Among Bright Stars... (20 page)

Uric tapped his ring-studded fingers
together. “Are the neurological flashers working?”

“
The heads of our PSI Department claim to
have made a primitive recording,” informed Oberon “Of a monkey, but
they’re not certain the technology is ready for human use. Think of
how it will change life as we know it?”

“
Let’s see – This Aria, test it out on
her.”

Oberon nodded. An inkling of his father's
plan solidified for him, and Oberon could not but help to admire
Uric's ability to think in the long term. Devious old man, he
thought.

[Vorkrür: The Present, Talik’s
Apartments]

“Interesting,” smoldered Nadia at the
recording. “I did not realize our goings on had been recorded.” Not
that this much surprised her. Uric Kreis always had been given to
paranoia. Of course, he watched the goings on of his leading
researchers.

“That's naive, for one as astute as you
Doktor Korelia.” Kreis calmly switched off his security record from
that auspicious evening, those many years before. “Had it not been
for me, you would never have met your husband,” he extended his
arms. “Und all this would not have come to pass.”
Jahvol!
That notion tickled him.

“Why did you create her? What were your true
intents in bringing Aria here?” Nadia demanded, focused her PSI
power to rip through whatever shielded Talik – Oberon’s mind from
her. Yet as always, she came up against white noise.

“We’ve been over this,” Talik said
frustrated. “Ah,” he sensed a tingle between his eyes. “I see you
attempt to break my shield. No doubt it is familiar to you.” Kreis
fingered a chunky gold ring he wore. The static interference which
surrounded Talik increased to become a deafening hum, and caused
Nadia to fall to her knees to clutch at her temples.

“What... What?” The pain staggered her.
Nadia recalled her enameled armband, her link to her personal
Valküri.
The stylized DNA, which
ironically happened to be the symbol of GenKon INC. integrated into
the Green Egg. She reached to press the hidden alarm.

Talik shook his head. “So stubborn.”
Unlatching Nadia’s wristband, Talik said: “I think not, we’ve no
need of your Valküri.” He then explained in a low, deadly voice.
“Did you think we’d make a weapon that we could not control? We
mastered the same morphic fields that your gift comes from. That
primal spark in all animals. ” Talik circled the Queen. “Turhan
protested your volunteering for the project, he feared ill
befalling his Nadia, his daughter with the striking eyes. Worse
that you would become a weapon for us.” Turhan attempted to go
straight to the Director, though Oberon had made it clear, his
daughter willingly asked for these enhancements, besides, the
Korelia’s owed GenKon. “Your mental profile proved perfect,” he
grinned wolfishly. “Given what you are, und so you had the
intellect to withstand such a change. That fabulous positronic
brain of yours, quite suited for telepathic enhancement.” Oberon
softened his tone. “Those eyes, those hypnotic eyes have always
been their own psychic weapon..” He stood over her, she reached
out, pleaded for him to stop the assault. “Not just yet. I’ve a
thing to tell you. We must have an understanding between us.”
Dialing the yellow jewel on his ring back, slightly, just enough to
allow Nadia the ability of speech, Kreis waited for her ascent. Not
seeing it, he touched another control. A butterfly, black with blue
patterns fluttered directly before Queen Nadia. She noticeably
gasped. “It is my understanding, because of a childhood trauma
you’ve an abject fear of butterflies,” Kreis dangerously stated.
“You must agree to listen, und I'll make it go away.”

Tear filled eyes closed, Nadia nodded and
managed to speak. “Yes.”

The illusion of the fluttering creatures
faded, Kreis continued to pace around her.

Onslaught abated, Nadia gathered her
strength, Oberon was a threat, she must act!

“Anytime, in my many years here I could have
struck at you. Sharr trusts you so, needs you so much.” Admitted
Oberon Kreis while he circled her, his footfalls echoed louder with
each pass. “Destroy you und he, with but a whisper would fall.”
Close, dangerously close he whispered. “Sharr has come to trust me,
believe in me, even entrusts the education of his heir to my hand.
How impressed he was with my tutelage of Frederika.”

For her claw-blade Nadia reached, she even
managed to unsheathe it, and attempted to threaten the One-Eyed
Prussian, yet she faltered in her effort.

“No, I am not done yet.” The Prussian easily
took the Kraris from her. He studied the holy weapon of the
Falcanians. Gazed on it with a warrior’s respect for fine steel.
“This is a grand symbol, the alloy of mankind forged into that of a
god. My brother, he is nothing if not poetic – even genius in his
own way.” He let the arched spine of the blade glide past Nadia’s
exposed neck. “Yet, as they say, there's nothing like an Aspie with
a bright idea.”

Wide-eyed, T'Kara glanced up, and might
under other circumstances have grinned at Talik's half-ironic
remark regarding Sharr's neurological condition. She understood
better than most how it furnished for her husband, a singular view
on the universe, and probably had made The Phoenix Project
possible. “What are you waiting for?” Her head throbbed, Nadia
choked out. “Strike!”

“For such a superior intellect, you do not
seem to be paying attention.” Oberon could see the gears begin
work, logic streams form inside Nadia’s brilliant beautiful mind.
“We...” Oberon slipped. No! That he could not confess to. Not yet.
“I concede this much, I created Aria to undermine Sharr. The plan
had been intended to unseat him with a ghost from his past – A
phantom that would sunder you’re relationship, make a fool of Sharr
in the eyes of his people.” He gave her a moment to take this in.
“My first months here, I worked hard to see this to its end, und
enacted my own agenda.” To admit such a conspiracy could cost him
his life knew Oberon. “Until a revelation struck me...”

“What – “ To form the words became hard,
Nadia’s mind had turned to chaos, began to splinter under the white
noise. Telepaths weren't invulnerable. “Are you a loyal servant
now?”

“Indeed.” Talik Kreis declared.

“Why?” Nadia spoke in a whisper.

“My conversion point you mean?” Once more,
Talik smiled. “At first it had been the same as what took in
Frederika.” He chuckled. “An amusement with this culture that Sharr
created, then it became love for my little brother. I’d never had a
brother before, here I belonged.” He told her contemplatively. The
truth was, having a sibling had done it. “Do not think putting my
loyalty in with him did not have its price.”

As quick as it had taken her, the white-hot
hum vanished, though Nadia found her telepathic abilities still
hampered by its after effects. She had been humbled, and made
lesser than before. It would be some while before Nadia returned to
her full strength.

Hand offered, Talik helped Nadia to her
feet, he then ceremonially handed back her Kraris which she took
back from him with a firm grip, its claw tip held above Talik’s
exposed chest. He appeared ready to throw himself onto the blade.
“If you truly think me a threat, plunge your knife into my heart
und be done with me. My life is yours to have.” Talik fully
expected for his Queen to sheath her blade in his chest. “Take my
heart, then go slit Aria’s throat, end it all.”

A crimson line of blood shone across the
curved razor edge. Images of Oberon dead on the floor, and her then
cutting Aria’s throat flamed in Nadia’s inner eye. Everything she
needed had been laid out for her here. How easy it would be to rid
herself of Aria using Oberon’s confession, yet Veheer’s warning
stayed her blade. Oberon meant,
The High Born Bear.
“Why
sacrifice yourself?”

“My only wish is to prove my loyalty, once
und for all time.”

“Good,” Nadia bit off. “I want Frederika's
IRAD circuit.”

The Jagirdar produced a velvet pouch, in
which he kept the aforementioned technological wonder. “I thought
you might,” he said, having anticipated such a demand as he handed
the bag over to Nadia. “You Morningstars are truly remarkable
beings. No wonder Uric Kreis thought you were his ticket to
immortality.”

Kraris returned to its sheath, she replaced
her wristband, and then the Queen spoke in a low, haughty tone:
“Remember always, Talik. Your life belongs to me.”

“Where are we going?” Alira asked as she
followed her sister out into the hanger.

Sitara went over a preflight checklist,
while they stood at the aft of the
FS-Vor Kiral Kra
, now
sporting a new prefix: TFV-1, its engines started to charge up,
ready for lift off. “We,” Sitara had an edge in her voice. “We’re
going nowhere.” She informed her younger sister. “You’re staying
here, reassigned, with my recommendations aboard one of the new
destroyers.”

Alira’s lips opened shocked, and she
suddenly noticed that Sitara wasn’t in her Armada uniform, though
she wore what could be considered Falcanian civilian livery, her
own personal standard emblazoned on the upper arm: A variation on
her paternal kinship’s own Tri-Claw, but it gripped a green
diamond, instead of a shield.

“As to where, the crew and I are doing deep
space reconnaissance.”

“You’ve taken the ship independent?”

“We still serve the Drakonis tharrin.”
Sitara pointed out clearly on edge. “I’ll be back in a few months.
Don’t worry Alira, we’ll see each other again.”

“What’s wrong?” Alira could tell that there
must be a problem, as it was unusual for Sitara to keep so bottled
up. “Please Sitara, tell me what’s going on?”

In answer Sitara reached out, and took
Alira’s hands. “Farewell my sister.” At the moment running away
from it all felt to her to be the best option. Kulcarin could not
bother her or… Space was large, she would be safe out there, and no
scandal could arise if no one knew what had transpired between her
and the Skatha Lord.

Alira stood back to watch the
TFV-1
Kiral Kra
rise on its VTOLS. Majestically the blue craft
sped toward the heavens. “What’s gotten into you Sitara?” She
decided that she must tell Nadia about her daughter’s strange
behavior.

From her place on her bridge, Sitara
Drakonis-Aranskrai watched Earth fade away as her vessel sped from
the system. With one last glance she noted the shadowed outline of
the
Batjros
as it swung by on its inner system pass of the
Solar System, which caused her to recall:
“Sitara, this is
highly unusual?”
Dr. Izor Mackross spoke, extremely concerned.
“
Such matters are more often than not meant for your Mother’s
Valküri.”

“
Please Izor, you’re an old friend. Can’t
you – ”

“
And that is why I am not at all
comfortable with what you want of me Sitara. It’s not my place to
tell you what to do with your body, but I know that your parents
likely would not approve. Your bloodline is important.” Dr.
Mackross didn't mean her royal blood either. “You’re asking me to
break Falcanian tradition,” he took his oath serious. “To do harm
as a doctor. And most importantly, Falcanians do not take Falcanian
life. Besides, Kulcarin –“

“
Is the father, and he is unfit to raise
this child.” Sitara insisted. “I don’t want to cause a scandal, not
now, during such an exceedingly contentious time for our people.”
Chaos could result were she to charge Kulcarin with rape, or worse
Falcanian might take Falcanian blood.

“
As if an abortion might solve such a
problem.” The Doctor touched her soothingly, yet soon after the
attack, she recoiled at any male contact. “What happened?”

“
He’s not himself,”
she
whimpered.
“Kulcarin, he raped me.”

“
Go tell your parents –“

“
I cannot.”

“
Do you really want to be rid of that
child?”

She touched her womb, and felt the life
there in a manner that only a Falcanian could. “I... I –“

“
Am not sure?”

Sitara nodded.

“Captain Drakonis, we’ve exited Earth’s
gravity well.” Informed Sitara’s officer, embanked in his helm-pod,
readouts flashed across his tan face.

Sitara rose from her command chair, went to
the helm, and punched a course and heading into the NavCom system.
“Spin up GFE and prepare to jump.”

“Gravitic Fold-Engine at full capacity.” The
helm informed.

“Jump!” Sitara ordered.

Nadia held a palm over her right eye. The
room felt like it had begun to spin, though she knew full well that
it actually did no such thing. The intense pain struck her again.
“I don’t know what to tell you Kulcarin.” Nadia snapped, an unusual
frustrated edge to her voice. “She’s a mind of her own, you know
how Sitara gets. Alira told us she took the ship independent,
signed on to do deep space reconnaissance. Her cargo included a
number of terraforming engines. Maybe she’s looking for a small
moon to settle on?” Nadia added sarcastically. Her son-in-law gave
her a dejected look. Nadia shook her head, and did not hide her
annoyance. “Perhaps if you paid more attention to her Sitara would
not feel a need to run off?”

“We had a fight...” Aranskrai didn’t feel
very great himself. A sensation, as if he had been cast adrift in
time passed over him. It was like an intensified feeling of déjà
vu.

“Love,” Sharr could tell his mate felt
unwell. “Are you okay?” Asked the Shotar, he noticed the clear
discomfort on Nadia’s face.

“Just a headache.”

“The last time you told me that, we had
twins.”

Nadia managed to giggle, and leaned on her
mate, yet the Queen’s humor quickly dissipated after she remembered
Kulcarin stood in the lab. “I’m not the one you should be worrying
about. Young Ironsol here does not look so well.”