by Shae Mills
Talon looked about in bewilderment. “What could he have done, a doctor of Earth, to incur the wrath of the Empire’s greatest Warlord?”
Chelan held very still. “He was my doctor…” She clenched her fists.
Talon took her hands in his. “Continue.”
Chelan stared at him. “Whenever I went, my mom was not allowed in the room when he examined me. When the door was closed, he would…”
Talon squeezed her hands tight. “He would what?”
Chelan shook her head. “I cannot…”
Talon collected her into his arms. Returning to his chair, he sat her in his lap. “He what, Chelan?”
“He… he would hurt me.”
Talon was silent. He studied her closely. “Hurt you how?”
“Please, I do not want to talk of this.”
Talon pressed a finger to her lips. “No secrets, pretty one. The events that occurred undoubtedly affect you even now. And they were horrendous enough to spur Korba into action. Tell me, Chelan.”
Chelan stared at a point beyond Talon. “What did Ticees do to raise the ire of Korba?”
Talon’s face contorted. “He raped you?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Many times.”
Talon’s muscles contracted violently. He stumbled over his words. “How old were you?”
Chelan took several calming breaths. “Seven Earth years.”
Talon felt a rage well up from deep within his guts, its caustic flow burning his throat. He looked up at the screen. He leaned forward and hit a few buttons. Then his fingers gently traced over her pretty features. “Look at the screen, Chelan.”
Chelan’s eyes flickered upward, and suddenly she was still. Talon glanced at the display and held her hands tight. “He hurts no more, sweet lady.”
Chelan studied the picture. The man was now old and gray, lying on his back upon a floor. His eyes were wide with terror, his neck cleanly slit, literally from ear to ear. But she did not flinch at the depiction of brutal horror. Instead, her heart calmed and an inner peace spread through her.
She squeezed Talon’s hands. Then she looked into his piercing eyes. “He hurts no more,” she whispered.
Talon hugged her fiercely. “I am sorry, my Lady.”
Chelan pressed her cheek into his powerful chest and listened to his soothing heartbeat. “Korba cared for me even more than I ever knew.”
Talon’s hands travelled over her slender back. “Korba loved you deeply, as do I.”
She squeezed her eyes tight. “I know,” she whispered. “I know.”
They lingered together for a long time, and then Chelan drew back. “We need to get to work.”
“There is no rush.”
Chelan smiled. “It is better that I work.”
Talon returned her smile. “Okay, how about you wade through the mission as far as you can, and I will tend to the security conversion.”
Chelan resumed her chair and nodded. “Yes, I had forgotten about that. When is the big day?”
“Next week, the forty-second, at dusk.” He hesitated. “It will be my first full day away from you, my Lady.”
Chelan smiled. “Only one day, my Lord. I shall endure.”
Talon turned toward the console. “The Telesian ambassador himself is accompanying the final equipment shipment the day before. It will be quite the event.”
“Will it upgrade Iceanea’s security that much more?”
Talon’s eyes lit. “The technology they have come up with is astronomical, Chelan. It will make our present system look as though it is from your world’s Stone Age. The scanners, the communications, and the defense systems are all amazing. But what makes it so unique is the shielding.”
“The shielding?”
“It is an impulse system that works in conjunction with the sphere of ice crystals that surrounds our planet. Without interfering with the layer, it will align the crystals in such a manner that most incoming weapons will simply glance off. And like the fighter’s weaponry and defenses, it is immune to all countermeasures. And, even more importantly, because of the concavity of the sphere from this side, weapons can still be fired through it by us.”
Chelan felt her heart thumping with anticipation, but suddenly, her face fell. “The forty-second,” she whispered.
“What is the matter?”
Chelan groaned. “Oh no, not that night. Is there no other?”
Talon swiveled to face her. “Why?”
“No moving it?”
Talon shook his head. “No. I had given Lethiason a time frame to work within. He and the ambassador picked the forty-second. It cannot be rescheduled. Why?”
“And you must oversee it?”
“Of course, out of both necessity and protocol.” He leaned forward and took her hand. “What is it?”
Chelan sighed. “It is our anniversary.”
“Our what?”
“I know your people don’t make a big deal of such things, but on Earth we celebrate our wedding anniversaries. The forty-second is ours. We have been married one Iceanean year.”
Talon pondered her words. “Can we not celebrate either side of that date, preferably the day after?”
Chelan frowned. “I had already made so many arrangements.”
“Oh, my Lady… I am sorry. I can tell how disappointed you are. But this is unavoidable.”
Chelan shrugged. “I completely understand. I should have said something to you in the beginning.”
Then both turned and looked up as Lethiason entered. “Sorry to disturb you. I left a decoder here earlier.”
Talon picked the instrument up. “Where is the one in the main Center?”
Lethiason snatched it out of the air as Talon tossed it at him. “In use. I want this one in my quarters.”
“Are these the codes excluded from the mainframe?”
Lethiason nodded. “Yes, Sire, and I will keep better track of it next time.” He turned to leave. Then he hesitated and looked at Chelan. “Why the long face, my Lady?”
Chelan forced a smile. “Oh, nothing. Just a few too many things happening at once.”
Lethiason threw Talon a questioning glance. “None of my business, I assume?”
But before Talon could answer, Chelan spoke. “Actually, I believe my dilemma is all your fault,” she said, baiting him.
“Mine? What did I do?”
Chelan grinned. “It is okay, Lethiason. Our wedding anniversary is next week, the same night as the security conversion. It is important to me, but you could not have known.”
Lethiason was silent momentarily and then looked at Talon. “Well, my Lord, if it means that much to the Lady, I can meet with the ambassador on your behalf and oversee the conversion.”
Talon glanced at Chelan, whose eyes had lit up. He groaned inwardly. “I am not so sure that is wise, Commander.”
Lethiason nodded with respect. “As you wish, Sire. But the offer still stands should you reconsider.” He nodded to Chelan. “Good day, my Lady.”
Chelan smiled. “Good-bye, Lethiason, and thank you for the offer.” She watched as the doors closed, and then she leapt into Talon’s lap. “Well?”
He scowled at her. “No.”
Chelan pouted playfully. “But why not?”
Talon rose and set her on her feet. He began to pace. Chelan followed him with her eyes as she wrung her hands. “You know, not celebrating on the forty-second is not going to put me into a tailspin. But what Lethiason has offered is a logical alternative. He is your right-hand man. He has worked on your behalf countless times before.”
Talon stopped and became very still. Chelan walked up to him. She went to speak but halted when she saw the concern that racked his features.
“Not this time,” he whispered.
Chelan felt a tremor seize her. “What is it?”
Talon was quiet for a long time. Then he finally smiled. “It is nothing. Just a fleeting thought.”
He went to turn away, but Chelan caught his a
rm. “What thought?”
“Nothing founded, my Lady. And nothing you should worry yourself with. It is simply a… gut feeling.”
Chelan felt her veins turn to ice. She went to ask him a question, but Talon put a finger to her lips. “It is okay. I will consider Lethiason’s offer.”
But Chelan shook her head. “No. Talk to me. Like you said, no secrets.”
“It is nothing. Really.”
But Chelan glowered at him. “You are Korba’s brother.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Dar always said that what set Korba apart from the other Warlords, making him the best, was his sixth sense. He had an uncanny ability to second-guess his adversaries. And he played from his gut instincts. Dar said that in all their years together, Korba had never been wrong. So, talk to me. What bothers you?”
Talon straightened. “I don’t know. For some reason, I feel Lethiason should not oversee the conversion.”
Chelan’s eyes widened. “Why? Do you suspect treachery?”
Talon furrowed his brow. “No, he has always served me well. Maybe I am just edgy about security with the force field down.”
“It has been down before.”
“Yes, for seconds, maybe a minute, but never hours.”
“Double the patrols, send up more battleships. What can go wrong?”
Talon studied her. “You may be right,” he answered quietly.
But suddenly, Chelan felt a cold chill overtake her. Her mind tracked back in time to a conversation with Lethiason that had “never taken place.” Her marrow turned to sludge. She grabbed Talon. “Look, this scares me. The anniversary is no big deal. We will do it the day after. You oversee the change.”
Talon nodded slowly. “We will see. I still have a week to think about it.”
Chelan watched as he sat down and returned to his work. She strained to remember all that had been said nearly three Earth years ago. Lethiason had been a spy for the new Empire, Talon’s right-hand man. He walked Iceanea freely, infiltrating Korba’s Empire and learning everything. He knew all.
She clenched her fists tight. But years had gone by. Talon and Lethiason were at the top and all was well… or was it? Chelan felt her guts twist. And what of Talon’s instincts? Should she break Lethiason’s confidence over a seemingly insignificant conversation so many years ago?
She studied her husband’s back and took a deep breath. “Talon,” she whispered.
He turned. “Yes, my Lady?”
Chelan’s words caught in her throat. “I, uh… Lethiason, he worked freely in the old Empire, right?”
“Yes. He worked for me. He penetrated all, for decades in fact.”
Chelan felt like her chest was being crushed. Thoughts of her original determination to avenge her men crowded into her mind. But after all this time, Talon and the new Empire were her life, her stability. What possible purpose would there be to dredging up old, ambiguous conversations? But still… Fear spiked through her. She sat down quickly.
Talon reached for her knee, startling her out of her thoughts. “Talk to me, my Lady.”
Chelan looked deep in her husband’s eyes. “Could Lethiason have been a double agent?”
Talon sat back, his eyes narrowing. “Where does that come from?”
Chelan continued to struggle to remember what was said so long ago, but it was simply a blur. “Lethiason—he has always pushed me to you for reasons never clearly articulated.”
Talon rubbed his jaw with his ebony-clad hand and smiled slyly. “And you suspect treachery because of that?”
Chelan hesitated. “It was long ago, just after he and I met. It seemed to have nefarious undertones at the time.”
Talon nodded, and his lip quirked. “Firstly, the old Empire is gone. If he worked for them, he failed miserably. Secondly, he is my closest friend. Perhaps he was acting in my best interests, since I was oblivious to the prize I had within my domain then.”
Chelan went to speak but then took a moment to quietly reflect. She furrowed her brow as she concentrated. “I… I honestly thought there was more to it back then.”
Talon sat forward. “I would be unwise for me to discount anything put forth to me, even when it pertains to my main man. To do so would be pure folly.” He studied her for a time. “Other than acting as my emissary, what would he accomplish by forcing you to me?”
“I have no idea. He was unwilling to continue the conversation. But I knew it was something to be kept quiet at all costs.”
Talon stared off into the distance. Then he looked back at her. “I appreciate the warning. It is most likely that I will oversee the conversion, and I will be wary. And if I choose to withdraw, I will turn the entire affair over to another officer. I will remove Lethiason from the whole endeavor.”
Chelan flinched. “I know he has served you unwaveringly and flawlessly. I actually feel bad for bringing doubt into the equation. I feel as though I am betraying Lethiason for some unknown reason.”
“Quite the contrary. Though he is my principal man, I never assign sole responsibility for any large military operation to just one person. That would be foolish. Lethiason would have to work in tandem with others anyway, but in this case, he will be dismissed.”
“Oh, he will never forgive me!”
“He will never know, my Lady. There are several important military maneuvers happening at the same time. He will simply be reassigned.”
“Won’t he want to know why?”
“Maybe. But my men get reassigned regularly. There are hundreds who could oversee the conversion competently.”
“Or you could leave it in his hands along with several other officers.”
“There will be a whole contingency there anyway. It is not a small job.”
Chelan glanced about nervously. “As usual, I need to stay out of military maneuvers. They are not my place.”
Talon smiled and reached for her, pulling her back onto his lap. “You have no worries, my Lady. All will be taken care of. And once again, I appreciate your warning. No matter what I decide, all will be well.”
Chelan nestled into his chest and closed her eyes. She hoped so, with all her being, but for now, her gut was turning.
Chapter 22
Chelan stared at the air recon photo. Then she manipulated her angle of approach to come at the mountains from the north. It was no different from being in a three-dimensional flight simulator. With the controls, she could fly at her target area from any direction.
She made another fly-by, this time changing the lighting to that of early morning. She smiled. With the change in shadows, there they were—the missing sedimentary deposits and the elusive ore bed. “Damn faults,” she mumbled to herself. She logged in the strike and dip of the beds, the computer taking it from there and estimating their size and subsurface configuration. Then she hit a button.
“Reconnaissance.”
Chelan cleared her throat. “Halon, please.”
“Halon here.”
Chelan made one more adjustment. “I am transferring something to your screen. Take a look.” And she waited.
There was silence. “Excellent! You found it.”
Chelan smiled. “It is all yours.”
“Thank you, my Lady. You saved us a lot of time. I will get back to you soon.”
Chelan turned off the intercom and swiveled in her chair just as Talon entered. “Good morning,” she greeted. “Has the ambassador arrived?”
“On time and all prepared.”
Chelan stood and looked up at him. “And the last bit of equipment?”
Talon smiled. “All installed, and it looks good, Chelan. Shortly, we shall be an impenetrable fortress.”
Chelan bit her lip coyly. “I could not help noticing that an additional three battleships went up into orbit this morning.”
Talon chuckled. “Oh, you just couldn’t help noticing, hey?”
Chelan held her hands behind her back, mischief in her eyes. “What’
s up?”
Talon slid his hands about her waist. Then he kissed her once, gently. “Go put your uniform on, and I will show you.”
Chelan’s eyes searched his. “Only if you are sure about this. Like I said, the anniversary can wait.”
Talon smiled lovingly. “I am sure. Now go change.”
Chelan skipped off and returned quickly. Talon then took her by the hand and led her through the workout area and into the private hangar. Chelan could hardly contain herself as he presented her with her flight gear. She didn’t need any encouragement to seal herself into the helmet, and she practically leapt into the cockpit of his fighter, even though the full extent of the adventure had yet to reveal itself. Truth be told, Chelan didn’t care where they were going. Simply searing through the Iceanean atmosphere in the fighter provided all the exhilaration she could ever ask for.
The fighter drifted out of the hangar, and Talon punched the thrusters. The Palace walls fell away in an instant, replaced by the vast ice fields of the Dead Zone. Chelan watched as the fighter rapidly arced and headed north. Her eyes glistened—the razor-sharp mountain peaks, the boundless ice fields, all of nature at her most magnificent. As they continued, the glaciers thinned, the ice and snow receded, and high, blue mountains and low, broad valleys replaced them. Then they slowed, and the fighter nestled in a grove of exotic trees. The canopy slid back, and Talon helped her to the ground.
Chelan immediately looked down and crouched. She touched the firm groundcover and smiled. It was like grass, but short and spongy. Each blade was a dark green and three-sided. Then she stood and gazed at the nearby trees. Their bark looked like the scales of some giant fish, light blue in color. Their branches were convoluted and contorted like a bizarre maze. Long, spiral leaves hung like strange, pale green linguini, their beauty punctuated by balls of soft, pink fruit. “Sana!” she exclaimed.
Talon nodded as they both approached the first tree. Chelan touched a leaf; its skin was like leather. Then she tentatively felt the bark. To her surprise, it was smooth, the scale-like features created by color rather than form.
Talon peered up at the high fruit. “Hmm… I guess I could climb.”
Chelan studied the branches. “No, I don’t think so. The branches look pretty frail.”