Yeah, well I don’t think Yollywood will be calling anytime soon. Jacqueline took her cue to launch into the first action sequence. And the thought of what you’re going to do in return for me playing along will get me through this just fine.
Mark was quiet after that.
Bad dialog aside, Jacqueline still found joy of a sort in the choreographed techniques.
There were much worse things to do than this. Like half-contact sparring, which she hated. She would get to let loose for the final round, and that was worth all this ridiculous acting.
Sabine blew the whistle to call the first round, which ended with both of them scoring pretty evenly, but with Shasta slightly ahead.
The crowd didn’t know how to react.
So they bayed incomprehensibly for the next round to begin.
The second round went mostly the same, but this time Jacqueline took the lead by a small margin.
Again, the crowd were on their feet by the time Sabine blew the whistle.
Ricole whooped into her microphone, whipping them up further. You did great with the choreography, Sabine.
I had some help, she replied modestly.
Send Lover-Were my regards, Jacqueline half-teased. Seriously, these techniques are decent.
Sabine scoffed, feeling her cheeks warm. You would know them already if you trained with the Guardians a bit more.
Round three began, and Jacqueline had the smallest of smiles hidden at the corner of her mouth as she faced Shasta for real.
“You fight well,” Shasta praised Jacqueline at the top of his…lungs? “But you can’t beat me. I am—” he stretched up to his full height and pushed out his chest, “The Immovable!”
“Ass warrrrts,” Jacqueline blurted. “They’rrre immooovable, too.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd, growing in volume as the spectators’ translation software dealt with the way Jacqueline’s Pricolici mouth stretched the words.
Shasta frowned. “No ad-libbing!” he hissed out of the corner of his mouth.
Jacqueline shrugged and moved in to attack. “That's exactly what we do in this rrround.” She struck him in the side on which he'd landed a little awkwardly in an earlier maneuver. “It's tiiime to get rrreal.”
Shasta got his guard up a touch too late. He bent to absorb the impact, then stepped back and rolled his head from side-to-side.
Jacqueline made a face at the grinding coming from what she assumed was Shasta's neck. “Ewww.” She shuddered as the noise ran through her, amplified by her enhanced hearing.
Shasta saw his chance. He feinted and caught Jacqueline in the jaw with a wide swipe when she dodged the first strike.
She stumbled back a few steps, wiping the blood from her nose while her loose teeth were rooted back into her gums by her nanocytes. “Good trrry. Now it's myyy turrrn.”
Shasta took an involuntary step back as three hundred and ten pounds of snarling Pricolici bounded toward him.
Jacqueline howled her laughter and swerved around him at the last minute, deciding to wing it on a whim and make this the best show since they'd opened the Hexagon for business.
She launched herself at the cage, using it as a landing pad to reach the lighting rig above. She grabbed it and swung once to gain momentum before letting go with her feet pointed directly at Shasta’s chest.
It was a risky move, and Jacqueline gave it almost no odds of success.
However, Shasta’s species must be somewhat lacking in the fight-or-flight department. Either that or the sight of her descending was enough to circumvent the instinct completely, because he stood rooted to the spot with his stony mouth making a rough “o.”
Jacqueline’s feet found their target and Shasta went down like the ton of rock he was.
“Ohhh shiiiit!”
Jacqueline’s knees bent to absorb some of the massive shock, and she just managed to jump off his chest before he crashed into the side of the cage, unconscious.
The crowd went insane. Their screams and cheers shook the rafters as Sabine came forward and raised Jacqueline’s now-human hand. The medics came in to tend to Shasta, who had regained consciousness and was sitting in a daze with his back against the wire.
Ricole jumped around the commentary box with the mic in her hand. “We have our winner! By knockout, Jacqueliiiineeee!”
Sabine took one look at the crumpled cage wall. Can we get through one night, just one, without breaking anything?
High Tortuga Space Fleet Base, Meeting Room
John was last to arrive at the meeting room, just behind Gabrielle.
Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow at Gabrielle but allowed her to take her seat. “John. Nice of you to join us.”
Ah, shit. He leaned against the doorframe. “I have a perfectly good explanation for being late.”
“I’d love to hear it,” Bethany Anne told him, a hint of her amusement showing. Her fingers tapped slowly on the table. “But we have a meeting. Sit down already.”
Eric, Scott, and Darryl snickered quietly. John glared at them and counted his blessings as he made his way to his seat. He passed Bethany Anne, Michael, and Scott, taking the empty seat beside Tabitha’s at the far end of the table.
Tabitha stuck her tongue out at him while Bethany Anne was occupied with talking to Michael. “You would never have gotten away with that if she wasn’t so focused. Do you remember when she would have had you do push-ups on the table for the entire meeting?”
John grunted his agreement. “I kind of miss those days. You know, like you miss a giant pain in the ass when it’s not there anymore?” He chuckled softly. “How’s Todd doing? He started climbing the furniture yet?”
Tabitha shrugged. “Give him a minute.”
Bethany Anne cleared her throat to end the conversations around the table. “Okay, we’re all here. We have just one item on the agenda today, which is the fucking Ooken—and what we’re going to do to get a lead on the Kurtherians.”
A murmur of agreement went around the table.
Bethany Anne quieted them with a hand. “Largely thanks to the efforts of ADAM and the scout ship fleet, since our energy has been concentrated on upgrading the main fleet, we have more information than we did about those thieving murderers.”
John caught Bethany Anne's attention. “Is this everything we’ve found out since Loralei got us the coordinates for the second splinter colony?”
“Yes.” Bethany Anne waved a finger, and a holo-map appeared in the center of the table. She indicated the multiple markers that were widely spread out over a large portion of the map. “The green markers belong to me. The red markers are Ooken splinter worlds.”
Gabrielle sucked in a breath. “There are how many?”
“That we know about so far,” Bethany Anne modified. “However, we cannot assume these are all of the colonies, and we don’t have the location of the homeworld yet.”
John examined the map, tapping a finger on the table as his eyes roamed over it. “We’re placed well for defense.”
“That’s not an accident.” Bethany Anne got to her feet to pace while she worked through the explanation of her plans. “Phase Three is complete. That includes work on the Devon side of the Interdiction, as well as the garrison at QT2. I am headed over to the Helena in a few days to speak at the completion ceremony.” She paused and turned to face the table. “We are now in Phase Four.”
There was a slight scuffle as Gabrielle kicked her husband under the table. She shrugged when Bethany Anne paused and looked at her. “Eric would like to be reminded of what exactly is going to happen in this phase.”
Bethany Anne turned her glare on Eric. “Eric didn’t ask because he knows how I feel about repeating myself.” She sighed. “Fine. Phase Four. It’s time to allow trade to resume. Under my watchful eye, of course.”
Michael pursed his lips. “Isn’t that a risk?”
“It is,” she concurred, “But it’s a risk I have prepared for. It was always in the plan to open up High To
rtuga again to a degree. We have the Interdiction as protection from outsiders looking to take the planet’s wealth for themselves, and Barnabas will remain here to keep a rein on things while we’re gone.”
Gabrielle tilted her head. “How well is Devon protected? I haven’t been there for a while.”
“They have the Guardian—which coincidentally is just full of Guardians. I figure that was a well-named ship—and all the ships and weapons they need to defend against assault from any direction. The station is linked to EI-run outposts, and they have the standard BYPS system, as well as a few other fun surprises for uninvited guests.”
“Devon is doing well,” Tabitha cut in. “Or at least, Sabine and the others are doing well on Devon, which is pretty much…” She paused for a moment, then smirked, “Actually, that’s not the same thing.” She yawned. “Shit, sorry. Long night. Peter’s been coordinating with both stations on Guardian Marines stuff, and he talks about how things are going. It’s all well, right?”
“Not exactly,” Bethany Anne countered. “Devon has expanded a lot faster than I anticipated, even with the measures I put in place. I’m meeting with Peter later in the week to talk about what he and Giselle are doing to cope with the high number of Wechselbalg drawn to the relatively relaxed rules there.”
“They want in on the fights,” Michael interjected. “Let’s not kid ourselves. Tabitha is right; the older children are making a name for themselves by creating a system that favors the fighters.”
“I like what they’ve done with the place,” Bethany Anne agreed. “The fights needed some sort of regulation. There were too many unscrupulous bastards making money on the fights and not paying it out to those doing the fighting.”
“Things are a bit less wild there these days,” Michael supplied. “It seems unlikely, but the small amount of order we’ve instituted is drawing people in.”
Tabitha snorted. “Maybe because none of those rules interfere with the right of the people to live their lives without being told how to do it.”
Bethany Anne waved her hands. “We’re getting distracted. I don’t want to leave until I’m completely sure I’m not leaving anyone’s ass hanging in the wind. High Tortuga will be protected, as will Devon, as will my outposts.”
Tabitha interrupted, her face wearing a carefully neutral expression. “Are we leaving for good?”
Bethany Anne shook her head. “We will come back here when we’re done with the Ooken. But—when we return, it will only be to rest and recuperate for a short time before we take care of our unfinished business with the Kurtherians.”
Gabrielle’s brow furrowed. “What then?”
Bethany Anne spread her hands wide, a smile playing on the edges of her lips. “Who the fuck knows? Let’s concentrate on getting through what’s coming next.” She chuckled as a thought occurred to her. “Maybe after that, Hell will freeze over, and the never-ending supply of assholes in need of correction that the universe seems intent on sending my will finally dry up.”
John scratched his chin. “Can’t see it, Boss.”
“I’d better fucking see it,” Bethany Anne retorted. “Otherwise, what have I spent the last two hundred years working for?”
She banged her hand on the table. “There will be peace.”
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base
Tabitha watched Peter playing with Todd on the rug. He lay on his stomach beside their son’s bouncer seat and dangled the shiny stuffed toy above his head. “You two are the cutest.”
Peter flashed a grin at her. “I’m not the star of this show. Watch this.” He jiggled the toy and moved it slowly for Todd to follow with his eyes. Todd’s tiny hands waved and reached out in an uncoordinated attempt to grab the toy.
Peter placed the toy on the bouncer seat’s tray, and they both laughed when Todd’s efforts to get his hands on it resulted in the toy being knocked to the rug.
Todd’s tiny face screwed up and went a very specific shade of red.
“I’ll get the diaper bag,” Tabitha trilled. “It’s my turn to change him.”
Peter held a hand over his nose. “Sure thing, babe. But you’re sort of too happy about changing a smelly butt.”
Tabitha shook her head as she took the mat out of the bag and laid it on the rug, along with everything else she needed.
Todd was beginning to make grunts about the load in his diaper, but Tabitha was already there, lifting him onto the mat. “Who’s my big stinky boy?”
Peter made an exit as she opened the diaper. “It used to be me,” he complained good-naturedly, stifling a gag as he went by. “But as long as you take care of the poop, I’m good with the transition. I feel bad, but a deal’s a deal.”
Tabitha waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll get him cleaned up. You can take over on dinner. Bethany Anne, Michael, and the twins will be here soon.”
“I love that a weekly dinner is becoming a tradition,” Peter called from the hallway, pausing a beat before continuing, “if three consecutive weeks counts as a tradition?”
Tabitha smiled at her son as Peter headed to the kitchen. “I think I got the better end of the deal,” she confided to Todd while she cleaned him up. “Poop’s not the worst thing a child can get everywhere, and you’re going to grow out of needing help with that in no time.”
The baby kicked his legs and gurgled contentedly.
Tabitha smiled as she fastened Todd's romper suit. “I know, right? You're such a clever little guy. Yes, you are. Mommy loves you. Yes, I do…”
By the time Todd was clean and sweet-smelling again, Tabitha heard a commotion at the front door. She carried Todd to the hallway, but Peter had beaten her to the door.
He had barely opened it when Alexis swept past Peter and headed straight for Tabitha and Todd with her arms held out. “Todd! Hi, little one. It’s your cousin Alexis.”
Tabitha made a show of checking whether she was still there. “Nope, I’m definitely present. It must be the baby. Does he make me invisible?”
Bethany Anne
“Sorry, Aunt Tabbie.” Alexis looked anything but. She still wasn’t looking at Tabitha because she was making faces at Todd, much to the baby’s delight. “Can I sit with him until we eat? Pleeease? I’ll be very careful.”
Tabitha glanced at Peter, who came over and took Todd from her and nodded toward the living area. “We can sit in there. Wait until you see what he can do already.”
Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow at Tabitha. “Anything we should know about?”
Tabitha’s eyes misted over a moment. “He’s advanced; we can tell that much already. He’s been tracking things with his eyes since day one, and he has more control than he should at this age.”
“He’s growing rather quickly, too.” Bethany Anne’s eyes flicked through the door to the twins. “If he continues to grow at that rate, you should get his nanos checked out.”
“Already on it,” Tabitha assured her. “His first checkup with Eve is tomorrow.”
Dinner passed pleasantly, if too quickly, and Tabitha soon found herself at the door saying goodnight while Peter fed Todd before bedtime.
It was only when she shut the door that the tears came.
Peter returned from tucking Todd in for the night as she was scrubbing her cheeks dry. “What’s wrong?”
Tabitha shrugged. “I dunno. Nothing?”
He gathered her into his arms. “Come on, Tabbie. If you’re sad, I’m sad, too. What am I sad about?” He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know, because you won’t tell me.”
“I’m not sad,” she insisted. “I’m just…not happy about us being split up. You heard Bethany Anne at the meeting and at dinner tonight. She’s planning on an extensive campaign against the Ooken, possibly immediately followed by the war we came out here for. We just had a baby. Tonight was perfect. I don't want a thing to change right now.”
Peter held Tabitha close as she began to cry all over again. “Me either, babe. But you know we'll deal, same as
we always do.”
“I know.” Tabitha sniffed, her supply of tears finally exhausted. “Damn hormones. What are we going to do? I don't want to take our son into a war, but the war will come to us if we don't take it to the Ooken first.”
She looked up at Peter. “And we have to win.” She held Peter tightly for a moment, looking around their home. “We’ll lose all of this forever if we don’t.”
4
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, The Dome
Bethany Anne led Alexis and Gabriel along the corridor into the main chamber.
“This is our classroom!” Alexis exclaimed. “But…the door in the garden…”
“Doesn’t exist,” Bethany Anne reminded her daughter gently. This was why she had insisted on reality as much as possible within the game’s base scenario. “The entrance has been hidden. You can only get here through the Etheric now.”
Gabriel scanned the dome suspiciously. “Why’s that, Mom? Is it not safe to be down here?”
Bethany Anne shook her head. “It’s safe, but the old entrance had to be guarded. Besides, I don’t want anyone who can’t defend themselves against what happens in here to stumble in and get killed.”
“Killed?” Alexis asked, wide-eyed. “What are we doing in here?”
Bethany Anne smiled at her children. “You want to come with your father and me when we leave? You need to learn magic.”
It’s not magic, TOM huffed.
Shhh! I’m creating a narrative here!
TOM sniffed. My apologies. Please continue.
Don’t make me come in there.
Alexis frowned. “But we’re not in the game, Mom. We have technology to use, not magic.”
Bethany Anne waved a hand, and three seats and a table rose out of the floor.
Both children were amazed.
Bethany Anne indicated that they should sit. “A very long time ago, someone wrote something that made me think. He said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Alexis nodded. “That was Arthur C. Clarke, Mom. I read him a year ago. But that’s fiction. It can’t apply here.”
All’s Fair in Blood and War (The Kurtherian Endgame Book 4) Page 4
