Way of No Return (Champions of the Crystal Book 8)

Chapter 2.2

The emergency com pinged, making everyone jump. Kendara was closest to it; she pressed the old-fashioned "receive" button. "Bathir, Major Kendara speaking."

"Bathir, this is Praxatillus Control."

"Control, I have not had the counter-signal to the do-not-approach and cannot take orders from you unless verified by an outside source," Kendara reminded the voice.

There was a pause and some shuffling noises, and then a new voice came on. "We cannot cancel the do-not-approach as yet. Do not use names on this frequency. I need to speak to the person in charge at your location."

Sabrina stood as soon as she recognized Treva's voice. "Kendara, I'll take it. I won't identify myself, don't worry."

"She'll know your voice. If she's the one who's compromised—"

"If she's compromised, the do-not-approach is meaningless," Scotty pointed out. "It takes her authority to send or cancel it."

Sabrina reached the com. "What can I do for you?"

"The shield is failing. We need the secondary defenses. I believe the person in charge of those is with you?"

Sabrina swallowed hard. "Um, no. She left to go deal with a crisis elsewhere."

There was a long pause. "Is there anyone else who can help?"

Sabrina looked at Ford. Can we access the Crystal from here?

We should be able to. The shield doesn't interfere with that. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and after a moment Sabrina could feel the power flowing along their link. "Stand by."

She tried to remember the path through the Crystal's vast storage of information and consciousnesses that Mara had shown them over six years ago, when Sabrina had taken the regency with Baldaran. Ford helped; his sense of navigation within the Crystal was much better than hers. Sabrina could feel twinges of alarm vibrating through the various spaces they passed, and she sensed a massive outflow of power nearby that must be Mara. She accessed the Crystal's awareness and realized with dismay that the attack fleet hovering over Dansestari was Reissian. Where are the Kyan?

At Avestar keeping Mother busy, apparently, Ford thought. Don't get distracted, or a lot of people at Dansestari are going to die tonight. Ah, there!

Sabrina reached out her virtual hands and touched the control panel. Ford's memory of this was clearer than her own; she let him direct her hands. When the secondary defenses were active, she took a moment to try to find Khediva, without success.

It's not likely she'd stay in orbit with the Reissians pounding us, Ford pointed out, urging her back out of the Crystal. She's gone to safety to sound the alert to Homeworld.

Sabrina blinked as her awareness returned to her own body. "Control, we're done here. How are things at your end?"

"Holding. Thank you for your assistance. We'll be in touch."

"Be safe," Sabrina said, but the connection had already been cut. She made her way back to her seat, feeling dizzy and exhausted.

Ford slid his arm around her. "Are you all right?"

"I feel weird."

Seuréa came over and put her hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "Your resonance is weak." She concentrated for a moment, and Sabrina felt better.

"Thanks, Seuréa." Sabrina smiled at her.

You've never had that reaction before.

We've been away a long time, and we didn't have anything to do with the Crystal in Homeworld space. I'm not even sure we could have.