Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

"Ten minutes," the pilot said in an easy drawl.

Raeblin of the Badari Daughters bit her lip and clutched her combat medic's kit tightly. She supposed it was a bad idea to go through the contents one more time this close to landing. She'd packed it herself and had the contents reviewed by Timtur the Chief Healer so she was confident everything was there but her nerves were grinding on her, sure she'd forgotten something and an innocent victim was going to die because of her oversight. She made a quick prayer to the Great Mother to be able to do her job efficiently and not to freeze up in her first combat situation.

After all she'd fought hard for this opportunity, demanded it finally. And the Alphas had given in. She'd trained and drilled and worked out and was as ready as anyone could be.

She looked at the other occupants of the flyer, mostly Badari with a sprinkling of humans. All of them were relaxed—several were even catching a few winks of naptime. Of course they'd all been out on this kind of mission before and were hardened veterans. Raeblin was the only rookie, the only one with a lot to prove today. She swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths.

The rookie was scared but she was holding it together so far. Brent wasn't judging her—hell, everyone was scared on their first combat deployment or should be. His had been so damn long ago he really couldn't remember, the experience blurred and overlaid by countless missions since, but he'd been the same as a green kid. He did remember a senior NCO telling him to rely on his training and the people in his squad. Which he'd done. Decades in the Special Forces, followed by a career as a hard ass mercenary with Gabe and Flo, and then war here on Ushandirr all added up to a memory numbing total. He'd been through the rejuve resonator more than the supposed limit of three times, he had aches and pains when the weather changed but he had no regrets. Settling down to a life as a colonist somewhere, having a wife and kids…none of that had ever appealed to him. He wanted to die with a weapon in his hands in the middle of a righteous fight and expected that to be his fate.

Not today though. This was a damn milk run, which is why the Alphas finally agreed to let Raeblin be on the team.

Of course when anyone dared to predict an easy in and out, the situation usually went straight to shit and people died. He'd said as much to Gabe when they'd had their private discussion of this mission. "I don't understand why Aydarr or Keshara—or you—wants to risk a Badari Daughter getting close to a Khagrish lab," he'd said. "Much less in a firefight. I thought these women were so precious and unique they'd always be treated with kid gloves."

"Keshara's grateful to Raeblin for pulling the last Daughter through, for giving her medical care virtually around the clock for nearly a year," Gabe said, taking a long drink of the beer which the supreme Alpha allowed him to have as a private, secret stock. Badari gratitude ran deep when it came to Gabe, Flo and Brent and the trio got breaks no one else got, although they didn't broadcast the fact or flaunt it. Their early alliance with and support of Jill and Aydarr would never be forgotten.

Hell, Brent even had his own cave residence although usually he lived in the barracks cave with the other operators and soldiers.

"Raeblin basically had no life of her own the entire time, gave Jezari the kind of care no one else here in the valley has time to give. Now Jezari has finally gotten out of the hospital and is stable at 80 to 90 percent recovered, my mate wants to reward her and Raeblin wants to contribute to the war effort so her wish had been granted. She's done well with the basic training." Gabe shrugged.

Brent considered this while he drank his own beer. "And where do I come in on this?"

"I want you to be her bodyguard." Gabe frowned. "And I don't want Raeblin or Keshara to know. This is strictly between us. I want her coming back in one piece and you'll be my insurance. No one's better than you, not even the Badari, when it comes to protecting a high value target."

"Does the girl know I'm her babysitter?"

"Seven hells, no." Gabe threw him a frown. "And you'd better be subtle about it."

Brent hadn't much cared for the assignment but it got him out of the valley and into a combat situation even if the job was routine so he'd agreed. Showed up at the appointed time with weapon in hand and took his seat in the flyer opposite her. She wasn't hard on the eyes, even in fatigues and carrying all her gear. Badari had been created to be attractive to human eyes and the few Badari women were no exception. As long as she can do her job, he thought, I could care less. I'll watch her six. He was a casual guy, there were plenty of human women in the valley who appreciated what he brought to the bed and were happy to enjoy mutual good times. The Badari males were intense and each one was said to have only one fated mate in the entire universe, Until a Badari found her, he had no interest in close encounters of the sexual kind. Which left more willing partners for Brent, as he saw matters. Win, win.

He figured his attitude was probably another reason Gabe had picked him to guard Raeblin. He had no interest in complicated relationships and a Badari Daughter was inevitably going to carry all kinds of complications with her, starting with the Supreme Alpha watching out for them as if they were his literal sisters. As it had turned out, because the Badari Daughters were created with the original genetic material and all living Badari males were products of 800 years of experimentation and genetic manipulation, the women were more like distant cousins.

He leaned forward and tapped her on the knee. "You should check your weapon," Brent said to Raeblin now. "Before we land and deploy."

"Oh, of course." Nervously she fumbled for her pulse rifle, running through the check procedure with clumsy fingers. "I was more worried about my medkit."

"Can't kill Khagrish with that," he said mildly, wondering if she could bring herself to kill a Khagrish at all. The Badari Daughters had had a complicated upbringing at their isolated lab and lacked the visceral hatred for the alien scientists Badari Warriors carried.

She glared at him, her amber eyes glowing slightly. "I can kill if required."

Pasting on an easy smile, although he had his doubts, he said, "Sure, of course. Got a predator deep inside, I know. Just making a joke."

Her being angry at him was probably better than her anxiety of a few minutes ago so Brent was satisfied. If she did okay on this mission Gabe probably wouldn't need her babysat for the next one. Of course he wasn't going to tell Raeblin that.

The flyer set down smoothly and the ramp deployed. The soldiers rushed out, moving into the Khagrish lab complex which was today's target. Brent's fingers were itchy on his weapon. This was one of the few times he wasn't at the tip of the spear where an elite operator like himself belonged. Even among the Badari his skills as a breacher and point man were ranked highly. Rising to his feet, he slid around Raeblin, assuming his bodyguard duty. With her breathing down his neck, making impatient sounds about him going so slowly, they reached the ramp. Brent took a minute to assess the scene before he descended the ramp with her behind him.

The buzz of blasters and pulse rifles sounded from the buildings in front of him but plainly the enemy defenders were overwhelmed by the Badari assault. There were two more flyers just like the one which had brought him and Raeblin to the party, each delivering a squad of soldiers with weapons hot and experience taking down labs.

Set up the medic station in building three, Camron said in his ear. Camron was in charge of this mission.

Got it, Brent replied, checking that Raeblin had also received the message. Of course she'd gotten the word telepathically, being a Badari and he had to rely on the coms but both worked. "Building three is the one to the left," he said. "The prisoners will be in there if this is like every other lab." He moved out, staying low and was pleased to see Raeblin do the same. She moved smoothly in his wake, more from the fact she had a deadly feline predator woven into her DNA than from any quick training she'd received. The complex looked to be secured already, with the weapons fire only sporadic now but he wasn't taking any chances. The back of his neck itched and he wasn't convinced the situation was as under control as it appeared. The Khagrish had been getting sneakier lately, trying new tactics on occasion.

Hainn, a Badari healer/medic from the South Seas pack was already set up and examining freed prisoners when they arrived. "Station yourself over there," he said to Raeblin, speaking out loud for Brent's benefit. He pointed with his chin. "Give them a once over only, treat anything urgent, call me if there's any medical issue at an emergency level."

"Right." Eyeing the line of prisoners waiting, Raeblin hurried to the designated spot so fast she nearly tripped herself. Brent caught her arm and kept her from face planting. "I know we have to do this fast and get out," she said as she opened her medkit.

Brent blocked her line of sight to the waiting humans and Hainn. Staring into her eyes, he said, "Take a deep breath. Relax. You're fine, we're on the mission timetable so no sweat. Okay?"

He saw and felt the tension seeping out of her and she gave him a crisp nod. "I'm good. Thanks."

He stood aside, closer to Raeblin than Hainn but effectively covering both of them. Brent kept his head on a swivel, checking everything. He hated this feeling of being exposed, out in the open, although the resistance to the Badari appeared to be ended. There were no more shots.

The Badari were bringing out small groups of prisoners from the cells and the labs. Raeblin worked efficiently, moving people along but taking time to speak reassuringly as she did her cursory checks. There were only two or three people she sent over to Hainn as being badly impaired from their treatment at the lab.

"These must have been a relatively new shipment," Brent said. "Not much damage. Lucky for them."

"Traumatized though," Raeblin answered a bit sharply. To the woman she was treating, she added, "It'll be fine now. Once you get to the valley you'll be safe and well taken care of."

Weeping the prisoner clasped Raeblin's hand. "I can't thank you enough, you and all these brave soldiers, whoever you are. I saw terrible things here."

Raeblin gave her a medinject of a tranq and passed her through to the waiting Badari who were escorting people to the flyers. Brent leaned over before the next patient moved up. "We don't tell them where they're going. No information, not even in the vaguest terms."

"I forgot," she said, biting her lip.

"I'm packing up and taking this next group to the flyer," Hainn said. "Can you finish the last few and get them to your ship?"

"Sure thing." Raeblin started a scan on the next person. There were five or six remaining.

No sooner had Hainn and his small group of rescued prisoners moved away with an escort of Badari and gotten out of sight than Brent heard the sound he'd unconsciously been dreading—the blast of a powerful weapon strafing the site from the air, followed by an explosion.

"Take cover," he yelled, already in motion to grab Raeblin and roll her under the nearest counter, with himself as a living shield. The humans scattered, screaming, but they weren't his assignment. She was.

The concussion, complete with heat and sound too huge to be properly heard as the Khagrish bombs exploded hit him like a tsunami and he clung tighter to the woman under him, determined to protect her. The instant it was safe to do so he jumped to his feet, holding her arm tight and bringing her with him. "You okay?" He eyed her up and down. She looked shaken but not injured.

"I—I think so. What happened?" Dazed, Raeblin stared with wide eyes at the space they were in, which was full of debris and dead bodies. She held onto her medkit as if it was a life preserver.

"We've got to go," he said, projecting command and urgency into his voice. Not releasing his grip on her, he headed for the corridor leading into the building.

Raeblin dug in her heels and used her Badari strength to bring them to a screeching halt. "Wait, I have to take care of the injured."

"Sweetheart, they're all dead." He'd swept the bodies with a practiced eye and had no doubt on his verdict. Humans couldn't survive wounds like the ones on her late patients. "We will be too if we don't move. Now."

"Dead?" Her voice was dazed and weak. "I should check?—"

"There's no time." He pulled her to face him instead of the dead. "Trust me, okay? I'll get you out of here. That's the mission now—we're not losing you."

She stared into his eyes, her own glowing more and more golden. Her nod was tentative but then she swallowed hard and he could tell she was coming out of shock. "Whatever you say."

"Good." He gave her shoulder a gentle thump and pivoted. "Stick close. Weapon hot." Without waiting to see if she'd gotten her pulse rifle armed, he headed into the corridor. If his survival depended on her shooting the enemy, he was probably fucked. Luckily he was a one man army. He could tell she was close behind. As they left the lobby the ceiling fell in with a huge crash and a wall of exploding flames sent scorching heat against their backs. Brent broke into a run. He knew the layout of these damn labs and there were two choices for a rear door. Lords of Space grant he could pick the right one. Raeblin wasn't dying or getting captured on his watch.

When Brent reached the rear exit he'd selected, he motioned for her to stay crouched behind a security desk and advanced cautiously to peer outside through the cracked glass of the door. As he'd hoped, there was nothing between them and the dense forest but a strip of cleared land. No one was waiting for them and no action was taking place on the area, although he could hear the buzz of blasters and pulse rifles not too far away.

Giving her the signal to join him, he pushed the door open slowly. Good, no enemy fire. "You're going first. Remember your training, stay low and run a zigzag pattern. Head for those trees."

"Why can't we go together?" she asked.

"Because as a Badari you can run ten times faster than I can and I don't want you holding back to stay with me." He flashed her a grin. "Don't worry, I'll catch up soon enough and you can cover me while I get there."

Raeblin's eyes flashed and she bit her lips as if she was going to argue but then edged past him and out the barely open door. She kept her eyes on him and the instant he gave the signal she was sprinting toward the trees, moving so fast she was nearly a blur. Brent exited the building and took cover behind a few low bushes, sweeping the area, ready to fire, but there was no enemy action. Raeblin disappeared into the trees and he marked the spot mentally. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into motion. He was about halfway across the patch of totally bare ground when he heard yelling from behind him and incoming fire made small explosions out of the dirt near his boots.

He kicked it into high gear, surprised to see blaster bolts coming from the forest toward the building. Damn, the girl can shoot. With the help of her covering fire he managed to reach the treeline, taking one glancing shot in the shoulder. As soon as he reached her, he wheeled and threw a force grenade as hard as he could to discourage pursuit. Then he grabbed her and said, "Nice work, medic, but now we gotta make tracks deeper into the forest. I'll take the lead—I studied the topography last night just in case. Watch our six."

Face set in a grim expression, she tucked in right where she was supposed to be as the rear person in their small column.

Brent wanted to get as far away from the lab as he could but not in a straight line, so he led her along a rocky defile and then off at a tangent, pushing their way through dense groves of trees and brush. Eventually he called for a break, sheltering behind an outcropping and they sank to the soft forest floor side by side.

"You're wounded," she said, eyes growing wide.

He eyed the scorched shoulder of his camouflage uniform. "Nah, just a flesh wound. Nothing to speak of. I've had worse."

"Let me see," she said, moving her weapon out of the way and reaching for her medkit.

Brent grabbed her hand. "We don't have time. We need to get a lot further away than this before dark. Give me a shot of adrenaphix and I'm good to go."

"I can't give you a stim without at least checking the wound and your vitals," she said, shocked. "And what about a painkiller?"

He shook his head. "Listen, this is about my million and tenth combat mission. I know if I'm hurt or not, know if a stim will help or not. You want to waste my time and go by the rules, you can keep your medinject. And I need my head in the game, gotta stay frosty—no painkliller. Clear?"

With a shocked expression on her face she stammered, "Cl—clear."

He knew she was only trying to do her job as she understood it and he was all kinds of a rat bastard to take his frustration out on her for the busted mission. With a grunt, he rose and headed out in the direction he'd chosen. Behind him he heard her scrambling to gather her gear and catch up. She's still your assignment, asshole. You could treat her a bit more nicely. "Storm coming," he said gesturing at the tiny bit of sky visible through the thick canopy of trees. "Probably hit after dark so we gotta find a place to hole up." One more complication on this damn milk run.