The Instigator

Chapter 3

Two weeks later, Picard and Janeway had arrived in Outworld and gained a brief audience with the oracles. The cryptic reading confirmed their quest lay in Khot, and centered on "the daughter of the goddess", whatever that meant. Things in the Old Quarter were indeed heating up; another of the local thieves had been found killed, a feat only possible by the most elite of assassins. To that end, the pair split up: Picard investigated on the street, while Janeway conferred with Karst, King of Thieves in his protected lair. The whitewashed, four story cube occupied the end of an avenue fancifully called "the Promenade". Karst had an uneasy understanding with the local city watch. He'd demand no tribute from merchants as long as they were free to join him.

Janeway wore a field outfit of gray over black in order not to stand out. She sat in a brown leather chair in Karst's cluttered office on the top floor. The bearish crime lord dressed all in black, setting off his white hair and mustache. His seat groaned when he sat down. He picked up Janeway's small phaser and communicator.

"The weapon only works for us," she said. "The other is a communicator. Since there are no space assets here, its range is limited to the city environs. I want to assure you that these are for our own defense; we have no intent to use them on your people."

Karst pushed them back to her across a desk pock-marked with knife tosses. "Nor do you worry about having them pinched. Such weapon is disgrace: any unworthy fool can take down the better man."

Only slightly relieved, Janeway secreted the items in her cloak. "This conflict between you and the Inquest is fated to affect my universe, to throw off the whole balance of power. Is there no way to negotiate with the Inquest?"

Karst reached up to spin a gold-wire globe of the world, brought back by Jili on one of her far-ranging quests. Similar treasures adorned the space. "Inquest has its own assassins, called Green Tips. They have no honor, because they use Tekniker gear like the Red Claw amazons do. This is who is killing my people on the street. Jili will answer death with death until she tires of it. Then she will do something truly crazy. Is just her way."

Janeway's combadge came alive with Picard's voice. "Admiral, I'm at the scene of the latest hit by the so-called Green Tips. The victim's name was Crimpo." Karst clenched a fist in anger. "I'll learn as much as I can concerning Jili's reaction. It seems she has enormous latitude."

"Understood," Janeway said. "I'll head for Montfort across the river for a chat with Sisra. After the Borg tried to get her, she'll probably refuse to go into hiding again, especially since it turned out to be unnecessary." The Colossus, an ancient planet defense monument, had been activated to destroy the Borg ship threatening the Outworld. The Borg queen of the future had reached back in an attempt to kill Sisra, but never got that far. Janeway rose from the creaking, sinking leather with an effort. "I'm grateful for your help, Karst. I can't guarantee we won't act to stop the Green Tips."

He chuckled. "You would be dead before you knew one was in town. No, leave this to Jili."

A street near the waterfront

Similarly dressed in nondescript garb, Picard stood apart as furious thieves mourned their late comrade. Crimpo had been a jolly, likable sort. His death had left his sidekick, a simple giant called Stomper, adrift. To avoid him being next, Jili had sent him to Montfort as a general hand about the abbey. The puddled street had earlier been the scene of an Inquest humiliation. Jili had destroyed a magic globe called a "sniffer", which homed on those with magic talent, drawing dire promises of revenge from the young Inquestor priest. They'd just witnessed the results.

When things had calmed somewhat, Picard made his way to where Jili squatted next to the body, attended by her number two, Karla. The latter had razored black hair and slim dark leathers that fairly bristled with stilettos. She cast Picard an unwelcome look.

Jili was aware of his presence. "It's Green Tip work, all right. They make it a point for you to know that." She lifted a piece of fabric. "Precision strike with a blade."

"Who's next," Karla mused. "This tit for tat is nowhere." She balanced a blade and spun it on a fingertip. Picard had to admire her skill. He'd heard the tale of how she'd thrown a bottle at a distant rat, which shattered against a wall and killed the critter.

Picard thought it time to interject his own agenda. "I know I'm an outsider, ladies, but seeing how this matter has a huge bearing on my world, I'd ask the same question Karla just did."

"It's very simple," Jili said, rising. Her shaded eyes gave her a corpse-like visage. "I'm going to give them a reason to come after me. I'm going to kill the Grand Inquestor."

Even Karla was taken aback. "Jills, that's taking a big chance."

"Grand Inquestor?" Picard asked.

Karla leaned against a blackened post, arms crossed. "Their temple is a fortified compound at the extreme north of the city, close to the Southern Sea. Getting in is only the half of it."

Given Karla's proper speech, Picard suspected her of being a rich kid who had run away from home for adventure. Killing the High Inquestor was exactly the sort of thing to escalate matters out of hand. "Karla's right. Even if you pull this off, you then have the Green Tips after you." The two girls looked unconcerned. For her part, Karla knew Jili had a broader plan in the works.

"Picard," Jili said, "you don't have to worry about Green Tips, since they don't know who you are. But the other bosses might get frisky if they know I'm scrapping with those guys. That little gadget of yours could come in handy if they make a play for our turf."

"Whatever I can do to help," Picard said, not relishing the idea of sewer diving and other antics used in thief wars.

Jili removed the twin swords at her back and handed them to Karla. "I don't plan on any fights. This is a grab-and-kill, nothing more."

Karla smiled as she pulled out a piece of jerky. "Which means a lot more, but we'll have to wait until she gets back to learn what it is." She grimaced at the approach of Skuff, Jili's informant and former mentor. The wiry man wore a sleeveless greatcoat, sporting a head shaved except for a topknot. He had a deceptively sleepy look that caused others to underestimate him. Picard had dreaded the meeting, having learned the man was an in-your-face blowhard.

"There he is," Skuff drawled, "the man with the lady gun. Show me how it works. I bet I won't even feel it."

Karla seemed amused; Picard was on his own. "Here," she offered. "Pull your hand inside your coat. That was it looks like you're a spell caster. We run into those now and then." Skuff had already taken position in a burned-out area between tall buildings that had no windows on the alley side.

"Very well." Picard made sure the phaser wouldn't clip his sleeve as he pulled the hand inside. He aimed and fired. A yellow beam lanced out to put Skuff on his back. True to his word, he was only stunned for a moment before struggling erect.

"Didn't even feel it!" he crowed. "But I reckon as how it'll put the eastside boys on their butts." He swaggered over to Picard and gave him a hearty back slap. "No hard feelin's when we go to scrappin', otherwise I hafta kill ya."

Picard looked down from his greater height. "Then I'm glad there are no hard feelings."