Collateral Trade Read online

  Collateral Trade

  by Candace Smith

  Copyright 2011 Candace Smith

  Published by Strict Publishing International

  The Atlantis Series by Candace Smith

  Miranda’s Destiny

  Harvesting Rue

  Slip-Stream I – The Gunslingers

  Cassandra’s Pirate – a Slip-Stream Novel

  Collateral Trade

  Prelude

  “Calm down Isari.” Rue watched her strong warrior husband pace around the bridge of the battleship, threading his fingers through his long wild dark hair. Through his opened black vest she watched the broad bronzed muscles of his chest glowing with a faint sheen of sweat. Rue rarely saw her warrior in such a state, but even Varpin seemed to be nervous… and he never lost his cool. That is, unless it concerned Dawn. Varpin was a mess where his mate was concerned.

  Rue wandered in Varpin’s direction. “So, who is this Ancient again?”

  “She’s the last of the Atlantian bloodline.” Isari stopped, put his hands on Rue’s shoulders, and his pitch eyes lit with excitement. “She’s the most important leader in the Realm. Her husband single-handedly battled the corrupt Magistrates and Royal Guard to assure her position and return to power.”

  Rue was fairly certain part of this story had been exaggerated. The Lamerian warriors tended to embellish anything to do with battle. As their planet was so close to the Outer Worlds, news became diluted as it passed between spacecraft. Thoughts of Lameria distracted Rue for a moment, and she wondered how her ‘Earth’ sisters were assimilating on planet with their mates. A brief vision of the Birthing Temple and its white crystal pillars, beautiful fountains… Rue sighed.

  “And she has summoned us,” Isari blurted, jolting her back to the current crisis.

  Every warrior on board stormed through the halls with chests puffed proudly and pretending to be headed towards important destinations. Rue knew the battleship was kept to high efficient standards, and she heard several of the intimidating men assuring eachother the starships were ready for a horrendous space battle to protect the Ancient Celestial. They kept finding excuses to go to the shuttle bay and check them for the hundredth time, anyway.

  Isari looked over Rue’s head and scanned the star chart’s holograph display shimmering in front of Varpin’s moving hands.

  “Nothing.” Varpin turned to look up at him. “I see nothing but the Vallasterian battlships surrounding the planet.” Varpin had checked impossibly small pieces of floating space rock, searching for rogue ships that could never manage to hide behind the debris.

  “Nothing is hidden behind the moons?” Isari’s low growl was filled with suspicion, and he wished he could bat the cold marbles out of the way. He was certain he would find the enemy hiding in skulking relics of old ships, intent to converge on the Ancient Celestial’s planet.

  “There is nothing, Commander. Did the communication give any indication concerning our summons?”

  The communication had been a brief, one sentence summons… passed through Ebby, of all people. The medic had been a close ally to the Lamerians and along with her natural compassion and instincts she was not adverse to a bit of intrigue. She mastered ‘Old Code’, something that had not been used in the Realm for centuries. Isari and Ebby used this method of communication to discuss questionable Realm policies concerning mainly the unjust restrictions of the Frital Union.

  When the communicator in their cabin buzzed that morning, Isari smiled and figured Ebby was going to try to convince him to enter the Outer Worlds to rescue some small craft marooned without food and crammed to the bulkhead with desparate passengers trying to escape some chaotic planet. Most of the Outer World planets were chaotic, primitive, and stubborn. Even the world Rue came from was so disrupted with a multitude of crazy leaders intent on destroying their planet, Isari figured Earth was on a quick path to extinction.

  Instead, he scanned through diverging logs and lists playing Ebby’s game of hiding her cryptic communication until he finally faced her pale face on the screen. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Isari, the Ancient Celestial has summoned you to Vallasteria.”

  At first, he was certain he had not heard her correctly. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Commander Zulien’s request was passed to me through Ballion.” Ebby smiled. “The poor Minoc’s scales were quivering at the thought of passing such an important communication, but he assured me this was all he knew.”

  “Did they request our full regiment of battleships?” Isari could not figure out another reason for such a summons of the Lamerian Commander, if not to aid them in some sort of battle.

  Ebby shrugged. “No. The specific summons was for you and your mate.”

  Isari glance down at Rue. She was sitting on the carpet, busy helping Imeria and Tipilla search through their holograph screen. She found a rather static transmission of a purple dinosaur dancing and singing across a room which seemed to delight both the children… until Imeria asked if the creature was related to Ballion. “No, Minoc’s are green.” Rue realized the children did not know they were looking at a puppet and not a real species.

  Isari turned back to Ebby. “Rue? No, I will be putting her and the rest of the mates on planet. I will not risk bringing them across the Realm if there is to be a battle.”

  Rue had been half-listening to Isari and Ebby. She looked up and said, “Not a chance, big guy. If we’re finally going to do something exciting, I’m in on it.”

  “You need to care for our children.”

  “I’m supposed to come along, Isari. I don’t think whatever they want is going to be dangerous.”

  “It is the only reason they would ask for Lamerian warriors,” Isari announced.

  “They did not ask for Lamerian warriors. They asked for you and me.” Rue’s brown eyes gazed up at him until Tipilla began yanking on her long blonde braid.

  “Mama, who is that?” His pudgy finger pointed at the screen.

  Rue glanced at a giant yellow bird with ping-pong ball eyes. Tipilla squealed with laughter. “I wanna’ go there.” He rose on his little legs and ran to his father. “Papa, go to the yellow vistan bird world?”

  Rue slipped her hand across the screen, giving up on the Earth learning programs and sliding to another program. She was staring at Isari again until Imeria screamed. On the holograph, a calm voice said, ‘… and the shark’s predatory nature tracks down its prey. Palm sized razor sharp teeth easily tear through the rough skin of the…’, Imeria had her hands over her eyes to avoid seeing the bloody carnage. “Oh, good grief.” Rue turned the screen off and stood. “Ebby, did Ballion say it would be dangerous?”

  “No, Rue. He merely transmitted the summons for you and Isari to travel to Vallasteria and meet with the Ancient.”

  Isari argued with Rue until Dawn knocked on their door to collect the children and take them to the play area. Rue gave her friend a brief rundown of the intriguing summons. She wanted to go with Isari to the bridge to see if they could discern more of the message, so Dawn wandered off with the children in tow.

  It took less than an hour for everyone on board to learn they were summoned by the Ancient Celestial. Although none of the Earth mates had any idea as to the significance of the summons, the distraught and distracted Lamerian warriors gave them a good indication it was pretty damn important.

  They passed quickly through space quadrants for several days, until they were finally greeted with a transmission from Vallasteria. The communication simply stated that Isari and his mate were to shuttle on planet.

  Dawn arranged for all their children to stay with another woman waiting for the birth of her first child. Her warrior husband stood guard at the door, swearing to protect his Commander’s ch
ildren with his life, should it be necessary. Isari smiled at the intensity in the man’s eyes. This was the young warrior’s first term in space and his face still bore the excitement of the experience.

  Dawn dressed in a beautiful silk caftan of royal blue to match her eyes. Varpin preferred the short shalu’s, but he decided the longer shift might be better around Vallasterian warriors. They had originally come from Shallistar, and Varpin was certain they had never seen any creature as lovely as his mate.

  Rue, on the other hand, dressed in a terson warrior outfit she conned someone into making for her. Isari was still trying to determine who the culprit might be, but he suspected his friend, Serpan, had a hand in it. On Lameria, the man had tried to claim Rue during the chase.

  “Rue, perhaps you should wear something more formal,” Dawn suggested. She could see Isari was not thrilled with Rue’s latest thwart to conform. Rue merely raised an eyebrow to her, and walked towards the shuttle bay. “Sorry, Isari,” Dawn whispered.

  “I have learned to compromise on such things,” he admitted. “If I tell her to change, she’s liable to appear naked in front of the Ancient.” His eyes traveled to the rounded bottom and long legs of his mate, enveloped in the tight dark terson breeches. His cock stirred, but so did a bit of his anger. “Who measured you for those pants?” he bellowed after his mate.

  On the shuttle to the surface, Varpin explained more about the Ancient Celestial and the mysteries of the Vallasterian Temples. “We thought all the Atlantians were extinct, and then Ethram… a great Procuror… harvested the Celestial on the Outer World. At first, he thought her merely the bonded mate to the Shallistarian Commander, Zulien. There was a huge battle, filled with subterfuge and several attempts on the Ancient’s life, once the Magistrates learned she was the Celestial the people had yearned for. She holds the mysticism of the Atlantians within her blood, and she rebuilt the temples, pulling the nelam crystal from the stars.”

  By the time they reached the surface of Vallasteria, gaping as they were led through a city of crystal that mirrored their own Birthing Temple on Lameria on a grand scale, Rue expected to be met by a powerful sorcerceress and she was regretting her stubborn decision to dress in the terson garb. When they entered the Spriritual Temple, she was speechless when a frail petit woman turned to smile at them.

  White blonde hair hung loose to her knees, and glass blue eyes smiled at them. “I’m so pleased you came.” Her voice was soft music, and Rue thought she could listen to the Ancient Celestial speak forever.

  A warrior, every bit as fierce as Isari, stood by her side. He held the Ancient’s hand and brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles. The man looked over to the visitors and said, “This is Miranda.” He smiled down at the beautiful woman, and added, “She’s a little nervous.”

  Isari was speechless, along with the rest of them. They were considering whether they should kneel. Dawn stepped forward with her hand held out to the Ancient. “I’m Dawn. Your temples are lovely.”

  After that, introductions went smoothly, with Zulien, the Ancient’s warrior mate, leading Varpin and Isari to another room. “Miranda needs to speak with Rue alone. It must be her decision.”

  Isari stalled in his tracks. It had not occurred to him that it was not his expertise in battle that was needed. He had been merely an escort for his mate. “My mate can not…”

  Zulien stopped and looked at the man. He had so many trials protecting Miranda, he understood the trepidation tightening the man’s balls. “Trust the Celestial, Isari. Your mate would not have been summoned if there were any other way.”

  Miranda guided the women towards a pool, with a stream that seemed to disappear behind a wall of crystal. They sat on lavender nelam, trailing their fingers in the cool water. A few moments later, a boisterous voice called out, “Cripes, Tali. Just go talk macho warrior stuff with the other guys and let me talk to Miranda. I’ve been going nuts waiting for this other woman to get here so I can find out what the heck is going on.”

  “But, my mate,” a deep voice boomed. “I will miss you more than the glowing rock of Shallistar, more than the stones of the altar, more than the…”

  “Tali, the meeting could be over by the time you finish missing me. Just go find the guys and talk battleplans or something. Maybe these guys can teach you something.”

  That seemed to put him in motion, and the women by the pool smiled as his voice became a distant bellow. “Teach me?” he asked incredulously. “A Lamerian warrior is going to teach me?”

  Miranda laughed softly. “Taliquant is a little possessive.” She watched Dawn nod. “I guess all warriors are.”

  Approaching them was a lithe, animated young woman dressed in warrior garb, like Rue. She had flashing green eyes filled with impish merriment and the wildest dark spikey hair Rue had ever seen. It reminded her of Goth club inhabitants from Earth.

  “Hey,” she called in greeting. “I’m Tempest.” She sat next to Miranda. “Now, what gives on this big secret?”

  Miranda’s eyes followed the stream to the crystal wall as if she were looking through it. They were filled with tears when she turned back to her friend. “I wasn’t the only one, Tempest. I’m not the only Ancient who survived. The others are just as powerful, but their souls are filled with greed and evil.”

  Tempest ran the toe of her boot through the sand. “So, we gonna’ send the big guys after them?” Her heart ached at the thought of Tali fighting Atlantian mystics.

  A tear slipped down Miranda’s porcelain cheek. “No, Tempest. I’ve had visions. It is you and Rue who must bring them back here. You will be joined by another Earth woman who has just now been procured to the Realm. She is also a warrior with Atlantian blood in her ancestory.”

  Miranda turned back towards the wall. “I cannot see if you will succeed, but if the Ancients are not brought back to Vallasteria where their magic can be contained within a nelam crystal cell, they will destroy the Realm. They have been decimating planets like locusts, traveling the ancient slip-streams to new worlds. I see their ambition… and they want it all. They want to suck the power from the nelam and build fanciful atrocities until there is no crystal left and our worlds shrivel and die. They feed on decay.”

  The women spent weeks planning, while the nelam prison cell was constructed. Rue became close to Tempest, discussing the mission and learning the Celestial’s descriptions of the slip-streams and the missing Ancients. They were frightened, but tried to maintain confidence when speaking with their warrior mates.

  Perhaps the most discerning part of it all was Miranda. Tempest had not seen her friend’s belief in herself waver, since the early days on Shallistar when she was told she was the Celestial. “Cripes, Miranda. It’s going to be fine.” Tempest tried to lighten the Ancient’s mood, and she smiled and said, “Besides, this is way better than when you made me Magistrate of Commerce.” Tempest wrinkled her nose. “I travel through space to become Head Teller of the Intergallactic Bank… yuck!”

  Across the Realm and through a time-shift that had not caught up to the world of Vallasteria, the final piece of their puzzle was falling into place on the world of Actana. Soon, Tempest and Rue would join up with another Earth sister, and they would begin the terrifying battle against the wayward Ancient mystics to protect Miranda’s destiny.

  * * * * *

  The night sky was quiet and peaceful. The citizens of Actana had no knowledge of the impending doom besieging the Celestial’s spirit, many space quadrants away. On Actana, they were struggling with their own on-planet problems, and the squirmishes and politics of the Realm were distant… for now.

  Kneeling quietly on the soft pillowed chaise, Milana gazed out the open window to the yellow and green pods lighting up the branches of the trees. Actana’s three small moons lit the colorful jeweled surface of the outlands in the distance, and a wistful sigh passed her lips.

  Her blue eyes scanned to the pod beyond the parents’ and she thought she saw Tian’s shadowed profile standing at
the window. The twins would be restless and probably searching across the branches, much as she was, yet feeling a yearning emptiness instead of fulfillment and peace.

  Hands rested on her shoulders emitting a feeling of tranquility. A deep, husky voice whispered in her ear, “Calm yourself, Milana. We are doing what we can for them.”

  Sian. She smiled, feeling the comfort he sent washing through her. Raising her hands, she captured the fingers resting on her shoulder and turned to kiss his knuckles. “It will pass?”

  Sian’s golden waves spilled over her breasts and he rubbed his chin against her temple. “Yes, our petition will pass. Light fathers have convinced the council our idea has merit.”

  Her eyes turned towards the trees again and her heart seized for all the second-set twins, struggling with the lonely emptiness of having no mate. “What do you expect to find?” she whispered. It was beyond her comprehension to imagine what the ancient scrolls locked in the vault might contain.

  “An answer.” Sian gave her another comforting squeeze. Laiya would experience jealousy if he knew his mate worried for his brothers. Sian was able to read her emotions and he knew she felt sadness, but no attraction to them.

  “She is being punished, Sian.” Laiya’s warning rumbled from behind them, close to the wardrobe. “A moonlight tryst is not going to teach her.”

  Milana’s eyes lowered to the sill and she smiled. Even her dark twin mate should realize her small slip of speaking to his mother was intentional. The sound of the wardrobe door opening caused a shiver. Milana’s thoughts pulled away from sad reflections and she wondered what delicious punishment Laiya planned.

  Clamps, Laiya? Do you think she is ready?

  Are you ready, Sian? Is it within you to keep her calm?

  Sian smiled at his dark brother’s challenge and trailed his finger gently down their mate’s ribcage. She trembled, and Sian could imagine she was already worrying her bottom lip. It was a habit caused by her anticipation, and neither man corrected the infraction.