by Bianca D'Arc
“What happened to you?” Darak asked, noting the torn sleeve and smudges of dirt on Seta’s pretty face.
“I ran into a bit of trouble and had to fight my way out since I couldn’t use my Talent,” she admitted. “I’ll be okay.”
“How did you find us?” Jana asked.
“I saw Jana come out of the hotel and followed her to the detention center. I waited outside, and when I saw her come out, I followed again,” Seta explained.
Jana came forward and touched the tag to the bare skin of Seta’s arm. “You should go back to the ship,” she advised the other woman softly. “You both should.” Jana included Darak in her admonition.
“But I want to help,” Seta protested, although Jana had seen the way the other woman was trying to hard not to limp. She was hurt. She needed medical attention.
“Jana’s right,” Darak said in a firm voice. “You need to go back. Jana and I will stay here and finish the job.”
“You should go too, Captain,” Jana said, deliberately using his rank to put space between them. “You’ve already been arrested once. The Wizard I knocked out will sleep for a while, but eventually, he’ll awaken, and they’ll be looking for you.”
Darak stepped closer to her. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Jana. We stand or fall here together.”
She gauged his expression and saw that iron will that had gained him the position of StarLord at such a comparatively young age. He would not be dissuaded.
“So, I guess we’d better stand, then,” she muttered.
Seta was convinced to translocate back up to the Circe with only a bit more prodding. She took instructions and a sitrep from Darak back with her. Jana sent the pre-arranged signal of a set sequence of clicks, which would hopefully go unnoticed by the Wizards’ fleet, and a few seconds later, Seta was gone. Back up to the ship.
“We need to get off the street,” Darak said, peering out from the dark alley near the end of town.
“We need to get out of town.” Jana took the premise one step further. “There’s little more we can learn from this group. Kol isn’t here and likely won’t be coming here. He sent that little worm Geranth to do the job in this town.”
“So, we need to find out where Kol is,” Darak stated the problem. “How do we do that?”
“I think I know how,” Jana admitted. “I’ve been experimenting with the crystals. I think I can open myself up a little more. It might at least give us a direction.”
Darak frowned. “We can discuss that later. Right now, how do we get from place to place on this planet? I don’t see much transport tech. Is there such a thing as a speeder rental?”
Jana shook her head. “No. Mithrak has always been a tech-limited world by design of the founders. It was started as a religious colony. That’s why our moral code is so strict and we have very little technology. We were ripe for the picking when the collective decided to annex us.” She tried to keep the bitterness from her tone, but knew she failed. “There are no speeder rentals or high-speed transports. But we can get a couple of horses.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“I know this place,” Jana said a few hours later when they topped a rise and a new valley spread out before them. On the opposite side of the valley, a jagged tower stood out against the setting sun.
“Where are we?” Darak asked quietly. They hadn’t spoken much since leaving the town behind on rented horses.
“If that’s the tower ruin I think it is, we’re in my home valley. My parents’ farm spread out below the tower, and the herd grazed the land all around it. Jeri and I used to play there when we were little, even though it was forbidden.”
“Why was it forbidden?” Darak wanted to know as they moved along at the horses’ leisurely pace.
“The old folks said it had been a Wizard’s tower, but I think now it was probably a school for training Talent, which on this planet has always been called Wizardry. When the collective came, using those same psychic powers but in much greater concentration, the people of Mithrak called them Wizards, too, and the name stuck. The tower was destroyed by the collective, and all its inhabitants were either killed or taken in the very first cull. Thousands were abducted from all over the planet, then, and each year, they come back and cull our people again, taking any new Talents that matured in the interim. The pattern has been repeating for almost a hundred years.”
“Someday,” Darak promised, “we’ll put an end to the cull. We’ll stop the collective, and prevent them—or anyone else—from enslaving Talents ever again. That’s what the Council is meant to do. It was created so that Talents could be free to live as they choose without fear, and without abusing their power.”
“It’s a noble goal,” Jana agreed. “But, having seen the power of the collective for myself, I’m not sure anyone can stop them. Even Jeri and Micah. With the control crystals amplifying the Voice and connecting all those Talents in real time, they are a formidable force. And that’s not even counting their human army.”
“We’ll win the war one mind at the time if we have to,” Darak said firmly. “We start with you, Jana. If you can be freed—even with the crystals still embedded in your skin—then others can be freed, too.”
“Something strange happened in the detention center,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. Darak let her because he sensed her discomfort with the previous topic.
“What happened?” he asked as the horses continued their leisurely gait down into the valley.
“One of the soldiers guarding the entrance to the cell block recognized me. He called me Star Killer and let me pass. On the way out, another of them stopped me and thanked me for saving Plectar. It looked like that group was made up of Plectaran warriors, and I think they must’ve been talking amongst themselves while I was in the cells with you. They had to know I was up to something, and they probably realized you weren’t Geranth when you walked out of there.”
“You think they let us go on purpose?” Darak was intrigued by the idea.
“I can see no other explanation. Plectarans seem to be a lot more loyal to their planet and their brethren than anyone realizes. I think they let me go because they’re grateful to the Star Killer—even though I still don’t remember how I managed to destroy a star.” Her voice was filled with incredulity.
“Nobody knows how you did it, Jana. Ask Agnor when we get back. I think the Specitars have a whole team working on the problem. You did it, so they know it’s possible, but how you did it remains a mystery.” Darak had to smile, thinking about all those Specitars trying to puzzle out the actions of the beautiful woman who sat on her horse beside him.
To look at her, you wouldn’t realize the core of steel in her being. But Darak was rapidly coming to understand that Jana was much more than a pretty face. She had an iron will and a brilliant mind. The more she remembered of her past, the more confident she became. It was like watching a flower blossom in the sun. She was reclaiming her life, little by little, and he felt privileged to watch it happen.
“I wonder if the Plectarans can be counted on?” Darak asked the question foremost in his mind.
Jana shook her head. “I wouldn’t like to chance it. As it was, I was holding my breath the whole time we were near the detention center. All it would have taken was one loyal collective soldier to alert their platoon leader, and we would have been sunk. For that matter, if the platoon leader had been with his men, I don’t think the Plectarans would have allowed me to pass. It was just luck that they were on their own and willing to look the other way for the sake of what I supposedly did for their planet.”
“I think you might be underestimating their loyalty to you, Jana,” Darak pointed out. “All those reports Zane passed along—at least the ones on the crystal he gave me—indicate that you did a lot more for their people than just that one mission. The reports show that you routinely sought ways to minimize losses among the soldiers. They respect that you for that. In fact, I think they love you, in their way, as a comma
nding officer who respected the value of their lives. I don’t think that can be said of many other commanders under the control of the collective.”
Jana was silent, but Darak saw the way her lips tightened. The collective wasn’t easy on its people. They were seen as pawns to be moved about the chessboard, and sacrifices were inevitable.
She was silent a while, and Darak realized they’d wandered into uncomfortable conversational territory again. Another change of topic was needed.
“If the tower was forbidden, would it make a good place to spend the night?” he asked. “I mean, we could always go back up to the ship, but I’d rather limit the number of transports, because they might be spotted and reveal the location of the Circe. It would be safer to stay down here. Besides, we should look after these horses and see if we can figure out our next move.”
“The tower should be safe. Locals don’t go there, and the Wizards have long since finished with it. But I already know my next move,” she said, her voice going steely. “I’m going to rejoin my mind to the collective.”
“What?” Darak felt panic and anger rise.
“On a limited basis,” she assured him, turning to meet his gaze as their horses walked side by side. “I’ve already tested it a bit, and I believe that the crystals protect me, somehow. I didn’t realize it until I started remembering things about Kol, but he has a tiny sliver of crystal in his palm. A little smaller than this one.” She pointed to one of the tiniest bits of crystal on her face. “I think the masters might use it to keep their minds separate, yet part of the collective. I think it helps them remain in control of everyone else. At least, that what it seems to be doing.”
“If that’s true, then the blue crystals are even more important than we thought. We need to find out more about them,” Darak said. “But I don’t like you testing this yourself, in such a dangerous situation. Agnor would be the first to say that experiments need to be done under controlled circumstances where we can do all in our power to protect you. This…” He waved his hand around, indicating the entire situation, frustration in his every motion. “This is chaos. You could be captured. You could be sucked back under their power. You could die, Jana.” His voice faded as emotion filled him. “I can’t let that happen.”
“And I can’t let Kol live.” The determination in her tone and adamant nature of her words shouldn’t have surprised him.
Jana had led an armada of ships and thousands of soldiers in her time. The fact that she had been slowly recovering from traumatic injury had somewhat disguised the power of the woman beneath the shell of the injured girl she had been when Jeri last saw her. Darak knew Jana had been a strong woman in her own right, and it was good to see her finding her way again. But it was also inconvenient. Darak wanted to be in charge. He wanted to coddle her a bit longer. His every instinct told him to protect her.
He had to fight that instinct. He knew if he stifled her in any way, she would simply find a way around him. Possibly, she would leave him completely, and do what she wanted to do anyway. Jana had a strong will and Darak needed to respect that. He had to let her fly free and find her way back to herself, while still trying to watch over her. It would be a delicate balance.
“All right. We’re agreed that Kol has to be stopped. Now, let’s try to find a way to do that together.” Jana looked at him, her jaw set at a stubborn angle. Darak had to give a little more ground to win her over. “If that means letting you contact the collective more closely, then let’s do it under the safest circumstances we can arrange. Tonight, once we’ve made camp, we’ll do this together. I’ll monitor while you do your thing with the crystals. It’s not perfect, but it’ll have to do. Are we agreed?”
Jana seemed to consider his words, her head tilted to one side. Finally, she nodded. “All right. We’ll try it your way.”
They rode on until darkness fell completely. At one point, Jana sat up straight, pointing toward a farmhouse in the distance. She told him her family home had been around that spot before it burned, but there were lights on inside the new structure. Someone else had taken up residence, which negated any possibility of going there to see what was left.
In a way, Darak was glad. This journey back to her roots had to be hard enough on Jana as it was. Seeing the ground from which she had been kidnapped, and where her parents had been murdered, could be too traumatic. It was bad enough that they found themselves so close to her ancestral home and would be camping at a site that she and her sister had played in as girls.
He was no mind healer, but Darak thought he understood the power of memories. They could be amazingly good, or horrendously bad. He hoped he wasn’t setting Jana up for heartache by camping in the ruins of the tower, but they had little choice if they wanted to stay on-planet.
The ruined tower was quite something, Darak thought as they approached the place sometime later. Much of it was still intact, though it was clear it had been ransacked and attempts had been made to tear it down. The front entrance, for example, was completely ruined, the gates torn off their hinges and large chunks of the outer wall ripped away.
Darak’s expert eye also noted evidence of laser burns and sites on the outer structure where explosive rounds must have hit. It was a testament to the solidity of the massive stone structure that much of it had withstood the ravages of both the attack and time.
As they drew nearer, the tower loomed larger. It was actually quite massive and would probably best be described as a castle ruin, rather than simply a tower. There were remnants of outbuildings that had once been situated around the place and areas that might’ve been gardens where a stone fountain could still be seen.
“This place is amazing,” Darak whispered, feeling the weight of the dark stone as night birds cried out softly above them.
They were able to ride the horses right through the massive stone arch, through the ruined gates and up into the ground level of the tower itself. Only once they were inside did Jana halt her beast and dismount. Darak followed suit. He had a portable lantern on his saddle, which he placed in the center of the room and switched to a higher illumination setting. The circular chamber was revealed in the soft glow, the walls scarred but still holding the remnants of ornate wall hangings and painted images.
“It looks just the same,” she said quietly, taking a good long look around.
“It’s in remarkably good shape,” Darak observed. His legs weren’t quite used to riding for hours, and he stretched as he looked around.
“The old timers said the Wizards tried to pull it down, but it wouldn’t be budged. They claimed the magic of the place was stronger than the collective. I always liked that idea. Even more so now. I like the idea of anything that stood in defiance of the collective and survived to tell the tale.” She turned around, looking at the roof of the circular main chamber. “It’s kind of like me, in a way. Battered but not completely destroyed. Changed by the collective, but not shattered. And, like me, this building can be rebuilt someday. If we ever rid Mithrak of the collective and their culls.”
Darak liked the way she was speaking. It all sounded much more positive than anything she’d said before. She was talking in terms of her own survival. It was a massive step in the right direction for her recovery.
“You’ve changed, Jana,” he said honestly, looking at her as she refocused her gaze on him. She smiled, and he felt a lightness in his heart at the cautious radiance of it.
“I’m starting to remember myself,” she admitted. “The files Zane gave me started a cascade of memory—some good, some bad. And being back here…” She looked around at the room again, then back to him. “Back on Mithrak, where it all started…” She dropped her hands and walked slowly toward him. “I feel like I’ve come full circle. I feel stronger. Not complete yet, but on my way there. I’m remembering who I was before the collective and who I came to be, even under their influence. And I’m deciding who I want to be in the future.”
Darak stepped closer to her, putting his hands on
her shoulders. “I’m happy for you, sweetheart.” They shared a gentle smile. “I’m here if you need me, but you’re making great progress. Even I can see that.”
She stepped into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder as his arms went around her. It was a hug of thanks, of comfort and of strength passing back and forth, multiplying as it reflected from one to the other. She was gaining confidence. He could feel it.
And he could see it in the things she had done. She’d broken him out of prison, for goodness sake.
“Did I thank you for rescuing me?” he whispered next to her ear, enjoying the moment of shared warmth.
“You rescued me first,” she replied simply, touching him deeply. “It’ll take a lot more than one little prison break to make us even.”
He liked her wry humor.
They stood, enjoying each other’s embrace for long minutes. Finally, Darak became aware of the noise outside. The wind had picked up. And the horses needed tending, though they hadn’t wandered off, which was remarkable. He drew away from her by slow degrees, not wanting the moment to end, but knowing they had work to do before they could rest for the night.
“What shall we do with the horses?” he asked. “It sounds as if a storm has whipped up out there.”
Jana stepped out of his arms and looked around again. “They can stay in here with us tonight. Jeri and I used to let our mounts drink from the old fountain, but we’ll have to fill it from the well outside. Even though there are holes in the roof, the weather doesn’t come inside. We spent many a rainy afternoon playing up here when we were children.”
“Should we tie the horses to something?” Darak looked around again, looking for some sort of hitching post, or something they could use as one.
She smiled, walking up to the closest horse. “I’m not as good at this as Jeri is, but if I ask them nicely, I think they’ll agree to stay in here where it’s warm with us. We can build a fire in the old fireplace, too.” She pointed to a massive fireplace along one wall. A stack of wood sat neatly next to it. “Nobody can see it from the valley, and the smoke goes out far above the tower, so it won’t draw any attention. Jeri and I used that fireplace all the time when we were little, and nobody ever knew.”