The Challenge

by Kearney, Susan

  She’d fallen twice, taking more punishment than he’d intended to inflict. But it was not enough. Instead of grabbing her foot, he deflected the kick with enough force to send her stumbling.

  “You fight like a little girl,” he insulted her, knowing that he needed her to push through the discouragement and pain, or everything they’d done would be for nothing. He couldn’t permit her to stop now.

  By now she should be drawing on energy she didn’t know she possessed, but she wasn’t tired enough yet. She launched a flying side kick at his head. He spun her in midair and slapped her bottom hard before she hit the ground.

  “You just went back on your word.” Furious, she struck with a knife-hand attack to his throat, but even as her eyes glittered with anger she continued to obey his orders. “You would not have slapped a man.”

  She was correct, and he didn’t like what he had done, especially since she’d followed his orders without question or complaint. However, the thought of using his fist on her still didn’t sit square with him, but she’d left him no choice. Either he taxed her to the maximum and drained her energy, or she would fail.

  Reminding himself that failure was unacceptable, he threw a slow psi punch to her stomach. At the last instant she swiveled her hips, lessening his blow to a powder-puff tap.

  She fired an it’s-about-time-you-did-that glance at him but saved her breath. Breathing evenly, she remained balanced on the balls of her feet.

  By the tiniest degree, he increased the speed of his next psi punch. At the same time, he directed, “Raise your shield.”

  His fist met no resistance except the conditioned muscles of her stomach tightening to protect internal organs from the punch. Ignoring the sick roil in his gut, he increased the pace. “Defend yourself.”

  She moved to the right. He caught her with a blow to her shoulder. She lunged left, and he tripped her. Instead of rising to her feet, she attempted to sweep him down.

  “Use your frustration. I’m thinking and fighting in slow motion, but you need to keep up.”

  With a strange yell, she thrust a fist into his stomach. She’d used her psi!

  He blocked with his shield. “Don’t lose that anger. Hit me,” he demanded, not letting up, despite the quivering he could see in her legs, the exhaustion in her eyes. “Faster. Harder. Use your mind.”

  She breathed raggedly now. Sweat streamed down her forehead. “How much longer?”

  “The lesson has just begun.”

  Chapter Twelve

  TESSA IGNORED her screaming muscles, her straining lungs, and her thumping heart. Master Chen had often pushed her past what she’d thought was her limit, proving that the mind could press through previously defined confines. Even as a beginning student, she’d done kicking drills that lasted for hours, tiring the body to the point where only the most necessary and efficient muscles accomplished the task.

  Kahn’s goal appeared similar. He wanted her body exhausted to force her to use her psi. So she kept pressing, imagining a cage, punching through the bars with her fists and kicking with her feet. But instead of muscles, the engine driving her body was her mind. She called upon every mental wisp of frustration and shot her fist into Kahn’s chin.

  He blocked with a psi shield and countered. She raised her own shield. Too late. And took a tumble. However, the tumble elevated her frustration, refilled her mind. Next time, she’d raise her shield before she attacked.

  Shields up, she advanced. Kahn shifted, countered, but she remained untouched. Her shields had worked.

  Elation filled her, and she lost the psi shield.

  The lesson continued with Tessa determined that she would be the one to call it quits. Willing to fight until she either dropped or he ended the session, she pushed herself beyond reason, beyond common sense, beyond anything she’d done before.

  Her extraordinary effort produced rewarding results. She learned to hold her psi shield, to punch and to kick at the speed of thought. Sometime during the lesson, she realized that she could now “see” Kahn’s moves. Her psi vision had kicked in.

  Compared to Kahn, she was still clumsy. She couldn’t control the null-grav or the temperature, and she didn’t have his speed. But practice would enhance her skills, and her confidence built. Despite her exhaustion and the heat, she kept attacking.

  Until she blacked out.

  One moment she was lunging at Kahn, the next, she awakened in his arms. Stiff, sore, yet wonderfully tired, she marveled over her psi power which had been untapped her entire life. She’d heard humans only used ten percent of their minds, and scientists didn’t understand the complexity of the brain, but her psi was a whole new sense. It was if she’d been blind all her life and could suddenly see.

  Kahn frowned at her, concern darkening his amber eyes. “What is wrong, woman?”

  “I overheated. It’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Why didn’t you stop?”

  “You told me not to.”

  Clearly stunned, his lower jaw dropped open. “I expected you to stop before you burnt out.”

  She cupped his jaw. “I’ll let you make it up to me.” She raised her lips to his. “Kiss me, Kahn.”

  “You need comforting for your pain?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No. I want to celebrate.” She let her fingers trail down his jaw to his neck. “Don’t you want to kiss me?”

  “Touching me like that is inappropriate.” Confusion marred his features. “What do we have to celebrate?”

  She raised her head higher but couldn’t reach his lips. So she planted a kiss on his neck, collarbone, shoulder. “We are celebrating our success. Using the psi was marvelous. I never knew I could move that fast. Or see you move. And the shielding is spectacular. How much force will it stop? Will I get stronger with practice? How long will it take me to use the null-grav and become as adept as you?”

  Interest filled his eyes. “Fighting with psi gave you pleasure?”

  “Learning a new skill gave me pleasure. Surely you feel the same way?”

  “I am a man,” he said, as if that explained everything.

  “And a very handsome man, too.” She grinned up at him, aware that he was pleased by her progress, even if he had yet to say so. “Wouldn’t you rather put those lips to better use than arguing with me?”

  He scowled, and then he laughed, his eyes brightening with amusement. “You are impossible. Are you sure you are not injured?”

  She wriggled her eyebrows at him. “Maybe you should examine me, all of me, to see for yourself.”

  “WHAT IS THAT sound coming from your mouth?” Dora asked.

  After Tessa’s training session with Kahn and then a very pleasant lovemaking session, she’d slept soundly. After awakening, she’d padded to the food materializer and used her psi to make pasta, a salad and a cup of coffee.

  “Hi, Dora.” Tessa was starved. “That sound is called whistling.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “It’s music.”

  “You’re off key.”

  “Mm.” Tessa sat on the dais and ate. “I could get used to these food materializers.”

  “There are no food materializers on Rystan.”

  “Why not?” Her food tasted fresh, and she didn’t even have to cook. Apparently the machine was stocked with basic proteins and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, etc. All she had to do was use her psi and the machine duplicated what she envisioned. She might now even be able to open the door to this chamber.

  Tessa munched happily on her salad, sipped her coffee, and fired a psi thought at the wall. The door opened. Life was looking up.

  “Food materializers are expensive. The inhabitable parts of Rystan are poor in resources.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have that kind of information in my data banks.”

  “That’s okay. Maybe I’ll ask Kahn. Can you show me a dance called the Ramala Ki.”

  “Compliance.”

  While T
essa ate, she stared at a holovid woman performing a series of sexy steps, undulations, and complicated hand movements. The hip motions reminded her of Hawaiian Hula dancers, and there could be no doubting the moves were meant to entice a man. Vowing to learn the dance, she had Dora repeat them while she ate.

  “You seem happier since your wedding night. Did he please you?”

  “Dora! Some things are private.”

  “Privacy is a hard concept for me to burn into my circuits.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. Without even realizing it, I step on Kahn’s toes all the time.”

  “I have never seen you step on his toes.”

  “I meant that my values often clash with his. He has this ridiculous notion that women shouldn’t initiate sex. Or touching. Or kissing. You wouldn’t think such a macho man would be disturbed by my clumsy attempts to learn to fight with my psi.”

  “Macho man?”

  “His I’m-always-in-charge, listen-to-me dominant attitude of the alpha male.”

  “He was probably born that way,” Dora said. “I’ve transported several Rystani delegations. All Rystani men convey a superior attitude.”

  “What about their women?” Tessa finished her salad and moved on to the pasta, staring once again at the holovid. Oh my. The woman picked a moment to pivot, stop, and display herself in a most provocative pose.

  “On the rare occasions that the men travel, they leave their wives and daughters at home. So I’ve never met a Rystani woman.”

  “Well, apparently I’m not what Kahn wants in a wife.” Tessa grinned, recalling the look on his face when she’d suggested that she’d like to kiss a certain part of his anatomy.

  “You certainly look pleased.”

  “The man still has issues. But he’s making progress.”

  “In more ways than one. We’ve almost reached Zenon Prime.”

  Tessa heard a hint of sadness in her friend’s voice. “Oh, Dora. Does this mean goodbye for us?”

  “I don’t think so. I will be transporting you again. However, if you would like to stay in touch—”

  “I would.”

  “—while you are on the planet—”

  “That’s possible?”

  Machinery hummed and curious, Tessa placed her utensils in the disposal unit and peered into the materializer. Glistening black and white stones appeared.

  “Take them and place the stones on your earlobes. The women on Usjar use them to keep in constant contact with their consorts.”

  Tessa did as she asked, hoping the tiny devices would serve as both microphone and speaker. “Can you hear me?”

  “Of course.” Dora’s voice vibrated in Tessa’s ear. “I’ve also implanted tiny cameras in the stones.”

  “Can you induce privacy mode as well?”

  “Yes, but you must take care to conceal all lip movements.”

  “I understand. Thanks, Dora. You’re the best.”

  “No problem.”

  Tessa swallowed the last of her pasta with a grin. Dora loved to pick up slang, and she felt comforted with her computer friend nearby. With Zenon Prime this close, she was about to step onto a new world. As Earth’s first representative, she planned to make a favorable impression. Unfortunately, she’d never felt so ignorant. She didn’t know the customs here or what was expected of her, either. Kahn hadn’t been forthcoming on the subject, in fact, he hadn’t mentioned it, and Dora lacked adequate data. However, knowing that Dora was with her made her heart light and her mind eager to explore.

  Now that Tessa could open the door to her chamber, she was ready to venture out. “Dora, where’s Kahn?”

  “On the bridge.”

  “Can you guide me there, please?”

  “Compliance.”

  Tessa followed a series of blinking lights to the bridge. The corridors all looked similar to her with their crystal machinery that reminded her more of art than technology. She saw no other rooms and surmised that the ship’s interior was filled mostly by gigantic engines to run the hyper drives.

  The bridge wasn’t much larger than the shuttle. The circular cabin housed several viewscreens. The monitors to port, starboard, and stern showed a black sky with pinpoints of stars. The screen before Kahn revealed a planet that could have been drawn right from a Disney fantasy.

  With three moons and two suns in the seven planet solar system, there were no shadows or dark areas. Rings around the fourth planet sparkled with ethereal crystal structures. Giant cables connected the rings to the planet below and vehicles that resembled train cars or giant elevators shot up and down the cables.

  The planet had two emerald oceans both in the southern hemisphere. The clouds were pink and the landscape had slashes of rose. Streaks of violet desert between the giant domes of glass-like cities held her fascinated.

  Kahn looked up from the console. He didn’t seem the least surprised to see her there, but pleased. Her new husband might not be big on words, but she was starting to read his moods. Tensions between them had eased, and while she wouldn’t yet classify their complicated relationship as friendly, she believed they understood one another well enough to work out their differences.

  He gestured for her to come closer. “You slept straight through our hyper jump. Welcome to Zenon Prime.”

  “Wow. Is this where the Challenge takes place?”

  “No, but there’s an official welcoming ceremony waiting for you on the planet.” Kahn spoke to someone else through the communicator then docked the ship, smoothly maneuvering alongside one of the towers floating in the clouds.

  Metal clanged on metal. The gravity changed ever so slightly, and Kahn stretched as if he had kinks in his muscles. One moment he wore his casual low-slung pants and vest and the next, he’d changed into a formal black suit with braid piping, long sleeves, and a v-neckline that made him look masculine and darkly dangerous, especially with the ceremonial knife in his belt.

  He changed her clothes, too, and she gasped. An icy, diaphanous dress shimmered as the gorgeous fabric floated around her. Gossamer threads of silver, pink, and purple cellophane clouded the glassy translucence. Light, delicate and yet modest, the gown was the prettiest garment she’d ever worn. Tessa read admiration in Kahn’s eyes and was glad the bruise on her face had faded. And she managed to rein in her automatic protest of his choosing her attire, refusing to complain even about her high-heeled platform shoes.

  Kahn snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot.” From a compartment he removed a pendant with a smoky red stone. “For you. It’s a star fire.”

  She stared in awe. The stone sparkled like an opal, shimmered like a diamond, the color changing from crimson to scarlet, depending on the viewing angle. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  Kahn placed the jewelry around her neck, and the stone nestled between her breasts. “This is to remind you that during the welcoming ceremony on Zenon Prime, I will remain at your side and protect you. Some of the aliens will seem strange, even menacing, but you have nothing to fear. You aren’t expected to recognize the different cultures that you will meet or to know their customs. Just be yourself. There are only two races to worry about. First, the Endekians, who are my enemies. They are short, yellow skinned men with sharp teeth. Try to avoid looking them in the eyes as they will take it as a sign of sexual interest. Hopefully, Jypeg will not be here.”

  She heard hatred in Kahn’s tone. “Jypeg?”

  “The man who killed Lael.” Kahn took a deep breath and continued. “The other race you must try not to insult are the Osarians.”

  The manner in which he’d phrased his statement sounded so strange to her—as if everyone insulted the Osarians. “Why or how would I insult them?”

  “The Osarians are repulsive-looking creatures. Some candidates have run from the welcoming ceremonies in fear of the tentacled and powerful creatures.”

  “I will not run,” she promised. After his lovely gift and declaration of protection, she felt petty complaining about the shoes. But the platform sho
es with a heel way higher than one she was accustomed to left her clenching Kahn’s arm for balance, and for once, he didn’t complain about her touching him first.

  She eyed him as he led her to the shuttle bay. “You like me clinging to you for support, don’t you?”

  “All is as it should be.” His voice remained serene, but she caught a glint of amusement in his gaze.

  “You won’t think this is so damn amusing if I fall flat on my face and embarrass us both.”

  “You have extraordinary balance.”

  “And patience,” she muttered as she tripped, then gripped his arm tighter.

  Tessa repeatedly tried to modify the shoes, but he hadn’t simply used psi on her suit. He’d locked in his will by the use of the marriage bands he’d placed on her during their wedding ceremony, preventing her from overriding his decision. Forced to go clad according to his wishes in the lovely gown and shod in the ridiculous shoes, she supposed she should consider herself lucky that she wasn’t wearing some hideous outfit.

  If only she could operate the suit’s null-grav, she could float. Perhaps that was the point. Kahn had a brilliant tactical mind, and she wouldn’t put it past him to use the ceremony and the uncomfortable shoes to frustrate her into using null-grav and teach her another psi lesson.

  She sighed, followed Kahn into the shuttle, and vowed not to complain. However, she silently wondered why developing her psi always had to be so unpleasant.

  Kahn skillfully piloted the shuttle downward, and Tessa stared in wonder at the purple vegetation. Cactus-like plants, hundreds of feet high, mushroomed from the lavender desert. The gigantic plants rimmed an enormous crater into which the shuttle descended.

  Absorbed with the intriguing view of other aircraft, saucers, cigar-shaped and cylindrical, Tessa forgot the discomforts of her shoes. They plummeted swiftly into a controlled spiral, joining a busy traffic pattern. Below them runways, helipads. and hangars awaited the various aircraft of every imaginable size, shape, and color.