Page 17 of True As Steel

In similar venues, especially where alcohol flowed freely, you didn’t want people having an easy access to their blades or blasters. You’d be shoveling corpses out on a daily basis. Once again, we complied. The guards placed our weapons into two separate boxes before handing each of us a token so that we could recover them later—I hoped. Neither of them stared at our brands or even blinked, confirming my suspicions that they had thoroughly studied us as we approached.

While they both looked familiar, I didn’t actually know them, or any of the staff. We’d always just passed through here, and my uncle had done all the talking. To my surprise, the guard didn’t pat us down once we were done handing over our weapons. I doubted trust motivated that choice. They likely had some sort of scanner confirming we were good to go. Then again, their natural ability at detecting deception had likely told them we weren’t trying to pull a fast one.

They stepped aside, clearing our way only for a beautiful Narengi female in a skimpy—but tasteful—outfit to stop in front of us.

“Follow me, if you please,” the female said in a sensual voice.

Without waiting for our response, she turned around and strutted her way inside the club. The fact that none of the guards escorted us didn’t mean we weren’t being closely watched by a slew of them blending in the crowd, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

We stepped into the large central area packed with people dancing. On the sides, wealthy patrons enjoyed drinks and finger food in the many VIP booths. Above them, two rows of balconies on the sides offered gambling tables and machines. Straight in the back, a DJ was set up on a good-sized stage. Dominating all of this, the executive lounge—the boss’ box—which could be accessed by an ornate staircase. You couldn’t try to sneak up there without everyone seeing you. The railing also offered no cover whatsoever. If you tried to make a dash for it, you’d never even make it halfway up before someone shot you down.

When we reached the base of the stairs, the Narengi female turned to Jarog.

“Please wait here,” she said, gesturing gracefully at a small table with four chairs right next to the stairs.

It looked like a spot a guard would usually occupy. Jarog glanced at me, an unreadable expression on his face. My stomach knotted, fearing for a split second that he might argue. But to my intense relief, he complied, choosing the chair with its back against the staircase so that he could have a commanding view of the room.

The female gestured for me to follow her as we climbed the stairs. I could feel every eye in the room on me as we headed for the exclusive box where only the elite and the most valued customers and business partners were given rare access. That vast balcony could have been a private club in and of itself. A sectional couch, a couple of plush chairs, and various embroidered poufs surrounded a convertible table in the large seating area. A wide bar occupied one corner of the space. The barman manning it possessed the broad frame of a bouncer. A couple of doors in the back led to closed business rooms. As was common with the Narengis, the overall color scheme of the club and the executive lounge played in black, dark greens, and pale gold.

Sitting like a queen in the middle of the sectional couch with a tall glass of a bright red drink, Haelin watched me approach with an unreadable expression. To my surprise, my female escort went to join the handful of other people—all Narengis, unlike the patrons that were of various species—who hung around in the executive lounge. However, they all remained at enough distance from Haelin to give us some privacy.

The Narengi leader waved at the chair across from her. Her gaze openly lingered on my cheek where the R had been branded while I settled in the chair.

“I had heard of a handful of escape pods landing on Xyva, but I never expected you to be among the survivors,” Haelin said as sole greeting.

“A handful?” I replied, taken aback. “We saw that a second one has been captured by the Ferein Cartel, but a handful?”

“Two of them actually crashed,” Haelin clarified. “Their passengers were long dead. The pods had sustained severe damage in space, probably from the explosion of the vessel. A shame really to have made it to a pod, shot out into space, and still die.”

She’d spoken the words matter-of-factly, her dark gaze never straying from my face. The Narengi leader was studying me to detect any sign of deception. Although I had a clear conscience coming here, it still unnerved me.

“I am pleased to see you appear unscathed,” she continued. “Tell me everything, from your escape to you arriving here at Perdition.”

While she spoke in a gentle, almost casual voice, the imperious command behind it couldn’t be mistaken. I complied and gave her a detailed accounting of the past three days. She especially drilled me about Jarog rescuing me after I’d gone unconscious, abandoning me in the desert, and then coming back for me.

“An interesting companion you have,” Haelin said when I completed my recap.

“He is,” I said with a nod, my pulse picking up as I braced for what would follow. “He did an excellent job putting us on the safest route. He made the journey far easier than it should have been.”

“He’s a Cyborg. Only the best of the best are allowed into the program,” she countered dismissively. “A lesser performance would have been quite disturbing. But are you aware that your Major Kaijo is a loyalist?”

My stomach dropped. I had hoped to be the one to ease her into that knowledge. Controlling my facial expression, I gave her a stiff nod.

“Yes,” I said in a firm voice. “He admitted as much to me that first day.”

Haelin raised a surprised eyebrow. I couldn’t tell if she was more impressed or baffled by this.

“Interesting. Why would he confess to such a thing knowing what you are?” she asked.

“I asked him the same question. He says he doesn’t lie,” I replied before launching into a recap of his response to me at the time.

My irrational need to convince her that Jarog was a good man could be heard in my pressing tone and the countless ways I emphasized how his word and honor defined him. By the slightly amused smirk Haelin gave me, she could clearly see it as well. However, that amusement didn’t reach her eyes that remained as hard and unyielding as ever.

“Do you trust this Cyborg, Tamryn Vakan?” Haelin asked at last.

Knowing she was still reading me, I took a moment to reflect on her question.

“Logic dictates that I keep my guard up around him because he was a loyalist,” I replied carefully. “So, I do pay close attention to what he says and does for signs of deception. But my gut feels very differently and implicitly trusts him. I hope you will be able to confirm that. And then, I intend to try and convince him to join the rebellion with me.”

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