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"Gholians," Arius said flatly. "Those guys are deadly."
Arius's ship, the Dwarf Star, zipped through the negative matter highway, closing in on the Gholian Tribunal's last known location. Having served in Judgement's special forces for almost eight years before meeting Rehema, Arius's training and contacts often came in handy. In this case, Arius had a contact among the Gholian Tribunal themselves: a son of a Gholian tribal chieftain.
Rehema leaned on the wall of the bridge, watching Arius plot the course on his dashboard. Arius Pylius was a complicated man. The first time they'd met, Rehema had been a young investigator, hired by Judgement straight out of school. Arius, on the other hand, was a Martian colonist, who had served in Judgement for almost eight years as a member of their elite special forces. Somehow they'd ended up working together, not long after Arius was officially discharged from service. He was clearly enjoying the benefits of retirement, having purchased an annoying selection of clothes and outfitting a personal ship, which Rehema often borrowed for official excursions. Today, he was wearing a loud multi-colored shirt, giving off a bright mood that his glowering face didn't match.
"I thought you had a friend among them," she noted. "You are still friends, aren't you?"
"We are," Arius reminded her. "But that doesn't mean I'm not wary of their species. Ever since they lost their planet in the Great War, those guys have been known for their aggression, attacking every ship that strays too close to their fleet."
"Really?" Rehema asked, sipping on an enclosed mug of coffee. "How come they haven't accidentally started a war with some nation or other?"
Arius snorted, spinning his chair around.
"They're not the savages rumors make them out to be," he said. "They have starcharts too, you know. Besides, a war took their home planet. They're not eager to start another."
Rehema cocked her head and lifted her mug to her partner.
"That's good to know."
"Yeah?" Arius said. "Well, we're almost there, so strap yourself in."
Rehema crossed the cabin, pulling out another chair for herself. Placing her mug in a snug cup holder, Rehema pulled her straps tight, bracing herself for the deceleration.
Moments later, the ship lurched to a stop, giant metal walls appearing suddenly around the ship in a massive ring. Other ships, decelerating out of the highway, appeared beside them, lurching to a stop in similar fashions. Hypergates were integral in space travel, using negative matter to accelerate and decelerate ships beyond conventional travel means. Unfortunately, they were also always crowded, making extended trips long and tedious. Thankfully, Rehema only needed to get off here.
"Nearest exit is to the right," Rehema reminded Arius.
"I know," Arius scowled. "But I called ahead and was told to meet them at the third exit."
"Them?"
"A Gholian escort," Arius said, smiling slightly. "Friend, remember?"
Arius guided the Dwarf Star through traffic, weaving in and out of ships of all kinds. Merchant trawls, passenger cruisers, and luxury jets alike hovered in their lanes, slowly inching along in the crowded hypergate. Rehema sat up in her seat, peering ahead at the exit Arius mentioned. Built all around the ring, exit tunnels led out in all directions, allowing ships to exit at any point along their lane. Sure enough, two Gholian fighters hovered on either side of the third exit, guns lowered. A pair of crossed hammers adorned the fighter's torsos, indicating their tribal allegiance.
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Trial 017 - 2019 Wattys Sci-Fi Winner
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