Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter 12
Caine moved silently through the streets, following the smallest thread of the geneprint he had detected amongst Jupiter's attackers. He'd now been following it for six different systems, but it seemed he had finally caught up. He checked his weapons and shield again before approaching the small building. His nose wrinkled as he picked up the scent of death and he drew his mauler; something didn't feel right. He had no choice but to investigate though. He circled the building and chose a window to enter through, hoping anyone waiting would expect him to use one of the doors. He got it opened and slipped inside, dropping lightly to the floor. He could pick up even more scents now and he was starting to think he'd walked into a trap. He left the tiny room he'd entered via and made his way through a silent hallway before spinning around to find the way he had come flooding with troops. He could smell more ahead and snarled. He was badly outnumbered, so he made a break for it but soon the sound of weapons fire filled the building.
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Dai'ki glanced at Phylo who frowned but they approached the ship to find it locked tight, but he used the code that had been set into all of her Majesties ships and the door slid open, allowing them aboard.
"Well?" he asked her.
"No one's been here for a few days at last, or they cycled the life support systems to wipe any scents," she answered. They manually checked the small ship and then they went to work on the systems, backtracking Caine's route from her Majesty's home to here and all log entries he'd made.
"He's in trouble, isn't he?" Phylo asked and she shrugged.
"Possibly." She looked at the data the ship had recorded. He must have been following a gene print but whose? Phylo Percadium was an interesting human, something of a joker, but he was also very good at his job. She could follow a target through a computer system, he could make that same system sing and give up all its secrets.
"There's nothing more here, let's get the ship picked up and then figure out where he went. It didn't take long for the ship to arrive and for the one Caine had used to be stored in the small hanger and then half the crew headed out, following Dai'ki until the came to a building with obvious weapons damage. "Well this is not good," he muttered but they let her go in alone to try and work the scents out.
"Wise was alive when they took him," was the only good news she could give them.
"Let's tell the Captain," he was glad he didn't have to report this to Apini or their Queen.
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Jupiter looked up as Stinger walked into her room and then found herself falling back onto the couch at his expression. "Caine?" she choked out, hands trembling, and Stinger moved to kneel at her feet, gently taking her hands in his.
"Alive as far as we know. Someone set a trap, he was badly outnumbered but Dai'ki reported that he was alive when he was taken."
Jupiter nodded, taking in several deep breaths. "What are our options?" and her voice was steady!
"We can report this to the Aegis, as joint head of security he does have some protection, and should they come across him they would order him turned over to them and would then arrange his return, but they will not actively search for him. We can place a bounty for his safe retrieval and return, though that is risky as those who answer can retrieve him and then up the price for his return. Or we find him ourselves and you let us act in your name, show whoever has him the price of angering the Abrasax Queen and it would need to be a good display to ensure no further attempts, at least for a time."
Jupiter closed her eyes, heart and mind torn. "Call the Aegis and send out everyone you can spare to find him. if the Aegis finds him we press any and all charges possible, if we find him then you do what you have to."
"Yes, your Majesty." He stood, bowed and left and the Kiza was there and she turned to cry against her friends shoulder, feeling Kiza wrap her up in a hug.
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Caine struggled to focus as he was dragged into an opulent room, though it had nothing on an Abrasax residence, it still screamed Entitled. His wings were clamped down too tightly to do anything with, his hands and feet bound, his captor was taking no chances. He was dumped on the floor and he struggled to rise only for a boot to be planted against his spine and the wings clamped there but he refused to let the pain show.
"So, you're the mutt that should have been killed," a voice spoke, and he took in everything he could while held to the floor. Male, physically mature from the tones, cultured…and angry. Not at Jupiter…at him personally? What Entitled had he angered and enough hey would risk the wrath of the Abrasax Queen?
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Jupiter stood still on the platform, watching her reflection as the dressmakers worked. This was the last thing she wanted to be doing but Kiza and Stinger had ganged up on her, insisting she continue on as normal. If Caine had been taken as leverage against her, it had to appear that she was unaffected. She hated it, she didn't want to stand around being fitted for more and more outfits for the upcoming Season. She wanted to be out there, searching personally for Caine. She wasn't a tracker or a soldier though, even though she did have some self-defence training, she was a Queen and she had a job to do. She had to appear strong no matter what was happening or else she was putting them all at risk, not just her Household but the whole of Earth and every other planet she now owned.
The big opening party was coming up, but all her excitement over it had fizzled since Caine had disappeared, yet she had to show a level of excitement she didn't feel in order to not endanger everyone.
They had leads to follow, but none had panned out so far. They had looked at Titus since he had been the one to free Caine who had then betrayed him and even helped get Famulas arrested. It would be easy to see him as looking for revenge on Caine, but they had found no proof of that, even Kalique had looked into it and her people had found nothing. Titus was apparently lying low for now.
Their other main suspect was the head of House Tyrus, Lord Micus. They had managed to confirm he was aware of Caine's reinstatement but nothing else. The lack of information made her suspicious and Stinger agreed. The problem was they had no way of proving their suspicions or getting someone close enough to investigate…until the opening gala anyway. That was their best bet at getting near him. they just had to do so without violence or overt threats.
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Caine fought desperately as he was strapped down, bands tightening to ensure he couldn't break free. A helmet of some sort was fitted over his head and he was suddenly blind and deaf, not a good sign. He felt the swift press and then rush of fluid as something was injected and then he was writhing against the bonds, gasping and screaming in pain.
Unable to hear anything but his own screams which eventually died down as he screamed his throat bloody, unable to see anything…he lost track of time, unable to focus past the agony in his veins. His struggles weakened until he lay still, panting and whining as his whole world became the pain. Some distant part of his mind realised this was punishment for not dying in the Deadland, but it didn't matter, all that mattered was making the pain stop!
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Jupiter stared out at Orous, no more impressed by it this trip than she had been before. she was more nervous though, without Caine at her side. The other guards would defend her because it was their job, no more. Caine would fight through any odds for her because they loved each other. Stinger would fight for her because he cared but it wasn't the same. What would she do if Caine was lost to her forever? They'd informed the Legion of his being taken but they didn't care all that much over a defective splice, even if he had been reinstated.
She was dressed in the gown that had been designed that happy day when they had teased Stinger over the livery for her guards. The butterflies of her headdress seemed alive, fluttering about her, the gown almost weightless but she found no joy in it now. She looked away as Stinger approached and nodded, moving to walk with him towards the shuttle that would take her to the party. Kiza sat beside her in a gown of light blue with small butterflies stitched into the hem, her hair neatly styled as befitted a Seneschal. They guards were all in full uniform and looking very stern. They all knew she was distracted and therefore needed extra guarding. Jupiter took her seat and Kiza offered a small smile which she managed to return weakly.
"Chin up and smile your Majesty," she whispered as the shuttle docked and Jupiter nodded.
Kiza walked to her right and four steps behind while the guard formed up around them. they stepped from the shuttle and into a wall of light and noise, even space had had journalists and paparazzi and she held her head high, the ghost of a smile on her lips as she walked along the path and into the simply massive building where the party was being held. She ignored them until she stepped inside, small floating globes following her, taking holo images as she ascended the stairs and into the entryway. A servitor announced her to the room, and she could feel thousands of beings staring at her as she stepped onto the hovering platform that bore the Abrasax house crest and her own symbol of a butterfly. She took her seat on a divan, her skirts settling around her, Kiza and Stinger at her back and the platform floated off. A screen popped up within her sight, lighting up the nearby platforms with the various House crests and personal ones as well. Kalique was already approaching but Jupiter was looking for Micus.
"He's not here yet," Stinger murmured as he checked another screen.
There was no time to say anything else as Kalique's platform docked with hers and the older woman walked towards her, dropping into a curtsey to her Queen. "You look utterly stunning," Kalique praised, taking her hands.
"Thank you, I love your dress," and she did, it was utterly stunning on Kalique who smiled happily before leaning in.
"Lord Micus has yet to appear and so long as the case is open, Titus will not be attending such gatherings," she whispered.
"Thank you," Jupiter whispered back and Kalique smiled.
"Enjoy the party," with that she returned to her own platform.
By the time an hour had passed, Jupiter was more exhausted than when cleaning two houses in a row! And yet she hadn't stood up once, she was a Queen, they stood for her. It was hard, to smile or appear remote as people approached her for various reasons, but they all wanted to get a look at the Recurrence. Kiza was often leaning in, whispering who was who and whether they should even be allowed to dock with her platform, what would she do without her?
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Kalique watched over Jupiter from afar, impressed by how well the young woman was handling herself. She had done her best to ensure the girls introduction to society would be smooth, despite her tumultuous introduction to their world. She did not miss her elder brother, Balem had always been a little odd but knowing he had murdered their Mother… she had never imagined he could do such a thing. The women of the family now held all of the power and she wanted to see what Jupiter would do with it. She though the girl would go far, and she would help.
She wasn't sure what the girl saw in Wise, why she would do so much to retrieve him, but she would still help. She had seen an image of him, and she supposed he had a wild kind of beauty to him. Perhaps she should speak to his Splicer for something similar, though not too similar. She doubted young Jupiter truly understood what it meant to ask for a splice to be made and it wouldn't do to upset her by having one too close in looks to Wise.
When the screen lit up to announce Lord Micus' arrival she moved to intercept him, sending a nod to Jupiter.
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Jupiter saw the nod, saw who had arrived and glanced at Stinger who nodded and sent word to Captain Tsing who had kept her ship hidden by Jupiter's larger ship. On board was the whole crew and half of her guard. If they were wrong, she was risking tax grievances, but she didn't care. His House had little power and relied on Abrasax good will, which meant he really must hate Caine to have dared move against her. If they found Caine aboard his ship she had a lot of options as to what she could do to Micus. If Caine were a mere guard then her actions would raise questions, but he was joint head of her security which meant she was obligated to come down hard. Someone who would target the head of security for a First Primary would like move higher if they succeeded.
She wished she could be with them, or Stinger, but it would appear very strange if he was not at her side with Caine missing.
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No noise came from him anymore, he was incapable of it due to the damage to his throat. Muscles spasmed and contracted, sending pain shooting through his body, blood boiling in his veins. When would it end? He just wanted the pain to stop!
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Diomika chose to lead the boarding party herself. While in orbit of Orous, the ship could not launch Warhammers or any of its defences. That made getting in close easy and Percadium overrode the security on one of the docking ports to keep the crew from being alerted to their presence. They slipped aboard and split into two groups, one heading for the detention area, the other towards where Micus' rooms would be, in case he wanted to keep his prize close. They all knew there was a chance Wise was already dead, but they would search anyway because their Queen needed him.
TBC…
