“We’ll find you something,” Bandar said before turning back to the alien.
To Kai’s surprise, the old rogue was actually conversing in what sounded like fluent… whatever the species used as a language. Bandar showed it a holographic display of a droid market—the one mentioned in Lopek’s brief.
After what seemed like a furious argument, flange-face nodded and, with surprisingly delicate digits, tapped out directions on Bandar’s holodisplay.
“No coordinates?” Kai asked.
“They don’t have GPS here. All satellites are like their spires: nonworking shells.”
“So we have the market’s location?” Senaya asked.
Bandar nodded. “And a name of the guy who runs it. Oh, and there’s one other thing,” he said, standing to the side of the hole-in-the-wall.
Flange-face reached under the counter and brought up a silver flask and handed it to Senaya. Steam wafted from a slight gap where the lid attached to the body of the container. The alien made a high-pitched, gurgling sound.
Kai smelled the coffee aroma at once.
Senaya's eyes grew wide. A smile stretched across her face as she inhaled the delicious scent. She reached out with her wrist to the control panel for payment, but the alien slapped her arm gently away with a flap-shaped appendage.
“Coffee on the house,” Bandar said.
“Well… please tell your friend here thanks,” Senaya said.
Bandar gargled something, and they left the dispensary to allow the next pedestrian in line to make their order.
“How’d you know its language?” Kai asked as they headed downtown toward the droid market, the morning light now glowing gold from its earlier dawn-gray.
“Because I did my homework. If you’d bothered to read the full datapak, you’d have found mention of the GTU’s network and the call signs.”
“That was an agent?”
“One of many. Now, how about we play a game of shut the hell up and get to the market in peace?"
With that, Bandar loped forward, creating some distance between himself and Kai and Senaya.
“Sensitive, isn’t he?” Senaya said between sips of her coffee. She handed the flask to Kai, but he shook his head. He felt like a schoolboy being told off by a teacher and decided to focus on the task at hand.
Bandar was right, after all. The information was there in the datapak, but he was too busy trying to work the artifact, to see those symbols again.
In silence, they walked for another standard hour, following the alien’s directions.
Dereliction was all around them: factories left to rust and fall apart, their cavernous interior took over by gangs and wandering caravans of murderous hobos. Every street corner featured a dealer of shady goods, and after the first half dozen, Kai learned to just ignore them. Politeness wasn't expected, and it only made them more dogged in their business.
He needed no drugs or implants or body modifications. He liked his limbs and face as they were.
Eventually, they turned a corner and saw the building they wanted: the droid market.
Much like the rest of the city, its facade was rusting, held together with a patchwork of steel taken from other businesses that didn’t last the economic downturn.
This place, however, was a hive of activity.
The neon sign, Darradio’s Droids, flashed enthusiastically, its gaudy colors a rebellion against the gray and brown color swatch of the city.
Hundreds of people of all species milled around outside, some entering, some exiting, still others hovering around the payment booth, presumably paying for and arranging delivery of their new-old droid.
Bandar emerged from the group and stood close to Kai and Senaya.
“Stay sharp and make sure your weapons are ready,” Bandar said, his long leather duster bulging slightly at his leg, hiding his rifle. “And follow me. Let me do the talking.”
Kai reached into his jacket and switched the P&G on with a touch of his finger.
Senaya unclipped her holsters but kept her twin lasers hidden beneath her coat.
They followed Bandar inside the droid market as he cut a swathe through the crowd. His body language told Kai this would be a short experience. He had to almost jog to keep up with the older man.
Inside, the building was only mildly dilapidated. A small office foyer with tatty sofas and rugs led into a wider warehouse area with a raised section for the auctioneer. On the far right side of the huge vaulted room, a row of droids glistened beneath a string of lights.
At the end of the warehouse, a large LED clock counted down to the next auction.
A few buyers mingled around the bleachers that ran around the other two walls. They looked up when Kai and the others entered, but they weren’t here for bidding on the droids. That didn’t stop Senaya’s attention from snapping to one of the shiny chrome models.
“Look at that thing; it’s majestic,” she said.
“You can’t afford it,” Bandar growled. “Keep up.”
He cut right through the bleachers, up to the auctioneer’s stand, and through a door that led to the back office. Kai and Senaya followed Bandar into the shabby, dark room just as Bandar unfurled his duster jacket and raised the rifle to the tall lithe-figured man standing behind an ornate wooden desk.
The man yelped and reached for a comms device on the desk when Bandar snapped, "You touch that comm and your friends will be cleaning your brains off the wall." Then to Kai: "Shut the door and watch for company."
At first, Kai didn't respond. This was all just a bit much, but he had to trust Bandar, he owed him at least the benefit of the doubt and did as he was tasked. He and Senaya stood on either side of the door.
“Now, you, sit down,” Bandar said, motioning with his rifle.
The man did as he was told. To his credit, he didn’t look completely panicked. His small green beady eyes stared out from beneath a leather cap. A designer pin-striped suit gave him the impression of someone well off, but its frayed cuffs and split collar told the real story.
“You’re Darradio, right?” Bandar growled.
The man nodded. “Yes… that’s me,” he stammered. “What do you want? I paid Griston yesterday. Our account is settled. What more does that greedy bastard want from me?”
“We’re not here from Griston,” Bandar said. “We’re here for Drey. Lexis Drey.”
Darradio instantly relaxed, slumping in his chair. “She hasn’t worked here for months. I’m afraid you’re too late.”
“Where is she?” Kai asked, no longer able to control himself.
Darradio shrugged.
“He asked you a question,” Bandar said, the rifle still pointing at the man’s forehead.
“I don’t know; I don’t keep track of all the waifs and strays that come through here. What’s she done?”
“None of your damned business,” Bandar said. “How long did she work here for?”
“Dunno exactly, maybe… eight standard weeks. She bolted out of the blue, and we moved on. Plenty of people looking for work, so she didn't exactly stick in mind. Look, I've got an auction in a few minutes, and the crowd here isn't the most forgiving kind. I need to start the sale."
“You’re going nowhere,” Kai said, stepping forward now, eager to get moving. He saw a pair of burly security men talking to the crowd by the bleachers. He’d rather avoid a shoot-out if he could help it.
Darradio sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you. She left. I didn’t care. I’ve nothing to tell you… or perhaps…”
“What?” Kai barked. “Spit it out.”
“She was close with another guy who used to work here. I think they were fucking each other. He’s a dodgy son of a bitch. Sells illegal cybernetics. I caught him stealing parts from the droids and had him kicked out. She’ll likely be with him.”
“Name?” Bandar said.
“Raniel Denson. He’s a real scumbag. Spends most of his time high on synth-stims.”
“
Security is coming,” Senaya said.
“Unless you want a poor man’s decapitation,” Bandar growled, “I suggest you give us everything you know about this guy.”
“Sure. Sure… just, one second, let me…” He started to reach for a drawer in his desk.
Bandar smacked the barrel of the rifle into Darradio’s nose, causing it to snap and bleed.
Darradio slumped back in his chair and yelped, clasping his nose as though trying to catch the blood that poured from his nostrils. Kai glared at Bandar. They could have got the info without going this far.
But to be fair to the rogue, it worked. Darradio nodded and mumbled something as he reached out to Bandar’s holopad and typed out all he knew about the cybernetics dealer, including his name, address, and a photo.
“There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Bandar said.
Darradio's eyes were glossy. He shook with fear, or perhaps rage.
Someone knocked on the door. “You okay in there, boss?” a deep voice called out.
Whispering, Bandar said, “Everything is just fine, right?”
Darradio said as much, adding as clearly as he could, “You guys cover the doors. We’re opening for the sale in a minute. I’ll be right out, just having some issues with my allergies.”
Senaya watched through the crack of the door and nodded that they were clear.
“You have a back way out of here?” Kai asked.
“To the left, follow the corridor to the end and take a right. You’ll find a fire exit.”
Not wanting to outstay their opportunity, they followed the directions. Kai opened the fire exit, and they found themselves in an empty landing lot. Bandar checked his holomap.
“It’s about ten minutes east of here if we move quickly.”
Kai opened his mouth to say something about not wanting to hang around when a shadow slowly covered the landing lot. The deep throbbing roar of ship engines boomed from above. When Kai looked up, he recognized the massive ship at once. “Oh shit, it’s a Host destroyer. They must have tracked us here.”
“Then we better run,” Bandar said.
Chapter 15
Brenna’s heart stopped for what seemed like an eternity at the sight of Kendal before her. Words, hundreds, thousands of them tripped over each other to be the first to leave her mouth, but when she opened her lips to speak, nothing came out.
“Brenna, my love, it’s me,” Kendal said, smiling.
He looked much older than the last time she had seen him, which was to be expected. He’d been missing for so long, he must have had his fair share or more of trials and tribulations.
His dark hair was cropped short. Silver flecks touched the sides, indicating that even the great Kendal Locke was showing signs of his age: nearly fifty standard years old now, just a few years older than Brenna.
Despite the silver, his strong jaw and intense gray-blue eyes still shone with the same youthful exuberance she had found so attractive when they had first met over thirty years ago. Even the scar that traveled across the bridge of his nose to beneath his left eye seemed to add a rough-and-ready but charismatic charm.
He looked to Sule, his expression not betraying anything. Brenna looked at the shrain too and saw a neutral expression of someone patiently waiting. Turning back to her husband, Brenna finally stood and made to move toward him.
Sule quickly moved in the way and shook her head. “You may talk,” she said. “And later, if you cooperate, you may spend some time together. Right now, we have work to do. But please, feel free to catch up for a few moments before we continue.”
Brenna balled her right hand into a fist.
Kendal sneered at the back of Sule’s head.
Between them, there was a sense of mutual violence.
“Fine,” Brenna said, easing her heart rate down and taking her seat again. As much as she wanted to tackle Sule and flee with her husband, she couldn’t risk it; she had no idea what the shrain had planned.
All this politeness and generosity was nothing but an illusion, a means to an end. Brenna knew this and Sule knew this, so both women returned to their seats, and Kendal remained where he was, just out of touching distance, his body tense with a desire for action. He looked into Brenna's eyes. There was a kind of sadness there, a desperation.
“What have they done to you?” Brenna asked.
“Nothing bad. They found me floating out in the north quadrant in a rescue pod and brought me here.”
“Where have you been up until now?” she said, trying not to let the tears break the dam. If she started, she doubted she’d be able to stop.
“Following a dead trail. I thought I found a Navigator, but it turned cold, and my inexperienced crew fell foul of pirates. I was in stasis for months, floating around in the pod, hoping to be found."
Brenna cast a glance over to Sule and saw that she reflected recognition of this story. To her, Brenna asked, "Why did you keep him here? Why not return him to the Coalition?"
“Things aren't that simple. War is coming, and your husband represents an important part of the puzzle. As do you. If we're all to survive the coming war, we're going to need to work together."
“You’re working with the Host!” Brenna said, shouting the words, unable to hold her incredulity. “Your kind are infiltrating the Coalition worlds. You expect us to help you?”
“Brenna, please, listen to what she’s got to say,” Kendal said, holding his palms out. “The Coalition isn’t what you think it is. Lopek… he’s not who you think he is. You were sent to Protsima. You wouldn’t have survived it. It was all a setup to get you out of the way. You know too much.”
Brenna rubbed her face, trying to ease the growing tension in her temples. None of this felt right. It was as though she were high on some hallucinatory drug. Her body didn’t feel like hers; these images she was seeing had an indescribable quality.
“It’s the subspace anxiety,” Sule said, leaning across the table to her, holding out a small pen-like object. A drug-delivery device. “Here, this will help.”
Sule’s voice warbled as she spoke. Brenna’s vision vibrated. She stood up and turned toward Kendal. As she started to speak, her words came from his mouth—her words, but his voice.
Or was it his voice?
Was it the voice Brenna remembered?
Sule was out of her chair now, face distorted, her arms outstretched.
Brenna kicked at the table, knocking the shrain to the floor. She then launched forward to Kendal, her arms reaching to him. He didn’t move; her arms swiped through him as though he didn’t exist.
He wasn’t corporeal.
He wasn’t real.
With a blink of her eye, he was gone, and she was on the floor, her elbows and knees burning with the fall. Sule's shadow passed over her, and the shrain sneered as she stabbed the injector into Brenna's arm.
Her world became even more unreal. A dense fog swarmed her brain. Somewhere beyond the thick mist of the drug-induced state, she sensed her body being lifted and placed in a hard chair, clamps crushing her wrists and ankles.
Intelligible words garbled before becoming silent.
She stayed that way until the drugs completely shut her system down and put her into a deep blanket of unconsciousness.
Brenna came to with a violent splutter, the drugs leaving her sober as quickly as they had knocked her out. The room was in darkness now. Sule strode around in front of her, wielding a wicked-looking curved blade.
Brenna smirked. “Didn’t take you long to revert to type.”
The shrain spat on the ground and brought the blade to Brenna’s face. “You know nothing of our kind. You and your Coalition think you’re so superior, but your time is coming. Extinction is close by.”
“The Host claimed the same thing a decade ago. Look what happened to them. It will happen again. You’ve backed the wrong side.”
“If that brings you comfort, by all means, keep thinking it. It won’t change the inevitable. It won’t brin
g your husband back or save your son.”
Brenna strained against the holds on her wrists and ankles to no avail. Her face flushed red. “Why don’t we get this little play over and done with. What do you actually want from me?”
“Your son. You can help me find him, protect him from what’s coming.”
“Are all your kind vague to the point of tediousness? You won’t get answers from me. You can torture me, kill me, do what you want, but there will be no answers from me.”
The shrain stepped back then, regarding Brenna with an intensity that she’d never experienced before. It was as though the creature were staring into her very soul, her genetic code.
“Your bravery would be admirable if it wasn’t so shortsighted. You know so little, I almost pity you.”
“Then why don’t you illuminate me? Why join the Host? You know they can’t win a war against the Coalition. We decimated them last time, and even with the help from the shrain, it won’t be enough. Where was your kind then? You’re nothing. Just an artificial construct with no place in the universe to call your own.”
Sule smiled then let out a mocking laugh. “We’re their offspring. This galaxy is rightfully ours, and we will reclaim it. This is but the start of it.”
“Whose offspring?”
“The Navigators, of course. We are their children, and we will inherit what is ours. Your son will lead us to the Blackstar, as your husband will lead us to the riches beyond the veil.”
“So if you’ve got all this planned, then why do you need me here?”
“Because you can make it easier for us, and therefore easier for your husband and son. Work with us, Brenna. Back the winning side and you can have your family with you once more. Oppose us… and you’ll lose them for good.”
“You’re underestimating my husband and son. Without my help, they’ll succeed and survive and will see you and your kind driven to the far reaches of space.”
“I’ll take that as a no, then?” Sule said, that disgusting smile on her face again.
“Take it however you want; you won’t get my help.”
“We still have time. But know this; we know your secret. We know that Kai is not your son.”
Blackstar Command 1: Prominence Page 12