Elsewhere, Vila and Cally were attempting to catch their breaths after a
particularly energetic folk dance. Enjoying the cool night air, Vila
tugged the girl a small distance from the other dancers. Cally followed,
then rested her back against a stout tree, "I did not know you were such a
good dancer, Vila," she gasped,
The professional thief-cum-rebel wiped sweat from his face with one sleeve. "I used to do a lot of dancing back on Earth, Learned from an old thief named Blackwell, He always considered dancing a social necessity."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. He was the best. We used to attend those very fancy balls on the Alpha levels. Had the devil of a time getting in, but we'd always manage somehow. We'd mix for a while, and come away with our pockets just brimming with jewelry and wallets."
Cally laughed, "You really are incorrigible, aren't you?"
The thief leaned one arm against the tree, bringing his face very close to Cally's. Tension crackled in the air for an instant, then Vila followed his impulses, bending closer, brushing her lips lightly with his own. His arms moved around the girl, pulling her closer to his body. Cally responded for a moment that would live in Vila's dreams for the rest of his lift. Then she stiffened, pushing him gently away, "No, Vila, I am...sorry."
Vila straightened up, away from her, "What is it? Whales wrong?"
"I just ... can't."
"Cally," Vila grasped her gently by the shoulders, turning her toward him, "I know you like me. We've been friends for a long time. We've enjoyed each other's company during the time we've spent together here on Epsilon Zeta - haven't we?"
She dropped her eyes, fixing them on the grass. "Oh, yes, Vila, When I am with you, I no longer feel the great loneliness I live with, cut off as I am from my people,"
Vila regarded her speculatively, "I've known a few telepaths on Earth, They don't seem to suffer from the kind of loneliness you talk about, Cally,"
"They did not grow up as part of the Soul of Auron,"
"The what?"
"The Soul of Auron," Cally repeated wistfully brushing away a tear. "But how could you possibly understand what it means to be a part and function of the very soul of your people? Feeling what they feel, knowing what they know, united in mind and spirit,"
Vila thought back. "One of those psychiatric books mentioned a term for that. Ge.. egos."
"Gestalt. Yes, the Auronar are a gestalt race, though we have never relinquished the individuality of self - simply joined with the others, not completely one, never truly apart. This total sharing make the Auronar a very strong race."
"Then, when you left Auron..."
"It was the first time in my life I had ever been a completely separate entity. The loneliness..." Another involuntary tear slid down her cheek, was brushed quickly away. "The loneliness was almost more than I could bear."
Vila pulled her close again, not passionately as before, but with the warm sympathy of a friend. This time, Cally returned the embrace, grateful for the human contact.
"You have helped me so much, Vila," she broke away form his embrace. "But I don't..." She looked at him helplessly, unable to go on and not understanding why she could not.
Vila stared back for a long moment, his face a study in warmth and affection. "It was my fault, Cally. I just moved too quickly, that's all."
Cally looked uncertain. "I don't really understand how I feel, Vila. You are comfort and strength to me, and I care about you very much. It's just that..."
It's all right." Vila touched her shoulder again. "We're friends now and I know we 'II be more than friends in the future. You'll see, if we give it time."
"I can promise you nothing, Vila." Cally managed to look comforted and distressed, both at once. "But I will try."
"That's all I'm asking for, Cally." Vila grinned and offered his arm. "Would you care to dance, lovely lady?"
The merriment returned to Cally's green eyes. "How could I possibly refuse?"
***
"Your pardon, Supreme Commander,"
Supreme Commander Servalan turned from the viewport, large eyes widening slightly. The boy was young and quite beautiful. How had she let him escape notice until now? She approached him slowly, the sensuous swing of her hips only serving to punctuate the undeniable interest beginning to flair in the amber eyes. Yes, quite nice, indeed,
The boy colored under the scrutiny, struggling not to squirm. So this was why his mates had smirked so when he'd been ordered to convey his report to the Supreme Commander's office!
The boy had the oddest sensation of being - stalked. Yes, that was it - stalked by a very slender, and very hungry, cat - hunted. And those eyes! Smoldering, direct - frightening. And exciting. He took a deep breath, locking into 'attention' stance as the woman reached him.
"You are new here?" Her voice, throaty, husky, seductive,
"Y-yes. Supreme Commander." Fool! he told himself.
She seemed not to notice the stumbling hesitation. One hand stroked the boy's taut arm, moving to caress the broad chest. "What is your name?"
"Patar, Supreme Commander." He gulped; the room seemed to be getting warmer.
"Patar." A feline smile. "Sit down, Patar. Tell me what you have been sent for."
The youth sat on the couch, Servalan very close to him, still stroking his arm. She had long ago learned to take what - and who -- she wanted. She smiled again as the boy began to respond despite himself. "Kiss me, Patar, then tell me what you want." The kiss was hungry, full of desire. Servalan smiled to herself again. The boy might go far in the military, after all. "Now, why are you here?"
The boy brought himself back under control by an effort of will he never knew he possessed, "It is Roj Blake, Supreme Commander."
"Blake." Passion evaporated. "What about him?"
"Liberator is in orbit around the planet Epsilon Zeta IV, in the ninth quadrant. Blake and his crew are reported to be on shore leave on the planet's surface."
She ran long fingers through her short-cropped hair thoughtfully. "We have forces on Epsilon Zeta?"
"No, Supreme Commander. Our information comes from a free trader on the planet - a man named Evan."
Servalan left the couch and activated a nearby console. "Nearest forces are twenty-four hours away." She fixed the boy with a piercing glare. "Have them divert to Epsilon Zeta. Tell them to make an approach within the planet's shadow. Liberator's detectors will show nothing before they make planetfall. And tell the Commander to use subtlety; I do not want Blake to escape me this time." The boy flew to the door. "And, Patar..." He froze. "Tell the Subcommander to ready my flyer for immediate departure. Then return. I want you to accompany me on this mission."
"Yes, Supreme Commander," the youth gasped. Then, he flew from the room as if his life depended on it. And at this point, he wasn't entirely sure it did not.
***
The professional thief-cum-rebel wiped sweat from his face with one sleeve. "I used to do a lot of dancing back on Earth, Learned from an old thief named Blackwell, He always considered dancing a social necessity."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. He was the best. We used to attend those very fancy balls on the Alpha levels. Had the devil of a time getting in, but we'd always manage somehow. We'd mix for a while, and come away with our pockets just brimming with jewelry and wallets."
Cally laughed, "You really are incorrigible, aren't you?"
The thief leaned one arm against the tree, bringing his face very close to Cally's. Tension crackled in the air for an instant, then Vila followed his impulses, bending closer, brushing her lips lightly with his own. His arms moved around the girl, pulling her closer to his body. Cally responded for a moment that would live in Vila's dreams for the rest of his lift. Then she stiffened, pushing him gently away, "No, Vila, I am...sorry."
Vila straightened up, away from her, "What is it? Whales wrong?"
"I just ... can't."
"Cally," Vila grasped her gently by the shoulders, turning her toward him, "I know you like me. We've been friends for a long time. We've enjoyed each other's company during the time we've spent together here on Epsilon Zeta - haven't we?"
She dropped her eyes, fixing them on the grass. "Oh, yes, Vila, When I am with you, I no longer feel the great loneliness I live with, cut off as I am from my people,"
Vila regarded her speculatively, "I've known a few telepaths on Earth, They don't seem to suffer from the kind of loneliness you talk about, Cally,"
"They did not grow up as part of the Soul of Auron,"
"The what?"
"The Soul of Auron," Cally repeated wistfully brushing away a tear. "But how could you possibly understand what it means to be a part and function of the very soul of your people? Feeling what they feel, knowing what they know, united in mind and spirit,"
Vila thought back. "One of those psychiatric books mentioned a term for that. Ge.. egos."
"Gestalt. Yes, the Auronar are a gestalt race, though we have never relinquished the individuality of self - simply joined with the others, not completely one, never truly apart. This total sharing make the Auronar a very strong race."
"Then, when you left Auron..."
"It was the first time in my life I had ever been a completely separate entity. The loneliness..." Another involuntary tear slid down her cheek, was brushed quickly away. "The loneliness was almost more than I could bear."
Vila pulled her close again, not passionately as before, but with the warm sympathy of a friend. This time, Cally returned the embrace, grateful for the human contact.
"You have helped me so much, Vila," she broke away form his embrace. "But I don't..." She looked at him helplessly, unable to go on and not understanding why she could not.
Vila stared back for a long moment, his face a study in warmth and affection. "It was my fault, Cally. I just moved too quickly, that's all."
Cally looked uncertain. "I don't really understand how I feel, Vila. You are comfort and strength to me, and I care about you very much. It's just that..."
It's all right." Vila touched her shoulder again. "We're friends now and I know we 'II be more than friends in the future. You'll see, if we give it time."
"I can promise you nothing, Vila." Cally managed to look comforted and distressed, both at once. "But I will try."
"That's all I'm asking for, Cally." Vila grinned and offered his arm. "Would you care to dance, lovely lady?"
The merriment returned to Cally's green eyes. "How could I possibly refuse?"
***
"Your pardon, Supreme Commander,"
Supreme Commander Servalan turned from the viewport, large eyes widening slightly. The boy was young and quite beautiful. How had she let him escape notice until now? She approached him slowly, the sensuous swing of her hips only serving to punctuate the undeniable interest beginning to flair in the amber eyes. Yes, quite nice, indeed,
The boy colored under the scrutiny, struggling not to squirm. So this was why his mates had smirked so when he'd been ordered to convey his report to the Supreme Commander's office!
The boy had the oddest sensation of being - stalked. Yes, that was it - stalked by a very slender, and very hungry, cat - hunted. And those eyes! Smoldering, direct - frightening. And exciting. He took a deep breath, locking into 'attention' stance as the woman reached him.
"You are new here?" Her voice, throaty, husky, seductive,
"Y-yes. Supreme Commander." Fool! he told himself.
She seemed not to notice the stumbling hesitation. One hand stroked the boy's taut arm, moving to caress the broad chest. "What is your name?"
"Patar, Supreme Commander." He gulped; the room seemed to be getting warmer.
"Patar." A feline smile. "Sit down, Patar. Tell me what you have been sent for."
The youth sat on the couch, Servalan very close to him, still stroking his arm. She had long ago learned to take what - and who -- she wanted. She smiled again as the boy began to respond despite himself. "Kiss me, Patar, then tell me what you want." The kiss was hungry, full of desire. Servalan smiled to herself again. The boy might go far in the military, after all. "Now, why are you here?"
The boy brought himself back under control by an effort of will he never knew he possessed, "It is Roj Blake, Supreme Commander."
"Blake." Passion evaporated. "What about him?"
"Liberator is in orbit around the planet Epsilon Zeta IV, in the ninth quadrant. Blake and his crew are reported to be on shore leave on the planet's surface."
She ran long fingers through her short-cropped hair thoughtfully. "We have forces on Epsilon Zeta?"
"No, Supreme Commander. Our information comes from a free trader on the planet - a man named Evan."
Servalan left the couch and activated a nearby console. "Nearest forces are twenty-four hours away." She fixed the boy with a piercing glare. "Have them divert to Epsilon Zeta. Tell them to make an approach within the planet's shadow. Liberator's detectors will show nothing before they make planetfall. And tell the Commander to use subtlety; I do not want Blake to escape me this time." The boy flew to the door. "And, Patar..." He froze. "Tell the Subcommander to ready my flyer for immediate departure. Then return. I want you to accompany me on this mission."
"Yes, Supreme Commander," the youth gasped. Then, he flew from the room as if his life depended on it. And at this point, he wasn't entirely sure it did not.
***