by L O Addison
“How are you feeling?” Marin asked.
She’d already asked him the same question half a dozen times since they’d both woken from hyperspace earlier in the day. Marin didn’t seem affected by the long trip, but she’d had over eighty years of experience working as a guard for the Collectors, and her body was perfectly acclimated to long stretches in hyperspace.
“I’m all right,” Lio said.
“You still look pale.”
“I have a bit of a headache. That’s all.”
Marin gave him a disbelieving stare and reached down to press her palm against his forehead. Lio gritted his teeth, but he sat still, unsure if Marin’s motherly actions should make him feel humiliated or comforted. Admittedly, he was leaning toward the latter.
“You’re burning with fever,” Marin said, concern tightening her words.
Lio reached up and gently brushed Marin’s hand away from his forehead. “I’ll be fine,” he insisted.
They both knew it wasn’t true. He’d recover soon enough from the fatigue of hyperspace travel, but that was hardly even an issue compared to the missing Virtue. Lio’s duty had been to safely Collect it, but he’d failed.
It was missing. Gone. Stolen.
Lio struggled to wrap his spinning mind around what that even meant. All of the Virtues were dangerous—that was the entire reason the Collectors existed. Their duty was to find the Virtues and safely dispose of them, so the universe could never again be ravaged by their power.
But the Virtue found in the wreckage of the Syndicate ship had been a Virtue of War. It was far, far beyond dangerous. Virtues of War were some of the deadliest objects in existence, capable of wiping out entire societies in the blink of an eye.
And it had slipped right out of Lio’s grasp.
Marin gave a weary sigh and sat in the chair across from Lio, rubbing a tired hand across her face. “Whoever stole it must have known what it was,” she said. “But how?”
“I haven’t the slightest clue,” Lio admitted.
That was the most frustrating part about the theft. As far as the humans knew, the Virtue found in the Syndicate wreckage was just some old holy relic belonging to the Rhuramenti, no more powerful than a dusty family heirloom. The Council had been extremely careful to keep the humans from knowing its true power.
But someone on this planet must have found out. Otherwise, they would have no reason for breaking into such a highly secure base and stealing the Virtue.
“The Ascendancy is behind this,” Lio said. “They must be.”
“Of course,” Marin said with a tired nod.
“But how did they find it so quickly?” Lio demanded. The Collector’s sensors had only just detected the Virtue weeks ago, when they had run a routine scan on this section of the galaxy. And as far as the Collectors knew, no one else had sensors like theirs that could detect and locate far-off Virtues.
“One of our people must have informed them of the location,” Marin said, her voice weighed down by despair.
Fresh anger surged through Lio’s veins. Working for the Collectors was the highest possible honor in Rhuramenti society, and to betray them was the highest possible crime.
“Billions could die,” he said, shaking his head. “Possibly trillions.”
And he would likely be the first. Lio bit his lip to keep from adding that part, but the thought made his heart kick in panic. The Collectors would not take his failure lightly if he returned without the Virtue of War.
Marin nodded gravely. “I know. And that’s why we’re not leaving this planet until we get the Virtue back and discover who’s behind this.”
Lio nodded in agreement. He reached up with a shaking hand and clasped the pendant hanging from the silver chain around his neck. The smooth, rectangular pendant was hardly any bigger than his thumb, but the warmth that seeped through the metal casing was enough to heat his entire hand.
Inside the pendant was a Fragment, a tiny, ancient piece of a shattered Virtue. Usually, the pendant was hardly any warmer than his skin, but his proximity to the Virtue of War had heated it more than usual.
“The Virtue is still on this planet,” he told Marin. “I can feel it close.”
“Is it possible Commander Hayes lied?” Marin asked, a spark of hope entering her voice. “Is the Virtue still on this base?”
Lio shook his head. “No. Wherever the Virtue is, it’s far from here.”
At least halfway around the world, as far as he could tell. If the Virtue of War was any closer, the pendant would be humming with energy hot enough to burn his skin.
“Even if he’s telling the truth about it being stolen, I still don’t trust Commander Hayes,” Marin said.
“Neither do I,” Lio admitted.
Aside from his rudeness, there had been something else about the Commander that had just seemed… strange. Beck had acted genuinely embarrassed and horrified by the Virtue’s disappearance. On the other hand, the Commander had seemed only annoyed to have to deal with the issue.
“I don’t understand his coldness toward us,” Lio said. “I know he has reason to hate the Syndicate, but humans are more closely related to the Syndicate than our people.”
Marin let out a sigh. “Humans function more off emotion than logic, Lio. They may be our relatives, but don’t let their appearance fool you. They’re a very different species.”
Lio nodded and took a deep breath, trying to dispel some of the confusion and anger clouding his mind. He couldn’t be like the humans, letting his emotions control his actions. He tightened his grip on the pendant, and its warmth soothed some of the pain in his body and mind.
He stood from the chair, knowing that if he stayed in it for much longer, he’d collapse into an exhausted sleep. “I’m going to walk around and stretch my legs.”
Marin nodded wearily and began to get to her feet, but Lio help up a staying hand. “You stay and get settled. I'll only be a minute.”
“I don't like you going out of sight,” Marin said.
“I only mean to walk down the hallway and back. I’ll be fine. This building has plenty of guards surrounding it.”
Marin opened her mouth to protest, but Lio shook his head, stopping her. “I need some time alone to collect my thoughts. Please.”
Marin hesitated, but then she nodded and settled back in her chair. “Make it quick. And take this with you, just in case.”
She reached into her belt and pulled out a small grey cylinder with a yellow cap at the top. He recognized it as a sellio canister. Rhuramenti were immune to the gas, but one whiff of sellio gas was enough to knock out most other living creatures.
He accepted the tiny canister with a grateful nod and tucked it into his belt. The chances of meeting an enemy in this building were slim—the Resistance wouldn't dare assassinate a Rhuramenti ambassador on their own base. Humans weren’t that stupid. But it was still comforting to have the canister.
“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“Peace and duty, Lio,” Marin said, dipping forward in a casual bow.
Just hearing the familiar phrase eased some of the panic swirling through him. Rhuramenti never left each other without saying goodbye, even if they were leaving for only a short time. The humans may have been willing to ignore that custom, but at least Marin knew how to say a proper goodbye.
He bowed, returning the goodbye. “Peace and duty, Marin.”
5
Lio
Lio breathed deeply as he strode down the hallway, doing his best to restore calm to his mind. He focused on the warmth of the pendant pressed against his chest, letting it center him and take his thoughts off the throbbing pain in his body.
The hallway was empty, and his footsteps echoed softly off the tile floor, the rhythm familiar and calming. Every few steps, he passed by a door, although they were all tightly sealed. He wanted to peer inside one but he didn’t dare. It would be rude to be caught snooping, and he didn’t want to give the humans any mo
re reason to distrust him.
Toward the end of the hall, he came across a door that was ajar. He almost strode straight past, but then he saw the door’s lock. It hadn’t been opened, it had been broken. Mangled wires dangled from it, sure evidence that someone had entered the room without permission.
A rustling came from inside the room. Lio’s heart kicked with adrenaline. He should run. Immediately. He should turn around, sprint straight back to Marin, and sound an alarm.
But if he ran, whoever was inside the room would also have time to run. They could escape, and Lio couldn’t allow that. The person who broke inside the room was likely a thief, possibly the exact same thief who had stolen the Virtue.
Anger burned inside him at the thought. He wasn’t about to let the thief just get away.
Lio reached down to the communication device strapped to his forearm and tapped four times on its slender screen, sending a silent alert to Marin. Then he grabbed the sellio canister from his belt and shoved open the door.
A girl stood there, right in front of him, frozen in shock. She was short and slim, dressed in all black, and had a small backpack slung over her shoulder. Her hand was extended toward him, as if she’d been reaching for the door when he shoved it open.
“Stay right there,” he ordered. He lifted his left hand with the sellio cannister, making sure the girl saw the threat. “I can’t let you leave.”
Her eyes widened with shock. The girl skittered back a step and reached toward her waist. Panic raced through Lio as he spotted the pistol holstered there.
“Don’t,” Lio snapped, holding the sellio canister higher. “I don’t want to use this, but if you pull out that gun, I’ll have no choice.”
The girl’s hand faltered as she touched the grip of her pistol. She eyed the canister in his hand, and he held it up higher.
If he had to use the gas, it would take at least five seconds for the gas to dispense and knock her unconscious, which was plenty of time for the girl to draw her gun and shoot. But judging by the fearful way she stared at the canister, she had no idea what it was or how it worked. So Lio just tightened his grip and steeled his expression, as if it were a weapon he was fully confident in.
They froze like that for a long moment, each of them ready to spring. But then Lio forced himself to take a deep breath and focus. Negotiations were a core part of his training as a Collector. Even if she was a thief, there was no reason he couldn't reason with her.
“I need you to put your hands up and drop that backpack,” Lio said, sounding as stern as he could. “And don’t you dare touch that gun.”
She swallowed hard and raised her hands slowly above her head. “I can explain,” she said, glancing nervously beside her.
Lio followed her gaze and spotted a vault on the other side of the room. Two electronic locks lay on the floor, along with a chunk of steel that looked like some sort of old-fashioned lock. The thick, metal door of the safe was open, its inside empty.
Contempt raced through his thoughts—contempt at the Resistance’s weak security, at the girl’s thievery, at Earth’s poisoned society that was causing him nothing but problems.
“Yes, please do explain,” Lio said. His best option right now was to keep her talking and distracted until Marin or one of the Resistance guards arrived. Until then, it was up to him to keep the thief contained.
She blinked a couple times, as if she was shocked he actually wanted an explanation. “Well. Um. I…”
She trailed off and stared back inside the safe, as if she were looking in there for a reasonable explanation.
Lio nodded toward her bulging backpack. “You were stealing, weren’t you?”
The thief actually had the audacity to smile, although it was strained. “Just borrowing.”
“You mean you had permission to take things from that safe?”
Her smile waned. “Surprise borrowing.”
Lio scowled. “I may be unfamiliar with your people, but I am plenty familiar with lies. Please don’t insult my intelligence.”
The girl’s smile melted away, leaving fear in its place. She looked him up and down, taking in his foreign clothes and appearance, and then took a hesitant step backward as she said, “Sorry.”
At least she had the decency to apologize. Lio suddenly felt a little bad for threatening her so aggressively. These humans might be rude and belligerent, but he wasn’t going to let them taint his own behavior.
“I don’t wish to hurt you,” he said, softening his tone. “I just need you to drop your backpack. Move slowly, please, and don’t reach for your weapon.”
The thief began to carefully remove her backpack, her hands shaking slightly with pent up energy. She slowly slipped the straps off her back and lowered the bag to the ground.
“What is it you’ve stolen?” he asked.
“Hell if I know,” she said. “Some sort of crystal, I guess.”
Lio looked closer at the bag and saw the tip of a long, purple crystal poking out the zipper. “That’s a strepind crystal,” Lio said, struggling to conceal his dismay. They were incredibly rare and incredibly dangerous. Strepind crystals were one of the only materials that could be used to activate a Virtue.
“Oh,” the girl said, not sounding the least bit impressed. “So that’s what you call it.”
Lio nodded to the backpack. “That crystal doesn’t belong to you. It doesn’t belong to any member of your species. What makes you think you have the right to take it?”
Anger burned in his tone, and the girl’s brow crinkled in confusion.
“Are you seriously giving me a lecture right now?” she asked.
“Yes,” Lio snapped. “What else were you expecting?”
“Um.” She glanced up at the canister and then back at him. “Never mind.”
He recoiled slightly as he realized what she’d been thinking. “Your people may have given up on civility, but mine have not. I would never attack you unless it was my last resort.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” she said, offering him a wobbly smile. She waved her hand at him. “Please, continue with the lecture.”
Lio narrowed his eyes, unsure what to make of her response. It could be sarcasm, but the thief’s eyes were wide and inquisitive, as if she was actually interested in what he had to say.
“You actually want to hear what I have to say?” he asked.
She nodded eagerly, and Lio struggled to conceal his surprise. After everything he’d seen today of humans, he’d hardly expected such a civilized reaction. He lowered the canister just slightly.
“I’m glad to see at least one of your species can be reasonable,” he said. “Really, that’s all your people need. Logic. Reason. You’re all so emotional, charging around with only your feelings to guide you. It causes nothing but ignorance and rash decisions.”
“Yep,” the girl said. “Certainly makes lots of issues.”
“Such as this one,” Lio said, nodding to the open safe. “You seem plenty intelligent, and you’re young enough to build a valuable life for yourself. So why have you turned to a life of crime instead? It’s entirely illogical.”
The girl gave an emphatic nod. “I’ve been starting to think the exact same thing. It’s about time I turned things around.”
Out in the hallway, he heard the sound of footsteps sprinting toward them. He struggled to hold back his relief. Backup had arrived. His job here was done.
Lio gave an approving nod and relaxed his grip on the canister. “I’m very glad you’ve decided to be reasonable.”
The girl glanced at something behind him. “Red, now!”
Lio had half a second to wonder what in the void she was yelling about. Then motion flashed in the corner of his eye, and something large and dark slammed into his side. He toppled to the ground, the back of his head cracking against the tile.
Blackness flashed across his vision, and for a moment, everything was silent. Then color and sound slammed back into him. A creature roared and pounced on
his arm, shaking the sellio canister from his slack hand.
The canister clanged against the tile, landing far from Lio’s reach. He swung his fist toward the creature’s square head, but it leaped away, agile as a cat. A single breath later, it pounced at him again, snarling as it landed square on his chest.
The air whooshed from his lungs. Lio gasped helplessly for air as he stared up at the beast. Dark scales, silver eyes, leathery wings, and two saber fangs protruding from its snout. A vater lizard. He’d never seen one in person before, because they were absolutely, completely illegal to own.
“Good boy,” the thief crooned to the creature. “Keep him there.”
The lizard responded by stretching out its paw and pressing it to Lio’s throat. It slowly extended its claws, a low growl rumbling in its chest. Adrenaline kicked through Lio’s veins, and he swallowed hard. He regretted it immediately. One of the lizard’s claws pierced his skin, and blood trickled from the cut, tracing a wet path down his throat.
Lio stared into the eyes of the lizard, and it snapped its massive jaws. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and adrenaline poured through his veins, only making the cut on his throat bleed more.
He'd never felt fear this pure. His panic was utterly wild and completely out of his control, just like the deadly creature standing over him.
He slid his gaze over to the girl. She had retrieved her backpack from the ground and was hurrying toward the door, her pistol now drawn.
“You don’t know what those crystals will do,” Lio gasped. “You can’t just take them.”
She let out a short laugh. “Funny, because that’s exactly what I’m doing.” She aimed her pistol at his chest, and Lio cringed back.
“I wouldn’t have hurt you,” he insisted. “I was telling the truth.”
“Well, I wasn’t,” the thief said with a careless shrug. She flashed a smile. “Morals are great and all, but I prefer living.”
A surge of anger hit Lio, fiercer than anything he'd ever felt. All he wanted was peace. He'd traveled for five weeks to reach this forsaken planet, only wanting to protect the humans from the ancient weapon they’d uncovered.