I'd been showered, groomed, plucked, powdered, and made to look like a proper Unduthian lady. I looked like a younger version of my mother. And I wasn't happy about it. Not in the slightest bit. I didn't want to be a programmed, indoctrinated robot that had no independent thought or feeling. I didn't want to be the sort of woman Unduthian society deemed “proper.”
I wanted to be me. Nothing more and nothing less. I wanted to be free to be who I was, to set my own goals, and chase my own dreams. I wanted to live my life the way I saw fit. The way I'd constructed it. I wanted to succeed or fail on my own – not live in some carefully crafted bubble where all of my needs were met, but where I was expected to be perfect. To be what others deemed to be civilized. To be subservient. To be compliant. To be tamed.
If forced to live that life, I might as well be dead.
The chime sounded on my door. With a sigh, I hit the button to unlock it. The door slid inside with a whoosh and Arbul, the house maid stepped through. She looked at me with kindness in her eyes and a gentle smile on her lips. She was only a few years older than I was, and had always been a good friend to me.
“Your mother asked me to tell you that it's time to begin getting ready,” she said. “Your guests will be arriving soon.”
I closed the door and locked it with the push of a button. The tall doors that led to the balcony over my bedchamber stood open, allowing a cool breeze to filter through. Arbul moved closer and sat down next to me. She was my trusted confidant – a rare thing in this household where everything I did or said was reported back to my parents in the hopes of currying favor. But Arbul had always been kind, genuine, sincere, and best of all, discrete.
I looked at my friend. “If you had the opportunity, would you let yourself be shipped off the Academy?”
Because she was born among the lower class in Kinray, Arbul was not allowed to go to the Academy. She had no real opportunity to advance in her life or better herself according to Unduthian social structure. She simply had to be happy with being a servant in the homes of one of the elite. It was an injustice and inequality that never failed to make my blood boil.
She gave me a small smile. “There is a part of me that would, yes,” she said. “If only for the stability and for the fact that I would want for nothing.”
I nodded. I could understand that. Growing up with nothing – sometimes even less than that – I could see the appeal of having your every need met. I could understand the seductiveness of it. And I couldn't blame her for feeling that way.
“But the bigger part of me,” she went on, “would reject it. The only good thing that comes from being of the lower class is that I am free. Free to think what I want, be who I am – I have a freedom that somebody in your position will never know. And that makes me sad for you, Hatare.”
I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She was a beautiful woman. She had the same light blue skin that I did. The markings around her eyes – though, different from my own as each Unduthian’s markings were unique – were white and glowed or dimmed with her emotions. Just like my own. Her hair was a soft red, but was long and silky. Much like my own.
The only thing that made us different was luck of the draw. I'd been fortunate to be born into the class I had been born into. But Arbul hadn't been that fortunate. And because of that stroke of fortune – or misfortune, depending on how you viewed it – she was stuck in a life of servitude.
“I can't do this, Arbul,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I won't.”
She squeezed my hand in return. “Then what will you do?”
I sighed and looked at the dagger sitting on the edge of my dressing table. The lights in the room glinted off the sharp blade. I saw Arbul looking at the blade and then back at me, her eyes growing wide.
“No, Hatare,” she said, her voice urgent. “Put that thought out of your head right now. You cannot do that. I will not allow it.”
My laugh was dry and rueful. “And how could you stop me?”
She sighed. “I would have no choice but to tell your parents that you are attempting to take your own life.”
I looked at her, stunned and upset. “Why would you do that? Why would you turn me in like that?”
Her eyes were wet with tears as she looked at me “Because it is better for you to be alive and upset with me, than it is for you to be dead and gone forever.”
I sighed and shook my head as Arbul reached over and took the dagger off the table. She tucked it into folds of her apron and looked at me, daring me to challenge her. I didn't. It wasn't like I didn't have other blades in my room anyway – though my mother and father would have skinned me for having them in the first place.
Women on Unduth – the upper class, at least – were forbidden to learn to fight. The men who controlled our world felt it wasn't proper. That women should never sully their hands with gun or blade. We were forbidden to learn to defend ourselves – after all, that was the role of our man.
But I'd found somebody as disgusted by the rules of Unduthian culture as I was. Lutl, was his name. He was a member of my father's personal guard. And he'd risked his life to train me – far out in the countryside where nobody would find us. But for the last few years, he'd taught me how to fight, how to use a variety of weapons, and how to defend myself.
It was an education I would forever be thankful for.
“I have no other choice, Arbul,” I said. “I can't live like that. I won't.”
“There are always choices,” she replied.
“Name one.”
She looked deeply into my eyes, making sure that she had my full attention. “You can leave,” she said. “Run, Hatare. Run far away.”
I gave her a small smile. “You know that my father's guard will come after me,” I said. “If I run, it would damage the good name of this family. And he can't have that. So you know they'd come.”
“That's why you should run far away, Hatare,” she said. “To another planet. Find a place in another world to build your own life – the life you want.”
I shook my head. “If only it were that easy.”
She gave my hand a sharper squeeze. “It is that easy,” she said. “You have a little bit of time. Pack a bag but travel light. And then go.”
I looked at her and began to mull the possibilities for the first time. Could I run? Could I get away? Was leaving and starting a new life somewhere else a real possibility?
“This is not the way,” Arbul said, patting her apron where she'd put the dagger. “Go, Hatare. Find the life you dream of. It's out there. You just need to escape this cage.”
I sat there a moment longer and decided that maybe she was right. I hadn't been keen on dying anyway. But running away, starting a new life somewhere – on another planet perhaps – had a strong appeal for me. It hadn't even occurred to me before, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I looked up at her and nodded.
“I will,” I said. “I'll leave.”
A smile spread across her face and Arbul heaved a sigh. “Good. It pleases me to hear that,” she said. “More than you know. When will you go?”
“Now,” I replied. “I don't think I'll have a moment's peace after tonight as they'll be busy preparing me for the Academy.”
“You have such little time,” she said. “If you're going to go now, you need to leave, Hatare.”
I nodded and stood up, pulling her to her feet. I looked into her eyes and planted a soft kiss on each cheek before pulling her into a tight embrace. The markings around her eyes glowed softly – her sadness evident.
“You are a great friend, Arbul,” I said, fighting back my own tears. “Better than I deserve. I don't know when or if I'll be able to contact –”
She nodded, giving me a sad smile. “I know. For both of our safety, it's probably best you don't contact me. Not for a while, at least,” she said. “It will be enough for me to know that you are out there. Alive. Now, you must go.”
Arbul stepped back f
rom me and dabbed at her eyes. She gave me one last smile before heading to the door. I unlocked it and let her go, closing and locking it again after she'd gone. I quickly moved about my room, gathering up some clothes and other items I thought I'd need, stuffing it all into a shoulder pack.
I didn't have much time. They would be coming to look for me soon enough when I didn't come down for the celebration. I had to make every minute count.
Slinging my pack over my shoulders, I moved to the balcony outside my bedchamber – and to the secret route to the ground floor I'd used for years – a tree that was very close by. I took one last look around the room. I looked at the dress hanging on the door to my closet. It was a beautiful dress. Tayna had created something magical. And in another life – if I were another person – perhaps I would have put it on willingly. Happily.
But this wasn't another life and I wasn't another person.
I had one life to live and I was going to live it. For me.
Chapter Six
Gravus
We sped toward our location in the armored transport. I checked my weapons again and then looked to the men on the transport with me.
“Double check your weapons, men,” I growled. “We're not expecting resistance, but we want to be ready just in case.”
The men in my guard were elite. They were the most highly trained and deadliest fighting force on Optorio. It's why we could command such a steep price. We did some contract work – at a deeply discounted price – for the government, mostly to keep in their good graces. But we made most of our money, contracting out to some of the wealthy families of Unduth.
At the moment, we were on a job for the government. A series of bombs had been detonated in the city. The members of Kinray's government were apoplectic and wanted these rebels brought to justice – which meant, shot dead in the street. There had been rumors and rumblings about a growing insurgency. Some said it was coming from the scraps on the outer edges.
Personally, I didn't think they had the heart or stomach for a fight. No, if there were a growing insurgency, I would have bet on it coming from one of the prominent families within Kinray, looking to climb up that ladder and perhaps, enhance their own prestige.
With those people, that's what it was all about – wealth, power, and prestige. They were a nest of vipers, that was certain. I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. They were always plotting and scheming.
It was the benefit of being in my position – I didn't have to play politics. I could simply do the job I'd been hired to do without passion or allegiance.
“We're here, General,” said Tok, my most trusted advisor and right hand man.
The transport hovered for a moment before setting down. A second later, the back ramp opened, flooding the compartment with light. The men were down the ramp and in formation in the blink of an eye. I stepped out of the transport with Tok at my side and took my head at the position of the column. We walked through the gates of the factory, weapons at the ready, as all eyes turned to us.
Conversations stopped, machinery was powered down, and the workers all openly stared at us with fear in their eyes. It never failed to amuse me – whenever we showed up, even people who hadn't done a thing wrong, looked guilty.
“What is this about?” said a man, who ran up to me, blocking my way.
Tok called the column to a halt and then turned to the man – Ult, the factory foreman, by his identification.
“Ult,” I said, “We are here on the business of the Unduthian government.”
“And what business is that, then?” Ult asked.
I handed him the orders we'd been given. He scanned the document but didn't appear to comprehend it.
“As you might have heard, there have been a series of bombings in Kinray over the last couple of weeks,” I said. “We have reliable intelligence that has identified some of those responsible. And some of them work in your factory. Now, if you will get out of our way, we need to round them up, for I assure you, if any of them have gotten away while I've had to stand here and explain myself to you, your name will be added to that list.”
Ult stepped out of my way, a terrified and yet apologetic look on his face. These scraps were pathetic. So easy to intimidate – yet another reason I didn't think the rebellion had originated out here. These people jumped out of their skin of you yelled “boo” loud enough.
But, for whatever reason, the government had put together this list of suspects and it was my job to bring them in – or shoot them, if the resisted. I tend to think the powers that be hoped we'd shoot them down regardless. There was less bureaucratic red tape to deal with in regard to the dead, than there was with a living prisoner.
“Photos and identification have been uploaded into your visors,” Tok said. “Spread out and find the suspects. Bring them back here to the yard.”
My men spread out and moved quickly into the factory. I heard a lot of shouting and general commotion coming from the floor, but then the sound of a few shots quieted everything down. There were probably a couple of dead factory workers in there, but they should have complied. It wasn't like the government was going to care anyway – they were scraps. They didn't really count.
A few minutes later, eight men were brought out of the factory by my men. They were lined up and then forced down onto their knees. The other men in the factory had all come out and were watching what was happening with a grim curiosity.
The eight men looked up at me with varying degrees of fear on their faces. They were all young – I wouldn't have put the oldest past his twenty-first birth year. It made me skeptical as to whether or not any of these men – boys, really – were involved with the bombings or this insurgency at all, as the government claimed.
But then, it wasn't my job to worry about the optics or the political fallout of it all. My job was simply to do what I was paid to do. And in this case, I was paid to exterminate a threat to the Unduthian elite.
Chapter Seven
Byr
My heart was thundering in my chest when they forced us out of the factory at rifle point. When the lined us up, forced us to our knees, and stood behind us, I thought it might explode in my chest right then and there.
“What is going on?” I whispered to Tryn.
He shook his head, his eyes wide, and the markings around his eyes glowing bright – probably as bright as mine. He was as scared as I was. And why wouldn't we be? We'd done nothing wrong and yet, were being rounded up by government soldiers and treated like common criminals.
I watched the man standing in front of us. He wore black and white armor that covered most of his body. I didn't recognize the insignia on his shoulder. His skin had a darker blue hue to it and his hair was blacker than night, pulled back into a tight tail. His eye markings were a vivid red and glowed, reflecting his anger.
He looked at us, an imperious expression upon his face. “My name is General Gravus,” he said. “And I have been tasked with solving a problem for the Unduthian government.”
“W – What sort of problem?” a man named Poj asked.
A small, cynical smile played on Gravus' lips. “Some of you may know that recently, there has been a series of bombings in Kinray.”
I looked around at the men on the ground with me. All of them looked terrified – and like they had no idea what was going on. And I didn't doubt their sincerity. None of the men I worked with were bombers or murderers.
“The government believes that there is an insurgency forming,” he said, his voice booming in the silence of the factory. “And as you can imagine, they have a vested interest in curtailing this seditious activity before it begins. I am here –”
“What does that have to do with us though?” Poj asked, his voice colored with irritation.
I wanted to stop him from speaking. Wanted to tell him to warn him that he was out of line and was going to get himself into trouble. But I didn't dare speak, lest I bring Gravus' wrath down upon me. The last thing I wanted t
o do was draw attention to myself. I hated the Unduthian government as much as anybody and though I didn't know about the bombings and had no hand in them, I certainly wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.
But I couldn't say any of that. I had to think of my family.
Gravus stepped forward, a condescending smile on his face. “What is your name?”
“P – Poj,” he said, sounding a little more uncertain than he had a moment ago.
“Well, Poj,” Gravus said. “Let me tell you what this has to do with you –”
Gravus suddenly reared back and kicked Poj in the face. From where I was at the other end of the line, I heard the sickening crack, watched Poj's head snap backward, and saw the spray of dark blue blood and teeth. Poj fell hard onto his back and was still. I didn't know if he was dead or just out cold.
“Now,” Gravus said. “If anybody thinks to interrupt me again, I will not be so kind. Consider that a fair warning.”
I lowered my head, not wanting to make eye contact with the man. I just wanted him to say what he needed to say and be done with it. I wanted to create as few waves as possible so that they would get back into their transport and get out of there.
“Now,” Gravus continued. “As I was saying, the Unduthian government has a keen interest in curtailing these seditious activities. And we have reliable intelligence that you eight are members of this insurgency – perhaps, you're even the bombers yourselves.”
A collective gasp and a string of denials came from the other men in line. I simply kept my head down and said nothing. Knowing that Gravus thought we were the bombers or part of some insurgency tightened the knot in my stomach painfully. I'd thought he was going to deliver a warning and be on his way – now, I feared that he had something else in mind entirely.
And it did not bode well for any of us.
“Silence!” Gravus' voice thundered.
Everybody fell silent. There was a thick, nearly suffocating tension in the air about us – and an expectation of violence. The energy that saturated the air around us felt much like thick, dark clouds in the sky just before the storm broke.
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