"I don't see any other way," Mara said. "Khediva can't go into Reissian space, particularly space that is disrupted by Pharon crystal. I can't transport myself there for the same reason. An escape pod will get me there in one piece."
"It is the going there part I have concerns with," Tirqwin retorted. "You will not be functional in that environment, and you know it, Mara. You will only give the retrieval team another person to worry about."
"Someone must break the hold the Pharon crystal has on Niavar," Mara said. "Otherwise we will still be at risk for whatever Malvarak plans next. I am the only person who can do that."
"Then we'll all go," Scotty said.
"No." Mara folded her arms. "I need you outside the sphere of contamination, so that we have somewhere to escape to."
"You don't need me for that," Scotty persisted. "I'm going with you."
"This is not your responsibility," Mara snapped.
"Bullshit! The reason—the only reason—Ford is down there instead of off enjoying himself somewhere is the deal you made with Homeworld to save my life. You put your son at risk for me. I live with that every day. And if you think that I'm going to let you face the consequences by yourself, I wonder why you bothered to save me at all!"
Scotty's voice had risen to a near-shout, and his last words echoed slightly on the control deck. Mara folded her arms, but he refused to back down from her glare. Finally she sighed. "I agreed to that deal because I could not bear to lose any more of my family," she said softly. "That has not changed. To have Niavar and Sabrina at risk is more than enough; I will add no one else. Besides, Scotty, you are partly Wayfarer now. The crystal will affect you far worse than before. You will not be functional for very long, and you will be one more person for me to worry about. I cannot afford the burden."
"I could hold out longer than Tirqwin or Aurora," Scotty argued. "As you just got done pointing out, I sent a non-allied civilian from my home planet into this mess. I can't stand to have done that and not be willing to go myself!"
"Your willingness is established. I will not permit it," Mara said firmly.
"Mara," Tirqwin said, "think about what you risk. Think about our newborn daughter and what will happen to her if you become far enough out of phase with the Great Crystal."
Mara looked stricken. "I have thought about it," she said. "I would not wish the age acceleration on anyone, much less my own child. But I cannot sacrifice Niavar either." She bit her lip, then reached for Aurora's hand. "If the worst happens, I rely on you to guide Seuréa."
Aurora drew in a sharp breath, looking shaken. Mara continued, with a small smile, "You had best avail yourself of Scotty's help in the endeavor. He has been through it before."
Aurora swallowed hard. "You always have my best effort, Your Majesty."
"Mara," Tirqwin said, a note of despair under the sharp tone.
Mara looked at him silently for a moment, releasing Aurora's hand. Then she said, "You must all understand. This sort of thing is exactly why there is a Guardian in the first place—why there is a Great Crystal: to counter threats to the Miahn people and our allies. This is the greatest threat we have faced since the Xoentrols. I cannot refuse to deal with it to spare your feelings or because of my other responsibilities, much as I might like to."
"This is also exactly why Malvarak has done this," Tirqwin pointed out. "To draw you into a confrontation, one he thinks you will lose. We should not do what he expects us to!"
"How can a confrontation be avoided?" Mara demanded. "Do we simply allow our son to run amok in the galaxy, wielding this ancient and evil power under the direction of an insane man? How can I reconcile that with any of my commitments? I do not exist to defend myself, Tirqwin. I exist to serve the people of Praxatillus, Miahns everywhere, our allies, and the welfare of the galaxy at large. I am not my own woman, and you knew that when you met me. You taught it to me!"
She paused to catch her breath, then continued in a calmer tone. "You beg me not to do this to spare our daughter. I tell you that I must do it for your first and best-loved child: Sabrina. Do you have any idea what is happening to her in the Emperor's control, under his influence? Are you willing to see her—the essence of who she is—erased simply to avoid risking me? Can you bear for the instrument of that erasure to be our son—our firstborn, whom we had to fight so hard to keep?"
There was an awful silence before Tirqwin said hoarsely, "Sabrina is not my best-loved child. I love them all equally. You know that."
Mara made an impatient throw-away gesture. "You are certainly closer to her than to any of the others. She made you into the father you are, despite—or maybe because of—the fact that she is not your child."
"This is—" Tirqwin broke off in distress. "Are you implying this situation is my fault? I certainly admit I bear some of the blame! It is my kinsman out there wreaking all this harm. I cannot forget that!"
"This is not about blame, even if I did hold you responsible for Malvarak—which I most certainly do not!" Mara said. "This is about making you see that I must go and deal with this."
Tirqwin's mouth twisted in a grimace. "Yes, I do see that. I simply wish you did not insist on making this into a duel. You have resources—use them. Take Scotty—he can deal with whatever impediments you encounter on your way to Niavar and Malvarak and allow you to save your energy. You can send him back when he is overcome, or turn him over to the retrieval team."
Scotty, who had been standing by uncomfortably, brightened. "He's right—I can take out anybody gunning for you on our way in. I won't get in your way."
Mara sighed, rolling her eyes. "All right. In the spirit of compromise, and to speed things along, I will take Scotty. On condition that we leave now!"
"I'll grab my kit—meet you at the pods!" Scotty said.
——————————
Cynthia was so startled that she nearly tripped when Danask's voice sounded in her helmet. "Doctor Grayson! Are you receiving?"
"Yes. We're still free and running."
"I need your help. Wilmik's been hit. It's bad. Find some cover and stay put—I have you on my tracker now. We're bringing him to you."
Cynthia looked around. Ahead of her, Sabrina was scrambling over a boulder, one of many strewn around the rocky slope they were on. "Okay." Opening her faceplate, she shouted, "Sabrina! We've got to stop for a minute and find some cover."
Sabrina paused and half-turned, shooting her friend a look that Cynthia recognized with gratitude. "We can't stop! He'll find us!"
"Help's on the way. We have to let them catch up to us."
"No one can help us," Sabrina said.
"If there's no hope, why are we running?" Cynthia said. "Here. Looks like a little cave. We'll stop here—just for a little bit."
Sabrina looked mutinous, but the ingrained obedience of her imposed personality won out. She dropped to the floor of the small opening in the rock and accepted Cynthia's canteen silently. She tensed when running footsteps became audible, but Cynthia ducked her head out and called, "Danask?"
"Here—he's hurt!" Danask cried.
Cynthia hurried over to where Wilmik was slumped between Danask and Bendei and helped them maneuver him into the cave. Relieved of his burden, Bendei immediately grabbed his rifle again and took up a position at the mouth of the cave.
"He's bleeding badly—his suit's really damaged," Danask gasped out. "It's not staunching it."
Cynthia had her medkit open and was looking for the largest pressure bandage. She located it and fixed it to the bloody mess that was Wilmik's right side. "Guess these suits aren't rated for Reissian weapons."
Danask tried to calm herself. "We haven't met them in personal combat in a very long time. Wait until I get my hands on our Intelligence people! Can you save him?"
Cynthia didn't want to admit that she didn't fully understand the scanner she was using. "I think so. It's bad, but the bleeding's slowing down, and I don't think any of his major organs is compromised. He's got to stay put, though."
"We have to go!" Sabrina cried. "He'll find us!"
"Who?" Danask asked, looking at her for the first time.
"The Emperor!"
Danask huffed in disbelief. "You actually think we can outrun him? On foot?"
Sabrina shook her head. "As long as I'm running, I can keep my mind clear. When I start thinking, he can hear me. He can find me!"
Cynthia and Danask exchanged glances. Cynthia said, "Go with her, both of you. I don't think they'll bother us—neither of us is any threat. You can come back for us after you've gotten her away."
Danask hesitated, then laid a hand on Wilmik's shoulder and closed her eyes as if in pain. Then she straightened. "All right. Good luck, Doctor."
"I'll try to bring him back to you," Cynthia said softly. "Just get Sabrina off this damn planet."
Danask nodded. "Bendei, we're moving out. My lady?"
Sabrina startled, looking to Cynthia in puzzlement. Cynthia said, "They're going to help you run. Go on. I'll find you later."
Sabrina nodded. "Thank you," she breathed. Then she followed Danask out of the cave.
——————————
Amoret paused, hearing voices below. Her suit told her some half-dozen people were on the ground level in a large room, aside from Ricar, whose signal came from several rooms away. She doubled-checked her stunner—no sense ending a promising career by needlessly killing a prince—and started down the steps, careful to make no noise.
"She cannot get far, Your Majesty," someone was saying. "Our patrols will find her. Do not distress yourself."
"But why did she run? What did you say to her?" another voice demanded.
Amoret noted that Ricar was drawing closer, on the other side of the room from the staircase. If they timed it right, they would have a nice crossfire set up. The trick was going to be taking out the Reissians and the prince before getting hit themselves. She checked her helmet's targeting display—it was still not able to discern species for some reason. Only visual confirmation would tell her the difference, and she would have less than a second to choose targets.
"Nothing, Your Majesty. She said she was tired, that she would rest for a while, and I left her alone."
"She promised me she would stay!"
Amoret peeked around the corner, catching a glimpse of the two speakers. The others were scattered around the room—guards, she thought. She checked on Ricar's position, then heard a tapping over her helmet com. Once, twice, then three times. On the last tap, Amoret jumped down the last stairs and began firing, concentrating on the guards along the walls as she heard Ricar do the same.
A sudden blast of energy slammed her into the banister, and she slid to the floor, blinking hard. Thought we got them all....
"Majesty!" she heard.
"You deal with this. I have to find Kesta!"
The last speaker vanished, leaving the other to scowl at the wall. Amoret summoned her last bit of strength, raised her stunner, and fired. Then she slumped into unconsciousness without seeing whether she had hit him.