Defender: A Terran Times Tale Read online

  “I do. But where am I?” She held her covering to her breasts and looked around.

  “Ikanni base. If you will wait a moment, I will get the Baels to come. They told me to notify them when you woke. I will only be a few seconds.” The young woman got to her feet and disappeared.

  Scotia blinked. “Oh, that isn’t weird at all.” She yelped in surprise when the young woman returned followed by one human and two male dark elves that looked as if they ate iron for breakfast.

  The human came to her beside and smiled.

  “Hello, I am Base Command. Also known as Lillibeth Hislar or Bael Hislar if you are an Ikanni. This is my husband, Bael Orriko Lerock.” Scotia looked expectantly at the other man.

  He bowed and the snow-white silk of his hair tumbled over his shoulders. “Bael Alder Whiccan. Alder, please.”

  She looked away from him with an effort, her mind was caught up with the width of his shoulders and the fine braids nearly hidden in his hair.

  She sat straight with the sheet pinned under her arms. “Scotia Pickering, demolition specialist for the Alliance. I am looking for the Terran who used to be station defence.”

  Lilli nodded. “Kaia. She was station defence, but I don’t know if Thaxis will let you see her.” Scotia started to wrap the sheet around her. “I am going to find her. I have to. Which way?” Lilli raised her eyebrows, “Walking? Head northwest for about a month and you will be close.”

  Scotia froze. “You have to be kidding.”

  “Nope. You are on Ikanni and the Ikanni transport themselves where they need to go.” Lilli smiled. “If you wait a few days to make sure you are all right, I will send a message, and if they agree to see you, I will take you there.”

  Scotia got to her feet. “That isn’t good enough. Don’t you have a skimmer or something?”

  Lilli frowned. “Not for someone in your condition. Your leg was off for Pete’s sake!”

  “How did it get back on? I should have bled out in minutes.”

  Lilli pursed her lips and didn’t speak.

  The young woman next to Scotia’s bed whispered, “I will get you some clothing.” She disappeared in the next moment.

  Scotia looked at Lilli, “Was it something I said?”

  Lilli snorted and looked at the men behind her.

  “Leave us for a moment. We need to talk.” Orriko stopped Alder when he would have spoken, and they disappeared as one.

  Lilli sighed and sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. “I need to fill you in on the details of Ikanni life.”

  “This sounds like the talk I had with my mother as a teen.” Scotia was curious.

  “Well, it does involve something getting inside you. How much do you know about the Ikanni?”

  “Only that they stick to their world and don’t like others trespassing.”

  “Have you heard of the Heshi?” Scotia frowned. “No, are they a native species?” Lilli smirked. “I suppose you could say that. Once upon a time, there was a race on Ikanni called the Heshi. They were an evolved culture that eventually shifted from beings of physical form to beings of energy. They left the world they had been born on and decided to see the stars. Even they don’t know how much time passed before they grew bored with seeing the mysteries of the universe and returned home.”

  Scotia was getting nervous. “Seriously?”

  Lilli nodded. “Seriously. Enter the dark elves of the Admar who left before their world tried to expunge all of us lowly humans. They settled here on Ikanni, and the Heshi made contact. One Heshi joined with each Admaryn and offered power to make this world their own.”

  “Wait. Why? If they were free of their bodies, why would they need to inhabit a body?” Lilli sighed. “They want to live, and they want to die. They will extend the life of their host, and they will simply ride along, enjoying the variety of experience that the living offer. It is not that they need to be in a body, but they have spent so much time in a coalition of minds and energy that this gives them a chance to reclaim themselves a little before seeking the next world.”

  “They believe in an afterlife?”

  “They have to. They cannot leave this one under their own power. The irony of immortality, you have to have it before you can appreciate mortality.” Lilli smiled.

  “Well, this is fascinating, but what does it have to do with my leg?”

  “A Heshi jumped you while you were crashing. None of us have seen that before, though I haven’t been here nearly as long as the rest of the Ikanni.” Scotia pressed a hand to her chest and tried to feel a difference inside her. “I don’t feel different.”

  Lilli patted her hand. “You won’t until you do. From now on, you will be able to learn to transport, but you won’t be allowed off Ikanni. You are now indigenous population and that means you are stuck. The Heshi don’t leave.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “You have been bonded to a Heshi. You now have the status of an Ikanni and are entitled to life in any one of the villages. Your Heshi’s particular talent will determine your status.” Lilli smiled again.

  Scotia kept her hand to her chest, looking for signs of a strange being within her. “Why do they call you Bael?”

  “It means guardian or protector, also leader, or wise one depending on the person. It is assigned to you by your Heshi or your actions.”

  “Maybe I really wasn’t that injured.” Lilli shook her head. “We went over the crash site, collected what we could, and the entire control section was coated in blood. If you don’t have a Heshi, you were struck by a flaming star that came up from the ground to wrap around your shuttle in defence. What are the odds of that?”

  Under her hand, warmth spread through Scotia’s body. It pulsed softly and then receded back to a soft core of strength. “I don’t feel too good.”

  The young woman popped back in with fabric draped over her arm.

  “Scotia, this is Teyli. She is an apprentice healer and has watched over you. Teyli, this is Scotia. She is one of my people and will do very well here once she learns how to manage.” Teyli smiled shyly. “I am pleased to meet you, Scotia. I have brought you some clothing. Your other items were shredded or burned to bits.” The dark blue fabric was soft, and with Lilli and Teyli helping, she was soon dressed in a long, loose skirt and a shell that covered her decently.

  Lilli disappeared and came back with some soft leather slippers.

  “There. Would you care to go for a bit of a walk?” Lilli smiled.

  Teyli extended her arm. “I will help you if you like.”

  Scotia smoothed her hands down her backside in a nervous gesture. “That would be nice. Thank you, Teyli. I will try on my own but stay close.”

  The young woman nodded and smiled, keeping three steps behind her as Lilli began a tour of the facility.

  Scotia finally turned and asked Teyli, “Is my suit still here?”

  The young healer looked at Lilli, and Lilli nodded. Teyli disappeared and reappeared less than a minute later with the bloody and torn EVA suit in her arms.

  Scotia looked at the suit cradled carefully in the young woman’s arms and lifted the leg that was separate from the suit. Still-damp blood covered the piece, and it was enough for Scotia. She staggered to one side, and her stomach attempted to empty itself of its contents.

  Teyli moved toward her, but Lilli held the healer back. “Let her get it out, she just realised that this isn’t a dream.”

  After nausea came tears, and she slumped down the wall, sobbing as her life came to a screeching halt only to start over on a trajectory that she couldn’t begin to imagine.

  Chapter Four

  A shadow fell over her face, and she looked up into red eyes that had a tender concern. It wasn’t Teyli. The young healer never would have picked her up and disappeared with her.

  Heat and humidity wrapped around her like a glove. She inhaled sharply. “Where are we?”

  “My home. Well, near my home. I didn’t want you to get too comfortable at
the base.” Alder smiled down at her.

  “You could have asked or had Lillibeth bring me here.” She was shaken. First, she was inhabited by an alien energy, and now, she was stolen.

  “Has your friend given you the details of Ikanni courtship yet?” He carried her through a thick stand of lush trees.

  “Um. No. She was just briefing me on the little matter of having an embedded Heshi. Why are you carrying me?” She was still shaking inside.

  She had no way of getting away from him and less idea of where the hell she was.

  The sky wasn’t visible through the thick canopy, and she was stuck holding still as he moved through the jungle like a feline.

  Daylight struck her suddenly as the forest ended abruptly, leaving them on the edge of a white sand beach.

  She looked out at the brilliant blue water and smiled despite herself. “Very pretty. Where are we?”

  “My private retreat. Not even my own people know where we are, so they will be unable to lead Bael Hislar or Lerock here.”

  A chill went through her. “Why don’t you want them to know where I am?”

  He set her on her feet. “Not where you are, where we are.”

  She turned slowly to him and watched as the wind tugged at his snow-white locks. His red gaze was looking out at the ocean, and with the thick forest at his back, he had every appearance of a primal male from the beginning of time. As he fixed that red gaze on her, she swallowed. “So, you were going to tell me about Ikanni courtship?”

  He smiled, and she watched as his expression went from serious to amused. “It is a custom that we steal our females from other villages on Ikanni. It keeps the gene pool circulating.”

  “I am not from one of the Ikanni villages.”

  He inclined his head. “And as such, you are not entitled to the protection of your Bael. You are an invader, a trespasser, and therefore, you are at my mercy.”

  She cleared her throat. “I do need to see Kaia. It has to be soon.”

  Alder wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “What would you be willing to do to see her?”

  Her heart pounded, and she flattened her palms against his chest. “What do you want?” His kiss took her by storm. Scotia wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he ravaged her mouth.

  The kiss continued until someone cleared their throat. Scotia leaned back and a blush fired across her cheeks as another Terran woman was looking at her.

  She looked to Alder, and he nodded. “Be quick. Thaxis will be here soon.”

  “Are you the station security officer? Kaia Whynot?” The bright pink and blue-green hair was a clue, but Scotia needed to be sure.

  “I am. Who are you?”

  “Demolition expert, Scotia Pickering, I need the defence access code for the station.” Kaia’s crystal-white eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “Serious. I was assigned to blow the station, but I need that code.”

  Kaia looked around. “I can’t really write it down.”

  Scotia smiled. “I know. Whisper it to me, and the moment the station is above me, it will be gone.”

  “Are you really another Terran?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have the mark to prove it?” Kaia’s eyes were canny.

  Scotia leaned forward and whispered, “No. They don’t mark folks who sneak around and blow up Alliance tech that others are planning on using.”

  Kaia giggled, and the next whispers out of her mouth were the words that Scotia was waiting for.

  The moment that Kaia finished there was a roar and a voice shouted, “How does everyone know what my bedroom looks like?”

  Kaia smiled and went to appease the furious male, and Scotia felt Alder’s arms around her. A moment later, they had gone from the dry, crisp air of Kaia’s home to the beach once again.

  “Did you get what you needed?” Alder’s voice was hot in her ear.

  “I did.” She looked up and did a check sequence on the station. Twelve hours and it would be within her range. Scotia had never detonated something from this distance, but if she could, it would be when the station was within visual range.

  “Excellent. Now, let’s get you into more suitable clothing. You are wearing far too much fabric to be comfortable.” He took her hand and tugged her down the beach to a house that was almost invisible against the green of the jungle.

  “Do you often haul women here?” She raised her eyebrows.

  He chuckled. “No. The home has been in my family for five generations. The clothing that you are going to wear belonged to my great-grandmother.”

  “Oh. Well, that is slightly less skeevy.” The sand twisted under her feet. It was surreal to be on a beach again without plotting to explode part of it.

  Her skirt tangled and stuck as she began to sweat. “So, there is going to be less fabric?” He grinned. “It is warmer here than at the base, and we dress accordingly.”

  The steps up to the house were designed to help the sand slide off their feet, but the slippers that she was wearing held onto the grains with a vengeance. “Gimmee a minute.” She sat on the top step and removed the slippers, dusting as much sand off her feet as she could manage.

  When she was done, she examined her toes and wriggled them, the image of that severed suit leg foremost in her mind.

  “What is wrong?”

  “I still can’t believe that my leg came off.” He frowned and helped her back to her feet.

  “There was a large chunk of your ship embedded in the control panel. It seems that it flew through you and into the panel.”

  She shuddered. “That is so creepy.” He nodded. “As was seeing the amount of blood left behind. How the Heshi got you out of your suit is a mystery.”

  “I wasn’t dressed?”

  Alder paused before opening the door. “No. That was the peculiar thing. When I took them back to the wreck, your suit was lying on the command chair.”

  She looked at him. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I am aware of that. Lillibeth has the majority of the items that we salvaged from the shuttle, so I do not think you have lost everything.”

  “That isn’t what I mean. I mean, how could I get out of a suit when I was dead!” She made a fist and struck the wall, to her shock, her hand passed right through.

  She stared at her hand, gripping it with the other to make sure that it was still there.

  Alder blinked and slowly reached out to take her hand with his own. “I think we might have your answer.”

  Staring at her hand, she looked up at him.

  “What is happening to me?”

  “The Heshi is exerting itself. Passing through solid objects must be one of its skills.” He led her inside, and lights came on as they moved through the front room, past the kitchen, up a set of stairs and to a balcony that stared out to sea.

  He settled her and disappeared for a moment, returning with two lengths of fabric. Alder explained. “You wrap this around your back, over your breasts, cross it and around the back of your neck. The skirt simply ties at one side. I will leave you to get changed, and I will fetch something to eat.”

  She was left alone with the fabric, and after four tries, the top was in place. The skirt was a simple sarong, and it allowed the breeze free rein. Being dressed for the environment made her feel better immediately.

  Scotia stroked the back of her neck and lifted her hair to let the wind flirt with it.

  “Do all the women of Terra have different hair colours?”

  He was behind her, and as she turned, he set a tray down on a small table.

  She laughed. “Brown, yellow, black and red are the base colours with variations in each shade. Kaia is a one off.”

  “I like your hair. It is eternal sunlight.” Alder reached out and took a hank in his hand, letting the threads slide free.

  She gave him a nervous smile. “And yours is snow and moonlight.”

  “Ah, but on Ikanni, you are the exotic.
Most of our kind have hair in shades of black or white.” Scotia looked into his eyes and cocked her head.

  “Why are you pursuing me?”

  “You didn’t accept the genetic explanation?” She shook her head. “No. The idea of jumping on another species on the off chance that they are compatible is short-sighted of you.” Scotia kept her gaze even, though her heart was pounding in her chest.

  “You are right, Scotia. It was not genes. For some reason, I was in the right spot to see you fall from the sky. I watched the Heshi fly to you and knew that if one of their kind broke protocol, what they saved had to be fantastic indeed. Battered and healing, you were a work of art, and all other females have been pushed from my thoughts.” His voice spoke volumes, and she licked her lips. “You are really set on this, aren’t you?” He nodded. “I am. What is your opinion on the matter?”

  As she stared at him, he stripped off the shirt he had been wearing, exposing a broad chest with sculpted muscle. She blushed as his hands went to his trousers and he suddenly sat in a chair and removed his boots.

  “I don’t understand how they can wear this all the time, though it does keep out sand.” She chuckled and swallowed it in the same breath. He stood and resumed removing his trousers. She watched out of the corner of her eye, and her mouth watered as he was completely without one strand of fabric to mar the view of the onyx god standing near her.

  Chapter Five

  Her heart resumed normal beating when he wrapped his hips with a short sarong that cut off the fascinating view.

  She cleared her throat. “Well, these clothes are far more comfortable if less concealing than the ones from Teyli.”

  Scotia turned back to the balcony and looked out at the landscape. “Where is your village?”

  “A short distance away. This house has never been seen by anyone outside the family, so in the Ikanni way, no one can transport here.” He joined her at the railing. “We learn how to get around by having someone take us to a new location, someone who has been there before. The Baels are taken from village to village when they are children so that they have a complete grasp of the locations of other population points.”