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“Ilid, listen to me. Scientists are working on the issue as we speak. You let them worry about stopping them. You’re doing your part, setting our first line of defense by offering us the clues we need to spot them. We have to be able to do that in order to know where to shoot once we have those weapons. The rest isn’t your problem. Okay?”
He could tell he wasn’t reaching the miserable Dramok. After what Ilid had been through, Degorsk wondered if anyone could.
* * * *
Ilid restrained the impulse to run down the corridor to his room when its doorway came in sight. His small quarters in the medical center wasn’t truly safe. Nowhere was, but his room at least offered the illusion of security when the lights were turned up on full, keeping the shadows at bay.
The orderly escorting him triggered the door. “You have visitors.”
Ilid’s heart, which thundered in panic whenever he was in larger spaces or around too many people, eased its frantic pounding when he saw his Dramok and Nobek fathers waiting for him. Codab and Gruthep were at his side in an instant when he reached for them. Their arms surrounded him, and he clutched at their sleeves until the door shut behind him, closing out whatever might be lurking in the hall.
“Easy, Ilid. Breathe.”
He was gasping despite tension seeping from him. Their arms around his waist, hands holding his to their chests, they led him to the sleeping mat and sat him down.
“I have to tell you,” he panted. “It’s classified, but you have to know, because the fleet believes the Darks are coming.”
“Get your breathing under control,” Codab urged. “You won’t feel so panicked and can better consider what you should share.”
Ilid obeyed, but he’d made up his mind. Degorsk had told him defenses were being drawn up against the Darks, which meant the highest authorities were bracing for invasion. The riders were on their way.
As soon as Codab and Gruthep stopped guiding his breathing, he explained everything: the shadows on the shoulders of the landing party when they’d returned to Bi’is and his crewmates’ odd behavior. How the strangeness had spread to the command staff. His ability to spy the Darks being revealed to the enemy. The horrific experiments done on him and others who could detect the entities. The Imdiko orderly Derir, who’d helped him escape Medical and sabotage the ship in the hope it would be stopped from reaching Laro Station. He explained what Dr. Namro had informed him about his brain, which allowed him to see the Darks.
“But they said they’re readying in case these Darks come,” Gruthep rumbled soothingly. “Obviously, there’s been no sign of their approach yet, or we’d have been warned.”
“As rare as your ability to notice them is, there are others,” Codab added. “The fleet is no doubt watching for these Darks. They’ll be able to do so more effectively since they have the scans to learn who else has your gift.”
They made sense, but Ilid couldn’t shake the dread filling him. “We don’t have the means to stop them if they come. The nightmare might only be beginning.” He buried his face in his hands. “Even if they don’t show up on Kalquor or in empire space, I’ll won’t be able believe it’s over. They’re out there. It’ll never be over.”
“Ilid, my son, I wish I could take this pain from you.” Gruthep sighed, his craggy features creased heavily.
“You can’t tell me you’re not ashamed. After what you went through when you were captured by Tragooms, you returned to fleet service for five years. You faced what frightened you. All I want to do is curl up and hide.”
“How many ways must I say you can’t shame me?” Gruthep hugged him tightly. “I’ll never judge you for how you feel. Your fears are valid. All I want at this point is to help you find a path to enjoying the good you can still discover in life, whatever the future holds.”
“We’re here, Ilid,” Codab insisted. “We aren’t going anywhere, no matter how you struggle to return to normalcy.”
“You can’t restore who you were before. No one could. But we’ll support you as you discover who the new, healthy Ilid will be, however long it takes.” Gruthep considered. “Have you kept up on your meditation skills, Ilid?”
“I’d let it lapse, but I’ve picked it up again. I’d hoped it would get me through this.” So far, he hadn’t noticed the practice Gruthep had taught him as a child doing any good beyond easing him to sleep…where the nightmares waited.
He had a feeling the night terrors were about to become worse in the wake of discovering the empire was readying defenses. Ilid gazed at his fathers through a tear-blurred gaze. He’d never loved his parents more…or feared for them so much.
* * * *
“Piras and his clan have agreed to come and evaluate the situation in regard to Hobato,” Tranis told Lidon as they headed home from work that evening.
“What are your plans until we can somehow get him and Ensign Ilid in the same place to verify he’s being ridden? I wasn’t able to trace the source of your anonymous warning, so that avenue of verification is closed.” The Nobek checked their shuttle’s instruments despite traffic controls having taken over the piloting.
“I’m proceeding as if he’s compromised. As of now, I believe him to be under the influence of an enemy agent I’m unable to move against.”
“He has a hell of a lot of power and access to the empire’s defenses.” Lidon scowled.
“I have a plan, but I need your help. You’re better at computer espionage than I am, as is Piras. Between the two of you, we can wrest some command control from Hobato by setting up alternate authorizations to change current fleet movements. Keep the old paths open to him, make our vessels appear to answer and obey his orders—”
“While maintaining regular security without his knowledge.”
“Not just maintain it. Enhance it, including on the planet. We have the results of Ensign Ilid’s brain scans. The scientists think they’ve found the biological reason he and a few others from his spyship saw the Darks.”
