Bethany Anne listened to the burst of information about the Ixtalis ADAM sent.
I got all that information the first time, ADAM.
>> Right, but your father requested I remind you. Dan is looking into a situation with the two Ixtalis. They might have suicide implants, or their people have set them up to be killed if they are in harm’s way. <<
Understood.
Bethany Anne nodded slightly to the alien. “How can I help your faction, Trade Legate?”
Ixtelina looked around. “You wish to discuss this...”
Bethany Anne smirked. “I didn’t approach you, Trade Legate, but rather the opposite. I will make a few assumptions and cut this short. I think I have the basics of how the Ixtalis work, and I’m willing to share them with you right here and now. I imagine nothing I’m going to say isn’t already thought by beings all through this section of the galaxy, so I doubt it will affect the Ixtalis’ reputation.”
Ixtelina placed her hands inside her robes and considered her options. She was quickly coming to grips with the blunt attitude of the Etheric Empire, and apparently it started at the top. It was too early to decide if it were true, or only a front and a negotiating ploy.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
The Empress looked at her guard. “Darryl?”
“Yes ma’am?” he replied, but didn’t look at his Empress.
“There is an ice cream shop on the second level. What flavor?”
Ixtelina, trying to follow along, wasn’t sure what to think. However, the Empress’s security guard merely said, “Mint.”
“Good choice,” she told him. “One scoop or two?”
“Better get it packed, unless you are going to change roles with me?” he asked, and she chuckled.
“I’m not sure you want the role.”
“There isn’t any doubt; I don’t want your part.” Her guard turned to look at her and flashed the human smile. “I’m happy right where I am.”
“I’ll eat it for him,” the other male said.
Ixtelina was still trying to figure out what ice cream was.
“Ok, Barnabas, but you will owe Darryl a scoop of mint when this is all over.”
“Deal.” He smiled. “It will help me deal with my errant Ranger.”
“She’s not errant,” the Empress argued. “She is doing what we told her to do.”
“You will have to excuse me.” Barnabas grinned. “I’m not using the archaic version. I mean she is straying from the proper standards.”
“That’s so much bullshit and you know it, Number One. Now hold my place.” She reached out and touched her guard, who had backed up a couple of steps to be near her.
Ixtelina’s mind blanked in shock as the Etheric Empress took a small step to her left and she and her guard disappeared. The crowd on the floor became so quiet, she wondered if everyone was holding their breath.
A moment later the Empress called from the second floor, “Barnabas!”
Everyone on the floor looked up at the Empress on the second level. “They are out of mint, but they have chocolate.”
“Sure!”
Ixtelina looked around and noticed that Ixgalan was using his tablet to record his observations. Her mind was working feverishly. The Empress was doing this for a reason, and that she could do it was known, because the people on the floor had resumed their conversations.
But logic dictated it was a rare demonstration.
“So you see…” The Empress popped back in with her guard next to her and handed the human Barnabas some of the ‘ice cream.’ Ixtelina stared at the Empress, who was using a utensil to move something light-colored from a cup into her mouth. “It isn’t like we really need your gems.”
Ixtelina didn’t say anything, but she got the message.
“So why would I want to work with a data acquisition group who brings me nothing in return?” She used her utensil to point around her. “My goal here—my responsibility—is to make sure they have as long a life as possible.” She pointed the utensil at Ixtelina. “Ixtalis, as near as I can tell, offer negative benefits as trading partners.”
“You have the option of re-trading the gems,” Ixtelina told her. Although that was a common negotiation, she hadn’t realized there was a chance it would ever be true.
“I don’t think we care enough to do that.” Bethany Anne took another bite of her ice cream.
“Then you may be right. We may not have a basis for trade.”
“Yes, that is true, so you have two options. You may stay here,” she pointed to the location they were standing in, “and ponder your course of action, or you may go back to your ship. You will not be allowed outside this area.”
“Why do you treat us so harshly?” Ixtelina asked.
“That is an easy question to answer. You are users. In the end, it is all about the Ixtalis at the expense of everyone else in the universe. Until you pick a side you are against everyone, and therefore you are my foe. I’ll not have an opponent roaming free in the Etheric Empire. You either convince me Ixtalis aren’t my enemies, or you leave now and don’t return. Be aware that actively working to attack, subvert our information, or reduce our ability to work with other species will be considered a declaration of war.”
This trade mission was rapidly going down in flames. Ixtelina wasn’t sure how it went so wrong, so quickly.
The Empress pointed the spoon at her again. “You have a few decisions to make, Trade Legate Ixtelina. The first is whether you care to attack our Empire by trying to acquire information for your trade. Using your eyes and ears is permitted.” She pointed to the box sitting next to Ixgalan. “However, if you continue to try to use your technology, and we confirm you are doing so?” Ixtelina took an involuntary step backward when a new expression appeared on the Empress’s face and changed her demeanor. “Then you will return to your planet with the news that the Ixtalis are now at war, and you and your team are at fault. Am I making myself clear?”
“That is preposterous,” Ixtelina, her mind in total shock, argued. “No one goes to war over information!”
“Apparently you didn’t have information on our species in your database, did you?”
“Well, of course not. We have—” Ixtelina stopped talking. Dammit, this Empress just confirmed another bit of information from her.
“Don’t worry about it.” the Empress waved her utensil. “I know you have no information about us.”
“Why do you say that?” Ixtelina asked.
“Because you still wonder if you can hire someone to attack us.”
Ixtelina squeezed her hands in frustration inside of her sleeves. What was this Empress doing, reading her mind?
“Just think about this,” Bethany Anne told Ixtelina. “Do you think a group that is trying to find Kurtherians and kick their asses will give a fuck about whoever you can hire to attack us?” The Empress turned to her guard. “We can go, Darryl.”
She turned back to Ixtelina as they started walking away. “Bring your mercs on. We could use the target practice.”
Ixtelina watched the group walk toward the hallway that led to All Guns Blazing.
She just stood there as Ixgalan walked up to her side. “We need to go back to headquarters. This is way above us.”
Ixtelina nodded. “They need to know what we know and provide guidance.”
The two Ixtalis never noticed the grins of the humans who had heard the conversation, or that the humans made fists and bumped them with each other as the two aliens left.
Matthew, one of the Mining and Ores crew, watched the two aliens depart and shook his head. He turned to his friends, who were enjoying a lunch break. “One of these days, this part of the galaxy is going to figure out that you don’t try to put one over on the Empress.”
Alicia, who worked the same working shift and was sitting next to him, snorted her agreement.
13
QBS Achronyx, En route to Eubos System
Tabitha had stored her stuff i
n the Ranger’s Cabin. She had easily been able to tell it was her cabin because Bethany Anne had stuck those damned yellow sticky notes, complete with arrows, to the walls to point her down the hallway to her door.
She had taken down every one of the yellow stickies on her way down the corridor.
The envelope affixed to her door had the Empress’s handwriting. “Yes, this is your room, Tabitha.”
She pushed open the door and took in her room. The bed wouldn’t allow for two very easily. “Achronyx?”
“Yes, Ranger Tabitha?”
“Are there any beds that can handle two people on this ship?”
“Every bed will handle two people,” the EI replied.
“Mmmm.” She moved over to the bed and examined it. Sure enough, she didn’t have one six-inch mattress but two three-inch mattresses. She found a lock, and when she flipped it she was able to pull the under-mattress out to make the bed a double.
Apparently companionship was permitted—or at least there was an understanding that it could happen.
She bumped against the other wall.
“Ok, close quarters when it’s open.” She shoved the second half of the bed back under and locked it in place.
She tossed her go-bag on the bed and looked around. Sitting down, she opened her envelope.
Tabitha,
Those in Eubos did not get the request to refrain from slavery, although slavery will not be permitted. I suspect it will take a while for the understanding that “No slavery” means “No slavery!” I would provide stories on how bad it is, but then you might be as pissed off as I am about it and I don’t want to be the one to color your response.
Make it stop.
Bethany Anne.
She stood up. “Achronyx, call the team to the meeting room.”
“Confirmed, Ranger Tabitha. All team members have been notified to assemble in the main meeting room.”
Tabitha walked to her door and opened it. She took a step out, paused, then turned back and stuck her head into her cabin.
“Achronyx,” she whispered, “how the fuck do I get to the team’s main meeting room?
Tabitha walked down the hallway to the room the team would use to meet, and interestingly enough it was also where they would eat. She waved to her Tontos as she went to the coffee maker and punched in her order.
Moments later, her hot chocolate was ready. God, she would have killed earlier in her life for a body that could eat as much chocolate as she could now and not show it.
Well, she supposed she had killed once she had gotten it. Did that count?
The table the Tontos were sitting had lifted out of the floor and locked into place. The right side of the rectangular room was empty, but she could see the outline of another table in the floor.
This table held ten easily, so there was no reason to pull up another table.
She set her hot chocolate down. “Here is the very short version,” she started. “There have been sightings of slavers in the Eubos System even after our Empress sent an edict forbidding the practice. Our responsibility is to go to Eubos, make friends, and slap some heads if need be. They are now under the aegis of the Etheric Empire, and apparently we need to give them another memo. We will be armored at all times, everybody will go with their partner, and we’ll kick ass and decide if we take names or leave corpses.”
She took a sip of her drink. “Questions?”
Katsu asked, “Data acquisition?”
Tabitha smiled. “You have to ask?”
“Ranger Tabitha,” Achronyx interrupted, “we are twelve minutes from Gate transfer. Do you have any commands for the ship?”
Hirotoshi advised, “Go in hot.”
She smirked. “We’ll always go in hot.”
“Understood. Achronyx will always go through transfer Gates armed.”
Tabitha looked at the nearest speaker. “No, that wasn’t what I was suggesting.”
“You do not wish to go in with weapons activated?” Achronyx asked.
“Well, yes,” Tabitha replied, but then looked at Hirotoshi. She pointed to the speaker and mouthed, “See?”
Hirotoshi shook his head.
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Achronyx, we will go in hot until I say otherwise. Do we need to be seated anywhere specific?”
“The bridge has the best defensive shields, and the best seats in case we need to maneuver.”
Tabitha stood up, walked her mug over to the sink, and set it in the cleanser.
“Let’s do this.”
She waited for the guys to go first—to confirm which way she needed to go to get to the bridge.
Planet Yoll, Capital City
Kiel made his way across town and quietly entered a building that held a total of four different restaurants, three at street level and one on the top floor. The building next door had a landing pad on the roof.
Not that Kael-ven needed one, but he preferred not to show off his Pod’s capabilities if he could help it. Kiel, on the other hand, would have shown off if he were allowed.
Nothing was terribly sexy about Kiel’s walking abilities, however.
Kiel was playing with his dinnerware in the small private dining room when there was a sharp knock. He had barely stood up when a Yollin head appeared, looked around, and ducked back out. The door opened wider, and Kael-ven walked in. Kael-ven’s annoyance was obvious when the door shut behind him.
“Captain.” Kiel reached out to shake Kael-ven’s hand before the four-legged Yollin reclined on a couch made for his body type. Kiel turned back to his side of the table and reclined in his chair.
“As the humans would say,” Kael-ven muttered, “’God, it’s good to be captain again.’”
“What, being ‘Plenipotentiary Leader Kael-ven’ isn’t to your liking?” Kiel asked.
“No, but ‘King Kael-ven’ and ‘Traitor Kael-ven’ are the ones I hate to hear most because I expect one of the Empress’ Bitches to show up when they say something bad about Bethany Anne.”
Kiel shrugged. “They can’t be everywhere.”
“Well, they are certainly watching me closely enough,” Kael-ven countered.
“Trust issues?” Kiel asked.
“What? No.” He waved the thought away. “They are concerned my,” Kael-ven pointed to the door, “security isn’t up to standard.”
Kiel looked toward the door. “They seemed fine.” He scratched a mandible. “Although perhaps it would have been better if they had come in here and checked under the table.”
Kael-ven reached for the drink that was waiting for him. “Trust me, he wanted to, but I told him not to disrespect the Yollin Mercenary Leader that way.”
Kiel shrugged, then grabbed his own drink and took a sip. “It wouldn’t have bothered me, as many times as John, Eric, Darryl, or Scott practically picked me up and looked under my feet before Bethany Anne came in.” He chuckled. “Like I could have hurt her either.”
“You could have had a bomb,” Kael-ven pointed out.
“Uh…” Kiel stopped for a moment. “Yes, I guess you are right. I hadn’t considered that.”
“No matter. Eric came down yesterday and tore my people new assholes about their sorry abilities, then he showed them their mistakes. One person chose to be offended by Eric.” Kael-ven paused. “He’s not with me anymore.”
“What, Eric killed him?” Kiel asked, not surprised.
Kael-ven chuckled. “No, but he is in the hospital recuperating. He is allowed to return to the team if he wants to come back, but no one will give any of the Empress’ people lip anymore. By the time Eric was done, the guard was apologizing and saying over and over he was happy he was learning the lesson from Eric rather than John.”
Kiel laughed. “Eric does like to make it seem like the beat-down he is delivering is, ‘only half the shit John would do to you, so you better thank me for not letting John teach you this stuff.’”
Kael-ven nodded. “Said that right after he broke my guard’s leg. That human is
amazing.”
“No,” Kiel corrected. “He just makes John seem that much worse.”
Kael-ven lifted his drink in Kiel’s direction. “Good point.”
A minute later, one of the security guards knocked and stuck his head in to announce the waiter was here. Within moments the two Yollins had ordered, and the door was shut once more.
Kael-ven reached into a leather bag and pulled out a small tablet, then logged in and chose an app that would block all known bugs. He looked up at Kiel. “Physical?”
“Checked the place out, and it’s clean.”
“Ok.” The captain accepted his assurance. “What do we have?”
Kiel brought out his own tablet. “ADAM?”
The AI responded, “Yes, Kiel?”
“I’m in a secure room with Kael-ven. Would you transfer the recordings from today into his implant?”
“Certainly,” ADAM confirmed. A moment later, Kael-ven’s eyes became a touch distant as he focused on the conversations coming through the implants he had received from Bethany Anne. His mandibles started grinding together.
“Idiots!” he finally growled.
“Finished?” Kiel asked, and Kael-ven nodded.
“Ok, thoughts, boss?”
Kael-ven tapped his fingers on the table. “Oh, it doesn’t surprise me. They are going to waste a lot of good Yollin blood trying to bring back the aristocracy. I’ve seen the latest reports, and spoken with the lead scientist on the Yollin population challenges here on our planet.”
“What did he say?” Kiel asked. It was no surprise that the biggest issue facing Kael-ven was how to deal with the burgeoning population. That was the reason Yollins had gone to space for decades and become the aggressive species they were.
“He said we have no damned population problem!” Kael-ven spat. “It seems King Yoll made it all up. We could bring back all the Yollins in the galaxy back home and still have centuries more growth. Hell,” he waved toward the ceiling, “those on the space stations could come back down too, and not be so damned crowded.”
“So…”
Kael-ven continued his tirade. “Furthermore, that sphincter plug of a king created useless engineering requirements that hampered our ability to construct bigger buildings, which when you see some of the structures we have created makes no sense. The only times we built to our capabilities, the engineering went through the king’s group. In those instances amazing feats of intellect occurred, and no one cared to question the king about why only a few buildings could be so tall.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 34