Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury (15 page)

The Sea King interrupted her.
“Do you know your ancient history, good sister? There used to be seven city states, not four, if you recall. The three lost peoples were from Loxos, Pelenarra, and Shukai. At one time, all three had their golden age, where they were the mightiest and most populated. Now they are dust, their peoples slaughtered or absorbed as slaves. The Kall are partially descended from a remnant of the Shukai, those who took to the safety of their ships in order to survive.”

Naero grinned slightly. The Kall survived and thrived, much like Spacers did. “You have but one choice, milord. To wallow in
an age of murder that wears all down to naught in the end, or seek an age of wisdom and reason–an age of peace. The gods hope that you will choose the ways of life, not death. All of the senseless warring has sickened even them.”

Haikoda frowned, and the sorrow in his deep eyes seemed very great for but a moment.
“Indeed. I can well believe that. We are all sick of it. Yet how do we proceed? For myself, I trust no one but my kin and my closest people, and with good reason. That has kept me and my people alive through many betrayals and treacheries. How do I seek peace, when there is none?”

“
Peace does not exist until it is made. Peace can only be made with one’s enemies. Then, once it is made, it must be maintained.”

“
Again I ask, how do I begin, without making myself or my people vulnerable?”

“
That is why I am here, milord. I have spoken with the king and queen of the Thanes. They feel much the same way, and they are also willing to try.”

“
They would take my head in an instant if I were in their power.”

“
Would you do the same to them?”

“
Perhaps…but perhaps now, I would not. The Thanes are our strongest trading partners, for the present. They trade hard with us, but fairly. They can be trusted, in most things, but not all. In the past, they have seized our ships and cargos without payment, when the need arose. And they have held my people for high ransom.”

“
Just as you have raided their coasts, and taken who and what you would in your need–as all the lands do. Raiding, kidnapping, and ransom are nearly a profession in all the lands.”

“
I do not deny it. Fire is combated with fire, at times.”

“
Yet when will it end?”

“
So, King Arrok and Queen Liita are of like mind. What of the others?”

“
This is only my second day, milord. Arrangements are being made to speak with the others.”

“
I must withhold my judgment, and my hand until you do so,” King Haikoda said.

Naero grinned and crossed her arms in front of herself. “That is easy for you now, since you have just completed successful raids against both the Vaedo and the Maedo.”

The Sea King smiled right back at her, knitting his fingers together. “In all things, timing is the essence of discretion.”

Kutira suddenly leaned in and whispered something to him. Haikoda looked aside to her in surprise. “You are certain of this?”

Kutira nodded. “See for yourself, brother.”

He turned back to Naero and held out both of his large hands. “Sister Naero, show me you
r hands, please. Come, I will not harm you.”

Naero raised both eyebrows, b
ut came forward and placed her hands in the king’s. “This is a strange request, milord.”

“
No stranger than what I see with my own sharp eyes. Holy sister, these are not the soft hands of a priestess. These are the hands of a warrior. I thought there was something about the way you moved. Feel the strength in you! By the heavens, these hands have known skill with a blade, or I am a landwalker.”

Naero allowed herself to blush slightly. “As a holy one, I do not like to speak of it. My greatfather was a Thane and a swordmaster, who instructed all the family in the swordarts
. I learned from a young age, and was no exception.”

Haikoda slapped the table and made it shake. “I
knew it! I knew it to be so. Come, little sister. The Kall love the swordarts like the milk from our mummies’ teats. We must have a demonstration of your skill. I demand it. The Kall love demonstrations of blade skill. It will make us think better of you–better than we already do.”

Naero immediately tucked both hands within her sleeves. “I’m afraid that is not possible, milord. I took the vows of the holy ones. It is unfit now for me to make use of or even handle weapons of war.”

Haikoda stood, rising up to his true height, and his face looked hard, as if he were about to become angry. “You refuse me? I’m not asking you to kill anyone or even shed blood for sport. Just a brief entertainment of your blade skill. Nothing more. It will amuse us. You ask much of me. I ask only a little thing from you.”

Naero nodded in assent at last. “Very well, milord. A brief demonstration of skill, then.”

Now Haikoda’s eyes twinkled merrily. He was obviously just beginning to enjoy himself.

“
Up on my table then! Square off with my sister Kutira. She is the poorest fighter among us.” He glanced aside.

The princess flashed her brother a quick, dirty look, obviously offended
.

More than likely, Kutira was
exceptionally skilled.

“
Give the priestess a cutlass! Have you ever handled one, Naero?”

Some one tossed one her way. Naero caught the spinning, flashing weapon, plucked it out of the air, and saluted with a flourish.

“I may have…on occasion.”

The
Kall began to laugh and chortled and placed eager wagers.

Even a few of the adepts calmly took odds.

On their first pass, Naero gave ground, measuring Kutira’s skill. She was strong, fast, and tricky–an excellent fighter.

Kutira halted,
they saluted, and matched blades again.

This
time Naero pressed her attack, and the crowd roared even louder.

Kutira held her ground. They dueled back and forth. Naero could have drawn blood if she wished, but did not.

Naero sped up slightly, with a touch of Mystic quickness that Kutira could not match. She performed a powerful disarm on the princess, that knocked her silver fox sword free.

With a speedy flip, Naero passed over Kutira and landed behind her, reaching out and extended hand for the streaking blade.

She grasped the hilt just in time, and caught it.

The blade point halted, not thirty
millimeters away from the startled Sea King.

Even he gasped.

Naero held the two cutlasses up behind her, hilts and hand guards thrust back out.

Kutira took them.

“You asked for a demonstration of skill, milord. Does that suffice?”

Haikoda stared and rose up laughing and clapping. “By the gods, yes, holy sister. Your greatfather trained you well. What a Kall you would make. You’re a very devil with a blade!”

“I will not be doing so again. I am a mediator, not a warrior.”

“What a pity.”

Kutira was shocked but obviously impressed as well. She was not angry, just surprised. The princess embraced her. “Now we are indeed friends, holy sister, Naero. I will indeed think much better of you, after this.”

“
We all will,” King Haikoda said, still clapping. “You may be a mediator, but at least now we know you possess the heart and soul of a warrior. You will understand all of us better.”

Kutira used her fast cutter to return them to the docks of the Thanes later than night
, after the celebration.

17

For once, Naero got back, filed her report on time, and got to sleep at a decent enough hour.

She had to wake early again for more secret training with Om, her regular sparring session–this time with the Chaos adepts–and then another afternoon and evening with the locals, this time with the Maedo.

That was going to be a full day for anyone.

Om got her going at five bells.

They returned to the desert, at another location, and Naero tried startapping into Thanor-4’s sun again.

Better this time. She could read the flows slightly before they overwhelmed and stunned her briefly. No crater this time, just a ten meter circle of fused black glass. She even managed to hang on to a modicum of the energy she took in.

She used that energy to fuel her subsequent replication attempts in the
uninhabited forest they transported back to. Naero replicated larger insects and reabsorbed them. Earthworms. On a whim, she tried plants. Plants were surprisingly complex and difficult in some ways. She tried to replicate a wild flower and nearly exhausted herself. Finally she tried a tiny rodent, somewhere between a mouse and a vole. Why couldn’t she get the tail right? There were quirks and complications to each and every lifeform. It was rather maddening.

She thought of the Kexx and their godlike mastery of such things, and could
n’t imagine replicating herself, let alone doing so multiple times. All of her duplicates could have minds of their own, able to function according to her will and design, and do what she told them? She could form them out of energy, or make them actual flesh and blood duplicates.

It all seemed so impossible, but that was the kind of mastery they were working to
ward.

Sheesh, were the High Masters going to be surprised when she sprung that little trick on them. Part of her could
n’t wait to see the looks on their faces. Part of her was afraid.

But for right now, she was still having trouble with flowers and mice.

A sudden idea struck her.

An energy form could be used as a weapon–like a microbomb.

She put the last of her Cosmic star energy into an energy mouse. Who cared if the bloody tail was too short?

She willed her little servant forward, imprinting a simple order on its mind, triggering it with Chaos energy.

Run under that small red maple tree and explode.

The glowing little energy mouse scurried over to obey.

The detonation obliterated the small tree, and left a smoking crater ten meters wide in the dark, rich soil. The blast knocked Naero back on her butt.

Whoa,
she had to remember that little trick.

It’s just a variation on the exploding Chaos construct, Naero. The theories and principles are very similar.

But if I do it with replicants, they become my little smartbombs. And if I use Cosmic star energy, Om–I don’t have to channel it directly through me like Chaos energy from my reserves. It won’t exhaust me the same way. That’s going to be a huge improvement.

Her mind began to race. All different kinds of energy. Flashbomb bugs. Bugbombs. Mousebombs. Cosmic energy bubblebombs to take down shields.

A bird flew overhead.

Tomorrow, she’d try to replicate a bird. Cosmic energy construct birdbombs. And she could change the construct from energy, to flesh, and back to energy again, at will
–once she became adept enough at the manipulation.

She would get better.

That’s enough progress for today, Naero. We have to get to your sparring sessions back on Thanarra.

Aww…man!

What about your next free day? We could spend the entire day practicing replication and startapping?

Maybe. It’s very tempting, Om. We can do a little of that, but not the whole day. I want to catch up with everyone. I ca
n’t wait to see Jan and all the others. And I miss my ship, my quarters.”

All of the Chaos
adepts were lined up, waiting for her that day with strained looks on their faces–including the two stuck-up prime adepts, Zhii and Fel.

Daiyana and Arnall, the contraries, were off to one side, ignoring them all.

“Goodbye, N!”

“
Farewell, my enemy!”

Naero laughed. “Goodbye to you goofs, too!” She turned back to the others. “What the heck is all of this
about now?”

Gaviok strode up, his powerful carapaced arms behind his midsection. He was light blue in color
, usually meaning that he was amused or very pleased with himself. “The other adepts have something they wish to ask of you, N.”

She glanced over at them. “Alright, let’s have it.”

Fel Wilde spoke first. “If you would be willing,” she began hesitantly. “Uhh…we know that you have helped all of the adepts from the other orders…increase the effectiveness of their Cosmic and psyonic abilities. What we wish to know, is…is–”

Zhii Kim took over impatiently, blurting the matter out bluntly. “Can you quicken our abilities in the same way, even teach us new ones, if possible? More than half of us cannot summon or use the techniques of the third psyonic eye. Would you be willing to assist us in this manner, for the good of
our order, and the advancement of the Mystic orders as a whole? What makes one of us stronger, makes all of us stronger. It is only logical.”

Naero held up both hands. “All right, all right. Enough of the hard sell. I can see it’s difficult for you folks, and the word
‘please’ doesn’t seem to exist for you. You want the same favor I’ve done all the other adepts, but it burns you guys to have to depend on someone else, or ask nice for something.”

Pharrah Decker got angry and nearly stormed away. “See, I told you
the tricky bitch was going to make us beg for her help! I won’t do it. I won’t beg!”

“
Hey, hey, calm down, Pharrah. I’d be glad to help you guys. Gaviok, talk her down.”

“
Listen to reason, Pharrah.”

“
She hates Chaos adepts, because of Master Vane. She doesn’t like any of us. Why should she do anything to help us?”

“
That’s not it. You’ve got me all wrong. I try not to hate anyone,” Naero said. “I’m not a Chaos adept. I don’t know what else I am yet, but I know I’m not a follower of Chaos Wisdom. But I don’t have to be. Look, all of you guys, I just want to come to an understanding. I can have respect for you. We can all have respect for each other and work together, whatever we choose to believe. Isn’t that the point of the Harmony, that all three Wisdoms should compliment each other and work together?”

Pharrah looked confused. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying nothing says that we have to hate each other. We can all get along. Gaviok and the contraries are Chaos adepts–we get along just fine. We’re all stronger if we help each other, not constantly competing and trying to screw each other over!”

“
But…Master Vane.”

Naero rolled her eyes. “Screw Master Vane
; to hell with him! Come on–admit it–we all know what a major assbag he can be.”

“
She’s right,” Gaviok said. “I respect his knowledge and wisdom regarding Chaos energy, but he is a major bag of ass.”

Even a few of the
Chaos adepts chuckled at that.

Naero clapped a hand on one of the mantid’s broad shoulders. “Gaviok, you did
n’t quite get that right, my friend–but I like your spirit.”

The contraries could
n’t help adding their two creds.

“
How dare you!” Arnall said. “Why, High Master Vane is the most wonderful man there is. He is good-natured and kind…like a big friendly bunny.”

“
Yes, I love him,” Daiyana said in a robotic voice. “He is so nice, I wish I could marry him, and give him many bug-eyed children from my urgent loins.”

Naero spluttered with
explosive laughter and nearly choked on her own breath and mirth. Several of the other adepts were laughing so hard by that time, they could barely stand.

Poor Gaviok. He alone looked around in
clueless confusion.

“
I don’t understand? Does she really wish to have Master Vane fertilize all of her eggs with his seed spray?”

Now everyone roared
with laughter, faces turning red. They could not breathe.

“
Yes, yes,” Daiyana insisted. “I want his seed spray on my eggs more than the breath of life itself!”

“
Oh,” Gaviok said, with a characteristic dip of his head. “Very well, then.”

Everyone roared again.

The Mantid looked around at them all. “What is so hilarious?” he honestly asked.

Trevor
waved his hands in surrender. “No more…please! My head hurts…my sides are splitting!”

Naero spent the rest of that day quickening and working with the
other Chaos adepts, helping them improve their various abilities.

After lunch,
Naero and her band made their way to the Thanarran docks again. A private trading vessel was contracted to take them to the cliffs of the Maedo, for Naero and her companions to meet with the strange and elusive Amazons. The lowland areas of Maedo on the coast were a no-man’s land–literally–contested by Vaedo, the Kall, and the Thanes. All had fought over it. The Maedo could barely trade, and only inhabited the unassailable heights of their city state.

But their
lethal archers and blowgunners slipped down in the lower areas to snipe at any enemy invaders they could find, and make them pay a heavy toll.

On this day, Naero took six others with her: Pharrah and Kenden from Chaos, Rinaldo and Karabella from Order, and Perra and Hanta from Change. The winds were up and the waters of the bay looked rough.

More surprises. A strange warship and three heavily armored barges hugged the coast and pulled up to the docks.

They flew the
rippling, golden dragon banners of Vaedor.

Bells rang out from the city walls. Then horns.

Ranks of warriors rushed to the dockside area, taking up defensive positions, as if it were an invasion.

Maybe it was. Naero scanned the barges and saw them to be loaded with heavily armed Vaedo troops.

Trumpets sounded. Naero heard harps playing. A large, powerful-looking man came to the railing of the ship, surrounded by guards. He wore golden robes and his fists bristled with golden and jeweled rings. On his head he wore a golden dragon crown with four points.

His skin was very pale–white even. His eyes were sapphire blue, and his shoulder-length hair was golden. His golden beard was neatly trimmed and edged in
actual, dazzling gold. His broad chest was bare beneath his gilded robes. About his waist, he wore a broad belt of what looked to be gold-plated skulls, a jeweled scimitar–and a golden codpiece that nearly reached to the deck of the ship.

Yet his eye was cruel and cold, his bearing proud and haughty, and his doughy-face and thick pink lips sneered ob
scenely, like one steeped in violence and debauchery.

The golden dragon
god’s trumpets blared.

The golden man lifted his muscled arms, and his slaves fell to their knees around him.

“I am the god of this world. I am the golden dragon of the Vaedo. I am Emperor Vauk, and I demand that you holy ones meet with me this day.”

Naero bowed her head slightly. “Forgiveness, milord. But that is impossible. We are already scheduled to meet with the Maedo t
oday.”

“
Impudence! You dare defy my will?”

“
We serve the will of the gods, and they direct us to speak with the Maedo, milord.”

“
I am a god as well. And I command you to come away with me, so that we may speak together. I must know what lies you have been told, by all these others–these petty upstarts and mortal rulers who defy my divine authority.”

“
We have heard no lies, milord. Everywhere we hear only of your greatness. And thus we have reserved the true place of ultimate honor for you.”

“
The place of ultimate honor?” Vauk asked, looking suspicious.

“
Yes, is it not customary among the gods to speak to the greatest last? On this world, you are the greatest potentate among all the city states. Your realm is the largest and most magnificent, your armies the greatest and most numerous. We knew that you would be greatly offended if we did not give you your place of highest honor, and come before you last, as is only right and proper.”

“
You are the mediator sent by the gods? The ones my spies have told me so much about?”

“
Yes, milord. I am–”

He waved one hand in boredom. “As one of the celestials, I do not care for names, least of all yours. I will call you Mediator. That is enough. You and these so-called holy ones claim to have been sent by the gods?”