My brow rose when the screen changed, revealing a single planet that fulfilled all of my requirements. Podnos-9 of the Lesser Wafsel star system was the top choice according to the data. It was on the smaller side, with gravity that matched that of my original home planet. Actually, it was slightly less, which would be good for my aching joints.
Even better, Podnos-9 had been aggressively mined between four and five hundred years ago for flash crystals in its cold, mountainous regions, and subsequently abandoned. As a result, there were a number of non-native plants and animals that had naturalized on this planet, obviously brought by those who had stripped it of its crystals so many years ago. I glanced at Silli again. What were two more non-native species? I would make sure we didn’t cause more damage. That would be a refreshing change.
I frowned as the report revealed a small population of about four hundred individuals, from an intelligent species calledRunams,remained. They were descendants of those forced to work the flash crystal mines. Data showed some had stayed in the cold, inhospitable mountainous area, which was, according to the readouts, a truly miserable place. But a group had broken off, journeyed east, and settled in the small habitable strip. They were clustered on the shore of the one ocean that existed on the planet. Since the land showed to be mostly unsuitable for farming, these people had to be living off the sea, and whatever they could glean from the forest that existed there.
I rubbed my chin and leaned back. My knowledge of Runams was basic. They were a highly adaptable species, two-legged like mine, but easily exploited. First, because they were relatively small and physically weak. Second, unfortunately for them, because they were easily trained to be skilled workers. Aggressive, brutal species had taken over their planet and enslaved them. But from what the data showed, these individuals had learned to thrive on this planet after their oppressors departed.
The only problem I saw was the fact that Podnos-9’s ideal habitable area was mostly ocean and rock, and the land in this narrow strip was small. I really didn’t want to try to build a home on the face of a cliff just to avoid contact with a small village of Runams. This was retirement. It was supposed to be relaxing. If I wanted a survival challenge, I’d go to the acid caldera on Binbin Prime.
If I chose Podnos-9, I’d have to live near the Runams, but I didn’t have to livewiththem. There was enough room for us both, even though the ideal habitat location was small. If I did this right, they wouldn’t even know I was there. My mind began cataloging all the preparations I needed to do. I’d need suppliesand tools prior to setting up a proper home. With the first real smile I’d made in a long time, I set a course for my new home.
Chapter
Three
Make frenemies with the neighbors
I could cast very farwith the new fishing equipment I’d purchased from a very confused-looking vendor in the Sector Siclo trading hub. A huge, scarred mercenary was not her typical customer, it seemed. Nevertheless, she gave me a fine deal on the rods, reels, hooks, and lures I was looking for. It took me time to learn what the fish here were interested in biting, but that part was pretty fun, actually. The skinny silver variety wanted nothing to do with lures and only wanted the soft creatures living inside shells, which I found by digging along the shoreline. The round, blue ones with big teeth were happy to grab at my lures, but I had to change my line so they wouldn’t bite them right off.
Cooking them was yet another skill. The skinny silvers were tastier, but the blue ones had fewer bones. Then, there were small pink ones that could be roasted whole and eaten just like that, with a little salt and Gankran spice. Oh, they weregood. Tedious to catch, though.
Since I had no one to consult regarding the desires of fish here, it was all trial and error. But that was what people did in retirement. I’d arrived on Podnos-9 five days ago, and I’d chosen this spot that same day.
Behind me, above the beach and the line of rocks, was a rise where theAndromedasat on her landing gear. I had decided to rebuild her from a ship into my home. It made sense, since I could repurpose her materials and not change the inside layout. She had everything I needed: rooms, cooking facilities, and a nutrient replicator in case I didn’t feel like cooking. Her solar power cells provided more than enough energy to run the entire vessel as a home. And she had been about as fortified as I could get her, so I’d sold off most of the weaponry before taking her down here. I didn’t need a warship in my retired life. I kept some weapons for myself, of course. I also kept my smaller shuttle, which was enough of a vehicle if I needed something off-planet. I hoped I wouldn’t, because already the thought of leaving this tranquil place gave me a headache.
I was very happy with my choice. There was sand beneath my bare feet. I couldn’t remember the last time my feet had been bare. I had to have been a youngling, and that would have been before the invasion and destruction of my home world. So long ago now. The bottoms of my feet sank a little bit more into the sand with each gentle wave that broke on the soft, silver shore. The water might have been cold, but each touch of it felt right. I could get used to this. I already was.
No fish were tugging on my line, so I let my gaze wander over the beautiful view before me. Purple-blue ocean stretched as far as I could see. Rolling waves let out a constant, gentle sound, like the water itself was sighing.
Perhaps I needed to take up poetry as a hobby, as well.
But back to theAndromeda. I had done scans of the terrain. Analysis of the rock and soil at the top of the rise showed thatthe location had never flooded. It was the only free spot—the Runams had chosen the most ideal spot for their village many sun years ago—that was safe from a storm, and this planetdidhave storms. Although the ocean was mild most of the time, it seemed, based on the data, when the weather kicked up, it kicked up with a vengeance. TheAndromedawas tough enough to withstand a storm, but I just didn’t want to worry about it. Plus, the view was almost absurdly perfect up there.
The only downside to my location was that it was not as far away from the Runam village as I wanted. If I were to walk north, I’d reach it in about twenty minutes. I had debated choosing a location farther away, but there was just no comparison to this one. Here, I had both the view and safety from the storms, and this beautiful, soft, sandy beach that the locations farther to the south did not have. All the locations to the north were inhabited by the Runams.
If I were a monster, I’d bully them out of there or kill them, but I wasnota monster. I figured we were far enough away from each other that I wouldn’t bother them and they wouldn’t bother me. This beach and the area I had chosen had shown no sign of activity. I wasn’t infringing on anyone’s space, and so they would have no reason to infringe on mine. I lazily reeled in my line, checked the lure, and cast again. I watched the silvery hook gleam in the sunlight before it plopped into the ocean and beneath the surface.
My chest felt lighter than I could ever remember it being. Silli dug around in the sand not far away, his little snuffly nose rooting out this or that. He was looking good. Now, with his wounds healed, some of his fur was beginning to grow back. I let out a sigh of contentment. I could spend the rest of my life here. Happily. Alone.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a worrying hum sounded from behind me. That had to be B2, mymonitoring drone. Before coming here, it had functioned on my ship, but I had reprogrammed it with a new boundary set around the area I had chosen as my new home. That didn’t make it any less irritating.
“Gilrox, sir,” the drone said in a flat, monotone voice. I had tried to choose the least annoying of all the vocal choices. There really wasn’t one.
“What is it, B2?” The drone made a humming sound behind me. It had six optical lenses on its hovering, spherical body, ensuring that nothing happened around it that it did not observe. “I wish to inform you that three life forms approach from the northwest. Two of them are armed.”
Well, that made me pause. “Armed with what?” I asked.
“Spears, sir.”
Spears?Well,thatwasn’t worth reeling in my line for. “Inform them that they are trespassing and tell them to leave.”
“Yes, sir,” B2 replied and buzzed off.
I went about my fishing. Probably the Runams being nosy, come to see what was going on. I was not worried about them. Showing up at a mercenary’s home—retired or not—armed with nothing but spears, was a fine way to get themselves killed.
They were very lucky that I was done killing.
I thought nothing of the commotion going on back there. It was probably Runams asking questions, and the drone explaining—probably far too politely—that they needed to go. My hearing was enhanced by a sensory implant, so I did not miss the sound of footsteps hissing on the sand. With a sigh that lacked all the contentment of my last one, I turned my head to see what I was going to have to deal with. Instantly, I could tell that the males and their spears were not going to be my problem. It was a Runam female, no taller than my shoulder, marching up to me with the expression of one ready for war, who was going to be the headache. She wore the fine clothes of somebody who wasin power, and she had the bearing of one, too. Shoulders back, chin high, as if she were a ruler. Maybe she was. It didn’t matter to me.
