Hathor Legacy: Burn (5 page)

"You were always important to us, Nadira. Now you will find out why."

6
Desperate People

What did they want from her? She wanted to know, yet she dreaded it.

Dakar led her to a small room off the main hall, standing back to let her enter first. Inside, Nadira came face-to-face with a woman about her age, with long black hair that fell past her shoulders. Her pale cheeks flushed pink as she smiled and reached out to press her cheek against Nadira's.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, as she pulled away. "I'm Petra. We met years ago when we were presented to the Elders."

"You're an Elder now?" Nadira strained to picture the face of the young girl as she stared at the woman.

"Come closer." A man's deep voice called from across the room. He stood up and pushed back his long, multicolored vest. His was similar to the one Dakar was wearing, only instead of a grey suit underneath, he wore a dark blue shirt and pants.

Frozen to the spot, Nadira watched as he approached, muscular like Jon, he looked to be in his forties. His light brown skin was slightly red across his forehead and nose, like he'd spent a lot of time in the sun recently. With bluish-green eyes, like Dakar's, he was probably from the North. He wore his white hair cropped on the sides and spiked on top.

"My name is Lange." When he got to her, he leaned down to press his cheek against hers. "I wasn't an Elder when you were presented years ago, but I've heard about you."

As she stood there, not knowing what to say, the remaining four people came forward to greet her. Altogether there were three men and three women of varying ages.

"We should begin." Dakar waved towards the long couch that spanned the opposite wall.

"We've already begun, Dakar." Lange sat down and stretched his long legs out. "After you left we got on the topic of the position. There's no time to waste."

Two high-backed chairs were facing the couch. Dakar sat in one of them and nodded to Nadira, indicating she should take the other.

As she took her seat, she tried to hide her discomfort. All she could do was hope that none of the others were picking up on it.

"I've spoken to Brant and he's aware of what we must do," Dakar replied. "He will work with Nadira to help the transition."

"What transition?" She stared at Dakar, even though he wasn't meeting her eyes.

"The Sentry Leader position, my dear," Petra replied. "I thought you knew."

Dakar cleared his throat. "I mentioned it, but she is not in agreement."

She heard chuckling and turned to glance at the older woman sitting next to Lange. When she'd greeted Nadira, she'd said her name was Azure. She'd been one of the Elders at Nadira's formal introduction. "I wouldn't expect her to be. But Elder, I'm not sure it was a good idea to keep her isolated for so long."

"It was best not to overwhelm her," Dakar said.

"Stop talking about me. I'm here and I want answers."

"Of course you do. You're your mother's daughter," Azure r
emarked. "I trained your mother. Minona was not one to hide her thoughts."

"She'll need that." Lange folded his arms across his broad chest. "I wasn't sure about Zina seeing how ambitious she is. Pe
rhaps she was a good choice as a mentor after all."

"What are you all talking about?" Nadira asked, as she fought to keep her emotions from spilling over.

Dakar crossed his legs. "We have reason to believe that Novacorp is developing a way to give some of their people abilities like ours. They've been working on it for years and my sources tell me they are very close."

"Abilities? What kind?" Nadira asked.

"Telekinesis mostly, but they are also trying to develop telepathy as well. They have not been successful. So far their test subjects have either died or suffered brain damage." Dakar spoke matter-of-factly, as though he were talking about the weather. "Novacorp Labs has been very busy these past few years. But so have we."

"We're here, why would they need to give our abilities to an
yone else?" Nadira asked.

"Novacorp's control stretches over five solar systems. With our natural resources, Hathor is the richest prize. But they could not have held on to it without our help. And now, they want to find a way to sweep the Guardians out of the way," Azure replied.

"Not to mention that our powers aren't effective away from Hathor," Lange said. "If they want to duplicate what they've done here, they'll need people on others worlds with similar abilities."

"But most importantly, they fear us, Nadira." Dakar gripped the arms of his chair. "They always have. Ever since they came here and took over Hathor, it's been an uneasy alliance. We must protect ourselves."

"And what is my part in all of this?" During her training, she'd been told that the Guardians were part of Novacorp, not adversaries.

"When you were a child, you displayed multiple abilities. That is extremely rare and it's why you were designated as a Sentry. One of few who manifest in each generation," Dakar replied.

"We're not able to combine our powers. And even if we try, the weaker person will always end up draining the power of the stronger one," Lange added.

"For us to combine our abilities, we need a conduit," Petra said. "And that's how you can help us. You can be the connector, which will allow us to do it without weakening."

She was sorry she'd asked. What was worse was how calmly they all explained it to her. As though asking her to sacrifice herself for their goal was a simple request. "And if that happens, what will you do with our combined powers? You sound like you're expecting a battle."

"Nadira, what you don't know is that we've already had one. Novacorp hasn't always been in charge here. The Corporate Wars were a little over fifty years ago. Novacorp fought for control of Hathor and our people were in the middle of that fight. We sided with them and used our abilities to help them defeat their enemies and take control of the planet."

"If that's true, then wouldn't they have a reason to keep us on their side?" Nadira asked.

"Unfortunately not," Dakar continued. "We know it's a matter of time before their research is successful. They won't need us b
ecause they'll be able to suppress the criminal elements without our help."

"But for tonight, we have to decide what decision to make," Lange added.

"And then we can make our move," Azure said, her attention on Dakar.

"What move? Why am I the only one here who doesn't unde
rstand what's going on?" Nadira asked.

"It was my decision to keep you isolated from everyone so you wouldn't be influenced by any faction." Dakar shifted in his chair. "I had hoped to find others like you, but we've only identified one and that was years ago. She was killed in an accident before I could retrieve her to be trained," Dakar's voice broke and he paused before continuing. "Now we have no choice."

"Tell me what you expect me to do because none of this is making sense."

Dakar inclined his head toward her, but didn't make eye co
ntact. "Your powers have grown stronger over time. Unlike others, you are more powerful now than when you completed your training. With your help, we'll be able to strike first before Novacorp can destroy us."

"You're overreacting," she said. "One person can't connect thousands of Guardians. It's not possible."

"Actually the number of people who have detectable abilities is in the thousands, but only the strongest are chosen to be trained as Guardians. So the numbers are small enough to make it possible."

"Nadira, none of us is strong enough individually, not even the Elder," Lange said, casting a glance at Dakar. "But your telepathic ability will be able to withstand the strain. It will allow us to create a web of connection to all of our people. I know it must sound i
mpossible to you, but it's not."

"Our abilities are recessive, Nadira," Azure added. "Over the years, we've allowed ourselves to be integrated with the rest of the people here. That has to stop."

"And that is why Jonathan Keel is not acceptable. As it is, with each generation our abilities become more diluted," Dakar said. "Do you understand?"

"You want me to release Jon so you can use me to connect all the Guardians? You can't ask that of me. You don't control my life."

"Ah, yes, she is Minona's daughter," Azure said. "Minona would not let us choose a partner for her either."

"My father wasn't a Guardian, but then neither was Dakar's mother." She glared at Elder Dakar, not turning away even under his intense gaze.

"That is well known and has nothing to do with this discussion," he said. "My mother was moyen, as is my sister, Jen." He groaned and gripped the armrests of his chair, his fingers digging into the gracefully carved wood.

"Dakar?" Nadira asked.

Instead of replying, he leaned back and closed his eyes. "Forgive me, my headache has returned."

"Elders," Nadira began. "While you've been planning all of this, you've ignored the other people with abilities on Hathor."

"Does she mean, the
Kasema
?" Lange asked.

"No, they never associate with us. Obviously, she means the Deshtu," Azure replied.

There were a few sighs and groans from the others. Dakar rubbed his forehead and refused to make eye contact with her. "We've already spoken about this, Nadira. I will not offer them any help," he said.

"We're descended from the first settlers who came here over 200 years ago. Nadira, those people--the Deshtu are not like us," Lange said. "We have to think about our own survival."

"During the Corporate Wars, they helped our enemies attack and slaughter our people." Petra's voice grew louder as she ge
stured towards Dakar. "We had no protection at all until Elder Dakar's father took charge and--"

"Enough!" Dakar stood up and smoothed out his long vest. "There is nothing more to discuss. Nadira, I want you to bring Jonathan Keel to meet me. I'll expect you both the day after tomo
rrow."

"Why do you want to talk to him?" Nadira asked. 

"Because I want to see what type of person he is."

"She won't release him just because we request it," Azure said. "He's deeply embedded in her consciousness."

"You're reading me?" Nadira asked. Somehow she'd been able to slip through Nadira's emotional shields.

"I know it was not polite. But you must watch your anger. It makes you vulnerable and leaves you open," Azure replied.

Nadira glared at the older woman, but Azure's expression remained mild. The corners of her mouth were turned up, like she was on the edge of smiling. Sitting there, with her eyes twinkling, she reminded Nadira of her grandmother.

While she and her mother had been on the run, Nadira's gran
dparents had hidden them from security for a while. Unfortunately they'd been picked up, along with everyone else who'd helped Minona to reject the Guardians. Where they were now, Nadira had no idea. None of her efforts to find them or her mother had led to anything.

"These are dangerous times and I must know where Mr. Keel's loyalties are," Dakar said.

The door opened and noise from the main hall flooded in. Mikal stepped inside the room and bowed. "Pardon me, Elder. I was concerned that I hadn't seen you out in the hall."

"Our business ran longer than I expected," Dakar replied. "N
adira is leaving. Request a transport for her."

"Oh, you're not staying?" Mikal asked.

"No, I'm not." Nadira glanced at the Elders, then brushed past Mikal and left the room. Let them believe that she'd go along with their plans for her. She had plans of her own.

*****

After Mikal requested the transport, he waited outside with N
adira. She stood under one of the twinkling overhead lights suspended over the front entrance. It illuminated them in a bright circle of light.

"Did they tell you why they wanted you to come tonight?" M
ikal asked, glancing over at her. "I heard Elder Dakar talking about it with Elder Azure when she visited him last week."

"Yes, they told me." She glanced down the street towards the city center. The glow of the Entertainments District was easy to see from here. Was Jon still there making the rounds of the clubs with Lani Zakry? She was introducing him to several of the executives, and helping him to get connected to the important people.

"It's not fair you know. If the Elder's father hadn't done what he did, you wouldn't have been forced into this position," Mikal said.

"Azure mentioned him in the meeting. What did his father do?"

"I've said enough. This has been my night for making mistakes, hasn't it?"

"If you know something, you should tell me. No one in that room made any sense. They talked about the Corporate Wars…I've never heard any of that before. What was it about?"

"Old stories that no one cares about anymore," Mikal replied. "What do they want you to do?"

"Help them to connect their abilities through me." Even as Nadira said it, she shuddered as a chill passed through her body. "Is that possible?"