Discovery

by KD Jones

  She didn’t hesitate. “I know it will work.”

  This was risky, but was it any riskier than waiting for the Morins to follow the Morinians through the wormhole before enticing them to show themselves? It’s possible they might not show at all. At least with the possibility of cloaking their ship, it would give them a little more advantage before going through the wormhole.

  “What do you need to set it up?”

  “Connect to the main computer.”

  “Help her do that, Lieutenant ComEY.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Second Commander BorIS frowned. “This may not be a good idea.”

  “It might be our only chance to stop the Morins. Disperse more warships to circle the outskirts of the wormhole.”

  BorIS nodded. “Yes, Commander.”

  “Connect with the Morinian commander!”

  A few seconds later, Commander Kayley’s image came up on the screen.

  “Commander LemAN, are you ready for us to go through the wormhole?”

  “Give us a few minutes.”

  Commander Kayley narrowed her eyes. “Are you making us wait as a helpless target? We have no means to defend ourselves.”

  “We will protect you. Teagan has found a way to use the decloaking program to hide your ship. She needs a few minutes to get the program set up.”

  “What if the Morins show up?”

  “They can’t attack while they are cloaked.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  No, he wasn’t. “All the evidence we have points to that conclusion.”

  “Kitana!” Commander Kayley ran a hand over her hair. “How much longer?”

  “We’ll let you know. Keep the line open.”

  He turned to glance at Teagan. “How much longer?”

  “I have the program ready. I just have to click this button here and it should work. We only have to wait on the Morins to show.”

  “Second Commander, get us all coordinated.”

  They waited for what seemed like a really long time but in actuality was only fifteen minutes. Their first sign of the Morins was a detection of radio waves flickering near the Morinian transport.

  “As soon as they decloak, Teagan, click the button. Commander Kayley, stand by. Once you are cloaked, enter the wormhole and, Second Commander, wait for my order to fire on the Morins.”

  The shimmering became more frequent and then the Morin transport came into view. “Now, Teagan!”

  They watched as the Morinians’ ship disappeared. “Commander Kayley, it’s a go.” The Morinian ship went inside the wormhole just as the Morins started to fire on them. “Fire all weapons at the Morins! Do not let them get through the wormhole!”

  *****

  Teagan watched in shock and horror as the monitor showed the battle going on. The Morin transport deployed its own warships to battle the Katierans, trying to give it time to escape through the wormhole, but LemAN ordered the main weapons to fire on the Morin transport. She felt helpless but she had to add one more reminder.

  “Oh, make sure they get the satellite dish on its hull to keep them from cloaking again!”

  “You heard her, Lieutenant ComEY. Blast that satellite dish!”

  She felt her fingers clutching the edge of seat she was sitting in. The tension was so great it could be cut with a knife. The battle took on a new level as somehow the Morin transport managed to lag itself through the wormhole.

  Teagan glanced back at LemAN in concern. He opened communications.

  “This is Commander LemAN. The Morin transport has gone through the wormhole after taking major hits. Do you have the Morinian ship safe?”

  “This is Prime Commander ConEL. The Morinians just arrived and we are escorting them to a safe distance.”

  “Let me know when the Morins surface.”

  It felt like an eternity as they waited. Teagan wondered why they didn’t go through the wormhole, too. She must have asked it out loud because ComEY answered her back.

  “We need to remain on this side to make sure they don’t come back through.”

  “I always assumed the wormhole was like a vacuum.”

  “It has its own gravitational pull at the opening but once inside anything can happen as you are traveling at an accelerated speed.”

  “The Morin transport has come through,” the other Katieran commander reported.

  LemAN turned toward Second Commander BorIS. “Take us through the wormhole.”

  “Everyone prepare for speed acceleration!”

  Suddenly LemAN was next to her, strapping her in. This was different than the last time but they were also going through at a faster rate, like a speeding bullet caught up in a tornado.

  Inside the wormhole was full of incredible, swirling colors despite the entrance appearing dark. She felt weird but it was because of their speed which added to the inertia she felt.

  They were out on the other side in minutes and she was grateful to be sitting down because she was overwhelmed with dizziness.

  “Commander, the transport is dead in space!”

  What? She looked up at the monitor and saw the Morin transport doing nothing. The Katieran warships had inflicted some serious damage on it. “Wow.”

  “Get me Prime Commander ConEL.”

  “He’s on the line, Commander.”

  “What’s the status of the captured transport?”

  “Most of those left on board the ship are dead or suffered severe injuries. We believe that some of the crew used shuttles to flee while inside the wormhole. Did you encounter any of them or their warships?”

  LemAN growled. “We accelerated our speed so it’s possible we passed them.”

  Teagan frowned. “Why would they abandon their transport? They couldn’t possibly make it very far on shuttles and warships without refueling.”

  “Prime Commander, do you have anyone on board that transport who can get answers?”

  “Stand by.”

  The next thing Teagan saw was a huge flash as the Morin transport blew up. The fire and debris blew outward and hit their transport, knocking them off kilter. Alarms went off and the lights were flashing. She would have fallen to the floor if she had not been strapped in. Many of the others were not so lucky.

  “LemAN?” she called out. She sighed in relief when she saw him get to his feet.

  He glanced her way before calling out, “Damage report?”

  “Hull damage and part of the docking bay has been hit. All power is being rerouted to life support and shutting off corridors that are too close to damaged areas.”

  “Any crew casualties?”

  “None.”

  “Hail Prime Commander ConEL and Commander Kayley to check on their state.”

  “Both report minor damages.”

  Teagan sat there still reeling from what had happened while LemAN gave orders to his crew and checked the updated status on the docking bay. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there but jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at LemAN’s concerned expression.

  “What?”

  “Let me take you to the medic wing.”

  “Why? I’m not hurt.” She tried to unbuckle her strap but couldn’t. LemAN leaned down to help.

  “Baby, you’re shaking.”

  “I am?” She looked at her hands and, sure enough, they were trembling really bad. No wonder she couldn’t unhook her strap. “It’s just shock.”

  He lifted her in his arms and carried her off the command bridge despite her protests that she was fine. Giving up arguing with him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

  It felt so good to be in his arms. He was unhurt, she was unhurt, and that was all that mattered. She whispered against his ear, “I love you, LemAN.”

  He looked down at her in surprise and then his face lit up with joy but he didn’t say it back. It was a little disappointing but she understood his reservations. He’d lost a mate and child, and that kind of devasta
tion was hard to get past. She would be patient with him and love him until he felt safe enough to love her back. He was worth the wait.

  *****

  LemAN tightened his grip on his mate as he carried her to the medic wing. He had to fight his instincts to go to her as he gave orders. He had to make sure the ship was secure or they could face an attack if another Morin transport was close by.

  There was no way that the Morins would abandon their transport in deep space without having backup. This was not the last they’d seen of the Morins—not by a long shot.

  Chapter 18

  An hour later

  “LemAN, I’m fine. The medics said as much. What’s happening with the Morins? Any sign of them?” Once the medics had checked her over thoroughly and cleared her, LemAN carried her back to their quarters and laid her in bed. He worried over her and she was getting frustrated and antsy.

  “Nothing, which is troubling. We’ve sent a transport back through the wormhole to look for shuttles or warships. All they’ve found was small residue left from burning fuel. No warship or shuttle could survive this far out in deep space without refueling from a transport.”

  “Did you warn Toro that they could still be a target?”

  “Yes, and we will be leaving a transport on each side of the wormhole. I don’t know how they could have disappeared.”

  Teagan bit her bottom lip as she thought about it. “The shuttles and warships have a beacon that acts like a satellite transmitter. If they have set up on a luna or another planet with a satellite relay, they could possibly transmit to their shuttles and warships to help cloak them. The only problem with that is the range. With a transport, it moves with their warships and shuttles but if they are at a stationary location, they would not be able to go far.”

  “You think they cloaked their smaller ships and sent them back through the wormhole?”

  “The Balar detected them on their side so it makes sense that the Morins may have found a planet that gave them coverage and allowed them to regroup. There could even be more transports that come back to the planet they are using to replenish their supplies.”

  LemAN stood up and reached for his comm link. “Will you be okay if I leave you here?”

  “Of course. Go do what you need to do.”

  He bent down once more and kissed her on the lips briefly before leaving. She wished she was going with him. She hated sitting there doing nothing. When the transport was hit from the debris of the explosion, she had worried about LemAN. She couldn’t lose him, not now that she’d found him.

  She’d told him she loved him but he didn’t say it back. Did he need to say the words? His every look and touch showed her how he felt for her. Maybe he was scared to say how he really felt because of his dead mate. She felt guilty for being a little jealous.

  The other woman may have had him when he was younger and more optimistic. That wasn’t who he was now. LemAN was smart, strong, sexy, determined, cautious, wise, and gentle. This was who she was completely and helplessly in love with. He was also a little scared to open himself up fully to being hurt again, and she understood that.

  Teagan was patient and strong enough to hold on until he was finally about to say the words she knew were in his heart. The way he cared for her, worrying about whether she was warm or cold, hungry or even bored, showed that she was always on his mind. He would eventually admit his true feelings. She would love him and make sure he knew it.

  *****

  LemAN wanted to go back to check on Teagan but had a job to do. Doing his job would ensure her safety and the safety of his crew. People counted on him to push aside his feelings and do what he must.

  The medics had cleared Teagan. She would be fine. Emptying his mind of everything but what he needed to do next, he entered his ready room. His second commander was already there waiting for him.

  “I have Prime Commander ConEL on the line,” BorIS said.

  “Put him on.” A moment later, ConEL’s image appeared on his monitor. “Prime Commander, have you found anything on your end?”

  “No. It doesn’t make sense that they seem to have disappeared.”

  “My mate, Teagan, the one who developed a way to decloak the Morin transport ship and helped to cloak the Morinian transport, believes that the Morins may have a land base close by that is helping to cloak the smaller ships.”

  “That could be on either side of the wormhole. What range are we looking for?”

  “I did not ask her but when the transport was using its satellite dish to create the cloak it could possibly cloak few miles out. I would assume it would be a few miles from the wormhole for a stationary base.”

  “I will have a transport on both sides of the wormhole start to look for the base. You will need to return to Katiera to give your crew a break and to do more repairs,” ConEL said.

  “I promised the Morinian leader and council that I would personally escort them to the Colonial Planet. They’ve placed their trust in me and I feel obligated to ensure their safety.”

  “Very well. Once you’ve escorted them to the Colonial Planet, report in.”

  “Yes, Commander.” He ended communications and turned to Second Commander BorIS, who did not look happy about the situation.

  “I hate leaving with the Morins still out there. We should be here hunting them down.”

  LemAN understood his position. If it weren’t for Teagan, he might have even made the same argument, but he made a promise and he intended to see it through. “We will escort the Morinians and do our duty.”

  “I’ll prepare the crew for departure and coordinate with Commander Kayley.”

  “Thank you. Could you send Lieutenant ComEY in to see me? I want him to work with Teagan on trying to get a search radius for this stationary base.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  It was imperative that they get the Morin situation under control. He wished he was able to have questioned the few Morins that had remained on the Morin transport before it blew up. Prime Commander ConEL didn’t say anything but they both felt the loss of their own warriors who had boarded that ship. Their families would have to be notified. Warriors understood that each mission could be dangerous but life was still precious.

  *****

  The knock on the door surprised her. She had fallen asleep on the bed an hour ago. She got up and went to open it, and found Lt. ComEY was there.

  “Hi. Is there something you need?”

  “Commander LemAN wanted me to work with you on trying to get a radius to go by for the stationary base the Morins might be using.”

  “Oh. Yeah, we should do that. Come on in.” She moved out of the way so he could enter. Heat rose to her cheeks when he glanced over at the unmade bed. “I was taking a nap.”

  “Were you injured from the explosion? I could work on this on my own if you’re not up to it.”

  “Just some bruises and I went into a bit of shock, trembling like crazy. The medics said that I was fine, though. Let’s do this thing.”

  He shook his head and smiled. “Your Earth sayings are so funny.”

  She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a glare. “Well, I’m sorry for talking weird.”

  He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay…you’re only human.” He laughed at her surprise.

  She cracked up. “I’m starting to rub off on you, my friend.”

  “I don’t think that’s a compliment.”

  “Probably not.”

  Teagan reached for her digital tablet, which she didn’t even remember holding onto and taking to the medic wing. Maybe LemAN brought it or had someone bring it back here.

  “You seem distracted. Have you eaten anything yet?” ComEY asked.

  God, she had no idea when she last ate. Her stomach growled and they both laughed.

  ComEY spoke into his comm link. “This is Lieutenant ComEY. Could you bring two specials with Katieran juice to Commander LemAN’s quarters? Thank you.”

  “You didn’t have to
do that.”

  “I don’t want to listen to your stomach growl and deal with your mean hunger attitude.”

  She laughed. “I do get hangry when I don’t eat. Thanks, ComEY.”

  “Any time. Now, let’s get this radius defined.”

  “Right.” She pulled up her program but all that showed her was how close they needed to be to decloak the Morin transport. “Could you pull the records of every time a Morin transport appeared and time it?”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “If we look at the timing based on speed maybe we can determine it. Also, we managed to cloak the Morinians so we can look at that distance. It won’t be exact but should give a pretty narrow radius.”

  “The first time the Morins used the luna near Balar to amplify their cloaking. With satellite dishes on the transport they can cloak while moving from one location to another. What I don’t understand is them using a base location. It seems too dangerous to remain in a stationary location.”

  “The luna was a large satellite transmitter that could amplify. Wherever they are, they’re going to need a luna, too. So when we narrow the radius, we need to take into consideration any planets that have large lunas,” Teagan said.

  “You know, you have an amazing mind. If you weren’t taken…”

  “But I am, and you better not forget it.”

  “You love him—the commander—don’t you?”

  “I do. He’s everything to me.”

  “Does he know this?”

  She nodded.

  “For what it’s worth, I think he’s in love with you, too. The way he looks at you, talks about you, is a male that is completely obsessed with a female. Be prepared for him being a little more protective of you after what happened to his previous mate. It may take him a little while to open up about his feelings.”

  “I know.” They didn’t say anything else as they concentrated on their work. She didn’t even notice when the food arrived until ComEY stuck a plate in front of her face.

  “Thanks, I’m starving.”

  Chapter 19

  Three days later