Infinitys end books 7 9, p.31
Infinity's End: Books 7-9, page 31
Run’ak turned and upon seeing Esterva immediately dropped his weapon, his body going stiff. “OhmyKor,” he said. He fell to his knees, bowing his head before her. “Please, we didn’t know they were coming. We were going to kill them, I promise.” Evie couldn’t help but feel a strange indignation at hearing her former childhood friend was willing to murder her so easily, just for the “crime” of setting foot on this planet.
The other two officers had stopped firing as well but hadn’t prostrated themselves in front of Esterva like Run’ak had. Now was their chance to get away. “Tileah, Box, get to the shuttle!” Evie yelled, stepping forward. Tileah made a dash but Box only stood, looking at Esterva, his eyes a solid yellow.
Evie glanced to her side where Cas seemed to have come back to his senses. A scowl formed on his face and he raised his weapon to Esterva’s back. Evie stepped between them again. “You can’t.”
He stared at her with an incredulous expression. “She’s an Athru!”
“She’s my mother. I mean, she might be. And I didn’t come all this way for you to kill her.”
“How can you be sure? It’s not like they’ve never lied to you before.” He wasn’t dropping the weapon, but he wasn’t trying to get around her either.
“I don’t know. I just want to hear her out first,” Evie said. She had no reason to believe this woman, other than the fact she hadn’t tried to kill them yet and hadn’t subjected Evie to any torture techniques. Not to mention the orb had led her here. This had to be the reason.
“Thank you, Evelyn, I appreciate that,” Esterva said, still facing the Sissk guards. “Officer…”
“Run’ak,” he said, glancing up from the ground.
“Officer Run’ak. Please collect your associates and leave. I have this under control,” Esterva said.
Run’ak stood, taking stowing his weapon in his belt. “I—I’m sorry I can’t do that. The law states all humans on the surface are to be put to death. I need to take them into custody.”
“These humans are not part of that doctrine. On my order,” Esterva said.
Run’ak seemed to be struggling with something internally, as his face went through a few different emotions. “I’m sorry, great one, but I feel like you are testing me. And if I don’t kill these humans you will deem us collaborators and destroy our planet.”
“Now what would give you that idea?” Esterva asked.
“B-because. The Athru are ruthless in their goal. When you spared our planet you told us in no uncertain terms the nature of the agreement. Any humans were to be eliminated. If we did this, we could continue to live in peace.”
A thought struck Evie and seeing Cas had become interested in this exchange and dropped his weapon again, she turned to Run’ak. “How many humans have you killed, Run? Over the past eighteen years, how many?”
“Enough to save countless lives on this planet,” Run’ak replied, indignant. “I’m sorry Evie, but your people are a plague. And I’m not sacrificing every simmilist on Sissk just to keep a few humans alive.” He drew his weapon again, pointing it at her. “Officers, kill all the humans.”
Esterva stepped forward. “I don’t think you understand me. If you harm this woman, or any human in your immediate proximity, I will have no choice but to enact our final solution. Do I make myself clear?”
Run’ak screwed up his features. “I don’t understand, great one. You’re serious. I am not to kill these humans?”
“No. You wouldn’t disobey a direct order, would you?”
“I—I—” Run’ak glanced around. One of the other officers, also an Ashkasian, had his sights on Cas. But his hand trembled, and his finger hovered precariously close to the trigger. In a flash Esterva was beside him, the weapon was gone from his hand and his neck sat at a strange angle, almost as if he didn’t realize what had happened to him yet. As his mind caught up to the trauma his body had endured in those few milliseconds, he fell to the ground, immobile.
“Now,” Esterva said. “Do you understand?”
Something flared in Run’ak’s eyes, but he stowed his weapon again and turned to his remaining companion. “Grab the others. We need to leave, now.”
Esterva pointed above them. “And call off the aerial attacks.”
Run’ak ground his long teeth and tapped a small device on his wrist. “Air units, stand down. Return to base.”
“But sir!”
“Don’t argue with me, Jen’wa, just pull back and return to the station!” Run’ak screamed. Gone was the man of composure Evie had seen only a few minutes ago. It seemed time had not been as kind to him as she’d first assumed. How could he have gone so wrong? Back when they were children, he had championed Sissk becoming part of the Coalition, it was part of why they hung out so much. He’d always been interested to see places and people beyond Sissk, to get out and explore the galaxy, to learn about new and interesting cultures. But she could see now he had stayed right where he was and shrunk to fit this small place instead of expanded. Gone was the bright, curious child she’d known and standing in his place was a scared, ruthless man. A man who would murder innocent people just because he was told to. Evie may not be perfect, but at least she hadn’t fallen that far.
Run’ak and his remaining officer took a few minutes to gather their three fallen compatriots, including the one Esterva had killed, and stowed them in the transports. The small group watched them depart down the dusty road until they came to the main thoroughfare and headed back to the city.
“Is everything okay down there?” Jann asked.
Evie turned to see Cas answering his comm. “I don’t know yet. Send one of the squads down to land, and the other back to the ship.”
“Be right down,” Jann replied. Above them three spacewings set themselves into formation then descended until they hovered above the desert floor. They landed with a soft thump. The cockpit of the ship in the middle opened up and Saturina Jann stood up, her eyes wide. “Holy—” Her hands went to her controls.
Cas walked past Evie with his hands up. “Hold your fire, for now. We’re still assessing the situation.”
Jann shook her head. “This is lunacy. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is one of the aliens who tried to kill us back on that planet?”
Cas nodded, his hands still up. “That’s what we’re trying to find out.” He turned back to Evie. “Well?”
Evie addressed Esterva, who was now looking at her, smiling. “Are you really my mother?”
“Yes.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
Esterva paused, the smile not changing. “If you’re looking for me to produce a special talisman that makes everything clear I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Trust takes time, and I’m willing to spend that time with you to convince you I am telling the truth.”
“Why are you here?”
She placed her long fingers together, holding her hands in front of her. “Let me guess. Martial is dead?”
“How did you know that?” Cas asked. Evie noticed his weapon was still out, though no longer pointed at anyone. Behind him Box and Tileah came walking up. Tileah’s weapon was out as well.
Esterva pointed to Evie’s hand. “His beacon. It would only go off if something happens to one of us, otherwise we only meet at pre-planned times and places. His was set to return here, and when I got the signal, I knew I would find you.”
“You’re the Athru trace we picked up.” Cas regarded her for a moment before turning back to Evie. “It’s why we came down to get you. Samiya picked up Athru signals near your location. We thought it was a trap.”
Esterva raised her almost indiscernible eyebrows. “Had it been a deception from my people, you never would have survived.” Her eyes, like all Athru, were large and set further up on her long head. Her nose and mouth were smaller than a human’s though she was at least as tall as Zenfor, if not taller. But there was something different about her from the other Athru they’d met, though Evie couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She didn’t look like Rockron or the Athru that had attacked them on the planet. For one thing, she was wearing clothes. All the others had been naked.
“Still, I didn’t anticipate you picking up my signal,” Esterva said, cutting her eyes to Cas. She turned back to Evie; her tone lighter. “Martial and I deliberately agreed on this location in case of emergencies and I mourn his loss. He was a loyal member of our group. I figured if anything ever happened to him, leading you here would give you a sense of security. The only drawback being that the planet is very hostile to humans.”
“Wait,” Cas said. “Just so I understand. You know about Martial. And you claim to be Evie’s mother. But how does that make you different from all the others? Why aren’t you trying to kill us right now?”
“Because killing you is not my goal. I belong to a rogue sect of Athru,” she said, scanning the group. “We do not believe in the destruction of humanity. Quite the opposite, we are explorers who wish to understand your species better. The rest of the Athru do not approve, so we must work in secret. Though I will say we strive to know some humans more than others.” She eyed Cas.
He seemed to let the comment pass, though Evie sensed a lot of hostility coming from Esterva, all of it directed at Cas. Was that normal for an Athru? She’d only had the opportunity to speak to one other, but at the time she hadn’t been in any state of mind to assess his emotional state. Being restrained to a stone table tended to ratchet up her panic levels. But it begged the question, if this was her mother and she’d been in contact with Martial, where had she been the past thirty-one years? “Why now? Why show up after all this time?” she asked.
Esterva hesitated, her small lips drawn in a line. “After everything that happened and my people’s invasion of your territory, I fear we don’t have much time left. I’ve been waiting eighteen years for an update. Before the beacon was activated, I had to assume you and everyone on your ship was dead, though I could find no evidence of the ship’s destruction. I’ve spent the last two decades attempting to track you down.”
“So then, what is it you want?” Cas asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? I thought my presence here was clear. I’m here to help you find a way to destroy my species.”
Chapter Eight
“Can I speak to you a moment?” Cas pulled Evie aside so they were out of what he could only assume was the Athru’s hearing range. For all he knew she had the hearing of a Goruffian, but they couldn’t walk two kilometers away to speak.
“What?” Evie hissed once they were just beyond Saturina’s spacewing.
“Are you buying this?”
She hesitated. “I—I’m not sure. She knows about Martial. Only someone in contact with him would know he wasn’t human, right?”
“I think any Athru might know. I think they have an extra-sensory perception toward each other. Didn’t you tell me back on that planet you could feel them around you?”
She shook her head. “That could have been Daingne messing with me. There’s so much I’m not sure about with her.”
“Do you feel anything like that toward her?” He looked back over his shoulder. Esterva stared at the two of them, the ends of her small mouth upturned. “I mean what if she’s nothing more than a mole, trying to get aboard the ship? Think about it, the last Coalition ship—the only one that can outrun the Athru…it has to be a tempting target.”
“I agree we can’t just take her on her word, but you heard her. It isn’t like she can prove she is who she says she is. And if she’s offering to help us, can we afford to refuse her?”
Cas had to suppress a grin. “I said the same thought about Diamant. And we both saw how that turned out. Not so easy when you’re the one under the gun, is it?”
She scoffed. “Just because you’re a terrible judge of character doesn’t mean I am. I had my concerns about Diamant from the beginning. But this feels…different. I don’t know. But I think you’re right. We need more to go on.”
Satisfied, Cas nodded and returned with Evie back to the group. He noticed Tileah hadn’t taken her eyes off Esterva and her weapon was still drawn. But if the alien could move as fast as she had against the Sissk officer, none of them had a chance.
“Finished?” Esterva narrowed her eyes at Cas.
“We need more,” Cas said. “We’re not about to let you on the ship without some kind of assurance you can’t or won’t destroy us.”
Esterva regarded him. “Direct. And who said anything about returning to your ship? I have a perfectly capable craft of my own, stowed not far from here. I neither need your permission, nor your approval and I can leave whenever I wish.” She turned, the diamond embedded in her forehead catching the light and sparkling. Sweat ran down Cas’s back, it was only getting hotter out here.
“Wait.” Evie took a step forward. “You understand our concerns, right? Especially given our history with your people. With…my…people.”
Esterva faced her, holding out her hand. “May I see that orb of yours?”
Evie plucked it from her pocket and placed it in her hand. Immediately runes appeared on the orb and glowed a light blue. Cas’s eyes went wide, and he reached for his weapon, nodding to Tileah.
“Wait!” Evie held her hands out. The glow on the orb faded until it was black again. Esterva handed it back to Evie.
“My poor, strong daughter,” she said. “You’ve been through so much. I am so sorry.” She reached out for Evie, but thought better of it and withdrew her hand.
“What do you mean? How much do you know about me?” Evie asked. Cas motioned for Tileah to lower her weapon. Neither Evie nor Esterva were paying them any more attention.
“The orb was not just a beacon, but an information-gathering device. It was how Martial kept me up to date on your activities. It took his thoughts and memories and recorded them, allowing me to absorb them. You’ve been up to a lot since I last received an update.”
“Which was when?” Cas asked. He was curious to find out if any other spies had been present on the ship.
“More than eighteen years for me. But only about three seasons ago for you,” Esterva huffed, not masking her annoyance. “Before she was sent on her mission to find you.”
Had it only been that long for him? Cas could have sworn it had been years since Evie had shown up at Devil’s Gate. He had a hard time picturing the same self-absorbed ass sitting at one of the stools, drinking his meager wages away from a job he couldn’t escape. It was as if that life had belonged to someone else.
“So…then, you’ve seen everything I’ve ever done?” Evie asked, staring at the black orb in her hand.
“Not everything. Those early years I was away and didn’t get back often. My updates became more regular once you became a teenager. I trusted your father could take care of you, and I allowed him to.”
“So then, he really was my father,” Evie said in a small voice. It wasn’t a question, and it wasn’t aimed at Esterva or anyone else. Instead it had been meant for her, Cas thought.
“Did you doubt it?” Esterva asked. Cas couldn’t help but remember when he had to plow into Evie’s father to get him off her. How such a frail wisp of a man had been so strong he still didn’t know.
Evie glanced around, everyone had their eyes on them and the conversation. Cas tried to motion to her not to say anything else—he knew how fiercely she guarded her privacy and in this emotionally compromised moment, she might say something she’d end up regretting. She blinked a few times, regaining her composure. “I think…we should let her on the ship.”
Cas winced. He didn’t want to argue with her out here in front of everyone and under this oppressive star. But allowing Esterva to come aboard Tempest was a massive security risk and now that he was captain, he wasn’t sure he could authorize such a move. He addressed Esterva. “Is there anything else you can give us to prove you are who you say you are?”
“I’d be happy to submit to a medical test. I’m sure your technology has something that can confirm my daughter’s lineage.” She said it with a bit too much saccharine in her voice for Cas’s taste. Did she suspect they’d have to get her on the ship to perform the test? And by that point it would be too late? He wondered if he could bring Xax down here, have her bring the equipment she needed to make a proper determination. Cas glanced to the sky, squinting. The star had almost moved directly overhead. They needed to find some shade, and soon. Human bodies weren’t designed to stay out in this heat long.
Cas turned to look at Tileah, who gave a very subtle shake of her head. He looked back behind him to Saturina and the other two pilots, standing beside their ships in what little shadow remained. Saturina squinted at him but didn’t offer an opinion one way or the other. Good, she was staying neutral. That was what she needed to do. Cas turned back around.
“I’ve got an idea,” Box said. “Why don’t we just sedate her before returning to the ship?”
“I think that’s a little extreme,” Evie said, the strength in her voice having returned. “Don’t you think if she was going to attack us, she would have done it by now? What’s she waiting on? We’re here. The ship’s up there and isn’t going anywhere.”
“Can you do that?” Cas asked.
Box shrugged. “I can try. I have a variety of sedatives which work on most humanoid beings. I’ll just keep poking her until she faints.”
“You will not,” Esterva said, frowning. “I don’t know why I’m standing here listening to you anyway, it isn’t as if you make the best judgment calls.”
“Just what does that mean?” Cas asked, heat rising on his neck.
She shook her head. “It isn’t important. What matters is I am offering my assistance. Do you want it, or not?”
“Cas,” Evie said. She had been with him on this only a few minutes ago. But in his opinion the risk was too great. They were the last Coalition starship as far as they knew. And they were the only ones with the technology to outrun the Athru. It was too much of a tactical advantage to risk on the word of one of their enemies. He shook his head.
