Chapter Twenty-Three

AXL

“I can’t believe it!” Barthan’s unhinged words echoed freely throughout the imperial headquarters. He paced around the conference table, knocking over transparent stools in his path. Isley dove to the ground and caught a ribbed vase before it hit the floor.

“We had him!” Barthan ripped off the bands holding his braid. Unruly dark hair closed over his dirt-encrusted face like a curtain. “I knew we should have broken his neck back at the ship when we had the chance.”

General Wasid had a crotchety reply. “Why are you so eager to die? Do you think we could have obtained the kysum using your corpse?”

“I still say that we should have bombed them.”

“That’s enough, Barthan,” I murmured, kneading the web between my thumb and forefinger. “You know that’s a war crime and out of the question. We would inadvertently kill a lot of civilians. They’re not our enemy.”

“So what? Do you think those bastards are going to care about our civilians when they attack us again?”

Isley laid a hand on Barthan’s shoulder, but he shook her off and closed in on me.

“Something drastic needs to be done, or we’re finished!” Barthan jabbed his thumbs into his chest. “Just because you don’t give a damn about your loony crackpot of a father doesn’t mean we don’t care about our families.”

I made my hands into fists and got up, ready to fight, but Tariq and Natya grabbed my shoulders.

“Let it go.” Tariq slapped me on the back. “We’re all on the same side here.”

To my chagrin, the last individual I wanted to hear from chose to agree with me. The Empress strode to the conference table and pounded the gavel. I turned away.

I didn’t need her to defend me.

“Axl is right. Blindly blasting Makroid villages would be an insult to our ancestors and Zamos himself. We must not lower ourselves to Silas’ level.”

“What do you propose we do, then?” Barthan’s tone sounded considerably lower but twice as abrasive. “With all due respect, the decisions put forth by the Imperial Court have been utterly useless.”

“I don’t detect any respect whatsoever. Another word and I will have you executed for insubordination.”

Barthan made a small gurgle at the back of his throat and took a step back. I noticed that he had his mouth shut.

“Axl.” The Empress gestured at one of her servants, who handed over the pillar with both hands. “You, and you alone will take this artifact and smuggle it out of Urwan. The Makroid will search the palace. We cannot allow them to get their hands on the pillar. Keep it safe, and we can talk about your fee when you return.”

I gazed at the pillar in her hands as I mulled it over. It was a reasonable request, but a thought was nagging at me from the back of my mind.

Natya, who sensed my apprehension, whispered behind my back. “Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll look after your father and Ms. Blackwood, too.”

Thanking Natya with a curt nod, I turned back to the empress. “That won’t be a problem.”

“Splendid. General Wasid, assemble the troops and begin evacuation procedures. Prioritize the women and children. Airlift them to a secure location and move the men and seniors to underground bunkers. I want every able-bodied soldier available to defend and ready to fight.”

“As you wish.” General Wasid bowed and disappeared.

“Ms. Blackwood.”

Christine popped her head out of the shadows, proceeding gingerly toward the Empress.

“After we handle your payment, you must board your ship immediately.”

“I would prefer not to.” Christine straightened her shoulders. “I would like to go with Axl if that’s possible.”

I started to protest, but Isley beat me to it. “That’s ludicrous! I commend her for her foolish bravery, but this matter is none of Earth’s concern.”

“I’ll do it for free,” Christine added quickly.

“Granted.” The Empress spoke over us, banging the gavel. “My sources tell me you have exceptional skills. Axl will do well with your support.”

“Your eminence, that is incredibly short-sighted.” Isley continued to rant, running a hand down her face. “What is her motivation? She consorted with the prisoner for the entire trip.”

“Settle down, Isley.” I intended to intervene, but Christine didn’t need my help.

“You better keep my name out of your mouth, soldier.” Christine shoved her face in front of the acquirer. “You can gossip about me all you want, but don’t accuse me of something I didn’t do. Got it?”

“I should shut your mouth permanently.”

“If I hear another word, I will detain everyone in Magnum.” The Empress’ eyes flashed. “You are dismissed.”

The needle-nosed cruiser struggled to move through a pocket of turbulence. When we started to list to the port side, the sirens on the dashboard screeched. The autopilot couldn’t do everything yet. I grabbed the yoke and steadied the ship.

Next to me, Christine twirled a lock of her dark hair around her finger and continued to gaze out the window, oblivious to the spilled water on her lap. I tossed her a towel. She picked it up and gazed out the window again, blotting out the wet spot without looking at it.

“Thanks.”

I reached into the crate behind me and pulled out a silver packet. I twisted the seal off both ends and squeezed. The wrapper began to transform as smoke escaped from the seal. I ripped it open and pushed out the top half of the meat roll. “Light meat or dark?”

“Hmm?” Christine glanced at me, folding the towel neatly over her lap. “None for now, thanks.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged, leaning back in my seat and biting into the rubbery roll.

Christine faced away from me and entered a period of poignant silence. I had been looking forward to giving her a piece of my mind once we were alone, but it soon became apparent that she was already punishing herself. It had been four hours since we left Urwan. She had missed every opportunity to say something witty to me, and I had never seen her looking disconsolate before.

Her communicator started to beep. “Are you going to answer it?” I swallowed the last of the meat roll and threw the packet in the fabricator. “That’s the fourth time it has rung today.”

“You’re right,” Christine mumbled, unbuckling her restraint and rising from her seat. “I should get this over with.”

Christine put on an earpiece and made her way through the maze of supply crates in the congested spaceship. She slipped into the bathroom across from the galley and bolted the door shut. Unfortunately, the small vessel was not ideal for privacy. I could still hear her voice through the wafer-thin door.

“Not now, Aunt Meredith. If someone doesn’t answer your call, they might not want to talk to you. You can just leave a message. My messages have been getting deleted for some reason, but everything in life is risky.”

“No, you listen to me. You’ve gone too far this time.”

“Please stop. Don’t try any more guilt trips. I’m asking for you to leave me alone. Bye-bye.”

Christine let herself out of the lavatory and plopped down on the passenger’s chair. “Do we have anything around here that’s stronger than water?”

“There should be some ale in the galley.”

“That sounds perfect.” She bounced off her seat and squeezed her way to the galley. As I drank from my flask, my wandering eyes settled on her ass, watching her plump butt cheeks rise and fall in the natural rhythm of her gait. Feeling a stirring in my crotch, I stopped ogling her and averted my gaze.

“It’s a little stale but still pretty good.” Christine reappeared with a full thermos. She sat back in her seat and crossed her legs, breathing out sharply. “I get the feeling you want to say something to me. Let me have it.”

“Have what?”

“Why haven’t you started in on me?” She took a deep drink of ale. “Were you waiting to get some shut-eye before you rip me a new one? I deserve it.”

I twisted open a packet of citrus-filled bread and handed her the freshly steamed pastry. “Here you go. I think this will make an excellent pairing with your ale.”

“Thanks. It’s more than I deserve,” Christine muttered, setting down the drink and breaking the bread apart.

“Blaming yourself for everything bad that happens is not a good look.”

“It’s called being humbled.” Christine’s cheeks grew rosy from the alcohol. “Being wrong sucks.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. You decided to follow your gut and wanted to see good in someone. I wouldn’t have made the same decision, but you had honorable intentions.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing.” Christine trailed off as her voice cracked.

“Let me ask you something. Why are you still here?”

Christine took another drink from her thermos before finding her voice. “I’m partially responsible for what happened.”

“Get a grip on yourself, Christine,” I chided her. “That’s enough self-pity for a lifetime.”

Her voice grew soft. “I didn’t say a word about your plan to anyone.”

“Thank you.”

She looked away from me, finding something interesting to look at in her thermos.

“You don’t have to stay.” I leaned back and ran a hand through my hair. “I can drop you off somewhere and bring your share of the credits when everything blows over.”

“No way.” Christine tilted her head back and shook the last drops of ale onto her tongue. “Not after everything we’ve been through. I can’t back out now. I have to see this through to the end.”

“Very well. So be it.”

Those were the last words we said to each other that night. After a few hours, we landed on the small, sparsely populated planet of Salhoon. I steered the spaceship to a clearing where we could recharge. Under the dimmed lights, we reclined chairs and curled up in our seats, facing away from each other.

That night, I had a recurring nightmare about navigating the labyrinth in an icy badland by myself. In my dreams, the darkness behind my blindfold was black as death. I never remembered my dreams; I only knew what had happened because I woke up to find Christine’s coat draped over me.