Zeta has never been what one might call a beautiful planet, but it does have its charm. The earth is dusty red, filled with valuable minerals and surprisingly fertile. It’s part of the reason my space-exploring ancestors picked her to inhabit. The western hemisphere is one large mountain range surrounded by saltwater tinged red from the soil. In the east, where I grew up, there are factories—in some cases, the rubble that used to be factories—as far as the eye can see. The Zetian government, understanding the potential of our mineral rich soil, decided to go the industrial route. Zetians are nothing if not resourceful. We refine some of the most sought-after fuel sources and minerals in the galaxy. We also hardly ever scrap anything. Many older vehicles, including rovers, are still in regular use, albeit retrofitted with new technology of course.
For most of my childhood, there was peace between Cadmar and Zeta. But if our history teaches anything, it never lasts. Complaints about the quality of our products, rising costs, and missing shipments make waves. I’m proud to be Zetian, but I can’t lie—we’re a greedy lot.
I grew up learning about two important Zetian tenets: protection and wealth. This is, in part, why all Zetian households are not only allowed but encouraged to own firearms. And as far as currency goes, the fact that some Zetian businesses skim off the top and take shortcuts is no surprise. It’s like an insatiable unrest runs through our veins and probably always will.
Given this greediness, it wasn’t long before Cadmar declared Zeta unfit to trade. To really stick it to us, Cadmar threatened other planets that they would no longer trade with them if they continued to trade with Zeta. This was not an idle threat. If a planet goes against Cadmar’s wishes, they basically bomb the crap out of the other planet until they see it Cadmar’s way. Yeah, they’re pretty much arrogant pricks.
Eventually, the Zetian government fought back, accusing Cadmar of being in violation of the universal free trade agreement. By the time I was thirteen, the fifth war between Cadmar and Zeta broke out, and the Cadmarians never thought twice about destroying my planet. They bombed regularly, and many were killed. Zetians feared that the soil would never recover from the destruction. But even now, as I look out the window of the hovercraft, majestic trees sprout and flourish, seemingly right out of a concrete ground. Zeta will not be annihilated. It perseveres, just as its people have.
The main streets of Rourke are desolate this afternoon, except a few stragglers and service droids running errands for their households. Most Zetians are at work in the factories that still stand. After day shifts end, people will fill the streets headed to eateries, bars, and entertainment venues. Only then will the Rourke come alive. The tall buildings light up in neon, loud music blares from concert halls, and the scent of the widest variety of ethnic dishes in the galaxy waft from inside eateries into the night air tantalizing even the most astringent of palates. We grant resident passes to anyone. Human, non-human, doesn’t matter. Give us what you got, and we’ll give you a gun and a cube in the Grid. Zetians celebrate and embrace variety in all aspects of life.
We pull up to a communication box outside a cube community. Once Zeta industrialized, many people moved into cube-shaped apartments in gigantic developments. We call it the Grid, the largest of which are at the heart of Rourke. Each apartment contains a living area with beds that extend from a wall, kitchen, and a bathing/evacuation chamber. The less space we use for living, the more room we have for factories. That is, until Cadmar decides to start bombing again.
Cole, who drove, reaches his arm out and touches the comm plate.
A computerized voice asks, “Resident or visitor?”
“Resident,” Cole says, looking over at me.
I don’t return his glance. Screw you, Cole. My parents maintained an apartment in the Grid, as did many other families who spent time in the city.
“Key, please,” the computerized voice says.
I reach into the pocket inside my battle suit, the place I keep the important stuff, and hand Cole my key card. He takes it from me, inserting it into the slot beneath the comm plate.
“Reading key card,” the voice says, followed by a long pause. “Resident Nevar, welcome home. Please remove your key card.”
Cole takes the key card out and hands it back to me but doesn’t let go of it until I make eye contact.
“Raven, I’m sorry. I just thought we would have a better chance if we approach Stass from the inside.” The sincerity in his voice bounces off my heart like a neoprene cordoball. I don’t want his stupid pity.
I look ahead. “Just drive.”
The metal barrier splits in two, sliding to the left and right, allowing us passage. Cole puts the hovercraft into gear and barrels down into the underbelly of the Grid. As Cole traverses the parking area at the bottom of the apartment complex, I’m struck by how it hasn’t changed. In fact, it seems just like yesterday that I’d come home late from some scheme I had just concocted. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Bren all about it.
I squeeze my eyes shut and grasp a lock of blue from my short choppy haircut, twirling nervously. I hate being back here.
We come to a stop in a parking spot in front of the elevator leading up to the apartments. It’s a workday, so there aren’t too many tenants around, and the parking garage is relatively empty. Okay, right, back to business.
“Is Stass still on level 946?” I ask.
“Yep, let’s go.” Cole grabs his pistol, setting it to stun, just in case.
I nod, understanding why that might be necessary. The residents of the Grid have become incessantly cautious of new faces and those Zetians, such as me, who haven’t turned up for a while. I turn toward Emery in the backseat. “You ready? Remember what I said. Don’t look up at all. No eye contact.”
Emery nods. “Of course, Raven. I understood the directions the first time you said them.”
“Okay, I just want to make sure you stay safe.” My mouth tightens as Cole studies me.
Stupid, Raven. Really fucking dumb. The last thing I want is for Cole to think I’m going soft for this kid.
Cole says, “Oh, I see,” making my ears burn.
“Let’s go.” I set my pistol to stun and get out of the craft.
Five minutes later, we are outside Stass’s apartment, high in the sky. Before Cole can knock, I have the presence of mind to say one last thing before I face the one person I regret stealing from. “Cole, keep your mouth shut.”
I knock three times, waiting three seconds in between each knock. Stass and I came up with the secret knock when we were seven. I haven’t used it since my family was killed two years earlier. Footsteps sound inside the apartment and to the left of the door. She’s monitoring us through her comm panel.
Slowly, I press my hands to the door, a sign of submission. “Stass, open up. I need your help.”
The door flies open, and Stass, still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, is standing before me. Her stick-straight hair is the same jet black I remember, falling all the way down to her thighs. Her angled face and cat-like yellow-hazel eyes, common for some Zetians, are striking. She’s wearing a snug old-school gamer T-shirt and tight black pants that hug her assets in all the right places. Stass truly is a diamond in the rough, but she’s got one big problem—she’ll never leave her cube in the Grid. She’s got a serious case of agoraphobia, which is why she hacks for a living. The only change in her appearance is the set in her jaw, letting me know she’s not happy to see an old friend.
“What are you doing here, Raven? Still a cold bitch?”
I swallow, hard. She’s goading me, trying to make me leave. “Looking good, Stass. You haven’t changed at all.”
Her cat-like eyes narrow. “What do you want?”
Cole flashes his bright blues. “Hey, Stass. Can we come in?”
“Cole Mason, as I live and breathe. You haven’t visited me in such a long time. Still hung up on this one?” Stass tilts her head toward me.
I roll my eyes. We don’t have ti
me for this.
He smiles, showing all his perfect white teeth. They should be perfect. He paid a pretty penny for the implants in the front after they were knocked out during a fight on Cadmar a year ago. “Oh, Stass, I’m always available for you, gorgeous.”
Stass grabs Cole by the front of the shirt and pulls him close to her. “You can come in.” Pointing to me, her eyes never leaving Cole’s, she adds, “I haven’t decided about you.” She looks around me at Emery. “And who’s this?”
Emery says, “I know you and Raven have your issues, which need to be resolved later, but we really need your help.”
What the shit is this? What part of keep your mouth shut didn’t he understand? I stare at him with what-the-fuck eyes.
He shrugs and mouths, What?
I position myself back between Stass and Emery, forcing her attention back to me. “That’s Emery. He’s with me. I have something you might be interested in getting a cut from. Pornograms, high tech, the newest. I’m offering ten percent for each one for a recode to make them useable and untraceable. What do you say?”
“Apologize.”
Starfire! I had hoped to avoid this shit. Dredging up the past only reminds me of the family I no longer have. Still, I need the pornograms useable.
I sigh. “I’m sorry I stole from you. I needed to get out, and I didn’t know where else I could get the credits to leave.”
Stass moves toward me, grasping my shoulders. “You were like a sister to me. I trusted you, and you stole my savings.”
My eyes never leave hers, but it’s mighty hard not to feel guilty. She was my best friend, and I did royally screw her over. “I know. I accept that I’m a con, a cheat, a thief, and worse. But don’t you see? In the end, you’re better off without me.”
Stass turns back around toward her cube. “Whatever. Let’s see what you’ve got. And I want twenty percent without question.”
“Fifteen,” I retort. Hey, I can’t not bargain.
“Twenty or you can get the fuck out right now.”
Concession. “Twenty it is.”
Thirty minutes later, Stass has written the code to overwrite the tracking devices and labels on the pornograms. They are now worth exactly what I need to upgrade Emery’s disguise and my ship.
My ship. I like it.
Thankfully, Stass hasn’t asked anything else about Emery, and he has remained quiet and not looked up even once. I pat his shoulder. Keep up the good work, kid.
Stass has, however, noticed Cole. They smile at each other, and she brushes her hand up and down his chest as he intertwines his hand with a lock of her long mane. Something inside my gut twists around as I watch them flirt.
Emery touches my arm and whispers, “Don’t be jealous. He doesn’t want to lie naked with her.”
I stare at Emery, my mouth open. Lie naked? First, how in starfire does he know that? Second, I’m not jealous. Why would he assume that? I mean, I don’t care who Cole hooks up with. If he wants to risk contracting NeTox, that’s his choice. Not that Stass is a carrier or anything. Besides, Cole is a complete space nugget. No interest whatsoever. I push the thought from my mind and focus back on what’s really important—credits.
As we walk back out into the hall, Stass hands me a card for payment. “You know the drill. Each pornogram can only be activated after twenty percent is placed in my credit account.”
“Yeah, I got it.” As an afterthought, I add, “Thanks, Stass.”
She responds by shutting the door in my face.
Well, I guess I deserve that. Still, it was good to see her, and if I’m being totally honest, I do miss her.
As I turn to leave, Cole rubs salt into the wound, “Well, that went well, I think. What did you steal this time?”
Without a word, I nod at Emery and head off in the direction of the lift.
7
A Plan
It didn’t take long for Cole to hook me up with a buyer for the pornograms. I made out nicely, considering our deal happened on Zeta and not Cadmar. I sold them for twenty thousand credits a piece, minus the twenty percent to Stass and ten percent to Cole for his finder’s fee. But in the end, I lifted a program from the buyer that might come in handy. I am a thief, after all. Plus, the remaining upgrade parts for the ship, including a contra-scanner, came cheap too. Also, the contact gave me enough guns and artillery to enable my ship to go head to head with a well-equipped Cadmarian war cruiser. And who do I have to thank for all this good fortune?
I groan, my eyes instinctively rolling. Fucking Cole.
While we were still in Rourke, I also picked up some contacts for Emery and got his hair dyed. He wanted to go blue, like me, but I sold him on light brown. I jostle his mousy brown hair familiarly and lie to myself—brown is more inconspicuous. My choice has nothing to do with the fact that Emery reminds me of Bren.
“So what are you planning on doing once you get the ship up to speed?” Cole asks, his eyes never leaving the road, as we cruise back to Teagan’s hangar in the Ditch.
It’s a good question, one I’m working on. I’ve got to figure out a place to drop Emery where he could be safe. Not Mythos. They’re all dead.
“Why do you care?” I glance over at him, eyebrow arched with curiosity.
He shrugs. “Just curious, I guess.”
Not even a glance in my direction.
Something’s up. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off me for the last two days. I turn my body toward him, my eyes narrowing. “Cole, what do you know?”
He glances at me sideways, his eyes barely registering my face. “Nothing. I just thought you might want some help.”
I stare him down for a few more seconds. Nope, I’m not buying what he’s selling. He’s trouble for us. I face back forward. “That won’t be necessary. We’ve got it under control.” I tilt my head to the backseat. “Don’t we, Emery?”
Emery perks up and puffs out his adolescent chest. “Yep. We’ve got this.” He glances at Cole. “We don’t need you.”
I smile genuinely, a rarity for me, and it pings at my heart. Starfire, I like this kid. No hesitation whatsoever.
Cole sneers at Emery. “Is that so, little man? What will you do then, use your slingshot to take out their eyes?”
“No.” Emery’s eyes grow serious, his mouth set. “If anyone gets in our way, I’ll shock their balls with this!” He raises the pistol that we just purchased in the air like a marauder.
I can’t help it—my smile broadens. He’s using my lines and tactics. Hit ‘em where they’ll feel it the most. After a glance at Cole’s open-mouthed stare, I double over in my seat, laughing, and I can’t seem to stop.
Emery’s laughing, and our giggles become contagious, spurring even more laughter, including Cole. Tears form in the corners of my eyes, and my stomach hurts from the exertion. The sound of laughter with people I know is something I haven’t heard or felt in a long time.
I turn and pat Emery’s knee. “Good one, kid.”
“It’s good to see you laugh again, Raven,” Cole says.
Oddly, I don’t feel like fighting with Cole. “When have you ever seen me laugh?”
Cole glances between me and the road, a knowing smile on his lips. “Oh, I have memories.”
“Yeah, well, Emery seems to bring out my softer side.” I glance back at him and wink.
“I agree.” Emery leans forward on the front seat to get closer to Cole. “When I first met Raven, she showed me all of her sides.” He leans back and returns my wink.
I cover the gurgle of laughter erupting from my mouth, as Cole’s mouth drops open again. He looks from Emery to me. “What the hell?”
“Inside joke,” I say, trying to contain myself. “You wouldn’t understand.”
A day later, the ship is ready to fly and Emery’s onboard waiting for me. I have a plan.
“I’m going to Cadmar.”
Teagan’s eyes widen, his jaw slack. “I’m sorry, you’re going where?”
I raise my
hands in protest. “I know it sounds crazy, but the only way I’m going to figure out what the Cadmarians want with Emery is to go to the source. Once I figure that out, I might be able to cut a deal for him. I have friends there who might be willing to help me. He won’t be safe until he’s off their list.”
Teagan frowns and rubs the back of his thick neck. “I get it, you know. The kid reminds you of Bren. But this is dangerous, even by your standards.”
“I know. But if anyone can handle it, it’s me, right?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, my conscience gut checks me. And how’s that worked out for you in the past?
“I’d feel better if you’d take Cole with you.”
“I’d rather stick my head in an evacuation tube.”
Teagan sighs. “It was worth a shot.”
I give my uncle a hug. It occurs to me that I might not return. This could be my last chance to say goodbye to the only family I have left in the galaxy.
Uncle Teagan holds me to his chest and kisses the top of my sapphire head. “Oh, girl, I miss your mom. She would be proud of you taking care of this boy.”
I swallow a slight lump in my throat at the mention of my mother and pull away. Thinking about her now will only make me weak. “I’m good, Uncle. I’ve got to go.”
I turn toward the ship, but Teagan grabs my hand and places a small white capsule in my palm. I stare down at it in disbelief. Never in a million years would I expect my uncle to give me a suicide tablet.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“I don’t know, but if you find yourself surrounded by Cadmarian guards, threatening to throw you in one of their prisons, you better have this as a backup. Things go on in there that I can’t bear to think of happening to you. Keep it close.” Teagan’s eyes fill with tears.
I squeeze his hand with my artificial one. Hopefully it won’t come to that.
“Let them try and catch me.” My voice is strong and sure, and I hope it convinces him not to worry.
Teagan nods and releases me.
I turn toward the ship and, for added emphasis, say over my shoulder, “I’m your niece, after all.”
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