Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  Everyone in the room looked from one another, and then back to her as Palrion responded, “Request denied. You were given your assignment Lieutenant Commander. I expect you to fulfill it.”

  Surprised, Sira looked at her commanding officer. “Sir, I can’t use my ability. That machine drained me. I’m a hazard to this team.” Frustration was evident in her tone.

  Sensing her emotions clearly, Merx looked over at Kala and back at Sira. “That machine did damage, however it’s repairable. Given time, everything will return as it was. There is no need to be so vexed over this.” His deep tone was soothing.

  Angrily she snapped back at him. “There is plenty of reason to be vexed. I can’t help you guys!”

  “Sira, you’re an engineer by trade, not psionic. You’re a soldier by training; however you are not one by nature. Nature is taking a break, but your skills and training are not,” Captain Palrion continued with authority evident in each word. “Kala indicated to me earlier that once you woke, and understood what you needed to do in order to heal, you could return to your quarters. I suggest you do that. There is still much that will be expected of you on shift, and through the course tomorrow.”

  Sira looked at the Captain in astonishment. “You think I should still run the course? I… I can’t generate flame to help them.”

  “Then maybe all of you will finally learn what it means to operate like a team.” Palrion looked at those hovering nearby. “Training resumes before duty shift tomorrow, however there is not a set time. I will program the computer when and how to wake all of you up. You will report within five minutes of the wakeup call.”

  Kala acknowledged him before she projected the schedule adjustments to the remaining senior staff. Both Tol and Maddux acknowledged his order prior to being dismissed.

  Once they left, Palrion looked at Sira and Kala. “You both are natural leaders, if you step into the role. I suggest you both start figuring out how to do that.” His eyes rested on Sira when he concluded with, “And, Sira, I said leaders, not soloists. There is a significant difference. One will help your team. The other will get them killed.” Palrion then walked out of the room and left the women to their thoughts.

  After a few minutes of shared silence, Kala and Sira began the process of getting Sira back to her own quarters. As they completed the medical exit procedures, Kala’s shift ended. They walked back to quarters together. Neither knew what to say to the other, but found the walk more enjoyable together. The women split at Sira’s door, and Kala continued on her own.

  As she approached her quarters, Kala felt a gentle link connect with her, making her smile. Changing her destination, she walked to the end of the hall, and into an empty relaxation room. As she sat down, she focused reinforcing the link before projecting, ~It’s been busy here too, Yatrell. I’m glad to hear your voice.~

  He sat in his office, enjoying the relative silence. ~It’s not a bad thing to slow down once in a while. At least, that’s what Anara says.~ He shrugged, and pushed the paperwork aside. ~So, how’s the psionic ship?~

  ~Different. We’ve got a lot to figure out still and things to accomplish but it’s nice to be among those who understand us.~ Kala tucked her legs under her, and closed her eyes. ~How’s the new command structure coming along? Is that guy still giving you trouble?~

  ~Who? Rusik? Yeah… he likes to cause trouble. He just got overlooked for a promotion. The Captain’s transferring him off this ship to another in the fleet. Said he’s not managing his disagreements well with the new chain of command.~ Yatrell smirked slightly, waiting to see if the implication was clear enough to her or not.

  Kala smiled broadly, and projected back along their link. ~Congratulations. You’ve earned it. So, I should call you Commander Jae, huh?~

  ~Yep. Anara’s pleased with her new position too. Had to stir things up a bit. She’s been appointed to my old position, running the shifts and crew rotations. I love listening to some of the grumbling about working under a woman.~ He chuckled. ~ What about you? How’s your ship going? You said you had a temporary transfer to the psionic ship when we last had time to actually talk. What’s goin on with that?~

  Kala took a deep breath, and projected, ~Well, I can’t tell you much. This is an incredibly sensitive mission.~

  ~Ah… I see. Are you safe?~ Yatrell understood what it meant to keep a job quiet until it was done. He knew why the crew would be told to do so. This only served to make him concerned for this woman, even across light years.

  ~Yes. I serve on this ship due to my psionic medical knowledge.~ Kala still hadn’t told him about her first or subsequent channeling experiences. She wasn’t sure if that was something she should keep to herself or not, and then another thought crossed her mind. She refocused along the link. ~Yatrell, we have intelligence I don’t know if you have or not. It has to do with a Ven invasion.~

  After a very long pause Yatrell projected, ~You aren’t supposed to be discussing this with me.~

  ~No, but I can’t bear the thought that something avoidable might happen to you. We don’t have much information, as it’s not our space, but evidently the Ven are seriously searching for something… or perhaps … someone.~ She paused trying to search the right words before she continued. ~Yatrell, they have built up a significant invasion force. It appears, although still unconfirmed, their target is Dentonia. They want to add it to their arsenal of slave worlds.~

  Yatrell nodded, considering the full implications of her message. ~Kala, don’t let anyone know you’ve told me any of this. You could be executed for treason. I’d hate it if the first time I got to see your face was on a holo image at your burial ground. The Ven have been after our home world for more than a century now. We hold them off every time. What leads you to believe they are searching for something?~

  ~Just a feeling. I know the Turaant Level Red are involved with this mission. That’s the extent of our confirmed knowledge.~

  ~You know more, don’t you?~ Yatrell projected to her, concerned and focused on the full impact of this discussion. He found himself worried about his people, about her, and about the fleet.

  ~I didn’t say that.~ Her tone was soft, but concern was clear.

  ~Kala, we both know better. Now, if you’re telling me this much, what more can you say?~

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ~I believe they are seeking some of their experiments. I’m expecting a similar Ven invasion or attack on my fleet, in search for me. I know there were other species involved in the same experiment I was. I know those… ‘Children of Promise’ have grown up, and are being sought after.~

  Yatrell listened to every word and nuance in her voice carefully before responding. ~Thank you for letting me know. I’ll pass it on where we can do so safely. I refuse to allow this to get back to you.~ Yatrell looked around his office, trying to figure out how to approach this information. ~If I hear anything that may help you, I’ll let you know.~

  Kala smiled before she projected, ~Thank you, but just being available is a comfort enough.~

  Yatrell felt a grin cross his face at the thought, and yet he wasn’t sure why. ~Well, I should get off duty at some point here. Stay safe Kala. We’ll talk again soon.~

  ~I know we will, Commander Jae.~ Kala emphasized the word commander. ~Until then my friend, have a good night.~

  Slowly their connection faded, and Kala returned to her quarters. She stepped inside the room, and looked around for a moment before showering and changing for bed. The whole time her conversation with Commander Jae remained in her mind.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning, Commander Jae woke early after a restless night. Normally after speaking with Kala, his evenings had begun to find calm, but their conversation the night before concerned him on many levels. Somewhere in that conversation she told him she was in a dangerous position, and she told him that her ship was paying attention to Dentonian space. That meant she was coming. This was more dangerous, in his mind, than the Ven invasion.

  H
e knew nothing of her mission, nor did he want to pry. He was unaware of any field assignments she might have, but that was the least of his concerns. He knew if her combat training was as involved as he made his own, she was a threat to his people. If they were to face each other in battle, he’d be forced to do his job. The idea of that remote possibility made him immeasurably uncomfortable.

  The knowledge that a Xenonian vessel was moving into Dentonian space also disturbed him. He was unsure if he should reveal everything he knew or just the most crucial parts. Then again, he wasn’t sure what to deem the most crucial.

  Does he inform the Fleet Commander that someone light years away warned him of a Ven invasion? Does he inform the Fleet Commander that the person is an enemy on their own mission into Dentonian space, and that she’s exceptionally powerful thanks to the Ven? Does he prepare his crew for the possible conflict? If he does, which conflict? He would be the only one standing between Kala, and his ship, maybe his fleet. Where does that leave him? Is it just the Ven they focus on? How would he confirm that information without revealing his source?

  These and many other thoughts raced through his mind. He pulled on his uniform and went to the bridge. En route, he felt the ship come to a full stop. Instinctively he reached out telepathically, but heard nothing unusual. He urgently stepped up his pace, arriving at the bridge faster than he did typically. As he stepped off the lift he saw the Captain huddled in a corner speaking with several members of the senior staff.

  Yatrell approached them. “Captain?”

  “Ah, Commander Jae. Good you’re here. I need your unique talents.” The Captain turned, and gave his full attention to Yatrell. “I need you to complete a scan of the area for an untraceable life form or vessel. It appears that we have seen evidence there is at least one cloaked ship nearby, however we are unable to pinpoint it.”

  Commander Jae stifled an over confident smirk and nodded. “I can handle that.”

  He looked for a place to settle and focus. After a moment he walked to an empty corner of the bridge, and sat in a lone chair. He let his mind entertain the thought of the ship he was looking for being Kala’s, but only for a moment. He relaxed his telepathic barriers, and opened himself to the voices always in his mind. As he was listening beyond the background noise, he noticed a difference in tones. Taking a moment to focus, he listened intently to the new tones, and then to the voices. His eyes grew wide, and he became concerned for his ship, his fleet, his home world. She was right.

  Yatrell faced the captain and his team on the bridge. “Ven. It’s a Ven invasion force. I can’t count the number of minds. They won’t decloak , until they reach their destination. If we fire on them now, we’ll only stir one or two of the ships, the rest will continue on.”

  The captain’s features became sullen. “Are you certain of this? Of course you are.” The older man ran a hand through his soft grey hair. He turned to his operations officer. “On a secured channel, notify the fleet. Use our alternating coding system, and make everyone aware we need to follow those cloaked signatures.”

  “No we don’t Captain. I know where they’re going, and I know why.” Commander Jae walked over to them. Standing next to a small holo console, he pulled up a map of the Dentonian system. He pointed to Dentonia. “There. They want fresh slaves, and they are looking to reclaim some of their experiments.”

  “You heard all of that from one connection? “ The captain knew how debilitating Yatrell’s abilities could be at times, but he also knew how advantageous they were if he was given the ability to use them without injuring himself.

  “Something like that. There are more minds in that cloaked fleet than I’m capable of counting if I tried. Everyone with a different job, different expectations and naturally different thoughts and yes, if I can turn my attention to them long enough I might be able to get more details.” The commander looked at the operations officer. “The captain needs a secured channel to the Fleet Commander.”

  Moving swiftly to his console across the large bridge, the operations officer entered the required data and information. He altered codes and frequencies, and finally he made the voice only, secured intership communications channel come alive.

  The young man then spoke up. “It’s ready Captain.”

  Without hesitation, both Commander Jae and the Captain made their way to the secured console. The captain spoke first. “The cloaked ship you asked me to investigate is many more than one.”

  The voice over the communications channel bellowed, “How many more?”

  “We can’t give you an exact number, Fleet Commander. Hundreds at least. It’s a fleet of Ven ships.” Captain Samuel Rex looked at Commander Jae, hoping his information wasn’t off by even the slightest amount.

  “So we need to take them out, here. Make them decloak and reveal themselves.” The Fleet Commander sounded confident and certain of his choice.

  “Fleet Commander, there are more ships moving through our space than those that will decloak. If we engage them here without warning Dentonia, we are facing two potential onslaughts. How can we defend our home world, if we aren’t even engaging half the Ven fleet here?”

  Yatrell watched as the captain cringed inwardly when he spoke up. He knew he should have held his tongue, but he couldn’t let the fleet be pummeled when he knew what was about to happen.

  “Who is that, Captain Rex?” The Fleet Commander spoke harshly over the communication channel.

  “My new first officer. Still a little green about his position. He does have a point, Fleet Commander. If this fleet is large enough, and we can’t count it cloaked, we won’t make a difference.”

  The Fleet Commander left an uncomfortable silence between them for a minute or two. “You are certain you know where they are going?”

  “Yes, sir. Dentonia.” Yatrell answered, and immediately regretted doing so, as his captain shot him a warning glare.

  “I will send a fleet wide alert and instructions in ten minutes.” The connection was cut off, and Yatrell and Captain Rex were alone again in the conversation.

  “Yatrell, you need to let me deal with the Fleet Commander. Hopefully the outspoken nature won’t have recourse.”

  “Captain, I’m hoping there is time for it to have recourse. This is the largest concentration of Ven I’ve ever heard in my life.” A scowl creased his brow when he paused. “Well, at least in many years. This situation is bigger than what we normally deal with. Likely bigger than anyone in this fleet has ever encountered.”

  Samuel Rex looked hard at him for a long period of time before speaking again. He had known Yatrell Jae since he caught him among the cadets on the training vessel at fourteen. He swayed one of the cargo captains to work with the young man until he could be actively training with the other cadets. He had no doubt in the man’s dedication to the ship, his people, or the fleet. He was well aware of Yatrell’s bad habit of speaking, or acting without forethought. Even with this in mind, he knew his first officer would grow into the position, he just hoped the consequences of this conversation wouldn’t hinder his opportunities beyond this ship.

  “We’ll learn our orders shortly.”

  “Understood.” Commander Jae turned on his heel and walked toward the lift. “I’m going to assemble the senior Lieutenants, and get them into preparation movements.”

  “Good idea. I’ll notify you when I know what we’re doing next.” The captain returned to his seat, and waited.

  The walk down the hall to his office was tense to say the least. Commander Jae was forewarned, but was yet unsure what he was facing. He knew he needed more information. He also knew that his preferred method of obtaining the information would be frowned upon by his chain of command. The moment he entered his office he began assigning the junior Lieutenant Commanders, and their teams to preparation exercises or duties. He then contacted the senior Lieutenant Commander by intraship communications.

  “Anara, I need you in my office, now.”

  “You’re assign
ing my teams. What’s goin on?” Anara was annoyed he was overriding her new position, but the tone in his voice had her attention. Aggravated she snapped, “Fine.”

  Without further response or hesitation, Anara moved toward his office at the rear of deck one. She entered the room, with the lights noticiably dimmed. “Yatrell, what are you doing?” She stared at his dark, imposing figure across the room. She noted how squared his shoulders were and how clearly tense he appeared, even from a short distance.

  “Over extending myself, intentionally. We both know there are dangers to this, so I called you up here after your teams received their orders. We need information that I know traditional methods won’t get. If the Fleet Commander assigns us to attack, we need to be ready.”

  Anara looked at her friend, not entirely sure what he had in mind, but knew it wouldn’t be good for him. “Alright. So you plan to enter the mind of the Ven fleet? Or just the Fleet Commander?”

  Yatrell faced Anara. “First, I need to speak with an intelligence contact. Once I’ve done that, I’ll reach out for specific minds. One of which I believe I may have encountered before. If I’m right, he put me in the coma after stabbing me.” His tone was grim and his stance was clearly that of a man who knew he was taking a risk, and was moving forward with it anyway.

  Anara’s eyes blazed with anger. “He’s over there? You sure? Canith, Set, and I want a chance to hit him if he is.”

  “I barely touched the surface, but my intelligence contact indicates that it’s likely.”

  “Who’s this intelligence contact? Can you trust them? I mean really think about this, Yatrell. This is an intelligence contact. Can we ever really trust them?” Anara relaxed her stance, and folded her arms.

  Yatrell snapped, “I trust her word without question.” Anara arched an eyebrow and just stared at him. Not intending to take offense to her statement, Commander Jae calmed down, and changed his tone. “I need to contact her again. I need to investigate this, and we don’t have much time so, stay where you are and monitor my reactions. If things go poorly, you’ll know it.”