The Mercenary (The War Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Saakshi’s next day at Pik’s proved uneventful, although very busy. Trader Pik’s, even during slow hours, usually attracted considerable patronage. The busy late shift had four server girls working simultaneously. And rumor was that most days, the servers were still run off their feet.

  She heaved a huge sigh of relief as the Ketaari officer stayed away from Pik’s for the next two days. The Hadari’Kor male also failed to make an appearance, though that wasn’t unusual. Hadari’Kor were mercenaries and worked for hire. Saakshi guessed that the male came to the station for recreation between jobs.

  Two days later, the Ketaari commander cornered Saakshi as she stumbled back to the dormitory after her usual double shift. She was one day away from earning her day off. Busy daydreaming about the forthcoming day of leisure, she failed to watch carefully enough for groping extremities on the main thoroughfare. She had noted early on that the Trade Sphere seemed to attract a particularly sleazy set of patrons. Taken unawares, Saakshi gasped as a hand gripped her wrist to yank hard, causing her to stumble into the wall dividing two of the establishments by the main walkway.

  “Let go of me” she hissed angrily at her assailant.

  He let go to bare his teeth at her in a macabre semblance of a friendly smile. Saakshi felt her heart sink as she recognized him. It was the Ketaari regional commander. She had even remembered his name – Urm Ghesh. Golar Urm Ghesh, that’s what he liked to be called by the Budheya forced to live under his control.

  Forcing the Budheya to kowtow to him isn’t enough for him. The son of swine is eager to rub his position as the highest military commander for the area into our downtrodden faces. Swine!

  “I hope you’ve managed to recall my name, Budh female” he remarked conversationally, an expression in the pale blue eyes that made her blood run cold. A wisp of black fear unfurled slowly in the pit of her stomach, soon to envelop her in a brackish fog of terror.

  Even by Budheya standards, Saakshi had not had an easy life, having survived some tough circumstances in her young life - a childhood as an orphan, dependent on the generosity of neighbors; scrabbling for survival like all other Budheya in her village; joining the rebel resistance as a recruit to fight Ketaari oppression; mounting guerilla attacks on the Imperial Forces and even a short stint in a harsh Ketaari prison until her contract had been sold off by them. Despite the past, Saakshi realized with a sinking heart as she faced the Ketaari officer that, tough as her short life had been, her experiences might yet pale in comparison to the trouble headed her way. She went cold, a hard knot of fear and anxiety twisting deep inside her. As terror tightened its steely grip on her, she fought to steady herself. The need of the hour was to keep all her wits about her, she reminded herself. She was resilient and had faced worse before. With a cool head and some luck, she might yet manage to wriggle her way out of this, relatively unscathed.

  “Golar Urm Ghesh” she responded quietly, refusing to show any fear.

  The Ketaari smiled happily at her answer, seemingly pleased by her response. He stood a few inches taller than her and a couple of decades older, if she recalled correctly. Stocky with a deep chest and the bulging neck and upper arm muscles so common in Ketaari officers, he was unremarkable in appearance with his sallow complexion, forehead ridges, cropped white blond hair, watery blue eyes and seemingly bloodless lips. The Ketaari home world was an ice planet. Rumor was that the only way the Ketaari could survive the hot and arid desert world of Budheyasta was the military uniform that sheathed them from neck to toe. The specially designed uniform regulated body temperature and retained moisture, thus helping Ketaari posted on the Budheya home world to acclimatize and survive the alien and inhospitable conditions.

  “I have been promoted to an Unta-Golar. My friends and I are here to celebrate my new rank.”

  He stared at her hopefully, but Saakshi made no response. It was all she could do to not flinch away from his thick body positioned so close to hers.

  “I was not planning to be on this station very long, but I changed my mind after I saw you.”

  He paused again, waiting for a response from her.

  “I have applied for a month’s leave before I start my new assignment. I would like you to spend some time with me.”

  This time, he managed to get a response. Saakshi studied him coldly.

  “I cannot” she declared tersely.

  The pale blue eyes narrowed at her words.

  “Cannot or will not?” he inquired, in a tone sharper than any he’d used so far on her.

  He glanced around the busy thoroughfare as if gauging the crowd. Saakshi tensed in response, gathering herself to sprint away from him. Her tough childhood and years in the resistance meant that she was not incapable of defending herself when the need arose. But she knew well that a one-on-one confrontation with the Ketaari in close quarters would not lead to a good outcome for her. On the other hand, she was quick and knew this part of the station well. She’d have a far better shot at evading the commander if she made a run for it. Saakshi waited nervously, poised for flight, her eyes scanning his expression carefully. Finally, the Ketaari stepped back from her as if he’d come to a decision.

  “I will give you two days to think about this, Budh. Then, I come for you – willing or not. It is your choice” he declared.

  That night, Saakshi lay frightened in her narrow dormitory bed while she desperately pondered her limited options. She could run. This was not a particularly well-guarded station and she was reasonably sure that, with a little effort, she could escape it. But once off this station, where would she go? Going back to Tilabok and the others on Budheyasta would only bring down more trouble on them for she would be an escaped Ketaari felon. In effect, escaping to any part of the Budh-Ketaari Empire, as the Ketaari ironically called their slice of space, would be too dangerous for her. It would also endanger any Budheya who helped her. That left her with only two choices - Alliance space or neutral territory. Traveling through neutral space was easier, but her chances of survival on her own without allies would not be very high. Alliance-controlled territory was a much safer option for her, but the Alliance had stringent border patrols and didn’t allow anyone in without the proper tags. She could attempt to acquire the appropriate identity tags to allow her access through Alliance territory, but that would take a lot longer than the two days she had. And it would need currency that she lacked. Eventually, she drifted into restless sleep, only to wake up exhausted. It was the start of another long day of double shifts. Saakshi consoled herself with the reminder that tomorrow was her day off as she made her way tiredly to Trader Pik’s.

  An hour into the first of her shifts, Pik asked to see her in the back room. Since it was rare for Pik to ask to speak to a server girl in private, his request pierced the cloak of apathy that hung over Saakshi this morning, one built up by her anxiety and alarm. For a moment, she pondered furiously whether she was in trouble – if she’d somehow shirked any of her duties at the alehouse. The back room was a small, airless chamber that doubled as Pik’s office as well as a stock room. It was also where his server girls ate the meals that Pik provided for them. Pik shut the door behind him to direct a penetrating look at Saakshi. Pik-u-Aak had been a trader for four decades, and had a reputation on the station for being a male of his words and for treating his servers well.

  “Do you know a Ketaari Unta-Golar by the name of Urm Ghesh?” he asked Saakshi, coming straight to the point. Pik was never one to beat around the bush.

  Saakshi closed her eyes on a weary sigh. “Yes.”

  “What does he want?”

  “He wants me to spend time with him” she responded wearily, too tired to dress up what the Unta-Golar wanted.

  “Hmm … how long does he plan on being here?” Pik inquired, clearly unsurprised by her answer.

  “He says that he’s applied for a month’s leave and plans to spend it on the station.”

  “A month!” Pik exclaimed, clearly astonished. “I could’ve scared hi
m off for a few days, possibly a week, but if he plans to be here a month, I’m not going to be able to help you.”

  Saakshi’s expression blanched in response, prompting Pik to explain the situation plainly, though not unkindly, to the anxious young girl before him.

  “He could have my contract on you revoked, and have you assigned to him. There is nothing I can do to prevent that.”

  At the blunt words, Saakshi stared back at him in renewed alarm, her eyes huge with worry and exhaustion. Pik sighed softly.

  “I’m guessing that you do not want to spend time with him.”

  She shook her head mutely.

  “Are you sure? He’s only planning to be here a month. Could you perhaps stomach him for a month?” he asked hopefully.

  “No! I’d rather die” she said vehemently. “Not with Ketaari, not with him” she burst out.

  “Alright then. What about the HadKor Captain?” Pik asked.

  Confused by the abrupt change of subject, Saakshi could only gaze back at the Keeyori trader in blank incomprehension.

  “The HadKor that hangs around here looking like he wants to eat you up” Pik explained, a tad impatiently.

  “What about him?” she asked, her bewilderment making it clear that she was all at sea.

  “He has a starship and a mercenary army under his command. Make a deal with him.”

  “A deal?” Saakshi exclaimed. “But I have no currency to pay him.”

  “Do not be a fool, girl! You couldn’t afford his fees even if you had any currency to bargain with. Offer yourself to him in return for his protection.”

  “Offer myself …” she repeated slowly.

  “If you can stomach him, offer to be his lover in exchange for protection from the Ketaari Unta-Golar.”

  Pik paused briefly to muse over his own words.

  “My advice would be to make the offer even if you cannot stomach him. You either go to him or to the Ketaari. For what it’s worth, I haven’t heard anything bad about his treatment of females. He’s been coming to the station for the past couple of years, although he never came here as often as he does since you showed up. He’s not particularly friendly, keeps to himself, and stays off the pleasure houses and game pavilions.”

  “What if he doesn’t accept my offer?” Saakshi asked haltingly.

  “He will” Pik was confident. “The way his eyes follow you around, he will. I may be past my prime, but I would be willing to bet currency that if you make the offer, he will not tarry to accept.”

  Saakshi mused over his words thoughtfully. “And you think he will be a match for the Unta-Golar?”

  “Oh yes! Zoran Hadari-Begur-Kor has quite the reputation in this part of space, for himself as well as his mercenary army. He’s a merc like all the HadKor, but this one doesn’t just live rough from fight to fight. He has himself a fancy war ship retrofitted with the latest weapons, commands a loyal army, and is currently on contract to the Alliance. There’s a reason for the popular saying - when you need serious ilhantu shit cleaned up, you hire a HadKor merc. These Hadari’Kor are bred to fight – they fight dirty and they fight to the death, if necessary. You’ve probably noticed how everyone in Pik’s is careful to steer clear of him. If you make a deal with him, he’ll handle the Ketaari Unta-Golar without breaking a sweat.”

  Pik stared hard at the young girl to make sure his words had struck home.

  “Alright, back to work” he dismissed her.

  Pik waited until she was almost to the door, her back to him, before he spoke again.

  “Saakshi Budheya” he called out gently. “I hope you understand that if you run, I will have no choice but to report you to the Ketaari for breach of contract.”

  Saakshi nodded silently with her hand on the door. She felt a sudden spurt of gratitude for Pik. Brusque, impatient and currency-obsessed Pik - who’d tried, in his own way, to help her out of a sticky situation. She had a lot to mull over and not much time to make a decision.

  “Thank you” she acknowledged softly as she let herself out.

  Saakshi ruminated on her conversation with Pik as she went about her tasks. The alehouse was unusually busy for the slow shift, yet Saakshi’s mind constantly mulled over Pik’s suggestion to approach the Hadari’Kor male for assistance. After the first shock had subsided, Saakshi found herself giving the Keeyori trader’s suggestion serious thought. And a few hours of sober reflection made her appreciate his advice more. Under other circumstances, nothing would ever convince Saakshi to even consider striking such an intimate bargain with anyone, let alone an alien stranger. But the Unta-Golar’s threat had thrown such considerations out of the window. Beset by panic and terror, Saakshi clutched at Pik’s suggestion like the last hope of a condemned soul. She knew nothing about the Hadari’Kor male, except for his propensity to drink alone and his ability to put away copious amounts of lethal alcohol. Yet, she’d rather take a gamble on him any day than go to the Unta-Golar. At least, with him, she’d stand a chance. Or so she tried to convince herself. Saakshi knew the Unta-Golar – he was cruel and vicious. In contrast, she told herself, the Hadari’Kor mercenary was a blank slate. The Hadari’Kor male had never tried to accost her or even approach her during all the months when his hot gaze had followed her around Pik’s, she consoled herself. He’d merely looked his fill. His gaze had certainly made her self-conscious but never uncomfortable. She could do this! The mantra kept reiterating in her mind, an attempt to shore up her wavering inner voice when it raised its occasionally inconvenient head to remind her of the bargain she would have to make for protection from the Unta-Golar.

  The mercenary was attractive enough, in a big Hadari’Kor way. He was the first Hadari’Kor she’d ever laid eyes on. Although, since then, Saakshi had observed his occasional companion and a few other Hadari’Kor males, and even one female, aboard the space station. They were built on generous lines as a race with massive light-gray-skinned frames, dark eyes and jet black hair. Saakshi had heard the rampant rumors of adolescent Hadari’Kor tattooing every available part of their bodies with colorful designs. But she had never suspected the whispers to be true until she’d caught a glimpse of the tattoos on the back of the male’s hands and his neck during his visits to the alehouse. He was always attired in a plain black uniform with an insignia on the right shoulder, and trousers tucked into sturdy black military-style boots, the tattoos on his arms covered up by the long sleeves of the uniform. He carried no visible weapons on him, probably because the station’s auto entry sensors were stringent in stripping all weaponry from incoming clientele. When thoughts of the dangerous gamble she was contemplating made her heart beat a little too fast for comfort, Saakshi tried to reassure her inner voice that Pik, who was generally well-informed on station gossip, seemed to not have heard anything bad about the Hadari’Kor male.

  By the time Saakshi was well into her second shift of the day, she had almost convinced herself to approach the Hadari’Kor Captain. When he strode in, accompanied by his occasional companion, Saakshi took it as a sign from the Pura. The Budheya were a spiritual people and their unshakeable belief that their Gods continued to watch over them, despite the daily depredations and hardship wrought upon them by the Ketaari occupation, had been the only solace during these dark years. The silent blessing of her Pura renewed Saakshi’s confidence, helping to silence her inner disquiet while she waited for a lull to approach him. She did catch the occasional glances he directed at her, but they seemed more tamped down and less overt than before.

  At the first opportunity that presented itself, Saakshi hurried over to his table before she could lose her nerve. As she approached him from behind, it was his companion who observed her making her way towards their table. He murmured something to the Captain that caused the Hadari’Kor male’s back to stiffen subtly.

  “Umm … Captain?” Saakshi spoke in Alliance Standard, unsure about how to address him.

  At her softly spoken greeting, his dark eyes snapped up to meet her gray ones. A blaz
e of hunger slid unchecked into the dark depths for just an instant before he used his heavy lids to screen them from her. When he allowed himself to meet her gaze again, his eyes were carefully devoid of all expression. The blaze had been successfully tamped down. That fleeting look, though, was enough to give Saakshi pause. Her doubts over the sensibility of this course of action she seemed poised to embark on resurfaced inconveniently. As she hesitated, one dark eyebrow arched up fluently in inquiry at her continued silence.

  “Could I have a moment of your time tomorrow … if you please? Any time is fine. I have the day off from work” she finished in a hurry, rushing to commit herself before she could change her mind.

  He assented immediately, his eyes a tad puzzled. He glanced around the crowded establishment.

  “Here?” he asked.

  Damn, I didn’t think about the where. This is what comes of not thinking it through. Perhaps he knows of some place in this blasted station that is private.

  “Umm …” Saakshi hesitated with a quick sidelong glance at his companion who was staring at her in bemusement. “Somewhere private, if … if you know of a place.”