“Anytime, sister. Anytime.”
“Is there a possibility of getting something to drink?”
Chapter 6
Everything about this journey had astounded Maddie. She was totally impressed at the skill Sharra showed as a pilot. Sharra was comfortable and confident in her role. The computer screens in the ship were amazing. They were transparent, and Sharra wore a glove-like apparatus that controlled the screens. The glove had metallic pads on the fingertips that she used to dance across screen. It also could be operated using voice commands.
Sharra explained when she had to enter calculations for our destination, she used the fingertip pads, but everything else was operational by voice commands. The control pad in the captain’s seat had signs and symbols that were unfamiliar to Maddie.
“Sharra, what’s up with those gloves? How do they work?”
“Oh… they are configured just for me. What I mean is if someone else, like you for instance, tried to use them to operate the ship, it wouldn’t respond. They are a built in security system. Anyway, the fingertip pads command the ship—that and my voice. This ship is also secured by voice recognition. Try to give it a command, Maddie, to see what happens.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say.”
Rykerian leaned over and whispered, “Say, ‘navigator, return us to Earth.’”
“Ok…navigator, return us to Earth.”
“Intruder alert, possible security breach. Commander Yarrister, please advise. I repeat… intruder alert, possible security breach.”
“Cancel order, navigator. Continue on course to Vesturon. See? It is nearly impossible for anyone to hijack this aircraft or to steal it. Pretty cool, huh?” Sharra asked.
“Extremely cool. No… way beyond cool!”
Maddie was curious about the sciences on Vesturon. Were the elements the same… biology… physics… mathematical equations… or were there new developments and discoveries?
Rykerian, who reveled in this role as teacher explained that there were similarities, but that there were other discoveries. Vesturon had more elements than Earth, enabling it to have more fuel options. They had also made many more discoveries regarding the physical sciences, and their version of math was much more advanced. Many unsolved equations from Earth had been solved many years ago. This was all beyond Maddie’s comprehension, but she was unquestionably interested in all of it.
“Hey, Shar… how about some tunes?” Xarrid asked.
“What do you want to hear?”
“Surprise me!”
Maddie looked up at one of the video screens to see her face come into view. She was in Rayn’s Lamborghini. Then the audio started streaming, and it was Maddie’s own rendition of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
“Oh. My. Gosh. Where did you get that?”
Everyone had already bursts into fits of hysteria. Between giggles, Sharra explained how she had pulled it off the security video from Rayn’s car.
Maddie was mortified.
“I always knew I was horrid, but this takes it to a completely different level. I can never be allowed to sing… ever again! She announced, while everyone else was still locked into hysterical fits.
But even worse than her singing was her dancing, and before she could stop herself, she jumped up on her feet and started gyrating. If they thought her singing was bad, they had no idea what was in store for them.
They were positively appalled. They watched her with looks of horror on their faces, not believing what they were witnessing. Maddie knew she was making a spectacle of herself, but she couldn’t have cared less. Her head was thrown back, her arms and legs were twisting and flailing, her torso was gyrating, and she was singing at the top of her lungs. She flew around the spacecraft in her own little world, and no one dared to interrupt her.
Rykerian leaned over to Therron saying, “What do you make of that? I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
“Nor have I. One would think she was in great pain by those movements. Do you think she is hurting herself?”
“I don’t think so. Maddie doesn’t like to be in pain, and The Deity knows she’s experienced enough to last a life time.”
“Do you think she realizes how much pain she is causing us?”
“Not in a million years. I think she is really enjoying this. Should we tell her how awful she is?”
“I do not think we have to. She cannot be stupid... or deaf... or blind for that matter.”
Before they all realized it, they had all joined Maddie in her escapade of song and dance.
When the song ended, Maddie opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her with their mouths hanging open. She should have warned them, but in her excitement, she just plain forgot.
“I am so sorry. I should have told you how bad I was, but I was having so much fun, I didn’t even think about it,” she explained.
“Well, I, for one, am glad you realize that… I was a bit worried about your sanity,” Rykerian said drolly.
“I was worried about our hearing. I’ve never heard anything quite like that before Maddie,” Therron added.
“Well, my secret is out now. I know… I am so totally awful, but I just love doing it, so I figure, why not enjoy it?”
Rykerian couldn’t seem to stop himself when he said, “My dearest Maddie, you know how much we all adore you, but in the future, could you please refrain from doing this unless we are somewhere that we can escape this punishment?”
“You are too funny, Rykerian,” she replied.
Rykerian looked and Therron and just shrugged. He figured it was hopeless.
Eventually, Maddie took her seat and reclined the back and started drifting off. Rykerian came to sit beside her just to make sure everything was ok. She assured him she was fine, but she was sleepy and was going to try to nap. She closed her eyes, and the next thing she heard was Sharra’s voice telling them they would be coming out of super propulsion.
“We are approaching the edge of the Appolonia Galaxy. So, in about five minutes, I’ll be slowing down the ship to sub-light speed,” Sharra announced.
“Am I going to feel sick again?” Maddie wanted to know.
“No, you should be fine. It usually only happens when you enter super propulsion, not when you come out of it,” Tesslar supplied.
“Thank God for that. That was awful. I thought car sickness was bad!”
“Deactivation in 3… 2… 1.”
Chapter 7
The stars came into view initially as huge long streaks of lights, but they decreased in size as the ship continued to slow.
“Welcome to the Appolonia Galaxy everyone. Here we go. We have just been snared by the trackers. Maddie, you are going to feel the ship shudder in a few moments, but do not be alarmed. It is just the Vesturion trackers that are locking onto us. Once that happens, they will basically pull us into the docking area,” Sharra explained.
Suddenly, the Star Transporter started to shake, and then, there was a big thump. However, it quickly ended, and Sharra stood up and came to Maddie. “Well… my work is done for today.”
“Do they know it’s us?”
“Oh, absolutely. In another couple of minutes they will be able to monitor our conversations here. So, any last minute instructions, Therron?” Sharra inquired.
“No… just stay together once we get off. We are going straight to the council chambers, as we discussed, walking in our formation. Maddie, you will be surrounded by all of us, so just follow us along. And remember, eyes straight ahead. Do not turn your head at all, even slightly. This will portray a sign of strength to all who see us. Everyone clear? Ok! Let us get this done!” Therron said.
“Ground control to Commander Yarrister.”
“Commander Yarrister here,” Sharra responded.
“Commander, we have you locked onto our trackers. Welcome home to Vesturon. Your presence is not surprising, and we are glad to see you home safely. I trust you had an uneventful flight,” the command center commun
icated to the ship.
“Thank you, ground control, and we are, as always, glad to be home. Yes, our flight was perfect,” Sharra replied. “Dock us at your convenience.”
“Commander, I cannot help but notice you carry an additional passenger.”
“Ground control, that is of no concern to you. Please make sure our ship is prepared for departure, as we do not know how long we will be staying,” Sharra replied in an authoritative voice.
“Aye aye, Commander. Will you be needing a transport anywhere?”
“No, but thank you.”
Maddie felt the ship turning and then again another slight shudder. Moments later, the ship came to a halt, and Sharra announced, “Well, I guess this is it! Xarrid, can you open the air lock and hatch?”
Maddie heard another click, and then the door slid open. This door was on the forward part of the ship, and she hadn’t noticed it when they initially boarded.
Rykerian, reading her mind said, “We use the rear when we enter the ship from the ground because it has a ramp, but the side door is used in the docking station.”
That made more sense to Maddie when she exited the ship. They were in port, like a plane attached to a jet way, so when they exited, they just walked off into a big area where other spaceships were docked.
“Star Trek had it right, didn’t it?!” she exclaimed.
Once they gained the exterior of the docking station, they assembled themselves in their formation as planned. Therron led the way, followed by Maddie, who was flanked on either side by Rykerian and Tesslar. Sharra walked directly behind Maddie, and closing ranks in the rear was Xarrid.
As soon as they exited the terminal, Maddie began to experience sensory overload. She felt herself being bombarded with a staggering array of various vibrant colors.
They were in the main capital of the world, and it was a large city called Aurora. It was, plainly put, magnificent. The buildings were lovely, architecturally classical, with every one seemingly planned to coordinate with each other. There were also gardens of colorful flowers and plants everywhere—a kaleidoscope of hues strategically placed to enhance the loveliness of the streets. It was evident that a lot of thought and planning went into the street scaping, making this city simply amazing.
Maddie had to fight herself to keep from staring at everything. The urge to look around her and explore this magical place was nearly overwhelming. Thoughts of Rayn were the only things she could concentrate on to keep from breaking ranks and checking things out.
The sounds were also amplified, utterly overpowering her ability to think rationally. It was clearly disconcerting, and several times, she felt herself getting mentally chided by both Therron and Rykerian. She was having great difficulty staying in step with them and sticking to their plan. After multiple attempts, she was able to reach out to them telepathically, hoping they could hear her.
Both Rykerian and Therron heard and then felt her distress call. They hadn’t counted on her reaction to Vesturon in this manner. But, then again, they couldn’t have known how strong her blood bond to Vesturon would be.
Maddie breathed a huge sigh of relief when she felt Rykerian and Tesslar each take one of her arms. Immediately, she felt their ability to calm wash over her. They both sent her suggestions to breath slowly and deeply and to concentrate on one sound versus the millions she was trying to absorb.
Less than twenty minutes later, the contingency made an impressive procession as they moved in unison toward the council chambers and trial. They were saluted constantly, as befitted a royal family, and heads bowed in deference to them. The walk to the chambers took about 15 minutes, and by the time they arrived, they had caused quite a stir. The streets were lined with a multitude of citizens, cheering them on.
They all hoped this was a good omen for them—a supportive showing. Rayn was loved greatly by these people, and there were many that were upset and disappointed that he had been placed in confinement.
Their timing couldn’t have been any more perfect. They wanted to enter the chambers after everyone had arrived, including Rayn, to make a more impressive show of support. The council members had been seated, along with the Great Leader and First Mate, and Rayn had just been escorted to his place in the court when the contingency arrived. A great many attending were shocked by their visit, and you could hear the murmurs when the court bailiff began announcing their arrival.
“Attention, joining this council session today are the following: Therron, Rykerian, Tesslar, Xarrid and Sharra Yarrister and Madeline Mariah Pearce.”
Gasps of shock reverberated throughout the chambers. Rayn stood up, a dazzling smile of appreciation on his face. Maddie stole a sideways glance at him, and she could barely keep herself from breaking into a smile. She wanted to dash over to him and throw herself in his arms, but she didn’t dare. Everything had been carefully rehearsed, and they needed to stick to plan.
“Court is now in session on this day. All rise.”
Everyone stood and a hush fell over the chambers.
One of the elders spoke up about the charges that were being tried against Rayn on that day, and so the trial began...
Chapter 8
Athyna Monteveldo sat in the chambers waiting for the trial to begin. She had to hand it to Rayn. As usual, he looked composed and as cool as a cucumber. She was still troubled that there actually was going to even be a trial. Rayn Yarrister was of such high moral standards that he would never do anything against any of the covenants unless he had good reason—there must be no other possible course of action. Athyna trusted him enough that she would bet all of her worldly possessions on him. He was just that kind of male.
She started thinking back to when they were youths in school together. Rayn always, without fail, took the high road, even when it caused him great pains. He was flawlessly unselfish, but most of all, Athyna knew him to be kind. He never had a bad word to say about anyone.
Athyna had been very close to both Rayn and Therron. Her father had designs on a relationship between her and Rayn, and he would try to promote this relationship at every opportunity that he could. Athyna always thought he was obsessed with it. She had a deep fondness for Rayn, but it never went beyond that.
Her father would berate her sometimes for that, telling her she was too young to decide what her feelings were. He often threw her into embarrassing situations with Rayn at every possible opportunity, but luckily for Athyna, Rayn would laugh it off and tell her not to worry about it.
Eventually though, Athyna purposely started keeping her distance from him to avoid any awkward moments that her father kept trying to conjure up.
It was a shame too because she missed seeing the Yarristers. Although, in recent times, all of the children were stationed on Earth, so it would be unlikely for her to see any of them anyway.
Just then the bailiff stood up and announced the arrival of all of the Yarrister children. Athyna had eyes for only one though and that was Therron. It had been over a year since she had seen him, and he truly was a sight for her sore eyes.
She always thought he was the most handsome of all of them, in his unruly sort of way. Therron never had a care for his appearance. Yes, he was neat and orderly, but he didn’t give a snit about what his hair looked like or if he was attired in the latest of fashions. Rykerian was the one for that, and although Rykerian was exceedingly handsome, it was Therron who had captured Athyna’s heart.
Therron, of course, had absolutely no idea of this, and Athyna intended to keep it that way. She would die of humiliation if he ever found out her true feelings. If she was honest with herself though, there was a part of her that wished he did know. She was tired of being hounded by everyone for not taking a mate—or not even trying to find one at that.
The entire family looked stunning, as was the norm, but Athyna suddenly noticed the beautiful female that accompanied them. The bailiff said her name was Madeline something-or-other. That wasn’t familiar at all to Athyna, so she sat there wondering w
ho the girl was.
In the meantime, her eyes once again wandered over to Therron. Yes, she was most definitely still powerfully attracted to him. He was not exactly what you would call scruffy, but he just had that devil-may-care look that so appealed to Athyna. His lovely hair all but begged her fingers to work their way through it. And those huge green eyes! They were stunning. Why did it always seem that the males got the beautiful eyes? What she would do given the chance with him. She knew it was just a dream, but a female could dream, couldn’t she?
Athyna started focusing more on the beautiful girl with the Yarristers, and it hit her like an annihilator when she realized what she was wearing.
Great Deity! She is attired in clothing of a bonded female… that must be Rayn’s female, because she has on armbands of the first-born mate’s. Heavens above, what is going on here?
Athyna slowly began to comprehend the scene unfolding before her. Rayn must have broken the covenant for this female. Athyna believed that he still would only do it for good reasons and with great thought. She began to pay closer attention to what was taking place here.
As the trial progressed, Athyna realized what Rayn had done, and it hit her then that he must have formed a bond with this female instantly. Rayn was the most duty bound male she had ever known. Even when they were children and adolescents, Rayn never did anything out of the realm of duty. He was always the goody two shoes in the family and was teased, sometimes incessantly, over it. He was very calculating in all of his actions, so when he brought this female to Vesturon, Athyna believed he saw no other path to take. She thought it was ridiculous the way the Elders kept focusing on this.
Rayn’s actions would in no way impair his ability to act as the Great Leader. This council was foolish to think otherwise. Athyna started wondering about their fixation on this, and suddenly, she realized her father had a huge role in all of this. She felt herself getting angry over it all because it was, in her humble opinion, pure nonsense.
Athyna continued to steal glances at Therron during the trial. Try as she may, it was next to impossible to ignore him. He exuded power; she could feel the tendrils of it reaching out from him. She didn’t exactly know if it was just Therron or if it was a combination of all of the Yarristers in one place giving her that sensation.
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