Infiltration, p.11
Infiltration, page 11
“Ospar and good sense…doesn’t ring a bell.” Her tone was dry.
“He’s smart. He just lets his enthusiasm for duty overcome it at times.”
“As you are?”
“Tara.” Yuder wanted to take her in his arms and reassure her, but the thought she might push him away was too awful. “I’m being careful. I wanted to make sure Ospar is also careful.”
“You’re sure? You weren’t discussing how much you hope Oiteil is successful? Or making plans on your grand comebacks?”
Tara had the mildest temper Yuder had encountered of anyone, but it didn’t mean she had none. Her first husband Aaron had supposedly been just as serene. Their daughter Jessica was the opposite, as passionate and easily outraged as Yuder’s son and her mate Clajak. It was seldom the Nobek encountered the temper Jessica had seemingly inherited from no one, but had in fact come from Tara.
“You swear you won’t do anything to hurt me, yet I had word today Oiteil was waiting on the beach when you left the ashram yesterday. Again. Now I come home to find you talking to Ospar about his scheme. They’ll put you back in prison if you don’t follow the terms of your release, Yuder!”
“I am following the terms, and they’re killing me. I can’t help if Oiteil insists on telling me his intentions and accomplishments. I didn’t ask him to take up this cause. And yes, I commed Ospar to tell him what was going on, to give him some hope. We’ve had little of it since the trials.” Yuder stood and paced, trying desperately to burn off the excess energy that had nowhere to go. “He’s like me. He can’t stand to be uninvolved when so many new issues face the empire.”
“Which the Royal Council and your son’s clan are more than qualified to deal with,” Tara rebutted. “Did you notice they took care of the civil war? That they kept the empire from falling completely apart? They’re doing fine on their own!”
“You mean without me. Go on, tell me no one needs me. Tell me I might as well be forgotten, left on the shelf to collect dust.”
“That isn’t what I’m saying, my love.” Her anger dissolved in an instant, and tears brightened her eyes. “I need you. Why am I not enough?”
Why wasn’t she? Yuder loved her with all his being. She’d filled the emptiness Irdis’ death had woken in his heart. Then again, when Zarl and Tidro had died, Tara had entered those terrible voids and made the memories of his clan sweet rather than bitter.
“It’s I who need you. You’re strong, Tara, as strong as any Nobek who ever fought for glory. You don’t truly need me. If we’d never met, you would have been fine on your own after Aaron died.”
“I don’t want to be on my own. Those three years you were locked away were an eternity.” She came close and took his hands.
“Want is another state. You may want me, but you’re complete, even when I’m not around, and that’s as it should be.”
“It’s the same for you.”
He smiled and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I don’t feel complete. You can’t give wholeness to me, and I wouldn’t wish such responsibility on you. What I require has to come from me.”
“Do you know what that is?”
“Purpose. Something beyond supporting you, beyond meditation, beyond waiting for my turn to die.” He pulled her close, willing her to understand. “Don’t despise me for my weakness.”
“Of course I don’t despise you!”
Tears escaped her eyes, shattering his heart. But Yuder couldn’t change who he was: a Nobek, once the leader of an empire, who was fading from lack of usefulness. “Then forgive me, because I have to chase this fool’s errand. I won’t be the man you love if I don’t find some way to serve my empire. I’d rather lose you from being myself than from pretending to be someone I’m not.”
* * * *
Nako’s marauder
“These ‘Darks’ may have already reached the Galactic Council and the space station orbiting Earth,” Kila said, summing up his briefing to Nako’s command staff. “The GC’s inspection team went to the planet shortly after our encounter with the alien entity. Admiral Tranis experienced an episode of lightheadedness similar to my away team’s, following the mother ship dropping its envoys on Bi’is. I’ve sent a message to Admiral Piras to check up on him, to discover if he’s acting strangely and to perhaps send a team to Jedver to make sure nothing odd is happening there. Meanwhile, we have a couple of steps to cover out here.”
“Recovery of the destroyed spyship’s records,” Terig guessed.
Kila nodded to his fellow Nobek. “We’ll have to search for the device that stored the ship’s logs. Even if the captain and command staff were overcome by these riders and left no record, the ship itself should have automatically documented information on its heading when it departed Bi’is space. Following that, we’ll go to Bi’is itself.”
Nako’s gaze narrowed. “Do you think the Darks came from elsewhere? Or is it possible Bi’is developed these entities? Did Ensign Ilid know?”
Kila caught himself tapping the conference table they sat around and stopped. “Ilid seemed to think it was something sentient, which would discount Bi’is’ involvement. However, he had no recollection of sensing a separate presence in his mind when he was…possessed, for lack of a better word.”
Dr. Zo sat scowling, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Kila. “Not to mention the poor boy is horribly traumatized by his experience. You can’t count anything you get from him as valid. Not because he’d lie, but because of what he went through.”
“There is that.” Kila had no wish to be at odds with Nako’s head medic. They were in agreement on the ethics of interrogating Ilid. Necessity and the empire’s safety had meant doing things his conscience found uneasy. “We won’t know for sure what happened unless we visit Bi’is ourselves.”
“You can’t wait for another ship with a spy complement?” Nako pressed. “As much as I’d love to sink my teeth in this mystery, I have non-combat members on board. My Imdiko and Matara, to be precise.”
Here was the second part of the mission Kila found distasteful. “If the Galactic Council and Earth are in danger, we can’t delay. We have to figure this out quickly. Fortunately, Imdiko Ulof’s past service in the fleet allows us some latitude where his presence on a marauder heading into questionable territory is concerned. Maybe you can assign him to the kitchen for the present? He is an amazing cook.”
Nako’s stormy look said he wasn’t impressed by what had been a genuine compliment to his clanmate’s culinary skills. He let it go to press the other sticking point. “My Matara.”
A soft growl came from Terig’s direction.
“I have concerns on her behalf myself. However, Admiral Piras is adamant we can’t hold off any length of time. I can’t spare your ship this duty.” Kila tried for his most conciliatory tone, though his Nobek nature bellowed to tell Nako to suck it up and deal with the situation. “Remember, my Matara spent five years on my ship in enemy territory. I agree your concerns are valid, but our backs are against the wall on this.”
He tossed Nako a computer drive. “This is clearance to train Matara Piper to pilot shuttles, as well as whatever else you deem necessary on your ship, whether it be navigation, helm, or weapons. I advise you to teach her first and foremost how to successfully escape and reach a safe haven.”
Nako and Terig gaped at him. “Piras approved this? Did he run it past Rear Admiral Hobato?” Nako demanded.
“He had no need. The spy portion of the fleet moves fast when the situation calls for it. It sometimes means not tossing things up the chain of command for its captains and admirals. It also takes advantage of the resources it can in an emergency.” Kila held up his hands, though Nako and Terig appeared too stunned to mount the protest he expected. “As a spyship captain who can make certain decisions without oversight, I can…well, I won’t order you to make your Matara combat ready. I’ll leave it as your call.”
“Damn right you will.” Nako was recovering.
“I insist you teach her how to identify the signs Ensign Ilid told us point to Dark riders controlling members of the crew. A list of those symptoms is also on the drive I’ve given you. Your entire crew should familiarize themselves on those.”
“Maybe you’re the sort of man willing to risk your lifemate, but—”
Kila held off the urge to throw Nako across the room. “If you or Matara Piper concludes she’s in danger during the mission, she should leave your ship immediately and head for Laro Station. It’s closer than any other safe place. Unless you wish to send her off in a shuttle now?”
“When we don’t have a shred of information on what the hell’s roaming the area?” Terig looked as murderous as Nako.
Kila couldn’t quite believe they weren’t already fighting to the death. “Exactly. We don’t know, which is why I need your marauder along for the ride. Thanks to its phasing capability, it can operate much like a spyship. It can also engage battle and hope to come out on top. My spyship is extremely limited in such capabilities, though I’ve implemented a few upgrades the fleet isn’t fully informed on.”
“One of those decisions not tossed up the chain of command?” Nako scowled.
“Five years watching Bi’is gave me a lot of time. Such projects allowed me to kill time and not my fellow crewmates.” Kila leveled a steady stare at him. “Do you think I like the situation for one second? Would I order it if we didn’t feel there’s real danger to the empire and its people…including your Matara?”
Nako met his gaze. Held it. Finally, he punched the table, leaving an impressive dent. His knuckles began to bleed immediately.
“To think I actually worried about your clan and hoped you were in one piece after the war ended.”
* * * *
“Training as a crewmember?” Piper gaped at Nako.
“All you have to do is upgrade your flying skills.” They were in their private quarters. Nako finished taping his bleeding knuckles. He’d refused to go to Medical so Zo could treat and close the wounds. “If you have an urge to learn some bridge crew duties, you can. As a last-ditch backup, you understand. It would happen only if I can’t shove your ass onto a shuttle to escape an emergency.”
Piper sank on the lounger next to the stunned Ulof. Terig hadn’t returned with Nako, apparently opting to spend his angst in the ship’s fight room. “This must be serious trouble for Captain Kila to let me remain on board for the mission.”
“Time is of the essence.” Nako regarded his bandaged knuckles, then punched the wall. Made of flex metal, the divot he left smoothed an instant later.
“Please stop. I can’t think when you’re in destruction mode.”
“We can’t get her out of this?” Ulof asked.
“I could send the two of you to Laro Station on a shuttle. The concern is, the Dark vessel is out there somewhere, phased and able to see us. We don’t know what it is or its fighting capabilities. Not a single fucking clue.” Nako leaned against the wall he’d punched, his expression dancing between worry and fury.
They went quiet, each contemplating their individual thoughts. For Piper, it was a look at her life since joining the clan.
Her aim over the years had been to support Ulof as he’d ventured into terraforming. Keeping his optimism and motivation intact had been a full-time occupation. She refused to begrudge him the effort; he’d been worth it. As he’d finally started to find his stride where confidence was concerned, she’d begun casting for something else to expend her time on. Having children had been a sweet dream, but apparently it was on hold.
“You can handle being taught bridge work,” Nako said, his tone milder than it had been since returning from his conference with Captain Kila. “You’ve faced tougher challenges in the past.”
“I had no choice but to do so, if you remember.” Not if she’d wanted to continue looking herself in the eye in the mirror. Saving Kalquor from Bi’is had been an exercise in righting the many wrongs of her history.
“You have a choice now. You can opt for just the shuttle training. Oh, and self-defense fighting abilities, in case it comes to fending off someone controlled by a Dark.” He eyed the wall again, as if contemplating a return to attacking it.
“I can be trained on other skills? Be like a member of the crew?”
“If you want.”
“Then I’ll train to be captain.”
The tension broke in an instant. Nako and Ulof laughed. Piper pretended to be affronted by pouting.
“My love, you already rule me. Do you have to take my ship too?”
She grinned, her indignant act disappearing in an instant. “I wouldn’t mind gaining some skills on how the ship operates. Maybe I can pick up the basics on a variety of positions, so I can fill in for wherever you need me. Oh, can I train to operate a fighter? Ulof, let’s train as fighter pilots and kick ass!”
“Yeah, me and my temper in charge of deadly weaponry. It’s exactly where Nako would want me,” the Imdiko chuckled.
“And exactly where you’d stand the greatest chance of becoming casualties. Don’t even consider it,” Nako warned.
“Okay, then you decide where I’d do the most good.” Piper was surprised to find herself excited by the notion. She probably wouldn’t get the chance to make a difference to their chances of success in a battle, but the idea she could was enough.
Cheerleader. Homemaker. Kick-ass fleet operative.
Nako nodded, pride shining in his face. “After you’ve updated your shuttle flight skills, you’ll learn how to run the com station. You can send secret messages to the kitchen on my behalf to tell Ulof what I’d like for dinner.”
“About that,” Ulof said. “Could you assign me to Hydroponics instead? Given my terraforming work, it would be great if I can study specific plant care. I might even bring something worthwhile to the table when we get to the moon.”
“Lieutenant Olamar would welcome the help,” Nako said after a moment’s pause. “Yeah, I can send you there. Thank you both for stepping up. I realize it’s far from what we planned, but we’ll get back on track as soon as possible.”
Piper wasn’t in any hurry. She had no wish to find the sort of danger that had brought their clan together in the first place, but she could handle a little low-level excitement.
Chapter Nine
Shuttle flying from Earth II to Alpha Space Station
“Did you know Ken Bryant divorced his wife so the Holy Leader could add her to his harem?” Kuran asked.
Stacy started at his abrupt question. She stared at him. “What?”
He nodded. He watched her in his peripheral vision, keeping his forward gaze pointed to the shuttle’s instrumentation as he flew them to the space station where his clan lived. “She was young, too. Damned near a child bride, the daughter of a friend who’d died and left her an orphan. Bryant adopted her, then married her.”
“Holy Leader Browning Copeland was known for his interest in young women. Teenagers.” Kuran heard Stacy swallow.
“Apparently, Ken Bryant shared in his…preferences.”
Stacy’s expression told him she was as revolted as he was by the information. “Where did you hear this?”
“I came across some records in my research.” He hated being evasive. He soothed himself by remembering the more in the dark she remained about his spy activities, the safer she’d be.
She suspected him of hiding something from her, though. He could taste it in her silence and feel it in her continued stare.
“It sounds as if you’ve been diving deep into his past. I’d never heard he’d married.”
“It was kept quiet. Earth had buried files few knew of. Most consisted of sins and criminal acts to blackmail certain people, as well as marriages kept quiet for various reasons. Bryant’s connections to a certain bishop led to the approval of the secret union. It was never made public.”
“Can you prove it?”
“I have copies of the records, which were protected from alteration by intricate coding parameters.”
She continued to gaze at him. “You realize such information will help me in the election if Ken runs against me. I expect him to.”
Kuran smirked. “Go ahead. He’ll use your relationship with my clan to do the same. Anyone who runs against you will.”
“He’ll wonder where I got my information.”
“Where a smart, resourceful person would. You just have to know where to look.”
“Uh huh. You won’t tell me the source?”
He could tell she wouldn’t relent if he didn’t give her something concrete. “The secret archives of Earth’s official Church. You have to use a code to view them, but once you do, there’s a fascinating amount of information about the high-ranking officials of the old regime.”
He didn’t tell her he’d learned a would-be investigator only got one shot at inputting the right code, using a recognized user address. Or that the code would only access a certain number of files before another had to be found. Kuran wondered how the hell Blythe had managed to get her information. Someone had given it to her. Someone who wanted Ken Bryant or other surviving notables discovered for the sins they’d committed when they’d led Earth down its self-destructive path.
Several minutes later, Kuran docked on the station. No sooner had they left the shuttle and entered the bay when alarms went off. A horde of Nobek security raced toward the opposite end of the space, where shuttles dotted the metallic environs.
Kuran was half-tempted to race after them, but his first thought was for Stacy’s safety. Should they join his clan in their quarters or jump back on the shuttle and take off?
A security guard slowed on his way past them. “A mysterious bin was discovered just now, left on the floor. It’s been placed in containment, but you’d better leave the bay. You should be safe in the station. We’re going into lockdown until this is taken care of.”
