by Cheree Alsop
“That we’re a Lady’s ship and our navigational system is out of whack. We’re just trying to find the closest place for repairs.”
Junquit nodded, catching on. “The navigational system can be broken quickly,” she said. She withdrew a pair of pliers from a drawer and waved them. “And we can play up the damsel in distress part no problem.”
They both looked at Kaj. The older man hesitated, then nodded. “It may gain us fewer repercussions than the other. I, for one, would prefer not to spend my retirement as a prisoner on a forbidden planet.”
“Agreed,” Jashu Blu said. “I’ll go inform the others.”
Nova nodded. “Junquit, the system if you please.”
“Yes, My Lady,” she said. She used the pliers in salute before she dove beneath the computer system.
A minute later, the console beeped.
Junquit scrambled back to her seat. “It’s them,” she said. “Shall I put them through?”
Nova nodded. She sat in the Captain’s chair, smoothed her hair back in its bun, and willed her expression to be calm and collected.
The screen flashed and then a man in a black and white suit appeared. “This is Tributaire Lieutenant Yosun of the USPA. Please state your name and ship.”
“I am Lady Nova Ardis Loreander of the Loreandian System and my ship is the SevenWolf.” She paused, then said, “How may we help you, Lieutenant?”
His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Well, My Lady, any ship this far off the regular Accord trade routes raises suspicion. Might I inquire as to your destination?”
Nova glanced at Junquit. The pilot gave a tiny nod. Nova took a shallow breath and did her best to appear distressed. It wasn’t too hard given the circumstances.
“Lieutenant, our navigation system is offline, and we’ve been drifting for days. We’ve been praying to be found by one of your ships so you can point the way to the closest repair location. Could you please help us?”
Jashu Blu covered his mouth with one of his hands. Nova wished she was close enough to the young man to elbow him and remind him to keep his composure. Everything depended on her putting on a good show. If any suspicion arose and they wanted to search the ship, the supplies would tag them as Rabbits without a permit. Any explanation she gave would be ignored at that point.
Lieutenant Yosun watched her for a moment. She worried that he could see right through her.
Then he gave her a warm smile and nodded. “Of course, My Lady. We’ll be happy to help in every way possible. I’m glad we found you when we did.”
“Me, too,” she said and hoped that he didn’t catch the irony in her tone.
“One of our repair ships isn’t too far away. We’ll flag them down and send them your way. As soon as you’re up and running, we’ll have them log a report so we know you’re safe.” He marked something on the screen in front of him and then said, “Will that alleviate your troubles, Lady Ardis?”
“Yes, Lieutenant. Thank you very much. Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” she gushed.
He gave her another smile and said, “You can expect the ship in an hour. Good luck with everything.”
“Same to you Lieutenant,” she replied.
The screen shut off.
“Oh, he was flirting with you!” Junquit said with a laugh.
Nova shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. He just wanted to save a damsel in distress like you said. I only had to play the part.”
“By adding an extra sweet, ‘Thank you, Lieutenant’ and eye lash batting here and there,” Junquit teased.
Nova laughed. “I suppose it helped.”
Junquit sighed, “I wish a lieutenant would flirt with me. I’d be all for going for a ride in his spaceship.”
This time, everyone laughed and the tension fled the room.
“So now what?” Jashu Blu asked.
“Well, we wait for our miraculous rescue, let them repair the navigation system, and then look as though we’re going back to the regular route,” Kaj replied. “As soon as they’re not looking, we jet back in the other direction.”
Junquit sighed.
Nova gave her a curious look. “What’s going on?”
“Couldn’t you have asked the Lieutenant to wait with us?”
That brought another laugh from Nova. “Too risky; what I need is for you to try to make that nav problem look like an accident instead of a cut wire. Can you do that?”
Junquit grinned. “Do Pedonians kill downwind?”
Nova shook her head and turned away. “That’s gross, Junquit.”
A laugh broke from Jashu Blu. “I get it!” he said with enthusiasm. “They stink so bad that everyone dies who are downwind from them!”
Kaj rolled his eyes. “We all get it, Jashu Blu.”
The young man’s grin didn’t falter. “I’m going to use that the next time someone asks me a question.” He turned to Kaj. “Quick, ask me a question!”
Nova turned her attention to the screen. Anxiety pushed against her from every side. She was worried about any delay that kept them from reaching McKy as soon as possible. Was he truly still alive? There were rumors about how prisoners were treated on the Forbidden Planets, and why they were there in the first place. She couldn’t fathom how or why McKy had gotten himself imprisoned; she only hoped it was a mistake that he could clear up after they were as far away from Akrul as possible.
“There it is,” Junquit called out after what felt like hours later.
Nova looked up from her screen to see the rings of fortress planets that orbited Akrul’s small sun. Rows upon rows of orbiting space mines and unpiloted guard ships were everywhere she looked. The three cluster planets closest to the sun were surrounded by every unmanned weapon she could imagine. No one was sneaking in or out of there.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Kovak asked.
He had come silently onto the bridge not long after the repairs had been made and the Tributaire repair ship left. At Nova’s request, Guinea had brought several cups of her concoctions to soothe her crew’s anxiety. Nova had given Kovak the one he held. Guinea threw her a raised-eyebrow as he sipped at it. Nova pretended not to notice.
“It’s too late to back out now,” Junquit said. “They’ve been tracking us most of the way. I didn’t want to scramble our signal and appear like we were trying to be sneaky.”
“Good idea,” Nova replied. “The more they trust that we are on legitimate business, the better this will go.”
“I’m not sure yakens should fly.” Kovak paused. He frowned at himself and said, “I think blue makes a great wallpaper.”
Everyone stared at him.
He looked at his cup and then at Nova. “Did you give me….” His words fell away.
“I’m sorry,” Nova said without letting herself feel it.
Confusion was the last thing she saw on Kovak’s face before he slumped unconscious to the floor.
Nobody said a word.
Nova took a calming breath. “Slow and steady,” she instructed Junquit. “Head right to the first fortress planet. They should hail you.” She turned to Kaj. “Get the handcuffs and Gardsworn. We may need his help.”
The console immediately beeped. Junquit pressed a button and a face appeared on the screen.
The speaker was Cray and didn’t appear pleased at all to see them. His slit tongue snaked out between his lips before he said, “State your name and business. Any unauthorized vehicle will be subject to immediate annihilation.”
“That sounds promising,” Jashu Blu whispered from behind Nova. He sneezed repeatedly.
Nova ignored him. “We are Rabbits with the supplies you requested from Trayshan X Eighty-four.”
The man watched her in silence for a moment before he asked, “Did they include the double order of gunpowder mules?”
Nobody spoke. Nova swallowed, then said, “It is not our place to look through the supplies. We are delivering them as packaged by the Trayshan.”
The Cray watched her
quietly long enough to make her want to wring her hands together before he replied, “Very well. We will guide your ship to platform twenty-seven.”
Nova held his gaze. “Please see to it that we are met by Corporal Thaymes. He is expecting us.”
The barest light of surprise showed in the Cray’s eyes before he nodded. The screen went blank.
“This is it,” Nova said. She kept her eyes averted from the form stretched on the floor behind her. “We can’t turn back now. McKy’s life depends on us making this work.”
“I hate to be the one to ask,” Kaj said quietly, “but is there no other way?”
She shook her head. “This is the only one that gets us in and out of Akrul without being killed.” She realized her tone was taut, but continued anyway, “If you have a better one, let me know. Otherwise, hold your tongue.”
Kaj lowered his gaze. “Yes, My Lady.”
The tension in Nova’s muscles increased the closer they were drawn to the forbidden planet. Akrul loomed over them, a mechanical and structural anomaly of terraforming combined with metal framing that looked like the work of a madman. The origins of the Forbidden Planets were a secret, as was their location unless one knew someone in the very upper reaches of the Accord System ministration. Nova was grateful Lady Winden and others had offered to help; otherwise, her brother and the Loreandian System would have been lost to her forever.
Her doubt in the plan grew as they were pulled into a landing bay that looked as though it had been crafted from the metal ribs of a long-extinct species far too large to imagine. The bay itself was filled with soldiers; the absence of any other ship was acutely obvious.
“I don’t like this,” Junquit said softly. She glanced at Nova, then lowered her head and said, “Sorry.”
Nova allowed herself a small sigh. “I don’t like this either. McKy’s going to be furious that we put ourselves in this much danger, but there is no other way.”
She felt the pleading expression on her face and knew that she sounded like she was trying to convince herself as well as the rest of the crew.
Junquit nodded. “I know,” she said, her words far too quiet for her usual fireball energy. “Don’t worry, Captain. It’ll be alright.”
The title made a small smile grow on Nova’s lips. A groan sounded behind her and the smile vanished.
“What happened?” Kovak asked. “What did—”
His words cut off. She turned to see him look down at the electric handcuffs around his wrists. He threw her a searching look. She was about to say something when she felt the spaceship touch down.
“Nova,” Kovak began.
She hurried out the door with Junquit and Jashu Blu close behind.
“Get up,” she heard Gardsworn say.
Whatever Kovak replied was muffled by their distance.
Kaj lowered the loading ramp to the sight of at least thirty waiting soldiers.
A man in a skullcap and with an impressive set of horns approached while the rest of the soldiers waited with their weapons clasped loosely in their hands. The symbol on the man’s cap was a skull and crossbones made of two crowbars crossed in front of a horned airabar skull, the sigil of the Nefastus System.
“I am Corporal Thaymes,” he said. His eyes narrowed and he lowered his head just enough to show what a threat his sharp horns would be if anyone was messing around. “Who asked for me?”
Nova wanted to go back into the ship and fly home. Instead, she steeled her nerves and took a step forward. “I did, Corporal.”
He looked her up and down appraisingly. “And you are?”
“Captain Nova of the SevenWolf. I was told you would be expecting me.”
He nodded. “There was mention of a very slim possibility of your arrival.” He took a step closer, his bovine eyes calculating. “I may have underestimated the prowess of a Lady of the Accords.”
She held her head up. “I would recommend not doing that again, Corporal.”
He stared and she held her breath.
His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. “I always learn from my mistakes.” He motioned to the men behind him. “Unload the supplies and be quickly about it.”
The soldiers rushed forward to comply.
Corporal Thaymes walked up the ramp until they were nearly nose to nose. “Now, where is the gladiator?”
A fist tightened around Nova’s heart, but she turned anyway. “He’s through those doors.”
“He’s free?” the Corporal asked in surprise.
Nova shook her head and said, “I also learn from my mistakes.” Before he could ask what that meant, she told him, “He is wearing electric handcuffs. I’ll turn the controls over to you as soon as I have who I came here for.”
The Corporal nodded. “Your brother. McKy Loreander. It will take me a few minutes to carry out the exchange.” She was about to let out a sigh of relief when he held up a hand. “But I need evidence that this gladiator is who you say he is. I need to see him, and I need to see your incriminating evidence.” He gave her a steady look. “Contrary to rumor, we do not hold innocent men. Anyone on Akrul, Barowan, or Cathulan is here because in some capacity or another, they deserve to be.”
Nova had hoped to be allowed to enter an office of some sort on Akrul in order to show him what she held in her hand. Unfortunately, she had no choice but to allow him to follow her back through the cargo bay and into the room beyond.
Kovak’s eyes found her the moment she entered. His gaze narrowed when Corporal Thaymes followed. To be fair, neither Gardsworn nor Kaj looked any happier to see the man.
Corporal Thaymes stopped in front of Kovak. “State your name,” he commanded.
Kovak didn’t answer; instead, his dark eyes burned with fury as he glared at the Corporal.
“Don’t try me,” the Corporal growled in a low tone. “If all works out, we may be together for a very long time.”
Kovak’s gaze shifted to Nova. She looked away.
“I don’t appreciate obstinance in a prisoner,” Corporal Thaymes said. He held out his hand. “Give me the controller.”
To Nova’s surprise, Kaj shook his head. “Do whatever you wish on your Forbidden Planets, Corporal, but the SevenWolf will not be a vessel for unnecessary torture.”
Corporal Thaymes’ beefy hands clenched into fists. Nova could tell things were swiftly escalating. She held out the object she carried.
“Perhaps this will be enough proof,” she said.
She felt the Smiren’s eyes on her when she slid the chip into the side of the screen on the wall. The video was taken from across the room and without sound, but it was impossible to doubt that Kovak was the one who fought Lady Winden’s men. Lady Winden had been sure to edit the video to make it look as bad as possible. Nova knew where she huddled in the corner near the bed, but she couldn’t be seen from that angle.
Both Gardsworn and Kaj made small sounds of surprise and dismay as they watched the recording along with Corporal Thaymes. Nova couldn’t blame them. It looked as if Kovak slaughtered Lady Winden’s men without mercy. Kovak’s knifework was quick and lethal, and at the end when it looked like he would stop himself from taking the life of the man on the couch, the glint of the blade flying into his shoulder made Nova wince. Kovak ended the man’s life with his own blade across the throat.
“So that was the proof Lady Winden was talking about,” Kovak said with a tone of bitter betrayal.
Nova couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“This is enough,” Corporal Thaymes said.
There was a strange light of excitement in his voice that made Nova look at him closer. Instead of the expressions of disgust or dismay that showed on Kaj and Gardsworn’s faces, the Corporal appeared delighted at the carnage. In fact, he looked as though he could barely contain himself when he said, “We will be happy to carry out the trade.”
“Don’t do it,” Kovak said. He took a step toward her, but Corporal Thaymes grabbed the metal bar between his handcuffs. “Don�
�t leave me here.”
Nova couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She felt like the worse person in the ‘Verse. She wanted to stop everything, to tell the Corporal she was mistaken and then turn around and leave. But what about McKy? If she did that, she would never see her brother again and all would be lost.
“Nova, please look at me.”
“Come on, Sunder,” Corporal Thaymes growled. “She doesn’t want to look at a convicted murderer, and who could blame her? A Lady doesn’t associate with such things.”
He pushed Kovak toward the door. The Smiren didn’t struggle; his head hung and he walked forward to the ramp. It appeared as if he had accepted his fate and would go with the man quietly. The Corporal snatched the controller from Kaj’s hand as he walked past with his new prisoner. Nova was aware of Gardsworn and Kaj looking at her, but she couldn’t do more than watch Kovak be forced from the SevenWolf.
Chapter Seventeen
KOVE
The moment my feet touched the hard metal surface of the Akrul landing bay, everything fell into place, my purchase from Roan Seven, the attack at Lady Winden’s, the secrecy on board the SevenWolf, and the way everyone tried to remain at arm’s length. They knew I would be leaving and never be seen again. They would trade me for Nova’s brother and leave me to rot in his place.
It was a perfect plan. But one thing had gone wrong. I had fallen for Nova and I knew there were times when she was falling for me. She couldn’t hide it any better than I could, and it was there in her eyes when she refused to look at me as the recording played. She knew what she had done, and she knew what she was condemning me to. I had been rescued from one prison and delivered to one that was far worse. There were too many rumors of Akrul for them to be false. Being part of the Gladiatorial ring meant we heard far more than our proprietors were aware. Secrets spread from the servants, especially any regarding the cruel and dreadful treatment of our peers. The rumors about the Forbidden Planets were among the worst of them.
There was no escape from the Forbidden Planets, and beneath their prison exterior lay something both familiar and terrifying. They fought their prisoners with millions of marks on the line. Illegal bets made by bored heirs with more wealth than they could burn were cast on battles of dark, dirty fighting where there were no rules. Each fight was heavily outnumbered in the hopes of a surprising upset, but it seldom happened. It would be a slaughter, and not quick or merciful. Some fighters were left to bleed out for days and then bets were made on what time their heart would stop.