“Which are what?” Vari asked.
“Either leave the Kinahn women here as we planned, and hope that the specialists on the Beacon can teach them enough for them to survive. Or take them all away.”
“To where?”
“Anywhere but here. Garza perhaps. A large number of those freed from the storage planets have chosen to live on Garza. But there are other worlds.”
“I’m not sure that remaining here is an option,” Vari said. “Everything’s been poisoned, and it was done recently.”
“Nevertheless, Miraku, it’s their decision to make,” Declan said.
Vari nodded. “I know, you’re right.”
Chapter 8
One week later…42 Days to deadline
The Askara
Bean stood on the bridge of the Askara with Captain Reynolds, watching through the viewport as the ship made ready to take its first jump. It was only to Sheara 3 using an ordinary public jump point, the same one she’d passed through several times over the past year. What made it special now was that it was the first jump of their rescue mission to Kinah.
Over the past three months, with a lot of help from Iffon and her parents, Bean had gradually become better and better at allowing some of her emotions to show. Pitching in with all of the other men and women working to prepare the Askara had helped build some much-needed confidence in herself. She was learning to interact with people, and while it wasn’t easy, she was making progress.
She felt incredibly out of place on the bridge though, even if she did know everyone there. But Captain Reynolds had personally invited her to join him because, he said, she’d worked just as hard as everyone else and deserved to be there. She was a little nervous to be standing at the Commander’s console with him at the back of the bridge, just a few yards from the raised entrance dais, but she was happy to be included.
“Something’s wrong,” Iffon said suddenly.
“What is it?” Bean asked, her eyes darting around the bridge.
“I don’t know. I don’t like it, though.” Bean’s heart skipped a beat at the seriousness of Iffon’s tone. “Stay alert, Bean.”
“I will.”
After going through the pre-jump checklist, Captain Reynolds gave the order to jump. Moments later they all felt the odd disorienting sensation of jumping from one point in space to another. They were still blinking away the after-effects when shouts were heard in the corridor leading to the bridge.
Captain Reynolds and Bean both turned in surprise just as half a dozen Nomen burst through the doorway, roaring a battle call. Bean stared in shock as several crewmen attacked the seven foot tall, identical Nomen from behind as well as from the bridge itself.
Bean slipped one of the Kunian steel hair sticks out of her braid, but she wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it. She could send it flying toward one of the Nomen using telekinesis, but she wasn’t strong enough to send it fast, especially over any distance.
“Is that Kunian steel?” Captain Reynolds asked, his eyes never leaving the battle taking place a mere five yards from where they stood.
“Yes, Sir, I have another one, too.”
“Give me that one, and get the other one ready.”
Bean immediately handed the flower tipped hair stick over, then reached for the other one, suddenly wishing she’d brought three. She turned it in her hand so that the pointed end was gripped firmly between her fingers, and the heavier, flowered end faced away from her.
“This is surprisingly well balanced,” Captain Reynolds said, his eyes still on the battle as he tested the weight in his hand.
“Jed’s wife, Kinna, made them.”
“Ah. In that case, I’m not surprised. She’s got a true talent with weapons.”
“Don’t throw yet,” Iffon said so that both Captain Reynolds and Bean could hear him.
“Something worse coming through, Iffon?” Captain Reynolds asked.
“Yes, there is, Captain Reynolds. I’m not sure what it is yet, but you’ll need those two weapons.”
“Then we’ll wait.”
They watched as Kyrus, Kashton, and Kasper Bearen took on one Nomen each, partially shifting so they could use their bearenca’s enormous claws against the Nomen’s weapons.
Within moments the Bearens won their battles, and the other three Nomen were defeated as well. Everyone started to relax. Everyone but Captain Reynolds and Bean, who still stood tensely, weapons in hand, watching, and waiting.
Just as Bean was beginning to wonder if Iffon had made a mistake, one more Nomen came through the doorway. He was holding the body of a man in his hands, using him to knock down everyone within reach. When the Bearens charged the dais the Nomen threw the body at them with enough force to knock all three of them off their feet.
The Nomen’s display of superior strength would have been more surprising if it, unlike the others, hadn’t been blue. Bean knew exactly what that meant. Captain Reynolds did too.
“Good call, Iffon,” he said, holding the hair stick as though it were a knife he was preparing to throw. From the corner of her eye, Bean saw his arm snap forward. An instant later the weapon struck the blue Nomen directly in the eye. It made her a little sick to see a pale lavender flower where the hybrid’s left eye had been, but even she knew it was the surest and fastest way to kill a Doftle. Or a blue skinned hybrid.
The Nomen went absolutely still. Then it toppled over like a felled tree and silence fell. Just as everyone started to relax, another blue Nomen ran through the doorway, it’s eyes fixed directly on Bean. Since he was already running when he entered, and since there were only about five yards separating Bean from the entrance to begin with, there was no time for her to pass the weapon to Captain Reynolds, or even to wonder why it was targeting her. All she could do was allow her instincts to take over.
Barely hearing Iffon’s warning shout, Bean threw the hair stick, then grabbed onto it with her telekinesis. Her grip on the weapon hadn’t been good, and her throw was off, but she managed to guide it straight into the Nomen’s eye. There just wasn’t enough power in the throw for it to penetrate deeply enough to reach the hybrid’s brain. It did, however, blind the Nomen in his right eye, causing him to falter for just a moment.
Bean did the only thing she could think to do. She ran forward two steps, unaware that she was screaming her own battle cry as she swung her open hand at the hair stick and hit it with all her might, shoving the narrow blade of sharp Kunian steel as deep as it would go. Then she leapt back out of the hybrid’s reach, her heart thundering so loudly she couldn't hear anything else.
The Nomen went still, just as the first one had. Then it toppled over. She stared at it in disbelief for one brief moment, then immediately forgot all about it when she saw Captain Reynolds slump to the floor.
Bean went to her knees beside him, knowing with one look that he was already gone. She looked him over as carefully as she could, but there was no sign of a wound. He’d had a heart attack or a stroke, she guessed. Something brought on by the extreme stress of the situation.
She swallowed hard around the sudden lump in her throat, grief swamping her, but absolutely refusing to let herself cry. Captain Reynolds was a good, brave, and honorable man, and he deserved better than to have some blubbering ninny dribbling tears and snot all over him. He deserved to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect in this final moment before his men, and that’s exactly what she intended to give him.
“Farewell Captain Reynolds, Honored Warrior of Jasan,” she said, her voice thick and a little shaky, but clear enough for all to hear. “May your journey be quick, your destination filled with the peace and joy you have so richly earned.” She bowed her head, then reached out to close his eyes with gentle fingers. Only then, her duty done, did she allow her tears to fall.
“I’m so proud of you, Bean,” someone said from beside her. She turned to look, her vision blurred, but she knew it was Kyrus Bearen from his deep, rumbling voice. “We all are. Captain Reynold
s would be too. You were very brave, Ausreba. Very brave, indeed.”
“No, I was just scared,” Bean argued in a soft voice.
“That battle cry of yours didn’t sound scared,” Kyrus said. “You didn’t act scared either. You stood fast, faced the enemy, and emerged victorious.”
Bean didn’t agree. She’d just gotten lucky. If Uncle Garen hadn't told her about Rayne killing a Doftle that way, she’d never have thought of it herself. But arguing still wasn’t something she was comfortable with so she gave in as graciously as she could.
“Thank you, Kyrus.”
“I want you to leave now, Bean. Let us deal with the rest of this.”
Bean nodded and climbed to her feet. She looked at the Nomen scattered around the floor, and was more tempted to seal off her emotions than she’d been in more than three months.
“What happened, Kyrus?” she asked softly.
“My guess is that someone tampered with the transport disrupter.”
“Do we have to go back and get a new one?”
“I don’t think so, no,” Kyrus replied gently, worried at how pale she’d become. “Blind Sight is active, and the auxiliary disrupter kicked in within six seconds of the main failing. Kash is already on his way to check on it.”
“We can’t afford to waste any time, Kyrus. The clock is ticking now.”
“I know Bean, don’t worry. We’ll figure out the problem and fix it as quickly as we can.”
“I’m sorry, Kyrus,” she said, her face heating. Kyrus, Kash, and Kasper Bearen were the Askara’s Chiefs of Security. They didn’t need her to tell them anything. “I don’t mean to be annoying.”
“Annoying?” Kyrus asked in surprise, then he smiled. “If you call facing down an enemy three times your size with a hair ornament annoying, then I ask that you remain annoying at all times.”
The corners of her mouth turned up in the barest of smiles. Then she glanced at Iffon who hadn’t moved from her shoulder the entire time. “Are you okay?”
“I’m incredibly proud of you, Bean,” he said so that everyone on the bridge could hear him. Since only a few of them knew he was more than a rare pet bird with an unusual ability to transform into any bird he liked, there were a few surprised murmurs.
“You did very well, Bean,” Lieutenant Commander Sark said. “Just bringing weapons capable of harming those hybrids saved many lives, if not the entire ship. Kyrus is right.” He looked at Kyrus. “Kash just reported that one sensor on the main disrupter was disconnected. It’s a quick fix, and he’s placing a security cam on it.”
“That’s good news,” Bean said, deeply relieved.
“It is,” Sark said. “You need to let us deal with the cleanup, Bean. Why don’t you go on down to the cafeteria and get something to drink? Some tea, maybe.”
“And pie,” Iffon piped up, raising several chuckles.
“That’s a good idea, Iffon. We’ll do that.” She took one step, then stopped. “Um…not to be gross, but I’d kind of like to get those Kunian steel hair sticks back. Without eyeball gunk on them, if possible.” That raised a few more chuckles.
“We’ll make sure they’re returned to you, Ausreba,” Kyrus said. “Minus eyeball gunk.”
She tilted her head in silent question.
“It means brave sister,” he said. Her cheeks heated more than before. Enough that she knew they had to be bright red, so she ducked her head and turned to leave. She left the bridge, trying not to look at the handful of men the Nomen had killed in the corridor, though she couldn’t help the fresh tears that wet her cheeks.
She got to the elevator and stepped inside just as the shaking set in, barely managing to press the right button. She crossed her arms tightly, trying to control it at least until she reached her room.
The elevator doors opened and she stepped out, surprised to find that her entire body was shaking so hard that she could barely walk. She stumbled a few steps before losing her balance and slamming one shoulder into the wall. Giving up on reaching her room, she leaned her back against the wall and let herself slide down to the floor. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and hung on tightly, clenching her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering, not bothering to wipe the tears streaming from her eyes.
“I’m going to need a few minutes before we get that pie, Iffon.”
“What’s the matter, Bean? Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m just having an adrenaline crash is all.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?”
“What else could it be?”
Iffon considered several possible answers including terror, horror, grief, and shock, but decided there was no good reason to name them. “That’s fine, Bean,” he said when she started to cry in earnest. “Take however much time you need.”
Chapter 9
The next day…41 days to deadline
The Shadow
Zander, Zach, and Zain stepped into the Shadow’s conference room, locked the door behind them and activated the security shield as per the instructions they’d received. Zach then typed his code into the vid terminal and Prince Trey’s image filled the vid screen on the wall.
“Greetings, Prince Trey,” Zander said, saluting respectfully.
“Greetings Lieutenant Commanders,” Trey said. “Zach, please confirm that the highest encryption level is on this link.”
“Yes, Highness.” He turned back to the vid terminal. “Highest encryption level confirmed, Highness.”
“Thank you,” Trey said. “Please be seated.” The Falcorans quickly took seats at the conference table. “I believe you know Captain Philip Reynolds.”
“Yes, we do,” Zander said. “He’s a good man, and a gifted Captain.”
“Without question,” Trey said. “He passed to the next plane yesterday.”
“We’re very sorry to hear that, Highness. May I ask what happened to him?”
“He died during a surprise attack on the bridge of his ship.”
Zander, Zach, and Zain placed their fists over their hearts and bowed their heads in a brief moment of silence. As curious as they were, they understood that the answer they received was all they were going to get.
Trey waited politely until they looked up at the screen again. “Captain Reynolds was in the early stages of a critically important, top secret mission that we’ve spent the past three months planning and preparing for. His command, the Askara, was attacked as it came out of their first jump from Jasan to Sheara 3 because their transport disrupter had been tampered with. The traitor has been caught.
“Rather than have the Askara return to Jasan and increase the probability of further attacks, she’s hiding while waiting for new Commanders. And time is an issue.
“After careful consideration of a number of factors, we believe you to be capable of completing Captain Reynolds’ mission. You’re a little young yet, but you've proven your skills and instincts for command both in and out of battle, particularly over the past decade.”
“We’re honored that you think so, Highness.”
Trey smiled, but it was brief, and did little to dispel the worry in his blue-green eyes. “The Askara was designed and under construction specifically for ICARUS to use as a transport for the many prisoners who’re being freed during the storage planet raids. We’ve made a few modifications to her specifically for this mission, but her general purpose remains the same. We need you to take her to a very distant world, collect survivors, and bring them back for relocation.
“As boring as this may sound, it is actually quite dangerous. You’ll be traveling approximately 80,000 light years through a vast region of unexplored space that we now know to be littered with Doftles. It will require every bit of your knowledge and skill to successfully complete this mission.”
Zander opened his mouth but Trey held up one hand. “I know the questions you want to ask, Zander. I’m afraid I can’t tell you any more than I already have despite the encryption on this
link. You’ll be briefed after you take command of the Askara. Providing you accept the mission, that is.”
Zander glanced at Zach, then Zain before looking back at the screen. “Your confidence in our ability to see this mission through is enough, Highness. We can do no other than trust in your judgement, and accept.”
“Very good,” Trey said with another brief smile. “The Askara’s coordinates will be transmitted to the Shadow shortly. We are hereby granting the three of you a field promotion to the rank of Commander, and raising your Security Clearance to Level 3 so that you can be read into the details of the mission that you need to know. Both will become effective as soon as you’ve taken formal command of the Askara.
“There was only one man aboard the Askara who was fully briefed on all aspects of this mission, as well as other peripheral matters. That man was Captain Reynolds, and as I’ve already told you, he perished during the attack. XO Sark does have some information, but only a fraction of what Captain Reynolds knew, and not enough to brief you.
“A third person, who is not a member of the crew, has even more knowledge than Captain Reynolds had. We’ve formally appointed this person to the post of Mission Advisor. Once you’ve taken command of the Askara, the Mission Advisor will brief you.”
Trey paused at the expression on Zander’s face. “Question?”
“I’m not familiar with that title, or accompanying rank,” he said carefully.
“This is not a military endeavor, Zander. Nor will the Mission Advisor be under your command. Is this going to be a problem?”
“No, Highness,” Zander replied. “We’ve never been involved in a non-military mission before so it made me curious.”
“Understood,” Trey said. He looked at each of them. “Your mission is to reach your destination as quickly and safely as possible, and to save a number of lives. Again, time is an issue. We can’t afford the time it would take for you to reach the Askara only to have you change your minds once you’ve been briefed.
“I recognize that we’re asking you to take on a dangerous assignment without much information, but that’s the situation as it stands. If you have the slightest doubt about this, I need to hear it right now.”
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