“I too have been betrayed,” Fytti said. “I must admit I supplied a lot of information to Toto Vega with regards to the political situation in the entire cluster, but I never dreamed what he would do with such knowledge.”
“So we have a mutual enemy,” Unus said to her before looking at Strand. “What is your goal, Lieutenant?”
“I just want Vega,” Strand said. “Take him out by any means possible.”
Unus nodded his head. “I see. Rumors have come fast and thick over the past few days. Something about a pirate fleet raiding a Union core world and running off with some relics.”
“Vega’s plan,” Fytti said. “He’s acquired three of the Shards of Eternity, and he has effectively forced the archon to make him the successor to the Maladore dynasty.”
Unus’s golden eyes became even more pronounced. “So that’s how he has been able to rise through the noble ranks!”
“You catch on quick,” Strand said. “The reason we’re here is for the fourth shard. I understand your forces were able to kill the archon’s son, and he carried one of these relics.”
Unus looked away. “That was a hard-fought, desperate battle. Even though we were able to ambush the sub-archon and his forces, it was nearly the end of us all.”
Strand leaned forward on the table. “Were you able to recover the shard?”
“No,” Unus said. “The archon’s son Jurt Maladore led his forces into the sides of a large crevasse near the northern ranges, thinking he had found the headquarters of our resistance, but we were waiting for him.”
Hauk couldn’t help but be curious. “What happened?”
Unus’s voice became softer as he remembered all the friends he lost. “Jurt had plenty of aerospace forces, and they caused many casualties on our side. But he was too overconfident and personally led his men ever deeper, and so his vaunted air support soon became out of reach.”
Strand rubbed his chin. “Aerospace superiority would pretty much control a planetary surface war, but without those assets the odds would even out, and then it would just be decided by sheer numbers and quality of ground troops.”
Unus nodded again. “We couldn’t believe our good fortune, and our military leader Essala rallied our forces. We focused all of our firepower on Jurt’s headquarters unit. In the end, it wasn’t our weapons that killed him though.”
Hauk was completely mesmerized by the story he was hearing. “What was it?”
“To this day, I’m not quite sure, lad,” Unus said. “Some said we had fission explosives to blast the side of the crevasse and it all came down on Jurt and his forces, but I don’t believe we could have done it.”
“Why not?” the boy asked.
“The crevasse was massive; it stretched out over hundreds of klicks,” Unus said. “It would have taken at least a dozen fission bombs to do the job in one spot, and we had no more than one or two at the most at that time.”
“Unless you were supplied by House Dragos,” Fytti said. “They have massive stockpiles of such things.”
The pupils in Unus’s eyes narrowed into slits. “House Dragos may supply us with weapons, but we decide on how to use them.”
One of other resistance officers started speaking. “And the Dragos do not control us. Our central committee decides where and when to deploy our forces, not them.”
Strand sipped the last of the tea from his cup. “I’ve done operations with other resistance groups across the galaxy, and I can tell you that even if you somehow win this war, House Dragos will just come in and absorb the entire system into their sphere.”
Unus grimaced. “No, they will not.”
“If you get rid of House Maladore, another dynasty will just take their place,” Strand said. “Humankind’s nature is to be ruled, and nature abhors a vacuum.”
“Then we shall fight them too,” Unus said. “Pirindra will be free and independent sooner or later.”
Strand shook his head. “You’re deep in Concordance territory, and the archons in this part of the galaxy would never allow it.”
One of Unus’s subordinates was close to getting up and pulling out his pistol. “Watch your mouth, offworlder.”
Unus gestured for silence. “He is right. We do face long odds, and the Dragos are only trying to use us for their own ends.” He flicked his eyes back towards Strand. “But you underestimate our spirit. We will fight on, even if it takes a hundred years. The archon does not care for our plight, and we will continue the struggle.”
Strand had experience advising insurgent movements from his time with VIPR, an elite special forces unit belonging to the Union. “Would you be willing to compromise?”
Unus remained wary. “What do you mean?”
Strand pointed his thumb towards Fytti. “She briefed me on your political situation on the way down here. Your … movement has a lot of revolutionaries with wildly differing goals, but you’re all united so far.”
Fytti nodded. “A vast majority in your organization simply wish to have more say in the archon’s ruling government. Even your supreme leader has said as much.”
“Nubnar Palacios is the face of our rebellion, there is no doubt about that,” Unus said. “He does the political talking and appears in smuggled com-link broadcasts to inspire the movement, but many of us thinks he is too willing to bargain with the archon.”
“You should trust in him,” Strand said. “If we could somehow get the archon’s government to let’s say … elevate Nubnar as a member of the court back in Kurgan, then your people here will finally have a voice.”
One of Unus’s officers leaned over and whispered in his ear. The leader of the guerilla cell made a hushed, hurried reply before resuming eye contact with Strand. “Assuming you could even do such a thing, I will have to pass this along our chain of command. Essala is our military leader, and she will have to approve.”
“We can make this happen,” Strand said. “The Nepenthe is close by, and we’ll be able to make inroads at the archon’s court.”
One of Unus’s men still had a skeptical look on his face. “You’re nothing but a bunch of pirates. You think you could cow the archon into submission? It’s madness.”
Strand smiled. “If Toto Vega was able to get an audience with the archon and get him to commit his daughter to a marriage, then wait and see what we can do.”
“He has three shards,” Unus said. “Those relics are a holy symbol to our people. Even here in Pirindra, the mere mention of them carries great influence. I fear we will lose a lot of sympathizers if we go up against Vega the moment he has more of them.”
“Then we find this lost shard,” Fytti said. “Based on my sources, the archon still has his. If we can strike a bargain with him, that’s two against Vega’s three. The odds will be better.”
Unus looked at his two officers and exchanged brief, silent nods with them before returning his gaze to his guests. “We will help, but this shard will belong to the movement and shall only be given to the archon once we have an iron-clad guarantee of autonomy and a voice in his government.”
“Fair enough,” Strand said.
Hauk raised his hand. “Excuse me, but if you all know how important this shard is, why haven’t you tried to find it before?”
Unus snorted. “We have tried for many years, lad. Yet we’ve never found it. I highly doubt we’ll ever recover this lost shard, but these are desperate times and who knows, perhaps luck may finally be on our side.”
26 Correspondence
Kurgan’s twilight period drew a blanket of faint starlight over the evening sky. Ava Maladore made a brief sigh as she stared out past the balcony of her bedchamber and looked down at the city below. The palace was built on high ground, and even her cat-like eyes could only see faint specks of neon light in the distance.
She remembered her mother, the always kind and caring lady, until she died of a sickness that nobody could cure. Ava was a mere little girl during that tragic time, and at one point had wanted to kill herself by
stepping off the veranda in her room and falling to her death in order to join her beloved mama.
Her older brother Jurt was able to save her by taking the sad little child in his arms and singing songs to her until she fell asleep. In time, their bond grew closer, and Jurt even gave away his most trusted servant Dilye to become Ava’s new handmaiden. With Archon Hrothgar being constantly busy with matters of court, the devotion between brother and sister only got stronger. Everything seemed alright for a while, until Jurt’s final goodbye.
Due to their nictitating membranes, tears were an uncommon sight for people of their kind, yet Ava’s cheeks were wet as she lamented the memory of her lost brother. Years before, Jurt had given her a confident wink, saying he would return soon after leading a military expedition against the rebels, yet he never came back.
It took a long time for her to get over his loss, and she felt a duty to her father, for they were the last of their lineage. The Maladore dynastic tree once numbered in the hundreds, but now all they had left was each other. Jurt had been set to marry upon his return, and now the task of continuing the family legacy fell to her.
The thoughts of suicide crowded her mind once more as Ava kept staring out at the gloom-filled void. All I have to do is climb over this railing and let go, she thought. After that, I won’t ever have to worry about anything ever again. Mother and Jurt will be waiting for me, no doubt.
A concerned feminine voice came from behind her. “Milady, are you alright?”
Before turning around, Ava used a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes, but it was obvious her handmaiden could tell how she was feeling. Dilye carried a metal tray containing a carafe of water, and she quickly placed it onto a nearby stone table before rushing up towards her lady, hoping she could help in any way.
Ava smiled faintly as her maid replaced the wet handkerchief with a fresh cloth. “Thank you, Dilye.”
Dilye made a slight bow as she took out a small, fleshy pod hidden in her robe and placed it in her lady’s open palm. She hoped it would be enough to calm Ava down. “I have good news. Your message got through, my lady. Here is his reply.”
Ava’s once melancholy attitude quickly brightened as she stroked the small, throbbing message seed. “Is this really from Orist?”
Dilye smiled. “There is only one way to find out, my lady.”
Ava hurried over to the side table where a small, froglike creature lay snug in a nest made of bark from a Taurian edenous tree. She held the seed near the animal’s nostrils until it could smell the offering. Opening its eyes, the babbler toad extended a long tongue and waited.
She placed the seed onto the tip of the babbler’s mouth. The animal immediately swallowed it, and a slit on its back opened half a second later, revealing a humanoid mouth, short tongue, and a row of small teeth. Ava clasped her hands together in anticipation.
A man’s voice began speaking from the swollen creature’s back. “Ava, my love, this is Orist, speaking to you from the mining world of Geb. I just … wanted to say how much I miss you and I dearly appreciate getting a message from you.”
Ava’s jaw trembled as she heard his voice. Orist had been a son of a minor court functionary, and they had first met at one of the many gatherings and official ceremonies in the palace. Orist had a tremendous sense of humor, and he always made her laugh. His constant companionship during her teen years made them inseparable, and it soon blossomed into love. Ava didn’t have many friends her age, and only Orist and Jurt were ever close to her. In time, she was to marry him, but Jurt’s unfortunate fate had made it impossible.
Orist’s voice became serious. “You took a great risk in trying to send a message to me, and I can understand why. I agree, this offworlder you’ve described is despicable, and not just because of his looks but due to his deeds as well. To have your father marry you off to a pirate is horrendous.”
The earnestness of his voice made it feel like Orist was in the room with her. Ava felt like crying again, and only Dilye’s reassuring hold on her elbow stopped the tears from flowing.
“How I wish I could be there to comfort you, my love, but as of right now I am under heavy guard, due to reasons now made obvious to me. I cannot blame your father the archon for annulling our marriage plans, because he needed to provide you with a worthier husband, but to think that he is now marrying you off to a cutthroat is the height of folly.”
Ava looked down. “Oh, Orist.”
Orist’s voice recording continued. “Though your plan for us to both go away and meet somewhere in another dominion is a good one, how would we pull it off? Your father’s guards watch over me constantly, and it is only through sheer luck this message even finds its way to you. I have no doubt that you are confined within the palace yourself. To do this right we’ll need a starship, but how can we get one, much less meet?”
Ava shook her head. “I don’t care. I don’t want to be a pirate’s wife.”
“I’ve thought about it, and it would also mean we’d be hunted by your father. I doubt any of the Concordance archons would agree to shelter us. And the most pertinent question is this, my love. Do you want to give up being the noble-born daughter of an archon and live the rest of your life as a commoner in exile?”
“Yes,” Ava said softly. “I’d rather be free with you than be a prisoner of wealth and tradition.”
There was a newfound determination in Orist’s tone. “But if your mind is made up, then I will cross the farthest star to get to you, my love. I don’t know how I’ll be able to sneak away from the guards in this outpost, but please, give me time.”
Ava closed her eyes. He said yes!
“If you agree, send me another message, as quickly as you can. Farewell for now, Ava. My heart will always belong to you.” The slit in the babbler toad’s backside closed not long after the last word in the audio message was spoken, and the animal went back to its hibernating state.
Ava could hardly breathe. She looked at her handmaiden with eager eyes. “He said he’ll do it! Please, we must send another message to him right away.”
Dilye gestured at her to stay calm by patting Ava’s wrist slightly. “Don’t be agitated, my lady. I can deliver a message to him in secret, but to spirit you both out of these places is a whole new matter which I lack the skills or the friends to help you with.”
“There must be a way!”
“I’m sorry,” Dilye said. “I don’t think any of the nobles would dare help us. There’s just no one I can think of who could.”
Ava stared at the floor in desperation. “Then I’ll kill Vega when he returns. Lure him into my bedroom. Leave a dagger for me here, Dilye. Put it in some place where I can reach for it so I can stab at his horrible eyes and mad grin.”
Dilye shook her head vigorously. “No, my lady. If you murder the sub-archon, you’ll throw the entire house into disrepute. You will be executed for it.”
“I don’t care,” Ava said. “I’d rather be beheaded than be a wife to him. At least my father will have the three shards the pirate carries.”
“And he will be without a daughter who could provide him an heir,” Dilye said. “Please do not consider such an act, my lady.”
Ava began to sob once more. “There must be a way to reach Orist. Why am I so powerless?”
Dilye placed a finger on her lower lip. “For someone to help us there must be a great reason for it.”
“All the public and my father’s court seem to care about is those damned crystals! If I had my way, I’d destroy all those relics so they wouldn’t be used against anyone ever again.”
Dilye reached out and took her right forearm. “My lady, there could be a way for you to use your influence and get a starship captain’s services.”
Ava used her free hand to wipe away her tears. “What are you talking about?”
“I just remembered,” Dilye said. “Your brother told me to keep something safe for him.”
Ava knew her handmaiden had been close to her brother. Jur
t himself even told her to always trust Dilye and to retain her at all cost. “What is it?”
Dilye started to lead her out of the bedchamber. “Please come with me, my lady. There is something I need to show you.”
The two young women left the room and crossed several corridors before running down the grand staircase. They pretended to be casually talking and conversing when a pair of guardsmen strode past them before ducking into another stairwell which led deeper beneath the palace.
Taking a glow crystal from a rack by the bottom of the steps, Dilye held the light in front of her to pierce through the darkened passageways. The air was thicker, and it carried an odor of past ages and memories. Even during the busiest of times, these cellars were almost always deserted, save for the tiny arthropods and worms that inhabited such dank places.
Ava stayed close to her handmaiden, her left hand clutched firmly on Dilye’s elbow. Even as a child she feared coming down here. Her brother Jurt would always dare her to venture ever deeper to find the family catacombs, but the furthest point she would ever risk by herself was at the foot of the stairs.
“It should just be a few more paces ahead of us,” Dilye said as they continued to step daintily forward.
“Where are we going?” Ava asked nervously.
“Your family catacombs,” Dilye said.
She wanted to turn back. Dilye’s determined progress was the only thing keeping her going. “Why? What is down here?”
“Your brother,” Dilye said. “Jurt told me that if anything should happen to him, I must go to his secret spot inside this place.”
With her eyes adjusting to the gloom, Ava could see something lying on the cobbled stone floor ahead of them. “What is that?”
Dilye stood in front of the lumpy form while stooping low to bring the glow crystal in for a closer look. “It seems smaller than a man. It looks—”
Ava gasped as her handmaiden’s glow crystal managed to illuminate the object in front of therm. It was one of the palace droogs. The genetically modified animal lay on its side with its mouth agape in a fixed snarl, the sharpened canine teeth glinting in the faint light. A pool of blood had gushed out from the wounds on its armored stomach.
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