation. “They’ll need refilled after two uses. Open the back and fill the little vials.” His tail twitched, as usual. “Your hands can hold more venom than my claws, so you only need to inject two claws worth for something human-sized.”

  I focused on my hand and tried to unsheathe the claws.

  A claw pierced the fake skin of my finger and swiveled into place. I stared at it. “Why didn’t you just give me civilian cybernetics?”

  Doc finished with my foot. “I don’t do that sort of trash. My cybernetics are art. They should be displayed with pride, not hidden away. Your nose also has a filter in it that should give you a bit of resistance to some gasses.”

  “Why didn’t I know about this?” I retracted my claw.

  “Tenned didn’t think we should let you have any weapons on the ship,” Klate said. He pulled a small pistol and holster from a pocket in his pants. “Figured you might want this back.”

  I took the pistol and pulled it from the holster. It was the one Klate had taken in the Comet’s Tail. Six stun rounds sat in the magazine. “Thanks.” I put it back in the holster and attached it to my belt.

  Melsha stepped past Klate and engulfed me in a hug. “We’ll miss you.”

  I returned the hug.

  She stepped back. “Sure you don’t want to join the crew?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not a pirate.”

  Behind Melsha, the rest of the crew stood, waiting to come down the ramp. During my trip, I’d learned most of their names. Tenned stepped past them and came to stand next to Klate. His red eyes were narrowed, as usual. “If you ever try hunting us, I will not hold back.”

  Klate ignored Tenned. “Melsha’s right. If you do ever want a job, I’d be open to letting you on as a crew member.”

  I doubted Tenned approved of the offer.

  “Thanks, but I’ll be fine on my own.” Even if Klate and Melsha got along with me, I doubted the rest of the crew would appreciate a hunter in their numbers, even if some of them were nice to me. Besides, I couldn’t help them rob Ordained ships. The law was the law.

  I craned my neck upward to meet Klate’s gaze. “I forgive you.”

  Klate smiled a little. “Thank you.”

  If Tenned had killed my father, it would’ve been different, but Klate had shown he was sorry. I looked over the pirates one last time. They worked together like a family. Klate and Melsha would’ve taken me in, but the others? They’d never trust a bounty hunter. “Goodbye.” I turned and strode through the spaceport.

  A humid breeze blew, but my thick clothes blocked most of it.

  I examined the ships in the spaceport. Unlike the Deathhorn, these had wings similar to a swallow. They were Tupra ships, manufactured on planet. Their unique looks made them stick out enough so that landing anywhere other than the black market towns of Lokostwa would be difficult, but the sleek predatory blackness of those ships would put fear into the hearts of anyone they attacked. A few other ships had Ordained markings. Were they Ordained ships or smugglers disguised as Ordained?

  With Tupra having a large supply of flexsteel and bendsteel, perhaps the Ordained encouraged trade, even though they officially had an embargo on Tupra.

  A huge wall circled the spaceport, but a set of double gates stood open. I headed toward them. The wall had the appearance of something meant to keep people in the spaceport. It might not be any good during a war, but it probably cut down on smugglers and hunters.

  Two Elba guards stood at the gates.

  My hands broke out in a sweat.

  The shorter one, who still towered over any normal sized Human or Skallan, stepped toward me.

  I froze and resisted the urge to drop my hand to my belt for the pistol.

  “Where you from?” he asked, his Tupran accent thick. So far, he showed no obvious aggression, other than his ears being turned slightly back. All my instincts told me to be careful with any creature who could gut me with a single swipe.

  “I came on the Deathhorn,” I said.

  The E
lba’s ears swiveled forward. “You know Klate?”

  I nodded.

  He glanced at the Deathhorn. “Good man, Klate.” The Elba stepped out of my way. “Have fun.”

  “Thanks.” I walked past the two Elbas and into Trader Town.

  My mind ran over the information I knew about the place. Trader Town was the biggest known pirate haven anywhere near Ordained space, and judging by the two guards, pirates were well-respected here. Back in the Lokostwan town, the Ordained could have sent in an army of mercenaries if things got bad, but here, anyone who got in trouble was on their own.

  Even though the Ordained militaries couldn’t take the native planet of the Elbas and Varsillian, they had managed to destroy most of the government system, leaving Tupra in a state of what could best be described as peaceful anarchy where only the larger towns had any kind of governing system. Most of the religion on Tupra was of the Free Kin sect, with Loyalists being a persecuted minority.

  The two guards were likely some sort of primitive border security meant to keep an eye out for anyone from the Ordained who tried infiltrating Tupra. The wall wouldn’t hold up to a battle, but it gave them some idea of who landed in the spaceport.

  Coral-like trees and pillars of every color and shape towered above the stores that competed for the attention of spacefarers. The first thing I needed to do was find somewhere to spend the night. With the cold humidity, I couldn’t sleep outside.

  I passed a row of stands selling fruits, dried goods, and meat. The smells set my stomach growling. I walked to the nearest one where an Elba roasted six-limbed creature of some sort over a fire pit made from spaceship parts.

  Juices from the creature dripped into the flames, which flared with every drip. Did Tupra have six-legged vertebrates or was this an import from Korska? It was about half the size of a kark, small enough for someone to handle but big enough to feed a large family.

  A young Elba peered from behind the strange bird-thing. “You want some? One bendsteel coin for a leg.” She spoke Spacer well, though she had the Tupran accent. Her gaze landed on my cybernetics.

  I pulled out one coin and handed it to her. Not a bad price, considering Tupra produced so much bendsteel. Maybe she felt sorry for me, or it was past whatever time people ate here.

  She ripped off a leg and wrapped the end in a leaf before handing it to me.

  I took the meat and bit into it. It carried a sweet taste and had been sprinkled with various kinds of seasoning. “It’s good.”

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “Do you know of a place where I could spend the night?” Tomorrow, I’d figure out what I wanted to do with myself. Going back to Ordained space would be the best option, but if I was on Tupra, I might as well learn about it. After all, not many hunters were brave enough to hunt on Tupra.

  The Elba’s ears twitched. “My aunt runs an inn down the street. It’s called the Moonshadow. They’ve even got an opening for a dishwasher. I will warn you, Inissan has no clue how to cook.”

  “Thanks.” With Tupra’s cold dampness an inn would be worth whatever I had to pay.

  I headed down the street. The amount of Elbas around set me on edge. There were so many of them. Though most were smaller than Klate, they were still huge. I prayed none of them would realize I was a hunter. Then again, with such a low rank, they might not care.

  I passed three with red tattoos that looked like a knife, symbolizing murder. Most likely, they’d been tattooed murderers for killing Ordained soldiers in the Tupra War. Dad had disagreed with the Ordained when it came to the punishment of soldiers.

  I found the inn, which had extravagant murals of comets, moons, and planets covering the whole outer wall. Whoever had painted them was an amazing artist.

  I walked through the inn’s doors. The inside walls were painted blue with clouds, asteroids, and moons. Unlike the tavern on Lokostwa, this inn had a homey feel with no dark shadows and the smell of cooking meats and roots had no dirt scent mixed in.

  “Can I help you?” A female Elba with a graying muzzle stepped from behind one of the tables. She held a rag in one hand and a tray in the other. Other than her, the place was empty.

  “Are you Inissan?”

  “That’s me.”

  “I’m looking for a place to stay,” I said.

  Inissan had white inner ears and her coat had just enough brown that I could make out the stripes.

  “I can provide that. It’s ten coin unless you stay ten nights then you get the room for nine coin a night.” She ran her rag over one of the tables. “Do you know how long you’ll be staying in these parts?”

  “Not really.” I looked at my feet.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” Inissan stopped washing the table. “I’m guessing Saddat, judging by your accent.”

  “You’re right.” Of course, my accent would give me away, especially to Elbas with their sharp ears. Hopefully, no one would expect me to speak Tupran. At least everyone in this town seemed to know Spacer.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Krys Karzil.” I mentally kicked myself. I should have used a fake name. Then again, what were the chances someone on Tupra would know the Karzils were hunters? “I’ll take ten days if you don’t mind.”

  The Elba smiled. “Works for me.” Her words were soft, much like Klate’s.

  She left the rag and tray on the table and went to the counter. She pulled a door key from behind the counter and handed it to me. “Up the stairs, first door on the left.”

  “Thanks.” I walked up the stairs and to the door. I inserted the door key into the hole and twisted it. The door swung open, exposing a small room with a clean bed. Another door led to an even smaller room for hygiene.

  I locked the door behind me and sat on the bed. I began sheathing and unsheathing my claws. Every time I did it, the action became more smooth and natural. The same went for my foot.

  Klate had given me enough coin to get by for a while, but I’d need to find a job. What could I do? Other than hunting, I didn’t know a trade. The Karzils had enforced Ordained law for generations, but a girl hunting on her own wouldn’t last long.

  I took off my dirty clothes and climbed between the covers of the clean bed. I’d worry about my future in the morning.

  The next morning, the sounds of patrons dining awoke me. I climbed out of bed and got dressed. My clothes would need to be washed soon. I ran through a quick exercise regimen before leaving my room.

  I took the stairs one at a time, still a bit unsure of my cybernetic leg, at least on stairs.

  The room, which had been empty before, only had two free tables. The diners were mostly Elbas, but a few Varsillian sat at the tables. With serpentine bodies, they moved like swaying trees. As they spoke to each other, their colors shifted with their emotions. The shifting colors made it almost impossible for a hunter to get a positive identification on them. Luckily, they rarely left Tupra.

  Inissan scrambled from one table to the next, a stack of plates in one hand and a rag in the other. Her ears were flipped backward. From the way she acted, I guessed she had to be close to panic with all the customers.

  She hurried past me.

  A plan entered my mind. “Do you need any help?”

  “Do I ever.” She tossed me a rag. “The Elba family in the back is about to leave. When they do, clean off their table, then go and wash dishes. If you work today, I’ll give you a free night, and your food will be on the house.” She pulled another rag from her dress pocket. “We’ve got a crew coming in.”

  The five Elbas exited the building. I ran to the table and began washing it clean of the grime it had accumulated from the dining Elbas.

  Eleven Elbas, some with tattoos staining their fur, strode into the inn. A Gorkam hopped after them. Behind him, or her, four Torfs and two Varsillian came. They were all armed with pistols. A few had rifles. Two of the Elbas sported cybernetics. An old black warhound limped after them. I hurried behind the
bar and began scrubbing dishes. I tried to ignore this crew, or at least look like I was. Smugglers rarely had over ten to a crew. These were pirates, and the various tattoos on their cheeks told me many were escaped slaves.

  Inissan scrambled to take orders from the pirates.

  A female Elba with reddish fur dipped her head respectfully to Inissan and ordered the food. By watching the way the crew looked at her, I guessed she was the captain. The warhound sat at her side. My fingers itched to take out my datsheet and see who the pirate was. She had a bold red tattoo on her cheek, but a long row of deep claw marks ran through the number. The scar seemed old, but it had been a hard blow. Judging by the size and distance between the marks, she’d faced down another Elba. Why did she have a pet warhound? Warhounds were especially bred for the Chix cavalry. That breed of kark wasn’t something an Elba would own.

  A family of four Skallan left and headed for their rooms. I washed the last of the plates and hurried past the Elba captain to the family’s table. I grabbed a pile of plates and darted toward the kitchen.

  The Elba watched me.

  I deposited the plates in the basin and grabbed a rag to clean the table. As I walked past the Elba, I looked away from her.

  Her huge hand darted out and grabbed my cybernetic arm. “This is military grade,” she said.

  “Let go.” I tried to pull away from her, but she held on. Every claw but her trigger finger’s claw and thumb claw were long and sharp, telling me she favored close range fighting. By the look of her scars, she’d been in many fights against things with claws and teeth. “Inissan, where’d you get your help? I don’t like her looks.”

  I reached for my pistol.

  Inissan hurried to the table. “Let her go.” The words came out as a low growl.

  “She’s probably a hunter. These cybernetics aren’t civilian.” The pirate released me. “Word gets around that the Moonshadow’s employing a hunter and you’ll have no customers.”

  I held my cybernetic arm close to my body.

  Inissan’s golden gaze landed on me. “What ship did you come in on, girl?”