Warrior's Valor (28 page)

“About your mother, ma'am. We'll get her back.” Dwyn's voice was soft and she looked so convinced that Rae had no trouble believing her.

“I know. There simply is no other option.”

They walked in silence for the next hour, and Rae listened to Dwyn's breathing become increasingly labored. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Thank you.” The answer was short, and breathless.

“You have your inhaler?”

“Yes.”

“Use it, Dwyn.”

“I'm afraid I'll run out and not have any left when I
really
need it, Admiral.”

“Let me see.” Rae took the vial attached to the inhaler and checked it. “Yes, I see what you mean. But trust me, we're not far from our goal, and we need to keep up this pace. You have four doses left. Take one now and one when we're in place. We'll make sure you're out of the way and safe before we engage the enemy, and then you'll have two doses to hold you until I can arrange for a MEDEVAC. I'd evacuate you instantly if we had time to wait for a hovercraft, or if we could risk alerting the mercenaries that we're in pursuit.”

“I realize that, Admiral,” Dwyn said softly. “But if they hear a hovercraft or anything else approach, they might break up into smaller groups. Then we'd never know which one of them had your mother with them.”

Rae's admiration for Dwyn grew even stronger. “I'm glad you understand that I'm not unsympathetic to your situation.”

“I do.” Dwyn exhaled deeply, then inhaled the medication. After a moment, she drew another deep, much clearer, breath and smiled at Rae. “A lot better.”

“Very good.”

Kellen and Emeron jogged up next to them. “We have a plan. Simple, but doable,” Kellen said.

“Excellent. Fill me in.” She let Emeron and Dwyn walk a few steps in front of her and Kellen.

“We assume that the mercenaries have no clue that we're right on top of them. They couldn't know that a unit was in such close proximity when they crashed, or that we could obtain both fresh intel and Disian forest guides.”

Rae nodded. “I agree.”

“The surprise factor is key. We surround them, and we execute our plan perfectly. We fire at everyone around Dahlia and take them out, and also capture M'Ekar and the leader of the mercenaries alive. I have her description. The Keliera space station transmitted everything they had just before we deployed. This woman has many aliases, but she used the name Weiss Kyakh when they docked at Keliera. The vessel's designation was the
Viper
. The only other name of any of her crew is the more cryptic and anonymous ‘Ms. White,' who has quite a record despite such a bland name.”

“Ms. White.” Rae nearly stopped walking. “I've heard of her, but not Weiss Kyakh, though she may have changed her name recently. When I was stationed on Gamma VI, before you arrived, our main objectives were the pirates. Among them, certain names stood out and White was one of them. She's infamous. Completely merciless. I believe she originates from a wealthy family on Audisai. She's built a reputation for ruthlessness and for being a hired gun.”

“Have you met her?”

“I nearly captured her, or my intelligence officers did, when we were en route to negotiations not far from Iminestria. Her ship, she was her own boss then, needed repairs, and when we offered to help, she engaged her tachyon-mass-drive engine to get away. Since such propulsion systems are illegal, it wasn't hard to figure out we were dealing with pirates or other criminals. She played cat and mouse with us for days before we could hand the chase over to local law enforcement.”

“We have another advantage now.” Kellen stayed with Rae as she scanned the surrounding forest. “Dahlia has had time to work on these individuals, and we shouldn't underestimate her ability to drive a wedge between them. She's also good at exasperating and angering her subjects.”

Rae had to force back a cynical laugh. Her mother was the queen bee when it came to driving people crazy. She had infuriated M'Ekar during the interrogations, and Rae's childhood and adolescence had been full of situations where she'd clashed with her mother.
What I wouldn't give to have her rip me apart with her opinions right now
.

Since Rae had married Kellen and added Armeo to the equation, their small family unit had never been closer. She knew that Dahlia had become attached to Ayahliss as well, and even if a small, petty part of her had resented that affection momentarily, Ayahliss needed a mother figure and Dahlia needed a second chance to be a mother, to get it right. Because of that and so many other factors, failure wasn't an option.

The
Dalathea
had moved into low orbit and Amereena Beqq stood by the view port in her study. She looked thoughtfully down at Corma, wondering how Kellen and Rae were faring deep in the Disi-Disi forest.

Reena had dined with Ewan Jacelon, Armeo, and Ayahliss, and she knew that the absent family members had been present in everyone's mind. Armeo had alternated between chatting about mundane everyday things and being pale and quiet, and Ayahliss had eventually risen and told him it was bedtime. Reena had seen a change in Ayahliss then. She was still an intense loose cannon, who would take on the world in a heartbeat to keep Armeo safe, but now she displayed her more low-key side, nurturing and protective.

Reena turned and walked toward her desk. She was about to resume working on a contractual issue for a conglomerate of entrepreneurs on Corma when the computer alerted her that someone was at the door.

“Enter.”

The door opened as Reena walked into the living area. A slightly disheveled Ayahliss stood just outside, her hands clenched.

“Ayahliss?” Reena strode up to her. “Is something wrong? Armeo?”

“No. I mean, yes. Armeo's fine.”

“Come in.” Reena gestured toward the couches just beneath the panoramic view port at the other end of the living room, but Ayahliss remained where she was, her hands opening and closing repeatedly. “Please. You look like you need to talk and have something hot to drink. Tea?”

Ayahliss slowly stepped inside far enough for the door to close behind her. Standing motionless for a moment, she softly cleared her voice. “I can't stay here.”

Frowning, Reena took Ayahliss's arm and led her to the couch. “Tea. You definitely need tea.” She stepped over to the sideboard and poured a mug of Cormanian silk tea. After handing it to Ayahliss, she sat down next to her. “Drink.”

Ayahliss sipped the hot beverage, her eyes a cloudy midnight blue. She clung to the mug and stared into it, as if trying to read her future in the golden liquid. “I have to do something. I didn't know it would be so hard to sit idly by on this luxurious vessel while Kellen and Rae are on a dangerous mission. That, and the fact that my countrymen are either incarcerated, in camps, or fighting a losing battle.” Blue tears of obvious fury rose in her eyes and she swiped at them with angry, jerky movements. “I know it's been only two days, but I'm well now, and it's driving me crazy.”

“Oh,” Reena said, her heart aching for the anguish on Ayahliss's face. “But you're needed here—”

“I love Armeo. I'd give my life for him, but he's
safe
here. He's aboard the safest ship in the whole SC sector.” Ayahliss drank more tea. “I can't babysit a boy forever while the fight goes on without me. I can't believe Kellen intended this when she took me to Earth.”

“Probably not, but she didn't know this would happen. You're more than a mere babysitter. You're like Armeo's sister, someone he can trust and rely on, no matter how physically safe he is aboard the
Dalathea
. He needs the stability you provide.”

“He has his grandfather.” Ayahliss spoke starkly, placing the mug on the ledge behind the couch. “He has his family, his
real
family. I'm not part of that.”

“What brought this on? You're fiercely protective of that boy, I know that. You said you'd die for him, if necessary.”

“I would.” Ayahliss flung her hands in the air. “I
would
die for him, but instead I'm stuck here playing games and eating food that none of my countrymen have ever tasted and never will. I'm living this cushioned existence, but the monks reared me to be a
warrior
.”

Reena knew then what was wrong. Ayahliss was more like Kellen than she'd realized. The same fire burned in their blue blood, but whereas years of training had harnessed Kellen's zeal, Ayahliss's restraint was new and quickly wore thin. Now, as she sat opposite Reena, her slender body seemed about to rip apart at the seams if she didn't find an outlet for the energy trapped inside.

“Tell me about it,” she suggested, hoping this would take Ayahliss's mind off her frustration. “What was it like?”

“It was home.” Ayahliss drew a trembling breath. “The monks, all men, took children they found abandoned or orphaned during their travels to a magical place within secret caves hidden at the end of a chain of mountains. We lived there, in seclusion, and the monks taught us everything they knew about a wide variety of topics. I was the only one they taught the art of gan'thet.” She rubbed her forehead. “I didn't know how rare this type of martial arts is until Kellen explained its tradition to me. When we were on the way to Earth from Gantharat, she trained me further and said I'm a natural. She finds this curious, since this affinity is usually passed down through protector dynasties.”

“Do you know anything about your birth family?” Reena leaned sideways against the backrest, not taking her eyes off Ayahliss.

“No. I was very young when the monks took charge of me. They told me they found me just in time. During the first years after the occupation, Onotharian mine owners sometimes ravaged the orphanages like the one I belonged to, trying to find cheap labor.”

“That's beyond terrible,” Reena said, outraged. “Child labor?”

“Yes. Many Gantharian children grew up in Onotharian mines, both on Gantharat and on Onotharat, the monks said. That was one of the things I focused on during my time in the resistance. We liberated many of these children and found new homes for them, but nowhere near all of them.”

“Yet another crime to add to the long list of Onotharian offenses.”

“Yes.”

“So you set out into the world and wanted to fight for Gantharat.”

“Fighting, physically or strategically, is what I do best. When my unit was ambushed and I was caught, I would've been killed if Kellen hadn't reeled me in. I allowed my temper to get the best of me.”

“Kellen is your mentor now. She relies on you to safeguard the person she's destined to protect for the rest of her life. When she left Armeo in your care, no matter that you both had an entire security detail, she expected you to carry out your assignment with both heart and good sense.”

“I know. I know all that. And I'd never fail Armeo. It's just that since we came aboard the
Dalathea
and I know that he's safer than he's been in a long time, I'm restless, agitated. I don't want to take it out on him, and I didn't know how to bring up my frustration with his grandfather.”

“You did right to come to me.” She put her arm gently around Ayahliss. “This is another sign of maturity. You talked things through with a friend instead of acting before thinking. Kellen would be proud. She has battled the same impatience, you know.”

“She has? And is she really proud?” Ayahliss's eyes darkened further. “And are you my friend?”

Reena knew it had been a mistake to get too close to Ayahliss. She wasn't sure what was going on, why this young woman, half her age, affected her so much. Trying to act casual, she let go of Ayahliss and resumed her relaxed pose. “Yes. I'm a friend, Ayahliss. You can always turn to me, no matter what.”

Ayahliss raised her hand slowly, and for a moment, Reena thought she was going to caress her. Instead, she captured a long tress of curly, red hair between her fingers. “You have the most amazing hair,” she whispered. Blinking, she let go and hastily pulled back with a polite smile. “I'm sorry. That was too personal.”

Reena's heart pounded. “Don't worry about it.” Though normally not a soft-spoken woman, she didn't want to alienate Ayahliss. For some unfathomable reason, she wanted to wrap her in her arms and comfort her, show her that other people apart from the monks cared, that she wasn't alone. “More tea?”

“No, thank you. I've imposed enough. I need to get back and make sure Armeo doesn't talk his grandfather into playing another game.” Ayahliss stood and looked down at Reena, her features softening marginally. “Will I—we—see you tomorrow?”

“Of course.” She rose and walked Ayahliss to the door. “And tomorrow, we may have some very good news. Let's stay positive and visualize that possibility.”

Ayahliss nodded, suddenly looking flustered. “Good idea. Good night, Reena. Thank you for listening.”

She ran quick fingers along Ayahliss's jawline. “Always, Ayahliss. Good night.”