Tracking (Return of the Nine)

by Grace, Viola

  The men would need four days to properly equip and arm their ships for the event, and by then, the probe would have done its job.

  By the end of the meeting, Ianka had a few days to kill.

  Vida and S’rin arranged guest quarters for her and forwarded her new clothing and her pack.

  With the basic language of the Nine in her mind, Ianka was able to read histories and watch documentaries on the variety of races that had all split from the single source.

  She occupied her time by doing push-ups and running in place. Her body wasn’t used to relaxing and inaction was not in her forte.

  The chime from the communication unit was a relief. She stood in front of it and pressed the flashing key. “Yes?”

  “Hello, Ianka. I have arranged some time around the track for you. You can run as much as you like. Dorum is sending you an escort who should be arriving momentarily.”

  “Um, why is Dorum sending an escort?”

  “Because you will be flying out with his son, Derion, and it would be a good idea to get to know him before that happens. Oh, and because you can’t run around the ship on your own and I am occupied.”

  Ianka gave her a narrow-eyed look. “When will he arrive?”

  “He is on his way. Your language skills are improving by the way, you are speaking clear Nine common.”

  “Well, I figured that I had it, I may as well use it.”

  Ziggy chuckled and inclined her head before disconnecting the call.

  Ianka snorted then jumped as there was a chime from the door. “That was quick.”

  She checked to make sure that her suit was properly sealed before she palmed the panel to open the door.

  Resignation was stamped on the features of the stranger in front of her. “Good evening, Miss Senior. I am Derion and I am here to take you to the exercise centre of the Fury holdings.”

  Ianka nodded. “Thank you. I am unused to inaction.”

  “This way, please.”

  He waved her on and she followed his lead. They walked out of the VIP quarters, past the guards and down a long hallway.

  He didn’t seem chatty and she wasn’t going to attract attention. She kept her mouth shut until he opened a blank door and led her into a huge gymnasium. Tracks, bars, weights, fight rings, they were all in place and all completely empty.

  “I hope this wasn’t too much trouble.”

  He looked at her with surprise. “The Fury do not sleep. Being deprived of the option to exercise will not be well received, even if my father ordered it.”

  She nodded. “I will try to be quick.”

  Without another word, she sprinted toward the track, and once on it, she began to run at an easy lope. When she warmed up, she started to run, and with the speed blowing air past her cheeks, she finally felt her centre stabilizing around this new place.

  She only had to keep herself contained for four days and they would be on their way.

  Chapter Five

  She ran until she felt the full-body rush of adrenaline in every cell. Once she was done with the track, she headed to the weights and quickly learned how to set them. She slid onto the bench and set to work.

  “How are you lifting that?” Derion stood just in the corner of her vision.

  She grunted and kept pressing, focussing on the weight and the steady burn of her muscles.

  After a few minutes, she felt pleasantly tired and set the bar back in the holders over her head. She sat up and looked around. “Is there some way to clean the machines off?”

  He nodded and pointed to the sidewall where a towel dispenser and a container sat.

  “Thank you.” She sprayed the bars with the antibacterial spray and carefully wiped off all traces of her grip before she did the same on the bed of the machine.

  She returned the container back to where she had picked it up and then she sprayed the cloth and rubbed the container down as well. “Where can I dispose of this towel so it won’t cause any issues?”

  Derion walked over and pointed out a small chute. “It will immediately be in a cleansing solution so no worries. You are good at removing traces of yourself.”

  She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “It was practice. You can’t hunt if you leave your scent everywhere you go.”

  “My father mentioned that you were expert at surviving. I thought he was simply trying to make an introduction by piquing my interest.”

  Ianka snorted. “No. He was impressed when I explained to Apolan and Daphne how I had survived the last few years. I didn’t have a chance to tell him that I had a lot of practice. There is nothing extraordinary of the practicing of an existing skill.”

  “I believe he was amazed that you had gained that skill to begin with. Even if your tracking ability is as extraordinary as he says, it has still taken willpower to hone it. That is worth admiring.” Derion was speaking directly to her, his red-on-black gaze was looking into her eyes and the sincerity was on his blood-red features.

  She blushed and rubbed the back of her sweaty neck. “Um, thank you for the observation. Can you show me back to my quarters? I think I need a shower to take care of the rest of this.”

  He inclined his head and smiled. “I can and I will also send the message that the others can resume use of the facility.”

  “Thank you. If the facility can be spared for about an hour per day on the ship, that would be great. I only need the track and the weights so it doesn’t take that long.”

  Derion nodded. “Right. I shall pass that on to my father.”

  They left the gym and Ianka was feeling much better. Her body was humming with energy and earned fatigue. She couldn’t sleep if she didn’t exercise, so she should be able to rest well that evening.

  There was a tension on the way back that wasn’t out on the way there. She chuckled. “If you are this talkative now, I can only imagine how chatty you will be on the trip to find the survivors.”

  To her surprise, a small smile that flitted over his lips. “I am lost in thought. I thought you were something else and I have begun to see that my supposition was mistaken.”

  “Were you reading reports on my sister?” Ianka smiled. It happened frequently on Gaia that folk had met Vida and assumed that Ianka was just as frail. It seemed that the physical strength had gone to one twin and the mental capabilities to the other. Ianka was always happier when she could act and not think.

  “I may have heard rumours about her being physically frail before she arrived. You seem a little more…fit.”

  Ianka wanted to howl with amusement. “Again. Thank you for that observation.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something else, but a cluster of Fury members approached them and something extraordinary happened the moment one of them looked at her. Derion got bigger.

  He didn’t just shift his arms and legs, he went from six and a half feet tall to nearly eight feet with a corresponding increase in width as he snarled at the men looking her over.

  Two of the men responded in kind, and while she stood there, there was a clash of fists and skin in the hall as they fought. There were claws, teeth flashed and bodies thudded to the ground. Ianka stayed out of the way, smart enough to know males in rut when she saw them. The other two males of the Fury stepped back and watched from the other side of the fight.

  Security rushed to the scene and waited while the men sorted themselves out. One of the officers gestured for her to ease out of the potential damage area, but she shook her head. Instinct told her that if she moved, Derion would switch his focus and that might not be a good thing.

  He sent one of his opponents skidding across the floor and the other one shifted and knelt at his feet, head down. It was a very formal pose, and Derion paused, stood straight and then cuffed the other male lightly on the side of the head.

  They both shrank back to normal size and Ianka blinked. Their clothing had remained intact the entire time. The tailors of the Fury knew their stuff.

  Security moved in and spoke to all c
oncerned. Ianka was surprised to be questioned.

  “How long have you been in a relationship with Attack Master Derion?”

  She blinked. “We are not in a relationship. We haven’t had any physical contact whatsoever. All I know is those guys started looking me over and then poof, Derion got taller.”

  “Did you touch him at all?” The officer had wings that flicked in agitation.

  “No. I was warned against it. Is he in trouble?” She looked around to find him.

  Derion was calm and he was speaking quietly with another officer.

  “Yes and no. He will be taken to medical and a check will be made on his blood to see if he has triggered any mating reactions. If he was just being protective of you, he will be released immediately. If there was another reason, he will be treated.”

  “Okay. Good. As long as he is released before we are due to leave. I don’t want anything to interfere with launch.”

  The officer’s eyes widened. “Oh, you are that Gaian.”

  She could feel her forehead wrinkling. “What do you mean?”

  “All of our councillors have asked for participation in the action you are heading up. There are more volunteers than spaces on the ships, though if this fight gets out, that number might double.”

  She asked the officer, “Why are you all so eager to fight?”

  “We come from active and aggressive races. This is the first opportunity to go into action and we are all eager for the chance.”

  The officers across the hall were trying to get Derion to accompany them, but he was shaking his head.

  “I was charged with watching out for her, and I will see her safely to her quarters before I go to medical.” He crossed his arms over his chest and had an immovable stance.

  The officers looked at each other but the one speaking to her raised his hand. “I will go with them and escort Master Derion to medical.”

  Derion looked at him and nodded. “Acceptable, shall we go?”

  Ianka nodded. “Lead on.”

  The men gathered in the hall parted, and Derion and Ianka walked at a leisurely pace through the halls with the officer that had spoken to her. She could feel his gaze on them and there was approval at her back. It was nearly palpable.

  At her quarters, she thanked Derion for his escort and smiled wistfully. “I guess that I will have to find somewhere else to exercise.”

  He chuckled. “Why? The Fury fight often. With the gym closed, it just made it harder to find a place to let it out. If I had run into them an hour later, the result would have been the same, but it would have been in the facility.”

  “Seriously? I wasn’t the cause?”

  He rocked his head a little. “You were and you weren’t. Their interest was growing and you are under my charge. I had to stop two of them from escalating into interest in you and the others would be distracted.”

  “It certainly was distracting.” She grinned.

  He smiled. “Good. I was worried you would be frightened.”

  “Nope, just a little surprised. You have a very good tailor.”

  It took him a moment before he laughed and he grinned at her. “Have a good evening, Miss Senior. Welcome to the mother ship.”

  She slipped into her quarters and closed the door as the officer took Derion back down the hall. It had certainly been an interesting evening, but she needed a shower and then she needed some sleep.

  The probe was on its way and it would start broadcasting as soon as it got close to the target area that Vida had found. Ianka hated waiting, but perhaps she could find someone to show her how to fly a ship. How long could that take?

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, she ran the request for flight instruction past Ziggy, and an hour later Derion was at her door smiling slightly.

  “I am here to give you instruction in the pilot’s seat.”

  She blinked. “Just like that?”

  “Sure. I was pronounced clean by medical so there is no danger that I will go into mate madness. Would you like to get a morning meal?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Please. I wasn’t able to work out the dispenser. It baffled me.”

  He chuckled. “Come with me.”

  She followed him, wearing another of the stylish bodysuits and the long robe over it. She felt more centred today. It was strange but she felt at home.

  The walk to the restaurant was quick and the servers were attentive as she picked a few items that Vida had recommended on the first day and entered them into the ordering unit.

  When their server returned, he set her selections down in front of her as well as a large pot of tea.

  Derion poured her cup of tea before his own and sat back to enjoy his own meal.

  “So, your check in medical was fine?”

  He inclined his head. “I was found to be within my rights as your assigned escort. Things can escalate quickly here, so my actions were deemed appropriate.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Good.” She sipped at the tea and got on with her breakfast.

  “Were you worried?”

  “Well, your father has assigned you to me during the mission, so I was concerned that you would be detained.” She used the eating utensils with growing confidence to increase the speed of her consumption.

  He chuckled. “I am sure they would have found you another partner and pilot for the event.”

  “I have a hard time dealing with strangers, and spending a few days in a shuttle with someone I haven’t met is a tricky prospect.”

  “You seemed fine when we met.”

  “I was told you were arriving, I have met your parent, so your scent is familiar, and by the time I finished my workout, I was used to you.”

  He paused and raised a brow. “You identify folk by scent?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yes. The air got acrid when those other guys entered the hall yesterday and grew worse when they started eyeing me.”

  Amazement covered Derion’s features. “You have surprised me yet again. Strength and enhanced senses. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you again for the observation.” She finished her meal and sipped at her tea. “Why did you agree to act as my escort on the ship?”

  He chuckled. “The Fury have a strict hierarchy. We are a military unit. We may fight amongst ourselves during off times, but we are deadly serious about following orders from our commanders.”

  “Ah. Right. So, do you have much family aside from your father?”

  He smiled and his blood-red features softened. “My mother and younger brother are still at home on Neecrad.”

  Ianka sympathised. “Is it hard to be away from them?”

  He inclined his head. “Duty called and we answered, but yes, we do miss them.”

  Silence fell between them for a moment and she nodded. “I can understand that.”

  After their meal, he took her to a training centre where she was seated behind the controls, and he took the position next to her, explaining the controls and walking her through the preflight checks. By the end of the afternoon, she was hungry, her arms ached and she had managed to power up the simulator.

  Vida and S’rin came to take her to dinner and Derion smiled. “Same time tomorrow, Miss Senior?”

  She nodded. “I am going to get the hang of this before we leave. I promise.”

  He nodded. “I have no doubt.”

  It was routine by the day that they were ready to launch. Derion greeted her in the morning and they had breakfast together while discussing the information found by the probe.

  The afternoon was spent on the simulator and Ianka had managed to take off, fly and engage in battle manoeuvres, as well as landing. She wasn’t graceful but she could get them where they were going.

  The evening meals were spent with Vida, Ziggy and any other Gaians who had time. Late in the night, she answered the knock on her door and went out with Derion again for her exercise.

  The day of the launch, she had her bag with her when the knock
on her door told her it was time.

  The flight time would be twelve hours. The larger ships had more power than the probe and could travel far faster.

  She opened the door to see Vida and S’rin. “Morning, Veed.”

  Vida smiled weakly. “Would you like some breakfast?”

  Ianka chuckled. “Please. Never miss an offered meal. That is my motto.”

  Vida laughed. “It always was.”

  They linked arms and went for breakfast before the rest of the day shift had stirred into action.

  It had less the feeling of a last meal and more of a holiday gathering. There was hope as they discussed the mission and Vida kept tearing up.

  When she was escorted to the shuttle bay, S’rin stopped her with a glance and he bowed deeply. “Come home safely, sister.”

  She bowed in return. “Take care of her and do not let her get too excited until we return. I expect a tense family dinner when we get back here. You will get to meet our parents, and though they are not talented in the same way Vida and I are, they can see things you could never imagine.”

  She smiled softly in remembrance of her functionally blind parents and their vision that went far beyond the physical.

  Vida lunged at her and squeezed her tight. “Take care of yourself. I want to see all my family together, not in pieces. I am going to see everything you do, so take care or I will kick the tar out of you when you get home.”

  “Yes, Veed. I promise I will take care.” She whispered it in her sister’s ear and she heard Vida sob. “Vida you did the hard work; now, let me do my part.”

  Vida leaned back and swiped at the tears in her eyes, moving back against S’rin.

  Before she could start snivelling on her own, Ianka turned and headed for the walkway that extended into the ship she would be ensconced in. Derion stood aside as she entered, and once inside, she nodded to the guard on her left.

  “To the right and down the hall until you see a staircase. Go up the staircase and then turn left.”

  She nodded. He had briefed her the night before. As commander, he was the last one into the ship, because the moment he was in place, they would leave. She needed to be strapped in before he sat down or she could tip over.