Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  “Good guess, sir. Considering we’re carrying a baby and a tranked noncombatant.” The sergeant shot Andi a sympathetic glance. She massaged her aching calves and grimaced.

  “Best I can do for you, sorry,” she said.

  “All right then.” Deverane stood with his hands on his hips. “Five more minutes, Miss Markriss. Wilson, set the destination on your tracker and take point when we move out. I’ll have Rogers take over the duty with the Tonkiln girl.” He was gone, striding off before Andi could say anything.

  Wilson walked away and returned with her pack, which he dropped by her side. “Better eat something, ma’am.” The advice was given in a kind but firm tone. “Field rations in your pack will give you an energy boost. And be sure you wash it down with water from the canteen.”

  Automatically, she reached out to fumble with the flap of the pack, her dry throat aching at the thought of water. “Thank you.”

  Putting his hand on top of hers firmly, Wilson stopped her as she lifted the water bottle. “Now you promise to eat a ration bar with that?”

  Surprised, she nodded. Reaching into the bag he brought out one of the bars, unwrapped it for her and handed it over with a flourish. She laughed and took a big bite, chewing ostentatiously and swallowing hard. “I can see why Abukawal preferred to go hunt his own dinner. Now I need that water, okay?” Grinning, the sergeant walked away as Andi opened the canteen. The cold water was wonderful going down her parched, raw throat.

  All too soon, the column was moving again. Rogers, now carrying Lysanda, didn’t offer to make conversation, so Andi put one foot in front of the other as required and allowed herself not to think.

  ***

  Deverane called for two more breaks during the night, each longer than the previous one. Andi was walking slower and slower, her companions adjusting their pace to hers. By the second halt, Lysanda was coming out of her tranquilized state.

  “No, ma’am, I ain’t giving her anything else right now. Best we let her wake up and walk a bit,” was Wilson’s reply when Andi asked.

  “Do we dare let the drugs wear off? What if she gets hysterical on us?” Andi lost her grip on Sadu’s hand. Running to his big sister, the toddler begged to be picked up. Lysanda greeted the baby with a cry of delight.

  “She’s still in shock to a large extent, ma’am.” Wilson and Andi watched the Obati girl tickling her younger brother and playing peek-a-boo as the baby shrieked with laughter. “It’s a mercy.”

  “How long will she be in shock, do you think?” Andi looked away from the huge bruises on Lysanda’s face and arms, revealed by the morning light.

  Wilson rolled his shoulders. “There’s no tellin’. I’m sorry. I’d say let’s hope she stays this way until we can get her back to her father in the capital. And proper doctors. I’ve had the sergeant’s course on field medicine, nothing advanced. This ain’t my specialty.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, you’re doing a terrific job.” She gazed around the small clearing, counting heads. “Where’s Rogers?”

  “Captain sent him and Latvik ahead to scout the village. We’re nearly there. Didn’t you know?”

  Andi shook her head. “I’m so tired, you could make me walk all the way to the capital, and I’d never realize it until I ran nose-first into the gates.”

  Moving quietly through the dense jungle, the two soldiers returned in a few minutes. Both men were keyed up, holding their weapons at the ready. Lords, now what? Andi’s muscles started tensing for fight or flight in anticipation of the next problem.

  “It’s real ugly, sir,” Rogers reported to Deverane. “I think the entire village has been massacred.”

  Andi’s knees buckled, and she staggered a step. More carnage? This can’t be happening, not on Zulaire.

  “You’re sure? Any hostiles still around?” Eyebrows drawn together, the captain was intent on the men and their assessment.

  “We’re sure, sir.” Rogers bobbed his head. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple prominent. Glancing quickly at Latvik, he added, “There’s quite a few bodies in the village square. Nothing moving, though, other than some big carrion birds.”

  “Whoever did this hit and ran maybe two days ago, is my guess, sir,” Latvik chimed in. “Judging by the condition of the bodies in the square. We didn’t go all the way through the town.”

  Wilson and Deverane exchanged a look. The sergeant shrugged. “We do need supplies.”

  “Milk or juice for Sadu, if at all possible,” Andi said. Can’t let him get dehydrated.

  “Someone set fire to the big shrine and some of the houses, but pretty much everything else is intact,” Rogers added to his previous, terse report.

  “Oh?” Deverane tilted his head, raised his eyebrows slightly. “Any vehicles?”

  “No, sir. Couple of beat-up tractors that had been set on fire. Pretty poor farming village by the look of things.”

  “And you say the shrine was burned?” The soldier nodded. Deverane cursed. “Damn, we needed the comlink.”

  “Rebels must have been in a hurry. Maybe they did a half-assed job and left something we can use,” Wilson said.

  Andi sat cross-legged on the ground, leaning on her pack, waiting in tired silence while Deverane considered options. I don’t care what he decides. I just want to be on the move again, and I trust his judgment. Being in the open makes me nervous. Skin crawling, the spot between her shoulder blades itched, as if she was in the sights of a sniper’s weapon. I hate this waiting. Gives me too much time to think about what happened back at the Obati summer compound. She shivered, trying not to focus on the memories, unable to really process the brutal reality of the events that had happened. Part of her still wanted to somehow believe this was all just a horrific dream.

  Drawing his blaster, the captain checked the charge level. “All right, we go in. Weapons hot. We make it fast, in and out, take what we need and be on our way. No one wanders off on any unauthorized explorations.” He stared straight at Andi.

  The men all nodded. Lysanda remained oblivious, sitting on the fallen log she’d selected, playing aimlessly with her hair and crooning a soothing tune to herself. She was braiding and unbraiding the same thick plait in a repetitive motion. The fixed look on her face and the blank stare in her eyes was unnerving. Andi had the sudden urge to catch Lysanda’s hands and force the girl to be still and calm. Sitting big-eyed but quiet at his sister’s feet, Sadu reached out to bat at the long, swinging braid as if it were a toy.

  “Sir, maybe the women should stay here?” Latvik said. “It’s about the worst atrocity I’ve ever seen.”

  “We can’t afford to separate.” Deverane met Andi’s gaze across the small clearing. “I’m sorry, but you’re all going to have to come with us. It’s not safe to split up. I don’t want to spend time backtracking to collect you.”

  I don’t want to be left behind in the forest anyway. Drawing her blaster, Andi nodded. “I understand. Let’s get it over with.”

  “All right then. We need food, more water—”

  “The well is…polluted, sir.” Latvik swallowed hard, stared at Andi briefly and withheld the details.

  “Check the first few intact houses or the marketplace, see if anyone has water stored in jugs. At least we can fill our canteens.” The captain’s next remark was said directly to Andi. “Can you look for something else to wear? I can see those sandals I picked out in the dark are too small. We can’t have you going down with ruined feet. And your clothing isn’t practical. Pretty, but not practical.” The lopsided grin came and went, before she registered his attempt to tease her.

  She knew her answering smile was weak. “The last thing I feel right now is pretty, but thank you. I’d like to change into something else but I—I hate to help myself to some poor person’s possessions like a common thief.”

  Walking over to her, he extended his hand, palm up. She laid her hand in his, and he carefully tugged her to her feet. He was gazing down into her eyes, and Andi had to raise h
er head to look directly into his face. His eyes held a gentle, warm expression, and his words were soft, meant for her ears alone. “There’s really no choice, if we’re going to make it back to the capital and bear witness to their fates. They won’t mind. Trust me.” Without shifting his focus from her face, he reached down and scooped up her pack.

  Sighing, she took the strap of the bag from him, allowing him to adjust the weight on her shoulders. “I’ll look for some things for Sadu and Lysanda, too.”

  “Good.” Deverane gave the backpack one final tweak, patted her shoulder and stepped away. Raising his voice, he commanded everyone’s attention. “All right, let’s get this done. Rogers, Latvik, lead the way. Wilson, take rear guard. Abukawal, can you help with the girl and the baby?”

  The Shenti warrior nodded, moving to snatch Sadu off the ground. He tossed the toddler high into the air, catching him easily, much to Sadu’s chortling delight. Abukawal repeated the game one more time before handing the boy to Lysanda with a wide smile. Hooking a hand under her elbow, Abukawal assisted Lysanda, now holding her brother, from her mossy perch. Andi held her breath, but in some corner of Lysanda’s mind she’d apparently accepted Abukawal as part of their group—and therefore a friend. Her bruised face was relaxed, calm, a small smile on her lips. She held out her delicate hand to Abukawal and the big warrior clasped it carefully, as if he was afraid of crushing her birdlike bones.

  When the column moved out, Andi toiled up the ridge behind Rogers and Latvik. As the forest thinned, a stomach-churning combination of smells assaulted her nose—stale smoke with a sickly sweet odor overriding everything else. I hope I can deal with this. Lords give me strength. Nausea roiled Andi’s gut, and her head swam.

  “Close up, close up. Stay together.” Deverane’s impatient, harsh reminders kept coming.

  Reluctantly, she trudged the last few yards into the village, past the fringe of houses and small kitchen garden plots. Domesticated animals grazed in their pasture around a burnt tractor, displaying supreme indifference. Andi stopped for a second as she approached the first pitiful cluster of bodies, then averted her eyes. I’m never going to get this out of my nightmares. Lady Tonkiln, the cook, these poor people—so much senseless suffering and death. And for what?

  Crossing to the opposite side of the dusty street, Andi covered her mouth and nose with her hand. Resolutely, she stared at the rutted track they were following to the heart of the settlement. I can’t look at anymore pitiful scenes, I just can’t. My heart aches for everyone who’s suffering and dying in this conflict.

  Andi walked into the large circular gathering place at the center of the village and stopped. A line of eight bodies lay crumpled against the wall of the largest building. Streaks of dried blood painted the clay bricks where the victims had been placed for this execution. The signs of violence and hate were all around her whether she wanted to see them or not.

  “Obati.” Startled by the guttural hatred in Abukawal’s voice, Andi turned to the warrior.

  “The Obati did this.” Abukawal pointed at the graffiti painted with blood in sprawling loops on the walls. He kept a tight grip on Lysanda’s hand. Oblivious, she remained in her own little world, could have been on a stroll through the gardens back at her home for all the emotion she displayed. The Shenti warrior stared around him, a muscle in his cheek twitching.

  “Calm down.” Deverane was unemotional, his tone contrasting with the anger in Abukawal’s voice. “I doubt if the Obati have even had time to think since the massacre at the summer compound. And this appears to have happened at about the same time, judging by the condition of the corpses. Someone is setting up a nice little double play, to make it look as if the Shenti and the Obati in this region have been at each other’s throats. We know better.”

  “I saw Naranti Clan killing members of Lord Tonkiln’s family last night,” Andi said, walking closer to Abukawal, keeping her tone low and steady. “You claim you have proof about the Naranti involvement in all this.”

  Abukawal nodded, but the veins still throbbed in his thick neck. Face flushed, eyes narrowed, he clenched and unclenched his fist. “We must stop this before the whole planet erupts in flames and death.” Thick and clogged with emotion, his voice rumbled.

  “We’re working on it, but first we have to get ourselves safely back to the capital. That’s my focus here.” Deverane marched up to Abukawal, forcing the warrior to take a step back. The captain kept his eyes locked on the Shenti’s face, even though he had to look up to do it. “My only focus here. Clear?”

  There was a long minute before Abukawal lowered his gaze. “Clear.” His shoulders slumped.

  Deverane watched him for another minute before turning away, apparently satisfied. “All right then, Rogers, you and Abukawal have the guard duty here in the market square. Latvik, Wilson, foraging detail. You know what to look for.”

  “How much time, sir?” the sergeant asked.

  He checked his wrist chrono. “Ten minutes and we meet back here. No exceptions. We have to keep moving.”

  Andi looked at the carnage around her. Lords, I can’t stand here just thinking about what happened. I need to do something, too. We’re wasting time. “Any suggestions where I should start my search?”

  “I’ll go with you.” Deverane came to her side. “You don’t go alone.”

  “I don’t need a guard. I know how to use this—” She waved the blaster. “I can take care of myself. Didn’t you want to check out the com room at the shrine?”

  “Well, yes.” He looked her up and down. “You’re stubborn at all times, aren’t you?”

  “Better believe it.” She gave him a tiny push. “Go on, I’ll be fine. We need to know if there’s a working comlink.” Andi walked away, heading for the nearest house that had no corpses anywhere near it.

  “Watch the time,” he yelled.

  Waving a hand to acknowledge the reminder, she kept walking. She was glad to have a few moments alone, since Abukawal had volunteered again to watch over Lysanda and Sadu. Halfway down the street, she forced herself to select a house to search. Avoiding contact with the blood-smeared threshold, she stepped through the half-open door of the dwelling. As her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom inside the front room, she whispered a small prayer for the dead to the Shenti household spirits and made herself keep walking. One foot in front of the other, Markriss. Find what we need to help us survive. That’s your priority.

  Great gouges had been hacked in the walls of the house. The furniture lay piled in the center of the main room and had been set on fire but had burnt itself out, probably from lack of proper air circulation. Passing through into the kitchen, Andi found all the drawers had been emptied onto the floor, the storage baskets dumped out. Smashed dishes crunched under her feet as she walked cautiously through the debris.

  Andi squatted by a likely pile of fruit and vegetables, picking out a few that weren’t too spoiled then stowing them in her backpack. From her vantage point on the floor, she spied an unbroken clay jug lying where it had rolled under the table. When she unstoppered it, the sharp scent of cider reached her nose. Taking one cautious swig, Andi found the cider tart on her tongue, although warm. As she pushed the cork back into the mouth of the small jar, she noticed a yellow, webbed carryall hanging from the back of the kitchen door. Grabbing it, Andi tucked her finds in the bag, scooped up half a dozen hard rolls that had evidently come out of the oven right before the attack. Munching one, she retraced her steps to the stairs leading to the sleeping quarters on the second level. Blaster in hand, Andi peeked slowly over the top riser before standing up and hurrying into the bedroom.

  Quickly, nervous as a cat, Andi picked through the storage baskets and a cabinet. She found a pair of stout, thick-soled walking sandals close to her size. Sliding them onto her feet, Andi breathed a sigh of relief. Much better. Looking further, she selected a long, green skirt fringed at the bottom and a wraparound tunic for herself and a similar outfit in blue for Lysanda. These she bundl
ed into the webbed carryall to change into later. She discovered a basket of baby clothes, unfortunately too small for Sadu, and a stack of clean, folded diapers, which she did take.

  As she passed back over the threshold into the open again, Abukawal and Rogers waved at her as she walked to the next more or less intact house, further along the street. Quickly ransacking the kitchen, she found some supplies and filled her borrowed canteen. Leaving the house, Andi felt she couldn’t face another destroyed home, so she retraced her steps.

  As she hurried through the jumbled marketplace, she saw baskets of fabric spilled in a crumpled heap at a weaver’s stall. Thinking about the cold nights facing them on the trail, she bent to pick up a shawl woven through with glints of silver thread. The material flowed through her fingers like silk, and she recognized the wool of the rarest highland grazing animals. Abstract lavender, green and turquoise patterns twined around the silver thread accents. Probably would have been sold to be someone’s bride gift. Folding the fabric into a small square, Andi stowed it in her pack.

  Wilson and Latvik arrived at the gathering spot just as Andi walked up. There was no sign of Deverane and it had been exactly ten minutes. Where is he? I hope nothing’s happened to him.

  Tipping his hat back with his thumb, Sergeant Wilson sighed, assuming command as the next in rank. “I’ll go after him, see what’s so interestin’. Rogers, Latvik, you pack this lot up and get ready to move.”

  “I’ll keep you company, Sergeant.” Andi set down her carryall.

  “And what if he’s gotten into a tight spot? An ambush? Do you think he’d appreciate me bringing you into danger?” Wilson had a skeptical look on his face, one eyebrow raised.

  Andi lifted the blaster. “In that case I’ll back you up. But we didn’t hear any explosions or weapons fire, did we?”

  Reluctant grin on his face, the sergeant shook his head. “No, we surely did not. Okay, then, but stay behind me and follow my lead.” He set off on the street leading to the village shrine.