Nova (43 page)

After a few minutes, Serros could feel a flare of triumph
from her companion as she withdrew the first durexium slug, glistening both red
and silver in the generator’s dim light. K’llan sprayed the anti–bacterial and
numbing coagulant agent again. Finally, she used the derma–laser to carefully
fuse the open gash. After, Z’arr first turned to Avara’s abdomen and second, to
her shoulder wound, more or less repeating the process.

At the completion of her work, a sigh of exhaustion and
anxiety escaped K’llan as she cleaned off her blood stained hands with the
river water, then lifted a canteen to Avara’s lips. “Drink deeply.”

It was hard to force herself to swallow the hydro–fluid, the
motion especially hurting her abdominal muscles given the nature of that injury,
but Serros knew it was important due to the amount of blood loss she’d
sustained. After, K’llan used first river water and a cloth to bath Serros’s
sweaty head, face, and then clean off her blood stained torso, all of which she
followed up by a second thorough swiping of a fresh med–wipe, and then the
application of adhesive bandages to cover each wound. Finally, after K’llan assisted
Avara in donning a clean undershirt, its vermillion hue indicating that it was
a spare from one of the dead Karukai, Z’arr helped Serros over to a fresh set
of bedrolls.

Lying on her back, eyelids heavy with weariness, Avara half–whispered
“I’m too tapped to try and heal with Synergy right now. Think I’ve officially
overtaxed myself.”

K’llan nodded, shifting to lie on her side in the bedroll
directly to Avara’s right, eyes alight with warmth. “Quite the understatement,
Avara.”

Serros knew that given her rather specialized Arca research
and knowledge, of all people, K’llan understood what she was saying. Those
without Arca Microtech Enhancements assumed that the biologically based
nanotechnology was an easily accessible quick–fix for any and every given
situation or challenge.

It was an entirely false supposition. Yes, Arca granted
abilities were incredibly useful and constituted a significant advantage. However,
each type and expression had definitive limitations and demanded an enormous
amount of physical vitality and energy that even the most powerful Arcas, V
through X, Avara included, could neither ignore nor circumvent. No, at this
point, Avara’s best bet was to let sleep and the accelerated healing rate
granted by her PV to quietly take course.

“It is all right, Avara, sleep now.” K’llan pronounced, voice
soothing as she moved close enough to share her body heat with Serros’s shivering
form. With one gentle, pale hand, she stroked dark curls away from Avara’s
relaxing lids.

“Thank you, K’llan, for your care.” Avara said, looking into
Z’arr’s violet orbs in an attempt to convey her sincerity.

“Any time, Avara.” The Vosaia responded with a sweet smile,
then briefly brushed her lips against Serros’s brow. “Go to sleep.”

The last thing Avara was conscious of before welcome
somnolence claimed her, was the sense of K’llan carefully tucking up closer to
keep her warm.

 * * * * *

When Avara next awoke, it was to the smell of roasting meat
that strongly reminded her of holiday barbecues during her Academy days. The
most raucous had been Concordia celebrations back on Pax, with heaps of food, lots
of base–driven music, dance, and the acting out of somewhat idiotic thrill–based
stunts. All had been coupled with the consumption of copious amounts of
alcohol.

Opening her eyes, the Captain saw that the source of the
smell was a small example of the local pig–like creatures, speared in twain and
tightly secured to a spit. It was hovering over an enthusiastically burning
fire, the pig’s outer flesh already turning a light, golden–brown, indicating
that the process would be complete in another hour or two.

“Good morning, Captain.” K’llan’s voice came from the right
and when she turned her head, she spotted the Vosaia busy at work. She was shredding
some of the green–leafed plants they’d discovered were edible. “How are you
feeling?”

“Human again, thank you, and
very
hungry.”

Laughing a bit, K’llan briefly waved her arm and replied,
“Well, hopefully we can do something about that.”

“Wow, look at you.” Serros remarked, issuing a low whistle
of amazement and admiration at the Vosaia
cooking
solid food.

With a shyly pleased sort of grin, Z’arr responded, “Well, with
my DSA, hunting was fairly simplistic. As far as the cooking, I have observed
you enough the past days to give it a go, at least with the animal that seemed
to be the easiest to prepare.”

“I’m impressed.” Serros reasserted as she slowly attempted
to move into a sitting position. Despite a lance of pain, she was able to make
it, if just. Though more than stiff and feeling like every square inch of her
body had been systematically beaten and bruised, with  a review of her wounds,
it seemed they were all closed and healing. Her PV and sleep had done their
work well. It also did not escape her notice that her bandages had been changed
and, she had no doubt, wounds had been re–treated and another dose of Adrenix
administered. Serros also spotted her clothing next to most of K’llan’s, both
sets clearly cleaned in the stream and now hanging to dry on some nearby
bushes.

“Thank you.” Avara commented, pushing the feeling behind
those two words towards her companion. K’llan’s mouth tugged into an
acknowledging smile.

Serros then carefully drank a swallow of hydro–fluid and,
stomach rumbling like a general ordering troops to muster, took two strips of
jerky and slowly began to consume them as she watched Z’arr work. Finally,
feeling the call of nature and the driving need to be clean, Avara pushed
herself to her feet.

“I think not by yourself, Captain Serros.” K’llan declared
as Avara wobbled and hobbled after slipping her feet into boots and clipping
her pistol to her waist.

“I’ll be fine.” Serros protested.

“I will escort you to the stream after you’ve handled your
latrine needs.” Z’arr responded, her tone determinedly stubborn.

Remembering a bit of wisdom her father had imparted years
ago after an adolescent fight between she and her brother Bedwyr, specifically,
about it being better to choose one’s battles, Avara nodded in acquiescence
then went out of sight to heed the call of nature. Upon her return, she grabbed
a small square of soap from one of the kits and K’llan walked with her to the
nearby stream, a steadying hand cupping her elbow.

Exhausted as she was by the short trip, when she looked at
the shallow rivulet, the thought of being clean was truly gladdening. Z’arr set
about positioning their newly acquired second portable generator and security
nodes then announced “All right, you should be fine. I will leave you your
privacy and return to roasting the animal. I will come back for you in an hour,
yes?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then, have fun water–child.” She remarked with a
parting smile.

It was beyond delightful to be able to have nothing between
her and fresh–running water for the first time in weeks. Having completely
removed her clothing, the only items she carried with her into the stream other
than soap, was her pistol and harness–rig.

Though incredibly stiff, Avara blissfully spent thirty
minutes scrubbing and rescrubbing every inch her body, taking care around the
three puckered marks and super tender areas of her bullet wounds. The hot suns
overhead were a stark counterpoint to the cool waters, and Avara was once again
thankful for the protective dermotic agent in their now resupplied hydro–fluid.
That fluid was the only reason the two of them sported only deeper tans (well, Avara,
anyway) rather than burn–blistered skin from too much sun exposure.

Though she was too sore to swim, Avara spent the rest of her
time just languidly enjoying the play of water as she listed to the sounds of
life surrounding the low and slow moving stream.

Avara had just finished pulling on her new red undershirt
and trousers when K’llan reappeared and then escorted Serros back to camp. The
pig seemed well on its way and additionally, a flat rock of slow cooking greens
was over the fire, clearly ready to be eaten. With Serros situated and already
making for the cooked vegetables, K’llan headed back to the stream to bathe
herself.

When she returned an hour later, the flesh of the pig had
begun to crisp and pucker, signaling its readiness to be eaten, and Serros was cutting
off slices of the well–tendered meat. Spearing a piece with her knife and
taking a bite as she sat back against the same rock close to the low–burning
fire, Avara could feel juices dribbling down her chin as she chewed.

“Mm. Not up to Mess Chief Tanner’s standards, of course, but
as far as I’m concerned, it beats the finest taberna or restaurant in the
entire Aligned Systems.” Serros remarked with feeling. “Well done, K’llan.”

Laughing, Z’arr responded, “I am pleased you like it, Avara.”
Serros could feel the truth of the Vosaia’s words, her joy at seeing Avara recovering
and content. “I consider that to be quite the compliment, given how everyone
aboard
Excalibur
says that Tanner is the finest Chef in the Fleet.”

“Ha! He is. Took some serious pressure and a hefty salary,
but I was able to wrangle him into joining our merry band of galactic do–gooders;
rank and position have to have some perks, eh?”

“So it seems. I will say, you seem to have a real talent in
convincing the best in every field to join Nova Squad and
Excalibur
.”

“Present company included.” Avara observed, casting an
exaggerated wink in K’llan’s direction as she finished her first thick slab of
bacon and started on the next.

“I am serious.” K’llan said, the question implicit in her
compliment.

Considering for a moment, Serros responded more seriously,
“Yes, well, that is true, I suppose. Belief in and dedication to the mission is
as important to me as skill–set. In some ways, maybe even more so.”

“Which is the reason why you formed Nova Squad.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about it.”

When Avara hesitated, unsure if she wanted to dredge up the
painful memories surrounding her decision, K’llan added, “It has to do with the
stern faced, golden–haired Admiral, yes?” Her words were both a statement and a
question in one.

Of course. The Feeding. Though they still had not discussed
what occurred between them, Avara knew the exchange of memory had been real, not
just a contained product of being in an altered state of consciousness.

Seeing again in her mind the vision of the stunningly
beautiful and strong woman who had, for both good and ill, shaped so much of
who Avara was today, Serros slowly nodded. “Yes.” Taking another bite of meat,
Avara considered where to start. She could feel that this was a topic K’llan
had wanted to ask about for a long time, even before the Feeding. That in some
way, Avara’s willingness to share the drivers for this crucial turning point in
her life was important to her friend.

More, she could empathically sense that K’llan somehow knew
this memory was specifically connected with what occurred last night, with Avara’s
execution of the Karukai officer.

“VS Operative and Admiral Jehara Vai of the Ministry Navy.”
Serros identified name to face. “I have known her for many years. We first met
when I was assigned to the
MS Niobe
right out of the Academy. She was Captain
of the ship and I was a shiny grad of twenty–years. Later, after the Battle of
Arden Secundus against the Karukai, I had received both a Commendation and a
recommendation to join the Human Vigil Star Program. So, Captain Vai was made
my lead VS Trainer, meaning that we worked even more closely together.”

Shifting in her seat and continuing to eat, Avara remembered
the early days of her naval career. Constant dedication, boundless energy, the relentless
push to succeed and prove herself, and an unwavering faith in the Navy and in
the Ministry.

And then it all changed.

The thought echoed before she could stop its formation. Not
entirely true, but close enough for it to still hurt.

“And you were lovers?” K’llan asked, voice full of gentle
sympathy.

Startled, Avara half–coughed out, “No, no; not then, later.”
Taking a sip of clear, purified river water than in some ways felt more
naturally refreshing than hydro–fluid, Serros continued by saying “Captain Vai
and I served together for ten years, until I was granted my first ship, the
MS
Sollus
. She was one of the most important mentors of my life, and over time,
had become a good friend. But our relationship was, for the most part, strictly
professional. She is only
too
adept at keeping business and personal
attachment separate.” Avara could hear the bitterness in her own voice, and
fought to control it.

Serros speared into another helping of bacon like she could
stab memory and thus, vanquish painful recollection. “After the VanDorn Strike
of 3409 and the death of Nai Fen, Admiral Vai and I came into one another’s
orbit again, when I was thirty–three. Our roles had changed quite a bit by that
point, for not only was I a Captain in my own right, but I’d already been made
a Quorum Shield after the Cipher Action and Operation Blackout, some four years
earlier.”

“So you met as equals.” Z’arr supplied, following the
Captain’s logic.

“Exactly. As you know, for all practical purposes, being a
Quorum Shield Operative sort of trumps other designations, meaning it was
defiantly an equalizer between my rank as Captain and hers as a Ministry Admiral.”

Continuing to eat, Avara shrugged as she said forthrightly
“And I fell in love with her.”

Looking into K’llan’s sparkling violet eyes, Avara expected
to feel some ripple of… unease, perhaps jealously? Such a response would
certainly be normal for a Human. But with K’llan, there was only a sense of compassion
and acceptance. An understanding that what Avara was sharing with her, past
experiences, including former loves that had contributed to her life before
their meeting, was an integral part of her person. And thus, in some way, to be
cherished. In the totality of Avara’s previous experiences, it was an utterly
unique response.