Seers of Verde: The Legend Fulfilled: Book One (11 page)

13

Wald Bergmann had just fallen asleep in his quarters when something kept intruding on his slumber. A strange noise — irritating clicks, like some bothersome insect. He rolled over in his cot, wondering what was making that sound.

With his head foggy from slumber, he stumbled to his doorway and pulled back the curtain. Nothing. No one could be seen and he could detect no voices. Another click made him turn around. The noise was coming from inside his quarters.

The geologist walked into the middle of his room and waited; he heard it again. Walking over to his desk he had hand-carved from a felled oak, he stood in front of his communication receiver not daring to believe what he suspected.

Reaching down, he increased the volume and was rewarded by a loud series of clicks. Stunned, he listened for a moment, but did not recognize the code. It was nothing he knew was being used by the colonists. The clicks were coming in a series, pausing, then one click would begin a new series.

He grabbed his personal comm and called Lar. “Wald here. Can you come to my quarters? I’m getting something very unusual from my receiver. Some kind of code I don’t recognize.”

Lar wasted no time answering. “Code on your receiver? I will be there immediately.” Hardly fifteen minutes had passed when Lar charged into Wald’s quarters. The security chief, out of breath from running, struggled to choke out his words.

Wald held up a finger to his ear. The chattering continued: long and short clicks, followed by pauses.

“Can you tell where they are coming from?” Lar whispered, listening intently. “Are you recording them?”

“Yes, I’m recording, but I can’t tell where they are coming from. Neither signal is close to us. One of the clicks has a slight echo,” Wald said. “Whoever is sending them must have a powerful transmitter.”

Lar frowned and pointed up. “Like something on a deep spacer?”

“That would be my guess,” Wald said. “It sounds like two parties having a conversation. My automatic modulator located the signals and locked onto the wavelength.”

The security chief started pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed in deep thought. “If it’s Tanlians, why are they bothering talking in code? They could communicate ship to ship or on personal comms.”

Lar stopped as a thought stabbed through his consciousness. “Did you say one of the signals had an echo, like a land comm we are hearing through the receiver?”

Wald paused and turned the receiver to almost full volume and waited. One set of clicks chattered away. The second set answered. A distinct echo could be heard. Both men looked at each other. It was obvious: one party was probably in orbit and the other was on the surface. But where?

“Are the Tanlians in the valley?” Lar asked.

Wald shook his head. “No, I could pinpoint them to within five thousand kilometers. Both signals are too far away to trace.”

“Too far away, but one is on the surface,” Lar repeated, walking faster. “They are trying hard to stay secretive, very unlike Tanlians.”

A strange look formed on his face. “The colonists on the other side of the mountain! The land signal must be coming from them.” As suddenly as the clicks started, they stopped. After a long pause, the ship kept repeating its signal, but the surface signaler did not answer.

The geologist thought for a moment and nodded. Then a smile slowly crept in at the corners of his mouth. “If the other signaler is on a ship, we can send our code in a short burst on their wavelength. We just might have enough time to warn the others.”

“Do it,” Lar said. “Maybe it will take the Tanlians a few minutes before they understand what we are doing.”

Wald grabbed an earpiece and his hands flew over a few keys. Three minutes later, he looked at Lar, “Ready to send it. Let’s hope someone is listening on the other side of the mountain” Both men held their breath as Wald sent their coded burst: “Danger. Tanlians. Ship. Surface. Lar.”

Several minutes later, a familiar code answered: “Tanlians confirmed. Spy killed. Luck to you. Uri.” Lar and Wald let out heavy sighs and looked at each other, sharing the same somber expression. Once again the Tanlians were threatening them.

Rushing out of Wald’s quarters, Lar paused, “I need to contact the other camps. Prepare your tunnel traps geologist, it looks like we may have uninvited guests.”

¶ ¶ ¶

“Very strange,” Ismala N’pofu mumbled. “Those were odd static bursts.”

Masat walked over to her station. “Did you say bursts? Close together? Let me hear them.” Ismala replayed the bursts again. At Masat’s urging she slowed the signal to half speed. Each burst changed to beeps of different tones, but seemed to have a coordinated rhythm.

“Have you kept your transmitter on the entire time you have been trying to contact your spy?” he asked, growing more impatient by the second.

“Yes,” she answered. “I have been trying to re-establish contact.”

The captain hurried over to the ship’s comm control and shouted, “Launch all scout ships to the last confirmed coordinates. The colonists are down there and they know we are here. Stay out of missile range. Look for thermal signs. Listen for communications.” Turning back to the surprised Ismala, he growled, “The colonists have used your transmission to communicate. We no longer have surprise on our side.”

Ismala called to him as he was striding out of the room, “Why would they need to communicate through us if they are together? Is there more than one group?”

Startled, Masat walked back, thinking. “Can you trace those signals? One or both groups must be in trouble if they had to use us. Perhaps Yermak did more damage to them than we thought.” Ismala replayed the colonists’ coded bursts again and again, running the signals through the computer’s tracking program and matching that to the 3-D map vid.

“It appears the colonists are separated by a mountain. My spy said nothing about a second group. Perhaps their defenses are not so fierce.” This time, Masat smiled. He much preferred easier prey if it was available.

14

“Here comes another flyer,” Taryl Bryann said in her dream state. “He is very high and moving very fast.” Uri, who was sitting next to the Seer, glanced toward the spotter who was using the magni-glasses to scan the horizon. Not long after Taryl had spoken, the spotter waved, indicating a flyer. A tiny almost imperceptible silver dot streaked across the sky.

“They are growing restless,” Taryl said in a monotone. “They want to fly lower, but are afraid.”

Uri smiled. “Afraid of our missiles, I’ll wager. Their spy must have warned them about our defenses. Good thing he didn’t know how few are left or we would be fighting Tanlians right now.”

The colonists had been cowering from the overhead threat for three days. Flyers cut across the sky at any time, keeping no particular schedule. Sometimes it would be two or three hours before one was sighted by either the spotter or Taryl. Other times two, three or four flyers would follow each other by only a few minutes. They often crisscrossed one another’s paths. Taryl could feel them flying closer at night, always looking for the colonists to give themselves away.

“They are doing exactly what I expected,” Uri said to Franca. “Flying lots of missions at irregular times, looking for thermal readings or lights at night. These Tanlians are much more patient than I expected. It could only mean they are serious about finding us.”

The security officer had expected an attack before this. The waiting made him edgy. The colonists had been prepared for an attack from either the ground or the air. The Tanlians could have landed a few hundred kilometers away and may be working their way up the valley, hoping to flush the colonists out. But none of the sensors they had set up for kilometers in all directions could detect anything.

¶ ¶ ¶

A frustrated Giovan Choi stood before Masat Ebber. “Nothing,” the Tanlian scout pilot reported. “We are detecting no communications, no thermals, no movements, and no lights. The missile launchers, if they have any, are not locking on us.”

The captain looked at the other pilot, who was standing next to Giovan. “I assume you have nothing to report either?”

Jibril Bala shook his head. “No, Captain. The second valley is so narrow, we cannot fly very close. The colonists could be dancing down there, and we would not know it.”

Ismala N’pofu raised her eyebrows at the tone in which both pilots had spoken to Masat. But, the captain did not react. “You both have done well. We know one group of colonists has undetermined defenses. We don’t want them shooting you out of the sky. A whole Tanlian ship has disappeared at the hands of these CAIN vermin. Don’t worry, we will pluck them out.”

“Yes, Captain,” Giova said. Jibril nodded, smiling.

“Go tell your squads to return to the ship,” Masat said. “We are going to change our tactics. We will need you to be fresh.”

“New tactics?” Ismala asked.

“Tomorrow night I am ordering all the men to the surface. We will have eighty groups of four men each scouring that terrain. I want every kilometer searched until we find those colonists.” Masat knew he ran the risk of sacrificing a group of men or two if the colonists discovered them on the ground or fired their missiles at the landing ships. If that happened, so much the better. Then they would know where to find their prey.

“We can’t use the same tactic for the second group of colonists, but I will hold back the remaining one hundred men in case they are needed,” Masat told Ismala. “The terrain in the small valley is too treacherous to land a ship safely. There are too many ways we could be attacked there.”

“Perhaps I can draw out the other colonists,” Ismala smiled. “I am quite experienced at negotiations. If they are isolated, these people may be open to a creative proposal.”

Masat stared at her, shaking his head. “What could you offer them that would entice them out into the open?”

“Why, dear Captain, their safety. I’m sure they would be very interested in that.”

¶ ¶ ¶

The message stunned the colonists led by Lar Vonn. A woman with the Galaxy Exploration and Minerals Syndicate had proposed the colonist groups meet peacefully in a meeting to discuss a solution to this stalemate. She gave her word as a representative of the consortium that no harm would come to those who agreed to the meeting.

“So, GEMS has become more closely aligned with Tanlians. That is not a good sign,” Wald Bergmann said to the ten colony leaders who had gathered to discuss the surprising situation.

“We should not give the Tanlians coordinates to any of our sites,” Riss Nels said. “It still could be a trap to find our locations. Why should we believe them? Tanlians have never been negotiators.” The other leaders echoed his sentiments, wary of this new alliance between two enemies.

Lar spoke. “We have their assurance no harm will come to us. Also, she said they will land a small party wherever we tell them and the ship will leave. The Syndicate people will be at our mercy. We cannot live like this forever, hiding during the day and moving at night. If they attack, either we defeat them or they kill or capture us. This waiting is becoming unbearable.”

No one argued. The leaders sat contemplating their options. Neb Klinfer broke the silence. “The meeting location should be as far from our camps as possible, and it should be well defended. If we are attacked and captured they should not be able to find the other colonists.”

Lar looked at Neb. “Your group is the farthest from the other sites. Is your surface rover operational? How far could it travel in a day?”

Neb nodded, “Yes, we still use the rover. If we start at dawn and end at dusk, perhaps fifty kilometers or so. We could snake through so many canyons, the Tanlians or Syndicate, whoever they are, would never find our people.”

¶ ¶ ¶

The colonists messaged the Tanlian ship with their terms to meet. Masat Ebber was not happy. “Why will it take them two days to tell us the coordinates? And why do they insist on meeting with only five people? We cannot adequately defend that few.”

“I am not surprised, Captain,” Ismala N’pofu said. “They do not want to give away their location. They may want the time to set up their defenses.”

“Or a trap,” Masat interrupted with a snarl.

“Remember, we are hunting them,” she said. “They will feel less threatened if we land with a small group.”

The captain had to agree her reasoning was sound. “Who will be our negotiators?” he asked. “I assume you. And who else?”

Ismala stared for several seconds, then smiled. “Shadra, my brother, would never let me go to the surface without his protection. We would need at least one other who could pass as if he were with our party. The others can be any security you choose.”

She paused, not saying another word. Masat looked at her puzzled, waiting for her to tell him who would play the part. “Well are you going to privilege me with an answer?” he demanded. “Which of my crewmen do you require?”

“None of your crew, Captain,” she answered, looking at him with a sly smile.

He stared back. It took a moment for him to understand who she was talking about. “Me?” Masat asked. “I am no negotiator.”

“Why, Captain, that is not what I have heard about you,” Ismala purred. “All the GEMS colonies hate it when a certain Captain Ebber visits to collect the treaty tax. He always seems to negotiate more than what the agreement has called for.”

Masat was amused at her story. He had never considered himself a negotiator, but he had never been turned down. “You call your tributes treaty taxes, eh?” he said, laughing. “I never considered myself a tax collector.”

15

Martje Ryyt tried one more time to capture Lar Vonn’s attention. She had memorized his early day schedule: exercise at 05:30, bath at 06:30, and first meal at 07:00.

As one of his security force, Martje had worked closely with him even before the
Colonia Nueve
had left for Verde Grande. She had told herself long ago she would not turn him down if invited to his bed. However, she had found herself thinking about him ever since that early morning when she had helped him back to his quarters after he spent the night drinking with Wald Bergmann.

Martje had just finished washing in the women’s bathing area and was walking back to her quarters when Lar stumbled down the hall. It was obvious the captain was having trouble finding his way, so she put his arm around her shoulders and half-dragged him home.

As she was putting him in his cot for some well-deserved sleep, his hand clutched her robe and pulled it off. She stood there, her hair and body still wet from the bath.

Half-opening his eyes, he smiled when he saw her and mumbled, “Ah, you are a magnificent woman.” Reaching for her hand, he pulled her toward him, asking for just a kiss. Martje did not resist. His other hand caressed her body.

It did not take her long to strip Lar of his clothing. However, the lovemaking was over almost as soon as it began. The security chief wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace for a few delicious seconds then collapsed in a deep slumber.

Martje lay close to him for almost an hour before leaving for her quarters. Later that day, after Lar had slept off the strong drink, she saw him at second meal. He was polite to her as usual. She was crushed he didn’t remember their encounter. Now, the tall well-muscled woman was doing everything in her power to be noticed.

At early exercise, she would wear thin tight-fitting garments and position herself to either be in front of him or next to him. After bathing, she made sure they would “accidentally" meet after leaving their respective areas.

Martje knew Lar missed Taryl Bryann, his lover who had been stranded on the other side of the mountain with the other colonists. But it had been months since Lar had been with another woman, and Martje worked to make herself available.

Lar had not been immune to all this attention. It was easy to notice Martje. The statuesque woman was ruggedly attractive. She had let her light brown hair grow since landing on Verde Grande. The long ringlets softened her squarish face. Her green eyes were captivating. Her breasts were not large, but the clothing she wore accentuated them.

The security chief found himself taking cooler baths in the deep cave pools. But this did not seem to help because she always seemed to be there when he left the water. She would smile coyly, a threadbare robe barely covering her body.

Lar had heard the whispers that Martje was a voracious and aggressive lover. It was said men would leave her bed exhausted and sore, and none would retell their adventures. The stories and this woman intrigued Lar, but each time he was stopped by a pang of guilt and longing for Taryl. He had given his heart to the gentle Seer, but she was so far away.

The new Tanlian threat also occupied his mind and most of his time now. After the council meeting with the other colony leaders, Lar wanted to clear his head. He wanted to think. He visited each guard position, stopping to talk with whomever was on patrol.

Not knowing who was scheduled where, he called out the password and walked close to the nearest guard. “All goes well?” he asked.

The guard was barely a silhouette. Luz Primo was rising, but was only a half moon tonight, and Luz Nino had to appeared yet. Lar was greeted by a muffled, “Yes, Captain.” Curious, he stepped closer and saw Martje standing there, crying.

“What is it, Martje?” he asked, surprised to see her weeping.

“The Tanlians, sir,” she said trying to compose herself. “I do not object to fighting and dying, but I don’t want to be taken alive by them to be sold.” Instinctively, he put his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. “The way you can fight Martje, the Tanlians will be lucky if you don’t kill all that get close to you.”

She stepped forward and put her head on his shoulder and sobbed, hugging him. He embraced her tightly as well. Not long after that, they shared a long passionate kiss. Hands quickly unfastened each other’s clothing. The half moon of Luz Primo and full moon of its smaller sibling made a perfect setting for making love.

¶ ¶ ¶

Tears streamed down Taryl Bryann’s face. Concerned about Lar, she had meditated to be with him, to see through his eyes. The Seer wanted to be comforted that he and the other colonists were well. She had watched with trepidation all those “chance" meetings between Lar and Martje, knowing full well the intentions of the other woman.

Her heart swelled with joy each time Lar turned away from Martje, but a part of her could tell he was weakening. Feeling like a voyeur, Taryl watched as Lar comforted the other woman. Her stomach churned into knots, and she became ill as he and Martje started to make love.

Her crying turned into uncontrolled sobbing. She could do nothing but watch and forced herself to break the mental connection. Frightened by the sound, Larinia woke up, crying. The only comfort Taryl got that night was rocking her daughter back to sleep.

She and Lar had not been bonded in a traditional ceremony. They had hinted at their life together once they were both settled on the new world, but those plans had been torn apart after the Tanlian threat had separated them.

The next morning, Taryl woke feeling detached. Her world only seemed to come into focus when she snuggled and fed Larinia. Franca was concerned when she visited Taryl later that morning. Taryl’s good friend could only elicit short, polite answers from her. There was no laughter and small talk.

After an uncomfortable silence, the Seer thanked the med tech for her intentions and then dismissed her as a superior would give leave to a minion. Surprised and hurt, Franca left the shelter. Uri Navrakov looked up in surprise when his mate slammed the door to their shelter and slumped into a chair.

“That is unusual for Taryl,” he said after hearing Franca’s description of her encounter with the Seer. “We both know Seers are subject to mood swings because of their gifts. We have not seen that in Taryl so far. Perhaps something she has seen has upset her.”

Franca nodded. “But, she was so cold, so distant. It was like she was another person. She treated me like a servant.”

Uri agreed to check on Taryl later in the day. He hoped the Seer may just have needed some time to herself. The chance to visit Taryl came much sooner than Uri expected. Barely an hour after second meal, one of the other colonists sought him out, telling him the Seer had summoned him.

Now it was Uri’s turn to feel concerned. He took his time making his way to Taryl’s shelter and was surprised to see one of his security guards posted outside her door. Recognizing Ells Castanda, Uri stopped before the young man who stood blocking Taryl’s doorway, his arms crossed.

“I gave no orders for special protection. Move aside.”

“The Seer requested assistance,” Ells said, not bothering to salute or acknowledge Uri’s rank. “I shall tell her you are here.” Ells knocked at the door and entered, letting the security captain wait outside. A moment later, the guard stepped out and held the door open for Uri to enter.

“We shall discuss your behavior later,” Uri snapped as he entered the shelter.

“I don’t think so, sir,” Ells paused and shrugged. “The Seer has requested our assistance. We are bound to her.”

Taken aback by the private’s behavior, Uri walked into Taryl’s quarters, his face turning red with anger. “Taryl, I demand to know what is going …" but what he saw inside left him speechless. Four of his female security force stood protectively near the Seer and had taken defensive postures when he walked in. Two other women fussed over Larinia.

Taryl had not bothered to look up but was busy working on a large sheet. “Ah Captain, thank you for coming,” the Seer said, coldly formal. “These kind people have accepted my invitation for personal assistance. I trust the colony can function without them for a while.”

Not waiting for an answer, Taryl gestured for Uri to examine her work. It was a grid of about 500 square kilometers surrounding the colony. The precision of the map was startling, as if an enlargement had been made from an overhead vid record.

“The Tanlians are preparing to search every kilometer until they find us. I have seen their plans,” Taryl said. After watching the Seer use her special sight firsthand, Uri did not doubt her.

Pointing to the map, she showed him where the Tanlians planned to land and start searching the valley. One of the search parties was going to be less than one hundred kilometers away. Uri studied the map, forgetting his surprise and anger for the moment.

The Seer had marked all the Tanlians’ proposed landing sites and charted their expected daily forays. After a few moments, he glanced at Taryl. She was smiling at him as a teacher waiting for a student to understand a lesson. “I have done my job, Captain. Now we need your military expertise. How should we address this situation?”