Chapter 15

Aden answered to the telepathic knock instantly.

Kaleb. What is it?

I need to talk to you in person. Can you come?

Kaleb knew the field medic and unofficial leader of the Arrows was never more than a wink away from Vasic, one of the rare Tk-V, the true teleporters. He could switch locations as fast as Kaleb himself. And if things turned nasty, he wanted both of them on his home ground. He wasn't disappointed. The two Arrows appeared in his office seconds later. He didn't waste time on greetings.

"I think we might have a misunderstanding that I would like to clear up as soon as possible."

"What is the matter?" Not the slightest movement in the faces of the two assassins.

"Would you say that the Arrows officially transferred their loyalty to me?"

Aden understood at once. "This is about Alja."

Instinctively Aden reached out to find out if her mind was in the vicinity – and found out that they were trapped in a telepathic cage. As long as they were in the room they couldn't communicate outside. Probably there was a block on Tk and teleportation too. Aden and Vasic were both very skilled but Kaleb was a dual cardinal. It was very likely that even their combined strength was no match for him.

"I seem to have been given only a fraction amount of what there is to know about her."

To Kaleb's surprise it was Vasic who spoke next. The man was usually the silent part of the pair. "We considered full disclosure."

Aden went on as if they were one mind: "But trust takes time."

"Something I fully understand. But under the current circumstances we should maybe speed up the process a little."

"What do you suggest?" Aden again. But Kaleb had the impression that Vasic was just as well part of the communication. The two seemed connected on a level that even his cardinal strength couldn't block.

"If it is true that she is here for her protection, I can provide it – under the condition that I get full information on her background and abilities as well as access to those abilities to a degree that can be discussed."

"Maybe we should discuss this with her." Aden seemed just a fraction insecure.

"We will – as soon as I have some knowledge on her origins: For example why she has a designation that is believed to be extinct for decades."

Aden wondered what Kaleb had done to get that information out of her. But it was clear he wouldn't let them know what had happened and where Alja was right now. So he started with the easiest piece of her background.

"Her mother was an Arrow who went rogue on one of her missions among the Forgotten. She broke Silence and –" a short pause, when Aden tried to find an acceptable term "– collaborated with one of her supposed targets and vanished. Two years later her DNA signature turned up in a human hospital. She had given birth and the child needed medical treatment."

"So Alja was found when her mother left her at the hospital?"

"No, her mother didn't leave. She obviously had very strong emotional ties to her offspring. She and the father of the child were killed in psychic combat, trying to protect the baby. Alja was taken alive, because the Arrows didn't want to waste a cardinal's potential or the opportunity to study her extraordinary shields."

"She was born with those shields?" The exact characteristics of psychic powers, especially the potential of cardinals usually manifested when they grew up and learned some kind of control. For the more aggressive skills even that was often too soon.

"Yes. They were so unusual that a first it wasn't clear, they were the cardinal potential that had manifested at birth. Her mother was a very skilled telepath, especially in combat. So there was a good chance Alja would turn out a promising Arrow as well. And she did, even if her cardinal ability is rather defensive. Unfortunately she seems to have inherited some very rare empathic skills from her father's side as well." From one of the Forgotten, the Psy who had left the Net to build their own community, when Silence was introduced. "They're not very strong but make it difficult for her to take on various tasks of a usual Arrow. She tends to get unstable after kills. That's why I did my best to get her assigned to spying missions or for background work as a shield on team missions."

Kaleb had heard that empaths couldn't hurt others, because the effect rebounded on them. Rumor had it that they'd go insane or even die, if they tried to kill. So if she had worked as an Arrow she couldn't be too sensitive. He recalled from her file that she had at least three kills on her missions. How could the effect of her powers be so strong then? The fear she'd made him feel had only lasted a moment but he wasn't keen on reliving that again. It had been intense enough to remind him of a lonely, frightened boy in the claws of a monster – someone he no longer knew.

"But she can use the empathic skills on the job as well. Since they're completely unknown in the Net, she's practically an untraceable weapon." Kaleb wanted no misunderstandings why he was interested in her enough to keep her around in spite of another Councilor trying to hunt her down.

"Yes, and it has been very useful a couple of times." Aden admitted.

"Good. Then she'll stay and work here, if I get full information about her and she agrees to put all her skills at my service." A hard deal. Protection from Ming in trade for access to her powers. Aden risked a short glance at his fellow Arrow. Vasic just nodded shortly.

"Kaleb, there is something you need to consider. She also gets unstable when she uses her powers to hurt others. When it starts to show in her behavior she might be listed for rehabilitation by anyone who notices. We're not willing to let that happen to any of us."

"She won't be harmed. I'll make sure of that myself." Kaleb knew the words were true the moment he spoke them aloud. He would not let any harm come even close to her. And the flare of dissonance in the back of his head told him his statement had nothing in common with the cold loyalty of the Arrows.

"Then we have a deal – if she agrees." Another short pause that made Kaleb think the other men were communicating something in silence. Then Aden added: "One more thing before we talk to her: There is no need to mention the part of the deal about her instability in relation to violence. She is ambivalent about that. No Arrow wants to be seen as weak."

Kaleb only nodded in agreement. So they were careful not to hurt her pride – not ignoring her emotional nature. He'd take care to adopt that strategy too.

When Alja entered at his telepathic command she looked alert but also somehow resolved. There was still no hint of fear in her composure. Kaleb let Aden update her on what they'd talked about. He wanted to learn more about how someone she obviously trusted dealt with her. She agreed to the conditions of their deal without further questions. But what struck him even more was that she showed none of the provocativeness she had repeatedly displayed towards himself. She was a perfect inferior in the presence of the other soldiers. And even they seemed a little taken aback by her firm resolve.

"If you want some time to think about this or talk about it alone, I'm sure Kaleb wouldn't mind…" Aden suggested.

"Of course not." They had agreed on the conditions of the deal. And Kaleb was sure everyone in the room was intelligent enough not to make any other arrangements he wouldn't agree with.

"Thank you, but it is unnecessary. My decision is made."

Another short look between Aden and Vasic. And for the first time it occurred to Kaleb that maybe even her fellow Arrows might not know everything about Alja. He would have to find another source of information. Maybe he already knew the right one. He made a mental note to check it.