Joe?”
At full height, she was only five digs, same height as the average Ooreiki.
Even stretching, her nose was at about the same height as Joe’s left nipple.
She was stretching now. It didn’t make much difference. Joe still towered
over her.
“I didn’t,” Joe
said. “I scrambled it.”
She laughed.
“Really? Why?”
“Because I spent
the last two weeks AWOL, drinking myself into a stupor in every bar I came
across.”
Maggie flashed
him an irritated look. “I’ll have someone replace your tag for you.”
“How about you
let me out of this containment field before I cut off an elbow,” Joe said
pleasantly.
“I want to make
sure I have your complete attention,” Maggie said, through a forced smile.
“Actually, it’s
the proximity of the energy field to my ass that’s got my complete attention.”
“The Dhasha Vahlin
is on Neskfaat, Joe.”
Joe yanked his
eyes away from the glowing blue-black containment field to stare at her. The
Huouyt had been telling the truth?
Maggie saw the
shock in his face and nodded. “The Vahlin exists. And Bagkhal took up arms
with him. Against Congress.”
Joe felt the
breath slip out of his lungs. “ Bagkhal ?”
His mentor. His
friend. The only decent Dhasha that Joe had ever known. The only one who had
looked at Joe and seen anything other than food. Joe had served under him as a
recruit on Kophat, then again as an Overseer on Eeloir. Joe would have given
his life for him.
Maggie seemed to
find his reaction amusing. “Bagkhal and a hundred and thirty-three other
princes. Each one with dozens of side-dens, thousands of followers, and
millions of Takki. They’re carving out a section of space as we speak.”
“Bagkhal defected? ”
“Every Dhasha
within that sector defected. They’ve got a ban on all Dhasha travel in the
area, but some of them are still getting to Neskfaat anyway. Their numbers
increase with every day we wait.”
“Bagkhal
wouldn’t defect.”
Maggie’s reply
was a smug smile. “Your pet Dhasha commandeered the ship that was taking him
to his next assignment. Forced the pilot to set him down on Neskfaat. Then he
killed everyone on board.”
“He wouldn’t
defect.”
“We found his
ship last week when we began maintaining surface superiority on Neskfaat,”
Maggie said. She leaned back against her desk, watching him. “Search and
rescue teams took vidchips of Bagkhal killing the crew off the ship’s security
systems. Scale patterns match Bagkhal’s.”
Joe let out a
breath. “We’re so burned.”
“Excuse me?”
“Who’s the Vahlin?”
Joe said. “How did he get someone like Bagkhal to fight for him?”
“You know the
legend.”
“He’s a
reincarnate of the warlord that first subjugated the Takki,” Joe said. “Destined
to free the Dhasha from their ‘servitude.’ How about you let me out of this
cage now?”
“Why?” Maggie
laughed, plucking a cherry from the bowl on her desk and popping it into her
mouth. Spitting out the seed into a bowl beside her, she smiled at him and
said, “So you can run off and your Second can go bring you back again?”
Joe stiffened.
“Yes,” she said,
a malicious grin forming on her face, “I knew about that.”
“Then why—”
“Because I’m
smarter than you, Joe,” she said, taking another cherry. “I knew you fried
your tag.” She put it between her lips and pulled the fruit free of the stem.
Joe groaned.
“Why’d you leave the Huouyt locked in his room?”
Maggie spat out
the seed and grinned. Shoving herself from her desk, she strode over to him
almost seductively. “Because I wanted a few private moments with you.” She
smiled and made as if to stroke his chest, only she did it six ninths away from
the blue-black barrier. “It’s been so long since we’ve talked.”
“Cut the furgsoot
and send me to the brig. You keep me here much longer and I’m
At full height, she was only five digs, same height as the average Ooreiki.
Even stretching, her nose was at about the same height as Joe’s left nipple.
She was stretching now. It didn’t make much difference. Joe still towered
over her.
“I didn’t,” Joe
said. “I scrambled it.”
She laughed.
“Really? Why?”
“Because I spent
the last two weeks AWOL, drinking myself into a stupor in every bar I came
across.”
Maggie flashed
him an irritated look. “I’ll have someone replace your tag for you.”
“How about you
let me out of this containment field before I cut off an elbow,” Joe said
pleasantly.
“I want to make
sure I have your complete attention,” Maggie said, through a forced smile.
“Actually, it’s
the proximity of the energy field to my ass that’s got my complete attention.”
“The Dhasha Vahlin
is on Neskfaat, Joe.”
Joe yanked his
eyes away from the glowing blue-black containment field to stare at her. The
Huouyt had been telling the truth?
Maggie saw the
shock in his face and nodded. “The Vahlin exists. And Bagkhal took up arms
with him. Against Congress.”
Joe felt the
breath slip out of his lungs. “ Bagkhal ?”
His mentor. His
friend. The only decent Dhasha that Joe had ever known. The only one who had
looked at Joe and seen anything other than food. Joe had served under him as a
recruit on Kophat, then again as an Overseer on Eeloir. Joe would have given
his life for him.
Maggie seemed to
find his reaction amusing. “Bagkhal and a hundred and thirty-three other
princes. Each one with dozens of side-dens, thousands of followers, and
millions of Takki. They’re carving out a section of space as we speak.”
“Bagkhal defected? ”
“Every Dhasha
within that sector defected. They’ve got a ban on all Dhasha travel in the
area, but some of them are still getting to Neskfaat anyway. Their numbers
increase with every day we wait.”
“Bagkhal
wouldn’t defect.”
Maggie’s reply
was a smug smile. “Your pet Dhasha commandeered the ship that was taking him
to his next assignment. Forced the pilot to set him down on Neskfaat. Then he
killed everyone on board.”
“He wouldn’t
defect.”
“We found his
ship last week when we began maintaining surface superiority on Neskfaat,”
Maggie said. She leaned back against her desk, watching him. “Search and
rescue teams took vidchips of Bagkhal killing the crew off the ship’s security
systems. Scale patterns match Bagkhal’s.”
Joe let out a
breath. “We’re so burned.”
“Excuse me?”
“Who’s the Vahlin?”
Joe said. “How did he get someone like Bagkhal to fight for him?”
“You know the
legend.”
“He’s a
reincarnate of the warlord that first subjugated the Takki,” Joe said. “Destined
to free the Dhasha from their ‘servitude.’ How about you let me out of this
cage now?”
“Why?” Maggie
laughed, plucking a cherry from the bowl on her desk and popping it into her
mouth. Spitting out the seed into a bowl beside her, she smiled at him and
said, “So you can run off and your Second can go bring you back again?”
Joe stiffened.
“Yes,” she said,
a malicious grin forming on her face, “I knew about that.”
“Then why—”
“Because I’m
smarter than you, Joe,” she said, taking another cherry. “I knew you fried
your tag.” She put it between her lips and pulled the fruit free of the stem.
Joe groaned.
“Why’d you leave the Huouyt locked in his room?”
Maggie spat out
the seed and grinned. Shoving herself from her desk, she strode over to him
almost seductively. “Because I wanted a few private moments with you.” She
smiled and made as if to stroke his chest, only she did it six ninths away from
the blue-black barrier. “It’s been so long since we’ve talked.”
“Cut the furgsoot
and send me to the brig. You keep me here much longer and I’m
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