Chapter Twenty

  Bacoj clicked his hand-held, taking his time as he rolled through the new shuttle’s pre-flight check. He tried to enjoy the bright sun’s warmth on his bare shoulders, the easy sounds of laughter from other Kalquorians on the launch pad as they prepared to leave the now disassembled based camp. Half of the search party had already departed, most on their way home to Kalquor. He felt a jab of jealousy, thinking of how many were going to be so much closer to his Lindsey than he was.

  Not his Lindsey. He had to remember that.

  Japohn and Vax’s low conversation in the shuttle helped. Vax was speaking to them again, buoyed by the hope that their Matara would return once they finished their Earth assignment. Japohn’s anger had dissipated too. They were all living on hope, hope that she indeed loved them enough to forswear the easy life a higher ranking clan could give her. That devotion and loyalty would sustain her far better than a fine home would. She was a woman of integrity, and Bacoj thought if her heart did indeed belong to them, she would not be swayed.

  But worries plagued him nonetheless. She’d known them for such little time. Did she really love them or had infatuation temporarily blinded her? And what of their selfishness in keeping her from the life she deserved? How did he condone that?

  Hope sandwiched between fear and guilt made for an uneasy Dramok.

  Bacoj finished his check and stepped back to look over the shuttle. It was bigger with a few more luxuries than the first one. Still, he missed the shuttle now lying somewhere at the bottom of the Gulf, missed it because that was the first place he’d made love to Lindsey. Gone, like the base where he’d last possessed her. He’d not only lost her, he’d lost the touchstones that reminded him of her. Only the scent of the ocean, fresh and salty like her delicate aroma, remained now. Once they flew to the remains of Atlanta, that briny reminder that kept her psychologically close would be gone too.

  “Dramok?”

  The thick voice behind Bacoj startled him, and he whirled around to face another Kalquorian. The man’s formsuit was trimmed in green, signaling his Imdiko status. He looked near Bacoj’s age.

  “Yes?”

  The gentle face of the Imdiko was filled with awed curiosity. “You are the one who found the Empress’ sister?”

  “Yes.” Bacoj was getting used to the bit of celebrity he’d acquired by accidentally rescuing members of the Imperial Family. It was beginning to be a nuisance.

  “You really clanned her before you knew who she was?”

  Steeling his patience, Bacoj replied, “I did.”

  The Imdiko nodded, and sadness replaced the avid interest. “My clan returns to Kalquor now. No Matara for us. Most Earthers run and hide from our people.” He gave Bacoj a weary smile. “You were lucky to have a Matara for even a short time.”

  His words made Bacoj look around himself, at his fellow Kalquorians. He noted only three Earther Mataras among the black formsuited men, at the envious looks given to the clans who’d claimed them. While the search party’s mission had been all about finding and rescuing the McInness family, no doubt many of the men had hoped to find the missing pieces of their clans as well. And it suddenly occurred to Bacoj that though he ached fiercely from his loss, he would have given anything for just five precious minutes in Lindsey’s presence.

  He’d had so much more than five minutes.

  He smiled at the man in front of him. “I was very fortunate wasn’t I? Thank you, Imdiko.”

  The Kalquorian bowed and walked away, leaving Bacoj better able to shoulder his grief.

  * * * *

  The pilot’s thick, guttural voice came over the shuttle’s announce system, startling Lindsey out of her dreary mental fog. She blinked and looked around the spacious cabin that contained her, Tara, and Sarod.

  Sitting across from the women, Sarod translated the pilot’s brief burst. “We will dock with the transport in ten of your Earth minutes, Imperial Mother. Would you like to see the vid?”

  Tara leaned forward, her expression interested. “Yes, please.”

  Sarod barked a command in his own language, and one wall dissolved to show a lozenge-shaped ship in space. It was smooth and featureless, but as Lindsey watched, a port opened, admitting another shuttle. When the hatch closed again, there was no seam to show where it had been. She found the energy to be slightly impressed.

  Sarod told them, “Your quarters on board are prepared. I believe you will both be quite comfortable.” He smiled hopefully at Lindsey.

  “Thank you,” Tara supplied when Lindsey didn’t respond. She looked at her daughter and sighed. “You should have stayed with your clan.”

  Lindsey drew her depression around her like a heavy cloak. “Sorry I’m such a crummy traveling companion that you’d rather be alone.”

  Tara scowled, an event rarely seen. She almost never got angry, and had Lindsey been able to shake off her blue mood she’d be openmouthed with shock. “It’s not that, and you know it. You’re miserable and I hate seeing it. You need them after losing Aaron. I could just shake those men for making you leave.”

  The younger woman managed to defend them a little. “They de-clanned me out of love.”

  “Does it hurt any less?”

  Tara had to be furious to press the issue, Lindsey realized. Even the most understanding person in the universe turns into a lioness when you mess with her cubs. She blinked back tears at the overt display of love, at the knowledge Tara would forsake having her daughter at her side for her happiness. “Of course it hurts like hell, but it’s done, Mom. Can we not discuss it anymore?”

  Tara took her hand, squeezing it tight. Lindsey laid her head on her mother’s thin shoulder. Their shared grief became more bearable from the contact.

  * * * *

  Bacoj wandered out onto the beach where Japohn and Vax stood watching the sun set in shades of orange and red. The base was gone, and their shuttle was one of only a dozen left. The time to leave had arrived.

  He stood a little apart from his clanmates, still unsure of his status with them. Vax was speaking to him again, but the rift between them had been bad. He wondered if the relationship with his Imdiko would ever fully recover.

  He looked out over the water, admiring the lovely scene. There were differences between Earth’s seascape and Kalquor’s, but there were more similarities. The Imperial Clan lived on the coast, and within a few months, Lindsey would be looking out over another ocean. Emptiness gnawed at his guts.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Japohn look at him. “We’re ready to leave when you say. We just wanted to say goodbye to Aaron.”

  Tara had scattered some of her husband’s ashes in the blue waters of the Gulf, reserving some for the funeral services to be held on Kalquor. Bacoj nodded. “Aaron McInness was an honorable man. I have missed him.”

  He did miss Lindsey’s father. The man had possessed strength of character and unwavering love for his family. Another person to be grateful to have known. Another loss to grieve.

  He felt Japohn and Vax draw close behind him. Vax put a warm hand on Bacoj’s shoulder and squeezed. The Dramok’s throat closed to feel the touch, and he put his hand over his Imdiko’s.

  Maybe everything would be all right after all.

  No sooner had the thought slipped in his head when Japohn suddenly stiffened. Bacoj looked up at the Nobek, instantly alert at the feral expression on his face. Japohn’s lips wrinkled back and he displayed his fangs.

  “What is it?”

  The Nobek growled, “Listen. Ships are coming, and I don’t think they’re ours.”

  Bacoj strained to hear over the crash of waves. After a couple of seconds, he heard it too. Blended notes of engines, but engines of various different types. The whir of a Dantovon vessel. The easily recognized hum of a Kalquorian ship. The growling roar of Earther engines. And others, all coming towards them, fast.

  He squinted against the flaming dazzle of the setting sun, the direction from which the sounds came. Several dark dots were out there, growing larger as they closed in.

  As alarm and fury unhinged Bacoj’s fangs, Japohn shouted, “It’s a Tragoom attack! Back to the base!”

  The men took off across the beach as fast as their legs could carry them.

  * * * *

  Lindsey lay on the huge bed of her mother’s suite on board the massive Kalquorian transport. They had separate quarters, but everything was Kalquorian clan-sized, and Lindsey had found her cavernous rooms too lonely to bear despite the luxury they afforded. The massive bed, intended to sleep four Kalquorians, filled half the room. A seating area and dressing table completed the furniture. Vids lined the walls, programmed to show art, photographs, the empty space outside, whatever one chose from the ship’s library. In the adjacent sitting room, groups of seating would allow Tara to entertain a small party if she so chose. A food dispenser could afford snacks or light meals, and a call on the com would bring a feast to her door. After almost two years of privations, they had every want or petty desire at their beck and call. Yet the best of the best for the Empress’ family couldn’t assuage Lindsey’s grief at being separated from her clan.

  Bacoj, if you could feel how bad I hurt, you’d never in a million years have sent me away.

  Too bad she couldn’t give him the experience.

  The whir of the opening door brought her head up as Tara walked in. Her mother smiled. She seemed to have recovered her usual grace since her outburst on the shuttle. “Sarod says the transport will be leaving as soon as the last shuttle arrives, probably within the hour.”

  “Okay.” Lindsey’s head dropped back on the bed. She contemplated the dimly glowing ceiling that provided the room’s lighting.

  “He invited us to have dinner with his clan.”

  “Okay.”

  “I think he’s hoping to impress you. He must have proper rank for the Imperial Sister.”

  Lindsey propped herself up on her elbows. Her stomach curled in on itself. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

  Tara flopped on the bed beside her. “Be warned, daughter of mine. They’ll be coming out of the woodwork to impress you no matter how much you protest your love for Bacoj’s clan. I’ve never been so grateful I can’t have more children. If I had to deal with suitors so soon after Aaron’s death, I might be tempted to pick up a percussion blaster.”

  “That’ll be the day.” Resignation fell over Lindsey. She faced almost two years of fending off eager clans desperate for mates. She would be counting the minutes until her clan’s arrival on Kalquor. Forcing her own acceptance of the situation, she teased her mother, “You’d still better watch out. You’re pretty hot for an old lady.”

  Tara glowered at her, but the corner of her mouth quirked. “I’m middle aged.”

  The women grinned at each other for a moment before her mother’s face suddenly fled into grief. “Oh Lindsey. I can’t imagine being with anyone but Aaron.”

  As Tara’s face crumpled and the tears flowed, Lindsey gathered her into her arms, holding her mother’s tiny, shaking body.

  Chapter Twenty One

  “Tragoom attack! Get to shelter!”

  Japohn’s roar cut through the sea-salty air, scattering the few Kalquorians left towards the deserted Earther town. The grounded shuttles offered no real safety from the Tragooms, and the men looked for cover among the abandoned Earther buildings.

  All except Bacoj, who ran straight for his new ship. Japohn’s disbelieving yell rang in his ears. “Bacoj, where are you going?”

  Bacoj didn’t miss a step. “Calling for help before they block communications.”

  He jumped through the open hatch, his clanmates two steps behind. In an instant Bacoj was in the cockpit, shouting frantic instructions to the com. The signal indicators wavered and blurred well below transmission strength.

  “Too late.”

  Japohn slid into the seat next to his, fingers flying to activate the sensors. “Our people are gathering in a nearby building. We’ve got a lot of company flying in.”

  “How many?”

  “About 20 ships, all well-armed.” He showed his fangs. “The opportunistic bastards must have been monitoring this base. They waited to attack until our numbers were low.”

  Vax peered over his shoulder, his brows drawn in worry. “How are we on personnel numbers?”

  Japohn exchanged a dark look with Bacoj. “About two dozen, including us. With at least ten Tragooms on each of their ships, it’ll be a slaughter. Go close the hatch, Vax.”

  The Imdiko did so, returning within seconds. Bacoj glanced at his sensors and instinctively looked up, though there was only the ceiling to see. “Half their ships are directly overhead the shuttle pad now.”

  “The other half are converging on that building where our people ran to hide.”

  Vax bit his lip. “Where are the closest rescue teams looking for Earthers?”

  Bacoj looked at his Imdiko, wishing he could somehow sugarcoat the truth for his clanmate. “Not close enough. The Tragooms will finish us long before anyone comes to see why ten shuttles never left here.”

  He saw Vax swallow hard. For a wonder, he managed a weak smile for Bacoj and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m glad you made Lindsey leave.”

  “Trust our Vax to find the good even in certain death.” Japohn chuckled and shook his head. It was no surprise to see him relax now that their fate was certain. For a Nobek, there was honor in this end.

  * * * *

  Lindsey and Tara had reached the point in their latest cryfest where they were reduced to sniffles when a low beep announced they had a visitor. They untangled their arms from around each other without a word, got up, and approached the mirror together. Mother and daughter finger-combed their hair, rubbed their eyes dry, and checked themselves. Suddenly they locked eyes in the mirror and burst out laughing.

  “Vanity,” Tara giggled, her smile dazzling in her sun-bronzed face.

  “We’re a pair all right,” Lindsey hooted. “Too bad we don’t have lipstick for our primping.”

  Linking arms, they left the sleeping quarters and crossed the sitting room to answer the door. It slid open, revealing Sarod, who bowed deeply.

  “My apologies for disturbing you, Imperial Mother and Sister. I have received communication from the Empress. I am preparing a shuttle to return you immediately to Earth, Matara Lindsey.”

  She gaped at the Dramok. “I don’t understand. Why am I going back to Earth?”

  He kept a careful poker face. Whatever Sarod was feeling, he kept to himself. “You are to be returned to your clan, the clan of Dramok Bacoj.” When Lindsey continued to stare at him open-mouthed, he added, “You have a message from Empress Jessica on the matter. I will return to escort you to the shuttle as soon as it is ready.”

  With another bow, he left. The door slid shut and Lindsey slowly turned to her beaming mother. “What did you do, Mom?”

  Tara was wide eyed with innocence. “I’ve done nothing except send a message to my youngest daughter catching her up on all the latest.”

  “You told her about Bacoj’s clan!” Lindsey accused.

  Tara had no qualms about meddling in her daughter’s affairs. “She is your sister. When have you ever kept secrets from her?”

  Lindsey had to admit that was true. Jessica had always been her closest confidante.

  Tara tugged her towards the computer. “Let’s listen to her message.”

  A few moments later, Lindsey was looking into her sister’s very bad-tempered face. “Hey you scurvy swab, what’s this about leaving your clan behind? Tell those guys to man up and stop worrying about rank. If you love them and they love you that’s all that matters!” Jessica took a deep breath. Lindsey could almost hear her thoughts as she mentally counted to five.

  The Empress relaxed into a concerned smile. “Look, I’m dying to see you, but I know a thing or two about fighting for the men you want to spend your life with. Stay with them if it’s what you truly want.” Her eyes narrowed, but Lindsey could tell Jessica was only pretending to be angry now. “You tell Bacoj, Japohn and Vax they don’t want me to come out there.”

  Lindsey was amused through her sudden attack of lightheadedness. “Now I know she’s a mom.”

  A man spoke in the background, someone Lindsey couldn’t see. The deep voice said, “Yes, those poor men don’t want to meet their Empress in a mood.”

  Jessica’s lips tightened and she snarled, “Don’t start, Egilka. I’m still mad about this morning.”

  A long-suffering sigh answered her. “If not this morning, it would be something else.”