For The Honor of Black Roses: The Protectorit, #2

By Kelly L Tharp

The gipping sequel to The Protectorit - Dr. O'Donnell is on Nuabi Prime finding answers to a dying race as war comes. Can one drug that kills be the one to save an entire race? The Protectorit risks his own fleet to come to Nuabi's aid against House Pinquad's revenge and in doing so defies everything he was created for - to uphold the laws. War costs them both a shared loss that in turn binds their minds, and some say souls, together forever, and together they will become legends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelly L Tharp
• Release date: Sep 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465855664

Kelly L Tharp

Born and raised in Oregon, Igrew up in the college town of Corvallis. An Occupational Therapist of 36 years, my talents include collecting cats like psychotic cat, Rocky (RIP) - closet monster, Tian Tian - giant fur ball with legs, Miss Bee Bee, the bed hog- and newcomer, Andy Cat (A donation to the herd). When I am not trying desperately to learn how to write active voice, a language as foreign as Mandarin, I enjoy painting space pictures from the Hubble telescope and NASA. A trip to see the Shuttle Atlantis take off a few years back let me check off one item on my bucket lis, followed by a trip to Yellowstone ( A must see for everyone). Other interests include Chinese calligraphy, knitting, and gardening – roses especially, plus service to the community via the Lion's Club International. Every year Iturn into Mrs. Santa Claus for the annual Corvallis Downtown Christmas parade. Telling stories started at an early age with a group of pen pals taking on the persona of Star Trek characters – I was Scotty. I was prevalaged to be allow to sign the nose-cone that flew Jame Doohans ashes up to space, so a part of me got to go on with my beloved Scottsman. My stories have been published in Star Wars Fanzine's after which I startedmy own full length novels. Writing has been a challange, a dare, and "It keeps me off the streets." I feel honored that so many people have read and liked my novel, and so will keep on pounding the keys.

Book preview

FOR THE HONOR OF BLACK ROSES

Book Two of THE PROTECTORIT

By K. L. Tharp

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 K.L. Tharp

Cover design by K.L. Tharp

Discover other titles by K.L. Tharp at

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook my not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase you own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

A quick thank you to all my friends who have helped make this novel possible. Susie O for all your support, being my first fan, plus your editing was invaluable and thank you, thank you, thank you, for Dragon Con and the space shuttle Atlantis take off. To Kelley P and Dr. B, and Marc V, thanks for the support. To Deborah J, I can't thank you enough for taking the time and effort to do copy editing. Someday your afghan will be done.

It was said that the wild heart of the Great lady Jinni jAndra Ki, the Lady Protectorit was won with but a single black rose . . . Book one of the Histories of House Ki

Chapter 1

The violent orange in the cockpit flickered deep red, flashed to scarlet, and then erupted into neon blue. Dr. Kathleen Mary O’Donnell checked the long-range scanner one more time as a menacing blue streamer of star material crept outward toward their position with terrifying deadly force. Tharinon Mar, she com'd with more than mere anxiety over her ship's communications, she was scared to death. Are you sure we're far enough away from that thing? The rad meter bounced up to 8¹⁰, 8¹¹. The radiation shields pinged like sonar as they came on.

She was out of her mind. What was she doing out in space, flying through an asteroid field next to a gigantic ion storm that could fry her into crispy bacon, she was a doctor not a space cadet. Oh, yeah, Kathy thought, I am crazy, I’m trying to escape from the High Lord General Tammaru Ki ,the most powerful man in the galaxy and who may yet still have direct access to my every thought. Were the last four months of her life really real? She checked inside her head, the dark portal was still there, an ominous reminder that he was still there. Nervous, she doubled her mental shields and scanned the field of stars to her starboard side. Her fear erupted like spiders shivering down her spine as the brilliant volatile storm to port erupted and undulated with cosmic power in a rainbow of death . . . yeap, it was real.

We're eight point three three thousand lims from the storm; Kathy, plenty of room. Feeling a little cramped are we? Colonel Tharinon Mar transmitted between blasts of static.

Yes, we are, she answered her ex-flight instructor.

Colonel Tharinon Mar also happened to be a spy amongst the Protectorit’s staff for the Nuabi pirates. Yet, Kathy trusted him with her life for without him she would never have escaped from the Protectorit’s plot to force her into marriage. She had trusted him when he taught her how to fly a space fighter when Tammaru had ordered him to teach her. Kathy remembered the bet that led to her flight training. Tammaru's angry glowing red eyes still haunted her dreams. He lost his iron control when she had risked her life to save one of his pilots injured in a flight bay accident. Now she knew the bet was another way Tammaru had tried to get control over her, for if she failed to learn to fly she would have become his vassal, answerable only to him. A cold eerie shiver crawled down her spine in the climate controlled space suit. It was the telepathic link that joined them together that made her a liability to him. He was not about to ever let her go free, that was until Thar came into her life to help her. Yet, even Thar had had an ulterior motive. As a spy for the Nuabi pirates amongst the General’s ranks he needed her escape as a distraction for his. He needed to get the vital information they have overheard Governor Zendarick Pinquad telling the Protectorit, to the pirate council. As for her telepathic link to the Protectorit, all Thar knew was that Tammaru had an abnormal interest in her and therefore she was of interest to the pirates.

Now she was trying to escape from the most powerful man in the galaxy, who was going to be even more furious if he ever caught her, she had defied him, and no one defied the Protectorit.

He was probably wishing had had indeed shot her that night on the beach in Oregon when they first met, when their minds had first touched. But, he couldn’t or wouldn’t harm her . . . control her, own her, lock her away forever, but not harm her. He knew with that first contact that it was a bonding as he called it. Over the SORs, or months, she was on the giant galactic spaceship city Kathy learned her bonding was a whole lot more than just a telepathic connection. The eerie phenomena gave her an empathy for Tammaru, or was it with Tammaru? She felt his great personal inner strength when she thought she was going to die after being injured in the air duct cleaning. And when he had picked up on her feeling homesick he flew her to a planet called Aguinas for a moonlit walk on a beach, an act unheard of for a Prime Elite red-eyed warrior. Tammaru, the High Lord Protectorit and a genetically engineered, celibate Prime Elite warrior had no choice but to save her over and over again because of the bonding. He was as trapped as she.

It was the right thing to do, leave the City. Tammaru hated the bonding, it made him vulnerable. He hated what was happening so bad that it drove him to the most desperate of acts, forcing a marriage between them. If only she could make it go away

She shifted her position to relieve the pressure on her very tired butt feeling more than a bit of guilt that Thar didn’t know about the bonding. He had talked about the Lord Protectorit politically marrying her so the Protectorit would be linked to the Far Rims in a political union. Tammaru's political marriage to her would give him a familial tie to the Tenth Expanse and thus a reason to be part of policy making for what happened in the area of space that held Earth. If Thar knew she was bonded to Tammaru she was sure he would never have offered to help her get home to Earth. Maybe Tammaru would have let her return home some day, especially if she could find a way to really end the connection between them.

Stop it O’Donnell, she whispered, frustrated that a part of her still questioned whether she should have left Tammaru. You’ve made your decision, so just don’t think about it. She would stick to her choice. Though, a part of her hated that she had to leave behind new friends, like her little green pal Widgin. The brave tad had helped her escape knowing he might never see her again. Kathy would also miss Mirimu, Tammaru’s widowed sister. Miri befriended her since her first day aboard the city. Her ambulance partner T-Sal, and Eolian, her boss and head of Med Central, the City’s huge medical complex, she'd miss them all. It’s all his fault, she mumbled as her anger at Tammaru surfaced.

Did you com something, Kathleen, Thar’s voice came over her head set.

Ah, no, just talking to myself, she com’d back realizing that they all had been so silent that even a whisper broke the silence of flying though space.

She turned down her speaker sensitivity and took a calming breath. Anger and other strong emotions often activated the bridge to Tammaru’s mind and she didn’t want anything to do with him, not now, not ever. Screw the bonding, screw the telepathy, and screw Tammaru Ki. He had cost her everything, her home on Earth, her freedom, and now her new friends.

The rad meter pinged snapping her attention back to the cramped cock pit she’d been sitting in for four hours, or sanctos. Kathy tried once again to wiggle some blood back into her butt while ignoring something that was stubbornly hanging on in the back of her mind. She had tried to suppress it the entire time she was sequestered in the old hollowed out asteroid operated by the ancient and eccentric computer called Haven 451 and failed. The rad meter pinged again. She imagined the memory being radiated into dust by the storm outside her canopy. The memory popped back into her conscious thoughts. That last moment, that last contact with Tammaru hammered for her attention as if the bonding portal wouldn’t let her deny it happened.

She made it out of the City. Tammaru was behind her in the big bulky scout ship. She blew the trap asteroid to make him think she was committing suicide. She fell into the memory.

Kathy!

It was time. She let her anger out in one long scream and threw it at the mental doorway to him. Suddenly her pain and fury was engulfed in a white cocoon of passion, sentiment and need. It was stronger than all the force of her anger. Tammaru’s memories flickered in neuronal seconds. She was asleep in his arms as he flew them on to Aguina . . . a passion forbidden to him. She watched herself through his eyes splashing in a moonlit ocean . . . and felt his sentiment a feeling he could not acknowledge; and then she saw her own sparkling hair as he lowered a circlet of black roses . . . and felt his commitment he had no choice but to accept. She screamed and continued to scream. The portal to him shattered. She was alone. She blinked away tears. Her flight panel was crazy with alarms. Out her canopy the asteroid she'd been diving toward grew into mountains. She blinked again . . . the mountains turned into craters . . . and then craters formed into solid ground just before everything exploded.

Kathy gasped as she came out of the overwhelming memory.

Kathy? You okay? Thar’s voice came over the com link.

Fine Thar, she sent back with a shudder. Just a sharp pain in my butt from sitting too long. She shifted her position in the pilot's seat as Thar’s chuckle came over the head set. She hadn’t lied. Every part of her protested from four, no it was now five hours of sitting. She'd never complain about standing for a long surgery again.

The thought of surgery cheered her up. Maybe on Nuabi Prime, home to the infamous Nuabi pirates, which Tharinon was a member of, she could get back to practicing medicine. Open up a little private practice for humanoids. It was going to take a whole lot more learning to know how to treat the multitude of alien physiologies in the galactic Councillorship before she could be an all around space doctor.

The cockpit blinked neon blue as the storm off her port side flared again. Another arm of interstellar gas snaked out in a streamer of violent blue material curling into the darkness like an enormous barnacle fan reaching for tiny plankton. And a microscopic piece of plankton is exactly what they were next to the vast churning Nuabi nebula. One sancto ago, they had exited the asteroid field and started skirting the 250,000-parsec wide storm that spun outward like a pinwheel from the very core of the galaxy. She did a quick calculation on her flight panel; one parsec equaled 3.2616 light years, which equaled 19.174 trillion miles, which meant the Nuabi nebula was 62.5379 trillion miles wide. It was so vast it was an impenetrable wall between the Core Expanses and the Far Rims where Earth was located. The only realistic way of getting from one side to the other was via the ancient devices known as Gateways.

The strange beauty of the boiling and swirling clouds of interstellar stuff off her port side was mesmerizing, but as Thar took them ever closer and closer the constant beeping of the radiation alarm as they passed through deadly invisible bursts stood the hairs up on the back of her neck. A heavy leaded space suit would be nice right about now. She wondered how many arms her children were going to have . . . six? The rad meter pinged again, she sighed.

We're coming around Saurus Bend now, Kathy. You'll pick up the Gateway called Nuabi’s Doorway on long range sensors in a deci. Cut power to two point three-five ppms for approach. We’ll go to thrusters for final to entry coordinates the last few thousand lims. Just follow my lead. Thar transmitted. Kufu, you copy Com-ring's approach orders?

Copied, Kufu Dra, head of the Nuabi pirates and their wing man, replied. Dropping to two point three-five and vectoring to Saurus Bend coordinates. Glad to be nearing home . . . I'm hungry and so parched I'm spitting muff balls.

Kathy was glad to have something to keep her mind busy and off all her problems. She started to ask about muff balls but found her self momentarily too busy as she keyed off the autopilot and dropped power. She gently winged to port to follow Tharinon, even though it brought her ever closer to a billowing orange-red corner of hell and, gently, was a relative term when she was hurtling through space at thousands of miles a minute.

You're doing fine, Kathy. We're rounding the Saurus Bend now, Thar radioed.

Right, sure, fine, no problems. Kathy sputtered as she pinned her eyes on Thar’s ship, a tiny speck out in front and a blinking dot on her nav screen. In moments she lined up on the small dot of his glowing engine cowlings as they headed down a long corridor between the ominous but dazzlingly beautiful interstellar clouds. Deadly swirling colors funneled them into what looked like a bathtub drain as iridescent neon lights danced in her cockpit like Shakespearean fairies. The colors, Thar explained, were from the excitation of various particulates by the intense radiation, copper flashed green, cobalt effervesced blue, cadmium flickered red, and sodium flared yellow. The living undulating storm was a colorful birthplace for stars that constantly gave the galaxy new light and new life.

Time had no meaning in this forever space that was so vast as to be incomprehensible. After what seemed like an hour Kathy checked her chronometer. It had been twenty-six decis since they rounded Saurus Bend. The small dot of the Nuabi Doorway was growing into the giant ring that would form a safe tunnel for passage through the nebula when activated. Thar's blue white cowlings suddenly went dark in front of her. He cut to maneuvering thrusters. Kathy killed her mains and reached for her thruster control. The flight panel twinkled crimson, then fuchsia as the nebula flicked a snake’s tongue in their direction as if checking their scent for familiarity. She blinked away the sparkles and activated the controls. It required all her concentration to fly through the visual assault.

Prepare for station keeping, Thar sent. Pretty beautiful scenery heh, Kathy?

Yeah, Kathy answered mesmerized. She scanned out her canopy. They were engulfed by millions of miles of the raging storm. So much for the idea of space being a vast dark nothingness, she thought. Kufu responded to her limited comment on their surroundings,

We're sitting here cradled in the great All-one's hands and all you can say is yeah?

Ah, yeah. She answered. Though it feels more like we're in the great All-one's blender than his hands, she added and then gasped. While she’d been mesmerized her fighter had drifted to within fifty yards of Thar's cowlings and the gap was closing fast. She sent a blast of compressed gas out the thrusters along the leading edge of her wings. The big Shimeron halted barely five yards away from Thar’s ship. Feeling a bit sheepish she maneuvered into station keeping below and to starboard of him as the pings from her rad-meter went silent.

I was wondering if you were going to stop, Thar radioed with a chuckle. "You’ll notice your rad-meter went quiet, Kathy. A radiation shield from the Gateway now covers us. Nuabi scientists have finally discovered how the ancients created such efficient shields. We hope to have working shields for our fighters in the next SOR.

Nuabi’s Doorway hung in the boiling fury. It was a gigantic ring with mooring nipples on each side for ships of all sizes and shapes. As a solar system that was under forced isolation from the rest of the Councillorship Nuabi’s Doorway was a busy place. The gunmetal blue ring framed a dark hole of massive blue and purple slowly spiraling ribbons of alien power. It was like being sucked into a bathtub drain. She keyed on her canopy’s glare guard to decrease the disorienting colors, swirls, and billowing neon clouds around her. Radiation or no radiation the light show held its own dangers to her retinas.

TM-thirty-four this is GW-two, Commander Edti Wof here, Colonel Tharinon. We have you on scanners and are locking you in. Initial pull will begin in five decis. Welcome home Governor Kufu, and a special welcome to the Lady of the Black Roses. Nuabi is honored to have you with us, Kathleen Mary O’Donnell.

Kathy stifled a groan at the title as Thar acknowledged.

Thank you, Commander. We're glad to be home. Turning thrusters over to com-ring's control now. Kathy, Kufu, you copy?

Copy, Kufu acknowledged.

Copy, Kathy echoed and opened a link between her fighter and the com-ring as Thar had taught her. He had been training her during their flight on how to set up the connections and flight panel for passage through the Gateway. What she couldn’t do, he transmitted to her ship from his own. Most routine interstellar flight, she’d learned, was a set of pre planned programs.

Wof, Kufu piped in, Notify New Anwash tower of our ETA and ask them to pass on to Old Anwash to have my dinner hot and waiting.

GW-two, copy. We'll tell them to start roasting the Brenna pig now, you old pirate, Commander Wof radioed. Initial pull in four, three, two . . . one, initiate.

Kathy's fighter lurched forward toward the ring like the start of a roller coaster ride. Her thrusters fired in a series of bursts that put her barely ten yards behind Thar's cowlings. Their three fighters were being aligned like train cars. She sat back, no longer in control of her ship. An ironic laugh escaped her lips. The fighter wasn’t the only thing she didn’t control. Fate wasn’t letting her control her life for if it did she would be heading home to Earth.

Relax and enjoy the ride, little one, Kufu said as if he knew her trepidation.

Communication will be blocked until the other side, Kathy, Thar added. If you feel disoriented, don't worry. It's common the first few times through a gate. Just close your eyes.

Kathy started to ask if there was anything else that she needed to know when their little space train slipped inside the gigantic ring of the Gateway. Her instruments told her the trip in was about two lims. They halted in the center of the gigantic machine. She looked upward. The massive ring had to be about four miles deep if they were only halfway through it.

This thing is huge, she voiced.

And Nuabi’s Doorway is the small one. Kufu’s voice crackled through the static.

Her monitors registered the diameter as a little over six lims wide. She whistled softly and wondered how big the Main Gateway was if this was the small one. Above her a thick segment of the inner ring began to rotate clockwise around her position. Out the canopy Thar’s fighter was pointed at the center of the massive blue and purple ribbons. The unknown particles began to spiral until they became swirled into a vortex of luminescent alien energies.

Kufu said the current theory was that the Gateways used giant ribbons of plasma generated by the monstrous power plants inside them. The ribbons were hundreds of lims thick and molecularly layered with different densities of particles, some they had identified and others remained a mystery. As the ribbons spun, centrifugal force pushed them outward forming a tunnel that held the nebula at bay. The ring on one side of the storm gave ships a push with a generated burst of hydrogen, basically a bomb blast. The receiving ring sent out a subatomic sized singularity to draw the oncoming object toward it across the vast distance. The sequence worked for going into Nuabi’s space and coming out. Traffic was strictly controlled and every time a Gateway was activated they sent as many ships through as they could. Ships had to wait for the queue to fill before transiting the nebula, thus each Gateway had full accommodations, restaurants, shopping, just about anything a traveler needed while they waited. Few were allowed to just zip through a Gateway whenever they felt like it. Her escorts were of those few with the status to justify activation of the leviathan devices without a full docket of other ships.

TM-thirty-four . . . and passengers, now passing to internal tractors. Final push in fifteen sinctos, Commander Wof's voice crackled over the com line.

Kathy adjusted her position nervously. In front of her the massive tunnel spun faster and faster. She unconsciously started leaning to the left with the motion.

Five, four, three, two, one . . . safe journey, Wof’s voice crackled and faded into static.

Sudden acceleration slammed Kathy into the seat as they shot into the tunnel of Nuabi’s Doorway. Thar's port wing rolled into sync with the spiraling ribbons and then her ship followed suit. They were all a tiny screw twisting their way into down the massive swirling whirlpool. The motion sent her liquefied space pilot’s lunch threateningly up the back of her throat. She swallowed. Her eyes lost focus as her flight panel blurred into swirling colors. Kathy wrapped her arms tightly around her spasming stomach and held on for dear life.

***

We're through, Kathy . . . Kathy? Thar's voice echoed in her ears.

Kathy, power up your mains to point two-five, and follow me. You copy?

Kathy opened her eyes. Uh, copy, Thar, she said and followed his instructions as she blinked the world back into focus and swallowed her lunch for a second time. The nauseating vortex of the Gateway was gone. The view of space out her canopy was a calming dark purple-blue. She was inside the bubble of Nuabi's solar system hidden inside the nebula. Thar’s fighter headed off into the purple heavens towards the glowing yellow pearl of Nuabi’s sun. She let him get a bit ahead then fired up her mains. Thanks for the advice about closing my eyes back in there, Thar. I almost lost my lunch, Kathy com'd.

If you can speak to us without having to wipe off the inside of your helmet, little one, then you're doing just fine, Kufu answered. We have to tow most novices into orbit.

Kathy smiled and took a loud slurp from her water tube to help settle her stomach. Kufu's laughter echoed through her headset. He didn't know how close they came to doing the same for her. She kept Thar's aft burners in sight as they soared through the astral sunset toward Nuabi Prime. Far off in the distance, the tiny yellow sun that gave life to the mysterious system hung against starless space. Haven, the eccentric computer aboard the secret asteroid pirate base she had took refuge in after escaping from Tammaru, explained the theory; in times past Nuabi's sun with its one planet and two planetoids had, due to unknown forces, disappeared into the storm. Only the unknown technology of the Gateways made Nuabi accessible. In the thousands of SSRs that the Gateways had been where they were no one had ever figured out why the ancients placed one of only two rings into this tiny hidden system. The theoreticians of the galaxy accepted that there was something special about Nuabi; they just didn’t know what it was.

We have a few sanctos until orbital approach, Kathy. I suggest you get some sleep before we review orbiting and landing procedures, Thar transmitted.

You want me to sleep knowing I’m going to kill myself in a few sanctos? she replied.

Now, now, little one. We will see to your safety. Besides, landing should be as easy as picking doob berries after your harrowing escape from the Protectorit, Kufu chimed in.

Kathy harrumphed and checked her autopilot. It was locked in. She tilted her seat back as far as she could and rolled over on her side to try and catnap. Thar’s pre-programming set the big Shimeron fighter flying for her. She doubted she would even be able to keep her eyes closed.

She awoke to a soft beeping of her chronometer and sat up to see an approaching small Earth-sized planet. The celestial orb grew into a mossy blue and purple marble spotted with brown and green continents as it hung in the dark pastels of Nuabi’s space. Kufu radioed in their approach vector as the marble grew to the size of a moon and then into a world. Her flight panel beeped. Systems automatically powered up. Thar signaled with two clicks on the com line. Kathy took a deep breath and shook her hands out and synched up her restraints. The AP activated and the ship slewed over to follow Tharinon and Kufu into orbit around Nuabi Prime.

As they rounded the planet and slipped into the darkness of the night side Kathy saw glowing ribbons of rainbows undulating over the night sky. What are all the lights?

Those are the lorame, Kufu radioed. Our atmosphere is constantly bombarded by ionization from the nebula. The particles excite atmospheric molecules, which in turn give off visible radiation in the form of light. The kiss of Nuabi’s protector is sweet and beautiful. His voice sounded as awed as if he too were seeing it for the first time.

We call them auroras on Earth, but they only occur at our magnetic poles, Kathy radioed wondering what Nuabi’s night looked like from below. She had only seen one other alien night sky and that was when Tammaru flew her down to Aquinas. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. She didn’t have the Lord General to do the flying this time. Her inner flight suit gently squeezed her body wicking up the perspiration. The small orange sun edged over the curve of the planet in a spectacular orbital sunrise. Tammaru’s teaching echoed in her mind, "Take it one step at a time Kathleen. . . . Yeah, sure, one small landing for the Protectorit . . . one giant crash landing for me," she mumbled to herself and tried to relax. It didn’t work.

Suddenly, an eerie sense of confidence filled her, the same confidence that Tammaru had empathetically transmitted to her during that flight to Aguinas. The feeling was so real she swung around to make he wasn’t there and she wasn’t sitting on his lap as she’d been that night. She was alone. The portal to him was dark and quiet; her shields were shaky but still up. Stop it, O’Donnell, she said aloud and forced thoughts of Tammaru Ki from her mind.

Kathy?

Sorry, Thar. A bad case of nerves. She covered, trying to sound calm.

Now, Kathy, relax. I know your capabilities, but just to make you feel better I've ordered a tractor barge to follow you down. But, I want you to land that ship if at all possible.

Always the instructor, she com’d back and shook out the tenseness in her gloved hands and added, Thar?

Yes,

You’re fired.

Come, come little one, Kufu chimed in. One must live up to one's reputation. The Lady of the Black Roses must show all she not only can outfly the High Lord Protectorit, but also land her own fighter like a true pirate. We don't have to tell the masses that you've never done it before. At least, not until we see if you can do it without crashing.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Governor, she quipped back. Kufu’s laughter was a boost to her sagging moral. Her flight suit was stuffy. She dropped the temperature with a few pokes on the keys of the forearm control unit.

Okay, Kathy, Thar com’d. We've gone through the procedure fifty times. I've sent the programming to your flight com. You'll descend on AP until thirty-five lims above the deck.

Deck, what deck? You didn’t say I was landing on an aircraft carrier. Kathy sputtered.

The ground, Kathy, I meant the planetary surface, Thar com’d back his voice starting to lose its calmness. At thirty-five lims above the ground you will take over on manual. That Shimeron has a long glide ratio so keep the nose up to get that big bird slowing down. We’ll do some wide banked turns to help you drop speed. When you hit the target altitude of twelve lims you’re ready to start final descent. Activate your AE’s. Once there, you’re almost down.

I'm not so sure about this, Thar. I only soloed twice on Earth and that was in a small propeller driven plane. I was never trained to fly a jet never mind the damn space shuttle. Actually, now that I think about it I’m not sure I ever liked flying to begin with. Kathy checked her controls. Thirty-five lims put her at about thirty miles above the planet. Her computer acknowledged receiving Thar's data transmission. The autopilot came on and began making adjustments all over her flight panel. The beauty of the mottled blue, green and purple planet below her port wing was lost as she fought a battle of nerves. Her nerves were winning.

You say you dislike flying, little one? Kufu asked with unbridled amusement. What do you think you've been doing for the last twelve sanctos?

Flying in space is different. If something happens you're not going to fall out of the sky and splat on the ground like a melon, Kathy tightened her seat harness.

Ah, I see. So if something happens in the vacuum of space like say . . . you're sucked into a gravity well, or your seals malfunction and your body's gases expand turning you into verbesian mush inside your suit, that's alright, Kufu teased.

Yes. Kathy said, knowing he'd just shot holes through her defense.

Kufu, don't make it worse, Thar interrupted. I'm trying to train this cadet into a first rate pilot.

Remind me to drop out of the space corps, Kathy wisecracked. Suddenly her screens flickered alive as readouts lit up in a pandemonium of activity. Thar . . .?

It's time, Kathy. While we've been chatting we've hit the thirty lim mark and are starting into Nuabi Prime's envelope. When you come out remember your four to one glide ratio, keep your nose up and you'll have plenty of time to take over the controls. The view will be rather spectacular so sit back and enjoy the ride. Kufu . . . I'll flank her port side, you take starboard. TM-twenty thee to tractor barge.

This is NAB-Four, Commander. We've been monitoring your com. We de-orbited a short time ago and will maintain at thirty-one lims until intersection. My techs are ready to assist our guest should she need us.

Thanks, Donat. See you in a few decis, Thar replied.

Through building static they left the planets thin ionosphere and entered the molecularly thicker stratosphere. Kathy heard Thar's last comment, You . . . can do this . . . Kathy.

The fighter's forward screens shimmered against the oncoming compression of air. As she descended into the thicker atmosphere the growing density of air in front of the fighter was squeezed into a shock layer of red-orange super heated glowing plasma. Kathy closed her eyes and put a death grip on her seat's arms. The Shimeron began shaking violently. She was alone inside a fireball plummeting like a meteor burning a hole in the sky. She started praying between chattering teeth and the urine catch system of her suit being activated.

Fighters and other aerodynamic ships used gravity to drop into planetary atmospheres. It took a lot of power to descend with gravity repulsers. They were normally reserved for descents during battle, one needed pin point atmospheric insertion during combat, she was told. Passenger liners never got close to a planet’s envelope and only private yachts of the very rich had the costly repulsers to execute controlled descents through the multiple layers of a planet’s envelope.

Kathy let out the breath she’d been holding in an explosive gasp as a loud alarm on the flight panel sounded. The fireball around her died and the heavy Shimeron fighter became a large falling object heading toward rumpled pillows of pink, orange and purple clouds thousands of feet below her. What glide ratio, I'm dropping like a rock! she screamed.

Okay Kathy, execute lesson number one, Thar’s calm voice radioed. Your mains should be off line. Power up AE's to three point five, pull your nose up and follow me.

Oh God! Kathy cried. Her mouth went dry, her hands were clammy and she was sure she was going into tachycardia, if not total cardiac failure. You can do this, O’Donnell. Just stay in control, she whispered toggling the bank of switches to her atmospheric engines with her left hand and grabbing the steering yoke with a shaking right hand. The fighter hit an air pocket. She yelped and bit her lower lip as she pulled the fighter’s nose up. The big Shimeron responded by instantly soaring over the top of Thar’s fighter and heading back up toward outer space.

Too much, Kathy. Lower your nose . . . lower your nose, Tharinon ordered.

She pushed the yoke forward. Her fighter suddenly became a large missile aimed for the clouds and Kufu’s cowlings glowing red orange below her.

Kathy! Pull up, pull up! Kufu, starboard NOW Tharinon’s voice lost all hint of calm.

She pulled up just as Kufu winged to starboard to get out of the way.

Great Gods, Tharinon. She’s going to take out the whole cremlicking planet, Kufu shouted over the radio. Donat, make sure Old Anwash tower preps for a crash landing. Copy?

No, she’s not going to crash, Thar yelled back. She’s going to learn how to fly that big Shimeron. We’re going to need all the pilots we can get.

Kathleen, listen to me, Thar commanded. "Match your wings to your artificial horizon indicator, and level off. When you enter the clouds go by what the instruments are telling you, not what your body tells you. Concentrate only on the horizon indicator, speed, and altimeter. Follow my count, for every number you drop two hundred nebiters. Once you’re below the clouds you can look out the canopy, otherwise keep your eyes glued on those readouts. Got that?"

Got it, she said and took a shuddering breath. She concentrated on matching the little picture of the fighter and its outstretched wings to the artificial horizon line on the computer generated readout. Very gently she adjusted her flight path relieved that she was starting to get the feel of how sensitive the control yoke was when flying through the thick substance of air after the vacuum of space. She forced herself to loosen her grip on the controls. Okay, O’Donnell, its do or die and you’d rather not die . . . so DO.

Huge puffy clouds rose up underneath her as she followed Thar making wide slow s-turns sixty miles wide. They finally leveled off as she pierced the top of the first cloud. Kathy glued her eyes to the artificial horizon indicator, altimeter, and speed indicator as the Shimeron sliced through more fluffy tops. Air pockets turned her into a punching bag with each explosive hit. She ignored the adrenaline surges that came with each hammering blow. Keep your wings level, slowly let the altimeter drop, keep your speed at three point five, and don’t try to fly by what you feel, only what you see on the indicators, she reiterated and dropped into the clouds.

Thar’s voice started counting One . . . lower your nose just a little, Kathy . . . two.

A heart stopping eternity later they dropped out of the orange and pink clouds over a dark purple-blue ocean. Thar stopped counting at eleven. Her altimeter read 1,246 nebiters. They were low enough that Kathy could see a white-capped ocean below. Suddenly she hit two air pockets in a row. Oh, god . . . oh god, she whimpered and squeezed the yoke a little harder. Tammaru had said how cadets over compensated during maneuvering as they used too much force. She relaxed her death grip on the yoke. Sweat rolled down her forehead and down the bridge of her nose. The towing barge pacing her from above peeled away heading south.

On your scanner are the cliffs up ahead, Kathy. Thar stated, calm back in his voice.

Cliffs, what cliffs? You didn’t tell me there would be any cliffs! Where’s that tractor barge going? She rambled fine-tuning the scanner. Ninety-eight lims up ahead was a landmass. The fighter’s computer enhanced imaging showed high cliffs growing in size like a tidal wave rushing at her. Fear took a back seat as she worked at flying level with Thar and Kufu. Hey, a water landing can’t be that bad, can it? she asked to no one in particular.

Thar laughed and transmitted, You’re doing great, Kathy. Ease your power down to point two five and set your landing thrusters to standby. When I tell you, lower flaps to full, power forward and belly thrusters to point three-five, and cut your AEs. You’ll make it.

Yeah, right, she mumbled and reached for the flap controls. I'm sweating bullets and he says I'm doing great. Kufu Dra's deep chuckle over the frequency let her know he was still with her off her starboard side. The fighter wobbled like a Gooney bird. Kathy descended to five hundred and fifty nebiters from the water's surface. She fought the urge to just turn everything off, ditch it, and swim for it. The on-rushing landmass grew into white marble cliffs surrounding a small bay filled with colorful boats. Kathy whimpered.

Okay, Kathy. Start landing procedures, Thar said way too calmly for her liking.

Right . . . flaps full, Kathy reiterated his instructions. The fighter slowed and dropped twenty nebiters. Her stomach went further.

Ease all thrusters to point three-five, Thar counted off her landing checklist.

She eased forward thrusters to three quarter power. The fighter slowed pushing her into her restraint harness. Two hundred nebiters and she was dropping like a damn rock.

Up your bellies to point five-oh, Kathy. Now cut your AEs.

Kathy killed her atmospheric engines and powered up her belly thrusters to fifty percent. The two huge cliffs loomed up like the fabled Pillars of Hercules. She glued her eyes back on her altimeter. Ninety nebiters . . . sand billowed into a small storm as she came in over the beach . . .eighty nebiters . . .treetops went flying as her wings severed them like heads in a guillotine. Kathy licked her lips and lined up on the cement runway. Do or die O’Donnell.

Fifty . . . forty . . . thirty, twenty, ten. She was over the tarmac. Her forward ground speed didn't slow. She passed over the landing mark.

Kathy, forward thrusters . . . full thrust Kathy! Belly-thrusters to point two-five. Thar shouted. You're over-shooting. Drop your landing skids NOW.

Shouting didn't help. Kathy keyed her landing skids down and strangled the thruster grips onto full. A flagman on the ground dove sideways. The fighter whizzed past the man's prostrate body, her skids unfolding only feet above his head. She nearly beheaded three others as she scrambled to decrease power to her belly thrusters and fight spinning into a sideways slide. Suddenly a group of people came into view at the edge of the tarmac. Oh shit! She killed her belly thrusters completely.

The skids hit the cement like a Boeing 747 with no tires. She slammed back into the seat. Metal screeched against cement. Everything shook like a jackhammer. The big Shimeron slued sideways then slammed her into her harness as it lurched to a halt. Every part of her including her hands shook. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her tremors enough to power down.

You did it, O’Donnell, she said as the gyros whined down in a groan of sympathy. She removed her helmet and pushed back her flight suit hood only to have a pile of sopping wet sparkling hair flop out over her face. She swiped it away and released the canopy. A blast of cool ocean air filled the cockpit. Carefully, she peered over the side of the cockpit.

Bodies lay strewn about on the ground. A few prostrate forms moved. Kathy sank down into the seat with a grimace. Great, you just killed your welcoming committee, you twit.

~~~

Chapter 2

You can come down now, Thar’s voice yelled from outside.

Kathy opened her eyes and reluctantly released her harness to peek over the side of her cockpit. Thar walked out from under her port wing. Is it safe? she hollered and glanced back over the cockpit side. It was almost relief when she saw the angry glares from the re-gathered group of beings as they dusted themselves off, obviously still alive.

If you mean did you kill anyone, its safe. Your welcoming committee appears generally intact. Thar yelled back and scanned the crowd not hiding his smirk.

Speak for your own body, Tharinon Mar, a short Frozene sputtered as he dusted off his blue coveralls.

Now Woodat, Kufu Dra walked up next to Tharinon. We all have to learn sometime. I think the newest member of our small community did just fine.

Fine? Woodat sputtered. Why, she . . .

She landed, she's here, and I suggest we get done with introductions so we can adjourn to Louroys. I'm famished, Kufu patted his belly. Colonel, will you do the honors? He waved a burly hand toward the group.

Ah, yes, Thar cleared his throat to hide his smile. Kathy . . . he said as he reached up and activated her boarding ladder

Kathy climbed over the side and headed down to the tarmac. She took a big deep breath of cool ocean air and glanced at the surroundings. The sound of surf churning just over the dunes echoed off the high adobe colored cliffs. All around were overhanging green trees with long flowing tendrils that reminded her of weeping willows. They fluttered in the afternoon breeze coming in off Nuabi’s ocean. The heavier gravity was like quicksand when she finally had both feet on the ground and she held on dearly to the last rung and carefully turned around.

The small group of mostly humanoids scrutinized her with narrowed eyes and wary frowns. She kept her grip on the ladder rung suddenly wishing for the weightlessness of space. The assembled group shifted their gaze to her black flight suit, a suit with the insignia of the Protectorit's service on it. She smiled nervously and covered up the insignia with her free hand. It was just an honorary thing, I’m not really . . . she let her sentence fade as they kept staring.

Members of the Nuabi council, Tharinon said in a loud voice to get their attention. I would like to introduce you to Doctor Kathleen Mary O’Donnell, the only person to have out-flown the High Lord General Tammaru Ki. Thar flourished his hand towards Kathy.

A deep laugh came from her right. A tall and muscular man casually leaned against her fighter’s smoking nose skid. Kathy shivered as a sense of familiarity crawled down her back. Relaxed and unimpressed by her he folded his arms across his wide chest after flicking some dirt off his dark gray vest he wore over a tight fitting almost black shirt. She couldn’t help but notice his pants that hugged legs as solid and large as Tammaru’s. The prickling sensation intensified seeing he had the deep tan of Tammuseti Prime Elites and the intimidating stare. Everything about him sent the hairs on the back of her neck upright. He gave her a quick nod. She looked away.

Kathy, this is the Nuabi Council, Thar said and took her by the arm over to the closest, the short Frozene who still didn’t look too happy. This is Master Woodat, Chief controller of planetary facilities. He keeps tabs on supplies that we need to. . .shall we say, acquire, since Nuabi is banned from open trade with the Councillorship.

Sorry about nearly running you over, she apologized with a short teetering bow. Master Woodat gave her a halfhearted smile and returned the bow with a slight drop in his round bulbous eyes, a sure sign she had not made the best impression with him. She really missed the adoring cue ball eyes of Widgin right now.

This is Ydnar Ual. Thar ushered her in front of a medium sized man with slanted eyes that had three pleats angling from over his green eyes to the edge of his heavy set eyebrows and hair line. He is Chief Controller of planetary ecosystems. As you might guess this hidden world has some very peculiar ecosystems what with being bombarded by the Nebula every light. He gently moved her to the next personage. And here is Commander Naoj Doowmam of the Main Gateway who just happens to be here visiting her children and their families.

He gave her a slight bow of respect. How is everything on the Main? He asked the small woman who appeared to be at least sixty SSRs with flecks of gray in her hair accentuating her natural beauty. The petite commander’s smile did not take away from her emanating a certain level of authority.

.Getting more and more heated every light, Thar. Shipping interests are clamoring for contracted guarantees of passage no matter the political climate. I hear they are even starting to approach the reps of House Pinquad’s shipping controllers about guarantees from their side. She shook her head. Crems, Thar, Pinquad hasn’t even made a move yet and beings are trying to make contracts with him. We need to start discussing long range plans, though I still can not imagine Pinquad would actually go against the Edict and try to militarily take the Far Rims side ring. She folded her arms across her small chest and stared at Kathy as if she had something to do with all the political turmoil. I have doubled the personnel on the Far Rims ring.

Kathy tried to perform an innocent bow in the bulky space suit but only managed to nod her head. Her legs wobbled threateningly forcing her to grab Thar’s arm to stay upright.

Thar steadied her as he replied, I have more information on that and we will need to do more than make contingency plans. I want all Gateway staff and military in meetings first thing next light. Pinquad is about to do something worse than attacking the Far Rims Main Gateway, he’s found his own and it’s on our back door.

The Commander’s features darkened with a smoldering anger that told Kathy the Commander was not someone she wanted to cross. She nodded to the woman.

Thar stepped past the fuming petite Gateway Commander and guided Kathy to a short stocky woman with speckled gray hair swirling into a large bun at the back of her head. She too was upset at Thar’s news but