Into that Aquamarine Sky

By Ariane Kovacevic

It’s been almost a year since Fiammetta Alba was appointed Pilot of the jumpship Umbra. As the new second in command of Azure Traverse, settling disputes and maintaining relations between traders, miners and the daunting aliens called Enosi are now part of her daily life. A sudden, seemingly absurd request of Azure Traverse’s oldest ally, Golden Sails, pushes her at the center of the centuries-old, muted strife between the three regions of human space – the Core Worlds, In Between and the Rim.

Could there ever be truth in the Earth Alliance’s claims that jumpship travel is dangerous and unreliable, that the Spacefaring Guilds should be brought to heel and forbidden to fly? Why would Terra Ascending, closest to the Core Worlds, bow to what amounts to self-anihilation? Why, when to them as well, there is nothing more wondrous than Sailing the Deep : Sharing drops of Life, In Diving into the Sea of Chaos, and Out Falling among sparkling clusters of stars?

And why do the Dwellers, the eerie, wraith-like alien beings found at the remotest edge of human space, choose this same moment to start spewing out nonsensical warnings regarding a Tower touched by Winter?

What’s the meaning of this illusion they weave, of a sky of blue and green breaking?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ariane Kovacevic
• Release date: Jan 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370897452

Ariane Kovacevic

I'm a native French-speaking person living in Belgium who, crazily enough, writes fiction solely in English. I fell in love with the language when I was a teenager who had already devoured all the cartoons and books in French that she could, and had no other choice but to turn toward those new and fascinating English-speaking TV channels we were lucky enough to get via the cable in the 1980s.Avid reader of Science-fiction and Fantasy, I worship JRR Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Carolyn J. Cherryh, Jack Vance, Ursula Le Guin, Tad Williams and Robin Hobb, not necessarily in that order. I also love manga and Japanese animation. Among the titles that stayed with me are Saint Seiya, Shoujo Kakumei Utena, Tenku no Escaflowne, Arslan Senki, Violonist of Hamelin, Made In Abyss, Mahoutsukai no Yome, and many, many others. Last, but not least, I get a lot of inspiration from watching (way too many) TV series. Among those, I'll always cherish and love Babylon 5 above all others.A rather long time ago, I graduated from the Liege University with a master in Computer Science and a teaching degree, after getting an undergraduate degree in Engineering. Interestingly enough, when I started out on my first job while still spending a lot of time writing, my mom told me she knew I had always been more of a literary person than a scientific person!Greece is my second home, and one of my many sources of inspiration, the place where Time bends just a tiny little bit to my will, and I can write to my soul's content.Also, I am an unrepentant cat-lover, and a woman of passionate opinions who tries to get involved with helping to make a better future for Europe.

Book preview

Into that Aquamarine Sky

By Ariane Kovacevic

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016 Ariane Kovacevic

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Steps

0 – The Tower

1 – A Day In Between

2 – Welcome to Carré

3 – Overture

4 – Unarmed Arbiter

5 – Conversation with a Dweller

6 – Warnings over the Edge

7 – Never Tango with a Shadow

8 – Into the Dark

9 – Beneath the Canopy

10 – Umbra

11 – A Touch of White

12 – Lanterns in the Sky

13 – Endgame

Departures

Thanks & about the author

0 – The Tower

Green.

Or is it blue?

No one can ever decide.

The ever-changing hue is beautiful and strangely warm, peaceful. Dull, also. It spreads in every direction, and overtakes the horizon. The truth is, it spans infinity. Its slowly shifting colors seem to measure the heartbeats of everything. At the center of it all, the Tower soars and forks, sending its dark beams toward the Falls of Dusk, its foundations set deep into the Well of Dawns. It sings, this immense canopy of sky, reaching out and embracing all in its midst. It sways, in harmony with the almost inaudible melody. It simply is.

Timeless.

Its perfect balance is the walk of a funambulist upon the thinnest of lines thrown across the abyss.

A hush disturbs the song. There, so high and so far away that it shouldn't be noticeable—that it shouldn't matter. Pure white, it slithers. On a tiny, inconsequential spot, the lazy dance of colors pauses, as if that little bit of sky were holding its breath. A moment passes, or an eternity, until the faintest of hazes envelops that place, embraces it, so thin it must fade in an instant. Its light, light red coats the whiteness, and both sink into the shifting pattern of green and blue.

A sigh slides down from the impossible heavens, barely audible. In a myriad of other spots strewn across the canopy, the same phenomenon repeats itself. The dance pauses, and then it starts again. And again. The balance prevails, eternal. Fragile. But then, nothing can break it—or change it. The beauty of this place so immense it cannot be a place, is as immutable as the perfect peace that radiates form it.

Far, far away, yet another hush mars the sky's melody. There, the whiteness spreads. Everywhere it touches, the steps of the dancers falter, slow—stop. Blue and green flicker, and then, inexorably, they go out. Snuffed out.

Silence.

It shines, so bright even though it's so far away.

Blinding.

White.

The Tower shivers, as if it could know fear, or cold. A low hiss rises from the Well of Dawns. A shadow spreads over the paled spots, like an immense wing, and then it fades. Once more, the moment passes. The wordless song stretches out to cradle everything. At first, it's faint, as if it were hard to do so. It supports the unending dance of blue and green. But the dancers' steps are no longer fluid. The changing wind of colors that is their pattern now shies away from a tiny, tiny white speck in the heavens.

Sparkling crystals.

If one knows how and where to look, one will see others in the infinity of the green and blue sky. Many others. Always, the dance shifts and adapts. Always, it remakes itself. Always, it goes on.

Beautiful.

Peaceful.

Dull.

A myriad minuscule white stains taint the canopy. The Tower stands. It no longer shivers, but—is the darkness of its limbs and body growing somber? So. Peaceful and dull in the extreme, yes.

But not always.

1 – A Day In Between

The dull ache in my lower back was starting to spread. On my left, Falco turned his head my way, ever so slightly, and shook it once. Blowing recycled air through my nostrils, I stifled a grimace, and resigned myself to waiting a bit longer.

The light on the Enosi side of Synanti'Ssi station was weak by human standards, and the office of the second stationmaster made no exception to accommodate alien guests such as we were—no more than the stationmaster's offices on the human side did. Reddish, the lights evoked the cold, cold worlds found at the edges of remote star systems, far away from the galactic core. They were alien, just as the Enosi were. Tentative allies for generations of us In Betweeners, they had become key elements in our economy. That explained why I was standing here playing good girl, even though I'd have much preferred to stay in bed with the very energetic young man of Clan Argyris I had been lucky enough to stumble upon on the Melthemi's crowded dance floor at the end of the last day cycle.

Before me, Tyylikas of Clan Saalis shifted his long, thin snout-like face toward his leftmost neighbor, obviously uncomfortable as well. He was the stationmaster of his people's side of the enormous space haven, and yet he seemed to be deferring to the authority of another. It was almost impossible to read the expressions on the faces of the tall, lean humanoids. Their heads were a mix between fox and jackal, the short fur covering their skin varying between black, gray and all the shades of brown. They all sported flowing manes that often reached almost to their feet. Most of their body was hidden beneath richly embroidered, long-sleeved robes. They were frightening and beautiful at once, and they were one of the symbols of the vastness of space our portion of humankind had chosen to embrace a long, long time ago.

This is highly unusual, Tyylikas' companion complained, breaking the awkward silence. Behind the automatic universal translator's pleasant voice, the faint, throaty whine was unmistakable. Hannys of Clan Tassu was the one we had traveled all the way from Pillar to meet. We had agreed to his request to use the Enosi stationmaster's offices in the hopes that the familiar environment would put him at ease, and give this meeting a favorable outset, but it hadn't. As soon as Tyylikas had introduced us to our host and his aide, and the expected pleasantries had been dispensed with, a heavy silence had smothered the atmosphere.

Tradition dictated that we must all stay up on our feet until our host sat down in one of the many comfortable—if weirdly wide and low—chairs set around a small table made of what looked like rare, priceless genuine wood. Still, Hannys of Clan Tassu had remained frozen in place, his pointed, downy brown ears slightly lowered toward his skull. By all standards of Enosi behavior I knew, he was being an unnerved pain in the ass, and I had just about had it with this nonsense. How so? I asked him in my most friendly voice, smiling and staring straight at him.

Something flickered in the Enosi's slanted eyes, unreadable. Trade deals are discussed between partners. Clan Samara should be here, or Clan Udane, or even Clan Aarden— His voice trailed off into silence, while I reached up and started toying with the two ebony black feathers dangling from my left ear cuff. Behind him, his aide had tilted her head to the side, and her lips were drawn in what could only be a smile. Hannys sighed out a breath, and he started slowly pivoting away from us, his ears falling even further back, almost close enough to touch his skull. In the moment he caught sight of his aide, he froze. His shoulders slumped, he spun back to face us, and gave a bow of the head, at long last indicating with a flick of the right hand that we should all be seated. We did so, with a bit more haste than would have been proper on my part. Falco took his own damn time easing himself into the chair closest to him, probably to make some kind of point that was beyond me in this moment.

Both Tyylikas and Hannys seemed to glide downward rather than sit, folding their long legs to settle them next to their buttocks on the chairs in strange, but graceful motions—which explained why the chairs were so wide in the first place. The young aid remained standing behind them. Beyond her, there wasn't much to look at in the spacious office: the furniture could at best be qualified as spartan. The walls of the naked metal used to build the spacestation's skeleton featured neither ornament, nor decoration, except for two paintings of strange, tormented landscapes battered by storm and ocean: one featuring high cliffs crowned by a very inhospitable-looking fortress, and the other displaying a forest of high pine trees plunging down steep slopes into the darkness of a narrow valley. It was so different from the sometimes raucous displays of color and art found on the human side, that one could easily forget that Synanti'Ssi was a place shared between human beings and Enosi. Though it was jointly managed by both species, each side was a world of its own, completely separate from the other.

Very well, Hannys said all of a sudden, his voice a sigh faithfully reproduced by the automatic translator. Please, tell me what brought you here, Vao Alba. For the first time since we'd been introduced some five minutes ago, his gaze was meeting mine directly.

Nevertheless, he hadn't acknowledged me.

Ah, well. Drawing in a breath, I gave him a bob of the head. The traders of Clan Tassu have been making themselves scarce In Between over the last few months, I told him, and when their ships dock as Phecda or Pillar, their holds contain so little Aeternum that they can't supply all their buyers. As a result, prices skyrocket, and instability has become the the new rule on the markets.

A sad turn of events, to be sure, Hannys of Clan Tassu agreed, even as his shoulders sagged, but it cannot be helped. Several incidents on our mining operations have caused a fall in production. The volatility of your market prices is a direct, natural consequence of events beyond our control. I'm sure that things will settle down within a year or so. The apologetic tone conveyed by the translator was a perfect match for the tall Enosi's overall subdued attitude.

I reached out to the cup of steaming liquid which has been set before me on the low table, and took my time blowing over it before taking a careful sip. Scalding hot, the tea-like drink would likely have been delicious, had I waited until its temperature was suitable, not to mention bearable. The words I had just been given were true enough, but there were pieces lacking in the tall alien's tale. With a thin smile, I set down my cup, and nodded. We're aware of this but, as you know, Aeternum is a rare and essential commodity for all In Between worlds—just as it is for Rim worlds, although how you settle this matter with them is none of my concern. Again, a flicker in those slanted eyes, which might mean anything—but his ears had lowered in a barely perceptible fashion.

The rare ore could only be found on worlds orbiting the bright, giant blue stars whose radiations fried through all ships hulls and shields in a matter of hours, unless they benefited from a special coating developed by Prometheus, one of the leading Core Worlds multi-stellar corporations. There were precious little blue stars on this side of the galaxy, and the Enosi were the only ones able to mine their worlds and exploit them. They weren't about to share the technological secrets allowing them to do so. Prometheus was even less likely to loan us their expertise, which brought us straight back to trade and prices instability. Aeternum was one of the components used as an energy source by settlements on remote worlds where stellar energy output wasn't sufficient, as well as one of the key element fueling most spaceships' engines.

I stared right into Hannys of Clan Tassu's dark eyes, and added softly, Shortage and instability are out of the question, even though you say that the situation will be resolved before the year is out. Even more so, I drew up my lips into a wider smile, revealing my teeth, since we've recently become aware that, in spite of the fact that your production has indeed encountered several issues and its levels had to be reduced, you're hoarding surpluses reserved for your non-human clients, thus creating an artificial turmoil on our markets.

The unpleasant sounds that escaped Hannys' lips weren't a series of barks. They were laughter, which the automatic translator couldn't handle. So? He retorted, his hands spread out in front of him. Prices are the result of balance between supply and demand. Human worlds should meet and decide on the price they're prepared to offer, if they want to outbid what Clan Tassu can obtain by selling elsewhere. He shrugged. It seems to me there's little point in discussing this matter any further, but we'll be honored to receive a visit of the human Clans if they wish to negotiate with us and reach a deal profitable for all sides.

In the decades since the establishment of trade relations between the Enosi and humankind, there had been other moments like this one, when they'd suddenly claimed the supply of this or that merchandise had dropped on their side. Prices had then risen, sometimes exponentially so. Still, a return to normal had always swiftly ensued, as Trader families had made it their duty to quickly retaliate in kind or to turn away from the goods involved. And, of course, production problems could happen. This time, though, it was different. The shortage concerned Aeternum, and there was no substitute for the ore—not unless we wished to roll back on centuries of progress and return to being vulnerable settlers in the Perseus arm, always on the lookout for new energy sources to power our ships and stations and dreading to have to come to the conclusion that we couldn't go on, that we'd have to retreat to the Orion Bridge and beg the Core Worlds to allow us a place back in their midst.

The bastard sitting in front of us thought he enjoyed a monopolistic position on a merchandise essential to our continued existence in this region of space. Worse, he thought he could play one human faction against the other, and that was striking a little too close to home. The Enosi wasn't interested in a compromise. With a nod to myself, I stood up.

Fiammetta! The hushed exclamation barely registered in my brain. I was too busy looking down at Hannys of Clan Tassu's widening eyes. Please, tread carefully. I acknowledged Falco's whispered plea with the barest of nods. On Hannys' right, Tyylikas hadn't moved an inch, but the tension in his neck and shoulders belied his apparent calm. In the background, the young Tassu aide's features remained composed, as if she couldn't feel the brutal shift in the room's atmosphere.

Yes, I said, my voice even, you're right. There's little point in my wasting anymore of your precious time. Azure Traverse recognizes Clan Tassu's current difficulties, and hopes your mining operations will soon resume their normal output. Until such a time as it's so, all In Between worlds and stations will request the assistance of the Core Worlds. They may not like us, I chuckled, but their multi-stellar corporations will take our money nonetheless. I bid you good day, Master Tyylikas, I bowed in the stationmaster's general direction, and started to turn away.

You can't! The horrified cry had come from Hannys. His ears had sunk to rest flat against his skull, and all color had disappeared from his gaze. Blackness was regarding me out of his eyes. Frightening. You can't decree—

Ignoring the rising growl which sent static through my ear piece, I cut him off. I warned you, I told him from above my right shoulder in a calm, calm voice. I am Umbra. Azure Traverse will veer away from trade with Clan Tassu, until a solution is found to your production issues. I'm merely acknowledging what you told me.

You don't understand! The Enosi had stood up as well. The volume of his long mane had doubled, and his snout-like nose was wrinkled into a snarl that he was obviously struggling to silence. What you want to discuss, to negotiate—

Somehow, I swallowed down the laughter bubbling up my throat. I understand you perfectly. This, I hissed at him, is simple power dynamics, sir. This is the balance of forces shifting away from you. You forget that the buyers can play the game as well. You claim that your prices' fluctuations is akin to a natural phenomenon, the order of things, when it's nothing more than the abuse of a dominant position you think you have. This wouldn't happen if your Clan agreed to a comprehensive agreement on trade between us, one which would guarantee you fair profits, allowing for adaptations when the situation changes, and guarantee us stable supply and sustainable costs.

I know. Hannys of Clan Tassu looked away from me, as if he could somehow find help in the room's furniture, the stationmaster, or even his aide. I can't do this, he said, his voice reduced to a barely audible murmur. He closed his eyes. I can talk to human Clans individually, but what you'd have me do—I have no right. It was the pure and simple truth, most likely. Permanent economic instability had plagued the In Between worlds since their beginning, and it had never been possible to find someone willing or in a position to negotiate true trade deals within the Enosi Clans. We might co-manage the biggest spacestation in all of human space, we might have been mostly friendly neighbors for centuries, but still we understood next to nothing to their society and its multi-tiered, hierarchical structures. We had made do with instability and constant, barely controlled chaos for non-essential goods exchanges, but this matter with the Aeternum....

It had never happened.

No matter how I looked at it, it truly felt like a declaration of trade war. The Earth Alliance would no doubt have considered it as such, and responded in a manner far worse than I had done. But these were Enosi, not human beings, and who could tell what their true intent was? Still, that didn't change the fact that we couldn't live without the ore.

We had no choice.

I felt, more than I heard, Falco step to my side. Was he going to pull seniority and gainsay me? Had I pushed the Enosi too far?

Laughter cascaded in the room. My heart did a painful lurch inside my chest at the harsh and yet joyful sound. Enough. I pivoted to stare at the young aide, who was still standing quietly behind Hannys of Clan Tassu.

Enough, she repeated, her golden eyes glinting. She nodded at my interlocutor, and then focused on Falco and I. You've made your point, Vao Alba. Her lips curled up into a smile that revealed a hint of her very sharp fangs. We bear witness to what was said. I am Juoni. She bobbed her head down toward us. Clan Naamio recognizes that Umbra speaks for Azure Traverse and the expanse of space the humans call In Between. With that, she stepped forward, and held out her right hand. She had taken the precaution to retract her claws, but the dangerous weapons extending her fingertips were still visible. Since this is your request, clearly and irrevocably stated, we will open negotiations. I hope, her smile widened into a feral grin, that you won't come to regret choosing not to bear with the whims and the greed of Clan Tassu.

I released my breath in a small sigh, and clasped her proffered hand, declining to wince when her claws dug ever so gently into my fragile human skin, drawing a few drops of blood. As soon as I get back to Pillar, we'll gather our negotiators and send them to Synanti'Ssi. They'll be fully mandated to conduct these talks.

See that you do, she chortled, and see that they are. You have drawn Clan Naamio's interest and curiosity. Don't waste that opportunity. We're easily bored. I gave her a nod, unable to help myself.

There was nothing else to do, but take this development in stride. Azure Traverse didn't know the first thing about this Clan Naamio, but Hannys' bowed head and chastened look and, more, Tyylikas' prolonged, respectful silence spoke volumes. Whoever this false aide was, she was used to wielding power, to being listened to, and obeyed. Either I had just won us a breakthrough in our current troubles, or I had just ruined us.

The meeting didn't last more than a few minutes once Juoni of Clan Naamio had revealed herself and shaken hands with me to seal the promise of global negotiations to come. During that short time, I didn't manage to guess what Falco was thinking behind the mask of indifferent professionalism that had descended upon his face. It was too late to take back what had been said and done, but I had the sinking feeling that we were wading in very murky waters. I hated that—the uncertainty, the possibility that my rash action might have hurt Azure Traverse and all the people who depended upon us.

It was my role, my duty to make those moves.

I loved it.

I was coming to see that I'd dread it at times.

Once Hannys of Clan Tassu and Juoni of Clan Naamio had left the Enosi stationmaster's office, I started bowing in thanks to Tyylikas' hosting our encounter, but he gave a quiet shake of the head, and waved for us to stay. That really wouldn't do. I needed to leave the Enosi side of Synanti'Ssi station. I needed to get back to Umbra, and I needed to debrief with Falco and find out whether I had to take action to repair potential damage.

Master Tyylikas, I began even as I twisted the corners of my mouth into a weary smile, please excuse us. We've taken up too much of your time already.

A snort and a short burst of laughter interrupted me, which resulted in the automatic translator spitting more static in my ears. A waste? Amusement was plain in his voice, and the glint in his charcoal eyes was unmistakable. It was time well spent, I assure you, Vao Alba. The Enosi was grinning at us, displaying a row of razor-sharp fangs which wouldn't fail to trigger an instinctive flight reaction in anyone witnessing the sight for the first time. No matter how many times I had experienced it, it still sent my heart through a little drums' solo while adrenaline poisoned my system. No human being could help reacting this way, which Tyylikas knew full well. You see, he went on, even as he sat back down into his wide chair, taking his sweet time to fold his legs beneath him and to the left, over the years, many in the Enosi Clans have been pushing for a more formal framework to shape our exchanges with humankind—well, he reached out to his drink and took a long swallow from it. Your portion of humankind. I gave him a noncommittal nod, straining myself to discern telltale signs which might betray the stationmaster's true state of mind. He looked relaxed, his whole back resting against his seat and his ears leaning slightly backward. With a small sigh, I gave up and sat down as well.

Thank you, he gave me a gracious bow of the head, as if I had just displayed more than the minimum of propriety and respect in following my host's cue. Could it be he was aware how much I wanted to be elsewhere, how much I wanted to stand up and run until I reached Umbra's bridge? Stupid. I suppressed a shiver, and sent the echoes of the frightening legends told during long in-system drops to the back of my mind. I was no superstitious merchanter, no Core Worlds bigot. It didn't matter how much we might have desired to seal agreements with you—how much poor Hannys wished for a deal, Tyylikas was saying, oblivious to the chaotic vagaries of my human brain. The only authority which can preside over such covenants is that of Clan Naamio. And they, he closed his eyes and heaved out a sigh, well, Clan Naamio wasn't inclined to turn their gaze your way.

Why? The childish question burst out of me before I could hold it back.

Tyylikas opened his eyes and set them on me. A lazy smile touched his lips. You drew them, demanding a meeting with the head of Clan Tassu. You, he nodded at me, Umbra. Your threat was genuine and sincere. You have the authority and the will to carry it out, insane though it would seem to most humans in a position of power among the In Between stations and worlds. When you stood up earlier to put and end to the meeting, he drew a small, dismissive flick of the right hand, and continued in a quiet, pleasant tone, your decision was made. You'd cut all economic ties between your people and a whole Enosi Clan, no matter what the consequences. It was a crazy, bold move. And it was absolutely true. Naamio could only acknowledge that sincerity, and step in to prevent a disaster whose responsibility would have been laid at their feet, at least in part. So you see, he chuckled softly, it was well worth my time, Vao Alba. Not to mention, he cocked his head to the side and added, that we now know there's much room for improvement of your diplomatic skills.

I spluttered, almost spitting out what was left of my tea. Sir! I began.

He's talking to me, Fiammetta. On my left, Falco let out a loud, long-suffering sigh. The nasty son of a bitch is talking to me, he grimaced. My mouth agape, I stared at him, at the graying man whose tall stature must have turned many a heart in his prime. I stared at the man whose painfully thin frame betrayed the too many long years spent scouring the traitorous, entrancing paths of the Deep. Falco Aldebrandi was my mentor, my adviser and the one person who could challenge my decisions, beside the heads of Azure Traverse. Falco's face was that of a bird of prey, even more so now that his hair was almost completely white: broken, beak-like nose, thin-lipped mouth and gaunt cheekbones. His clear blue eyes only served to reinforce that impression.

Literally, Tyylikas barked out a raucous burst of laughter. In a slow motion, I refocused on him. The Enosi didn't seem outraged by Falco's insult, on the contrary. After all, you can't blame the higher ranking Clans for being wary when Vasco Lucero announced the name of your successor: a woman barely out of adolescence, plucked from a nameless miner family to be enrolled in your pilots' academy, whose exploits consist in a record of bullish attitude, rash action, and being too firmly set in her ways and principles. He winked my way. No offense, Vao Alba.

None taken, I mumbled, waving his words aside. I shook my head. You two are what? Friends?

Of a sort, Falco snorted beside me. He opened his mouth to elaborate, and then he froze. A moment later, I sensed it as well.

A vibration, so low it was almost imperceptible.

Growing.

A sudden hush in the constant noise coursing through the many layers of Synanti'Ssi station.

An echo, impossibly distant.

A shiver knifing through floors and walls, and the very air we were breathing.

Colors fading all at once, even as the lines of our surroundings faltered.

Fragments of a wordless song.

Flakes of an ethereal flow thicker than the hearts of stars.

Memories of sparkling drops shining through the Curtain.

It faded as brutally as it had engulfed us. I jumped up from my seat, in the same moment that Falco and Tyylikas did, and I reached out to my ear piece. In front of me, the Enosi stationmaster was barking queries and orders into his own communication device, but the translator remained silent: he had shut it down on his end. I should probably do the same.

Fi! The exclamation filled my ears, even as I was about to open a channel.

Anil, go, I told Umbra's communications officer. What the hell just happened?

Dweller! Anil spat, clearly still on edge. A Dweller ship just Out Fell right on top of Synanti'Ssi, spilling meerschaum from the Deep all over the ships at dock and the whole station. I—wait a minute. For a few seconds, I heard nothing but static, then Anil's very pissed-off voice reached me again. Okay, it seems we won't have either human or Enosi ships undocking all at once and destroying each other in the process. Station authorities are saying everything's safe, returning to normal operations.

I bit my lower lip. The Dwellers were erratic beings, so alien that there was no real relationship with them. They were simply there, roaming the Deep however they pleased. We dealt with them as we would unstoppable natural forces, but they rarely spent their time on this side of the Curtain—that is, if they even bowed to the concept of a separation between the Deep and normal space. They didn't come this far Coreward, and they reserved their antics for the farthest Rim worlds—or for Shore. But this: Out Falling right next to a station, unannounced and unscheduled.... Anything like a communication attempt? I asked Anil, aware of what his answer would most probably be. Any identification mark?

No ID whatsoever, came the quick reply. However, was there a faint hint of smugness on Anil's melodious, bass voice? I'm pretty sure something aboard that ship sent a hailing toward the Enosi side of Synanti'Ssi. You might want to take it up with the nice stationmaster there.

Great. I groaned. Thanks, Anil.

Good luck sorting out this mess, he replied, tension ebbing away from his voice. Anil, signing out.

Good luck, indeed. In a fluid, unhurried motion, I pivoted to confront our host. Well, I told him with a thin smile, it appears you have unexpected visitors, master Tyylikas. We certainly have hundreds of very spooked merchanter ships begging to be allowed to leave dock right this instant. Anything you'd like to share that could assuage their very understandable panic, and ensure Synanti'Ssi remains a trusted place of exchange between our species?

For a moment, there was no reply. Tyylikas of Clan Saalis was still talking to his own people, ears flat upon his skull. Well, at least he was as upset as I was. I made to step toward him, then stopped in mid-movement and turned to glance at Falco. He gave me a nod, his face again an unreadable mask, and I strode toward the Enosi stationmaster. Tyylikas, I said in a voice as steady as I could muster, talk to me.

There was a short burst of static when he switched the translator back online from his side, and his eyes met mine. Actually, Vao Alba, it's you who can shed light on this matter. You have a visitor.

Even as his words faded between us, a door opened on the other side of his office, allowing two tall silhouettes to come inside. One was a man in his late forties. His long black hair tied in a neat pony tail, he was wearing an night blue jumpsuit like that of all spaceship crew members. The other was a shadow dissembled beneath a hooded cloak that covered it from head to toe. Said hood served to dissimulate a face whose features appeared blurred, except for too wide eyes whose night-blue color filled the whole orbit. The air seemed to shiver around that eerie shape, as if it wasn't wholly here.

A Dweller. I blinked. On a station that wasn't Shore. Before me, Tyylikas stepped aside to let the strange couple come closer. The man stopped right in front of me. All of a sudden, I noticed the small dragon pendant hanging from his neck, and sucked in a breath.

Apologies, he said, giving me a curt nod of the head, and then doing the same in the direction of Tyylikas. Compensations will be offered where needed. The Enosi acknowledged the short statement with a silent bow. Then the man refocused on me.

Golden Sails, I lifted up my chin at him, and met his dark gaze, flying on the wings of the Dwellers? Tell me, lord Sima, what is it that warrants such a remarkable arrival?

Before me stood the head of the first Spacefaring Guild, Golden Sails. They had laid claim to the remotest regions of space, far, far away from the galactic core. They lived in the dark of night, and the ghostly lights of dying suns. They had made contact with the Dwellers, and they owned Shore, the only station Dweller ships deigned to call port. Golden Sails traded with In Between stations and worlds, but their jumpships never touched the Core Worlds. They mostly kept to themselves, as secretive as the alien beings that most of humankind regarded as wraiths haunting the darkness of space. It made no sense for Zhen Sima to have traveled Coreward, to the border of human and Enosi space, when he could have requested a meeting on Pillar—or asked that we come to Edge, or even all the way to Shore itself.

Umbra, he nodded at me. Powers in the Core Worlds are moving to unmake us. Azure Traverse is being watched., he said, his tone as unconcerned as if he was talking about the variations in traffic around Leaf station, which is why I had to enlist the Dwellers' assistance.

What?! I snapped, denying the sudden cold gripping my spine.

<Cargo.> The shadow standing beside Zhen Sima swayed, its too wide eyes set on me. <There is cargo. For you. For those who shape the paths. It is delivered.> Something rustled the fabric of the Dweller's long cloak, like a breeze, or a shiver traversing the Curtain. <It waits.> The thought lingered inside my mind, crazy and senseless.

A vote will be called during the next session of the Council on Carré, Zhen Sima went on, apparently unaware of the Dweller's mad thoughts. Golden Sails won't be present. I can't be present, and Terra Ascending— He spat out a breath, then held out a small envelope. This is Golden Sail's vote. It also holds a mandate that gives its bearer the authority to speak on our behalf. You will go to Carré, and make our will known.

An envelope. Paper. Fucking paper, in an age where it had become as rare and obsolete as cursive handwriting. I took a good look at the nice little diplomatic bomb that Zhen Sima wanted to drop on my lap, while my mind raced to find a way out of a situation which could only hurt Azure Traverse's relationships, be it with the Core Worlds or the Rim. I had no idea what Carré was trying to pull in the centuries-old bitter enmity that both sides cherished and nurtured with all kinds of grievances which piled up year, after year, after year. Truth be told, I didn't want to know. Azure Traverse's ties with the Core Worlds were strained enough as they were, their hostility and loathing for jumpship travel being what it was. There was only one way out which would allow me to refuse the head of Golden Sails, while still giving him assistance. I didn't have to like it, or to find it fair, or even adequate.

I stared into Zhen Sima's dark brown eyes. The jumpship Hodei is scheduled to dock at Synanti'Ssi at the beginning of the next cycle. It's bound for Carré after that. I'll leave instructions so that Si-U takes your document and delivers it to anyone you name on Carré. I'm sure the Representatives for Lupus, Hamal or even Omega will be honored to be the bearers of Golden Sail's will in that vote. With that, I bowed low at him, and turned away.

No! The cry of protest reached me in the same time as fingers closed upon my right arm in a vise-like grip, pulling me back. Instead of fighting the movement, I went along with it.

Zhen Sima's mouth was drawn in a taut line, his jaw set. Behind him, Tyylikas had turned his own back on us, his long charcoal mane weirdly inflated and his ears still flat upon his skull. He was obviously extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation, but still stuck in what was after all his own office. Stealing a glance down toward the hand clasped upon my forearm, I said softly, Release me, sir. I looked up at him. Now.

Something like doubts flickered in the Head of Golden Sails' eyes, then he did so, and took a step back. You don't understand! He hissed between clenched teeth. But then, he shrugged, and released his breath in a shuddering sigh, willing anger away from him with obvious difficulty. Then he went on, Understanding isn't required. You're leaving Synanti'Ssi before the end of the current shift. Umbra will travel to Carré with all the considerable speed you can harness. Once there, you'll be met by a member of the Reynier or Nejem families. They will guide you from thereon, until you can deliver our vote to the Council.

A snort escaped me. Sir, I am Umbra. I am Azure Traverse, and I don't answer to you, or your Guild.

No, he smiled at me, a taut twisting of his lips, but you'll see Golden Sails' will done nevertheless. With that, he turned toward the motionless shadow at his side, and gave a brisk nod. The Dweller bowed his head, and his shoulders lifted and then sagged, as if it were drawing in a deep breath. Abruptly the strange disruption in the air around him spread out to engulf both Zhen Sima and I.

Currents.

Meerschaum, ethereal.

The Deep.

The Curtain, he— What devilry is this?! I snarled.

No time. Zhen Sima has seized my right wrist, his movements quick as a snake's. Listen! He snapped at me, and deposited a portable communication device in the palm of my hand before letting go of me.

The device was a really old one, which had been used for communication between a crew on leave and their ship at dock at least a full generation ago. We had abandoned its kind for much more convenient gear, but it looked as if Golden Sails still found them useful, in spite of their crappy image quality and relative bulk. It couldn't interface with the hyperspace comm buoys, much less open a channel across a full galactic arm. Yet, the face that came into focus when I squinted at the tiny screen was that of Vasco Lucero, one of the two heads of Azure Traverse. That hawk-like gaze of his was unmistakable.

Fiammetta, his voice was faint, as if coming from impossibly far away which, as a matter of fact, it was. And it was exactly that: impossible. Fiammetta, Vasco repeated. Behind him, I could barely glimpse the familiar surroundings of Pillar's vast Room of Operations. The device is linked directly to the Dweller ship hovering upon Synanti'Ssi. I don't need to remind you that the Dwellers can touch the Curtain, no matter where they are, do I? he added in a soft, gentle voice, as if talking to a spooked child. It's the only way to bypass the interstellar communications network. I stared at Vasco's face in the diminutive device's screen. Did that mean that there was a Dweller ship hovering above Pillar as well, to serve as some crazy kind of relay? Oblivious to the questions colliding inside my mind, the head of my Guild drew in a breath. "You must go, Fiammetta. To Carré. You