Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) (10 page)

He shrugged, straightening his flightsuit.
"Maybe I will and maybe I won't. That depends entirely on you,
Nessa—if that's your real name. You'd better choose your actions
carefully." He strolled to the panel and turned with an arrogant
smile. "See you at the mid meal."

Nessa stared at the panel after he'd gone, a
sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't trust the
traitor, or believe he'd keep his word. Someone who would turn
their own people in for gold had no honor. Chase would know the
truth in a matter of time. But for now, she had no choice but to
play along.

Even if the danger she faced had just
increased tenfold.

Nessa stood inside her cabin, watching Chase
and Sabin through the open panel. They had just finished
transporting Nathan Long to Sabin's ship. The prisoner had been
forcibly dragged away, yelling a string of foul curses and threats.
She was relieved to be free of his obnoxious presence.

She was just as anxious to be free of Sabin,
of his knowing leers and threatening posturing. Hopefully, he would
depart immediately, and they could continue on to Star Base
Intrepid.

That hope was dispelled a moment later when
Sabin said to Chase, "I’m going down on Calt with you, McKnight.
Dansan always has guards around and I don't want you walking into a
possible trap alone. Not only that, but my better half is manning
the mercantile right now." He frowned as he said that last
sentence, obviously displeased about something.

“
Is she?” Chase grinned.
“You still trying to order her around? You should know better by
now.”

“
I keep hoping for a
miracle,” Sabin muttered.

“
Good luck with that.”
Chase said. “I'm happy to have your assistance down there. Just
remember, Dansan is mine for the taking."

Sabin slapped him on the back. "Copy that.
Then I'll take my ship and meet you planetside. Rendezvous at
Giza's, 1100 hours?"

“
I’ll be there then,” Chase
said.

Sabin disappeared through the airlock,
leaving Nessa stunned. She'd had no clue they'd altered course,
much less traveled anywhere near a planet. With Sabin on the ship,
she'd remained in her cabin, venturing out only when Chase insisted
she join them for the mid meal.

She waited to be sure the airlock light went
off before entering the corridor to look for Chase. She hurried
toward the cockpit, almost colliding with him as he strode out. He
steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

"There you are. I was just coming for you.
Get into the cockpit and strap in."

His words confirmed what she had just heard.
She stepped back from his hand. "Where are we going?"

"To Calt. We're right outside its orbital
field."

A wave of despair washed over her. Chase had
detoured the ship again—with time running out. She curled her hands
into fists by her side. "You gave me your word, Captain. I have to
reach Zirak soon, or miss the eclipse."

His eyes, cold and distant, bored into hers.
"I don't have time for dramatics. This ship operates on
my
schedule, not on the whims of a passenger. Get in the
cockpit—now."

By the Spirit, what could she do? Her mind
whirling like a Sharan dervish, she followed Chase into the
cockpit. Once strapped securely in her seat, she watched mutely as
he deftly guided the ship into orbit and began the descent to
Calt.

While he went on the planet, she would check
the program decoding the PWL file. If she could access the security
codes, she might have more options. If not…a new possibility
suddenly occurred to her.

"Captain McKnight."

He frowned, his concentration wholly focused
on the controls. "Quiet. We'll talk when we're planetside."

Nessa waited impatiently, going over the
newest alternative in her mind. It seemed an eternity before Chase
landed the ship.

He eased back in his seat. "Well, what is
it?"

"Is there a transport station on Calt? If
there is, I can catch a transport now."

He shook his head. "I don't think you
understand what Calt is, Nessa. It's the bowels of the quadrant, a
haven for criminals of the worst sort. Here they obtain new
identities, ships and supplies, anything gold can purchase."

Surely the Controllers would be aware of
such a place, Nessa thought. "Then why don't the Anteks patrol Calt
and arrest all the criminals?"

Chase smiled bitterly. "The Anteks are just
as susceptible to gold as other weak-minded beings. They can be
persuaded to look the other way. Calt has no transport station. No
decent being would want to visit this hellhole. Those that do,
arrive secretly, under the cover of darkness."

Her brief hope fled, and she pushed back the
nagging fear. She still had over two weeks, she reminded herself.
She undid her safety harness and watched Chase prepare to leave the
ship. Once again, he strapped on an array of weapons, including a
carbine rifle that went into a special holder slung over his
shoulder.

Ready to disembark, he turned to her. As he
had done at Saron, he had withdrawn behind an invisible barrier,
detaching himself with a frightening intensity. This was not Chase
she faced, but a fierce, remote warrior, beyond reach.

A shadower, with no mercy.

A violent shiver passed through her, but he
didn't seem to notice. "Don't respond to any hails or open the
hatch for any reason," he instructed tersely. "Be ready to strap in
for takeoff the minute I return. Understand?"

"Yes."

He stopped at the hatch and pulled the
portal cover open to scan the area. Nessa got a glimpse of the sun
rising over an arid expanse of sand littered with spaceships,
before he closed the portal. "Remember my orders." Opening the
hatch, he slipped away like a wraith into the semidarkness.

She waited a few minutes to be certain he
had left, then returned to the computer. She accessed root command
and located her hidden program. It hadn’t succeeded in decoding the
PWL file. Battling abject frustration, she studied the system's
response to her program. That gave her enough information to alter
her commands and try a new path. She reworded the program and
exited.

She didn't doubt for a moment she might need
the information in the file. If Chase proved to be untrustworthy
and refused to take her to Star Base Intrepid, then she'd have to
resort to more drastic options. Unfortunately, decoding the PWL
file could take days. Even if she managed to confiscate some of
Chase's weapons and overtake him, without the security codes, she
couldn't operate his ship. Sabin added a new threat, as he might
reveal her Shielder identity at any time.

In view of Sabin's presence and the
uncertainty of what Chase might do next, she needed to find
transport now. She thought of the bag of coins in her pocket. Gold
could buy anything, so Chase had said. Surely it could buy her
transport, even on Calt.

She went to her cabin and slipped Turi into
his pack. She stuffed her hoarded cheese and bread into her bag of
supplies. Returning to the hatch, she opened it and stepped outside
before she could change her mind.

A blast of sweltering air slammed into her.
The blazing sun peeking over the horizon blinded her momentarily,
forcing her to squint until her eyes became used to the glare.
Amazed, she stared at the varied array of ships that stretched as
far as the eye could see. Obviously the outcasts of the universe
found Calt a popular spot. Surely the owner of one of these ships
could be persuaded to provide a ride to Santerra.

Turning slowly, Nessa saw the outline of
buildings in the distance. Slinging her pack onto her back, she
began the trek to the settlement. The oppressive heat surrounded
her, and rivulets of sweat slid over her skin. The walk to the
settlement seemed to take forever, and her leg throbbed by the time
she reached the outbuildings.

She looked around Calt, finding it bare and
unimpressive. Debris littered the hard-packed sand. Stark,
weathered structures sprawled haphazardly around. Although they had
no windows, they had numerous entry panels on each side. Plenty of
escape routes, she thought, something she could well
understand.

She didn't know how to go about finding
transport. She decided to check each building to find a gathering
or eating place, where she could blend with the crowd and hopefully
find a willing pilot with a ship. But not a single being or living
creature of any sort lurked in sight. Nothing stirred except small
eddies of sand lifted by the arid wind.

The first two buildings Nessa came to
appeared to be closed up. She couldn't read the strange language on
the signs, so she had no idea what they were. Glancing down the
deserted thoroughfare, she felt doubts creeping in. Where were the
owners of all those ships back on the plain? And where were Chase
and Sabin?

She forced her stiff leg to move and walked
around the second building. As she cleared the structure, she
caught sight of a woman sitting on the steps of the third building.
Hunched over a mug clasped in her hands, the woman stared pensively
toward the sunrise. Coppery waves of hair masked most of her face
and cascaded down her back. She appeared oblivious to Nessa, who
moved forward cautiously, stopping near the steps.

Sensing her presence, the woman stiffened,
swinging her head around. Nessa stared into beautiful, surprised
amber eyes. The mug slipped from the woman's hands, falling with a
thud to the sand.

"Oh, my, you startled me." She rose
gracefully, flipping her hair over her shoulders. "I wasn't
expecting anyone this early and I'm afraid you've caught me
unprepared. I'm not open yet, actually. I rarely have customers
before midday." Her voice was low and melodic. Tall and slender,
she wore a lightweight gold jumpsuit that emphasized her lithe
body.

Nessa had never seen anyone so beautiful and
for a brief moment, she could only stare. But the urgency of her
situation soon pushed to the forefront. "Excuse me, but do you know
where I can hire a transport?"

The woman studied Nessa, taking in her
ragged tunic. "A transport? How on Alta did you get here if you
don't have a ship?" She came down the steps. "You're just a child.
Are you fleeing from someone who brought you here?" She turned to
scan the area, then looked at Nessa again. "Who are you?"

Relief at finding someone who might be able
to help surged through Nessa. "My name is Nessa Ranul, and I need
to find transport to Zirak. Do you know anyone who would take
me?"

The woman let her breath out in a sigh. "Not
anyone who could be trusted. Are you in some sort of trouble?" She
laughed musically, shaking her head. "What am I saying? Anyone who
comes to this abyss is either in trouble or the cause of it."
Taking Nessa's arm, she turned her toward the steps. "And from the
looks of it, you've got a problem. Come inside, and I'll get you
some tea."

Disheartened, Nessa followed her up the
steps. The woman had to be wrong; surely someone here could help
her. The sight that greeted her stopped her dead in her tracks. The
room they stepped into was large and surprisingly light and airy,
considering the grimness of the settlement outside.

Early day sunshine filtered in from high
skylights, illuminating shelves upon shelves filled with all kinds
of merchandise. Fabrics, jewelry, scented oils, crystal, clothing,
boots, holograms, computer disks, even live plants, lined the
walls. Nessa had never seen such a variety and quantity of goods.
The enticing aroma of incense drifted through the air, while soft
music filled the room.

Her hostess nudged her gently toward the
back of the room. "Come on. I have a little alcove in the corner."
She led Nessa through a wall of crystal bead strands into an area
with a table and chairs and a small solar stove. "Have a seat."

She put water on to boil and pulled two mugs
from a cabinet decorated with inlaid crystal and lavender stone,
chatting all the while. "I don't often have company, so I'm afraid
I don't have much to offer you. But I do have some wonderful caroba
from Elysia. The brutes around here wouldn't even begin to
appreciate it. Now, where did I put that? Ah, here it is."

Half listening, Nessa kept looking back at
the main room, still amazed at the amount of goods. The woman set
two mugs of tea and a plate of caroba on the table and slid into
the opposite chair. "You're very quiet, aren't you?"

Nessa dragged her attention back to her
hostess. "I'm sorry. That room…so many wonderful things."

The woman smiled. "Yes, it is pretty
amazing, isn't it? Even on this dismal planet, people have gold and
they're willing to spend it. My mercantile is the only place that
provides goods other than the usual alcohol, drugs, space rations,
weapons, or ship parts. It's surprising, but even the crudest
criminal will buy rare and beautiful items."

She waved a slender hand toward the main
chamber. "Saija silk from Verante, Calpernian crystal, Vilana
gemstones. You name it, I have it. And they pay dearly for it. By
the way, my name is Moriah. Pleased to meet you, Nessa." She
extended her hand.

Hesitantly, Nessa offered her hand in
return, unused to this common courtesy. Moriah squeezed her hand
warmly before releasing it. Leaning back in her seat, she sipped
her tea, eyeing Nessa thoughtfully. "Now that the formalities are
out of the way, why don't you tell me how you got here and why you
need a transport."

Nessa plunged into her story. "I'm a pilgrim
of Shara. I was traveling to Zirak for the Festival of the Eclipse,
when my ship broke down. A shadower rescued me, but he refuses to
take me to a star base so I can get transport to Zirak."

Moriah's golden eyes widened. "You've been
traveling around the quadrant with a shadower? You poor thing! It's
no wonder you want to get away."