by Dani Hoots
“That’s a lie. You don’t know me, you will never know me. Don’t think just because I like you training me, that I am nicer to you than others that I will ever open up to you. All you need to know is that I serve the Emperor and he owns my loyalty and my life. The scars I have inside are just a payment I have to give due to my ignorance. I learned my lesson the hard way, Joss saw to that.”
“A scar, just like the mark on your wrist?” he asked. I shifted, placing my other hand on top of my glove. There was no way he would have ever seen it. “What is that?”
I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know about the mark? There is no way you could have seen it.”
“You took your gloves off once during training. I saw the lines. What are they?”
I pointed at the door. “Out. Now.”
“Myra, I—“ he began but I shook my head.
“Out. Now!”
He slowly stood up and nodded his head. “I’m sorry Myra, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just want to be here for you.”
“That will never be possible. Go rest up, we will leave in the morning.”
He nodded and left me in my quarters. My heart was racing. Why would anyone care other than Jack? No one has ever, other than David but he was naive and thought I was innocent in the beginning. This man knew everything about me and still wanted to know more.
And I had no idea why that was.
I lay back on the couch and let my mind drift off to somewhat pleasanter places. The mystery could wait another day. I needed my rest. I needed to prepare for the mission that was at hand.
CHAPTER 11
Ttkas was only a three-day trip away. Ships moved a bit slower compared to the future, but that didn’t mean that it still wasn’t that far away. As ordered, I traveled with Dan, he was like my coach and guard all in one. I never thought I would need coaching again, as I had mastered many fighting techniques and could even beat the top ranking military officers for both the Pandronan Empire and the Second Republic. I hadn’t had so much trouble sparring before and it made me curious as to why. There had to be something else to it, something that I wasn’t seeing. There was no way a normal person could beat me at fighting like he could.
I thought about asking him outright, but learned that through the years, asking for the truth hadn’t gotten me anywhere. I was constantly lied to, no one spoke a word of truth to me. Sure, I was good at lying, good at hiding the fears inside of me. But that apparently didn’t matter, Neil could read my mind and he knew everything.
I felt foolish for acting like a child when he asked me how I felt. I wanted to apologize, but I feared he would try to pry into my personal life again. So I did the only thing I knew how to do, and that was pretend it never happened. Healthy way to deal with things, right?
He also didn’t bring it up, which honestly surprised me. Maybe he finally learned not to mess with me. I would be surprised if that was the case. We had already argued a few times about him asking me questions about my past. What part of don’t ask me didn’t he understand?
We only took a small Class Two ship, which only the two of us were navigating. There was no reason to bring anyone else since this was a mission involving slipping by the Republic and getting the representative of Ttkas on our side. It wouldn’t be difficult, I knew, as none of these representatives had any backbone, and their history has remained virtually unchanged on that score. A simple threat, a few punches in the stomach, and he would be ours. Just like always.
One of the downsides of being on such a small ship was that there really was no training room. We had the mess hall and that was it. So we moved the table out of the way and fought. Without a mat, I might add. Dan didn’t seem to mind, though he wasn’t the one getting thrown to the ground constantly.
Again, good thing I could heal so fast.
As I hit the ground, I felt my shoulder blade crack. I let out a brief yelp in pain. Damn, I should have been a bit more careful.
Dan’s eyes widened as he too heard the noise. “Are you okay?”
I pulled myself up, whimpering just a little bit. “Snapped my shoulder blade. Should be fine in a few hours.”
“What?”
I shook my head. “I can heal fast, it should be fine. Meanwhile, we should go over the plan for getting close to the representative.”
He helped me to the chair. I may be able to heal quickly, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. I grimaced as the back of the chair touched the broken bone. “Do we have alcohol? I think alcohol would be lovely right about now.”
“Are you even really old enough for that?” Dan asked.
I gave him a look, letting him know I really didn’t care, not to mention he just broke my shoulder blade.
“Right.” Dan nodded and went to the pantry to get whatever he could find. He came back with a bottle of vodka. Fitting since we were heading to Ttkas. We could grab some more when we landed.
He handed me the bottle and I quickly opened it and chugged. I hadn’t consumed alcohol for a while, the bite hit me and I started coughing.
“You should be careful, that’s not a proof for chugging. It’s on the high end.” Dan sat down across from me. “Hand me the bottle.”
I passed it on and he took a quick sip. “Wow, this does taste like crap.”
“It helps though.” I took another sip. “So, have any ideas of how we are going to get close to the representative? I have a feeling he has a bunch of guards stationed around him with the threat of war looming across the galaxy.”
Dan shrugged. “It is hard to say at the moment. We need to hack into his schedule, see where he will be, and plan from there.”
“Got a tablet? I could probably get into it online.”
Dan went over and grabbed a tablet. I quickly ran through it, digging into Tkas’ database. It was pretty easy, they needed to increase their security. I made a mental note to tell Joss that when we got back. “There, found his schedule. For when we land, it should be his day of meetings with the senate. There’s a brief hour where he is in his office doing paperwork, or god-knows-what. We should plan to sneak in then.”
“You think it will be that simple?” Dan raised an eyebrow. I laughed.
“It’s Tkas, of course it will be. They may be known for their military weapons, but as for their security currently, it’s not that great. Facilities yes, but the rest of the city is pretty bad. Just don’t get caught. What they lack in security, they regain in harsh treatment to those they do arrest.”
“Good to know. Are you sure your shoulder will be fine by then?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it will be. Don’t worry about it. Just need to sit here for a bit, let it stop hurting.”
“Anything you need right now?”
“No, you can go rest. I will keep an eye on the ship.”
He nodded and got up to head to his quarters. I sighed, wanting to punch a hole in the wall. I should have been more careful when I hit the ground, now I just sat here with pain in my shoulder. At least it would go away eventually, and I would be ready before we landed.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on what I would need to do for the mission, what was demanded of me. It would just be a matter of time, then Ttkas would be under our control.
And then I could find the secret clue on Ttkas and find Sanshli. Only then would my mission be really complete.
***
A day passed and I was able to heal from my shoulder injury. We were almost to Ttkas, I could see the snowy planet coming up out of the space-shield. I was surprised how it didn’t seem to have changed much, but I guess snow was snow. I knew many down there would disagree, that there were different types of snow, but I really didn’t care about what they thought. I knew it was cold and covered everything and it was a pain to deal with.
Seeing the planet reminded me of Amanda. She had met her end on this planet, or at least would meet her end in the future. I wondered, when all was said and done, whether or not she would be alive, or if her death was a set point
in time. Both her and Father had met their end because of the Empire, could this bring them back?
I shook my head. I didn’t want to think of Father. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, not when I had such a big task to finish before we could even go back to the future. I had to find Sanshli, I had to defeat Nygard somehow. It wasn’t going to be easy, and I really doubted that I would survive when all was set and done. Even if I did, I could be simply sent to the past, where I was from originally. There were too many variables and getting my hopes up would just be a weakness someone could exploit.
“Looks cold.” Dan stepped next to me.
I nodded. “That it is. Make sure to bring a coat.”
“Oh, I planned on that. Too bad we can’t explore the planet, I bet it has some wonderful scenery.”
“No, it really doesn’t. You can find snow on most planets with more picturesque settings. This is just a lump of ice that people who can’t afford to leave stay on. The only option is to manufacture weapons with the metals they mine for, or else no one will trade with them. They will just be on their own and slowly dissolve into nothing.” I turned to face him. “Jane is from there originally. Gives you an idea of these people’s personalities.”
“Ah. I didn’t realize she was from there. Must have some interesting stories.”
I shrugged. “Not really. Her parents sold her to the military and she became a lethal machine. Joss then hired her and she went back and destroyed everything her parents ever had. That’s why I call her the Ice Queen. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have left any of them alive.” Although that story was from the future, not this life. It fit her either way.
“A little harsh, don’t you think?” he asked.
“No, not after what they did to her. But I’m not known for my generosity either.”
“Well, that’s interesting then. So if someone betrayed you, tried to kill you, you would stop at nothing to destroy them?”
I watched him closely. He appeared to be sincere in his question, but I wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from. Had he been hurt in his past and was wanting to seek revenge? I wasn’t sure, but I knew what I would do. “Yes. Of course, that is as long as Joss allows it.”
Dan grinned. “That’s good to hear. So you understand what revenge can do to a person.”
It wasn’t so much as a question rather than an understanding. I wondered what he could possibly seek revenge for. “But it is very rare for someone to betray me, as I don’t let anyone get close,” I explained.
“What about Wes?”
I shook my head. “He was never close. And I did leave and am with the Empire now so that sort of answers that question.”
“True, when you put it that way. We better report in to the planet’s authorities, don’t want them to be suspicious of us.”
“Oh, but that makes it all the more fun.” I laughed. “Yeah, we better check in and be given a docking spot. Should land within two hours, and the representative has his break in four. We will be cutting it close, but it should work out fine.”
Dan nodded and gestured to the cockpit. “After you.”
***
We landed within two hours, just as I planned we would. The representative’s office was about an hour away and we waited in line to get a ticket for the train that headed to the capital, as the port was not connected like in many other planets. It was cold, just as I figured it would be, and I couldn’t believe how many people around us barely had a light jacket on. They shivered as they waited in line, their jacket riddled with holes. Poverty marked this planet, even under the Republic. I couldn’t believe it, not after the Republic claiming that they would make sure food was at every table, and clothes on every person.
I wondered if it was better before we came along a year ago, that Wes did something to make matters worse for them. It wouldn’t surprise me, really, as he blames Ttkas for a good chunk of the war. He was making innocent people suffer. At least after today it would be a little better, that is if Wes backed down once Ttkas was under our control. Most of the military weapons were on this planet, it would be suicide for his people to attack her once they sided with Joss.
We got on the train and I watched as we passed small houses that looked as if they wouldn’t be warm on a sunny day. And Wes was going to attack them, make them realize what he could do if they ever betrayed him. He was a fool to hurt so many innocent people.
I turned to Dan, wanting to ignore my feelings of sympathy. I honestly hated feeling this way and didn’t want to ever feel that way again. I didn’t want to be reminded what was taken from me all those years ago, the family that I once loved. If Wes attacked, these children would face the same fate as us, if not worse.
“Something wrong?” Dan asked. I shook my head no as the train entered a tunnel into the mountain. The lights turned on as darkness now surrounded us.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about everything. It should all be fine, though, so I shouldn’t worry.”
“And you have me with you, so you don’t have to worry about getting captured.” He grinned, as if I needed saving.
I glared at him. “I would be fine without you, Joss is just worried I might betray him. I never get caught without wanting to or having a plan to escape.”
“Is that so? Then you let yourself be captured by Joss’ men? And also, could have left Wes anytime you wanted?”
I stayed silent for a moment. That was true, I could have left at any time I wanted while under Wes’ roof. But I wanted to know what he was doing, I wanted to get stronger in blocking my mind before facing Joss once again. I shrugged. “I was just curious about what Wes was doing, I could have left at any time, that is true. And yes, I did know that Joss was waiting for me. Had to knock a few people out though, make it a bit more believable, but I was in control the entire time and Joss knows that.”
“Very interesting. I don’t know if you are incredibly smart or so egotistic that you just think you are in charge.”
I punched him in the arm. “I also don’t lie so you can just shut up.”
He laughed. “All right then, I will.”
It wasn’t much longer before we found ourselves in the capital. It was as sad as the rest of the planet was, without many tourists around. Everyone here either appeared to live on the planet or were here for business. The men in suits and trench coats I spotted near the Capital Building had to be the senators coming to talk to the representative. That meant we would be talking to him before he met with the senators. Perfect timing, he could claim independence right away and we would know if we were successful.
This was going perfectly. I could not wait.
I nodded to Dan towards the entry that we would need to take. He followed behind as we snuck past two guards.
“The back entry is this way, at least according to the schematics I found. There will probably be a guard or two waiting,” I said.
“Leave the guards to me, I can take care of them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You mean I get to finally see you in action against someone other than me?”
“Can’t let you hurt yourself before we get to the representative, now can I?”
“Very funny. The entrance is just up ahead. Go ahead and have at it.”
Dan nodded and as we rounded the corner, three guards stood at the entrance. Dan was quick to attack before they noticed we were even there. I watched as with one hand he was able to knock them all to the ground. Even I wasn’t able to do that. I still had a lot more training to learn from him, that was for sure.
Gesturing me to follow him inside, Dan grabbed a key card off one of the guards and we went into the capital. From what I memorized of the layouts, the representative’s office was down the hall, turn right, turn left, the third door on the left. I led the way as we pushed past the workers. They didn’t notice that we weren’t supposed to be there. The key is acting like you belong. Then no one notices that you aren’t supposed to be there. At least, that’s how it usually goes.
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“Oi! You two! You aren’t supposed to be here!” a man behind us yelled. I glanced back and sure enough one of the guards Dan had knocked out was awake and heading our way.
“Probably a good time to run, wouldn’t you say?” I asked Dan.
He nodded. “Go on ahead, I will take care of this.”
“Got it. Just don't get captured, I don’t want to have to come find you.”
“I’ll try my best.” With that, he ran back towards the guard and I ran towards the room the Representative was in. I heard people calling out for the alarm to be sounded, so I knew I would have to act quick. If I waited, then the representative would be taken to somewhere they deemed safe. I couldn’t wait that long.
I barged into the room to find the Representative hurrying towards a back exit. I pulled out my Class Two gun.
“Not so fast, Representative Allumas. I need to talk to you.”
CHAPTER 12
“Wha—what do you want? Who are you? I have nothing of value, I’m just a puppet. I can’t do anything.” He was quick to think of excuses, which always showed that one was weak, that they knew that they couldn’t defend themselves. It was their last resort, make the killer feel sympathetic towards them. This was going to be easier than I thought.
“My name is Myra and I come with a message from Emperor Joss himself.” I didn’t lower my weapon, knowing that at any chance he had, he would run off and summon the guards. Believe me, it has happened before. Many times, actually.
His eyes widened, fearful that I was going to kill him probably. It was the same look they all got when in dire straits, even if I didn’t have a gun and wasn’t ordered to kill them. I felt as if my power was coming back to me, my nickname as being the Emperor’s Shadow would once again be restored. For some reason that made me excited, that it meant I could go back to how things were, which wasn’t true. There was still so much more going on.
Allumas peered around, but didn’t move. He probably wondered why his men hadn’t come in here to stop me, and that was because Dan had them preoccupied outside. I had to give him credit where credit was due. He knew how to handle these situations, he wasn’t just good at training, he was also good in the field.