Page 11 of Hainn (Sectors New Allies #19)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

H er dreams were unsettling and vivid and Jezari awoke in the middle of the night gasping and fighting with the covers. She lay for a moment, blinking and trying to control her pulse and then got out of bed. She undressed, took a quick turn in the refresher and then found herself donning utility pants and a black tee shirt. As she fastened her sturdy boots, she wondered if she ought to tell anyone where she was going but decided she wasn’t going to change her habits now.

The Daughter on duty at the front didn’t so much as blink when Jezari walked past her and into th night. Her sisters had gotten used to her keeping strange hours and going when and where she pleased. At first she was tempted to take a stroll along the lake shore but at the first glimpse of the water shining in the moonlight she stopped dead and could go no further. It was as if she was caught in one of her own nightmares and with a shudder she diverted inland, going away from the residence caves.

The path was well marked but with her night vision she didn’t need the guideposts. Ignoring the signs warning of unauthorized entry, she walked deep into the forest. Those were meant for humans, not Badari and she had every right to be here, although it was unusual to seek the stone circle in the middle of the night. As Jezari got closer to the place of worship, she saw light streaming into the sky and shafts of illumination penetrating the gloomy forest, stabbing between the trees. Her steps faltered and she questioned if there was a ceremony in progress. She had no wish to intrude on anyone else’s observances. But who would conduct a ritual at this hour?

Shaking her head, she continued to the edge of the circle, stepping onto the pavement and glancing around in awe. It was as if she’d entered the goddess’s great circle at the original lab. Instead of stone pillars there were the towering old growth trees and soft grass underfoot. The cobalt blue sky arched overhead, birds sang and tiny winged insects flitted from flower to flower. Jezari pivoted to check behind herself but the forest in the valley was no longer visible. When she turned her face forward again, she saw the Great Mother seated on the huge boulder which was her ‘chair’. The goddess beckoned her forward and Jezari knelt at her feet.

“You have need of me, Daughter?” the goddess asked.

“I’m nervous about tomorrow,” Jezari confessed. “Not about the dive itself—I can handle that easily—but facing the alien woman again. I know she’s dead but she seems so much a living, breathing person. I’ve had nightmares of finding myself locked into the globe which imprisons her and watching her walk away.” After a brief hesitation, she added, “With Hainn.”

The goddess stroked her hair tenderly. “What you are doing is right and proper and I commend you. The unfortunate woman met a sad fate and her spirit is trapped in the dark, unable to move forward. But you are in no danger from her. No harm can come to you, for I’ll be watching and the man who would be your mate will be at your side. He’s an honorable male, is he not?” The Great Mother’s voice took on an amused lilt. “And quite handsome.”

Reminding herself not to look into the goddess’s face, Jezari nodded. “Why did you put us together? What makes him right for me?”

“I’m surprised you must ask. I thought you were in love with him. He certainly loves you.” There was silence. After an interval, the Great Mother spoke again. “He sees you as you wish to be seen, a strong, capable person. He watched your fight to regain yourself and to move on from what was done to you and he admires you. You make him happy and he wished to do the same for you. He thought you were a good team during your recovery and he craves more with you. For him no one other than you would do. If you don’t Claim him, his life will be miserable. Yours as well, Daughter. Doesn’t your child deserve its father and mother to be bonded?”

“Thank you for the gift of a child, Great Mother,” Jezari said humbly, taking in what the goddess had said about Hainn as her fated mate.

“You dread the attention, I know, but you’ll shield your child well, together with Hainn. He will be an excellent father—your strengths complement each other. I wish for my Badari to have children, you know. Several of your future paths offer the possibility of more children in fact. But only with Hainn.”

“So I’m not doing wrong, raising the alien woman from the lake and seeing her buried?” Jezari stuck to the original topic which had caused her to roam in the night. “The soil of this planet isn’t hers any more than the waters of the lake.”

“Her name is Ilynnis,” the goddess said. “And with your help she’ll become one with the light and the wind and the elements of this world and find her freedom to move to what lies next for her. Do not allow her to be buried for such is not the belief of her people.”

Jezari blinked. She stood alone in the cold, dark, deserted stone circle.

A single purple flower lay on the ground in front of her and slowly she bent over to pick it up, admiring the delicate petals and the lingering sweet scent.

“I hoped I might find you here.”

Jezari pivoted to see Hainn standing at the opening of the pillars. He came striding across the open space to her side and took her in his arms, a concerned frown on his face. “Are you all right?”

“I—I saw the Great Mother,” she said. If not for the flower she might have feared it had all been a dream. “She set my mind at rest on several topics.”

“You’ve been blessed then, to have a vision tonight.” His voice was reverent.

“Have you seen her?”

“A number of times, yes. As a healer, it’s my calling to interact with her but it’s never a simple matter, never easy.” Looping his arm around her waist, he said, “I need to get you somewhere you can sleep a bit before we have to meet the others for the dive. Come with me to my cave?”

Jezari was tempted. She had no desire to return to the Daughters’ residence and deal with her sisters and her Alpha either now or first thing in the morning. “You have your own cave? But you’re not mated.” She wished she hadn’t made the remark, considering the state of affairs between the two of them.

“Not yet,” he said cheerfully, squeezing her hand. “I have high hopes but mating’s not a topic for tonight. And all I’m proposing is sleep, sweetheart, nothing more. I’ve never slept better than the night I was with you on the trip.”

“I was the same,” she said. “No nightmares.”

Taking her comment for agreement, he led her out of the forest and to the general residence area, close to the barracks cave where his pack was living. There were a few individual caves here and Hainn brought her to one set apart from the others. The lights came up as they entered and she exclaimed in surprise at how cozy he’d made his place. There was a rug on the floor and a big couch, a small kitchenette across the chamber and an arch which she assumed led to the bedroom. Another arch opened off the opposite side.

Struck by an unwelcome thought, she said, “How many women have you brought here?”

“None,” he said emphatically.

She did an elaborate doubletake and raised one eyebrow.

“Truly,” he insisted. “I’ve never brought any woman here until you, tonight. Because I’m a healer, I need a private space for my observances and undisturbed peace for searching the ancestral memory as needed. Can’t do that in a barracks setting! And on occasion people seek me out for help and privacy is required.” With a laugh he added, “There are bachelor apartments for what you’re talking about and I won’t deny I’ve used those in the past more than a few times. But not since I fell in love with you. I give you my word as a Badari and trust you to hear the truth.”

Jezari studied his face, thinking she could see this visage every day in bed and at breakfast for the rest of her life and be content. She and her inner predator were more than satisfied Hainn was speaking from the heart. “I hear and accept the truth.”

“Good, the issue is settled.” He put his arm around her and guided her toward the bedroom. “Unless you’ve got the munchies, I suggest we grab some shuteye. Dawn will be here before we know it and today is going to be a long day.”

Jezari was pleased to see his bed was more than big enough to accommodate both of them comfortably. After removing her boots she laid down fully clothed and turned on her side, facing the pretty luminescent patterns of the cave wall. The bed dipped as Hainn came behind her, pulling her close with his arm at her waist. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes, already sliding into peaceful sleep.

Although they only got a few hours of rest, she and Hainn were wide awake and ready to go when the alarm on his handheld went off. “I wish we had time for ourselves this morning,” he said regretfully.

“After the dive is done,” Jezari promised, eyeing the way his morning erection was tenting his pants. “We can have our delayed date.”

She wasn’t hungry but Hainn insisted they each grab a couple of survival ration bars and a nutrition drink, which they consumed as they walked. She had to make a stop at the Daughters’ residence to change into her swimsuit and put her clothes on again over the one piece. Hainn waited outside.

“Keshara said she and Gabe will be there shortly,” Jezari reported when she exited the cave. “I guess everyone who was at the council meeting yesterday wants to watch this effort. It’ll be boring for those on shore while we do a two-mile dive.”

“The Alphas and others want to show their support for you and the team,” Hainn said as they walked in the direction of the lake.

Jezari had specified the spot where she always departed from the shore, which was deep in the woods where humans weren’t allowed and far from the usual areas the Badari frequented. She was a little regretful today as so many people had to make their way to the place but she didn’t want to do anything differently on this all important dive. Aydarr had agreed with her and added he didn’t want curious valley resident onlookers watching either. As she and Hainn proceeded, she found the Supreme Alpha had posted guards to ensure no one uninvited stumbled over the starting place.

Aydarr, Jill and MARL were waiting, along with almost all of the meeting attendees plus Daegan’s chosen group of South Seas warriors. MARL had made noises yesterday about going on the dive but had been firmly told it was impossible. Jill worried about his condition and what would happen if he had a malfunction in the depths of the lake. Daegan had also vetoed the idea but Hainn told her later it was because his pack didn’t trust the alien AI much and even less so after the revelations of the day.

As she drew closer, Jezari heard a number of voices in her head and stopped, mouth open in shock. Hainn regarded her with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I can hear Daegan and the others,” she said. “Telepathically. He’s reviewing my instructions from yesterday for the men diving with us.” With a giggle she added, “And telling them to pay attention to anything I say while we’re diving or on the site.”

“I let him know you can hear us now,” Hainn said hastily.

Yes, Daughter, an unexpected blessing. I wasn’t looking forward to relaying orders and information through Hainn today. Too clumsy and time consuming. Daegan’s voice was strong in her mind.

“There’s an art to telepathing just one person versus all of us,” Hainn said to her. “Takes practice so for today I’d pretty much assume whatever you say will be heard by all of us.”

“Thanks for the warning. Maybe the goddess gifted me the ability last night when I beheld her at the stone circle.”

“Did she touch you?”

“She stroked my hair as if I was truly her child—it was comforting.”

“That may have been the moment then.” Hainn nodded. “The gift is encouraging for the day’s ultimate success. Of course the question of whether whatever module Daegan and his group brings up will help MARL is another thing.”

They joined the group around Daegan and Jezari checked to make sure each man had his breather. Daegan had assured her all of his pack members were experienced divers, although not to the two-mile depth but she’d insisted on the extra equipment just in case. It was impossible to surface in a hurry from two miles below the surface if one of the men miscalculated his lung capacity and needed to breathe. She was worried about everything to do with this dive if the truth be known but tried to keep her fears to herself.

Aydarr approached them. “Are we ready to commence the operation?”

Daegan took charge. “Of course.”

“May the Great Mother bless this effort,” the Supreme Alpha said. “We’ll be here, waiting.”

Jezari wanted to get on with the task. Her nerves were bothering her so she waded into the water and at the point where the bottom fell away she began swimming strongly toward the spot where she’d begin the descent. She heard splashes behind her and soon she was surrounded by the Badari team. Daegan and Hainn flanked her, moving easily through the water. At one point in the planning it had been suggested a flyer be used to drop them off at the proper place in the lake but Jezari vetoed the idea. “I’m only sure where to dive when I’m actually in the lake,” she said. “Not flying above it.”

Then there was a proposal for using a tractor beam to pull up the modules MARL wanted, which was also discarded after discussion. Jezari told them the wreck was unstable and Elianna, called in to consult, agreed the tractor beam might damage the spaceship pieces further. If the wreck was broken up, the necessary modules might be lost in the mucky bottom or swept away, never to be found.

“Hands and eyes are the best tools for this job,” Jezari said. “If we do this ourselves there’s much less chance for error.”

Now she was at the dive point. She paused to take a few deep breaths and make sure her inner beast was ready for the long submersion. Daegan and the others watched her closely, which was disconcerting but she tried to ignore the scrutiny and knifed into the water, heading to the bottom two miles below. Daegan and his team dove with her. Hainn and his two helpers waited at the surface. The plan was for Jezari to guide Daegan into the part of the wreck which held the control chamber and show him the areas which had power. The Alpha and his men would take it from there.

Jezari would then meet with Hainn’s team and guide them into the submerged hold to retrieve the container preserving the body of Nindjak’s alien woman victim.

She descended, fighting the urge to rush. She’d found it was much better to take her time and proceed in an orderly fashion. The water felt silky against her skin, but confining like a tight garment. She wished this was the ocean, which had seemed so alive and refreshing.

The Badari warriors formed a circle with her at the center and she realized they were protecting her from anything which might swim by. Jezari had to smile. The biggest predator in the lake was a heavily armored, spiky creature the humans had dubbed a snapping turtle but although the animals could grow quite large, they didn’t bother with a Badari unless cornered.

We’re beginning our descent now , Hainn said from far above. Reflexively she looked upward but the lake was too murky and she was too far below him already to catch a glimpse. She wanted to respond but remembered what he’d said about all the Badari being able to hear her at this early stage of her telepathic abilities and decided to stay silent. She heard the message repeated and Daegan acknowledged it crisply.

They’d descended perhaps a mile when Daegan asked her how much longer until they reached the bottom and she was happy to tell him they’d accomplished half the trip.

As she approached the last few yards and could see the wreck below, she said, “Remember not to touch the actual lake bottom. The muck may be quite deep and we don’t want to stir up the mud either. Follow me to the main part of the spacecraft.” Jezari swam above the debris littering the lake floor and Daegan and the others followed her smoothly. She was reminded of the schools of fish she’d seen at the reef and smothered her amusement.

Pausing at the access path she’d identified into the portion of the ship where the control chamber or what was left of it was located, she held onto the edge of the metal carefully and said, It’s dark, the way is twisty and there will be things floating in the water so try not to get wrapped up in anything or cut by a rough edge of torn hull. Best if we swim slowly.

You have the lead, Daegan said. She had the feeling he didn’t need the warning she’d just issued but she required her conscience to be clear; to know she’d done her utmost to keep her fellow Badari safe. He issued an order to one of his men to release the buoy which would go to the surface and mark the spot for the observers and let them know the goal had been reached. He had probably already told Aydarr telepathically but it was best to have more than one way to signal.

She entered the wreckage, concentrating all her energy on identifying the markers she’d used the first time she made it to the flight deck successfully. The wreckage seemed to have shifted somewhat since her last visit. There was a current here, usually slow and steady but she guessed there could be eddies of energy from time to time. There had also been a minor earthquake a few days ago, with the epicenter being close to the lake. Fortunately the piece of the ship was so firmly embedded in the lake bottom it couldn’t move too drastically. She hoped.

With relief she reached the flight deck and swam inside. The space wasn’t huge and by the time Daegan and his men joined her, it was quite crowded. She found herself getting claustrophobic. Do you need me to remain? She asked, controlling her nerves with difficulty.

Daegan glanced at the chaos around him and his eyes glowed golden as he noticed the modules with faintly blinking lights, indicating they maintained a level of power. You’ve done your job well, Daughter. It’s up to us now. Go meet Hainn and see to your lost alien lady.

The men repositioned themselves to allow her a path to exit and as she went she heard Daegan issuing orders for individuals to break out the tools they’d carried and begin working to extract the modules MARL wanted retrieved. There had been an extensive discussion with the AI about how to snap the components in and out of the framework holding them without doing further damage. Jezari wondered if the ancient devices could withstand being handled but the constant freezing cold at this depth was a good preservative agent. She’d mentioned at the meeting how the pottery shard she’d salvaged before had dissolved in the fresh air and been reassured by Elianna and MARL that the metal and other components of the modules would fare better.

Daegan said, We’re taking everything we can unbolt in the time frame we have available. Prioritize the ones MARL described but then we’re disassembling anything else that looks promising. No one is coming down here again so we need to be thorough and do it right.

She was a little surprised he’d left her in the telepathic loop but it was reassuring to ‘hear’ Badari voices. This trip was one too many for her comfort but there was no way she’d have allowed anyone to make the attempt without her as a guide.

We’re here , Hainn said as she neared the exit.

I’ll be right out. The cargo hold, or what’s left of it is about a hundred yards to the east. Remember not to touch the lakebed.

Hainn caught her as she emerged from the wreckage and gave her a quick hug while the three Badari with him grinned and pretended not to watch. Jezari pushed him away and started swimming to their destination. Hainn caught up in as flash and swam next to her. Are you holding up okay? Are you good for this trip into the hold?

I’m fine, worry about yourself, she said, trying to sound flippant.

At the entrance point to the hold, she paused and addressed the four men. This part of the ship is quite chaotic and there are a large number of Nindjak’s specimens floating in their containers so be prepared. The woman we’re here to collect is at the far end of the space, or was.

We’re ready, Hainn assured her. Got our nets and tools if we need to take anything apart. Good old Badari brute strength will work too. He held up his hands with the talons deployed.

She chided herself for deliberately delaying and reminded herself even Badari only had so much time to remain submerged, breathers on or not. They had the long ascent to go too. She clenched her jaw and swan into the murky maze of the ship’s hold. Things were as bad as she remembered and when she entered the main portion of the hold one bulkhead appeared partially collapsed, perhaps due to the minor quakes. Not allowing herself to hesitate again, she swam through the drifting animals and other trophies Nindjak had amassed and made her way to the other side of the hold.

The woman’s container was facing the other way, as it had been on her first trip here, but drifting slowly clockwise. The four Badari warriors gathered beside Jezari and waited for the movement to bring the victim face to face with them. Jezari heard curses on the mental link as she came into view.

You were right, she is beautiful in her own way, Hainn said. But tragic. I can see why she haunted your dreams. If you can move out of the way, we need to get the globe she’s in into our nets and tow her to the exit.

Only too happy to relocate to a spot where she couldn’t see the woman—Ilynnis the goddess had called her—Jezari swam a bit higher and to the side, under a looming bulkhead. Hainn and his team wrestled the large net they’d brought around the container and then a second one for backup. When she’d asked where the nets came from, he’d told her several of their best men sat up all night making them. Two of the soldiers towed their burden toward the way they’d entered the hold. Hainn and the other man swam ahead to begin deconstructing the hole Jezari had used as an ad hoc entrance, since the container was too large to fit through.

She followed them, questioning why she wasn’t feeling more relief the job was nearly done and supposed it was because the woman wasn’t on the surface yet.

The water swirled and a globe full of alien insects came at her. Instinctively she batted it away and ducked but now there was a strong movement within the hold itself and she was struck by other containers, most of which bounced off harmlessly. One with sharper edges hit her on the forehead and she saw blood drifting in the water. Alarmed now, she was helpless as the whole place shifted in the grip of a stronger quake.

Hainn!

There was no answer to her desperate cry and something struck the back of her head with a thud. The pain made her wince and Jezari instinctively curled into a ball, trying to protect her most vulnerable areas, including the precious baby, tiny though it was at this stage. The bulkhead which had been leaning precariously came down with surprising force and with great effort she swam to dodge it.

Was this the lady of the lake’s bargain with Death? She could go if Jezari remained in the cold, watery tomb?

Panicking, Jezari thrashed in the water, trying to make progress toward the exit but not even sure she was going in the right direction. I’m not dying here, my baby isn’t dying here. Goddess, help me.