“I will do it, Gotdunna,” she answered. “And I’ll look forwards to our next meeting. It has been a long life, and I am very tired.”
The Galaxy Mind reached out and stroked her cheek. “Soon, Helga. I promise you. Until then, stay strong.”
The dream ended there and Grammy rose from her bed, sighing longingly at the memory. Then she dressed herself and went down to the kitchen to make tea. Two cups were hot and ready on the table when Jan bar Daala came in.
“You know,” Jan said. “You had the dream too.”
“I did,” Grammy replied matter-of-factly. “Now, drink your tea and grab some breakfast. We have a long trip ahead of us, and a stop or two to make along the way. I want to be on the road well before Lily gets up.”
Jan looked back upstairs in the general direction of her superior’s bedroom. “Yes,” she agreed. “I’ll make it quick.”
***
The twin suns had just risen over the horizon when Grammy and Jan arrived at Enggredsdaater’s farm. Kaly was already hard at work in the eastern field, and despite the early hour, she had completely disassembled one of the hydro-pumps and its guts were laid out on the ground, ready for repair. She rose as they approached.
“Grosfra, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I have come to ask a favor of you, my little stray,” Grammy told her. “I won’t hold it against you if you decide to refuse me.”
As she said this, Enggredsdaater unslung the pack that she had brought with her and set it on the ground. Kaly recognized it right away. It was hers, and from the look of it, she could tell that it was full.
Enggredsdaater didn’t explain. Instead, she picked up the tool box Kaly had been working from and arranged it so that Grammy had a place to sit.
“I won’t beat around the bush, Kaly. We are going on an adventure,” Grammy said, indicating Jan. “The Segen have told me that it will be a dangerous journey, and there will probably be violence. If we succeed, we will save Humanity, and probably the rest of the Galaxy. If we fail, then we will be doomed. There is no other road for us.”
Kaly’s expression darkened, and her eyes flicked to Tatiana. She understood now what Grammy had come for, even if the exact shape of it was still unclear.
“You deserve to know everything before you make your decision,” Grammy added. “Jan here, tells it the best.”
Jan smiled, and as Enggredsdaater supported her, the naval officer closed her eyes, and seemed to lapse into unconsciousness. Then the air between her and Kaly seemed to flicker like heat waves over a road on a hot summer day, and something crossed the space. Instantly, Kaly felt an alien presence filling her body.
As startling as this was, she didn’t find the sensation unpleasant, but what disconcerted her was the fact that she was no longer alone in her own mind. Incredibly, Jan was in there with her.
The Jan-that-was-in-her-mind began to communicate. Like the PTS feeds she had endured in Basic, Kaly learned everything in just a few seconds before Jan’s eyes fluttered open again.
“I’m sorry Kaly,” she said. “It was the only way.”
Kaly blinked at her in a combination of amazement and stunned comprehension.
“Yah, little one,’ Grammy said, knowing full well what she had just experienced. “It’s that kind of danger. I know what you’ve been through, and I would never ask this of you except that without you—and your skills, we have no chance of succeeding.’
“You’ve fought many battles, and you deserve your peace, but this fight is more important than any other. This time, it’s not about the Sisterhood, or a single star-nation. It’s about all of us. If you want to refuse, I understand, but we need you, and your rifle.”
Kaly looked away, wrestling with her emotions and what she now knew about the Secret. And Grammy could tell from the tears forming in her eyes, that the young woman was torn between the weariness of her soul, and loyalty to her friends.
The path of the Warrioress was not an easy one, she reflected soberly, and no matter how hard a person tried, they never truly left the battlefield behind them.
After a long moment, Kaly met her gaze again, and Grammy knew what her decision was even before the words left her mouth.
“I’ll help you,” she said. Her voice was tight with emotion, and without further preamble, she wiped the grease from her hands, rose, and slung her rifle over her shoulder. “When do we leave?”
From the resolute gleam in her eyes, Grammy saw the soldier that Kaly still was, and she said a silent prayer of thanks to the Alte Volk for bringing her to them.
“Right now,” she answered.
Kaly looked at Enggredsdaater, and the woman shook her head. “Nah, Kaly. Zis is not vor me. I’m done vith za fighting.”
Kaly understood. Enggredsdaater hadn’t been chosen for this mission. She had.
“We have a long journey ahead of us,” Grammy told her. “Do you want to get anything else?”
“No,” Kaly answered, pulling her rifle strap tight. “I have what I need right here.”
Enggredsdaater drove them straight to Waanderstaad Spaceport, and they arrived just as the holodisplays in the passenger terminal changed their message. The emergency travel ban had just been lifted.
“It seems that the Alte Volk are with us,” Grammy observed, and none of them could disagree. They had all been wondering about how they would get around the travel restrictions, but a miracle had just interceded.
“I need to change,” she announced. “I’ll be right back, and then we can see about our tickets.” With that, she left them, and headed for the nearest restroom.
When Grammy returned, Kaly and the others did a double take. Gone was the homespun dress. In its place, was a perfectly tailored dark-blue comerci with a light blue-silver cravess, and Grammy’s platinum grey hair was done up in a very businesslike bun. She looked like any senior executive or government official.
Even her stance and her walk had changed. She radiated more than her usual confidence and moved in a way that told the observer that she was someone who possessed a great deal of power and influence.
“Since we’re going op da an den Highline,” she said by way of an explanation, “I decided to dress up. It’s been a long time since I’ve travelled anywhere.”
None of them fell for this for a nanosecond. It was patently obvious that Grammy was a lot more sophisticated than the simple rustic that she pretended to be. The suit simply fit her too well. Their doubts were confirmed when she led the way to the nearest ticket counter.
“I would like three tickets to Ashkele, bittach,” she said to the agent. “For today. I’d like a direct flight.”
“Certainly,” the woman replied. Then she consulted her holodisplay and frowned. “I don’t have anything going there direct, jantildam. But I do have a flight with only three stopovers. They are at Thermadon, Luma and Wrede. The layovers are all very short—only half an hour each. Will that do? If not, then I can see about booking you something for tomorrow, or later in the week.”
“No need. That flight will do quite nicely,” Grammy smiled. “How much?”
The clerk hesitated. “Um, that will be 5,100 Credits per passenger, mihn dar. I’m sorry but the only seats open are in Executive Class. We do have less expensive ones, but those would be on the later flights.”
Everyone, except Grammy, gasped at the price. Kaly’s pay had been suspended, pending contact with an RSE supervisor. As a low-level officer, Bar Daala simply didn’t have this kind of money, and Enggredsdaater, with a farm to run, and only military benefits to draw upon, wasn’t in any better financial shape.
“The Executive Class seats will do nicely,” Grammy said. “I’ll charge them to my account.” She closed her eyes and transferred the amount before turning to her friends. “I had a little something tucked away for a rainy day,” she told them.
In reality, she had a substantial fortune that she had earned during her years in the OAE. She had set these funds aside in a special a
ccount, just in case of an emergency. Thanks to her foresight, they would have all the credits that they needed to make the trip, and much more besides. She didn’t bother to explain all this however. Things were complicated enough without injecting her past into the situation.
After checking Tatiana in, they said their goodbyes to Enggredsdaater and made their way to the departure gate. Twenty minutes later, Concordia Spacelines, Flight 909 lifted off.
As Zommerlaand’s vast green fields receded from the viewport, Grammy whispered up another prayer to the Gods, asking them for their continued protection. Where they were going, and what they would face when they got there, would require every bit of luck that the Alte Volk would care to lend.
K’aut’sha Fighting School, Sorrow’s Swale, Nemesis, Rahdwa System, Thalestris Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1049.03|07|02:50:06
Standing in the pool before the Tree, Maya cursed. Whether she wanted it or not, she was dreaming about the ruins.
It also came as no surprise that she was not alone. Predictably, her mysterious ‘guide’ was there with her. This time, the woman had adopted the guise of Shyla, her long dead lover from Ashkele, but Maya wasn’t deceived.
“It is time, Maya,” the woman said. “It is time for you to go and make your choice.”
“You know what? Fek you and your stupid Tree,” Maya snapped. “I’m not going to go anywhere or choose anything. How about that?”
The figure smiled patiently. “You will. It is time.”
The dream changed, and she found herself in her quarters in the Student’s Pak’un, stuffing her things into her rucksack. It was only when she had pushed everything that she could into the main compartment, and had begun filling up a secondary pocket, that she realized that she wasn’t really dreaming. Instead, she was in some kind of weird half-way place, somewhere between real sleep and full wakefulness.
What the fek am I doing? she wondered in alarm. Just as the guide had promised, she was preparing to leave for Ashkele like some kind of mindless robot. Swearing, she came back to full awareness and angrily tossed the rucksack into the corner.
She would be damned if she was going to let herself be pushed around, or made to do things by some stupid ghost. She had free will, damn it!
With that, she laid herself back down, and tried to get back to sleep. It proved impossible however. The moment that her eye lids closed, visions of the ruins and the goddess-cursed Tree popped into her head, demanding and insistent. Seeing that it was hopeless, she gave up and decided to start her day. A little exercise before classes began was what she needed.
Despite the vigorous workout that followed, and an intensive special seminar run by none other than Josette bel Thana, the images, and the mindless need to leave and go straight to Ashkele, haunted her. It was only when she completely forgot a very basic step in a drill—for the third time—that Josette took her aside.
“What is wrong with you today, Maya?” the woman asked. “You are moving like a first year novice. I know that Skylaar taught you better than that!”
“It’s nothing,” Maya said. “I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
“Very well,” Josette replied. “I want you to go and practice with Skylaar. Tell her what you have been having trouble with, and see what you two can do to work it out. If you get done in time, you can return to class.”
Maya scowled at this, but obeyed. Josette was considered to be a Senior Instructor by the Fighting School, and no one could contravene an Instructor. She sought out Skylaar immediately.
It only took a few minutes for her teacher to realize that something was seriously distracting her, and she called a halt to their exercise. This time, when Skylaar was the one asking the questions, Maya didn’t attempt to hide the cause.
“I can’t get them out of my head,” she complained. “The longer it goes, the more I feel like I’ve got an itch I can’t scratch. A part of me wants to go to Ashkele right now and it doesn’t care what I think or what I want to do! I have to go! Isn’t that just klaxxy?”
“No Maya,’ Skylaar answered patiently. “It is not ‘klaxxy’ at all. It is just as we told you; the Galaxy Mind is summoning you, and I think that you had better comply.”
Maya’s features became troubled. “Sena-tai?” she asked in a tremulous voice.
“Yes, Maya?”
“I’m scared.”
“As well you should be,” Skylaar returned gravely. “You are facing a great unknown, and it is only natural to feel trepidation. I must also tell you that I have had agents of mine keeping an eye on Celina, and that it is only logical that Angelique and the Conversâzi have done the same thing.’
“They will know when she responds to her own call, and they will be watching for any noteworthy arrivals at the Free Port. They will also follow her, and if it comes to that, we may be facing a battle when everyone arrives at the Tree.”
Maya had already surmised as much. “I know.”
“I am also frightened,” Skylaar admitted. “But I know that the only way to conquer our fears is to admit that they are there, and then to confront them. We will face this challenge together, you and I. You will not be alone. I, Sarah, Josette and Jeena will all accompany you, and we will be there at your side.”
Maya embraced her. “Thank you, Sena-tai!”
“No thanks are needed, Cho-sena,” Skylaar said, patting her reassuringly. “I could not bring myself to allow you to undertake this adventure all by yourself. Now, go and finish your packing. I will call upon Captain bel Lissa and tell the others to get ready. The JUDI has been standing by for this very eventuality.”
The C-JUDI-GO made its appearance barely a half an hour later. It came in low over the jungle and set down in the meadow in an empty space that was well away from the Pak’uns. While everyone was in the process of boarding the merchanter and making ready to depart, Captain bel Lissa came down from the bridge with an announcement. She gathered them all together in the ship’s small galley.
“I just checked in with the Daughters of the Coast,” she said. “It seems that the Sisterhood Navy is in Ashkele. An entire Battle Group.’
‘This may have something to do with the Seevaans. Apparently they’re conducting war games in the next quadrant over, but the Daughters also said that the Battle Group is keeping an eye on everything passing through the system. They aren’t stopping anyone for inspections though—just watching.”
“It is Angelique,” Sarah stated, “She is waiting for the Three. That is the only possible explanation.”
No one argued with her conclusion. There was no point. While it was not uncommon for Sisterhood military vessels to visit foreign ports of call, the timing of this particular stopover, and the size of the force involved, fit with Sarah’s assessment too closely to suggest anything else. Even with the Seevaans taken into account.
Bel Lissa nodded. “Yes, I agree. We certainly can’t fly straight in and land at the port. The Navy will spot us, and Angelique will have women waiting for us downside.”
“So it’s straight to the Tree then?” Maya asked.
“No,” Bel Lissa responded. “That’s bound to be under surveillance too. I’d say we come in in stealth, drop off a safe distance away, and then you can penetrate the area on foot. With luck and a little ingenuity, the ruins will help cover your approach, and give you the time you need to deal with any sensors and whoever she has in place.”
“Then what?” Maya challenged. “Celina and the other woman will still get spotted on their way in. Once that happens, Angelique and her friends will just dive in and scoop us all up. End of program. She wins.”
“Are you having second thoughts then?” Sarah asked. “Because if you are, I have to remind you that it is far too late to entertain them. We have to go forwards with this ritual or risk having the Secret handed over to another race.”
“She is correct,” Skylaar added in support. “We must find a way through and see this to its end.”
“How?” M
aya retorted. “Angelique has all the cards. We’re good and fekked.”
“Not necessarily,” Sarah said. “If we can secure the Tree, and the other two women, and then arrange for a quick escape, we might be able to foil her designs.”
“That’s a lot of ‘if’s’” Maya observed skeptically. She had secretly hoped to reach the Tree and see her business done without the Conversâzi, or its leader, ever making an appearance. Now it was becoming painfully clear that this would not happen. A fight, and most likely a very bloody one, seemed imminent.
“Possibilities are an agent’s stock in trade,” Josette interjected. “I think that together, however, we have enough collective experience to arrange favorable odds for ourselves.”
At that, Skylaar produced an elzlate pad and activated it. It was fitted with a tiny holojector, and a three dimensional image appeared. It was the building with the Tree, and the structures that surrounded it.
“This was created based on the recordings that we made of your dreams,” she said. “Please inspect it and verify its accuracy. We will formulate our plans based upon the final product.”
Maya leaned in and looked at the holo, pushing aside her amazement, and her irritation at the intrusion on her privacy that it represented. Right away, she saw that whoever the draftswoman had been, she had missed some details.
She didn’t consider herself to be much of an artist, but one of the lessons she had received during her training on Nyx had been in basic sketching. At the time, she had wondered at this, and Lady Ananzi had informed her that the ability to draw things was a requisite skill for an agent. There were occasions where an operative could not rely solely on her psiever’s camera function, or the ability to ‘think’ accurate images to another person. Or bizarre situations like this one.
Taking up the stylus, Maya went straight to work, adjusting the image until it matched her memories. “That’s it,” she declared.
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