They told me my own personal future depended on your success. But that avenue was firmly blocked in his mind.
Right. An Ardasian who wanted the Old Earth plague released, who apparently didn’t care that it was genetic suicide. And someone who could see the future.
They were fucked.
“We have to adjust our plan,” she said out loud. Tory sent her a startled look but it was important to let the crew know what they faced.
“We’re in trouble, aren’t we?” Bud said and sighed. “It’s never as easy as we hope.”
“There’s another person involved. An Ardasian.” She dropped the bomb but Dink and Bud took it well, almost casually.
“There had to be some way they anticipated almost every move you made.” Bud shook his head.
“Whoever it is, do you think they know we switched the contents of the box?” Dink asked.
She marveled at these men. No surprise, no protest. They just accepted it. “We have to assume they do.”
“Are the vials safe on Ardasia?” Bud stared at Jezar.
The Ardasian sighed. “It’s only accessible to the ten Judges. That means someone would have to go through them to get into the lab where the plague is being stored.”
“We still have to go to Teran One and deal with Ena,” Alex insisted. “This changes very little.”
“Except now we know Ena will be expecting us.” Tory’s lips tightened. “I don’t like it.”
“Well, this way we don’t have to take Pulzer,” she quipped.
“Oh, he’ll still have his uses,” Tory responded.
“Okay. The plan holds then.” She stared at Dink and Bud. These two were their best hope if they failed.
Tory also frowned at them. “When we disembark, take The Pinnacle out of Teran One space. In fact, get it out of Teran Space entirely. If we don’t make it out, I want you guys on your way to Ardasia to make sure the Judges know what happened.”
None of them mentioned that if they failed, the Judges would likely know anyway.
“We leave in one hour. Notify our two volunteers,” Tory told them. He turned to Bud. “You’re in charge.”
Dink rose stiffly and stuck his hand out to Alex. “It’s been an honor, Commander.”
“The honor was all mine.” She shook his hand.
The way Dink’s gaze swerved to Tory’s made Alex’s heart clench. Tory was so much more to them than just a ship’s commander. He was their friend, their father, their brother.
No handshakes for them. Tory clapped him in a hug that made tears prick her eyes. Bud rose.
Would there be hugs for the Teran Four native? It shocked to Alex to see just that. Who knew? Then, Dink and Bud both hugged Jezar, a bizarre sight for anyone who had met any of these men.
The moment passed and the three of them stepped into the elevator. Dink met her gaze. “Bring them back, Commander.”
“I will, Dink.”
The doors closed and Alex gritted her teeth. She hoped she could live up to the faith Tory’s men had in her.
Tory reached over and clasped her hand in his. Whatever happened, they’d face it together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The shuttle bay was almost empty when Tory, Jezar and Alex arrived. Tory hadn’t even checked to see which two men volunteered for this suicide mission. They hadn’t pulled any punches when they’d informed the crew about it. Survival? Probably not. Reward? None, unless you gave a shit about humanity.
With Pulzer trussed up between them, the two volunteers waited for them by the shuttle. One was Marak Foche. Alex had met him briefly during the trip. He was an expert on engines and was often seen with the second volunteer—Tesia.
“No.” Jezar breathed the word out so softly Alex wondered if she’d heard it.
“Thank you, Tesia, Marak.” Tory nodded to both of them. “Jezar will fill you in on the details of our plan on our way to Saladian. Marak, I know you’re familiar with the Shoshani customs on Teran One. Will you help Tesia out with that?”
“No.” This time Jezar’s voice was loud and emphatic.
“I’m going,” Tesia said and glared at him.
What was going on here? Alex glanced at Tory who shrugged.
“This mission is too dangerous,” Jezar ground out, his jaw clenched.
Tesia stepped up, a red flush spreading over the bridge of her nose, her eyes shards of blue glass. “I volunteered for this. I saw what would happen if you lose.”
Jezar gripped Tesia’s arm and thrust his face close to hers. “If we lose, you’ll be dead.”
Alex stared at the Ardasian. Where was his famous cool? He had clearly lost his mind if he thought Tesia was going to sit calmly on the sidelines while Jezar ran off to get killed. And she’d seen the vision. She knew what was coming.
It was Tory who made the decision. “She goes. Jezar, fill her in.”
Jezar whirled around, quick for such a big man, and his gaze narrowed on Tory’s face. “Get someone else.”
Tory took a deep breath and let it out. “She has the right to take the risk, Jezar. It’s her life.”
Something painful glittered in Jezar’s eyes for a moment and then, it was gone. His hands clenched into fists and Alex wasn’t sure if Jezar was going to relax or not. Finally, the man shook his head and strode onto the shuttle, his back stiff and his chin jutted forward.
Tesia stared after him. “What the fuck is wrong with him?”
Alex’s eyebrows rose. “If you don’t know, I’m not telling you.”
Oh, Tesia knew what was wrong with Jezar. From the uncomfortable shuffle of her feet and the way she turned away from them, she had to know. She glanced at Tory.
He’s in love with her. She sent the thought to Tory.
I think so. But Tory’s thoughts were distracted from Jezar and Tesia. He was focused on the plan, the details, the things that could go wrong.
She took his hand, aware that Foche watched them. “Ready?”
In the shuttle, Alex strapped herself into the copilot’s seat. Jezar put Pulzer by the escape hatch and tied him in. Then Jezar gave the man a shot. Alex nodded at the Ardasian. Pulzer couldn’t know their plans.
Her fingers flew over the flight check and then she relaxed as Tory did the rest. She glanced back at the other three people in the shuttle. Jezar’s tight lips and clenched jaw matched Tesia’s narrowed eyes and tilted chin. Foche frowned and listened carefully as Jezar began to explain the details of their plan.
Since Alex had never really looked at Malak Foche before, she studied him as Jezar talked. Curly, brown hair, a straight nose and a lanky look about him. He had to duck quite a bit to fit in the back of the shuttle. Both Jezar and Tory did, too, but Foche was taller than either of them. There was something in the sidelong glance he shot at Tesia that got her attention.
Where is Foche from? she asked Tory.
I picked him up on Teran Five, but I think he’s from Teran Two.
He’s got a thing for Tesia too.
Several thoughts flitted through Tory’s mind until he settled on, That would explain why he volunteered. I don’t know much about him except that he’s good with the engine’s computers. He’s kept to himself mostly. I took him on because Tesia suggested him as a good assistant engineer. I think he has a past record, but I didn’t ask. Tory gave a mental shrug. He flies under the radar. Tesia’s word was good enough for me.
Then Tory’s thoughts were tied up in getting the shuttle out of the bay. She matched his movements with her own. Copiloting certainly was easier when she knew exactly what the pilot intended to do. They disembarked easily.
Alex continued to listen to the conversation in the back. How Tesia and Foche responded to the information would be critical.
“We plan to attend the celebration in Saladen, the capital. Our target is Celeste Zeerah.” Jezar clicked a button on his handheld console and Celeste’s face appeared. “She is not being held against her will.”
“But the vid—” Tesia sta
rted.
“Was a fraud,” Jezar interrupted her, his gaze not meeting Tesia’s. “Celeste is a willing participant in what she believes is a civil war. We don’t know for sure how much she knows, but we’re going to rescue her.”
“Does she have something to do with the box on Commander Zeerah’s shuttle?” Foche asked.
Jezar nodded. “Celeste, the commander’s sister, may know the location of a shipment like the one Commander Zeerah had in her cargo hold.” He glanced at Tesia and then back to Foche. “Four hundred vials containing the Old Earth plague.”
The color in Foche’s face bled away. “Four hundred?”
“Or more. We don’t know how large the shipment is.” Jezar clicked another button and the blueprints of the capitol building appeared. “The woman holding Celeste is Ena Solly, a member of a First family. As the last of her bloodline, she should be here.” He pointed to a small area of the large cathedral room. Alex shot a glance at Tory’s profile. Could they pull it off? Jezar continued, “Commander Zeerah is the head of her bloodline. She is supposed to be here.” He pointed to a section to the south of the previous position. “We expect the current government to attempt to arrest her on charges of appropriation of Teran One property. In anticipation, we will be transporting the box from her cargo hold with us. As insurance.”
Any color left in Foche’s face drained away and he looked a little green. Jezar reassured him. “The vials are not in it, so there is no danger. There are, however, several vials containing our escape plan.”
“Anosenosin,” Tesia said shortly.
Jezar nodded. “There’s enough to knock out over a thousand people, but not for long. Our plan is to save Celeste, contain Ena Solly and obtain the information of the location of the virus.”
“Do we have a plan B?” asked Tesia, her gaze on the blueprints.
“No. This is it. Our problem is twofold. The current government, led by Pontoon Gregor, will attempt to stop us. Also, according to the information I got from Pulzer, there are several thousand Teran One rebels—and they’ll also try to stop us.” Jezar sighed. “My hope is that the rebels will blame the Gregor government and Darius Stender can return to the throne to restore order.”
“What if the rebels release the plague?” Foche asked.
“Then we’d better hope we’re off planet and can kill anyone who tries to leave Teran One space, or the other Teran planets are doomed.” Jezar clicked his handheld and showed them a copy of the vid Alex had seen at the Ardasian museum.
She turned away to avoid seeing the slaughter, the carnage, in that scene, but the sounds of screaming and ripping and tearing still reached her ears. Was this going to be the fate of her world?
A retching sound made her turn and see Tesia’s face had lost every vestige of color. Foche’s hand was at his throat and his face had a greenish tinge.
That’s what they would face if they failed. Alex closed her eyes. Only a small chance existed for them to stop the plague and save her planet. So small, so slim. But she clung to it. If they could succeed, she would have a life with Tory. If they didn’t, she would die with him.
Simple.
She focused in front of her, but the conversation in the back caught her attention. Tesia found her voice first. “Who was fighting them?” she asked.
“Humans immune to the plague.” Jezar’s voice sounded clipped and cold.
“There are humans immune to the plague?” Foche asked.
“Humans genetically descended from an alien race are not affected by the plague.” Why didn’t Jezar just say yes? He seemed to avoid the question both volunteers wanted to ask. Were they immune?
Tesia sighed so heavily, Alex heard it in the cockpit. “Are we immune? How do we find out?”
“Do you want to know? After all, the chances you’ll be exposed are very high.” Jezar spoke slowly.
“I’d rather know if I’m going to become a flesh-tearing animal and kill my friends, wouldn’t you?” Tesia snapped.
Jezar was silent for a moment. Then, “And you?”
Foche answered, “I’d like to know.”
“It’s simple, really. Put your thumb here.”
A moment and a beep sounded. Then, Jezar spoke. “Tesia, you’re apparently immune. Foche, you are not.”
Alex let out a breath. How would the man feel about that? Why did it feel like he’d just been handed a death sentence?
Foche’s voice revealed no fear, only determination. “Tesia?”
“You can’t ask me to do it.” Something panicky and shrill crept into Tesia’s tone.
“I can’t think of anyone better,” Foche said in a low voice. “You can’t let me become…like that.”
A small sound, like a whimper, came from Tesia and Alex’s heart ached for her. What exactly was the relationship between Foche and Tesia?
He is in love with her but, to her, he is a very old friend. Jezar’s mental voice intruded.
Alex mentally recoiled. Damn it, Jezar! Get out of our heads.
Suddenly, a very bleak and bitter sensation swamped her. It isn’t pleasant to read things from you humans all the time. You send your thoughts so loud we can’t miss them. Foche is projecting so strongly it’s like shouting to me.
We don’t do it to torment you.
No. But don’t criticize me for what I am. Then, his thoughts were gone like a radio transmission switched off.
She shot a glance at Tory. For most of the trip so far, his thoughts had been closed off, blocked. She touched him and he met her gaze. “Tory,” she said aloud, but kept her question silent. She wanted him to connect, but she wasn’t going to force it.
Like a door opening to a fresh wind, his thoughts began to blow over her. The mission, his worries, his conviction about what they were doing and his laser-like focus traveled between them. He hadn’t been listening to the conversation between the others. What she’d been hearing and thinking communicated to him in a blink.
Jezar pays a price for reading most humans, Alex.
What do you mean? She focused on myriad conversations Tory remembered. Snippets of these exchanges revealed the Ardasian struggled to block human thoughts. Jezar’s gift was so strong that it picked up too much. And he paid for it. The dark secrets, the negative emotions, the deceit in human behavior all taxed Jezar’s mental energy.
Being on my ship hasn’t been easy for him, Alex. Though my men aren’t evil, they have dark pasts, dark deeds, dark thoughts. You were a pleasure to read for Jezar. Like light after a dark night. Tesia is that way too.
Can’t he block the thoughts coming in?
Yes and no. Right now, he has to read Foche and Tesia. And Pulzer. All of that is taking its toll. If he’s a bit bitter that a man who’s his rival for Tesia is a hero in her eyes for the moment, it’s natural, I think.
Alex turned these thoughts over, picking them apart and studying them. The mission required too much from Jezar. She wouldn’t want to read the murky thoughts of a traitor like Pulzer. And how would she feel about reading someone who loved Tory? Someone who might have some claim on his affections? She shook her head. Tory was right. No wonder Jezar sounded bitter.
Tory reached out and clasped her hand, his gaze still on the control panel, but his thoughts entwined with hers. We are very lucky. We have been able to touch in every way possible. Jezar has never broken through Tesia’s distrust and wariness.
Why in the world would she distrust him? I mean, he’s proven he wants to help us.
Tory’s thoughts were jumbled about this and his opinions were based on his gut feelings rather than facts. I think Tesia is afraid of her feelings for Jezar. She was raised on Teran Two, which practices stringent isolation. I don’t think she’s entirely comfortable being attracted to an Ardasian. Particularly one who has Jezar’s power. She blocks him out, keeps him at arm’s length and won’t allow herself to get to know him any better. Jezar, on the other hand, admires Tesia’s strength and honor. I think he’s strongly attracted to her, bu
t she won’t give him the time of day.
That’s so sad. Alex’s heart clenched. She had gone five years without the only man she’d ever loved for the cold comfort of duty and honor. Could she have done it if Tory was there, day after day? No. Yet Jezar had been forced to do it.
I always believed Jezar would eventually win her over but… His thoughts jumbled a bit, but she finished the thought in her own mind. Now, Jezar won’t have the time to win Tesia.
It isn’t that hopeless, Tory. Alex threaded her fingers with his and squeezed his hand. Perhaps he’ll get his chance.
I don’t know what he’s seen, but he hasn’t been very optimistic and I know his own destiny is somehow tied to all this shit. Frustration threaded Tory’s thoughts. He wanted to help his friend, save his world, save his mate. Yet, he could only do so much. Tory was only human.
We’ll make it. I know we will.
How do you know that? Tory’s resignation weighed heavily on her, but Alex shored him up, sending her hope and love to him.
Because I haven’t had nearly enough time with you, Tory Ingle. You’re not getting out of this that easy.
He chuckled out loud and the sound carried through the cockpit.
Jezar’s mental touch, gentler this time, reached her. I did not mean to be so…negative.
You’re only reflecting the thoughts of those around you, Jezar. Let us ease your burden a bit. Alex opened up her mind and let Jezar see more. The Ardasian tentatively connected with her and Tory.
Pulzer’s mind is violent and uncomfortable for me, even when he is unconscious. I believe it is coloring my thoughts, Jezar admitted.
Well, take what you need, my friend, from both of us.
Alex’s thoughts focused on her hopes for Tory and herself, their children, their lives in the future. Powerful thoughts that gave her more strength than she’d ever had before.
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