The Akseli, page 13
“And they seem to have added the Purveli to the list of races they wish to eradicate.”
The Gathendiens were the scourge of the galaxy. “Clearly, you are not of the amoral sort. So how did you become the dashing pirate you are today?”
He smiled. “Would you believe I sought adventure in my youth and stumbled into the profession by accident?”
She pretended to consider it. “You do seem the type who likes to get into trouble a lot.”
He laughed.
“I honestly would like to know, though,” she told him, serious now. Instinct told her to trust Janwar. He had saved her ass, after all. But there was also this oddly strong desire to know more of him. Almost a craving. Something she couldn’t attribute to simple curiosity, not if she were honest with herself.
His smile faded, but his features didn’t slip into the stony mask he sometimes hid behind. The one he wore like armor. Instead, he seemed comfortable with her, if a little reluctant to delve into her chosen topic.
Or perhaps he merely debated how much to tell her.
“Aksel, my planet, was similar to Purvel when I was a boy. We maintained positive relations with the Lasarans, Segonians, Secta, and other members of the Aldebarian Alliance. But sometimes, we warred amongst ourselves.”
“Yeah. We do that a lot on Earth.”
He nodded. “Aksel was divided into four quadrants or territories. Each had a ruler nominated and affirmed by the citizens of their quadrant. Every five years, their rule was reviewed, and they would then either be reaffirmed or replaced at the people’s discretion.”
“We have some governments similar to that on Earth.”
“Well, when I was eleven solar orbits, the ruling tetrad banded together and began putting pieces into play that would alter Aksel’s laws and enable the four rulers to remain in office indefinitely. They were very clever, convincing much of the populace that such would unite the planet and make us stronger, manufacturing dangers they claimed they alone could protect us from. But in reality, they just craved more power, more wealth, and the ability to do whatever they wanted to without being punished or wrested from office.”
“Did it work?”
“Yes. But even members of the tetrad played the fool. Because it had all been a ploy by one man who wanted to rule the entire planet by himself. First, quadrant two’s ruler died. Then quadrant one’s. Then quadrant four’s. All were deemed natural causes or accidents: illness, a transport crash, a fall. And most believed it, content to have the planet united under the rule of one charismatic leader who publicly mourned the deaths of the others even as he campaigned for absolute power. However, those who saw through his lies to the truth protested in the streets, questioning the deaths of the other tetrad rulers, calling for an investigation by a Lasaran delegation.”
“Lasarans are all telepathic,” Simone commented. “They would’ve discerned the truth in a heartbeat.”
“Which was why he refused and changed course, announcing that he had received death threats and suggesting the Lasarans had orchestrated the deaths of the other tetrad members so they could put someone malleable in power to negotiate trade deals that would benefit Lasara at the expense of Aksel.”
“Oh, please.”
“Exactly. The protests continued, increasing in size and volume, demanding at the very least the nomination and affirmation of three new rulers to restore the tetrad, understanding the danger of leaving power over the entire planet in one man’s hands.”
“One man’s bloody hands,” she muttered, thinking how messed up Earth would be if only one person who could not be removed from office reigned over it.
“Hands he bloodied even more,” Janwar bit out, “when he had most of the protesters killed.”
And there it was. “Who did you lose?”
“My parents. And my aunt and uncle, Krigara’s parents. Our illustrious ruler deemed them yetoni.”
“That didn’t translate.”
He thought for a moment. “Terrorists?”
“Got it.”
“I was eighteen solar cycles and Krigara sixteen when we lost them. But we were drekking furious and bitter and determined to reveal Chancellor Astennuh for the grunark he was. We picked up where our parents left off and managed to accumulate enough evidence to clear their names and implicate Astennuh in the protest killings. When his spies figured out what we were doing, Astennuh sent an emissary to try to buy our silence, but we told him to go drek himself. He couldn’t have us killed without raising more questions, so he staged an attack, falsified evidence, labeled us yetoni, too, and sent cyborgs to capture us for execution or execute us outright if we ‘resisted’ arrest. I’m guessing he preferred the latter.”
“What happened?”
“We couldn’t elude the cyborgs when they came for us. But we talked fast and managed to catch the lead cyborg soldier’s attention. Once we showed him the information and documentation we’d gathered, they let us go. The next day Astennuh ordered all cyborgs to be decommissioned… for the “safety” of the nation. Put out some tiklun bura story about them malfunctioning and turning on other military units, slaughtering countless soldiers.”
“That makes them sound like robots.”
He shook his head. “They weren’t. They were just men with so many enhancements and augmentation that they were as hard to kill as you are.” He gave her a faint smile. “But the strength that they’d gained gave them power. They weren’t like other Akseli soldiers. They couldn’t be bullied or blackmailed into obeying all orders without question, even if it meant doing the wrong thing. Cyborgs were too strong. Too fast. And analytical as srul. They embraced logic. And thanks to the implants in their brains, they had access to far more information than we did… far more than the military realized… and turned against him.“ He shrugged. “Once the order went out to destroy the cyborgs, I knew it was only a matter of time before Krigara and I would be hunted down and killed, so we did the only thing we could do at that age with so few resources at our disposal. We fled to the ass-end of the galaxy.”
“Yonkers?”
His expression blanked. “What?”
She grinned. “Sorry. Inside joke. I couldn’t resist. I used to be stationed in New York and…” She waved a hand. “Never mind. You were saying? Ass-end of the galaxy?”
“Promeii 7.”
“Ahhh. A place I heard a few of the younger Lasaran males whispering about visiting for a little off-world debauchery.”
He laughed. “Well, they would find that and more there, though I doubt they’d linger. The things they’d read in the inhabitants’ minds would have them blanching and racing back home within hours.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not a great place then?”
“Not a great place, especially for youths barely on the brink of manhood. Krigara and I nearly starved to death at least a dozen times before landing jobs a couple of years later on a cargo ship. We lucked out and found one commanded by an old Akseli male whose son had been a member of the cyborg corps.”
“Oh no. Was his son…?”
“Killed? Or, as Astennuh put it, decommissioned? Yes. So Hanon was sympathetic to our cause.” He sent her a sly look. “He also supplemented his income by periodically hauling cargo that wasn’t entirely legal.”
She arched a brow. “Stolen merchandise?”
“Yes. And sometimes exotic plants, animals, and other contraband that had been banned for one reason or another. He taught us everything he knew about running the ship, locating cargo, and finding buyers and sellers who paid more when he had to find ways to subvert mandatory inspections and the like to get them what they wanted.”
She frowned. “Did he ever traffic in people? Women and children? Slaves?”
“No. There were always lines Hanon wouldn’t cross.”
“Like you.”
He smiled. “Like me. When he died, Hanon left me the ship and my new vocation.”
She was pretty sure there had been more to it than that. A cargo runner in the ass-end of the galaxy wouldn’t incite the ire of a planetary ruler. “And the bounty on your head?”
“That wasn’t Hanon’s doing. Chancellor Astennuh forgot about Krigara and me after a time, so I… might have used the contacts and wealth we amassed as piratical entrepreneurs to remind him who we were, expose some of his secrets, and aid the growing Akseli resistance.”
So he was a Robin Hood of sorts. “Is Astennuh still ruler?”
“Yes. More and more of the population of Askel see him for what he is now, but he’s the wealthiest, most powerful man on the planet with a private army protecting him. No one can touch him.”
Someone with preternatural speed, strength, and the element of surprise probably could. Perhaps once she found all of her friends, she would sit down with Janwar and Krigara and examine the evildoer evidence they’d accumulated.
They stepped into the next room on the tour. “Ooh.” Simone smiled. “You don’t have to tell me what this is for.”
A training room the size of a school gymnasium spread out before her. Boasting high ceilings and a cushioned floor, it offered a variety of weight equipment that looked similar enough to Earth’s for her to identify. A running track circled the perimeter. And one wall displayed multiple weapons with blades that looked dull enough to prevent one from slicing flesh from a partner while sparring.
“If there are only six of you,” she wondered aloud, “why do you need so much room?” The Kandovar‘s training room had been about the size of a football field, but that was because so many soldiers trained there.
“We train with T, too.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You do?”
He nodded. “Though our security protocols make it unlikely, if an enemy force should ever board our ship, twelve androids trained in combat would enable us to defeat them.”
“I assume he’s stronger than a mortal?”
“Much stronger. Faster, too.”
Stronger and faster than an Immortal Guardian?
Discovering the answer to that question might be fun.
Oh, who was she kidding? It would be awesome! She’d be the first Immortal Guardian to pit her skills against those of an advanced freaking android!
Until then…
She crossed to the wall of weapons. Most were blades and staffs. Janwar and his crew probably practiced the firearms in simulation rooms like the soldiers on the Kandovar did.
Her gaze wandered across daggers, short swords, long swords similar to her precious katanas, wooden staffs, metal staffs, staffs with blades on both ends, staffs that ended in rounded balls she suspected would bear spikes in actual battle. It was an intriguing array.
Like most of her immortal brethren, Simone held a deep appreciation for finely crafted weaponry. Reaching up, she plucked a plain staff off its brace. And this was finely crafted. It felt like wood but must be from a tree she’d never seen before. Almost white, it bore dark stripes like a zebra.
Balancing it in her hands, she gave it a few experimental twirls, then turned to Janwar. “Care to spar with me, handsome?”
His burnt sienna eyes lit with interest. “Are you sure it isn’t too soon?”
“I’m sure. I am one hundred percent healed. And after two months of being cooped up in that escape pod, I could use the exercise.”
He hesitated only a moment, then smiled. “Okay. Do you want to change first?”
She glanced down at her soldier’s garb. “All I have are more outfits like this.”
“T,” Janwar called.
“Yes?”
“You have Simone’s physical specs. Do you think you could print her some exercise clothing?”
“Of course. Printing clothing now.”
She blinked. “Really? You can print clothing?”
“Yes. Though some worlds like Lasara ban clothing fabricators on their planets to increase employment opportunities for their citizenry, they frequently use them on warships to avoid taking up storage space for uniforms that may not be needed. Have you never used one before?”
She shook her head. “On the Kandovar, we wore whatever we brought from home. And 3-D printing is still in its infancy on Earth. Most of our garments are sewn by people.”
“Printing complete,” T announced. “I will deliver your new garments momentarily, Simone.”
“Thank you.”
Janwar started backing toward a door on one side of the room. “The changing room, lav, and sanishowers are through here. Do you mind if I change my clothing while we wait?”
“Not at all.”
Grinning, he disappeared into what she guessed was the Tangata‘s version of a gym locker room.
Her spirits lightened. She really liked his smile. Every once in a while, it would light up his eyes and face in a way that let her glimpse what he must have looked like as a boy, back when all was right with the world, and he still had two loving parents.
Happy. A little mischievous. And today?
That smile was far too appealing, filling her belly with butterflies.
Footsteps alerted her to T’s imminent arrival. For a heavy, metallic being, he had surprisingly light footsteps.
T entered the gym, carrying a small bundle of clothing. “Greetings, Simone.”
“Hi, T.”
“I have prepared your garments for you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” Joining him near the entrance, she plucked the clothing from his hands and held them up. They consisted of a white, sleeveless muscle shirt and loose black pants. Both were as soft as silk. “Ooh. These are nice.”
T’s red eyes brightened. “I chose the fabric myself.”
She didn’t notice until then that a pair of something that resembled running shoes rested in his hands. “There are shoes, too?”
“Yes. Since the medical scans included the exact measurements of your feet, I opted to fashion you a pair of shoes that would benefit you more than your boots while training.”
“Wow. Thank you.” She measured one against the sole of her boot. “They look like they’ll fit me perfectly.”
“I am pleased you like them.”
“I more than like them. I love them. You’re a genius, T.”
“Oh my.” The android stood a little taller. “Thank you for noticing.”
She laughed. Soft footsteps sounded behind her, alerting her to Janwar’s return.
“Did you bring her everything she needs?”
“Yes,” T responded. “And she is very pleased.”
Grinning, Simone turned to show him… and promptly lost her train of thought.
Janwar approached with the long, smooth strides of a tiger. The loose shirt was gone, replaced by a tight white muscle shirt aptly named because it clung to every one of his mouth-watering muscles and left his big biceps bare. The white fabric hugged a trim waist and rippling abs. Loose black pants hung low on his hips but clung to his powerful thighs when he moved.
Simone wasn’t sure what he wore on his feet. She couldn’t seem to drag her gaze away from the rest of him. Janwar was freaking hot!
“Do you like it?” he asked with a smile that brought butterflies back to her stomach in droves.
His body? Hell yes! “What?” she asked faintly.
“The clothing.” He nodded toward the garments and shoes she held. “Do you like it?”
“Oh.” She blinked and hoped fervently he wouldn’t notice the flush that rose in her cheeks. “Yes. It’s perfect.”
“Simone said I’m a genius,” T blurted.
She grinned. “I did. And you are.” Grabbing the other shoe from T, she headed for the locker room. “I’ll just go change.”
Janwar watched Simone hurry to the changing room.
Had it been his imagination, or had he seen a glint of interest in her eyes—along with a faint amber glow—as she studied his form?
“I like her,” T declared again.
He laughed. “That’s because she said you’re a genius.”
“I admit that pleased me immensely. You and the others rarely acknowledge my genius.”
He snorted.
“But I liked her before that.”
Janwar smiled. “Yeah. Me, too.”
“I believe she is attracted to you,” T told him cheerfully.
Janwar stared. “What?”
“When you returned, her heart rate and respiration increased. And her face turned pink. Am I correct in ascribing those symptoms to physical attraction?”
“Yyyyyyyes.” He glanced back at the empty doorway, thrilled to have his suspicions confirmed because he was incredibly attracted to her. “But you shouldn’t mention such things.” He turned back to T. “She may not want me to know that.”
“Oh. You life forms do like to keep your secrets,“ he murmured, his confusion evident. “Does that mean you don’t want Simone to know you’re attracted to her?”
He stilled. “What?”
“I could not help but notice that your breathing changes, too, whenever she’s near you. And when she hugged you last night, your arousal was impossible to mi—“
“No,” Janwar blurted. Drekking cameras in the corridors! “You’re not supposed to… That’s personal T. It’s personal. Remember that talk we had about privacy?”
T tilted his head to one side in a motion that mimicked Janwar’s tendency to do so. “Is this a boundaries thing?”
“Yes. Boundaries,” he confirmed. T might be brilliant, maximally efficient in many ways, and downright dangerous to anyone who threatened the crew. But he could also be as innocent as a child, his understanding of the intricacies of life-form relationships limited. He’d learned quite a bit by interacting with the crew. But his only contact with females prior to Simone joining them had been with Lisa and little Abby.
Even though the android form he currently inhabited did not breathe in or out, T managed to manufacture what sounded like a beleaguered sigh. “If I were living tissue, I think trying to understand the lot of you would make my head ache.”
Janwar laughed.
Turning on his heel, T marched out of the room.
“Where’s T going?” Simone asked.
Jumping, Janwar spun around. He relaxed a little when he spotted her emerging from the changing room. Hopefully, she hadn’t heard any of that.
