by Kimber An
“She must’ve grabbed a darly-eel while trashing the Mess Hall.” Delano continued to pace. “Further scans may reveal other allergies. I’ll enter them and their treatments into the data-base.”
Naana entered.
Delano faced her. “Naana, inform the crew Lady Rowan is highly allergic. Under no circumstance is she to be served any food or drink which doesn’t first meet with my approval. I will provide you with a list of substances she may have reactions to. You must scan her environment and remove them at once.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I will train her in self-control and focus.” Delano paced, hands on hips. “A great deal of work is to be done. Remove everything from her chambers, except her bed, a table, and a chair. Adjust all colors to beige. Reduce illumination to point-eich. Go.”
Naana bowed at the neck and walked out.
Delano watched the Physician press the spray-syringe to Junior’s neck. The spots began to vanish.
Junior stirred in her sleep, drifting into a lighter stage. So sweet, so innocent with little curls across her freckled forehead. Ooh, brrruther. Delano smirked. No wonder Olivia calls her ‘Junior.’
Junior’s head rolled over in the pillow and a curl popped down between her eyebrows.
The android physician interrupted his paternal thoughts. “Captain Delano, I am pleased to report Lady Rowan is in excellent health, aside from ADHD and a variety of allergies. Scans reveal no cellular damage. It appears humanity has completely recovered from the infertility which plagued your generation. Should Lady Rowan complete the Marital Bond, you may very well be a grandfather one day.”
“Grandfather?” Delano’s horror cut out in a cough.
“Yes, her reproductive…”
“Enough.” Delano held up a hand to stop the android, ready to switch him off, if needs be. “It only matters that she’s healthy.” His little girl was a little girl and she would stay a little girl and that was the end of it.
Chapter 7
Delano watched her eyes open; they were green just like his. The curly hair was from his mother and the red, of course, was from Olivia.
Junior jumped right up and a whole tray full of medical instruments crashed down on her as she fell to the floor.
Been there. Delano grabbed her upper arm before her bottom hit. He jerked her up and set her back on her feet.
She frowned at him and tilted her head. And then she started to prattle. “Where’s your helmet? Why do you use androids for doctors? How can they adapt in emergency situations? What if they need to make a medical ethics decision during pre-op? What’s this?” She picked up an instrument which resembled a stylus.
“A minor wound regenerator,” replied the Physician.
“A what?” Junior spun around and jammed the instrument right into the android’s facial circuits. “Oh, I am so sorry! I’m so sorry!”
The android doctor wobbled and shot sparks from his head.
Delano grabbed his daughter by both upper arms, picked her up, and set her down at a safe distance. “Fold your hands together and keep both feet flat on the floor.”
“Aren’t you going to give me meds?”
Astonished by her obedience, Delano took a deep breath. “No. All ADHD meds have been neutralized in your body. You will never be medicated again, except for allergic reactions. I will train you to master ADHD on your own.”
“How?”
“I have incurable Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, as well, and I have mastered it through careful nutrition and martial arts.”
Junior’s little face lit up like the sun, her mouth hung open, and her eyes got really big. Knuckles white and legs shaking, she honestly couldn’t speak.
That won’t last long. Delano worried she would launch right out of her boots. “Come. It is time for your Kaiyakempo lesson.”
“What’s that?” Her hands flew apart and her legs collapsed.
Delano caught her by the arm and dragged her out the door. “Kaiya is the traditional martial art of the Menelaen noble caste and the Imperial Family.”
“Oh!” Junior saw the clothing replicator’s flashing purple lights and started after it down an intersecting corridor. “Pretty!”
Delano jerked her back into step with him, not allowing her control over her own feet which she tripped over every two paces. “Though it utilizes a variety of weapons, the sword is the most revered.”
“Why were you transporting the bats in a battle cruiser?”
Snapping to a halt, Delano took her other forearm and spun her around. Seizing eye contact, he asked, “Do you want to master your ADHD or not?”
“Yes…please.” Tears sprung into her eyes.
“Then, focus on me, only on me.” He pointed at his ear. “Listen. Listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you. Do you understand?”
“Uh…I…”
“Speak incisively. Say, ‘Yes, Sir.’”
“Yes, Sir!” Tears streamed down her face.
“If you want to be treated with respect, you must insist upon it.” Delano set her back down and resumed their walk. “A Menelaen warrior is never without his or her sword.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Delano rolled his lips to keep from chuckling at her massive determination. “Settling a matter of honor with a different weapon is forbidden under Sacred Law. I found Kaiya highly compatible with the Chinese martial art of Kenpo. I merged the two into Kaiya Kenpo.”
“Oh, I love swords!”
“Are you not curious as to why you woke up in the medical bay?” Delano studied her out of the corner of his eye.
“Oh, no, happens all the time.” Junior waved it off.
Delano scrunched up his nose. Oh, right. My mother had a Frequent Flyer Plan at our local hospital when I was growing up too.
"What's for dinner? I'm starving! I really like banana pancakes with maple syrup. Got any banana pancakes with maple syrup? Mom won't let me drink juice with breakfast because she says it has too much sugar, but I can have sugar-free syrup. Do you have sugar-free syrup? What's that?" She saw two officers walk past them and tried to follow. He jerked her back into step with him. "Do you have any bananas? I know how to make banana pancakes, but Mom won't let me use anything hot because last time I was telling her about rocketball practice and I spun around to show her how I made the winning shot and I accidentally knocked the skillet off the cooking surface and it went flying into the wall, just missing the window, although a force field would’ve stopped it from smashing the window and sucking us all into space. Can you imagine getting sucked into space over pancakes?"
“Now you’re on board? Yes.” Delano dragged his daughter through a doorway and released her. He removed his cape and gloves and handed them off to a crewman. He couldn’t remember what had happened to his helmet. He took a deep, cleansing breath. “Your first lesson will be in gaining control of yourself, starting with your mouth.”
“My mother knows where we are now. I vented the ionized gas and slammed on the brakes so she could find us more quickly.” Junior followed him to a wall which held a variety of weapons.
Delano tensed. “Until the lesson is complete, you will not speak unless spoken to.” He chose a pair of practice fighting knives. The dull blades felt like wood, but were a kind of energy-absorbing metal. He placed one in her right hand and clasped his hand over it. “Feel the balance. Keep it firmly in hand, but not tight.” He placed the other in her left hand. “This is your blocking blade.”
“How do you know I’m not left-handed?”
“I am your father and I am right-handed.”
“Oh.” Junior pointed to some sharpened blades. “May I try those?”
“No.” She’s losing focus again.
“Why not?”
“Look me in the eye!” Delano pointed to the bridge of his nose.
“Yes, Sir!”
“Always look me in the eye. Command my respect.” He chose fighting knives for himself too. His had sharp, shining blades.
“In time, you will wield these in personal combat.”
“Mom won‘t let me learn weapons yet.” Junior spoke in an awe-struck tone. “Sachi says I’d skewer myself like a pig at a luau.”
“Sachi is a formidable warrior, but she does not know how to properly train you. I do.” Delano proceeded onto the floor. “Follow my lead. Do exactly as I do.”
“Yes, Sir!”
He crossed forearms over his chest and observed her doing the same. He bowed. She bowed. He scratched his nose. She scratched her nose. He turned around and rolled his lips to keep down a chuckle. Clearing throat, he stepped out in balance and swept his fighting knife slowly before him. Surely, she’d been instructed in Tai Chi and adapt at once. He turned heel for the following move and she fell with a small scream. He exhaled. It was going to be a long lesson.
“You will learn balance.” Delano resumed the exercise. He rolled eyes the next time she fell with a ‘wah-hah,’ but ignored it after that.
Junior fell nine times, but she immediately got right back up without complaining and resumed every single time.
Finally, Delano faced her, drew his hands to his chest, crossing his blades in completion, and bowed.
Junior copied him perfectly.
“How do you feel?”
“Serene.” Junior’s expression said she was surprised with herself.
“Excellent. Now you‘ve calmed, we will proceed with dinner.” Delano turned and handed the knives over to a subordinate.
“But…I don’t want to stop! I want to learn more!” Junior followed him towards the door as though begging for candy.
“You may practice anytime you wish, once your other lessons are completed each day.”
“What am I supposed to learn from this anyway?”
Delano gestured to a crewman who tapped a panel on the wall. A holographic wasp-like creature appeared and flew around the expansive gymnasium. He stepped back against the wall and it went after Junior.
The wasp whirled around her. For an instant, her eyes darted, but then she swept back her fighting knives, ready to defend.
Suddenly, the wasp spit tiny balls of lightening at her. She spun the practice knives around to meet the attack, their special metal absorbing the balls of energy.
Junior’s hands seemed to move on their own accord. She didn’t need to think. She whipped the knives around and deflected the balls in an electric pow-pow sound. Not one ball got through. “Whoa!” Her chest heaved, invigorated. “I can…can do this! I did that!”
“You possess a natural instinct for the martial arts, as I knew you would. Come.”
Delano turned to leave.
Junior leapt forward with a battle cry and attacked the holographic wasp, whipping the knives around. It shot balls faster. She inched forward, keeping her body balanced. Not one shot got through. Cornering the wasp, she shredded it like a sushi chef and it fell in pieces.
Delano walked over and looked down at the shredded hologram which, being only a hologram, was not realistic enough to bleed. He pointed at it. “You killed it.”
"Well… " Junior pointed at the shredded holo-wasp "…he started it."
A deep chuckle rose up within Delano and spilled over his lips. He even snorted, trying to contain his amusement.
Junior could feel the paternal pride emanating from him and it felt… amazing.
His head fell back in a booming laugh.
She blushed. “Well, he did.”
Delano didn’t notice the subordinate offering his cape and helmet as he walked past.
Junior put away the fighting knives and followed him out the door, skipping to fall into step. “I can’t wait to show Mom!”
Delano kept his focus straight forward. “I have no doubt your mother will be pleased with your progress.”
“Why won’t anyone call me ‘Junior’ here?”
“I’ve instructed them to address you by your real name and title. ‘Junior’ is a childish nickname. As the daughter of a star captain, you are entitled a lady.”
“But, Genevieve is my real name. Not Rowan.” Ret and Rehama would choke on the whole ‘lady’ title thing!
“Olivia and I agreed before we were married we would name a daughter Rowan, after my mother. And Genevieve would be her middle name, after her mother. You are Lady Rowan Genevieve O’Keefe Delano.”
“I don’t feel like a ‘Rowan.’” Junior scrunched up her nose.
“You still feel like a child. It’s time to put childish things behind you.” Delano entered his dining room. “Your next lesson will be learning to sit still at the dinner table without breaking anything.”
Junior followed him, but stopped inside the door. Her eyes were drawn like a targeting scanner to a long, rectangular black box sitting on a narrow table against the far wall. She rushed over, all ten fingertips settling on the box at once.
Delano followed, but she hardly heard him.
She unfastened the gold clasps and opened. And saw the sword of her dreams. “This belongs to my mother!”
“Yes, it did.”
“This sword is Aodhan, ’Born of Fire.’ It’s been in the O’Keefe family since it was forged in 15th century Ireland.” Junior turned to accuse him of theft, but the expression on his face stopped her.
Delano’s face haunted with faraway dreams unfulfilled. He gazed upon the sword like a groom upon his bride in a holy sanctuary.
The silver blade was etched with Celtic swirls to the tip. The hand guards and ringed pommel seemed to glow in their own energy. A heavy sword, it was meant to be wielded with two hands by a large man and had a double-grip of brown leather, fitted through precise care and regular use.
Junior spoke. “This is the most precious heirloom of the O’Keefe Family. How did you get it?”
“Your mother gave it to me on our wedding day.” Delano’s eyes misted over when he pulled out the sword. He tapped the blade and the perfect sound resonated through the air.
Junior faced him as he stepped out and spun the sword around his body in expert alignment, drawing it back to his ear before relaxing and sliding the flat of the blade along his finger. “Crackling.”
“Come, I’ll show you.” He offered the family sword.
Junior took the hilt in both hands, feeling the supple leather. His hands closed around hers, positioning them correctly. She watched their hands together and something flashed through her thoughts. Deja’vu. She drew a quick breath, transfixed, mesmerized, wholly focused on their hands holding the sword together. The third finger of his left hand bore a gold ring with Celtic swirls, like the sword.
“What is it?”
Junior felt the warm tears spill over her lashes and down her face. She swallowed, nose stinging. “You love my mother.”
Delano‘s chest heaved, but he couldn‘t speak.
“You really are my father.”
“Yes.” He released the sword into her hands.
“Whoa!” The blade dipped. “It’s heavy.” Junior hoisted it back into position.
“You’re stronger than you know.”
Junior stepped out and raised the sword forward of her, feeling the weight and shifting her body to balance it. “Will you teach me?”
“It is the greatest hope of every Kaiya master to apprentice his own child. Swordsmanship requires many years of training.”
Junior lowered the sword and handed it back to him. “Will I ever grow into my big feet?”
Delano smiled. “Yes. The Physician tells me you’ll top two meters before you’re finished growing. You’ll need those feet to hold you up in a strong wind.” He winked and put the sword back in its box.
Junior laughed a little girl kind of laugh. “Who are my grandparents?”
“I will explain everything while we dine. It is time for you to learn how to sit still. Focus on me and do exactly as I do.” Delano proceeded to the head of the clear, rectangular table and turned to sit down.
She was right there, practically joined at the hip.
“Oh.” Junior rushed to the end, swiping her glass off the table and shattering it against the wall. “Oh, I am so sorry!”
Delano took one long stride, caught her, placed her in the chair, and tapped the wall vacuum. “You never need feel ashamed or embarrassed or guilty about such things before me. I was shattering glasses over three decades before you were born.” The wall vacuum sucked the shards away.
“Yes, Sir!” Sitting ramrod straight, Junior waited on his move, a tear half-way down her face.
Delano sat down and very slowly took his napkin, waiting while she made exactly the same movement. They unrolled their napkins, placed utensils in their places, released napkins from folds and placed them on their knees. “Excellent.” He reached for his fork and knife, European style, as did she. “Your grandmother died a year after I married your mother. My sister was a teacher on Omaha Colony last I heard; never married, no children.”
Junior scanned the table. Their place settings and the sword box was the room’s only décor. Everything was either beige or clear glass.
“As you develop self-control and focus, visual distractions will be returned to your environment one by one.” Delano picked up his glass of water. “My mother - your grandmother - was the sweetest person who ever lived.” He recited the story, perhaps because the truth was too painful to blurt. “My father was an abusive drunk who didn’t deserve any of the kindness she ever showed him. One day I came home from school and he was hitting her again. I grabbed a shovel from her rose garden and slammed it over his head. He died. I was eleven. I didn‘t mean for him to die. I only wanted him to stop hurting her.”
Junior couldn’t keep astonishment off her face. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t mean to kill him. You were only trying to stop him from hurting Grandma.”
Delano buttered his bread as though his life depended on the perfection of the task. “I swore to God I’d never be like him. I got into Kenpo, to learn self-control, and I took care of my mother and little sister myself.”
“You believe your mother was weak, that she should’ve kicked his ass herself to protect you and your sister. Did you ever forgive her?”
