by Jake Bible
"How did I not hear them?" Meshara asked.
"The pollution dampens sound," Hessa replied. "And they appear to be outfitted in high-end armor, including their boots."
"Their armor is high-end, man," Yellow Eyes said, suddenly next to Roak. "I couldn't cut through it."
"Hessa had her suspicions," Roak said, filling Yellow Eyes in since he was the one being where implants were not compatible. They did weird things to his already weird body. "What kind of armor?"
"I don't know," Yellow Eyes said. "Never seen it before."
"Hessa?" Roak called. "What can you tell me?"
"Not much," Hessa said. "I'm still not really getting any readings. Since I know where they are and can see them with my cameras, I know they are there. But scans are useless."
"Do you think it's the armor?" Roak asked.
"Could be," Hessa said.
"Roak," Reck said and pointed in the direction they had been heading. "We got more."
Two dozen more armed and armored beings were coming straight for them.
Roak steadied his Flott, ready to deploy the laser cluster spread, but the way the beings moved made him hesitate.
"They get much closer and the fight is going to be a tough one," Reck said. Her tone was casual, as if she'd just explained why she chose tea over caff. "We can split up and engage both sides at once."
"There is a third group," Meshara said.
"And four makes…four," Yellow Eyes said with a shrug. "Ladies and gentlemen, or man, or whatever Roak is, we are officially surrounded."
"Why don't they fire on us?" Meshara asked.
"Why don't we fire on them?" Reck asked Roak. "Not liking getting boxed in."
"This is a lot of firepower for an impound planet," Roak mused. "Whatever syndicate is running Chafa isn't sparing expenses."
"You!" the lead being of the first group shouted as she pointed her plasma rifle at Roak. "You are Roak!"
"Last chance, Roak," Reck said. "We fight now or we lose the advantage."
"I never lose the advantage," Roak said and ignored the snorts and scoffs. "Watch my back."
"That's what we're here for," Yellow Eyes said.
Roak walked towards the lead being. She was a Halgon, a race of beings that looked like a rubber band and a poison dart frog had gotten down and dirty. Despite the illusion of fragility that her elasticity gave her, Roak knew the woman was deadly, especially since her skin could secrete a toxin that would easily kill Meshara, probably kill Roak and Reck, and might kill Yellow Eyes.
"That is close enough!" the Halgon shouted when Roak was about five meters away. "Drop your weapon and prepare to be apprehended!"
"No and no," Roak said, his Flott still firmly gripped in his hand. "How about instead you tell me who you are and who you work for?"
"Disarm or die!" the Halgon shouted.
"And, again, no," Roak replied. "If your boss wanted me dead then you would have opened fire as soon as you saw us. Not disarming, not dying."
The Halgon didn't seem confused or surprised by Roak's reaction. She merely lowered her rifle slightly and huffed out an angry breath.
"Kill his friends," the Halgon ordered.
"Nope," Roak said and took aim with his Flott. "Laser cluster spread. I targeted all of you, including the other groups, before I took my first step in your direction. I pull this trigger and most of you will die before my Flott runs out of charge."
The Halgon grumbled under her breath. Her head cocked to the side and Roak waited as the woman listened to whomever was on the other end of her comm.
"Fine, you may remain armed and your friends may remain alive," the Halgon said, "but you will accompany me."
"Will this take long?" Roak asked.
"What?" the Halgon responded.
"Whatever it is we're about to do," Roak said. "Will it take long? I have a mission that is sort of time sensitive."
"Do you not mean a job?" the Halgon asked. "Roak takes jobs, not missions."
"I mean what I mean," Roak said, exasperated. "Answer the question. Will this take long?"
"It will take as long as-"
The Halgon didn't finish. She stared down at the smoking hole between her feet.
"Do I need to ask it again?" Roak asked.
The Halgon shook with rage, but didn't retaliate.
"My employer wishes to speak to you," she said through clenched teeth. "Once the conversation is over then you may proceed on your way. Cooperate and we may be able to assist you in the search for the ship you are looking for."
"Oh, yeah?" Yellow Eyes exclaimed. "Who said we were looking for a ship?"
Everyone frowned at him, with several of the beings looking downright confused as they all stood next to towering piles of wrecked and impounded ships. Towering piles for as far as the eye could see.
"Oh…right," Yellow Eyes said. "Never mind. Continue."
"Who is your employer?" Roak asked.
"I cannot say," the Halgon responded.
"Remember what happened the last time you didn't answer my question?"
"You took it out on the ground."
"I'll be aiming a little higher this time."
"I cannot say who my employer is," the Halgon repeated. "She will not bother shooting the ground first and will simply aim for my head."
"She?" Roak asked then waved off the question. "Never mind. I think I have an idea who you work for."
"Then you will follow me," the Halgon said. She turned to her right and walked between two tight columns of ships. "Follow. Now."
"This is not a good idea," Reck said, catching up to Roak as he followed the Halgon.
"Maybe not, but it might keep us from having to fight almost a hundred beings at once," Roak said.
"Since when did that matter to you?" Reck asked.
"Since his body started resisting the healing effects of med pods," Hessa said. "Roak is finally feeling his mortality."
"I've felt my mortality plenty of times," Roak said. "Even died a couple of times. But that's not why I don't want to fight."
"Then why?" Reck asked.
"He's curious," Meshara said. "His curiosity is coming off him in waves. The stench is disgusting."
"You have to admit that it's strange there are so many syndicate thugs hanging around Chafa," Roak said, ignoring Meshara's comment. "Syndicates never cared this much about Chafa, so why now?"
"See. Curious," Meshara said.
"Me too," Yellow Eyes said. "Who is it, Roak? What syndicate?"
Roak focused on Reck. She frowned at him then her eyes went wide.
"What?" Yellow Eyes asked. "What'd I miss? You two shared a look. The look means something. What does it mean?" Yellow Eyes groaned. "Oh, come on! Someone tell me!"
"Relax," Roak said. "You'll know soon enough." He focused back on Reck. "Are you in good standing?"
"I should be," Reck said. "No reason they should be upset with me."
"You didn't exactly perform perfectly when you worked for them," Roak said. "Since I'm still alive and standing."
"There were extenuating circumstances," Reck said. "And Shava Stem Shava's death did open things up for them somewhat on Jafla Base."
"Jafla Base? Are we going there next?" Yellow Eyes asked.
"No," Roak and Reck said in unison.
"Chill out, murder twins. Just asking," Yellow Eyes said.
Reck rolled her eyes, Roak turned to Meshara.
"You have anything to add?" Roak asked Meshara. "Everyone else is chiming in."
"No," Meshara said. "But if it looks like we are to be executed, I will distance myself from you and make sure our host knows that I am of the Cervile Royal Guard. Killing me will bring down the wrath of the Cervile Royal House upon this planet."
"Hey, maybe you can take this planet as your new one," Yellow Eyes suggested. "Yeah, sure, it could use some cleaning. And purging. Maybe a little total annihilation to wipe all the grime away so you can start from scratch. But the planet looks like it has
good bones. You can build on that."
"I will take that into consideration," Meshara said.
"She's not taking that into consideration, is she?" Yellow Eyes asked Roak.
"No," Roak said. "Now, shut up."
"Got it," Yellow Eyes said and twisted two nubs over his mouth like he was locking his lips.
They followed the Halgon, all very aware of the dozens and dozens of armed beings behind them.
In a few minutes they walked into a clearing where a dilapidated building stood in the middle of a brownish, low-lying fog.
"Step where I step," the Halgon said. "Do not deviate."
"Got it," Roak replied.
"This isn't regular fog," Yellow Eyes observed as the group followed the Halgon.
"You think?" Reck replied.
They followed the Halgon, step for step, and crossed the eerie clearing until they reached the front door of the dilapidated building.
Roak studied the building closely and quickly realized it wasn't as rundown as it looked. Or was made to look.
There were top notch security protocols in place, evidenced by the holo cams, the laser sights, the broad spectrum scanners, and the just visible ports that would slide open and probably reveal some serious firepower.
"Weapons here," the Halgon said as she slid open a large drawer set in the wall next to the front door. "They will be returned to you. But no weapons are allowed inside the building."
The Halgon demonstrated by placing her own weapons inside the drawer. She moved aside and waited.
Roak disarmed without hesitation. The fact the Halgon had promised the return of the weapons put his mind slightly more at ease. He wasn't a fool and going to trust anyone inside the building, or outside, but the Halgon could have simply demanded their weapons. They were outgunned and didn't have much of a choice.
Following Roak's lead, Reck disarmed, as did Meshara. Yellow Eyes blinked a few times and turned in a circle so all could see he wasn't holding anything.
"What about Meshara's claws?" Yellow Eyes asked. "Those are pretty deadly."
Roak, Reck, and Meshara all turned and glared at Yellow Eyes.
"What? I'm just trying to be helpful," Yellow Eyes said. "You guys are always with the enemy this and enemy that. Kill this being, kill that being. Have you ever stopped to think maybe a little cooperation might be the solution to the problems of this galaxy?"
"You can keep him when we leave," Roak said to the Halgon.
"I would prefer not to," the Halgon said. "I have my own crew to deal with."
"Wow, man," Yellow Eyes said to Roak. "Just wow…"
All weapons were stowed and the drawer withdrew into the wall.
The Halgon waved her wrist across the security interface and the door flashed bright white before it slid open. She gestured for everyone to enter and they did.
The room they found themselves in was small and barely fit the entire party.
"Hessa?" Roak muttered.
"I'm here," Hessa said. "The building you are in has excellent security, but the jamming tech isn't the highest quality."
"I think they spent the chits on weapons and defenses," Roak said.
"My analysis of the structure agrees," Hessa said. "Any group that attacks that building will not be happy with the results."
"No comms," the Halgon said.
She pushed through the group as the outer door closed. As soon as the door sealed and locked, an interior door opened to reveal a great room.
At the end of the great room, seated at a small table and eating what appeared to be lunch, sat a beautiful Lipian woman. The Lipian race had been genetically created to be used as the galaxy's prostitutes. Once the GF had freed the race from their servitude, many Lipians remained sex workers. It was what they knew.
But the woman seated at the table had obviously thrown off her genetic coding and taken to a different lifestyle. Just as Nimm had.
And just like Nimm, the woman did not let herself go slack. She was lithe, tone, muscular, and had an air about her that screamed she was in charge and any being that questioned her authority would pay dearly.
"Roak," the Lipian said. "I am Pechu Magafa. Welcome to my little slice of Hell."
"I don't know," Roak said. "This room doesn't look half bad. I've seen worse."
"Yes, I know you have," Pechu said. "Come closer and take a seat. Drink?"
She looked up from her lunch and smiled at the entire party.
"Hello, Reck," she said. "I had heard you quit your freelance ways and joined your brother. It makes me wonder if your previous failure may have been planned."
"It wasn't," Reck said. "Roak got lucky."
"Oh, I am sure he did," Pechu said. Her smile widened. "Drinks for all?"
"I'll take some Klav whiskey, if you have it," Roak said.
He moved closer to the table and the Halgon provided him with a chair. She provided everyone with chairs then took her position standing behind Pechu.
"Thank you, Klib," Pechu said. She gestured with her fork. "Please. Sit. We have business to discuss."
"Do we?" Roak asked, sitting.
"Yes," Pechu replied. "We do."
"Great," Roak said. "Let's get to it."
6.
"You must trust your system to protect you," Reck said. She looked about the large, sparse room. "Just you and your Halgon."
"Klib," Pechu said. "Her name is Klib. Show a modicum of respect while you are my guest."
"Not feeling too guesty," Reck said.
"Reck," Roak said calmly. "I got this."
Reck quieted and sat back in her chair.
"Your sister is not wrong," Pechu said. "I do trust my security system. A demonstration."
"Not my sister," Roak said.
Pechu ignored him, picked up a knife from the table and placed it to her wrist.
"Don't kill yourself proving it," Roak said.
"Good one," Yellow Eyes said with a snort.
"Just watch," Pechu said and dragged the blade across her skin.
Or tried to.
Before she could move even a millimeter, the knife was knocked from her grip. It clattered across the floor and came to rest against the baseboard a few meters away. Klib walked over and retrieved the knife.
"Grav blasts," Pechu said. "Non-lethal and extremely effective."
"Why would you give your enemies a non-lethal option?" Meshara said. "Enemies deserve death."
"And they will receive it," Pechu said. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up. "But at my pace. The galaxy runs on intelligence and information. Every being has something of worth inside them. I keep them alive so I can mine that worth and add it to my storehouse of knowledge."
"Keeping them fresh for future torture," Yellow Eyes said. He smacked two nub-hands against his chest and held them up. "Respect."
Roak sighed.
"What do you need me for?" Roak asked.
Pechu moved slowly, deliberately, around the table. She smiled at Roak and leaned back against the table's edge. It was obvious she was using her natural genetic gifts to distract everyone, especially Roak.
"I wouldn't say I need you, but I would say you can be of great use to me," Pechu said. She spread her arms. "This planet has become crowded. I am not enjoying the close proximity to rival syndicates that has been forced on me."
"On it," Hessa said without Roak asking. "I'll let you know what I find."
"Rival syndicates?" Roak asked as he waited for Hessa to give him some information to work with. "What do you mean?"
Pechu looked taken aback.
"Have you not heard what is happening to the different houses, gangs, organizations that operate below the galactic norm?"
"She means the criminal underworld," Yellow Eyes said in a mock whisper.
"I haven't heard," Roak said to Pechu. "Been a little busy lately."
"Oh, I am aware of your troubles," Pechu said. "Everyone in the galaxy is aware of your troubles, Roak. How can we not be? Every
move you make causes ripples and avalanches that disturb the balance of things. Klib?"
The lights dimmed in the room and a holo projection came to life just off to the side of the table.
The holo showed corpses being ejected out into space, thugs bloodied and brutalized barely hanging on for life, the aftermath of bombings, firefights, more corpses being ejected, and even more corpses that lay upon the decks, floors, ground, dirt of stations, ships, planets.
"This is what happened to Shilo," Pechu said. "We were hunted systematically and put down. Our escape to this planet is all that has saved us."
"Their implants were being hacked," Hessa said. "The atmosphere on Chafa must block Father's ability to hijack implants. Interesting…"
The holo changed and new images of the same carnage and death were shown, but with different beings.
"That's Collari Syndicate," Meshara said. "And that is Willz. What are we looking at? Why retaliate against them?"
"Retaliate?" Pechu laughed. "We did not do that. He did."
Pechu pointed to Roak.
"Me? Listen, lady, I didn't touch Willz or Collari," Roak said. "I've had my beefs with Yelt Willz in the past, but that syndicate isn't even on my radar right now. Same with Collari."
"I thought Collari had been wiped out," Reck said.
"They came back, as all syndicates do," Pechu said. "But they came back to this. Now they are a slim shadow of themselves again. The same with Willz, the same with us, the same with all of the syndicates."
"Yeah. Great. Good to know," Roak said. "Still didn't have anything to do with it."
"But your Father did," Pechu said. "He made sure we knew who he was and why he was targeting us."
"To piss you off, blame me, and take me out," Roak said. "He probably should have left you with a few more thugs to work with." Roak hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "If that's all you have left then he isn't going to be happy with the results."
"Ah, except I do not blame you, Roak," Pechu said.
"You totally just said Roak did that," Yellow Eyes said and pointed at the holos that were repeating over and over. "That's kind of what blame is."
"I feel Roak is responsible, yes, but I do not blame him," Pechu said. "We all have family issues."
"Tell me about it," Reck said.