by Skyler Grant
"You know more about my ancestor than I? I dislike this," Tamara said.
"Of course I do, it isn't hard. You aren't interested in the reality. You are so blinded by your idealized version that you've lost all focus. She was a woman, and yes, an extraordinary one, but as you well know so are many of her descendants."
"You're amazing without her. This family wouldn't exist if it weren't for you," Quinn said.
"Are you so certain? I'm not. If I had left Jinx on that world I think somehow she'd still have found her way aboard your ship," Tamara said.
Perhaps so. Fate, destiny, Quinn knew that Tamara believed they were all tangled up on its skeins.
"Seems to me that even if we were heading in the same direction, we might not be doing so as happily. I've come to respect you. Love you," Quinn said.
It was the first time he'd said that to her, though they'd come close before.
Tamara reached out to rest her hand on top of his on the flight stick for a moment before pulling it back. "Emotional blackmail, is it?"
"Isn't how I meant it."
"Of course not. That is why it’s so effective. My scruffy hero," Tamara said with a sigh.
"I don't love you, if it makes you feel any better," Mara said.
Tamara flashed her a grin. "Yet. I'm very lovable. I ... even if I don't use the archive, I want to make sure it’s secured. We need to get it away from those that have it now and see it safely put somewhere."
"I brought along a datastore, equal to any in known space. You know me, you know the skills I have. I can make sure we completely clone whatever is there and we can destroy it," Mara said.
"And you won't keep a copy for yourself?" Tamara asked.
"Of course I will. My help isn't free. We have no interest in cloning you or duplicating her, but we do have an interest in preserving her knowledge."
Tamara stared at Mara, unhappily tapping her fingertips on her thigh.
"Otherwise we're faced with maybe moving original equipment that is over two thousand years old. I don't think you're getting a better option," Quinn said.
"I don't think I am. Fine, but, if a first of the blood has a need in the future, they can seek you out and be written," Tamara said.
It was Mara's turn to narrow her eyes. "We don't like that. Of all the immortals out there we've always found Tourmaline's method to be especially ... distasteful."
"Are there that many ways out there?" Quinn asked.
Mara smiled wryly. "A few. A strong enough mage is effectively immune to aging, if not actually immortal. That held true for the Emperor and several of his children. Rikar bonded with an alien psionic entity, Vess is host to a colony of machines, Bomar to our knowledge is simply a genetic aberration. Tourmaline’s way veers uncomfortably towards a sacrifice of innocents."
"And there are a lot more that do just that. Who feed upon the life energy of others, and Tourmaline has never been one of those," Tamara said.
"There is truth to what you say. As I said, you come uncomfortably close to the line, but you don't cross over. Fine, so long as we have your permission to store and study the data, we'll be your backup, of a sort," Mara said.
Tamara nodded. "Fine, but neither of you has brought up the best reason for me absorbing that archive. The Divide is open. We're missing two thousand years of history Tourmaline has lived through, the history of this side."
"I assure you, that is not lost on me. There is a better way. Decrypting a mind is ... complex, challenging, but if anyone can do it, we can. There may be another way to access that data," Mara said.
They were passing their third lake, one that looked much like the others but something wasn't right.
Quinn said, "The sensors aren't picking up any structures, but look at the growth. Too clear, a ship landed here at one point in the past few months and it hasn't fully regrown."
"Tourmaline would have hidden things. I'm not getting any communication on my implants, which is a surprise," Tamara said.
A proximity alarm blared and Quinn hit the side thrusters, pulling the ship aside just in time to avoid a jet of fire.
Something had come from below. Multiple eyes, scaled, a reptilian body with great wings, an enormous mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth and a throat that breathed fire.
They'd found a dragon.
12
They were violently buffeted to the side, the wings of the shuttle almost scraping the tops of the trees as Quinn stabilized. The dragon was looping around and coming for another pass at them.
"Behold the creature of myth and legend trying to kill us. This is a new and terrifying experience," Quinn muttered as he kicked the thrusters up to full.
If they were in the Whiskey they'd have been able to shoot back, but the Tango was made to avoid detection, not to win a fight. Unfortunately all their stealth technology didn't seem to be doing much. It worked well against human eyes and standard sensors, but this thing must have a range of different senses detecting them.
They weren't going to be able to outrun it—the beast was gaining on them. Endurance might be an advantage, but they couldn't depend on it. Quinn corkscrewed the shuttle to avoid another gout of flame.
"I'm sorry, I've got nothing on this type of fauna," Mara said.
"We can get Dela here in the Whiskey," Tamara said.
"Dela isn't a fighter pilot, for all she wants to be," Quinn said.
Quinn was trying to gauge the capabilities of the dragon much like he would any fighter he found himself in combat with. Its top speed was better, but the Tango had tighter turns—that might be useful.
It was also biological, they weren't. It was difficult while in a constant set of evasive maneuvers, but Quinn started to climb. Thinner air was more likely to be an issue for it than for them.
A gout of fire caught them, a few warning indicators lighting up.
It wasn't going to work, Quinn could already tell. It was learning his movements just as he was learning the dragon’s. Whatever this thing was, it was intelligent in hunting its prey.
Tamara got a distant look in her eyes. "I've got Kara on the way. Even if this thing can take her down she'll survive it."
"Which is more than can be said for us," Mara said.
The Tango lurched violently as a set of claws scraped the hull and Quinn spun away from the contact.
"We're losing in the air. You got anything that can stop a dragon?" Quinn asked Mara.
"You want to fight it on the ground?" Mara asked and then allowed, "Desperate, but I agree with your assessment. I came prepared for some defenses and barriers. Breaching charges that might be effective, an energy rifle I doubt would be."
Quinn had his pistol, but he wasn't counting on it doing much. The charges would be their best option.
Another near-miss, a stream of fire just in front of them, as Quinn cut engines and looped the Tango.
"I'm heading down hard towards the lake. We turn tighter, if it follows at speed, it will plow into the water. If it takes it slow we'll buy ourselves some distance. I'll land in that clearing. Tamara, if this archive exists, find it. Mara and I will play defense," Quinn said.
"You do have a talent for coming up with bad plans faster than anyone I've ever met," Tamara said.
"And you married me," Quinn said, stomach churning as he angled the Tango. They went inverted for a moment before turning down towards the lake and accelerating at full thrust.
The dragon was on them in an instant, swooping down with its wings tucking in against its body. Another gout of fire caught the engines.
Heat warnings flashed. It would be an issue if they kept this up, but that wasn't the plan. Another gout caught them once more and a collision with the water seemed imminent before Quinn pulled back on the stick, waves rippling beneath them as they evened out over the surface.
The dragon didn't plow into the water, instead its wings extended to catch the air and it pulled up at the last possible moment. They'd bought time, but not as much as Quinn might have
hoped for.
It would have to be enough. Spinning the shuttle around he brought it to rest in the overgrown clearing and opened the hatch. A blast of heat rushed in along with the scent of burning, the heat of their engines setting the vegetation smoldering despite the dampness of the air.
Mara was out the hatch first, Tamara a moment later and Quinn following.
The dragon soared overhead. Up close it seemed larger. It was perhaps twenty feet in length, the scaled hide a brilliant bronze hue.
Mara was already in crouch, her rifle aimed, and it hummed as several bolts of blue energy shot upwards. The dragon rolled, one blast catching a wing and causing a moment of wobbling before it came back blasting fire. Mara rolled away, the ground aflame where she'd been moments before.
Tamara vanished into the trees. Quinn drew his pistol.
"Get its attention," Mara said, before she shimmered and vanished from sight as her stealth suit engaged.
So far, getting the dragon’s attention hadn't been a problem.
Quinn took a wide stance with his weight on the balls of his feet. When the dragon soared towards him he fired off several rounds. Eyes alert on its wings, he noticed the faint twitch that heralded a shift and he rolled to his left just before a streamer of flame would have incinerated him had he gone the other way.
If Mara was doing anything Quinn couldn't tell. She was still invisible to him—as she hopefully was to the dragon.
Quinn rolled to a crouch and brought up his pistol, but the dragon wasn't coming in for another pass on him. Instead it swooped down on the shuttle, its claws latching on to the delicate machinery near the engines and with a spray of sparks tearing away the fuel regulator.
Quinn ran for it, but it was already airborne once more and swooped off towards the jungle and drove into the canopy.
Tamara, it must have gone after her. Quinn set off as fast he could. The dense foliage made running impossible and forcing his way through it left his arms a bloodied mess.
Nothing. No sign.
Quinn hit his wristcomm. "Tamara? Do you read?"
Silence greeted him.
"Mara. Do you read?" Quinn asked.
"I'm here. I think the dragon must have gotten her and cleared out," Mara said.
It had targeted the engines—it had very specifically targeted the engines. Quinn had been assuming the dragon was an intelligent beast, he now suspected it was more than that.
"We'll go after her in the Whiskey," Quinn said. "Kara? Do you read?"
"Kind of busy here, stud," Kara said.
"More dragons?" Quinn asked.
"What’s a dragon? No, shuttles. I think the Block must have sent out search parties."
"It’s a big, scaled, fire-breathing—never mind. Can you take them?" Quinn asked.
A pause then Kara said, "I don't think so, stud. I'm getting forced down. I'm going to give them hell, but I'm outnumbered bad."
"They're no match for you on the ground one on one. Get clear and avoid them in numbers. Activate your emergency transponder," Quinn said.
This was bad and getting worse. With the Whiskey and the Tango both out of service and the Centauri Bliss grounded that left them one shuttle that could fly. The Foxtrot was the least useful of any shuttle they had being neither armed nor stealthy, and with dragons and slavers prowling the skies it was an easy target.
Mara materialized beside him, rippling into view as her stealth suit deactivated.
"Split up or stay together? I can go after Tamara and you can go after Kara. Your pistol stands a better chance against slavers than dragons," Mara said.
"Kara can take more of a beating than Tamara," Quinn said. He didn't like leaving any of them without rescue, but he didn't want to put anyone else in danger either. The best he could do at this point was minimize risk.
Quinn hit his comm again. "Dela, we're activating our emergency transponders. You should already have Kara's"
"It just lit up, boss. What's going on?" Dela asked.
"Dragons and slavers. When night falls I want you to take the Foxtrot and go after Kara. Keep it slow, keep close to the trees and as low a profile as you can. The skies are filled with hostiles."
"Not leaving you to fend for yourself," Dela said.
"Oh, I've no interest in dying here. Tamara is missing and we're going to find her. Give us a day. If it hits tomorrow night and I haven't called, we're in trouble. Come find us."
13
Quinn took a moment to reload. With the jungle probably full of predators he didn't want to be caught unprepared. Then together he and Mara headed back to the Tango. They'd need the supplies aboard even if the shuttle couldn't fly.
"I hope you've got an idea on how to find her," Quinn said to Mara. "I'm not picking up her emergency transponder. Are you able to locate Tamara from her implants?"
"Hers aren't nearly as well-shielded as mine and I normally pick up an echo from hers. I'm not right now, which might in itself be suggestive," Mara said.
"Either she's out of range or she's somewhere shielded."
"And given the dragon only appeared when we got near this lake, my suspicion is it guards the archive."
"Which would also explain why it went after her."
Mara nodded.
Stopping at the Tango they loaded up some packs. Extra ammunition, a few medpatches, food and water. Mara also had quite a lot of technology that went into hers.
"Need me to carry some of that?" Quinn asked.
"I've got it."
It was no doubt true. Despite a smaller frame her genetic enhancements made her the stronger of them. Quinn had seen her take on Kara in a fight, which was something nobody else on the ship could manage.
"Let's start by going over this clearing. If Tourmaline landed a ship here it only makes sense we're near the archive," Quinn said.
"I think you underestimate her paranoia. I suspect the fact that she landed here means we're actually far from our target. Still, let’s find out."
After half an hour Quinn was forced to concede that Mara was right. No hatches of any kind, tunnels, or even a well-cut path leading away. Tourmaline may have landed a ship here, but that was all.
"Let's follow the lake edge," Quinn said.
Mara had no better idea and fell into step behind them. The air was thick with moisture and insects, the swarms milling around their heads. Swats only dispersed them briefly.
"I'm surprised you can't detect the archive. Your technology is usually one step ahead in everything," Quinn said.
"Tourmaline has always had access to extraordinary technology."
"Two thousand years is a long time though," Quinn said.
"Your ship is that old. How often are you a step behind and how often are you a step ahead?"
"You saying I'm not really the most hotshot pilot you've ever met?" Quinn said with wry amusement.
"You are, and I trust you take that as the compliment it is. Still, for an old ship in disrepair you more than often outpace new models."
"Craftsmanship really has gone out of style," Quinn said.
"It isn't just that. Over time the Emperor prohibited various technologies and those prohibitions, while individually minor, had a cascading effect. In some cases my technology is not so much advanced as it is very, very old. There are similarities in me and Tamara for a reason," Mara said.
The ground was so muddy progress was slow. Their boots kept sinking thick into the muck and slurping as they drew them out.
"Why would he do that? Something to do with magic?" Quinn asked.
"Indirectly, perhaps. The Emperor was obsessed with control, and technological advancement put that at risk. Like artificial intelligences, and implants like ours that could make someone far more than human, and advanced alien civilizations. Where he perceived a threat he'd squash it out and he was very good at it," Mara said.
"It sounds almost like you admire him for that."
Mara laughed and she shook her head. "Believe me, that isn't it. I an
d my friends are obsessed with knowledge, while also recognizing the danger it poses. At times it made us the Emperor's ally, but more often put us at odds."
"So if he was so very good at what he did, how are you still around?"
"By being good. By being useful. By knowing all the secrets and when to play them for maximum effect," Mara said, and she let out a low huff. "This isn't working. I can't see the entrance being anywhere here. Do you see Tourmaline choosing to trek through the mud like this?"
"Can't see anyone doing this by choice," Quinn said, coming to a stop and taking a moment to look around. "Hills? Somewhere nearby she could look out at the lake?"
"Let's try it," Mara said.
It was a relief to get away from the mud, and once they got back into the forest the insects didn't swarm as intently for all that they remained a bother.
"Can you access the sensor data from our flyover?" Quinn asked.
Mara half-closed her eyes and a hologram projected from her wrist showing the terrain.
"What are you thinking?" Mara asked.
"I'm just putting everything together. Not too close to the water, but with a good view of the lake. And, if you're the sort of woman who wants the very best of everything, you'd want a view of the mountain behind it."
"That gives us three possible hillsides," Mara said, blinking lights appearing on the map.
"Best get to work then."
They still hadn't made it to the first by the time darkness started to fall.
"We shouldn't continue in the night," Mara said.
"Tamara needs us."
"Perhaps, or if that dragon is tied to Tourmaline then she is likely fine. Regardless, predators probably come out at night which means we don't want to go further forward," Mara said.
It was good advice. Quinn thought it best to listen.
Mara drew a roll of folded cloth from her pack and soon had set them up a makeshift shelter. It was obviously designed for one person, and they only managed to both squeeze in by Mara more or less draping herself on Quinn.
"Cozy," Quinn said.
"If I'd thought there a serious likelihood we'd be spending a night in the jungle I'd have made us something larger," Mara said, as she tapped an area near the top of their small shelter and the walls shimmered.
