Chapter Seven
Garulus' plan was simple. He and his men would boldly march to K'rier's front door, demand the return of the prisoner and force K'rier to face the council's judgment for breaking an Unwritten Law. With there being little to no chance of this plan working, O'Connell, a guide and two of Garulus' best men would use Garulus' distraction and sneak into his place the back way, find Ashe, and get her out.
O'Connell liked the plan. He and Ashe had worked their magic with similar plans more often than he cared to admit. She was gifted at finding 'back doors' to places everyone told them were impenetrable. And he, well his gift was what Ashe liked to call 'removing obstacles'. He called it kicking ass. Just sounded better in his head.
After Gynni had grilled him about patience and the joy of waiting until the opportune moment to strike, they had boarded a low riding transport. The only way to approach K'rier's homestead unseen was to move through the dense forest that lay directly to the north and west of his place and covered the land for miles. The only way to get to that forest undetected was to take transport to one of the villages closer to it.
Garulus had assigned two of his best men to travel with him. The men had arrived unkempt, dressed in faded brown leather and were as nondescript as you could get. O'Connell liked the M-5's strapped to their sides. It was a good gun, almost as reliable as his M-9, though a bit older and cheaper. But the age of the gun added to their look. In fact their entire presence screamed, Ignore me, I'm no one. Until you looked straight into their eyes; that's when you saw their training, that's when you knew their skill. O'Connell had been satisfied with Garulus' choice of back up. Not so much with his choice of scout.
O'Connell sat stoned faced on the transport, feeling the machine humming beneath his feet as the miles passed below them and remembered his conversation with Garulus. It had not gone well.
"HIM?" O'Connell's gesture had been unpleasant. "Not a chance."
Garulus had shaken his head, his gaze questioning. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted to rescue your friend?"
O'Connell had slammed his fist on the table. "Of course I do. But him? He's a freakin' kid!"
Maluk had stuck out his tongue. "Know more than you do."
"Do not!" O'Connell had made as if to grab Maluk by the throat.
"O'Connell!" Garulus' deep voice had halted his lunge. "The boy knows at least four different ways to enter K'rier's... fortress, for lack of a better word, unseen. We are damn lucky he was 'allowed' to assist us. I had to put a great deal of pressure on his superior's. He can and he will get you in, undetected."
"But what if we're out late? Won't he miss his naptime?" O'Connell had sneered.
Maluk had given him a mocking look. "Betta hope I don't lose you in the Telrian forest. Lot's a bad things in there."
O'Connell had snorted. "Whatever, kid. Your woods don't scare me."
"They should," Garulus had added, his tone soft, but intense. "If you separate from him while in the forest, you will die."
O'Connell had swallowed his retort and said nothing while the kid had done an exaggerated victory dance. He cringed at the memory.
It wasn't until they were almost at their drop off point that he remembered to contact Guun. He quickly outlined Ashe's predicament, their plan and gave Guun his 'no problems, no worries' speech.
Guun was less certain. "What makes you think the guy even has a back door? And why the hell did he take Ashe? What the hell have you been doing? Did you do something? Is this all your fraggin' fault?" O'Connell could hear his anger even through their static filled connection.
"It's not my fault!" O'Connell insisted. "At least… I don't think it is."
"Oh great! Wonderful! I'm coming out there! You just get everyone into fraggin' trouble. Or fraggin' kidnapped. Or fraggin' shot!" Guun growled into the console. He ran his hands over the status relay, trying to get a fix on his friend's position.
"Thanks! Thanks so fraggin' much for your support in this crisis," O'Connell mocked his friend, slightly hurt at his implications. "Geez, Guun. When have I ever gotten you killed?"
"Uh…" Guun snorted a response. "You want the list alphabetically or in order of severity? Grainis II, Romulia, Karnivia… oh hell Karnivia again! Oh, and let's not forget the Mildon screw up."
"Mildon? How the hell was that my fault?" O'Connell asked, insulted.
"Aahhh!" Guun almost screamed into the console. "You got Ashe trapped behind enemy lines and you left me in a holding cell in the Tulisian garrison, while you were off boffing that Tulisian Priestess!" Guun slammed his fists onto the console and immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry, baby. It's not your fault he's an idiot," he whispered lovingly to the ship's blinking lights.
"Oh… yeeaaahh… that." O'Connell cringed, the incident suddenly crystal clear in his memory. "In my defense… I did think she had important information."
"Oh yeah. And what... it was hidden in her hooha?" Guun's growl deepened, his concern for Ashe evident. "Seriously O'Connell, I'm going with you on this one. I won't let you screw this up. I really care about her. I don't want her dead."
O'Connell sighed. "I don't want her dead either, Guun." There was silence between them for a moment while his friend digested this admission. "But we're almost at our drop off. I have my 'snot nosed' kid guide and my back up. You need to finish up with the MorBui and have her ready to get the hell off this fraggin' planet as soon as I get her back," he sighed and then continued, his tone pleading, "Believe me, Guun. I'll get her out."
Guun rested his head in his hands, pushing back his large mop of orange hair, his face etched with worry. "All right, my friend. You just get her the hell back here. Ok? I'll try to keep track of you from here. Maybe see if I can locate her ship. See if it's sound."
O'Connell scoffed. "We won't need her ship, Guun. She'll be traveling with us again. I'm not letting her out of my sight! That damn wreck of hers can rot here for all I care."
Guun held back his scream, the thought of leaving a perfectly sound ship to be ravaged by scavengers too much to bear. "You're such a… a philistine, you know that?"
"All I'm saying is that ship doesn't…."
"Shut up. Idiot. Just shut… up!" Guun went to cancel their connection and then paused, hit with a sudden realization. "You didn't send the bolts, or the coffee or anything… did you?"
O'Connell paused, "Ah…. Well…"
Guun burst out laughing. "She sent them. Damn good girl." Guun grinned and then barked into the console, "Save her ass, O'Connell. Or I'll fraggin' kill you myself."
O'Connell started an angry response but Guun had already severed the connection. He glanced over to find Maluk eying him with a wicked grin.
"What?" he barked.
"People just love you, don't they?" the kid snorted and then returned his attention to the viewing portal.
O'Connell shoved his comlink back into the slot on his jacket sleeve.
"We are approaching the village of Malua," the shorter of his two companions said, his voice deep and calm. The taller one had not yet spoken. O'Connell found his silence a bit disturbing. "We will shuttle in one of their open bays and then make directly for the market."
"The market is where we'll get the Runners you talked about?"
The man nodded. "Runners are well equipped for the forest. Silent and swift, they will get us to our destination in no time."
O'Connell nodded. Now that was some equipment he could understand. Silence and speed. Some good steel under him and all would be well.
They docked without incident. For a small village their dockport was large enough for over a hundred transports. The bays were more than half full and O'Connell was surprised to find the familiar mixture of farmer, merchant and high end tech he had become accustomed to seeing in larger, more commercial planets. He watched the familiar exchange of pleasantries, bargaining and shouting. The smell of ship fuel, animal dung and human sweat filled the air. O'Connell felt strangely at home.
They stepped through the transport's deceptively mild security and into the market. It was twice as large again and filled with stalls, displays and the raucous cry of the hawker. O'Connell could feel the pulse of the place through the soles of his boots and he grinned. Whatever else K'rier might be, he sure as hell knew how to build commerce. 'And if this was one of his smaller villages?' O'Connell thought. Well, he was not surprised that the man's territory covered most of the damn planet.
"Come." The smaller man gestured. "We will wait for Nikal while he secures our transports." O'Connell followed the man through the crowd, keeping the boy in his peripheral vision. He lost the boy only once, for a moment, before they reached the village's entrance gate.
The short man spoke softly, "We will work our way out of the village with the crowds. Nikal will find us."
O'Connell grabbed Maluk by the arm. "Don't disappear."
Maluk tried to shrug off his hold. "Not gonna. Let go!" He yanked his arm hard and O'Connell released him.
"Don't push your luck, kid," O'Connell growled softly. He glanced up to see an older man grinning at him.
The man shook his head in sympathy. "Kids, right? I got three. Don't know what the hell I was thinking."
O'Connell's grin felt pained. "Yeah, right. Kids." He placed his hand behind Maluk's neck and forced the boy to move forward through the crowd, keeping the boy at his side while he tried to catch up to Garulus' men.
Maluk struggled against him, angry at the man for trying to control him. Then a wicked grin crossed his face and in a loud voice he complained, "But Papa, you're hurting me! I want a suga! You said I could have a suga! I'm thirsty! I want some water! Can't I have some water? I gotta to go to the bathroom!"
O'Connell cursed under his breath and Maluk squealed as his grip tightened. After that they were a silent pair as they worked their way through the village gates, mingling with the crowd. The buildings outside of the market were the color of dried mud. No more than the height of two men, they had few windows and smelled of earth. He moved swiftly past a religious zealot screeching about the end of the world, a half dozen men looking for a fight and a rundown brothel before he caught up with Garulus' men. The taller one gestured north and they silently followed him. Rounding the side of a building O'Connell was surprised to find they were entering a stable. 'What the hell transport is hidden in here?' he wondered.
It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and then a few more for his brain to register that fact that their transports were not mechanical. Four large beasts stood before him. If he had had to describe them, he would have said they were gigantic lizards. Their skin was scaly and their tails were long and ended thin like a whip. Their legs were thick and powerful and came almost to O'Connell's shoulders; their coloring was a mottled brown and green. But it was their heads that were the most disconcerting. Their heads were large and almost triangular with enormous black eyes that appeared to take up most of the cranium. The way they were situated on the beast's head O'Connell imagined that the beasts could see everywhere at once, except perhaps behind them. And even that feat could be accomplished with the slightest flick of the head.
"That's what we're taking? That's a Runner?" O'Connell could sense the groaning in his voice.
Garulus' men nodded. Maluk grinned.
"Their speed in the dense growth of the Telrian forest is unmatched." The shorter man gave O'Connell a quizzical look. "You are not frightened of the beasts, are you?"
O'Connell's eye narrowed. Had it been another man, in another situation, he would already be dead. Instead O'Connell took a deep breath, steadying himself, and then calmly replied, "No. Just thought they'd look different is all."
Maluk snorted derisively.
The Runners already sported small saddles near the base of their necks. O'Connell watched the others mount and then did so as well. Once seated, he found the beast to be stable beneath him, like sitting on a rock. He was about to ask how he could steer his Runner as there were no reigns when the tall silent man nudged his beast toward the door and with a wave of his hand, they were off. One minute he was seated on the Runner in the stable and the next moment they shot out of the stable, out of the village and had crossed the league between the village and the forest. The trees and underbrush whipped around him like a curtain and in moments the village had disappeared. There was neither sight nor sound of the place, only the wind racing past his ears.
The trees passed in a blur of green and brown. He could sense a moment of sunlight, warmth and then it was gone. Leaning forward on the Runner he hoped the beast knew what he was doing. He could just make out the hind end of the Runner ahead of him, the shorter man leading the way. Glancing to his right he saw Maluk come abreast of him. Maluk sat upright on his mount, grinning like a Dungar, eating something.
Eating something? O'Connell glanced back. Oh yes, definitely eating something. Maluk took a big bite and held out his hand as if to offer O'Connell some. Then he pulled his hand away and grinned mockingly. He nudged his Runner and the beast shot forward, running in concert with the short man.
"Stupid kid," O'Connell growled into the wind. 'Where the hell'd he get something to eat?' O'Connell felt his own stomach grumble. Then, he couldn't help himself, he laughed. The sound was carried away by the wind so there was no chance the kid caught it. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself. Why was he laughing? Was he going crazy? No. It was just that… that kid…
'Reminds you of her,' the voice in his head laughed at his stupidity.
'Reminds me of her,' he echoed. 'Damn. Same arrogance, same skills, same cocky attitude.' His thoughts started to drift toward her. Up until now he could think only of getting to her. Now suddenly, his mind was filled with fears of what might be happening to her. Was she being raped? Tortured? Had she already been killed? No! He refused to believe that. She was too beautiful. K'rier would never kill her. Well, not right away. He would want her. Want to take her. She may already be wishing for death.
O'Connell leaned forward on his Runner, his grip knuckle white, his mind a maelstrom of images that made his blood run cold. 'Hang on, babe. I'm coming for you.' With the wind howling past his ears he did something he never thought he would do. He began to ask for help from whatever higher powers felt like listening. 'Keep her safe until I get there. I'll do the rest,' was the only thought in his mind as the Runners devoured the distance between them.
Miles away Guun tried varying his output, oscillating in minute degrees a series of codes that Ash had built into the communication system. He kept the distance tight, he knew Ashe's ship was somewhere within a twenty click radius and he didn't need to project his message into space. Just to the ship. If he got lucky, using one of Ashe's codes would cause the ship to respond. Well, not respond actually, more echo the code. Which, once he locked onto it, he could use to locate the vessel.
He stood and stretched; his head pounding. "Cup of java," he said, trying to calm his fraying nerves. Letting the communication system repeat the cycle of code, he worked his way to the galley. Coffee might be the only thing able to peel off a layer of stress. He'd love alcohol; however drinking while his friend's life was in danger was never his thing. Alcohol slowed your responses and Guun was a man of action.
'Not like O'Connell,' Guun snorted, as he waited for the coffee to brew. No one was quite as fond of action as O'Connell. Hit first. Shot first. Ask your question later. Maybe. If you felt like it.
Guun's laugh echoed in the empty galley. He grabbed his coffee and worked his way back to the communications console. Plopping his large form into the chair he leaned back and watched the lights blink, willing the array to display a response. Leaning forward he patted the console. "It's ok, darlin'. I know you're trying." O'Connell thought he was nuts the way he loved the ship. Mocked him constantly for it. Didn't matter. She was as real to him as any woman. Well, 'cept maybe Ashe.
Still, he could feel the ship's heart beat in the thrum of her engines. Could feel her pulse in the rush of electromagnetic energy. Saw her eyes sparkle in the million lights of her gauges. All she needed was a voice. Guun grunted. If she had a voice maybe she'd tell him to go take a fraggin' leap…
"Hello?"
Guun's mouth dropped open. His feet fell to the floor. The coffee sloshed out of his cup. His mind blanked out. He had just heard the single sexiest female voice he had ever heard. Who the hell was that?
He checked the vectors. Yup. One of Ashe's old codes. Crap. Who the hell was that?
"Hello? Is someone there?" the voice asked again, softly, magically.
Guun tried to find his voice. "Uh… hello," he responded. 'Oh great. Great response! Idiot!'
"Captain? Is that you?" the woman asked anxiously.
"Ah… yeah. No! No… not the captain. I think." Good grief! Form a coherent thought idiot! "Uh… who is this?"
"I am uncertain at this juncture if you are friend or foe," the woman paused, and then he heard a deep heartfelt sigh. "However my options are limited. You are using one of the Captain's codes. She has not returned or reported in and I cannot find her signal. I grow increasingly concerned and I hope with your use of her code that perhaps you may be an ally and have information on her whereabouts and condition. Thus I must… take a chance," another sigh that cut through Guun's heart like a knife, "on your motives and hope they are to inform me of my Captain."
"Yes! They are! I am!" Guun stared for a moment at the display, trying desperately to organize his thoughts. That voice was so, so… damn hypnotic! Good god who was this woman? Was she part of Ashe's crew? Did Ashe have a crew? What the hell was this woman doing on Ashe's ship? "I uhm… I have some bad news."
"Has the Captain ceased?" the woman tone was calm, but edged with sadness.
"NO! No… at least, I don't think so. But Ashe was kidnapped. I'm sorry. O'Connell is rescuing her as we speak so I wouldn't worry too much. She'll be fine." There was a moment of silence as he let her digest his information.
"Her chances of survival if O'Connell searches for her are... acceptable," she replied calmly.
"I'm Guun… by the way. Just… just so you know who you're talking to," Guun tried not to mumble.
"Hello Guun," she said his name with a caress that sent shivers down his spine. "I am V."
'V,' Gunn paused, a vague memory flickered through the opaqueness of his thoughts. "Do… do we know each other? Have we met?" He laughed at the thought. No man could meet the owner of that voice and not remember her.
"No, Chief Engineer Guun. We have not traveled together. However I am familiar with your background and skills, as well as the great affection my captain holds for you."
"Oh, Ashe… talked about me?" Guun hoped she had been kind, and not too honest.
"Yes. At length. My files on you are extensive, as well as those on Captain O'Connell."
"Oh. Ok." Guun felt a surge of jealousy rush through him, and then he paused, wondering what she meant.
"Now that you have updated me on my Captain's situation, I should return to my self-diagnostic and repair. If my Captain's situation should change, please notify me immediately." V's tone was at once clinical and sensual.
"Your self-diagnostic?" Guun tried to make sense of her remark. "Are you injured?
V sighed and the sound poured over him like warm sunshine. "During Captain O'Connell's pursuit I was forced to use speed excessive to my drive capabilities. This resulted in a cracked hydro seal and thus diminished hydrogen emulsification."
"You…" Guun slowed in confusion. "Your drive… capabilities?"
"Yes, Chief Engineer."
Guun's brow furrowed as his mind reeled. "You… you're not a woman? A human?"
Her tone was soft and intimate. "No, Chief Engineer. I am not. I am V. I am the captain's…" she paused and for a moment and he had the impression she did not want to say the word, "ship. Craft. Vessel."
Guun shot up from the chair, his mind reeling. Not a woman. Not a human! This was the ships AI? Good god he was having a conversation with her ship! And her ship was fraggin' hot!
"I would offer my assistance however I have sustained damage that I am unable to repair at this time." He heard that sigh again. The technology behind this, the exact mimicry of a human sigh. Unimaginable! "It is unacceptable to me that I cannot offer aid. However my options are again, limited. I cannot repair myself and I was ordered not to reveal myself to those who might affect repair. I cannot disobey a direct order."
Guun shook his head in wonder. He swore he could hear frustration in her voice. Then his sluggish mental synapses sparked. "I could do it! I could do the repairs!" he practically shouted.
There was a moment of silence. "Your qualifications, Chief Engineer are well documented," V purred. "My Captain has often commented on your skills. As we have already established communications I do not believe that this would be a direct violation of my Captain's orders." There was another short pause, and then she continued, her tone if Guun could believe his ears, excited. "I find your offer acceptable."
Guun's grin split his face in two. He could barely contain his own excitement. "Ok. Good! Great!" He began to search for his bag, making a mental list of what he would need to bring with him. Q bolts, fusion coupler, couple of wrenches, and the damn hydro seal! Ashe had already forwarded it to him! Good gods that girl was luckier than anyone he had ever known. Then he realized he still had no clue as to V's coordinates. "Listen, honey… not to be nosy, but where the hell are ya?"
"I will show you, Chief Engineer."
"Please, call me Guun." Her use of a title made him feel uncomfortable. His knees grew week as he swore he heard her giggle over the comlink.
She almost purred with delight when she said, "I will show you, Master Guun."
He gripped the back of the chair for support.