Finding Darkness

Chapter 49 It's not nice to spy.

"I want to know the instant there is any, and I mean any, change from that room. I don't have time to stay down here, or I would understand." Once the Captain found him, he gave him his orders.

"I'll tell you if anything changes as soon as I notice it. But I would like to move them both to another medical bay. The power has become unreliable in this one."

"Do what you think is best, Doctor. Just try to keep her here. If she leaves, notify me immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain, we have an emergency distress signal from the Salmez."

"Put it through, officer." Vapade signaled with his right hand to put the transmission up on the main viewer. The tech nodded and seconds later a very distorted image appeared.

"This is captain Tistrak of the Salmez. The Ganthoris is gone. We had nothing to withstand the trap they sprung. My ship is at under half power, ventral stabilization gone. We've continued a port spin we began before we jumped. Get everything clear of our flight path. I'm not even sure we'll be able to stay out of the planet's gravity, if we get back at all." The scene behind Tistrak was one of utter chaos. Consoles spat cascades of sparks across his bridge, bodies slumped where they had fallen, or were slumped at their stations. Black smoke obscured much of what Vapade could see.

"What happened to them?" His now second in command asked, more to himself than anyone in particular.

Vapade looked out one of the many bridge windows at the slice of space he knew the Nest rested in. Even though he couldn't see it from so great a distance, he knew it was there. What had that ship done to not one, but two of the mightiest ships his species had ever created?

With a curt nod, he left his second in command of the bridge, spun on his heals and stalked towards Thargoan's state room. Whether he liked it or not, that immature moron was loved by many of the crew members aboard the five remaining undamaged vessels in their fleet. He could not afford to disillusion them at this critical juncture. They needed to be united against this new threat. If it called for him to sacrifice some of his pride, so be it. He didn't get where he was by being stupid. He would swallow his pride for the good of his men. Thargoan would gloat as he always had. He was too sure of his own position, as always. But once they got this fleet home, and he gave Thargoan's sire his secret report, then things would change. Thargoan would never see it coming until it was too late. Besides, pride was such a small thing to hold onto when real power was so much more of an alluring goal.

"We need to check his stitches." Tamar heard the words first, then their tone, almost pleading.

She had no idea how long she'd been asleep. Being where she was, she really didn't care how much time had passed, as long as she was where she was.

"I'm here to do his two hour check. Could I come in please?" There was that voice again.

Poking her head from under the thin sheet, all she could see was black, jet black. Then her memory began to work again. She'd sealed the room the only way she could think of, with darkness. Tamar had pulled all the blackness from her past and gave it physical form. It had come to her as naturally as taking her next breath.

"You need to bring the barrier down so that nurse Aslet can make sure how Malachi is doing." A voice in her head had her sitting up, pulling the sheet along with her.

"But Mal's fine. If he wasn't, I'd know." She began to pull her head back under the sheet, then stopped.

"Who said that?" The darkness faded in an instant and she scanned the room for threats, knowing someone had just spoken to her from way too close.