"Alec, this is unlike anything I expected to see."

  "Just keep it rolling, Quip, take us right up to the baronhood. I got the same worries you do."

  "The rebellion?"

  "Most likely, the Teretha peoples."

  "Are you ok with this?"

  "With quelling an already oppressed people? Quip, do you need to ask?"

  "I would think not usually. That said, you're asking me to go forward rather than back. Even your distaste for reserve mode can't be worth this."

  "It's not. We're locked in Quip. Did you see that station back there? One word from Von Sinclair and we'd be vapour."

  “Alec”

  “Yes Quip?”

  "I regret mentioning this contract and course of action."

  "So do I."

  The last was stated as Quip rolled up to another forty-foot wall. Clean illuminated letters simply stated Sinclair. This man's ego was large and fragile. Quip fell silent as scanners reached out once again, confirming no changes since the trip through the rift-station. A large buzzer began to sound, and the gates cracked open, mechanically rolling to the side to allow the vehicle inside the baron hoods walls.

  The town within the walls was a day-to-night contrast to the abject poverty Alec had witnessed on the way in. Opulent wooden slat houses and shops lined cobbled streets. Real wood, that was rare these days. Children played in the yards, and people laughed, enjoying each other's company. Quip only just fit on the road, and Alec noticed small two-wheeled vehicles that mimicked ridable beasts Alec had seen in pictures.

  The military presence was interwoven into each intersection. Mechanized soldiers walked on guard, focused on the fence between the Teretha people and the baronhood estate. After a dozen intersections, the road cleared to a large driveway up to a grey wood-slatted mansion. It was three stories tall with balconies on each floor surrounding the house. The white shutters gave it the semblance of a barracks. The soldier presence along the driveway increased, but they all paid Quip and Alec no mind. They must all be tied into a central communication. That would give Quip some inside ears if it could get into the system.

  Alec pulled Quip manually into a space left between two larger weaponized vehicles parked in a circle around a central fountain. The water that flowed was crystal clear, and Alec lamented the Teretha people as he watched some of it evaporate into the desert air. Instead of exiting through the cockpit, he wandered into the back again. He armed the passive defence system and muttered.

  "Sorry, buddy, no rest or recharge, keep it hot." The only answer was the continued gentle hum of the vehicle at ready. Alec turned his attention to the boy, talking while he fumbled around in the drawer he reserved for the collection of medical supplies he kept. "Plans changed, kid, don't get happy about it, but something ain't right here. I can't let you go, don't know if you'd make it if I did. But I also can't have you causing problems." He found the hypo he was looking for and walked over to the cell's bars. The boy was looking alarmed, and Alec took the moment of shock to move. He activated a small amount of amaranth to engage his reflexors and lurched forward with inhuman speed. In a second, it was done, and the boy lay sedated on the floor.

  Alec holstered his whistler, checked his appearance and opened the bay door from the cabin. Immediately, the sounds of music like they play in the older baronhood families' parties. It was choppy and had a watery rhythm, but they loved to dance to it. The soldiers in the area acknowledged him but showed no concern. They seemed soaked in the overconfidence that accompanied the baronhood elite. The lordling of this manor, von Sinclair, must be a force to be reckoned with, according to these people. How did he keep them in line?

  Over the years, Alec had seen all types of force or coercion to keep the baron hoods' subjects cowed and worshipping the oil god. None of those prepared him for the mind of Baron Von Sinclair. Alec walked up to a bright yellow door, the only splash of colour on the entire building. A small, mousey woman with dark black hair, a raven's beady eyes and the hunch of one who spends most of their time in ledgers or books raised a hand towards him.

  "You must be Alec." Her voice was a strict staccato accent not native to this planet. She bowed at the waist ever so slightly, extending her hand in greeting. Alec reached his own forward.

  "I am."

  "I am Madam Zelsim. I operate the Baron's house. He awaits you in the display room."

  "Art collector?"

  "Something like that." With her accent, the "t's' disappeared into an "s," leaving her saying "somsing." That put Alec on edge; most of the baronhood boasted collections as badges of honour. Whether it be weapons, substances, art or even lives, the baronhood used its wealth and boredom to the most creative ends. "Please follow me".

  As the rest of the patrons returned to their gossip, primarily centred around Alec's presence, the Baron drew him closer to the map of the planet.

  "Tusong resides in this ridge here." The Baron was straight to business, which was good for Alec. When a client was eager for results, Alec knew he would get a long leash. That may mean the difference between survival and extinction of his kind. The hand of the Baron was extended dramatically again, like a child pointing to a toy it desired. It indicated a small ridge to the north-west of the manor that Alec was currently in.

  Directly north, Alec could see where half of the mountain had been removed, and small pockmarks indicated the tunnels that led into the precious mine. "That, at least, is where we lost contact with them. Do you have a Digifiler? I can have this all uploaded. Alecs' open palms indicated he did not have one. His digitally offset eyes caught the light, and the Baron understood. It was already all in Alec's mind, locked in with the power of his augmented body.

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  "What do you know of threats, weapons, personnel, vehicles? If you want this done quick, information matters."

  "They raided a small armoury a while back, and then Braccus' guard, they have enough slug-loaded pistols to outfit them all, plus a few energon rifles. Can't be more than a couple of dozen of them, but they stick to the rocks and ambushed the soldiers. I can't lie, it makes me proud in a way, I gave them that. Though I'd be lying if I didn't think they came by it naturally, but they belong in the caves and the dirt, and this collection of vermin is particularly filthy."

  Alec could hear centuries of learned hatred in those words, but he could tell by the way the Baron uttered them that he believed them to the core. The Baron continued, "Do you need any armaments? Supplies?" Alec watched the man's eyes wander to the Aamaranth woman suspended just beyond the map. He had the look in his eyes of a man filled with jealous obsession.

  "Got everything I need." The Baron didn't acknowledge his reply or take his eyes off the woman. Instead, he placed a patronizing arm around Alec and pulled him closer to the woman until they came within a hand's reach of her.

  She was beautiful, Alec had to admit. Her form begged to be drawn; the emperor had her draped in sheer sheets that were completely see-through. Alec instead focused on her eyes; he tried to put compassion and respect into his as her irises indicated she registered their presence.

  "She's my Aamaranth fire." The Baron's words were a reverent hiss. "When I first saw her, I knew she was meant for me, and I simply must have her. A man of my position would not mix blood with that, but to look at…" his voice trailed off like he was living some depraved fantasy. "Isn't the work immaculate? See how her veins yet pulse with life. And how her eyes ignite when she looks upon me." He moved like a jilted lover to stand between the gaze that the woman and Alec shared. The Baron seemed to regret for a moment allowing Alec so close, then a smirk crossed his face. "Isn't it poetry that one you desire to touch so deeply would ignite a star system with the most gentle of caresses.

  The Baron moved his hand up to mime wiping the back of his hand on the woman's cheek in an intimate way. Alecs' revulsion sent sparks to his fingers that itched for his gun. She had no agency in this. Alec's heart told him Tusong was justified in his plight. Alec's head told him he was here on a contract, on a planet he had no chance of escaping unless he did what he was here to do. This universal weight felt like rolling a boulder from the gods up an uneven hill. He thought he would push on the Baron's clear sense of urgency. This man's ego struggled with the idea that one who defied him had lived so long.

  "I want half up front."

  "Do you know? I don't believe that was in the contract. The price alone should be incentive enough."

  Alec didn't answer; he just stared at the man, then at the map where the rebels were said to be. Alec realized the rest of the room had gone silent, leaning in to witness what came next. The prominent vein in the Baron's neck began to pulse with angered tension. He took it in stride and returned to perform for his loyal followers.

  "But how could we squabble!? You are, after all, in the heart of the last Aamaranth mine. It is mere drops in the bucket to me." After this last statement, some of the crowd returned to hushed whispers, and Alec got the feeling that something wasn't adding up. Aamaranth was rare, but to boast oceans of it would imply a control system; outside of the explosive required for terraforming new planets and drilling new mines, Alec believed himself to be the only one in need of Aamaranth.

  The Baron waved to his Madam in charge, and the staunch lady walked over to him. "Take Alec to the reserve stores and provide him with… five vials of his payment in advance." It wasn't half, but Alec would take it; this man seemed unpredictable enough, and he was regretting the push already.

  He took one more look at the Aamaranth girl before following Madam Zelsim back the way they had come. Alec checked his impact suit, while it probably wouldn't protect from an explosion the likes of which this woman could produce. It made him feel safer nonetheless. He felt it cradling him, protecting him from the environment that would be so lethal to her.

  His thoughts came back to focus as he followed the second in command down a separate hallway to a magnilift. They entered, and she placed a key into the pad and pressed some numbers in quick succession. The lift began descending many meters into the rocky earth beneath the mansion.

  When the doors opened, Alec took in the largest lab he had ever seen. The rock roof down here, clearly blown away with Aamaranth, appeared to be reinforced with impact-dampening armour. The walls and floors were built of similar material. What he saw now was a bunker that could possibly survive a levelling of this planet's surface. It seemed the Baron valued preparation as much as he did. Madam Zelsim led him down the corridor to a large, official-looking office door. She placed her bare palm in a scanner while raising her eyes to another. The door clicked with multiple locks and then slid to the right. It too was impact resistant.

  Madam Zelsim's office was a large circle, near the back, and Alec could see light coming from a window or screen he couldn't quite make out through the maze of equipment. It smelled of sweet Aamaranth and dried blood. The machines themselves looked like implements of surgery or torture; it was hard to say. She walked deeper into the room.

  "Looks like the baron has found a kindred spirit in you."

  Alec pretended not to hear her. The thought made him sick. She kept going regardless, while she moved to a powered safe in the back. Alec weaved his way through machines, keeping an eye out for any possible surprises.

  "I saw the way you looked at the girl. Like a thirsty man craving water. That's my work, you know," she looked exceedingly proud of herself. "I'm close to cracking the mystery of your kind, and soon you may have some siblings!" Alec stopped dead in his tracks. The concept was terrifying. He looked around at the instruments around him. The concept was unlikely at this stage.

  She handed him a cool fibrasteel box, cracking it open. The vials inside glowed with a light Alec had never seen before. She could see the sparkle in his eye as he had to stifle the urge to lick his lips. He knew what it was before she spoke. "Pure, unrefined, Aamoranth." The words hung in the air. "Perhaps I have you wrong, the look you have now is of a craved man seeking comfort." She nearly cackled. Alec took the box and tucked it in one of the jacket's internal pockets.

  He turned to go, but the window in the back caught his eye. It was a large viewport that opened into an enormous warehouse. Far below, workers toiled in silence, taking careful, measured steps. The purple haze in the air was undeniable; this was an Aamaranth processing floor.

  What caught his eye, however, was not the amounts of Aamaranth being processed but who was doing the processing. Everything finally clicked into place, and the puzzle took a shape Alec recognized. The rebellion, the hardness of the Baron, the fear of even his followers. It all made sense. Below him were all the Teretha children who had been lacking in the camp on his way in. Every child had a haunted, terrorized look on their faces, and they moved with the spirit of those who witnessed death daily.

  This world, this private mine, owned and operated by one of the eldest of the baronhood's families, was a collection of atrocities that amounted to war crimes. And yet this planet was not on the exception list; rather, it was protected. All for the precious Aamaranth.

  Alec looked into the mental mirror with pure disgust. In the grand scheme of things, if he continued down this path, he was no better than Baron Von Sinclair himself. In that moment, he knew this contract would not go the way he had thought or planned.