Abendau's Heir (The Inheritance Trilogy Book 1) (31 page)

The door opened and a nurse came in. Silom jerked his head at the door, desperately rolling his eyes, and Kare handed the baby back to Sonly. Time to put Silom out of his misery. “We’ll wait outside.”

The two men walked to the door of the hospital wing and stood in the sunshine. Kare tipped his head up to the sun, enjoying its warmth, wishing he could stay and not go to Belaudii with its desert winds and its city waiting to reclaim him. He’d been planned, conceived and born in Abendau and had always known it lay ahead for him. He didn’
t want it. A shiver ran through him, and he forced his mind away from the doubts, focusing instead on a crowd of teenage girls sitting on a bench nearby, laughing over something on a comms unit.

“I should try to get outside every day,” he said. “This is nice.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Silom said. “You’re hard enough to protect without taking up rambling.”

Kare grinned; it was exactly what he’d expected Silom to say. A sharp sting on his neck made him draw his breath in a hiss.

“What is it?” asked Silom, alert, eyes casting around.

“Nothing, an insect.” He put his hand up, feeling for the sting, and turned at the sound of footsteps.

“Poor baby." Sonly had changed into cargo trousers and a tunic top, her hair neatly styled. He looked down at the crumpled t-shirt he’d pulled on when she’d woken him. He guessed his hair was probably sticking up, and he needed a shave. Silom was right; he was more freaked out than she was.

“I’m glad you agree. I thought you might say something predictable about labour pains. Do you want me to carry her?” He took the baby, keeping her head up, the way the nurse had shown him. He nearly cooed, remembered Silom was there, and stopped himself.

Silom nudged him and he looked up to see Eevan approaching. He pointedly ignored Kare and looked at the baby instead, before turning to Sonly. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Sonly said. “We’re
both
very pleased.”

“I suppose you are,” Eevan said. Sonly ducked into the transport, and as Silom closed her door, Eevan turned to Kare. “That’s another thing for you to worry about: a new Varnon.”

Kare couldn’t decide if there was anything more than the usual nastiness behind his statement. “Don’t worry, Eevan: a couple of weeks and you’ll be rid of me.” He passed the baby to Sonly and got into the transport.

“I wish he didn’t know about the attack,” admitted Sonly.

“We had to tell him sometime. It’ll be fine, Sonly, don’t worry. Only Rjala and I know the details.”

Even so, as they were transported back to the main base, his thoughts kept going back to the dark, brooding eyes. Absently rubbing at the sting on his neck, Kare glanced at the baby beside him and tried to dispel the lingering doubt that there was something very, very wrong here.

***

Kare opened his eyes. The room was dark around him. The baby was quiet and Sonly asleep. He sat up, careful not to disturb them.
The buzz of minds was gone.
He tried to reach out and turn on the soft light in the living area–
nothing happened, and his throat tightened with fear. He started to pull on his clothes.

“You all right?” asked Sonly, her voice sleepy.

“Something’s wrong,” he said, and heard an edge of panic in his voice.

“It’s quiet, go to sleep.”

“My powers are gone.”

Before Sonly could respond there was a knock on the door; when Kare opened it he found Lichio and Silom. He should have known who it was.

“The general sent me; she needs you in the control room,” Lichio said.

“A drill?” He knew it wasn’t– he’d have been told if there was one planned. The first alarms sounded, blaring through the base. The bedroom light came on, and a moment later Sonly appeared, her clothes from earlier on her, Kerra in her arms.

“An attack!” Lichio shouted, just audible over the alarm. “Huge, well planned.”

“Take Sonly and the baby– get them away,” Kare said to Silom. His cousin shook his head, not able to hear, and Kare pulled him into the quieter apartment. “Get them out for me!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Sonly told him.

“I’m staying with you,” Silom said, simultaneously.

“I don’t have time!” Kare told them. “Sonly, you’re needed if there’s anything to salvage.” He pointed at Silom. “You being here won’t make a difference to me, but you might to them.” Silom paused for a moment. “Now, Sergeant,” Kare said, firmly.

“Yes, sir.” Silom seemed to find it easier now he had been given an order.

Kare turned to Sonly and kissed her, quickly. “If I can, I’ll come back to you,” he told her.

“If you can,” she said. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” He paused, meeting her eyes: this
was
it; whatever lay ahead had to be faced now. He pulled her close, kissed her head, and then the baby's soft skin. She smelt of milk, of washed new skin. He barely knew her; he didn’t know how he could leave her.

“Look after her," he said, his words croaked. He met Sonly’s eyes. “Keep her with you, and safe.”

“Kare– ”

He shook his head; he couldn’t face what she had to say. “Please, go: I need you to…”

She nodded, her eyes shining with tears. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He swallowed, and his throat was hard and hot. This wasn’t what he’d wanted, a rushed goodbye, the sickening knowledge there was nowhere to go except into battle. “You know that.”

She turned, Silom’s arm on her elbow, guiding her. Kare watched them leave, saw Sonly look back once, and then looked at Lichio. “Let’s go.”

Lichio nodded, and Kare saw his own emotions mirrored in Lichio’s face: the fear of staying behind, the brief, bitter desire to run instead.

“If I thought I could do my job tonight without you, I’d have sent you with them.”

“I know, but I wouldn’t have gone, sir.”

They set off at a run to the control room, hearing a series of explosions rip through the base. They ducked through the people emerging from their rooms, some going to the evacuation points, some to their stations. As they arrived at the command room, Kare flexed his mind to reach into the room, to get a sense of what was happening and–

–
nothing.

He cursed softly. What if he was nothing without his psyche: a coward?
Swallowing his fear, he opened the door and turned to the two nearest soldiers. “Seal the door; we don’t need to be distracted by that.”

As the soldiers moved forward, Kare realised one was Captain Stitt. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she nodded to him. “Sir.”

He sat beside Rjala and put an earpiece in, while Lichio scrolled through screens. Kare swore. The enemies were everywhere, the Banned fighters pushed back.

“You’re in charge of the air defences, Colonel,” Rjala said. “I’m going to have to run the ground forces.”

“Why?”

“Eevan hasn’t turned in for duty.”

Kare noted the thin line of her mouth.
The bastard.
“How did they get so close?” he asked.

“No comms,” she said. “They came in silently. Also, the initial defence systems didn’t work. By the time we picked them up they were practically at the base.”

“Fault?”

“No. It was taken out– from our level.” Their eyes met. “I’ve been busy all day, and I hear you have been too.”

The whole base? His men; his family?

“I called him right,” Kare said, with no satisfaction. On any other day, he would have known if the system was tampered with; it was alarmed and linked to his personal computer. Today, he’d been too busy to even think about it. He paused, sick at the idea he could have stopped this, but pushed the thought away. There would be time in the future to go over the endless might-have-beens.

He leaned forward, spoke into his communicator. “Sector four engage: safeguard the approach to the base.”

Ships converged where he’d ordered. Rjala was pulling together the disparate platoons who’d been defending with no leadership, isolated from each other. It seemed she was getting somewhere, there was talk of pushing back the attackers, and his air forces were holding all but one approach. They were taking huge losses, though, more every minute as the Empress’ fleet came in massive numbers, wave after wave. He heard a soft curse beside him.

“They’ve got the blast cannons in,” Lichio said.

“How many?”

“A lot.”

There was the sound of a blast, distant and muffled. The base rocked, the impact designed to shatter the walls that stood against their enemy shaking the base to its foundations. The lights flickered in the room around them. It was, Kare knew, the beginning of the end.

“How many transports away, Captain?”

“Twenty-two so far, sir.”

Another huge blast rocked the base, and Lichio looked at him, his eyes wide. He hadn’t betrayed him, Kare realised, more relieved than he should be. He’d wondered over the years, knowing they’d try to get to him through those around him, if he’d been wrong to trust Lichio.

Lichio swallowed and said, “We’re not getting away with this one, sir.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. And there’ll be no miracles from me tonight. They’ve taken my powers away.”

Lichio's face was stunned. Kare shrugged; it was so simple. Take out the mind– however they’d done it– and you take out the psycher.

“There goes plan B,” Rjala said, behind them. “I’m sorry, Colonel. Get the last transports away now
.
At best, you have minutes.”

He leaned forward and gave the order. On the screen, the last three transport ships lifted off, a squad of fighters with them, and he knew they weren’t full. He watched the line of people left behind, their only hope of escape gone, and saw the Empress’ troops enter the hangar. His people fell at their laser fire, the small amount of returning fire making no impact. Was Sonly with them, lined up for death, or had she made it to one of the transports? Even if she had, she’
d have to get across space, to the relative safety of a new, less secure, base.

At the sound of screams he turned and saw the door had been breached. A shot took Stitt on the chest, and she fell, lying across the doorway. The first of the invading soldiers stamped on her as he walked in. Her hand clenched, and Kare listened to her last, agonised breaths. If he’d had his psyche, he’d have ended it for her.

“Which is the leader?” their captain asked, and Kare saw, with no surprise, Eevan enter the room.

“That one,” he stated, as he pointed to Rjala. “And that’s Varnon.” He faced Kare, exultant in victory, and Kare squared up to him. The bigger man stepped back slightly, but as Kare moved forward, hands took his arms and started to pull them behind him.

“You treacherous fucker. Your sister’s in a transport running a space blockade, or dead in the base.” And his baby. Fear choked him. “Your little brother’s on his way to Omendegon with me.” With enormous pride he saw Lichio step forward. “Your soldiers were slaughtered, without an officer to command them. To get me? Am I really worth that much to you? Why?”

Eevan kept his eyes focused on Kare. “Because my Empress commands me,” he said.

“You poor bastard,” Kare said, with a harsh laugh. He struggled against the hands on him, his anger giving him strength, and threw the soldiers off. He had never had so much hate. It filled him, distorted him, making him feel like a different person. “She got to you, did she? Or did you offer her me? Did you deal with her, Eevan, and think you might win? Well you didn’t; no one wins except her.”

“Kare!" Rjala stood, her blaster drawn, the same firebrand his father had known. He moved to give her a clear shot, and a pinpoint of laser passed him, missing by centimetres, and hit Eevan, centred between his eyes.

“Drop your weapon!”

She smiled and raised her blaster. He tried to break free, to stop her, but shots rang out and she fell.

“General, no!” shouted Lichio.

Kare tried to reach her. Hands grabbed him, firmly this time, and pulled him back. She didn’t move. He pulled forward a little, and then stopped. She’d had no block, no way to keep her secrets safe. Even at the last, it had been about the Banned; a life to be proud of, indeed. Something cold pressed against his temple.

“Don’t move,” said a voice. “We came for you.”

A muscle moved in Kare’s cheek. “Fine, kill me.”

“Not you.” The gun moved to Lichio instead, and Kare met his eyes. He couldn’t be his killer. The soldiers surrounded Kare, and his arms were pulled behind into cold cuffs. At his feet, Eevan lay dead.

There was movement at the door and two men entered: the first tall, lean, with flat grey eyes, his insignia showing him as a general. He smiled as he looked around the room. Kare looked from him to the other.

“No!” He pulled at his manacles, trying to free himself, but it made no difference. He twisted, trying not to face the man who’d been in his nightmares since he was a child.

The general nodded to the man beside him. “He’s all yours, Captain Beck.”

The huge soldier reached for Kare and pulled him forwards. Kare closed his eyes. The future was here, the path his father had known; whatever was ahead, let him at least show courage.

The darkness, that was the first thing. The cold and fear. They were all distractions from the pain spasming down his back. His legs were cramped; his chest burned each time he tried to take a breath.

Kare wrenched his thoughts away. The attack: the base was gone and the death toll must have been huge. Had Sonly made it to the reserve base? His breath hitched– he knew where it was. How long until she’d move, knowing he held the information? He didn’t know, but he silently thanked himself for placing the block.

The block.
With Stitt dead there was nothing he could do to remove it; there was no way out for him. Fear came rushing, attacking him, and he had to think of something, anything else.
Beck
. The darkness filled with pinpoints of light. Beck, whom his father had screamed for mercy from. Karia had pressed against Kare and they’d promised each other if they met him, they’d run. He pulled against his restraints, but there was no give in them. He groaned, low in his throat.