Crusader (Battle Born Book 1) (15 page)

Did you figure out what that was?

It felt like a data crystal.

She wasn’t sure what a data crystal was, but it didn’t matter. They’d given Letos plenty of time to get into position. It was time to ramp up the diversion. “I have nothing to give him, so answer the question. Will having sex make the hunger better or worse?”

“Better,” he admitted with a sigh of frustration. “Each time we join it strengthens the bond and speeds your transformation.”

Knowing it wasn’t Bandar who needed the show, she ducked under his arm and stood in the middle of the room. “Then let’s get this over with.” She pulled her sweater off over her head and reached back to unfasten her bra.

His mouth opened as if he’d object, then his gaze helplessly followed as her bra slid down her arms and dropped to the floor. “Gods.” He yanked her into his arms and pressed her against his chest.
I can’t let you do this.

We don’t have a choice,
she stressed,
and you know this will work.

“Get it over with?” he growled out the words, then spun her around so her front was visible again. “Like we did last night?” He banded her waist with one arm while his other hand moved over her breasts. “Raise your arms. Lock your hands behind my neck.”

“No.” She squirmed, making her breasts quiver.

“Do it now.” He pinched her nipple hard enough to make her gasp.

She raised her arms and entwined her fingers behind his neck. This arched her back, thrusting her breasts out and leaving the rest of her body vulnerable to his hands. He touched her boldly, teasing her nipples with one hand while the other opened the front of her jeans. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sensations. His touch was gentle yet sure as he slipped inside her pants, venturing ever closer to his target. He reached the waistband of her panties and stopped. “Do you want me to touch you, give you pleasure like I did last night?”

“No.” She tossed her head and rolled her hips. The ache between her thighs was all too real now. If it weren’t for their audience, she’d be lost in the urgency. He started to retreat and her eyes flew open. “Yes. Please. I need your touch.”

He slid his hand lower, easing inside her panties. She pushed to the balls of her feet, desperate and aching.

Suddenly their surroundings blurred and Ashley cried out. Fear threaded through confusion until her sluggish mind registered the familiar rush of bio-streaming. Bandar dragged his right arm back to her waist and managed to cover her breasts with his left arm, but her jeans were still unzipped.

They materialized in some sort of clinic and were greeted by a smiling black-haired man in a light blue lab coat. He stood well over six feet tall and had angular features so Ashley thought he was Rodyte until she looked into his eyes. His warm green eyes appeared human.

“We thought you were in trouble.” The stranger chuckled. “Should I give you a few minutes to finish up?”

“It will take a lot longer than a few minutes,” Bandar grumbled. “How did you find us?”

Ignoring the question, the stranger shrugged out of his lab coat and handed it to Ashley. “The name’s Hindel Irron. We’ve actually met before, but you were unconscious through most of it.”

She turned toward Bandar as she pulled on the lab coat. “You’re the doctor who dealt with my stab wounds?”

“Guilty as charged.”

After she zipped up her jeans, Bandar helped her button the lab coat, which kept the heat inside her smoldering. “Thank you and it’s nice to meet you.” She offered over her shoulder, oddly hesitant to leave the comfort of Bandar’s embrace.

“How’d you find us?” Bandar asked again. His arm wrapped loosely around her waist, encouraging her to stay close.

“I’m not sure. Someone pinged the commander and told him to be ready to stream you two off the
Relentless
. At the time we had no idea where the
Relentless
was, so the message didn’t make much sense. Then their covert shields dropped for no apparent reason. The ship appeared just long enough for us to lock on to its position and then it was gone again. It happened so fast, we weren’t able to locate your signal, so we thought we’d screwed up. But you know Commander Tarr. He never gives up without a fight. We kept scanning the area, determined to find you. And a few minutes later, your signal just flashed onto the scanners. I’m no engineer, but I’d never seen anything like it. We still couldn’t detect the
Relentless,
but it was like someone created a tunnel through their shields that led straight to you.”

“My shadow told Ashley he was Letos.” Tension rolled through Bandar as he spoke the words.

“That would explain a lot.”

Ashley turned around then moved to Bandar’s side. “You said Letos is a technomage. What does that mean exactly?” She looked from Bandar to Doctor Irron and back, not caring who answered as long as one of them explained.

“I said
some believe
he’s a technomage. I’ve seen little proof that it’s true.”

“Except for his ability to send thoughts through covert shields or guiding us to your position without giving himself away?” Irron challenged.

“We don’t know that was Letos.”

Ashley looked up at him and shook her head. “Who else would it have been? He told us he was going to help us escape and voila we’re free. Mighty strange coincidence if you ask me. Now stop dodging the question. What the hell is a technomage?”

“I’m not dodging the question.” Bandar sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s complicated.”

“It’s not
that
complicated.” Irron motioned Ashley forward with a mocking snort for Bandar. “I know you’ve been through the ringer, but if you let me run a few scans and take a few samples, I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day.”

“Deal,
if
you tell me about technomages.”

“Anything you want to know, sweetheart. I’m your man.”

Bandar caught Ashley’s wrist just before she stepped out of reach. “I need the data crystal. I’ll see if I can figure out what’s on it while you work with Irron.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the crystal, pausing to look at it before she handed it to Bandar. It was about two inches long, the sides grooved, the ends rounded. There didn’t appear to be any circuitry, so how did Rodytes imprint it with data? Doubting she would understand the answer even if she asked the question, she handed the crystal to Bandar.

He accepted it with a nod. “I shouldn’t be gone long.”

“And can you bring back some clothes? For both of us?” she added with a playful smile. He looked damn good in nothing but his underwear, but it was too hard on her composure.

“I’ll see what I can find.” Then he looked at Irron with mock ferocity. “Can I trust you to protector her until I get back?”

“She’s perfectly safe with me.” Then Irron grinned. “However, I can’t guarantee she’s safe from me.”

Clearly at ease with the situation, Bandar smiled as he left the clinic.

“You’re right,” Sental told Bandar as lines of code scrolled across his holodisplay. “It looks like the crystal contains a copy of Daniel Kane’s data file. There’s multi-layered encryption, but it’s definitely human.” Sental’s primary responsibility aboard the
Crusader
was navigation, but he also maintained the ship’s computers. The ship had been in service long enough to work out the inevitable glitches, yet all the systems were state-of-the-art, so actual failures were few and far between. Still, Rodytes tried to anticipate any possible complication. “It shouldn’t take too long to replicate the key then we’ll be able to see the data.”

Bandar nodded. He’d been streamed to his cabin, so he could dress before going to the command center in search of Sental. “Ping me when it’s ready. I need to update Commander Tarr.”

“He’s down in engineering.”

“Thanks.” Bandar left the command center and headed for the stairwell, which was closer than the elevator. Engineering was three decks down and all the way aft, so he lengthened his stride, wanting to minimize his separation from Ashley. He hadn’t wanted to leave her at all, but Keyran was adamant in his refusal to allow females aboard. It was probably a wise precaution given the agitation of the crew. Even so, the logic didn’t make Bandar any more comfortable with the situation. Every protective instinct he possessed went into high alert every time he thought about her. What he didn’t want to think about was why.

He’d just reached engineering when Keyran stepped out into the corridor.

“Unless you have good news, tell me later. It’s been one hell of a day already and it’s barely past noon.” The tension in the commander’s craggy face echoed the warning.

“Sental is decrypting the contents of Daniel Kane’s backup files, Irron is running more tests on Ashley, and I’ve learned the identity of my shadow.”

Keyran paused and faced Bandar, a reluctant smile turning up one corner of his mouth. “My day just got brighter. Who’s your shadow?”

“He told Ashley he was Letos and he’s the one who arranged our escape, so I’m inclined to believe him.”

“Why would a technomage be on the
Relentless
?” With a thoughtful grumble, Keyran continued down the corridor. “The Integration Guild has always refused to take sides. If they’re backing Quinton now, Garin needs to know about it.”

Bandar fell into step beside his old friend. “If they’d chosen to back the crown, why would Letos help us escape? No. I think Letos is assessing the situation for the guild.”

“For what purpose? As I said, the guild avoids political conflict like a pandemic.”

“They avoid conflicts that don’t directly affect them. New opportunities for battle born males directly affects many, if not most, of their members. If they join our cause—”

“We don’t have a cause yet,” Keyran reminded with another half-smile. “We’re just gathering information.”

“Thank you Garin.” Despite his brother’s obvious interest in the possibilities, the general refused to be rushed. Several early indications had turned out to be false, so Garin’s caution had proved warranted. Still, Bandar was a man of action. All these delays were driving him crazy. “The Integration Guild is likely doing the same thing we are, recon.”

Keyran nodded, neither agreeing nor arguing with Bandar’s conclusion. “Garin needs to know we’ve gotten their attention.” He looked at Bandar, his eyebrows bunching together over his nose. “Have you or either of your brothers crossed paths with a technomage in the past?”

“There’s never been a reason before. We don’t exactly move in the same circles.”

“Apparently, there’s a reason now.”

They reached the elevator and stepped inside. “Command center.” The elevator took off with barely discernable acceleration. “Is that where you’re headed?” Bandar probably should have asked before setting the lift in motion.

“I’m as anxious to see what Sental turns up as you are.” His expression didn’t change as he added, “I know she spent last night in your bed. Did you do more than sleep?”

Bandar tensed. “We didn’t, but I’m not sure it would have been your business if we had.”

“You’re not technically part of my crew. However, I out rank you and—”

“We’re both commanders.” There was no hostility in Keyran’s gaze, so Bandar allowed himself the rebellion. Though they’d started out as mentor and student, it had been many years since Keyran was responsible for Bandar’s actions.

“Seniority.”

Bandar chuckled as the door slid open. “Fine.
Commander
Tarr. Nothing inappropriate happened.”

“Then why was she half-naked when you streamed to the Farm?”

He threw an annoyed look over his shoulder as he stepped out into the corridor. “When did Irron have time to tattle? I’ve been gone maybe half an hour.”

Keyran was clearly amused not angry. “I checked in to make sure you were both all right and he mentioned that neither of you were fully dressed when you arrived.”

“They confiscated my armor and she created a distraction while Letos worked his magic.”

With a low whistle, Keyran said, “That would have been one enjoyable distraction.”

“How would you know? You haven’t even seen her.”

Keyran laughed as they reached the command center. “Irron has been very descriptive in his updates.”

Sental motioned them over as they entered the room, so Bandar let the subject drop. Knowing that Irron had been spreading tales about Ashley annoyed Bandar, but he wasn’t sure why. She was undeniably attractive and somewhat of a novelty on a ship filled with passion-starved men. It was unfair to fault Irron’s fascination when he’d also been unable to banish her from his thoughts. And kissing her, touching her silken skin certainly hadn’t made matters easier. As Keyran said, Ashley was one enjoyable distraction.

“Did you crack the encryption?” Keyran moved to Sental’s other side, leaving room for Bandar.

“Of course.” Sental locked his hands behind his head and grinned. “Did you honestly have any doubt?”

“Compliments are more meaningful when they come from someone else.”

Keyran’s jibe didn’t deflate Sental’s buoyant mood. “I have no idea what any of it means, but we’re now the proud owners of several hundred pages of genetic research documentation.”

“Good work.” Sarcasm threaded through Keyran’s tone and he slapped the younger man on the back hard enough to knock him forward. “Make a copy of the unlocked file and give it to Bandar.”

“Yes, sir.” He turned around and went back to work.

Keyran moved closer to Bandar and lowered his voice. “I’ll let Irron determine what our next step needs to be after he’s had time to study this new information. But from what he’s told me already, it doesn’t sound like Ashley is going anywhere for the next few days.”

“That won’t make her happy. She’s only remained cooperative this long because she’s hoping to learn more about her father’s work and the circumstances surrounding his death.”

“Well, we know a lot more about Daniel’s work than she does. We need her to remain cooperative, so I don’t see any reason not to share.”

“I agree.” Bandar was relieved by Keyran’s attitude. It had been hard to keep the facts from her. Especially when she explained how much pain she’d endured because of her incomplete knowledge.

“I need to take the ship out of bio-streaming range for the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. You’ll have to rely on Nazerel or the humans for transportation.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll probably spend the night at the Farm.”

“Then I’ll send down a security detail.” He silenced Bandar’s objection with a shake of his head. “No arguments. I don’t anticipate any problems, but I won’t be here to back you up if something unexpected happens.”

“Fair enough.” Bandar was happy for any excuse to spend more time with Ashley. “Now that the research has been found, the danger to Ashley is greatly diminished. Still, I’d like to stay close, make sure she’s adjusting to everything we’ve thrown at her.”

Keyran chuckled, his dark gaze warm and knowing. “Stay as close as you like. Just be prepared to deal with Garin if you step over the line. You might not be my responsibility anymore, but Garin is your brother as well as your CO. And
General
Nox is much more intimidating than I’ll ever be.”

* * * * *

“So what’s a technomage?” Irron started to answer then Ashley changed her mind. “No, let’s come back to that. What did you find in my DNA that made you want to run more tests?”

The doctor seemed less enthused about answering that question. “I won’t know for certain until I have the results of these tests.”

Ashley knew an evasion when she heard one. They’d moved from the main clinic area into a private exam room. She wasn’t sure why. They appeared to have the place to themselves. In fact it was rather creepy. Each sound seemed amplified by the surrounding silence. “I’m not asking for absolutes. What do you suspect?” She sat on the end of an adjustable table, closely watching his every move.

He looked up from the handheld scanner he’d been running over her abdomen. “There are strong indications that your DNA has been modified.”

A shiver raced down Ashley’s spine. She’d barely had time to consider a reason for the doctor’s request when Bandar casually mentioned that Irron wanted to run more tests, but two possibilities flashed through her mind. Either she was something other than human or someone had been dinking with her genetics. Apparently, her second guess had been correct. “Modified how and
why
?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He went back to scanning, which allowed him to avoid her semi-hostile gaze.

She didn’t need to ask who Irron suspected of making the changes. Exploring the benefits of genetic modification had been her father’s obsession. “Do you honestly think—”

He stopped her with an upraised hand, his expression compassionate. “It’s too early for conclusions and I don’t like to speculate. Let’s take this one step at a time.”

“All right.” Despite her agreement, her stomach knotted. Had her father really been ruthless enough to experiment on his only child? The idea made her soul ache. She’d spent half her life wishing she understood her father. Now, she was wondering if ignorance hadn’t been a better option. “Tell me about technomages. I suddenly need a distraction.”

After setting down the scanner, he picked up a syringe and motioned toward her arm. “Pull up your sleeve for me.”

“Damn. I was hoping there was some fancy Rodyte alternative to needles.” She obliged with a weak smile.

“Sorry. Even Rodytes have to pierce the skin to extract blood.” He fastened a compression band around her upper arm then swabbed the bend of her elbow with alcohol. “A technomage is someone who uses physically integrated technology to replicate Bilarrian abilities, what humans think of as magic.”

“‘Physically integrated’ as in controlled with brain waves or surgically implanted?”

He skillfully inserted the needle and drew several vials of blood. “Depends on the ability they’re trying to replicate. Internal nanites are necessary to amplify and create telepathic connections, while telekinetics can be accomplished with external devices.”

“Can they replicate any Bilarrian ability?”

“Most of them. But not every technomage can exhibit every ability.”

“That’s pretty straightforward. Why did Bandar say it was complicated?”

“Technomages belong to the Integration Guild and the politics surrounding that august body is extremely complicated.” After covering the tiny wound with a cotton ball and tape, he set the blood samples aside and disposed of the supplies he’d used.

“We appear to have time.” She pulled down her sleeve and crossed her legs. “Can you tell me about the Integration Guild or is it forbidden?”

“It’s not forbidden, but let’s move to a less clinical setting.”

Happy to oblige, she scooted off the table and followed him to a spacious office down the hall. Though the room appeared to have been ransacked, it was easy to picture how it must have looked before the raid. The modern furniture was beautiful, the decor surprisingly tasteful.

“Have a seat.” He motioned to the navy-blue sofa as he pulled one of the desk chairs around so he could face her. “How much has Bandar told you about our planet? Do you understand what caused the war?”

His phrasing surprised her and gave her an opening to clarify something she’d wondered about since she first saw him. “You said ‘our planet’, do you consider yourself Rodyte?”

“My mother was human, but I barely remember her. She died when I was still quite young.”

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.” His expression didn’t change and he said nothing, so she asked, “Did they meet on Earth or are there humans on other planets now?”

“They met on Earth, but I’ve also run across humans on other planets. It’s really surprising that the general population of Earth is still unaware of how often aliens interact with humans.”

“I think most humans believe what they need to believe to cope with life in general. Despite the arrogance of the conclusion, it’s easier to believe that the entire universe exists for humans alone.” Other more personal questions threatened to escape. How had his parents met? Had his mother been a captive? But Irron’s past was none of her business. Even so, she risked another. “Did you grow up with your father or were you forced into the military? Bandar said that happens a lot with of battle born sons.”