Varion Voss's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

The transport arrives before dawn. Varion stands in the warehouse yard, watching his crew unload the cargo containers one by one. This is what he built — the routes, the contacts, the system that keeps him fed and safe. No one can take this from him. No one can put him back in chains. But the seventh container makes a sound. A thump from inside, then silence. His crew stops, looks at him. Varion moves forward and unseals the lock himself. The door swings open. Inside, a woman sits against the wall, human, her wrists bound. She looks up at him with eyes that don't beg or plead. She just stares. Something in her face reminds him of a mirror he stopped looking into years ago. He slams the door shut and walks toward the saloon built from old ship parts and red stone — the place where he does his deals, where order is kept. His hand shakes as he reaches for the entrance. This shouldn't bother him. It never has before.