Mosam’s previous cell in the brig stood empty beside the one holding him now. Yajain stopped when she saw him blindfolded and wearing deaf speakers in his ears. Similar in design to hunter’s ears, the deaf speakers kept him from hearing anything not spoken into a relay connected to them. At the other end of that relay was a microphone held by Finder Tinar Boskem.
The powerfully built finder stood beside Captain Firio Gattri, Tei-Officer Takatine of Castenlock, and the other finder who Agent Pansar had brought with him from the central expanses. Pansar himself was nowhere to be seen. Gellen led Yajain down the passage between cells to the three men.
“Captain.” She bowed.
“Thank you, Officer Chakal,” Firio said. “Why did you bring Doctor Aksari with you?”
“Captain, she wishes to hear what Coe has to say.”
“Out of the question,” said Boskem. “She is under suspicion herself.”
Firio met Yajain’s steady eyes. His scarred face softened as much as it could.
“No, Finder. She is not.”
Boskem took a step toward Firio.
“What is the meaning of this, captain?” He reached out to put a hand on Firio’s shoulder to turn him around.
Takatine caught his wrist, the one Yajain had broken to reset for him.
“No hands on the captain, finder.”
The finder tried to pull his arm back, but the towering kytep officer held him fast.
Boskem’s eyes burned as he glared at the taciturn officer. His teeth clenched together. Yajain could swear she heard them grinding. Gellen glanced at Yajain, eyes wider than usual, curious.
Firio turned to Boskem.
“Don’t overstep yourself finder. This is my ship, and second to Agent Pansar, this is my mission.”
The other finder put a hand on Boskem’s shoulder.
“That is correct,” he said gently.
Boskem sighed. Takatine released his wrist and Boskem withdrew his arm.
“With all due respect, if Pansar was here you would be wrong, Captain.”
“But he is not here, Finder Boskem.” Firio nodded to Yajain, though his expression remained stony.
“Thank you, captain,” Yajain said, heart in her throat. She turned to look at Mosam.
He sat, hands bound to his chair, head down, deprived of his most prominent senses. His feet tapped against the floor. Yajain hadn’t noticed during the argument, but she noted the beat he was tapping outmatched the soft and irregular but also familiar tune humming on his lips.
“The Ballad of Ellina and DiRyd,” she murmured.
Gellen leaned toward her. “What is that?”
“It’s a Ditari song,” she said softly. “Tells of ancient hunters.” And falling in love.
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s an old song.”
Firio took the microphone from Boskem. He raised it to his lips and pressed a button on its side.
“Mosam Coe,” he said. “This is Captain Gattri.”
“Captain.” Mosam’s voice rang clear even through the transparent wall of the cell. “I’m flattered.”
“I am here to interrogate you.”
“Who else is out there with you?”
“Two Imperial Finders, and my Tei Officer.”
“So that Regional Agent listened, huh? That’s good.”
“You said you wouldn’t talk to him.”
“I wouldn’t.” Mosam swallowed audibly. “But I could use some water.”
“Then answer my questions.”
“You’re a gentle torturer, captain.”
“Why did you infiltrate my fleet?”
“I looked forward. I saw that I’d need you.”
“How?”
“I used fluids. The tyrants are too strong for civilians to fight. The military of Dilinia is far better equipped to wage a large scale war. But you know that, captain.”
Yajain’s brows bent together. He’s digging at Firio’s past mercenary career. Is he trying to make the captain angry?
Firio paused, leaving a moment of silence.
“So you decided you needed help?”
“Yes. But I knew you wouldn’t trust me.”
Firio massaged his forehead with his free hand.
“Who was that woman who came to break you out?”
We already know about Adya. This is a test to see if he’s telling the truth. Yajain glanced at Firio. He didn’t return her look.
“Adya Setartha, a fellow Doctor of the Harvest.”
“Do you know where she is now?”
“You didn’t catch her?” Mosam grinned. “She’s slippery. Probably halfway back to Kerida Cluster by now.”
“We have footage of you in Kerida,” Firio said. “How did you get back to Toraxas so quickly?”
Mosam took a deep breath.
“I’m gonna need water to answer that one.”
“Answer first. Then water.”
“Fine. Because I trust you, captain.” He licked his lips. “Ever heard of Kerida’s Gatehouse?”
“A gatehouse?” Firio said.
Yajain’s eyes narrowed. The ancient structures of the gatehouses floated between pillars, housing passages outside of space and connected to others of their kind via portals. They made travel over vast distances simple, but their design predated humans and had never been replicated. Legends even told of ancient humans prior to divergence separating by traveling through gates.
“Yes,” Firio said. “It’s a little unusual, though. You see, Kerida’s Gatehouse can connect to any place where you have relative coordinates. It’s named for its location in Kerida Cluster, but well hidden.”
“Thank you,” Firio turned to the Finder Zozan. “Get him some water.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Firio turned off the microphone. Zozan took a bottle of water into the cell while Boskem stood on guard, a hand on the coil pistol at his hip. Firio motioned for Yajain and Gellen to follow him back to the entrance of the brig. Takatine stayed behind with the finders and Mosam.
“I’m going to need to borrow your office, Cabler Yedett,” Firio said as they entered the guardroom.
The man at the desk saluted.
“Yes, Captain.” He rose and pressed his palm the ID pad at a side door. It slid open. The cabler stepped aside and saluted again.
Yajain, Firio, and Gellen went inside. The door closed behind them. Firio’s eyes grew fierce.
“I don’t like being taken advantage of, Yajain. You’re like a daughter to me, but there are still limits.”
Gellen bowed her head to Firio.
“Excuse me, sir. It was my idea for her to join me. I knew how much she wanted to be here and saw an opportunity to repay some of my debt to her.”
Firio turned to Gellen. His eyes grew harder.
“I fought to give you this position, Officer Chakal. Is this how you repay me?”
“Without my life, a position means little, captain. Doctor Aksari gave me that.”
Firio shook where he stood. At first, Yajain feared one of his rare rages, but then she realized he was laughing.
“You two make quite a pair,” he said. “Don’t think you’ll get away with this again.”
“Thank you, Captain,” said Gellen.
“Yes,” said Yajain. “Thank you. I owe you, now.”
“Forget it,” Firio said. “Just stay quiet and don’t tell anyone what you hear from Mosam today. He seems willing to talk at least for now.”
“You can count on me,” Yajain said.
They returned to the cell block. Mosam was still drinking from the bottle Finder Zozan held to his lips. The skinny finder turned as Firio led Yajain and Gellen down the hall.
“It’s time,” said Firio.
Boskem and Takatine glared at each other, then both saluted the captain. Takatine handed Firio the microphone. Zozan left the cell, carrying the bottle. Mosam leaned back in
the chair, looking sightlessly at the ceiling.
“I can feel the ship moving,” he said. “Where to, captain?”
Firio activated the microphone. “I can’t tell you that.”
“I understand. Don’t want me to know anything in case I escape again. But don’t worry, I’m not leaving anytime soon.”
“So, are you ready to continue?”
“If you are.”
“Where did you get those weapon implants?”
“Old Doctor Savar put them in for me for this mission.”
Old, deaf, Doctor Savar had vanished with Mosam all those years ago. So he’s out here too.
“And what is your mission?”
Mosam lowered his face. Still blindfolded, he smirked. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to stop the storms.”
Boskem glanced at Firio, and past him to Yajain.
“He can’t be serious!”
“What do you mean by that?” Firio asked Mosam, ignoring Boskem.
“The tyrants drive the storms before them. Or so the ancient stories tell. Three Doctors of Harvest were sent by our council to stop their invasion of human space. That’s all I mean, no more, no less.”
Yajain’s breath caught in her chest. She stared at Mosam. He is serious. But is he telling the truth? Mosam is used to lying. He lied to us for years, Lin and me. Why would he tell the truth now?
“You think these creatures can control the weather?”
“They can control human minds. Why not storms? But they’re like us, like humanity. They use machines for a lot of things.” Sweat ran down Mosam’s neck. The bright lights cast his shadow on the floor to either side of his chair. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know exactly how they do it. But these storms are awfully convenient for them if they aren’t controlling them. Look at how the ships under their control ride the storms. They know where they’re going to strike.”
“Count Perdine’s fleet,” Gellen whispered.
Yajain nodded.
“And Ija’s ships too.”
Firio clicked off the microphone. He turned to Gellen and Yajain.
“Sounds like you two have thoughts.”
“He’s right about Count Perdine’s fleet. And the Count’s change of attitude suggests he might be under the control of a tyrant.” Gellen sighed. “Even I thought to use the storm when my ships attacked you but I couldn’t place how.”
Firio furrowed his brow.
“But you don’t remember why you thought of it?”
“My neural implant scrambled some memories from that time. I’m not certain.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Yajain said. “It’s obvious he thinks so at least.”
Firio shook his head.
“Or it could be a convenient fiction. But if there really is a way to stop the storms, it would save thousands of lives.”
Boskem grunted.
“You are all very quick to trust him. Don’t forget what he has done.”
Yajain took a step toward the big Finder.
“I’ll never forget.”
He sneered at her.
“Say that again.”
Yajain’s fists clenched. She glared up at Boskem.
“He’s a betrayer.”
“Yes,” Zozan said. “He will have to face justice eventually.”
Boskem nodded.
“In the meantime, we should test the truth of his claims. See if he maintains them under torture.”
“You just want to hurt him!” Yajain’s hand shot out and seized the collar of Boskem’s coat.
“And you want to hurt me, apparently.” Boskem’s tone was dead. “We have to make sure he’s not lying.”
Firio turned to Boskem.
“I don’t see what that will accomplish. He’s already told us a lot we can investigate.”
Gellen put a hand on Yajain’s shoulder.
“I agree with Captain Gattri.”
Yajain released Boskem’s collar. She turned her back on him, hung her head, and seethed.
“Officer Chakal, please escort Doctor Aksari back to Solnakite.” Firio folded his arms. “This interrogation is over.”
“Very well, Captain.” Gellen saluted and then turned to Yajain. “Doctor.”
Yajain nodded to her.
“Let’s go.”
As she and Gellen walked down the hall, tapping feet and Mosam’s humming returned to the Ballad of Ellina and DiRyd.
Yajain arrived in Solnakite’s watchroom, finding Sonetta and Banedd holding each other close, gazing out the window beside the circular table, overlooking the transparent bubble of the landing bay’s exit. When she spotted them, Yajain slipped to one side before they noticed her. She waited, listening to Sonetta and watching around the corner.
“I don’t know…I never. Not before.”
Banedd hugged her closer to him.
“It’s alright. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”
“That’s correct,” said Sonetta with a hint of the haughty dismissive attitude she had shown Yajain when they first met. Sonetta softened as she turned her face toward Banedd.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I just wish you hadn’t pushed Yajain. I shouldn’t have done it either.”
She kissed him. Yajain backed away slowly, careful not to make a sound to disturb them. Her face flushed and she hurried away through the passage. Their kiss seemed so simple, so easy. How could she ever have something like that?
She’d sooner be an albatross, flying alone forever.
Yajain reached the outside of the ship. There, a trio of Castenlock’s security guards stopped her while they contacted Firio.
Kaga Pillar, 9 Cycles Ago
The ships glittered across the void at the Toltuashi Verge. Yajain paused on the balcony overlooking the abyss between and watched the ships move over the forest all but invisible at this distance. Behind her, Lin and Mosam swam up the tunnel on their arc lifts. They flew so close to each other they almost touched, as they always did ever since the night Yajain saw them kiss at the party.
They dropped onto the balcony behind her. Yajain glared at them, hopefully hidden in the darkness outside. Then she forced herself to smile. Lin walked to the railing where Yajain stood.
“Looks like the cleanup is going late tonight,” she said.
“Obviously.” Yajain stared out at the silver strobes passing through the distant forest. “But why?”
Mosam put his hands on the railing.
“Maybe they found something special. Or someone.”
Lin nodded.
“You mean, a body?” Yajain asked.
“Maybe,” Mosam said.
Lin wrinkled her nose.
“Morbid. But I guess it makes sense.”
A silver beam slashed across the canopy of the tangled verge. Normally dark blue and green leaves appeared pale under the searchlight. Yajain squinted, trying to make out the shape of the ship there.
“Why do they care?” Yajain said. “They’ll burn the bodies they find anyway.”
“Yajay,” Lin said. “They need to find out who actually died there. Some of them might have survived.”
Mosam leaned folded his arms on the railing beside Lin and looked out.
“Yeah. But there could be other reasons. The alliances like to cover up a lot of things after battles. It’s not just Escaria and the sorai either. Dilinia does it too.”
Lin threw up her hands.
“Don’t start that now. We’re just hanging out.”
“Don’t change the subject, Lin!” Yajain turned to Mosam. “What kind of things do they want to cover up?”
Mosam’s open hands dangled over the railing. He motioned with one finger to the verge.
“Over there they ended the war, smashed the last Escarian fleet and their Ditari allies. And we’re supposed to think that’s only a good thing?”
Yajain frowned.
“I don’t know, Mosam. It can’t be bad the war ended. Maybe things will get back to normal, eventually.”
“Normal isn’t a bunch of super powerful alliances managing everything,” Mosam said. “Normal isn’t living in pillars.”
“Come on.” Lin grimaced. “Humans left the first reef a long time ago, and now there are too many people to go back.”
Mosam turned from the balcony and smiled at Lin.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I wouldn’t say we should.”
“The war is over.” Lin folded her arms. “But people are still different.”
“And most people don’t like anyone who isn’t the same as them,” Yajain said and imagined the girl, Nira, who’d beaten her with the pipe. She clenched her fists and straightened her still battered legs.
Lin rejoined the argument. Some line agreeing with Yajain. Great, let’s double team the boy we both like. Let’s drive away our only friend. Oh wait, I forgot. You weren’t the one with the broken leg. You were the one who kissed him.
Mosam and Lin were still arguing.
He said, “You know they treat you two the way they do because they don’t understand. We’re all one people.”
“You say that but what does it mean?”
“It means they hurt Yajain because they’re afraid, not because they’re evil.”
Yajain’s eyes moved to meet Mosam’s.
“Don’t tell me they aren’t. Even the reef dwellers believe in evil.”
He lowered his gaze from hers.
“Evil isn’t necessary to do horrible things.”
Yajain requested another visit to Dara’s hospital room, now that her friend was awake. Firio granted her request along with a pair of Castenlock’s security guards to escort her there and back. When they arrived, the door was open. Another visitor was already there.
Kebrim Ettasil sat by Dara’s bedside. He looked pale as ever. Dara turned toward the doorway as Yajain entered.
“Yajain? You’re alright.”
“So are you.” Yajain smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Kebrim came to keep me company while Solnakite is on board,” said Dara. “I’m happy to see you, too.”
“Captain.” Yajain nodded to Ettasil.
“You can call me Kebrim,” he said. “It seems like that’s the way in this hospital, Yajain.”
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