Circle's End

by Lisanne Norman

  “Brothers,” said Dzaka, his tone formal. “Thank you for returning my nephew to me. Shaidan, you know how important it is for you to stay safe in the Palace. It was very wrong for you to have left without asking one of us.”

  “I know, Uncle Dzaka, but I was safe. There were no assassins this time.”

  “Assassins!” exclaimed M’Nar. “For children? That’s despicable.”

  “For Liegena Carrie, and Kusac actually,” said Dzaka, “but it makes no difference, they were hidden in plain sight amongst our soldiers. The cubs are obviously very precious to us all and should not be wandering about alone in the middle of the night!” he finished sternly. “Bed, now, both of you.”

  “I want to talk to Shaidan’s friends,” said Gaylla, sticking her finger in her mouth and clutching her dolly even more tightly. “They’s nice, and I want to talk to them.”

  “Not tonight, Gaylla. Maybe we can arrange something tomorrow, but as Brothers they do have duties to see to. They may not be free.”

  “Oh, that’s all right, Brother Dzaka,” said M’Nar. “We’re off duty all day tomorrow.”

  “Yes, please. I didn’t get to ask all the questions I wanted to about the MUTAC,” said Shaidan.

  “We’ll see. You don’t deserve any treats for this piece of behavior. Your aunt was very worried about you indeed!”

  “We’d better be heading back down,” said Jerenn, tugging on M’Nar’s arm. “Glad we were able to help.”

  “Yes, indeed. Thank you again for bringing him back safely to us.”

  Jerenn waited until the elevator was on its way down before speaking again. “Please don’t get us involved with these cubs, M’Nar. I know you miss yours, but they are the Liege’s children, and special at that. They’re probably under General Kezule’s protection and that of King Zsurtul, when he gets home. It’s just too much complication.”

  “Then it’s up to us to simplify it. Assassins here, and we didn’t know about it? Shaidan’s right. He should know how to look after himself. When my son was ten, he was already well trained in martial arts. As the Liege’s child, it’s even more important he knows how to protect himself.”

  “I don’t want to get involved.”

  “We’re already involved,” said M’Nar firmly.

  “Let’s wait and see what happens. There’s nothing we can do to make it happen, after all.”

  M’Nar just smiled.

  M’zull, Mountain Base, late evening, same day

  As soon as he arrived with Annuur, Kusac got out of his uniform and morphed back into his Sholan self. “The pain is worth it,” he groaned, letting Kaid help him to his feet. “I really don’t like being Valtegan. I’d rather be me.”

  “I’m just glad you’re here,” said Carrie, handing him a warm woolen tunic to wear. “Come and sit by the heaters and get warm.”

  “Coffee, I could really kill for a coffee right now.”

  “Coffee coming up,” said Jo, passing a large mug of the aromatic hot drink to him. “What can we get for you, Annuur? We have a pile of blankets for you to sit on. It’s the best we could do, I’m afraid.”

  “If you have maush, that would be fine,” said Annuur, heading for the pile of blankets. He turned round on top of them a couple of times, then pushed some together to form a ridge before settling down.

  “This time, I’ve had time to work out the questions I want to ask. I need to know why you fought and nearly damned well killed me on the Prime world! What was all that about?” Kusac demanded, sitting opposite him.

  “Had to pass you something very important, but being watched we were. Need to hide our contact, escape from surveillance.”

  Kusac glanced automatically at his hand, turning it over to look at the palm, then up at Annuur.

  The Cabbaran nodded his head, the whiskers at the end of his long snout twitching. “Yes, it was in that pouch and when you opened it, the cube . . .”

  “. . . dissolved into my hand.”

  “Yes. Nanites they were, like those that the matter transformer is making and releasing right now. We needed you to carry them here so could be released into transformer to give it its instructions, so it knew what kind of nanites to produce. Making those that in a few weeks will steal all Valtegan memories. Talking of which, you need these,” said the Cabbaran, reaching a very mobile hoof into one of his belt pouches to draw out a small case. “Inside several vials. You need to break one in room where only those you trust are standing. These nanites will prevent the memory loss ones from affecting them. It is for your people, Kusac, you and Rezac and those from the Prime world, and any others you deem necessary to keep their memories. If you need more, let us know.”

  “That’s certainly useful,” said Kaid. “I was worried that the memory loss would affect you in Valtegan form and planned to ask Annuur when he was next in touch with us.”

  “Why would we be being spied on? Who was doing the spying? Why did you need to send the instruction nanites secretly to here? I don’t understand.” Kusac turned the case over in his hands, half-heartedly examining the outside.

  “Decision made to kill M’zullians here to prevent this war. Others spoke against this but were not listened to. So plot devised to have things our way—memory loss, not death.”

  “What the hell! Who made these decisions, Annuur? Who has the right to sentence a people to genocidal death, no matter what they’ve done?” Kusac demanded.

  “Some TeLaxaudin on Prime world were doing spying. There is council that keeps an eye on species like the M’zullians who threaten the peace of the whole galaxy. Rarely they take action, but they were threatened themselves. This time, they acted.” He stopped to take a long drink from the bowl of maush that Jo had handed him.

  “So it’s a council of TeLaxaudin.”

  “Mmm . . . and Cabbarans,” he admitted. “We been around longer, we know how to cooperate better than you. I not on the council,” he added hurriedly,

  “What will they do when they find out that the M’zullians are still alive?”

  “Factions there are,” said Annuur. “One in charge now responsible for the transformer being on this world, for helping this last Emperor win war against J’kirtikk. They thought to profit from confusion caused by M’zullian war, but miscalculated. Now they want dead. Other side feel responsibility is theirs to fix problem, not kill them. By time this is resolved here, is resolved in the council and that faction no longer in charge. Helping the M’zullians as they did broke every code. As for it being wrong nanites, transformer locked, no one can change what it does now until after this task finished.”

  “Tell me more about this council and what gives them the right to interfere in the lives of races other than their own. And what your part in it all is,” demanded Kusac.

  “Same right as you—they are threatened, they take action to stop threat. Not complicated. My part? You call me agent for them, go here, go there, tell this, get that information, bring back to them.”

  “I don’t like this at all. It has to stop. You have no right to act against other species like that. If anything needs doing, then those most affected by it should decide—us, in other words, not two species who keep themselves apart from us! Those responsible for meddling like this must pay for their actions!”

  “Time to discuss this later, not now. Now we focus on this problem.”

  “I share your anger, Kusac,” said Kaid, “but let’s solve this problem first. How long before the nanites plan is ready to go?”

  “We think about three months to spread over all M’zull.”

  “How will we know who’s been infected by the memory loss nanites?” asked Carrie.

  “You won’t, but the antidote or preventative will stop it happening to those who’re given it,” said Annuur.

  “I’m concerned that there are TeLaxaudin acting against us and Zsurtul on
the Prime world,” said Kusac. “How do we know they won’t try to poison them?”

  “They won’t. Those now on Prime world belong to the faction that doesn’t favor killing. It was made certain before I came to you tonight. What you have worked for on that world is safe, Kusac, they promise that.”

  Kusac nodded. “It better be!”

  “What happens when the nanites are spread to everyone?” asked Kaid.

  “Nanites are self-replicating, so spread fast. Matter transformer know when they have finished because they emit a signal. Transformer then sends signal to them to activate, and it will shut down all M’zullians everywhere, apart from those you have chosen to be unaffected.”

  “What if they are driving, or cooking? Lives could be lost,” said Carrie.

  “Where possible, they will direct people to safety first. Then they will be unconscious for maybe a day while memories are edited to remove all but basic functions. A Lord now will not remember he is one after this. You will need a caretaker race to look after them. The Touibans have offered to be in charge and will call on other species to help. Maybe six months and a lot of sleep tapes and they will function normally again in new society you choose.”

  “Not us. We need King Zsurtul and Kezule as well as the Ch’almuthians involved in this,” said Kusac. “Their people, it has to be their decision.”

  “Then is their decision, not yours, not mine, not council,” said Annuur. “Now as recompense for actions of others, I am to offer you direct council help. As said earlier, working on unit that will force your Valtegan females to become male for some time. In early stage, no knowing if it works yet. What else can we be doing?”

  “Food and supplies,” said Carrie promptly. “We have this dried meat that is tasteless, and are running out of dried vegetables. We need power units as backups for our own ones. Several have failed us, and we’ve no spares left now. We use them to recharge the suits and to heat this area.”

  “More of these translocators set to here so that my team can escape in case of danger,” said Kusac.

  Annuur nodded. “Can do that. What? No superior weapons to win this war you are waging when all you need to do is wait for nanites to work?”

  “No, no weapons. We have what we need,” said Kusac, frowning.

  “I joke, I joke,” said Annuur, shaking his head.

  Prime world, the Palace, next day, Zhal-Zhalwae 20th (May)

  “You’re sure they pass all the background checks?” Kezule asked Dzaka. “I feel as responsible as you for the cubs’ safety until Kusac returns.”

  “Everything checks out,” confirmed Dzaka. “M’Nar, as well as being a father and used to handling cubs of their age, has been creating individually tailored learning programs for our students for over two years. Jerenn has been in Special Ops and an instructor for around fifteen. We need someone to start training them, and it may as well be these two that Shaidan seems to have taken to. They have more than the necessary qualifications between them.”

  “What training are you giving them?”

  Dzaka grimaced. “Originally, I was going to fob them off with learning to march and do drills like all of us had to learn, but Shaidan called me out on that. I was unusual in that I was brought up in the Brotherhood from a very early age. So I got all sorts of skills taught to me that are normally reserved for those of sixteen years. They’re going to learn some self-defense disciplines. After all, those in the Warrior Guild back home are learning those skills before they are ten!”

  “What about Gaylla?”

  “Her, too, unless she says she doesn’t want to do it. I want to be sure that little one can look after herself if nothing else.”

  “Good. If Mayza was older, I would send her along with them.”

  “Maybe when she’s older, then?”

  “Quite possibly. Well, since you have everything in order, I’ll leave you to handle it yourselves. You don’t need me for this.”

  “Just wanted you to be aware of what we’re doing, General,” said Dzaka, getting up to leave.

  “I appreciate that, Brother Dzaka,” said Kezule, rising and walking him to the door of his office.

  * * *

  Some twenty minutes later, Shaidan and his brothers and sisters were shepherded down to the main courtyard. Their trip to the barracks was cut short by a crowd of people right in front of their exit.

  “They’s here!” said Gaylla excitedly, pulling free from Shaidan’s hand and rushing into the thick of the crowd.

  Shaidan took off after her, with Kitra and Dzaka in hot pursuit. Being smaller, the cub worked his way to the front of the crowd only seconds behind his sister to see her stop dead to watch the two Sholans fighting each other with swords. It was at that moment that M’Nar’s sword went flying across their fighting circle and headed straight toward Gaylla. Yards from her, it clattered to the ground, bounced, and came to an abrupt stop just inches from her feet.

  She bent down and reached out for the carved quillons with their sparkling gray gems for eyes.

  “Ooh, pretty! I want one like that!” she said, her finger hovering just above the blade.

  M’Nar took a sliding leap across the courtyard to land by the blade and pick it up before she could.

  At the same moment, a Sister swooped down on Gaylla and snatched her up in her arms.

  “Uh, Gaylla, isn’t it?” M’Nar asked, looking up at the cub before getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Put me down!” Gaylla shrilled at the top of her voice as she squirmed and fought the encircling arms. “I don’t know you! Put me down!”

  “Please put my sister down before you drop her,” said Shaidan. “She’s not in any danger. My aunt and uncle are just behind us.”

  “Oh,” said the female, giving in to the immutable force that was the struggling child as all eyes turned to her. “Sure thing. I just thought she needed . . .”

  “Protecting?” asked Jerenn as Gaylla bolted straight to M’Nar as soon as her feet hit the ground.

  “Well, taking back to her parents. I’m Sister N’Akoe, by the way.”

  “Jerenn and M’Nar,” said Jerenn.

  Gaylla was hanging onto M’Nar’s leg when Kitra and Dzaka managed to push their way through the last of the very interested crowd.

  “I know you all have better things to do. Dismissed!” said Dzaka in his best parade ground voice, and the gathering immediately began to disperse. Brotherhood priests were often the most fearsome of the Brotherhood, so it was said among the forces.

  “Aunty Kitra, I found them I did!” said Gaylla, jumping up and down in excitement. “I said I would, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, precious, you did,” said Kitra, reaching her hand out.

  Obediently, Gaylla let go of M’Nar’s leg and briefly turning the full force of her big-eyed smile on him, trotted back to her aunt.

  “I thought we’d go to the Sholan gym, just outside the walls,” said Dzaka. “I want to see how you get on with the cubs. If you all get on well, I have a new posting that may interest you.”

  “I told you it wasn’t complicated,” said M’Nar as he and Jerenn began hauling the single bed from Jerenn’s room into his.

  “Which, organizing our new rooms up here in the Royal Nursery wing, or us now being the official trainers for the cubs?” puffed Jerenn.

  “Both. It worked out beautifully, as I said it would. And we didn’t have to try.”

  “We’re going to regret this,” Jerenn said. “We should be helping to protect Shaidan and the cubs from danger.”

  “They’ve had so much protecting they’re ready to bust out of here and run amok,” said M’Nar. “I know cubs, and they should be out on their own in the daytime, playing down by the river in the water and mud, climbing trees, running through the grass, feeding the herd beasts, anything but bei
ng hothoused in the Palace! They have to be taught to take care of themselves, too, and that’s what we’re doing, officially, and unofficially.”

  “I get your point,” said Jerenn as they squeaked the bed round the doorframe and carted it over beside M’Nar’s. Jerenn set his end down with a thump. “After this, I’ll need a night in bed to recover!”

  “Our first night in real comfort and you want to sleep? You disappoint me, Jerenn! How about a swim in the heated pool here with Shaidan instead,” said M’Nar.

  Jerenn’s ears perked up. “Really? No joking?”

  “There’s certain times we can’t use it,” said Shaidan from the doorway. “Like when King Zsurtul wants to use it, but it’s all right the rest of the time. Dinner is in an hour. If you want to go, we have to go now.”

  “How did you know . . .”

  Shaidan gave him a look. “Please, I’m a Telepath. I know things. Gaylla wants to come, too.” He looked from one to the other of the two adults. “Gaylla is special,” he said. “She’s the same age as us, but she’s a bit slower. You have to take it more carefully with her, but treat her just the same.”

  M’Nar glanced at Jerenn, then back at Shaidan. “We noticed, but it makes no difference to us. She’s adorable. So let’s go and get her and have a nice long soak before dinner!”

  “You’ll like the bubble pool, then. It massages all the parts that hurt.”

  “I love it already,” smiled M’Nar as they headed down the corridor toward the nursery door. Gaylla was waiting there for them. As they stopped, she held up her arms for M’Nar to lift her up.

  “You coming swimming with us?” he asked, picking her up. “I bet you swim like a fish, don’t you?” He tickled her behind her ears and under her chin, making her giggle.

  “I swim pretty good,” she said.

  M’zull, the Palace, next afternoon, Zhal-Zhalwae 21st (May)

  After a night spent with Carrie and the others at the cave, when Kusac got back to the estate, he had a lot to tell the others. He and his staff had returned to the Palace that day and as soon as he arrived, he’d sought out Telmaar. With the other’s help, he got himself up to date and organized on assisting to get the troops clearing up the debris and filling the potholes in the main crossroads area as efficiently as possible.