Mindshard (ON HOLD)

Chapter 9: Oracle

     The Kevilan was a medium sized cruiser, painted black to make it hard to visually spot against the background of space.  Beyond that, various cloaking and stealth technologies used in its construction further hid it from prying eyes.  Only the homing beacon the shuttle used to guide it to the camoflagued ship hanging in Menerin orbit enabled the roundezvous.  The shuttle eased into the only hanger, the cruiser's powerplant already hot and feeding energy to the omnidrive to swing the streamlined vessel around in preparation to leave orbit.

     Unlike his first trip in a Sidhe shuttle, with its walls transparent to watch their approach to the Pax fleet, this time Finn had to satisfy himself with staring at a blank wall of silver, the shuttle on maximum stealth for its journey out of the city and Menerin's atmosphere.  Only the door opening at the end of the passenger cabin announced they had reached their destination.

  "You two, stay close."  Lis'Katenor curtly ordered before sweeping out of the cabin.  With little choice but to obey and follow, Finn and Oda did just that, stepping out of the shuttle and down onto the hanger deck in the Halinor woman's shadow.

     As she marched across the deck towards the nearest exit from the hanger, a cloud of Sidhe formed around lis'Katenor, each cloaked in the same manner as she.

  "Denae, have the captain form a subspace bridge to Hasivar as soon as we've left orbit.  I need a word with the oracle before we jump into human space."  A robed form bowed and slowed out of the group to speak in low tones to a small communicator in response to lis'Katenor's terse command.  The rest stayed close to hear the rest.

  "Prax's Viseath may have failed to obtain the Korva text, but we still have the advantage.  The oracle has placed the talisman on the human homeworld.  And, thanks to the Viseith, we've a guide.  Kaleb."  She turned slightly to toss over her dominance collar control to a robed Praetor striding beside her.  "Take care of my pets, will you?  I need the human ready for when we penetrate human space."

  "So warm up the clone tank."  The male Halinor retorted, earning a wry chuckle from lis'Katenor.

  "You've the right of it, my friend.  The Teserin is broken, but the human has spirit in him still.  We'll need to rid him of that before we begin our final search."  Her hooded head swung to take in the remaining Praetors.  "As for the rest of you, you've your assignments.  To them swiftly and we'll taste success before long."

     Following the Halinor lis'Katenor named Kaleb as he led he and Oda from the hanger deck, leaving his erstwhile mistress and her cloud of fellow Praetors behind, Finn couldn't help but feel a chill of fearful anticipation.  He had need of more breaking?  'That's just flamin' great.'  He silently hissed as he stared holes through Kaleb's cloaked back.  Oda, her quickened breathing and unsteady steps telling of her own nearly unrestrainable fear, was virtually ignored at his side as he pondered a future of more painfilled deaths at the hands of the sadistic Sidhe who called themselves the Praetors.  'As if these bastards haven't watched me die choking on my own blood enough times.'  Both lis'Katenor and Kaleb's wry comments promised future agony thanks to the dominance collar.

     It came in a wave, a searing fury that washed away the fear of the collar and the belly-gnawing anticipation of the fatal pain it brought.  In one instant Finn was fighting the impulse to chew anxiously at the inside of his cheek as he remembered dying over and over to the collar's vicious caress.  And in the next his teeth were grinding together in a silent snarl, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were cracking and his body quivered with barely restrained rage.

  "Arrogant bastard."  He husked in english, Kaleb's back disappearing behind a curtain of red haze.

     Hearing her fellow slave speak, Oda's eyes flew wide with alarm and she looked over at him, meaning to whisper a taut warning.  And found her voice stolen as she watched fine tendrils of golden energy slowly dance over Finn's glowing body, the human's face a rictus of channeled rage.  She didn't need to touch him to feel the warm tingle that rippled over her skin thanks to her proximity.