Authors: Lisanne Norman
Vanna stirred, opening her eyes and looking blearily around the unfamiliar room. Where the hell was she? She ought to know, the smell was familiar. Uncurling, she instantly regretted it as her vision swam. She groaned, triggering off the headache.
A glass of frothing liquid swam into view and gratefully she grabbed it, swallowing the contents. It hit her stomach, instantly settling the incipient nausea.
"Better?" asked Garras, sitting down beside her.
She handed him the glass, remaining still for a moment till the drug dealt with the rest of her hangover. "Thanks," she mumbled. "How'd I get here?"
"We came back together," he said. "You were sitting drinking in the rec bar on your own last night, and I thought you needed company."
"What did we do?"
"Talked mostly."
"I'm afraid I don't really remember anything," she said ruefully. "I think I overdid it."
"Just a little," he said with a grin, reaching down to touch her cheek. "I didn't expect you to remember much."
"That bad, huh?" Her headache had dulled to a vague ache by now so she risked sitting up.
Garras' arm was there to support her. "You'll feel better when you've eaten."
"No food yet," she said with a shudder. "I'll have a c'shar, though."
He got up and went over to the dispenser, returning with two faintly steaming mugs. He handed one to her before getting back into bed.
She took several large mouthfuls before her thirst was quenched. "Whatever was I drinking last night, Garras?"
"Would you believe Terran coffee?"
"You're kidding!" she said. "It's had
this
effect on me?"
"They make it too strong in the rec bar."
"Oh. And it made me talkative?" she asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Moderately," he replied, taking a drink himself.
Vanna checked her wrist unit. "Gods, is that the time? I've got to go!" she said, finishing her drink with a gulp. Putting the mug down on the bedside unit, she swung her legs over the side and began scrabbling among the clothes on the floor for her uniform.
As she fastened her belt, she was aware of Garras watching her. She risked a glance in his direction. He was getting up. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, she headed for the door.
"Bye," she said, putting her hand on the sensor.
Garras' hand closed over hers, preventing her from activating it.
"Vanna, wait. You aren't in that much of a hurry. I'd be surprised if our two friends go anywhere today," he said, turning her around to face him.
Acutely embarrassed, Vanna tried hard to keep her ears upright. Her tail tip flicked against her legs. What
had
she said the night before?
"Don't neglect your own life because you care for them," he said. "Start training someone to take over from you now, before it becomes too complex for you to leave. There'll be other chances for you to work in xenobiology. You're getting too involved for your own good."
"I want to work with them, Garras," she said quietly. "I like them both."
"I know, and I understand. I want you to come back here tonight," he said. "Spend your off-duty time with me, Vanna. I like your company a lot." His hand cupped her cheek, fingers caressing her ear briefly. "Don't decide now, just think about what I'm saying."
She hesitated, then nodded. "I need to make sure they eat after what they've been through. We'll use the mess on their level. Do you want to join us?"
"I'll be there. I won't be able to stay for long, I'm afraid. I've some business to attend to."
"In an hour, then," she said, turning to go.
* * *
"The AlRel lectures are nothing more than thinly disguised thought control, and if you can't see that, it just proves my point," said Chyad angrily.
"If they're controlling what we think, then how come you don't agree with me?" Khay demanded.
"I don't go to the lectures," he said, dropping his voice. "You think I want my head filled with their subliminal messages?"
"They wouldn't dare!" said Naisha.
"I don't believe it either," said Kaedoe. "If what you say is true, then how did you manage to avoid the talks?"
"There are ways, but that's not the real issue. What should be concerning you is whether or not we're going to sit back and let Shola make a treaty with these Terrans. Did anyone manage to find out anything?" Chyad asked, pinning each of them with a hard look.
"I managed to speak to one of the Terrans," Kaedoe mumbled, looking away from the larger male.
"You did? Excellent," said Chyad, his tone now a delighted purr. "Someone with some initiative. What did you find out?"
"Mostly what we already knew. The Valtegans arrived there twelve years ago, overpowering the humans very quickly because they didn't have any real means of defense. Those who could, escaped to the hills and woodlands where they tried to fight back. The remainder were made to help build the two cities and the base."
"What about Guynor?"
"He hated the Terran female from the start, according to the human," said Kaedoe.
"So the Valtegans built themselves a base here with the help of the Terrans, and once they were well established, they set out to destroy anyone who got in their way— namely us," said Chyad.
"I think you're assuming too much," said Naisha, shifting uneasily in her seat.
Chyad turned an angry glare on her. "What am I assuming?" he demanded. "Did the human tell Kaedoe about the Valtegans trying to destroy their colony on Keiss, or of his home world being destroyed the way our two worlds were? No, he..."
"There's Mito," said Maikoe, grabbing hold of Chyad's arm, "from the
Sirroki."
Chyad glanced across the concourse in the direction Maikoe indicated. "Go and see if you can get her to join us," he said. "Let's see if she can tell us any more about the humans."
* * *
Mito was restless and troubled. Despite her companionship with Guynor while they'd been on Keiss, she hadn't really been involved with him on any serious basis. Though she believed it justified, his execution had shocked her. Looking at the vastness of space had always helped her cope with moments of crisis in the past and she hoped today wouldn't be an exception.
She was brought to an abrupt halt as a stocky female of about average height stepped in front of her.
"Mito," she said, her voice as bright and enthusiastic as her tunic. "We were just talking about you. Do come and join us," she said, taking her by the arm. "We're dying to hear about your adventure on the planet below us."
Bewildered, Mito looked again at the ginger-haired face with its tightly braided plait of pale hair as she let herself be guided over to a group of half a dozen people sitting by the viewing window.
"Do I know you?" she asked the female.
"Oh, yes," said Maikoe, mouth opening in a friendly smile. "When I was first posted here a year ago, we flew a couple of missions together on the
Sirroki
before I was allocated the captaincy of the
Alanti."
Chyad stood up to greet her. "Maikoe mentioned that she knew you," he said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Chyad, and these are Naisha, Khay, Kaedoe and Jakule." He indicated the rest of the group. "Please, join us. We've heard so many rumors of what happened to you all on Keiss. It would be nice to hear the truth."
Still taken aback, Mito sat down on the seat Chyad indicated. Dutifully, she recounted the main details of their experiences on Keiss.
"Tell me again why the Valtegans didn't destroy the Terran colony," said Chyad.
"I told you, we don't know for sure, but from what Carrie said they used the small Terran population as captive labor to help them build the two domed cities where they housed their injured and the soldiers on leave. They were like indoor towns. She said sometimes the troops would come out to see the settlements, behaving like people on leave in a strange town. Keiss was an R & R world for them," she repeated.
"Did you see their domed cities?"
"No, I only saw their base."
"Anyone here flown over those cities?" asked Chyad, turning to the others.
"Yes, I did," said Khay. "Not much left of them now, though. Just broken husks."
Chyad nodded. "What about the base? What went on there?"
"That's where their deep space communicator and landing pad were. Supplies and the injured arrived there and were ferried to the domes."
"Did you see any of these injured Valtegans?" asked Maikoe, getting up from her seat at the adjacent table. She tapped Khay on he shoulder, jerking her head to one side indicating he should take her seat. He moved and she slid into his place.
"You're asking as many questions as the Sub-Commander did!" Mito complained, ears and tail flicking. "What is this, some kind of informal debriefing? Yes, I saw injured Valtegans arriving from space. I spent three days in that stinking swamp recording their computer transmissions!"
"What sort of injuries were they? Energy weapons, projectiles?" prompted Maikoe.
"Not projectiles," Mito said. "A lot of burns— what you'd expect from a space battle. Look, what's this all about? What're you trying to find out?"
"Why the Valtegans didn't kill all the Terrans— not only on Keiss, but on their home world, too," said Chyad. "I, for one, don't like it. This smells of a conspiracy between the Valtegans and the Terrans."
"Don't be ridiculous! For a start, the Terrans fought with us when we attacked the base."
"That doesn't mean that most of the Terrans aren't collaborating with them," said Chyad. "They didn't say anything about there being a Valtegan star ship in the solar system, did they?"
"They didn't know about it!" Mito said. "Neither did we until you arrived. If you're that concerned, ask the Terrans! Several of the ones who came into the base with us are on board at the moment."
"They'll only tell us the official line," said Maikoe dismissively. "Besides, every species has its dissidents. The ones you met up with are probably them. Don't you find it too much of a coincidence that we lose Khyaal and Szurtha to the Others, then stumble over a new species of aliens who have coexisted with them on the same planet for twelve years?"
"I'd be more likely to ask what it was that made them kill our people out of hand like that!" replied Mito tartly. "Especially since they'd coexisted with the humans for so long!"
"No," insisted Chyad. "You're wrong. Our people died rather than help the Valtegans. Not the humans, they gave in. Guynor had the right of it. We don't need the Terrans. A treaty with them will only bring the destruction of the Valtegans down on us again."
Mito made a noise of disgust and got up. "You're as mad as Guynor was," she said. "I refuse to discuss it with you. I'm leaving."
Chyad watched her walk away. "How can she be so blind to what's happening? Why can't she can't see what's under her nose? Dammit! We need someone with communications skills."
"Why?" asked Khay.
"I've a friend on the
Rhyaki— the
ship that's on its way to Earth— who's prepared to send us information on the humans. Information that might otherwise be kept secret. If we had someone on the bridge who could intercept a message before it reached the comm..."
Maikoe sighed. "I'll have another try with her. We may have said too much already though. She could be a danger to us now."
"I'll have an eye kept on her," agreed Chyad.
"I didn't realize there were so many of us," said Naisha.
"There aren't. The more there are, the greater the chance is of someone backing out and telling the military protectors or security."
A figure came running toward them from one of the elevators, skidding to a stop when she reached them. She waved a piece of paper at Chyad.
"Got it! They just posted the findings of Guynor's courtmartial."
Chyad took it from her, scanning it quickly. "Guynor's been executed. When so many of us died on Khyaal, what right have they to take the lives of the survivors?" he asked angrily. "And guess what? The telepath that Guynor Challenged is no less than the Clan Lord's son! I'll bet he pulled rank to get a conviction. The charge was changed from one of wrongful Challenge to one of attempted murder. If this Kusac has a link to one of the Terrans, then he's as much of a collaborator as she is. Killing a traitor has never been called murder before!"
"Let me get this right," said Maikoe, wrinkling her nose in thought. "The Telepath Clan Lord's son is the one who has a Leska Link with the Terran female, the daughter of the Governor of this mud ball beneath us. Yes?"
"That's right. Now wouldn't it be tragic if the treaty negotiations were disrupted by the deaths of these two?" he said thoughtfully, folding the paper up and placing it in one of his pockets.
"Now you really
are
talking rubbish, Chyad," said Kaedoe. "How the hell would killing them stop the treaty?"
"We want this treaty stopped, don't we?" he demanded, looking round the half a dozen people present. Several heads nodded in assent.
"If we take Kusac and his Leska out, the two sides will be at each other's throats within hours, arguing over who's to blame. The treaty wouldn't stand a chance."
"Just how do you plan to creep up on telepaths without them being aware of you?" demanded Naisha, leaning forward and tapping a claw on the table in front of Chyad. "Even if you do manage it, how are you going to kill them without being caught?"
"Easy," said Maikoe. "We know that among the Terrans are at least two who are anti-Sholan; specifically, they dislike our Clan Lord's son and his Link to one of their females. If we can get one of them to work with us, we should be able to dupe him into killing Kusac. The shock of his death would certainly kill the Terran female."
"I like it," said Jakule, grinning.
"So do I," nodded Chyad. "Nice and simple, the best idea we've come up with yet. We can see to it that one of us kills the Terran as soon as he's succeeded— after all he's a dangerous assassin, isn't he? No loose ends if we do it right."
"Come on, Chyad. You're being unrealistic. Where are we even going to get pistols from?" asked Ngalu. "They're all counted back into the armory when we return from duty on Keiss."
"Pistols are easy," said Jakule. "I got the contacts."
Chyad shot him an angry look. "You'll leave that to me, Jakule. We need to keep a low profile from now on. No attracting attention to ourselves. You hear me?"
Jakule flicked his ears in grudging assent.
"You still haven't said how you're going to get anyone near enough the telepaths to shoot them without their intentions being picked up," reminded Kaedoe.
"We create a diversion," said Maikoe. "A spontaneous brawl nearby should catch everyone's attention."
"That's what we'll go for, then," said Chyad decisively. "Are we all agreed?" He looked round the little group, staring at them each in turn until they nodded. "Then I'll see to getting weapons. Maikoe, you have another try at recruiting Mito. She would be invaluable in approaching the Terrans, especially as she knows them personally. Try not to arouse her suspicions any more than we already have, though."
Maikoe nodded.
"Ngalu, Naisha, and Khay, you'll be responsible for finding out where the two telepaths are living. Doubtless they'll have moved them to Leska quarters by now. Watch them, work out any patterns of movement. Find out where they go to eat and drink. Let's give it a week. By then we should have enough information to start planning."
"Why wait a week?" demanded Jakule. "Do it now, before the treaty is signed."
"Jakule, we do it my way," said Chyad, fixing a hard look on the other male. "I want no trouble from you, hear me? Just do what you're told, nothing more."
"You haven't given me anything to do," he complained, tail flicking violently from side to side.
"You've been told to keep a low profile, that's your job now. Keep your hands in your own pockets and stay away from the smoke bar! You get some of that smoke in you and you're a danger to everyone. Because Security is up to all your little tricks, I can't give you anything else to do till nearer the time. Just stay out of trouble, or I'll deal with you myself, understand me?"
Jakule looked away from Chyad's hard eyes. "No one trusts me," he said. "You told me to ask my smoke friends for information. Now you're telling me to stay away from them."
Chyad bit his tongue. No point in antagonizing him further, his moods were too unpredictable. He still had his uses, though, not least of which was the fact he was their main link to the troopers in the lower decks.
"Did you find out anything from them?"
"No," he muttered. "I can't until I pay them what I owe. If I don't get the money soon, they'll come after me, they said."
"Gods!" Chyad exclaimed angrily. "That's all I need, you marked out for a beating! That's really going to attract attention to you, isn't it? The last thing we need is the military protectorate sniffing around you! How much do you owe? Twenty? Thirty?"
"Fifty-six."
Chyad reached into his pocket and slammed a handful of coins down on the table. "Take this for now. I want it back next payday or you'll find out just how bad an enemy I can be."
He looked up at the others as Jakule hurriedly scooped the coins into his hand and pocketed them. "Right, we'll meet here in two days time, sixteenth hour?"
In ones and twos the little group dispersed. Several tables along, the sleeping male stirred, putting his hand up to his ear to remove the miniature amplifier. It had been an informative hour. Getting slowly to his feet, he strolled off down the concourse, sniffing the air, searching for a particular scent. Finding it, he began to track.