Star Brigade: Ascendant (SB4)

by C. C. Ekeke

  Until then, Sam had a more personal mission in mind. This cold war between her and Tharydane could not stand. Sam cared too much to let things remain broken between them.

  Her door slid open. “Tharydane?” she called out, marching in toward her common room. “We need to talk—” She froze in mid-stride, jaw dropping.

  Tharyn sat on the couch in a tank top and shorts, tumbles of lazy violet curls cascading down her shoulders. The Korvenite’s posture was tensed, terror etched into her alabaster features.

  Addison Raichoudry was sitting beside Tharyn, staring at Sam with her usual aloof and condescending expression.

  Raichoudry, in Sam’s quarters. Meaning the readings of Raichoudry being in her quarters below was false. And Jan’Hax fell for it.

  A taut, icy tension settled over the common room and the three females staring at each other in silence.

  Countless engagement scenarios ran through Sam’s mind, knifing through the fear clutching her heart.

  Jhori was still in her shuttlecraft at the flight bays. I’d have to speak aloud to get him transmatted here.

  Months ago, Sam had cautiously installed security dampening fields in her quarters to counter Addison teleporting in or out. What if she disabled them? She is a top-tier slicer.

  Sam could rush for Tharydane, try to grab her. Addison could teleport her away before I reach them.

  Raichoudry cocked her head to one side, unblinking and smug at her advantage. Sam fought down her panic over Tharydane’s safety and focused on another plan. Her only hope was Lethe, whom she had established a psychic rapport with in case something like this occurred. She set her jaw and began reaching out to the Kudoban with a thought to grab his attention—

  “Samantha, you’re back!” Lethe’s triple-tenor voice startled Sam out of her fear. She turned to see the Kudoban enter the common room from the kitchen.

  “Lethe. Hi.” She looked from him to Addison and Tharydane, thoroughly confused. No way would Lethe let Addison hurt Tharydane. That didn’t explain Addison in her quarters, near her daughter. “What’s going on? And why is Raichoudry here instead of her quarters?”

  Addison uncrossed her legs and inched to the couch’s edge. “I activated a dummy signature in my quarters to fool anyone who might be tracking me.” She looked at Sam pointedly.

  The captain felt a swell of anger at being fooled by this insolent child.

  “Raichoudry discovered a threat against Tharydane’s life,” Lethe spoke, steepling his long and spindly fingers together, “from within Hollus Maddrone.”

  The claim struck Sam hard. She looked Addison over with bald skepticism. “Did you, now?”

  “Yes I did,” Addison replied in her usual irritated, rapid-fire delivery. She rose, so irksomely smug that Sam had half a mind to smack it right off her face. “There’s a Children of Earth mole working to undermine UComm interests on this base. Someone with considerable slicing skills.”

  How convenient. Sam kept her mask on, giving nothing away. Inside, she was cursing herself. Raichoudry must have discovered Surje’s investigation and was looking for cover fire. “And who would this mole be?” Sam asked casually.

  “Not me.” Raichoudry shrugged. “Since that is why Surje is clumsily investigating me, right?”

  FUCK. Sam dropped her veneer of calm. She glanced at Tharyn, who had not said a single word since this discussion began. “And I’m supposed to believe you? Given your past?”

  Addison’s nostrils flared. “Yes, I was undercover with the Children of Earth for over a year.” She tossed her hands up in exasperation. “Eight months too long because Jovian Ivers didn’t reveal my assignment before his death. Yes, whoever this mole is uses a scatter data patterning to their encrypted transmissions similar to me. But I. Am not. The mole.” She drew the last sentence out as if addressing a mentally deficient audience.

  Lethe stepped from behind Tharyn, who still looked at the ground. “She is not, Samantha,” the Kudoban agreed. “I telepathically scanned Addison’s mind several times since her return six months ago. She even submitted to a psychic scan before you returned to Hollus.”

  Sam folded her arms. As much as she wanted to solve this mole dilemma, part of her still wasn’t sold on Addison’s assertion. There were counters to Lethe’s telepathic scans and shields. Jhori had found weak points, with great difficulty. If only he wasn’t waiting in the shuttle…

  Addison rolled her eyes at Sam’s hesitance. “Want further proof of my innocence?” She pointed in Tharyn’s direction. “Ask your ‘daughter.’”

  Tharydane snapped her head up, those gold on black eyes impossibly wide.

  Now Sam was lost. “What does Tharyn have to do with this?”

  “Shut up,” the Korvenite snapped at Addison, which was even more alarming.

  Lethe’s milky eyes tightened in discontent. “Now is not the time for that discussion.”

  “According to you,” Addison threw back. Her eyes never left Tharydane. “Shall I tell her or should you?”

  Sam didn’t like her tone. She moved between Raichoudry and the terrified Korvenite. “Tell me what?”

  Addison shrugged. “Fine. A few months ago, Tharydane used my mind as her personal psychic playground. Several times.”

  Lethe squeezed his eyes shut, clamping both hands on his egg-shaped head.

  Cold shock jolted down Sam’s spine. She gaped at her daughter. “WHAT?”

  Tharydane popped up to her feet, hands waving in mercy. “It wasn’t like that!”

  Addison made a rude noise. “Then you didn’t possess my mind without consent multiple times? Until you got caught?” Despite her anger, Raichoudry clearly enjoyed exposing Tharydane’s transgression.

  Sam’s attention landed on Tharyn. This looked very bad, especially with the distrust for Korvenites still elevated. “Kid.” She shook her head. Disappointment colored everything at this moment. “Why?”

  Tharydane had no answer but visible shame. Her eyes met Sam’s briefly, and fell again.

  Sam then looked to Tharydane’s other guardian, incensed. “You knew about this? And didn’t tell me?”

  “I shut it down the moment I found out,” Lethe replied evenly. “She has done nothing of the sort since.”

  Sam was livid. At Lethe for withholding this. At Addison for her smugness and just existing. At Tharydane for doing the very thing that many hated Korvenites for. “Why, Tharyn?”

  The Korvenite sank back onto the common room couch and groaned. “It started a few weeks after Addison came back from her undercover mission, before Habraum sent her on leave for almost a month.” The Korvenite met Addison’s hostile glare, quickly looking away in discomfort. “She was in such pain. So I entered her mind, telepathically eased her suffering.”

  Hearing that admission, Sam’s heart ached. This sweet girl, always trying to help others. Sam recalled how bad Addison’s PTSD was after Star Brigade’s extraction. She rarely left her quarters except for solo late-night training in the HGHL or regular debriefings with Habraum. Six weeks later, Raichoudry’s PTSD had grown bad enough for Habraum to realize she was in no shape to be a Brigadier. So the Cerc had put her on sabbatical for a few weeks. “That…makes sense,” Sam stated slowly as the pieces connected. “I was curious about that after you returned from your sabbatical. Whatever Tharyn did must’ve worked.” Too bad your personality is still awful.

  Addison’s coppery complexion paled. But her gaze never wavered from Tharyn. “I was a mess,” she admitted stiffly. “Thanks to all the gruesome tasks I was forced to do to maintain my cover with the Children of Earth. Then, before my forced sabbatical, I felt better than I had in a year.”

  Sam watched the young human pace, secretly marveling at Raichoudry’s insanely fit and compact figure. “What initially tipped me off,” Addison continued, “was over two months ago during the CT-2 training week on Cobalt Waystation. I apparently had a conversation with Jan’Hax and Surje that I couldn’t for the life of me recall. As mind-numbing as t
heir banter is, I should have.” She rolled her eyes and turned to Sam. “After that, I looked back and noticed small gaps in my memory ever since I returned from my forced sabbatical. Nothing as large at the Cobalt one. Then, a few days ago, I finally pieced everything together.” Addison looked utterly enamored by her own deduction talents.

  “I was just testing my powers,” Tharyn spoke up. “I didn’t mean any harm. As soon as Lethe caught me, I stopped. I’m truly sorry for violating your mind.” The Korvenite’s remorse was sincere, Sam could see that. But by Tharyn’s posture and the guilt in her eyes, she was holding back. There’s more.

  Raichoudry cocked her head to the side, watching Lethe and Sam with cold and unblinking eyes. “Give me one reason why I should not tell Habraum about this violation.” She uttered “Habraum” and “violation” with acid emphasis. Insufferable as she was, Sam knew Raichoudry was the wronged party. The captain glanced at the massive holo-painting of the Supremacy’s Ruin in her common room. A wash of destruction scorching away the Ttaunz Empire over and over, Habraum’s gift from a year ago. Sam dreaded his possible reaction to Tharyn’s misdeeds. Yet she could really use his parenting advice now.

  Lethe’s soothing voice drew her back into the conversation. “There is no need, Addison. The situation is resolved and Tharydane has been properly reprimanded.”

  Addison focused completely on Lethe with skeptical eyes. “Says the Kudoban who covered this up.”

  Now Sam stepped in. “Addison, I’m sorry. For the investigation and Tharydane’s actions. After being vetted so many times, we should’ve trusted you. Tharyn will be reprimanded. By her guardians, which Habraum is not. Can we please move forward and deal with the mole wanting to abduct my daughter?”

  Addison remained unyielding for a long, tense moment. Then, she finally relaxed her stiff shoulders. “Apology noted, and pending further approval.” Raichoudry sighed, as if her mercy was some great gift.

  That took an enormous weight off Sam’s shoulders. She glanced up at Lethe, who looked equally assured. Now the bigger concern barreled to the forefront. “Any progress finding the mole on Hollus?”

  Raichoudry replied with her usual intellectual smugness. “I’m running an algorithm to narrow down possible suspects based on work history, background, and medical history. All human, of course.”

  Sam nodded appreciatively. “Good. As soon as your search is complete, send the data to Lethe first.”

  “Agreed,” the Kudoban said. His usually tranquil face was tight with concern as he glanced at Tharyn on the couch. “I can watch over Tharydane telepathically. But for physical safety, a securitymech—”

  Sam waved off the suggestion. “It’ll draw too much attention. And the slicer could easily compromise it.” The idea came to her quickly. “I know who can watch her—”

  The beep of Sam’s wristcom interrupted her explanation. Bevrolor. “I have to take this.” She waved Addison forward. “Go ahead, Bev,” Sam stated, Raichoudry at her side.

  “We got movement at the Zeid location,” the Nubrideen declared. “Several ships arriving. Instructions?”

  Sam swore under her breath. Whatever the Children of Earth planned with this Korvenite virus was clearly about to start. Right when I’m resolving things with Tharyn. Decisions. “Have CT-2 suit up and be onboard the Ishliba in fifteen macroms.”

  Addison’s eyes lit up. “What about UniPol?”

  Sam made a face. “What about them? The division running this CoE operation has been compromised. We say nothing until the mission is in progress.” She glanced back at Tharyn, looking so small and sad. “I’ll meet you and the CT at the ship.”

  After Addison departed, Sam approached Tharyn, pulled her upright and into a fierce embrace. The Korvenite was initially scared stiff, but eventually melted into Sam’s arms. Holding Tharyn again felt so impossibly good, the only positive from this mole business. “We’ll finish this when I get back, okay?”

  Tharyn nodded as they pulled apart. Sam had no clue what she’d say. At least I know we’ll figure something out. She kissed the Korvenite’s forehead. “I love you, kid.”

  Tharydane blushed, her smile so bittersweet in this moment. “Love you too, Sam.”

  Sam turned to Lethe with smoldering fury. “Never, ever keep anything about Tharydane from me again.”

  The Kudoban bowed his head as his long neck arched forward, indication of Kudoban dishonor. “Perfectly. My apologies for that. What about Tharyn’s bodyguard?”

  Sam felt a smile pull at her lips as she looked at her daughter. “He’s waiting on my shuttle. I’ll have him transmatted over here as soon as I leave. Gotta go. Be safe!”

  Sam then exited her own quarters, her heart in knots. Steeling herself, she tapped her wristcom and contacted Jan’Hax directly. “Computer. Transmat one to my location. Executive security override Samantha D’Urso Alpha-Omicron-Upsilon.”

  Half a macrom later, a shimmer of light coalesced beside her. In its place stood Jhori, whirling around looking totally baffled. What in Korvan’s name—?

  “Hey,” Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I have a job for you before we drop you back on Calliste.” She explained the situation briskly and the urgency of Tharyn’s safety.

  As usual, Jhori was eager to assist. Of course. He looked at the door to Sam’s quarters and then back at her. Her power is oozing out of that room, he stated in awe.

  Sam didn’t need to be told that. “Just keep her safe, Jhori.” She opened the door to her quarters.

  Always. The Korvenite stepped inside and the door slid shut behind him.

  Tharydane would not be happy, Sam knew. But having another Korvenite keep her safe was the best option, especially one as telepathically gifted as Jhori.

  It might even convince her to visit a living facility, Sam mused, infinitely more settled. She marched for the translifter to take her toward the flight bays and made another wristcom call.

  “Hi,” Jan’Hax answered, sounding understandably confused. “I got Hightower’s call to board Ishliba, but I’m still outside Raichoudry’s quarters. Should I proceed?”

  “No,” Sam ordered. “Addison’s clean.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.” The captain inhaled sharply. Minor guilt prickled at her heart. But not enough to regret protecting her family, both Star Brigade and immediate. “Head over to the Ishliba.”

  “Will do.” Jan’Hax ended the call.

  Sam reached the translifter, stepping inside.

  Her heart raced at light speed as the door hissed closed. But not from fear. It wasn’t every day a Star Brigade combat team got to stab the Children of Earth through the heart.

  ***

  “This is ridiculous.” Tharydane wasn’t frightened anymore by this Children of Earth mole after her or embarrassed by the revelation of her actions regarding Addison. The Korvenite was too exasperated by the new guest in Sam’s quarters.

  She sat on the common room couch glaring at the swirling Supremacy’s Ruin on the wall. Meanwhile, this random Korvenite with the shaved head and dissecting eyes stared from the other end of the couch.

  What is ridiculous? Jhori inquired. You needing a bodyguard until this threat against your life is resolved?

  Tharydane forced herself to look at Jhori. He was young, probably around five years older than her, with a narrow face, close-set eyes, and a trim, athletic build. “First off, will it kill you to speak out loud? Secondly, Hollus Maddrone has loads of security. You aren’t needed.”

  Jhori reclined on his seat, amused by her frustration. That peeved the teenager more. Yet a Children of Earth mole is on Hollus, despite all your security. Sam trusts me with your life. Shouldn’t that be enough?

  “I didn’t even know you existed until today,” Tharyn threw back coldly. Another secret Sam kept from her. That would hurt more if it didn’t join such a long list. “So no, it isn’t enough.”

  Jhori didn’t seem wounded by her retort. He smiled, which did wond
ers for his hard features. I work as Sam’s special assistant and chief liaison for her work with the Korvenites. She saved my life during the transfer from the internment camps. I will always be grateful. Jhori leaned forward, his gold-on-black eyes never leaving Tharydane. You might know that if you’d visited any of the living stations.

  Tharyn bristled. She breathed in deeply to keep from screaming Korcei obscenities at this mute pest. “I have no interest in visiting places where I am despised and considered a race traitor. Sam knows this.”

  Does she also know what happened during your visit to Calliste?

  Tharyn lurched back as if slapped. The memories of that lone visit months ago returned to her in painful, knife-like flashes. The Korvenite had visited Calliste with Lethe once, for Sam’s sake, to meet with an elderly Korvenite she’d known from Bimnorii. The meeting had gone terribly; Tharyn had left in tears. Only Lethe knew, and had sworn never to tell Sam.

  “How did you know—?” The realization hit. Tharydane felt her skin grow hot, warming the air around her. “Stay out of my mind,” she warned.

  Jhori shrugged, unapologetic. No offense to your Kudoban friend, but what he’s shown you thus far is basic and will do you no good against advanced telepaths or Mindspeakers. The smirking Korvenite scratched his stubbly purple hair. You’d have noticed me slipping through your mind if a Korvenite had taught you about psychic shields. And you’d never have been caught sneaking into Addison’s brain—

  Tharydane popped up to her feet, fists balled up. “GET OUT!”

  And Jhori went tumbling back off the couch.

  This continued mockery almost made Tharydane scream at him. Until she realized…the other Korvenite had been knocked back by her forcing him out of her mind.

  Tharyn’s fury withered as fear consumed her. Not now, she fretted, remembering her final violent moments on Bimnorii. Not again! “Oh my Korvan!” She dashed to Jhori’s side. “I’m sorry!”