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  The shuffling sound of many feet in the hallway announced the arrival of the rest of the Commercial Lobby members, and Roshan glued a cordial smile on her face as she swept by both the chairman and Andreia to greet her peers. As she reached the doorway she stopped briefly and glanced back over her shoulder. Andreia was watching her with an odd, indescribable expression, and for a second, Roshan saw not the mature woman holding Gantharat’s future in her hands, but the young medical student from twenty-five years ago that she had once loved. Forty-five was still fairly young, but the years had washed away Roshan’s idealistic nature, and she wondered if this was the case for Andreia as well.

  I never told you how I felt then, and we have even more secrets between us now. Roshan knew Andreia had other reasons for her presence here than to merely bask in the chairman’s glory. She could only guess whether Andreia was curious or perhaps suspicious, but she would do everything in her power to find out. The lives of her comrades depended on it.

  *

  Andreia was painfully aware of how Roshan was ignoring her and focusing solely on Chairman M’Ocresta as she entertained the table with an anecdote from one of her journeys. No question about it, Andreia thought, with her high cheekbones, dark blue eyes, and curvy lips, Roshan was stunning. Just like I remember, but more mature and more…weary?

  Not quite sure why she’d bothered to notice something so personal, Andreia wondered about the dark circles under Roshan’s eyes, curious about why her former friend looked so fatigued. When they placed their napkins on the table and rose to stroll over to the fireplace in the rustic salon, Andreia thought she detected a slight stiffness in Roshan’s gait, but she could be mistaken.

  Roshan turned and faced her before Andreia had time to avert her eyes. They had kept their distance since their initial polite greeting. Roshan hadn’t engaged her in conversation, and Andreia knew better than to push. Angry at this blatant contempt from someone who’d made a fortune from trading with Onotharians, Andreia harnessed her bitterness and barely smiled. She knew this reaction would irritate Roshan more than a display of disgruntlement.

  The chairman sat down on the large, plush couch in front of the fireplace and gestured for Andreia to join her. But before Andreia had a chance to comply, Roshan placed a strong hand on her shoulder. “If I may borrow Ms. M’Aldovar, Chairman?”

  “By all means. Join me later, Andreia?”

  “Certainly, ma’am.” Andreia hadn’t suggested that the chairman use her first name in this casual manner, but it was obviously good for her image. Doubtless Roshan and the other Gantharians present would think that Andreia was close to the chairman and had her ear.

  Andreia followed Roshan to the far wall, away from the others, where Roshan stood with her back to the crowd of lobbyists that surrounded the chairman and her entourage. “Care to tell me what’s going on? Why you’re here?” Roshan sounded harsh.

  “I’m accompanying our chairman, of course,” Andreia answered calmly. “I realize that you’re not happy to have me in your home, but I’m sure you’ll benefit from socializing with an Onotharian chairman who sits on more power than I’ll ever know. Surely you can tolerate me for a while?”

  Roshan impatiently gestured, palm down. “This is personal and you know it. I’m tired of playing diplomatic games whenever we run into each other—”

  “Please. It’s not as if I’m at your doorstep regularly. I haven’t been this close to you in ages.” Andreia was proud of how patronizing she managed to sound, but a small part of her wished she could step out of her professional role and talk to Roshan like she used to. The futility of such thoughts annoyed her, and she pursed her lips, unable to hide her frustration. That her presence bothered Roshan exasperated her, but she stifled a deal-with-it comment and merely smiled again. Roshan and most of her peers in the Commercial Lobby made a lot of money from collaborating with the Onotharians.

  “You know what I mean!” Obviously Roshan was tired. She probably worked very hard multiplying her wealth. Andreia had never heard rumors that the famous business tycoon Roshan O’Landha partied the nights away, so she voted for her first guess. Work. Roshan had always been extremely conscientious when they’d studied medicine together, always prepared to a fault for exams, a trait which contradicted her then easy-going, almost laid-back, nature. Andreia had been just as serious, but perhaps not quite as dedicated to the prospect of becoming a surgeon, and now…Everyone says I’m popular among the people, but truth be told, I’m one of the most hated women on the planet.

  “Yes, I know what you mean. Honestly, the chairman sprang this on me at the last minute. I had other plans, but as you can imagine, nothing short of a life-or-death matter would have saved me from this trip.” She forced a grin, even if it almost hurt her lips to seem amicable toward her former friend. “You know, the advanced Onotharian medical scanners would have deemed me a liar anyway if I’d tried to fake the Hazsortian flu or something.”

  Roshan clearly didn’t find her remark funny. “I wouldn’t know. No Gantharian knows of such elaborate medical procedures.”

  Damn. “Sorry. Bad joke.” Andreia’s mood shifted toward that gray state of depression that had plagued her more often lately. It mixed with confusion over Roshan’s high and mighty speech that suggested, against better judgment, that she was loyal to her homeworld. “I’m sorry,” Andreia said again, before she forced herself to resume the part she played in this mess. “As long as the situation on this planet is so volatile—”

  “Volatile?” Roshan stepped closer, her chest almost touching Andreia’s. “That’s an understatement…” She quieted for a moment. “It’s damn hard to conduct business when you people can’t keep the peace.” Roshan folded her arms in front of her, brushing against Andreia.

  The unexpected touch set off a spark that seared through Andreia. Shocked at her own reaction she had to force herself not to step back. “We both know it’s for peacekeeping—” she began, careful to keep her voice low.

  “Peacekeeping?” Roshan raised her voice, thundering so loud that Andreia saw everyone around the chairman stare at them. Hoping to calm the waves, Andreia grasped Roshan’s upper arms, surprised by her wiry muscles.

  “They hear you,” Andreia murmured. “Calm down.”

  “Damn it.” Roshan’s eyes glittered like blue icicles as she jerked back and shook off Andreia’s hands. “You just don’t know when to quit. You never did.”

  The words stung deeper than Andreia would’ve thought possible. She had opened her mouth to speak when a voice at her side interrupted them.

  “Everything all right, Ms. M’Aldovar?” One of the members of the Commercial Lobby approached them. “Can I help?” He looked worriedly back and forth between the two women.

  Andreia knew that the mere thought of anyone offending her or any member of the Onotharian interim government practically guaranteed a death sentence, and she didn’t want to jeopardize anyone. Over the years, the OECS had imprisoned several Gantharians for perceived arrogance and insults against her. Her objections had mattered very little in the long run, and it pained her that people were still incarcerated in the asteroid prisons for actions that weren’t really a crime.

  She shook the thought of those men and women off and focused on Roshan, who glared at her as she addressed the concerned man. “Everything’s fine, thank you. Ms. O’Landha is an old friend from my university days.”

  Andreia watched Roshan stop breathing momentarily at this revelation. During the years of the occupation, neither of them had acknowledged their former friendship in front of others.

  “Really, ma’am? What an extraordinary coincidence. I had no idea you were…old friends.” His doubtful look spoke volumes; he was obviously trying to gauge their sincerity.

  “Acquaintances, really,” Roshan said with a rigid smile. “Many moons have circled our planet since then.”

  “So true,” the man said with a cordial bow of his head. “But you couldn’t tell that from looking at two su
ch lovely ladies.”

  Andreia wanted to groan aloud at the farce. “Thank you,” she managed.

  Roshan smoothed her silk jacket and gestured toward the couch. “Why don’t we join the chairman? What can I get you to drink? We just imported some wonderful Imidestrian wine that we’re about to introduce on a global scale.”

  Amazed at how quickly Roshan recuperated from her rage and mentally comparing her to an unstable plasma-charge, Andreia pasted on a polite smile and returned to the others on the couches in front of the fire.

  “Is anything wrong?” Chairman M’Ocresta asked with a frown.

  “No, ma’am,” Roshan said, and sat down gracefully next to her honored guest. “Ms. M’Aldovar and I don’t share the same opinion of how the Gantharian market should be run and distributed. A domestic issue—only a matter of negotiations.”

  “Really. Well, then, let me make an impromptu and informal toast.” Villia M’Ocresta raised her glass in a ceremonial elliptic movement. “To…domestic bliss and successful negotiations.”

  “May your wish come true.” Andreia held her breath as she raised her glass. She was almost nervous to meet Roshan’s eyes while she murmured the correct response and swallowed a mouthful of the sweet Imidestrian wine. To her surprise, Roshan raised her glass as well and sipped. Andreia wondered whether Roshan could relate to the chairman’s toast, or if the deceptively frost-layered tycoon had something else up her sleeve. All Andreia knew was that she intended to keep an eye on Roshan from now on. She didn’t trust her.

  Chapter Three

  Roshan watched the hovercraft lift off and remained at the window in the marble hallway until the last of them had passed the outer perimeter of her property. Small golden and blue lights disappeared into the foggy night, and Roshan breathed deeply, relieved that she didn’t have to pretend anymore tonight.

  She grimaced at the pain in her ankle and felt like massaging the back of her neck.

  “Lights out.” Roshan switched off everything but the emergency lighting via voice-command. Andreia M’Aldovar. To host the woman who’d gutted her emotionally and committed the ultimate betrayal twenty-five years ago had clearly been dangerous. Roshan had forgotten her closely guarded self-control for only a few seconds, but enough for her to risk everything. What an idiotic thing to do!

  To complicate matters, Andreia looked stunningly beautiful, even if her twenty-some years in the public eye had taken their toll. No doubt, Andreia, as many of her peers, had access to the best beauty spas in Ganath. Some things hadn’t changed. Andreia’s dark, golden eyes were still able to drill into Roshan and create havoc. Always serious, but also undeniably intense, Andreia obviously knew the impact she had on other people.

  Roshan climbed the stairs toward her bedroom. She knew she’d find the same weary, slightly lined face that she’d seen just this morning staring back at her in the mirror. To her surprise, her eyes were clear and steadfast, and her skin quite flushed. A certain fire burned in her eyes, and the muscles in her jaws flexed as Roshan immediately thought back to how Andreia had looked at her. Her dark eyes, with glittering amber speckles, had been almost disdainful, which surprised Roshan. She had no idea what Andreia’s opinion of her was, and she shouldn’t care.

  Andreia was enmeshed with the ultimate powers on Gantharat, and many times Roshan had thought about rekindling and cultivating a relationship with her. However, for some reason, just thinking about acting appreciative around Andreia nauseated her. It’s easier to risk my neck in battle than to play act around Andreia M’Aldovar and her damn family.

  More than anything, Roshan hated the role Andreia’s brother Trax had played within the OECS. His units were little more than hit squads that preyed on the Gantharian citizens. They tried to intimidate people and help the Onotharians rule by fear. They conducted very little actual espionage, and when they did, the people involved suffered intensely. Roshan knew personally of at least twenty families, whole generations, that the OECS had eradicated.

  When the rumors began surfacing that Kellen O’Dal had returned briefly to Gantharat, for reasons unknown, the same rumors told the story of how she’d fought and killed Trax M’Aldovar in a Gan’thet fight.

  Roshan’s hatred for the OECS was so profound that she would have given anything to witness that fight; however, another part of her ached for Andreia. When they were young women at the university, Andreia had idolized her brother, but Roshan had considered Trax a sociopath even then. Roshan wondered how Andreia had taken the news of her brother’s death. Had she mourned him with her usual stoic resolve and rationalized it as a price worth paying for Onotharian future success?

  Disrobing, Roshan took a quick hydro shower, to conserve energy. Gantharat had an abundant supply of water but scant power, which kept most people from using the more modern ionic-resonance cleansing. Roshan could afford it, but since her fellow Gantharians couldn’t, she hated to treat herself to such luxuries. Besides, having hot water run down her back after a stressful ordeal relaxed her.

  Checking her chronometer, Roshan grabbed a large towel and hurried toward the dressing room next to her spacious bedroom. She stopped and listened, making sure nobody was within earshot, then pressed a button hidden behind a clothes rack. Her fingerprint and her DNA disengaged the auto-lock and polarity of a holographic wall behind the rack. A small room that served as an office as well as a walk-in closet appeared, displaying coveralls, technical equipment, an array of weapons, ammunition, and a small lab.

  Roshan tossed her towel onto an already-cluttered chair and pulled on mesh-reinforced underwear and, on top of those, dark gray coveralls. Her hands flew over her pockets as she stashed her standard-issue equipment and concealable weapons in them. The resistance was not as well equipped these days as it had been shortly after the occupation began. Times had changed, and the Onotharians sat on seemingly endless wealth, always bringing the very best and latest technology to their battles. The resistance had no such means, and Roshan was often infuriated that she had to make do with antiquated equipment. As if we’re not already outnumbered.

  She secured a laser knife to her calf before lowering her pant leg, tugging her combat boots on. Fastening the boot straps, she listened absentmindedly as the locks clicked into place. Roshan grabbed a black fire retardant hood and slipped it on over her head, ensuring she covered every strand, which otherwise would shine in the light of the twin moons. The tight helmet usually fit her perfectly, and she was surprised to find she had to adjust the chin strap. Have I lost more weight? Damn, that’s bad.

  Truth be told, she was exhausted. Her ankle burned, and her mind still reeled from the onslaught of emotions during the evening. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a tube. Taking two pills, Roshan considered for a second, then popped one more pill, just to be sure. Tonight would be stressful since she had to get to the rendezvous point just north of Ganath at the appointed time. She had pushed herself hard since she got back from the disastrous battle three weeks ago, south of the Merealian Mountains, but she couldn’t slow down, not just yet.

  She made sure the wall closed behind her before she punched commands into a computer console, sending an elevator up through the floor. Made of transparent aluminum, it would take her down into a long tunnel lit by winding phosphorous tube-light, a corridor that stretched for miles, branching out in six directions under her house. Never taking anything for granted, Roshan scanned the tunnel with a remote sensor located in the elevator. When she received an all-clear tone, she set the elevator to descend.

  As she stepped out into the tunnel, Roshan heard only the soft hum from the light fixtures. However, she vividly recalled the evening she’d run into two Onotharian guards who’d found the tunnel’s exit. She shuddered at the memory of how she’d had to deal with them and fought the urge to wipe her hands. Instead she adjusted her back-strap security carrier and walked over to a small cart. As soon as she sat down on the narrow saddle, the vehicle came to life and hovered a few centimeters above the
ground.

  Roshan’s ankle ached, as did her head, but she shrugged off her pain. It was finally time to take action, and she was full of anticipation regarding tonight’s meeting. A sprained ankle wasn’t going to keep her from playing a part in the ongoing battle. She’d been through worse.

  *

  Andreia was about ready to call it a day and return home to her apartment in the Onotharian Leadership Compound. Standing at her office window, she could see it in the distance, an impressive two-hundred-and-fifty-floor structure, heavily guarded by force fields and patrolling assault craft. The resistance had tried to destroy the military installations at the far end of the compound numerous times, but so far, nobody had been able to even make a dent in the composite-mixed, concrete-reinforced fortress.

  It was like a city of its own within the Gantharian capital, its base covering ten blocks in each direction. It contained every possible type of store, and the residential area hosted Onotharian dignitaries, high-ranking senior military members, and wealthy Onotharians who no longer felt safe residing on their Gantharian property. Andreia had always wondered why they felt that way, since the Gantharian resistance never went after soft targets.

  Instead, they attacked military installations and interfered with the Onotharian governmental process, even used self-proclaimed embargos that had thrown some Onotharian merchants out of business, but the Onotharian minority rarely suffered any collateral damage unless they brought it upon themselves.

  Andreia walked down to the lobby, stepped into the hovercraft always at her disposal, and asked the chauffeur to take her to her apartment. She had more work to do, but it had nothing to do with her official duties.

  The technically enhanced hovercraft hummed louder as it rose above street level and entered the air-corridor that would take them to the two-hundred-and-tenth floor where she lived. Normally, Gantharian hovercraft didn’t run higher than two meters above the ground, but the Onotharian version had flight capability.