Legend Beyond The Stars (16 page)

“It could be from a shuttle. Possibly it’s a Traders’ shuttle. It could be Carly and the other women!”

Her voice rang through the room. Every Darkon warrior there lifted his head.

“There is a small possibility this could be so,” Tarak admitted cautiously. He gave orders for the hologram to be terminated, turned his attention to the wall of data, doing his best to ignore the female simmering at his side. She clutched at his arm, her fingers closing over his bunched muscles. Pleasure at her touch radiated throughout his body.

Perhaps there would be time for another joining before the mission
, he mused.

There was always the risk he would not return. He should make the most of his time with her. His jaw clenched. It would grieve him greatly should he not see his Alana once more though Magar would see to her safety. He glared ferociously at the data.

He, alone, should be seeing to her safety. She belonged to him. No one else
. But he had his duty. If there were more females on this planet then they needed to be found. And quickly
before another ship picked up the signal. Although it was possible such a thing had already occurred.

“I need to go too.”

Ice cold horror rippled through his body at her declaration.

“You will remain here,” stated Tarak through his teeth. Here, where he could ensure her safety. He stalked over to the display wall.

Alana bristled and intended to blister his ears with a pithy response, when she abruptly changed her tactics.

Remember your training for God’s sake
. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed her opponent. Tension bounced off his body in waves. She wondered what he was worrying over, for something had her alien concerned. It could not be the forthcoming search, for he was far too seasoned a soldier to give into excessive anxiety over an upcoming mission. She nibbled her lower lip in thought.

Perhaps he was still annoyed with her. She sighed, remembering the heat of their recent exchange, ground her teeth when an unwelcome heat flushed her face. If they had not been interrupted, God knows what would have happened. Laughter bubbled in her throat. Of course! He could be embarrassed he had done such an outrageous thing in front of his men. Her brow wrinkled. But why
had
he kissed her?

She shook her head.
Focus!

”If it is Carly’s shuttle, then the women will need the reassurance of my presence. They will not go willingly with you,” she pointed out.

“They will do as they are bid.”

Alana rolled her eyes.
Arrogant twat!

“You, my slave Alana, will remain on the Ark.” Tarak jabbed his finger in the air for emphasis. His face was set and cold, turned against any and all of her arguments.

Stubborn, pig-headed, typical
… Furious, Alana left the Command Centre and stomped her way along the corridor to the Analysis Chamber. She may as well see whether Norman and Tina had completed their compilation of the medical reports while she considered her options.

One thing was certain, she had every intention on being part of the search team. She just had to work out how to achieve her objective.

And Mr so-called Lord and Master had better realise quick smart, that Alana Knight was not his slave. She was a soldier to her backbone
.

And a competent one at that, Alana decided tossing her head and viciously punching the code into the panel.

He would learn to respect her abilities as his equal or she’d die trying
.

The door slid open. She stalked inside.

At her entrance Elise and Norman turned around, took one look at her face and grimaced at each other. Norman hunched his bony shoulders, and scurried off to confer with the medic at the other side of the room.

Elise stared after his retreating form and sighed, wishing she could escape too. With a mental shrug she wandered over to greet her friend.

“Well, how’s it going, Alana?” She tried for cheerful and upbeat and almost shuddered at the ferocity of the glare Alana directed at her.

Alana noticed her wary expression. Her irritation vanished leaving her feeling mildly depressed. She scrubbed her hands over her face. Hell, now she was snarling at her friends.

“Sorry Elise.” She offered her apology with a self derisive smile feeling relieved when Elise beamed back. “It’s that … that man. He makes me so angry.”

Interest sparkled in Elise’s eyes. She said, “I wish a man would make me that annoyed. But unfortunately none of these warriors seem interested in me.”

“That’s a good thing.” Alana tried to reassure her. “We need to keep cool heads and our focus here. Not getting caught up in a hormone-driven frenzy.”

Elise sighed with longing.

She reminded Alana of a forlorn lonely puppy and she squeezed the younger girl’s shoulders. “Early days yet,” she again repeated Jessamine’s words and just as she hoped Elise giggled. “Apparently there’s a whole planet of them,” Elise said, perking up.

”Heaven help us,” grumbled Alana. “Where is Tina? I thought she was assisting Norman.”

“Err, she’s had to go elsewhere.” Elise blushed.

Irritated, Alana clicked her fingers. “Didn’t anyone listen to me? I told them, all we have to do is say no and we’d be left alone.” She huffed.

“Did you say no?”

This time, Alana blushed. A mixture of guilt, elation and doubt yammered inside her head. She pushed the voices aside.

“See,” Elise said quietly. “Not easy to say no to men who look and act like them.”

“Mmmm.” Alana decided to change the subject. She delicately cleared her throat. “How are the reports going?”

Elise immediately launched into a detailed description of the technology she had been introduced to and Alana listened, half her mind on her younger friend’s enthusiastic recount and the other worrying over the forthcoming mission.

“There is so much to learn,” Elise concluded. “Sometimes I feel guilty I’m not as upset as perhaps I should be.”

Alana looked at her questioningly.

“You know,” Elise spread her hands wide, “being taken from my home and thrust into a terrifying new world complete with aliens and spaceships.”

“But you don’t find it terrifying do you?”

A huge grin split Elise’s face. “No, I don’t. I think it’s amazing and I want to learn so much. My life before was pretty ordinary. For me, this is the greatest adventure of my life. Please, don’t get me wrong, I’m so homesick I cry myself to sleep at night. But only for my family. This adventure—this is huge. This is my chance to really live.”

“Even if there’s no man involved?” Alana teased.

“They say you can’t miss something you’ve never known. Anyway I’m not quite eighteen. I’ve got plenty of time.” Elise waggled a finger. “And here I am. In the middle of history being made. This is so totally cool.”

“Yeah, it is. You need to give yourself some credit here. Elise. You also are totally cool.” Alana drew a deep breath and added, “Now, something has come up. We need to get Jessamine, Linette and Tina here. And we’ll probably need Norman too. Do you know where they are?”

Elise groaned. “I have a fair idea. All right, I’ll go and get them. Any clues before I go?”

“Sorry.” Alana smiled. “I prefer to explain only the once and we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Sounds like it’s another adventure on the take. Don’t start without me,” she shouted as she raced out of the chamber.

Across the room Alana’s eyes met Norman’s. She beckoned him to join her. While they waited for the others to arrive, she would spend the time conferring with him. She was certain her dependable ally would have an option to contribute.

The little flyer hurtled down the runway and launched into space. With a simple roll of the ball inset in the panel before her, the aircraft throttled back. She scanned the control panels and the data reams. All seemed to be in order. She sighed with relief. Some of her anxiety lessened as she settled back into the command chair, confidence returning.

This was what she was born to do, to fly
. She checked her course. Right on target. It shouldn’t be too long and the planet from where the signal had originated would soon be appearing in her sights.

She thought back over the events of the past hour. When the others had joined her and Norman in the Analysing Chamber she had advised them of the latest developments. Their excitement at learning of the signal had caused her to caution them not to be too hopeful. But, damn, their happiness had been contagious. Her fingernails dug deep into the palms of her hands.

Please, please, let them be found safe and sound
.

Her compatriots had all agreed it was necessary Alana be part of the search team and they had spent some time brainstorming ideas. The Jurian had already told Alana it would be useless to try and conceal her on the fighter ships. The security scans would immediately emit an alarm as they were programmed to detect any aliens other than the Darkon warriors. It was also Norman who had informed them of the possibility of using a flyer.

Jessamine and Tina were given the mission of distracting their ‘
chosen’
warriors who had been detailed in charge of the small portside departure bay at the precise moment when Alana would hijack a flyer. Alana had been reluctant to voice that proposal, but Jessamine had not only already thought of it but was determined to carry it out. Her friend had winked at
her, and assured her that her part of the mission would not be a penance. Alana made a mental note to interrogate all the women on her return, ensure none experienced any regrets or guilt over their sexual encounters.

Once Alana was locked inside the flyer, Norman had assured her the Darkons would not dare to try to stop her for fear of injuring her. Alana had had her doubts about that, but had shrugged, accepted with equanimity the possibility she may be shot out of the sky. It was worth the risk.

Hidden from prying eyes and ears, Norman would operate a communicator and give Alana instructions on flying procedures. At least for as long as he could until he was discovered. She hoped the Darkon warriors would not hurt him.

Everyone had been given a role—even Linette had been dragged into the exercise. She had been the only one who had worried over the consequences of their actions. Her fear of punishment had been genuine. Jessamine had poo-pooed her reaction and had talked her round to their way of thinking until she had agreed. Jessamine had declared loudly there was no way the Commander would hurt Alana, as he was so gone on her.

Said Alana snorted.

As if!
Then she grinned, thinking of the Commander’s reaction when he realised she had not only disobeyed his
‘royal’
command but was whizzing about in space in one of his flyers. He was going to be seriously annoyed.

Serves him right for being so obstinate
.

If he’d listened to reason, she would not have been forced to resort to underhanded measures. If they found Carly and the other women, she would be needed. She had made the right decision. Her finger tapped a rapid beat against the metal.
Damnit
, she was a soldier, used to action. An officer used to command. Not sitting on the sidelines waiting for her man to return home from the war.

Norman’s voice hissed in her ear and Alana scanned the vista visible from the small porthole. Cloud swirled about the flyer. She leaned closer to the screen. The cloud which stretched far in all directions appeared to be made of tiny sparkling specks of silver dust.

Awesome
.

Like fairy dust
.

With a deft twist of her wrist, she had the little flyer rolling gracefully through the cloud and she laughed out loud. The flyer burst through the last haze of dust and there dead ahead was her objective.

Alana surveyed the planet critically. What she could see of it through a murky brown mist, was a peculiar dull sickly-green colour and appeared to be composed of one massive land mass. She wondered whether it was similar to the other planet they had landed on, dry, inhospitable and where water was almost non-existent. Not to mention—cold. Alana grimaced. She had not been impressed with the other planet. Hopefully this one would be conducive for life. With breathable air, water, food, earth-like gravity, warmth …

She would soon find out. She drew deep on her determination when Norman’s voice sounded again in her earpiece.

”You should be able to see the Commander’s squadron ahead.”

“Got them,” Alana said coolly. “It looks as if they’re getting ready to land.”

“Correct. Eeeek. They are at the door, demanding entrance. I have disabled the locks but it will not hold them forever.” Norman’s excited voice rose to a high pitched squeal.

Alana eased the earpiece back a trifle. “It’s okay. I’ll handle it from here, Norman. Thanks.”

“Remember, Alana. You must meet up with the Commander. The flyer does not have enough energy for the return journey. You must find him,” Norman hissed frantically.

“I remember, don’t worry.”

“Take care, Alana. The Commander will kill me if harm comes to you,” he wailed before signing off.

Ugh, I wish everyone would stop saying that!

Alana rechecked her co-ordinates. Her plan was to land in the vicinity of Tarak’s squad and traverse the long way around to the location of the signal, coming up to it from the side. She was capable of jogging with a fully loaded backpack and weapons for a full day, so she envisaged no difficulty in arriving in good time. The full body flight suit Norman had equipped her with, should ensure she was well protected from this particular planet’s vagaries.

The light of battle burned with fervour in her heart.

She set the flyer up for landing and reviewed the scrolling data while the on-board intelligence assessed the planet for a suitable landing area. No sign of turbulence or storms, Alana noted. She read more data then whistled soundlessly.

So the planet was not composed of one large land mass. Apparently, it was covered with water interspersed with islands of rock. She leaned closer to the screen. No, not water, at least she didn’t think it was water as she knew it from home. The depth varied from a few inches to a little over a foot. She frowned at the analysis of the composition. The liquid was thicker than water, non-drinkable and toxic. The terrain read it was reminiscent to a volcanic bog.