—
“I can’t believe he won’t let us upgrade Achronyx to the battleship.” Tabitha bitched after Ryu had shut the door to Barnabas’s office. They all knew he could still hear them, but as long as they didn’t complain directly in front of him he could ignore it.
Anyway, it wasn’t like he hadn’t read their minds already.
“It would substantially up our costs,” Ryu temporized.
“Yeah, but we could get fat and happy all the time eating popcorn and shit.” Tabitha argued, “Who would fuck with us if we showed up in a battleship?”
“Which can’t create temporal jumps,” Ryu reminded her.
“Well, yeah, that kinda sucks,” Tabitha agreed.
The three of them turned a corner, Tabitha’s voice floating down the hallway. “Can you believe he told us to take a vacation?”
Yollin System
The alien moved easily between those walking on the sidewalk, his green skin marking him as alien, if nothing else. He had three earrings in one ear, and another two in the other.
He had been requested to meet a group at any bar of his choosing in the Yollin system.
So he chose All Guns Blazing as the meeting point. He enjoyed the beverage they had offered there the last time he went, and he never had a chance to start a fight with any of the feisty Torcellans. Ok, they were really called humans, he had learned.
He preferred his own name.
Shi-tan had checked the bona fides of the group he was meeting with and found that it was one of the older companies on Yoll. They had apparently misplaced one of their founding members. Who had disappeared with a large percentage of the company’s assets.
Fortunately, a relatively simple data search, still expensive as hell, came back with information as to where that Yollin was located, and it wasn’t very far from Shi-tan’s location—only two jumps away. Shi-tan found the Yollin, Kiel, sitting and drinking some relatively expensive booze in a fairly middle-class bar in the nowhere space station.
It had been on the list of possible locations he had been provided, but it was the third one down in the secondary section. It had taken Shi-tan most of the day to locate the Yollin.
Shi-tan walked up to the small table. “Here, let me pay for your drink.” He spoke as he tossed down enough credits to catch the Yollin’s inebriated gaze.
“What?” the Yollin asked, then narrowed his eyes to take a better look at Shi-tan. “You’re green.” He looked higher. “And tall.”
“The power of your eyes to discern the obvious serves you well, Yollin,” Shi-tan replied. He was rather wishing this Yollin would pick a fight. Unfortunately, he would lose half his bounty if he unnecessarily beat up the mark.
Shi-tan looked around. There weren’t enough drinkers in the bar to start a good brawl, and from what he could tell, they weren’t drunk enough at the moment either. For a Shrillex to go too long without violence was painful. Somewhere in their past, Shrillexians had been tweaked genetically to fight as often as they could. Their people would often sell themselves as mercenaries.
Why do that? Then they would get paid to fight. What could be better than that? Unfortunately, the plan had killed off a significant portion of their male population, and a sizeable number of their females, too.
Shrillex had started to die. Shi-tan watched as the males in his family went into the great mercenary companies, one after another. They reaped massive rewards and often helped those same companies decimate their opponents.
But in the end, the results were the same.
The family received either some money and a note about their loss, or were given a body damaged beyond recognition. If the mercenary was lucky, only individual body parts were harmed. Two uncles came back one summer, each missing an arm or a leg or both. They were still learning to use the artificial limbs they had been provided.
When it was Shi-tan’s turn to either stay on his world or leave, he had left. But he left with a determination that his body would not force him to become something to be used and then discarded.
So he became a bounty hunter. The thrill of the chase helped him keep his need to fight under control. With the occasional bar fight, or by walking around the wrong side of an area to incite some thugs to try and mug him, he had been making do.
So far.
Shi-tan cracked his knuckles as he looked down at the Yollin. “Kiel, I have been contracted to bring you back to Yollin space. There you will be—”
That’s when the little puke sucker-punched Shi-tan in the gut, pushed back his chair and started running in the other direction for what looked like a side door.
Shi-tan yanked out a thrim-pistol and shot the bastard in the neck, between his two shoulder blades. He flopped down, smashing a table and knocking a chair over, which hit a patron.
Shi-tan sighed. If it wasn’t so much money, he thought as he walked toward the Yollin, he would have chased him and punched him a couple of times. But Shi-tan didn’t care to go back to his home planet.
And to stay out among the stars, Shi-tan, scion of a great warrior line and successful bounty hunter, had to take care of expenses.
He confirmed the Yollin was out cold and turned toward the barkeeper who was eyeing him suspiciously. Shi-tan lifted his hands. “He punched me and ran. I’m a licensed bounty hunter and he,” his right hand pointed to the comatose Yollin, “is my mark.”
“You got the money for the damages?” the barkeeper demanded. The Shrillex tossed him a credit voucher. The barkeeper knew enough about Shrillex to know he really didn’t want to push this alien. If he got out of it with enough money to make it all better?
Well, then that would be a bonus.
—
Three tedious hours later, Kiel felt the vibrations of the bounty hunter’s ship disconnect from the space station. It had taken all of his admittedly shitty acting skills to pretend to be asleep the whole time.
Fortunately, this operation was going to be over soon, and Nathan would owe him big time.
He hadn’t punched the Shrillex as hard as he could have, but even so, hitting that bastard’s stomach was like punching a damned wall.
Dan? Kiel sent out.
Yes?
It’s Kiel. We are on our way back to Yollin space. Bounty hunter took the bait.
Good. There was a pause. How did it go for you?
I got to throw a punch before he darted me. I’ve got some bruises, but nothing that won’t be healed by the time we get there.
What are you going to do now?
Kiel considered his options. I’m going to go to sleep.
Ok, I see we have our shadow ship following you. So be a good little mark until you are here.
Dan, I’m always good, Kiel sent before closing the Etheric connection. He slowed his mind, allowing the drug to take a little more control before he dropped into a light sleep.
CHAPTER TWELVE
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Estarian Delegate Meeting Room
Senior Delegate Cannock heard the door open and turned to see the Empress come in. She was dressed in a casual blue shirt and a pair of white pants with shoes that increased her height.
She came up to his chest. The male human, however, was almost as tall as he was. Cannock wasn’t weak, but he wouldn’t care to fight her guard. As the Empress came closer, he found his body responding to her.
Physically.
He looked to see if she was doing something to excite him, but he failed to find anything overt. From the research his team had provided previously, this didn’t seem like a tactic the Etheric Empire would try.
Or perhaps, they just hadn’t had another species to try it on yet.
He bowed as she came close. “Greetings of the day to you, Empress Bethany Anne.”
“And to you, Senior Delegate.” She pointed to his chair. “Please sit.”
Cannock took his seat again as she placed herself at the head of the table in the meeting room, her guard behind her. Gabrielle sat on the other side acros
s from him.
Her first comment surprised him. “First, let me apologize for changing the location of our meeting. However, I have a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and your system might be able to help.”
“Us?” he replied, a little surprised that their out-of-the-way-system could provide anything for the Etheric Empire. Then his eyes flattened.
When anyone large or powerful wanted something you had, the question was how badly your people were going to be screwed.
“Yes, and before you freak out—”
“Is it that obvious?” Cannock asked, his blue skin lightening just slightly.
“No, it is something I’ve come to expect and ask,” Bethany Anne admitted. “The Etheric Empire has acquired a reputation in the last few years, and unfortunately, most assume we like to go around shooting up space ships and blowing up worlds.”
“You have blown up worlds?” Cannock asked, his surprise genuine.
“No,” Bethany Anne admitted. “We blew up a Yollin super-dreadnought that was attacking us, and the tales have spread from there.” She tilted her head slightly. “Meredith, please display the systems between here and Estaria.”
“Wall or table, Empress?” A female voice came out of the speakers.
“Here on top of the table should work,” Bethany Anne replied.
Cannock watched as faint lines began to shimmer in the air in front of him. They solidified, and he was viewing a three-dimensional map of space.
“We are here, in orange,” the Empress started. One system lit up in the lower left of the hologram. “We will highlight the three core systems we control in yellow.” Three more systems, near to but not contiguous with Yoll, lit up. “Now, we will tag those systems who have been basically friendly to most of their neighbors for the last couple hundred years in green.”
A larger percentage of space lit up.
“Finally, let’s paint our three annoying neighbors in red and Sark in white.”
Cannock nodded slowly. The Empress was very well aware how Sark, out in the border area, was cut off from most of the green areas as well as the orange. There was a lot of empty space between the red and them, but the red systems were closer than any of the support.
“You can see from the map that Sark is in a good location. Far enough away, and there aren’t enough resources to make it a target. Unfortunately,” Bethany Anne moved her fingers, and the hologram spun slightly, “you can also see that if your unruly neighbors wished to cut you off, they could.”
“Yes, we are aware of the situation,” Cannock admitted. “One of the reasons I have come is to see what, if any, relationship we might form with your Empire.”
“Good. I was hoping that was the case, Senior Delegate,” Bethany Anne exclaimed. “There is a saying on our planet related to problems and solutions. One person with a problem is a problem, two might be trouble, but three often provide a solution.”
“There are only two of us here.” Cannock looked around the room. “Unless the Ixtalis or Yaree are about to join us?”
Bethany Anne chuckled. “Not likely,” she told him. “I’m representing two sides, and you a third.” She put her hands on the table. “I’m going to lay out everything I’m thinking about the situation, and you tell me where I’m wrong or how it might work, ok?”
Cannock just nodded his head in agreement.
“The Sark system has four inhabited worlds, two closer to your sun, Estaria and Ogg, and two farther away, Secoria and Teshovia, with a large asteroid belt between the inner and outer planets. Generally speaking, your worlds are happy enough, even though you have an inner-world elitist attitude.” She put up a hand. “I’m not criticizing, I’m merely expressing what I’ve been told.”
Cannock wasn’t about to tell her that he hadn’t been going to argue; rather he felt elitist was too weak a term.
The Estarians simply were better than others in their system. How can one not feel superior when it is the truth?
Bethany Anne continued, “So, Estaria is a bit difficult to inhabit, with dust storms that cause all sorts of problems at times. Your people are not all that militarized, and you don’t have a strong connection with the other planets should you all need to come together to fight.” She paused a moment. “Frankly, chances are that nobody will want your system in the first place. No major resources, the planets are ok but not spectacular, and you aren’t on any major trade routes.”
Cannock was silent. He bowed his head just a little. “That is a fairly accurate representation, Empress.”
“Ok, making sure I had that right. Here are my problems and let’s see if we can find a possible solution.”
Cannock straightened in his chair. Anytime the other side had problems, and they felt you had a way to help them?
Well, he was all ears.
—
Inside the rooms the Empress had provided, Delegate Tomthum walked toward a wide seat. It looked a bit low for him, but he turned and sat down anyway. His eyes opened in pleasant surprise.
It was very comfortable.
“Is there anything you would like?” the voice he recognized as the station’s EI asked. His team went in search of their own rooms, which were connected to the one Tomthum had stopped to rest in.
“Information,” he admitted.
“Such as?” Meredith answered. “I’m fully capable of providing information that would be very interesting yet not tactically helpful to your situation whatsoever.”
Tomthum thought that was a very nice way to say “don’t be a dumb Yaree”.
“Are we safe to speak in this area?”
“Delegate, I can hear anything inside the station. I believe you are asking if your domicile has spying devices?”
“Well, I guess you already answered that, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I am capable of hearing everything. However, I am also commanded to leave those things which are of a personal nature alone. If you were, for example, to say that you had plans to blow up the station or cause harm, then that would penetrate my filters and I would look for context. If I should calculate that you intend harm to someone within my sphere of responsibility, I would notify my chain of command.”
Tomthum thought about that answer for a few moments. “So, you hear everything, but you don’t pass it all along?”
“Correct.”
“Do you have records of what we say and do?”
“I have the ability to record, of course. However, I’m not a spy-master, Delegate.”
Sub-Delegate Caspise came out of his room and chose a spot on the other end of the couch Tomthum was sitting on. Tomthum was amused to see the same look of surprise in Caspise’s eyestalks. “Comfortable, yes?”
“Very,” Caspise agreed, feeling the material. “This is natural?”
“Yes,” Meredith answered. “They are natural hides.”
“Frommmm…” Caspise asked, hoping the answer wasn’t an intelligent species.
“Bistok,” Meredith answered.
“Bistok?” Keth questioned as he came out. “Aren’t those the dangerous creatures down on the planet?”
“The very same, Guard Keth.” Meredith confirmed.
Caspise rubbed the seat cover again. “That is interesting.”
“That is devious,” Tomthum murmured. “They killed the mighty bistok to get their skins.”
“They might just bomb them from above.” Keth spoke over his shoulder as he checked out the various doors and cabinets in the kitchen. He found the cooler and looked at the options for a moment.
“They did not bomb them from above,” Meredith interrupted. “That would not be acceptable to the group.”
“Don’t worry about the spy stuff,” Tomthum told Keth. “We already know we are surrounded by devices.”
Keth turned around, each eyestalk looking in a different direction. “We do?”
“Yes,” Meredith confirmed. “I’m fully capable of spying on you, if I choose.”
“What stops you fro
m choosing?” Keth asked.
“I work for the Empress, and she isn’t big on spying on invited guests.”
“What about uninvited guests?” Caspise butted in.
“Well, of course I spy on those,” Meredith answered. “If Reynolds doesn’t take the lead, that is.”
“Reynolds is…” Caspise drew out the question.
“Reynolds,” a gruff voice answered the three, “is the military EI associated with this battle station. If an issue is elevated above normal security level, it becomes my responsibility.”
“So, to sum it up,” Tomthum said, as Bonn, the other guard, wandered into the room, “effectively we are spied upon and nothing is off-limits, except that the Empress really doesn’t care what we talk about, and therefore it won’t be noted. If we happen to trip any warnings on your side, Meredith, you will review to see if anything needs to be passed up the chain. If it does, then somebody will review the data and if necessary, point it out to those in charge.”
“That is true,” Meredith returned, in answer to his question. “However, there is no difference when you are in your own ship, Senior Delegate Tomthum. When you came into the Etheric Empire, you were in the zone of those who protect Bethany Anne. We take our responsibilities very seriously.”
“How would you—” Tomthum started to ask, then threw up a hand in frustration. “Are you saying you knew everything about us before we even arrived here on the station?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’m not at liberty to answer that question,” Meredith replied.
“Who is?”
“ADAM.” a third voice came through the speaker. This one was male again, but he had a different nuance to his speech, a different cadence.
“And you are?” Tomthum asked.
“I am ADAM, of course.” the voice replied. “I am the one that broke through the security in your craft, read your databases, confirmed your secrets, and then made the decision to allow you to dock, send you back, or discuss with Bethany Anne whether to blow you out of our space.”
“And you chose to let us dock?” Caspise asked.
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