Chapter 4 – Port Dumas

The ship shuddered under Lenah’s control. Compared to this, taking off from the mansion’s parking lot had been a piece of cake. The Star Rambler didn’t feel responsive to her steering as she tried to set it down in Port Dumas, and it didn’t help that she was already ten minutes late for her meeting. Hopefully, the spy was interested enough in her money to wait.

Next to her, in the copilot’s seat, Persia stirred from her nap. “Oh, blazing stars, I need some Tuya leaves,” she groaned, pressing both hands against her temples.

“Maybe our freed prisoners found some in their search,” Lenah said.

Doctor Lund and Uzara had spent the hour and half of the journey searching the ship for the personal items their kidnappers had taken from them. The doctor seemed to be missing what he called his scientific equipment.

The ship jerked sideways, almost colliding into the other ship parked next to them. Lenah moved the control stick as little as she could to regain control, and almost crashed into a tree on the other side. “Stupid ship.”

“It wasn’t my headache making me think we almost crashed. Twice.” Persia looked her up and down. “Have you even ever flown a ship before?”

“Yes. I mean, technically, no,” Lenah muttered, finally dropping the ship into the narrow parking space. “Just in simulations from flight academy, and they don’t have fifty-year-old pieces of rust.”

“You went to the flight academy? A family member?”

“Er, no. Not exactly.”

When she didn’t continue, Persia prodded her again. “So?”

“So I obtained training copies and taught myself how to fly,” Lenah finally answered, finishing up the landing sequence.

“You got pirated copies of the academy’s flying simulations?” Persia threw her head back to laugh, but jerked it forward again immediately, clutching her temples. “You’re hilarious, and I wish I could witness your growth as a pilot, but this headache is definitely going to kill me.”

“Come on.” Lenah turned the ship off and got up. “Maybe we can find you some Tuya leaves in town. Then I’ll drop you off back in Astura I.”

She found the others rummaging in the cabins, looking for their stuff. Each of the ship’s six cabins was equipped with one small bunk, a storage unit, and a chair. A ledge next to the bunk served as a table. Uz turned around, wide-eyed, and held up a metal bat when Lenah entered.

“Whoa, chill. I just wanted to let you know that we’ve landed in Port Dumas,” Lenah said. “It’s not known to be a pleasant place, but you’ll be able to find a cheap ride off-planet from here.”

Then it occurred to her that they wouldn’t have any money to get any such ride. Lenah reached into her pocket and pulled out her back-up chips. She’d brought the extra credits in case the informant asked for more money. After all, that was the one thing she could bring to the table in this situation; she had deep pockets. Since she worked as her father’s assistant in Starwide Research, he paid her a generous monthly salary. Unfortunately, that money was tied up in Lenah’s bank accounts, and the family investors had access to it, and none of Lenah’s so-called friends had wanted to help out. So she’d spent the past few months making clothes purchases from a tailor in Astura I who didn’t mind charging extra on the bill. For a fee, she’d handed Lenah the rest in cash chips. Lenah pulled out her 500 extra CGC and handed it to the Cassidian. After a moment’s hesitation, the woman lowered the club and took the money.

“That’s all I can spare, but it will hopefully give you a start.” Lenah turned when she didn’t get an answer, but Uz caught her by the arm.

“Thank you.” The simple words and gesture rang deep. She probably didn’t receive a lot of friendly treatment. Lenah couldn’t see how a mutilated Cassidian would be well-received by her magical comrades, given how superior they felt over weak magic users like humans. And humans, most likely, were creeped out. It was hard to look at her and not look directly at the scars. Lenah forced her gaze down to the green eyes with their large pupils.

“You’re welcome.” Then she remembered how late she was for her meeting and hurried back toward the ship’s only hatch.

Persia caught up with her. “Where are you going?”

Lenah didn’t answer. She just wanted to get to the meeting now.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m meeting someone. Alone. Once I’m done, we fly back to Astura I. I get you a place for the night, park the ship behind the drunk guards again, and it’ll all be as if nothing ever happened.”

They were outside now, and the night air stank almost as badly as the inside of the ship. Didn’t anyone clean anymore?

“This is where you’re meeting a lover?” Persia asked. “Or are you trying to run away from your fancy life?”

“What? No. I’m not meeting a lover.”

“Who, then?”

“None of your business. And put that hammer away.” People were looking at them. Lenah wasn’t sure if it was because Persia was still wearing her sexy gladiator outfit and carrying her hammer, or because Lenah herself was dressed in a business suit which, by the looks of it, had cost three times a month’s rent in this place. She’d thought she was dressed for the occasion. She quickened her pace again, mostly to avoid the stares of the bulky doormen lining the establishments nearby.

The narrow street which, according to her wristpiece’s navigation, led directly to the meeting place must be the town’s bar district. She wasn’t sure if their looks were those of disapproval because someone dared walk by in clean clothes, or of invitation to get her and Persia to enter their bar. She shuddered. Maybe Persia had been right to bring her hammer along.

She peered at her wristpiece again. The navigation told her that the shop she was heading for was located to her right. She took the next turn, with Persia still on her heels. “Just entertain yourself, will you? I need some privacy here.”

“Ah, totally a lover,” Persia said and grinned at her, while Lenah couldn’t keep herself from rolling her eyes. She’d preferred the woman drunk rather than making any assumptions about Lenah. Almost too late, she realized that she’d reached her destination.

‘Clothing & Equipment for the Miner’ was written on a neon sign outside a small storefront, though several letters were no longer illuminated. Lenah stopped, her heart beating frantically. She was glad to get off the street, certainly, but she also hadn’t been prepared to have this meeting without her abilities. It couldn’t be helped, though. Everyone else did these things without being able to influence who they interacted with, so she could do it too.

“Look, you can stay here,” Lenah said to the gladiator. “But if you come within listening range, I swear I won’t take you back to Astura I, at least not in one piece.”

Persia lifted her one free hand in defense. “Sure, sure. He’s ugly, is he?”

Lenah glared at her.

“Fine. Whatever you say, Captain.”

Lenah held herself back from losing even more time on the banter and made her way through the store. Thankfully, Persia had gotten the message and stayed put by the entrance.

The inside was dimly lit—or, rather, so crammed with tall shelves that they were blocking out most of the light. She didn’t see anyone around, and an icy chill traveled up her spine as she thought that the informant might have already left. Circumventing a display of giant drills and hammers, she reached the back of the shop.

A middle-aged man, tiny in size but otherwise unremarkable, stepped up from behind a shelf, scaring her to a stop.

Was this her informant? He certainly looked like he could be one. Lenah scanned his features, but from the brown hair to brown eyes and medium thick lips, nothing jumped out at her. He almost looked blurry. She was pretty sure she’d forget his features as soon as she walked out of here. She’d heard about this effect before: low magic users creating friction around their features. This must be him. He looked her up and down once, and then nodded.

“Lenah Callo. You look like your father. And you’re late.” Lenah nodded in return, not knowing what to answer. Being reminded of her similarities to her father when she was going behind his back to get information on his business didn’t give her a good feeling. Then she remembered that her father wasn’t precisely honest with her either, and the discomfort eased. She was just being creative in understanding what was going on around her. Plus, flying a ship, even one as old as the Star Rambler, had been really fun.

“I was held up,” she answered.

“It’s not good practice to let us wait. Or to come in with unannounced company.” His gaze shifted toward the door, where Lenah figured Persia was still waiting.

Lenah shrugged. “I’m here and still want any information you can provide.”

“Did you bring my funds?”

She nodded, pulling the chips out of her pocket. “Here it is. Two thousand Common Galactic Units.”

He held out his hand, and she dropped the chips into his palm. He pocketed the money with calm movements.

“Aren’t you going to check it?”

He looked up, his features still blurry; but his eyes became clear and intense, as if he was willing his magic to not cover that specific part of his face anymore. “Were you going to cheat me?”

Lenah shook her head.

“I didn’t think so. Newbies never do.”

Asshole, she thought, but held her tongue. Let him feel above her. As long as she got some information out of him, that was fine. “You have your payment. What can you tell me about Starwide Research’s new avenues of business?”

“An interesting way to put it.” He smiled weakly through the haze. “You might be surprised by the depth of this. Starwide Research is dabbling with things forbidden.” He paused.

“The mage farms? They’re revolutionary, but not forbidden.” Ever since Starwide Research had branched out into the production of rechargeable magic disks, their profits had skyrocketed. Their scientists were busy finding more efficient ways to extract magic out of humans with magical abilities, while the farm grew every year. For the humans they employed, it was much like donating blood, but with their magic abilities. Besides, it allowed mages to earn a living without spending a lifetime guiding ships through space in warp bubbles, a boring and dangerous job at the same time. The mages didn’t need to do anything but keep controlling the warp bubble that surrounded a ship with a portion of their mind. That wasn’t a problem until the day they fell asleep on the job and killed themselves and the whole ship. Warp bubbles led in a straight line through space, and a dropped warp bubble would cause the ship to return to normal space right where it was – for instance, in the middle of a planet’s core. Disks, on the other hand, didn’t fall asleep.

“So you are told. But there are other sources, ancient powers that forbid this. And the queen, she now knows.”

“The queen?” Lenah asked.

“I don’t know the details, but they got it from humanity’s oldest knowledge terminal on Lunar Station. There’s a secret server there–” Abruptly he stopped. Lenah stared at him, about to reach out with her abilities to make him continue, when suddenly she felt a hard touch on her shoulder. A really cold and hard touch.

She turned, taking in the huge man standing before her. Muscled, standing over a head taller than her, he was pointing a gun at Lenah while holding Persia in a death grip with his other arm.

His metal arm.

Bloody galaxy.

That’s it! You finished all of the preview chapters! 

Thank you for reading the first four chapters of STAR RELIC. I hope you liked it and are curious to join Lenah and Persia as they embark on an epic adventure with the mysterious cyborg.

STAR RELIC will come out in August 2019, followed closely by Book 2 (MAGE FARM) and Book 3 (MIND MAGE). You’ll soon be able to join my email list, so you won’t miss it.