“I need to speak urgently to Father Lijou.”
The officer frowned. “It’s early morning here, Brother. Father Lijou is likely eating right now, with Tutor Kha’Qwa. Is it that urgent? Perhaps his aide could help instead?”
“He’ll want to hear what I’ve got to tell him,” said Brynne grimly. “I’m under orders to report to him personally.”
As soon as he was connected to the Guild Master, Brynne gave him his news. “The Valtegans have got them,” he said. “I saw it. Another dream, vision, call it what you want, it’s them.”
“Are you sure?” demanded Lijou, ears pricking forward to catch every word.
“My Leska saw them on Keiss, Father. I know exactly what they look like. It’s them, and they’ve at least got Carrie, probably Kusac and the others.”
“Record the vision now, before you forget any details. I don’t want to discuss this further over the comm. I’ll join you tomorrow or the day after. Get Garras to sort some quarters out for me.” The screen went black.
* * *
* * *
Kusac heard the door to his cell hiss open. The chill of the steel floor under him had sapped what strength he’d had left, leaving him too stiff to move. A strange mixture of scents wafted over to him, teasing his nose with their unfamiliarity as he tried to identify them. A pattering sound was coming toward him. He tried to open eyes that were gritty and swollen. Jerkily, he pulled his arm up and pawed at his face, hearing the pattering stop then hastily retreat.
A thrumming hum became audible, quickly turning into a burst of sound that was instantly recognizable as speech. He raised his head to look, catching sight of a cloud of strips of gauzy cloth amid which he could glimpse spindly bronze-colored legs.
“What the . . .”
A rifle coughed and something hit him hard at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Before he could yelp in pain, his vision faded and his head hit the floor again.
“Conscious not you said!” the being hummed angrily, limbs and draperies moving continuously in agitation. “Place not again me at risk!”
“You should have waited,” said the Seniormost’s translator.
He made a sound of disapproval, mandibles making a small rattling noise as they quivered, but he began to settle down to stillness again. “Look now I will.” Three-toed feet pattering on the floor, he stalked into the room, folding himself down to peer at the Sholan. Dark pupils swirling in the center of large oval eyes, he shifted his field of vision to the lower lens.
Three reed thin fingers touched Kusac’s face, gently prodding at the swellings and cuts before moving lower to check the rest of his body. It was accomplished quickly, and finished, he stood up.
“Blame not this me for. Warned you I did of your priest. Not stable. Listen you didn’t, results now here.” He pointed to Kusac’s still form.
“I did not ask you to implant him, Kzizysus. The experiment with the priest is terminated. He’s being implanted now, Commander’s orders.”
“For Sholans not intended this device. Medical center delivered have him.” With that, the being stalked out in a swirl of draperies and scents.
Behind it, the Seniormost signed to the guards to pick up the body.
* * *
Day 33
“You asked for proof, Commander Chuz. It’s there, in your hands,” said Rhyaz.
“I didn’t ask for proof, Rhyaz, what I said was if Shola faces a threat of that magnitude, the Forces will deal with it.” He waved the piece of paper at Rhyaz. “I accept that finding this debris proves there is now a threat. What I need is the coordinates of your destination and this damned message of yours withholds it!”
“Obviously I’m aware of the location, Commander, but as I’ve said already, this is a Brotherhood matter and I will not divulge it.”
“You seriously expect me to believe that your handful of people are capable of dealing with a ship able to not only disable the Profit, but remove it from that sector of space? Don’t make me laugh!” snorted Chuz, slamming the message back on his desk.
“You’re missing the point, Commander,” said Rhyaz, beginning to get irritated. “We don’t intend to stop it, except as a last resort. The point of us being there is to try to engage it in talks.”
Chuz got to his feet. “Rhyaz, this whole conversation is ridiculous in the extreme,” he said angrily. “You have neither the people, the craft, nor the experience to conduct such an undertaking. You’re just a fancy version of the Warrior Guild with ideas beyond your capabilities. Now, I order you to give me the location immediately, or face charges of treason.”
“I must refuse. This is a Brotherhood matter, Commander, and will remain one. We have the people, and the constitutional right to deal with it. I suggest you speak to the captains of your fleet in the immediate future to find out just how many operatives we have.”
“Then you leave me no option but to arrest you for treason.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Chuz,” said General Raiban softly. “Not a good idea at all.”
Chuz glowered at her. “I just have. I’d have expected more support from you, Raiban! Dammit, we can’t have unrecognized pseudo-military groups holding Shola and its appointed Forces to ransom!”
“Are you prepared to withdraw your accusations, Commander?” asked Rhyaz quietly, remaining seated.
“Not unless you’re prepared to give me that location right now!”
“This is not wise, not wise at all, Rhyaz,” said Raiban frowning. “You should have told Commander Chuz of your appointment first.”
“It shouldn’t make any difference, Raiban,” said Rhyaz. “That’s my point. Chuz, I’ll ask you one last time, do you withdraw your accusations?”
“What appointment?” demanded Chuz, leaning toward him across his desk.
“Commander Rhyaz,” she said, emphasizing his rank, “was appointed to the High Command last night by the decision of the World Council.”
“Impossible! And he’s not a commander! Self-conferred ranks don’t mean anything here!”
“Chuz, for the Gods’ sake, sit down and shut up before you dig yourself into a deeper pit,” snapped Raiban. “Rhyaz, don’t you . . .”
“Consider yourself Challenged as unfit to lead the High Command,” said Rhyaz, drowning out Raiban. “On the grounds of your inability to assess the situation without a personal bias. Jorto, you’ve witnessed this.”
In his corner at the rear of the room, the elderly Truth-sayer stirred. “Witnessed, Commander Rhyaz.”
“What?” Stunned, Chuz sat down. “You can’t.”
Raiban growled. “I warned you, Chuz. Rhyaz, you set this up, damn you!”
“Me, General? When you yourself warned Chuz to be careful of what he was saying, and I gave him two chances to retract it? I think not. Jorto, tell them about the World Council decision, if you please.”
“The matter was first brought to the Council’s attention some two months ago at the request of Governor Nesul, to bring the Brotherhood in line with the other recognized military bodies on Shola and in space. The final discussion was scheduled for next week, but in view of the impending situation with the missing En’Shalla Brotherhood members, it was decided to reschedule it for last night. It was passed with an almost unanimous vote.”
“As a High Command member, I have the right as an equal to Challenge you. And I have,” said Rhyaz quietly. “However, I will give you an option. You may face a Brother of my choosing, of the same age as yourself, or you may step down voluntarily as President. The choice is yours. Either way, you will not ever repeat your allegations against myself or the En’Shalla Brotherhood.”
“You can’t do this,” repeated Chuz, looking from one to the other of them.
“I’m afraid he can,” said Raiban. “You knew he already had the backing of Konis, myself, and Naika at the last meeting, if he could produce proof. With his own vote he now has a majority. Before that, you had an even split on the Council, a clear indication his
request should be taken seriously. You dug that pit yourself, and compounded it with allegations of treason and personal insults, Chuz.”
“The Brotherhood was set up specifically to protect our people during the Cataclysm, a time of great civil unrest. We existed before even the Warrior Guild. We were the military backbone of Shola then,” said Rhyaz. “Our constitutional role was to protect those deemed important to Shola. It’s still our role. I told you this at our last meeting, showed you the entry pertaining to the Brotherhood in the transcripts of those first meetings setting up the guild system. You chose to ignore them. What’s your choice, Chuz? The Challenge circle, or retirement as President?”
“You know there’s no real choice,” he growled. “I’ll step down, dammit! I wondered what you were doing here, Raiban, now I know. You’ve gotten what you wanted, Rhyaz. Just remember, you’d better not fail, because if you do . . .”
“Chuz!” warned Raiban, thoroughly exasperated.
Rhyaz began to relax. He’d come prepared for anything from an armed takeover to his own rescue. Chuz had been President for many years, but they were facing less peaceful times. They needed someone younger and with a greater depth of vision to head the Council now.
“Your retirement as President is noted, Commander Chuz,” said Jorto quietly. “As Second, all powers vested in the position of President are yours until a duly appointed successor has been elected, General Raiban.”
Raiban got to her feet. “We’ve got work to do, Rhyaz. Chuz, I’ll see you later,” she said, heading for the door.
As they made their way down the corridor to Raiban’s office, she glanced at him and at his escort of four Brothers and Jorto. “You came prepared. Just as well,” she sighed.
“Had Chuz seen sense there would have been no need to force him to retire, Raiban,” he said quietly. “As you said, he dug his own pit.”
“So you’re a commander, are you?”
“As head of the Warrior side of the Order, yes. Apart from the teaching staff, we don’t hold a rank unless on a mission. We are only Brothers and Sisters, and the juniors in training.”
She grunted. “Strange way to do things. Anyway, what is it you need?”
“A fighter carrier and three hundred fighters,” he said, “plus the use of some troop transporters to get the Brothers to their ships. We’ve got everything else.”
“Those decommissioned ships you’ve been buying up?” She shook her head. “If you won’t give us the location, at least give me an idea of what sector you’re in so I know how to plan our defense.”
Rhyaz had always been prepared to give that information. “Between the Chemerian and Jalnian sectors. Far enough out from Shola to give you plenty of time and space,” he said, mouth opening in a faint smile. “Should we fail.”
“You can have the craft, and the crew to fly them because I know you don’t have that many pilots,” said Raiban, opening her office door. “I expect to be kept informed, Rhyaz. If you find them, you have two people empowered to negotiate at this preliminary level—Kaid Tallinu and Kusac Aldatan.” She shut the door firmly on Jorto and Rhyaz’s escort.
Rhyaz smiled gently to himself as he took a seat at Raiban’s desk. “We’ll be happy to take the crew we need, Raiban,” he said, knowing full well he had all the resources he needed. Once his people took charge of the craft, they’d be gone, leaving Raiban’s crew behind them. Let Raiban think she would have spies in his camp, it would keep her quiet for now.
“I take it you’ll have Kaid doing most of the talking.”
“That’s the plan,” agreed Rhyaz. “Kusac will be consulted, as he is a member of AIRel.”
Raiban raised an eye ridge as she activated her comm link to the main fleet. “He’s qualified already?”
“Let’s face it, Raiban, he has had a lot of experience in the field, so to say, with several different alien species. That was taken into account when the board examined him before he went to Jalna.”
“Hmm. Well, let’s hope you find them and manage to negotiate their release,” she said.
* * *
Day 34
“I tell you, I’m going back there tonight!” The soldier slammed the blade of the spade into the grass, stamped on the edge and lifted out the clump of earth, flinging it on the small pile that lay behind him.
“Shut up, Fayal. The sergeant’s around somewhere. He catches you talking like that and we’ll all be grounded for the next month, never mind the next week!”
Fayal growled, standing back from the hole and leaning on his spade. “Let him! Think I’m going to let someone else move in on that little female I’ve been sweetening up for myself? Forget it, Vryal! You want to stay on the estate, your choice. Rraysa, what about you? You coming with me?”
Rraysa jammed the new post into the hole, then held his hand out for the hammer. Vryal passed it to him.
“I asked you if you were coming,” repeated Fayal.
“No. This is my last day of this duty. I plan to keep it that way.” He waited for Vryal to grab the post then began swinging the hammer, knocking it into the ground.
“Spineless, that’s what you are,” Fayal snorted derisively. “You change your minds, I’ll be here at fourteenth hour.”
“No way, not with those ferals you been feeding!” said Vryal. “Where are they, anyway? Thought they’d be out to complain at the noise we’re making.”
“They’re there, all right,” said Fayal. “Watching us from behind those bushes on the other side. Won’t bother us when there’s so many of us.”
Rraysa glanced over the low fence before giving the hammer a final swing. “One day, those cats are going to get you for walking all over their territory.”
“Not while I’m throwing them a nice chunk or three of raw meat,” laughed Fayal, scooping a spadeful of soil up from his pile and dumping it round the base of the post.
“Hurry up, Fayal,” said Rraysa, sticking his hammer through his belt. “I want to get back to the base as soon as we’re through here.”
“What for? To sit in the mess and drink c’shar? Spend the night watching vid comm?” He laughed again as he shoveled the remainder of the soil into the hole, then stamped on it to firm it down. “There,” he said, moving out of the way. “Get on with it, then. Don’t want that c’shar to get cold, do we?”
Vryal began hauling the mesh back across the gap to the new post while Rraysa dug in one of his pockets for the staples to secure it. Within minutes they were finished and heading along the cleared area around the fence to the old gate track that led to the main estate.
* * *
Brynne was waiting with Garras and Vanna when Father Lijou arrived. He’d left Banner and Jurrel keeping Keeza company. Half an hour later, they were entering Brynne’s home.
“I want to know all the details,” said Lijou, as he and Vanna were ushered into the den at the rear of the house to join Jurrel.
Upstairs, Keeza heard their voices and felt a stir of memory. Excusing herself from Banner’s company, she returned to her own room where she lay down on the bed.
She’d heard the voice before, but where, and when? Fear that her new world, still so very fragile, was under threat again, filled her. She curled up, closing her eyes, wondering how much longer she’d have to endure the slow drip of returning memories.
“A red-robed Valtegan,” said Vanna thoughtfully. “We saw none like that. Most wore the one-piece fatigues like the Humans. Green ones. Red robes, though. Suggests someone important, some officer.”
“Priest?” asked Jurrel. “Priests always wear robes when on official duties.”
“Trouble is, we’ve got all our Valtegan experts off-world,” said Lijou. “This must never happen again. Can you remember anything more, Vanna?”
She shook her head. “Father Lijou, you’re asking me to go back a long time.”
“They probably weren’t on Keiss when you were there,” said Brynne. “They were off killing the settlers on our two colony worlds.”
“That’s true. If this one went with General M’ezozakk, then he’s definitely someone of importance. What did you say he was doing in this vision?” she asked.
“I didn’t. He was attacking Carrie,” said Brynne.
“Attacking her? How?”
“Sexually,” said Brynne grimly. “He knew her as far as I could tell.”
“Oh, Gods! Not that!” said Vanna, shocked. “Didn’t anyone stop him?”
“I didn’t see enough for that,” said Brynne, putting his hand over hers. “Just think. Who among the Valtegans knew her?”
“No one! Her sister was another matter . . . That’s it! He must have known her sister, Elise!”
“Elise?” asked Jurrel.
“Her twin. She worked undercover for the Human guerrillas in the city of Geshader as a prostitute to the Valtegan officers.”
“Wasn’t she caught and tortured?” asked Lijou. “I seem to remember reading it in some files not long after Carrie arrived here.”
“Yes. She was. Can you access those files from here? Perhaps what we need is in them,” said Vanna.
“The comm is over there,” said Brynne, pointing to his desk. “Please, help yourself.”
It took only some ten minutes before Lijou found what they wanted. “The red-robed priest was the torturer,” he said, turning back to them. “May Vartra protect them if they’re with him. Now we know the nature of the threat.”
“Hold on,” said Vanna. “Not so fast. We’re forgetting something here. Carrie was put into cryo with a serious injury. How can she possibly be in any fit state for even a Valtegan to rape her? I didn’t see any evidence on Keiss that the Valtegans were capable of performing that kind of surgery on Humans, let alone had drugs like fastheal to accelerate healing.”
“You’re right,” said Brynne, thinking it through. “That’s what the dreams of the tiled room and the bright lights were. But the priest was definitely present last night.”
“If not the Valtegans, then who?” asked Jurrel. “Who would let one of them have access to her?”
“More Valtegans,” said Lijou, feeling a chill run through him as he remembered what Rhyaz had said about the wreckage that had been found and the traces of ships’ signatures. There had been two others as well as those of the Profit.
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