by Francis, Ron
The cadet looked at the instructor, the instructor nodded and the cadet replied, "Xanu, Sir."
"Well, Xanu, it was my honor to spar with you today."
The instructor was very impressed, “That was one of my best fighters, and you took him easily. Would you mind returning tomorrow and teaching us some of those moves?”
Josiah looked at Reece and they agreed. He turned back to the instructor and replied, “It would be an honor.” He shook the instructor’s hand and shook the volunteer’s hand again. Then, he and Reece turned to leave for lunch.
______
King Dominus and Princess Rayelle had finished their tour of Endeavor with Jesse. The King was quite impressed. Princess Rayelle was as beautiful as the stories foretold. She was five-foot five with long, brown hair and a well-toned physique. She had tan skin and the deepest brown eyes he had ever seen. All of that matched perfectly with her full lips and confident smile. She was stunningly beautiful, and she knew it. While she didn't seem at all interested in getting to know her host, she did love Commando. She pet him and played with him while her father listened intently to many of the stories of the adventures of Endeavor's crew. She stayed with Commando almost to the point of completely ignoring her host. Now, they were back at the palace and her father was introducing him to the Queen while they waited for the rest of his crew to arrive. Queen Constance was a vision of loveliness and very kind. She looked very much like her daughter. He was pleased to meet her and he instantly knew Suzy would love the Queen. Several people were filing into the palace dining hall along with the crew of Endeavor. When everyone was assembled, the King stood to speak.
“Colonel Marcos,” King Dominus began. First, I would like to thank you for the tour of your most impressive ship, also for allowing me to meet your pet wolf, Commando. He was every bit as impressive as Torav indicated.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
King Dominus continued, “I don’t know if you are aware, but by returning our painting, you have made our royal family the most famous family since Sansabar himself. I will forever be remembered as the king in power when Sansabar’s Hyperia was finally returned to us. Thank you, my friend.”
“You are most welcome. I’m just happy that we could exceed your expectations, Your Highness. It is no easy task to exceed a ruler’s expectations.” Jesse was relieved to see that the stories of King Dominus being a good man were true.
“Did you think about keeping it for yourself?” The Queen asked as she placed her hand on the king's arm and looked at him.
“No, actually we didn’t. We don’t know a lot about this galaxy yet, but the important works that we could identify and the histories we found, we immediately planned to give back to their planets of origin. We felt they were too important for us to even think about holding on to them. It’s your history, you deserve it.”
The Queen looked at Jesse and replied. “There are not very many that think as you do. Most would have at least tried to sell it back to us, but you just gave it away. Do you not want anything in return?”
Jesse smiled, "Believe me; we still have more than we can ever use." He looked between the King and Queen as he prepared to continue. "I do have a favor to ask, but that’s what our second gift is for. We plan to give you another gift at the feast.” He admitted, “But we wanted the painting to be given to you independent of any favor we may ask.”
“Now I’m intrigued,” The Queen laughed.
“As am I, my love,” The King agreed. “I can’t wait until the feast. For now, though, we eat lunch and enjoy our new friendship. First, allow me to make some introductions. Torav and Soall you already know, Plonse is a close friend and head of palace security. He has been escorting your lovely doctor around our city this morning. Doctor, did you enjoy your tour?”
"Very much so, Your Majesty, thank you. And Plonse was the best tour guide I have ever had. His company and knowledge of your amazing city made the morning that much more enjoyable. Although now I feel a bit silly thinking a man of his caliber and station was merely a guide."
"That is kind of you to say. I sent him with you to make sure you would be safe and informed. There are few I trust as much as I trust Plonse. Unfortunately, Plonse will be taking a trip with his family for a couple well deserved weeks of rest, so this will be the last day you get to enjoy his company. Now, seated next to Plonse is his wife Sanna, and the lovely young lady sitting next to my daughter is her best friend Collette. At the end of the table is Admiral Vantilas, the head of Hyperia's military, and his wife Breen."
As the king finished with the introductions, lunch was served for the intimate gathering. The King continued to ask Jesse about some of the adventures he had been on. Jesse had everyone's attention at the table as he told one of his stories from the Pack war. When he was finished, the King thanked him and asked for another.
"Let the man eat the lunch we have prepared for him, my love." The Queen interjected, "They can tell us more of their adventures and exploration of the Kalephi Galaxy later."
The Princess, however, was not impressed. She did not seem to share her father's excitement about Colonel Marcos exploits. "It seems to me that you are just a bored, rich man that lacks responsibility, and you have duped some of your friends into joining you on a dangerous and pointless escapade."
Several eyebrows were raised around the table by the Princess' comment.
"Rayelle! That is a terrible thing to say to our guest. The Colonel has accomplished much in his life, not to mention what he has given us." The Queen defended.
Suzy broke into the conversation recounting some of Jesse's great moments. "Did you know that Colonel Marcos built the largest technology company in our entire thirty-two planet coalition? He also almost singlehandedly stopped the Jarlevian invasion of our coalition, and saved our planet. He has actually accomplished a great deal more as well."
"Not to mention dismantling our galaxy's largest criminal organization." Collin added as he picked up another biscuit and smiled at Bessa.
"Not to mention saving Kaldor and finding the greatest treasure in the history of our galaxy, then giving almost all of it away." The King added. "It would seem that the good Colonel has taken on more than his share of responsibility in his life." He noted as he looked sternly at his daughter.
"Actually, it was my sister that duped me into this escapade." Jesse joked. "It's actually more than just a chance to explore the unknown. It has long been theorized that the humans of our galaxy originated here in the Kalephi Galaxy. We came in large part seeking the truth of those claims. It may be a bit frivolous, but our coalition is not at war, and my company is in great hands with my sister and brother-in-law. If there was ever a time for us to do this, it was now," he added diplomatically.
"I think coming to another galaxy with no sure way home is quite brave," the Queen added.
"Or stupid," the Princess laughed to more raised eyebrows as Collette nudged her under the table.
"Maybe a little of both," Josiah agreed with a laugh.
The rest of the lunch was filled with stories and laughing as Endeavor's crew got to know their new friends. When the lunch was over and they had made their way back to their ship, the king caught up to his daughter. After asking Collette to wait in another room, he began a conversation he suspected his daughter knew was coming. "What was that all about, Rayelle? That man is a hero, he is my guest and he is a genuinely good person. He did not deserve to be attacked like that."
"I am sorry, father, I just could not listen anymore to how great Colonel Jesse Marcos is. He did not seem that great to me."
"That man just returned our planet's most prized possession to us. No one had seen it in thousands of years. He could have gotten enough money to buy his own planet with it had he decided to sell it. Could you imagine how much the Conglomerate would have paid to keep it from us? Instead, he brings it here, endures terrible treatment at the hands of Commander Gallo, and still gives it to us, all while asking nothing in return."
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"Oh, he will ask for something. Mark my words. He even said he needed a favor."
"He also said he had another gift because he wanted to give us the painting independent of any favors he would ask. Next time we see him, I expect you to be on your best behavior whether you like the man or not. You are twenty-five years old now; I should not have to tell you that." He turned and walked away without waiting for a reply.
Collette came into the room and saw the sour look on her friend's face. "Did he let you have it for being so mean to the Colonel?"
"Not as bad as I expected," she laughed.
"That is because everyone in the kingdom knows you have him wrapped around your finger," her friend laughed.
"Still, I do not like it when we fight."
"Then maybe you should not be so mean to his friends, especially the ones as attractive as the Colonel and his crew. Let me know if you are not interested, because ooh, was he amazing. Did you see the vid of him fighting the Pandaran on Binwar? With moves like that...I know he can take care of me."
"Alright already, Collette, I get it, you like him. Well, feel free, I am not at all interested or impressed with the man."
As Endeavor's crew made their way back to the ship, Suzy looked to Jesse and asked, "So what did you think of the Princess, it would seem the tales of her beauty were quite true."
Jesse just looked at her and replied diplomatically, "Yes, she did seem to be quite beautiful."
"I thought she was mean, and she didn't seem to like you at all, Jess," Josiah interjected.
"Apparently, the woman has good taste, too." Collin joked as the rest of the crew shared a good laugh at their leader's expense.
______
The day of the feast had finally arrived. After a week of Hyperian hospitality, Collin was really starting to like this place. He still couldn’t wait for the feast because that was when Jesse would make the request to use the deep space telemetry equipment. Collin knew the King could not say no. After giving them the painting, the King had to say yes. Jesse also had something else of great value to present to the royal family. Collin really liked the odds that he would be playing with some very cool toys. Soon, they would be well on their way to figuring out if they could get back to Earth without the matter conduit. He also hoped to go see the planet Trinnus. As he was thinking about the renowned Hyperian tech planet, Bessa knocked on his door. She had a big smile and she was holding two dresses.
“Hey, Bessa,” he smiled, genuinely happy to see her. They had been spending time together becoming friends over the last two weeks, and Collin loved every moment they spent together.
“Hello, Collin,” She smiled. “I am so excited about this feast. I went shopping with Suzy and Kimi yesterday. They bought me these two dresses. I need your help to pick out which one I should wear tonight.”
“Bessa,” he started awkwardly. “I’m probably the last person qualified to help you make this decision. I know you are going to be beautiful no matter what you wear.”
“Thank you, Collin, but this will not be difficult. I will simply try on both dresses for you, and then you let me know which one you like best. I care not what anyone else thinks. I would like to wear the one you like best.”
“Alright,” Collin replied. “I can do that.” He smiled at her as she closed the bathroom door behind her to change.
“Two weeks ago,” she called from behind the door. “It would have been beyond my ability to comprehend that I would be invited to a King’s feast as a free woman. Or that I would own not one, but two beautiful dresses. I owe it all to you and your friends. They saved me, they welcomed me into their family and they have purchased the nicest things for me. I never owned anything before. Now I have a closet filled with several outfits for me alone.
As Bessa opened the door, Collin’s jaw dropped. She smiled and said, “I guess that means you like dress number one.” She smiled as she turned completely around.
“You look so beautiful, Bessa,” he raved as she closed the door again to try on dress number two. When she opened the door, he took one look at her and said, “That’s the one.”
She smiled and jumped into his arms. “I knew you would like this one best, Collin.”
As he held a happy Bessa in his arms, he just went with the moment and kissed her. She was a little surprised at first but leaned in and kissed him back. It was the first time in her entire life she had kissed someone because she wanted to, and not because she was forced to. As she thought about that, a thought hit her that she was not worthy of Collin, and she began to cry.
“Bessa, I’m sorry,” he began as he let go of her. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“But I do want to, more than anything,” she cried.
“I don’t understand,” he replied, genuinely confused. “Did I do something wrong?”
“I am not worthy of you, Collin,” she sobbed. “Ever since I was young, I have been forced to be with more men than I can count, and I did not love any of them. You deserve someone better than me.” She turned away in tears.
Collin gently placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “That is where you are wrong. There is no one better than you, Bessa. I can't imagine what your life was like. Your master made you do things you didn’t want to, but none of that is your fault.” He paused as he continued. “I'm really attracted to you, and nothing is going to change that, especially things you had no control over. That life is over for you. You are free to make any choice you would like now. If you do not want to choose me, or if you need time, I understand. I need you to understand that you are more than worthy of being with anyone you would like to be with.”
He began to turn away, but she put her hand on his face and gently turned him back towards her. She looked deep into his eyes and saw he meant everything he said. Her sorrow turned to joy as she realized this man would never judge her on her past. “Do you really mean that?” She asked as hope for the future replaced tears for the past.
“Every word,” he began. Before he could finish his sentence, she was kissing him again.
______
Jesse looked at his friends, lined up and ready to attend a feast King Dominus was throwing in their honor. They all looked amazing. Before the hatch opened, Jesse called for everyone’s attention. “I just want to say have a great time tonight. I hope you all had as much fun exploring Hyperia this week as I have. In spite of a few pirates and Conglomerate soldiers that want us dead, I am really enjoying this galaxy. We’ve made some outstanding friends,” he pointed at Reece and Bessa. “We’ve also made some powerful enemies. I just want you all to know, the telemetry equipment we are hoping to use is not just a backup plan to get us back to Earth if the matter conduit fails. It could be the first step in figuring out a way to artificially create the conduit. Let's leave all of that aside for tonight, and have fun at the party. Josiah, Suzy and Kimi will be presenting the royal family with Sansabar’s Royal Jewel Collection, and if they weren’t already inclined to grant us this one favor, hopefully they will be after tonight. If all goes well, we will have a route mapped out to Earth in the near future. Then, with our backup plan in place, we can continue our exploration of this galaxy. I am so proud of each one of you. Let’s go have some fun tonight. You all deserve it.”
They were all waiting outside of Endeavor for their royal escort. They watched as three of the most luxurious air speeders they had ever seen landed in front of Endeavor’s landing bay. The first and last were military parade vehicles. An incredible luxury air speeder would carry Endeavor’s crew to the event. After the crew boarded their speeder, the convoy took off for the short ride to the celebration in their honor.
______
Captain Blade was now on the Absolution in a meeting with Admiral Greyside. The Admiral was explaining a plan that would get the both of them the thing they wanted most.
“Once we have the Queen and the Princess, King Dominus will give us anything we ask for to get them back.” Greyside expla
ined. “Now that the King knows of Colonel Marcos abilities, he will no doubt ask him to be part of the rescue attempt. Our man will capture him and we will turn him over to you.”
“That isss a well thought out plan, Admiral. What happensss if Marcosss isss not among the rescuersss?”
“Well, Captain Blade, as I have stated, once we have the Queen and the Princess, the King will give us anything we ask for. If Marcos is not on the rescue team, we will make the King give him to us as part of the exchange.” Greyside was very satisfied with his plan. It had taken him years to put it into motion. It had taken years to get his team into place. This had been a long range plan, and it was about to come to fruition.
“How will you know if Marcosss isss among the team sent on the rescue?”
“I have spies in the Hyperian capital. They are strategically placed to be able to gather that kind information.”
Captain Blade was struck by the amount of planning that had gone into this operation, and he liked the odds that he would be bringing Colonel Marcos before Garrinoras, which, of course, ensured his position as the pirate leader's second-in-command, and his survival.
______
Endeavor’s crew entered the Hall of Celebration, and they looked around in wonder. There were giant ice sculptures, a stage with musicians playing, a multi-tiered dance floor and over a two hundred tables. Each table could seat twenty people. There were several balconies overlooking the city, and lounge areas set up throughout the hall. It was really more of a facility than a hall given the actual amount of rooms and levels involved. It was all stunning. Watching his crew look around in awe made Jesse smile. He knew they deserved this party. Their royal escorts told them to make themselves at home. They could do whatever they wished. They were shown where they would be sitting once the banquet began, and then the escorts were gone. The crew split up to have some fun. Reece jokingly offered to be Suzy’s wingman if she wanted to try and meet someone. He was actually surprised when she smiled and said sure. They enthusiastically went off into the crowd in search of new friends. Josiah sat at a table with Kimi, knowing she didn't like these types of gatherings. He reminded her that the vid cameras were watching, so she should smile and enjoy herself. She agreed and decided to put on her best smile. Her training allowed her to slip into these types of social situations seamlessly. Collin and Bessa went right to the dance floor. Jesse was swarmed by single young women wanting to spend time with him. He was hoping to have fun with his crew tonight, but they had all split up. He still wanted to have fun, though, and what better way than spending some time with his enthusiastic female fans.
