The Assassins of Altis

by Jack Campbell

  Alli hung her head. “Bev was an apprentice in Emdin,” she murmured, as if that explained everything.

  Bev took a step to stand close to Mari, staring directly into her eyes. “If you betray me, I swear I’ll kill you. I swore I’d kill the next person who betrayed me. I thought the Guild was all I had left. Will you give me something else?”

  Mari nodded, her face solemn, for once feeling no doubt about what to say. “I will if you will let me. You can help me on the biggest and most important repair job ever. You can help me fix this world.”

  Bev inhaled deeply, as if she had stopped breathing and only now remembered to do it. “The Guild has barricades on all of the roads to the lower port. They’re checking anyone passing through. They’ve told the city authorities that two mass murderers are trying to escape them, and they’re forcing the city guard to provide assistance.”

  “How do we get past that?” Mechanic Dav asked in despairing tones.

  “We could head into the mountains,” Mage Asha suggested, her placid voice sounding strange amid all the emotion.

  “We?” Bev glared at Asha. “Mages?” Asha gazed back, her expression unchanging.

  “They’re different than we’ve been told,” Mechanic Dav told her.

  “I’ll take your word for that,” Bev stated in a rush, as if now that she was committed she didn’t want anything to make her doubt that decision. “We can’t go inland, either. The paths into the mountains are also being blocked.”

  “How can they occupy so many barricades? How many Mechanics are there on this island?” Mari erupted.

  “I told you, they’ve got the city guard helping, and the island militia.” Bev pointed toward the warehouse district. “Did you hear the biggest explosion back there a while ago? I heard Senior Mechanics telling city officials that you did it, that you intended doing the same to schools and hospitals.”

  “Schools and hospitals?” Mari knew her revulsion was showing. “That is so sick even to suggest.”

  “But it means the commons on Altis want to help capture you!”

  “We could change that,” Alain suggested. “If they knew you were actually the daughter—”

  “Alain, if I tell the commons of this city that, they’ll try to rise up right now!” Mari whispered angrily. “Just like those commons on the Sun Runner almost did. And all of these Mechanic professional killers will murder them in huge numbers. We can’t start the rebellion here. Even if the commons here won, Altis isn’t big enough or isolated enough for us to build up the power we need to confront the Great Guilds! They’d isolate the island and kill everyone on it!”

  Alain thought, then nodded. “You are correct. But it may be necessary to tell the commons in order for us to escape this city. We may have to…trust in their ability to act wisely.”

  “You may be right, and sooner or later we will have to do that, but we’re not at that point yet.” Mari paused to think, feeling the stares of six other people on her. Time was working against them. Every moment spent thinking, spent cautiously making their way to safety, was a moment for their enemies to concentrate force against them. “All right, then.” She pulled out her pistol and checked the clip, ignoring the passing commons who were trying not to notice the weapon. Making sure she had plenty of bullets still in the pistol, Mari returned it to its holster. “Here’s what we’ll do. It’s already past midnight, and the city is crawling with people looking for us. If we try to sneak out it’ll take forever and we’ll likely run into barriers anyway.”

  “Then how do we get out?” Mechanic Dav asked.

  Mari pulled out her Mechanics jacket and put it on. “We’re four Mechanics and three Mages. We’re done sneaking around. We’re going to walk down toward the low port like we own this city, and we’re going to walk right up to whatever barricade they’ve put up across this street, and if anyone tries to stop us we start breaking stuff. If we absolutely need to, we’ll let the common troops know who I am rather than kill them.” She gave her followers a confident look, settling the jacket on her shoulders and trying to ignore the knots in her stomach. “What do you say?”

  “That’s crazy,” Alli replied. Then she grinned. “I like it.”

  Asha and Mage Dav nodded to each other. “The plan is acceptable,” Asha advised.

  Mechanic Dav shrugged. “I’m not staying behind if the rest of you are going.”

  Mari gave Bev a look. “You?”

  Bev stared back. “Who’s in the lead? Who takes the first bullet?”

  “I’m in the lead. I take the first bullet.”

  “Unless I take it first,” Alain added.

  “Fine.” Bev nodded. “What’re we waiting for?”

  Mari glanced unobtrusively at Alain, who nodded slightly to indicate that Bev was not lying, then gestured to Mechanic Dav. “Give her back her weapon.”

  They headed out, Mari and Alain in front, the three other Mechanics right behind, and the other two Mages trailing. Mari let herself adopt the Mechanic attitude she had once used as a matter of course, even though she had never been able to affect a swagger. The commons on the street made way for them, though some couldn’t help staring at how closely a pair of Mages was following some Mechanics.

  Mari nudged Alain. “Do you want to put on your robes?”

  “No. That would make it too hard for me to walk alongside you without attracting too much attention.”

  “You don’t need to walk alongside me. I’ll be fine.” He shook his head, so Mari continued. “Alain, you’d better not mean what you said about taking a bullet for me. I told you the first time we met that I don’t let other people die if I can help it, and the man I love is very high on my list of people I won’t let die. At the top, actually.”

  “Mari.” Alain looked down for a moment, his face composed. “The worst may happen. As you said once, it may happen at any time. If that occurs, you must move on without me.”

  She stared straight ahead. “No.”

  “There would someday be another man you could love.”

  “Are you saying I should hang out around Mage Guild Halls until another Mage exactly like you walks out? Alain, if you die, my bonfire goes out and there’ll be nothing but ashes left inside me. Sorry. That’s just the way it is.” They walked in silence for a few more steps. “But if something happens to me, you find yourself someone else.”

  His voice sounded openly incredulous. “You do realize you are being a little inconsistent?”

  “So what’s your point?” She saw the barricade ahead. “Here we go.” Mari turned her head to speak to those behind her. “Remember, everybody. We own this city.”

  The street down here, roughly midway between the city of Altis proper and the port, wasn’t well lit, and the partial moon didn’t help much. The two dots in the sky which marked the Twins that perpetually chased the moon provided little light. Mari felt confident that she wouldn’t be recognized until she reached the other Mechanics. At least, she hoped that would be the case. She walked briskly up to the barricade, remembering to set her face in the arrogant lines of some of the other Master Mechanics she had known. The two Mechanics at the barricade, both with rifles cradled in their arms, watched the approach of Mari and the three other Mechanics with no sign of alarm. That wasn’t surprising, Mari realized, since they had undoubtedly been told to watch for one or two, not four. “You’ve got new orders,” Mari called out as she reached the barricade. “We’ll take this post. You’re to report back to the Guild Hall.”

  The older Mechanic, a woman with a hard face, held out her hand. “You know the rules for this operation. All orders in writing.”

  Alli called out a greeting, her voice thick with sarcasm. “Senior Mechanic Larissa. Just my luck that I’d see you tonight.”

  The Senior Mechanic glared at Alli. “What are you doing here? I told you that one more screw-up and you’d be—”

  “Excuse me,” Mari interrupted, cued by Alli that this Senior Mechanic needed to be dealt with, not neg
otiated with. “I’ve got your orders right here.” She reached casually into her jacket, then drew her pistol with one smooth motion, leveling the barrel a hand’s-width from the woman’s nose. “Any questions?”

  Senior Mechanic Larissa was still gaping at Mari when Alli, Mechanic Dav and Bev rushed in to seize the rifles and pistols that she and the other Mechanic at the barricade were carrying. “Tie them up,” Mari ordered, then turned to point at the unit of Altis city guard members who were watching the scene with confusion. “This operation has been canceled by order of the Guild Master. Return to your normal duties.”

  The city guard members shuffled their feet, looking uncertain. Then their leader spoke hesitantly. “Our orders are from the city, Lady Mechanic. We can’t leave unless they tell us.”

  The older female Mechanic had finally found her voice. “It’s them, you fools!” A moment later Alli stuffed a gag in her mouth.

  “Them?” The city guard’s leader hefted his short sword. “You mean—?”

  Mari brought her pistol up to aim at him, her arm fully extended, then lowered it again as she decided that a threat wasn’t the right approach. “You don’t want to do that. We intend no harm to anyone here. We’re on your side, and we’re leaving this city to prevent the Guild from doing any more damage. Please don’t get in the way.”

  The guard leader hesitated again.

  Alain came to stand beside Mari, wearing his Mage robes now. “Do you need assistance, Lady Mari?” he asked her.

  The militia and their leader gaped at Alain, then at Mari. “A Mechanic with a Mage?” the leader said in strained tones. He looked closely at Mari. “Young. Dark hair. Are you the daughter? Is this your Mage?”

  Mari realized at that moment that this was the first time she would be making such a declaration in public, and found herself reluctant to say the words. “I am Lady Master Mechanic Mari.”

  “But are you…?”

  “I am the daughter,” Mari said, feeling as if she had just stepped off the edge of a high cliff.

  “No wonder the Guild wants us to believe that you are a danger!” the unit leader cried, beginning to sheath his sword. But then he paused and looked at the bound Mechanics, the sword poised in his hand.

  “No!” Mari ordered, and all of the common soldiers straightened to attention to listen to her. “Not here, not now, and I will not ever have mass killing or revenge killing of anyone!” She swung an arm back to indicate Alli, Dav and Bev. “Some Mechanics are my friends and allies. You can’t tell which are which. Just as important, right now the Mechanics Guild has a heavily armed unit of assassins here, hunting me. They are causing a lot of the destruction, and if they turn their guns on the people of this city there is no telling how many would die. You must hold back a little longer, wait for me to build up strength. You’ll hear of it, I promise you. You must keep control, maintain order among yourselves, and protect your people and your homes. When the time is right, the Great Guilds will be overthrown and all will be free to rule themselves.”

  She wondered where that speech had come from, the words appearing in her mind as if from deep inside her. But Mari saw the effect those words had on the commons, and was grateful for whatever inspiration had provided them.

  The leader of the militia saluted. “Yes, Lady Mari. What are your wishes now?”

  “Go and tell the leaders of Altis what is really happening, and of my wishes in the matter. A new day will come for this world, but you must wait for your own protection and not act against the Great Guilds tonight. I deeply regret the damage done here by the Mechanics Guild’s attempts to kill me, but I am going now and the wrath of my former Guild will follow me.”

  The leader saluted again, then turned to his militia unit. “You heard Lady Mari! Let’s go!” The militia raced off into the night, every common waving at or saluting Mari as they left.

  Alli shook her head. “You’re riding a locomotive downhill with the throttle full-out and trying to slow it down with just the brakes. But if anybody can do it, it’s you.” She pointed to the two bound Mechanics. “We’ve got all of their weapons and they’re tied up. Doesn’t your pistol use this same ammunition?”

  “Yes!” Mari stuffed bullets into the pocket of her jacket. “I resupplied myself on the Queen, but I was afraid I’d never get another chance at more ammo, and I burned through a lot tonight.” Then she knelt before the two Mechanics. “If you cause harm to any common in this city, I’ll be back for you. The assassins of the Guild couldn’t kill me, so if you harm anyone, no one will stop me from making sure you personally pay the price.” She glanced at Alli, Dav and Bev, indicating the Mechanic with the Senior Mechanic. “What about this guy?”

  Bev shook her head. “Total careerist and backstabber. On his way to Senior Mechanic status himself.” Dav and Alli nodded in agreement.

  Mari focused on the Senior Mechanic and the Mechanic again. “Remember what I told you,” she said in as menacing a tone as she could manage, then stood up to gaze down the street. “It’s all downhill to the landing, right? Let’s see what kind of pace we can maintain.” She began walking quickly down the hill, a feeling of urgency growing within her.

  The road down to the low port was as unused at this hour as Mechanic Dav had predicted. Mari felt her hopes rising, but unexpectedly another barricade loomed out of the dark just short of the port. Mari slowed her walk, grateful for the chance to rest a little and knowing her companions also needed the break. “Bev, Dav, Alli, what is this? Any idea?”

  “No.” Bev came up beside Mari, her breathing coming fast. “I’ll find out.”

  “Wait! You could get killed!”

  Bev smiled humorlessly at Mari. “There are worse things than death.” Bev spun and started jogging ahead, running right up to the barricade. As she reached it, a bright light flared. A portable electric light, spotlighting Bev. She held up both hands. “I’m from the city! The Guild sent me down with a message!”

  Three figures appeared, all holding Mechanic weapons. One aimed at Bev, while the others pointed toward Mari and the rest of her followers. “Anyone coming down this road is to be disarmed and held for inspection,” someone at the barricade called out.

  “Asha, Mage Dav,” Mari said in a low voice. “Can you destroy that light somehow?”

  Mari had expected a Mage spell, but to her shock a long Mage knife was thrown from behind her, spinning end over end overhead. The knife slammed into the light, which went out with a loud popping sound.

  “That worked,” she heard Alli say as they all broke into a run.

  One of the Mechanics at the second barricade fired at Mari, his shot whipping past her. Bev had grabbed the weapon of the man facing her, and as they struggled Mari and her friends arrived. Mari kept running. She ducked as her closest opponent awkwardly swung her rifle like a club, then came in under the swing and rammed her elbow into the other’s stomach. Her foe doubled over and fell back, dropping her rifle, as Mari staggered to one side. A moment later Mechanic Dav had that Mechanic’s arms pinned behind her.

  Mari looked around. Between her Mechanics and her Mages, all of the Mechanics at the barricade had been disarmed and restrained. “Is anybody hurt?”

  “Do you mean us or them?” Bev asked, her voice gleeful.

  “Us. Is anyone hurt?” No one answered, and Mari counted six others standing beside herself. “These certainly aren’t the trained killers we fought up in the city. Where did these guys come from?”

  “They’re not anyone I’ve seen around the Guild Hall. Who are you guys?” Mechanic Dav asked.

  The three captured Mechanics stared back at him with mingled hostility and confusion. “We’re—” one began.

  “Don’t say anything!” another interrupted.

  “They must be from the ship in the harbor,” Alli guessed. “Just the three of them. I guess they were supposed to be a last-ditch defense against Mari getting away.”

  “No,” Alain corrected. “Their ship will fill that role.”
>
  “Oh, right.”

  Mari looked at the three Mechanics, brushing back her hair in worry. “I don’t like fighting other Mechanics.”

  Alli nodded. “I know, Mari. But in some ways we’ve been fighting other Mechanics all of our lives.”

  “I guess.” She addressed the three Mechanics. “We don’t know you so we don’t know if we can trust you, but we won’t hurt you. You’ll be tied up, but you won’t be harmed.”

  Mage Asha had pried her knife free of the broken light as if the task were an everyday occurrence.She and Mage Dav began walking down to the landing. Mari stayed at the barricade for a moment, watching as the three Mechanic crew members were tied up as quickly and efficiently as possible. She finally went down to the landing proper, where the lapping of the small swells in the harbor sounded peaceful and relaxing after all the chaos she had endured so far this night. This far from the city, the destruction still being wreaked in the warehouse area sounded as muffled rumbles and echoes. The Mages were waiting at the landing alongside a skiff that looked like it just might carry everyone. Two commons wearing the clothing of sailors stood to one side, watching everything with wide eyes.

  "These shadows brought us here and will return us to my ship," Mage Dav said.

  "Hi," Mari said, knowing that Mage Dav and Asha would not offer any other introduction or acknowledgement of the two sailors. "We're in a big hurry."

  The other Mechanics joined her and Mari gestured for everyone to board, though Alain insisted on waiting beside her. Finally she got in, too, worried as she saw how heavily laden the boat appeared. Alain followed, the boat wallowing in the water as the sailors cast off with worried looks and cautiously began rowing out into the harbor. Even though an occasional boom still echoed from the city, the port remained dark except for a scattering of lights in what Mari assumed was the entertainment district for sailors. “Where’s the Mechanic ship?” she asked the sailors. “Steam and sails, deck gun, arrived within the last few days.”