His Highness the Duke (2 page)

been able to track her down so fast. There were hundreds of planets Riona frequented.

―I need to talk to you.‖

―So serious. Careful, it will wrinkle your face.‖ Riona glanced at her lost game.

―Your timing is as impeccable as always.‖

Aeron followed her sister‘s unconcerned gaze to the game, not caring for the

typical Riona sarcasm. ―This is bigger than playtime. It‘s serious.‖

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His Highness The Duke

Riona glanced around the room before again looking to the game, and sighed, ―I

can see that.‖

―Would you forget about that stupid game? I need you to come with me. This is

important,‖ Aeron insisted. Why couldn‘t her sister just listen to her for once? She

needed help, the kind of help only a degenerate star-traveling gambler like Riona could

give. Riona knew the underbelly of the universes. She knew how to get things done.

Aeron worked on a spaceport in a small metal office. Desperately, she reasoned, ―When

was the last time I actually came to you for help? You know I wouldn‘t be here if I had

any other choice.‖

―Where are the other militants?‖ Riona‘s expression gave nothing away. She

glanced around the room.

―I‘m alone.‖

Riona studied her, surprised. ―You‘re here on leave? You left the floating base to

actually take a trip?‖

―Yes, or I was on leave until… Well, no, not exactly, but once I explain you‘ll

realize I didn‘t have a choice. This is about—‖

Riona lifted her hand and nodded, turning serious. ―Is this favor off planet?‖

―Yes, but it—‖

―Do you have a ship?‖ Riona broke in.

―Yes.‖

With a last glance around the crowded room, Riona said, ―Then lead the way.

You are family after all. Who am I to disappoint family?‖

Aeron wondered at the easy agreement, but didn‘t stop to question her luck. A

sense of urgency filled her each time she thought of the Qurilixen. ―I have a ship that

can get us off planet, but—‖

―Yeah, yeah, tell me all about it in flight, sis,‖ she said easily. ―We‘ll have plenty

of time to catch up in space.‖

* * * * *

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Michelle M. Pillow

Aeron bit back a scream as her body slammed hard into the right side of the

cockpit. Riona flew like she had never taken a lesson in her life. Just as Aeron was about

to insist upon taking over the controls, Riona jerked the ship in the opposite direction.

Aeron skidded across the floor to smack into the other side.

―Try to hold on there, sis!‖ Riona said, grinning.

Blast it! Her sister was enjoying this.

Riona straightened the flight path and engaged hyper drive. Aeron moaned and

pushed herself up. She grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself in case her sister

decided to slam on the controls again. Lights began to blur on the viewing screen and

the ride became smoother. The view of Torgan‘s surface faded from the ship‘s sensors.

―I can‘t believe you, Ri,‖ Aeron hissed. ―I‘m with you for two seconds and we‘re

already being chased off a planet because you owe money to a space pirate. I knew

coming to you was a mistake.‖ She half expected someone to blast the ship. If not for

her ordering a biological quarantine of the Torgan space docks under the guise of

Federation authority, Riona‘s pirate pursuers would probably be giving chase. As it

stood, the space pirate would have a hard time getting clearance for takeoff.

Riona pretended not to hear her, as she pushed several buttons on the console.

―Ok, you got me out here. We‘re in space. What‘s so important you had to slum it with

the lowlifes?‖

Aeron frowned as her sister turned away from the control panel to let the ship

guide itself. ―I need your help. I have to get to a planet on the outer edge of the Y

quadrant. I can‘t keep this ship.‖

Riona arched a brow. Aeron hated that smug look.

―The planet is called Qurilixen,‖ Aeron explained. ―The Federation has no

authority there, and quite frankly little interest in it or the people, but for their mining

operations. The Draig and Var people who inhabit the planet keep to themselves and by

all reports live quite primitively. About five months ago, I intercepted some data that

leads me to believe the people there might be in trouble. The Federation refused to get

involved. So long as they get the ore mined on the planet one way or another, they‘re

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His Highness The Duke

keeping their hands clean of the whole situation. But, after seeing our home world

explode, I can‘t stand by and watch another race of people get wiped out—especially

over something like mining rights. If something happened and I did nothing—‖

―So let me get this straight.‖ Riona‘s self-satisfied look only intensified. ―You left

work without permission and you stole a Federation ship, which you now need to ditch

because you‘re heading to a primitive planet in the Y and don‘t want the military

tracking you. And you need my help to get you there.‖

―Yes.‖ Aeron bit her lip and nodded. ―Will you help me?‖

A slow smile spread over Riona‘s lips. ―Ah, little sis, I‘m so proud right now I

might start crying. Of course I‘ll help you break a bunch of Federation laws. Besides,

you know me, I‘m always up for a little mischief and adventure.‖

―Mischief and adventure?‖ Aeron frowned. She would hardly dismiss her self-

given mission as something so trivial. ―Is that what you call what just happened down

there? One minute you‘re playing games and the next minute we‘re being chased out of

port by space pirates? You‘re lucky I was able to invoke Federation privileges and get

us out of there before the pirates could make chase.‖

―Got anything to eat in this floating bucket?‖ Riona stood, completely ignoring

her sister‘s irritation. ―I haven‘t had a decent meal since before the tournament.‖

―If you found yourself decent employment, you would eat at decent intervals

and wouldn‘t have to subject yourself to… to…‖

―To having fun?‖ Riona ducked out of the cockpit. ―To living on my own terms?

To… Hey, never mind, found the food simulator! You want something?‖

―A different sister?‖ Aeron whispered irately. ―One that‘s sane and normal and

not
a criminal.‖

* * * * *

―
This
is your brilliant plan?‖ Aeron stared at her sister in disbelief. She threw the

flyer she‘d gotten from one of the other passengers onto Riona‘s bed.

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Michelle M. Pillow

Riona lifted her head and slid the printed flyer under her face and read aloud,

―Wanted: Galaxy Brides Corporation seeking 46 fertile, able-bodied Earth females of

early childbearing years and A5+ health status for marriage to strong, healthy

Qurilixian males at their annual Breeding Festival. Possibility of royal attendance. Must

be eager bed-partners, hard workers. Virginity a plus. Apply with A5 health

documents, travel papers, and IQ screen to: Galaxy Brides, Phantom Level 6, X

Quadrant, Earthbase 5792461.‖ Riona lifted her eyes, glancing up from where the

personal beauty droid massaged the muscles in her back. ―So you found out, did you?‖

All around them was every starship convenience known to humanoids—beauty

droids, cosmetic enhancements, top of the line food simulators that could materialize

anything they desired, an oversized bed to sleep in. Aeron paced the length of Riona‘s

quarters and then back again. The room was filled with machines and blinking sensors

that illuminated in sections as her presence registered.

Aeron paused at an oval window full of sparkling stars. ―You said you found the

perfect transport. You said it wouldn‘t cost a single space credit. You said this ship was

a relief mission to the natives of Qurilixen. You said you could get us to Qurilixen

without any problems!‖

―I received a free body lift this morning. I am really not seeing a problem,‖ Riona

answered. She seemed more bored than concerned.

Aeron frowned. ―You didn‘t need a body lift.‖

―It was free.‖ She arched a brow, looking like it was the most reasonable excuse

in the world. ―Plus free food, free massages, free beauty droid services…‖

Lowering her voice, Aeron glanced at the beauty droid and stepped closer.

―Galaxy Brides? Your solution was to sign up to be bartered brides? What happens

when we get there? They are expecting you to get married. You can‘t possibly be

serious about binding yourself to a stranger.‖

―Actually,‖ Riona said louder, not worried about the robot servant. It did as it

was programmed and nothing else. She pushed up to sit on the edge of her bed. ―This is

the perfect transport. It is a free ride and a pretty happy-happy one at that. Besides, I

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His Highness The Duke

would argue that primitive males in need of brides, or else their entire race will die off,

is a relief mission of sorts. Isn‘t that what you‘re trying to prevent? An entire race of

people dying off?‖

―Don‘t be dramatic,‖ Aeron said.

―Who‘s being dramatic? Go check out the planetary uploads the ship provides.‖

Riona closed her eyes and concentrated, clearly trying to assess new information she‘d

recently uploaded into her brain. With any upload, it took awhile for all the facts to

commit themselves to memory. ―Qurilixian women are rare due to the planet‘s blue

radiation. Over the generations it has altered the men‘s genetics to produce only strong,

large male, warrior heirs. Maybe one in a thousand babies turn out to be a girl.‖ Riona

opened her eyes. ―Poor lugs.‖ Then closing them again, she continued, ―The fact that

they have no women of their own was why the services of corporations like Galaxy

Brides are so invaluable. In return, the Qurilixian people mine valuable metal that is

only found in their caves. The metal is a great power source for long-voyaging

starships, all but useless to the Qurilixian people who prefer living as simply as

possible, as they are not known space explorers.‖ Riona took a deep breath and gave an

obnoxiously smug smile. ―But you know all about the mine thing, don‘t you,

Federation.‖

―Don‘t call me Federation,‖ Aeron grimaced. ―I thought you‘d at least grown up

a little in the last five years.‖

―Grow out of irritating you?‖ Riona laughed dismissingly. Then, pretending to

study her newly manicured fingernails, she said, ―Besides, dear sister, they are

expecting
us
to get married. I had to forge your signature to get you on the ship. Really,

I should think you would be grateful.‖

―Grateful? You are truly delusional if you think—‖

―Yes, grateful!‖ Riona scowled. ―You show up out of nowhere, ruining my

victory—‖

―You got us chased off Torgan by pirate loan sharks—‖ Aeron tried to interrupt.

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Michelle M. Pillow

―That‘s because you made me lose my bet. You couldn‘t have waited, oh, say

two seconds until after my throw?‖

―You almost crashed into the ceiling of the docking platform with your reckless

flying.‖

―Blast it, Aeron, I would have been set for life! I‘m lucky all that space pirate did

was chase me off the planet. If you would have just waited a few seconds, I would have

won fifty-thousand space credits off a side bet. Instead, I owe fifty thousand. I should

have thrown you into a black hole or better yet, given you to the pirates to cover part of

the debt. Then I wouldn‘t have had to save your ungrateful ass from them! And I didn‘t

hit the ceiling. Give me some credit. I know how to fly a ship—better than you, I might

add. I didn‘t ask you to come to Torgan. You did that on your own. You came to me.

You ruined my life and in return I‘m doing you a favor.‖ Riona glared at her sister. ―So

if you‘re keeping score—‖

―I‘m trying to save a planet.‖ This was why they didn‘t talk. Every conversation

seemed to explode into a fight. Aeron tried to be the reasonable one. ―I‘m sorry if I think

saving a world is slightly more important than your game.‖

―It‘s my livelihood, not just a game.‖ Riona pushed a robotic hand that tried to

reach for her hair, batting it away. ―You always do that. You belittle what I do.‖

―You play games, Ri. Don‘t pretend that is an actual career.‖

―It is a career. It‘s my career. It‘s not like there is a big list of options for someone

like me. Would you rather I take off my clothes with the Galaxy Playmates? Would that

be a respectable enough paycheck for you?‖

―You are being dramatic.‖

―You are being a colossal spacebitc—‖

―I will not let what happened to our home world happen to the people of

Qurilixen. They‘re primitive and cannot protect themselves from a highly advanced

race of aliens.‖ Aeron had already told her sister pretty much everything but felt the

need to reiterate. ―As long as the Federation gets what they want, they don‘t care what

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His Highness The Duke

happens. I can‘t stand by and do nothing. If something happened and I did not do

everything in my power to stop it… Ri, they need help. Just like our people did.‖

Riona‘s expression hardened. ―Don‘t talk about our people. It‘s bad luck to speak

of the dead.‖

―I honor them by remembering them,‖ Aeron countered.

―Why would I want to remember a giant minefield of floating rock?‖

―Our home world was beautiful,‖ Aeron defended.

―Until it exploded into a billion pieces,‖ Riona yelled. ―It‘s nothing but a black