Shamara (28 page)

Eirene stared out the portal. The easiest way for her to cope with all that had transpired had been to withdraw from Jarek as much as possible, a difficult feat in the face of his dynamic presence. She spoke to him only when necessary. She'd spent most of the past two cycles in her cabin, recuperating from her physical injuries.

Those injuries were fading, but the emotional wounds were still fresh, amplified by her complicated feelings for Jarek. Even as she mourned her father and cursed the untenable situation in which Jarek had placed her, she still experienced the compelling attraction toward him.

Her only option was withdrawal, attempting to barricade herself from the powerful emotions bombarding her. Trying not to feel anything at all—and failing miserably.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think my navigational system was malfunctioning," Jarek's frustrated musing drew her attention back to the cockpit. "And now the transceiver is jammed. But there's no indication that either the nav or communication systems are down. All the test checks are normal. Son of an Antek!"

She glanced at the console, not really concerned about system breakdowns. The longer the arrival on Aldon was delayed, the better. Suddenly, an odd frisson of energy shot through her, jolting her heart to a faster rhythm. It hadn't come from Jarek, or the ship, which meant…She looked toward the portal. It had to be from somewhere out there, in space.

The subspace transceiver beeped. "Now communications are working. Very strange," Jarek said. "And that's my personal frequency." He turned on the videoviewer. "Ranul here."

A face shrouded in a purple cowl appeared on the viewer. The hood was so deep that no features were discernable, just an indistinct facial image. "Greetings. We've been expecting you," came an odd, hissing whisper.

Jarek leaned forward. "And you are…?"

"I am Eark. Celie advised us of your coming."

Eirene was riveted by the presence on the screen. She knew Celie had told Jarek he didn't need to contact the Shens in advance; they would know when he arrived. The coordinates the Shens had provided had been extremely vague, with the promise of later instructions. It seemed the Shens had found them, rather than the other way around.

"Greetings, Eark," Jarek replied. "I'm glad you contacted us. I wasn't certain how to reach you."

The hood inclined toward the screen. "She is with you?"

"I have a female passenger on board. Her name is Eirene."

"Yes. Very good."

Eirene was perplexed. Why would the Shens be interested in her presence?

"You have another life form, as well."

"Another life form?" Jarek's brows drew together as he considered Eark's statement. "Oh. I have a small animal, a lanrax."

"That is acceptable." The hood leaned closer. Shadows and angles lurked inside the dark oval, as Eark's raspy whisper drifted into the cockpit. "There are a few requirements before you will be permitted to visit Aldon. You will leave all weapons on your ship. Be advised they won't operate on Aldon should you disregard our wishes. No physical or emotional violence is tolerated at any time. You must agree to abide by our laws and our judgments. You will not reveal anything you see during your visit."

Jarek hesitated, and she knew he was reluctant to go anywhere without a weapon. But he finally nodded. "Those are fair terms. We agree."

"Good. If you will provide a comm link, our computers will transmit the necessary coordinates to your system."

"That could be a problem. My navigational equipment seems to be malfunctioning."

"It will work, Captain," came the strange, whispery voice. "We just need the link."

Jarek provided the information and tried to activate his navigational screen. The screen remained blank, but the ship began descending. He turned to the main console, punched some pads, but the ship continued downward.

Eirene felt a surge of the same powerful energy she'd sensed earlier. It was a very positive energy, not threatening in any way. However, Jarek's tension was palpable. He turned to the videoviewer.

"Eark, something's wrong. My nav isn't working, and my ship isn't responding to manual commands."

"All is well," the Shen answered calmly. "We will guide your ship from here. I will soon greet you in the physical. Peace of the One be with you."

Eirene sank back, wrapped in reassuring vibrations. She didn't feel at all concerned, although Jarek obviously was not in control of the ship. He gripped the edge of the console, staring at the screens. Then he stood and strode to other panels. He punched more pads, but the ship continued its descent.

Moving back to his chair, he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't have a damn reading on a single screen. The ship is not responding to anything."

"It's okay," she, oddly moved to reassure him. "I sense—I think the Shens are controlling it."

Jarek shook his head. "Well, Spirit has brought us this far. Looks like it's out of our hands."

Just then, the ship inclined even more sharply. He stumbled forward before regaining his balance. "I guess we're going down." He slid into his seat and fastened his harness, looking over to be sure Eirene was strapped in. "I assume there's a planet down there—somewhere."

The ship moved smoothly at a steep angle. Soon they were in atmospheric clouds, but the ship kept a rapid speed straight down. The monitoring screens remained blank. Finally, the ship leveled out until it was flying horizontally over a seemingly endless carpet of white clouds. On and on they went, nothing but clouds to be seen.

With startling abruptness, the clouds disappeared. Eirene gasped, her heart leaping at the sight below. They were directly above a massive waterfall, with only a few meters between them and the high cliffs. Dark pink water barreled over the edge, falling hundreds of meters below.

"Damn," Jarek said. "They like to get your heart pumping, don't they?"

The ship flew on, crossing the wide chasm of cliffs. It dropped lower, moving over thick, lush grasslands, purple in color. The carpet of purple extended in all directions as far as the eye could see. Then, up ahead, the outlines of buildings began to materialize, sprawled around a very tall structure.

As they drew closer, Eirene saw the structure appeared to be a multisided tower, rising to a point way above the other buildings. Blinding sun rays reflected off the top of it like a starburst. The energy she had sensed grew stronger as they approached the tower, until it seemed to resonate inside the cockpit. The tower's entire tip was a huge, multifaceted crystal. It was the crystal reflecting the sun and creating the starburst effect, and the crystal that also appeared to be the source of the energy now reverberating in every cell in her body.

She looked over and saw Jarek staring at the crystal. "That must be their main power source," he commented. "I've never seen anything like it." He glanced at her. "I trust you can feel the vibrations from it?"

So he could sense the energy. Not surprising, since she was certain he could track her at will. Not that it mattered at this point.

The ship slowed as they approached a spacious landing pad. The hoverlifts surged on, and the ship set down gently. The screens didn't come back on, but the ship responded when Jarek cut off the lifts and the engines. He shook his head, looking completely baffled. "Okay. I don't want to know."

He unhooked his harness, rose, and offered his hand to Eirene. "Ready?"

She looked into the dark eyes that seemed able to read her every thought. She had discovered the ultimate sensual pleasure in his arms; he had killed her father.

The old fears and doubts snaked through her. It wasn't her intent to punish an entire race of people because of the conflict between her and Jarek. But she feared she couldn't help
anyone.

"No," she whispered. "I'm not ready."

He leaned over and unsnapped her harness. Taking her arm, he pulled her to her feet. His touch was light yet unyielding. He stared down at her as his hand slid up to rest against her cheek. "There is very little chance for my people. But I refuse to give up even the tiniest atom of hope. It's all I have. I must move forward with my plans. I pray to Spirit that your heart will guide you to do the right thing."

So much sincerity in his voice, so much doubt in her soul. Her feelings toward him were too ambivalent, her grief over her father too recent. She shook her head, unable to answer him. He brought up his other hand, framing her face.

"About my personal feelings for you—I care for you, very deeply," he said. "I don't know if you can ever forgive me for your father's death. And even if you could, I can't give you what you deserve:  commitment and stability. But I want you to know I will always cherish the memories of our time together."

She would never forget what had passed between them, either. Yet it upset her that she couldn't ignore her feelings for Jarek, or at least keep them repressed, in light of all that had transpired. She turned her face away before he could sense how she felt about him. There was a long moment of silence, and then he took her hand, his touch gentle. "Come on. Eark is expecting us."

He ushered her to the hatch. Four Shens stood waiting to greet them. Varying sizes and heights, they ranged from shorter than Eirene to taller than Jarek. All wore full-length robes with the deep hoods shielding their faces. As with the heights, the robes varied in color, although they were all rich jewel tones.

When Eirene stepped off the ramp, a potent energy enveloped her, tingling along her skin. It rolled through her, overwhelming in its intensity. She tried to block the energy, but it was invasive and disorienting.

Jarek slipped his arm around her. "I feel it, too," he said quietly. "Don't let it get to you."

"Yes, Lady Eirene," came a soft voice. "Be calm, and accept the energy. It is very good." The tallest figure, cloaked in royal blue, bowed to her. "I am Phylos, the leader of this colony." He waved a graceful hand toward the other three. "This is Eark, Neron, and Zailm. You have already spoken with Eark."

Eark, the shortest Shen, stepped forward. "Greetings," he rasped. "Welcome to Aldon, friends of Moriah and Celie."

"I return the greetings," Jarek answered. "I thank you for allowing us admittance to Aldon. I'm not familiar with your customs, so I apologize if I offend you in any fashion. But I'd like to get down to business as soon as your ways will permit."

"Very direct, just like the Cameron ladies," Eark said.

"Yes. I'm afraid the seriousness of our situation necessitates that we be direct and transact our business quickly."

"We are well aware of your situation, Captain," Phylos replied.

"Then you can understand why we need to get down to business immediately. Especially on the matter of price—"

"And we sympathize with the plight of your people," Phylos continued, as if Jarek had not spoken. "However, you must understand that the universe works in ways that are mysterious to those of us who are merely the One's lowly servants. We cannot give you what you seek or discuss terms until all who are involved are ready."

The dark ovals of all four Shens turned toward Eirene. Battling to remain unaffected by the intense energy generated by the crystal and to follow the conversation at the same time, she stood there stiffly. Phylos was talking about her, she realized.
She
was the one who wasn't ready. Therefore, she was apparently the one who would keep the deal from moving forward.

Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by a tremendous burden. They didn't understand; they couldn't possibly. She had grappled with the issues involved, cycle after cycle. She felt deeply for the Shielders, and knew she couldn't wish destruction upon them simply because of her tumultuous relationship with Jarek.

But she couldn't help them.
Everyone seemed to think she could channel her powers to perform miraculous and amazing deeds. They seemed to think a mere, insignificant woman could save an entire race. They didn't know how little control she truly wielded, how ineffective she was.

Or that she had killed a woman she greatly loved and admired.

Because of her inability to use her powers, the Shielders would continue to be massacred. Stricken, she looked at Jarek. His expression was neutral, but the tension in his stance, his clenched hands, clearly showed his unhappiness with the situation.

"When all is ready," Phylos repeated. "Then, and only then, we will talk further about that which you seek, Captain san Ranul. In the meantime, you may stay here with us. We offer you our hospitality."

"Thank you, Phylos," Jarek said. "We accept your offer and hope that our negotiations will soon move forward." He looked at Eirene. She saw no censure in his eyes, no judgment or pleading, simply a quiet resignation. He knew he couldn't force her, that events were now out of his hands.

"We will show you to quarters where you may rest and renew your spirit," Phylos said formally. "Then you may join us later and replenish your bodies with the bounty of our planet. Lady Eirene, will you allow Zailm to escort you?"

"Of course," she answered.

Zailm, robed in deep emerald green, moved forward and offered a formal bow. He was slightly taller than Eirene, and a little more round in girth than the others. "Come with me," he rasped.

She followed behind, surprised to realize the landing pad was composed of some sort of pink stone, marbled with crystal. They stepped onto a pathway of purple grass that felt like a cushion beneath her feet. Still battling the energy pressing in on her senses, she tried to take in everything around her. They passed brilliant gardens alternating with pristine, crystalline buildings.

Zailm halted and turned to face her. "Do not resist the energy, Lady Eirene. It is not separate from you, but actually one with your own life force. Only your physical body makes it seem apart from you. Accept that the energy is a part of your being, allow yourself to flow with it."

She stared at the shadowed oval fixed on her, sensing only sincerity and peacefulness from Zailm. Could it really be that simple? Just accept the energy and allow it within herself? She knew so little about how energy really worked.