Behr's Rebel

Chapter 1-1

CHAPTER ONE

Fourteen years ago:

Sanapare Spaceport

“Raia, don’t go far. We won’t be here long,” Ander Ray cautioned in his deep, gritty voice.

“I won’t,” Raia replied.

Ander shook his head as he watched his strange ward disappear into the crowd. He would probably end up spending half of his time at the Spaceport chasing after her. He winced when the merchant he had come to visit slapped him on the shoulder with a beefy hand.

“You know, if you ever wanted to sell her, I could probably get you a large sum of credits in exchange,” Glub casually mentioned.

Ander pulled back his thick lips to reveal rows of sharp white teeth. A shudder ran through Glub’s gelatinous green body.

“Raia is off limits,” he snapped.

“Of course, Ander. I meant no offense. I know how much that girl means to you. It was a poor joke,” Glub hastily replied.

“Do you have the items I requested?” Ander demanded.

“Yes, in the back. Have a seat, I will bring them to you,” Glub hurriedly answered.

Ander looked over his shoulder, hoping Raia would be somewhere in sight. As usual, she wasn’t. He pulled a small metal tracking device from his waistcoat, flipped the top open, and pinpointed Raia’s location. She was at the Odds and Ends store five buildings down.

“Would you like a nice cup of tea, Captain?” Glub’s mate inquired politely, her voice soft and feminine.

He nodded. “Yes, please, Willia. Do you have any Mythroot?” he asked.

“Of course. I keep some here for your visits. Is Raia with you this trip?” Willia responded, looking around the shop.

He chuckled and nodded. “Yes, but she is off exploring,” he replied.

“I hope she stops by. I have some fresh Buttersweets that she might enjoy,” Willia said, placing a tray with the cup of hot tea and the tea kettle on a small, antique table with two chairs on either side of it.

“I’ll let her know,” he replied, tucking his long blue-green tail aside and sitting down.

He placed his dark brown, wide-brimmed hat in the other chair and set the tracking device on the table, idling stroking the casing. Raia was on the move again.

Ander picked up the cup of steaming tea. The fragrance of the thick, creamy brew teased his senses, causing the thin slits of his nostrils to open and close rapidly as he inhaled the delicious scent. He flicked out his long tongue and almost groaned aloud with pleasure as the first sip of tea slid down his throat.

He sat back in the chair and absently studied the pedestrians walking along the sidewalk outside of the antiquities shop. His mind drifted to Raia, and he traced the fragile cup with the tip of his sharp claw as he mulled over how fast Raia was growing up.

At fourteen, she was beginning to… develop in ways that were going to make his life very interesting in the next few years. He lifted a hand and ran his claws along his ridged brow. It was hard to believe that Raia had only been with him for ten years.

“Here are the items you requested, Ander,” Glub announced.

Ander blinked, nodded, and motioned for Glub to place the box on the table. He moved aside the fine porcelain tea cup and kettle so that Glub’s gelatinous body wouldn’t accidentally knock it off the table. It was ironic that such a large man owned a shop filled with delicate treasures.

He opened the box as soon as Glub slid back several feet and carefully examined the objects inside. All the items he had requested were there, plus one more that he hadn’t. After a moment, Ander withdrew a bag of credits from his coat and tossed it to Glub.

Glub caught the bag and shimmered with delight. “Is there anything else you are looking for?” he eagerly inquired.

“Perhaps some wrapping for a gift,” Ander requested.

“Of course, I have some in the back,” Glub said.

“Take your time. I would like to enjoy my tea while it is still hot,” Ander replied.

“No hurry. I’m sure Raia would enjoy more time to explore,” Glub chuckled.

Ander nodded and waited until Glub moved away before he reached for the silk wrapped item inside the box that he had not asked for. He carefully removed a small, cheap glass sculpture of a Tasier from the cloth wrapping.

He frowned as he turned the sculpture over in his hand. He rubbed an odd etching along one leg with the edge of his thumb. Looking up, he scanned the area outside of the store. Nothing suspicious stood out.

He glided the pad of his thumb over the spot again. Dipping the tip of his finger in his tea, he coated the imprints with the liquid and revealed a series of markings that he hadn’t seen in years. Two encrypted words appeared.

Keep safe.

There was only one person who had ever communicated with him in this way—Berman De’Mar. A fellow scientist with the same passion for history that he had. He had lost touch with Berman nearly ten years ago.

He was curious as to why Berman would contact him now after such a long absence. He was even more curious about why a man with such a great passion for antiquities would be sending him a cheap tourist bauble. Checking again to make sure he wasn’t observed, he lifted the glass sculpture and hit the top of it against the corner of the metal table.

The head of the Tasier snapped off. Holding the figurine over the palm of his hand, he turned it upside down and caught the intricate crystal disk and small folded message hidden inside. Memories flooded him—along with a growing sense of urgency to depart. He quickly slid the disk in the spine of a book he had bought for Raia.

“Here you go, my friend,” Glub announced. “Willia found some colorful paper for Raia’s gift.”

Ander quickly rewrapped the broken figurine in the silk, returned it to its place beside the other items, and resealed the box before he reached for the paper Glub had placed on the table.

A commotion sounded outside, and Glub chuckled. “You may want to hurry. I believe your Raia has found herself some trouble.”

Ander glanced at the crowd and grimly nodded. “I fear you may be right. Please thank Willia for the tea,” he said as he gathered up the book and the box.

“Come back again!” Glub called after him.