Tochar had asked the expected questions, probably the same ones he had used on Starla. Dagan hoped she had satisfied the leader's curiosity and assuaged any doubts without revealing any harmful information. He would learn that fact soon enough by Tochar's reactions in the next two deegas. If Starla had made slips during her interrogation, there was no way he could extricate her, not when surrounded by Tochar's men; that feeling of helplessness when his love might be imperiled angered him. He cautioned himself to stay alert and to try to come up with an escape plan if one was needed, though escape from Noy seemed unlikely without a ship at his disposal. Should he, Dagan wondered.
trust Starla with the truth about himself and his mission in case her ship was required for either or both of them to flee? Would she feel betrayed, accuse him of using her as a cover to obtain information? He could not decide how she would react, so he told himself he should be patient and watchful a while longer
At least, he reminded himself, Tochar couldn't extract any secrets from him, not with the immunity supplied to him and all I-GAF members from Trilabs in Maffei, one of the strongest members of the United Federation of Galaxies. He didn't understand exactly how Rendelar worked, but it did, and Thorin had no effect on him. If only that were true for his cherished Starla, he wouldn't have to worry about her safety and survival.
Dagan wasn't surprised Tochar was skeptical of recent incidents; so was he. Though he could not venture a guess as to how an enemy or an agent had reached and destroyed them, he didn't believe those crystals had exploded on their own either time. Nor did Phaedrig, but his superior could not ask Syrkin about the possibility of that occurrence since Syrkin was being investigated for alleged complicity with Tochar and to do so would reveal an agent was present on Noy and working against Tochar. If Syrkin was guilty of treachery, he would be arrested and terminated as soon as he made a slip. Som.ehow Dagan wasn't shocked by Syrkin's probable conspiracy; he had lost trust, admiration, and respect for the man when Syrkin was his Seki superior. He realized that a longtime connection between the two men would explain several ftristrating episodes in the past when Tochar eluded capture and revenge by Curran Thaiter. It was advantageous to him that Syrkin believed Thaiter was dead and that Syrkin had no idea he was Dagan Latu or an I-GAF agent.
If Syrkin was taken down, Tochar would lose the traitor's assistance. That meant the Icarian would be forced to focus his raids on Sedan crystals, which should make it easier to
discover the second conspirator. With his sources cut off, Tochar could not become more powerful than he already was. That still left the Destructoids to battle, and no weapon existed that could do so, not until and unless more large white crystals were found. At least by being there, maybe he could prevent Tochar from mounting one on a spacecraft and attacking elsewhere with it. As long as the fiendal was compelled to protect his settlement and life with the three weapons in his possession, Dagan reasoned, Tochar wouldn't attempt that daring feat.
He had hoped to work his way closer to Tochar by now, but the man had become leery since those strange incidents. He knew from Phaedrig that Koteas and Terin had been exposed with an unknown person's help, and the Thracians's destruction was carried out by an I-GAF team in an undetectable manner. He seemed to be getting nowhere on his mission, but somebody else was having splendid success.
Who and where was this sly person? How had he gathered his data about Syrkin and the Thracians? How had he inserted it into a computer network to which only certain people in power knew the entry code? If the secret agent— or whatever he was—destroyed the crystals, how had he done so when Kalfan scientists claimed that was impossible? Yet, if moonbeams weren't indestructible, neither was Tochar's defense system. Who—he wondered—possessed such a powerful secret, and why not share it or even sell it to his people and the Serians? If Raz Yakir had been approached with that crucial news or a sale offer, Yakir would—should—have told Phaedrig and Autorie Zeev. The honorable and sage Serian ruler knew an I-GAF agent had been assigned to the imperative mission, so surely Yakir would help defeat a mutual threat. If moonbeams weren't indestructible, Dagan reasoned, and that seemed a proven fact, why didn't the unknown factor blast Tochar's Destructoids into oblivion and render him helpless? It was frustrating to be faced by such an enigma, to be uncertain as to
whether he had an ally in the shadows or another deadly problem to handle . . .
When his recovery time elapsed, Dagan rose from the firm surface of the sleeper and went to locate Starla to see what she thought about her Thorin session. He was told she had left Tochar's dwelling after she aroused and had returned to the Liska. Dagan went to his dwelling to await her arrival, hoping and assuming she would visit him soon.
"Is your chamber totally private?" Starla whispered in his ear.
Dagan fiised their gazes as he replied, "Yes, I check it every deega. I'm familiar with all types of spying devices. Are you worried about something in particular? Are you afi-aid you revealed secrets during your drugged meeting with Tochar?"
Following her reply, Dagan gaped at her. "You did what?"
"The sam.e thing you did during your first Thorin session. Since my wrist unit makes Tochar nervous, I didn't wear it. But I did have on another device that Cypher constructed for me in the shape of a disk on my belt. It transmitted my session to him and he recorded it."
After Starla walked to the seata and sat down, Dagan joined her. "So?" he hinted. "What did he ask and how did you respond?"
"Why don't I play the session for you?" she asked, having edited the tape to exclude anything she didn't want Dagan to learn, such as the query about rejecting Dagan if he turned against Tochar and her vow of complete loyalty.
He watched her take a thin instrument from a pouch suspended from her belt. "You brought it with you?" he asked in surprise. After she smiled and nodded, he scolded, "Do you realize how dangerous it could be to get caught with that disk?"
"I'm not foolish or reckless, my beloved. Cypher rigged the release switch to initiate a self-destruct sequence if not opened correctly."
"That was very clever of him, but what if Tochar had asked you about such a measure while you were ensnared by truth serum?"
"If he had, I suppose I wouldn't be here with you at this preon."
"What happened to your promise not to endanger yourself?"
"Wouldn't it be far more perilous to not know I revealed a secret or I expressed a feeling Tochar didn't like or trust?"
"I can't refute your point, but be careful if you take such chance again." As Dagan listened to the tape, her answers concerning him pleased him, but Tochar's asking those questions evoked annoyance. "He seems greatly interested in our personal relationship." He saw her nod agreement as he listened to the remainder of her encounter. With the drugging hazard removed, it was time to pull Starla closer to him and away from \\iQ fiendal "It's good he didn't ask if you trust him fully, because I don't think you do; and neither do I. This is the first time I've distrusted a leader, and that doesn't trek well with me, especially when you're also involved with him."
His admission delighted her and evoked her to reveal, "What relieved me was when he interrupted my reply about Moig's death and leapt to his next query: if I knew of any man he couldn't trust. I'm certain I would have told him what I suspected about Moig's death and other things."
"What do you mean? There's no mystery about it, is there?"
"I think he killed Moig because there was no way to treat him on Noy, and Tochar couldn't allow Moig to be taken to a place where Moig might reveal his secrets." Starla revealed Tochar had engaged in a private conversation with the doctor and, later, that they told her Moig had died
during examination. "The timing was suspicious to me, and I saw an Airosyringe mark on Moig's arm when he was carried past me by Enforcers."
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner? This darkens To-char's image and tells me he's more untrustworthy and dangerous than I imagined."
"I kept quiet because it was a horrible suspicion I didn't want to believe. I told myself the infusion could have been medicine, but I wasn't convinced. I also feared you would reveal it during another Thorin test, and, after those incidents, I was positive we were in for a second one."
"What I thought you were going to tell me was that To-char suspected Moig of being the one behind his troubles, so he had Moig disposed of in a clever way. Are you sure it was a Serian patrol that attacked you and Moig?"
"Yes, because Tochar needs those drugs. If he wanted to get rid of Moig or me for any reason, he would have used another way and tune. If somebody is creating problems for Tochar, I doubt it's one of his best ftiends. If I were Tochar, the one I would watch closely is Palesa; she's Thra-cian like Koteas and Terin were, though their planets have long been restrained adversaries. Palesa is in the best position to learn Tochar's secrets, and she has access to a means of sending messages from Noy."
Dagan wondered if Palesa could be the unknown factor in the enigma; yet, it seemed unlikely, since Palesa was in a position to kill Tochar and claim his possessions. "Thank the stars he didn't ask if there was any woman he shouldn't trust or you might have mentioned your doubts of Palesa and vexed him." He certainly asked me about possible enemies from both sexes.
"I wouldn't have mentioned her because Palesa is neither male nor female to me; I refer to Palesa as a 'her' and 'she' because she plays a female's role in public; but she's Binixe, from a race of hermaphrodites."
"I know; I've met several in the past. I recognized the
marks on her neck when her hair moved aside. Tochar's choice of that type of lover explains why he hasn't pursued a beautiful and authentic female like you."
Starla smiled and said, "He wouldn't stand a fJick with me. Seriously, we should stay alert and watch each other's back while we earn as much profit as possible until we can leave. Departure any time soon would be suspicious or unacceptable to him. We mustn't forget he has powerful contacts in other galaxies he can use against us; no doubt he would alert the Sedan, Kalfan, and I-GAF patrols to our locations; or he'd send a unit of Enforcers after us. If I left, you would be endangered, now that he knows about our relationship. If we both left, he would consider us treacherous and threatening. We don't want to end up like Moig or others who've crossed ways with him. The safest and wisest thing for us to do is to appear loyal to him, to show respect, and to have patience."
Dagan was thrilled to have Starla opening up to him, proving her trust in him and love for him. But a few of her revelations alarmed him. He realized that if Tochar had asked her some of the same questions Xheflendal had asked him, Starla would've exposed the perilous thoughts and feelings she just related to him. It worried Dagan that he might be the cause of Starla changing her mind and emotions about Tochar, as they could get her slain. "You're right, my love; we have to concentrate on survival during raids and while we're living here. But in the event Tochar does turn against either or both of us, do everything you can to escape Noy. I promise I'll find a way to escape and join you, so don't worry about me or try to reach me; believe me, Starla, I'm an expert in that area, so don't endanger yourself trying to rescue or warn me. Cloak and fly to Karteal and wait for me there." He gave her the coordinates for the location he had in mind as an emergency rendezvous point.
As soon as she had recorded them in her wrist device.
Starla asked, "What if you don't come within an acceptable time frame?"
"Whatever happens, love, don't ever return to Noy for any reason. If I haven't joined you within two makes, begin a new and safe life without me. But," he added, pressing his fingers to her lips to silence her protest, "in case I'm delayed, leave a message about where you're heading beneath the rock shaped like a winger; you'll find it without any trouble."
"I don't want to talk or think about such a disturbing occurrence. Did you record your session with Tochar? Can you play it for me?"
"I did, but I've already destroyed the tape," he was compelled to lie, the taste of the deception foul in his mouth. "I didn't say anything harmful to us because he didn't ask any questions that required such responses. In fact, he asked me the almost identical things he asked you. It's a good thing the words loyalty and trust have different meanings in my mind and he used loyalty or I would have been in deep trouble with him, or if we had had this talk before I was put under. We don't want to give him any reason to use that serum on us again, not with the way we feel. Agreed?"
"Absolutely, or we'll become space debris." As she nestled against his chest and he stroked her hair, Starla wondered if Tochar had asked him any questions about Yana and, if so, what his replies had been. It was time for Yana to make an appearance to Radu and others, which she would do tomorrow. For tonight, all she wanted was to make love to Dagan. She lifted her head and gazed at him. "I love you and want you," she murmured.
Dagan leaned forward and fastened his mouth to hers. Between kisses, he said, "I love you and want you, Starla, so much it almost scares me." He swept aside her bangs and kissed her forehead. "I'm convinced we were destined to meet and bond."
"I hope so, Dagan," she said, cUnging to him.
"I know so." But I'm unconvinced flckled fate will be as kind to us. He carried her to his sleeper where he made tender love to her.
The following afternoon in her Yana form, Starla visited with Radu at the Skull's Den. During their talk, she hinted she might be taking a short trip with a "new and close friend," but she would return soon. She hoped that excuse would conceal her impending absence with the other space pirates, a trek which would take longer than the recent ones.
Between sips, the sexy blond with blue eyes murmured, "Sometimes it's difficult to keep to myself for long periods, but I don't want to evoke trouble with any of those in the settlement by showing myself too frequently. I shouldn't be here much longer than another malee or two, so I'll continue to be patient and reclusive. At least I'm learning a great deal from the computer programs that keep me company."