The Elarri Heist (Plundering the Stars Book 1) Read online

  “What business do you have?” he asked, his voice impossibly deep, like most of his kind.

  “I need to speak with Gedon.”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, but tell him his old friend Yan is here to see him.”

  The Vespon guard grumbled but thankfully did what I said. Sometimes bouncers thought they knew better, but I found that was rarely the case. He leaned his head onto his shoulder and spoke into a communicator. A gargled voice responded, speaking a language I didn’t recognize. The Vespon spoke in the same language. There was a long pause, then the voice said something again, and the Vespon clicked off the communicator.

  “You may proceed,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  The guard stood aside and produced a keycard from his pocket. He held it over a seemingly random brick until there was a click, and the wall suddenly shuddered, specks of dust and mortar raining to the floor as the brick shifted and the wall pushed back and slid away, revealing a doorway that descended into darkness.

  “Proceed down. You will be required to relinquish all weapons at the bottom. If any of you have an issue with that, stay behind.”

  We all looked at Amara. She frowned. “What? I’m not a bloodthirsty animal. Screw y’all.”

  I laughed. “We said nothing at all, my dear.”

  “Will there be a problem, Goon?” the guard asked.

  “Nope. We’re good.”

  “Then proceed.”

  So we did. We carefully picked our way down the stairs. The air was hot and musty, oppressive. Nothing compared to the nights on Ellara but still not particularly pleasant. But then we got to the bottom where light seeped in through a grated gate. Another Vespon guard stood in front. This one was skinnier and didn’t have such an intense, severe demeanor. Still, I wasn’t going to try to provoke that side out of him.

  He was flanked by security cameras. He cleared his throat and gestured toward a locker to his right. “Weapons in there.”

  I gave up my blaster pistol and a couple of grav-knives. The others did the same. Amara had the most, of course, pulling out weapon after weapon, most of which seemed small but could become much larger when needed. The Vespon looked at her with what seemed like an almost impressed expression. She sure could jam a lot of firepower onto her person.

  When we were finished, we allowed him to pat us down in case we were hiding anything. It was annoying, but I understood their caution. Information brokers accrued the favor of many powerful individuals, but they made just as many enemies. That made them pretty large targets, and Gedon was one of the best, so the bullseye on him was bigger than most. Better to be safe than sorry.

  Satisfied that we were disarmed, the guard nodded, turned around, and unlocked the gate. “Behave yourselves.”

  His tone was much too ominous for my liking.

  We emerged into a large and elaborately decorated foyer that looked like it belonged to some swanky blueblood mansion, rather than an underground information den. But then again, Gedon had always had a taste for gaudy things. The walls were lacquered and paneled in polished leather. There was a large crystal chandelier above, the crystals themselves giving off a warm glow that lit up the room in twinkling light.

  Jinx whistled. “This place is impressive.”

  “It seems like someone is compensating,” added Rowan.

  “No,” I said with the shake of my head. “Gedon just has a big ego and likes to show off his hard-earned wealth.”

  “Same difference.”

  There were three doorways ahead of us, though they weren’t blocked by doors but by heavy velvet curtains. We approached the guards that stood on either side of the center way. One was a Bantiss and was even taller than Pivek. They regarded each other coolly. He had several wicked-looking blades strapped to his back and chest. On the opposite of him was a buff Goon that was even paler than I was. He frowned at us but didn’t say a word. He lifted back the curtain and ushered us through.

  Gedon’s office wasn’t as lavish as the rest of his operation would make you expect. The room was trimmed in gold, sure, but otherwise, the wood walls and standard electric lighting were fairly tame for him. It was a mess of books and databanks and old paper. He loved to use paper things. Paper couldn’t be tracked. Paper couldn’t be deleted or detected with security software. Paper was subtle. His tastes were outlandish, but his techniques were not.

  We didn’t draw his attention right away. Instead, we stood in silence as he read through a yellowed scroll that must’ve been older than I was, but no doubt had some sort of new and relevant information for him. I knew he knew we were there. Ravkans had amazing senses of smell and hearing. Gedon just wanted to make us wait.

  But I was impatient so, unwisely or not, I cleared my throat.

  Gedon’s finger, which had been tracing over the words of the scroll, stopped. He stood, his yellow eyes turning to narrow slits. Gedon was Ravkan, a tall, reptilian humanoid race that was short-lived but incredibly ambitious and hardworking. Long and lanky, he appeared human aside from the green-brown scales that covered him from head to toe. Oh, and the spike-covered tail that flicked behind him with curiosity.

  “My, my, my. What a surprise to find Yan Slim Hands and his merry band of thieves standing before me. You know, I never really found that name becoming of you.”

  “We don’t always get to pick our names.”

  He smirked. “Hm. Indeed.” His eyes flitted to Amara. “And a pleasure to see you as well, Amara.”

  I shot my Zarthian friend a glance. “You’ve met before?”

  She shrugged. “Rebels need information too. How else do you think we take down operations and governments bigger than ourselves?”

  Gedon chuckled. “I think many would rather label you as a terrorist, my dear.”

  “It all depends on who’s telling the story. If they support you, you’re a rebel. If they’re against you, you’re a terrorist.”

  “Quite right. History is written by the victors, as they say.” Gedon stepped out from behind his desk, arms clasped behind his back. He cleared his throat and gestured to chairs stacked against one wall. “Please, sit. How can I help you all on this fine day?”

  We took our seats. I pulled my chair so that I was front and center. As I should be. “We need some assistance with a heist.”

  He smirked. “Naturally. Must be some mark if you’ve come to me for help.”

  “Oh, it is, I assure you.”

  “Well? Don’t leave me waiting.”

  I gave my friends each a glance, as if asking permission to dole out this information. I wasn’t, but sometimes appearances mattered. When I didn’t get a protest, I continued and gave the information broker the info he desired. “We’re going to rob Xarren Elexae’s vault.”

  He stared back at me, his mouth sealed shut. Unblinking, his yellow raptor eyes scanned me. Then, he burst into a raucous fit of laughter the likes of which I knew for certain was rare for him. I didn’t know if I should be annoyed or laugh along with him. I decided to just stay silent and let him get his giggles out.

  “You, Yan, are one bold man with a death wish.”

  “I’ll admit, it’s one of my more suicidal ideas.”

  “And he roped all of you into this?”

  Jinx shrugged. “I volunteered. I always have his back.”

  “I’m still on the fence,” said Amara with a subtle glare that dared me to renew our argument. I really wanted to, but now wasn’t the time. We had to be professional, no matter how hard that went against who I was.

  “Yes, well. I have a plan,” I continued. “But we need your help, Gedon. If you have the information we need.”

  He scoffed, as if offended. “I have all the information you could possibly need.”

  We’ll see about that. “Do you have a copy of the blueprints to Xarren’s mansion?”

  Gedon didn’t flinch. “Depends on which one you’re asking about?”

  That caught me off guard.
“He has more than one?”

  “Of course he has more than one. He’s the head of one of the most powerful and wealthiest crime families in Imperial Space. He’s got resources. Now, do you want his vacation home on Tishnu? The sport lodge on Ush’rai 7? The Elarra estate?”

  “Show off,” I grumbled. “The Elarra estate, the one with his vault.”

  “Ah, I do have the blueprint to that.” I rolled my eyes. Gedon smiled and went back behind his desk where he went about typing away at his console. I was relieved. Despite Gedon’s impeccable reputation and track record, even he had his limits on the information he could acquire. Though many Elarri building plans were public record, it was unlikely that Xarren Elexae would allow the secrets of his manor to be obtained easily. So for Gedon to have the blueprints for all his residences? Impressive.

  “This was not easy to come by, you know,” Gedon said as he typed away furiously. “Lost a very good agent trying to obtain it and received quite a bit of heat for it. It won’t be cheap.”

  “We can pay.”

  “I should hope so.”

  We’d been in luck when we stole the Diego. Her cargo of rare spices had fetched quite a good amount when we fenced it. That profit was bankrolling this current expense. That was unless Gedon tried to rip me off, and as an ambitious little Ravkan, he just might do that.

  His console pinged as the blueprint appeared as a small hologram before us. It was very elaborate and multilayered, but I didn’t dwell on the details. I would do that when we went through the plans.

  “Here we are,” he declared. “So, for this piece of information, I’ll need…thirty thousand digits.”

  My turn to laugh. “You must be joking.”

  “This is very sensitive and highly sought-after information.”

  “We can do fifteen.”

  “And I can have you leave.”

  “And you have to consider how our heist benefits you.”

  That gave him pause. “How so?”

  “If we succeed, not only will it put a big financial hit on Xarren Elexae, but it could signal to the other heads of the family that he’s weak and vulnerable, and could lead to infighting, which takes heat away from you. And when there’s fighting, there’s leaked information. All of that helps you.”

  He stroked his chin. “Maybe, Slim Hands. Twenty-five thousand.”

  I groaned. “You’re killing me.”

  “We’ll do twenty, Gedon,” Amara said suddenly. “And you’ll take that because you owe me for that job I did for you when you were just starting out a decade ago.”

  Gedon did not look happy at that. He didn’t like being reminded of his humble beginnings. “Fine. Twenty thousand.” He put out his hand to shake. “But if that heat gets turned on me again, you’ll wish that Elexae killed you.”

  “Fair enough.” I took his hand and shook.

  He downloaded the blueprint to a small data-spike, and I transferred the fee to him. Once he had the money, his chipper demeanor returned. Money was the cure for all his ills.

  “It was a pleasure doing business with you all. Now get out.”

  And with that rude dismissal, we left his office and returned to the foyer of his little underground base. I was ready to get back to the ship and get our plans underway. No more waiting. We started for the exit, but then a booming voice cut me off.

  “Yan Sangine, as I live and breathe.”

  Ordinarily hearing my full name—information I did not give out freely—would have had my arms riddled with pebbles and alarm bells blaring in my head. But when I heard the familiar voice of one of my best and oldest friends, those alarms didn’t come.

  Standing in one of the tunnels that led deeper into Gedon’s base was a truly massive individual. He was about as tall as Pivek, but with arms and legs like slabs of stone. Rough orange skin. Huge hands and feet as wide as my waist was around. Every bit of him was huge, except for his square head that seemed much too small perched atop his chiseled neck. He was a Korgan, and my best friend from childhood: Rago.

  It had been years since I’d last seen him. He’d taken up bounty hunting at the time I’d jumped feet first into thieving with Jinx. This was well before we met Amara, Pivek, K, or Rowan. I would have had Rago join us, but he’d been long gone hunting people like me.

  Well, not quite. He tended to only hunt the most dangerous. And maybe that danger was too much because here he was wearing the uniform of one of Gedon’s guards.

  I waved at him as he approached. “It’s been far too long, my friend.”

  Rago laughed and clapped my back with his massive hand. It knocked the wind out of me, which made him laugh even harder, and then got me to laughing. Meanwhile, the others just stared at us. Jinx smiled though, having met Rago a few times years ago.

  “You’re looking better than your wanted posters,” he said with a snicker.

  “I would say the same for you since you’re presumed dead.”

  He shrugged. “Bounty hunters can’t kill what’s already dead.”

  “I thought you were a bounty hunter.”

  “Well, clearly not anymore. Long story.”

  “For you, a long story will turn into a full-length novel.”

  He grinned and punched my arm, though thankfully he knew enough to not put any strength behind it. Jinx came up to him and wrapped her arms around his stomach, though her arms couldn’t even connect.

  “Hey, little gem,” he said. “Looking good. All grown, I see.”

  “Yeah, all grown. Wish I could say you were less ugly, but…”

  “Ha! I always liked you, Jinxie.”

  “Can’t say the same for you, Rag.”

  I swore if you could die from laughter, Rago was gonna find out. He bent over holding his stomach as creamy tears leaked from his eyes. Rago was always a joy to be around, because he had more joy and life than anyone I’d ever known and was one of the reasons I tried to live so carefree.

  When he was finished, he looked at the rest of my crew and waved his massive hand. “Hello, friends of Yan. I am Rago.”

  They all waved back awkwardly, though they tried to smile sincerely. I shook my head.

  “Raggy, this is Rowan, Amara, our weapons expert and medic, and Pivek, our mechanic and mad inventor.”

  They said hello.

  Pivek signed. ‘I take exception to being called ‘mad.’ I prefer to be referred to as an unappreciated genius.’

  I crossed my arms. “Oh, I think you’re appreciated plenty.”

  Once the niceties were exchanged, Rago said, “So how are you? How’s thieving?”

  “Not too great, but we have big plans. Hence why we’re here.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I know you need the money bad. By the way, Yan, I’m sorry about your family. I tried to help, but there was nothing I could do.”

  I went rigid.

  “What did you just say?” I asked, my voice suddenly devoid of life.

  Rago, sweet joyful Rago, recoiled like I’d struck him, the horror obvious in his eyes. “Y-you… You haven’t heard?”

  My heart rate spiked. I could hear it slamming with each beat in my ear. “What didn’t I hear, Rago?”

  He was stricken. The sorrow crashed into me, and I feared for the worst. Rago wrung his hands as he looked at his large feet. “The Elexaes were tired of waiting for your father’s payments. They… They took your sister. Forced her into one of their brothels to help pay off his debts. Now it’s just your dad looking after your mom. Neither of them have been in the best health. Javvin is helping your dad kick the secehunra, but he’s struggling. Your ma… Well, she’s bedridden now. Vi and Colder are looking after her, but as you know, they don’t have the money to spare for medicine.”

  My heart stopped. My legs grew heavy, wobbly. I stumbled back, but Amara caught me before I collapsed completely. My vision blurred as tears started to well.

  “No…” I whispered, with even that small croak of a sound making my throat burn.

  Jinx was at m
y side in an instant, her hands clasping mine. “Yan, you listen to me. Everything will be okay. We’re gonna get that money, and we’re gonna get Yara out of the brothel and your mom will get her medicine. I promise you. You have to have hope, remember?”

  It was hard to have hope when it felt like the whole galaxy was bearing down on you. “Hope?” I asked, but not really to her. I was asking myself. Was it safe to hope? Hope was beautiful, but when hope was crushed, it could be deadly.

  “Hope, Yan.”

  I nodded and swiped at my tears. “Okay.” Amara and Jinx helped me to stand. I turned back to her. “Amara, I—”

  She silenced me with a finger to my lips. “No, Yan, you were right. We can’t wait. Your family can’t wait. We’ll go after the Elexaes with everything we have. We’ll get that money.”

  Saints, she was gonna make me cry again. I swiped at those stubborn tears still fighting to survive. “Thanks. I promise we’ll get this done too, Amara, safe and not reckless. We’ll be full of recks.”

  “You’re ridiculous.” She smiled and I smiled and that made things better.

  Rago was still looking on with grief when I turned my attention back to him. “Thank you for letting me know, brother.” I put my hand on his chest since it would have been an awkward stretch to reach his mountainous shoulders.

  He put his hand on my shoulder. It covered it completely. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you. I really am. If you need anything, just let me know.”

  An idea occurred to me—a pot of money that we’d been sitting on for a while now that we hadn’t cashed in yet. I turned to Pivek.

  “Where’s the data-pad with all the data I stole from Valrude?”

  Pivek gave me a look that I couldn’t discern before he reached back and pulled the data-pad out of his tool bag that he always carried.

  I frowned. “Why do you have that on you?”

  He shrugged. ‘I like to read it when I have free time. It’s good information to have.’