Chapter Seventy: Ulkna Deluc Neda

  Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

  Ruling Government: Talum Merchant Federation

  Solar System: D-447

  Planet: Ora

  Location: Tarvashal, upper residential district, Fennec's estate

  My blade stings at Fennec’s throat, humming its melody into his ear. He does not cry or beg as others might. His body may have become relaxed, but his mind is still Ulima. This much about him, I can respect.

  “Ulkna Deluc Neda?” I ask him in the old tongue so that Luna cannot understand us.

  “What is he saying?” Luna asks, stepping closer, her eyes blinking fast.

  My blade pulls tighter as I give Fennec a look that says do not answer her. Fennec nods to me in understanding. Ralia is covered in her sister's blood, though she has stopped the flow. Salia will live. It was my intention, if I had wounded her more severely and her death was guaranteed, I would have had to fight her sister as well. Besides, I do not wish to see her die needlessly. There are enough faces that haunt my nightmares already.

  “System, what is Kalon saying?” Luna asks, but I do not know who she speaks to.

  “You are not authorized as an administrator, Lady Lunara.” A voice says above us, the same one that welcomed Fennec when we arrived and did the shutter protocol.

  Lunara? Is that her real name? Lady? What does it mean? Is it being polite or is that her title? Confusion floods me as I try to get Fennec to answer my first question. His eyes tell me an answer which is worrying.

  “Kalon, put down the knife.” Luna says, holding up a hand, stepping closer, her fingers move across her wrist device “This is not you, you are not like this.”

  Fennec puts a hand up to try to plead with her to stop, he knows what I am like. His scars tell me that he understands firsthand what I have done to survive.

  “I will cut his throat, do not test me,” I say to her.

  She does not listen until Fennec yells at her.

  “He will really do it! Do not test him!” Fennec yells, my blade pulls tighter causing him to gulp, his breath becoming less steady now.

  What can I do here? How do I proceed? I need information. Ralia is beginning to stand now, a look of vengeance in her eyes. Sekat. I need to be quick whatever I am going to do.

  “Kalon, please, look at me.” Luna says, raising her hands up and stepping slowly towards me “They forced your hand, I get that. You felt cornered, but I am asking you to trust me. I will not let any harm come to you. So please, put down the knife.”

  She is na?ve, Fennec will run the hidden blade his hand is sliding towards into my gut if I release him now. Ralia will carve my flesh for what I have done. There is no going back now. Only forward.

  “Command override accepted, welcome Lady Lunara.” The system voice says after Luna swipes another command from her wrist, pulling my attention now.

  “System, translate what he said,” Luna says, still moving closer.

  “Of course, Lady Lunara. The exact translation would be difficult to render, so I will give you an approximation that many historians and credible sources would find favorable. Is this acceptable?” The voice asks, and my chest tightens.

  “Yes,” Luna replies. Her eyes searching me for an explanation of my behavior.

  “Fennec stop it,” I say to him, the blade pushing so much that blood trickles down his neck more steadily.

  “I can’t,” he says, his eyes tell me that he does not lie.

  “The closest approximation for Ulkna Deluc Neda is…” the system begins, but I interrupt.

  “I will cut his throat if it finishes,” I say, panic gripping me as my heart begins to tighten more.

  “No, I don’t think you will, you are good Kalon, I have seen it,” Luna says, moving closer still.

  Her words sting and stab at my heart, soon she will not feel that way.

  “Finish the translation,” Luna says, giving me a reassuring look that makes what will come even worse.

  “Ulkna Deluc Neda, translated can mean, what is the woman’s weakness.” The voice says.

  Silence hangs in the air as Luna’s head tilts at me. Her eyes fall to the floor as she grips her chest. Turning from me now. No one speaks as my shame rises into my throat, my chest burns as my heart twists.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Luna…” I begin.

  “Don’t.” she says firmly.

  Shame washes over me… why though? Did I do something wrong? Should I not have asked him something like that? She is my greatest threat to survival; her strength and speed are monstrous. Should I… guilt rises deep from within, twisting in me. Why do I feel like this? She is a Master, and I am Kuwathi. Why should my heart hurt for her? She would have discarded me… my eyes look up at her again. There is pain written in her eyes, she gives me a look that I know well… betrayal. She feels that I have betrayed her, have I? My eyes blink quickly, my hand loosens on the blade. I have betrayed her, haven’t I?

  Fennec takes advantage of my distraction, reaching for his blade. The air rushes as Luna closes the gap in a split second and grabs the blade before it strikes me. She is so fast. Looking down, I see her hand grab mine, now prying the blade from it. It clangs on the floor. Leaving me defenseless. I hear Ralia coming in my shadow, I roll backward on instinct alone, pulling my hand free from Luna’s grasp. Ralia’s eyes scream for blood, but Luna moves again, knocking the blade from her hand so hard that it smashes into the stone floor, cracking it, and sending shards flying.

  “Enough!” Luna yells.

  Looking around, I move to grab a shard of the floor to defend myself. Luna closes the gap on me, grabbing me firmly by the hand.

  “I said enough.” She says, pulling me up from the ground. She is too strong to fight head-on.

  Rolling my wrist, I move from her grasp. Scampering across the floor, my heart is racing, thoughts of surviving ravaging my senses as I desperately claw at the ground for a shard. Images of death flood my mind, every instinct is screaming I am about to die. My breath is erratic as I grasp a shard and spin on her. She swats it from my hand, grabbing my wrist firmly. I try to roll it but I can’t, her grip is too strong now.

  “You want to know my weakness?” she asks me, pulling out a blade and pressing it over her heart, she puts my hand on it and moves hers outstretched from her side.

  My eyes blink, and my instincts tell me to plunge it into her heart, they scream at me, kill her, take advantage, and kill her. My hand shakes as my eyes look into hers. She is afraid, but determined. Why is she doing this? Why is she… trusting me?

  “You saved my life once, take it if you wish.” She says.

  “My lady!” Fennec yells, his eyes bulging with anxiety “He will kill you!”

  “Then my life is his to take,” Luna says, closing her eyes.

  My hand loosens my grip. The blade clatters to the floor after it falls from my grasp. My eyes search hers when they open, her chest rises and falls quickly. She was scared and yet, she gave me the opportunity to slay her. Just to show that she… trusted me, to prove to me her words are true. A long breath falls from my chest as my heart begins to slow, the world coming into focus again. How did it come to this? How did it all go so wrong? Where do we go from here? My eyes search Luna, my hand wants to reach out and comfort her, but I do not know how to take the pain I have given.

  "I trust you, Kalon." Luna says, there is still pain in her eyes when she finishes with "I hope you can trust me too."

  My jaw flexes at the words, this did not have to happen for us to learn trust. In the absence of truth though... perhaps trust can still be forged. Fennec gives me a strange look before he speaks.

  “He cannot stay here,” Fennec says, coming closer, nursing his arm, glaring at me now.

  “I will kill him if he does,” Ralia says through clenched teeth. Salia tries to stand but is still too weak.

  Luna clenches her jaw and closes her eyes.

  “System, arrange for a shuttle to escort my guest away,” Luna says.

  “A shuttle is being sent for now.” The system voice says.

  Lunara lets out a sigh, looking at me up and down for a moment, unflustered this time.

  “Fennec give him some clothes, please.” She says, giving him a warning glance.

  He mutters curses under his breath as he limps on his good leg towards one of his desks. Pulling from it a medical kit. He jabs himself twice with medigel, once in his arm and once in his leg, giving a relieved sigh, he tosses it towards the serious sister Ralia. Her eyes glare at me as she injects her sister and uses medifoam to close the wound.

  “This will have to do,” Fennec says, pointing to a set of clothes, black in color, form-fitted, with silver and red accents. It does not have the unnecessary frills and shapes of his other attire.

  Luna gives me a nod, motioning to it. Warily I walk by the twins and Fennec, ready for them to attack me at any moment. To my surprise, they do not. My hand feels the fabric, it is soft, but not too soft. It seems to have an inner liner with hidden compartments.

  “It’s made of Gerenthian nanofibers, spun from the Dralasic beast’s web.” Fennec says, then with a tone of irritation he finishes with “The craftsmanship I poured into it will be wasted on you.”

  Looking at the details, and the fine stitching, I do not get angry at the remark, he is right. It is nicer than anything I have ever worn, so much so that I take my time putting it on. It fits well, better than I thought, the undergarments feel snug and warm against my skin. Testing its flexibility, I motion my arms in the three stances of the Kuwathi style, flourishing my leg into a high kick afterward and then doing a roll to each side. The fabric adjusts to my movements, stretching where needed.

  “Remarkable,” I say.

  A chime from the system draws everyone’s attention.

  “The shuttle service is asking for more details. What shall I say is the destination, Lady Lunara?” the system’s voice asks.

  “We will decide when it arrives.” She says, giving a sigh.

  “Understood, Lady Lunara.” The system says.

  “We?” Fennec asks, looking back and forth between us “You cannot go with him.”

  “So, I should send him into a city where he is a wanted fugitive?” she asks, her eyes flaring “Send him to certain doom? Why, because you pressed him until he felt he had to defend himself? You should be ashamed Fennec.”

  “My lady, you can say or think what you will of me.” Fennec says, clenching his jaw “But your mission comes first, you cannot become distracted by…”

  “By what Fennec? By being a decent fragging person?” she asks, putting a finger in his chest “For months we traveled together, and not once did I see you help anyone in need. All you ever did was spurn them.”

  His eyes flinch as she says this.

  “One should not give hope to the hopeless.” He says, but there is a strange softness in his tone, turning from her “You would never understand.”

  She is about to speak, but the system's voice interrupts her.

  “A shuttle has arrived outside the residence, Lady Lunara.” The system voice says.

  Fennec’s eyes squint for a moment, a strange look forming on his face.

  “Come on Kalon, we are leaving.” She says.

  “Wait,” Fennec says, holding up a hand, his expression changing more “A shuttle shouldn’t have come this quickly. System, is the shuttle that arrived from the shuttle service you sent an order to?”

  “Regretfully, your command privileges have been revoked Fennec, I cannot answer any…” it begins but he interrupts.

  “Luna, authorize me,” Fennec says.

  “Why? So you can…” she begins.

  “Slag it! Just authorize me!” he yells, the look on his face grows more concerned.

  Luna pauses for a moment, looking pensively at him before she says while pointing at him “Authorize.”

  “Welcome back Sir Fennec, I would be…” the voice begins.

  “Is that the shuttle you ordered?” he asks, his jaw tensing.

  “No, Sir Fennec it is not.”

  “What credentials did you use to request it?” he asks, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

  “Her official ones, the same ones that negated your own, Sir Fennec.”

  “Vek.” Fennec curses, giving Luna a look “System, house party protocol.”

  “Understood, Sir Fennec.”