‘reunion of souls’
Unnoticed as always, Sakura watched Julian pore over a topographical map of the area, his expression serious as he considered the options.
"You see how this entire area is on a gentle slope. It’s a much gentler landscape that leads to the banks of the river. My guess is they’ll stick to that. Not only is it easier terrain, they’ll assume that we’re hiding near the river for a water source."
Sakura took a step closer to see the area Julian was pointing out. The squiggly lines of the holomap were unfamiliar to her, but she could see the land perfectly in her mind. She knew it well, she’d patrolled it often. Benedin was nodding thoughtfully.
"They’ll be searching thoroughly; not moving fast. It should be easy enough to find them."
"But tricky not to be seen," Julian countered. "The group is huge, and they’re spreading as far out as possible. I’ve never seen such a large search party, I think they must still be searching for Kero."
"So his story might actually be true?"
"I’m starting to think so. Apparently Lothar’s worried, and that makes me happy."
Sakura beamed, even though neither were looking in her direction. Kero’s importance was being validated, and she was the one who had rescued him. Where would they be now if the little creature had been transported back to the palace? But even though Julian seemed ready to recognize Kero as crucial, he’d apparently forgotten all about Sakura’s role in his rescue.
"It’s a perfect opportunity to create some damage," Julian was saying. "A few well-placed detonators, a timed explosion in the middle of the night, and the heart of their camp will be wiped out. They’ll have to go limping back to the castle for more supplies, and it will seriously disrupt their efforts, not to mention their morale."
Sakura perked up. It sounded like the perfect plan to her.
"Of course, there’s the worry of failure when they’re so close to the Honeycomb," Benedin pointed out. "At that range there is little margin for error. And even if we pull it off without a hitch, there’s the concern that an attack will only draw closer attention to the area. We don’t want to give ourselves away with victory anymore than we do with defeat."
Julian nodded.
"Exactly. Those are good points that need to be considered before we do anything rash." He gave his friend a brief smile before returning his attention to the map. Rush Benedin was at least five or six cycles older than he was, one of the oldest fighters in the Resistance. The rebels were not overly concerned with rank or command status and there was technically no formal second-in-command post, but Benedin was one of their best strategists and had more firefight experience than anyone there, even Julian. Generally people considered him to be Julian’s right-hand man, and he fit the role perfectly.
"But," Julian continued, "I think in this case the potential benefits outweigh the costs. We should go for it."
"But a small group."
"Right. A large party can’t plant a few bombs more effectively than a small one, and it will be harder to slip in unseen. In the event that something goes wrong, it will be easier for a few people to get out without losing anyone. What we’re looking for are those who have more experience with covert operations than combat. ‘No blasters’ will be the watchword."
Sakura had been nerving herself for some while now, and she decided that if she was going to do it, then this was the time.
She cleared her throat, but Julian didn’t look up.
"Um," she finally said. "Um, I know that area pretty well."
Julian glanced her way for the first time. He looked startled, as though he hadn’t even realized she was there, and she blushed a little.
"Hmm?"
"I’ve, um, explored that area a lot. I know it well. And I know I can slip in under cover of darkness to plant those detonators."
Julian’s gentle brown eyes has a surprised and amused look in them. She hurried to finish.
"I could lead a team in for this job. I know it. Give me a chance to do this." She looked pleadingly at Julian, who was smiling in that patient way that he always did. Before he even opened his mouth, she knew what the answer would be.
"Sakura, Sakura. I know that you’re very good and that you want a chance to prove yourself. But this is a really tricky job, and you’re so young. It’s just too dangerous."
"But - "
"No," he said firmly, and saw her shoulders slump. Feeling a little sorry for her, he reached out and stroked her soft brown hair.
"I’m sorry, Sakura. I know you want to help. But I feel responsible for you, and I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt. Maybe when you’re a little older."
Normally Sakura was thrilled when Julian touched her, but this was too humiliating to bear. He was stroking her hair like he might stroke the back of one of the tamed felines living in the base. That’s all she was to him: a pet, a pretty little creature to be cast aside when there were more important issues to think about.
She felt something catch in her throat and walked away from him before he could see the tears well up.
"Maybe next time," he called out to her back as she left the cave at almost a run, but she didn’t turn around or respond in any way. She was too busy crossing the walkway and reaching the stairs before anything gave her away. Come what may, she would not allow him to see her cry.
He doesn’t respect me. And you can never love someone you don’t respect.
Angrily she brushed a tear away from her face.
What does it take? What do I have to do to make him see me?
*****
Hoping to work off her frustration, she returned to the bottom floor of the cavern instead of retreating to the area where she and Tomoyo slept. A relatively clear space near the back wall was kept clear for training and sparring. At the moment it was empty, except for Li of course. Sakura watched him systematically punch and kick the stuffed dummy, starting with the face, then moving to the back of the head, then the neck, then down to the sternum and ribs, followed by the groin and hamstrings. Observing him, Sakura got the impression that there was a specific spot in each area that he was aiming for, something that only he could see. Occasionally he shook his head in frustration and hit the same area again until he was satisfied and moved on.
Sakura wrapped her hands and paced for a little while, but when Li began to go through the motions for the third time she cleared her throat impatiently.
"Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
"I’d like a chance to go too, you know."
Li paused and considered telling her to get lost. Then, on second thought, he backed away and indicated for her to go ahead. Sakura straightened her shoulders and marched up to the dummy, surprised and relieved. But Li didn’t leave. Instead he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, watching her. His intense stare was unnerving, but she did her best to ignore it and began her own routine.
She’d hardly landed more than three kicks before he broke the silence.
"You have a lot of energy."
She didn’t reply, but stared fiercely at her target.
"But your attacks are unfocused. A lot of your strength is being wasted with sloppy strikes."
Sakura gritted her teeth and concentrated on punching the dummy so hard in its chest that it almost toppled over.
I can’t win. I’m never good enough, never fast enough, never strong enough for anyone to take me seriously. Maybe if I was allowed more combat experience I could measure up to Li’s expectations, but Julian isn’t going to let me do that anytime soon. Why do I bother even trying?
"Did anybody even teach you this?"
"No," Sakura snapped. "I taught myself, okay? I watched, and I copied. Forgive me if it’s not up on level with your scientific technique, but I know it does the job. Don’t you ever get tired of criticizing me?"
She paused in her hitting to glare at him. His stare didn’t flicker.
"Somebody has to do it. Your technique is going to get you killed one of these days."
She let out a strangled cry and gave the dummy one final thwack before stepping away.
"That’s it. I am having a really bad day. I am not in the mood to listen to your pompous lectures. No more talking."
She stood before him, hands on hips, breathing heavily.
"You want to study my technique? Let’s go. Right here, right now."
Li’s eyebrows went up slightly and he gave her a measuring look from head to toe. His look was so intense it felt invasive, but she lifted her chin anyway. She would not let his attitude cow her.
All the same, she was nervous when he stepped away from the wall and came closer. He was just a pace in front of her when he spoke.
"No."
"No?" She could hardly believe her ears. "What do you mean, no?"
"Not worth my time. You wouldn’t last half a click. It would be a waste of breath to fight you."
He watched her green eyes widen as his words hit her, then turned away to unwrap his hands.
"That’s it?" she choked. "You’re not even going to give me a chance. Just because you think that I can’t possibly put up a good fight?"
"I don’t think, I know. I’m surprised you even survived this long. The way you fight is pathetic, and the risks you take are a huge liability to this movement. It’s pitiful. Why Julian tolerates you like he does is beyond me. You do not belong here."
There was a tiny whimper and he glanced over. She was trembling as she stared at him in horror, her green eyes more jewel-like than ever with her shimmering pent-up tears. He felt a touch of shame and was about to speak up when she whirled around and ran away.
"Li!" Startled, he looked up to see Tomoyo leaning against the railing of a walkway above him, looking angry. "How could you say that to her? That was terrible!"
Li blew his bangs out of his eyes as he watched Sakura leap gracefully onto a glider near the entrance of the cavern and zoom towards the exit.
"It was only the truth."
"It was cruel and you know it. You should apologize."
"I’ll think about it." He looked away from her glare and went to go wash. Maybe what he’d said had been a little harsh. But then, so was reality. She had to know, for her own good.
*****
You’re so young…maybe when you’re older…unfocused…sloppy…not worth my time…a waste of breath…liability…pathetic…pitiful…you do not belong here. You do not belong here. You do not belong here.
Fast as she flew, she couldn’t outrun the words.
You do not belong here.
How could he? How could he say those things?
She saw the placid river sparkling in the light of the sunset and came to an abrupt halt, almost tumbling right off the glider. Her vision was so blurry that it was all she could do to stumble to the bank, and she knelt to splash some cold water on her face.
I know how he could say those things. Because they’re all true. He knows it and I know it. I am pitiful. I’ll never be able to contribute to the rebellion like I want to. I’ll always be a burden to Julian. He would never ask me to leave, he’s far too nice. But deep inside, he probably wishes that I would. One less thing for him to worry about.
She gave a choking sob and sat back on the scruffy grass. Here alongside the river, some vegetation could thrive in spite of the dry and baking badlands heat. The grass was tough and wiry, but good sustenance for the smaller browsing animals. On the bank opposite, a small hraire scrambled out of a hole and hopped to a succulent patch for a nibble. In some places, there was even enough moisture for the desert blooms to thrive, opening their scarlet petals up to the vast sky. Sakura loved the vibrant colors of the badlands, but tonight she had no eyes for their beauty.
I should just go. I should just leave, and then Julian will never have to put up with me again. How can I go back anyway? How can I face Li again after what he said to me? And how I reacted to it! I didn’t even argue, I just ran away and cried like a little girl. What else could prove his point more?
But the Resistance is my home. I can hardly remember a time when it wasn’t. I don’t have anywhere else to go, and I can’t leave Tomoyo or her mother. I can’t leave Julian. I love him too much for that.
Her tears had slowed now and she wiped her eyes again. A second hraire had joined the first and together they hopped to the edge for a drink.
They’re so cute together. I wonder if they’re mated. Those hraires have a better sense of belonging than I do.
She splashed her face once more then patted herself dry. Come to think of it, lounging by the riverbed was probably not a safe thing to do. Julian said they would be searching it. How far away were they?
Then something occurred to Sakura and her eyes widened. How close would they be? Could one tiny girl slip into their camp and find their munitions supply? She could move quieter than anyone else in the base, and darkness was coming on rapidly. What if she sabotaged their weapons tent and pulled off Julian’s raid plan? Alone, and without even a blaster by her side. Wouldn’t that make him sit up and take notice!
Her heart was already starting to beat faster, and she wondered at the audacity of her little plan. It was incredibly dangerous. She cringed at the thought of what Li would say if he knew.
But he doesn’t know. He’s not here, and I am, and I know I must be close. I could do it, I really could. Just slip in and create some damage, and then leave. Then Li and Julian and everyone will know that I am not some worthless burden.
Her feet were already on the glider before the thought had finished running through her mind. She would fly low, and quietly, sticking to the deep shadows. What she had told Julian was perfectly true, she did know this area well. She even knew of a nice open area upstream that would be a perfect campsite. She would just go and see if they were there, and check out their defenses. If it was too much, then she would go.
That’s it. That’s what I’ll do. Even bringing back their location and a soldier count would be a help to Julian.
She straightened her shoulders and smiled a little. She was too stubborn to let Li’s words stick to her. She would prove herself useful, or die trying.
*****
Lieutenant Kosk paused in his pacing to watch the silver moon edge over the top of the mesa, throwing its pale light onto the campground. Much as he loathed these missions out into the lands of heathens, he had to admit the view was pretty spectacular. He was about to turn back to the river when the sentry thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.
What was that?
Probably just some nocturnal animal, but it was worth a second look. Kosk drew his blaster and crept forward. Closer…closer…
Nerving himself, he leapt around the outcrop of rock with his blaster held at the ready.
"Freeze!"
But there was no one there. Feeling slightly abashed, he relaxed his hold on his weapon and looked around. Sakura’s plan had worked perfectly; he had seen the rock fly into the shadows and followed it while she slipped toward the camp periphery. It was pure chance that Kosk happened to glance in her direction just when she broke cover and crept forward a few paces.
"Intruder!" he shouted, and fired a few panicked blasts. The rebel turned and, realizing she’d been spotted, broke to the right and began sprinting for the shadows of the rocky canyons. The moonlight was too capricious for him to aim accurately, and Kosk fired two more shots before taking off after her. But she already had a good head start, and he doubted whether he could catch her.
He slapped at the communicator on his left breast.
"Sir, sir! Intruder spotted at the southern border of the camp. Small, female, appears to be alone. She’s on the run, am in pursuit."
His captain heard the message and tensed. Female?
She was amazingly fast. Kosk was panting hard as he tried to catch the fleeing figure, but she was speeding up. Still, desperation drove him forward. This squad fell under Blade’s command, and men who let rebels escape often died in ugly ways.
"Halt!" he wheezed. "Stop, I say!" She paid no attention and leapt with ease over something that he didn’t see. Before his mind could catch up, his foot had caught on the pile of rocks and he crashed into the ground. A slight moan escaped his lips. It was all over. They’d never catch her now.
Sakura had pushed her body to its limits, but a surge of adrenaline carried her forward. She was almost where she had left her glider, and she felt a rush of exhilaration that she was going to make it. She was bitterly disappointed that she hadn’t even come close to fulfilling the mission, but at least she knew the location of the camp. It was better than nothing.
She gathered herself and was about to leap atop her glider when somebody slammed into her from the side. The impact was so sudden and severe that the wind was completely knocked out of her, and she hit the ground hard. Instinct led her to keep rolling forward, and she narrowly missed being pinned by the new attacker. Panting hard, she scrambled to her feet in time to evade his grasp, then leapt and kicked.
It was impossible to see his face very clearly in the deep shadows of the canyon, but she could see that he was much taller than she was, with a lean and wiry build. He was amazingly fast; he slid away from her kick easily and wrapped an arm around her neck trying to put a choke-hold on her. She wriggled free but couldn’t take even a step before he’d grabbed her wrist and twisted. Her arm twisted behind her, she was helpless and he brought her to her knees effortlessly. Only after he’d bound her wrists together with the restraints did he allow himself to relax and wearily stand, pulling her to her feet.
The captain let out a shaky breath. It was done. After hearing the frantic message through his com-link, he’d hopped on his glider and cut around to the canyons where she’d been reported running. It was a risky move, but he’d guessed right and found her just as she was preparing to escape. Now at long last she was his prisoner, but he didn’t turn her around to face her, not yet. She was still struggling and kicking, and his men were approaching. Now was not the time.
"Blasters down, men," he called out in warning. "She’s under control, but be ready. She knows how to fight."
Kosk and the other sentry lowered their weapons and holstered them.
"Shall we ready her for transport, sir?"
"No, no, not at this late hour. It’s night and she may have friends out there." He pushed his captive forward and the men each grabbed one of her arms. "Take her directly to my tent and double the guard around it. I’ll be along in a click."
Sakura heard one of the other men snicker and she trembled before renewing her struggles. It was no good, their grip was like steel and they were holding on so hard that it hurt. She couldn’t believe how quickly things had gone wrong. How had their officer found her, and subdued her so fast? Li was right, her technique was sloppy. And now she was about to pay the price.
"Yes sir, Captain Avalon."
*****
Tory knelt by the river and splashed some cold water on his face. He wanted to rinse off the dust and grime from the fight, but he also hoped that the cold might calm his nerves and steady himself. He was so nervous, his hands were almost shaking. That would not do. He could hardly interrogate his prisoner when he was more scared than she was!
He stood and looked up at the stars.
I can hardly believe it. She really is my prisoner. I haven’t been able to think of anything else since I saw her three days ago, and now here she is, dropped into my lap by fate. At long last I can finally talk to her.
He took a deep breath and returned to the interior of the campsite. As the current commanding officer, his tent was the most spacious and located in the center of the site. Ten soldiers were posted dutifully around it, saluting respectfully when he drew near.
"Half of you can go," he ordered, "and maintain security in the perimeter. We might get more company tonight. The rest of you move out a few paces."
He didn’t want anyone too close, but he wanted some sort of guard nearby. Now that he finally had her, he wasn’t ready for her to escape anytime soon. The men followed his commands, and then there was nothing else to do but pull back the flap and go in.
She had been pacing in the middle of the tent, but at his entrance she quickly backed up. Her wrists were still bound behind her, and she looked terrified and ready to bolt. Tory responded to that fear, almost shivered at the excitement that ran through him because of it. She was even more beautiful than he remembered from the first firefight, and he took a moment to drink her in and observe her more carefully. She was about average height, but had long, lean legs. Worn-looking black boots came midway up her calves, wrapped and tied securely over her black pants. A rather faded but comfortable looking khaki shirt was laced tightly to her chest up to the low neckline, and the sleeves had been cut off. She obviously preferred clothing that didn’t get in her way. The hair was rather nondescript, a light brown shade and thin texture that fell more or less on her shoulders. But the face…
Her face was the extraordinary thing about her. Delicate and creamy skin, a petite nose, and well-set eyes. Tory was sure he’d never seen such beautiful, perfect green eyes – and yet, he had. He just wasn’t sure where.
He didn’t know how long he just stood there, staring at her, until she finally tried to speak.
"Please sir, I’ve done nothing wrong…I live in these canyons and did not mean to trespass on your encampment - "
"Save it," Tory cut her off abruptly, and took a few steps forward. She watched his approach with wary eyes, but he only pulled up his left sleeve to reveal four parallel gashes in his forearm. They were healing, but obviously fresh. "My punishment for letting you go last time. I was there when you escaped with the prisoner. I know you’re a rebel."
She swallowed and looked down, not sure what to say now. The captain turned slightly and walked slowly in a circle around her. She jumped when he touched her arm, but he just gripped her firmly.
"Shh. I’m just going to unlock these. I suggest that you not try anything. I have very good reflexes and I’m very fast, and there is a whole camp of armed soldiers outside this tent."
Sakura heard a soft click, and then the metal binders pinching her wrists were loosened. They had been painful, and the release was a momentary relief. She could hear his low breathing behind her as she rubbed the red marks on her skin, and wondered what would come next. Was this the part where he would interrogate her and torture her for the location of the base? Or was he interested in something else?
"Sit down."
She remained motionless.
"I said, sit down." He propelled her towards the edge of the bed. She was so surprised that she sat down with a thump. Tory backed up and studied her again, wondering how to begin.
"Who are you?" he tried. She didn’t answer of course, just stared apprehensively at him. "What’s your name?"
Still no response. He took a deep breath and decided to ask the most important question.
"Who am I?"
"What?" She looked surprised, as though she hadn’t been expecting that question at all. Yet surely she had been.
"You heard me. Tell me who I am."
Sakura wasn’t sure if she was hearing him correctly. This wasn’t what she had been expecting at all.
"I – I don’t understand…"
"How do you know me?" he pleaded. She really did seem confused, and he felt some of his anxiety return. "Tell me."
Sakura shook her head slowly.
"I don’t know you. I don’t understand. How do you not know who you are?"
"I don’t know," Tory said miserably. "I remember nothing before the army, I don’t know anything about where I came from. All I had was my name. I don’t know anything about me." He looked frustrated for a second, then looked into her face again. "But you. I know your face. I don’t know how I know it, and I didn’t know I knew it until I saw you escaping on your glider. I don’t know who you are, but I’m sure you were in my past somehow. I’m more sure of it than I’ve been of anything in my whole life."
His dark eyes were full of yearning as he gazed at her, and Sakura had to look away. The intensity of his desire was too much for her to cope with.
"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I know you want to know where you came from. I’m an orphan too. But I’ve been with the rebels almost my entire life. I’ve never seen you before."
"Don’t lie to me!" he cried, and kicked the bed viciously. She whimpered and shrunk away from him. He had to back away and remember to control himself. An outburst of emotion would not get him what he wanted, and scaring her wasn’t going to help anything.
"I’m sorry," he said quickly. She was shivering as she looked up at his face. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I – I just really want to know, you see. I’ve been wondering for a dozen cycles or more. That’s a long time."
Hesitantly, Sakura nodded.
"Please. I know you’re frightened, and you don’t want to tell me anything. But I’m desperate. I want to know who you are and how you know me. There’s no reason to keep anything back. If you know, just tell me."
At that moment, Sakura really wished she could. But she’d never seen this man before in her life, and she could only shrug helplessly. Tory uttered a moan like a soul in torment and raked his fingers through his black hair. She was still resisting, still keeping it back. Why? Why would she lie when she could see how obvious his need was? What could she possibly gain from it?
"Tell me your name at least," he begged. He knelt on one knee before her and fixed her with pleading eyes. "Something. Anything that might help me remember."
It was impossible to deny those dark eyes. Sakura felt locked into them.
"Sakura," she whispered. The instant the word left her lips, she regretted it. He was the enemy, a man who would kill Julian if he had half a chance, and she had just told him her name. Why had she done that?
I have to get out of here. I wasn’t expecting this at all – it’s too much.
"Sakura," he repeated. "That’s beautiful. My name’s Tory."
Not really sure what to say, she nodded, and began to reach slowly for the blaster on his hip. Tory was lost in her perfect green eyes.
Sakura. Such an unusual name. I’m sure I’ve never heard it, yet it does seem familiar to me somehow. I know her, I’m sure of it! But why does she try to keep it from me? Maybe she doesn’t remember, either. What could have happened to the two of us? What were we to each other? Perhaps…perhaps we were together.
Suddenly Tory hoped very much that it was so. Clawing his way up through the ranks of the army, he’d never had much time to bother with women, in fact had hardly deigned to notice them. But this girl was different. Her face called to him across the missing void in his life, it beckoned him. He could hold back no longer but leaned forward to feel her skin.
Sakura froze when he reached forward and brushed her cheek. The texture of his fingertips was rough, but his touch was oddly gentle as he traced a line over her cheekbone and down past her ear to her jaw. The desire she could see in his eyes was overwhelming. Sakura wasn’t used to being looked at with desire. She knew only Julian’s indifference and Li’s withering scorn. Her heart beat faster and a peculiar sensation began to make itself felt. There was a primeval instinct urging her forward, but he was her captor and her enemy. Gradually she let her hand drift closer to his holster.
His fingers brushed over her lips, then slid down her chin and found a path over her smooth white neck. When his hand came to a stop and rested over her breast, he could feel her heart thumping fast and hard beneath the skin. His own body was reacting strongly as well, and he had to force himself to take a couple deep breaths. Sakura seemed transfixed by his touch.
She is mine. She’s re-emerged from the past to be with me, and together we’ll uncover the truth of who we are.
Sakura’s hand was almost there when he clamped his over her wrist and squeezed.
"Don’t even think about it," he murmured, and twisted her hand until she gave a tiny gasp of pain. "Don’t. Don’t resist. You know this will happen."
He stood up and pulled her hand gently upwards. With her wrist twisted at the unnatural angle that it was, it was impossible not to yield, and unwillingly she stood too. In this position she barely reached his chin, and he was so close that she could feel the rise and lift of his lungs as he breathed. She could also feel an insistent throbbing, a hot hardness between his legs that was pushing against her, but she was pinned between him and the bedframe with no escape. The sensation frightened her and she gave another feeble struggle, but Tory wasn’t letting go of his newfound treasure.
He’s going to kiss me, she realized, as his other hand tilted her chin up to face him properly. He’s going to kiss me, and I’m scared, and I want it but I don’t.
She was actually quivering in his grip as he leaned down. Never in his life had he even thought about kissing any girl, it had never mattered. But now he could hardly wait to taste her, see what her lips felt like against his. He was sure it would be exquisite. He was almost there when his nose brushed over hers, and a new feeling surged over him.
It was like a thunderclap, a sudden revelation, the sense of something awakening deep inside him that had been sleeping with his memory. It was so unexpected that he pulled away.
Sakura wasn’t sure what had happened. She hardly had the words to describe it. His nose had brushed over hers, preparing for the kiss, when a new kind of shock coursed through her system, charging her blood. It was energy but not of the physical kind, it was something new, something different that she didn’t know how to control. Even more unsettling was the feeling deep inside her, like something powerful had just uncurled itself in preparation for long-awaited use. By his wide-eyed expression, she could see Tory had felt something too. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, and wondered what to make of this new course of events.
He wondered what she had felt, for surely she had felt something, but he never got a chance to ask. Outside, there was a shout of authority, then a yelp of pain that was cut off abruptly. A blaster shot was fired, then another.
Sakura felt a fresh burst of hope. Had they come to rescue her?
She made another attempt to break out of Tory’s grasp, but the captain drew his blaster and wrapped his arm around her to hold her to his chest in one smooth motion. There was definitely some kind of commotion going on outside, but he couldn’t leave his prisoner, she’d make a break for it. A quiet breath of preparation warned him that she was about to kick, and he wrapped a leg around one of her ankles. Sakura gave a squeal as he bent his knees and forced them both down on the floor. She landed rather heavily, almost smacking her nose on the rough ground, and Tory was stretched out on top of her, his weight pinning her down.
"Help - " she started to cry, and Tory hastily covered her mouth, leveling his blaster at the tent’s entrance with his other hand.
"Quiet," he warned, and clamped his hand down harder, trying to muffle her squeals.
Sakura was finding it difficult to breathe, squashed like this, and his hand over her mouth wasn’t helping. But something shifted in her mind, and there was a sudden blurry image. A feeling that this had already happened…she knew this grip on her. She had felt this before.
Tory couldn’t help himself, despite the danger, her nearness was intoxicating. The pressure of rubbing against her on the floor like this had started up a fresh throbbing, and he inhaled the scent of her hair gratefully. She was his, and now that he finally found her, he couldn’t let her escape now. Not when he was so close after all this time.
*****
Li whirled and struck and spun, knocking two more soldiers off their feet and toppling a third over his shoulder. Using the man as a human shield, he took two more blaster shots, then fired his own weapon. Resistance nullified for the moment, he reached for the flap of the tent and then hesitated. He had heard her voice cry for help, he was sure, but that meant that whoever was keeping her there would be ready for him and probably waiting for him to come through the front. He changed his mind and snapped a kick at the metallic frame of the tent. The hinged joint creaked but did not give. Li snarled and kicked again, harder, and this time the entire corner of the tent collapsed. Another blaster shot almost hit him, burning a hole in the tent just over his shoulder. Hastily he ran around the edge and threw himself into a flying side kick that knocked the second corner right over. The weight of the material caving in was pulling at the other two corner poles now, dragging them downward. But he couldn’t stay here to finish the job, there were more of them coming in fast, and he had to run.
*****
Tory swore under his breath as the heavy material came billowing down over the two of them. His blaster was no good now, and he dropped it to try and keep a firmer grip on Sakura. She was really fighting now, struggling and squirming to get away from him.
Forgotten, for the moment, was the intense emotion of the almost-kiss. Forgotten was the heady rush of being desired. Sakura wanted to get away from the enemy, she wanted to go back home where things were safe and familiar. Too many strange things had happened that evening, too many strange feelings had made themselves known. She longed to get away from it all and to just rest.
A new spasm of energy hit her and she managed to wriggle free at last. Without knowing quite how she did it, she managed to scramble out from under the tent just before the last two poles gave up their struggle and crashed onto the wreckage of the tent. She winced for Tory, but she was sure he would be all right. She was running already, sprinting through the campsite without even a vague idea of where she was going. She only knew that she was scared of what had happened back there in the tent, scared of the enemy who was so sure that she knew him. She wanted to run and run, and leave it all behind.
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone tackling her from behind and grabbing her around the waist, and then the ground fell away from under her feet. She was airborne, and a strong arm held her tightly as the sound of blaster shots echoed through her mind. She could also hear shouts, and orders to pursue them, but she was finding it more difficult to care. Flying at high speeds had never bothered her before, but with all the emotional upset that night, the sudden jolt was the last straw.
With the campsite safely disappeared in the darkness, Li realized the danger just in time and came to a gentle stop by the side of the river. It was time to duck and cover anyway, it would be impossible to outrun the soldiers with two on one glider anyway. They could hide out here under this rocky overhang and wait until dawn to try and make it back to the Honeycomb. Unless of course there was more urgent need. He paced impatiently as Sakura threw up behind a boulder and crawled wearily to the water’s edge.
"Well? Did they get it out of you? Tell me quick. If they know where the base is I’ve got to go and try to warn everyone. I’ll have to leave you behind. Did you tell them? Did you?" Anxiety lent volume to his voice, but she didn’t even look up. She was staring miserably at her reflection in the moonlit water.
He never asked. He never asked one question about the rebels or the base. It’s as if he didn’t even care.
Slowly she shook her head, and Li almost collapsed with relief. They were lucky – this time. But that still didn’t excuse what had happened.
"Good. I hope you’re happy. I can’t imagine what you were thinking, going anywhere near the enemy camp, all alone and without even any weapons! You put everyone in danger with your stupidity!"
He continued on for a few minutes, swearing at her with several colorful words in his home dialect.
"It’s a good thing for you that Tomoyo convinced me to go look for you after the sun set. When I found the camp, I told myself that surely you weren’t that stupid. But then I heard a couple sentries talking and I realized that you could surprise even me. This time you really did it. Hey! Are you even listening to me? What have you got to say for yourself?"
She hadn’t looked up once during his tirade, but just sat staring at herself in the river. Li felt a slight return of his guilt when he saw a couple tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t look as if she’d been beaten or hurt very badly, and her clothing was intact, but that didn’t mean that nothing had happened. Li was all too familiar with the cruelty of the soldiers.
"Um, hey. Are you all right?" He crouched on the bank in front of her and leaned forward to try and look into her eyes. She was still staring at the water. "Sakura. Look at me. Did they hurt you?"
"I don’t know who I am," she whispered, so softly he wasn’t sure he heard correctly.
"What?"
"He didn’t hurt me," she said. "Not really."
Li thought that was an odd way of putting it.
"Are you sure?"
"No." She didn’t seem to be in the mood for conversation, but turned and crawled back to the shelter of the cliffs. The gravelly rock wasn’t going to be very comfortable, but that was all right. Sakura couldn’t ever remember being so exhausted. Not even that peculiar tingling still echoing through her body could keep her up. She turned away from Li and curled up into a little ball, then closed her eyes and slept.
He sat up to keep watch, but found his gaze resting on her more and more as the night progressed. Finally he leant over and brushed some of her tangled hair away from her face. She stirred slightly under his touch and murmured something that he couldn’t catch.
She says they didn’t hurt her – not really. But I think she did go through something. Something about her feels different. I just don’t know what.
Chapter3