Crisis Management (3 page)

She blinked. “I am in control.”

“Not during a fight. You need to be in control of your strength and yourself in the heat of battle. If an innocent comes between you and danger, you need to be able to stop.” His tone was absolute.

“But you kept egging me on.” She frowned.

“Yes, we are trying to see what your limits are. The training in control is not a punishment, it is part of your new life with your talent out in the open. It is not time to hide what you are, it is time to celebrate it, but that means that people will be looking and watching, with that, comes a need for control.”

Dev exhaled in a gust. “I understand. What next?”

“Now we go for standard baselines and see if you match what we have come to expect from the Bahi.”

“How many of my species are here?”

“Five. They are in the standard troops of the Udell base—empaths that can sense hostilities before anyone can see them.”

Dev stepped on the scanner plate and put her hands on the marked circles. This scan came and went in layers, working its way into her with pass after pass. She could see the results on the scans as it recorded every detail of her tissue, musculature and bone structure.

She felt warm when Helsin nodded and released her from the scanner. “That was interesting.”

“It was supposed to test your pain responses, but you don’t have any.”

She blinked. “I don’t?”

“No. You register the contact, but you don’t feel proper pain at this range.”

“I feel pain when I prick myself with a needle.” She frowned.

“Yes, but you are striking yourself. It does make a difference. You see the contact coming and accept the pain. It is different when you are suddenly hit. The scanner used a sonic pulse to try and stimulate your nerve endings. What did you feel?”

“Warm. I felt warmth. Oh, hey, will the Masuo get holes in it?” The thought of projectiles had her remembering the impact of bullets and the ruined clothing they caused.

“The Masuo will repair itself. Well, we have the baseline we need. Come with me. Guardian is waiting.”

Dev tried to get used to the form-fitting aspect of the bodysuit. She worried about the thickness of the torso in particular and she no sooner thought about it than the suit thickened. It really was responsive.

She stroked her hand down her rib cage and whispered, “I will call you Efna.”

Helsin looked at her. “What did you say?”

“Well, I have never had a pet before, and I always wanted something that could come with me wherever I went, so I am naming my suit.”

He shrugged. “Remind me to get you an appointment with Counsel for an adaptive assessment.”

Devani snorted, but by the time she had formulated a comeback, they were entering Guardian’s office.

Chapter Four

“So, Devani, has Helsin explained your peculiar situation?” Guardian smiled.

She was sitting at the chair in front of his desk and Helsin was behind her. “He has. I am currently the sole employee of a Citadel that has not yet been built, so I will reside on Udell until it is.”

Guardian chuckled. “Succinct and to the point. So, Helsin, what is her strength rating?”

Helsin’s voice was businesslike. “She is a twenty-nine out of thirty.”

The base commander winced. “That is impressive and frightening. What do you recommend for training?”

“That new solid hologram trainer that Tech put together. It hasn’t seen a proper workout…yet.”

Guardian smiled. “She is here this week, so it is the perfect time to test her project. I think hanger three will be the proper space for it, just so that no one gets in the way and we can restrict the watchers with a security lock.”

“Can you order the setup?”

Guardian nodded. “Of course.”

Dev sat quietly, used to upper management talking over her head. When Guardian turned his gaze back to her, she smiled politely.

“Devani, your training will begin tomorrow when the equipment is in place. Once you are trained to our satisfaction, you will be assigned to missions and travel with the Guard or our troops.”

She nodded and her stomach rumbled.

A pale woman with colourless hair and vivid green eyes cruised into the room. “Martuas, I think she is hungry. Hello, Devani. I am—”

“Tricia. Martuas’s mate. A Terran-born throwback of the Nhavil.”

Dev wanted to bite her lips but something about this woman made her hyper.

“Guard name is Pax.”

Martuas looked to Helsin. “What is your reading?”

“Pax is giving off some of her sedative, and it is causing Dev to run hyper.” Helsin made a soft whistle. “Tricia, calm it down.”

Tricia smiled and inclined her head. “Please excuse me. I normally come in to try and keep the newcomers calm, but it seems that that is not the way to go with you.”

Dev’s hands were shaking, and she wanted to run straight through the walls. “I don’t think so. No. Calm is not what I am feeling.”

Tricia straightened. “Martuas, I think I should take her and give her a tour. Walking it off is the best bet. We will start with dinner, and I will show Devani her quarters afterward.”

“That sounds like a good start. Are we done here?” Dev got to her feet.

Martuas was amused. “Yes. Report to hangar three tomorrow morning at dawn and prepare for a workout.”

Tricia gestured for Devani to precede her, and with a small nod to Helsin, Dev was out the door.

She waited for Tricia in the hall and the woman did not keep her waiting long. “So, are you happy to be with the Citadel?”

Dev blinked. “I don’t know. I haven’t actually done anything yet.”

Tricia chuckled. “I know, but it is one of those small-talk questions that folks will ask. I thought you should get used to it.”

The smell of food made Dev’s stomach flip again. “Where is the cafeteria? Oh, hell, what do I pay with?”

Tricia smiled. “That one is easy. The Citadel pays for your food. When you start going on missions, you will receive a wage from the Sector Guard. We will pay for your training and the Citadel will reimburse us. So, you don’t need to worry about funds. If you go off base and want to shop, you can attach a credit slip into a pocket of your Masuo. Most of the female Guards put it in their cleavage.”

Devani laughed. “It is a good place to store things that don’t melt.”

They giggled, and in that moment, Dev knew she might just have a friend if time permitted.

The moment she was seated, their table went from empty to full. Tricia introduced the other women at the table with a grin. Kahlia, Andra, Ilsa and Jenya sat at the table and introduced themselves.

Ilsa smiled. “I hear you will be taking my new toy for a test drive.”

Dev blushed and sipped at her water. “Yes. Apparently, I am too dangerous for regular training methods. I have to learn restraint or something.”

The other women laughed

Andra snorted. “There is something to be said for running amok, but a combat situation is where you want to have your wits about you and your body under your control.”

“Is it difficult to get a power under your control?” Dev forked up some of the strange pasta that Andra and Tricia were slurping down. It wasn’t bad. The round meat things were peculiar but the sauce had a nice tang.

Ilsa smiled. “It depends on your talent. I think out of us here, Tricia and Andra had the worst time of it. Tricia literally switched species during her activation, and Andra has to listen to a barely conscious star giggling in her mind. She has to wear the suit or she will irradiate the entire area.”

Andra slurped up some noodles with enthusiasm and nodded confirmation. “If Nich wasn’t immune to radioactivity, I would be doomed to a lonely life.”

Jenya was the quiet one, but she asked, “Were you involved with anyone?”

Dev put her fork down. “No. When my condition became public, I lost all chances at companionship.”

An awkward silence fell.

She smiled. “Well, I have to say, it has been nice to meet women who have powerful talents. I was beginning to think I was the only one in the world.”

Ilsa smiled, “You may have been the only one on that world, but now, you are not alone.” Ilsa reached out and squeezed her hand.

Dev chuckled. “I may be if I break your new toy, Ilsa.”

Ilsa snickered. “If you break it, I will make a new one. I will enjoy the challenge.”

Dev sat straight and gave a salute. “Hangar three at dawn. Oh, why isn’t Martuas worried about onlookers? I would think they could just look inside the hangar from the outside.”

Andra smiled, “You didn’t pay attention on the way down, did you? Udell base is a sealed environment. The wilds of Udell are filled with a gas that most folks find toxic.”

“You can survive it?”

“Sure, I don’t actually need to breathe, the storm takes care of it.” Andra grinned.

She was finally in the right place. Devani knew it at that moment. “I look forward to tomorrow, and I will endeavour to do my best.”

Ilsa straightened at her formality and inclined her head. “I will endeavour to provide you with a worthy opponent.”

The conversation continued during the tour of the facility and the women were expert at diverting the males who were coming in for an introduction.

Finally, Tricia showed Dev to her quarters and directed her on programming the bio-lock.

Dev didn’t bother looking around—she just scrubbed her face, unpinned her hair and dropped into the bed. Dawn would come soon enough.

The next morning, Devani woke to find that the Masuo had formed a cuff on one ankle. As she began moving around, it covered her in her suit. “You know, Efna, I am going to have to ask Kahlia how she programmed you. This design is very flattering.”

The suit hugged her briefly in response.

Chuckling, Dev worked out the technicalities of the plumbing and took a shower. She braided her hair in two long rows down her scalp and flipped them over her shoulders. “Ready for anything and prepared for nothing.”

Dev sighed and made her way to the cafeteria, eating a light breakfast and experimenting with some of the morning beverages. She spoke politely with the few staffers that were awake, and the moment that she had cleared her table, she headed for hangar three.

Ilsa was waiting with a scowling man, his hair in a myriad of braids, some tipped with metal cuffs, others beads.

“Devani, good morning. This is my mate, Kennan. He is assisting me today.”

Dev nodded. “Pleased to meet you, Kennan.”

“It is good to meet you, Devani.” His words were muttered as if he had rehearsed them.

She grinned. “Ilsa, where do you want me?”

Ilsa pointed. “That twenty-by-twenty outline is the combat area. My machine generates a sparring partner out of holograms and heavy particles. You should be able to hit it and not cause any damage, but from the data that Helsin sent, your initial practice needs to be on ceasing your attack arc before you completely shatter something. This should be perfect, and once you have mastered that control, I have a bot you can spar with.”

Kennan snorted, and Dev arched a brow.

Ilsa explained, “Kennan doesn’t believe that your strength is as intense as Helsin reported.”

Dev stretched and twisted a little. “Let’s find out.” Taking a deep breath, she walked onto the combat area and waited.

Ilsa was standing at one side and smiling proudly, her creation was doing what it was meant to do.

In front of Dev, a column rose and shaped into a faceless shape of an extremely large bipedal form.

It approached Dev and clumsily took a swing at her. She ducked and delivered a shattering blow to its ribs. The mass dissolved, moved back and reformed.

Ilsa spoke, “It will get faster as it learns your patterns.”

Dev nodded and waited, hunched forward.

Kennan muttered, “Oh, for the sake of the ship.”

The opponent moved faster, striking her and sending her back a few steps, but Dev reached out and punched clumsily with as much power as she could manage, and it dissipated again.

Kennan barked, “Come here.”

Dev stood straight and walked up to him. He moved around her, changing her stance with kicks to her feet and hands on her shoulders. “You want to meet your opponent head on. You don’t need to worry about impact, so go forward and keep going forward. Your body doesn’t suffer damage, so don’t hunch over. You don’t need to hide. Wade in like the warrior you are.”

He worked with her, perfecting her technique until he grudgingly admitted that she didn’t move like a drunken beast.

Ilsa smiled and puttered with her machine.

When Dev returned to the combat area, she stood tall and waited. The opponent came at her and delivered blows that rocked her slightly, but her new stance took the hits and left her upright. When it had delivered enough blows to make her comfortable with feeling the impact, she arched both fists up and into the abdomen, kissing the edge of the opponent with as much force as she could muster. He went up and dissipated on the way down.