Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  “You need to see this.” Mitch crouched next to Andi’s side, viewers in hand. “To the left, by the red cargo hauler. It’s nothing I’ve ever seen. Betang projecting a false image maybe?”

  Grabbing the viewers from him with a curse, Tom took a long look, then passed them to Andi. He waited while she adjusted the focus and tried to find what the two men had seen. There it is. And it’s got those horrible red stubs turned in this direction. Instinctively trying to hide, she dropped the viewers and shrank back. “That’s the creature all right. Oh, Lords, now it’s probably seen me. What can we do? Could you give me an inject, knock me out?”

  Tom shook his head. “You’ll just die faster. You can’t fight it if you’re unconscious.”

  “Fight it? Fight it with what?” She clamped down hard on the rising edge of her hysteria and sucked in a deep breath before she started again. “Look, I don’t want to die, but there’s nothing else we can do then, is there? At least I wouldn’t have to suffer.” Unable to meet his eyes, she swallowed and looked away. “I’m not a coward. You know I’m a fighter, but it was excruciating when the Betang tried to kill me before.” She looked at their grim faces, struck by a new worry. “Can it kill all of us with a mental blast?”

  Shaking his head, Tom took her arm, rotating it a bit so they could both see the imprint of the Betang’s suckers. “You’re the only one at direct risk from the Betang.” He drew her to her feet, stopped her next anxious remark with a fierce kiss, then held her away from him. “You know I love you. Do you trust me?”

  “Of course I do.” And I don’t want to die here, in the dust, where you have to watch. Trembling all over, Andi felt a cold sweat beading her arms and legs, despite the heat of the day. “Are you sure a knockout inject won’t work? Has it ever been tried?”

  Face lined with worry, he nodded. “It’s been tried. We’re not going down that road, not with your life at stake. There’s a Special Forces technique to defend against mental assaults like the Betang’s. I can teach you, right here, right now.”

  He expects me to master some complicated mental trick here? Now? Skeptically, Andi holstered her blaster. “How long did it take you to learn?”

  “My experience isn’t important.” He scrutinized their defense line, the battered, shot-up truck and car. “We need to get you to a safer place to try this.” Tom exchanged a glance with Mitch. “You’re in charge.”

  “Make it quick, sir.” The sergeant had retrieved the viewers and was studying the enemy. “They’re having a confab. The Betang’s doing a lot of gesturin’, pointing at us. Working the mob up pretty effectively.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Tom flicked an assessing glance over at the rebel throng on the road. Squaring his jaw, he picked Andi up and carried her toward the Knives.

  Listening to his strong heartbeat as she lay curled against his chest, she said, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” He paused in front of a short outcropping of the glossy, black rock, setting her down in the small alcove between it and the main body of the Knives. As she tried to sit comfortably on the ground, Tom knelt in front of her, keeping her hands in his. “Concentrate on what I’m going to tell you.”

  She scooted back a little, to have the rock wall of the Knives behind her. She studied his face.

  Tom’s green eyes locked onto her. “First step. Identify a mental focal point that implies defense to you. Think of something symbolizing protection. A wall, a fire, something. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I guess so.” Andi shrugged. She chewed her lip and looked away from him. “How is this going to help?”

  “Whatever you decide on, make it real in your mind. Clear everything else out. You can’t afford to think about anything but your defense. You hold the picture, no matter what. Don’t think of me, don’t think of the Betang, except in the sense that it can’t get through to you, no matter what it tries. Have one focus, on your defensive point, and only that thought. Try it now. Close your eyes and try it,” he urged.

  Hearing shouts from the barricade, she tried to peer around him. “The men are calling. You’d better go.” He’s wasting valuable time on this. I can’t let him sacrifice the safety of the others just to try to comfort me. “You’ve got to get back. I don’t want you to watch me die.” She tried a small smile for him.

  Tom gave her such a rough shake that her head rocked from the force. His fingers clenched on her arms. Andi was shocked back into attention by the small amount of pain. He spoke low and fast. “Never mind them. Mitch is in charge. He’s fine. Worry about yourself. Close your eyes and visualize, now. Do it.”

  Obediently, she shut her eyes, trying to empty her mind. She ignored increasing pressure in her chest and flashes of pain from the Betang’s mind scan but couldn’t settle on anything to use as a mental defense. What says protection to me? Right now, being somewhere else! A wall, as he’d suggested? No, walls crumble or fall down. No good. Fire? Andi shivered, remembering what it had been like, caught in the burning Tonkiln mansion. Definitely not fire. How pathetic and ridiculous she was to hope this emergency meditation would work! If her life wasn’t at stake she’d be laughing at the mere idea. With a sigh, she opened her eyes, shaking her head.

  “This isn’t a game.” Tom shouted at her, releasing his grip on her and flinging his arms out. He stood, turned away from her, hands on his hips, head tilted, and was silent for a minute.

  I’m letting him down. Andi stared at his back. He really believes this should work for me, and I can’t even pretend I’m taking it seriously. He knows I’m not trying.

  As if he’d been eavesdropping on her thoughts, Tom spun around. He hunkered down and smoothed her hair away from her face with both hands, before giving her a lingering kiss. “I know what I’m asking seems absurd. I’ve seen it work. It can save you.” He pulled her so close to him that their noses were nearly touching. Andi breathed in his musky scent, and her head cleared a bit. He kept talking, his voice low and hurried. “You have to fight for yourself. You have to believe in yourself, like I believe in those heavy blasters over there. And I believe in you just as much.” Tom gestured toward the barricade behind them where his men were rearranging some of the meager defenses. “But blasters aren’t the right weapons for this kind of a fight. You have what you need inside yourself. Try again.”

  Overwhelmed, Andi laid her head on his shoulder.

  “Andi…for me, for us.” Tom’s voice sounded gentle, but she heard the tension underlying the calm words. He hugged her, his arms warm and strong around her shaking body. “If I didn’t think this was a real chance for you to survive, I’d be saying a whole lot of other things right now. I’d be saying good-bye, okay? And I would’ve had Mitch put you under so you wouldn’t suffer. Hell, I’d give you the inject myself. But I won’t. You can do this.”

  She took another breath, savoring the moment. Fiercely, she hugged him. If Tom thinks it can be done, then I need to believe in him. Leaning against the rock wall, trying to get comfortable, Andi didn’t want any distractions, however small. She’d already found one chink in the Betang’s armor, possessing a genetic ability to see through its illusions. So perhaps she could fight off its other powers as well.

  Something on a nearby slab of the black rock caught her eye. Brushing the patina of dust away, she uncovered a small painting, faded, aged with the passage of centuries, but the figures seemed clear enough. An urabu. No, a herd of urabu.

  This time when she closed her eyes, the peaceful glade came to mind immediately. Had it just been a few days? She’d been leaning against the tree and the urabu had wandered into the clearing. Drawing on the memory, Andi tried to re-create all the small details in her mind’s eye—the cool meadow grass, the rough tree bark against her back, the little insects buzzing around the purple and white flowers. And, of course, the urabu. The majestic buck, with his glorious horns and those luminous emerald eyes. She realized now his eyes were the same bright green as the glow from Sanenre’s
emerald healing device.

  The image of the sacred urabu buck came to her mind fully formed, gazing at her. She was sure if she opened her eyes, the creature would be there, standing in front of her on the dusty plain. The buck observed her for a long minute, then swung his elegant head with the rack of crowning antlers around, facing away from Andi, guarding her as he would guard his own small herd of does and fawns.

  The urabu bugled a challenging cry that echoed around the glade now existing in her mind’s eye. No one was going to think him to death. He’d go down fighting and inflict grievous harm on the opponent. Hooves, antlers, teeth—all fearsome weapons. Even the alien Betang would be hard put to get past an enraged urabu if unarmed.

  Two more urabu bucks walked from the forest, joining her first protector. The trio stood together. A gentle pressure nudged against her spine. The fawn had come to her, pushing her, trying to get her to stand.

  The fawn can’t be behind me. I’m sitting with my back to the Knives. Andi was tempted to open her eyes for a reality check. The alpha male turned his head and snorted at her, shaking the impressive rack of antlers.

  Eyes closed, going by the vivid scene in her mind, she rose and took three steps forward.

  She was in the vision, but her peripheral hearing caught snatches of what was going on around her.

  She heard Rahuna ask Tom, “What are you doing to her?”

  “She’s doing it herself, sir. Don’t touch her. Don’t distract her.”

  Leave me alone. Andi didn’t know if she said that or merely thought it, but the sound of the men’s voices faded. She stood in the glade on soft grass. The fawn nestled next to her, its velvet fur tickling her arm. A rough tongue licked her hand as the fawn gazed up into her face with its green eyes. Swinging their heads from side to side, the three urabu bucks made a circle around her, shaking their impressive antlers in open challenge. The Betang’s inexorable mental pressure remained steady on her chest, accompanied by pounding in her head. Dark clouds ringed the urabu circle, swirling around all of them.

  Three wheezing breaths later, she could no longer see the glade itself, only the ominous sooty clouds. The air crackled with tension and rumbles of distant thunder, as if a giant summer storm approached. The hair on her arms rose, and a spark of static electricity stung her hand when the fawn nuzzled her again. Tendrils of the smoky fog attempted to reach out toward her, but the urabu kicked them away, trampled them underfoot, or fended the wispy tentacles off with their long, sweeping horns. From time to time the leader of the urabu swung his head around to look at Andi, his eyes glowing more and more green as the eerie, silent battle went on. She concentrated all her strength on supporting the bucks in their efforts, trying to will them her energy to fight off the attack.

  Outside the magic circle in Andi’s mind, out in the real world of Zulaire, she knew the Sectors soldiers and Abukawal were still waging a furious fight against overwhelming odds. I hope Tom is all right.

  The deadly smothering pressure from the Betang wrapped her body in its grip and tightened like a clenched fist. Heart stuttering, she fell to one knee, the fawn staggering under her weight but managing to keep her from a complete collapse. Can’t think about Tom. Can’t think about anything but this battle I’m in. The fog redoubled its efforts to reach her. One tendril brushed her cheek before the fawn leaped up to butt it away. Her cheek burned where the fog had touched, the pain somewhat soothed as the fawn licked the spot.

  Andi was on her knees. Her chest wouldn’t expand to take air in. Her vision was blurry, black spots at the edges. Extremely agitated now, the urabu kicked, lashing out, shredding the fog with their horns. With his nubby horns, the fawn butted her hard in the ribs, right on the blaster sear. A jolt of extreme pain shot through her, clearing her head. The little urabu looped his head under her arm and encouraged her to stand up again.

  Breathe in, count five, breathe out. Just breathe. Just count the breaths. Relax. Renewed energy circulated in her body. Planting one foot under her, Andi pushed to a standing position, leaning on the fawn. She stood there a minute, breathing more easily, surrounded by the mythical defenders.

  Time to take this fight to the enemy. Grinning, Andi straightened, squaring her shoulders and walked to stand next to the urabu alpha. He acknowledged her with a look. She marched forward, all three urabu falling in beside her. Faster and faster she went, running now.

  The fog swirled away from her, dissipated. The glowing red core of the smoke loomed ahead of her. I need a weapon. No, I am the weapon—my thoughts, my mind. The red thing ahead of her retreated deeper into the clinging fog as she advanced with her urabu. Determined to catch her enemy, to kill the foe, Andi sprinted.

  In the distance, voices shouted her name, the sounds faint. Ignore that, don’t be distracted. They don’t matter right now.

  The Betang stood in front of her, wreathed in the black fog, which twisted and writhed in concert with the creature’s tentacles. As the alien slithered backward, its red eye stalks quivered and knotted. One urabu ran ahead, lowering its antlers and shaking them in an unmistakably threatening gesture, cutting off the Betang’s avenue of retreat.

  Andi slowed down, finally walking up to her enemy and taking a stand just out of reach of the curling, whiplike tentacles. Hands on her hips, eyes narrowed, she studied the Betang. I can see it through and through, nothing hidden. Maybe this is the way it sees humans. Frantically, the Betang moved back and forth on the green grass. Andi raised her hands, palms facing the enemy, which stopped and shrank back, tentacles wrapping around itself defensively.

  Staring at the twisted red stalks, Andi stepped closer. You will die now, you fucking thing from a nightmare.

  As if her thought had been a signal, the urabu paced forward on stiff legs. Locking their stance, lowering their thick, muscular necks, all three drove into the Betang’s soft lower body with the sharp tips of their antlers. As the three bucks thrust and tore, the alien crumpled. Rearing high on its back legs, the alpha urabu came down full force on the Betang’s upper carapace shell, cracking it wide open. Disgusting viscous gray matter flowed sluggishly out of the fractures. A high-pitched screaming noise filled Andi’s ears. Blinking, she clapped her hands to her ears.

  In the real world, Tom caught her in a close embrace, snapping the spell. “Lords of Space, when I saw you walking right into the field of fire, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

  She would have collapsed without his arms holding her up.

  I’m standing on the transportway. How did I get here? What is he talking about?

  She stared around. The broken, oozing body of the dead Betang lay in front of her on the road, beside the destroyed cargo hauler. She kicked aside a limp tentacle trailing across her foot. Mitch, Rogers and Latvik made a defensive circle around her, facing outward, weapons drawn. Her vision came and went, alternating between the dead alien and burning trucks in front of her and the urabu in the lush meadow. The urabu are leaving. She reached out to them. “Don’t go. Come back!”

  Tom lifted her off her feet. Andi’s vision went to a pinpoint, then black. The world faded away.

  ***

  When she came to, she was half-reclining, leaning on the black, striated rock of the Knives. A lumpy pack cushioned her head, and Tom sat next to her, holding her hand and calling her name softly. His eyes were damp with emotion. Andi reached up to touch his cheek. “Hey, it’s all right, I’m okay.”

  Crushing her to him, Tom kissed her long and hard.

  Safe in his arms, she looked around. “What happened? Was I really out there on the road?”

  “Mitch.” He summoned the sergeant and the ever-necessary medkit. He turned back to Andi. “Yes, you were out on the goddamn road.” Swallowing hard, he hugged her. “I lost ten years off my life when you strolled past us out into the field of fire. We scrambled to make a protective cordon around you, tried to keep the rebels from killing you. You really spooked them, and a lot of them ran. There was some kind of green a
ura or glow around you, like a force field. Then when you got up on the transportway and confronted the Betang—”

  “It is dead?” Feeling free of the insidious pressure, she knew the answer even as he was speaking.

  “Oh, yeah. I don’t know what you did to it, but the body looks like it was worked over with blunt instruments and knives.” Rubbing the back of his head, Tom gave a little whistle. “I mean, I was standing there while you did it, and I can’t explain what happened. You never actually touched it.”

  “The urabu saved me.” Andi stroked her fingers over the ancient symbols on the rock face next to her. “They killed the Betang for me.”

  Tom stared at her for a long minute. “Well, I don’t have any better explanation. When the rebels saw what the Betang really was, and realized you’d killed it, they fucking ran. Just threw down their weapons and took to their heels.”

  Now Mitch knelt next to her, reaching for her wrist, taking her pulse. Easing back against the pack, Andi felt all her aches and pains and suppressed a small moan. Next minute she looked around in alarm as a new sound arose overhead. “What’s that noise?” Please, don’t tell me the rebels have air support now.

  “We’ve got guardian angels above us.” A big grin on his face, Tom pointed to the sky.

  Two Sectors Aerial Support Craft hovered above the Knives, and a third was taking up position over the burned-out trucks on the transportway. Andi watched heavily armed commandos slide from each ASC, floating down on their anti-grav boots.

  Walking over from their pitiful line of defense, Rahuna held out the borrowed blaster. “Allow me to return this, Captain. Thankfully, I didn’t have occasion to use it.”

  “Lysanda and Sadu are okay?” Andi tried to peer around the cleric to check on her charges personally, but Tom was in her way.

  Rahuna bowed. “Thanks to you and to Sanenre, yes. I saw His green glow around you as you went to the enemy. You were in His Grace, child.”