(Chapter I: Arrival at Tapakus)

An alarm blared angrily through the ship. Kayden barely avoided jumping at it, only narrowly stopping his forehead from slamming into the ladder rung before him. A sigh of frustration slipped out as the clear signs of an oncoming headache pulsed through his skull.

His work pants quite suddenly felt like they were three times as heavy, pulling him down. Over the Sertean years, Kayden had sewn loops out of scrap magnetic fabric all up and down each leg to hold his tools while working. Currently, almost every single one of them was full, meaning he was carrying over two-dozen tools. All of them added up to quite a bit of extra weight.

Kayden spared a moment to just breathe, trying to gather himself and rest his tired muscles. As often happened whenever he spent an extended period of time off of stable ground, a feeling of unbalance had grown throughout him, starting in the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t really noticed it before with his mind kept busy by his repair work. But now that he was undistracted, he could clearly feel it creeping around every inch of his body with clutching fingers.

Kayden tried not to clench his jaw against it as he readjusted his grip on the ladder with his left hand for stability. Once he was sure he had a solid hold, he unwrapped his right arm from where it was circled around a different rung. He had a screwdriver clutched tightly in his fingers, which he carefully dropped into the topmost available magnetic loop just below his hip. Then, Kayden grasped both sides of the ladder with his hands, bracing himself against the sound still echoing from the speaker above him as best he could. It was difficult, though, as it clashed horribly against the constant ringing in his left ear.

Unfortunately, it was a duet Kayden was rather accustomed to. The alarm occurred every time his ships’ sensors picked up a mechanical safety concern, which was more often than not. The Gemini was old, clunky, and had seen quite a few colorful adventures that had left it worse for wear. Kayden had done his best to maintain it, but he was a one man crew and it was impossible to keep up. He might as well be rowing a boat riddled with holes that had been hastily plugged with worn rags.

The majority of the profits from several of Kayden’s most recent jobs had already gone towards various repairs throughout his ship, which had been more expensive than usual. In the mission he’d undertaken a Standard week before, his client had given him an electronic map that Kayden discovered to be out of date only after he wandered straight into a micro meteor field. Several exterior hull panels which had already been clinging to the last dregs of functionality were rendered utterly useless. They certainly hadn’t been cheap to replace, either. To say nothing of the damage dealt to the hardware housed underneath them.

Kayden had fixed what he could afford, which was not nearly the entirety of what was wrong, but had at least kept him able to fly for the time being.

The pay from the job before that had gone to repairing the pump for his primary propulsion drive after he’d found himself stuck in the middle of a dogfight between two parties completely unrelated to his mission.

Kayden would bet that the current alarm was due to a rather stubborn short in the interior environmental control system. It had been wavering the last few Sertean weeks with him managing quick patch jobs on it in his sparse free moments, but he hadn’t been able to give it the true attention it needed. Nor did he think he could replace it outright himself during flight without risking further damage to the full system.

The situation didn’t bode well at all. Kayden had already done the math. If he couldn’t fix the issue himself with what he already had on hand and had to take the Gemini into a ship depot, the cost of the parts and labor for someone else to repair it would cut his meals down to two a day with no snacks and a third less the amount of water for the foreseeable future.

It wasn’t all bad news, though. If everything went well, Kayden would be landing on a planet within the next few Sertean hours, so he might be able to take the time and get a better look at the short. And the circuit that he’d been working on was no longer sparking, so that was another plus. Maybe he’d even done a good enough job that the bathroom light wouldn’t flicker every seven Sertean seconds anymore.

Kayden sighed blissfully at just the thought, allowing a small smile to spill across his lips. In slightly better spirits, he began pulling himself up the ladder, his heavy boots clanging dully against the metal rungs with every step and his sore back twinging with each movement. He reached the top in moments and paused before continuing onto the landing.

Kayden always felt shaky and off-kilter getting on and off of ladders, even ones in familiar areas. Climbing them and working while standing on the rungs was completely fine, but the transition on and off always made him uncomfortable. He acquired many scars over his years as a soldier in the Alrinan Galactic Force, both visible and not. But a blow from a sonic grenade at point blank range towards the end of his service had definitely fallen in the top five most serious. The various medics he saw afterwards tutted and fretted over burst eardrums, a concussion from smacking his head on the ground, and, most seriously, severe central nervous system damage.

If there was one thing Kayden was thankful for, it was that he regained hearing on his right side over the few Standard weeks after the incident. But a ringing on his left remained, ever present and ever persistent. At times, it warbled up and down along one pitch, as though it couldn’t find the note. At others, Kayden heard two discordant tones screaming at him in a never ending battle. They often caused headaches and a lack of sleep.

There were other effects, too. He lost some fine motor control in his muscles. Occasionally, when Kayden clenched a fist or grabbed something small, his grip and finger strength simply failed him. And he sporadically lost feeling in his extremities as well. His fingers and feet went numb or dead without warning. Or simply refuse to move at all. The medics at the time told him that the damage was great and some of the signals from his brain might get mixed up or interrupted. They said he would have to learn to ‘be patient with himself’.

So Kayden adapted as best he could. That was part of the reason he’d sewn at least one magnetic fabric loop onto most of his pants - so that, if he felt the strength in his hands disappearing and had nowhere to set something down, he still might have somewhere to put it. And Kayden didn’t need, necessarily, to feel the ground beneath his feet anyway. In fact, as far as he was concerned, the loss of said feeling at times just made him appreciate it all the more when he got it back.

The one thing he had never been able to truly recover from, or get over, was the loss of his balance.

Ever since that day over twenty Standard years before, when the Alrinan Galactic Forces had last managed to break through the Barrier around Vianar in a mass ground assault, Kayden had not had a lick of balance left in his person. Under normal circumstances, he managed well enough. But as soon as he was on a catwalk with no railing, or had to jump onto a small platform, or had to walk along a narrow ridge, he found himself floundering. Which was why the transitions to and from ladders never failed to make him hesitate.

Kayden’s stomach lurched nervously as he ran out of rungs for his hands and no longer had anything to hold onto during the last few steps up for his feet. Steeling himself, he slowly yet steadily crawled out of the ladder tube and plopped himself unceremoniously on the tiled floor of his cramped living area beyond. There, he took a small moment to regather himself.

As soon as he thought he could manage it, Kayden stood on shaky legs and hurried over to a maintenance panel in the nearest wall to shut off the still-active alarm. The resulting silence felt heavy, almost pressing down on him. If he listened closely, Kayden could almost swear a faint echo of the alarm was intermingling with the ringing in his left ear, refusing to be forgotten. He knew that wasn’t the case and that the sound was only a figment of his imagination. Perhaps it was born of the nagging knowledge that simply shutting off the alarm didn’t actually solve whatever mechanical problem his sensors had picked up.

But Kayden couldn’t worry about it right now. That particular alert indicated the second level of warning, which was the second-lowest priority. If it sounded again and became shriller, then Kayden would in turn become more concerned. For the moment, though, he could tell when he had reached its physical limit and needed a break.

Now that his mind wasn’t occupied with manual labor or climbing a ladder, Kayden was able to focus more and the various pains throughout his body. The ache in his back wasn’t new by any means. It was yet another side effect of his years as a soldier, being tossed around on a battlefield and blasted back and forth on various space ships. Such things took a toll at some point. Kayden woke up with sore muscles and joints along his spine more often than not, and today was no exception.

But the regular aches suddenly seemed more pronounced, as well as a pinching sensation running up along the side of his neck. They were no doubt from Kayden working nonstop for as long as he had been.

The pinch in his neck was a tell tale sign that he should sit down for a few Sertean minutes. Kayden put his right hand up and tried to massage it, trying to be gentle while also giving enough pressure to relieve some of the pressure there. It was a delicate balance. While doing so, he slowly slumped against the hard, metal wall of his ship and slid down to the floor. Only then did Kayden allow himself a deep, soothing breath and glance at his Spacefaring Watch on his left wrist.

In the cosmos, keeping time was a tricky task. Most people tended to make their schedules according to that of whatever planet or celestial body they came from. Then, there was a standard measure that most bases and supply depots used. Called ‘Standard time’, the system was, in essence, an average of the practices of timekeeping used by the first spacefaring and space-participating peoples from the original forty-four solar systems that were explored and cross-colonized in the Galaxy.

There were a few outlying species whose timekeeping practices had been thrown out when the Standard system had first been developed, and there were a few other factors thrown in to simplify and streamline the process. But it was, at its core, a system that everyone could abide by for simplicity’s sake. Which had proven absolutely essential in the first few years, Standard or local, when peoples throughout the Galaxy tried to engage with one another.

Its importance had only grown as more civilizations became spacefaring and space-participating.

There were no Galactic Laws in place forcing use of any specific time-keeping system. Each and every single person was allowed to do what made them most comfortable, which could lead to much confusion between differing species and peoples. So it paid to have a standardized system to fall back on as a failsafe, at the very least.

Kayden, considering first his time as a smuggler with his family, then as a soldier, and then as a lone smuggler, had traveled enough he’d formed a system which allowed him to adapt quickly wherever he went. When on a planet or other celestial body, he tried to use the local timekeeping. If he was partnering up with someone else on a job, they both used Standard Time when not landbased. But when he was alone on his ship, as was currently the case, he went by the system of his home, Sertea.

According to his Space Faring Watch, Kayden had been working nonstop on the malfunctioning circuit for the last four Sertean hours. He was currently flying through a particularly perilous solar system. The dying star at its center spit out far heavier amounts of radiation than average, which messed with the sensors of even the most advanced vessels.

As old and temperamental as the Gemini was, its instruments were simply not of high enough quality for its autopilot systems to be dependable. So before he’d started on repairs, Kayden had flown manually for close to twelve Sertean hours straight.

Now that he’d stopped actively working for more than a few moments, Kayden’s eyes started twitching with tiredness and the ache in his back grew exponentially. Already, he could feel the beginnings of cramps running up into his shoulders. All at once, he desperately wanted to head to the tiny bed he had shoved into his pitiful excuse for a bedroom at the back of the Gemini and nap, even if only for half a Sertean hour.

But he couldn’t risk missing the call he’d been waiting for.

Four Sertean hours before, Kayden dropped into the orbit of the sixth planet of this solar system. At the time, he’d been hoping that he’d be allowed to land immediately and find the inn he’d been invited to. Then, he’d be able to nab as much sleep as possible before he met with his intended contact the next day.

However, for good reason, the people of this planet were far more suspicious than most. Especially towards humans with history connected to Alrina. As soon as Kayden made initial contact with them, the person on the other side of the video call heard his slight accent and their own voice went cold. They’d curtly asked him to stay on standby until they cleared him for entrance and landing. They’d barely even waited for Kayden to acknowledge them before cutting the line.

There’d been nothing but silence since.

Kayden couldn’t blame them for the rather frigid greeting. When given the coordinates for this planet to meet his contact, he’d realized immediately that he’d never been to this system before. That was far from unusual, even for a smuggler with as much experience as him. The Galaxy was a very vast place, after all. But Kayden was not one to go about unprepared.

So on his way, he’d downloaded as much reputable information about the planet to his portable screen as he could find to educate himself along the way there. What Kayden read was appalling and, unfortunately, a story that was far too common. After being waged for so long, the reach of the War between the Alrinan Republic and the Vianarian Monarchy stretched to almost all known parts of the Galaxy. This system was apparently no exception.

Called Tapakus, the planet Kadyen was orbiting was once known for its richness in marscan ore, which the native species had based the majority of their economy around for many generations. Marscan ore was a dull and boring gray color, so it was not known for its beauty. Nor was it very durable. Instead, its high conductivity point made it mostly useful in small computer components.

For a long time, their exports did not make the Tapakans rich by any means. But their economy was stable and most of them lived comfortable lives.

All of that changed, however, some three-hundred Standard years ago. An Alrinan Scientist discovered that marscan ore has a natural resistance to Vianarian Magic. Even better, if forged and processed a certain way, the metal could repel and, in some cases, nullify the spells wielded by the Monarchy. Being the only discovered material capable of such a feat, the demand for it quite suddenly boomed.

At first, the Tapakans thrived on the increase in attention they got and they traded massive amounts of marscan ore to the Alrinan Republic. But over time, while their stock waned, the Republic’s demand for it only increased. After about one hundred Standard years, Tapakus started to refuse trade. Fearing for their remaining supply of the ore dwindling, the Tapakans wisely intended to find other resources and skills with which to create a more robust economy.

Alrina did not respond well. Desperate for the marscan ore and angry, they decided to make an example of Tapakus.

Within a Tapakan week, the Republic completely overwhelmed the tiny planet’s rather pathetic defenses. Tapakus had always depended on the facts that their ore was needed in all of the surrounding systems’ computer components and that the Tapakans were the only ones who knew how to properly mine it. Though they’d learned to make weapons and shields for the Republic out of their marscan ore, the Tapakans themselves had hardly any experience in warfare.

The Alrinan Republic knew that and they pressed their advantage fast and hard. They quickly outright enslaved many of the larger towns and cities, taking familial hostages to ensure that the ore would continue to be produced and processed. They then set up a blockade to chokehold the planet and keep any possible allies from neighboring systems out. This despicable practice continued on for over the next Standard century and half.

It was only in the last sixty Tapakan years that the Vianarian Monarchy finally managed to break through the blockade and emancipate Tapakus. There had been a fear that the Monarchy would then seek to take control of the area themselves. But, to everyone’s surprise, the Vianarians simply met with the people of the planets in the area, offered their protection and, upon being denied, withdrew their ships from the solar system.

They patrolled the space outside and attacked any Alrinan vessels that got too close, effectively keeping the whole event from repeating. But for all intents and purposes, they allowed the peoples within the solar system to govern themselves freely.

Tapakus itself had been limping along since the emancipation, trying to recover from the strip mining that had exhausted so much of their farmland and the demoralization of their people. Because of their slow aging, most of the current generation were the first in several not to be born into a type of slavery, and many of them were still trying to find their way.

Kayden felt beyond ill by the time he was done with his research, a feeling which only doubled at the response he got upon first contact.

If he were honest with himself, he’d known that he wouldn’t be welcome here. As soon as he’d read ‘occupation by the Alrinan Republic’ the first time in the first article, he’d almost turned the Gemini around and flown in the opposite direction as fast as he could.

A frantic recount of his finances had stayed his hand, though. This wouldn’t be his maiden trip in such an...awkward situation, for lack of a better term. But that never made these things any easier.

Kayden’s appearance on its own was enough for the Tapakans to deny him entry to their space. The political climate, along with the intense radiation, served to keep most humans away. So whenever the Tapakans saw one, especially one with an Alrinan accent, they were probably put on guard immediately. Once they looked at Kayden’s records and realized that he used to be a soldier in the Alrinan Galactic Force, Kayden imagined that they would not respond well.

Thankfully, there was a Galactic treaty in place outright banning them from shooting Kayden out of the sky as long as he wasn’t hostile. Hopefully, they’d adhere to it if only because they couldn’t afford to incur the wrath of the Republic for killing one of their citizens. But that wouldn’t stop them from being suspicious of him.

Kayden understood entirely. He’d seen first hand the type of atrocities his people committed back on Vianar and they were enough to sicken him. Even over two Sertean decades later. As far as Kayden was concerned, his just coming here was like poking a sleeping barunu who’d just given birth and expecting it to not snap back. He wouldn’t have come here if his contact for this prospective job hadn’t been adamant.

But they had been and so here he was, waiting for clearance to land on the surface of Tapakus. He only hoped that his contact had thought through all of this as well and set everything up ahead of time. The man in question was usually on top of things, so there was a good chance. But that certainly didn’t mean Kayden should fall asleep and risk snoozing through the alert of the Tapakan representative contacting him.

His body, however, didn’t seem to agree. The ringing in his left ear was a steady presence that refused to be ignored, and tiredness pulled at him more viciously enough that it made his eyelids droop. Kayden shook his head, trying to clear it. But it was no good. There was a hazy cloud hovering in his skull around his brain, slowly growing denser the longer he sat there against the wall. He felt if he so much as blinked, he’d fall straight into a dream.

Kayden sighed deeply, pinching at the bridge of his nose. He needed to find something to keep himself busy. Something he could keep his mind focused on. Maybe he could finish the chapter in the book he was reading. Or perhaps he could go spend some time on that short in the environmental system after all.

Yes, actually, he thought silently, that might be a good idea. Then the alarm might not go off again anytime soon, Kayden decided and pushed his shoulder against the hard metal wall of the Gemini to steady his frame as he heaved himself up onto his tired feet once more. The tools still hanging in the magnetic fabric loops all down his legs clanged and felt even heavier than before, but he hardly paid them a thought.

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

Instead, he scrubbed at his eyes with one hand to try and force some wakefulness back into them, wondering dully if they looked as sore as they felt. In fact, Kayden was probably in a rather sorry state all around. He could just imagine how his dark blue eyes were probably popping out through the redness of the whites around them, only accentuated further by the dull auburn of his hair hanging limp and sweaty around his face. Or rather, the auburn that hadn’t turned gray prematurely.

Judging by the sticky patch he felt on his left cheek bone when he scrunched his nose up the slightest bit, Kayden wouldn’t be surprised if he had some manner of oil streaked there too.

On second thought, perhaps he should take a quick trip to the restroom and wash his face off with some water. The last thing he wanted to do was give whatever representative of Tapakus got stuck speaking with him a bad impression. Or a worse impression of him than his service record as a soldier from the Alrinan Galactic Force would have. Kayden winced at the very thought, which pulled at the sticky spot on his cheekbone. Yes, he thought in a rather acidic tone, that’s definitely some oil or another.

His mind made up, he turned towards a small doorway by the kitchenette to his right that would lead towards the back half of the ship where the bathroom was located. But before he could take a single step, a different alarm than earlier sounded from the speaker above him. This one had a much lower pitch and didn’t wrestle as much with the ringing in his left ear.

Kayden quite literally froze as nervousness flooded through him. This alarm was specific to the messaging system. Due to the high radiation levels in this star system, the Gemini could only pick up readings from very short distances, which meant that this had to be coming from Tapakus. They must have made a decision on whether they were going to let him land.

No matter how many times he’d engaged in diplomacy, the nervousness never left him. Kayden saw it as a weakness in himself, and now was certainly no exception. Especially considering the history this world had with his own. A weight settled in the base of his stomach and his mind started racing, already considering all of the ways that the next few Sertean minutes could go wrong.

Kayden took a sharp breath and did his best to picture slamming a door shut on all of them. He needed to stay calm now. Calm and polite. For all that he was a flawed man, his manners had never once failed him.

The alarm continued to sound, his ear continued to ring, his back continued to ache, and Kayden turned around and headed for his cockpit. There was no time to clean up now. If the representative asked, he would just explain that he had been in the middle of a repair and hadn’t wanted to keep them waiting. Which was actually true now that he had decided to tackle the environmental circuit.

The Gemini was a fairly small ship. The living area that housed the ladder Kayden had climbed opened up straight into the back of the cockpit with only a thick automatic sliding door separating them. So it was only a few Sertean seconds before he carefully squeezed between the swiveling pilot and copilot chairs and looked over his main console. Dozens of buttons and several small informational screens bordered by various lights blinked back at him.

Kayden sought out the one that would mute the message alarm, pressed it, and then backed up to sit. The old cushion in the seat of his chair was deflated and lumpy with age and abuse, but he sank down into it gratefully anyway, convinced that it was the most comfortable pillow in existence right then.

Kayden spared himself a moment to regain his barings. Most of the Screens were showing exactly the same things they had been when he’d left them several Sertean hours before, such as the environmental conditions on the planet below, the readings (or in this case, lack thereof) from his long range sensors on the surrounding cosmos, information on the nearby four orbiting moons of Tapakus, and an interior rundown of the Gemini’s condition.

The only three things that had changed were a warning about the environmental circuit the earlier alarm had already cautioned him about (the problem had apparently been upgraded from a ‘level three’ sensor issue to a ‘level four’), the electrical circuit he’d fixed was no longer marked as being a problem at all (thank the forty-four stars), and the Screen closest to him that was dedicated to communications had a new notification. The words ‘INCOMING VIDEO CALL’ were scrolling across it in big, block letters.

Kayden took a couple of extra Sertean seconds to reach into the pocket of his work pants and pull out an earpiece, which he quickly put into his right ear. He then quickly tapped a button on the side to activate it, hearing a small beep that indicated the device was primed and ready for use. But he held off on hitting the button again, which would actually start its primary program.

The small earpiece was a Galactic Translator and Kayden had been sure to download the Tapakan language to it on his way to the planet. But he also knew the Standard Dialogue, which was used by most political and well-traveled figures throughout the Galaxy, well enough to try and communicate naturally with the Tapakan representative first. Doing so was considered good manners in most spacefaring cultures if both parties were capable of it. And while none of his research had mentioned the Tapakan stance on the practice, Kayden figured he could at least try. If the representative didn’t seem receptive, it would be an easy matter to switch to his translator.

Once he deemed himself as ready as he could be, Kayden reached out to punch a green button next to the Communications Screen, watching as the letters disappeared to be replaced by a live video feed of the Tapakan representative who had been saddled with the job of dealing with him. Probably due to the radiation, the video feed wasn’t of the best quality. There was some blurriness that gave the picture a smudgy effect in places and the corners of the image crackled. But Kayden had seen far worse and was able to look beyond it easily.

The first thing he noticed was the telltale bright green fanned fins all along the side of the representative’s head. Which, if what he’d read was true, meant that she was female. She had a brow lower than a human, broad and hard above four deep purple eyes. Her thick lips spread across the entire bottom of her jaw and her pale gray skin had an interesting texture that resembled cracked rock.

Even through the wavering image, the straight manner in which she sat and the way she held herself portrayed an air of confidence that not many could exude without a sort of stuffiness that was absent from her. Although she swept a critical eye over Kayden, it did not feel condescending in any way, despite his haggard appearance.

Kayden gave her a nod, as that was one of the only universal gestures that had almost no negative connotations anywhere in the Galaxy. Even if it generally had one on this planet, a representative would recognize it as an intended greeting over anything else. “Greetings. I am Kayden Sarscan; Captain and lone regular member of the private ship Gemini.” He kept his tone even and hoped he didn’t sound too abrupt. Things could be so easily misinterpreted, even when speaking in the Standard Dialogue.

The woman nodded back at him, meeting his eyes head on with her own. “Captain Sarscan,” she said with a harsher rasp than he expected. The sound came through a speaker next to the Communications Screen. “I am Rana Ken. We have completed your background check and I have a couple of questions for you.”

“Of course,” he said as agreeably as he could.

“What is your business on Tapakus?”

Other people might have been annoyed at having to answer that again after they’d initially have done so upon arrival at the planet, but Kayden had learned a long time ago that it didn’t pay to dwell over such things. All it would do in the end was cause unwanted stress and tension. So he kept his voice light and as friendly as he could manage through his exhaustion. “As my records state, I am a smuggler with a Level Four License. I received a message from a contact whom I have done business with several times in the past. He was the one who asked to meet, set the time, and the location.”

“I understand. Do you perhaps know why he chose our humble planet for his business deals?” Rana Ken was very good at letting nothing of her thoughts show through on her face.

“I must admit that I do not.”

“Do you make a habit of taking on jobs you know no details about?”

That stung a bit, considering that he had, indeed, done so a few times. But Kayden let it slide right off his back. “I try not to. In this case, I have not accepted the actual job yet. I have only agreed to a consultation.”

“We have had trouble with this particular contact of yours before.”

Of course. Kayden bit back a sigh, finding himself not surprised in the slightest. The man in question was rather well known in the smuggling community, and not in a very good way. When Kayden had gotten the transmission two Sertean weeks before, he’d originally intended to turn it down based on past experience. But a stalling engine and dying magnetism generator on his port side had made the decision for him.

While jobs involved with this particular contact were often difficult and near suicidal, the payout was always worth it if Kayden finished the job alive. And, the man occasionally paid up front for maintenance and supplies, which Kayden sorely needed.

“I’ll admit that the thought of meeting with him gave me pause,” he said bluntly. “But I’ll also admit that my ship is not in the best of shape. If I want to keep flying, I’m looking at repairs that I can’t afford. If I lose my ship, I lose my home and livelihood.” As well as a heck of a lot more, but that was way too much information and far too personal for this discussion.

Belatedly, Kayden wondered if he’d been too honest. Rana Ken paused for a long, heavy moment. The bright purple of her four eyes felt like it was biting into his skin as she stared unblinkingly at him. Her gaze shifted, almost too quickly to catch, to the patch of oil still smeared across his cheek, obviously putting together that he must have been doing maintenance before their conversation.

The silence that fell between them went on long enough that Kayden felt sweat start to gather on the back of his neck. Perhaps he’d insulted Rana Ken. After all, he didn’t know much about her culture, despite what he’d read. Kayden could have easily said something insensitive. Or, in his haste to answer her video call, he’d done so with too casual an appearance.

Just as he was about to apologize, though, Rana Ken spoke again. “I understand,” she said. Her voice, while still a harsh rasp, sounded slightly gentler.

Kayden inwardly winced as he realized that, yes, she absolutely would understand doing things one didn’t want to do for survival. All of her people probably would. He was just thinking of how to respond when Rana Ken continued. “I read in your file that the human race has trouble with the levels of radiation our star produces. Therefore, I will allow you to land in the fourteenth quadrant of our eastern hemisphere. That is the far side of the planet, so you should be better protected from it. With Tapakus’ rotational speed, if you hold to the itinerary you sent us earlier, it should remain so for the duration of your visit. I have ensured that it is within walking distance of the inn you are intending to stay at as well.”

“Much appreciated,” Kayden nodded at her, truly thankful. The magnetic shielding on his port side was less than reliable at the moment with the generator on the fritz. Nor was Kayden entirely confident in the integrity of his one remaining environmental suit.

He couldn’t see anything but Rana Ken’s head, but she must have sent him the coordinates, because ‘INCOMING NAVIGATIONAL MESSAGE’ appeared on the Communications Screen in block letters - this time very small in the corner so that it wouldn’t disrupt the current video call. When Kayden accepted it, the Navigational Screen to his right started automatically mapping out a swathe of the Tapakan surface below his ship. It then marked a destination and helpfully labeled it ‘LANDING SITE’.

The Gemini’s sensors feverishly collected data, which scrolled down in lines on top of the map as his ship began to chart a course. Kayden glanced through them, trying to see if there was anything he needed to ask Rana Ken about before they moved on, but it all seemed fairly straight forward.

According to the Gemini, the planet’s dense upper atmosphere, combined with being turned away from the sun, would protect him from the radiation well enough that he should be able to walk outside with little issue for several Tapakan hours. After that, the buildings on the planet were made of a material that would shield him well enough. As long as he stayed inside most of the time he was there, he should be fine.

Rana Ken gave him a bit to take in the information before she continued. “I ask that, should your contact ask you to do anything that would have a negative effect on my planet or my people, you will not accept the job on our land. Otherwise, we adopt a policy of privacy. However, be aware that if we are questioned by other authorities, we reserve the right to release any information we have about your transaction.”

In other words, if a bigger, stronger species came along and demanded answers, Tapakus would do whatever they could to ensure the safety of their own people. Kayden understood that. Even respected it, especially considering their past. They had no obligation to him. But if he was going to land on their planet and bring his business to their doorstep, he certainly felt he had an obligation to them.

“I have no intention of bringing trouble down on your heads,” Kayden tried to reassure her. “As much as I need to be paid, if the job is of a character I’m not comfortable with, I will reject it out of hand. I have before. And, if I get the feeling that there is a scheme in the works that may bring harm to your people or your planet, I will inform you.”

Rana Ken blinked in what was probably surprise, but it was hard to tell with her stern demeanor. Kayden tried to keep his small smile as pleasant as possible. He’d been told before that he was odd for a smuggler and too soft for the job. That he had too many morals. But as long as he could make something close to a living and not add any more blue eyes to his nightmares, he was content.

What he had just offered wasn’t normal for those in his profession, but it was rather par for the course in his personal book. There was a reason that several governments and businesses had overlooked better prospects more highly qualified and instead hired him, even though he only had a Level Four Smuggling License.

Hopefully, his contact had remembered that and had picked this planet because the job in question had nothing to do with Tapakus at all.

“We will hold you to that promise,” Rana Ken told him. Her facial expression still didn’t change and her voice still had the same brusqueness as before, but Kayden could swear that there was a small shadow of warmth that had been absent thus far. “I will send a contract to your ship’s computer. See that you sign it and return it. Understand that, by signing, you will be held to the same standards you would be if you were signing a physical copy of the contract. Upon receiving it back from you, I will send you the clearance code for landing that you will have to show upon arrival to the shipyard. This contract will remain in our records in perpetuity.”

“I understand. Thank you for being so forthcoming and informative,” he responded, allowing his smile to widen at her. He always appreciated it when the representatives or ambassadors he dealt with were upfront about their policies. It saved both sides from so much potential drama and annoyances down the line.

Rana Ken left the communication line after that, but she made sure he knew she was on call in case he had any questions. The contract, however, was fairly simple and straightforward. It mostly stated that Kayden had no ulterior motives against Tapakus, that he would follow any and all of their laws while on their surface, and so on and so forth. It was pretty standard and Kayden read through and signed it within a single Sertean hour. It actually took almost as long for the Gemini’s old computer to receive, download the file, and then send the thing back.

The landing site was a desolate, flat field that had obviously been mined to death. The topsoil was loose and grainy, lacking even weeds. The Tapakans had probably started using it as a shipyard because the various types of fuel and exhaust that were used throughout the galaxy couldn’t do much more damage to it.

Kayden landed the Gemini narrowly between what looked like a retired Vianar research vessel and a newer Flavatheen freighter. His sensors went haywire as soon as he got close, having trouble calculating the distance between himself and his neighbors through the radiation on the planet’s surface. They tripped alarms that wailed at him so mercilessly, combining painfully with the constant ringing in his left ear, that Kayden finally switched them all off and decided to rely on just his instincts and fly manually.

It was a much slower process, but there was something comforting about taking his ship entirely into the control of his own hands; even if it was far more harrowing and labor intensive in such close quarters. By the time he engaged the landing gear and shut off his engine, there were more than a few drops of sweat lining his brow.

Kayden wiped them away, and glanced at his Spacefaring Watch, trying to decide if he should head out for the inn right away. Apparently, it was very early morning on Tapakus, which meant he had a full day and night to rest before meeting his contact. For a moment, Kayden considered grabbing a nap before he braved the planet’s surface, but he hesitated.

In his experience, the bed in the inn would probably be better than his lumpy excuse for one in his bedroom on the Gemini. After his flight there and the maintenance work after, the thought of deep, restful sleep in comfort was truly intoxicating. But the thought of getting there was exhausting. Kayden inwardly groaned as he bodily slumped back in his chair. The ache in his back and shoulders had not abated during his meeting with Rana Ken in the least. In fact, there was a matching twinge forming at the base of his skull that he could tell would become a rather nasty headache by the end of the day.

Just my luck, Kayden mused as he rolled his neck, trying to work the pain out. If anything, the cramp in his shoulder seemed to tighten slightly in protest, so he quickly stopped. The last thing he needed was his joints to start locking up before he even stepped foot onto the planet’s surface. Kayden resisted the urge to sigh again. He could tell by the way the pain was pulsing through his body that a healing tab would have hardly any effect, so he decided to save the few he had left. They weren’t exactly cheap, after all.

He supposed he could drink some of his medicinal tea to soothe it, but...it wasn’t inexpensive or easy to come by either, so he normally tried to be sparing with it. Not only that, but it tended to make him jittery, which wouldn’t help his current circumstances.

In addition, although Kayden was still exhausted, sleepiness no longer clung to him like a shadow as it had before he’d spoken to Rana Ken. It was replaced with a restless energy that he couldn’t shake. His tea would undoubtedly make that worse. He hoped that would pass quickly - he really did need sleep and would need to settle sooner rather than later.

Perhaps it was excitement at the fact that the Gemini had now safely landed on a brand new planet. Or perhaps it was anticipation of the coming meeting with his client.

Kayden almost choked at the very thought. Who am I trying to kid? ‘Anticipation?’ More like ‘terror’. He almost scolded himself, forcefully recalling the last time he’d done work with the man in question.

Doing so only succeeded in setting him further on edge. This was another reason he’d almost ignored this proposition. Kayden didn’t exactly enjoy the type of work this particular contact tended to offer. But, as was often the case in the world of smuggling, those same sorts of jobs also tended to be the ones which fetched the highest paydays. And Kayden was in desperate need at the moment. So, despite his better judgment, he’d come.

Depressed by the course of his thoughts, Kayden sighed once more and pushed himself out of his chair with a deep groan, ignoring the protestations of his back the whole way. He supposed that the sooner he set out, the sooner he would get there and the sooner he could lie down and try to rest before the meeting the next day.

Besides, Kayden tried to convince himself with a dry chuckle, with my sense of direction, I’ll probably still be late even if I leave right now.

He imagined Gerza laughing heartily next to him just to fill the empty space as he quickly began packing an emergency bag. Every smuggler quickly learned to always take a first aid kit everywhere with them, just in case the local species didn’t have amenities fit for their physiological needs.

Kayden then added a small travel kit, with a few directional tools. After the incident on Clebca VII seventeen Standard years before, Kayden also always made sure to pack at least two small meals and his water bottle in case he got stranded somewhere without resources or where the people didn’t accept credits as currency; along with a few small ration bars that would serve as snacks to tide him over between meals.

Next to go in the bag was Kayden’s portable screen with its charging deck and cable - both for informational and entertainment purposes. It was followed by the charger for his Galactic Translator, which he kept in his ear for the impending walk to the inn. Then the box of his special blend of tea, which was specifically mixed to help his pain and nerve degradation.

Kayden was only planning on spending a couple of Sertean nights on Tapakus (which, according to his Spacefaring Watch, would equate about two-thirds of a Tapakan day), so he only packed two sets of clothing, one set of night clothes, a set of emergency clothes, and the bare minimum of toiletries he could get away with. He hated being weighed down with things he would wind up not using in case of an emergency.

Though, as always, Kayden did toss in a few extra pairs of socks. One never knew when they might run into bad weather or an unexpected swamp. And having one’s feet continuously damp could be surprisingly dangerous, if not deadly. Not to mention uncomfortable.

Carefully, Kayden made sure the safety was securely set on his stun blaster and stuck it in the side of the bag before sealing the whole thing. He’d gone over the weapons laws of the planet on the way there. He was allowed to carry one, but not one of a deadly level and not on his person out in the open. That was fine by Kayden. He always felt rather exposed when he saw lots of people carrying blades and blasters around within reach anyway.

Last but not least, Kayden removed all of the tools from the fabric loops of his pants, replaced them in their proper box that he temporarily stowed in a quiet corner of the living space in the Gemini, and replaced them with a couple of portable light sticks. According to his research on the way to the planet, the surface of Tapakus would be uncomfortably dark for human (or, in Kayden’s case, mostly-human) eyes to see clearly without strain. So he’d need to be prepared.

Kayden only just remembered to run to the kitchenette tucked into the back of his living space and wipe the oil off of his cheekbone at the last minute. In fact, he only realized that it was still caked there when he twisted his lips to the side in thought and felt it pull at his skin. The sudden cold of the water did wonders at dispersing some of the exhaustion still clutching at him, but failed to banish it completely.

Kayden ran through the contents of his emergency bag a few more times, making sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything. As always, he imagined his fellow smuggler who he often partnered with on jobs, Amalee, reading off a checklist in her overly enthusiastic manner. She would teasingly ask Kayden if he was ‘absolutely, positively, honor to the sixth moon of Akeed CERTAIN that he’d gotten everything? Because if he forgot something, like he had that ONE TIME on Rittil, she wasn’t coming back again like she had then.’

Kayden couldn’t help but chuckle the thought of his friend, trying not to get distracted. When he was certain that everything was accounted for, he went to the cockpit, entered the commands to shut the Gemini down, effectively sealing her until he returned, and made his way to the exterior door set into the side of the living area.