strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  “Yes,” she said. “A female called Carrie and a male called Kaid. You know him?”

  “It’s not your concern. How did you come by them?”

  “We saw their ship being attacked by the M’zullians we were following. We decided to take both ships.”

  Again the knowledge came to him. “The Empire fell, didn’t it? The four worlds split, and now two of them are at war with each other— M’zull with J’kirtikk.”

  She nodded. “We think they suffered far greater damage than us during the Fall. When they finally regained their capacity for spaceflight, they started a war with each other that has gone on since. We’ve watched but not interfered. Now, though, it moves in our direction and we need to protect ourselves from both of them.”

  “What of Ch’almuth, the fourth world?”

  “It’s still at a low-tech level, no threat to us or anyone. Both the M’zullians and the J’kirtikkians leave it alone.”

  He grasped the arms of the chair with both hands as he leaned toward her. “How do I know all this? When did I acquire the knowledge?” he demanded. “What have you done to me?”

  “Nothing,” she said, backing off in earnest this time.

  Behind them, he heard the door open and knew by the scent that the guard had entered.

  “We use sleep tapes to update our knowledge and learn new skills. It’s the most efficient way to do it. While you slept in the trance, we played tapes to you so you’d understand our world when you woke, that’s all. They’d begun to use them even in your time.”

  Sleep tapes. He relaxed. She was right, he remembered hearing about them and deriding their use as laziness, no way for a real warrior to learn skills. Seemed he’d been wrong. The Sholan Dzaka and his mate hadn’t been lying when they’d sworn their relatives were missing. The scent Kusac had left was interesting; it had been subtly altered by one of his people— no, by a Prime— to contain a marker. That intrigued him.

  He remembered the guard. “You may leave,” he ordered, turning to look at him. From the side of his eye he caught a slight movement from the doctor and swung his head back to look at her.

  “He stays, General,” she said, her voice colder now. “I need to know my staff will be safe in your company. I strongly suggest you make use of the library to fill in what blanks our tapes have left. We could only give you the most general view of the past millennium and a half. You’ll find a section on our customs and socially acceptable behavior. Assaulting a female officer is not permissible.”

  Well, he’d certainly made an impression, he realized as he watched her stalk out, leaving the scent of her anger behind. Definitely not the impression he’d intended to make, though. He found himself noticing how slim she was, and how her hips swayed as she walked. It was hypnotic, exciting, something he’d never seen in the drugged females of his time. She was a potent combination of authority and femininity rolled into one, something he’d never experienced before. He wanted her, and one way or another, he intended to have her.

  CHAPTER 4

  Haven Belt, the Hkariyash, Zhal-Zhalwae, 24th day (May)

  “CARRIE! You are being better!” the young Sumaan shouted, bounding over to them as they emerged from the Venture. “Captain Kishasayzar not letting me off ship to be seeing you!”

  He skidded to a halt a few feet in front of them, his long neck snaking down till his face was on a level with hers. A large three-fingered hand descended heavily on her shoulder, making her stagger slightly as she was enveloped in a gust of his warm, sweet-smelling breath.

  Kaid instantly steadied her. “Careful there, Ashay. You don’t know your own strength.”

  The large head slewed round to glance at Kaid, muzzlelike mouth opening in a wide grin. “You joking with me! I like!” He turned back to Carrie, his long, pink tongue flicking out to press itself against her cheek. “Worrying about you, I was,” he said, his brow creasing in concern. “Pleasing it is to see you well.”

  “It’s good to see you again, too, Ashay. You’ve grown, haven’t you?” she said, realizing his shoulders were now level with Kaid’s head. Reaching up, she patted his arm in a friendly gesture. “I hear you’ve been showing off your piloting skills on the Venture.”

  “And shooting ones,” he said, lips curling back in a wider grin to reveal even more of his teeth. “Was fun, but Jo said be careful, no shooting of Hkariyash.”

  “I can understand why,” she murmured.

  A guttural voice hissed out a command and Ashay let her go to turn and reply. His head snaked around to her again, an apologetic look on his face. “I have work to do making sure the Venture is latched down. I be seeing you later.”

  Watching him head off round the rear of their shuttle, Kaid shook his head. “I can see Dzaka in him when he was about twenty,” he said as they moved off toward the cargo lift up to the main deck. “All legs and elbows. There’s no real difference between them, you know. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. T’Chebbi said Kisha had mentioned that he was very concerned for you.”

  Making sure none of the Sumaan in the landing bay could see her, Carrie surreptitiously wiped her sleeve across her damp cheek. “He reminds me more of a huge reptilian puppy,” she said. “Complete with soggy tongue!”

  Kaid laughed as he pressed the button and the lift began to ascend. “Puppy love, as you’d say. You should be flattered. I haven’t heard of anyone who’s been kissed by a Sumaan before. We always seem to see a side of our allies no one else has.”

  “Not surprising. We have intense relationships with them because we work closely with them in a way no Sholans have done before.”

  The elevator shuddered to a halt and they got off.

  “I’ll meet you in the mess in half an hour,” said Kaid as they came to their cabins. “Unless you want me to come in with you?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I could do with a shower and clean clothes.”

  He nodded. “You know where I am if…” he began, then stopped, remembering they had no need to tell each other where they were now that they were Linked.

  She nodded again, and activated the door. “I’ll see you later.”

  *

  The room felt empty as she closed the door behind her. Twin beds, a night table between them; two drawer units with cupboards below, a large desk with a computer terminal and a door to the toilet and showering room were all it held. There were no personal touches— they’d stowed all their kit away before leaving the ship to join the Jalnian caravan. No one could have anticipated that the outcome of their mission would have been so drastic.

  She had no baggage with her. When she’d been injured by Bradogan in the spaceport shoot-out, she’d been taken straight to Tirak’s ship. Even when the Venture had ferried over medication for her, no personal possessions had been brought. All she had brought with her from Haven were the borrowed black coveralls she wore.

  She went to her side of the drawers, unlatching and opening the top one, finding it as she’d left it— full of her toiletries, hairbrush, toothbrush, and the like. Had Kusac sent someone over to collect his things, she wondered, closing it again.

  Fearful of the answer, she reached for Kusac’s drawer then hesitated. It felt like prying, as if it were a stranger’s drawer she was looking into rather than her life-mate’s. A task that would have been so natural less than two months ago— dear God, was it so short a time?— now felt like an intrusion into his privacy.

  She had to know and tugged it sharply open, sighing with relief when she found it full of his tunics. Laying her hand on them, she pressed, breathing deeply, but they smelled only of clean laundry. Slamming it shut, she opened the one below. An overwhelming need to find something that held his scent filled her. Tears she didn’t know she was shedding rolled down her cheeks. Finally she found what she was searching for in one of the cupboards— his favorite olive-green tunic, tried on and soon discarded because it was too tight.

  Burying her face in it, she
began to sob.

  *

  In the mess, Kaid started to his feet, but Jo caught him by the arm.

  “I’ll go,” she said, getting up. “I’ve been expecting this. She needs to grieve for him and what they’ve lost. She can’t do it in front of you. The wonder is she’s held it in this long.”

  “There’s a damper in the room,” he said quietly, aware that everyone could feel Carrie’s grief. “It’s by the door. You’ll need to turn it on.”

  *

  The Couana and the Hkariyash lay side by side just off the main Haven asteroid. Though both were disc shaped, they couldn’t have been more different. It was the color he noticed first— the Couana was deep, electric blue, its serial number, name, and other identifying details highlighted in gold.

  “Can tell it’s Touiban,” said T’Chebbi from beside him.

  He continued to watch through the pinnace window as it grew gradually larger in the view screen. The main accommodation and work areas were perched in the central area of the disk. The outer edges, where the fuel scoops were located, curved downward like the wings of some gigantic bird of prey. The illusion was heightened by the cockpit bridge with its twin laser turrets.

  “Sure you don’t want anything from Hkariyash for journey? Is last chance,” she said quietly.

  He shook his head. To do that would make him feel like he was abandoning her, never mind how bad it would make her feel. “I can manage,” was all he said.

  *

  The pinnace came to a stop inside the tiny docking bay at the rear of the ship. As the hatch doors beneath it began to close, the lights outside came on. T’Chebbi dug him gently in the ribs, drawing his attention to the fact the others were getting to their feet.

  He rose, following her into the narrow aisle between the seats, waiting till the air lock was opened. As they made their way through into the cargo area of the Couana, he felt the vibration and heard the clang as the landing bay doors beneath the pinnace closed.

  Brynne and Keeza led them and Zhiko over to the elevator.

  “What’s this ship do?” asked T’Chebbi.

  “It’s purpose built,” said Brynne. “The swarm we have on the estate works exclusively on Shola, so it’s a small lab ship built to transport them from their homeworld to our solar system. They’ve got four cabins set up for Sholans and one specialist room for the Sumaan. The other two rooms are for them and their wives. On the lower deck are three labs with their own electronic equipment so they can work on board if they need to.”

  This roused his interest. “Wives? I thought the females stayed inside the hives on their own world.”

  “Not this bunch. Apparently we’ve had a complete swarm from the start, though none of us can tell the males from the females. Toueesut asked Mara if they could live on the estate and set up home there. Garras and your father said it was okay.”

  “Mara? How’s Mara involved with this?”

  The elevator came to a stop and Brynne was able to turn his attention to opening the safety gate. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he said. “Dzaou, you and Maikoi are in the room down the corridor ahead. Zhiko and Taeo, come with us. You’re just beyond the lounge area. T’Chebbi, you’re next to Dzaou. The galley is right next to you.” He indicated the room on his left. “Your room is the first one, Kusac,” he said, drawing him round the corner to his right.

  “I see Kusac to his room first,” said T’Chebbi, following them.

  Brynne stopped almost immediately, activating the door for Kusac. “Keeza and I are next door if you need anything,” he said.

  He hesitated at the door, his hand going involuntarily to his neck to feel for the metal punishment collar. The trip in the pinnace had brought back memories of his flight from the Kz’adul to Haven.

  T’Chebbi’s hand closed on his arm, feeling the faint tremor. “You go,” she said to Brynne and the two females from Dzaou’s unit. “I see to Kusac now.” She waited till they’d left before speaking. “Is safe,” she said quietly. “We getting fighter escort home. Nothing can happen this time.”

  “We thought that when we left Jalna,” he said, resisting her first gentle push as she encouraged him to enter the cabin.

  The air smelled faintly of Touibans— a light, pleasant smell. The walls were brightly painted, an almost electric blue that matched the color of the ship’s hull. A large Sholan bed stood against one of the walls with a night table beside it. At the foot was the usual locker, but there were also a recessed wall cupboard, drawer unit, and a desk with the obligatory comm. To one side, a door led to the bathing room and toilet.

  “I can stay here with you if you want. No need to sleep alone if you want company.”

  He forced himself to look at her, ears lowering in embarrassment. “Thank you, no. Not after our conversation last night.”

  She put her head to one side in a Sholan shrug. “That was then. Was angry. You should have stayed with them, not come on Couana alone. Not good to be alone so soon after release.”

  “I have to get used to it,” he said, walking over to the bed and sitting down. “You go and see to your own room. I’ll be fine.”

  “You need me, use wrist comm, day or night. Is an order. We leave in about an hour. Meet me in mess fifteen minutes after takeoff,” she said before leaving.

  The faint hiss as the door closed seemed to fill the cabin, making him feel acutely alone. There was none of the subliminal faint white noise of other minds that he was so used to, now there was just silence. He lay back on the bed, staring up at the dark blue ceiling, smelling the faintly perfumed bedding beneath him, and thought of Carrie.

  He remembered the first time he’d sensed her mind within his— it had felt as fragile and unsure as that of a cub— like their daughter’s had done the day she was born. He’d never feel Kashini’s mind again either. J’koshuk should have killed him, it was preferable to being half dead as he was now, cut off from those he loved. He was barely alive anyway. Carrie didn’t need him now, Kaid could look after her, and Kashini since he was her Triad-father. Being born as she had been, in full possession of her Talent, she needed a father who was a telepath, not a mind-dead cripple like him. What good would he be to her? How could he help bring her up to respect the minds of others, to learn the necessary disciplines, if he was mentally deaf to her needs? His presence only complicated matters for Carrie and Kaid— dammit, he couldn’t even make love to her safely! He was the past, not their future.

  Slipping his hand into his robe pocket, he closed it round the tablets he’d taken from T’Chebbi’s medikit. Anger filled him at what the Prime doctor and the priest had done to him, causing the familiar tingle at the base of his neck. It grew rapidly stronger till fire flickered throughout his body. Even from beyond death those two mocked and controlled him, he thought, trying to force his mind to calmness and failing. Whimpering softly, he curled into a fetal ball, managing to pull his arm up to his face and bite down on the sleeve of his robe to stifle the sound.

  Haven, Zhal-Zhalwae, 26th day (May)

  Their footsteps echoed round the central chamber that had been carved from the heart of the asteroid designated H173. On either side of them, serried rows of cryo units, connected by metal gangways, towered above them.

  “I hadn’t realized there were so many,” said Commander Rhyaz, stopping to look at one of the control consoles. “Do you watch them alone, or have you a staff?”

  “I watch them alone,” replied the Instructor, automatically checking the readouts for that sector. “If I need help, as you know, Haven is only fifteen minutes away. I only have to transmit a security code to the current Captain or Commander, and he’ll send the personnel I request. Again, they have the highest security clearance.” He looked at the Commander. “Because of my gift, they remember only that they were working on one of the training asteroids.”

  “It must be lonely out here,” observed L’Seuli as they moved off again, this time toward the tunnel that led to the exit.

 
“I am content,” said Tanjo. “It has given me the time and peace for prayer and meditation. I’m not isolated. I’m kept abreast of our Brotherhood news, and that of the Alliance. I have the other Instructors to talk to. Every six months, I awaken thirty of our Sleepers and prepare them for their journey to the nearest training center, then welcome them back when they return. Occasionally, I’m chosen to host a training session here.”

  When Rhyaz stepped out of the cavern into the brightly lit sick bay, he had to screw his eyes up against the glare. He heard the gentle hiss of the concealed air lock closing. The silence that followed was overpowering after the constant hum of the cryo chamber.

  “L’Seuli, I’ll join you at the shuttle in a few minutes,” he said as they walked through the resuscitation area and down to the initial briefing room. “I’d like a few words in private with the Instructor.”

  “Thank you for your hospitality and the tour, Instructor,” murmured L’Seuli, inclining his head as he took his leave.

  Rhyaz waited till he’d gone before speaking. “I acquainted myself with your files before I left Stronghold, Brother Tanjo, and discussed them with Father Lijou.”

  Tanjo clasped his hands within his sleeves and began to walk slowly toward the outer corridor. “How are the Father and his mate?” he asked. “I believe congratulations are due on the birth of their son.”

  “He was born three days ago,” said Rhyaz. “From all accounts, he’s a fine, healthy cub.”

  “The Good Goddess be praised. I’d heard of their accident. Please tell Father Lijou I will say prayers and burn some incense for Mistress Kha’Qwa’s speedy recovery, and for a bright future for their son.”

  “I will, Brother, but wouldn’t you rather tell them in person?”

  Tanjo stopped dead, looking at the Warrior Master in confusion.

  “You’ve been here for eleven years, Tanjo,” said Rhyaz. “The Father and I have been going through our records. We believe you have more than atoned for what little culpability could be leveled at you regarding Ghezu’s assumption of Leadership. It’s time you returned to Stronghold, and the world.”