by Viola Grace
The other heads nodded and just like that, the screen went dark.
Counsel looked to her commanding officer with a brittle but bright smile. "So, has this been the most screwed up first day or what?"
Chapter Seven
Sharing quarters wasn't as awkward as Sekhara had anticipated. Maxi immediately took up half her bed and Criton excused himself to hit the gym. Apparently, he was a little stressed.
Humming tunelessly to herself, she looked up a station map on her com unit and set off to medical. It was best to get things like doctor visits over with right away. Maxi padded along with her.
There were three figures in medical when she arrived. She looked for the brooding Azon and walked up to him. "Excuse me, are you Dirven?"
He looked up from his notes and blinked. "Yes. Oh, you are the new Guardsman. Counsel, correct?"
"Yes." There was nothing else to be said.
"Please, step under the scanner. You are lucky. Neurology is a speciality of mine, so I will actually know what I am looking for in a telepathic mind." His smile flashed a set of teeth that Maxi would envy.
"Oh, that reminds me. Do you need to check out my nylander?"
He raised his brows, "Your what?"
"My bond beast. We have a psychic connection." She placed her hand on Maxi's head and Dirven blinked. He apparently hadn't noticed her pet.
"Uh, that is going to require a separate file. Does she bite?"
She looked at his sharp teeth and smirked, "Do you?" Sekhara could swear she saw a darkening of his skin.
"Ahem. How about you first and you can help me with your pet later?"
From the door, a voice answered him. "Bond animal and I can help you with Maxi. You need us both here for proper scans anyway. My patterns have changed."
Criton was slightly sweaty, but with his hair flipping into his eyes, he had never looked better. Sekhara bit her lip as her pulse skipped randomly.
Raising his eyebrows, Dirven escorted her to the scanner and helped her situate herself under Criton's watchful gaze.
The scan concentrated on her head and when Dirven let out a low whistle, she tried to keep her head still. "What?"
The Azon was staring at the readouts with rapt attention. "I have never scanned a true telepath before. Your mind is…fascinating."
Criton cleared his throat and his displeasure tinged with jealousy made its way to her mind.
Instantly, Dirven sat up and watched the change in the scan. "What was that?"
Her green warrior was right behind the other male. "It was me. Sekhara and I have linked."
Maxi squeezed up next to Criton and Sekhara fought a smirk. "I have linked with Criton and am bonded to Maxi. We are a complete set."
Maxi's happiness spilled over as Sekhara stroked her mentally with warm appreciation.
Dirven quickly lifted a palm scanner and aimed it at Maxi. She snarled but didn't move to bite.
"Her mind has a subset of your brainwaves in it." He pointed the scanner at Criton, "So does he."
"That is how a link works. I can use their minds to stabilize and bolster my own if I need to." She smiled. "Is the scan done?"
"Can you use your talent to read one of the people in this room?"
"It is less a matter of reading than of communication, but yes."
So, this is how we are to spend our first and last day on the base? she asked Criton with a smile.
He nodded and crossed his arms in confirmation. More or less. It will be shorter each time. Dirven just needs to draw a health baseline for you.
I am perfectly fine.
Yes, my dear link, you are.
The images that he flashed into her mind were far from sanguine and she felt her blood pounding in her veins again.
The machine sent out a chirp and Dirven released her from the scanner with a smile. "That is a perfectly healthy response, so I can report your endocrine system is functioning well. Have a good day."
As she stepped free, she nodded to Maxi. "Nylanders are venomous so you might want to get some inoculations for staff members who may have to watch her while I am down planet side."
Dirven was surprised, but he nodded before asking. "You are going to Balen?"
"Yes, a seeking project. I am looking for a signal I saw earlier today." She shrugged.
"Well, you have a clean bill of health, so get a good night's sleep and you can do your experimental seeking tomorrow." He reached out and patted her on the shoulder.
Both Criton and Maxi growled at him.
Snickering, he took his hand off her shoulder and inclined his head toward the door. "Dismissed. Counsel is ready for active duty."
Criton wrapped and arm around her waist and gently persuaded her to follow him down the hall for a meal.
She normally wasn't too fond of men who smelled of sweat, but either he hadn't worked out too long or her senses found his scent enticing. Either way, she was quite happy to be against him as they moved toward the commissary.
"You can usually find all of the Guardsmen on base here at mealtimes. It is one of the few social interactions with folks in the same job that we have."
The doors to the commissary were open and as they entered, murmurs of surprise greeted them. Sekhara was almost self-conscious before she realised that the attention was going to Maxi.
"I will get Maxi some food and then dig in. It seems like forever since I had a good meal."
Criton grinned at her. "Then hand me the selections for the nylander and get yourself some food. What kind of partner would I be if I didn't make sure that you got a good meal when it was offered?"
She asked some pertinent questions and got a nice mix of food that Maxi could pick through. Criton tried to get to Maxi, but she was swamped with admirers cooing at her.
Sekhara kept a watchful mind on Maxi while she filled her own tray. The nylander was enjoying the attention and so no one was in danger. When Sekhara went to the table, Maxi followed with a regretful sigh that dissipated when her bond mate patted the seat next to her and gave her a full plate of tasty treats.
It was a little unusual, but having a bond mate eat on the floor was not something Sekhara was willing to do. Nylander manners were impeccable and she ate more neatly than some of the other species in the room.
When Criton joined them, he raised an eyebrow at Maxi's seating arrangement but didn't say a word.
Mealtime was lovely, a nice, quiet bonding of shared enjoyment and fullness as well as enjoyment for being on a stable surface once again.
Their minds connected randomly, emotions shared and discarded, favourite foods discovered and offered to one another.
Dirven and Kaylee arrived but gave their new union a wide berth. Sekhara wasn't sure if it was the newness of their links or the strength of their bond, but she had never felt better in a working environment.
This was what partnership should be. Not the whining and sobbing of an unequal match, but the true union of talents and souls.
With a dangerous assignment looming on the horizon, she really needed to get some sleep, but until Criton joined her in her bed, it wasn't going to happen. How was she to convince him that she didn't want to wait until his detailed seduction took its course?
Rushing a male with a plan was never a good idea.
Chapter Eight
The Sector Guard shuttle was far more spacious than the Alliance transfer pod, but after a night spent with her mind tangling in his, Criton was much closer than he had been the day before.
Clearance from Balen had been granted and they were on their way for the first attempt at pegging their attacker. Time was of the essence, because they didn't want another Sector Guard shuttle to suffer in an attack.
Tears of the Star was waiting for them on the surface and the moment that they touched down, she waved them over. "Come on, I have the perfect spot."
Counsel followed the woman who had the bloodlines of two avatars living in her veins. Her mother had died birthing her and her father had t
ried to protect her as long as he could. As first child of planetary and stellar avatars, people kept watch on what Tears of the Star was doing at any given moment.
Her mate, Sovereign, was taking on the position of Stellar Avatar. His physiology was well suited to holding the power of a star within him.
"Welcome to Balen, by the way. You get to be some of the first to walk on this part of the brand new world." Zenina was grinning.
"I feel honoured." Counsel nodded and bowed formally.
Zenina laughed, the planet Balen appearing in the change of colour of her eyes. "You need not be honoured. It is my pleasure to assist in the Sector Guard operations whenever possible."
Contract smiled. "And it is appreciated. Now, Counsel needs a place to sit."
Balen grinned. "I have just the thing."
The planetary avatar raised her hand above a plateau of rock and made a fist. There was a rumble and a huge throne began to emerge from the surface of the world.
Counsel looked out over the wide expanse of the flat-topped mountain. Aside from their shuttle, there was not another item to mar the view. The air of Balen was crisp and clean, the streaks of clouds flirted with the sun.
Zenina-Balen noticed her looking and gestured to the area around them. "We get our wildlife within the next six months. Our vegetation has already begun. It is a good thing that the rainforest grows so quickly. In less than a year, we will have fruit, insects and animals similar to the ones who crossed my surface eons ago."
"It sounds like a lovely new start to your surface." Counsel smiled politely.
"It will be. Contract is scheduled to leave tomorrow and I am assuming that you are going with him."
Counsel looked at her partner curiously. "When were you going to tell me?"
"When Haunt told me. We do tend to go where we are ordered to, after all." He winked at her. "Don't worry. You will be given your own assignments to carry out while we travel. With our ranks growing, we have needed someone with your experience to talk us through our darker times."
Zenina-Balen nodded. "There are things that no being should see and the Guard walk into it on a regular basis. They need all the help they can get."
Counsel nodded. "Well, on that note, I am going to try and seek out the target on my radar. Someone wants to create a hole in the Guard and I intend to find him."
The throne finished its rise to the surface and Balen waved her to it with a flourish. "Do what you can. I will be standing by."
Zenina-Balen stood aside and Counsel examined the chair. It was huge. Black basalt with threads of metal ore woven in, it was truly imposing.
"I will feel like a child sitting in an adult chair, but here goes nothing." She took a few steps forward only to be stopped by Contract.
"Wait." He sat in the chair and settled his arms on the rests, it looked perversely right. "Now, come here."
He patted his thighs and she grimaced but admitted to herself that it was the best way to work with their link. Gingerly, she backed up to the seat and let Contract lift her onto his lap, her thighs on his and his arms under hers.
Maxi snuggled up against their legs.
"This is very weird."
"Is it? I have seen links in very different positions over the years. This one seems decorous in comparison to some I have witnessed." The tone of his voice was amused, but his body was heating beneath her dramatically.
Squirming slightly, she tried to relax. "Ssh. I need to concentrate."
"How long will this take?"
"Until I find him or give up and I rarely give up." She settled completely against him and unknotted her muscles. As she breathed deeply, she separated her seeking mind from her body and sent it through the stars.
The shattered wreckage that had struck them was her first stop. The trajectory of the blast led her back to the site where hate swirled and festered in the vastness of space. He had been here for a while, lying in wait.
The trail of his hate flowed in a column and disappeared, but that wasn't what she was looking for. She didn't want to know where he was going. She wanted to know where he came from.
The trail of his mind should have been invisible to her, but he left residue in an energy path that mimicked his thought pattern. Tracking it back should not have been possible, but as the Education Center teachers told her while she was in training, her mind was one of a kind.
As she searched, she could feel Criton's mind around hers, protecting her.
Counsel finally found something tempting. Minds, thousands of them. Some in pain, some sleeping and some in the throes of battle. All of them were wrapped in a huge asteroid that idly tumbled through space.
Gotcha.
Within the asteroid, another mind woke at her touch and a spear of pain came flying toward her on the psychic plane. Contract deflected the attack and in a moment, they were withdrawing back to the safety of Balen and their own bodies.
Maxi was on their laps when they opened their eyes. Criton's arms were around her and she felt both cared for and protected when she tried to stir. Sekhara's hands and face were surprisingly warm considering the dimness of the light.
Zenina-Balen smiled as Sekhara made eye contact. "I am glad to see you have made it out. Haunt has been questioning me every half hour for the last eight hours."
Unable to speak yet, she turned in Criton's arms and laid a soft kiss on his lips. I am glad you were there, link.
He pressed into her kiss and they clung together until he whispered, "I am glad I was as well."
Maxi broke them up by butting her head between theirs for her own dose of affection and cuddles.
Once the nylander felt appreciated once again, they slowly moved to get to their feet.
"I apologize for the delay, but I believe that we have some information that Haunt and the other base commanders will find interesting."
Her legs wobbled as she got to her feet, but the throne helped her keep her balance. Criton got up with only slightly stilted movements. He stretched and she had to admire the view.
Stretching seemed like a good idea, so she bent to touch her toes and then stretched up to tickle the stars with her fingers. It was a stretch she had been taught in school and tickling the stars was always something that made her smile.
Heated interest spilled through her mind and she felt her skin heat as she turned to watch Criton watching her.
Sekhara cleared her throat. "Thank you for watching over us, Zenina-Balen."
"It was nothing. It just took some doing to keep the heat on the plateau." She smiled and bowed to them. "Haunt is aware that you are back and she is waiting for your report."
Criton laughed. "And on that note, we thank you once again. Will you travel with us to the base?"
Zenina smiled. "No, I am waiting here for Sovereign and his radiation is still not completely under his control when we have moments together. It was why Balen crafted this plateau. It is a mating platform."
Sekhara blinked, "Then I wish you a most entertaining evening."
With his arm around her waist, they walked back to their small shuttle.
The flight back to Station 13 was done in silence. Criton was busy flying and Sekhara was trying hard to figure out a way to explain what she had seen to Haunt. It was not going to be a nice conversation.
Chapter Nine
They were in a larger boardroom this time. Faces of not only Sector Guard base commanders, but also a heavy contingent from Udell base were on the screens.
Haunt had introduced them and brought up the star map of the Wyoran sector. At the touch of a button, she displayed the readings by Wyoran satellites detailing the last known location of the asteroid.
Counsel nodded and filled in the information she had gathered. "I sensed close to a thousand minds, most of them talents. A few of those on board are prisoners and they have no idea where they actually are."
Guardian leaned forward. "What do you know of the defences of the vessel?"
She cleared her throat. "I
didn't have much time to look around, but one of the talents has some distance capability. They sent an attack at me that Contract deflected through our link. Without him, I would have succumbed to shock when that much rage struck me.
"These folk are angry, very angry, and they blame the Sector Guard for something. I did not get close enough to engage in more investigation and I would not recommend an attack until we have a chance to figure out what the hell they want." She sat back and watched the base commanders discuss and plot based on her information.
Criton put a hand on her shoulder and she leaned on him as she yawned. Haunt had provided a meal during the first debriefing while they waited for the other base commanders to wake and join the conference call.
As she leaned against her partner, he rubbed her back slowly. The voices gradually got farther away and finally, she was able to rest.
* * * *
Haunt looked to Criton. "Is she all right?"
The discussion continued over their heads, but Kaylee was looking at them with concern.
His commander kept her voice low and he followed suit.
"She is exhausted. Her mind went further under its own power than a jump engine. If not for Maxi and myself being linked to her, she would never have made it back. That attack was meant to paralyze and kill. I felt the impact, but I was only along for the ride, all I could do was deflect the hit."
Haunt looked closely at Sekhara. "She looks wiped out. Take her to bed and give Maxi a treat. You all did great work today. I will manage this lot."
Criton didn't need to be told twice. He got to his feet, lifting his blue mate in his arms. She stirred slightly but didn't wake. Her mind stayed in the clear mode of sleep.
He held her tightly to his chest as they walked the halls of the station. A year ago, he had never imagined that a talent like hers existed, though he had heard rumours of the Citadel and its talent-training systems.
With her blue skin, it was obvious that her family was from the northern continent. The pigment reflected the more aggressive solar radiation in the northern reaches. Her gold eyes had the power to freeze anyone in their tracks and the power behind those eyes was enough to make him slightly wary.