Jatouche (Pyreans Book 3)

by S. H. Jucha

  The Pyreans’ strategy meetings ran for three days. Every conceivable option of gate configurations was explored. Within each diagrammed pattern, the group considered who they might meet. The question was always whether to invite individuals through the gates if they’d mastered the dome but had blocked the Colony. Then there was the odder option of a Colony gate connecting to an unoccupied dome that connected to a sentient’s dome.

  “Our proposal to His Excellency will not be complete if we don’t identify who will be doing the exploring,” Harbour stated to her envoy team, when the strategy meetings neared completion.

  “Well, I can give you my answer right now. It won’t be me,” Dottie said. “Yes, I’m afraid to go, but more important, I know my limits. I would be of no use to you. The moment I saw one of these creatures, I would freeze in horror.”

  “It’s the same for me,” Idrian said. “I’m afraid to go. It’s that simple.”

  “I’ll go,” Devon said definitively, “but I intend to be well-versed in Jatouche technology. I want the odds in our favor so that if we go, we can return.”

  “I would like to say that you can count me in,” Henry said, “but I’m concerned that I’ll be a burden to the team. However, if the Jatouche would see fit to lend me their medical services and the team could wait a couple of months, I think I could put Devon to shame.” He grinned and tapped Devon’s leg.

  “I bet you would, Captain,” Devon replied good-naturedly.

  Jessie and Harbour stared quietly at each other, and the other Pyreans wondered what the two of them were thinking. Jessie broke first. “Of course, I’m going,” he said. “Now, tell me that you intend to go.”

  “Yes,” Harbour replied, keeping her focus on Jessie. She could detect his complex swirl of emotions — frustration, confusion, and fear.

  “There’s no need to have an envoy on the exploration team,” Jessie argued.

  “I won’t be going as an envoy,” Harbour retorted. “I’ll be acting as security.”

  “You want to carry some of our offensive or defensive equipment?” Devon asked.

  “I’m a weapon,” Harbour declared. It was a chilling statement for some members of the team to hear.

  “In that case, two empaths are better than one,” Aurelia said defiantly.

  “You’ve spent your life training empaths how to help others, Harbour,” Jessie argued. “You employ gentle emotions to calm humans and now Jatouche. But what makes you think that you can employ your powers against the Colony?”

  Rather than answer, Harbour walked across the room to a desk comm unit, called Tacticnok, and asked her to join them. She sat down and waited silently.

  “Envoy, do you have a request?” asked Tacticnok, when she arrived.

  “Yes, Your Highness, do you have life-threatening species on this planet?” Harbour asked.

  “Several, Envoy. Early generations of Jatouche were forced to build strong enclaves to protect the populations,” Tacticnok replied.

  “Have you ever hunted any of them?” Jessie asked.

  “We’re not an aggressive species, as you’ve probably noted,” Tacticnok replied, with a shrug of apology. “Our preference has always been defense. After the Gasnarian attack, we did create beam weapons for our soldiers, but they’re not used against any of our native species.”

  “I would like you to set up a confrontation with your most predacious species,” Harbour requested.

  “Please clarify what you mean by confrontation,” Tacticnok asked, with concern.

  “The creature must be free to see and attack me,” Harbour replied.

  “For what reason?” Tacticnok asked, shocked by the request.

  “We’re testing an empath’s ability to deal with an aggressive species,” Harbour replied to a wide-eyed royal daughter.

  * * * *

  Days later, Tacticnok notified Harbour that the test she had requested was ready. The envoy party loaded into a vehicle that soon left the densely populated areas behind and entered the planet’s lush forests. When the team exited the car, they were surrounded by soldiers.

  “Envoy, it’s important to do exactly as you’re directed by our soldiers,” Tacticnok said. “They are tasked with keeping your party and me safe.”

  The group wound along a newly cut trail to a rough clearing. A three-meter, clear cube sat on the ground. It had sliding doors on opposite sides.

  “You will enter here, Envoy,” Tacticnok said, indicating the door on their side of the cube. “You will stand near the door on the other side, but you will not step into the doorway or across it. Is that understood?”

  Harbour would have asked a question, but the fierceness in Tacticnok’s voice kept her quiet. She’d asked for a confrontation with a hazardous creature. It occurred to her that she might be facing a more insidious predator than she could have imagined.

  “You will be using your powers against a Rik-tik,” Tacticnok explained. “Don’t be fooled by its appearance. It depends on camouflage to lure its prey close. It has incredible speed for a short distance and a lethal tongue.”

  “Then you expect it to charge me,” Harbour surmised.

  “Yes, you’ll excite it by clapping your hands like this,” Tacticnok said, demonstrating a staccato tempo but refraining from striking her palms together.

  “And if I fail to halt its charge?” Harbour asked.

  “The front of the cube has a monitoring apparatus that will shut the entrance if the Rik-tik approaches too closely,” Tacticnok said. “Every precaution has been taken. If you wish, we can return to the royal residence now. There is no need to proceed with this demonstration.”

  Harbour stared evenly at Tacticnok, who replied, “As you wish, Envoy,” and gestured toward the entrance.

  Waves of fear and frustration swept over Harbour, and she turned to locate the source. Jessie stood with his arms tightly folded and his face distorted. Harbour walked over to him, gripped his arms, and whispered in his ear, “Have faith in their precautions and in me.” At the same time, she used the opportunity to open her gates and flood Jessie’s mind with the serenity she knew she needed to face the creature.

  “You be careful,” Jessie whispered in a choked voice.

  At the cube’s entrance, Aurelia held out her hand. She said, “We should discover our power when we’re coupled.”

  Harbour hesitated, but she couldn’t deny the logic of the suggestion. She nodded and gripped the young empath’s hand. Harbour paused in the cube’s center. She signaled to Tacticnok to close the entrance, turned to Aurelia, and opened her gates wide.

  Aurelia sensed the enormous power coiling in Harbour’s mind, and she sought to do the same. She hadn’t unleashed this much emotional force since she’d attacked Dimitri Belosov in self-defense. For a moment, she faltered, the memories of that time frightening her. Then she stuffed those memories deep and pulled on her mental strength. When she reopened her gates, she felt an incredible merging with Harbour. It was if their waves were in synchronicity, reinforcing each other’s strength.

  Harbour smiled at Aurelia. The young woman appeared to be a sympathetic copy of her. Harbour led Aurelia to the other door. She said, “We’ll try to calm the creature first,” and Aurelia nodded.

  The empaths stared across the clearing. There was only one object to be seen, and it resembled a segment of a tree trunk.

  Aurelia glanced at Harbour, who nodded toward the object. In turn, Aurelia accepted it as the target, without argument.

  With Harbour’s free hand, she signed to Jessie, who told Tacticnok that the envoy wished the doorway opened. When the glass panel slid aside, Harbour released Aurelia’s hand and clapped briskly and loudly. Then she quickly regained Aurelia’s hand and restored the link with her.

  The empaths watched the log rise up on a series of short legs. It rotated a few degrees to focus on the cube. When the creature didn’t charge, Harbour chose not to break her bond with Aurelia. Instead, she stamped her feet, imitating the rhythm Tact
icnok had showed her.

  Suddenly, the Rik-tik surged forward. Its multiple pairs of legs lending it incredible speed.

  Harbour felt Aurelia’s hand fiercely grip her own, but the young woman stood her ground. Harbour focused her power on the entity, hoping to calm it.

  Unfortunately, the empaths weren’t provided enough time to test their technique. The cube’s monitoring apparatus detected the swift advance of the Rik-tik and triggered the clear panel, which immediately slammed shut.

  The Rik-tik slid to a stop directly in front of the cube, but not before its long tongue shot out. The appendage’s meter-long tip was flat and serrated on the sides. It resembled bone, and it struck the clear panel with a resounding thwack. Failing to penetrate the barrier seemed to infuriate the creature. It continued to strike the panel multiple times, creating fine cracks in the material until it relented and scurried away into the forest.

  “Close your gates,” Harbour ordered. The sudden loss of Aurelia’s power was disconcerting.

  The rear door opened, and Tacticnok and Jessie hurried into the cube.

  “Everyone okay?” Jessie asked.

  “We’re fine,” Harbour replied, with a slight smile, attempting to project an air of confidence, although she didn’t feel that way.

  Tacticnok listened politely, although she was intent on examining the cracks in the panel. She was annoyed that the material had not withstood the force of the Rik-tik’s tongue.

  “Is the experiment completed?” asked Tacticnok, which annoyed Jessie. He assumed that it was finished.

  “No,” Aurelia declared. She looked at Harbour and said, “We need to try a different tactic. Something aggressive.”

  “What did you sense?” Harbour asked Aurelia.

  “I felt white-hot rage,” Aurelia replied.

  “Me too,” Harbour agreed. “It’s no wonder that we weren’t able to calm the creature.”

  Tacticnok whistled shrilly and several senior Jatouche came running. She issued a series of orders. Immediately, there was a concentration of activity around the face of the cube. Engineers worked on replacing the damaged panel, and soldiers, who were laden with beams weapons and energy packs, took up a protective ring. When the new panel was ready, the soldiers and engineers retreated.

  “Your experiment may continue,” Tacticnok announced. When Jessie hesitated, Tacticnok said politely, “Advisor, I would appreciate your escort from the cube.”

  Jessie gave in to the adamancy of the females, and he gallantly swept his hand toward the cube’s rear entrance. Tacticnok flashed her teeth at him and led the way.

  “Get ready, Envoy. This forest is full of Rik-tik. Another one will be here soon,” Tacticnok called out before the entrance door slid closed behind Jessie and her.

  Four soldiers occupied the center of the clearing. Three of them held metal tools borrowed from the engineers. They banged them in individual rhythms. The noise was hellacious. A fourth soldier held up a device with a small monitor. Watching its output, he constantly called to the others.

  At one point, the soldier monitoring the area waved his arm excitedly, and all four abandoned the clearing at a run. Soon, various sized Rik-tiks crawled into the clearing. They blared their challenges at one another and used their stout bodies like rams. As they slammed sideways into one another, their bodies made heavy, hollow sounds, and they grunted with each impact. The fights scared off the smallest of the Rik-tiks, and the clearing was left to two, four-meter long behemoths.

  Harbour and Aurelia joined hands. Each found something to power their fear, things they would never want to share with another. Gates were opened, and the combined emotional intensity swelled. Harbour signed, and a Jatouche engineer triggered the panel in front of the empaths.

  When Harbour stamped her feet, the Rik-tiks swung her way. But instead of charging, they stood on their short legs and grunted. Harbour and Aurelia poured their crushing anxieties into the creatures. Slowly, step by step, the Rik-tiks retreated. Then they turned around and hurried into the forest.

  Immediately, the engineer closed the clear panel in front of the empaths and opened the cube’s entrance. Tacticnok and Jessie discovered Harbour and Aurelia holding hands and grinning at each other.

  “Had I not seen this display, I would have found the story unbelievable,” Tacticnok said in wonder.

  “My apologies for doubting you, Harbour,” Jessie said quietly.

  Before Harbour could answer, Tacticnok asked, “Does our material prevent the transmission of your abilities, Envoy? I could feel nothing from where I stood.”

  “I’ve the ability to direct my sending,” Harbour explained.

  “And you, as well, Aurelia?” Tacticnok asked.

  “Yes and no, Your Highness.” Aurelia replied. “I’m getting better at directing my power, but in this case, I acted like a generator fueling a directional antenna. When empaths touch, we have the ability to twine our power, and this can take several forms.”

  “An amazing capability,” Tacticnok enthused. “Is the experiment complete, Envoy?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Harbour replied, “and I would say it was a success.”

  Tacticnok and Aurelia led the way out, and Harbour walked beside Jessie. She slipped her hand into his and lightly squeezed it before letting go.

  -18-

  Presentation

  After weeks of work, Harbour and Tacticnok considered they had the critical pieces of the exploration plan and were ready to present it to Rictook. The groups met the ruler in the salon of his apartment.

  When Tacticnok entered the room, she was surprised to find Roknick in attendance. The master strategist hadn’t been part of their meetings since he’d challenged her and she’d sent him to her father. Her anger spiked. The last thing she needed was the senior advisor disrupting the presentation.

  Everyone had occupied a pallet, and Tacticnok sought to head off a confrontation with Roknick. She said, “Your Excellency, we’ve had the value of the advisors’ input in devising our concept, except for that of Master Roknick. He’s offered the envoy and her delegates no observations. Surely, as the master strategist, he’s considered the problem from many angles.”

  Rictook was careful not to let the weary sigh he felt escape. He’d hoped to prevent this debacle, but Roknick had insisted he’d a right to attend the meeting. In Rictook’s opinion, the advisor’s long history of service warranted the granting of that right.

  Roknick wore a scowl. He’d expected to hear the envoy’s presentation and then pick it apart until he’d exposed every weakness. Failing that, he had a secret, dark hope. The sudden challenge by the royal daughter was completely unexpected. As a strategist, he had to appreciate that she’d outmaneuvered him.

  “I believe that Master Roknick is hoping for one of two things to happen,” Tacticnok said. “Either he intends to sabotage this meeting or he has hopes the Pyreans’ visit to the Colony’s dome will result in their deaths.”

  The audience, including Rictook, was shocked by the royal daughter’s forceful accusation. Rictook’s long decades of rule allowed him to keep his expression neutral. This was his daughter’s challenge, and he sincerely hoped that she was capable of winning it.

  “I deny that,” Roknick declared.

  “What do you say, Envoy?” Tacticnok asked. “Does our master strategist lie?”

  Roknick’s horrified glance at Harbour echoed the incredulity rippling through the audience.

  Tacticnok knew that Harbour and the other empaths had skills that were beyond Jatouche comprehension. Having witnessed the turning aside of two large Rik-tiks, she was depending on those unknown abilities.

  Harbour and Jessie exchanged stunned glances. The royal daughter was in a political fight, and her choice of weapons was a Pyrean empath.

  “Your Highness, this is an internal matter. It’s not my place to interfere,” Harbour protested.

  “I’m the eldest daughter of the Jatouche ruler, His Excellency Rictook,” Tacticn
ok stated firmly. “I ask the Pyrean envoy if Master Roknick can be counted on to truthfully advise the royal family and represent the best interests of our citizens.”

  Harbour felt Tacticnok’s tactics block her into a corner from which there was no escape. She did make a final attempt. “Your Highness,” she said, “I can’t read another’s thoughts. I can only sense their emotions.”

  “Then I ask you, Envoy, what did you detect from Master Roknick?” Tacticnok pressed.

  Harbour sensed Tacticnok’s fury, and she was forced to make a political decision of her own. For the sake of Pyre’s future, she decided to throw in with the royal daughter.

  “Fear,” Harbour admitted. “When you accused Master Roknick of being present to disrupt our presentation and, failing that, wishing for our deaths, he evinced great fear.”

  “And how do you interpret that, Envoy?” Tacticnok pressed.

  “Please, Your Highness, your species is foreign to us,” Harbour protested a final time. “That makes it difficult to interpret your emotions.”

  Tacticnok, who had kept her attention focused on Roknick, turned her gaze on Harbour. There was sympathy in the daughter’s eyes for a brief moment. Then the unrelenting stare returned.

  “We’ve spent a long time with you here and at Pyre, Envoy,” Tacticnok said. “You know us well. I ask you to explain what you felt.”

  Relenting, Harbour said, “I believe Master Roknick was shocked that you uncovered his intentions. That led him to fear reprisals.”

  “Just so,” Tacticnok agreed. “Your Excellency, I ask that you remove Master Roknick from this meeting. Furthermore, I request that you excuse him from service. What we’re attempting to accomplish with the Pyreans has tremendous consequences for the Jatouche. We can’t afford individuals to disrupt this relationship by furthering their personal agendas at the expense of our citizens.”

  Rictook regarded the master advisor with sad eyes, and Roknick knew that he’d expended what remained of the ruler’s favor. The advisor stood, bowed his head, and left the meeting.

  There was a moment of silence. Harbour felt guilty, and she glanced at Jessie.