Untold Stories of a Galaxy - Kysaek: The Beginning

The wind was blowing strongly on this extremely sunny and cloudless day. It swept across the dusty plains where there was no sign of natural life. No blue, no green and no wildlife. There was only a sea of dry ground, eaten away by thin cracks. To the west stretched a vast cliff overlooking a desolate valley, full of crashed spaceship parts, and to the east rose rusty mountains, their facades covered in unnatural-looking furrows and impact craters. It was a place full of scars, a battered witness to the galaxy’s first great war between the Hishek and the Palanians. But the planet, called Zorak, was not deserted, for between east and west, in the midst of the scattered plains, something large rose up, casting a wide shadow. Like an obelisk, which the cruisers of the Hishek embodied with their shape, half a spaceship rose hundreds of metres into the air, tilted at a subtle angle. But it was clearly only a fraction of the original ship. Its hull had been tattered in some places and artificially patched in others, often cheaply, covered with huge steel plates, or the holes had been converted into artificial landing pads for small transporters. Because of the sun, the flickering lights on the hull and inside didn’t show up so well, but all the more noticeable were the masses of cables of various lengths and sizes running down from the wreck into the galaxy’s most famous mercenary stronghold - Ark. Around the cruiser, the centre of the city, was a circular city that could easily accommodate tens of thousands. Many of the normal houses were made of brown stone and had angular shapes, which gave the place a primitive feel. Only a few structures looked modern or were built with metal and in between there were more massive rock structures, built on the principle of pyramids and between them stood tall, constantly electrified steel towers that caught the ship’s cables and acted as power lines for the city.

‘Too bad,’ said Kysaek. She stood equipped for battle on one of the landing platforms in the city and looked out over the smaller buildings with her helmet visor open. ‘I’ve just got used to the comforts of civilisation again and we’re already back in a junkyard.’

‘Familiar territory, what more could we want?’ replied Tavis. He led the way down the stairs. ’And I actually like the rustic charm. The Hishek know how to build solidly.’

Vorrn pushed past the Palanian with a rough shove. ‘Your species has already experienced that first-hand,’ said the Hishek, sardonically alluding to the setting around Arche. ‘Like here, where more Palanian than Hishek ships have come down.’

The words bounced off Tavis. ’Long ago and addressed to the wrong Palanian. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Vorrn, but the pride of the Legions and their pursuit of victories for the people have such a small meaning to me, its almost as small and short as the arms of a Hishek.’

‘Not even shorter?’ Wolfgang questioned, the corner of his mouth twitching. The scientist was not really a fighter, at least not one on Vorrn’s or Thais level, as he had emphasised earlier, but he knew how to handle his weapons. Thanks to forced labour, however, he was more familiar with the technology of the First than anyone else on the newly christened ship and so his direct advice and presence here was indispensable.

‘Not really,’ joked Tavis. So far, he has been able to deal well with the difficult researcher. ’But sometimes there are advantages to keeping up a few clichés. That’s why I always give myself a bit of leeway.’

‘A criminal who likes to stretch the truth is a cliché.’

‘See? It works’

‘Interesting,’ Wolfgang admitted without being sarcastic. ‘I haven’t seen such reasoned thinking for some time.’

‘Ancestors,’ Vorrn said sorrowfully. ’Have you made two new best friends? If so, there’s one rule here, but it won’t stop me from breaking both your bones if this talk doesn’t stop.’

Tavis looked at Wolfgang. ‘He’s all over it, a cliché.’

‘I think he has different reasons for it than you do, though, and they’re not for the sake of deception, but for the sake of death.’

‘There’s something to that.’

‘Then make do with what you know,’ Thais suggested. Her visor was open and she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings. ‘We have enough potential problems here already, so don’t try his patience unnecessarily.’

Kysaek was no less on guard. Even now, she still felt uneasy about the whole thing. ‘It’s best not to try anyone’s patience in Arche,’ she warned calmly. ‘I still have my doubts about this one rule.’

‘If you care about your reputation, you stick to it,’ Vorrn replied. He avoided all the heavily armed pirates, mercenaries and day thieves as he walked with the group through the busy, unpaved streets ’Fighting of any kind is strictly forbidden. The good and clever ones make a fortune through Arche and won’t risk it for easy prey.’

‘And those who risk it?’

’Are either killed, banned from Arche forever or not discovered when they break the rules. It all happens from time to time.’

‘But that doesn’t help the victims.’

‘As if the victims care.’

‘Statistically speaking, the Hishek is right,’ Dorvan’s voice sounded from his bot. The large machine walked behind Kysaek with clacking steps. ‘I’ve identified seventy-six known bounty hunters since we landed, and they haven’t attacked us yet, even though more than fifty per cent checked their databases as soon as they saw you.’

‘Thank you,’ Kysaek murmured, with a hint of sarcasm. ‘I feel much better now.’

Dorvan took the thanks in stride. ’You’re welcome. Would you also like a map with places you should avoid?’

’What kind of map is that? Arche, as a big red spot? I don’t need to know that, cause I already know.’

Vorrn spoke from experience. ‘It’s good that you think that far ahead yourself,’ he said, looking at the guards. Most of them were also Hishek, in heavy, dark red-coloured combat gear, and on their backs they carried controllable weapons that were much better than normal weapons for their too-short arms. ’Don’t let anyone lure you into houses you didn’t want to go to yourself and don’t enter secluded, dark alleys. The scum here are just waiting for such opportunities and the guards keep the peace for the sake of business, but they are not heroes or over-motivated defenders of security. They’re all hard-core soldiers working for Taer.’

‘The King of Claws,’ Kysaek mentioned. She had visited Taer earlier and found out a bit about the mercenary stronghold. Taer was a Hishek and a dangerous one at that. This was not unusual among the hard-bitten lizards, but he and his brothers had worked as mercenaries for almost a hundred years. They were notorious and in demand before Taer took control of Arche after the Solaris War. However, he did not want to share power and summarily killed all his brothers in several duels. He tore out the claws of their corpses, which was considered a glorious trophy among the Hishek anyway, but because they were also his brothers, he was henceforth known as the King of the Claws. ‘Could we ask him if he knows anything about Reed’s henchmen?’

Vorrn was amused. ’If you think you can just go to him, you’re not thinking as far ahead as i thought. I say we stick to the plan we made.’

‘That’s easy to say when you’re not the target,’ Kysaek sighed, almost over-dramatically. ‘But luckily I’m still in charge and I say we talk again, in a bar.’

‘We’ve only just arrived,’ Thais complained cautiously. ’And you’re questioning the plan? Do you have to?’

’I said on board, I’m not entirely convinced. We need to rethink our strategy.’

‘Normally I like your ideas,’ commented Tavis calmly, but also reluctantly. ’But this isn’t a good one. Let’s just get on with it instead of improvising at the last minute.’

‘I’ll take note of any protests and stick with the Bar, and that’s my final word,’ Kysaek affirmed harshly. She absolutely would not be reasoned with, for the plan put her life and only her life at risk. ‘Dorvan, do you have any entries on a good bar?’

‘That depends on your criteria,’ the bot replied.

‘Clear, good drinks and, above all, safe.’

‘I have exactly one entry, in the neighbourhood.’

‘Then we know our destination.’

The interior matched the exterior. All the furniture inside the spacious and busy bar was made of stone: chairs, benches, tables, counters, everything. Technology was only present in the form of loudspeakers, taps, holoscreens, automatic firing systems and the lights that mainly illuminated the musicians’ stage, where the scantily clad Talin and human women danced. However, they did not perform a striptease and were watched by some guests, whether male or female. Otherwise there was a lot of smoking, whether cigarettes or inhalers, and metal cups were constantly clinking against each other. There were plenty of alcoholic drinks and weapons, yes, there were weapons in abundance. No visitor or member of staff was unarmed and yet the atmosphere was boisterous and mostly peaceful. It had the flair of Themis, only without all the brawls and shootings.

‘A round of gamma for you,’ said a Palanian waitress as she placed a tray full of cups on a table.

Kysaek paid directly with her Vortex cuff along with a tip. ‘A little something extra for you.’

‘Thank you,’ the Palanian nodded kindly.

As soon as she had gone, everyone stared at their cups except Vorrn. The tall Hishek was not sitting on a chair, but on his lower abdomen and kneeling legs. He clamped his gamma between his jaws and lifted his head to down the drink in one go. ‘At least it’s something good,’ he smacked his lips contentedly after setting the cup down, but then he murmured in annoyance. ‘What is it?’

The rest of the table looked ath the Hishek, and Tavis said. ’Someone had to go first. It could be poisoned.’

’Could be, but I don’t care. We Hishek are robust and immune to many poisons.’

‘Then I’ll do it the old-fashioned way,’ Tavis said, using his vortex cuff for a quick analysis. ‘It’s clean.’

‘Habit?’ asked Thais, who drank from her cup without a scan now.

’On Themis, a lot of bars are dirty, and I don’t just mean unclean swill. You often have to be careful because thieves in particular like to fill the drinks with drugs and then steal everything when you’re drunk or asleep.’

‘Have you ever done it yourself?’

‘Who do you think invented the trick?’

Thais didn’t buy that from the Palanian. ‘Pretty much every rogue since you could wear rags as robes and use bones as knives.’

‘Yes, but where would my elegance be?’

‘That could actually be an invention on your part,’ Thais admitted with amusement, but the casual conversation didn’t last long. She also drank and put her cup down gruffly. ’But we’re not here for fun, Kysaek - we have a good plan. Why are you pulling out at the last second?’

‘I don’t know,’ Kysaek grated. She threw herself back in her hard chair without armrests and put one arm over the edge of the back. ’Maybe I’m just allergic to the constant plans where I have my arse right in the line of fire. We’re all in this together, not just me.’

’You’re exaggerating and saying it yourself: We fight together.’

’We are, yes. Yes, we are. How was it on Themis?’ Kysaek questioned a little louder. Her foul mood did not change for the better. ’Who was allowed to sneak through a torture factory full of Reed’s crooks as a half-naked stripper and let you in? Who was on Central bait waiting for Reed’s revenge?’ She went on and on with the list. ‘Who flew into the middle of a war zone on Trayden or let Neo Solaris take you as a scourge on Anuket?’

Wolfgang intervened. ‘I’m the new guy, but you were never alone in almost everything,’ he remarked explicitly. ‘So I can’t understand your attitude in any way.’

‘I agree,’ Tavis concurred and remained matter-of-fact. ’Has something happened? Why are you so fixated all of a sudden? You’re not alone.’

‘I’m not alone, but I’m in charge,’ Kysaek replied firmly and took a sip of gamma. ’And your head shouldn’t be at the front all the time. What do I have this new, large crew for?’

Dorvan’s bot stood next to the table. ‘I’m plagued by uncertainty,’ he admitted. ’I assumed we’d come up with a new plan. Instead, we’re discussing obvious hierarchies and the past. I’m missing the connection.’

Vorrn spoke straight. ‘The little girl got a taste of power and it doesn’t sit well with her.’

‘You mean she’s not up to it?’ Dorvan asked innocently.

‘Apparently.’

Kysaek wasn’t going to take that lying down, especially not with the Hishek. ‘Do we have a problem?’

‘We’re on our way there,’ Vorrn remarked bluntly. ‘You significantly overestimate your importance to me.’

‘And yet you follow me.’

‘Not if you cowardly hide behind the rest,’ Vorrn clarified and straightened up from his seat. ‘I won’t fight for anyone who doesn’t want to fight.’

‘I’m not stopping you from leaving.’

Vorrn bared his teeth marginally. ‘Neither could you,’ he growled in a vibrating tone. ’There’s no fight worth having here. Carry on your little adventure without me.’ He simply left the table, knocking over some of the mugs with his lunging tail and stomping out of the bar.

The scene was followed by many curious eyes, but not for very long and yet some of the guests couldn’t stop peering at the quarrelling table.

‘He was just causing trouble anyway,’ said Kysaek as Gamma walked across the stone table, dripping from the edge. ‘Anyone else?’

The question surprised everyone at the table, except for Dorvan’s expressionless bot. Thais, on the other hand, grabbed Kysaek’s arm. ‘Come with me,’ the Talin murmured tensely, pulling her target along with her own sheer strength until the two of them were in a corner next to the bar. Thais asked more subdued and angry at the same time. ‘What’s got into you?’

Being grabbed like that didn’t sit well with Kysaek and she wrenched her arm free. ‘I’m leading the way, that’s what you wanted!’ she defended herself in a less discreet tone than the Talin. ‘Didn’t I more than prove myself on Anuket?’

‘I’m afraid the cheering of the crowd has damaged your character,’ Thais said worriedly, looking at a Davoc who was clearly watching and listening from the centre of the bar. ‘Mind your own business!’ Her words had an effect and after a flaring of his nostrils, the monkey creature pushed away from the counter.

‘Cheering was definitely a change from being constantly blamed and hounded,’ Kysaek replied, leaning against the stone wall with his arms folded. ’Has that changed me? - No. Did I like it? You bet I did.’

’You’re getting reckless. Please think carefully.’

’What’s with all the lecturing? You gave up the leadership because you no longer wanted to and could not. But I’m not going to lead everyone to their death like you did!’

That really hit home. Thais’s otherwise steady face turned into a mixture of sadness and anger. ‘You know what?’ she raised her hands in front of her. ’You know everything and can do anything. I’ll take Vorrn as an example and grab Re’Lis, Dios and Kuren before they fall victim to your stupidity!’

‘Whatever you say!’ Kysaek said flatly. She had only told the truth, even if it was harsh, and didn’t want to be insulted by the Talin. ‘Get lost!’ She looked forwards briefly, as Thais seemed to want to punch her, but that didn’t happen and the Talin stormed off in a rage. Kysaek went back to the reduced table and it was about to get even smaller.

‘What leadership qualities,’ Wolfgang shook his head and stood up. ’Anuket was probably a stroke of luck that blinded me. I very rarely make mistakes, but this is turning into a monumental disaster, just like on Trayden.’

Unmoved, Kysaek pointed her thumb towards the exit. ’There’s the door. I don’t need people throwing in the towel at the slightest difficulty.’

’That synonym must have been the highlight of your day. It’s all downhill from here,’ predicted Wolfgang, clasping his hands together and turning to Tavis and Dorvan. ‘Both of you be smart and leave before it’s too late.’

The scientist then left and Kysaek rejoined the group, softening her tone again. ’We’ve already achieved so much. May I continue to count on the support of both of you?’

‘A yes would not be the whole truth,’ said Tavis cautiously and drank from his cup. While Dorvan’s bot just stood there silently, the Palanian took note of the eyes in the bar that had been watching the show. ’We’ve just lost good people and that makes us a lot weaker, but I won’t part with you. Alone, I’d be fair game after our escapades. I hope we make a particularly good plan for that now.’

‘That’s all I wanted all along and this is what I’ve been thinking about,’ Kysaek murmured quietly. No one could just overhear, and for her, the eyes and ears of the bar were no less clear, to which she now showed outward strength. The loss of a few people would not slow down her plans.