DAVROS WAS A VERY BUSY PLACE.
It was part of the so-called "Ej'djem Reach", a system of habitable moons surrounding a huge gas giant – the 'Ej'djem' of the title.
The Reach was a major commerce centre on the edge of Interion Space, spacecraft were thick around it, spaceports and stations seemed everywhere. It looked as if an accident would happen at any moment, but such was there a high level of professionalism from traffic controllers that everything went smoothly.
Davros was, for all intents and purposes, a planet-size mall, a moon in orbit of Ej'djem, specifically geared toward a broad range of commerce, whereas the other moons tended to specialize. A sister moon, Belvros, for example, dealt almost exclusively with weapon sales. It was ostensibly overseen by the Commerce Arm of the Interion Government, but everyone who did business there knew who really ran the place.
Surprisingly, they detected other Leviathans in orbit. Pilot reported all were free, which struck all as unusual, though perhaps not too unexpected. They were far from Peacekeeper space.
Moya eased into orbit, trailed by half-a-dozen automated watch drones. The traffic was thick.
"Hectic, isn't it?" Chiana chirped.
"The Ej'djem Reach is the most populous outpost of civilization that borders Interion Space. We're just on the edge of it. My people possess at least one hundred colony worlds, as well as at least a hundred outposts and stations all over this sector alone. Interions have had space travel for almost three thousand cycles." Jool told them, with no little pride.
Rygel floated up behind her.
"Hynerians have had it for thirteen thousand cycles."
"Nebari have had it for ten thousand."
"You can both shut up."
Jool glowered at the forward portal.
"We did have other things to do, like creating one of the most civilized societies in known space, Rygel, not worrying how much space we 'conquered' - that's why we're so sought after as teachers and instructors." She pursed her lips.
"I'd never heard of any of you until Crichton thawed you." Rygel told her blandly.
"Me, either." Chiana agreed with him.
"I said, you can both shut up." Jool growled at them, prompting smiles from the co-irritants.
"This husband of yours is down there?" D'Argo interrupted.
Jool shrugged.
"I assume so. I haven't seen him in 24 cycles remember, and even then, I was only 'with' him for less than a monen."
"Do you remember his name, at least?" D'Argo asked, watching the Operations console as Moya at last came to a full stop.
Jool thought a moment and surprised herself.
"Yes. Evigan Koiban."
"Fine. There has to be a registry or something of citizens. We'll see what we can find. But you have until Moya has rested for a few arns and then we have to return to Abbanerex."
"That's all it should take to annul this farce." Jool muttered. "Fine, if I have to do this, I want to do it sooner rather than later."
"I'll go down with her." Chiana volunteered. "Maybe I can get some shopping in, look for supplies."
"Supplies are a good idea. We couldn't get anything on Dovanni Notia." Rygel concurred.
Jool seemed to like the idea of not going down there alone.
"This is a Commerce planet – and a rather good one, D'Argo."
D'Argo eyed them both a moment longer.
"All right. We'll go down and you can deal with this Koiban fellow – and we'll look for supplies." D'Argo shook his tenkas. "Then we get the frell back to Abbanerex."
All agreed and Chiana and Jool were heading out of Command, Jool not at all enthusiastic.
"I can understand wanting to get Moya back and fixed up, but is there really this much of a rush?" Chiana asked him as they headed to the hanger. "We can trust this Crichton. He's Crichton."
"That's not it, Chiana." D'Argo replied. "Something's not right about that place. Or this place. I don't trust the circumstances. Something's frelling off. So watch yourself."
D'ARGO'S ADVICE WAS DEAD ON THE MONEY.
They had not been on the planet a full arn when trouble found them. They were in the central port, D'Argo and Jool running through a database of citizens looking for Evigan Koiban, when Chiana vanished. Rygel had noticed it first.
"Where's Chiana?" He'd asked.
"What do you mean?" D'Argo asked, looking up and around. "She wasn't supposed to have gone anywhere." He hit his comm, called her. Nothing answered him but static.
"Why does this happen every time?" He muttered, as he scanned the sea of heads before him. He cursed. "This is impossible."
D'Argo looked back at Rygel, who had floated above. He shook his head. Nothing he could see. "Keep trying to comm her, Rygel."
The Dominar nodded and moved off slightly. D'Argo turned to Jool.
"How well do you know this planet?"
"Not that well." Jool said sourly.
"Come on then," D'Argo told her. "Let's find your husband. He'll know better."
They dug back into the database and thus failed to notice the sea of heads beginning to part, like the waves before a boat's prow. Rygel nudged D'Argo as the point of the wedge got closer.
Out of it stepped a V'rahn and two rather large beings, which Jool identified as "Pacifiers", and all three belonged to the local Ashkelon Warlord. "Pacifiers" were a kind of Warlord 'police' service. They were engineered blocks of muscle, bone and little brain, in straight black uniforms, armed with dense bodies and thick armor, provided with shock lances that could render an entire troop transport unconscious with one zap.
The V'rahn, haughty as all of their kind, stopped several paces away.
"I am P'tahrah. On behalf of my Master, D'Strand'm'tah of the Sevarant Clan, I am here to pay you for your Nebari."
A large bag of money was tossed to D'Argo's feet at the V'rahn's gesture.
"What?" D'Argo sputtered. "She's not for sale!"
"Immaterial. She's been bought." The V'rahn turned with immense unconcern. "I would advise you to take your payment and await further instructions."
D'Argo's Qualta blade flashing was all his answer consisted of, but it didn't matter. One of the Pacifiers dropped his lancer to the floor and everyone in the space of a dozen motras dropped to the floor. Rygel had backed off on his sled almost to the ceiling. He was ignored.
The V'rahn, to the conscious part of the living sea before him intoned, "A transaction had been completed with this Luxan. The Ashkelon frown on interference in their business dealings."
So saying, s/he and the Constables moved back through the crowd, and D'Argo could take the slight consolation that, when he awoke, the money for Chiana would still be there.
