Daughter of Ethos: Price of Power Book 3

by L M Lacee

  Peyton hid her grin as she asked. ‘Do you know what that word means?’

  Marlo eyed her, as he just managed to keep his humor hidden. ‘Healer Dinas, explained it.’

  Peyton smiled as she said. ‘Good, so no coddling, understood.’

  He looked at her hard as she smiled at him, he harrumphed… then turned to his friend and brother a male he had known all his life, his other two squad brothers were still in the med unit. It turned out Raley was a little worse than they had thought. Alexx was better but had been severely dehydrated, which caused the infected bites he had received to damage some organs. After they had brought him back from the brink of death, he was now resting. So for them all, they would decide as they had done in the past, as both Raley and Alexx would for them. He and Larson looked at each other and then moved together and murmured quietly. A few mins later they pulled apart and Marlo stated. ‘Conditions.’

  Peyton nodded her head. ‘Shoot.’

  ‘Don’t tempt me?’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘I said ready, first if we do this, we do it for all military personnel away and at home. We will need offices on world and all discipline actions will be through our Commanders.’ He held his hand up. ‘Before you say it, we are and will be answerable to you Madam. You will have a deciding vote in case of a deadlock.’

  ‘Generous.’ Griped Peyton. ‘But no, I cannot do that. I give you an alternative.’

  ‘Who?’ Larson asked.

  ‘First Commander Roeah or any of the Elites.’

  Marlo pulled on his bottom lip as he thought about that. ‘Commander Hawk, what say you?’

  ‘Agreed.’

  Larson said. ‘Then we are in agreement.’

  Hawk asked. ‘Do you mean all Commanders or just you four?’

  Marlo looked at Larson, who answered. ‘We will offer it to all Commanders, except in this instance. Also we may have to look at how many we need to make a court and then a rotation schedule.’ They looked to Peyton as she said. ‘Agreed.’

  Marlo stated. ‘We agree, no corporal punishment.’

  ‘Good.’

  Larson said. ‘Charges can be laid when away but can only be heard and acted on when at home.’

  Peyton receiving a nod from Hawk said. ‘I agree in principle but there could be extenuating circumstances for example; death of another Warrior etc…’

  Hawk interrupted her. ‘That is something to be outlined when we are back home.’

  Peyton agreed, then said. ‘One more thing.’

  ‘What is that?’ Marlo asked with a suspicious tone in his voice. Helen grinned, he was learning fast. Peyton also grinned at his tone and said. ‘This is a Military action and for use of a better term, a court of officers therefore we must include Rage and his people.’

  They all turned to look at him. Rage stood up. He stared at Peyton and then Hawk, nodded his large head and said. Yes, we are part of the Pride, so as Madam says, we are to be included.

  Hawk inclined his head. ‘Agreed Rage and Rave must be included. We would benefit from their council. Also we must think of the Specialists, their insight could be valuable.’

  Rage said. I suggest we, the Turqualls, will do as Commander Larson says and rotate Adults. We will coordinate with the Commanders but we must be excused from this council as we were there and they are our friends. I will appoint another two.

  Peyton said. ‘Agreed and thank you Pride Leader.’

  Rage bowed his head and no one in the room was left in any doubt. He was pleased to have been included and the respect that was shown for his and Rave’s positions. Larson said to Peyton, with a nod to Hawk and Rage. ‘We agree that the specialists should be consulted We are sure there will be other conditions but we can work on them as we go along, if we take this slow and steady it should work.’

  ‘Agreed, so you will handle this situation?’

  Larson, with one look at Marlo, answered. ‘Yes if Lady Helen…’

  ‘No,’ Hawk corrected. ‘Please address her as Chef Helen.’

  ‘Apologies.’ Larson bowed his head. ‘Chef Helen and Healer’s Dinas and Patty have an input.’

  ‘Agreed.’ They all said.

  Peyton breathed a sigh of relief. ‘So we are done?’

  Rage growled loudly, Peyton turned to him, speaking out loud. ‘I was getting there… Sheesh impatient.’ Turning back to the others around the table, she smiled. ‘So it has come to my attention we need meat for the kitchens.’ Helen covered her smile as Peyton said. ‘So I propose a hunting expedition on the moon. The Turqualls will go with any Warriors who wish to hunt. Hawk, Kerol, if you could arrange it with Rage and Rave. Captain Nikolas could you see to the pilots, try to get ones that hardly ever get to go hunting.’ She turned back around to Rage and Rave. ‘Happy?’

  They both gave her the equivalent of a bow and then left the room. Hawk asked. ‘If that is all Madam?’

  Peyton could see him and Kerol and funnily enough Dinas vibrating with anticipation. ‘Oh, of course Warriors, please go.’ They almost ran from the room.

  Willian turned puppy dog eyes to her with a hope he would be allowed to go. He had never gone hunting due to his injuries. Peyton looked at Patty and raised her eyebrows at Willian.

  Patty smiled. ‘Cleared to go.’

  He was through the door almost at a run with Ward and Nikolas following. The only males left were Marlo, Larson, and Harm. Peyton looked at Helen, who said. ‘Food and drinks, Netta dearle, open the screen please.’

  Netta walked over to the wall, placed her hand on a panel and it slid back revealing a lounge with chairs and couches and a few tables scattered around. Peyton had requested a viewing area next to the war room for anyone who had to be there. It was a place to take a breath, a place to get another perspective, and it had become a favorite of everyone’s. Heather explained it to the two Commanders and Harm as she guided them toward the area.

  Peyton helping to bring plates over with the others said when Marlo opened his mouth. ‘It is not coddling.’

  Marlo closed his mouth and raised his brows, taking a sandwich from the plate she offered him saying. ‘Never said it was. I was going to say that there seemed to be quite a few of these around.’

  Peyton eyed him as she gave the plate to Larson and asked him. ‘All the time?’

  ‘Every day, he grows on one.’

  Smiling, she said. ‘Uhuh.’ Then turned and said. ‘Ladies.’

  The males stood back as the females converged on her and a hug feast ensured. Helen and Janet stood with Harm and the Warriors. Harm took a sip of his drink, looked at the other two and said. ‘Bat shit crazy is a term to get used to hearing and saying.’

  Helen barked a laugh out. ‘Oh my, that is so true.’ When they looked at her, she said. ‘Ask Kerol, he has vids.’

  Eventually all the tears and words were said and the sisters and friends left it there, agreeing not to discuss it again. When everyone had helped themselves to food and drinks Peyton with her cup of coffee wandered over and leaned against the window, looking out on the stars as she listened to the murmur of voices behind her and the occasional laugh.

  She felt the contentment settle inside her and a warm glow of love filled her needar. Harm moved on silent feet and stood next to her and waited. When she turned her head to him, he smiled and said gently. ‘Well Madam.’

  ‘No, just Peyton, please Harm. You are family, when we are just us, it is Peyton always.’

  Harm, aware of the honor she had bestowed on him, bowed his head. ‘Peyton, I was wondering why I was here. This seemed a more internal matter, rather than an open one.’

  ‘You are correct, I asked you here to show you what we are trying to establish and to explain my decisions.’

  ‘I thank you I think, and ask what decisions?’ Harm’s voice had tightened as he spoke, his worry for his mating, front of his mind. It had been five luneras since Heather and he had joined together. Now if Peyton tried to remove his treasure from him, death wo
uld follow and that would not go well. Heather made a move to come to him, he signaled her to wait, she smiled in acknowledgement but her eyes went from him to Peyton and back again, they held worry which transmitted to the others, talking slowed then finally ceased.

  Peyton sighed as she ran her finger around the rim of her cup, her eyes following the movement. Harm wondered if her inability to look at him boded ill or well for them. ‘I thought I could do it, you know? When you met and mated, I thought this is good, Heather needs someone. She needs you to love her as she needs to love you. She needs you to care for her, to watch over her and make sure she doesn’t take too much on. That we didn’t put too much on her or take her for granted, expect her to do the impossible all the time. That she would have someone in her corner, someone strong like you. But I find I can’t do it. I can’t let you take her from us again, from me. I know that is selfish. It is selfish and I am sorry for that, but we do not function right without her, she is a piece of the whole and we are much less without her. As pathetic as this sound, I am less with her gone. We all of us hurt when she is not with us.’ She looked up at Harm and stated in a hard, determined voice. ‘I am sorry I will not allow you to take her from us again.’

  Heather tears in her eyes couldn’t hold back the sob that slipped from her lips, it had been so hard to live away from everybody, she had not told Harm but it never got easier over the five luneras to be away from her family. In fact in the last two luneras it had become unbearable, she constantly yearned for her home, for her family. When Willian had comm’d her to tell her about Peyton, she was so relieved to have a reason to come home, to come back to her family she almost collapsed in tears, but to know it had been just a hard on Peyton and the others hurt her heart. Not once in the last five and half luneras had they told her how difficult, it was for them. Never once had Peyton let on she was missing her, in fact it had always been the opposite. Now to know she was as loved as she loved was just plain humbling.

  Peyton’s voice took on the song of the Stars as they spoke. We feel our Daughter’s distress, we do not wish for a piece of her heart to be removed. We do not wish for Sister Heather to leave again, it pains our Daughter, therefore the balance is unsettled.

  Heather was shocked at their declaration. ‘Oh Wow.’

  Harm swallowed, so the Star Child loved his mate, trickier but maybe doable. He dipped his head in respect. ‘I do understand your distress and I assume you have a solution?’

  Peyton smiled a natural one, her voice her own as she answered him. ‘See, I knew you were smart and I do.’

  Harm smiled as Heather, unable to stay away any longer, rushed to him. His arm naturally encircled her waist, drawing her closer to his body. Heather looked pointedly at Peyton and said using her annoyed voice.

  ‘You should have said Peyton.’ She looked at the others and said. ‘You all should have.’

  Darby agreed. ‘Maybe you are right, we should have, but you deserved to find out for yourself and maybe you should have said as well.’

  Heather nodded, hearing the truth of her statement. ‘Maybe, you are right.’

  Harm asked. ‘Right about what?’

  Heather looked up at him and said softly. ‘That I missed my home and my family more than I told you I did.’

  ‘I see.’ He looked at Peyton who gave them both a hopeful look. ‘So what I thought is, you Harmara are the head of your family and as such their well-being is your primary goal.’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘I know you have no home world to call your own. So what I propose is you call Maikonia home. Come live with us, build a life and practice your trade. Work for us when we need it, train our people, hold classes in etiquette, in defense, in politics and cultures, in spying.’ Peyton slipped that one in. Harm raised an eyebrow, she quickly continued. ‘We will pay you for the teachers of course but teaching is not a requirement, it’s a wish, a hope. Integrate your culture, your people with ours. We are new and growing, your people would be of value to Maikonia and I hope we would be of value to you.’

  Harm’s arm had tightened around Heather as Peyton outlined her plan, he had in his grasp almost everything he wanted, that his family wanted. They had been homeless, living on ships, never calling a world home for generations, as far back as Harm and his uncles and aunts could remember. Shunned until they were needed, granted he made those that hired them pay, when they commissioned them, but it was not enough, never enough.

  ‘So what planet would you assign the Solverea Assaens to?’ He asked and tried to keep the bitterness from his voice, but obviously he did not succeed or these people were very good at picking up on it. Heather’s hand squeezed his as Peyton looked bewildered for a moment. Harm felt confused by the look as she asked Heather. ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘He thinks you want to shove his people away, hide them like a dirty secret, it is what they expect.’

  ‘Heather.’ Harm admonished her.

  Heather retorted back. ‘Do not Heather me.’ She hugged him tighter. ‘It is what you thought.’

  The sound of growling was new, he looked over to see that Peyton was not only growling, she was glowing a little. Darby tapped her arm. ‘Peyton… hon, you are glowing.’

  ‘Oh sorry.’ The glow lessened as she stepped into his space and looked up at him and jabbed him in the chest hard. ‘You listen to me, you and your people are not a dirty secret. I expected some of your people to live and work on Prime, our home world. There are enough worlds I think, for them all to pick one to live on, but if they don’t like any of them they are welcomed to live on an empty moon or planet. There are many empty Hexes, you can adapt or you can build your own, we have Warriors that love building.’ She said to Helen over her shoulder. ‘In fact, scared to find out what they have done since we left, cannot remember if we said no more renovating or not.’

  Helen shrugged. ‘Always interesting to return and see what they have accomplished.’

  ‘That is one way of looking at it, I suppose.’ Turning back to Harm she said. ‘Anyway, we have places for training, for everything, or once again you can build your own. Our towns are growing, your people could open shops and businesses. They could do family stuff like other families, if they wanted.’

  Harm looked at her and saw an affronted female, demanding he understand she wanted them to belong. To finally settle on a home world with others that respected and wanted them. Darby softly said. ‘We all know what it is like to not be wanted, to be shunned and ignored, not valued. You and your family will never feel that on Maikonia, we civilians and Warriors are all in this fight together, to make our home, our world, our galaxy and our universe the best and the safest.’

  Harm looked at the small earnest female who blushed prettily. He smiled as his heart almost burst from his chest, he looked at the sharp finger Peyton had forgotten she was pointing at him and kissed it, then watched amused as she too blushed and blinked several times before asking hopefully.

  ‘Oh wow, is that a yes?’

  Harm grinned taking him from oh my stars handsome to off the scale handsome. Peyton felt her knees weaken as she groaned. ‘Again, I say... Oh wow!’

  All the females laughed, the Warriors not so much. Harm backed a pace away from her and dropped his arm from his mate, he then crossed his arms over each other and placed them over his chest, kneeling on one knee in the Assaens pose of fealty and respect he made his vow.

  ‘Madam Peyton, Star Daughter I on behalf of my family, accept your generous proposal to allow us to reside and become citizens of Maikonia.’

  Peyton spoke accompanied this time by the Stars.

  ‘We formally accept you and your family as citizens of Maikonia from this day on. Rise Harmara Solverea, you and your family are now Maikonian citizens with all the rights and restrictions of any person who calls Maikonia home.’

  Harm rose as Heather hugged him and Melody called out. ‘Welcome family Solverea to Maikonia.’ With a heartfelt sigh he found himself enfolded in the arm
s of his new family, being congratulated by everyone there. When things calmed down, he asked Darby. ‘Would it be possible to have a comm, so I can call the family they need to know that we have a home?’

  Darby nodded. ‘Of course, if you can hold for a min, I will have one of the Graynite’s come here.’

  Helen hugged Harm then Heather saying. ‘I am so happy you agreed to stay, as Peyton said we missed having you in our lives. Now I must go, goodness knows what they are creating for second-meal.’ She smiled as she took her leave of the happy couple saying goodbye to everyone else and made her way slowly from the war room. Marlo watched his brother as his eyes followed the retreating female. ‘Larson, my brother what ails you?’

  Without thought Larson snarled one word.

  ‘Mine!’

  Marlo frowned as everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at both males, Peyton asked. ‘I am sorry what did he say?’

  Melody answered. ‘You heard Star girl, Helen is his.’

  ‘That is what I thought he said, is that allowed?’

  ‘Why would you ask that?’ Darby asked her with a frown marring her features.

  ‘Well, it is Helen. I am not sure she wants a mate.’

  Darby muttered. ‘Do any of us, really?’

  ‘Well I do.’ Melody told them, Peyton and Darby shared a look and Peyton asked. ‘Do you really?’

  Melody’s voice was tight when she asked. ‘Why do you say it like that, are you implying I am incapable of finding a mate?’

  ‘Hayda no, why would you think that?’

  Netta told her. ‘It’s the way you said it.’

  ‘I was not implying anything, you can have a mate if you want one. No one said you can’t, sheesh so sensitive.’

  ‘Oh well, isn’t that just great?’ Melody snarked back at Peyton, whose eyes narrowed at her tone and asked with a growl in her voice. ‘Hey, why are you mad at me?’

  ‘No one is mad at anyone, we are talking about Larson and Helen.’ Netta stated in her no nonsense voice that had both sisters looking away from each other, although they all heard Peyton mutter. ‘Sure sounded like that to me.’