Chapter 54

Inari and Priya made their way through the thoroughfare of Drahl’tothen station. The pair of them knew where they were going and arrived there fairly quickly. Once they got there, they were glad to see many things that were familiar to them. That of all things that differed from species to species, the overall design and atmosphere of a bounty hunter’s guild hall hadn’t changed.

The main entry was littered with wannabes and aspiring hunters, all of whom were jockeying to get in. Likely to try to appeal to the local magistrate to get accepted for a trial run, to show that they had what it took to be a hunter. Both women smiled as they ambled on up to the main entrance, where a pair of burly, heavily armed guards stood.

“You two want an audience with the magistrate, get in line like everyone else here. Don’t care how hot you two look,” the human guard told them.

“Oh, we’re not aspirants. We’re hunters, here to see the magistrate on official hunter business,” Inari said, pulling out her ID card, which she activated with a flick of her hand. A holo of who she was and what she’d done as a hunter flaring to life in front of everyone who could see it.

Priya had done much the same, showing her own credentials as Inari’s partner and an accomplished marksman to boot. The human looked over the credentials while the other guard, a magenta-scaled hybrid of a human-Takharian woman, double-checked the IDs on a tablet. Her eyes widened slightly, then looked the two women over and put the tablet away.

“They are who they say they are, Rohlns. Let them pass,” the Takharian woman told him.

“Double checked, Rupazka?” the man questioned.

“What do you take me for?” she asked while fixing him with a glare.

“Fair enough. Welcome back, hunters,” Rohlns told the women. Just as both women advanced to go through the doors, Rupazka stepped up and spoke to them both.

“I know who you two are. My sister was one of the women you freed on Tahrion V. I just wanted to say thank you, on her behalf, and that of my family,” the Takharian woman told them.

“You’re welcome. Live as a hunter...” Inari said to the woman.

“ ... and die as a hunter!” Rupazka said, finishing the line.

Inari and Priya smiled, glad to see that their reputation preceded them. It was always a good thing when those in the guild had your back. The pair then passed through the double doors and walked into the guild hall proper. Much of it was structured like a bar, as many a hunter was often in need of a good stiff drink at the end of a hunt.

There was also a small dining area, which catered to dozens of different cuisines across just as many species. The guild hall was about half full, and some of their fellow hunters turned to look at who had just walked in. Some of the men and women there smiled at the pair as they recognized seasoned veterans like themselves. Others just minded their own business, as they were too engrossed in their food or drink.

The walls had various holoscreens on them, showcasing active bounties and ranking each one by difficulty. Some were easy runs, but didn’t pay much. Such scores were often left to the rookies, as most veterans often went after higher bounties. Some of the hunters there were checking the rosters, deciding on whom to bring in next.

There were a lot of dead or alive contracts, but few were of the purely alive variety. Most of the time, the bounties were brought in dead, as that meant less trouble for the hunter. Alive rates were often higher, as that meant more hassle, but some hunters did pride themselves on being skilled enough to bring in their targets alive. Such hunters were few, and often expensive, but highly sought after.

“Hmph! Bring ‘em in warm, or bring ‘em in cold, eh?” Priya chuckled.

“Ah! Those were the days!” Inari said in reminiscence.

The pair continued to walk on past some hunters, as they were looking over the latest bounty roster. Those who were on it were Collective agents who had been outed during the Battle of Veldhern. The UCW had posted these bounties directly, offering a minimum payday of five-hundred thousand credits as a starting bounty. Priya’s eyes widened and nodded over at the bounty roster with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Later. We have an appointment to keep,” Inari reminded her girlfriend.

Sighing, but smiling all the same, Priya followed Inari to the back of the main hall, where a pair of massive guards stood watch. One of them was a Khontaran woman, while the other was a massive human man, nearly eight feet in height! They both looked down at the approaching women with questioning looks on their faces.

“Hunters Sunara and Patel, here to see Magistrate Varga,” Inari told the pair. They flashed their ID badges and, once they were scanned, both guards stood aside and let them pass. Once they were through the door, they walked for a moment down a small hallway that ended at another door.

‘Scan complete. No hidden weapons or biohazards detected. Entry is permitted,’ a robotic voice sang out, giving them the go ahead to proceed. This sort of thing was standard protocol when it came to the security of guild magistrates. Thiers was a messy business, and some people could take things personally if a friend, colleague or loved one had a bounty on their head and was being brought in.

The door slid open, and they walked into the most flamboyant and plant-ridden office they had ever seen. It was a round room and quite large, with plants of multiple varieties and colors festooning the room. There were also lavish decorations, paintings, and even the odd tapestry or war banner on the walls. At the far end stood a desk, and sitting behind it in a luxurious armchair, sat a man who dressed as flamboyantly as the room was!

“Magistrate Varga?” Inari questioned, stepping forward to the man who sat facing them.

“Ah! Welcome, Hunters Sunara and Patel!” the man said as he got to his feet, stepping out to greet her and Priya. “I assume you are finding Drahl’tothen station to your liking?”

“It isn’t bad, but it’s been some time since I’ve been here. What happened to Magistrate Lorak?” Inari questioned.

“Oh, dreadful business that! My predecessor was a ... less than honorable man. Gambling debts, which led to certain ... assets being taken as collateral. Must I go on?” the man asked, believing the ladies had caught onto what he was talking about.

“No, no need. I did hear that the man had some issues going on, but he kept them pretty close to the vest,” Inari commented.

“Too damned close, if you ask me! The Druklath incident has left a terrible taste in the mouths of all those involved,” Varga told the women.

Inari and Priya’s eyes widened, as such an incident was well known to both women. The Druklath incident, from what they had heard, was about how an upstanding guild member had compromised guild-only assets to a local gang. Details were hard to come by, as it was a dark stain on the Bounty Hunters’ guild reputation. The council themselves had to step in directly in order to see it dealt with.

While the details of the incident weren’t known, what was known was the fact that one of their own had betrayed the guild in the pursuit of personal profit. Even among hunters, betraying the guild like this was a capital offense, for which there was only one punishment. While the official line was that the problem had been rectified, rumors swirled that the main offender had gotten away.

“He was a part of that?” Priya yipped, knowing that such a thing was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Lorak was the one who started it! I trust that you two are capable of keeping that little detail to yourselves?” Varga questioned, glancing at both women with a deadly serious look.

“That we can. No sense in stirring shit that’s best left alone,” Inari told the man.

“I am glad that we see eye to eye on this matter. Now, how can I be of assistance to the pair of you?” the magistrate asked.

“It’s more like we need a pair of bounties lifted from friends of ours,” Inari told the man. “They have both been sitting in an inactive state for a while, so if at all possible, we would like them removed.”

“I see. Now, who might your friends be?” Varga asked, sitting up as he got ready to do business.

“Taal’ani and Doctor Korsa,” Priya informed the man.

“Ah! Just one moment!” Varga told the women as he stepped back behind his desk and brought up the holo of the bounties on the women. The man whistled when he saw the amount of credits that both bounties could bring in.

“These two are your friends?” Varga questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“They are. As I’ve stated, they have been in an untouchable state for some time, as no one has been able to claim either of the bounties. Then there’s the sticky bit about those who posted the bounties to begin with. There have been other bounties posted by these people, but the payout wasn’t as promised,” Inari explained.

“Not to mention that the parties in question don’t appear to have the credits necessary to make good on the payments,” Varga commented. The man examined the bounty postings further, scrutinizing the people who had posted the bounties. Their credit score was well into the red, showing that they weren’t good for the bounty.

“You know, you two are lucky that the credit rating of those who posted these bounties is so bad, or these bounties would have been reactivated. I see that there was some recent activity over on Seerahn station,” the magistrate told the pair of them.

“Yes. Not quite the sort of business we go around advertising,” Inari sighed regretfully.

“Again, you two are lucky, as violence against fellow members of the Guild is prohibited. Since they made the first move in trying to take you and your friends down, any protection the Guild offered these three was forfeit. Not to mention that these three you killed on Seerahn were mere aspirants and had yet to prove themselves to the ranking members of the Guild,” Varga told them. He gave the women a knowing look, showing that while the matter was distasteful, he approved of their actions.

“Our thanks for your understanding on the matter, Magistrate,” Inari told him with a slight bow.

“So, considering that you two were on the right side of things with this event, there will be no penalties to the pair of you. I see no issue with us continuing to discuss the bounty removal from your friends,” Varga replied cheerily.

“Thank you, Magistrate. Would it be possible to have these bounties stricken from the record today?” Priya asked, hoping they could get this business done and over with.

“While I would love to help out a pair of fellow hunters in this manner, I am afraid that the ability to rescind these bounties is beyond even my capable reach. You do see who signed off on the bounties to be posted, yes?” Varga asked, gesturing to the name of the person who authorized the bounty posting.

“Councilor Tornkhal. Wasn’t he ejected and summarily executed for his role in trying to usurp the authority of the Council?” Inari queried.

“That he was, but you see, therein lies the problem with the Council itself. When one of their own authorizes a hunt, it takes a Council vote in order to have it rescinded. Even if a council member is disgraced and ejected, like Tornkhal was. So, unfortunately, you will have to pay a visit to the Council directly and plead your case to them,” Varga told the pair of them.

“I understand. Would you be gracious enough to tell us where exactly they are located, so we may see about gaining an audience with the Council?” Priya asked.

“That, I can! They are currently planetside on the world of Terra Nova. They just recently moved there, so there is no issue with them pulling up stakes and moving again,” Varga responded.

This elicited a slight groan from both women, but it was expected. Because of the business they were in, the Council was often on the move, never fully settling down in one place. Too many issues and problems with hunkering down in just one place, not to mention the people who would want to come at them, given half a chance. So, the Council always moved locations once every five years as a means of not staying static or getting complacent.

The worlds or stations they would select were often among the most secure or most difficult to get passage to. Then there was the entourage of bodyguards, automated defenses, among other things that the Council always had with them, so they would stay safe. Some people had thought of it as excessive, but as the leaders of a veritable army of seasoned soldiers, warriors, and hunters, it was necessary.

“Well, our thanks for telling us about where the council is, Magistrate. We humbly thank you for taking the time to speak to us,” Inari replied with a bow.

“You are most welcome. If I had some more time in the day, I would ask the pair of you to join me for tea. But alas, the job of a Guild Magistrate is never over,” Varga sighed regretfully.

With that, Varga dismissed the pair, and they left his office, not quite happy at the news. But they at least had a way forward, even if that way wasn’t going to be the most pleasant of paths.

“Babe? You OK?” Priya asked, seeing the troubled face of her girlfriend.

“Yeah. Just ... not liking the fact that we have to go back to the place where...” Inari said, letting the implications hang out there.

“It’s not the same world you came from, love,” Priya reassured the Persian woman.

“I know ... but it’s in the same system, and that’s bad enough as it is! That place is one I would just rather avoid!” Inari grumped.

“We all have to face down our demons sooner or later, hon. Better that it be sooner rather than later,” Priya told her.

“I know! It’s just ... I don’t know if I’m ready to face them down just yet,” Inari admitted, hating that this day was fast approaching her.

“If you want to be better for both me and Zuzie, then you’ll have to. It’s the only way to move forward with your life. You can’t keep going as you are with all that shit hanging around your neck. It’ll weigh you down and stop you from reaching for what you are meant to be,” Priya stated, entering her pep talk mode.

“You really are getting good at this, you know,” Inari replied quietly as they took a seat in the Hunter’s lounge and ordered a couple of drinks.

“What else do you think I’ve been doing when you’re not about when we’re in hyperspace?” Priya teased, smiling at her lover.

“OK then. Fair is fair. If I’m facing down my demons, then you are confronting yours,” Inari shot back.

Priya’s smile faltered a bit, as she knew what exactly Inari was talking about. While things were much more open with sex and sexuality these days, Priya’s family were staunch traditionalists. They expected her to find a good man, get married, have a bunch of kids, and settle down. Priya’s aunt and uncle, who had raised her, had practically mapped her life out for her, but she had other ideas.