RESURRECTION (RIBUS 7, #5)

by Shae Mills

  Chelan’s breathing hitched. She stretched up to him and took his lips with hers. She consumed him passionately, and then she stepped back from him, her dark eyes hard. “For now, where you go, I go. We will face all together. And if need be, we will face oblivion together.”

  Korba straightened defiantly, but then sobered at the look of the stubborn, stern determination etched on her pretty features. “So be it. I will relent this once. You will accompany me to the Command Center, but there only. After that, we will discuss your future pertaining to RIBUS 7’s volatile decks. Is that an acceptable compromise for now?”

  Chelan smiled slyly. Pressing him back against the console, her hands reached beneath his shroud, releasing him from his uniform. “It is done,” she whispered as she sank to her knees before him.

  Korba gripped the console for support and gritted his teeth. “Damn you, woman—you control all of me. From my head to my loins.”

  Chelan smiled, her long tongue and hot mouth taking him expertly. “It is as it should be, my Lord,” she whispered. “You are mine.”

  Chapter 14

  THE FIGHTERS LANDED silently in the hangar on RIBUS 7. The hoods slid back. All eyes, previously studying sensors, now studied the bleak surroundings. Chelan drew in a deep breath, itching to remove the cumbersome space suit that enclosed her body. “What do the sensors indicate?”

  Korba rose from the cockpit slowly. “This area appears secure, as does the Command Center. And I know what you are thinking. But for now, we will all remain encased in our suits. Systems can fail in an instant. Our uniforms protect against much, but she is so volatile at the moment, she could throw much at us that our uniforms could not hope to defend against. Plus we need the oxygen, just in case.”

  “I completely understand.” Chelan rose in the cockpit of the fighter, but then stood still, surveying the personal hangar. With the muted lighting and with no crews bustling around, it was eerie. Fighters and transports, untouched for years, hovered just above the floor, ready to be taken by ghosts that haunted her decks. The formerly silky ebony surfaces were now covered by a fine grayish powder, relegating them to the archives of a once glorious time.

  Chelan looked down and accepted Korba’s hand as he descended. Then she glanced up at him just as her feet touched the hangar deck. Over his black uniform was the same bulkier outfit also made of the strange ebony fiber that made up their uniforms and shrouds. But this material was coated to inhibit its inherent porosity. It was sealed, airtight. A small generator was contained within for supplying air if needed, or for purifying what was available. The helmet was no different from what she normally wore, but she was nonetheless uncomfortable. For so long she had been used to the freedom of the uniform alone, or her supple white gown. But she knew it was prudent to be dressed like this. Korba and all the accompanying men wore the same garb.

  His hand touched her shoulder, urging her forward. “Let us head straight for the Command Center.”

  Chelan nodded and began to follow behind several escorts, all heavily armed and carrying a variety of sensors. Korba’s hand once again touched her, this time his grasp tight upon her arm. They stopped as the guards began entering codes at the first set of doors. Korba’s grip was almost painful, but she appreciated the comfort it afforded her, and she felt herself pressing into his side just in case.

  She watched as the doors opened wearily. Only then did Chelan take another breath. Korba’s grip relaxed minimally, and they started out into the corridor.

  Here, except for the ever-present dust, all seemed normal apart from the unnerving silence. The deep hum of the vessel that had become so much a part of her soul, the ship’s lifeblood, was silent.

  At the security doors to the Command Center, the procession halted. The guards flanked the door, and Chelan felt Korba hesitate. The codes in a lockdown situation were known only to himself and to Fremma, and so the contingent accompanying them waited patiently.

  Chelan felt him push her toward one of the guards, the powerful man taking her protectively in his arms. Two more giants stepped in front of them, barring her view and protecting her from any minor calamities.

  Korba took a deep breath. “Quarick?”

  “My Lord, all sensors indicate clear. Previous rovers scanned the area for ordnance. None were detected.”

  “Pressure differences?”

  “None, my Lord.”

  “Gravity?”

  “Stable.”

  “Air chemistry?”

  “Acceptable and also stable.”

  Korba straightened his shoulders, the large lazgun at his back adjusting to its master. Chelan knew the risks, and she had insisted on facing them with her mate. But at this moment, her fear was consuming her. The erratic, unpredictable energy fields could flare at any time, roasting them where they stood. She pressed into the man who held her, his strong arms embracing her tighter still.

  Korba took off the shield on his helmet and stared at the retinal scanners. Step one... complete.

  He replaced the shield and began entering the sequence of overriding codes, ever so slowly. Then... nothing.

  Chelan felt her protector stiffen.

  An engineer stepped forward. “It may be simply stuck from years of disuse. The space dust, it is everywhere.”

  Korba nodded. “Probes have entered, undoubtedly by force. We could have come via the personal entrance at the end of the workout area, but the chemical sensors would have long ago ceased to function. Plus they would have been adjusted for Fremma’s use only, and so the main entrance was the logical entry point. Brute force persuaded them before, and will again.”

  Chelan strained in the man’s arms to see. Korba braced himself, placing his fingers in the crack between the doors. Another man did the same, and then they each pulled as hard as they could. Suddenly, with a snap, the doors parted.

  Chelan practically collapsed against the guard. She felt his muscles relax, and then he righted her.

  “It is okay, my Lady,” he whispered.

  Chelan swallowed and looked up into the dark helmet. “Your name, sir?”

  “Drey, my Lady. I used to work under Lazen.”

  Chelan straightened further. “Thank you, Drey. I appreciate your protection.”

  “Always, my Lady.”

  Chelan finally stood strong and turned to see Korba waiting for her. The guards had already flooded in and fanned out, several heading for the workout area.

  Chelan stepped in by Korba’s side. “My god,” she croaked.

  Korba looked about. He too was in awe.

  Chelan walked to the top of the stairs and did a full circle. “It is as if we never left.”

  Korba nodded and began to walk away, but Chelan froze. “Korba!” she called out.

  He whirled about, all the guards snapping to attention, weapons drawn.

  She looked down. “Where is the space dust?”

  Korba went to speak but then his jaw clenched. He sought out one of his men. “Alon, you are the head of engineering. Why is this not contaminated like the rest of the ship?”

  Alon nodded. “It was not breached, my Lord. You have seen how tightly the doors jam when they close. And before the probes, and now us, she has always been sealed.”

  Chelan watched all the men relax slightly. But she did not. Suddenly, she was striding past Korba, headed for the workout area and the vast expanse of blue water. The guards immediately were on the run, flanking her protectively.

  Korba ran up behind her and yanked her to a halt. “What are you doing?”

  Chelan looked into his blackened helmet. “She is not completely sealed. The ventilation system is functioning. It would carry the dust in.”

  Korba shook his head. “It is filtered, my Lady. The air...” His words trailed off. He grabbed Chelan to him and drew the rifle off his back. “Alon!” he boomed.

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “With the debris from battle and the space dust over the years, how long till the filters would fai
l?”

  “Well, with the decontamination systems intact and the scrubbers fully functional, they would...” He paused, his body going rigid. “They would have failed long before now, my Lord.”

  Chelan nodded. “And look at the pool. It appears fully maintained. I do not know a thing about derelict space junk, but that pool should not look like this after all these years.”

  All eyes skirted to the pool. Chelan twisted in Korba’s arms, lurching away from him. Instantly she bolted back to the Command Center. Before any of the men could reach her, she stopped in the middle of the massive room. She yanked off her helmet and took her first deep breath.

  Korba raced up to her, his heart pounding, but once beside her, he remained still, unwilling to disturb her. All eyes were focused on the alien beauty as she closed hers. With one arm outstretched, the other cradling her helmet, she turned slowly in a full circle. When finally she stopped, she hung her head.

  Korba peered at her warily. “Chelan?” he whispered.

  She looked up at him as he withdrew his helmet, his ebony hair cascading down his back.

  “Chelan,” he repeated.

  She smiled. “We are safe here. I can feel it.”

  Korba hesitated. “You can feel what?”

  “A presence... An energy, maybe? I have no idea, actually. What I feel on the ship is different from what I have felt elsewhere, but whoever or whatever it is, we are safe here.” She looked at the main entrance doors. Then she began toward them. Frantic looks from the men sought out Korba, all his guards awaiting his command. But he signaled them to stillness.

  Chelan clutched her hands to her chest. She stopped just short of the doors. Then she turned to Korba. “They are no longer jammed, my Lord. They are once again fully functional.”

  Korba swallowed. “Please, my Lady. Let our men test them. And they need to reassess the external environment before the doors are opened once again.”

  Chelan returned to the men. “I understand. But it will be fine. I do not know why I know that, but I do.”

  Korba nodded to the engineers. Two of them approached the doors warily while watching their sensors, and to everyone’s dismay, the doors parted soundlessly, effortlessly.

  Chelan smiled. “We are safe here,” she repeated in a whisper.

  All eyes were back on Korba, once again awaiting his orders. The Emperor took a moment to contain himself. Then he spoke. “This is as far as we go today. We need an explanation as to why this area is so pristine. It should not be thus. The filter life expired long ago; the air should be stale or nonexistent. And either way, the ventilation systems should have brought in dust.”

  He turned to Alon. “You and most of the crew will stay here. I want answers. I want the vent systems torn apart if necessary. I also want a full report on the filters.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “Mennick!”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “You will return to RIBUS 1 with us. I want your crews to get together with Salinger. I want every remote scan of this ship studied scrupulously. I want to know if there are any other areas like this, completely debris free.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  Korba drew in a deep breath and looked at the inert Command Center. Then he leaned in close to Chelan. “I suppose it would simply activate as if it had never been down,” he breathed into her ear.

  Chelan grinned and then closed her eyes. “Yes, my Lord. It would. I know it.”

  “That is it!” he shouted to all. “We are out of here.” He grabbed Chelan by the arm, capping her roughly with her helmet as he ushered her back to the fighters.

  BACK IN THE COMMAND Center on RIBUS 1, Korba paced like a caged animal. Chelan, now in her white gown, could only stare at him from where she was seated. “I wish you would relax.”

  He stopped suddenly and stared at her incredulously. “Relax? Once again you speak of ghostlike entities, my Lady. Yet all explanations defy what we just experienced. I am a warrior, not an engineer or a theoretical physicist, but I know how my ship runs. Someone or something has cleaned that area up.”

  Chelan shrugged. “Sensors indicate that cannot be the case.”

  “Sensors can fail.”

  “Not all of them all at once.”

  Korba glared at her and then slumped into a chair next to her. He held his head wearily in his palm. “True, but they can be tampered with.”

  Chelan looked down. “Let us not think of it until all the reports are in. There will be a logical explanation, I know it.”

  Korba let his head fall back. “I hope so, my Lady. I have lived too long to begin believing in your ghosts now.”

  Chapter 15

  CHELAN SAT ON THE FLOOR of the suite rolling a ball just past Shanna. The little girl ran it down, and then, giggling hysterically, threw it at her mother with all her might. Jason sat nearby, a large smile on his face. Chelan caught the ball as it narrowly missed hitting her in the head. She rolled it again, this time directly to Shanna, who deftly scooped it up. But instead of returning it to her mother, Shanna heaved it at Jason, the ball connecting squarely with his shoulder. “Hey!” he shouted playfully.

  He was winding up to throw it back to her when Chelan’s voice halted him in mid cast. “Gentle, Master Jason. I have seen you practicing in the training halls. Your sister will not sustain one of your full-fledged volleys.”

  Jason smiled almost deviously and then tossed the ball at Shanna underhand.

  Chelan nodded her approval and looked up just as the doors opened. “Good morning, Marri,” she greeted.

  “My Lady,” the warrior replied with a smile. “And how is the happy family this morning?”

  Chelan stood and smoothed her gown. “Well, Jason has a wicked arm for his age, and Shanna is all over the place, continually.”

  Marri nodded. “Jason most certainly does. In the training halls, his ability with a blade is already readily apparent. And Shanna is indeed all over the place. Her activity levels are exceptional.”

  Chelan’s brows rose. “I am not even familiar with the children of my world. But I do know that I have never seen a nine-month-old child run as gracefully as she. Most barely toddle at that age, if at all.”

  Marri adeptly ducked the ball hurled at her by Jason and then watched as Shanna went scurrying after it. “That is her father’s blood. All things will come sooner to her, even sooner than the other children ascending through the Guild.”

  Chelan sat in one of the large easy chairs. “Is that good or bad?”

  Marri sat in a chair beside her. “It depends, I guess. She will not be a baby for long.” Marri’s azure eyes penetrated Chelan. “Should you wish another, I would start planning now.”

  Chelan shook her head very decidedly. “No, even with your help, the two of them keep me more than busy. As it is, I have so little time with Korba. Thankfully, he returns to me at nights... his nights, that is.”

  “One of the pitfalls of being bound to the Emperor, I should surmise.”

  Chelan smiled as she watched her children. “One of the pitfalls of being bound to an Iceanean man. Add in his role, his ability to function fully on only hours of sleep per week if necessary, and a seemingly inexhaustible energy level that goes far beyond the norm by any standard, and I am lucky to see him at all.”

  Marri stared at Chelan. “How is it going with the ship?”

  Chelan sighed. “Very well and very quickly, I am told. But everything seems at a snail’s pace to me.”

  Marri grinned. “You are too eager to roam her decks.”

  “I guess, but Korba has made it clear that she is still off-limits even though we have been here for two months already.”

  Marri looked away. “I honestly have not had the time to keep up with the reports. I take it the results of the tests were not to his liking?”

  Chelan furrowed her brow. “The biggest mystery remains the Command Center. The filters were found to be fully functional and clean, and that explains the pristine air an
d the lack of debris.” Chelan hesitated. “But they should have malfunctioned years ago under the circumstances. It is as though someone or something has been maintaining them, and that has Korba on edge.”

  “What of the rest of the ship?”

  “There are other areas that are the same, most with connecting corridors, and all with power.”

  Marri sat back. “You know, someone could have been using her before we got here. They may have fled upon our arrival.”

  Chelan nodded. “Korba is looking into that possibility, although none of the hangar decks looked as though they have had any use. They have gone back through all the initial pictures taken before any landings were made by us or salvage crews, and nothing looks disturbed. And we know no one is on board her now.”

  Marri watched the children. “I suppose there are many ways to enter a breached ship other than the hangar decks,” she offered almost absently.

  Chelan became very still, and then she lurched to her feet. “You are right.”

  Marri looked up at her warily. “Oh no—I know that look! What are you up to?”

  “Think of it, Marri. If someone had made intermittent use of the ship, who would they be?”

  Marri shrugged. “Pirates? Scavengers, I would imagine. Salvage crews now aligned with us, maybe?”

  Chelan shook her head. “Then why would the fighters not be gone? Why would so many vast weapons arsenals be untouched?”

  Marri sat in silence for a moment. “I... um... Good point. What are you suggesting?”

  Chelan nearly shook with excitement. “Survivors,” she whispered.

  Marri looked up at her with wide eyes. “You cannot be serious.”

  “No, Marri, listen. The restored areas—someone could do that only if they had intimate knowledge of the ship. Who has that besides the crew?”