Captive Surrender (8 page)

She got the impression this section of the Consulate was not for violent criminals. She passed one empty holding area, then another, before she reached the one containing Safan. It looked less like a cell and more like someone had hewn a portion out of the rock. Pulse poles were embedded on either side of the wide doorway. She could take the shimmering force field down with barely a blink of an eye.

Safan sat on a narrow ledge that apparently served as both bed and chair. His head was down, and he looked asleep. She stepped closer to the cell, and he glanced up.

“Maurra!” He was immediately on his feet, a look of astonishment and relief on his craggy features. “You’re well?”

She gave a half shrug when what she really wanted to do was to throw her arms around him and tumble to the floor. But there could be vid cameras in here too, and she didn’t want to take the chance. They were in bad enough trouble as it was.

“I am as well as can be expected. Thank you for saving me. I owe you.”

The huge Ellinod shook his head. “Don’t thank me. It was you who made our escape possible.” His eyes raked over her, examining her for any signs of injury or illness. He stopped when he reached her forehead. “Any pain?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Once they got the translation device out of my back, my psionic powers reasserted themselves. Another day or two of rest, and I’ll be almost as good as new.” She grinned as she crossed her arms over her chest. The desire to negate the force field was becoming an itch she could barely restrain from scratching. A quick study of the interior of the cell, the pulse polls and the corridor did not reveal any type of monitoring device she was familiar with, but it would be safer to assume there would be some sort of equipment to help the Ellinod keep an eye on their prisoners. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “Are we being observed?”

“Yes.”

She sighed. Because there was nothing to sit on other than the floor, Maurra sat on the floor. She drew her knees up under her chin and clasped her arms around her legs. “Tell me what happened, Safan. What happened after I blasted the Kronners?”

He sat on the floor directly in front of her and crossed his legs. Barely two feet of space separated them, but the hissing, sparkling force field lay directly between them, making itself known every few seconds before settling into temporary transparency.

“You realize that everything we say can and will be used by the Law Keepers against us.”

“What does it matter? We have nothing to hide. Not anymore. They already know everything, or think they do. I doubt there is much we can say to change their minds at this point.” She rubbed her eyes and realized that despite her best intentions she was pushing herself. She needed rest, and she needed to get back to the hospital soon before she collapsed. Yes, she could use her powers again to reenergize herself, but without sufficient rest, and in her weakened state, the temporary bursts of energy would lessen in strength and duration.

Safan saw her failing. “Lie down, Maurra.”

She glanced up and gave him a quizzical look.

“Lie down,” he repeated. “The floor is warm. You can rest while I fill you in.”

She didn’t question him. In fact, by stretching out on her side and using one arm as a pillow, Maurra found it to be quite comfortable. “I vaguely remember you or someone saying the Kronners are dead? I know I didn’t hit them that hard, or did I?”

“I know you blasted them so hard, the walls of the hold lit up. My ears were ringing and I was half-blind when I grabbed you and ran from the cell. Bodies were everywhere. Some of them could have been dead. Maybe all of them were still alive, but I wasn’t going to stop and check. Not when it was our only chance to get out of there.”

Maurra nodded.

“I already had an idea where their shuttle craft were located. By the time I got to the loading dock, one ship had already taken off.”

“Vol Brod?”

“It had to be. I threw you into the closest pod and got us away from the ship as quickly as possible.” He shook his head. “Something told me to push it, to get as much distance between us and the ship as soon as possible. It was a good thing I did. We were barely out of the blast zone when the Kronners’ ship exploded.” He gave her an undecipherable look. “Whether or not your psi powers killed any of them is a moot point.”

“Not when Vol Brod made sure to cover his tracks. Do you think he knows we got away?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t even know which direction he took once he left the ship. Once we were free, my main concern was you. You looked dead, Maurra. You were barely breathing. The closest planet I knew that had an adequate medical facility was Kronnaria, but I wasn’t about to take you there. There was also a small clinic on Pal Tor Vista’s second moon, but it’s only set up to take care of the miners. Physical injuries. The doctor there told me he wasn’t to handle mental injuries like yours.”

She gave a slight nod. Little by little, bits and pieces were coming back to her. Fragments of memories during those moments when she’d drifted in and out of unconsciousness.

“Is that when you brought me here?”

“Yes.”

His complexion grew darker and his expression angrier. He’d saved her life by bringing her to his home world. But by doing so, he had condemned himself. Maurra sat up and crossed her legs, bending over closer to force field. “What happened next, Safan?”

It took him a few moments before he could answer. She watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched. His large hands curled into fists in his lap.

“They had seen the live feeds Vol Brod had beamed from the Kronners’ ship. The moment I managed to land the life pod outside the city, a squad of Law Keepers were waiting. Fortunately, there was no difficulty having you sent directly to the hospital. But I was taken straight to confinement, and from here they read me my sentence.”

Fear made her stomach clench. “What sentence?”

“For breaking any of the Universal Laws, the penalty is the mines.”

“Working in the mines? For how long?”

The Ellinod closed his eyes. She would swear she saw him shudder. “For the rest of my life.”

For some odd reason, he seemed resigned to his fate.
To hell with that!
She reached toward him, remembering at the last split second that a high energy barrier divided them. Her fingertips sizzled on contact. The barrier wouldn’t hurt her, but her powers could disrupt the energy field. Things were bad enough as it was without the Ellinod police thinking she was trying to free Safan from his cell.

Biting her lips, she drew in her anger and rising fear. “Safan, sending you to the mines is wrong. I mean, I can see you being sentenced to a labor camp for breaking the law willfully, but we were
forced
, damn it! Your life was at stake. My life and my sanity hung in the balance. We were not allowed any options. If we hadn’t fucked, one or both of us would be dead by now!”

The Ellinod got to his feet and walked over to the side of holding area, close to one of the pulse poles. “The Universal Laws do not allow exceptions or conditions. Maurra. I knew I would be breaking the law forbidding interspecies fornication. I even protested, if you remember.” He was right. She remembered how he had stood up to the Kronners and The Voice.

“What are you telling me, Safan? That it was a ‘damned if you did, or damned if you didn’t’ type of situation? Fuck me, and you die in the mines? Don’t fuck me, and you die by neuron ray? That is so wrong on so many levels, and you know it. You didn’t use intent, and your Tribunal can’t prove otherwise.” She pounded her fist on the stone floor. “Is there any way you can appeal?”

The expression on his face said everything. “They have my protest on video, Maurra, just as they have proof of us fornicating afterward.”

They have us on video.
Perversely, she wondered if the Ellinod had seen the distant 2-D or close-up 3-D version.

They have proof of us fornicating afterward.
Fornicating. Fucking.
Making love.
Funny how two different people could see the same thing from totally opposite viewpoints.

Something twisted inside her. Something sharp and so painful, tears sprung up in her eyes without warning. Maurra sniffed and bowed her head. “What happens next?”

“To me? Or to you?”

“Both. Do they put you on trial, or…what?”

“There is no trial. Especially not when there is irrefutable proof. At the moment I’m waiting to be transported to the shuttle that will take me to the
Ver Com
.”

“What’s that?”

“The transport ship that will take me to the Bansheer mines.”

She looked up. “On Bansheer Prime? Your largest moon?”

Safan nodded. “Has the Neris Orgoran given you your departure information?”

“No. He came to my hospital room and tried to impress me with how important he is.”

That got a tiny smile from him. “Well? Did it work?”

“Not hardly.” She grinned back.

He snorted and the sour look of defeat descended over his features. “From what I could overhear, things will not go well for you when you return to your headquarters.”

“Oh?” Why wasn’t she surprised by this bit of news?

“Vol Brod had a signal fed to Jora Manitavi.”

“Of course he would. He did it to humiliate your people and mine.”

“I think he may have also done it as insurance.” Safan grimaced. “In case either of us managed to escape.”

It made sense. Vol Brod would not overlook any detail, no matter how small.

“I take it there’s a shuttle coming for me too?”

“Yes. It should arrive some time late today or early tomorrow morning.”

Pressing her fist to her lips, she tried to get her thoughts in order, but her emotions were in turmoil. She didn’t want to leave, but she couldn’t stay. She had no reason to stay. And even if she found an excuse, Safan would not be here.

She had to get him out of her system. That was her problem. She had to take the memories of what had happened on board the Kronner ship and put it behind her. Put it past her. She damn sure would never be able to actually forget it.

“Guess that means by the time I leave, you’ll already be gone?”

He looked down at the floor. “The shuttle is due to arrive before nightfall.”

The knife inside her chest twisted again, slicing through muscle and blood vessels with ease. Oh, sweetest heavens, what was wrong with her? Why in the hell did the thought of Safan spending the rest of his life in servitude in the mines tear her apart like this?

Maurra sucked air through her gritted teeth and tried to will away the hot tears burning her eyes. “Safan, what about a plea? Are you allowed to plead your case to the Tribunal?”

“Not this time. Not when they have the vids as proof.”

“Exactly!” She stared at him. “The vids are proof you broke the laws
under duress!
Doesn’t that mean
some
thing?”

“Yes, it does. It means I broke the law.”

“Oh,
fuck
your laws and your Tribunal!” She beat her fists on the floor in front of her. She got to her feet and straightened up to face the force field head-on. Already her psi powers were coalescing, gradually building and giving her strength with their life-giving force.

Safan rushed to place himself directly opposite of her. “No, Maurra. Don’t destroy the force field. Don’t even try.”

“They’re going to kill you,” she said, unmindful of the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You screwed me, and they’re going to kill you for it!”

“Yes, they are,” he murmured in a soothing voice. “But if you try to release me, things will go worse for you, and you know it. We’re already an anathema here on my world. When you return to yours, you’ll have to face similar condemnation. Don’t…” He reached out until his hand was even with hers and almost brushed the force field. “Don’t make things worse for yourself.”

He was still protecting her. Things were already shit-bad for both of them. The last thing either of them needed to do was to continue to buck the system and make it worse…if it could get any worse.

She stood in front of the invisible shield and forced herself to calm down. To draw her powers back within herself where she could more easily keep them at bay. Intent on concentrating, she almost didn’t hear his question.

“What will they do to you?”

It was clear what he meant. What would happen to her once she returned to her own headquarters? Maurra shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Will they imprison you?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll be punished in some manner.”

“I fear things will be worse for you.” His concern etched every word.

He was struggling with some emotion, but for some reason she couldn’t sense it. Perhaps the force field blocked her from reading him clearly. Regardless, he was probably right. In the strict context of the law, she was equally guilty for breaking the interspecies fornication law. In addition, she could also be held responsible for the deaths of the Kronners.

“What does the Jora do with a JoJo who’s gone rogue?”

Gone rogue.
Funny how the term had a whole new meaning when she was the person it referred to.

“It depends on the infraction. It’s all done behind closed doors.”

She started to explain that JoJos were rarely stripped of their titles. Once a person was identified with psionic powers, he could either take the job or decline it. But once he accepted the position, it became a lifetime commitment. JoJos didn’t retire. They usually didn’t live long enough to enjoy that benefit. She started to tell him when the guard appeared at the door.

“The
Ver Com
is here. You must leave,” the Ellinod announced, looking at her.

Maurra turned back around to find Safan staring at her. From the intensity of his stare, she could tell he was drinking her in. Memorizing her. Remembering her. Implanting her so deeply in his mind that she would forever haunt his subconscious. Why would he try so hard to remember someone who’d ruined his life?

“I
will
see you again,” she promised. “We’ll survive this.”

He gave a nod, giving her the impression he didn’t believe her. “Be well, Maurra,” he rumbled in that velvety voice. “Please live a long, full life.” He started to say more but stopped.

The guard reached for her to urge her to leave. She jerked her arm out of his grasp and tried to follow him out, but it was difficult to see the Ellinod with tears blurring her vision.