Page 159 of Return of the Nine

She flicked her fingers across the screen. “The origins of the Balance, since Vida is married to one.”

She set the volume down as low as she could and still hear it and settled in to watch the documentary. She might be able to make her way to the People of the Air if she kept her focus. With her blood singing in an urge to action, focus was all that kept her from screaming with tension.

Chapter Seven

One meal and a gearing up later, Ianka was ready to land on the moon base.

The moon had the same profile as Gaia and the base was heavily fortified. The other nine ships were going to distract the Tokkel by engaging in direct confrontation while Derion’s ship skulked in through firefight and let their contingent onto the base.

From the moment they left the ship, Ianka would lead the way.

Uradik kept looking at her as they staged for the attack.

She raised her eyebrows. “Yes?”

“You are wearing weapons?”

“Yup. My kind don’t get taller with claws when confronted. I have to pack my own knives.” She may have overdone it, but wearing knives strapped to her calves and thighs was a comfort with her long blade riding in a leather harness down her back.

Morwil looked nervously at Derion. “We just think that your weaponry shows lack of faith in your mate.”

Derion sighed. “I have told you, she is not my mate, she is my charge.”

Ianka chuckled. “Even if he was my mate, I would not expect him to jump in front of me when danger rises. I will be leading the charge into the base, in search of the scents I am looking for. I will be in front, so having someone ahead of me distracting my senses is not a good idea.”

Everyone in the room nodded, and Derion turned to check the position of the other ships. With a quick barked command, theships mobilized and took up their attack formations.

Things were underway. Ianka pulled on the gloves and pulled up the hood for just this moment before heading out of the command deck and down to the cargo area where the rest of the Fury were waiting to land and surge into the base.

She grabbed a bar and held tight as the ship rocked as it entered the atmosphere. The warriors in the hold with her looked at her with curiosity, but she gave them the blank repelling stare that she had perfected, and they nodded and looked away.

Ianka had no idea what they saw when they looked into her features, but if they turned away in respect, that was good enough for her.

The ship pitched and rolled as gravity took hold, and they avoided the firefight that was now becoming audible with the atmosphere to carry the sound waves.

Derion arrived and his men snapped to a rocking attention. “Are you ready, Miss Senior?”

“Yes. Is the medic?”

“Yes. Dr. Meevin pulled a lot of strings to come along on this mission. She is ready and waiting to see what older Gaians look like.”

Ianka laughed and shifted her footing as the ship twisted again. “Just like me only wrinkled with greyer hair.”

The ship jolted, heaved and then set down with a thud.

Ianka and Derion moved to the door, and she pulled her thigh blades. The doors to the ship opened and they headed toward the base at a run.

North Senior asked, “What can you see, Maklin?”

“There are ships coming and one has landed, disgorging a lot of aliens with dark skin. Wait, there is a Gaian with them. A woman.”

North smiled, wishing that he could see his daughter’s approach. “What is she carrying?”

“Two huge knives, blonde hair, and an expression that reminds me of Beeda’s. Do you know her?”

North knew it was his Ianka. No other Gaian woman would have the guts to charge along next to aliens on a strange world. Well, guts or insanity. It was hard to tell with Eek. “It is my daughter, Ianka. Pass the word to cooperate with the aliens. They have finally found us and we are going home. Vida promised.”

The male researchers and females were housed separately, but the small com devices that Maklin Dorning had cobbled together let them speak at night when they felt the separation most keenly.

---