TALON (RIBUS 7 Book 4) Read online

  Dar hung his head momentarily. Then he looked into her terror-stricken eyes. “Chelan, the Balatesians have developed a powerful new battleship, one of many we are encountering throughout the galaxy. How and where they obtained them, we do not know. Korba suspects that ROPE is involved, as when he dealt with the Balatesians years ago, they were primitive by our standards. We now think that was all a deception.”

  Chelan shook her head slowly. “What has happened?”

  Dar felt a part of him die inside. “RIBUS 7 is but a hull, my Lady. She has been destroyed.”

  Chelan stopped breathing, the shock forcing her to stillness. Her eyes stung painfully, but she did not cry.

  Dar studied her, his heart breaking for her. “Chelan,” he whispered. “We don’t know about her crew. Most will have perished; some may have been taken; others possibly escaped. Please don’t lose hope. Fremma may be out there.”

  Chelan’s eyes finally filled with tears so astringent she could not see. She shook her head again. “I knew him too well, as did you. He was loyal and fiercely disciplined. He would have fought until he could fight no more.” She took several deep, shaky breaths. “If RIBUS 7 has died, then so has my dear Fremma.” And she hunched over.

  Dar felt his own eyes sting. He reached out and rubbed his hands over her quaking back. He knew she was right. Fremma was gone; there was no doubt.

  Time passed by painfully slowly, and finally, Chelan inched forward, seeking the comfort of Dar’s powerful embrace. “What do we do now?” she asked.

  Dar rested his head on hers. “We can only wait, my Lady. I could take the fighter and eventually join them, but that would leave you alone, and I will not do that.”

  Chelan looked up into his solemn eyes. “Does Korba know you are with me?”

  Dar shook his head. “Not yet, but he will once he links directly with RIBUS 8.”

  Chelan suddenly pushed away from him. “No! He must not know of this now.”

  “Chelan… There is no alternative. And in the end, he will take comfort knowing that you are still safe and protected by me here.”

  Chelan panicked. “Oh my god! All the men who were killed in my name. No one else will be compromised by me!”

  Dar became frantic. “What are you talking about?”

  “Korba must not know of the pregnancy or any of this. He will go into battle emotionally torn. If he knows you are here, he will figure everything out in the blink of an eye. It would seal his demise, and I could not live with the guilt.”

  Dar reached for her just as his heart seized. “Just what are you suggesting?”

  “If the Empire is to triumph, it must have its best Warlords. If Korba is to survive, he must be emotionally strong.” She squared her shoulders. “You must leave me and return to RIBUS 8 before he knows you are gone.”

  Dar blanched. He went to protest, but she was so right, it crushed the wind from his chest. Then he looked down, wide-eyed, at her delicate frame and automatically reached for her swelling belly. He closed his eyes against the agony that ripped through his core. “I could lose all,” he whispered.

  Chelan’s stomach churned as she realized that by sending him away, she, too, could lose all. Her mind raced. “Oh, Dar, I don’t know what to do. I want you here for the baby and me, and yet Korba needs you. The Empire needs you… Everyone needs you.” She closed her eyes and took a moment to still herself. Then she stared at him hard. “If you do not go and the Empire falls, then we all are dead. We have no option here.”

  Dar felt as if the ground beneath him had just given way. Then he jumped to his feet, his thoughts in tatters, his feelings disseminating about him like so much shrapnel. He paced, trying to tame his once disciplined mind. Then he whirled around to face her and slumped to his knees. “This was completely unforeseen. This is the worst-case scenario. I never dreamed I would ever have to leave you again.” He tried to draw in enough oxygen to breathe, but it seemed an impossible task. Squeezing out his next few words was pure agony. “You are right. I must go.”

  Chelan nodded, her muscles so tight with anguish that her body hurt.

  Dar forced his mind to work methodically. “I can have an even larger contingency of warriors, along with several more doctors, sent here immediately for your care. I can return to my command, and Korba will be none the wiser.” A tremor went through him as the reality of leaving her intruded explosively, threatening to derail his resolve. He ground out the next few words as if attempting to convince himself of their truth. “If I protect Korba, then I protect you. And with me in command, the Empire is aided, and our odds improved.”

  Chelan clasped her hands tightly in her lap, her fingers white with tension. “Yes,” she uttered. “It is the only way.”

  Dar sat back on his heels and looked up at the blue sky. He blinked back the threatening tears. “But I love you more than anything in the galaxy, Chelan. I have risked all to make you mine, and I have no intention of losing you or the baby. I love you more than life itself.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I want to stay…”

  Chelan pressed a finger to his lips. “Could you stay here in peace knowing that the Empire is falling? And remember, I am a target also. If all crumbles, do you think we would be safe here on Earth, to live out our lives as if nothing had taken place? I know you love me more than life itself. But I also know what you were born and bred for. I do not push you away, my love—I release you. And in fact, for the sake of the Empire and as your Empress, I order you away.”

  Dar felt himself sway. Then he lurched forward into her lap and clutched her thighs to his face. “Oh god, Chelan. No matter what, I am exchanging paradise for hell.”

  Chelan curled forward onto his back, her mind shutting down. She couldn’t handle it anymore. She could not even cry. Her world was splitting apart once again, and she was powerless to stop it.

  She closed her eyes, feeling Dar spasm beneath her, his hands clinging to her. She knew the Warlords had an annoying affinity for understatement when it came to matters of war. The fact that RIBUS 7 had been obliterated attested to that. And Korba would leave her on Earth only under dire circumstances. Chelan was also fully aware that few battles in the Empire’s history had required the engagement of two of the Empire’s best warships, not to mention two of the best Commanders, one of them the Emperor himself. This was no small skirmish. This was an all-out catastrophe.

  She felt Dar become still under her. Then he rose up and stared into her eyes. “I never wanted to leave you,” he whispered, his voice nearly gone. “I wanted every second with you.”

  Chelan took his hands and hugged them to her breasts. “I will be here, waiting for you, Dar.” She reached for his face. “Help Korba, and then come back for me. Though I will miss you more than anything or anyone, I have your child within me. That alone will sustain me until you return.”

  Dar looked down and reached for her tummy. His fingers brushed over the small mound. “You let the doctors take care of you, Chelan.”

  Chelan tried to catch her breath. “I will. You will return soon, and with you and Korba fighting side by side, it will be just that much sooner.” She smiled at him. “And then you can watch our baby being born.”

  Dar exhaled sharply as if he had been punched. He clenched his teeth against more tears. “You will be well, my Lady.”

  Chelan nodded. “I will. I want our son to be big and healthy just like his father.”

  Dar began to stroke her long hair. “As soon as I am able, I will order the best from the decks of RIBUS 8,” he repeated. “All will go well.”

  Chelan hugged herself into his chest. “I don’t care who comes here. You just make sure you return.”

  Dar crushed her to him. “You know I will.”

  Chelan drew back and touched his lips with her fingertips. “And promise me one other thing.”

  Dar waited silently.

  “When you have won the war, and all is well, please look for Fremma. Though I sense he is gone, I feel the need to searc
h for him.”

  Dar continued to look in her soft eyes. “Why?”

  “When I was waiting at the rendezvous site, something strange happened. I don’t know what it was, but it felt as though his presence washed over me.” Her eyes skated to the forest.

  “You speak of spirits, Chelan. We don’t—” He stilled, the vacant stare in her eyes alarming him.

  “I know,” she finally whispered. “I didn’t believe in them either. I still don’t. But I know there are things out there in the universe that we don’t understand, be it other dimensions or time distortions. I felt something, Dar, and in my heart, it felt like him. He wanted to come to me, but he could not.” Her tears welled. “He wants to lead us somewhere. He wants something to be found. And he wants to return to Iceanea.”

  Dar felt himself choke up. Then, unexpectedly, he caught himself following her gaze to the trees, his skin prickling. He sucked in a lungful of air and looked back at her.

  “See…” she whispered.

  Dar was speechless. He swallowed to wet his throat. “I will scan for him, my Lady. If he is there, in, or near the ship, I will find him.”

  Chelan finally sagged against him once again and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, stunned into submission by the day’s revelations. Sleep, if only for a moment, would be her temporary yet sorely inadequate escape from dismal reality, and it came swiftly in the arms of her blonde Warlord.

  Chapter 2

  Dar quickly contacted Solis through an intermediary, the same one Solis had used to interrupt the communications trail and keep Dar’s location concealed. And then two painfully long weeks passed. During this time, Chelan’s morning sickness eased, but her emotions were in turmoil. She and Dar spent every possible moment together, even while poring over the military information that Solis fed them. But all too soon, their time together came to an end.

  As dusk settled on their tiny world, Dar donned his uniform and weapons. Then they both watched as over one hundred silent fighters nestled onto the ground, near and far. Chelan clung to Dar as the cockpit covers of the ten closest ships slid back, and twenty ebony figures approached their Commander.

  “My Lord,” acknowledged one shrouded figure.

  Dar nodded. “Cainon.” Then he looked to Chelan. “My Lady, this is Cainon, my Chief of Security. He works for me in the same capacity that Fremma once served Korba. He now protects you. The rest of the men are his best, and you will get to know them all with time if you wish. This is one of many additional contingencies I have stationed all over this planet. Their sole purpose is to serve and to protect you. Do not hesitate to use them for whatever purpose you deem fit. You are still Empress, and they are under your command.”

  Chelan nodded and then peeled herself out from under Dar’s arm. “Cainon,” she acknowledged.

  The man drew back his hood and removed his flight helmet, his warm smile catching her off guard on such a somber occasion.

  He bowed to her. “My Lady,” he began. “At last, I meet you personally. I caught glimpses of you years ago while you were on RIBUS 8. But now I am truly honored to be in your presence.”

  Chelan smiled for nearly the first time in two weeks. “I, too, am honored.” And she bowed her head to him in return.

  Dar then signaled in battle language. Immediately, a man stepped forward from behind Cainon and removed his flight gear. Dar nodded toward him. “This is Lennon. He is my personal doctor. While en route from RIBUS 8, just before your arrival, he studied your world’s human physiology, just in case that knowledge was ever needed. He will be your main support, Chelan. You must be open and free with him from this moment on, for your safety and the baby’s.”

  Chelan looked at the man, his features so familiar and so confident. She nodded. “Lennon.”

  Lennon bowed. “My Lady. I will do my utmost to render you at ease, and I will care for you and your child as if you were my own.”

  Chelan smiled briefly. “Thank you, Lennon.” Then she peered up at Dar. “Perchance did Jim happen to use Lennon’s services?”

  Dar’s lip quirked. “Why, yes, I believe he did.”

  Chelan grinned for a moment and then looked out over the men. “This is a large party to conceal, my Lord.”

  Dar touched her shoulder in reassurance. “This is a battle situation. Concealment is no longer a top priority. You are. As for incoming trouble, as you know, I have even more men stationed on the dark side of your moon and at the periphery of your solar system. Here and around the globe, the crews will look after their fighters and themselves. You have only yourself to be concerned about. There are scanners on the fighters and with the men, and all personnel and equipment can be moved in a matter of seconds. And, if need be, if danger presents, they can take you from Earth for a time. But I doubt that will be necessary. They have been briefed on every possible scenario, and there is nothing they cannot handle.”

  Chelan looked back at the men, their bodies nearly invisible in the deepening dusk. In fact, if she had not seen them earlier, she would not have known they were there now, men or ships.

  Dar finally turned her to face him. “You must sleep, and I must go. Solis redirected RIBUS 8, and she is now within range of my fighter. Here on Earth, the men will be setting up camouflaged shelters with all the conveniences one could need for an extended stay if necessary.”

  Chelan suddenly felt ill: the moment she had dreaded most was now upon her. She nodded weakly, keeping her tears in check only because of the men around her. She kissed Dar gently on the cheek and then looked away.

  Dar’s heart was breaking, and he wanted to take her right then and there so badly, he hurt. But he dared not touch her, for if he did, he knew he would never leave. Turning quickly, he gathered his shroud around him and melted into the darkness.

  Chelan felt faint and was suddenly overcome by a grief she could not hope to handle. Though she knew the men were still with her, she needed to escape it all. She turned away and sought the comfort of the tent she and Dar had shared for so long. There she gathered all the blankets about her and settled down uneasily. Her ears strained to catch any sound the crew might make, but there was none. Time dragged on, and eventually, a restless slumber overcame her.

  *****

  Morning seemed to come too soon, yet hard as she tried, Chelan could sleep no longer. She hated the thought of leaving the tent. Though the men were Dar’s, she did not know them, and in a way, she would have preferred to be alone. She was the Empress, but the thought of actually overseeing these men overwhelmed her. She was not as confident in these dire circumstances without the Warlord’s direction; indeed, without his presence, she actually felt terrified. All she wanted to do was stay curled up in her shelter until he returned, and for the moment, that was exactly what she intended to do.

  “My Lady,” came a deep voice.

  Chelan was startled but quickly regrouped. “Yes?”

  “We need to talk.”

  Chelan clutched at her shirt and tried to catch her breath. Then she extracted herself from her blanket and forced herself to peek out of the tent. There before her, crouched at her level, was Lennon, a wry smile on his young face. “Your damn planet is much too hot,” he commented.

  Chelan smiled. “Sorry, but there is not much I can do about it.”

  Lennon chuckled and then extended his gloved hand to her. “Come with me. A small walk will do us both good.”

  Chelan nodded. “I need to dress first.”

  “You are fine in your long shirt, my Lady. We won’t go far, and besides, the less you wear in this heat, the better you will feel.”

  Chelan accepted his hand, and he helped her to her feet. Once beside him, she finally took the time to study the man clad in the ebony Imperial uniform. His blue-black hair feathered over his shoulders and fell midway down his back. His eyes were the usual intense azure blue, and his smile radiated warmth. Tearing her gaze from his, she looked about her, but no one else was in sight. “Where is everyone?”

&nb
sp; Lennon glanced around. “They are here, in different locations, all tending to their tasks and to your security. I doubt you will see much of them unless you desire to do so. We know of your ways. We will not infringe on your privacy.”

  Chelan peered up at him with appreciation. “I will take your word for it, Lennon. I know that your men could be only meters away and render themselves invisible.”

  Lennon supported her as she slipped into her runners, and then he urged her to walk. “I know that you have had little time to adjust to the situation, my Lady. What is happening throughout the Empire has been a bit of a shock to all of us. If there is any way I can make you more comfortable here, let me know. I can be around as little or as much as you wish.”

  Chelan pondered his words as she picked her way delicately through the foliage. “I think I need some company,” she said. “Otherwise, I will dwell on Dar.”

  They reached a small meadow. In the center of it, Lennon helped her to sit down. Then he sat cross-legged in front of her.

  She stared at him. “What do you know about me?”

  Lennon tossed his head back, clearing his thick hair from his face. “In what respect, my Lady?”

  Chelan glanced down at the grass and fiddled with a blade. She looked back at him from under her brows. “You know I am Korba’s Letted mate.”

  Lennon nodded. “The galaxy knows, my Lady.”

  “Do you not wonder about my pregnancy?”

  A small grin spread across his face. His voice was soft and low. “Of course. But it is none of my business.”

  Chelan began to pick nervously at the plants in front of her. “Do you know how long Dar has been away from RIBUS 8?”

  “I am not sure. Sometimes the crew catches only fleeting glimpses of their Commander through an entire mission. The ships are massive, and the crews are many. Commander Dar need not explain his whereabouts to anyone except his Second-in-Command and Cainon. I know only how long I have been here.”