Counter-Measures

  'Much of life, unfortunately, is an unknown."

  Staffa frowned as they lapsed into silence. Sinklar couldn't keep his gaze from the monitor displaying Targa. A strained expression dominated his thin face. He fears this return. Makarta is more than just another battle for him.

  Staffa cleared his throat. "We've never really talked about Makarta. About what it cost us, or how it has affected us since then."

  Sinklar tilted his head, yellow and gray eyes skeptical. "I hated the Seddi then, and I hate them now. Nothing will change my desire to wipe their kind from Free Space. Too many of my people-and theirs-died because of Bruen and his politics. That much blood can't be washed away. Not in a million years.

  "You said you'd be willing to work with Kaylla Dawn. You'll at least try, won't you?"

  "I said that nothing would change my desire to destroy the Seddi. I didn't say that I couldn't force myself to deal with them as a political reality."

  Sinklar shook his head. "I'm sorry, Staffa. I know you only arrived on Targa within a day or two of my attack. In all honesty, had I known you were in charge down there, I'd never have sent Mac in with the Second Targan Division.

  I'd simply have flattened the mountain from space. "

  "You fought very well. Were it not for me, you'd have rooted them out within a day or two. I doubt you would have taken more than forty or fifty casualties.

  The records would have been yours and the Seddi would have vanished from human affairs. Ily would have seen to that-as she would have seen to everything else. " Staffa lifted an eyebrow. "Or would you like to change the subject on that note? "

  Sinklar gave him a cool glare.

  Staffa smiled wearily. "We've all made mistakes. Bruen ignored his order's teachings. You trusted Ily. I destroyed more than I should have. We've all sinned, Sinklar. We've all suffered from poor judgment of one sort or another."

  "No. None of us are without failings." Sinklar shook his head. "Makarta was my first real failure. Perhaps that's why it9s so hard to go back. Every action I took was countered. You fought a classic defense, Lord Commander. You made no mistakes."

  "You only made one-and it wasn't really your fault. You underestimated your opponent. You expected cowering priests and would have found them."

  "Bruen's Seddi owe their survival to you, it would seem. "I might put it conversely. I owe my survival to Kaylla's Seddi. You, I could point out, owe your survival to me.

  I? TO you.

  "Ily would have killed you rather than allow Mac to pull you out of her Ministry."

  "But she ran the moment Shiksta's attack blew her roof apart.

  "Of course she did, Sinklar, but she couldn't call her underlings. Comm was blanketed by Countermeasures. Ily suffered from command paralysis. Look, the point I'm trying to make is that a lot has happened, both as a result of Makarta, as well as the events that have followed. We all need each other. The Seddi spy network acts as our ears. Companion communications tie us together, and my ships and troops help with social control. I can't keep the peace without your army and fleet. Take the Seddi, the Companions, or the Regans, and the whole thing falls apart."

  "So what do I tell the ghosts at Makarta?" He closed his eyes, expression ashen.

  wil 'That you've kept your promise to them. People like them

  " never have to die at the whim of a politician worlds away. That they bought us all time. Isn't that what bothers you, Sinklar? That they might have died for nothing down there in the dark?"

  Sinklar chewed at his lower lip as he watched the bluewhite ball that was Targa grow in the monitor. "Yes, Lord Commander, I suppose that's where the nightmares come from. "

  gi I J have my own problems with nightmares." - Staffa anced up at the monitor as the assault craft settled into a descending orbit. "I predict that in your case, at least, your ghosts will sleep soundly, provided that we can stabilize Free Space and keep the peace."

  "And your nightmares, Lord Commander? When will they fade? When will your ghosts leave you in peace?" Staffa's lips twitched as he steadied his hard gray gaze on

  the monitor. The assault craft began to glow from the atmosphere. "When I've broken the Forbidden Borders and freed humanity from this trap, Sinklar. My sins-unlike yours-are much more grievous."

  CHAPTER 20

  It hit me in the middle of the night. Woke me out of a sound sleep, which is why I'm writing this now, so I don't forget by morning. Dreams are wonderful.

  They break the boundaries of common sense, disobey the rules, and free the subconscious.

  In the dream, I watched myself as a kid again, playing in the zero g of the spindle axis on Terminal Seven. Being a boy, I had a pair of binary balls. All children who grow up in low gravity envirorunents have a pair. You know what I mean, the two balls are tied together with a strand of industrial grade elastic. When the two balls are pulled apart and let go, the elastic snaps them back together and they bounce apart again in slightly different directions. In zero gravity, the balls shoot this way and that, bouncing off each other in all directions and only slowing when atmospheric drag and the friction in the balls slows them. Otherwise, because total inertia remains the same, they just hang in space, with a little drift, despite the frantic action of the balls seeking to shoot off to the limit of the elastic.

  In the dream, I flipped the binary balls out into space, and they snapped back and -forth, but instead of continuing, they followed me, chased me clear through the station, patting off each other, ricocheting from walls.

  That's what woke me up, the terror of being chased by my childhood binary balls. And now, perhaps I know the answer. Perhaps I won't fail at this greatest opportunity in my life. Breaking the Forbidden Borders might not be impossible after all. Provided, of course, that I can figure out how to manufacture binary balls that big!

  -ExcerPt from Dee Wall's personal journal

  "Here we go. Yes, indeed, this looks very good," Ily cooed as the comm stopped scanning the data base. "Diane de la Luna. The physical description is close, blood type, HLA, and chem codes are close. And, as an additional stroke of luck, she's currently employed at the Ashtan Representative's on Vega - "

  dying the data. "She Arta bent over Ily's shoulder, stu does look a little like you. With a little curl to your hair the resemblance would even be closer."

  Ily waved her off. "Physical looks aren't nearly as important as dermatoglyphics, retinal imprints, and chem ID. And for that I need a good laboratory."

  "Ashtan has some of the best." Arta fingered her chin as she studied the data on the monitor. "We've been here too long as it is - "

  ."Chafing at the bit? Hiding doesn't excite you?" Ily raised her inquiring glance. 6'Bored because I won't let you go out and prey on the people?"

  , her gauzy

  'Maybe. " Arta turned and stepped away

  bronze-colored gown floating behind her. She pivoted on one heel, regal as a goddess, watching Ily. "And I'm tired of sleeping alone."

  w 14 Gyper is serving his purpose. Generating a little sweat hile sliding around on his penis will pay dividends in the future."

  "Ily, sometimes I get the feeling you overrate the power of sex. "

  Ily used a stiff arm to push herself back. "Not in the slightest, Arta. Sexual prowess provides an advantage with some men, at some times. Nevertheless, it is an advantage when used skillfully. The average woman will give a man average sex, nice and pleasant while it's happening. I provide a man with memorable sex, the kind that leaves them flushed for days afterward. In Gyper's case, he'll cut us a little slack if we need it in the future. 91

  "I give a man memorable sex, too," Arta said with a sly smile.

  ' Yes, you do," Ily answered dryly. "But they only have a few seconds after orgasm to savor it. I wish you could overcome that need to kill them so quickly."

  "I managed with Tyklat. "

  "But it nearly drove you as unpredictable as half of a virtual pair. "

  Arta sighed, nodding. "I understand your po
int, Ily. Very well, tonight I shall sleep with Gyper-and I won't kill him, just to prove it to myself, and to you."

  "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

  Arta's amber gaze sharpened. "I'm not a fool, Ily. There are times when it is beneficial to leave a man alive after having sex with him. It is, as you would say, a fault in my character." She frowned. "Besides, controlling that desire is another way of thwarting Bruen. Yes, lly, I shall sleep with Gyper . . .

  and allow him to savor the memory for a long time afterward. As you point out, doing so will give us yet another measure of advantage."

  Ily smiled, several new possibilities coming to mind. "Very well, I'll tell him. And tomorrow morning, depending on how satiated you leave him, we'll let him know we're leaving. "

  "Don't trust me?"

  "Arta, I trust you with my life, but why not remove temptation while you work on your restraint?"

  Arta chuckled to herself. "Very well, Diane de la Luna, and now, why don't you get on about the more demanding challenge of finding an alias for me?"

  Ily steepled her fingers as she studied Arta's profile. "I doubt there has ever been a Vegan with your phenotype. A body like yours is an anomaly that appears only once in a generation, but in every man's most spectacular fantasy.

  "I could pose as your slave, Ily. "

  You already are, -Arta. She sighed. "As much as I hate the thought, it might be the only way we can pass you through security, but believe me, Itreata screens slaves more thoroughly, if anything, than they do ambassadors. "

  'Problems, problems, but then, you thrive on them, don't you? "

  Ily frowned as she punched in parameters for the data base search. "Always, dearest Arta. And you can bet your sexy ass that I solve them. One way or another."

  They bought us time. That thought echoed through Sinklar's mind as he stepped down from the Companion assault craft and onto the hard surface of Targa. The fact that he felt heavier came from the planet's slightly higher gravity. He looked up at the night sky, noting familiar constellations. The night breeze carried the characteristic scents of Targapines, grass and shrubs, rock and rich earth.

  Around him, men and women moved with a purpose, the STU establishing a perimeter while Ryman Ark and a special team inspected the miners and the drilling equipment at the edge of the field of light cast by the assault craft.

  I'm back, returned to Targa. He need but close his eyes to flash back to the night he'd reviewed Mac's Second Division as they readied their assault on Makarta.

  Sinklar squinted, walking forward, aware of Mhitshul searching the crowd for him. Instinctively, Sinklar ducked to one side, avoiding his aide as he made for the perimeter. "Halt! "

  Sinklar slowed, lifting his hands as one of the STU, a woman from what Sinklar could make out through the helmet electronics, stood before him.

  "Your name and mission?"

  "Sinklar Fist. My mission is to walk out into the darkness. "

  She frowned, whispering into the comm pickup at her mouth. "We don't have a mission listing for that, sir. "Trust me."

  "I don't have a mission listing for that either, Lord Fist. The perimeter hasn't been secured or cleared. Until I receive- "

  "Do you want to call Staffa and ask him?" Sinklar crossed his arms, a stubborn frustration building within him. To his surprise, she said, "I do, sir. One moment. "

  The STU nodded, as if to herself, and told him, "You may pass, sir. The Lord Commander requests that you be careful . . . and that you act prudently when you approach the perimeter. He also requests your estimated time beyond the perimeter."

  "Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen." Sinklar shook his head. "You really called him?"

  She stiffened and snapped a salute. "Yes, sir. We take security very seriously. One last thing, Lord Fist. The Lord Commander says,

  'Wish them well for me, too, Sinklar.

  Sink nodded, "Tell him thanks, I will."

  He walked into the night, searching the rocky ground for footing. They'd landed on the eastern side of the mountain, at the place where he'd once established his base camp. The night air hadn't changed. With the lights behind him, it might have been but a displaced instant since he'd walked out from his LC and away from Mhitshul's worried stare.

  He slowed, passing the last of a belt of pines. The dark mass rose before him, blotting out the stars. His imagination conjured images of a hunched lion, as foreboding as when he'd stood on this spot once before, fearing, as he did now, that Makarta would cost him more than it was worth.

  The evening breeze whispered through the pines behind him, its chill breath cooling his hot cheeks. No more than fifty meters ahead, he'd find the square tunnel that led into the guts of the mountain. There, Mac's Division had marched bravely into the Seddi trap.

  "Do you hear me?" Sinklar asked the wind. "I've come back, my friends. The last time I saw you here, you were alive, anxious to charge down into the Seddi tunnels and end the revolt once and for all. So much has changed. Staffa says you bought us all time. We're a little older now, a little wiser than when we fought here last time. I hope . . . I hope I can meet your expectations. Help me, please. We're not safe yet. None of us."

  He bit his lip, turning, almost tripping over the black wire on the ground.

  Sinklar pulled it from the resisting grass and forbs. Rubber-coated, heavy gauge, he almost shivered as he recognized what he held. This had been the communications link between his command center and MacRuder's Division.

  Through this line, he'd had his first connection with a faceless Staffa kar Therma.

  Sinklar took a deep breath, following the wire forward through the darkness until he scrambled over the piles of mucked rock to the square opening, barely visible in the shadowed starlight.

  "Hello," Sinklar called as he slipped down the loose tailings. His call echoed back, grating footsteps loud against the polished walls. A cool breeze carried up from the depths, musty and damp. Sinklar sagged, one hand caressing the stone. Here, he inhaled the breath of the dead, rising from their tomb to the freedom of light and sun.

  A single hot tear leaked down the side of his face as he prayed for the souls of his restless dead.

  "Lord Commander?"

  Staffa reached over and pressed a finger on the control stud. "Yes? "

  He stood in the center of the command node within the assault craft. Around him, the monitors displayed different scenes from their perimeter and base camp. The ship's detection equipment, unhampered by night, depicted the Targan landscape with uncanny accuracy.

  "This is STU Second Adze, reporting on Lord Fist, sir. He found some sort of comm cable. He's in an old tunnel mouth, just slumped there, sir. He seems to be . . . well, crying. Should I move closer? See if he's all right?"

  Staffa flipped one of the monitor switches, seeing what Adze saw through her electronically augmented senses. He recognized that tunnel cut into the mountain. "Negative, Adze. Back off and give him room. Stay just close enough to ensure his safety, but don't intrude. FYI, this is Class I security."

  "Affirmative. Class I, back off and monitor for safety only. Staffa kept an eye on the monitor as Adze carefully backed away. She'd make sure Sinklar didn't come to harm, and she'd keep her mouth shut about it afterward. Adze was one of his best.

  ' 'Lord Commander? " his main comm informed. "We have Itreata on the line."

  :'Go, Itreata, secure this frequency. 'Affirmative. "

  Kaylla's face formed. "Staffa? Are we secure?

  Staffa checked the quantum wave, noting no disturbance. "The line appears secure. What's happening?"

  Kaylla gave him a weary smile. "We have the Wing Commander on line. I'm patching through now."

  Staffa's heart skipped as Skyla's haggard face formed on the monitor. Her eyes looked swollen, and there was a puffiness in her cheeks. Fear lingered in her cobalt eyes.

  " Staffa? " her voice quavered in an uncharacteristic way.

  "How are you? Where are you? Are you all right?"

&
nbsp; She jerked a nod, swallowing hard. "I'm docked at Tetguz, routing the dish through Itreata on narrow beam. Listen, my yacht is here. I think Ily's here."

  She fought the urge to tremble. "I'm all right, I think. I registered under the Silk alias. That cover should be good. I'm wearing a Vegan scarf in public. I think I'm safe. "

  "Settle down. It's all right. What do you want me to do? I can reroute-"

  "No. Wait. Listen. By the time anyone could reroute for Terguz, she'd be gone.

  Whatever happens, Ily will have to space out of here." Skyla knotted a fist.

  "She wouldn't have left the yacht out in the open if she expected to be here long. It's too conspicuous. Just luck that I spaced here first. "I can route to the Administrator, tell him-"

  "No! Staffa, don't. Please. " Then, as quickly, she relented. "All right. Send a ship . . . a backup. Terguz might end up in flames anyway. The people here are taking matters into their own hands. Lots of ferment and the Director of Internal Security apparently supports them. I've only been from my ship to the Wayside and back. Kaylla will be happy to know that lots of Seddi slogans are painted on the walls. It could blow up. Not only that, the Vegan Rep is missing. I don't know if it's Ily's work or not. I . . . "

  She raised her hands and shook them, fingers outspread, eyes squeezed tightly closed as she fought for control. "I got scared. Ran away . . .'Saw my yacht in the monitor and ran . . . ran back here. She's here, Staffa. She's here. I can feel her in the pus-Rotted air! " -

  Staffa made calming motions, his own fear rising. "Relax, Skyla. Take a deep breath. There, now take another. That's it." She's almost incoherent.

  Skyla closed here eyes, breathing deeply. "Okay. I'm okay." She swallowed again, shaking her head while a pained expression flooded her flushed face.

  "I've got to go out again. Try and contact the Vegan Rep, see if he's really disappeared. "

  "Skyla?" Staffa's muscles knotted as he gripped the side of the console.

  "Skyla? Look at me. That's it. All right, let's talk this out rationally. "

  She nodded, blinking as she stared at him. "I'm fine, Staffa. It happens, builds up, then bursts." She licked her