The Swordsmen of Angetenar (Mastery of the Stars Book 5)

by M J Dees

  CHAPTER 11: STARSHIP SANCTUARY

  Rioch, on leaving Ay-ttho, walked through the streets until she, purely by coincidence, spotted D’Auria whom she recognised, not only from Sicheoyama but from her arrest together with Early Dawn. She knew that someone had freed D’Auria from her police cell when someone had blown a hole in the wall. She followed D’Auria but was very careful to keep her distance.

  D’Auria had been walking for some time but she soon realised that she was being followed and, no matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to lose the law enforcer that was following her.

  She didn’t rush and, wherever she went, the law enforcer kept the same distance. At one point D’Auria tried to lose her pursuer by jumping in a hover taxi, but the law enforcer did the same and when the hover taxi dropped D’Auria off, the enforcer was there as distant as she had been the whole evening.

  D’Auria headed to the river and went towards a ramp that led from the embankment to a wooded area where she was sure the enforcer would think she had lost her. She tried to put as much distance between herself and the enforcer before reaching the ramp, but then, instead of ascending the ramp, she dashed around the corner to an area that the enforcer would know was a dead end.

  Around the corner was a pile of debris, and behind that a locked grate to the sewer. D’Auria produced a key, unlocked the grate, climbed inside, shut and locked the grate behind her, and then hurried up the sewer as quickly as she could before the law enforcer rounded the corner.

  She was just out of site when she heard the enforcer trying the grate and cursing to herself that D’Auria couldn’t have just vanished.

  “Only the authorities have the keys to these grates,” D’Auria heard the enforcer mumbling to herself before sitting down to keep a vigil.

  D’Auria moved further into the tunnels.

  Rioch sat for a while and planned.

  *

  Ay-ttho’s head was sinking into the mud when she felt her feet treading on solid ground, and she climbed out of the mud once more.

  Once clear of the mud, Ay-ttho stumbled over a stone, dropped Scotmax and fell to her knees.

  Her position on her knees on the floor reminded her of the rotations when Sevan and his kind used to worship the giant cup. She thought of her dead friend Ozli and wondered whether he had really gone to a better place. She thought of Brabin and his worship of Chronos and she thought of Angetenar and their belief in Tomos, God Of Revenge. Roxenar, God Of Autumn, Xantyx, God Of Fertility, Rhedeyr, God Of Conquest, Ynir, God Of Rotations, Coesis, God Of Riddles, Thomldir, God Of Wonders, Izotz, God Of Education, Shadarr, God Of Logic and those were the ones she had heard spoken of in the temple, there were many, many more.

  Ay-ttho felt as if all strength had left her. She prayed that, if there was a god or gods that they could purge her of her hate for Scotmax and give her the strength to carry her out of the sewer.

  She picked her up again, but every couple of steps, she had to stop for a rest. She sat down again and felt unable to get up. Just as she was about to give up, she noticed a glimmer of light in the distance.

  Filled with energy, she ran towards it. It was a grate to the outside. When she grabbed it, she realised, to her dismay, that it was locked. She shook the bars frantically, but to no avail. She realised they were trapped and sank down in a heap, realising that this was probably the end.

  While she lay on the floor of the tunnel, she felt something touch her and then a voice.

  “Share and share alike.”

  She looked up, completely caked in mud and filth, and saw a thug leaning over her. She sat up and, regaining her composure, realised that not only was it the thug D’Auria but, presumably because of the state Ay-ttho was in, D’Auria did not recognise her.

  “I see you’re trying to dispose of your victim over there,” D’Auria pointed towards Scotmax who was also covered in mud and blood. “Why don’t you do a deal? For half of the profit from whatever it is you’ve stolen from her, I’ll open this grate for you. I can open all the grates along the river. I entered from one near the forest. But there is a law enforcer waiting for me there.”

  Ay-ttho said nothing.

  “Tell me about yourself,” D’Auria persisted. “What is your name? How did you find this one? Is this your first time? Don’t say much, do you? Where are you from?”

  Ay-ttho remained silent.

  “How much did you get from her?”

  Ay-ttho searched her own suit. She could only find 30 credits, which she handed to D’Auria.

  “Is that all?” she complained. “Let me have a look.”

  D’Auria went over and searched Scotmax but could find nothing. She tore a piece of Scotmax’s swordsman uniform so that she could identify her later. She went over to the grate, peered outside, and then opened it for Ay-ttho.

  Ay-ttho got up and climbed through the hole, marvelling at how beautiful the river looked, reflecting the night sky. She stood up and stretched then, realising she was being watched; she turned around and saw Rioch staring at her.

  “Who are you?” asked Rioch. “You are not the thug I’ve been following all evening.”

  “No, Rioch. It’s me, Ay-ttho.”

  Rioch grabbed her.

  “I will go with you,” she said. “On one condition. You let me take Scotmax to my ship first. She is in the tunnel, badly injured.”

  “Okay, we’ll take a hover taxi, we’ll all go together.”

  The hover pilot took some convincing before he agreed to take them to a cave on the outskirts of the city. It was only when Rioch revealed she was a law enforcer that the pilot reluctantly agreed.

  On board Mastery of the Stars, Ay-ttho took Scotmax straight to the sick bay.

  “Ron? Please inform Yor on Herse of the condition of her offspring’s offspring.”

  “What’s going on?” asked Tori, shuffling into the sick bay, clearly having been just woken by Ron.

  “Scotmax is injured, I need you to help her. I have to go.”

  “Go? Where? You look terrible, what happened?”

  “Never mind, just help Scotmax.”

  “What’s going on?” Sevan shuffled into the sick bay. “Ron just woke me up. Ay-ttho? What happened to you? You look terrible.”

  “Nevermind, just help Scotmax. I have to go.”

  “Where are you going?” Sevan asked, but Ay-ttho ignored him and left.

  When she arrived at the hover taxi, Rioch was waiting.

  “I have one more request,” she said. “Let me say goodbye to Nadio.”

  “Okay, but don’t grab any weapons or fly off.”

  “I won’t.”

  “How can I trust you?”

  “Because I am a clone of my word.”

  Rioch followed Ay-ttho out of the taxi.

  “You can go,” she said to the pilot, who seemed relieved to leave and sped off towards the city.

  “Are you coming with me?”

  “Unnecessary, you can see Nadio alone.”

  Ay-ttho entered the Mastery of the Stars and headed straight for Nadio’s room. She stopped outside the door to look through an observation window at the deserted landscape which stretched from the cave entrance to the city.

  *

  Tori examined the results of Scotmax’s medi-scan.

  “There are no fatal wounds, but she has lost a lot of her life juices. She has broken bones and several lacerations.”

  “Will she live?” asked Sevan.

  “It’ll be touch and go.”

  “There is a ship approaching,” said Ron.

  “Is there an ident?”

  “Yes, it’s Yor from Herse.”

  “That was quick.”

  “She has a quick and very shiny ship, it seems.”

  “A shiny ship?”

  “Yes.”

  “Try saying that in a hurry.”

  Ron opened the doors to allow Yor to board and guided her straight to the sick bay.

  When Yor saw Scotmax, despair overc
ame her. Tori and Sevan helped her to a chair.

  “Scotmax, you idiot,” cried Yor. “You killed yourself just to get your own back on me. Those stupid swordsmen and their pointless revolution. You were such a clever child, we had so many great times, you and I. You have wasted your life. If only I wasn’t so old.”

  Yor stared at Scotmax, who opened his eyes. Yor fainted.

  *

  Rioch walked away from the cave. For the first time in her life, she didn’t know what to do. She kept walking until she reached the city and a bridge over the river.

  She stopped on the bridge and looked down at the swirling waters below. If she went back and arrested Ay-ttho she would be ungrateful to Ay-ttho for saving her life, but if she did not arrest Ay-ttho, then she would breach her duty, which was inconceivable.

  Rioch, a thug of the law, had always avoided thinking for herself. She had spent her life implementing the law to the letter, and she had never found herself in a situation like this.

  She considered the possibility that there might be a higher law than the rules and regulations laid down by the Republic and its trading partners. Could it be possible to be a criminal and still be virtuous?

  She knew Ay-ttho deserved respect for sparing her life and for saving the life of Scotmax. Life suddenly seemed much more complicated than it ever had before.

  Rioch could not desert her duty, she had spent almost all of her life catching criminals and Ay-ttho was a criminal. She was caught in a paradox. She could not allow Ay-ttho to go free, and yet, she could not bring herself to arrest her.

  She took out her communicator and recorded a message to the regional law enforcement coordinator, then looked over the side of the bridge, down at the swirling waters again.

  In the darkness she could only see the movement of the water. She climbed onto the side of the bridge, composed herself, and then let herself fall into the darkness.

  *

  While Scotmax continued his slow recovery, Yor stayed by her side in the sick bay. Tori and Sevan checked on her every rotation.

  “I have some good news,” Tori told Yor. “Ron has been monitoring the law enforcement channels, and someone has exonerated Scotmax from his involvement with the swordsmen. That means no-one is going to come looking for him anymore.”

  “I am delighted with his recovery,” said Yor. “So much so, that I will pay for any repairs the Mastery of the Stars needs and fully restock all of your supplies.”

  “That’s very kind of you. You look tired, why don’t you get some rest? I’ll take care of Scotmax.”

  “Thank you, I think I might just do that.”

  “Has she gone?” Scotmax asked when Yor had left.

  “She’s gone.”

  “I’m not getting better without Nadio.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want Nadio to be my partner, whether or not Yor likes it. She’s so happy because she thinks Nadio and I will not be partners anymore.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Scotmax was silent.

  “Why don’t you ask her?” Tori suggested.

  “I am going to be Nadio’s partner,” Scotmax declared when Yor returned.

  “I think that’s an excellent idea,” said Yor. “Nadio is delightful.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I was wrong about him, I’m sorry Scotmax.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I should never have fought with you the last time on Herse.”

  “I can’t help my feelings about your revolution, Scotmax, but... well, let’s just agree to differ. Why don’t I fetch Nadio? I’m sure it would please him to see you.”

  Yor left and returned a moment later with Nadio and Ay-ttho.

  “Nadio, will you be my partner?” Scotmax asked.

  Nadio stared at her and said nothing.

  CHAPTER 12: THE LAST ORDER

  “What is it, Nadio?” asked Scotmax. “Why do you not speak?”

  Nadio bursts into tears.

  “It is because I am overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “I was so worried that I was going to lose you forever, but now that you are here we should allow nothing to separate us again.”

  Ay-ttho felt a little sick.

  “This is marvellous,” said Yor. “You are such a beautiful thug, Nadio.”

  “Nadio is rich,” announced Ay-ttho. “She has 600,000 credits. Look.”

  Ay-ttho showed Yor, Nadio’s account on his communicator.

  “I don’t believe it. That’s incredible,” said Yor. “You’re such a beautiful couple, you shall inherit much of the treasure I have stored up on Herse. Scotmax can tell you about it. Wealth is not just a way of life, it is a philosophy, and I must accustom you to it. It is only through the trimmings and seemingly trivial niceties that life becomes a banquet. This should be especially true of your partnership ceremony. These ceremonies have grown dull over the years, but yours must be a spectacle, a beautiful sight that everyone will consider a work of art.”

  “You are very kind,” said Nadio.

  “And you, Scotmax, will inherit everything,” Yor continued.

  “That’s enough excitement for now,” said Tori. “You are all going to have to leave, Scotmax needs her rest.”

  “Ay-ttho?” Scotmax called to her before she left. “The last time I saw you, you were about to shoot a law enforcer.”

  “Take care, Scotmax,” said Ay-ttho as she left.

  “You get some rest,” Tori told her.

  “Tori? I need your advice. My father’s last order before he died was that I should help D’Auria.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Despite D’Auria’s viciousness, I still feel an obligation to carry out my father’s last order. Will you help me find him?”

  “Of course I will.”

  “There’s something else, Tori.”

  “Name it.”

  “Who brought me here?”

  “I don’t know. A hover taxi brought you here.”

  “Please, would you try to find the pilot and ask her who saved me?”

  “I’ll try. Anything else?”

  “Just my thanks for looking after me, Tori. Is there anything I can do to express my gratitude?”

  “Yor is already repairing and resupplying the ship. That’s all we need. Get some rest, I’ll see you later.”

  Tori left the sickbay and found Ay-ttho waiting for him in the corridor.

  “She wants to find D’Auria,” said Tori.

  “So do I, let’s go.”

  “She also asked who brought her here.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I told her a hover taxi brought her.”

  “Good. Thank you, Tori. I’ll get ready.”

  Ay-ttho dressed in her robes. She was now Ysteb, the missionary again. They took a hover taxi into the city and started making enquiries about Early Dawn.

  “There is no early dawn anymore,” explained the owner of a bar she tracked down where Early Dawn used to meet. “They killed the large one and the hairy, masked and transparent ones all disappeared.”

  “Do they not have names?” asked Ay-ttho.

  “I dare say they do, but no-one ever knew what they were. Rumour has it they didn’t even know each other’s names.”

  “What about D’Auria?”

  “She used to come in here, but I haven’t seen her since the law enforcers put a death warrant out on her. Every bounty hunter on the planet will be after the price on her head.”

  Ay-ttho and Tori gave up and hailed a hover taxi. As coincidence would have it, the pilot was the same one that had taken Ay-ttho, Rioch and Scotmax, the night of the uprising.

  “Where to?” asked the pilot, who clearly didn’t recognise the clean and robed Ay-tho.

  “The caves beyond the city,” said Tori.

  “Sorry chum,” said the pilot. “Last time I went out there, they forced me to. I’m not in a hurry to go back.”

  “How would you like to earn some credits?” asked Ay-
ttho.

  Ay-ttho and Tori led the taxi pilot into the sick bay.

  “This is the pilot of the taxi that brought you here that night, Scotmax,” said Tori.

  Scotmax sat up.

  “You brought me here?” she asked the pilot.

  “I’m afraid I do not know. I just know that one of them was a law enforcer. He ordered me to come here.”

  “And the other?”

  “No idea, I’m afraid.”

  “Why would a complete stranger save me? And why did the law enforcer not arrest me? Ron? Can you show me the security footage from that night?”

  “Show him the footage, Ron,” said Ay-ttho before leading the taxi pilot out, paying her on the way.

  Scotmax watched the security footage but, because the battle dress Ay-ttho was wearing covered her along with so much mud and blood, she was unrecognisable.

  Ay-ttho returned while Scotmax was watching the footage but remained silent.

  “Tori and Sevan, you spoke to the stranger, do you not know who it is?”

  Ay-ttho glared at the two of them.

  “No idea,” they said, almost in unison.

  Ron stopped the footage when Ay-ttho joined Rioch outside.

  “Why would this stranger keep quiet? Why wouldn’t they want to claim a reward? I have vague recollections of being carried through the sewers by someone. It must have been very difficult.”

  Sevan and Tori look at Ay-ttho, who said nothing.

  “We have made the arrangements for the wedding,” said Yor, just returned from the city. “It will not be as lavish as I had hoped because it is impossible to get things in this place, but it is still going to be a spectacular affair. How are the repairs going?”

  “Very well thank you,” said Ay-ttho. “That reminds me, I must check on the drive plate. Excuse me.”

  Ay-ttho left and headed for the engine room, but as she turned a corner, she fell down an inspection hole whose cover someone had left off.

  Ron raised the alarm and Sevan and Tori rescued her and brought her to the sick bay.

  “Broken arm,” said Ron, after running the medi-scan. “You’re lucky that’s all it is.”

  “Oh, this is a disaster,” said Yor.