Sister Katherine (6 page)

Miv would never dream of hurting a woman the way Sisterkatherine seemed to think he would.  He’d never thought a female would give him that look of raw anguish and fury.  He unleashed all his violence against enemies and opponents in the fighting circle.  Never against women.  Never.

He was ready to hurt someone right now.  The way the girl Sisterkatherine called Tina had screamed made his stomach an angry knot.  However, Miv knew Osopa and the rest of his clan quite well.  He knew they would not hurt the girl they’d taken as their lifemate.  Still, the way she’d cried and fought as they carried her off … it was too easy to think about his cherished sister doing the same. 

Miv felt his chest rumble for an instant before he stopped the growl.  Superior officer or not, Osopa had better make sure little Tina was not traumatized.  If Miv had even the slightest inkling the girl had been harmed…

He drew a steadying breath, reassuring himself that Osopa’s clan would conduct themselves with honor.  Right now, he needed to concentrate on not taking Sisterkatherine’s glares personally.  Of course she was angry with him.  She was a prisoner in the hands of men she didn’t know.  Of a species she didn’t understand.  Fear and distrust – and even perhaps hatred – were to be expected.  Miv would have to wait until later to reassure her that he would make a good Nobek.  That he would be her protector, not someone she needed to seek protection against.

Ancestors, please send Simdow to the colony soon.  Let him come so we can explain to this beautiful woman why I don’t deserve her hurt and anger.

Miv received another despairing glance from the woman set to be his lifelong mate.  He took another deep breath, calming himself for what might be a long wait.  Meanwhile, he could only look at Sisterkatherine with worry and hope.

* * * *

Dramok Simdow had finally gotten off duty.  Captain Tranis was back on board the spyship, taking command and giving Simdow a well-deserved break.  The first officer wasted no time taking a shuttle down to the captured colony.  He was eager to personally see the woman Vadef had sent him the information about, their would-be Matara.  By the ancestors, the vid picture of her lovely face had been burned into his brain.

It took a lot of self control to not bound off the shuttle as soon as it landed.  It was a relief to get off the spyship he’d called home for several years now, simply because Simdow was due a change of scenery.  Initially, he’d not wanted to serve on a spyship at all, but it had been a condition of getting promoted to first officer.  Simdow was ambitious and eager to rise in rank.  It had been that drive that had made him give up an assignment on the far more glorious destroyer for the subterfuge and few accolades accorded the Kalquorian fleet’s spy campaign.

Once more, he had to admit he’d been shortsighted to grouse over getting the ‘lesser’ spyship assignment.  Not only had he become second-in-command at a young age, but he’d met and clanned Miv and Vadef on board his current vessel.  He’d been given the opportunity to serve the youngest captain in Kalquor’s history, and an acknowledged hero to boot.  Now he was allowed to clan a lifebringer.  A Matara.  It was an opportunity he’d not thought possible.

Despite Simdow’s excitement, he disembarked the shuttle with as much dignity as his enthusiasm would allow.  Once outside, he blinked at his surroundings.  His brows lowered.  Despite his buoyant hopes, he couldn’t help but grimace at what he saw of the tiny colony of Europa.

The landing pad was a square.  Other shuttles from the spyship were landing and taking off as crewmembers came and went, trading off shifts.  An arrow-straight strip of pavement led away from it to form a path that ran between box-like structures.  Everything under the domed containment was made of sharp angles, deliberate lines, and rigid corners.  It almost hurt Simdow’s eyes.

His home planet of Kalquor was kept as natural as possible.  For the most part, homes were built into cliffs, mountains, and caves.  The few free-standing structures were made to match the landscapes of the planet.  Wilderness in all its majesty was allowed free reign as much as possible.

Simdow had never seen anything as abysmally cold and contrived as this Europa colony.  He couldn’t imagine anyone living here and maintaining sanity.

His eyes lit on his Imdiko, who waited for him a few feet away.  Vadef’s beautiful smiling face made Simdow’s misgivings ease, and the Dramok grinned as he hurried to his clanmate.

Vadef hugged Simdow in greeting, letting him know the Imdiko was off duty.  The affectionate Vadef was not restrained when protocol allowed.  It was part of what made him so precious to Simdow.

The Dramok returned the embrace and kept his arm around the smaller man’s shoulders.  The slight body next to his was quivering in excitement.  His Imdiko was excited to have him here, and it made Simdow feel good.

“Did you give up on me showing up?” he teased.

Vadef laughed and nodded.  “Almost.  I was beginning to think we’d have to bring her to you.”

Simdow sighed.  “The captain has his hands full with his new Matara and interrogating General Hamilton.  I thought I’d never get off that bridge.”

Vadef led him towards the hideous rectangular structures.  Simdow tried not to look too much at his surroundings.  By the ancestors, even the patches of lawn were squared off.  He glanced up and saw the banks of lights that gave a sense of day on the perpetually dark side of Jupiter’s moon.  At least the points of illumination were round.

Vadef asked, “Did you get a chance to go over the file?”

“I did.  She’s stunning, Vadef.  Katherine Archer.  Am I pronouncing it correctly?”

Vadef frowned.  “I thought it might be Kather-Ine.  I could be wrong.  Earther names seem to follow no particular rationale when it comes to pronunciation.”  He gave Simdow a worried look.  “Miv is still on duty.  I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet, so I don’t know if he’s even aware she’s been held for us.  He’s posted as a guard in the room where she’s being kept, however.  I don’t think that’s an accident, judging from how he looked at her when we captured her.”

They chuckled.  “Which building?” Simdow asked.

“That one, on the end.”

Simdow looked where Vadef pointed to their right.  They were nearly to the building he indicated. 

The Dramok winced again.  “Ancestors, what a hideous place to live.  Even a cramped spyship is better than this – this uniformity.  Nature should not be made to look so unnatural.”  Vadef nodded and headed for the doors to the building.  “This building houses a dining area, and most of the clannable Mataras are being held in here.  No doubt we’ll be less than welcome when we go in.”

“No doubt.”  That caused a little twinge of concern in Simdow’s chest.  The Matara Captain Tranis had claimed was apparently resisting his clan for all she was worth.  Then again, she was the captured general’s granddaughter, so perhaps she was more stubborn than the other women would be.

Simdow was mostly keyed up with anticipation rather than trepidation.  He was more than ready to meet his potential lifemate.  His heart raced with excitement as he readied to be face to face with the woman who might soon join his clan.

With Vadef at his side, Simdow entered the colony’s dining room.  His eyes widened to see the women clustered together in tight knots.

He’d seen females before, of course.  The barren Matara on Kalquor who had unofficially adopted him as her own had been the sole example of women of his own species; however, there had been plenty of the feminine gender to be had on Dantovonian brothels.  All alien species except Kalquorian and Earther had been available for myriad carnal delights.  Yet these women he looked at now were startlingly similar to his own race.  They were shorter, smaller, and of differing colors, but still remarkably like him.  And there were so many of them!

His gaze swept over the dozens of frightened faces that turned to stare at him, but he couldn’t seem to locate the pretty blonde Vadef had sent him a picture of.  He did see Miv watching him.  His Nobek’s face showed unmistakable relief, his tight jaw easing as he nodded to his clan leader.

Simdow and Vadef walked over to Miv.  The other guards the first officer passed issued slight bows, acknowledging his rank.  He gave brief nods in return.

He looked up at Miv, who stood a good five inches taller than himself.  Vadef made him feel like a behemoth, but their Nobek reminded Simdow he was only average height for his species. 

He shook his shaggy, shoulder-length mane of hair back and twitched a grin at Miv.  “My Nobek, it seems you have the best duty of them all, guarding these pretties.”

Simdow’s address to him as a clanmate rather than a lower-ranking crewmember allowed Miv to respond informally.  The Nobek grimaced.  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you, my Dramok?” 

Simdow cocked his head.  He rarely saw Miv look upset.  The expression on his face was as fierce as usual, but there was definitely unhappiness in his eyes and the tight set of his mouth.

Restraining the urge to put a comforting hand on Miv’s shoulder, Simdow asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

“They’re frightened, my Dramok.  They cry.  They call us monsters.”

Vadef’s face paled.  “It’s been explained to them that they’ll be taken care of, hasn’t it?  That we won’t hurt them?”

Miv snapped a sharp nod.  “As best we can manage, but they don’t wish to hear it.”

Simdow’s excitement faded quickly.  “They are prisoners who are being taken from the lives they know.  We should have expected this.”  He could have punched his own head.  Had he really hoped the women would respond any other way?

Vadef bit his lip.  “Oh no.  What of the one we’ve chosen?  Kather-Ine?”

Miv blinked.  “She said her name was Sisterkatherine.”

“Katherine.  Like you said, Simdow.”  Vadef hurried to explain.  “‘Sister’ is her rank, my Nobek.  She’s a kind of religious leader among the women, if I understand it correctly.  She’s third in command of this colony.  The one called Mother Superior is the ultimate authority here.”

“Oh.”

Simdow was more interested in Miv’s earlier statement.  “She spoke to you?  You’ve talked to her directly?”

Miv nodded.  “She has many questions.  I don’t know how to make her understand she’s safe with us.”  He blew out a frustrated breath.  “I’ve left her alone since she first approached me because I’m afraid I can’t explain the situation well enough to make her feel better.  I’m sorry, my Dramok.”

Simdow gave him a half-smile.  “You’ve done fine.  There’s probably very little anyone could say to any of them to ease their fears right now.  Who’s in charge here?”

Miv nodded to a Nobek lieutenant who stood a few feet away.  The other man watched them and nodded respect at Simdow’s notice.

The lieutenant said, “I’ve already received word Nobek Miv is off duty to attend his Matara upon your arrival, Commander.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”  Simdow turned back to his clanmates.  “Well, my Nobek and Imdiko, let’s see what we can do to give Matara Katherine a sense of relief.  Miv, which one—?”

“She’s in the center of that group.” 

Miv nodded at the largest cluster of white-gowned women.  They stared and whispered in fearful voices as they realized they were the center of the trio’s attention.

At last Simdow saw her.  That tiny face surrounded by foaming golden curls was just as afraid as the rest, but unlike those surrounding her Katherine displayed determination and even a sense of fight.  By the ancestors, she was magnificent.  Simdow swallowed.  Was this beauty really to be his?

Miv muttered in his ear, “They may resist.  They were very upset when one of their number was claimed, Katherine in particular.  She tried to fight her way to Subcommander Osopa’s clan when they claimed their Matara.”

Simdow regarded his Nobek with surprise.  “She fought?”

A hint of a smile gentled the fierce visage.  “She is a brave one.  I see no mean spirit in her, yet she is willing to defend others as best she can with all she has.”

“A fellow warrior and protector,” the Dramok said, returning Miv’s almost-smile.

Simdow again looked to the Nobek in charge, who nodded.  The lieutenant called to the other guards, “Men, do your best to look like – Imdikos.  Commander Simdow is ready to claim his lifebringer.  We don’t want the Mataras scared any worse than they already are if possible.”

The Nobeks glanced uncertainly at each other, and Simdow had to restrain a laugh.  The feral breed would follow their orders or die trying, but for them to look like the sweet–faced Imdikos was asking a lot.

Many looked at Vadef, searching his open face.  Simdow sensed a tremor in his clanmate’s body, as if the Imdiko was holding in laughter of his own.  His smile at everyone was quite gentle, however.

The small man told them, “Like this, warriors.  Think of these women as your mothers.  Put that feeling into your expressions.”

That got through, softening the young, wild faces better than anything Simdow could have come up with.  He patted his Imdiko on the back for the marvelous suggestion.

“Approach her slowly,” he told his clanmates.  He took a step towards the group surrounding Katherine.

That brought terrified screams from the females, and Simdow and his clanmates immediately halted.

“Hold a moment,” Simdow said.  In the Earther language English he called gently, “Matara Katherine?  I am the first officer and wish to speak to you.  It is my understanding you hold the highest rank of the women in this room.  If you will come to me, none of these others will be bothered at this time.”

That brought fearful chatter among the women, but the lovely blonde shushed them as she stood.  “It’s all right.  I will talk to him and you will pray.”

Katherine faced Simdow.  She was taller than the other women who stood with her and clung to her billowing sleeves, but her face indicated she was so very slight.  As undersized as Vadef was at only slightly over six feet, he still had a small height advantage over Katherine and he was definitely around a hundred pounds heavier.  Simdow thought of how badly the war had gone for his people and experienced a jolt of disbelief.  The Earther race was so small to be doing so much damage to their Kalquorian enemies.