Chapter 6

Another fireball fell from the sky. Thick billows of grey smoke trailed behind it, a stark contrast to the bright blue sky backdrop. Rex watched it sink into the horizon and out of sight and then turned her attention to the smoldering sphere before her. “Nothing,” she said into the empty escape pod, her modulated voice reverberated within its metal confines.

A glint caught her rusty red skull plate, another fireball plummeted from space.

Being a drone suited Rex rather well. Most of all, she adored the interlinking outer plating protecting her inner workings, or maybe it was being an efficient killing machine. Oh, but who was she kidding? Rex delighted in the fear her enemies felt just before they perished; the glow of her four camera eyes were the last things many unfortunate souls saw. Using that fear could come in handy for this mission, Rex thought to herself, how exciting. But searching through hollow escape pods was far from exhilarating.

“The jet brakes must’ve malfunctioned on this one,” she muttered to herself. Strewn before her were thousands of metal bits that hissed and crackled, glowing bright orange from friction heat. Small fires dotted the area, consuming the grass and transforming it into crisp black fibers. Any semblance of an escape pod had been more or less disintegrated. Rex picked through the wreckage for anything that might not belong, but she turned up empty again. She drew a heavy sigh, “On to the next one then.” She returned to her flyer, burnt grass crinkling under her metal feet.

Three more fireballs fell from the sky within the next hour. Each one struck the ground like meteorites, black columns of smoke rose from the crash sites that dotted the wavy green plains of Kanchi’s wilderness. Rex proceeded to check each one, and much to her disappointment, they were all vacant.

Patiently, she waited for more pods to plunge to the surface. But the wait wasn’t long— a seventh pod came screaming down from the clouds, leaving a trail of fiery smoke in its wake. It hit the ground with an explosive thump in the distance. Rex turned and jumped into her flyer.

Number seven, the last available pod on the Reala class cruisers. Well, cross those big claws of yours, she thought to herself.

The wreck created a small crater in the pristine landscape and a ring of fire spread outward, blackening the grass. Halfway buried beneath a mound of dirt was the sizzling hot escape pod, resembling a charred marble. Unbearable heat radiated from the crash site, but Rex’s gear was more than suited for it, so she reached out to pull a latch that jettisoned the door.

Inside was an unconscious young boy. Blood trickled from his messy brown hair down his pale white cheeks. His brow looked to be locked in eternal concentration even as he slept. His robes were brand new and out of style, a misguided attempt to blend in with the locals, perhaps, but such a flawless specimen would stick out in the crowds on this planet. He had to be no older than sixteen years old.

Rex tilted her head, “Oh, thank goodness…” she trailed off, still staring at who she knew must be Abel Reyleonard. She leaned in to get a closer look and to run a quick facial scan, then she prized a small communication device from the boy’s belt, crushed it, and threw the pieces into the grass.

Rex tilted her head again, studying the boy’s facial features and said, “He really does look like the rest of them.” The boy’s waking groans interrupted her thought. He was beginning to stir; his brain quickly lit up with activity and his eyes flickered open, the left was crystal blue, the other a dull impure red.

“Who…are you?” He muttered.

“Who am I?” Rex pointed to herself and laughed. Call me K-Three-Sixteen, or perhaps you’d prefer Rex. That’s a common name I go by.”

“Your face…” Abel said, this time speaking more clearly and quickly as he was regaining consciousness.

“Yes? Sorry, my outer plating is designed to intimidate my pathetic foes. My creators thought that an eerie orange glow for my eyes was most suitable for this effect, and field mission data shows this is true eighty percent of the time,” Rex said gleefully.

“Creators?” Abel asked warily.

“Er, sorry, perhaps I spoke out of turn. I am an assassin drone of the Tuyet Voi Empire.” Rex spoke clearly and properly, like a high-class servant. Her voice was feminine, unusual for military drones, but still challenging like a stern leader, though her voice still resonated with some level of distortion like most drones. “Oh, what do we have here?” She leaned in excitedly, and with her modular red alloy hands, snatched up a sword wrapped tightly with grey cloth.

“Hey!” Abel shouted as he tried to stand, but his restraints jerked him back. He scrambled quickly and clumsily to undo his safety harness, clearly still having a little trouble regaining full awareness.

Rex unwrapped the weapon and held it close to her skull-like face, taking note of every last little detail, particularly on the hilt. Feather etchings had been worn down to a nearly smooth finish and covered with a plain brown grip. “You certainly made an effort to conceal the true identity of this weapon, but my ocular receptors can make out the slight impurities. I have no doubt that…according to the marking you’ve tried to hide, that you are none other than Abel Reyleonard, heir to the Tuyet Voi throne,” Rex said with a tinge of triumph in her voice, “This comes as a great relief since I would have to kill you otherwise.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Abel shouted as he finally freed himself. He stood up quickly— a little too quickly, perhaps, as he almost fell back into the pod.

“Don’t I?” Rex said as she separated the sword from its sheath, revealing the radiant blue blade inside. It hummed intensely, and blue light reflected off Rex’s metallic red faceplate. “Blue,” she said casually, and in an instant, snapped the two pieces back together, snuffing out the light and the humming.

***

Abel’s heart was racing as he stepped out of the pod, cautiously keeping his distance from Rex. This was not how he had imagined his first assignment starting. The journey to Kanchi had been fraught with disaster: pirate attacks, nebula disruptions, and now a strange drone had his sword.

“I told you, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Abel, now fully alert, although he had a pounding headache.

“Abel, your attempts to maintain secrecy are admirable, most convincing,” Rex said with barely concealed sarcasm. “But that red eye of yours is a dead giveaway, and my superior sensors indicate you do not speak the truth.”

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Abel furrowed his brow. “Drones can’t do that. You’re making things up!”

Right? Drones can’t do that. Or is that a holo-vid myth?

“I am a unique model. The best engineers in the galaxy handcrafted me. There is no series of drones that can match my intellect, agility, and combat acuity. No, not even squishy organics can amount to my flawless design,” Rex said with such delight that Abel could have sworn her slanted red eyes turned with glee. “Er…except you, of course, son of the Emperor,” she added quickly.

Reaching out, embarrassed the drone might see his shaky hands, Abel beckoned for his sword, not entirely confident the drone would not slice it right off.

Turning it over every which way, Rex examined the sword again. “Tell me, is this the blade you use to murder the Empress?”

White-hot rage drowned out all the pain gnawing at Abel’s head and bones. He clenched his fists, ground his teeth, his entire body erupting like a fire. “YOU SHUT UP!” He charged forward, closing the gap in a blink of an eye, and tackled Rex to the ground. He wrenched the sword from her metal grasp, unsheathed its blue brilliance, and held the tip just inches from her sinister eyes.

Rex just laughed maniacally. “Such violence, this will be fun!” she said between bouts of laughter. “And here I was afraid the little prince was going to be meek and defenseless.”

Looking at the drone like she was something grotesque, Abel’s anger drained away in an instant. Relieved no one was around to see his anger taken out on a drone, he got to his feet.

Way to keep it together Abel.

With a renewed sense of confidence, Abel sheathed his sword. ”Sorry for yelling, but I forbid you to even utter the word ‘empress’ around me. And don’t call me prince.”

Rex hopped to her feet and brushed a little dirt off her chassis. “You are the Tuyet Voi prince, but fine, let us find a different title to appease that ego of yours. How about I call you ‘commander’ from here on out? This is your mission and all.”

Abel wasn’t sure if he should feel revered or patronized. Most likely the latter. Playtime with this less-than-average drone was over, however. “Commander will do fine. Now drone, I have questions, which you will answer. Understood?”

“Ah- questions. I stand ready and willing, commander,” she said wearily.

“Why are you here, who sent you?”

“Assassin platform designation K-Three-Sixteen was dispatched by Grand Emperor Felix Reyleonard half a galactic cycle ahead of you to scout Kanchi, prepare for your arrival, and offer my services to you, Abel Reyleonard, once you landed,” said Rex as if she were reading from a script.

Abel felt his face turn red knowing the implications of what she just said. “Tell my father I am more than capable of doing this on my own!” he shouted. “I should scrap you here and now to prove I don’t need his help!”

Blank orange camera eyes stared back, indifferent. Drones were supposed to know fear, right? “That would be most unfortunate, commander,” Rex said with a hint of exasperation. “Should you feel the need to deactivate me and waste my perfect deduction, assassination, recon, and espionage programming…if you do not wish to take advantage of my flawless combat record and my knowledge of this planet, then dismantle me at your leisure,” she added with fearful compliance.

Abel turned away, not really listening. He looked up into the blue sky as if his father could see his disapproval. Yet another insult among the others piled up over the past decade. He began pondering ways to get back at the Emperor. Perhaps returning with severe injuries would do it; marrying a commoner would undoubtedly be enough to send him into a rage. But no, the best way would be success. Abel would clear his name no matter what, and he did not need help doing it... right?

Looking all around, something suddenly dawned on Abel that whisked away the thoughts of his father— he was in the middle of nowhere. As far as the eye could see in every direction were rolling pastures and blue sky, marred only by grey pillars of smoke rising from the other escape pods on the horizon.

Then another thought occurred to him: How did this drone know I would be out here? He turned to Rex, who was standing perfectly still, like an obedient loth hound waiting for her master’s instruction. Eyeing Rex up and down, Abel decided it best not to question her— not right away, anyway. Or should he? Maybe simply destroying the drone and taking her flyer would be best…but then which way would he go? Or, he could give Rex a chance and see if she was as helpful as she claimed. Still, he’d like to call his handler to ask about this “Rex.”

Abel patted his waist for his communicator— nothing. Frantically, he double-checked his pockets and belt, still finding nothing. “Where is it?” he whispered to himself with a tinge of panic. He dove back into the pod, searching around its basic interior, but no communicator. He whirled around to Rex.

“Drone, did you take my com-device?”

“Of course not, commander!” Rex said, sounding aghast. “I could never steal from you, and I have no need for such devices,” she said, tapping the stubby antenna on the right side of her head. “But perhaps we can retrieve a new one,” she added hastily seeing the sullen expression on Abel’s face.

“No,” he shook his head. “No, that one was specially encrypted…” he trailed off and turned away to look out into the expansive landscape. “Ah— why am I even telling you all this?” Abel breathed in deep; the air was thick with the stench of burnt grass and metal. A breeze picked up, gently swaying the smoke columns in one direction.

“Fine,” Abel said abruptly, “I accept your assistance on this matter. But you will answer the rest of my questions.”

“Ah, more questions. Wonderful,” said Rex with unconcealed sarcasm.

Such nerve; did this drone lack self-preservation programming? “How much do you know about my assignment here?”

Rex proceeded to list all the details of the mission. “Your primary objective is to locate rogue ex-Tuyet Voi logistics instructor, Owlen Bek, and arrest him for betraying the Tuyet Voi Empire.” She proceeded to list travel details, equipment inventories, discretionary funds, and leads on where Owlen might be, but she did not seem to think bringing Owlen in alive was very important.

“Owlen Bek was a mentor and a friend back at the Academy. He taught some of my earliest lessons before disappearing,” Abel said. “Now he’s wanted for murder, but I intend to bring him in alive. Understood?”

“Understood, commander,” Rex sighed.

“Lastly…” Abel began a question that would be definitive proof of Rex’s allegiance, “…how does the Royal Circle refer to me?”

Rex stared back for a moment, then said, “Talus.”

“Right,” Abel said, bizarrely disappointed. No one would know that name other than the Emperor’s closest confidants; there was no doubt in Abel’s mind that his father sent Rex. “Fine, I guess I trust you then. But should you cross me, I will not hesitate to cut you down,” he patted the hilt of his sword.

“Hoo-hoo, such violence. Oh, I like you, commander,” Rex said jovially.

“Right,” Abel frowned, feeling extraordinarily little. “Well, let’s get to work then.”

Abel knew what he wanted to do first. He had done extensive research on Kanchi before and during the trip, and although the planet was under the Amani’s protective guard, it was still home to an infamous crime lord by the name of Mabahse the Great. Official information on Mabahse was scarce, but his reputation was quite well known to the people of Kanchi: influence deeper than the local government, enough power to take on a small army, and a network of spies with eyes on every inch of the planet. If anyone knew where Owlen might be hiding, it would be Mabahse.

“Drone,” Said Abel.

“Yes, commander?”

“You said you’ve been scouting the planet. Have you found where Mabahse’s fortress is?”

Rex sounded so pleased with herself that Abel thought she would have smiled if she had lips. “Oh, of course, commander! Although I will admit that finding it was not a difficult task...”

Abel was at a complete loss.

“You see…everyone knows where Mabahse is,” Rex concluded.

“Everyone?”

“Yes, even the local Amani force is very aware of the crime lord’s base of operations.”

Abel frowned thoughtfully. Perhaps Mabahse’s transparency was a good thing; paying a visit to his stronghold might not attract much attention from the local military. “Can you take us there?”

“Of course, commander. But it will take some time to get there,” said Rex. “You landed quite far away, you see.”

Abel dropped into the passenger seat of the open cab flyer. The craft looked old and rusty, richly colored cords crawled between missing metal panels. Its engines roared to life with a clank and a screech, but it seemed to be working all the same. The rolling plains turned into a smooth green blur beneath them and the fresh cool air whipped over the windshield, blowing Abel’s hair every which way.

Owlen had eluded capture for seven years, but now he had nowhere else to run. Abel would be the one to bring him in— at last; he would show his father what he was capable of.