Forsaken (13 page)

“Bandar wasn’t the intruder. It was this guy named Letos.”

Raina gasped. “The technomage?”

Ashley set down her mug and tilted her head. “Yes, but how did you know about that?”

“Letos was having fun with Kotto and me last night. He created this sort of illusion that forced us to spend time together.”

A strangled laugh escaped Ashley despite her obvious effort to contain it. “Bandar and I were discussing similar strategies. The chemistry between you and Commander Tarr is obvious.” Ashley stopped trying to hide her smile as she asked, “How did you two spend your time?”

“Finish your story first. What happened after Letos stabbed you and why don’t you seem upset about it? For some reason, I thought Letos was one of the good guys.”

“Letos is either a bad guy willing to do good things for reasons we don’t understand or a good guy who has a serious dark side. I’m honestly not sure which. He’s helped us more than he’s hindered us, but he stabbed me in the chest, repeatedly. That’s a little hard to shrug off.”

“Was there a reason he did it, other than you seeing his face? That seems pretty drastic.”

Ashley nodded. “Letos had to prove his loyalty to Akim Farmon. Akim is the head bad guy and Letos was working undercover at the time. Besides, Letos knew Bandar was following him and had access to one of their ships, so my life was never really in danger. Of course, I didn’t know any of that at the time.”

Raina shuddered. “I can’t imagine being stabbed. I cut my finger with a carving knife last year and I was ready for anesthesia. How can you be so forgiving?”

“It’s not like we’re best friends now. But if Letos hadn’t stabbed me, Bandar never would have stepped out of the shadows to save me. They were both looking for my father, not me.”

It would seem natural to bond with someone who saved her life. No wonder Ashley had fallen for Bandar so quickly. “Is Bandar a doctor or did he take you to Dr. Irron?”

“When did you meet Irron? He’s quite a character once you get to know him.”

Raina hesitated. Saying it out loud made it seem more real. “He tested me for the protein marker before I left the ship.”

“And?”

“It was positive.” She took a quick sip of coffee before she went on. “You’re bonded with Bandar. Does that mean you have the marker too? My grandfather was Rodyte. How did you end up with it?”

“It was a present from my father, but it had nothing to do with this war bride nonsense.”

Ashley’s father was an ambitious, sometimes radical geneticist. Understanding slammed into Raina and she felt her jaw drop. “Your father spliced Rodyte DNA into your genome?”

“In his defense, he did it to save my life. But it’s still seriously creepy. I was a child at the time. Besides, dinking with my DNA is one of many horrors I can lay at my father’s feet.” Ashley sighed and curved her fingers around her coffee mug. “On the other hand, his research has taken the battle born closer to their goal of independence than they’ve ever been before. Eventually I’ll have to forgive him. It just won’t be today.” She dismissed the past with a dramatic wave of her hand.

“So what’s it like?”

Ashley scrunched up her brows, clearly confused by the question. “What is what like?”

“Bonding with a Rodyte?”

A dreamy expression softened Ashley’s features and her gaze drifted off into the distance. “It’s so much more than mind-blowing sex. Bandar and I can feel each other’s emotions and share our most intimate thoughts. It’s not just physical, it’s…hard to explain because there is nothing on Earth to compare it to. On a very practical level, his supercharged energy mixes with mine, so I’ll live longer and be much healthier than an unbound human.”

“How long do Rodytes live?”

“A battle born male can live two even three hundred years.”

For a moment all Raina could do was stare at her friend. “Why did you make the distinction? Do battle born males live longer than other Rodytes?”

“Yes. They’re bred—and genetically engineered—to be stronger, faster and more durable than full-blooded Rodytes.”

“More durable?” Raina cringed. “You make them sound like Humvees.”

“They’re treated like Humvees, and farming equipment, and manufacturing drones. That’s kind of the point of all this.”

“And they can only bond with a female if she has the protein marker?”

“No. They can create a mating bond with a variety of humanoid females, but the transformation protocol, the procedure they’re hoping will unlock their magic, can only be done with a human/Rodyte hybrid. Females like you and me.”

Raina wasn’t sure she should mention Indigo, but she needed an objective—scratch that, an informed opinion. Ashley had stopped being objective about the Rodytes as soon as she fell in love with Bandar. “What should I do about Indigo?”

“Your crazy cousin? Doesn’t she claim to be a psychic healer?”

“She’s not crazy. She’s unique, like me.”

“You mean she…” Ashley’s brows drew together again, crinkling up the skin above her nose. “But she’s your cousin, not your sister. How could she be a hybrid?”

“Our mothers are identical twins. We have the same grandparents.”

Understanding widened her eyes. “I’ve never seen your aunt. I didn’t realize.”

“You cannot tell Bandar. I’m not sure I want these guys to know.”

“They’ll find out, Raina. They have resources—”

“Well, they’re not hearing it from me and they better not hear it from you.”

“All right. Mum’s the word about your crazy cousin, but I want details about last night.”

Raina blushed to the roots of her hair. She’d never been able to hide anything from Ashley. “It was…enlightening.”

“Was it now?” Ashley laughed. “How realistic was this illusion?”

“Like Kotto was actually there.” Just the memory made her shiver. And ache for more. She refused to think about that concept too deeply. “I have no idea how Letos did it, but the tactic worked. I’m officially ready to explore my Rodyte roots.”

“I’m so relieved.” Ashley hopped up and rounded the table, hugging Raina tightly. “This is going to be so much more fun with another female on board.” She straightened, but didn’t return to her side of the table. “Did you already tell Kotto?”

“No, but I’m sure he’s expecting nothing less after last night.”

Ashley’s eyes widened as she slipped back onto her chair. “How far did things go? He didn’t behave too badly, did he?”

“Nothing happened that I didn’t allow and things went farther than I’d intended, but not as far as he would have liked.”

They chatted for a while longer as they drained the coffee pot, then Ashley helped Raina pack.

“Make sure you bring plenty of skirts. Rodytes are weird about females wearing pants. It doesn’t matter how revealing the dress is, but pants are taboo.”

“Seriously? If I’m repairing a greenhouse, I’ll be crawling on the floor and climbing on ladders. I’m not doing that in a skirt.”

“We’ll be more or less isolated on Lunar 9, so we can wear whatever we like. Just make sure you have skirts or dresses for when you’re on the ship.”

Raina turned back to her closet and grabbed several more skirts. “I think it’s stupid, but okay.”

“I’ll be your primary assistant, if that’s all right with you.” Ashley followed Raina into the bathroom as Raina gathered her toiletries.

“And if I need some muscle from time to time?”

“Bandar will be there too.”

Raina paused and looked at Ashley. “Why does Bandar need to babysit us?”

“He’s the only mated male on board. Until we figure out who is affected by you and who is immune, we need to be careful.” Ashley started to say something and then shook her head.

“What? I can tell from your expression I’m not going to like it.”

“You can’t go anywhere on the ship without an escort and it’s probably best if you just stay in your cabin.”

She watched Ashley closely, waiting for her to crack up and admit it was a joke. “You’re serious?”

“Afraid so. Depending on the level of compatibility, Rodyte males can become really aggressive.”

“Isn’t there a neutralizer or some sort of filter I can use? I can’t stay cooped up in my cabin for the next six months.”

A calculative gleam suddenly lit Ashley’s eyes and Raina braced for her answer. “There’s a way to back everyone off, but I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

“It has to be better than being locked in my cabin.”

Ashley shrugged, obviously trying to minimize what she was about to say. “You could let one of the men mark you.”

“And what does that entail?”

With another shrug, Ashley said, “Probably more of what you let Kotto do last night.” Before Raina could dismiss the idea entirely, Ashley added, “You wouldn’t have to go all the way.”

“Go all the way?” Raina laughed. “What, am I fifteen?”

“Fine, full penetration isn’t necessary to establish a claim. He just has to spread his scent all over you. And Rodyte males have pheromones on their skin and in their saliva. It works best if you’re both naked, but he wouldn’t have to—”

“I get the idea.” She zipped up her toiletry bag and carried it into the adjoining bedroom. “Did you let Bandar mark you, or did you two go right for full-on bonding?”

“He marked me and it saved me from the sort of abuse I don’t even want to think about when Akim’s brother captured us.”

Raina froze with her main suitcase halfway zipped and looked at her friend. “You were captured by the head bad guy?”

“Yeah. If Letos hadn’t helped us escape, we’d probably both be dead or I’d be wishing I were.”

“Which is why you’ve forgiven him for stabbing you?”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I’ve agreed to overlook it. I’m still working on forgiveness.”

Raina smiled, growing more excited with each minute that passed. “I feel like I’ve joined a foreign work exchange program.”

“Only this one is taking you to the moon.” Ashley returned her smile. “Okay, I’ve been told to remind you about the journals. Are you ready to share or not?”

Raina pulled the thumb drive out of her pocket. “The actual journals are locked in a climate-controlled storage unit, but I digitized the entries four years ago. Do they need the actual journals or will this do?” She held up the thumb drive.

“They’re interested in the events detailed in the entries. I’m pretty sure the books can stay where they are.”

“And will they be able to read this or do I need to grab my laptop?”

“They can make a cell phone ring from the dark side of the moon. I’m pretty sure they can deal with a thumb drive.”

Raina looked around. The front door was locked and all the lights were turned off. She’d left a message for her mother and coworkers. Her bills were all on auto-pay and she’d transferred enough money to cover her expenses for at least six months. She didn’t have a pet and she’d put a six-month hold on her mail. There was nothing left to do.

“Looks like I’m ready.” She picked up her bags and took a deep breath. “Tell them we’re ready to ‘beam up’.”

* * * * *

“Are you sure this is effective?” Akim looked at the injector resting across Dr. Tulon’s palm. The chemical it contained would be his salvation,
if
the drug could do what the doctor claimed.

“Effectiveness is not the challenge with phloristan. The compound is hard to control. Enough must be administered to ensure the memories are erased completely, yet too much can result in unintentional damage.”

“And how do you know when the patient has had enough?” If Akim had stopped when Chandar had enough, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Over the past few days, Chandar’s belligerence had returned with a vengeance, revealing that her memories were mostly intact. But that didn’t matter now. He had no choice. This had to be done. He could not allow Pyre Sterling to wreck everything he was trying to accomplish.

“Years of practice, sir.” Despite the boast, the doctor sounded sincere. “I was part of the team that developed phloristan and perfected its use. Your pet couldn’t be in better hands.”

“Good. Have you used phloristan on an organic harbinger before?”

A bit of his confidence faded. “I’ve treated a harbinger before, but he was transformed not organic.”

Akim was glad the doctor had opted for the truth. Lying would have been more damning than admitting a slight weakness. “Take it slowly. Her abilities must remain intact or she’s no use to anyone.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Can you treat her in her quarters or will this work better in the infirmary.”

“If she’s hostile, she’ll need to be restrained, at least in the beginning. But the actual treatment works better in a less clinical environment, perhaps one of the private treatment rooms rather than the infirmary itself.”

Akim nodded. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll have her prepared for you.”

Raina felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen, but couldn’t fight the reaction. She stood beside Kotto in the command center of the
Crusader
. Bandar and Ashley stood a step back and a noticeable hush had fallen over the bridge officers as everyone watched Raina react to her first sight of Lunar 9. The outpost was massive, far larger than Raina had ever imagined. Two levels of staggered docking slips spread out before her and the exterior walls of the outpost, at least six stories high, indicated the scope of the complex.

A huge cavern had been utilized or hollowed out of the moon to accommodate the actual outpost and allow ships to maneuver up to and away from the wide concourses. At present the
Crusader
was the only ship in the enormous parking garage, but it was easy to picture the area serving two dozen or more.

“How many people were stationed here during its heyday?” Now that she’d signed the contract, everyone was willing to answer her questions, even Kotto.

“Just over eight thousand.”

She gasped and looked at the handsome commander. “Eight
thousand
? Why would it take that many people to track the space race?” His secretive smile didn’t make her feel any better. “What were their other objectives?”

“Rodytes have always been fascinated with humans,” Kotto told her. “Americans in particular. America broke away from its mother country and became the most powerful nation in their star system. Do you realize how unusual that is? Rodytes would like to do the same. We were driven out rather than choosing to leave, but we’ve sensed a kindred spirit in your people. We knew you weren’t ready to interact with aliens. Slowly, that’s changing.”

She wasn’t convinced that was all there was to it, but she was in too good a mood to start a fight. “Were you here while Lunar 9 was operational?”

He shook his head. “I was still stuck at Fort Ja Harr. But my brother, Keyran, was stationed here for a couple of years, so I heard lots of stories.”

“Does the US government know about the outpost?”

“They know something is up here.” Bandar moved closer to Raina as he explained, “Your government has kept their side of the bargain and no one has returned to the moon. However, it’s possible that human satellites are now sophisticated enough to detect the artificial structures.”

“But we can’t detect your ships?” She looked from Bandar to Kotto and back, unconsciously comparing the two. Even though Bandar’s features were closer to the human standard of handsomeness, she found Kotto more striking, more memorable. It might have something to do with their passionate encounter the night before. For someone who was determined not to be a slave to her libido, she was doing a piss-poor job of remaining unaffected.

“Their sensors can’t penetrate our shields,” Kotto told her.

They lapsed into silence again as the ship docked near the front of the concourse. Each slow yet precise movement filled Raina with wonder. She still hadn’t seen the
Crusader
from a distance, but it seemed to be about the size of a cruise ship. “How large is your crew?”

“Three hundred and seventy-four men belong to the crew. But then there is Bandar and Ashley, as well as Raylon and his staff, which adds another seven.”

“So almost four hundred people?” She’d actually expected more. Maybe the
Crusader
wasn’t as large as a cruise ship. “Is this the biggest ship in the Rodyte fleet?”

Bandar looked at Kotto and smirked. “Why is it always about size with women?”

Kotto laughed, drawing surprised looks from his bridge officers. Hadn’t they ever seen him happy before? “The
Crusader
is built for speed and agility. If you’re after size, you’ll want one of the mobile bases like the
Undaunted
. General Nox has over six thousand men at his command.”

General Nox. Where had she heard that name before? There had been so many in the past few days. She looked at Bandar. “Isn’t Nox your last name?”

“General Garin Nox is my older brother.”

“I see.” And Ashley had said Bandar reported directly to General Nox, which meant he was on special assignment for his brother. Apparently, even on other planets it helped to know powerful people.

The ship vibrated a bit as the docking clamps engaged. It was all so surreal. She was inside the moon!

Kotto said something in Rodyte to one of the bridge officers then held out his hand toward her. “Are you ready for a guided tour of your work site?”

“Yes, please.” Much to her relief, he hadn’t mentioned the shared dream. Either he didn’t remember or he knew she would be embarrassed by the subject. She suspected it was the latter.

Bandar and Ashley faded into the background as they reached the main elevator bank, none to subtly leaving Raina alone with Kotto. “We recently located schematics for much of the equipment, but everything is in Rodyte. Bandar and I can try to explain it to you, or you can agree to a language infusion. The procedure would allow you to instantaneously learn our language, both the verbal and written forms. I recommend the infusion.”

“Is that how you learned English?”

The elevator door parted and he led her out into the central common, a multi-story atrium that was the social center of the ship. It served as cafeteria, informal meeting space, and lounge. Raina had only passed through the area. She wouldn’t be allowed to linger unless she allowed one of the men to mark her. She shivered. The concept of having a male’s scent spread all over her body was so savage, so animalistic. She couldn’t decide if she was repulsed or intrigued.

“Initially. Many years of interaction with humans has allowed me to fine-tune the original transfer, but I still struggle with the vernacular. Social context changes so quickly.”

She nodded as she dragged her mind back to the present. Language infusions. They were talking about the possibility of her instantaneously learning Rodyte. “Is it dangerous?”

“Any procedure involving your brain has risks, but these sorts of infusions are done routinely. They’re frequently part of mission prep. I’ve had many.”

“That explains it.” He reacted with a startled expression and she smiled. “Lighten up. You’re always so serious.”

“We’re trying to secure a future for our people. Missions don’t come any more serious than this.”

“I understand that, but you can take your mission seriously without being so glum.”

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, but his expression didn’t change.

They disembarked through a narrow airlock then followed a zigzagging ramp down to the main walkway. Once they exited the airlock everything was open and expansive. She looked around, but there was so much to see she wasn’t even sure where to look.

“How are we able to breathe out here? The gravity has to be artificial.”

“Life support, primary power and the gravity generators were our first priority. With a few minor repairs all three came back online. We’re hoping the other systems will be as cooperative.”

A large, doorless entryway led to the outpost interior. Artificial sunlight made the area feel warm and welcoming. Small shops, all presently gated and vacant, formed four sweeping tiers with crisscrossing staircases in the middle. She took in the arrangement with a combination of awe and dread.

When they reached the bottom level, she paused to look back up. “This isn’t an observation station, Kotto. It’s a spaceport.” She hadn’t intentionally used his name. It just slipped out automatically.

His gaze warmed and the corners of his mouth tilted up in a subtle smile. “What it was in the past is irrelevant. Lunar 9 will be whatever we make of it.”

“And what do you hope to make of it?”

He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. “The first battle born colony. A place where battle born sons and their bonded mates can live in peace and build a future.”

The dream was so sweet and his expression so relaxed that she couldn’t shatter the illusion. She was only starting to understand the obstacles facing the battle born and already they seemed insurmountable. If the battle born were the backbone of the Rodyte armed forces, the leaders on Rodymia wouldn’t just let them fly away to another star system and leave the planet defenseless. Even if the government was corrupt, the Rodyte people didn’t deserve to be abandoned.

He led her along a railed walkway that dissected countless doorways. Some suspiciously close together while others were much farther apart. Level upon level of the imposing structure rose to her left and right with railed walkways in between. “Are all these apartments?”

“Living quarters, yes. They’re arranged into villages. Each village can house roughly a thousand people.”

“And how many villages are there?” She was almost afraid to ask.

“Ten. They had just completed the final phase of construction when the project was canceled and everyone was recalled to Rodymia.”

It seemed so wasteful for something like this to be abandoned, but the phenomenon wasn’t uniquely Rodyte. She’d seen a news exposé on the ghost cities in China. Shopping malls and condominium towers, literal miles of subdivisions had been built but never occupied and now they stood vacant and basically forgotten while the rural communities surrounding them starved. Rapid political and economic shifts had created the situation in China. Apparently, war had been responsible for the closure of Lunar 9.

Kotto had made it clear that he wouldn’t accept responsibility for the actions of his forbearers, but she couldn’t witness all of this and not ask, “What was the true purpose of this place? I know it’s irrelevant now, but I’m curious by nature.”

“Colonization,” he admitted. “Many had grown so frustrated by the war that they wanted to move away. Just pack up everything they owned and start over somewhere new. Unfortunately, this moon is a confining and desolate place. It didn’t take long for the colonists to grow restless and discontent.”

“And they started looking at the fertile planet they were orbiting?”

“Yes.” He paused and looked at her. “Rumors of an impending invasion were one of the reasons the governing council forced the closure of this place. The last thing they wanted was another war.”

“What will keep the battle born from succumbing to the same temptation? This place is impressive, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Earth.”

“All of these decisions are still fluid. As I’ve told you, we’re gathering information. There has been talk of eventual integration into Earth’s population. There has also been talk about finding an uninhabited world to colonize. Lunar 9 isn’t meant to be our final destination. That’s the difference this time around.”

She accepted the explanation with a tense nod. Still, it was hard to believe that people capable of creating this place wouldn’t just take what they wanted from the seriously outgunned humans.

They left the residential village and entered a sort of industrial park. As with the tiered shops, the various manufacturing facilities and laboratories were currently unused. Many of the workspaces were entirely empty, but many appeared fully equipped and ready for workers.

“It’s so hard to accept that all of this is up here and the vast majority of humans have no idea.”

“The main entrance is on the far side of the moon, so ships come and go without notice. And the synchronous rotation of the moon keeps the entrance hidden from Earth. By the way, this isn’t the first time we’ve built secret bases on a planet’s moon. The Ontarians have a legend about the ‘ghosts of the night moon’. They just didn’t realize it was our ships coming and going that created the legend.”

“I’m glad we’re not the only ones who can’t see what’s right in front of them. This is embarrassing.”

He finally allowed a smile to part his lips and warm his gaze. “It’s only obvious because you know about it. We’re actually very careful to keep our activities hidden.” They walked for a time in companionable silence. Through it all he held her hand. It felt strangely comfortable, intimate without being intimidating. “There are four industrial parks. Maintenance and utilities are restricted to the lowest level to protect the esthetic of the inhabited space.”

“And the greenhouses?”

“We’re almost there.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. They approached a doorway and he stopped, pulling her around to face him. “Do we need to talk about last night?”

She tensed and looked away. It had been too much to hope he didn’t remember. She should have known better. “No. I’m good.”

His warm chuckle was followed by the gentle pressure of his fingers turning her face back around. “There was no shame in what we shared. I certainly don’t regret it.”

She didn’t regret it either, but she was conflicted about where it should lead them. Everything would be so much easier if she could approach this situation scientifically. “Were you able to confirm that Letos was responsible for the link?”

“I spoke with him this morning and let him know I won’t tolerate that sort of interference again. He agreed to offer his apologies in person if that’s what you want.”

“That’s not necessary. I’d rather forget it ever happened.”

One of his dark brows arched and the purple rings in his eyes ignited. “I have no intention of letting you forget.”