Shamara (37 page)
Authors: Catherine Spangler
"Welcome, Alyssa," he told the baby. "You are the first Shielder to be born in Shamara, and the first to be born into freedom in over a hundred cycles. Cherish that freedom, little Alyssa, fight for it always."
The baby stared back at him wonderingly, her golden eyes alert and totally unafraid. He smiled at her. "You're going to be just as beautiful as your mother. Come meet the rest of our family. They've been waiting for you." He tucked the baby into one arm and took Eirene's hand. "We'll bring her right back," he promised Moriah and Sabin.
Nessa followed them outside. A large group of people had gathered, waiting for news. When they saw Jarek with the baby, they surged forward eagerly. Ranie, who'd been perched on Raven's shoulder, chattered loudly and leaped down, scampering to Jarek. Eirene intercepted her before she could climb his leg.
An emotional murmur swept through the crowd as Jarek held the baby aloft for all to see. "Here she is—Alyssa Janaye dan Sabin, our first baby born in Shamara. Spirit willing that there will be many more babies to come, and that they always know peace and freedom."
A cheer rose from the crowd. "Yes!" Blake whooped, at the front of the group, as usual.
Eirene watched her handsome mate, pride and love burning fiercely inside her. He was an amazing leader, commanding respect, yet able to inspire greatness in others. His sheer determination and strength of character had gotten them to Shamara. He'd helped plan and build the colony, had made it possible for hundreds of Shielders to start new lives here, with more arriving almost every cycle. They had a lot of work left to do, but Jarek would ensure it got done.
Raven, Chase and Nessa's oldest daughter, squeezed through the crowd to get a closer look at Alyssa, followed by her brother, Brand. Her dark eyes glowing, she fussed over the baby. "Look, Brand. Isn't she pretty?"
"Yeah," twelve-year-old Brand muttered, trying not to act too impressed, although he radiated excitement. They all did, Eirene thought. Here on Shamara, the birth of a baby was truly a blessed event, instead of the burden it would have been in the old quadrant. Jarek gave Alyssa to Nessa, and she took the baby back to her parents.
Pulling Eirene into a tight embrace, he whispered, "One day we'll have children of our own."
She hugged him back, despite Ranie’s indignant squeal. It never ceased to amaze her how much she loved him, how much that love seemed to grow every single cycle. Thank Spirit that fate had brought them together.
Jarek turned to his niece and nephew. "Be sure to tell Lady Meris about baby Alyssa. And tell her Eirene and I will join her for the evening meal." He took Ranie from Eirene. "Here, take this little monster with you."
"Sure." Brand took Ranie, carrying her upside down, a position she didn't seem to mind. Life on Shamara was good for lanraxes. Raven and Brand headed toward their grandmother's quarters. Eirene got along very well with Lady Meris and was glad Jarek’s mother had weathered the trip through the wormhole.
The planet on which they had settled was large, with ample room for every known Shielder, and still not intrude on the Enhancer colony sharing the planet with them. Eirene had been delighted to find more of her own kind. The Enhancers had been more than generous in allowing the Shielders to settle here.
"I think this calls for a celebration," Blake declared. The excited crowd agreed and dispersed back toward the two main halls, where they would celebrate Alyssa's arrival well into the evening hours.
"You two coming?" Blake called over his shoulder.
"We'll be there in a while," Jarek hedged.
"Yeah, right." Blake shook his head, laughing.
Jarek twined his hand with Eirene's and tugged her toward the lake. They had a favorite spot there, beneath a huge tree near the water. The tree's branches bowed to the ground, its thick foliage giving them privacy, their own personal shamara.
"It's a shame Celie and Janaye weren't here," Eirene commented. "I know Moriah wanted them present for the birth."
"Mori didn't even plan on delivering here," Jarek reminded her. "She thought she had time to get back to Risa."
"That's true. I hope she's not too disappointed."
"I don't think so." He pulled her inside the alcove formed by the tree's branches. "Did I tell you Gunnar is arriving tomorrow with more settlers?"
The nearby Enhancers had been willing to help the Shielders operate the spheres so they could evacuate everyone to Shamara, the most obvious name to give the colony. Only one Enhancer was needed for each trip, because Shielders could do the grounding. They'd found that one Enhancer and four Shielders were sufficient to safely operate a sphere. After that discovery, they had returned to Aldon to retrieve the other six spheres and begun transporting Shielders through the wormhole as quickly as possible.
When the Leors learned the areas around Shamara had vast natural veins of iridon, they offered their huge ships to transport the Shielders in return for the rare ore, and the evacuation progressed at a much faster pace.
"More settlers," Eirene murmured, wrapping her arms around her mate. "Where are we going to put them? The lodges are full."
"I'm sure we'll make room." Jarek stroked her hair, slid his hand along her face. "We'll build more shelters."
"It will be fun to see Lani. Do you think she'll be dressed in a blue-feathered loincloth, like she was when we visited her and Gunnar on their ship?"
Jarek laughed. "That was pretty interesting, wasn't it? Lani has some nice…assets."
"What?" Eirene said in mock indignation. "I am shocked. Why were you looking at those assets?"
"Sweetness, how could I miss them?" He began opening her tunic. "They're not nearly as nice as yours, though."
"They're not?" she asked, totally distracted as he slid his hand inside and captured tender flesh. It seemed that every time he touched her, she melted into a senseless mass.
That's as it should be,
he channeled, all male smugness.
Stay out of my mind unless you're invited.
I can't help myself. When you look at me with those gorgeous blue eyes, all soft and suggestive, I have to know if you want me as badly as I want you.
He was outrageous, far more playful and quick to laughter than he'd ever been in the other quadrant. And far too potent.
And what do you discover when you so rudely invade my mind?
she asked teasingly, pressing a kiss to his mouth.
That you want me, all right. You're crazy about me.
He deepened the kiss, and heat spread through her body. But two could play at that game, and she launched her own sensual assault.
You’re crazy about me too
, she managed to transmit, before coherent thought escaped them both.
Much later, as they lay together on the soft grass, with the gentle breeze rustling the tree branches, she remembered Phylo's last words to her:
Do not discount the power of love. Love is the true essence of the One, and the greatest force in all the universe.
She thought of the love that had created Sabin and Moriah's baby. The love that had motivated Jarek to lead his people here; had made her willing to sacrifice her life for his dream. Then his love had pulled her back from the brink of oblivion.
Phylos had been right. Love was the greatest force of all. And it had brought them a most precious gift.
Shamara.
* * * * * *
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Street Corners and Halos, Demon’s Delight Anthology
Book Four in the Shielder Series
Coming October 2014
Celie found the pad for the start-up sequences and breathed a sigh of relief when the powerful engines roared to life at her keyed command. At least the lockout codes weren't activated. The ship shuddered with another hit. She prayed their assailants' neutron cannon wasn't fully charged yet.
Rurick appeared and slipped into the pilot's seat, shoving the magnetic clasps of his harness together. "Let's get out of here." His expression grim, he grabbed the yoke and gave the lifts a burst of power. They rose from the ground, hovering roughly.
Hades. They could be disintegrated any moment now. Another explosion sent them listing, and the sudden blare of alarms verified that bleak reality. Rurick righted the ship, but they could only move so fast until they got outside the bay. They needed evasive action, and fast. Celie might be rusty, but she remembered the tricks she'd relied on in the old quadrant.
"Computer, estimate the direction of hostilities," she requested.
"60 degrees to port," said a sultry female voice.
"Rurick, steer the ship's nose around 120 degrees starboard," Celie ordered. "Where is the control for waste jettison?"
"Why?" he asked, revving the thrusters and moving the ship starboard, while putting more distance between them and their attackers.
"We can dump waste matter on the lowlifes who are firing on us and use the rear thrusters to project it. That should slow them down until we're out of the bay."
"Interstellar Council regulations state that waste cannot be jettisoned except in deep space," the computer intoned, "at least one hundred kilometers—"
"Where in the blazing hells is the jettison control?" Celie snapped. "I'll do it myself!"
"It's done," Rurick said, punching a pad. He revved the thrusters, expelling waste from the rear of the ship. "That's a smart ploy, Captain," he commented. "You'll have to share some other tricks sometime."
"Sure. I'll be glad to. Assuming we get out of here intact."
His face set in determined lines. "I have every intention of doing just that."
They concentrated on getting out of the bay, and Celie breathed a sigh of relief when they exited. The next concern was whether or not the damage to the ship was extensive enough to compromise the hull's integrity, and then determining if they had enough power to clear Mangon's atmosphere.
She knew they had no choice but to leave the planet. Joba was the only settlement of any size, and there was no way of knowing if their attackers could follow them to another part of Mangon. Space was their safest option for now, assuming they could make it.
"Computer, damage report," Rurick requested.
"Six holes in the outer hull, affecting bays one and two," the computer intoned. "They have been sealed off."
"We won't be able to fly into space with Max down there," Celie said, concerned.
"I put him in the airlock at the top of the ladder, in an emergency harness," Rurick replied. "Computer, continue report."
"There is widespread external damage. Radar is at forty percent capacity; infrared sensors are nonfunctional; cameras are offline. Shots penetrating the hull damaged the primary fuel tank, which has been sealed off; the secondary fuel tank has been engaged."
The computer continued on, giving a lengthy list of damage, including destroyed circuitry and burst pipes in the affected bays. Fortunately, the ship had ultra-advanced control systems that were already dealing with the issues.
When the report was finished, Rurick leaned back and shook his head. "There’s a lot of damage. We'll have to pump out the bays before we can start repairs down there."
"I didn't hear anything that will prevent us from taking off," Celie commented, sending silent thanks to Spirit.
"No, we should be able to get clear of the planet, as long as the fuel lines from those damaged tanks don't get blocked," he agreed. "But we can't safely travel any distance until our external sensors are repaired. Then there are the holes in the hull, and those circuit panels and burst pipes to be fixed."
Celie thought of her own ship, her heart heavy. That ship was everything to her. It held all her worldly possessions, along with the deepest expressions of her soul: her paints and artwork. It was her haven against the world…and against the memories. She couldn't bear to leave it behind. Yet, even as these emotions pounded her, the cool, analytical voice of her intellect told her there was absolutely nothing she could do right now.
Her survival, and that of everyone else on Max's ship, depended on them getting away from Joba and off the planet. All she could do at this point was help facilitate their escape. Then, after they were clear of immediate danger, did some repairs, and things had time to calm down, she'd ask to be returned to her craft.
She worked in tandem with Rurick as they flew over Mangon's barren terrain. The engines held steady, apparently getting enough fuel. Then he nosed the ship straight up and engaged the thrusters at full throttle, taking them away from the planet. Within moments, they cleared the atmosphere and headed into space.
