Tiva Boon: Heir of Abennelp (Tiva Boon Series Book 2) (28 page)

The
Tolox
was heading to another base this time. Ovvella, had been their stopping point many times, but as they were closer to Bizub Base, the Ambassadors ordered them there. The three-day journey, hopefully, would be quiet. Tiva could use the time to relax and refresh as well as sort out her feelings about the past.

The day wore on. All of the command crew stayed at their station until midnight, working diligently. It had been five hours since someone mentioned any worthwhile data.

Finally, Captain Maar stood up and stretched. Tiva paused to look over and met Adam’s eye. She feigned a smile and turned back to her station.

“All right, I think we’ve had enough for today. Call up second shift. I want everyone to get some rest, report back at 0900 hours.”

She was already on her second wind. There was no way sleep would find her. Her mind was overloaded with images from the Triune Syndicate, she was also monitoring Maorist and the weapons specialist in the detention cell, and the fact that she still had yet to talk to Adam was just another item that would keep her awake anyway. She was staying in the command center the choice was already made.

The others began to exit when the backup crew arrived. Aries turned back; she felt his stare but did not look up.

“Dinner, m’lady?” Adam said as he suddenly appeared beside her.

“Soon, I am almost through with this file.”

“You’re working too hard.”

Tiva smiled slightly as she met his gaze. “I only have a few left then I will eat and rest. I promise.”

“All right, Cala and I will see you in the morning.” He kissed her cheek and grinned before exiting with Aries.

It was somewhat of a relief to have those closest to her further away. Now able to lower her guard, she immediately felt the burden she’d been carrying.

Adam was her main concern. She would not be able to avoid him this time…they had become too close.

The computer beeped as the file completed. She sighed and glanced about the room. One of Aliri’s underlings smiled at her, she nodded back and tapped on her panel to call for her relief. Ranndom replied and appeared in the command center almost instantly.

“I was waiting for your call. I figured you might have been on to something, everyone else left an hour ago.”

“I wanted to finish up the file. I find it easier to complete a task rather then come back to it at another time,” Tiva answered.

“Good point.” He grinned. “You know the guys want to have another spar session…and those junior crew members are really doing well under Hemko’s trainings. Think we should test them out soon?”

“It would be prudent of us to do so. The Triune Syndicate is not going to give up easily.”

“Well, the Union wants peace, if any one group can find a way, it’ll be them. I’ve seen enough tyrannical governments, religious sects, and leaders fall…but the Union has the best minds and negotiators, I’m sure they’ll be successful.”

“I hope this information will help.” Tiva nodded and moved from the station. “The next file is ready for review…”
“I’ll get right on it, Boon. I’ve been waiting to do something useful.”

“Have a good night; I will see you in the morning.”

Tiva slashed at the air then woke from her slumber. She was sitting in her living area. Sluggishly, she moved back to her bed and fell onto the covers. The display on her wall confirmed she’d been sleeping for only a couple hours, so she forced herself to try to doze off. An hour passed and she was still awake. The quiet drone of the ship was not enough to lull her back to sleep, so, she changed back into a uniform and made her way to the mess hall.

Vinni smiled and waved as she walked over. Before she said a word, he placed a juice on the counter.

“Thank you. May I have pancakes?”

“What kind?”

“I am unsure. I overheard Aliri order them once. She seems to fancy blueberry.”

“All right, blueberry pancakes it is,” he said, smiled, and then vanished in the kitchen.

Picking up the glass, Tiva sipped it then crossed the mess finding her favorite corner table waiting for her. As she sat, she wondered how much of the universe she had seen since leaving Abennelp. It was never a thought in her mind, as a child, that she would travel among the stars, let alone make a new home here.

Vinni broke her thoughts by placing a plate down on her table. Several small containers and a bowl of butter pats filled his arms. She helped him then glanced back up.

“What is all this?”
“Syrup for the pancakes…you can’t eat them plain, it’s no fun that way.”

“You sound like Adam,” she replied and tested each of the containers. Settling on the third, a deep rich flavor, she poured a bit on top of the stack and nodded to Vinni. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, enjoy.”

Tiva picked at her food for a while, and when through, had only eaten one and a half pancakes, but finished three juices. Still having time before she needed to report in, she decided to take a walk in the arboretum. As she exited the mess, Aliri was heading her way.

“Hey!”

“Greetings, my friend.”

“Did you eat?”

“Yes, I had pancakes.” Tiva smiled.

“Yummy…I think I’ll have some too.”
“Enjoy,” she said and turned.

“Whoa, wait…I haven’t seen you in like three weeks and all I get is ‘enjoy’? What’s wrong?” Aliri asked.

“Why must something be wrong? I have eaten and I am going for a walk…”

“Your bullshit doesn’t work with me,” Aliri grunted. “Come on, have another juice, and tell me what’s wrong.”

“Very well.” Tiva followed her back into the mess. Vinni’s eyes questioned, but he didn’t ask. Moving back to the table, she sat down and waited for her friend. There was obviously no way around it, she had to tell Aliri something.

With two drinks in hand, Aliri sat across from her and tilted her head to the side. “You really are out of it…did something happen on that base?”

“Not exactly…”

“Then tell me,” she prodded. Vinni appeared with another stack of pancakes, and smiled at Aliri. As he walked away, Tiva sighed and sat back against the chair.

She unraveled the story of her first love, starting with their ride home from the palace. When she spoke of his death, the deep sadness filled her again. Aliri squeezed her hand, Tiva smiled and continued. She retold the incident at the pond, what she had done with the necklace, and looked to her friend. “I prayed to the spirits to make me forget.”

“And did you…forget?”

“Yes,” she answered. “Mostly I wanted to forget the pain…but I forgot everything about him. Litru deserved better than to be forgotten by the one who loved him. And I did, Aliri, with all my heart…”

“I’m sure he loved you just as much, but why are you so troubled by it?”

“I erased him from my memory. Every moment we spent together. Now that the memories have surfaced, I feel the tear in my heart. Aliri, how can I mourn for one lost love when I am in love with another?”

“Er…”

“Exactly.”

“Well, give me a moment to wrap my brain around it…this isn’t one of those easy fixes, you know.”

Tiva nodded and sipped her drink. She didn’t expect her friend to have any answers, but she was the one who asked to talk in the first place. Aliri was genuinely interested in her wellbeing, she was grateful to have such a good friend.

“I must say, this one is tricky, but the key is to talk about it with Adam,” Aliri began, then took a bite of her food. “I mean, I know you know that Adam’s been in love before, it’s not uncommon. Not many people find true love the first time around. There’s a saying, you have to make out with frogs or something…” She shrugged and sipped her juice. “Everyone wants to believe in the fairy-tale life, Tiva, but there’s no such thing.”

“I had planned on telling him, but I do not know how,” she whispered. “It was not by choice; losing Litru. Were he here now, I would be torn.”

“Talk to him, Tiva.” Aliri put down her fork and folded her hands. Leaning back, she seemed to study her for a moment. “He’s been around, he’ll understand and probably try to help. Let him. Lord knows you never
ask
anyone for help.”

“I may prove you wrong, my friend,” Tiva said with a smile. “The day may be sooner than I thought, and I will need you by my side.”

“It’s been a long time coming, girl. I’ve just been patiently waiting.” Aliri winked and took another bite of her food. The conversation became less intense as a story of a birthday party of one of the engineers was retold. Aliri enjoyed passing on the gossip, and even witnessed Hemko and a young operations assistant dancing and hanging out together. Then the topic turned to the wedding. Aliri had managed to make most of the arrangements and ordered a dress for Tiva. All she and Ewan had to do was pick a location for the ceremony. “We’ll get married eventually, it’s no rush…neither of us is going anywhere,” she chuckled. “I’m going to head back and catch another hour or two before we have to get back to work, I’m still tired.”
“Enjoy your rest, my friend…and thank you for your advice.”
“I’m always here, you know that.”

Throughout the day, the crew worked diligently to get the vital data to Ovvella Base. Emerala used a relay as they were in range of Bizub Base, speeding up the transmission. The crew was through eighty percent of the data recovered from the Syndicate ship. They learned interesting information about their weapons, internal security protocols, and various sectors of space they had previously unknown allies. The engineering crew put the wormhole device back together and successfully tested it with a cargo ship. Tiva’s team found a few high priority messages in their database, but the most interesting thing was finding evidence of bad dealings with some planets. These planets were neutral, and possibly candidates for alliances with the Union.

By the time Maar dismissed them it was late in the evening, and everyone looked forward to waking up docked at the base. Once again, Tiva couldn’t sleep, but instead of going to the mess, she needed some sense of solace, and so ventured to the arboretum, the only place on board where she could sometimes catch a sliver of that feeling.

Circling around the brush and flowers, she wandered off the trail into the patch of trees and sat down underneath a willow. If this didn’t help, she could try the image of Te in the VR room.

A breath of annoyance escaped her lips. Everything seemed out of reach, her home, peace, happiness, and love. Her fingertips had grasped the edges of each, only to lose her grip just when she was about to take comfort in them.

“You seem lost, Ms. Boon,” a voice said softly.

Immediately, she jumped to her feet, her hand moving to her side.

“Easy now…” he chuckled. “I didn’t m-mean to startle you.”

“I have yet to become accustomed to people sneaking up on me,” Tiva replied and relaxed. “Sometimes, I need to shut down and not pay attention to what I feel around me. It is not an easy task…”

“Most people don’t feel like you do. I d-don’t envy you. While I am sensitive to psionics, we do n-not carry the burden of knowing what other people are thinking or f-feeling.”

“I am normally able to control it, we are taught from a young age. I started younger than most.”

“You are a prodigy, Tiva.”

“A what?”

“A gifted person. Your name is p-proof enough. Boon in general tongue means a blessing. You are here for a reason, Tiva. Sure, things could have worked out differently, but no matter the road, the journey w-would have ended the same way.”

She turned away. “I had hoped all the pain I have suffered was not a test. I always knew I had a path; it was to become an honored protector like my forefathers. Instead, I find the fate of all my people…” Tiva looked down at her palms. “Within my grasp.”

“You will take h-hold when the time is right,” he said softly while moving toward her.

Tiva paused. Turning back, she met his eyes. Again, that feeling he saw right through her crept up within. She was revealing more then she wanted. “I hope you are right.”

“Ms. Boon?”

“Yes?”

“I know you carry heavy burdens, I can help.”

“I am fine,” she said and began walking away. He followed. In honesty, she was not in the mood for another personal discussion. Too many people already knew more than she liked. It was not fair to drag more people into her dilemma.

“The first day you met me, you tried to evaluate me with your abilities, do you remember what I told you?”

She paused near another tree and turned. “Yes.”

“If you ever want to just let go and just be…free, let me know. I can protect you.”

“Speak what you mean.”

“My people come in two forms, those who can f-feel like you and those sensitive like me. I help those who feel. I keep them balanced. Our kind do not shield or b-block others, it causes us pain. So, those who are null, share the burden and alleviate the stresses of the h-heart and mind for a spell. It’s like a deeper form of meditation.”

“It sounds fascinating, and I thank you for the offer, but I must decline,” she answered.

“I know you’ve changed.”

“Pardon?”

“Since you came back, I’ve noticed it. You are d-different, stronger, but struggling. A power has awakened and I don’t t-think you’re ready for it.”

“What?” Tiva asked, utterly confused.

“You know, Tiva. Look deep within…” he sighed and walked passed her.

She felt her markings darken slightly and she reached out grabbing his arm. “Wait, speak what you know.” The fabric on his arm smoldered. She blinked and looked at her fingers. “Is this what you speak of? This is a residual effect of the crystal.”

“No, it is more now…”

“I was told it was a side effect.”

“Can’t you f-feel it?”

“No.”

“You are lying. Why do you deny w-what you know is true?”

Tiva moved her hands to her side. “I am not different.”

“The angrier or more frightened you become, the stronger the urge becomes, doesn’t it?” He took a step toward her, his eyes locked on hers. Somehow, he was trying to force her shields down, he was trying to make her to embrace the urges.

“No, you are wrong…stay where you are.” She stepped back.

“I can help you, T-Tiva. I have helped many people…why do you think Trevo asked for me. You have many on this ship…”

She flexed her fingers, ready to grab her plasma gun if he moved closer. “I am leaving.”

“I’m not l-letting you go until you face this. You will do more harm to yourself and others if you do not learn to control it.”

Tiva grunted. Her markings darkened and she felt heat on her leg. Glancing down, she gasped to see her fingers aglow with a red and golden flame. It consumed her hand, yet there was no pain. The episode with the water in her room, the smoke on the leather of the president…made sense suddenly. Her body was compensating, preparing for this. Aries moved to her other side and touched her arm. She jumped back, startled and the flame balled together and dropped to the grass, setting it ablaze.

Together they stomped out the small fire, and when Tiva looked up at him, he was smiling. “I-I didn’t want to bait you into anger, but it was the only way you’d believe me.”

“How…how did you know?”

“I told you, I’m a sensitive…when you and Aliri were using those crystals, I felt the energy transfer through you, and some of it remained. I wasn’t sure b-because of everything going on, and then you went off on your mission. When you came back I noticed it right away, but was waiting to see if you d-discovered it for yourself.”

“What am I to do?” she asked, flabbergasted.

“It’s part of you now, Ms. Boon, you’ll have to l-learn to control it like everything else. I’m sure Aliri can help you, some of her p-people have this ability.”

“Yes…yes,” she said absently. “I must seek her counsel. I am sorry for my actions, Aries.”

“I understand. Go, talk to Aliri…and when you are r-ready to let down your guard and be free for a while, you know where to find me.”

Tiva found Aliri in her room and dragged her out of bed. They spent the night talking about the new discovery. Aliri apologized for an hour. She’d only seen a few alien people in her lifetime develop abilities after using the crystals. Aliri knew their people had similar traits, and perhaps over many thousands of years this fire ability would be as natural as her empathy.

Since Aliri knew many with these abilities, it was easy to help Tiva learn to control it. Both agreed an agitated state lessened her control; it was yet another thing she would have to deal with on a daily basis. Not only would anger get the best of her, it could now harm others involuntarily. With Aliri’s help Tiva learned to control the size and speed of the flames. By the time they finished working on her control, Tiva could create a flame, ball it together, and force it some twenty feet in distance.

Aliri sighed. “I’m really sorry…”

“Do not worry, you could not foresee what would happen. Besides, if Aries is right, this all happened for a purpose.”

“Oh?”

“He seems to think my life’s path has led me here and with reason.”

“Well, hell, after everything you’ve been through, ruling a planet will be a piece of cake, won’t it?”

“Perhaps…I was not born to be a leader.”

“No, you were a protector, right?” she asked and Tiva nodded. “Right, and where do you find yourself now? Protecting this ship and fighting for a way to do the same for your people back home.”

“You have a point.”

“Sometimes,” she chuckled back and patted Tiva on the shoulder. “Now, go get some sleep, we have another busy day in the morning and limited sleep time left.”

Of course, Tiva didn’t sleep. She lay awake in her bed, making her hand glow with fire and extinguishing it moments later, only to do it again. Each time the room illuminated she found herself smiling.

Resting her warm hand on her stomach, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She sensed Cala stirring and wondered if Adam was awake.

Yes, he is,
the spirit-sword cooed softly.

Tell him good morning for me.

But you haven’t even slept.

I will be fine.

Yeah, okay…You still have a few hours before work -try to sleep.

Thank you, Cala, I will try.

Trying did not help. She went back to the command center when shift started and began her work. The last of the data was still filtering through the computer, so no one actually left to go to the base save the Captain and Aries. Aliri and Emerala were working fiercely at their stations sending the data to the relay for Ovvella. Her teams had finished with the hand-held weapons, Raife had all the navigational information plotted, and Ewan had taken the wormhole device from the cargo ship.

Now all they had to do was wait.

Maar came back to the ship just before shift change. Tiva and many of the others were waiting for new assignments, but instead, he ordered them off at their normal time since they were mainly transferring data now. Only a few files remained, and Emerala decided to stay behind with Raife to go through it.

Tiva took off without a word to anyone, including Adam, and retreated to her room. As she walked in, she heated every piece of furniture in her path, and took a glass of water in her hand to make it boil. She wanted to master control as quickly as possible.

After a lengthy shower to relax her body, she lay on her bed trying to do the same for her mind. It seemed like something always interfered with her current train of thought. One thing after another always seemed to block her at the cusp.

A soft knock echoed through the room. Tiva absentmindedly walked to the door to answer and was unprepared to see Adam’s smiling face.

“Hello, m’lady,” he said.

“Greetings, Adam.” She feigned a smile and stepped back to allow him inside.

He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her softly.“What’s wrong?”

“Come, sit. We must talk.”

“Uh-oh, usually when a girl says that it’s bad news.” He released her and moved into the living area, sitting beside her on the couch. Tiva rose after a moment and paced the length of the room.

“While I was away, I took out my father’s dagger to clean it. Inside, I found something I had long since forgotten…and with that came a memory.”

“About home?”

“Partially…” she mumbled. “When I was seventeen cycles, I killed a young boy called Bumo…” Tiva told the story of her past, weaving in the details of Litru, the man most important to her aside from her king and father. She covered her stay at the healing bay after the explosion of the hover facility and worked her way to her return from the mission with Kenon. “Litru was waiting for me at the palace gates. My parents had given their blessing and he presented me with a rose…but then a group of Rebels attacked us and killed Litru before my eyes. Eventually, I found myself at the pond behind my home, covered in his blood. I prayed to my spirits to make me forget. It was not until I saw the necklace that I began to remember.”