Merlo grinned. “Oh, it’s a casino.”
“You are familiar with these?” Branwen was a little surprised.
“Huh? No, not really.” Merlo regarded her Captain’s raised eyebrow with a look and an almost embarrassed shrug. “I mean, I read about them on the Exonet randomly. They sounded kind of fun. Or maybe a waste of time. One of those. I dunno.”
Branwen gave her a smile and slapped her hand down on the girl’s shoulder. “Perhaps one day we can determine which it is together,” Branwen commented. Merlo returned the smile. “Though today is not that day. Today, we need answers.” Branwen’s gaze settled on the open entrance to the flashy building.
Any other time, the curious lights and sounds of the casino might have tempted Branwen into an extended investigation, despite the bewildering wealth of unfamiliar technology surrounding her. Merlo, glancing about with a seeming sense of critical interest, appeared to agree. Following the generalized directions on her datapad, the pair wound their way toward the upper levels and the promise of Oran Yustari’s presence, but eventually found their way barred by a pair of muscular Uzran men in suits.
They held up a matching pair of tattooed hands to pause her, glancing at one another before looking back at Branwen. She imagined that they were tall for Uzrans, which meant she still had most of a head on the taller of them. Hired muscle didn’t intimidate her, and though she still knew that finding trouble here would cause problems, she also knew they sensed her lack of concern over their presence.
“You here to see Mr. Yustari?” One of them spoke after a moment’s pause, a voice thick with a gravelly Urzran accent. They seemed to ignore Merlo’s presence, to the side and slightly behind Branwen, which was fine with her.
“That I am.” Branwen let her confidence say more than the words she chose to use. Behind the men, there were a couple of private tables, but she spied the one where Yustari lounged and set her eyes on him.
One of the two men raised a hand to his ear, and Branwen supposed him to be utilizing some sort of communication device. In the background, she saw the man she’d rightly guessed to be Oran Yustari pause in speaking and raise a hand to his own ear. “What business do you have with Mr. Yustari?” The two men moved slightly closer together, cutting off her view of the casino’s proprietor.
“My business is my own, but I come representing the Kalaset, and intend to speak with Mr. Yustari.” Her tone was polite enough, but told them that she didn’t expect a “no” as an answer.
The one who had spoken to her kept a hand pressed to his ear. “I’m sorry, but…” He trailed off, turning to look behind himself, to where Oran Yustari, resplendent in his pristine white suit, beckoned to them.
Even from here, Branwen could hear him call for them to “let her through.” With obvious reluctance, they parted to do just that, though Branwen could feel their eyes lingering suspiciously on her as she approached Yustari’s table.
Oran Yustari was a powerfully built if aging Urzran, with whitening hair and some extra weight in his gut. His impeccable, fur-trimmed ivory suit accented sharp, intelligent crystal blue eyes. Dangerous eyes.
Those hardened eyes now settled on Branwen as he relaxed in his comfortable booth, surrounded by a trio of barely dressed, fawning servant girls with depressed expressions. Two men in fine suits of their own sat across from him, giving him curious looks as he paused their card game to watch Branwen’s approach, pushing a thick cigar between his teeth and inhaling deeply.
“So, my men inform me that you come representing the Kalaset.” Oran Yustari’s voice was deep, authoritative, and amused. His sharp eyes raked over Branwen, taking her in, and settled on Merlo, who he gave a broad, lecherous grin. Branwen sensed the girl stiffen behind her, but held a hand out as covertly as possible to settle her. “You are not exactly their typical fare.”
“I get that a lot.” Branwen gave him a thin smile. Medlava might have held political power, Stone might have been hiding secrets, but this man was the one who felt the most dangerous. Branwen leaned forward and extended a hand across the table. “Captain Branwen Hawke.”
“If you are here from the Kalaset, then you must know that they and I have had a falling out, of sorts.” He didn’t immediately take her arm, but when Branwen didn’t move, he surprised her by clasping it in a way that was very close to how one would on Fade. “So it would do you well to explain exactly why you have come.”
She nodded. He might be dangerous, but that alone didn’t intimidate her. “We are investigating the disappearance of Kala Tiala.” She watched his eyes narrow. “We have reason to believe she might have visited you recently, and we were hoping you could help us locate her.” Branwen felt the time to pull punches was behind them.
The gambit indeed garnered a reaction. Oran’s eyes narrowed further, and his brow furrowed. With an abrupt gesture, the three serving girls retreated, and Branwen saw the glint of dull metal around their necks: the collars of indentured servants. Merlo shifted agitatedly behind her again, and she figured her pilot had noticed as well.
“I have not seen Tiala for a long time. She displeased me in a previous visit, many years ago.” He sounded almost angry, but there was something else, something distant, in his eyes as well. He did do an excellent job of hiding it, however; enough so that Branwen couldn’t make out what it was.
“Something tells me that there is more to the story than this, Mr. Yustari. And I need to know if there is anything here relevant to my search for the Kala.” She watched his eyes narrow at the statement of challenge, but instinct continued to tell her to shake the tree and see what fell out.
“You are from Fade, are you not, Captain?” His eyes said that he already knew. Branwen didn’t take her eyes off of Yustari, but she heard a whisper of movement and grumbling murmur from the two men to her side when Fade was mentioned.
“I am.”
“Leave me.” His look directed the statement toward to the two men, and they began to edge out of their seats and leave, but not before shooting Branwen dangerous glares. He gestured Branwen and Merlo closer, and Branwen obliged, though she did not yet sit.
Meeting his stare, she saw one thing that was familiar in his eyes. Oran Yustari was a man who had looked full into the face of conflict. War always leaves its marks. And from the recognition on his face, Branwen could tell he saw the same in her, as well. “You were a warrior on Fade, Captain? A leader of men?” Discarding the thick stub of his current cigar, he took another one from a gold-inlaid case in his jacket and lit it, taking a long draw and blowing the smoke to the side where it lingered heavily in the air.
“I fought and led women and men in many battles for many years, yes. I would ask the same of you, but I feel I already know the answer.”
He grunted, the hostile expression beginning to soften and fade, displaced by a degree of amusement again. “I fought many years in struggles here on Urzra and beyond, yes. I thought I felt a kinship of that sort with you, Captain Hawke.”
“It is something most do not understand.” Branwen agreed. She realized she’d unconsciously shifted her stance, falling into her old military posture, and softened her own face with a smile. “Though I am surprised that you do not seem bothered by my heritage.”
Oran Yustari actually laughed, a deep chuckle rising from his belly as he tapped out cigar ashes onto a plate on the table. “Such small concerns are for small minds, Captain Hawke, and I refuse to be bound by foolish prejudice.” He leaned forward almost conspiratorily. “I have a feeling that you and I, we are too old for such things.”
Branwen found herself returning his grin. If he was manipulating her, he was doing very well, because she found him somewhat likable despite the fact that she as of yet had no evidence disagreeing with Governor Medlava’s assertion that the man was a pig. It was hard to judge someone on things like indentured girls though, because no matter how deplorable she might personally find it, Branwen realized that it was part of a culture that was vastly different from he
r own. Besides, she still needed answers.
So she sat down at the table across from Yustari and crossed her arms on the table, Merlo migrating over to stand near her side effectively Branwen’s own bodyguard. “As we understand it, Kala Tiala came to see you as a part of a tour she was making, seeing her previous clients before her impending retirement.” She commented, leaning forward.
Yustari snorted. “Then, whoever has told you this is either mistaken, or lying.” The large Urzran man sharply jabbed the end of his cigar into a dish on the table. The action seeming to imply some sort of anger or irritation, but as far as Branwen could tell not one directed at her. “It is as I have said. The Kala and I did not part on such good terms. I have not seen her for many years now, nor spoken to her for quite a few.” Stuffing the non-smouldering end of his cigar into his mouth once again, he leaned close over the table as well. “What do you know of this matter? What has happened to her?”
It was a risky business. If Oran Yustari were involved, she’d be feeding him information about what they knew. On the other hand, their choices for gathering their own information were rapidly dissipating. “Kala Tiala disappeared from Kharvid almost a month ago. When the Kalaset received suspicions from one of her associates that something foul had happened to her, they sent us ahead to see what we could find out. We know she last saw Governor Forona Medlava, and that she was likely on her way to see you and another businessman from Kharvid.”
Oran grunted, his face angled away from her, down toward the table. Branwen read what she could off of him, her eyes probing the shadowed recesses of his face for any details that might give away his emotions. She watched as he seemed to transfer quickly between upset, regret, and a thoughtful solemness that was then buried once more as he assumed a falsely humorous mask over his true feelings. “Medlava, hmm? Hard to imagine Tiala with that one. Quite the public servant, but not too high of an opinion of honest folk like myself.”
“Funny, she said something not so dissimilar of you. Except worse.”
“Ah, well. The good Governor thinks of me what I would like her to think of me. It suits me perfectly fine, stuffed shirt that she is.” He tapped out ashes from the end of the cigar again before taking a long draw, sending sizzling embers racing up a fraction of its length. “So Tiala’s in trouble. No one knows where she is, or what happened.” He puffed out the words alongside a heavy breath of smoke that momentarily obscured his face.
Branwen nodded. Yustari might be trying to conceal it, but she could sense his mixed emotions and see the hints of muted dolor in his eyes. “So far, that is correct. Unless you have anything to add.”
Yustari’s eyes narrowed, darting to her face and likely judging whether Branwen was making an accusation or not. He huffed out another smoky breath, apparently deciding not to take offense. “Sadly, I do not.” He sighed, setting his cigar down. “I hear of a great many things, Captain. But I have not heard of any ill business concerning the Kala. I did not even hear of her coming to Odesa. Who was this one other she was to visit, back in Kharvid?”
Another gamble. At least they were in a hall dedicated to such ventures. “Jori Stone.”
Yustari froze. He started moving again an instant later, sucking in a quiet breath. Branwen watched an unreadable emotion flit through his eyes. “Stone. I may know nothing of this matter, Captain, but if I were to look, I would start there. Stone is not a good man.” He grinned, though there was less humor to it than Branwen would have liked, and gestured broadly around at the trappings of his establishment. “And that is me saying that, Captain.”
15.2- Merlo
“So, you think it was him, Captain?” Merlo had waited as long as she could to blurt it out, as they were now back in another private transit bound for the docks. Branwen hadn’t wanted to force their way through the streets again on the way back, to Merlo’s mild disappointment.
The Captain smiled, but it seemed to hide more than a little worry to Merlo. “Are you going to ask me that after each person we meet, Merlo?”
“Uh, probably, Captain. Till we find who’s behind all of this. Then I’ll stop.” She grinned back at Branwen. Really, Merlo hoped that Oran Yustari was involved, the sexist, grubby, oily, distasteful man. She’d love to wave to him as he got arrested. Or punch him in the face. The way he’d kept looking her over had made her want to punch him a few times by itself. “Surprised you could get along with a man like him.”
Branwen nodded at her, seeming thoughtful. “Indeed, I have worked with worse people in my time.” She steepled her hands and leaned her forehead against them. “I also cannot fault someone necessarily for partaking in things that are a part of their culture, at least within reason. After all, many would likely find offense at some of the customs of Fade. And besides, I saw a certain… kinship, I suppose, in him. Of paths seen and roads traveled.”
“Eh, I couldn’t stand him myself, Captain. I guess I agree with the Governor on it. Man seemed like a pig.” Merlo sighed. She had actually been looking forward to the walk back, and getting to jostle around some more Urzrans. She supposed it had been a bit of a stress reliever. “So what now, Captain?”
Branwen just sat there for a moment, not moving, and Merlo was about to ask her again when she finally responded. “Now we try to put the pieces together and hope it takes us far enough to figure something out.” She looked up at Merlo, this time with a frown. “With any luck, it will.”
15.3- Sirrah
“But if you don’t think Yustari was involved, then who, Captain?” Sirrah brushed a bejeweled lock of hair from her face and looked around the table. They were once again gathered around the dining table, or “impromptu war room,” as Branwen had dryly referred to it. This time, Sirrah’s nerves were so knotted inside that even she didn’t know how she kept it from her face. She longed for her emotional state to return to what it had been before learning of her mentor’s abduction, for the return of the inner tranquility that had been her constant companion.
“We do not know for certain that any of these individuals were involved.” The Captain also scanned the table, and Sirrah knew she was gaging reactions and reading faces as well. She had been very thoughtful, dwelling deeply on the matter at hand since her return; Sirrah felt it would be impossible to over-appreciate the Captain’s assistance at this point. “So far, we know little more for certain than what we have inferred from Don Mateo’s messages. Has the Kalaset found anything more?”
Sirrah had to shake her head resignedly in response. “Unfortunately, no; they would have contacted me if they had. It is reasonable considering that we have fewer agents in Urzra than in most places, and whoever is behind this has covered their tracks very well. Anyone else sent by the Kalaset is yet to arrive, lacking the use of a ship as quick as the Destiny.” The Kala watched Merlo puff up quietly with pride at the hidden complement.
“Well…” Mr. Leonard cautiously attempted entry into the conversation, and Sirrah gave him a warm smile intended to encourage it. “What about if we wait, then? If there are others coming that are more suited to the task, perhaps we can simply pass along all we know and assist them.”
Sirrah watched as Merlo nodded, seeming to find the idea palatable. By force of will, she kept from biting her lip; she couldn’t afford for the crew to give up on Tiala. “It will still be a few days before they can arrive, and even begin their own search. We’re already several steps ahead of them. And I have a very bad feeling about waiting, even aside from my attachment to the matter at hand.” She stated it calmly, though her emotions were anything but calm.
To her great internal relief, the Captain nodded as well. “Indeed. I have a similar feeling myself. Our investigation has no doubt been noticed by others just as well-connected as those who are at fault. With us kicking up dust and drawing attention, I am afraid we are committed to helping more before time draws thin.”
“So, what do we do then?” Merlo, standing near the table instead of sitting, leaned forward over it, resting her pa
lms on the table. “We may not know for sure, but our best guess is that at least one of these three people had something to do with the Kala’s disappearance. Right?”
Branwen nodded. “According to Don Mateo’s notes, yes. He seems to have known more about this than anyone else has discovered so far.”
“And so far we figure Governor Medlava is in the clear. Which leaves Yustari or Stone, neither of which I personally liked.” Merlo continued, still intent.
Prisoner 286, munching on what appeared to be an Erakian core-steak, leaned over her and draped an arm around the smaller woman’s shoulders. “Yeah, well, you like me, so there’s no proof you have good sense.”
Merlo glared at her, while Sirrah saw Branwen smirk covertly. Zimi let out a snort as she failed to suppress a laugh, but then blushed, covering her face and looking away nervously as 286 gave her a long stare. Sirrah nearly sighed. She wished the woman would stop bullying parts of the crew, but there was little to be done about it right now.
“Anyways,” Merlo continued once again, elbowing 286 ineffectually in the ribs, “Those two are our main suspects. How do we investigate them further? They’re our only real leads right now.”
Branwen nodded again, but Mr. Leonard spoke up first. “In most situations, I would suggest we contact some form of authorities. But that won’t work here, I believe. We don’t know who may or may not be complicit in the matter, if we could even get them to render us timely assistance.”
Appearing to recover from her embarrassment and nervousness, Zimi spoke up. “Yeah, no offense to any Urzrans in particular, I ain’t too fond of how their government works these days. I wouldn’t trust ‘em either.”
“Sadly, I must agree.” Sirrah’s voice smoothly slid into the discussion again. “If the Kalaset has not been able to find anything yet, and someone of Don Mateo’s influence could not find her, I don’t believe we will find Kala Tiala by following the same path.” She folded her hands neatly in her lap so they wouldn’t be tempted to show off any signs of her fretting.
Destiny Abounds (Starlight Saga Book 1) Page 31