“I wasn’t alone. I had Chummy and Pi and one hell of a decked-out freighter thanks to Evetta and Hanine. I did alright. I had enough credits to get by until I received my first job. Pi and Chummy helped keep me safe,” she added.
“I’m still trying to figure those two out,” he confessed.
“Chummy can read the minds of those around us. He can also absorb information through touch. You already know about his ability to levitate. Pi, on the other hand, is a master of getting in and out of places and spying on the unwary. She can telekinetically manipulate some things, like locks, doors, and windows. Her strongest gift is precognition. She can only see about twenty-four-to-forty-eight hours ahead into the future, but it is usually plenty of time to plan for things,” she explained.
“She can see the future? Can she do it for everything?” he asked.
Raia shook her head. “No. Her visions are the clearest when there is danger involved, especially if it is going to happen when she is around. I think that is how her species continues to survive. She usually knows when and where to be for an upcoming job, but not always who it will be for,” she said.
“Has she ever been wrong?” he curiously inquired.
Raia was quiet for a moment before she nodded. “Once. She thought Ander was alive and that if we went to a particular spot, he would be there,” she murmured.
“Where was that?” he asked.
She leaned her head back against the seat and stared out of the windshield. “Planet Raia,” she softly answered.
The sadness in Raia’s voice swept over Behr. He wished he had the power to take it away. He reached over and cupped her hand.
“You asked about my scars. Marastin youths are indoctrinated at a very young age in the ways of war. We are trained to be brutal, uncaring, and to succeed using any method,” he explained.
“You were whipped?” she inquired, squeezing his hand.
“Yes… many times,” he said with a wry grin. “I had an issue with authority. It took a while for me to realize while those training us wanted us to turn on each other, they did not appreciate it when one of us turned on them.”
Raia shook her head. “How can people be so cruel against each other? I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. Ander could be scary when he needed to be, but he was also very gentle and caring. He would never harm someone else for the fun of it,” she said.
“Most Marastin Dow don’t want to hurt others, Raia. They are trained at a young age to be that way,” he quietly replied.
“Well, that is just wrong,” she stated.
He chuckled. “Yes, it is. That’s why we are doing something about it,” he said.
Two hours later, Behr landed the transport along the bank of a river bordered by a dense jungle. When Raia had instructed him to turn inland, he was skeptical about their destination. They spent most of their time flying over a sea of green canopy. He was surprised when he saw the landing pad. He would have missed it if Raia hadn’t pointed it out.
“This is incredible. How did you ever find it?” he asked, powering down the transport.
“Ander always had an eye for anything that was out of the ordinary. I guess I learned it from him. I found this place the last time I was here,” she said.
The doors opened, and they exited the vehicle. Raia reached into the back seat, grabbed a weapon, and walked around the transport to a path that led into the jungle.
“Are you sure there is nothing here that is dangerous?” he warily asked.
“Well, there might be a few scary things. If it helps, you can carry this… just in case,” she said.
He took the weapon she held out. “And… when were you going to tell me that this might be needed?” he dryly inquired.
She laughed and ran the tips of her fingers across his chest. “Right after you told me how you got the scars on your back. Don’t think I’ve forgotten,” she said, walking past him.
He remained where he was for a moment, gazing at her as she started walking down the covered path. Shaking his head, he followed her. He stepped closer to her as they came to a fork in the dimly lit path, and she took the darker trail leading deeper into the jungle. Low-level lighting illuminated the stone path as they neared and faded shortly after they passed.
“This technology rivals that of today,” he commented.
“At times it is more advanced,” she said.
“You said you found this place the last time you came to the planet?” he asked.
Raia nodded. “Yes. It looks like some kind of temple. The jungle has covered most of it,” she explained.
Rays of sunlight pierced sections of the canopy, casting eerie halos of light all around them. The climate was humid but not unbearable. As they wound their way deeper into the jungle, they traversed several stone bridges spanning the crystal clear streams.
“How did you ever find this?” he wondered out loud.
She laughed. “You’d never believe me,” she replied.
“Why not?” he asked.
She paused and stared in silence at the path in front of them. “Because I’m not even sure it was real,” she murmured.
He stepped up behind her and looked over her head. The path disappeared around the bend ahead of them. A surreal feeling swept through him. It felt as if he were standing on the edge of a magical discovery.
“What was it?” he pressed, needing to know.
She unconsciously leaned back against him. “I had finished a successful but dangerous run and needed a place to go for a few weeks until things calmed down. My birthday was coming up, and I always spend it here. It’s the one place where I feel closer to Ander. I was exploring the area in the transport when I saw the landing pad. Once I landed, I noticed the path and followed it,” she said.
He slowly turned her around until she was facing him. He noticed that she avoided looking into his eyes. Lifting his hand, he gently tilted her chin up until she was looking at him.
“There is more to your story,” he suspected.
She pulled her chin out of his hand and uttered a strained laugh. “Isn’t there always?” she quipped, trying to turn away from him.
“What did you see, Raia?” he quietly asked.
She lowered her head. “Ghosts,” she mumbled.
He frowned and remained where he was as she twisted away and continued down the path. Surely, he must have misunderstood what she said. He quickly caught up to her.
“What kind of ghosts?” he asked, warily scanning the area.
She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know. Are there different kinds? It was gold, it floated, it led me to the place we are going to now, and then it disappeared. So, I guess you could call it a Golden Ghost. Goldie for short,” she chuckled and shook her head again. “It was a crazy day. The Tiliqua I rescued had a nasty cold and gave it to me. I was probably hallucinating. What is cool, though, is that I didn’t hallucinate this,” she declared with a wave of her hand.
Behr followed her hand motion and gasped. Standing before them was a beautiful domed building. Lush vines, covered in a variety of flowers, clung to the curved walls. Exotic birds, some half the size of the transport, roosted in a tree that rose nearly a hundred feet into the air. Thick branches had grown down from the outstretched limbs and buried themselves in the rich, moist soil, giving the tree extra stability.