by Viola Grace
Kashka smiled and greeted them at the pod. “You look refreshed.”
Wiali inclined her head. “Long, hot shower and a backrub are definitely the right way to start the day. Braenar, this is Kashka.”
The woman bobbed a curtsy. “Guardian is waiting in the situation room.”
“Oh, good. I want to talk to him.”
Braenar wrapped her in his arms. “We are still on duty, so you might want to curb your irritation.”
She wrinkled her nose but let him walk with his arm around her all the way to the situation room.
They sat down with Guardian, Pax and Kashka.
Guardian began, “I am sorry to interrupt mating season. I realise how awkward it is to cease what nature begins.”
Pax reached out to touch his hand, and he pressed a kiss to the back of her wrist.
Suddenly, Wiali was sure that he wasn’t deliberately being a jackass where privacy was concerned. She sighed as the irritation bled out of her.
Braenar kept his hand on hers. “We took the edge off. What do you need?”
“Nineteen men landed on Jeskulan and died within ten minutes. Unfortunately, they had a bomb that they were planning on lodging in the main temple at the city. That bomb is armed, unstable and capable of blasting a hole two kilometres wide.”
Wiali groaned. “Damn.”
Braenar nodded. “When do we leave?”
“You will be heading out on the Alliance warship Nedron. Kashka will accompany you, and she will be put in stasis and launched to the surface with you. Kashka will be the link between Udell and Jeskulan. If you can get her near the Avatar of Jesku, she will be able to talk with them.”
Wiali looked at Kashka with a frown. “Have you gone into stasis before?”
The woman shook her head. “Lives are at stake, and if I can be of any assistance, I will do what I can.”
They got to their feet and left in an Alliance shuttle. The warship Nedron was huge, and as their small vehicle settled inside it, Wiali had to admire the seriousness of the Alliance response.
In the medical bay of the Nedron, Kashka stepped into the stasis tube and held her breath as the liquid rose to cover her face.
Wiali pressed her hand to the plexi, willing the woman to breathe. As she started breathing in the liquid, the leads that extended from her skin began to glow, and slowly, the breathing reduced until Kashka’s chest ceased to move. Her eyes closed and her body relaxed in the supporting fluid.
“She is stable. I will gel lock her, but you have to release her within four hours or she will begin to suffer damage.” The bird-like physician was solemn and his taloned hands were sure on the controls.
“Very well. Get her to the drop bay, and we will be on our way.”
The doctor nodded and had his medical assistants move the stasis chamber down the halls and to the large bay with the electronic shield-sealed entrance.
Braenar and Wiali stood and waited for the alarms to go off. When the shield dropped, they gripped the stasis chamber and lifted it, moving toward the surface of Jeskulan.
The ship with the rapidly decaying remains of the corporation’s men was settled at the edge of the steps to what appeared to be city hall.
With gravity tugging at the stasis unit, they set it carefully down within the hidden building.
“How are we going to handle the bomb?” Wia put her hands on her hips and scowled at the shuttle.
“I am going to take the shuttle, bomb and all, and launch it into the sky, where you will blow the works with a power blast.” Comet smiled. “That is the theory, anyway.”
She frowned. “For you to get to a safe distance, we will need low orbit.”
He nodded, tilting his head. “I am just looking for a good place to get a grip.”
Wia walked around the ship and took a look at the explosive device through the hatch. “I think I can grab it.”
“You think?”
“Pretty sure.” She puckered her lips. “Yup. Pretty sure.”
Before Comet could stop her, she extended her arms and used the same radiation that made her fly to surround the bomb.
Backing up, she floated the bomb out of the shuttle, and then, she lifted off at a slow and careful pace, keeping the explosive even.
A harsh chirping got her attention, so she flung the explosive away from the city as hard as she could, and when it hit the apex of its arch, she struck it with a column of power that burned the explosive and casing in one hard rush.
The shockwave from the explosion knocked her backward, and she went tumbling end over end until she smacked into Comet.
“That was stupid. Effective, but stupid.”
He held her tight and gave her a kiss that scorched the soles of her boots. She returned the kiss and sighed. “That was nice. Now, we have to get Kashka down to the Avatar’s chamber before the gel starts to get crusty.”
He groaned. “More heavy lifting.”
“I love a man with muscles, and I didn’t mate with you for your mind. It was the whole package I was after, and your package.” She waggled her eyebrows at him.
He snorted and kissed her again as they resumed their flight to the hidden stronghold. Kashka was going to be the companion to an Avatar and both of them would be in stasis. It was a weird situation but not the oddest thing that Wiali had heard since she was woken to a new Alliance and a new place in it.
This new phase of her life was by far the most exciting, and she wasn’t even counting working for the Sector Guard.
Chapter Eleven
The Nedron was on two months of duty guarding Jeskulan while the scientists worked on finding a way to obtain a secure sample of the pathogen.
Udell base sent a shuttle to collect them. Wiali was worried about Kashka, but the physician promised to monitor the signal from her stasis unit and alert Udell base if there was any problem.
She still fidgeted the whole way back to the base.
Guardian stopped them for debriefing, and when Comet told him that Wiali had taken charge of the bomb, a smirk crossed Guardian’s lips.
“Why am I not surprised?” Guardian was definitely amused.
Wiali sat back in her chair and raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know. Why aren’t you surprised?”
“We just got all of your Citadel records. You seem to have a take-charge tendency that will serve you well when Lowel gets up and running.”
Braenar had his fingers woven with hers. “What about my request?”
“It has been authorized. You will have fourteen days off, barring a situation that only Comet and Starborn can handle.”
Wia chuckled. “You have given me a call sign?”
“Yes. Wiali sounds like too many other words, and it will be glaringly obvious that Comet is Braenar if you are known to be Wiali.”
She waved his explanations aside. “You just want me to be a Citadel employee working as a Guardsman, just like the others.”
Guardian shrugged. “It gets both situations more funding, and funding is always a good thing if it comes free and clear.”
Wiali blinked. She hadn’t considered anything from the funding point of view. Money had never been a concern for her.
As she pondered the effects of money on the living psyche, Braenar continued the debriefing.
When Braenar asked her a question, she blinked and looked at him. “What?”
“So, will you come with me to meet my family?”
She smiled slightly. “I thought you had already met your family.”
Guardian choked and got to his feet. “I will leave you now. Good job and well done. It was a spectacular beginning to your assignment here, Starborn.”
Guardian left them alone in the situation room, and the moment he was gone, Braenar lifted her and settled her across his lap. “So, as I was saying. I have gotten leave for both of us for the High Holiday back home. If you are willing, we can go and stay with my family, which is now your family, by the way.”
She tilted her head.
“Really? I could go and spend a holiday with your family?”
“I would be there as well.”
“Would there be presents and things?”
He gave her a quick kiss on her lips. “Yes. Presents for the children and games and food. Everything that causes claustrophobia and the urge to run for the hills.”
She chuckled. “It has been a very long time since I was in a family situation. Is there a place away from your family’s home for me to stay?”
He sighed. “You will stay with me, and we can take to the skies anytime you wish.”
Wia pursed her lips. “Do I get to wear normal clothing?”
Braenar nodded. “Yes. I will bring up some examples, and you can have your Masuo copy them. Most of my family does not know that I was an Avatar. My parents do, but it was not something to share with my siblings. They only know that I left to enter service in the Alliance.”
She rubbed at the mask on her face. “Don’t you think that this might just tip them off? Most news services run all activity of the Sector Guard. It is always a front runner, as are the additions of new personnel.”
“If they find out, they find out. I am not hiding you, nor my relationship with you.” He puffed his chest out a little, and she realised that he was proud.
“Are any of your siblings Hirn in nature?”
“Not that I am aware of. It was a recessive gene that rose to the surface in me, but I am unaware of my siblings having any signs of horns or shape shifting.”
“You can shift?”
“When I need to. It is how I am able to lift weights far beyond my normal physiology.” He shrugged. “Well, shall we go and tell my parents that we are coming?”
She laughed. “May as well. I will get nervous later.”
Wiali took his arm, and they walked to his quarters on Udell station. Her home was a palace in comparison to his practical bed and desk.
She perched on the bed while he activated his console and dialled Dekkaliash.
A face that resembled Braenar came on. The male was a little younger, but he had the same ice-blue eyes and dark wave of hair. “Tiosh Winery. Oh, Brae, nice to see you.”
Wia blinked as she realised that Braenar had changed his uniform to look more like a tunic.
“Hi, Rand. Are Mom and Dad there?”
“Sure. Hang on. Mom!” Rand turned and shouted behind him.
A woman with the same blue eyes as her sons came to the console, and her smile was brilliant. “Braenar. It is so good to see you.”
“Hello, Mom. I was wondering if it would be a problem if I came for High Holiday?” he paused and waited.
“Of course not! The more the merrier. We have plenty of room.” Braenar’s mother got a calculating look in her eyes. “Theakia will be over for the night dinner if you wanted to get together with her.”
Wiali had her hand clamped over her mouth in the background, trying not to laugh.
“Mom, that might be awkward. I am fairly sure my mate would not appreciate Theakia rubbing up against me during dinner.”
His mother paused before she caught on to what he said. “Mate? When? Who?”
“You will meet her during the holiday, so please don’t try to put me and Rand in the same room.” He was grinning.
“Oh, honey. I am so happy for you. Are you sure she will be here?”
Braenar reached back with one arm and hauled Wia into his lap.
She waved at his mother. “Hello.”
The woman looked at her and swallowed. “I see. You are a…”
Wia returned her gaze. “I have no idea how you are going to end that sentence.”
“Guardsman?”
“No. I am a member of the Citadel. I consult for the Guard.” She smiled.
“You are welcome, daughter. My home is your home.”
Wia bowed from the waist. “You honour me with your invitation. My name is Wiali.”
Braenar’s mother’s eyes widened in shock. “You are…Suek’s child?”
“One and the same. I look forward to meeting you. I have not had a holiday in a very, very long time.”
Braenar took over and concluded the details of when they would be arriving and what they needed to bring.
When the call was over, Wia slumped in relief. “That wasn’t so bad.”
He hugged her tight. “You will have family again, Wiali. Just remember to keep breathing and don’t blast them with radiation and you will be fine. I keep that mantra in my mind every time I visit.”
She started to giggle, and it turned into outright laughter as she sat and tried to come up with reasons that she couldn’t go to his family gathering. It was what normal people did after all.
Chapter Twelve
Shopping for complete strangers was a new experience, but going to the largest orbiting bazaar in the Dekkaliash system was a good start.
It was fun to buy lace-up silk tunics for women and leather belts and knives for the men. The children were tricky, but Wia picked Takkan mind stones. They could think of something, roll the stone and a five-second hologram would project out of the crystal.
“How much are you spending, Wia?” Braenar was amused as she paid for all the gifts with her credit slip.
“What is necessary to make sure that I have something for everyone. I even slipped a present for you in there somewhere.” She winked.
“It’s a good thing that I am going to be picking your present up on Dekkaliash then.” He pressed a kiss to her neck.
She smirked and took the box of crystals from the vendor. “This is it, the last of the presents.”
“Good. We will be home for dinner.”
“Oh. Hooray.” She turned and handed him the box of crystals to go along with the other bags he was already carrying.
They returned to their unmarked shuttle, and he stowed her purchases. With him at the helm, they swiftly went through traffic control and were finally on their way to his home world.
Wiali got more nervous with every passing minute.
“What’s wrong, Wia?”
“What if they don’t like me?” She bit her lip as she blurted it out.
“Then, we will leave and spend some time at the spa on Yosh. We have options.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her palm.
They landed at the Dekkaliash spaceport, where a skimmer marked with the words Tiosh Winery was waiting for them.
Rand was leaning against the skimmer, and he stood up as they approached. “Brae, I had no idea your wife was so…”
Wia looked down at the dress that was common to Dekkaliash. “Is there something wrong?”
Braenar kept his arm around her, and he gave her a squeeze. “Nothing is wrong. Rand is just an idiot who thought my destined mate was some kind of large computer or book. The fact that you are a lovely woman is giving him pause.”
Wia extended her hand. “Hello, Rand.”
He gripped her hand gently and bowed over it. “Hello, sister.”
“Wiali. You can call me Wia.”
He nodded and shook his head as if to clear it. “Brae, you must have been doing something right out there.”
Brae grinned and helped Wia tuck all of her shopping into the skimmer before they took seats and Rand flew them out of the spaceport.
“The family is looking forward to meeting you, Wia. I swear, we never actually thought that Brae would find a woman who was attractive, let alone one as stunning as you.”
Wia bit her lip and held tight to Brae’s hand. “That is good to know.”
“Brae, Dekka has asked mother if he can attend the dinner, and she is beside herself with excitement.”
Wia looked at her mate, “Dekka?”
“The planetary Avatar of Dekkaliash. He was the one who encouraged me to attend the final days of Halash, and you know what happened after that.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
“Then, I owe him the courtesy of a thank you.” She smiled and relaxed a little. Avatars were the one social group
she was always completely comfortable with.
“The dinner is tomorrow night. Tonight, it will be family only.”
That ratcheted up her tension back to the previous level.
Braenar chuckled. “They will love you.”
“If they don’t, I will simply take a flight for fresh air and keep going until I leave the atmosphere.”
He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed. “I will be with you the whole time.”
Rand was grinning and shaking his head as he flew them past towns, villages and finally, they were in an endless wave of neatly arranged vines.
The worry over the availability of space for guests disappeared as the huge, expansive home came into view. Smaller houses were arranged on the periphery and connected by walkways to the main house.
Rand set the skimmer down on the rotunda in front of the main house, and the landing released a flood of people from within the home.
Braenar kept his arm firmly around her as he hugged his mother, father, brothers and sisters. The spouses of the siblings were more circumspect, shaking Brae’s hand before moving on to Wia’s.
As the tidal wave of family subsided, Braenar escorted her inside, leading the way for the rest of the relatives.
Wia looked around in astonishment. Every surface had something glittering, glowing or covered with a swag of vines. “Wow. The decorating is…pervasive.”
Braenar chuckled softly. “This is only the start of it. Tonight, we put goblets up on the mantelpiece, and tomorrow, we will see what the spirit of the holiday brings to us.”
“Wow. It is really…shiny.” She looked around, and the family flowed around them, propelling them into the great room.
Braenar kept his arm around her and did as he promised—he stayed with her no matter what he was asked to do.
“Wia, how long have you known Braenar?” Her new sister-in-law Rashee smiled at her.
Braenar was a few feet away, but she could see his head cocked to listen to the answer.
“I met Braenar for the first time a few years ago. We met again when he came to help me with my work transfer.” She twisted her lips as she tried to be evasive but honest.
Rashee leaned forward. “What is it with that mask around your eyes?”
