by L P Peace
Next, he looked down at the cast that covered his leg. It had cost a small fortune to have the doctor see him. Dabin, the medic on Makios’s ship, was in the northern hemisphere of the planet and unavailable to come for a few more hours. Alethia refused to leave him suffering for that long.
‘I bought you from the Tinar who owned you.’ Alethia witnessed a light, a hope he hadn’t yet allowed to bloom, die. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Kyle.’ His tone was flatter than before.
‘Kyle,’ Alethia repeated. It was important to say his name. To personify him, where so many others had stolen his personhood from him. ‘I didn’t buy you to keep you as a slave, I bought you to free you.’
For a moment, nothing happened, his face remained impassive, though he looked back up at her. She smiled and nodded, allowing him the silence to think over her words. When moments passed and he still hadn’t spoken, still watched her with wary eyes, she continued. ‘I live on a world that no one knows about. It’s off any trade or flight paths’. In the twenty years I’ve lived there, no one’s come who we weren’t expecting.’ Alethia’s smile widened. ‘There are other freed slaves there. Human, Aavani, Ualha, Zavi, Mvari and a few others. We live in secret, free.’
Alethia could see a small spark of hope ignite in his eyes. Makios and Dairon had argued with her about waking Kyle up. They debated whether they should waste his energy. Alethia believed that the promise of freedom might be fuel to the fire that could mean his survival. She had more faith now that it had been the right decision.
Behind her, the door to Medbay hissed open. Kyle flinched. Alethia placed a hand on his arm and turned to see Makios entering. She turned back to Kyle as Makios took a position at the end of the bed.
‘Kyle, this is Makios. He’s my friend.’ Makios nodded at the human male, his face softening and a small smile touched his lips.
Alethia looked at her oldest friend. ‘This is Kyle.’
‘Hi, Kyle.’ He looked at Alethia. ‘Tala will be here in two hacri. Dairon’s getting ready to leave.’
Alethia nodded. ‘Can you get my brother, please? They should be introduced before we go.’
‘I hope you’re feeling better soon, Kyle.’ Makios smiled, ignoring the hostility in the human’s face. It wasn’t the first time he had seen it and likely wouldn’t be the last. He turned, leaving them alone.
‘You’re going?’
Alethia nodded. ‘There’s another slave market tomorrow. But I want you and the others we bought off-planet today. Now.’
‘You think Tanos might change his mind about selling me?’ His sneer was weak, but the hatred behind it flamed in his eyes.
‘I’ve never trusted the honour of any alien,’ she admitted, ‘Except my brother, my stepfathers, Makios and his crew. I trust them less if they go on about how honourable they are all the time.’
‘You have good instincts,’ Kyle said, his voice getting quieter every time he spoke. ‘Tanos is about as honourable as a rabid dog.’
‘Do you know what a rabid dog is?’ Alethia asked.
He shook his head. ‘I was born out here.’
‘Me too, but my mum used that phrase.
Kyle’s smile was genuine. ‘Mine too. Your brother’s dad’s an alien?’
‘Dads. Two,’ She corrected. ‘Kuyon, they’re both his biological father.’
‘How does that work?’
Alethia grimaced. ‘They were like fathers to me. If they’d explained how they conceived my brother I’d have puked!’
Kyle laughed. Alethia felt something that had been tense inside her ease.
‘You’re lucky, having two fathers who cared about you.’
‘I know.’
‘My parents were both prostitutes. Forced breeding. My mother never saw my father again.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Alethia whispered, unsure what else she could say.
‘I was lucky I was good with wood or I would have ended up like them.’ Kyle closed his eyes. Alethia realised her face had slipped from empathy to pity; she forced a more neutral expression. When Kyle opened his eyes again, they were able to meet hers.
The door opened and repressed hostility tensed the lines of Kyle’s face.
‘Hey.’ It was a simple word, but somehow it was warm and concerned at the same time.
Alethia turned to greet Dairon. Behind him, Makios was gesturing for her to hurry up. She waved a hand in acknowledgement and returned her attention to Kyle and Dairon.
‘There are two more guests on the ship,’ her brother was saying. ‘An Aavani called Niada, she’s volunteered to take care of you while we’re travelling and a Mvari called Idila.’ Kyle nodded; the aggression plain to see. As Dairon turned to leave, Alethia could see there was a troubled look on his face. He hesitated, then turned back to Kyle.
‘Listen. Our fathers met our mother because the Huan who owned her prostituted her for favours. My fathers had no intention of touching her, but they bonded to her. You’re not alone here. Whatever you think of aliens, some of us are on your side.’ Kyle glared at him a few moments longer, before his face softened a little.
Alethia caught Dairon’s hand and silently thanked him before he left the room.
‘He’s a really good guy,’ Alethia said after the door closed. ‘Give him a chance?’
Kyle nodded.
‘And Makios, I trust him with my life.’
Kyle nodded again, a little more reluctantly this time.
Alethia suppressed a sigh. It was progress. ‘I have to go.’
He caught her hand, fear on his face. ‘You’re the only human on board?’
‘But there are dozens of humans on the planet you’re going to,’ she assured him.
‘How long till we get there?’
‘A little over a week. But we need you to rest Kyle; we need you to fight.’
Kyle lay back on the bed. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat and he was growing visibly weaker. ‘What’s the planet’s name?’
‘Tessa. My fathers named it after my mother. Sleep. Rest. You’ll be there soon.’
The rote's slave market had ended, and the streets were even more densely packed than when Thanesh had arrived on the planet hours before. Everywhere he looked, slaves of various race and colour were being led by their new owners. Some to hotels and inns, others were taking their purchases home. Most, however, had the same destination as him: the spaceport.
Kidaal’s house was situated on one of the foothills of the mountain. Thanesh descended the hill and entered the portion of the city that surrounded the dock. Most of the aliens visiting the city came here and went no farther. The shops were filled with goods native to the planet, but there were also things on sale from a hundred different worlds.
Thanesh entered the market. The stage where the slaves were sold was abandoned, though there was a sign advertising another auction the following rote. He was surrounded by market stalls and the last throng of shoppers. It was late and most of the stalls were packing up for the rote.
Crossing the market quickly, Thanesh entered the shopping district. No matter where he looked, there was no sign of any kind of observation devices. Hundreds of races visited from across this sector of space, yet the Tinar shunned any infringement on their privacy. Thanesh had to accept Kidaal’s explanation. It was a problem because it meant he didn’t have any leads about who was behind the disappearance of his men. Worse still, these thirty males accounted for only a few of those actually missing.
Over the last standard galactic solar and a half, three mid-size ships containing over eight hundred Protectorate had gone missing. Seventeen patrols on as many planets, each of fifty-plus men. Shuttles, several individuals, even one of his Protector-class ships, which was one of the two sister ships to his own vessel Calaia. Someone had it out for the Protectorate. They had taken out almost two thousand of his men, always leaving behind the bodies of those members that were not his actual race. Thanesh needed to find out who was behind this and what h
ad happened to them before the whole Protectorate went missing.
Shoving a Tinar out of his way as he continued pushing through the crowded, narrow street. Thanesh used his impatience as an outlet for his anger and frustration. He was sure when he’d set out for Esra, that he would catch Kidaal out in a lie. The Tinar had come to him out of nowhere a standard galactic moon cycle ago asking for membership, offering extras if he would speed up the application process. It seemed suspicious at the time. When his brothers went missing, he barely felt surprised, as though he’d been waiting for something to happen.
Even now, it was hard to accept Kidaal wasn’t involved.
Thanesh’s path was blocked by a huge Tinar male. Like Kidaal, he had black stripes to his red skin, accompanied by black hair and eyes.
‘Your female bought a human off me. The price was unfair. I want more for him.’
‘Not my female.’ Thanesh stepped around the Tinar and continued walking.
‘Representative Alethia of the Protectorate.’
Thanesh turned. ‘That is what she called herself?’
The Tinar nodded.
‘If you agreed to the price, the deal is done. There is nothing to talk about.’
‘I’ll take the Aavani as compensation.’
Aavani that would mean the slave market. Thanesh changed direction, heading back through the market he’d just left.
This female would not be the first person who claimed a connection to the Protectorate to gain an advantage in negotiations. People tended to accept less money when it was the Protectorate buying and treat them as priority buyers. Usually, he would arrest them, then devise a punishment fitting for their crime. Buying slaves would see this female on the slaver's block. If he stayed on Esra, he could find her before the next market, then sell her in the morning. That would leave him with an Aavani slave to deal with. Thanesh considered whether it was worth hanging around for one slave trader, but he knew if he left, the problem would only grow.
He sighed. This whole trip was far less satisfying than he had hoped. Maybe he could get some small satisfaction out of dispensing Protectorate justice on this female.
Invictus took off. There were no windows on most spaceships, so Alethia couldn’t see Dairon. She waved anyway knowing he’d be able to see her through his viewscreen and watched as he piloted the ship up towards the atmosphere.
Anxiety turned her stomach. She hated being here without her brother to protect her and reassure her. She turned to Makios and basked in his comforting presence, knowing he would take care of her. Still, he wasn’t Dairon.
Kuyon were a family-oriented race, and Dairon brought that sense with him wherever he went. More, he was her only family left; she felt a level of comfort and consolation when he was around that she didn’t get out of anyone else. She felt bereft watching him go.
Makios took hold of Alethia’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. His touch was warm against the waning heat of the day.
‘Let’s find somewhere to eat,’ Makios suggested. ‘By the time we finish, my ship will be here.’
Alethia nodded and placed a hand over Makios’s, nudging his side with her head.
‘I’m here,’ he said gently, guiding her towards the exit of the port. The sun had begun to set while they were on Invictus, and the sky was darkening to gold as the sun's halo disappeared behind the mountains. If the residents didn’t allow slavery, Alethia would seriously consider visiting just to discover all the beauty of this world.
There were crowds earlier. New slave owners returned to their ships and left the planet, taking their purchases home. Alethia had watched them flock into the port, regretting her decision not to purchase a few of them. She could have handed them off to Makios, who would have sold them to Alidai fight pit, where at least they would be able to earn their freedom. Plus, Makios always sold them to Alidai at a profit, which helped the colony.
Now the port was all but empty. A few ships were still scattered about, but for the most part, Alethia and Makios were alone. She relaxed a little and walked side-by-side with her best friend, enjoying the cooling air of the night.
The gates to the port yawned open before them. As they approached, she saw a Fedhith male look at them, do a double-take, then change his direction to intercept them.
‘Makios?’
‘I see him.’
‘How much for your human?’ the Fedhith called when he was in range.
Alethia suppressed an exhausted sigh. She turned on the Fedhith and was immediately taken aback by how attractive he was. He was beautiful, there was no other word for it.
His dark-purple, almost metallic skin, was stretched over taut muscle. He wore loose white trousers with a matching hood over his head, which covered his hair in the tradition of the males of his species, his torso left exposed to the cooling air of Keyal. His body was what her mother would have called a swimmer’s body, with well-developed yet lean muscles. Each muscle seemed to have been picked out and developed, individually tapering to his hips where loose pants hung low, revealing his Adonis belt.
But his face was truly stunning. He had a long, aquiline nose and full lips in a long face with high cheekbones. Green, cat-shaped eyes studied her appraisingly, but that was where his beauty ended; his eyes were cold, almost dead. They looked at her with no empathy, no recognition of her as a person. He was looking at a potential payout, and it was all he was interested in. Worse, there was a harshness to his features, as though he had delighted in the pain of others until his face was permanently twisted into a cruel aspect; Alethia immediately felt like prey under his gaze. Pushing the feeling back; she drew the false authority of her years pretending to be Protectorate around her. Standing with a bearing she had never pulled off before and sneered.
‘You have the honour of addressing representative Alethia of the Protectorate and you are?’ She took him in from head to toe, pouring every ounce of scathing disinterest into her face as she could.
Hate flared on his face. It might have been Alethia’s words, but she got the impression the Fedhith did not like being spoken to this way by a female. Her eyes were drawn to the side of his neck, sure enough, there was a tell-tale scar halfway up, directly under his ear.
‘Tolomus, Protector Alethia.’ He almost managed to suppress the sneer that curled his full lips.
‘You own The Crucible,’ Makios said.
Surprise flickered on Tolomus’s face, but he nodded confirmation. ‘I have a buyer particularly interested in humans at the moment. If you have any you wish to be rid of, I would be happy to facilitate the matter.’
‘Noted,’ Alethia smiled tightly before walking on, Makios on her heel.
‘He’s still watching,’ Makios said when they were far enough away to talk freely. ‘He hates females, that’s unusual for one of his kind.’
‘Did you see the scar on his neck?’ she whispered.
Makios grunted an acknowledgement. ‘What does it mean?’
‘He was in one of their monasteries, chosen to be claimed by a matriarch. He lost his virginity. If an unclaimed Fedhith male loses his purity, he’s designated defective, tattooed and sold into slavery. Because he was trained in the monasteries, that means prostitution, or he’s sold to a private buyer.’
‘Poor bastard,’ Makios muttered.
‘That poor bastard was just willing to do the same to me.’
‘You’re right.’ Makios went silent for a minute. ‘I say we hit the market early. Check out the stock before it opens, buy what we can, get out before the main clientele arrives. That’s what he’s here for.’
‘If he’s here, it’s to sell, not buy. He probably has a hold full of slaves.’
‘Most likely. Though Crucible is famous for its mid-flight auctions.’
‘Which one is his ship?’ Alethia looked over her shoulder to the shipyard, The Fedhith was gone.
‘It’s not here.’ Makios’s voice took on an almost reverent tone. ‘It’s an Amaran Fleet Carrier. It’s huge. You’d
know it on sight. That’s why it’s so famous. Tolomus jumps into a system like your human one near to the exit path of a planet. Dozens of smaller ships exit out the back and tractor every ship in sight. They bring them back to the carrier and he jumps the ship back out. They sell the people, the cargo and the vessels if they’re worth anything.’
‘How do you know this?’ She looked up at her friend. Primarily, Makios was a smuggler, but she knew his views on slavery. It was why he’d agreed to help her in her mission.
‘I’ve never worked for him, Alethia,’ he promised when he saw the look on her face. ‘I never would. I was brought up to believe slavery was wrong. But it was what you and your mother went through that made me form my own opinions about it.’ Makios pulled Alethia into a hug; she relented, immediately feeling safer in his arms.
‘Tolomus is always looking for ship-owners to join him on a raid or two,’ Makios whispered in her ear. ‘He puts feelers out. I’ve heard there’s a lot of money to be had. That he doesn’t mind employees playing with the stock as long as they don’t mark them.’ The Kathen’s chest rose and fell in a sigh. He let her go. Alethia felt herself go cold from the words he’d just whispered. She imagined a slave ship to be a miserable place, but Tolomus’s sounded like hell. ‘This is the reason I look out for you, little human. Males like him who only care about their own profits, not those they damage on the way.’
‘Let’s talk about something more pleasant.’ Alethia shivered. ‘I’m imagining screaming slaves now, and I can’t bear it.’ Makios pulled her into another, briefer, hug. They walked on towards the centre of the city.
‘How are the new builds coming?’ he asked, changing the subject.
‘Good. It’s slow going, but we’re getting there. Our new additions will each have a place of their own if they want it.’
‘That’s good. We should buy some things on the way back. Make some purchases to help them feel at home?’