by Reagan Woods
“Mmmm. Not so fast.” He moved quickly – too quickly for a human – and became a wall of naked man blocking her path.
Fran took an involuntary step back, acutely aware of how much damage someone with his speed and strength could do. “Dude, you really have to put some clothes on.”
He ignored her attempt to redirect him, calmly stating, “There is a group of CGA Warriors a quarter mile from here. They seek escapees.”
She didn’t question how he knew it, he wouldn’t answer anyway. Instead, she slung her pack across her shoulders. “Sure you’re not coming?”
“I’m going to distract the Warriors while you get away.” He reached his arms above his head in another languid stretch.
“Uh…” He stopped her before she could ask why he’d do such a thing.
“You will owe me,” he stated implacably. “And I always collect my debts.”
There was no waiting for her agreement, no handshake, no hug goodbye. One moment he was standing next to her, the next he took a flying leap, scaling the twenty-foot rock wall in a show of effortless strength that stole her breath.
“Definitely not human,” she muttered as he hopped out of the gorge. As an afterthought, she called half-heartedly, “You never told me your name!”
His dark cap of hair caught the sunlight as he leaned over the edge. For a moment, he looked like a dark angel peering down from the heavens. “Call me Peter.” With a careless wave, he withdrew.
“Why do I think that isn’t his real name?”
Laughter carried down from above as she picked up the pace. She added freakish hearing abilities to the ‘not quite human’ column of her mental inventory of Peter. With any luck, she’d make it across the plain to the foothills in the next few days.
Don’t worry, GoGo. I’m coming!
And she was…even if she owed the scary, bare-assed alien a million favors for helping her stay free.
Chapter 29
Besides scheduling security for the camp – and taking several shifts himself, Calyx worked diligently to determine exactly how the abduction of so many Earthers went off. The DNA profile, medical records, work assignments, skill assessments and progress level through the reconditioning process of more than half the Earth females – and some males - had disappeared at some point before or during the chaos.
The medics couldn’t be certain exactly when the data went missing, simply that there were no profiles to update when several wounded people sought treatment. So, Domik and his team conducted a census and found many people in the camp who had no official records.
That information begged the question: how many Earthers had the culprits intended to abduct? If they intended to take each person whose file they erased, wouldn’t they have needed more ships? More accomplices than the few Doranos who had ‘gone rogue’ according to Dorit?
Who, what, when, where and why were questions with murky answers at best. The how, though- that was starting to take shape. Calyx ran his (admittedly outrageous) theory past the core Warriors working on the problem.
Commander Skylan liked Calyx’s thoughts so much he assigned Calyx as one of the General’s greeters. If his brothers back in Corian Space knew he was about to meet the heir to the throne, the most feared and adored Galactic General in all of Warrior history, they’d be bug-eyed with envy. The late Commander Vank was Calyx’s friend and hero – the reverberation of Vank’s loss still shook him. Vank was an amazing Warrior, but his reputation wasn’t as electrifying as his brother Darvan’s.
General Darvan’s record of cunning strategy and fearsome leadership far eclipsed the accomplishments of all the other D’Corian brothers combined. Calyx was legitimately nervous as he tromped under the late afternoon sun behind Silex and Domik toward the General’s shuttle.
“Warriors,” the General acknowledged them when they stopped a respectful distance away. Darvan D’Corian was a big male, close to eight feet tall and clearly as fit as any of them. Next to him stood a thin, blonde Earther.
Arianna had the dubious honor of being the last Earther captured during the anemic invasion effort. She was the most elusive prey Track Team One ever hunted. Emaciated and filthy, she hadn’t been much to look at when they finally captured her, but inside, she had the heart of a Warrior and a shocking intellect.
She looked better than she had the last time Calyx saw her. Her hair was longer and she appeared clean and healthy, but the dark smudges under her green eyes were disturbing.
It gave Calyx a strange feeling to see her wearing the civilized, khaki colored clothing of his own people. He thought he saw a flash of recognition in her eyes, though her expression remained carefully blank as she watched the Warriors approach.
“General.” Silex bowed. “This is Domik.” The big male inched forward and inclined his head. “And this is Calyx.” Calyx mimicked his friends. “We’ve been asked to escort you to the outer perimeter to speak with Commander Skylan.”
General Darvan indicated they should lead on. He behaved solicitously with his captive, frequently touching her or puling her close as they approached the western edge of the energy barrier. The General’s treatment of his captive was odd enough to draw considering looks from each Warrior.
“General.” The Commander bowed. “This is the weakness in the field,” he gestured to the anomaly, a barely visible point in the field where the barrier appeared to weaken sporadically.
Every few seconds, the field became unstable and a large rectangular hole through the field became visible. Calyx had switched the old crystals out for new, but the anomaly remained.
Skylan continued, “I’ve checked with the other camps and several have found similar structural flaws.”
For a moment, the General’s lips parted in mute disbelief. Copper eyes narrowing, he said flatly, “Obviously, these flaws were not present when we implemented the field barriers.”
Skylan answered quickly, “No, Sir. That would definitely have made the engineers’ log. Warrior Calyx was on the Collection Team that organized and implemented this camp’s original security.”
The segue didn’t leave him in the best light, but this was his chance to make an impression. Calyx squared his shoulders and stepped forward. “I personally set up security for this sector. This field went up in record time without a single implementation issue.”
Calyx nearly swallowed his tongue when the General bent low to speak quietly with the female. He didn’t have a lot of – alright, any - experience around high-ranking Warriors and their captives, but he was reasonably sure that the captives weren’t permitted to meddle in Warrior business.
The female stepped boldly forward and asked, “Are the crystals used in the field manufactured or natural?”
He glanced around awkwardly. One simply did not speak to a captive – especially a captive female belonging to the highest-ranking Corian in the land. Uncertain of the protocol, Calyx waited for the General’s nod before answering, “Manufactured.”
“Where are they manufactured?” She persisted, clearly unaware that her idle curiosity put his very life at risk.
He kept his eyes on the General as he answered, “On one of the Corian moons.”
Sweat began to roll down Calyx’s back as she continued her inquest. There was no way he could continue staring at General Darvan. Challenging his superior was not on his agenda for the day. “Could the crystals be flawed?”
“Obviously they are,” the General snapped wearily. Calyx breathed a sigh of relief when the captive and captor focused on one another.
“I’m asking if the field could have been manufactured with a deliberate flaw.” The Warriors drew a collective breath and held it when she snapped back, her posture becoming subtly challenging.
“I see what you’re saying,” Calyx’s words came out in a rush. It was probably stupid, but Calyx decided to do what he could to dispel the tension. He admired the little Earther’s brazen determination, but she was going to get herself in trouble. That would be a shame be
cause she had a mind like nothing he’d ever seen – and he was interested to see where she was going with this. “There is a possibility that several flawed crystals placed together could degrade at the same rate over time causing an exploitable weakness. It would be very difficult to place the crystals in the appropriate positions in the manufacturing process, though,” he finished doubtfully.
“I agree,” she answered calmly. “Placing a ‘hidden door’, so to speak, in an active field, in a useful position, without alerting anyone to its presence is risky and unlikely. You need to look for the precipitating event.”
What she was suggesting was so horrifying he had trouble putting it into words. If she was correct, no one at any of the camps – or at any CORANOS operation in the universe – was safe behind the energy barriers. “You mean…?”
“Your enemies have a free pass to come and go at will through any of your energy fields if they know the trigger that corrupts the crystals or interrupts the energy flow.” She was right, too. Hence, the remaining weakness in the new crystals.
“That is a disturbing possibility,” the General acknowledged. Decisively, he addressed each Warrior in turn, “Calyx, I’d like you to contact the Explorer and ask them to send down a team of engineers to evaluate the situation. Silex, please alert the other camps to our suspicions. Domik, please escort Arianna to last meal in the commissary. Afterwards, take her to my field quarters.”
Calyx quickly set out to do the General’s bidding using the master switch for the energy field Skylan had issued the four of them earlier that day. Although, if Arianna was correct, anyone with a disrupter tuned to the proper frequency could access the camp at will.
“Wait up,” Silex jogged a few steps and pulled alongside him. “What did you think of all that?”
“I thought the female was trying to get herself – and possibly me – killed,” Calyx answered wryly. “It’s as though she’s suicidal.”
Silex chuckled humorlessly, eyes hidden behind his sunshades. “Yes, these Earthers are full of fire – even when you’re sure you’ve extinguished their anger.”
Silex’s words echoed Calyx’s own fears about his spat with Tara the day before. That they were walking through the very field where she’d accused him of calling her a whore didn’t help him suppress the memory, either.
He cringed internally. If he let thoughts of her distract him, Calyx feared he would lose his best chance of achieving a rank high enough to merit the Right to Seek Claim for her. Yet, he knew they needed to come to an understanding or he was going to snap and steal her away like the Doranos had tried. It wasn’t that he wanted to hurt her or take her away from others like her. He simply wanted to hide her away and protect her from the ones who would harm such a sweet, giving person.
If he thought too long about what might have happened to her had the honorless Shirok succeeded, he would go mad. With supreme effort, he cleared his head.
“Any news on Francesca?”
“Nothing.” There was a warning edge to Silex’s tone.
After they passed through the gates into the Warrior’s yard, Silex slowed to a stop. Head swiveling as though he expected an attack at any moment, he spoke quietly, “We need to keep a close watch on the General’s captive. Domik found someone on his patrol yesterday.”
“Who?”
“A male Earther. He told Domik his name is Peter,” Silex relayed. “None of the other Earthers seem to recognize him and of course, there is no record of him.”
“Do you think he escaped from another camp?”
“I don’t know,” Silex admitted. “He showed up here and started asking the other Earthers if they know an Arianna Wellingcourt.”
Calyx’s frown deepened. “Isn’t that…?”
“It is.”
“He turned up yesterday?”
“Can’t be coincidence,” Silex growled. “Rumor has it, she was the one who sabotaged the defense shield and ultimately cost Vank his life.”
“She’s an enemy agent?” Calyx asked skeptically. Corians revered females. The punishment for such a High Crime was death. Yet, killing her was unthinkable.
“We don’t know what she is,” Silex corrected.
Chapter 30
Tara sighed as she closed the kitchen. It was long past curfew. Between training new staff and running out to inventory the fields, she was sapped. It was exciting to see more of the camp after spending so much time indoors, but Commander Skylan set brutal expectations.
The Commander was a hardened Warrior with a handsome face and empty eyes. She’d seen him from afar but never had occasion to interact with him until he’d popped by for a surprise visit after dinner hours yesterday.
To her utter shock, he’d laid out a plan for the camp to be self-sufficient. He said he needed her to make it happen, so today, she found herself up to her eyeballs in data he’d strong-armed out of Dorit, the Doranos who had overseen the camp.
There was information on corn, soy, wheat, oats and any number of edible plants. She hadn’t even begun to wade through the technical reports on the livestock. Whatever his short-comings – and she was sure there were tons - Dorit was crazy-thorough. He’d added notes about potential uses, untapped markets, places in other solar systems where certain plants and animals might thrive. It made her head spin to realize how much she didn’t know about the universe – let alone her own planet.
“You’re out late.”
Hand going to the V-neck of her top, Tara shrieked. Calyx stepped from the shadows at the end of the hall, head bent as he fiddled with something in his hand.
He looked up from what he was doing, exasperation flashing across his face as footsteps began to pound in their direction. “And still unescorted, I see.”
The medic slowed to a stop, hands shooting into the air like a prisoner in an old western as he caught sight of Calyx. “I heard a scream,” he explained backing toward the infirmary. “I didn’t want to chance your wrath if someone got to her again.”
Whatever Calyx said in return sounded angry, but then, everything in Corian Standard sounded downright vicious to Tara.
Torn between amusement and concern, she waited until he was finished giving the retreating medic the stink eye before inquiring, “Your wrath?”
“I like to think of it as incentive for everyone to work together in keeping you safe,” he answered pleasantly.
It was kind of, sort of, maybe a little sweet that he wanted to bully other Warriors into protecting her.
Okay. No. It was pure arrogance to assume she couldn’t defend herself, but it was from a place of caring. She hoped.
Turning, he indicated the door into the yard. “Please, allow me to escort you back to your dorm.”
Silently, Tara preceded him outside. The night air was cool, and she shivered, shifting closer to Calyx’s warm body. Over the past few days, several changes had been made. There were lights outlining each path between the dorms and the common building now. Security lights glowed warmly from the corner of each building, too. She felt vaguely comforted by the Warriors posted at either end of each path.
It looked like a boring night for them. There weren’t any other Earthers about since it was well past curfew. All was quiet, and they studiously ignored her and Calyx as they passed by.
“You know it isn’t anyone’s fault Shirok targeted me, right?” Tara asked quietly as they approached her dorm. “Other than his own, I mean, so there’s no need to threaten anyone.”
“Let me think how to say this best.” Calyx stopped beneath the overhead flood light, two lines of concentration between his thick brows. “Shirok had an assigned role to play in everything that happened that day. If he hadn’t gone for his personal prize first – that would be you, Tara – we can’t know how much worse the damage would have been. Our response time would have been longer, and more Earthers could have been abducted if you hadn’t taken him out and ran for help.”
“Right,” she agreed, drawing her words out slowly as she tig
htened her grip on her fraying patience. “You don’t have to talk to me like I’m an idiot. I’m simply saying I can take care of myself.”
The indulgent, dimpled grin and dancing eyes would have delighted her any other time. Tonight, his condescending chuckle pushed all her buttons.
“Are you implying that I can’t defend myself?” She growled, strongly considering kicking him in the shins.
“No.” Calyx chewed the inside of his cheeks.
Tara narrowed her eyes in warning, he had better stop laughing. Now.
“You are – ah – very fierce.”
“For a little Earther, you mean.” It was tempting to show him just how fierce she could be.
“Mmmm,” he hummed noncommittally as he studied his toes. “Difficult as it might be to believe, I am trying to keep you safe.”
She blew out a gusty sigh. “I know, but you can’t go around threatening your own people on my behalf – unless you’re going to threaten Shirok. I’m totally for that.” Head cocked, she considered for a moment. “Or you could do more than threaten. I’m fine with that, too.”
“I’m under orders to stay away from him.” His frown was dark, and in his eyes, she saw a brief flash of cold determination before he shut it down. “For now.”
“He’s in the regen bed. You can’t hurt him when he’s defenseless like that, anyway,” she protested half-heartedly. “What?” She asked in response to his disgusted grunt.
“He’s awake. I don’t know how long they will detain him. He is from a well-respected House.”
Tara sucked in a deep breath, the sense of security she’d had fled. “W-w-well,” she stammered. “I didn’t expect that.”
“You have to stop taking foolish chances,” Calyx admonished. The desperate frustration of his tone conveyed more than his words ever could. The big, fearless alien was scared. For her. “He’s come for you twice now.”
“Third time’s a charm.” Tara felt queasy.
Her stomach certainly didn’t settle when Calyx agreed, “Eventually, he’ll get lucky. He knows which approaches don’t work.”