Creating Harmony Read online

  “Wait until they are all in restraints.”

  It took four minutes to get the Saroo guards restrained and marched toward the spaceport. She felt Master Lovey relax by inches and finally pull away.

  “We were invisible until you let go, weren’t we?”

  “We were. I can share my obfuscation layer if I need to. I considered this worth the effort.” She sighed and backed up. “Let’s try this again. Hello, Iara. I am Citadel Master Lovey of the Zakaru Citadel. We are delighted to have you on board.”

  “Thank you. What will I be doing?”

  “That is up to our placement director. He will assess you and let you know the area he thinks you should concentrate on.”

  Iara blinked and smiled. “Really? Can I take classes if I wish?”

  “Of course. We offer the classes for a reasonable fee, and they will be put against your account.”

  “So, if I want to stay with you, I had better get earning.”

  Master Lovey began to walk to a small metal grid on the ground. She tapped it with her heel and it unfolded into a small skimmer, just big enough for two people.

  “King Learith set up an account that will last you for your entire contract. Take what courses you like. Teach some if you wish. We are your new community. You will get out of the Citadel exactly what you put into it.”

  Iara grinned. “So, it is like everything else in life.”

  The woman settled behind the controls, made sure that Iara was with her and gripping the safety bar. They went up and over the field, skimming along the grass until they reached foothills at the base of a mountain range. They travelled along, and Iara felt the wind against her face and fluttering the sleeves of her gown.

  The taste of Zakaru was bright and growing. Iara guessed that they were in the midst of spring.

  It was a time for new planting and experimental things entering the soil. Iara wondered how she was going to come out come harvest time.

  Chapter Three

  Iara ducked the fist flying at her, and she retaliated with a strike to the ribs. She dropped to one knee and punched the back of her opponent’s knee, causing them to join her on the mat rather suddenly. Iara rose to stand and placed her foot on the chest of the virtual opponent.

  “Session concluded.”

  Iara blinked as she came back to the moment and the audience in the gym applauded wildly. She walked to the edge of the training mat and blotted at the sweat on her brow and lip.

  Her friend Tether smiled and shook his head. “I still can’t believe that for someone who stops violence, you are such an excellent fighter.”

  “One has nothing to do with the other. A fit body promotes a fit mind, and since my class on dealing with aggression in alien species doesn’t start for half an hour, I have time to grab a snack and a shower.”

  He took the hint. “I will get the tea and meet you in the atrium.”

  “Be there in four minutes.” Iara headed for the change room and took a quick solar shower. Once out, she put on her instructor robes and headed to the atrium.

  A full tea was set out and Tether was grinning. “Since you are leaving tomorrow, I thought a final tea would be in order.”

  “What did I do to earn a friend like you?” she winked toward his third eye.

  “You saw me struggling on Huran and you took me home with you. The moment I was out of there, I could breathe again.” He smiled. “My induction to the Citadel was merely the icing on the cream cake.”

  She sat and her white robes fluttered around her. It wasn’t quite the elegant gown she used to wear, but the bodysuit underneath was a dose of practicality she enjoyed.

  Tether poured the tea and allowed her first pick of the tiny sandwiches. She selected a delicate cheese and herb mix to start with, and it was all that Tether needed. He went to town on the remaining food. She had to fight to keep up with him.

  By the end of her free time, they were involved in a staring contest over the last cream cake. Her chronometer chimed, and she hissed at him. “Take it, but the next time I am home, you owe me one.”

  He chortled and grabbed it, scarfing it down in two bites.

  She drank the last of her tea, got to her feet and brushed crumbs off her robes. It was time to get to class.

  Burping her way through the halls was not unusual. She apologized to the sensitive noses of some of the folk she passed.

  She opened the door to her lecture hall and grinned at the full seats.

  Iara flowed down the aisle with her best courtly walk. It was time to be a grown up, so she had to act like one.

  Iara stepped behind the crystal podium and looked around her. The class was a mix of races that were timid, mildly aggressive and downright violent. There was a full spectrum of emotion in front of her, and it was going to be fun to work with them.

  “Welcome to identifying and dealing with aggression in Alliance species. I am your instructor, Specialist Iara.”

  Several of the more violent representatives looked to each other. One shouted out, “What makes you qualified? I thought this would be taught by a warrior.”

  She sent a wave of calm serenity through the crowd. “I am a warrior; I am qualified. The nature of my talent makes it key for me to identify what I am working with and then to find a way to counteract the negative emotion driving the actions.”

  After they began to shake off the temporary sedation she had given them, respect was in a few faces and wariness in others.

  “Right. That is how I deal with aggression, but you don’t have that precise option.”

  She activated the holographic display of one of the fighting races. “Kozue are common sights on space stations, but they are also possessed of hair-trigger tempers and a compulsion for battle. Weakness is not respected, nor is peace and tranquility. Success in battle is all that they deem worthy, and talents that crop up in the population are removed as quickly as they can be identified.”

  One of the Kozue in the back row stiffened. “How do you know this?”

  She smiled and shrugged. “I was born on a Kozue battleship. When I was nine, I was given in bond, and when my bondholder passed away, I joined the Citadel. I am very familiar with how the Kozue treat their talented and how much they rebel against peace.”

  He blinked and cocked his head. “Which family group?”

  She grinned. “Not relevant. This course is about dealing with aggressive species. To deal with a Kozue, keep your sentences short. Do not laugh, smile or engage them in any flirtatious way. While they are quite normal among their own kind, with strangers, they consider these behaviours a sign of weakness.”

  Several of her students were taking notes.

  “Now, on to Shish-kahr.” She displayed the image of an urban sea creature with vicious fangs and teeth. “While they enjoy the trappings of trading with the Alliance, they actually despise the majority of air breathers for their disrespect. Clothing choices matter when dealing with the Shish-kahr. Nudity is best, but keeping your hands and feet free of clothing is essential. This will acknowledge their affiliation with the bodies of water surrounding their cities. If you can swim with them, even a little, you will become a trusted friend.”

  One of the pale blue creatures in the front row raised a webbed hand. “You are correct, you know. My family has dealt with Shish-kahr for decades. They don’t consider you prey if you can swim. That is their opinion of the dirt walkers.”

  Iara nodded and smiled. “On to the next species, and once we have gone through them all, we will go in depth with each and every one. No, we will not get to all species, but this overview will give you tools to make your own plans of attack when dealing with these species and races.”

  “Now, on to the Oefric. While they are an urbane and friendly people, get between them and their mate and you are in for a fight.” She continued on, and four hours and one intermission later, she was hoarse and her class’s eyes were glazed over.

  She clapped her hands. “Thank you, everyone. I hope
you leave with more understanding than you arrived with. Go in serenity and harmony.”

  She gave them a slight wave of rejuvenating balance, and they perked up. They rose, and while most left the room, several came to the podium to speak to her.

  Many of the questioners were repeat students. She moved from the podium and headed for the door, answering what she could and slowly coaxing them all toward the commissary. She was famished.

  One of her regulars grinned and offered to get her order. Gratefully, Iara nodded and led the others to a large round table. She continued her lecture, forking up the food daintily placed in front of her and gulping at her tea.

  She held court for an additional hour before begging off. “I am sorry that I have to go, but tomorrow, I launch again.”

  One of the new recruits smiled hopefully, “Do you know where you are going?”

  “I do, but as you will learn, that is not something shared until we return. There will be stories, I guarantee it.”

  The students sat quietly and smiled at her as she made her goodbyes. With a huge sense of relief, she left her fan club behind her as she headed for her quarters. The lectures invariably brought detailed questions that the students wanted answered based on their personal experiences. She didn’t begrudge them wanting to do it better next time, but she was currently on the hook for an assignment to a world on the brink of war. That had to take priority over how to solve old-school issues with aggressive species.

  Tether was waiting outside her room with a cup of tea. “Come on, your shuttle is waiting. You never mentioned that you were taking Sector Guard transport.”

  Iara took the cup of tea with one hand and held her bag in the other. “I didn’t know that it was my transport. This bodes ill for the man I am partnered with.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we have met on assignments before but never been deployed on one. They have mentioned that we make an effective team, but I don’t see it. He simply freezes those with aggression in place, and then, he can lead people around them or arrest the instigators as he sees fit. It doesn’t improve the people in any way.”

  Tether grinned. “You are all about making improvements to those around you.”

  Iara shrugged and handed the cup back to him after she finished draining it. “It’s a hobby and a calling.”

  “I know. I happen to be the beneficiary of both. Now, let’s get you to that shuttle before the dawn is firmly entrenched. We don’t want your fan club clogging up the works like last time.”

  Iara sighed. “They meant well.”

  He snorted and his third eye blinked. “I am sure that they did. They still decorated your shuttle with banners and bunting. Your pilot was enraged.”

  She winced. “I am aware. It was a three-day flight to my assignment, and I heard about it every kilometer of the trip.”

  They walked the still-quiet halls and chatted all the way down to the main entryway. Iara went to the rack and hopped on one of the personal skimmers, cruising across the courtyard and out toward the launch area. The sleek, shining Sector Guard ship was waiting for her, and the man she dreaded to be locked in a ship with was leaning against the hull.

  “Ah, the little peacekeeper is finally awake.” Lock straightened as she stepped off and collapsed the skimmer.

  “And the loudmouth has been awake for hours. Shall we be on our way?”

  She took the skimmer with her and her bag was still over the other shoulder.

  “As you wish, princess.”

  She growled as she passed him and headed into the ship.

  Dealing with another talented Kozue was not her idea of a fun time, but Lock was both a Kozue and an annoying bastard.

  His family had not dismissed him because of his paranormal issues; they had trained him as one of their own and offered him a chance to leave for the Sector Guard when the opportunity arose.

  He had a different clan, a different tradition and a different family. She tried not to be jealous of his luck when they worked together, but it was hard and it shook her calm. It was really the only thing that broke her inner tranquility, and she hated that he brought this out in her with his grinning face and swinging braids. As far as she could think, he was the only creature in the universe that she wanted to punch on a regular basis.

  It was a ten-day mission and she was going to have to keep her own impulses under control.

  Chapter Four

  She didn’t hide in her quarters. She put her bag in her storage locker and joined him on the command deck.

  “Still dressing in white, princess?”

  “Still a butthead, Lock?” She settled into the navigator station and watched him run through preflight checks.

  She snidely thought that he could have done the checks before she got on board.

  “Apparently in your eyes, I am.” He called ground control and got clearance to leave Zakaru.

  “And in your eyes?”

  “I am merely observant of the little things. New robes?”

  She scowled at him. “A gift from a friend.”

  She brushed at the white-on-white embroidery, the crystals and silk that bordered the cloth. Tether’s sister had made it in thanks for getting her brother somewhere safe where his particular skills could flourish.

  “What did you have to do to get that kind of elaborate gift?” He pulled on the controls and they lifted straight upward.

  “Just make a mark on someone’s life. That is all.” She smiled and brought up the assignment specs and flicked through what was expected of her.

  Two great planets were putting aside war and beginning the first steps in a trade agreement. She was there to calm a city and Lock was there to stop anything that got through her harmony.

  That the two worlds had sought out help from the Citadel was proof enough that they suspected some sort of break in their tentative peace.

  They flew in silence for a few hours while she sent confirmations of movement to the Sector Guard Udell and the Citadel archive.

  “You always were good at reporting to authority.”

  She gave him a cold glare. “And you always suck at compliments.”

  He sighed. “How do I always start out with my foot in my mouth?”

  “You are dancing, not me.”

  Lock sighed. “Do we always have to start so awkwardly?”

  She looked at him seriously. “I don’t know any other way to be around a Kozue.”

  He set the autopilot and swivelled toward her. “Can we start again? I am Lock of the Sector Guard. Who are you?”

  Iara thought about it and extended her hand. “I am Specialist Iara of Citadel Zakaru.”

  He took her hand and smiled. “I am pleased to meet you. What are you a specialist of?”

  She chuckled. “Crowd control.”

  “Fascinating. That is my area of expertise as well.” He grinned and released her hand.

  “You really think this new start is going to work?”

  “We can try it for a while. If it doesn’t take, we can go back to sniping at each other.” He winked and his golden brown eyes gleamed.

  Iara was startled into chuckling. “Well, at least you have a plan.”

  He gave her a surprised smile. “I rarely hear you laugh.”

  “That is because you are always talking. Shall we get back to working together for the first time?”

  Lock blinked. “Right. Sorry. What are you planning for the assignment?”

  She shrugged. “I will be in the room with the negotiators and broadcasting harmony and tranquility to everyone within the borders of the city. You will manage any incoming attacks or outbreaks of hostility that don’t chill down when they hit my radius.”

  “So, I am the second line of defense.”

  “Well, you are the first line of defense; if they get to me, they have come through you. I am merely the one with the largest span of influence.” She brought up the projection of the meeting chambers and the central square. “We need
to study avenues of attack and the most likely terrorists.”

  “I have the files uploaded and ready for review. We will be there in two jumps and nine hours. Are you ready to do your homework?”

  “Why not? I always enjoyed studying.” She opened the files in the projection and flicked through the threats that had been coming in fast and furious when the two planets had agreed to peaceful trade after years of attacking and thieving. It was hard for planets to put away the past, but some were so fixated on the past, they could not see the future.

  It would take years to settle all grievances and centuries before factions ceased to rise up and fight the peace. Naktu and Deran had been born in each other’s shadows, and from the moment they became aware of the other population, they had fought to gain ground. Space exploration escalated to warfare in a matter of decades.

  She broke the threats down into categories. Credible threats went in one category and psychotic rants went into the other. Iara was glad that Tether had met her with tea. She was going to need it.

  Lock brought her a cup of tea, and he said, “Take a break.”

  She blinked and took the cup from him. “How long have I been at it?”

  “Four hours and one jump.”

  “I suppose a break is in order. I will also need a nap before we arrive. Will that be a problem?”

  “Of course not. If you need a shower, I promise not to peek.”

  Iara snorted and sipped at her tea. “I think I can manage to close the door.”

  “I still promise not to peek.” He winked.

  She blinked. “What is it with the winking? Are you flirting with me or is there something in your eye?”

  His bronze skin darkened. “Perhaps there is a little bit of flirting going on. You are a very attractive woman, and despite the fact that I know you do not like the idea, you are my own species, which makes things easier.”

  “Because you can recognise my expressions and I have the same general base for social upbringing?” She twisted her lips in amusement.

  “It sounds so unromantic when you say it like that. I prefer to think that we have a lot in common.”