by Gun Brooke
“Which is mine?” she asked abruptly.
“The one by the low-hanging trees, over there.” Noor pointed toward a group of trees full of dark purple flowers, which were closed for the night, and their retreat mirrored Dwyn’s desire for solitude. She murmured her thanks, then crawled inside the tent and into her bedroll, not even bothering to put on clean clothes. So what if she smelled of smoke? All she wanted was to fall into a dreamless sleep.
*
Emeron stared after the disappearing Dwyn, still furious with Pri for her assumptions. “Was that necessary? You upset Dwyn.”
“Did I?” Pri shook her head. “By speaking in a language she doesn’t understand?” She shook her head, looking sad. “I hope you realize that your words caused the little one’s sudden departure.”
“My words?” Emeron almost shouted. “You were the one who embarrassed her by assuming I brought her here for a reason that doesn’t exist.”
Pri frowned. “Use your heart as well as your head, child. Your own words, when you stated so angrily that she meant nothing to you, hurt her. You obviously are important to her.”
Emeron winced. “Damn.” How had she expressed herself? Wanting to assure Pri that she was wrong, she’d said what was necessary to get through to the stubborn old woman. Without regard for how my words sounded to Dwyn. Groaning, Emeron clasped her forehead with both hands. “Damn it all.”
“We should have our talk another time. I am sorry that my intervention caused such a reaction. The little one is an innocent, I believe, and she has just begun to admit the attraction she has for you.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Emeron looked at Pri, bewildered.
“The little one. The woman you call Dwyn.” Pri spoke slowly, patiently. “She is an innocent when it comes to love. If you look carefully at her, you will see it too.”
“Dwyn is a highly professional and capable woman, who’s traveled throughout the SC all her life. She’s by no means what you think.” Emeron wondered what made Pri so sure.
“She has seen too much of humanity’s decadence and selfishness, that is true, Imer-Ohon-Da. I am concerned about the things she has never allowed her heart to see, or her hands to touch. She is not experienced enough to see what lay behind your harsh words, child.”
Emeron wanted to lash out at Pri, but knew her distant relative didn’t respond to her intimidation like her unit members did.
“You should reassure her. Without delay.” Pri looked in the direction Dwyn had disappeared. “Or the damage could fester and become irreparable. This is the second time today that you have lost your temper around her.”
“I often lose my temper. That doesn’t mean I should have to grovel because she misunderstood something.” Emeron sighed and shook her head. “It’s not up to me—”
“You care about this woman. You cannot hide your feelings, child. It is up to you, indeed, to reassure her. Once you care about another soul, you are obliged to treat that person kindly. Your words were not meant to hurt, but they did. They were not kind.”
Emeron shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “So, I’ll grovel. Damn.”
“It is not easy to—how do you put it—grovel. You set yourself up for potential hurt.”
Emeron began walking back to the shoreline. “Then why should I do it?” She stopped and turned around, both hands on her hips.
Pri caught up with her and briefly touched Emeron’s temple with her fingertips. “Because it is the right thing.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Rae?” Kellen stepped into Rae’s office, where she found her gazing out the window at Corma Neo.
The dark aqua night above the capital and its six billion citizens was lit up by the vast city beneath. The tall buildings were impressive, some 12,000 meters at their tallest point. Cormanian engineers, known for their advanced technological solutions, had over the last two hundred years constructed such buildings, boasting up to 3,400 floors. Nanocarbon technology, paired with the use of transparent aluminum, had made this feat possible, as had the way they had managed to create foundations for the buildings, which reached far underground.
Rae’s office was located on the 1134th floor, but the SC military base in which it was housed stood on a hill in the north of the city, which made their vantage point still among the highest in the city.
“Yes, darling?” Rae answered distractedly, not taking her eyes away from the view.
“How are you holding up?” Kellen stood behind Rae and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m worried about you.”
“Oh, I’m fine. If anything, be concerned about my mother.” Rae’s voice was noncommittal, which Kellen recognized as Rae’s way of coping. Don’t think. Do.
“Of course I worry about Dahlia. But I’m also anxious about your father. He’s not handling this very well.”
“No?” Rae turned around within Kellen’s embrace and met her slate gray eyes, now creased with small wrinkles. “He seems the same.”
“He’s pale and probably hasn’t eaten or slept since we learned of Dahlia’s kidnapping.”
“Oh.”
“And neither have you.” She brushed her lips along Rae’s temple. “Why don’t you lie down on the couch in here, and I’ll keep an eye on things. I promise to wake you up the minute there’s any news.”
“No, I can’t. I appreciate it, darling, but I can’t settle down. I’ll try to eat something if it makes you happy.”
“That’s a start. Why don’t we go back to the hotel and have dinner with Armeo and Ayahliss?”
Rae hesitated. “I’m not sure… All right. Why not? They’d probably feel better for having spent time with us. And I’ve missed them.”
“Even Ayahliss?” Kellen asked carefully.
“Ah, well, yes. I’m warming up to our hothead.” Rae smiled faintly. “She grows on you, I suppose.”
“It took you some time to warm up to me too,” Kellen said before kissing her gently.
“Oh, but when I did,” Rae breathed against her lips, “I overheated instantly.”
“Mmm. I agree. You did.”
“And so did you.”
“True.”
They stood in each other’s arms for a moment. Kellen hadn’t known how much she’d missed holding Rae like this, to comfort her and distract her with teasing banter. They’d been thrown into one chaotic situation after another, and this time, the stakes were higher than ever. She knew Rae wouldn’t buckle under the pressure, but she also knew the toll it took for her to remain professional and objective.
“Admiral, ma’am. Oh. I’m sorry.”
Kellen looked at a startled ensign by the door. “Enter.” She let go of Rae and witnessed the familiar transformation as Rae turned into Admiral Jacelon. It was as if she grew centimeters taller and her persona took up more space than her body did.
“Report,” Rae said, and sat down behind her desk.
“Ma’am, the Cormanian officials have sent the necessary permits for you to form a search-and-rescue team to enter the Disi-Disi forest.”
“What? Already? You sure about this, Ensign?” Rae rose immediately.
The ensign gulped, probably from being under the scrutiny of the admiral’s now-brilliant blue eyes. “Yes, ma’am. Also, Lt. Commanders D’Artansis and Grey have arrived at headquarters and are on their way to the conference room.” The young man cleared his throat. “I took the opportunity to alert Admiral Ewan Jacelon and Captain de Vies.”
“Excellent thinking, Ensign. You saved us valuable time.”
“I’m on duty for the next twenty-four hours if I can do anything else to help,” he said, looking flustered.
“Good to know. Dismissed.”
“Finally, a step forward,” Rae continued, new energy in her voice. She circled her desk and pulled Kellen into a full embrace. “We’re going to get her back.”
“Yes.” Kellen had already prepared herself, but didn’t plan to tell Rae of her gan’thet meditation session ear
lier. She knew this mission would be difficult and she would have to prepare her body, mind, and soul for the upcoming task. The most important thing was to rescue Dahlia, but Kellen was aware that in order to reach this goal, she might have to take a life—again.
“Let’s go find Owena and Leanne. They might forgive us for destroying their honeymoon once they hear what’s going on.” Rae slowly let go of her. “My turn to ask. Are you all right, darling?”
“My turn to reply, I’m fine, Rae.” She took a deep breath and assumed the smile she knew had to be in place to satisfy Rae. “Time to go.”
As they left Rae’s office, Rae let go of her hand, and she felt the lack of touch as a physical pain. They were on their way to carry out a new mission, one where personal happiness was at stake. Kellen let her thoughts barely graze the memory of her meditation. She had seen dark clouds form at the horizon as she had focused on the low hum when her gan’thet sticks aligned on the floor before her. Dark clouds were foreboding, and in her experience they never represented anything good.
*
“Leanne. Owena. I’m so glad you’re here.” Still outside the conference room, Rae could allow herself to address her friends casually. Once inside, she’d be the admiral, their commanding officer.
Leanne, the more spontaneous of the two women, rushed toward Rae and hugged her fiercely. “Rae, Kellen, we’re so sorry to hear what that idiot M’Ekar has done. You must be beside yourselves with worry. Once I get my hands on him—”
“—unless I get to him first. As my brand-new wife says, we’re here to help in any way we can.” Owena, introverted and brooding, joined them. She was as tall as Kellen and as dark as Kellen was blond. “We’ll find Dahlia.”
“Now that you’re here, I feel even more confident. Right, Kellen?” Rae looked at Kellen, who now waited for Leanne to embrace her.
“Absolutely. Hello, Leanne. My apologies regarding your honeymoon.”
“Hey, we can always go back. This is more important.”
Leanne D’Artansis was the only native Cormanian among them, and her pale skin, combined with her dark red hair and slender figure, suggested a certain frailness, though nothing could be more inaccurate. Rae had seen Leanne take on huge male soldiers in one-on-one combat exercises and, most of the time, the men found themselves on their back within seconds.
“Aha, a reunion.” Rae’s father joined the group of women, and Owena and Leanne immediately snapped to attention.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Commander Grey, Commander D’Artansis. Time to devise a plan. I believe my daughter and Kellen have one ready for our perusal.”
“Aye, sir,” Leanne said, and opened the door into the conference room. Inside, Alex de Vies was already working at the main screen, pulling up charts of the Disi-Disi forest.
“Ma’am, sir, I have the latest satellite intel here. The Cormanians didn’t like the fact that I used a military satellite and redirected it toward the forest, but I finally convinced them that this is a special occasion and that the SC has no desire to spy on the Disians.”
“Good. Let’s get on with it.” Ewan sat down, followed by Rae and her colleagues.
She took a few moments to gaze at the faces around her before she spoke. “We have heard from the Cormanian team already in place within the forest. They have reached the largest Disian village, popularly described as the Disian capital, and the conditions are bad. The Viper crashed into a residential area, causing mass casualties. The team leader, Emeron D’Artansis… Yes, Commander?”
Leanne had leaned forward, studying the screen with narrowing eyes as Rae had started the briefing.
“Sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but did you say Emeron D’Artansis?”
“Yes. I noticed her name right away, but had no way of knowing if your last name is common on Corma.”
“It isn’t. My family, well, it’s considered part of the old nobility. I come from an all-women family, and Emeron is a relative. Unless I’m mistaken, our great-grandmothers were sisters. She’s considered an outsider in the family, much like I am.”
“Ah, can you tell me anything else about her?”
“She’s been in military law enforcement since she left home before she was twenty. She rose rapidly through the ranks. Emeron is the sort happiest when she’s working. And she’s good at what she does. I haven’t seen her in more than five years, though. Oh, and one more thing, she has one advantage. She spent some time in the forest when she was an adolescent. She knows the territory. She’s one-quarter Disian.”
“Really? That’s unusual.” Rae waited while Alexis noted the information. “Thank you, Commander D’Artansis. Hmm. This name issue could become confusing.”
She returned to their main topic. “Emeron D’Artansis has been heading a unit of nine, including herself and a civilian, to perform some survey of the protected forest. Her unit was deployed near where M’Ekar crashed, then redeployed to provide intel. Seems they stumbled right into the mess. They’re currently conducting search-and-rescue operations and collecting evidence. The Disians reported that several of the passengers on board the Viper survived and left immediately after the crash.”
“How far do we estimate M’Ekar and his mercenaries have made it?” Ewan asked.
“Here, sir.” Alex pulled up a satellite image of the forest. “They crashed at these coordinates.” He pointed to the east of the forest. “We have no way of knowing exactly which direction they took, but considering the testimonies given about where they were headed when they left the village, and the fact that some of them were injured and carried on stretchers, we figure they are within this area.” He drew a circle using the computer. “At least four major paths—I wouldn’t call them roads—lead from the village in this direction. Perhaps they even stayed away from the paths and made their way through the undergrowth.”
“Not something I’d recommend, but damn it if I know how these criminals think,” Ewan said. He seemed to consider something, then spoke again, his voice tense. “Any intel on my wife in particular?”
“I went through Emeron D’Artansis’s latest notes and, so far, nothing. They haven’t been able to enter the Viper. It was still too hot from the massive fire at the crash site.”
Ewan paled and Rae had to press a hand against her midsection. The thought of what might have happened to her mother sickened her, but she couldn’t allow fears of a worst-case scenario to hinder her efficiency.
“How do we rendezvous with Emeron D’Artansis and her unit?” Rae asked when she knew she had her voice under control.
“As it turns out, there are twenty-one clearings in the Disi-Disi forest where it is legal to land a vessel, or drop supplies, in case of an emergency. Council Leader Thorosac did quite some arm-twisting before the Cormanians would let us employ one of our shuttles for this purpose. However, we can’t use anything larger than a Beta shuttle, thoroughly inspected by the Cormanian section of this military installation.”
“That doesn’t allow us to take much backup,” Owena said. “A class-Beta shuttle carries only six people, including the pilot and navigator.”
“I know, but this was the best I could do, given the time constraint.”
“It’ll have to do.” Rae spoke quickly. “I’ll head up the team and will take Commanders O’Dal, D’Artansis, and Grey. Two marines will accompany us, and Captain de Vies will be our liaison with the base and the Cormanian authorities.” Rae turned to her father, whose gray complexion suggested his age for the first time, but she knew she couldn’t show him any pity or compassion in public. “Admiral, we need you to use your connections within the SC Council. And they have to put more pressure on the Cormanians. I don’t know why they are so reluctant to cooperate, but we can’t have M’Ekar slip through the cracks because of them.”
“Agreed. I will keep Marco Thorosac posted, and Captain de Vies will keep me informed of every development. When is your ETD?”
“We’ll leave as soon as the shuttle is equippe
d according to our needs and the Cormanian law, which should be interesting.” She stood. “This is a matter of great importance for the SC, as well as a personal matter. My mother is privy to confidential information that could damage us significantly if it ended up in the wrong hands. Knowing my mother, she would rather risk her life than give them anything. But you know as well as I do that mind-altering drugs can make a person do things completely out of character.”
“Oh, stars,” Leanne whispered, and Rae saw Owena squeeze Leanne’s arm.
She didn’t acknowledge that she’d heard anything. “We need to save my mother before she’s harmed or somehow forced to compromise the SC and its plans. We have to stop M’Ekar, apprehend him, and incarcerate the people that facilitated his escape. It’s a lot, and it’s up to us.”
Rae finally looked at Kellen and saw cold determination in her eyes. Something was going on. Kellen had locked the door to her office for an hour earlier that day, and she wondered why.
Chapter Fourteen
Emeron hesitated outside the tent. Noor had motioned toward it when Emeron appeared, and the frown on her face had not been encouraging. Did everyone think she was to blame here? What about Dwyn’s stubborn self-righteousness? Surely her unit members hadn’t forgotten their exasperation, only days ago, when they learned of this trivial assignment?
Pushing the tent flaps aside, Emeron ducked inside and held her breath, not sure what to expect. At first she was relieved to see Dwyn curled up inside her bedroll, apparently asleep. Determined not to disturb her, Emeron turned around to leave. She had her hand on the tent flap when she halted again. Something about the very still form wasn’t right. She remembered how Dwyn had inhaled the poisonous smoke from the bots she’d destroyed. What if her lungs had deteriorated from the smoke around the Disian village?