I didn't know what exactly made me do this, but a year ago, at one of the space stations, I bought a new comm, one the Ohrur didn't know about. One that I connected to all available networks except the Ohrur's. I even entered a fake name. I used this device to find out more about Space Guardians, but there wasn't much to find other than that we had been working for the Ohrurs for millennia and were an elite force used to rid the universe of its scum. There was no mention of our species or where we came from. That had set me even more on edge.
I was scrolling through more nonsense on my secret comm—I don’t know why, but I started watching a stupid holocast from a holostreamer named Nock who was arguing with one of my fellow Space Guardians about some massacre at a market—when my regular comm announced an incoming call from an Ohrur—Moddekdum, an unfamiliar name.
I accepted the call, and Moddekdum's form materialized on the bridge with me.
"Space Guardian Xyrek Draalor. I am Moddekdum, your new minder."
I frowned. It wasn't unusual to be assigned a new minder, but it normally didn't happen twice in the span of a few months. Not too long ago, my normal minder had been replaced by Possedion, the Ohrur in charge of the Space Guardians assigned to rescuing humans.
"What happened to Possedion?" I asked. It was not something I did under normal circumstances; my job was to follow orders, not to question them, but things were changing; I was changing.
"Never mind that. I'm here to give you your new orders."
Frowning, I gestured for him to continue. "As you know, three other Space Guardians were assigned to the human rescue mission alongside you." He didn’t pause for my response before pressing on. "All three have betrayed us. They must be captured and brought to justice on Ohrur. From this moment on, your orders and those of every other Space Guardian are clear: bring them in, dead or alive."
A foreboding feeling turned my stomach into a knot.Three Space Guardians had turned traitors?One was unheard of, but three? All my instincts fired a red alert through me. Something wasn't right.
"What about the humans I have aboard? Do I still take them to Astrionis?" I asked to give myself time to digest Moddekdum's words.
"You have humans on board?" He looked instantly alert.
"Over two hundred," I filled him in. Possedion knew that, so shouldn't he?
"Show me your arms," he demanded, confusing me more.
"What?"
"Show me your arms." His voice had a hard edge to it.
Bewildered, I did as he asked, rolling up my sleeves.
"Good, good." I had no idea why he looked so relieved. His hands busied themselves in the air. He must have pulled up cubes on his comm. "Hold on…" he browsed through what to me looked like thin air before he decided, "Take them to Morrakbarr; I will have a contact meet you there to relieve you of your burdensome cargo. From there, you will find those traitors."
"Morrakbarr?" My frown deepened. Morrakbarr was a trading planet specializing in the highly illegal trade of slaves. I had been there before to terminate one of the most notorious pirates. Moddekdum wanted me to leave the humans there?
"What will happen to them?"
"That is none of your concern; your only concern now is finding these traitors. Their information is being sent to your comm as we speak. There will—" A loud boom made him turn. "You have your orders," he barked before he discontinued.
I hadn't been able to see what caused the loud sound, but it had sounded like an explosion. It wasn't my place to try and comm him back, but my instincts were to do just that. I was a protector. But Moddekdum was my minder, and my job was to follow his orders. If he needed help, he would contact me.
The new orders didn't sit well with me. The ship's course was set to Astrionis, and right now, we were actually closer to Lord Protector Garth's planet than to Morrakbarr. It would be more efficient to go there.
Daryus, the Emperor of the Pandraxians, had contracted the Ohrurs to rescue humans, and they were paying the Ohrurs handsomely for that. So why in the seven suns would Moddekdum tell me to go out of my way to take the humans somewhere else?
Did the other Space Guardians' defection have anything to do with the Pandraxian Empire? Curiosity nagged at me as much as my natural urge to investigate, dig deeper, and find out what was happening. Orders were orders, though. Apprehensively, I changed the ship's course to Morrakbarr. It wasn't that I was fond of my cargo or anything like that. Not even close, they were a pain in the ass, but I had taken on responsibility for them, and I would see it through. The idea that I was taking them somewhere other than where I had promised didn't sit well with me either. I told them I was taking them to a safe place, and now my new minder was making a liar out of me. Morrakbarr was anything but safe.
I was so deep in thought that I left the bridge without remembering mycargo,but I was reminded of their presence the moment I stepped into the hallway, where a group of twenty-five lingered. Some were waiting for their turn in one of the three available bathrooms; the others were just talking, as usual. They were a chipper bunch. Their mouths never stood still.
"I really need to go, Xyrek. Can I please use your bathroom?" A female named Josie begged. There were so many of them, I had no idea why I remembered her name out of everyone.
"Absolutely not," I pushed by her.
"Please, Xyrek?" she clambered after me. The distance to my quarters had never felt that great before. It was only a few paces, but, worried she might simply push inside with me, I detoured toward the breakroom, where a larger group of people was congregating.
A low bang, smoke, and the distinct smell of melting metal turned my attention to the corner where the nutrition dispensers stood. Coughing, a small female emerged from underneath the machine. Large green eyes blinked against the smoke, and a black streak of soot ran down the right side of her face. She looked utterly perplexed. Blond hair had escaped a high ponytail and framed her heart-shaped face with unruly curls.
"Oh my God, Alice, what the hell?" Josie exclaimed next to me.
