Alliance Hunter
Chapter 16

I stepped off the shuttle into a shuttle bay that wasn’t the one I left. It was smaller that was obvious. I carefully glanced around seeing the confusion on the faces of my team.

“Are we on the right ship?” Jervic asked. I noted that he had his hand on his weapon.

“I don’t know,” I told him in all honesty.

I surveyed the bay looking for answers. The hanger door was under the shuttle whereas on the other ship in it’s side. Docking clamps held the shuttle in place. I could see that it could move the shuttle away from the doors. I thought it rather cramped which seemed to me that we were on a smaller ship. A walkway extended under the shuttle and over the doors underneath. On the wall furthest from the hanger door was an exit. I crossed the walkway to the floor and glanced around again trying to gauge what ship we were on.

“Stay alert!” I said as my team followed me to the comparative safety of the floor.

The shuttle door closed behind us blocking any hope of retreat. I had tried to talk to the pilot when we entered the shuttle but she had just waved me off and told me to get seated. She was going to lift off whether I was ready or not.

“Do you know where we are?” Kelli asked clutching her medical kit.

I didn’t blame her for sounding nervous. But at least it wasn’t the Solmani the ship with the hostile crew. Well that was the hope but I was nervous of what was going to happen next. I had visions of us being sucked out in to the void.

“That I don’t know.”

The door to the bay opened and a familiar figure stepped through the door. I was glad to see Runa looking better. At least better than seeing her as an image on the comms.

She crooked her finger at me. “Initiate follow me!” Her words brooked no descent. “Your team, Kara will show them to their quarters.”

Kara slipped in behind her giving me the briefest of nods. “If you will follow me I’ll show you where you will be bunking down,” she said to my team.

With one last despairing glance to my team I followed Runa through a maze of corridors my apprehension growing with every step.

“Where are we?” I demanded. Not a good move with the Valkyrie but I guess I was just venting my fears, which had oddly been growing stronger since we had left Melanos. I couldn’t put my finger on it but it felt as if something was very wrong.

“On the Rodari.”

“What happened to the Solmani the ship that brought us here?”

“Returned to Alfheimir where you should have been heading.”

I halted my glare burning a hole in her back. “I’m not going to Alfheimir no matter what you say to me. I’m not going and I never will!” I felt my anger flare.

Runa turned to me her expression cold. “Oh you will but not just yet we have things to do.”

“The mission, what is it?”

“That will be explained later. We have the time.” She took a few steps. “It’s good that we’re here.” She pressed a button next to a door. “In here Initiate.” She made a sharp gesture.

And like a fool I entered what seemed to be a briefing room.

The room was a rectangle with a table at the centre surrounded on three sides by benches. On the back wall was a large comms screen. Runa strode across the room to the screen at the back. Next to the screen was a small console. She pressed a button and the benches and table sank into the floor.

I leapt back in shock. “Hey!” I shouted at her. “What if I’d been sitting there!” I felt an anger surge growing hotter.

“That would not have happened.”

A training mat replaced the table and benches. I stared hard at it and just as hard at Runa. I should have guessed that this was coming.

“If you are thinking what I think you are thinking,” I said coldly my anger boiling out from within.

“The trouble with you is that you think too much.” Runa seemed to be ignoring the warning on my face and in my stance.

I leaned forward my fists clenched. “I need to do that I’m an investigator.”

“Now undress,” she said her hands on the laces of her boots.

I was going to be hurt whether I wanted to spar or not. Funny that she was taking this attitude after her pledge. She had promised not to harm me but here she was breaking her word. I’d thought the Valkyrie held the pledges as sacred and here she was breaking it somehow the thought of that was fuelling my anger more than anything else.

“No!” I practically spat out the word.

“Initiate!” Runa warned me.

I was far too gone to take the hint. “I’m not your damn initiate or anybody’s initiate. I am my own damn person.” I shook the silver bangle at her. “You put this on me without my consent. I am not some damn Valkyrie you can lord over. It’s only an accident of blood that I’m here. I’m human or I was until you people screwed about with my DNA!”

“Have you finished initiate?”

“Not by a long shot!” I snarled back. “Fuck you!” I yelled giving her my middle finger. I turned abruptly and headed to the door. It didn’t open even when I pressed the button on the wall beside it.

“Open the damn door!”

Runa sighed. “I’m trying to save your life,” she said in a quiet voice.

I really didn’t care. I hated myself for getting angry but I just couldn’t help myself.

“Fat chance of that. You’re just pandering to your sadistic inner bitch!” I yelled at her and banged on the door like I’d get out by hitting my way through it. “Let me out!” I shouted. “And take this off me.” I bashed the door with the bangle. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I just reacted. Swiftly I turned and punched Runa in the face. Pain radiated through my arm from my fist.

Runa staggered back shock and concern on her face. I followed up with a kick to her stomach.

“Oh no you don’t you bitch.” I screamed. The logical part of my mind was yelling at me to calm down and act rationally but I was far too gone in my madness to hear it.

Runa grabbed me and threw me onto the mat. I hit the mat hard and staggered to my feet laughing maniacally. I didn’t know why my mind was filled with confusion and madness.

“Come on bitch do your worst I’d rather die than go to Alfheimir!” I charged Runa in retrospect not the smartest thing I’d ever done. In the logical part of my mind I could see myself teetering on the edge of madness I just couldn’t stop myself. “Go ahead just kill me I won’t be your pawn anymore!”

“Gwen!” Runa said. “Please stop this before you hurt yourself.”

I launched an attack at her so savage that Runa was hard pressed to defend herself. I pushed her back my body wracked with pain. Suddenly she fell betrayed by her unlaced boot. I leapt at her my bloodied fists raised ready to kill or be killed.

“No!” A voice roared in my head.

I froze locked in position unable to move. It gave Runa the chance to move. I saw the regret in her eyes as her fist swung towards me. The horror I felt in the last few moments before she hit me shocked me out of my murderous rage. Her fist connected and I saw stars before the light faded.

A sudden influx of light broke me out of my stupor. A hand reached to me and grabbed mine.

“Come on Gwen take a step and be careful.”

It was Kelli holding my hand. I seemed to be in some sort of medbay. It contained four beds and three cell stitchers on the wall furthest from the door. Kara at a desk watching me carefully her face expressionless. I worried on seeing her wondering what she was thinking about me. Kelli guided me to the nearest bed.

“Ok Gwen lie on the bed while I run a few scans.”

I lay on the bed aware that I was naked.

Kara rose from the desk and walked over. “Gwen?” she said her voice full of concern.

“Kara?” I replied. I didn’t want to look at her after my last bout of stupidity.

“How do you feel?” she asked me with a nod to Kelli.

“Confused and frightened,” I answered her truthfully as my mind replayed the incident in the briefing room. It like seeing someone else there and not me. “And before you ask I don’t know what happened to me?”

“I do,” a familiar voice said from behind my head.

Both Kara and Kelli stared at the spot horror in their eyes. I glanced up to see Digger standing there her wings folded neatly behind her back and a long purple gown covering her body.

Kara took a deep breath taking a defensive stance. “Who are you?”

“Digger?” I said answering for Digger surprised to see her.

“I’m Digger, Gwen has already told you so. I’m here to help.”

“Impossible!” Kara growled. “We’re in hyperspace.”

Digger smiled. “My dear Kara you were in hyperspace when I spoke to Gwen before.”

I hadn’t the time to tell her about what had happened Melanos. Runa had dragged me into the briefing room.

“But then you were in Gwen’s head?” Kelli argued. “Here you seem real?”

Digger shrugged I appeared she was picking up my habits. “I’m only a projection.”

Kelli leaned across the bed and waved her hand at Digger.

“Please don’t do that I find it very disconcerting.”

“Why are you here?” Kara demanded. She edged closer to me.

“I’ve already told you to help Gwen and help you understand her actions.”

“Gwen went crazy what’s to understand about that?” Kara’s eyes narrowed she looked as if she was about to attack. “That to do with you?”

“The Guardians did that,” Digger’s reply was rather blunt.

“Oh?” Kara said.

Kelli looked at me concern radiating across her face. “You ok Gwen?”

“I’m so confused,” I told her. I was more than confused I worried about my actions they didn’t seem logical.

Digger turned to me. “As well you should be,” she stated then said. “The Guardians implanted a device into you.”

I looked at her shocked my expression mirrored on Kara and Kelli’s faces.

“It was supposed to make you go mad!”

“What!” we three said together.

“When?” Kara added.

“When they confronted her in the Archive.”

I stared at Digger. I clearly remembered every minute of my confrontation with them. “They never touched me?” I told her.

“Not as far as you remember,” Digger said to me.

I felt a chill rip through me. “How?”

“There is a three minute gap in your memories.”

I didn’t understand feeling more confused.

“And how is it you know this?” Kara demanded.

Kelli scanned me with her glove. “I can’t see anything unusual?”

“I scanned her brain while she was in your regenerator. As you well know, what happened was totally out of character for Gwen.”

I think her words were directed more at Kara than the rest of us.

“That’s true,” Kelli said in my defence.

“As well you should,” Digger said. “I’ve neutralised the device but it will be up to you to remove it.”

I felt ill my Imperial heritage coming to the fore. I had accepted Digger’s helpers in my body and had almost forgiven Mouse’s computer but this, this was a violation at the highest level. I vividly remembered the silver cube on the computer the one I threw into the oily lake surrounding the computer.

“I scanned her when Runa brought her in and detected nothing?” Kara said.

“You would have never have found it it’s invisible to scans.”

“You sure?” Kara said thoughtfully. “I don’t want to be doing anything without proof?”

“I will make so you can see it. We weren’t the only ones the Rho’xan copied things from.”

“The silver cubes,” I whispered feeling ill. I wanted to puke, I wanted to run and hide I knew I wouldn’t do either.

“Yes the Rho’xan copied a device from the Guardians but their cubes are larger and more visible.”

I felt myself shudder. “I’ve got one of those things inside me?” I started to panic. “I want it out of me now!”

“Stay calm Gwen,” Digger said to me but I was too scared to take any notice of her. Digger gave a sigh and reached out.

I stared at her shocked as her hand went through my chest.

“I’m sorry about that Gwen.”

A bead the size of my fingernail dropped to the floor as she withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry,” she addressed her words to Kara. “I wanted you to do it and see what you should have been looking for.” Digger sounded exhausted. “Sorry that took a lot out of me.”

“Is it safe?” Kelli asked.

“It is,” Digger said her words slurring.

I began to worry about Digger.

“Kelli give it to me,” Kara said before I could talk to Digger. She looked at Digger. “You say the Guardian implanted this in Gwen, why?”

“To destroy us. Simply that it’s another type of weapon but more subtle. They know of our closeness, they sort to use that link by turning her against us. She would have become paranoid.”

“Like the crew of the Solmani?”

“Yes in a way. What happened on the Solmani wasn’t them they just used the situation to their own ends. What the Guardians didn’t take into account was Gwen’s rather unique heritage. Instead of paranoia she became hyper-aggressive.”

I didn’t like it one bit. I was nobody’s pawn. I was ashamed I’d attacked Runa in the way I did but the logical part of my mind reminded me that I was my own person. “So there is a good chance that they’ll try again.”

“No they won’t be doing that again to anybody that was the message from the First Ones.”

“Ancients,” Kelli supplied before Kara could ask the question.

“And?” Kara asked sounding if she didn’t believe Digger.

“They’ll be on their best behaviour from now on it’s either that or exile. Now that they know the First Ones are watching them.”

I on the other hand realised that she was telling the truth I felt relieved by that. Even if the others didn’t seem to believe her.

“Not destroyed?” Kara asked sounding like she wanted vengeance.

Digger shook her head. “That’s the Enari way.”

Kara had the grace to wince at Digger’s rebuke. “That us alright. When someone hurts one of us we go all out for blood. Especially when it’s family.” She gave me a significant glance.

I was partly relieved that even after my stupidity although it was not my fault she still considered me a Martin. As much as I hated thought I was never going to get away with it that easily.

“The First Ones have exiled races before. They don’t do that often but even that is enough for more aggressive races to back off.”

“What’s this to do with Gwen?” Kara asked Digger directly. I noticed she had been subtlety moving closer to me more protective than aggressive.

“Nothing I was just trying to illustrate a point. Gwen is safe.”

I noticed Digger’s frown and felt a chill in the pit of my stomach.

“I don’t know how but Gwen is now under the protection of the First Ones.”

“What!” I shouted my uneasy feeling growing. What I was thinking was mirrored on the faces of the others.

“Who do you think is helping me maintain this form over this distance. When I took the device from Gwen the First Ones removed the same devices from anyone else that had been implanted with them.”

“Joyce and her team?” I said to Digger.

“They were never in danger from the Guardians. An inconvenience but not a threat.” Digger regarded me carefully. “Because of us you were. I’m sorry we never envisaged this for you.”

“Sandra Locke?” Kara asked.

“The Guardians may have made her a weapon against the Rho’xan but she still is her own person.” Digger seemed to glance behind her and nod. “The First Ones told me to tell you that.”

“Good!” Kara affirmed.

“And me?” I felt scared and confused none of this was making any sense.

“I’ve already told you, you are now under protection of the First Ones. I cannot say why so do not ask me. And one other thing you should know. We’re leaving Saros the First Ones are ordering us to go and they are moving us to a new place.”

“But who will protect Saros they are in danger as long as anyone thinks you are still there?” My mind dwelled on Ljufu and her family, well on all the innocents on Saros.

“We will maintain a presence there and so will the First Ones. It was part of our agreement with them. We leave for our new home and they watch over Saros. They have no concept of time. Which is why it takes them so long to do anything.” I saw Digger glance at Kelli. “Gift Worlds,” she said to her.

Kelli bowed some T’Arni thing I wasn’t aware off.

Digger smiled at her. “Good bye for now I must return. I am being called.” She chuckled. “Even the First Ones have their limits.” With that she faded.

We were alone. Silence reigned in the wake of Digger’s departure. For me I was filled with mixed emotions trying hard to make any sense of what had just occurred. I really hadn’t wanted Digger to tell me that I’d got the attention of powerful beings of legend. I was basing that on what Kelli had told me about the Ancients.

“Well?” I said finally breaking the silence. “Did any of that make any logical sense?”

“This seems real enough,” Kara said handling the bead in her hand. “I can feel and see it yet it’s not showing on my scans.”

That wasn’t all that reassuring for me I turned to Kelli. “Kelli your thoughts?”

“I’m feeling more than a little intimidated hearing the Keeper speak of an Ancient like that. The First Citizen went in search of the Ancients to free us from the Rhosani. She never returned we, I mean we as in the T’Arni believe she did contact them. The war started not long after her departure. I still believe her sacrifice freed us. When the Ancients defeated the Rhosani that gave us worlds as compensation. Worlds we’ve shared with others.”

I understood that but it didn’t do anything to answer my dilemma. “What really makes me uneasy is that First Ones are interested in me. I don’t know what I did to draw their attention to me?”

“You did save both Alfheimir and Saros preventing the deaths of millions of people.” Kara gave me a significant look. “Ask yourself who else has accomplished what you’ve done in such a short time. And you wonder why we are so keen on keeping you close. It’s not that we don’t trust you it’s out of love. Who else of the blood has done this. Yes I know how you hate going back to Alfheimir but you are not the only one we want close.”

“Who else?” I asked.

“Sandra Locke, she’s of the blood as much as you were.” Kara held up her hand. “There are rules Sandra will never go to Alfheimir. You on the other hand have enough of our blood to be allowed to stay there. There have only been a few exceptions but they have proved themselves loyal to Valkyrie. I know you well enough to know you hate what we did to you. But for you it was your determination and your blood that made us take the action we did.” Kara sighed. “Enough speculation for later. For now you should get some rest. I like to run a few tests before we can release you from medbay. The sooner we get this done the quicker you came leave.”

I guess I didn’t have a choice. I climbed under the covers aware I was naked but this was a Valkyrie ship and I’d have to do things their way. I closed my eyes and despite of everything sleep was quick in coming.

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