“You should have waited,” Trey interrupted. He gestured wildly with his hands. “Distracted her in the simulation room for a while or ran some tests on her until you reached me.” His fists came down, hard. “You are not aware of all the details surrounding this girl. The bridge, for example, is no place for her, at least not yet. And of course, the M.M. room should never be accessed. You are responsible for her health and well-being only. Clear?”
“Of course, Commander,” Dr. Ludd said. “It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t. And remember, Doctor, she is not the only one being monitored.”
Dr. Ludd swallowed. “I’m fully aware, Commander.”
“Good.” He paused. “What?”
“On our tour, Miss Tocc became extremely distressed. During this moment, the walls around her…well, they quivered, Commander.”
“Quivered.”
“It’s as though they rippled or vibrated or…I’m not sure how else to describe it. When she calmed down, the activity stopped.”
“Did Daith notice this?”
“No, Commander. Her hands covered her face.”
Trey’s stomach rolled with excitement. “Thank you for the update. You are dismissed.” After the door closed behind the huge, pink, wobbly blob, Trey returned his attention to his computer screen, which held a view of Daith in her room, fast asleep.
Trey traced the lines of her face with his finger.
He’d recently finished reviewing one of the latest recordings between Dru and Daith—their telepathy session on the beach. Daith was indeed progressing quickly. And like he’d thought, her emotions were tied to her actions, like her father’s.
Trey turned off the vidlink, exhausted, and stretched his arms over his head. He’d watch their next session the following day. Having these dreams about Jacin kept him from getting a good night sleep, but like an addict, he yearned to see the next memory. He thought he’d known so much about his mentor, but these personal life moments fed him like juicy morsels.
Trey lowered his head onto his desk, too tired to go to bed, and the world swam away into Jacin’s memories…
Trey watched in his dream. Jacin Jaxx stood in front of a wooden podium before a crowd of large, dark, furry creatures, huddled in a tight circle.
“Citizens of Puffair,” Jacin said, his voice amplified over the dozens of beings. “I’m here to answer any questions or concerns you may have about me or my work.” His skin shimmered with wetness from the humid surroundings.
Puffair, a densely forested planet, lived under equal parts rain and sunshine. Multiple types of tress grew at all different heights, creating a criss-cross canopy of shadow and light over their heads. Jacin tried to remain at ease, ignoring the constant movement of animals darting throughout the treetops.
A Puffairian in the front row squeaked out Universal in a high- pitched voice. His yellow pupils, slit vertically, grew larger in his excitement. “How can the use of mind control help these governments? You are taking away their rights and their freedom to choose what they want to believe.” The crowd murmured in agreement.
“Let me explain. I do not use mind control methods. I implant ideas to—”
“Implanting your own ideas is mind control!” yelled out another Puffairian, waving his paw through the air. “How do you know the ideas you put into their heads are what they should be thinking? This freak mutation you have doesn’t mean your beliefs are perfect or give you and your soldiers the right to control everyone and rule the galaxy. You call yourselves the Aleet Ambassadors? More like the Aleet Army!” The Puffairians screeched and yelled, pointing at Jacin, nodding to each other.
“No. Please! Let me explain. Everything will make sense if I could explain.” Jacin raised his hands to calm the crowd.
A female Puffairian cried out. “He’s trying to control our minds right now. I can feel him inside my head!”
Chaos erupted. Most of the group scattered in fear. Jacin’s soldiers came in to block the oncoming crowd, but a few Puffairians slipped through, jaws partly open, claws curved.
Jacin ran. He could hear them following him through the dense foliage, calling out with piercingly high sounds. He stumbled over a large root hidden in the shadows and fell. Fear engulfed him. He knew he would have to face them. They knew the area much better than he did. He stood and turned to confront his four attackers.
The first of them emerged from between the leaves. It lunged. Jacin panicked. In an instant, he broke its left thigh bone with a thought. The creature sprawled to the ground, the side of its head slamming into a protruding rock. The Puffairian did not get up.
The next two approached from either side to trap him. Jacin was too fast. He jumped back and focused on a branch above one of the Puffairians. With one thought, the limb snapped in half and fell, landing on the creature’s head. Its neck crunched and twisted.
Jacin shifted his attention to the next attacker. Focusing the energy within him, he cracked the Puffairian’s collarbone and the creature went down in an earsplitting howl of pain.
“Stop!” Jacin pleaded. “I don’t want—”
The fourth attacker rushed Jacin from behind and tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms behind him. Hardly able to breathe, Jacin struggled uselessly against the Puffairian’s strength. With his mind, he hurtled another branch toward it. The creature let out a bark as the branch struck his shoulder. The blow loosened his grip. Jacin pulled his arms free. With a twist he rolled onto his side. Peering into his attacker’s eyes, he used his mind to make them explode inside its head. One of its paws went up to the bloody sockets while the other paw took a swipe at Jacin. Jacin darted to the side. He missed the direct hit, although one of its claws left a long bloody scratch down his chin and neck. Jacin, now filled with rage, glared at the blind Puffairian. Seeing into the inside of its chest, he ripped its heart in two. Within seconds, the creature slid off Jacin. It fell dead on the forest floor.
Smeared with a mixture of their blood and his own, Jacin pushed himself to his feet and stepped over his last attacker. He stumbled over to the one hit by the branch and felt for a pulse. There was none. The third Puffairian, the one with the broken collarbone, lay a couple of meters off, panting loudly through high- pitched wheezes.
“Everyone will know what you’ve done here,” it whistled through its teeth. “It won’t matter if you call it self-defense. The fact that you killed others by using your mind–the mere idea will discredit you forever. And for that reason alone, our plan worked, and my companions have not died in vain.”
Jacin regarded the Puffairian blankly until he registered what it had said. They never wanted to listen to him. They had used this opportunity to get him here so they could frame him. A fury rose inside him. The warmth inside his stomach churned, licking his insides, desperate to be unleashed. These rioters attacked his wife for no reason, they refused to listen to his explanations, and they lured him here to make him appear the villain.
“I’m not naive anymore.” Jacin crouched down, his face close to his victim. “Your plan to blacken my name has instead blackened my heart. And to think, I used to pity you protesters. No more. Now I know you are not only ignorant, but malicious and loathsome creatures.
“I have never killed before except in self-defense. You wanted a murderer? Congratulations.” Jacin used his mind to unwind the fibers of the Puffairian’s brain stem and it slumped over dead, face firmly impacted into the muddy ground. Jacin limped away, his head pounding. Blood trickled from his right ear.
Trey snapped awake, unaware of the blood that trickled from his own ear. His heartbeat raced. He could feel the adrenaline drop in his body, panting as if he’d killed the Puffairian himself. The one who had dared to set him up.
Trey reminded himself he hadn’t actually done anything. He’d been watching, nothing more.
Trey had never known why Jacin had used violent means against his protesters. Never confiding in anyone, even in Trey, Jacin simply came aboard the sh
ip and changed his orders.
“But now I’m learning all your secrets,” Trey whispered to the darkness. “Now I know what it took to turn you. And I’ll use what I learn to mold your daughter into what I need.”
Chapter 22
Daith rinsed her pillowcase in the sink, scrubbing away the dried blood. When she’d woken, she took a moment to remember her bloody nose from the day before.
She glanced into the reflector unit—her emerald green eyes lackluster, her eyelids puffy. Although she wanted to continue working, she was glad the doctor had requested she take the day off. Besides, she still felt upset at the way Dru had dismissed her.
Daith got dressed while she waited for breakfast to come through the chute, then ate quickly before making her way down to Dru’s office to tell him they’d have to postpone their session.
Yawning, she rang the chimes to his office.
“Come on in Cadet—” Dru answered as the door opened. He paused and blinked. “Daith? What are you doing here? Our session doesn’t start for another two hours.”
Daith could tell he had recently gotten up, since he was shirtless and spoke to her through a mouthful of food. Daith had never noticed the leanness of his body.
“I know. That’s what I came to talk to you about. Am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all. Just waiting for some data. I’ll be right back.”
Dru maneuvered his way through the mess and entered a door at the back of his office. Daith peeked through and could make out a bed, the edges of a closet, and stacks of clothes and datapads on the floor.
Daith took a seat in front of Dru’s desk while he emerged from his quarters. She forced her gaze around the room as he slid a shirt over his head, embarrassed by the fact she wanted to glimpse his bare skin.
“What’s going on?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“I spoke with Doctor Ludd and he told me to postpone my session with you until tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“He thinks I’ve been overworked. I can’t say I disagree. My head has been feeling a little—raw.”
Dru frowned. “You should have told me this. I would have given you the day off.”
Daith fought the shout at him. “I know. I don’t think I noticed the discomfort myself until last night. The work excited me. I guess I ignored the pain.”
“That’s foolish of you, Daith,” he said. “You should be more aware of what’s happening to you, otherwise you could get hurt.”
“Really?” Sarcasm soaked the word.
Dru nodded, like he hadn’t noticed. “Oh, yes. Make sure you tell me next time. Go relax. See you tomorrow.” He dropped his gaze to his plate, shoveling in another bite of food.
Daith clenched her jaw. Did he think she didn’t know this? She wasn’t a child. “Fine. I’ll make sure to tell you in the future.”
Before Dru could respond, Daith stalked out of the room.
*
Dru wanted to call out after her, but what could he say? He didn’t want to push her so hard, but to make sure she understood the severity of her power, he had to. And he knew the side-effects from the dream-deflector pills weren’t helping her frustration levels.
Dru stared at his breakfast, his stomach cold and tight. He pushed his plate away with more force than he meant. The meal flew off the edge of the desk. Food splattered onto the floor.
Dru expelled a forced breath. He couldn’t blame her for being upset. He’d been ordering her around and scolding her about things she already knew. If he could only tell her about his plan….
He dug the heel of his hand between his eyebrows. This test was so important. If she failed, they could all be in danger.
Especially him.
*
Daith let out a long sigh, sinking deeper into the bath’s muck. Sloppy, pale orange bubbles popped in the air around her. She’d had the best day she could remember—literally. Daith spent most of her time in the simulation room. She’d gone for a stroll in a tropical forest dotted with waterfalls, the spray kissing her face. Cool water caressed her skin during her swim in a crystal clear pond. The sound of her footsteps echoed while she explored an underground cave, dotted with glittering chunks of jeweled rock. Now immersed in a tub full of a slimy peach-colored mass, which according to the ship’s computer, would relax her muscles, clean her body, and rehydrate her skin.
She emerged and the goo slid off her body, leaving her skin soft and smooth.
Getting dressed, she wondered what she’d order from her quarter’s food chute when a sudden urge hit her. She didn’t know why, but she felt she should go to the mess hall instead.
Daith cautiously entered the area. She hadn’t been back since she’d been snubbed by several crewmembers. At the counter, she ordered a plate of lutari, which released bursts of a heavy, flowery scent. She glanced around the room and took a seat at the end of an empty table.
Scooping a heap of the small, round pods into her mouth, Daith inspected the area. A cluster of ten young cadets congregated in one corner, all highly involved in some sort of game using information on datapads. Other tables were sparsely populated, with smaller groups of three or four. One group, which appeared to be officers, included a muscular man who conversed quietly with his companions. Daith heard someone call him Lieutenant Commander Cenjo.
While she chewed, she stared at him, fascinated. He appeared to be the eldest of the group, which wasn’t saying much since he seemed only five or six years older than she, with velvety black hair combed back severely over his scalp. The harsh, artificial lighting made his olive skin seem sickly, but his deep brown eyes sparkled, alive and healthy. His biceps pushed against his shirtsleeves, barely contained. She had a feeling she’d seen him before, but she didn’t remember meeting him on the ship.
He stood to leave and Daith felt the same strange urge she’d had to go to the mess hall, but this time to follow him. She downed the rest of her food in three huge gulps and trotted out behind him. He headed for the simulation rooms and went inside Room Three. The panel next to the door read “Advanced Combat Training.”
Daith meant to leave when two cadets entered. She peeked through the door. The room contained several mats and oddly-shaped obstacles. Lieutenant Commander Cenjo stretched in the background and nodded at the two crewmen who arrived. He caught Daith’s eye and raised an eyebrow at her. Daith pulled her head from the room, blushing furiously. Why had she followed him?
Daith proceeded back toward the stairs to go to her room, but when she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.
“Oh, excuse me,” she said, not really paying attention.
“No problem, Miss Tocc.”
Daith glanced up and, although she hadn’t thought it possible, blushed even harder.
“I’m sorry,” Daith burst out. “I didn’t see you standing there... I mean, I wasn’t looking where I-I mean...” she stammered.
Lieutenant Commander Cenjo smiled and Daith wished the floor would swallow her.
“I wondered if I could help you?” he asked her. “I noticed you following me.”
Daith stood, trying to think of something, anything, to explain her actions. “Honestly? I have no idea.”
The Lieutenant Commander patted her on the shoulder. “It’s all right, Miss Tocc. I’m only having a little fun. I caught you eyeing me in the mess hall, and was surprised to see your head peering into my class. I cut around the other way, it’s a bit quicker, to head you off.” He had a relaxed dialect, not clipped and proper like Trey and other crewmembers from Sintaur. Daith liked him immediately.
“I didn’t mean to take you away from class. Are you the instructor?”
“I’m in charge of combat training and hand-to-hand military tactics,” he said, the pride evident in his voice. “I was real lucky. The skills I have are invaluable to this ship, ‘specially ‘cause we are always bringing on new recruits. It’s good to have someone a little more seasoned, in order to teach the ‘newbies’ a thing o
r two.”
“You can’t be that old.” She cringed at her bluntness.
“I’m not, but on this ship, I’m practically ancient. Me and Commander Xiven are considered relics at thirty standard years.”
“Why are so many of the crewmembers so young?” Daith asked.
He tapped the end of her nose with his finger, like an older brother teasing his younger sister. “A long story and I’ve got a class to teach.” He paused.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
He hesitated. “No, Miss Tocc. You just…ah, well. I’ve got to run. See you around, Miss Tocc.”
Exasperation bit into Daith’s mind. Another crewmember keeping something from her?
She’d had enough.
Chapter 23
Daith took a moment outside the simulation room to collect herself. Her mouth felt dry when she swallowed. Confrontation wasn’t an appealing option, but she didn’t have another choice. She’d grown tired of Dru’s dismissals and condescending tones, sick of crewmembers like Dr. Ludd and Engineer Byot feigning friendship while keeping secrets from her. Even Lieutenant Commander Cenjo seemed upset about something.
No matter the outcome, she wanted some real answers.
Dru spoke first when she came in, catching her off guard. “Daith, I want to talk to you about something.” The program featured a meadow next to a small stream. Tiny white flowers peppered the grass, filling the room with a sweet, creamy smell. Blue, fronded trees swayed in the breeze around them, bending into the stream to drink. He motioned for her to sit on the bank next to him.
“I know you’ve been upset with me lately,” he continued, his attention on his hands as she sat. “And I want to apologize. I’ve barked orders at you, expected obedience, and haven’t given you a single good reason why. I’ve also been putting strain on you, physically and emotionally, and expecting you to deal with these added stressors like you’ve been practicing your abilities for years.
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