by Mikayla Lane
“Amalaya, the Sibiox is considered one of the most dangerous creatures on Valendra. We do not ever randomly kill any creature on the planet, but there have been times when they have had to be killed. And I can’t remember hearing that one of them has ever attacked a Valendran.” Scaden stopped and shook his head.
“We have scoured many worlds and universes looking for sentient life on other planets, and all this time we had no idea that we had sentient beings on our own planet that we were overlooking.”
“We had seen their fierceness in the wild while hunting and the way they protected their young and just assumed that was their nature. It’s too bad we can’t tell the council, so they can protect the creatures and try to find other ways to communicate with them.” Randor shook his head while Scaden ran his fingers through his hair. She could feel the sadness in them that they tried to hide.
“I really am very sorry. I was so happy that the five of us could be together that I didn’t think about how hard this must be for the two of you.” She looked down as a tear ran down her face, ashamed that she hadn’t even considered everything they were giving up for her.
Randor had just found his parents again after all these years and when he was so close to seeing them, he couldn’t now. And Scaden, to be so young by Valendran standards and never seeing his planet or his family again… it had to have been the hardest decision of his life. She felt terrible for being so selfish.
“Amalaya, don’t you dare feel sad for one second! They made their decision to lose us when they made decisions without knowing any of the facts. They knew we were facing situations that we could have never expected, and yet they still spoke from the past and not our future.”
“I have no regrets about the decisions I have made. And I never will. You… and my daughters are the greatest gift I have ever known, and I would give up everything for you, even my life, without any regret. I love you, and I love them. You are my future, my life.” Scaden kissed her gently and hugged her close.
“Honey, the greatest happiness and pride I have ever felt in my life, was raising you and being your father. There is no place I would rather be than waiting with you for my great-daughters to be born. And helping you and Scaden raise them.”
“When my family turned their backs on your happiness, they turned their backs on me as well. Like Scaden, I have no regrets. But I would have loved to have met this Gibly! I bet there is much to learn from such interesting creatures.” Randor said the last with a laugh, trying his best to cheer her up. Which gave her an idea… she turned to Scaden.
“Would you like to meet Gibly too? And our daughters of course! They are very excited at the thought of meeting their Daddy tonight when we sleep.” She knew he was pretty floored when his mouth just kept opening and closing, but no words would come out.
“You do realize that they can pull you back in the way they did before? They don’t want to scare you though and wanted me to ask you first before they did.” Randor looked at Scaden like he was a fool for not answering right away.
If he had been offered a chance to meet his great-daughters and have a conversation with the most dangerous creature on his home planet, he’d have answered before she could finish the question.
Just to see the suns, mountains and forests again, would be a beautiful gift. Being able to do so while staying here and protecting his child and great-children would be a dream come true.
He knew Cari had picked up on his emotions when she said the one thing that made him look as shocked as Scaden.
“Uncle Randor, would you like to come with us? The girls would love to meet you, a I think they would love to show off their new friend Gibly to you.”
“Can they really do that? Pull all three of us there? It won’t hurt them in any way?” Scaden had to make sure that using that kind of power wouldn’t hurt them. As much as he wanted to see them and meet the Sibiox, he didn’t want to harm his children in any way.
With Randor still looking stupefied, Cari turned to her worrying mate.
“Wait until you see just how powerful they are, my love. Our little ones could do much more than that if they wanted to. Besides, they exert a small amount of energy while we’d be together, and they promised they would rest and sleep throughout the whole time we were awake and getting things ready for them.”
“Can they really bring me too? Is that even possible? I’m not technically family in the way you and Scaden are.” He couldn’t hide his hope from Cari; it was so strong she knew even her daughters could feel it in their slumber.
“They have felt every loving moment you have been with me, taking care of me. And they know the love I have for you. They don’t care that you don’t share our DNA or cell structure; the know you as their great-father and will never think of you in any other way.” Cari reached across the table and squeezed his hand, pouring her confidence and love into him. When he broke out into a bright smile, she knew he’d come.
“I would be honored to meet my great-daughters, and Gibly as well.”
“There’s no way that I would miss a chance to hold my girls right now; all three of my girls.” Scaden said as he hugged her close with one arm and placed his other hand on her stomach.
She smiled to herself as it dawned on her just how spoiled and loved their little ones already were.
*****
The months passed quickly for all of them, the constant activity keeping them all busy. They had decorated the girl’s room in the colors they had wanted; a pretty mint green for Amia, and medium blue for Tessa.
Cari and Scott, had been to town many times to do shopping in order to make sure if anyone happened to see her or the children it wouldn’t come as a shock to them or warrant bringing the authorities over in curiosity.
Cari enjoyed watching Scaden, using his Scott alias, interact with the Earth people. He seemed to adjust to living there so easily that it surprised her. And he had a great rapport with horses. For some reason, he took to them and them to him like they were old friends, and he spent a lot of time with them.
Because of his connection with the horses, they had all agreed that instead of a regular ranch, they were going to have a horse farm and had already accumulated a dozen of them.
He and Randor were out there now expanding the large barn and adding more stalls for more horses. She knew it wasn’t too far to walk to get to the barn, but she honestly didn’t think she could make it.
After the first pain, she’d gotten up from the couch ready to head there, when the next pain had her sinking to the carpet in the living room, she knew she wouldn’t make it.
She fumbled in the pocket of the robe she was wearing, blessing Scaden for his foresight, when she found the walkie-talkie he had bought for her a few weeks ago, just in case she needed him while he was outside.
“Honey, I think our girls have decided to come now.” She panted into the mike, hoping he was close enough to the radio to hear her.
She lay on the carpet, rubbing her stomach trying to calm her girls who were scared and surprised at the feel of the contractions squeezing their bodies, when Scaden came running into the room with Randor seconds behind him.
Both men dropped to the floor on either side of her, Scaden immediately taking one hand while Randor the other. All three girls felt comforted by their presence, as another wave of contractions hit. Cari squeezed their hands so tightly she was afraid she’d hurt them, as she tried to breathe through the pain.
When the pain seemed to pass, Scaden suggested taking her to their bed where she would be more comfortable and began to pick her up to carry her there, when another pain hit so quickly, and sharply she gasped for breath.
“No, no, no… just leave me here. Don’t move me, please.” She begged, waiting for the pain to subside.
Scaden looked across her at Randor, and he immediately got up and ran to get all the medical gear they had bought in order to help deliver the girls.
Scaden was grateful when he returned not only with the r
ed nylon bag filled with equipment, but blankets to cover Cari. He knew from what he, and Randor had been reading that it was normal for her to be sweating and shaking at the same time, but still he was panicked over the pain she was in.
Randor and Scaden stayed by her side for hours, watching the fetal heartbeat monitor they had put around her stomach earlier, and trying desperately to help her while she writhed in ever increasing pain.
When they realized that the birth was not progressing as it should and Cari became weaker, they became worried. However, they continued to do everything they had learned to try to help as much as they could.
When the fetal heartbeat monitor began to show distress, and Cari was passed out more than she was awake, they knew their worst fears had come to pass.
Scaden’s fear filled gaze met Randor's, and they both knew that the one contingency they had hoped to never have to use, was their only way of saving Cari and the little ones.
Randor nodded at Scaden, knowing exactly what he had to do. Pulling a different cell phone out of the emergency bag that held the equipment, he dialed the only number on the phone.
“What is wrong?”
“We’re losing her and the babies. We need him now.” Randor answered the man on the other end of the phone.
“We’ll get him there. You guys try to do everything you can to get them to hold on. May the All Father be with you, my friends.” The phone disconnected, and Randor sat there in fear. Not only, for Cari and the girls, but for all of them if anything went wrong getting help here.
*****
Amun got the one call from Niklosi that he was afraid he would receive. Grabbing the pack of supplies he had already assembled and hidden, just in case, he went and got his two most trusted tech’s.
Walking to the transport room, he took one look at the tech’s on duty, and they knew why he was there. They had meticulously planned for this event, hoping they would never have to try it.
As the transport tech helped load them into the smallest and fastest transport in the bay area on Adaria, he asked. “Will they be alright, sir?”
“I don’t know, Matus, but I’ll do everything I can to make sure they are.”
“Give them all our best wishes, Sir.” Ariki requested.
“I will.” Amun responded as he closed the door behind him and prepared to launch.
*****
“Sir, there has been an unapproved transport launch from Bay twenty-six!”
Councilor Torenson looked at his personal security guard and nodded his head. He knew that sooner or later the crew would make a mistake. It had taken a lot longer than he expected.
The entire crew had lied to him and Councilor’s, Macner and Lakatis from the second they boarded the ship. And no matter how hard he had tried to break them, they continued to tell them they had no idea where Scaden and Randor had taken Cari.
“Initiate the protocols we discussed, let Councilor Macner know we are ready and have him meet us at the designated transport.” Ivint ordered as he left the room striding down the corridor to the transport bay.
He had missed his son greatly, but his defiance against the Council and their orders had left him no other choice but to follow this course of action.
Meeting Duncar in the transport, they settled themselves in for the ride to the strange, yet unique planet where his son was hiding with Duncar’s son Randor.
“Sir, it was Amun and two Med-techs that left on the transport. The logs show that Amun received a private comm from Balduen and Niklosi on the planet, and then he left the ship.” A security tech informed him.
“Maybe one of them got hurt, and he’s going down to assist?” Duncar said hopefully to no one in particular. As much as he wanted to see his son again, he didn’t want to under these conditions. Right now, the most serious charges being leveled against Randor and Scaden were treason, which was punishable by death. For this reason, he hoped never to find them.
“If that was the case, Amun would have notified us, as he was ordered to do before leaving the ship. No, he is heading to our son’s and Cari. Is the tracking beacon working?” Ivint asked the tech’s. He was glad he had the foresight to have the tracking beacons installed on every transport on every ship in; they brought, including all of those on the Adaria.
“Yes sir, it's working fine. Their transport is much faster than ours, but we will only be minutes behind them. The trajectory shows we are not heading to the location of Niklosi and Balduen either, sir.”
Duncar and Ivint glanced at each other, and braced themselves for the confrontation they were about to have with their sons.
*****
Amun and the tech’s ran into the door being held open for them by Randor. Not bothering to look around at the strange dwelling, Amun headed straight for Cari, who was laying in the middle of a floor, obviously passed out.
He immediately set to work with his tech’s trying to determine why the life signs of her, and the girls were fading. After what seemed like hours to Scaden and Randor, but was only really a few minutes he sat back on his heels.
He directed the tech’s while explaining what had gone wrong to Randor and Scaden.
“The babies are a lot larger than expected, due to the Valendran cell structure. If it was only one baby, this probably would have gone better. They are stuck and can’t move into the birth canal properly. The stress and contractions have weakened all three of them.” Amun grabbed items out of the tech's hands and began setting up instruments around Cari.
“We’re going to have to make an incision into her abdomen and remove the babies. It’s the only chance they have.” He barely glanced up in time to see Randor and Scaden nod their heads.
They had read up on cesarean sections during her pregnancy, both hoping that they wouldn’t have to worry about such a thing and that the birth would go well.
Once Amun and the tech’s had everything set up, he applied the pain blocker to the lower body and woke Cari.
“Amun…” She said weakly as she opened her eyes.
“Well hello, beautiful lady. Are you ready to hold your daughters?” He tried to smile brightly, and not frighten her.
Randor and Scaden each squeezed one of her hands gently, as she nodded her head. She knew if they had called Amun, that her daughters were in danger. She could feel the fear for them from all the men in the room. The silence of her daughters had her very worried.
Amun began making the incision into her abdomen when the front door burst open and began filling with armed men. Scaden and Randor jumped up ready to do battle. Amun only spared a glance to the men before continuing his work to save the babies and Cari.
The men parted as Councilor Ivint Torenson, Scaden’s father, and Councilor Duncar Macner entered the room.
“Uh Sir… Amun seems to be cutting her open, should we stop him?” One of the men immediately asked, looking a little sick at what Amun was doing.
Ivint and Duncar, tried to take in the scene as quickly as possible, but both could not seem to remove their eyes from the woman’s hugely swollen stomach.
“Councilor, I recommend your men stand down. If I do not help deliver your great-daughters, they will die along with their mother.” Amun said angrily, not bothering to look up from what he was doing.
Scaden and Randor stood tensed, ready to do battle if they had to in order to protect Cari and the babies. The entire room was tense; Ivint and Duncar continued to stare at Amun and Cari’s stomach as if not believing their eyes, as were most of the men in the room.
Hearing Cari’s moan, both men dropped back to their knees and held her hands, trying to comfort her as best they could.
Chapter Sixteen
Ivint had no idea what to think. The scene before him so surreal he couldn’t look away as he tried to comprehend what was happening. Amun had made a large incision in the girl’s abdomen and was reaching inside of her.
He stood in shock as Amun pulled a tiny little baby girl out of Cari’s stomach and handed her imme
diately to a waiting Med-tech, issuing orders on how to care for the child.
He watched as his son leaned down and lovingly kissed Cari’s forehead and smiled at her. “It’s our Tessa baby. We should have known she’d be our first born.” Cari laughed weakly as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Randor gently wiped the tears from her face and promised, “Amia will be fine to honey; Amun is getting her now.”
When Ivint saw Amun pull the second baby from her stomach, he staggered and almost fell.
“By the One!”
“They were telling the truth! There were two!”
Ivint tried to process the words of his men, and what he had seen with his own eyes. Looking at Duncar, he saw his shock mirrored in his eyes.
The men they brought, surrounding them, crowding the small room, all began speaking at once. He tried his best to pull himself together as two little cries were heard and the entire room erupted in cheers and gasps of shock.
He watched in amazement as Amun, and his tech’s worked on all three girls. They began stitching the incision he made into Cari’s stomach, and cleaning and warming the two babies. The happiness and fear in the room overwhelming him, leaving him speechless.
The tech’s handed the two bundled babies to Scaden and Cari, while Randor grabbed a pillow from the nearby couch and placed it under Cari’s head. Ivint had never seen two people smile brighter than his son and Cari as they held the two babies.
“Councilor Torenson, would you like to hold your great-daughter? Her name is Amia. Scaden is holding Tessa.” Cari asked him, holding the little-girl upwards for the room to see clearly, as Scaden held up the child, she called Tessa.
“They are exact!”
“How is it possible?”
“How do they know which is which?”
“Are they even normal?”
The questions being spoken by his men around the room, and Cari’s offer to hold the child, after everything he had done to keep her and Scaden apart, broke him from the shock he had been feeling.
“I want every one of you to take up positions around the dwelling. You are to make sure nothing dangerous or threatening comes close.” He ordered the closest man. Grabbing another man he ordered, “You get on the transport Amun used to get here, go back to the ship and get Councilor Lakatis, my mate and Randor’s mother and bring them here now!”
