Soldar fell to his knees.
Myranda looked at him and shook her head. “She’s badly hurt. Without any armor, she took the full force of the blast. I haven’t the equipment necessary to repair massive organ damage, assuming I can stop the bleeding.”
“Please, there has to be something we can do …
anything
,” he insisted as he pushed his way to the other side of Lyra’s body and clasped her hand.
“I might be able to combine some drugs and induce a coma,” Myranda told him. “If I can slow down her body processes enough, without making things worse, it’ll give her a few hours. But if we can’t get her to a star-class surgical unit … ”
As her words trailed away, Soldar closed his eyes and fought for control of his emotions. He could do nothing for Lyra if he couldn’t think. After a moment of fighting his fear, a door suddenly opened in his brain and years of experience took over.
“We need to get off the surface of Reisen Four. I can send a coded distress message to Elias Shafter. His command ship has a well-equipped sick bay. But we can’t stay
here
. D’uhr’s ship is in orbit and Shafter’s vessel will come under attack if we attempt a rendezvous on the surface. We need to get into deep space and try to escape detection.”
“Give me the sequencing for Shafter’s ship, Soldar. I’ll get to the bridge and send the message,” Cordis said as he automatically assumed command of the evacuation. “Stay with Lyra. I’ll coordinate everything. We’ll be off this damnable rock in short order. I promise!”
Soldar swallowed hard and repeated the sequencing twice so there’d be no mistake with the transmission. As an officer and ground force captain, Cordis would know how to send a message so D’uhr’s orbiting base ship couldn’t intercept it. But just before he hurried away, Cordis squeezed his shoulder in support. Soldar smiled at him and bid him to hurry.
Once Cordis was gone, Soldar couldn’t move. His entire body shook and he felt his reason leaving. His emotions were almost out of control. All he could do was sit there and stare down at Lyra’s beaten face.
The bruises delivered by Condorian brutes threatened to cause another shifting experience. But he fought it with all his might. They couldn’t afford such an outburst now. He had to help Myranda. He must concentrate on getting Lyra inside the Venus.
To steady himself, his mind reached out to Myranda’s shouted commands. He clung to her professionally delivered orders. And slowly — ever so slowly and with great deliberation — he held onto his real persona.
In the midst of all the chaos, more memories returned. The images in his mind made no sense and some faces in those memories weren’t recognizable. But he held on and did exactly as Myranda bid.
• • •
“I’ve done all I can and there’re other wounded to tend,” Myranda softly advised. “If we can get to that other ship in time, she has a chance. But I won’t lie to you, Soldar. Even Shafter’s physicians might not be able save her.”
“She’s a fighter. She’ll hang on … I know she will,” he woodenly responded. He sat on the pillow bed next to Lyra’s body and carefully arranged the bedclothes around her shoulders and smoothed back her hair. His fingers skimmed over the swollen wounds on her face.
Once again, he held back the shifting demon within him.
Why did Earthlings allow their women into battle? He silently cursed their independent natures. But then, that was the very thing he so loved about Lyra. She was a courageous warrior. She had a right to fight and die for her freedom. If the Condorians reached Earth, she’d fight and die
there
no matter what anyone did. It was better that she was trained and took the battle to the enemy.
In the time he’d known her, she’d never lied about anything. She’d only covered Cordis’ presence because of an order. Cordis had explained that he hadn’t wanted to interfere with whatever mission was ongoing. He further explained that Aigean couldn’t clarify the sudden appearance of another new Craetorian — one who hadn’t been previously accounted for among the crew and who looked so much like D’uhr’s lover.
Indeed, Cordis’ discovery would have led the enemy to the other injured allies.
All this information supported Lyra’s decision to keep Cordis’ presence a secret. She’d followed a command to the letter. His brother had lived because she’d kept all the survivors’ existence hidden. That was all that mattered.
He was aware of Myranda leaving the quiet space they’d chosen for Lyra. The comfort provided by Cordis’ presence was indescribable. His brother gave him hope when nothing else could. Though he knew Lyra wanted to live, there were some things a great heart and fighting spirit couldn’t endure. She’d lost so much blood and was now in such a deep coma she couldn’t possibly know who was present or what was happening.
At least she couldn’t feel any pain. That was one reason Myranda had loaded every drug she safely could into Lyra’s system. But those same drugs could harm her and bring on her demise. Her body functions could shut down as they tried to save her brain.
All Myranda had done was buy some time so burned organs could eventually be treated and her blood pressure stabilized. It was a small chance.
As Soldar stared down at Lyra’s face, a goblet of fresh water was shoved before him.
“Drink this, brother. You won’t do her any good if you expire from thirst. It’s been two hours since we reached deep space. The Creator is with us. D’uhr’s vessel either didn’t detect our departure or there are so many sick crewmembers aboard his ship that they didn’t care.”
Soldar took the goblet his brother offered and sipped his water slowly before speaking. “There are things we need to say to one another, Cordis. You seem to know about a shape shifting ability I never knew I had before boarding the Venus … and you accept it.”
Cordis looked away.
“What’s going on?” Soldar asked. “What’s happening to me?”
“Now isn’t the time for revealing secrets. In fact, I should help Myranda and the crew. There are dead comrades in the cargo bay and they should have words said over their remains.”
“You’re too wounded to move safely. It’s a wonder you haven’t torn that suture open again,” Soldar said as he gestured toward Cordis’ healing midsection. “Myranda gave you an order to stay put and rest. In fact, she seemed curiously concerned. More so than a simple med-tech might show toward a patient … if I’m correct in my summation.”
“To keep away from the Condorians, she stayed with the hidden wounded that had been moved to an old section of this ship,” Cordis explained. “It’s a huge space that was of no importance to the Condorians since Aigean could no longer maintain it properly. All her crews’ time was expended on seeing to the enemy or staying out of their way. There was little time to scrub, paint or — ”
“I’m not talking about the space in which you were hidden. I was speaking of the way Myranda looked at you when she told you to stay here and mind your wound,” Soldar asserted as he raised his brows.
“She and I had a long time to talk,” Cordis remarked. “We became … close.”
“How close?” Soldar gently teased.
“What difference does it make? Once we reach General Shafter’s ship, she’ll be expected to help the injured. And there’ll be many more wounded allies aboard that vessel than we have here.”
A moment of silence followed as Soldar gazed into his brother’s eyes. “My memory seems to fail me,” he declared. “I keep seeing things that don’t make sense. I know why I’m on the Venus, and why I was sent here. But there are other issues that — ”
“Leave it, Soldar. When we’re safely aboard Shafter’s ship, you’ll know more. Right now, there’s nothing that can be accomplished by discussing the matter. Besides, you’re only trying to keep me here. You’d rather speak of anything than face reality. You’re frightened for
her
,” he said as he nodded toward Lyra.
“I … don’t know how to explain … I banded her …
obviously
,” he blathered as he pointed toward the armband on Lyra’s left bicep.
“That was nothing to do with the mission, brother. I know wearing the bands in front of the Condorians would denote a peaceful intent. That would be assumed and it would have been a very good ruse to placate D’uhr. But putting your band on her arm had nothing to do with whatever mission you’d been assigned.”
“She wasn’t on this mission. I’d lost my insertion unit and ordered her here.”
“But she wears your band by consent. Does she not? And she didn’t leave the Venus. Aigean could have hidden her somewhere if the girl really hadn’t wanted to join you.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “She did her duty. That much is clear. But the acceptance of your armband is something
else
, outside the purview of your mission or her duty.”
“I believed, by wearing it, that the Condorians would leave her alone. They did … at least until her identity was discovered and she was beaten. There was something to do with a man called Aercos.” He put his hand to his forehead as a dull ache began there. “That was the real reason D’uhr kept me alive and relented in the matter of Lyra’s safety. The beating was bad enough, but she would have received worse treatment if this so-called Aercos hadn’t clouded D’uhr’s judgment.” He blinked his eyes as the pain in his head grew worse. “Fornax uttered garbage that wasn’t true. What he said about me didn’t remotely approach reality but I believed him … at first. And Lyra believed him. I saw the look on her face as he told his lies.”
“As I’ve said … this can be discussed at another time and when you know Lyra is safe,” Cordis insisted.
Soldar leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I’ll ask one more time. I want the truth
now
, Cordis. What’s happened to me?”
“Keep asking and I’ll leave,” Cordis threatened but without any real anger in his voice. “I don’t have the strength to carry on the discussion, and I don’t have all the facts. I can’t do the subject justice. Right now, all you need to do is care for your mate. You must be with her as long as you can.”
Movement nearby alerted them to another presence. Both men snapped their heads in the direction of a shuffling sound.
“These are things neither of you should discuss,” Aigean said as she walked toward them like a wraith from the darkness. “One day, I will reveal all.”
“I suspected you’d used mind control techniques. That was one thing I know Fornax wasn’t lying about,” Soldar said as he placed his palm against Lyra’s cheek.
Aigean nodded. “Your suspicions are justified. I had my duty and you had yours. And in reference to obligations and the weight we bear, there is one thing that should be mentioned before we rendezvous with General Shafter’s ship. I would not want either of you to assume blame for what I’ve done,” she warned.
“What are you getting at?” Cordis asked suspiciously.
“It’s about the Condorians we left behind,” she told them as she glanced between the two brothers. “D’uhr and Fornax attempted to rally their minions, even as we were preparing to leave. As I was the last person to board, I saw their actions as a threat and took such action as I deemed necessary.”
“Aigean … ” Soldar began.
“D’uhr and his son are dead,” she blurted. “So are all the Condorians we left on Reisen Four.”
Both men remained silent as they stared at her.
“My planting of a wide-range trungeon mine, retrieved from the Condorian’s arsenal, came as no surprise. Indeed, their expressions as I set the coded detonator and closed the hatch were rather matter-of-fact.” She paused to rearrange her cloak and gather her hood more snuggly around her neck. “I ordered the crew not to reference the large surface explosion as we made for deep space. Trust me when I say that no one outran that blast. Besides, the two of you were otherwise occupied.”
“There were wounded and sick enemy fighters among those we left behind,” Cordis reminded her.
“As there have been on every unarmed allied or neutral colony the Condorians assaulted,” she readily responded. “It may interest you to know that I retrieved every last bit of food, water, and medical supplies for
our
wounded. After all … the Condorians won’t need them where they’re going.”
With that, she turned and strolled away.
• • •
Three hours later, Soldar sat in a passageway of the USS Valiant. The rendezvous with the vessel, and the transfer of the wounded had been completed without incident.
Cordis sat beside him but remained unusually silent.
Myranda was in the sick bay, helping with the wounded from other battles.
He’d
been banned from that area when Lyra was taken into surgery. Pestering doctors about her was wearing thin, and they’d threatened to sedate him if he didn’t “shut up.”
He’d expected General Shafter to make an appearance, accept a report, and debrief them, but it seemed the only supervisor outranking two Craetorian field officers was caught up in some business on the bridge.
Crewmembers scurried about and kept to their duties efficiently. All he could do was wait. The bright, clean passageway was a blessed relief after the darkness of the Venus. Still, the lights and banter of the crew in that area wore on his nerves.
Aigean’s uninjured employees remained on the Venus. Aigean was among them. The one-time haven for Condorian elite followed a course paralleling that of the Valiant. He could look out any viewport and see the Venus as she flew. But he couldn’t recall officers sorting any particulars out. Events since leaving Reisen Four flew by at light speed. Everything
except
the delivery of news from sick bay.
His head still ached but he ignored the pounding. He impatiently ran his hands through his hair and got up to pace, but Cordis caught his arm and urged him to sit again.
“There’s nothing you can do, Soldar. The fact that she’s survived this long proves she’ll make it. I have no doubt about that outcome,” he consoled. “You saw Myranda’s expression when they took her away. She seemed quite pleased.”
“I’d feel better hearing something from a physician.” He clenched one hand into a fist and covered it with the other. “I realize humans don’t understand the meaning of the armband Lyra’s wearing or my having put it there — ”