Akira's Choice

By Vijaya Schartz

When bounty hunter Akira Karyudo accepted her assignment, something didn't add up. Why would the Galactic Trade Alliance want a young kidnapped orphan dead or alive?
She will get to the truth once she finds the boy, and the no-good SOB who snatched him from a psychiatric hospital. With her cheetah, Freckles, a genetically enhanced feline retriever, Akira sets out to flush them out of the bowels of the Byzantium space station. But when she finds her fugitives, the kidnapper is not what she expects.

Kazmo, a decorated Resistance fighter, stole his nephew from the authorities, who performed painful experiments on the boy. Stuck on Byzantium, he protects the child, but how can he shield him from the horribly dangerous conditions in the lawless sublevels of the space station?

Akira faces the worst moral dilemma of her career. Law or justice, duty or love. She can't have it both ways.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Oct 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780228610977

Vijaya Schartz

Born in France, award-winning author Vijaya Schartz never conformed to anything and could never refuse a challenge. She likes action and exotic settings, in life and on the page. She traveled the world and claims she comes from the future. Her books collected many five star reviews and literary awards. She makes you believe you actually lived these extraordinary adventures among her characters. Her stories have been compared to Indiana Jones with sizzling romance. So, go ahead, dare to experience the magic, and she will keep you entranced, turning the pages until the last line. Find more at http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Book preview

Akira’s Choice

Byzantium Book Two

By Vijaya Schartz

Digital ISBNs

EPUB 9780228610977

Kindle 9780228610984

Web 9780228610991

Print ISBNs

Amazon Print 9780228611004

LSI Print 9780228611011

B&N Print 9780228611028

Copyright 2019 by Vijaya Schartz

Cover art by Michelle Lee

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book

Dedication

To all the lovers of space adventure everywhere, I hope you enjoy the read.

Chapter One

"Chikusho!" Akira swore under her breath.

She gripped the handle of the manual controls, to keep the ship from shaking itself into thousands of loose parts. All the monitors and consoles in the cockpit blinked warnings in orange and red. An ominous whine rose over the sound of the drives.

Computer, what’s happening?

"We lost control of the Samurai, Captain." The computer’s calm synthetic voice over the tumult sounded ominous.

No kidding! Akira hadn’t survived loss and grueling training with the Bushido Brotherhood to die on a simple retrieval mission.

From the large, padded animal bed at her feet, Freckles, her cheetah retriever, popped her head up, eyes round in fright, ears pivoting, listening to the sirens.

Akira silenced the alarms. Hang in there, Kitten. No need to panic. It’s all right.

The obedient feline relaxed somewhat but planted her metallic claws in the gel of her bed and laid her head in Akira’s lap despite the shaking. Such trust in her human guardian.

Akira hoped she deserved that trust and petted the cheetah with one hand. Good girl. Hold on.

In a desperate attempt to regain control, Akira swiped the flashing rectangles on the console, to switch from manual to autopilot and back, then she rerouted power to the drives to push through the unstable region of space… to no avail. The Samurai still shook like a leaf in a tornado.

Captain, we are dropping out of jump space, the computer droned.

With the drives fully engaged? Akira took a deep breath and steadied her hand to pull the lever. The jump drives gradually disengaged and turned off. The shaking subsided then ceased. Relative quiet returned to the cockpit.

Akira released a long breath and petted the cheetah’s head in her lap. So sorry, big girl. Everything is okay now. She raised her gaze to the clear viewer. Computer, I don’t get it. What went wrong?

The computer chimed. It seems we encountered a singularity, Captain.

Singularity? Just another word for strange space phenomenon and a harbinger of big trouble. Where are we?

Preliminary calculations indicate this is not our planned destination. The computer voice remained evenly calm. Calculating… We are in the vicinity of a rather old space station, halfway between Pith and Corabora Prime.

What the devil are we doing here?

As I explained, Captain, the singularity…

Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry. Sometimes Akira forgot the limitations of a computer.

Freckles straightened up and yawned.

Akira scratched the cheetah under the chin. It’s okay, big girl. We are fine.

Freckles purred loudly.

Computer, damage report! Such a shaking must have caused some harm to the ship. Akira hoped the Samurai wouldn’t require lengthy maintenance or repairs.

Initiating diagnostics, the computer chimed. "Serious damage to the circuitry, Captain. The Samurai will need extensive repairs before we can go anywhere in jump space."

Great! Akira sighed. She hated delays as much as unexpected expenses. Any specialized intervention or new parts, on a ship of cutting-edge technology like the Samurai, could be costly. Fortunately, the handsome reward from this new job assignment would more than cover it.

Computer, tell me more about this space station.

The clear viewer lit up with images and blueprints of a revolving, spherical space station surrounded by a broad, hollow ring. Straight wide tubes at regular intervals connected the ring to the hub, like the spokes of a wheel.

The station is named Byzantium. According to the records, it’s the fifth of its kind, once a vast and affluent city unto itself. It still claims leisure destination status and shows a civilized face for tourists and space voyagers. Some call it the last stop for debauchery before falling off the edge of the galaxy. The computer beeped as it searched through databases. The lowest part, however, is a penitentiary, and the sublevels just above it are called the slums. The archives list them as a hive of villainy, where anything or anyone can be bought or sold for the right price.

Charming. The station name sounded vaguely familiar, but Akira couldn’t recall where or when she’d heard it. Set sails for Byzantium at impulse speed. I hope the repairs won’t delay us too long.

Aye, Captain. The impulse drive purred, and the ship moved toward a tiny spot that reflected the light of a dying sun.

Byzantium… Akira remembered now. Her friend Tyler Conrad mentioned it. Was he still stationed there? Hard to imagine that clean-cut man on such a backwater outpost. He must be on some covert mission for the GTA.

Computer, ping Tyler Conrad, GTA officer stationed on Byzantium.

Aye, Captain.

A different chime, then a familiar face with a square jaw, gray eyes and short blond hair appeared on the clear viewer. Tyler Conrad. May I help you?

You may. Her heart leaped at seeing a familiar face from her past. Despite their breakup, she still liked him as a friend… and she might need his help to speed up the repairs. I happen to have landed in your backyard. I thought we could meet and catch up.

Akira? The wide grin and the lilt in the baritone voice betrayed too much excitement at her unexpected visit.

She answered the smile, nevertheless. I should be docking in a few minutes.

Just in time for lunch. I’ll see you at the Bonaventure on the Forum, in a half-hour.

Looking forward to it. Akira severed the communication and sighed.

She had mixed feelings about seeing Tyler again, but their breakup was amicable, and they’d decided to remain friends. Still, she suspected he still loved her, despite all their incompatibilities, and she felt guilty about using him… but he wouldn’t mind.

On approach, through the clear dome of the cockpit, Akira had an exceptional view of the entire station. A spherical four-mile mass of haphazard structures connected together into a compact hub. Towers and antennae bristled the exterior. An immense loop encircled the station proper, like the ring of a planet.

The vicinity crawled with ships. Something was amiss. Such an antiquated outpost should not see that much traffic.

Her console buzzed. A heavy man in black uniform stared at her through the viewer. "Port security. Private ship Samurai, who is your captain, and what is your business on Byzantium?"

"Bounty hunter first-class Akira Karyudo, Captain of the Samurai. I was thrown upon your shores by a singularity, and my ship requires repairs."

The big man sighed. I’ve been hearing the same story for two days now. You are not the only one. Any passengers?

Only my cheetah retriever. Akira hit a key on her console to send the specifications, license, and authorization for the trained and highly enhanced feline. The cheetah’s picture popped on the screen.

Freckles stared at her image on the screen and meowed. The animal understood more than commonly believed. Sometimes, Akira wished she had the direct brain-to-brain command software installed to communicate with the cheetah, but this, too, would have to wait until she was out of debt. Fortunately, the trained feline understood many words and spoken commands.

Can you afford a private berth? The portly uniformed man gave her a once over as if appraising her financial worth. That’s all I have available.

It will have to do. Great, more expenses on the horizon. Despite her good fortune in catching high-priced criminals, the fancy ship, high-tech software, and the genetically enhanced cheetah had depleted her credits. Now, she must scramble to pay the bills.

The big man consulted his monitors. You may dock in Berth-305, Beta Quadrant.

Thank you. Akira severed the connection and banked the Samurai around the wide ring.

Gigantic letters and numbers marked the docking bays on the outside of the ring. As she flew in a wide arc along the Beta Quadrant, she followed the numbers. When she neared dock 305, a bay door opened onto a private, empty space. Akira guided her ship inside the bay, turned off the engines, and let artificial gravity take hold.

The Samurai settled on the metallic deck. Docking clamps banged and scraped as they grasped and immobilized the landing gear. The outer bay door closed. Bright lights flooded the cubic space, framed by dull metallic beams.

Akira released her harness. At least, the docking went smoothly.

She rose from the captain’s chair, walked to a shelf, and grabbed her weapons belt. She straightened her badge on her hip then strapped the blaster to her synthleather clad thigh.

After checking the blades at her waist, she adjusted her reinforced vest over the thin, full-body armor. Then, she strapped the plasma sword across her back. From what the computer told her about Byzantium, she might need her arsenal, especially if she ventured into the lawless levels of the station.

She checked herself in a reflective wall. Good. The cheetah at her side seemed to approve. The energetic animal needed to run after being cooped up.

Akira smiled at the cheetah in the reflection. Freckles, shall we go for a walk… or a run?

The big cat rose up on hind legs and set her front paws on Akira’s shoulders. They rubbed heads. Akira mussed the fur between the big cat’s ears and gave her a kiss. You are the best cat in the universe.

The cheetah purred, then settled on all fours. Tail up, like a kitten, the big cat perked her round ears and pranced as she followed Akira down the corridor, through the cargo hold, and to the exit hatch.

When the hatch opened, Akira clipped the leash to Freckles’ collar and stepped down the underbelly ramp of her ship. The silicone soles of her boots muffled her footsteps on the metal ramp. Freckles’ paws made no sound at all.

Once in the docking bay, Akira glanced back at the sleek hull of the Samurai, all alone in its hold, sitting like a crouching Ninja ready to pounce. She was proud of her ship. It was worth getting into debt. But this shiny black gem seemed out of place in a decrepit hold with rusty bolts, ozone stink, and peeling green paint.

Berth 305, Beta Quadrant, on the outer ring. She turned to Freckles. Can you remember that?

The cheetah sniffed around and sneezed… her way of saying a feline retriever didn’t need numbers to remember a place.

Akira checked the ID chip in her pocket, a must on any space station. Then adjusted the length of Freckles’ leash and patted the furry head against her waist. Let’s go, girl.

They approached the exit hatch.

Captain Akira Karyudo, bounty hunter first-class, Welcome to Byzantium, said the flat metallic voice of the computer scanning her ID chip. Some of your weapons are not regulation. Do you have a license for them?

Of course, I do. I’m a bounty hunter. Can’t you tell from your records?

Affirmative. Unlike live guards, computer scanners didn’t react to insults, nor did they show impatience.

The bay door slid open slowly, blowing in a puff of relatively fresh recycled air.

Then red lights flashed, strident alarms screeched.

Akira stepped back and pulled on Freckle’s leash. What now?

The door snapped shut again.

What in the frozen hells of Laxxar?

Sorry, Captain, the door scanner chimed. Wild predators are not allowed on the Concourse, the Forum, or the Promenade… unless they travel in a solid metal cage.

A cage? How barbaric! Akira took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to muster her patience. The blasted GTA should update their software. My cheetah is a certified fugitive retriever, not a wild beast. Scan her collar and get confirmation from the security office, you nitwit!

Checking. The scanner emitted a melodious chime, unfazed by the rudeness of her comment. Authorization confirmed. You may enter. Good hunting with your cheetah retriever, Captain Akira Karyudo.

Banzai! Akira wished the ten thousand years of happiness sarcastically, as a subtle insult.

Thank you. Have a nice day.

She chuckled. The stupid scanner took her intended insult as a sincere blessing.

The door slid open, and Akira crossed the threshold with Freckles. They emerged on the vast circular Concourse around the station proper. The tubular ring around the station looked even more massive from the inside.

The busy Concourse teemed with pedestrian and antigravity cab traffic. Wealthy travelers in flashy clothes floated in open vehicles with their retinue of servants. Mechanics in dirty jumpsuits ambled to their assigned tasks.

On the outer side of the broad circular avenue, large bay windows revealed docking berths, landing bays, and simple anchorage spaces for smaller vessels as well as large transports. Through the thick glass, the many yachts and passenger ships anchored to the hull seemed to float on the black sea of space.

On the station side of the ring, shops and food stands competed with banks and travel agencies. Many passengers in transit gawked at the shops or sat at open eateries. There was a mix of ethnicities, people of different humanoid races and species… which seemed unusual on a GTA station, since the GTA was almost exclusively human.

Freckles loped at Akira’s side, frisky as the kitten she still was.

They wove around open floating cabs and cargo pallets on automated drive. Dockworkers in freighter gray overalls laughed at some jokes. More workers rode ahead of a convoy of fully loaded antigravity cargo plates headed for a far bay door.

Akira also noticed shifty men and women standing in recessed shadows, exchanging glances, or conversing furtively behind the scenes. From their suspicious behavior, her bounty hunter instincts guessed they must be trafficking illegal drugs or wares.

In a waiting area, sitting at a refreshment bar, a shady pickpocket scanned an unsuspecting wealthy customer in shiny eccentric clothing. Akira refrained from intervening. She didn’t want to clash with Station Security. It was their job, not hers. Besides, she had an appointment to keep.

Despite the ban on feline predators on the Concourse, few did a double-take at the sight of Freckles on a leash. A young fawn cat with a small head and small black spots, well behaved, and scarcely larger than a tall Dalmatian, would not instill fear… until it was too late.

Akira strode ahead, a bounce in her step, enjoying the working of her muscles under the pull of artificial gravity, slightly heavier than on the Samurai. She also liked the unrestricted view of the Concourse, where her eyes could focus faraway... much better than her treadmill screen.

Without missing a step, she pulled off the pin holding her top knot and shook loose her long black hair. Then she flipped the straight strands behind her shoulders, over the hilt of the plasma sword strapped across her back.

The warm aroma of hot dogs from a food stand along the Concourse made her mouth water. The cheetah sniffed and turned her head in the direction of the tantalizing smell, eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring.

Easy, girl. You just ate. Besides, we are having lunch with a friend. His name is Tyler. He is a good person. Akira chuckled. Tyler didn’t feel comfortable around domestic cats. How would he react to a cheetah?

This unexpected detour through Byzantium offered a silver lining. Despite her misgivings, Akira smiled at the prospect of her lunch with Tyler… the only person she knew well, and could trust, on this rust bucket of a space station. She hoped he could help get her back on her way to her lucrative mission.

Freckles rolled her shoulders as she loped. She seemed to enjoy the walk.

Happy to exercise your legs, girl?

The big cat grunted and pulled on her leash, eagerly leading the way at a brisk pace along the broad walkway.

You want to run? Akira loosened the leash.

When Freckles sprinted, Akira gave her some slack and jogged far behind. After a short run, Freckles slowed down to a stroll. Akira caught up with the big cat and took a few deep breaths. Cheetahs could expand a lot of energy,