“I am aware, Sirena. I will always have them ready for you,” the huge, blushing man confessed.
Vivian put as many as she could on her own plate then picked up a gooey translucent desert dish from the choices Cook was just placing before her. She put it on the platter with the extra rounds. Then she said, “Asl, could you please take my plate and a pitcher of that juice I like to the table for me? I have to take these to someone; then, I’ll be right there.”
“Of course, Sirena,” he answered, and hurried off with her plate to get a glass and a pitcher of her favored juice to drop them off at the table their Sovereigna sat at before rejoining Vivian and the rest of his team about halfway across the room.
Vivian was on a mission. She’d seen Vennie trying to get her attention when she came in, and he was drowned out by the others vying for her notice. He was so used to disrespect that he simply sat down and stopped trying to gain her attention. Vivian walked up to his table and set the desert and the platter with her extra bread rounds down on Vennie’s table.
He looked up, and right away a smile came to his face.
“Hi, Vennie,” Vivian said warmly.
“Sirena! Hello. How are you feeling?”
“I am well, very well. I hope you don’t mind — I thought of you when I was filling my plate.”
“You did?” he asked, surprised.
“I did. I saw this desert and knew it was one of your favorites. I’ve seen you reach for it each time it’s available. So I decided to bring you one. Oh, and these bread thingys are one of my favorites. I wanted to share them with you. I hope you enjoy them.”
“I am sure I will, Sirena,” Vennie said. He was thankful for her friendship and kindness.
“I’d have lunch with you, but my mother-in-law is waiting for me today. Maybe tomorrow?”
Vennie was flustered — he couldn’t believe she would actually sit and share a meal with him. “Of course, Sirena. I would be honored.”
“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow then. Enjoy!” she said, as she waved and hurried over to Eula’s table.
Eula's guard greeted her formally, and Eula rose to hug her, motioning to a chair beside her where Asl had placed her food, while Kitty hopped up in an empty chair and looked over the offerings he hoped to get a taste of.
Vivian started to take a seat, but then her eyes rounded when she finally noticed what Eula wore, and she started laughing, “Oh! You look great!”
Eula turned a quick circle for Vivian’s review, “Do you think so? Truly?”
“Absolutely! Those jeans really flatter your figure. They look great!”
“You know,” Eula confided, “they are really comfortable! I am very pleased with this new fashion you have started.”
Vivian took her seat, and Eula launched into the ideas she had to have them made in other colors, eventually making them available to any female on Cruestace who was tired of wearing skirts all the time. Eula, still deep in conversation, daintily sampled each of the foods on Vivian’s plate while she spoke. She then poured juice into Vivian’s glass and lifted it to her lips, sipping it twice before placing it down next to Vivian’s plate without comment.
Vivian watched Eula as she tasted her food. She’d been determined to try to eat without Quin’s help, but once she’d sat down knew it would be impossible and had decided to just visit instead, getting something to eat when she got back to her quarters. But her new mother had just taken care of the problem for her. She raised her eyes to Eula’s.
Eula smiled at her and winked — her trademark move to let Vivian know they had a secret between them. Eula nodded her head once and waited for Vivian to start eating. Once she did, Eula resumed her own meal.
They spent a pleasant hour visiting and laughing. Eula explained that when she left, she’d be taking the remaining three females with her to Cruestace for integration into their own population. Vivian admitted that she’d never even met them. Had no idea who they were.
“I believe that is because my son didn’t wish you to be reminded of how you came to be here.”
Vivian smiled sadly, “I can understand that. But I believe that everything happens for a reason. That reason is not always clear when it happens, and in this situation, overkill much? But anyway, I’d not have found Quin if I’d not have survived what I did. And I’d not have been receptive to him if I’d met him first.” Vivian thought about it for a moment, “Though when I look at him now, I see a very loved, very beautiful face. If I didn’t know him, and hadn’t known others before him, I most likely would have seen a frightful male. A very intimidating, very angry male and I might not have given him a chance. All I’ve been through brought me to Quin.”
Eula reached out placing her hand on Vivian's.
Vivian smiled, “I know it appears that I’m making light of and appear to be very accepting of what I’ve been through. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. I’m not sure yet. I still have a lot of healing to do — I may always be healing. But, I have to find a way to justify all I’ve overcome. All I’ve risen above. And for me, this works. I’m with Quin now. And you, and these guys,” she waved her hand at her guard, “and all the rest of the people I had no idea were waiting for me here. And it’s okay now. I’m okay. I’m rising slowly above it all, but I’m rising and that’s what matters.”
“You shall ascend all that has been placed in your way. I have no doubt, my daughter. You are even helping others ascend.” Eula inclined her head toward Vennie, and Vivian followed her line of sight.
Vivian grinned, pleased that her acceptance of him had resulted in several males joining him at his table.
“I did not miss that you raised your voice so that others could hear your kind conversation with him.”
Vivian smiled shyly, “He’s a nice guy. He should have friends.”
“And now he does,” Eula answered.
Their heartfelt moment was interrupted by Kol, shouting her name as he ran toward their table. “Vivian!”
“Blue-Dude! What’s up?” she called back.
She snickered when Eula’s guard surreptitiously glanced at the ceiling, to indeed see what was up. Only Kol understood her slang.
“Please, come with me right away,” he urged, trying to insert himself between both sets of guards who’d stepped together to form a Cruestaci wall the moment he called out for her to come with him right away.
Chapter 31
“Move!” Kol demanded of the guards surrounding the women he’d been ordered to get to a secure location. He lowered his voice, “Our Sire sent me to get them to safety,” he confided.
“How do we know this for fact?” one of Eula’s guard asked.
“Missy?” Vivian called.
“Yes, Vivian,” the computer answered.
“Did Quin send Blue-Dude to me and Mom?” Vivian asked.
“Yes, Vivian. He did.”
Vivian made eye contact with Eula’s guard, “See?”
Finally, they moved aside enough to allow Kol to approach the table. He performed a short bow, “Ma’am, I mean, Sovereigna,”
“Kol,” Eula answered, having had the boy the man once was, running about her palace with her own son so much she came to think of him as family as well. “How are you, dear?”
“Very well. But very hurried. Please,” he said on a whisper, looking back and forth between both of them, “come with me. Zha Quin doesn’t want to alert those who do not need to know. But we will momentarily coordinate an attack on Malm’s ship. He wants both of you in the safety of your quarters in the event there are others among our crew who wish harm to you, Sirena. The two you neutralized were unable to give any information before they died. We think they were working alone, but are not sure.”
“We shall, of course, go with you, Kol. Thank you for coming for us,” Eula said graciously.
“Uuh, no, no I will not,” Vivian announced.
“You need to be safe, Vivi!” Kol admonished.
“Why do you not wish to accompany Kol back t
o your quarters, daughter?” Eula asked.
“Because I’m not being locked away like some helpless female. I’m part of this. I demand to be a part of this.”
Eula stood, her chin held high, “Then you shall be. Kol, escort us to Zha Quin’s war room at once.”
“Apologies, Sovereigna, but we have a conference room aboard. Not quite a war room, it doubles as one…” he started rambling.
“Kol!” Eula said sharply.
“Yes, Ma’am, I mean, Sovereigna,” he hurried to correct.
“Take us to Zha Quin,” Eula demanded.
Vivian stood and walked around the table to join Kol. Eula patted Kitty on the head on her way by his chair and joined them on the other side. Then together, as one unit surrounded by a wall of very intimidating guards, they made their way toward the conference room where Quin watched as his warriors had begun to stealthily overtake Malm’s ship.
Halfway there, Kol leaned toward Vivian and confided quietly as he looked around at the other males surrounding them, “I can see why you run away from them. This is not pleasant.”
“Right?” Vivian asked. “See what I mean?”
Kol nodded, his face pulled into an irritated mask.
“Do not encourage her, Elite Commander Kol,” Vor snarled, while still looking straight ahead.
“It is unnerving, except for my guys. They’re pretty okay, I have to admit,” Vivian said, making an uh-oh face at Kol.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
The door whooshed open, and Kitty bounded through it and over to the conference table Bart, Quin and his advisors sat at, standing up to slap his front paws on it and look around.
“Down, Kitty!” Quin ordered.
Kitty looked at Quin and then around at the table once more. He saw a table, so he figured food was up there. There was none on this one. He lifted his lip at Quin, giving a half-hearted yowl before sitting back on his haunches to wait to see what his human wanted to do in here. Vivian was his human, and he followed her everywhere.
Vivian entered the room and looked around — Bart, Quin and four of his advisors, Xallen one of them, all watched a holograph projected just above the table. On it was an image of four separate battle cruisers approaching a large, jagged meteor. Each cruiser held a battle company of fifty warriors and three pilots. They were in a diamond formation, one on top, one at the bottom, one on the right and one on the left.
Vivian was focused on the image before her and didn’t hear Quin speak to her, until he called her name loudly.
“Vivi!”
“What?!” she countered, startled at his tone.
“Go to our quarters immediately! You should not be here. You should be where I know you are safe and not have to worry about your welfare.”
“I’m sorry, did you just yell at me and order me to my room?”
Quin’s eye twitched.
Vivian thought, hmm, maybe I should tone it down.
“You will go to our quarters,” Quin said, in a deceptively calm voice.
“No. I will not. I will stay here, with you, where I am perfectly safe — with you, while you overtake Malm’s ship.”
Eula stood just inside the doorway, saying nothing. She didn’t need to. She was fine with either decision, but fully planned to back up her daughter if necessary. Vivian was fully invested in the outcome of this military action. She deserved to experience it, not hear about it in a retelling.
Quin stood, pushing his chair out, and regarded Vivian intensely.
She regarded him right back, then she said softly, “I’ve earned it.”
Quin seemed to soften a little. “If things deteriorate and I decide you need to go to our quarters, you will go.”
“Deal,” Vivian said.
Xallen stood, moving a chair down, as did the advisor across from him, both vacating their seats for Vivian and Eula to take.
Vivian sat down and looked at Xallen, “Thank you, Xallen.”
Xallen was surprised she’d remembered his name — they’d not had much interaction. “You are welcome, Sirena.”
Quin retook his chair, and the womens’ guards took up positions both inside and outside the conference room.
They all watched as each of the cruisers went around the meteor — one over it, another below it, one to the left and one to the right, so they could surprise Malm’s ship from all sides at once where it hid behind the meteor.
Malm’s ship began firing at once. All four cruisers returned fire. The battle raged on, and Vivian watched spellbound as their warriors disabled and eventually boarded Malm’s ship. Audio of the pilots’ voices was fed into the speakers in the room. And the communications options inside the helmets of the boarding crew were fed through those same speakers. They heard every word. Once the boarding crew gained access to the ship, their camera feed was activated as well. The video was grainy and sometimes hard to focus on because it came from vid devices mounted inside their helmets — where the warrior looked, the video unit looked. So they, in effect, saw what the warriors saw. There were several different projections on the holovid, and Vivian struggled to keep up with them all.
Eventually, they began to get direct feedback, “Sire, we have completed a cursory sweep of the ship. We have not detected Malm, though we know he is here somewhere. We destroyed the escape hatches on approach so that none could get away.” Ba Re’ responded.
Quin directed his next question to Vennie who was in the room with them, overseeing the communications for the mission, “Vennie! Did you detect any departure from the enemy ship?” Quin barked.
“No, Sire. None. I agree with Lieutenant Ba Re’ Non Til; he is surely there somewhere.”
“We shall continue looking, Sire. He is here.”
“Find him. Do not let your guard down, but find him.”
Just then another communication caught Vivian’s attention, “Fuck, me!” Jhan whispered across the speakers.
“Vennie, bring up Lieutenant Jhan Non Tol’s video feed,” Quin ordered.
A few seconds later and the holograph image was filled with the view that Jhan was seeing.
Vivian’s entire body started trembling, her lips quivering. Kitty raised up from the floor and put his upper body across her lap, doing his best version of purring in an effort to calm her. Quin, captivated by the sight before him, didn’t notice until Xallen rose from his seat and stood directly behind Vivian, laying his hands on her shoulders to try to calm her as well.
Quin tore his eyes from the horrific sight before him and on seeing Vivian’s condition, actually knocked his chair over to get to her.
“Vivi,” he said quietly, intentionally keeping his voice low. “You are well, Vivi. You are here, with us.”
Vivian, her chin trembling and a single tear coursing down her face, nodded. She wrapped her hands around Quin’s arms and held on tight. “I remember,” she whispered. “I remember. That was me. I was there.”
Quin’s eyes wandered back to the sight before him, then back to his Ehlealah. “You will never be there again. You will never leave my side. You are safe, Vivi. Do you hear me?”
She didn’t look at him, it was as though she couldn’t look away from the sight before her.
Quin reached down and turned her to face him gently by the chin, “Do you hear me, Vivi. It is not possible for you to be there again. You will never leave my side. Do you understand?”
Vivian nodded, her tears finally spilling over as she begged, “Get them out of there. Please, get them out now.”
Quin looked back at the screen as he gathered Vivian in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest, “We will, my Ehlealah. I promise we will.”
“How many, Jhan? How many females are there?” Quin asked.
“I’m not sure, Sire. Fifteen, twenty?” Jhan answered as he walked slowly through, between and around all the cylindrically shaped tanks. Each clear tube-like tank was filled with a translucent, viscous greenish-white fluid and suspended in that viscous fluid in each tank was a female,
in stasis. Neither alive nor dead, neither aware nor unaware. Just suspended in time, their lives on hold, waiting for their turn to please Lord Malm.
“Good Lord, Quin,” Bart said. “She does not need to see this!”
“You are correct, Ambassador, It is time for us to return to our quarters,” Eula agreed. “Come, Vivi, let us leave the males to their duty.”
“I’ll take her and come right back once she’s secured,” Quin said, turning to leave the room with Vivian still in his arms, but she balked, “No! No, please. I need to see this. I need to see them freed.”
“Vivi,” Quin begged.
“I need to see what happened to me,” she pled. “I saw the tanks, and I remembered my lungs filling with that fluid. I remembered the panic, the terror.” Her eyes never left the holovid, “And I need to see them freed.”
Quin looked at Xallen, who looked at Vivian, then back at Quin nodding, yes, it was okay to allow her to stay, she needed this.
Quin sat down in his chair with Vivian still in his arms.
She turned to face the holovid, saying again, “I need to see them freed.”
“Determine what is required to free them, Jhan.”
“We are trying, Sire. Once we are sure the ship is secured, sending someone from medical would be best.”
“You’re right. Carry on,” Quin said, then to Xallen, “Send for the Healing Master, immediately.”
Alternately one scene after another flickered across the holovid. Combat, some hand-to-hand, some from a distance with weaponry, empty corridors, still other corridors lined with bodies. Small groups of males gathered together upon their surrender and marched toward their own holding cells where they were now held rather than their previous occupants.
But no where did anyone glimpse Malm.
“Is there any sign of Malm?” Quin demanded.
“We’ve searched all corners of the ship. Frankly, we are unsure of where to look next. We even have teams searching the interior maintenance centers of the ship. But so far we’ve found nothing. It is not easy going, Sire, there are areas of the ship that appear to have been corridors at one time and are solid walls now. We’ve scanned for lifeforms aboard, and our results vary. Sometimes they indicate an additional life form aboard, sometimes not. We believe we’ve accounted for all aboard, either dead or incarcerated, but it is still an active invasion, Sire. We may not have final numbers for several days.”
Haven 1: Ascend Page 28
