"I saved you the trouble of dying." He gestured to the Ushtarans, blood still dripping from his black claws. "They were heading your way. Better to take them out quietly than to risk a gunfight that would draw more."
"Fine," Ria snapped. "But no more surprises. We made a plan. Stick to it."
The Quamat hissed as though he was about to object, but he nodded. "Fine."
Taza couldn’t help but notice how different she was to the meek Chan servant he’d met when first arriving on Ushtar. She made a good spy for someone new to the game. Zora had indeed trained her well. Pain stabbed his chest at the thought, and he pushed it aside.
Ria punched the elevator controls. The elevator whined and the light above the door flashed amber. "They’ve locked me out."
"That’s why I’m here," Taza said, pushing past her and connecting his SIG to the control panel.
He ran the hacking protocol Clio had given him. It was a nifty piece of code he’d updated with a few enhancements of his own. He stepped away, and the elevator whined as it had before.
"It didn’t work," Skallig pointed out.
Taza held up a hand. "Wait for it."
The controls emitted a high-pitched ping and the light above the door turned yellow.
He pulled the rifle from his shoulder. "I injected an intrusion bot. It’ll mask elevator operations and disrupt their surveillance for thirty standard minutes, but we better be ready just in case."
Ria nodded and the others aimed at the door.
The elevator pinged again and opened.
It was empty inside.
"So far so good," Taza said.
Ria mumbled something as she led the team inside, and Skallig snorted as he passed.
Taza joined them, and the door scraped shut. The elevator lurched and whirred as it lifted them toward the skyways.
The trip was made in silence until another ping signaling their arrival.
The doors slid open and Ria looked outside. "Clear."
She ran to the supply depot opposite, took cover behind a stack of crates, and signaled for the others to follow.
They kept low as they filed out of the elevator, Taza bringing up the rear. He reached the depot just as an engine roared from below. He slid between the crates and froze.
The thundering engines hovered overhead for a minute before blasting off toward the Spire.
"That was close," he said jovially as Ria helped him to his feet.
"Too close," the Chan said with a glare. "Try harder to keep up."
She turned away before he could respond, looking over a crate in the direction of the Spire.
"Intel wasn’t kidding," Ria said. "Ushtaran guards have the place swarmed. They’re clearly on edge."
Taza moved next to her and zoomed his visor. "At least twenty heavies on the Spire’s platform. Looks like they’ve restricted traffic through the area too."
"There’s Yana," Ria spat.
Taza watched the female Ushtaran descend the steps from the Spire’s main entrance.
"Hopefully they’re concentrated by the Spire. I can’t see the skyway landing dock from here. We need to move closer for a better look."
Movement behind Yana caught Taza’s attention. Eldi also approached the platforms, Aldo marching behind him, ever watchful. Three Ushtarans emerged from a storage unit to meet them. They carried cameras and a bunch of other recording equipment. "Doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere."
Eldi took up a position under the platform’s giant monitor. The camera crew organized themselves and Eldi’s face appeared on the screen. An Ushtaran assistant hurried to his side and fussed over his robes while they waited for the broadcast to connect.
"Must be making an important public address,” Ria said. "It explains the guards. This distraction could work in our favor. Any luck connecting to your ship?"
Taza shook his head. "Still nothing. If the jammer’s in the Spire, like I think it is, it’ll stop remote connections anywhere within a mile. We’ll lose vox too if we get too close."
"Give me the access codes. I can get to your ship unseen," Skallig said over Taza’s shoulder. "I can fly. I’ll bring her over here. Job done."
“Your bio-signature isn’t registered with Allora. Any approach will cause her to lock out completely.” It was a lie, but there wasn’t a hope in hell Taza was going to hand his ship over to the Quamat. The Chan may have been comfortable having a lizard around, but that didn’t mean Taza trusted him.
"Makes sense," Skallig snorted, though he didn’t sound convinced.
An idea suddenly struck Taza. He could make it to Allora using his ghost-drive, but it was cutting things pretty close. He ran a quick calculation on his SIG. The results confirmed his suspicions. It increased the risk to him, but reduced the risk to the Chan, especially if Skallig accompanied him. But they would have to hurry while most Ushtaran eyes watched the screen.
"I’ve got an idea," Taza announced. "I can get to Allora from here using my ghost-drive, but I’ll need Skallig to come with me in case I run into trouble."
Ria thought about it for a second. "You’re sure we’re close enough?"
"Just about."
"You’re happy with this?" She looked to Skallig.
"Happy to help a Terran? Pah! But I’ll do what I must. I owe you and your people a great debt."
Ria blinked several times as though still unsure. "Fine. How long will you take?"
"Give us thirty minutes max. In case we run into trouble."
"We’ll wait for you here."
“We’ll lose comms when we get near that building. If anything happens, don’t come after us. Get back to the others and find another way."
Ria nodded without changing her stony expression.
Those eyes are colder than Zora’s.
He looked to Skallig. "On three."
The Quamat nodded.
"One. Two. Three."
Taza activated his ghost-drive as Skallig’s camouflage shifted, rendering him invisible save for a subtle shimmer as he moved.
Wasting no time, Taza sprang from cover and sprinted along the walkway, the Quamat’s footfalls almost silent behind him.
They reached the edge of the Spire’s platform. The area really was choked with guards, but Taza focused on the skyway dock beyond. He could just about make out Allora.
Twenty more minutes would see them well on their way. They would be out of Priodome One before the Ushtaran could figure out what was happening.
A flash exploded in the corner of Taza’s visor.
He hit the ground, blue sparks spraying from his TEK’s joints as his limbs thrashed uncontrollably.
Skallig stood over him, his EMP canon smoking.
The Quamat’s helmet retracted.
"I’ve got the Terran," he cried out across the platform.
Half a dozen pairs of Ushtaran legs hurried from the Spire.
"You bastard," Taza hissed.
He reached for his rifle, but his arm shot in the opposite direction.
He yelled as his shoulder popped.
Skallig kicked his gun away and placed his boot on Taza’s chest, holding him in place. "You should know better than to trust a Quamat," he taunted with a toothy grin.
"You’ve been in on it the whole time?"
Skallig shook his head. "No, actually. I was genuinely helping the Chan, but they were taking too long to deliver on their promise. I’ve been on this stinking planet for months. The very smell of the air makes me sick."
"But Chimera tried to kill you?"
"We came to a new arrangement. I deliver you and the girl, and they get me off Ushtar."
"You trust them?" Taza tried moving his arms again, but it was no good.
“I’ll take my chances."
The Ushtaran guards arrived, but only two sets stopped before him. The others carried on along the walkway, heading in the direction of the Chan.
"Run, Ria. They’re coming," Taza screamed across the vox, but only crackling answered. H
e’d forgotten the comms jammer. Or the EMP burst had taken it out. He wasn’t sure.
A guard kicked him onto his side. His eyes darted upward.
Aldo looked down the barrel of his gun at him.
He swung the butt of the weapon, smashing Taza’s helmet.
The darkness shook as though by some great earthquake.
Taza came to and found himself in a kneeling position with his hands bound behind and his legs locked together. He had regained control of his TEK. Not that it did him any good when bound by magnetic fetters. He tried to move his limbs, but they didn’t so much as budge half an inch before snapping back. As he gathered his wits, he found himself under the Spire’s giant screen. Aldo and Skallig stood to one side, keeping an eye on him. Eldi and Yana stood to the other. Ria was on her knees before them in much the same position as he was. Three Chan corpses lay in a pile before her, their TEK’s torn to pieces and riddled with molten holes. One was missing an arm. Another had no head.
Queen Charr’s case of eggs lay atop a stack of weapons well out of reach.
Why they had chosen to keep Taza and Ria alive, he had no idea.
He was about to ask, but Ria snarled and threw herself forward in an attempt to head-butt Yana. The Ushtaran merely stepped out of the way and kicked Ria hard in the abdomen with a sickening crack. She pointed her rifle at the wheezing Chan. "I should put this one down. She’s already given us enough trouble."
Eldi threw out his hand and lowered Yana’s weapon. "You can deal with her, but all of Ushtar must see. We must send a message to those who dare defy us."
Yana snorted. "If the camera crew doesn’t hurry, I might shoot them too." She snarled in their direction and one of them jumped, almost dropping his gear.
"Are you sure it’s a good idea executing that one on the broadcast," Aldo growled. "News will get back to the Omnion sooner or later. I can bring him somewhere more…subtle."
"Killing the girl might fan the flames of this puny excuse of a rebellion." He gestured to the three dead Chan. "However, if we also kill the Terran messenger, it will show them that we mean business. It’ll quench whatever hopes they had of wresting power from their betters. We will offer them amnesty if they agree to lay down their weapons. By the time news reaches the Omnion, it’ll be too late. Our weapon is almost ready. Whatever Omnion survive the virus, if any, will be wiped out as soon as Chimera spill into the Shroud."
"The Chan rebels deserve no such amnesty," Yana spat on Ria.
"Of course not. I said we would offer them amnesty. I didn’t say anything about actually giving it to them. Once they’ve been disarmed, we execute them like the others."
Ria growled again and tried to roll away, but Yana’s boot came down on her, pinning her in place.
The side of Taza’s head felt like it had been hit with a transport. He looked to Eldi. "What the hell are you doing?"
Aldo stepped closer, his rifle ready to swing again. "Speak to the viceroy like that again, and I'll add you to that pile of bodies sooner rather than later."
"Let him speak," Eldi said with a wicked metallic chortle. "We should at least allow the fool to speak his final words."
"I should have known you were behind all this from the beginning."
"You stare death in the eyes, and that is the best you can manage. Pah." Eldi snorted. "I figured you would find out eventually. When Ria pushed you into the catacombs, I hoped you were dead. One less problem to worry about. But I increased security…to be on the safe side. And I’m glad I listened to my gut. Bulstrad and Namoro were constant pains in my sides, harrying me at every turn. When they discovered that the accident in Refinery Four was no accident, I had to take care of them. I only wish I’d done it a long time ago. But I couldn’t risk it until Chimera brought our Quamat friends through."
Eldi nodded at Skallig, and the Quamat returned the gesture. "And I will be rewarded kindly," he reminded the Ushtaran.
"Of course. Unlike your Chimera friends, we’ll hold up our side of the deal. Just as soon as we’ve dealt with the matter at hand." He pointed to Taza. "With these two loose ends out of the way, we need only worry about the rebels, and that’ll hardly be a problem once they learn that we’ve killed their so-called heroes."
"Why work with Chimera?" Taza asked, trying not to sound too harsh. "You already had it pretty well without their help."
“We live constantly with ever-increasing threats of rebellion from the Chan and ever-increasing demands by the Omnion to produce more andamonium. Please, tell me which part of that is pretty well?" Eldi clapped loudly. "The Ushtarans will lick the bottoms of Omnion boots no longer. And the Chan will finally obey us like the dogs they are."
"Do you really believe Chimera will keep their promises? They didn’t keep the one they made him," Taza nodded at Skallig.
"Ah, but we have the upper hand in this deal. Chimera need our tridarium deposits. In return, they will rid us of the Omnion and raise us up once again. I provided the ship and clearance they needed to get the Quamat onto the Orinmore. Chancellor Namoro was on my trail by then. He came so close to unravelling everything. But that doesn't matter now. Once the weapon fires, Chimera will send reinforcements and deal with the gods as they like to be called. And so our slavery will end."
"Yet you treat the Chan as slaves."
"Their forefathers paid a price. Ten generations they agreed to serve. They made a contract with our ancestors. The original papers hang in a frame in the Spire." He looked past Taza to the tall building. "We have been crushed under the weight of the burden pressed upon us by the Omnion for centuries. We did not ask for this and neither have we been given anything for our service."
"Just as the Chan who live today didn’t ask to be enslaved."
Eldi’s long neck bobbed back and forth in anger. "Enough about the Chan already!"
"Chimera aren’t what they say they are. You are exchanging a good master for a bad one."
"That remains to be seen, and if you’re lucky, you might even live long enough to witness the fireworks."
"You’re firing the weapon already?"
"Our engineers are running the final tests as we speak. If we time things correctly, we’ll get the weapon firing and your execution on the broadcast."
"It’ll make good watching," Aldo chuckled.
Sensing he had said more than enough, Taza shut his mouth and thought. He hadn’t considered it before, but Eldi and his pride had caused Taza and his friends no end of trouble. They had come into the Shroud seeking help from the Omnion. Instead, they had found a sick species in need of their help. To top it all off, Swigger and others had died because of Eldi, and if anything happened to the crew of the North Star, it would also be his fault. What if something happened to Clio, all because of this fool and his stupid ideals? All so he could enslave his people to Chimera. Anger burned in Taza and he could no longer remain silent.
"Chimera will strip your people and your planet bare. I only wish I could be here to see that. You think they will let you keep anything? They mean to wage a war on the galaxy."
Eldi nodded to Aldo and the giant Ushtaran swung his fist.
“The next words out of your mouth will be your last,” the taller Ushtaran growled.
Taza’s vision swam, but he clung to consciousness.
The giant display above changed, drawing everyone’s attention.
A commotion ran through the Ushtaran guards.
It took Taza a second to realize Priodome Five was on the screen.
Thunder exploded from the speakers and part of the dome’s roof slid away. A long pipe emerged from the opening and pointed at the sky.
Eldi watched the screen like some religious fanatic who had just seen his god for the first time.
"It has begun."
34
Arena in Silence
Clio slowed as she approached the giant doors leading to the arena. Two heavily armed Kragak with halberds guarded the way and they didn’t look like they were in a hurry to move
.
There was little noise from beyond the doors. Where she expected to hear the sounds of fighting and cheering crowds, she only heard the distant din of booming voices. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried. Either Grimshaw was about to fight, or he was already dead.
The guards crossed their weapons as she stopped before them.
"I need to get inside."
"Once a battle has commenced within the arena, no one may enter."
She pointed at the doors. "It doesn’t sound like a battle to me."
"The fight has reached an…intermission. The Elders deliberate. No one may enter."
"What of Grimshaw?" She braced herself for the worst.
The guard grimaced. "Your Terran friend is alive. He has spoken the words. The Elders will decide what happens now."
Clio eyed their weapons. With the new lease of power surging through her body, she knew she could take them, but a cautious voice deep in the back of her head, that sounded an awful lot like Grimshaw, reminded her that she didn’t know how long the new sense of fury would last or what toll it would take on her body once it evaporated.
"Is there no way to open the doors?"
"The only way these doors will open is if we die," the guard said, grunting.
The other eyed Clio and chortled at the thought.
It seemed like a fight was the only way in. Clio ground her teeth, but the guards lowered their giant heads and cast their eyes to the ground.
Movement from behind drew her attention.
"Well met, Shaman Ishmarg," the guards grumbled in unison. "Perhaps you can explain to your friend that the arena doors cannot open until the blood-price has been paid."
O’Donovan and Booster appeared behind Ishmarg. Booster smiled and the lump of a human, O' Donovan, silently saluted.
Clio nodded, feeling better to have them there.
"Of course," Ishmarg said, giving Clio a knowing glance. "Clio, my friend. The doors cannot be opened unless the blood-price has been paid…or unless the words of Anak have been spoken."
Clio didn’t know what any of that meant but it caused one of the guards to balk.
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