Vareen & Mica (The Alliance Book 2) (4 page)

Upon arriving at Titus, Mica said
good-bye
to Drake, Dak, Tae, and Arik. They all had
to
catch
up with what had happened in their clans and were teleporting
directly to their own homes. He needed to find his father and explain the
situation as soon as possible. He’d found out that they were missing for the
past ten months, and his cousin,
Temloc
, had
started training to take his place. Which explained his presence on
The
Maxon
.

The warship being in one piece was a surprise. It hadn’t blown up as
they’d all figured. The technical malfunction that had sent the crew into
escape pods had been the cloaking device. When the five of them waited until
the last moment to deploy in their pods, the timing had been just unfortunate
enough to send them ricocheting in a different direction than the other crew members
when the cloaking device stabilized. That’s why their pods hadn’t been found by
The Cariyel
.

Transporting directly to his father’s quarters seemed the easiest thing.
Since he resided in The Grand Tower, he’d needed permission to transport and
his father had been warned he was coming.

“Mica.” He barely had time to brace for the impact of his father’s hug
and then it felt as if his ribs were cracking. His father was slightly shorter
than him, but heavily muscled and with an imposing bearing. What
Martac
Jataci wanted, he usually got. There
weren’t many that could stare him down. With dark brown eyes that bordered on
black when irritated, his scowl could scare the blue out of the sky. When
happy, the lines around his mouth and eyes told a different story. One of a man
that laughed and loved.

“When I heard the news I couldn’t believe it. I got all the basic
information from the data download. It’s amazing that you were found, and by
Calinae Edal of all people.”

His father talked as they walked into his quarters. The Grand Tower,
where his father resided, was fifty floors of private suites. Each floor could
be personalized for the owner. The penthouse, where his father lived,
had an entryway that you accessed by the elevator
.
Directly off of that was a great room. This housed his entertainment equipment,
a large selection of seating, and huge double doors that opened to a wraparound
balcony that gave sweeping views of Jataci City. On the right was a large
kitchen stuffed full of the newest gadgets and cooking devices. His father
thought himself an accomplished chef and liked to show off in the kitchen.
Along the wall to the left was a hallway that led to his father’s bedroom,
sitting room and bathroom. Along a hallway to the right, before the
kitchen
were two guest rooms with a shared
bathroom splitting them. He would sometimes stay here when he didn’t want to
trek across the city to get home, and he knew his sister did as well.

“Come and sit down.” His father led him to a sofa. Placed out for him was
a variety of food and drink items in case he was hungry or thirsty.

Careful not to knock into the table, he settled into the seat.

“Tell me about her.” His father didn’t waste time with what Mica knew he
was most interested in. His cousin would have passed along the information that
he’d taken a chosen mate, and let her go with
The Reliant
back to Cestori.

“Her name is Vareen Nas. She was the science officer and now captain of
The Reliant
.” Mica began. Talking with
his father it all poured out. Her childhood and how it molded her. The duty she
felt toward the ship and getting it back to Cestori. His feelings for
her
and the magnetic pull he had to be with
her, and his worry for their future.

“Why couldn’t Drake’s mate take
The
Reliant
back to Cestori?” his father pointed out a valid argument.

“Drake didn’t want Cali to face her mother alone. Vareen wasn’t in the
same position as Cali and was the best choice to return the ship and crew to
Cestori. I’m sure Drake will elaborate on his motives when he attends the emergency
council meeting he’s requesting.” Giving his father a determined look he added.
“I’ll be going to Cestori when the Council sanctions a mission there. I’m
confident that it will be soon.”

“I’m sure it will be. It sounds like Aicen Edal needs to be dealt with.”

“Mica,” A female voice called from the entryway. “I just heard. Where are
you?”

“In here little sister.” Mica stood up and braced himself for another
round of
rib-cracking
hugs.

With a flash of black, his little sister was in his arms. Seeing her
again, Mica realized she’d grown up without him realizing it. It had only been
ten months, but it felt as if years had passed by. Why hadn’t he seen his
little sister as a grown woman? In his
mind,
she still wore her hair in pigtails and chased after him relentlessly. Now, what
he saw in her place was a stylish woman he hadn’t realized was
inside
the little troublemaker. She seemed
taller than he remembered at just under six feet and had an athletic
build
. The dress all women on Titus wore was
the same. There were ties that went around the neck, leaving both shoulders and
all of the back uncovered. The front had a deep V. The rest of the dress floated
in layers to land in waves to mid-calf, with slits to mid-thigh. The material
was form fitting and never
gapped
,
slipped, shifted or gave peeks of skin that
wasn't
meant to show. Since the clan color of Jataci was black, all females of his
clan wore that color. His sister had her black hair styled, pinned, and tucked
to perfectly frame her face. Her usually brown eyes were flashing with a blue
tint, showing her emotional state.

“You know I hate it when you call me that,” she punched him lightly on
the shoulder. “I’m hardly your
little
sister anymore.”

His sister rushed to their father’s side and kissed his cheeks. “I was in
class with Nevir and we both heard at the same time. All the social forums are
talking about the lost heirs being found. The communication array almost got
shut down by all the traffic, and we were allowed to leave classes early due to
the circumstances.”

“I understand Dani.” His father gestured for them both to sit. “Mica was
just telling me about the woman he’s chosen.”

“So that part is true too? I thought maybe it was just
idle
gossip.” His sister’s lips were pursed in
what he figured was disapproval and her words confirmed it. “You chose someone
not of the clan, but also not of Titus?”

“Yes, Dani. I’ve chosen a mate that is of Cestori. Vareen is returning
The Reliant
back to her home world, or I
would have brought her directly home.”

“Vareen. That’s her name?” his sister said it like she was tasting
something foul.

“Dani,” his father’s tone warned his sister that she was treading on thin
ice. “Your brother is a grown male. He is free to pick the one he wants as his
chosen mate.”

“What about the consequences?” his sister argued. “The clan won’t accept
this decision easily. Not after he’s been gone so long. Not to mention the
ramifications if his chosen has children that don’t have our abilities. It
boggles the mind.”

“I would face any trial to be with Vareen. If I have to prove myself to
the clan, then so be it. It won’t change the fact that I’m going to Cestori and
bringing my chosen back to Titus.” Mica drew in a deep breath. “Any children I
have with Vareen will be a miracle to me. I won’t care if they have abilities
or not.”

“You can’t mean that,” his sister looked stricken. “Think about what it
would mean to the leadership of the clan. You can’t be that naïve.”

“That’s a bridge we can cross when it’s time.” His father intervened. His
tone had gone stone cold and Mica knew the argument had ended. His sister
wasn’t even brave enough to keep arguing when he spoke with that infliction.

“As you
say,
father.” Andani
reached for some of the food on the table. Looking icicles at him under her
lashes he knew that she would find a way to talk with him later. “Have you told
him about Luna?”

“What about her?” Mica was a horrible person. In all of his worries, to
find his father and talk things over, he’d forgotten all about his pet.

“Temloc was watching her for you I believe.” Andani had a mischievous
look on her face. “Well, about sixty days ago she got away from him at the
worst time. I did warn you to get your pet fixed so she couldn’t breed. She’s
due to give birth any day now.”

“Luna is pregnant?” Mica was stunned. He’d never considered breeding her
because of her smaller size and his worry for her health. He supposed he’d just
have to accept that she was to have a litter. Finding good homes for them would
be a priority and then he’d see to getting her fixed.

“You should go home and relax.” His father gave him a knowing look. “We
can finish our talk tomorrow after the Council meeting. I’m sure we’ll have a
myriad of questions to go over then. I’ll have my pod made available to you.
Just send it back when you get home.”

“Thank you, father. I am tired and
being in
my own home sounds
nice.”

Nodding his father went to the console at his front door and Mica could
hear him ordering the pod. Picking himself out of the chair he moved into the
entryway. His sister followed.

“I’ll walk Mica out. Do you mind if I stay here tonight father?”

“
Of course not,
I don’t mind. Lock
the elevator down when you get back up.”

The elevator system only opened on each floor if you had the access code.
When it was locked down, the elevator wouldn’t open on that residence even if
you had the code.

Embracing his father, Mica wished him a goodnight. “I’m happy to be
home.”

His father returned his hug, “I’m happy to have you home.”

With their
good-byes
said, he went
into the elevator and waited for his sister. He knew this was a ploy to talk
with him and he wasn’t disappointed.

“Are you sure this woman, Vareen, is the one you want for your chosen?”
She asked him and Mica was taken aback by her ferocity. “Has she even accepted
you?”

“Yes, Vareen is who I want. No, she hasn’t given me an answer…yet.”

“Then it’s not too late.” Dani looked hopeful. “You can still change your
mind.”

 
Mica decided to nip this problem
in the bud. No woman he’d ever shown an interest in was good enough in Dani’s
opinion and until Vareen he hadn’t argued against his sister’s judgment of
them.

 
Now he wanted his sister to
understand. Every cell in his body was telling him that Vareen was the mate for
him. Dani would have to give up her overprotective ways. Mica knew that Vareen
would have an uphill climb to get
Andani’s
acceptance.

“I love
you,
Dani.” They had
reached the bottom floor and he held the elevator door closed with a button. Making
sure he had his sister’s attention he stated, not unkindly, but firmly. “Make
no mistake. I will not tolerate any rudeness toward Vareen when I return. You
will show proper respect to my chosen.” He hit the open door button and stepped
out.

“You have to get her to come to Titus first and then we’ll see.” His
sister didn’t bother to hide her skepticism and the doors shut.

Shaking his head at his sister’s attitude he went through the lobby,
speaking quickly to those he knew. Finally making it to his father’s pod he
entered the vehicle. Inside the
pod,
it was
very luxurious. There were four captain’s chairs for seating, all upholstered
in a soft
cream-colored
leather material.
The main cities of Titus used the pod system for travel. The vehicles came in
two, four, and
six-seat
models. They were
computerized, so no two pods could collide. If you wanted to travel beyond your
clan boundary, you could use a larger recreational
pod
to see the sights. Those came with sleeping quarters and a
bathroom. Most people didn’t use them, the average citizen preferred the
teleporting center for travel to other clans.

“
Welcome,
Mica Jataci.” The
computer scanned him to determine his identification and then spoke to him when
he entered.

“Take me home, please.” Mica adjusted the five-point harness and then sat
back.

“Arrival time in current traffic is fifteen minutes.”

As he watched the city
flew past
and turned to the
countryside
. He lived
on the outskirts, so his nearest neighbor was miles away. It allowed him more
space and freedom.

His thoughts raged in his head. What was Vareen doing right
now?
Was she thinking of him? How long was it
going to take to get a spaceship heading for Cestori? When would he have her in
his arms again?

“We have arrived at your home.”

The pod slowed to a stop in front of his driveway and Mica tiredly went
inside.

“I don’t care what you heard. Cali went with Drake willingly. I’m sure of
it.” Vareen didn’t understand what had come over Diandra. She wasn’t acting
like herself. “We’ve returned to Cestori. Cali and Drake will follow when they
finish their business on Titus. Drake assured me they will follow in a week, no
longer.”

Before Vareen took control of the crew and made a
course
for Cestori, Drake had communicated his plans to follow
behind
The
Reliant
as quickly as possible and stand with Cali against her
mother. Now they were entering
orbit
of
her home world, and she didn’t feel any excitement at making it back to
Cestori. She only felt happiness at the assumption that Mica had departed Titus
and was on the way. She’d had a lot of time to think it over and she had an
answer for him when he arrived.

“You didn’t see him grab her and then disappear off the bridge.” Diandra
was like a dog with a bone, she wasn’t giving up. “I still say he abducted her
and we need to go after them. Make sure that they are coming back at all.”

“You didn’t see it either Diandra. You are going off hearsay. Everyone
knows Cali and Drake were madly attracted to each other, and deeply in love,”
Nellia intervened. “I’m sure that Cali would’ve gotten us a message if she
needed help.”

“Not if she’s being kept from communicating.”

“We’re her friends too Diandra and I’m not worried. I agree with Nellia. Cali
was in love with Drake and I’m sure everything is fine.”

Nellia was sitting next to her on the couch in the captain’s living
quarters. Vareen had taken over this space since she was now acting captain.

“You should be happy.” Vareen eyed Diandra suspiciously. “With Cali out
of the way, it should work out that you’ll be able to have Vathral as your
life-partner.”

Diandra stood so suddenly both
she
and Nellia were startled, “I’ve got to see to something in my rooms.”

Before they could ask what was wrong, Diandra was gone.

“What is going on with her?” Vareen asked Nellia. She was genuinely
concerned for her friend.

“I don’t know, maybe the idea of getting her happy ever after with
Vathral is overwhelming to her.” Nellia shrugged.

“Maybe.” Vareen wasn’t sure, but it could explain her odd behavior.

“What about you?” Nellia asked coyly. “You never did say what happened
with you and Mica.”

“That’s because I’ve got nothing to say.” Vareen didn’t want to bring up
her last moments with Mica. The fact that he’d been in her thoughts non-stop
since they’d parted was killing her. When she slept, she had dreams of him.
When she was working, she daydreamed about him. There was no escaping the man.
How he’d managed to become so important to her so quickly she’d never
understand. It was worse than those romance pamphlets Cali had swooned over.

“Come on Vareen, we’ll be entering Cestori
Spacedock
soon and who knows how long it will be before either of
us will see the light of day again.”

Nellia was joking, but both of them knew their return without Cali would
put them in a precarious position. Who knew what Cali’s mother would do. Aicen
Edal could wait patiently for her daughter to arrive in a week, or she could
imprison them all and send another spacecraft after her daughter. Those two
options were just the nicest reactions Vareen could picture from Aicen Edal.

“I have things to talk over with Mica and that’s all I’ll say on that
front,” Vareen changed the subject. “As for what Aicen Edal will do. I’m hoping
the crew will speak so highly of the mission and our accomplishments that
Cali’s mother will wait before deciding on punishments. Since the crew
thinks
Cali is following after us with a
diplomatic liaison from Titus, I’m hoping the lure of a powerful new alliance
will get us out of trouble.”

Vareen had stressed to the crew that Cali was doing her duty as captain
by initiating
first
contact with Titus.
It gave the crew a feeling of accomplishment that they’d charted the Buffer
Zone and made a new ally in the people of Titus.

“Well, what the
crew knows
and what
we know are two different
things,
” Nellia
argued.

“Captain, we’re in range to allow the automated docking protocol. Do you
want that implemented?” The navigation officers voice called out over the
comm
link.

“Affirmative. Let Cestori Space Control have her,” Vareen ordered.

There was a chime at the door and Vareen called, “Come in.”

Diandra stood there and Vareen was happy to see she appeared calmer.

“Diandra? Are you—”

“In the name of The Council of Three, I hereby find you both guilty of
the new crime of romanticism. Along with the added offense of theft of a
spacecraft, disobeying direct orders, and a myriad of other charges. The full
list of which will be read to you at your realignment.”

“What are you talking about?” Vareen stood, staring in shock at the
change in her friend.

“During our time away, a new law has been established criminalizing
emotions,” Diandra pulled a taser out of her pocket and pointed it at them.
“You are to be sent to the Realignment Center for questioning, and once found
guilty…the repair of your emotional state will be performed.”

“I don’t’ understand.” Nellia was wringing her hands in panic. “How could
you do this to us, we’re your friends.”

“I was never your friend. I was sent by the council to watch Cali at the
Academy.”

It hit Vareen like a ton of bricks. “You never intended to partner with
Vathral. It was all a cover for you. When Cali tried to keep you on Cestori,
you teleported back on your own. Not accidentally like you said.”

“You caught on a lot faster than Cali did.” Diandra didn’t sound
impressed with her cognitive
prowess,
however, only bored.

“What about Vathral? Was he in on this?” Vareen couldn’t believe he would
betray them.

“Vathral isn’t aware of my mission. He’s going to have some questions to
answer at the Realignment Center as well.”

Nellia went to speak and Diandra shot her with the taser. She crumpled
onto the floor in a heap. Vareen didn’t have time to speak before the weapon
was pointed at her.

Mica, what have I done in coming
back here?
Her mind cried out and then the discharge of the weapon ended
her self-recrimination.

*****

“This is Vareen Nas. Patient zero-zero-five. She is to be questioned on
her duplicity regarding the recent activity onboard
The Reliant
and then realigned. We have audio and visual recording
devices active. Any questions?”

Vareen didn’t hear anyone else speak and then the light over her eyes
dimmed.

“Vareen Nas, can you hear me?” A female voice spoke to her left and when
she tried to turn her head it felt sluggish. Taking in her surroundings, all
she could see was a type of restraint across her chest, wrists, thighs, and
ankles. Since she was now wearing some type of exam gown, the restraints cut
painfully into her sensitive skin. The table she was strapped to was inclined,
so she was in a
semi-seated
position. Her
eyes were able to move left to right and she saw across the room a wall with
computer consoles. Standing at those consoles were three figures, all of them
were wearing doctor’s robes. The woman standing at her left was also wearing a
medical robe, but Vareen couldn’t read her name.

“Can you hear me?” the woman repeated.

“Yes,” Vareen choked out. Her throat was dry and she wished she had some
water. Getting shot with a phaser gun was a bitch.

“Good.” The woman turned to her co-workers. “We may begin. Vareen Nas. Do
you know where Calinae Edal is?”

“Cali? No. I don’t know where she is.” This was technically true. At this
moment,
she had no idea where Cali was.
At her
answer,
there was a buzzing sound
and a sharp pain flashed through her temples. About the same as a bad headache.

“Let me repeat the question.” The woman asked again, “Do you know where
Calinae Edal is?”

“I told you I don’t.” Vareen insisted and the pain shot through her
again, this
time,
more intense. So she
was to be tortured? This wasn’t something they taught at the Academy.

“Do you know the name of the ship that Calinae was teleported to?”

“No.” More pain.

“Do you know who took Calinae Edal?”

“No.” Intense pain.

“Do you deny the accusation that you instigated various criminal activities,
and Calinae Edal tried to stop you?”

“Yes.” The worst pain so far shot through her brain.

“Do you deny that you suffer from and encourage emotional responses?”

“Yes.” The pain was so strong this time that Vareen passed out.

By the end of the
questioning,
Vareen didn’t know what she’d confessed to, how long she’d been tortured, or
where she was. The pain in her head was physically sickening.

“We have everything we can get from her. Begin the realignment. We’ll
need to make notes in the log on our progress. It should take about two weeks
to totally re-write the area of her brain dealing with emotions. When we’re
done, she will be completely logical, without a hint of emotional responses.”

Vareen heard one of the doctors talking.
They
were
going to take away her ability to feel emotions. She strained
against the straps binding her but it didn’t do any good.

When one of the technicians attached a new device to her temples and
adjusted the machine, Vareen laughed. “He’ll kill you for this.”

“Who will kill me?” the female looked at her puzzled.

“Mica,” Vareen’s mouth hurt trying to speak. “He will take this building
down stone by stone until he finds me.”

Another doctor walked up and replied calmly, “You’ll be here to tell him
you wanted this done.”

The woman didn’t hesitate before pushing the button.

Vareen’s back arched until she thought it would snap. She tried not to
scream, but the pain was so intense she did. A long, agonized, air sucking
scream that she couldn’t stop. Tears pooled in her eyes and flowed down her
cheeks unchecked. How long was the pain going to last? When it stopped a few
seconds later, she gulped in
air
like a
sea creature stuck out of the
water
.

“Mica.” Vareen didn’t recognize her own voice. “Mica.” I have to remember
Mica. He’s coming for me. We met on
The
Reliant
. I found his escape pod. He wants me to be his chosen mate. He
makes me feel safe and I want to try to build a home with him on Titus and away
from the hellhole Cestori had become.

The doctor pushed the button again, “Mica.” Vareen screamed again, crying
for help even when she knew he was too far away.