by M J Dees
“About time,” she said to the door. “Did you forget your keycard?”
Ay-ttho opened the door and flinched when she saw Rioch standing in front of her. She closed the door and locked it before Rioch could jam it open. Instinctively, Ay-ttho checked the weapon on the side of her suit and then swept up Nadio in a blanket. Rioch was trying to break down the door. Ay-ttho checked the window. The street was still quiet. She spoke to the communicator.
“Don’t come back to the room, Rioch is here.”
Stashing the communicator, she cradled Nadio with one arm and opened the window with the other. The door would not withstand much more punishment from Rioch.
She sat on the window sill and swivelled around so her legs were dangling outside. It was too far down to jump. With one hand, she held onto the broken shutter, holding onto Nadio with the other. She swung around so that she could just about reach the sign above the door with her feet. With both of her feet on top of the sign, she transferred her weight to her feet.
There was a crashing sound from inside the room as the door finally submitted to Rioch’s barrage. Then another crash as the sign gave way, sending Ay-ttho tumbling to the ground, landing on her back as she held the still sleeping Nadio above her. As she stared upwards, she saw Rioch staring out of the window down at them.
Ay-ttho rolled over onto her feet, drawing her weapon at the same time as Rioch. As he fired at her, she turned and fired at him before running up the street. They both missed. Rioch watched her run away, and considered the jump from the window for a moment, then dismissed the thought and turned to run back down to the entrance.
Ay-ttho holstered her weapon and took the communicator.
“Sevan? Tori? Rioch came to the room, don’t go back there. Meet me at the temple.”
She ran, cradling Nadio all the way, and did not stop running until she reached the temple gates. When she asked for Effeek’o, the guard let her in. She wondered where Sevan and Tori were and why they had not responded to their messages.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” asked Ay-ttho, when the guards fetched Effeek’o.
“It’s okay, what happened?”
“There is someone after us. Law enforcement from Sicheoyama.”
“They don’t have jurisdiction here.”
“I assume he’s working for the Republic.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“Is she okay?” Effeek’o indicated Nadio.
“Yes, she’s still sleeping, incredibly.”
“Ay-ttho, maybe here is the best place for her. We have a school. I will have rooms prepared for you.”
Soon afterward, Sevan and Tori arrived at the temple gates.
“Why didn’t you respond?” Ay-ttho complained.
“We worried they might monitor our communicators,” Tori explained.
“Well, if they were, they will know that we are here.”
“Where is Nadio?” asked Sevan.
“I put her to bed, Effeek’o has prepared rooms. She slept through the whole thing, if you can believe it.”
“She’s like someone I know,” Sevan joked.
Effeek’o returned to inform them their rooms were ready but, before he could show them there, another visitor arrived.
“Let me introduce you to Nnam,” said Effeek’o, leading a robed figure into the room. “She is a swordsman.”
It was obvious from Ay-ttho’s, Tori’s and Sevan’s expressions that they did not know what he was talking about. Effeek’o perceived this confusion.
“Perhaps it would be best if Nnam explains,” she said.
“Pleased to meet you all,” said Nnam. “It does not surprise me you have not heard of the swordsmen, we are a secret organisation but it seems to me they do not keep the secret very well.”
“What does your organisation do?” asked Tori.
“We are a collective of those who wish to see change, the Republic may no longer be here, but their ways remain and we wish to fight for equality and democracy. We used to have a supporter in the establishment, but now she is no longer here we have no choice but to take direct action.”
“What happened to her?”
“You will have seen that there is much disease here in the city. She succumbed to this disease. It is our belief that the authorities are poisoning the water. We have been mobilising the poor unemployed who have been migrating here in the mistaken belief that they will find work. They are even migrating here from surrounding systems such as Sicheoyama.”
“We have been there, it doesn’t surprise me they would want to leave.”
There was another knock at the gate.
“Here are two of my colleagues,” said Nnam.
The marauder guard opened the gate and another creature, similar to Nnam, led a young thug into the room.
“This is Scotmax, and this is Quigley, she is from Sicheoyama.”
“They threw me out of my home,” explained Quigley. “So, I hitched a ride to Angetenar.”
“My begetter also threw me out of my home,” explained Scotmax. “I was born into the establishment, but they did not agree with my views on equality.”
“So, what do you plan to do?” asked Tori.
“We plan to organise civil unrest,” said Nnam. “We are going to bring this city to a standstill.”
CHAPTER 7: BOTH SIDES ATTACK
“Has Nadio grown?” Sevan asked when they met in the morning to break their fast.
“Thugs grow at a much faster rate than other species,” Effeek’o explained. “In a few rotations, Nadio will reach adulthood.”
Scotmax arrived and went to sit next to Nadio. Ay-ttho looked at her suspiciously.
“What’s wrong?” asked Quigley, noticing Scotmax’s sullen mood.
“I just received a message that my father has died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Effeek’o. “Anything we can do to help?”
“Apparently, his dying wish was that I should help someone that fought with him in the Republic army. A thug called D’Auria who saved his life at the Republic Ambush of the Alliance armada at Genzuihines.”
Ay-ttho and Quigley almost choked and Sevan, Tori and Nadio all looked at Scotmax.
“It must be a different D’Auria,” said Ay-ttho.
“You know, D’Auria?” asked Scotmax.
“We know a D’Auria. But I can’t imagine she saved anyone’s life, let alone at Genzuihines.”
“What is Genzuihines?” asked Sevan.
“You were there,” said Tori.
“I was?”
“Yes, that was where we met.”
“It was? The place where they tortured me, and beasts almost ate me?”
“Sounds about right.”
“I know D’Auria,” said Quigley. “I am her offspring.”
“D’Auria of Sicheoyama?” asked Ay-ttho. “She runs a bar.”
“She did. She threw me and my co-begotton out when we were young. She just lost the bar over some trouble with the Republic, I just heard she is coming to Angetenar.”
“Then we must help her,” said Scotmax.
“You are on your own there,” said Ay-ttho.
“Yes, don’t count on any help from me or Tsruhwed.”
“Tsruhwed?”
“My co-begotten, we can barely help ourselves, let alone the thug who abandoned us.”
“If you don’t mind,” said Nadio, looking unwell. “I would like to go for a walk in the temple gardens.”
“Of course,” said Effeek’o.
“Do you mind if I join you?” asked Scotmax.
“Please do,” said Nadio.
“Maybe I should follow them,” said Ay-ttho, watching them leave.
“Leave them,” said Tori, “Nadio is almost a fully grown thug, you can’t shelter him forever. Eventually, you’ll have to let him go.”
“This is not good,” said Quigley. “We are meant to be organising our action. Please excuse me, I am going to fetch my co-begotten,
Tsruhwed. There is much to do, with or without Scotmax.”
“Good idea,” said Nnam, who up to that moment had been quietly observing the proceedings. “Bring him here.”
After a while, Scotmax and Nadio returned from their walk. They both looked refreshed and Ay-ttho eyed them both suspiciously.
“Come with me, Nadio,” said Effeek’o. “I’ll show you where the school is.”
They both left and Scotmax seated himself, looking very content.
“Don’t get any ideas,” said Ayttho.
Scotmax just shrugged.
Quigley returned with Tsruhwed, his co-begotten, who looked very thin for a thug.
“Are you okay, Tsruhwed?” asked Scotmax.
“Oh Scotmax, do you have any credits you can lend me? Your family is very important in the Republic, they are very rich.”
“This is true, but unfortunately, my begetter’s begetter has disowned me and my begetter has just died and he wishes me to help a thug named D’Auria with the meagre resources I still possess.”
“We are the offspring of D’Auria, she has just arrived in the city from Sicheoyama. For a credit, I will take you there.”
“Okay, it’s a deal,” said Scotmax, getting up and leaving with Tsruhwed.
“Oh, great,” said Quigley. “Now we have lost Scotmax and Tsruhwed.”
“I’m going to follow them,” said Ay-ttho.
She got up and also left just as Nadio and Effeek’o were returning from their brief tour of the school.
“Where is Ay-ttho going?” Nadio asked.
“She’s gone to see D’Auria,” said Quigley. “I have no desire to see her, she threw us out to fend for ourselves.”
Nadio immediately ran after Tsruhwed, so Tori and Sevan got up and followed, leaving Nnam, Effeek’o and Quigley to stare at each other with bemusement.
Tsruhwed led Scotmax into the city to the accommodation where D’Auria and her partner were staying. Scotmax could spy on them through a window.
Ay-ttho caught up with Nadio before Tsruhwed and Scotmax spotted him.
“Come on,” she said, leading Nadio around to the rear of the building.
Scotmax watched in amazement as, through the window, he saw Ay-ttho and Nadio enter D’Auria’s room.
“Hello D’Auria,” said Ay-ttho.
“No, you must have made some mistake. My name is Seraerg,” D’Auria lied.
“No, it isn’t,” said Nadio. “You are D’Auria from Sicheoyama, my begetter, Nosliw, entrusted you with me and you betrayed his trust by mistreating me. Now he is dead and I will make you pay.”
“You have already made us pay, it is your fault that we are here in this place. Sicheoyama might not have been much, but it was our own place and now we don’t even have that.”
“How is it our fault?” asked Ay-ttho.
“The Republic found out about the 1,500 credits. They accused us of helping you, confiscated our bar, and exiled us here. Now we have nothing.”
“It’s more than you deserve,” said Ay-ttho.
She left with Nadio.
“This is good,” D’Auria told her partner. “The fact that they are here is very good. Now we can exact our revenge.”
“How?”
“Early Dawn.”
“I asked how? Not when.”
“They are not a when, they are a who. Come with me.”
Scotmax watched D’Auria and her partner leave the room. She and Tsruhwed tried to follow them through the narrow back streets of the city, but they soon lost them in the crowds.
D`Auria entered one of the seediest looking out of all the seedy-looking bars on Angetenar. She had a quiet word with the bartender, who pointed to one of the darkest and dingiest of the dark corners.
In the corner sat four individuals. The first looked very young with a red face poking out of a body covered with black silky hair, the creature next to her wore a breathing mask, the next was semi translucent so that many of her organs were visible through her skin and the fourth was a huge creature, towering above the others.
“Early dawn?” D’Auria asked.
“Who wants to know?” asked the black hairy one.
“My name is D’Auria, I come from Sicheoyama. I may have a job for you.”
“You may? Or you do?”
“I do.”
“How much have you got?”
“Well, it’s more of a tip, really. There are some travellers on Angetenar, they are on the run from the Republic.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
“They have money, the one named Ay-ttho gave me 1,500 credits, I believe she has more.”
“So, you have 1,500 credits.”
“No, the Republic confiscated it.”
“And you want us to exact your revenge on a Corporation clone who gave you 1,500 credits because...?”
“How do you know she’s a Corporation clone?”
“The name, it’s a giveaway. But I still don’t understand what you have against her or why we should get involved.”
“Because of her, I had my business and all my money and possessions confiscated and am exiled from Sicheoyama.”
“I’ve been to Sicheoyama, exile sounds like a good thing,” the hairy one laughed.
“I am sure she has more credits, she is travelling with a young thug called Nadio, a bounty hunter called Edicla and...”
“Wait a unit, you want us to do over a bounty hunter?”
“To be honest, he doesn’t look like a bounty hunter, he looks more like a mining clone. Their cleaner, Sirrah, looks more like a bounty hunter. He has the appearance of a Republic military clone.”
“Let me get this right. You are asking us to find two Corporation clones, one of whom might be a bounty hunter, a military clone and a young thug, without payment, on the assumption that they may or may not have credits.”
The hairy one stared at D’Auria.
“Er... yes?” D’Auria nervously replied.
The hairy one looked at her colleagues, then turned back to D’Auria and laughed a deeply maniacal laugh.
D’Auria sank.
“We’ll do it,” said the hairy one. “We love nothing better than a challenge, eh? Where might we find this? ”
“Ay-ttho came to my accommodation and threatened me. She will return. This is where I live,” she shared the location with them.
“Return there, we will keep watch for this Corporation clone.”
“Thank you.”
D’Auria and her partner left.
Scotmax spotted them, returning from the bar, and tried to get close to overhear their conversation.
“I told you I knew someone who would exact our revenge on Ay-ttho. If anyone can do it, then Early Dawn can.”
Scotmax and Tsruhwed followed D’Auria and her partner all the way back to their accommodation and then spied on them from a safe distance.
“What am I going to do, Tsruhwed?”
Scotmax appeared to be struggling with a great dilemma.
“What do you mean?” Tsruhwed asked.
“This is the thug my begetter asked me to help in his dying wish, and yet I cannot let Ay-ttho walk into Early Dawn’s trap.”
“Go to the law enforcers.”
“How can I? That would condemn D’Auria as a conspirator. My begetter asked me to help her, not condemn her.”
“There is a law enforcer who has recently arrived in the district from Sicheoyama.”
“Then she won’t have jurisdiction here.”
“Exactly, so she can’t arrest D’Auria but she still might help you protect Ay-ttho against Early Dawn. Just tell her you heard Early Dawn discussing their plan. You don’t have to mention D’Auria at all.”
“Good idea, how much do you want to show me to this law enforcer?”
“You don’t have to pay me anything, Scotmax. For you, everything is free.”
Scotmax followed Tsruhwed through the back streets of the city. Now and then he would stop and ask questions of a beg
gar or sex worker. Although Tsruhwed was D’Auria’s offspring, she had mistreated him and had thrown him and Quigley out when they were small. He felt no compulsion to help D’Auria, he only did so because of his love for Scotmax.
Eventually, he led Scotmax to a bar. After a quick conversation with the bartender, during which the bartender didn’t seem pleased to see him, he led Scotmax to a table at which sat Rioch.
“Whatever you are selling, I don’t want it.”
“We’re not selling anything, we have information you might be interested in.”
“What kind of information?”
“Information about Early Dawn.”
“I’m not interested in Early Dawn.”
“They are planning to rob and kill a group of clones.”
“Clones? What clones?”
“Two Corporation, one security, one mining, one Republic, military, and a thug.”
“And a thug?” Rioch let this information roll around her head for a moment. “Tell me about the Corporation security clone and the thug.”
Scotmax described Ay-ttho and Nadio.
“And you say that Early Dawn is going to kill them? Why?”
“Apparently the security clone has a lot of credits.”
“And why did you come to me with this information?”
“We overheard Early Dawn discussing their plans and thought someone should stop them.”
“Oh, I see, you want to help the clones. And do you know where the clones are now?”
“No, but we know the security clone will return to this address,” Scotmax shared the details of D’Auria’s accommodation with Rioch. “That is where Early Dawn will wait for her.”
“And what do you want for this information?”
“We just want justice served.”
“Oh, there’ll be justice for sure.”
Rioch took a small device from her bag.
“Take this alert beacon,” she said, giving the device to Scotmax. “If you see the clones, trigger the beacon and I’ll come and find you.”
“What about Early Dawn?”
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll check out this location.”
“Thank you,” said Tsruhwed and Scotmax.
“Don’t you worry,” Rioch grinned. “Just leave everything to me.”