“Work with Chia. Maybe with your programming skills, Chia’s gizmos, and the Kathya’s tracking we can come up with something to tag and see where they are in real-time. I’d rather avoid these people if we can. We not only blew up one of their ships, but stole intel and one of their slaves—that’s bound to piss them off. And I had a bad feeling about that so-called High Commander.”
“Why is that?” Kuv asked. “We have come across those who kept slaves before, if that is what has you bothered.”
“Call it a gut feeling.”
“Well, hopefully we’ll be able to put that feeling at ease,” Aede said.
“Keep us posted,” Rei ordered. “But before you dig in again, I vote we all go to the Drunken Inventor. I think we earned it.”
“Lead on, Boss!”
She felt Foniac’s hand impact her back before she pushed her out of Aede’s workspace first.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Rei sat down in her seat and looked around the bridge. All the stations had at least one hand at them, even though many of the screens were dark. People were eager to see where they were firsthand. By now, rumors of what they were seeking this far out had circulated the ship and, in turn, the betting pools had kicked into overdrive.
Ietata loomed before them. Rei’s hand pulled at the neck of her leather coat only to find no relief as the tension filled the air. The Kathya rumbled as it began its descent and she couldn’t help but lean forward and watch the heat hit the shields. It faded as they progressed through the cloud layer, green lighting streaking past as it danced from cloud to cloud. Several of the instruments went wild; the interference of the storm wreaked havoc on the sensitive equipment, including the navigation. Foniac struggled to keep the ship steady while Aede worked to recover everything. Moments later, the screens came back to life as though nothing happened.
At last, the Kathya broke free beneath the swirling, dark grey wall. Below them a silent, temperate world. Grasslands blended into forest dotted with rivers and mountains. Rei tore her eyes away from the passing landscape and looked at the others around her. Eyes were darting between their screens and the large main one at the front area of the bridge, expressions schooled to not look eager about this new planet. The large projection map sprang to life off, she stood to make a closer study of it. The entire planet was laid out before them minus the location of the cities.
“Bank right, Foniac,” Rei said after some consideration. “Once we pass over the next mountain range, we should be close to where we want to be.”
Foniac adjusted their course in silence. Rei took up position behind her. The peaks slowly appeared out of the clouds. A few muffled gasps came as the bottom of the ship came dangerously close to skimming the tops of them.
“Fonaic, you idiot!” Chia’s voice came over the general address system. “If you get that close to something again, I’ll make you help me down here for a month!”
“Remind who our Captain is again?” Yeke chuckled quietly.
“I heard that, you addle-brained ape! Maybe I should make you fix this thing if she decides to try to bounce it off mountains like a stone on a pond. It’ll be the perfect payment for your gift to me yesterday.”
Yeke and Kuv winced. “Okay, Chia, your point is made,” Rei said before turning to them. “What did you do?”
“We might have had a race around the cargo bays and crashed into one another...” Yeke explained.
Rei opened her mouth to chastise them, “Captain!” Aede breathed. “Look!”
Rei’s focus whipped back to the forward screen. The mountains parted to reveal a vast city tucked in a small valley, its stone buildings rising as one with the mountains around it. Massive walls lined the outside rims despite the natural protection. A fire lit in Rei’s heart, one she had been lacking in the weeks since they left Bruatin.
“Find the nearest field,” Rei said. Her brown eyes tried to take in every detail they could at this distance. “But I think this is where we’re going to start to look around.”
Yeke gave the map a passing glance. “Looks like there’s one on the other side of the mountain range.”
“If we can trust our sensors,” Chia countered over the comm. “This city didn’t show up and those sensors have yet to fail us.”
“We are talking about Essence experts. Maybe they have a way to fool Essence based sensors,” Yeke pointed out.
“Let’s hope not,” Aede chimed in. “Otherwise, we might have more trouble than we thought finding this stuff.”
“Then everyone will have the same problem,” Kuv said, “which means that there’s a high chance no one will be trying to fight us for it.”
Yeke eyed his friend with a raised eyebrow. “That’s oddly optimistic coming from you, Kuv. What gives?”
“Perhaps it’s just something about the adventure here.” Kuv turned on his heel and strode across the room.
Slowly the view became more land than sky and Rei turned to the crew at large. “All right, I want a skeleton crew to remain behind just in case things fall apart out there. I imagine some will want to stretch their legs and that’s fine, but don’t go far from the ship. This is supposed to be a quick visit so we don’t have time to chase everyone all over the planet.”
Everyone on the bridge nodded and Rei left them to figure out who drew the short straws and had to remain on board. She had no doubt Yeke would be with her searching the city, but the others could go either way. On the armory level, she made a pit stop at a door that remained locked at all times. She used her Essence to enter the combination, Chia not one to trust the tried and true methods of simply entering the code.
The blue Ornian glyphs slid across the display as she searched for the correct one. Once found, it flashed as it selected before the cycle began anew. A series of clicks came from the door once the last glyph was inputted and it parted with a hiss. The lights revealed shelf after shelf of trinkets and weapons. Most were in various stages of development, but all were ready for use in the field and such a non-demanding mission would be perfect to put some through their paces.
She tossed a bag on the table. In it, she placed a gun Chia had come up with to ascend heights and several explosives designed for precision excavation. She also added a few flat devices that could expand and carry decent loads instead of having all of them strain themselves or their power levels to haul things back to the ship along with a few other promising toys. After one last look around, she zipped everything up and locked it down before bounding down the hallway toward the lift to the cargo bay.
The bay itself was awash with activity. The adults were arranging food on long tables, making sure there was plenty to go around. Meanwhile, many of the older children were busy using the balls to entertain the younger children while the adults worked.
“Yeah,” a little girl cried as one was carried past her on a small vortex. “Just like that! Now, let’s try this...”
Rei smiled and continued down the ramp.
The planet’s surface was bright despite the thick cloud layer and forced her to squint in the light. Foniac had chosen their parking place well. A wide, cobblestone road spanned the area as far as they could see, despite being well in the process of being reclaimed by the grasslands. Thunder rolled overhead, but the scent of rain was absent.
Rei studied the mountains in the distance while she waited for whoever was going to join her on this trip. The city that had seemed so tall and large from the air revealed nothing from this perspective. The Rei of past weeks would have scorned this inconvenience, but not now. So far away from the discoveries that had shaken her understanding of what had happened to her, she was enjoying the exploration this adventure offered.
A soft touch to her arm caused her to jump. Yeke offered her a wide smile as he came to a stop beside her, armed with rifles and some tools along his belt. Rei returned the smile earnestly. “I figured you’d be joining me.”
“Of course, why would I stay behind?”
“Do you know who
else is coming with?”
“What, you don’t want to get lost in an ancient city with just me?”
“I doubt no one in this crew will let that even be a possibility.”
“Correct,” Chia’s voice came from behind them. They turned to find Aede beside her. Both carried their own bags, Chia’s bulging on her back. “An ancient city full of wonders and you think we’d let just you go? Even if the tech is out of date, they still might hold something valuable. After all, for all their claims of power and greatness, the Federation doesn’t care to learn from the past so it gets left to rot.”
“Why Chia, you sound like a budding Classicist,” Yeke teased. “Keep this up and you’ll end up securely among the ranks of us history buffs.”
“Is this everyone?” Rei asked before Chia could retort.
“I think so,” Aede said. “Foniac was asked to stay by Kuv in case we need a quick escape and he’s staying so more can enjoy our time here
Rei led the way down the ramp, the others close behind. The families had started to filter into the immediate area around the ship.
“Captain!” Cyluan, a daughter of one of their medics, raced toward them. “We’re having a bit of a tournament between four teams. Do you want to join us?”
“No, not today, but thank you. I have something else I need to do, but when I get back I better hear you kicked butt.”
“All right! And you will!”
Rei watched the girl rush back to the others before setting her first footsteps upon the ancient road. The stones felt uneven under her feet, even where the plant life leveled things out by filling in the cracks. An oddly dry wind, given the thunder and lightning overhead, whipped across the grassland at them. Each long blade thrashed back and forth with a fierce rustle. Rei continued to scan the horizon, taking advantage of her companions’ unusual silence to fully appreciate where she was. Far on the horizon sat the ruins of what appeared to be a few scattered farmhouses. The outlines stood proud against the dark sky, but it was clear a good portion of each had been demolished.
“Even back then the Federation used the same dirty tricks,” Yeke muttered.
“What are you talking about?” Aede asked.
“Those houses,” he pointed, “look like they took some of the same damage I noticed in that city we’re going to. It was from an aerial assault.”
“How can you tell that from this far away?” Chia demanded.
Yeke shrugged. “I’m ex-military. I won’t know for sure until we get a look at the debris field, but still. And if the books are true and this civilization was destroyed by the Federation, then their tactics haven’t changed over the years.”
“Is it any different from what we do, in a way?” Aede asked. “Go in and damage the ship while we take what we came for? They’re just after land and not goods.”
“We’re not targeting innocent civilians who could have survived the destruction of one of their cities,” Yeke replied, his voice cold. “We don’t actively seek to kill, only disable so we carry out what we came to do in peace. Nor do we participate in a bloodbath like this was. In my opinion, that’s all the difference.” He strode down the road.
Rei watched his retreating back for a moment before sighing. “It was such a worry-free day, too.”
“Sorry,” Aede winced. “I didn’t realize making the comparison would strike such a cord with him.”
“Don’t worry,” Rei said. “He’ll be better once we get to the actual city. It was a valid comparison. We do borrow some of their tactics. We can’t help it considering Yeke and Kuv have Federation training and train everyone else on the ship. He just doesn’t like the reminder.”
~*~
The road turned sharply to go along the edge of the range in both directions. Yeke waited for them here, his aggravation visibly faded for the moment. “Now what?” he asked as they joined him.
“We find the entrance,” Chia replied.
“Why doesn’t the road lead to the city?” Aede asked. “The place was huge enough to be a capital.”
“It might have once upon a time, but the passage could have been changed due to geological forces or the bombardment we saw evidence of,” Yeke answered. “Whether or not there’s another answer, who knows.”
“So, we’re looking for some sort of opening.” Rei eyed the range, first right, then left. “These mountains are tight, almost a solid wall, but there has to be something we can use to get to the city.”
They split up, Yeke and Chia going one way while Aede and Rei went the other. “Are you sure it’s wise to let those two be together?” Aede joked as they wandered along.
“Sure,” Rei replied. She poked her head into a promising opening in between the rocks. It dead-ended a short way in. “Maybe they’ll annoy one another until one just blows the damn range open for us.”
Aede chuckled and examined an opening of her own. “That is true. They do have a habit of antagonizing one another.”
They continued to walk in silence, pausing here and there so they could closer examine a gap that led within. The longer they walked, the more Rei was convinced the four of them wouldn’t be enough and they’d have to scour the whole range. Just as she was about to turn to Aede and tell her to call the others to join them, she saw it. The opening was a tight fit, but it went deep within the rock.
She motioned for Aede to join her. “Shall we?”
“I’ll call the others to start toward us while we check it out. That is if they haven’t found anything first.”
Rei nodded and started to make her way through the crevice. She held her breath as she maneuvered past the tightest point. “Maybe they only had this passage to get to the city. If it’s this annoying for us, imagine how it is for an army,” she commented to Aede.
“Yeah,” Aede agreed. “One by one we march on.”
Rei stepped up on a low, narrow ledge that formed on the ground. Her foot slipped and wedged into the gap between the two rocks. She maneuvered her other leg behind her and tugged with all her might. The appendage popped free and sent her flying into the wall on the other side. She heard Aede’s muffled laughter as she took a quick inventory. Besides a bit of scuffing on the boot, the foot was damage-free. Rei readjusted her pack while she waited for Aede to navigate the area, and she did so with every ounce of grace Rei had lacked.
They continued through the cavern; the walls increased in height until they came together with just a sliver between them. Their footsteps echoed through the passage, the only sound besides the muffled thunder. Eventually, they had no choice but to move sideways with their packs in their hands to keep going. Rei was becoming more convinced they had fallen for a dead end when light came from ahead of them. She faintly heard Aede give instructions to Chia and Yeke as they quickened their pace.
Before them, the city they had seen from above unfolded. They stood on a ridge that was just below the highest point of the remaining walls. The top was dotted with lookout posts and other siege defenses. Inside, many of the buildings rose even higher, an interconnected web of passages between them making it difficult to see where one began and one ended. A small field lay outside with a path in the center that led to the towering main gate.
Rei grinned at Aede. “Told you we’d find it.”
“Incredible,” she said.
Rei smiled at the faint shouts that echoing through the passage behind them. Yeke and Chia had managed to find their way inside without issue. Her foot tapped against the stone as they waited for the others. Excitement that had been high outside now reached insufferable levels with the city in sight.
“What do you think we’ll find in there besides the target?” Aede asked.
“I’m not sure,” Rei replied truthfully. “I’ve tried to picture it ever since the client told me about the job, but the way they made it sound makes me feel like what I’m picturing doesn’t even come close.”
“I wonder what they had for computer parts?”
“Trying to pull a Chia and co
nvert five rooms into your personal cargo bays?” Rei asked with a smirk.
“I’m not that bad!”
“Yet, if we let you, you’d have all of those empty rooms around your workroom as your personal cubbyholes.”
“Cubbyholes?”
Rei winced. No matter how long she’d been away from her homeworld, its terms still leaked into her speech. “It’s a word for a small space... usually used for storage.”
“I see. Why not just call it what it is? Does it need a special name?”
Rei shook her head. “Remind me to give you the crash course in the joys of not calling everything specifically what it is one day.”
A groan drew their attention to the opening and Yeke emerged. “That... was ridiculous.” He proclaimed before his gaze found the city. “Holy crap.”
“Let me see!” Chia jumped out behind him. “Oh my...” Her speech descended into an endless string of Ornian.
“My sentiments exactly,” Rei said. “Shall we?”
“Lead on, Captain,” Yeke replied.
~*~
The dust on the path kicked up around Rei’s feet. It coated her boots and turned the black dingy. The walls loomed overhead; imposing and smooth, they were mostly untouched despite damage near the gate. It had looked to be solid from a distance, but indeed a large chunk was missing near the topmost hinge. “How are we going to do this?” Yeke asked as they came to a stop.
“Maybe if we can kick it, the door might just fall down,” Chia said. She crossed her arms while they gaped at her. “What? That’s usually everyone’s method for these things.”
“Somehow I don’t think that even crossed our minds here.” Aede rolled her eyes.
They began to debate methods while Rei continued to stare at the gate, the sound of their conversation fading to the background. Her head tipped as she considered everything about it, the weight, the material... She had never tried to use Essence that way, but the devices she had brought with her wouldn’t help them move it. Rei’s eyes narrowed and she sent her Essence out toward one side. It covered the entire thing in a thin layer. Slowly, the gate scraped along the ground before coming to a stop. Her arm shook as she attempted to add more power to move it along, but it remained stubbornly in place.
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