Vall's Will (8 page)

Chapter Ten

Plymon

Plymon rubbed
his face with both hands and loudly sighed. Outside the view screen, the
universe slid by on streaks of light. They were racing for the Tidel 44 galaxy.
At last check, the Ben Objure had not locked onto their location. The bugs were
not strong when it came to pursuit.

“Incoming
Regent transmission, Sub-captain.”

“Let’s hear
it, Granth.”

“It’s for
Captain Tayte’s ears only.”

Plymon frowned
at the communication’s officer. “Are the Regents aware of the Captain’s
condition?”

“They were
notified,” Granth said by way of an answer.

The Sub-captain
pressed the button on the chair’s arm. “Medical. Killjorn?”

“Gayt here.
Killjorn is with the Captain.”

“Is the
Captain able to take an ears only transmission from the Regency?”

“Hold. I’ll
check.”

There was a
moment of silence before Killjorn came online. “Killjorn here. The Captain
is awake and cognizant. You can transfer the transmission down here.”

“Transferring
transmission,” Granth announced before Plymon had the chance to order it
done.

The speaker at
his elbow went silent. Plymon stared out the view screen for a minute before
curiosity and boredom got to be too much for him. Leaping from the chair, he
headed for the tube.

“Magnus,
you have the chair while I check on the Captain’s status.”

He totally
missed the knowing looks passed between the crewmembers on the bridge.

Stepping into
the corridor leading to the medical bay, he nearly collided with Gayt, who was
hurrying in the opposite direction. Plymon pasted a smile on his face.

“What’s the
rush?”

She gave him an
equally banal smile. Clearly, the woman was hiding something. “Just
heading back to my lab to run a few tests.”

“What kind
of tests?”

This time he got
a slightly irritated look from the scientist before it quickly vanished.

“I’m not
quite sure what the Captain wants to find. You might want to ask her.”

He started to
reply when the young woman turned and rushed away. Her answer had been a clear
slap in the face. He might be acting captain during Tayte’s convalescence, but
the scientist made no pretense in pretending he was the real person in charge.
As long as Tayte was alive and in charge, he would always be treated as a secondary.

Frustration
burned in his gut. Just when he thought he’d earned the crew’s respect, they
managed to remind him of his place in the order of things. Yes, he was the
Sub-captain, but it was a title that held very little power, especially with
the real Captain still in charge.

He stomped into
the medical bay a little more forcefully than he realized. Killjorn looked up
from her monitor, one eyebrow lifted questioningly at him.

“Yes,
Sub-captain?”

Was it his
imagination, or did she emphasize the
sub
part of his title?

“I need to
speak with the Captain.”

“She’s in
conference at the moment. If you’re able to wait, I’ll let you know when she’s
ready to see you.”

Plymon nodded.
Otherwise, he had no choice but to leave. It would take them another six to seven
hours to reach Tidel 44. If he went back to the bridge, he would quickly grow
bored again.

That was one
thing he never understood about Willis Tayte. She could sit up there in her
chair on the bridge, and remain there, perfectly content for her entire ten
hour shift. In the two hours he had been in charge, he’d already grown restless
to the point of agitation.

He glanced
around the bay, looking for something to occupy his time while he waited, when
he caught sight of the figure sitting in the far corner of the room. Partially
hidden in the shadows, Vall sat like a stone guardian, unmoving and silent.
Only the man’s eyes gave him away as being alive and awake.

Plymon
approached the man, who watched him with apprehension with those funny yellow
colored eyes, although his overall expression was filled with sorrow. He was
sitting with his legs cross in front of him, feet bare. He reminded Plymon of a
small child or pet sitting in an out of the way corner while his mistress was
out of reach.

Stopping in
front of the man, Plymon crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you have any
idea what kind of chaos you’ve brought to this ship? Or to Captain Tayte?”

Vall dropped his
gaze but didn’t answer. The Sub-captain realized the man probably didn’t
understand what he was saying.

Translate.

Placing his
hands on his hips, Plymon tried again. “What makes you so special that the
Captain is willing to take the risks she’s been taking? Do you have any idea
how much trouble you’ve caused?”

Vall rolled his
eyes up at the man, then bowed his head. Outwardly, it appeared that the man
was being apologetic, but Plymon didn’t buy it for one minute. Furthermore,
there was another little detail he had to mention.

“Don’t
think I’m not also aware of how close the two of you are becoming. Don’t forget
I know about your little nap on the observation deck.”

Dropping into a
crouch, he bent over to whisper. “In case you don’t realize it, the
Captain is my fekking partner. Do you understand that? She and I are fekking
partners throughout the duration of this mission. So whatever interest you’re
harboring for the Captain, I strongly suggest you kick it out into the void and
forget about it, because she’s not available. Not to you, and not to anyone
else. Do you understand me, Vall?”

He wanted badly
to call the man “it”, but chose otherwise at the last second.

Vall kept his
head bowed, his shoulders slumped, his body unmoving. Not seeing any kind of
reaction told Plymon that the man heard and understood every word. If there was
anyplace else to retreat, he was certain Vall would have left the medical bay.
Apparently, no one had taken the time to show their guest the way to his
quarters.

The Sub-captain
straightened up and walked over to the main board, when the door leading into
the Captain’s unit slid open. Killjorn stepped over the threshold and
approached him.

“The
transmission has ended. She’ll see you now.”

Plymon saw how
the doctor glanced over at the man sitting on the floor, then looked back at
him.

“Make it
brief. She’s tired.”

“How is she
doing? I was just about to check her condition.”

“The skin
sealants are beginning to spread. Give or take another fifty hours, and she can
come out of the cocoon.”

“How long
before she can regenerate her shield?”

“That
depends, but I would estimate another hundred hours.” Killjorn ran a hand
through her unruly hair. The doctor usually kept the curly locks in a tight
knot at the back of her head, but stray strands often found their way loose, to
float and bounce around the woman’s face. Her fingers unconsciously tucked some
of those loose ends behind her ear.

“We do have
one thing to be grateful for,” she added. “Even though the damage to
her system was extensive, it wasn’t permanent. If the Captain had been holding
a bomb within her aura, no amount of medicine could have saved her. But
fortunately, we are aware of many instances where women have had their shields
shredded because someone, usually a child, was ejected from their grasps. It’s
the same sort of case we have here, just a bit more extensive, due to Vall’s
size. But, because of those prior incidents, we have the knowledge and ability
to save her and her Nion abilities, with few, if any, lasting
aftereffects.”

Two conflicting
emotions went through the Sub-captain. He felt relief, knowing that Will would
be able to remain on the ship in her current assignment. At the same time, he
also realized that the problem with Vall would continue to plague him, and the
full force of his jealousy threatened to overwhelm him.

Giving the
doctor a curt word of thanks, Plymon went into the next room. The Captain lay
suspended within a thick azure field containing her sterile cocoon. Every inch
of her outer layer was sealed by the skin sheet. Inside the dark blue light
where she floated in silence, Plymon felt an eerie sense of intimacy. It was as
if he was being given permission to witness her at her weakest, most vulnerable
moment. Considering how well he knew her body after numerous sexual encounters,
being inside the healing aura made him feel closer to her than he ever had in
the past.

A transparent
monitor hovered above the cocoon. The image of her face on the screen resembled
a pale bony skull. Plymon stopped in front of the viewer and waited for her to look
at him. Presently, the eye sockets appeared to open, and Will focused on his
face.

“Report.”

Her voice came
from the monitor. The tone was all business.

“We’re heading for Tidel 44.
There’s no sign of pursuit from the Ben Objure.”
           
“And there won’t be.”

Now he could
hear her weariness and pain. Like ragged edges, the combination made her sound
hoarse.

“We should
arrive within a few hours.”

“Killjorn
says I could be released in fifty hours.”

He nodded, then
launched into what he’d been wanting to ask her. “What did the Regency
say?”

Colorless eyes
studied him for a few moments. “They’re still studying Vall’s DNA, and
trying to discover his species. They’re sending the
Legion of Mercy
to
meet with us at Tidel 44, and take Vall off our hands.”

Plymon could feel
his jealousy ebb away. He almost smiled at the news. “What is their reason
for trading him, or did they say?”

“They
didn’t,” she replied. He expected such an answer. “But I suspect my
incapacitation had something to do with it,” she added. Again, he silently
agreed.

“Is the
Legion
returning him to Regency Base?”

Her eyes
appeared to droop. “I don’t know, and at this point, I don’t care. Notify
me when we arrive at our destination, and when the
Legion
shows up, if
I’m not already out of stasis.”

“Will do.”

“That’s
all, Plymon. Send Killy back in when you leave.”

She was already
dismissing him? When there was more he wanted to talk about?

Her eyes opened
wider, as if realizing he was still standing there.

“What?”

He briefly
debated bringing up some other issues, versus facing Killjorn’s wrath at not
letting her patient rest, and decided the issues could wait. Smiling slightly,
he shook his head. “Nothing. I’ll check back again soon.”

Stepping away
from the monitor, he turned and exited the bay. The doctor was waiting on the
other side of the door.

“She wants
to see you,” he informed the woman.

“She
probably wants to ask for some more pain medication.” Without waiting for
his response, Killjorn stepped into the sterile bay.

Plymon watched
the door close behind her. With her gone, he turned to see if Vall was still in
his corner. A pair of yellow eyes stared back. Questioning eyes. Hopeful eyes.
The man was curious to know how the Captain was doing.

The Sub-captain
debated for a moment whether or not to tell him anything, then chose not to. He
realized it was a petty thing to do, to keep the information to himself, but
something inside him delighted in knowing he could hold some sway over the
young man. To use what knowledge he had, and dangle it in front of Vall’s face.
Look what I know and you don’t. Look at what I can do, that you can’t.

He started to
speak, to taunt the man, but suddenly decided not to. Whether it was because of
his conscience, his sense of duty, or some other emotion, Plymon realized he didn’t
want to see the results of his vindictiveness reflected in those yellow eyes.
Instead, he left the medical bay. Vall would be gone soon enough. And once the
man was delivered to the
Legion
, Will would return to Plymon and his bed
in due time. He simply needed to be a bit more patient, and patience was the
one thing he didn’t have much of. Fortunately, he had very little time left to
wait.

Chapter Eleven

Orders

Will watched the
doctor peer into a monitor beside the door. “What do you see?”

Killjorn smiled
and stepped away. “He’s gone.”

“Vall?”

“Still
sitting in the corner.”

A shudder went
through her, and Will felt a warm tear slide down her cheek. The wetness stung
the reforming skin. She sensed a presence standing in front of her.

“Would you
like more painkillers?”

“No. I need
my head clear.”

“But the
pain will retard your healing,” Killjorn told her.

“I need to
deal with Vall.”

The doctor
remained next to her, silently watching her. Waiting. At Will’s request, she
had stood off to the side, out of sight of the transmission, in case the
Regents had embedded a return screen order into their message. It wasn’t done
often, but it was known to happen. And Will knew of many captains who had been
caught letting their subs be privy to an eyes-only or ears-only message because
the Regents had been able to view them together on the return relay.

But in this
case, Will had requested Killjorn to remain close by. If a Regent suspected her
being there, Will had planned to use her medical condition as the reason why
the doctor was needed within reach. She had known before the transmission even
began that the Regency had made a decision about Vall, and she’d needed
Killjorn there in the event she was unable to finish the discussion.

“I forgot
to ask Plymon how long we’ll have to wait after we reach Tidel 44 before the
Legion
arrives.”

“Willis,
eventually he’ll have to go back to his own people.” If Killjorn could
have put a comforting hand on her shoulder, Will knew she would have.

“I know
that.”

She heard the
doctor heave a sigh. After a while, the woman started to leave.

“Send him
in here.”

“Are you
sure you want to do that?”

“And I want
you to stay and translate.”

Killjorn shook
her heard, but left the room to obey. It wasn’t long before she came back
through the door. Vall followed slowly.

At first, he
stared in shock and sorrow at the stasis field keeping her safe while her skin
repaired itself. It was his first time to see the extent of her injuries, and
she wondered if he’d had any idea as to how serious they were. Killjorn plucked
at his sleeve and led him over to the monitor where Will could talk to him.

The information
the Regents had been able to gather continued to swirl in her head. However, it
was their decision that had hurt the worst. Will hurried to hide her emotions
before he had the chance to read her.

She opened her
mouth to speak when he held out a hand to her.

“Uli.”

Killjorn gasped.
Will glanced at the physician.

“Is your
translator on?”

“Yes. I
turned it on before I brought him in here.”

“Then why
didn’t…” Will hesitated, then remembered the first time he’d spoken that
same word to her on Precorut. At that time, her translator had been on, as
well.

“Why didn’t
the translator translate it?” Killjorn wondered aloud.

“Because
it’s not a word,” Will whispered. “It’s a proper noun. A name.”
She continued to stare up into his golden-brown gaze as he watched her
reaction. “Uli.”

He smiled. He
started to lift a hand toward her, but Killjorn quickly pushed it away with a
shake of her head.

A flash of
sadness went through Will. It would have been nice to have felt his gentle
touch. Before she could stop herself, the memory returned of his lips upon her
neck, and the way his hands had caressed her back. Such gentleness was rare
among the men she’d allowed within her private aura. So much so, that she hoped
her recovery would progress quickly, in order to give her some time with him
before he was taken away.

“Vall,
listen to me. We’re heading for a section of space called Tidel 44. It’s a
massive ion cloud where we can hide from the Ben Objure while we wait for the
arrival of the
Legion of Mercy.
They’re going to take you to Regency
Base.”

He started to
frown, his precursor to rejecting her statement.

“No. Listen
to me, Vall.”

“Uli,”
he gently spoke.

“Will you stop
and listen to me! I’m not at one hundred percent. My ship is still damaged from
when we fought the queen ship. The
Legion
is a bigger ship. And even if
it’s not swifter than this one, it has just as much firepower. It’ll get you to
the base where you can be free. Do you understand? You’ll be free!”

Vall shook his
head. “I want to stay here.”

It was a
complete sentence, clearly spoken. His first to them. Will wondered how long it
had been since he’d talked.

Tears stung her
eyes. It took several huge breaths before she could look at him again. If there
was any way,
any
way he could remain with her…but there wasn’t, and
never would be.
And I have to stop these useless wishes.

“You can’t
stay here. This is a Nion warrior ship. You must be one of us to be a member of
the crew. We can’t traverse the galaxies with a guest on board.”

“Let me
stay.” He pleaded with her. His eyes were wells of sadness and suffering,
and they were too much for her to take. Especially now. Will lowered her face
to prevent him from seeing her reaction. She knew he already blamed himself for
her injuries. He didn’t need another reason to chastise himself.

“Killy,
would you have someone show him to his cabin?”

“Come
on.” The doctor tugged again on Vall’s robes. “I’ll have Gayt show you
the way.”

“No. I want
to stay.” He remained in front of the monitor and gave Killjorn a flat,
stubborn look.

Will saw the
same expression begin to come over Killjorn’s face, and realized Vall was about
to subjected to a little Nion forcefulness.

“Killy, stop.
Wait.”

The glow that
was beginning to surround the physician immediately dissipated, and Killjorn
turned to look at her.

“Vall? Will
you do this for me? Let Gayt show you to your cabin. Get something to eat and
drink, and perhaps rest for a while. Then you may come back here. I’d love to
hear more from you. Perhaps you can tell me about yourself.”

She watched the
play of emotions race across the young man’s face. Eventually, he turned and
escorted himself out the door. Will caught a glimpse of Gayt in the next room.
So did Killjorn.

“I’ll tell
her what you said,” the doctor commented, and left.

Will let out an
exasperated whimper. She was tired, and her head ached, but she had to view the
transmission one more time before she tried to sleep.

“Play transmission
42R dash HK4.”

The monitor in
front of her went dark, then the face of Regent Byms appeared.

“Captain
Willis Tayte, of the Nion warship
Trinity of Hope.
I am Regent Byms. We
are aware of the situation regarding the prisoner you rescued from the Ben
Objurian queen mother ship. We have had our scientists working on trying to
extrapolate DNA and other materials you relayed, which would prove the young
man’s origin, and perhaps give us a destination where you can return him. At
the same time, we have been working on translating the Objurian data you
obtained from the queen ship. Although we haven’t come up with much at this
time, we have found some information we believe you should be aware of.

“The
creature referred to as Vall has been aboard the queen mother ship since he was
nine cycles old. In the time he’s been there, he has been introduced to
numerous hominid species. We’re assuming at this point that the Objurians were
hoping he would latch on to one of the species and form a friendship or other type
of bond, but it seems they were unsuccessful. As the child reached puberty, he
was paired several times with other female hominids. After some period of time,
those females were removed. Nothing is noted in the files as to what the
Objurians did with them.”

The Regent
paused before continuing. “From what the records tell us, Vall is both
sexually mature and experienced. He is also a viable genetic resource, but so
far none of the couplings he’s had with past females have produced any
offspring.

“By the way,
there is another word the Objurians have used when referring to Vall, which is
the word ‘it’ in their language. And that is ‘umerint’. At this time, we have
not decoded what umerint means.

“His DNA
shows he is from a Class R planet, much like your own planet, Nion. He is a
carbon-based, oxygen-breathing life form. His body demands vegetable protein
and water to sustain life. And he needs brief cycles of unconsciousness to
remain mentally and physically healthy.”

In short, he
needs to eat, breathe, and sleep,
Will told herself.

“However,
there remains a small anomaly that our scientists are unsure how to label or
describe.”

At the mention
of the word, she instantly remembered the small ball of light emanating from
Vall’s chest on board the space station. After seeing it, she had given some
thought as to what it was, and what had caused it, but gave up, believing it
was part of his genetic makeup, the same way her shield was a natural extension
of herself.

“Nothing in
our files identifies another species with that anomaly. There is no extra organ
that could be creating the effect, yet your internal scans show a definite
presence within the man. Which is why we need you to return Vall to Regency
Base.

“Captain
Tayte, you will remain inside Tidel 44 and await the arrival of the
Legion
of Mercy.
You will hand Vall over to them, and they will bring the young
man here. Once you are deemed healthy enough to resume your captain’s chair,
you will head for the Gar Corja system, and the outer border of the Ben Objuria
galaxy. Find where the Objurian crafts that attacked Precorut went and follow
them, but do not,
do not,
engage them. If they challenge you, back away.
But you will make it very clear you will remain on guard, watching them, and
staying with them until Vall is delivered to Regency Base.

“Reply to
this transmission via regular protocol. You have done an admirable job, Captain
Tayte. Carry on. Regent Byms signing off.”