The Starfarer

by Petra Landon

  Captain of the ship I travel in. He will come for my friend and me soon. I’ll ask him to help you too. Rest easy.

  “They claimed that they could not read Kerovac” the Gelimnek demanded. “Why is that?”

  His mind was too strong. We could not connect at all.

  Except for a short few seconds with you, we were unable to read anything from the people on your ship. Are they all like you?

  “Do you think the Alliance Commander would keep me around if he didn’t have the means to protect himself from my ability?” Sila asked the Ketaari officer.

  “Hmm.”

  Help us. Please help us.

  “You want to read Commander Kerovac’s mind?” Sila asked in a desperate ploy to get the Ketaari to believe her. If he reduced the drugs to the Budheya mind-readers, they might be able to control their intrusions into her mind. At least that is what Sila hoped. “I can do it.”

  “What’s the catch, Terran?” he asked suspiciously.

  “I want your word that you will release my friend and me if I do that.”

  He lies! Do not believe him.

  “Am I to believe that you can read Un Kieto Maal through his mental defenses?” Doresh scoffed, side-stepping Sila’s offer adroitly.

  “I can breach the defenses that protect his thoughts with the help of these three. But you must reduce the drugs in their systems. They are ineffective like this — they have lost control of their minds.”

  Baithoni?

  Sila’s heart almost leapt into her throat. The Star Captain was close. He had come! But she had to be careful, she reminded herself. The Budheya were connected to her mind and were out of control. She sent a warning using the same Ur’quay endearment he used for her.

  I’m here, baithoni. Be careful.

  Baithoni? Who is baithoni? Is someone else here with us?

  “How about a little demonstration of your abilities, Terran?” the Ketaari asked relentlessly. “Have one of the Budheya, any one, tell me what I’m thinking right now. I don’t care how you do it. Place it in their minds if you want but I want to hear one of them say it.”

  Sila sighed inwardly. The Budheya telepaths had become unresponsive to the Ketaari ever since their minds had accidently touched her thoughts. That is why the Ketaari had gone after her. Now, Sila was beginning to suspect that the telepaths had been far smarter than the Ketaari or even she had given them credit.

  Did you want the Ketaari to bring me here? Is that why you stopped responding to him?

  Help us, please. Your mind is strong. We sensed that you were like us and hoped you would understand our situation. Please help us.

  Slow down, please. I will try and help you. For now, I have to make the Ketaari believe that I can communicate with you.

  “I am waiting, Terran” the Ketaari warned.

  “It will take some time” Sila responded calmly. “And concentration. I would appreciate some solitude, Gelimnek.”

  d

  “Explosives are at the propulsion system” Commander Jolar announced. He stood at a station surrounded by six of the Ur’quay support team intent on their consoles. Each monitored one section of the Brutaniyr the assault team would target.

  In response, the First Commander gave the Henia the command to slow down.

  On the main viewer of the Command Chamber, the Star Captain watched as the Ketaari battleship came to a screeching halt. It was followed by a jolt as the Henia, still cloaked, halted abruptly beside it.

  “Assault Team 5, ready for autoport” Jolar directed briskly. “Plasma storage is clear.”

  Good, Zh’hir mused in relief, exchanging a glance with his Hadari’Kor friend. The plasma reserves were stored by the propulsion system. Planting explosives on it would be one of the trickier tasks to pull off for the section would soon be swarming with Ketaari attempting to fix their propulsion.

  “Power generator 1 is clear.”

  “Assault Team 5 autoported successfully” the First Commander’s voice interspersed with the Hadari’Kor deputy’s directions, working smoothly together.

  “Rescue Team, ready for autoport. Medic Bay shows one Ketaari life-sign in the chamber with one Terran and four Budheya.”

  That was their cue. The two Captains and two Ur’quay stepped quickly onto the Autoporter Pad.

  “Good luck, Rescue Team” D’raar’s voice said in their ears.

  The next second, they were on the Ketaari battleship, in a corridor outside the Medic Bay. The two warriors moved quickly on silent feet to take position on either side of the corridor. Zh’hir lowered his mental defenses to send out a feeler to Sila.

  Baithoni?

  That was all Zh’hir dared to say. He knew that she would respond to it if she heard him. No one else would know what it meant though they might suspect the presence of someone with mind-reading abilities in the vicinity.

  I am here, baithoni. Be careful.

  Along with her words, a mental image of the room as she saw it floated to him. He could see Saakshi watching her from a corner, her hands behind her back and an expression of mingled shock, awe and terror on her face. A stocky Ketaari officer watched Sila impassively.

  Help us. We hoped you might understand us. Please help us.

  There were minds bombarding Sila in there, Zh’hir realized. Their thoughts were chaotic, screaming loudly at her. He didn’t know how long she had been engaged with them but he sensed that she was at the end of her tether. She would not hold out for much longer.

  He turned to Zoran urgently. “The Ketaari guard is facing away from Saakshi. We should be able to autoport her out without him noticing. If we rush in at the same time, he won’t have time to use Sseela as a hostage. But we will have to be perfect, Zoran.”

  “Can we autoport them both to the Henia simultaneously?” Zoran suggested. “That way, we rush into the chamber and tackle the Ketaari without worrying about collateral damage.”

  “Sseela’s mind is connected to the Budheya in there. She’s trying to control them. I’m not sure at what distance they can hold the link — their thoughts are chaotic and all over the place. If the connection to them is abruptly broken, it might cause damage to Sseela’s mind.”

  Zoran grasped the situation quickly. “Understood.”

  “Support Team, one of the Budheya life-signs in the Medic Bay is separate from the others. Can you see her?” the Star Captain asked.

  There was a short pause. “We see her, Rescue Team.”

  “Lock on to her. When I give the word, autoport her out. She is on the floor with her hands tied behind her back” he warned. Saakshi had no way to fight back if the Ketaari guard turned on her.

  “We have locked on, Rescue Team” said D’raar’s steady voice. “Awaiting your command.”

  “Be warned, Rescue Team.” This time it was Commander Jolar’s voice in their ears. “A contingent of Ketaari is headed to you from the left of the corridor you are in. They will be at your position in three minutes.”

  The Ur’quay warrior on the right strode over to join his comrade guarding the corridor to the left, their weapons cocked. Zoran wondered what the Ketaari would make of them if they caught sight of the massive warriors. In full armor, the rust-colored close-fitting protection undulated with movement and their long, braided hair swung with abandon as they moved with the precision of warriors used to combat.

  The Star Captain glanced at Zoran.

  “Ready” Zoran mouthed as they both moved towards the Medic Bay door.

  “The Ketaari is at a forty five degree angle from the door, facing away” Zh’hir added.

  “Got it.” Zoran grasped his weapon tighter as the star Captain readied to give the command.

  “Support Team, now” Zh’hir enunciated clearly, kicking the door open with a might heave.

  The two males rushed in, weapons firing. The Ketaari officer had time to flash one incredulous glance at the two before crumpling silently to the floor in a heap.

  “We have Saakshi, Rescue Team�
� the First Commander confirmed.

  Zoran heaved a sigh of relief. His glance took in the room. Three comatose bodies lay in individual canisters, submerged in water with breathing equipment over their faces. They were hooked up to the machines and medical equipment that surrounded them. Sila sat in a chair, her eyes closed. Though she leant back in an attitude of casual ease, her hands were white with strain where they clenched on the arms of the chair. She had not stirred even at the sound of weapons fire. It was clear that she was under great strain.

  “Attend to Sila” Zoran said to his friend. “I’ve got this.”

  “Chamber is secure” he said to the two Ur’quay guarding the short corridor that led into the Medic Bay.

  The warriors retreated into the chamber to stand guard by the broken door the Star Captain had smashed through. The Henia would autoport them from the Medic Bay once they gave the signal. All they needed to defend was access to this room until Sila was ready for transport. The two Ur’quay took up position just inside the doorway, their weapons trained on either side of the corridor.

  “Rescue Team, Assault Teams 1 to 5 are back on the Henia. Their tasks have been completed satisfactorily.”

  “This is Rescue Team. Can you transport the three Budheya in the chamber with us?” the Star Captain inquired.

  Sila’s mind was being drawn into the chaos of the three connected with her. The strain of attempting to calm them as their voices bombarded her was too much for her.

  Baithoni, allow me to help.

  Sila stayed silent, straining to holding the others from overwhelming her mind. Zh’hir attempted to extend his mental shields to her as he had before. A wave of fear and desperation assailed him when he touched her mind. The emotions were not hers as he knew but she was in deep, drowning in the welter of the Budheya’s feelings and the cacophony of their voices.

  “Sorry, Rescue Team” D’raar said apologetically. “The Budheya have fused with their containers. They are now part of the ship. Our sensor can detect their life-signs but the Autoporter is unable to isolate them from their containers to get a lock on them.”

  Zh’hir sighed. There was nothing to be done for the Budheya. They had been too long in what was to be their watery grave. He felt a brief pang for the three whom fate had dealt such a poor hand. But his fear for Sila overpowered every other emotion. Sila was entrenched with the Budheya minds. Sheer will power would not help her here. To survive this, she would need him. But he had little experience of using his mind to communicate with others. Until Sila, he had spent his life protecting his mind even from an inadvertent contact with another. Nevertheless, he had a lifetime of mental discipline to draw on, he reminded himself. He could add guards to Sila’s mind to protect her from the potential fallout before he attempted to sever her connection with the Budheya. Ignoring everything else, he reached for Sila’s mind. Zoran and his warriors could handle the Ketaari.

  There was a sudden burst of plasma fire from the corridor. The Ketaari had arrived! The Ur’quay fired a few rapid rounds, enough to discourage any soldier from attempting to barge down the corridor to the Medic Bay.

  “Rescue Team, another contingent of Ketaari is headed to you from the other end of the corridor” Jolar informed them. “They will be at your position in two minutes.”

  Zoran glanced at the Star Captain. He was on his haunches before Sila, his attention focused on her. Sila’s stance remained unchanged. If anything, she seemed even more rigid than before. The three Budheya in the chamber lay unmoving in their watery containers, as before.

  Abandoning the warriors, Zoran strode over to the Star Captain.

  “How much time do you need, Zh’hir?” he asked quietly.

  The Star Captain turned to him, the gold eyes showing fear for the first time since Zoran had known him. It gave him pause.

  “A few minutes, Zoran. I must break her connection with the others.”

  “You shall have them, my friend” Zoran pledged. “I’ll buy you time.”

  As the mercenary strode away to the door where the two Ur’quay held off the Ketaari, the Star Captain called after him. “When the time comes, give the signal, Zoran.”

  It was his way of telling Zoran that his judgement was impaired when it came to making decisions for the group. And that he trusted his Hadari’Kor friend to make them.

  “I will give you as much time as I can” Zoran promised him.

  As the Star Captain focused desperately on Sila, Zoran joined the Ur’quay. “The Star Captain needs a few minutes” he said to the two warriors.

  “The Star Captain will have them” a warrior responded as he fired a burst at the Ketaari attempting to approach the Medic Bay.

  Soon, the second contingent arrived at the other end of the short corridor. The Ur’quay stepped through the doorway to stave off the advancing threat from both ends of the corridor. And Zoran joined them in the endeavor. The three of them fought together with grim determination. But gradually, as more Ketaari joined the fire-fight, they were forced to retreat back into the Medic Bay as a few Imperial Forces soldiers poured into the corridor outside.

  “Rescue Team, we have the Autoporter locked on all five of you” D’raar’s voice announced steadily. “Awaiting your signal.”

  “The corridor is filling with life-signs” Commander Jolar’s voice now held a note of urgency. “Do you require assistance, Rescue Team?”

  “We can autoport a few warriors into Medic Bay to assist you” offered the First Commander.

  “No, Support Team” Zoran directed, his voice nearly drowned out by the burst of weapons fire. “Do not transport any more to the Brutaniyr.”

  There was an instant of silence.

  “Zoran?” inquired his friend and deputy.

  “Sila’s mind is connected to the telepaths. The Star Captain is attempting to break the connection” Zoran said, coming clean. There was no point in trying to hide Sila’s secret anymore.

  “We could autoport explosives between you and the Imperial Forces, Captain” D’raar suggested. “It will buy the Star Captain some time.”

  “The Ketaari are too close, First Commander” Jolar said quietly. “Any explosives risk injuring the Rescue Team.”

  “What about the other end of the corridor from the Imperial Forces, Commander Jolar?” the First Commander persisted.

  “Yes, but nothing too powerful, First Commander.”

  “Captain?” inquired the First Commander.

  “Go ahead, First Commander” Zoran assented. It would sow confusion and buy them a few more minutes.

  It took the Ur’quay a few seconds to set it up.

  “Rescue Team, brace yourselves” D’raar said.

  Zoran and the Ur’quay widened their stances and put out a hand to the nearest wall. There was a jolt and the Medic Bay shook. Outside, there were screams from the Ketaari and for a moment, the soldiers seemed stunned.

  Zoran glanced back. The Star Captain’s trance had broken but he reached for Sila’s clenched hands. She still lay unmoving. The gold eyes met Zoran.

  “A few minutes more” Zoran mouthed.

  The gold eyes closed again to turn to Sila as he sat before her, almost in supplication.

  “Rescue Team, our sensors show Ketaari converging on the propulsion system.”

  “They know we’re here” Zoran breathed. “Though they can’t see any ship.”

  “If they find the explosives, Zoran” Jolar warned.

  If they did, Zoran knew that destroying the Brutaniyr would become trickier. But they could still do it.

  “First Commander, use the scans from the rendezvous to take out their weapons” he directed.

  There was a short pause before D’raar confirmed it. “Weapons are down, Captain.”

  “Have Dr. Uish by the Autoporter Pad” Zoran suggested. “Sila might need medical assistance.”

  “He’s standing by, Zoran. But more Ketaari are headed to your position” Jolar warned him.

  Before Zoran could resp
ond, a voice screamed out in Ketar. “Stop! Stop fire!

  “Stop” Zoran nudged the warriors and the Ur’quay lowered their weapons.

  For a moment, silence reigned in the Medic Bay and the corridor outside it.

  “I want to talk” shouted the voice in Ketar.

  “Have your soldiers retreat from the corridor first” Zoran proclaimed in Alliance Standard.

  For a moment, no one moved. Then, the Ketaari started slowly withdrawing from the corridor.

  “Zoran” Jolar, who could hear his friend’s words, warned. “He’s trying to buy time before reinforcements join him.”

  “First Commander” Zoran directed. “When I give the word, give us thirty seconds and yank us out. I’ll keep him talking as long as I can.”

  “Acknowledged, Captain.”

  The corridor was now empty, clear of all the Ketaari.

  “Put your hands up and come out. Alone and unarmed” Zoran warned.

  The Ur’quay cocked their weapons with a sharp sound as a male in Imperial Forces uniform emerged into the corridor. His pale blue eyes swept the warriors with bemusement before they found Zoran. With the Ur’quay helmets on to protect their thoughts, the Hadari’Kor on the assault teams had been unable to don their armored visors.

  “Hadari’Kor” the Ketaari soldier exclaimed incredulously. “Why have you attacked us?”

  Zoran pointed at the warriors. “I’m with them.”

  The stocky Ketaari took in the massive Ur’quay warriors, in full armor, who towered over the big Hadari’Kor mercenary. “They are not Alliance” he said.

  One of the Ur’quay moved infinitesimally and his armor undulated subtly. The Ketaari soldier’s eyes flashed to him. This time, he could not keep his curiosity in check.

  “Who are they?” he asked Zoran.

  “Have you heard of the Ur’quay?” the mercenary responded.

  “Ur’quay” the soldier staggered back, almost bringing his hands down in shock.

  The warriors raised their weapons with deadly intent and the Ketaari righted himself hurriedly.