The Chronicles of Ratha - Book 5: Big Bang Theory by Aurelia

So this was it.

My heart had been thumping away painfully in my chest since I had left Heaven for the last time because I had now set myself on a course from which there would be no coming back. Not that I regretted it; in fact it had probably been the easiest decision of my short miserable life and all I could hope for was that my death wasn't wasted. My job was to get Vel and I would settle for nothing less.

I reached up into the tiny compartment in the ceiling over the pilot's chair and took out the vial that would be my weapon. There was still some concern on my part about using the liquid, but I also knew Vel wouldn't let me within spitting distance with anything that resembled a deadly device.

The tincture was not only fatal but it was able to break down human tissue, or so I was told. It was extreme, even for someone like Vel, and therein lay my problem. Was I any better than Vel by using something so abhorrently torturous? Would I get the chance to kill her with anything else? I suppose I knew the answer all along but I was hoping for an alternative to suddenly appear at the last moment… anything that would stop me from using it. The only thought I could hold onto was that maybe Lorin and Floric got it wrong and it wasn't as devastating as they had said.

I had never felt as lonely out in space as I did now, and yet I wasn't alone. Tars was propped up in the co-pilot's seat unconscious while I maneuvered the small ship around the rim of the galaxy Juno resided in. It was leisurely trip, taken at sub-light speed so as not to alert anyone, but it was also the most boring thirty-six hours of my life. I suppose I could have hyper-jumped all the way to Juno but I wanted to make sure that when I approached the planet I gave the impression that I was coming from another direction.

We must have overdone the potion because Tars was sleeping blissfully propped up in a chair the whole time I flew around in space to confuse my enemies. Now was probably a good time to contact Grimm about the return of his wife.

I lined up the vid screen so that Tars couldn't be seen before I sent out a signal for him to contact me. It didn't take too long. Now I would find out the answer to the final question that had eluded me.

"Grimm." I greeted him soberly.

"I should have expected that it was you!" he answered angrily.

"Expected? Am I your only enemy? I find that hard to believe."

"You're the one who had the most to lose."

"Me? I had very little to start with, Grimm. There wasn't that much to lose."

"I should have killed you myself when I had the chance."

"Marius! Why?" I had tried to figure it out, I really did, but I just couldn't remember any incident that would put me on the guy's hit list.

"You don't remember?" he said with incredulity. "The day you ruined my life?"

Now that I would have remembered. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Parscus Run, remember that?"

Parscus Run was a universal improbability. A series of habitable meteorites that traveled in a pack streaking across the various universes, it was a destination that was almost impossible to find let alone land on. I searched my memory for such a job and there it was hiding in the recesses. It was my one failed delivery. "Ah."

"Yes, ah!"

"So what? I didn't deliver the packages. If I remember rightly, Consortium cruisers were on my tail for two days. I had to hide in the Gravel Pit for two more days before I shook them." Poor Bessie didn't take kindly to scratching around in that minefield loosely described as a cloud of space debris from a nearby supernova.

"You destroyed me!" he screamed at me.

"I wasn't even there!" I screamed back.

"Exactly! You didn't deliver the goods and they came after me." He was panting wildly now, angered beyond reason. "They took my company, my reputation and nearly my life!"

"You got your packages back and I didn't even charge you for it! If that's not enough then well, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry isn't good enough for you. If Vel had been doing her job I wouldn't have to face you now."

"Yeah, you should get rid of her-"

"Enough! I want retribution!"

"Look, Marius, you look like you're doing fine now, what's the beef?" This guy was losing the plot quickly and I was in his sights.

"They took something else, Miss Laren."

Miss Laren? I wasn't called that even when I was a kid. "And what is that?" He was all but shouting at me to ask him so it was probably something really spectacular.

"This." He reached up and twisted his left shoulder, allowing his left arm to fall away.

"That's a bit dramatic." I studied the metallic hub that was his shoulder joint, wondering if it came with a series of attachments. Knowing how pissed off he was with me I suspected he had the whole slice and dice set.

"You have no idea," he said almost too calmly. He re-attached the arm with an audible click.

"So you want my head, I get it. What about you and the Noorthi woman? You seem awfully keen to get her back."

"She hasn't told you?"

"Well, I sort of figured that you two were…"

"Married, yes, and we have three children."

"Kids huh?" I tried to sound unconcerned. He wasn't telling me anything that I didn't already suspect, but it was still nice to hear someone finally admit to it.

"And they miss their mother."

"I'm not surprised," I said sarcastically. "Well, this is your lucky day, Marius. She wants to come home, so if you behave yourself I'll tell you where to find her." Now I'm not a stupid woman because if I were I would have died a long time ago. He was going to try to follow me and I would allow him… up to a point.

"What's the catch?" He was all business now, putting his simmering hatred for me on the back burner until he got his wife back.

"One hundred thousand credits." I had intended to give her back gratis but a little spare spending money would help keep the Noorthi comfortable for years to come.

"I won't pay it!"

"Okay, it's your loss. I'll just go back and tell her that you didn't think she was worth a hundred thousand credits. She already thinks you've lost interest in her, so this'll be the icing on the cake."

I was about to switch off the videocom when he spoke. "All right! All right. You win," he spat out. He didn't like being screwed again. "What's the arrangement?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, twelve o'clock, at the far end of Juno spaceport. Put the credits in metallic cases for pickup. Once I'm away and confirm that I'm not being followed, I'll send you the coordinates for your wife." Was I taking one risk too many to secure a legacy for the Noorthi? Our credit reserves were nearly gone, leaving us to survive on what we could scratch out of the soil. No, damn it! We deserved better than that! He owed us! No, not me… them.

"Fine!" But he said it too readily. I could see by the look on his face that his mind was already imagining limitless possibilities of traps and ambushes to get me.

"No tricks, Marius. If I don't deliver the goods to a pickup point then no wife. I have good friends who are very inventive at story telling and they'll tell her how you were more interested in the credits than in her well being." I could hear his teeth grinding from my ship. "Oh, and tell Vel and Andissa to butt out as well." Knowing Vel as I did, tell her not to do something will only make her want to do it all the more.

"No Vel and Andrissa. Understood." Would he tell them just so they would act on the threat? Would he use them to capture me then if something went wrong he could blame them for interfering? Hell, if it were me, I would. "And if you harm one h-"

I cut Marius off in mid-threat. There was really no point in wasting precious air threatening me when I already knew what he would do if he captured me. This was probably the one time I was hoping that it was Vel that caught me.

My eyes glanced over at Sleeping Beauty in the co-pilot's seat and I thought I had enough time for one more communication before she woke up. "Sasha? I've got a job for you…"

The plan was now in motion and I had just passed the point of no return. I let the ship float in space for a while as I leaned back in the chair and studied the stars. It really was something out there and I had taken it all for granted. How many star systems existed? No one really knew as they were discovering new space all the time. How many civilizations? Species? Lives?

Its funny how facing one's probable death… again… can turn one's thoughts outward. Maybe it was because this time was different. This was a death of my own choosing, not one thrusted upon me. Grit's words came back to me and I realized that now I had accepted it, calm settled over my body like a blanket and I felt at peace.

"Little stars shining bright…" I began to sing softly.

"Bathed so gently in ethereal light…" It was one of my favorite nursery rhymes when I was a kid. My mom used to sing it to me, and after she died dad tried to keep up the tradition. His burred voice sang it off-key but I still remember fondly him taking the time to sing it. That was when I knew my dad really loved me, because of instead of going to the bar with his war buddies he was home tucking me in and singing nonsense nursery rhymes until I fell asleep.

"Twinkling in the dark so clear…" Tars began to move as I sang, her lips smacking together as her body slowly woke up.

"Wha- What's going on?" She sat bolt upright as her senses took in where she was.

"You're going home," I said calmly.

"Really? What did you do to me?"

"Just a sleeping potion so you can't give away our position."

Tars said nothing, not even to deny such a thought. It was enough to draw me away from my little ditty and look at her. Did she know something I didn't?

"Where's Juno?"

"It's out there… somewhere… but first I have to ensure that the transfer is made safely." There was no point in telling her about the little transaction until it was absolutely necessary. If she knew there were credits involved she could make things difficult for me. No, it was better for her to think I was doing her a favor and have her cooperation. "Accidents can happen if someone gets a little trigger happy."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I don't want to be fired upon while trying to deliver you to Grimm."

"He wouldn't do that!"

"Ah, yes, that's right. He values you so highly that he wouldn't risk you to get at me," I said sarcastically. But I knew better. I think he hated me more than he loved her, so it would be a fine line between saving her and blasting me out of the sky. I fiddled with the knobs on the dashboard and flipped a switch. "You were a bit tough on Beri."

"She has no right being an Ashman!" Tars' voice still held some hostility and it peeved me.

"Like you, huh? Mrs. I-have-to-get-back-to-my-husband-and-three-kids-Ashman!"

"I beg your pardon?" She sounded genuinely offended.

"You are such a hypocrite! Where in the Noorthi handbook does it say you can marry and man and have three children by him? Those women tried their damndest to stay true to the Noorthi way while trying to survive on a planet where the outside temperature averaged one hundred and twenty degrees. And where were you? Safely tucked away in a nice cool building with three meals a day and all the water you could drink."

"And who are you to criticize me?" Tars' voice steadily rose in volume.

"I'm their Ratha, and I'm doing my job!"

"And I am Ashman! I am not used to being questioned!"

"Well, get used to it because I've got a lot to get off my chest before you leave."

"This discussion is ended." She tried to stand but I grabbed her arm and slammed her back in the seat.

"You're not going anywhere," I growled.

"Do not touch me!" she said venomously.

"I can send you back to sleep if you want." I balled my fist and prepared to hit her. She finally saw reason and settled back into the chair. "That's better."

"Why are you so hostile towards your daughter? What has she done to offend you?" When Tars said nothing, I continued, "Or is it because you have a guilty conscience?"

"I have no such thing!"

"Did you marry Grimm for love or as a way to save yourself?" I knew it was a loaded question because either way she was screwed.

"Love? Are you questioning my sincerity?"

"Then answer the question, Tars. Which is it? Love or security?"

"I will not dignify it with an answer."

"Just as I thought. You are a coward, woman!" She was really starting to annoy me, making me question whether sending her back was worth the effort. Then again, they deserved each other. "You strung him along because he loved you and you used him to protect you from Vel." She just glared at me. I put my feet up on the console and leaned back in the chair, putting my hands behind my head. "And by the looks of you, you gave up the secret pretty easily too."

"Do not insult me this way."

"I see no signs of torture on your body. Can you deny that you told him what he wanted to know even before the torture began?" The more I found out about this woman the more I wanted to pound her into next week.

"I was a Noorthi Ashman. He did not wish to harm a holy woman."

"Then your crime is all the more heinous, Ashman. He had no qualms about putting the rest of the sisterhood on a barren planet for them to die slowly. What makes you think he would be concerned about torturing you? Unless, of course, you told him what he wanted to know then appealed to his baser instincts."

I could nearly feel her fear in the air. It certainly resided in her eyes. "I… I had to survive…"

"And you have no shame in what you did?"

"Of course, I feel guilty."

"But not guilty enough to stop you having three children by him."

"He… he made me…"

"And yet you condemn Beri for her child-a child that had been conceived in the spirit of Noorthi tradition, even if not by the Noorthi ceremony; a child that will be brought up in the bosom of the Noorthi sisterhood so that she may one day become Ashman and pass on her heritage to her daughter. You are condemning the very foundation of Noorthi tradition because you have a guilty conscience."

"I…I…" I finally had her speechless.

"Don't pass on your mistakes to your daughter. Let it go, Tars."

"There is no going back."

"No, there is no going back. All you can do is go forward. If you feel that being Ashman will guarantee your safety, then so be it, but don't destroy what Beri has done for her sisters. She is a wonderful and caring woman, Tars, and a close friend. She deserves better than what you have given her. Grant her what she wishes most." Tars nodded her head, but I needed to hear her say it. "Say it."

"I will not stand in her way to become Ashman of the Noorthi-Cha." It was not an apology but it was probably as close as Tars was going to get to giving one.

"Just not the Ashman of the Juno Noorthi."

"Correct."

So, she still had doubts about Grimm. After all these years and she still worried about his sincerity. Or could it be that she was worried that he would find out her deception and punish her? Either way, it was her problem and not mine. Casually I fiddled with the knobs again and flipped the switch the other way. Now I had it all on disc for Beri to hear later.

"How about a caffeine synth?" I asked. "I don't know about you, but I could certainly use one."

I stood up and stretched before moving out of the cockpit to the small corridor behind the wall. I activated the replicator and requested two hot caffeine synths. "How do you take it?" I called.

"Plain. Black." Tars called back. She sounded a little more at ease now that she thought the arguing was all over. I didn't think it was over because I knew she needed a serious reality check, but I let the matter rest… for now. I reached into my pocket and took out a small flask, pouring a drop or two of the contents into the caffeine.

As I walked back into the cockpit I took a sip of my own caffeine, deftly handing over the remaining mug to Tars. "Cheers!" It was an old Earth greeting that had died out centuries ago but I thought it was quaint. I don't know why I had a fondness for old Earth customs but I did. Maybe I harbored a secret wish to live back in those times when space travel was limited to just getting off Earth, and where being human was the only species that mattered.

Over the rim of my mug I watched Tars drink her caffeine, a smile crossing my lips as her eyes slowly dipped until they were closed. I lunged for the mug before it slid out of her hand and put them both down on the floor. Who would have thought she would fall for the same trick twice?

I waited a few minutes to make sure she was well and truly asleep before making another call. "Maco!"

"J! I heard that you were dead." His words rumbled over the audio system, shaking it with the intensity of his deep voice.

"I am, my friend. I'm calling in that favor you owe me."

"Is it illegal?" he joked.

"Probably. I just want you to hold a package until tomorrow then deliver it for me. Can you do it?"

"What sort of package?" he asked suspiciously. His one large nostril flared and his Elgan gills fluttered in reaction.

"Okay, it's a person."

"J, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Nothing you can't handle, Maco." He and I went way back to my early days. We were on opposite sides of the law in those days but we still managed to strike up a friendship. It was probably because of all those times I ended up in detention for starting, continuing or ending a fight in a bar that I saw him so often. Soon, he was the one who would get me out of the bar before the troopers arrived.

Not long after that something happened. I'm not sure what it was and he wouldn't tell me, but it ended up with him being booted off the force. He and I became partners of sorts for while, and I suppose it was as much payment on my part for all those times he saved my hide from the detention cell that drove me to help him out. He was not the prettiest of species to look at but he had a heart of gold.

"And who's the recipient of this so-called package?"

"My, my, you are nosey!" I mocked.

"Well?"

"It's Grimm."

There was silence for a moment. "Marius Grimm?"

"Yeah. You know him?"

"I've heard of him."

But the timbre in his voice told me a whole other story. Grimm meant something very personal to Maco and it wasn't good. "So, will you do it?"

"Yeah… yeah, I'll do it," Maco said with finality.

"Good. I'll be there in…," I looked at my chronometer, "…six hours."

"I look forward to seeing you again, J. It's been way too long."

"It certainly has, my friend." I didn't have the heart to tell him that it would also be our last meeting.

Tars was still sleeping peacefully and for that I was grateful. I had never met anyone so bitter and twisted as she was… well, except for Andrissa… and Marius… and, of course, Vel. Suddenly her behavior seemed normal. Living around those three sons and daughters of bitches certainly explained Tars' warped outlook on life.

I set the coordinates to meet up with Maco and eased myself back in the pilot's seat. At this point Tars couldn't be trusted with his location and that was why I had drugged her. It was safer for Maco that way.

Six hours later I found myself circling Maco's home. The planet was a tiny speck compared to Juno, located one hundred thousand miles from it in the opposite direction to Heaven. It wasn't exactly my kind of home but for an Elgan it was probably a home away from home. I put the craft down close to the only building there, skirting the large swamp that existed outside his bedroom window.

Maco stood on the front verandah of his home and waved at me. I had forgotten so much about him, which was a shame really because he was one of the few genuine friends I had in those days. Time, and distance, separated us and we just grew apart. How could I have forgotten him so easily?

After I landed the ship I lowered the ramp so he could come aboard and slumped back in my chair to wait for him. The ship vibrated with each step he took on board, the loud echo of his boots getting more and more pronounced as he found his way to the cockpit.

"J." He said my initial with some obvious affection.

I stood up and faced him. "Maco, my dear friend." I took a couple of steps to close the distance between us and I pulled him into a fierce hug. "What happened to us, eh?"

"It was my fault," he rumbled. "What you wanted and what I wanted turned out to be two different things, Jordana."

"Then it's my fault for taking you to places you didn't want to go." Suddenly I felt guilty for making him feel obliged to follow me,

"No, little sister," he said affectionately. "You showed me things in this universe that was wondrous. But my thirst for travel was not as great as yours. I will be forever grateful for saving me, Jordana."

"I saved you?"

"You saved me from myself."

"Enough of this chit-chat," I said as I swiped at my face. He was getting all mushy on me and I couldn't help but respond.

"So, who is this?" His eyes turned to the sleeping woman in the chair.

"A Noorthi Ashman named Tars."

"Noorthi? How in the stars did you get involved with Noorthi?" He laughed. "There's nothing profitable in chasing them, my dear."

"Tell me about it. Ever since I met them they've been bleeding me dry."

"He he he," he chuckled. "And it serves you right!"

"She's your package."

"What does Grimm want with her?"

"He's married to her."

"Married? To a Noorthi? Wha- wh- wh-"

"I'll explain it all inside. Do you mind?" I indicated Tars and he moved over to the co-pilot's chair and lifted her limp body as easily as I would have picked up my caffeine mug.

"And you have knocked her out because…?" he called over his shoulder as he lumbered the few steps to the ramp.

"Because I was saving you from her constant harping!" I called back.

"Really?"

"No! Of course not!" I laughed at him. "I see you still haven't lost your innocence, Maco." It was nice that some things hadn't changed.

"I got out while I could, J." His basso profundo voice bounced around the tiny ship. The immense volume only faded when he stepped off the ramp and onto solid ground. "If I had hung around you any longer I would have been totally corrupted!"

"So true, my dear Maco, so true." He knew me only too well.

The limp form of Tars hung over Maco's huge cloth-covered back limply like a sack of weeshak. Now why did I think of that? Mom used weeshak as a staple in our daily eating, its pale flesh steamed to perfection to go with the greens that accompanied whatever meat she could find. Did one think of family so often at the end of one's life? Or, more to the point, why was I?

I followed Maco inside his home and watched as he lowered Tars onto his bed. He looked over his shoulder at me and I could see the question he wanted to ask in the expression on his face. My finger pointed towards the front of the house and he trailed behind me as I opened the front door and went outside.

"Why is she out cold?" he asked. He wasn't belligerent about it but he was concerned, that much I could tell.

"I drugged her so she didn't know where you lived."

"Should I be worried?"

"You? Worried? I thought nothing ever worried you."

"Quit trying to change the subject, J. Just exactly what is going on?"

He deserved the truth. "Where to start," I said absently.

"The beginning is a nice place."

"About six months ago I got a job to take a woman to Covaris."

"Covaris? There's nothing at Covaris."

"Yeah, I know, but she said she was being chased by the Consortium."

"Fine. Then what?"

"It turned out to be a bust. The bitch drugged me and dumped me on Rigeus."

His large monobrow rose dramatically, standing out from his forehead in alarm.

"She was working for Grimm."

"Figures."

"While I was there I met up with the Noorthi, not that I knew who they were until we got off the planet."

"That's impressive. I'd heard that the planet was inescapable."

"Let's just say I had a lot of motivation."

"Did this motivation have a name?" How did he do that? Maco always seemed to be able to read between the lines when telling a story.

"Vel. I don't know if you remember her but I sure did. She and I had… let's just say we had crossed paths before Rigeus."

"Wasn't she the one that liked pain with her sex?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"Ah. So what happened? Did you run out on her when you first knew her and she was pissed off at you?"

"Yeah, something like that, except she was a little more than pissed off and a whole lot more aggressive in wanting her revenge."

"And? J, you're making this very hard to keep track of if you keep taking detours in your story."

"Okay, the bottom line. Grimm found out the secret of the Noorthi. Not the complete secret, but enough to set himself up as a dealer of the most powerful and addictive drug in the universe. He had a mine on Rigeus run by Vel. She was using the Noorthi as workers in the mine."

"That bitch!"

"Anyway I fought them off to get us off the planet. The Noorthi are pacifists, bro."

He chuckled. "Leaving you to do all the work I suppose."

"You got that right. Anyway, I sort of stole one of his ships which were full of barrels of credits, my friend. Lots and lots of credits."

"Then what are you doing wasting your time with this shit?"

"Well it gets really complicated from here."

"No kidding? With you it's always complicated." Maco found a seat and sat down.

"He was trying to get to the women so I sort of became their Ratha…" I mumbled the last bit because I just knew he would give me grief about it if he heard it.

"Sorry? What… what was that?"

"Nothing. I found them somewhere else to live."

"No, back to that last bit. What did you say?"

"I… said… I… became… their… Ratha." I enunciated each word and just hoped that would be the end of it.

"Ratha? What's that?" No, it wasn't the end of it.

"It's just something they call me, all right?"

"No, not all right. It's obviously something important. What is it?" Maco just sat there staring at me and I began to squirm under his intense glare.

"I'm their defender, okay? Let's drop this!" I growled in the hope he would be intimidated enough to leave me alone. Unfortunately, he was never one to be intimidated by me.

"Defender?" He laughed loudly. "You do know that they're celibate, don't you?" He laughed even louder at the thought.

"Yes, I know! Now, do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"

"If it's as good as this then sure! I haven't had a good laugh in ages." He had stopped laughing but the large grin left behind was still plastered on his face. "Where does this Noorthi come into the story?"

"I'm coming to that but you keep interrupting me!" I was getting annoyed. "She is the mother of the leader of the Rigeus Noorthi. Grimm kept her to extract the secret from her."

"And she married him? Strange woman."

"You've got no idea. I was captured by Vel and she took me back to the Noorthi Great House on Juno. I managed to escape and she came along as a passenger."

"Against her will, I suppose," he offered.

"I thought Beri would like to see her."

"Beri?"

"The woman who leads the group of women I've been looking after."

"Ooooooo. Do I sense something between you two?"

"Me and Beri? Are you kidding? We're just good friends, that's all." There was no way in hell I was going to tell him about the pregnancy.

"Friends… riiiggghhhtt."

"Stop distracting me. They had a falling out and this woman… her name is Tars by the way… wanted to go home. She is one sorry piece of crap and I'm quite happy to send her back."

"Then why is she with me?"

"Because Grimm wants me reaaalll bad and I can't trust him to stick to the deal for the exchange."

"Deal? What sort of deal?"

Damn! Why did I say anything at all? "I, err, made a deal with him to exchange Tars for credits."

"Oh Jordana-"

"No, listen to me! Our credit supply is low. Grimm drove us to hiding, forcing us to purchase ships, food, materials, hire laborers. They all cost money, Maco. He owes us… owes them."

"Us, J?"

"I've been living around them too long." I couldn't believe how easily I had slipped into talking about them as part of me. It was certainly putting a big dent in my reputation. "All I want you to do is to hold onto her until tomorrow and then drop her somewhere where she can get to civilization."

"What time tomorrow?"

"The drop off is 12 noon. Allow an hour."

"How about Juno?"

"It'll probably be crawling with troopers."

"They'll never know I'm there. Zip in, drop her off and zip out. I'll be gone before they even get their pants on."

"It's risky, bro."

"You said you wanted to get rid of her."

"I did but-"

"No buts. The quickest way to settle all this is drop her off on her doorstep."

"And the quickest way for you to get caught." I had concerns about this rash action but I hoped that my capture would keep them occupied long enough for Maco to slip in and out without being noticed. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"My, my, little sister, is that concern I hear in your voice?" His huge lips parted to reveal his long, curly tongue. It flickered out and licked his lips.

I sniffed the air. "How do you stand it here? That smell is worse than your sweat!"

"Why do you think I live here? It's about the only place where I smell better than the scenery."

But I knew better. His home planet looked something like this, gaseous smells and all. "Why don't you just go home, bro?"

"Not until…" He stopped himself from saying more.

"Until… what?" I asked. "Come on Maco, why are you here? Or, more importantly, what has Grimm got to do with it?"

"Grimm? Who said anything about Grimm?" My expression must have said it all because he continued to speak. "He ruined my life."

How ironic was that? This whole adventure seemed to be about ruining lives, and it made me wonder if this was all some cosmic joke.

"You too? He seems to be making a habit of it. And what did you do to piss him off?"

"Nothing." He snapped as his anger simmered.

"Oh come on-"

"I said nothing!"

"Hey there buddy, calm down," I said, trying to placate him. "You don't have to tell me, okay?"

He inhaled deeply and let out a snort. "Sorry, J. It's a sore point with me. That sorry piece of crap fired me. He accused me of being a traitor, betraying him to the rebels. Because of that I can't go home to my family."

"You? Betray?"

"Someone on Aldronicus was passing on information to Grimm's enemies."

"And he picked you at random."

"Of course, he did! You're not saying that you believe him?" Maco was becoming agitated.

"Whoa, big boy! I'm on your side, remember?" I reached out and patted his massive arm. "How about a drink?"

"Good to see that nothing's changed with you, J." He stood up and went inside.

I had no idea why I suggested a drink, especially now that I didn't touch the stuff. Maybe it was because that was how we had interacted with each other… over a friendly drink and casual conversation.

Maco returned with two mugs in his hands. "Here." He handed over one and took a healthy swig of the other one. When I didn't immediately drink, he looked at me quizzically.

"Sorry." I took a mouthful and immediately felt the need to spit it out. Not wanting to offend him, or start a new round of explanations, I swallowed it. I couldn't believe that I used to drink this stuff like water, because now it was just abhorrent to me. "Thanks. I needed that," I lied, and then smiled at him.

He sat down on the large woven seat that had seen better days. I could tell from its state of disrepair that Maco sat there often and, from what he said earlier, I suspected it was to think of home. Grimm's list of indiscretions was growing rapidly, making it a lot easier to do what I knew I had to do.

He looked directly at me. "Now, what's really going on?"

"Like I said, I'm just returning the Noorthi woman and collecting a little spending money along the way." He continued to stare at me silently. "What?"

"Why do I have a feeling that this is more serious than that?"

"Nothing is going on, my friend." I didn't want to tell him because he'd try to talk me out of it.

"Until you tell me you're not going anywhere."

"Is that a threat?" I smiled at him to take the hostility out of my words.

"No, it's a promise. You are obviously trying not to tell me something and I want to know what it is."

Sighing in defeat I began, "You think Vel was one crazy bitch before, you should see her now. She's become a psycho, Maco, and I have to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else."

"And where does this Noorthi woman come into the picture?"

"She's my ticket to get to Vel."

"Ticket?" He frowned at me. "You're not seriously thinking of getting caught, are you?"

"Yep."

"Jordana, that's not a good idea-"

"You got a better one?" I snapped. "Anything else and she'll suspect a setup. I'll only get one shot at her, bro, and she has to think that she holds all the cards."

"You do know the risks involved."

"Of course I do. I know the odds are that I won't make it out of there, but if I can take Vel with me it'll be worth the sacrifice." Maco sat there silently watching me. "What?"

"You've changed."

"And a minute ago you said I was the same."

"That was before I knew you were a hero."

"Hero? Me? I thought you knew me better than that." Maco just sat there. "You're not going to try to talk me out of it?"

"I could try but I can see that you've made your mind up." He took another mouthful of alcohol synth. "What's the plan?"

"I do the pickup of credits and head out into the traffic jam over Juno. I do a switch with Sasha"

"Sasha? Now there's a name I haven't heard of in eons. How is the sweet bitch?"

"Alive and kicking, my friend. She and her dad are living with the Noorthi."

Maco laughed out loud. "Sasha is with the Noorthi? She's worse than you are!"

"Nah, she gave up trying to seduce them a long time ago. She disappears every now and then to satisfy that side of her." But I knew she thought that I didn't know. Not much got past me concerning the people under my care. "Anyway, I'll transfer over the credits to Sasha's ship and then take off with Grimm's fleet in hot pursuit."

"And then somehow break down or something?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"And what if you end up with Grimm and not Vel?"

"Then I suppose I kill him instead of Vel. I'll take whatever opportunities are presented to me. I don't want to die, Maco, but I will if I have to."

Maco shook his head. "You've certainly been cultivating your balls, J. You had them before when I flew with you, but now they're huge!" He chuckled, then sobered. "Can I help?"

"Just do what I ask, bro, that's more than enough." He looked at me sadly. "I want you to go home to your wife and kids, Maco. You've been in exile long enough."

I had reached the outer marker of Juno without much trouble. Maco didn't want me to go at first but reluctantly agreed when I told him what was at stake and that I was the only one who could get close enough to strike.

As I approached my destination I felt the tingling in my gut and knew that adrenaline was running full throttle through my body. The ship's scanners were on full sweep, showing nothing more than the traffic jam over Juno and empty space. But I knew they were there somewhere, watching my every move as I descended to hover over the far end of Juno spaceport.

The boxes sat out in the dustbowl that constituted the outer landing area of the spaceport. As far as I could see the area was empty, but that didn't worry me because my focus was on the glittering prize on the ground.

But I had a trick or two of my own, activating the magnetic bar on the bottom of the ship to catch the boxes without having to land for them. Swiftly I moved the ship toward the stratosphere, allowing the boxes to be automatically loaded on board. I looked down at the ground and saw a number of figures running around and jumping up and down. They'd have to get up earlier in the morning to get the drop on me. It was a crude move on their part and therefore doomed to fail.

The ship shuddered as I passed through the stratosphere and moved into the blackness of space. I knew I was pushing it hard but I needed to get out of there quickly. While I was planning to get caught, it would be after I had offloaded the credits to Sasha and led them on a chase for an hour or two.

I moved the ship into the Juno traffic and slowed down to keep up with it. While the auto pilot was running I left the cockpit to check out the credits. The boxes sat there and I was almost afraid to approach them. Maybe it was booby-trapped or even empty. However, I never doubted that it was tagged, which was why I had one of Malt's scanners in my pocket.

I scanned the boxes and, sure enough, there they were. Each box had been tagged and electronically locked. If they thought it would stop me they had another thing coming.

The automatic pilot beeped at me as the ship approached the meeting point. The super 'highway' that zig-zagged down to Juno was littered with beacons, each one moving the traffic in a different direction to safely enter the atmosphere without burning up. I had chosen one of the beacons in the middle, where the traffic funneled into the narrow corridor down to the planet.

Sasha's ship was sitting there waiting for me, casually drifting in and out of the ships crawling along in the mass of heavy traffic. I slid back into my seat and switched the auto pilot off. "Hey, Sash! You there?" It was a stupid thing to say because it was obvious that she was there, but I couldn't come up with something witty.

"Nah, its Beri." Sasha thought she was a comedienne.

"Ha ha! I'm coming in to dock. The boxes are tagged and locked."

"And you didn't think they would be?"

"Listen! We'll need the usual tools, okay?"

"Ready when you are."

The newer model of ships required little input from the pilots. Equipped with magnetic docking locks I had to do little more than push a button to activate it. That was one thing I loved about Bessie, she was a very hands-on ship. I think it was the satisfaction of docking Bessie myself and to experience that feeling of gratification that I could do something that required a modicum of skill on my part. While the ships of today had plenty of power and all the modern devices, the bottom line was that the pilot was nothing more than a passenger.

There was a loud metallic bang as the airlocks connected. I waited for the familiar 'rap tap tap' that was Sasha's signal but it wasn't forthcoming. There was a delay and I began to wonder if maybe the ships weren't aligned. 'Rap tap tap.'

I hit the airlock button and the door swept aside into the gap between the outer and inner skins of the vessel. "Something wrong?" I questioned.

"Just foolin'" Sasha grinned at me.

"It's not like I'm in a hurry or anything," I sarcastically commented. "Come on, weave your magic." I stepped aside and allowed Sasha to enter my ship. Some things I did better than Sash, some things we did equally well, but Sasha excelled at cracking electronic locks.

As she hunkered down in front of the cases I looked into her ship as saw that she wasn't alone. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I couldn't let my little girl come here alone."

"Rales, I wanted you there in case Grimm finds you."

"There's no chance of that, J. Stop worrying."

"I'll stop worrying when Grimm and Vel are taken care of." And I'm dead. I changed the subject. "What are you going to do when this is all over? Return to Aldronicus?" I needed to know that everyone was taken care of.

Rales waited a moment while he thought. "Sasha and I have talked about it. We kind of like it on Heaven. It's different, but in a nice way." He laughed "Who would have thought, huh?" His gaze met mine.

"And if the sisters go back to Juno?" I asked.

"Well, err."

"He'd follow them!" Sasha added as she tinkered with the lock.

"Uh huh. Anyone I know?"

"There isn't anyone-"

"I've seen him talking to Grit now and then." Sasha called over her shoulder.

"Grit? Well well… I would have thought that after all this time you would have remembered they're celibate." And they're probably not interested in men, my friend.

"You're both nuts. Like I said, there isn't anyone," he said gruffly.

"What about the boys? What are their plans?"

"They're thinking of setting up there too. They'll work off-world but it's somewhere they can come home to. As Dorin said, it's somewhere to raise a family."

"Dorin said that?" Could I imagine that giant of a man with a baby girl sitting on his massive thigh? Yes, yes I could.

"Got it!" Sasha called. "Give me a few seconds to get the other locks."

"Hang on." I skirted around Sasha and went to the cockpit, extracting a small disc from the ship's recorder and returning to the airlock door.

"Can you give this to Beri for me?" Rales gazed at the disc as I placed in his hand, then he looked at me. "It's about her mother," I said, just in case anyone thought it was a love letter or something.

He shifted uneasily. "Jordana, you can't do this-"

"Can't Rales? They can use the credits and you know it!"

"No, not the credits," he said quietly. "What you're about to do. Is it worth your life?"

"To keep them safe, then yes." I said to Rales, the man who was probably the closest thing I had to a father since my dad died. Any other time I would have scoffed at such an idea but here and now it was a truth that needed to be acknowledged.

"I've scanned the boxes and the tags are in the box linings." Sasha told me nothing that I didn't already suspect.

"Let's get to work." Rales passed over woven baskets into which and Sasha and I tipped the credits. Once the boxes were empty we loaded them with rocks and re-encrypted the locks. "Now get out of here!" I ordered.

Sasha and Rales looked at me through the airlock door from their ship, indecision in their eyes.

"Don't even think it!" My lips tightened in frustration. "Why is it that everyone has to argue the point?" I said it more to myself than to the two in the adjoining ship. They snickered and it only made me more irritated. "Will you get out of here!"

"We can help you-"

"Sash please, just once will you do what I ask without arguing? They need your help more than I do."

"But J-"

"The longer you argue the more Grimm is going to suspect something is going on. Just get the hell out of here!"

Sasha nodded and prepared to close the door. "Sash? Thank the boys for me, will you? Give them each a bonus for a job well done." She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again and just nodded, turning away to walk back towards the cockpit.

Rales and I were left to face each other alone.

"Jordana," he said, "do you really have to do this?"

"I'm open to suggestions that would give me the same result."

His brow wrinkled in concern then he replaced it with a look of sadness. "I wish I had one. Almighty Carn, I wish I did."

"This was how it was meant to play out." I stepped through the hatch to Sasha's ship and pulled Rales into a hug. "Goodbye, my dear friend." No, at a time like this it didn't sound right so I spoke again. "Goodbye… dad."

I felt his body flinch as I said the word. "Not goodbye, daughter, just see you later."

I didn't argue the point and withdrew back into my ship. "Now get going before Grimm chases your ass too." My last image of Rales broke my heart. He had a lone tear rolling down his face as the outer hatch door closed. I was on my own.

As I sat in the pilot's chair I watched Sasha's ship disappear into the mass of vehicles surrounding us. I took a moment or two to reflect on my life before kicking the ship into life and negotiating the junk yard in front of me. Vehicles of all shapes, sizes, ages and state of disrepair made the journey to Juno for bartering, so weaving around them was part skill and part prayer. I only hoped that nothing broke off one of them and came through my window. I entered the Juno atmosphere and glided around until I picked up the outgoing traffic. This was as close as I wanted to get at this point in time so I didn't waste a moment any longer than I had to in Juno airspace.

I broke out of the traffic in space and hesitated, waiting to see if Grimm had found me yet. The ship's scanner picked up six vessels rising quickly from the surface and heading in my general direction.

My ship moved away from Juno at a leisurely pace, intermingling with the rapidly dwindling traffic now heading for their respective homes. When I thought there was enough distance between me and Grimm's ships I accelerated and headed toward Calceter, which was in the opposite direction to Heaven.

The small fleet of ships accelerated also and the game began. There was no way that I could outrun them. The cruisers had far superior and more powerful engines but I had the advantage of knowing that they were there. After all, my intention was to eventually get caught, but not before I had them chasing their own tails for an hour or two.

I had a reasonable lead on them, just staying within range of their scanners. There was no point in weaving about so instead I headed straight for Calceter, diving down low over the junk pile that was the tiny planet. I skimmed over the razor sharp metal in the hope of enticing the cruisers to do the same. Would they take up the challenge or wisely wait until I either exploded or emerged unscathed from the death run?

It took a few minutes before I had my answer. A flash of bright light appeared behind me, illuminating the metal graveyard for a moment before fading. I looked upwards and saw two cruisers parked in orbit, obviously waiting for me to emerge from the metal deathtrap that was Calceter.

Meanwhile, I caught a glimpse of a cruiser coming over the horizon, heading directly for me. They were good… really good. I punched a series of numbers into the on-board computer and waited impatiently while it made a calculation for a jump into hyperspace. It was not ideal to do a jump straight out of planetary departure but they were giving me no choice. Besides, if I gave up this easily they would know something was up.

I increased the speed of the tiny ship, zig-zagging over derelicts and pods in an almost cavalier manner. When the speed was right I angled the ship into space, getting enough momentum to make the jump. The cruisers moved into position to capture me but in a split second I was gone.

"You've got to do better than that," I said to no one in particular. Somehow it wasn't the same. Bessie at least would have answered me with an all-knowing, "don't get too cocky, Jordana". Not this ship. It was as cold as the void outside.

It would have been nice to make this run in Bessie, me and her riding the skies one last time. But I think it was the thought of her being incinerated or damaged that stopped me using her. At least one of us should live past this day.

As I considered my next move, the scanners picked up five vessels coming out of hyperspace behind me. One down, five to go. I studied the holomap for the area and found what I was looking for. "Let's see how good you really are."

The engines whined as I ramped up the speed to maximum. The cruisers would catch me eventually, but not before I reached the obstacle in question that would test their maneuverability to the limit. I closely watched the scanners as the field of broken rock, which had been a large asteroid at one time, came into view. It was a risk, I knew, but the object of the game was to make life difficult from Grimm's ships.

I entered the asteroid field unafraid, powering the small ship around large chunks of rock and small floating bits of debris. I could see the scanner in my peripheral vision and saw some movement on it. My attention was trying not to crash into an errant boulder so I couldn't see clearly what was going on. The scanner beeped at me and I eased up on the throttle. When I had a bit of space to move I looked. Two of the cruisers were boldly trying to follow me while the remaining three parked themselves outside the field. Even as I looked one ship disappeared from the screen, exploding into oblivion as the field claimed one more victim.

The remaining cruiser wasn't visible to me but I knew it was there. I looked at my chronometer and made a decision. I had one more hour of being chased before I got caught. In the meantime, Maco should have dropped off Tars and got his butt out of there, or so I hoped.

It was surprising how quickly time passed when trying to avoid getting hit by debris. The cruiser that had been sent in to get me had wisely backed out of the field after its companion had been destroyed. I was alone in the minefield and it was only a matter of time before I emerged.

I maneuvered the ship to exit the asteroid field to the left of the small fleet. There was no doubt in my mind that they knew exactly where I was but I had to at least make it look like I was trying to escape.

It was all over before I even had a chance to bring the ship up to speed. One of them was equipped with a tractor beam and it trapped me as I flew out of the field. I was nearly level with them in terms of distance from the field as the beam took hold, risking me slipping through their fingers in exchange for not attracting any debris from the field.

I sat back as the cruiser came closer. They finally had me cornered and now all that had to be done was to board me. Calmly I reached up into the overhead locker and took out the gloves and the bottle. The metal clunk echoed through the ship as the magnetic locks took hold. Any second now troopers would flood through the hatch and into the ship.

I pulled on the metallic gloves, kneading the pliable material until it felt like a second skin. The tiny bottle was in my hand and I looked at it. Should I? Shouldn't I? Did I have any other choice? These questions, and many more, passed through my brain in a micro second, none of which I could answer with conviction.

When voices filtered through to me, and I realized that time had run out, I opened it and poured a tiny pool of it into one palm. Once the bottle was closed I replaced it in the tiny locker above my head. As the troopers reached the door to the cockpit I rubbed my palms together.

"Well, boys…" It was all I could manage before the butt of a laser rifle connected with my head.

I don't know how long I was out but I found myself seated in a very comfortable chair with my hands manacled to the armrests. In a way I was thankful because my eye was itchy and I wanted to scratch it, an action that was now fraught with danger.

"So…" The hiss of the 's' told me all I needed to know about who the speaker was.

"I wondered where you had gotten to, Andrissa." I tried to focus on her but her image was a little fuzzy.

"You've been a naughty girl, Jordana."

"Really? I thought I had controlled myself rather well." I was pleased to see the old Jordana was back, ready to be witty at a moment's notice. Maybe it was because I had nothing to fear from Andrissa because whether it was Vel or Grimm that ultimately got me, I'm sure she was told to keep her hands off. "Where are we?"

"Approaching Juno."

Juno? I must have been knocked out harder than I thought. "And the ship?"

"In tow." At least they didn't blow it to pieces.

"You know, you've got your credits back. How about you let me go and we call it quits?"

Andrissa threw her head back and laughed. It was a strange sort of laugh, coming from her mouth as more of a gargle. It probably had something to do with that tongue of hers. "You're joking, right?"

"Me? I never joke," I said, "Unless it's funny, of course."

"And this is all a joke to you?"

"No. If it was a joke it would be 'a Human, a Crysean and a Rogan walked into a bar…" My head reeled as she hit me across the cheek. "No, that's not the punchline." Crack! Her other hand delivered another blow across my other cheek. "Enjoying yourself?" My tongue slipped out and licked up the blood on my lip.

"Immensely. Want to try for another one?" Her gaze was pleading me to smart-mouth her again.

"I think I've made my point." My hands twitched. I really wanted to touch her, to watch her writhe in pain, but I knew that ultimately she would outwear her usefulness with either Grimm or Vel then she would just be a puddle of skin and bones somewhere dirtying up the universe.

"We're about to land!" A voice announced over the intercom.

Andrissa took her seat opposite me and fastened her seatbelt. She gazed at me with obvious venom.

"What did I do to you that you hate me so?"

"You are a smart ass," she replied casually.

"That's it? I have a smart mouth and instantly you dislike me?" The cruiser rattled gently as we passed through the stratosphere into the atmosphere of Juno.

"Yes. You go through life like the universe owes you a living."

I didn't think I had such an attitude, especially since Vel stepped back into my life, but arguing the point would probably only get me another slap. Maybe she was just baiting me. "Doesn't it?"

Andrissa's skin was slowly becoming orange, starting at a cool green and then fading to yellow. She was a living mood ring.

"Nah, that's not it. You hate me because Vel does. She's probably been spreading vicious lies about me. Then again, I suppose I was always a little larger than life." Talk about telling lie Jordana, you old bitch. I could now see how these rumors got started, an errant statement would be overhead and then repeated many times until finally becoming a myth that was so far from the truth it barely resembled the initial comment. No, I think Andrissa would have hated me no matter what I did.

The vessel touched down lightly on the ground and I found myself back where I had been two weeks ago…on Juno and in Vel's clutches.

"Stand up!" Andrissa hissed.

I did as she ordered silently, so if she was expecting some comment from me I wasn't going to give it to her. But her skin was a mottled green-gray, which made me think that she wasn't angry in the least. Maybe she knew what my fate would be, not that I needed a seer to tell me that.

I looked at the guards smiling smugly at me as I walked toward the hatch. Once or twice I got a push in the back for my trouble, but only because they knew they could do it without retribution. Was this how they treated the citizens of Juno? But now was not the time to get all worked up over whether they did or not because I had a plan and it required my complete attention.

As I stepped down onto Juno soil I could see it was going to be another hot day on Juno. The solar cycle was coming to an end so there were only a few more days of blazing heat before the cool lunar cycle began. I looked around the field and saw activity around a number of cruisers. Heavily-armed troopers were boarding them in an orderly line, and I felt the cold finger of fate touch my soul. This was important.

"Where are they going?" I asked

"I have no idea," Andrissa replied, "but you have more important things to worry about than troopers."

"You know, Andy, you've become a real bore since shacking up with Vel." I was antagonizing her, I know, but I knew she couldn't touch me. I was Vel's plaything, not hers.

Andrissa hissed violently.

"Problem, Andy?" I taunted, deliberately bastardizing her name to irritate her.

"You are asking for trouble!" she replied, her scaly skin changing color from a cool green to brown, to orange, and then to red. I was pissing her off nicely.

"Trouble? How much more trouble can I be in?" I asked jovially.

"I could make your journey to Vel very uncomfortable indeed." The look in her eye told me that she wanted me to push her to the limit so she had an excuse to hit me.

"I don't think Vel would appreciate you damaging the goods. By the way, I should thank you for looking after Bessie. She spoke very highly of you."

"Next time I see it I'm going to blast it out of the sky."

"Naaah, she likes you and I'm sure you like her."

"You know, Jordana, I always thought you were a crazy bitch. I can see that I was right."

"Me? Crazy? I'm not the one working for a psychopath here. If I were you, Andrissa, I'd be careful."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine, Andy, but don't come crying to me when she stabs you in the back."

"You won't be around that long to see it, J."

"Aha! So you admit that you don't trust her, huh?" I was playing word games to pass the time. Okay… I confess. I was playing word games to take my mind off what was waiting at the end of this walk.

Andrissa hissed at me and I shut up. I think I had reached that line in the sand where if I stepped over it I would probably regret it.

The gloves I wore were starting to irritate me with sweat but it was a discomfort that I would have to put up with. With my hands bound by the manacles I had little choice but to ball my hands into fists to protect the tincture. I didn't want to inadvertently kill someone right away and show my hand. Of course, least of all, I didn't want to kill myself either. That was Vel's job.

Andrissa stepped into a waiting vehicle and sat down before indicating that I should do the same. It would get me to Vel faster but at least I didn't have to walk all the way.

"So the troops are on the move and Vel hasn't told you? Who trusts who now?"

She didn't reply, instead confining her interest to the masses in the streets going about their business.

"If I were you I'd ask for a raise or something. Better yet, ignore her and go directly to Grimm. After all, it's him you work for, not Vel."

Her interest came back to me and she stared intently into my eyes. My thoughts wandered as she continued to stare at me. Did she possess the ability to hypnotize her prey with a look? I had heard stories about her kind but had never come across it in my travels. Maybe it was all a myth, just like the Noorthi were supposed to be a myth, but lately I'd been discovering that some myths had a kernel of truth to them.

It took a lot to tear my eyes away from her but I managed, turning my vision to the dust and the heat before closing them to gather my scattered thoughts. I started to wonder that if I had been under her influence any longer whether she would have planted a subliminal order for me to carry out. If her wish was my wish then she didn't need to convince me of anything.

"If I'm going to die you can at least accommodate me by revealing your plans."

"And why would I do that?" she asked without interest.

"Haven't you read those ancient novels? I'm going to die and you gloat and monologue about your plans for universal domination. That's the rules." Would she?

"That's utter rubbish!"

"No, that's because you don't know anything. Vel doesn't think enough of you to include you in her plans." She was making me work hard for whatever I could find out, but she remained silent.

"Ahh, I see. You've got nothing in that head of yours," I jibed. I suppose I should have seen it coming but she struck like the viper she was, her tongue lashing out and hitting me across the face.

"I suppose I deserved that," I conceded.

"Yes, you did!" she snapped. If Andrissa had a tail it would've been twitching right about now.

"Now what?"

"Now you sleep." She smiled that sort of 'I know a secret and you don't' smile and I didn't like it.

"What are you not tell-" I passed out cold.

I sat up abruptly in the seat, trying to get my bearings. "Wha-?" I looked around and saw that the vehicle was sitting in front of the Great House steps. Andrissa was gone and two guards stood nearby waiting, I suppose, for me to wake up.

"Come on," the taller one said gruffly, while his colleague reached in and grabbed my arm. He pulled roughly because I wasn't moving fast enough for his liking but whatever Andrissa had hit me with sapped my energy. She sure packed a punch.

I kept my hands clenched as I was dragged up the staircase to the front door. Even though I was tempted to run my palms over their skin, now was not the time to allow my anger to rule me. A cool head and a steady hand were needed if I was to succeed.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere where no one will hear you scream," the shorter guard said and then smiled.

"Been there, done that," I muttered as we began the descent down the staircase to the basement. The stairs were not very wide, forcing us to move one behind the other. The guard behind me prodded me in the back with his pistol just in case I got any ideas about escaping.

Little did he know that I had no intention of escaping, at least not until my job was done. Now, I'm not the sort of woman who would sacrifice herself unnecessarily so if the opportunity presented itself I'd be running like hell out of there.

Finally, we reached the bottom of the stairs that led directly into the basement or, as I had come to consider it, the dungeon. I had run out of time. Vel was talking to Andrissa, who seemed a little agitated. Her skin was a pale green, tinged with yellow, so she wasn't quite angry but she wasn't happy either.

"Get out of here!" Vel said imperiously to Andrissa. When she hesitated, Vel spoke more firmly, "Now!"

I could hear the hiss from where I was standing as Andrissa expressed her displeasure. She turned on her heel and headed toward the stairs. As she passed me I said, "I told you so." Her fist punched me in the temple and I staggered back from the impact.

"Andrissa! Leave her alone! She's mine!" Vel took a few steps toward us and stared right at her. I saw the look in the snake woman's eyes that she had used on me and I watched for Vel's reaction. Surprisingly Vel showed no obvious signs of being under the influence of Andrissaa's hypnotic stare; quite the opposite in fact. Vel's jaw twitched as tried to impose her will on her subordinate. "Now get out of here," Vel growled.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked Vel.

"Andrissa is going to kill those Noorthi bitches you have such a fondness for."

"See?" I said to Andrissa. "This is how you play the game. Two seconds and Vel is already monologuing. If I'm lucky, she'll tell me everything before I die."

"What is she talking about?" Vel addressed Andrissa.

"Some drivel about ancient novels and rules." Andrissa answered.

"You two are so ignorant. Ancient earth novels always had the rule that when the hero-that's me-is about to die, the villain-that's you Vel in case you didn't know-reveals her nefarious plans for universal domination to the hero."

"That has got to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard." Vel shook her head in amazement.

"That's what I said," Andrissa offered.

"And since when did you know what 'nefarious' means?" Vel teased.

"I've got a whole new vocabulary since we first met, Vel."

"It's going to be a shame that you won't get to use it in the future, J, because you don't have one." Vel turned her attention to Andrissa. "Are you still here? Get going!"

Vel watched me as I watched Andrissa leave. "You're not interested in where she's going?"

"Wherever it is, you won't find the Noorthi there."

"Not even the third moon of Telgan?"

My heart rate increased from anxious to downright terrified. How the hell did she find that out? How was I going to warn them? I felt a twinge of pain in my heart as I imagined them all dead. After all this I still couldn't protect them. I was faced with a dilemma-kill Vel or try to warn the Noorthi. For now, I had no choice but to go ahead with my plan.

"Oh, come on J. You wanted to play this game, now it's your turn to come up with some pithy remark."

"You won't find them there either," I said with as much conviction as I could muster.

"Ah ah! That's not very pithy… or inventive either, J." Vel had a very smug look on her face, which in my opinion did nothing to improve her looks.

"What do you want, Vel?"

"I want you to die, J, but there's nothing in those rules of yours that says I can't have some fun with you before that."

"Fun? Killing a hundred women is fun to you, Vel?" She was pushing my buttons again.

"Of course it is. It's that power over life and death thing, J. It's very intoxicating."

Any doubts I had about using Lorin's death drug just flew away. Vel surpassed even my expectations of her. My muscles tensed as I considered when to strike but Vel moved away, turning her back on me and walking towards the cell in the corner. I casually looked from side to side to see what the guards were doing and estimated my chances of getting to Vel before they got to me.

"Come!" Vel ordered. The guard pushed me in the back and I staggered forward. There was a table next to the cell and something pink sat on top of it. "You're not interested in how I found out where they were?"

"Why ask? You're going to tell me anyway."

"True, but I was hoping you would oblige me."

"Go to hell, you piece of shit!"

"Stop! Let her be." Vel held up her hand. I couldn't see, but by her reaction I suspected one of the guards was about to hit me over the head. "I thought you would at least ask if that Noorthi bitch got home safely."

Something had happened. Vel was way too happy about the fact for it to be good news. My gaze moved to the table or, more importantly, the pink thing sitting on the table. If I didn't know better it looked like a tongue.

"Oh, that! After she told me what I wanted to know she kept whining on about her daughter and saving her. As far as I was concerned she had nothing else to say." Vel poked at it with a knife.

"So where is she now?"

"She's with Grimm." Vel grinned wickedly.

"And where is he?" I felt I already knew the answer.

"Somewhere where he won't need that trick arm of his any more." Vel finally laughed.

"So, you've left the kids without parents."

"No, I haven't." She stared intently into my eyes so I could see the madness there. Vel told me with a look what had happened to those children.

"So, that's it, huh?"

"Yep. You're now looking at the new boss."

It was all happening as I predicted, and we were sitting on the cusp of history. What I did today would either save the universe or condemn it.

"I am going to stop you."

"I don't think you have a firm grasp of the situation, J."

Vel nodded at the guards behind me. There was a shuffle of shoes behind me. A hand sat in the middle of my back and pushed, shoving hard enough to move me into the cell. A low hum filled the air as the force field activated.

"What are you waiting for?" I was in no hurry for death but this seemed a little out of place.

"I want you alive when I deliver the news of the annihilation of the Noorthi."

I turned around and faced the wall. There was no way I would give her the satisfaction of seeing my reaction. My blood pressure was rising and my heartbeat was thumping loudly in my head. I had never felt so impotent as I did now. My friends were in trouble and I was unable to defend them. It was a matter of my promise to them because I was their Ratha and I wouldn't be there to stop it.

Vel laughed as she walked away, leaving me alone to contemplate the Noorthi's demise. I so wanted to run my fingers through my hair, but the manacles stopped me just short of painting myself with the tincture sitting on my palms.

"Shit!" I slumped onto the bed and lay down. What was I going to do? Fen had felt something when I had sex, so would she feel something if I tried to send a message to her? At this point I had nothing to lose.

"Fen?" I whispered, "I hope you can feel me because I really need you to warn the others. You are in grave danger and need to evacuate Heaven." I added as an afterthought, "I'm sorry that we didn't get to know one another better. I think it could have really worked if you had let me in. Take care of Beri and the baby, okay?"

I felt nothing in return so I had no idea if it worked or not, leaving me to lie there and worry.

"It's all over." Vel announced.

I looked at my chronometer and four hours had elapsed since I touched down on Juno. My heart broke at the thought of all those people dead, especially those I cared most about. But Vel wouldn't see my pain. I wouldn't let her see it. My grieving was for me alone.

"So, you've won."

"More than you know, Jordana." Vel nodded at a guard who shut down the force field around the cell.

She obviously wanted me to stand so I obliged her. I took a few steps toward her and away from the cell. "It ends here, Vel." The two guards came up on either side of me, ready for anything that I might try to do.

"You've got that right, J. You have been a thorn in my side for long enough."

Then everything seemed like it was in slow motion. Vel approached me, each of her steps timed to my heartbeat. A little bit closer… The guards stood alert and I knew that I would only get one shot at this.

In the blink of an eye the spike she had tortured me with was in her hand. My eyes widened as I saw it and realized what she was planning to do with it. Vel was intent on making sure that I was dead this time. Her arm pulled back and was ready to strike as she took the last step to stand in front of me.

Before she struck I did the only thing I could do at a time like this… I kissed her. My gloved hands cupped her face awkwardly, hampered by the magnetic manacles around my wrists, but I made sure that my palms touched her skin. The kiss was long and lingering until she realized what I was doing. Maybe Vel didn't want my last action to be my own because she took over the kiss, making it hot and demanding as her teeth latched onto my lower lip and bit hard. I felt the hot liquid pooling in the bottom of my mouth as she savaged me.

Then it happened.

The pain was indescribable. The spike plunged into my stomach, and then some. Her stabbing had been so violent it felt like she was trying to force it all the way through me. Not that I cared at this point because my job was done. Shards of hot lightning bounced around my insides, adding a new layer of pain every time it found another nerve to hit.

Vel stepped back and looked at her handiwork. She didn't even bother to remove the spike; instead, she was content to study it amusingly as it stuck out of my body. "Try and get out of that one," she said, and then laughed at my expense. "Die, you bitch!"

My legs gave out and I found myself on the floor, pain lancing through my head as I hit the ground with a thud. But I paid it no mind. Blood was slowly seeping out of me and I couldn't stop it. I tore at my gloves and managed to pull them off without touching the tincture. I threw them away… somewhere… I couldn't see where, and I didn't particularly care. They had served their purpose and now it was time to die.

My hands were now free to reach for my stomach. I could feel it there… the cold metal brushing the dissipating heat of my skin. My instincts told me to pull it out but my logic told me to leave it where it was, that was unless I wanted to die quicker. But I had to hold on to see if I had been successful. I needed to know that my one final act hadn't been for nothing.

Vel just stood there smiling down at me. Nothing had happened. Had Lorin and Floric been wrong? Did I just leave the Noorthi to stand alone against Vel?

I looked up at her, waiting. Suddenly there was color on her face. It was just a drop at first, coming from her nose. She must have felt the wetness because her hand rose to wipe it away. And there it was… the look of fear in her cold eyes. Vel looked from the blood on her to me, and back again. "What did you do?"

"Killed you," I whispered. That was all I could manage.

She kicked me time and again, unaware that the energy she was expending was speeding up the process. Blood was now seeping from her eyes and ears as well. She turned and walked away, screaming at the silent walls of the basement in frustration.

Something tapped my shoulder but I was too weak to look or even care. If Vel had still been kicking me I wouldn't have felt it at all. But now there were hands under my armpits and I was being dragged backwards toward the wall. I looked around but there was no one there.

"Shhh…" The sound was barely audible above the sound of me being dragged away.

"You're going to tell me…" Vel turned around to find me. "Where is she?" She looked at the two guards who were supposed to be guarding me. I think they were so mesmerized by her tantrum that they didn't see me being spirited away. "You idiots! You let her escape?"

"No! No… I… ahh…" The older of the two guards stumbled in his words, apparently trying to find an excuse for me being gone.

"She couldn't have gotten very far. Find her and bring her back here! I want to watch her die, do you hear me?" Vel's voice rose to a tight screech.

I had been put against the wall in a half-leaning position. Some sort of rag was placed around the spike, right before it was pulled free. I swallowed the scream that was begging to come out of me, so I inhaled quickly and snorted it out of my nose to compensate for the lack of guttural response to the pain.

Vel stopped pacing and listened. A hand came over my mouth and I tried to get control of the noise I was making. I could barely feel the sweat trickling down my face as the pain inside seemed to immobilize me. The rag returned and was applied with some pressure to the hole in my gut. A moan escaped by throat and Vel moved closer.

"Who's there?" She seemed to be ignoring the red rivulets running down her face and dripping on the floor. "Come on, Jordana, no more games! Have the courage to face me at the end!"

I was so tempted to do as she asked but a pat on my shoulder told me whoever was rescuing me didn't want me to fall into that trap. Even at the end Vel knew what buttons to push in me.

Vel's hands clutched at her stomach. "Arrgghhh!" The most gut-wrenching groan echoed up the stairwell.

"Let's go," I whispered. Whoever this was, I didn't want her to see what would happen next. Hell, I didn't want to see what would happen next.

There must have been two people because I was bodily hauled to my feet, two hands under each arm holding firmly onto me. The cloth was tucked into my clothing to hold it in place before two shoulders tried to prop themselves under my armpits. It wasn't easy because of the manacles but they somehow managed. By the size of the bodies holding me up, and the struggle they had to get me moving, I knew exactly who it was, and when I got them home… What was I saying? I wouldn't make it home.

It was slow progress across the floor to the stairs, made all the more uncomfortable by the moans, screams and begging of Vel. At the bottom of the stairwell I was moved aside as guards came running down the stairs.

"Oh… my…" "Shit!"

"Don't look!" I whispered. Vel let out a gargle and I heard a wet slap as something hit the floor.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" one of the guards announced, right before he proceeded to do that very thing.

I nudged the girls along, taking one step at a time up to freedom. The odds were probably against me, but could I cheat death once more? I thought I had used up all my good cosmic karma in this life and the next, but had someone written me an I.O.U. for one more miracle?

Vel continued to cry out but it became more and more strangled and unintelligible, until it finally stopped altogether. My morbid curiosity wanted to see what had happened to her, but I was in no state to descend the stairs. No, my imagination was doing an admirable job of picturing what was left of Vel on the dungeon floor.

We slowly made our way across the auditorium to the front door, drops of my blood dotting the large mosaic on the polished floor. A shiver passed through me as I looked down to see the trail of red I had left behind. It was a visual slap in the face for me and made me realize just how bad a shape I was in.

I suppose I had always considered my death as an abstract condition. It was something that I had talked about and had convinced myself to accept, but here was the hard evidence that it would actually happen. Dying didn't scare me as such, after all I had known that it was a distinct possibility facing Vel once more, but I still got a shot of adrenaline from seeing my own blood spilled on the floor. As the drug hit my system it felt like my heart had leapt into my throat it was pounding so hard.

The large door was closed and became a dilemma for us. My rescuers had their hands full holding me up and I didn't have any spare energy to activate the magnetic lock, leaving us standing there, invisible, waiting for someone to open the door. But Vel's frantic cries had stirred the household and it didn't take long before someone flung open the front door.

We followed a trooper outside, squeezing through the rapidly closing door. It was a beautiful day. Juno's blazing sun was low in the sky, about to disappear from sight for the lunar cycle. My thoughts remained with the beautiful skyscape while we staggered across the open courtyard. "I can't go much further." My energy reserves were just about spent but there was something more that needed to be said.

"A few more steps," one invisible body said.

"Sasha." I gasped. "We have to contact Sasha."

"I've already done that."

"But… ships…"

"Yes, yes. Vel had sent a fleet of ships to Telgan, I know. I was there."

Malt was getting way to cocky for her own good. "Evacuate…?"

"From what she said, after she dropped off the old guy at Consortium she contacted a few of her buddies. It seems we have a fleet of ships of our own."

I smiled. One of the final loose ends was now taking care of itself. I had been worried about leaving them without protection but Sasha and Malt had stepped into my shoes admirably. "Malt, you are in so much trouble. Why didn't you stay put like I said?" I scolded, but it cost me to say it.

"Because you needed me," she said unrepentantly.

She had me there. I did need her, and in more ways than one. This kid had gotten under my skin and into my heart, and nothing short of a heart transplant was going to get her out. "And I suppose Badger is here too?"

"Sure am," came a voice from my other armpit.

"Look, you two," I wheezed, "thank you for rescuing me but I'm not getting out of here alive. I want you to leave me and save yourselves." I was losing strength, I knew that, because talking was becoming harder and harder to do.

"No! I won't leave without you!" Malt cried.

"Shhh. They'll hear you," Badger warned.

"I don't care!"

"All right. Let's go," I muttered. It seemed that I would have to live a little longer to save these two kids from themselves.

We were outside the walls of the Great House, leaning heavily against the cool rock. I felt another tap on my shoulder and suddenly I could see them. Well, not them exactly. Malt and Badger had now become troopers.

"What happened?" A unit leader approached us and looked at me.

"We were attacked," I said, "Inside."

He waved his unit onwards towards the house. "You!" he addressed me, "Get some medical attention!" He left us to join his unit in the compound.

"Aye, sir!" I yelled as best as I could.

Malt and Badger found a speeder, lowering me gently onto the back seat. Just as Malt brought the speeder to life the air was filled with the sound of laser fire. I was flat on my back on the seat and unable to see what was happening. "What's going on?" I croaked.

"Looks like the Consortium are here!" Malt called over the shoulder as she put the speeder into gear and drove towards the spaceport.

Good on you, Lorin. I silently praised the old man who had annoyed the hell out of me. He had proved his loyalty, both to the Consortium and to us.

Explosions rocked the area, forcing Malt to weave to and fro to avoid flying debris. I was thrown around in the back but I was unable to do anything about it. All I could hope for was to get the girls to safety. My hands reached for my stomach and I could feel the wetness there spreading. I was running out of time.

One strike nearly overturned us but Malt held it upright. She was becoming quite a pilot, my Malt was. The speeder took a sharp right turn down a side street and we headed off in a different direction.

"Where are we going?"

"Consortium troops heading this way. Have to take a detour!" Malt said in clipped tones. I said no more because she was trying to concentrate.

I looked up at the sky and saw an errant laser strike or two from the cruisers hovering overhead. Grimm's empire was unraveling at the seams and I took great satisfaction from that fact. With all his wealth and power he lost it all to a handful of women.

"She doesn't look so good."

Suddenly the speeder stopped and Malt was in the back seat. "J!"

"Huh?" I tried to draw my attention to Malt's face but I couldn't seem to concentrate.

"Jordana! Please!" Malt lifted me up and slid herself underneath so that my head was in her lap. "Please! Don't leave me!"

"Malt!" Badger hissed. "We have to go or we're going to get caught!"

"No! No, I won't leave her!" I was finally able to get Malt into focus and there were tears running down her face.

"Don't… cry… Malt." The words felt like dust in my mouth. Unsteadily my hand rose to her face and wiped away a tear. The pain that had filled my body was fading away, leaving me floating in a haze of peace and calm. "Can… can I talk to Rice?"

Malt's hand touched my face and Rice was in my head again. It was a warm feeling that had been vaguely familiar and sadly missing.

Jordana.

I could imagine Rice saying that as we sat in the dust back on Rigeus.

Rice. I'm going to miss you.

Don't talk like that. You'll be fine. I trust Malt to get you back to the sisters in time. You just need to hang on.

My luck has run out this time, Rice. Tell the Noorthi that I'm sorry and that I love them.

Curiously I meant that. I never thought I would ever have such a connection as family again, and it was certainly found in the unlikeliest of places, but here it was.

Don't you leave me, J. I…

Beri needs someone to look after her, Rice, what with the baby coming and all.

But J-

My hand covered Malt's and I pulled it away to break contact. It was certainly easier to talk mentally than it was trying to form the words physically. But I didn't let go of the warm hand in my palm. I looked up into those trusting eyes, swimming with tears, and smiled. "You be a good girl, hear?" Badger appeared in my line of sight, standing behind her friend. "You keep and eye on her." Badger nodded after I spoke.

"Jordana!" she sputtered, her tears flowing like a river down her face. "You're the only family I have!"

"No! Badger… the sisters… are your…" The light faded from my vision, the universe disappearing into darkness.

My last cognitive thought was how sad Malt sounded when I heard her howl in the air. Then there was nothing.

Epilogue

Jordana, please! I need you!

The plea was so agonizing that I couldn't ignore it. But it was dark and I couldn't see. The words continued, echoing down what sounded like a long hall. My body moved and yet I wasn't aware of walking. I searched and searched but I couldn't find the source of the heart-wrenching entreaty.

I can't go on without you!

The voice was very familiar and in pain. I couldn't let this tortured soul suffer any longer, so I intensified my search. The darkness faded, slowly at first, going from completely black to a dark gray. Where was I?

"What do we do now?"

"We've done everything we can. Now all we can do is wait and see." The masculine voice was vaguely familiar.

I opened my eyes a fraction, allowing the light to enter. It was a bright as the sun and it forced me to close them.

"Wait! I think she moved!"

"Malt, don't be silly! She's unconscious!"

"No, Sasha. I'm telling you, she moved."

"Well, she's not moving now!"

"You two take your argument outside." It was a voice of an older woman, and I think she was supposed to be someone I knew. I listened to the conversation around me, waiting to hear the voice that had guided me back. I tried opening my eyes again.

"See?"

"J! Jordana!" There it was… the voice in my dreams.

"Ahhh," It was more an exhale than a word because my mouth was so dry my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

"Water!" Who was that? I tried to focus on the short middle-aged woman trying to give me water. A few drops hit my lips and instinctively my tongue slipped out between my lips to lick up the moisture.

"Wh-wh-where…"

"You're on Heaven."

"I…I'm dead?"

There was the sound of laughter. Had I said something funny?

"Now everyone leave her alone."

"Awww, Grit!"

Grit… I knew that name. Through half-closed eyes I looked at each face and put a name to it. Epi… Fen… Malt… Badger… Sasha… Rales… , Floric… and, surprisingly, Lorin. But it was the person seated next to the bed and holding my hand that had my attention.

"I knew it was you," I whispered.

Beri was silent for a moment as a single tear slid down her cheek. "I thought I had lost you."

"Heaven?"

"Sasha's flying buddies drove off the fleet." Epi said.

"Because of Malt's warning we managed to intercept them at the second moon," Sasha reported, "Took down a few of the cruisers before we sent them running with their tails between their legs."

"We're all staying here, J. The Great House on Juno was destroyed by Consortium laser fire. Me and the boys will begin building some dwellings for us all to live in then I suppose we can get around to erecting a Great Hall." Rales teased.

"The Great Hall comes first!" Grit argued.

"I refuse to sleep in a Great Hall," Rales complained.

"And we won't allow you!" Grit countered.

I knew I should have cared about it but I didn't. "Are you okay?" I quietly asked Beri.

"I should be asking you that." Beri's dazzling smile went straight to my heart. "I knew you were in trouble."

"Come on, now…" Grit started pushing people out of the cave. Fen stopped at the entrance and looked back at me. She winked and nodded, her eyes glancing at Beri for a second. It was like she had known all along. Was it one of those mysterious Noorthi things they seemed so apt at producing out of the blue? One day I would ask her but for now there was only Beri and myself …alone.

"Yeah?"I withdrew my hand from hers and placed it on her stomach. "And the baby?"

The hand that had been holding mine rested on top of my hand on her stomach. "Fine… now." She leaned in close and murmured, "Welcome home."

Beri had been in front of me all this time and I hadn't seen her. Tiredness overwhelmed me and my eyes closed of their own volition. "Yeah," I sighed, smiling gently. "Home."

THE END