Destiny Abounds (Starlight Saga Book 1) (37 page)

Although she was fairly confident in her accrued knowledge of Fade’s old foe, Branwen nonetheless felt this was a question her engineer could field much better. “Mr. Leonard, would you kindly?”

“Of course, Captain. I would be happy to be of assistance. I of course have to issue a disclaimer to Miss Merlo, however: I’ve never actually been to Urzra, so all of my information is gained through study of historical data and Exonet information.”

“Understood.”

“Well, the driving force behind Urzran habitation patterns is its star, Noll. Noll is a rather fitful star, and constant fluctuations such as solar flares or dark spots can greatly alter the heat levels output to Urzra, since it orbits so closely. Furthermore, Urzra’s surface is irradiated and hot due to Noll’s close proximity. Most people on Urzra thus live underground, and eat food grown or raised underground, but most natural water sources are also highly contaminated, no matter where they are.”

“So… what do they do for water? Just drink irradiated water anyway?”

“Well, the poorest of them do, from what I understand.” Branwen interjected. “As for those not so impoverished, Urzra imports ice water from out of system, or mines it off of their third world in system, though it is still slightly tainted. They also brew a fungus-based variant of alcohol, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Exposure to radiation from Noll commonly manifests psychological dysfunction, loss of mental integrity over time, and eventual death as it causes key proteins to break down in the brain,” Mr. Leonard continued, sounding sympathetic. “Many people attempt to leave Urzra when signs first appear so as to delay or stop the effects from getting worse, though due to advances in cluster medicine and imported food and water, average Urzran life spans are almost equivalent with the cluster’s overall average now.”

Merlo nodded enthusiastically. “So that's why they raid Fade’s outer planets, isn’t it, Captain? They mine your ice worlds, since the Fade system has so many of them in its outer reaches.”

Branwen grumbled out an expletive under her breath. “Indeed.”

Merlo chuckled. “This trip should be
lots
of fun.” She tilted her silver-topped head thoughtfully for a moment. “I wish we’d had more time to see the Fade system when we passed through, Captain. It seemed really pretty. Binary star systems are neat.”

Branwen smiled over at her. “So, you took a liking to Fera and Vola, hmm?”

“Yeah. Your world looked really awesome too… kinda spotless by my standards, I guess. No cities or lights you can see from space, or anything like that.”

Branwen nodded. “I suppose by the standards of Arlesha, or even such as Altair, it certainly would be.”

“All of your worlds I saw looked so pristine, healthy. Almost untouched.”

Branwen chuckled. “I assure you, once on the surface, you would see we touch it quite often.”

“Not sure we’re still talking about the same thing, Captain.”

Branwen grinned, but their conversation died away as they approached planetfall. The Captain announced their impending landing to her crew, and Merlo’s youthful face took on a serious cast as she navigated them through the atmospheric friction and turbulence, past other descending starships undergoing the same.

Finding port on Urzra was more competitive than on Altairan-governed worlds, as the Urzran port authority seemed content to let each ship and crew figure it out mostly on their own. Branwen watched through the forward viewscreen as her pilot found the
Destiny
its own spot in the press of ship traffic, jockeying for position amongst hundreds more. At least the
Destiny
was much larger than most of those vessels, and Merlo was able to almost bully many of them aside.

They descended, the ground rising up rapidly to meet them, and Branwen found herself reflexively leaning back and clutching the arm of her chair as the maw of a dark rift yawned beneath them, widening massively until it swallowed the
Destiny
whole. The darkness only lasted an instant, breaking open to reveal the extensive, massive cavern system that made up Kharvid, Urzra’s largest and busiest starport.

Pinpricks of light shone all around in the dim, a dull parody in miniature of the curtain of stars they’d just left behind. These lights gleamed from buildings, sculptures, structures and windows, laying out the infrastructure of the city so that the multitude of starships zipping about could tell where to go. Unlike Altairan worlds, with their strict regulations and zones for different types of travel, most travel in Kharvid’s airspace seemed to be carried out by starships of varying sizes. There seemed to be few rules on where they could and could not go, except “wherever they fit,” leading to a clustered jumble of routes that seemed only loosely organized and monitored by any sort of authority.

Still, amid the close brushes with brazen Urzran vessels, Branwen could not help being somewhat enraptured by Kharvid’s beauty. Diffused lights glowed in the dark while mists and fogs curled their curious tendrils, reaching through the air in place of clouds, while towering spires and teeth of stone became the rounded sanctuaries of homes and businesses.

The stone was everywhere, composing and supporting everything, the city shaped from the very bones of Urzra itself. Some structures were massive figures, statues of unknown, towering Urzran mythology and history. Others were grand archways, built on a scale to dwarf both man and starship alike. Most were buildings, be they made from cut and placed stonework that nearly brought homesick pains to Branwen’s stomach, or grown organically from the floor or roof of the mighty cavern itself.

After much Arlesian-themed cursing at nearby offending vessels, Merlo landed them a choice spot on one of the huge stonework structures, an enormous cube with deep ledges cut all the way around for ships to land on. The
Destiny
was so big for a ship capable of landing planetside that it only fit on the top couple of hotly-contested ledges. Without Merlo’s affinity for quickly outmaneuvering the other crafts and deftly settling into an opening, it looked to Branwen like they would have been searching for a suitable landing place for hours.

The
Destiny’s
landing legs extended, and she settled herself into the recesses of the carved opening, and her engine slowly subsided down to a tame rumble. Branwen finally relaxed, and Merlo leaned way back in her chair, putting her hands behind her head and stretching out her muscles.

“So, to sum all of it up,” the girl said around a prodigious yawn, “We’re here to investigate a dangerous matter for the Kalaset, on a debatebly hostile planet, in a situation we know almost nothing about, with a wanted criminal on board, and our Captain’s people are generally disliked on sight by the locals. Oh, and don’t drink the water.”

Branwen could hear Mr. Leonard make a nervous laugh over the com. “Indeed, Miss Merlo, I’m certain that I would not typically advise any of those things under normal circumstances.”

14.2
- Merlo

“The first of the three names Don Mateo left for us belongs to one Forona Medlava.” Sirrah rose and gracefully paced while she spoke, a gesture that spoke clearly of thoughtful concern. They’d once again gathered in the dining area by Branwen’s request, and now prepared to embark on the first of their inquiries. “She is a politician, and, while her secretary professed that her schedule is rather busy, I was able to pull some strings and get us an appointment. Hopefully without giving away that we’re here on Kalaset business, or looking for Tiala.”

Mr. Leonard cleared his throat timidly, and Branwen gestured for him to speak. “Miss Medlava is currently running for re-election here in Kharvid, and as such is indeed likely very busy. The Exonet shows her having a plethora of public appearances in this week alone. She’s heavily favoured in the initial pollings.” He fiddled with his datapad as he spoke.

“Which means she is not likely to want anyone looking into her cellar for hidden skeletons.” Branwen commented, seeming thoughtful.

“I’m sorry, Captain, looking into her
where
for
what
?” Merlo had never heard of a cellar before in her life. What did it have to do with decomposed corpses, and what did either of those things have to do with asking about Tiala?

“Skeletons, Merlo. They’re those things that live inside you and come out when you die.” Prisoner 286 plopped down in her lap, noisily guzzling some heated broth from one of Sirrah’s priceless ceramic mugs.

Merlo narrowed her eyes at 286. “Yeah, thanks a bunch. I know what skeletons are.” She tried to shove 286 back over into her own seat, but the woman somehow stubbornly wouldn’t budge, despite Merlo’s greater strength. She sighed.

“I simply mean that if she has secrets to hide that could hurt her chances at winning this election, she will defend them strongly.” Branwen explained, glancing over at the two of them with an unreadable, serious expression. Merlo felt her face redden a bit; she was glad that it was hidden from the view of most everyone else by the expanse of 286’s back.

“Gotcha, Captain.” Merlo nodded, but figured no one could see it. She tried to peer around the back of 286’s black, sleeveless shirt.

Zimi raised her hand as if to draw attention to herself as she spoke. “So, even if we got an appointment to see her, ain’t she gonna know what we’re there for as soon as we start askin’ questions about Kala Tiala?” Merlo still couldn’t see; 286 kept shifting each time she had a decent vantage point.

“Zimi poses an excellent query, Kala Sirrah.” Branwen’s deeper, thoughtful voice easily commanded the attention in the room, Merlo felt perhaps even more so than Sirrah’s presence did. “What do you suggest? Tiala is your friend, and you are more familiar with such matters.”

Kala Sirrah laughed lightly, but Merlo heard little real humor in it.
Huh. She must be pretty nervous after all
.

“Believe it or not, Captain,” Sirrah replied, smiling, “I have little experience in coercing potential kidnappers. I suspect you have far more experience in that department than I.” Branwen shrugged noncommittally, but Merlo also saw her smirk behind her hand. “I would, however, almost certainly be able to tell if Miss Medlava were lying, but only if we are able to confront her with the issue with me personally present.”

“But that risks exposing what we’re looking into, and for whom.” Mr. Leonard commented, dropping his small datapad back into his vest and knitting his hands together nervously.

“Hmmm.” Branwen rumbled thoughtfully behind the hand she leaned her face into. “I am not sure if there is a way around it, to be honest. It has been over ten days since we departed, having left Kepa’ohalei as soon as Kala Sirrah received the Kalaset’s blessing. Three to make slip from the Kepo system, four to travel through Fade, and three from slip to Urzra.” Branwen gazed across the table at Sirrah. “Few, if any, ships could have made it here faster; most would take fifteen or more, at least. On the Exonet, however, word travels quicker still.”

To Merlo’s mind, that didn’t sound good, or bode well. “So what can we do? Do you think we’re already too late, Captain?” As she spoke, she settled Prisoner 286 in her lap so that she could see around her, pushing away the cup of steaming broth she proffered meanwhile.

“We can’t be.” Sirrah said simply, standing straight and still, though everyone looked to Branwen for her word on the matter as well.

“There is no way to know unless we try.” Branwen sat up straight in her chair, taking a heavy breath and letting it out. “Whoever is responsible may not expect someone to be here so soon, for one. Any other dispatch from one of the Kalaset would have taken longer. But there is too much left to the unknown now to make any assumptions.”

Branwen rose from her chair, folding her arms behind her back in what Merlo had always assumed was her culture’s military posture. “The key to overcoming opposition is rooted in knowledge. Merlo, you, Sirrah, and I will go to this meeting, and we will find out what we can about Tiala’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, Mr. Leonard will see if there are any public records, or any data-trail of her passing.”

Merlo watched as Mr. Leonard and Zimi exchanged nervous glances. She knew neither of them were exactly comfortable around 286 yet, and probably didn’t relish the idea of being left alone in the
Destiny
with her.

“There is one problem with that, Captain. May we speak privately?” Sirrah spoke smoothly, also rising from her seat.

One thing was for sure, though. Things were about to get interesting, and Merlo was itching for some action.

14.3
- Branwen

“So, what? She said she couldn’t come with us? I don’t get it.” Merlo shook her head as they started down the long, rocky spiral that led down from the top of the Urzran stardock. “I thought we were kind of depending on her coming along.”

“Not exactly.” Branwen was, after all, pretty confident in her own abilities to discern truth from lies, and negotiate with people; she’d had to do it far more than she liked during her lifetime on Fade. She could do this without the Kala. “ Kala Sirrah said that if she accompanied us, we would not even make it to Governor Medlava’s office without the entirety of Kharvid knowing there was a member of the Kalaset here, potentially giving away our true purpose. While both are accurate and reasonable assumptions, I actually think she was hesitant to leave your girlfriend alone on the
Destiny
.”