Spinels and Gemstones
T rivina stretched below them as the Cephei descended, its sleek silhouette gliding through the pale blue haze of Galicia’s atmosphere.
The city was a glittering network of canals and narrow thoroughfares, its architecture a marriage of ancient elegance and cutting-edge design.
Buildings of polished stone and shimmering glass rose from the water’s shore, their surfaces catching the sunlight and throwing it back in fragmented prisms.
Towering spires adorned with intricate carvings jutted into the skyline.
Their facades were marked with glyphs of the Galician language, symbols of the artisan class that dominated the region.
Trivina’s streets pulsed with life.
Merchants called out in rhythmic chants, their stalls laden with fine gemstones and delicate metalwork that reflected the mastery of their craft.
The air thrummed with footfalls on stone bridges, the hum of automated gondolas, and the distant toll of temple bells.
Not less than an hour later, with the magnanimous permission of the Galician space authority, Sax stood at the edge of the landing pad.
His arms crossed his chest as he surveyed the bustling city. ‘Welcome to Trivina,’ he said, his voice dripping with dry amusement. ‘Gemstone capital of the galaxy and home to some of the nastiest Iccythrians you’ll ever meet.’
Kisan adjusted the straps of his gear, his glowing aqua eyes scanning the streets below. ‘Let’s find the shop.’
They moved through Trivina’s labyrinthine alleys, blending into the crowd as they approached Master Sayeret’s jewelry establishment.
It sat in an area surrounded by canal gardens, upscale perfumeries, kahawa bars, confectioners, and flower shops of the Kalverstraat. The region had risen from an ancient vegetable market held here centuries ago.
Acting like eager travelers taking in the sights of the best shopping in Rivina West, a larger municipality to Trivina, the threesome ambled. Spooning gelato from recyclable paper cups, yet eyes peeled and alert for any sign of a problem.
They strolled past an assortment of outlets, from independent boutiques to exclusive stores, haute couture retailers, and trendy restaurants. These were all designed to please the tourists who flocked to the picturesque town.
In the distance, they spotted the spires of the Royal Palace and the replica Paladian temples, which stood next to the planet’s foundation stone and remembrance monument.
Sax glanced down at his wrist tab to confirm his location, then turned into a narrow lane that led over a bridge and into a darkened street.
‘This way,’ he murmured to his two companions.
Kisan tugged Samira close to him as they headed towards Vitostraat, also infamously known as Gem Street.
The charm of this avenue was the variety of diminutive independent stores with one specialized offering of rare gems and jewels.
It was the epicenter for the Vito Quarter, Galicia’s, and perhaps even Pegasi’s largest concentration of jeweler traders, designers, and hallmark offices.
Several glitzy storefronts clustered at the top of the street. However, most jewelers off the principal strait worked in a rabbit warren of small workshops. Up to ten workers fashioned stunning designs from xentium, gold, emeralds, and rubies.
The trio passed establishments that were masterpieces of understated luxury. Their polished black facades were inlaid with elaborate filigree and symbols above the doors, from stylized gemstones that shimmered as though alive to discreet numbers carved from exotic ebony wood embedded with real jewels.
The location marker on Kisan’s wrist comm vibrated, marking that they’d reached their destination.
They settled into the cafe table seats diagonally across the jeweler’s address, ordering kahawa and cakes as they surveilled the site.
Identified by just three numerals and two letters, the I.E. Artelier was an institution unto itself if one went by the subtle elegance of its access point.
It was also under heavy guard, with four brawny, swarthy-skinned, bejeweled men patrolling its front entrance.
Samira stared at the sign, hit with the enormity of what they were attempting to accomplish.
She took a shaky breath and then jolted as Kisan’s arms wrapped around her waist from beside her, pulling her back against his chest.
‘Don’t overcook it,’ he rasped, soothing her nerves. ‘We can do it. Fokk, Sax, and I have done it many times before.’
She huffed, leaning into his warmth. ‘Just so much to think and work through.’
‘Says the woman who stole my mask without a second thought.’
‘I was dealing with one man. From what I observe, the Iccythrians are fierce and many.’
‘Stop stressing,’ he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. ‘Just breathe.’
Sax served the couple a raised brow. ‘You two go in. I’ll scout the outside. It’d be suspicious that a monk walks into a jeweler shop with you unless I plan to marry you on the spot.’
‘Can you do that?’ Samira wondered out loud.
‘I have taken the orders. Any interest in said service?’ he smirked, giving Kisan a wink.
‘ Fokk off,’ his friend growled, rising to his feet, tossing down the dregs of his kahawa and pulling an amused Samira away.
At the door, the thuggish guards examined their Sys-IDs and gave them the once over.
Satisfied they appeared loved up enough, they waved them in.
An old-fashioned bell tinkled as the couple entered an interior that exuded an understated, discreet class. The gray slate flooring, leather, and brass fittings exuded refinement.
Above was statement lighting with tones of navy and copper and a vintage Ghuxian collector rug under their feet.
Despite the traditional high-end feel, the design also integrated cutting-edge retail technology.
Black walnut counters throughout the store were fitted with embedded touchscreens. Enabling shoppers to browse the latest collections and get a good idea of what was on offer before trying them on for size.
A young man rushed in from the dark recesses of the shop to greet them.
‘Welcome,’ he said with a generous smile accentuating his stunning ebony-skinned and jeweled Ccyth features. ‘What a lovely pair you make! Purchasing a gift for an event or a special occasion?’
Samira sliced her eyes coyly at Kisan, who grinned back. ‘Just window shopping.’
The Iccythrian bowed in reverent respect. ‘Enjoy your browsing and warm felicitations on the upcoming nuptials.’
Samira simpered, and Kisan growled into her neck.
They were, for all with eyes, deep in love.
Samira jolted at how much she liked the process as Kisan made fake plays to get her to try different rings. His keen eyes scoured the shop for evidence of cameras and security tech.
After some time, he inclined his head to the shopkeeper. ‘We shall return. My woman has found significant pleasure in many of your amazing designs.’
They exited and strolled along, turning a corner where they encountered Sax leaning against a wall. One foot propped behind him and a cheroot in his mouth, sucking on it as he studied the street.
‘Subtle,’ Sax muttered, his lips curling into a smirk.
‘What?’
‘Your love necking. Damn, I believed it.’
Kisan arched his brow. ‘That’s because it is so fokkin ’ real.’
Sax waggled his brows in response. ‘Invite to a wedding soon, ay?’
‘Let’s stay focused, gents,’ Samira whispered. ‘The studio’s in the back?’
Sax nodded, his gaze fixed on the narrow alley that snaked to the side of the building. ‘Checked it out already. See it out for yourselves.’
They followed the path, weaving past stacks of delivery crates and the hum of generators until they reached the workshop entrance.
Through a gap in the reinforced shutters, they glimpsed into the atelier’s work studio, where five other Ccyth men were huddled over their magnifiers and polishing lathes.
Their dark jewel-embedded, iridescent skin caught the light as they worked. Their arms were a blur of movement as they shaped metals and stones with a skill that bordered on the supernatural.
‘Armed,’ Sax said, nodding toward the jewelers’ bulging jackets. ‘Doubt they’re here just to make pretty necklaces. Rumor has it some of these ateliers are some of the biggest money racketeering fronts in Pegasi.’
Samira frowned. ‘How do we get past them?’
Sax grinned. ‘I’ve got a trick I use often. Quick, clean, and no mess—unless they wake up early.’
‘Let’s get to it.’
They strolled out of the alley and back to their flyer as Trivina’s late afternoon sun bathed them in golden glory.
Nightfall blanketed Trivina, the soft glow of the city’s bioluminescent streetlights casting long shadows over the canals.
Sax and Kisan crept toward the studio’s side entrance.
A slight night wind rustled through the narrow alleyway.
A fresh pair of menacing Ccyth sentinels were on patrol out the front.
A pair of drones patrolled the back and side entrances.
Taking silent aim with his rifle, Kisan took them out in a quick laser burst.
Sax grabbed them both in midair before they crashed and alerted the guards, placing them on the ground and rolling them into a dark corner.
The pair turned their neural meta views to the studio.
Kisan sent a swarm of metanoids toward the thick frosted glass.
They coated the surface and sent telemetry of the interior to Kisan’s neural node.
The walls were lined with workbenches cluttered with tools and raw materials.
In the center of the room, a group of Ccythrian jewelers bent over their hallmarking punches, hand gravers, and milgrain tools.
‘I count a quartet of Ccyth kinais ,’ Sax grunted.
The Rider hesitated. ‘Need to make sure we don’t have any more bogeys hidden in that room or the entire location,’ Kisan rasped. ‘We don’t need hidden surprises.’
‘Do you, but you’ll find I was right,’ Sax smirked. ‘I sense no other souls. You forget I have psionic sight.’
With a suck of his teeth, Kisan sent a command to his noids to conduct more in-depth surveillance.
His neural node received their data, and he nodded to his fellow Sable man. ‘Four, you were right.’
‘Whaddya tell you?’ Sax crowed. ‘I’m always right.’
‘ Fokkin ’ shut it,’ Kisan growled back. ‘Get to it.’
Sax knelt by the door, attaching one of his amulets to a vent.
It cracked open, and vapor from within seeped into the workshop with a quiet hiss, ghostly tendrils curling around the Ccyths.
Inside, the jewelers faltered, their movements slowing as the immobilizing compound took effect.
They slumped over their workstations, their breaths deep and even.
‘Easy,’ Sax whispered, touching the door. His silver metanoids blanketed the lock, and they detected a click in seconds.
Sax pushed the door open.
He and Kisan slipped in, the scent of the gas mingling with that of metal and stone, and the Sable men’s metanoids kicked in to diffuse the effect of the incapacitating agent.
‘The blueprints are stored in a reinforced locker at the room’s far end,’ Kisan advised.
‘We know this how?’ Sax asked.
‘Zane has been here in this room when the cabinet was opened. Mirage stores all our work-related visuals from our nodes, so all I had to do was retrieve his memory. Voila. I’m not the only one with tricks, brother.’
Sax jerked his head, twisting his lips, his disdain for what and who Kisan had touched on evident on his face.
‘Focus on the storage unit. Its surface is marked with intricate glyphs. We need to crack them.’
Kisan moved fast, his fingers deft, working out the glyphic code. In minutes, he bypassed the lock.
The cabinet clicked open, revealing a stack of data slates etched with schematics.
Kisan flipped through them fast until he landed on his old client file and a tiny attached pouch.
His noids scanned the packet and confirmed it had the files he required.
‘Got it,’ he said, slipping the data cube he found inside into his pack.
As they turned to leave, a groan echoed through the room.
One of the Ccyths stirred, his glowing eyes flickering as he rose unsteadily. He snarled something in his guttural tongue, rousing the others.
‘Time to go,’ Sax said, his voice tight.
The largest of the jewelers—a towering Ccyth with arms like steel beams—lunged at them, his movements quick for someone so massive.
He swung a heavy, clawed fist at Kisan, who ducked just in time. The blow smashed into a workbench, sending tools and shards of metal flying.
‘Big guy’s awake!’ Sax shouted, dodging a second swing. He drew a compact shock baton from his belt, jabbing it into the Ccyth’s side.
The leviathan snarled but just flinched with a slight wince.
‘Your gassing gadget sucks,’ Kisan growled, landing a kick that sent another jeweler sprawling.
‘They weren’t supposed to wake this fast. Big guy needed a larger dose!’ Sax retorted, narrowly avoiding a strike. ‘I thought they’d be dreaming about gemstones for hours!’
The giant charged, his roar shaking the walls.
Kisan and Sax moved in tandem, ducking and weaving as they landed coordinated strikes. Despite their best efforts, their attacker didn’t slow, his glowing eyes blazing with fury.
Samira’s voice crackled over their comms. ‘You two better hurry. The flyer’s ready, but we’ve got company outside. The external guards must have caught wind of something and headed your way.’
‘Figures,’ Sax muttered, throwing a wrench at the massive Ccyth’s head before bolting for the door. ‘Leg it, brother!’
Kisan followed, his boots pounding against the floor as the jewelers gave chase.
They burst into the alley, the cool night breeze hitting their faces as they sprinted toward the waiting flyer. Samira was already in the pilot’s seat, the engines whining as she prepared for takeoff.
‘Get in!’ she shouted.
Kisan vaulted into the hovering craft, yanking Sax behind him as the enraged Ccyth security team closed in.
The hatch slammed shut, and Samira hit the throttle. The vessel lurched into the air with a jolt, sending them sprawling.
As they soared over Trivina’s glittering canals, Sax leaned back against the wall, catching his breath.
‘Thought you were a fighter,’ Kisan needled him with a grin.
Sax smirked, wiping a streak of blood from his lip. ‘I’m also a man who knows when to run. Those Ccyths? No joke. That big ‘un appeared like he’d have me for dinner.’
Samira glanced over her shoulder, her expression amused. ‘Glad you two had fun.’
‘Loads,’ Sax muttered. ‘Next time, let’s rob a khat shop instead. Everyone’s chilled, relaxed, laid back, happy, and high. None of this jacked up, edgy Ccyth shit.’
Kisan shook his head, a smile breaking through his frustration. ‘Still can’t reconcile how you look like a padre and swear like a trooper.’
‘I’m genius level, brother, hack it.’