by L P Peace
‘That would be nice,’ Alethia squeezed Makios’s arm.
They turned into the business district which surrounded the port. Like the rest of the city, the warehouses were low lying and abutted the roads on both sides. They were built from the same clay as the rest of Keyal but were bigger. Alethia wondered how they’d managed that? There had to be some sort of carcass to support the weight of the clay.
Makios grabbed Alethia’s hand and pulled her to an abrupt stop. She looked up at his alert face and became instantly aware of their surroundings. The layout of the streets here made it difficult to get a good lay of the land. Worse, it was long past the workday and they were alone.
‘We’re being followed. We need to run.’ Makios’s eyes wandered the street.
Alethia moved behind Makios. He lifted her onto his back and took off towards the city. Makios pulled out his gun and both of them looked around as he ran.
‘The Fedhith?’ she asked, looking around her nervously.
‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘If it’s him, he’s got back up. I heard two voices.’
Makios ran up the street.
‘I’m not sure where they are,’ he hissed, looking around; she could hear the frustration in his voice. He turned a corner suddenly and sped away, then turned again and continued down an alley between two warehouses that seemed to run on for madith. Crowds passed across the narrow exit ahead of them.
Clinging onto Makios’s back like a child made Alethia feel useless. There was nothing she could do to help, worse, whoever was after them was probably attracted by her presence in the first place. For the first time, she was second-guessing her decision to come to Esra.
‘Nearly there Alethia,’ Makios patted her hand reassuringly. Above his voice, the sounds of the city grew in volume as they got closer.
The shot that hit them came out of nowhere. Makios fell to the ground and Alethia went tumbling off his back, rolled across the pavement and into a clay wall, smacking her head against it. She lay on the ground, darkness creeping into her vision from the edges. Two figures ran up the alley towards them. She spotted red and sapphire, then passed out.
Thanesh sat on the bridge of Dara and went through the files the auctioneer had sent from that rote’s market. It was the one place in the city that knew the meaning of surveillance.
The Kathen was huge, tattooed and topless; that was common for one of his kind. But there was something about him that was familiar. Thanesh was sure he’d seen him before; though he struggled to remember where. The Kuyon was small for one of his race and an odd shade. He seemed young like he was still growing, though that didn’t account for the discrepancy in size between him and the Kathen; Kuyon and Kathen were comparable in height and while the Kuyon didn’t seem fully grown, his face was that of a man, not a boy. A Kuyon his size was usually too young for the kind of guard work this one was doing. Because he was guarding the third member of their party; the two of them guarded the little figure between them like she was precious, constantly on the lookout. Pushing aside those who tried to get closer to her. They were distinct enough that both would be easy to spot in a crowd.
The female—whom the slaver had described as Protectorate, but human-sized—was covered from head to toe in flowing white clothing. She wore a wide-brimmed white hat and kept her head angled down like she was aware of the cameras and deliberately avoiding them. It was proving difficult to get a clear picture of her.
Thanesh flicked through several new images from a different feed, trying to piece together an idea of what she looked like. He glanced at another screen. The computer was cycling through the feed. She stood on a crate, affording her a better view of the slave auction and Thanesh a better view of her. She half-turned towards a camera, then returned to her original position, but at that moment, a thick lock of hair fell from her hat onto her chest. She had white hair; that was unexpected. All Protectorate, those who had been created on Teralis, had white hair. They had pale skin, white hair and pale eyes of blue, amber and green.
A still from the feed appeared on yet another screen. From this angle, he could see her chin, her lips and the end of her nose. She had a slight overbite which pushed her fuller top lip out over her bottom one. They were pale pink in colour and slightly parted, revealing white teeth and the tip of a pink tongue caught between them.
There were no Protectorate females. There had been none made on Teralis, and none had been born in the three intervening centuries. Thanesh pushed thoughts of the facility aside to concentrate on the female. He licked his lips with a suddenly dry tongue and tried to ignore the urges that had led to those thoughts. She was a criminal; he couldn’t afford to think about her in any other way.
His eyes were drawn back to her lips.
The comm chime interrupted him; never had its high-toned scream been more welcome. Thanesh dismissed the images so that he wouldn’t be distracted by it later and answered the comm.
The very female he hunted appeared onscreen. A Huan stood behind her, his fingers crossed over her long, slender neck, forcing her to stare into the camera. Thanesh could tell it was her. She had the same pale pink lips and slight overbite.
‘We have your female,’ the male said. ‘You pay us to get her back.’
The Huan was facing the comm, his face fully revealed. He was either very stupid or had no idea who Thanesh really was and what he was capable of. A sudden rage flared up inside him. He looked into her eyes, which were dazed and filled with fear. His anger flared hotter.
‘I told you I’m not his female. He has no idea who I am.’
‘Alethia.’ Thanesh almost laughed at the shocked look on her face as her dark blue eyes connected with his. ‘What trouble are you getting yourself into now?’
‘He sounds like your male.’ As the Huan shouted, he shook her and squeezed. Her hands flew to her neck and she tried to prise his grip from it, whimpering, in obvious pain.
All humour fled from Thanesh. ‘How much?’
‘A hundred-thousand credits,’ the Huan said.
‘Done,’ Thanesh answered.
‘Four hacri?’ He looked wary now.
‘Done.’
‘Why are you agreeing so easy? Why aren’t you negotiating?’
‘She is my female.’ Thanesh caught Alethia’s eyes, his voice a warning just for her. ‘I look after that which is mine.’ Somehow, her white skin paled. ‘Where?’ Thanesh demanded.
‘The container yard.’ The male leaned closer to the screen; his eyes were pink. ‘There’s only one red container. Meet us there.’ The screen went blank.
Thanesh sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, holding the image of the female in his mind. Except for her dark blue eyes, she had Protectorate colourings. She was human, tiny compared to the Huan, who was small compared to him. This would make her at least a foot shorter than him if she were on the taller side of human.
‘Alethia,’ he whispered her name.
It was hearing the way he said it that shook him out of his aberrant behaviour. When he got her back to the ship, he’d put her in a cell and keep her there until he was back on the Calaia.
Thanesh almost felt sorry for the Huan. He pulled up a schematic of the container yard and started making plans.
Haron, the one with the pink eyes who had been speaking to the Protectorate male, shoved Alethia at Venthen, the one with the red eyes.
The relief of being able to breathe was short-lived when Venthen pulled her closer to him and sniffed her. ‘She smells human,’ he growled, pulling her to him and taking another deep inhale of breath. A moment later, he pushed her against the nearest wall, wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled her head back. He buried his face in her neck, his nose and mouth pressed against her skin, and breathed her in. ‘You smell good. If you’re human, we’ll leave. I won’t hand you over.’
He’d already made her this offer three previous times. He seemed to be getting frustrated that it didn’t appeal to her more than going to the Protect
orate. In truth, she had no idea if it was better or worse to go to the Protectorate. She just knew, after what her mother had gone through with Huan owners when Alethia was a child, she couldn’t go with them.
‘She’s not human. The Protector identified her as his female.’
Venthen ignored the other Huan and nuzzled into Alethia’s neck again. ‘Tell me. Tell me you’re human. Even Haron won’t be able to resist. You have no idea what that male will do to you. We’ll take care of you.’ Alethia kept the retort firmly beneath her bitten tongue. It was too easy and Venthen was still perfectly capable of hurting her.
‘Vassek! Venthen, take her to the Vrokking cells and get back here.’ Haron finally snapped. ‘She’s worth a hundred thousand credits. You will not spoil this for me.’
Venthen pulled Alethia from the wall and pushed her off the bridge and through the ship. Alethia recognised the make as Hieladan ship. Long, black halls were accented in teals and creams of varying shades. She looked around, making sure to remember the path in case she could find a way to escape.
Venthen marched her to the cargo bay. In the corner, was a cell that seemed to have been jerry-rigged and welded to one corner. Venthen opened the door and pushed her into the wall next to the entrance.
‘I don’t believe you’re Protectorate. He’ll punish you. I’ll care for you,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘All you have to do is admit what you are.’
Alethia gritted her teeth and waited to see what the Huan would do.
He looked over her shoulder, catching her eye and waited for her to respond. ‘Fine,’ he spat, pushing her inside the cage and slamming the door closed.
‘If I’m right, the Protectorate will sell you. He doesn’t even need to leave the planet. You’ll be up on the slavers block tomorrow.’ He said before he stomped out.
As soon as the door closed, Alethia walked over to the cage wall and looked at the keypad Venthan used to open the door. There was no way for her to access it, and a few minutes of checking told her that the cage walls were more robust than they appeared, that there was no access to ventilation and no loose panels. She went through everything she knew about ships but couldn’t find a way out of the cell.
Finally giving up, Alethia looked through bars for the second time in her life and out at the hold. It was half-empty; the other half was filled with stacked crates and random debris that had been dropped or thrown in corners. Some of it actually looked like it might be Hieladan. The hold was decorated in a silver-grey and, like the rest of the ship, smelled vaguely of decay.
Alethia turned and studied the cell, noting the piles of mess and debris strewn across the floor. A small bed sat on the floor in the corner. It didn’t seem to be made for comfort, but Alethia sat down and tried to make herself comfortable anyway. She was cold and hungry. She hadn’t had a chance to eat since breakfast that morning on the ship with Dairon before they arrived. She hoped that the Protectorate would at least feed her.
Focusing her thoughts away from the painful past, to the scary future, Alethia considered her options. Nothing scared her more than the slaver's block, yet she knew, this time, it was her best bet.
Makios would be there. He’d call Dairon, and together they’d be at the market waiting for her with angry, scowling faces. They’d use this to stop her from ever leaving Tessa again; she knew they were right. Letting out a sigh, she resigned herself to being left behind, at least for now.
She could only hope they bought her before the market opened, or that she was first on the block, so her delicate skin didn’t burn under the Esra sun.
Unfortunately, the cost of her would mean they’d struggle to afford any other slaves.
Guilt stabbed at her, it had been arrogant to come here. She should have listened to Dairon and Makios when they told her they’d be safer without her. She kept seeing Makios falling to his knees, unconscious. Fear for him pitted her stomach.
They hadn’t taken Makios, she reassured herself. Even the two Huan together would find it hard to carry an unconscious Kathen. The fact that they had her with them just made it more unlikely. Plus, as an ex-pit fighter Makios was just too much for them to handle.
But they had left him unconscious in the middle of the street, alone and vulnerable.
It was terrifying to wake up on the bridge to the Huan from the shop arguing about her species. Haron believed her assertion that she was Protectorate. Venthen had correctly identified her species and argued for keeping her for their pleasure. Haron wanted to ransom her or sell her. Having already been sold twice, once along with her mother when she was a newborn, Alethia was surprised to find herself hoping to be put up for sale.
It had been so stupid to come here. To leave the colony at all.
Alethia turned her thoughts to the Protectorate. She’d never actually seen one before. Now that she had, she realised there was a world of difference between them and her. If she had seen them personally before today, she might have given up the idea of pretending to be one of them for good.
The image of High-Protector Thanesh was burned into her mind. She didn’t know how the Huan knew he was on the planet, or even who he was. She certainly hadn’t heard his name before today. Almost as soon as they noticed she was awake, Haron grabbed her and shoved her at the screen.
The first thing she’d seen was his broad chest. He was like a wall standing before her in his black uniform with the green sheen, that was closer to teal than the lime green sheen she and Pete had managed to dye into her fake outfit. Venthen’s fingers gripped tighter and terror saturated her brain. She’d looked up, noting his pale skin, which stood out against his padded black uniform, before she found his pale amber eyes.
His face was long and he had deep-set hooded eyes which pinned her in place and promised retribution. Two sets of fangs stood out against his lips. She had seen them when he said her name.
How did he know her name?
Fear welled up within her once more, rising from her stomach, it carried bile which she swallowed. She leaned against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest, and covered her face with her hands. This was the worst situation she’d been in since the night she met her dads. Since the night they’d pulled her from the crate. She took a few steadying breaths, but this time, she failed to calm herself. All she could see was Makios lying on the ground, unconscious. For a few minutes, she gave into it. It had been so stupid to come to this place, to put Dairon and Makios in danger. It was foolish to pretend to be something she wasn’t, it had only drawn more attention to her. From now on, she would stay on Tessa, where she belonged, and take care of her people.
For a few minutes, Alethia allowed the hopelessness, anger and self-recrimination to claim her. When she was done, she dried her eyes and forced herself to calm down. There was no point in worrying right now, all she could do was get through the next day or so. She would have to tackle everything as it came at her.
‘She’s my female. I look after what’s mine.’
High-Protector Thanesh had stared into her eyes as he spoke, his head nodding slightly towards her. It had the effect of bringing his elegant horns into better view for a brief moment. They protruded from his forehead, bordering his hairline and curved parallel to his head for about a third of the way, before curving up and away.
‘Thanesh,’ she whispered into the dark room. She didn’t know much about the Protector. What she did know about him was that those who met him were criminals, idiots or Protectorate. She knew which category the Huan belonged in. Unfortunately, she also knew which group she was in.
It had been so stupid to come here.
Alethia closed her eyes. She was so angry with herself. But even surrounded by her community, Alethia was lonely. There were over a hundred people on Tessa. But the only ones she felt comfortable around were Dairon, Makios and his crew, and they were always gone. Selling Amot, buying slaves and supplying the colony. Add to that, Makios was a smuggler and was gone much of the time, only visiting a few times a year. When D
airon wasn’t off getting supplies, he was usually in the ship above the planet, running scans to ensure no one found them. Alethia was continually left behind.
She sighed. Well, after today, she would always be left behind. No more markets, no more supply runs. This would be her last trip through the black. She leaned into the corner, not wanting to lie down on the dirty bedding and closed her eyes, resolving to get some sleep before the exchange.
The container yard sat next to the Keyal port. It took Thanesh barely any time to hunt down the container and lay his traps. Now he stood on the very shipping container they had sent him to. It belonged to two Huan brothers called Venthen and Haron.
These males were utter vashni.
Thanesh squatted on his haunches and waited for the Huan to bring the human. In his hand, he held a trigger for the two ‘surprises’: a noise grenade and flash bomb, though he expected they would be triggered by the Huan on their arrival. The containers around the red one had been rearranged to create a blind alley which would echo both the light and sound in the small space. That would give him a crucial sicri to secure the female so he could take time dealing with the Huan.
Turning his thoughts from the female, Thanesh thought about Alivar, the Protectorate in charge of the contingent of his brothers that went missing on Esra. Alivar was strong, intelligent and wily. It must have taken great force to capture him, nothing else would do it. Thanesh regretted ever sending him to this sand-ridden durv planet, but he had an ulterior motive for agreeing to expedited membership for the Tinar: Vidan.
Vidan was a planet on the border of Tinar space and the sector held by the Intergalactic Council. Once the Tinar were under contract, that planet would fall into Protectorate space, mere lightsolars from the IGC. Thanesh intended on making that planet his people's homeworld. Once settled, the IGC would be forced to take his race instead of dismissing them as mercenaries. It wouldn't solve some of the most critical problems his people faced. Still, it would give them a voice in one of the most influential organisations in this sector of space.