Solbidyum Wars Saga Book 1: Battle of the New Orleans

by Dale C. Musser

  I looked around the room at everyone; all of them were beaming and Kala was looking at me smiling, “We never would have gotten this far without you Tib” she said admiringly.

  I laughed and said, “Well I guess it’s a good thing I actually fell into the TRITYTE then.”

  Kala looked at me with a more appraising look, “That’s not what I meant Tib, you seem to be way ahead of us in thinking, planning and in action and I think everyone else here agrees,” everyone was nodding their heads and looking at me. “If it hadn’t been for your plan the DUSTEN would be in a battle right now with the Bunem fleet and the Solbidyum would most likely fall into their hands. Without your thinking and actions we would have still been back there and the Bunemnites would have won. We could not have done it without you and your leadership.”

  I think what impressed me most about her speech was the tears in her eyes and that ran down her cheeks. At that moment I loved her more than I have loved anything in my life and I reached out my hand and took hers “Come with me to my cabin... we need to talk.” As I was leading her out the room I heard Lunnie exclaim, “It’s about time!”

  Kala seemed surprised by my action of taking her hand; other than for our dancing we had never really held hands at any time. Yes we had touched in many of our activities, martial arts training and other occasions, but nothing like this. I didn’t release her hand, nor did she try and pull away, but I could tell she was confused by my action; we no sooner entered my cabin than she began talking.

  “Tibby, if I have done something wrong, I apologize, it was not by intention and I ….” I didn’t let her finish, I pulled her to me and kissed her lips, she broke the kiss and started to draw back looking at me in surprise and started to say, “Tibby I’m not sure this….” I interrupted her again with a kiss, for a moment she relaxed a bit and then suddenly stiffened and tried to pull away again but I pulled her tightly against me kissing her more passionately opening my lips and tracing hers with my tongue. For a moment she remained still and then suddenly she threw her arms around my neck and was kissing me as passionately as I was kissing her. I opened my eyes for a second and saw tears streaming down her cheeks and I drew my head back and began kissing them off her cheeks. I looked at her again and the smile on her face told me all I needed to know and I kissed her again. I had her pressed up against the wall and suddenly she raised her legs wrapping them around me as she held on to my neck kissing me. I turned her around and carried her to my bed and let us both fall into it, I was looking at her shining eyes and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen and I asked her quietly “Kala do you love me?”

  “I can’t answer that, I’m not supposed…” I stopped her.

  “I don’t care what you are supposed to do or feel, I want to know do you love me?”

  “Love is not typically part of our.” She started but again I cut in.

  “Kala I am not asking you about your culture or your society or Federation practices. I am asking you do you love me.” Kala looked at me, her face inches from mine her eyes moving, looking at my face and softly she said, “Yes,” I kissed her again and her kisses were as ardent as my own, our hands moving of their own volition and clothing coming off until at last our bare flesh was pressing against each other’s in the most pleasurable of ways. We made love several times over the next eight hours, never leaving my cabin, taking small naps between love making and holding each other quietly after and kissing gently and often.

  After several hours there was a knocking at my door and Lunnie’s voice called out... “This is a life check to make sure no one in there is dead!” Kala laughed and shouted… “Go away… brat!” Lunnie’s laughing was broken by a “just checking!” and all was silent again. I propped myself up on one arm and looking at Kala “That’s what she’s been riding you about isn’t it? Now I get it, she’s known since she came aboard that you and I were in love, even before I realized it. All this time she’s been laughing at us stumbling around each other. Before she said it, I knew I was attracted to you, but it was her words that made me realize I loved you that day in the shower.”

  Kala was smiling and tears were in her eyes again “Yeah, that’s Lunnie,. She always has a way of knowing things like that and taking great pleasure in watching others struggle getting it together.”

  “But how does she.,” I began but Kala raised a finger and pressed it to my lips and said,

  “There are some things Lunnie will never tell you or me, and this is one,” she laughed, “I’m not sure we would understand even if she did tell us.” Then she rolled over on her back “Make love to me one more time and then let’s get back to work. We have a cargo to deliver.” When a major, especially a very attractive and naked one gives you an order one should always obey.

  It was about an hour later, after Kala and I had showered and dressed, that we entered the bridge. Lieutenant Reidecor and Lunnie were the only ones there and other than for a normal greeting neither paid any particular attention to us nor acted as though anything was different. Sgt. Marranalis had taken up a station outside the small hold where the prisoners were being held. During the night Lunnie had rigged up a slot in the door big enough to pass items through but not large enough for a person to get through. The prisoners were required to turn their backs to the door to have their restraints removed. She had managed to find and install components for a portable shower and a toilet so there was no need for the prisoners to be removed from their cell. Food was passed in through the slot. From the bruises on Corporal Lexmal face and the way he isolated himself to one corner of the cell, it was obvious that he no longer was favored by the Bunemnites.

  Most likely, after we made Megelleon the other prisoners would be released as a gesture of peace with the Bunemnites. There would be hopes that now that the Solbidyum had been recovered they would rejoin the Federation and potentially benefit by getting some of this rare commodity to help their planet prosper, otherwise they would suffer economically. But Corporal Lexmal faced a court-martial and the death penalty as did the crew that had sent the message about the Solbidyum in the beginning.

  Time went by quickly after that it seemed everyone still practiced martial arts movements every day in the main cargo hold aboard the TRITYTE which was still in the cargo hold of the Bunem ship, only now we staggered it so there were always two people on duty in the control room. For the most part we didn’t have any problems with the prisoners other than complaints. Corporal Lexmal didn’t seem to be faring too well but after we threatened to put everyone into restraints for the rest of the voyage if they kept beating him, they stopped. But it seemed that he was not getting his full portions of food and had lost some weight. He stayed in his corner curled up in a fetal position and said nothing to anyone. Personally I didn’t feel sorry for him.

  For the rest of the Trip Kala spent every night in my compartment with me. We talked of many things. I loved the natural scent of her skin. We were talking one day shortly before we reached Megelleon when she asked me “Tib, what’s going to happen to us after we land?”

  “What do you mean what’s going to happen,” I asked.

  “I mean, it’s highly unlikely they will let me continue as attaché with you if we are romantically involved.”

  “I see,” I said thoughtfully. This hadn’t fully occurred to me yet for some unknown reason, “what would you like to do?”

  “Tib I don’t want to leave you, ever. I know that sounds strange for our culture here in the Federation, relationships seldom last a life time, but I don’t want any other relationships. The reason Lunnie gives me such a hard time is because I haven’t had many relationships, I just never felt I wanted to be with anyone. Then you come along and now you’re the only one I want to be with.” Kala said.

  “I understand, because that’s how I feel too. I don’t want anyone else either. But what about your career, how do you feel about it?” I asked.

  “Well I have always felt it was important, but up until you came along I never
felt I did anything of significance. You have changed that, and now I and everyone in this crew is going to be a major part of the history of the Federation. That makes me feel, well good and excited, but that will have to end when we get to Megelleon.”

  “Why does it have to end?” I asked again

  “Because I can’t be your attaché!” she exclaimed, “Our romance violates all the rules.”

  “Who says you have to stay my attaché, what if I get the military to make you my personal assistant? Then you could be on leave to work for me.” I asked.

  Kala rolled over and looked at me. “What makes you think that they will buy that idea?”

  “If I’m going to be as rich and powerful as everyone keeps telling me, I think the Federation will be bending over backwards to see that I am kept happy. I think that if I want you to be my personal assistant on loan from the Federation, and if you are willing of course, they will see to it that it happens.”

  “I must admit I like that idea, I just hope they buy into it,” she said “ but just what do you plan to do that you require an assistant”

  “Lots of things my dear,” I said as I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “From what you have told me there are a lot of planets in the Federation where things are still pretty primitive and rough. I would like to see to building hospitals where they need them and schools. Help some of the planets establish agricultural programs to provide food for the settlers. There is a lot I can do that will reduce the time of bureaucracy that the government would have. Hospitals could be constructed on one of the industrial planets and shipped where needed and set up in days instead of years. I will need someone working with me who understands the system in the Federation, someone trained in dealing with dignitaries and politicians. For that kind of position a romantic involvement is not a conflict of interest. “

  Kala looked at me in amazement and said, “You’re serious, you would do that? You do not even know these people, you barely know the Federation and you want to do this for the people with your own money?”

  “Yeah, why not?” I asked, “Near as I can tell I will have so much money I could build a hospital a day for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t even put a dent in my wealth. I want to do much more than just that, I can build theaters and arenas for events that otherwise would be years in coming, I can create jobs for people building things and jumpstarting their economies”

  Kala rolled over and threw her arms around me and gave me a huge kiss “No wonder I love you so much!” She exclaimed. “When did you think all this stuff up?”

  “Actually back on the DUSTEN, the day I blacked out realizing just how much wealth everyone has been talking about.” I said.

  The next day we entered the Megelleon system. There were lots of ships coming and going about us, especially Federation patrol ships, fighters and Frigates, but none of them were paying attention to an old Bunem Freighter. We knew that Captain Maxette GW message pod would have reached the Capitol before we got here so they knew and expected us; or at least hoped we’d make it. Captain Maxette had given us a special frequency and code to contact the Top Brass at the Federation for landing orders and to make sure we landed securely. As ranking officer, and also because of her attaché skills Major Kalana was selected by Captain Maxette to make the contact when the time came.

  I sat watching as Kala gave the orders for Lt. Reidecor to transmit the code, moments later the face of a man with a dark green uniform similar to Captain Maxette’s, only with one gold band running around the chest appeared. I heard both Lt. Reidecor and Kala give slight gasp.

  “Greetings TRITYTE, Admiral Regeny here,” the man on the screen said. “I am assuming I am addressing the TRITYTE, though we don’t seem to have you on our screen.”

  “Greetings Admiral, Major Kalana here, the reason we are not visible on your screen is because Thibodaux Renwalt thought it might be safer and easier to deliver us in the belly of a Bunem freighter. There was an attempt to take us back to the Bunem System. It’s a long story, one I am sure you would rather hear once we have securely landed. We also have some prisoners to deliver as well as a traitor, I regret to say. But all is well and we hope to be able to touch down as soon as coordinates are received.”

  “Traitor you say?” the Admiral began “Most unfortunate, but you all are safe and the cargo is intact? Correct?”

  “Yes Admiral. The Cargo is intact.” Kala repeated.

  “Excellent! Coordinates are being sent to you now; we are alerting our security forces to be expecting a Bunem Freighter instead of a Federation Patrol ship. Please proceed to these coordinates and follow the docking instructions implicitly. Also, Major, we request that you and the crew stay onboard your ship and that you keep it sealed until we give you an all clear. Then you may open the hatch but stay in the ship until our troopers have secured your ship and the surrounding area. I look forward to meeting this Thibodaux Renwalt, Captain Maxette has sent me some most amazing information about him.”

  “Admiral, no disrespect to Captain Maxette, but I after you hear about our journey and the events on the way here, the Captain’s report will seem pale by comparison.” Kala said with a huge smile and she turned and looked at me.

  After the Admiral had signed off Lt. Reidecor exclaimed, “That was the Admiral himself, the top man!! He was talking to us!” I could tell he was a bit shaken by the experience.

  Kala turned to me and said, “You have just enough time to shower and remove that dye from your hair, I would suggest you wear the black dignitary outfit when we leave the ship.”

  The landing went smoothly and shortly we were boarded by a team of very professional troopers. We were escorted off the ship to a waiting bus type conveyance and asked to board it, the officer in charge said to Major Kalana, “The Admiral wishes to meet with you all personally after you have been debriefed. You will be provided accommodations and you will be contacted as to the time. Someone will come and pick you up at the appointed time, for the time being all of you will be accommodated in the same area.”

  The TRITYTE was moved into an underground hanger that Kala had told me was designed and built hundreds of years earlier for the day when the TRITYTE would hopefully be found and returned. It was heavily protected and fortified to withstand almost anything and was believed to be the most secure place in the Universe.

  We were taken to a very lavish set of quarters in a section of the underground base that reminded me of the accommodations I had on the DUSTEN.. Even though Kala’s suite was next to mine there was no connecting door, or at least none that I was aware of. Kala suggested that until we had been debriefed and had a better idea what was happening, it might be best that we not sleep together, even though we both hated the idea I had to agree with her. The debriefings didn’t take as long as I suspected. Each of use was called in before a panel of three investigators and asked separately to relate the events between the times of our departing the DUSTEN until we landed in Megelleon. I was surprised to discover that Captain Maxette had sent videos of every conversation that I had with him, other than the one in Kala’s suite which was not videoed, but for which he did have an audio copy. Apparently he had a personal recording device on his person, something I had not thought about, but which really didn’t matter to me. The debriefing, while long, was done in a very casual and relaxed atmosphere and lavishly appointed room, refreshments were provided and the whole process seemed more like a casual discussion than an interrogation. The interviewers were calm and polite. After about four hours the interview ended and I was taken back to my quarters. Sgt. Marranalis had already returned and had just gotten a drink from what I can only think of as automated bar.

  ”Would you care for something to drinking Tibby?” he asked, holding out his glass.

  I laughed and said, “I would if I knew what to order, I doubt that thing has any tequila in it.”

  “I doubt it too, what’s tequila?” Marranalis asked.

  “It’s a drink made out of a plant found in
the deserts of my world.” I responded.

  “Hmmm,” said Sgt. Marranalis, “is the plant large or small?

  “It’s a fairly large plant” I answered.

  Sgt. Marranalis punched up a drink and handed me a glass of something. “Here, try this!”

  I took a sip. It didn’t taste anything like tequila, but it did remind me of another drink: a Long Island Ice Tea.

  “Well it’s not Tequila, but it’s damn good whatever you call it. Reminds me of a drink back on Earth called a Long Island Ice Tea, “I took another drink and started to relax.

  “We call it a Brown Bojo,” Sgt. Marranalis replied, “no idea why.” He paused a minute “I don’t know what will happen after today. I’ll probably be reassigned to other duty and eventually get back to the DUSTEN. I want you to know that guarding you, leaning martial arts and serving with you on the TRITYTE has been the highlight of my career. It’s been a great pleasure.”

  Before I could reply I heard, “That goes for me also.” I turned to see Lt. Reidecor had just returned as well.

  “Make it three of us!” I looked to my left to see Lunnie draped across sofa like piece of furniture, either she had been there all the time or had snuck in while Marranalis and I had been talking.

  “Well I would like to let you all know I have very much enjoyed my time with you all as well. I will definitely miss you after all this is over.” I said, “I would like to stay in communication with all of you. I hope you will all look me up when you leave the service, in fact if the Federation lives up to the agreement and gives me all they say they are going to, I’ll make you all rich enough that you will never have to work another day of your life if you don’t wish too.”

  “I’m just hoping you will be here a while to continue teaching us martial arts. At least as long as I’m stationed here.” Marranalis said.