She could be working in a pair, with one keeping an eye out while the other conducted her mission.
But there was no other teammate.
She was operating alone.
I pushed off the wall and walked along the front row of tables to the far end.
I kept my eyes fixed firmly on her, watching her every move.
She picked up a worthless wooden container and entered a conversation with the purveyor.
I was too distant to hear what they were saying, so I drifted closer.
What was she there for?
With the upcoming invasion, recon was the most likely reason.
I stopped at the stall behind her, my back facing her, and picked through the items.
I turned my head to one side to better hear them.
“…from the hills of the Kidda tribe,” the purveyor said.
“You don’t say,” the female said, turning the vase over in her hands. “Is it a big tribe?”
“A few thousand of them, I would say. They stick mostly to the forests and carve these vases from the trunks of the Useppa trees…”
The purveyor continued with his knowledge of the local tribes, not realizing he was giving the spy the information she needed to send back to her commanding officers.
Back to the Shadow military.
Or else she would keep it to herself to inform them once they arrived.
She would have gathered a lot of highly valuable intel by then.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” the spy said. “I’m going to have a look around and I’ll come back if it piques my interest.”
The purveyor smiled before turning to another potential customer.
The spy drifted to one side, took out a notebook, and quickly jotted down what she’d discovered.
Then she wound her way through the tables to the exit at the back of the room.
I followed her.
“There you are!” Ava said, brandishing another item. “What do you think of this? And don’t say it’s okay.”
“I have to go outside for a minute,” I said, not taking my eyes off the spy. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
She must have seen the look in my eyes and didn’t argue.
“Don’t leave this hall,” I instructed. “I’ll be right back.”
I kissed her on the forehead and jogged to the exit.
For a moment, I couldn’t see the spy.
The slow and steady rhythm of shoppers undulated like a giant beast.
Then I spotted her.
She turned left down a street and disappeared from view.
I hopped down from the step and weaved through the crowd.
I reached the street.
It was a narrow alley with boxes piled high on either side.
She wasn’t there.
I ran down it, checking for doorways or ladders she might have climbed.
There were none.
I’d lost her.
“Shit.”
Maybe if I caught her, I could have done something to delay or even stop the attack from taking place.
I sighed and turned to head back the way I’d come.
“Yeeaarrhh!”
The spy sprung from behind a wall of boxes with a blade gripped tightly in her hand.
I blocked the blade, knocking it from her hand.
She landed hard and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I used her momentum and pulled back to slam her into the wall.
She grunted at the blow but didn’t relax her grip.
I pulled at her arms but they were locked tight.
“Who are you?” she screeched in my ear. “Why are you following me?”
Unable to get her off, I pulled one of my sleeves up to show her the tattoo I received after graduating from the academy.
She recognized it immediately but it still took a moment for her to release me.
I coughed and sputtered and drew in deep lungs of oxygen.
She picked up her blade and tucked it away.
“I didn’t know there was another Shadow stationed here.”
“I’m your replacement,” I said, the lie coming easily. “You’re to return to Command for further instructions.”
“Further instructions?”
She ran her eyes over me, curious and doubtful at the same time.
She was trained to detect lies.
But we were also trained to fool others if necessary.
“How many others are there?” I said, assuming my role.
“A few hundred. Command’s taking their sweet time with swinging the ax on this place. I’ve been here a year already and they still haven’t come. Maybe they’re having second thoughts.”
They weren’t coming?
But they were meant to be attacking tomorrow once the storm cleared…
“I’m surprised they sent a unit to relieve me,” the spy said. “Spit and you would miss this town. Which company did you say you were from?”
“Six-Fifteen Dash Nine,” I reeled off.
The spy’s eyes narrowed.
It was only then I realized my mistake.
“There is no Six-Fifteen,” she said. “Only Three-Twelve. And that’s my unit.”
Crap.
Six-Fifteen Dash Nine didn’t exist yet.
“If you’re going to betray the empire,” the spy said, “at least do your homework.”
She took off down the alley and ran into a door with her shoulder.
She slammed it behind herself.
I beat at it with my fit and set to knocking it down.
An engine whirred from behind the wall.
I beat harder on the door but it was no use.
It was too strong.
The engine made a high-pitched electronic wiiiiiing noise and smashed through the building’s ceiling.
I raised my arms to block the worst of the timber that rained down.
The ship’s thrusters faded to tiny pinpricks as the spy ascended into the sky.
It didn’t matter.
We had more time than I thought.
After all, if the empire had no intention of attacking just yet—
Dawning horror washed over me like a wave.
“No… It can’t be…”
I recalled the history classes from the academy…
The empire didn’t have any intention of attacking Qyah so soon…
Until “unknown assailants” forced the empire’s hand…
Someone attacked one of their undercover spies…
And they knew they had to act fast if they wanted to take the planet…
By attempting to learn more and perhaps stop the attack from happening, I had inadvertently sowed the seeds of Qyah’an’ka’s destruction.
Ava
In the end, I decided on a small set of plates for Kayal’s family as a farewell present.
I chose the design because it reminded me of Earth.
And if you squinted and turned your head to one side, one of the landmasses reminded me of the United States.
If you shook
