DarkRevenge (29 page)

Since Alex had never really looked at Malak Foche before,
she studied him as Jezar talked. Curly, brown hair, a straight nose and a lanky
look about him. He had to duck quite a bit to fit in the back of the shuttle.
Both Jezar and Tory did, too, but Foche was taller than either of them. There
was something in the sidelong glance he shot at Tesia that got her attention.

Where is Foche from?
she asked Tory.

I picked him up on Teran Five, but I think he’s from
Teran Two.

He’s got a thing for Tesia too.

Several thoughts flitted through Tory’s mind until he
settled on,
That would explain why he volunteered. I don’t know much about
him except that he’s good with the engine’s computers. He’s kept to himself
mostly. I took him on because Tesia suggested him as a good assistant engineer.
I think he has a past record, but I didn’t ask.
Tory gave a mental shrug.
He
flies under the radar. Tesia’s word was good enough for me.

Then Tory’s thoughts were tied up in getting the shuttle out
of the bay. She matched his movements with her own. Copiloting certainly was
easier when she knew exactly what the pilot intended to do. They disembarked
easily.

Alex continued to listen to the conversation in the back.
How Tesia and Foche responded to the information would be critical.

“We plan to attend the celebration in Saladen, the capital.
Our target is Celeste Zeerah.” Jezar clicked a button on his handheld console
and Celeste’s face appeared. “She is not being held against her will.”

“But the vid—” Tesia started.

“Was a fraud,” Jezar interrupted her, his gaze not meeting
Tesia’s. “Celeste is a willing participant in what she believes is a civil war.
We don’t know for sure how much she knows, but we’re going to rescue her.”

“Does she have something to do with the box on Commander
Zeerah’s shuttle?” Foche asked.

Jezar nodded. “Celeste, the commander’s sister, may know the
location of a shipment like the one Commander Zeerah had in her cargo hold.” He
glanced at Tesia and then back to Foche. “Four hundred vials containing the Old
Earth plague.”

The color in Foche’s face bled away. “Four hundred?”

“Or more. We don’t know how large the shipment is.” Jezar
clicked another button and the blueprints of the capitol building appeared.
“The woman holding Celeste is Ena Solly, a member of a First family. As the
last of her bloodline, she should be here.” He pointed to a small area of the
large cathedral room. Alex shot a glance at Tory’s profile. Could they pull it
off? Jezar continued, “Commander Zeerah is the head of her bloodline. She is
supposed to be here.” He pointed to a section to the south of the previous
position. “We expect the current government to attempt to arrest her on charges
of appropriation of Teran One property. In anticipation, we will be
transporting the box from her cargo hold with us. As insurance.”

Any color left in Foche’s face drained away and he looked a
little green. Jezar reassured him. “The vials are not in it, so there is no
danger. There are, however, several vials containing our escape plan.”

“Anosenosin,” Tesia said shortly.

Jezar nodded. “There’s enough to knock out over a thousand
people, but not for long. Our plan is to save Celeste, contain Ena Solly and
obtain the information of the location of the virus.”

“Do we have a plan B?” asked Tesia, her gaze on the
blueprints.

“No. This is it. Our problem is twofold. The current
government, led by Pontoon Gregor, will attempt to stop us. Also, according to
the information I got from Pulzer, there are several thousand Teran One
rebels—and they’ll also try to stop us.” Jezar sighed. “My hope is that the rebels
will blame the Gregor government and Darius Stender can return to the throne to
restore order.”

“What if the rebels release the plague?” Foche asked.

“Then we’d better hope we’re off planet and can kill anyone
who tries to leave Teran One space, or the other Teran planets are doomed.”
Jezar clicked his handheld and showed them a copy of the vid Alex had seen at
the Ardasian museum.

She turned away to avoid seeing the slaughter, the carnage,
in that scene, but the sounds of screaming and ripping and tearing still
reached her ears. Was this going to be the fate of her world?

A retching sound made her turn and see Tesia’s face had lost
every vestige of color. Foche’s hand was at his throat and his face had a
greenish tinge.

That’s what they would face if they failed. Alex closed her
eyes. Only a small chance existed for them to stop the plague and save her
planet. So small, so slim. But she clung to it. If they could succeed, she
would have a life with Tory. If they didn’t, she would die with him.

Simple.

She focused in front of her, but the conversation in the
back caught her attention. Tesia found her voice first. “Who was fighting
them?” she asked.

“Humans immune to the plague.” Jezar’s voice sounded clipped
and cold.

“There are humans immune to the plague?” Foche asked.

“Humans genetically descended from an alien race are not
affected by the plague.” Why didn’t Jezar just say yes? He seemed to avoid the
question both volunteers wanted to ask. Were
they
immune?

Tesia sighed so heavily, Alex heard it in the cockpit. “Are
we immune? How do we find out?”

“Do you want to know? After all, the chances you’ll be
exposed are very high.” Jezar spoke slowly.

“I’d rather know if I’m going to become a flesh-tearing
animal and kill my friends, wouldn’t you?” Tesia snapped.

Jezar was silent for a moment. Then, “And you?”

Foche answered, “I’d like to know.”

“It’s simple, really. Put your thumb here.”

A moment and a beep sounded. Then, Jezar spoke. “Tesia,
you’re apparently immune. Foche, you are not.”

Alex let out a breath. How would the man feel about that?
Why did it feel like he’d just been handed a death sentence?

Foche’s voice revealed no fear, only determination. “Tesia?”

“You can’t ask me to do it.” Something panicky and shrill
crept into Tesia’s tone.

“I can’t think of anyone better,” Foche said in a low voice.
“You can’t let me become…like that.”

A small sound, like a whimper, came from Tesia and Alex’s
heart ached for her. What exactly was the relationship between Foche and Tesia?

He is in love with her but, to her, he is a very old
friend.
Jezar’s mental voice intruded.

Alex mentally recoiled.
Damn it, Jezar! Get out of our
heads
.

Suddenly, a very bleak and bitter sensation swamped her.
It
isn’t pleasant to read things from you humans all the time. You send your thoughts
so loud we can’t miss them. Foche is projecting so strongly it’s like shouting
to me.

We don’t do it to torment you.

No. But don’t criticize me for what I am.
Then, his
thoughts were gone like a radio transmission switched off.

She shot a glance at Tory. For most of the trip so far, his
thoughts had been closed off, blocked. She touched him and he met her gaze.
“Tory,” she said aloud, but kept her question silent. She wanted him to
connect, but she wasn’t going to force it.

Like a door opening to a fresh wind, his thoughts began to
blow over her. The mission, his worries, his conviction about what they were
doing and his laser-like focus traveled between them. He hadn’t been listening
to the conversation between the others. What she’d been hearing and thinking
communicated to him in a blink.

Jezar pays a price for reading most humans, Alex.

What do you mean?
She focused on myriad conversations
Tory remembered. Snippets of these exchanges revealed the Ardasian struggled to
block human thoughts. Jezar’s gift was so strong that it picked up too much.
And he paid for it. The dark secrets, the negative emotions, the deceit in
human behavior all taxed Jezar’s mental energy.

Being on my ship hasn’t been easy for him, Alex. Though
my men aren’t evil, they have dark pasts, dark deeds, dark thoughts. You were a
pleasure to read for Jezar. Like light after a dark night. Tesia is that way
too.

Can’t he block the thoughts coming in?

Yes and no. Right now, he has to read Foche and Tesia.
And Pulzer. All of that is taking its toll. If he’s a bit bitter that a man
who’s his rival for Tesia is a hero in her eyes for the moment, it’s natural, I
think.

Alex turned these thoughts over, picking them apart and
studying them. The mission required too much from Jezar. She wouldn’t want to
read the murky thoughts of a traitor like Pulzer. And how would she feel about
reading someone who loved Tory? Someone who might have some claim on his
affections? She shook her head. Tory was right. No wonder Jezar sounded bitter.

Tory reached out and clasped her hand, his gaze still on the
control panel, but his thoughts entwined with hers.
We are very lucky. We
have been able to touch in every way possible. Jezar has never broken through
Tesia’s distrust and wariness
.

Why in the world would she distrust him? I mean, he’s
proven he wants to help us.

Tory’s thoughts were jumbled about this and his opinions
were based on his gut feelings rather than facts.
I think Tesia is afraid of
her feelings for Jezar. She was raised on Teran Two, which practices stringent
isolation. I don’t think she’s entirely comfortable being attracted to an
Ardasian. Particularly one who has Jezar’s power. She blocks him out, keeps him
at arm’s length and won’t allow herself to get to know him any better. Jezar,
on the other hand, admires Tesia’s strength and honor. I think he’s strongly
attracted to her, but she won’t give him the time of day.

That’s so sad.
Alex’s heart clenched. She had gone
five years without the only man she’d ever loved for the cold comfort of duty and
honor. Could she have done it if Tory was there, day after day? No. Yet Jezar
had been forced to do it.

I always believed Jezar would eventually win her over
but…
His thoughts jumbled a bit, but she finished the thought in her own
mind. Now, Jezar won’t have the time to win Tesia.

It isn’t that hopeless, Tory.
Alex threaded her
fingers with his and squeezed his hand.
Perhaps he’ll get his chance.

I don’t know what he’s seen, but he hasn’t been very
optimistic and I know his own destiny is somehow tied to all this shit.
Frustration threaded Tory’s thoughts. He wanted to help his friend, save his
world, save his mate. Yet, he could only do so much. Tory was only human.

We’ll make it. I know we will.

How do you know that?
Tory’s resignation weighed
heavily on her, but Alex shored him up, sending her hope and love to him.

Because I haven’t had nearly enough time with you, Tory
Ingle. You’re not getting out of this that easy.

He chuckled out loud and the sound carried through the
cockpit.

Jezar’s mental touch, gentler this time, reached her.
I
did not mean to be so…negative.

You’re only reflecting the thoughts of those around you,
Jezar. Let us ease your burden a bit.
Alex opened up her mind and let Jezar
see more. The Ardasian tentatively connected with her and Tory.

Pulzer’s mind is violent and uncomfortable for me, even
when he is unconscious. I believe it is coloring my thoughts,
Jezar
admitted.

Well, take what you need, my friend, from both of us.

Alex’s thoughts focused on her hopes for Tory and herself, their
children, their lives in the future. Powerful thoughts that gave her more
strength than she’d ever had before.

In battles past, she’d gathered her energy, faith in her
people, faith in her bloodline. With Tory by her side, all her energy focused
on him, on their connection. Jezar seemed to soak it up like a sponge.

Perhaps alone, she might have been sucked dry, but Tory was
there, echoing her hopes and dreams with his own. Somehow, Tory didn’t just
complete her. He amplified her, the sum of the two of them being so much more
than each of them alone.

You have no idea how rare it is to touch something so
strong and powerful
.
Jezar sounded awed.

I would think Ardasians would mate this way
,
she answered.

Many do, I’m sure, but they do not allow other Ardasians
to…experience it too. Humans are different in that. When you love, you share.

Slowly, Jezar slipped away, his touch lingering a moment and
then disappearing. Alex hoped it had helped.

“We’ve reached the window to land at Saladen.” Tory prepared
the others. “Orbital entry in ten.”

Mentally, Alex counted down and the shuttle rattled when
they hit the upper atmosphere of the planet. She stared at the screen.

Home.

She’d been on Teran Two, Three and Five. She’d studied Teran
Four. None of the Teran planets were alike, despite being terraformed within
the same five-year period.

Teran One had a thick layer of clouds that kept the
temperatures cool, but not too cold. The planet’s land mass was made up of
large islands, all with temperate climates, each with their own special claims
to fame. Perhaps the topography of Teran One was the reason Ena had initially
attempted to spread the plague on Teran Four—islands could hide isolated
pockets of survivors.

Bloodlines tended to congregate on individual islands and
trade between them was regulated by the throne. The clouds parted and Alex
spotted four of the largest islands. Saladen, the capital city, sprawled in the
center of Stender Island. Across a narrow strait, she spotted Zeerah Island.
Both were large and dominated the area just north of the center of a large
ocean. The other two largest islands were further south and had a slightly
warmer climate.