The Endari Energy Ribbon ripped and roared across them once more. Violent bolts of lightning struck randomly, and one outer panel exploded. Nathan ducked and dived as best as he could through the unpredictable storm, calm as could be. Then, in moments, he pulled the Wrath out of it. They surfed the calm space beyond the ribbon.
Thankfully, there weren’t any Ruveran Breakers waiting for them. That meant they had a little bit of a head start for the moment, which was good, since they were nearly completely out of fuel and needed supplies.
Nathan brought the ship down into the atmosphere of the world of Flora.
Centuries ago, Flora had been another dead planet, devoid of life. But an ancient, unknown people seeded the world with Loira’lei trees. Loira’lei could grow in the harshest of circumstances and created their own ecosystem by producing a type of oxygen through nexra-synthesis; other plants and life were soon able to thrive. With the introduction of water, strange new life found a way, and soon Flora was a fertile planet upon which plants and animals of all kinds flourished; one of the busiest spaceports was housed there due to the lack of tax rates. Flora’s name derived from the colorful and rare flowers that grew so abundantly there.
Flying through flocks of Cumera, a type of flying squid, Nathan zeroed toward the ground. The landing pad was packed, like it usually was, when they came through. The cityscape rose to meet them with spires and tall business headquarters. Nathan had to take vectors around as other ships took off. As soon as their landing gear touched ground, a ground crew rushed over to refuel them. Flora was all about getting you in and out—for a price.
After powering the ship down, Nathan gathered everyone in the passenger compartment. Before he spoke, he went through the list in his head again to be sure he didn’t forget anything. They had a dead alien in the cargo hold; he had an encrypted data pad in his pocket; there were two Ruveran battleships after them; and he still needed to get his passengers to Mara VII, a two day journey.
Trevor passed out hot cups of coffee as they waited. The hairs on the back of his neck were upright, like when he was about to have an attack. He focused on his breathing and remained calm.
“All right,” Nathan began. “I know you weren’t up front when everything unfolded, so I’ll just say that Ruvera was out to capture the alien. For what, I’m still not entirely sure. But the fact of the matter is, by helping him, we have endangered you.”
Trevor knew his uncle was lying about not knowing why Ruvera was after the alien. His uncle never lied.
It looked like Ruvera’s pursuit wasn’t news to anybody except for Daphkalian, whose face lost a little color. “Wait. You mean they’re still going to come after us?”
Nathan nodded. “Yes. They will hunt us down for as long as we live.”
Daphkalian’s expression grew dark. “I had no idea I was getting myself involved in stuff like this.”
“I told you there would be risk when I hired you,” Kaida spoke up.
“Not like this,” Daphkalian huffed. “My brother was right about you when—”
Trevor had had enough. He knocked the coffee out of Daphkalian’s hand. “Clearly, you’re not paying attention. You would have died in that rift if not for us. If that ship hadn’t crashed and we hadn’t rescued that alien, we would’ve been on the surface of Aquaria and been sucked into oblivion.”
Daphkalian’s much larger form towered over Trevor’s. There was a considerable size difference, but Trev was scrappy, and for a moment, things were tense enough for a fist to fly, but the moment passed when Kaida put a hand on Daph’s.
“I’m sorry. This is my fault,” she pleaded.
Daphkalian stared them all down. His tail whipped about furiously. “I’m over this.” He turned and stormed out through the back.
Nathan’s eyes searched the ground for a moment, and then they came back up to Kaida. “The Ruverans were looking for someone else besides the alien. They were out to kill that person. I don’t think it was Daphkalian.”
Kaida was quiet for a long moment. She searched his eyes for a way out, and when she didn’t find one, she looked away. “I can’t say.”
Nathan breathed out through his nose. “That’s what I figured.” He pulled out the data pad the Nymarian had given him. “Do you recognize these?”
Kaida’s head came back around. For a moment, she thought he meant the data pad, but on closer inspection, she saw he was talking about the figures on it.
“It’s Tharitian mathematics. Yes. I know it,” she answered.
“Well, neither I nor Trevor can make sense of it. We need to figure out what’s on here, and seeing as we are in this together, we could use your help to unlock its secrets.”
Kaida hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Of course I’ll help.” She took the data pad in her hands, and then she added, “Please don’t tell Daphkalian. I don’t want him any more involved than he already is.”
“Agreed,” Nathan replied. He turned to Trev. “I need you and Boost to take care of the Nymarian.”
Trevor was ready to object, but he decided it was more important to appear united as a crew. “C’mon, Booster.”
Trev left with Boost in tow. They respectfully carted Cleph’s encased body across the landing area toward the trade city and disappeared.
“How much you need?” a voice yelled from outside the ship. It was one of the refuelers.
“Full!” Nathan barked back.
In the passenger compartment, Nathan realized he had just gotten himself alone with the enticing redhead. His fingers lightly touched the ring around his neck. She was eyeing him too; whatever weight she had been carrying with her was suddenly gone. The feeling of familiarity returned.
“Can I ask you something?”
Nathan knew he had to stop this now, before she got ideas. She would just keep coming if he didn’t keep her in her place, business only. But for first time in eight years, he couldn’t.
“Since we’ll be together a little longer, I was wondering something. What is the deal with you and your copilot? Are you family?”
Nathan allowed himself to breathe again. Crisis averted. He was getting too old for these games.
“He’s my sister’s kid.”
“And you look after him?”
“Since the end of Earth, yes.” He sat down at the table in the middle of the compartment and sipped what was left of his coffee. “He’s the only one in my family who survived.”
“I lost a lot of family too.” Kaida didn’t want to bring up Gastoff. She needed never to think of him again and to move on with her life, so she shifted the conversation. “I was wondering one more thing.”
“Shoot.”
“Why does he carry that sword? He doesn’t look like he knows how to use it.”
Nathan released a long sigh before answering. “His father was killed with it. Trevor said he found his father with that sword through him as the murder was happening. When he stumbled upon the scene, he fired on the killer. According to Trev, the intruder was hit in the face, and the impact flung him out the window. The fall was too great for any man to survive, let alone the shot. He didn’t see anyone on the rocks below. Then he says he saw a rogue Ruveran ship take off before it cloaked.”
Kaida tried to hide her surprise. “Does he know who did it?”
“After all these years of digging, Trevor can only find rumors and whispers. Whoever the killer is doesn’t leave too much of a trace…only appearances of his ship.”
“That sounds terrible. I wonder why his father was assassinated. Was he military?”
Nathan shook his head. “That’s the mystery. He was an engineer. I think they went after the wrong target. Scott was harmless.”
Kaida thought about everyone she had lost. Ruvera murdered at will and without cause. Sometimes, there was no reason to the madness. “So he carries that sword in hopes of using it?”
Nathan nodded. “If I know my nephew, he’s looking for the assassin’s ship right now.”
-o-
“Anyone coming, Booster?” Trevor was just finishing up going through the police data. He had jacked into an access terminal. He had his head and sword hidden beneath a dark cloak as he worked.
“Forty-seven meters and closing,” Boost announced.
Trevor completed the search and found that the killer’s ship had actually passed through recently but had left thirteen days ago. Another missed opportunity. He slammed the computer access shut and left as inconspicuously as he could.
He patted Boost’s head. “Good work.”
After finding a burial service that handled Ecath and Nymarian rites, he had to excuse himself at the service station for another one of his tremor attacks. This one had put him on his back and almost caused him to black out. To make matters worse, his veins were turning a lighter shade of blue and he had a headache he couldn’t shake off—more reminders his time was running out.
The two pushed their way through the crowd of traders, visitors, and locals. He nearly tripped over the large roots of a Loira’lei tree, which pushed through the cement walkway. Flowers were in full bloom and floating through the air, bringing acidic rose flavors to the air.
The cities of Flora had pretty heavy speeder traffic too. Hover cars and bikes thundered overhead on aerial roads. Ground level had crowded foot traffic. With the glowing blue leaves of the Loira’lei growing around buildings into the sky, it was truly a city that was always aglow. It never slept, and on this side of the world, it was forever night. He placed a hand on a nearby tree’s bark and heard the odd whispers of the tree. It eased his pain with a song he couldn’t understand.
Then, he wound his way around the bustling streets and found the bar he recognized. As soon as he entered, he heard the usual grumbles of “Earthborn.” It was a slur throughout this part of the universe; “as stupid as an Earthborn” was a common insult. Just another aide-mémoire that those still left from Earth had lost their world and their respect in the universe.
Trevor pulled up a seat at the bar and ordered two Ecath dishes with which he was familiar. Since it was always dark on this side of Flora, it was always time for breakfast.
The barkeep was a female Ecath, a deviously beautiful, long-eared, furry-skinned version of Daphkalian. She, like all Ecath, was a tall mix of feline features though the female’s ears were as long as a rabbit’s. “Impatient to die like all Earthborn,” she sneered.
Trev realized he was cutting in line to order at the bar. He apologized and waited his turn.
He realized he wasn’t the only flight crew member out to get a quick meal. There were some common alien species like Asterions; Preslich, which were like large thin snakes with two arms and legs; other beautifully feral Ecath; and Gymon, which were a purple-skinned telepathic race that looked like what might happen if whales and humans were combined into something. One large Gymon in particular was leering at him over his drink, wide-set eyes unblinking, and skin appearing sickly wet and slippery. Trev turned away.
Boost popped up next to him. Oblivious.
“Did you get the usual supplies?” Trevor asked him.
Boost nodded.
An order of oddly colored meat and eggs appeared before him. He picked up a fork and knife and went to work. Like a starving man, Trev plowed through the meal in minutes. He washed it down with an orange moko, which was basically all alcohol with a bite of citrus.
“Ready?” Trevor asked pushing himself from the bar.
Trev paid his bill at the exit, scanning his wristband.
“Should we get some more…” Trevor began. His voice trailed off when he saw Daphkalian a good hundred meters away talking to a dark-cloaked figure. He could really be talking to anyone, but Trev felt in his gut it was sinister.
Daphkalian nodded a few times and pointed toward the dock where they were parked. As he continued to speak, he kept checking around himself to make sure he wasn’t being watched. Finally, the dark figure nodded back, and then the two parted ways.
Instead of seeing where Daph went next, Trevor followed the cloaked figure.
“We need to return to the ship,” Boost warned.
“Shut up, stupid. C’mon.” Trevor hid in the crowd as Daphkalian lumbered by. As soon as he was gone, he jetted through the busy plaza to where he’d last seen the dark figure. The alley was thick with activity. At the end, the dark figure turned.
Trevor barreled down a separate street to head the figure off. He pushed on, not thinking of what he would do should he catch up to confront this mysterious person.
What if he’s armed? he thought. Well, I’m armed too. Even though he didn’t know how to use the sword, it was still a weapon.
When he hit another cross street, he stopped. Boost rolled into his leg painfully and backed up. Trev fought the urge to disassemble the robot and peered around the corner. He saw the dark figure had stopped and was speaking with two others.
Trevor ignored their dingy confines and smells of refuse in the cramped alley, closed his eyes and listened.
With a thick Ruveran accent, one spoke to the others. “What the crews of Breaker VI and IX are searching for is right here, docked at station thirty-one. Get as many soldiers as you can right now and meet me there.”
The others didn’t say a word, but Trevor imagined they agreed to his order.
When Trev heard them coming his way, he pulled his cloak over his head and began walking in the other direction as nonchalantly as possible. Apparently, with their eye on the prize, they didn’t take notice. Two of them walked hastily past him.
Trevor realized the missing one was going to the ship to stop them from taking off while backup arrived. The crazy thought left in his head was that he either had to stop him from getting there or beat him to it. He took a deep breath and ran. Boost rolled after him.
-o-
The refueling crew finished up and drove away. Nathan was outside the ship, doing a final walkaround check to make sure all panels were closed and the pad was clear of debris. There were some new battle scars from their escape, but nothing too serious. He had found the transmitter they had pinned to them that had disabled their force drive. It had taken him a few minutes to take it apart and create an antidisrupter from it. They wouldn’t be able to get away with that trick again.
After he felt comfortable with his check, he walked back up the cargo ramp. His cargo hold was surprisingly empty at the moment, more than it usually was.
The compartment itself was two hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. Its track record was pretty solid, even though there were moments when the antigravity kicked off. They were currently in a slick-floor configuration, but could easily flip rollers for palletized cargo. The rails they used could hug any size or type of pallet. The only thing on the floor was Kaida’s equipment, which was tied down with straps, and Nathan’s off-road vehicle, the CTV-44 Hammerhead, which was tied down with chains.
He thought about making sure the battery still worked on his vehicle when he sensed someone coming up behind him.
“Daphkalian. There you are,” Nathan said.
The large man just shrugged his reply. “Where’s Kaida?” he asked.
“She’s helping me with something, probably sitting at the table I left her at.”
“Good.” Daphkalian produced a light assault pistol from the back of his pants. The barrel was leveled at Nathan’s face.
“Whoa, easy.” Nathan had his hands open to show he was unarmed.
“Put these on.” Daph chucked wrist bindings at Nathan’s feet.
“That’s the plan? With me bound, you go in there and steal the data pad unhindered?” Nathan asked.
“Just do it,” Daph snarled.
Why doesn’t he just shoot me? Nathan grabbed up the bindings slowly. “Did you ever think what would happen to you after you lost your use? Ruverans can’t be trusted.”
“Shut up, old man. I read the alien’s notes. I know what he told you. Even though most of it is completely ridiculous, I know an opportunity to get ri
ch when I see one. They are paying me handsomely.”
“I’m sure they will.” Nathan clicked the bindings closed, and they turned red, indicating they were closed and locked.
Metallic footsteps rang out as Kaida walked into the cargo hold. Her eyes were down on the pad, and her brow was furrowed in thought.
“That makes this easier,” Daph said quietly, facing toward her.
Kaida looked up and saw the situation as it appeared. Nathan was in handcuffs with Daphkalian pointing a gun at him. The gun slowly turned on her.
“I’m going to need that.” Daphkalian smiled.
Kaida’s eyes went to the pad in her hand and then back to the gun. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“I don’t have time for this.” Daph approached her. As he reached out to grab the pad away, he felt a quick, sharp pain in the nape of his neck. Then he fell and saw nothing as he crumpled unconscious to the floor.
Nathan dropped the heavy bindings on the floor and clapped his hands free of dust.
Kaida’s mouth had dropped open. She played the quick scene over again to make sure she understood. One second, Daph was coming for her, towering as he did. Nathan was in bindings off to the side, and then he was right behind him as the giant fell forward, having dealt some powerful blow.
“How did you…?”
“They teach that on the first day of the academy.”
Another sound broke through the hollow cargo bay. Nathan turned around and saw his nephew bounding up the ramp, Boost rolling up right behind him.
“We…we’ve been…” Trevor struggled for oxygen.
“Betrayed? We know,” Nathan finished. “More on the way?”
Trevor nodded vigorously.
Nathan surveyed the situation and prioritized. “I’ll put this one in the cell.” He was looking at Daph. “Boost, get the engines going. Trevor, take care of that Ruveran running across the tarmac. Ms. Elwin…” He paused for a moment as he lost his train of thought. Her smell had reached his nose. “Please find your seat.”
The group broke off into their respective duties.
Nathan dragged Daphkalian off to the holding cell as Boost rolled off toward the cockpit.
That left Trevor watching the dark-cloaked figure he’d been racing against. The figure had a large blaster rifle in his arms, and he fired on their craft. The shots were insanely close to the mark for someone so far away.
Trevor dialed into the cargo hold control panel. He rerouted a few systems here and there, directed the anti-grav toward the back, and then hit the activate button.
The encroaching enemy was struck by the invisible force and went flying backward. His gun continued fifty yards farther.
“Good-bye.” Trevor flicked the switches back to normal mode and closed the ramp. The light went green as soon as the ship’s door was closed and the locks fully engaged. Shield control powered on shortly after.
He ran up through the ship. He didn’t see Kaida seated when he rushed through the pax compartment and realized why when he reached the cockpit. She was sitting behind the pilot’s seat. No one was allowed in the front of his uncle’s jet besides flight crew, and there was an even stricter rule with women. It was unbelievably archaic, but so was his uncle.
As Trevor went to warn her that his uncle would kill her if he found her there, Nathan came up the stairs. Slightly winded from dragging the traitorous giant around, he eyed Kaida, innocently buckled down inside his cockpit. She looked up questioningly.
Trevor watched as his uncle paused to let loose the demons and then suddenly took his seat without a sound. Trev’s jaw dropped.
“Where we at?” he asked Trev.
Trevor cleared his throat to hide his surprise. “Before takeoff checklist.”
Outside the ship, a handful of soldiers were running toward them, guns blazing. Their laser fire pinged off the Wrath’s shields harmlessly. The ship spun around, took flight, and shot off into the lower atmosphere of Flora.
On the ground, one out-of-breath soldier ran up to the others. “It’s all right. Breaker VI and Breaker IX have just arrived.”
Chapter 7