Chapter XV – The Wolf and the Falcon

The moment Mu stepped off the Amrita’s lander a perfectly timed wind blasted across the exposed landing pad with an icy ferocity. She hugged herself as she walked, wrapping the long, Aixin-style winter cloak around her. Apollo had warned them it would be cold, but hearing about it and experiencing it were very different things.

The landing pad at the private spaceport was largely deserted, a flat expanse stretching away in every direction with little sign of infrastructure. Several hundred metres away stood a small terminal. From here the natural setting loomed large – snow-capped mountains lined two sides of a broad, flat river valley, fed by an enormous glacier that gleamed in the sunlight. Nowhere could she see any sign of a tree. The sky above was devoid of a single cloud.

Blinking in the bright glare, Mu rummaged around for her sunglasses, her fingers not nimble in the thick gloves she wore. Eventually she managed to find them and put them on. Behind her Ostara and Nova were supervising the unloading of their luggage onto a robotic cart that had met them upon landing. Nova was wearing a puffer jacket, scarf, thick pants and boots with a beanie. Ostara wore an elegant winter coat. For once she had foregone her usual dresses and wore long pants, a pear of knee-high, wedge-heeled boots replacing her customary sandals. Kal, wearing a heavy trench coat, soon joined them and hauled the heavier items onto the cart.

“Why is it so cold!?” complained Mingxia, as she emerged behind Mu, similarly hugging herself. Like Mingxia she had opted for a more traditional Imperial-style outfit, a cloak over thick, fur-lined robes.

“It’s far too cold,” agreed Mu. “Are we ready to get going yet?”

“We’re ready said,” called back Kal.

“Let’s go,” said Mu, her hand ushering Mingxia forward from the small of her back.

They made their way to the terminal. Mu felt the warm air flow over her the moment they stepped inside and let out an audible sigh of relief, though she could feel her teeth still chattering. They presented their documentation to Customs. Mu had flashbacks to the last time this happened and felt her heart quicken as she approached the Customs Bureau agent. She had a vision of them flagging her passport and those two Resonance Bureau agents emerging.

Instead, everything proceeded normally, and she was ushered through with a cheerful greeting in what Mu presumed was the Jaril language of Yarkan.

“Here we are…” said Tavian, as he stepped out into the main terminal concourse behind Mu and Mingxia. “Yet another new world.”

“It’s certainly not Shangxia,” murmured Mu, glancing around. The terminal had many ordinary modern features, but there had also been a concerted effort to incorporate what she took to be traditional touches, such as the intricate patterns in the carpets and the decorative lanterns that hung from the ceiling, or the brightly coloured tiles on the walls.

“It sure isn’t,” said Mingxia. “It never got that cold on Shangxia.”

“So, what’s the plan now?” asked Harry, as he also emerged. As ever he was dressed with a refined elegance only rivalled by Ostara, his dandy-aesthetic on full display with the slender cut of his long coat and the carefully draped scarf with a muted colour scheme.

“I have arranged for a guide to meet us and take us to our accommodation,” said Ostara. “Apollo thought it would be a good opportunity for everyone to familiarise themselves with Yarkan.”

Tavian cleared his throat. “Just to be clear… we are just waiting for something to happen… that Apollo has predicted. There’s no… mission… or…?”

Nova gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. “Welcome to the Amrita way.”

Tavian shrugged. “I’m not saying I have a problem with it… just wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing part of this whole puzzle.”

Mu’s mind went back to the “sign” that Bright Eyes had told her to wait for back on Shangxia. In that case the sign had turned out to be Apollo himself.

Last night as she lay in bed after leaving Seraphina’s room, it had occurred to her to look forward to their landing on Yarkan. In the depths of space, foresight was difficult – even more so than on a low resonance world like Shangxia (unless they happened to be travelling along a Starflow filament), but she could get a vague sense of the outline of what was to happen. Most of this came to her in the form of concepts – slowing, arrival, cold (even foresight could not prepare her!), foreign… but the more she attempted to penetrate the details of events on Yarkan itself, the stranger things got. It wasn’t simply a case of foresight being weak, but more a case of it being broken, like the very medium through which the Starflow moved was scrambled in time and space. There was something very odd happening on Yarkan.

Mu vaguely remembered Yarkan from her studies. She knew it was a world where the last (one of the last, at least) battles of the Second Banner War was fought. It was one of the key victories that secured the formation of the Aixingo Empire. Other than that, she didn’t recall much of the detail. Still, it was more than she could say she knew about most worlds. It was an inevitable fact of the sheer size of the Empire, that even someone once fated to be Empress could only ever hope to know a minute fraction of even the names of the worlds she might preside over.

Mu was distracted from her thoughts a moment later by the appearance of Seraphina. The witch was wearing some sort of bulky, hooded parka that extended down to below her knees and featured a fur-lined hood that had been pulled tight around her face. Underneath the hood her eyes were covered by dark sunglasses. On her feet she wore the same seemingly oversized boots she’d worn down to the surface on Shangxia. Almost every centimetre of her was hidden and the whole rather comical ensemble was finished off by the fact that she had still donned her hat on top of the parka. Mu noticed a few other people in the terminal were casting glances Seraphina’s way. Hopefully, Seraphina wasn’t too sensitive about such things, although in all honesty Mu had no idea what the witch felt about it. In truth, Mu thought she looked kind of adorable, in a decidedly odd way.

The crew gathered together facing Ostara who clapped her hands together. “Alright, everybody, our guide should be—actually, I believe this is him now.”

A tall, thin man had approached her as they spoke. He had dark hair, streaked with greys and a bushy moustache. He wore a padded robe over loose-fitting woollen trousers and boots. On his head was a square skull-cap. Every aspect was his clothing was elaborately embroidered.

“Madame Ostara!” he said in a deep voice, full of mirth.

“Mr Elyaroghul, I presume?” said Ostara. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” said Mr Elyaroghul. “And these are your crew?”

Everyone introduced themselves, except for Seraphina, who Nova took it upon herself to introduce.

“Ah, you are from all over the galaxy, it appears! Please excuse me if I don’t remember everyone’s names immediately,” he laughed, “I was raised out in the desert where my father spoke our tribal language, so the normal language of Yarkan is my second language, and the Common Tongue my third. It gets very confusing,” he said, shaking his head.

“The language of Yarkan, that’s Jaril, yes?” asked Mu.

“Yes, yes, young lady!” he said, smiling even more broadly. “Ah, you have done your research on our little planet. But then, you are Aixin, are you not?”

Mu nodded.

He waved his hand between himself and her, “Ah, but of course! We are distantly related, us Jaril people and you Aixin, are we not?”

Mu nodded. “We are all Yultengri,” she said.

“Yultengri… ah yes… that’s the word you Aixin use for it isn’t it?” he nodded, seeming to mull the word over in his mouth. “Yultengri…”

Mu had thought that all the peoples descended from the ancient Clanships thought of themselves as Yultengri – certainly she had been taught as much at the Imperial Court. Yet here this man – a man she thought of as Yultengri – treated it like a strange, foreign word. The reality of the Empire’s peoples was much more complicated than the perspective of the Imperial Court might suggest.

“But please, please, follow me, friends,” he said, fervently gesturing, “I will tell you about this world of ours on the way.”

They followed him out of the terminal to a large, ageing bus. He gestured for everyone to board, then together, he and Kal loaded their baggage into a storage compartment. Once they were on board Mr Elyaroghul busied himself briefly with some controls then took a seat facing the rest of them. Mu felt the bus jerkily rise from the ground and then begin moving slowly away from the terminal, wobbling slightly on its repulsion cushion as it moved.

Their guide smiled broadly. “Welcome to Yarkan, honoured guests,” he said. “We are always happy to see people from across the Empire – and perhaps beyond, I think, yes? – show an interest in our humble world. Now, as I’m sure you know, we are heading into Yengishahr, the capital of Yarkan. Most people on Yarkan live here these days, as it is safer and easier. Perhaps you have heard why?”

Mu raised her hand.

“Ah, the lovely Aixin lady… I’m sorry, your name… it is like I warned,” said Mr Elyaroghul.

“Mukushen,” said Mu, feeling somehow that the full name was more appropriate here.

“Mukushen, Mukushen. A lovely name for a lovely lady. But yes, you know why most people live in the city?”

“There is very little water on the rest of the planet, but the glaciers provide a source of water here,” said Mu.

“Ah yes, it can be difficult elsewhere, but the steppe you see around Yengishahr is vast and there are many thousands of glaciers and rivers and lakes… Yarkan is not all desert. No, the biggest reason is that Yengishahr is protected by the shields,” said Mr Elyaroghul.

“Shields?” Mu heard Harry ask.

“Do you know the history of Yarkan? Anyone? Well, it is alright if you do not, you are new here. But, you see, back in the First Banner War, Yurhadan Khan came here with his White Horse Alabey and was defeated by the Jaril Confederacy and the army of the Shah of Susania. After that, the Jaril swore loyalty to the Shah, but of course Yurhadan came back, and when he came back, he was known by another name.”

“The Tianyan Emperor,” said Mu.

“She is clever, not just beautiful, this one,” said Mr Elyaroghul. “Yes, he had declared the Aixingo Empire and the Alabey became the Aixin. His White Horse nation became one of the Eight Banners. And as everyone knows, he gained the Theophany of Nara Enduri. When he came back, the fleets of the Shah and the Jaril were no match for the Aixin. With a wave of his hand, the Emperor wiped them out. No soldiers or guns are any match for a Theophant.”

The White Horse, thought Mu. My ancestors. But this version of the Battle of Yarkan was wholly different to anything she remembered learning. In this version there was no battle at all. The First Emperor simply swept aside his enemies with the power of his Theophany.

“They say the Emperor’s power engulfed all Yarkan, and the Black City of Karbaliq, the capital of the Khagan of the Jaril, crumbled, burying the rulers of the Jaril beneath its stones.”

Mu saw that Mr Elyaroghul’s smile had faded as he recounted this part of the story. She felt the compulsion to look away from him.

“And that’s why most people today live behind the shields of Yengishahr,” said Mr Elyaroghul. “Because even today, many centuries later, the power of the Emperor’s Theophany lingers and makes things beyond the shields very strange. In the city, they say a man who steps out there is very brave or very foolish.”

He paused a moment.

Then his smile returned. “Ah, but this is all history. We are all subjects of Great Aixingo now, yes? We must live together. And you, young lady, you are not to be blamed for a long dead Emperor’s actions. You Aixin peoples and we Jaril peoples: we are all the sons and daughters of the Clanships, the Star Nomads… the, ah, as you say, the Yultengri, yes?”

Mu looked down. “Yes,” she murmured.

That long dead Emperor’s blood flows in my veins.

Regardless of what Mu had been taught back on Aixingo, she knew, listening to this man out here, that his version was correct. The chaos she saw when she attempted to gaze into the future on Yarkan must be the leftover power of the First Emperor’s Theophany. She shuddered at the thought. She had heard stories, but somehow hearing this man speak on this barren, windswept world, far from the Court… it brought it home.

Just a wave of his hand… and centuries later, time and space themselves are twisted…

The power of Theophany was frightening to even think about.

The rest of the trip to the city centre was far less confronting. Mr Elyaroghul talked about the various sights and experiences around the city. He explained to them how more tourists seemed to be coming these days, and a lot of new places were being built for them. Finally, they pulled up outside the hotel Ostara had booked, and he wished they all enjoy their stay.

“Please let me know if you would like me to show you around any of the special sights!”

He was about to board the bus once more when he stopped and turned. “Miss Mukushen… I think you are interested in history, yes? They are talking about building a resort near the ruins of Karbaliq… perhaps you can visit one day and see history for yourself.”

Mu nodded slowly, fixing a polite smile on her face. “Perhaps I can. Thank you, Mr Elyaroghul.”

After they’d checked in and Tavian had thrown down his bags in his room, he decided to head out. He was still feeling out of sorts after the events of last night, so he figured a walk would do him good. Besides, he always liked to head out exploring and get a sense of a place as soon as he arrived.

By the time he set foot outside the sun was still shining in the clear blue sky, but the shadows were getting longer and the temperature had dropped even further. He had multiple layers, but the cold was still biting, despite his best efforts to rug up. He’d checked the weather up in the hotel room and seen that even the high today in Yengishahr was not expected to get over zero.

What a bleak place, he thought, glancing up and down the street he now found himself in.

Still, regardless of the weather, the city did seem to have its certain charms. Apart from the scattering of more modern buildings like the hotel they were staying in, most of the buildings appeared to be built of mudbrick and adobe with elaborate woodwork around doors and windows. Some larger buildings featured domes, with many being covered in colourful tile mosaics. The streets were mostly narrow, and despite the cold weather, there still appeared to be plenty of people around. It certainly wasn’t anything like Shangxia, but there was more life than the long journey from the spaceport, over bleak and wind-blasted steppe, had led him to suspect would be the case.

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He figured he might investigate a nearby bazaar that Mr Elyaroghul had mentioned, depending on how he went for time. He didn’t really mind if he made it in time or not, but having a general destination in mind gave some purpose to his wandering.

Just as he was about to step out, he heard a voice behind him.

“Tavian,” said the voice softly.

He spun around.

Swaddled in thick Shang-style robes, Mingxia was standing there.

“Oh…” he said. “Hello.”

“Did you want to walk alone?” she asked, her eyes only briefly meeting his gaze before dropping to the ground.

“I was just going to… explore, I guess,” said Tavian. “You can come… if you like.”

She nodded.

“Let’s go then,” he said and they started walking.

“Going anywhere in particular?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Not really. I just thought I would make my way to the bazaar that Mr Elyaroghul mentioned on the way here. Or maybe not…”

“Shopping for tourist trinkets? You don’t seem like the type,” said Mingxia.

“Not exactly. Just a direction to head.”

She nodded again. They walked on in silence for a time.

The street became narrower up ahead, the buildings crowding overhead, casting it in shadow. The air was thick with unfamiliar scents here. There was cooking meats and hot oil, but other things too – spices perhaps. At any rate, it was an entirely different melange to that which filled the streets of Shangxia.

A couple of children ran past them, dressed in brightly coloured winter clothing. Tavian and Mingxia stepped aside to let them pass and watched them go. One of the children stopped after he got passed them and turned to point at Tavian, tugging on the other child’s arm. He turned around and they both stared at Tavian. They said something to each other in a language Tavian didn’t understand, then resumed running down the street.

“I think they said you’re funny looking,” said Mingxia.

“Probably… don’t imagine they see many people that look like me around here,” said Tavian.

“What a place to grow up…” said Mingxia quietly, as the two boys vanished around a corner. “I—I’ve never left Shangxia before. I kinda knew there was a whole Cosmos out ‘there’… but I… it’s something else seeing it here; seeing how different lives can be.”

Tavian smiled. “I think I’ve topped a hundred worlds now… but it doesn’t get old, that feeling. The brain’s not real good at taking in the scale of the Cosmos, so when it gets forced to confront that reality… it sends it spinning.”

Mu nodded. She turned to look his way, her mouth opening, then closing again. She looked down at her feet once more.

Tavian looked at her, trying to work out what to say.

A gust of wind flowed down the narrow street, a great and frigid torrent. Mingxia’s long cloak flapped around her.

She lowered her head to face away from the wind.

The gust passed.

Mingxia looked up at him. “I was looking at it as we were coming in to land,” she said.

“The city?”

She nodded. “It looked so small. Even in this one valley. But before we even got close enough to see the city, I saw the plains. The steppes—the desert—whatever… just great flat expanses. No trees, no buildings… nothing… even from that high up they just stretched from horizon to horizon.”

“It’s an amazing sight,” offered Tavian.

“It’s… this city it’s so small. And the planet is so big – there’s so much planet beyond it – and yet that’s just one of so many. I dunno. Mu probably knows how many…”

“Like I said… the brain’s not well equipped to deal with these sorts of scales,” said Tavian, not knowing quite what she was leading up to.

“It made me feel small,” said Mingxia. She paused a moment, thinking. “Then that guide, Mr… Mr Elyaroghul talked about how the First Emperor of the Aixingo just waved his hand and wiped out a whole civilisation… what even are we? Like, individual people… in just a Cosmos. When there’s powers out there that can just wipe out a whole world with the wave of a hand. And even that… even that is tiny in the whole scheme of things.”

Tavian wasn’t quite sure how to respond, his mind considering and rejecting responses.

“So, um, I guess I’m sorry,” she said.

“Sorry?”

“For how I talked to you,” she said.

He shook his head. “You… you really don’t need to be,” he said, still somewhat confused.

“No… I mean… all of this has got me thinking. You’ve got your life, I’ve got mine. Briefly, somehow, in amongst all this, our lives crossed over, intersected… you…”

What would Ostara say?

“I was wrong to put you in that situation and then abandon you,” said Tavian. “All the planets and Theophanies and stars and Emperors and whatever else in all the Cosmos don’t change it. They don’t mean we don’t have to do right by each other.”

Mingxia’s eyes again looked thoughtful. “But you did do right. Eventually. You risked your life to come back for me. I can’t say with certainty if our roles were reversed… if… if I’d have done the same.”

“I didn’t try to understand,” said Tavian. “I still don’t understand, but I guess at least I’ve realised that. I don’t know what it was like for you before…”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t good. It’s—my life keeps following a cycle. I get hopeful, I meet a man who promises me everything, then it all goes to shit. Time and time again. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having hope for the future or being open to others,” said Tavian. He grinned, “I guess the whole cycle happened quicker with me though…”

Her head snapped around to look right at him.

“I’m sorry, that was insensi—” he began saying, but she interrupted him by cracking up laughing.

“Oh yes, we really raced through that one,” said Mingxia. “I don’t know what I was doing that night. I just had to escape. I needed that moment of freedom. So, I snuck out. I went to that club. I saw you and… I should have warned you. I should have told you who I was.”

Tavian shrugged. “I get it. It’s not right for a human to be caged. I get why you wanted out. I get why Mu wanted out. I… guess I’m not that different in some ways… I left home when I was just a kid, been running ever since, I guess.”

Mingxia looked at him. “What did you run from?”

“Boredom… but mainly my dad.”

“You mentioned him the night we met… I thought then that there was more you weren’t saying… did he hit you?”

Tavian’s eyes widened for a moment and he looked at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to pry.”

Tavian nodded. “He did. I think I thought it was normal for a long time. He did it more and more. At least when he wasn’t too pissed to stand.”

“I wonder if you understand more than I gave you credit for… more than you give yourself credit for,” said Mingxia. “Why… why do men do such things?”

“Well I was about ready to give Kal a few taps last night,” said Tavian, with a laugh. “But I’m pretty sure he could take it.”

“I’m not sure you could’ve taken what came back your way,” said Mingxia.

Tavian was about to protest, but then stopped himself. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t make light of it. Defence mechanism, I guess.”

“We do what we must,” said Mingxia.

Tavian gave a little smile that faded quickly. “I guess, in answer to your question… some men have too little power, and some have too much.”

“Very deep. Very profound,” said Mingxia. “Poetic, even.”

Tavian grinned more fully this time. “Poetry is really a big part of my whole deal.”

He looked down at her again. Her skin was pale apart from her nose which was tinged pink. “Should we maybe get back inside? We can go and see the bazaar another day.”

Mingxia nodded. “I was going to say, it’s probably getting too late anyway. Plus… it’s fucking freezing out here.”

“Alright,” said Mingxia. “I’m glad we talked.”

“We can talk some more if you want,” said Tavian.

“Alright, but about happier things this time. Want to grab a drink… there’s gotta be a bar at the hotel.”

Tavian laughed. “You know, I thought we almost learned some sort of lesson from all this…”

“Do you want a drink or not?”

“Yeah, I do…”

“I figured.”

Mu yawned as the lift reached the lobby. She already knew where Ostara would be before the doors had even slid open.

“What’s the story?” she asked, coming to a stop in front of Ostara. Harry, Kal, and Nova were already standing around behind her.

“Apparently these four were out getting dinner last night,” began Ostara.

“Where was my invite?” asked Mu.

“We tried to invite you,” said Nova.

“I think you were fast asleep,” said Harry.

The excuse tracked – Mu had crashed not long after arriving yesterday.

“At any rate, these three were out at dinner and I guess tales of past adventures were being discussed – as often occurs – and someone overheard them. Now she wants to discuss something with us,” said Ostara.

“This sounds like the moment Apollo’s plan comes together,” said Mu.

Ostara grinned. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“Who is she, this person that wants to meet?” asked Mu.

“Ulduz Yarghunqizi,” said Ostara. “She’s a local businesswoman, I believe.”

“Man, I am gonna struggle with these names,” murmured Nova.

“Any idea what she wants to talk about?” asked Mu.

“I spoke to her briefly this morning,” said Ostara, “She said she has a job that needs doing that we might be interested in. I said we could come to her office and discuss it.”

“What did she overhear you guys talking about?” asked Mu.

Nova shrugged. “I dunno. Kal was telling war stories at some point, so maybe she wants some violence done. Or maybe some heisting. I think Harry talked about cooking, so maybe she’s just hungry. Or maybe she needs some of my tech genius.”

“That doesn’t narrow it down,” said Mu. She sighed. “I guess we go hear her out. Are we going now?” She yawned.

“That was the plan,” said Ostara.

“If you’re not too sleepy, Princess,” said Harry.

“I’m good… although if we could track down some coffee…”

“I don’t know if coffee is much of a thing here,” said Harry. “Tea we could probably arrange.”

“I guess that’ll do,” said Mu.

“Speaking of sleepy… anyone know where Tavian and Mingxia are?” asked Nova.

“They were in the hotel bar last night,” said Harry. “After that… I think Mingxia might have had a sleep over in Tavian’s room.”

“What!?” said Nova and Mu in unison.

Harry shrugged.

Ostara gave a knowing smile. “I guess they talked.”

Mu shot a questioning look at Nova, who shot a questioning look right back.

Mu cleared her throat and reassembled her composure. “And, um, Seraphina?”

“Sera’s just being Sera,” said Nova. “We got her down to the planet, but she’s still happiest being cooped up in her room.”

“I see,” said Mu.

“Shall we depart?” said Ostara. “I’ve ordered our transport.”

“Yeah, totally, of course,” said Mu.

As they headed out into the street Mu’s mind was spinning.

A sleepover?

There weren’t many modern office buildings in Yengishahr, but their ride took them to one such building. Inside they were greeted by a receptionist who put in a call. Shortly after they were being ushered into a spacious office on the top floor – floor fourteen or so. From here they had a good view across the rooftops and winding alleys of the city, and to the distant mountains beyond.

A solitary woman sat behind a desk as they entered. Seeing them she rose to her feet and walked over.

“Welcome,” she said. “I am Ulduz Yarghunqizi.”

She was dressed in a Shang-style dress, but her appearance suggested she was from Yarkan. Certainly, Mu had never seen any Shang or Aixin people with this woman’s piercing blue eyes. Mu estimated she was perhaps in her mid-forties. She was about the same height as Mu herself.

“Hello, Mrs Yarghunqizi,” said Ostara. “I am Ostara, the First Mate of the Starship Amrita. I believe you have a job the crew and I may be able to help you with.”

“Please, call me Ulduz,” said the woman, placing a hand to her chest.

Ostara nodded obligingly.

“Take a seat. Would anyone like some tea?” said Ulduz, indicating a small seating area.

Mu immediately shot up her hand, then realised she was perhaps being too keen. “Um, yes please,” she said.

“Ah, a young lady who knows what she wants,” said Ulduz with a smile. She walked over to her desk and pressed a button. She spoke some words over an intercom in Jaril, then came over and took a seat herself.

Introductions were carried out and the tea brought in. After pouring two cups and passing one to Mu, Ulduz asked if anyone else would like some. Ostara and Harry said they’d like some.

“No thanks,” said Nova, shaking her head, then seemed to notice a glare from Ostara, “Er, no thank you.”

Kal also declined.

“Now, thank you for coming. What I’m going to say may be utterly absurd,” said Ulduz. “And you’ll have to forgive me for eavesdropping. It was not my intention, but having overheard some of your conversation last night, it occurred to me that you may have just the skillset I need for a rather delicate task. Of course, if I am completely off the mark here, you should feel free to decline and walk right out.”

Ostara nodded.

“I am the eldest of three siblings, see,” began Ulduz. “The older of my two brothers, Taghay, leads our family business. We have a varied range of business interests, but primarily we invest in the tourism sector, particularly high-end assets such as major hotels and the like. I believe you may be staying in one of ours presently.”

“The Yarghun Grand?” asked Ostara.

“Yes, that’s one of ours,” said Ulduz. “Where it all began, actually – my father founded it. I trust you’re enjoying your stay?”

“Very much so,” said Ostara.

“At any rate, the tourism market on Yarkan is not… enormous. On the other hand, my brother is an ambitious man and is keen to grow the company. But only so many interstellar visitors come to Yengishahr and because of the complicated situation on Yarkan, there isn’t much for any but the most adventurous visitors outside the city… beyond the shields.”

“I can imagine,” said Ostara, “Though let me say, I do find Yarkan has a very particular beauty.”

“Very kind of you to say so,” said Ulduz. “Now, I don’t want to bore you with details, but how familiar are you with history and situation here on Yarkan?”

“We know the broad strokes,” said Ostara.

“You’re aware, then, that this was once the capital of an interstellar civilisation before the Banner Wars, but that the old Jaril Confederacy was destroyed by the first Aixingo Emperor. The planet has not nearly recovered in the centuries since. In Yengishahr we use Artificial Resonance Cores – ARCs for short – to create a bubble of stability amid the highly unstable Starflow across the rest of the planet. It is the only way to maintain any large-scale settlement on the planet. The power of the Emperor’s Theophany causes strange phenomena beyond the shields that can drive people to madness. People tell all sorts of stories – many featuring the spirits of the dead who died in the Emperor’s attack. Who truly knows what is true and what is the product of overactive and troubled imaginations, but suffice to say: it is not an easy place to spend time, out there.”

“I can imagine,” said Ostara.

Mu looked out the window towards the mountains. How far did the shields extend? Somewhere out there was the hellish encroaching power of her ancestor.

“But I’ll cut to the chase. People say that the strangest and most intense phenomena occur around the ruins of Karbaliq – the city that once served as the Jaril capital,” said Ulduz. “However, let’s pretend for a moment that Yarkan didn’t have to contend with any of these… extra complications… well, it has occurred to my dear brother that those very ruins could be a truly mighty tourist attraction.”

“Our guide when we arrived mentioned something about a development there…” said Mu, “But how is that possible?”

Ulduz smiled. “The exact same way this city is possible – ARCs.”

Ostara leant forward in her chair. “Your brother proposes to create a bubble of stability around Karbaliq and build a resort there? That’s certainly an ambitious plan. The only use of ARCs I was aware of his by capital ships of the Imperial fleet to power their Starflow-based weaponry… but is it even possible to secure them for such a project as this?”

“Oh, it’s possible,” said Ulduz, “Or at least my brother is certainly confident that it is. So confident that he has already begun construction on the outskirts of Karbaliq.”

“How is the construction proceeding without the ARCs already in place?” asked Kal.

“The nomadic tribes of the desert have Resonants among them known as Qamlar. It is the role of a tribe’s Qam to keep the power of the Theophany at bay wherever they camp. My brother is paying some of these tribes to assist in shielding the project site until a more permanent solution – the ARCs – can be secured.

“This is all complicated, but not beyond my brother’s rather impressive abilities. He’s put this plan together and even sold it to the Imperial authorities. The planetary governor has given full support for the project to go ahead. The complication that I am hoping you can help me resolve, though, comes in the form of my younger brother, Toghrul.”

Ulduz breathed in deeply and looked out the window, before turning back their way and continuing. “Toghrul, you see, is an archaeologist. He also considers himself something of an activist for the traditional ways of life of Yarkan. Despite some tribes actively assisting the project, others have opposed it. Many view the ruins sacred and fear that any attempt to push the Theophany away from the city will disturb the spirits of the dead that reside there. Toghrul is one of those who is convinced by this.”

“Your brothers don’t see eye to eye?” said Harry. “Family dinners must be awkward.”

“Family dinners no longer happen,” said Ulduz. “You see a week ago one of the site overseers at Karbaliq was killed. All the evidence suggests it was a murder.”

Mu noticed the tension in the room rise instantly.

“And Taghay believes Toghrul was the one responsible.”

No one spoke for a moment.

“You say Taghay believes…” said Ostara, clearly picking her words carefully.

Ulduz nodded. “Taghay believes Toghrul was responsible. The Planetary Government also believes this. I, however, do not.”

She paused again, gathering her thoughts, rubbing her hands together as if washing them while she thought. “If I am being completely honest with you, I cannot fathom how it is Taghay can think such a thing of his own brother. They may have their differences, but to think Toghrul is capable of murder is… it’s madness… nonetheless, Toghrul has been arrested and will be placed on trial. And Taghay didn’t just believe it… I never saw any doubt from him. Not for a moment,” she said, shaking her head at the thought, pausing to collect her thoughts before continuing.

“I’m not sure how things work elsewhere in the Empire, but here on Yarkan justice is a swift thing and the Governor can sway any trial’s outcome. Taghay has the Governor’s ear and if he says Toghrul is guilty there is not much hope of his acquittal.”

“That’s terrible,” murmured Mu.

“That’s where I believe your crew’s varied expertise may come in,” said Ulduz. “I want to find evidence that exonerates my brother, but anyone I turn to in Yengishahr is as likely as not to already be on Taghay’s payroll. For this reason, outsiders like yourselves would be the optimal choice for the job.”

“I see,” said Ostara, leaning back in her chair and casting her eyes around to the rest of the crew. Mu met her gaze and gave a slight nod. Ostara smiled.

“I think we could handle that job,” she said.

“I was dearly hoping you would say that,” said Ulduz. “Now, I can arrange passage for you all to Karbaliq. I can also provide you with a more detailed written briefing on the situation to assist you with your investigations, as well as ensuring my brother doesn’t interfere with you. The key challenge for you will be finding the necessary evidence quickly. As I said, the trial will not last long. Once a verdict is issued my little brother will face exile or death.”

“We won’t let you down,” said Mu.

“Thank you,” said Ulduz, “Thank you so much. I cannot express how thankful I truly am. I want my brothers back. Both of them. I want our family back. If you can do that for me, I will be eternally grateful.”

Mu was about to say more, when Ulduz spoke again.

“Of course, I’m sure your curious about the issue of payment. I would like to offer ten million taels. Five million now and five million on successful completion of the job. Would that be appropriate? Of course, all expenses required to complete the job will be fully paid for on top of that figure.”

Ostara nodded, “That will be quite ample remuneration, thank you. When would you like for us to set out?”

“Is tomorrow suitable?”

“It is.”

Ulduz appeared overjoyed. She rose to her feet and the rest of them followed suit. “It’s agreed then. I will get all the information you need to you and arrange your travel to Karbaliq. Do be careful though… once you cross the shields of Yengishahr… safety cannot be guaranteed.”

And so it was decided.

The Black City of Karbaliq lay ahead.