Vall's Will (11 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Handoff

Vall slid an arm
around her waist and drew her away from the door, back against him. The portal
slid shut as she turned around to bury her face in his chest.

I do not want
to go.

“I don’t
want you to go,” she replied. She was drained. The confrontation with
Plymon had taken a lot out of her. Before she could ask for his strength, she
felt it curling through her, moving at a slow, warming rate from her tummy to
her buttocks. The life giving current made her weak in the knees. The hand he
pressed between her shoulder blades was the only thing that prevented her from
falling.

“I don’t
want you to go,” she repeated. “But I have no choice. The Regents
want you where they feel they can best serve your interests. Where they can
best protect you.”

I need no
protection.

He sounded so
sure of himself. Reluctantly, Will peered up at him. “Then why were you a
prisoner on the queen ship?”

Vall smiled at
her but didn’t answer. She’d gotten accustomed to hearing him in her head. In
all her years with the Regency, she had met just two other telepathic entities,
but those encounters, although similar, had been nothing like the connection
she had with Vall. She could feel the other telepaths when they were inside her
head, moving around like a charge of static electricity. Talking to Vall was
nothing like that. At no time could she tell if he was reading her mind or not.
Either way, it didn’t bother her. Not even the possibility of him learning her
darkest secrets and fears.

He bent down to
kiss her. Will sighed. Two hours more, and their contentment would be over.
They would be split apart by trillions of miles and millions of galaxies, and
there was nothing she could do about it.

I must stop
thinking about it. It hurts too much to contemplate what’s to come. We have two
hours, and we must make the time count.

I will not
leave you.

Will wrapped her
arms around him. “You must go with them, Vall. For some reason we don’t understand,
the Ben Objure have claimed complete ownership of you. They will destroy whole
planets, entire civilizations, if they don’t get you back.”

Vall frowned,
then nuzzled her bare scalp.
They have that power?

“Yes, they
do.”

As do you.

Will shook her
head. “No, we don’t. Not singly. The
Trinity
is a warship, yes, but
we alone can’t sustain a barrage long enough to end a battle. That’s not what
this ship was built for. It’s not what we pledged our lives to do. I am a Nion
warrior, yes, but I am pledged to protect others. I will fight, but only to
defend.”

“Medical to
Captain Tayte.”

“This is
the Captain,” Will responded to the voice.

“Killjorn
here. May I have a word with you at your earliest convenience?”

“Can you
tell me now?”

The physician’s voice
sounded peeved. “I would prefer we discuss this in private.”
Apparently she knew the Captain was not alone. It didn’t take three guesses to
figure out what the woman wanted to talk about.

Closing her
eyes, Will placed a gentle kiss on Vall’s chest. “All right. See you
shortly.”

“This is
urgent.”

“I
understand, and I said I’d be there shortly. Tayte out.”

She let out a
deep sigh. “I’m at a crossroads here, Vall. I don’t want to lose you.
I…I can’t. But I can’t stay with you, either.”

You are my
Will. You must remain with me.

“Maybe.
Maybe sometime in the near future, if the stars allow.” She hated giving
him false hope. She hated herself more for pretending there was a chance for
them. “For now, let’s see how far the Ben Objure will go to get you back.
They must be stopped, or else a lot of innocent lives could be lost. Forgive
me, Vall, but as much as I care for you, I can’t have that on my
conscience.”

He gathered her
closer, almost as if he couldn’t bear the thought of being separated.
You
are my Will. My Willis. I cannot lose you.

He kissed her
again, more roughly than usual, but it was a roughness borne of desperation and
fear. Reluctantly, Will pulled away from him.

“Listen.
There’s a man up on the bridge who wants to take my ship away from me. He’s my
top priority. I must get dressed and go up there to confront him.”

She stepped away
when he dropped his arms, but he never moved from where he stood. Will entered
the cleansing tube for an abbreviated cycle, then emerged and donned her
overly-large uniform. After programming the computer earlier, as Killjorn had
requested, it felt like she was wearing a sack.

Vall was still
in the same spot where she’d left him when she turned for the door. She also
noticed that during her bath, he’d put his robes back on. He looked her over,
as if searching for something. Will caught his attention with a tilt of her
head.

Will you
accompany me to the other ship?

His question
caught her off-guard. It was immediately clear to her he wanted to be with her
as long as possible before they were parted. He wasn’t the only one who felt
that way.

“Yes. I’ll
accompany you to the other ship. Why don’t you come with me? I need to stop
first at the bridge before heading for the medical bay to see what Killjorn
wants.”

The shadow of a
smile crossed his lips. He followed her as she exited her cabin and made her
way to the tube.

They stepped
onto the bridge together. After the crew had gotten over their initial
surprise, Granth was the first person to greet them.

“Captain!
You’re looking well.”

“Feeling a
bit like a shaved grundus, but I’m mobile and cognizant. How soon until we meet
with the
Legion
?”

“One point
five-two hours, Captain,” another voice replied.

Everyone on the
bridge turned to look at the man sitting in the command seat. Plymon remained
motionless as he stared over her shoulder.

“This is
the bridge. Civilians are not allowed. Peersoff, we need security to
remove—”
“Cancel that order!” Will called out loud enough for the man to hear
through the speaker. “Proceed as usual.”

Plymon swiveled
the chair around. “I countermand that order! Just as I assume command of
this vessel, according to Warrior Code Twenty-four!”

Will stared in
shock at the man refusing to budge from the captain’s chair. At the man who had
delved into her body countless times in the months they had been aboard the
ship. At the man she’d originally thought was her friend, as well as her
Sub-captain.

At the man who
was stripping her of her rank.

The bridge remained
silent, but she could feel the tension rising. Behind her, Vall moved closer.

Warrior Code
Twenty-four?

Rather than
answer him, Will kept her focus on Plymon. “How have I brought danger to
this ship and crew?” she challenged.

Plymon glanced
at Vall. “You are deliberately consorting with a humanoid of unknown
origin. A humanoid with direct ties to the Ben Objure. A humanoid who has been
instrumental in the attack upon Precorut. Because you refuse to put the
humanoid into containment, I am taking command of this ship for the welfare of
the crew.” He then stared directly at her. “Step down, Tayte, or else
I’ll have security remove you.”

“You can’t
do that, Sub-captain. I won’t let you.” Fortunately, her voice remained
calm and in control. Although she verbally denied Plymon’s reasons, mentally
she knew he was well within his rights.

Unless you
refuse him.

She watched
numbly as the Sub-captain got to his feet and approached her.

“I tell you
what, Will. As soon as Vall is turned over to the
Legion
, I’ll hand
command of the
Trinity
back to you. How does that sound to you?”

Will gritted her
teeth. The man no longer referred to her by rank. And to call her by her first
name in front of the crew was a huge insult.

But, again, she
knew she had no choice. She had to accept Plymon’s offer. Whether or not he had
sent a message to Regency Base, she had to take this challenge one step at a
time. And her first step was to resume command of the
Trinity.

“Will?”
Plymon smiled enticingly, waiting for her reply.

A sudden thought
came to her, and she knew she wasn’t ready to relent. Not yet. The Captain’s
mark may no longer be on her neck, but they were still on her uniform.

“What makes
you think that I am consorting with Vall?”

Plymon stifled
his laughter. “Are you so stupid to have us believe that the two of you
aren’t having intimate relations?”

Placing her
hands on her hips, she gave him a half smile. “Have you seen us having
sex?”

“I saw the
both of you totally naked in your cabin!”

“A state of
undress is what most people assume before cleansing themselves. And as for
Vall’s nudity, he’s spent the majority of his life without clothes. Talk to
Killjorn. He drops those robes the first chance he gets.”

“Then what
is he doing in your cabin?”

“Why does
it matter to you?”

A thread of
strength uncurled inside her. Another idea came into focus, and Will lifted her
chin. “Have you explained to the crew why you’re so concerned about my
bedroom antics? Have you told them we were fekking partners during this
mission?”

She could tell
the others around them were surprised by the announcement. It wasn’t unusual
for members to pair up during a long assignment, and to have the captain and
Sub-captain become partners was commonplace. But this announcement gave her and
Plymon’s relationship, and the Sub-captain’s current claims, an entirely new
perspective.

What’s more, it
made Plymon’s grab for the captainship highly suspicious.

“Tell you
what.” Will crossed her arms over her chest. “Give me back my chair.
Vall will become the
Legion’s
responsibility in less than two hours’
time. I also ban you from my cabin for the rest of this mission. Once we reach
Regency Base, you can transfer to any warship of your choice, with my blessing
and glowing reference.” She glanced around the bridge. “Any of you
may transfer with no hard feelings.”

Walking past
him, she went over to the command chair and placed a hand on the arm console.
Her face went hard as she gave the order. “Get out of my chair,
Sub-captain, and assume your station. Now.”

Now.

Plymon’s eyes
jerked over to where Vall remained near the door. Will watched as the blood
drained from his face, and she realized Vall hadn’t spoken to her. He had
spoken to Plymon, and somehow she had overheard him.

After several
tense seconds, the Sub-captain silently rose from the seat and moved to the
side. Will slid onto the warmed upholstery and turned to face the view screen.

“How long,
Granth?”

“Uhh…”
The communications officer stumbled as he checked the timescope. “One
point two hours…Captain.” The last word was emphasized.

Will smiled.
“All right, then. We have a little time before company arrives. I’m
hungry. What say someone goes down to the food processor and brings back some
breakfast? I could use a hot bowl of brallas right now.”

She glanced at
Plymon. She started to suggest he be the one to run the errand, but the man was
already teetering on the edge of rebellion. It would be best she stayed clear
of him until after the handoff.

Fortunately,
another crew member volunteered and left the bridge. By the time he returned,
the rest of the ship would know about the confrontation between her and Plymon.
It wouldn’t take long to find out who was on Plymon’s side, and who remained
loyal to her.

What about
Killjorn?
Vall silently reminded her.

She can wait.
Or she can come up here to speak with me. I have a ship to run.

You are
brave.

The sound of his
praise whispering in her brain was enough to calm her. Hiding her smile, she
checked on the fuel consumption report, unaware of the Sub-captain leaving the
bridge.

Chapter
Seventeen

Good-bye

The two hours
she had to remain sitting in her captain’s chair, awaiting the arrival of the
ship that would take Vall away, were sheer torture. Time and again Will cursed
the fact that she had elected to come up to the bridge and confront Plymon,
rather than spend the time wrapped in Vall’s sensuous embrace. No matter how
many times she mentally argued with herself that her actions had been necessary
to save her captaincy, and despite Vall’s mental approval of how she had
conducted herself during the confrontation, she knew she would regret that lost
opportunity to make love with him one final time.

Every so often,
she could sense Vall moving behind her, either shifting from her right to her
left, and back again, but never sitting. And keeping well within arm’s reach.
He broke into her thoughts on occasion to ask a question about the space
surrounding them, or about the ship. Rather than answer aloud, she tried to
mentally respond, and include what she hoped was a more meaningful image in her
mind. Because he didn’t comment any further about that particular question, she
assumed he got her answer.

She also noticed
he never touched her, or in any way implied by body movement or gesture that
they were intimate. She had no doubt the crew believed Plymon when he declared
she and Vall were lovers. The man had been trying to tear her down in their
eyes, but she had a suspicion he only managed to degrade himself instead. At
least, that’s what she hoped.

“
Legion
coming in range,” Magnus noted.

Closing her
eyes, she girded herself and breathed in deeply. “Magnify.”

The view screen
blurred slightly before readjusting the focus. In front of them, a gleaming
ship, almost like a small golden sun, could be seen heading their way. Will
smiled slightly, knowing that at that same moment, the
Legion
would be
seeing them in the exact same way. Except the
Trinity of Hope
was not
gold in color, but rather a silvery white shade. A hue that enabled them to
effectively use star shine and light rays as background camouflage whenever
they needed the protection.

Both ships were
Nion warships, but as shown in their coloration, they were nothing alike in
size or configuration. The
Trinity
was a small, faster ship, created for
quick, lethal strikes. The
Legion
was larger and more suited for
diplomatic missions. Will nodded to herself. She’d known Captain Ambris Alamet
for many years, and she was secretly glad to know she’d be handing Vall over to
a man who would keep him safe until they arrived at Regency Base.

“Incoming
communication,” Granth announced. Before Will could acknowledge or order
the officer to open up the message, a familiar figure appeared on the small
ledge in front of the view screen. Will waited for the holographic figure to
fully solidify, then flashed the man a smile.

“Welcome
aboard, Captain Alamet.”

The older
gentleman almost started to see her sitting in her chair, but managed to
quickly recover. “Captain Tayte, you look in remarkable health. If it
wasn’t for the new hairstyle, I would have sworn the report I received from
Regency Base was in error. How are you doing?”

“Weak, but
I’m functioning. I’ve missed talking to you, old man.”

“I miss our
card games, Willis. Don’t forget, you still owe me eighteen thousand
creds!”

Will laughed.
“You forget you cheated. I owe you nothing!”

“
Legion
in transport range, Captain,” Magnus relayed.

“Will you
care to come over for an hour or two?” Will inquired. Although she would
love to chat a bit with her friend, she knew the real reason why she was trying
to delay the inevitable. Sadly, Captain Alamet shook his head.

“Sorry,
Captain, but we were already overdue to dock on Piedra Prime when we were
ordered to meet you here. My time table is unreasonably short, or else I’d
gladly take you up on that offer.” By the look on the man’s face, Will
could see he was genuinely regretful.

“It’s
alright. Perhaps we’ll run across each other at Regency Base.”

Alamet smiled.
“Let’s hope. I’m still waiting to collect my winnings from you.”

Will snorted as
the holo figure disappeared. Carefully getting to her feet, she turned to look
at Vall. “Come with me.”

Silently and
obediently, Vall followed her to the tubes and down to the transport bay.
Captain Alamet was already there, along with his Sub-captain, when they
arrived. Felderen stood behind the monitor, ready to send them back aboard the
Legion.
Will and the captain clasped arms lightly yet affectionately.

“By all the
stars, my heart nearly broke when I heard about your stripping,” Alamet
admitted. His eyes reflected his worry and grief. “I expected to find
Plymon in your chair when we rallied.” He checked her out from top to toe.
“Are you fully recuperated?”

“Not yet. I
have a few more days before I can re-armor myself, but otherwise I’m well
enough to resume command.” She held out a hand to Vall, who took it, and
drew him forward. “Ambris, this is Vall.”

The captain was
almost eye level with the young man. Alamet nodded. “So you are the person
at the center of all this controversy?”

Vall turned wide
eyes to Will. Before he could ask her, she flashed him a smile. “Captain
Alamet will take you aboard his ship and deliver you to Regency Base. There,
you’ll be tested until they discover your point of origin. Then, if you want,
you will be returned to your planet and your people. Don’t worry. The
Legion
of Mercy
is a bigger ship, and it’s better armed. It will keep you safe
until your arrival.”

I will not
leave you. I cannot.

He started to
reach for her as sadness filled his face. Will quickly took his hands in hers.

“Don’t
worry. This is where my duty ends. You’re no longer my responsibility.”

You cannot
leave me.

She never
believed it could hurt so much to say good-bye. Her heart was slowly ripping
apart, and the pain was worse than when her skin had been shredded from her
body. This wasn’t a quick stripping. It was slow, torturous, and horrific.

“You must
go, Vall. You have no choice.
I
have no choice.”

You said you
would go with me to the other ship.

“I thought
there would be more time to say good-bye, but you heard Captain Alamet. He has
to leave as soon as possible.”

My choice is
to stay with you. You are my Will.

His grip on her
hands tightened. She could almost envision him throwing his arms around her and
refusing to let go.

At that very
moment, he wrapped her in his embrace. She started to protest when his mouth
came down over hers, and his kiss seared itself into her soul. Will felt
herself falling apart, to the point where she knew she would embarrass herself
in front of the two officers and her crewman. Silently, she pushed against his
chest. His arms released her, and she landed lightly back on her feet. Tears
spotted her cheeks, but if she wiped them away now, it might further complicate
things.

Will gave a
shaky laugh as she put a little space between her and Vall. Sometimes a brief
bit of truth was in order. “I’m sorry, Ambris. As you can see, we’ve
become quite fond of each other.”

Captain Alamet
lifted a questioning eyebrow. She could almost see shadows of disdain in his
face. “Indeed. Will you be all right, Willis?”

“Yes. Thank
you again for your concern. It seems my emotions are more unstable than usual
because of my recent accident and the medicants I’m having to take. Forgive
me.”

She glanced at
the Sub-captain…Buel? Bruelle? She’d forgotten, but dismissed it. Alamet
would put the man in his place if he ever questioned her actions.

“Please
keep me informed on his progress.”

“Most
definitely,” Alamet promised. Turning to Vall, he said, “You will
have free reign of my ship, except for the bridge. My name is Captain Alamet,
and this is my Sub-captain, Bunelle. If you ever have a problem, or need help,
request one of us. Understand?”

Vall gave a
single nod. Alamet glanced at her.

“He’s not
mute,” Will explained. “My physician says he has the ability to
speak, but he chooses not to. We assume his captivity aboard the queen ship is
the cause.”

“I read
your report. Indeed, he’s been rescued from a severe situation. Can he write?
Or communicate via any other method?”

She hesitated to
mention the mental connection she held with him. It was possible just the two
of them could converse because of their unique closeness.

“I don’t know
if he can write. My xenobiologist was in the process of teaching him how to use
the ship’s monitors.”

“Good.
We’ll expand upon that so he can ask for us if he needs us. Time to go, Vall.
Time for last good-byes.”

Will glanced up
to see Vall studying her. She got the impression he was memorizing what she
looked like, and another stab of agony sliced through her.

I will return
for you.
It sounded like a promise.

“I look
forward to the next time we meet.”

He reached out
and cradled her neck with his warm hand. Fingertips brushed the area where her
insignia should be. Will closed her eyes, savoring his touch.

When you
come, will you have your skin marked again?

“When I
return to base, I will need to get several upgrades, including having my
Captain’s marks replaced.”

She took his
hand from her skin, then released it and backed away. She didn’t dare remain
near him. It was terrible enough watching him fade into nothingness as the trio
disappeared. The bay got silent as Felderen shut down the relay switches. As
the low hum vanished, Will felt her blood pooling to the bottom of her feet.

“
Legion
reports all aboard.”

“Thank you,
Felderen. You’re dismissed.”

The officer
paused, perhaps to inquire if she needed anything, then thought better of it.
Instead, he gave her a brief nod and left the bay.

A sob hitched in
her chest. Hard as ice, it cracked her sternum and tore through her throat,
until it finally emerged as a loud, soul wrenching cry. With nothing to break
her fall, Will dropped to the metal plated floor and allowed herself to cry.
Her skin was on fire and her lungs burned as tears poured from her eyes.

After what
seemed like eons, she finally managed to curl herself into a ball, gasping for
breath as shudders raced through her. Slowly, the ship vanished around her,
leaving her floating on the edge of reality, until Felderen returned to find
her semi-conscious and unresponsive.