Free Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci

bargain. But things change,” Brother Blue said, “especially when wealth is involved.”
    â€œWe have it under control. I’ve been sending reports. We can handle our own affairs.”
    â€œI know you say you have the Imperium’s best interests at heart. But, no,” Brother Blue said. “You don’t have it under control. The Yertina Feray has become too bustling a place now for a young Loor like you to handle. You need my help. Imperium help.”
    He punched his datapad again. Imperium guards made up of all the Major Species entered the Tin Star Café and lined up along the walls. It reminded me of the quiet way we had been invaded when the Imperium had first taken over. Heckleck had gone into hiding when they arrived. But it was clear by the sheer numbers of guards that this was wholly different.
    Tournour looked cuffed, collared, and leashed. He could not protect the station from the Imperium. His officers were outnumbered in the Tin Star. We’d been seen, and things once noticed don’t easily disappear again.
    Brother Blue and Tournour looked at me. I tried to make myself as small as possible.
    â€œIt’s really a simple matter,” Brother Blue said. “These claimants are free to do what they want once they pay the appropriate fees to the Imperium. We’ll be setting up a proper claims office, and I’ll be here with my assistant to oversee it. Those who don’t have claims or lose their claims are welcome to work on Imperium-seized land. Loor with Loor. Per with Per, etc. We’re in control now.”
    Then he showed a datapad that had the official Imperium order on it. It was clear that we would be scrutinized for compliance and that we would get away with no deviation from the law. Everything that Tournour had done to keep us on the edge of this regime vanished in an instant. Tournour, as a member of the Imperium, could not refuse. He nodded and entered his digital signature to mark that he’d received the order.
    â€œBesides,” Brother Blue said, “we had a deal based on the fact that I thought you said the girl was dead. It seems that you lied. That will have to go into my report about you.”
    â€œShe was dead,” Tournour said. “You examined her yourself.”
    Brother Blue sneered. What Tournour said was true. It was Brother Blue that had made the mistake.
    My heart went out to Tournour. It was easy to forget that he was considered to be just a little older than I was. I wished that in this moment I had something that I could do to calm him down. This was the reason that he needed to be partnered with his own kind. What could I do? Nothing. My very existence was causing him even more trouble.
    My blood boiled. How was it that Brother Blue was winning again? How could the galaxy be that unfair?
    â€œI suppose she’s tougher than I thought,” Brother Blue said. “We’ll have to fix that immediately. Mark down a request for a trial order against this Human girl.”
    â€œFor what crime?” his assistant asked.
    â€œFor inciting a riot,” Brother Blue snapped at her.
    His assistant looked at Brother Blue and hesitated for a moment before marking his wishes into a datapad. Then Brother Blue made a signal with his hand and all hell broke loose as the Imperium guards took their batons and hit those constables closest to them in the guts. Once Tournour’s officers were disabled, they moved forward in a line, methodically bashing people with their sticks. They seemed invincible.
    Kitsch Rutsok and his goons pulled out their knives and then the hidden knives that others wore on them started coming out.
    Trevor came awake and was menacing those around him. Cutting both Imperium members and my clients.
    â€œTrevor, off!” I commanded. I had to say it twice before Trevor heard me. Chairs and tables were swung and knocked over as fights broke out in all corners of the Tin Star. Fists and other