Chapter 3
Xenobya walked beside Bialar towards the marauder that rested on the road, waiting to take them all off the planet, to the Peacekeepers' ship. She studied it through narrowed eyes. Ugly, and not nearly as elegant as Talyn's transport pods, she thought. And Talyn had best keep himself far from here. I will not have him coming here, and being harmed because he wanted to rescue Bialar.
"Ma'am." The man who'd threatened to kill Bialar spoke quietly, though there was steel in that tone.
A man used to control. Certainly not one of those from our planet. She turned her head to regard him, studying him as she waited for him to speak. He bears a strong resemblance to Bialar. I wonder...
"You must step away from the prisoner, ma'am, or I will not allow you to accompany him to the command carrier." He held her gaze as he spoke, and Xenobya could see the irritation in their brown depths.
She smiled tightly, refusing to be the first to look away. "You are a very rude man, sir, to separate a man from his wife." She raised a hand when he made to speak again. "But I will do as you request, for all that I feel it is unnecessary. I will not attempt to assist my husband in escaping. It would serve no purpose."
No purpose but to achieve the end I am trying to prevent. I will not have you kill him, Peacekeeper. Least of all because of my stubborn nature.
The man nodded curtly, and stepped into the marauder. The commandos placed Bialar at the back, and she was told to sit in a seat near the front, where she was easy to see out of the corner of the Peacekeeper's eye.
Once the marauder had taken off, Xenobya spoke again. "You have a family resemblance to Bialar. You are not old enough to be his father, so I would think you are his brother. If he indeed has a brother."
The Peacekeeper shot her a dark look. "You will remain silent unless you are in my office, and I have spoken to you directly. Is that clear?"
Xenobya narrowed her eyes to glare at him. "As water." She crossed her arms over her breast, glaring at the Peacekeeper for the remainder of the journey.
Tuavo attempted to ignore the woman as he piloted the marauder to a perfect landing in the bay, snapping out orders that the prisoner and the woman were to be taken to his office. He didn't dare say the name of his prisoner out loud, even though some were sure to recognize him, from the wanted beacons High Command had sent out.
I wonder what your opinion of your husband will be when you hear what he has done, Xenobya. He smirked coldly, dismissing the commandos as he stepped into his office.
"Sir?" They looked dubiously at the prisoner, and Tuavo arched an eyebrow.
"I am perfectly capable of dealing with the prisoner. You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" they snapped out in unison, departing with haste, unwilling to rouse his temper.
Tuavo said nothing once the door was shut, moving to sit behind his desk. He leaned back in his chair, watching Bialar and Xenobya from under hooded eyes. He could see the annoyance building in Xenobya's eyes, a reaction he had expected. But the amusement in Bialar's eyes made him focus his attention, sitting up.
"And what do you find so amusing, Bialar?"
Bialar shrugged. "Nothing."
Tuavo narrowed his eyes for a long moment, before dismissing it for the moment. He'd get back to it later. He turned his attention back to Xenobya, who had her arms crossed once more, and was tapping her foot with impatience. "First, I neglected to introduce myself. I am Captain Tuavo Crais." He paused, letting her think about it.
Xenobya frowned when he mentioned his name. "So you are Bialar's brother, seeing as you called him Bialar Crais when you ordered him put in restraints." She paused, her lips twitching in a smile. "Which means, by the laws and customs of my planet, you, like Bialar, are my husband."
Gritting his teeth, Tuavo shot a glance at his brother, and was treated to an amused smirk. "I am a Peacekeeper. No civilian bonds apply to me."
Xenobya shrugged. "I shall not argue with you, Tuavo..."
"You will address me as Captain Crais."
"No, I will not." Xenobya crossed her arms. "You should not given your name, if you thought it was so unworthy of you, Tuavo. Or would you have me address you as husband?"
Tuavo silently counted to ten, wondering how badly he'd get demoted if he killed Xenobya. "You may call me by my name, but not in front of my crew. I trust I will not need to repeat that?"
"No." Xenobya smiled. "You will not."
"Good." Tuavo leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to relax some. He could not afford to have this woman disrupt his equilibrium so thoroughly as she appeared determined to. "You wished to know why Bialar is under sentence of death from High Command?"
Xenobya didn't reply immediately, examining his office for a long moment, and choosing a place where to sit herself, and beckoning Bialar to sit next to her.
"We would both like to know," Bialar said, as Xenobya tucked one arm into his, despite the restraints trying to look normal. "I remember nothing before waking up on this planet. Nothing but a name."
Tuavo raised an eyebrow. "A name? Not your name?"
Bialar shrugged. "What does it matter whose name it was that I remembered?"
Tuavo stood, prowling towards the couple. "Whose name did you remember, Bialar?" He held his brother's gaze with his own, trying to read his emotions in the brown eyes. "The name of your ship, perhaps?"
There was a flicker of some emotion that passed too quickly for Tuavo to determine what it was. Fear, perhaps? Or something else?
"Well?"
Bialar leaned back in the seat, his eyes giving nothing away now. "I do not have to tell you whose name I remembered, Tuavo."
"No. You do not." Tuavo kept a firm rein on his temper, and turned to walk back towards his desk. "I already know your ship survived, as you apparently have. It's at the edge of this system." He turned back, meeting Bialar's gaze once more. "He will not escape us."
"You can't control him, Tuavo." Bialar's voice was even, giving away no indication of his emotional status. Even with no memories of who and what he had been, he still remembered the training, and used it.
Tuavo was silent, and stalked over to where his brother was sitting, pulling the long hair away from the back of his neck. A smile crossed his face. "I don't have to control him." He stepped back, his gaze boring into Bialar's. "You will control him."
"Why should I?" Bialar kept his tone even, refusing to show his concern to Tuavo.
I won't listen if he's dictating orders. Talyn said stubbornly. He's not my captain.
Tuavo shrugged. "To keep your family safe." His gaze slid to Xenobya, slowly sweeping from her head down to her toes and back again, blatantly appraising her.
He can't touch her! Talyn was outraged, and Bialar could feel him contemplating charging in to the rescue.
Remain where you are, Talyn! Bialar commanded sharply, even as he forced his own anger down. If Tuavo was his brother, as it appeared he was, he could not deny him the chance to try to bed any of the three sisters.
Xenobya wouldn't allow him to touch her. Unless she felt it was necessary to keep her sisters safe.
"As my brother, you are as much her husband as I am. If she chooses to allow you in her bed, I will not argue the matter."
Xenobya squeezed his arm gently, and he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye.
Tuavo watched them for a moment. "I'm sure all of your children will make fine Peacekeepers, Bialar. How old is the eldest? He can't be more than nine cycles."
Bialar felt his blood run cold. "You will not take Alyk or Jabryla."
"Will I? I will take them all, even the youngest, and I will burn your home, and I will leave your women with nothing, not even their honor. I will destroy your family."
"No." Xenobya's voice was flat. "You may do as you will with me. But you will leave my children and my sisters, and my nephew alone."
Tuavo raised an eyebrow. "Your demands mean nothing to me. I will do as I must in order to bring the gunship and his captain under control."
Xenobya 's hand clenched around his arm, and Bialar could feel the fear coming off her.
What will you do? Talyn was worried, and Bialar could feel the need to do something coming from his ship. It will kill Nytali to loose Marko. And Xenobya...
She is strong, Talyn. She will survive, no matter what happens. Bialar knew that fact better than he knew his past. He'd watched Xenobya weather much in the ten cycles he'd known her. But I cannot allow him to destroy everything she holds dear.
Than what? Talyn asked.
"And if I do as you ask, Tuavo?" Bialar caught the younger man's gaze, keeping his emotions from his expression and voice. "Can I trust you to leave my family alone?"
Tuavo's expression was as controlled as Bialar's, but there was a small gleam of triumph in his eyes. "I will make no promise to you, renegade. They are hostage to your behavior. And that of the gunship."
Xenobya drew in a sharp breath, drawing herself up. "Let me be your hostage, not my sisters. Leave my sisters, and my nephew be, I beg you. If hostages you must have, take only me and my children. Not my sisters."
Tuavo's gaze never wavered from watching Bialar. "Your demands mean nothing, and neither do your pleas..."
His words were cut off when Xenobya slapped him, leaving a pale hand-print against his dark skin, that soon flushed an angry red. She met his angry gaze with a calm she did not feel. "You will not harm my sisters. I will kill you myself before I allow you to do so. Brand me to my people as a woman without honor. This I will bear to the day of my death. But do so to my sisters, and it will be your last action."
She lifted her chin proudly, ignoring the anger in his eyes. You harm me, and you sign your death warrant, Peacekeeper. I know my husband, and I know his ship. If they are left with nothing, they will not care if they die taking you down.
Tuavo watched her now, and Xenobya could see his hand gripping the pulse pistol he had at his side. "You could be dead now, woman."
"My name is Xenobya, and I know that. But if you kill me, you know you loose what little control you have over Bialar and Talyn."
There was silence, and stillness in the room for a long moment, before Tuavo stepped to his desk, ordering commandos to his office.
"Put the woman in restraints, and take them both down to the holding cells," Tuavo ordered the commandos as they stepped into his office. He watched Xenobya as she was led away, and his eyes narrowed. "This is not the end of this," he hissed under his breath.
Sitting behind his desk once more, he opened a com directly to the Lieutenant in charge of the commandos on the planet. "Lieutenant, return to the farm of Bialar Crais, and take into custody all of the family still resident there."
"Yes, sir." There was a paused. "If I may ask, sir, for a reason to give the planetary council, sir?"
Tuavo's lips curled up in a cold smile. "They have been sheltering a renegade for nearly ten cycles, Lieutenant. They are to be considered no better than the renegade himself."
"I will so inform them, sir."
Tuavo closed the link, leaning back in his chair to think. Now, how to bring the gunship to heel?
Talyn listened to the communications between the command carrier and the planet, and he bristled when he heard what the captain had ordered his commandos to do. No, he muttered, and he powered up, using a small starburst to put him nearly in orbit around the planet, before beginning a dive into the atmosphere.
Talyn! What are you doing? Bialar sounded both furious and afraid.
They wish to take Nytali and Myshe and the children. I won't let them. Talyn ignored the discomfort of the heat against his hull, pushing himself as close to his limits as he dared, determined to reach the farm before the Peacekeepers did.
Talyn, you can't let them capture you. It's you they're after...
Talyn made a rude noise, cutting Bialar off. You are not going to talk me out of this, Bialar. I won't let the Peacekeepers take away everyone.
The heat against his hull lessened, and Talyn changed his dive angle, coming in steeply towards the farmlands that surrounded the city. He noted the Peacekeepers scrambling towards their marauders, but he let them be, merely shutting the doors to his hangers. He wouldn't put Bialar's life in more danger than he already was.
He opened one hanger door enough to let out a transport pod, setting it down gently on the lawn of the farmhouse as he hovered overhead. I hope they have time to get aboard before the Peacekeepers get here. They are very close.
Talyn, this is the most incredibly risky...
No, it's not. Talyn paused. At least, I don't think so. Something happened ten cycles ago that must have been riskier. What could block all of MY memories of the past, Bialar, as well as yours?
I don't know, Talyn. There was frustration in his captain's mental voice. But you are not doing as I told you to. I told you to stay at the edge of the system...
Until the Peacekeepers left, I know. I don't care. You also told me to protect the family. And that is what I am doing. At least, those I can. I wish I could help Xenobya.
There was a sigh from Bialar. I know you do, Talyn. Bialar paused, and Talyn sensed something was happening. He kept part of his attention on the transport pod, and those scrambling to get aboard before the Peacekeepers arrived, and peered through Bialar's eyes.
He saw a cell, and he saw Xenobya outside of it, with a guard to either side, keeping a firm grip on her arms. A man whose face bore a resemblance to Bialar's was standing in a doorway, anger in his eyes.
"What have you done, renegade?" He was glaring at Bialar.
"I have done nothing, Tuavo. I do not control Talyn."
Tuavo drew a pulse pistol, aiming it at Xenobya. "Call him back, Bialar. Call him away from the planet, now."
There was a surge of anger and fear from Bialar. "I can only ask him. He has the freedom to do as he wishes."
Tuavo said nothing, his finger tightening slightly on the trigger, though not enough to fire the weapon.
Talyn guided the transport pod back into his docking bay as soon as the door closed, beginning to climb out of the atmosphere.
"He is coming." Bialar sagged slightly, and Talyn watched through his eyes as Tuavo lowered the pulse pistol.
"And he will release the prisoners into my custody." Tuavo's voice was hard, and Talyn mentally growled.
I will not! They are not prisoners, and they are my family. I will not let him take them from me.
"I have already told you, Tuavo, I do not control him. He will choose what he thinks is best." Bialar paused, and his next words were for Talyn alone. Do what you can to hide them. But if they send a marauder over, do not stop them from docking.
Why? Talyn didn't like the sound of Bialar's voice. His tone was flat, as if he was trying hard not to show Talyn what he was feeling. And there was no sense of emotion. It worried him.
Would you have him kill Xenobya because you frustrate him at every turn? Talyn, you can't protect her or me, except by keeping your temper, and not provoking Tuavo too much.
Talyn sighed. I don't like him, and I don't want to let any Peacekeepers on board. What if they find the children? Or Nytali? She has the baby, and babies make noise. Lots of noise.
There was silence from Bialar for a moment. Hide them. We will discuss this later.
Author's Note: Thank you to ScaperDeage and Darklight for your reviews. And thank you to ScaperDeage for telling me about Terra Firma. For those who want to read more, I'll be posting updates to Terra Firma before posting updates here.