by Shana Rae
"How will that effect my business here?"
"We'll allow it to continue, but you will be expected to pay a percentage of your profits to our Clan, to be used for development work."
"And what if we pull out?"
Ari laughed.
"That would be very foolish Vysani, we intend to turn Kalocia in to a vibrant and prosperous trading centre, surely you want to be a part of it?"
"I'm just having a hard time accepting you Ari, can I have a word with Evahlia on her own?"
"Of course, I've got to fetch some more supplies."
As Ari left, Vysani walked over to Evahlia.
"Before you ask Vysani, this was my idea, Ari did not force himself on me, in fact he saved me from a very dangerous situation. It wasn't easy for me at first to accept someone who was once our enemy. But like me, Ari is also dispossessed, and I'm happy to work with him. And I hope you will enjoy working with both of us to make Kalocia a better place."
"I fully intend to, I just wanted to hear it from you personally, and to sense it as a Telepath. Make it a success Evahlia, the dispossessed deserve better, they've been exploited for too long. When you're ready to make a public declaration regarding the GhostWraith Clan, be assured that the NightStorm Clan will be one of the first to acknowledge your status."
"Thank you Vysani, your respect means a lot to me. Are you going to talk to Zareli and Dumarrak?"
"Yes, though I suspect they may take a little more convincing. Now I've got some business to attend to, but tell Ari that I'd like to meet with him once you're established to discuss trading terms."
"I will."
"Take care Evahlia."
Vysani left the building and headed for the IceWarrior Clan's warehouse. He found Zareli waiting.
"Did you find Evahlia?"
"Yes and a big surprise, she's in partnership with Ari Straken."
"What the…"
"He didn't force her, it was all Evahlia's idea, I scanned to verify for myself. They've got a place near the landing zone, they're establishing their own Clan for the dispossessed. It all seems every honourable."
"I didn't think Ari had survived."
"By the look of him, he barely did."
"So what's the deal?"
"They're going to take a percentage of our profits to fund development work."
"Like hell they are, I'm not doing business with the military."
"Zareli, he's ex-military and as Evahlia said, he's as dispossessed as she is."
"He was our enemy Vysani, you know what happens to military when they're found on Kalocia.”
"Don't you even dare think about doing anything stupid, let Evahlia have some hope for the future, even if it is with Ari."
"She's quite capable of doing it alone, with our support if needed, then we get to keep all our profit."
"I'm warning you Zareli, leave them alone, if things don't work out as planned, then we'll step in and deal with Ari."
"I can't believe your defending him Vysani."
"I'm prepared to tolerate him for Evahlia's sake, and so should you."
"I'm going to go and talk to Evahlia."
As Zareli left the warehouse, Vysani sent a telepathic message to Evahlia, which she acknowledged.
Evahlia was alone when Zareli arrived, she turned to face him.
"Where's Ari?"
"Collecting supplies, why?"
"You are making a big mistake Evahlia, he may tell you he is ex-military, but it's all talk, Ari is still military."
"Excuse me Zareli but this is my life and I will work with who I choose. Isn't it enough for you that I am dispossessed, do you want to completely destroy my future?"
"No Evahlia, but there are other ways that don't involve the military."
Evahlia was starting to get angry, Zareli could sense it, but knew he had nothing to fear.
"I won't tell you again Zareli, Ari is not military, there is no military left, we destroyed them, remember?"
"What if I gave you proof that Ari is still military?"
"Go ahead, do what you want, you won't find proof because there isn't any."
"I'll be in touch Evahlia."
Zareli left the building.
It was late in the evening before Ari returned with the last of the supplies. Evahlia was sat on the stairs waiting.
"I thought you'd have gone to bed."
"I'm too troubled to sleep."
Ari sat down next to her.
"You had a visit from Zareli?"
"Did you scan me?"
"There was no need to, after Vysani's visit, I assumed he'd be next. So what happened?"
"He adamantly insists that you're still military and that he can find the proof."
"And now you're having doubts about me?"
"No, I'm just worried that Zareli will jeopardise everything we're trying to achieve. I should never have given him the implant…"
"If you hadn't, Dumarrak or Vysani would have carried out the procedure, you can't argue with a psychopath."
"I know, that is what worries me."
Ari held on to Evahlia's hand.
"Come on, let's get some rest, we'll focus on the new Clan, Zareli will eventually accept what we're doing."
"I hope your right Ari."
Evahlia let Ari take her upstairs, he stopped outside the main bedroom door.
"Do you still want to share your bed with me Evahlia?"
"Yes, I do."
11
In the morning when Evahlia awoke, she was in bed alone. She reached out with her mind to sense where Ari was, then got up and got dressed.
As she went downstairs, she stopped and stared in amazement, Ari looked up at her.
"I thought I'd surprise you."
"I am speechless, you've got everything ready, you must have been up for hours?"
"A few, but I work quickly, are you going to stay there or come down to join me?"
Evahlia ran down the last few steps and threw herself in to Ari's arms.
"Well as you've worked so hard, I'd better go and see if our outfits are ready. I'll be glad to be out of these clothes."
"I've still got to test the communication system, it will all be functional by the time you return."
"I won't be long."
As Evahlia hurried out of the building, Zareli stepped out of a doorway in front of her.
"Still want proof?"
"What have you managed to fabricate Zareli?"
"Nothing, this is living proof, come with me."
Before Evahlia could argue, Zareli grabbed hold of her hand and took her across the street to one of the bars. The place was crowded, Zareli made his way to the far side of the room.
"Over there Evahlia, that person sat in the corner, he might not look familiar, so scan him, tell me who it is."
Opening her mind, Evahlia carried out a surface scan to ascertain the person's identity.
"It can't be…"
"Yes, more military, Captain Gabriel Serolich I believe."
"So maybe he made his way here too, it doesn't prove that either of them still have anything to do with the military. And if it's only the two of them, what's the problem?"
"The problem is that the Pentaugh space station is still operational."
Evahlia put her hand over her mouth to stop herself laughing out loud.
"Now you're pushing your luck Zareli, I was there when it exploded."
"We all saw the explosion Evahlia, but not the space station exploding. If you remember we headed out of the area to avoid being hit by the blast. If we'd bothered to go back and check the area, we'd have realised that what they did was to despatch an explosive device out of the docking bay, which exploded between us and the station."
"Damn, we were all so sure of ourselves as Telepaths, so certain that we couldn't sense anything after the explosion…"
"If you want to see for yourself, I'm willing to take you out there. In fact I think it might be advisable that you do, as you have a habit of not
trusting me."
"I can scan your mind Zareli, if you have seen the space station, then I'll be able to see the image in your thoughts."
"Go ahead, I've got nothing to hide."
Evahlia linked to Zareli's mind, she saw for herself what he had seen when he went out to the space station.
"I'm sorry for not believing you Zareli, but why when I scanned Ari didn't I sense anything?"
"Remember the first time you met him, did you know that he was even a Telepath?"
"Damn, so he's able to shield his mind and only allow me to see what he wants. Is Vysani still on Kalocia?"
"Yes, he's on his way, he knows about the space station, but I've only just found the captain."
Zareli glanced across the room and saw Vysani enter the bar, he quickly made his way over to them.
"Where is he?"
Zareli nodded towards the corner where the captain was sat.
"It's him all right, so Evahlia what are you going to do?"
"Well I either confront Ari directly, or you destroy the space station and see how he reacts."
"I think destroying the space station has to be a priority, agreed Zareli?"
"Indeed, whatever Ari says, we can't accept it's the truth, destroy the military base and he'll be forced out into the open."
"How quickly can you two deal with it, I'm going to find it hard hiding anything from Ari."
"We can leave immediately, I think Vysani already has a plan, after all stealth operations are his speciality."
Zareli grinned at Vysani.
"And now I have telepathic abilities, it makes it even easier. Try and keep your thoughts as distracted as you can Evahlia, think jumbled nonsense if you have to."
"Well I've got to see if the Clan outfits are ready, so that will keep me away for a while, then I can focus on thinking about them. Just destroy the space station and let's see what happens next."
"Are you still proceeding with establishing the Clan Evahlia?"
"Yes Vysani, it was my idea, with or without Ari, it is something I want to do."
"You can count on us for support."
"Thank you, send me a telepathic message once you've destroyed the station, and good luck."
Evahlia made her way through the crowds and left the bar.
Crossing the street, she went straight to Tiarni's shop.
"Evahlia, your timing is perfect, I have an outfit ready, just a moment."
Tiarni went into the back of the shop and emerged with a pile of clothing. She placed it on the table.
"This material is very suited to the climate here on Kalocia, it's a popular choice. I created two jackets so you can decide which is best. Personally I think the longer one with the hood, it's more like a cross between a cloak and a jacket."
Evahlia held up the long jacket.
"This is perfect, you'd expect with the thickness of the material that it would be heavy, but it's quite lightweight. I approve Tiarni, thank you."
"I'll package it up so you can show it to your partner."
Evahlia forced a smile.
"I'm sure he'll approve, how much do I owe you?"
"Well as this was essentially a sample piece, just two silvers for the material."
Immediately Evahlia sensed it had cost a lot more than two silvers, and she knew Tiarni had thought of asking more.
"I'm afraid I can only give you eight silvers…"
Evahlia took the coins out of the pouch around her waist and gave them to Tiarni.
"This is too much…"
"You didn't include design costs or the time you spent making the outfit."
Tiarni smiled at Evahlia.
"Your honesty is rare on Kalocia, most people want to give me less, not more, thank you."
"We'll work out a fixed rate once I ascertain how many outfits we'll need. I'll return shortly Tiarni, and thank you again."
Evahlia picked up the package and left the shop.
When Evahlia got back home, she stopped dead in her tracks. Ari was talking to Captain Serolich.
"A new recruit already and I've only just got the Clan outfit sorted out."
Evahlia walked over to join them.
"This is Gabriel Serolich…" Ari hesitated for a moment. "Formerly a captain in the military."
Evahlia decided rage might be the best way to mask her thoughts.
"So Zareli was right, you are still military, Ari how could you…"
"It's not how it appears Evahlia, Gabriel didn't think anyone else had survived, he's only just arrived on Kalocia. Someone in the bar was talking about a new Clan being established for the dispossessed and pointed him in this direction."
"How convenient, so you're gathering together your own personal army…"
"No Evahlia, we are no longer military, our careers finished at the end of the war. Are you going to believe a psychopath over me?"
"I need to give it some thought."
Evahlia handed the parcel to Ari.
"This is the new Clan outfit, maybe I should have asked for something more like a military uniform."
Gabriel got to his feet.
"Ari, I didn't mean to cause any trouble, I think it's best that I leave."
"No Gabriel, you are dispossessed, no one gets turned away, whatever their background."
Ari turned to Evahlia.
"Unless we're going to start discriminating."
"Do I still have a say in this matter? After all Captain Serolich was your commanding officer, he outranks you, and I find it hard to believe he'll be willing to defer to a commander."
Gabriel put his hand on Evahlia's arm.
"Please accept we are no longer military, what rank we were is no longer relevant. You and Ari are in charge of this business, I'll be happy to help in any way I can. To be honest, I'm relieved to be out of the military…"
Evahlia sensed Gabriel was being sincere, but wondered if Ari could be masking Gabriel's true thoughts as well as his own.
"I need a drink, I'll leave you two to your discussion."
Evahlia walked out of the building before Ari could respond. She headed for the bar where she'd seen Gabriel. She ordered her drink and looked at the landlord.
"Was someone talking about a new Clan being established on Kalocia?"
The landlord stared at her blankly.
"Not that I've heard and I hear most of the conversations that go on in here, one way or another. And I think that is something I'd be interested in knowing more about."
"There was a man sitting on his own in the corner over there, did anyone go and talk to him?"
"No, he didn't look like he wanted company…it was strange though, he suddenly stood up as if someone was talking to him, then left the bar in a hurry."
"Thanks."
Evahlia had a few sips of her beer and sat down on a stool and looked around the room.
"So is someone establishing a new Clan on Kalocia?"
Evahlia turned to the landlord.
"Yes, me."
"Seriously?"
"I don't joke about such matters, it's time the dispossessed had something to believe in, and someone to look out for their interests. It's time the dispossessed were given their dignity back."
"Who are you?"
"I am Evahlia, once an Elder of the LightStar Clan of Iosera."
"You were in the final battle, I've heard about you, I am honoured to meet you."
"Sadly my Clan didn't feel the same way, and that's why I'm now dispossessed."
"That is their loss, stupid fools, sorry no disrespect intended. So apart from establishing a new Clan, what else do you plan to do?"
"Transform Kalocia in to a major trading community."
"I have never met anyone with such vision before, I am seriously impressed Evahlia. There'll be a few traders who might not be so pleased, but I have a feeling you'll quickly win them round to your way of thinking. You have an incredible presence, is it true you're a Telepath?"
"Yes, but don't worry, I don't
scan minds without permission."
"Just as well knowing what's going on in my head at the moment!"
They both laughed as Evahlia finished her drink.
"Well I'd better get some work done."
"Good luck Evahlia."
She smiled as she left the bar.
As Evahlia stepped out in to the street, she paused for a moment to send a message to Zareli about the conversation she'd had in the bar. Waiting a moment for his response, Evahlia then returned home.
"That was interesting, no one in the bar knew anything about our new Clan. So tell me Gabriel, how did you find your way here?"
Ari walked over to Evahlia.
"Is it possible that the person who spoke to Gabriel was no longer in the bar?"
"Of course, how stupid of me, I assumed that something as important as the foundation of a new Clan would be the major subject of conversation in there."
Evahlia sensed Ari was getting annoyed.
"It would be much easier if you told me the truth Ari."
"I have told you the truth Evahlia…"
"There is a difference between the truth and what you think I should know. Answer me honestly Ari, are you and Gabriel still involved with the military?"
"No."
As Evahlia received a message from Vysani, she stared at Ari.
"Then you have no need for the Pentaugh space station?"
"What?"
"Well that was your base wasn't it?"
Ari grabbed hold of Evahlia's arm and twisted it behind her back.
"Your friends have destroyed it haven't they?"
"Of course we destroyed it…in the war…unless…"
"Why couldn't you just accept we weren't military Evahlia, it would have made life so much easier for you. I'm not prepared to let you stand in our way."
Ari linked to Evahlia's mind, she sensed his power increasing. She struggled to block him but he was too powerful. Falling to her knees, Evahlia screamed with the pain, but Ari didn't stop, she slumped to the floor unconscious.
Gabriel walked over and put his hand on Ari's shoulder.
"We'd better leave, nice try Ari, but I said she'd be too difficult to break."
"So where do we go now, they've destroyed the space station?"
"There are still enough of us to take control of Iosera."
