Ice War, page 15
Of course, if this was a snake it already swallowed me, Yajain thought. She made her way down to the largest hologram chamber, where she usually worked with Mosam and found it empty.
She activated the hologram map and found the Razor Crow on it. The tiny image of the sleek black ship cut through the mist some fourteen hundred kilometers out and one thousand kilometers up from the settlement on the edge of Ambana Reef and the gatehouse. Yajain scanned the area around it for any signs of tyrant ships and found none. She smiled.
“Dara, looks like we may be seeing each other again soon.”
A door on the far side of the map room hissed as it slid open. Yajain turned toward it as Mosam stepped through. He stopped on the edge of the map and grinned.
“Looks like you’ve got this handled.”
“I think I might,” Yajain said. “What can I say. I’ve been trapped in this gatehouse for over ten changes.”
Mosam walked over to where she stood beside the projection of the Razor Crow.
“You’ve really taken to this nonhuman tech. I’d be surprised if you don’t want to study the gates too.”
Yajain shrugged.
“I’m not as good at physics. Besides, no one’s ever been able to figure out how the gates work.”
“Right,” said Mosam. He extended an arm and pointed to the Razor Crow. “Doesn’t look like there’s anything nearby at the moment.”
“You think we should try hailing them?”
“Let’s wait for the old doctor to get here. He should be on his way after I told him they were nearly clear last night.”
“Alright.” Yajain didn’t like the prospect of waiting when they had their chance, but if the Crow was really in the clear a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. “Though, if he doesn’t get here in twenty minutes I say we do it anyway.”
Mosam smirked.
“Sounds fair to me.” His expression slipped away as he turned toward her. “Look, Yajay I don’t think you should worry about what the people here think. Most of them aren’t crazies like that merchant.”
“How many are, though?” She turned to him. “If they shoved a knife at you face you’d worry too.”
He shrugged.
“True. Mostly they’re not like that. The people who don’t live here all the time don’t understand what makes this place special. That merchant probably thinks the reef is all about this battle, about our lives. But a reef is bigger than all of that.”
Yajain swallowed some of her fear and anger, but more of both welled up from inside.
“Don’t preach at me, Mosam.”
“Yajay—”
“I’m not part of your religion. And if you teach that people don’t matter I don’t think I want any part of it or you.” She met the tempest building in his eyes with a fierce stare of her own. “Why did I even come here?”
Mosam gritted his teeth.
“I obviously don’t know.”
“It was to find you.” Yajain sagged under the weight of her words. “I wanted to know why you destroyed the armory on Kaga, why you crippled Lin. Now that I do, I know something else too. I may trust you, but I don’t have to like you. And I don’t have to like Doctor Savar, or Adya, or any other Doctor of the Harvest.”
She took a step toward him, seething as she stepped through holograms of pillars and floating caphodel forests.
“You can’t undo all the bad things your people do, Mosam.”
He faced her, sighed, and then shook his head.
“I know. But I can’t bear all the responsibility for it either.”
Yajain turned away from him and folded her arms. Hunched Doctor Savar entered through another door. His eyes moved over the hologram as he paced slowly across the room.
“We seem to have an opportunity,” he said. “Let’s make the most of it.”
“We were only waiting for you to arrive,” said Mosam.
“Fool, boy. You should have taken the chance. We need that ship if we’re going to have a chance. Girl.” He turned to Yajain. “Contact them.”
Yajain sent the signal from the control terminal. In seconds a voice connection read green on the terminal before her. She leaned forward over the terminal and spoke into its microphone. “Razor Crow, this is Yajain Aksari.”
“Doctor Aksari?” said the low voice of Agan Pansar. “Where are you?”
“I’m sending you my coordinates,” she said. “I’m at the Ambana Reef with Mosam. We’ve found Savar and the gatehouse.”
“The gatehouse? Doctor, please allow me to withdraw every unkind thing I’ve ever said about Ditari in my life.”
“That’s not necessary,” Yajain said with a small smile. She hit the keys to relay the gatehouse’s location to the Razor Crow. “Just bring the Razor Crow here and be ready to adjust your plan to break the blockade.”
Mosam stepped forward.
“Be as careful as you can. Only approach with no tyrants tracking you.”
“Is that Doctor Coe I hear?” Pansar gave a ragged laugh. “I can’t believe you both survived.”
Mosam turned to Yajain.
“We couldn’t have made it without each other.”
Yajain pursed her lips and then turned to the console.
“We’d better keep this brief. Is everyone else alright?”
“Boskem is still broken up about the damage to his robot. The rest of us are just tired.”
“Me too,” said Yajain. “Please tell Dara not to worry about me.”
“I’ll do that, Doctor Aksari. Over and out.”
Yajain broke the radio transmission. She looked back at the hologram as Razor Crow curved around the side of one pillar, and then angled downward toward them and the distant reef. Mosam marched out of the room, moving mechanically. Yajain watched him with a frown.
Savar turned to her.
“The boy seems put out, despite our success.”
“He’s angry. We...” Yajain shook her head. “We were fighting before you got here.”
Savar nodded but said nothing.
“He likes to act tough.”
“You think it’s just an act?”
“I know it, girl. He’s practically my own son. He’ll want to get away for a little while, then he’ll come back, tough act included.”
Yajain frowned.
“I guess so.” She walked past Savar and followed Mosam out the door. She walked with purpose, walked with her hands clasped together over her heart. All the anger from before sank beneath the surface of her thoughts as she took the elevator to the water cavern.
Warm air drafted through the water cavern between the gatehouse below and the church above as Yajain stepped out of the elevator. She peered into the shadows left by electric lamps in the corners of the larger room. Ahead of her footsteps told of Mosam’s continued movement, but there was no sign of anyone besides the two of them in the cavern.
Yajain walked between slender columns of stony, wrinkled reef creatures and others of metal, following the sound of Mosam moving toward the entrance of the church. As she drew closer his footsteps slowed, then stopped. She turned a corner and saw him in the shadows near the exit, his back to her.
“Mosam, wait up,” she said.
He turned and his shoulders shifted as he folded his arms. His face was hidden in darkness.
“Yajain. I just need some air.”
She walked toward him, cautious of her feet on the rough floor of the cavern.
“Look, I’m sorry about earlier.”
“You are? Yajain, you sounded pretty honest back there before Savar showed up.”
“I was angry.” Yajain sighed. “Please, don’t run away.”
“But you meant what you said. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”
“We both made it this far,” Yajain said. “Don’t you think that means something?”
“Oh it means something. I just don’t know what.” His arms unfolded and he paced toward her. “I’ve said it before, Yajay. If you had it in your heart to forgive me…Well, I don’t know if I would know any better then. Lin came between us back then too, but she doesn’t have to stay between us forever.”
Yajain stared at his face as he approached. Green eyes emerged from the shadows, blinking, tearful. He stood very close to her now. Her hands trembled as she gazed into those eyes, that however bright and strange in color, never looked more open than in that moment.
“Mosam.”
“Yajain?”
I can’t let him just walk out when I know that’s not what he wants. Could he be afraid of me?
“You want to say something. Trust me and say it.”
He bit his lip.
“Yajain…back when you found me out on Castenlock, with the fluids. I wanted to say something to you the moment you took off my mask.” He hung his head, beautiful eyes slipped for a moment, then he refocused on her face.
“Yajain, you know I’m in love with you.”
Yajain’s stomach electrified, charged as by an arc field despite their distance from any pillar. She reached for Mosam’s cheek and her palm brushed the line of the beard along his jaw. She inclined her head to look at his face. She guided his eyes to hers once more.
“Mosam, I don’t want to lose you again.”
“When the Crow gets here you may not have that choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a battle on its way, and the closer Pansar gets, the closer we get to that battle.”
“We can face it together.” She smiled despite tears welling in her eyes and heat rising in her cheeks. The hand not on his cheek found his fingertips and then moved up to grasp his wrist gently. “Please.” Yajain guided his hand under her jacket and to her heart.
His hands moved down her side to her waist. She breathed in deep, then kissed him hard on the lips. He kissed her back, gently at first, but then with enthusiasm, passion. His lips, his tongue became hers to taste.
Thick cloying air and shadows all around held them as they held each other. When their lips broke apart, Yajain felt her heartbeat, his hand so close to it. She smiled at him.
“Can we go back?” she asked. “To the gatehouse.”
He leaned his forehead against hers, pressed his heart to her heart.
“I’d love to.”
Mosam’s chamber in the gatehouse lit with distant the shine of a red Solna out a window and far away, obscured by mist. Yajain and Mosam tumbled onto the bed as one, locked together by hands and mouths. She held him tight, her jacket forgotten on the floor beside his discarded shirt and coat.
He embraced her gently, his hands rough to the touch, worn from years on the run.
Two independently raised animals brought together, that’s what we are.
Her breath caught in a gasp as he gently caressed her first high, then low. She pulled her shirt over her head and it pulled out the tie for her hair. Dark strands fell around her eyes, obscuring her vision.
Yajain brushed the hair back from her face and found Mosam’s lips waiting for her. They seemed to be the only part of him left untouched by his difficult living, and equally perfect in the comfort they gave her at that moment.
“Mosam,” she said as he drew back for a moment.
“What is it?” he breathed.
“I wish things were different.”
His eyes were wide and honest, like a child’s, like she had never seen them before. Even as a teenager he had been one who laughed and one who talked rather than one who stared. He waited speechless for her to continue.
“With Lin?” He sighed. “Back then I did what my master ordered. Please, let me listen to my heart instead.”
Her hand moved down his shoulder blade, feeling the lines of old scars beneath her fingertips.
“Listen to me, then.”
Mosam cupped her cheek.
“What good would I be if I didn’t?”
Yajain exhaled softly.
“I want to love you, but please. We have to make things right with Lin.”
He brushed her skin, weathered fingertips.
“If we don’t, we’ll never be able to go home again. I know.”
“So we agree.” She brought her face close to his.
His hand moved down to her chin, then her throat.
“Completely.”
Their lips met again. Solna light flickered through the mist outside and shaded the room scarlet. Yajain swung her legs over Mosam and lay him down on the bed. His hand moved down her shoulders to her breasts to her hips. She stretched with him, not a hunter, nor a doctor for a time. The Solna light began to fade behind a distant pillar. Yajain kissed and felt and held him against the approaching shadow.
Razor Crow emerged from the mist above the settlement while Yajain and Mosam walked the grounds around the church together. The black blade of the experimental mist ship angled upward and it descended perfectly. Yajain peered through the open gate of the church as the Crow’s thruster cushion allowed it to descend to one of the nearby docks.
“Now they’re here.” Mosam glanced at her. “Time for a reunion, I guess.”
Yajain brushed a few strands of overlong hair from her face. I’m going to have cut it eventually. She returned Mosam’s look with raised eyebrows.
“Why am I not surprised you don’t sound excited?”
“Things are going to get more dangerous again.” He grinned. “And, I was getting used to having you to myself.”
Her face flushed. She smiled back at Mosam.
“It’s only fair. We’ll both have to share.”
The Razor Crow sank out of sight behind the low rooftops. Mosam turned to her.
“You know, this sorta reminds me of back then, on Kaga. You’d be sitting by the armory watching the ships fly in.” He sighed and his breath misted in the air before him. “I guess I ruined all that.”
She wrapped her fingers around one of his hands.
“We have a chance to set things right. Besides, we’re here now.”
“Yajay,” he leaned toward her, his shoulder pressing to hers. They kissed gently. “We’d better go meet them.”
“Alright.” Yajain drew away from him but kept her grip on his hand.
Mosam motioned down the icy street outside the church. They walked through the winter settlement to a dock with an entrance similar to the Velis Keep but raised from the reef, rather than lowered into it. Pansar’s ship needed to keep ready for quick transit in case tyrants had followed them somehow. Yajain hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
They entered through the front of the complex. Mosam told the manager on duty they were there to meet the new arrival. He and Yajain went to the Crow’s hangar. A sheet of sheltering metal extended across the top of the landing dock and sealed it tight. If it wasn’t for the cold Yajain might have wondered how the ship had gotten inside.
The black length of the Razor Crow cut a shadow across the floor. Yajain gazed at the ship, half-surprised it even had landing gear that worked through the thruster cushion. Some panels down the side appeared burnt in places, but otherwise, the vessel looked the same as when she had last seen it.
“Yajain,” Dara said from off to her right. “Yajain is that you?”
Yajain turned and smiled as Dara approached, flanked by the two dark-skinned bandojen technicians, Joth and Enna. Omos Thraid stood behind the others, an uncharacteristic smile on his usually stoic face. Dara’s eyes lit up. She and Yajain embraced.
“Don’t make me worry like that.”
“I couldn’t help it this time,” said Yajain. They separated. “How is everyone?”
“Cramped, tired, a little rattled from the trip.”
Yajain glanced at the Crow.
“With Pansar flying evasion, I believe it.”
Dara chuckled.
“Don’t say that around him. I’ve heard enough of his ranting about security.”
Joth shook his head.
“At least you don’t have to be in an engineering passage when he boosts, Doctor Merrant.”
“Brother just likes to complain.” Enna smirked. “The Crow is the nicest ship either of us ever worked on.”
Mosam laughed and turned to Joth.
“Glad all of you made it.”
“No thanks to you.” The bearded bandojen gave an irritated grunt. “Once again.”
Pansar approached, tall, dark form hunched, plastic hand holding a cane which he leaned on in one direction. On his other side, Gellen Chakal walked looking tiny and exhausted. Behind her, Adya walked, followed by Boskem. Yajain frowned as she looked at Pansar.
“What happened?”
Dara lowered her voice.
“Too much fluid. It’s part of how we kept getting away from the tyrants.”
“Where is lord DiBaram?” asked Mosam.
“He didn’t want to disembark without his armor,” said Pansar. He gave a shudder and shake of his head. “I think he doesn’t trust my piloting to keep our flight path from being followed.” The hunched officer stopped beside Dara and looked at Mosam. “Make sure no one boards my ship, Coe.”
“Why would I do that, Agent Pansar?”
“The technology of that vessel is unique as far as I know. I will not let the Empress skewer me for losing secrets.”
Mosam scowled.
“You can trust us, Pansar, but we don’t order our people around, so I can’t promise anything.”
Pansar stared down at his cane for a long moment. Yajain realized he was looking at the artificial hand that held the improvised length of metal.
Mosam took the original from him. I shouldn’t expect him to forgive any more easily than Lin.
“I’m tired, Coe. Don’t make me angry.”
“Why worry? In the state you’re in you are in no position to make demands.”
“So is this the alliance we’re forming here?” Pansar spat on Mosam’s boot. “I hope your senior traitor, Savar, is more respectful than you. Back in Dilinia, you’re the kind of man I would challenge to duel.”
Mosam folded his arms.
“And what then? Lose your other hand?”
Pansar’s grip on the cane tightened, pinching muscles together under the transparent skin. His eyes narrowed.
“When this is over, Coe.”
