Wrapped in Starlight (3 page)

Harken cocked his head. “No, of course not. How long is the assignment?”

Olaris smiled, “That is the thing—if you get along, this would be a permanent posting. You would not go on assignment without her, and she wouldn’t go without you.”

Harken felt his body fuzz a little with his confusion. “What is she that she needs a permanent guardian?”

“She is one of the new rescues from Resicor, and more importantly, she is a power source.”

He crossed his arms. “How powerful?”

“Ten years ago, as a frightened girl, she lit up a city for ten minutes with one touch on an amusement park ride. She then evaded capture for three days without any direct contact with her family or any friends. That was when she was a child. What do you think she is capable of now?”

Knowing what he did about development of the average inhabitants of the Alliance, he was impressed and curious. “I will accept the assignment under the agreement that the partnership is agreed upon by both parties after the first mission.”

Olaris nodded. “Agreed. She has insisted on the same stipulation, so it works out well.”

“When do I meet her?” Harken was curious to see the creature that could have gotten Olaris’s interest, for the man was definitely interested in her.

“She is getting her physical in medical. You can take her on a tour of the base and see if you two can work together.”

The commander dismissed him with a slight smile. “Please greet our visitor properly. We don’t want her to believe that we are rude.”

Harken turned and walked toward medical. His curiosity was up and running now. Something about this woman was unusual, that had to be certain.

Three other Guardsmen were loitering around the door to medical, and when he increased his size and cleared his throat, they scattered like guilty children.

He resumed his normal appearance and walked into medical with a cursory knock.

He froze in place as the woman sitting on the medical bed pulled the Citadel robes back up over her shoulders. Her shoulders were a glowing ivory and her hair a vivid blue piled in a loose knot with one lone tendril creeping down to curl around her neck. Harken had to admit in that moment that he was smitten.

His fingers itched to follow that curl down her long, slim neck, but when she turned to look at him with white blue eyes, his gut flipped—or, it would have if he had constructed one today.

As she settled her robes completely, he stepped forward and extended his hand. “Guardsmen Harken of Balen Base, at your service.”

She smiled, and her skin glowed brightly as she placed her hand on his. “Kiiki Waythorp. Specialist in Training for the Balen Citadel.”

Energy wrapped around his arm and crept across his formed skin. His whole body felt alive and powerful when she retracted her hand.

Silence fell between them, and his new partner was not one to let it lie.

The Guard had walked in casually, as if he owned the place, and his features were completely unremarkable. He was tall, strong and had no facial features that anyone could consider objectionable. His matte grey bodysuit occasionally fuzzed out a little, and it was obvious that it was being generated.

“Apparently. Are you done here?”

Kiiki looked to the physician. “Am I done?”

Dr. Leaka nodded. “We have all the scans. You are good to go. Thank you for coming, Kiiki. It was very illuminating.”

The doctor broke into giggles and Kiiki rolled her eyes. Sighing, she got to her feet and brushed at the unfamiliar robes. They were soft enough, but they flapped when she flew and threw her off balance.

She stood and waited for Harken to lead the way, but he offered her his arm instead.

Shrugging, she took his arm and smiled up at him. “Lead on.”

He began to take her through the facility. “Tell me if you are bored.”

“Oh no. Zenina-Balen did a marvellous job here. The spires of the posts in the larger, open areas are gorgeous as well as functional, as are the patterns created by the mix of stone.”

He blinked. “You are a fan of architecture? Have you studied it?”

“In a way. I had an interest in it before I was sent to the Dome, and I studied all the buildings of the ancients in the first two years I was there.”

Harken nodded. “I understand your skill is power generation.”

“It isn’t so much a skill as a biological function. Light comes in, power goes out.” She shrugged. “What is your skill?”

“It is an audio effect. I can make anyone listen to whatever I say for a finite period of time. The majority of my value rests in my ability to change my appearance.”

They walked down the tarmac. Three shuttles were sitting and waiting for duty.

Kiiki bit her lip and asked the question that was pressing on her thoughts. “Can you teach me to fly a shuttle?”

He blinked as if surprised by her question. “Of course. It is quite simple once you have the basics down.”

“I don’t even have those. Are you up for instructing a complete novice?”

He smiled, a non-descript smile for a non-descript man. Aside from the breadth of his shoulders, there really was nothing remarkable about him. “Everyone is a novice once.”

Her next question was blurted without thought. “Did you select your appearance for a reason, or is it a personal thing to ask?”

Harken was surprised into laughter. “It is personal, but I chose the appearance that would draw the least amount of notice when I am on assignment. It is easier for me to sneak up on my targets if they do not see me coming.”

“Oh.” She nodded.

“Your hair is a lovely blue. Is it common on Resicor?”

She giggled. “No, it is not common. My grandmother had blue hair when she was young, and mine changed from a brown similar to yours when my talent began to manifest.”

“What do you wish for your life?” Harken looked surprised at his own question.

“I don’t know. When I was in the Dome, I wanted out. Now, I am on Balen and I want to see more of the universe. I want to learn how to live my life without help from anyone, but at the same time, I wish to gather friends around me.” She paused before she finished her thought. “And I want to go to Resicor, rip open the Dome and pull out all the talents, granting them a freedom that they have been denied.”

They had walked to the edge of the tarmac, standing on the edge of stone that led to the valley floor.

“That may be a little ambitious. I am not familiar with your species yet, but if your talents are separated, there may be a reason that will surprise you. Even Nishan politics are never as easy as you would imagine, and we are balls of fog on our home world.”

He was going to continue when a voice called from the base.

“Novice Waythorp, please. There is a shipment for you.” One of the administrators was waving to get their attention.

Harken turned with her, and they walked back toward the base. “Novice?”

“Apparently, that is what I am called until I have completed a course or a contract.” She grimaced. “It isn’t the most flattering of titles.”

“Better than
puff
. That is the title for juvenile Nishans. It makes it hard to choose a masculine gender.” He smiled.

She grinned back, and as she looked into his eyes, she realised that his features were not nearly as bland as she had first thought. His face was going to require further study.

Shaking her head at her own silliness, she focussed on the features of the administrator. “Yes?”

“A shipment of suits arrived for you, Novice Waythorp.”

“Suits?” They followed him to a loading area where her name was printed in Alliance Common on the side with a peculiar smiley face next to it with some strange prints framing it.

Harken smiled. “In the Sector Guard, they would be uniforms, but in the Citadel, they are suits, and you wear your robes of status over them.”

“I understand my name and Balen Base, but what is with the strange pictures?”

Harken covered his mouth with one hand. “It comes from Morganti. Fixer designs the suits and programs the enhanced Masuo. Her daughters like to help her pack the new suits and decorate the boxes. You should have seen what they did to Saru-Rolland’s box. It was covered with flowers. They thought his name was pretty.” Harken was chuckling.

“A Guardsman with children?”

“Not the first and not the last. We are more stable as mated pairs.” He shrugged.

The administrator handed over the boxes and smiled. “We were wondering when you would arrive. This has been here for a month.”

The boxes were wide, and it took a little manoeuvring to get them settled, but she held them at arm’s length and blinked. “Um, well, I suppose I should take these back to the Citadel.”

Harken frowned, “Can you fly with those?”

“Probably. I just need a minute to charge up.” Kiiki wasn’t sure that she could manage it over the three kilometres to the other side of the valley, but she could simply stop and wait as needed.

“I will help you carry them. The size is no difficulty for me.”

As she watched, he became a shifting cloud of mist. The mist firmly tugged her parcels away, and as she watched, he carried them out of the loading area and off the edge of the tarmac.

Laughing, she gathered light as she ran and rode the charge of her power through the sky after her new partner. If he wanted to race, she was up for it.

“Power up in three…two…one.” Kiiki looked to the sky and absorbed the light. Now that she had practiced, she could pick and choose when her body reacted. The Masuo suit was a wonder. It covered her from foot to neck if she wanted it or formed her old restrictor suit pattern if she willed it to. Kiiki’s personal statement was to combine the two. Black with the dark pewter swirls suited her very well.

Grinning, she opened her arms and did a broadcast power up. The machines in the courtyard began doing their assigned tasks, but Kiiki didn’t stop there. Across the valley, a light pulsed on and held steady while she worked to keep the stream of power rippling through empty air.

Her suit spoke to her after an hour. “Specialist Waythorp, please cease transmission. We need to get the shuttles in the air.”

She dropped her arms and cut the power, smiling brilliantly at Tlia. “I have managed to project a steady stream of power across the valley to the Guard base. It held just fine.”

Tlia grinned and applauded. “Is it safe for me to hop off the observation stand? I need to hit the lav.”

Kiiki chuckled and twirled in place. “I am so glad I made Specialist ranking.”

“As are we. There is currently a negotiation for your services, and the fee for one week will pay for this outpost’s upkeep for a year.” Tlia rubbed her hands together greedily.

Kiiki snorted at the gesture. “You have been out three times on assessments since I got here. Your fees must cover a lot of it.”

Tlia stretched and waved Kiiki inside. “I am an employee
of
the Citadel. You are an employee
for
the Citadel. I am paid out of your earnings.”

Kiiki followed and wandered into the dining hall where she procured a light snack and some tea.

After her visit to the lav, Tlia joined her. “That was amazing. I watched your systems, and you didn’t even show strain. Your body has become accustomed to the power running through it, and your control is precise.”

“Thank you. It is strange to think that a control I always sought was to be found in letting my power run free.” Kiiki sipped at her tea. She leaned back in the comfortable chair and cued the Masuo into thickening. Being able to thin it to take in more light was lovely, and being able to make it opaque and insulating in a second was wonderful.

“It is weird how the strangest things affect our control. Tabr was often in the backyard talking with rodents, and I thought he was insane. It wasn’t until my talent surfaced and I saw his power zipping through his brain that I believed him.”

Kiiki laughed and sat quietly for a moment. “When do you think that Shivak will finish the negotiation?”

“It should be done in a few hours. He’s a good dispatcher.” Tlia smiled, and there was a twinge of pink on her golden cheeks.

“You should discuss possible assessment assignments with him, slowly, carefully, at length.” Kiiki kept her features innocent, but in the last three weeks, she had updated her education on mating between species. While the seeds rarely fell on fallow soil, there was plenty of ploughing going on.

Shivak was born on Dhema, and his species was known for its adherence to rules and regulations as well as etiquette and manners. Kiiki had liked him on first meeting, and so had Tlia.

Kiiki had watched her trainer’s pulse and electric fluctuations move from passive into heated overdrive the moment that Shivak had taken her hand. Tlia had been tongue-tied and blushed furiously every time Shivak was in the room.

He was aware of Tlia as well, but Kiiki didn’t want to ruin the surprise by giving either party the information that she could see in their bodies whenever they were closer than fifteen feet. Kiiki was surprised that they didn’t glow in the dark when they sparked so on coming near each other.

“So, are you looking forward to your first contract assignment?” Tlia sipped at her own drink, changing the topic.

“I am. Harken is, too. Now that we have been linked by paperwork, he is chafing to be doing something, and too many assignments have passed him by.” It caused a pang of guilt, but there was nothing she could do.

Shivak interrupted their discussion, politely waiting until they had ceased speaking before inclining his head to both of them, his tight braids clashing and the gold spires of his horns gleaming as if he polished them. “Ladies, good afternoon.”

As one, they spoke, “Good afternoon, Shivak.”

He smiled quickly. “Kiiki, I have your first assignment on Feliancour. They need power for ten hours a day for nine days. Will this be acceptable to you?”

Kiiki sat up. “What is the light situation?”

“Light is not the problem. Solar flares are going to send electromagnetic waves across the surface, and they need you as a guaranteed power supply for the underground bunkers.” His burgundy brow furrowed as he read the data pad in his hand.

“So, I will be at the surface feeding power to the bunkers below?”

“You will, and Harken will be acting as minder and guardian. He is waiting in the
Starlight
, packing the supplies.”

Kiiki started laughing. “You told him before you told me?”

Shivak shrugged. “He had to commute over here. He is much faster than I thought.”

She got to her feet and patted Shivak on the shoulder. “I ordered sandwiches and there is an extra cup. It would be a shame if it were to go to waste. I assume that the mission briefing has been loaded to the ship?”

Shivak took the seat across from the blushing Tlia. “Thank you, Specialist Waythorp. Yes, all mission details are with your partner. See you when you get back for a full debriefing.”

He wasn’t even looking at her anymore—his gaze was locked on Tlia’s, and he refilled her cup before pouring his own.

Shaking her head in amusement, Kiiki lifted herself off the ground and flitted to her shuttle. Harken was indeed inside, and he grinned at her as she stowed the stairs and sealed the door.

“Finally. Are you looking forward to being on active duty?”

She slid into the pilot’s seat and smiled. “Oh yes. Are you looking forward to my first space flight?”

“Nishans don’t have a deity, but if we did, I would have prayed to it already. We are go for launch when you have completed the checks.”

She ran through the checks that he had drilled into her over the last few weeks. With her hands steady, she flipped the toggles to bring the engines online. Her imagination had never figured out the mechanics of why it flew, but she had designed in the strands of metal that would expand and contract, singing as they heated and cooled inside the skin of the
Starlight
.

“Why did you design it to sing? Tabr told me about that, and it has become a talking point at the Guard base.”

Kiiki laughed as she fastened her harness and watched the levels rise. “I was a young girl. My body was beginning to betray me by turning me into something that could not be with its family. I wanted comfort, so I thought that a ship that could take me away from Resicor would be wonderful, and if that ship could sing the songs my mother sang to me, it would make space far less lonely. I did the metallurgy research, but I had no idea that my dad would have the ship built.”

“It is quite a lovely ship. Would you consider doing more designs?” He strapped in, but it was a formality. He was his own impact-reduction system. The moment he was unconscious, he would revert to a mass of fog.

“I don’t see why not. Once I know what a ship is actually supposed to have aside from a pretty tea set, I should be able to do a better job.” She shrugged. “Prepare for launch.”

He relaxed into his seat and watched her hands on the controls.

She lifted off the surface of Balen and breathed deeply as she retracted the landing gear. “No going back now.”

With steady hands, she pulled back on the controls, and the
Starlight
aimed for the sky. “Ready or not, I am on my way.” She glanced to Harken. “And I am taking you with me.”

His laughter accompanied her first time out of the safety of an atmosphere and into space under her own power. Feliancour waited.