Liberation

by Sabine Priestley

  She smiled over her shoulder and lifted her chin a fraction.

  Frack. His mate was going to check out the center.

  ***

  Balastar finished his quadrant as quickly as possible. He thought he’d picked up something near the interior, only to recognize Kit’s psi. She blasted him with pleasure before moving away. Gods, he loved that woman and knew where to find her. As soon as he was satisfied he hadn’t missed anything, he headed for the center of the complex.

  Kit stood in front of an ancient arched doorway. The building itself was made of stone. At some point, windows had been added, and there were visible signs of repair. When a gust of wind blew Kit’s hat off, Balastar barely caught it.

  Her hair whipped around her head in disarray. The streak was a mix of yellow and orange. That was new.

  “Do you feel that?” she asked.

  He opened his mind and reached out with his psi. She was the first thing he registered. It was difficult to go beyond her and the pleasure she caused, but once he managed, he found what she was talking about. A psi energy unlike anything he’d ever experienced washed over him. “What is it?”

  “I don’t know.” Her head tilted to the side as if she were listening for something. “It feels like someone rather than something, but it’s like we speak different languages.”

  “We need to go.” Balastar took her arm.

  She attempted to put her hat back on but gave up. The wind was entering the dangerous zone. Rain would be here any second. If anyone saw them, they wouldn’t question the fact they were running. They met up with the others outside the shack where they’d signed in.

  “Anything?” Balastar asked.

  Dani and Ian both shook their heads.

  “Let’s go then.” Balastar entered the code, and they ran to the cruiser just as the sky opened up.

  Kit whipped around in the front seat to look at Dani. “So nothing at all?”

  “Not a thing.”

  Balastar lifted off and spun the cruiser around. Rain pelted the windshield. Below, the guards were standing outside the gate watching their ascent. He hoped it was only because they hadn’t signed out. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the disc they’d been given. “Toss them out the windows, guys.”

  They disposed of them quickly.

  “We found something,” Kit said.

  He could hear the excitement in her voice.

  “What’s that?” Ian asked.

  “That center building you saw on the plans? That’s the source of their power. Somewhere in that building lies the key to the Portal Masters.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Balastar said.

  “I’d be willing to bet on it,” Kit said. “I’ve never felt anything so strong. I’m telling you, that’s it.”

  ***

  Kit’s head spun as they fled the guild’s compound. Whatever that thing was, it was sentient. She was sure of it. But what did it mean? Did they have some other creature locked up in there? Given what they were doing with Vertans, she wouldn’t put it past them. But surely nothing could survive that long. “Five hundred years you said, right?”

  “For what?” Balastar retained control of the cruiser even when they joined the traffic pattern.

  “The Portal Masters. You said they’ve been around five hundred years, right?”

  “That’s what the textbooks say,” Ian piped up from the back seat. “But if you think about it, there’s no way to prove it. Maybe if you could excavate that building.”

  “That will never happen.” Balastar kept checking the nav feed.

  “Something wrong?” Kit asked.

  “The guards were outside the gate watching us leave. Just making sure we’re not being followed.”

  Kit took in the storm around them. “This is every bit as spectacular as you said.” The purple and green clouds were swirling around in crazy and wonderful patterns. The colors never mixed, but simply danced together in a violent tango.

  Back at Torgid’s, they changed into their own clothes. For some reason, that overdose of psi was making her antsy. She felt like she was missing something. Something she needed to do, but what?

  Torgid and Madge waited for them in the living room. “Any luck?”

  “We didn’t find our hostages, but we’re pretty sure we found the source of the Portal Master’s power,” Kit said.

  “Interesting. Such a mysterious group,” Torgid said.

  “Oh dears, I do hope you find your parents.” Madge gave Kit and Dani a sympathetic look.

  “Thanks,” Dani said. “I hope they’re still alive.”

  “So what next?” Torgid asked. “Sweeping the planet?”

  “It’s our only option,” Ian said.

  “That’s a big job for just the four of you.” Torgid pulled on his beard. “I tell you what. Astrid is a rather large corporation.”

  Ian snorted. “Just a bit.”

  “I’m going to help you kids out. What they’re doing is wrong, and we need to find a way to put an end to it.”

  “That would be great,” Kit said, sharing a look with Dani.

  “I’ll make some inquiries. I should be able to have people start immediately on the other side of Sandaria where the sun is rising. When you’re up tomorrow morning, give us a call. I’ll let you know what I’ve got sorted for this hemisphere.”

  “Thank you,” Balastar said.

  The rest added their words of thanks as well.

  A crack of thunder rattled the windows, making Kit jump. The storm was in full swing outside. “We can port up from here if you’re comfortable with him knowing.”

  “Good idea.”

  “Okay if we leave our cruiser here for the night?” Balastar asked.

  “Of course,” Torgid said.

  “I’ll get some rooms ready for you,” Madge added.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Balastar said.

  Torgid tilted his head. “Surely, you’re not going out in the—ah, of course not. You can simply port to your ship.” He gave Madge’s hand a pat. “That is something, isn’t it Madge? Making portals at will like that. Extraordinary.”

  “Goodness,” the woman said. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it. You kids come and go as you like. I can fix you dinner. It would be no problem.”

  “We appreciate that, Madge,” Balastar said, taking Kit’s hand. “But we’re fine on the ship. Well stocked.”

  Kit left a distorter with Torgid who assured them it would be well hidden.

  That night they fixed dinner on the ship and discussed the best places to start their search. Torgid’s offer to get started on the opposite hemisphere would be a tremendous help.

  Kit’s agitation grew as the night wore on. She spent a restless night hoping the missing Vertans were okay.

  ***

  The storm made the image on the holo hard to see clearly, but Loc could discern two figures standing in front of the inner sanctum. A tall man and a slightly shorter woman stared at the entrance and talked. Loc froze the image when the man looked up. Black locks stuck out from his company cap. Something about him was familiar. He zoomed in. The grainy image filled the holo. He studied the face. What was it about him? And more importantly, what were the two of them doing? One of his security guards had alerted him to the suspicious activity of a team of electricians. They reviewed all survey cams and found this.

  A knock on the door had him turning away from the image. “Enter.”

  Tern came in with a grave look on his face. “We have a problem with the Vertans. It seems they—“ Tern stepped closer to the holo. His face scrunched. “Is that Councilman Alder? What’s he doing with black hair?”

  “That’s it! Of course.” He zoomed out. “I knew there was something familiar about him.”

  “Who’s he with?”

  “I’ve no idea.”

  “And what the frack is he doing by the inner sanctum dressed in an Astrid uniform? I thought he was one of them that left when the emperor wen
t down.”

  “He was.” Loc ground his teeth. He would not let their plan fail now. Who was the woman with him, and what were they doing? His com buzzed. It was the security guard again. “What?”

  “There’s more. We have footage of four of them that came in. They split up and walked the entire compound. Didn’t touch nothing. The two I sent you met up in the center of the compound. The other two waited for ‘em outside the security office. Then the four left without signing out. They ditched the security discs a few blocks from here.”

  Fear stirred in his gut. What were they doing? “Can you run a trace on the cruiser?”

  “Already doing it. I’ll let you know when I hear.”

  Loc set his com down. “They walked the compound. Balastar and the woman met up there, then left. Never touched anything.”

  Tern rubbed his neck. “They were looking for something.”

  “Or someone,” Loc said. And then it hit him. “They were searching for the Vertans.” Anger boiled inside. None of this made any sense. Why the devil would former councilman Balastar Alder be here looking for the Vertans? How could he possibly know? Loc had no idea what he’d been up to since the fall of the empire, but he was going to find out. One thing was clear. This was a very bad sign. Everything needed to move faster than planned. “Did you and the others research the planets I gave you?”

  “We did, sir.”

  “And?”

  “And we feel that Solorian would be our best option for a number of reasons.”

  It was a good choice. It was his first pick as well. So be it. Now he needed to arrange for the ships. Anger turned to a mixture of excitement and apprehension as he contemplated what they were going to attempt.

  “Are we really going to move the artifact?” Tern asked.

  “We are.”

  “What do you think will happen when the thing is in space? Will the portals all fail?”

  “I’ve been wondering the same thing. We won’t know for sure until we try. I’m hoping that most, if not all, will stay open until we get to Solorian. Think about it. We know that when the defectors left Sandaria for Earth, the portals continued functioning for some time. I assume there is some residual energy stored with each gateway. Hopefully it will be the same here.”

  Tern looked dubious.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Just that we know the portals require the mass of a planet to be created. Perhaps the artifact needs it as well to maintain them.”

  It was a good point. It was also a chance they would have to take. “You said there was a problem with the Vertans?”

  “Indeed. Although, if all the portals fail when we move, it will be of little importance.”

  “Explain.”

  “Our assumption that all Vertans can anchor to one of our existing portals is in error.”

  “But we know they can do it. We witnessed it first hand with Armond.”

  “We determined that Armond had an unusual form of psi, but we never discovered his origins. The Vertans tried to anchor to a portal as requested. Some of them were able to detect the portal, but none could anchor to it. Our theory is that only those who are half Sandarian and half Vertan can perform that task.”

  “But they can still create portals in the usual way with two devices?”

  “Correct.”

  How many such mixed breeds could there be? Probably not many. “This is unfortunate but not a disaster. Have the crews at the compound stop the manufacturing and start readying the equipment for transport.” Loc regarded the man. The time had come. “Merrin will never agree to this. Nor will his men.”

  “I assumed as much,” Tern said with a note of determination. “Just say when, and I’ll see he’s taken care of. Something temporary should do. In the meantime, I will have Ira and Tarkness prepare the compound. A shame really. It was shaping up nicely.”

  “We’ll build a bigger and better one.” Loc had planned to procure the ships but changed his mind. “I want you to arrange transport. We’ll need a larger cargo carrier for the manufacturing equipment at the compound and a small transport for us and the Vertans. I will locate and arrange purchase of a large enough tract of land on Solorian.”

  He shared a look with Tern. The excitement he saw reflected in his eyes mirrored his own. They were making history. The universe would know of their audacity, and his name would never be forgotten. “Let me know when we are ready to make our move. Sooner rather than later, my friend.”

  After Tern left, Loc paced behind his desk. The security guard buzzed him again. “What did you find?”

  “The cruiser is a rental, registered to a Mrs. Turic. The ID falls apart after the third level security. I’m sending you her photo.”

  Loc sent a command to display the image. It was the woman with Alder all right. They were a threat no matter what.

  The guard continued, “According to her papers, she’s the captain of a transport ship that arrived yesterday. And there’s more.”

  “Go on.”

  “The other two electricians. We think we’ve identified them.”

  Loc pulled up the new photos the guard sent.

  “We think the man is Ian Cavacent and the woman his mate. A human named Dani Standich.”

  The Cavacents! Loc tried to process the information. A former councilman was bad enough, but the Cavacent clan still held great power. And they had the rogue Portal Masters. His rage burned anew. “Wait a moment. The Standich woman can’t be human. She was here for a time. She has psi.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, sir. We have her confirmed as human.”

  Human with psi. Of course! He’d be willing to bet she was at least part Vertan. Balastar Alder was a known entity. As a council member, his DNA was well established. Ian Cavacent, however, was a question. And the other woman. “Did you run the Captain through Sandaria’s facial recon?”

  “Yes, sir. She’s not from here. That’s all we can tell you.”

  Loc wished he had the authority to detain the ship, but he didn’t. He could request that President Prayda do it, but that would raise questions.

  “Sir, you should know there is another crowd forming at the gates. They’re getting bolder.”

  And Gordat Prayda was losing control. Loc flexed his fists. He needed to capture those four. No, he needed three of them. Balastar was full Sandarian. He would be of little use to them. As for the rest, a few more hostages would be nothing, and chipping away at the Cavacent clan would be welcome revenge and a worthwhile risk.

  “I want those trespassers captured. Find them.” He thought a moment, then added, “Balastar Alder is expendable. The rest I want alive.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Kit woke tangled in a mess of arms and legs the following morning. She didn’t know when she’d finally fallen sleep. The night had been filled with disturbing dreams of Portal Masters and Vertans. Her left foot tingled, and she pulled it out from underneath Balastar’s leg. He lay in a heap on his stomach. She wiggled her toes, trying to get the blood flowing. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the view port above the bed. It was black now, which meant the sun was probably visible and would be blinding. Her stomach rumbled.

  “Hungry, love?” Balastar’s voice was muffled in the pillow.

  “Starving.” They dressed quickly. Kit chose her usual jeans and a purple shirt. Balastar donned jeans as well as a tight, black T-shirt.

  “You okay? You did a lot of tossing and turning last night.” He tucked some wayward strands of hair behind her ear.

  “Bad night. Weird dreams.”

  “Want to tell me about them?”

  “I can’t remember exactly. Portal Masters and Vertans all mixed up and wrong somehow.” She replayed the fleeting images she’d woken with. “And something else.”

  “What?”

  It was more a feeling. “Oh. It was the feeling from the guild. I swear that thing is trying to communicate.”

  He kissed her forehead. “We’re under a
lot stress right now. Try not to worry about it.”

  Good advice since they were already doing everything they could.

  He kissed her soft and sweet before they joined Dani and Ian.

  Balastar sent a message to Torgid to let him know they’d be there shortly. He didn’t wait for a reply.

  A few minutes later, the four of them stepped through the portal into chaos.

  Madge lay on the floor in front of the couch, curled in a fetal position with her hands over her head. Torgid lay unmoving next to her. Multiple armed guards filled the room.

  “Aw, frack.” Kit stopped with Balastar pressed against her back. “It’s Mouse and Burns.”

  “Looks like they used psi-suppressant on Madge.” Balastar said. “Maybe Torgid as well.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “It’s nasty stuff. Every fear, every sorrow you’ve ever experienced comes back a thousand times worse. You can’t stop your thoughts, and you can’t use your psi because the pain is unbearable. Lasts for hours.”

  The look on the Sandarian guard’s faces told Kit they weren’t expecting company. They recovered quickly and aimed their weapons before Kit and the others could do the same.

  “Well well, look what we have here.”

  “Step back,” Kit said to Balastar. “You can make it to the ship. Go.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “Yes you are. I have to find my parents, and you’re going to have to find me. Let them take us. Go get Armond and use the focal points to rescue us.” She waited but he remained. “Please. You’ll find me. I know you will.”

  “I’ll be back with help.”

  Kit breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Balastar’s absence.

  “Oy!” Burns swung his weapon and pointed at Kit’s head. “Don’t move a muscle.” He nodded to Mouse. “Tie their hands and look for the portal device. One or more must have it.”

  “Unless the big guy took it with him,” Mouse said.

  That’s right, you crag. Kit hoped her impromptu plan would work. If these guys didn’t take them to the other hostages, they were screwed. She tried not to think about what would happen if Balastar couldn’t find them for some reason. Of course, he would. They had the focal points. Thank you, Armond.