Lost in Barbarian Space (9 page)

“It is a rocky, barren place.” Colm saw no evidence of a ship or anything else on Myrine’s surface. All there was were craters.

“Nothing on scans. Moving to the next quadrant.”

They circled the small orb and Colm waited. Beyond Myrine, he saw the vast darkness of space, dotted with distant stars.
Incredible
. It amazed him that Honor and her colleagues saw this kind of thing all the time.

There was so much out there. Aurina had shared many stories and obtained archives of information for Kavon’s scholars. Colm knew they were beyond the galaxy’s official edge, deemed uncharted space, but Markaria was no longer alone, and life for their people would change.

They just had to ensure it changed for the better. At first, he’d worried that having more technology would make warriors obsolete. He glanced at Honor. But it seemed that even people with more technology still needed their protectors.

Finding this treasure was beneficial to Markaria. It would offer them more of their history, bring more interest from the outside, and also bring much-needed riches that Markaria might need in these new times.

Colm tapped a finger against his belt. Not that it mattered. He doubted he would be there to see all these changes.

“Nothing,” Agent Abora said. “Moving onto the final quadrant.”

He had to admit that the walls of the ship felt far too close. Despite the vast space outside the glass, he still felt claustrophobic in this ship. He fell into a warrior breathing routine, one he used a lot to calm his nanami. He pulled in another breath, tasting the recycled air, and forced himself to calm.

“Nothing.” Agent Abora flopped back in her chair. “There’s nothing here.”

“We have another moon to search, Ning,” Honor said with a small smile. “Patience is vital on these kind of expeditions.”

“I have a friendly bet going with Agent Hant on the
Magellan
that we’ll find the wreckage up here. He thinks it’s on the planet.”

Honor crossed her arms. “Well, let’s move to the next moon and see if we can win that bet for you.”

The science officer’s comp made a strange beep.

“Wait!” She leaned forward, her hands dancing over the screen. Then a frown drew her brows together. “There’s something showing on long-range scanners.”

Colm watched as Honor changed. Her easy, relaxed posture disappeared and she stiffened. “Report.”

Agent Abora shook her head. “Nope. It’s gone.” She swiped and tapped some more. “Running a full secondary scan now.” After a few seconds, the science officer relaxed. “Nothing. It must have been some interference.”

“Run it again and check,” Honor said, voice firm.

“Yes, Agent Brandall.”

A moment later, Agent Abora shook her head. “It’s all clear.”

Honor nodded. “Good. Okay, are we ready to check out the second moon?”

The ship moved, changing course. Now Colm watched the white orb of Ansar fill the screen.

As they moved closer, he saw that it was completely covered in ice and snow. “It looks like the north of Markaria. Cold and icy.”

“If we find wreckage down there, we’ll have to plan our trip down with precision.” Honor stared at the moon with a frown. “No one wants to be lost in that.”

He smiled at her. “I spent several weeks in the north’s icy climes on a warrior’s test. It…wasn’t pleasant, but survivable.”

“I like warmer weather.” Her gaze dropped down his body. “Besides, I’m guessing your nanami help you from feeling the cold.”

“They help us withstand the cold, but we still feel the pain.”

Agent Abora turned in her chair. “Prelim enviro scans show survivable temps…just. But there are wild snowstorms in places, and it looks like they are brutal and move fast.” She reached over and tapped the screen. “Wow, under the snow I’m reading a large network of ice tunnels. Some look pretty big.” Then she grimaced. “And I’m showing very faint heat signatures in places.” Her large eyes looked up. “There are some sort of lifeforms down there.”

“If it is like the north of Markaria,” Colm said, “then they’ll be something like the husker beasts and frost bears we have in the colder climes. Vicious and territorial.”

“Great,” Honor said. “Well, if we find anything, we’ll need a solid security plan. But first, we have to see if we find anything. Ning, let’s start those scans.”

“Starting now,” Agent Abora said. “If there are any signs of wreckage, we’ll find them.”

“Even under the snow?” Colm asked.

She nodded. “I’m searching for the metallic elements used to build the starship. It’s unlikely there would be anything similar that occurs naturally on this moon, even under the snow. But the snow and ice will slow things down a lot.”

“And the long-range scanners are still clear?” Honor asked.

“As a whistle.”

Honor turned to Colm. “This could take a while,” she said. “How about something to eat or drink?”

Colm nodded. As she led him to a small room adjoining the cockpit that she called the galley, he had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the top of the door frame.

She shot him a rueful look. “Starships weren’t built with warriors in mind.” Honor tapped the buttons on a small, squat machine on the bench. Lights flickered to life.

He leaned closer, listening to the quiet whirr of the machine. “You know, on Markaria, if you offer food to someone, you are showing your interest in them. To feed someone is to look after them. To offer them your protection.”

“I think you can protect yourself just fine, warrior.” She paused. “You offered me food at the feast.”

He grinned at her. “Yes, I did. I also offered you my bed.”

“I remember. Here, this is an apple.” Honor shoved a shiny red fruit at him, then looked him over. “You should look out of place in the modern confines of the ship.”

Colm polished the fruit on his trousers. “Don’t I?”

“No. You look completely at ease, and far too confident.”

“I won’t lie, this feels foreign to me, but also fascinating.” He caught her gaze. “I am enjoying having you by my side as I venture into space for the first time.”

A look he couldn’t decipher crossed her face.

He bit into the apple, then he screwed his face up. “It is…tasteless.”

“Compared to your fresh fruits, yes. It’s from the food printer, so it’s a manufactured copy of an apple.”

“Manufactured?” Colm eyed the box. “The machine creates it?”

She nodded. “It has all the necessary building blocks loaded inside and can make just about anything you want.” She smiled and ordered herself something called a coffee. “I’m sorry I can’t offer you raw meat from a beast I’ve hunted myself.”

He accepted the coffee she made for him. The taste of it was strong and slightly bitter. “This, I like better.” He drank the remainder in one swig. “More. Please.”

She shook her head and pressed his cup back into the slot on the machine.

Suddenly Agent Abora’s excited voice came from the cockpit. “I’ve got something!”

Chapter Seven

Everyone clustered around Agent Abora’s comp screen.

“The first location is directly below us,” the woman said.

Lights appeared in the air above the console and Colm barely stopped himself from stepping back in surprise. The pretty projection showed the surface of the moon.

Fascinating
. A glowing green X was prominent on the screen.

Honor was frowning as she studied the map. “Keep scanning. Let’s see what else turns up.”

“Another hit!” Agent Abora practically bounced in her seat. “It’s some distance from the first location.”

“I think it’s best to take down a small team,” Honor said. “We’ll take the marlins.”

“Marlins?” Colm asked.

“Small, two-man ships.” She eyed him up and down. “I think you’ll be able to squeeze in there. Just.”

Agent Abora’s comp beeped again. The science officer grinned. “A third hit. The largest of the three.”

Honor turned to the others. “We’ll take two marlins down. Agent Wu can pilot the other marlin. Dr. Lev’nan, you select which archeologist you want to have go down.”

The archeologist nodded. “Got it, Agent Brandall. I think Dr. Behati is the best man for the job.”

A slim man with dark skin stepped forward with a groan. “It looks cold down there. I’m not fond of the cold.”

“Okay.” Honor ignored the archeologist’s complaint. “We need to gear up. Everyone needs environmental suits.”

A little while later, Colm found himself entering the shuttle bay of the
Drake
. He’d stopped by his cabin and changed into his thicker winter trousers and grabbed his winter coat. Three small ships sat side-by-side—the marlins. They were all gray with sleek, narrow designs that made him think of a bird-of-prey diving with its wings retracted. They had the Institute logo on the side.

Honor entered. He took a second to watch her efficient, athletic stride. By the warrior, she was beautiful. She was wearing a dark-gray, armor-like suit that slicked over her body like a second skin.

She frowned at him. “Why aren’t you in the enviro suit I left for you?”

“A warrior does not wear armor.”

“It protects from the cold, Colm. Don’t tell me warriors also go naked in snowy conditions?”

“Would you like me naked?”

She huffed out a breath. “Focus, warrior.”

“Your suit doesn’t fit me, Honor. Besides I have this.” He nabbed his coat and held it up.

Her eyes widened. “A pile of whitish-gray fur?”

“A coat made of husker fur. The warmest fur on all of Markaria.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded. “Very.”

“Okay.” As Wu and the scholar entered the area, she nodded. “Let’s get down to Ansar and take a look around.”

At the first marlin, she touched the controls on the side and the rounded cockpit slid open.

Colm sucked in a breath. There wasn’t a lot of room. He was going to feel like a hargon beast wedged into a chicken coop. Still, he’d be enclosed in a small space with Honor. His mood lightened. He could think of worse things.

Honor climbed in, settling into the partly reclined seat. Colm followed suit. Something jabbed his hip but other than that, he fit. He pulled the harness across his chest and snapped it into place.

“
Drake
, this is
Marlin Alpha
,” Honor said, the controls flaring to life under her hands. “Preparing for take-off.”

“Roger that,
Alpha
.”

The canopy slid closed, and as Honor’s hands danced over the controls, more lights appeared on the console in front of them. Colm felt a faint vibration beneath him.

“
Drake
, engines are hot and we are ready for take-off.”

“Acknowledged,
Alpha
. Opening hangar doors in three, two, one—”

Colm saw the large doors ahead retracting. There was a vague purple shimmer across the space, and beyond that he could see stars. He breathed in—this time, there would be even less between him and the space beyond. Just the flimsy canopy of this small craft.

Honor touched the controls and the marlin lifted up from the floor. They moved forward, and a second later, shot out of the
Drake
.

Once they were clear, the marlin tipped to Colm’s side and shot forward and down. He had an uninterrupted view of Ansar below and his stomach dropped.

“Hold on, warrior,” Honor grinned at him. “You’re in for a ride.”

Honor whizzed them in closer to the moon and Colm pressed a hand to the console between them.

She glanced at him and smiled. “You’re handling yourself well. What do you think of the marlin?”

“I like the speed.”

She snorted. “Men. You really aren’t all that different, despite what planet you come from.”

He watched how her hands moved across the dizzying array of controls. “It appears you need just as much instinct and courage as experience and training to fly this thing.” The marlin turned as she adjusted their course. “I think it’s a little like riding a hargon beast.” He eyed her with speculation. “Maybe I can try flying—”

She laughed. “Hell, no.”

The comm line crackled to life. “You’re about to hit atmo,
Alpha.
”

“Roger that,
Drake
. Hold on, Colm, we’re entering the moon’s atmosphere.”

It got a little bumpy as they left space. Colm watched it all with great interest, and it dawned on him that he was the first Markarian to ever do this.

Soon, they were soaring through dense clouds.

“
Marlin Beta
, how are you two doing?” Honor asked.

“Right on your six, Agent Brandall,” answered Wu.

“Coming up on location one. Let’s circle around, then land.” She turned the marlin in a wide loop over the location.

Colm looked down through the canopy.

“See anything?”

Colm grunted. “Snow.” He couldn’t see anything that looked like a ship. It was all white snow.

She slowed the marlin. “The ship’s computer will pick the safest spot to land. Wouldn’t want to land right on top of the entrance to an ice tunnel.”

The ship slowly started to descend. They touched down on the snow.

“Ready for a stroll?” she asked.

Colm grabbed his long winter coat. “As good a time as any.”

Honor pressed a button on her suit and a visor slid into place over her face. He didn’t like that he couldn’t see her eyes. He saw the glimmer of lights at the bottom of her visor.

She noticed him looking. “I have a small heads-up display. My suit can monitor the environmental factors as well as my body’s vitals.”

Colm grunted and pulled his coat around his shoulders.

She touched a control and the canopy slid back. The blast of cold and snow rattled his teeth. Clenching his jaw tight, Colm climbed out. The wind was brisk and tossing snow around. His coat settled around him, and he flicked the hood up.

Now it was time to find what they’d come searching for…and at the same time, protect Honor from Ansar’s unwelcoming environment.

***

Trudging through the snow, Honor wondered how the stars Colm was going to cope in this without an enviro suit on.