TICEES (40 page)

Toran had been a welcome addition to her life, and Chelan enjoyed his light humor and his warm attention. But he, too, was away a lot, and Chelan was not afforded the opportunity to get to know the Warlord who was Korba’s virtual twin as well as she would have liked. He made brief appearances to meet with Ticees and then spent the remainder of his time with Dar in the training fields.

Korba and Fremma devoted long hours in the main Command Center to planning military strikes against known ROPE outposts while consulting with other Warlords in the field in an attempt to ferret out additional colonies throughout the galaxy. RIBUSes from every corner of the Empire were being called to arms and issued new orders. Everyone was being put on high alert.

But probably the most significant change to Chelan’s life was Ticees. He had remained totally civilized. His unending stream of compliments, coupled with his warm hospitality, was beginning to chip away at her icy armor. He had remained true to his word and had not so much as laid a finger on her in any manner.

Chelan attended as many meals as her Earth hours would permit her to, and at all times Ticees’ behavior was exemplary. Chelan actually found herself starting to like the massive man on a superficial level, but her female instincts kept her wary, and she never spent time with him alone.

Korba had wasted no time in briefing Toran on Ticees’ appetite for Chelan, and although the Warlord had been surprised, he offered his wary eyes also, and Chelan at long last began to feel secure.

Ticees, on the other hand, was far from pleased with the situation. He was well aware of Korba’s and Fremma’s eyes on him, and the addition of Toran inflamed him. But Ticees was careful, never losing control of himself in Chelan’s presence. He never let his eyes wander or made any comments that could be misconstrued as distasteful or overly aggressive, and, of course, he never remained alone with her, even for a second.

But regardless of his charms and his gentlemanly decorum, he never made it through her defenses, and Ticees was becoming all too aware of her extreme and undying loyalty to Korba. But he was also well aware of her acts of intimacy with Fremma, and it drove him nearly crazy that she would participate with Fremma despite her love for Korba, yet chose no others. Ticees had stood back and watched her limited interactions with Toran closely, but even with him she did not stray. She never even flirted with the man, and Ticees was confounded.

After nearly two months of all-consuming frustration, Ticees came to the inescapable conclusion that he had to get rid of Korba, thereby partially isolating Chelan and making her vulnerable to his advances. All three Warlords were aware of an upcoming mission dealing with another volatile ROPE colony, and Ticees saw his opportunity. Though Dar was the most logical choice for the mission, Ticees would order Korba out, and things would change drastically. It was perfect. The mission was too dangerous for Chelan’s participation, and Ticees knew that Korba would never consider jeopardizing her. And as added insurance, Ticees was well aware that her training was far from complete, thereby solidifying her ban from RIBUS 7.

Ticees had mixed feelings over what he was about to do, and he knew that Chelan would turn on him instantly. But he wanted her so desperately that he was willing to risk all. He’d noticed quickly that Chelan seemed to shun any female interactions, and he did not want that to change. Ticees moved expeditiously to rearrange his staff and his meetings with female warriors and officers, especially those from RIBUS 7, so their paths rarely crossed hers. In that way he circumvented any friendships that may have otherwise been sparked. And as for the male officers who were regularly about, Chelan seemed content to simply acknowledge them and to spend all her time in the company of Korba and Fremma.

With Korba taken out of the equation and no other binding friendships forged, Ticees knew that she would eventually need his support in whatever form that took. He knew that in the beginning it would be for benign interactions, but he had no doubt that over the coming months of isolation, she would seek him out for more.

His only unsettling reservation was pertaining to Korba, his lifelong friend, and the damage this could do to their bond. But Chelan had crawled into Ticees’ very soul, and nothing would interfere with his plans for her, not even the great Overlord.

*****

Korba stood in his chambers, his face solemn, his jaw set. His orders had just come down, and his guts were twisting. He began to pace. He was well aware that the mission was too dangerous for Chelan and that his time actually spent on board RIBUS 7 would be limited. He knew he could not adequately protect her there, but he wondered how much better off she would be here.

He also realized that Dar was next in line for the mission, and Korba wrestled with the motives behind Ticees’ move. The only thing that kept Korba from flying into a disobedient rage was the fact that Fremma was still too green to accompany him as his Second-in-Command, and Tarn had been allotted that position.

His next dilemma came in the form of how to tell Chelan. Ticees’ decision had come down quickly, and RIBUS 7 was already being equipped. He was due to leave in two days, and a lump formed in his throat as he thought about his separation from his Lady. The mission’s minimum time was five months, a short mission by Imperial standards, but it was just shy of one Earth year, an interminably long time to them both, and his heart was breaking.

Suddenly, he was startled from his thoughts as Chelan flew into the room, bubbling with glee.

“It’s great!” she shouted. “Salizar took me on a tour of the Empire’s main reconnaissance lab today, and the technology is fascinating. God, if we only had a fraction of it on Earth, it would be amazing!”

Chelan ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He smiled weakly at her, and Chelan grinned and kissed his lips, but his response was tepid at best.

She withdrew from him. “What’s happened?” she queried, her heart stopping.

Korba’s muscles knotted. “I have to go away for a while, Chelan. I leave in two days.”

Chelan recoiled. “For how long?”

Korba hesitated. “For at least five months … five Iceanean months.”

The unexpected news stunned Chelan. Korba reached for her and hugged her to him.

“It’s okay, Chelan,” he breathed. “You know that I will return.”

But no words could console her. She was floored. She turned from him, hugging herself as his words slowly infused into her brain like time-released venom. Then the full thrust of the situation hit her, and panic threatened to suffocate her. She whirled around to face him, her eyes pleading with his. “That’s almost one of my years! Please, take me with you,” she begged.

“I can’t, Chelan. It’s a ROPE colony, and it is too dangerous.”

“No!” she shouted, startling him. “You can’t leave me here.”

She began to shake, and Korba grabbed her. “You’ll be okay. Fremma will be here, and you know that you can go to Toran at any time if you need additional help.”

Chelan shook her head in disbelief and then collapsed into him. Korba held her a long time as they both struggled to process the news.

Her thoughts tumbled as the new reality caused her world to tilt. “And so it begins,” she whispered tonelessly.

Korba pulled her away from him. “What are you talking about?”

“Ticees,” she shot back. “He can’t take me fairly, so now he disposes of you.”

“Chelan, you know that is not true. His situation regarding you was all addressed months ago. Besides, how can he take you if you are not willing?”

Chelan grabbed his arms tightly. “You don’t understand,” she uttered. “You failed to fully understand my concerns the first time, and look what happened. Please listen to me this time. He will find a way. I am not ignorant about the functions of the Empire. I know the schedules regarding the upcoming battles. So tell me why he isn’t sending Dar on this mission.”

Korba looked into her troubled eyes. “Chelan, what happened before is in the past. Ticees knows you now and respects your choices. He knows you are off limits.” But Korba could justify nothing else. As far as the mission, she was right. Dar was next.

She set her mind to work. There had to be a solution to her plight, and then her eyes widened. She looked up at him. “Please,” she begged in a whisper. “I am fertile right now. Please make love to me.”

Korba began to shake his head, but Chelan was desperate. “Please, Korba, don’t make me beg. I don’t know why, but I feel I will be protected by such an act. Please allow me to become pregnant.”

Korba felt as though his very soul was being shredded, but he had to be resolute. “Oh, my Lady. I cannot protect you from the Breeders if I am not here. And I would miss it all. My child would be born long before I returned. My answer has to be no.”

“Then he has won. Don’t you see that?” she stated emphatically.

“Chelan, won at what?”

Chelan shook her head at him. “You still don’t understand, and maybe you never will. God, I can’t even explain my feelings to myself. I realize this all must all seem like the ravings of a lunatic, but it’s imperative that you listen. Just take me with you. Please!”

Korba released her and turned away. He was simply unable to comprehend her fears, and his heart was already in shambles over their impending separation. Dissecting the reasons behind Ticees’ abrupt deployment orders was problematic enough without wondering if Chelan was indeed the catalyst.

Chelan watched him as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. She felt so helpless and so alone. She stepped up to him and placed her hand gently on his back. She took a deep breath. “I will be all right. I promise. Just take me with you. Nothing will—”

“No!” he shouted angrily. “The decks of the RIBUS while she is engaged in war against ROPE are simply too dangerous. I will not put you in jeopardy that way!”

“I was on her decks during one of the worst Imperial battles ever, and all was fine!”

Korba’s eyes flared. “That battle was far away from the ship! And if you recall, RIBUS 8 was also there. Any force hell-bent on attacking two Imperial battle cruisers would do so only as some demented form of suicide!”

Chelan staggered backward; his intensity scared her. It was happening again. Despite all her concerns, he was not listening to her. Yet to be fair, why should he? She knew that she had no case against Ticees, none whatsoever.

Korba placed his hands on his hips as he tried to sort through all the unknowns. Then he stepped past her. “I need to go for a walk and clear my head.” And he left.

“Oh, god,” she whimpered as she sagged to the bed. A deep sense of morbidity enveloped her, and she felt ill. She rocked herself gently, telling herself it was all in her head and that she would be fine. Korba was right. Ticees could do nothing to her. All she had to do was stay with others and watch that she was never alone with him. And just when she thought she had calmed herself, she lurched to her feet and bolted to the washroom, where she promptly lost the contents of her stomach. She clutched at her convulsing muscles as she struggled for air. Then she lay down on the cool floor in a ball, her body exhausted, her mind clouding. Something terrible was going to happen, and though she could not pinpoint it logically, the overpowering sense of foreboding that devoured her assured her of its inevitability. Chelan swallowed hard. With Korba gone, she would be powerless.

Finally, she sat up and cleared her hair from her face. She squeezed her fingers into her temples, attempting to press away the tension. Depression was beginning to invade, anxiety percolating to the surface with past demons, present stresses, and future uncertainties all vying for dominion. Too many things were happening at once, and her ability to cope was eroding. She needed to adhere to a stable routine, but how was that ever going to be possible? She took several deep breaths and hugged her knees. All hell was breaking loose in her mind … and she felt helpless.

*****

Korba paced up and down one of the outdoor corridors, angry and enraged at everyone and everything, but mostly at himself. There was no way he could justify taking her on such a volatile mission. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her. Leaving her was the only solution, unless … He stopped. What if he demanded that Dar be given the mission?

Korba shook his head and resumed pacing. It was finally happening. He was letting her interfere with his command, and that was unacceptable, yet he knew not what to do about it. He exhaled sharply as he tried to focus on the real problem, that of Chelan’s perception of the entire situation. She was being irrational about the whole affair. Her thoughts were being contaminated by her Earth experiences, and that was something she was going to have to deal with. Nothing untoward was going to happen. Nothing could happen. The Emperor was not above the law, not in Iceanean society.

Korba took several deep breaths as he cleared his mind. He ceased his pacing and looked to the sky, the cruel wind cutting him to the bone yet sharpening his senses. Right now, the only thing that really mattered was for him to spend as much time with her as possible over the next two days, and hopefully over that time she would come to look at things more rationally. She was simply stunned by the news and upset by his impending departure. She would adjust. She had to.

He headed back to his chambers.

He noticed her absence right away, and he moved quickly to the en suite. “Oh, Chelan,” he groaned as he went to his knees and gathered her into his arms.

Chelan looked at him blankly and then shook her head at him. “I’m okay,” she uttered.

He stood and walked with her to his bed. He sat down with her in his lap. He held her close for a time and then spoke. “I’m sorry, Chelan. There is nothing I can do. My hands are tied. I can not disobey Ticees’ order without due cause.” He watched her, but she remained silent. “Look,” he said quietly, “I know this news is a blow. It is to me also. I do not wish to be separated from you, pretty woman, any more than you do from me. But we both knew this was inevitable. Let’s just spend the next two days together, and I promise you, the next few months will go quickly.”