No Such Thing

by Michelle O'Leary

  "Every third day?" Declan asked with a curl of his lips and a sparkle in his indigo-shot eyes, as he held out a hand to her.

  "Once a week, tops," she said in a beleaguered tone, twinning her fingers through his and catching Sam’s arm when he joined them. "Come on. Let’s do that debriefing thing you’re always barking about over lunch."

  "She has never taken the military seriously," Sam confided in Declan over her head.

  "She plays with sun fire and breaks planets. Did you really expect her to?" Declan answered with dry humor.

  "Humph. She’s having a bad influence on you, boy."

  "Yes, sir," Declan responded with an unrepentant grin.

  Over lunch in Declan’s office, Ryelle debriefed the admiral with all the swift efficiency he had taught her, starting with the supply line attacks and ending with the capture of Ventura. His only reaction was to eat slowly and watch her with almost unblinking intensity. When she finished, he looked from one to the other and snorted. "Busy couple of days."

  "Eventful," Ryelle agreed.

  Declan grimaced and pushed his plate away.

  "I need to see those kids," Sam said, wiping his mouth on a napkin and pushing his chair back.

  "Why, yes, I am finished eating. Thanks for asking," Ryelle commented with a dry look and put down her fork. But the admiral had that focus on his face, the sharp and ready air that said he had zero sense of humor or decorum at the moment. With a resigned sigh, Ryelle rose to her feet. "Try to remember that they’re very young and you’re everything they’ve been taught to fear."

  The admiral met her gaze with a chill forming in his light eyes. "You expect me to treat them like innocents? They came here to destroy you."

  "Actually, they came here to learn from me and destroy everybody else." When his gaze didn’t relent, she gave him a sour grimace. "They were being used. I know the feeling, Sam. All too well. I’m just asking you to try not to scare them."

  He didn’t say yes or no, only tipped his head and headed out the office door. Ryelle and Declan followed on his heels.

  "What’s your plan for these telenetics?" Sam asked, as if he couldn’t guess.

  "I thought we could torture them unmercifully until they divulge all they know about GenTec warfare. Then maybe dice them up to see how they were put together."

  Sam greeted this with bland silence, his back straight and unyielding ahead of her.

  "Don’t try to tell me Fleet hasn’t thought of it."

  "Somebody always thinks the bad stuff. Doesn’t mean I do."

  "Good. My plan is to take them back to the Institute and install them as new students. I’ve asked the GenTec to consider a truce with the children as their ambassadors."

  Sam stopped dead and turned to her slowly, eyes bright and intense. He stared down at her for a long time and Ryelle looked back with her own bland silence, waiting. "You have always been ambitious," he finally said with slow emphasis.

  "Mm-hmm. It’s one of the traits you like best about me. Do I have your backing, Admiral Task?"

  He tilted his head, studying her like a hawk would its prey. "Backing who? The Advocate for Telenetic Rights? Or Ryelle, the girl who would be mother to all little lost souls?"

  She snorted, though she couldn’t keep her face from tingling with a blush. "Both."

  "Well, I backed you this far," he said in a resigned tone. "Can’t stop now or people will think I’m dotty."

  Ryelle gave him her most brilliant smile and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "That’s my Sam."

  Declan cleared his throat rather pointedly and Ryelle glanced over to see a scowl on his face. With a snicker, she stepped to his side and slipped an arm through his. "He gets kisses because he kept me sane for the last fifteen years," she murmured as she tugged them into motion again.

  "Which is why I haven’t broken his face yet," he responded in a low growl.

  Ryelle gave a snort of humor but didn’t bother to comment. They reached the converted storage area in short order and Ryelle gave the admiral a last, warning stare before they walked in. Sam stopped short, staring at the scene. Ryelle and Declan continued on into the room, having seen such displays many times over the last few days.

  The children were sitting at the card table, midnight eyes attentive and mouths curved with delight as they built a house of cards in the air. Regina sat with her seat leaned back, legs up on the table and ankles crossed, while she casually flicked cards from the deck in her hand into the air.

  "Towers," Regina said. "A castle’s got to have towers."

  "Does this mean you didn’t teach them how to cheat at poker?" Ryelle asked with a grin.

  "This means I had to stop playing before they drained me. Beginner’s luck is hell." Regina flashed a casual look over her shoulder, only to do a double take on the admiral. "Who’s the uniform?"

  "Admiral Samuel Task, this is Mem Regina McCrae. Declan’s mother."

  "Pleasure to meet you, Mem," Sam said as he slowly advanced toward the group. His tone was polite and bland, but Ryelle could tell by the blue ice in his eyes and the predatory angles on his face that he was focused entirely on the children.

  She wanted to kick him. Instead, she said, "And this is Daniel, Rose, and Jake."

  Sam flashed her a brief look before he refocused on the children. "Pleasure to meet you as well."

  "Hi," Jake said without taking his eyes off the cards. Rose flicked little glances at the admiral without saying anything. Daniel turned away from the cards entirely, facing the admiral with a steady gaze. "He doesn’t like us."

  Sam’s eyebrows rose, but Ryelle spoke before he could. "He doesn’t know you yet."

  "And he’s not going to, if he keeps trying to intimidate small children," Regina commented with unruffled calm as she watched the construction, sending another card into the air with a twist of her wrist. "He’s got thirty seconds to put a smile on his face before I bounce his ass out the door."

  That diverted Sam’s attention quite handily. He blinked down at the redhead as if he’d never seen such a creature before. Ryelle clapped a hand over her mouth before she guffawed out loud.

  Still not looking at him, Regina said mildly, "Fifteen." About to flick the next card, she paused and turned her head to look up at the admiral. "Ten."

  Sam’s mouth slowly curled into a lopsided smile.

  "That’s better," she murmured, studying him with narrow blue eyes.

  "Next card, Reggie," Jake chirped.

  "Hmm?" Regina seemed a little diverted herself.

  Ryelle turned her head to look at Declan with wide eyes. Sam and Regina? He was staring at his mother with his eyebrows soaring almost into his hairline.

  "May I call you Reggie?" Sam asked Declan’s mother with a charm that Ryelle had rarely seen.

  "Not on your life," Regina snorted then gestured for him to sit. "Here, you can throw the tower cards."

  Sam Task settled on a chair with a bemused expression, his eyes puzzled but no longer predatory when he looked around at the children. "Is this a game anyone can join?"

  Daniel looked at him with cool challenge, but when Ryelle laid a hand on the back of his neck, some of the tension ran out of his thin form. "This isn’t a game. We’re training."

  "I’m not training," Jake denied with a quick frown for the older boy. "I’m playing. Reggie said I could."

  "Ryelle said we should try," Rose said in her clear, serene voice, eyes meeting Daniel’s with gentle implacability.

  Daniel sighed, giving Sam a resigned look. "Fine. You can play."

  "Thank you. Daniel." He accepted half of a deck from Regina with another charming smile for her and veiled puzzlement for the youngsters. "Your names are unusual for GenTec."

  "We had designations, before. Ryelle gave us names. We like them," Rose told the man without looking away from her work.

  "Designations," Sam repeated in a low voice, glancing over at Ryelle.

  She lifted an eyebrow and quirked a corner of her mouth.
r />   "Are you siblings?" he asked the children.

  "We…are…" Rose looked away with a crease forming in her forehead, eyes seeking Ryelle.

  "They are clones of an earlier ancestor. For all intents and purposes, they are family," Ryelle answered for them.

  "Family," Rose repeated in a whisper, still looking at Ryelle. Then she looked back up at the castle of cards with a satisfied smile. "We are family," she said in a confident voice.

  Daniel nodded slowly with a thoughtful expression as he watched the building. Jake just made an exasperated noise and looked at Sam. "Are you playing? We need the tower cards."

  Sam gave him a helpless smile and tossed a card in the air. It was caught by invisible fingers and spun into place. "So, what do you kids think of Ryelle’s plan for you?"

  "We like her," Jake said with a cheerful grin, leaning forward to whisper, "She lets us play."

  "We want to learn," Rose amended, throwing an elbow into her little brother’s side.

  Daniel cast a swift glance at Ryelle, before bending a frown on Sam and saying with careful seriousness, "There’s no such thing as peace but what we can make." He thumped his narrow chest for emphasis. "We will serve our people. We will learn from our Teacher. We’ll make peace."

  Sam stared at him in a silence broken only by the whisper of cards. Then he turned to Ryelle, swallowed hard, and said in a hoarse voice, "I’ll talk to Central."

  The GenTec Prime returned shortly thereafter. Ryelle suspected that they’d been waiting for Fleet to arrive. Perhaps to provoke hostilities that would negate their need to decide. She watched them approach on the large, incredibly life-like hologram in main ops with Declan at her side and Admiral Task pacing behind her, his arms folded across his chest and a fierce scowl on his face.

  "They’ve never considered a truce before," Sam argued. "What makes you think they’ll want one now?"

  "Because she’s got ‘em by the balls, Sam," Declan said in a bland tone with an undercurrent of impatience. They’d heard this litany a few times already.

  The admiral grunted. "That usually makes them fight harder."

  Ryelle sighed. "One last time. They’re making telenetics, stronger than our natural ones. With me on your side, you’ve still got the advantage, but I won’t live forever. Even if I don’t make a mistake and get dead, I’ll still get old and die, and you’ll be screwed. And frankly, I don’t want to keep killing for the rest of my life—"

  "You’ll probably have kids," Sam interjected in a sullen tone.

  "And I don’t want them to kill either," she snapped, sending him a cutting glance. "Besides, there’s no guarantee that my children will have any talent, let alone a strong talent. So given the choice between endless war, bloody genocide, or potential truce, which do you suppose I should consider?"

  "You’re forcing this and nobody likes being forced."

  "The universe isn’t perfect and neither am I. I’m just doing the best I can."

  Declan’s arm slipped around her and she leaned on him, grateful for the support.

  After a moment, Sam appeared on her other side, his expression grim but resigned. "All right. Let’s do this."

  After all the anxiety and the fuss with Central, the conversation with the GenTec Prime was shockingly simple. He appeared and said in that gravel voice, "My people are willing to consider your proposal. We would like to discuss terms."

  The rest of it Ryelle left in Sam’s capable hands. She was there as a mediator only, a counterbalance to any potential hostilities. No one let down their guard. The GenTec were notorious for cleverness and ruse. The Fleet was wary and watchful, but with only one functioning ship among the drifting GenTec armada, they didn’t get too itchy on the trigger. Ryelle allowed the Prime to speak with the children and arrange a visit on the GenTec ship as soon as negotiations were finalized.

  Within a surprisingly short amount of time, a formal truce had been declared with only the fine print to bicker over. She didn’t accompany the children on their visit with their people, but she kept close tabs on them. When they returned, sober yet calm, there was nothing left to do but leave the station. She needed to get the children to the Institute as soon as possible, to get them acclimated to their new life.

  But that meant leaving Declan.

  She prepared herself and the children for the trip with a spreading numbness inside, a denial of the coming agony. The admiral had given her loan of a smaller, faster transport to get them back to the Institute. She packed it with provisions and goods, spoke with the pilot about the fastest route, and showed the children on a galactic map where their new home would be. She said goodbye to the crew she had befriended and to Regina, who said not a word as she pulled Ryelle into a quick embrace. Those goodbyes were bad enough—she’d cried in Regina’s arms. How the hell could she leave Declan?

  She procrastinated and dragged it out as long as she could, but much too soon they were at docking, the children were on board, and she was staring at Declan’s handsome, drawn face, wondering how in God’s name she could do this.

  "I’m not leaving you," she whispered fiercely.

  He wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head under his chin. "I know."

  "I’m coming back."

  "I know."

  "Oh, God, I can’t do this."

  "You have to."

  She wept.

  He held her, rocked her gently, kissed her hair, kissed her wet eyes, kissed her mouth long and hard until she stopped crying. Then he helped her through the hatch with implacable hands.

  "I love you."

  He smiled, bittersweet and tender. "Come back soon."

  And so she left.

  Chapter 23

  The children helped. They were concerned, even a little frightened by Ryelle’s stormy emotions, so she struggled to maintain control in front of them. Her tears they couldn’t seem to handle. Her sadness drew them, however, and in the few day’s journey to the Institute they took to touching her, holding her hand, sitting close, resting against her, as often as possible. It was a different kind of pain that they needed her reassurance as much as they needed to give comfort, but it was also a joy. They helped.

  By the time they reached the Institute, Ryelle felt able to take on the challenge of introducing the children to their fellow telenetics. She started with the director. It was almost a pleasure to watch Ignacia Salvo’s jaw drop when they stepped through her door. Ryelle was proud and gratified when the children showed little fear of the woman, standing still and watching her with steady eyes when she approached them.

  "Director Salvo, may I present Daniel, Rose, and Jake."

  "Look at you. Good God, you three are amazing!" she exclaimed. Abruptly she raised her hands in front of her, palms toward the children. "Push me," she commanded.

  All three looked up at Ryelle in askance.

  "She wants to see how strong you are. Push with your talents. One at a time, please."

  With each push, Sal made a little, "Ah," of discovery. When they were through, she threw up her hands and cried, "Amazing! Strong fours, each of you. And without a crystal in sight." She leaned forward with hands braced on her thighs, bringing her suddenly stern face closer to them. "I predict," she said slowly with an edge to her voice that made the children blink, "you three will be a terrible, wonderful adventure. I can’t wait to get started." Straightening with startling speed, she strode to Ryelle and threw an arm over her shoulders. "How was your vacation?"

  Ryelle stared at her friend, lips twitching. "An adventure."

  "Oh, goody. You’ll have to tell me everything once you get the darlings settled. Off you go, dear. The kids look tired and hungry."

  "How was the government inspection?" Ryelle couldn’t resist asking as she turned the children toward the door.

  "Energetic," Sal responded with a wicked grin.

  Ryelle smothered a laugh and urged the children into motion.

  Daniel and Rose moved with alacrity, but Jake stared over his s
houlder at the director with a thoughtful expression. "She’s like Reggie. I like her," he announced.

  Daniel snorted, nudging the smaller boy with a gentle elbow. "You like everybody, little brother."

  Jake shrugged then looked up at Ryelle with a sweet solemnity. "Do they have milkshakes here?"

  Ignoring the ache his words created in her chest, she forced a smile on her face and said, "Let’s go find out."

  She took them to the eatery, where she fed them and introduced them to some of their teachers and classmates. Universal wonder greeted their presence, with some anxiety and fear sprinkled amongst her students and colleagues. Though the GenTec children stayed close by her side and looked to her for guidance, they seemed to take the introductions and reactions in stride. Ryelle was well satisfied—for a first meeting of age-old enemies, it went incredibly well.

  After eating, she took them on a quick tour of the grounds before settling them in their own quarters. Normally, new students were placed in dormitories, common areas with other students. But Ryelle judged that they weren’t ready for such close contact, both for their own sakes and for the sake of others. They seemed content to stay together in their own space, which also made it easier for her to monitor them.

  Ryelle left them exploring their new surroundings and made her way through the building to her own quarters. She didn’t unpack, sit down, or even pause, heading directly to the com to send Declan a message. She couldn’t get instant contact because the Mobulus station was on a relay, but she’d be damned if she’d let that slow her down. They’d had enough silence fifteen years ago.

  That thought brought to mind Eban Hoti and she browsed the Institute database for his location. Lucky for him, he was currently on assignment in a distant star system. She left him a very terse message to report to her office as soon as he returned.

  Then she sat still and stared into space for a while. Without the children close at hand to give their silent comfort, Ryelle felt empty, wretched. She missed Declan so horribly that her insides were raw with it. When she sensed the children finally settling down to sleep, she contacted several of the other teachers, asking them to watch the children while she got some real sleep of her own. That done, she rose and made her way to her bed, where she collapsed and wept until oblivion stole her away.