by Viola Grace
“It is pretty.”
“Do you want to take off your mask?” Caffexi cocked her head.
“It is my skin. It is a recessive Hirn gene that makes me appear to be wearing a mask.” Wia lifted her hair and pinned it up in a loose mass that highlighted the slender aspect of her neck. “Have you ever thought of bringing in some more aggressive species as guards for your people?”
Caffexi shrugged. “I suppose I should consider it. Their population cannot keep replacing what is lost to those who simply wander off rocks. They are not a bright people, but they are goodhearted.”
“That counts for a lot, but I have seen the records of many goodhearted species that are no longer with us. I would suggest you talk to the Alliance about getting some farmer species in and settling them on the other side of the planet.”
“I will take it under advisement. For now, I believe that that young man is trying to get your attention.” Caffexi pointed out the shop window.
“How much do I owe you for the clothing?” She reached into her bodice for her credit chip.
“Nothing. You got us all safe and you took me flying. It has been years since I have flown. Caludi is not up to the strains of being my Avatar anymore, but I cannot bear to give her up.”
Wia kissed the lizard woman on her leathery cheek. “You will know when it is time. Thank you for the clothing.”
Wia left the planetary Avatar and took flight. The clothing was a little drafty at the shoulder, but it fit very well no matter what position she was in.
She made it to Comet’s side. “So, what now?”
He looked her up and down, a strained expression came over his features. “Where did you get that?”
“My robes burned away in the fight, so Caffexi found me something to wear. Why? I thought it looked good.”
He swallowed heavily. “It does, very good.”
The shuttle appeared at their side, hatch open. Comet offered the first entry to her, and she took it, settling on her new boots as she walked toward the sealed area.
Comet was at her side, and she felt the warmth of his hand through her tightly wrapped bodice. Before she could change her mind, she turned and leaned up to press a kiss against his lips.
He was so surprised that he didn’t react in time, and she pulled away to walk to her seat the instant that the barrier dropped. She settled in her seat, crossed her legs and smiled at the pilot. “Hello, Stealth. I believe it will be the Lowel construction site for me, the Udell base for Comet.”
Stealth grinned. “As my lady commands.” He keyed in the coordinates, and seconds later, they were on their way through the Caffexi atmosphere, back to the safe and comfortable vacuum of space.
Chapter Six
Wiali looked around the quarters prepared for her, and her heart ached. “You took it all from storage?”
“It was never in storage. It went directly from Halash to Udell, and from there to here. These articles are yours, they are not meant for a museum.” Braenar had left the shuttle with her and was showing her around the home that was being built up around her.
The kitchen was filled with pots and pans she recognised. She had eaten her first foods on the plates and learned how to use the utensils in the drawer.
She examined the frozen food unit and found it stocked with some of her favourites, as well as ingredients for months of meals.
There was an office with a com unit, bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. It was everything she needed to complete her research and finish her dissertation on the logic of trapdoors and hiding holes in modern society. Sure, it was a fluff piece, but she enjoyed doing the research.
It was the same bed she had slept in since she was a child. Her mother had made the bed curtains and Danyer had carved it with the celestial location of Suek. All three of her parents were represented in her bedroom, and if that was not a statement to encourage celibacy, she didn’t know what was.
“It feels like home already and that is a frightening thing.” She chuckled and went to the cooler. Packets of juice and two of wine were chilling in the unit.
“I am glad.” He sat at one of the stools at the kitchen counter and smiled.
“Would you like something to drink?”
He nodded, so she poured him a glass of wine.
She had her own glass, hand blown by Exitar in the capitol of Halash. The wine was sweet, familiar and tasted like a summer wind back home, full of earth, fruit and the sun. Wia sighed. “This is lovely.”
Braenar inclined his head. “It is from my family’s vineyard. I was born on Dekkaliash, and we made the best wine for nine systems. My parents still do, as do my brothers and sisters.”
Wia blinked. “I never thought that you had family. I mean, you mentioned it, but the idea is rather foreign to me. How much family?”
“Two parents, three brothers and four sisters. Four grandparents and about seventy cousins.”
Wiali sat with her mouth open. “That’s a lot.”
He chuckled and swirled the wine in his glass. “It really is. I still try to get back once a year now that I am no longer bound.”
“To Suek, you mean?”
“Suek, the Nyal empire, the Alliance. In the Sector Guard, we are outside all of them. We have to be or we cannot do our jobs.”
She sipped again and enjoyed the warmth spilling through her. “Why did you come here with me?”
“I wanted to make sure that you were comfortable. Care for you is embedded in my mind.”
She sighed. “Oh, right. Suek’s imprinting on you. I forgot.” She was relieved and disappointed at the same time.
He put his wine glass down and got to his feet, walking around the counter to pin her back against it.
As she watched, horns sprouted from his head and he leaned in to kiss her, whispering, “It goes far beyond the imprinting, Wiali.”
She leaned up, and her own short horns came out as they kissed. They were two genetic throwbacks recognising each other for what they were, perfect.
Wia reached behind his neck and pressed her body against his, finally recognising the scent that drove other females crazy. A male Hirn had his choice of females, and this one was choosing her.
A chirp at his neck broke their kiss. He sighed and his horns retracted. Braenar’s lips were swollen slightly, and he licked them before he pressed a minute button on his collar. “This is Comet.”
A man’s voice came through the com. “Comet, I would like you and your friend to join us here for a briefing.”
Braenar winced. “Your timing is unfortunate, Guardian.”
“Lives are at stake, Comet. My timing can be discussed another day. We will be waiting.”
The com went silent.
Wia ran her hands down her clothing and over her heated skin. “Saved by the deadly serious matter at hand.”
“Saved for later. This is not over, Wiali.” He leaned in and kissed her again, softly taking her lower lip between his for a moment before he released her. “Well, I now get to show you the zip shuttle.”
She frowned, “The what now?”
“It is better seen than explained.” He took her hand and walked her down the empty corridor. “You have guest quarters here for anyone who chooses to visit you, your friend Tally for example.”
“Tally is happy at Aria. I am fairly sure that she will remain there.”
“You have made other friends in the last decade, I am sure.” He pressed his palm to a plate and sensors in the floor executed a full body scan.
“Why the heavy security?”
“The zip shuttle is a very new tech. One of the recent rescues from the Raiders has the ability to synthesize a connection between two planetary bodies.”
“Like the Admaryn underhill system.”
“Yes, only through space. You get in here, and within fifteen seconds, you are there, the same for the return trip. There is a subspace tunnel, and it runs between Udell and Lowel.”
The door opened, revealing a
small room with a four-seat pod.
“I believe the term shuttle is over stating it.”
“The pod aspect is only there to keep us in a breathable atmosphere until help can be sent in case the zip fails.”
Wia snorted. “Like that would injure us.”
Braenar helped her into one of the seats. “As Citadel Lowel grows, we will not be the only ones using this method of transit to and from the base.”
“So, we are the test subjects?”
He grinned and settled himself in the seat next to her. “Something like that. You only need to hit the button, and we will be landing on Udell.”
She shrugged and slapped the button. “Here we go.”
The pod sealed, a low hum started and five seconds later, they were whizzing through subspace.
In twenty heartbeats, they were in another chamber in a different place. The pod unsealed and Braenar exhaled.
Wia laughed. “You were holding your breath?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t born as a stellar Avatar. I lived most of my early life expecting to have a family and grow old. Holding my breath is the old me telling me that it is still inside.”
“I envy you. I grew up with it, and I sometimes wish that things had been simpler, that my reflexes had been the same as the other children on Halash. I wanted desperately to be the same, but when it came down to it, my parents were extraordinary, so how could I be anything but what I am?”
She blinked at the rush of words and the truth of them. It was a series of things that she had thought but never expressed before. The truth was freeing.
He helped her out of the pod and escorted her to a situation room in the heart of Udell base.
Faces turned to her, and a man with silver skin and head ridges smiled. “Good, you made it. Instructor Wiali, thank you for coming.”
She smiled politely and took the seat that Braenar held out for her. “I did not know I had a choice.”
Chapter Seven
Guardian, the silver male, cleared his throat. “Ah, that. I am sorry, I should have requested your help directly but you were not answering your com.”
“We were in the kitchen. There is no com link in there.” She shrugged.
Guardian fidgeted, and the pale woman next to him cleared her throat. “Oh, right. Sorry. Well, we have had a request from Teklan base. They need an archaeological specialist, and since you are on our adjunct roster, I have decided to call on you.”
She was curious. “Why couldn’t Finder help?”
Guardian touched a data pad, and a rotating image hovered over the table. “The Jeskulan were some of the greatest puzzle builders of all time, but they didn’t want to have their secrets simply found. They have a psi block on their great temple.”
“Why the rush? Why not send in a team?” Wia was looking at the temple and smiling at the intricacies of the carvings.
“There is a world-building event occurring in nine days. We have no opportunity to get a full team in there or delay the event unless we can prove value of the find. We need you to do that.” The woman next to Guardian spoke.
Wia inclined her head. “It will not be easy, and I will need a work suit. This clothing is fine for flying, but it won’t take a day at a dig.”
One of the other ladies spoke, her uniform was stylish, and she had a cheerful gleam in her eye. “I can help you with that. When the meeting is done, come with me and I will get you sorted.”
Guardian winced. “Where are my manners? Instructor Wiali, this is my wife Pax, Avatar Nich of Udell and his wife Stellar Storm, Rupture and his wife Phase. As you become more familiar with us, we will give you our birth names.”
She chuckled. “Take your time, Martuas. I am sure that you, Fenn, Kahlia, Nich-Udell, Andra and your lovely wife Tricia will come to know me in time.”
Wia stood and looked at Kahlia. “Can we sort out the clothing, and then, I will return to the meeting? Feel free to talk about me while I am gone. I really don’t mind.”
Snickering, Kahlia got to her feet, and with a flourish, directed Wiali down the hall. “How did you know all our names?”
“I was hooked into the Alliance Archive for years. I still have access, and frankly, the use of retired Avatars in the Sector Guard fascinated me enough to keep my attention on what they were doing and who was doing it.”
Kahlia brought her to a workshop where dozens of blank suits were hanging on the walls. “Hmm. I think…this one.”
Black, silver and purple swirled and twisted across the suit and it was definitely built for a female.
“I can just change here?”
Kahlia folded back a panel. “There is a dressing room right here.”
Wiali took the suit and proceeded to change from her dress to the skin-tight bodysuit. The fit was very close, and as she twisted, she asked, “Kahlia, will this suit withstand radiation?”
“Yes. It is programmed Masuo. This is the default pattern. As you gain control over it, you will be able to shift it into anything you wish. It will bond to you the first time you send power through it, and its sleeping mode will either be your preferred night-time wear or it will slink down into a band on your ankle.”
“Nice. The Masuo on Halash were only good for footwear.”
“The Udell Masuo are a very hardy plant. Most of the Guards are wearing them.”
Wiali exited the changing area, her hair still up. “How does it look?”
Kahlia grinned. “Pulse some power through it.”
Mindful of her audience, Wiali shifted a slight UV glow through the suit, and it immediately snugged to her in all the places that had not quite fit before. “That feels better.”
Kahlia smiled, “Your eyes changed colour for a moment. Is that normal?”
“Yes. My father’s power burns purple. When I use it, my eyes change.” She twisted her lips and looked down at her body. “It looks good. Well done, Kahlia…or do you prefer Phase?”
“Kahlia is fine, as long as we are not on the job.”
“Oh. That is right. You have family back home and a designing empire under your name.” Wia thought about boots and the plain feet of her suit shifted into purple swirls with knee-high boots.
“Well, I am sorted. Shall we return to the meeting?” She touched the high collar and noted the small nodules on it. Based on what happened during the kiss, at least one of the small, decorative studs was a com unit.
“Do you think they are still waiting for us?” Kahlia fussed and smoothed the fabric on her back.
“Yes, I believe that they are. I need more information on what I am looking for, what would constitute a large enough find to delay the reforming of the planet.”
As they walked, Wia worked on forming the boots into something comfortable. She settled for a wedge-heeled boot that came up just past her knees.
“Where did you get those other clothes?”
“The planet of Caffexi. They were a gift to replace the burned robes that were damaged in the attacks.”
“How is your mask affixed?”
“Pigment in my skin. My father had the same markings.” She shrugged and kept walking.
The group was exactly as they had left them, but now, there were snacks on the table.
Braenar got to his feet and held her chair out for her, prompting Fenn do to the same for Kahlia.
“So, where are the files on the Jeskulan? I want to learn what I can before I try to figure out what their ancients would have done.”
Guardian flicked his fingers and the basic files flowed in front of her face.
“Not a lot on them are there.” She frowned.
“They were a dead race before the Alliance found them. What we have has been pieced together from a number of light forays onto their worlds.”
She hummed, and they spoke quietly with each other while she read the files. “Got it. I will need a copy of these files to take with me, but I have an idea of the moral and religious base of the Jeskulan.”
Guardian frown
ed. “That easy?”
She chuckled. “This is not a talent, it is years of study. Most species evolve their societies along predictable guidelines. Once you look at where they ended, you can usually locate the point at which they began, or at least the point at which they built the most structures.”
“How soon can you leave?”
She shrugged. “Get me some rations and shove me out the door. I am ready to travel.”
Guardian smiled. “Excellent. Phase and Rupture will travel with you. Not all of the bio-forming team are enthused by the investigation. There is money at stake, and whenever credits are involved, folks lose their objectivity.”
Wia nodded. “Greed is a harsh motivator.”
Braenar got to his feet. “The shuttle is waiting.” He turned to Rupture, “Shall we meet you there?”
Rupture nodded. “We will gather the supplies and the recording kits.”
Braenar offered Wia his arm, and he escorted her down the corridor and to the shuttle where they would travel to the surface of a dead world. The history of Jeskulan may be lost, but a piece of it may still be revived if they could beat the bio-forming team to the site.
Chapter Eight
The flight was short. One jump and five hours of full power saw Rupture approaching Jeskulan.
Phase scowled as she noted ships in orbit. “Uh-oh.”
The hail came through the com a second later. “Sector Guard vessel, turn around. This world is ready for bio-forming, and you are not authorized to step on its surface.”
Wiali got to her feet and whispered in Phase’s ear. Phase spoke quietly to Rupture, and he nodded.
Wiali took Braenar by the hand to the back of the ship, and when she tapped on the exit button, the rear hatch opened, sucking them into the blackness.
Wiali turned and kept herself limp as they fell away from the shuttle. When they were clear of the ships blocking access to the planet, she and Comet glided into the atmosphere.
The location was etched in her thoughts, so she directed them to the city that held the most promise. Three abandoned cities were passed until she saw the city that matched the images. Her com beeped. “Instructor, are you down?”