Part 17
In their darkened chamber, the entry code voice-locked, and underneath a light wrap of silken covers, Tess tossed in a fitful sleep. After three days of light napping, waiting for attacks from Natir that never came and trying unsuccessfully to figure out how to kill Khivar, Tess and Kyle had both succumbed to sheer exhaustion. But once Tess had descended into the dream realm, she began to flail against Kyle. Something was emerging from her psyche. Their nascent connection opened and Kyle unknowingly sank into her dream with her.
In the semi-privacy of the parlor, Ava stood near Kathana's throne. Her younger sister, L'arala, was listening to M'lin try some new piece on the qualtar. L'arala had no idea that this time should have been used for courting the less sympathetic planets, like Hanor, and securing the tradesmen. One hour of socializing with a Royal could keep them tightly bound to B'ril and to Ava. For the last two hours, Ava had done no socializing for the pure pleasure of it that L'arala was fortunate to enjoy. As Crown Princess, Ava knew she had a reputation for being selfish. But while her sister got to have friends and freedom, Ava got responsibility and the burden of knowing how far B'ril had to go. The only person Ava ever got to just chat with, no added pressure, was Kale, her personal guard. In the rare free moments she had away from the Great Hall or dining with diplomats, Kale gave her an occasional laugh and, more importantly, the opinion and ear of one who wanted nothing and could offer B'ril little. Her planet needed much. B'ril was still technologically behind Antar and they needed to secure better economic ties with all the planets in the system. Ava knew that she was the one who understood these challenges and she was the one to meet them.
Tonight, she had divided her time between the annoying representative from the United Federation of Pilots who spit when he spoke and the Senator from Antar, who'd been presumptuously pushing for a private audience. Ava was tempted to mindwarp him into thinking they'd had it already, but this Khivar was the newest Senate Speaker on Antar, though his family had never produced anything other than mediocre generals and the occasional Senator, as far as Ava could recall. But B'ril had no solid connections to the planet, no blood ties and the trade disagreements were getting more and more heated lately, so it was in the best interest of the planet to keep their representatives as happy as possible. Their relations had become precarious enough that L'arala and M'lin were scheduled to make an extended diplomatic trip for the next quarter.
"Lady Ava, I must please beg your indulgence," Khivar was again leading her toward the private chambers down the hall. Ava sighed and gave in. She gestured to Kale, who gave her a sympathetic smile and move back a few yards.
"I suppose I can grant you a few minutes," Ava steered them to a small alcove that afforded a measure of privacy but was none too far from the parlor. Kale positioned himself within range if she called for help, mentally or physically. "What can I do for you, Khivar?"
"Milady, I'm afraid that I have some unfortunate information for you." Khivar's mask of obeisance disappeared into a slightly condescending tone.
"Pardon?" Ava was shocked at the sudden about face. She felt Kale edge closer.
"I'm sure you are aware of the rumblings that come from the mystics."
"Of course," her gaze swept the hall, "the mystics have not confirmed my reign and there are any number of rumors that fly through the court. It has been so since my father died and it is nothing new."
"Pity that our planets, on the verge of a new age, are held hostage to such an archaic system, a group whose whims put the very safety and security of a planet at risk." Khivar placed a hand on Ava's shoulder and she quickly shrugged it off.
"The mystics may be old-fashioned but they will do what is best for B'ril and I am that, Khivar. Of this, I and my followers have no doubt." Ava moved to leave their little tryst.
"Nor do I. However, regretfully, the mystics do not concur, milady," Khivar kept his overly sweet smile plastered on his face. It began to resemble more and more a bearing of fangs. "I have any number of.associates who are members of the order and the reason you have not been confirmed is because you will not be."
"Liar!" Ava hissed and her small hand flew at Khivar's face, but he caught her wrist and did not let go. Kale sprang forward. However, Ava stopped him just in time. She had almost attacked Khivar, in a moment of childish outrage at his pronouncement, but if her personal guard had completed the fairly violent act he had planned, then she certainly would lose the throne.
"Milady," malice cut through Khivar's demeanor, "now is not the time to make enemies. And I am not one with whom you would wish to be at odds. I offer you and B'ril a solution."
"What?"
"A blood tie. A promise ceremony with Antar," Ava let a laugh slip out.
"You think a marriage to you would save my planet? I somehow doubt that a small senator from an unknown family will be my savior."
"This small senator," Khivar's grip on her wrist tightened to the point of pain and it took almost all of Ava's mental faculties to stop Kale from killing him outright, "is now the Speaker of the Senate of Antar. I count more than 100 centurons of troops loyal to me and, unlike your highness, I will not be defeated by the word of a cult of mystics without an understanding of how one ought to run a world. I offer you an alliance and you would be wise to accept before you are crawling before L'arala for a place a Court and watching all that you have built and would build crumble like dust in the wind."
Ava stared at the hand on her wrist. In her entire life, no one had ever laid an unwelcome hand on her. It was a singularly unpleasant experience she never wished to repeat. When Khivar saw the wrath build in her eyes, he let go. Ava drew on the little power she had to read others and with little effort saw that Khivar was telling the truth. His hatred for the system roiled through him, but Ava could tell that this was no easy deception and she was only a little surprised. There was no love lost between herself and the mystics. However, with her mother's adamant support, and L'arala as the only other evident choice for the throne and so wholly inappropriate, Ava had assumed the mystics would confirm her in the best interest of B'ril. But they apparently were swayed by L'arala's mindless devotion and naiveté. And Ava knew that Khivar was now her only hope.
"What must I do?"
Kyle and Tess's eyes popped open at the same moment, as Ava's acquiescence signaled the beginning of the end for her and the world she had wanted to save. Tess disentangled herself from Kyle's embrace. Feeling the tension, their son began to move within her womb. He seemed the only one willing to recognize it as Tess, without looking Kyle in the eye, moved to the navigation console.
"We're less than a solar day from Antar." Tess spun to the food prep unit and Kyle nodded, straightening the bed linens. The unit that was supposed to produce her daily nutritional supplements made a faint grinding noise, but nothing else. Tess gave it a classic Earth smack against the chrome. Then another, harder than it warranted. A surge of energy came with the next thwack and, along with her frustration at the temperamental technology, bits of fear and anger at Ava slipped into her consciousness. Before she even realized it, tears were streaming down her face. A hiccupping sob erupted, her knees giving out, and Kyle rushed over. He silently wrapped his arms around her at the waist, his fingers resting lightly against each other.
"Shh," Kyle let her sobs fade back to tears in just a few seconds. "It's alright."
"Kyle, it's not alright until I fix this and give Max and Liz what they should have had in the last lifetime. What the hell was I trying to save B'ril from? What was so important about my leadership that I had to betray my sister, hurt an innocent man, and sell my soul to a vicious madman? I can't believe there's any hope or redemption even if we manage to kill Khivar."
"Tess, you know, some people only have to deal with one lifetime of mistakes." Kyle sighed. "Ava made some stupid decisions, but at least we know she wasn't like Khivar. She didn't just want power- she wanted to make B'ril a better world."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kyle, and Ava took the scenic route."
"I wish I could tell you that it didn't happen. I wish I could make it all go away. But I can't and we only get to live this life in this moment. I don't think Buddha wrote anything particularly prophetic for a reborn alien princess with karmic baggage and her completely head over heels boyfriend. And it's definitely not in Buddhism for Dummies." A laugh came from Tess and she wiped away the last of the tears. "Besides, didn't you say that Ava ended up throwing herself on the sword for her world last life? Maybe she realized the mistake she was making."
"I don't know now," Tess closed her eyes and let the memory float toward her. "I was so sure that I was the ultimate martyr in that life. I know that I died at Khivar's hand, we were fighting because I had just." Tess trailed off, shuddering.
"What?"
"I saw someone die. I can't remember who. Never in my entire life had I ever been near someone who had died anything but a natural death. I don't even think there had been a murder like that in years. This was a violent, cold-blooded murder. It hurt worse than anything I had ever experienced in my entire life and I think that I couldn't do anything but turn on Khivar. I tried to mindwarp him while I pulled a blade. But the warp didn't work on him and the next thing I knew, his hands were around my throat," her voice retreated to a scratchy whisper. "Tighter and tighter, until there was nothing. And my last thought was that at least I had died well, but it was too late."
"Where was Kale? He should have been there!" Kyle had identified with the personal guard in the memory, particularly the fierce urge to protect Ava.
"I, I don't know," Tess sniffed and prepared to haul herself to her feet. "But he never would have left that room without Ava and no one but Khivar left that room alive."
Kyle helped her get up, if not gracefully, at least quickly. He turned the memory over in his mind and contemplated the information Tess had just revealed. Something about Khivar was different than the other aliens they had run into.
"Tess, I need to ask you a hard question."
"Okay." Tess let him proceed without hesitation, but braced herself.
"Do you remember how Khivar killed the person?"
"No," Tess closed her eyes and a shudder ran through her. Their son kicked to express his displeasure with the memory. "But there was blood, blue blood everywhere. I was covered in it.
"So whatever it was, it wasn't a psychic thing? A mindrape? Or telekinesis? Something like that?"
"No. Khivar had a tactile obsession. There were almost no other documented cases on B'ril and I had never met anyone who touched as much as Khivar. He always used Nicholas to do mindrapes if he wanted information or to punish someone, but did physical torture himself."
"Do you remember anything about Khivar ever using his own mental powers? Ever?" Kyle was beginning to get excited. Tess sat where she was, running through every memory she had and those that had surfaced since Alex had summoned the crystal clear one. Nowhere had Khivar ever read thoughts or moved anything with his mind. Whereas most Antarians would have been more prone to use a fast tweak to an artery or mindwarp someone into doing the dirty work themselves, Khivar used physical violence. He had never contacted her mentally and, as far as Tess remembered, had never been a reputed power of any kind.
"No, Khivar liked to get his hands dirty."
"I can't believe no one ever realized this!"
"Kyle, what are you saying?" Tess was fairly certain that she knew Kyle's conclusion and he was barely holding back his excitement.
"There's no great and powerful Oz- just a sociopath behind the curtain." Kyle grinned. "I don't think Khivar has any powers and I think he's got an immunity to them, too. A Four Square isn't gonna do crap. We can kill Khivar- we just need to do it the old-fashioned way."
In their darkened chamber, the entry code voice-locked, and underneath a light wrap of silken covers, Tess tossed in a fitful sleep. After three days of light napping, waiting for attacks from Natir that never came and trying unsuccessfully to figure out how to kill Khivar, Tess and Kyle had both succumbed to sheer exhaustion. But once Tess had descended into the dream realm, she began to flail against Kyle. Something was emerging from her psyche. Their nascent connection opened and Kyle unknowingly sank into her dream with her.
In the semi-privacy of the parlor, Ava stood near Kathana's throne. Her younger sister, L'arala, was listening to M'lin try some new piece on the qualtar. L'arala had no idea that this time should have been used for courting the less sympathetic planets, like Hanor, and securing the tradesmen. One hour of socializing with a Royal could keep them tightly bound to B'ril and to Ava. For the last two hours, Ava had done no socializing for the pure pleasure of it that L'arala was fortunate to enjoy. As Crown Princess, Ava knew she had a reputation for being selfish. But while her sister got to have friends and freedom, Ava got responsibility and the burden of knowing how far B'ril had to go. The only person Ava ever got to just chat with, no added pressure, was Kale, her personal guard. In the rare free moments she had away from the Great Hall or dining with diplomats, Kale gave her an occasional laugh and, more importantly, the opinion and ear of one who wanted nothing and could offer B'ril little. Her planet needed much. B'ril was still technologically behind Antar and they needed to secure better economic ties with all the planets in the system. Ava knew that she was the one who understood these challenges and she was the one to meet them.
Tonight, she had divided her time between the annoying representative from the United Federation of Pilots who spit when he spoke and the Senator from Antar, who'd been presumptuously pushing for a private audience. Ava was tempted to mindwarp him into thinking they'd had it already, but this Khivar was the newest Senate Speaker on Antar, though his family had never produced anything other than mediocre generals and the occasional Senator, as far as Ava could recall. But B'ril had no solid connections to the planet, no blood ties and the trade disagreements were getting more and more heated lately, so it was in the best interest of the planet to keep their representatives as happy as possible. Their relations had become precarious enough that L'arala and M'lin were scheduled to make an extended diplomatic trip for the next quarter.
"Lady Ava, I must please beg your indulgence," Khivar was again leading her toward the private chambers down the hall. Ava sighed and gave in. She gestured to Kale, who gave her a sympathetic smile and move back a few yards.
"I suppose I can grant you a few minutes," Ava steered them to a small alcove that afforded a measure of privacy but was none too far from the parlor. Kale positioned himself within range if she called for help, mentally or physically. "What can I do for you, Khivar?"
"Milady, I'm afraid that I have some unfortunate information for you." Khivar's mask of obeisance disappeared into a slightly condescending tone.
"Pardon?" Ava was shocked at the sudden about face. She felt Kale edge closer.
"I'm sure you are aware of the rumblings that come from the mystics."
"Of course," her gaze swept the hall, "the mystics have not confirmed my reign and there are any number of rumors that fly through the court. It has been so since my father died and it is nothing new."
"Pity that our planets, on the verge of a new age, are held hostage to such an archaic system, a group whose whims put the very safety and security of a planet at risk." Khivar placed a hand on Ava's shoulder and she quickly shrugged it off.
"The mystics may be old-fashioned but they will do what is best for B'ril and I am that, Khivar. Of this, I and my followers have no doubt." Ava moved to leave their little tryst.
"Nor do I. However, regretfully, the mystics do not concur, milady," Khivar kept his overly sweet smile plastered on his face. It began to resemble more and more a bearing of fangs. "I have any number of.associates who are members of the order and the reason you have not been confirmed is because you will not be."
"Liar!" Ava hissed and her small hand flew at Khivar's face, but he caught her wrist and did not let go. Kale sprang forward. However, Ava stopped him just in time. She had almost attacked Khivar, in a moment of childish outrage at his pronouncement, but if her personal guard had completed the fairly violent act he had planned, then she certainly would lose the throne.
"Milady," malice cut through Khivar's demeanor, "now is not the time to make enemies. And I am not one with whom you would wish to be at odds. I offer you and B'ril a solution."
"What?"
"A blood tie. A promise ceremony with Antar," Ava let a laugh slip out.
"You think a marriage to you would save my planet? I somehow doubt that a small senator from an unknown family will be my savior."
"This small senator," Khivar's grip on her wrist tightened to the point of pain and it took almost all of Ava's mental faculties to stop Kale from killing him outright, "is now the Speaker of the Senate of Antar. I count more than 100 centurons of troops loyal to me and, unlike your highness, I will not be defeated by the word of a cult of mystics without an understanding of how one ought to run a world. I offer you an alliance and you would be wise to accept before you are crawling before L'arala for a place a Court and watching all that you have built and would build crumble like dust in the wind."
Ava stared at the hand on her wrist. In her entire life, no one had ever laid an unwelcome hand on her. It was a singularly unpleasant experience she never wished to repeat. When Khivar saw the wrath build in her eyes, he let go. Ava drew on the little power she had to read others and with little effort saw that Khivar was telling the truth. His hatred for the system roiled through him, but Ava could tell that this was no easy deception and she was only a little surprised. There was no love lost between herself and the mystics. However, with her mother's adamant support, and L'arala as the only other evident choice for the throne and so wholly inappropriate, Ava had assumed the mystics would confirm her in the best interest of B'ril. But they apparently were swayed by L'arala's mindless devotion and naiveté. And Ava knew that Khivar was now her only hope.
"What must I do?"
Kyle and Tess's eyes popped open at the same moment, as Ava's acquiescence signaled the beginning of the end for her and the world she had wanted to save. Tess disentangled herself from Kyle's embrace. Feeling the tension, their son began to move within her womb. He seemed the only one willing to recognize it as Tess, without looking Kyle in the eye, moved to the navigation console.
"We're less than a solar day from Antar." Tess spun to the food prep unit and Kyle nodded, straightening the bed linens. The unit that was supposed to produce her daily nutritional supplements made a faint grinding noise, but nothing else. Tess gave it a classic Earth smack against the chrome. Then another, harder than it warranted. A surge of energy came with the next thwack and, along with her frustration at the temperamental technology, bits of fear and anger at Ava slipped into her consciousness. Before she even realized it, tears were streaming down her face. A hiccupping sob erupted, her knees giving out, and Kyle rushed over. He silently wrapped his arms around her at the waist, his fingers resting lightly against each other.
"Shh," Kyle let her sobs fade back to tears in just a few seconds. "It's alright."
"Kyle, it's not alright until I fix this and give Max and Liz what they should have had in the last lifetime. What the hell was I trying to save B'ril from? What was so important about my leadership that I had to betray my sister, hurt an innocent man, and sell my soul to a vicious madman? I can't believe there's any hope or redemption even if we manage to kill Khivar."
"Tess, you know, some people only have to deal with one lifetime of mistakes." Kyle sighed. "Ava made some stupid decisions, but at least we know she wasn't like Khivar. She didn't just want power- she wanted to make B'ril a better world."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kyle, and Ava took the scenic route."
"I wish I could tell you that it didn't happen. I wish I could make it all go away. But I can't and we only get to live this life in this moment. I don't think Buddha wrote anything particularly prophetic for a reborn alien princess with karmic baggage and her completely head over heels boyfriend. And it's definitely not in Buddhism for Dummies." A laugh came from Tess and she wiped away the last of the tears. "Besides, didn't you say that Ava ended up throwing herself on the sword for her world last life? Maybe she realized the mistake she was making."
"I don't know now," Tess closed her eyes and let the memory float toward her. "I was so sure that I was the ultimate martyr in that life. I know that I died at Khivar's hand, we were fighting because I had just." Tess trailed off, shuddering.
"What?"
"I saw someone die. I can't remember who. Never in my entire life had I ever been near someone who had died anything but a natural death. I don't even think there had been a murder like that in years. This was a violent, cold-blooded murder. It hurt worse than anything I had ever experienced in my entire life and I think that I couldn't do anything but turn on Khivar. I tried to mindwarp him while I pulled a blade. But the warp didn't work on him and the next thing I knew, his hands were around my throat," her voice retreated to a scratchy whisper. "Tighter and tighter, until there was nothing. And my last thought was that at least I had died well, but it was too late."
"Where was Kale? He should have been there!" Kyle had identified with the personal guard in the memory, particularly the fierce urge to protect Ava.
"I, I don't know," Tess sniffed and prepared to haul herself to her feet. "But he never would have left that room without Ava and no one but Khivar left that room alive."
Kyle helped her get up, if not gracefully, at least quickly. He turned the memory over in his mind and contemplated the information Tess had just revealed. Something about Khivar was different than the other aliens they had run into.
"Tess, I need to ask you a hard question."
"Okay." Tess let him proceed without hesitation, but braced herself.
"Do you remember how Khivar killed the person?"
"No," Tess closed her eyes and a shudder ran through her. Their son kicked to express his displeasure with the memory. "But there was blood, blue blood everywhere. I was covered in it.
"So whatever it was, it wasn't a psychic thing? A mindrape? Or telekinesis? Something like that?"
"No. Khivar had a tactile obsession. There were almost no other documented cases on B'ril and I had never met anyone who touched as much as Khivar. He always used Nicholas to do mindrapes if he wanted information or to punish someone, but did physical torture himself."
"Do you remember anything about Khivar ever using his own mental powers? Ever?" Kyle was beginning to get excited. Tess sat where she was, running through every memory she had and those that had surfaced since Alex had summoned the crystal clear one. Nowhere had Khivar ever read thoughts or moved anything with his mind. Whereas most Antarians would have been more prone to use a fast tweak to an artery or mindwarp someone into doing the dirty work themselves, Khivar used physical violence. He had never contacted her mentally and, as far as Tess remembered, had never been a reputed power of any kind.
"No, Khivar liked to get his hands dirty."
"I can't believe no one ever realized this!"
"Kyle, what are you saying?" Tess was fairly certain that she knew Kyle's conclusion and he was barely holding back his excitement.
"There's no great and powerful Oz- just a sociopath behind the curtain." Kyle grinned. "I don't think Khivar has any powers and I think he's got an immunity to them, too. A Four Square isn't gonna do crap. We can kill Khivar- we just need to do it the old-fashioned way."
