by 1
The ship occupied two spaces at the same time, a flickering of energy that folded the space into an overlap or jump.
Helen was breathing quickly as she cleared the jump site and continued on to program the destination of Morganti.
Hyder got up and left her for a moment, returning with another bag of the nutritional supplement. She slurped down her second batch while her neural network controlled the oxygen levels in the ship, reducing them to lessen the risk of her passing out.
“How am I doing, Hyder?”
He checked his scans. “Your digestive system is slowly waking up, but you are going to have to keep your fluid intake high for a while. All of your supplies were delivered directly to your body and removed as well. You will have to keep on top of it.”
She muttered. “I will get right on that.”
With over an hour to Morganti, she had to ask, “How long has this Sector Guard project been in the works?”
He leaned back. “From what the documentation tells me, it has been requested for the last century for the outer reaches of the Alliance. They are too far for an effective force to arrive in time to natural disasters or raider attacks. The goal was to create a force that could mobilize quickly, use talents to the fullest of their ability and for the betterment of the populations.”
She nodded. It made sense. Local organizations back on earth could mobilize much faster than armies. To have several bases around the Alliance would make intervention more feasible.
“What has held it back this long? Even back home, we can work stuff out in a hundred years.”
He rubbed his forehead and grimaced. “The same thing that kills good intentions throughout the universe—politics.”
Chapter Three
Morganti was an unsettled world with one small house on the entire planet and a large structure without any life signs within. Without asking, Helen aimed the Class One for that lonely house with two signs of life within.
Those life signs approached the shuttle as she brought it down for a smooth landing. Regretfully, she uncoupled herself from the ship and shut it down. “We are here.”
Hyder nodded and got to his feet, straightening his shoulders. “Time for the first big step.”
She was bemused, but she followed him out of the shuttle and across the stone plateau she had landed on.
The two males approaching them were definitely a contrast. While she had heard of Drai, Helen had never met one before, but the tall, dark male with the huge bat-like wings could be nothing else. Those wings were muscled enough to lift off from standing and he had a calm about him that told her he was ready for anything.
The other man was walking power. She looked at him with eyes used to gauging energy and she saw him for what he was. She smiled at him and nodded. “Avatar of Gant, it is nice to meet you.”
Hyder looked at her in surprise, but Gant broke into a smile. “Thank you, madam. You may address us as Kale-Gant. It is simpler than trying to determine who is in control.”
His voice rippled through her and the ground even hummed with his power.
The Draikyn next to him chuckled. “I am Vasu, sleeper of Morganti. It is nice to see friendly faces. May I ask for your name, lady?”
Hyder tensed. “Pilot. You may address her as Pilot.”
The twitch of the Drai’s lips indicated he was amused at Hyder’s defence.
Helen was a little startled, but she shrugged. “It is as good a name as any. Pleased to meet you, Vasu.”
Kale-Gant smiled. “Would you care to continue this indoors? I am assuming that you are here to negotiate terms for occupation of Morganti.”
Hyder nodded. “That would be easier. Pilot, will you join us?”
Helen looked around and simply felt the air moving around her. “I will stay out here. It has been a very long time since I was able to walk on a surface. This place is lovely and I have missed the light and air.”
He frowned. “There is some sunscreen in the shuttle med kit. You are still very pale, don’t burn.”
She waved the boys off and as they entered Kale’s home, she started to walk.
Vasu was one of the Sector Guard candidates. He was a Drai shifter and his ancient photo did not do him justice.
Helen had heard of the sleepers as one of the myths of the Alliance. It was said that over a dozen of the great dragon shifters had scattered across the stars and gone to sleep for more than a thousand years. She had never guessed that she would be recruited for a team that would allow her to meet one.
She walked slowly through the green grasses and along the stone pathways while the sun crept over her and warmed her skin. Helen ran a hand along her shorn hair and wished that it was long again. The nutrients of the tank she had lived in for so long had the effect of destroying her body hair while keeping her clean. The tennis ball feeling of her dark hair re-growing was comforting, but she wished it would hurry up. For some reason, when she looked at Hyder, she wanted to feel pretty.
It was a stupid crush and she knew it. There were a few Azon-Terran couples, but the amount of paperwork required to get the authorization for it was mind numbing. Would Hyder even be interested in trying?
She heard wing beats behind her and she turned to smile up at Vasu. “Are the negotiations finished?”
He landed and smiled back. “They seem to have stalled. Gant is willing but Kale is holding back.”
“Why?” She ran through what she had read of the Avatar since his waking and being given the option of life as a popsicle or life with a planet sharing his mind and body.
“I don’t know. Hyder is frustrated and Kale is shutting down. This is getting us nowhere.”
He offered her his arm and she took it as they walked back to the house.
“Are you going to join the Sector Guard?”
He smiled. “Hyder has given me hope that my mate is right where I hoped she would be. I have dreamed of her, but knowing that our paths are destined to cross within two years is a great relief.”
“He told you that? How would he know?”
Vasu raised his dark eyebrows. “He didn’t tell you? He is a seer and a matchmaker. He can see those destined to be together and when. It is why he was assigned for this duty of assembling the initial teams. He can promise those that need it mates.”
“Why do they need a guarantee of mates?” It was a genuine question. Back home, women would line up for superheroes.
“Many races have taboos in regard to talents. They don’t want the lines to continue, so they make regular courtships for those with gifts impossible.” He cocked his head. “Even the Drai despise psychic or other talents in their populations. They cannot stop the destined mating, but they can try and keep the couple from starting a courtship by denying the female access to the Introduction ritual.”
“That sucks.”
“By your tone, I will guess that you mean it is a bad thing and it is. It is why the sleepers left our world. We were given hope for a future, but we had to wait for it.”
“It is a good thing that your race is known for patience.”
They stepped onto the walk leading to the house. “Yes, it is. I believe that you may have more luck with Kale than Hyder did. I will distract your male while you investigate the situation.”
Vasu nodded and wandered over to Hyder, who was watching them with a tension in his shoulders.
When her commander was distracted, she slipped into the house and went in search of Kale.
She found him, scowling, sitting alone at the dining room table.
“Okay, Kale, what is your deal?”
He stiffened. “You wouldn’t understand. You have a race of those like you. You are not alone.”
Wow, he gave up his problem right off the bat.
“You are right, my race is scattered through the Alliance and some are breeding like mad. We are not in danger of dying, but I do know what it is like to be alone in a room full of people.”
He blinked. “How?”
&n
bsp; “Pilots are chosen for the precise organization of their minds. They get implants and are chemically sterilized so that nothing can affect their thought processes. When you and your genetic future have been destroyed, jacks plugged into your body and you are hung in a tank of fluid to assist you in bonding to a warship so much larger than yourself, you know lonely.
“For the last few years I have been suspended in fluid, able to watch the people around me but never to be a part of their lives. I was the ship. I felt injuries to its skin as my own and I had to charge into battle naked. The sides of the ship were armoured, but a strike to armour is still a strike. I knew fear, I knew pain and I was alone in my tank while they depended on me for everything.”
He looked up at her as she stood with her hands on her hips. “How did you get away?”
“Gross insubordination. I hijacked the ship from the captain’s orders and defended those who needed my help. That is why I made it into the Sector Guard. We are here to help those who can’t help themselves, including folks like your race. If there had been a medical team who could have come out in time, it may have been different. If the Guard can help only a few worlds, don’t you think those lives are worth it?”
“What is your talent? I heard only those with psychic talents were eligible.” He was getting to his feet and towering over her smaller form.
“I don’t have one. I am a helluva pilot and can improvise on the fly. I am also one of the only Pilots ever ripped out of her tank by an irate captain who wanted to kill me.” She grinned and batted her lashes. “I am special.”
He laughed. “Thank you.” He pushed past her.
“Where are you going?”
He called over his shoulder, “To sign the agreement. You have convinced me, Pilot. Better alone with those who understand, than alone with the shrubs.”
She grinned and trailed slowly after him. It seemed that the Sector Guard had just gotten their first home base.
Chapter Four
The Niglith Halor arrived the following day and as the bulk of the ship remained in orbit, work and building crews arrived in an endless stream of shuttles.
Kale-Gant was everywhere, pointing out water tables and authorizing foundations to be set into his surface. There was a smile on his lips whenever Helen saw him and that was a very good thing
She was standing with Hyder and Vasu at one of the schematic tables, looking at plans for the base. Kale had everything under control planet-side, so Helen was getting restless.
“So, Commander. What is next?”
He looked up with a smile. “We begin assembly of the team.”
She nodded and looked at the design on the table. The base was one large blob that was taking shape in front of them. “What is that over there?”
“It’s the village. Kale has already sent out a request to civilian businesses to come and set up shop near the base. He is diving into this project with intensity. It is nice to see.”
Vasu nodded. “He and I began speaking after I completed my home, but his life has been one of loss. I think that with the settlers here, he will finally feel a little more anchored to the worlds around him.”
Helen smiled and wished that she felt the same. Out of her tank, with folks bustling around, she wanted nothing more than to hide in the Class One. She wasn’t used to being brushed by what were predominantly masculine bodies or standing on her feet all day. It was a trial of nerves and she was losing.
“When do we start assembling the team?” She bit her lip as Hyder gave her an assessing look.
“We can send a ship anytime. Now that we have a location, we can scout a secondary base and begin to call up the candidates. Would you like to do it?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
She frowned and then grabbed him by the arm, hauling him out of earshot of the others at the work table. “Are you serious?”
He shrugged and looked at her with a calculating gleam in his eye. “I believe so. I have the records for your first acquisition, so if you are willing to travel alone, I am willing to give you your first assignment.”
She blinked in surprise. “I have a few questions first.”
He jerked his head toward the ship. “Let’s sit down and you can ask me anything you wish.”
She used her hand to activate the extending dining table and she had a seat, bringing up two cups of tea from the dispenser.
When he cupped his tea cup in his hands, she sent her first volley of questions.
“Why me? I have no extra talent and that seems to be a prerequisite for the Sector Guard. What do you do, precisely? If you can offer a talent that will make working with you more appealing, I need to know.”
Hyder blinked. “I…the reason that you are the selected is that…damn. This is embarrassing.” He ran a hand though his hair and tried again. “I will answer your second question first. I am a matchmaker. I have a particular precognition that revolves around personal relationships. I can see the perfect match for anyone I meet. It is frustrating, because not every match lives on the same world. Also, sometimes, the person that I see a perfect mate for already has a mate who does not match the vision.”
She winced. “Seeing that could be awkward.”
He nodded. “Especially when two of the mismatched were my parents. They were happy enough, but I could always see that they could have been truly matched with someone else. Azon mate for life once a pregnancy occurs, so once they produced little me, they were trapped.”
She sipped at her tea. “That sucks.”
“It does indeed. When I agreed to become part of this project, my stipulation was that all of the Guardsmen selected would be single, male or female. I would be able to help them locate their perfect mate and they would work in teams of bonded pairs, male and female, mate and mate. It took some negotiation, but they agreed to my conditions.”
A suspicion started in Helen’s mind. “Does this relate to my first question?”
“It does. You are my ideal mate. I don’t know how or where this started, but when I met you, I saw myself in your future. There is no doubt.” The skin over his cheeks was darker.
She raised an eyebrow. “You have to be kidding.”
He frowned. “I am not. It is definite. In your future, we will be more than coworkers and far more than lovers. Partners in every sense of the word.”
She parked her chin on her hand. “Fascinating. There must be a hallucinogen in the tea. I thought you said we would be lovers.”
She was sure he was going to walk out at her mockery, but he simply stood, came around the table and lifted her to her feet. The kiss he planted on her lips was enough to sear her skin. The delicate nerves of her back sent shocks of pleasure through her as he pulled her to him. Her hands flattened against his chest and she leaned up into his kiss, feeling the pressure of his pointed teeth on her lower lip and sighing as his tongue flicked in to taste her.
When he finished a long and leisurely exploration of her mouth, he released her and resumed his seat and his tea.
Helen stood blinking for a moment and then slumped back into her chair. “Okay. I am beginning to believe in the possibility of matchmaking as a talent. Why did you never see me before this?” Her lips throbbed and she fought the urge to touch them. She covered with a sip of tea.
“It has never worked that way. I have never seen my own future, only those in my immediate vicinity. To call it frustrating is an understatement.”
She snickered, idly licking her lips to retain the taste of him. His pupils widened in reaction and she straightened.
“So, what can I offer the candidates? Mates?”
“If it is a concern for them. If not, you can promise them the following—a good salary which you are already aware of, uniforms tailored to their talents, adventures on dozens of worlds and the chance to use their talents to make a difference.” He reached forward, lifted her right hand and pressed a kiss to her data port. “All you have to do is bring them here, Pilot.”
She blushed and
nodded. “I will, but I want to address something. We are going to be dealing with governments who are not always happy to have talents running around. Do we really want them to know exactly who we are? I mean, I have no family out here, but if your family still lives, would you want them at risk by even raiders knowing exactly who you are?”
“I think I am understanding your point. The families may be in danger if the identity of the Guardsmen is commonly known.”
She scrubbed her face with one hand and came out with her logic. “On earth, we have a form of written entertainment that involves talents who wear unique uniforms and all have a code name for their law-enforcing activities. This keeps their identities secret and their families are less-obvious targets because no one can confirm the identities.”
He sat still for a moment. “That is a rather good idea. The Guardsmen will be in situations from acting as ambassadors for the Alliance to evacuating tadpoles on degenerating worlds. Having a concealed personal file would be an asset. With that in place, those in the Alliance who wanted to use specific Guardsmen on a regular basis would not be able to pick and choose. It will give us additional control of our people and reinforce our distinction from the Alliance staff.”
“What is our distinction precisely?”
“We will go anywhere for any reason, Nyal space, Alliance space, colonies, non-member planets and stars. As the Sector Guard develops, I hope that the bases will be able to specialize, but until that day comes, the faster we can get our Guardsmen in place, the better.”
Her mind was made up. “Where are the files?”
“In the secure data pad I have been carting around.” He removed it from the holster on his thigh and handed it to her. “It has all the Guardsmen candidates that have been confirmed as mildly interested. It will be up to you to travel to their locations and convince them to come along.”
She glanced at him for permission and when he nodded, she started to scroll through the men. “Why only men?”
“Because it is easier to send them to find their mates than to have the mates pursue them. Most of the races are still fairly traditional and it is up to them to pursue the female. Once I meet them, I will be able to select the ideal female from the candidates, or using the description I get, I will track them down.”