Chapter 4

FOUR

T he war room pulsed with an electric tension, its air thick with the acrid scent of fear and determination. Azlun stood before the massive holographic display, his fingers digging into his palms as he stared at the pulsing red dot that represented Venus. The dot seemed to mock him, a constant reminder of his failure to protect her.

Garek’s voice cut through the hum of machinery and urgent whispers. “Your Highness, we’ve pinpointed her location.” His fingers danced across the holographic controls, zooming in on a section of Korthar’s surface. The image resolved into a sprawling underground network, a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers. “The market’s here, on the eastern side, buried beneath the city.”

Azlun leaned in, his eyes tracing every detail of the map. “Show me the security measures,” he commanded, his voice tight with barely contained fury.

Dravek stepped forward, his muscular frame casting a shadow over the hologram. “It’s not pretty,” he growled, manipulating the image to highlight various points. “Guards here, here, and here. Automated security systems throughout. And that’s just what we know about.”

Azlun’s jaw clenched. In his mind’s eye, he saw Venus, her fierce spirit dimmed by captivity, waiting for a rescue that might never come. The image sent a surge of rage through him, hot and potent. “I don’t care how many guards they have,” he snarled. “I’m getting her out.”

Amari’s cool voice cut through his anger. “Azlun, you need to think clearly. Charging in there like an enraged Tharvian bull will only get you both killed.” She fixed him with a piercing stare. “Remember who you are. You’re not just a warrior; you’re a diplomat. Use that.”

Azlun took a deep breath, forcing the rage down. Amari was right. He couldn’t let his emotions control him, not when Venus’s life was at stake. “You’re right,” he admitted. “What’s our best approach?”

Garek pulled up a new set of schematics. “We’ve set up an extraction point here on the far western side of the planet.” A green dot appeared on the map, a beacon of hope in the sea of danger. “It’s our only safe exit, but...”

“But it’s on the other side of the planet from the market,” Azlun finished, the implications sinking in. “We’ll have to cross hostile territory to reach it.”

Dravek nodded grimly. “And that’s assuming you can even get her out of the market in the first place. That place is crawling with the worst scum in the galaxy. One wrong move, and you’re both dead.”

Azlun’s mind raced, formulating and discarding plans in rapid succession. Finally, he looked up, his eyes hard with determination. “I’ll go in alone, undercover as a buyer.”

A chorus of protests erupted around him, but Azlun held up a hand, silencing them. “Listen to me. Too many people will raise suspicions. But a single wealthy buyer? That’s commonplace in a market like this.”

Garek frowned. “Your Highness, with all due respect, it’s too dangerous. If anyone recognizes you?—“

“They won’t,” Azlun interrupted. He turned to Amari. “You can make that happen, can’t you? Disguise me so thoroughly that even my own mother wouldn’t recognize me?”

Amari nodded slowly, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. “It’s possible. But Azlun, once you’re in there, you’ll be on your own. We can’t risk any communication that might be intercepted.”

“I understand,” Azlun said, his voice filled with grim determination. “Get me in there, and I’ll get Venus out. Whatever it takes.”

As the others began to prep the necessary equipment, Azlun retreated to a quiet corner of the war room. He closed his eyes, trying to center himself, but all he could see was Venus. Venus, with her sharp wit and fierce independence. Venus, who challenged him like no one else ever had. Venus, who was now in the hands of monsters who saw her as nothing more than a commodity to be sold.

The rage rose in him again, a tidal wave threatening to overwhelm his control. He gripped the edge of a nearby console, his knuckles turning white with the effort of containing his emotions.

“Azlun?” Amari’s voice startled him out of his dark thoughts. She stood nearby, concern etched on her face. “Are you all right?”

He wanted to lie, to put on the mask of the confident prince, but he found he couldn’t. Not now. Not with Venus’s life on the line. “No,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not. She’s out there. Alone. Afraid. And it’s my fault for not seeing Raelee and Vex off with her.”

Amari stepped closer, her voice gentle but firm. “This isn’t your fault, Azlun. The only ones to blame are the criminals who took her. And you’re going to make them pay for their deeds.”

Azlun looked at her, seeing not just the skilled diplomat, but the friend who had stood by him through countless challenges. “What if I’m too late?” he asked, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at him.

Amari’s eyes softened. “You won’t be,” she said with quiet confidence. “Do you know why? Because this isn’t just about duty for you anymore, is it? This is about her. Venus.”

Azlun’s breath caught in his throat. Was he that transparent? “I... I don’t know what you mean,” he stammered.

Amari’s lips quirked in a small smile. “Yes, you do. I’ve known you for years, Azlun. I’ve seen you charm your way through a hundred diplomatic crises. But I’ve never seen you like this. She matters to you. More than you expected her to.”

Azlun wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. Not when every fiber of his being was screaming to find Venus, to hold her, to keep her safe. “She does,” he admitted. “Stars help me, Amari, but she does.”

Amari placed a comforting hand on his arm. “Then use that. Let it fuel you, but don’t let it control you. You’re going to need all your wits about you in that market.”

Azlun nodded, feeling some of the tension leave his body. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Amari replied with a wry smile. “Wait until you see what I’m going to do to your face.”

The next hour was a whirlwind of preparation. Azlun’s royal attire was replaced with worn, rough clothing that would help him blend in with the market’s criminal element. Amari worked her magic, using advanced holographic technology to alter his facial features subtly but effectively.

As Azlun caught his reflection in a nearby screen, he barely recognized himself. Gone was the polished prince, replaced by a hardened figure that looked right at home in the galaxy’s underbelly.

Garek approached, holding out a small, innocuous-looking device. “This is your emergency beacon,” he explained. “Activate it only if you have no other choice. It’ll bring the full might of the Tharvian fleet down on Korthar, but it’ll also blow your cover sky-high.”

Azlun took the device, tucking it securely away. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

As he prepared to board the small, nondescript ship that would take him to Korthar, Dravek pulled him aside. “Remember,” the burly warrior said, his voice low and intense, “in a place like that, hesitation means death. Don’t let them see weakness. Don’t let them see fear. And above all, don’t let them see how much she means to you.”

Azlun clasped Dravek’s arm, nodding his understanding. As he turned to leave, Amari called out one last piece of advice.

“Azlun! Remember who you are. Not just a prince, not just a warrior. You’re the man who’s going to bring her home.”

With those words ringing in his ears, Azlun boarded the ship. As it lifted off, carrying him toward Korthar and Venus, he allowed himself one moment of vulnerability. He closed his eyes, picturing Venus’s face. Her bright eyes, her challenging smirk, the way she looked at him like he was just a man, not a prince.

“I’m coming for you, Venus,” he whispered to the empty ship. “Hold on. Please, just hold on.”

The ship entered hyperspace, streaks of starlight blurring past the viewports. Azlun used the time to review the mission details one last time, committing every aspect of the plan to memory. Enter as a wealthy buyer. Blend in. Locate Venus. Secure her. Escape through the underground passages. Get to the extraction point. Simple in theory, but he knew the reality would be far more challenging.

As the ship dropped out of hyperspace, Korthar loomed before him. From orbit, it looked almost beautiful, a swirling mass of blues and greens. But Azlun knew the ugly truth that lay beneath that deceptive surface.

The descent through the atmosphere was rough, the ship buffeted by strong winds. As he broke through the cloud cover, the true face of Korthar revealed itself. The sprawling, dimly lit city stretched out below, a maze of decrepit buildings and narrow streets. Somewhere in that urban jungle, Venus was waiting.

The ship touched down on the outskirts of the market district. As Azlun prepared to disembark, Garek’s voice came through his earpiece one last time.

“Remember, you’re just another buyer. Don’t draw attention to yourself. If they suspect you’re a royal?—“

“It’ll be a political nightmare, I know,” Azlun finished. He took a deep breath, centering himself. “Don’t worry. I’ll play the part.”

With that, he stepped off the ship and into the teeming streets of Korthar’s black market. The air was thick with the stench of unwashed bodies and exotic spices underlaid with the acrid tang of fear. Beings of all species hustled past, their eyes darting suspiciously, hands never straying far from concealed weapons.

Azlun pulled the hood of his cloak lower, obscuring his face as he merged with the crowd. Every step took him deeper into the heart of the market, closer to Venus. His senses were on high alert, cataloging every detail, every potential threat.

A group of Rodian traders haggled loudly over a crate of contraband weapons. A Twi’lek dancer, her eyes dead and hopeless, was paraded past on a gaudy float. In a dark alley, a furtive exchange of credits for a glowing vial of some illegal substance took place.

And everywhere, the constant murmur of the crowd, a cacophony of languages and dialects all blending into a single ominous hum. Azlun strained his ears, hoping to catch any snippet of information about Venus or the auction.

As he approached the entrance to the underground complex where the main auction was held, Azlun steeled himself. Beyond those doors lay a world of darkness and depravity, where lives were bought and sold without a second thought.

His hand brushed against the concealed dagger at his hip, a reminder of the violence he was prepared to unleash if necessary. But as he joined the line of buyers entering the auction house, Azlun knew that his greatest weapons would be his wits and his will.

“I’m here, Venus,” he thought as he crossed the threshold into the grimy auction house. “And I’m not leaving without you.”