Chapter 23
Deception
The others weren’t happy with the plan.
“I don’t understand why you don’t come with us,” Jules said.
“We do not have time to argue about this,” Kyber stated. He turned to leave, pausing in front of the door. “All of you need to leave immediately. The Hok ti Hai is waiting for you. You will need to report to Egok Moad upon boarding.”
Cooter held out a hand as if to stop him. “Kyber, you can’t go back to Seneecia alone.”
Kelen moved next to Kyber. “He’s not. I’m going with him.”
“As are we,” Gaveer stated.
Kyber whirled around. “No!” he almost growled. “This is on me.” He looked directly at each of them. “While I am gone, I want you to go ahead with plans to return to Neverwylde and discover what they are trying to keep hidden. Fullgrath, Cooter, I charge you both with leading this investigation in my absence. Gaveer, Massapa, Kleesod, you know you will be absolved of all guilt when I tell them you were only following my orders.”
“How will you be able to protect Kelen?” Kleesod asked.
“She should be given clemency as my Confirmed.”
“You cannot guarantee that,” Gaveer argued. “They may think of her as Terran first.”
“He is correct. They may declare your Confirmation invalid because she is one of the enemy,” Kleesod added.
Fullgrath gasped. “If that’s the case, why should she go with you? I thought it was you they wanted, more than anything. We all know your brother and Plat have it out for you.”
“They want all of us,” Kelen explained again. “Kyber and I realize it’s not a perfect plan. It’s a stall tactic, yes, and we know it’s a long shot, but it won’t work unless everyone gives their full cooperation. If this deception doesn’t succeed, we could be putting this outpost and everyone on it in jeopardy.”
“If Duruk has this outpost scanned, which I know he will, he will find my lifeform. That alone will lead him to believe the rest of you are also present,” Kyber noted. “I know my brother all too well. If he thinks one of us is here, he will assume we all are, and he will not continue to search for any other Seneecian lifeforms. And with the number of Terrans already present on this outpost, he will not be able to distinguish which of them are you. That diversion should give you plenty of time to get out of range.”
“No, no, no!” Jules elbowed his way forward and grabbed Kelen by the arm. “You’re not going back there! Come with us, Kelen. Please!” He looked pleadingly at Kyber. “You said they won’t be able to distinguish which Terran lifeform is hers. Give her the chance to escape with us!”
She jerked her arm from his grasp. “I have to, Jules. He’s my husband, and I’m standing by him no matter what.”
There was a small parting of the waves as Dox elbowed a path through the group to put his arms around her waist. “Be careful,” he whispered.
Kelen ran her fingers through his thick mop of hair. He needed a haircut, but it would have to be his decision before he’d subject himself to the ordeal. “I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Kyber will protect me.” Lifting his face to meet him eye to eye, she smiled. “You be careful going back to Neverwylde. Tell Five I hope he has a nice reunion with his people.”
Dox managed a tremulous smile and nodded, then retreated back to stand beside Mellori.
Kleesod went up and clapped a hand on Kyber’s shoulder. “May the four gods favor you,” he said in their language. Gaveer and Massapa also gave Kyber their blessing. Then the three of them saluted their D’har. Kyber saluted back, and they left the apartment.
Down in Bay Fifteen, Fullgrath and the others shook Kyber’s hand and gave Kelen farewell hugs. Dox didn’t try to hide the tears rolling down his cheeks. Five peeped dejectedly and nuzzled her nose with his.
Massapa peered out the small viewing window at where the Kergocian ship sat at the end of the connecting tube. “We are fortunate the Hok ti Hai is docked on the other side of the outpost, out of visual and scanning range of the other ships.”
“We call that happenstance,” Kelen informed him.
“Call it luck or good fortune, it isn’t going to be worth shit if we don’t get our backsides on that ship,” Fullgrath groused. He gave Kelen one final hug, patting her back. “We hope we get good news from this. Both from you and Kyber, and from our investigation.” Wagging a finger in her face, he mock ordered, “You stay safe, you hear me?”
She promised with a nod and a smile. Massapa hit the airlock, opening the inner hatchway door leading into the tube. One by one, the others walked into the connecting tunnel. The last one to enter was Fullgrath, who gave her and Kyber one final look, along with a thumbs-up, then punched the panel to close the hatch.
Moving over to the access window, she and Kyber watched until the Kergocian ship detached itself from the tube. As the corridor withdrew back to the outpost, the craft drifted away, eventually igniting its engines once it was clear, and quickly sped away.
Kyber wasted no time remaining at the landing bay. “Come.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Let us return to the Bridge. We should be present when Duruk’s ship arrives. As long as he has a visual, it will give the others time to increase their distance from here.”
“And when he does finally realize the deception, they’ll be too far away for him to detect.” She hugged her husband. This next half hour would be critical. Worse, there was no telling what Duruk would do once he discovered he’d been duped. Whatever his reaction, she knew it would be vengeful and most likely fatal.
She may not lose her life over this incident. Duruk may be cruel and vindictive, but neither he nor the Seneecian Triumvirate would dare risk creating an interstellar incident and instigating another war. But that didn’t mean Kyber’s life was safe. Chances were they would use him as an example in the worst way.
Yes, she was his Confirmed. But other than that, she had no rights. She expected to be given the barest leniency, and no more, before her and Kyber’s fates were revealed.
Time would tell how this would all play out in the end.