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Chapter Six

I n Kyden’s office in the Five systems…

“After a lot of careful inquiries and talking to people I prefer not to speak with, I can confirm your man is a prisoner in Outlier,” Prince Pargen said over the open com.

“The whole thing is strange and nearly a comedy of errors but there’s nothing you can do now.

No one leaves Outlier once they’ve been taken there against their will.

I know you’re close friends with Benet but my counsel is to accept the situation and forget trying to rescue him. ”

Kyden growled, his inner beast agreeing with him that wasn’t an option. “I can’t abandon my brother-at-arms. I won’t leave him there. There have to be options, some way to extract him.”

Elara gave him a concerned glance, her gaze lingering on his huge talons, fully deployed. “Perhaps if you can tell us what you learned, it might help,” she said tactfully, addressing the prince’s holo image.

“Nichevsky, the Grand Duke who had him kidnapped, is a sportsman and a gambler. A losing gambler from what I gather. He’s wanted to win top honors at the Empress’s Games for decades but always fails.

What inspired him I can’t even guess but he got the idea to field a Badari as a member of his team.

” Pargen’s holo shrugged. “No one in Outlier pays much attention to the gladiatorial battles in the Five Systems but I guess your fame as the Death Dealer has penetrated even there. A mixed blessing in this case. Nichevsky hired a team of mercenaries and sent them here with orders to capture a Badari gladiator for him. Apparently no one realized you’re not all actual Badari despite the name of the House. ”

“So these idiots would have settled for any man from my roster?” Kyden said with scorn. “Fools indeed. Benet is the absolute top of the roster of fighters who aren’t of my Badari blood but there’s a vast gap between what a human can do and what I can do.”

“They probably wouldn’t have taken you yourself?—”

“Damn straight. I’d have killed them first.”

“I was going to say because you’re too famous.” The prince’s answer was mild. “You’re sure you won’t take my first piece of advice?”

“With respect, Your Highness, no.”

“Fine. I knew you’d say that. I’ve managed to secure you a meeting with the Empress’s First Minister. It was impossible to get to her in person.”

Kyden blinked. Taking a meeting seemed like such a mild suggestion. “And what am I to do at this meeting?”

“Get yourself one of Senator Vasclavian’s fancy, fully armed cruise yachts, sail into Outlier bold as brass with the border pass I got you, proclaim you’re there to watch your man in the Games—I got you tickets for the event Benet is scheduled for—take whatever papers you have to prove you own him and demand his return immediately. ”

“I don’t understand,” Elara said. “First of all Benet isn’t a slave. Kyden freed everyone when he bought the House. But if Outlier is so impenetrable and hostile, how is claiming ownership going to help?”

Pargen leaned close to the holo cam. “Outlier has a complex system of slaves, thralls, serfs, indentured servants and who knows what else, going back to the original founding of the initial colony. The ruling classes—and especially the Empress—take all of it quite seriously. She or her minister in this case, won’t approve of Nichevsky having interfered with someone else’s slave.

Sets a bad precedent. You have to be careful because if the Empress approved of what Nichevsky did, there’d be no hope at all for you to save Benet.

But the Duke isn’t in particularly good standing with her so I doubt he asked for her permission.

My next piece of advice? If the minister rules in your favor, which I believe he will—" Kyden immediately assumed Pargen had paid a big bribe to the official in question, another favor he’d owe the prince when Pargen decided to collect his markers—“ Be the bigger man and make a deal with Nichevsky. He can save face if you and he make it appear you had a contract for Benet to travel there and compete on behalf of the duke’s duchy.

Then as soon as the damn Games are done, if Benet survives, which from what I heard about the event he’s in, could be in serious doubt, have him give Nichevsky the gold medal and get your asses out of there. ”

Elara and Kyden exchanged glances. He pointed one huge talon at her. “You are not coming with me on this insane errand.”

“Will you take Rennyr and Talinn?” she asked, not bothering to protest his edict.

“Talinn definitely. I need Rennyr here with you, to run the House. Thank the goddess it’s the off season and fairly quiet right now.” Kyden looked at the prince. “I can’t ever thank you enough for all you’ve done to help Benet.”

Pargen set his fingertips to the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. “Yes, well please try to avoid Outlier problems in the future. And if you get in trouble while you’re there, it’ll be out of my hands.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll have my courier bring you the border pass, the information on the meeting with Minister Gorbsiolsky. and the Games tickets. today. Good luck with this.” The prince signed off.

“Will your father lend me a ship yet again?” Kyden asked. “This is different than any other request I’ve made of him.”

“We need our own,” Elara said. “I’m going to talk to him about leasing us one because we can’t afford to buy one outright and pay the upkeep.

Yet. The House is doing well, and our other business ventures are doing even better but a spaceship like the ones in my father’s fleet are outside our budget. ”

“All the special features he’s added,” Kyden said with a wink, thinking about the armaments the Vasclavian ‘yachts’ carried, as well as many highly advanced technical systems. As always he wondered briefly if the senator was planning an armed rebellion at some point in the future but the family was so rich and powerful no one questioned his fleet, not even the titular ruler of the Five Systems.

“Interstellar travel might as well be in comfort,” she replied, quoting her father. “I’ll com him now. I’ll see if he has any contacts in Outlier who could be useful to you once you arrive.”