Dragon Wave

by Valerie Emerson

  The message ended abruptly. Khiann brought up the local starmap, and calculated the distance to the Blessed Discovery. Four hours. Another search told her that the Endless was the only Pirr warship with any hope of arriving in time.

  “Set a course for those coordinates and proceed with all speed,” she ordered.

  “Yes, commander.”

  Khiann allowed herself a small smile. This mission couldn’t come with better timing. This was her chance to do good for her people without getting tangled in questions of honor. This simple rescue mission was all she could have asked for.

  ***

  Four hours later, Khiann reconsidered the definition of ‘simple.’ Blessed Discovery was adrift, an alarming number of holes torn into its side. Orange light streamed from a hole in reality, not far from the ship.

  The Wyrm was nowhere in sight.

  “Hail them.”

  “Yes, Commander Xoa,” Yelx responded. After a moment, he looked over. “They do not answer.”

  “Keep trying. Hux, scan the area. We must find that Wyrm—”

  “Commander, proximity alert!” Hux exclaimed.

  “Take evasive action. Use the asteroids for cover!” She assumed it was the Wyrm. The creatures were strong in the Astral Plane, but she had no measure of what this one could do here.

  A sleek, gray shape covered the screen. As it passed Endless, it turned, revealing the tell-tale markings of an Earth Fleet vessel. The Wyrm followed with its fangs inches from the ship’s thrusters. Neither seemed to notice Khiann’s ship.

  Everyone was silent, their hands hovering over their controls. Khiann took in the broken Pirr vessel, the Wyrm, the humans leading it away from the Blessed Discovery. Hairs rose up on the back of her neck. Were they helping?

  “Five plat says they get caught in the next pass,” Hux called out.

  Yelx grinned. “I’ll take that bet.”

  “Silence!” Khiann snapped, and they subsided. “What is happening with that breach?”

  It seemed smaller than it had been a moment before. The stream of colors dimmed, then faded away, as the hole stitched itself up from within.

  “I can’t make any sense of these readings,” Yelx confessed. “Still no response from Blessed Discovery.”

  “Keep recording. We’ll bring it to the scientists back home.”

  Khiann left the command station and walked up to the screen. The human vessel was just a point of light now, careening along the border of the asteroid field just ahead of the Wyrm. They were gaining; either they had picked up speed or the Wyrm was flagging.

  “Get everything you can,” she ordered Hux.

  “Yes, commander. Should I fire on the humans?”

  “And be the ones to start the war? Do you hate your own hide so much, Weapons Specialist Hux?”

  “No, commander. I—”

  “It’s gone.” Yelx cut him off. “The rift has closed.”

  She looked at the screen just in time to see the last tuft of light vanish. A moment later, the Wyrm’s scales turned black, then broke away in a trail of ash. The rest of its body followed.

  “The humans are signaling us.”

  Yelx’s words jarred her from her thoughts. The human ship was still far enough away that it could have been just another star. It was coming around, but not nearly as fast as it had been running from the Wyrm.

  “Open channel.” She returned to her post and stood with chin held high. The screen switched to a human woman in Earth Fleet clothing. By the metal pieces on her collar, Khiann identified her as a captain. Her equal, in position only. The female’s eyes widened when they lit on Khiann, no doubt recognizing her from her liar’s broadcast.

  “Pirr vessel, this is Captain Barbara McNuggen of the E.F.S. Vaughan. We came here with the intent of helping a ship in distress.”

  “You are very close to our borders for a peacekeeping mission, Captain McNuggen.” Khiann brought up her starmap. “Much farther, and you would be in our territory.”

  “Earth Fleet doesn’t ignore a cry for help, no matter where it comes from, or who gives it.” McNuggen’s expression didn’t change.

  “Surely there are beings everywhere in your debt.”

  McNuggen pursed her lips, tempering her answer. Humans were so transparent.

  “We’ll leave this area in peace, once we collect our people. Will you allow that?” she asked.

  An alert appeared on Khiann’s screen. She frowned as she scanned it. This was impossible.

  “I must ask you to wait for our answer, captain. Stand by.”

  She cut off the call, ignoring McNuggen’s protests as she brought up the security alert and read it again. An unknown signal was going off in the depths of her ship. Their security measures had blocked it the moment it was detected, but the source continued.

  “Yelx, we have a breach. Make sure Security Specialist Ayo is notified. If there’s an intruder, I want them brought here. Not to the nearest airlock.”

  “Yes, commander.”

  ***

  Dante hit the floor hard, and his helmet rang with the impact. He winced as he rolled to the side and levered himself up. Then he frowned. If he was on a ship, it sure wasn’t Vaughan or the shuttle. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and when he looked up the HUD informed him that his oxygen tank was at fifteen percent. The surrounding atmosphere was breathable, with a little more nitrogen than usual, but he wouldn’t choke on it.

  He’d done it. He grinned. He’d made it inside the hole in reality and wove it shut. The place where it had been would be nearly impossible to find unless you knew where to look. It was a win, unless he accounted for popping back into the world in an alien place.

  It must be the ship they were rescuing. He switched on his communicator.

  “Hey, Vaughan, this is Mystic First Class Dante. I survived if you can believe it. I think I’m on the space wreck, if you could come and pick me up.” He tried the door, and it opened easily. He stepped through, entering an empty hallway lined by plain metal doors. “Tell me you guys made it too, huh?”

  There was no answer. He frowned. He felt like he’d only been gone minutes, but his HUD told him otherwise. He’d used six hours of air, but he couldn’t be sure why. Maybe time moved faster inside the rifts, or maybe what he did cost him more oxygen than expected. At least he hadn’t smothered and wasn’t stuck in that in-between place.

  The corridor curved gently around as he walked. He wanted to take off his heavy suit, but he didn’t know enough about his environment. It could have a virus infecting everyone on board, or a fungus that would take over his brain. There were too many bad scenarios for him to take that gamble.

  Vaughan still hadn’t answered. He tried to figure out how to amp up the signal, but either that wasn’t an option or he wasn’t savvy enough—probably the latter. Plus, he was exhausted. His mind wasn’t working clearly.

  There were electronic panels on the corridor walls, but he had no intent of pushing random buttons. He lingered at one anyway, trying to make sense of the vaguely familiar writing, when a pack of Pirr jogged around the corner.

  Dante stepped back, putting up his hands to shield himself. Thankfully, they didn’t open fire. They did close in, however.

  He backpedaled, looking for a direction to run, but he was encased in fifty pounds of spacesuit. They weren’t. The Pirr were on him, binding his hands behind his back and his ankles together. They then dragged him through the halls, their bony hands digging into his armpits. They held him face down with his head so low all he could see was Pirr boots and polished deck.

  Dante explored his options, but he was in no state to be creative. He was already going quietly, thanks to his slow reactions. He could let that continue until he knew where he was and who he was dealing with. He was physically overpowered, he couldn’t do much about that. If he could leave his body and seek out the others, maybe they could find him.

  It was a flimsy hope, though it was better than none. He closed his eyes and re
laxed, giving in to the mindset that would carry him into the Astral Plane. Something hit him hard enough to dent his helmet.

  “If this body is vacated, it will be sent out the airlock with no suit,” one of the Pirr said in heavily-accented English. “You will stay and speak to commander.”

  Dante looked at the dent in his helmet. The impression was almost deep enough to poke him in the eye. He nodded, then realized they wouldn’t see it. The HUD was gone as well.

  “Got it,” he answered, guessing they couldn’t hear him.

  ***

  Xoa watched the security detail dump the human on the ground, then pry off his helmet. She recognized his facial markings at once. He wasn’t the Mystic she’d dueled, but he must be closely related. His face was flushed pink, and it took him a moment to stop gasping.

  “What are you doing on my ship, human?” she demanded.

  It took him a moment to focus on her. He said something colloquial she couldn’t understand, then tried to rise. The detail stepped in, raising their staves to beat him down.

  “Stop. Untie him,” she ordered.

  To their credit, her people didn’t hesitate. They removed his restraints and took him out of his spacesuit. The coveralls underneath were soaked with sweat. The human tolerated this with a wary look in his eye.

  “Now you may stand, and answer my question.” She folded her arms.

  He stood up with a clumsiness that spoke of numb limbs from cut off circulation. “So, we meet again. I’m still not giving you anything you want.”

  Her crew hissed. Khiann raised her hand, and they stopped. It was natural for him to be defensive, but at the moment, her people were in his debt, even if she was the only one who knew it.

  “Very well. I will tell you my guess, and you will say if I am correct or not. Surely that will do you no harm.” She smiled, showing a hint of her teeth in the human way. Perhaps that would put him at ease. “You are in this place because of a distress call. You are one of the humans Captain McNuggen wishes to collect before she leaves. Am I correct?”

  He raised an eyebrow and looked at the Pirr surrounding him. They held their staves up, ready to attack and looking angry at his disrespect.

  “Yes.”

  “When you saw my ship here, you saw the opportunity to damage my people, as you believe we have done to yours.”

  He snorted. “No.”

  She frowned. “Then explain, and perhaps I will return you to your people. We are not openly enemies. Yet.”

  “I was inside the breach. When it closed, it kicked me out.”

  She smiled. That had the ring of truth. “Did you close it?”

  He didn’t answer, but she had already deduced the answer. While his strange connection to the dragons was repugnant to her, he had at least used his dark powers for the good of all. He had gone into the hole in the world alone, with no help, and not knowing what would become of him afterward. In doing so, he had saved civilians he had no reason to help. In fact, he had every right to despise the Pirr after the cowardly attack on the colony.

  “Very well. We will call your ship. You will be returned to your people. Then you will leave this place, so I may rescue mine.”

  “How do I know you won’t shoot the Vaughan as soon as it gets in range?”

  “Because I say I will not.” She heard her people muttering, but ignored them. Yes, he was questioning her honor, but he believed her people had murdered civilians—and he was right. It was time to make amends and prevent further dishonor.

  “Call the human vessel,” she ordered Yelx.

  He obeyed, and the human captain reappeared. “McNuggen here.”

  “Captain, one of your Mystics found his way onto my ship. I have every intention of returning him with a few conditions.”

  Captain McNuggen staggered at the shock of seeing Dante at Khiann’s side. She regained composure quickly. “Dante. Are you okay? Are they treating you well?”

  “So far, so good. I wouldn’t mind coming home, though.”

  McNuggen nodded, wrinkles forming on her forehead; that seemed to be a sign of deep thought among humans. Khiann gave her the courtesy of waiting until she was finished.

  “I’ll listen, but I’m not in a position to negotiate on Earth Fleet’s behalf. What do you want?”

  Khiann’s smile deepened. “Understood. First, I ask that you leave this place in peace. Second, carry this message back to your masters. In light of your actions, I declare you an honorable people, and you will be treated as such. My leaders will contact yours to negotiate a lasting peace.”

  The captain hesitated.

  Khiann respected her mistrust, but also noted the sudden look of hope, however fleeting. She understood. If the humans had come to her talking of peace, it would be dismissed as a trick. But she could not argue the humans had acted honorably. They had done a great service for the Pirr when they could have turned their backs. Khiann couldn’t let that go unrewarded. When one’s actions are honorable, they are treated with honor until they prove they don’t deserve it.

  “What about the pirates?” McNuggen crossed her arms.

  Khiann wished she could tell the truth, but that would only muddy the waters. “Together, we will remove the threat of piracy from the galaxy,” she promised.

  McNuggen raised her eyebrows, but she nodded. “I accept. We’ll send a shuttle for Dante. As soon as he’s safely aboard, we will depart. Earth Fleet will expect to hear from your leaders.”

  “We are agreed.” Khiann turned to Dante, who looked like he’d been hit too hard in the head. “You will be escorted to our hangar with your belongings. You are my guest and will be treated as such.”

  He nodded slowly, still suspicious, but she could see him beginning to believe. She accompanied him to the hangar with a security escort whose main purpose was to carry Dante’s gear. He was silent on the walk and took his spacesuit without a word.

  When the shuttle from Vaughan docked, he turned and looked at Khiann. “Are you serious about this peace?”

  “I am. Very much so.”

  “I thought you considered us graverobbers.”

  She grimaced. The memory of her failure still rankled. “Your people took a valuable artifact from my people. We will ask for it back as part of the negotiations.”

  “Can you tell me what it does?”

  “No, I cannot.” She set her jaw. Many legends surrounded the Key, but only their priests knew the whole truth. Even if she knew the Key’s secrets, she could never speak of them to an outsider.

  “Was it the reason the dragon watched that planet? To keep your people away from it?” he pressed.

  “You would have to ask the dragon.”

  The shuttle door opened, and a ramp lowered to the deck.

  “I guess that’s my ride. It was nice seeing you again, since you didn’t try to kill me this time.”

  She held up her hands in the sign of peace. “I swore I would not harm you, and I will not. Safe travels, Mystic First Class Dante.”

  “Same to you, Khiann. Peace out.”

  He jogged across the deck and entered the shuttle while she was still puzzling over his strange farewell. By the time the shuttle came to life and rotated while hovering to angle toward space, she decided it was some sort of colloquialism.

  “Peace out,” she murmured to herself, as the shuttle vanished from sight.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Peace came so suddenly no one believed it at first. Ambassadors from Earth Fleet met with the Pirr—this time, on equal ground. The human ambassador returned with a treaty that would keep peace with the Pirr for one year. In that time, they and the Pirr would ‘work together’ to drive the pirates out of business.

  After that, both sides agreed they would meet to negotiate a more lasting peace. Both had something the other wanted. It was just a matter of what they were willing to give up to get it.

  Coraolis dreaded war. He was an explorer and a teacher, not a soldier, so he was elated by the peace t
alks. Julia didn’t say so, but he witnessed her relief, too, when the treaty was announced.

  Now, he had a new role to play; host and peacemaker. He and Julia had received orders the Pirr were sending a pair of representatives to study with human Mystics. Dante and Jack were on their way to Hoi, the Pirr homeworld, to do the same. On Earth, Coraolis and Julia were to show the aliens around and make them comfortable.

  When the Pirr ship arrived, it approached casually, slowing and lowering itself on a cushion of air. It touched down so lightly not even nearby birds were disturbed. It was curiously built, with an exterior that might have been hewn from solid crystal. The vessel was roughly the same size as an E.F. shuttle, but it had traveled to the Solar System without a mothership or runabout to get it through the wormholes.

  Coraolis was fascinated, but he wasn’t about to run up to a strange ship. He’d ask for a tour after he became more familiar with their ‘exchange students.’

  Two figures in black robes stepped off the ship, adjusting their wide hoods to keep their faces in shadow. The ramp retracted into the Pirr vessel as they walked away from it.

  He strode to meet them, trying not to stare at their strange ship. The robes concealed most of their physical features, but the aliens were tall by human standards. He was glad he’d gotten a dossier on them both. The male had a square jaw and was named Honia. The female had a scar on her chin and was called Rry. Those were family names, but he’d been told that using first names would be akin to French kissing an HR rep at a job interview.

  “Hello there. I’m Mystic First Class Coraolis. This is my partner, M1C Ronasuli. We’re your hosts and tour guides for the next six months.” He held out his hand to shake.

  Rry looked at his hand, then at her counterpart. Honia laced his fingers together.

  Julia stepped forward, her own hands at her sides. “We don’t know much of your culture, and I’m guessing you don’t know ours. Why don’t we start with a tour of the Academy, and we can get to know each other?”