by Trevor Scott
Liam leaned on her all the way to the cockpit, finally collapsing into the co-pilot’s chair. Saturn strapped him in like a child before taking her seat and flipping the numerous switches in the engine ignition sequence. Through the cockpit’s curved window, she saw a large red light flashing and spinning in a blinding display. When it turned yellow the cargo bay began to depressurize. Every crate in the bay was strapped down or fixed magnetically to the floor.
When the sequence was complete the bay doors began to creak open. Saturn’s console jumped to life and Sergeant Hayes’ image appeared before her.
“You’ll get no trouble from our end. In the future, however, I’d be careful.”
“Always am,” Saturn said, cutting the transmission.
The light turned from yellow to green and Saturn fired the air jets to lift the ship up, quickly burning the thrusters to get them through the bay doors and into open space. She retracted the landing gear and set a course for Checkpoint Delta, a storage facility on the far side of Mars, well away from the populated region.
With the course set, she examined the sensor readout, checking for signs of pursuit. The Dauntless was suffering from massive power fluctuations. The readings on her console were all over the place. Finally, they cut out entirely and the ship went dark.
Saturn’s lips crept up into a smile. Whatever she had to say about Vesta Corporation, they certainly had an interesting way of dealing with people. She was just glad she was on their good side, for now at least. Saturn increased the power to the twin engines and her freighter accelerated to peak output. If she could get enough of a head start, The Dauntless wouldn’t be able to catch them before they arrived at the checkpoint.
Liam groaned and clutched his stomach.
“You better not puke again or so help me—”
His stomach growled audibly and Saturn let out a laugh.
“Hey, hunger isn’t funny,” Liam moaned. “I think I’m dying.”
“There’s a pack of protein supplements under your seat. We still have almost a week until we get there so once they’re gone, they’re gone. Got it?”
Liam rummaged under his seat and found the individually packaged bars. They bore a small V in the corner of the packaging that Saturn hadn’t noticed before, but that hardly surprised her. Of course, Vesta Corporation would make food products. What didn’t they make?
Saturn turned the controls over to the computer and leaned back in her uncomfortable seat, the pads valuing function over human decency. The red planet had grown from a tiny speck off in the distance to a fairly large speck with visible crimson coloring, setting it apart from the other objects out there among the stars. She felt her blood pressure drop and her breathing slow, falling into a relaxed state. Saturn never felt better than when she was going home.
15
2146 A.D. – The Sand’s Edge Bar, Akaru Colony, Planet Surya
Saturn hugged her legs and rested her cheek on top of her knees. She stared through the cloudy plastic sheet at the splayed-out Liam Kidd, every bit as broken as he’d been on that first mission. She could barely make out his glistening skin peeking out the side of the Dinari Death Shroud that shielded his face. The molten sun had found the perfect angle through the open window to beat down on Liam. He rested there silently, seemingly unaware of her presence, his chest still and body catatonic.
The door handle jangled and Saturn instinctively turned toward the sound. The door squeaked open just enough for Nix’s head to fit through, his face obscured by a breathing apparatus. He beckoned with a muffled voice, “Come with me.”
Saturn took one more look at Liam’s still body. Whatever had taken him, she was powerless to help. He needed to rest. She nodded and used the wall to help herself to her feet. Nix seemed to be making a habit of bearing bad news, and even through his mask she could tell she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. His eyes held a sadness about them that permeated the glass eyelets which cut into the leather guise.
She brushed past him into the hallway and Nix shut the door behind her. Once clear, he took off his mask and told her, “Something’s come up. Zega’s downstairs now. He wants to talk.”
Taking his lead, Saturn removed her mask as well. “Good, I have a few questions of my own.”
Saturn took off down the hallway toward the winding staircase, a feeling other than sadness or anger bubbling up within. It was a feeling that held a singular place inside her that pulled and cut at the center of her chest. She’d felt this way every time she laid eyes on that gutless swine. If it was this bad just with anticipation, it was going to get a lot worse soon. Zega’s putrid stench would soon have her clamoring to peel back her own skin to rid herself of the crawling pests within, as any conversation with that wretch made her insides writhe.
•
Liam’s Toronto apartment smelled of dust and blood. The floor was spattered in red, trailing to her lifeless body. Her forehead bore the distinctive crispy tunnel of a standard issue Vesta Corporation laser. Her fine red hair was splayed out in all directions, impossible to forget. Liam’s gaze traveled up to the smoking tip of her murderer’s gun.
Takara was no Yakuza reject. Vesta Corporation had recruited her more than a decade before. She was the best in the business. Her subtle Japanese features were augmented with too many cybernetic modifications. How deep they went was anyone’s guess. Her heavily pierced ears looked like they might have been an extension of one of her other modifications.
Liam took one more look at Tiffany’s body laying at his feet and asked the Vesta Corporation enforcer, “Why?”
“Typical, thief. Always asking the wrong questions.”
•
Liam opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. His mind was reeling. Maybe the woman that haunted his dreams had an even stronger hold over him than he’d thought. Takara, Tiffany, he wanted to forget but couldn’t. Tiffany’s death continued to eat away at him.
“Why?” Liam whispered to himself, tears filling his eyes and streaming down either side of his face, collecting with grains of sand on their descent.
It was that night that prevented him from moving on, even when Saturn had poured her heart out to him. Every choice he’d made since that day had been to protect those close to him, even the choices that hadn’t ended well. Every part of him wanted to love Saturn. But it wasn’t her that haunted his dreams. He wasn’t sure he could ever allow himself to truly love. Not after what he’d caused.
16
Ju-Long gripped an Ansaran soldier’s uniform and brought the alien’s frightened face up to his own. The Ansaran’s black eyes grew wide and the skin on his scaled face contorted around his sputtering mouth. His pleas for mercy went unanswered.
Astrid smirked. Ju-Long certainly had a way with people.
“Who’s the mercenary in the blue armor?” Ju-Long growled.
“I don’t know,” the guard sputtered. “No one knows.”
Ju-Long was growing impatient. It wouldn’t be long before he moved beyond benign interrogation. Astrid checked the street from the head of the alleyway. No one was around. At least there would be no witnesses.
“Who does he work for?”
“Whoever pays the best,” the Ansaran stammered. “Please.”
Ju-Long shook him violently and the frightened guard continued at a much faster rate, “I’ve seen him with the Caretaker before. That’s all I know, I swear.”
“Toras?” Ju-Long mumbled half to himself.
The Ansaran’s eyes shot to Astrid and then back to Ju-Long, as though unsure of whom he should be most afraid. The guard had seen her face and recognized her for an Ansaran woman despite her disguise. She didn’t want to think of the implications.
The guard went on, “Do you know how much trouble you’ll be in if he finds out about this?”
“Is that a threat?”
Tears welled up at the corners of the Ansaran guard’s eyes. The sounds that came out of his mouth would have brought shame to any respectable p
erson, regardless of sex or species. Being of the rarer Ansaran sex, Astrid had seen her fair share of fear in the eyes of the Ansaran men she’d met. They didn’t know how to act around her. Whether to clamor for her affection or hide in shame. This one was particularly weak-willed.
“N-No,” the Ansaran stuttered.
“What was that?” Ju-Long bellowed.
“No! No, of course not.”
Astrid’s voice called to Ju-Long from the head of the alley, “That’s enough, Ju-Long. If any more Ansarans ruin their uniforms, we’ll draw too much attention to ourselves.”
Ju-Long tightened his grip on the armor plates at the soldier’s chest. “You know who I am?”
The man nodded, lower lip quivering.
“You’re the champion. The winner of the Tournament of Fists.”
“You know what will happen if you squeal?”
The Ansaran nodded his head vigorously. Astrid could see the abundance of fear in every line and every tiny scale on the alien’s face. Finally, Ju-Long released him with a shove and the Ansaran scrambled away, leaving his helmet behind. Ju-Long stood and brushed the dust off his tan pants. He turned toward Astrid and picked up the Ansaran laser rifle laying on the ground which he’d stripped off the soldier before their brief conversation.
When he approached her, she shook her head and said, “So far it doesn’t look like anyone knows much more than we already guessed. Or at least, they’re too scared of our new friend to talk. Maybe we should try a different approach?”
“I’ve only had a heart-to-heart with three of them. Someone’s got to know who this bounty hunter is. No man is a ghost.”
Astrid cocked her head to the side and scolded him. “Still, maybe we should be more careful. Just because the Dinari adore you doesn’t make you untouchable.”
He was being too reckless. If they weren’t careful, they could stir up more trouble than they’d bargained for. Ju-Long’s wild actions were beginning to stress her out, but still, there was something intoxicating about being around him. His confidence was invigorating.
“We’ll see,” Ju-Long replied. “Things aren’t going well for your people. They can’t afford to make a martyr out of me. And I don’t intend to let them.”
Astrid grinned and mounted their hover bike, pulling her hood further down over her face to obstruct her light blue skin. She pulled a roughly-woven scarf up over her mouth and nose, partially to hide her face, and partially to combat the approaching dust storm that was kicking up sand all over the place. It wouldn’t be long before it enveloped the entire colony.
Ju-Long climbed on behind her and placed his hands on her hips, squeezing in a familiar manner. Astrid interlaced his fingers in hers and smiled. Without another word, she released his hand and gripped the bike’s handles, pointing her boot toward the ground and sending the hover bike shooting out of the alley. She banked quickly to the right onto Sector Seven’s main road in search of their next unsuspecting victim.
17
“There’s still no sign of Ju-Long or Astrid, and I can’t wait around any longer,” Zega said, his sharp claws tapping against the long stone table.
Saturn steepled her fingers beneath her chin and rested her elbows on a flat section of the table’s surface in the dingy cellar of The Sand’s Edge. The bar’s proprietor was an engorged Dinari who had a habit of accumulating filth in all of the spaces between his scales. Juice from grilled flesh was persistently hardened around his lips. Despite this, his cloaks were always changed daily and were richly ornamented with precious stones and vibrant colors. Zega hardened his glare and Saturn nodded reluctantly.
Across the room, Nix stood by the entrance, periodically checking the front door for activity. When Zega motioned to him, he shut the cellar door and took his place opposite Saturn, the fat Dinari taking up the head of the table. Zega’s golden eyes betrayed his stress, deep circles like cracked leather forming underneath and on either side of the sockets.
Zega continued ardently, “Despite this unfortunate situation, we must continue where Liam left off. I once asked you to support me should the time come. That time has arrived.”
Saturn removed her hands from beneath her chin and placed them on the table palms down, feeling the intricate designs sporadically carved into the surface. They reminded her of the many statues and murals on Surya’s moon at the Temple of Re. Dozens of beasts from Dinari legend fighting their way across what must have been a one-of-a-kind piece. Saturn regarded the corpulent Dinari with disgust flavoring her mouth, his pungent odor a constant reminder of Saturn’s hatred for him.
“Does this mean you’re going to let us in on what Liam’s been doing for you these past few months?”
“I suppose there’s no choice now. I expect you both know that war is on the horizon. Toras’ regime is crumbling, slipping between his fingers. It’s time to act.”
“So, you have been arming the Dinari,” Nix said, trailing off.
“You’re focusing on a small part of the equation,” Zega hedged. “Why I’ve called you here is because I need help with another, somewhat related matter.”
Saturn was growing frustrated with Zega’s stalling and seethed, “Spit it out, I have better places I could be.”
“Apologies,” Zega replied, feigning remorse. “I need you to go to the Council of Elders on my behalf.”
“Why?” Nix asked, taken aback.
“I plan to unite the sectors under one leader. The elders are to understand that their positions will remain, but they will answer to this new position.”
“Enter Zega.”
“The process will be democratic, but should I be offered the position, I would of course accept it with the utmost reluctance.”
Saturn asked, “If I do this, will our debt be cleared?”
Zega considered her question and nodded, no less than six chins rippling with the motion.
Nix held up a clawed finger and said, “Saturn, wait. Can I see you outside for a—”
“Done,” Saturn said, accepting Zega’s request. She turned to Nix and said, “I’m tired of being indebted to a man like him. When this is over, we’re leaving.”
Zega laughed from his belly, a deep sonorous noise that made the single floating globe flicker overhead. “Where will you go? Have you forgotten? That ship you traipse around in belongs to me. This roof belongs to me.”
“We’ll see,” Saturn said, rising from the stone table and circling it toward the exit.
Before she could reach it, the door burst open and bright light shined through the entryway.
Saturn saw the outline of a Dinari female and relaxed.
“Sestra,” she said, squinting. “What are you doing here?”
Zega spoke up first. “Sestra will accompany you to the council chambers. They are to meet in one hour. Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance due to a prior engagement.”
Nix stood up from the table and regarded Zega, anger beginning to bubble up and pour out of him.
“Before we go, I’d like a word alone,” Nix said.
“You won’t be going, Nix my boy. I have another job that needs your attention. Go on now, do as you’re told.” Zega shooed Saturn and Sestra with a dismissive gesture.
Saturn clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms and pushed past Sestra to the stairwell up to the main floor. She didn’t stop until she was out on the sandy street, the sun sapping her anger and replacing it with fatigue. A strong wind blew a swath of sand into her face and she turned her back to it. Moments later, Sestra joined her. The Dinari placed a hand on her shoulder; what was supposed to have been a comforting gesture felt patronizing at best.
“We all have our burdens to bear.”
Saturn shrugged off Sestra’s hand and retorted, “I don’t want this burden. We’re helping a monster. If we help him take this colony, we won’t be helping the Dinari at all. We’ll only be helping Zega.”
Sestra ran one of her clawed fingers lightly across Saturn’s forehead, b
rushing aside the stray hairs that had escaped her tight ponytail. Sestra’s orb-like eyes were piercing in the light from the sun, her vertical pupils barely discernable from their golden glow. Her raspy voice was oddly comforting to Saturn. So odd, in fact, that it put her on edge.
“Don’t worry. All will be put right in the end. I swear it.”
Saturn shook her head and took off toward the back of the bar which led to the alley. There, several hover bikes were lined up against the wall outside. The corrugated metal door leading to Zega’s small workshop was shut tight. Sestra followed her at a respectable distance as though wary of setting her off. If Saturn was going to live with herself after this was over, she needed a plan. Her crew needed to be free from Zega’s debt without him taking control of the colony. There had to be a middle ground.
18
Astrid eased off the accelerator and let her hover bike slow down to a crawl. It was mid-afternoon and Sector Seven’s market was writhing with Dinari traders. She pulled her patterned scarf higher up over her nose, brown geometric shapes inlaid in the fabric that complemented the tattoos which crawled up her neck. She tilted the hood of her cloak down to obstruct her face in shadow. Astrid’s thick cloak hid most of her curves and would help her to blend into the crowd, or so she hoped. Now wasn’t the time to start a scene. The sun was too hot for what she was wearing, and sweat dripped down her face, soaking into the sand-colored fabric covering her cheeks.
Despite her dense clothing, one person still found her attractive. Ju-Long had maintained a sensual grip on her waist throughout the entire ride. She felt her heart pump as his muscular body pressed up against hers. Astrid couldn’t take much more of his teasing. If she wasn’t trying to keep a low profile, she might have taken him in a back alley right then. No, the risks were too high. Though it was immensely difficult, she tried to bear in mind the gravity of the situation. Liam’s life hung in the balance, and if they didn’t find answers soon it might be too late to catch the person responsible.