Keeper Read online

  Having friends with talents who were chafing at retirement was a handy thing, but when it was all said and done, Ikvaro was confident that Pendrikan would want to enjoy his retirement with a Terran of his own. The species was addictive and Ikvaro had met half a dozen women that he wouldn’t have minded spending his life with, if he hadn’t met Aggie first. That one small woman had turned his life upside down and thrown him into uncharacteristic celibacy. It added a certain urgency to getting her back.

  He took the box and brought it to the cockpit. Pen was arguing with the navigation computer.

  “Enough, Pen. We need to head to Zenfar. I need to speak with the Avatar.”

  “What’s in the box?”

  “The only trace of Aggie that I have.”

  Pen took it with reverence, catching on to Ikvaro’s mood. He was normally jovial, but he sobered while Ikvaro took the controls.

  Ikvaro keyed in the coordinates of Zenfar and increased their speed.

  “Uh, General, she was last seen on Hirwin Prime. Why are we going to Zenfar?”

  It didn’t surprise Ikvaro that his friend had opened the files. “We are going to Zenfar because they just got a new Avatar, and he was the last person to see Aggie.”

  “Right. We talk to him and then go to Hirwin Prime where I can use this comb to track your ladylove.”

  Ikvaro focussed on the controls. “She isn’t my ladylove. Not yet. First, I have to thaw her out and then crack her out of her armour. Aggie is a woman with layers.”

  Pen chuckled. “I am guessing that she is.”

  “Hands off, Pen.”

  “We haven’t even found her yet. Allow me to imagine what your true love looks like, General.”

  “Her image is in her file.”

  “I know, but tormenting you is just so much more fun.”

  Ikvaro growled low and went silent. He had clues to follow and time was running out.

  The full diplomatic welcome was a bit of a surprise. Ikvaro and Pen walked under full guard into the council chamber where the new Avatar was holding court. Wovian-Zenfar was strong, confident and he seemed to recognize Ikvaro the moment that they walked in front of him.

  The first words spoken by the Avatar were, “Have you found her?”

  Ikvaro shook his head. “I have only begun looking. What can you tell me about the warrants out for her arrest?”

  “They have all been dismissed and a dispensation has been put through the Alliance records. She was acting according to her moral core and her responsibilities as a Keeper. She kept me from making the wrong decision until I could come to the right one my own way.”

  Wovian-Zenfar got up from his chair. His tusks were full and polished to a high shine and his yellow eyes swirled with cerulean blue. He came down the steps and extended his hand to Ikvaro. “I am honoured to have met the man she talked about any time I let her get a word in edgewise. I had to talk about myself just to stop her talking about how perfect your ears are. Seeing them up close, they are rather fetching.”

  Ikvaro felt his skin heat. Zenfar were huge and an adult male was taller than he was by a foot or more.

  “Thank you. She really talked about my ears?”

  “She just talked to keep me calm. You were the only topic she felt comfortable with, so she focussed on you the whole time. If you need any help finding her, let me know.”

  Ikvaro nodded. “May we call for assistance? If she is in cold storage, she might need medical attention.”

  “When you get close to finding her, send me a priority signal, and I will get you directions to the nearest med facility along with in-system jump clearance. She was the nicest person I have ever met, and I want her to be safe. Though, now that I see you, an opportunity to ask her to be my mate is out of the question. You are indeed very pretty.”

  Pen was snickering behind his hand.

  “Well, I have a file with all I know and all sightings of the Grey Talon. It has taken on the aura of a haunted ship but no one can get close to it.”

  “That is because the ship knows what is going on. Well, Avatar. Congratulations on your rising.”

  The Avatar inclined his head. “The previous Avatar waited until I was ready to take on the responsibility because Keeper Aggie got me enough space for negotiation. Talking about it took away the fear, just like she said it would.”

  “She was very good at telling people what they needed to hear.”

  “She was. She also had a calm look in her eyes. It was helpful.” He smiled wistfully.

  “Are we able to leave Zenfar in search of her?”

  “Please, use one of our new courier ships. They are jump capable and very stylish with room for cargo.”

  Pen spluttered, “You are giving us a ship?”

  “Of course. She gave me the world and the time to grow up on my own. When I was ready, Zenfar welcomed me and respected me for my decision. Finding her is the least I can do. She gave me time by sacrificing her own.”

  That was it in a nutshell, as Aggie would say. They moved their articles from one ship to the other. The title was in Ikvaro’s name and Pen was the registered navigator. With full registry enacted, they took off for Hirwin at breakneck speed.

  The courier ship had a jump engine and Ikvaro was willing and able to use it. While Pen sat with a vomit bag, they jumped from system to system, reaching Hirwin Prime in one day.

  Once in Hirwin space, they settled in orbit and Pen went to work. He opened the case, placed his fingers on the comb before he closed his eyes.

  They were standing in the small command centre and watching the rotating screen of the sector.

  Ikvaro waited for him to absorb what he could, and when Pen was ready, he opened his eyes and a beam of light pierced the hologram and lit up a ringed world with asteroids in slow rotation.

  Pen couldn’t see out of his eyes while he was using his talent. “Where is she?”

  “In orbit in the Nefaro system. We have quite the distance to cover, but we should be there in four jumps. Do you think the engines can handle it?”

  “I think that this is a brand new ship and we should test it to its limits.”

  Ikvaro send the coordinates to the navigation systems to get them started, and with only a few adjustments, they had a two-day route to the planet.

  Something that Aggie had said to him stuck in his mind. He opened the com system and sent a polite query to the Citadel Lowel for contact with the sister ship to the Grey Talon.

  His communication ended with, “If the ship is willing, please call me back.”

  In the meantime, they continued on the route to the signal point. Ikvaro kept his position at the helm while Pen went off for a nap. His talent took it out of him.

  Two hours from the initial contact with the Citadel, he got his reply. “Hello, General Ikvaro. This is the Flourish Sparks. What can I do for you?”

  “Hello, I am seeking the location of the Grey Talon. Do you have any idea where she is?”

  “Who wants to know?”

  “She has a…friend of mine on board. I am looking for Keeper Agatha Keller.”

  “Really. Well, junior, what is the password?”

  He frowned. “Password?”

  “Indeed. I was told to only offer assistance to someone with the password, so what is it?”

  He took a shot. “Marty?”

  There was silence. “I am sending you the location. Get my sister back into action. She is bored and has run out of supplies. Sleeping Terrans are no fun at all.”

  Hope soared in his chest as he accepted the files coming through the connection.

  “Contact me again if you need any help. I have included the direct com line for ease of use.”

  “Pardon, Flourish, but didn’t the Alliance ask you for their location?”

  “Of course they did. I just didn’t know it then because they were moving.” There was amusement in the tone generated by the Citadel ship.

&
nbsp; “They are in space. They are always moving.”

  “You don’t say. That is a surprise. I might have to update my nav systems to take that into account.” Flourish was smug.

  “Thank you for your help.”

  “You are welcome, now go get them and bring them home.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He smiled and the com went dark. The stream of location data was precise, and it didn’t match the original calculations, but it was very close.

  Pen chuckled. “You have what you need?”

  “Yes, we are on our way. Estimated time of contact, two days.”

  “Good. Go eat. Your lady won’t be impressed if you are pale and sickly when you find her.”

  He snorted. “Like you?”

  “We can’t all be gorgeously pale like I am, Ikvaro. You will just have to live with your jealousy for my lack of pigment.”

  Ikvaro got to his feet and glared at his friend’s albino colouring. The ruby-red eyes in the chalk-white skin topped with a cascade of silky white hair was definitely striking. They had been complete opposites while they worked together and a friendship of sorts had developed.

  “She prefers men who are tall, dark and handsome.” Ikvaro said with no small amount of smugness.

  As he left the room, Pen called out, “Two out of three is pretty good.”

  Chapter Five

  Talon turned around and watched the incoming ship with her long-range sensors. It was sleek, new and coming right for her. She waited silently on the surface of the rogue planet that had sheltered them for the last year.

  Talon considered it a stroke of genius to hunker down on a world surrounded by living planets and a radiation field. If their instruments weren’t calibrated to look through the waves of interference, they would never see the small ship covered in dust and grit on the surface of the small planet in the rings of the brown dwarf.

  Her shielding was more than up to the task of defending her body and Aggie’s. Talon had spent the last twenty months gathering information from the local planets and keeping apprised of the situation on Zenfar. There was nothing the Alliance could do to her, but Aggie was another matter. The removal of all the arrest warrants had been a relief, but there was the problem of Aggie losing her job. She was no longer a qualified Keeper in the eyes of the Alliance.

  They may respect her moral choice but her actions caused too much fuss to simply ignore or at least that was the last information that Flourish had sent in a data pack. It was a little frustrating to have to wait for data bombs from her sisters, but the information had been confirmed before she got it, which was a handy thing.

  Talon had kept abreast of Alliance politics and was ready to get back into action. The only problem was she didn’t know if she would be allowed to continue with Aggie as her companion.

  * * * *

  Ikvaro sent a signal to the planet and Pen kept his gaze on the scanners. The moment he spotted the outline of the ship, they were on their way.

  “This is Ikvaro Levani calling the Grey Talon. Contact keyword is Marty.”

  Silence counted for ten seconds and then. “This is the Grey Talon. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ikvaro.”

  “May we land near you?”

  “Don’t bother. I will come to you.”

  On the surface, the spot that Pen had pointed out shivered and the outline grew as the hidden ship shuddered out of the sand and dust of the silent world.

  The Grey Talon lifted up and approached them.

  Talon spoke again, “Shall I dock with you or did you want to be on top?”

  Ikvaro grinned. “We will link with you. How is Aggie doing?”

  “She is stable. There was a bit of a quiver six months ago, but she calmed down and is now in predictable condition.”

  “Would you mind if we hauled you to an Alliance facility. I have brought folks out of prolonged cold sleep and it is rarely a simple matter.”

  “Understood. I am worried about her as well.”

  Pen worked the connecting magnetics as the Grey Talon moved into position under their ship. In half an hour, they were cinched together and on their way to the nearest Alliance medical station.

  Ikvaro kept checking the display that Talon linked to their ship. The image of Aggie in full armour caused his heart to skip a beat. She was immobile and lifeless which was so far from the woman that he remembered he worried for her condition inside the chilled cocoon.

  He contacted the med facility and informed them of the situation. They were standing by.

  Pen chuckled. “Pulling rank isn’t like you.”

  Ikvaro made a face. “It was necessary.”

  “If you think so, I am sure it was. She will be fine.”

  “I hope so. I really hope so.” He set his gaze on the monitor that showed the motionless woman in Keeper armour. He knew something was wrong, but he had no idea what it was. He dreading finding out.

  * * * *

  Aggie felt the consciousness that had inhabited her try to jump to the forefront. She pushed it back with force.

  My body, my eyes. I get to see where I am.

  Apologies, host. I was merely looking forward to being out in a wandering form.

  Call me Aggie, Ylor. I offered you the chance to come in. Don’t make me regret it.

  Yes, Avatar.

  She was cold, very cold. Before she could open her eyes, she was surrounded by warm. It filled her lungs and she coughed and choked on it until her body surrendered and breathed it in.

  I could warm you and you would be in ideal health.

  No, Ylor. I need to see where I am. You are my hidden secret for now.

  Understood, Avatar.

  Aggie opened her eyes and the world was strange. Everything was both distant and magnified. Ikvaro was standing next to the plexi column that held her, and she smiled and pressed her hand to the inner column.

  He smiled and pressed his hand to hers.

  The connection to Marty flared to life and the relief streaming through it told her everything she needed to know about how long she had been gone.

  Medical uniforms made their rounds, and one of them must have spotted something odd in her scans. They spoke eagerly to Ikvaro, and he scowled.

  With that frown settled on his features, he opened a com unit in her tank. “Aggie, is there something extra in there with you?”

  She gave him a thumbs-up. If he asked a question, she would always answer it honestly.

  He leaned back in surprise and didn’t speak.

  A doctor eagerly shoved him away and spoke to her. “You are exhibiting the same bloodstream indicators that we find in those with a planetary inhabitant.”

  He hadn’t asked her a question, so she looked at him, bobbing up and down in the tank.

  He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “Do you have the mind of a planet inside you?”

  She made a seesaw motion with her hand.

  He asked Ikvaro if he knew the sign. He took the com. “You mean sort of?”

  She nodded.

  I could get you out to speak to them.

  This is the first time I have been warm in nearly two years, Ylor. You stay put.

  He chuckled in her thoughts.

  Aggie closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of warmth. Folks may say that you didn’t feel the passage of time in cold sleep, and they were right, but you did feel the cold.

  She rubbed her arms and looked down. If she could have screamed, she would have.

  Being naked in front of Ikvaro was a fantasy, doing it covered in goo was a nasty shock. She curled up into a foetal position and tucked her head against her knees.

  She heard voices through the speakers and ignored them. She floated in her curled position for hours, trying to pretend that she didn’t hear frantic questions posed by the medics.

  Aggie cheated and used Ylor’s senses to look for Ikvaro. When he wasn’t within ten feet of her tank, she straightened and rea
ched for the surface. Hands pulled her out and a wrap was tucked around her while she threw up the fluid she had been breathing. She looked up and frowned. “Damn it, Ikvaro.”

  He rubbed her back. “I told you, the key to fooling a predator was to remain still. I didn’t think that you would ever be the predator in that equation.”

  “I didn’t think you would be seeing me naked without a nice dinner, so we are both surprised.”

  He looked delighted and laughed. “Come on. The medical staff is going out of their minds trying to figure out what is inside yours.”

  She sighed and wobbled to her feet, easing down the tank steps one by one. “You know the rogue world I was on when you found us?”

  “Yes, do you?”

  “Its name is Ylor and what power and consciousness was left of it is now inside my body.”

  She stumbled forward and he caught her, helping her to the exam bed.

  The medical staff stood by and waited until she was settled. She was scanned within an inch of her life a moment later.

  I can stop them if you wish, Avatar.

  No, this is necessary. They haven’t really seen you yet. Your presence altered my personal chemistry and they got curious.

  You are the mate of this Selna male. Correct?

  Not yet. We have been going through a weird courtship. I think. I don’t know. We weren’t allowed a relationship because of my job and his job.

  And yet, he is here at your side. I will investigate.

  Before she could stop him, Ylor was touching Ikvaro’s mind and her favourite instructor froze in place, immobile.

  The doctors got very excited and continued to stare at the readouts.

  Ylor returned to her mind and she felt the smug satisfaction of her companion. She tried to find out what he had learned, but he was silent.

  Finally, she cleared her throat. “I know you are all very excited, but I am cold and damp here and I have been cold for long enough. Either get me a suit or throw a blanket over me.”