by John Short
“Hey Captain, You OK?” Jarrieal asked as he came up behind Jon.
“What?”
“You was just standing there all stiff like some statue with your eyes all funny looking. Like you was lost somewhere.” Jarrieal told him.
“Its nothing” Jon lied. “Let's find a couple of rocks and get out of here. There was a jeweler in town if I remember what I read in the reports correctly. I think that if he is still there he might be able to help me with something.” Taking a few steps Jon found the exact stones he was looking for. The ground was still stained with Zeprik's blood where he had died that day and the stones Jon picked had that blood on them, as well. He selected two stones that were about an inch in diameter and was turning to leave when he saw a small piece of metal lying on the ground. Picking it up he saw that it was not metal but rather a foil backed piece of paper. On the paper was printed, “I need the Prince dead. Find a way to make that happen and you will be rewarded.” It was signed U'Lanto. Jon had no idea who this person was, but now he knew who he was searching for. Here in his hand was proof that the Prince had been singled out and that he wasn't just another causality of war. Now he knew who he had to kill. He would find and kill this person and anyone who got in his way of doing it!
“Lets head on into the town over that hill” Jon pointed out a small rise to Jarrieal and turned to enter the shuttle. The pair had just reached the ramp when a ground car came up in a cloud of dust and skidded to a stop. A tough looking male got out and demanded to know who they thought they were to come here and land a shuttle on private property.
“None of your business scratcher.” Jarrieal told the man using the less than flattering name for someone who earns a living from the land. The rough looking male then drew a pistol from a hidden pocket in his tunic.
Jon reacted quickly by taking several fast steps before drawing his swords and cutting the males arm off at the elbow. “Like my friend here told you. Its none of your business!” he yelled at the now bleeding male. “You better go have a Healer take care of your arm. If you’re fast, he might be able to save it.” Picking up the severed limb, Jon handed it to the shocked male and then boarded the shuttle. Jarrieal came in and looked at him strangely before saying,
“That was interesting. I've never known you to be so ruthless before.”
“I have to find a man and I don't have time for petty War Lords, pretend criminals, corporate exec's, or anybody else who wants to get in my way.” Jon told him as he extended the folded piece of foil backed paper he'd found.
“You think this is real?” Jarrieal asked.
“Its the best lead I've found so far. I know in my heart that the Prince was singled out to be killed. Why was he all alone there that day? What sent his sail off course? Was it just an accident because our shuttle had been hit and was falling out of control? Why weren't his men with him? Something detained him or he would have been with them. We trained for exactly what happened that day. There was no good reason why his grubs didn't come straight to his aid before I got there. I've always thought the whole thing was some kind of set up to kill the Prince, now I have proof that I'm not insane like everyone thinks.” Jon explained. “Let's head into town and then get off this rock before I hurt somebody.”
Jon found the jeweler in town and asked him if he could encase the two rocks in separate crystal cases. They talked for a bit, agreed on a price and he was told to come back in half an hour to pick them up. Jarrieal decided that they should spend the time at the local bar, so the two warriors went across the street to get themselves a drink.
Two days following the Peacekeeper raid at the drug fields and in town the eldest of the remaining members of a family that had once owned the only competing tavern in town had reopened his dead father’s establishment. He was big enough that the few remaining members of Melious King’s gang left him alone. Business had been good and now he was firmly established with a gang of his own providing protection for his place and several others who were paying him to keep them safe. Some of Melious’ old gang even came in for a drink and had become regulars.
As Jon walked in, it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkened room. He noticed that every eye in the room had turned to watch him and Jarrieal as they approached the bar. Jarrieal ordered them both a beer and then they walked over to sit at a table where they could watch not only the patrons, but also the doors for any trouble trying to take them by surprise. After all, this was a bar on a planet that was still filled with pirates. Not even the entire Peacekeeper force had rid the planet of all of the vermin. They were like some insects. Kill one and five more pop up to replace the one dead one.
“Hey there Petei, what the heck happened to your arm?” one of the males at the bar called out to a male who had just walked in with his arm in a sling.
“You guys need to be careful. There is this guy, scariest male I've ever seen, wears a black cape and travels with a huge Libirian Warrior type. The dude in black, well I tell his buddy that they can't be out at the site without the King's permission and the guy in the cape cuts my arm off with some kind of sword like I've never seen before!” the one called Petei told the crowd gathered at the bar.
“Maybe you should have told him you was guarding the place for Lord King against anyone trying to steal any of his plants and not said just the King. Some of us don't like the King, but at least we'll tolerate Lord King.” another male said then turned back to his drink. “Besides, why would a Libi Warrior need any of that second rate erotic drug anyway. I hear those guys have females falling over with their legs spread every time they walk into the room.”
Looking over to Jon, who simply shrugged his shoulders, Jarrieal said out loud, “I wouldn't believe everything you hear tiny.” then he and Jon both stood and returned their glasses to the bar. It was time to go back to the Jeweler anyway. “Thanks for the drinks bartender. Sure is thirsty work dealing with one armed punks.” Then both of them turned and left.
“You see what I mean? Scariest pair I ever saw!” Petei said. “Even in those eckto-frames, the one in the cape oozes “don't mess with me or I'll kill you!” out of every pore in his body!”
“You idiot, that was the Butcher!” the bartender said. “Haven't you been watching the news vids? He was last seen strolling on Lexon II's station and getting on the Defiance like he owned the whole place. Even the reporters stayed away from the guy. He's the same guy who sliced up all those members of King's gang. They say he's been in the Peacekeeper's Med Lab for several months. There's no telling what all they pumped into him there. He could be walking around filled with those new performance enhancing nanoids or something worse. They could have turned him into one of those half machine battle vehicles of something I read about once. God, he sounded like a battle tank when he walked on the vids. He was as silent as a rodent in here! You're lucky he only took your arm!”
“I'll wager that old man King would pay well for information on him.” one of the males told the rest. “I think I'll find out.” He left the bar to send a message to Devilous King, brother to the late Melious King and father of Helios King.
Returning to the jeweler, Jon and Jarrieal picked up Jon's crystal encased stones and then put the planet behind them as they blasted off for Defiance. Once back onboard Jon said, “I think I need to start working out. I was too slow today. I can't have your back if I'm so slow that I get there after your dead.”
“You are welcomed in the exercise room any time, but don't think you have to protect us. We're all big boys and girls now.” Jarrieal told him. “You going up to the bridge?”
“Yeah, I gotta to tell Nav were to take us next. I'm heading back to Haven for the last time. Planning to stop at the Summer Palace and place one of these stones on Zeprik's grave, then pick up some stuff from my house before leaving that place behind forever.”
Deep within the Royal Palace on Lexon II the Regent checked behind his back to see if he was being followed and then ducked into the coms room. He'd j
ust been told by his contacts on Haven about Jon's visit to Canari Prime. So far there was no information about why he'd gone there, but the Regent knew the human was up to something. “Has that human stopped sending messages yet?” He asked.
“No my Lord. He still sends at least two a week. That's a lot less than one everyday like he used to send.”
“You're still intercepting them, right?”
“Yes, My Lord. His messages never make it past this room as you ordered.”
“What about the Princess? Have her attempts to contact him been coming to an end yet?”
“No My Lord. If anything she sends more to him than he sends to her.”
“I may have to take a stronger hand in this. Do we know where he is headed now in that Warship of his?”
“His last reported destination was Haven, my Lord. He asked the Princess to meet him there at the Summer Palace for a memorial to her brother.”
“When is he supposed to arrive at the Summer Palace?” the Regent asked.
“Within the week my Lord. His message today said he was leaving Canari and going straight to Haven. His ship must have the same modified engines now as the others. Canari isn't even on the charts. He should never be able to slip that fast.”
“That means he'll be entering Haven system within five days. Somehow he always has the fastest ships in the entire fleet. Why was he out on Canari?”
“I'm not sure my Lord. Our agent there said he brought in two small stones to be crystallized and left when the job was done. Apparently he also cut off the arm of one of Lord King's guards. Seems even with his body terribly broken he can still wield those Goddess cursed flaming swords he carries.”
As he left the COM room the Regent told the operators, “You make sure their messages do not get through. I won't have everything spoiled by their love affair.”
“Of course my Lord.” the operator assured him.
Two floors up in the Royal wing, the Regent was stopped by the Princess. “Have they heard anything from my giant yet?” she asked as she did everyday.
“No Princess. I am sorry, but the male seems to have forgotten about you. He surely would have messaged you in all this time if he hadn't. Wasn't your brother assigned to his unit?”
“Yes uncle. Zeprik and Jon were close friends. Perhaps he was injured and is still in med labs being kept asleep until he heals.”
“No little one. Jon Connell was released some time ago. He was last seen boarding a Warship heading for Canari.” the Regent, who was also the King's brother and Satrina's uncle, lied to her. “If you wish I can make some Royal inquires.”
“Why would he board a Warship going back to the rim? The Peacekeeper Healers told me they planned to discharge him.”
“He owns the ship your highness.” the Regent told her. “He claimed it by right of piracy salvage when he and your brother captured it. The TransCo. executives were very upset and petitioned the King. Apparently there was a company exec onboard when the pirates first took her. He certified Connell's claim, so the ship is his now along with four other Warships. The male is building his own navy with a fleet of fully armed combat vessels.”
“Why would he need armed ships?” Satrina wondered out loud.
“I can not say. Perhaps he plans to start a new business.” the Regent answered. He knew what he would do with five fully armed Warships. This Warrior Connell was a different matter.
“Perhaps I will go to the Summer Palace and wait for him at his house. He did give me full access to go there.”
“Princess, I wish I could let you, but you know how sick your father is right now over the loss of his son. He needs you here.” Of course the King was sick at his son's loss. What good father wouldn't be? This also played into the Regent's plans. If the King died now in his heart broken state, no one would bother to check for the poison his brother had been putting in his food for over a year. Then he could send the grieving daughter, and jilted lover to Sanctuary leaving the kingdom in his hands. Most females who went to Sanctuary never came back to their old lives. Besides he had already planned for her to die at Sanctuary leaving him the realm to rule as its new King. He had always considered his brother too soft to be King and too much in love with his dead wife and his offspring. Who had ever heard of a council of governors ruling a Kingdom before his brother had commissioned one? In one day his Kingly brother had taken all of the real power out of the hands of the Royal families and given it to the people. As their new King, the Regent would take that power back by force if he had to. He'd use those pirates out on the rim to do it. It would be easy enough to blame them or even Connell for the Princess's death once she was off Lexon II. The fact that he could convince the news that Connell had acquired a fleet of Warships might be useful as a way to shift any blame for the Princess's death away from him.
Jon collapsed into his wheelchair after a particularly rough session with Jarrieal and their practice swords in the exercise room. He was getting used to fighting while wearing the eckto-frames and while still not at the level of a master, he was getting better with every practice. Wiping the sweat from his face with a small towel he thanked Jarrieal for a good match and rolled himself into the showers. After fighting all morning to get the stupid eckto-frames on, he had to take them off so he could shower before putting on fresh clothes. His struggles and his weakened state had him twisting his back into a painful position and when he screamed out in agony, every other member of his crew who had been practicing ran into the shower. Wrenches got to him first. “What's wrong with you Boss!?” she screamed at him “Are you too Goddess be damned stupid to ask for help?”
“Leave your imaginary Goddess out of this Wrenches. When I need anyone's help I'll ask for it. Now everyone get out of here!” Jon yelled at them all as he continued to struggle with the frames. The look of agony plainly evident on his face.
Phillie ran from the shower barely holding back her tears. That giant of a male could be so stubborn sometimes she just didn't know what to do. How the tiny little Lexie Princess managed to deal with him was beyond her. If she knew she wouldn't get fired for doing it she would beat his ass herself. Three steps into the exercise room she stopped and trembled as her tears finally broke free. That's how Jarrieal found her, standing by herself with her head bent low and crying to herself.
“Hey furball.” he called to her. “Are you OK?”
“No, can't you see I'm crying over here you big mush head?” Phillie asked looking up at him through tear filled eyes.
“Listen Phillmma, Jon will come around. You just have to give him time and all the space he needs to see for himself that he needs his friends more than anything else.”
“I'm not even sure he wants me to be his friend anymore.” she confessed.
“That's silly. That male was always bragging about what a great Engineer you are and how you were his first real friend in the universe. Told all of us that if he ever had to put someone other than you in the Engineering section of his own ship, he'd stop flying. Sounds to me like you got a lock on your job and a certain male's friendship too.”
“Then why won't he let me help him?” Phillie sniffled.
“Right now he can't. All he can think about is how he's less than he was. Until he can prove to himself that he still matters, none of us can help him. He won't let us.” Jarrieal told her. “I've seen guys go through this after getting hurt no where near as badly as Jon. Some of them never make it as far as he has already. They just sit around feeling sorry for themselves. At least Jon is still fighting to be what he thinks he should be. You really love him don't you my little furball?
“I love him as a brother. He saved me from a dull life selling used parts to space pirates and other rif raf from a small shop at Lexie Station. Please stop calling me furball.” Phillie asked.
“I am sorry. I mean you no harm by it. Wrenches is not a very feminine name.”
“You think furball is?” she asked astounded.
“On my home world, many of o
ur females have coverings of long beautiful hair. So with my kind to be a furball is a very sexy thing to be. For a female of course. Calling a male that would earn you some bruises.” Jarrieal laughed and so did Phillie. “Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, thank you.” she honestly told him and then walked out of the exercise area and back to Engineering to tweak another few revs out of the engines.
Jon felt like a fool. Why had he exploded at Phillie the way he had? She was only trying to be his friend. He didn't want any more friends. Friends either refused to answer your messages or they got themselves killed! It hurt far too much to have them and lose them than it did to not ever have them. Most especially it hurt when the only really important females you've ever known pack up and leave without telling you why they were going first. He could learn to live with the loss of a friend in battle. Many of those he'd called friends had died on his last missions and many more would die if they followed him on his quest to find and kill the person who ordered Zeprik's murder. Those he could live with. They were the causalities of war. However, to lose another female that he cared about would take too much from him. He might drive Phillie away, but she would never be injured in battle or leave him because she didn't love him. That much he knew. She was like a sister to him and that was all he'd ever let her be.