Storm Fleet

by Tim Niederriter

  “Fascinating,” DiKandar said. “Are you confident in the knowledge you gained?”

  “If it weren’t for the storms we would have made it this far eventually.” Yajain put a hand to her cup of wine. “I don’t know how long it would have taken, though.”

  DiKandar sipped from her own cup.

  “Perhaps you will be interested in the creature one of my Predators captured near Vilmanorin in Kerida Cluster. It is here in our containment garden. But we have not been able to identify it.”

  Yajain smiled.

  “Of course, my lady.”

  “Good.” DiKandar turned from Yajain to Tulem, still smiling. “Now. We have heard how Doctor Aksari joined this rescue fleet. What of you, brave cabler?”

  Tulem set down his cup, face flushed.

  “I simply applied to serve a year ago. This is my first assignment with any action.”

  “You mean, you have never seen combat before?”

  “Not before we arrived at Rakati Hub,” Tulem said.

  “That makes it still more impressive that you did what you have done,” said DiKandar.

  “Perhaps I only did it because I didn’t fear for my life.”

  DiKandar leaned forward, black hair shimmering in the glow from above, even darker than the empty mist out the window behind Tulem.

  “You did not fear?”

  “I have been trained.”

  “And most who train know fear.”

  Tulem shrugged.

  “I’ve heard stories of Ditari beauty and fury for years. I didn’t realize you could be so kind.” His face was still red and he sipped his wine.

  DiKandar shook her head gently, barely seeming to move. Her lips did not part for her smile this time.

  “You speak well.”

  “I was trained in that as well.”

  “Who trained you?” DiKandar asked. “Surely not the academies of Dilinia?”

  “Indeed, no.” Tulem grinned. “My teacher was a Doctor of the Harvest.”

  Boskem started with his cup in his hand, wine onto his plate. Yajain stared at Tulem. DiKandar’s teeth bared and she leaned further forward.

  “The old religion is respected here,” she said. “In fact, we recently had a different guest who bore that title.”

  “A guest?” Yajain asked. “What name did this guest go by?”

  “My good doctor,” DiKandar said. “You know one of them as well?”

  Yajain nodded. Boskem stared at her wordlessly. His face slowly became blank. Yajain turned to the Redoca.

  “I met two of them. Years ago. One was old. The other his student.” She raised her napkin to her lips. The rest of the conversation around the room had ended. “Have you ever heard the name, Mosam Coe?”

  After the meal, DiKandar brought Yajain, Tulem, and Boskem to the containment garden in the highest level of the massive ship. Solna light spilled through transparent hull high above. Plants grew within enclosures of reinforced metal frames and hardened plastic windows. The group followed a hallway between transparent walls darkened by fragrant creeping vines.

  Yajain’s eyes passed over many rare breeds of plants, lingering on the animals large and small the moved within some of the enclosures. They ranged from the Tuim, seventy-kilogram felines with elongated amphibian-like paws complete with adhesive suckers on their bottoms. Tentacled arc lamprey pressed their mouths against one pane, horrifying circular mouths with meter long sock-like bodies. Most of the other creatures were recognizable as arthropods or mammals, and a few as reptiles or avians. Yajain couldn’t easily name all of them.

  DiKandar motioned with an arm toward a tangled enclosure to one side of the corridor. Her ermine scrabbled, slipping on her sleeve. She rescued the little creature with her other hand.

  “This is where we keep it. The unidentified organism.”

  Yajain caught up with the Redoca alongside Tulem. They turned together.

  The creature stood some eight meters tall, though its forward hunch made it seem shorter. Four heavy limbs dug into transplanted soil at the base of a muscular body. Six tentacles were spaced at intervals leading up, three on either side of the body. A pair of gleaming black eyes looked at the group, set above heavy jaws and a blunt nose with five nostrils. From behind the head rose strands of smoky yellow dust, emitted by a trio of small bumps with holes on the tops running down the back.

  The creature growled and its long tail swished, slashing plants back with the sleek stinger at its end. The creature hissed, eyes fixed on DiKandar.

  A sharp intake of breath sounded from Tulem. Yajain felt her own eyes widen. Creatures of this size were almost always either predators or originated in regions where food was plentiful, or both.

  “Where did you say this creature was captured?” she asked.

  “In the Sigali Expanse, near the machra pillar Vilmanorin.” DiKandar raised an eyebrow, for once her smile absent. “What raised that question?”

  “I don’t know what kind of creature it is,” Yajain said. “But if I know the kind of environment it lives in that could help.”

  “My Predator found it alone on the dark side of a small pillar. She and her crew lured it into their brig and contained it, though they suffered some harm in return. It is very strong, and faster than it looks.”

  Yajain pressed one hand against the glass, peering up at the creature.

  “So you’ve never seen any other creatures like this one?”

  “Never.” DiKandar folded her arms to her chest and set the ermine on her shoulder. The rodent curled on her robe, pale fur almost concealing it against the white fabric. DiKandar walked to Yajain’s side. “My only thought was it resembled the Tyrants from Ditari legend.”

  “Tyrants? I’m not familiar with that story.”

  “It’s apocryphal, and ancient as well.” DiKandar’s dark eyes moved to the creature. “Physically it looks like the creatures we hunted were described, but this one is clearly unintelligent. In the legends, the Tyrants were always filled with malevolent cunning.”

  Yajain frowned at the monstrous shape.

  “Can I get a closer look at it?”

  “Dissection of a sole living specimen is not honorable,” DiKandar said. “But besides that, I will not let you inside its enclosure.”

  Turning to her, Yajain scowled.

  DiKandar raised a palm.

  “This creature is dangerous. The particles it emits from its back attack human neural pathways. I’ve seen it knock an unprotected Lian unconscious in seconds. I will not risk seeing any guest of mine hurt. Especially not in as delicate a situation as the present.”

  Yajain nodded. Tulem put a hand on her arm. She glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

  “She’s right,” said Tulem.

  “I know,” Yajain said. “But we’d better tell Captain Gattri what we’ve seen here.” She turned to DiKandar and bowed. “Please allow us to return to our fleet, Redoca. We have much to share with our people.”

  And I need to tell Firio that a doctor of Harvest came through here.

  Kaga Pillar, 9 years ago

  The mostly deaf doctor turned from treating the blows to Yajain’s arm and knees, as good as leaving her alone with Mosam. Her limbs still hurt where Nira struck. She tried to sit up. Her one unhurt arm moved toward Mosam.

  He smiled at her from the stool by the bed.

  “Looks like you’re going to be alright.”

  She shook her head.

  “I expected them to hit me. Just not so hard.”

  Mosam shrugged.

  “They shouldn’t have started it.” His handsome face twisted in disgust. “This is on them.”

  “You think so?” Yajain sighed. “I pushed them to it. I shouldn’t have—”

  Mosam might have spat. His eyes narrowed.

  “Yajay, this wasn’t the first time. Was it?”

  “I’ve fought them off before.”

  “How often?”


  “Only when they caught me going someplace I shouldn’t be. Once at a Lucid Assembly Hall.”

  “This settlement is your home too.” Mosam sighed. “We were all one people once. We still are, really.”

  Yajain touched his arm with her fingertips and sat up the rest of the way. A knot formed in her stomach.

  “My father’s people say they were the first to leave the original reef.”

  “And the last to be found afterward.” Mosam took her hand in his. “Lin told me the same thing.”

  She flushed.

  “I suppose there isn’t much I know that Lin doesn’t.”

  He shrugged.

  “You’ll be fine. We all start out ignorant. You’re good with science, so don’t say you are.”

  Yajain smiled as him, showing teeth. I can’t look normal, even if I try.

  The deaf doctor, Mosam’s teacher, waddled back toward them from across the round room of the tiny impromptu hospital.

  “You should be alright, my dear. Try out those legs.”

  Yajain looked down at herself. Her bare legs were covered by the sheet now that the doctor had finished.

  “Avert your eyes, boy,” said the doctor. “The girl deserves some privacy.”

  Dutifully, Mosam turned from Yajain’s bed. The doctor nodded.

  “Alright, my dear. Try to stand up.”

  She stood. The bandages tugged around her knees, but nothing hurt. She smiled. The doctor handed her a robe, eyes cast to one side.

  “That should do it. Wear that home. The boy will see you get there safely.”

  Yajain slipped on the robe. She tapped Mosam on the shoulder as he turned.

  “You ready?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  The doctor went back across the room.

  “Hurry back, boy. We may have other matters to attend.”

  Yajain and Mosam’s shadows moved around them as they passed under yellow street lamps. They said nothing for a few minutes of walking.

  “I could be one of them you know,” Mosam said softly as he turned to Yajain. “I could be like him.”

  Yajain pulled the tie of the robe tighter around her as they walked down the street within the central cavern of Kaga settlement.

  “You could go deaf?”

  Mosam gave her a lopsided smile.

  “There is that. But I meant I could help people.”

  “You’re not a doctor yet. And you saved me today.” She turned her eyes down to the street to avoid looking at him.

  They walked in silence a little longer, drawing nearer and nearer to Yajain’s house.

  “I could do so much more. I wouldn’t be stuck in one place,” he said.

  “Then what about Lin?” Yajain asked. “Do you want to leave her? What about all of us?”

  “You and Lin could come with me.” He smiled gently. “I don’t know what it will take, but I’d try to make it work.”

  “Me too?” Yajain murmured.

  “Sure, Yajay.” He stopped and so did she. Yajain looked up at his face, handsome, proud. He shook his head with a small, awkward smile. “I guess its a little strange, but…”

  …But if you were older I’d have wanted you instead of Lin. Even in a memory, Yajain remembered her fantasy at the time. She breathed in deeply, smelling her own blood and his sweat. They had seemed so close they could have touched minds. Then he reached out his hand and took hers and squeezed it. But he didn’t say another word.

  Moments like this. Had they really happened to her? They seemed far off now.

  Yajain faced Firio Gattri in the ready room of Castenlock. The captain met her eyes. She swallowed.

  “Mosam Coe is here on this ship.”

  The search began quietly. At first, Firio only told the military police officers, of which there were few aboard, about Mosam. Then Agan Pansar found out, though Yajain didn’t know how. An imperial agent had ways of uncovering secrets in motion.

  Firio returned to the bridge with Yajain at his side. His usual calm command style remained, but with tension hovering just beneath the surface. The holos and panels around the room flickered with warning signs even before the captain could begin to give orders.

  “Situation report, people!”

  The pale bandojen officer with a cream-colored shell turned from his terminal of holograms.

  “There have been fluctuations in the core sir. Tei Officer Takatine went down to engineering to check on things.”

  “Alright,” Firio said. “I may need to contact him soon.” He turned to other officers who waited with reports. Then he rounded on an officer who stood beside Yajain. “Tell the MPs to check the engineering entryways for any personnel leaving.”

  “Yes, captain.”

  Firio turned to Yajain. His voice became very soft.

  “Do you think it could be Mosam?”

  “Sabotage? Maybe. But why?”

  “Why did he destroy Kaga’s armory eight cycles ago?”

  Yajain flushed.

  “I don’t know. And you know that.”

  “He’s dangerous. I understand that much. And he’s loose on my ship. You should have told me as soon as you knew.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. Captain.”

  Firio deflated a little. His tone lost some of its heat.

  “We’ll catch him. Pansar might actually be useful for something.”

  Yajain swallowed and nodded. Considering the way the imperial agent treated her didn’t put her at ease. Considering what he might do to Mosam… But should that matter? Mosam is a traitor. And he’s a killer. He hurt my sister.

  Firio returned his attention to the whole bridge and raised his voice.

  “All launch bays are to be locked down with arc projection vessels on standby to launch with full cabler complements on board.”

  He motioned to the officer beside Yajain. She let the officer lead her off the bridge and toward the junction where arc movers stopped by the ready room and bridge complex at the end of the ship’s central corridor. Lights in the corridor flickered above, shining on the curved ceiling. Tulem Rosh waited beside an arc mover with a few cablers from Castenlock’s crew.

  “What’s up?” he asked.

  “The ship’s going into lock down. Looks like we’ll be here for a while.”

  His brow furrowed.

  “Captain Gattri must be on edge.”

  “It’s not just him.” Yajain gazed down the corridor of the ship. Four hundred meters of core lay beneath it, the engineering section. Could Mosam be down there? She closed her eyes. Deep breaths, Yajain. Deep breaths.

  Lights flickered in their fixtures in the corridor. Tulem glanced at the ceiling, drawing Yajain’s attention there as well.

  “Huh,” he said. “That’s odd.”

  A cabler officer standing with the others turned to Yajain.

  “Doctor Aksari, you and Cabler Rosh are to come with us. We’ll take you to the launch bay when this is over.”

  Yajain shook her head.

  “I think I should stay here. I need to be able to contact the captain in case there’s trouble.”

  “Captain’s orders, doctor.”

  Tulem glared at the man.

  “I agree with the doctor. What good can we do by waiting?”

  The officer scowled and turned toward Tulem.

  “Don’t push me, boy. I have my orders, and they’re your orders too.”

  Yajain folded her arms and looked down at herself. She wore the medic uniform she’d been given aboard Solnakite, but still with her father’s old vare blade at her hip.

  “Sir,” she said, raising her voice. “Please. If either of us can help, we should say closer to the bridge.”

  The officer directed his scowl at Yajain. His hands remained immobile folded before him.

  “Fine. There’s a crash shelter nearby.” He turned to two of the other cablers. “Get a mover and take Aksari and Rosh there
.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Two bandojens occupied the crash shelter near the prow of the Castenlock when Yajain and Tulem stepped inside. The bandojens, one a black-haired and bearded man, and the other a younger looking woman of similar coloration sat on adjacent couches.

  They stopped their conversation and turned. They wore baggy technician suits with pockets all over and Clan Company Gomendeata icons on each sleeve. They must have been in the survival pod.

  Yajain nodded to the pair.

  “I wondered if they woke you up successfully.”

  The two glanced at each other. The man shook his head. The girl sighed.

  “We’re lucky the verge caught us.” A subtle accent gave her speech a softer edge. “But we’re luckier still that Dilinia had a fleet so close. My name is Enna Loyanneal. This is my brother, Joth.”

  “Clan Company Gomendeata.” The bearded bandojen folded his large hands. “Do either of you know what’s going on out there?”

  “On this ship?” Yajain asked. “There’s a stowaway somewhere. He may be tampering with power supplies.”

  “And you are?” Enna asked.

  “Doctor Yajain Aksari.” She motioned to Tulem. “And this is Cabler Tulem Rosh. It’s a long story. We helped retrieve your pod, but with the present situation we shouldn’t leave this room.”

  “Do they even know who they’re looking for?” Enna asked.

  Tulem walked past Yajain. He looked down at the seated bandojens. His dark eyes flashed as he glanced at Yajain. She frowned.

  “A Doctor of the Harvest. He’s considered—he is a dangerous terrorist.”

  “Doctor of Harvest?” Joth’s eyes widened slightly. Enna glanced at him, face darker than before.

  She stood up and turned to Yajain.

  “Where we were, machining in Sigali Expanse, out in Kerida Cluster, there was a Doctor of Harvest. He spoke of an enemy that needed to be fought even as the storms started to blow in. He gave the people resolve.”

  Yajain nodded.

  “That was probably Mosam Coe. The same man we’re looking for now.”