by 1
“So, you don’t know them all yet?”
He smiled, “I only know when I meet them. Everyone has a match out there. The sleepers find their own, all I did for Vasu was confirm it. I even saw a match for Kale, but I don’t know what to make of what I saw.”
She cocked her head. “What did you see?”
“A star hurtling toward Morganti and breaking into pieces with a figure inside. I don’t understand it and certainly have no idea what it means. I suppose it will be revealed in the fullness of time.”
Helen took a deep breath and smiled. “Pilot, reporting for duty, Commander. When do I leave on my recruitment mission?”
He chuckled. “So, you have named me?”
“I did. You will be base commander when it is up and running and as far as my future is concerned, you are giving me orders. Commander suits you to a tee.” She smiled.
“I am registering Pilot and the Class One with high-priority ambassadorial status. You can take off as soon as you are ready.”
She stood and came around the table. She pressed her hands against his shoulders and leaned in, kissing him with all of the intensity she could muster. If she was going to be coming back to a mate, he was going to miss her while she was gone.
Chapter Five
“This is the Class One, shuttle of the Sector Guard, requesting landing permission on Leharra.” Helen waited in the queue of ships slowly approaching one of the most cosmopolitan planets in the sector.
A com officer came back with a clipped, “Just a moment, Class One.”
Having a background in stellar craft kept her calm while her body had other ideas and her palms sweated. Her suit was a deeper grey today and she was praying that it didn’t show sweat.
“Class One, proceed to the Hirack lane and you have shuttle slip ninety-six. Welcome to Leharra.”
She didn’t hesitate. Her ship soared above traffic and past the heavily armed access ships that controlled the flow of folk to and from the planet. She held her breath, but they didn’t fire as she jumped the day-long queue and proceeded to the planet. High-priority credentials were definitely on her Christmas list from now on.
Her ship locked onto the beacon and she tucked the Class One into slip ninety-six without any problem. With several keystrokes, she accessed the records for temporary living quarters and sought out her target. He made her the most nervous, so she had decided to get him out of the way as her starter. It wasn’t him, precisely. It was more like his job was one she knew she couldn’t do.
Helen’s time alone in the ship had given her insight into some of the extras that they had put in and she plugged one of those extras onto her wrist, using the connection to bring up the data that she needed as she needed it.
“Directions to the quarters of Isabi Reda.” She murmured it out loud, because she was still in the ship, but once she left, she would remind herself to do it silently. The wrist unit beeped and she was on her way.
She left the ambassadorial slip and walked through the high-security fields. They chirped as she passed and she paused for security. She held her hands out as they moved to scan her body. “I am Pilot of the Sector Guard. The implants aren’t negotiable.”
She smiled and when they confirmed their readings, they bowed and walked away. Shrugging at the peculiar situation she seemed to be in, she walked down the halls and alleys of Leharra Prime. She had an idea and asked her wrist unit to locate Isabi Reda precisely, not just his quarters. She got a different destination, but it was much closer and that had to be a good thing.
Instead of a seedy bar, it was an elegant tea house and while they gave her a snobbish look at the entry way, they did send a servant to ask Isabi Reda if he would see her.
The servant was shocked when he returned. “Pilot of the Sector Guard, please come with me.”
He led her through the public spaces, her skin-tight suit causing more than a few murmurs.
When the servant slid open the door to a private room, it seemed empty. A pool of shadow rested against one corner, but the table and cushions were inviting, so she sat down. “He will be with you in a moment, Pilot.”
She smiled and waited. Her readout indicated that Isabi Reda was in the room with her and she grinned while she sat and waited for the shadow to introduce himself. Finally, she broke protocol. “Isabi Reda, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The shadows shifted and formed into a male Selna, the first that Helen had ever seen.
His skin was black velvet. The elaborate braids in his hair were capped with gold beads and the rest flowed in silky black clouds. The gold eyes and muscular physique wearing an elaborately embroidered long vest and loose trousers sashed at his waist reminded her of his primary occupation.
“Master Companion Isabi Reda, I am here to offer you the rest of your life.”
He tapped the table twice and tea rose from the centre.
“Welcome to my one hiding place, Pilot. You have a certain skill set. That is a surety. Now, what can you offer the man who can sleep with anything?”
She laughed. “I am guessing that money would not work. Adventure, well you also operate as an intelligence agent for the Alliance, so that is out.”
She pretended to consider her options while he served the tea.
“What about the ability to use your talents on a daily basis to not only engage in stealth activities but to help people? You can help those taken by raiders, enslaved against their wills. Talents banished by their own people, sentenced to death for being different from the standard.”
Isabi smiled. “You play hardball. No sweet seductions from your humble self?”
She laughed. “I am Pilot. Anything relating to my hormonal system has been shut down so I can do my job.”
“So? We could still have sex.”
Pilot sipped at her tea. “Before I left, I found my mate. I know who he is. I like him and want him to stay in my life. If you want to hump something as a condition for applying, you are out of luck.” She leaned back and crossed her arms. “In or out, Shade?”
He raised a midnight brow, “Shade?”
“We are hiding our original names for the sake of those who knew and loved us before we begin this adventure. With your career, it might help to hide you from those who have a more intent interest in you.”
He extended his hand, palm up. “I am in. What next?”
She grinned and clasped his hand in her own, ignoring the heat and softness of his skin over hard muscle. “Get your stuff. We have to continue collecting Guardsmen.”
“Come along then. You can help me carry my bags.” He rose gracefully to his feet and helped her to hers.
He was taller than she had imagined a male Selna to be. She asked him as they walked, “How is it that you came to be in the Companion-training situation?”
“I was sold to the Companions when I refused to settle down and accept a role as a stud.”
Helen snickered. “I am sorry. I am feeling irony in that situation.”
He grinned. “The Alliance has found my skills handy on occasion. My ability to be unseen in a room has garnered all sorts of interesting information over the years.”
It finally struck her why he was in the Alliance database as a candidate. He was a spy. More than simple intelligence, he could go where others could not.
They rode speed walks and she kept his impressive physique within her sight at all times. When they had covered kilometres of walks and promenades, they entered a quiet area with heavily guarded entrances.
“Welcome to an area that most women never see.”
She laughed. “A land where men do their own laundry?”
He snorted. “No. My personal quarters. I will seal them when we leave.”
Helen shrugged and offered her hand to the biometric scan at the entry to his hallway. Cleared for entry and recorded for the security logs, she walked with Isabi to his home.
His apartments were sparse. A few masculine touches but nothing obvious to h
is employment as a Companion.
He packed his bags swiftly and as he packed robes and trousers, he looked back at her. “Do you wear that all the time?”
She shrugged. “It is all I have so far. I haven’t had time to shop. I just got out of my tank this week. Walking is all that I am concerned with right now.”
He whistled. “A tanked pilot. That explains the hair. What do you say to a minor detour before we head to our next stop?”
She was suddenly nervous. “What did you have in mind?”
He grinned, a sexy, white-toothed grin. “Oh, so many things…but let’s start with a makeover.”
Chapter Six
The small detour took six hours, but when she left the groomers and salon, Helen was wearing a startling blue robe, her suit was a deep burgundy and she was wearing boots with two-inch heels. Her hair was also over eighteen inches long, courtesy of Isabi’s flirting with the hair salon staff.
She felt like a new woman, she almost felt human again. “Thanks for this, Isabi.”
He grinned. “It was my pleasure. You have the aura of a woman destined for great things, you should look like it.”
“Thank you again.” She smiled.
He gave her a considering look. “Are you sure that you don’t want to persuade me with sexual favours?”
She chuckled. “Our Commander would probably shred you into pieces if you reported anything of the sort.”
“You and he?”
“Not yet, but we are in severe negotiations.” She laughed and patted his arm.
They entered the shuttle slip, scanned in and entered the Class One. He whistled softly. “This is a nice ship.”
“Yes, she and I get along well. You can stow your bags in the cargo bay.” Helen took her own bags containing clothing and hair accessories and filed them in storage. She noticed the slither of hair across her shoulder and removed a hair clip to confine her locks out of the way.
After stowing his bags, he took the navigator’s seat. “Where to next, Pilot, and when do I get my own name?”
“I think Shade suits you rather well.”
He nodded and strapped in. “Shade. I can live with that. Where to next?”
She brought up a file on the small data pad and smiled. “How many times have you run into Kozue?”
He winked at her and loosely gripped the arms of his chair. She plugged in and checked her systems. Everything was a go. She acquired clearance from traffic control and lifted off.
Isabi lifted the data pad and started to flick through the files. “You know a lot of these men can complete the recruitment with a simple call and a mediator or a notary to witness the forms.”
She grimaced as she wove her way through the traffic until she reached open space. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
He smiled at her. “Well, with my tenure as Guardsman officially underway, I believe I can help you with that.”
With the priority registration that the Class One had, his calls were swift and to the point. He called dozens of potentials and persuaded them to sign up. When five asked about the possibility of mates and family, Helen took over. “Our Commander is the best matchmaker in the sectors. He can meet you and see the perfect woman for you instantly. Most of the Guard are being encouraged into couples, so this will not be an issue and your duties will be altered visa vie the family situation.”
Shade watched and listened, making notes. He was able to return the litany to the next man who brought up a mate.
Helen let him run the show on the recruitment front. She headed to the most likely location for the Kozue enclave and when the collection of warrior ships was sighted, they both went on the alert.
She sent a greeting pulse to the ship and when they allowed the unarmed ship to clip to an exterior dock, she exhaled slowly. The negotiations would be conducted through the hull and if the men agreed, they would use EVA suits to join the Class One.
The elders didn’t even haggle. They were glad to be rid of the powerful but unlucky twins. Kennan and Vornan were tucked into the Class One and away before the Kozue could change their minds.
Kennan sat back and shook his head in amazement. “We learned out trade at the Citadel and returned only for our brother’s wedding. How did you know we were here?”
Vornan laughed. “It was probably your socks, brother. They could smell them from across the sector and came to get us.”
Isabi laughed and introduced himself. Everything was going well until Helen got a priority message.
It rang through her thoughts. Helen, do not return to Morganti. They are trying to bring a case for disbanding the project before it gets off the ground. You need to stay out there until I can bring you in with certainty of the Sector Guard going forward.
Are you in danger, Commander?
No. They cannot do anything to me or Vasu with Kale-Gant present.
Good. Get Kale-Gant to acquire another willing planet. We have suddenly rocked into full acquisition.
Excellent. I will alert Relay and you will start on missions. They won’t be able to disband us if we can prove our worth. The worry in his tone was unmistakable.
Then we will prove our worth. Keep me posted as to your situation.
I will. I have been looking forward to reuniting with you. As a sign off, it was highly irregular, but she could feel the heat in his mind. She had been in his thoughts and he had been in hers.
As he left her mind, she sat back and watched the Kozue enclave fade in her sensors. She decided to enlighten her companions. “Gentlemen, there is a slight problem.”
Isabi was on alert. “What?”
“The same council that began to assemble the Guard is now experiencing second guessing and debating disbanding the project because there has been no progress. They debated it for years and expect progress in months.”
Kennan and Vornan scowled and they spoke as one. “That is hardly reasonable.”
She turned her seat and knew that she was a frightening site with her wires sticking out of her at odd angles. “I agree. Commander has urged us to connect with a dispatcher and to use our talents to prove the use of an entity such as the Sector Guard. Are you willing to assist me on this?”
The men around her looked at each other with speculative gazes before they all grinned. “What the hell?”
That was all the confirmation she needed. She rotated her seat forward and grinned. She used the code embedded in the communication with Commander and set up a link. This is Pilot of the Sector Guard. I am requesting a mission.
The other end of the link paused before a female voice answered her. You have a planetary distress call on Shizzi. Raider attacks.
Fabulous. We are on our way.
Shall I dispatch any travelling Guardsmen?
Oh. Please. Thank you. May I get your name?
A low chuckle sounded in her mind. Call me Relay and call me any time.
Thank you.
No, thank you. This is the beginning of something special, so let’s make it happen.
I love that attitude. She looked around the masculine contingent in her ship who were getting along just fine. It seems to be contagious.
The best ideas always are. Now. Go get ‘em. I have sent you the coordinates and one long jump should take you there.
I look forward to speaking with you again, Relay.
Give ‘em hell, Pilot.
Grinning, Helen turned to her passengers. She went to full power and showed her teeth. “Prepare to jump. We have a raider fight on the other end of this ride.”
They howled with a strange battle cry and Isabi was right along with the Kozue.
Helen hit the jump and in a twisted second, they were on their way to their first fight.
Chapter Seven
The site of smoking buildings and raiders stalking the streets for survivors enraged her. Helen was not the only one affected.
A growl behind her asked, “How close can you get us?” Kennan said what she was thinking.
Confirming that the street was strictly full of hostiles, she skimmed inches above the ground, running over and knocking down everything in her path.
The Class One came to rest on a slightly raised platform outside the city hall. “Close enough?”
Her grin was savage as she rotated to face her crew, but they were out the door and going on the attack.
Smaller shuttles hovered nearby and disgorged men who flew, some with weapons and some without. The Guards were here and they seemed eager to get to work.
She sent a signal to the woman who had sent them here. Relay, we have arrived and wow, these guys mean business.
The raiders? Yeah, they can be vicious.
No, the Guardsmen. They are destroying the raider forces and a few are healing the injured townspeople. It is something to watch. She was doing most of her watching through her instruments, but it was still impressive.
Shade was surprisingly deadly, but he was also effective at releasing confined citizens and getting them to safety.
When two raiders snuck up on the Class One, Helen put Relay on hold.
She reached casually under her control panel and withdrew her stunner. As the booted feet entered her shuttle, she turned slowly in her chair and simply shot them without saying a word. Shade popped his head in and she waved at him.
He dragged the unconscious raiders out into the street and added them to the growing pile of the dead and knocked out. She smiled and saluted him as she returned to her conversation.
What was that, Pilot?
A small incursion into my shuttle. We need armour and uniforms. We look very patchy right now.