“Princess Olivia! Are you sure this will work?” my lady-in-waiting gasped out as we hurried along the walkway by the docking bays. I was looking for a specific ship, one that could get into space fast and jump to hyperspace even faster.

I took her hand and pulled her along. “Positive. You have the wedding dowry from Prince Ignatius?”

She shoved the bag of galaxy-wide gemstones into my hand. “I double-checked. They’re all in there.”

The Captain of the Guard was on her other side. He held her other hand. “You’re still set on going alone, not taking us with you, my princess?”

“Positive, yes.” I looked around. We were definitely not alone, and even though I had a long cloak on and the hood up, covering most of my face, we hadn’t been speaking softly. I knew at least some of the space folk in this area had heard us.

“You’ve cut it close,” the Captain said. “The wedding is tomorrow.”

“Whatever.” I spotted what I was looking for—a small, sleek spaceship. It was more elegant than most of the other ships in the bays. It reminded me of a little silver bird. I recognized this class of ship—Strikers.

Strikers had been created during the Purge. They were still among the fastest and most nimble spaceships flying these days, difficult to trap, harder to catch. Best of all, the ship appeared ready to depart. A human male and what looked like a walking toad were fiddling around in the way all spacers seemed to right before liftoff.

I walked quickly to them; the others followed.

The man turned, and my throat tightened. He was tall, handsome, with blue eyes and light brown hair. He was in tight pants and shirt and was clearly all wiry muscle. He also had on a double laser belt and high boots, common to spacers from Mars. Just standing there he radiated masculinity. His eyes narrowed as we reached him.

“I need your help,” I said without preamble. “I need to get off-planet immediately. I’ll pay you well.”

He looked us up and down. “Where are you headed?”

“Old Earth.”

He snorted. “That’s a long way away…Princess. I know why you want to go there—no extradition to Galaxy Core planets. But it’ll cost you. A lot.”

“How do you know who I am?”

“Like the rest of the Andromeda Royal Family, Princess Olivia is tall, fair, and beautiful. And, like her three sisters before her, about to be married to a Prince from Diamante, where they grow them rich and ugly.”

“There are plenty of attractive women on Andromeda.”

“Yes, two of them are here before me.” He nodded at my lady-in-waiting. “They make sure the closest retainers resemble their assigned royal here, too. And who else would have the captain of the guard along? You’re incognito, somewhat, but he’s not.” This was true. The Captain was in his full uniform. “Price of flying with us is high, especially under the circumstances.”

I handed the bag to him. “This should cover it.”

He looked inside and raised an eyebrow. Then he handed the bag to the big, walking toad, who’d joined us. “Take a look.” He looked back to me. “I’m the captain, so if this checks out, fine, we’ll do business with you.”

More spacers and dock workers were nearby. I was certain most had marked what we were doing and some had heard what we were saying as well.

The toad emptied the contents into his large, webbed hand. He closed his eyes for a few long moments. “Real.”

The captain nodded. “All three of you—get on board. Now. I think we have company.”

I didn’t turn around. It was likely the Royal Guard.

“Just me.” I turned to my lady-in-waiting and hugged her. “You stay here. Try to comfort my parents as best you can.”

She hugged me tightly. “You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had—”

“Hush.” I let her go and hugged the Captain as well. “Take care of each other.”

“We will. Godspeed, Princess.” He stepped back and gave me the Royal Salute only given to the Andromeda Royal Family. I curtseyed as appropriate to the Captain of the Guard, then the ship’s captain and the toad hurried me on board.

“Places everyone, now!” the ship’s captain snapped. “You come up to the cockpit,” he added to me.

“Of course.” I tossed my cloak off and followed him. I was in a one-piece fighting suit, so it wasn’t like I was stripping.

We passed a dreamy-looking woman. Her hair was almost white-blond and floated around her head. She smiled serenely. “All is in readiness.”

“Good.”

She followed us to the cockpit. The captain went to his seat, and I sat behind him. A humanoid man sat in the co-pilot’s seat. Well, humanoid if you didn’t count that he had wings as well as arms and legs, and that his head was more bird-like than human.

The birdman turned to me and blinked slowly. “Good to see you.” A traditional greeting between strangers from his home world.

I gave the traditional response. “And to see you.”

“Strap in, all crew,” the captain said over the intercom. “We have military company.”

“Right on schedule,” I murmured.

“Cut the chatter,” the captain said. “We’re lifting off.” He didn’t ask for clearance, which was wise.

The ship blasted off amid a lot of shouting from the flight controllers. Their concerns and orders were ignored. We had to avoid several small planet flyers but we did so with ease.

“We’ve hit escape velocity,” the birdman said. The ship shuddered as it shoved its way through Andromeda’s atmosphere.

“And here’s the Royal Armada, right on cue,” the captain muttered.

The captain tuned the radio to the universal communicator link so we could hear what was being said from the command decks of the other ships. Ships from Andromeda and Diamante were trying to surround us without harming the ship, because I was on board.

“Don’t hurt them,” I said urgently. “They’re only doing their jobs.”

The captain shot me a dirty look over his shoulder. “Oh, of course not.” He turned back, muttering under his breath, while he calibrated coordinates, flipped switches, and pushed buttons to ready us for the leap into hyperspace.

Good spacers were part engineer, part astrophysicist, part pilot, with speed, dexterity, and good reflexes. Great ones knew how to pull it all together and go with their gut reactions. They also made it look simple. I knew the calculations were complex, and if the wrong switch was flipped or the right button pushed too early or late, we’d all be space dust. The captain was barely looking at what he was doing, other than the computer calibrations.

He grunted with satisfaction. “Maneuvering into position to jump.”

“Almost ready,” the serene woman said.

“Need to wait,” the birdman said. “We need the right option.”

“Running out of time,” the captain said calmly, as he locked coordinates.

“Unidentified ship, we demand you return Princess Olivia to Andromeda immediately, by decree of King Oliver of Andromeda and Prince Ignatius of Diamante.” King Oliver was speaking from the planet.

I leaned over and hit the communications button. “I’m sorry, father. I love you and mother very much but—”

“Now,” the serene woman whispered.

“Agreed and ready,” the birdman said, just as softly.

A shot headed straight toward us from a Diamante ship. There was no way any ship would escape this direct a hit. I screamed, as loudly as I could, but I could still hear people shouting on the other ships. The captain hit a button, and everything went quiet.

Time slowed down.

When I looked straight ahead, all I saw was the laser beam heading for us, the armada, and the real outline of this ship.

But when I looked out of the sides of my eyes, I could see something else, superimposed over us. A duplicate of this ship, only a little bit larger. As the beam reached this image, the image shattered and exploded.

Our ship, the real ship we were inside, shimmered and jumped to hyperspace right as the shot “hit” the counterfeit ship. Myriad pieces of destroyed spaceship were my last visions of Andromeda’s solar space.

The next few moments were spent feeling compressed. There was nothing to see but blackness. If the calibrations were wrong, this would be the last thing any of us would know—suffocating blackness.

A few moments more of the feeling of suspended death, then my stomach turned inside out and back again, proving we’d made a successful jump.

The windshield blacked out to prevent anyone from being able to see what we were flying past. In the olden days they’d lost many a spacer to blindness or madness, before some unsung genius thought to ensure the “no peeking” rule be built in automatically for every space-worthy ship.

We were all quiet for a few long moments. The serene woman opened her eyes. “All clear. It’s a sad day on Andromeda—Princess Olivia is dead.”

 

 

I breathed a sigh of relief. “So, can I relax?”

“Yes.” Ciarissa smiled at me. “You can go back to being you.”

“In a second,” Roy said as he hit some more buttons, flipped switches back, spun dials, and checked calibrations. My stomach did another set of flips, meaning we were out of hyperspace. The windshield becoming clear again was also a clue.

“Ciarissa, are we still clear?” Roy asked as he took the ship off of the hyperspace automatics and put it fully under his and Doven’s control again.

She closed her eyes again. “Yes. Doven made us disappear at the perfect moment. All witnesses believe that our ship moved erratically into the line of fire and so was destroyed by a Diamante shot. I find no questioning minds. No one on Andromeda or Diamante doubts that Princess Olivia and the crew who were trying to help her escape are dead.”

“Are any more mind readers searching for Princess Olivia?” I asked.

“No.” Ciarissa smiled at me as she opened her eyes. “Welcome back, DeeDee. Nice job. No one seems clear on who the captain and crew were, Roy.”

He nodded. “I have the best crew in any galaxy. Doven, can you handle flying solo for a bit?”

Doven ruffled his feathers. “Of course.”

“I’ll keep him company,” Ciarissa said. Doven looked pleased.

Roy and I left the cockpit and I heaved a sigh. “What’s your pleasure?”

He grinned. “I like the real you.”

I raised my eyebrow. “You’re sure?”

“Well, if the real you is my little voluptuous redhead, yeah.”

“Not so sure about the voluptuous part, but the little and redheaded is indeed me.”

Roy grinned. “Trust me on the voluptuous.”

I shifted and heaved a sigh of relief. I’d been Princess Olivia for three months, which was a long time to play pretend. It was an even longer time to be away from Roy.

He put his arm around me. “So, want to tell me about it?”

“Not yet.” I still had to rearrange my mind back to my own. I’d liked Princess Olivia a lot, meaning it was harder than normal to leave her behind. Almost as hard as pretending I didn’t know who Roy and the others were when I was in character.

Good shape shifters were, at our cores, the best method actors in the galaxy. We not only shifted mind and body but the best of us could, once shifted, maintain that indefinitely, even while sleeping. Basically, if we believed we were whoever, or whatever, we were imitating, so did the rest of the galaxy.

One of the easiest ways to trap a Shifter involved catching them “knowing” someone the person they were impersonating wouldn’t or couldn’t. In addition to giving the Shifter away to someone paying attention, it affected their overall control as well. Our history was littered with Shifters who’d made one small mistake that proved fatal. I had no intention of joining their ranks.

Because of this ability and the risks of being found out when shifted, we learned to keep the real us hidden, deep inside, under different mental, physical, and telepathic layers of protection. Once shifted, those of us with the highest levels of power, training, and control could access the reality of who we were, but it was close to impossible for anyone else to do so, even the most powerful telepaths.

The return to true self took little time externally, more time internally, and much more mentally. When a Shifter was deep undercover, all you had to remind you of who you really were was what we called the Golden Thread—the link back to where you’d hidden your true self.

Some Shifters lost the Thread and never found themselves. Some cut the Thread, to remain who they’d turned into. Sometimes the Thread was cut for love, but in many cases, it was cut to allow the Shifter to remain hidden permanently.

Not that there were a lot of us left, experienced, hidden, or otherwise. Not after the Diamante Purge. I needed to keep my mind on going back to being me, though, so I tabled old angers for another time.

I was a pro at this by now, but even for me I needed safety, security, and relaxation in order to make the full return to myself.

Roy knew. He led me to our quarters, then waited while I adjusted back to me, inside and out.

It took a little longer than normal, about an hour, before I was fully back. I looked in the mirror and spoke the Mantra of Self.

“My name is Danielle Daniels. My friends call me DeeDee. I was born on Seraphina and carry part of it within my body and soul. I’m a member of the crew of a ship known only to said crew as The Hummingbird. My life is my own, my loyalty is to those I love and those I serve.”

“You forgot, ‘and I’m Roy’s girl.’”

I laughed. “That goes without saying.”

“Missed you, babe,” he murmured as he pulled me into his arms. “You have to kiss anyone while you were on assignment? Or anything else?” He was always worried after every job, which I found extremely flattering. Between the two of us, the one more likely to get suggestive offers was Roy.

I chuckled. “The beauty of impersonating royalty is that no one expects them to put out before the wedding night.” I snuggled closer. “Besides, I have the best kisser in the galaxy right here.”

Roy did his best to reassure me that he hadn’t lost any skills while we were apart. He was still the best—at everything.

He stroked my arm as we lay together in the afterglow. “You hungry?”

“Only for junk food. Good eating on Andromeda, but they really keep a rein on anything unhealthy, at least for the Royal Family.”

“We stocked up on all your favorites.”

“Knew I loved you.”

We got dressed and went to the galley. Bullfrog was there, still holding the bag of gems. He grunted at us. “Good pay. Better than last time.”

“Well, Andromeda royalty pay well. Besides, each assignment is tougher than the last, in that sense.”

Roy sat down and pulled me into his lap. “Fourth princess in this family line to do a runner and get ‘killed.’ And yet the Diamante Royal Families aren’t suspicious?”

“We do good work.”

“You mean you do,” Roy said.

“We’re following your plan.”

“Which only works because of you.”

I shrugged. “Shape shifting isn’t extraordinary if you’re born with the talent.”

“True. But you do more than shifting your shape,” Roy said, as he stroked my back.

He was right, of course. Every Royal Family worth its crown had telepaths around. Fooling them, and everyone else, took more than just changing your shape. You had to change your mind. Modestly spoken, I was the best there was at becoming someone else.

“Well, I couldn’t blame Olivia. Prince Ignatius is a toad, and I don’t mean a toad like Bullfrog.”

Bullfrog rolled his eyes. “No insult intended, I’m sure.”

I ignored him. “And she fell in love with the Captain of the Guard. I mean, who wants to stand in the way of true love? I have to give Olivia credit—her guy’s a hunk and a half.” Roy grumbled, and I went on quickly, “But you have to hand it to Andromeda—they have the best ability of any planet to get out of debt creatively. And the best track record.”

“Approaching Roulette,” Doven said over the intercom. Roy sighed as we stood up. I stayed with Bullfrog while he headed back to the cockpit.

“Nice haul,” Bullfrog said when we were alone. “No compunction from anyone about stealing from Diamante?”

“None. Andromeda’s my kind of planet.” So was Roulette, an entire planet devoted to gambling, betting, and other related pursuits. No extradition, either. Though we weren’t going there to hide—we were going to collect our winnings.

Willy joined us. He was our ship’s engineer and usually stayed below decks, just in case. “Missed you, little girl,” he said as he seated himself next to Bullfrog. We all strapped in for landing. “What was it like?”

“Like the other times.”

I liked the King and Queen of Andromeda. They didn’t want to make their daughters marry jackasses or jerks. But Andromeda wasn’t a rich planet, resources-wise. So, King Oliver had, long ago, been more than willing to go in on what we called the Royal Scam. We had a lot of scams, of course, but this one was near and dear to everyone’s heart.

Roy’s in particular.

Diamante, on the other hand, had a set of Royal Families that made the Old Earth Borgia’s from millennia ago look like the kindest saints in the galaxy. They were rich, one of the richest planets in the galaxy. Yet they longed for more—they wanted to be considered legitimate monarchs, not just rich merchants who dressed up and put on crowns.

They longed for other things, too. Old Earth had finally given up the idea of genetic purging before they’d expanded out to explore and help populate the rest of the galaxy. But the Diamante Families didn’t like certain races and planets, and they’d spent a dozen years proving that, back when most of us on the crew were children.

Of all the planets out there, I hated Diamante more than any other.

I felt the ship shift, just a little, meaning we were coming into range of Roulette’s sensors. Doven’s talent again. Altering the ship’s general shape and changing the call letters was child’s play for Doven, especially after making the ship “disintegrate” in front of thousands of witnesses.

Roy wasn’t exaggerating—he had a great crew.

We landed, and all nine of us gathered together. Roy always had us do this before disembarking, so he could brief us and make sure no one gave him or Ciarissa a bad feeling. Roy trusted Ciarissa’s telepathic skills, but he trusted his own gut even more.

Dr. Wufren, Tresia, and Kyle joined the rest of us by the main cabin exit. Dr. Wufren gave me some round, red and white discs. Of course, being a telekinetic, he floated them to me. They spun around, doing a pretty dance in the air.

I put out my hand, and the discs landed neatly on my palm. “Gaming chips from the Joint?”

“From my last visit,” Dr. Wufren replied, his watery blue eyes twinkling. “I was unable to exchange them for something more useful.”

“Because we were too busy running away after you got caught cheating,” Roy reminded him.

Dr. Wufren shrugged. “One must keep one’s hand in, my boy. As you well know. DeeDee my dearest, will you please arrange to exchange these lovelies for something lovelier still?”

“Of course.”

“I could do it,” Kyle offered.

Dr. Wufren chuckled. “I’m sure you could, my boy. I’m sure you could.”

I laughed. “Trying to steal my job, Kyle?”

Kyle was a mini-Roy. Smaller all the way around, but still obviously Roy’s younger brother. He flashed me the family grin. “Nah. Nice to see you back, DeeDee. Bro’s been a pain to be around. I’ve had to hang with the doc and Willy to stay out of the line of fire.”

“Kyle even helped me in the galley.” Tresia tousled Kyle’s hair with one of her pincers. “Never thought a human could really help much, but I have to say, he’s good.” Since Tresia was a humanoid arachnid, this was quite a compliment. “Kyle’s not exaggerating. Roy was more than a little…testy…while you were gone.”

“Yeah, right,” Roy muttered, looking embarrassed. “There was a lot going on.”

I linked my arm through his. “Oh yeah, tough guy? Why don’t you tell me all about it while we see what our payout is?”

Ciarissa handed me the cloak. I took a risk, wearing it off the ship right after Princess Olivia’s “death,” but it was part of how we proved the scam had worked. I’d made sure the cloak was expensive but not all that rare—anyone with enough credits could have purchased it, from a variety of planets.

“Fine. I want everyone other than DeeDee and Bullfrog to stay on the ship and be ready to run at a moment’s notice,” Roy said. “We may have to make a fast exit, and I don’t want to end up stranded or captured because someone’s off gambling. Or anything else,” he added with a glare for Willy and Dr. Wufren.

Everyone gave the standard good-natured grumbles, but no one argued too much. We’d done this drill often enough. The downside to Roulette was some of its laws, particularly those that affected Espens. Ciarissa and Dr. Wufren would need to wear special headpieces that blocked their tele-talents. Technically, as a Shifter, I should be wearing an elaborate set of body armor. As if. I shifted, just a little, all on the inside.

Kyle, Willy, and Tresia could all go into Roulette without issues, but since we weren’t here for fun, they were better off staying on-ship. Besides, Roy was protective and did his best to keep his little brother out of harm’s way. Sure, we didn’t succeed all that often, but still, he kept on trying.

The ramp lowered, and the three of us walked down. We were greeted by a flying robotic attendant, typical for Roulette. “Names and purpose?”

“Captain and partial crew of the Hyperion,” Roy said. We hadn’t been on the Hyperion for years, so it was unlikely to bring up anything negative out of the planet’s central computer. “On Roulette for a short visit with an old friend.”

The robot flew around us. I was tense but fairly sure the robot couldn’t sense it. Whether it could or not, the robot didn’t make any issues. “Two Earthers, one Polliwog.” I assumed Dr. Wufren and Ciarissa had honed some skills while I was gone. I knew my internal rearrangements had shown me to be an Earther, as opposed to a Shifter, but the only true Earther we had was Willy — Roy and Kyle were Martian. And, Martians were right after Shifters on the popularity rolls these days. “What is the makeup of the crew which remains on board?”

“Two more Earthers, one Arachnidan, one Quillian, and two Espens,” Roy replied briskly. “If they leave the ship, the Espens will wear appropriate gear.” Doven’s talent was extremely rare, and like my status, we didn’t list it on the books.

“You may proceed. Enjoy your stay on Roulette and may luck grace you.”

Interestingly to me, Espens weren’t hunted or even feared. However, they didn’t run the galaxy, either, and considering eight out of ten Espens were telepathic or telekinetic of some kind, this was surprising. Ciarissa and Dr. Wufren had never explained why Espen functioned as it did. I figured they were either all peaceful at their cores, or else there was a larger scheme in place Espen’s leaders didn’t feel they needed to share.

I kept a casual lookout. “No one’s taking undue interest.”

A variety of holoscreens hung along the walls of the spaceport, creating a bank of moving, life-like visuals streaming in from every planet in the galaxy. Many of them showed a continuous loop of the firefight we’d just left. “…the horrific explosion ended the short life of Princess Olivia of Andromeda,” an announcer’s voice said. “Next up—is Andromeda’s royal family cursed? Our investigative reporters give you the real news.”

“Think they’ll create a problem?” I asked Roy quietly.

“No, standard media reaction,” he replied in kind.

Roulette had excellent public transportation of all kinds—didn’t want anything to slow your getting to a gaming facility. We had a regular bookie we used, but never for payouts from this kind of job. Those who placed a big bet on a political figure’s nuptials or death tended to garner a lot of interest from Galactic Enforcement.

Instead, I went back to work. The cloak was serving a double purpose—I could shift under it in crowded areas, and I could also shift the cloak with me, if I was in seclusion. I could also change the cloak’s color as needed. Roulette had great security, but there were always ways around it, and we knew them all.

By the time we reached our first casino, I’d shifted to look similar to Tresia, though I ensured I wasn’t an exact duplicate—why leave her on the ship if I was going to just have “her” exposed here?

Casinos were equal species opportunity locations, but many seemed to get more of one type of crowd than another. The Web, therefore, catered to those with extra appendages.

The hardest part about shifting into an Arachnidan was remembering which arm to use for what activity. If I’d needed to officially say goodbye to Roy and Bullfrog this could have been a problem, but gathering bets was simple—whatever pincer was closest to the cash was the appropriate choice.

Conveniently, once “in shape” I didn’t have issues walking—the body was the thing and I didn’t have to learn or relearn how to use my new parts. Sadly, I still had to look in some kind of reflective surface to ensure my shift was accurate. Happily, my two funky, backward-knee-bending legs and six bony arms were all in place, pincers clicking away like I’d been born in a cocoon. I resisted the urge to wrap the cloak fully around myself—Arachnidans wore cloaks as adornment, not for protection from heat or cold. I reminded myself that I found Tresia quite attractive, as Arachnidans went. Besides, Roy was already elsewhere.

I did the herky-jerky walk that was deceptive in its ability to cover ground fast, and reached my first payout window. Long line, but not too bad.

“Your payment in casino chips or planetary currency?” the Arachnidan behind the counter asked. Most casinos hired Arachnidans for their casino cages, not just the Web, because those extra limbs were helpful and no one wanted one of the many pincers to close on any part of their body. Pound for pound, Arachnidans were the strongest beings around.

“Currency, thank you.” My voice sounded similar to Tresia’s—higher pitched, melodious.

The Arachnidan behind the bars was male and apparently a fan of Tresia’s vocal pattern. I got an appraising look. “Busy in a few?” he asked as he carefully counted out my winnings. Clearly Tresia was his type. Pity she wasn’t around to enjoy the flirtation.

However, there were flirtation rules. I raced through what Tresia had told me while I watched him neatly stack and straighten the bills. “I’m flattered you’re interested in my schedule.”

He slid the bills through the small opening between us. Per Dr. Wufren, casino cages, regardless of planet or historical age, were all pretty similar—lots of bars keeping the average gambler away from all that money. “I enjoy sharing company while I dine.”

Oh. Wow. He was asking me out to a meal. This was a big deal. Clearly my cashier was either a lothario or he was really smitten. Either way, this wasn’t good. Folks tended to remember someone who’d stood them up. Or turned them down cold.

I spotted a big Arachnidan at a nearby craps table. I dropped my voice. “If I can escape my mate’s notice, I would be pleased to join you.” I looked pointedly at the big guy, who was busy waving around chips in two pincers, drinks in three others, and rolling the dice with the last set. “He can be so…protective.”

The cashier looked as well. He was about half the other Arachnidan’s size. “Ah. I would not want to upset a joyfully mated pair.” He slid my money to me quickly.

“Oh.” I did my best to sound disappointed. “Well, thank you for the compliment. Good day.” I took the money and herky-jerked my way over to the big guy. I sidled up next to him. “Hey, can I get a kiss for luck?”

He grinned, tossed the dice, put down one drink, and wrapped that arm around me, bent me back, and planted one. Fortunately, we kissed without tongues involved, mostly because I kept my lips clamped shut. I’d had to kiss an Arachnidan romantically in the past. If you think eight limbs is odd, try three separate tongues, two of which are very sticky.

“Winner!” the dealer shouted.

My “mate” was happily distracted by this. “Heading to an Easy Eights table,” I said, pretty much to no one. He nodded, his focus back on the dice. I wandered off, confident he’d never remember me and that the cashier would be doing his best to forget me.

A big clutch of a wide variety of beings stood around the Easy Eights section. I mingled into a group that had several Arachnidans taller than me. A dark alcove was nearby—very small, but large enough for what I needed.

I stepped into the alcove, altered the cloak’s color just slightly, and went to Earther form. I pulled the cloak around me now, ensured the hood was up, moved back through the crowd, and left the casino. No one followed me; no one tried to stop me.

Headed to the next casino on the list and did the process all over again. Over the course of the next twelve hours, I shifted from one look to another. This kind of shifting was easy and didn’t need the same dedication a full impersonation required. Men, women, humanoids—I covered all the major planets and all the major races. No bet paid out higher than ten thousand credits. I hit the Joint early, lest I disappoint Dr. Wufren, and added his old winnings to our new haul.

The biggest risk we had was conversion. Planetary money is fine, and space credits are nice, but nothing travels like precious gemstones. The Andromeda Royal Family understood this well, but Roulette’s goal wasn’t to send you home rich beyond your wildest dreams. Theirs was to have you give all your winnings back and then some.

The risk with conversion was that the only one of our crew who could determine real from fake was Bullfrog, and it was hard to hide a Polliwog anywhere or anytime, unless you were actually on Polliworld itself.

So, I gathered payouts and slipped them to Roy. Roy handed them off to Bullfrog, who made conversions in almost as many places as Roy, and the crew had placed our bets. Difference was, while I got a variety of small payouts, Bullfrog collected a larger amount before he went to make the trades. His cover—as a runner for the Polliworld Underground—seemed to work well. No one liked to run afoul of organized crime from any planet.

Twelve hours is a long time, and we allowed ourselves a couple of breaks. But the faster we could collect and convert, the faster we could get off this particular rock and head somewhere safer. No extradition on Roulette didn’t mean no prisons.

Roulette’s prisons were nasty and even though I’d gotten out, I didn’t want to press my luck and go back. Ever. Sure it had been a long time ago. Sure Roy had rescued me. Sure the entire situation had ended up changing my life in a good way. I still didn’t want to make a return visit. Call me unadventurous.

We were almost done. Roy, Bullfrog, and I sat together at a small café, comparing experiences, tallying payouts and conversion rates, and ensuring our plan was still working. The news feed blathered on about Princess Olivia’s “death.” I hoped she was okay. I always tried not to get truly attached to any of our clients or marks, but working with Andromeda so often made it difficult, at least in the Royal Family’s case.

“One more stop and that’s it,” Roy said, checking receipts.

I wasn’t an Espen, but I got a funny feeling. “Which bookie?”

“Not a bookie, straight casino bet. From The Jewel of Roulette.”

“That’s a Diamante Families casino, isn’t it?” The funny feeling got worse.

“Yes.” Roy eyed me. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” I focused on the news. They were talking about Princess Olivia’s death, but the Diamante Families were being mentioned. “Listen.”

We all did. “Sounds like the Families are trying to insinuate foul play,” Bullfrog said finally.

“The shot that ‘destroyed’ the ship was from a Diamante vessel,” Roy countered.

“Which would be why they’re trying to shift blame.” I considered how King Oliver thought. “Roy, your fourth daughter in a row has ‘died under mysterious circumstances,’ each one before she could marry a Diamante prince. Let’s say Diamante gets suspicious. What would you do?”

“Try to shift the blame onto them,” Roy said without missing a beat. “Go for the whole ‘your vessel’s shot killed her’ sort of thing.” His eyes narrowed. “You think that’s what’s going on?”

“I think King Oliver is easily as smart and sneaky as you are, Roy, so yeah, I think so. And I’d also guess that someone in the Diamante Families is wondering if this is all an elaborate set up.”

“Go for whoever takes out a big payout?” Bullfrog asked.

“Probably.”

Roy shook his head. “Were you the only one taking Andromeda payouts?”

I snorted. “Hardly. At some casinos I had to wait in line.”

“So, we need to collect this one from the Jewel. If we don’t, it’ll be as suspicious as if we do.”

“If the Diamante Families create enough issue, the bookies might hold on the payouts,” Bullfrog pointed out, sounding worried. Not that I could blame him. The risk of monies being held was a big reason why we got our payouts immediately whenever possible.

I thought on this. “Okay. I have a plan. I want to take Bullfrog back to the ship.”

“Why?” He sounded offended. “I’m the best we have in a fight after Roy.”

“Because you’re carrying all the money, my beloved toad. I really want what we have safely tucked away before we deal with our last payout.”

Roy shrugged. “I’ve learned—never argue with DeeDee. She always wins.”

“Let’s hope my record stays intact, then.”

 

 

“I don’t like it,” Roy said, for the eleventh time by my count.

“You never want to let me do anything,” Kyle muttered.

“I prefer to have you on the ship. So someone I can trust is there, just in case.”

Both Kyle and I gave Roy derisive looks. “You trust everyone, more than me sometimes,” Kyle said. This was probably true. Kyle was the least experienced of anyone on our crew, and Roy didn’t want anything to happen to him. Ever.

“Not only are you my family, my responsibility, and part of my crew, but we’re the last of our line,” Roy snapped. “I promised to always protect you. If something happens to me, you’re the only hope we have.”

I could see the old argument forming. From the first day I’d met them, Roy and Kyle had argued about their true responsibilities—to each other, to Mars, to the galaxy. Roy, despite his protestations to the contrary, was truly a traditionalist. Kyle wasn’t.

“We don’t have time for the trusty ‘the blood of the true rulers of Mars runs through our veins’ speech, Roy. Besides, Kyle, like the rest of us, has it memorized.”

“If I’m our only hope, then maybe I should be better trained.”

Kyle was trying a new tactic. Must have been from spending time in the kitchens with Tresia. Arachnidans were good with coming up with alternate ideas. She said this was because if someone said “on the other hand” a lot more options opened up when you had six as opposed to two.

I was impressed, however the new ploy wasn’t working on Roy. “You’re trained. You also don’t need to be in any extra danger, just for the thrill of it all.”

“I’d argue—or at least let Kyle keep on arguing—because I’ve missed this for the past three months, but we need to get moving. Don’t worry, Kyle. It took years for your big brother to let me do things without his worrying.”

Kyle snorted. “DeeDee, didn’t I tell you what he was like while you were…on assignment? He’s like that from the moment you’re out of his reach until the moment you’re back.”

Roy looked embarrassed and worried, but at least the potential argument seemed averted. “Fine, whatever. I still think this is a really bad idea.”

“I don’t. I spent three months with them. And that was my fourth visit. I understand how the Royal Family thinks.”

“But if we do what you want,” Roy protested, “then we’ll screw up their payouts, too.” That the Royal Family had retainers placing the same bets we did was a no-brainer guess.

“You worry too much.”

We left the ship and went through the same robotic docking check as before. I’d shifted to look like a Polliwog while Roy and Kyle were arguing, so it appeared we were still a team of two Earthers and one big, walking toad.

The robot passed us through, and we headed for our final destination. We reached the Jewel in a few minutes, during which time I had to resist the strong urge to catch and eat every flying insect around. Roulette had a good share of them, too. But most Polliwogs “ate” in private when they were off their own world. Besides, regardless of form, I found insects to be unpleasant coming in, going down, and coming out.

We went inside, and I stepped into the first bathroom we came to.

Bathrooms weren’t allowed to have surveillance in them, for a variety of reasons, all related to personal privacy. That daintiness didn’t apply to exits and entrances, so I took care to be in a stall that didn’t provide a clear shot from the door. I shifted again, then hung out for a while, until another Polliwog came in.

Fortunately, they liked to gamble and their home world was close by. I saw some webbed feet in the next stall, and I exited, looking human. I checked in the mirror. I was back to being Princess Olivia, with a few key differences.

I glided out of the bathroom and headed for the betting cages. No one appeared to take an interest in me, possibly because I still had the cloak on and the hood up. I didn’t want to draw a crowd until I had our money in my hands, so I waited to take the hood off until I reached the head of the line at the payout cage. Like most of the other casinos, the line was long.

Bettor’s ticket passed through, no reaction from the Arachnidan behind the counter. Oh well, I’d planned for that. I counted the payout. Exact, no issues. I turned and left the cage.

The Jewel was the biggest and busiest casino on Roulette. I preferred the Palace, but I was biased toward owners I didn’t loathe. The Diamante Families did casinos right, though.

The Jewel glittered. Every surface the decorators could put something shiny and reflective on was so adorned. It wasn’t the kind of look anyone should have in their home, but for a place that carried the tagline of “You’ll Go Home Be-Jeweled” it worked.

It was one of the more crowded casinos, not just in terms of beings inside, but in terms of available floor space. The only areas with plenty of room around them were the cashiers’ cages. There wasn’t a lot of flash around these cages, either.

I wasn’t sure if this was to discourage gamblers from cashing out, or because the flashiness would distract from the surveillance focused on the money. I bet on them both, but I was cautious that way.

Kyle raced up to me, looking excited. “Oh my Gods!” he shouted. “You’re that dead princess!”

The sounds around us changed a little. Not everyone had stopped gambling, talking, or drinking, but some had, because the noise level went down.

“Uh, no. No I’m not.” I ensured I blushed. I also kept my voice at its lowest natural level.

“You are! Everyone thinks she’s dead, but you’re right here!” Kyle was effectively drawing a crowd. Beings of all kinds surrounded us. Their expressions ranged from mildly interested to excited curiosity. Most were clutching gaming chips, some were smoking their plant of choice, many had drinks in what were or passed for their hands.

“I’m not her,” I muttered, but loudly enough to be heard by those nearby. I tried to shove through the rapidly forming crowd, but others were now insisting I was indeed Princess Olivia.

Kyle had “stopped” me right under a bank of holoscreens, all of which were blaring different planets’ takes on the Princess Olivia story. There were a variety of fingers, claws, and other appendages pointing back and forth between me and the screens.

Security took an interest, along with some men in dark suits who looked like they routinely gave the go-ahead to kill puppies while ordering their breakfasts. Diamante Families enforcers, for certain.

“Come with us please, miss,” one of them said as he took my hand in a strong grip.

“No, I’m not that princess.” I tried to pull away, then looked down. “I get that a lot, though.”

“Right.” The man holding me clearly wasn’t buying this. I looked around—the other enforcers weren’t buying, either. “Let’s go. You’ve lucked into an all-expense paid trip to Andromeda.”

I sighed dramatically. “You’re making a mistake.” I said this as loudly as I felt I could safely get away with and not make the enforcers suspicious in the wrong ways.

Some of my audience seemed to agree with me. Most didn’t.

“She’s here! Princess Olivia is really alive,” Kyle shouted from the back of the crowd. “Glad I got my money already!”

He was really doing a great job of inciting to riot; there was a nasty vibe coming from the crowd. The smokers were puffing more strongly and quickly, drinks were being sloshed about, and the sounds were all along the “I want my money anyway” lines.

“Come on,” the enforcer said, giving me a little shake. I flipped my hair around more than his shake warranted.

“No! This is a case of mistaken identity!”

“Sure it is,” someone shouted. Not Kyle this time. “C’mon, Princess. Tell us how you fooled everyone. Everyone but us.” The crowd was fully into the show and needed no further prodding. Everyone I could see and hear murmured their agreement.

“I can prove it,” I said. I made sure my voice carried to the back of the crowd. I looked around at the crowd. “You want the proof I’m not that princess?” Everyone indicated they did, some loudly.

“Fine,” the enforcer said, clearly humoring me. “Prove it.”

“Ah, we need to be in private.”

He laughed the kind of laugh that has no humor in it but does have the risk of imminent pain behind it. I’d heard laughs like this before. Nine times out of ten, they were coming from someone on the Diamante Families payroll.

“You’ll be happier,” I told him.

“Sure I will be. You’ll prove it here. Now. Or we’re going to the spaceport.” The crowd backed him and demanded the proof, too. There were some news crews shoving toward the front.

I looked around, giving the news teams time to get into position. “Okay. You asked for it.” I took off the cloak and let it drop to the floor. I wasn’t in a dress or a fight suit. I was in pants and a blouse. “Really, you’re sure?”

Why not ask one last time, for dramatic effect?

“Now,” the biggest enforcer growled. My appreciative audience, which no longer included Kyle, but absolutely included a variety of holographics aimed at me, made noises of agreement.

“Okay.” I smiled for the cameras and dropped trou.

 

 

We headed for open space. Sometimes it was nice not to have an official destination. Once we’d jumped in and out of hyperspace a few times to ensure we had no clear trail to follow, Roy and I left Doven and Ciarissa in the cockpit and headed to the galley.

Bullfrog and Dr. Wufren were counting the money again while Kyle, Tresia, and Willy watched. “I don’t like to take paper cash, but I suppose planetary bonds are acceptable,” Dr. Wufren said.

I shrugged. “I didn’t want to take any more time than I had to.”

Bullfrog chuckled. “You spent your time well. The payoff from the Jewel to keep you from taking your humiliation to all the news media who weren’t already on site doubled our take from all our other payouts combined.”

“Good payday or not, let’s not do that again,” Roy muttered. “I don’t like you exposing yourself for all the worlds to see.”

“That wasn’t exactly ‘myself,’” I reminded him.

“True enough,” Kyle said with a snicker. “But I think Roy wishes you’d used another model.”

“Hey, I wanted to look impressive.” Crowd reaction to my “exposure” had imitated my reaction to seeing Roy naked pretty accurately—gasping and drooling. “Besides, you should have seen the looks on the goons’ faces. There was a lot of crushing envy in there, right after complete embarrassment.”

Roy blushed, which was something of a rarity. “Can we stop talking about it?”

Ciarissa’s voice came through the intercom. “We’ve received a very encrypted message that bounced through several planetary systems to reach us, Captain.”

“Read away, Ciarissa.”

She cleared her throat. “Congratulations and many thanks. As always, it’s a pleasure doing business with you. Please accept this bonus for going above and beyond the scope of our agreement to ensure our continued safety and longevity.”

“Signed by?” Roy asked.

“No signature, Captain. The bonus is a set of Royal Absolutions, good for use on any planet in the galaxy. A dozen, to be exact. They are registered with our private account on Espen.”

We were all silent. To paraphrase an ancient saying, this gift was a price above rubies. And diamonds. And even planetary bonds.

Roy finally broke the silence. “Think King Oliver knows what we’re really up to?”

“He thinks like us, so yeah. I also think he knows he’s not our target and never will be.” I was also pretty sure that King Oliver knew who Roy really was, but that wasn’t something to worry about, now or later.

Andromeda hadn’t been part of the original Martian Alliance, but they’d always been sympathetic to the cause. And King Oliver had schooled on Espen, where, back before the Diamante Purge, all the best royal families had sent their bloodline. He’d been a year or so behind Roy’s father, but I was positive they’d known each other.

“Good enough for me,” Roy said. “Good work, everybody. Let’s relax. At least for a little while.”

We sailed through space, waiting for the next job. We had a longer wait for retribution, but we’d all accepted that a long time ago. For now, it was enough to re-count the money. After all, it’s the simple things you treasure.