Chapter 35: Dangerous Arrangement

Loud music plays, lights flashing, with a few of them moving all around the club. People dance to the beats, and rythems produced by the speakers. Though some groups are a different species from each other; despite their differences, the sound of music are enjoyed by everyone.

Seeping through the crowd on the dance floor, and around the bar, up the spiral staircase, into the lounge; Leah, Kase, and Anya, are seated, with a few of her guards surrounding them.

Leah narrows her eyes, perplexed at Anya's question.

"Just like that?" She said.

Anya tilts her head slightly, her eyes locked onto Leah's.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" Anya said, shifting her gaze to Kase, and back at Leah.

"What is it that you want from me?"

Leah looks at Kase for a moment, and back at Anya.

"We only need information," she said, crossing her arms.

"Information?" Anya simply said, her eyebrow raises slightly.

"Not what I was expecting."

Raising her hand, Anya looks at her own black nails.

"I'm listening," said she, viewing her nails at another angle with her fingers spread out. Just then, her eyes dart at them.

"Talk!" She said, with a stern tone in her voice.

"Alright..." Leah said,

"A few months ago, there was a ship that visited here." She averts her eyes, trying to recall her thoughts.

"You mentioned you've encountered other ningens," she added, looking at Anya.

"Did you perhaps meet one? Blue hair, her skin, darker than ours."

Anya leans her cheek on her hand, staring at Leah with a calm look on her face.

"I have met her," she said, sitting straight.

"Unlike you two, she lacked respect. I saw the way she looked at my race. She rubbed me in the wro-"

"Here you go ma'am," a waiter said, stepping towards her, and hands her a drink from his tray.

"Will that be all?" He turns to Kase, and Leah.

"I see that you have guests." He added.

"Care for a drink you two?" Anya asked, taking a sip, and swallows.

"It will be on me."

"Oh, no thank you," Leah said, shaking her head.

"We've had our full last night." She starts chuckling.

Anya signals the waiter away, and takes another sip from her drink, only to place it on the small table near her feet.

"So, that woman," she said moving her leg off the other, and crosses them once more.

"You want information about her?" She asked.

"Yes," Leah said, with a nod, watching Anya's hand picking up the glass once more, and moves it to her lips.

"Do you know where she came from?"

"She's of the same race as you, correct?" Anya said, moving her index finger along the rim of the glass, gathering the pink powder in process, only to bring it near her own lips.

"It's obvious that she came from your own planet." She slowly licks the tip with her purple tongue.

Averting her gaze, Leah notices Kase's attention locked on Anya, causing her to raise an eyebrow. She turns to Anya once more.

"Dare I presume," Anya continues, slightly tilting her head.

"That ningen is a rogue." Her eyes narrow.

Leah shifts her gaze on the two scavengers beside Anya. The man keeps his cold gaze on her, only to walk away with the woman beside him.

"There were stories of people on my planet going rogue," she said, looking at Anya once more.

"Maybe she is one."

"I've learned quite a bit from that woman," Anya said, taking a sip from her drink.

"Which made me realize that the galaxy is far more restricted than one would think."

Hearing what she had just said, Leah begins to imagine many things, though she is still puzzled.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, urging Kase to look her way.

"Good question," Kase said, turning to Anya.

"I'll give you an example," Anya said, tilting her head slightly.

"You see my planet?" She pauses, making sure the two of them are still listening.

"As skilled as a person is, they can't go around doing whatever they want now." she takes another sip from her drink. "The same can be said about the galaxy; you can't go around doing what you want and expect to get away with it."

"What's your point?" Kase asked, frowning.

Anya narrows her eyes, and raises her chin slightly. "My point is..." She looks down at her drink for a moment.

"If you want me to give you any information," she said, looking up at them.

"You must first do something for me."

Leah remains quiet for a moment. With her arms still crossed, she starts twisting the fabric around her arm, bringing her thoughts back to when she first visited Epra. She lets out a soft sigh. "Great, another blacksmith scenario," she mutters, urging Anya to look at her.

"Whatever. What is it?" She asked, bringing Anya's request to mind.

Anya downs the rest of her drink, and places the glass on the table.

"Remember what I said about your kind having thieves in the mix?" She asked, only to receive their attention.

"It turns out that a ningen has been causing me trouble. She was brave enough to steal something very valuable to me."

"There's another ningen?" Leah asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Yes," Anya answered with a nod.

"She thinks she got away with it, I want you to prove her wrong."

"You want us to find her?" Leah said, with a calm tone in her voice.

Anya's purple lips twist into a smile.

"Exactly," she simply answered.

"Should we retrieve her, and your stolen item?" Leah asked, once more.

"Only my relic," Anya answered, her smile fades.

"As for that woman, I want you to kill her if you can." Her eyes narrow.

"Are you sure?" Kase said, urging Anya, and Leah to look at him.

"We could just take her back with us, and deal with her there on our own terms."

"No," Anya said with a sternful gaze.

"She took what didn't belong to her. Stealing from me has a price to pay, and that is death!" Her voice echoed through the lounge, everyone is still, and quiet.

Her face softens, only for her to adjust herself on her couch.

"Now that you know what I want, you'll do this for me," Anya said, her tone calm, and collected.

"Get my relic back, and I'll give you the information you want."

"How would we know her location?" Leah, asked looking at Kase, for a brief moment, and turns to Anya.

"Can you point us in the right direction?"

"Somewhere in the north, far outside of this town," Anya said, averting her gaze.

"I'll have to lend you a vehicle, I'm sure you'll have no problem operating it." She looks at them once more.

"Isn't the first time I've been here." Leah said, raising her hand slightly. Urging Anya to smile.

"Why haven't you tried killing her before, if I may ask?"

Anya's eyes narrow, only for her to cross her arms.

"For months I've been trying..." She said, with a stern tone in her voice.

"I've sent a lot of men and women after her, and they never reported back."

"She must have sold the relic by now," Kase said, only for Anya to glare at him.

"She has stolen from me many times before," Anya said, with a fustrated look on her face.

"Yesterday was the same issue, and the last time it will be."

"She sounds like a pain." Leah said, letting out a slight chuckle.

"I was about to send those other two after her," Anya said, letting out a sigh, her gaze drawing to the stairs.

"But they would likely have ended up being killed as well." She looks at them once more.

Leah locks her eyes on the unreadable text streaming along the screen, only to look down at Anya.

"So you changed your mind?" She said, puzzling look etched on her face.

"Why pick us instead?"

"Well, I can't afford to lose any more people," Anya answered.

"No offense, but you have no value to me. There won't be any loss if she kills you both."

"I understand," Leah said, looking at the floor for a moment.

"Hey," Kase said, urging both, Leah, and Anya to look at him.

"I've heard that this planet is very dangerous, and chaotic. So far it doesn't seem that way." He stares at Anya, waiting for an answer.

Anya lets out a chuckle.

"That's because we're in one of the safer zones of the planet," she said, looking directly at him.

"Elsewhere you'll be lucky to even step through those areas without losing your head."

"So why not leave?" Leah asked, tilting her head slightly.

Anya shakes her head, her eyes staring blankly at the floor.

"I can't leave," she said, looking up at them.

"This is my home. How could I?"

"You're right." Leah said averting her eyes for a moment, and looks at Anya.

"Well..." She stands up from her seat.

"I suppose we'll go find that thief."

"Hold on," Anya said, gesturing her hand out to them, only for her to look at the guard beside her.

"Escort them to one of our vehicles."

"Understood," the guard said, and starts walking towards the stairs, followed by Leah, and Kase.

"Oh, and by the way!" Anya called out, urging them to look at her.

"It was rather pleasant talking to both of you. For your sake, I hope we'll see each other again soon."

Leah, and Kase, smile at her.

"I can say the same," Leah said with a nod, and proceeds down the stairs with Kase.

---

Outside of the club, where muffling sounds of music can be heard through the thick walls. The guard leads Leah, and Kase towards a grey, two-door vehicle, which resembles a lot of the hover vehicles that travel around the town.

In front of the frame where a driver, and passenger would be, the body of the vehicle cerves down as it reaches the front. The base of the body is covered with dust, and dirt. The vehicle itself has seen its fair share of travels.

"So it's this one?" Leah said, turning to the guard.

"This is it," the guard said, gesturing his hand out to it.

"You should have no problem with it. There are weapons in the trunk if you need."

He hands her a miniature device.

"That's the key to get it started." He said with a calm tone in his voice.

"What do you think, Leah?" Kase asked, standing across her on the other side of the vehicle.

"I think this will do, I suppose," Leah said, looking at it, and rests her hand on the roof. She turns to the guard behind her.

"Well, we'll be going now."

The guard nods, and walks back to the club.

Turning to Kase, Leah smiles slightly.

"You want to drive?" She asked.

"I haven't driven these before," he answered, eyeing the vehicle.

"Nor did I the first time I came here." She tossed the key at him. Only to walk around the vehicle, urging Kase to do the same, and stands across her once more.

Opening the doors, they both climb into the vehicle.

"Hmm, more comfortable than I thought," Kase said, adjusting himself. He looks at the device for a moment, and looks for a port to insert it with.

"There it is," Leah said, pointing near the middle of the console.

Following her instruction, he places the key in the slot, and twists. Causing the console to light up, and the engine to roar. Just then, the vehicle slowly levitates off the floor as it wobbles slightly.

"Woah..." Kase said, controlling the wheel.

"That was unexpected."

"Just be gentle with it," Leah said, gesturing with her hand.

"You'll slowly adapt to it."

She looks ahead of herself.

"Now... Slowly accelerate forward," watching ahead, the vehicle starts moving slowly.

"That's good," she starts nodding with a growing smile.

"Just like back home," Kase said, chuckling. Only to drive out of the parking lot, and only the dirt road. As he continues driving, the vehicle slightly wobbles as the bumps on the road pass by.

"Little bumpy for a hover vehicle, hey?" Leah said, looking at him with a smile.

"Yes," Kase simply said with a chuckle.

"It's not bad though."

Leah presses a button on the console, turning on the screen in the process. What she sees, is a map layout which is all in blue.

"Is that a map?" Kase asked, taking a quick look at it.

"Yes," Leah simply, said typing on the screen.

"All we have to do now is exit the town, and make sure we stay north." She looks ahead once more, watching as the buildings, and vehicles pass by.

"Alright," Kase said, adjusting his grip on the wheel.

"That sounds simple enough."

"Let's see if there's music," she said, pressing another button. Only for static come through the small speakers, until the sound of music fades in.

"There we go." She bops her head slightly, and leans back into her seat.

Kase chuckles, keeping his eyes in the road ahead.

"You, and your music," he said, taking a quick look at her.

"I do love my music," Leah said, closing her eyes with a slight smile.