Marta

by Frank Carey

  Harm sealed the ship as we walked down the ramp and headed back into the main section of the station. We stopped and got lunch for kids before heading back to the training area.

  Chapter 22 - Lenora

  I stood at parade rest as Team One and Team Two took position down either side to the ramp. There they waited until Lenora walked out of the airlock. Immediately, the ten elf Marines went to attention, their weapons held vertically in front of them. Once at the bottom, Major Sana, the combined leader of both teams, barked, "At ease!" per protocol. I trained my daughter well.

  Lenora walked up to us as the teams took up defensive positions around us. "Lucien!" she said as she hugged her son as if they hadn't seen each other in years. It's always been this way between the two. Something about having your child kidnapped for three decades will do that to a mother.

  "Mother, you're looking well," he said while hugging her back. "How's father?"

  "You know Lawrence, up to his ears in court intrigue. He sends his love." She turned her attention to me. "Marta, how are you feeling after your match? That final coup de gras was inspired," she said while giving me a bone-crushing hug. Subtle was not a word in Lenora's vocabulary.

  "You saw the match?" I asked, bewildered.

  "Hell yes, my General. We all did while en route," she replied while nodding in the Teams' direction. "Your daughter nearly deafened us with her whooping. By the way, enlistment is up 20% since you won the match. Having the announcer mention the EMEF was pure genius."

  I looked over at the smiling countenance of my beloved husband. "Thank you, Your Highness. I was...inspired."

  She looked at her son and chuckled. "Is that what it's called? Sana, your parents, and I are going for a little walk. We'll be back shortly," she said to the major.

  "Yes, milady," she said before barking out assignments.

  "That daughter of yours is going far in this force. We're lucky to have her. Now, tell me about Frasier. The last I heard, he was being shipped back to Tralaska in chains."

  I told her about what had transpired before the match, leaving out the part about the corridor. She was not happy. "Well, we shall see what happens during the final match. By the way, I had a nice talk with the twins a few hours ago. Shenda and Chasm have done well as have the two of you. I talked with them for an hour and my mind is still reeling."

  I looked at her with more love than I ever had before. "Thank you," I said, unable to say anything else.

  "I shouldn't say anything, but there are reports of other children like the twins being born to unions between Crystallanian and Ventosian elves, all with faster than normal growth rates, though Ashley and Grayson seem to be the fastest recorded so far. That is a discussion for another time. Can you take me to where you have this fighting suit set up?"

  "Of course," Harm said as he took her arm and led her to the training stall where Brenda and the kids waited for her.

  ###

  Christa screamed, "Grandma!" the moment Lenora walked through the door. Bobby's greeting was less boisterous, but no less happy. Christa and her sibs adored their grandmother and made sure that no one doubted that for a moment.

  Trent just stared, not sure what the hell to do, so I took the initiative and introduced him. "Your majesty, I would like to introduce Trent Smith, the co-creator of Team Luciana. Trent, this is Her Majesty, the Queen Mother..."

  "Yada, yada, yada. I swear, it will take her fifteen minutes to get through all the honorifics. Trent, I'm Lenora, Christa, and Bobby's grandmother. How ya'll doing?" she asked with extended hand. He took it as his eyes grew three sizes too big for their sockets.

  "Your Majesty. It is an honor to meet you. Christa and Bobby have told me so much about you," he replied as he took her hand and shook it.

  "Damn strong grip. That's good," she said. "Anyone who thinks they're going to bond with my Christa better damn well have a strong grip."

  I don't know which had wider eyes, Christa or Trent.

  "Don't look so shocked," she said to them. "I'm the Queen; I know everything."

  They looked at me for help. I shrugged. "She is and she does."

  Another story to be told to the grandchildren on a dark and windy night. Harm, meanwhile, stood back and watched. I knew he was a smart elf.

  After a tour of the stall and a demonstration of both Brenda and Brawler, we sat down and discussed the art of suit fighting with Lenora who was, to my shock and awe, a big fan. Who knew?

  Soon, it was time for the team to get back to work and Lenora to get back to whatever it was she's up to. Did I mention that I still don't know why she's here? I hold the second highest rank in the EMEF, yet she is here along with two EMEF teams, and I have no idea why.

  She took her leave of the team and lead Harmon and I out into the corridor. "You're probably wondering why I'm really here," she said as we walked through the station.

  "The question had come to mind," I said.

  "What's going on, Mother?" Harm asked.

  "After the destruction of the transuniverse gateway on Venecia..."

  I took Harms arm as I unconsciously tried to protect him. I had come too close to losing Harm during that op.

  "... Ventos Prime lent the Venecian government an underwater research team to survey the area under and around the arkology."

  "Did they find anything?"

  "Oh, they found something alright and brought it back to Ventos for study. Your sister, Tannith, headed up the research team assigned to the artifact."

  "What did Tanni find?" I asked.

  "She's convinced the object is a gateway generator, similar to the one found on Mimbres, though much more advanced."

  Great. These generators can be used to create bridges between the universes that make up the multiverse. We've encountered them three times, once on Maranta Five, once on Venecia, and once on Mimbres. In all three cases, the bridges were destroyed before any permanent damage was done, though a number of people lost their lives at Maranta Five. What's worse is they are thousands of years old and could be hidden anywhere. The one on Maranta Five was buried in a computer system, while the one on Venecia was at the bottom of 5,000 feet of ocean. No one knows how many more of the damn things are out there waiting to be found.

  "Tell me you've destroyed it," he said. He wasn't kidding.

  "No, once Tannith figured out what it was, we called the Cube for advice. Ciara sent out an advanced science and engineering team that took it to the lab on the moon, Jasper, for study. After several weeks of prodding and poking, it was determined that 1) it was a bridge generator, and 2) we had no idea how to power it, so with the blessings of the Venecians, it was shipped off to storage in the Cube's Tombs facility. It should arrive there any day now."

  Harm looked at his mother as if she were crazy. "At least it can’t hurt anyone if it's sitting powerless in the Tombs."

  "When the League dismantled the IU bridge on Mimbres, they inadvertently destroyed its power unit, but were able to get readings from it before they trashed it. The unit had a unique energy signature unlike anything found in the League, that is until a few days ago."

  "Go on," I said as Harm stopped and sat down, unable to continue.

  "As you know, most of the League planets have valuables associated with their history. Some have scrolls, some statues, some jewels..."

  "Like the Ventosian Crown Jewels," I said.

  "Exactly. Our set is on loan to an Earth museum as part of their celebration of the reunification of Earth, Ventos Prime, and Ith. Anyway, the museum administration had a security scan of the set performed as part of their insurance coverage. Alarms on Ventos and at the Cube lit up like an exploding fireworks factory when that scan was uploaded onto the InterWeb."

  "The Crown Jewels of Ventos Prime are power supplies for an inter-universe bridge generator?" Harm said as he looked to the heavens for help and guidance. "Are you sure?"

  "Mostly, but that's why we're sending everything off to the Cube. The jewels will arrive shortly, t
hen be transferred to a secure Cube courier. We're here to ensure that happens without incident."

  Harm lowered his gaze to stare at his mother through slit eyes. "You planned this stay-over, didn't you? You could have sent Sana and her teams, but you decided to come along and watch the fight."

  "Of course," she said as she gave my shoulders a hug. Harm was over six feet tall and Lenora was close behind. I, on the other hand, am a petite 5'9", so both of them could see the top of my head. "I wouldn't miss watching my daughter-in-law kick some Tralaskan ass. Now, about Frasier. Is he a security problem or just an ass hole?"

  That was a good question, especially now that I knew about the jewels. I looked at Harm.

  "I need to borrow Sana. With her help, I can do some 'quiet' investigation. I won't even use the Cube resources unless I absolutely have to."

  "Good! I'll tell Sana. Her second can take over the teams for now," she said. I knew Sana's Captain Masun. He was top shelf and all the corps respected his leadership skills.

  "My orders, my queen?" I asked.

  "Win the match," she said with a smile.

  "Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"

  "Forgive me, but I don't think you realize how much interest you have generated amongst the elf, human, and draco populations, not to mention the other races of the League. In a scant few days, you have gone from General Marta McMurphy, wife of Prince Lucien, to Marta McMurphy, Queen of the Suit Fighting League. My dear, you have struck a chord in our people, and I would like to see it played to its fullest. No pressure, just win."

  Eek. I would rather face down an invading alien horde with a butter knife, then disappoint Lenora. Now I have to worry about disappointing three races spread across three worlds plus the whole damn League. No pressure? Right.

  "Mom, I think Marta gets the picture," Harm said. The fact he called her "Mom" was a clear indication of his worry for my state of mind. The elf could smell the trepidation exuding from my pores.

  Lenora stopped so she could give me a big, elf queen hug. "Marta, my dear, you'll do fine. Now, I must go track down the station manager for a sit-down. Dinner tonight?"

  "Of course," I said.

  "Good. Until then," she said as she walked off toward the Jasper's berth while Harm and I headed back to the training facility.

  Chapter 23 - The Cafe

  Harm and Sana sat in the cafe waiting for their contact to show up. Using his contacts in the merchant and smuggler worlds of the station, Harm had arranged for an informal talk with someone whose ear was placed firmly over the beating heart of the station's underworld. Harm had been assured that the person they were waiting for knew everything about everyone on the station.

  Harm loved one-stop shopping.

  "So, how much is this meet & greet costing OffSec?" Sana asked as she sipped her tea while closely watching the crowd. Sana was the eldest of his children and the fifth one he and Marta had adopted after getting back together. Sana was full-blooded Ventosian elf with a knack for computers and electronics in general. She joined the EMEF shortly after the Maranta Five incident and quickly rose through the ranks. Currently, she held the rank of Major and was in command of EMEF Team One, Marta's old unit. On the more personal side, and the reason why Harm and Marta adopted her, she was married to an Ithian draco by the name of Lenneth. Sana's parents died when she was young and Ithian tradition requires both her parents give written and verbal approval before the betrothal can take place. It would have taken years to get approval through channels, so Marta and Harm offered a solution befitting a Marine and a smuggler--they offered to adopt her. She accepted and the wedding went off without a hitch, helped by the fact that her mother was a decorated general in the elite Elf Marine Expeditionary Force, while her father was Prince Lucien of Ventos Prime.

  The reception was over the top.

  Now, Harm and Sana sat there in the cafe and waited, him in his normal station attire of white cotton shirt and black pants over elven butterfly leather boots, his hair tied back in a ponytail. Sana had opted for a blue print summer dress over a pair of bitchin white pumps.

  "OffSec isn't part of this, so I'm paying for it. Your grandmother wants to make sure Frasier isn't up to something nefarious."

  Sana frowned. She had heard of Frasier, everyone in the EMEF had heard of Frasier. The identity of the crazy pilot who saved the team? Only a select few knew that and Sana was one of them. "Mind if I ask you something?" she said as she took another sip.

  "Shoot, though be forewarned, you may not like the answer."

  "How did you come up with the idea to dive headlong into a planet at a high Mach speed?"

  He looked at her and smiled. "Don't tell anyone, but it was an idea born of pure, unadulterated panic. On the way to the rendezvous with Septar, I must have run a thousand scenarios through my head, but I came up blank. I didn't come up with the idea until I was already in the dive."

  "Oh my God! Does Mom know?"

  He shook his head. "And neither does Royce, Ciara, nor Captain Benson, Marta's cousin. They all think I'm some kind of freakin genius. I’m such a fraud."

  Sana reached over and patted Harm's arm. "Your secret is safe with me."

  Another sip of tea and their guest arrived.

  It was Linka.

  Harm and Sana stood while Harm made introductions, after which they sat and got down to business.

  "I should have known," Harm said. "Linka. What the hell happened, girl? You were on the fast track to an OffSec directorship the last time I saw you."

  "Mother Tralaska called and I jumped. She needed help, especially after Tennosh and the Martok. Our males were getting out of control."

  Harm just smiled while Sana looked at Linka in shock. "You make it sound like your men are wild animals," she said in disbelief.

  "You haven't seen what I have seen," Linka replied. "Most of our women have no tolerance for any man who shows initiative. Yes, there are women like Lady Laya who see men as partners, but most do not. I give you Lady Sienna and her son, Trent, both of whom your father has met."

  Sana gave Harm a quizzical look.

  "Lady Sienna killed Trent's girlfriend then lied to his sister, blaming him to keep him in line. Having dinner with her was difficult."

  Sana was shocked. "This is allowed?"

  "Encouraged, actually," Linka said. "Order must be maintained. The situation has grown worse with time. Some think this is what led to the emergence of the Tyens after so many centuries of being a myth."

  Sana looked at Linka and realized the security officer was more than an elf. "Yes, my mother is Tyen," she said while sipping her drink. "My people find me interesting."

  "I bet. Lady Linka, what can you tell us about Frasier, the driver for Team Kimbra?" Sana asked.

  Linka leaned back in her seat. "Other than his being ex-EMEF, of what possible interest could Frasier be to a Major in the force? And why is Harmon's mother on station with two Marine teams?"

  "Haven't lost your edge, have you?" Harm said.

  ""Nope, and neither have you, so what the hell is going on, elf?"

  "Nothing, really. The Ventosian Royal Jewels are on their way to the Cube for study before being returned to Ventos Prime."

  "Ah, yes, they were on Earth as part of the unification celebration."

  "And Lenora wanted a reason to stop by and watch her daughter-in-law in action in the ring, which brings us back to Frasier," Harm said as he watched his ex-partner. To Sana, it was like watching two sharks circling.

  "It is not known by many outside the family, but Sienna took Frasier as a lover some time ago. Since then, House Cadiz has been involving itself with some unsavory types, and we think Frasier is somehow the cause of this."

  "How unsavory?" Harm asked while touching something in his pocket. "I've activated a scrambler field around us. We are now safe from eavesdropping and lip reading."

  "Rebirth."

  Rebirth, the Tralaskan hate group determined to put Tralaska in charge of the League while enslaving
the other races that call the League home. "I thought Rebirth crawled under a rock after their involvement in the Martok Incident?"

  "They did, but then they got help from a third party..."

  "Not another one. What is it with these people? Who is it this time?" Harm asked, exasperated. Sana reached over and took his hand in an attempt at calming him.

  "Ex-operatives of SpecPro," Linka said.

  "Are you freaking kidding me?" Sana blurted out. "With all due respect, ma'am, if you knew about what SpecPro did to my father, why are we only hearing about their complicity now?"

  Harm gently placed his hand on Sana's. "She didn't know," he said, quietly.

  "What? But she was your partner..."

  "Ciara clamped a lid on the whole thing shortly after I was fielded. Only key people knew about my past up to the Maranta Five mission, when I spilled the beans to Marta and Royce."

  "What is she talking about, Harm?" Linka asked.

  He explained, leaving out all mention of what SpecPro did to Christa and her siblings.

  Linka blanched. "Oh my God, SpecPro was responsible for your kidnapping and breakdown? Hell, I had only heard vague rumors about your time before joining OffSec, and I thought those were a cover story. Now to find out they were real. How did the Queen Mother take it?"

  "She sharpened her sword while arranging to hire every bounty hunter in the League. Look that's all past. What we have to worry about it is the present," Harm said. "So, what do we have? My wife--who helped cashier Frasier from the EMEF--is fighting him in the Suit Fighting final match, Frasier is in cahoots with Rebirth, Rebirth is in cahoots with SpecPro, and the Ventosian Crown Jewels are arriving any day."

  Sana's comm bleeped. "Excuse me," she said as she got up and stepped away.

  "Sana is everything we heard she was," Linka said as she and Harm waited for the Major's return.

  "And more. I am proud of all my children."

  "If I may pry, why did you opt for adoption?"

  Harm looked at her, his eyes filled with anger. "SpecPro administered drugs to me during my stay with them. They were rather aggressive substances, if you catch my drift."