Ascent Read online

Yavoy sighed and caressed her thigh where it rested on his. “I suppose we should go and dry off.”

  “I suppose so, but what the hell could be going on that I would be requested? I have been an Avatar less than a day.” She leaned back and the water cascading from the fixture swirled between them and pooled where Yavoy was still holding them tightly together.

  “I don’t know, but that sort of thing usually involves a matter of planetary risk.”

  Lili chuckled, “You will have to let go of me if we are to dry off to attend to this.”

  He sighed while he lowered her thigh. “You are no fun.”

  She snorted. “That isn’t what you were thinking last night.”

  His grin replaced the disappointed sigh almost immediately. “True. Very well. Let’s get you into something suitable and from there, we can proceed with whatever they need us to involve ourselves in.”

  She stepped back, finished rinsing the last of the soap from her hair and body and reached for a towel.

  Allow me.

  Arengar’s voice in her mind startled her, but the heat that suddenly blasted from her skin, drying her completely, was amazing. Her hair lifted and fell in a smooth and pale cloak down her spine.

  Yavoy’s body was drying in the same way as hers was.

  “Okay, Yavoy, where are those robes?”

  He flew them back to the city and they landed directly on the administration building’s front step.

  Yavoy put her gently on her feet and she took his arm to walk with him inside the building. The elaborate robe that she was wearing was a long jacket for her companion. On her, it fell to her ankles and it was belted with the smoky wrap from her previous night’s bodice. The embroidery stiffened the fabric to the point where it felt like she was wearing heavy silk armour. It was not a bad idea for her first appearance as Arengar’s secondary Avatar. Armour could come in handy if any of Yavoy’s ex-lovers objected.

  The Jerican stepped aside as they walked to the council chambers. None of the people glared at her, though there were several curious gazes sent her way.

  Within the council chamber, Hon was waiting with the other twenty councillors of Geko 7.

  There was a spot for the Avatar and this was where Yavoy headed. He helped her to seat herself and stood at her side.

  Lili shivered as she felt Arengar swell in her thoughts. She heard her voice and Yavoy’s speaking as one.

  “You have called and I have come. What do you need, Jerican?”

  The councillors nodded and Councillor Hon stood. “Our harvest is under way, but we have received a message from Jerican that has disturbed us.”

  “Speak. What is the message?”

  “They are demanding a tithe for their assistance in the supplying of our colony.”

  The councillors murmured in anger.

  Arengar nodded both their heads. “How much are they demanding?”

  “Fifty percent.” Councillor Hon nodded.

  “That is unacceptable. Bring them up on the screens.” Arengar was irritated and Lili could only sit back in her own body to try to keep herself busy.

  She wondered if Yavoy was doing the same thing in his own mind.

  The conversation was very one sided. The Jerican representative insisted that half the harvest for the first twenty years was owed to the home world of the colony and nothing that Arengar could say would stop them from coming to take their due.

  The moment that the connection was cut, Lili was enjoying the first stirrings of a plan.

  Arengar, what do the Jerican ships look like?

  I don’t know.

  Can you find out? I am having a thought and I need that information to flesh it out.

  “My Avatar requires the information of the ships that your people will bring.”

  Councillor Hon blinked. “Pardon, Avatar?”

  “The ships. She requires the style of ships for some reason. I can see some of her way of thinking and it is a fascinating idea.”

  Councillor Hon brought up a data screen and rapidly did a search. The cargo ship displayed was huge and cumbersome…and perfect.

  Arengar smiled with both of his Avatars, “Gentlemen, we have a plan.”

  Chapter Eight

  Two weeks later…

  Lili smiled as she watched the Jerican collectors load the last of their tithe onto their ship.

  “Please sign this document confirming the receipt of the payload, please.”

  The captain of the ship came forward and signed and pressed his thumb to the data pad. “I would stand back if I were you, we are a little messy when we take off.”

  Lili inclined her head. “Of course. Have a good trip. It is all up to you now.”

  She walked away with a swing to her hips and a grin on her lips.

  Yavoy was busy keeping the councillors calm and in the council chambers, so Lili was free to enact her part of the plan.

  She was wearing a skirt that clung to her hips and a floaty top that barely covered her breasts if she lifted her arms.

  Arengar had given her a few alterations. Her hair was now the same pale silver as Yavoy’s and her body had a complimentary musculature that drove him nuts while he was inside her. She now had the control to ripple her channel up and down his shaft without moving any other muscles.

  She had chuckled at Yavoy’s surprise when she had straddled him to use her new skill last night.

  With single-minded purpose, she absently watched the Jerican cargo ship lift off, its payload safely on board.

  She hiked the skirt up and tucked the leading edge into her waistband so that she would be unencumbered when she climbed the outer hull of the H’dar.

  Lili whistled idly as she typed in the pass code and dropped into her ship. She sealed the hatch and wandered to the cockpit, her skirt still hiked.

  Are you sure this will work? Arengar asked her as she started up her ship and did the pre-flight checks.

  Well, they are in possession of it now. With no contract between the Jerican and the colonists, they have engaged in an act of piracy. I am simply going to retrieve our goods.

  I will be with you.

  Lili smiled. I know. Now hold on, this is not a comfortable trip.

  It has been a long time since I have sent my consciousness off my surface. Keep yourself safe, or Yavoy will be forced to come after you and he would not be happy when he found you.

  You think he would miss me?

  I know he would miss you. You are rapidly becoming his focal point and I could not be happier. Solitary Avatars get broody.

  She laughed and took the controls in her hands. Here I go. Wish me luck.

  Her ascent was not smooth, but she was less than half an hour behind the larger Jerican ship.

  She had caught a few floating cargos before, but never one that was moving under its own power. This would be a challenge, not only for the ship but also for her. The countermeasures that the H’dar carried were not designed to zap a ship for capture.

  Lili whistled as she followed the cargo ship and when she was within range, she fired.

  The pulse wrapped around the ship with energy and displays indicated that the cargo vehicle was on emergency power.

  The H’dar moved over the cargo ship, matching its speed and trajectory before extending the claspers.

  The cargo vehicle was under her ship and tight against its belly in under half an hour. With a delicate manoeuvring of her thrusters, she aimed the ships for Geko 7.

  A wee little adventure and it was time to go home.

  She hoped that the cargo vessel’s emergency systems were in good shape, because there was no way for her to help them with minor or major repairs.

  A flick of her fingers and all outgoing messages were blocked.

  She spoke in her thoughts. Can you tell Yavoy that I am on my way back? This is going to be an ugly landing, so I will need a nice spot to set down where there are few if any living beings.

  Arengar’s voice was smooth and calm. It was amazin
g how it sounded like Yavoy, but there were dozens of different emotions behind it. We are waiting for you. I have sent you the coordinates for the northern desert. You will disturb nothing there.

  Thank you.

  With the image of her landing zone in her thoughts, she programmed the H’dar and held onto the controls as she passed the moons and returned to her world.

  Like many Terrans, once she had adapted to the idea of never being able to go home, the urge to settle down and live a quiet life all her own had risen to the fore. With the alterations that the Alliance had engaged in when they first arrived, the capacity for change had been exploited as much as it could be.

  Spatial recognition was her skill, the thing that got their attention and allowed her her spot in the Volunteer collection.

  Two thousand people had been chosen and to everyone’s shock, over sixty-five percent were women. When pressed, the Alliance representatives had given them the only answer that they could. The women would adapt better. They were more apt to try to fit into the society as opposed to the men who would try to remake Terra somewhere out in the Alliance.

  A Terran colony was not a bad idea as ideas went, but humans needed to prove their place and their abilities first. If they couldn’t adapt, they would never survive or thrive.

  Lili got her mind out of her reminiscences and focussed on landing the H’dar. It was awkward at the best of times. This was going to be a bear.

  The northern desert was a flat and barren plain and with all of her concentration, Lili brought the ship in for a slow and relatively sedate landing.

  As they shuddered to a halt, she sighed in relief. Yavoy was hovering outside the ship and he had a furious scowl on his face.

  The moment she popped her head out of the hatch, he grabbed her arm and hauled her out of her ship. “Why didn’t you tell me what you were going to do?”

  “I thought Arengar would. He was with me the whole way.”

  “Well, he didn’t. He is good at keeping secrets if he thinks I will get upset.”

  She tugged at her skirt until it swirled around her ankles again. “Were you upset?”

  “I was pissed off. I had no idea what you were really up to until the H’dar lifted off and Arengar told me to keep calm.”

  She chuckled. “Can you deliver the shuttle?”

  “I can. Twelve will fit on board, but it will be snug. We have explained the situation to the Sector Guard and they are waiting in the city for your signal. They will take the extortionists home.”

  Lili sighed happily. “Can you take me home, Yavoy? I am a little tired.”

  He caught her in his arms and lifted her high against his chest.

  She could feel the warmth of his hands through the thin fabric she was wearing.

  “I will. But this will be a long journey so hold tight.”

  She translated it in her mind—he was going to zip along a magnetic line as quickly as he could. Her clothing would be torn and her hair wild when they arrived.

  She didn’t mind one bit.

  Chapter Nine

  At their apartments in the city, Lili took a long shower while they waited to get news from the council. Yavoy was watching her with a harsh expression on his face.

  “What is the scowl for, Yavoy?”

  “You pirated that ship.”

  “I repossessed the fruits of Geko 7. They signed a statement that indicated they knew they were engaged in a seizure of property from the surface of this world. Reclaiming the harvest once they had taken possession was within our rights.”

  I do like the way you think, Lili. Arengar’s voice was amused.

  “Did he say something to you as well just now?”

  She finished rinsing her ivory hair and shut off the taps, drying herself with the increase in skin temperature and fluffing of her hair.

  “Yes. He enjoyed your plot. He thought it was very creative and an excellent solution.” What is your problem with it?”

  “I didn’t know about it. It came as quite a shock when he informed me that you were crashing the ship in the northern desert.”

  She slid out of the shower and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I am sorry, but your poker face doesn’t hold up, love. We had to make sure that you were as shocked as the others. The Jerican have a recorder in the council chambers.”

  He wove his hands through her hair and tugged her head back. “How did you figure that out?”

  “There had to be. All these years the Jerican have been producing smaller amounts of food and yet their home world made no attempt to acquire it. We have done a bug sweep and it has become obvious that there is a listening device wired to the bottom of the Avatars’ seats.”

  “When were you two going to tell me that?”

  She smiled up at him brightly. “Now?”

  “So, for two weeks, you have kept this secret from me?”

  “No. We only found the device yesterday. It stopped me from filling you in on the entirety of the plot.” She sighed and realized his problem. “I am sorry. I should have trusted that you could keep a straight face.”

  He closed his eyes and opened them, Arengar taking up half the visible space. “He is a little irritated, but he understands. He just doesn’t like it.”

  She sighed and stroked Yavoy’s face. “I didn’t want the Jerican here to think less of him. Have you shared the other option with him, Avengar?”

  Yavoy’s red eyes cleared. “It is an intriguing idea. Do you think it will work?”

  She smiled. “Let me get dressed and we can go to the com centre to file the paperwork.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t put something on for my sake. I enjoy our contrasts.”

  She sighed and looked at his current clothing choice, a white shirt, flowing leather vest and matching trousers and boots. He stood out no matter where he was, but his white cascade of hair was the ideal accessory.

  Lili laughed at the image of her wearing nothing but black bands over essential areas and batted it away. The black bands were Yavoy’s arms and he was holding her pressed to him.

  The bleed through of his fantasies was becoming more common and more detailed as their bond increased in intensity.

  Reluctantly, she pushed free of his embrace and went into the bedroom, seeking an appropriate outfit for the momentous occasion that was about to occur.

  She selected the three-piece crystalline outfit that consisted of the breast band, skirt and cloak that made the whole thing barely decent. She still looked like a Companion, but at least she demanded attention.

  Lili brushed her hair one more time before smiling up at Yavoy. “Ready when you are.”

  He laughed and offered her his arm. Together, they walked down the halls, past their guards and toward the administration building.

  Yavoy looked down at her. “Do you honestly think that this is going to work?”

  “I am fairly sure that it will. I have done a ton of research on allowable restrictions for planets and colonists and we are within our rights to insist on this.”

  “Good. We are just getting started here. I want to make our future as bright as it can possibly be.”

  Lili warmed as it was obvious that he was not referring to the colonists. He was referring to her and she smiled as they entered the com station and took their seats.

  The Azon ambassador was the first to appear, Amy Tyrell of the Haldis Imperium popped in next, her eyes sleepy and in her pyjamas. An Ontex came up on the fourth screen and once he was there, Yavoy gave a nod to the controller and the Jerican representative came into full view.

  “What is the meaning of this? Where is our transport?”

  The Jerican rep went on the attack and Lili had to smile at the man’s behaviour playing right into Arengar’s hands.

  She gave up her body to the planet and Yavoy did the same.

  * * * *

  With one voice from two throats, Arengar spoke. “The Jerican have no claim upon the contents of that transport, nor the vehicle itself. It is
being kept as a penalty for thievery.”

  The three witnesses were attentive.

  “What? Those are our colonists. The fruits of their labours belong to us. You have no right.” He was spluttering and turning a dark blue.

  “As you have never dealt with a living world, I will explain. We can and will hold that ship in perpetuity. I provided the soil, the rain, the minerals and seeds. The people on Geko 7 are no longer members of the planets that they left. They are mine now. I claim the population upon my soil as mine and henceforth, they will be known as the Gekkan.”

  “You can’t do that!”

  Arengar smiled with both his faces. “I can and I have. Please see Alliance precedents. Any personnel landing and living on the surface of a sentient world can become possessions of that world at its discretion. I am exerting that option now.”

  Terran Representative Amy Tyrell started typing frantically and then she smiled. “You are correct. All personnel living on a sentient world for more than twenty-four hours become accessible to that planet in any manner that he/she sees fit. This is not limited to enforced colonization but extends to the role of Avatar.”

  The Azon Ambassador nodded. “The rulings are quite clear. It is up to the colony world to negotiate the terms before landing and settling in. If this was not done, your people now belong to Arengar.”

  The Ontex agreed. “I am afraid so. You have no recourse. Your colonists belong to him now.”

  The Jerican representative was almost foaming at the mouth. “That was not our agreement, Arengar.”

  “You brought your people, moved into my city and only then did you bother making any overtures to my Avatar. Too little, too late. We will return all personnel on the transport to you, but I am afraid that the ship itself is lost.”

  He made a strangled noise. “What?”

  “The ship is locked in rocky tendrils. It had to land in a semi-volcanic area and it is bound up as a result.” Arengar inclined his head and smiled. “Please have a good afternoon, Representative. We are still in the middle of our harvest and time is precious.”

  Amy Tyrell was grinning as the Jerican rep fell into foul language and threats.

  Arengar nodded and the offensive man was cut off. “Thank you for your witnessing, Representative.”