Bean's Heart (Hearts of ICARUS Book 7)

by Phillips, Laura Jo

  “We have no doubts, Prince Trey. You have our solemn oath that we will not change our minds or otherwise do anything less than our best regardless of the details.”

  “Thank you,” Trey said with a nod. “The Askara’s coordinates have now been transmitted to the Shadow. Please inform your XO that he is to assume temporary command of the Shadow immediately after you’ve transported to the Askara, and that he is to bring the Shadow to Jasan to receive further orders.”

  “Yes, Highness.”

  “Safe journey, Warriors of the Klanaren.”

  “Sharp eyes, Dracon Prince,” Zander replied, rising to his feet to salute, his brothers following his lead. They stood staring at the screen for several minutes after it went dark.

  Zach’s vox chime broke the silence, startling them a little. He tapped it.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes, set course for those coordinates at best speed and provide us with an ETA as soon as you have one.” He listened for a moment. “Thank you.” He clicked off with a frown. “First mistake, forgetting to notify our XO to watch for the coordinates.”

  “We’re just a little startled at the moment, Zach. Don’t worry.”

  “This is kind of amazing,” Zain said. “We’re being sent to command a vessel on a top secret mission. With an increased rank and security level. That’s no small accomplishment.”

  “You’re right, it’s not,” Zander agreed. “We’ve worked hard and we’re seeing the rewards.”

  “This mission…whatever it is…isn’t going to hurt, either. Providing we don’t hauk it up.”

  “We won’t,” Zander said, frowning. “I am curious about Prince Trey’s emphasis when he mentioned our mission. As though there were another mission he wasn’t telling us about.”

  “Yes, I caught that too,” Zach said. “I’m sure we’ll eventually be read into that as well.”

  Zander nodded. “I have to admit that the casual mention of eighty thousand light years is a bit shocking. I wonder how we’re supposed to travel so far in less than three or four decades. Longer than that even, from Prince Trey’s description of the Askara.”

  “Merde,” Zach hissed. “What about Bean Lobo?”

  Zander and Zain stared at him in shock, then Zander’s shoulders slumped. “There’s nothing we can do. I just gave Prince Trey my oath that we wouldn't change our minds.”

  Zach shrugged one shoulder. “I’m putting my faith in Prince Garen.”

  “Meaning?”

  “He told us she was ours, and that the time wasn’t right yet, but would be soon.”

  Zander nodded. “Either way, we have no choice. We can only go forward, and hope our Prince was right.”

  ***

  Bean stood in the doorway that led to one section of semi-private rooms lining both sides of a long corridor. Each room held five sets of bunk beds and one bathroom with a toilet and a sink. Deck 5 held two hundred such rooms, and Deck 6 held another two hundred. They weren’t fancy, but the beds were all brand new, made up with new bedding and linens, and sparkling clean.

  She wished they’d been able to put showers in the bathrooms, but she understood what a mistake that would have been. Four thousand people taking showers each day would severely tax the ship’s water recycling and purification systems, causing them to operate less efficiently, thereby consuming the ship’s water reserves in a few weeks. They didn’t know how long it would take to return to Jasan once they had the refugees on board, but conserving their water could easily become an issue if they weren’t careful from the outset.

  A number of shower rooms had been built which would allow people to shower at regular intervals instead. The cafeteria would serve food in a buffet line set up so that everyone could choose what they wanted from whatever was available at any time, day or night. There were also game rooms, vid rooms, and a reader library.

  “You’re worried people won’t like this,” Iffon said from her shoulder.

  “I just feel a little guilty that the rest of us have private rooms with private baths, and a cafeteria where we can order whatever we want. It seems unfair.

  “Those people will die without help, Bean, and they know it. Besides, compared to what they have now, this is luxury.”

  “I know,” Bean said. “I know they’re sleeping on thermal sheets on the ground right now, with the tents the ships could scrape together as their only shelter. I know they don’t have water or food except what the ships can provide. I know they’re worn out and worn down in body, mind and spirit, and I know they’ll be grateful for what we can give them. And I know this is temporary. I just wish we could give them more.”

  “I understand.”

  “I know you do,” Bean said just as her hand terminal chimed. She removed it from her holster and accepted the vid request. “Hello Uncle Trey.”

  “Hi Bean,” Trey said. “How’re you holding up?”

  “I’m okay. Have you found a replacement?”

  “Yes,” Trey replied. “A Falcoran male-set. Zander, Zachery, and Zain are their names. They’re on the young side, but very capable and talented. They have cool heads in battle, and a natural gift for strategy and command. They’re also the best choice of those within a week’s journey of your position.”

  “How long will it take them to get here?”

  “About three days.”

  “I’m glad you were able to find someone willing to take this on at the last minute. Thank you, Uncle Trey.”

  “Are you all right, Bean?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied, struggling to keep herself from smiling brightly as though she hadn't a care in the world as she would have done not so long ago. “How much have you told the Falcorans about this mission? Or about…me?”

  “Very little,” Trey replied. “When they formally take command of the Askara they’ll automatically receive a field promotion to Commander with a Level Three security clearance. After that, it’ll be up to you as Mission Advisor to brief them. It’ll also be up to you to decide how much to tell them and when, and whether to increase their security level later for more sensitive subjects.”

  “They don’t know that, do they?”

  “No Bean, they don’t. They don’t even know your name. All they know is that there’s a mission advisor who will brief them, and that this advisor is not under their command. Once we’ve received confirmation that they’ve formally taken command and been briefed, we’ll point them toward the orders locked in the safe concerning you.

  “Aside from that, what you reveal and to whom is in your hands, as it should be. Not only because you’re the one who gets the messages, but also because your life and your sisters’ lives are at stake here, and the future of the Thousand Worlds rests on your collective shoulders by Fate’s design. That makes these calls yours to make.”

  “I appreciate that, Uncle Trey,” Bean said, nodding as though the very thought of having so much responsibility didn’t make her want to find a very deep, very dark hole to crawl into. “Have you heard anything from Vari yet?”

  “Yes, we have,” Trey replied, glad to give her good news even if it wasn’t great news. “They sent a list of the latest Doors, as well as the locations of a few more Doftle worlds. They also indicated that Nia confirmed that Kinah wasn’t too far away. Another Door or two, they think.”

  “I don’t understand, Uncle Trey. They’ve been there for a week as of today. I know that for certain.”

  “It takes a few weeks for messages to reach us, Bean. Give it a little more time and I’m sure we’ll get the message we’re waiting for.”

  “You’re right,” Bean said, embarrassed. “I should have thought of that.”

  “No, you need to leave something for the rest of us to do.” Bean smiled. It was small, but Trey could tell that it was sincere. “By the way, Captain Reynolds had no family. According to his file, he desired that his ashes be scattered among the stars.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Trey. I’ll let Sark know. We can have the ser
vice while we’re waiting for the Falcorans.”

  “Good idea, Bean. He was well liked and respected. His men need to say farewell to him.” Bean nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

  “Bean, we viewed the security vid of the attack. You acted calmly and with incredible bravery. Between you, Captain Reynolds, and Iffon, you saved the ship, the mission, and a lot of lives. We’re all extremely proud of you. Including Rayne. She asked that I tell you how happy and honored she is that her actions helped you when you needed it most.”

  Bean nodded, unable to hold back the sudden tears. She wiped them away and smiled enough that he understood. He cleared his throat and said, “You were the only person on the bridge with the foresight to carry Kunian steel weapons.”

  “Kyrus told me that,” Bean said. “He promised from now on that would be different.”

  “It will be.”

  Bean swallowed hard. “Did you find out who sabotaged the disrupter?”

  “Yes, we did,” Trey replied. “As far as we can determine, he acted alone. The Bearens will continue to keep a close watch on everyone though.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “Bean, what happened wasn’t your fault.”

  “I know that, Uncle Trey.”

  “Captain Reynolds’ death wasn’t your fault, either.”

  Bean nodded, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t respond to that. She couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t been so afraid for her, he wouldn’t be dead.

  “Are you still up for this, Bean? I know you didn’t expect to have to act as Mission Advisor, so if it’s too much pressure for you, there’s no shame in saying so. We’ll find another way.”

  Bean blinked in surprise, startled out of her grief. “Yes, I’m still up for this, Uncle Trey. I’m a little nervous about the whole Mission Advisor thing, I admit. But I can handle it. I promise.”

  “Good girl,” Trey said, pleased by the sudden spark in her eyes. “You give us a call if you have any problems with the Falcorans, all right?”

  “I will. Give my love to everyone. And a very special hug to Rayne, please.”

  “That’s a promise,” Trey said. “Iffon, we’re counting on you to keep Bean as safe as possible.”

  “Guarding Bean is my greatest joy and responsibility Prince Trey,” Iffon said. “I shall keep her safe at all costs.”

  Since his mental voice couldn’t be heard over a comm link, Bean had to repeat his words for him. Her voice became thick toward the end, but she spoke clearly enough to be understood.

  “Thank you, Iffon,” Trey said, saluting them both by touching his fist to his heart. “You take care of yourself, as well.”

  After closing the connection and returning the device to its holster, Bean leaned back against the wall, then bent over, placing her hands on her knees which caused Iffon to leap to the floor. She breathed in and out slowly until she felt her body start to relax. “Sorry,” she said when she straightened.

  Iffon regarded Bean silently for a moment, then spread the small yellow wings of what Bean suspected was a canary. She couldn't be sure since she’d never actually seen one, and she refused to ask, thereby opening that whole can of worms all over again. As soon as Iffon was in place on her shoulder, Bean turned and headed for the elevator.

  “What’s wrong, Bean? Why are you so pale?”

  “When Uncle Trey told me the Falcorans’ names I just got the strangest sensation.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like shivers, only warm, if that makes any sense.”

  “Since I don’t know what shivers are, no, it doesn’t.”

  Bean reached the elevator and pressed the call button. The doors opened immediately and she stepped inside.

  “I just got a weird feeling. I can’t really explain it but I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

  “Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling?”

  “Neither, it’s just…strange,” she said, then fell silent until the doors opened again. She stepped out and headed for her stateroom.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Search for them on the vid terminal,” Bean said, pushing the door open and locking it behind her. She went to the vid terminal in the corner and turned it on while Iffon flew over to one of many standing and hanging perches of multiple sizes and thicknesses that Bean had asked to have installed for him. “There’s a secure Clan Jasani site that lists all Klanaren. Names, ages, rank, things like that.”

  “It might be interesting to learn a bit about these new Commanders. Is there anything in particular you want to look for?”

  Bean kicked off her shoes and grabbed a bottle of juice from a small chiller before sitting down in front of the vid terminal. “I don’t know,” she said as her fingers began flying over the keyboard too fast for Iffon to follow. It didn’t take very long for her to log in to the Clan Jasani site and have the Falcorans’ profile displayed on her vid screen.

  “They’re only one hundred sixty five years old. That’s young for a Clan male-set, just like Uncle Trey said.”

  “Yes, it is,” Iffon agreed. “How is it their rank is so high?”

  “When it comes to air and space vessels, Falcorans tend to rise fast. They have strong natural talents.”

  “Are there images?”

  Bean scrolled down until an image of the Falcorans filled her vid screen. A strange thrill of excitement ran through her, but she was distracted from wondering about it when a faint sensation of familiarity brushed her mind.

  The eldest, Zander, had dark red eyes surrounded by thick black lashes, slanting brows and wavy blue-black hair that hung in soft waves to his shoulders. His face was angular, with sharp cheekbones, a high forehead, and a well-defined jaw. Like many Falcorans, his nose was slightly hooked, but his lips were full, with the barest hint of a smile around his mouth.

  Zachery, the middle brother, looked exactly like Zander except that his eyes were a vivid electric blue. The youngest brother, Zain, had bright lemon yellow eyes.

  She’d never seen anyone with eyes like theirs before. Had she? She started to scroll back up to the data section, then stopped.

  “I have seen them before,” she exclaimed. “I’d completely forgotten until just now.”

  Bean heard wings flapping and a moment later Iffon settled on her shoulder. “I don’t remember them. Are you sure you know them?”

  “I’m sure I don’t know them, Iffon. I only saw them once, and I was really little. There was a party of some kind. It was outside, on the ranch, I remember that much. And there were so many people there.” She told Iffon the story of three men with brightly colored eyes.

  “People have been asking me my whole life why I suddenly decided, at the age of four, that I wanted to be called Bean. The reason I never told anyone was that I simply didn’t remember. I never told anyone that, either.” She looked at Iffon. “I’m kind of surprised you don’t remember them.”

  “It’s not that I don’t remember, Bean. I wasn’t there. I spent a great deal of my time hidden deep until you were about five and a half, I think. Why did you decide to go by the name Bean, though?”

  “I really liked them calling me Bean, though I don’t know why. In the beginning, I never explained myself because I was too embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t say my own name clearly enough for them to understand it. I got enough grief as it was because I had a lisp, and couldn’t say the ‘r’ in BreeAnna. Then, at some point, I forgot.”

  “Do you think they remember you?”

  “Oh, I doubt it,” Bean said. “I was a four-year-old child that they spent less than ten minutes with eighteen years ago. I can’t imagine why they would remember me.”

  “What’d they do with Bobby?”

  “We found Bobby standing beside his father with my unopened box of candy sticking out of his back pocket. First they spoke with Bobby’s father, then they spoke with Bobby. They told him very sternly that it was not acceptable to push people, espec
ially little girls half his size and age, and that it was very wrong to steal. Bobby apologized to me and gave my candy back. I thanked them, and skipped away. Not before I overheard Bobby’s father lecturing him, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if that kid is still grounded.” Iffon laughed.

  “I wonder if they’re mated.”

  “Why do you want to know if they're mated?”

  “I don’t know,” Bean said. “I’m just curious.” She scrolled back up to the top of the page. “Nope, not mated.”

  “The marbles,” Iffon said suddenly.

  “What?”

  “The marbles Ria gave you. Remember the colors?”

  Bean’s eyes widened in surprise. She got up and went to the bedside table. Opening the drawer, she took out the six marbles Ria had given her so long ago and carried them back to the desk.

  “They’re even the same shades as their eyes,” she said after comparing them to the image on the vid screen. Bean chewed on her lip while she stared at the screen for a long minute.

  “What are you thinking, Bean?”

  “I’m thinking there’re too many coincidences for my comfort. Remembering them from when I was little. My nickname. The marbles. Now they’re the new Commanders and their names make me feel strange even though I’ve never heard them before. Makes me wonder.”

  “Makes you wonder what?”

  “If I’m their berezi,” Bean said on a sigh. “I hope not. It’s a lousy time for something like this.”

  “I agree that it's lousy timing, Bean, but if they’re your destined Rami, there isn't much you can do about it.” Iffon paused, then asked, “Is there?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” Bean sat forward and placed her fingers on the keyboard again. Using the passwords set up for her by the Princes themselves, she logged into and passed through several security checks before gaining access to the Askara’s infirmary system.

  From there it was easy enough to get into the med fabricator’s report files. She scrolled through the list of medications the machine was capable of producing, then went back and read through them again.