by Viola Grace
She leaned back on the wall and stuck her feet out. "I know. It is just a bit of a shock when it came at me so suddenly."
"Time was a factor. I can only get away between assignments, so as soon as it was confirmed that you were accepted into the guard, I had to come and get you." He locked down the implements of their snack, letting the other Multi at the navigator station join with him.
"Does that hurt?"
"Not really. More of a snap, like cracking your knuckles." He shook his shoulders and stepped into the body in the command chair.
She got out of the bunk and folded it back, locking it into the wall. She slid into the navigator seat and buckled in.
"When did you know?" She knotted her fingers together and put them in her lap.
"Know what?"
"That you were different, that you would never have what everyone around you seemed to find so easily." She kept her gaze focussed out the view screen, watching moons get closer and a planet loom beyond.
He didn't speak for several moments. "I was ten or so, at a friend's birthday. We were playing hide and hunt and I split into six. I can shield my mind, but my friends found me anyway. Then they found me again, and by the time I walked out of the woods in my sixth body, parents were looking at each other in concern and my friends were being taken home."
She didn't say anything. She knew the looks in those faces. Condemnation, fear, contempt, Drahali had seen them all.
"The next day, my parents took me to a genetic specialist and determined that I was a naturally occurring mutation. A random event."
Dra muttered, "I hate being random."
His laugh surprised them both. "Me, too. After that, I finished school and went into public service as an emergency responder. My talent copies whatever I am wearing, so I was a one man crew."
"How did the guard find you?"
"I applied." He held up a hand and flicked on a com. "This is Multi requesting landing access on Teklan."
"Multi, good to hear from you. Spot is open on the tarmac for you. Greet Grav as well, would you?"
"Will do. Grav, is it?"
"We will discuss it when she arrives, but yes. Gravity sits beside you."
He disconnected the call and turned to her. "Our commanding officer has spoken. You have been given the call sign of Gravity. I wonder what the scans turned up."
"You are wondering? I am going wild with curiosity."
Their shuttle continued to hurtle through space until he brought them down on a glowing, living world. Dra gripped her hand rests but watched the base get larger and larger. Until they skidded to a halt on the tarmac.
"Is this it?"
He took a deep breath and announced in serious tones. "This is Teklan."
She burst out laughing and he joined her. They were still laughing when they emerged from the shuttle and walked to the base.
"Remind me that I have to call my mother."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a light squeeze. "Call your mother."
She elbowed him in the ribs just as a Dhemon came toward them.
Chapter Six
"Gravity, please to meet you. I am General Brodin or Might if you prefer. I understand that we share a talent for strength." He extended his hand and Drahali allowed him to kiss the back of her knuckles in Dhema fashion.
"Apparently, but you know more about my talent than I do. All I know is that I have not run across anything I could not lift." She smiled politely, but Remar's arm around her tightened.
It took her a few seconds to recognise what was happening. He was jealous. She froze in shock while General Brodin led them to his offices. Her feet moved along on automatic as she absorbed the realization that Remar was acting in a possessive manner and it was not subtle. She had seen her brothers acting in similar manners at matchmaking events. Usually, the women moved away, but occasionally, one stayed in a male's grasp and let him press his suit.
Dra wanted to see how enthusiastically he pursued her. She was beginning to enjoy the anticipation and she knew it was a bad sign.
"Is there a way for me to call my parents? I promised them I would make contact when I arrived on Teklan."
"Of course, as soon as we go over your medical stats." He tapped a data pad and the door opened behind him.
A pale, elegant woman came in, her suit armoured with panels. She had a thick cascade of navy blue hair and a pleasant demeanour.
The general smiled. "Reset, so glad you could join us. This is Gravity and you have met Multi, of course."
Reset took a seat in the third seat positioned next to the General's desk. "Of course. A very interesting talent. Drahali, I am very pleased to meet you. So, what do you want to know about how it works?"
"Um, everything. Why can I lift so much weight?"
"Your body produces a gravity cancelling field. If you can touch it, you can lift it."
"Why can I smash things?"
"You can also increase the effect of gravity against your skin, pulling things to you or causing them to collapse under their own weight."
Wow, that made sense. Dra tried to come up with another question. "Can I do it so that it lasts longer than my direct contact?"
Reset grinned. "We can do some experiments if you like. Has Multi explained the name thing to you?"
"No. aside from us all having two of them. That is all I was told."
Reset looked at both men in the room and scowled. "Of course. We go by our given names when on base or in between assignments. I am Gralial, but you can call me Gray. Our names are to keep our friends or families back on our home worlds safe."
"That makes sense. If they don't know who we are, they can't hunt our families."
"That is the idea." She smiled and the genuine expression made something inside Drahali's chest ease a little.
"Some of the guard wear masks and we could install one if you like."
"I don't think that is necessary. Eorghani aren't really that uncommon." She shrugged. Her people had dozens of worlds across the Alliance.
"Fair enough. Remar, do you want to come with us to experiment?"
"No. I will discuss a few things with General Brodin before I restock the shuttle. He mentioned sending us out in short order."
"Okay, we will make this quick then. First to the com centre and then to the gym." Gray held out her hand to Dra and she smiled as she took the pale digits.
Up and out of her chair, she only had time to give a quick look behind her before the door swung shut and Gray was pulling her through the halls. True to her word, the com centre was their first stop.
Drahali took the position that the officer left open for her and began to place what she knew would be a very long call. "This will take a while."
"Don't count on it. Everything we do is routed through the relay network." The com officer smiled.
A chime announced that her call had completed, as quickly as the speed of thought.
Nrahali Delnin smiled on the other side. "Hello, Dra. How are you doing? Is everything going well?"
"Yes, Mama. I am on Teklan and getting used to the uniform. It feels strange and I have to wear shoes, but everything is going well."
"Excellent. I will tell your father. He and the others are shifting that mill wheel for some stupid reason. When will you call again?"
"I don't know, Mama. I have heard something about an assignment that I am to go on. I will contact you after that. Know that I am well and keep an eye on Papa. He shouldn't be lifting things like that."
"He isn't. He's supervising. Have a good day, love. We are proud of you."
Tears pricked her eyes and Drahali took a deep breath. "Thank you. I will try to be worthy of your pride. Have a good day, Mama."
She disconnected the call and sat back, getting her emotions under control. Gray gave her a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's do something to take your mind off it."
Knowing a good idea when she heard it, Dra got to her feet and followed
the base physician to the gym.
"Now, we don't need a lot of weight, but we do need the reinforced floor. This should do it." Gray lifted a small hand weight and placed it on the floor near the weight bench. "Try to make it heavy from where you are standing."
Drahali frowned at the weight, but Gray lifted it without trouble.
"You pick it up and put it down. That might be it."
Two hours of trial and error later and Drahali managed to get the hand weight to stay put with the equivalent force of a thousand kilos while she was standing fifteen feet away.
Gray squealed happily and hugged her. "You did it!"
Dra was grinning. "Now, we just need to see how long it lasts."
They started testing it with Gray trying to move it every five minutes. It lasted twenty-five minutes before Drahali's influence wore off.
"That is the neatest thing. I never would have thought to try something like that back home."
"That is what the base medical officers are for--to figure out your talent and help you use it to your utmost. That and we patch up boo-boos if you get injured." Gray giggled.
"You are too funny."
Her new friend smiled. "I am now. I used to have a different name before I got my soul back. Hard hearted."
"Ouch. What do you mean 'got your soul back?' A soul can't be removed."
"It can if a minder is involved. Every dream, hope, bit of laughter and joy was drained from me and kept in an orb on my family's ship. Mist helped me get it back."
"Mist?"
"My partner. Canil Warks. Code named Mist. He forms a sort of tensile fog that can get through the teeniest cracks or form a fog bank for cover."
"I see. I have noticed that most of the Guardsmen that Multi told me about are all in mating pairs."
"They are. It is how Commander picks our partners. The girls are usually the last to know."
"Is there a way I could meet with Commander?"
"Of course. I will make the arrangements." Gralial smiled.
A throat cleared in the doorway and they both turned to face Multi.
"Our assignment has come through. We should be going. The shuttle is refuelled and supplied."
Drahali hugged Gray and smiled when the taller woman returned it. "See you soon."
Having made a female friend for the first time in her adult life, Drahali walked out of the gym with a spring it her step. It was time for her first assignment.
Chapter Seven
"So, we have to act as guards at the Alliance summit on Jorkilo?" She was too busy reading the assignment summary to get nervous about the take-off.
"And make sure that the data crystals don't leave the boardroom. Are you up for this?"
Gravity thought about it. "Of course. I can't join the guard if I don't take assignments. Why us?"
"The officers of Teklan are more circumspect than those of the other bases. We are just classier." He grinned at her and to her surprise, he winked.
"You compete with the other bases?"
"No. But all of the bases have specialities. Morganti has a reputation for negotiation and crowd control. Udell is the battle base. They answer for violent hostage situations and raider attacks. Station 13 is a science base with an interest in conforming planets."
"And Teklan?"
"Investigations. Investigations so far have included thefts, assassinations and derelict ships that could be leaking radiation. Reset and Mist handle those."
"They are impervious to radiation?"
"More or less. Reset can simply fix herself and Mist…well, Mist's people are rules unto themselves." He punched in their destination and turned in his chair. "How did you enjoy your first bases?"
"They were fine. I really enjoyed meeting Gralial. I don't think I have made a female friend in years." She devoured the specs for the building and measured distances in her mind. "It looks simple enough. How long will we be there?"
"Until the conference is over. Could be three days or three weeks."
She looked up and blinked in surprise. "I don't have enough clothing."
"Fixer made you five suits. They are in the storage bay at the back. We will also be assigned quarters in the area so that you can rest as you require."
A trill of relief ran through her. "I don't have to stay on the ship?"
"No. They provide us with lodgings." He got up from the command chair and went to the back. "I almost forgot. This is your credit band. It will lock into your cuff if you put it on. You currently have your first year's wages on it."
"All at once?"
"Our jobs are dangerous, you know. There has to be time to play and you now have received enough credits to play on any Alliance base or planet."
She took it with shaking fingers. "Can I buy presents for my family?"
"It is your money. Your clothing and food are taken care of by the guard, as is your medical care and transport. You won't want for anything." He helped her tuck it in to her cuff and the suit snapped in around it. "When it comes time to pay, simply swipe it over the data pad and press your thumb to the plate and your total will be deducted."
"That easy? Back home, we have a card or cash system."
"That easy. Morganti also has a wonderful seamstress of l'nal extraction who enjoys making clothing for the members of the guard."
"That sounds like fun. I would like to see Mala and the little ones again. Maybe one day." She smiled. "For now, what do I need to know about this summit?"
Remar grinned and sat next to her, laying out his plan for the shifts he would take and the places he would position himself. She would be in the summit chamber with one of his incarnations and keep an eye on the data crystals used to record all of the data.
If anyone tried to take the crystals out of the chamber, she was to stop them by any means necessary.
She had no idea what any means entailed, but she got the idea. The data crystals would contain sensitive information that would be worth a fortune and it would be her job to keep them safe.
She just hoped she was up for it.
"These are your rooms while the summit is engaged." The Azon councillor was showing them to their rooms. Tiergar vi Ranith was a pleasant man, charming with a calm that belied his fierce features.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Councillor Ranith." Multi inclined his head.
"It is nothing. My wife insists that all members of the Sector Guard be treated as champions of their races. They risk their lives so that others can live without knowing danger."
Gravity smiled. "Your wife sounds like a wise woman."
"She was the first champion for her race, so she holds the ideals of reward for action dear to her heart." He bowed and his robes of state flowed around him. "I will leave you to get settled. Relax, have a meal. We would be pleased if you joined us for dinner."
Multi gave her a look, then nodded. "That would be wonderful."
"Excellent. Kyra will be delighted to have new races to talk with. She does get bored with nothing but Azon dignitaries at dinner."
Gravity smiled. "Perhaps it would be more appropriate after the summit, rather than before. Should anything happen, I wouldn't want you held culpable."
"Thank you for your consideration, but since it was I who invited you here, I would be considered culpable nonetheless. We will see you at dinner."
Knowing a command when she heard one, she took her small duffel into the rooms that was to be hers and Multi's for the stay. "Wow. It is almost as big as half my house."
She explored, but one detail kept her tense. "Is there another bed?"
"I don't sleep, remember?"
Relief flooded her. "Right. Sorry, my silly pedestrian paranoia kicking in."
He looked as if he wished to say something, but he held his tongue. "What would you like for lunch? There is a bathing chamber as well if you would like a soak. I know for some women, baths are important."
She had perked up at the thought. A bath. It had been years since she had had more than a
shower.
Before he could say anything else, she grabbed a clean uniform and darted into the bathroom. The size of the tub made her swoon. With a little trial and error, she got the hang of the taps and soon, the water was climbing the tub, scented with oils that the hotel provided.
Her fingers were trembling as she unlaced the boots and stripped out of her suit.
Drahali stifled a moan as she slid into the water and let her skin feel the warmth and the silky softness of the oils. As soon as the level was high enough, she shut the faucets off. Her soak let all of the tension out of her system. She slid down to wet her hair and let the warm water caress her face. The smile would not leave her face.
It was a pretty good start to her first assignment.
Drahali was dozing off when Remar came into the bathing room. "Pardon my interruption, but you stopped making happy noises, so I thought to rouse you before you drowned."
He didn't ask but lifted her out of the water with a whoosh. He held her with one arm while another of his bodies separated and picked up a towel.
Her maidenly sensibilities were pushed aside at the feeling of being cared for. Dra was still sleepy from the water and the relaxation, so she simply let him pick her up and carry her into the other room while she continued to doze.
He split again and his other body pulled back the covers so that she could be tucked in without her towel. Naked between the sheets, she relaxed and drifted off to sleep, her mind going blissfully blank when she felt a body curling around her own.
She would deal with it when she woke up. At this moment, she simply felt content not to be alone in a strange place. She had no idea how she would feel when she woke up, but in that moment, she didn't care.
Chapter Eight
"So, how long have you been in the Sector Guard, Gravity?" The pleasant woman had features that Drahali knew from news clips a few years earlier. Kyra didn't look like she was a fighter, but there was a readiness to her, a stillness that you only noticed with time.
"This is my first assignment. I just finished my medicals and assessments." She wasn't looking at Multi. She couldn't look at him, knowing that he had seen her naked and hadn't reacted at all.
