Amy

AMY

The atmosphere in the meeting room below the Fallen Star club was decidedly intense. Not that anyone was angry or aggressive…well, not any more aggressive than Vinduthi usually are, at any rate.

To my left sat Razov, my mate, our hands intertwined under the round table, a reassuring warmth that comforted me even though our business was hardly lighthearted. Around the table were the members of my new family, my thoughts circling around what Razov had told me about each of them.

Next to Razov sat Alkard, at the head of the table. He steepled his fingers together in front of him as he contemplated the mood of the room. Tessi sat beside him, occasionally punching keys on her percomm when no one was speaking, running her endless searches for any clue about Mera.

Beside Tessi sat Makar, whose nondescript attitude belied the fact he was a master assassin. Ironic that he had green tracery and eyes. That's the color of life on most planets.

To Makar's side was Tazhr, his lips pulled in a smile as usual. Quick with a joke or a quip, he was even quicker to use violence. The golden eyes and tracery lent him a slightly sinister look in spite of his smile.

Next to Taz was the last member of the inner circle present, Havek. His black tracery was odd to look at. It seemed to absorb the light rather than glowing like the others. He had a percomm in his hand, as usual. Razov told me Havek hated being ‘the tech guy' even though he was undeniably good at it. Ironic, I supposed.

Missing from the room was Kovas, the oddly robotic warrior with red tracery that I'd only met once or twice. He was out on assignment and had informed Alkard he was running late.

"Well, I'm just going to come out and say it." Havek laid his percomm down on the table and stared right at Alkard. "We're going to have to do something about the Nazoks."

"Whoa," Tessi said. "Don't generalize, please, Havek. Not all of the Zoks on the station are part of Conii's guild. We need to focus our attention on our actual enemies."

"Indeed," Alkard said. "It would be a waste of resources to try and run down every Zok on the station anyway. Havek is correct. Something must be done about Conii, but we must move carefully."

"Why?" Razov snorted. "They tried to blow us up. He'll blow half the station up. Why should we treat them with kid gloves?"

"Because Conii has made no overt moves against us," Alkard said, spreading his hands out wide. "You know we can't move directly against her until then. Otherwise, we will be seen as the aggressors."

"We are the aggressors," Makar pointed out.

"Yes, but we have to maintain the perception that we will honor the territories as they are currently drawn. People fear us, yes, but that's not why they do business with us. They do business with us because they respect us. Even if we squeeze them for protection money, they know we won't screw them over in the end. We always honor our bargains, and our reputation for doing so would be in jeopardy if we just seemed to act without provocation."

Razov stiffened beside me. "Kalak as much as admitted he worked for Conii, boss man."

I squeezed his fingers. "Yes, and now he's dead. Dead men tell no tales, so they say." I looked around the table. "Sorry."

"No, speak, please," Alkard said. "Razov tells me you are clever."

"I don't know about that," I said, blushing red as a beet. It felt good, though, to be taken seriously. "I was just thinking though, even if we can't move against her directly, we can do so indirectly, right? I mean, there must be something we can do to hamper her plans at least."

"That's an idea worth looking into," Alkard said, nodding. I felt rather gratified to not be laughed out of the room. "And so you know, I have not forgotten about Mera."

He looked to his mate solemnly, as if making a vow with just his gaze.

"And I will not forget her. We've raided the Ewani slaver sect that had held you, but she'd already been moved. But we're following up on a rumor."

"And who will we send off on that merry quest?" Makar asked. "I take it you wish to do the smart thing and finally utilize my talents?"

"No, Makar, I need you for something else," Alkard said. "I was thinking of sending Kovas."

Incredulous gasps rang out around the table.

"Kovas?" Havek blurted. "Alkard…are you sure?"

Alkard frowned.

"What's wrong with Kovas? He always carries out his orders to the letter."

"That's…because…" Makar said, speaking mechanically. "He…is…programmed…to…obey."

No one laughed, and Makar looked disappointed.

"Kovas is far more versatile than any robot, Makar," Alkard said.

"Yes, but with all due respect," Taz said. "He's a walking killing machine. You remember the war? When his jetpack malfunctioned and he crashed behind enemy lines? We held a funeral for him because we thought he was dead for sure."

"I've never heard this story," Tessi said, leaning forward. "What happened?"

Alkard laid his hands on the table.

"The rest of us went on with the mission, which was to remove a garrison entrenched at a communication array and occupy it ourselves. Two days after we took the array, Kovas?—"

"Kovas came strolling up," Tazhr interrupted eagerly. "Covered from head to toe in blood, naked as the day he was born, and dragging a fishing net filled with something we couldn't make out from the top of the tower."

Alkard chuckled.

"What was it?" I asked. "In the net?"

"One hundred and sixty four heads," Alkard replied. "The entirety of the force occupying the lowlands."

"Oh my god," I said. "What happened next?"

"Well," Makar said, "Kovas marched up to Alkard, who was our commander even then, and he…he…"

Makar couldn't speak, he laughed so hard. Alkard took over.

"Kovas reported for duty and apologized for being AWOL for the last two weeks. Then he made a full report, naked and covered with blood, not leaving out even the most miniscule detail."

"Kovas didn't just take out the entire army," Makar said. "He also recovered valuable intelligence that may have won us the war. The fact of the matter is, when you need to get shit done, you send motherfucking Kovas."

The door slid open and a stiffly postured, thickly muscled Vinduthi with red tracery stood in the doorway.

No one spoke for a long moment, all of us staring at him.

"My mother was a pure woman," he said at length, in a tone utterly devoid of emotion. "And at least I know who my father is, Makar."

"Good one, man," Makar said.

"What do you mean?" Kovas asked.

"You made a joke."

Kovas tilted his head to the side.

"Joke?" Then he turned to Alkard. "I am ready to make my report."

"By all means," Alkard said, gesturing to him.

"I tracked down the fixer who ran his mouth at Pulsar about having our guns. It turns out that it was nothing but the boasting of a loud mouthed braggart."

"I see," Alkard said. "And I take it you used every one of the exhaustive means at your disposal to make him talk?'

Kovas nodded.

"Yes, sir. I was very thorough. I am confident he told me the truth when he said he had no idea where the guns were."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

"I guess it turned out to be a dead end, eh, Kovas?" Taz said.

"One could say that," Kovas replied. "One could also say I killed the fixer for wasting our time and disposed of his body in a trash incinerator in the Under."

Kovas said all of this the way a normal person would have said ‘the air feels nice today.' I suppressed a shudder.

Quite frankly, I felt sorry for the kidnappers. With Alkard siccing Kovas on them, their days were numbered for certain.

And soon, very soon, my friend would be safe and sound at my side again.