Star Minds Interregnum

by Barbara G. Tarn

  "Do you have a wife?" she inquired, curious.

  "No," he snapped.

  "Did you make some kind of chastity vow or haven't you found your soul mate yet?"

  "Hard to find a woman willing to risk her life with space pirates."

  She didn't insist. She couldn't read Sire minds, but she could glean information from the non-Sire crew – a dozen men and women who had worked for the House of Makinster when it was still powerful. Not all of them had been in close contact with Star-din, but a former maid had a crush on him, and Arica learned that Star-din was a widower.

  His wife had died when the Emperor had been killed – a victim of the mind-controlling policy of the Vaurabi. Not all the Sire had recovered from almost a century of mind control. Rox-ann Makinster had been the most noteworthy spouse, a beautiful aristocrat who had been included in the Vaurabi mind-controlling program as soon as she inherited the House of Makinster.

  Star-din wasn't that important for the late Emperor's purposes and he'd lost all rights after she died. That was why he'd become a space pirate.

  Arica kept her eyes on the captain. Being a telepath herself, she would have loved to try a partner with the same kind of mind, but Gari-jon was obviously too taken by I'zet'ta and Jan-win seemed smitten by her but shyer than a teen, as if he felt she was different. Arica wasn't going to tell him everything about herself anytime soon – if she must take down her shields, she'd do it with Star-din.

  ***

  As months flew by in the Buckaneer, the space pirates continued their plundering and sometimes abductions of wealthy Humanoids. Sindy studied everything available onboard under Jan-win's supervision. She'd taken space travel and astronomy at the Sylvanian university, so she was quite knowledgeable and helped with minor adjustments.

  J'eff'erey helped train the crew, since he had the typical Ulba'wissian warrior training – the one I'zet'ta had skipped to concentrate on other kinds of studies. Arica was also quite good on the field, but then, most Sylvanians were soldiers, at least the ones that could travel. It still felt weird to see a twenty-something Sylvanian traveling on her own, though – well, with her friends.

  The Buckaneer docked on Friport once to trade off the stolen Sylvanian cargo. As they were ready to leave, an adventurer asked to join them. He said he wanted revenge for the destruction of his starship by the Galaxy Police and sounded really angry with the Star Nations' law.

  Jako-wan Silverio was another rebellious Sire who had lost everything after the fall of the Emperor, so even if he couldn't read his mind, Star-din took him onboard, if only for sympathy. They were in the same situation and maybe if they stuck together, they might take back what they'd lost – if not everything, at least a place to live in on the former Imperial planet.

  When they were back in space, the Galaxy Police managed to locate them and capture the Buckaneer and all its crew. An assault team materialized on the deck with battlesuits on and stunned everyone. The space pirates woke up in the GP cell with a transparent force field to keep them in. In front of Star-din was Jan-win, who frowned in concentration, and he could see other crew members on both his cousin's sides.

  "What an interesting bunch of adventurers," the star-cruiser captain said, reviewing the prisoners. He had golden skin, wide brown eyes and a short build. His stare was lustful when caressing women's bodies and Arica glared at him. "A planetary mix of desperados."

  The policeman had an artificial mind shield, so the pirate captain couldn't read his mind or try to tamper with it.

  "Star-din Makinster, we were wondering what happened to you after your wife's death." The man scoffed. "So, you're responsible for all this."

  Star-din shot a warning glance at the policeman. "You don't mess with a Sire, captain."

  "And that's why I have a mind shield," the other retorted. "Captain Ray Jamar-Meile, hopefully soon promoted after this great catch."

  "If you manage to keep me," Star-din said through clenched teeth. It was almost hopeless, since all had been captured, but not all cops could be mind-shielded.

  "You think your noble company will spare you the rightful punishment?" Jamar-Meile said with contempt. "Or do you have hidden resources like Kol-ian Vaurabi five years ago? Did you know he managed to fake Commander Lylestar's death – and then reinstated her on Marc'harid as palace security?"

  "So I've heard," Star-din muttered. "I'm not Imperial Prince Kol-ian Vaurabi, though." He wondered who the "noble company" referred to.

  Jamar-Meile smirked. "How does it feel to get caught, huh?"

  "What hurts the most is not knowing who betrayed me," he replied, looking the captain in the eyes.

  "Ha! Not going to tell you." The man swirled around and left.

  Star-din looked at Jan-win again.

  "See any of the newcomers?" he mouthed.

  Jan-win shook his head. But they couldn't see the whole line of cells.

  Neither of them could tell which of the latest acquisitions had brought in the Galaxy Police. Either Gari-jon, Arica or Jako-wan, since they were the only ones whose mind they couldn't read.

  "I don't think it's Gari-jon," Jan-win said at last. "His cousins don't want him back, surely he can't be the traitor. And Arica seems ready to die for you – I think she has a crush on you."

  Star-din had figured that out even without reading the girl's mind. She was obviously smitten. That left only one person.

  "Jako-wan was a little too eager to get some form of revenge," he said. "He arrived last and his hatred for the Star Nations is excessive, considering he never lowered his mind shields to show his good faith."

  "You're smart for a member of a lesser Sire family." Jako-wan stopped in the corridor between the two cells and smirked at Star-din. He wore the black uniform of the Galaxy Police now. "You should have joined the Galaxy Police instead of the adventurers' world."

  "Ah, so you're the one in charge, Commander Silverio!" Star-din scoffed. "Congratulations."

  "Since we have a resurgence of Sire criminals, someone should stop them, don't you think?" Jako-wan replied. "Some of your crew might be released, but don't think I'll let the Sylvanian Queen interfere with my case."

  Jako-wan stomped away.

  "What the hell did he mean?" Star-din asked his cousin.

  Jan-win pondered. "I think we had taken onboard a Sylvanian princess..."

  Star-din rolled his eyes and cursed himself. Of course. Only the governing class – the queen and her daughters – were telepaths on Sylvania. And Arica looked very much like the Sylvanian Queen – she was one of the Queen's daughters.

  "Damn," he muttered. "I can't even tell friends from foes, nobles from non-nobles."

  "It's been four years since Rox-ann's death," Jan-win said, serious. "Can we give up this useless fight?"

  Star-din's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not going down without a fight," he promised.

  ***

  Arica managed to plead freedom for herself and her friends, plus Gari-jon and I'zet'ta, who had just joined the space pirates' crew. They were released on bail, but the Galaxy Police wouldn't let go any of Star-din's original crew go.

  "So Arica is a Sylvanian princess?" Gari-jon marveled, watching the blonde talking to her mother in the hope of finding a lawyer who could get the space pirates' captain out of trouble.

  "Yes, one of the youngest," Sindy answered, staring fondly at her friend. "Arica is still a dreamer who wants to change the universe."

  Gari-jon scoffed. "I wish I could too... Maybe as head of the House of Alligood I could try to help Star-din and Jan-win?"

  "Your cousins won't let you," I'zet'ta warned. "As soon as you show up again on their radar, they'll send a hitman to get rid of you!"

  "Why have we become so cynical?" Gari-jon complained.

  "Not cynical, careful," I'zet'ta corrected. Gari-jon sighed. His girlfriend was right.

  Huffing, Arica put down her tablet and joined them. They were all headed for the hangars of the Galaxy Police orbital station to retrieve their
starships.

  "No way to get him out of there," she grumbled. "Do any of you know of a good lawyer?"

  Sindy shook her head, serious.

  "Can't we ask the other Sire?" J'eff'erey suggested, looking at Gari-jon.

  "Like I'zet'ta said, I can't ask my relatives or they'd try to have me killed," he answered, averting his eyes. "Not sure there are Sire lawyers for Sire criminals on Marc'harid. I mean, even Kol-ian Vaurabi was tried on the planet itself, never arrested by the Galaxy Police. This is a Star Nations thing now."

  "Anyone in the High Council we can turn to?" Arica insisted, frowning.

  "If you don't know anyone, how could we?" Sindy retorted. "You're the Sylvanian princess! We have nothing to do with our governments or our aristocracy!"

  "Maybe I could try to go to Marc'harid myself," Arica muttered. "Maybe I can ask for help from the Sylvanian who moved there. She was bought out of debt from our government by a mighty Sire, I hope he can help us free Star-din."

  "Wait, would that be Ker-ris Shermac?" Gari-jon said. "The Emperor's son-in-law?"

  "Also the guy who killed the Emperor," I'zet'ta reminded him. "After being mind-controlled for years."

  "Star-din's wife wasn't that fortunate." Arica sighed. "She didn't survive the mind control. Maybe Lord Shermac will help us with Star-din..."

  Gari-jon didn't think so, but decided not to say anything. The House of Shermac was much more powerful than the House of Alligood, though, so maybe if Ker-ris was as good as they said he was, he might even help him.

  "We really shouldn't go back to Marc'harid," I'zet'ta chided. "Why don't we wait for them on Vilas Lok, like we had programmed?"

  He nodded. "Do you mind?" he told the other three. "It's not safe for me to go back to Marc'harid at this time."

  "We will tell Lord Shermac of your predicament as well," Arica promised with a nod.

  ***

  Ker-ris Shermac was a handsome man in his thirties. He had pulled the trigger on his father-in-law after discovering the mind-controlling games that had been going on at the Imperial court for years. He'd been elected to the Council of Five – the new Sire council that now governed the planet – after the death of the Emperor, but he'd resigned a year later and now lived mostly away from the capital, in his country estate.

  Arica told him of her meeting with the space pirates, of the Sire traitor and how Star-din Makinster risked the death penalty away from his planet. Ker-ris listened with his other half, former Imperial Prince Kol-ian Vaurabi, frowning with worry.

  "We've been going downhill since," he said with a sigh. "My father-in-law was a control freak, but now we're spiraling completely out of control! Maybe the Vaurabi rule wasn't that bad after all."

  "It was very bad, amatan." Kol-ian Vaurabi stared sternly at his lover. "And we're still learning to rule properly." He looked at Arica. "I will see if we have a lawyer who can take on the case."

  "Thank you," Arica said, relieved. "Are you the one who brought Maela Cora here?"

  "I gave her shelter when she was on the run, and then Ker-ris bought her out. I renounced my birthright and lost all my possessions." Kol-ian squeezed Ker-ris's hand, showing he'd found a much greater treasure than material things.

  Arica smiled against her will. She was still worried for Star-din's fate, but the sight of the couple gave her hope. She wondered if she could ever have something like what they had. The two men seemed to be one thing – two bodies and one mind. She didn't dare ask them if it was some Sire power or just the loving union of two telepaths.

  She left Marc'harid with Lenard Muss, a non-Sire man with glasses and a tall, lean build who worked for a Sire law firm.

  Sindy and J'eff'erey begged her to leave them on Ypsilanti before she took the lawyer to try and help Star-din and his crew. Arica knew Sindy had the means to pay her interstellar travel back home, but didn't want to dump her friend like that, so she complied.

  ***

  "Sindy is going home and Arica is taking a lawyer to Star-din," Gari-jon said, reading his messages aloud. I'zet'ta nodded, thoughtful. They were enjoying the pleasure planet, but couldn't really afford to live there. "Do you want to apply for the Ypsilantian space industry?"

  She looked at him and smiled. "I can have more of a career on matriarchal Ypsilanti than any other planet," she observed. "What about you, my crazy pilot? Would that planet suit you?"

  "Why not?" He grinned and pulled her into his arms. "Anywhere but Marc'harid! You sure you don't want to go back to Ulba'wis?"

  "I don't know anyone on Ulba'wis, while Sindy's mother would probably love to have me on her team." She shrugged. "And I'm sure they'll appreciate a reckless test-pilot like you."

  "Good, then we better get moving before my beloved cousins accuse me of stealing their starship and have me arrested again," he said, letting her go. "Let's pack, have one last night of fun out and we can leave well rested in the morning."

  They both loved the colorful night of Vilas Lok. Even though the sun went down, the streets were so brightly lit that it almost seemed day. In contrast, the clubs were dimly lit, especially the discos where they went dancing.

  They ate at the hotel, since it was cheaper, then headed out, looking for a place to spend a couple of hours before retiring to their room. To sleep, for a change, since they would travel in the morning.

  "Why don't we try our luck at the casino tonight?" I'zet'ta suggested. She knew neither of them would be caught with the gambler's fever, but it could be a fun way to end their stay on Vilas Lok. They had already tried everything else.

  Gari-jon nodded. Since he was a telepath, they headed for the slot machines to avoid the advantage of reading the croupier's mind.

  "Will you get me a drink?" I'zet'ta begged, trying to win the jackpot on a very stubborn machine.

  "If you promise not to give all your coins to this greedy monster," he answered, kissing her cheek and squeezing her buttock. She giggled, showed the last three coins and winked.

  He went to the bar and asked for a couple of nonalcoholic drinks.

  "And wouldn't you buy a woman a drink?" a sexy voice asked. She had brown hair, a tall, stocky build and dark green eyes. Lots of fair skin could be seen beyond her skimpy dress.

  "I already have," he replied raising both glasses and heading back to I'zet'ta.

  She followed him on her stiletto heels and pouted at the sight of the Ulba'wissian. "You don't know what you're missing," she whispered in Gari-jon's ear before leaving, her hips swaying sensually.

  "And I don't want to know," he muttered, giving I'zet'ta her glass.

  "Who was that?" his girlfriend asked, sipping her drink.

  "I don't know. She has an artificial mind shield, which makes her suspicious," he replied with a shrug.

  When they finished their drinks and coins, they headed back for the hotel, holding hands. They entered their room and found the tall woman waiting for them, with a sardonic smile plastered on her face. She'd changed into black clothes that covered her from head to toe, but still had her stiletto heels.

  "Gari-jon Wisenthon, the House of Alligood really wants you dead. You stole one of their starships and are squandering their money on Vilas Lok..."

  "Actually, I'm here on my own money," he retorted, squeezing I'zet'ta's hand.

  "But you stole the starship and joined the space pirates, so nobody will mourn you," the woman replied.

  I'zet'ta raised her eyebrows. "I'd mourn him, bitch," she snapped.

  "You die with him," the assassin spat back.

  "Really?" I'zet'ta slowly smiled. "Let's see!"

  She wasn't a bodyguard, but she was nimble. She was shorter than the hitwoman, but she was also faster. As the woman pulled out her gun, I'zet'ta sprinted forward and kicked it out of her hand.

  Gari-jon was taken by surprise by his girlfriend's reaction and gaped for a moment at the cat-fight under his eyes. The intruder was bigger and meaner than I'zet'ta, and she was a pro, so he'd better get moving.

  He step
ped into the fight and punched the assassin in the face. As she fell, the neural interface broke and her mind shields went down. The concussion left her dazed and unable to stop him. He grabbed her own pistol and shot her.

  "I guess we better leave right now," he muttered, cleaning the gun's handle and throwing it back to the floor. "Let's go."

  I'zet'ta gladly followed him out of the hotel.

  "I'm afraid migrating to another planet won't be enough for your cousins," she said as they reached the spaceport with a public car. "Either you publicly renounce the inheritance, or we might see more of those."

  He nodded, thoughtful. "I'll write to the House of Alligood as soon as we're on Ypsilanti. We need the starship until then. They can retrieve it once we've safely immigrated there."

  "Let's hope it's enough for your mighty cousins," she concluded with a sigh.

  ***

  Sire internal politics hadn't become simpler now that the Emperor was no more. Star-din and Jan-win went through their trial with a good lawyer to back them up, but Star-din refused to speak. He had nothing to say. He'd lost everything and tried to rebuild a life – and failed, since he could never fill the void left by his wife's death.

  Lenard Muss was good, so he managed to win a lenient punishment. No death, but life imprisonment, which hopefully might turn into a shorter time behind bars if Star-din behaved. Arica was allowed to talk to him before he was taken to Marc'harid and locked up, and she told him she'd wait for him.

  He stared at her, thoughtful. She was young and in love – like he had been a lifetime ago. She took down her shields for him, to show him how much she held him dear. He was touched, but at the same time he didn't care.

  "Get on with your life, Arica," he muttered without lowering his own shields. After all that she'd done to help him, she didn't deserve to see the sorrow and hatred inside him. "You weren't born to be a space pirate anyway."