by Viola Grace
“Class dismissed.”
The students nodded. There had only been five minutes left in the class anyway.
The Readers slipped their grey gloves on and filed past her visitor.
When the doorway was clear, Braenar entered the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
She wasn’t sure what he was up to, but she knew he was determined to have her as an active participant.
Chapter Three
“What can I do for you, Braenar?” She gathered her data files and image generator.
“You are being reassigned by the Citadel to a new outpost they are creating in conjunction with the Sector Guard Base Udell.” He sat at the edge of her desk and crossed his arms over his impressive chest.
“Really? I thought I was an asset to Citadel Aria,” She quirked her lips as she loaded her bag.
“You are. The negotiations for your services have been intense, and they just culminated after six months. The moment I got the all clear, I grabbed a shuttle and headed here to collect you.”
Wia gave him a look. “Collect me? I am not part of a collection. I am one of a kind.”
Braenar grinned. “I would agree. This is why I pitched you as a likely addition to the new Citadel at Lowel.”
Wia leaned on the desk next to him. “Lowel hasn’t been completed yet, and it is not habitable to the majority of species.”
“There are quarters designed for you that have already been completed in the central hub.” He smiled and chuckled softly. “Add that to your physical resilience, and the Lowel Citadel is the perfect place for you to complete your dissertation.”
She gave him a sidelong look. “How do you know about that?”
“When Suek was with us, studying your status on a daily basis was required. It was a habit that I was not eager to break when he left.”
That confession surprised her. “Why?”
“You are a fascinating creature. One of a kind, as you stated. Did you really have the entire Archive running through your mind for fifteen hundred years?” Braenar’s tone was warm.
“I did. It was especially rough as my physical development was restricted by the stasis generator.”
The chime told her that it was time to exit the classroom. “We need to take this conversation out of here. There is a pyro class in here next, and they tend to be a little sloppy.”
Wia slipped her bag over her shoulder and walked to the exit with her companion following her. It was strange that the reason for her familiarity was gone, but she still felt that she knew him better than any man she had ever met before.
“The commissary is fairly open at this time of day. We can get something to drink and take a seat in the gardens.” Wia looked out the wall of windows and smiled.
“It sounds like a good idea.”
Tally waved at her and came over. “Wiali, who is this handsome creature next to you?”
Wia blinked and fought the urge to step between them. “Tally, this is Braenar, the ex-Avatar of Suek. Braenar, this is my roommate, Tally.”
Tally extended her hand, and Braenar took it politely. “A pleasure to meet you, Tally.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Braenar. Tell me, do they have to paint that suit on, or do they stitch it in place?” Tally went from curious to predatory in an instant, her eyes flared red and her nails extended.
“Before you get your fangs out, aren’t you late for class again?” Wia raised her eyebrow and snickered as Tally shifted back to normal and disappeared with a wave of farewell.
“Wow. She is very intense.” Braenar tucked her hand around his arm, giving the impression that they were a couple. “This is for my safety.”
She laughed out loud at the idea that he needed her assistance in keeping him safe. When she sobered, she realised that most of the women in the room had turned to watch Braenar with a strange intensity.
“Why are you attracting all this attention?”
“You are bad for a man’s ego.” He smiled as they walked to the beverage station.
“No, seriously. Every woman in here and some of the men are staring at you like you are consumable. What is up with that?”
“It is a side effect of my genetics. I am sexually available right now and therefore exuding a pheromone that attracts possible mates. When I was working with the star, he kept the reaction subdued.”
“Really? That was part of your arrangement with my father?” She took a cup of tea and some small biscuits, placing them on a tray that was suddenly carrying another cup before it was tugged out of her hands.
“Part of it, yes. You know that he chose me for you, right?”
She shrugged and led the way into the garden. The tables were set in surrounds of hedges, allowing a separation and illusion of privacy. She selected a private location and took a seat, settling her instructor robes around her.
“I am aware that it was his intention. He was fixated on my not being alone.” She picked up her tea and blew on it for a moment before she pulled heat from it with her fingertip and flicked it onto the stones next to her boots.
He grinned and did the same. “I was wondering how you were working your talents into everyday life.”
“Not a talent, a birthright.” She smiled and drank her perfectly cooled tea.
“Ah, yes, I keep forgetting you are a complete master of your power. So, why don’t you use that power for good rather than simply instructing Readers in how not to stumble into traps.”
She leaned back. “I am listening.”
“You have tremendous power and enough control to remove heat from a cup of tea without freezing everything around you. That is excellent for anyone who has never served as Avatar, and since most Avatars die with their stars and planets, someone with your skills is in high demand.”
“Where?”
“Right now, a planet is facing an attack from a violent neighbour who intends to expunge every living being on the surface. You could not only help those who are fleeing from the attacks but stop the ships in their tracks if you wished to.”
Guilt rose in her. “Is this situation really happening right now?”
Braenar nodded. “Does it change your opinion of being traded from one Citadel to another?”
She frowned. “Are you saying all this just to get me to agree?”
“The deal is done whether you agree or not. The only thing I am after is some enthusiasm.” Braenar ate one of her biscuits and smiled.
She sighed and grabbed for one herself, munching with resignation. “When do we leave?”
He arched a dark brow over his ice-blue eyes. “How fast can you pack?”
Chapter Four
“We could just fly there directly.” She drummed her fingers on the edge of her chair.
“Not at the speed we travel. We need to run through three jump sites before we get where we need to be.”
Wiali scowled. “I hate flying in shuttles. It’s so confining, and I have had enough confinement for an infinity of lifetimes.”
Braenar nodded and their pilot ignored her. He continued his flight with the band on his forehead, allowing him to interface with the ship.
Braenar took a different tactic. “Were you conscious in the stasis chamber?”
She twisted her lips. “Yes and no. The logic centre of my brain was active but my emotions and exterior awareness were asleep. The moment that I woke, I started crying and I didn’t stop for a week.”
“Your parents.”
“The grief was very fresh. I also mourned for the loss of Halash, because it had been made clear to me that Sovalli was not going to be there to keep the world alive. I am surprised that as much survived as did. Oh, that reminds me, did you plant that mirror in the testing room?”
Braenar shrugged. “It seemed a good way to get your attention. The mirror is a very powerful artifact. Happy Wia’s Day, by the way.”
She looked at him and snorted. “Thank you. Happy Wia’s Day to you too.”
“Do you know w
hy it was Wia’s Day?”
Wiali looked at him. “It was named after me.”
“Close. It was actually named after the name that Suek picked for you. Danyer and Wiska waited a whole week before Suek figured out a name that he thought was suitable for you. When he named you, it was official, and the day was marked to celebrate Suek getting a child of his own.”
“Who told you this?”
“Suek said he had kept things from you to make your transition easier. Danyer was nearing the end of his life, and a wife and child were his dying wish.” Braenar smiled as they went through the second of the jumps.
“I knew that. My mother explained it all to me as Danyer failed and Sovalli waited to take over.”
Braenar took her hand. “Suek always regretted you losing both your parents at once. Wiska had bonded more completely than he could have imagined. He was never very good at the relationships of the walking world.”
She chuckled and rubbed her forehead. “That is an understatement, but he did love us all, in his way.”
He rubbed his thumb along her palm, and Wiali shivered. She couldn’t think of another thing to say. Instead, she enjoyed the warmth of the small touch as they entered and exited their third jump.
“We are using concealing tech. Don’t make any noises.” Braenar’s whisper in her ear sent another shiver through her.
They silently glided through an armada of ships, all aiming at the innocent-looking planet below.
The pilot’s hands and his halo glowed as he took them through the hovering ships and into the atmosphere of the planet below.
When they began entry of the atmosphere, Wia could tell it was safe to speak by the evasive pattern the pilot was laying down.
“Stealth tech my ass. He is the tech, well…the talent.” She figured it out and held on to the edge of her seat.
Braenar shrugged. “Stealth is his name. I didn’t want to distract you from focussing on me.”
“Be jealous later. What planet are we on?”
“Caffexi. They are fibre traders of the highest order. Nefgar are surrounding the planet. They have decided that they are entitled to colonize any weaker worlds.”
Wia shifted her robes and grinned. “What do you want to do, take the air or the ground?”
“I will watch the skies, you can help the locals hide from the incoming ships. Udell is sending backup, but we will be first on the scene, and their survival rests with us.”
“What is the atmosphere?”
“Thick, but you can manage it.” Braenar grinned. “When we are out there, call me Comet.”
“Fine, but it doesn’t make you more attractive.”
“No, but it keeps my parents safe.” He got out of his seat. “Thank you, Stealth. We will jump from here.”
They got out of their seats and walked to the back of the shuttle. A screen crackled between them and their pilot.
“What is that for?”
“He can’t breathe the atmosphere. He will park the ship and put on a protective suit.”
They walked to the back of the ship, and the hatch opened at their approach. With a cry of joy, Wia jumped from the shuttle and took flight in the alien atmosphere.
It wasn’t hard to find the locals. They were in the city square staring up at the sky. Wia landed neatly next to a large statue, and she bowed low. In Alliance Common, she spoke slowly and clearly. “Hello. I am here to help.”
The crowd of scaled beings broke into applause.
She waited for the sound to cease and asked. “Is there somewhere you can go to hide? We cannot be on the surface when the attack begins.”
They looked confused. An older female walked forward, her tail swishing. “I thought you were here to save us.”
“I cannot save you if you do not work to save yourselves. The position of this city indicates that you have been attacked before and your folk fled to the mountains. We need to evacuate and get you somewhere safe before the Nefgar arrive and start blowing holes in your city. Stone can be rebuilt, a body…not so much.”
The matriarch nodded. “Understood. We will begin making our way to the mountains.”
“Take only what you have on your backs. We need to move fast, folks. The space around your planet is swarming with attackers. They may start firing at any moment.”
The Caffexi nodded and started walking at a brisk pace. When the city was empty of its ten thousand inhabitants and the thick column of them were making their way into the mountains, Wia did a fly over and looked down the path they were taking for a likely hiding place.
The carved-stone archway was glaringly obvious. Wia landed and walked through the archway. The cave was far too small to hold ten thousand, so Wia started looking for an extension.
UV light was her method of search, and it showed a marked series of impressions on one particular stone on the wall. Wia leaned on the stone and a wall separated, giving her a blast of fresh air with the humidity of water in it.
She lifted off her feet and flew down the path to the water. A huge, arched cavern lined with lichen of varying hues greeted her. This is where the ancient Caffexi hid during attacks.
She flew back to the hidden door and noted that it had closed behind her. A little more UV generated and she was able to open it with pressure on another rock.
Wia walked out of the cave, and she met the first of the Caffexi on their incoming march. “You know how to get into the lower cave?”
The older woman flicked her tongue nervously. “What older cave? We merely take turns hiding here for safety. The others remain outside.”
“Matriarch, may I carry you?”
The woman blinked. “Um, yes?”
Wia lifted the woman in her arms and flew rapidly to the cave wall. She showed her where to press and the release on the inner cavern wall. “You can all fit easily. Do you eat lichen?”
“Whenever we can.”
“You will love the lower cavern then, fresh water for all of you and enough lichen to feed the city for several weeks.”
The matriarch blinked and bobbed her head. “Thank you, stranger. We are not an aggressive people, and it has been our downfall more than once. I will make sure that they all get below.”
A thunderous noise from outside the cave began, and Wia floated up off the floor again. “I will keep them from you until your people get down below.”
The matriarch bowed. “Thank you again. May you be safe and secure.”
Wia smiled at the passive blessing. “May you be safe and secure.”
She left the cave and looked for the source of the sound. The first of the marchers had arrived at the entryway and were making their way inside. There was still a kilometre of walkers behind the first, and she was going to take care of them.
Chapter Five
The first incoming ship was in battle with Comet. The second had slipped right past him. Wia grinned and flew upward with her hands gathering power from the nearest star.
She held both hands in front of her and blasted a column of energy through the ship. Their guns and lights stuttered and went dark, sending them to the surface of Caffexi in a spiralling crash.
Wia chuckled. She just loved the power of binary-star systems. With one target down, she waited for the next ship to get into her protective radius.
The two suns set, and she fought with starlight as the Nefgar kept coming. The ground was littered with shattered ships, and they continued to launch one after another.
The moment that the Sector Guard arrived, Wia breathed a sigh of relief. The radiation she was slinging had rendered her barely decent, and her tattered robes were hanging on by threads.
Ships, battle armour and the distinct taste of celestial energy filled the air. Wia settled back to the ground outside the cave and waited for the professionals to do their jobs.
Wia looked up and sharpened her gaze. It was not simply the Sector Guard, there were two Alliance warships sending the Nefgar running for it. They were determined buggers. She had
to give them that.
A footstep behind her told her that she was not alone. “You did well, child.”
She turned, and the face of the matriarch was near her own. The eyes had shifted colour from gold to swirling green.
“Caffexi?”
“Indeed, pleased to be speaking directly to you. My children are not very bright, but they are talented. They had no idea that there was a hidden cavern behind that wall. They haven’t had to escape in this generation.” The planet smiled from within its Avatar. “You are the star born, are you not?”
She chuckled. “Not the only one. There is a member of the Sector Guard who is both child of two Avatars and an Avatar in her own right.”
“You are the only one born of a stellar Avatar and mortal woman, surviving after your parent has burned his last. Suek was great, a truly great mind.”
Wia nodded. “I would agree.”
“It is a shame his daughter is wearing rags.”
“Burns from the fight. They were intact when I arrived here.” She chuckled at the disdain in the old woman’s face.
“My people have given me an appreciation for a certain aesthetic.”
Wia stretched. “Well, this will have to do until I get back to a base with uniforms or until I find the ship that brought me here and I go through my luggage.”
“Come with me.” Caffexi took her hand with one scaled hand and led her down the path and into the city with the dregs of the attack swirling above them.
The clothing shop was dim, but it lit the moment that Caffexi waved a hand. The lizard woman began to hum and shop, pulling clothing off racks and out of drawers.
“Our clothing is resistant to radiation, so it should be far more suitable than your robes.”
Wia surrendered to the Avatar and allowed herself to be dressed in layers of blue, gold and dark lavender. Boots, stockings, briefs and a lace-up dress made her feel far prettier than she had since she was six and her father had brought her a Stiaki dancer’s skirt. She had twirled for days.