The Challenge (25 page)

When a short, powerful, yellow skinned man with an ugly scar slashed from his forehead to his jaw approached, Kahn tensed so hard she feared his muscles might snap. “Endekian?” She whispered, immediately looking down to avoid eye contact as Kahn had instructed.

“That’s Jypeg. How did you guess?” Dora answered.

As if sensing her husband’s hostility, the Endekian kept the meeting brief. “Welcome to the Federation.”

The Endekian moved on, but Tessa’s curiosity escalated, and she wished she knew more about Kahn’s enemy and the political situation, but now was not the time for questions.

When a creature that looked like a snot-covered octopus approached, she noted a certain electricity in the crowd—almost as if the other aliens were collectively holding their breaths to see if she would run off the stage screaming in fright. This must be the Osarian. She schooled her features to remain stoic.

“Stay still,” Dora instructed. “The Osarians are blind, and he means you no harm. To flinch will show great disrespect, although most aliens here wouldn’t consider allowing an Osarian to come near them.”

The audacious creature ran his tentacles over her body, its touch light as a feather, but nevertheless leaving a trail of slime behind, which her suit quickly cleaned. She understood that the Osarian was “seeing” her by touch, like a blind man reading Braille, and that he meant no disrespect by lightly skimming her breasts, her buttocks, and her legs.

Tessa held still, but as the cold, slimy tentacles frisked her, she wondered what her warm body temperature and dry skin felt like to the Osarian. For all Tessa knew, the Osarian might have had to work up his courage for a week just to force himself to greet her.

Welcome, Earthling
.

The thought came directly through the tentacle, not her translator. Was he telepathic? Because not just thoughts came through the link, emotion also passed through. She sensed warmth at his genuine happiness at meeting her, but at her suspicion that he might find touching a warm-blooded creature displeasing, he also conveyed admiration for her open-minded thought processes. Mutual recognition that they were both outsiders—Tessa because she was the first Earthling to visit the Federation and the Osarian because he was the only one of his kind on this world—caused them to share an immediate empathy.

Knowing the Osarian wouldn’t object, she reached out and grasped the slimy tentacle to re-establish the link. She spoke her thoughts out loud, wondering if the creature had ears or if it could sense her good intentions. “I am pleased to meet you, too.”

Tessa had no idea if she managed to convey her own friendliness back through the link. But when the Osarian wrapped all eight tentacles around her and hugged her, she figured she’d made another friend. What an odd assortment she was collecting. First, Dora, now the Osarian.

Even while wrapped in Osari’s friendly emotions, Tessa sensed that Kahn believed she needed protection. “I’m fine,” she told him just as the Osarian released her.

A murmur of astonishment rose among the other delegates, but Tessa paid no attention to the crowd. She’d sensed so much through the link. A loneliness in the creature, sadness that the other races found him too repulsive to touch, cutting him off from the sharing of emotions needed for him to communicate.

She wondered if these others knew that the empathic Osarian race sensed their disgust and if they feared the oneness required to communicate. However, even she had trouble seeing past the outer ugliness to the beautiful soul hidden inside.

Not only was the Osarian friendly, he was gentle. And she sensed that the forced solitude was unnatural for him. He missed others of his kind, his home and family, the longing so strong it came through the brief touch quite strongly.

Dora spoke in her ear. “You have just been honored by one of the most powerful races in the galaxy. Osarians are isolationists, who usually keep themselves apart from the other races.”

“Why?”

“Osarians traveled aboard the shuttle during a rescue mission, so I know a lot about them.” Dora imparted useful information, and Tessa listened carefully. “Few humanoids can overcome their natural repugnance to the Osarian appearance. In order not to cause others pain with their ugliness, they have mostly retreated to their homeworld, which is rich in natural resources as well as blessed with a prime location. Due to prejudice over their appearance, they have been unable to open lucrative trade routes.”

“How do they survive in the Federation?”

“The Osarians are notoriously enterprising. They’ve used their extraordinary sensory perceptions to mediate disputes and have become a behind-the-scenes influential member of the Federation. Yet, they maintain a mysterious aura, rarely intermingling with others.”

“Tell me more,” Tessa requested as she greeted an endless line of delegates.

“Before he touched you, the Osarian probably sensed your initial distaste of his appearance. But since you quickly controlled your reaction and then actually initiated contact by touching the tentacle, you impressed him.”

Apparently the Osarian’s embrace had in turn impressed the other delegates who eyed Tessa with new respect. Okay, the Osarian was hideous, but she hadn’t expected such enlightened people to ostracize him. She thought it odd that although others shunned the Osarian, their respect for her had risen, creating a swelling hubbub of noise. Tessa wasn’t into politics, but she was gratified that she’d represented Earth in a respectable fashion, and she was even more pleased that she’d reached out to the tentacled alien. Even now, she still had a strange euphoria from the encounter.

“Pay attention.” Dora pulled Tessa from her thoughts. “Azrel is Kahn’s stepmother. They haven’t met until now.”

Kahn’s stepmother
! Why hadn’t he ever mentioned her? What had happened to his biological mother? And where did his father live now? And why had Kahn never met Azrel?

The first recognizable humanoid female to greet Tessa exhibited an unmistakable regal presence. The statuesque, green-skinned woman moved with a boldness that immediately commanded respect, and Tessa knew at once that this women wasn’t just a politician, but a warrior. Azrel’s bare arms revealed sleek muscles. However, her imposing manner was contradicted by her outrageous outfit. Her fire-engine red bodice dipped scandalously low. The too-tight waistline was a flashy tangerine that billowed into turquoise folds over her legs and reminded Tessa of pantaloons. A green turban that housed a live snake-like creature crowned her head of dark green hair.

“Welcome to the Federation. I hear you are newly married.” Azrel spoke boldly, ignoring the bristling Kahn, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. The green-skinned, green-haired, and green-eyed, Azrel was stunning. Her high cheekbones and wide-mouth smile revealed straight white teeth and a dimple in her cheek. “If you ever wish for another home, our planet Scartar will embrace you. Or stop in for a visit,” she modified as Kahn scowled. “Our planet is a matriarchy, and I credit you would feel at home with us.” She leaned forward cheek to cheek and whispered, “Find me.” At the same moment she slipped a piece of paper into Tessa’s hands then moved on. Tessa didn’t know what to make of the woman, but sensed she might have found another friend—only Kahn clearly disapproved of his stepmother. The hostility between them couldn’t be missed, and Tessa didn’t have to ask why.

Kahn would automatically disapprove of a matriarchy. While she wanted to know how Kahn’s father had come to marry the green-skinned Azrel, Tessa put aside her question for another time.

Finally, Kahn leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “The Zenon ambassador.”

The last being in the long line of delegates, the Zenonite floated onto the stage and appeared to be one gigantic brain with two lidless, aqua eyes. Its shriveled appendages dangled impotently from the cauliflower-like brain. A perfectly human set of lips spoke from the throbbing gray matter and welcomed her to the Federation.

“Earthling, our best wishes go with you during the Challenge. Because you risk your life, we present you with a gift of one million credits!” Music that sounded like trumpets and drums blared. A cart rolled across the stage. Atop the cart rested a pillow with a tiny opalescent box.

“Inside the box is a chip with your credits,” Dora told her. “Take it.”

Tessa accepted the box. “Thank you.”

“If you fail the Challenge, all unspent credits will be repossessed by the Federation. Use them wisely, Earthling. Long life and successful Challenge.”

One million credits
. From what Dora had told Tessa, the Federation’s capital sported the galaxy’s best shopping malls.

Tessa restrained a delighted grim. She had no idea what a million credits would buy, but she intended to find out.

But when she approached Kahn and saw his sad expression, all thoughts of clothing fled from her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“My father has requested a visit.”

“Don’t you want to see him?”

“I will not leave you alone, and I cannot bring you into the men’s quarters,” he spit out the last words with distaste. “I’m not going.”

“Men’s quarters?”

“Azrel keeps my father like a . . . pet.”

“Aren’t they married?” she asked.

Kahn scowled at her. “How did you know that?”

Damn
. Dora had told her, and Kahn still didn’t know about her secret communications with the computer. She needed to be careful or tell Kahn the truth. She decided not to trouble him further.

“Azrel told me earlier.” Tessa shrugged. “I don’t understand what has upset you so.”

Kahn floated into a sitting position and tugged her onto his lap. “When the Federation initially contacted Rystan, my grandfather was our leader. He sent my father to compete in the Challenge.”

Though grateful to take weight off her aching feet, she still frowned. “But I thought all contestants couldn’t have any living family?”

“My grandfather lied. Since Rystan kept no written records of births and deaths, the Federation couldn’t verify the statement. Although my father had already married and I was ten-years-old, my grandfather sent him.”

“Your poor mother.” Tessa couldn’t help feeling sorry for Kahn, the little boy, too.

“My father successfully completed the Challenge, but to do so, Azrel made him give his word that he would submit to her. She refused to recognize his marriage to my mother, who died of a broken heart. To this day, Corban lives like a love slave on Azrel’s planet.”

Tessa thought of the beautiful, sensual, exotic green-skinned woman and wondered if Corban regretted his decision. “Does your father object?”

He shook his head. “I do not know. However, I cannot forgive him for what he did to my mother. He should have found another way to succeed.”