Space Assassins: The Complete Series 1-5, page 79
“What should we tell the others? Happizano and Bud both witnessed the event. Only yourself and Laskar were not present.”
Hozark pondered a moment. “I think we play this off as just a fluke reaction. We all know there is some sort of power within her. Let us not make her overly concerned about it until we are in a position to properly assess her true skills.”
“We downplay it as a minor bit of magic that happened to spill out. Laskar possesses a modicum of power, so I’m sure he’ll understand the occasional uncontrolled burst,” Demelza mused.
“Exactly. And once we are back with Corann, we shall see about discovering more about our unusual friend’s true background. And her true potential.”
The two Wampeh rejoined the others at their table. Hap was busy regaling them with tales of Henni’s display while the woman ate.
“It was so cool! She was all, ‘Bam!’ hitting the guy, then she punched him, just like Demelza showed us.”
“It was just a fight, nothing more,” Henni said through her full mouth.
“Yeah, let’s just let her eat,” Bud said, noting the look in her eyes.
“But what about the magic? It was awesome! Like, my dad sometimes does that, where stuff just happens, you know?”
“It was simply an unusual surge of power that had been building within Henni since she joined us,” Hozark said. “All of the nutrition from the food she has been putting away allowed her system to generate a bit of magic, is all.”
“Really? You think that’s all it was?” Hap asked, a bit disappointed.
“I would wager on it, young Jinnik,” Hozark said, flashing a little look to Demelza.
“Happizano?”
“Yeah, Demelza?”
“I was thinking. Perhaps, now that you have seen some more of these techniques in action, might you be up to practicing a bit?”
Hap perked right up. “Will Henni come too?”
Demelza turned to the little woman. “Well? Would you care to join us?”
Henni stopped eating for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Do not fear. I am sure that was a fluke occurrence. And the act of slow and conscious practice might even help you regain your center.”
The violet-haired woman thought on it a long moment as she chewed another mouthful. “I guess,” she finally said. “But lemme finish this first.”
“Of course.”
In short order, Henni polished off the entire contents of the container, plus a few items from the ship’s stores for good measure, then headed off to join Demelza and Hap in their makeshift training compartment.
“Quite a day,” Bud said. “I’m just sorry we’re not any closer to figuring out where the kid’s father is.”
Laskar shifted in his seat. “Well, I didn’t want to say anything until I was able to confirm it, but I reached out to a few friends from the old days.”
“When did you have time?” Hozark asked.
“When Bud tracked down that long-range skree to call Lalaynia.”
Bud eyed him curiously. “You did?”
“Yeah. When you were finished, I made a quick call. Anyway, I got a hold of a long-range skree when we were heading back to the ship after Henni’s fight, and reached out to a them again to see what they’d heard. I figured, with everyone else on the lookout, it couldn’t hurt to have my guys looking too.”
“And?” Bud asked.
“And it may be nothing, but one of them said there were some rumors of Visla Jinnik being holed up in a Council holding area just outside of Flammis. You know the place, right? The capital city on Lordzal.”
Hozark pondered what he had been told. “Interesting the Ghalian spies did not hear of this first. That is a commonly frequented world.”
“Hey, sometimes these things happen. Right place, right time,” Laskar said.
Hozark mused the intel report. “Interesting.”
“Seriously,” Bud agreed. “I’ll have Lalaynia check with her network. She can skree them straightaway. If there’s chatter there, they’ll pick it up in no time.”
“And I will reach out to the Ghalian spies as well,” Hozark said, rising to head for his ship. “I will return shortly.”
“No skree?” Laskar asked.
“We do not use them unless absolutely necessary,” he replied. “Do not worry, there is a spy nest relatively nearby. We should have an answer from them by morning.”
With that, Hozark headed out, taking his shimmer ship and jumping away to make the face-to-face contact that his kind preferred. Lordzal was not too far away, and the spy network could make their inquiries and get him results in no time.
Bud checked with Lalaynia, but her pirate network had only heard the slightest of chatter about someone being held in the Council facility on Lordzal. Still, it was looking as though the facility was in use.
Hozark returned the following morning before Hap had risen. He was becoming a bit of a deep sleeper following Demelza’s training sessions. Something most would be, considering her demanding regimen.
“I have news,” he told the others. “The Ghalian spies do not have hard proof, but there are indeed whispers of Visla Jinnik being held on Lordzal.”
“That’s great news! I’ll set a course,” Laskar said.
“Not so fast,” Hozark said. “We must not get the boy’s hopes up. He has gone through a lot, and this could very well prove to be no more than a rumor. We will keep him close, in case this proves to be an accurate report, but until it is confirmed, we shall tell him we are simply surveying another planet.”
“Seems like a reasonable precaution,” Bud said. “So what do we do?”
“We land and make it seem as though we are just another vessel stopping over to shop the marketplaces and acquire provisions. While you and the others do so, Demelza and I shall make our survey of the facility in which the visla is allegedly being held.”
“Sounds like a plan. So, when do we start?” Bud asked.
“We start now.”
“Oh. Shit. Uh, come on, Laskar, let’s get that course plotted and get a move-on.”
“Right behind you,” his copilot said.
Just a few hours later they arrived at the relatively tranquil world and descended to the landing zone within the city. Hozark and Demelza were first off the ship, invisible under cover of their shimmer cloaks. The others stepped off a moment later and headed toward the commerce area to do a bit of innocuous shopping.
As the others casually browsed the stalls in the marketplace, the two Wampeh made quick time to the outskirts of the city. As had been reported, there was a definite Tslavar presence at the Council facility. It wasn’t much to look at as far as buildings went. Just a simple agricultural center for storage and shipping. But, as the assassins knew all too well, looks could be deceiving.
“This appears to be the facility,” Hozark said from beneath his shimmer cloak. “Let us proceed.”
Quietly, without a trace, the two Ghalian killers made their way closer. If things went as they hoped, young Happizano would soon be reunited with his father. But first, they had to get inside. And things were never as easy as they seemed.
Chapter Thirteen
Bud thought their part of the plan was by far the most pleasant. While the two assassins were skulking around, possibly encountering Tslavars, booby traps, and all other manner of nasty things, he and the other members of the shopping entourage were actually having quite a nice afternoon.
It was pleasant out, with just a light breeze and warm skies. The smells of the different vendors’ stalls and carts wafted through the air, lending the whole affair a rather festive and homey feel.
Laskar found himself quite taken with the colognes one of the stalls had on display. The natural aromas of the local flora had been enhanced and intensified by a rather novel application of botanical magic.
“Really, Laskar?” Bud chided. “You think you’re a society fella all of a sudden?”
“You don’t have to be wealthy to like to smell good,” he replied. “Maybe you should try it sometime.”
“I smell wonderful, my friend.”
“Sure thing, Bud,” Laskar said with a laugh. “Sure thing.”
Hap was also having a fantastic time perusing all of the wares to be found on this novel planet. Hozark had given him some coin before he and Demelza had headed out on their errand so he could pick up a thing or two as a treat.
He was vacillating between some pastry and perhaps a few faintly magical toys when a young boy not much older than himself approached the group carrying a large tray hung around his neck with a strap. There was an assortment of glistening, red balls, no larger than a tangerine, lining the tray.
“Mora drops?” he asked, offering his wares.
“What are they?” Hap asked, having never seen the unusual sweet before.
“Oh, you’re not from around here.”
“No, we’re just stopping off to look around a bit,” Hap said.
“Well, here. Try one for free. It’s a local specialty.”
“Really?”
“Sure,” the boy said with a warm smile.
“Thanks,” Hap said, picking up one of the balls and taking a bite.
A powdery puff escaped his mouth as the flavors were magically engaged once the protective candy shell had been broken. Hap’s eyes went wide as the taste shifted and evolved on his tongue.
“These are amazing!”
“Thanks. Everyone around here loves them. They’re a traditional after-school snack. You want more of them?”
“Yeah, definitely. How much are they?”
The adults watched with silent amusement as the two juveniles negotiated a price for a fairly large box of the unusual treat.
“Thanks again!” Hap said as the boy moved on to continue selling his wares.
“My pleasure. Enjoy!” he replied.
Bud watched the youngster make his way through the crowd, a smile on his face as he greeted everyone in his path.
“Man, there are some really nice people in this place,” he said. “It’s a welcome change from what we’ve been up against lately.”
The others nodded. It had been a bit of a tough road of late, and a little common courtesy really went a long way for the weary travelers.
“So, whatcha got there, Hap?” Laskar asked Hap.
“Really good candy. You want to try one?”
“I’d love to. Thanks.”
Laskar plucked one of the balls from the container and studied it a moment, then took a bite of the sweet. His eyes went wide, and he had pretty much the same reaction that Hap had.
“Guys, you’ve gotta try these.”
Henni and Bud looked at one another and shrugged. No one had to twist their arms when it came to food, that was for sure.
“Oh, wow. We need to find that kid and buy up the rest of these,” Bud said. “They’re are amazing.”
“A local specialty,” Hap said with a grin as he popped the rest of his in his mouth.
Henni enjoyed the sweet as well, though a clothing vendor’s goods had just caught her eye. She made a quick detour across the stalls to better examine the colorful attire, the others following behind.
“You should try it on,” Bud said. “That’d actually look good on you.”
“I don’t know,” she hesitated, judging the garment. “Excuse me,” she asked the vendor. “Does this come with sheaths for these?” she asked, flashing her daggers.
“Jeez, Henni, please. Don’t go waving those things around,” Bud said.
“What? I was just asking a relevant question.”
“Yeah, while waving your knives around.”
The vendor looked at her with a slightly amused grin. “Yes, dear, I can add sheaths to it, no problem.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I make all of the alterations myself, right here.”
“That’s fantastic. But how long would it be before they’d be ready?”
“Come back in a half hour. It’ll be done by then.”
Whatever hesitation Henni may have been experiencing disappeared in an instant. She dug in her pocket and paid the woman up front with a broad grin.
“See ya in a half hour!”
Bud fell in beside her as she flitted off among the other stalls nearby.
“You don’t have any coin,” he said in a hushed voice.
“Not before we landed. I do now,” she replied.
“Henni, you can’t pickpocket here.”
“Says who?”
“Says me. And Hozark, for that matter,” Bud said with a frustrated sigh. “Look, you can still pickpocket, just don’t do it anywhere we have to stay incognito, okay? We can’t afford to have a big commotion when we’re supposed to go unnoticed.”
“Don’t be so boring, Bud,” she shot back.
“Boring?”
“Yes. Boring.”
“You’re calling me boring.”
“Yep.”
“I’m a pirate, Henni. We are most definitely not boring.”
“Uh-huh,” she said with a sarcastic grin, then headed off to join Hap at a nearby pen full of small, fluffy creatures the likes of which he’d never seen before.
“Ooh, look at them. They’re so cute!” she gushed, leaning in and scratching the nearest one behind the ears.
Laskar elbowed Bud and shared an amused look with his friend. “That is one strange girl,” he said. “Like, I’m talking legit mad, that one.”
“You’re telling me?” he replied. “I mean, knives one minute, then fluffy critters the next. The woman is a total dichotomy.”
“And she’s living on our ship.”
“I know,” Bud groaned exaggeratedly. “Heavens help us.”
Chapter Fourteen
While a group of apparently innocuous visitors were shopping in the marketplace, picking up knicknacks and sweet and savory treats, a pair of pale assassins were silently making their way around the perimeter of the Council agricultural facility at the outskirts of town.
It seemed normal enough. A simple, industrial structure with no overt mercenary presence. But upon closer inspection from within their shimmer cloaks, the two Wampeh Ghalian noted a few inconsistencies with the building’s alleged use.
For one, the footprint seemed a bit large for the purpose it was intended for. As if a slightly smaller structure had been built atop something somewhat larger. And on top of that, several of the workers appeared to be sporting weaponry within their work attire.
Not exactly normal for simple agriculture workers. And especially telling, given the alleged true nature of the building.
Communicating in hushed whispers, Hozark and Demelza made a circuit of the entire building. Front and rear entrances seemed to be the main ingress and egress points, but several access points dotted the facility all the way around. It was, for all intents and purposes, a fully functional and completely normal agricultural facility.
But the best hiding places were often in plain sight. Something the assassins knew all too well.
Hozark quickly scouted a small granary adjacent the main building.
“It will suffice,” he whispered to the seemingly empty air where Demelza was waiting for him.
The two slipped inside the granary and removed their shimmer cloaks. Immediately, they applied the special Ghalian spells to alter their appearances, making them appear just like the other workers who were milling about the area.
Each grabbed a few sacks of grain and hefted them to their shoulders. It seemed floating conveyances were in short supply, and they had noticed many workers carrying their loads by hand. Not the most efficient method, but a magic-conserving one, no doubt.
The two disguised Ghalian fell in a little bit behind another worker carrying a load and slipped into the facility in his wake, passing the secret guards easily in the process. The security was fair, but nowhere near the levels they would expect for a facility holding a powerful visla against his will.
But not all was as it seemed, and if Hozark’s hunch about the facility was correct, this entire operation was simply a cover, quite literally, for the real Council affairs taking place below their feet.
They walked to the depository area and unloaded their burdens, stacking their bags neatly with the others. They then casually changed direction, moving toward a more central part of the facility.
“Do you sense them?” Hozark asked.
“Yes. Very faint from here, though,” Demelza replied. “But there is warding nearby.”
“Indeed. And we know what that means.”
The duo split up, doing the infiltration thing they knew so well as they blended in with the other workers as if they had always belonged there. It was what made the Wampeh Ghalian such effective assassins. They were not only exceptional killers, they were masters of infiltration and disguise.
And very, very patient. A great many of their most difficult assassinations required levels of patience that would drive most hired killers mad.
Hozark was the one who found the warded door, hidden on a central wall that appeared to back up to another storage room. But the wall was thicker than it should have been, and that meant just one thing. It was hiding something in that secret space.
He and Demelza quickly formulated a plan. There was a bit too much foot traffic in the area to simply disarm the wards and open the door at their leisure. They would need a distraction.
Demelza nodded toward a particularly high stack of sacks of grain across the chamber. It wasn’t terribly precarious, at least not under normal circumstances, but with a little carefully applied magic, the seemingly stable structure could be made to tumble.
“Ready?” she asked as Hozark prepared his disabling spells for their assault on the hidden door.
“Ready,” he replied.
Demelza turned back to the sacks of grain and watched the flow of men and women in the facility. When the traffic was at its densest, she quietly cast, her spell pushing the stack with subtle force. An abrupt jerk would have caused suspicion, but a slow fall would just seem to be another bit of bad luck.
“Look out!” a woman shouted as the tall stack began to pick up momentum as it fell.
