Farseek_Lietenant's Mate

by T. J. Quinn

  He took the scan readings twice to be sure there was no mistake even when his gut feeling told him they were right the first time.

  "Mother, I don't know what else to do," Hankura muttered, looking up at Casir and then to his wife beside him. "I've outdone myself as it is. It would have been easier to clone him another body and switch brains---and they don't teach that on Velran, or anywhere else I know of. The son of a bitch is still dying, and I can't bring him back."

  But---maybe I could. Her thought whispered itself in his mind.

  "No!" Hankura pulled off his surgical mask and gripped her shoulders. No, Chelle. It isn't worth the risk. He's just a fucking Tregan. You can't risk your life and our son's for him. I sensed the fault in his mental shield, too... but you can't. He could take your life...

  I know that, Hankura. It terrifies me, but he isn't like the others. We can't forget about Lanimer and Nalina. He saved them at the risk of his life. Can we do less?

  But, his killings cost Kaara's life and nearly yours.

  But he didn't know. Hankura, he was thrown in the middle of this the same as we were. Who are we to condemn him to death when we can save him? He is a man, and we have sworn to preserve human life if it is within our power. We went against that once---we have a choice this time.

  Mother of Life, Chelle! I could lose you in the process. His life is not worth yours to me ... you are everything to me---the essence of my life. I can't lose you.

  Then, help me, Hankura. Help me save him and keep my life's essence. We could do it together---together our wills must surely be stronger than his.

  Hankura stared deeply into her shining blue eyes, torn by the stirring of his conscience and his love for this woman carrying his child. She believed that his love was the key, the controlling factor in her healer's power. If they could keep Orin Hart alive, make him whole again, it would in some small way pay the debt they felt they owed for the killings in their escape.

  Hankura prayed that the key would fit the lock.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The Key

  "All right," Hankura agreed reluctantly. "Take off the neural block, Casir."

  Casir didn't move immediately. He cast a worried glance from one to the other of his friends. He didn't like what they were contemplating. He wanted to save this Tregan deserter just as much as they did, but not at the risk of their lives.

  You don't have to do this. Even as his thought passed to them he realized they would not be dissuaded. Casir felt suddenly helpless. There was no way he could help them once they connected with Orin Hart's life essence. Only their own strength of will combined could bring them back from the dark chasm.

  What they were about to do went far beyond anything that he and Lanimer had done. For Hankura and Chelle, this was a matter of life and death---an ultimate test of will.

  Chelle pulled off her gloves and mask, and Hankura did the same. Casir shut down the neural block. As Hankura sensed his intention to stay, he shook his dark head. I know you want to help, my friend, but you can't. We have to do this alone. Please do not interfere.

  Casir looked at them both intently and gave them an eloquent nod of his head. He loved them both, and he would do as they asked, hard as it was. "Good luck," he murmured with a husky catch in his throat. He was afraid for them. He embraced them both suddenly before he strode briskly from the chamber.

  Then Hankura and Chelle stood alone with the silent form of Orin Hart, his life slipping away, second by second. Hankura became enveloped in a wave of emotion as he gazed down into his wife's sparkling blue eyes. He understood more clearly than ever that this would be a healing for them as well. He brought his hand to her cheek in an exquisitely gentle caress as he touched his lips to hers. How he loved her!

  We are one like the water that soars in the fountain. Your love is my love. Your sorrow, my sorrow, your joy, my joy... my life, your life. We are one on the Path of Insight. We are one as the water that soars in the fountain. Your soul is my soul---we are one in life...death...eternity. Thus is the Circle of Life. Together, we seek life for us, for Orin Hart, and for the son in our womb. We, as one spirit, seek the light of life.

  Eyes held eyes, mind held mind, and then Chelle turned to the silent form on the table. The silence was broken only by the soft gurgling sound of the life support machine. In their singleness of purpose, Hankura and Chelle didn't hear it.

  Hankura stood close behind Chelle as she held her hands poised over Orin Hart's massive chest. He moved still closer, molding her body against his as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing his cheek against her hair, he lost himself in her spirit. Chelle leaned into his strength, immersing herself in the warmth of his love, and they became enveloped in the psychic aura of their life's essence. Slowly, Chelle lowered her tingling hands to touch the body and soul of a man called Orin Hart. Mentally, she approached the tiny fault in Orin’s natural mental block.

  They-one---she and Hankura---were instantly plunged into a chasm of darkness. At first, it seemed like an endless dark tunnel with no light to guide them. Were they too late? No nightmare or reality could have prepared them from the cold, stark terror that gripped them on the blind journey. Falling, falling, falling with no sense of up or down.

  Then, as if through a window, they sensed a tiny ember glowing in the distance. It beckoned them---the life essence of Orin Hart. There was a deathly stillness as the ember faded. They-one crawled through the window at the end of the tunnel guided by the faint light. Their light filled the darkness and touched the fading glow. In their light, Orin Hart glowed brighter and stronger, drawing energy from their light until they-one began to dim in his light.

  His ember grew brighter and brighter. Flames grew up all around them, threatening to swallow up they-one. Orin Hart pulled at their light, hungry for the warmth that his essence lacked. But they-one stood bravely among the flames against his pulling and tearing until they-one nearly drifted into he and she again. He and she drew near death's ridge, the thread of their bond taut and thin.

  Then the bond was strengthened by the tiny entity that was to be their son, and they were enveloped in the warmth of his essence which strengthened their bond and drew them together---three one. They came back from the edge of the chasm, taking back from Orin Hart some of their waning strength. They fled back through the window, into the black abyss.... back into the light of he and she.

  Orin Hart lived. He and she lived. The unborn child lived.

  It was some time before Hankura became aware of the light inside the surgical cell again and the warmth of Chelle's supple body gripped tightly against him. She gasped for breath against his crushing hold on her rib cage. Slowly, he realized and loosened his hold so she could breathe more easily. She was limp in his arms, but her deep, even breathing reassured him. He pulled the surgical cap from her head and blotted the dampness from her face. He tenderly caressed the soft, cropped hair that framed her face in wispy curls and smiled. The healing had been theirs as well. He didn't have to look at the readouts to know they had won.

  The quest had weakened their bodies, but Hankura felt his spirit soaring with hers. After a time, he found the strength to lift her in his arms and carry her out in the cool of dawn.

  Casir met them outside. Med-Techs were arriving to transport Orin Hart to a sealed life support chamber at the Elran clinic.

  "Thank, Goddess!" Casir sighed. "He almost took you. I sense you're both very weak."

  "We are," Hankura whispered. "She was right, you know. Love saved us in the form of our child. I never dreamed...."

  "Nor I." Casir shook his head in awe, his pale cat-like eyes filled with relief. "Let me help you." He held out his arms and together they carried Chelle to the waiting hovercraft. Casir helped them both inside and stood watching until the craft lifted and slowly glided away. Then he smiled. They were going to be all right.

  Nalina looked up warily at the tall stranger who came into Marn's study. The short time he'd kept her waiting seemed an e
ternity. This man, though tall, was not as big as Orin, but he could be just as frightening in his own way. His stark emerald eyes seemed able to pierce the secrets of her soul, and the feeling made her uncomfortable.

  Hankura's grim expression softened a little when he realized the woman's fears. He gave her a faint smile of reassurance as he came and sat in a padded chair beside her.

  "What have you done with Orin? Is he dead?" she asked, tears hovering on her dark lashes. What are you going to do with me? I don't care that he is Tregan. I love him.

  "Calm yourself, Nalina." Hankura began gently. "It was a lot of work, but I think your friend is going to live.” He'd better live. I almost lost Chelle and our son to save him.

  "Where is he? I want to be with him." Nalina asserted, fidgeting nervously.

  "Orin is still on life support at the Elran Clinic. I don't expect you can speak with him for several more days. But I'll let you look in on him if you like."

  "But what will happen to him when he recovers? Tira said that some of the Tregans were executed and the rest sent to Penta Prison." She looked at him dolefully. "Please, don't let them take Orin to prison. They made him wear the Raider uniform and come here to kill us. But he never killed anyone except other Tregans to save Lanimer and me. I'm sorry---he's sorry he couldn't save Mikal and Lania and Merris. He regrets that he didn't decide to act sooner. But he saved Lanimer and me, and he took care of us all these months---even after I tried to kill him!"

  Hankura was silent as he read her thoughts. In seconds, he understood Orin as Nalina saw him. He had risked his life to save two strangers who should have been his enemies. He couldn't fault Orin for not acting soon enough to save Mikal and Lania and Merris. Hankura bore his own regrets for not acting sooner to escape and rescue Chelle. If he had, he might have saved Kaara. Or he might have been killed. He would never know.

  "If you send Orin to prison, I want to go with him. I lost Mikal. I won't lose him, too. I don't want to desert Lanimer, but I promised to bring him to you. I know you'll take good care of him and teach him well. He is like you." She touched her temple to indicate the boy's psionic ability.

  "I can't promise that Orin won't go to prison, Nalina. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, Chelle and I are going to Oltarin in a few days. We would be pleased if you and Lanimer would come with us. I know Mikal wouldn't want us to tear his son from his governess. Perhaps in time, you'll both feel at ease with us." Hankura paused to let her consider it for a moment. “If Orin would want to come, he could come with Casir’s crew. It would be a new start for him, too.”

  Nalina eyed him uncertainly. She wanted to trust him, even to like him, knowing how highly Mikal regarded the Aledan. She still saw him as a stranger, but she had no place else to go. Orin and Lanimer were her only family. If Hankura was taking him to Oltarin, she was going, too. But, she couldn’t speak for Orin.

  Two days later, Orin Hart's recovery looked more certain. Now they planned his cover and getting him off Zevus Mar. Hankura, Chelle, and Casir sat at the table in the dining niche in Casir’s quarters, discussing just that.

  "I don't see that there is a problem," Casir said. "Everyone thinks he's on my crew, and I let them. I never reported the shooting to anyone, and I asked my work crew from that day to keep it quiet. We're not really going to send him out on the prison shuttle, are we?"

  Hankura scowled. "Hell, Casir! As much as I hated those bastards, I can't send that man to spend the rest of his life in prison because of his genes. A real Tregan raider would never have saved and cared for Nalina and Lanimer. The boy would never forgive us for sending Orin to prison...as it is, he is still angry with us because the Tregan was hurt in the first place."

  "Besides," Chelle spoke up. "We've touched his life's essence. His will is strong, and he is a good man. I understand why they couldn't brainwash him. He deserves a chance to live out his life in peace just like the rest of us."

  "Okay, so we won't send him to prison. What do we do about his identity?" asked Casir. "If the Zevian's find out he's Tregan, someone will kill him."

  "Not if he leaves with your crew. Tell the Zevians he's from Earth---if anyone asks," Chelle said. "Who will know he's not? They are still rebuilding Earth. Many there still have no official identity. We can build him a past and have it recorded. When he's able, he can be voice and retina printed right here on Zevus Mar. You can put it in your records just to make it legal."

  Are you sure? Hankura looked at his wife in surprise. It had been a hard struggle to put the past behind them. Orin Hart's presence would be a constant reminder.

  I'm sure. Orin Hart will remind us of the good in his race. We can't punish an innocent man for what was done to us in war. We could lose Lanimer forever if we send Orin to prison. We must help him for all our sakes.

  Hankura nodded. "If that's what you want..."

  "Yes." Chelle laughed softly. "And you knew I'd see it your way."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Horizons

  Ten days later, dull burning pain reminded Orin Hart that he was still alive. He opened his eyes for the first time since he'd been shot.

  He felt too tired and weak to move much, but he found a smile as he looked up into Nalina's worried face. Her eyes were brimming as she whispered his name and stroked the side of his cheek with her little sun-bronzed hand.

  Just like his mother, he thought. She cried when things were bad and cried when things were good. But, it felt good to know she still cared enough to cry for him. His arm felt like it was lead-weighted, but he managed to reach up and draw her head down against his shoulder.

  "You can stop your crying, little one," he whispered, stroking her soft, sweet smelling hair. "I'm not dead after all. Why the hell not, I don't know! What happened? I remember being shot, and then there was this strange dream---real strange."

  "A medical team brought you to Elran and put you back together. The raids are over, and Zevus Mar has nearly been rebuilt, now. The other Tregan raiders are dead or in prison on Penta. Zevus Mar is back in Federation control, now," she explained.

  "But, why did they bother to save me? What are they going to do with me? Send me to prison, too?" he breathed dryly. "They might as well have let me die!"

  "No, no, Orin. Don't say that!" she admonished. "They saved you because of Lanimer. He made Casir understand what you did for us. Lanimer's father Mikal was a good friend of Hankura's back on Aledus some years ago.

  "When you were dying, they healed you. It nearly killed them. That must have been your dream. You are truly not like the others because they touched your mind and helped you find the will to live. They are telepaths like Lanimer only stronger and more skilled. They made records that say you are Terran like Chelle. The Federation won't check your past. As far as they are concerned, Raider Orin Hart is dead."

  Nalina paused and shifted herself on the bed beside Orin, half lying with her dark head nestled against his massive shoulder.

  "You can come to Oltarin live with us---Lanimer and me," Nalina continued. "We can be together--if you still want us. I mean---you don't have to take care of us anymore. You don't even have to go with unless you want to. You are free, free to go wherever you want, thanks to Hankura and Casir."

  "Don't talk crazy, woman! Of course, I still want you," he admonished. His strong fingers under her chin forced her to meet his eyes. Her feelings were all mirrored in her dark, luminous eyes for him to see and savor.

  Freedom was a relative thing, he thought, smiling fondly at her. To some, it meant not having any emotional ties to keep them in one place. To others, to him, when he deserted from the Raiders, it meant he had nothing left to lose. But, that wasn't true anymore. He had a lot to lose if he let her go without him---this tender, gentle woman who loved him and a son he claimed in his heart for his own. These were just the most fragile of dreams that had died the day the Commander General hauled him from his home on Veldis Lar, what seemed so long ago.

  Orin had fought long and hard to claim
these simple things in life that other men took for granted. Now, he had found a place to belong, and he would fight for it again if it ever came to that. But, Orin Hart was no warrior; he was a gentle man of simple dreams who could and would fight to the death to preserve them.

  "I'm not going anywhere without you, Nalina, and I'm not just going to desert Lanimer. I love you both too much for that," he murmured fiercely. "If I go there, though, what am I to do?"

  "As soon as you're well, we can go and live with Hankura and Chelle and Lanimer when Casir builds their house on Oltarin. I will care for Lanimer and for their child when he is born. You were raised as a farmer, and they need someone to run the farm and care for some kind of animals. But, if you don't want to ...."

  "It's what you want, isn't it?" he half smiled indulgently.

  "Yes, but I thought that someday, that you and I---”

  "That we could do what?"

  "That---that we could have our own son---our own land---that I could be your wife just like other people."

  "But, I thought---I mean, I'm sterile. All of us were."

  Nalina smiled and shook her head. "No, Orin. Hankura said you only had a temporary implant. It can be removed."

  There was that stranger's name again---yet somehow Orin knew he wasn't really a stranger.

  He might as well get used to it, he sighed. He was in a world full of strangers, and his future happiness depended on his being able to come to terms with it. He was going to stay with them and try to forget the same as they what havoc his former comrades in arms had done to his life on this little desert world called Zevus Mar.