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"Warrior Souls"
Rating: PG-13 Reviews and comments needed! Thanks ;) Nine She felt him die. It hit her all at once, a blow to her midsection, then a hot wave radiating from it to her limbs. A terrible burst of agony and anguish...then nothing. She stumbled and gripped the stones of the battlements, her nails scraping hard against the surface. Her breath came in gasps of pain; she much rather preferred the pain than the utter loneliness that flooded her body... He's dead, Malcolm's dead...She managed to gulp in great breaths of air as her mind corrected itself: Dom'ni is the one who is dead. Daniels said he would save him, keep him safe from the Shadows. Malcolm's part in this is ended, and now we have to do ours... She clawed herself back to awareness. The women crowded all around her, chattering like a flock of geese. “My Lady, what's the matter? What's happened? Is something wrong with the child? Get the Healer!” Joh'leen--T'Pol, remember her real name, Hoshi--pushed her way through the crowd. “The Lady is ill, make way! Steward, can you carry her to her chambers? Tet'lunae, send for the Healer. Ra'si, send a runner to the general's camp; if the Weaponsmaster can be spared, he must come to his wife at once. The rest of you--back to your tasks. We must protect Lady Leen'da from the Shadows, and to do that, we must make sure the fortress is secure! Go now!” The women scattered as if broken by an evil spell. Hoshi found herself being lifted by Ta'lat, the Master Steward and carried deep into Hu'fase's stronghold. By the time they reached the chamber she'd shared with Dom'ni, the Healer and her assistant was there. T'Pol dismissed the Steward, and knelt at Hoshi's side as the Healer examined her. An eternity later, the Healer sighed and gestured for T'Pol to follow her, leaving the assistant with Hoshi. “I fear for her life,” the Healer said, not mincing words. “I have asked Assistant M'drea to give her potions to stabilize her condition, but this sudden shock has put her in danger. She is in no condition to be moved, if the Shadows attack.” “The child?” “It is up to the Gods now,” the Healer replied with a sad shake of her head. “I will do my best to help her recovery, but--” “I understand.” T'Pol swallowed, allowing her worry to show on her face. The cause of her worry was not what the Healer expected. Hoshi has to survive to repair the timeline. Daniels needs time on his side, but we no longer have the time. I must take things in my own hands. The Healer shook her head again. “Please, stay by her side, Lady Joh'leen. Her husband is in the field, and she needs family around her now.” “Be assured that I will not leave her, Healer. She must live.” T'Pol nodded as the Healer hurried off, presumably to fetch more medicines for Leen'da. She turned on her heel and returned to Hoshi's side. Her eyes were wide and glazed, but Hoshi seemed lucid. “Are you comfortable?” she asked. “Yes,” Hoshi whispered. “Then let us begin.” T'Pol gently touched Hoshi's face, seeking the psi points there. She felt a tenuous connection between them; it began to strengthen, then strength began to flow from her to Hoshi. “H'rak dunoime,” she whispered in Vulcan, and she knew Hoshi understood. “My mind to yours, my strength to yours...” Dusk fell over Hu'fase's encampment. Master Builder Kan'nar wiped grimy sweat from his forehead, but he surveyed his men's work with pride. The strange launchers weren't pretty, but he saw the deadly elegance in the simple design. Dom'ni's men grunted as they set the last cylinder in place and fastened it to the platform with straps. His smile turned nasty as he considered the havoc they'd make, once they turned the Shadows' weapons against them. He leaned against the tactical table; Hu'fase had ordered it moved outside, so he could keep an eye on the situation and the build site at the same time. Kan'nar worried about Dom'ni; how was the Weaponmaster's mission going? Was he going to return? He'd damned well better return or I'll kill him myself. Another slight tremor went through him; Kan'nar scowled again and looked around for its source. It had been happening all day, but when he'd asked everyone else if they'd felt it, they said that they hadn't. Kan'nar was more than willing to chalk it up to the build team, or his own overworked imagination, but his instincts warned him of something more sinister. Then again, he'd always had the ability to feel things that others couldn't. The slightest vibrations through the earth, the rumble of a storm... ...the uneven rhythm of a warp core that wasn't perfectly balanced. He couldn't sleep unless it was exactly perfect... A chorus of shouts interrupted the unfamiliar thought. Kan'nar whirled around to see two of Dom'ni's best men stagger into the camp, both bruised and bloodied. The commotion drew the build team's attention, and General Hu'fase strode out of the tent. Hu'fase gazed at the two men, then his face became a hard mask. Kan'nar felt a hard lump in his throat; he wanted to cry out, but found that he was paralyzed to the spot. Dom'ni's men stumbled to their knees in front of Hu'fase. “Report,” the general said in an icy tone. “Where's the Weaponsmaster? Was your mission successful?” The older of the two looked up at the general, his eyes bloodshot. Kan'nar closed his eyes and knew the awful truth before it was said. Grief welled up in his chest, grief and rage. “He succeeded, General, at a great cost. The explosives were placed where they should be; once the Shadows use their weapons, they will explode within their own compound. The Weaponsmaster escaped from them...but he was gravely wounded.” The man took a deep breath, his voice suddenly failed him. It took him several attempts before he whispered, “He wanted you to know the Shadows have four platforms and they plan to launch them tonight.” Hu'fase closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. “Then there is no time to waste. Master Builder!” “General!” Kan'nar replied, his voice harsh but steady. His hand gripped the edge of the tactical table so hard his knuckles were white. “Consult with the scouts and turn the platforms to face the Shadows. We will hit them first and destroy them utterly. With the Gods' blessing, we should hit some of their platforms and ignite them. The explosions should be visible even here.” Hu'fase turned to his advisors. “Assemble the troops. We march tonight and strike the final blow.” “Yes, General!” the men shouted. Hu'fase drew his sword and held it aloft. “For Dom'ni!” “For Dom'ni!” Kan'nar hurriedly consulted with the scouts and directed his men to move the platforms into position. He saw Hu'fase coming towards him with long strides; the green eyes were as cold as Dom'ni's had been, and there would be no mercy. There was something else in the general's expression that frightened Kan'nar even more. “Leen'da,” Kan'nar said quietly. “She's probably heard the news by now.” “Yes,” Hu'fase whispered. “The news will break her heart.” “Her child...and Dom'ni's?” The general's mouth tightened. “It's up to the Gods now.” Kan'nar swallowed hard and knew Hu'fase was right. The guilt and grief in his eyes were mirrored within Hu'fase's own. “Joh'leen will keep her safe.” “Yes.” Hu'fase said. He clapped the Master Builder on the shoulder. “Launch the projectiles at moonrise, Kan'nar. We end this tonight.” “And you?” His expression showed no emotion. “I'll be at the front of our troops. I owe Dom'ni a great debt...and a great penance.” Before Kan'nar could question that last statement, he turned and strode away without looking back. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Kan'nar shook his head and returned to his men. The sense of unease gnawed at him; a horrible dread lingered at the back of his mind. Keep her safe, Joh'leen, he silently pleaded. Keep her safe. The Healer returned to the Lady Leen'da's chamber with another dose of her potions. Her assistant kept watch at the door. No one was to disturb Lady Leen'da or Lady Joh'leen under any circumstances, save for the Healer. She raised her eyebrows at the silence. “No one has disturbed them,” said her assistant. “It has been utterly quiet.” “Too quiet,” the Healer replied. “Open the door.” They both entered the chamber together. The Healer withdrew the curtain around Lady Leen'da's bed. The sight made her drop the precious beaker of medicine; it shattered on the tile floor. For the Lady Joh'leen lay in peaceful repose at Lady Leen'da's side, eyes closed, her hand clasping Leen'da's, and her face drained of all color. |
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