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  “Yes. I and a few of the others have been running an independent security operation since PA pulled out. The credits are good, although the job is more dangerous than any we have ever undertaken. Are you on Sasin? Are you looking for employment?”

  “I am on Sasin, yet not in search of a contract.”

  “I heard you left PA and were rumored to be working with the Humans against the Aris creature. Is that true?”

  “It is.”

  “Does it pay well? Are the Humans in need of others with our skills?”

  “I apologize, Anoc. What I seek is merely the location of a CW relay center in Yanish-kas, near the commercial spaceport. I have arrived in a damaged starship and must make an urgent link. Can you help?”

  There was a hesitation on the line before Tidus spoke again. “I am willing to pay for your assistance.”

  “Then, yes, I can guide you. Where are you now?”

  “The merchant spaceport, occupying space one-sixty-three East.”

  “I can be there in fifty local minutes. I will bring a protective escort. It is not wise to travel the city without such. Do you have credits aboard your vessel? On Sasin, nothing gets done without payment in advance.”

  “Yes, I have Juirean credits.”

  “That would be most excellent. I am on my way.”

  After breaking the link, Tidus turned to Monty.

  “You and Summer will remain aboard to protect the ship.” The Juirean began to untie his ponytail, releasing his mass of light blue hair to cascade across his shoulders and down his back. “I will go into Yanish-kas as a Juirean Overlord and make the link to the Colony Ship.”

  “Alone?” Monty asked.

  “I will be in the company of my former associates.” He saw the smirk on Monty’s face. “Yes, I realize they cannot be trusted; however, we have no other option. If all three of us left, the ship would surely be open to robbery and vandals. Even though it will not fly again, we will need it for shelter until those from the Behemoth arrive. I would not risk staying in the city. Besides, you are restricted in your movements. I am not sure what value you would have in a fight.”

  “I can hold my own,” Monty snapped.

  “I will be fine,” Tidus continued. “I will be counting on the reputation of the Juireans to protect me.”

  Summer’s stomach twisted as Tidus moved aft to change his clothing and prepare for the journey into the city. Even in a best-case scenario, it would take someone from the Behemoth nine days to reach Sasin. Nine days living in this broken-down starship while fending off the vultures.

  It would be a miracle if anything were left by the time the cavalry arrived.

  Tidus Fe Nolan looked resplendent in his thick, blue velvet cloak and magnificent mane of erupting blue hair, which added another twelve inches to his already seven-foot frame before flowing down to mid-back. He was every bit the image of the elite and powerful Overlord class of Juirean, which he had been until casting it aside for a life of freedom among the less-privileged species of the galaxy. His quest for independence eventually landed him at the galactic security company Priority Acquisitions. The company specialized in fugitive recovery, as well as small-to-mid-size paramilitary operations and security details for dignitaries and other celebrities.

  A few years back, Tidus once again undertook a drastic career change, when he joined Adam Cain and his team in their struggle against the Mad Aris, Kracion. Since then, he’d found a new home on the team, if only as a secondary character.

  Now he stood before Monty and Summer, reliving some of the past glory of being a member of the most dominant race in the galaxy.

  “You look magnificent, Tidus,” Summer ogled. She had limited experience with Juireans, although she’d seen a few aboard the Colony Ship. Tidus was an anomaly, one of only a handful of his race to ever leave the Authority voluntarily. “You certainly will make an impression on the streets,” she complimented. “I hope it’s enough.”

  “If not, I have insurance….” He pulled back the cloak to reveal a set of MK-47 bolt launchers strapped to his thin waist. “However, I am counting on deference over firepower.”

  An hour later a beat-up six-seater transport pulled up to the starship. Four aliens climbed out, all of different races, with a yellow-skinned creature taking the lead.

  “The yellow one is Anoc,” Tidus told the others as they watched a monitor on the bridge. As the Juirean explained, Anoc was a Sebonen, a stocky creature with thick, scaly skin and an oblong head placed sideways on his narrow neck. He had two primary eyes set at opposite ends of his head, and scent feelers in the form of wispy antenna midway between the eyes. He had no nose to speak of and breathed through a square mouth with bony gums for chewing. His race had been a member of the Expansion back before it was called the Expansion and was classified Prime-A for their physical abilities and level of technological prowess. When Tidus had last been to Sasin, Anoc was the assistant director for the Priority team permanently assigned to the planet. Tidus forgot the name of the director; it didn’t matter, he was probably long gone by now, enjoying the privileges of rank when it came time to evacuate Sasin.

  Tidus slid smoothly down the slope of the deck toward the exit. He turned at the outer hatchway.

  “I will return as soon as possible. Please have no worry. I have been in situations such as this before. Follow our established protocols when I return, and all will be fine.”

  Summer cracked the hatch and cycled it open. She and Monty also had MK weapons strapped to their waists; the spaceport was crawling with an assortment of the most unsavory creatures she’d ever seen. It was a nightmare come to life—at least one version of a nightmare. She shuddered at the thought of the looming eye growing ever closer….

  The sky outside was a slate-grey overcast, which matched the general hue of the surrounding city. Everything here was dull and in shadows, and although the Forty had taken in filtered air from outside, she got her first whiff of the real thing through the doorway. It was a putrid, foul odor which hung in the air like a cloak, smelling of living decay. During her time with the Marines, she’d been on a few of the refugee worlds with Sherri Valentine, experiencing what she thought at the time was the worst conditions imaginable. But that was just a prelude to Sasin. Here was an entire planet of even worse conditions. She never imagined a place could be this far gone.

  Tidus stepped out of the Forty, using the wreckage of the shuttle beneath it as steps to reach the charcoal black soil of Sasin. He marched to the waiting aliens near the transport without hesitation or fear.

  Anoc locked eyes with Summer and Monty momentarily, as if surveying the items on the lunch menu. The strange alien head and eyes made Summer shiver. Everyone in the galaxy was a predator. Anoc was no exception.

  She closed the door, savoring for a moment the semi-fresh scent of the filtered atmosphere. She prayed the batteries would last until the rescue party arrived.

  Tidus studied Anoc’s demeanor. They had not had much contact in the past, but Tidus remembered him as being one of those creatures who, if fortunes were only slightly different, PA would have been tracking him rather than he tracking the criminals. In a way, it made sense that Anoc would have stayed on Sasin when the planet deteriorated. There was money to be made in confusion and desperation. And Anoc did have skills.

  There was no formal greeting, no handshake or alien-hug. They simply acknowledged one another, along with the three beings with Anoc. Tidus got the impression the others never worked for PA. They appeared too crude, too mindless to have worked for the premiere fugitive recovery operation in the galaxy. They were probably hired muscle Anoc had enlisted for his new operation. They eyed Tidus with suspicion and contempt. Although Juireans were the apex race in the galaxy, they were not well liked by most Expansion members. They were accepted, as lords and masters often were. But this was a rebellious group on Sasin. They didn’t bow easily to authority, real or perceived.

  “I see you are in full regalia,” Anoc said t
o Tidus, waving a hand at his cloak and magnificent mane.

  “I felt it might provide more security on the streets of Yanish-kas.”

  “Or signify a larger purse, should you be robbed.”

  Tidus gave him a thin, toothless smile. “That is why you are here, Anoc: to protect me.” There was an implied challenge in the statement. “You must live nearby; it did not take you long to get here through the chaos of the city.”

  “I have a compound in the foothills south of here. It is a defensible position, unlike that which can be found in the city center. Most of my business is for personnel and cargo escort from the spaceport. It is wise to base my operations within a reasonable distance.”

  Tidus nodded. “I am in need of a CW communications station. Is there one in the vicinity?”

  “Several blocks to the mountainside. We will take you. But first, there is the question of payment.”

  “I will pay you, Anoc,” the towering Juirean said with a thin smile. “Is there no trust between former associates?”

  “We worked for the same organization, Tidus, yet you were never assigned to Sasin. That would not rate us as associates. Besides, it is only prudent that we negotiate the fee before providing the service.”

  “What do you suggest? I merely require transportation to the station and back.”

  “Is not the relay working aboard your vessel?”

  “It was damaged on the way to Sasin.”

  “Through hostile action?”

  “Would it matter if that was so?”

  “It is just that no one comes to Sasin voluntarily. You have a damaged communication system and a damaged ship.” He eyed the charred and dented hull of the Forty, as well as the strange marriage between it and the crumpled shuttle underneath. “And now you come to Sasin, just you and your two Human associates. I must deduct that we were your only option.”

  “Your point?”

  “That the link you wish to make must be of the utmost importance; therefore, I would be remiss if I did not price my services according to the need.”

  “I could reference my datapad and inquire from others, after which I could walk or pay simply for transportation once the location is known. I am willing to pay, but not to be extorted.”

  “My Lord, Tidus,” Anoc said. The word Lord carried a sarcastic tone, referring to an Overlord’s official form of address. The alien knew Tidus had been expelled from the Authority long ago and could no longer claim the title. “Let us not squabble. I request a thousand Juirean credits for transport to the station and another thousand for the return trip to the spaceport.”

  “That is exorbitant, Anoc.”

  “For Sasin, it is not. We offer guidance, transportation and protection during the contract period. You should know services such as these—in a place such as this—can be quite expensive.”

  “Very well but let us hurry.”

  Anoc and his three guards stood their ground. “I will require a thousand now and then the other thousand when we leave the CW station. If you need to reenter your ship to retrieve the funds, we will wait.”

  Tidus reached into an interior pocket of his blue velvet cloak. He already had the credits divided into separate compartments so they could be easily withdrawn without having to show additional credits as he counted them out. He handed four green chips to Anoc.

  “Very well, please enter the transport.”

  One of the guards took a front seat, leaving Tidus to squeeze in between two of the burly aliens in the rear. Anoc did the driving.

  Tidus wasn’t worried, not at this stage. If Anoc were going to rob him, he would wait until they returned to the Forty. There would undoubtedly be more credits aboard the vessel.

  Tidus did his best to survey the lay of the land as Anoc guided the transport away from the Forty and through the disorganized maze of the spaceport. Some of the creatures he observed belonged here, running leaking fuel lines to the few space-worthy vessels present, or operating heavy haulers full of incoming cargo under the watchful eyes of armed sentries, some of whom might have been in Anoc’s employ. Most of the other beings nearby scurried about, going from derelict to derelict looking for any scrap metal, stray electronic component, or otherwise overlooked treasure they could trade for food. As the vehicle lumbered past the rusting hulks, Tidus could see that many of the forgotten starships had become homes for the most indigent of Sasin. Small fires glowed from within several of them in a losing effort to fend off the coming cold of night. A steady wind howled through the metal monuments, and dense cloud cover made the afternoon not much brighter than night. Somewhere above the clouds, dual moons orbited Sasin, providing a dim, perpetual spotlight on the putrefaction of the planet.

  As the car passed beyond the ill-defined border of the spaceport, Tidus didn’t have much confidence that a CW relay station would be close. Looking at the neighborhood, he felt the challenge insurmountable. These buildings barely had electric lights. Even fewer had running water, let alone a high-tech communications station capable of instantaneous links across thousands of light-years.

  Anoc turned right at an intersection and proceeded along the perimeter before coming to a road where cargo was being transported in and out of the spaceport. More businesses were located along this thoroughfare, a ribbon called the E-4 concourse.

  Once outside the spaceport, the journey to the CW relay station was not several blocks away, only two. A one-sentence set of directions and Tidus could have found his own way. Instead, it cost him a thousand credits for a five-minute ride. Tidus said nothing regarding Anoc’s exaggeration of the distance. It was a price he had to pay based on local standards.

  The vehicle slid up to a cracked and broken sidewalk and stopped. Tidus climbed out, and the guards took up sentry positions on the street. Patrons of the CW station would be the most affluent in Yanish-kas and therefore prime targets for the hordes of criminals roaming the streets. Some of the vultures would be stationed nearby, waiting. The sight of a Juirean Overlord and four guards should be enough to discourage any spontaneous attacks. But with time to organize, that was another issue.

  The relay station was housed in a high-security building, with a four-inch-thick security door made of metal-infused plastic set in a structure of metal, not stone or wood. Although it appeared sturdy and solid, it had seen better days. Black scars ran up the sides, evidence of prior attempts to blow open the front of the building.

  Tidus made his way over the light rubble and approached the security station set in the wall. The three guards on the other side of the barrier gawked as the Juirean Overlord strode to the window.

  “I am Overlord Tidus Fe Landon. I wish entry to complete a link.”

  “There is a five hundred credit security fee required for entry, my Lord,” said one of the guards through an electronic relay.

  Tidus pulled out the credits and placed them in a sliding bin.

  “Have your escorts step back,” the guard instructed. “Only you will be allowed inside the facility.”

  Anoc and his team were already moving away. They knew the procedure and didn’t press the issue.

  The door cycled open, and Tidus entered. This was just the first of three secure barricades he had to pass through before entering the facility itself.

  A slender, pink-skinned creature, dressed in a shabby monotone brown outfit greeted him in the lobby. Tidus knew him to be a native Sasin. In reality, there were so few left that seeing one in the flesh was a rarity.

  “I apologize for the inconvenience, my Lord,” the native squeaked. Tidus knew the Sasins to be intelligent creatures yet not physically intimidating. That was the reason they’d been dominated for so long by alien invaders, and especially now with the uncontrolled influx of refugees.

  “It is quite all right. I must make a secure link.”

  “Approximate distance?”

  “Two thousand light-years. Why is this a concern with CW communications?”

  “It involves the number of relay l
inks required, my Lord.”

  “That is not normal.”

  “Very little is normal on Sasin. Are we in agreement?”

  Tidus nodded, although, from his expression, the native could tell he wasn’t completely in agreement.

  “Please, follow me. I will set you in a booth. And again, I apologize, but I will have to ask for payment, and in advance.”

  “Is there no accommodation for Juireans?” Tidus asked, astounded. There were countless perks to being the leaders of the Expansion, one of which was that they seldom paid for any officially sanctioned services, such as CW links.

  “I regret to inform you that with the high cost of maintaining this facility on Sasin, a monetary fee is required of all patrons, regardless of heritage. We are in constant need of repair to the relay antenna as vandals steal the metal nearly as soon as we replace it.”

  “How much?”

  “For a link of that distance, three thousand credits.”

  Tidus said nothing; instead, he stared with his unblinking yellow eyes at the much smaller native. To be charged for the link was an issue; to be charged so much was another.

  To his credit, the smallish alien didn’t waver. He met Tidus’ stare with a sheepish one of his own.

  Eventually, Tidus handed over the credits. He had come with eight thousand, which should have been plenty. Then even if he got robbed, there was still more back on the Forty. But after paying Anoc—as well as any other unforeseen fees—he would return with very little.

  He was escorted to a private room with the necessary communication equipment. It looked to be several years old and not well maintained. Tidus hoped it still worked.

  Although all modern starships carried the equipment, land-based CW stations were fairly rare. Governments and military had them along with the larger companies. But there were few commercial facilities available, even on the more advanced worlds. It had something to do with the magnetic field of planets, along with atmospheric interference, which made ground stations much more expensive to build and maintain, as Tidus had just experienced.