by Skyler Grant
An hour later the Centauri Bliss jumped into the Tokari system. The system was home to over a dozen planets, although only one was habitable. The second was a small, seismically active world largely formed of volcanic islands.
Nearly every planet had at least one space station though, most small and devoted to research.
They weren't even attempting to be silent, transponders blasting out First Imperium diplomatic codes pulled from the archives as soon as they arrived. Gunships were advancing on them the instant they appeared, but Quinn had expected that. It would take two minutes for anything to intercept them. It was enough time, Quinn hoped, for the message to get to someone that could stop those gunships in their tracks.
Nothing.
"They aren't biting. You got anything, Tamara?" Quinn said into the comms.
"Not good news, Quinn. She's on the planet itself, one of the islands there."
One of the stations would have been better.
"Narrow it down. I want an exact location. We're going to give it a single bounce and add a few minutes to the clock. They still don't mind, we go hard. Jinx, sending you coordinates," Quinn said.
Just before the incoming gunships reached them reality twisted. A standard drive wouldn't do this, a jump within system, but the runic sphere made it possible. A moment of disorientation and dreams of a war that never was and they'd relocated across the system.
"Well, if we didn't get their attention before we'd damned well have better done it now," Dela said.
They had. Gunships closed on them for another twenty seconds and then stopped.
"Receiving a request for a visual with Opalia's heir," Dela said.
"Jinx. This might have worked. Putting it through," Quinn said, and tapped a few keys.
Quinn brought up both feeds on the bridge monitors. They'd be able to watch and hear, but not contribute.
Dela really had built Jinx an outfit, or perhaps more rightly a costume. It wasn't quite the fanciful depiction of what Ice had shown them. A loincloth had been replaced by shorts in the blues and purples of Opalia's court, a leather belt holding both gun and sword on either hip. Leather boots came up almost to her knees, and a backless top was molded to fit her skin, covering the underside of her chest and her nipples. Intimidating it probably wasn't, but it did show off the runes that marked her hand and thigh.
It was to Quinn's surprise that the incoming communication was from a woman in a similar state of undress. Her skin was bleached almost white, although beneath it a network of red veins glowing faintly could be seen. Not so much as her runes—Quinn thought he counted six upon her and radiating a malignant red. The woman was wearing a loincloth and top of black leather, a pair of daggers at her waist.
"Well, well," the woman said in a voice that was almost a purr. "No deception after all, then. You have a bit of her in your eyes, and judging by your marks in your determination. I'm Kalisa, the all-seeing eye and hoarder of secrets."
"Jinx. Thief of Stars," Jinx said.
"And slayer of Ilinar I suspect," Kalisa said, her eyes glowing a faint red. "The others will hate you for that. I'd thought the one that showed up in our space must be the tip of the spear plunging for our heart. How delightful to be wrong."
"Ilinar left me no choice. I hope we can end things more peacefully. You've captured a member of my Centauri. I want her returned, and Joline," Jinx said.
"Empress Joline, she calls herself. Not a mark on her, a child pretending to greatness," Kalisa said with a snort. "But you do not call her that, although you also don't claim the title for yourself. Do you steal your stars from arrogant children like her, little thief?"
"A few," Jinx said.
Kalisa frowned. "The spy was here on a mission of espionage. This I will not simply forgive. My secrets are mine to keep. For some of yours, a trade, perhaps. I wish to see you fight. My lowest apprentice bears a single mark. Defeat him and you may have her."
Jinx might have killed Ilinar, but he'd been disoriented, weakened.
"If you get a proxy to fight for you, I do the same," Jinx said.
Kalisa paused and tilted her head. "If you have a champion to fight for you then it is fair. You've an apprentice you wish to put in the ring?"
"The very spy you captured. But I need to see her first, provide her arms," Jinx said.
"Nothing mundane about that one, but magic she is not. Interesting. What secrets does she hold I do not see?" Kalisa asked thoughtfully. "Safe passage for you and your ship to approach my world and leave this system, for so long as your behavior is honorable."
"On the honor of a thief," Jinx said, and killed the connection.
The situation was far from ideal, but Quinn had to think this outcome was a better result than trying to shoot their way in.
27
A transponder on the surface led the Centauri Bliss to a docking bay located in a massive ringed structure completely surrounding a volcanic peak. The hangar doors sealed as soon as they were through. Outside the ship there were guards, their eclectic armor and gear making them look more a disorganized mob than a proper defense force.
Quinn found an argument already underway in the hold when he got there.
"You can't be relied on. We never know what personality we're going to be dealing with," Taki said.
"We're both competent, we're both members of this family," Tamara said.
"I know that, this is no slight on you. But when we don't know who we're dealing with, that means we don't know what to expect and that is no way to go into a fight," Taki said.
"If all goes well there won't be a fight. We need someone intelligent, articulate, and able to monitor their communications," Tamara said.
Jinx was looking between the two of them, exasperated.
"I get where you're coming from, but I see the other side of it. Tamara is great at talking and decent at the fighting, Tourmaline is a great fighter and our expert on the locals. I want her with us," Quinn said.
"And who else are you thinking of taking?" Kara asked.
"They already called ahead and want us to limit it to four, including Jinx," Tamara said.
"Stud, I know you don't want to leave her side, but it shouldn't be you. Aren't any ships that are going to need flying and Taki is a better strategist," Kara said.
"She is, but she is not the captain of this ship. Me, Tamara, and Kara," Quinn said.
There were unhappy looks, but nobody challenged the decision.
A few minutes later they were stepping off the ship. Quinn, Tamara, and Kara moving in a line behind Jinx.
"No crap. You are marked," said a well-muscled woman standing at the foot of the ramp. "Was going to kill you, if you were lying to us. Come on then and we'll take you to your clanmate."
"Glad we didn't have to kill you all for trying," Kara said conversationally.
Yes, this diplomacy was going swimmingly. Despite it, the woman didn't seem to mind, laughing and turning to punch Kara in the shoulder.
"I'm Una of Clan Scorpion," Una said.
"Kara," Kara said, before introducing the others. "We never figured out what to call ourselves."
"That don't do. What about Clan of Thieves after the marked one?" Una said.
"Fits," Quinn said, watching their surroundings intently as they went.
This was a strange place. Everybody was armed, even those who were clearly scientists, and most had eyes that glowed a dull red. Moving through the hall, they passed wide open doorways with experiments being run within, seemingly with no regard for what their guests might see.
"They stripped your clanmate of that spy suit she was wearing. You need armor for her in the fight, we can loan her some," Una said.
"We may take you up on that," Jinx said.
They were led to the first truly secure-looking door they'd seen in the place. Inside Mara was hanging from a set of shackles, toes just barely touching the floor. They had taken her suit and not replaced it, her flesh bare and spotted with goose bumps. No surprise, a
s the room was cold enough for their breath to appear in puffs as they entered. At least it didn't look as if she'd been beaten or cut, her flesh free of marks.
"Get her down," Jinx said, her voice cold.
Mara folded her body up at an absurd angle, her foot lashing out repeatedly at the shackles around her wrist until they broke free and allowed her to drop to the floor in a crouch.
"I knew she could do that," Quinn said.
"You shouldn't have come for me," Mara said as she stood. "Are we escaping?"
"She needs her suit back. No we're not, you're about to fight a duel as my champion against Kalisa's weakest apprentice," Jinx said.
"I see," Mara said, her spine straightening. "My suit no longer has any value. When they tore it off me I set it to destruct. You'll be taking me up on my shipboard offer then?"
"I'm not happy about it," Quinn said.
Una said, "I expect you folks don't want me listening in. You want armor or you're ready for the fight, knock on the door. Don't take too long." She moved towards the door.
"Clothes, something I can fight in. Loose enough to move, but not so loose I'm giving away an advantage," Mara said.
"Got it. Be back in a few," Una said, and the door closed behind her.
"This room is freezing. They were trying to weaken you. How much have they succeeded?" Tamara asked.
"Little," Mara said as she stretched, working her muscles. "Varied temperatures, shortened sleep cycles. With time these things can start to break an unprepared mind. With magic, perhaps, they might even have broken mine. Fortunately they won't have that chance. We can assume we’re under surveillance, by the way."
"So how do we do this?" Jinx asked.
"I'm going to flood my system with a mutagen. I do this to a lesser extent for any alteration I make, but this time it will be heavy. I'll want to cut across one of your runes and mingle our blood through it, the one on your thigh would be best," Mara said.
"Why that one?" Jinx asked.
"Because it’s tied to the magic of mutation and improvement. That was the purpose of the pool."
"So with my blood are you going to become ... a clone of me?" Jinx asked.
Mara shook her head. "Nothing like that. Your blood has magic bound into it and I'm hoping will serve as a template for mine to imitate, assisted by the resonance of the pool. I think it unlikely I'll gain the abilities of the Imperial line, but I may gain the magic of one of the noble families. Or even manifest a completely new gift."
"And if it doesn't work?" Tamara asked.
"Out of control mutation leading to death. In the past this has taken weeks to kill those who tried it. With Jinx's power and this resonance I expect it would happen far more quickly," Mara said.
"And if that happens, Jinx will probably have to fight her own battle," Tamara said.
"Like hell,” Kara said. “I'm here for a reason. I don't care what magic they bring to the fight. I'm a Yek. They've never seen anything like me."
"Enough talking. Let's do this. I see you brought the blade. Cut yourself with it and I'll do the same," Mara said.
Jinx drew the blade, the runes upon it glowing a faint red that flared brilliantly as she dragged it across the rune on her thigh.
Mara reached out to grasp the blade, squeezing for a moment and pulling her hand away with the palm bloodied. Without hesitation she pressed it against the freshly opened wound in Jinx's flesh.
Mara screamed—an unexpected sound. Given how much self-control Mara usually showed Quinn had expected this process to be almost silent. Blood trickled in a line along Jinx's thigh as flickers of blue light coursed down Mara's arm.
They weren't quite runes, nothing as organized as that. Individual blue lines and curves as if runes had been shattered, spreading outward. Mara dropped to her knees, her body starting to convulse although still she held her hand in place, fingers digging so tightly into Jinx's flesh it had to be painful for them both.
"Do we pull her off?" Kara asked.
"She comes through it or she doesn't," Tamara said.
Distortions began to ripple through Mara's flesh. For a moment her hair was blonde, her skin red, black, blue, chalk-white. There were even a few seconds where her hand upon Jinx's thigh became some fiercely taloned claw.
None of those changes lasted long and slowly beneath Mara's flesh the swirls of blue were starting to come together, runes forming themselves out of the components. When her hand finally pulled away she was trembling violently.
"You about to become some sort of thing I need to shoot?" Kara asked, her hand hovering near her gun.
"I'm not," Mara said. Quinn offered her a hand and she accepted it, pulling herself to her feet.
There was a knock at the door.
Kara moved to answer it and Una handed over a stack of armored clothing. Rather to Quinn's surprise it seemed like quality stuff, very much on par with what most around the complex were wearing.
"The arena is waiting. Are you ready?" Una asked.
"I'm ready," Mara said as she got dressed, belting a scabbard with Ilinar's sword at her waist.
28
A guard waiting outside led Mara off while Una took the rest of them through a series of passages. The arena was far less grandiose than the last one they'd seen, a floor of black sand and seating surrounding it that could accommodate no more than a hundred people.
Kalisa was already there, lounging within a plush seat. Other similar ones were nearby and she gestured them to sit.
"Make yourselves comfortable. If you would care for something to eat or drink let Una know," Kalisa said.
They took their seats, Jinx claiming the one closest to Kalisa. They all declined refreshment except for Kara. With her biology she had no fear of toxins and was always hungry.
"This place is smaller than I expected," Jinx said.
"Killing is an interesting field of study, but one I long ago mastered," Kalisa said with a smile. "Although that is soon to change with a way through the Divide."
"You're very casual about starting a war," Tamara said.
"We didn't start this war," Kalisa said sharply. "The Imperium tried to exterminate us before they threw us out. They'll no doubt try again."
"Ilinar gave me no choice," Jinx said.
From opposite sides of the arena two figures entered. The armored clothing that Una had provided wasn't exactly flattering, dark browns and blacks and clearly worn in places. Still, they'd afford some protection in addition to being good for modesty.
The man on the other side of arena had gone for armor far bulkier. The heavy suit he wore was much closer to something the infantry would wear on the front lines, his features and form completely obscured. The black armor was marked with red runes, interlocking designs that covered almost the whole of it, and he had a massive great-axe slung over his back.
"Geylon has a real talent at enchantment. I fear this fight wasn't entirely fair, most cannot even get a blow through," Kalisa said and then pursed her lips. "But that blade you have, power from it and not yours. Wrath radiates from it, Ilinar's then."
Mara and Geylon began to circle each other, the heavily-armored man drawing his axe and then charging forward with a swing intended to cleave Mara in two.
Mara rolled out of the way, sword thrusting out towards Geylon's midsection. It didn't penetrate, red sparks flying with a terrible screech.
"He won't even be able to hit her if he's that slow," Kara said.
"The armor has enchantments to destroy the toxins his muscles leave behind. Granting him endurance. Your girl has technological alterations to accomplish something similar. I wonder if hers will last as long as his?" Kalisa asked, her red eyes studying the spectacle with interest.
Mara landed another blow of the sword across Geylon's hip to little more effect.
"I rather thought that sword would be better at this," Jinx muttered.
"She doesn't know how to use it, child. A gun is also useless to someone who doesn't understand a trigg
er," Kalisa said. "You haven't fought in many wars, not to know the most simple of things."
"Everything this bitch says while making conversation is a test. She's learning from you and she'll use it against you," Tourmaline said, her posture an indolent slouch.
"But this chit-chat goes both ways and while I am being calculating, it is not towards your disfavor. If I am the only one who takes any value away, it only shows that you are not paying me enough attention," Kalisa said.
The fight was active and futile. Geylon had yet to even get close to Mara with an axe swing, and she'd now struck his armor in six different places looking for a weak spot and found nothing.
Quinn wondered if this were true. Was Kalisa actually trying to be helpful? It made little sense to work towards the death of her own apprentice and yet, perhaps there was something there.
Geylon lifted a hand from his great-axe and from the palm a bolt of red energy blasted forth, aimed not at Mara but at the ground beneath her feet. When it struck a patch of sand ceased to be, forcing a stumble that slowed her reaction. The axe sliced across her arm, cutting through the armor like it wasn't there.
Mara's expression was cold, calculating. She was the perfect, emotionless killing machine like she always was in a fight.
Perhaps that was a problem.
Quinn leaned over to Tourmaline. "Through her implants. Tell her to get angry."
Tourmaline cocked her head and nodded.
Kalisa conversationally said, "As with water, with magic it is difficult to swim upstream. When you transformed your champion earlier I was watching, of course. You used a rune of transformation."
"I didn't think the runes had meaning," Jinx said.
"They are inherently chaotic and orderly. They have meaning at the time they are used, but that meaning is transitory," Kalisa said, leaning forward. "Your companions picked up on the truth of my words. Even now your champion is pouring adrenaline into her veins, stimulating her neurons. Becoming wrathful."
It was true. Mara's expression had turned to one of fury, hatred, a flush on her skin as she launched a furious assault. Blow after blow landed upon the heavily-armored man, but unlike before now they did something. The metal was denting, the runes growing distorted.