Sarayan Space, Standard Year 404

  Alanna looked down at her hands, folded loosely in her lap. Her hands were still free. She still had her gun. For a little while longer. But not that long. Seven people looked back at her, their faces reflecting back varying degrees of doubt. The shuttle was drifting slowly towards their destination, to all outward appearances looking like a random asteroid floating through space as they made their way into the more crowded and commonly traveled sector around Saraya. Their final transport to Saraya was less than an hour away. And she was still the mission commander, technically. For a little while longer. “It’s a good mission.” Alanna tried. “We get to go in and rescue people.”

  “Oh we’re not just in it to rescue people.” Prescott responded, crossing his thick, muscular arms across his chest. “We’re here to kill the Sarayan scum.” There was a general round of nods around the shuttle, from the other special forces marines. Tony didn’t quite nod, but Alanna could tell he agreed.

  “They’re prison guards Alanna.” Tony said with a slight grin. “You’ll have to let us have our fun.”

  “Dev is a prison guard.” Alanna said before she could quite stop herself. Dev had been her prison guard, back when she was in prison as a POW and a somewhat honorable member of the aforementioned Sarayan scum armed forces. It really wasn’t that long ago. And her prison guard had protected her and become a trusted friend. As had others inside that Tundran prison. Not all prison guards were evil.

  “Different kind of prison.” Tony said immediately. "Don't be a wet blanket Alanna. The Tundran liberation party is coming to town. Again."

  "Hell yeah." Prescott grinned, fist bumping Tony from the other side of the shuttle.

  Alanna paused, considered her options, and wisely decided this would be the time to give in. “Let’s just do this. Bring back James and my sister, kill some” Alanna sighed “Sarayan scum and let god sort ‘em out.”

  “That’s our girl.” Prescott said approvingly, slapping her on the back. “The traitor, the pimp and the mass murderer. That is one hell of a family reunion you’ve got there Alanna. And we’re taking them all back home to Tundra. Your darling James Hawk is one lucky man.”

  Alanna raised an eyebrow. "Mass murder is a Hawk family tradition. My sister Yasmin should fit right in."

  “James can handle it.” Tony said calmly. James was his best friend, and while outwardly he projected nothing but confidence, privately Tony could only hope that was true. Alanna’s family was a lot, and he wasn’t sure even James Hawk was quite ready for that.

  “Anything else we need to know about the sister?” The most talkative of the female marines asked, her flat eyes studying Alanna carefully.

  “Just remember, give her the knife, tell her Jonno sent you, and take a big step back.”

  “Why are we taking a step back?”

  “Because she’s really good with that knife. And you’re strangers. So just… you know, give her a minute to process. While she has some space.”

  Tony suppressed a sigh. “Tell us about Jonno.” He said. Alanna wanted them all to trust her brother the pimp. She thought the success of the mission depended on it. That part he understood. He also understood she hadn’t given him or the rest of the troops enough to make it happen.

  Alanna nodded, immediately catching on to what Tony was trying to do and realizing that he was right. She had told the troops crowded into their small shuttle to trust Jonno when the time came. But her word wasn’t enough. Everyone on the crew needed more, including Tony. And that was true whether she liked it or not. Alanna sighed. “We were all orphans together.” She began reluctantly.

  “You and the pimp?” Prescott chimed in. As the informal leader and spokesperson of the six special forces marines assigned to the mission, questioning their highly dubious mission commander fell to him. But by the looks on the faces of the others, they were more than ready to step in if Prescott failed to measure up.

  Alanna gritted her teeth.

  “Let her tell it.” Tony said, his eyes on Alanna. Tony could be patient.

  “He was…” Alanna paused, her mouth tightening. “He was the most beautiful of all of us. So they sold him first. And then Yasmin.”

  “And then you?” Prescott asked.

  “No. Not me.”

  “Why not you?” Prescott eyed her pointedly. “I don’t see them missing you.”

  “I hid better.”

  “She does hide.” It was the female marine with the beautiful face and a crooked nose who spoke up, her eyes as focused on Alanna as everyone else’s.

  “What would you know about hiding, Lisa?” Prescott said with a laugh, turning towards the other marine.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “I know enough. But Tony’s right. You want us to trust pretty boy Jonno, you’ll need to tell us more. What happened when hiding stopped working? It never does you know. Not forever.”

  “He…he helped. Jonno helped me. He helped everyone. When I started getting noticed, I went to him.”

  “Why him?”

  Alanna paused. She never thought about it, really. “It’s just what we all did.” She said, voicing her thoughts out loud “We always went Jonno when we needed help, or advice. Everyone at the orphanage did. Even older kids. And he did help. He couldn’t always fix everything, but he always helped.”

  “Did he help by pimping people out?” Prescott asked. Clearly, he was not letting it go.

  “No.” Alanna shook her head. “That’s not… you can’t always protect everyone. Jonno tried. What happened at the orphanage, we fixed it. The three of us. Jonno, Yasmin and I. And when Jonno left, Yasmin and I went with him. Even though we were far too young to leave. And he took care of us. For years. Without asking for anything in return.” Her voice softened. “He just did it. He’s the reason we’re a family.”

  “Just so we’re really clear, you’re saying he didn’t pimp you out.” Prescott interjected.

  “He didn’t pimp me out!” Alanna snapped. “He offered to pay for my college. He offered to pay for everything, without ever asking anything in return. He’s been taking care of my sister in prison while I’m the one that left. He’s better than I am. He’s the responsible one. And he never gave up. I’ve known him my whole life and he’s better than any of us. And there is no one I trust more than him.”

  “No one?” Tony asked, his voice flat.

  “No one.” Alanna said firmly. She knew exactly what Tony was asking, and she didn’t care. She had known James for a few weeks. She might be willing to risk everything to save him, but that didn’t mean she trusted James. She wasn’t crazy like that. And Jonno was her family.

  “And this is the guy that called James Hawk a nepo baby?” Prescott asked with some relish. “James is gonna love him.”

  “I don’t like him.” Tony said flatly.

  “I don’t like him either.” Prescott agreed. There was a general round of nods from the other heterosexual men in the shuttle. None of them liked Jonno.

  “How’d he get all this money to pay for things?” Lisa asked with some interest.

  “Just cuff me and space me already.” Alanna muttered in exasperation.

  “We’re getting to that.” Prescott said calmly. Time was ticking away. They were only fifteen minutes or so from their final destination.

  “So he has a heart of gold. And he looks… well he looks like the guy we’ve all seen in the news. That is him, right?” Lisa asked thoughtfully.

  “That’s him.”

  “And he likes girls?” Lisa asked, her interest even more apparent.

  “Yes. He likes girls.” Alanna said with a laugh.

  “And you two never… ” Lisa began when the buzz of Alanna’s wrist comm interrupted her train of thought.

  Alanna looked down to read the message.

  Jonno: is this your distraction?

  And there was a video. Alanna paused, looking at others sitting around her in the small space. But then, these were her troops. For the duration of the mission, they were her people to protect. Whatever this was, they deserved to know. She turned on the holographic function on her wrist comm and pressed play, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake.

  “What’s this then?” Prescott asked, watching as what looked like a tree lined Sarayan park filled up with people dressed in strangely drab clothing.

  “It’s the courtyard of the presidential palace.” Alanna said, recognizing it immediately. The cameras focused in on the fountain that stood at the top of the pathway of glowing white stone, zooming out just enough to see the crowds. This wasn’t the part that would get televised, not yet. These were just the preparations.

  “Why are we watching this?” Lisa asked, puzzled.

  “I’m not sure. I think President Achly is about to give a speech.”

  “Is it going to be about James?” Tony asked, equally puzzled.

  “Jonno is asking whether this is the distraction.” Alanna explained.

  Everyone looked on silently as the crowd gathered, clearly milling about waiting for something to happen.

  “Why are they all there?” Prescott asked, puzzled.

  “They’re the audience.”

  “You mean like a rally? But why are they so quiet?”

  “They’re saving their breath to cheer when she starts talking.” Alanna said, watching closely. Something was going to happen. She could feel it.

  “This isn’t real, is it? They’re just there to fake cheer?” Prescott asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why are they all dressed like that?” Lisa asked. “It’s like they’re trying to fade and disappear.”

  “So they don’t take attention from President Achly.” Alanna explained. “That would be a mistake. It’s a dangerous job they’re doing. It’s dangerous to be in her line of sight. But it pays well.”

  They all watched as the crowd grew somewhat restless, the sound of voices and fidgeting rising across the tree lined park. And then, as one, they grew silent. Lorelai Achly walked up in front of the fountain. And suddenly the scene made perfect sense. The glowing path of white stone, the rows of white roses along each side and the shade of giant purple trees high above. The arch of a glowing fountain rose up like a silver rainbow, and President Lorelai Achly stepped in front of it. Her red hair was glowing like fire, her dark red dress making her appearance seem surreal in the otherwise monochrome scene that surrounded her. The blurry scene was limited by the low quality halo functionality of a wrist comm, the light in the shuttle bright enough that the projection looked especially faded. And yet, every eye in their tiny cramped shuttle was on Madame President Lorelai Achly as she stood in front of the fountain.

  “That’s quite an entry.” Lisa murmured. And she had to admit, she couldn’t look away. She was fascinated.

  Lorelai opened her mouth to speak when the light in the shaded courtyard seemed to brighten, as if something caused the canopy of the trees above to part and let in additional sunlight. Whatever it was, it happened far overhead, outside the view of the cameras. For a brief instant, a flash of what looked like red light lit up the scene. And then the crowd disappeared.

  “What the…” Prescott began, unsure of how to finish that thought.

  “I think it’s ash.” Alanna said, her eyes narrowed as she tried to make out what remained of the several hundred people who stood in the courtyard a moment before.

  “It’s not over.” Tony said.

  Alanna pulled her eyes away from trying to make out what was on the ground, and watched as President Lorelai Achly’s unconscious body floated up into the air at a slow and relatively sedate pace, before it rose beyond the view of the cameras and disappeared.

  “What the…” Prescott said again.

  “Fuck was that.” Lisa finished for him.

  “We have to go.” Tony said abruptly. “Alanna, it’s time.”

  Not even the impact of that scene could distract Alanna from the sinking feeling in her stomach as she reluctantly handed over her gun. She put on her space suit, waiting patiently for the chain to go around her neck as well as her wrists. Alanna’s job was to be the bait. And her workday, had just begun.