For the Throne - 3. News from Altera

Artisans in Sol de Noche specialized in glass. The melting of the surface’s sand created a delicate material with pale opalescent pink hues because of the alkaline properties. Posh had descended to the lower depths of the city to look for a suitable wedding gift for his sister. Holding up a fist size globe that looked like it was about to pop, he started thinking about Ashe’s message again. She hadn’t told him who she was marrying only that he was from Homeworld and the date. Setting down the glass bubble, he decided to check on her. Reasoning if she was fine and happy, he could always say he just needed the name of her spouse.

Walking out to the passageways, he looked for the nearest Comlink. Finding one in an alley by the municipal building a few stories up from the glass shop, he put in his Verification Card and dialed Ashe’s number. When she didn’t pick-up he tried his step-brother Victor. It didn’t really surprise him when his brother didn’t answer, he was always busy. Taking a deep breath, he dialed Pashta and hoped that Ashe had thought to keep their mother informed.

Posh was surprised when Elrick Iverson appeared on the screen of Pashta’s Comlink. He had gone to school with Elrick, at one time he had even considered him his friend. All that had changed when Posh met Jayden. He wasn’t sure where the animosity had come from but their once friendship had soured turning not only to an intense dislike, but an outright animosity. The last conversations he’d with Elrick had gone very wrong.

“So are you one of my mother’s lovers now?” he couldn’t hide the sarcasm out of his voice. “Where is Pashta?”

“Pashta’s lover,” Elrick laughed darkly. “No, I am still waiting for you. Why don’t you tell me where are they Posh?”

“Waiting for me? We have never been more than friends! And what do you mean by “they”?” Posh thought frantically to his sister’s message. If the message had been detained that would explain its late arrival. Could it be that they had been hiding out on Homeworld for the last three months? But if that was the case, what was Elrick doing in the palace? “If they aren’t home, why are you there Elrick?”

“Don’t even try playing the innocent game with me. I know better. It’s time for you to come home and take your place by my side.”

“You? I have never liked you that way Elrick, I’m not going to marry you or sleep with you.”

“Oh, you thought I was asking? Things have changed since you’ve been gone. It is time for you to come home and take your place Viscount or should I say Duke?”

“I’m not a Duke unless my brother is dead. Is that what you are telling me, that you have killed my brother?” He could feel blood rushing to his head. Victor and he weren’t close,their age difference and his step-brother’s responsibilities had made that impossible, but he was still family. Besides, Posh had no desire to be Duke of Altera. As a cold anger grew from his stomach he began to really see the man on the Comlink screen, the pointed black collar of a uniform, the gold button of the Imperial Alliance stuck through his left lapel. “You-

The screen went blank. Looking up, he saw Adar holding out his Verification Card which he had pulled out of the Comlink. “There are Imperial troops on their way here right now. Do you really want to fight with that idiot and be picked up by them?”

Heat rose to his face. “Where did you come from?”

“I never left you,” the Va’terran whispered. “Now come on. We don’t have time for this. The Imperials are coming quickly to detain you.” Looking around he pulled a gold mask and iridescent cloak out of a bag he had on his shoulder. “Put these on.”

“Is it going to hurt me?” he asked, looking down at the disguise being held out to him. There was a lot of speculation about the masks the Va’terran’s wore. Some said theywere glued to the skin and others said that it grew tentacles that connected to the wearer’s brain. Posh didn’t buy either of those stories, but he had never seen a Va’terranwho wasn’t wearing one.

“Do you really believe those superstitious stories about our masks being attached?” Adar laughed as he pulled the mask just enough to show it wasn’t adhered to his skin.

The laugh felt like a punch in the gut, it was so similar to Jayden’s. Light musical notes dancing through the air raisedgoose bumps on his skin. Why did the Va’terran keep reminding him of Jayden?

Posh pulled on the cloak and then slipped the mask over his face. He had expected it to feel heavy and was surprised to find that he could barely tell it was there. Looking around, he could see outlines of people decorating the apartments and shops in blue and green lines. Even the plants seemed to have a green glow around them.

“What is this?” Posh thought.

“We call it syncopation,” said a voice in his head. “It is a shifting to see what is normally not stressed.”

“Are you talking in my head?” Posh asked out loud.

“Hush,” said Adar in his head, “you’ll give yourself away not knowing what every Va’terran child knows from the time they’re able to walk. Wait to ask your questions, I’ll answer anything you want to know once we are on your ship.” Holding Posh’s arm he urged him forward through the city.

As Posh rushed up the ramps toward his hanger, he noticed an occasional dark silhouette intermingled with the blue and green ones. Although he knew that Adar could sense him wondering about it, the Va’terran was silent, keeping true to his word that they would talk once they were on the ship.

Right before they were about to cross the last bridge leading to the hangers, three guards started across the expanse. The color surrounding these three echoed the blackness of their Imperial uniforms and Posh realized that the other dark outlines he’d seen must have come from other soldiers. Rather than passing them Adar pulled him into a doorway and blocked him from the walkway with his body. He was surprised to find that he had to concentrate on Adar to see him standing right in front of him.

“The cloaks allow us to bed the light around us making us appear to simply be part of the surroundings,” Adar said in his head, breaking his silence.

“Is that what you meant by you never left me?” he silently questioned, surprised when could feel the smile that appeared on Adar’s face in his mind.

Feeling his heartbeat thumping in his chest over the news that Elrick had and hadn’t give him, he decided to study the man protecting him with his body. It was impossible to determine his age with the golden mask covering the upper half of his face, but his jaw line was strong and although his skin was smooth he could tell it was freshly shaven. His lips were full and there were no wrinkles extending from his mouth. Slightly taller than Posh, he watched as the Va’terran turned his head to watch the three soldiers. The cloak gapped around his head and the flash of dark auburn curls made Posh catch his breath. There was no denying the resemblance to Jayden now. Dark red hair, green eyes, a desire to rip the mask off Adar’s face just to see how similar he looked to his dead husband ran through him.

“What?” Adar asked in his head, turning concerned eyes too look at him, obviously having picked up Posh’s feelings of anxiety. Shaking his head he struggled to clear his mind, remembering that the Va’terran would be able to hear his thoughts. This was something he would have to deal with when they were on his ship.

Turning his head, he watched the soldiers. They stood in front of a Comlink searching for something. He watched as two of them walked further down the walkway and the other continued to talk to someone.When the third followed behind the other two, Adar pulled them out of the doorway and headed across the ramp leading them to the hanger holding Posh’s ship.

Adar suddenly stopped when they reached the hanger, he dropped Posh’s hand which he had been holding the whole time as if he were a child whom he was afraid he would lose if he let go. The hanger was quiet but that quietness didn’t explain the chaos that Posh saw. Five Imperial soldiers lay in heaps around the hanger floor. Mara sat on top of a crate near the ship looking like a satisfied cat and the two Va’terran guards traveling with Adar were watching the unconscious Imperials. Each of them held a golden staff but neither looked worried that they were going to have to mess with the downed soldiers.

“I take it you have secured the area,” Adar said.

One of the guards pointed to Mara and Posh heard, “She secured them, they were down when we got here,” echo in his head. Posh couldn’t help but smile at the newest member of his household, but it was quickly followed by the irritation that Mara had no idea that the soldiers were impressed with her. Taking off the mask and cloak, Posh handed them back to Adar. It was true they were useful, but he couldn’t help but feel that they portrayed things that were better left unsaid, especially if Adar was going to continue to remind him of Jayden.

Walking toward his ship, he ungloved his hand and placed it on the palm reader. When the sensor light flashed green, he punched in the code to open the transport’s door. Glancing over at his passengers, he noted that Adar was watching him. He didn’t need a mask on to know that the Va’terran had questions. A lot had happened in a short period of time. But the Va’terrans were just going to have to get used to not knowing what was on his mind. Their contract didn’t say he had to wear one of those mind-reading face shields all the time.

Posh walked straight to the pilot’s cabin upon entering the ship. He had to hold back a laugh when Mara kept the Va’terrans from entering the cabin by blocking the doorway. Sitting in the co-pilot’s chair he punched in the coordinates for their destinations and then modified their route. His passengers were paying for him to take them to Outpost 20 and Va’terra, their home planet. There was nothing in the contract that said he couldn’t make a personal stop at Homeworld on his way to Va’terra.

“SAI report on repairs and status.”

“All ship functions are one hundred percent. Supplies will last for one Alteran year with current passenger load. Sir there is an incoming call from Don Isis will you take it here or in your room? It is marked private,” SAI stated.

Don Isis, the head of the Cartel here on Isis 5. What did he want? “Here is fine.”

“Posh!” The round face of the Don Isis said as he turned on the Com-porter.

“Garrett, how are you?” The Don had been to Altera many times negotiating the trade of Firewater and produce. He was pretty sure that the short fat man had been vying for his mother’s bed, but Pashta did have some standards.

“I am troubled my young friend. You come to my home and you don’t stop to pay your respects. Have I done something to insult you?” He had to admit he had not followed protocol, but he wasn’t participating in court politics at all, not just here.

“Ah! I am sorry. I hadn’t expected to find passengers as soon as I had.” He was glad that he was alone in the pilot’s cabin. “My apologies Don. We will be returning before a cycle has past. Can I make up my discretion then?”

“Of course.” Garrett paused. “You know there is talk Posh?”

“Talk of what?” The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, something was wrong.

“Talk that Altera has chosen to side with the Imperials.” The look on Garrett’s face was completely blank. Posh wanted to believe that the Don was spreading rumors.

“Really? Did you hear it from Pashta or Victor?” he asked trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

“No, not from either of them.” The Don combed his hair back with his fingers. “But from inline to succession.” There was a confidence about him that Posh couldn’t dismiss. As much as he wanted to deny what was being said, he knew that he had to give it attention.

“Really? Victor, I’m confused as to who you could have heard it from. Ashe maybe? I know you didn’t hear it from me.”

“No, not from anyone in the Duchery.”

Posh could feel his anger rise. If it wasn’t anyone in the Duchery, it had to be one of his cousins. Shutting his eyes to try and center himself, he struggled not to yell into the Comlink. Elrick Iverson wasn’t inline to the throne, however he had several cousins who might have traded their alliance.

“I can assure you that there are still steps from the minor aristocrats to the Duchery. Do not assume that rumors are truth.” It was best to downplay the news.

“This was more than rumor Posh. No one from the Duchery has been to council for two sessions. Altera has strict rules. You know this more than anyone. If no one from the Duchery appears at the next session, then steps to succession will begin.”

Posh felt the blood run from his face and he gripped the arm of the co-pilot chair tightly. “Garrett, I don’t want to usurp my brother.”

“Posh, I know you never had designs for the throne. But to protect what Altera stands for what would you do?” asked Garrett frowning. Posh hadn’t expected to see any genuine emotions from the Don, but the man seemed to be sincere.

“I…when is the next council session?”

“In a little over three months, on the seventh day of ninth month. Posh I need to be discrete with you. If this should go wrong, the Cartel with have to pull out of Altera all together. We value our neutrality. Those the Imperials would execute have proven to be a valuable resource for us.”

Posh thought frantically. What would happen if the Cartel pulled out of Altera? How many other thing were they supporting? He looked over at SAI. A small blue Osiris stamp gleamed on his shoulder indicating that he had been made on Osiris in the Dead Zone. The realization that he might never know how far into Alteran society the Cartel had infiltrated dawned on him.

“One of us will be there. Thank you for the information." He paused, "I do need to know, should things go wrong, will we be able to find refuge?” There wasn't time for a formal agreement, but the Cartel prided itself on honoring its word.

“Posh! You know I would never turn down an outcast citizen, especially not one from Altera." The look on his face twisted in a pained grimace. "Unfortunately without an alliance of marriage I would not be able to secure sanctuary for the Duchery.”

“Who is a suitable union?” he sighed. He already knew Garret’s fascination with his mother, but he was small time in the Cartel and the Duchery was Alteran royalty.

“Alteran beauty is highly prized, I am sure that I will be able to find matches for all of you should things not go as planned.”

So there it was, the truth behind the veiled threat. Should Altera fall, the Duchery would be pawned off to the various members of the Cartel as spouses and bedmates to protect them from the Imperial Alliance and Garrett would be their pimp. “Thank you for your honesty. I will see you on my way back through the Dead Zone.”

“I’ll look forward to your visit then,” he smiled. Turning off the com to avoid looking at the man’s Cheshire cat grin, he leaned back in the chair shutting his eyes.

“We have authorization to leave. Shall I initiate take off?” SAI asked. The cold robotic voice bringingPosh back to the matters at hand.

“Commence take off,” he said issuing the command. He had never figured out how much SAI really understood and when he was uncertain like now, it was better to be rely on the simple commands that would take them where they needed to go.

“SAI tell me when we are two spans from Outpost 20,” he said. Mustering his patience, he stood to leave the cabin and deal with his passengers.