The Akseli, page 24
“Tedious?” Simone supplied helpfully.
Janwar didn’t think she understood just how much of a bura storm this was.
“Correct. Tedious. To dispel that tedium, I…” T’s speech again slowed as though he were reluctant to continue.
“You what?” Simone encouraged.
“I have been taking the craft out for test flights while you all sleep.”
Janwar’s jaw nearly hit the floor. If he weren’t so shocked, he might’ve laughed. T sounded like an adolescent admitting he’d taken the family hovercar out for a joy ride without asking for permission. “Are you drekking kidding me?”
The others piled on. “While we sleep?”
“How the srul did we not know that?”
“How many did you damage, T?”
“I did not damage any of them,” T told them, all indignation. “I happen to be an excellent pilot.”
Janwar waved a hand to quiet everyone down. “What about tapping into another ship’s system. Have you practiced that one, too? I thought infiltrating the Ranasura was the first time you’d done that.”
“It was not. I do not like being left behind, so I have accompanied you on some of your missions.”
“Which missions?” Janwar demanded.
“All of them,” T said, a smile in his voice.
Janwar dragged a hand down his face and struggled for patience. “How?”
“The datapads you wear on your wrists. I was with Krigara and Srok’a on the Gathendien ship and monitored their actions while they overrode access codes and searched the lab’s systems. I wished to know more and opted to remain on the ship after you locked it down so I could practice.”
“Are you on the other ship now?”
“No. Once I mapped their system and reviewed every bit of data stored in it, I returned to the Tangata.”
How the srul had he done that? T had never jumped remotely from one ship to the next. He always needed a conduit.
Simone sat forward. “You reviewed all of the data stored on their computers?”
“Yes.”
“Was there any mention of other ships capturing my friends from Earth?”
“No,” T told her with some regret. “But the battle with the Kandovar left their ship badly damaged. They were still trying to get their long-range communication system up and running when they found you.”
“Oh.” She glanced around. “That sucks. It would’ve been nice to obtain a list of every ship that’s picked up Earthlings and other survivors so we could just haul ass and rescue them all.”
Janwar nodded.
“So.” She glanced around the table. “One option is for me and T to infiltrate the Gathendien ship and save whomever we can. What are the other options?”
“If you and T infiltrate the Gathendien ship,” Janwar said, “I’ll accompany you.”
She shook her head. “The whole point of taking T is to—”
“I will accompany you,” he repeated, his expression brooking no argument.
Simone cracked a smile. “You’re hot when you’re all authoritative, commander. Frustrating, but still hot.”
His mind went blank with surprise.
Someone snorted a laugh. He thought it might have been Soval.
“We’ll call that one Plan A,” she continued. “What’s Plan B? We bypass the ship and go to the station first?”
He nodded. “That also has risks. The station could contact the ship and either enlist its aid or warn it away.”
“So while we kicked ass on the station, the ship could jet off to who-knows-where, along with any Kandovar survivors they might hold on board?”
“Yes.”
She frowned. “How hard would it be to track them?”
He shrugged. “Depends on how long we’re delayed by any battle that might erupt on the station. We don’t know how many warriors we’ll face or how long it will take us to sneak inside and orchestrate a rescue. T can only track the Gathendien ship as far as radar will allow. And if it manages to fly out of range before we can get back on the Tangata, there’s a chance we’ll lose it.”
Krigara nodded. “As well as anyone they have on board.”
Simone swore, then turned to T. “Can you do like you did with the Ranasura and be two places at once, both here with us and on the Gathendien ship, so you can keep us informed of its location?”
“That would require an open comm channel, which would alert them to our presence and general location.”
Janwar didn’t like the options any more than she did. It seemed like either way, they would likely miss their opportunity to rescue anyone the Gathendiens had in their clutches—either those on the ship or those on the station.
“And if the ship reaches the station before we catch up to them?” she asked.
“If the ship carries Earthlings or other survivors,” Janwar speculated, “they’ll be the first unloaded upon arrival.”
“Seems logical,” she murmured. “And more convenient for us since everyone we’re hoping to rescue will be in the same place.”
“Hopefully,” Krigara inserted. “But again, we don’t know how large an installation they’re maintaining, how tight their security is, or the number of warriors that guard it.”
“That’s a lot of variables,” she reluctantly admitted.
“And if the ship and its crew linger,” Elchan added, “we’ll face larger numbers.”
Janwar silently agreed. It could be the seven of them against dozens, or it might be the seven of them against hundreds.
Drek, if this moon ended up being a major military base for the Gathendiens, there could be thousands. While he and his crew had taken on large numbers in the past, there was a limit to their capabilities.
Simone sighed. “What I’m hearing is that we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
He sent her a commiserating smile. “I’m afraid so.”
She grimaced. “Patience is not my strong suit.”
“Perhaps a distraction will help,” T suggested brightly. “Shall I show you how I can pilot all of the K-6s at once?”
Every male’s eyes widened before they began blurting objections.
“No!”
“Srul no!”
“What the drek?”
T produced a huffing sound. “Well, it’s not like I haven’t done it before.”
“What?” Janwar came close to bellowing.
Silence fell.
T sounded much more subdued when he spoke again. “Did I cross another boundary, Commander Janwar?”
“By taking our entire fleet of K-6s out on fun runs without permission because you were bored?” he asked incredulously. “Drek yes, you crossed a boundary!”
Another moment passed before T replied. “Well, it wasn’t only because I was bored.”
Simone nodded. “T told me his primary directive is to ensure the safety and well-being of you and the crew. If he can pilot the entire fleet of drones simultaneously with success, I’m thinking that could benefit you in the future, especially if they’re well-armed.”
He scowled. “They carry the same weaponry fighter craft do and then some.”
“Then they could provide a nice distraction if you needed someone to draw attention away from you. And in a life and death situation—like every bounty hunter in the galaxy suddenly deciding to band together and try to take you out—T could keep them all busy while you get the hell out of Dodge.”
Elchan snorted. “As if Janwar would ever back down from a fight.”
Simone rolled her eyes. “Yet another way we’re alike. I can never seem to back down from a challenge.”
“Yes,” Janwar acknowledged with a smile. “You made that abundantly clear when you insisted on battling the Dotharian and won.”
Grinning big, she released his hand and thrust both fists up in the air. “Aw, yeah! Champion of Promeii 7, baby!”
Everyone laughed.
“For now,” he said, “let’s see if we can dig up any mention of this moon base on the intergalactic net.”
“And any mention of Earthlings,” Simone added.
“And any mention of Earthlings,” he seconded, then turned to the android. “T, no more fun runs until I confirm that you know what the srul you’re doing.”
The light in T’s eyes dimmed a bit.
“Until then,” Janwar continued, “do you think you, Srok’a, and Krigara can fabricate a virus we can plant on Gathendien ships that will give us a backdoor into their communications array? Specifically, I’m looking for something you can use to hack their system, track them, monitor their comms, and determine which ones might have Earthlings aboard without alerting them to your presence.”
T straightened, his eyes flashing brighter. “I did examine every bit of clunky coding on that ship. Mine is far more complex and beautiful.”
Krigara snorted and waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. You’re gorgeous, T. You’re a genius. Just answer the question.”
If an android could preen, Janwar was pretty sure T would be doing it.
“Yes. I believe the three of us can fabricate such a virus, though I do not know how long it will take us. You life forms don’t think nearly as quickly as I do.” T glanced at Janwar from the corner of his eye sockets. “Which is why I’m such a superlative pilot.”
Simone grinned. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with T’s ego.”
Janwar sighed. “We’ll talk about your piloting later. Everybody, get to work.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Simone sighed with contentment as she strolled down the park’s shaded path. Giant trees rose all around her and perfumed the air with a scent reminiscent of pine. The alien equivalent of squirrels, rabbits, and other forest creatures rummaged through the detritus, chased each other around tree trunks, and lazed on branches above her head. Birds twittered and sang. Butterflies and bees fluttered and buzzed past.
Now that the simulated sunlight wouldn’t harm her, this was her favorite place on the Tangata. The beauty. The scents. The gentle breeze. Since embarking upon her great space voyage, she had been so enthralled by meeting aliens and marveling over their advanced technology that Simone hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this.
Janwar must have noticed how much she loved it here because he had asked her to meet him by the lake in half a ship hour so they could jog through the forest instead of in the gym this morning.
He was such a sweetheart.
The trees thinned.
Smiling, she stepped into wondrous sunshine. Warmth bathed her as she squinted against the brightness. Simone knew it wasn’t actual sunlight and that crystal plates had slid into place to protect her from the harmful “rays” as soon as she’d entered the park. But it felt exactly like the sunlight she’d had to avoid for hundreds of years. It even dimmed occasionally, as if a cloud were passing overhead, lending it incredible realism.
Halfway to the lake, her steps slowed as Simone realized she wasn’t alone.
Kova sat on a boulder up ahead.
Unaware of her presence, he tossed a few small nuts onto the grass. Or maybe they were seeds. She couldn’t tell. They were larger than sunflower seeds but smaller than almonds.
Several rinyas that cavorted in the grass hurried over to claim the treats, stuffing already plump cheeks. They reminded her a lot of the squirrels on Earth. Their heads and bodies were of a similar shape and size. Gray fur covered them, adorned with black stripes and polka dots. But a fluffy black mane formed a halo around their faces like a lion’s. And their tails…
She grinned.
Their tails were so fluffy they looked like puffballs and reminded her of the way cartoon animals often looked after landing in a clothing dryer.
When the other rinyas claimed all the seeds, one scampered up Kova’s leg, jumped onto his arm, and continued until it perched upon his shoulder. Touching a little paw to his face, it chattered something in his ear.
Smiling slightly, Kova offered it three seeds.
The little cutie stuffed two in its mouth and took the third down to show the others.
Simone stared. She couldn’t remember ever seeing the scarred warrior so relaxed and content. Wanting to alert him to her presence, she intentionally stepped on a twig as she started forward.
Kova glanced over, surprise lighting his honey-colored eyes. Then a familiar veil of stoicism descended over his features.
Simone smiled tentatively. “Hi. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I didn’t know anyone else was here.” She gestured to the forest that surrounded the pretty glen. “This place is huge!”
He nodded toward the rinyas, which now stood on their back legs like meerkats and watched her alertly. “Toa wanted to visit his friends. If he’s away from them too long, he tends to get into mischief.”
“Is Toa the showoff with the three seeds?”
His lips twitched. “Yes.”
“I could see that little guy getting into trouble.”
“Stay on the Tangata long enough, and you will see him get into trouble. Like the rest of us, he gets bored from time to time.”
“Don’t tell T that,” she said in a stage whisper. “He might decide to take Toa on his next joyride.”
His countenance lightened with a hint of amusement.
She motioned toward the boulder he sat on. “May I join you?”
Nodding, he scooted over a little.
Simone sat beside him, too short for her feet to touch the ground. “Wow.” Leaning back a little, she rested her palms behind her on either side of her hips. “I forgot how much the sun can heat stone. When I was a little girl, I used to sit on rocks like these on cool days to warm my bottom.”
He cracked a smile, one of his scars tugging at it and making it uneven.
Taking a chance, she bumped him companionably with her shoulder. “Speaking of the sun, I wanted to thank you for this.” She took in the brightly lit meadow around them. “Janwar told me you were the one who arranged things so that the light wouldn’t harm me.”
He tossed a few more seeds to the rinyas. “It was his idea.”
“Perhaps. But you were the one who figured out what needed to be done and how to do it. And you took the time to implement it.”
He mumbled something she couldn’t quite catch even with her sensitive hearing and looked adorably uncomfortable.
Her movements slow and careful, Simone reached out and took one of his hands.
He stilled, his gaze darting to the contact.
“May I show you what you gave me?” she asked softly.
His eyes met hers for a long inscrutable moment. Then he nodded. Just once.
Returning her attention to the meadow around them, Simone focused on the happiness that sitting here like this—something she hadn’t been able to do in centuries—brought her and let it flow into him where they touched.
His breath caught. Facing forward, he closed his eyes. The tension in his face eased. His fingers twitched as if he wanted to curl them around hers, but he didn’t. Instead, he released a long sigh, the muscles in his broad shoulders relaxing as his lashes lifted. He stared at the sunny meadow.
Minutes passed.
His throat worked in a swallow. “Is this happiness?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
“So that’s what it feels like.”
The simple statement—offered innocently and with a touch of awe—reminded her of Valok.
Sadness struck so swiftly and forcefully that she had to blink back tears.
“Now you’re sad.” Kova turned to study her, joy no longer reflected in his features. “Or is that pity?”
Swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to feel that.”
He shrugged and looked away. “I’m accustomed to pity.”
“It isn’t pity, Kova. It’s grief.”
His brows drew down in a frown as he glanced at her. “Grief?”
She stared down at their hands, afraid to see his expression. If he showed her an ounce of sympathy, she would break into sobs. That wound was still too raw. “I made a lot of friends on the Kandovar.” When her voice emerged a little hoarse, she cleared her throat. “One of them was a Yona warrior named Valok. Shortly before the Gathendiens attacked, he hit me with a stun grenade. Afterward—”
“He hit you with a stun grenade?”
She smiled at the shock he emanated. “I asked him to. I wanted to know if it would incapacitate me in battle, but none of the Lasarans would do it.”
“So you appealed to a soldier who wouldn’t be hampered by worry or guilt.”
“Yes. Afterward, I offered to show him what emotion felt like.”
“Yona don’t feel emotion.”
“He did,” she said, “when I utilized my gift.”
Kova grunted. “I’m surprised he let you. Yona lack the curiosity that normally drives one to want to try something new.”
“I convinced him to.” She loosed a laugh rife with bitter self-condemnation. “I fed him some bullshit about helping him understand what motivates his opponents in battle. But the truth was I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity and see if he would be able to feel something with my aid.”
“And did he?”
“Yes.” She shrugged miserably. “His response was so similar to yours that I couldn’t help but think of him.”
A long moment passed.
“It’s possible he survived,” Kova murmured, perhaps wanting to lessen the guilt that battered her.
She appreciated it. Like his crewmates, Kova had a kind heart. “He didn’t. I caught up with him as he prepared to board a fighter craft. I wanted to join the battle and grabbed his arm to hold his attention when he dismissed me.” A lump rose in her throat as she blinked back tears. “Though it wasn’t my intention, my emotions flooded him.” Simone looked away, seeing Valok’s face instead of the beautiful glen and playful rinyas. “There was an explosion. I was injured. Valok picked me up and hurried to get me into an escape pod. As soon as I was strapped in, he backed out and closed the hatch. Seconds later, another explosion killed him.”
Kova said nothing.
Moisture spilled over her lashes. “The last thing he said to me before he died was, ‘Thank you for letting me feel.’” Releasing his hand, she brushed away her tears. “If I hadn’t used my gift and distracted him, he would’ve made it onto a fighter craft and off the ship, and there would be some hope that he had survived.” Instead, she had watched him die. “And here I am, forcing my emotions on you.” She laughed, the sound bereft of mirth. “I suppose I haven’t learned my lesson.”
