by I. Christie
Megan. You are not acting like the cadet and warrior I know. When did you change? The healers are the next level down. If they were able to help me they should be able to help her. Maybe that was why Roberts is still in the cells below with the other soldiers. She was hoping that was it and not something else.
Bloody moon!
***
Chapter 23
Alexandra slipped the soft boots over her calves as the bathing room door chimed.
"Enter!" She thought she had unlocked her doors. Perhaps Guardian had taken to locking up her room.
"You have locked your door?" Carol-Maa asked surprised.
The dress that fit the contours of her body gave a good outline of what was beneath it. Alexandra looked into Carol-Maa's eyes and smiled appreciatively.
"I hadn't realized it was locked. I don't think anyone will be looking better," she remarked as she circled Carol's body admiringly. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch someone that had at one time felt comforting and…familiar.
"We thought you would like some company, since you are alone."
A warm feeling of gratitude filled her. "I would. Thank you. And I'm sure that MaaSa would like to be surrounded with a lot of new information on life outside his small aquarium," Alexandra joked to cover her feelings of attraction.
"It is indeed interesting. Not just the view but to experience the customs!"
"Well, don't forget you are seeing it from a woman's perspective, and you will be surrounded by women warriors. If it gets to be too much, you can join the shamans."
Carol laughed her deep throaty laugh. "MaaSa's friends are mostly male and I am getting enough of their view of life. I think it only fair that he share the differences."
A chime at the front door interrupted their laughter.
"Enter!" She pulled her protectorate lieutenant's uniform into place. The butler had produced it and had it laid out for her when she had finished showering. She was embarrassed that added to it was the gold braid that indicated she was assigned to a flagship. She would rather have dressed in something else. She was going to stand out like a thoroughbred in a draft horse's corral. Usually noncoms and officers that worked in the battle pits did not particularly like what they considered lily white snot-nosed boot lickers to the high ranking officers that sent the pit workers to their deaths in some pretty stupid battle plans. Alexandra sighed and mentally prepared for the remarks she would overhear.
A young spear maiden stood blushing at the front door. She had a bouquet of flowers in her hand. "Lady Alexandra, I mean, Lt. Montran…I have come to escort you to the dinner." She blushed again as she handed Harriet the flowers.
"Why, thank you!" Well, this is a good start.
They were beautifully scented and would go well next to the ones Carol had received, which still looked fresh cut.
"Lady Alexandra. A private message has arrived from Rear Admiral JoCastao," Guardian announced.
"Great timing," she muttered, pulling nervously at her tunic to make sure it was in place. "Now she wants to talk. Maybe a ride out of here."
"We will wait in the corridor," Carol-Maa nodded.
Nervously Harriet stood in front of the monitor. "Transmit."
***
*
A stunned Alexandra joined Carol-Maa and the young maiden in the corridor.
"Are you alright, Mistress Alexandra?" Carol-Maa's voice was concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. Just had some…interesting news. Let's get this party over with, okay? It's times like these that I wish I could get shit-faced," she muttered in a low voice that only Carol-Maa could hear.
"Ahh. Hmm."
Alexandra suddenly remembered her manners and turned to the young woman.
"What is your name?" Alexandra asked to be sociable and to cover up the uncomfortable feeling she was getting about this dinner...or was it with the news she had just learned.
What could possibly happen at a dinner party thrown by a group of Amazon Warriors? Plenty. Especially if they have drums and mead. Maybe I can take a jug back to my quarters and quietly pass out. Shit…
The young girl stammered out something that sounded like Dohre.
Alexandra brought her attention back to the young woman. Where had she heard Dohre before?
"Are you Mea's cousin?" she asked surprised. That was dragging up some childhood memories.
"I am," the young girl got out between gulps.
When the doors swished open Alexandra stopped in surprise. Before her were rows of tables, just as a barracks eating hall would look like, and above the center table was a banner congratulating Lt. Commander Alexandra Harriet Montran of the Centurion Corps of her promotion.
Oh, helios fires! She told them!
The roar in the room Alexandra had thought at first was from the sound of blood rushing in her ears, was actually a chant, rising and falling in pitch.
Carol-Maa leaned close to her ear. "Your Admiral JoCastas had mentioned to General Aglauros, her counterpart, that since your own command was not able to celebrate with you, perhaps the sisterhood could extend that congratulations in their place. I heard a captain remark that they love to celebrate another's good news."
Lt. Commander Montran felt hands shaking hers some too hard and some with a lot more meaning than congratulations. She mechanically smiled and replied when asked a question and moved around as a well-trained politician. Meanwhile her eyes tried to find Major Zohra without appearing to. The red in her cheeks remained as did her embarrassment. Carol's breath tickled her ear again. "She's watching you from behind that tall blond near the green pillar."
I need to talk to Admiral JoCastas and her method of notifying me about this promotion. It's not that I don't appreciate their message of welcoming me into their gathering…but...damn…I guess they aren't like the Spartans about their dislike of flagship officers, which I certainly know some of them have a right to be.
The women were finding their places at the table with the young girl still at her side, guiding her to hers. "Your place is over here. For both of you." She smiled at Carol-Maa who had been teasing her and bringing her out of her tongue-tied self.
Commander Montran smiled when Carol-Maa turned to her and pulled out the chair that was for her. The food dishes were a variety from many different planets and cultures, covering their table.
"Do you like your party?" a familiar voice asked near her elbow.
The warm feeling that filled her from the sound of the soft voice surprised her. Oh, Goddess. I gotta really tone these senses down!
Taking a steadying breath before replying, Alexandra dared to glance at the source of her pleasant distress. "I did not realize my time on the Spinner's Tale counted towards my review."
The boisterous noise covered Major Zohra's reply.
The usual bantering and storytelling followed, as there were three women that seemed to have the tongues of bards.
"Commander tell us a story!" someone shouted after the last finished.
At first Alexandra did not realize they were referring to her until Major Zohra tapped her arm. When the silence that followed broke her own reverie she realized they wanted her to tell them the usual war story. She could feel a cold feeling creep up her legs. She gripped her mug tightly as she tried to push the last drop her Degas troop made out of her mind, which was the one they were clamoring for.
"Telling it is where the healing comes from," Major Zohra encouraged her. "There are only friends here. It is time you released the guilt," she told her knowingly. "We would not have asked if the shamans had not said you were ready."
Alexandra did not want to look in Major Zohra's face. She knew she was right. That was why the stories were told among comrades, to share loss. That was what she had always told her own soldiers, who had a lot of guilt to leave behind.
Slowly she rose to her feet. Her eyes glazed over, as she looked inward for the memory of that day. As she recounted the story she did not mention that she had felt the moment they we
re on the shuttle that something was off. The drop pilot was not their usual. Did the others feel it too? They were especially quiet that day. She had thought it was because it was following a week off. She had just returned from her own vacation but she had not visited Gedaliaha that time. Why? Her awareness of what was around her dimmed while she spoke of the last stand the Degas troop made, distancing herself from the pain and not mentioning that she was captured and had to watch the few left in her troop tortured to death, or of her own torture that she had survived for some reason.
Finished, she sat down and sipped her tea that had become cool. The chant started slowly then was picked up with a drum that beat the rhythm of a heartbeat. It was a healing chant. She felt the energy vibrate around her as she also chanted with them and then felt the vibration surrounding her dissolve the weight of the deaths from her shoulders…at last. Until it was gone she had not realized it was there or how heavy it had been.
The drumming and chants stopped. Another stood and began a story. It was a relief that it continued on. Alexandra finally looked up and gazed around her as the others broke off into cheers from the last story. It was a happy story, which a good bard would tell after a sad one. Alexandra picked at her food as she heard more stories and songs. She was getting restless. Her eyes tracked toward the major and found her watching her. For a few moments both stared at each other.
Blast her unreadable eyes, Alexandra thought as she broke her gaze. She searched for Carol-Maa wondering what they were up to. A group had surrounded Carol's form and there was laughter coming from the small group. Alexandra smiled.
"It looks like your friend is having a great effect on the sisters."
Alexandra turned to look at Major Zohra. She caught something in that remark.
"That duo is on a search and gather mission for information," she returned.
"It must be difficult for you."
Alexandra smiled not breaking their gaze. She had been reading Major Zohra correctly, though there was no change in the major's expression.
"Carol and I are friends. Our sexual attraction was from the pheromones Sheila emitted."
"So I heard."
Alexandra nodded as she read the energy between them. A warm flush crept up her as they continued to study each other.
A woman came to their table and whispered something in Major Zohra's ear. She stood up and there was regret in her eyes when she excused herself. No one took her place and the others kept a polite distance from her. It was a good time to slip out.
Walking down the corridor she was lost in thought until a slight buzzing of energy had her looking around her startled. The energy connection was soft at first then the summons from someone came in strongly. The intensity increased as she hurried toward her quarters. She nodded curtly at the two women standing guard outside of her quarters.
What is happening with her? What is Alan up to?
When she entered her room she was already preparing herself to enter the sacred circle. Pushing the chair aside, a space was arranged for a protected circle while Alexandra chanted a protection song Kela had taught her. Blue energy appeared as the circle formed, lengthening into a wall with thin spikes of white fire that shot up into the ceiling. Closing her eyes when the circle enclosed her, she welcomed the stranger, her hands held in the mudra pose for protection.
"I am here to repay a debit. I have heard that Alan had a virus developed that is aimed at your capture. May the light of Shua follow you," she raised her hand and drew a sign in the air, then she vanished.
Still in the center of the circle under its protection, Alexandra started to search for Alan. Looking for the dark cloud that was particular to him made it easy. His energy was repugnant. She could see him raving at someone or something on the bridge of a private space vessel. The console was not the typical design. Only one chair was elaborately designed, and that one was worn. He had changed a lot since cadet days. Spittle unnoticed was on his chin as he banged his fist on the other chair's arm. He was not at the height of his manic phase but it was enough for the cloud to be around him. An alarm suddenly appeared on his console. Distancing herself, she pulled back far enough to study the planet he was near. Pealnet, located two stan days from four corners. There were five tiny ships from the Collective laying a net around the planet. She wondered what Alan wanted on that planet. Alexandra sought out Admiral JoCastao and found her closer to Merker's Outpost. Her bridge was busy with setting up a defense against some smugglers they had found. They appeared to have been surprised because instead of running, they were moving forward, as if they were backed in a corner. Alexandra nodded. They must have laid out a trap in the other directions and the admiral was driving them into their own trap. For a moment, she hovered over the Rear Admiral as she watched tensely the battle play out on the bridge screen.
For the brief moment that she was in Alan's space there were ideas swirling around his head, images that she needed to put together, though she felt an urgency to pass something on to the admiral. She could not put it together so she left.
Moving back to the space above Merker's Outpost again, she searched the energy patterns above the planet, looking for some of Alan's malignant traces. But, there was too much unusual activity around the planet for her to look at each thread and find traces of Alan. It had to be Iota, the city they had not visited. It was poisonous to them and MaaSa was not recommending the visit. It also was close to the Southern Rim, which had caverns that could hide a drop ship that holds up to twenty soldiers. Again the nagging question of why was Alan using up all this energy to destroy a portal. Because, it would effect all the portals. So what? What was in it for him? Was it just to make a name for himself? No. He would have sent his name to the newscasters if he were going for the fame end. Then why? Just for spite? For that matter, why is he so focused on her? She did not understand obsession at this intensity…a psychopath's madness. There were only drugs and death that could help someone this ill. She wandered over stretches of the planet, looking for something out of place. The Southern Rim was her destination. However, she did not study it for it long. She could feel herself getting tired. She was going to have to practice this more. She remembered in class her teacher had told the class it should not make you feel tired. If you get tired then you are not using the universal energy. She was tired.
Kela, her childhood teacher, would have been proud of her for her spirit made a smooth transition back into her physical body. The energy from her protective shield pulsed with life, warning her that someone had attempted to penetrate it.
Alexandra dropped the shield and found her quarters full of visitors. Gedaliaha was sitting on the couch quietly talking to the others that were patiently waiting for Alexandra to finish her business. Major Zohra was sitting in the corner, watching everyone…and then their eyes met.
"Alexandra," Gedaliaha called her attention back to the group. "We all felt the breech, but it wasn't Alan or his agent, so we let it through." She and the others waited.
"I…had a warning from the woman I had told you that was at the volcano. She said Alan had a virus made specifically for me." She took a deep breath to ground herself and eliminate the fluttering in her stomach. "I - saw him. He's in a ship, near Pearlnet. Probably gone now."
The others nodded. There was a jump gate near by.
"I think that we should explore Iota," Alexandra hesitantly suggested, knowing she was stepping on Major Zohra's authority. "MaaSa spoke against it, but…I think we should find out why."
"You're not going," Major Zohra told her firmly.
Alexandra surprised herself when she blushed. The major moved from her lone position near the door to stand in the group around the small detailed table that Alexandra was finding fascinating to study at the moment.
"No. I would be out of my element…." she admitted and then thought that Lt. commanders and majors sent others for things like that anyway. Unless the major was getting cabin fever and was talking more of herself. Alexandra looked u
p at her, wondering if that was it. They both were startled when they caught each other staring back, and then Alexandra broke the gaze and glanced at one of the shamans.
Major Zohra nodded, feeling a little off balance. "I have a team already assembled to scout out that area. Their outersuits will be finished by Guardian's bots by noon." She hesitated before adding, "We have discussed with MaaSa about that third city, Iota and why he advised you against visiting it."
"How did you know about that conversation?" Alexandra asked surprised.