The Tigrens' Glory (5 page)

There was a long silence as the Dracons tried to think of some hint or clue in the old legends that might help Glory’s search, which was now their search as well.  This was the first sign they’d ever had that Tigren might still exist, and they wouldn’t allow it to pass them by. 

Lariah toyed with her glass as she thought about all that Glory had told them.  She’d known Glory was important, but she hadn’t realized how important.  Finding the Tigren and restoring the Jasani to nine clans was necessary in order to secure the future of their race.  It took precedence over all things, including stopping the Xanti.  Her eyes widened in sudden understanding.

“Nica insisted that we take Glory with us,” she said.  Garen froze as he considered the implications of that statement.

“The Xanti,” he said, spitting the word out like a curse.  Lariah nodded.

“The Xanti?” Glory asked.  “Are you saying that the Xanti have them?”

“It would seem so, yes,” Garen replied. 

Glory’s hands tightened on her glass.  “Because I’m a warrior, I was given knowledge of the Xanti, though in general women are not told such things.  As far as I’m aware, the location of their home world is a secret.”

“It’s a secret no longer,” Garen said.  “What we would now reveal to you must not be shared with others at this time.  Will you give your word to keep our secrets?”

“I’ve given the Tigren my word that I’d search until I found them,” Glory said.  “There is little I’ll not do to keep that promise.  Therefore, I hereby swear upon my life to keep your secret until my death, or until you release me from this oath.”

“That’s more than sufficient,” Garen said.  “Over the past several months we’ve gained access to a large amount of information on the Xanti.  Information that the Xanti don’t know we have.  In a few days we will launch a surprise attack on the Xanti home world, Xantara.  One of our people has discovered a number of new jump points that will allow us to reach their galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud or, LMC, in about a week.  Once there, we intend to remove or destroy all technology on Xantara, thereby stranding the Xanti on their own planet.”

“You don’t intend to destroy them?” Glory asked.

“Not if we can avoid it,” Garen replied.  “This must be the journey Nica spoke of.  Not only are you welcome to come with us, I believe you are meant to do so.”

“I will join you, of course,” she said.  “If there is fighting, I am not unskilled.”

“We hope to accomplish our goals without much hand to hand fighting, but your skills will be appreciated if it comes to that,” Garen said.  “If we’re able to find and rescue prisoners at the same time, so much the better.  If, by some miracle, we’re able to restore Clan Tigren to our people, we will be forever in your debt.”

Glory wondered if these Jasani really believed they could convince the Xanti to give up their ships and weapons so easily, then let the question go.  It didn’t matter.  Nica was very young, but Glory believed what the little girl had told her.  She needed to go to Xantara with the Jasani.  If she had to fight the Xanti, so be it.  She would do whatever was necessary to find the men of her dreams.

Chapter Four

Narliq-Li read the partial transmission from the Leg Leader she’d assigned to Onddo and squealed with fury.  She’d been tricked.  In spite of all her precautions, her constant vigilance, and her careful preparations, she’d still been maneuvered into a deadly position by her youngest sister, Xaqana-Ti.  And, now that she thought about it, she realized that the Queen Mother had to be a part of the plot against her as well.  She’d accepted the Onddo territory only after the Queen Mother had verified it to be a legitimate offer, free of trickery and deception.  Her fury gave way to fear, then despair.  She couldn’t hope to win the great game against both Xaqana-Ti and the Queen Mother.  Her death was imminent.  Of that there could be no doubt. 

So great was her emotional distress that she barely noticed the low beeping sound indicating an incoming call.  Eventually the sound penetrated her misery and she glanced down to see who was interrupting her in her lowest moment.  She was surprised to see that it was Zarnia-Te, her eldest sister.  She hesitated, then realized security no longer mattered.  She was already as good as dead.  She raised one foreleg and pressed the button to accept the call.

“Greetings, Eldest Sister,” she said
.

“I’ve been duped,” Zarnia-Te blurted angrily.  “And so have you.”

“Duped?” Narliq-Li asked without much interest.

“Duped!  Tricked!  Deceived!  Betrayed!  Swindled!” Zarnia-Te ranted.  “It’s obvious that Xaqana-Ti and Mother plotted against us.  We must work together against them, or give up now and sacrifice our lives.”

“In what way were you tricked?” Narliq-Li asked.

“I accepted the Jasani territory after both Mother and Xaqana-Ti assured me that all was well, and that one of my ships was already there.  When I was unable to raise my ship, I sent another in, and it too was lost.  There has been no reconnaissance asset in place around Jasan since it was handed to me, yet every time I send a ship into Jasani space, it vanishes!  As of today I’ve lost five ships.  Five!  I’ve no doubt that Xaqana-Ti has her own ships waiting to destroy mine when they arrive.  There is no other explanation.  I’ll be annihilated for mismanaging the Jasani, just as they surely planned from the beginning.  I stepped right into their web like a foolish youngling!”

“You are correct, Sister,” Narliq-Li said.  “I just received a month-old partial transmission stating that the Jasani swept in and destroyed all of my ships shortly after they reached Onddo.  Only the one escaped, and I suspect it was destroyed while the message was being transmitted via common band transmission.  The Narrasti Project is no more.  All of the bio engineered sugea have been destroyed, along with their leader.  Worst of all, the remaining Narrasti appear to have made peace with the Jasani.”

“That cannot be true,” Zarnia-Te scoffed.  “It is a lie.  A rumor started by our youngest sister.”

“Probably,” Narliq-Li agreed.  “Not that it matters.  I’ll never have a chance to prove it because I’ll be annihilated the moment Mother learns this vile news.  If she doesn’t already know it.”

“See?!  See!” Zarnia-Te screeched.  “We cannot let them get away with this, Sister.  We must retaliate.”

“Retaliate against Mother?” Narliq-Li asked in shock. 

“Mother is used up,” Zarnia-Te snapped.  “The great game is almost at an end and she has made her choice.”

“How can you be sure?” Narliq-Li asked.

“Their lies give them away,” Zarnia replied.  “The Jasani haven’t the strength to destroy so many Xanti ships, nor the speed to reach Onddo so quickly.  Only a fool would believe that the Narrasti and the Jasani have made peace, which proves what they think of us.”

Narliq-Li was forced to concede that Zarnia-Te had a point.  Several of them, in fact.  “What shall we do, Elder Sister?”

“We will destroy both Mother and Xaqana-Ti.  Then you and I will rule together.”

It was a ludicrous suggestion, and Narliq-Li knew it.  There could be only one Supreme Queen, and her reign began with four queens hatched from her own eggs.  When they matured the old queens, if any were left, died.  Did Zarnia-Te think she was so stupid that she didn’t understand the basic biology of their own species?  Zarnia-Te just wanted help in destroying Xaqana-Ti and Mother, which was wise.  She’d never succeed on her own against the two of them.  And Narliq-Li was honest enough with herself to know she’d never prevail against any of them.  The only question now was, which sister did she want to see win before her own death?

“I would see you as Supreme Queen of the Xanti, Eldest Sister, so I shall aid you in your endeavor,” she said, letting her sister know she didn’t buy the co-ruler bit, but would help anyway.  “Where do we begin?”

“First of all, we don’t report our losses to Mother or Xaqana-Ti,” Zarnia-Te said.  “Together, we match them in strength here in our own galaxy.  But in the Thousand Worlds we out number Xaqana-Ti two to one.  So, that’s where we begin.  Our ships will join together to destroy Xaqana-Ti’s forces in space one at a time.”

Narliq-Li nearly pointed out that destroying all of Xaqana-Ti’s ships would not give them any more of an advantage on the ground than they currently had, but kept silent.  Knowing she would soon die changed her perspective.  She would destroy as many of Xaqana-Ti’s ships as she could, and take pleasure in the act. 

 “Where shall our ships meet, Elder Sister?”

Chapter Five

“How are you feeling, Saige?” Lariah asked after greeting her best friend with a hug the next morning.  Saige was just shy of six weeks from her due date, and since she wasn’t a big woman to begin with, she looked even closer than she was.

“Like you don’t know,” Saige said with a tired smile.  “I’m usually exhausted, always hungry, and my feet have become complete strangers.  All indications that things are progressing normally.”

Lariah smiled sympathetically.  “It won’t be long now,” she said.  “In fact, that’s one reason why I’m here.”

Saige raised her feet to the ottoman in front of her patio chair and sighed with pleasure.  “Let me guess,” she said.  “My guys went to your guys to get the assault on Xantara postponed.”

“Of course they did,” Lariah agreed, unsurprised by Saige’s guess. 

“Now your guys want to know if I feel that’s necessary,” she added.

“They won’t do anything that will endanger you or your sons,” Lariah said.  “You know that.  At the same time, we’re all concerned that the longer we try to keep this plan secret, the more likely it’ll be discovered by the Xanti.  You’re the only one who knows how you feel.  They will trust your judgment in this.”

“I appreciate that,” Saige said with a sigh.  “This isn’t an easy decision, Lari.”

“Yes, I know,” Lariah replied.  “The Lobos are duty bound to accompany the Dracons as Prime Protectors, but they cannot wield their full power without you.  Aside from that, there’s the fact that you are one of the Three, and therefore, according to Riata, you have to be there, as do both Summer and I.  If we postpone until you give birth, the problem gets worse.”

“Yes, it does,” Saige agreed.  “Every day that passes it becomes more likely that the Xanti will learn of our plans, and I’ll either have to leave my newborn sons here, alone, or take them into battle.  If we wait until they’re old enough to be without me, then Aisling will be nearly as far along as I am and we’ll have the same issue again.”

“Not quite the same,” Lariah objected.  “The Gryphons could remain behind, though I know they don’t want to.”

“I don’t understand something,” Saige said. “From the story Faron and the guys told me, the first Jasani to arrive on this world were able to do big magic without their women present for quite some time.  Why can’t our guys do the same?”

“I asked that same question,” Lariah said.  “Garen thinks it’s because their home world had either more magic, or a different type of magic that allowed them to absorb more within themselves than they can here, on Jasan.”

“As that’s the world they evolved on, that makes sense,” Saige said.  “Speaking of evolution, have you heard about Hope’s daughters?”

“Yes,” Lariah said solemnly.  “Hope told me when I went to visit the boys yesterday afternoon.”

“How is she handling it?”

“She’s nervous about it,” Lariah said.  “It’s not that she has a problem with it exactly, but no one wants to hear that their babies are different in a way no one has ever seen before.”

“I certainly can understand that,” Saige said.  “What do you think of Honey’s theory?”

“I think she’s right,” Lariah said.  “Or at least, on the right track.  Elder Vulpiran is the leading expert on Clan Jasani genetics.  Garen and Jackson spoke with him this morning and he agrees that Honey’s hypothesis is likely correct, but wants further evidence before accepting it as a definitive explanation.  He’s agreed to come over to meet with Honey and Doc tomorrow afternoon.”

“Doc?” Saige asked in surprise.  “Isn’t he still on his way back from Onddo?”

“That’s another thing I wanted to tell you.  Faith found another new jump point near Onddo.  It goes to Terien and, as you know, she also found a jump point in Jasani space to that world.  They’ll arrive tomorrow morning, after about one and a half day’s travel.  It took longer for their message to reach us than it will take them to make the trip.”

“That’s amazing,” Saige said.

“It certainly is.  Especially since it means we don’t have to get permission from Sheara 3 for our task force to cut through their territory.  That was a problem because, even though they’re happy with us for removing the Xanti from their space, they’re a cautious people who want nothing to do with war.”

“The Teriens are just as cautious, and far more grasping,” Saige pointed out.

Lariah grinned.   “Yes, but they owe us.”

“Ah,” Saige said, nodding.  “Because their Princess kidnapped Nica, murdered Sila, and attacked Adori?”

“Yes, and also because we sent a couple of ships into their space two days ago and destroyed four Xanti cruisers, then gave them the coordinates of the new jump point to our space, and to Sheara 3.  Since Teriens own a large percentage of liners that pass between Earth and other worlds, the new jump points are going to be very profitable for them.  We also gave them the transmission codes to break through the newest Blind-Sight system.”

“That’s a lot of concessions,” Saige said.

“Not really,” Lariah said with a shrug.  “The Blind Sight codes are being sent to all planets within the Thousand Worlds anyway.  We never intended to keep that secret.  And, once we’re finished with the Xanti, the new jump points will be shared throughout the Thousand Worlds as well.”

“Excellent,” Saige grinned.  “So what did Jasan get in return?”

“The right to pass freely through Terien space, without notice, for one decade,” Lariah said smugly.

“Oh, they’re going to hate that when they see a full-blown Jasani Naval task force cruising through their system,” Saige said with a laugh.