Trained to Destroy Read online

  He blinked and backed up. “I understand…I think.”

  “Good. Now, let me out, and I will return to the base.”

  Targo was growling in her arms, and when Penodal reached out to touch her arm, he snapped at the archivist with his little beak.

  Penodal quickly opened the door with the same security protocols that the entry required.

  Rathi walked out with a distinct stride as she called out, “Thank you that was helpful.”

  It wasn’t quite a run, but she made her way out of the Citadel at the most decorous speed she could manage. The moment she was clear of the building, she took off and headed back to the base for some meditation and some time to make out the details of what she had picked up. One thing rang in her mind over and over. She was not alone.

  She paced back and forth in her room, Targo was romping in the open garden just outside her balcony and Jarrod had not answered her ping. If they sent him off world without letting him say goodbye, she would not forgive them.

  A knock on her door brought her head around. She quickly opened it and hauled Jarrod inside.

  He was confused. “What?”

  “They made more than one.”

  His eyes widened. “You? They made more than one of you?”

  “Not exactly like me. A goddess of the elements and a goddess of green nature. There are two more out there. Or there were. I don’t know if they are still alive, but I want to find out. How can I access the archive without Penodal groping me again?”

  Jarrod changed colour. “He did what?”

  “He put his hand on my waist and tried to get me to agree to see him in a social venue.”

  Jarrod’s hands clenched and released in irritation. “I will have to address that.”

  “So, when are you heading out on your next assignment?”

  She sat on the edge of her bed and stroked the fabric with her hands.

  To her surprise, he knelt in front of her, leaving his head just slightly below hers. “I leave in a day. It is a non-essential assignment, but they want someone there just in case.”

  Rathi caught on. “You can’t tell me because it is classified.”

  He nodded. “Correct. Will you be all right when they send you to Resko-Devi?”

  She shrugged. “I think so. I hope so.” Before she could change her mind, she held his head in her hands and pressed a soft kiss to his lower lip.

  He trembled in her hands, and she followed her first kiss with six more, each slowly taking one of his lips between her own as she learned the different sensations that ran through her with every light touch.

  He gripped her waist and held her lightly as he tilted his head to increase their connection.

  When she stopped and looked into his eyes, his slow smile brought her back to him as he slowly stood and bore her back to the bed.

  With delicate touches, he eased her out of her bodysuit, pausing to let her halt him if she chose to. She opted to let things run their course.

  His clothing disappeared under her hands, and she felt a wince of guilt when she realized he wasn’t going to have anything to wear back to his room. Ah, well. His skin felt too good under her fingers to regret anything for long.

  Jarrod moved over her, into her and they rocked together until she felt the strange sensation of leaving her own body in a burst of energy. When her system settled, she was curled against him, and he was on his side, stroking her slowly from shoulder to knee.

  She shivered and looked up at him. “So, I can’t see how cloning ever caught on.”

  He grinned and kissed her with a hand on her belly. “I think you need to get a meal. I will join you in the dining hall, all right?”

  Rathi kissed him back. “I am sorry about your clothing.”

  He chuckled and pressed his lips to the back of her hand as he faded from sight. “Oh.”

  The tip of one breast felt the flick of a tongue before the door to her room opened and closed. She giggled. “I forgot about that.”

  Rathi got to her feet and wobbled into the lav, taking a quick solar shower so that she wouldn’t feel sticky. A fresh suit and a quick brush of her hair later and she was on her way to the dining hall.

  An irritated chirp from behind her stopped her just before her door closed. Wincing, she opened the door wide and picked up Targo. “Sorry, squirt.”

  With him chattering his displeasure in her ear, she walked down the hall and got him a full plate of greens and seeds while she loaded up her own plate with some edible selections. She put Targo and the tray on a table before she returned to the beverage station for a glass of water and a small pot of tea.

  She passed Jarrod on her way and smiled brightly at him as he went to collect his own meal. Though she was not up on the finer points of post-coital interaction, she was sure that a smile was in order.

  They ate, and he asked her if she could remember any details about the clones in question.

  “No. They were decanted before I was and taken from the Ichadra without any attempt at purchase. Two cities were burned to the ground to take them, so when I was decanted, they moved me.”

  “Where did you learn all this?”

  “I mugged the Archive. I know it was probably against protocol, but the information offered by the Cheekan archive was very interesting. I can’t confirm it until I find another source, but it is a wonderful thought that I am not the only one of my kind.”

  He smiled. “I have a number of siblings, so I can understand how you feel. If I knew that there was someone out there related to me, I would engage in every possible means to find them.”

  She sighed and toyed with her salad. “I am fairly sure that they have passed on. The only reason that I survived as long as I did was my situation underground in my resting state.”

  Silence fell between them.

  Rathi perked up and fed Targo a piece of lettuce that he was having problems with. “Of course, if either of them had children, I would have grandnieces and nephews out there. That would be interesting.”

  Olaris walked in and got his meal. He paused next to them. “May I join you?”

  Jarrod waved his hand in invitation. “Rathi, if you want to mention it to Olaris, now might be a good time.”

  Rathi grimaced and explained the topic to the ex-stellar Avatar. When she was finished, he sat for a moment.

  “Are you sure?”

  She shook her head. “No. I am not. I have no idea if the Cheekan were correct when they recorded the first two Ichadra goddesses and their departure from their home world.”

  Olaris nodded. “I understand the pain of separation. I will have some of the Seekers look into the possibilities. The Raiders are still in orbit around your home, so we will have to wait until they leave to get some good samples for a Reader to work over. Do you have any younger siblings?”

  She frowned. “Not that I know of. There was never anything mentioned to me when I came out to defend the world, but I only came out, performed my duty and returned to my compound. I believe there would have been more notice if someone else had been decanted.”

  Olaris ate in silence for a moment. “Is it possible that one of the clones caused the destruction of the Ichadra?”

  Rathi paused while feeding Targo. “What?”

  “An entire species was wiped out without notice. They disappeared without a whimper. Do you think one of the clones could have had a talent for disease?”

  Jarrod was staring at her, and she shrugged. “Biological manipulation is definitely a possibility.”

  Olaris nodded. “I will give Relay the data that you have accumulated and tell her what to look for. She may be able to locate the most likely places for your siblings to be.”

  Rathi nodded, a ball of hope starting to swell in her chest. “Excellent. Now, when do I try out for Resko-Devi?”

  “You leave at dawn. We have a pre-programmed shuttle that will take you there. We can’t broadcast co-ordinates, because it is a secure world. We are trying to keep the re
maining population safe.”

  She bit her lip and looked at Jarrod. “Can I have visitors?”

  Olaris shook his head. “If the Resko-Devi accept you, you will be on your own with the exception of supply drops. I understand that you may feel cut off from contact, but you will have access to a secure com unit. You can talk with any of the Guardsmen and Citadel personnel anytime you wish.”

  His bright smile sank her heart. She looked at Jarrod, and he met her gaze. Targo hopped over to her and nuzzled her chin.

  “You can, of course, take Targo. If the Resko-Devi accept you, they accept him.”

  It was a bit of brightness to her day that would have to keep the memories of the last twenty-four hours burning. Tomorrow, she would leave it all behind.

  Chapter Ten

  Jarrod was gone when she strapped into the automated shuttle. Targo had his own safe box on the seat next to hers, and Rathi kept her breathing even as the shuttle took off and accelerated away from Balen.

  A tear tracked down her cheek as hours passed and the ship ran through its first automated jump. The moment that they had resumed travel to the next jump site, she felt a hand on her skin.

  Looking down, there was no one there. She whispered, “Jarrod?”

  A kiss to her lips left her in no doubt that she wasn’t alone in the shuttle. A tiny smile crossed her lips, and she enjoyed a stroke on her cheek before a tiny movement behind her told her he was settling back to the floor.

  Rathi chuckled and stroked Targo. He was hopping up and down eagerly, enjoying his first space flight.

  The second jump was followed immediately by a third, and an hour after that, the ship began running a complex web of signals that were picked up by the satellites in orbit around Resko-Devi.

  The shuttle slipped through the defence grid and began its pre-programmed descent to the surface.

  She scooped Targo up and let him look out the viewing window. “See that? That’s going to be home if all goes well.”

  He chortled and shifted from foot to foot on the control panel.

  The shuttle passed over green and scarlet trees, deep amethyst water and settled next to a building designed in a similar manner to the Citadel.

  There was no sign of the locals, so Rathi got to her feet, cuddled Targo and slipped past the reclining form of Jarrod on the floor. He chuckled, and she heard him stand to follow her out the door of the shuttle.

  She walked across the smooth stone surface toward the structure that seemed built for her. The first light flickered in her peripheral vision. She didn’t turn to stare, and it was soon joined by another light. She smiled and let Targo waddle around.

  Rathi turned to the Resko-Devi, and she bowed. “Greetings. I am afraid that I did not come alone. This is Targo, and this is Hidden, a member of the Sector Guard.”

  Jarrod shifted into view and the lights swirled in alarm.

  “He has come because we are beginning a pair bond. The emphasis is on pair.”

  Jarrod walked up and slid an arm around her waist below the metal of her armour. She had suits available, but it was agreed that this was the way she should meet the clients who had requested her services. Technically, they had to sign her through the Citadel, because the Sector Guard did not have long-term outposts aside from the bases.

  The Resko-Devi thickened, and it was a swarm of a hundred that wrapped her from head to toe and separated her from Jarrod. She remained calm as they coaxed her off the edge of the cliff and hovered in place while they began to swirl in a tight spiral from her feet up to her forehead.

  Rathi asked Jarrod. “What are they doing?”

  He and Targo were watching attentively. “It seems they are giving you a makeover.”

  Her employers moved her back over the stone walkway and set her down gently. They fluttered away, leaving her staring down at the elegant gown she was wearing. The sides were slit to show the amethyst-enamelled boots that went to mid-thigh, the emerald green gown covered her from shoulder to ankle, but it was strategically slit to expose her arm, cleavage and the top of each hip down to her heels.

  She felt something on her head, and the tiara they had woven in with her hair made her grimace. “Did they stop at my armour?”

  Jarrod was laughing. “No, you have amethyst lipstick.”

  He walked up to her and pressed a kiss to her lips. Whatever they used on her mouth did not rub off on Jarrod.

  She sighed and pressed her forehead to his chest. “I am guessing that they accept me. Now, let’s have a look inside.”

  The mini-Citadel was part home, part office and part com centre. They had a halo similar to the one Penodal had used and an array of similar components.

  The Resko-Devi came in through the window carrying Targo. He was now wearing stripes of emerald and amethyst in his fur, and he seemed pleased with the new markings.

  Jarrod took a seat at the array and pulled the halo into position. He closed his eyes, and a very irritated woman’s face filled the screen.

  “Hidden, you are supposed to be on assignment.”

  He nodded. “I am aware of that, Relay. However, I have bonded to Rathi, and since she was coming to Resko-Devi, I stowed away.”

  Relay pressed her fingers to her temples. “You have made things difficult, Hidden.”

  “I beg to differ. I can cloak a shuttle and lift off the surface with no visible signs. No one will know I am here, and they certainly will not think that the surface is unattended.”

  Relay gave him a sarcastic look. “And where are you supposed to get this shuttle? This was a one-way trip for Wacorathi Quen. That ship is not designed to lift off again.”

  Rathi snorted. She had suspected, but this confirmed it.

  “I am sure that the Resko-Devi can be asked to assist in that matter.” He smiled charmingly.

  Relay sighed. “Find out and get back to me. You are an asset, Hidden. This is going in your file.”

  “Understood, but love wants what love wants.”

  Relay grinned. “I am well aware. Have fun while it lasts. It may be a while before we can get you back there once we get you out of there.”

  “I will take whatever time you can get me here. Hidden, over and out.” He disconnected the connection and removed the halo. “There, I am no longer AWOL. I am now simply out of range.”

  She laughed and walked up to him with a sway in her steps. She looked down. The damned locals were giving her high heels as she walked. Rathi fell into Jarrod’s arms. “What shall we do for dinner?”

  A bed of glitter carried in the ration packs from the shuttle.

  “Oh, that answers that.”

  Another sparkle of Resko-Devi were working on the bed, widening it and the bedding on top of it.

  A proximity alarm went off just as Jarrod was figuring out how to remove her costume.

  The Resko-Devi formed a ball, and Rathi checked the display to figure out where the threat was coming from.

  Someone had followed them in.

  Rathi fitted herself with the com and earpiece before she exited her new home through the upper portion of the tower.

  The Raider ship had weapons systems armed, so she issued a simple demand. “Leave now or be destroyed. I do not take prisoners.”

  The words that came to her through the com were not flattering, nor were they polite.

  Rathi did what she did best. She extended her hand and the Raider ship went from solid to scattered molecules in an instant, including the pilots.

  By the mass she dissipated, there were four crew members on that shuttle in addition to the pilots. As they were exposed, they were destroyed.

  It was her job description after all. She was the Destroyer.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rathi managed to keep Jarrod for three weeks before the Resko-Devi worked the shuttle into the ideal configuration for Jarrod’s needs. His skills as Hidden were in need, and he had to go.

  Rathi watched him as he finished grooming Targo before he left. “I am going
to miss you.”

  He stood and walked to her without a word. “I am coming back as soon as I can. This will be my dispatch point if I have any choice in the matter.”

  She hugged him and stroked the familiar planes of his back. “If you don’t come back, I will come out and get you, and you know what kind of a fuss that will cause.”

  She grinned and leaned up for his kiss.

  “You are my heart, my soul and my destroyer. I will be back as soon as I can. Take care of Targo. He is approaching his special time, and he needs a lot of grooming.”

  “His special time?”

  “He is going to moult, change and have babies. His diet will also shift from vegan to carnivorous, so prepare to part with your jerky.” He gave her a peck on the nose and got into his newly refitted shuttle.

  She watched him go with Targo leaning against her calf. She didn’t need to reach down for him, the Resko-Devi were lifting him into the air so she could reach him easily.

  She took him for a walk on the beach and helped him remove his extra fluff. He was half bald but still adorable.

  The Resko-Devi were keeping her. In the three weeks since she had arrived, not only had she stopped two attempts to obtain either her or the other inhabitants, but also she had provided a safe space for them to gather in the large numbers required for reproduction. They reproduced via combined energy, and the more of them that could join a mating bundle, the more little bits of light that could create matter would be cruising around the world.

  A column of light particles formed in front of her, and she paused. They tended to do makeovers when the whim struck them, and it was best to hold still.

  Greetings, Destroyer.

  Rathi blinked. “Greetings, Resko-Devi. Speech is new.”

  We needed to gain sufficient mass. Thanks to you, we now have a safe place to build our numbers and enough stray energy to power our offspring.

  “Power?”

  We feed off your stray energy, and you give off plenty. Thank you.