by John Short
This year he was faced with a dilemma. This year marked two hundred and fifty cycles since the human and Lexonian ships had come to Haven and set up colonies. For the humans it marked their arrival at a place of safety after the Earth had been destroyed and their first contact with an alien race. For the Lexonians it marked the date when the original Jon Connell had reunited the Lexonian Royals with the rest of the Lexonian peoples. For this special occasion, the town elders had specifically asked for Jon to attend the celebration to represent the Connell name. His aunt had already accepted the invitation and she insisted that he go.
“Alright Aunt Galaxiey,” Jon finally agreed, “I'll go, but only because you asked. You know how much I hate these things.”
“Yes my sweet son. Thank you for making an old female proud.” Galaxiey told him. “Your family name is a proud name filled with honor and goodness. Never forget that. Without your ancestor none of us would have been able to find our way to living in peace. Had the men who plotted evil against the King accomplished their goals, our people would have been locked in a war that would have brought both races to the brink of extinction on this planet.”
“Auntie Gala, we all get older each day, but you have retained all of your beauty. I know why uncle Billy loved you so.” Smiling at the blush on his aunt's face, he thought that because of the humans intermarrying with Lexonians, it was the human race that would become extinct soon enough. Jon asked, “How is it that you always know so much more than our history teachers about the early days of life here?”
“Today's instructors are not as knowledgeable as those who taught me.” she smiled. “Now hurry up and get dressed. I've laid out your silver and black tunic along with your black leggings. It is the color of the Connell household males. I will wear the gown of the family's females. My marriage to your uncle gives me the right to wear it. I always feel blessed by your uncle for loving me whenever I wear the family colors. Together we will represent our family in all of its glory.”
The celebration was being held at a large log cabin up higher in the mountains. The place had always been called the Lodge after the building it had been modeled after on the human home world. It was the first meeting place built as both a vacation resort and meeting hall for both the Humans and the Lexonians when they had joined to form their own government on Haven. With the single exception of Jon, everyone there was either of mixed Human, Lexonian race or from one of the races that populated one of the over one hundred other planets that made up the Consolidation of Combined Planets. By far the one group that had the largest number of attendees were the members of the Lexonian Lesser Royal Household as haven was their home.
Jon proudly walked into the main hall with his tiny aunt at his side and marched to the front of the gathering where he and his aunt were formally introduced to Prince Zeprik and his sister Princess Satrina. Without paying too much attention to the Prince, Jon nodded in the manner that his uncle had taught him was proper when first meeting another male and then when he turned to the Princess his heart stopped. Here before him sat the most beautiful female he had seen in his young life. When she suddenly lifted her hand to him, he gently took it and planted a soft kiss to its back as he bowed before stepping back away from where she sat. “Your Highness.” he softly whispered as she nodded in reply. Not only was this female strikingly beautiful, she tasted as sweet as the wild honey he had found once when he was a boy. He wondered if she would sting if he went back for more the same way as the small insects that made the honey had stung. It seemed to him that even life's sweetest pleasures often came at a terrible price.
The event was scheduled to last for three days, however, Jon had determined that he would only make one appearance. He had already overheard several of his classmates making remarks about how he must think that just because he carried the family name that he had some right to be here where he obviously did not belong. While those remarks cut at his happiness at being invited to the celebration, seeing the sheer joy in his aunt's eyes and her enjoyment of the event he was able to control his anger. That is until he heard the class bully, the son of a half Lex/half human male who owned the contract to supply the Summer Palace with all of its food stocks, telling some of his friends that Jon's Lexie female must be one of the pleasure females from the local houses. Who else would show up to a function of this importance wearing a gown with all of the Lexie house colors blended together? The female had surely been bought with a price to appear in public with such a giant freak as Jon Connell.
Jon immediately lost his tight control, grabbed the bully by the front of his tunic and lifted him off the floor with one hand. Bringing his other hand back to punch the bully in the face, he let loose with the strongest punch he had ever thrown, striking the bully in the nose easily breaking it. The bully passed out and Jon let him fall in a bleeding pile on the floor before turning on the group of classmates who had all heard the boy insult Jon's aunt and thought it all very funny until Jon had gone off on the leader of their group. “Say whatever you will about me,” Jon bellowed, “but never again insult the female who raised me and loved me as if I were her own offspring again.” Pointing at the still unconscious bully he told the group, “Get this piece of garage out of my sight!” Turning away from the scared group of both classmates and dignitaries Jon saw the shocked look on his aunt's face before he hung his head in shame at what he had done. “I'm sorry auntie Gala. When he called you a pleasure female who had to be paid to appear in public with me, I lost myself.”
“You are so much like your father and your uncle, JP.” Galaxiey told him. “How can I be angry with the brave male who would defend my honor before the crown Prince?” she asked loudly enough to be heard across the room to where the Prince and Princess sat. Reaching up and giving Jon a gentle pat on his check she continued, “I think we have stayed at the celebration long enough. Perhaps we should go home.” Before walking out she turned to the still spellbound crowd and told them, “I wear the colors of all the Connell females since the time of Leadora, the first of our kind to mate with a human. These are the colors that the Legendary Dragon Flier, Warrior Jon Connell himself picked out for all of our family's females for all time. When my son mates, his female will be given the right to wear these same colors, as will any female offspring the Goddess blesses him with! That female must find herself to be just as proud as I am to wear the Connell family colors.” She then reached out and hooked her arm in Jon's to have him lead her out of the Lodge.
Rubbing the back of her hand where she still felt the heat of his kiss, Princess Satrina watched in silence as Jon Connell and his aunt left the meeting hall. Deep in her heart she knew that the giant male who had so bravely defended his heart mother was to be her mate. 'One day, Jon Connell, I will proudly wear your house colors. This I swear to you.' she said to herself. No matter how she had to make it happen, Jon Connell was her mate and she would win his heart.
Chapter Two
Graduation was over. Jon was now free to start on his plans of becoming a cargo pilot. If he got very lucky he could land a berth on one of the interplanetary cargo ships and finally leave this place that had never really been home. The only place he had felt accepted was out among the planets making the FTL flights through slip space. His uncle had taught him the secrets of making the slips and coming out close enough to a planet that very little fuel was used to enter orbit. This saved them a lot of credits on each trip. So much so that his aunt Gala would never have to worry about having enough credits to live on for the rest of her life.
This morning Jon had taken his small two seater hover craft and was happily cruising above the treetops on his way into Jonsville to pick up the daily mail. The once small community had grown into the planet's capitol and been named for his ancestor. He had put in his application for a crewman's berth on any of the local system shuttles and on one of the larger FTL freighters that traveled between the different solar systems two weeks ago. He had been flying into town each morning to pick up the m
ail in case he got a response.
This morning as he brought the hover craft down in front of the Post Office he was met by the county law enforcer. Jon had seen the male standing at the corner of the Post Office wearing the distinctive dark blue uniform and black leather sash that was polished to a high shine.
“Are you Jon Connell?” the Enforcer asked as Jon stepped out of the hover craft.
“Yes. Can I help you?” Jon politely replied. No sense in making the man angry even if the guy was pretty small for the job of being one of only two enforcers assigned to this area.
“I have a summons here for you to appear before the Magistrate tomorrow.” the Enforcer told him as he handed Jon a slip of paper. “You've been charged with aggravated assault upon the person of one Helios King.” Looking Jon over from head to toe the Enforcer suggested, “As it just so happens, I was there when you punched that guy's lights out for insulting your aunt. I would have done the same thing. If you're smart, you'll ask for option 3 at your trial.”
“What's option 3?” Jon asked.
“Option 3 is reserved for cases like yours where there is absolute proof of guilt, but also of justifiable circumstances. Instead of serving five cycles at the penal colony, you serve a three cycle enlistment in the Peacekeepers. You come home after three cycles a free man with a clean record who can pretty much write your own ticket in the job market rather than a convicted criminal and possible menace to society. The military would love to have a guy like you.” After a minute the Enforcer continued, “Hell boy, who knows, you just might like it enough to make it your career. I did.”
“You made a career out of the Peacekeepers, but here you are as an enforcer?” Jon questioned.
“Like I said, you come out with a clean discharge after exemplary service and you can write your own ticket for a job.”
“Thanks for the information. I'll consider it.” Jon agreed before walking inside to pick up the mail. On the flight home after stopping in at the diner for breakfast, Jon thought of ways to tell his aunt about what had happened and that he had decided to ask for option 3. At least that guaranteed that he'd get off this planet.
“Auntie Gala,” Jon called when he walked into the house. “ I've been summoned in front of the Magistrate tomorrow for breaking that punk's nose at the Lodge on Connell's Day.”
“I was afraid someone would charge you. Its a shameful day when a male is charged with a crime for protecting a female's honor.” Galaxiey told him. Normally she would have scolded him for this use of a human curse word, but punk was exactly the right thing to call the male who had insulted her and caused her son to react violently.
“The Enforcer who gave me the summons told me I should ask for option 3 at the trial.” Jon explained. “He said if I take that I serve three cycles in the Peacekeepers and then come home. If I keep my record clean for those three cycles I can get any job that I want. Otherwise I might end up just another convicted criminal whose employment prospects are very slim.”
“Before we took you in and you needed me here to care for you, I used to take trips with your uncle and I've seen the penal colony. The place is nothing but a vast desert with sand worms as big as a cargo shuttle. That is the last place you ever want to be. Scratching in those sands for the dung of the worms for twelve hours everyday is no place for any living thing.” Galaxiey told him. “You go be the greatest warrior this sector has ever seen since your great, great, great grandfather, the Warrior Jon Connell. Come home with the wings of a flier pinned to your chest.” She reached up to touch his face and was overcome with emotions. Jon gently lifted her in his arms and held her close as she cried. Finally she wiped away her tears and told him to put her down. “You're too much like your father and your uncle, Jon Patrick Connell. They both held me like a small child whenever I cried.” She smiled at him and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. “It always made me feel safe to be in their arms as it now does when I'm in yours. One day some lucky female will know the love in your heart too. On that day my tears will be tears of joy.”
“Never cry over me my only true heart-mother.” Jon told her softly before gently putting her back on the floor to stand in front of him. “I will go to the Peacekeepers and become a warrior you can be proud of. Then when I return I will buy my own star vessel and together we shall travel to all the known stars.” Jon pulled her tightly to him again and told her, “I will keep you safe for as long as I live. You took me when my seed parents died and have always loved me no matter how big I grew. You never caused me to suffer. You always kept me safe. Now it will be my turn to keep you safe and to make you happy.”
Galaxiey stepped away from him with her head lowered to hide her tears. Already she felt the first stages of her mourning coming on. She had pushed the needs of her body aside in order to see the boy standing before her now grow into a fine adult. He would be leaving her soon to begin life as an adult. Now her body demanded that she mourn the loss of her husband. It was the way of all Lexon females when a beloved husband died or at being rejected by a chosen male, they entered a period known as their mourning. During this period they separated themselves from society and spent their time letting their tears openly flow. It was the way of her kind to rid themselves of the claiming essence and cleanse their systems for a new future. Perhaps with a new mate, but usually staying alone in service to others as teachers or advisers to younger females.
The next day was over sooner than Jon thought. His trip to the Magistrate took less than an hour local time. Apparently someone had enhanced the Lodge's video recorders and had captured the entire incident including the filthy insults the King boy had openly made about Jon's aunt. The video closed with the scene of Jon and his aunt proudly leaving the celebration arm in arm together.
“Young Connell,” the Magistrate said, “the recording clearly shows you assaulting the King boy with justifiable cause. Had this happened on any other day the case would have been dismissed. However, this happened while the Prince and Princess were in the same room.” He looked up at Jon who stood in front of the smaller man's large wooden desk. “I have no choice but to make an example of you to prevent such violence in the future. I'm sorry my boy. After what that kid said about your aunt, I'm not sure I could have stopped after just breaking his nose.” Shaking his head slowly the Magistrate pronounced his sentence, “You have asked for Option 3. That option has not been requested in over twenty cycles, but so be it. I grant your request. Jon Patrick Connell, you are charged by this lawful body to serve three cycles in the service of the Interplanetary Peacekeepers. Good luck to you son. Come home safely to us.” Jon politely nodded to the Magistrate before turning to leave. As he reached the outside hovercraft parking pad he was met by the Enforcer who had given him the summons the day before.
“Congratulations on your choice. Lieutenant Connell.” he told Jon.
“How can I be an officer when I haven't even reported for duty?” Jon questioned.
“Simple, I looked up your records and found that you are a fully licensed pilot with FLT certifications.” the Enforcer told him. “The Peacekeepers need Faster Than Light qualified pilots. When I told certain contacts of mine about your case they offered you a commission. You'll have to go through all the required training, but once you've completed basic combat and then advanced flight, you'll officially be given the rank.” The Enforcer smiled, “They were also rather impressed with how you handled the bully at the Lodge. To be honest, after I saw the evidence today, so am I. Someone insults my heart-mother that way and I'd break every bone in that person's body, twice!” The Enforcer smiled and stretched out his hand. “I read up on human history and it seems that males of your species do something called handshakes. I'd like to shake your hand and offer you my best wishes on your future career.”
“Thanks” Jon told the man as he took his hand and gave it a firm shake in the manner that his uncle had taught to him cycles before. “I'm going to go home and pack. I have a shuttle to catch tomorrow.” Jon felt so
mehow strangely happy to be making his final preparations to leave Haven. This would be a brand new adventure for him. He would miss his aunt and the half wild saber-tooth tiger he'd named Talga. He had raised the massive cat from an orphaned kitten and knew it could take care of itself in the pristine forests that surrounded his family home. Despite not knowing how long he would be away from those two things he loved about his home world, he felt good about leaving so many bad memories behind. “Maybe, one day, I'll be able to take both my auntie and my tiger away from this place.” he thought.
6 Months Later
Jon awoke on this morning feeling just a little bit taller than his already extreme height. He had found that even in the military, with its mixed bunch of individuals from all the known races, he stood at least two inches taller than anyone else. Here though, no one made insulting remarks about his height. That all by itself made him feel one hundred percent better about himself, but on top of that he had earned the highest marks in his basic and advanced combat tactics classes, had earned expert rankings in both hand to hand and limited weapons training. He had also earned expert ranks in both pistol and rifle use to go along with his eighth degree Master's ranking with the sword. The highest ranking that there was for swordsmanship. As a special honor, he'd been given a uniquely carved sword that was now considered a part of his dress uniform to be worn at all times.
