FSE

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Chapter 17

Medics were waiting at the hatch as the ramp lowered, looking up into the ship when the door opened. Stargazer wheeled Night Star out on one of the counter-grav dollies they usually used for moving cargo. On the way down, Strong Soul had set it up as a gurney of sorts, with a mat and a pillow.

"Owned or free?" one medic asked.

"Free. His chip is valid," Stargazer answered.

Strong Soul stood silently at Night Star's side with his hand clenched in his. She barely registered what was going on around her and watched the medics move around the dolly to start examining Night Star.

"What's the injury?" the other medic asked.

"Propellant line broke during EVA. Burn and shrapnel," Stargazer said.

All around Strong Soul, links flared to life, one after another after another. And there were the voices. A thousand voices stating to speak in her head, the thoughts of thousands of Mrr'tani living in New Mecca.

They drowned out most of the conversation around her and she only noticed that the medics had finished examining Night Star when the dolly began to move, pulling her along with it since she refused to let go of his hand. She trotted along next to it, feet moving automatically without her conscious attention.

Every ounce of discipline that she learned from her time hunting at Airgidbaile, all the time she spent in trees waiting for her prey without so much as an errant breath, all of it was poured into suppressing the part of her mind that wanted to answer back to every voice.

She yearned to reach out, to touch every single mind that was slowly becoming a part of her. She never realized how much Night Star was shielding her from, or for how long he'd been doing it. What she'd experienced in Airgidbaile when the links had first flared to life was nothing compared to what she was feeling here. There were so many more Mrr'tani here in New Mecca than there were on the small estate.

No longer was she tied to members of the Mountain Clan, either. Every single Mrr'tani cried out in her mind, seeking a connection and hoping someone would answer. None seemed to be aware of what their essence needed, either. Feeling the sheer need that flooded her mind gave her a much deeper understanding of what Stargazer must have felt when they first met. The craving was something so deep and so primal that it was overwhelming, and she couldn't comprehend how they didn't even know it was there.

Among all of them, though, there was still Night Star's, burning strong enough that she knew he wasn't in immediate danger. She'd kept the light burning long enough that they could take care of him.

Also there, just as bright, was her link with Stargazer. The bonding they'd undergone made him almost closer to her than Night Star. He trotted along beside her until they arrived at the transport vehicle. Without even stopping to question, he put his hands on her sides and lifted her up into the bed beside Night Star and then he hoisted himself up beside her.

Within seconds, they were speeding along the hard-packed sand towards the entrance to the underground city. Strong Soul said a private prayer of thanks that the medics were humans and that she had time to figure out how to get herself under control before they ran into other Mrr'tani, some of whom could very well be trackers.

"Just breathe, Strong Soul," Stargazer said. "Focus on your own mind. You were alone there once, concentrate on that feeling."

The sound of Stargazer's calm voice penetrated the cacophony of voices in her head and she took a long, slow breath in, and as she did, she tried to remember what she felt when she was still on Silverwell, back before Jacques.

Little by little, the voices quieted, though they didn't go away completely. It reminded her of the lounge at the Avalon spaceport, many voices murmuring in the background, having their own conversations, but after a moment it was bearable.

She finally released Night Star's hand and turned her head to smile at Stargazer. "Thank you," she murmured.

He returned her smile and slid his arm around her shoulder. Soon the harsh sun shining through the windows was replaced by a more artificial and even light, without the glare the larger of New Mecca's suns. The medic in the compartment with them was still hunched over Night Star's body, applying gadgets Strong Soul had never seen before, but eventually, she straightened and typed some things into the screen next to his seat.

"We'll be there in three minutes," he said, looking closely at Strong Soul and Stargazer.

Even with the species gap, Strong Soul could feel the strong curiosity and scrutiny coming from him. Strangely, she felt a reaction from Stargazer, as if he could feel the man's thoughts with her.

"We are free as well, not to worry," he said, staring the medic straight in the eyes.

The tone of his voice or the direct confrontation in his manner seemed to satisfy the human and he nodded, then he turned back to his computer to finish entering whatever it was that he was typing.

When the transport stopped at the medical center, the medic went back to working on Night Star and Strong Soul breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the discomfort of the man's scrutiny wane. The doors opened and the first medic started pulling Night Star from the transport on the stretcher. Together, Strong Soul and Stargazer stepped out and made room for them.

They were stopped at the door to the facility, though, by a large, stocky human.

"Patients only," he said, pointing them to another door farther down. "You wait down there, and they'll come and get you when you can see him."

"Very well," Stargazer said. He turned and guided Strong Soul by her shoulders towards the area the man indicated, leaning down to speak quietly to her. "Come, Strong Soul. We will wait together."

She looked back over her shoulder as the stretcher disappeared into the doors, only slightly comforted by the fact that Night Star's light in her mind was still burning strong. With a gentle nudge of love to that light, she turned and followed Stargazer, trying to hide the fear and the pain from the humans that watched as they entered.

They left their names and Night Star's information with the nurse standing inside the door and then found two seats in which to wait, knowing that it would likely be a long time before they heard anything.

***

"Strong Soul?" a voice asked, pulling her attention back from the shallow sleep she'd managed to fall into.

She opened her eyes and lifted her head from Stargazer's shoulder, noticing that her companion was still wide awake. She wondered momentarily how long he'd been awake, or if he ever needed sleep, and with the thought, she felt his body shake with a silent chuckle.

Her eyes met a small Mrr'tanah, perhaps a centimeter taller than herself. Large green eyes watched her warily set in a sea of cream and grey fur. Her ears twitched in curiosity as she regarded Strong Soul.

There was a very quiet prod of the Mrr'tanah's mind against Strong Soul's and with her own mind sluggish from sleep, she didn't even realize she was answering the call until it was too late and the Mrr'ouwff flared brightly. The other Mrr'tanah's eyes widened in shock and she took a step back, looking like she might run out the door like a frightened hare.

"Stop, please," Strong Soul said, pleading.

"You..." she stammered. "You're..."

"I'm Strong Soul and this is Stargazer. We're here with Night Star."

"No..." the Mrr'tanah said, shaking her head. "No, you cannot be here. Cannot."

"Please, calm down," Strong Soul said, standing and holding out her arms. Her trained hunter's eye told her that the girl was ready to bolt, and she didn't know where she'd run to or who. Stargazer's assessment of the situation matched hers and she could feel his agreement.

She reached out to the newly formed link, thrusting her thoughts down into the girl's mind. It wasn't much, just a warm glow of calm that she could see taking effect on the girl's face. Her eyes softened and her whiskers folded back against her cheeks. Her ears relaxed, though she still looked at Strong Soul in disbelief.

"You cannot be here," she whispered, her fear palpable even without the link. It radiated through the enforced calm enough that Strong Soul was concerned she might overpower the effect.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"They will find you!" the girl hissed, voice still a whisper barely audible over the low hum of conversation in the room.

Strong Soul could tell by the turmoil in the girl's thoughts that something else was going on, but she couldn't piece it together.

"They're looking for me?" she asked, stressing the last word.

"Yes," the girl answered. "They have heard that you have returned, that Catcher of Souls has returned."

Strong Soul's breath hitched and the calming flow stopped for just a moment. The Mrr'tanah's eyes widened as the fear returned for that split second. Strong Soul regained the link in time to keep her steady, though.

"She is correct, Catcher," Stargazer said, turning his head to regard her. She felt his intensity, both through the view she had of him out the side of her eyes and through their link.

He turned his attention to the Mrr'tanah again.

"You do not seem to want her to be caught. Perhaps you know of somewhere she can go."

"You must leave. Go back to space, this world is not safe!"

"Her Frr'a'narr'ou is Night Star. She cannot leave without his shield."

The girl stopped and the race of thoughts crossed the link. "Yes. Of course. There is somewhere. You will see Night Star, and then you will come with me."

"Then please show the way," Stargazer said, pulling Strong Soul to her feet as he stood.

She nodded and walked through a door, beckoning them to follow. Through the door, the hallway opened into a large, open room with rows of beds lining the walls and a double row running down the center. Humans and Mrr'tani walked between them, checking on the patients lying on the beds. The ward looked close to half full, and most of the patients appeared to be suffering from burns or other injuries.

"This is the trauma ward," the girl said, leading them down one of the central aisles.

While there were both human and Mrr'tani patients in the ward, they were scrupulously separated with humans on one side of the room and Mrr'tani on the other. Watching closer, Strong Soul realized that the human staff never crossed the center line and neither did the Mrr'tani. In fact, when one of the Mrr'tani staff members came too close to the invisible dividing line, one of the human staff would be sure to watch them closely. She didn't want to think about how difficult it would be to work under such strict segregation.

"Are all of you owned?" Strong Soul asked, keeping her voice quiet so as not to disturb the patients. She saw the looks that the humans were giving her and Stargazer, and even the Mrr'tani staff was looking at them curiously.

"Yes," the girl answered. "All Mrr'tani on New Mecca are owned. Only travelers such as yourselves are free. Free Mrr'tani are not permitted to remain once their business is done."

Strong Soul didn't question it. After being on a few of the worlds she had been with Night Star, she knew quite well the attitudes that many humans had for Mrr'tani. Her time on Silverwell didn't prepare her at all for the reality of the rest of the galaxy.

Night Star was in the bed furthest from the door they entered, though closest to the exit, she noted. He lay on his back, stripped to his fur. Most of his body was beneath a thin blanket, though his right hip and side were exposed. The wound looked much better than she remembered seeing when he'd been brought in and they'd taken his suit off.

The fur had been cleaned and the flow of blood was stopped. When they came closer, she could see a faint shimmering in the wound, like someone had thrown in a handful of the Mistress' confetti.

"He is asleep now," the girl said when they stopped at the side of his bed. "He will remain asleep until the nanites have finished their repairs."

Strong Soul nodded and looked down the row of beds towards the door, noting that Night Star seemed to be the only one receiving the same treatment.

"Do not ask, please," Stargazer said. "It is not our place to speak."

The question died in Strong Soul's throat and she just nodded. "When will he wake up?" she asked instead.

"Two days. We will awaken him when his wound is repaired. There was a great deal of damage done to his body. He is lucky he is known. Most Mrr'tani would not receive this treatment. He would be lame if he survived. But the sheikh knows Night Star and he directed that he is to have the best care."

"That's good," Strong Soul said. She stepped up next to the bed and focused on Night Star's face, opening her mind just the slightest bit, just enough to be able to feel his link bright and strong in her mind. It wasn't till then that she realized how much tension she was feeling. With it all flowing out of her, she felt more tired than she had in a long time.

A hand was laid on her shoulder, and the mind glow that went along with it wasn't Stargazer's. She turned her head to find the girl looking at her again.

"Please," she said, "you must not stay here." She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "Trackers come here."

"She is correct, Strong Soul," Stargazer said. "As you have learned, the best time to screen for potential Frr'a'narr'ahn is when one is unconscious. The mind works on its own in that state."

Strong Soul looked back at Night Star and took hold of his hand. She held it for a moment and then leaned down and brushed her whiskers to his. "I'll see you soon, love," she whispered.

Even in his deep sleep, the link pulsed with a flow of love, bringing a smile to her face. She answered it as quietly as she could, trying to keep it just along their link. Then she let go of his hand and followed the girl out the door with Stargazer behind her.

Strong Soul felt it in her mind before she even saw the girl's head move. It was a sharp stab of fear that shot all the way through her body from the link in her mind. The small Mrr'tanah turned her head to the side down the hall she and Stargazer had originally come down to the waiting room. Then she turned and looked over her shoulder.

"We must go right now. Follow me quickly, but do not draw attention. They must think you belong here."

Strong Soul and Stargazer nodded in unison and walked close behind her out the door. Strong Soul chanced a look down the hallway and saw three humans in full combat armor led by a scrawny and unkempt Mrr'tanou. They were speaking with the nurse at the desk and their attention focused there. When she looked, she could feel the Mrr'tanou's curiosity, the waves of his seeking with his mind for hers. The part of her mind with the links wanted to answer back, but she held it in check, remembering to when she'd met Jacques at the estate.

She quickly turned away and walked confidently down the hallway on the girl's heels. She noticed that Stargazer stole a glance as well, and then did the same. She turned her head just enough that she could catch his eyes. She saw a quick shake of his head in response to her unasked question.

The girl seemed to notice the subtle play between them. "Do not worry. Frr'a'narr'ou are common and are not bothered. Your companion will be safe."

"Thank you," Strong Soul said with a smile. "For that and for everything. What's your name?"

"I am Five Echo Six," she replied.

"Five Echo Six?" Strong Soul asked. She'd spent a day with Night Star here on the world before, getting their cargo stowed, but she'd been quiet the whole time. Night Star had warned when they landed that she should not speak to the Mrr'tani workers who were unloading the cargo. The humans here looked harshly upon their Mrr'tani servants fraternizing with free Mrr'tani. They considered it a prelude to rebellion. The exception, of course, was the medical wing.

"Yes, I am the sixth of my brood, all sons and daughters of Echo. We are her fifth generation," the girl explained. "You may call me 'Six' if you like."

The words almost stopped Strong Soul in her tracks, but she kept going, not able to keep the concern from her mind glow. Six apparently felt it and turned her head curiously as they walked. "What was your name before you were free?" she asked. "Or have you always been Catcher of Souls?"

"Catcher was born free," Stargazer interjected with an apologetic look at Strong Soul.

"I see. Then you have never known what it is to live under the humans rules."

"No," Strong Soul lied, shutting down the link as she did. She knew that she could taste the truth in others words, but she didn't yet know if the same could be said of others tasting her own mind glow. "But I have seen a lot in my travels."

"You must have traveled far," she said. "The stories, they say that you live beyond the outer arm, out where the stars are as thin as the plants on the surface of this world."

As they walked, Strong Soul made sure that she made note of what they passed and the route through the underground city, turning to look behind her on occasion, both to check and see if they were being followed as well as to ensure she knew what the street looked like from the other direction. They were traveling away from what she considered the city center and as they walked, she noticed the streets becoming dirtier and the people walking them were more casual and some were just as dirty as the streets. Most were humans, but the occasional Mrr'tani walked past them, obviously on a task by the concentrated look on their face and the purpose behind their strides.

"What else do the stories say?" Strong Soul asked.

"They say that there is no servitude in the outer arm, that all Mrr'tani are born free to live their own lives, and that you and your protectors keep them safe from the humans."

Strong Soul turned and looked at Stargazer to be sure he heard. It would be something to think about when they left, another place to try to find others.

"And what do you believe?" Stargazer asked softly.

"There are always stories. Some say that someone will lead us from here to freedom, others say that the Mrr'tani deserve what has happened and that we are paying for our mothers' sins." Six shrugged, "The humans here teach that the Mrr'tani are the children of Shaitan, created solely for bondage."

"That's not true," Strong Soul said, stronger than she meant to. She rubbed her temples as a dull ache began in the back of her head.

"The Mrr'tani were not created to be servants," Stargazer said. He rested his hand on Strong Soul's shoulder and she felt his concern. "We were created to be Mrr'tani and nothing more. The humans made us slaves."

"Please, quietly," Six pleaded. "To speak against the laws here is treason. They will cut your tongue from your mouth."

Strong Soul tasted the truth in her words. It was something she didn't want to believe, but tasting that, she couldn't deny that it was true.

"Are you okay?" Stargazer said quietly, letting the matter drop.

"My head hurts," Strong Soul said. "It's almost like it felt back in Airgidbaile, like it's full."

Stargazer's eyes darkened and he turned back to Six. "How long before we arrive where you are taking us?"

"It is through here," she said, turning a corner down an alley. Strong Soul looked down the narrow passageway and then at Stargazer. He guided her in front of him, between him and Six, and together they walked into the darkness. About halfway down the alleyway, Six moved aside a metal sign, revealing a hole in the wall just big enough to let them through if they crawled.

The hole led to a ventilation shaft and after a few minutes of crawling through, they arrived in a dimly lit room. The scent hit her first. It wasn't a bad smell, but it was the musky scent of too much fur in too little a space. It actually sparked a fond memory of the bunk house in Airgidbaile. She was always grateful that she didn't have to live in the crowded rooms, but there was a camaraderie among the ones that did, and even though she was more of an outsider, they always managed to include her.

The next thing that hit her was a wave of mind glows. There were many more Mrr'tani in the structure, and she knew immediately that there was more than just this single room. The minds pressing up against hers, all the glow in such a concentrated space hit her hard and she staggered to her knees as the pain worsened. She clasped her hands to her head and moaned, careful to keep her voice quiet.

Each mind longed to connect, and her own stretched out to meet it. It took all her strength to keep herself from linking with every single mind. The effort was like holding back her heavy bow waiting for the perfect shot, each second increased the tension and her fatigue.

Stargazer was on his knees beside her and he stroked her head. "Night Star didn't tell me," he said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Tell you about what," Strong Soul asked in a harsh whisper. She found that if she allowed her mind to open to Stargazer a little more, she could deal better with the flood of minds.

"You have not awakened," he whispered. "That is what Marcus was trying to prevent. That is why he sent you with Night Star."

"Are you well, Catcher?" Six asked when she noticed that they were no longer following.

"She will be fine," Stargazer replied. "What is this place?"

"This is our hidden place. Ones who can no longer reside as servants sometimes find their way here."

Strong Soul gave one more push with her mind, and opened herself to Stargazer even more, letting him share a bit of the load on her mind. The mind glows dimmed and left her able to stand, though her legs were shaky.

"You must see," Six said. "Free Mrr'tani rarely come here, and never one such as you. You must see what suffering the humans inflict. Then you must help."

Strong Soul shook her head as the voices cleared a little more and she found herself better able to suppress them. Stargazer watched her and his admiration flooded across their Mrr'ouwff.

She saw the determination on Six's face and she tasted her steel core beneath her shy exterior. They had set up the legend and now they had to play it through.

"Then show me," she said, straightening. "And I will do what I can."

Six's eyes widened and a smile threatened to break across her muzzle, the first Strong Soul had seen since they met.

"Come," she said, turning to walk deeper into the room with Stargazer and Strong Soul following behind.