Lisanne Norman - Sholan 05 - Dark Nadir

Dark Nadir

Lisanne Norman

Maps by Michael Gilbert.

DAW Book Collectors No. 1114.

DAW Books are distributed by Penguin Putnam Inc.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious

Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as"unsold and

destroyed" to the publisher. In such case neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."

First Printing, March 1999 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

DAW TRADEMARK REGISTERED U.S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES —MARCA REGISTRADAHECHO EN U.S.A.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

This book is for Judith Faul Dumont, who is one of the very few people who can journey to Shola with

me when I'm writing.

Her help and support over the years have been tremendous as well as great fun.

It's also for her husband Chris, a very talented Game Master who's helped me solve a tricky problem or

three over the years. Thank you both very much.

A few special thanks are in order, as usual.

To James Chorlton, aka Merlin, and Helen Lofting for letting me consult them on matters as diverse as

the composition of space fleets and designing starships to tactics and very dirty tricks—and rescu-ing my

computer when it crashes!

To John Van Stry for information on rearing large felines.

To Josh for his knowledge of military trauma medi-cine and ballistics.

Thanks also to the many friends who've sat and brainstormed with me at conventions—Sherrie, Keith,

and Pauline to name only three.

And finally, thanks to Mike Gilbert for his draw-ings of my aliens which truly inspired me when I came to

write about them.

PROLOGUE

NO sooner had the young Sumaan pilot, Ashay, landed the shuttle back at the Hkariyash than he was

ordered to return to the U'Churian vessel, the Rryuk's Profit.

"They have need of the Human medications on board their shuttle," said Captain Kishasayzar, speaking

to him in their own language over the comm. "Carrie Aldatan has been seriously injured. Place yourself

under Captain Tirak's orders for now. Their vessel may need protection until this fighting stops."

"As you command, Captain," replied Ashay, regretfully eyeing the groups of guerrillas and Bradogan's

troops still engaged in sporadic fighting around the port gateways. "Do you not need protection?" he

asked hopefully, lowering his long neck until his head was level with the view screen.

"Negative. Like all other Traders, we're keeping to our-selves. This is an internal matter now that they

are no longer targeting us."

With a sigh, Ashay lifted off and headed down to where the Profit was berthed. The news of Carrie's

injury sad-dened him. He'd liked the small Human female.

"Shuttle Venture to Rryuk's Profit," he said, toggling the comm unit. "Permission to land for protective

duties. Re-quested medical supplies on board but need your crew to unload."

"Profit to Venture, permission granted. Our people will be waiting for you," came the reply.

The next half hour saw a nonstop procession of person-nel carrying supplies from the shuttle to the sick

bay. Jo, the Human female, supervised the proceedings, rushing be-tween the two locations, relaying

what little news there was on Carrie's condition to Ashay to pass on to their compan-ions on the

Hkariyash. As soon as the transfer was com-pleted, Captain Tirak ordered Ashay to clear the landing

pad and return to his own ship.

In the sick bay, as he worked frantically on the uncon-scious Carrie, Kaid was vaguely aware of the

sounds of the ramp retracting and the hatches closing as the Profit began to ready herself for takeoff.

They'd reach their rendezvous in two weeks. Only two weeks, half the normal time, but it would be too

long for Carrie unless she was put in one of the Profit's cryogenic units.

From the moment he realized she'd been injured in the fight with the spaceport officials, he'd locked his

feelings behind a wall. The life of this fragile Human female, and that of her partner Kusac, lay in his

hands. Kusac: her Leska, his sword-brother—together the three of them were the first Human and

Sholan En'Shalla Triad, bound tele-pathically to each other. Without them, he was incomplete.

He fastened off the dressing, touching his fingertips briefly to her flesh. Still too hot. The drugs should

have brought her temperature down by now. For an instant, he felt curiously disembodied as he saw his

dark-furred hand against her pale skin. With a wrench, he pulled himself back. There was no more he

could do; she would only deteriorate if he waited any longer. She needed surgery, and she couldn't get

that until they reached their rendez-vous. Sighing, he carefully disconnected the drip from the cannula and

picked her up, carrying her over to the far side of the room where two of the cryo units stood open and

waiting. Placing her on the contoured mattress, he stepped back. He'd done all he could. The rest was up

to the U'Churian medic, Mrowbay. Now it was time to treat his sword-brother.

Kusac sat watching him on one of the adjacent beds. For a wonder, he'd managed to remain conscious

despite suffering the full measure of her pain through their Link. The Venture's basic medikit lay open on

the bed beside him. He'd dosed himself with an analgesic, but Kaid knew he hadn't taken nearly enough.

He looked bad. Against the blackness of his pelt, the skin surrounding his nose and eyes was deathly

pale and his ears were lying back, invisible among his hair. The mental link Kusac and Carrie had meant

he would also have to travel in cryo.

"Kusac, let me give you the premed now," he said, reach-ing for the hypoderm from the medikit.

His friend's amber eyes, though dulled with pain, held his steadily. "No, Kaid. I want to be aware of her

till the last. I'll wait till Mrowbay's done."

Reluctantly he laid the hypoderm down and sat beside his sword-brother. "She'll be fine—you both will.

Two weeks, then we'll have the facilities and surgeons of the M'Zekko to treat her."

Kusac nodded slowly. "Wake me first. I don't want her coming out of cryo and not sensing me

immediately."

"When you're ready," Mrowbay said finally, looking round at Kusac.

After giving Kusac his shot, Kaid helped him to his feet, supporting him as they walked slowly over to the

second unit.

Kaid, I know you're blocking us out now, sent Kusac, but later, if you sense her pain, for the Gods'

sake, don't try to cope. Use the third cryo chamber. Let T'Chebbi watch us. She's got Jo and Rezac

to call on if she needs help. Vartra can't have meant the U'Churians when he spoke of you

mak-ing a pact with the Liege of Hell.

Stop worrying about me and my visions, I'm fine, Kaid reassured, helping him climb into the unit. Just

rest. Low-ering his mental barriers, he reached in, touching his friend's hand. Already the premed had

taken effect and he could sense Kusac drifting toward unconsciousness.

"Two weeks, Kaid." Kusac's voice was barely audible and Kaid had to lean forward to hear him. "Find

out what Tirak was up to in that time. I'll want to know."

CHAPTER 1

Day 1

CRYO, the long night without end, the cold from between the stars. Heartbeat and breathing decelerate

as the chill gradually seeps deep into flesh and bones, robbing them of warmth, of movement. Thoughts

slow, messages no longer being sent to limbs and organs as the mind pulls itself back, retreating from the

bitter cold till all that remains is a tiny spark of consciousness poised between life and death. Cryo sleep,

the temporary death, where nothing stirs, no breath, no thought—no dreams.

With Nayash, his pilot, recovering from a wounded flank, Captain Tirak had asked Kaid to help out on

the bridge during takeoff. Now that they were under way, Kaid needed to check up on his people. The

mess area where they were waiting was adjacent to the sick bay, but inexora-bly his feet led him back

there. Saying he was checking up on Zashou would fool no one, least of all himself, but he had to see

them once more—had to know that Carrie and Kusac were all right. He'd grown so used to their

presences within his mind that their absence left him feeling unsettled. These feelings were so foreign to

him that it was with relief he saw that Zashou was still asleep. It was hard enough for him to cope without

having to explain it to someone else.

It was Carrie's unit he went to first. He looked through the cover, feeling instantly protective of her. She

looked as if Khuushoi, Goddess of Winter, had embraced her, turning her flesh as pale as the snow on

the Dzahai Mountains. Memories of taking Carrie there to visit his home sprang into his mind. It was

there, once he'd fully accepted his place in their lives as their third, that he and Carrie had finally become

lovers.

Through the pale cream fabric of her shift, the blood-stained dressing across her belly and side showed

up starkly. Instinctively his mind reached out for hers, pushing aside the barriers behind which he'd been

hiding. He could sense nothing. His hand shook slightly as his fingertips brushed the surface of the unit,

caressing it as if it were her he touched. Mrowbay had spread her long blonde hair carefully on the

pillow. He remembered how soft it felt, so unlike his own Sholan hair. Then he sensed the U'Churian

captain watching him from the doorway.

"Mrowbay says she's stable," said Captain Tirak, "and safe. But you know that since you treated her.

Excuse my curiosity, but you obviously care very deeply for her. Are you and her mate related?

Brothers, perhaps? I know they're a mind-linked pair."

"Brothers. Yes," Kaid replied distractedly as a prescient fear he'd never known before swept through

him. Turning to look at Tirak, he did a double take, thinking for a brief moment he saw Kusac standing

there. The outward physical similarities between their species were uncanny. Pushing his fear aside with

an effort, he retreated again behind his men-tal shields. "Her mother died in cryo when her family

jour-neyed to their colony world."

Tirak made a sympathetic noise, his mouth creasing in a Humanlike grimace. "A tragedy, but it couldn't

happen on the Profit, believe me. Any disruption of the cryo system is instantly reported by the

computer. The units even have an integral backup system, capable of lifesupport in space in the event of

a disaster. They can be launched automati-cally from the bridge, or manually from in here." He pointed to

the wall behind the units.

A very Human scream, long and drawn out, sounded from outside the open door.

Gun instantly in his hand, Kaid leaped past Tirak and was in the corridor before it stopped.

"False alarm, Captain." Sheeowl's voice on the ship's comm echoed throughout the deck. "Was only

Kate. She just met her first Cabbaran."

In the center of the corridor, standing almost upright on its haunches, was indeed a Cabbaran. Kaid

recognized it instantly from the description Captain Kishasayzar had given them. Kate stood facing the

alien, her body frozen in horror.

"We have more passengers, Annuur." Tirak spoke calmly to the Cabbaran. "Badly injured ones. That's

why the change in destination."

As Annuur turned slowly to face them, Kaid understood Kate's reaction. Standing just short of four feet

tall, the being before him was unlike any he'd seen before. Obvi-ously a quadruped, and certainly

vegetarian, his long, yel-low incisors were just visible behind an almost prehensile upper lip. Forward

facing eyes regarded him steadily from beneath a narrow stiff crest of dark hair that ran the length of his

skull and down his neck. The same hair was spread out in a ruff across his shoulders and again over his

flanks. The sandy body fur had been shaved from the sides of his face and shoulder so that the intricately

colored tattoos could be clearly seen.

The lip quivered and Kaid heard him begin to chitter. A flat, mechanical voice started to speak in

U'Churian.

"Nourishment dispensers empty," Annuur's translator in-toned. "Is breach of contract, Captain."

"See to it, Sheeowl," Tirak ordered the crew female hov-ering beside the frightened girl. "Take Kate to

the mess first. My apologies, Annuur. As I said, we had injured to see to and needed to depart from

Jalna quickly. There was no need for you to leave avionics, you could have used the comm—or were

you just curious about our guests?"

The ruff of fur across the Cabbaran's shoulders bushed out for a moment before settling again. Annuur's

teeth made a clicking noise and his top lip curled expressively. A sharp burst of sound followed. The

translator remained silent.

"Captain." Nayash, the white dressing over his wounded thigh vivid against his long, black pelt, now

stood where Kate and Sheeowl had been. He raised an arm and flung something through the air to Tirak

who caught it deftly.

"You won't need your weapon," Tirak said quietly in an aside to Kaid as he stepped past him. "This is

Annuur, leader of our Cabbaran navigation sept. All right, you op-portunist," he said, his tone becoming

lighter. "One pack— and only one—to make up for your discomfort." He held his hand, palm open, out

toward the Cabbaran. In it lay a brightly decorated tubular container.

The mobile lip curled upward in disdain. "Your insult remains," intoned the translator.

Tirak gestured to Kaid to join him. Holstering his gun, he did so.

"This is Kaid, the leader of our guests."

The whiskers on either side of Annuur's nose twitched as he leaned forward and sniffed audibly at Kaid.

"One of those you kept in cryo." He turned his attention back to Tirak, giving Kaid a clear view of the

exotic tattoos.

The hand that reached out to take the captain's bribe was spatulate in shape, with four fingers tipped by

broad, horny claws. Almost delicately, the fingers closed around the tube and removed it.

"Candy. A children's treat back on Home," Tirak said softly to Kaid. "They can't get enough of the stuff.

Comes in useful now and then."

Kaid noticed that Annuur wore a multi-pocketed utility belt not unlike the one the Sholan Forces used,

save that the Cabbaran's was held in place by shoulder straps. It was into one of these pockets that

Annuur placed his tube.

"Maybe talk later," he said, lowering his upper body to the ground before sedately trotting past them and

down the corridor to the main access elevator.

"Time we talked," said Kaid, his voice grim. He wanted to know what Tirak had been doing with a

mixed Leska pair not only on board his ship,1 but held in cryo until a couple of hours ago.

"The rest of your people are next door in the mess wait-ing for you," said Tirak, gesturing in the same

direction the Cabbaran had taken. "When you're satisfied they're safe, one of my crew will escort you to

my office so we can talk."

Remaining near the closed doorway, Kaid looked over at T'Chebbi. "Report," he said, in the highland

patois that they'd both grown up using.

"All rescued personnel save Zashou seem healthy but undernourished—want them checked up in sick

bay be-cause of laalquoi levels in food they ate on Jalna. Young-lings were waiting on Keiss for transport

to Shola when were kidnapped by a Valtegan officer. Killed him, but cost them their captain and

damaged the scouter. Were found by Ambassador Taira's ship. Tirak rescued them from Taira at Tuushu

Station—where we're going. He put them in cryo while on Jalna to stop us contacting them

telepathically."

Kaid moved into the center of the room. Kate was about Carrie's height, her pleasant round face framed

by a mass of short mid-brown curls. The male, Taynar, was barely older than her. He'd obviously

inherited the warm gray-brown pelt coloring of his family. "What did the Chemeri-ans want?" he asked,

though he could make bets on what the answer would be.

"Why should we tell you?" demanded Kate. "You're one of them, a U'Churian."

Kaid glanced at T'Chebbi who raised a sardonic eye ridge in reply.

"I haven't told them," she said, reverting to lowland Sho-lan like Kaid.

We're Sholan, he sent to the girl and her Leska. Posing as U'Churians. We were sent to rescue you.

Taynar hissed his disbelief as Kaid joined them at the dining table. "Telepaths can't fight."

"He's your bond-brother," snapped T'Chebbi. "Show a Clan elder proper respect!"

"My bond-brother?" Taynar was startled into sitting up. "How? My sister died years ago!"

"So your father would have you believe," said Kaid. "Khemu died only a few months ago, bonded to me.

Our son lives on the Valsgarth estate. Like us, he's a member of the En'Shalla Aldatan Clan now."

"Your son? But how…"

"The Chemerians wanted a mixed Leska pair for them-selves," interrupted Kate. "Taira said he'd met

Carrie and Kusac on the Khalossa."

Kaid nodded. As he'd thought. Ambassador Taira had shown an unhealthy interest in his Triad partners

while on board the Khalossa. Opportunity had presented itself, and Taira was not one to let it slip by.

"How did Tirak get involved?" He watched the female's jaw tighten as she lifted her chin defiantly.

"I made him," she said shortly, gray eyes flashing. "We thought they were Sholans at first."

He raised his eye ridges in respect. "No wonder they were so wary of telepaths. I presume you gave

them their mental blocks."

"I was as much to blame as Kate," interrupted Taynar sullenly. "He promised to return us to Shola. I

thought it a fair price."

Kaid ignored the challenge in the youth's voice. Faced with few alternatives, they'd had little option but to

agree to Tirak's demand. "No one is faulting you," he said. "You handled a difficult situation very well."

He turned his atten-tion to the other side of the room where Rezac sat. This was his first real opportunity

to meet the male, who, despite being half his age, was his father.

They weren't that alike, he thought, surveying the younger male. How could Jaisa have seen a

resemblance? There were superficial similarities, true, but they were just that. They both had the

distinctive broader and lower set ears of the highland Clans, and the brown pelt, but…

"Are you related?" asked Jo suddenly, looking from one to the other. "You look very alike."

"Hardly," snapped Rezac. "I'm from his far past! Fifteen hundred years ago to be exact."

Kaid could feel T'Chebbi's gaze burning into him as she waited for his answer. "Highland Clans always

tended to breed among their own. It's a possibility," he said, trying to avoid her scathing look. He

touched the edges of Rezac's mind with his, instantly aware of the link between him and Jo. "You've

formed a Triad," he,said, surprised, glancing back at the dark-haired Human female.

Jo flushed and looked away.

"You know about these links?" Rezac's antagonism was quiet for now in his desire to learn more.

"We have two mixed Leska Triads back on the estate."

"That's why you can fight," said Taynar. "I knew tele-paths with a Human Leska were able to fight, but I

hadn't realized it affected the Triads as well."

He was getting drawn in deeper than he wanted here, but there was no point in dodging the issue. A

simple an-swer would do for now. "That's so," he admitted.

"With Carrie and Kusac?" asked Jo, concern in her voice. "How awful for you. You must be feeling

pretty bad right now with both of them in cryo."

"What are these Triads?" demanded Rezac impatiently. "What causes them?"

"The bonds began forming after the Cataclysm for a mix-ture of reasons. For the better protection of

small breeding groups of Talented, and because of Vartra's work with ge-netics. You and Zashou were

one of the original enhanced Leska pairs, so it's not surprising you should form a Triad once you'd been

exposed to Vartra's modern virus."

"Our Link is the result of Vartra's work?" asked Jo.

"Not the original work Rezac was involved with," said Kaid. "It's due to his genetic manipulations after

you were taken by the Valtegans."

"You know, your talk is full of wrong-spoors," said Rezac, an edge of ice in his voice. "You might fool

your own people with all this speculation about what Vartra did, but I lived then. I knew him! How could

he possibly have done anything that would link Human and Sholan DNA?"

A small, purring chuckle from Taynar broke the tension.

"I've just realized what it was about you that seemed familiar," the youth said to Kaid. "You're the Triad

that went back to the times of Vartra, aren't you? You met with the God. That's why you're En'Shalla."

Rezac laughed out loud at this, but there was no humor in his laughter. "You expect me to believe that?

Just be-cause this isn't my time doesn't make me an idiot!"

Abruptly, Kaid got to his feet. He'd heard enough. There might be a blood tie between him and Rezac,

but that was all. This male was as unlike him as anyone could be. What could he possibly have in

common with this arrogant and undisciplined young male who had fathered him so very long ago?

"I was able to tell Vartra that you and Zashou were safe and alive in our time," he said. "Zylisha was

worried for her sister. The news put her mind at rest. You might tell Zashou that when you see her next.

And that Vartra and her sister life-bonded." He turned aside from the Sholan to look at the Human

beside him. "Jo, I have to join Cap-tain Tirak now. I'll debrief you on your mission after I've spoken to

him. You're in charge till I return." He gestured to T'Chebbi to join him as he began to walk toward the

door.

A chair scraped on the floor. "I want to know what's going on, too," said Rezac, the belligerence back in

full measure.

"You'll remain here till I return," Kaid said unequivo-cally, coming to a stop and turning to look at him.

"The situation with Tirak is delicate and requires a knowledge of current Alliance politics."

"I know a hell of a lot more about the Valtegans than you do!"

"That's of no consequence at the moment. Your informa-tion is fifteen hundred years out of date, Rezac,

and has nothing to do with this. Stay here with the other civilians."

"Don't order me about! I've as much right to be involved as you," the young male snarled, tail lashing

from side to side as he unconsciously lowered his body into a crouch.

T'Chebbi's hand closed briefly on Raid's wrist. "I'll stay," she said quietly.

Kaid flicked an ear in reluctant agreement. "Sit down, Rezac," he ordered. "You want my credentials?

I'm in charge of this mission, and cleared by Sholan High Com-mand for First Contact negotiations.

You're just another civilian as far as I'm concerned. T'Chebbi will stay with you." He stalked over to the

door, slapping his hand on the air lock mechanism. When it opened, he strode out into the corridor

where Manesh, Tirak's security officer, stood waiting for him.

T'Chebbi moved smoothly to block the door as it closed. "Suggest you relax, make some drinks,

experiment with food, and get to know each other," she said to the small group. "Ship not big, these

quarters even smaller. Will take us two weeks to reach rendezvous. Better if we get on with each other."

"And just who the hell are you to be taking over?" de-manded Rezac, striding over to confront her.

"Sister T'Chebbi of the Brotherhood of Vartra, member of the En'Shalla Aldatan Clan," she replied,

keeping her tone even.

"A priestess," he sneered. "You think you can stop me? Go ahead and use the gun, then!"

"Rezac," said Jo warningly as he moved to push T'Chebbi aside. "That's not a good idea. I told you

things are different now. The Brotherhood is a Warrior elite, not just a religious Order. They're specialist

fighters. Kaid and T'Chebbi are Carrie's and Kusac's bodyguards. Friends. We can trust them. They

came to rescue us, didn't they?"

T'Chebbi watched him hesitate. "Art of warrior is to know when to fight," she said quietly. "And whom.

Not now, on alien vessel, with injured comrades. Are you a warrior, or just a fighter?"

As Kaid settled himself in the chair indicated, he watched Tirak pull the tab on the container he was

holding.

"A hot drink," Tirak said, offering it to him. "The one your colleague Carrie enjoyed in the inn. Didn't

think you'd want a fermented one yet."

Kaid accepted it, tasting the beverage cautiously. Not too bad—a bit sweet for his taste, but drinkable,

and certainly preferable to alcohol. Right now he needed the energy the sweetener in it would give him.

He waited, sipping the drink, knowing Tirak's first questions would tell him how much he knew, or had

guessed, about them.

"So, what species do the two hairless females belong to? Human or Solnian?" the U'Churian asked after

a moment or two. "And are your species dependent on each other? Do you come from the same world?"

"They're Humans. Tell me, Captain, why is a military ship and its crew posing as traders in this sector?"

Tirak feigned surprise. "Posing? You have us wrong, Kaid. I'll admit our craft is a decommissioned

military one, but we are just what we seem, traders."

Kaid shrugged, a very U'Churian gesture, and putting his drink down, got to his feet. "Thank you for your

hospital-ity, Captain Tirak, but I think I should check in again on the Sholan female in your sick bay," he

said. "She was asleep when I was last there."

"You can't push me aside like that!" exclaimed Tirak, ears flicking forward. "I put myself and my crew on

the line for you—Nayash was injured in the fight at the spaceport! 1 let your people come on board,

fetch medical supplies for the injured females, let another of them join us—I deserve answers, dammit! I

want to know what's going on!"

Schooling his face into a look he knew the other would interpret as one of surprise and confusion, Kaid

hesitated. "Going on? I know as much about what happened planet-side as you do, Captain Tirak. My

people were caught up with yours when Bradogan attacked us."

Tirak's face froze. "Don't take me for a fool, Kaid. You came here with members of two unknown alien

species on a rescue mission. Kusac may look like us, but he's no U'Churian—his link to the Human

female proves he's as Sholan as Taynar! Then there are the others in your little group! And I have severe

doubts about which species you belong to, especially since you admitted to being his brother! Do I have

to go on?"

"All you need to know is that we must rendezvous with an alien vessel at the Chemerian home world."

"Alien to whom? Us? Or you Sholans? Don't try my patience or you might find my hospitality is suddenly

with-drawn," Tirak snarled, baring his teeth. "Your position is far from strong. You have perhaps one

able-bodied com-panion, the rest are civilians suffering from malnutrition and exhaustion."

"Don't threaten me," said Kaid quietly. "I could take the information I want straight from your mind,

despite the primitive blocks the younglings gave you. Instead, I do you the courtesy of asking."

Tirak's low rumble of anger began to build. With an ob-vious effort, he remained seated as the mane of

black hair rose around his face.

"Brawling like troopers is hardly appropriate for people of our rank," Kaid said, his voice now deathly

quiet. "First Contact is better left to the diplomats of the Rhijissoh when they reach Jalna, it's too delicate

a matter to be argued over with mere traders." He turned and walked toward the door.

"Wait!" The growl was gone from Tirak's voice and his hair had begun to settle around his shoulders

again. "You say a ship goes to Jalna to make First Contact?"

"It's not your concern, Captain," said Kaid, keeping his back to the U'Churian as he rested his hand

against the bulkhead. "By your own admission, you are, after all, only a trader." He afforded him a glance

over his shoulder.

"How do I know this isn't another lie?"

Again Kaid shrugged. "Confirmation will be waiting at our rendezvous."

Tirak's snarl almost drowned his words. "May Kathan himself damn you! Drugs! That's why we're here!

Because of an illegal drugs trade!"

Kaid had to widen his ears to catch the words within the snarled reply. He took a couple of paces back

toward the desk and waited.

"Drugs that turn the users psychotic and violent for days after they've used them—drugs that only started

appearing a few years ago."

Kaid returned to his chair. "And you think the Chemeri-ans are involved."

"Some," admitted Tirak. The knuckles on the hand that held his drink showed white through his pelt and

the can had begun to buckle slightly. This was his only outward sign of anger now. "Your turn. Why were

your people on Jalna?"

Kaid regarded him thoughtfully. What to tell him? His Triad was empowered to commence Contact

negotiations if it proved necessary, so perhaps the truth was best. "Two Valtegan shuttles landed here

several months ago. One crashed outside the port after dropping off an object, the other landed to sell

four Sholans in exchange for supplies and spares. We sent a team, consisting of three Humans, to locate

the crashed vehicle and discover what it had left behind. They went missing. Our mission was to rescue

not only them, but the original four Sholans."

"The Valtegans." Tirak sat back in his chair. "What's your quarrel with them?"

"All life on two colony worlds wiped out," said Kaid grimly. "Millions of Sholans dead. We don't know

why, we don't know how, and worst of all, we don't know where they come from. We didn't even know

they existed until then."

"Kate and Taynar said as much," murmured Tirak. "We didn't place much credence on it, though. Seems

we were wrong."

"With a weapon like that, they're a threat to all species. That's why we were following up on the crashed

vessel— in the hope we'd find something to give us a clue about where their home world is. They

subjugated Keiss, the world the Humans had colonized, without destroying them, and used them as

slaves, but the Valtegans we captured there died rather than communicate with us. They were ferocious

warriors. It was literally kill or be killed with them. We destroyed them all, save for one ship."'

"The one that came to Jalna."

Kaid inclined his head in an affirmative gesture. "We knew nothing about Jalna—or about the species

who trade here—until the Chemerians told us the Valtegan ship had been sighted."

Tirak began scratching his ear thoughtfully. "A Valtegan ship calls here every fifty years or so, but they

come only to take samples of crops and food animals. One left just before this craft you mention arrived.

What the Jalnians get in return, my people were unable to find out. The Chemerians have trading

agreements with you?"

"More," said Kaid, his tone reflecting his feelings toward their two-faced allies. "Treaties for our mutual

defense that are several hundred years old. We represent an Alliance of five species."

The U'Churian's jaw fell open in shock. "By Kathan's beard! The double-dealing…"

"Conniving, tree-climbing little bastards," Kaid finished for him.

A slow grin split Tirak's face. He leaned forward to edge Kaid's abandoned drink closer to him. "As you

say. Against you, their duplicity goes further than with us. We've only been dealing with them for about

fifty years. The young couple, we found them on Tuushu Station. They had just discovered they were the

prisoners, not the guests of Ambassador Taira Khebo and they—persuaded—us to rescue them."

"So they told me. There are strict laws governing the use of telepathy among our kind and they broke

them. You have my government's apology on their behalf."

"Yet your people broke the same laws." There was a hardness in Tirak's voice.

"Sometimes it's necessary for certain individuals to be empowered to operate outside the law." Kaid's

voice was a gentle purr. "But you know that, don't you—Captain?"

Tirak chose not to respond and Kaid knew he'd made his point.

"The Chemerians implied that beyond their own colo-nies, we were their only market," the U'Churian

contin-ued instead.

"I suspect," said Kaid, picking up his drink, "that we will discover some of our latest imports are goods

obtained from Jalna and your—Free Traders Alliance?"

"Free Traders' Council," corrected the captain, relaxing back into his chair. "Then we will have to draft

trade agreements and more with this Sholan vessel."

Lisanne Norman - Sholan 05 - Dark Nadir

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