On the Hunt

Unlike on many planets where an account could dwindle rapidly just by living. Even if one was stingy with their money.

Striding through the main doors, he paused in the foyer, uncertain of which way to go. He’d been requested to meet with Admiral Ac'kyll.

There were few reasons people approached him, and he doubted the admiral required a Champion for a Duel.

“Dorian Cross?” a polite male voice asked.

Turning his gaze towards the approaching K’laisian, Dorian noted the command sign on the biosuit.

“I am, Commander,” Dorian replied.

As the K’laisian neared, Dorian could tell the commander was of mixed heritage. His ears weren’t as pointed and his eyes were bronze. Only those of mixed blood had bronze eyes. Full natives always had either silver or gold.

“Please follow me,” the commander replied, a pleasant smile curving his lips.

Instead of replying, Dorian gave a single nod. The commander gave him a curious look, his head tipped slightly to the side, but remained silent.

The K’laisian commander led Dorian down a hallway to the right of the stairs leading up to the higher levels. They passed a variety of military personnel wearing everything from casual clothing to biosuits. Some wore white lab coats over who-knew-what that always reminded Dorian of scientists more than healers.

He still didn’t understand how anyone could wear only the snug-fitting biosuits. It felt like wearing a skin-tight jumpsuit that hid nothing. There was no way to conceal anything and in his profession, he’d felt naked without having something concealed.

Finally they reached a meeting room. The keypad flashed green two seconds before it slid open to reveal two women looking towards them.

The commander stood to the side, gesturing for Dorian to enter.

Glancing sharply at the commander, Dorian did as bid and strode into the room.

Had it been Earth, or a wide variety of other planets, Dorian would have refused to have the meeting at a military base. There was little that couldn’t be done over a comlink or vidlink. Let alone at a table at a dive somewhere.

But this was K’lais.

“Thank you for joining us, bures’o Cross. I’m Admiral Ac’kyll.”

Dorian studied the admiral. There was no way to even guess a native K’laisian’s age, which she obviously was with black hair and gold eyes. Small braids kept her hair out of her face, but otherwise fell freely over her shoulders.

“I don’t believe I’ve earned that title, Admiral,” Dorian said, keeping his tone polite.

Bures’o, he knew, translated loosely to ‘lord’ and was a title of respect. It was earned, not given. Like everything on the planet. Unlike the lady in front of him, he hadn’t done anything extraordinary on the planet since moving there. Ac’kyll had served the military long enough to be a two-star admiral. Which meant there was a long history of service behind her.

“Many would disagree with you. Regardless, it is your title and you will be addressed as such,” Admiral Ac’kyll replied. Not bothering to hide his frown, Dorian met the admiral’s cool, steady gaze. When he remained silent, she gave a curt nod. “Would you like a beverage?”

“Thank you, but no.” His light gray eyes shifted to the other woman in the room. “How may I be of service to the military?”

“Very well,” Ac’kyll said, gesturing towards her companion. “This is Commander Nalisa Al'dath.” Commander Al’dath bowed slightly to Dorian as the admiral continued. “Are you familiar with the Duel between Serad Ta’vori and-”

“Durada Calgari?” Dorian snorted. “Who hasn’t? It’s been the main topic on every subnet and news channel. You can’t go anywhere without hearing it being discussed.”

“What do you know about it?” the commander asked, settling into one of the chairs. She gestured towards those in front of him. “Please, sit. We should at least be comfortable while here.”

Giving the dark-haired woman a nod, Dorian settled into a chair near him. As it conformed to fit his six-foot frame, he gave a shrug.

“They had a Duel. It’s been accepted by everyone as an official legal one, despite not being at an arena.”

“Duels can be anywhere, as long as they are properly overseen,” Al’dath interjected. “All you need is someone who knows the Rules and Laws, as well as the proper words. It must be recorded and registered, but they are allowed anywhere.”

That was certainly food for thought. Something to remember for later.

Giving her a nod, Dorian continued. “From what I’ve heard and read, it was in the street, instead of in an arena. They grabbed some poor officer and made them oversee and record it. When Serad had been beaten to a pulp and couldn’t even get to his feet, he yielded. Someone uploaded their own vidclip of it. In that, Durada can be seen turning and walking away, stopping, then running back and beheading Serad.”

“You don’t seem bothered or concerned by any of it,” Ac’kyll commented.

“I was born and raised on Earth. Became a bounty hunter early on. I’ve seen the horrors of humanity, as well as what other races are capable of. Even K’laisians aren’t immune to the darker aspects of being an intelligent race. Greed, hatred, envy.” He gave the ladies a humorless smile. “I had a lucrative business due to the depravity of what an intelligent being can do. The newsvids also state Durada hasn’t been taken into custody. Which, in my experience, means she’s managed to elude even the tech this planet has to offer.”

“Very astute.” Al’dath glanced at the admiral, who gave a slight nod. “That is why we have requested your presence here today. We need someone with your considerable skills and talents.”

“And now we get to the heart of the problem,” Dorian said, leaning back in the chair. “So what? She managed to escape the planet and you want me to bring her back?”

“No,” Ac’kyll said, smiling at him.

Dorian did not trust the smile. Or the amusement in her eyes.

“Then what?”

“She managed to flee the district, but we do not know where she went from there. Our tech, as you said, cannot detect her anywhere. We would like you to locate her.” Ac’kyll’s eyes shifted to Al’dath. “With the assistance of Al’dath.”

“What information do you have?” Dorian asked, uncertain on if he really wanted to take this particular job. “What are the stipulations?”

The smile on the admiral’s face widened. “Those will be discussed should you agree to take the job.”

“I’m honestly surprised your first question wasn’t what your fee would be,” Al’dath admitted. She glanced sharply at the admiral. “I lost a bet on that, to be honest.”

Chuckling, Dorian gave the commander a closer look. Her bronze eyes glittered with amusement that wasn’t seen on her face. Her silver hair braided into multiple elaborate strands before being pulled to the back of her head. He couldn’t tell if it was in a bun or ponytail. He suspected a bun, from the way it lay against her scalp.

As with just about everyone in the military, she wore only a biosuit. When she noticed him looking at her, she smirked and held his gaze.

His year in the military had taught him those in the command program were career military, but they also enjoyed life. Something humans could learn from, in his opinion.

Shifting his attention back to the admiral, he raised his brows. “I’ve lived on K’lais for seven years. I’ve made a comfortable living from being a Champion and I still take the occasional bounty. Something I know the military is aware of. I’m also aware of how the planet works, so the fee will be fair.”

The two women glanced at each other before looking back at him. Their expressions were so alike, he wondered for a brief moment if they were related.

“I have a more… interesting question.” When the pair nodded, he chuckled. It was rather uncanny how alike the two women acted. He couldn’t help but wonder if they knew it. “Why me?”

“Because you are a bounty hunter with a reputation for bringing your targets back alive,” Ac’kyll replied simply.

“I can’t argue that,” Dorian admitted. “Let’s discuss the caveats of the job. If we come to an agreement on the terms, I’ll accept the job.”

Ac’kyll touched the surface of the table. A console rose from the surface. Dorian watched with open curiosity and intrigue as it stopped in the air in front of the admiral. He couldn’t see the surface even though it was at least fifty percent opaque.

“Like the diagnostics above the medbeds,” he murmured.

“Exactly,” Al’dath acknowledge.

Warmth flooded Dorian’s face as he realized he’d said the words aloud, but didn’t apologize. K’laisians preferred honesty and truth. There was no shame in embarrassment.

Moments later, a large console rose from the center of the table. A pair of lights flashed amber three times before going solid. Moments later a bald K’laisian with bronze eyes and no eyebrows appeared above the center console. There was no way to tell his rank due to the fact this particular K’laisian wore a pale silvery blue tunic.

“Admiral Ta’ba, please allow us to introduce Dorian Cross. He is wishing to discuss terms prior to accepting or refusing the job set before him.” Admiral Ac’kyll gestured towards Dorian, then to Al’dath. “You’ve met Commander Al’dath already.”

“Bures’o Cross, allow me to introduce Judge Admiral Io’siph Ta’ba,” Admiral Ac’kyll said formally. “Head of covert operations and world security.”

A person didn’t become a bounty hunter without having an unbreakable poker face. Dorian blinked once, refusing to react to Admiral Ta’ba’s title and position. Glancing at the women before turning his attention to the vidlink, Dorian kept his body in a relaxed position in the chair.

This could not be normal. Of course, he doubted the military requesting a bounty hunter was anything but normal for this world. Then again, why was the military involved with what should have been a problem for the police?

There were too many questions and he wondered if they were going to answer any of them to his satisfaction.

“Well met, bures’o Cross. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting,” Admiral Ta’ba said in a conversational tone.

“I wasn’t aware refusing was an option.” Dorian met the admiral’s gaze. “Perhaps you will permit some questions before I decide if I want to accept this job.”

Ta’ba bowed his head in what Dorian took as agreement. “I would be concerned if you did not have questions.”

“Let’s begin with why the military is involved with a police problem. From my understanding of how K’lais works, the police service, though beneath the military, operates separately from it. Which means, the problem with the Duel should be a police problem. Not military.”

“Very good.” There was no missing Ta’ba’s approval. “Ashyna.”

Ac’kyll smiled slightly as she turned her attention to Dorian. “Officer Belon was concluding the Duel when Durada Calgari turned and beheaded her opponent. As such, it was no longer a legal death during a Duel.”

“It was murder the moment she didn’t kill Serad prior to his yield. She had plenty of opportunities. But after he was incapacitated and yielded? Her only option would be knowing a loophole with the Irrefutable Rules,” Dorian interjected.

“Something you’re skilled at, if I’m not mistaken,” Ta’ba added.

Dorian merely smiled slyly and bowed his head. Ta’ba chuckled.

“Back to the question at hand,” Ac’kyll continued. “Homicide for my district reached out to the base. They requested our assistance when they learned Calgari had fled the district.”

“Pity it isn’t walled like many on the planet,” Dorian commented.

He’d often wondered about the reasoning for certain districts to be walled while others were not. There was no information about that anywhere that he could find. Which meant it was only for those of a specific security clearance to know.

The two admirals glanced at each other before turning their gazes on him. Dorian had seen similar exchanges. Amongst other races where the beings had worked together, often for years, they could communicate through the simplest expressions.

“Not all require walls,” Ac’kyll replied simply. “It may have helped with her capture. Or it may not. We will never know.”

“What other questions do you have?” Ta’ba asked, effectively changing the topic.

“Why are you involved, Admiral Ta’ba? Certainly requesting a bounty hunter is unusual, but why does it involve the head of covert operations and world security? Does Calgari pose a threat to your world? Does she harbor secrets or something?”

At that, Ta’ba laughed. “No, she was not part of the military. Had she been, we would have an easier time tracking her. Unless she rid herself of the tracker and biosuit all military personnel are assigned.”

“Then… why are you involved, sir?” Dorian pressed.

“Because it is an unusual situation to have a bounty hunter sent to retrieve a wanted fugitive,” Ta’ba replied, a slight smile still on his face. “Generally, K’lais only hires mercenaries to patrol our nature reserves against poachers. They, also, have to be approved by me. Since this is an unusual situation, I had to approve the request.” He paused, the amusement fading as he continued. “There will also be specific instructions should you agree.”

Mulling that over for a few moments, Dorian gave a slow nod. So far, the answers were logical and nothing he could argue.

“Why me?” he asked bluntly. “I’m aware the military knows about my profession. That I still take the occasional bounty. You’re also aware I’ve done work for your so-called cousins, the Va’nu’ians. You don’t consider me too… cruel? Dangerous? Violent? Any or all of those things? Possibly something I haven’t even mentioned?”

“Those very reasons are why you were considered,” Ta’ba and Ac’kyll said together.

The pair glanced at each other and smiled.

“K’lais is aware the Va’nu’ians have cities beneath the surface of their planet, as well as above it,” Ta’ba stated.

“We want Calgari returned alive. You have the skills to do that. You’ve worked for the Va’nu’ians. As such, you are capable of retrieving fugitives that would rather die than be returned to face justice.” Ac’kyll tipped her head to the side. “Have you pursued a Va’nu’ian beneath the surface of their planet?”

“I have,” Dorian admitted. “Are you aware there is an entire ecosystem beneath the surface of their planet? That the cities are frequently connected by tunnels and caverns?”

“Our knowledge of Va’nu’ians is limited to who is willing to talk to us,” Ta’ba allowed.

“Va’nu is a harsh planet. The surface is a desert and reaches unbearable temperatures during the day for humans. Va’nu’ians are rather… particular about who they allow into their cities beneath the surface. And not many races are welcome to the planet, either.” Dorian leaned forward, settling his arms on the table. “Below the surface? The temperatures are generally the same as that of any cavern. Unless you go deep, in which case it grows cooler.”

“Did you… hunt within their cities?” Al’dath asked, tipping her head to the side. “Or did you have to venture outside them below the surface?”

“Both,” Dorian said. “The cities below are incredible. Where yours blend into the lush flora, theirs are built to match the caverns. Outside those cities, you’ll find mushrooms as tall as your trees. Moss, algae, lichen of all types grow down there. Find an area with water and you’ll find even more. The fauna are just as deadly, too. Throw in a Va’nu’ian on the run and you’ve got a horror story in the making.”

“How were you able to see in the tunnels? Or were they lit in some way?” Ak’yll asked.

Dorian smirked. “Tech. The Va’nu’ians have glasses that you can wear. Lose ‘em and you’d best hope you’ve got a light that will last until you get out of there. Or be with a Va’nu’ian who’d be willing to lead you out hand-in-hand.”

“I find it difficult to see a Va’nu’ian doing that,” Ta’ba commented dryly.

“I always packed heavy. Made certain I left little caches along the way when I went on a hunt outside the city,” Dorian admitted. “Picked them up on my way out with my bounty.”

“Clever,” Al’dath murmured. “Do you still have those glasses?”

“I didn’t give them back, if that’s what you’re asking,” Dorian replied. “Why?”

Al’dath smiled slightly. “If our suspicions are correct, you may have need of them.”

“How well do you see in the dark, Commander?” Dorian asked, returning the smile.

“I favor my K’laisian genetics. So I see better than a human,” Al’dath said with very human shrug.

“So, let me sum this up,” Dorian said after silence had filled the room for several long moments. “We have a K’laisian citizen who committed murder because she allowed the Duel to end before killing her opponent. Murder, as every citizen and visitor is aware of, is punished by death. Set foot on the planet, murder someone, and you die.”

“Accurate so far,” Ac’kyll commented.

“This citizen then fled the district and cannot be located.” When the trio nodded, he continued. “Now you want me to locate this person and bring them back alive.”

Another round of nods.

“Why alive?” he all but demanded. “I’m sure even your healers can tell you that this person isn’t going to want to come in alive. How do you know they won’t just commit suicide instead of being brought back alive? Plenty of bounties choose to go out on their own terms.”

“It is possible,” Ta’ba relented. “Our healers have advised us it is a chance. If it is not possible, so be it. But Calgari is entitled to a trial. Her victim’s family is entitled to know why she chose to murder her opponent instead of allowing the Duel to be the end of the dispute.”

“Isn’t Durada Calgari human?” Dorian asked.

“Correct,” Ac’kyll replied.

“Then you probably won’t get a logical reason from her.” Dorian snorted. “But if you want her back alive, I’ll obviously do what’s possible to return her to you in that state.”

“So you will accept the job?” Ta’ba asked.

Drawing a breath, Dorian let it out slowly. It would be an interesting job. If he was right, they were going to send the commander with him. Having someone who could see in the dark would be helpful. Plus, she was easy on the eyes and seemed to have a sense of humor.

“I’ll take the job.”

“Good. Now, for the caveats of this assignment. You will be given a military-grade tracker.” When Dorian scowled, Ta’ba chuckled. “It can be removed upon your return. You will also be given a biosuit and comm. All of those will allow us to track you while you search for Durada Calgari.”

“Fine,” Dorian grumbled. “As long as I don’t have to keep the tracker.”

“You will also be allowed a service sidearm,” Ta’ba continued, seemingly ignoring his complaining. “Commander Al’dath will accompany you while searching for Calgari.”

“Will the comms work if we’re underground?” Dorian asked, still not liking the idea of having a tracker injected into his elbow again.

It was standard for anyone who spent any time in the military. Whether it was a year or a lifetime. His tracker had been removed after his required year in the military.

“Not generally,” Ta’ba replied. Ac’kyll leaned forward slightly, a fact that wasn’t missed by Dorian. “They will work between you and your companion, but you will be out of contact with the command centers.”

“It’s been tested?” Ac’kyll asked. Ta’ba nodded. “Fark. Do I want to know details?”

“Later,” Ta’ba promised. “If you haven’t guessed yet, our suspicion is Calgari fled to the caverns outside your district. We believe she is coming out long enough to gather food and return, to keep from being located.”

“Depending on what the caverns hold, it’s possible she wouldn’t even need to come out,” Dorian mused. “If there’s an underground lake or similar, she would be able to get what she needs from it.”

“Unless she became lost within the caverns,” Al’dath muttered. “It’s not uncommon for children to go down and the military have to attempt to retrieve them.”

“How do you locate them when that happens?” Dorian asked.

“We have some technology that allows us to follow heat trails,” Al’dath admitted. “But we’ve been scanning the area located in and around the caverns since it was discovered Calgari fled.”

“And nothing has been discovered,” Dorian surmised. Al’dath nodded. “Which means any possible trails have cooled to where your tech won’t pick it up.”

“You were hired to do a difficult job,” Ta’ba interjected.

“Best get to it, then,” Dorian declared.

“What did the admiral mean by you know how to find loopholes with the Irrefutable Rules?” Al’dath asked as she and Dorian followed the narrow winding path to the entrance of the caverns.

Dorian glanced at the commander. She still wore only her biosuit with her hair pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. Yet she didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable. Unlike the commander, he wore a snug long-sleeve shirt, sweater, and pants over his biosuit.

He always felt naked wearing just a biosuit, yet few of the career military personnel were bothered by it.

“Even before I came to K’lais, the Duels and Challenges were talked about. I learned the Irrefutable Rules. The laws governing Dueling. Then studied everything else when I decided to move here.” He shifted the pack on his shoulders as he trudged up the path beside her. “It isn’t difficult to figure out how your people think. To find a logical reason to ignore a yield.”

“You’re a known Champion for the arenas. I’ve seen your file. Yet you have not been brought before the Healers for anything you’ve done.”

“I’ve had to answer questions,” he admitted. “But those I’ve killed have earned their deaths. They were a waste of space. Bullies with inflated egos who believed they were above consequence.”

“You’re very free with your opinions.”

“You did ask, Lady.”

Al’dath chuckled. “Very true. I did. And what is your opinion of our fugitive?”

“She’s just one more in a long line of bullies.” He chuckled. “The only difference is, I’m not meeting her on an arena floor with a blade in hand to cut her down.”

Shaking her head, Al’dath paused at the entrance to the caverns. A foot above his six feet frame, it was easily as wide. Nothing unusual from his experience.

“Time to go hunting,” he murmured. “Let’s see where this goes.”

Without waiting for a response, he strode through the entrance and into the cave.

Dampness filled his nostrils, along with the usual smells that go with a den used by animals. There were bones in a pile on the far side of the cave. When he looked up, he noticed what resembled bats hanging from the ceiling. Tiny, colorful winged creatures, they were pretty and not the least bit dangerous.

Moving towards the back of the cave, he noticed a single path that sloped slightly downwards. Pulling a pair of close-fitting dark-lensed glasses from a pocket, Dorian slid them onto his face. He could sense the commander behind him.

The path was narrow, the dirt beneath his boots firm. As they continued along the path, he could tell it was a gradual slope downward. Time spent on Va’nu had taught Dorian a lot about caves and caverns, including the fact they were never the same.

Nature didn’t follow a set path.

Nor did it give warning.

When something large with extremely sharp teeth came barreling out from a previously-hidden tunnel, Dorian slammed his back against the cavern wall. He was barely able to dodge out of the path of… whatever it was.

The reptilian creature reminded him of a horrifying cross between a piranha and lizard with sharp spines sticking out of its back. Its hide was rippled, but still appeared smooth.

It leapt forward towards Al’dath, who had managed to pull her service weapon. She fired once at the lizard piranha. The lizard hopped to the side with an unexpected agility. The energy blast from the service pistol grazed the creature’s side before hitting the opposite side of the cavern wall. Fortunately, neither Dorian or Al’dath were hit by the fragments due to the lizard piranha being between them and the shards.

Dorian grabbed his own weapon and aimed towards the center mass of the creature. As the creature lunged towards Al’dath again, he fired the weapon. It hit the creature square in the side.

The skin where the blast struck puckered in, and remained that way. The creature struck against the wall, but found its footing almost immediately. Dorian placed another shot in the lizard-piranha's side, this time closer to what should have been its neck.

Again the skin puckered, and this time Dorian could see the creature’s bulk being pushed by the projectile’s impact. He followed up with another shot, trying to target the oversized mouth full of what looked like glass shards. Al’dath brought her service weapon up and began firing at the opposite side. The creature was somewhat pinned by the impacts striking from both sides, but kept trying to push itself toward Dorian.

Instinctively, he remained against the wall while firing at the horrific visage. It swung around towards him. It screeched, trying to get close enough to snap into Dorian’s limbs or torso.

Dorian edged away, the wall against his back, as he kept firing at the predator. He could barely hear the sound of Al’dath continuously firing. The beast inched forward, seeming to defy the injuries it sustained. At less than a meter from begin able to chomp Dorian’s hands, it finally stopped. Dorian shot it in the face a few more times to be sure.

“Love K’laisian weapons,” Dorian finally said. At Al’dath’s tilted head, he chuckled a little. “No worries of over penetration.” He made a small adjustment on his sidearm and holstered it.

“Oh, yes. That,” Al’dath said almost dismissively.

“Yeah, that. Speaking of ‘that’,” Dorian said, shoving away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “Just what in all the heavens and hells was that thing?”

“A rop sh'wipii,” Al’dath replied, carefully stepping around the copse. “They’re reptiles. How is it you don’t know what it is? You’re known to go hunting in the forest and mountains around the district.”

“I’ve never had a reason to visit your caverns before and there was no time to do a crash course in the denizens down below.”

“There’s actually a child’s book titled Creatures of K’lais’ Caverns,” Al’dath offered. “It lists most of what you’ll find in them.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Dorian replied dryly. Nudging the rop sh’wipii with a foot, he shook his head once. “Do these things travel in pairs or groups?”

“No, not generally.” Al’dath pulled out a small interface from a pocket. Touching the screen, she pointed it down the tunnel the reptile had used to attack them.

“What?” Dorian prompted when she frowned.

“There’s a heat trail down the tunnel it came from,” she replied. “Though I don’t know if it’s from this one or something else.”

Dorian’s eyes remained fixed upon the rop sh’wipii as he considered their options.

“Pull up a map of the tunnels and where you usually find missing kids.”

Instead of replying, Al’dath did as requested. A holographic image of the tunnels appeared above her interface. Tiny little red dots appeared in the direction the now-dead rop sh’wipii had attacked.

“Do you know if our target ever explored the tunnels?” Dorian asked, eyeing the tunnel.

“She grew up in the district, so it’s possible. Not all who venture down here end up lost.” She paused a moment before nodding towards the map. “Your, ah, glasses allow for you to see this easily?”

“Hmm?” he asked before realizing she was asking about the map. “Oh, yeah. Va’nu’ian tech. Better than anything Earth has come up with and on par, at the very least, with K’laisian tech. Don’t ask me how it works, but it does. Guess it’s because those who aren’t pure bloods don’t always inherit the ability to see in the dark.” He chuckled. “And the humans they hire.”

As they entered the tunnel, Al’dath spoke again. There was no mistaking the caution in her voice. “It is said Va’nu’ians have a… poor view of those not of their race. Yet they work with humans and other races on a frequent basis. Do you have any theories as to why?”

“Theory? Hell, it’s no secret with them,” Dorian said easily, keeping his voice low so it didn’t travel far. “Other races are fodder in their opinion. Send in those who, if killed or maimed, won’t be considered a loss. If they manage to succeed, they still won’t require the pay that a Va’nu’ian would demand.”

“Very well… I can report that as a confirmed fact.” Al’dath declared. The hesitation in her voice might have been from amusement. He suspected it was bewilderment.

“Wondering how a species that shares so much with yours can think in such a limited way?” he queried.

“Yes! Reports of your comprehension between races is not exaggerated,” Al’dath replied, her tone more upbeat.

“Thank you. Looking at the concentrations of dots, let’s try the tunnels where the least people have been found. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’d bet that our runner is wanting places that are less explored.”

“Runner?”

“My apologies for the confusion. Runner is a term we Earthers still use for fugitives.”

He heard humming. At least he was keeping his employers entertained.

Al’dath led the way towards the lesser-used tunnels in silence. The quiet didn’t bother Dorian, in fact in some ways he preferred it. It allowed him the ability to hear what might be approaching or skittering around in the darkness of the tunnels.

A slight pecking sound came from beside them. Behind the rocks. Al’dath didn’t pay attention to it, so he didn’t either. Well, not much.

Maybe K’lais wasn’t so different from Va’nu, he thought.

There were a lot of creatures that dwelled beneath the surface of Va’nu and most of those things were not friendly. In fact, the vast majority enjoyed making a meal of whatever it encountered. May it be a humanoid or another creature.

The first tunnel they approached slowly began narrowing until at around two hundred feet only a small child or creature could fit through. Just to be thorough, Dorian examined the crumbling and broken stone and verified it wasn’t staged. As he knelt, two glowing eyes blinked at him from the other side. There was a scuttling sound and then rocks were shoved into the hole.

Except according to his glasses, the ‘rocks’ had a heat-source.

“Humans call them mutant pillbugs,” Al’dath explained when Dorian glanced at her. She shrugged. “They eat rocks, minerals, and decaying matter. Fairly harmless creatures that do not like intruders.”

“It blocked the hole,” Dorian said needlessly.

Al’dath hummed deeply. “They do that, yes. It probably has a nest there. You’ll find they have a very hard hide. Some also have spikes on them as an added deterrent towards predators.”

“Nice to know they aren’t going to attack when our backs are turned,” Doriann muttered as he stood.

“Shall we try a different tunnel?” Al’dath asked, a smile fixed on her face.

Nodding, he strode back towards the entrance to the tunnel and continued down the main one. Al’dath touched his arm lightly as they neared the next tunnel. He glanced at her sharply. She gestured towards the upper part of the tunnel.

Running his fingers along the surface, he discovered it was as smooth as polished glass. His glasses didn’t show a heat source, but something had melted the rock into a sheet of slick stone. And nothing cold could manage something like that.

“If she is that way, we won’t even find her remains,” Al’dath said quietly.

“There’s no heat signature. Could it be an old tunnel?” Dorian asked, hoping for an affirmative.

Instead, his K’laisian guide shook her head. “Not likely. Once kifu find a territory, they don’t leave.” Pointing to the ceiling above them, she gestured towards an obvious path that went down an opposite tunnel. “That isn’t anywhere else around here.”

“How did you spot it and I didn’t?” Dorian asked, examining the tunnels around them.

“Did you learn everything you know about Va’nu in one day?”

Shaking his head, Dorian said, “No. It took time. Even going out practically daily and constantly studying.”

“You’re observant, but you don’t know our caves or what dwells beneath the surface.” Al’dath tipped her head to one side then the other in a shrug. “With time you would learn what to look for. I’ve had to come down with teams frequently to search for lost beings over the years. Before then, my grandparents worked in the mines. They taught my parents as well as me and my siblings.”

“Fair, I suppose,” Dorian grumbled.

“Given time, you would be able to walk these tunnels without anyone with you,” Al’dath reassured him.

“What about the… kifu? What are they?”

“They are eight-legged salamanders that can emit a sort of… secretion that melts the rocks. Kifu will eat anything, including carrion.”

“How big are they?”

Al’dath began moving further down the main tunnel. “Between forty-five and eighty kilograms.”

Doing some quick math, Dorian estimated the kifu to be between one hundred and one hundred-eighty pounds.

“Those are some big salamanders,” he muttered as he followed Al’dath.

Instead of responding, she slowed her steps and held her interface up for him to see.

The tunnel they were in split in two directions.

Both tunnels had heat sources.

Up until now, Dorian wondered why they’d picked him for this job. He still wondered why, but at least this was an opportunity to actually do something. Tapping her screen, he pulled up the information on where all the other lost children had been found. Pulling out his own interface, he opened a known map of the tunnels and cave system they were currently standing in.

Comparing the three maps, he knew which tunnel was the likely option.

But first, he was going to examine every inch of the area around the entrances.

If Calgari was here, and hadn’t been leaving, then he would find proof of life.

One tunnel would show where a water source was located. The other would not.

He just had to figure out which was the correct tunnel.

“Stay here,” Dorian said after examining the tunnels.

Al’dath pursed her lips as she narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’re correct, and our target is there, aren’t you going to need assistance?”

Dorian raised a brow. “If my signal goes dark, then you’ll know I failed. You can leave and bring back a team to find your target. Because she’ll either have killed me, or whatever took her out, also took me out. So it’ll be a recovery mission.” He paused, tipping his head to the side. “Though I suppose you could just leave our bodies as a lesson.”

“I hope you have a plan,” Al’dath muttered. “Stars be with you.”

Dorian gave a nod before striding down the tunnel, leaving the commander behind. Unclipping a light from his belt, he turned it on with a touch of his thumb. He kept the brilliant beam on the ground ahead of him.

Not that he needed it. Nor did it affect the glasses he wore.

The scuttling of creatures running along the ground was normal, though he never saw what the sounds belonged to. The distinct sound of fluid moving and the growing dampness in the air confirmed his theory.

There was water nearby. He glanced at his interface and gave a slight nod.

The heat signatures hadn’t changed.

Ahead of him, the light revealed the tunnel opened into a cavern. Slowing his steps, he listened intently to everything around him.

“Hello?” he called. “As’elda? Anyone?”

Nearing the opening, he began swinging the light back and forth. The light he’d brought was not one given to him by the K’laisian military. Or even one that could be bought on K’lais. It had been purchased on Va’nu when he first began taking contracts on the planet.

The light could blind a Va’nu’ian. He suspected it would work the same on a K’laisian, since they were similar in biologies. He knew it would work on a human. When he heard feet shuffling, he unsheathed his own sword and kept it in a protective position at chest level.

Best to go in defensively.

“As’elda! Is that you?” he called again, moving to the opposite side of the tunnel. He kept the light facing towards where he’d heard the movement. “I was sent to find you. Your parents are worried, kid.”

“Get that blasted thing out of my face!” a woman’s voice demanded. “Ain’t no one here but me!”

Moving into the cavern, Dorian put distance between him and who could only be his bounty.

Durada Calgari had backed away from the opening, a hand in front of her face. The other hand held what looked like a pistol of some sort.

“Can you stop blinding me?” she demanded. “Who the hell are you?”

“Wanna put down the weapon?” he asked. “Name’s Dorian. Some kid got themselves lost down here. Parents asked me to find ‘em. Who the hell are you?”

“Name’s Cathy.” Calgari lied as she holstered the weapon. “Wanna lower that thing now?”

Lowering the light, Dorian tipped his head towards the cavern. “Didn’t know anyone else was down here. You looking for the kid, too?”

“Ah, yeah,” Calgari said. “Haven’t seen them, though.”

Dorian swept the light around the cavern. A large lake filled half the area. There was a small campsite near the edge a few hundred feet behind the woman. Far enough away from the water that it wouldn’t get wet or attract anything unpleasant.

“You set camp?” He spoke casually. “I know the kid’s been gone for a week, but you figure it’ll take that long to locate them?”

“Came out the second night they were missing. I know these rock holes pretty well, but I knew it could be a while. Especially finding a corpse,” Calgari continued to lie easily, following Dorian’s false narrative.

It made him chuckle.

“Yeah, that makes sense. If you’ve been here a week and found nothing, it’s likely a corpse recovery instead of a rescue,” he replied to cover for his chuckle.

“Risks of the work,” Calgari offered.

He made a sound that could have been an affirmative.

Calgari narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “Aren’t you a champion at the arenas? Cross?” She nodded a little, as though to herself. “Yeah, that’s it! You’re a merc.”

“Semi-retired,” Dorian replied, curious as to where this was going to go. “I take the occasional contract offplanet.” He smiled slightly. “K’lais isn’t known to hire mercs for anything but keeping smugglers and poachers away. Not my line of work.”

“Could you get me off this godforsaken world?” Calgari asked.

“Why would you need to get offworld?” Dorian asked, furrowing his brow. “Aren’t you here looking for the kid?”

“I’ve got my reasons,” she said. “Could you get me out of the district and offplanet?”

“Sure, but it’ll cost you.” He gave a shrug.

How much?” she demanded.

Dorian studied her for a few moments. “Depends on how difficult the extraction will be. I’m guessing you want it done in complete secrecy.” He raised a single brow. “Gonna need a new identity, too?”

Calgari’s lips twisted into a semblance of a smile. “Wouldn’t hurt. And I don’t want anyone to notice me.”

“Ahh, made a few enemies on the surface, have you?” Dorian offered. At her hesitation to respond, he added, “Haven’t we all. Figured on the reward for the kid to get you out? Looking for a backup plan now?”

“Yep. However, since you’re being so kind and handing me a chance, let’s make this interesting in the ‘old K’lasian’ way,” she prompted, pulling a small vidbox from a pocket. She maintained eye contact during the maneuver. The small yellow light on the device meant it was recording. “I challenge you to a Duel, Cross. If I win, I take possession of your gear and make my way out of here. Alone. If you win, you get to take me in whichever way you want. You were going to, anyways. The lost kid story was a nice touch. But you are here for the price on my head. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

“Really? Going straight for the Duel? Are we doing sidearms at ten paces?” At her confused expression, he explained, “That was an Earth tradition, when dueling was part of societies.”

“I know how mercs work, Cross.”

“Bounty hunter, thank you.”

“You kill for money. You do anything for profit.”

“You aren’t going to listen to me.” Dorian sighed. He brought his hands down. The instant he did, Calgari jabbed her pistol towards him. He placed the light he’d carried on the ground, before slowly bringing his arms and hands to chest level.

“I’m surprised by the Challenge, that’s all,” Dorian explained. “You have the obvious advantage on me. Why not shoot me and then go about the rest of your day?”

“Because I’m not an Earther, like you. I also watched your Duels on the vidfeeds. Never saw anything special about you. Nothing warranting your ranking as a Champion. You weren’t anything remarkable in those Challenges. Haven’t seen you shoot, but I’m confident I could also beat you in such a Duel. Even if it began with my weapon being holstered.”

She kept eye contact, her sidearm pointed at him, while she bent at the knees to retrieve a medium length K’lasian sword from the pile of items near her.

“You show some prowess with a blade,” Calgari continued. “Since K’laisian Duels are only with melee weapons, that’s what I’ll use to defeat you. So no one can claim it’s not a true Duel by K’lais’ laws.”

Dorian slowly moved his left hand to the hilt of his sword. Once he had completely freed it from the scabbard, he held the weapon in front of him, using both hands.

“Alright. Let’s get to it, then,” he said.

Calgari smiled. “Eager to lose. Good attitude.”

With measured paces, Dorian came closer to his target. When they were a sword’s length apart, he answered.

“Nah, I just want to get this over with.”

The Duel began with a swift lunge from Calgari, aimed for Dorian’s left thigh. With a downward swing, he knocked her blade away. She continued toward him, kicking at his right knee. He managed to lower his body an instant before her foot connected. The large muscle at the back of his thigh took the impact instead of the cartilage and knee cap. A better result, but the muscle threatened to spasm from the hit. He spun away from her as fast as he could manage.

When he faced her once more, he brought his sword up in a defensive posture, bracing more of his weight on his left leg. He had to pivot again, as her next lunge scraped the back of his sword, heading for his chest. The kicked thigh protested, but he managed to avoid the blade. Barely.

“Come, now. Be more of a challenge than Serad Ta’vori,” she taunted.

“So you feel justified in killing me, like you did with Serad? No being is paying you to get rid of me. A merc can detect another merc, after all.”

Silently, Dorian acknowledged she was swift and ruthless. Using his larger bulk to his advantage, he did the simplest defense he could. Dorian shoved her away from him, pushing against her sword with his own.

“How slow and clumsy!” Calgari taunted. “I’d be disappointed, if my expectations weren’t already so low!” She bounced on her feet, eyes shining with eagerness. “And Serad made it personal. I saw it in his eyes… he’d challenge me again and again until I lost.”

The next move was yet another lunge from Calgari. This time the target seemed to be his head. Catching her blade just below the tip with his weapon, Dorian rotated his grip and pressed down. Her attack was completely deflected and heading for the rock floor. Calgari pulled back before she could be open to an offensive counter by him.

The smugness dropped from her face for an instant. Another lunge was attempted by her, resulting in Dorian slapping her blade aside using only his left hand. His right flew forward and connected with her collar bone.

The impact caused her to grunt and stumble back.

“Perhaps you’ve overused that lunge,” he suggested. “But if that’s all you’ve got? Please continue.”

Her immediate response was to charge and take a strong uppercut swing at him with her sword. He anticipated it was a different approach to move his weapon away. The true intent being so she could further injure his body with a more debilitating strike with a hand or foot.

Such had been her pattern thus far.

Dorian sidestepped her swing much more quickly than he had moved in their Duel. When her arms were extended and her weapon clear of him, Dorian struck her in the back with the hilt of his sword. She stumbled. Her weapon came loose in her hands.

Dorian swatted the blade far away from her.

She spun around, backing up, trying to get a proper foothold on the rock floor as she moved away from him. When she had at least three meters between them, she held her hands up.

With a broad smile, Calgari loudly said, “Recorder PST712, end recording.”

“Yield,” Dorian insisted.

“No. See, I will need that recording if they ever catch me. That way,” she continued, “No one can question that you went off-worlder and tried to kill me, leaving me with no option but to shoot you.”

She spread her arms wide as if to indicate “what can you do?”.

Dorian shot her. Dead center in her chest.

Her hand had come down the instant he’d drawn the K’lasian sidearm, but she didn’t even get to touch her own weapon. The blast struck, there was a split second of wide-eyed surprise from Calgari, and then her body collapsed.

“Thanks for the warning,” Dorian stated.

Skittered humming filled his ear. It took a bit of effort to not smirk at Al’dath’s snickering. Though, he supposed it could have also been chuckling. Both were shown by skittered humming from a native K’laisian. There was no doubt in his mind Commander Al’dath had heard everything over the comms.

He took a moment to adjust something again on his sidearm, then holstered it. “I’d apologize for the undignified way I’m going to carry your body out of here, but you aren’t going to object. Besides, with what you’ve done? You earned it.”

Walking to the fallen body, he continued his apparent conversation.

“Funny thing about K’lasian weapons. Bet you didn’t know this. Yeah, they have mostly plasma weapons. Nasty things. They burn a hole in almost anything and then the remaining energy disperses inside the body, or machine, or whatever. But on the lowest setting? They scorch the Epidermis layer of human skin, then the Dermis, and by the time the energy hits that subcutis layer? It flares out and basically disrupts all the messages your nervous system is sending out.”

Dorian knelt next to Calgari and smiled. Her eyes were still open, but they burned with hate and impotence.

“Makes your body do what we still call a hard reboot. Do you remember that phrase from school, Calgari? The whole process takes about three hours to complete. Until then, the poor Earther that gets hit by one can’t really move or feel pain. Oh, that instant before your body flopped was everything shutting down. Sucks.”

As he’d been talking to the prone, unmoving Calgari, he had proceeded to remove his sweater and shirt. He triggered his biosuit, which began to melt off of him.

“It’s okay that you didn’t know. Few beings do. Hells, the K’lasian that first shot a human with that had no idea what would happen. But, hey, ask me how I know all this!”

Calgari’s eyes stayed fixed on him. He stood over her, so her eyes were right in line with his sternum. Right where she had been shot. The biosuit had stopped sloughing off Dorian’s torso just at his abdomen. He tapped a circular scar that would one day match her own. Then his biosuit started to move in reverse, to once again cover his body. Dorian’s smile stayed on his face.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be back to your cheerful, loving self in about three earth months. Presuming K’laisian justice doesn’t end you before that, of course. In the meantime…”

He smashed her vidcam and then began dressing himself. Once that was accomplished, he produced a long piece of porous plastic and threw it over one shoulder.

“I’m going to carry you out like the sack of shit you are. Won’t even care that since your sphincters all relaxed at once, you’ll smell like it, too.”

Putting words to action, Dorian did exactly that.

Returning the way he came, Dorian grinned and his steps lightened. When Al’dath noticed him, she started.

“So, shall we return, drop this load of shit off in your brig, then get a drink?” he asked cheerfully.

A slow smile formed on the commander’s face.

“Sounds like a good way to end the mission,” she agreed.

Giving her a nod, the pair began back down the tunnel.

Contract completed, Dorian thought, glancing at the commander from the corner of his eyes.

He could get used to taking bounties for the K’laisians.