The Seek (6 page)

But Jedro held his ground, like a rooster cocked for a fight. ‘He’s been a long time gone now,’ he said. ‘Sometime soon you might have to stop worshipping at his altar. I’m just sayin — ’

‘You’re just sayin’ something I don’t want to hear about someone — ’

‘Kyntura, you don’t owe him anything.’ Jedro sighed again. ‘He was a great man. And my friend. But anything he did for you, you’ve well and truly paid him back, paid us all back a hundred times over. Maybe you should think about what comes next. You’ve been lucky, so damned lucky. The missions you’ve run, the narrow escapes. And God only knows you’re the best damned Magister we have. But this is too hard, all this shit. I know what it does to you.’

‘It does that shit to all of us,’ she complained, feeling suddenly very thirsty and very tired of this conversation.

‘It does,’ he agreed. ‘But it’s not so personal for all of us.’

‘What’s more personal than saving your own ass?’ She tried hard to work out where he was going with this.

He held up his hands as though to ward her off. ‘I know you, Kyntura,’ he said finally. ‘I know this is about Pietr. You’ve paid any debt you ever owed him.’

He didn’t know. The fact that he could say that…he really didn’t get it. This wasn’t paying your dues.

This was survival.

How else did anyone manage, out here all alone?

How did you manage but through fight and pain? What else was there?

Pietr had known, he’d seen it in her. The spark that was like him. He’d fostered it. He didn’t enlist her to put her to work. He did it to stop her from going mad.

And even then, it was a close-run thing most days.

Kyn closed her eyes and remembered Pietr’s big, craggy face. And then, as always, the faces of the others wanted to press in as well. But she couldn’t afford that right now. Not while Jedro was staring her down and wanting answers; wanting her to…what? Take it easy? Chill out? Go take some cushy job on Mother Earth 10? Some geriatric home for washed up Avengers? She shuddered.

Kyn knew there was no place in the whole universe she belonged, but Avenger HQ was the place she stuck out the least. She flexed her hands above her head, stretching out the muscles that were aching from the punishment she had inflicted on them at the bag. ‘Thanks for the advice, Gramps, but I’m all good for psycho-babble today.’

She jogged over to the coolie and pushed a black button — a hydration tube slid out and she bit the top off and swallowed it in two gulps, relishing the cool wetness slide through her blood. When she turned back, she noticed Jedro was still there. If that was not unusual enough, he was fidgeting. A man like Jedro did not waste time in small talk and visitation, or precious energy in fiddling. She groaned. ‘What else?’

He laughed, and stilled his fluttery hands. ‘Whatcha mean?’

‘What, you here for my sparkling conversation? You’re standing there like a teenage girl waiting for her prom date.’
Cut to the chase, Jedro, we’ve known each other too long
.

‘I’ve got someone I want you to meet.’

***

It was impossible for Kyn to believe she had ever been that young. She knew the girl had to be at least eighteen because she was standing before her in Avenger red, but still Kyn’s brain would not compute the fact of it. She was too baby-faced, too darned cute. Her sharp black bob grazed her jawline with military precision, but everything else about her screamed
girl
. Wide blue eyes blinked, assessing, as she studied Kyn studying her. Deep designer dimples punctured each full cheek. A wee snub nose wrinkled fetchingly.

Kyn shook her head, trying to make sense of Jedro’s words as she moved from the girl’s face to her body.
Meet your new recruit
.

The girl’s cuteness pretty much ended at her chin. Her body was hard and strong — she wasn’t as tall as Amazonian Kyn, but the red suit afforded a clear view of her fitness. She had the natural musculature and lines for which all Avengers were chosen, with one difference: the severe uniform went no way to hiding the swell of her breasts.

Kyn’s eyes flicked to Jedro’s. ‘No way.’

He stuck out his chin and nodded. ‘Way.’

‘You telling me it’s an order?’

The General hesitated, then nodded. ‘Yep.’

Kyn could feel a petulant whine rise up inside her and tamped it down. She was the worst person to train this girl; the very worst. Kyntura would not go well for her. She would be far better off if she was trained by one of the men. Otherwise, there would always be this: they gave her to the girl. It would always hang over her. Did Jedro think she couldn’t remember her own training? Avenger Basic is brutal enough. But for a girl — the only girl, ever — it had been a whole other thing altogether.

The only thing that had stopped them from killing her during Basic was Pietr. And even then it had been a close call.

‘Why me?’

Jedro shrugged. ‘Because you’re the best.’

‘And why does she need the best?’

This time he guffawed. ‘Aw come off it, Captain, you think this is going to be easy for her?’

Bitter acid rose in Kyn’s throat, and she stared hard into the girl’s blue eyes. No, she didn’t think it was going to be easy for her. In fact, she knew damn well just how hard it was going to be for her. From bitter, bitter experience. ‘Do I look like I care?’

The General waved the girl towards the small ante room he had called her out from. She turned sharply on her heel and stalked back quickly. When she was gone, he started again. ‘You should care.’

‘Why? Because of some freakin’ sisterhood? All girls together? Maybe we could do a sleepover, have a pillow fight?’ Kyn imagined her hand lashing out to strike Jedro’s implacable face.

She let herself visualise it, savour it a moment. It would be so satisfying, to strike this brilliant, infuriating man, because she could tell by the set of his chin and that tell-tale tic just under his right eye that he wasn’t budging.

The General stood straight and tall, almost at attention. ‘Because she’s good, real good. And she could be even better.’

‘Who says?’

‘Asha.’

The breath fled Kyn’s lungs. Her heart squeezed painfully as she tried to make her senses steady themselves.
Fuck you, Jedro
. ‘Asha?’

Jedro nodded slowly.

‘You’ve been talking to him?’

The General nodded again.

Kyn closed her eyes. Asha. Asha and Tabi. And Symon. Symon. Her eyes flicked open again and she forced her voice to casual. Like she discussed the only people she had left, the people she hadn’t seen in ten years, all the time. ‘Where’d he find her?’

‘Her family were slaughtered — down at one of the trading posts. They were Traders. She was the only one who survived.’

Kyn said nothing, her brain whirring and creaking to take it all in.
Asha
.

Jedro pushed into the silence. ‘He saw her fighting. No, training. Said he’s never seen anything like it.’

Kyn grunted. ‘If she’s just lost her family, it’s all the more reason she doesn’t need this.’

Jedro raised an eyebrow at her, but Kyn would not squirm. They both knew what he knew about her. He didn’t need to spell it out. ‘Why don’t you just take a look at her?’

Kyn grunted again. ‘I just did. Cute. Nice dimples. Sure she’d make a great repopulator. Least plenty of New Earth boys would love the chance to repopulate with her.’

The General rolled his eyes. ‘A real look.’ He motioned to the training rounds. ‘In here.’

Kyn rubbed her hand over her eyes, suddenly feeling the weariness of the day crash across her. ‘So we take girls now?’

That eyebrow of his again: ironic, challenging.

But she wasn’t having it. ‘I don’t count.’

Jedro opened his palms. ‘You not a girl?’

Kyn shook her head. ‘Nope. I’m a killer.’

Jedro nodded. ‘And so is she.’

Kyn imagined her hand lashing out to punch some sense into him again. ‘You didn’t answer my question: We take girls now? The Council has decided?’

Jedro avoided her eyes. ‘Maybe,’ he said finally. ‘Maybe we’ve lost the luxury of choice.’

Kyn knew what he was saying. The losses had been heavy this last year. If they didn’t shore up their vientium stores soon, maybe even have some luck with The Seek, things were going to get more grim than they’d been for the last seventeen years.

‘So this is a test? See if the girl thing might work? No pressure on the poor little bitch then?’ Kyn’s palms itched thinking about the way they played with people.

‘No,’ Jedro said, but he looked like he wasn’t entirely sure. ‘It’s just training. For a new Avenger.’

She played her last card. ‘Okay, so she’s got some potential. You guys like what you see.’ She swallowed hard. ‘Asha liked what he saw. So why give her to me? It won’t go well for her. What she needs is credibility, not to be seen as being given a mommy.’

Jedro guffawed again. ‘Jesus H Christ, you really have no idea how you’re seen around here, do you? You really think people are going to see you as a free pass?’

‘I didn’t mean that.’

‘Yeah, well, you just leave the management decisions to me. Captain.’ Jedro didn’t pull rank much, but when he did he didn’t try and be all sneaky-subtle about it. She was surprised he hadn’t pulled out his real trump card. The thing he always had over her. It would have been so easy.

So she focused on logistics. ‘How would this work? I’ve got the next group coming online in a week. She going to slot in there?’

‘I’m giving the new group to Tyberus.’

Kyn’s eyes narrowed to slits. ‘That fat oaf?’

‘Captain,’ Jedro snapped, his eyes revealing he was just about losing patience with her rebellion.

Kyn cast her eyes down. ‘Sorry, Sir.’

‘Tyberus will do a good job.’ He paused. ‘A good enough job. He’ll get it done. And you will focus on training the girl.’

‘Yes, General,’ she muttered mutinously. Then she looked up at him again. ‘Which group will she join?’

‘The sixty-eighters. She’ll take Pyten’s place.’

Kyn’s stomach somersaulted unhappily. ‘That’s not a good idea. That group has bonded. They — ’

‘Kyn.’ Jedro’s voice was soft but sharp. ‘You’ll work it out. Make it work. They go to Sector Five in two weeks.’

Kyn’s jaw dropped open. ‘Two weeks? I have two weeks to train her?’

Jedro nodded brutally, and she knew the show of force was a cover for his discomfort.

‘From scratch? How can I do that? And bond her with the group, while they’re running prep missions?’

‘You’ll find a way, Kyn,’ he said. ‘You always do.’

The General was done talking. He stepped towards Kyn and patted her roughly on the shoulder. Their eyes were level as he looked into her face, his expression serious. ‘Find a way, Kyn. We need her.’

Kyn shrugged as Jedro walked away. ‘Sure, so I guess I’ll find a way.’

***

The girl stood at attention, facing Kyn. Her eyes were focused on a spot slightly above Kyn’s right shoulder, and her face was impassively respectful.

Kyn stood a few feet away from her, her arms folded across her chest, watching and thinking. She was in no rush. She knew she had to get it right. The first conversation was so important. But she’d never done it like this before. It was always to the group, and teaching them, from the very first, to think like a group, as well as thinking about the need and difficulty of saving their own skins while they did the things they had to do.

So she had no intention of rushing.

And for her part, the girl seemed unperturbed by her examination. She kept her eyes focused, her body poised.

Kyn ran through approaches. She knew Magisters who began with a beating — believed in the importance of teaching survival and the superior skill and knowledge of the Magister from the get-go. Others liked a little commiseration. You’ve been handed a crappy hand in the New Earth lottery, et cetera.

But this was different. Could she suppose this girl had volunteered? The story about Asha seemed to suggest it was possible.

Kyn ran a hand through her blonde buzz cut, deciding finally on a course. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Mirren.’ The girl’s voice was deep and raspy; an unusual sound, but not an unattractive one.

‘How old are you?’

‘Seventeen.’ Her eyes flicked up to Kyn’s at this, clearly checking if she would meet opposition.

Jesus. How many rules were they going to break for this girl?

‘And what’s my name?’ Might as well start as we mean to go on.

‘Magister.’ Mirren said it simply, as though it was a no-brainer. A small frown appeared between her eyes.

Kyn mirrored it. ‘Did the General tell you to say that?’

The girl paused. ‘Yes,’ she said.

Kyn smiled inside, both at Jedro’s attempts to school the girl to her liking, and also at her honesty. ‘What else did he tell you?’

The girl met Kyn’s eyes again. Hers were a startling blue. They reminded Kyn of the sky, back in the old days. ‘He said you’d refuse to take me,’ she said. ‘At first. And that he might have to order you to do it. But that I shouldn’t take it personally.’

Kyn tried to imagine the last time Jedro gave a shit about anyone taking anything personally. What the hell was so special about this girl?

Kyn grunted. ‘What did you say to that?’

The girl paused, and Kyn was sure she saw her chin set beneath those easy dimples. ‘I told him I didn’t want you anyway.’

Kyn’s internal smile grew, and she cautioned herself to get a grip. ‘Enough with the flattery,’ she said. ‘You’ll turn my head.’

The girl said nothing, but she shifted her weight the tiniest fraction on the spot. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to offend you.’

The two women stared at each other. Finally, Kyn broke. ‘So why not?’

The girl shrugged. ‘I don’t want it to be a thing.’ She motioned at her breasts and then waved a hand in Kyn’s direction. ‘I wanted to come here, but not because of you.’ She went on hurriedly. ‘I mean, not especially because of you.’

‘S’okay, I get it,’ Kyn said. Oh boy, did she get it. ‘So you…volunteered?’

Mirren nodded.

‘You do know that’s not normally how this goes down, right?’

The girl nodded again.