Naero pulled her hands away from Khai and shook her head.
“No. I gave the Enforcer my word. I swore to him that if he aided us, that I would return with him, willingly and without any resistance, and face whatever judgment or sentence the Mystics pass down.”
“Naero…you murdered a Mystic High Master. Even Baeven never did anything close to that, and they still have a death sentence on him.”
Naero sucked in a deep breath before she could speak again. “I know, but Khai kept his word, and his honor. He even went beyond them and sacrificed himself in my place, when all looked lost. Even if they do order my execution, they can just go ahead and kill me. I refuse to break my word and dishonor my clan any further than I already have. I will stand and face justice for my choices and my actions.”
Naero picked up Yii, feeling its immense power, nearly a match for her own. She caressed it, feeling it respond to her touch.
She handed it to Trudi.
“This sword and Khai are one. I have a feeling that once you place it in his hands, he’ll revive pretty quickly. I need to go explain things to my crew and get them ready to depart. Tell Khai not to worry. He can find me in my quarters, awaiting his orders. We can depart for any destination he chooses. Just tell him to give Enel the coordinates.”
“Naero. We’re all going with you this time, to help you plead your case before the Mystic High Council. They must know what you and Baeven and all of us have done here. We foiled the enemy biowar attack. We beat back another enemy invasion. And we couldn’t have done it without you, and Baeven, and everyone. We all fought them together. That all has to count for something.”
Naero nearly broke down all of the sudden. “I never meant to kill Master Vane. He attacked me, tried to destroy me. He said I was the greatest threat to this universe that could ever exist. I never meant it to go that far.”
Naero fell to her knees and stared at her empty fingers.
“And then Master Vane died–by my hands. It happened so fast. So easy. I can still hear him screaming in my mind as I took his life.”
She looked up at Trudi. She felt her eyes pleading. The terror still filled her.
“What if…what if Vane was right? What if I am such a threat? Perhaps they should kill me now, before all of my abilities come out. Before I go mad like my former brother Danner. Take me out before I get all sick and twisted…by these strange powers I might not ever been able to control. Destroy me…before I can’t be stopped.”
Trudi hugged her, wrapping both arms around her.
“You could never do that. We all know you, N. You’re our captain, and our friend–our family. Captain Maeris, you are one of the smartest, best people I’ve ever known. Look at all that you have already done for us, for our people, for the entire galaxy?”
Naero sobbed and clung to her, shaking her head. “You don’t know, Trudi. How much it all scares the living shit right out of me. When I’m suffused with all of that power, it’s…like the most potent drug in the world. It’s so easy to lose sight of everything–everyone real–to even lose yourself. Do you know what a frightening thing it is to feel like you can do anything?
“Just consider the ramifications of that. ANYTHING–good or evil. And nothing matters any more. It doesn’t matter which you choose to do, because there’s no one to stop you…but you. And you don’t know if you can, or even if you want to. It’s really, really scary.”
Trudi pulled away and thought for a moment.
“I think I do see, Captain. I understand a little bit better now. So, what stops you then? What keeps you from whacking out and just slaughtering everyone around you–friend or foe?”
Naero blinked. She sobbed and buried her face in her hands. “I-I don’t know. I guess think of something Shalaen once told me, how all power is best utilized through love and wisdom, through harmony. I think of my parents, Jan, you, and all of my friends. Everyone who has ever cared about me, our people, our allies. I never want to hurt them. Even more, I don’t want to let them down. Whoever and whatever I become, I want to find a way to do some kind of good, and leave the universe a better place after I’m gone.”
Trudi pointed one finger at Naero.
“That’s what you should tell Khai. And that’s what you need to tell the High Masters. Stand up for yourself, Naero. Like you said, you don’t know what you are capable of. You can’t even control it all, yet. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t. Don’t stand aside and let them execute you for not knowing. You might still find a way.”
Naero turned away and nodded, heading toward her private quarters on The Dagger. “I won’t give up. I won’t. Thanks, Tru. You’re a good friend…abani.”
Trudy smiled. “All of us would be more than lost without you, N. I owe you my life and more. I can never repay you for all that you have done for me.”
“You be happy, Tru. Whatever happens to me. Give Khai his sword, and tell him where to find me.”
*
Naero sensed Khai’s presence outside of the door to her captain’s quarters a short while later.
She rose from her seat and smoothed her hands down the sides of her captain’s togs.
“Enter.”
He came in calmly, his chiseled face as impassive and serene as ever.
Then he even smiled slightly.
That really worried her.
“Despite our many differences, Naero Amashin Maeris, I have always thought you to be a person of high character and honor.”
She arched one eyebrow.
Khai smiled slyly. “You just do so in your own way, after your own fashion. It pleases me greatly that you have kept up your end of our bargain–eventually–even under such great duress.”
Naero folded her hands in front of her.
“Khai, I thank you, for saving my life–all of our lives, really. Did you…know that you would survive that massive energy attack?”
“In truth, I did not. But I felt certain that given the chance, you would find a way to achieve victory, where even I could not. I gave you that chance, for the good of all. And thankfully, both the facts and the results have proven me quite correct.”
She chuckled a little. “You’ve plotted our destination?”
He nodded. “Kalathar, the new secret, Mystic Homeworld of Chaos Wisdom. It was just selected. Few are they who know its true location. Once there, you shall stand and face your final judgment. I can do nothing to prevent that.”
She took a deep breath.
“I am ready to do so. How long is the journey?”
“Several jumps I fear, even with your amazing craft. I’m guessing at least a month, perhaps two.”
“I suppose that will allow me a stay of execution in transit. Would you mind if we made a few brief stops along the way? They won’t delay us long, and you have my word that I will not try to escape.”
Khai sighed. “If we must.”
Naero grinned. “In the meanwhile, I…I hope that you will dine with me and my crew, to get to know us all better along the way.”
He suddenly looked into her eyes. “I would greatly enjoy that, Naero.”
Naero kept her hands clasped in front of her and chuckled. “Better than us always on the run, and you stalking us down and attacking us constantly.”
“Yes. Much better, I agree. You cannot know how sorry I am, for all of that, Naero. Yet starting this night, it begins. We must communicate with the High Council via the Astral Plane and prepare for your trial.”
Naero looked away briefly and sighed. “So soon? For months I have mostly avoided contact with the Astral Plane, obviously in order to prevent detection and pursuit…and any contact.”
“Forgive me again, but that cannot be avoided now. The High Masters will want to begin your initial questioning, and get to know you more. They were just starting to when all of this happened. You know, they are more fair-minded and enlightened than you or others might think.”
Naero felt the cold blood drain from her face.
/> She absently motioned for Khai to take a seat across from her as she slowly sat back down at her own little nanotable.
The demands of honor were indeed heavy at times.
Naero had given her word…unto death.
She knitted her hands and leaned forward with her elbows and forearms resting on her thighs to the knees.
“Just promise me this, Khai,” she began.
He looked at her curiously. “If I can.”
“I had hoped for a…stay of execution, to avoid all of this. Even for a few lousy days, or weeks. But when it comes down to it. When they sentence me to die, I hope that it is you who will make an end of my life. I know that you and Yii will make it quick…and relatively painless. Please, promise me that.”
Now Khai turned very pale, even for one who was green. His glance softened. His eyes tightened, and he seemed deeply troubled.
He spoke with effort.
“On my honor, on the lives of my people. You have my word, Naero. Yet if it helps, I heard all that you said to your friend, Trudi. She is right. You must defend yourself and your actions, even before the High Council. Do not fail to do so.”
She wrung her hands until they turned purple. “For all the good that will do.”
“Nothing is certain. As I said before, Master Vane was not entirely in the right to act as he did, in such a–unilateral fashion. You were not without cause.”
“Yet his death at my hands only proved his argument about me even further. I’m too dangerous. I can’t control my abilities. I’m a threat to everyone.”
“All true. But there are many serious threats in the universe. Look at your former uncle, your former brother? Our many foes and their powers? Yet there is always hope.”
Khai touched her hand. Naero jumped slightly and looked at him in amazement. What was he doing? What did it mean?
She kept her eyes averted.
“I have seen into your soul, Naero. And I tell you this. You are not a monster, as you fear.”
Her eyes shot up and stared into his. Her voice shook. “What if I…become one?”
Khai swallowed hard. “Then we shall deal with that, should it come to pass. Perhaps you can still avoid such a fate, by your own choices and force of will, even.”
She knitted her fingers again. “Why should they let me live after what I’ve done? I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t take such a chance.”
“Do not panic, or lose hope, Naero. A way still may be found.”
Naero shook her head again. “I can’t see one. I don’t think I have anyone who will take my side. Who will see me as anything but a murderer in this matter? A monster. No one will believe in me.”
“You are wrong,” Khai said.
He knelt down and drew his sword. Yii blazed to life with all of its fierce energies, nearly blinding.
Khai placed the Cosmic blade at her feet.
“I have come to know you, Naero Amashin Maeris. I believe in and respect you. You have my allegiance and more, such as I have never offered to any other in all the known worlds. You have stood by me, even when it was my duty to kill you. You kept my life safe, when it was in your best interest to let it end–or finish the deed by your own hands. With none to stay you or be the wiser.”
She lifted his sword, rose to her feet, and handed Yii back to him.
“You honor me, Khai. I fully understand just how noble you truly are. Much like Prince Gaviok, honor, truth, and steadfast, faithful service to others are everything to you.” She hung her head.
“But I am…not worthy of such loyalty.”
“Others shall be the judge of that. Do not mistake me, Naero. I have pledged myself to you, and not lightly. I will stand beside you until the end. I will speak on your behalf of your many brave deeds, and in your defense, doing all that I can.”
Naero chuckled and shook her head.
“I am your prisoner, Khai. By rights you should have me shackled in restraints, or put in stasis for secure shipment to my trial.”
“Who is whose prisoner?” Khai chuckled. “And here I thought I was dense.”
She glanced at him, feeling puzzled.
“There shall be no chains between us Naero. Only those bonds that we have already forged–some within the heat of a star.”
He suddenly took both of her hands in his.
“By my heart and all that I will ever be, by the Powers, we shall find a way for you to live–and fully know what it is that you can be.”
He kissed both her hands, still upon his knee.
Bolts of what felt like lightning shot up her arms. Naero gasped.
Khai rose up and touched her face with one gentle hand, thrilling her again with the jolt of energy at his very touch. How she had secretly longed for his hands upon her again–star or no star. She gasped for air.
She stared up into his shining face and could not look away.
His golden eyes looked deep into hers. She suddenly felt as if all gravity ceased and the universe itself stood still. She could not breathe.
“I love you, Naero,” Khai told her. “I can’t help it anymore. I have never felt this way for another. Can you feel the same for me?”
In answer, Naero sprang into the mighty arms of the Champion of the Oden. She knocked him flat back upon the nanofloor in another instant of ecstatic surprise.
Her hands knitted into his golden hair and brought their eager, gasping mouths together in searing ecstasy.
Together their mutual passions flared like twin blinding quasars of coruscating desire.
Whether she faced death or no would not matter for a time.
And maybe…just maybe…their current journey to far off Kalathar might just prove infinitely more pleasant and intriguing–than Naero had originally assumed.
50
Naero plotted a course for Gairos-3, summoned her fleet and many others, and set all the proper plans into motion.
She found the right time.
After Ty broke down again when she told him about what was possible–and what was not–he immediately agreed to the process, just as Jia had proposed.
Just like Naero knew he would.
Like her he had a lot of questions. The Star Fox still shadowed them. Naero just didn’t let Khai in on that little fact.
Withholding information wasn’t lying. Not exactly.
Jia crossed over.
“How should we work this?” Ty asked, getting very serious. “Do we tell Tisa what happened straight up? Do we let her know she’s going to die again, in less than a day?”
“You tell us, Ty. How do you want to play this? We can explain the whole thing to her up front. Or you can just enjoy the time you have with her and then let her drift off, without her ever knowing. You tell me what you think is best.”
“Will she…be in a lot of pain at the end?”
“No,” Jia reassured him. “She’ll just start to get tired, and drift off.”
“It’s my decision then?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if it was up to me, I’d just pretend the entire time and not upset her. Just enjoy my last moments with her.” Ty’s voice cracked and he came near to sobbing again.
He sniffed and wiped his face.
“But that’s not what she would want. My Tisa was always about the truth. She’d hate my guts if I lied to her about something like this–if I just pretended that everything was okay. I have to tell her. But actually, I don’t think I’ll be able to get it out. It would be better if I took some time and wrote it all out. I could explain it to her in a letter without breaking down and getting all emotional. She can read it quickly, and grasp what’s going on. Then she’ll probably want to just spend time together…before the end.”
Naero sighed and rested her hand on Ty’s arm. “A lot of people don’t get even this much, Ty. My parents never did. Neither did Gallan and so many others during the wars.”
Ty pursed his lips and nodded. “No, I understand that and so will she. I’m grateful for this much. I real
ly am. Thank you both for this chance. It’s…just a lot to deal with, and I know up front that I’m going to have to lose her all over again. But it will still be worth it, and she’ll think so, too.”
It took them another day to actually reach Gairos-3 and get everything organized, set up, and ready.
At the beginning of the next day during the early bells, they started the procedure.
Jia, Baeven, Trudi, and a newly arrived Shalaen all assisted, preparing everything for the process.
Naero cupped her friend’s face in her hands and breathed Zhen’s soul back in her thawed, repaired body, while Trudi and Shalaen got her heart pumping and lungs breathing again.
The Lifespark from Zhen’s soul filled her brain and mind, and at last her pretty hazel eyes fluttered open.
She looked up at her friends standing about her and at first, she was scared and confused.
“What happened? Where am I?”
“You were badly wounded, Z.” Naero said.
“Am I going to be okay? Where’s Ty?”
Ty took her hands in his. “Hey, Tisa. I’m right here.”
“You’re scaring me, Ty.” She sat up and felt herself.
“I’m not trying to scare you. But I do have something you need to read.”
“Huh?…Read?”
Ty put his arms around her and placed a reading pad in her hands.
“This’ll save us lots of time.”
Zhen read it all the way through.
She swallowed hard a couple of times.
Then she let the pad slip to the floor of the medical bay.
The rest of their friends and crew came in.
“Okay, so I don’t have much time. So, we’ll just have to make the most of things. I hope you will all understand that I want to spend every second that I can with Ty. Please, help me do that.”
“We can put you on a medbed toward the end as you start to weaken,” Jia said. “That will…give you a little more time.”
Zhen hugged Naero. “Thanks for giving me this much, N. All of you. I might not have even had all of this, without you all. I know you, N. Don’t blame yourself for what happened to me. You’ve been a good friend, even if you are a jerk sometimes.”
Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury Page 50
