"Anton, Joss, keep your weapons down," Kass ordered softly. "Don't even look menacing." As if that were possible! "We're surrounded, but by our own people. I'm assuming they're friendly, but at the moment there's no way to tell. And I think some among them can see us."
A dark shadow on the path in front of them coalesced into a tall, virile Psyclid of middle years, his image slightly distorted by Jagan's shield. His confident stance and sharp eyes set deep in a rugged face proclaimed him a leader, even in the dim light of only one moon and the ambient glow from the palace. He was, Kass thought, a man physically and psychically powerful enough to face an empty path and know cloaked figures stood before him.
"And you may show yourselves," the stranger replied. "I would see if my experts are right when they tell me only the Sorcerer Prime is gifted enough to break into the palace under the Regs' noses."
"Name yourself," Jagan ordered
"T'kal Killiri, commander of Crystal City resistance." Proud. Defiant. "My men surround us. It is safe to uncloak."
Kass felt the sharp stab of Jagan's surprise. And a surge of pride in her countrymen. No waiting for the Sorcerer Prime to come back and save them. They'd organized on their own.
"Rifles down!" Kass reenforced her earlier order as Jagan dropped the shield and they faced T'kal Killiri without distortion. Evidently, the Psyclid rebels took her orders more seriously than the marines. She heard two thuds as the P-11s hit the ground, leaving Anton and Joss emptyhanded. A softer clatter as the marines' Steg-9s followed, Tal's as well. So-o . . . the gift of telekinesis was not as uncommon as she had thought. A low growl of protest from Anton. Beside her, Tal was maintaining his customary cool façade.
Killiri dropped to his knees before Kass, revealing a long riot of curly brown hair tied at his nape and flowing down his back. "Highness," he murmured. "We felt the Sorcerer Prime but were not certain you were with him. You have been gone too long."
Kass held out her hand. Killiri kissed it. "Too long," she agreed. But this was no time for sentiment. She might no longer be heir to the Psyclid throne, but she was still the elder daughter of a king. "Now explain to me," she ordered, "how you knew we were here."
The local rebel leader rose to his feet. "With respect, Highness, I cannot reply until you explain what you are doing here with three armed Regs."
Kass studied her toes while sending a message to Jagan. Is he for real?
Yes.
Then she would have to chance the truth. Ignoring a surge of warning from Tal, she asked, "Have you heard of the rebel leader S'sorrokan?"
Killiri narrowed his eyes, obviously puzzling over such an odd question. "Highness, everyone has heard of S'sorrokan."
"Then offer your hand to the Reg standing next to me. You will able to say you shook hands with S'sorrokan."
Kass felt not only Killiri's surprise but the waves of shock echoing out of the woods around them. The Psyclids had felt the Sorcerer Prime, suspected Princess L'ira was with him, might even have known Regs were with them, but S'sorrokan was a surprise beyond their wildest speculations.
The two men shook hands as a host of shadows moved out of the trees, materializing into a solid ring of men and women, all of them staring unabashedly at the remarkable combination of Princess L'ira, Psyclid's Sorcerer Prime, and the rebel leader S'sorrokan.
"We are here not only for a family reunion ," Kass said, speaking loudly enough for all to hear. "We came to request royal permission for the Sorcerer Prime to organize Psyclid talents into a cohesive force."
A sibilant whoosh of shock from the members of Crystal City's resistance. Even T'kal Killiri took a step back. "The king would allow enlasé?" he inquired hoarsely.
"Do not tell me you haven't tried it," Jagan inserted. "It is clearly the best weapon we have."
"A bit of experimentation is one thing," Killiri returned defiantly. "Mass joining of talents is another. A dangerous other. That is why it is forbidden."
Jagan stood tall, power radiating from every pore. "It is the only way we can be free, and I promise I can control it. Ryal and Jalaine agree, which is why enlasé is no longer forbidden.
Killiri crossed his arms over his chest. "And when does this insanity begin?"
"When I-"
Tal cut Jagan off. "The Sorcerer Prime and I must coordinate our plans. He will return when we have worked out an approach which he has convinced me will work."
Killiri nodded, if reluctantly, but Kass was left unsatisfied. "You still have not answered my original question. Are you implying, T'kal Killiri, that your psychic gift is strong enough that you were able to penetrate a shield set by the Sorcerer Prime? Frankly, I find this hard to believe."
The resistance leader nodded, approving the validity of Kass's question. "You are right, Highness. We have some powerful psychics among us, but none who could penetrate the sorcerer's cloak at a distance. If there had not been an-ah-incident, we would never have known you were here."
Incident. Kass closed her eyes, drew a deep breath. Dear goddess, it had to be K'kadi.
"Tell us about this incident," Tal ordered. At the moment he was unsure what annoyed him most. Being ignored for most of this confrontation of Psyclid factions, or having Kass, his wife, present him as S'sorrokan to a band of complete strangers in the midst of occupied territory. Then again, he wasn't pleased to see Reg weapons scattered on the ground at his feet. And now an incident. Fyd!
"I'm waiting, Killiri. Explain."
The Psyclid resistance leader shifted his booted feet, his stance diminishing to a less defiant pose. "You may not be aware, honored Captain," he replied after an apologetic glance at Kass for allowing S'sorrokan to seize the moment, "that at night our parks are the haunts of young lovers out for a stroll or perhaps running off an excess of exuberance."
"Among other things," Jagan muttered.
"Indeed, Sorcerer Prime, but in this case it was an overabundance of high spirits. The young lovers ran straight into the side of your shuttle."
Kass gasped and grabbed Tal's arm. "Tell me they weren't hurt!"
"The young man was considerably staggered," Killiri continued, "but the young woman was even less fortunate. She fell unconscious, for no visible reason, in the middle of an empty clearing."
"And?" Tal prompted, suddenly grateful they were surrounded by Psyclids, not Regulon troops.
"The young wizard aboard the shuttle evidently felt the disaster and was so upset he lost control of his illusion. The shuttle popped into view."
"Oh, no!" Kass's fingers bit into Tal's arm. Mondragon swore, and Tal thought he caught an inadvertent groan from the ever stoic marines.
"Continue!" he snapped. "Give us the whole, Killiri, not just a tidbit or two."
"The boy came racing out of the shuttle, with two Regs chasing after him." Kass's head dropped even farther. "There was, I believe, some heated discussion, with the Regs-ah-rebels, I understand. The Regs insisted the couple stay on the ship until your group returned, while your young man and the young lady's companion insisted she be taken to a medical facility immediately."
Tal drew a deep breath, blew it out slowly. This wasn't the moment to lose his temper, no matter how much he was tempted. "And then?"
"A number of people-fortunately Psyclids all-had gathered by this time and someone had the sense to send for me. Equally fortunately, the young lady recovered, your young wizard restored the cloak, and since no one wished to disrupt a rebel operation, all was well."
"I need to know how you found our group. My men would never talk."
"You, like all of your kind, underestimate our talents, Captain. One of our people plucked it from the young man's mind before I got here. One even insisted she felt the presence of the Princess Royal and the Sorcerer Prime, though at the time we thought her meshug."
Fyd! "Then you are aware," Tal offered slowly, "that you hold the rebellion in your hands."
"I am." Silence enveloped them. Tal tried to thrust away the ugly images of worst case. Sixty meters from the shuttle-he would not, could not, allow things to go wrong. Yet the odds of getting out of this on their own were slim to none.
T'kal Killiri broke the extended silence. "Many years ago, early in my career, I was a captain in the palace guard. I was present several times when Princess L'ira scolded the king and queen and the Council of Elders, warning them that Psyclids must learn to defend themselves. When no one listened, she left us, saying she must learn from the Regulons how to fight. There was great consternation, but in the end we all discovered she was right. Just as certain Regulons"-the resistance leader trained his shrewd gaze on Tal-"discovered they too must fight the Empire's aggression."