Jenna sat, looking at the counsellor. He had waved of the sparking water that had been offered and was all that Jenna drank.

“I could see that you are unsettled and you have been discombobulated since the meeting at Zinnas Rest. That artifact, whatever it is, it has awoken something in you. You must tell me now what that is, I have let you go this long only because I respect you, but there is no longer time for silence. I must know now, before our arrival.”

He waited, looking closely at Jenna.

Jenna was conflicted. What Fastos said had truth, meaning to her. She had joined the companions out of necessity, there was nowhere else for her to run after the incident that outlawed her. Yet she also owed Fastos, on several occasions his counsel had saved her from serious mistakes, but there were other imperatives, instilled in her from childhood, things that she was forbidden to talk about to others. Things that were not for outsiders.

The emotions flickering across Jenna’s face were clear to Fastos as he watched. He waited knowing that silence was sometimes the best. People abhorred silence and needed to fill the void with their voices. He had over the years gained some knowledge about Christos and its rituals, along with the rituals of many other planets.

The silence divided them. Finally Jenna coughed, swallowed and looked at the floor, the walls, the ceiling then the counsellor. “There were stories. I heard things and experienced more. But of them I cannot speak.” Her voice trailed off.

A silence hung between them again. “I do not ask you to break any sacred vow’s Jenna. Nor to betray the world that raised you.” Fastos finally spoke. He sighed, raised a hand and dropped it. “I know much of betrayal and breaking of vows.” He stopped, began to speak, changed his mind from what he was going to say and said, “That is a road I wish not on you. I admire you in that even as a pirate you have retained a certain integrity, a certain, if I may use the word, nobleness, and not descended to the depravity that others have.”

Jenna laughed, a pure genuine laugh, the first in a very long time. “You make me a heroine for the vids Fastos, I am a star.” She laughed again, then sobered. “That is not me I fear.” Silence fell again.

“There must be something you can say that will not directly violate your code.” Fastos pressed after a fraction.

A sigh, “I was shown a carving which displayed a similar figure, when I was young, where,” a pause, “I came from.” A sigh. “We were told if a similar carving was found, death and destruction would surely follow.” Jenna spoke slowly, little by little.

“I see.” came after a long pause. “Was this the same Lady, Lady Dana you saw?”

A nod. Another sigh. This time Fastos broke the silence. “Well the prophecy has come true in part. There most certainly has been death and destruction visited on the pirates. That is true.” He looked reflectively at Jenna, “Can you tell me if the prophecy was aimed at anyone or any group in particular.”

“No, no one although it was implied ...” Came with a shake of Jenna’s head as her voice trailed off.

“I see.” Again Fastos considered Jenna. “It must have made a powerful impression on you as a child.” He looked away, thinking. Out loud he spoke, “This coming concerns me. Much about this concerns me.” Turning to Jenna. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

Momentarily she considered speaking aloud her concerns about Ilisa, but decided not to. “Nothing that you don’t already know about.” She compromised on.

Feeling sure that that it Ilisa that was on Jenna’s mind, Fastos nodded. That he would leave with Jenna. “Very well.” He paused, “Tell me Jenna, what think you about our quest?”

“Nothing good, no, nothing good. Not all will survive I am sure.” The look on her face was one familiar to any combat veteran, it was of one staring at things best left unseen. Fastos nodded.

“Indeed, but that is often true of a quest. Have not we taken ships on in which many have died? Including those of our own crew. You lost most of the crew on your last ship and had to flee for your lives, that is why you joined Thurgod.”

Jenna nodded her agreement. “But that was our decision, to try and take that ship. That they had taken a squad of mercenaries on board at their last stop was our bad luck, it was a sudden booking and unknown to us. Here we are making our own bad luck and we may well find the price higher then what we imagine it will be.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Surprised, Fastos stared at the pilot. Where did this come from? Looking narrowly at the pilot. “Are you sure ...” He started.

“Bad memories there, Fastos. I know what you want to hear but there is nothing more I can say.”

“I agree, but I have been thinking that all this has come together just too neatly. You are new to us, been with us for less than a standard year; your previous ship just two years before that, others even longer. And how did you get here from your galaxy before that anyway? That is not an easy thing for a person on the run to accomplish.” Jenna opened her mouth to protest but Fastos held up his hand to stop her.

“I do not accuse you of anything, but let us look at the facts. Give me of your time, I have since we left the asteroid been thinking over all that has transpired. First, as I said, the facts, at least the ones we know of.” He paused leaned back in his seat and Jenna waited. She always enjoyed watching Fastos as he worked his way through a problem. “There is these tunnels, been around for more than two hundred standard years that we know of, very dangerous, we just hear that a single person survives them. Then the professor finds a way through the tunnels, at least he says so.”

“I agree Fastos, but where is this leading us?” Jenna interrupted. “I don’t see what you are getting at.”

“Humour me, I have been looking at this from several ways, but the pieces only started to make sense when I looked at it from one particular direction.”

Jenna looked even less convinced. “Very well, go on.” Came out somewhat unwillingly, she did have faith in Fastos.

“This professor finds us, how did he do so? We are not easy to contact, yet he picked us out of many who are easier to get in touch with. Why did he not pick a professional treasure hunter, they would be less likely to cut his throat at least.”

He mused for a fraction. Jenna waited, now fascinated. “The Legion suddenly starts a series of surprise attacks, and we learn that they are urged to by possibly the most important member of the Circle of Ladies, something that would certainly bring the Legion down on us like a hammer of one of the gods. So we are disrupted, hunted and running for our lives towards one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy, a place that we learn has been evacuated by the Legion.” Fastos stopped, then murmured, “And we are joined by the beautiful and mysterious Ilisa.” He stopped again staring off into nothing.

After a fraction, Jenna stirred. “So do you have any conclusions from your speculations? Or are they just that, speculations.”

“Oh, I have a conclusion and I am sure that you are not going to like it.” Fastos smiled. Jenna did not like the smile.

“So, give it up, or do you want to keep it for Thurgod?”

“Oh, Thurgod would cut the hyper drive, dump the professor and Ilisa into space. Then make a run to somewhere else. All things that would make the situation a lot worse than it already is, at least to my way of thinking.”

“So, tell me!” Jenna was getting impatient.

“I think that someone has set things up, a long time ago for us, us in particular to go into those tunnels. Someone with the power to influence even the Circle and the legion. To maneuver into the hands of the pompous professor an artifact of the strangest type, one which you have been warned against. Possibly even create the tunnels themselves.” He looked searchingly at Jenna. “Now who do you think could do all that?”

Jenna stared at Fastos. “No, you can’t think ...” She stopped, unable to continue. After a fraction she spoke. “But He has been gone. For many centuries. Not a sign of Him. Are you sure?”

Fastos shrugged. “I am sure of nothing. Yet we know, from the stories that He will, from time to time disappear. Not as long as this in the past as far as we know. But He has before moved in a hidden fashion amongst the people, usually without their realising it unless He revealed Himself.”

Jenna shook her head. “All this is pure speculation. I cannot see what you want from me in this. If He is in the tunnels, what can He be doing there?” She stood and took a sip of her sparkling water. “And why would He play this elaborate game with us? It makes no sense, none at all.”

With a sigh, Fastos stood. “I have revealed my mind to you as much as I can. Say nothing of this to Thurgod, it will do no good.”

Jenna nodded in agreement, having a good appreciation of Thurgod’s likely reaction, which matched that of Fastos. “I will say nothing.”

“Having heard all I have to say, is there anything more you can say to me?”

“There is nothing more that I can tell you.” Came the quiet response.

Believing that he knew everything that Jenna was willing to say, but still somewhat unsatisfied, Fastos turned, going to the door. Abruptly he stopped and turned. “I have always wondered. I know some about Christos, why did you not return there after the, ah, incident? You would have been protected there.”

Jenna gave a bitter smile. “It was impossible.”

Looking uncertain, but deciding not to push the point, Fastos nodded and left.

Shutting the door, Jenna leaned against it and gave a sob. It was impossible for her to return. Impossible to ever see her mother again. To see her daughter. The Patrol Officer who had died was from Christos.

With a deep breath, Jenna composed herself. Her hands reached out and secured the door lock. I will eat, exercise and sleep. She thought, I still have just over seven periods to go before I must relieve Amard. There is time.