strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  “How are things between the three of you?”

  She began to walk back to their table. “We’ve found our own solution,” she said carefully, “as have some of the other Triads.” She looked up at him again with a smile. “Just enjoy your visit, see how things go with Zashou. She could do with having a lover of her own.”

  *

  On the west coast of the estate, in a clearing opposite a small uninhabited island, one of the larger tents had been designated as a mess hall and lecture room. It was in this that the group of trainees were gathered listening to Garras.

  “This is the advanced phase of Brotherhood training,” he said. “For Special Operatives. Not everyone is suitable for it, not everyone can handle it. If you find you can’t cope, there’s no disgrace in admitting it. You are still valuable to the Brotherhood— and your own world. You’ve all passed the basic fitness tests and had wilderness training, both field and theory. Now you’re going to put it to practice. You’ll remain in your original teams, group leaders will be the same as before. Orienteering maps with a destination marked on them will be given to you when you’re dropped on the island. Your objective is to reach that destination unseen, set up camp with perimeter defenses and wait for further instructions. You’ll be given water but that’s all. If you want to eat, you find food. Weapons are a new type of electronic tagger which interacts with your body armor. If you’re hit, you’ll feel it as painfully as if it was live ammunition and the effects will last several hours. Teamwork is what counts here, people. You got ten minutes to be outside here with full kit. Dismissed.”

  “But…” began Manesh.

  “I said dismissed!” roared Garras, getting up.

  Rulla watched as the forty-seven Sholans, Humans and U’Churians surged to their feet and headed for the door. “Are you sure about including Dillan and Nikuu?” he asked. “With her having lost the ability to sense anyone but her Leska, is she fit enough for this?”

  “She asked to be included and Kaid approved it,” said Garras. “They’ve done well so far. Keeping them together is essential, though. They may never make it into the field as operatives, but Ruth says they need the sense of achievement this will give them.”

  “So long as they don’t fail,” said T’Chebbi, handing Kashini a feeder mug of water.

  “I’ve issued orders to pull Dillan and Nikuu out long before they look like failing,” said Garras. “We’ve tailored this course carefully so that as each group successfully completes a section, they can advance to the next. Those who don’t will be praised for their achievement so far. That way, we increase the overall level of capability, they have a sense of achievement, and we gain a varied range of operatives. Hell, we’re trying to do in a year or two what we spent between five and seven years learning, and we were handpicked! We got a job lot here. Though we can keep accelerating the training of the best, many will drop behind. In time, most will catch up. Meanwhile, we still need people here to do their turn of guard duty and help run the estate alongside those unsuited to the Brotherhood way.”

  “What’s with bringing the cub?” asked Rulla suddenly. “I wouldn’t have thought this was a suitable environment for her.”

  “Our little Liegena will get used to it,” said T’Chebbi placidly, as, one arm around Kashini, she scribbled on her comp pad with the other. “It’s what her parents are, what she’ll be in time.”

  Rulla made a noise of disagreement.

  “They know she’s here. The desert tribes start the cubs young. She’s already been kidnapped by Kezule and held hostage with Dzaka and Kitra. She saw them being tortured. Kaid thinks like me that sooner she realizes her clan trains to protect its own, more secure she’ll feel.”

  “She’s only— what?— coming on for seven months, T’Chebbi!” exclaimed Rulla. “You’re not being realistic about this, neither is Kaid.”

  “Leave it, Rulla. T’Chebbi knows what she’s doing,” said Garras, picking up a bottle of water.

  “Kashini’s sending thoughts almost as clear as words now,” said T’Chebbi. “She knows what goes on, don’t you, Kashini? Not like I’m taking her out into the field with us.”

  Kashini leaned toward the table, putting her mug down with studied carefulness, then, looking at them all, began to chatter animatedly in cub-talk.

  Garras laughed as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “There you are, Rulla! You got your answer!”

  He growled good-humoredly. “You might be able to make sense of it, Garras, but I’ll be damned if I can! What about Keeza and Brynne? I thought they’d be involved.”

  “Vanna’s too near her time to risk Brynne or Keeza out here. Besides, neither Vanna nor Brynne are field op types. They’re better on the home front, or at most, in the rear of any action we take,” said Garras. He checked his wrist comm. “About time you got out there with the transports, isn’t it?” he said pointedly. “I’ve got to get back to the ruins and check out how our Sumaan undercover agents are managing. Carrie will be joining you tomorrow when her Link day is over. She’s in Rezac’s group. When are your people planning to attack them?”

  “Twenty-third hour, when the watch will be nice and drowsy,” Rulla said, heading for the door. “Tomorrow night they attack each other, see if they are capable of dealing with friends who become the enemy.”

  *

  Kris woke with a start, wondering what had roused him until he sensed Zashou’s presence in the darkened room. Maintaining slow, even breaths, he lay there, waiting to see what she’d do. Despite the faint breeze that came in through the open window, the room was hot, hot enough that he could smell her scent, and her apprehension.

  She’d been watching him for several minutes, he realized, as he peered through half-closed eyes trying to see where she was. He found the thought highly erotic. Then he remembered he was lying naked on top of the bed and there was no hiding his interest.

  Even as he heard her quick intake of breath and the sound of her feet turning on the wooden floor, he leaped from the bed and dived for the door, blocking her exit.

  “Don’t go,” he said as his jegget, roused by the noise, sat up and began to chitter. “I was hoping you’d come to me.”

  “It was a mistake,” she said, trying not to let her nervousness sound in her voice. “The idea was Jo’s. I thought if she could have the courage to…I was wrong, I don’t have that kind of courage.”

  “That’s not true. It took a lot of courage to come here,” he said, touching her face gently with his fingertips. Jo’s idea? Why should Jo suggest Zashou take a lover?

  She pulled away, setting the beads in her hair chiming as she backed off from him. “I can’t,” she said, a note of panic creeping into her voice. “Let me go, Kris. I’m sorry to have— wakened— you.”

  He almost smiled but stopped himself in time. “I wouldn’t keep you against your will,” he said. “But you owe me something for raising my— expectations. A kiss,” he added hastily, feeling her panic and distress. He was sure one kiss was all he’d need to convince her to stay.

  “I can’t,” she began but he reached out to grasp hold of her hand, gently urging her closer.

  “You have my word I won’t stop you leaving,” he said, putting her hand on his shoulder and placing his arm round her back. He leaned toward her, feeling her trembling increase. “I promise,” he whispered, his mouth gently covering hers. His tongue teased her lips apart, flicking against her teeth before he began to nip her gently. She opened her mouth slightly in surprise and he took advantage of it, parting her teeth, tongue darting into the softness of her mouth.

  She began to relax and he pulled her closer, gently pressing her belly against his erection.

  See what you’ve done to me? he sent, nibbling at her bottom lip as he let his hand move down to caress her thigh. Her breathing was more rapid now, her scent changing as, despite herself, she became aroused. He lifted his head, reaching for the hand that was clutching his shoulder.

  “Don�
��t stop,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  “I won’t,” he said.

  Stronghold, Zhal-Ghyakulla, 31st day (June)

  “Have you seen the latest reports from our Forces personnel?” demanded Rhyaz, sliding the comp pad across the table to Lijou. “It’s the same everywhere, on the ships, and on Shola and Khoma. Damned female’s trying to starve us into submission!”

  Lijou picked it up and scanned the report. “Raiban’s not far off succeeding,” he murmured. “With so many Sleepers awake, our resources are stretched to the limit. We need to look for commissions from other sources.”

  “I expected her to be angry when we took the ships without her crews, but not this!”

  “I wondered why you didn’t keep some of her people. It might have defused the situation,” said L’Seuli.

  “Couldn’t afford to compromise Haven’s security,” said Rhyaz, glancing at his Second. “Also I didn’t want her seeing just how many Brothers and Sisters we have. It’s one thing to have our Sumaan friends there, they aren’t involved in Sholan politics, but Raiban’s agents are another matter. Besides, she had no right to try and force personnel on us. Our mandate from Nesul and the World Council was clear— we were in charge of our own operation.”

  “You know my opinion of Raiban,” said Lijou with a low rumble of anger. “Since she got formally promoted to Head of High Command, she’s become as bad as Chuz!”

  “Not quite as bad,” temporized L’Seuli. “She does admit we have our uses and are independent of her— that’s what’s at the heart of this problem.”

  “We’ve the U’Churian contract,” said Lijou. “Captain Tirak and his people are on the Valsgarth estate. We have an income from that.”

  “So has the estate, and rightly so,” said Rhyaz. “We need more and larger contracts.”

  “There’s also the twenty young Primes we’re going to train at the Nezule Warrior Clan estate,” said L’Seuli.

  Rhyaz’ mouth dropped open in a huge smile. “That was one exchange I enjoyed with Raiban,” he purred, eyes glinting. “She thought the Forces had that contract, then Ambassador M’szudoe tells Governor Nesul he wants us! You should have heard her when she found out!”

  “There’s a trend starting,” said Lijou thoughtfully, putting the pad back on the table. “Since we were forced to show our strength at Haven and Jalna, the Alliance species have become aware of us. I believe our main market now may be off-world.”

  “Our primary concern is to protect Shola and our remaining colony, Khoma, as well as our species,” objected L’Seuli. “How can we do that if we take alien commissions? There could be a conflict of interest.”

  “We’d hear of trouble before anyone else,” replied Rhyaz almost automatically. “And the danger threatening Shola is from space.”

  “We forge stronger links with the Alliance in working with them on their worlds, L’Seuli,” said Lijou. “We already have alien Brothers because of our Links with Humans. I don’t think we have an option, if we wish to remain free of Raiban.”

  “What about appealing directly to the Governor for funding?” suggested Yaszho. “He asked us to provide ten undercover Brothers and Sisters for our embassy on the Prime world, and to keep it from Sholan High Command. If Raiban refuses to use money allocated by our World Council for our employment with her, then the Governor and the Council should be made aware of it. We may even find the funds reallocated directly to us.”

  Rhyaz made an impatient gesture. “We can’t afford to draw that kind of political attention to ourselves right now.”

  “We can’t,” said Lijou thoughtfully. “But the Clan Lord can, and I’ve no doubt he would. Since that business on the Clan Council when certain Leaders tried to blackmail him, he’s been particularly intolerant of any form of coercion. I could speak to him, informally, of course, and acquaint him with our situation.”

  Rhyaz narrowed his eyes. “You’re too devious for a priest and a telepath, Lijou,” he said, an amused purr underlying his voice. “We’ve corrupted you.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” murmured Lijou, aware that his personal wish to break free of Raiban’s attempts at control had much to do with what had happened to his life-mate. Lost in his own thoughts, he was startled when Rhyaz’ hand touched his, initiating a low-level link to the Brotherhood’s Warrior Master.

  “It isn’t revenge when Raiban’s in the wrong, Lijou. The Brotherhood stands behind you and Kha’Qwa to a person in our contempt for Raiban,” Rhyaz said quietly. “Will you speak to Konis Aldatan?”

  Lijou nodded, forcing himself to leave his hand where it was, aware of the deep anger his co-ruler felt. “I didn’t realize you felt as strongly as I did about Kha’Qwa.”

  “You were chosen for the Brotherhood, just as we all are, Lijou. It makes you one of us. I remember how hard you worked to learn our ways and fit in when you arrived here. I know it wasn’t easy for you, brought up to respect only the Telepath Guild, but you’ve always been as loyal to us as anyone could have asked. Not an easy task with Ghezu as co-Leader and Master Esken running the Telepath Guild, yet you managed.”

  Lijou gave an embarrassed smile. “Well, there was always the fear you might have me— replaced.”

  Rhyaz threw back his head and laughed. “I’ll say it again, we’re lucky to have you, Lijou!”

  “Getting back to the matter of contracts,” said Lijou hastily. “Even leaving Raiban’s antics aside, ordinary Sholan contracts have been falling off. The Telepath Guild under Sorli is trying to identify those with unstable Talents early enough to train them in such a way that they never go rogue. While this is good news, it means we’ll be called upon less often to track any rogues down.”

  “Private contracts are less frequent too,” said Yaszho.

  Lijou nodded. “We still have sensitive government ones, like Nesul’s, but it isn’t enough. Even if Nesul gives us the funding that Raiban currently has for us, the next governor may rescind it, and Nesul’s up for reelection in three years. We need to be completely free of all political factions on our world.”

  “There’s the raiders Tirak spoke of,” said Rhyaz. “I now know where the four other Trader species live, all of whom are ex-slave races of the Primes.” He leaned forward and activated the holo-projector on his desk comm.

  Between the four males, a cube formed. Floating within it were many tiny colored points of light. Reaching into a desk drawer, Rhyaz pulled out a pointer.

  “It’s color coded,” he said, aiming the fine red beam at a point of blue light within the holo-cube. “This is Shola, in blue, about a third of the way into the cube from your side.” He moved his point of light upward and toward himself. “Here’s the Prime world in red— about a third in from my side and almost level with Jalna.” He pointed to a smaller red light on the same axis but slightly lower and closer to himself. “This is M’zull, their first colony, and lower to the left are the J’kirtikkians. You can see that our two colony worlds and Keiss were in a direct line with M’zull. Now we know where they are and that they’re at war with each other, it’s obvious our colonies were destroyed because we were in the wrong place— and because of their inbred hatred of us. We were seen as a potential future threat.”

  Lijou leaned forward to see the holo image better. “Where’s the fourth Valtegan world?”

  “They won’t give us its location,” said Rhyaz. “This green light is the TeLaxaudin homeworld and just beyond it, the other four Trader worlds.”

  “Why doesn’t the holo show the slave worlds?” asked Lijou.

  “It has a finite size,” said Rhyaz, adjusting his comm so the images in the cube moved forward, some of them gradually disappearing from view. “Now you can see the four slave worlds. These two, the Delmoi and the Hrana, are nearer the Cabbarrans. Currently they lack the jump capability to travel as far as Jalna, so the Cabbarrans call there regularly to collect and deliver trade goods from them for the Jalnian market. With their ability to halve jump time, i
t’s a viable trade option.”

  “And the other two are the raiders,” said Lijou.

  “Not quite,” said L’Seuli. “The Mryans and the Vieshen are recent members of the Traders’ Council. Being near neighbors, so to speak, they trade extensively with each other. Because of this long-term familiarity, they don’t regulate their shipping the way the rest of us do. Both worlds are run by somewhat xenophobic autocratic regimes. Given their mutual history of enslavement by the old Valtegans, it’s understandable that they prefer to meet the Traders at a U’Churian space station rather than allow them into their sector of space. Several factions, dissatisfied with their homeworld regimes, have broken away from their worlds to raid not only their own shipping, but some Cabbarran and TeLaxaudin ships as well.”

  “Tirak says neither the Mryans nor the Vieshen will police the area and go after them,” said Rhyaz. “They claim they haven’t the resources to fight raiders, and rely on escorting their shipping to the U’Churian station instead. Their occasional losses are cheaper than outfitting a navy, they say. Tirak said the raiders were growing bolder, stealing ships as well as cargoes, so five years ago the Council refused to allow either species to dock at the U’Churian station until they’d dealt with the problem.”

  “Haven’t they recognized the Primes?” asked Yaszho.

  “They haven’t met them. Remember, the Primes only go to Jalna every fifty years. What little trade they have is carried out through the TeLaxaudin.”

  “Luckily for them,” murmured Lijou. “I take it the Traders need to resume trading with the Mryan and Vieshen again.”

  Rhyaz nodded. “Key items like minerals and ores are running low.”

  “Where’s Haven and the other Outposts?”

  “Haven’s not visible just now but it’s just above the Jalnian and U’Churian worlds. Anchorage is here between the TeLaxaudin and the Prime worlds, Safehold here between the two Valtegan worlds, and Refuge, again not visible now, is above Keiss on a level with Jalna.”