Blood for the Empress: Part One of the Empress Trilogy Read online

She stopped when she turned to see the steamjack's head was eye level to her. There was a strange burning smell coming from the mechanical creature. Jonica thought she heard the loud whirring of servos as it stared at her. "Can I help you?"

  "Your hair is white?"

  "Yes."

  "Were you scared?"

  Jonica shook her head. "A trait that is recessive in my family. My grandmother had it, same with an aunt of mine."

  "It must be prized where you come from?"

  Jonica was silent. She slid down in the tub. "Thank you, Toby." The steamjack didn't move. "I would like to be left alone now."

  "I'm not going to leave. You could try and steal something," Toby said, his thick multi-hued body moving towards the corner.

  "What am I going to steal? The water? The tub?"

  "You could," Toby said.

  The door squeaked open, and Gin poked his head in, the leader of the ranch. "Toby! Get your metal butt out of there and let her take a bath in private."

  "But, she might—"

  "Git!"

  Like a scolded child, the steamjack clomped out out of the room. Gin let out a sigh, "Sorry about that. He's a bit paranoid. Please, take your time and enjoy the bath. When you are done, we have supper cooking."

  "Thank you," Jonica said. Her stomach rumbled and caused Gin to laugh for a moment before closing the door. Jonica settled into the bath and let the warm water work at the aches. She closed her eyes and touched the mind-link again. Meph, are you there?

  Yes, human, I am.

  Jonica rolled her eyes. Stop calling me human.

  Why?

  I have a name.

  I am aware, you like reminding me about that often... Slag! I have to go.

  Why?

  Something is coming. I will meet you in Tharsis. I have seen it.

  Is the package safe?

  Yes. Goodbye.

  Jonica felt Meph slam the mind-link shut. She fluttered her eyes open. The bath was getting a little tepid. There was a knock on the door. "Yes?"

  "Are you ok in there, Jonica?" Gin asked through the door.

  "Yes," she said, pushing herself out of the tub. "I'll be right there for supper."

  "Good," Gin said.

  Five

  "Was that you?" Kesh asked, looking at the cat.

  The cat flicked his singed tail a few times, then scrambled away into the broken cargo pod to hide from Blue. Blue made a beeline for the creature until something stopped him. The scytheclaw shook his head and looked at Kesh, then cocked his head. Blue then mewled, moving closer to Kesh before settling into a crouch and looking around, bewildered.

  Kesh rolled his eyes and touched Blue's snout. The lizard moved into the gesture, resting his head on Kesh's shoulder. "We are going to go soon. Need to get some of this stuff," he said, pointing at the sludge in the sand.

  Blue gurgled. The scytheclaw jumped away to wait at the edge of the broken pods.

  Kesh plucked up his dagger and started to stab into the ground, pulling out clumps of the ordium mixture. It had the consistency of clay. He called Blue over to grab a saddlebag off of the scytheclaw, who moved closer nervously then darted away when Kesh was done. Filling the clay into the bag, Kesh knew it would be heavy, but Blue could handle it. He took a small handful and tossed it into the same pouch as the injector. He needed to fill it soon, and the stuff was almost pure. A bit of water and he would have enough for a month in his pouch alone.

  Kesh stood up and looked at the cargo bay. The cat was there, staring at him. "Yes?"

  You are welcome.

  "Are you speaking to me?"

  The cat didn't respond. Simply flicked his tail.

  Kesh shook his head. "Look cat, I don't have time to play here."

  Do not let me stop you then, boy.

  Kesh shook his head, then looked at the cat. "Wait, did you—"

  You know I did.

  Kesh realized what this thing was. "Wonderful, a psi-cat. What do you want?" He stopped and then smiled. "Where is your owner?" He knew psi-cats bonded with someone quickly and rarely were away from the bonded partner for very long.

  How do you know I am owned?

  "The collar, the fact you are adamant to try and get away from me, yet keep yowling like a little kid. You have a Master—"

  Mistress.

  "Whatever," Kesh said with a roll of his eyes.

  It is important. I have an owner as you would call her. Help me get to her and you can name your price.

  "She have money?" He knew that the psi-cat had to answer as truthfully as possible. He couldn't remember if they were created or found on one of the worlds during the Age of Discovery, but he knew they had to be truthful. But they had wiggle room. It had to be the truth, or at least partially true.

  Oh yes, she has a great treasure of the galaxy. The psi-cat settled on the pod and started to groom itself again.

  Meph.

  "Huh?" Kesh asked.

  I am a male psi-cat named Meph. Thought it would be faster than you calling me "it" or "psi-cat" all the time.

  "Great," Kesh said. He didn't completely believe what the psi-cat said about the treasure. Still, it was possible that the owner might have a few credits that would help Kesh. He was low on a key component, and the Martian badlands weren't a good place to find it. The ordium needed a bonding agent to help stop the nanobots in the tattoo from becoming fully active. For the month, it would work. After the month was up… I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. "Let's go... Meph."

  How?

  "Jump on Blue."

  That creature will eat me as a snack. It wants to now.

  Kesh looked at Blue, who twisted one of his eyes to look at Kesh briefly, then back at the cat like a snack. "Blue, no." Kesh said, flicking his hand towards Blue's muzzle. The scytheclaw clicked his jaws a few times, and then reluctantly, turned away. "Come on."

  "You do something to my scytheclaw?" Kesh asked, looking between Blue and Meph.

  It is a defense mechanism. I can pacify most predators and some prey animals.

  "So why not do it to me? Make me help you?"

  Only works on animals, human. Only those whose thoughts are ruled by thoughts of eat, mate, and survive.

  Kesh smirked thinking of a few humans it might work on. "Good to know. At least stop putting the whammy on Blue."

  What is a "whammy?"

  "Name for what you are doing to Blue."

  It is a defense mechanism, not a..."whammy."

  "Whatever it is, stop it."

  Then the scytheclaw will definitely want to eat me.

  "We are working together, right? You need to trust me."

  Meph stood up and looked at the pod he sat on. It was one of the few pods that didn't get damaged in the crash. "Your Mistress in there?"

  No, she made it out of the ship as it fell.

  "How?"

  You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

  "So, come on."

  Meph looked at the pod for a moment, then turned and looked at Kesh. We will have to return for the pod. I doubt your scytheclaw could drag this out.

  "He could. We could—"

  Meph turned away a moment, then back at Kesh. Never mind. We need to go.

  "Why?"

  The cat leapt. Not at Blue, but at Kesh's face. Kesh saw the flying fur ball coming towards him, all four paws splayed out and claws out. Kesh tried to defend himself, yet the psi-cat landed and got in a few scratches before Kesh pulled him away.

  "You didn't have to do that, you know," Kesh spat at the cat, who was riding around the horn of the Blue's saddle horn, calm as can be.

  Your point?

  "That wasn't necessary," Kesh said, his face burning from the small cuts and scratches. Slag!

  A moment that does not teach is a missed opportunity.

  "What is that suppose to mean?"

  You tell me.

  As Blue jogged down out of the hills, Meph jolted onto his paws. The Fedrats are coming.

  "And?"<
br />
  We cannot let them get the pod.

  "Which one? There are several."

  Shut up human. We need to distract them.

  "Why?"

  Do as I say.

  "How?"

  First they need to see us.

  "Are you serious?" Kesh said. He pulled Blue up short, causing the scytheclaw to growl. "You shut up too, scaly." He looked back at Meph. "I am not going to tangle with the Feds. I like to live my life away from those guys. Besides, what I am doing is technically illegal anyway."

  The ordium? I thought as much.

  "Thanks. I'll smuggle you away. But, I am not going to—"

  "Stop right there."

  Kesh looked up to see a group of Federation Militia, five on scytheclaws, yellow ridgeback ones from the smaller stature. The other five rode horses. All in the green colored uniforms of the Federation of the Terra. The dark yellow badges on their shoulders revealed they were Martian Militia arm of the Fedrats. That and their plasma rifles leveled at Kesh were what he focused on. Kesh raised his hands.

  "What were you doing there, boy?"

  "Looking at the crash site," he said, putting on a disarming smile. "Letting my scytheclaw get some exercise and letting my cat come along."

  "I see," the man whom had stopped him before said. "And, if we were to search you, you wouldn't have anything from the wreck?"

  "No sir." Are you going to help or not?

  "Then, you will come down here and let us search your bags and person," the man said. As Kesh neared, he saw that the one giving orders had lieutenant markings on his shirt.

  You will have to grab ahold of me, Meph said.

  "Alright, but you won't like it," he said. The lieutenant looked puzzled as Kesh grabbed the scruff of Meph's neck and kicked the flanks of Blue hard. Meph hissed and tried to claw at Kesh's hand. The lizard took off like a shot, lunging and shrieking towards the group of Feds. Kesh saw the trembling men as they tried to draw a bead on Blue. "Do your stuff, Meph."

  The cat growled, but closed his eyes, and Kesh felt the cat vibrate. Not purr, vibrate. He turned to look at them. The scout soldiers faltered as the horses jumped and reared back. The scytheclaw screeched, bucked his rider, and fled. The lieutenant was the first one to recover. He pointed his slugthrower at Kesh as Blue leapt over the disorganized group. There was a sudden cry of pain and a report of the slugthrower. Blue kept running.

  Kesh realized that the scytheclaw had used his long thick claw to strike at the lieutenant and the man was holding the bloody stump of his arm. The rest of the men tried to organize, but Kesh was out of range by the time they did.

  "Good thing you whammied the horses and scytheclaws."

  It is not a "whammy," human.

  "Hush," Kesh said as he finally dropped Meph onto the saddle. The psi-cat growled and then settled around the saddle horn. "Where is your Mistress?"

  She will meet us in Tharsis City.

  "That's days away!"

  Do it. If not for me, then for the treasure.

  "I have to stop and see my mother first. She'll be worried." Meph grumbled at the idea. He settled his head and gave a mental shrug. "Thanks," Kesh said, turning Blue towards home.

  You are welcome. Glad to see not all Martians are without manners.

  Six

  Kesh had a sinking feeling in his gut while he rode closer to the ranch. He didn't hear the bleating of the shellbacks. Nor did he hear the Gear Twins arguing as they did when they were gathering the last of the shellbacks. Something felt off as the last hint of the distant sun dipped below the horizon.

  With both moons out and close to crossing, he did have a little bit of light to see, but not much. He pulled out a small rangefinder and checked out the fence of the ranch. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as several squads of Federation soldiers were at the ranch, moving around. He saw the three steamjacks and his mother being shoved towards a large vehicle.

  "My mom's been arrested, thanks to you."

  How would they know where you lived?

  "Well, maybe they found my trail and followed it. We did go a different way—"

  Kesh, they are Fedrats. When do they need an excuse?

  There was the high-pitched whine and thrum of plasma rifles discharging. Kesh looked through the finder to see one of the steamjacks, Keds, was making a run for it. He made it about twenty steps before being destroyed in a hail of plasma fire.

  Stop!

  Kesh felt Meph latch onto an arm. He shoved the psi-cat hard. "What in the Hells is—"

  Speak in your mind, Kesh! Do not do what you are about to do.

  What am I going to do? Kesh snarled in his head.

  Run down there and try to save your mother and those steamjacks. If they actually go with the Fedrats, you are fine. We can save them, later.

  Kesh clenched his fists. He felt helpless. He wanted to save his mom and the Gear Twins. He shook his head. Keds was always a little foolish, never listening to orders. Still, he didn't deserve that. He looked at Meph. Promise me that we will save them after we find your Mistress.

  I swear by my life and my line.

  Kesh looked at the psi-cat. Where did you hear that?

  It is an oath of my species.

  Kesh turned away. Never mind.

  What?

  "Never mind. Come on, we have to go," Kesh said, trying not to shake.

  Kesh scrambled down the small rise towards Blue. He reached out to grab Blue's reins when he noticed, too late, that the scytheclaw wasn't moving.

  Lights flicked on, illuminating the area. "Found you, boy!"

  Squinting through the light, Kesh saw the lieutenant and three human shapes in blue armor with white painted skulls on their faceplates. His stomach dropped. Rahl troops! What in the Pit did you get me involved with Meph?

  The lieutenant grabbed at Kesh. Kesh grabbed the man's arm, twisted around it, and shoved the lieutenant to the ground. The Rahl held Blue immobile. Meph was stunned by the sight.

  Kesh lashed out with a foot, kicking the psi-cat away as one of the Rahl tried to grab the small furry body. The kick jostled Meph from his stupor, and he bounded away, towards Blue. The scytheclaw let out an angry click click click, then wheeled and lunged at the Rahl holding his reins. Kesh came face to face with one of the Rahl. The faceplate opened, and it was a female.

  "Don't be foolish boy. Give us the cat, show us the pod, and you will be rewarded."

  Kesh jerked back from the woman in the armor. "No." He didn't know why he said it, but felt right for saying it. He lashed out with his fist, catching the woman's unprotected face. She was rocked back from the blow. Kesh turned to see Meph and Blue running towards him. He grabbed at Blue's reins and got a foot up to catch the stirrup. He swung himself up as the Rahl started to fire at him. He saw that Meph was staring at them. One of the Rahl jerked to one side, knocking aside the other's rifle which would have killed Blue. Instead, it shot off into the night.

  Kesh didn't slow Blue down for several miles. He knew he couldn't go back. He had to head towards Tharsis City. First, he wanted answers. "Why in the Pit are Rahl soldiers after you?"

  We stole something from the Empress.

  Kesh looked at Meph like he was on fire. "What is wrong with you! The Federation is bad, but you stole from the slagging Bloody Empress?"

  The Bloody Empress is dangerous. My Mistress and I did what was right.

  "Uh huh... this is crazy." He looked up at the night sky. The moons had crossed. He was silent for a time as Blue kept moving. Kesh let the scytheclaw go. As long as they were heading in the same direction as Tharsis, that was enough for the moment.

  "You know, the Martian tribes consider the moon crossings to be a time to try something new."

  It explains why they were trying to eat my Mistress.

  "What now?"

  I did not stutter, human. Meph looked at Kesh at the right angle and the psi-cat's eyes reflected strange light back.

  "Blue needs some rest, so we'll w
alk for a bit."

  The beast is fine, I will stay up here.

  Kesh stopped, grabbed Meph by the scruff of the neck, and yanked him off Blue. "Listen, you little beast. I think Blue would prefer to not have anyone on his back right now, so you're walking." He dropped the psi-cat. Stunned, Meph stood there, ducked his head, and kept walking.

  Kesh was exhausted when they reached the gates of Tharsis City days later. It was rough going, but he and Meph had gotten shelter and water from ranchers and farmers off the main road. He looked at the gate entry scanners, glad that he had reprogrammed his gauntlet the day after running into he Rahl troops. He still couldn't believe that Rahl troops were on Mars. He shook his head and pressed his guantlet towards the scanner to log his ident. "Reason for visiting?"

  "Rest and some trade," Kesh said.

  The scanner's screen went blank for a moment.

  Meph moved closer to Kesh. I do not trust this machine. Are you sure you know what you are doing?

  Yes, stupid cat.

  Meph bit him on the ankle.

  "Might even be selling a cat," Kesh said looking down at Meph.

  "What cat?" the scanner said, the screen flaring to life.

  Kesh caught the green Federation logo flare on the scanner. "Slag, nothing, no cat."

  The scanner craned its accordion-shaped neck down to spot Meph. There was a bright green light as it scanned Meph up and down.

  Get ready to run, Meph. Kesh reached for his blade when the scanner popped and sparked. He looked at Meph, who gave a mental shrug.

  "How are we suppose to get in now?" Kesh asked.

  "Kesh, is that you?" The voice caused Kesh to cringe. Not him.

  Kesh looked up to see Dillon Court walking towards him. "Great," Kesh groaned.

  Who is that?

  A ‘supposed’ psionic who likes to cold-read people and fuck with their heads.

  "Why'd you do that, Dillon?" Kesh asked, looking from he broken scanner to the ion pulse gun that Dillon slipped into his waistband.

  "Why do you think? You needed help. I could sense it."

  "Bullshit," Kesh said. He took a step forward, shoving a finger into Dillon's chest. "You saw what was going on, and you want to try and get some coin."

  Dillon smirked at Kesh. He's going to say some bullshit about how he needs money for his family. Watch this. Kesh looked at Meph for a moment.