Shades of Gray (89 page)

“Combat zone,” said Kusac.

“And I wasn’t in one when we retook the City and Palace? As I understand it, the
Couana
shouldn’t be engaged in combat at all.”

“True, but it’s also our backup if things get tough. We may need its firepower either on the planet’s surface or as we escape. It certainly has to dock with the M’zullian craft in order to take off those returning with it, and Zhalmo, before it can enter hyperspace!”

“We were just discussing this maneuver, if you remember, Clan Leader,” said Toueesut. “A version of Prime attractor beam have we installed and been testing, and it is advanced enough for us to pull the M’zull ship close enough for people to transfer in flight. Then we enter hyperspace. No need being to slow down, less danger to ship and to us on it,” he beamed up at Kusac, his whiskers bristling with obvious pride.

Zsurtul regarded Kusac calmly. “Then I see no reason I cannot come,” he said. “It isn’t as if I can’t handle myself. If you remember, I was involved in firefights with K’hedduk’s people in my mother’s suite.”

“And almost died when you followed him to his hidden ship. I will not be there to save your life a second time, King Zsurtul,” Kusac reminded him harshly.

The young King’s eyes darkened at the reminder. “I will follow all orders,” he said quietly.

“Dammit, you can’t take his request seriously,” said Kezule as Kusac hesitated. “I can’t be there to protect him either! Someone has to stay behind here!”

If it were me, would you stay behind?
asked Carrie.
Did I when you were taken? Did we when Kaid was, and I was heavily pregnant at the time!

Kusac gave a stiff nod. “Get boarded, Zsurtul,” he said. “Report to J’korrash on the living deck to be allocated quarters.”

“Aye, Captain,” Zsurtul said, sketching a salute and bounding up the ramp before he could be stopped.

Kezule turned on Kusac, who merely lifted an eye ridge and regarded him calmly. “Ashay!” he called.

“Yes, Captain!” came a booming voice, followed by the ramp vibrating under them as loud footsteps were heard rushing toward them from the bowels of the ship.

Kezule forgot what he was going to say as he watched Ashay come trotting down to join them.

His head appeared first, at the end of a foot-long mobile neck; then the rest came into sight. He stood just over six feet tall at the shoulders with a tail as long as he was tall waving behind him. Coming to a halt beside Kusac, he settled his tail down, balancing on it and his well-muscled back legs. His muzzle-like mouth opened in a smile to reveal large teeth.

“Ashay, remember how you looked after Carrie when we retook the Palace?”

The head snaked down level with theirs, then nodded up and down. “Yes, I watch her well. When danger too near, I pick her up and run,” he said proudly. “And I shoot enemies nearby too!”

“I have another job for you like that, Ashay,” said Kusac. “King Zsurtul is coming with us. I want you to guard him well. He’s not to be allowed near any danger, hear me?”

The huge head bobbed up and down again, and Ashay’s tongue lolled out over the edge of his tombstone-like teeth as a gust of sweet breath blew in their faces.

“I hear, Captain! I good bodyguard! I look after little King well!”

“Thank you, Ashay. You may return to your duties.”

Ashay started to turn away, but then the huge head swung back to Kusac. “Where Carrie? I not said hello to her yet.”

“In the forward lab at the armory,” he said.

“Then I go looking for her! Ashay pleased to see her again!” With that, he swung around, his tail narrowly missing them all as he took the ramp at an enthusiastic run.

“Satisfied, General?” asked Kusac, grasping hold of the ramp strut to keep his balance as the ramp once more vibrated under their feet.

Kezule had a strange expression on his face. “I have a feeling our young King may regret going with you,” he said.

Carrie’s shriek carried out to them. “Ashay! Watch your tail! And no! Don’t slobber over me!”

Kaid coughed, hiding a huge grin behind his hand as Kezule looked at them in surprise.

“Think of Ashay as a large and enthusiastic pet,” said Kusac. “Carrie says he reminds her of a young dog, a puppy.”

“He will be safe enough with us, I be assuring you of that, General Kezule,” said Toueesut seriously. “Ashay is very dutiful and will watch him most carefully.”

“Biggest danger is getting swiped off his feet by tail,” said Shaayiyisis mournfully. “Ashay still a youngster and hasn’t yet reached full growth yet. Clumsy they are at his age.” His huge head swung from side to side. “Very clumsy.”

Kusac excused himself and drew Kezule down the ramp away from the others.

“Zsurtul being there may be the one way to save Zhalmo’s sanity, even her life,” he said quietly. “You and I have no illusions as to how she’ll have been treated, but has Zsurtul?”

“He saw the survivors from the cells and his mother,” said Kezule tersely. “He may say little, but he knows what to expect.”

“Good, because K’hedduk will have had her for about six weeks by the time we get there. She’ll have fought him until he broke her, and he will have. The first thing he’ll have done is made her pregnant. She’ll have attempted suicide at least once.” Even he could hear the bleak quality seeping into his voice, and mentally he shook himself. “When she’s free, she’ll try again. I did.” He held Kezule’s gaze with his own, seeing the shock written on the General’s face.

“You attempted suicide? I never thought of you as ever giving in to anything.”

“I wasn’t. It was more complex than that, as it will be for her. K’hedduk maimed me. He took my Link to Carrie and Kaid away, and I wrongly decided they would be better off without me. Zhalmo will feel the same, Kezule.”

“I know.” For once, Kezule’s face clearly showed his emotions. At his sides, his hands clenched into fists. “I have no right to ask . . . With your telepathic skills, can you—will you help her?” His voice was barely audible.

“My time will be short, but I’ll do what I can. I can erase, permanently, her memories of the worst of her captivity.”

“Do it. Maybe that will be enough to keep her from trying to end her life.”

“At best, it will be a rough and ready treatment,” he warned. “Kitra, my sister, is remaining, as you know. Get her and Dzaka, her Leska, to work on Zhalmo. Conner too. Don’t leave her alone when she returns; make sure she always has unobtrusive company.”

“This will be a debt I can never repay.”

“Deal straight with us and the Alliance, Kezule, that’s all I ask of you,” he said, moving back up the ramp. “I owe this to your daughter anyway. She went out of her way to look out for me and befriend me on Kij’ik.”

 

As they’d get to Ch’almuth four days ahead of the M’zullians, Kusac was determined that their final checks before they left would not be rushed. Knowing this, Kitra, Dzaka, and Garras had waited till the last to say their good-byes.

Kitra found Carrie in the cargo hold with Zsurtul, stowing his battle armor, which had been sent on from the Palace.

“Carrie!” she said, bouncing over to her, tail swaying in pleasure.

“Hey, Kitra,” Carrie said, hugging her, delighted to have the chance to see her bond-sister before they left. “I was afraid we wouldn’t see you.”

“No chance of that,” said the young female, hugging her back. “They told me Kusac’s around here somewhere.”

“He’s in the sick bay, going over the meds for us and the Primes with Toueesut and Doctor Zayshul.”

“Take us there,” said Kitra, linking an arm through hers.

Carrie balked, taking refuge in giving Dzaka, Kitra’s mate, a hug. “Hi, Dzaka,” she said. “You keep a good eye on our little sister for us, you hear?”

“Oh, I will,” he smiled. “We have plenty to do here preparing to defend the planet.”

“C’mon, Carrie,” said Kitra, tugging her arm. “You can’t keep avoiding her you know.”

“I’m not avoiding Zayshul. I’m just giving them some space,” she mumbled.

“Rubbish! Now which way to the sick bay?”

She sighed, knowing that when the youngster was this determined, nothing would stop her. “Zsurtul, go back up to your quarters and report to J’korrash,” she ordered, letting Kitra drag her back to the main cargo area.

Garras was standing waiting for them near the ramp. When he saw them, he came over.

“You take care on this mission,” he said in her ear as he bent down to envelop her in a hug. “Keep those husbands of yours under control.”

“I’ll try,” she laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. “You take care here. You’re going to be facing enough danger yourself. I don’t want to have to tell Vanna I lost you!”

“No fear of that,” he laughed. “I have every intention of watching our children grow up.”

“Ca-ree,” said Kitra, almost dancing with impatience. “I want to see Kusac.”

“The sick bay is over there,” said Dzaka, pointing off to their right.

“Come on, then,” sighed Carrie, letting go of Garras to lead the way.

The door was wide open, and she saw T’Chebbi first, going through the cupboards, checking items off on a comp pad. Kusac stood by the nurse’s station with Toueesut and Zayshul, checking the drug cabinets there.

He swung around before they even entered, his face lightening as he saw the blonde cannonball heading for him at a run.

“Kitra!” he exclaimed, catching her as she leaped at him. “I hoped you’d come to say good-bye.”

“Think I’d let you leave without seeing you?” she asked, clinging around his neck as he hugged her close.

“Oof! You’re getting too big for this, you know,” he said, bending to set her down. “Stop worrying, kitling,” he said, stroking his hand across her cheek. “We’ll be fine, I promise.”

“How can you be sure?” she asked, her face crumpling. “You’ll be stranded on that world with no way to escape!” She rubbed her eyes with one hand, obviously blinking back tears.

He knelt down beside her and took hold of her other hand. “We have to go, Kitra. If we don’t, we’re leaving a lovely person in the hands of a monster. And there will be war between M’zull and the Alliance. We have to stop that, or billions of people will die.”

“I know, but why does it always have to be
you
? Why can’t someone else do it for a change?” Her voice sounded suspiciously close to breaking.

“Because we’ve been involved from the start,” said Carrie, coming up behind her to wrap her arms around the young female. “Would you trust your safety to anyone else?”

“Yes! No,” she said unhappily. “But I don’t have to like it.”

“Neither do we,” said Carrie dryly, reaching up to tweak her ear. “Come on, love, this is no way to say good-bye to us. You’re a Sister now, one of the Brotherhood. We don’t send our people off with sniffles and tears, do we? Be brave for our sakes.”

Kitra rubbed her hands across her face and straightened up, forcing a smile. “You’re right,” she said, turning to kiss Carrie’s cheek. “I’m behaving like a cub, and I’m an adult now!”

“You are indeed,” said Carrie, kissing her back. “You’ve got a most important task ahead of you when Zhalmo returns. We need you two look after her, make sure that what healing Kusac and I’ve done to help her is as it should be.”

Kitra looked from one to the other of them. “You want me to finish healing Zhalmo?”

Kusac nodded. “You and Dzaka,” he said, glancing up to where his bond-brother stood by the door. “Plus, I need you to keep an eye on Shaidan. He’ll be very lonely without us and will need your company. You’re so very good with cubs, you know that.”

She nodded, lifting her chin in determination. “I can do those things.”

“I know you can, kitling,” said Kusac, standing up and running his hand across the myriad of tiny braids covering her head. “Dzaka, take care of each other. Kezule will be depending on you and Garras to lead the commandos in our absence.”

“I know, Captain,” he said, reaching out to clasp Kusac’s forearm in the warrior handshake. “Be careful on M’zull. Don’t scare them too much—I hear they’re terrified of Sholans.”

Kusac laughed as he returned the handshake before turning to Garras. “Take it easy, Garras. No heroics, please.”

“As if,” snorted the older male, embracing him. “Remember, the same applies to you. There’re no prizes for nearly succeeding.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ve a new son and daughter to meet on Shola yet! Have you seen Kaid? He was here a few minutes ago.”

“I’ve seen him,” confirmed Garras, stepping back. “And the others. Time for us to go now and let you finish up your checks and be off.”

“I should be going too,” said Zayshul. “We’ve finished here. Be safe, all of you,” she added, turning to squeeze out past the Sholans.

“Good-bye, Zayshul,” said Carrie, reaching out to touch her arm as she passed her.

Startled, Zayshul stopped. “Good luck,” she said before hurrying out.

A few minutes later, Carrie and Kusac were alone, Toueesut and T’Chebbi having escorted the others off the ship.

“Well, that’s it for here,” said Kusac. “We have everything we need to treat any of us, and the two cryo units check out too.”

“Will two be enough?” she asked, moving over to lean against him.

“I hope we don’t need even one,” he said, resting his chin on the top of her head.

“Kusac?”

“Mm?”

“How are we going to get off M’zull?”

“If we’re successful, we shouldn’t need to. Once we’ve neutralized their fleet and their top military installations and people, then the Touibans will come to police the planet until a combined Alliance force takes over.”

“But if we need to.”

“We’ll steal a ship or a shuttle and send a signal to Toueesut, who’ll rendezvous with us and pick us up in the
Tooshu.”