Victory of the Stars

Chapter 10 Part 2

Vi stepped into the noisy meeting hall where bounty hunters like Liam himself often gathered. All right, Vi thought to herself. Okay. This isn't a big deal at all. Just another diplomatic visit
to... well.
The people here are nothing like the other ambassadors. This is going to be difficult.
The marble was beginning to rise again and she took a deep breath to calm herself down, swallowing it forcefully back down her throat.
She couldn't cry, not here. Not now.
Everyone was looking at her in that interested way that students look at a new classmate, and she felt exposed, like she'd forgotten to get dressed, but she forced herself not to acknowledge the attention.
I'm looking for the person that everyone knows. That's what Kara said. What was their name? Oh stars, I don't remember at all.
Flashy, shiny person.
Oh dear. Um, it was something strange. Glitter? Fluffy?
What was it?
Vi took a deep breath and smoothed down her now-clean uniform skirt, tugged her collar higher, and tucked her hair back behind her ears. The familiar ritual of straightening her appearance was comforting, and gave her a little more courage.
Even if she still couldn't remember their name and they'd just broken into and out of their house.
All right. Step one, go up to them and start a conversation. Be a distraction. Get them to move away from the sword or put it down or something.
I can do that.
I think I can do that.
I hope I can do that.
Casting a glance around the bar, although the loud music and raucous laughter was quite distracting, her eyes landed on them immediately. They stuck out like mud on pure white sneakers.
They were wearing the most dazzling pure gold jacket, with pink armor that was the flimsiest that she'd ever seen and which, she was pretty sure, would not stop any attack. Their hair was short, spiky, and jet black, the same as their eyes. It gave them the cold look of something not quite human.
Vi shivered. Their eyes looked like black holes.
They were, in short, the most odd individual she'd ever seen.
They were talking to two members of a species with which she was not familiar in a boastful way with which she WAS familiar.
They wanted everyone to see them as the alpha.
She could see why they'd stolen Ragliam's sword. The cutlass exuded menace and power, even though all she could see was the handle.
They obviously didn't know how to use it any better than she did, though.
Vi giggled to herself. Without it they really just looked ridiculous, but with the sword strapped to their back like a wanna-be Conan the Barbarian, there was a sort of aura of power around them.
Just then, Vi remembered their name. Sparkles.
Bleh. Yuck. Horrible name.
Distract them.
Vi swallowed. Why couldn't Kara have done the distracting part? She knows how to... distract!
No, Kara refused to go near them.
Won't it be obvious that I don't know what I'm doing?
I have to try anyway, and standing here is doing nothing.
She took a breath and walked over to their table.
"Hi," she said, and then mentally cursed herself.
By all the stars, Vi, did you have to make that
sound so awkward?
"Hey," they said. "Have we met before?"
Vi tried for a laugh, and the sound that came out sounded more like one than she'd expected.
See, I can do this.
They said something flirty, but she didn't catch it. She was too busy trying to tap out a silent message to Ragliam and Kara. They'd given her a small transponder that, when she tapped the button on it, would relay the code to them.
Found them.
She glanced back up and smiled at them. They had dismissed the people sitting with him and patted the seat next to them.
"Won't you sit down? I'd be honored to spend even an hour in the presence of such a beautiful little lady."
Vi groaned internally. They sounded like they were taking all their words straight from one of the cheesy romance novels that Layra had loved so much. On the outside however, she remembered to smile graciously and slide into the seat next to them.
The sword was right there. It would be so easy to just grab it and run out the door.
No, don't. Kara had a good plan.
Besides, look at the size of those bodyguards.
No, she wouldn't be able to do anything that rash.
Vi sighed and folded her hands in her lap before looking back up at Sparkles through her eyelashes. She'd seen other girls do that when they were trying to catch the attention of someone they wanted to impress, and it seemed to work.
They smiled at her and again she had the feeling of floating when she looked at their eyes. They were just so... bizarre.
"Little lady," Sparkles said, breaking the silence between them, "would you permit me to offer you a refreshment?"
Vi tapped again for aid while pretending to think about it.
Stars, they're obnoxious.
Finally, she accepted and resigned herself to a long conversation with their romantic-novel speeches and over-the-top comments about her beauty or charm.
Vi almost sighed aloud in her relief when she saw Ragliam cutting through the crowd behind her obnoxious companion.
Sparkles had gotten more difficult to talk to without her throwing up for every minute she spent with them, but as soon as she'd asked them about themself they hadn't shut up.
She really needed to get away from them. To the stars go being a distraction. She couldn't deal with them for another second.
Kara was right. They really are obnoxious.
Stars, if he calls me little lady again I don't think I'll be able to do this.
"Okay, I think I have to go now..."
"What's the rush, little lady? Stick around! Live a little! It's party time, after all!"
He called me little lady again.
That's it.
It was all that she could do to keep herself from punching him.
Captain Riley's voice came to her again.
"Keep your temper, Vi," he said.
Sparkles wasn't looking at her, which was lucky, or he would've seen the look of pure frustration that crossed her face.
This person... STARS. They are so-
"I need a drink! You there!" Sparkles grabbed a mug out of a nearby woman's hand, chugging it in one fell swoop. "Ah, now that's got a real kick to it! Would you care for another refreshment, little lady?"
Suddenly, they were launched forward by a flying ... something.
Vi jumped to her feet, unsure of what to do. Every bone in her body was telling her to move, but she didn't see anywhere to go. When the pandemonium cleared and everything finally went still, Ragliam was standing on their back, inspecting what looked like a cutlass hilt and muttering to himself angrily.
His fingers tapped slowly and deliberately on his leg, so that even Vi could make out what he was spelling.
It was not even close to anything polite.
Faigh e deas suas fhein, criochnaich fhaighean. Falbh a ghabhail do ghnuis airson cac.
Blaigeard.
8-6 would love it.
I'm going to have to make sure that 8-6 is never around Liam when he's mad. He doesn't need to learn any more curses.
Sparkles got back up. Their face had gone purple with annoyance.
"---- it, Bolt! You're supposed to be dead!"
Liam frowned. "Oh, so tha' wha' ye told e'eryone when ye stole mah sword."
He pushed Sparkles back down.
"Naow stay down an' call off thae guards yon before ah use it tae break yehr head."
Vi jumped as someone tapped her shoulder. Reflexively she shoved her elbow behind her into (she hoped) their gut. Swinging around she saw Kara laughing. She was back to her old cheerful self, her and Liam's quarrel apparently forgotten.
"Come on, Vi," she said, laughing. "Let's let Liam have his fun, hmm?"
They walked back outside and Vi found that it was getting dark again. She'd only been there for a day, but it felt like it had been weeks. All she wanted to do was lie down in her own bed and sleep. No, she wanted to play cards and tease Dane and Layra in the mess hall. Or ride her velo through Emerstead.
I want to go home.
Vi had gotten so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Liam joined them. One minute they were walking in a random direction, the next minute she was staring at his dusty boots and the long, dark blade of his soulforged scimitar as he lead the way. Suddenly, he stopped.