“We found you five thousand kilometers from the station, drifting peacefully.”
“But I was okay.” She patted herself on the chest and tried to sit up. Everything hurt.
“You had a shield up, luckily,” Nat said.
“Are we safe? The station’s safe?”
“You managed to snuff the detonations out. Good catch on the ferry. We would have been blown apart. Barod was extremely grateful, and apologetic their sensors didn’t locate the fifth bomb,” Magnus said.
“How long has it been?” Jules saw movement at the entrance.
“Two days.”
“Two days!” She lurched up, regretting it. Her lungs burned, and she gazed at her fingertips, which were pink and raw.
“It’s fine. We have the marauders in custody. You did well, Commander,” Magnus said.
She relaxed when he used her title, and waved at the girl pacing outside the medical bay.
“Jaessa hasn’t left the area since you arrived. She blamed herself.” Nat gazed at the alien newcomer.
“Why?”
“You came here because of her arrival,” Nat said.
“Tell her I’m okay.” Jules’ eyelids were heavy, and she sealed them. “I just need some sleep.”
She woke again, and felt something on her hands. Jaessa was asleep in the chair beside her bed, softly snoring. Jules stared at her fingers, finding them bandaged. Her power must have burnt them. That was new.
It was quiet here, the lights low, the gentle humming of the medical devices calming her nerves. She was alive, and she’d mitigated their losses. Jules scoffed at her own thoughts. Mitigated losses. Who was she to think of that term? She’d seen the dead station guard. Had nearly killed more people herself. These were real lives.
Jules sat up, and tried to concentrate on their timeline. “Jaessa!” she shouted.
The girl sprang from the chair, rushing to her. “Yes, Jules.”
“Get me out of here. I have to speak with the captain.”
An hour later, Jules felt more like herself. She wore a uniform rather than the gown, and had had the chance to clean up. She located Magnus and the others on the bridge, where she’d asked to meet them. Jaessa trailed after her, joining their group. Jules didn’t see the harm in including her in the discussion.
“You have some news?” Natalia asked Jules.
“No. But I do think we have an issue.”
“What kind of issue?” Magnus’ arms were crossed, and he regarded her with interest.
Jules spotted the crate of gemstones on the bridge. “This can’t be a coincidence.”
“What part?” Magnus asked.
“All of it. First, Jaessa showed up. Then there was supposed to be an auction with priceless gems on Udoon, and Peters and his troops came to steal them,” Jules responded. “After, they wanted to destroy the station with us on it, and acquire Outpost.”
“Good point. But they don’t have to be connected.” Natalia shrugged, as if there was no correlation.
“Most of them seem independent, until you add in Outpost. Why did they know to take our ship? How did they procure matching uniforms? Peters had to assume we were going to be here. If that was the case, he expected us.” Jules was confident her train of thought was accurate.
“Then it was a setup.” Magnus punched his other palm lightly. “The entire thing was planned.”
“For what?”
“Someone knew Jaessa was coming,” Jules said, and the girl looked astounded.
“That’s impossible,” she told Jules. “I was running from the Brack. I slipped into stasis. They couldn’t…”
“Did they see you escaping?” Magnus asked her.
“Yes. I had to be quick. It’s why I couldn’t change my course after I had Udoon loaded.” Jaessa paled, and took a seat in Jules’ commander position. “It’s my fault.”
“Stop blaming yourself. But I do think the Brack might be responsible,” Jules said.
“How could this be? Why were the gem owners here, and why did the Brack convince Peters to come at this moment? It’s been twenty years, and she traveled faster than most should be able to.”
“If Jaessa’s people have this slip drive technology, and they were unable to defend against a Brack assault, you have to believe the Brack can do things we can’t,” Natalia suggested.
Jules started to stand. “We have some investigating to do.”
“Where are you going?” Magnus blocked her exit.
“We have work. I’m fine.”
“You were blown up, Jules.”
“Do I seem hurt?” She glanced at her hands.
“Kind of.” Magnus stepped aside anyway.
“Let’s talk to the gem owners before we decide what to do.” Jules went to the bridge doors. “Where’s the crate?”
“We have it in custody. Barod wanted to scan it for any sabotage before we returned it,” Magnus said.
Sergeant Raron and Rumi entered, almost bumping into Jules. “You called for us, Captain?”
“Yes.” Magnus strode over to them, smiling. “I heard what you did to protect our ship. I want to thank you.”
“We were just doing our job.” Raron shook his hand regardless, and Magnus patted him on the back.
“It took a lot of courage. And you too, Rumi. That’s the kind of spirit I like to see out of our Institute and Outpost crew.” Magnus beamed.
Jules almost wished they’d remained docile. It might have given her a chance to disarm the enemy before they detonated the explosives on Udoon Station. But she couldn’t tell them that. The truth was, they did the right thing fending off the invaders from their bridge.
“I’m proud of you too,” she said with a grin.
“Thanks, Jules,” Rumi whispered. “I mean… Commander.”
“Keep the crate where it is. And make sure to count the gems. I don’t trust the Udoon security guards.”
“I’m coming with you,” Nat told her, and she didn’t argue. They walked the halls, Natalia informing Udoon Station to send the owners of the gems to Outpost for questioning.
It took another hour, and the pair of thin scaled beings was on her ship. They waited in a plain room, far from the bridge and engineering. The walls were white, and a single round table sat in the center with three chairs around it. Nat and Jules observed them from the security feed while the couple talked in hushed tones.
“Let’s see what brought them to Udoon at this precise moment,” Natalia said.
Jules entered, careful not to hurt her fingers. The tips of them itched, telling her they were healing. She let Auntie Natalia sit in the third chair, while she stayed on her feet.
“Tell us your names,” Nat told them.
“I am Drav,” the man said, “and this is Leshi.” His tongue flicked out of his mouth twice.
“Where are our gemstones?” Leshi asked.
“They’re safe.” Jules tried to read them, but they only seemed concerned with their precious stones. She guessed they were priceless.
“When will they be returned?” Drav locked gazes with her.
“Soon. Now tell me, why did you decide to visit Udoon Station this week?” Nat answered.
The pair glanced at one another. “We were offered an auction room. We’ve been negotiating with various dealers over the past few months, and Udoon reached out with the lowest rate and assurance that the highest bidders would be present.”
“Have you met any of the bidders?” Jules guessed there were no bidders. They had been misled. But who’d masterminded this?
“We have not. None.” Drav’s tongue protruded again.
“Do you recall who contacted you?” Nat checked.
Leshi shook her head, and the scales changed color with the action. “No. They sent a transport, and we came a great distance. We wanted to delay another week, but they assured us this was the optimal time to sell.”
“Interesting.” Nat peered at Jules.
“Very. Will you give us a moment?
” Jules walked outside, Nat following, and they waited for the door to close. “Auntie, I think this is a conspiracy. Someone required us and the gemstones to be here at the same moment. They hired Peters to destroy Udoon, promising him treasures and a warship. Whoever did it wanted us and Jaessa dead.”
“I think you’re correct.” Nat pursed her lips, tapping a finger to them. “We’ll see what Peters has to say.”
“What about them?” Jules indicated the room beyond the door.
“They can go home.”
“We should move the gemstones out of Barod’s dirty grip,” Jules suggested.
“You think it was her?”
“Likely. She’s obviously involved in some illegal activity. I doubt she’s innocent, but it doesn’t mean she’s part of this plan. Either way, I have a feeling she’s deceitful.” Jules started the walk to the brig. Every warship required it, whether the captain thought it was necessary or not. Outpost was no different.
Peters was in his cell, the only one on this side of the brig. He looked older in the bright lights, and had dark bags under his eyes. He glanced up at them and smirked. “Come to gloat?”
“You would have killed thousands,” Jules whispered.
Peters didn’t seem to care. “I was following orders.”
“From whom?” Nat asked.
Peters stood and walked closer. The blue energy bars hummed at his approach. “Wouldn’t that ruin the fun of your little game?”
Jules struck with her powers, hauling the marauder by the neck. Her invisible rope wrapped around him, lifting him from the floor. He grasped at it, but quickly realized he couldn’t pry himself free.
Nat clutched at her arm, but Jules shrugged it off. “She asked who sent you. Tell us!”
Jules thrust Peters away, throwing him against the small cot. He bounced off the springs and into the wall with a thud.
Judging by the look in his eyes, he was dazed. “I wasn’t told her name.”
“Her?”
“That’s right. It was a woman.” Peters rubbed the back of his head.
“We need details. Communications. Locations.” Jules reached her hand out, threatening him with more punishment.
“Fine. I didn’t want to do the job. But she was… convincing.”
“Why did she want us dead? And the girl?”
“I don’t know anything about a girl. And she wasn’t aware that Jules Parker would be here, or at least it wasn’t mentioned. She did want a warship, and claimed that would arrive on the precise day it did,” Peters said.
“And the gemstones?”
“That was for me. Payment.”
Jules considered this. This woman had Drav and Leshi come to Udoon to lure Peters here. She wanted their ship. These were clues. She was unable to pay Peters from her own pocket, and she had no means of transportation. Just who was she?
“How do we access your files?” Natalia asked.
He sighed, finally relenting. “On my ship, parked on Udoon.”
There was more work to do, but she finally had a lead.
Nine
The Takmas home planet, Rylan, was one of three habitable worlds in their system. The star was a white giant, and I was surprised to learn there were twenty-three planets in total, along with over a hundred moons. The moment we slowed and began our trajectory for Rylan, an escort of seven spacecraft came to greet us.
They only sent a clearance communication when we identified ourselves, and flanked us on all sides, escorting us toward their home.
“Seven ships? To bring a single Cyclone in?” I glanced at Mary.
“They are regimented. We knew this. It’s part of the reason they make a great Alliance partner,” Mary said.
“A peaceful military race. How ironic,” I whispered.
“It wasn’t always this way. For years, they fought amongst their circles, their people divided over three planets. A circle is like a tribe, I’m told. They nearly destroyed all of them in the process, and decided that a single governing force was necessary for their people’s survival.” Mary slowed as the Takmas vessels did, and I appraised Rylan from a distance.
It was three-quarters the size of Earth, with a shorter rotation and ample oceans. The location from the sun meant it had the ideal conditions for life. I assumed their other two worlds were less inviting for the various circles.
“Can I hand the payment to them?” Hugo asked from behind us.
“I don’t see why not,” Mary told him. “Be our Alliance representative. Maybe you can discuss the Academy with them, and your father can express the merits of our Institute. The Takmas would be welcome at both establishments.”
“That would be cool,” Hugo said.
We began descending, and breached the atmosphere a few minutes later. Our flight path took us past a frigid land mass, then a restless body of water. The viewscreen displayed a creature with prolonged tentacles thrashing near an island.
The capital city was utilitarian. Tall boxy beige structures jutted from the inland metropolis, almost in perfect order. I suspected most of what the Takmas did was calculated and organized.
“Why are they so far from the water?” I asked Mary.
She had a plethora of knowledge when it came to Alliance affairs. “They experience frequent tectonic shifting, and that means tsunamis. Not to mention the water creatures. You saw that beast out there. It’s not uncommon for them to hunt on a beach or rocky shore if they’re hungry enough.”
I glanced at Hugo. “I guess we’re not going surfing.”
He chuckled as Mary guided us to a widespread base. There were hundreds more of the rectangular ships on the stone-covered ground. Nearby, thousands of soldiers lined up at attention.
“They went all out,” I mumbled.
“I think we’d better clean up before we show ourselves,” Mary told me.
A few minutes passed, and we sported fresh uniforms. Hugo and I combed our hair while Mary styled hers, and finally, we waited at the rear of our ship for word to exit. When the ramp lowered, I was shocked at the sight.
Takmas soldiers stood in a lengthy line that continued for a kilometer or more, giving us a pathway to the region’s tallest structure. Two of the beings were waiting for us, and they smiled, extending their arms.
“Welcome, Alliance. You are now part of our circle.” The creature wore a dark tailored uniform, and both of his eyes inhabited the sides of his head, blinking as he stared forward.
“You must be Representative Ashtom,” Mary said, and the man let out a shrill fluttering noise.
“That is correct, Mary Parker,” he told her.
“And that makes you Representative Medo.” Mary indicated the second one. “This is my husband, Dean Parker, and my son Hugo.”
They trilled again, and the sound echoed from all the gathered soldiers down the line.
“Dean Parker. We have heard many tales. Are they true?” Ashtom asked me.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” I joked.
“That you were willing to kill entire races for the safety of your own people.” The tone changed, and Ashtom stepped closer. A low hum emanated from his jowls, and I glanced at Mary for guidance. I didn’t want to upset protocol.
“We’ve always…” Mary was cut off by Ashtom’s raised hand.
“I’d prefer to hear it from Dean’s mouth.”
“I’ve done what was necessary. Like your people, I often choose peace over war. Unfortunately, our enemies don’t always see things the same way. In that case, yes, you’re correct. I will do anything to save my allies in a time of need.” I stared at him, and saw the flicker of respect cross his face.
He trilled, and the entire group of soldiers mimicked their leader. “Very well. We are happy to host you on Rylan.”
The mood returned to cordial, and Hugo visibly relaxed after the tense moment.
“Do you have the payment for the exchange?” Medo asked, her voice even and comforting. She peered past me and into our Cyclone.
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“Yes, we do. Shall we bring it?” Mary inquired.
Ten soldiers rushed onto our vessel without permission, and they began hauling crates out, stacking them on a six-wheeled vehicle.
“We can handle things,” Medo said.
Hugo stared at the uniformed aliens taking the vast amount of wealth from our Cyclone. He stayed between Mary and me, hands resting at his sides.
“Representative Ashtom, will you be showing us our end of the bargain?” Mary asked them when the full load had been extracted from our ship.
Ashtom blinked slowly and deliberately, watching my wife. “Do you distrust us? We are part of the same circle.”
“That’s not the problem.” Mary walked to the cart. “In our Alliance, we barter evenly and with good conscience. We’ll travel with the load of Inlorian bars, if it pleases you.”
“That is acceptable.” Medo led us to the front of the six-wheeler, letting us inside the cab. She and Ashtom went to the front seat, where a different alien drove. It was sluggish, with slick-looking green skin and ears resembling broccoli florets. I peered at Mary, and she shrugged about the unexpected driver.
“How long have you been Representatives?” Mary asked the duo.
Medo spoke first. “I have donned the ceremonial garb for twenty-four of your years.”
“Thirty-three,” Ashtom said, almost bitterly.
I watched the soldiers as we departed to our destination with a heavy load of Inlorian bars behind us. They were so still. Thousands of armed Takmas.
“Do you enjoy the work?” I asked, trying to be friendly.
“Work? This is not a job, Mr. Parker. Being a Takmas and especially a Representative is our life’s purpose. We were chosen by fate, not by an application,” Ashtom said.
I wanted to ask him why he was so irritable, but refrained.
“What Representative Ashtom means is, we are born to this role. It is our way.” Medo glanced at the driver, and I sensed the contempt.
“That’s an interesting tradition,” Mary told them.
“And you, Mrs. Parker. Were you not born to lead the Alliance?”
The Colony (The Survivors Book Seventeen) Page 9
