Star Marque Vendetta [Chapters 13-15]

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This is the last day I'm taking meds, so I should be all good for normal writing starting tomorrow! Woo!

Please enjoy more of Star Marque~

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

IN SERVICE TO GENERAL LONE

I never grew tired of using a space elevator.

The donut-ring lift would travel at 3,700 kilometers an hour, straight through the atmosphere, all the way to the space station in orbit. It took ten hours to go up or down, which was three times longer than the space elevator on Vectin-14, but the capital planet always got the best shit. Regardless, the view of Vectin-10 during the long ride was second to none, so I didn’t mind. The deserts—arid and flat—had a golden glow when up high enough. Sawyer had said the minerals in the sand had a natural refraction that caused the effect.

The moment I thought of her, I pulled my enviro-suit helmet over my head. It hardened and clicked into place. Once the visor pulsed to life, I switched the comms to her personal channel.

“Sawyer?”

But she didn’t answer. That was odd. She typically responded within seconds—but everyone had to sleep eventually. Perhaps I had caught her at a bad time.

I turned around. The space elevator was partitioned into four compartments, three of which were for the 50,000 tons of cargo. Our passenger compartment reminded me of a waiting station for a mag-lev train. Seats and entertainment stations were placed in perfect lines to accommodate as many people as possible.

Lysander sat on an end seat, his head back and his arms crossed tight. His helmet remained up, so I couldn’t see his face, but his even breathing betrayed the fact that he was sleeping. I hadn’t slept in twenty hours, but I didn’t want to miss the view from the elevator, so I hadn’t planned on resting until I got to the Star Marque.

Alone in an elevator with thirty other people, I returned my attention to the window. The vastness of the planet dwindled the higher we climbed. After a few hours, the clouds and the haze of the stratosphere blocked most of my view. Despite that, I stayed and observed the transition into the thermosphere, and then the exosphere. The layers of the atmosphere reminded me just how small I was. The thought still shook me, no matter how many times I had experienced it.

Lysander woke a few minutes before we reached the space station. Once the elevator stopped, we exited and headed straight for the docks.

My comms beeped with an incoming message the moment I stepped foot on our starship platform. I figured it would be Sawyer, but Dr. Clay’s name flashed across my visor instead.

“What is it?” I asked.

With the helmet up, the voice went straight into my ear. “We got our first assignment. We’re waiting for you in the conference room.”

“Already?”

“That’s right.”

Eager to get straight into the action, I boarded the Star Marque and took to the lift to Deck One. Sawyer still hadn’t contacted me, however. In theory, she’d be waiting with the other officers in the conference room, but it still bothered me.

Lysander and I arrived in record time. Cai, Noah, and Dr. Clay were all there, but not Sawyer. And it was apparent that something was amiss. Noah didn’t look at me when I entered—he tapped at the computer terminal built into the conference table, his hands unsteady, and his eyebrows knit.

I ripped my helmet off and allowed it to fall between my shoulder blades like a hood. “What’s going on?”

Dr. Clay sat up straight. “You’re asking us? We were informed you struck a deal with Vice-Admiral Valfive. Please tell me this isn’t a surprise to you.”

“It’s not,” I snapped. “What’s with this mood? What’s our assignment?”

“Valfive wants you to meet him at General Lone’s planetside villa for a private discussion.” Dr. Clay motioned to the screen on the table. The briefing information plainly stated I was to return to Vectin-10 to have face-to-face discussions with the military leaders stationed there. “It’s marked urgent,” Dr. Clay continued. “And you’re supposed to be there with your vice-captain in twelve hours.”

I barely heard the last of the words.

Now I knew why Sawyer wasn’t here, and why she was upset. She had only ever asked me for one thing—not to work with General Lone—and his name was the first thing that had popped up on our assignment.

With a curse on my breath, I crossed my arms and stared at the dark gray of the duralumin flooring. I should’ve known a vice-admiral would have to answer to a general, but I didn’t think we’d have to directly interact with the one man Sawyer wanted to avoid.

Then again, there weren’t billions of superhumans like there were humans, and only superhumans held the top positions in all branches of government. Perhaps I should’ve known.

Lysander stepped to my side. “Demarco? What’s wrong?”

“Did you know Vice-Admiral Valfive works for General Lone?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to take a long inhale. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Why would I?” He stared up at me, his blue eyes groggy. “All the superhumans stationed around the Ares Military Base answer to General Lone. He’s in charge of Vectin-10’s security and has the highest rank. Of course, Vice-Admiral Valfive answers to him.”

“There isn’t an admiral who Valfive answers to or something?”

“I don’t think any are in the area. Last I heard, Admiral Vanine died with the collapse of Capital Station, and Admiral Lone—who is General Lone’s nephew—was put in charge of the cleanup, so he’s on Galvis-4.”

Noah glanced up from the computer and glared at his brother. “General Lone will recognize you.”

Lysander nodded. “Probably.”

“You can’t go down there,” Noah said. “He’ll probably arrest you or something.”

“He knows you’re a defect?” I asked.

“Of course,” Lysander drawled. “He was part of my disciplinary hearing and signed off on my dishonorable discharge. Although General Lone isn’t a man to remember individual Homo sapiens, he opposed my father’s rise in the military, and used my discharge as a reason to deny him all further advancement. I have a feeling he’ll delight in seeing me on an enforcer ship.”

I almost asked how Lysander got around with a reputation like his, but I already knew the answer. It was the same reason nobody knew of my criminal history. Sawyer had re-written his ID chip—the only way to identify him now was to see him.

“Well, you park your happy ass on the starship while I handle this,” I said.

Dr. Clay stood. “You should take someone with you. I’ve seen these meetings take place hundreds of times, both for politicians and military officers. The villa was likely constructed without the standard surveillance that most modern buildings require. What is said in there, stays in there. I suspect they want to question you regarding Endellion.”

I turned to Lysander.

He replied with a curt nod. “They’re called dead zones. It’s illegal to send signals in or out of them. They’re underground penthouses, basically. Homo sapiens aren’t allowed to get permits for them, but Homo superior are. They justified the construction by saying that some military secrets were classified and in this age of technology, they—”

“I don’t need a damn history lesson,” I snapped. “I just need to know what I’m getting into before I go down there.”

“Dr. Clay is right. They likely want to discuss Endellion without the chance of their conversation getting back to her. They’ll probably ask why you opposed her in the assembly room.”

Although Cai had been silent since I had entered the room, he cleared his throat and got everyone’s attention. “I know I’m new here, and I’m not sure how you all operate this starship, but I’ve had plenty of dealings with those two-toned freaks who think they’re superior. Trust me. They won’t just be asking questions. They’re going to demand you do something, and then they’re going to threaten you if you don’t comply. You better be agreeable long before you get there. They like genetic scum like us—but only if we play by their rules.”

Oh, I knew.

This was how Endellion had gotten herself in trouble. She had “played the game” with Minister Ontwenty, and then the minister had taken advantage of her whenever she could. But even knowing all these facts, how could I use them to my advantage? What could I do to keep myself from repeating of all Endellion’s mistakes?

“Cai,” I said. “You’re coming with me when I go back planetside. You can be with me in this dead zone.”

Noah slumped a bit in his chair, but he didn’t say anything. If his brother would be recognized, there was a chance he would be, too. And I didn’t want to go anywhere with Dr. Clay. At least Cai had done this before.

And there was a benefit to keeping Lysander on the ship. Lysander wasn’t the type of man to play games. He’d be upset with whatever happened at the villa, but this way, I could just give him a report, rather than have him try to sway me. I knew what needed to be done in this situation, and Lysander’s methods wouldn’t help me.

“Be ready to go in an hour,” I said as I turned and left the conference room.

***

I couldn’t find Sawyer.

She wasn’t in her workroom or her personal quarters. She wasn’t the type to socialize, either. Clouded by my frustration, I almost forgot that the ship could locate personnel. I jogged to the nearest computer terminal and slammed my hand across the touch screen.

“Locate Chief Cyber Operations Officer Sawyer Coda,” I said.

The screen flickered with a detailed map of the Star Marque. It took me a moment to scan through the decks until I came to her location—my personal quarters. That surprised me, but I got over the shock a moment later. She wanted to speak to me.

I didn’t slow or stop until I got to my quarters. I walked straight in, determined to explain my mistake, even if she yelled or accused me of ignoring her request. I hadn’t thought about the vice-admiral’s connection to General Lone, but we probably wouldn’t have to work with him directly. Why would the general get his hands dirty by ordering around an enforcer starship? This would probably be a one-time visit to his villa, and then we could work with Valfive instead.

When I entered my room, I found Sawyer sitting on the edge of my bed, just like before—her knees up to her chest, her eyes glued to her PAD. It felt surreal, like walking into the past. The door shut and she offered me a quick glance before returning to the work on her screen.

“Sawyer,” I said.

“Demarco.”

“You didn’t answer any of my communications.”

“I was trying to display anger,” she said, monotone. “Or maybe disappointment. It’s hard for me to distinguish between the two.”

I stifled a laugh. Of course she wasn’t very upset. Sawyer never felt much emotion over anything. Apparently, it had been written into her genetics long before she had come into existence. I wondered for a moment—what it must have been like to live in a state of near-apathy—but I knew she felt something, or else she never would’ve left Endellion to save my life.

I walked to her side and stood next to her. “I didn’t know General Lone would be involved.”

“Is that right?”

“If you want, I’ll call off this whole arrangement.”

Sawyer stopped working and tilted her head back enough to stare up at me with her gray-blue eyes. “This is a good deal. You should meet with them. This was how Endellion got her chance to become a planet governor. She worked directly with superhumans and collected favors like currency.”

I didn’t sit on the bed. Instead, I knelt on one knee in front of her. I was tall enough that I met her eye height. “I can’t do this without you.”

Sawyer caught her breath. Then she exhaled and whispered, “Endellion said the same thing.” She continued to stare, but I saw she wasn’t seeing me, but rather, something distant. “Sometimes I wondered if she had saved me from General Lone just so she could use me. That’s the obvious logic—that’s what Endellion did with everyone—so now I wonder if that’s why you keep me around as well.”

I took her hand and held it in my own, tighter than I should have, but it was hard enough not to yell. “I’m not like her. What do I have to do to prove it to you?”

Her hand trembled in mine, but Sawyer didn’t pull away. She forced an inhale and exhale, her gaze on our hands. The extended physical contact was something we had never done before.

“I don’t have anyone else besides Blub.” Sawyer relaxed after another round of forced breathing. “That’s why I dedicated myself to Endellion. She was the only one who ever helped me. She was my family. And now… I don’t even have her. I asked you for one favor, and you’ve already broken your word.”

I took her other hand and held them both. “You’ve seen me at my worst, you’ve seen me at my best—you’ve seen me standing at death’s door begging for a second chance, for fuck’s sake. You know me, Sawyer. No one else knows me like you do. I swear I didn’t think about any connection to General Lone. And I promise I’ll tear down this whole arrangement if it’ll make things better between us.”

For a long moment, we sat in silence. She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she rubbed my knuckles with her thumbs, her skin soft—more than I had imagined.

“Can we lie next to each other?” Sawyer whispered.

The question caught me off-guard. “Wait, what?”

“Like couples do. On the bed. Side by side.”

Although tense, I couldn’t help but smile. “We can lie together literally anytime you want.” I got up and on the bed in a matter of moments. Then I rolled onto my back and motioned for her to come closer. “Normally, people don’t cuddle during an argument, though.”

“Are we arguing?” she asked as she scooted closer to me.

“Heh.”

Sawyer rested her tiny body next to mine. She curled into the fetal position, her knees against my ribcage. When I went to wrap my arm around her, she jerked away.

“No. Don’t.”

“You don’t want me to hold you?”

“I hate feeling like I’m restrained.”

The statement chilled my blood. I tucked both my hands behind my head and laced my fingers together. Sawyer scooted close to me again and tucked her head into the crook of my armpit.

“You should speak with Vice-Admiral Valfive,” Sawyer said. “For many reasons. If he’s an opponent to Endellion, he’ll make for a good ally, even if only for a short time. Additionally, when we received the message to meet, that superhuman girl, Victtra Barten, went straight down to the planet to also have a few words with Valfive.”

“She’s not here?” I asked, almost tempted to sit up. “As in, she’s off the ship for good?”

“No. Apparently, she wants to tell them about your performance as a starship captain. She specifically stated she’ll be returning.”

That news shocked me more than anything else. Was she trying to get me in trouble? Was Victtra going to report some sort of breach in code? Or perhaps she was going to complain that I hadn’t let her interrogate those rebellion officers…

Dammit.

“And you should at least offer a counter interpretation,” Sawyer continued. “Just in case she has something slanderous to say.”

“And you don’t care that I’ll be speaking with General Lone?”

“I only care because he’s a man with little empathy. He’s willing to torture and kill, and he’s done it so often that I doubt he’ll bat an eye at it in the future. Please don’t have him come aboard the ship—and whatever you do, don’t work for him directly.”

I turned my head to the side. “Want me to kill him for you?” I had meant it as a joke, but my tone came out with an icy seriousness.

Sawyer shook her head. “You’d never get away with it. The Lone family is the oldest and most powerful group of Homo superior. He has connections everywhere. He’s a military hero. He’s the best of his peers.”

“Don’t suck his dick too hard,” I quipped.

“Just avoid him,” Sawyer replied, her voice so cold and dead, it might as well have been a fish sandwich. “General Lone has nothing to do with you or Endellion, other than the fact that he’s stationed here.”

“But what if we dropped a space station on him?” That came out light-hearted and comical, just as I had intended.

Sawyer chuckled. “Traitorous speech that like is normally automatically reported to the authorities by the starship’s computer systems. You’re lucky I’ve modified the ship’s recording and reporting processes.”

“I’m lucky in a lot of ways,” I said.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

DEAD ZONE

Vice-Admiral Valfive left me no fucking time—I had twelve hours to get to General Lone’s villa, but it took ten hours to ride the damn space elevator, not to mention the time it would take to travel across land. The only thing I could do on the ship was change into a fresh pair of cargo pants and a tank top. Then I headed out with Cai.

I didn’t know much about Cai outside of his professional career. He stood next to me on the elevator, staring out the windows, watching the atmosphere whip past us. He wore the same kind of casual outfit that I did, his tattooed arms out for everyone to see. The designs intrigued me, but they were mostly lines and abstract symbols—no solid pictures from which to draw interpretations.

“What’s with the tattoos?” I asked.

Cai flexed his arm. “When I was younger, I ran with a crew where people inked up. Everyone just kept getting more the longer they were there. I left before I got the full-body experience.”

“Is that what you like to do for fun? Get some ink?”

“Nah. It was fine, but I eventually got tired of it.”

“You into other types of fun?” I asked.

Cai glanced over, obviously confused by my vague wording. “Huh?”

I tugged at the crotch of my pants and smirked.

The puzzle pieces visibly clicked in Cai’s mind as he narrowed his eyes and slowly turned away. “Nah. Sorry. Not into that kind of fun, either.”

Of course he wasn’t. Just my luck.

Frustrated, and no longer in the mood for conversation, I fixed my gaze on the bright white clouds. Nimbus clouds, according to the materials I had been studying. Normally, I didn’t find academics interesting—not in the slightest—but I absorbed every fucking piece of information when it came to planets. I still couldn’t believe I was able to step foot on them as often as I did.

I had Endellion to thank for that. It was probably the only memory that wasn’t tainted by her vile actions. She had delivered on her promise to me.

“You okay?” Cai asked.

His voice brought me back to the present. I glanced over and nodded. “Yeah.”

“You seem tense.”

“I’m fine.” We still had six hours before we reached the surface. I had already had a short nap—what else was there to do? After exhaling, I asked, “So, tell me about yourself.” It wasn’t the smoothest conversation starter, but I wasn’t in the greatest of moods.

“My mom operated a piece-of-shit food stall on a space station,” Cai said. “She made me work with her, even when I was young. We were at that food stall so much that I thought my name was Spicy Meat Bowl.”

I chuckled. “Is that right?”

He shrugged. “Whaddaya want from me? I also like long walks on the beach. Is that what you wanna hear?”

“Now I understand why you worked alone,” I quipped.

Cai cocked a brow. “Hey, it’s a lot easier to get shit done when you don’t have to check the pecking order every time you have to take a piss.”

“I’ll agree with that.”

“Your vice-captain wouldn’t.”

“Well, that’s one reason why my vice-captain isn’t here,” I said as I rubbed my jaw.

“Oh, I see.” Cai half-smiled. “All that bickering between you two was real. I just figured it was some sort of lovers’ quarrel. Glad to know you’re not as military as Sanders.”

Ha! Sanders. I’d get that name to stick.

And I realized then that I really liked Cai. He was the perfect person to accompany me into the den of our enemies. Just the right amount of sardonic to keep me sane.

***

After the space elevator, we took the mag-lev train south. The desert landscapes never ceased to amaze me. Sawyer had said they were dangerous—that the heat and light created a terrible combination that killed life—but I loved the golden dunes and glitter of sand whenever the wind picked up. The train cars were temperature-controlled, so I couldn’t feel the heat, but I tried to imagine it.

Once we arrived at our destination, my imagination was no longer needed. I stepped out of the car and into a reverse waterfall of invisible lava. Heat rushed up from the ground, and I immediately regretted not wearing my enviro-suit. This was what they had been made for—to protect the wearer from all the elements, including the harsh vacuum of space. If I had kept my suit, this heat would have been nothing. As it stood, I would now be wearing fresh sweat stains into this meeting with General Lone.

Cai wasn’t any better. His black hair stuck to his forehead, clumped from the beads of sweat rushing down his face. He had all the excitement and exuberance of a drowned rat.

“Let’s get this over with,” he muttered.

We headed for the private shuttle to the villas on the edge of General Lone’s property. His security force—made up of genetically-modified humans—all looked identical when it came to height and brawny build. That was supposedly a benefit of the genetic engineering: everyone was nearly identical.

Even though I had also been genetically modified, I was different—my mother had ordered DNA modifications to improve me in every way she could think of. These guard-post punks were engineered to follow orders and be tough. At least, according to Sawyer. She had said their purpose had been baked into their biological coding, similar to how she had been made physically weaker, and designed with an unreal ability to multitask.

“I’m tempted to just stare into the fuckin’ sun and dare God to kill me,” Cai said, tugging at his sweat-soaked shirt.

“You’ll be fine.”

The shuttles were tube-like vehicles hooked to tracks. They looked more like mini-trains to me, but I didn’t comment. Cai and I stepped into one, and then immediately relaxed. The cold air was a sweet relief.

The shuttles only carried four people, but the seats had been designed to accommodate the large size of the superhumans, which meant Cai and I were more like children sitting in Daddy’s recliner than full-grown adults.

Once the shuttle door closed, the vehicle zipped off down the tracks. To my surprise—since we had tiny windows by our seats—I watched as the shuttle tracks took us into the ground. That made sense. The dead zones were underground, apparently. Lucky us.

The electric hum of the shuttle was quiet. When I zoned out, and stared at the ceiling, I couldn’t hear it at all.

Cai leaned back in his seat, and then laced his fingers together and placed his hands on his head. “So, what’s the deal with your cute red-head officer?”

“She’s taken,” I snapped.

“By who?”

“By me.” I glowered at him, ready to throw the bastard from the shuttle if he thought he could argue his way out of this.

“I thought you were into men?” Cai asked, obviously baffled. “Didn’t you want to hook up on the elevator?”

With a chuckle, I shrugged. “I’m into whatever has a pulse.” Then I gave my statement more thought. “Maybe… more than that. But I’m gonna stick with what I said.”

“Oh, you’re one of those guys.” Cai scoffed and leaned farther back in his seat.

“I give you permission to pursue Sanders.”

We both got a good laugh from that statement.

Lysander had a good chance of dying alone. Man was too uptight for a broom. Then again, perhaps as his captain, I should make it a priority to make sure he had time for personal fulfillment. Or maybe it was none of my business.

What would Endellion do?

She would ignore him.

Which meant… I should probably help.

I cursed under my breath. Fortunately, the cursing didn’t last long. The shuttle came to a halt at the end of the tracks. And although we were underground, the tunnels had been outfitted with some of the best lighting fixtures I had seen in my life. The shuttle doors opened, and I stepped out into a cool and well-illuminated tunnel, complete with green plants on both sides of the walkway.

The genetically modified human guards motioned to the tunnel. “You want Villa 1. Head straight down until you see the door on your right.”

Cai and I barely acknowledged the men. We headed down the path, and the first thing I did once I was out of sight was check my PAD. I poked at the paper-thin screen and noticed that it wasn’t receiving any comms signals.

“It’s a dead zone,” Cai said, staring at my PAD. “You’re not gonna get anything.”

“I just wanted to check.”

“Yeah, well, once we’re in the villa, play it cool. If you don’t want to answer a question, feign stupidity. Trust me—these two-toned dogs think we’re barely evolved rocks. Play the dumb card whenever you want. Works like a charm.”

I nodded along with his words.

Two-toned. Everyone always said that. It was because of the superhumans’ skin. They were colored like lions—dark golden brown on their backs, and paler gold on their stomachs, chests, and faces. Apparently, it helped their bodies regulate temperature better than humans, but I doubted it amounted to much. Whoever had designed the superhumans had probably just thought it had looked cool.

The underground villas intrigued me. Cai and I reached a giant set of double doors marked with the number one, but I noticed a few other doors farther down the walkway. How many superhumans lived here?

A single guard stood watch at the massive double doors. His enviro-suit was all the way up, no doubt to protect him just in case something happened. Even though this was a well-worked and constructed to last, what if there was a gas leak? The enviro-suit would protect the wearer from any accidental deaths.

The punk guard opened the villa doors.

Another wave of cold air washed out, and I was drawn in by the pleasant aroma of flowers. I’d never get tired of that scent. It was everything a space station wasn’t.

That didn’t help calm me, however. Everything about this felt like a trap. The temperature, the smells, the location—Cai and I were cut off from everything, and the superhumans around here didn’t give a shit what happened to us.

Still, I wouldn’t let it frighten me.

I stepped inside. Cai followed suit.

According to the central data base on the Star Marque, a villa was a luxurious country home away from the cities. We didn’t have anything like that on Capital Station. Everything we had was a dumpster fire. But this… General Lone’s villa was everything I had imagined.

The gigantic entrance room was lined with “windows.” They were digital displays, showcasing an artificial exterior, but it was damn convincing. The “landscape” consisted of rolling emerald hills, pink trees, and small fields of blue flowers. A distant lake reflected the white-and-blue sky.

It was beautiful.

The actual villa interested me a lot less. It had carpet—I was a fan—and the massive couches with pillows the size of a fully grown man were interesting. Quiet music played throughout speakers built into the villa. The pleasant songs eased my anxiety. The white, pale green, and soft yellow color scheme was… not my style.

Then I spotted Vice-Admiral Valfive walking out of the nearby hallway. He was followed by a second superhuman, and for a brief moment, I felt sorry for Valfive. This new man was the epitome of superior. Valfive didn’t compare.

General Lone.

The general carried himself with confidence and authority. His muscles practically prevented him from putting his arms all the way down against his sides, but despite that, he moved with a lithe swiftness of someone with excess energy. When he spotted me and Cai, his attention homed in on our location, and he smiled a predator’s smile.

“Our guests,” Lone said, causing me to shudder.

Valfive nodded. He was shorter than Lone—which was shocking, considering they were both about three meters—and his smaller physique just didn’t help him maintain a presence. “As you requested—Captain Clevon Demarco. Of the Star Marque.”

“Excellent.”

General Lone strode away from Valfive and approached me specifically. To Cai’s credit, he didn’t move away. He stayed next to me, even as the superhuman loomed over us.

“Captain Demarco,” Lone said with a slight smile. “Why don’t I show you around my villa? Your man can wait for us in the theater room, just beyond the bar.”

Cai’s eyebrow lifted at the mere mention of a bar. But then he turned to me, his expression just as serious as it had been when he had been getting the infection in his hip dealt with. “You want that, Captain?”

I nodded once. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on a drink.”

Although our conversation was casual, Cai’s stiff movements and odd expression conveyed a lot more. Did I really want to be alone with the most powerful superhuman on Vectin-10?

I smiled as Lone motioned to the long hallway.

Hopefully, I wouldn’t regret my decision.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY

Lone was just like all other superhumans. Silvery-white hair. Two-toned skin. But his eyes were unique. They were a striking shade of indigo, and his pupils dilated and constricted enough that it fascinated me. I didn’t stare long, however. I was sure this bastard would take it as some sort of insult.

We walked the long halls of his villa. The artificial windows almost made me forget we were underground, but every time I glanced at my PAD, I knew better. This dead zone was like sitting on an island with no boat.

“Tell me why you and Governor Planet Voight had a falling out,” General Lone said, no preamble or small chat.

I preferred it that way.

“She’s a power-hungry lunatic who endangered my crew in order to fulfill her own selfish desires,” I said. Which wasn’t a lie—it just wasn’t specific details.

“It wasn’t just your crew, was it?” Lone turned to me, never blinking as he added, “A man doesn’t go on record with a threat unless it’s personal.”

He had gotten me there.

“She risked my life as well.” But I knew that wouldn’t satisfy Lone. He wanted some juicy details—some secret information no one else was privy to. With a smirk, I stopped walking and faced him. “But it was more than that. We were partners. Lovers. Then she threw it all away and tried to kill me like a psychotic bitch.”

Again, I wasn’t lying, per se. I just wasn’t giving away the biggest and best details.

Lone stopped and regarded me with an expressionless glance. The light from the fake windows glittered in his short, silvery hair. The man stroked his chin, contemplating the information.

“And you want her dead?” Lone asked.

“I said so on record,” I quipped. “It’s not really a secret anymore.”

“I’m glad we have something in common, then.” Lone crossed his arms over his brawny chest. “If we have a similar goal, we should work together on this matter. My money and power—your connections. This won’t be a long operation.”

“My connections?”

“Human connections.” Lone motioned to the hall, and then resumed our walk. I hurried to his side, a little confused. “You see, I don’t just want Voight dead. I want all of her efforts to fall apart. I want to make sure everyone knows shefailed in her duties.”

To make humans look incompetent.

“And how can I help with that?” I drawled.

Lone tapped the side of his head. “I’ll give you resources, and you take them to some key human personnel. Use the resources to convince the Homo sapiens to side with us. The more you warp Voight’s operations, the more people will lose faith in her. Once that happens, her downfall is inevitable. And then her death will soon follow.”

The way he spoke left me feeling slimy, and I had run with dozens of gangbangers in the past. Lone was just as calculating as Endellion, perhaps worse. Or perhaps he delighted in it more. Every word he spoke was laced with a self-assured smugness that made me think he was playing a game of chess with a corpse.

He knew he would win. Now he just wanted to sit back and watch.

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning stupidity, just as Cai had recommended. “Resources? People? Like what?”

As if expecting I would need more clarification, Lone quickly replied, “Planet Governor Voight has reopened several mines. I want you to speak with some of the foremen and workers. Convince them that a bank account full of credits is better than doing a good job. Have them wreck their operations—slow down Voight’s attempt to industrialize—and get it on the news by greasing the hands of those who can report on it.”

Lone had thought of some specific details.

He continued, “Those miners won’t trust a superhuman, no matter how many credits I offer them. But they’ll trust a fellow human. Especially one with your history. It’ll be the same with all the others.”

“And that’s it?” I asked, almost sarcastic, but I held it back.

“After that, we’ll deal with the rebellion.” Lone shrugged with one shoulder. “Voight claims they’re making assassination attempts. Perhaps one of them is successful.” He smiled. “All you need to do is bring rebellion criminals to me. I’ll make sure they eventually escape their cells. They won’t even know it’s my hand helping them. Their guards will be sympathizers, and I’ll conveniently leave weapons for them to steal. They want Voight dead—which makes them quite useful.”

Then General Lone could blame the violence on human infighting. He had this all mapped out.

I wasn’t necessarily against it—tearing Endellion down was my top priority.

“I want you to help me,” Lone said, pulling me from my musings. “Valfive will send you messages, resources, leads… And in exchange, you’ll be generously compensated. Not to mention you’ll have a chance to see everything Voight built burn to the ground.”

We turned down a corridor and then came to a large room with a pool in the center. The giant tub of water was shaped like a natural lake, with inclined edges so that someone could gently walk in. The still waters had no ripples or waves, but the bottom of the pool had been decorated with gem-like tiles that glittered beneath the surface.

We didn’t have pools on space stations, not when the gravity generator could fluctuate. Seeing them planetside was always a shock. This amount of water—wasted—for some assholes to dunk their bodies in for a short period of time.

To my surprise, a woman sat on a couched seat by the edge of the pool. After a moment of staring, I recognized her. But… it was impossible. Sawyer was here?

It looked like her. Red hair—longer, though. Down her shoulder. Blue-gray eyes—brighter, though. No sleepless bags. And freckles. Cute little freckles. Exactly like Sawyer’s.

She wore a semi-transparent white dress that went down to her knees and a pair of shorts underneath. But nothing else. I wasn’t complaining, but it startled me a bit. This Sawyer wasn’t covered in gnarled scars. Her skin, breasts, and fine features were blemish-free.

“Good afternoon, General Lone,” Other-Sawyer said. She smiled and tossed her red hair with her fingers. “I was just about to go for a swim. Care to join me?”

The forced joy in her words unsettled me. I stared—I couldn’t help it—and my breath remained trapped in my lungs. What was this? It obviously wasn’t Sawyer. She’d never be here. Which meant… This was some other genetically altered human. A clone? A little project?

“Is something wrong?” Lone asked, one eyebrow lifted.

I offered him a half-smile. “Of course not.”

“You’re aware that Homo superior was created with an ampullae of Lorenzini, aren’t you?” Lone ran a finger up his neck and over one of his ears. “It’s a specialized organ that senses electronic currents. That’s why we superhumans have such an easy time with advanced computer technology.”

He spoke like a parent lecturing a small child. I was well aware of the ampullae of Lorenzini. It allowed superhumans to “see” in the goddamn dark, basically. They sensed electricity even in the muscles of people around them.

“Electric currents are in nearly everything,” Lone said, practically parroting my thoughts. “And when someone lies, their body reacts in subconscious ways. When you’re hiding things from me—like in the hall—or when you’re flat avoiding a question, like right now, I can sense it. Your heart rate, your muscles, even your breathing. Everything betrays you.”

I snorted and turned away from the prick. “All right. Your lady reminds me of someone. It was a little creepy at first.”

Lone faced the Other-Sawyer and then snapped his fingers. “Helia, come here.”

Without a second’s hesitation, the girl bounded over to Lone’s side. She was so much shorter—damn near half his height—and she had to stare up at him. The girl’s eyes were large and focused, and bright with intelligence.

Just like Sawyer.

“This is my personal assistant,” Lone said as he stroked her hair—like someone petting a dog. “Helia handles all my household affairs, including the maintenance of the computer systems.” Then he nudged the girl in my direction. “Helia, be a good girl and entertain our guest.”

She didn’t complain or offer any resistance. Helia hugged one of my arms, proving to me just how thin her clothing really was. I didn’t know what to say. Sawyer had told me that Lone had tortured her like a sick sadist.

This…

What was this?

How could I even articulate the right questions without giving away the fact that I had Sawyer on my ship? Hadn’t Sawyer said, Endellion saved me from Lone? What did that really mean? I hadn’t asked any follow-up questions, like a fucking idiot.

“You seem disturbed,” Lone said, a hint of amused curiosity in his tone. “Should I send her away?”

I tensed and then shook my head. “Nah. I’m just processing everything.”

No matter what I tried, I couldn’t take my eyes off Helia. She stared up at me with a brighter smile than Sawyer ever had. When Helia squeezed my arm tight in her grip, I shuddered. She was so soft—so fragile.

“Then we should continue on our way.” Lone motioned to another door. “I have a bar and theater, and I wanted to speak to you about the specifics of our arrangement. There are special comms channels reserved for the highest levels of the military. Your starship will need to be outfitted with the right equipment to even join in on these conversations.”

I nodded along with his words, still rapt by the girl.

We walked out of the pool room, Helia on my arm, quietly giggling whenever our eyes met. Lone continued his discussion, but I barely heard anything.

***

General Lone’s theater room was gigantic. It had three large screens, two gigantic couches, and four tables positioned around the room for food and drink. A personal bartender, chef, and musician all stood in their own corner around the room, waiting to be given instructions, like sentient pieces of furniture.

Helia and I sat on one oversized couch, and Cai sat on the other. There was at least seven meters between us. Who needed a room this large? It took me a while to crane my head around in order to absorb all the details. The art on the wall reminded me of blue blood splatters. The carpets were in the shapes of animals. The edges on the couches were sharp enough to cut.

Was Lone trying to intimidate us with his interior decorating?

“So, the big shot wants us to work as instigators, is that it?” Cai asked. He patted some of the nearby pillows. “Little dogs for his games?”

“Something like that,” I muttered, my attention returning to Helia.

She nuzzled against me and smiled whenever I moved, including taking a deep breath.

I forced myself to turn to Cai. “I’m thinking it might be too much. I didn’t want to wreck this whole system or orchestrate some sort of propaganda against Homo sapiens.”

Cai scoffed. “Too late now, chump.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re in too deep.” Cai waved his arm around, motioning to the room. “You don’t get brought into the inner sanctum only to ultimately say no. These assholes expect something from you. If you turn them down now, they’re going to add you to their shitlist, do you understand?”

Damn. He made a lot of sense.

Lone had me in a tight spot. I could say yes and then half-ass everything, but if I straight up told him to go to hell, I’d just be making a powerful enemy.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll take this deal.”

Helia giggled and ran her hands over my arm. “That’s amazing. I’m sure you’ll love working with General Lone. He’s so talented. Beyond compare.”

“Who’s this?” Cai said with a reverse nod at Helia. “I didn’t want to say anything at first, since, uh, she looks like that other dame, but this is just getting awkward.”

“You’ve seen the thug bodyguards around here, right?” I asked.

Cai nodded.

“They all look alike, yeah?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“It’s because they’re all genetically engineered to fulfill certain roles. The tubes they were baked in have a few settings always checked, so it results in people who look like twins.” I tilted my head, motioning to Helia. “Let’s just say the same thing happened here.”

“She and Sawyer could be twins?”

I held up a hand, anger lancing through my system. There was no reason to mention Sawyer’s name. Not here. Not ever.

Helia didn’t seem to recognize it, though. She tilted her head from side to side, her eyes wide. “Hm? Is something the matter?”

“Nah, babe,” I said with a smirk. “We’re gonna work with Lone. Everything will go smoothly.”

“Excellent.” Helia jumped from the couch and then clapped her hands together. “Let me get you both drinks.”

The bar wasn’t far. “We can get them ourselves,” I said, half-wanting to pour myself something stiffer than reasonable.

“N-No.” Helia hurried for the bar just beyond the theater room. “General Lone would be furious if I allowed you two to get your own drinks. Please wait here! I’ll be right back.”

The bartender in the corner coughed, and I almost shit a brick. I had forgotten all about that guy. Helia shot the man a glare as she left the room, and I wondered if there was something there. Was it some sort of game between them? Who would get to serve who?

Or perhaps Lone had some sort of weird hierarchy they had to follow.

“How long are we gonna be here?” Cai asked.

I shook my head. “They didn’t say. I assume a few more hours, since Lone said something about eating, but I’m not about to ask.”

“Good call. Just wait until he dismisses us. Less of a chance we’ll get punked.”

When Helia returned, she had a whole damn tray filled with treats, drinks, and ice. Some of the cookies were shaped like koi fish. Helia handed one over to me with a genuine smile, like she was proud of it.

“You make these?” I asked, my voice low.

She nodded. “Aren’t they cute? They make me happy when I look at them.” Then she shook her head and laughed. “I’m sorry. That must sound childish.”

“It’s fine,” I whispered, staring at the treat. It reminded me of Blub.

Had Sawyer been forced to do this, when she had been with Lone?

Helia served Cai and me with a smile, her thin dress a distraction the entire time. She was mostly flat, but she had enough jiggle to be fun when she bounced around. Most women hated the staring—even if they wore something to draw the eye—but Helia neither said anything nor attempted to hide. Was this her idea of fun? Or was it Lone’s?

I already knew the answer.

With gritted teeth, I pulled off my tank top.

Cai’s eyebrows shot to his dark hairline. The bartender in the corner of the room leaned over to get a better look. The chef and the musician were in the corners behind me—who knows what they thought? But Helia reacted only the slightest bit.

“Are you warm?” she asked. “Or would you like me to show you to one of the guest roo—”

I grabbed her, and then pulled my tank top over her head and onto her body.

Everyone…

Their expressions were priceless—although clearly baffled.

I didn’t care. I continued with my work. I pulled Helia’s arms through the holes and then secured my black shirt into place, making sure it covered everything. Her cheeks grew red, and her eyes got wide. When Helia glanced up at me, it was with the most confusion in the room.

“You… want me more dressed?”

“What? You hate clothing or something?” Then I motioned to the couch. “C’mon. Sit with us. You have to entertain me, right? Or else Lone will get mad?”

Helia slowly nodded.

“Then shut up, enjoy how good my tank top smells, and have a drink. That will entertain me the most.”

The silence that followed irritated me. Why were these instructions so difficult to follow? Fortunately, Helia did as she was told. She took her seat, got herself a glass of whiskey, and then settled in next to me.

I preferred her without my tank top—obviously—but not if she was forced to dress that way. I liked my partners willing. Actually, I preferred them excited. I wanted them to want me. Anything short of that irritated me.

I was a fuckin’ catch. No one compared to me in the sack. And if I wanted, I could get Helia out of her clothing the old-fashioned way. I didn’t need Lone’s disgusting tactics.

Cai shifted around his couch, his eyes narrowed in bemused curiosity. “You’re the weirdest starship captain I’ve ever interacted with.”

I raised a glass to toast his statement. “I’m the best starship captain you’ve ever interacted with, just you wait and see.”