strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  “Sokarr?” asked Sheeowl as she and Nayash eased Annuur’s cut and bleeding body to the deck.

  Tirak shook his head as he hauled himself out. “Ceiling strut fell on him. Didn’t have a chance. We’ll get him later. Looks like a strut caught Lweeu a glancing blow too. Annuur had been thrown off his couch. He’s in a bad way.”

  “They all are,” said Mrowbay as Annuur was transferred to a rigid stretcher for his journey up to the sick bay.

  *

  Its navigation system too damaged to use, the other three ships cradled Watcher 6 between them as they prepared to jump. Without the Cabbarran navigators it would take them twice as long to get back to Anchorage.

  “We’ve put Annuur and Lweeu in the stasis units, Captain,” said Nayash, taking his seat on the bridge. “Their injuries are beyond our resources to treat. Lweeu’s skull is fractured, and Annuur has severe internal injuries. They’ll both need surgery. Naacha got off very lightly. He’s only got a cut and bruised shoulder. Mrowbay’s tidying him up right now. I couldn’t ask him what the hell they were doing because he’s still unconscious.”

  “Annuur better make it,” Tirak growled as they headed for the jump point that had opened up ahead of them. “He’s got a hell of a lot of explaining to do and I want to hear it!”

  “Captain,” said Sheeowl, her voice tight with fear. “That isn’t like any jump gate I’ve ever been through!”

  the Couana, Zhal-S’Asha, 26th day (October)

  Broadcasting the signal of a Watcher ship, the Couana emerged from jump at the Haven cluster then made its way to the secluded parking orbit given him by Rhyaz before he left. He called L’Seuli’s personal comm from his office, taking off his torc first and adjusting its sensitivity manually.

  “Commander,” he said, inclining his head briefly. “Is the line secure?”

  “As secure as it gets for the Brotherhood, Kusac,” L’Seuli said. “I hadn’t expected you so soon. I assume everything went well?”

  “Yes. I have both the items and the information. I’ll need a shuttle to transport them over to you.”

  “What did Kezule have?”

  “Sholans, rescued from a dissident Prime facility on their homeworld,” he said. Despite the distance, he could feel L’Seuli’s shock.

  “Sholans? What kind of dissident facility?”

  “An experimental one, run by the same group that were on the Kz’adul. They were taken from a M’zullian ship the same way we were, except their presence was kept secret from their authorities. There are four cubs of ten years and an adult Sholan with her infant. I’ll send Chima with them.”

  “I’ll come over in my own shuttle,” L’Seuli said. “I’m off station right now. Kezule must have found them when he overthrew the coup against his Emperor. But why give them directly to us, why not through our Embassy? Did he ask for anything in return?”

  He’d already decided what his answer was going to be. Banner knew the truth was otherwise, maybe he’d even told Chima, but he intended to be gone before they could inform L’Seuli.

  “No,” he lied, gently reaching for the Commander’s mind. He needed to find out where the Venture II was berthed. “Doctor Zayshul was there. I believe she influenced him into giving us our people back quietly like this. Fewer awkward questions to answer than if it had been done through official channels.”

  “Do they need any medical attention?”

  “None,” he said, looking away as his head began to ache with the strain of trying to reach L’Seuli and filter out the psychic noise of those on the Couana. Dammit! He was too sensitive! He needed to be able to target only the mind he wanted without picking up all the mental white noise around him.

  His eyes glazed briefly as he encountered L’Seuli’s mental barriers, the ones every Brotherhood operative was trained to use. Because the Commander was capable of receiving mental transmissions, he had to be sure his touch was light enough not to draw attention to his presence. With all the distractions around him, it wasn’t going to be easy.

  “I’ll have them all sent to Stronghold for debriefing,” said L’Seuli. “We aren’t equipped to handle kitlings.”

  “No!” he exclaimed, trying to focus his attention on his torc to reduce his sensitivity. “No, they’re Telepaths. Send the cubs to my estate, L’Seuli. Let Carrie and Ruth handle them. They’ve been through a lot, they need the gentle handling of a mother.”

  Gradually, as the noise began to abate, he knew he’d been successful. Surreptitiously, he wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs, feeling the band of pain around his forehead begin to lessen.

  “Everything all right, Kusac? You look strained,” L’Seuli said.

  He put his hand up and rubbed his ears back. “I’ve a headache, that’s all,” he admitted as the Commander’s surface thoughts suddenly began to fill his mind. “I have a package for the Shrine from Father Lijou,” he said slowly. Gods, he hadn’t realized how hard it was to keep his mind on the conversation we well as listen in to L’Seuli’s thoughts! What had once been second nature to him was a thousand times more difficult now.

  He sensed the surprise before it crossed the Commander’s face. “Not Vartra’s…”

  “Head,” he interrupted. “Father Lijou said I was to place it in the concealed niche left for it under the statue so it could be permanently sealed in.”

  “I’ll tell Jiosha. She’ll be pleased. The Shrine’s almost finished. With His— relic— in place, she can hold the dedication ceremony. It’s on the main level opposite the elevator. Take your shuttle out and land disguised as me as we arranged. I take it someone on board has a priest’s robe?”

  Vartra be praised! He’d found the location of his ship! It was in Haven’s landing bay, waiting fueled and ready for him to take home. “Yes, I have one,” he said.

  “Good. I’ll meet you on board the Couana when you’re done.”

  *

  L’Seuli’s decision complicated matters. He headed for the mess where the rest of the crew were waiting. “Chima, get our passengers ready to debark. Commander L’Seuli himself is coming over in a shuttle for them. You’ll accompany him to Haven.” He handed her a comp pad. “Give him this, it’s my report. Tell him it includes my debriefing of the female, Rraelga. Dzaou, you can help her get the cubs ready. Banner, you’re in command. I have some business to conduct for Father Lijou on Haven. The rest of you, make sure the ship is presentable for the Commander.”

  *

  Banner was waiting for him on the cargo ramp by the airlock into the shuttle. “I’ll come with you.”

  “I can manage. What’s the matter? Don’t you trust me?” he asked, his tone faintly mocking. “Only I can do this, Banner.”

  “Just like only you could meet with Kezule? I saw no reason why you were so vital to our mission. What’s so important to the Father— and Kezule— that only you can do it? He said nothing to me about you conducting business for him on Haven.”

  “And you’re his special operative, aren’t you?” He smiled lazily. “No special operative is special enough to take this to the Shrine, Banner. Trust me. Only someone of Vartra’s bloodline can deliver this.” He displayed the box hidden under his sleeve, projecting an image of a skull, barely covered in dried flesh, with wisps of tan-colored hair still attached to it, glaring out at him from empty eye sockets.

  With a cry of horror, Banner stepped hurriedly back.

  Laughing softly, he opened the airlock. “L’Seuli knows what I’m doing. You know, imagination is a dreadful master, Banner. Vartra’s head doesn’t look nearly as bad as you seem to think it does,” he said gently as the airlock door closed, sealing him in the shuttle.

  *

  Swearing, Banner headed for the sick bay where he punched a line straight through to his contact, Jiosha, Mentor of the Brotherhood priests on Haven.

  “Banner. How can I help you?” she asked. “Where are you?”

  “Here, sitting off Haven,” he said. “Are you expecting Kusac with an item fro
m Father Lijou?”

  “Yes. It’s a relic from Vartra’s time. Why? Is he on his way over?”

  “Yes. Where’s the Venture II? I think he’s heading for it after he leaves you.”

  “Hold on, I’ll find out,” she said, moving out of view.

  A hand moved across the keypad, putting his call on hold. “Don’t alert Haven,” said Dzaou quietly. “We want to talk to you.”

  Banner looked up to see Khadui and Jayza standing in the doorway.

  “We’re going back with him,” continued Dzaou. “You can come, or you can stay here, but we’re not leaving that cub alone with those Primes any longer than we have to. Find some way to put Sister Jiosha off the scent and get her to send us some transport. We need to be on the Venture before Kusac is.”

  Thinking fast, Banner weighed his options. “Does Chima know you’re here?”

  Dzaou gave him a contemptuous look. “How stupid do you think I am? I know why Chima’s here, and she’d stop him going. You won’t. Now get back on to the Sister before she gets suspicious.”

  “You’ll have to trust me,” he warned, then hit the hold key. The screen cleared to show Jiosha just returning.

  “It’s in the landing bay. What’s up?”

  “I need to get over there before he leaves Haven.”

  “I thought your mission was over when you got here.”

  “Ours is. He’s heading back because Kezule is holding a cub hostage to force him to return.” Out of sight of the screen, he felt Dzaou’s hand close over his arm, claws pricking his flesh warningly. He ignored it.

  “Then I’ll have the Venture put under guard,” she said calmly. “He has to bring the relic to me first, Banner. I can’t have him apprehended before it’s in the Shrine.”

  “We’ll see to it, Sister Jiosha,” he said. “It’ll be easier. Just get us off here before the Commander arrives. There’ll be four of us. We can wait for Kusac in the Venture.”

  “Give me your coordinates. I’ll send the nearest hopper over for you and I’ll try to delay Kusac as long as possible at the Shrine.”

  “I hate hoppers. I’m always afraid they’ll run out of air before they land.”

  She smiled. “They’re perfectly safe, and they have priority for landing. You’ll be here with time to spare.”

  His call finished, he turned round to face them. “I’m coming,” he said.

  *

  He could tell Banner was plotting something even before he left the Couana, and admitted to himself that his Second would be failing in his duty if he didn’t attempt to stop him. Trying to read him was out of the question with the cubs on board. However, Banner didn’t expect him to be posing as Commander L’Seuli.

  He’d been practicing using his newly awakened Talent over the last three days, but it hadn’t been easy. For a start, he’d had to adapt his personal psi damper, turning it into a room damper. The Talent he had now was very different. It was disturbingly more powerful and he’d made some disastrous mistakes— though none as bad as when he’d sent Banner and Dzaou flying across the room. Learning to separate his subconscious thoughts from the task at hand was more difficult than he would have believed, even though it was the second time around. But it had kept him from thinking about Zayshul and his son.

  He’d also been listening passively to the minds of the cubs. He hadn’t dared spend much time in their company, though. As far as he knew, they hadn’t been aware of him, but then they used their Talent rarely, which was unusual for cubs with newly emerged skills. What had surprised him was their level of understanding of their Talent and how to use it. That was way beyond their years. And all the time, he’d been dodging Banner’s increasingly awkward questions.

  His projection into Banner’s mind had been so successful that his Second hadn’t realized it wasn’t the product of his own imagination. Not for him the spray-on dye that Rhyaz had given him to change his pelt and hair color to match L’Seuli’s, he felt confident enough to use an illusion, just as he and Carrie had done so long ago in the Valtegan garrison on Keiss.

  Thinking of her made him remember the small tissue-wrapped package he’d left in the center of his bed for her. He hoped Banner would have the decency to see it was passed on to her. He should, it wasn’t as if anything he’d said openly violated his cover, but he had managed to insert a coded message about the cubs being hybrids.

  The Couana’s shuttle, unlike the garishly colored ship herself, was of a generic Alliance manufacture and would cause no problems. The approach codes were accepted by Control, but there was a short delay before he could land— an incoming hopper had priority.

  He’d crafted the illusion carefully, drawing on his own memories of the Commander— memories that he’d found to be much more detailed and vivid than he’d thought possible. He could even remember the Commander’s stance and gestures. Nonetheless, he still took the precaution of pulling his robe’s hood up.

  The box concealed beneath his wide sleeves, he walked down the short ramp onto the landing bay of Haven.

  There was an air of anxiety and suppressed excitement among the people working there that he could feel despite having reduced the sensitivity of his torc again. It intrigued him, but his time was too short to allow himself to be diverted.

  “Commander, we didn’t expect you back quite so soon,” said Captain Kheal, stopping beside him. “I see you’re holding the briefing at fourteenth hour. Worrying business. Thank Vartra we got everyone but the regular crew off Safehold before the M’zullians made their move.”

  “Worrying times as you say,” he said, turning his face partially away from Kheal in shock. “What’s the latest news?”

  Kheal gave him an odd look. “There is none. We’re waiting to hear from the Watchers at Anchorage. The M’zullians are still sitting off J’kirtikk like a flock of carrion eaters. I thought you’d have heard something because you’re calling the briefing.”

  “Not yet,” he said. “But I expect to before then.”

  “I’ll see you at the briefing, then, Commander. If you’ll excuse me? I have matters I must attend to.”

  “Carry on, Captain,” he said and began to walk toward the elevator, pushing all thoughts of M’zullians aside. He couldn’t allow his concentration to lapse for anything.

  *

  The Shrine was a simple place, brightly lit at this time, with the half life-sized statue of the seated Vartra placed just in front of the usual red velvet curtain. The plinth on which it rested was made of rough hewn rock from the asteroid itself. To either side stood the obligatory braziers, fed not by charcoal as they were on Shola, but by a gas mixture coming through fireproof blocks. In a small room adjacent to the main one, he felt the presence of Jiosha.

  The door hissed closed behind him, alerting her to his presence. As she came in from her office, he dropped his illusion, reaching mentally for her, grasping control of her mind and body. He misjudged the strength of his sending, and with a gentle sigh, she fell to the ground like a sack of vegetables.

  Swearing under his breath, he ran to her side, checking her pulse and breathing. He sighed with relief— she was only unconscious. Then he swore some more as he realized he couldn’t leave her lying here like this. Putting the box down, he picked her up and carried her into her office, laying her down on the worn sofa he found there.

  Returning to the Shrine, he retrieved the box and went around to the back of the statue, looking for the recess. It was open and waiting for him. Carefully he put the box into its niche, feeling around the outside for the trigger that would close the secret panel. A faint click, and a small slab of stone slid out from one side, sealing in the box containing Vartra’s head.

  Getting up, he spent a moment reestablishing his illusion before striding confidently out.

  *

  Looking like the outpost’s commander, access to the Venture II was easy. What he didn’t expect as he sealed the airlock door behind him was to find Banner waiting just out of sight.

&nb
sp; A surprised look crossed the other’s face. “Commander? I thought you were still on the Couana.”

  “I sent my aide instead,” he said shortly. “You’re supposed to be there. What’re you doing on the Venture?”

  “Waiting for our Captain. He was delivering something to the Shrine for Father Lijou. He plans to take the Venture II to go home.”

  A warning klaxon, relayed through the ship’s comm, went off outside.

  “Damn! Get off now, Banner,” he said, dropping all pretense of being L’Seuli as he pushed past him into the ship’s interior. “I’m going back for Shaidan.”

  Banner coped well with his revelation. There was shock, of course, but then his Second felt a sense of satisfaction that his suspicions had been proved right.

  “I know. I’m coming with you,” Banner said, following him. “So are the others.”

  He stopped dead. “Others?”

  “All but Chima. I managed to make sure she’s busy elsewhere. You didn’t want a female with us after what happened to Carrie, did you?” Banner raised his wrist, turning on his comm link. “Start her up, Khadui,” he said. “Captain’s on board.”

  “Aye sir.”

  “This mission is unauthorized, Banner. If you come with me, we’ll be branded renegades for real this time.”

  “We know, but the M’zullians have destroyed the J’kirtikkian world with the weapon they used on Khyaal and Szurtha. If we don’t go now, they’ll leave the cub with Kezule.”

  Shocked, he stared at Banner, then beneath his feet, he felt the deck begin to vibrate. He began to run for the bridge.

  “Head for the jump point, Banner,” he said flinging himself into the command chair as the other leaped into his own seat. “I’ll take over once we’re off Haven.”

  “Incoming message, Captain,” said Khadui.

  “Ignore it.” The Venture II began to rise and head for the force field that protected the entrance to the landing bay. “You all realize what we’re doing, don’t you?” he said. “This isn’t a rescue mission. We need to do what Kezule wants, play for time if we’re going to get that cub back.”