“Your parents.”
“The grief was very fresh. I also mourned for the loss of Halash, because it had been made clear to me that Sovalli was not going to be there to keep the world alive. I am surprised that as much survived as did. Oh, that reminds me, did you plant that mirror in the testing room?”
Braenar shrugged. “It seemed a good way to get your attention. The mirror is a very powerful artifact. Happy Wia’s Day, by the way.”
She looked at him and snorted. “Thank you. Happy Wia’s Day to you too.”
“Do you know why it was Wia’s Day?”
Wiali looked at him. “It was named after me.”
“Close. It was actually named after the name that Suek picked for you. Danyer and Wiska waited a whole week before Suek figured out a name that he thought was suitable for you. When he named you, it was official, and the day was marked to celebrate Suek getting a child of his own.”
“Who told you this?”
“Suek said he had kept things from you to make your transition easier. Danyer was nearing the end of his life, and a wife and child were his dying wish.” Braenar smiled as they went through the second of the jumps.
“I knew that. My mother explained it all to me as Danyer failed and Sovalli waited to take over.”
Braenar took her hand. “Suek always regretted you losing both your parents at once. Wiska had bonded more completely than he could have imagined. He was never very good at the relationships of the walking world.”
She chuckled and rubbed her forehead. “That is an understatement, but he did love us all, in his way.”
He rubbed his thumb along her palm, and Wiali shivered. She couldn’t think of another thing to say. Instead, she enjoyed the warmth of the small touch as they entered and exited their third jump.
“We are using concealing tech. Don’t make any noises.” Braenar’s whisper in her ear sent another shiver through her.
They silently glided through an armada of ships, all aiming at the innocent-looking planet below.
The pilot’s hands and his halo glowed as he took them through the hovering ships and into the atmosphere of the planet below.
When they began entry of the atmosphere, Wia could tell it was safe to speak by the evasive pattern the pilot was laying down.
“Stealth tech my ass. He is the tech, well…the talent.” She figured it out and held on to the edge of her seat.
Braenar shrugged. “Stealth is his name. I didn’t want to distract you from focussing on me.”
“Be jealous later. What planet are we on?”
“Caffexi. They are fibre traders of the highest order. Nefgar are surrounding the planet. They have decided that they are entitled to colonize any weaker worlds.”
Wia shifted her robes and grinned. “What do you want to do, take the air or the ground?”
“I will watch the skies, you can help the locals hide from the incoming ships. Udell is sending backup, but we will be first on the scene, and their survival rests with us.”
“What is the atmosphere?”
“Thick, but you can manage it.” Braenar grinned. “When we are out there, call me Comet.”
“Fine, but it doesn’t make you more attractive.”
“No, but it keeps my parents safe.” He got out of his seat. “Thank you, Stealth. We will jump from here.”
They got out of their seats and walked to the back of the shuttle. A screen crackled between them and their pilot.
“What is that for?”
“He can’t breathe the atmosphere. He will park the ship and put on a protective suit.”
They walked to the back of the ship, and the hatch opened at their approach. With a cry of joy, Wia jumped from the shuttle and took flight in the alien atmosphere.
It wasn’t hard to find the locals. They were in the city square staring up at the sky. Wia landed neatly next to a large statue, and she bowed low. In Alliance Common, she spoke slowly and clearly. “Hello. I am here to help.”
The crowd of scaled beings broke into applause.
She waited for the sound to cease and asked. “Is there somewhere you can go to hide? We cannot be on the surface when the attack begins.”
They looked confused. An older female walked forward, her tail swishing. “I thought you were here to save us.”
“I cannot save you if you do not work to save yourselves. The position of this city indicates that you have been attacked before and your folk fled to the mountains. We need to evacuate and get you somewhere safe before the Nefgar arrive and start blowing holes in your city. Stone can be rebuilt, a body…not so much.”
The matriarch nodded. “Understood. We will begin making our way to the mountains.”
“Take only what you have on your backs. We need to move fast, folks. The space around your planet is swarming with attackers. They may start firing at any moment.”
The Caffexi nodded and started walking at a brisk pace. When the city was empty of its ten thousand inhabitants and the thick column of them were making their way into the mountains, Wia did a fly over and looked down the path they were taking for a likely hiding place.
The carved-stone archway was glaringly obvious. Wia landed and walked through the archway. The cave was far too small to hold ten thousand, so Wia started looking for an extension.
UV light was her method of search, and it showed a marked series of impressions on one particular stone on the wall. Wia leaned on the stone and a wall separated, giving her a blast of fresh air with the humidity of water in it.
She lifted off her feet and flew down the path to the water. A huge, arched cavern lined with lichen of varying hues greeted her. This is where the ancient Caffexi hid during attacks.
She flew back to the hidden door and noted that it had closed behind her. A little more UV generated and she was able to open it with pressure on another rock.
Wia walked out of the cave, and she met the first of the Caffexi on their incoming march. “You know how to get into the lower cave?”
The older woman flicked her tongue nervously. “What older cave? We merely take turns hiding here for safety. The others remain outside.”
“Matriarch, may I carry you?”
The woman blinked. “Um, yes?”
Wia lifted the woman in her arms and flew rapidly to the cave wall. She showed her where to press and the release on the inner cavern wall. “You can all fit easily. Do you eat lichen?”
“Whenever we can.”
“You will love the lower cavern then, fresh water for all of you and enough lichen to feed the city for several weeks.”
The matriarch blinked and bobbed her head. “Thank you, stranger. We are not an aggressive people, and it has been our downfall more than once. I will make sure that they all get below.”
A thunderous noise from outside the cave began, and Wia floated up off the floor again. “I will keep them from you until your people get down below.”
The matriarch bowed. “Thank you again. May you be safe and secure.”
Wia smiled at the passive blessing. “May you be safe and secure.”
She left the cave and looked for the source of the sound. The first of the marchers had arrived at the entryway and were making their way inside. There was still a kilometre of walkers behind the first, and she was going to take care of them.
Chapter Five
The first incoming ship was in battle with Comet. The second had slipped right past him. Wia grinned and flew upward with her hands gathering power from the nearest star.
She held both hands in front of her and blasted a column of energy through the ship. Their guns and lights stuttered and went dark, sending them to the surface of Caffexi in a spiralling crash.
Wia chuckled. She just loved the power of binary-star systems. With one target down, she waited for the next ship to get into her protective radius.
The two suns set, and she fought with starlight as the Nefgar kept coming. The ground was littered with shattered ships, and they continued to launch one after another.
The moment that the Sector Guard arrived, Wia breathed a sigh of relief. The radiation she was slinging had rendered her barely decent, and her tattered robes were hanging on by threads.
Ships, battle armour and the distinct taste of celestial energy filled the air. Wia settled back to the ground outside the cave and waited for the professionals to do their jobs.
Wia looked up and sharpened her gaze. It was not simply the Sector Guard, there were two Alliance warships sending the Nefgar running for it. They were determined buggers. She had to give them that.
A footstep behind her told her that she was not alone. “You did well, child.”
She turned, and the face of the matriarch was near her own. The eyes had shifted colour from gold to swirling green.
“Caffexi?”
“Indeed, pleased to be speaking directly to you. My children are not very bright, but they are talented. They had no idea that there was a hidden cavern behind that wall. They haven’t had to escape in this generation.” The planet smiled from within its Avatar. “You are the star born, are you not?”
She chuckled. “Not the only one. There is a member of the Sector Guard who is both child of two Avatars and an Avatar in her own right.”
“You are the only one born of a stellar Avatar and mortal woman, surviving after your parent has burned his last. Suek was great, a truly great mind.”
Wia nodded. “I would agree.”
“It is a shame his daughter is wearing rags.”
“Burns from the fight. They were intact when I arrived here.” She chuckled at the disdain in the old woman’s face.
“My people have given me an appreciation for a certain aesthetic.”
Wia stretched. “Well, this will have to do until I get back to a base with uniforms or until I find the ship that brought me here and I go through my luggage.”
“Come with me.” Caffexi took her hand with one scaled hand and led her down the path and into the city with the dregs of the attack swirling above them.
The clothing shop was dim, but it lit the moment that Caffexi waved a hand. The lizard woman began to hum and shop, pulling clothing off racks and out of drawers.
“Our clothing is resistant to radiation, so it should be far more suitable than your robes.”
Wia surrendered to the Avatar and allowed herself to be dressed in layers of blue, gold and dark lavender. Boots, stockings, briefs and a lace-up dress made her feel far prettier than she had since she was six and her father had brought her a Stiaki dancer’s skirt. She had twirled for days.
“It is pretty.”
“Do you want to take off your mask?” Caffexi cocked her head.
“It is my skin. It is a recessive Hirn gene that makes me appear to be wearing a mask.” Wia lifted her hair and pinned it up in a loose mass that highlighted the slender aspect of her neck. “Have you ever thought of bringing in some more aggressive species as guards for your people?”
Caffexi shrugged. “I suppose I should consider it. Their population cannot keep replacing what is lost to those who simply wander off rocks. They are not a bright people, but they are goodhearted.”
“That counts for a lot, but I have seen the records of many goodhearted species that are no longer with us. I would suggest you talk to the Alliance about getting some farmer species in and settling them on the other side of the planet.”
“I will take it under advisement. For now, I believe that that young man is trying to get your attention.” Caffexi pointed out the shop window.
“How much do I owe you for the clothing?” She reached into her bodice for her credit chip.
“Nothing. You got us all safe and you took me flying. It has been years since I have flown. Caludi is not up to the strains of being my Avatar anymore, but I cannot bear to give her up.”
Wia kissed the lizard woman on her leathery cheek. “You will know when it is time. Thank you for the clothing.”
Wia left the planetary Avatar and took flight. The clothing was a little drafty at the shoulder, but it fit very well no matter what position she was in.
She made it to Comet’s side. “So, what now?”
He looked her up and down, a strained expression came over his features. “Where did you get that?”
“My robes burned away in the fight, so Caffexi found me something to wear. Why? I thought it looked good.”
He swallowed heavily. “It does, very good.”
The shuttle appeared at their side, hatch open. Comet offered the first entry to her, and she took it, settling on her new boots as she walked toward the sealed area.
Comet was at her side, and she felt the warmth of his hand through her tightly wrapped bodice. Before she could change her mind, she turned and leaned up to press a kiss against his lips.
He was so surprised that he didn’t react in time, and she pulled away to walk to her seat the instant that the barrier dropped. She settled in her seat, crossed her legs and smiled at the pilot. “Hello, Stealth. I believe it will be the Lowel construction site for me, the Udell base for Comet.”
Stealth grinned. “As my lady commands.” He keyed in the coordinates, and seconds later, they were on their way through the Caffexi atmosphere, back to the safe and comfortable vacuum of space.