Vall's Will (6 page)

“Correct.
They’re kept in stasis until then.”

“But it’s
not standard procedure to destroy an Objurian ship?”

Will bit back a
sharp retort. The Commander was of Old Earth Prime stock, and his background
consisted of thousands of years of brutal, bloody history. Men like him often
had difficulty understanding how Nions, especially the elite warriors, could
control such incredible power, yet remain passively aggressive.

Sighing, she
tried to cool her rising anger. “We are Nion warriors. Our credo is to
save and serve, not to harm. Our mission is to keep the peace, and to help
those in need. The Ben Objure have no qualms about overtaking vessels and
kidnapping the crews, and forcing them to serve as slave laborers or, in many
instances, as a food source.”

“But you
can
kill.” It was a statement of face the commander already knew the answer
to. Will assumed he needed her verbal confession, as their meeting was being
documented.

“Yes, we
can kill,” she admitted. “But it has to be under extreme
circumstances. Look, Commander, we had contained the Objurian crew and queen.
We were rescuing the prisoners when, for some reason we haven’t figure out yet,
the ship programmed itself to explode. Have you ever heard of the Objurians
doing such a thing?”

Oglet had to
admit he hadn’t. “This is the first time anyone has ever heard of them
doing that, which is why I was ordered to investigate the matter.” He
tapped his desk. “Your ship confirms what you’ve told me. Neither you nor
any of your crew used your vessel to rig the Objurian ship to blow. Nor is
there any record of you taking explosives onto the ship when you boarded
it.” He scratched his chin again, his eyes gazing out at the panorama of
space, although his vision was focused inward. “Captain, it’s obvious
that, by releasing the prisoners, you caused the ship to trip its kill
switch.”

Will agreed. It
was the only reasonable answer.

“Or, maybe,
it was because you tripped the lock on Vall’s cell.”

“You think
the lock was what triggered the explosion?”

“It’s very
possible. Which leads to the question, why him? What is so special, or shall we
say terrifying about Vall that the Objurians felt they needed the extra
protection? You said the lock was on the outside of the cell?”

“Yes.”

“Then they
meant to protect themselves from him escaping.” Oglet’s eyes went to the
doorway. “What are your plans for the young man?”

“I was
hoping to leave him here. You have access to information and analysis we don’t.
You might be able to unravel the mystery of what species he belongs to, and
subsequently notify his home world.”

The commander
turned back to her. “What are your plans once you leave Precorut?”

“We’ll
resume our sweep of this sector until we’re summoned to our next mission, and
whatever it entails.”

“You would
leave a potentially dangerous entity alone and unguarded on my space
station?”

“In the
short time he’s been on my ship, Vall has never shown any sign of being a
danger, either to himself or to others. If he had, my innate sensors would have
tripped.” She came close to confiding the fact that she had spent the
night in the man’s arms on the observation deck, and would have passed along
that information to the commander if the guards had not been around to hear.

Oglet nodded,
understanding. The Nion were well known and highly respected throughout many
solar systems and galaxies. Their word was irrefutable, as was their power. If
Will felt the strange young man was not a danger to the space station, her word
was as good as a promise of protection.

“All
right.” He got to his feet and waved away the guards, who exited through a
second doorway she had missed spotting earlier. Once they were gone, he walked
around the desk to face her directly. “I’m convinced you are innocent of
the charges, but you understand you’re still responsible. If you had not
interfered, that ship would still be around, and their beloved queen mother
would still be alive.”

“And Vall and
the Anglites would still be suffering in near-starving conditions,” she
retorted, meeting him eye to eye.

The man sighed.
“We are at an impasse,” he admitted.

“We are.
What do you think should be our next priority?”

“I will
give the order to allow Vall limited access to this station until we find out
what he is. However, I must ask that you and your crew leave immediately. The
Ben Objure are not to be trifled with. And their threats are never
hollow.”

“You’re
afraid they’ll attack Precorut if we’re here?”

“I don’t
know what they’ll do. But if you’re
not
here, it lessens the chance
we’ll be targeted. I’m sorry, Captain, but I can’t take the risk of you
remaining on board.”

She took a step
back. “I understand. I’ll notify my ship. We’ll leave within the hour.”

“Try to
make it less than an hour,” Oglet suggested.

Will nodded but
didn’t reply.

Re-entering the
bridge, she noticed Vall hadn’t moved from where she’d left him. Meanwhile,
Killjorn had joined him and Gayt. They all turned around when she stepped inside.
Motioning for them to follow her, Will led them out into the narrow corridor.

Translate
off.

She flashed a
smile as she ordered them to kill their interpreting ability. “I don’t
know how well Vall might take the news that we’re having to leave him here, but
we’ve been ordered off the station, effective immediately.”

Gayt’s eyes
widened as Killjorn whispered, “For what reason?”

“That
Objurian ship that exploded contained the queen mother, their holiest of
holies. The Ben Objure have declared total war on me and all crew members of
the
Trinity of Hope
, and threaten to destroy all Regency-held bases and
bases hosting Regency agents until I’m turned over to them. Commander Oglet
believes they’ll carry out that threat, which is why he doesn’t want us on Precorut.”

“What do
you need us to do?” Killjorn asked.

“Both of
you go back to the ship. Inform them we have to leave within the hour, if not
sooner.”

“What
about―”

“I’ll take
care of him myself.” Will looked up to see Vall intently watching her.
Somehow, she could tell from his worried expression that he knew something was
about to happen. “Go. I’ll join you shortly.”

The two women
hurried away, leaving Will alone with the young man. Taking his hand, she
started in the direction of the tubes as her mind raced. She already had a
vague idea how Vall would take her desertion, but would he understand why she
had to leave him?

At the thought
of finally being separated, Will felt a hard tug at her heart, and tears
threatened to fill her eyes once more. A sudden pressure around her fingers
told her he was aware of her distress. Glancing up at him, she smiled again and
tried to remain calm. But the simple truth was, for some reason she couldn’t
fathom, this was going to be the most difficult thing she had ever done in her
life.

I hope you
don’t come to hate me, Vall, for what I’m about to do. Please be aware this is
for your own good, and for the good of everyone here on Precorut. Please
forgive me, but I have no other choice.

There was
another squeeze of her hand. Keeping her smile pasted on her face, Will led him
to the nearest observation deck to say her good-byes.

Chapter Seven

Attack

Unlike being on
board the
Trinity,
people stared openly at her and Vall as they made
their way, hand in hand, through the corridors. Many recognized her. A few knew
her by name. Everyone identified the uniform and neck tattoo of a Nion Warrior.

Will ignored
them all as she and Vall made their way to the observation deck. Unlike the one
on her ship, this deck was huge and multi-tiered. At any given time, a large
number of people were present. When they entered via the second level, Will
quickly estimated at least two dozen observers were on that level alone.

She turned and
headed for a secluded alcove, or some place that would provide them with a bit
of privacy. She finally found a couple of seats in a far corner, out of the direct
line of sight from the doorway. Taking one of the seats, she released his hand
and waited for him to sit. Vall gave the chair a brief glance, then perched on
the edge of the seat. His actions gave her the impression he wouldn’t hesitate
to lunge for her if she tried to leave.

Translate.

There wasn’t
time to be gentle. She had to be blunt. If it hurt his feelings, maybe that
would be a good thing. Maybe if she made him angry enough, he wouldn’t mind
seeing her go, although the thought of parting on such terms didn’t sit well
with her.

She turned to
face him and put on her sternest expression. “Vall, this is where we part
company. You will stay here, but I must go.”

She watched his
eyes widen, but he never moved or gestured.

“I am a
Nion warrior. I have to leave. My mission is to protect this part of the
galaxy. That’s how we ran across the Objurian ship, and found you.” She
tried to smile, but failed. His face had gone paler than usual.

“Vall,
while you’re here, their scientists are going to run more tests on you.
Hopefully, they’ll discover what species you are. If they do, they’ll notify
your home world. Wouldn’t you like that? To be back among others of your kind?
You might even find your family. Maybe even discover you have a brother or
sister. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Vall continued
to stare at her in obvious disbelief. Slowly, he started to reach for her, but
Will backed away, keeping deliberate distance between them.

“I’ll keep
in contact, Vall. I’ve left orders to be kept abreast of your status.” She
gave what she’d hoped would be a chuckle, but it sounded strangled instead.
“Maybe, if we’re out in this direction, and you’ve found where you belong,
we can return you to your world.”

It was an empty
hope, but he didn’t need to know that. Right now, they both had to go through
this separation, no matter how much it hurt. And it hurt so terribly bad right
now, she was fighting the tears.

Vall lifted a
hand in her direction. Despite her moving away, he managed to reach out and
trace the edge of her face with his fingertips. His hand lowered until it
touched the side of her neck and her insignia. At the feel of the raised flesh,
he paused to give her a puzzled look.

“It’s my
rank. All warriors have one.”

His hand lowered
until it rested on her lap, on top of her wrists. She felt helpless and unable
to continue retreating. His touch was like a healing salve, sending warmth and
calmness into her bloodstream. What she wouldn’t give to close her eyes and let
him caress away all the stress and worry floating within her soul like flotsam.

Sadly, she
grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I must go now, Vall, but we’ll see each
other again soon. You have my word.”

Slowly, she rose
from her seat, never taking her eyes off the young man. Behind her back, she
kept her other hand ready for what she knew he would eventually do. She didn’t
have to wait long.

She had barely
straightened up and started to turn around to leave, when Vall leaped to his
feet, his arms outstretched to stop her. Bringing her hand around, she shot him
point blank with a light, stunning pulse. Vall collapsed unconscious into the
seat, where he would sleep for about an hour. By the time he awoke, the
Trinity
would be gone. Giving him one final look, she inhaled a shuddering breath
and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Will hurried to
the landing bay where the ship was readying for departure. As she ran up the
gangplank, she ordered for immediate liftoff. By the time she reached the
bridge, the ship was clearing the pad.

“Any
communication from the Regency?”

“None,”
Granth answered.

“There will
be. Magnus, plot a course toward the Anurza system.”

“Captain?”
By his confused tone, she could tell he didn’t understand why they were heading
into an almost starless void toward a solar system with less than a handful of
habitable planets. Looking around the bridge, the rest of her crew appeared to
be just as clueless.

“Just do
it.”

The navigator
bent over his console. “Plotting a course, Captain.”

She waited until
they were well clear of all navigational routes before she hit the intercom
button to address the entire ship’s crew.

“This is
Captain Tayte. As you are all aware, we are entering open space and heading
toward the Anurza system. We are not under orders to go there. It is solely my
decision, and I will explain why. You know we recently attacked an Objurian
ship. What you don’t know is that the ship contained their queen mother. During
our rescue of their prisoners, the ship self-detonated. Although we didn’t
directly kill her, the Ben Objure hold me responsible for the queen’s death.
Inasmuch, they have sworn a vendetta against me, against this ship, and against
the Regency.”

The crew was
watching her, waiting to hear what they would do next. Will bit her lips.
“That is why we had to abandon Precorut on such short notice, to prevent
the Ben Objure from attacking the station, in the event they discovered we were
there. At this point, we are on full alert. We have to draw the Ben Objure away
from the settlements, and away from all Regency-held colonies.”

“Don’t the
Ben Objure realize the queen ship had been rigged to explode?” Plymon
questioned.

“It doesn’t
matter to them. That, or they aren’t aware of the fact. Regardless, I don’t
think they’d be willing to listen to reason if we tried to explain.”

“Think
they’ll follow us into the void?” Magnus wondered.

“That’s
what I’m hoping. If we can lure them away from populated areas, we stand an
excellent chance of defeating any attempt they make to try and take us.”

She noticed Plymon
glancing toward the doorway, and a dark anger roiled in the pit of her stomach.
His action was a blatant but silent question directed at her.

“The
Anglites have been delivered to their people, and Vall is in the hands of
Precorut’s scientists, who I fully expect will discover what he is and where he
came from.”

She saw the man
visibly relax, as if his worst fears had been dissolved. It wasn’t until he
turned his back to her that Will realized she would never let the man take her
body again. She had seen a side of the Sub-captain she didn’t know existed, and
discovered she didn’t like. Of course, this new knowledge would not affect her
working relationship with him. But it would definitely lock him out of her
personal life.

“Approaching
void,” the navigator intoned.

“There’s no
hurry, Magnus. Take it slowly but surely. Let’s be a casual presence.”

“Dangling
the bait, Captain?”

She recognized
Dierk’s voice behind her. As the ship’s weapons master, he had been rebuilding
the
Trinity’s
arsenal and re-energizing the ship’s shields during their
down time.

“Exactly.
If the Ben Objure want to pick a fight, well, here I am. Let them come after
me, instead of innocent colonists.” She cocked her head. “Give me a
report on the weapons’ systems.”

“All
weapons fully loaded. Shields are at one hundred percent.” The weapons
master grinned at her appreciative nod.

Will hit a
button on the chair arm. “Engineering! Baladon!”

“Baladon
here, Captain.”

“How’s our
fuel?”

“We’re
filled to the brim.”

“Excellent.
Thank you.”

“But we
didn’t blow up that ship!” Plymon reiterated.

Will swiveled
her command chair around to face him. “Tell me, Plymon. If we hadn’t
boarded that ship, would it have blown?”

As the
Sub-captain chewed over his answer, she got to feet. She was tired, irritable,
and hungry, and definitely in no mood to argue.

“I’m going
to retire to my cabin for a brief rest. Granth, call me if anything shoots at
us.”

“Will do,
Captain.”

She moved toward
the doorway, keeping her face averted from the Sub-captain. He would recognize
the snub.
It’ll be interesting how he takes being ejected out of my personal
life
, she mused as the tube closed around her.

She ate a small
bowl of soup before retiring, even though her stomach growled for more when she
was finished. But she was afraid eating a heavier meal would leave her nearly
comatose when she laid down.

Leaving her
uniform on, she settled on top of her bed and tried to relax. Unfortunately,
visions of Vall were burned behind her eyelids. Golden-brown eyes pleaded with
her not to go, not to leave him. Those eyes spoke more eloquently than words
ever could.

Tears
unexpectedly filled her eyes. Overflowing, they ran down the sides of her face
and into the hair at her temple. Covering her face with her hands, Will sobbed.

Why am I feeling
like this? Why? Why is leaving you tearing at me?

Vall…

What is wrong
with me?

For several long
minutes, she cried openly. Confused, unsure, and worried, she allowed herself to
release those feelings which had been eating her, until weariness finally made
her succumb to sleep.

It seemed like
only a short time had passed when a persistent voice called her name over the
ship’s intercom system. The urgent tone pierced through the fog, awakening her.

“Captain
Tayte! Captain Tayte, report!
Report to the bridge, Captain Tayte!”

Groggy, she
managed to roll over and slap the intercom button on the small shelf beside the
bed.

“Tayte
here.”

“Captain!
Precorut is under attack!”

All remnants of
sleep vanished in an instant. Awake but still somewhat disoriented, it took her
a few seconds to get to her feet and out the door.

“On my
way!”

As she ran
through the corridors, silent secondary alarms splashed brilliant blue light
throughout the ship. By this time, all personnel would be at their stations,
ready for her command. Plymon had put the ship on alert, but not in attack
status. That call was hers alone, unless she became totally incapacitated, and
he had to assume the chair.

The tension on
the bridge was palpable when she entered.

“Granth?”

“Received a
short transmission seven minutes ago, Captain. It was a signal for help from
Precorut.”

“Magnus.”

“Coordinates
locked.”

“Shields up
and full speed. Granth, any idea who is attacking the station?”

“I heard
‘Ben Objure’ before the signal was cut off.”

“Magnus,
how far―”

“Eleven
minutes, Captain.”

Eleven minutes.
A lot could happen in eleven minutes. Still, they didn’t have much choice but
to hope they would be in time as the ship raced through space.

Sitting back in
her chair, Will stared out at the panorama spread beyond the view screen and
tried to calm her rising fear.

What if they
weren’t in time? What if the Ben Objure made good their threats and destroyed
the space station?

What if they
kill Vall?

She gripped the
arms of the chair so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She couldn’t think
that way.

Stop, Willis.
Stop it. We’ll get there in time. We’ll get there and defeat the Ben Objure, or
drive them back. Either way, we’ll save Precorut.

We’re coming
to save you, Vall. Just hold on. We’re coming!