As the name escaped the mayor's mouth, Nitao only stared. Had he heard it right? His shaking understanding of the UOP's language made him unsure what Sunbearer had accused him of. Thankfully, Jafia helped clarify the situation.
"Tairn Hualzeo? Who?" Jafia turned to Nitao, her expression confused. "Do you know what he's talking about? He seems to think I'm your lackey, or whatever."
So he hadn't been mistaken. Mayor Sunbearer had spoken a name from the distant past, one that'd caused his family no end of shame. But it confused Nitao why Sunbearer would know that name. That was ancient history, happening before Nitao was even born.
"Don't play dumb!" Sunbearer ranted, his mouth losing all control. "You're her son, back for revenge!"
"Is that the case?" Jafia shot Nitao a questioning glance.
"Son?" What an absurd notion. While he came from a once-esteemed clan—royalty, him? Please. "No."
"Huh?" Jafia's brow furrowed, even more confused. "Whatever. The past doesn't matter to a dead man." Sunbearer went white as a sheet as Jafia pointed her laser pistol at him, her intent to shoot him dead clear as day.
"No." But Nitao shook his head. He wanted an explanation. "You—explain why you know about Lady Hualzeo." Could he have some connection to the tragedy involving her daughter, Serai?
"We don't have time for this!" But Jafia kept her finger off the trigger, much to Nitao's eternal gratitude. It was a selfish request, but this needed an answer. His family had suffered so much because of that unsolved murder and their failure to stop it.
"I'm not saying anything!" Sunbearer's mouth tightened in stubbornness. "You can't force me, assassin! What I did was necessary! I didn't have a choice!"
"There he goes, rambling again." Jafia's eye twitched in annoyance. "How does that justify anything you did?"
"Necessary?!" Nitao's blood boiled, his vision going red.
Usually, he fought to control his temper, one that often got him in trouble. It'd been the reason he'd gotten arrested in a bar after being harassed by some racist drunks—the few drinks he'd had not helping. But nothing restrained it now, not after everything his clan had suffered. The shame and disgrace had exiled them from the royal service, forced them to become vagabonds and mercenaries, clinging to the slightest sliver of honor they could.
At a speed barely registerable to the human eye, his fist slammed into the wall beside Sunbearer's head. He screamed in fright, all bravado seeping away. Nitao's voice was a dangerous growl as he spoke. "Did you kill Princess Serai Hualzeo?"
"I…" Sunbearer's tongue seized with fright. He howled as Jafia fired a bolt into his leg, collapsing to the floor with a whimper of pain.
"How about you answer before we lose our patience?" Jafia said. "Though, I think I'm piecing together what happened. Were you from one of the clans that protected the royal family, North Star? I seem to recall hearing about a princess's death, though that was before my time."
"Yes, Lady Hualzeo's third daughter." She'd been one of the king's fifteen children—not an immediate heir, but worthy of protection from Konquell's best protectors; his grandfather, to be precise. It'd destroyed the man, leaving his father an orphan at a young age. If only that'd been the only scar inflicted on his clan.
"What happened? I heard you were a player in your youth. Did you have a dalliance with a princess that turned too serious? Got her pregnant and panicked?" Nitao nodded in approval, pleased his friend could speak the questions his limited vocabulary couldn't.
"She needed to die! If I hadn't killed her, it would have been disastrous! If high command found out about the indiscretion, they'd have court-martialed me!" Sunbearer replied, speaking so quickly, Nitao only caught every third word, but he'd heard enough. This man would never admit guilt for anything he'd ever done; it wasn't in his bones.
"Selfish." Nitao seethed, his blood black. Death was too good for this worm. Divinity had guided him to this moment for vengeance. Unlike the Ottomon, his people believed only fire could bring justice. Sunbearer should receive twin punishments: one on Terra and the other in heaven.
"Be my guest." Jafia said. "But be quick. Blackjack tells me they've ordered reinforcements. We might need Plan B to cover to escape."
Not ideal, but Sunbearer's skyship raining death on the city would be a perfect statement. If the Ottomon's god brought judgment on Vladus like the prophet had said, it'd be an excellent sign.
"No, you can't!" Sunbearer struggled as Nitao lifted his pudgy frame over his head, like the man weighed nothing, much like his soul.
"Hold it!" A familiar burly man entered the cabin, three officers flanking him. As his friend had feared, they'd lingered for too long. The officers each pointed a laser pistol at them, while the police chief only stood with his thick arms crossed, not needing a weapon to be deadly.
Instinctively, they ducked further into the room, trying to stay out of range of the officers' weapons.
"Release the hostage and come out with your hands above your head." Chief Rolf said, his steely eyes like flint. "The mayor remaining unharmed is the only way you're surviving this. Trust me when I say you'll come out as corpses otherwise. Don't give me a reason to kill you."
"Finally! Finally!" Sunbearer sobbed as Nitao kept his grip on his lapel. "I'm saved!"
"Now what?" Jafia said, sighing. "They have us pinned, North Star. Any ideas?"
This situation wasn't great. The opulent small cabin offered no escape routes beyond the front door. It had three windows, but the round portals would barely fit Jafia's head.
But Nitao refused to surrender. He refused to die in this horrid, dishonorable country. He'd been stupid to seek work here. And Nitao also needed to tell his clan about Sunbearer and his crimes. It'd be the first step to restoring them, avenging a crime long left unsolved.
"We fight." It was a terrible plan, but they were out of options. Some semblance of a strategy formed in his head. It was a long shot, though. "Follow me."
"Okay." Jafia didn't sound thrilled, but nodded. "Blackjack, meet us at the rendezvous point. And good luck."
"Ready."
"Ready." The spy readied her weapon, her arm steady despite the fear reflecting in her eyes. Admirable courage in this one.
"Go!" Nitao rushed out, using Sunbearer as a human shield. Much to his astonishment, this didn't cause the police officers to hesitate, they opened fire on the first available target. Nitao winced as a bolt sliced across his right arm. Sunbearer wasn't as lucky, receiving several scorch marks across his expensive suit. The mayor's face contorted in pain, his breathing quickened.
"You idiots, hold your fire, they have a hostage!" Rolf said.
"Sorry." While the man was scum, Nitao felt a modicum of pity. But there wasn't time to hesitate.
Nitao's steps were like lightning as he jumped over the banister to confront the surprised police officers. Jafia approached from the other direction, her weapon sending sizzling bolts at any available targets. Together, they forced the officers to retreat into the hallway—even the hulking police chief ducking for cover.
"They really need to learn better trigger safety," Jafia said, joining Nitao on the first floor. She shot the moaning Sunbearer in the chest, and the man went limp. That was that then—he had avenged his clan. Strangely, it didn't feel as good as he'd hoped. The murderer's death didn't fix his clan's situation, but that was a matter for later. Survival came first.
"Okay, set off the bomb, Blackjack. Don't worry. We'll get off. Just take care of yourself," Jafia whispered into her comm, shooting a bolt at an officer who'd poked his head out of the doorway.
"Bomb?" Rolf said, startled. Despite the distance, the large man had caught the word, uttering a long string of expletives. "We need to…"
The police chief's words were drowned out as the ship rocked, almost hurling Nitao off his feet. He nearly lost his footing again as the ship tilted to the side. With much amusement, he watched the officers sliding around, tumbling over themselves. One young officer bumped his head hard against a wall, dazing him.
The airship's floor became even steeper as it lost altitude, making Nitao's steps unsteady as he dashed past the prone lawmen. With less sure feet, Jafia followed behind. At their current speed, they'd reach the escape pods in less than a minute.
"Why, you—!" With astonishing speed and surety, Police Chief Rolf charged after them. Some officers fired at the fleeing quarry, but their shots flew wide. "No! Hold your fire. I'll deal with them. Check on Mayor Sunbearer—I'm almost certain I saw him still breathing! Get him to an escape pod. There's some across the hall by elevators. Protect him with your life!"
"What?!" Jafia stumbled, shocked by the mayor's possible survival.
"Forget it. Run!" Nitao said, pulling his friend with him. Only a few steps remained until they reached escape.
It also distressed him they might have failed in their mission, but survival took precedence. Nitao wasn't willing to risk their lives on the slight chance Sunbearer still lived. Besides, it was possible the mayor wouldn't even survive long enough to reach medical help. He hoped.
Jafia grunted in frustration but didn't argue. She aimed her laser pistol at the rapidly approaching Rolf, but the weapon slipped from her hand as the ship suddenly jolted and tilted beneath them. It stabilized somewhat a second later, but it was clear they wouldn't stay airborne for long.
"You aren't going anywhere." Rolf reached out to grab Jafia, but Nitao interceded, popping a punch at the police chief's jaw. Despite their rocky footing, Rolf dodged, and stars filled Nitao's vision as a fist struck his skull.
"Get going." Nitao shook his head, trying to clear it. The police chief knew how to throw a punch. Regardless of his disorientation, he took a protective stance in front ofJafia.
"Dammit!" Jafia glanced over at her fallen weapon, but it had slid clear across the hallway. She looked at the escape pods only a hand's breadth away. They were in a line of doors—six in total. Each had a button to open a hatch leading into a single-use pod.
"Go," Nitao said, his voice more emphatic.
After a moment's hesitation, Jafia slapped the door controls of two pods. From her eyes, it was clear she loathed abandoning an ally, but she couldn't help against Rolf. "Don't die. I'll come to get you!" She leaped into the pod, and the hatch closed behind her. Seconds later, a loud whoosh indicated the escape pod being released from the airship.
"Noble—protecting an ally like that." Rolf offered a nod of respect, then entered a fighting stance. "Let's finish this quick. I have no intention of dying with the ship."
"Works for me." Nitao was eager to avenge his previous loss at the police station. They'd settle this—man to man.
The ship tilted again, reminding them time was pressing. But they both remained firm, eyes fixed only on their opponent. They struck at each other in a blur, fists striking with everything they had. With their footing so unsteady, their only option was to beat their opponent as quickly as possible. There wasn't room for fancy maneuvers.
Pain spiked through Nitao's ribs, the audible crack making him wince as the blow landed. Rolf was a demon in human form, and blood filled Nitao's mouth as he staggered back. Not that he hadn't injured his foe, either.
"Not bad." Rolf rubbed his bruised chin, spitting out a tooth onto the rumbling floor. He smiled, pleased. "Let's go again."
"Not finished yet," Nitao said, grinning back. He hadn't tussled with anyone this strong since his older brother. Fists were a blur of motion as they fought to batter their opponent into submission.
Fighting Rolf was like chipping away at a mountain with a chisel. He absorbed every blow and hit back twice as hard. But Nitao remained a willow tree, bending against any beating and remaining standing. Or perhaps it was only stubbornness?
Blow after blow struck Nitao's ribs, each punch like a wrecking ball. For all his talk about finishing the fight quickly, the police chief was clearly enjoying himself, wanting to savor the contest for as long as possible.
"I haven't lost yet." Everything hurt. One eye was so battered it remained permanently shut. Nitao tasted blood, fearing he'd suffered a punctured lung.
Police Chief Rolf seemed just as bedraggled, his hulking form unsteady. He blinked a lot, Nitao wondering if he'd suffered a concussion. Despite their injuries, they continued to fight.
The floor rumbled beneath them, taking another sharp turn. It forced Nitao to grab a railing or risk sliding away. Rolf did the same, and they hung almost vertically as they clutched their only secure line tight.
Still, they fought, trying to make their opponent release their hold. They both realized how stupid this was, but they continued to fight, regardless. They would take this to the bitter end. A punch to Nitao's jaw caused him to lose his grip, and he slid almost a meter before grabbing hold of another railing.
Rolf kicked down to dislodge his opponent further, but Nitao grabbed his foot and held tight. With all his strength, he pulled, trying to break Rolf's grip. The man's greater weight worked against him—or perhaps it was the concussion—and his fingers slipped free. The police chief dropped like a rock, trying and failing to grab hold of anything to save himself. He momentarily caught a piece of an open door before slipping and falling faster.
The impact was terrible as his skull struck a doorway, the crack audible even through the turmoil of the crashing ship. As they locked eyes, Nitao saw only the pleasure of a good fight reflected in the police chief's gaze—only respect before they turned dull and death took him. Bedraggled, Nitao could only offer a respectful nod.
Luck was with him—the pod that Jafia had opened stood only a hair's breadth away. Nitao only had to hope the escape pod would launch before the ship crashed. With an unsteady swing, he launched himself upward into the open door, landing with blinding pain. He flailed, hoping to strike the launch button. There wasn't time to adjust his position and search for it. Luck was with him and after a few nailbiting moments, the capsule hissed as it launched.
Through the window, Nitao saw Sunbearer's ship explode in a fireball. It devastated the nearby city block, fire spreading across the expensive housing in an uncontrollable blaze. This spreading chaos was only a haze to the bedraggled Nitao, however. Too exhausted from his fight, merciful darkness consumed him, giving him a brief reprieve from his pain.