Larissa dreamt she was surrounded by colorful cats with huge round amber eyes, curled up beside her on all sides. The felines were warm and soft, and the vibration of their combined purring was soothing and emotionally restorative. She stretched and opened her eyes, adrenaline spiking as she realized it was no dream—she was lying on the moss with ten creatures of varying colors that did indeed resemble cats to a surprising extent, with huge glowing amber eyes and plush black-and-white ringed tails. The animals perched on top of her and pressed against her side, purring, with a low key vibration and a loud sound.
“I hope you’re the amusing ones,” she said with gritted teeth, wishing she had a blaster or some form of protection. These fur balls were beautiful and undeniably soft, but even the most adorable alien creatures could be deadly if a wrong move was made.
“You’re quite the picture, lying on the green, like a maiden in an old time legend,” said Samell with a laugh.
She stared at the spot where he’d just stepped out of the tree’s bark. Although he was dressed in the utilitarian clothes she’d had the ship’s AI print for him, she had the fleeting illusion she was seeing him dressed in elegant robes, encrusted with jewels and embroidery, an intricately jeweled crown on his head and a ceremonial staff in his hand. She blinked and the vision faded.
He walked over to her and held out his hand with a bow. “Allow me to help you to your feet, my lady.”
She dislodged the large blue creature on her chest and encouraged the green and yellow one on her legs to move aside, which enabled her to rise, scattering the rest of her furry companions. The group lined up a few feet away, perfectly arranged from largest to smallest, and sat watching her with unblinking eyes.
Larissa brushed bits of the green moss off her clothing. “Are you all right?”
“Totally restored, thanks to you and Moratiu. She gave me a channel to tap into the planet’s force, and I drank deeply. As a high priest, I can store vast amounts of power. I haven’t felt this good in over four years.”
“What happened to you when you were captured?”
“When the enemy attacked our world, it was a high feasting day. I’d already sung two ceremonies then of course we tried to fight.” He shook his head. “Our gifts don’t work against the aliens – Shemdylann, your people call them. It became a physical battle, and we were overmatched like children flinging toys at adults with blasters. Once we were imprisoned in the slave ship, I healed as many of my people as I could, not heeding the advice of others to ration my power for what might lie ahead. I wanted them to be at full strength and ignored the risk to myself.”
She touched his arm. “I’m sorry you and your people went through all of this.”
“It’s the past now,” he said. “There’s no undoing what has been done. I must try to gather the pieces, to find the others and help them.”
“Are we free to go?”
“Moratiu requested I do her a favor, but it shouldn’t take too long.”
Larissa headed for the speedster, glancing back to see the animals scampering away, taking to the trees, deploying immense claws on all four feet to gain purchase and climb. Yeah I knew they weren’t harmless fluff balls. She unlocked the compartment holding her blasters and strapped the weapons on with relief. “So those were the amusing ones?”
“Moratiu told me she enjoys watching their antics in the branches.” He waved at the canopy above them. “Apparently, the creatures sleep in giant clusters, and she appreciates the way they purr against her bark.”
“Yeah, having been the center of such a cluster, I get it. So what’s the task we have to do before we can leave?”
“It’s a short distance from here. Evidently there was a landslide or other kind of soil subsidence, and the roots between her and a grove of her offspring were broken. It was too soon and now the trees there are dying.”
“What does she expect you to do about it?” Larissa mounted the speedster and waited for him to get on behind her.
“Mend the roots.” He circled her waist with his arms, and Larissa activated the antigrav. “We can follow the stream off to the left. Go south.”
The way was less obstructed and she made good time, until they reached a spot where the trees were clearly much younger. Toward the end of this grove stood about twenty saplings with peeling bark and shriveled leaves.
Larissa landed at the edge of the group and shut off the speeder. Samell dismounted and strode to the largest of the impaired trees. He rested his hands on the trunk much as he’d done with Moratiu and Larissa gasped as a green spark of energy jumped from him to plunge into the bark.
“Don’t be over generous with the power you just got from Moratiu,” she said. “I’m not getting eaten by a tree twice so you can recharge again today.”
He waved and walked around the tree, then traced a path between it and its nearest neighbor, staring at the leaf covered ground as he did so. She followed, scanning the vicinity for any signs of predators. Humming a tune under his breath, Samell strolled until he reached a spot where the ground had sheared off in a miniature cliff, maybe six feet high.
“This is where the split occurred,” he said, jumping into the gully and staring up at her. “Now to mend.”
“Wait, be careful, you’ve disturbed a nest of snakes!” She had her blaster ready to destroy them but he raised an imperious hand and moved to block her aim.
“Watch.” Two of the largest reptiles were coiled and hissing, ready to strike, while at least fifty others slithered in a giant tangle. Samell threw his head back and let loose a song, causing the hair on the back of her neck stand on end from the sheer power and the beauty of the notes. Her hypno implants couldn’t make sense of the words but, as she watched, the two guardian snakes swayed in time with the rhythm then sank to the ground and slithered away, followed by the others in a ripple of living creatures.
“Okay that was creepy.” She shuddered. “Not a fan of snakes.”
“Reptiles are necessary for the ecology of the planet,” he said, a mild rebuke in his tone. “But if there were any others in the vicinity, the song will have encouraged them to depart, so you need have no fear.”
“I wasn’t afraid, just…at a high anxiety level.”
Laughing, he commenced another intent study of the gully wall. He hummed as if testing the choice of song for the task then sang, increasing the volume as he delivered the succeeding verses. Silvery threads formed in the air in front of him. The ground under her feet stirred, and she leaped aside, blaster in hand in case there were more snakes Samell’d be too busy to drive away.
Wispy roots extruded themselves from the side of the gully. Thicker, more substantial roots thrust from the other side of the divide. Each of Samell’s silver threads flew to attach itself to one of the large, gnarled roots then extended its length to reach for the thinner ones. Larissa heard an audible snapping sound as the silver locked onto the roots and drew the two sides together.
“Don’t get trapped down there,” she said, a bit alarmed at the web of roots and threads creating itself from thin air.
Her companion waved one hand to acknowledge her warning and began backing away, although he continued to sing. Larissa paced alongside the gully as he moved. Eventually, he sang the final note then raised his head and arms to the sky in a gesture of supplication. Pivoting, he clambered up the incline.
Larissa grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled him the last foot or so. “I hope the smile on your face is a good sign? I was sure impressed by the show you put on.”
He stood on the rise next to her and surveyed the surrounding forest, hands on his hips. “This is a beautiful planet. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be re-energized and using my powers in the ways Thuun expects them to be employed, to the benefit of nature. Not spying on unsuspecting minds and coercing people.”
She’d thought him devastating before, but the joyful expression on his face made her heart thump hard against her ribs. I wish he’d look at me t
hat way. Shocked by the strength of her desire, she blinked. “We’d better be getting back to the ship and figure out our next move.”
As she hiked toward the speedster, he matched her pace, humming under his breath.
“Now what are you casting energy at?” she asked.
With a chuckle and a raised eyebrow, he said. “On occasion a man makes music out of sheer joy. It’s not always a use of power.”
“Oh.” Mildly embarrassed, she walked faster and was already seated on the bike when he got there.
Hand on the saddle, ready to mount behind her, he paused to savor the view of the woods around them again. “I wish we had time to see more of this beautiful planet. Moratiu shared many thoughts and possibilities with me, once she accepted our link.”
“She obviously had no use for me,” Larissa said.
“A fact counting against her invitation,” he agreed, taking his place behind her and resting his hand on her shoulder as she activated the vertical antigrav.
“At least she kicked me out onto my own pile of amusing ones and not into a bramble bush.”
“She knew you were important to me,” Samell said, “I was clear I’d be upset if any harm or discomfort came to you because of me.”
“Oh.” Larissa fell silent, holding onto the pleasant thought he cared what happened to her.
Back at the Valkyrie Queen, Larissa closed the outer hatch and ordered the AI to lift off while she stowed the speedster in its storage, then gave her full attention to Samell. “Since you don’t need to be confined in sickbay for your own good any longer, let me give you a tour of the ship and show you your cabin.”
“I’d like that.”
He was suitably impressed by her trim and well designed, one-woman fighting ship, making all the right complimentary remarks. He lingered in the tiny hydroponics section, fingering a strand of the air bead vine. “I can give these plants a boost for you, if you’d like.”
“Be my guest. Which in fact you are. I’m going to the bridge – join me there when you’re ready, and we’ll talk about next steps. The AI will need a more detailed course to follow than just a general heading in this Sector.”
He nodded. “I’ll be there in a few minutes – I remember the way.”
When he arrived in the control chamber half an hour later, she said, “Let’s adjourn to the conference room which does double duty as the galley. I can make us coffee and, if you’re hungry, we can heat something to eat.”
Samell followed her across the bridge to the small chamber she indicated. “Solid food sounds delightful. I haven’t eaten anything but ration bars since we were taken off Tulavarra. The swill they fed us in the Shemdylann ship was basically inedible then, of course, I was placed in stasis. I’ve never had coffee.”
“Then you’re in for a treat—we humans swear by it. There’s the real stuff, from Terra, and then there’s synthetic coffee. We’re celebrating your recovery tonight, so here’s a mug of the genuine article.” She handed him a heavy cup and gestured for him to sit at the small table. “The AI said we were gone two days by the way.”
“I’m not surprised.” Samell sniffed the coffee and took a sip, nodding his approval. “Moratiu isn’t an ordinary tree. She controls all kinds of powers, including a few even I can’t absorb. We were in her inner world, where time must flow differently.”
“Not an ordinary tree – there’s an understatement if I ever heard one.” Larissa snorted and pushed a condiment dispenser toward him. “Some people like cinna spice in their coffee.”
“I’m content with it the way you prepared it.” He set the mug on the table as the food prep device emitted a buzz. “What are we eating?”
“I didn’t know if you had dietary restrictions so I dialed up what sounded good to me—a plate of Azrigone beef, bread, veggies, and cake for dessert. It’s my usual meal after a successful mission. But if you need me to make anything else, I’d be happy to do so.”
“It all smells delicious, thank you for your consideration.”
“I won’t be laying out a spread like this every night, believe me.” Larissa savored a bite of the steak and swallowed. “The credit balance couldn’t afford the indulgence. But we should celebrate our successes this once.”
They ate in amicable silence, Samell concentrating on his food, and Larissa reluctant to interrupt a man who hadn’t eaten in four years. She appreciated his appetite.
She’d served the dessert course, with a fine wine to accompany the sinfully rich chocolate cake the AI delivered, when Samell cleared his throat and said, “It must be expensive being a mercenary. Maintaining a ship like this, fuel, charges for the weapons, supplies—”
Larissa nodded. “I served in the Special Forces for ten years, mustered out with a hefty veterans’ acres bonus, which I cashed in to buy the Valkyrie Queen. I’m not the kind of girl to settle down on a colony world and farm. Just because Command thought I was too beat up to serve on the front lines any more didn’t mean I was ready to stop being in the middle of the action. I’m an adrenaline junkie. I can still handle myself in a fire fight.”
“How long have you been a mercenary?”
“Ten years, give or take a bit. I recently finished a job, with the friends who were with me at the carnival the first time, in fact. The client was satisfied beyond his mission specifications, and we got a hefty bonus, plus a little more on top for me because I organized the team.” She raised her glass in his direction. “Which I’ve been using to fund your operation, by the way, instead of getting a couple of system and weapons upgrades the ship could use.”
He placed his glass carefully on the table and, when he looked at her, his face was set in serious lines. “You did warn me the first time we met you don’t work for free. Having seen your ship, understanding the situation better now, I was mistaken in my expectation you’d help me merely because Thuun willed it. Arrogance on my part, a remnant of the old days. I apologize.”
She made a dismissive gesture with one hand, although she was pleased to hear him admit how high-handed he’d been. “No need for apologies. I would’ve—”
Doggedly, he continued his train of thought. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done, but I’ve no way to pay you for any of it. On Tulavarra I controlled the richest of the temples, with no oversight or restriction on expenditures, other than my own duty to the god to use his treasury wisely and for the good of all. I funded an excellent troop of soldiers, well trained, well equipped. Here, I’m the veriest of paupers, down to wearing borrowed clothing. A valuable lesson in humility, as all my experiences have been since we were taken, but I’m left with no way to properly reimburse you.”
“Hold on here. For your information, I helped you because it was the right thing to do, not because I expected to get paid.” She bit her lip, angry. “How I choose to spend my credits is my business, and I wasn’t going to leave you behind in the carnival once I understood what was going on.” She drained her wineglass and poured another. “I don’t leave anyone behind.”
Saluting her with his glass, Samell said, “You’re a true warrior of Thuun, even as I said the first time we met, and I honor you. Meeting you was the best piece of good fortune the god has ever given me. But I can’t let you beggar yourself to help me further.”
“Should I reverse course? Drop you off back on Cherram Six? Forget you?” Her voice choked and she took a quick drink. The idea of never seeing him again hit her hard. Seven hells but the man had gotten under her skin.
“Is that what you wish to do? Moratiu did suggest I remain with her.”
“I’ll just bet she did.” A flash of annoyance burned through her, tempered by self-mocking amusement. Am I jealous of a tree? “No, damn it. There’s a lot of…unfinished business between us.” Thinking of their dream encounters on the beach, and the way her body reacted whenever he’d touched her, she felt her cheeks redden. She rushed on before he could say anything. “Did you know there’s a second Kinterow carnival roaming the next Sector?”
Samell rocked back in his chair as if she’d struck him. “Do they have a fortune teller as well? One of my people?”
“I don’t know, but my proposed next move is to get us there and check out the situation with utmost caution. The tech Kinterow used to hold you captive had Chimmer inscriptions, and they’re one of the deadliest enemies the Sectors has, second to the Mawreg. And the Mawreg hold the Chimmer’s reins. You said he had you stealing information from people, right?”
“Yes, anything to do with the military or certain specific terms. I saw each person for a moment of time, as you observed when you came to my tent, so I could only grab snippets of data, but the outcome seemed to satisfy him. I believe a few of the people I identified may have been kidnapped later or otherwise targeted.” Jaw clenched, Samell swirled his wine in the glass. “Your people aren’t my people, but I deeply regret being forced to take actions harmful to them.”
“We need to bring this to the attention of the Sectors authorities, but I think first we have to check out the other carnival and see if there’s another prisoner to rescue. Kinterow may be expecting us, might set up an ambush, try to recapture you.” She couldn’t evade mentioning the risks—he needed to be properly warned.
“I’m not afraid.” He flashed her a smile. “Not with my dauntless warrior at my side. Most of Kinterow’s people are vulnerable to my powers, and I’m more than ready to take them on. When I was sold to Kinterow, I’d already been fitted with the headband controller by the Shemdylann, which forced me to take his orders and made me unable to wield my empathic powers against him or his people.”
“How does your power work exactly? Because I felt the death song, before you shielded me, yet you said I was immune to you.”
He settled back in his chair. “Certain families on Tulavarra inherit the ability to influence others to take action or refrain from action. None on my own planet are immune, but I heard the Shemdylann warn Kinterow approximately five percent of humans would be. I can read the emotional makeup of such people, can affect them with my god-given powers as a priest, as with the death song, but I can’t make them do what I want or pick specific thoughts from their minds. Does the explanation make sense?”
The Fated Stars Page 7