He would give this Earthling leader one last detail to mull. “The Monsuda have every intention of colonizing your world. That is the reason for the portals. Most of the tools they’ve given you are several decades old, tools they can overcome should you turn against them. That’s because they wish to conquer you themselves.”
Velia added, “Except for the DIE, which appears to be a recent configuration. The missing components to it? They’re part of an operational web that is meant to tie it into other ships, linking them together under a single command structure.”
The general kept his gaze steady on Jape. “That makes no sense. It’s taken us three years to build the one ship.”
“I’ve seen the blueprints, General. I wouldn’t be surprised if every other country’s military isn’t building the same exact vessel. Once they’re tied together, they’d be unstoppable, and they’ll be used against us.” Velia’s lower lip trembled, a sign of her worry. “Unless all countries band with each other and the Risnarish, we may not be able to stop the Monsuda. One year, nine months, twenty-three days. That’s when they’re coming for Earth.”
General Thomas finally broke his stare on Jape. He regarded Velia for several seconds. A muscle jumped in his jaw. At last, he said, “Your father didn’t like our friends either. He kept warning me they had an ulterior motive.”
“He was right. I found Captain Hunt in a stasis chamber, imprisoned by the Monsuda. I saw him myself. They experimented on him. They broke him.”
“He shouldn’t have supported your father’s attempts to pull us out of the deal with the aliens.”
Jape went still. Velia’s eyes widened. “You knew he’d been captured?”
“He gave them no choice. Neither of them did. The Monsuda cannot be stopped, even if we did join with the other countries. They are far too powerful.” A tremor ran through the general’s frame, and in an instant, his strength faded. He turned old and brittle before Jape’s eyes. “A deal has been struck. Some of our people will be saved. The aliens promised me. My family. My granddaughter. All the children of Earth. I have their word that they will be spared, if we do our part and don’t stand in the way.”
As Velia’s face drained of all color, Jape kept quiet, pretending not to follow the gist of the conversation. But as he faked ignorance, he gauged his distance from Velia and the collection pod, the space between them and the soldiers aligned around them.
He wondered what the soldiers thought of these epiphanies. Their expressions remained impassive, though several darted glances at each other. They might have their doubts, but the men and women would do their duty, demonstrating the same loyalty to their leader that had once driven Velia. Jape would have to move fast when the moment came.
Velia’s voice shook with rage, not fear, as she asked, “How did my father die? Did you kill him?”
An aggrieved expression fell over General Thomas’s face. “Your father was prepared to go to the wrong people and talk about the Monsuda. However, I didn’t do a thing to him.”
“I refuse to believe he conveniently died of a heart attack.”
“He didn’t. It was the Monsuda.” The general dared to look comforting. “It was quick and painless, Velia. Your father didn’t suffer.”
Jape had heard plenty. There was no worthy ally to be had in this man. He was ruled by fear, the kind of fear that destroyed the innocent along with the guilty.
It was time to go. But as Jape reached for Velia to rush her into the pod, Thomas glared at him. “Take them both into custody, Corporal Hudson.”
Velia cried out, “You heard him admit to working with aliens that will destroy Earth! Hudson, no!”
For the barest instant, Hudson and the other soldiers hesitated, confusion rippling through the group. Jape didn’t wait for them to react with the mindless devotion that usurped their humanity. He grabbed Velia. They dashed for the pod’s open hatch, his body armoring.
He didn’t harden his skin fast enough. A loud blatting sound echoed in the chamber as horrific pain struck him in the back, propelling him forward. Velia glanced at him.
“Jape? Are you hurt?”
He shoved her toward the pod. “Get in the ship! Hurry!”
She ran ahead of him, unaware that his strength flagged as agony filled his body. Meanwhile, the soldiers were trying to reposition as Thomas shouted, “Don’t hit the portal or the ship! Don’t damage it!”
Jape stumbled in Velia’s wake. The soldiers were converging on him, regarding Jape as the bigger threat. All but ignored, Velia flew up the ramp and into the ship, racing toward the computer podium in the center.
She can escape. But he feared she wouldn’t leave him.
The control podium. There was one within the collection pod, and another outside it, only feet from Jape. He veered toward his new objective. He forced his weakening body to run at Hudson, who didn’t mark the change in direction. The Earthling was too busy trying to get between Jape and the pod.
He grabbed Hudson, whose instinct was to keep his weapon out of Jape’s grasp. Jape had no idea how to use the piece anyway. He wanted Hudson himself, yanking him close to shield his body. Armored or not, he couldn’t withstand the Earthlings’ weapons at such a point-blank range.
He already felt as if he was dying. The pain was brutal, weakening him.
He hung on grimly, pulled the struggling, yelling Hudson with him to the podium as Velia’s voice rang out from deep within the pod. “Jape? Jape?”
The thud of footfalls within the ship told Jape all he needed to know. Velia was away from the internal mechanism. He had a chance to save her.
“Stop them!” General Thomas shouted as Jape pounded the key to close the hatch. It slid shut, cutting off Velia’s scream.
“Jape! Jape! No!”
It sealed shut. The soldiers were nearly on him, yelling with fierce faces.
“Don’t damage the computer! Tackle him!”
As the general’s increasingly desperate demands confused his soldiers into hesitation, Jape checked the readout coordinates to verify they flashed a return to the pod’s point of origin. He slammed the button that lit the portal with golden fire. The pod lifted off its berth.
A few of the soldiers swung instinctively in that direction, their weapons coming up. Thomas’s terrified scream froze them. “Don’t fire! Don’t fire! Forget the ship! Grab the alien!”
The thunderous crack of the pod’s departure sent them all cringing. For Jape, it was a relief.
Velia was on her way to Risnar. She couldn’t be harmed by the Earthlings. It was good enough for Jape.
He flung Hudson aside. Before the rest got to him, he collapsed to the ground, wishing that if death didn’t want him, if the soldiers wouldn’t shoot him, at least unconsciousness might take pity and remove him from the pain.
* * *
Velia screamed in frustration, pounding at the pod controls. Even as she raged, the engineering portion of her mind applauded the Monsuda’s foresight in making sure that no directional change commands could be inputted once the ship was en route to its destination. The portal passage was a violent place, demanding the most careful calculations to use safely.
That appreciation vanished under a wave of furious despair. She’d been positive Jape had been shot from behind, but she’d believed he’d armored in time to keep the damage minimal. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe he’d been hurt badly, and that was why he’d sacrificed himself to get her out of Camp Noname. It was the only explanation that made sense.
They’ve got him, and he’s been shot. How bad is he hurt? What will General Thomas do to him?
She screamed again, a wordless cry of anguish.
The moment the pod docked and the hatch opened, Velia flung herself out. She raced down the ramp and grabbed the startled Arga, ignoring the chorus of “What happened?” from him, Retav, and Salno.
; “We have to go back! They have him! General Thomas let them kill my father, and he might kill Jape!”
She yanked at the stunned Arga, trying to drag him into the pod. Even though he was smaller than Jape, Arga was as tough to shift as a mountain. He didn’t budge.
He grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “Velia, wait! Calm down. You have to tell me what happened.”
“It was a trap! General Thomas had no intention to hear Jape out. He had the guards shoot at Jape! I think he was hit!”
She yanked against Arga’s grip, trying to break free. If he wouldn’t come with her, she’d go alone. She had to return to Jape. She had to save him.
Retav appeared before her, as if materializing. In her panic, she hadn’t noticed his approach. Even now, his dear old striped face was an object to get past, to force her way through.
Jape. I have to find Jape!
Retav cradled her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Stop, Velia! I said, stop!”
She’d never heard Retav raise his voice before. Certainly she hadn’t expected the quiet elder to be able to shout with such a commanding tone, which somehow reminded her of her father when he was at his angriest. When she, her sister, or her mother had disappointed him most.
He spoke with the same authority. It cleared Velia’s yammering thoughts, snapping her to attention.
When she froze and remained still for a couple of seconds, Retav’s expression gentled. In his normal, quiet timbre, he said, “Good. Breathe. In and out. Calm down. You cannot help Jape in this condition.”
Velia drew a shuddering breath. Under Retav’s mild dictates, the wild terror settled. It didn’t depart, not completely, but it cleared room for her to think. “Okay. I’m okay. But we have to save Jape.”
“Will you, Arga, and I be enough to effect a rescue?”
Velia thought of the numerous troops under the general’s command. After the revelations, Hudson and the others had wavered for a second when Thomas ordered them to capture her and Jape. In the end, however, they were soldiers. They were under orders. They would no doubt react with deadly force if she returned with Arga and Retav.
Hopelessness dropped its full weight upon her. Tears filled her eyes and overflowed. “We need an army. And then my people will declare war on the Risnarish, because we’ll be seen as the aggressors.”
What would they do to Jape, then? What were they doing to him now? Terror spiked her grief, sapping her strength.
Retav drew himself up. “We need assistance. Firm direction. First, tell us the whole story, from when you got to Earth until you escaped.”
Velia did so, calming as she shared the awful circumstances with the elder who felt more like a father than ever. She almost broke down when she told them she’d thought Jape had been shot, perhaps before his armor was up. “He was still on his feet and yelling at me to run, so I thought he must have been okay. Then I was on the pod, at the controls, and he hadn’t followed me. Instead, he sent me home from the podium outside the pod. Something went wrong, and it kept him from joining me.”
Her throat closed, choking off any further explanation. By the skin of her teeth, Velia forced herself to remain in control. If any hope was to remain of Jape’s survival and them getting him home to Risnar, she had to hold it together.
“You are significant to Jape. He ensured your escape at the expense of his own.” Salno’s statement reminded Velia the Risnarish woman was there. She was on the verge of demanding what her relationship with Jape had to do with the situation, when Salno continued, “The Earthlings could deduce he means as much to you. They’ll expect you to return for him. They’ll be ready to capture you and anyone who goes with you.”
“We can’t leave him for dead!”
“No. I’ll never do that again.” Arga looked at Retav. “I won’t abandon a friend to such a fate.”
Retav nodded before announcing his decision. “I’ll take Velia to Ehar and the council. While I discuss the matter with them, Arga will gather the enforcers and strongest captains of our fighters. Have them ready to deploy as soon as we return.”
“Ehar’s actions of late do not lead me to believe she’ll approve an attack force. Notlin has already—”
“A rescue mission. There is a difference—at least in semantics. Perhaps that will sway Ehar. If not, there are other paths.” He tipped the points of his ears as he glanced from Arga to Salno. “Monitor the situation. Be ready.”
“From my spirit to yours, good luck, esteemed guardian.” The words were formal, but the love shining on Arga’s face was not.
“To us all. Come, Velia. Let’s wake up Cas and bring Jape home.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
As he piloted a two-seater dartwing, Retav contacted Ehar, rousing her from sleep. “You must summon the council. Jape Ihucas is trapped on Earth after attempting to open discussion at the behest of the Assembly.”
“I’ll see you in our chambers,” came Ehar’s emotionless reply.
Velia wasn’t enthralled at the prospect of facing the elder who had ordered her confined after lying about sending her to Earth. However, Retav insisted she needed to report what had happened in person. She’d have done anything to make that happen.
Salno’s words replayed in her mind: You are significant to Jape. He ensured your escape at the expense of his own. The Earthlings could deduce he means as much to you.
Significant. That wasn’t even close to how she felt about Jape. Nowhere in the ballpark.
She had little opportunity to ruminate on the well of emotion she’d discovered. Retav landed at the temple. Velia sprang out of the craft and assisted him.
“Old, slow body,” he fussed at himself as they hurried as quickly as he could go to the small dome in the shadow of the larger.
“You’re doing fine,” Velia lied. The urge to offer to piggyback him was overwhelming. “See, we’re at the door.”
They entered and navigated the softly lit corridor to the chamber where Velia had confronted Ehar. Hoping the rest of the council wasn’t as dishonest as its leader, she stepped in at Retav’s side. When he stopped short, she knew it was bad news. She took in the ten Risnarish waiting for them.
Ehar. Two women as mature as the head elder, far older than Salno. A man around Retav’s age. And half a dozen hale Risnarish males, including Farem, holding what appeared to be thick radio antennas.
She didn’t need to glance at Retav to know this was not the reception he’d expected. His tone held an ocean of uncertainty as he touched his palm to his chest. “From my spirit to yours, Elder Ehar. I would wish you peace all your days, but it would be a falsehood with matters being what they are.”
As implacable as a carved statue, Ehar returned the greeting. “From my spirit to yours, Retav. The Earthling question has indeed cast disorder on our tranquil planet. How did Jape Ihucas end up a prisoner on the aliens’ world?”
“We are eager to share the matter with the entire council, to send help to the head enforcer.”
“We are all the council concerned with the matter. A majority is present.”
Retav’s jaw tightened for an instant then eased. “Then perhaps these non-elders should excuse themselves?”
“These are our most dedicated warriors, representative of the citizens of Cas. What is it you wish to hide from our people, Retav?”
“There is nothing to hide, but you should consider as Spirit directs before presenting the issue to the village at large. Your wisdom no doubt tells you that gossip, before all the facts are in, can be demoralizing.”
Velia tried not to appear too impressed. Retav knew how to deliver a dressing-down in a way that almost sounded complimentary.
Unfortunately, trouble was at hand. This time, Ehar might not just want her locked up, but the key thrown away as well. Retav would have no ability to stop her.
Her expression as
distant as ever, Ehar said, “The warriors will remain and you will answer my questions. Why is Jape Ihucas on Earth? Was he attempting to destroy their portal access?”
God, the woman didn’t care an iota that Jape was in trouble. She showed no sign of concern. Fury sparked, and Velia couldn’t keep the accusation out of her voice. “Since you couldn’t be bothered, he went with me to talk to the Earthling military leader in charge of the portal access. Jape is in trouble. Hurt. He needs help immediately.”
Ehar wouldn’t look at her, as if Velia was beneath her notice. A note of disdain crept into her tone. “What do you care about him?”
“I love him.”
The words were out before Velia knew she was going to say them. Her mouth had opened, and the bald statement had jumped out.
Was it true? Had she fallen for the man who’d driven her out of her skull with frustration? Unfortunately, Velia didn’t have an instant to examine the statement that shocked her as much as it startled the men in the room.
The silent women stared at her with little overt interest. Ehar continued to gaze at a point somewhere above Velia’s head.
Velia didn’t elaborate on her unexpected admission. Instead, she told them, “Jape is a warrior who puts Cas and Risnar above all other considerations. He visited Earth to help his people. Just as he’d do anything for you, I’d do the same for him.”
“Include forsake your life on Earth? To live on Risnar?” Ehar gave the other elders a pointed glance, as if Velia had proven something on her behalf. “I ask you, esteemed council, how many of these Earthlings will the Assembly allow to infest our world? To continue to disrupt the serenity of our lives with their primitive drives?”
Primitive? Was that how Ehar saw her and other Earthlings?
Retav gestured for attention. “The fact remains, Jape risked himself to make peace with the Earthlings. He was sent by Elder Notlin and the Assembly. He is hurt on the alien world and needs us.”
Worlds Collide Page 23