Page 21 of Stars on Fire

‘Naam,khosi,’ the trader said, quickly fulfilling the order, discarding her initial staler bun that she’d tried to push into Selene’s hands. Instead, she packed four hot fresh treats in clean to-go bags and bowed in gratitude to the man looming by Selene’s side. ‘Santekhosi, so generous -.’

Selene gazed at the pair, her mind trying to understand the hawker’s puzzling reaction to the hulking man beside her.

Who promptly thrust two of the buns into her hands, and the smell of freshly baked bread, spices, and sticky, nutty sweetness overtook her senses.

‘Thank you,’ Selene said, still surprised. Her tummy rumbled, and she bit into the snacks eagerly before following the colossal man. He’d since thrown his jacket’s hood over his head, obscuring his striking features. He moved swiftly forward, ushering Selene close before him, leaving behind the female trader and her obvious adoration of the now-hooded pilot.

Selene took in the sights as they strode along while filling her mouth with tasty morsels.

She saw shopfronts stacked with sacks and merchandise that lined the concourse. A myriad of tradespeople scuttled in and out of an open-air market on the floor below them, exchanging goods extracted from the precious loads of cargo deposited directly on Eden II’s front door.

They plunged into the market, pushing past stall and kiosk owners whose cries clamoured with those of roving hawkers to draw attention to their beautifully displayed wares.

On offer was a wide range of goods from precious jewels to the latest in Rhesian fashion, spurious coloured cloaks, linen and fringed mantles. Also on sale were bolts of silk, broadcloth, gaunakai and sagmatogenai cloth, belts, mallowcloth, muslin, coloured lac, glassware and spices. In addition, there were cooking pots and knives, intricate drinking cups and utensils.

Food stalls were packed with hungry crowds, availing themselves of spicy, colourful fare.

More displays advertised highly valuable tech and droid parts that rivalled the Technocracy’s own.

The people milling in the markets hailed from all ends of the System. She spotted Rhesian traders in their luxurious robes that trailed the ground behind them. She saw Allorian workmen and women, their elongated frames, distinctive tattoos and flowing dark hair standing out in the crowds.

And the Edenites. Even taller, more muscular and built. There were only a few of them, but she picked them out quickly now that she’d met one of them. They stood out with their strange luminous eyes, patterned skin designs and powerful stride. Yet Kainan still loomed over them all. As they quickly moved past the stalls, the mountainous Edenite escort and his visitor drew curious glances. He was easily one of the tallest men under the dome, and his sheer magnetism meant their path cleared much more quickly than most.

Beyond the undercover market was a well-ordered metropolis of maglev highways, grav trains, expansive buildings and large, spacious pedestrian-centred urban spaces with busy walkways that weaved in and out of stunning gardens. Everything looked ordered and neat as a pin.

Selene’s wonder at the advanced technology and economy of the moon’s metro dome grew with every minute, her presumptions shifting yet again.

She even thought she recognised a Falasian chieftain and his entourage dashing past on an open flyer. She’d hosted his trade delegation a few months ago, and now here he was, on Eden II. This meant the moon was now considered more than just a barbaric outpost and worthy of critical diplomatic relationships.

Even while the new sights of Eden II entranced her, Selene’s thoughts strayed to the negotiations yet to come.

From a diplomatic perspective, she’d never transacted with an Edenite before, so she had no context to work with. She’d need to think on her feet and make it up as she went, something she loathed to do. On the other hand, she didn’t have much to bargain with or use to strong-arm the Edenites into helping her cause. All she had was her father’s promise, a few hundred million schills and one secret advantage up her sleeve, and she hoped against all hope that it would be enough.

A silver missile rapidly streaked through Selene’s field of view, swooping in from behind her. On closer inspection, the projectile became a streamlined bird with unusual silver and shimmering grey plumage dancing through the air before landing lightly on Kainan’s right shoulder.

The hooded man turned to the sleek gyrfalcon, affectionately stroking its feathers. He seemed to communicate with it subvocally. Then he took the gyrfalcon’s silver talons in his hands and thrust the bird into the air, where it hovered for a while.

It looked down on Kainan with large coal-black eyes before driving its mighty wings forward through the air, its silver wings flashing against the concourse’s high transparent roof.

‘What was that?’ Selene said, awed by the encounter.

He shrugged. ‘My eyes and ears.’

‘Impressive,’ she said. ‘A cybernetic bird?’

‘Tis,’ Kainan muttered.

‘Are they going to alert your leader that I’m here?’

His sapphire-gold eyes slid to her, sending a ripple down her bark. He spoke softly, deeply. ‘Something like that. Stay near, Selene. These crowds are fodder for pickpockets.’

Selene clutched her bags and sidled closer to her guide.

The crowds thickened, and even though Kainan’s size made way for them, he still had to fight through the milieu with his elbows, cursing under his breath when his progress was slowed by the masses of bodies thronging the dome’s main passageways.

They eventually wended their way from the milling people, taking a left into a deserted alleyway. Selene gulped in the fresh air after the sense of growing suffocation in the teeming passages behind them.

Kainan led her into a sleek-looking underground maglev lift. Its doors silently closed behind them, and it moved away smoothly from its berth.

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