by L M Lacee
Rose sucked in her cheeks as she looked at Miko and Kenera, who answered for them. ‘You would be the top trader, regardless of your product.’
‘Huh, exactly what I thought, so we will look into that when we are there. I am thinking of a building for all kinds of traders, no lines to cross, no status. Rose, you and your family please carve out a time to look into the probability of that. Our people are not quite up to selling their wares yet, but we are close. So let’s establish a property while we are there.’
‘We will, Madam.’
‘Okay, so to Kenera’s problem, while I understand it and am not pleased with it. I do not think we have the time or the inclination yet to change the Capital’s system.’
Darby shrugged. ‘In saying that, we do seem to change things when we get involved.’
‘Well, that is true. How about we just see what happens and if change presents itself, we will help it along.’
Kenera nodded with her eyes lowered. Peyton looked at the female who was slowly relaxing enough to voice a concern and become entwined with the other ladies as her daughter was.
‘Although I find ladies, if you can shop at these establishments first, let’s do that. I have no worries about status. I know who and what I am, if shopping or frequenting an establishment will increase someone’s life and business.’ She shrugged. ‘So be it, I enjoy giving a leg up to an underdog, so to speak.’ She said as the kits and Knife lifted their heads from laps to stare at her.
Kenera smiled slowly as all the females there agreed. Peyton grinned as she said. ‘If you find anyone while shopping, who would like to own a business or live on a free world and would like to move to, oh I don’t know the Maikonia system. Then why don’t you allow Kenera to interview them and see what she finds out. Would that be okay, Kenera?’
She told her. ‘You really are delightful. It is most assuredly fine, I will enjoy that.’
Peyton nodded in acceptance of the compliment and said. ‘Well, once you have interviewed them and on your recommendation, we will go from there. Rose make sure the first floors of our Hutell are offices and we have an office for that purpose.’
‘It is being done as we speak.’ She tapped away on her tablet.
‘So efficient, so anything else? Oh, one thing, ladies. I have heard that the males are not sure you should all come. Especially those of you with the next generation gestating inside yah.’
‘Why can you not just say pregnant?’ Darby grumbled.
‘I have no idea.’ She replied as she observed the general outcry from pissed off females who quickly carried their annoyance from the meeting to their respective mates. ‘I never got to say meetings done.’
Kate said. ‘Serves you right, why do you torture them so?’
She looked at her and squinted. ‘Are you knocked up already?’
Kate’s face went blank as a concerned Carrick came in with giggling babies held under each arm like footballs. ‘My heart we should see Dinas, it may be, you should stay home for this mission.’
Kate looked at Peyton. ‘Why... why do you do this?’
‘It was just a question.’ She said innocently as she moved Briark and Leiark’s heads from her lap and took the giggling infants from Carrick.
‘Greetings my babies, how are you, have you had fun with your Urnu?’
Rayvan and Draykin and their kits arrived, followed by the older girls. Carrick was trying to get Kate to go see Dinas. She finally screamed, that she would go if he would just shut up. She turned to Peyton and said. ‘I dislike you intensely right now. I will retaliate, be sure I will.’
‘I don’t understand, what did I do?’
Kate growled as she took Carrick’s arm, while he was trying to apologize for his mate. ‘She does not mean it. I think she was attacked by the
horwamoans. We are still looking for them.’
Kitolin said. We will look harder now.
They all heard Kate’s high-pitched scream of frustration as the lift took her away.
‘I would have thought she would have been the last one to do the screechy thing.’ Peyton said. ‘Just shows no one is immune.’
Hope asked. ‘Mama, did you make Auntie Kate make that noise on purpose?’
‘Why are you blaming me?’
‘Auntie Peyton, who else?’ Enara asked as Hope and Enuru looked on with disapproval.
‘Because we know it was not Darby!’ Esther said when she came through the door with Helen and Brenda. Kenera took Koana from Peyton, who tried for innocence as she said. ‘It was just an innocent question, not my fault he was listening.’
Kenera asked. ‘And the other comment about being with child which upset the ladies.’
‘Well yeah, I can see how one could see it like that, but truthfully I thought they should have a heads up.’
‘What about Darby and Reeve the other day?’ Brenda asked.
‘Oh, that was all Hawk.’
With her face turning pink in outrage, Darby stamped her foot and screeched. ‘Are you friggin kidding me, that was you? He was annoyed for hours.’ Which amused Peyton until she reached a pitch that had shoulders hitching around ears. ‘You have no idea what I had to do to disabuse him of the notion I had been involved with Huju.’
While the others hid their grins. Peyton said. ‘Really Darby, the young are in the room, talking about your S.E.X life, in front of them, shocking!’
Darby stood with her arms akimbo as she scowled at her. Then she sniffed and threw her hands up in the air and walked from the room, saying over her shoulder. ‘Impossible female.’
Melody said to Peyton after Darby’s dramatic exit. ‘You are never making it to the Capital. A.L.I.V.E.’
Bacon bounded into the room. Mama Melody our Coraan took me up in the sky.
Melody snarled. ‘He what now?’
Oops, forgot, me not tell, bye… bye.
Melody looked at Peyton. ‘This is all your fault.’
‘How is it?’ Asked a stunned Peyton.
‘You talk about flying all the time.’
‘In a ship.’ Peyton could see Melody working up to yelling, so she quickly changed the subject and asked. ‘Are you all packed?’
‘Why?’
‘We leave tomorrow morn.’ Hawk said as he entered.
Worry etched lines on Peyton’s face as she asked. ‘I thought we were leaving in three days.’
Reeve answered as he walked in behind Hawk. ‘There has been a development.’
‘What kind?’
Hawk replied. ‘Thanikis has been to Earth and has arrived at the Capital with an Earth Ambassador and Earth soldiers.’
‘How many?’
‘Between a two hundred and five hundred.’
Melody mumbled as she looked at Netta. ‘A Platoon. That is not good.’
Netta shook her head. ‘No, not good at all.’
Esther asked. ‘Do we know what they want?’
‘They are demanding we return all the human females from Maikonia.’
Melody and the others all drew in sharp breaths as Netta said. ‘What idiot would push this?’
Melody said. ‘It has to be that idiot Ian White. He and Thanikis were the best of friend’s right.’
Peyton nodded. ‘They were, I am sure we will find it is him. I feel for the soldiers who have had to follow him.’
Melody and Netta both agreed with that sentiment, having been in the same position countless times before.
Peyton shook her head. ‘Regardless of who the Ambassador is. I will explain, I will not allow my people to become bargaining chips in their game.’
Hawk nodded. ‘That is exactly what I thought.’
Peyton looked out the balcony doors at the peaceful scene of rolling purple grass and mountains. Hope with Enara and Enuru hugged her when they felt her sadness. She brushed her hand over each of their heads, saying absently. ‘This is one of those times when life decides for us.’
With a small smile, she told the girls. ‘So guess who ge
ts to sleep on the Prowler tonight?’
‘Yea!’ They cheered.
‘Go, get ready, we leave before eve-meal.’ They excitedly ran from the room with their kits running with them. Peyton turned to face the females and two males left in the room.
‘I wish it did not have to come to this, but I will not allow anyone to be forcible removed from their homes.’
‘Peyton, look at me.’ She looked up at Hawk, sadness in her eyes as he told her. ‘We will never let it happen, we fight as one and we defend our own. We are Maikonian, wherever we came from, this is our home. No one takes that from us or us from that.’
‘You are right. Make the announcement Hawk, we leave before first rising.’
He kissed her forehead, then turned to the females in the room. ‘Ladies, if you are packed we will take you on board tonight, otherwise it is by 04:00 hours tomorrow morn.’
Reeve said just before they departed. ‘Peyton, my sister, understand I will kill them if they come for my Darby.’ He looked over at the ladies, then back at her. ‘Or any of my family.’
‘We know Reeve, you will tell her?’
‘I will do so.’
‘Before the announcement, please.’
He nodded as Hawk stopped at the doorway. ‘I will tell the others beforehand.’
‘Thank you.’
When they left, Peyton said to Keylan. ‘Come on baby, Mama has to check her packing and yours.’ With a nod and a smile to the others, Peyton left with Keylan held securely in her arms.
Kenera looked at the others, who stood together and asked. ‘Are they that much of a threat?’
Esther said staring at the doorway Peyton had gone through. ‘No, not really.’
Helen said. ‘It is what she does that is the problem.’
Kenera defended Peyton. ‘She is not a natural killer. I know what they are like. She is not one.’
Brenda agreed. ‘She is not, she is a loving wonderful overly protective female.’
Melody sighed as fear clutched her heart, she quietly explained. ‘Who will kill and destroy to protect us all and welds a power far greater than what we suspect.’
Kenera asked her. ‘Explain this to me, please. I feel like I am missing something.’
Netta quietly told her. ‘Somehow they have guessed or been told she is Terran and the Star Daughter. So they will try to cajole, threaten, or play on her sympathies to get her to do as they want. And when all those ploys fail, because they will. Then they will try to force her hand.’
Kenera murmured. ‘How do you imagine they will do that? If we were on Yanarah, it would have meant death or hostages.’
Esther nodded. ‘Exactly, it seems we are not so different after all, or at least those that think they know better than us are not.’
Melody held Brenda’s hand as she said. ‘She will not allow it to get that far, and then she will flex her might. There will be deaths.’
Netta agreed. ‘And she will suffer for the decisions she makes.’
Brenda murmured as she sadly shook her head. ‘Another stain on her needar.’
Helen softly told Kenera. ‘They will haunt her.’
Kenera murmured. ‘I see, she will mourn decisions that are forced on her.’
Netta agreed with a wan smile. ‘Yes and her actions because she will take action.’
Silence hung in the air for a moment until Avana walked in and took Koana from her mother and said. ‘There is nothing we can do to stop what will happen. Let us hope it is not us or any of the children.’
‘Avana, you know something is to happen?’
‘Mama, they have Elders and Masters with them.’
Kenera stood. ‘I see, will you tell her?’
‘I have told Jarrod, Mama let us go and pack, Papa said we are to leave tonight as well. Ladies, we will see you on board.’
Esther nodded. ‘You will dearle.’
EPILOGUE:
Peyton returned to her apartment and stood on her balcony as she cuddled Keylan, her mind in turmoil.
Our Daughter.
Yes, Star Child.
Daughter, you are sad.
Yes, they have decided to use my people as pawns.
We can make it go away.
Make what go away?
Earth and the people that threaten you and yours.
I thank you, Star Child, but I and my people must solve these problems with our own wits and experience. Without taking the world from the Universe.
If you think this is the right course of action, then so be it. Remember, we are just a thought away.
Thank you, I find immense comfort from that thought.
Peyton turned from the peace of her home world to be confronted by an apparition. Keylan reached for the shadowy figure as Peyton took a step closer to her mate. ‘Kardan.’
My heart, I feel your pain.
‘Kardan, what should I do?’
The choices we make as leaders are never easy. It is why great leaders throughout history are forever held in high esteem.
‘I know and I strive every day to be an ethical leader.’
Why did you not take up the Star Child’s offer? ‘There are lines that can never be crossed, and that would be one.’
And yet you have condemned Yanarah.
I have, and I would do so again. But there is a difference between removing an empty world and removing an inhabited world, or there should be.
And so you show yourself to be a great leader, trust in yourself my heart. You harbor the Ethos of the Universe within your needar. Believe the Star Child chose their Daughter wisely, as I chose my mate.
‘I will try to do so.’
TRANSLATIONS:
Adee = Living malleable unknown substance.
Amahka = Mate to Star Daughter.
Ambassador = Ambassador.
Armee = Army.
Anult woue = Attack Dog.
Artar = Veterinarian.
Assaen = Assassin.
Basterads = Bastards.
Bitchre = Bitch.
Cabu = Cow.
Cassuam = Engine.
Castque = Out Cast.
Chanderoh = Imposter/ clone.
Chinsee = Goatee beard.
Circlet = Made to work as a whore.
Comparium = Engine.
Coverup = Make-up.
Data drive = Flash drive.
Data Flick = Data Chip.
Darma = Trader word for mother.
Dayam = Damn.
Dearle = Dear.
Desoul = Demon.
Devlish = Devil.
Empirer = Palace.
Falears = Faders.
Feelons = Felons.
Funta= Joke.
Furin = Fuck.
Furiner = Fucker.
Genea = Geneticist.
Gesovo = Vow.
Gravatron = Force or traction.
Greeting = Hello.
Guardiod = Adopted.
Guardio = Adopted parent or Guardian.
Guardioan = Adopting/adoption.
Hayda = Hell/Hades.
Healers = Doctors/ surgeons.
Hiesie = Conmen.
Hikaran = Chess, four levels played in 3D.
Hoay = Gay Male.
Hutell= Motel/Hotel.
Impoef = Pretender.
Kailee = Mystic Queen.
Kail = Mystic King.
Kilto = Mile.
Lalorla = Lawyer (Lalora).
Laroro =Accountant (La-roe).
Layra = liar.
Lituiumin = Type of alloy (lit-tui-umin).
Lunera = Month.
Luslian = Precious metal.
Masters = Mind Healers.
Matar = Mother.
Mecon = Senator.
Min = Minute.
Mins = Minutes.
Mystics = All of the mystical people.
Narto = Narcotics.
Needar = Being/ Spirit.
Nutoro = Idiot.
Olesho = Asshole.
&nb
sp; Omperea = Mystic word for great mother.
Parta = Trader word for Uncle.
Plasium = Platinum.
Poho = Ghost.
Primer = Level of technology advancement, low med, high.
Priounty = Reward/Bounty.
Prowler = Turquall.
Raccinor = ‘Race- in- orr’ Motorbikes.
Rie = Soul fire. Inner spirit. Well of power.
Rogu= Stew.
Roments = Pig like animal with eight legs.
Santinue = Drug used for Turquall.
Savgell = Animal.
Scallut = Female whore.
Scallup = To whore oneself.
Scaloup = Male whore.
Schrouse = Special heavy water.
Scup = Smug.
Sene = Seer.
Sevna = Mystic Priestess.
