"I am glad he is there with you and his intelligence is so advanced."
"So am I, sir."
"I will terminate our transmission now. Farewell and survive, Bree-Kayah Saar of MafFei. I will reward you greatly whether you succeed or not."
"That isn't necessary, sir; my reward is in defeating To-char and saving the Federation from his threat. Bree-Kayah signing off."
"Raz Yakir signing off."
Starla looked at Cypher and said, "I think I'll get cleaned up and see if I can gather any clues from Dagan."
"You told him you would not return to see him tonight."
Starla grinned. "I'm not; Yana is."
"What clues do you seek to extract from him?"
"I want to know what kind of man he really is."
"How will you discern that fact?"
"By seeing how he reacts to Yana when Starla's back is turned."
Cypher analyzed and grasped that response. "What if your plan fails?"
"How can it fail?"
"If he surrenders to Yana's magic, that action will harm you."
"How so, my friend?"
"It will injure your emotions and perhaps become distracting. You do not want him to unite bodies with Yana, but you will tempt him to do so. That is contradictory and hazardous."
"I know, but it's the only way to study him, because I can't do such things as Starla. If Starla ensnares him, he won't divulge anything to her. But as Yana, many secrets are loosened on a sleeper; or so I'm told. Please don't worry," she assured her trusted android. "I haven't made that decision yet, and I won't make it lightly or impulsively or unless it seems imperative to my mission."
"Be careful with the mating scent application; do not use so much that he cannot control his physical responses and actions."
"I'll use it sparingly; I don't want to bring out the carnal beast in him, only enchant him for a while, dull his wits, loosen his tongue."
Yana looked up at light coming through the apertures of the skull-like facade of her destination. She had transported to the rental abode where Yana allegedly lived, and left from there. Music and other sounds of merriment came from speakers in the "skull's ears" to entice regular and new customers inside. She walked between "teeth" columns to enter, and took a deep breath to prepare herself to share time with Dagan if he was present. Even with his back to her, she recognized his black hair and magnificent physique. She strolled to his table. "May I join you?"
Dagan knew that sultry voice and smell. He turned, smiled, and stood to assist her with a chair next to him. "It's nice to see you, Yana."
"It's nice to see you again, Dagan," she echoed. "I was
hoping you would be here. I stay mostly to myself, but I need diversion at times. I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but I feel safe when I'm with you." She watched his blue eyes sparkle and a sexy grin curl up the comers of his full mouth. His teeth were white and straight. His clothes were clean and neat, brown pants and a tan shirt in a material that stretched taut over his muscled torso. He hadn't shaved so dark stubble was visible on his angular jawline, making him appear rakish.
Dagan was aware of her keen study. "That's a stimulating and pleasing compliment, Yana. Why don't I get you a drink? What would you like?"
"Radu knows my favorite drink if it's available. Thank you." She watched the captivating Kalfan almost swagger to the bar and lean against it in a nonchalant posture. He possessed such a commanding aura that no one else in the place could match him in looks or manner, in her opinion.
While Radu fetched a glass and filled it with Clearian wine, Dagan's gaze roved Yana's lovely profile and long sunny gold hair, almost the same shade as his own without his Dagan Latu disguise. Even the aqua tone of her bodysuit beneath a multihued flowing garment in a diaphanous material, a garment as ethereal as the stunning creature herself, matched the real color of his eyes before they were chemically dyed for this crucial mission. Yana, he concluded, was created and adorned by some mischievous force to be an intoxicating temptation to men. Her appeal to him was purely physical, though she was a likable female. She was so different from Starla Vedris, a greater and many-faceted temptation. He didn't normally take up time with women during an assignment and he moved around too frequently and rapidly to be ensnared by romance and never by love, not since a terrible tragedy yings ago played havoc with his emotions and life.
Yet, Dagan realized, his gut instinct—^which rarely failed him—^warned him not to trust her, told him she wanted
something from him, something he needed to discern, and fast. He suspected she was either a spy for Tochar or was a cunning scout for one of the man's many enemies, perhaps a rival who wanted to take control of this settlement and the fiendaVs, possessions. If the latter was true, she or her employer could be the person who ran that second check on his Dagan Latu record—an unquestionable one—^to see if he was for real or was approachable as an ally against Tochar. Perhaps the Asisan ruler had sent her to check out the weapons and moonbeams, but Yana had been unable to get close to Tochar since the man had a satisfying lover. Perhaps—^though he could not imagine how—she had failed to entice Auken or Sach into her clutches and extract needed information, so she had focused on beguiling him. There was an almost irresistible allure about the beauty, but no matter how tantalizing or talented she was, Yana would never extricate his secret identity and goal or sway him from it. With his special immunities, neither could Tochar nor anybody else, even with the aid of torture or their ineffective truth serums.
Yana took the glass he handed to her, smiled, and thanked him again. "What was the commotion about earlier this evening outside the settlement?" Yana asked. "I saw and heard those mountaintop weapons firing into the desert. Did Tochara come under attack?"
"It was just a test of the defense system. Perhaps Tochar should have announced it so people wouldn't worry. I'll point out his oversight to him."
"I'm glad that's all it was. It frightened me. To be honest, I'll be happy when I leave this place. It's much too primitive and rough for me."
"When will you be leaving?"
"In another malee or two, or as soon as I receive a certain message. Do you have to leave often for work and remain gone for long periods?"
"I never know my schedule until the last minute. Why?"
She sent him a radiant smile and laughed in a sultry tone. "Because I wouldn't have a trusted escort and bodyguard while you're gone."
Dagan's keen intuition and training told him that wasn't her purpose for signaling him out to receive her attentions. He would not underestimate Yana's cunning and talents, as he had done with Starla on that transporter. As she chatted for a fewpreons with Radu, his mind scoffed that he didn't think any of the other ninety-nine I-GAF agents would believe her, either. Officers like him were selected, tested trained, and skilled at investigating and solving tough and perilous interplanetary and intergalactic crimes; so an /-GAFqt was hard, if not impossible, to dupe or defeat. They had never failed to succeed in their assignments and he would not fail in this mission to destroy Tochar and those dangerous crystals, destroy the samQfiendal responsible for his own personal torment yings ago, a man he hated and wanted dead, but only after his victory was ensured.
Whatever it required, Dagan resolved, Toch^'s reign of terror would be terminated before it reached a critical level. As an I-GAF agent, he had the power and authority to do anything necessary to achieve his goal. He reported only to his superior, commander of an awesome force that was almost a law unto itself; his work and methods could not be questioned and reprimanded by anyone else. Only his superior and the other special agents knew who and what he was, since his birth face had been surgically and chemically altered. Though he used a different disguise for every mission, between assignments he worked and lived as Dagan Latu to keep that role well-established and credible. He recalled how that I-GAF uniform had felt so familiar, and the anger he had experienced at dishonoring it during the commission of a crime. But Tochar lacked the sec
ret of how to create and conceal an I-GAFqt hand badge. The symbol was tattooed into the flesh on the back of the right hand with an invisible dye which was made evident as needed
by smearing a particular chemical over it and was concealed again with a different one. Those chemicals and dye were unreproducible formulas; for that reason, a pretender was easy to unmask.
As he watched Yana work her charms on Radu, Dagan decided he might have to take steps to beguile her into dropping needed clues. Yet, something intangible about her was making his job difficult and uncomfortable, as it was an unfamiliar struggle to keep his arousal in check. The alien beauty was having a potent effect on him. He could not surmise why his body was battling with his mind. Perhaps Asisan women had a magical pull about which he hadn't heard; perhaps one could exude an irresistible phero-mone to enslave her victim. For certain, the next time he lay on a sleeper with a female, he wanted it to be Starla, even if she was one of Tochar's hirelings and his targets.
Dagan spoke with Radu before the man departed. His gaze met hers as he asked, "Who are you, Yana? What or whom are you hiding from?"
Yana went quickly on alert again. "I can't divulge that information."
"So, you only trust me to a certain degree?" he jested.
"I'm sorry, but privacy is a must until a particular matter is resolved."
"You won't leave Noy before saying good-bye, right?"
"I promise, unless you're away when I must depart. When do you take another journey? And how long will you be gone?" she asked to see if Tochar had confided anything of interest to his new hireling.
"I don't know I'm awaiting Tochar's orders."
She laughed. "Impatiently? You appear to love traveling."
He lowered his glass. "What gave you that impression?"
"You always seem a little restless."
"Not when I'm in such entertaining and ravishing company."
She traced her forefinger around the glass's rim as she
fused her gaze to his. "That was a quick and smooth response. Do you charm all of the women you meet so easily and swiftly?"
"Does that mean our attraction is mutual?"
She halted her movement to prevent tipping over the glass when her hand trembled. "Yes, but I think, where relationships are concerned, I move more slowly and carefully than you do."
Dagan chuckled. "Impulsive and reckless I'm not, Yana."
"Neither am I, Dagan. Now, why don't you tell me about yourself and your work."
He downed the last swallow of his drink. "It's getting late and I've had a long and busy deega. We can get better acquainted next time. What if I escort you to your dwelling to ensure your safety?"
Is that all you have in mind? "That would be kind of you."
They left the Skull's Den in silence as she led the way to Yana's abode.
"It's located there," she said, pointing to a small dome-shaped pod. At the entrance, she slid a metallic card into a slot and the door swished open. She turned and asked, "Would you like to visit for a while?" She half expected and needed him to refuse, but he did not.
"Only for a few preons; it's late, and we're both tired. But I wouldn't mind seeing your surroundings and having a last drink with you."
"There isn't much to see," Yana remarked as they entered the rental unit. "It's plain and serviceable and clean. Radu owns it." As she poured two glasses of Clearian wine, she told him, "I was fortunate to arrive when I did because the person who habitated it before me had to leave that deega."
"That was a stroke of good luck," he said, taking the drink ft-om her.
Yana watched him stroll around as if looking for things that would give him clues about her. She sat down, won-
dering what would happen next. She saw him glance over a waist-high partition into the sleeping and dressing area, then into another where the cooking and eating area was located. He didn't have to ask where the one door went: into the bathing chamber.
Dagan sat beside her on a small but cozy seata and sipped his drink. She was right, there wasn't much to see or anything to provide clues about her. That told him she was clever and cautious about her privacy; perhaps she stayed ready to flee at a preon's notice.
"You don't like to talk about yourself, do you?" Yana queried.
Dagan shrugged and grinned. "There isn't much of interest to tell. And you're just as tight-lipped as I am."
"I promised I would tell you everything about me later. In any case, since we'll know each other for such a short time, do facts about me really matter?"
"I suppose not, but I'll decide as we go along." He nodded toward an odd-looking figurine. "That's an interesting piece of sculpture. Is it yours?" he asked.
"No, it's part of the decor."
"May I see it?"
"Of course." She set down her glass and fetched the item.
With her back to him, he switched their glasses, having been careful to keep his liquid even with hers. Dagan examined the object and said, "Looks like an artist's strange interpretation of a Thracian kilitar." He handed it to her as if asking for her opinion. As she made her decision, he pretended to absently toy with a paper casing on the lower part of the glass for capturing moisture and preventing a slippery surface.
"It does slightly resemble that six-legged beast." Immediately after Dagan downed the remainder of his drink, she asked him if he wanted another one.
"No, thanks. I'll be leaving now, but I'll see you again soon." He stood and stretched as if weary, then furtively
stuffed the glass's wrap into his pocket, the one with Yana's fingerprints on it, retrievable with a special process he knew. Added to the voice print he had made that evening on his recorder, Yana's identity wouldn't remain a mystery much longer.
She was half relieved and half disappointed that he was departing without attempting to seduce Yana, her. She craved to feel his arms about her, to taste his lips, to join her body with his. She walked him to the door, but he turned before he pressed the open button.
Dagan gazed into her rich blue eyes and scanned her faint blue skin and blond hair with the same blue tinge. "You're a beautiful and desirable woman, Yana; I hope we'll see a lot of each other before you're gone."
"That would please me," she responded, though not totally true, not as Yana.
Without releasing her captive gaze, Dagan cupped her face between his hands, lowered his head, and sealed their lips. He couldn't help but close his eyes and pretend she was Starla, which proved to be a mistake. As his body flamed with fiery cravings and she yielded her mouth to his, he told himself if he didn't leave soon, his control would vanish.
Yana's wits danced freely. The kiss was everything she had imagined and more: tender, delicious, arousing. His manly scent pervaded her senses. His hands were strong yet gentle, as was he. But the kiss was too short to suit her.
Dagan leaned back and smiled. "Good night, Yana. I'll see you soon."
"Good night, Dagan. I enjoyed our brief evening together."
"Perhaps it will last much longer next time," he murmured.
Yana watched him disappear into the shadows, then closed the door and leaned against it as she tried to quell her tremblings of excitement. So, he didn't leap into a
sleeper with a woman just because she was "beautiful and desirable"; that was good, and it prevented her from making that serious choice tonight in a weakened state.
She communicated with Cypher who had overheard everything via her monitor, "I'll wait here for a while to make certain he doesn't return and wonder where I am or how I departed if he's lurking outside."
"That is unnecessary," the android replied. "I took a body reading and am following it with my sensors. He is returning to his chamber."
"Then, there's no need to remain. Ready for transport."
Starla entered the Skull's Den shortly after dusk the following day, purchased a drink, and took a seat near the dome's outer shell. It was a slow night for business on the first level and in that area, so it was quieter than
usual. Even the music from the adjoining section wasn't loud, nor the voices and laughter of the few patrons there. She wondered how long Starla and/or Yana could hold Dagan Latu's attention if one or both of them failed to share a sleeper with him. Should she, could she, in either form, surrender to such a perilous temptation? Did her sense of duty and the importance of her mission justify using her body to obtain victory? She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Dagan's arrival until his commanding presence filled her line of vision as he joined her.
"Looks as if you were mentally trekking far away," he murmured as he leaned back in his chair and gazed at her. A strange warmth flowed over him every time he was near her, one that worried him.
"A hazard of our fate-altered lives, wouldn't you agree?"
"I suppose so," he replied, then sipped his drink. He wished he could convince her to leave Tochar and Noy, remove herself as one of his targets. As soon as Tochar was defeated and slain, she would have no leader and this set-
tlement would be destroyed to scatter and weaken the remaining villites who used it. Afterward, she would be thrust into space on her own again or be caught up in the whirhng vortex which would swallow and crush the wicked elements in Tochara.
In his opinion, Starla couldn't be held totally to blame for her illegal actions; she had gotten entrapped in this dangerous existence while in a vulnerable state, pulled in by her own brother. He hoped Tochar's influence wasn't too strong and she would escape it soon; if not, there would be no way he could ignore her position in the fiendal 's band and her participation in its crimes, even though the ravishing pirate enflamed his passions and touched his emotions. Her effect on him evoked a battle of personal feelings vying against professional ones.
"Is your real name Starla Vedris?" he questioned suddenly.
Following his long and intense and arousing study of her, she had not expected that odd question. She stared at him for a m.oment. "Why, does it really matter? One name is as good as another in our work."
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