by Petra Landon
Saakshi flushed at the look on his face and he chuckled softly in response.
“I meant … that we’re different species and …” she trailed off.
“Aah, you’re asking about inter-species compatibility between our peoples” he remarked, his voice still threaded by teasing laughter.
“I’ve always known that Budheya and Hadari’Kor are compatible” he stated a little smugly. That was why he’d watched her all those months, allowing himself to hope that he could do something about the attraction one day when his life was less complicated. When he was done fighting someone else’s war as a mercenary.
“How?” she stared at him in surprise, shyness and embarrassment forgotten in the quest to satisfy her curiosity.
“Are you familiar with the history of my people? That we originated on two neighboring planets” he inquired.
Saakshi nodded. The Hadari’Kor had originally called the two neighboring planets of Hadari and Kor home. The inhabitants of both planets, though descended from the same race, had once been engaged in a bitter war centuries ago. A brokered agreement had brought peace and encouraged the free mingling of tribes from both worlds. They now called themselves Hadari’Kor in recognition of the two worlds they looked upon as home.
“There was once a civil war between the two planets until re-unification” she said.
“Yes” he nodded. “The brokered peace at the height of a bitter and brutal civil war was negotiated by your people – the Budheya” he explained. “The Budheya sent envoys and negotiators to both our planets and eventually, a contingent of neutral keepers of the peace during the first fragile peace agreement. Some of these peacekeepers eventually took mates from both the planets of Hadari and Kor to leave behind families on my world. Many generations later, you can still see some Budheya genes in their descendants on both worlds. So, yes, I was pretty sure we were compatible.”
He paused in his explanation to smile at Saakshi who was staring at him in sheer astonishment.
“I was so sure of our compatibility, in more ways than one, that I made sure to take a precautionary contraceptive jab before we became lovers.”
It had been more wild hope than anything else, if Zoran were honest. But he kept that to himself.
“Umm” she stammered, “you needn’t have bothered about that. The Ketaari prisons always force timed-release contraceptives on all their prisoners to cover the duration of the prison term.”
He nodded, having suspected the same. She mused over the extraordinary information Zoran had just shared.
“My people remember nothing about this peace agreement they brokered on your world. There must be a record of it in our great libraries and centers of learning, although I guess it is to the advantage of the Ketaari to keep us in the dark” she contemplated aloud, thoughtfully.
Zoran’s eyes softened.
“One day, when your people are free, Saakshi, they will read about the extraordinary accomplishments of their ancestors, and feel pride in all their achievements and the goodwill they generated across the galaxy” he said quietly.
His words felt almost like a premonition. One that Saakshi desperately wanted to believe would come to pass.
The next morning, Zoran woke her with a mug of steaming coffa. While a tad pensive and preoccupied, he had nevertheless not forgotten to thoughtfully send out her uniform and the new expensive underclothes to be laundered in readiness for her shift. They shared a meal from the Food Synthesizer before he walked her to Trader Pik’s. On the way over, he informed her that he would be gone on business for a few days, and that a friend of his would be available to escort her to and fro from her dorm and to keep an eye out for the Unta-Golar. Saakshi hid an unexpected sense of disappointment and refrained from imploring him to be careful. Instead, she smiled at him while she wished him a pleasant trip before heading into Trader Pik’s without a backward glance.
Six
Two unusual events marked that day for Saakshi. First, Pik made one of his extremely rare appearances halfway through Saakshi’s first shift to inform her that she would be moving to the busy evening shift in two days. It meant that she’d come in early afternoon for one longer and slow shift, followed by a shorter busy shift. She’d be done much later in the night than she was now, but her mornings would be free. Saakshi was overjoyed by the unexpected bounty. From what she’d been told, new server girls were expected to put in at least a year at Pik’s before they were put on the short list for the coveted busy shift. Her earnings in the form of tips would increase while her work hours at Pik’s would shorten. Saakshi’s first unbidden thought was to share her joy with Zoran, until she remembered that she wouldn’t be seeing him for a few days.
Then, towards the end of her second shift, a male Hadari’Kor strode confidently into Trader Pik’s and up to the semi-circular bar where she was busy setting up drinks. She recognized him as the male who occasionally kept company with Zoran at Pik’s. He had also been the one to escort her back from Zoran’s starship that first day after his Captain had stormed off in a fury.
“I’ll walk you to your dorm when you’re done” the male informed her.
Saakshi glanced up at him to acknowledge his statement. He must be the one tasked with making sure the Unta-Golar didn’t harass her while Zoran was away, she guessed.
“I’ll be waiting outside” he let her know, before striding away.
After the end of her shift and a quick meal in the back room, Saakshi met up with the Hadari’Kor male by the walkway outside the entrance to Pik’s.
“Jolar Hadari-Begur-Kor. Call me Jolar” he introduced himself, his voice deep and low like Zoran’s, but without the husky, almost scratchy, quality of Zoran’s voice she found so sexy.
His big muscular build and coloring with light-gray skin, dark eyes and jet black hair worn short to the nape reminded her of Zoran, but that was where the similarities ended, for the two Hadari’Kor males did not resemble one another.
“I’m Saakshi neh Merama tik Ulmik pura Bedana. Please call me Saakshi” she invited the big male who was almost as massive as Zoran. She had estimated that Zoran was easily a foot and a half taller than her. The Hadari’Kor, Saakshi surmised, were built on a colossal scale with their naturally big frames honed into lean and well-muscled fighting machines by the demands of their chosen profession.
He guided her onto the main thoroughfare, clearing a path for her through the crowds in a manner reminiscent of Zoran - his big body and intimidating scowl routing anyone who dared to linger in his wake. His demeanor towards Saakshi was solicitous and protective, but aloof, his eyes alertly scanning the crowds around her for signs of potential trouble. He waited until she was safely through the dorm entry sensors before bidding her a quiet good eve. Jolar informed Saakshi that he would present himself in the morning to escort her to Trader Pik’s before striding away.
The next day passed uneventfully for Saakshi. The promise of shorter shifts had added an unexpected spring in her step. She flew through her double shift, her mind in a happy daze that lasted through Jolar’s silent escort back to her dorm. When thoughts about Zoran’s absence intruded during unwary moments, she was able to silence any disquiet.
The third day, her last one on the current shift schedule, started promisingly with Saakshi dreaming happily of sleeping in late and having her mornings free to explore the station. Such moments of simple joy had been so rare in her life - even rarer after she’d been imprisoned by the Ketaari - that she felt all the more bereft when reminded rudely of the ugly reality of her life. Towards the last hour of her final shift, the Unta-Golar sauntered into Pik’s, accompanied by two Ketaari males. Saakshi watched the group seat themselves at one of her tables with a sinking heart. Having exhausted all excuses to delay, she headed to their table. The three males gave her their drink orders without much fuss or banter, though she couldn’t fail to catch the speculative glances directed at her by the Unta-Golar’s companions. The Unta-Golar wore an expression of mingled vic
iousness and hungry anticipation that made her silently thank Zoran for his thoughtfulness and foresight in delegating Jolar as his surrogate in his absence.
She kept one wary eye on the Ketaari group, even as she served her other customers. When the new server girls burst into Pik’s, thus signaling the end of her shift, a relieved Saakshi assumed that perhaps she’d dodged the fire this time. It was the start of the first of the busy shifts, and in the flurry of activity involving the four server girls who would handle the new shift and the two servers ending the current one, no one noticed the Ketaari male grasp Saakshi roughly by her arm to detain her in one corner of the alehouse before she could escape into the back room for her meal.
“What do you want?” she snarled at him, trying to pull her arm away from the implacable grip.
His response was to squeeze the arm cruelly until she stopped struggling and forced herself to stand still, even as she continued to glare at him.
“Why Budh, I thought you’d be happy to see me” he taunted softly with a sneer. “I hear your Neanderthal HadKor has abandoned you and scuttled off to fight someone else’s war.”
“The answer is still no” she bit out, teeth clenched through the biting pain in her arm.
“Oh, I’m not planning to give you a choice this time” he sneered in response. “I’ll be waiting for you – you can’t stay at Pik’s forever.”
He exerted a little more pressure on the arm he held in a vicious grip until she couldn’t hold back a wince of pain. Saakshi watched him saunter back to his table and his companions, her arm aching with the dull pain of his bruising grip. She hurried into the back to eat her meal while a feeling of black despair slowly coiled through her to displace the anticipation and joy of the past few days. She could now acknowledge to herself why she’d been almost giddy with excitement and happiness since that fateful night when Zoran had come to her aid to rout the Ketaari Unta-Golar. It was an emotion she’d been careful to not acknowledge or encourage, given her circumstances. Saakshi had not allowed herself to believe or hope that something so wonderful could be gifted to her, and in such horrendous circumstances.
A few moments of quiet reflection in the back room helped Saakshi regain her composure. But she knew how much of a façade it was. When she made her way out of Pik’s, nothing of her inner turmoil showed on her face. Saakshi strode confidently towards the main walkway outside Pik’s where she knew Jolar waited for her, as was his usual wont. Strolling out with her head held high, Saakshi observed the Unta-Golar leave his companions to follow in her wake.
Jolar, waiting patiently for her, turned his head to watch her approach, his casual stance charging into alertness as he glimpsed the expression on her face. His arrested gaze narrowed on her as he straightened from his indolent position by the wall. One glimpse of the Ketaari male following her was enough to spur him off the wall in a flash to place himself between Saakshi and the Unta-Golar. The Unta-Golar came to an abrupt halt as the Hadari’Kor male barred his way. Jolar stared aggressively down at the shorter male.
“You don’t get to touch her, Urm Ghesh” he stated coldly.
Ghesh blinked up at Jolar, taken aback by the Hadari’Kor male’s presence. Focused in his pursuit of Saakshi, he had failed to notice Jolar. After the first shock, he burst into taunting laughter.
“How many HadKor protectors have you acquired, Budh?” he directed with a sneer at Saakshi.
Before Saakshi could respond to the taunt, Jolar spoke up quietly but forcefully.
“Zoran Hadari-Begur-Kor will destroy anyone who touches so much as a hair on Saakshi’s head without her permission.”
The Unta-Golar stopped in his tracks, nonplussed by Jolar’s words. His source had obviously failed to inform him that Zoran had left behind a surrogate to watch over Saakshi.
“Zoran will be back in a few days, Ghesh” Jolar continued. “He’s already taught you a lesson when you tried to force Saakshi against her will. Unless you want him to continue that lesson, I’d advise you to get off this station before he’s back.”
Ghesh hesitated, casting a fleeting glance at his Ketaari companions, who watched the tableau with interest and curiosity. When he directed his attention back to the large and hostile Hadari’Kor mercenary facing him, there was a flicker of uncertainty on his pale face.
“Listen to me, Ketaari murtobak” Jolar warned. “I’ve known Zoran since he was a young’un playing pretend-to-be-a-merc in the forest around our village. So, believe me when I tell you this. You do not want Zoran Hadari-Begur-Kor to come after you with everything he’s got. Because if he does, he’ll not stop until he’s annihilated you and ground you into dust under his ruthless HadKor feet. You ken?”
Ghesh ground his teeth with an audible click and shifted his gaze from Jolar to Saakshi.
“You’re not always going to be on this station with your merc protectors” he sneered spitefully. “One day, you’ll be back at the mercy of the Empire where you belong. Then, we’ll see how much influence your fine HadKor friends have within the Empire. And that day might come sooner than you anticipate, Budh female. If I were you, I’d think about that before you hide behind the HadKor swine.”
He shot her a final malicious look, curious for a male who had been thwarted in his intentions, before strutting back to his companions.
Jolar watched him go, a slight frown between his eyes.
“What was that about getting you back to the mercy of the Empire sooner than you anticipate? I thought Pik-u-Aak bought your contract for a whole year” he asked Saakshi.
Saakshi bit her lip, more frightened by the Unta-Golar’s words than she wanted to let on.
“Pik thinks the Unta-Golar might try to revoke my contract” she said haltingly.
“Revoke your contract? But that would mean …” he stopped as the implications of her words sank in.
Jolar took a deep breath.
“Saakshi, have you told Zoran about this?”
She shook her head.
“I … he’s already done so much for me … and I …” her voice trailed off unhappily.
Jolar studied her anxious expression, his eyes searching her face.
“I’m hungry” he announced abruptly. “What about you?”
“I ate at Pik’s already, thank you” she responded politely.
“All right then, I’ll eat and you can keep me company” he declared, arching a black eyebrow in a gesture that reminded her of Zoran.
She acquiesced, following him onto the main walkway. He took her to one of the gigantic Sustenance Pavilions that littered the station on each ring. Food Synthesizers filled up one gigantic wall with tables and seats scattered around the rest of the pavilion. Jolar seated her at a table for two, a little away from the crowds for privacy, and busied himself with the order tablet embedded into the table for customers to peruse menus, place orders and pay for food from the various Synthesizers in the pavilion.
Saakshi waited for Jolar to leave the table before checking her bruise. Her arm throbbed, the pain a reminder of the Unta-Golar’s spitefulness and his relentless pursuit of her. An ugly and rather colorful bruise was starting to show where the Unta-Golar had grasped her so viciously. She rubbed her arm softly to alleviate the throbbing pain. Jolar, striding back with his food, cursed viciously as he caught a glimpse of the nasty bruise on her arm.
“I should’ve throttled Ghesh” he said savagely.
Saakshi, tired and dispirited from her encounter, managed to give him a wan smile.
When did he do this?” he asked once he’d calmed down a little.
“At Pik’s. He caught me by surprise during shift change.”
“Zoran’s going to kill him” Jolar paused. “And I’m going to help him” he finished with relish.
Saakshi smiled shyly at him as he began making inroads into the enormous pile of food on his tray.
“Thank you for the Unta-Golar” she said.
“No thanks necessary. Zoran asked me to keep an eye on you and I o
bviously slipped up” he muttered with a dark glance at her bruise.
She watched in companionable silence for a few minutes while Jolar ate heartily.
“Are Zoran and you related?” she inquired curiously.
“Only by the bonds of friendship; not by blood” he replied. “Why do you ask?”
“The last part of your names is identical.”
“My people traditionally use only one name to identify themselves – the name given to us at birth. Over the years, space-faring Hadari’Kor have learnt to include a last name like the other races we’ve encountered. Except in our case, a Hadari’Kor last name signifies tribal affiliation. The use of Hadari-Begur-Kor identifies Zoran and I as belonging to the tribe Begur originating on Hadari. I’m sure you’re aware of the history of our two planets and people?”
Saakshi nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that the Hadari’Kor named both planets in their last names when identifying themselves to other races, with the first one indicating the planet of origin.
“May I ask a favor of you, Saakshi?” Jolar asked.
“Of course! Anything I can do” she responded immediately.
“Share a meal with me tomorrow eve. Don’t eat at Pik’s” he was persuasive.
Saakshi hesitated just a tad, not sure that she wanted to spend her hard-earned tips on a meal when Pik provided her free food.
“I hate eating by myself” he coaxed softly, clinching the deal for her.
Saakshi accepted his invitation and then watched Jolar polish off the last of his meal. He leaned back eventually, replete with satisfaction, to gaze at her with an intent look in his eyes.
“Saakshi, I want you to listen to me carefully. What I told Ghesh is true. I’ve known Zoran for most of our lifetime. There’s no one better I’d choose to guard my back in times of trouble. He’s not one for doing things by half measures. Zoran will go to the ends of Penjem hell and back for those he considers worthy” Jolar said seriously. “He’s been a merc for almost fifteen years, fighting his way across the quadrant, making alliances and leaving his mark. That kind of life makes you tough, resourceful and, most importantly, teaches you the fine art of survival against overwhelming odds. He, more than most, knows how to play the game. Very few Hadari’Kor mercenaries have a hi-tech starship at their command or a loyal army at their disposal. He didn’t acquire either by sitting back and waiting for the right opportunity to land in his lap. The Ketaari is wrong about Zoran having no influence within the Empire. Tell him about Ghesh’s threat on revoking your contract. Zoran will figure out a way to thwart the Empire – he’s resourceful and smart. He doesn’t use brute strength unless he absolutely needs to.” The last was said with a smile.