“Then we better make damn sure we succeed because we’re doing this, Tani.”
Something in his tone caught Tani’s attention. She lowered the glasses and turned to look at him questioningly. Steel met her gaze, and told her what he’d been too embarrassed to tell her before. “We were slaves for centuries, then we were farmers. Some of us went away to school to learn whatever interested us, but none of us are warriors, Tani. We’ve never been taught to fight, nor did we think we’d ever need to learn. When the Nomen returned, all we could do was run to the caves.
“We purchased a large number of surplus weapons, those you saw in the armory. We’ve spent the last year trying to teach ourselves how to use them. That’s why we have no more wound adhesive left. We’ve injured ourselves, and each other, sometimes quite seriously, in our attempts to develop some level of skill as quickly as possible. We’ve succeeded to some degree, but there is so much we don’t know, so much that isn’t included in the simple manuals that came with some of the weapons. It’s one thing to know how to assemble, load, field strip, and charge a laser weapon. It’s another to figure out how to hit a distant or moving target without help.” He paused and looked at her with a little smile. “I bet you know how to do both.”
“Yes, I do,” Tani said. “But I have the benefit of years of training.”
“Yes, you do, and that’s exactly what we need.”
“Years of training?”
“No, Tani, your years of training,” Steel replied, then shook his head in frustration. “It’s like the data we’ve collected on that compound down there. We spent months compiling it, risked capture gathering it, and now that we have it, we don’t have a clue in the galaxy what to do with it. But you do know these things, Tani. I’m just beginning to realize how much you know, and it’s given me the first real hope I’ve had for my people in a year. With your help, I think we just might be able to get our women and children out of there.”
“We’ll get them out of there, Steel,” she said. “I don’t know how yet, but I will find a way. Trust me.”
“I do,” Steel said simply. Tani smiled, then raised her glasses and resumed her study of the compound. She finished her perusal of the gate and fence line, then turned her attention to the buildings.
“Do you know which building houses what?” she asked, continuing her study of the mine as she asked questions.
“Yes,” he replied. “Three of them are bunkhouses for our people. One holds the women and children, the other two hold the men.”
“Those long narrow gray buildings?”
“Yes,” he replied, wondering at the faint trace of excitement he heard in her voice. “The other three are bunkhouses for the Nomen, but only two of them are in use. They’ve never had enough Nomen to fill the third one.”
“Or they expected there to be a lot more Khun than there are,” she murmured softly. “How many Nomen are there?”
“About eighty,” Steel replied. “It’s hard for us to keep an accurate count because they move around a lot and, of course, they all look alike. Except for the leader, Brutus. He’s easy to spot because of his hair.”
Once again something in his tone snagged her attention. She lowered the glasses again and looked at Steel. “What is it?”
“What?”
“There’s something about Brutus that bothers you,” she said. “What is it?”
Steel shook his head and sighed. “I’m not sure. I just have a strange feeling about him.”
“Strange how?”
“I’ve never come face to face with him, but I’ve watched him from here more times than I can count, and I’ve listened to the men who’ve escaped talk about him,” Steel said. “None of them have ever said anything in particular but…,” he shrugged.
“Trust yourself, Steel,” Tani said softly, gray eyes meeting black and holding.
“I don’t think he’s human,” Steel said, then took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you why I think that because I don’t know. I’ve looked for a reason for my feeling, and I’ve never found one. But I still don’t think he’s human.”
“What do you think he is?” Tani asked.
“Machine,” Steel admitted. “I think he’s a…robot…or whatever the right word is.”
“If he looks human, with human skin and hair, then he’s an android,” Tani said. “That’s very important information to have. Thank you for telling me.”
“You believe me?” Steel asked in surprise.
“Of course I do,” Tani replied. “Even if I didn’t believe you, I’d still need that information so that I can plan for the eventuality.”
“Him being an android makes that much of a difference?”
“Absolutely,” Tani said, resuming her study of the compound. “If he’s an android, and if he’s made with the same casing as the Xanti used, there isn’t a weapon in your armory that can stop him. We’re going to have to be very careful not to alert him. Does he bunk with the others?”
“No, he has a room to himself in the building where the office is. That’s the building set up higher than the rest with the front porch on it.”
“Good,” Tani said. “That means he probably shuts down his primary functions for recharging at night. The other buildings hold what? Supplies, machinery parts, stuff like that?”
“Yes, exactly,” he said.
“Where do they store the metal that’s been mined?”
“That stays in a special chamber of the mine until the day it gets shipped out.”
“This can’t be the original mining site, can it?” she asked curiously as she inspected the side of the mountain directly across from them.
“No, it’s not,” he said. “This is the fourteenth, I think. All of the others are in this same range of mountains.”
“What do they do when they’re ready to move to a new site?”
“They move the entire operation, then they go back and blow up the old mine,” he said.
“So they’ve got explosives down there somewhere.”
Steel smiled. “Yes, in that shack in the corner.”
Tani studied each of the buildings carefully from top to bottom, noting windows, doors, climate control units, lights, and power lines. Nearly two hours went by before she set the glasses down and reached for the container of water.
“What do you think?” Steel asked, his respect for her ability rising the longer he watched her.
“This is either a really sloppy operation, or a truly arrogant one. I’m betting on the latter with a healthy dose of the former tossed in out of laziness, thoughtlessness, or carelessness. They’re relying on their physical size, superior weapons, and the security on the fence not to keep you out, but to keep the prisoners in. Like you said, they aren’t even worried about you, or anything you might do.”
“That will work in our favor, won’t it?”
“Yes, it will, but only once,” she said. “This will be our only easy shot at this because they aren’t expecting it, and aren’t prepared for it.”
“Then we’ll make the best of it.”
“Steel,” Tani began, then paused.
“Yes?”
“You need to understand that the real risk involved with this entire operation isn’t going to be during the raid itself. It’s going to come afterward, when they try to get your people back.”
“I understand, Tani,” Steel said. “We still have to try.”
“Of course we do. I just wanted to be sure you understood the risks and possible ramifications of our actions.”
“I understand,” Steel said. “Seen enough?”
“Yes, I think so,” Tani said. “We need to get back so you have time to rest. It’s going to be a long day for you, flying both ways twice. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow night to do this.”
“No, we’ve waited long enough and I feel like time is running out. I’ll get a couple of hours’ rest and eat a lot of protein. I’ll be fine.”
“All right then,” she said.
“The sooner we leave, the longer you can rest.”
***
It was past noon when they arrived back at the caves. Tani agreed to meet Steel at the cave leading into the armory in three hours, then went to Astra’s to rest and get something to eat. Steel had wanted her to come to his cave with him, but she’d declined. He really needed to rest, and she didn’t think he would if she was there.
“Hi, Tani, how’d it go?” Astra asked from her place in front of the fire where she was sewing something.
“Good, at least, I saw all that I needed to see,” Tani said, pausing to remove the sword belts. She leaned them against the wall near the fireplace, then went into the kitchen to wash up. Astra set her sewing aside and got up to remove two plates of sandwiches from a small chiller, along with a pitcher of juice. Tani carried the juice and glasses to the fireplace since that’s where the light was, and they sat down to eat. “Thank you for this, Astra,” Tani said after she’d eaten enough to take the edge off her hunger.
“It’s the least I can do, Tani, and I’m happy to do it.” Tani understood the need to feel useful, so she smiled and nodded.
“I just want to be sure you know I appreciate it.”
“I do,” Astra said. “So tell me, please, what did you learn?”
“The most important thing I learned is that what security exists on that compound is intended to keep prisoners in, not keep the Khun out,” she said. “That means there are a lot of weaknesses for us to exploit. We just have to figure out which ones to use. After one successful raid, that will change, so whatever we do, we have to plan it well and make no mistakes.”
“Maybe it would be better to wait for your parents and your cousin to arrive,” Astra suggested.
Tani frowned, seeing the conflict in her friend’s eyes. “Astra, do you truly, deep down inside of you, feel that would be the best choice?”
“No,” Astra replied softly. “Deep down inside of me, I feel the way I know Steel and most of the other men and women feel.”
“And what’s that?”
“I feel like time is running out very fast.”
“That’s exactly what Steel said. Would you please explain what you mean?”
“You’ve seen Steel’s temper,” Astra said, glancing at the doorway as she spoke. Tani nodded. “Actually, his isn’t so bad since you joined us, but most of the men have a problem with their temper. None of them has ever caused physical harm to any woman or child. Not ever. But if they’re pushed too far, they’ll go into a rage that is impossible to control beyond that one precept. It’s part of their nature, brought on by the mahrac. I fear that one of the men at the mine will eventually get pushed beyond his endurance and go into a rage. If that happens, there is no telling what might happen, or how the Nomen will retaliate.”
“You think they’ll kill some of the women and children,” Tani said.
“Yes, I do, and I know that the other women think so, too. I think Steel fears that as well.”
“Why do you feel that this rage, or temper, whatever you call it, is something that must be kept secret?”
“Because it’s shameful to us as a people that we can’t control ourselves better than that.”
“Yeah well, try telling that to my dads and see what they say,” she said, rolling her eyes. Astra’s eyebrows shot up. “Clan Jasani males go into what they call a blood rage if they see a woman or child, or even an animal get abused or demeaned in any way. If my dads go to that mine and see those women and children there, forced to work and treated like slaves, they will absolutely destroy every Nomen they can find—I’m talking about tearing each of them apart barehanded--and I am not exaggerating one tiny bit. They won’t be able to stop themselves, they won’t be embarrassed about it, they won’t be ashamed of it, and they won’t spend a single second regretting it.”
“You would not be embarrassed either, would you?” Astra asked.
“No, not at all,” Tani said. “It’s part of who they are, and they accept that. It’s not their favorite attribute but there’s no sense in lying to themselves about it, or pretending it doesn’t exist.”
“That sounds like a wise way to live, but I think it might be easier to say than to do.”
“Most things are like that,” Tani said. Astra nodded her agreement and they ate in silence for a few minutes. “Astra, may I ask you a personal question?”
“Considering the number of personal questions I’ve asked you, I think you’re owed a few,” Astra said with a smile. “What is it?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve noticed some rather intense looks between you and Khurda, yet I’ve never seen you actually speak with him,” she said. “Why is that?”
Astra flushed, but she wasn’t offended. “I try not to make it obvious that I watch him. I guess I need to try harder.”
“He watches you just as much, if not more,” Tani said, surprising Astra.
“Really?” she asked hopefully.
“Definitely. So, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know,” Astra said with a sigh. “I’ve tried talking to him but each time I do, I end up feeling like he wants nothing more than for me to go away and never return. I wish I had the nerve to tell him straight out how I feel, but I don’t. Actually, I was thinking it was time to give up on him.”
“I’m no expert on relationships, Astra, and that’s the truth. The first man I’ve ever been attracted to is Steel.”
“Really?” Astra asked again.
“Yes, really,” Tani replied with a smile. “There is one thing I do know, though.”
“Which is?”
“Time, once spent, is gone forever. Considering how precarious things are for the Khun right now, I’m not sure you should waste too much of it wishing you were doing something when you could actually be doing that something instead. Carpe diem and all that.”
“Carpe diem?” Astra asked blankly.
Tani wrinkled her nose. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she said. “My Mom loves books and history, so we learned some fairly obscure stuff when we were kids. It’s from an ancient Earth poem called Odes, written in an even more ancient language by a man named Horace. The full quote is Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero, and is generally interpreted as Seize the day, put little trust in tomorrow.”
“That’s good advice, Tani,” Astra said soberly. “None of us have much faith in tomorrow right now. But how do I go about letting him know that I want to um…seize the day?”
“Just tell him,” Tani said.
“What if he laughs at me, or sends me away, or just doesn’t feel the same way?”
“You said you were thinking of giving up on him, right?” Astra nodded. “And you’re obviously miserable right now. So, what have you got to lose?”
“Good point,” Astra said. “Besides, the worst he can say is that he isn’t interested, and I think that already.”
“That’s right,” Tani said, standing up with her plate in her hand. She washed her dishes over Astra’s objections, dried them and put them away. “I’m going to lie down for a couple of hours, if you don’t mind.”
“Good idea,” Astra replied. “Try to get some sleep, Tani. You’ve got a long night ahead of you.”
“I’ll try,” Tani said, then hugged Astra briefly before going to her room to lie down.
***
Tani didn’t sleep, but she did doze off a bit after going over the mining compound in her mind a few times. When she sat up and pulled her shoes on a couple of hours later, she felt rested. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then went into the living area, surprised and pleased to see that Astra had prepared a light snack for her of fruit and cheese.
“Thanks so much,” she said, sitting down to nibble on the food. “You’re so thoughtful, Astra.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Astra said. “When are you supposed to meet with Steel?”
“Right about now,” she said, getting to her feet.
“Do you know where?�
�
“In the meeting chamber next to the armory, but I’m not sure I remember where it’s at exactly,” Tani said. “I was following Steel at the time and not paying much attention.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Astra offered. “I need to get out and stretch my legs a bit anyway.”
“Thanks,” Tani said. Astra set her sewing aside and they left the cave together. The faint paths between the caves going up and down the sandstone cliff face helped, but it still required one’s full attention to navigate safely. Even though Astra had lived there for a year now, she still had more trouble than Tani did, which Tani found odd. After several minutes Astra paused to catch her breath.
“Are you all right?” Tani asked, not even the slightest bit winded.
“I’m fine, it’s just a really steep climb,” Astra said. “How can you not be out of breath?”
“I don’t know,” Tani said. “Why don’t you point out where we’re going and I can go the rest of the way myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Tani said. Astra pointed at a cave not too far from where they stood, and Tani climbed up to it with ease. She went inside and paused to take in her surroundings.
“You’re a little late,” Steel said.
“Yes well, I’m afraid that my watch, like everything else that I own, is back at New Oxford.”
“I know, I’m sorry, Tani, I was just teasing.”
“I was too, Steel,” Tani said. “Actually, Astra made a snack for me and I was hungry so I ate.”
“How’s Naran doing?” Marbic asked. “I haven’t had a chance to talk with him today.”
“He’s doing very well,” Tani said, shaking her head. “Better than I expected, actually.”
“I’m impressed,” Khurda said. “You’re a skilled healer.”
“I’m really not,” Tani said. “I have no idea why or how I’ve suddenly become a healer, I’m just glad I was able to help.”
“As are we,” Marbic said. “Thank you, Tani.”
Tani nodded and moved toward the large table in the center of the room where Steel, Marbic, and Khurda were gathered. “Normally Naran would be here for this, but I just checked on him a while ago and found him sleeping,” Steel said. “He’s in no condition to go tonight anyway.”
Tani's Destiny (Hearts of ICARUS Book 2) Page 14