The Exxar Chronicles: Book 03 - Acts of Peace and War

by Neal Jones

  "Kel!" she said, smiling and stepping aside for her new friend. "Please come in. Thank you for coming over so quickly."

  "You sounded a little distraught. Is everything all right?"

  Vatra led Kelitreth to the kitchen and took an empty glass from the cupboard. "Wine?"

  "Of course." Kel sat and removed her jacket.

  Vatra poured Kel's glass and then refilled her own. They both sipped in silence for a moment or two, and then Vatra smiled again, awkward, not sure where to start the conversation.

  "Vatra," Kel said, looking closer at her. "What's the matter? You look terribly frightened."

  Vatra shook her head, her smile fading. "I'm fine. It's just..." She paused, staring down at the tabletop, and then looked up once more. "Kel, I need your help, but I...I need to know that I can trust you. I know that we've only known each other for a couple weeks now, and I'd like to think that we've become friends, yes?"

  "Yes. Absolutely."

  "I need you tell me a little more about this colony – about the people here."

  "Sure. What do you want to know?"

  "You said everyone here is the family of the officers on the warships of the 26th Legion, correct?"

  Kel nodded. "It's mostly wives and children."

  "And the ship that's been assigned to this star system –"

  "The Il T'Lof?"

  "Yes. Its soldiers take turns serving down here as a police force, right?"

  "Yes. We haven't really needed them, though. Not lately, at least. We're such a small colony, and the only one on this entire planet, so there's not much crime that happens here. Mostly petty theft or civil disputes. It's actually quite peaceful here."

  Vatra nodded. "Seems almost perfect, doesn’t it? Good schools, nice, tight-knit community, everyone knowing something about everyone else."

  "Is this about Jharek? Did something happen to him?"

  "No. No, he's fine. In fact, he loves it here. I've never seen this happy when we were at court." She sipped her wine, and then stared into the glass, slowly turning the stem.

  "Vatra." Kel reached out, grasping her friend's hand. "You're starting to scare me."

  The lady princess looked up and forced a smile once more. "I'm sorry. It's just..." She sighed. "I need to promise me, Kel, that you will tell no one of this. I mean it, no one. Not your friends, not your husband, not those ladies that we play cards with every week – no one! Do you understand?"

  "Of course! Yes, I promise."

  Vatra nodded again, this time taking a longer sip of her wine. She refilled the glass as she continued. "Kel, I'm pregnant."

  "Congratulations!"

  "No. No, this isn't a good thing."

  "What do you mean?"

  "On our wedding night a month ago, Prokal confessed to me that a childhood illness had left him barren. He's incapable of fathering children."

  It took a moment for the effect of this to strike Kelitreth. "Oh. Yes, I see your dilemma." She reached for her glass. "How far along?"

  "I don't know. Probably at least five weeks, maybe six."

  "Well, are you sure that you heard him right? Perhaps he was just having some fun, making a joke or something."

  "No, I doubt it. I think he was quite serious." Vatra gave an involuntary laugh, remembering how clumsy and painful her union bed with R'Daak had been. "He took himself quite seriously that night, trust me."

  "So..."

  "Who's the father?"

  "Yes."

  Vatra set down her glass and sighed. "Someone at court. It doesn't matter right now. The point is, I need your help now to fix this."

  "How so?"

  The lady princess gave her a pointed look.

  "Vatra, no!"

  "Kel, please! I don't know when he will back from his war games, and if he learns that I'm pregnant, I...I don't know how he'll react! He'll know this baby isn't his!"

  "Termination is not the answer, Vatra! The gods forbid it! And even if you wanted to, there's not a doctor here that will do that procedure."

  "How do you know that?"

  Kel hesitated, taking a long draught of her wine as she stalled, and Vatra pounced.

  "Which one was it? Your youngest, right? The one who was born two years ago?"

  "Yes," Kel admitted, setting aside her glass and avoiding Vatra's gaze. "I didn't go through with it, of course, but..."

  "But what?"

  Kel looked at Vatra. "Like I said, there's no one here who will do that procedure. Unless you have some kind of home remedy that will induce a miscarriage, you're out of luck."

  Vatra stood and walked to the large window at the far end of the kitchen. She stared out at the street, her back to Kel, and Kel waited patiently for her to continue. She started to reach for her wineglass, but then thought better of it, and folded her hands in her lap.

  "What about the hospital?" Vatra said finally, pointing out the window to a tall, wide, octagonal-shaped tower in the distance. It was on the very edge of the colony, nestled at the very base of the mountains.

  "What about it?"

  "There's not one doctor on that whole staff who will help me?"

  Kel gave an exasperated sigh, and downed the last of her wine. "No, Vatra, I'm sorry." She stood and then hesitated. "I really am sorry. I do sympathize with you, but I can tell you for certain that there's no one here who can help with this situation. In case you haven't noticed, the people here are very conservative. This whole place is."

  Vatra turned back to her, nodding. "Yes, I've noticed," she commented dryly. "Please stay. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just about to make some lunch."

  Kel hesitated, but then sat, smiling a little. "Yes. That sounds nice."

  Vatra returned to the kitchen, busying herself at the stove. "It's been quite a chore, learning how to cook." She laughed. "Poor Jharek has had his breakfast burned more often than not these last few days."

  Kel refilled the wineglasses and then joined her friend at the counter where Vatra was slicing some fresh ustu. "I can make k'ime sandwiches. Is that what you were going to have?"

  "Yes."

  "Here, let me slice those. You need to get them thinner than that."

  While they waited for the oil to heat in the pan, Vatra returned to the window, gazing once more at the hospital. "There's something that bothers me."

  "What's that?"

  "That hospital seems awfully large for a colony of just ten thousand. What are those other buildings around it? Laboratories?"

  "Yes, I suppose."

  "I wonder how many beds are in that place? Three thousand? Five?"

  "Why does it matter?"

  "That doesn't seem odd to you?" Vatra reached for the bread and handed four slices to Kel.

  Kel shrugged, laying the bread in the pan, and then piling the meat and cheese on them. "The only part of the hospital I've seen is the doctor's office on the first floor. My children have never been very sick to begin with, so we usually just go for the annual checkups. That's the way it is with most families here. The worst disaster that we've ever had since I've been here was the accidental derailing of the shuttle train a couple years ago."

  Vatra nodded, but said nothing more as she sipped her wine and watched the sandwiches fry. When they were done, Kel served them up on plates and handed one to the lady princess.

  "Do you have any sauce?"

  Vatra shook her head. "Sorry. I forgot to get some when we were at the market the other day."

  "That's okay."

  They sat at the table and ate in comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Kel asked, "So...how do you think Prokal will react when you tell him?"

  "I don't know," Vatra sighed. "That's what terrifies me more than anything else."

  "He wouldn't...get very angry, would he?"

  Vatra looked at her friend with amazement. "Yes, he will probably be quite angry, Kel! That's what terrifies me! Do you not understand the gravity of my situation?"

  "Of course I do!"

  "I
don't think you do. My husband informed me on our union night that he is incapable of impregnating a woman. And now, five weeks later, I tell him that I am pregnant. He will assume that I have been unfaithful to him here on Sonri while he's been away playing at his war games, or he will assume that I cheated on him back at court before we left homeworld. Either way, he will know I have been unfaithful, and, yes, he will be furious with me! That's why I need to find a way to terminate this pregnancy before he returns home!"

  Kel's cheeks burned and she looked away as she sipped her wine.

  "I'm sorry, Kel. It's just that –"

  "Yes, I understand. And I'm sorry too. There's nothing I can do to help you. I will keep your secret, of course, but there's nothing more I can do."

  "Thank you."

  Kel stood. "Thank you for lunch."

  Vatra walked her friend to the door, and then returned to the empty kitchen. She stared at the dishes on the table, her fists clenched at her side, breathing in quick, ragged gasps. In one swift move, she cleared the table, screaming, the plates and wineglasses shattering against the wall. The wine trickled slowly, seeping like tears of blood.

  Chapter 9

  ____________________

  ( 1 )

  Em'rik Litha'n moved brISKLY through the crowded marketplace, ignoring the calls of the vendors as he kept his head down, avoiding the gaze of the armed soldiers who loitered at the edges of the massive square. The city of Garbane was the third largest metropolis on the Jha'Drok homeworld, and, while no Drigald terrorists had detonated any bombs here, the senate and the Talik'Jhor were taking no chances. Soldiers were everywhere these days, and now there were whispers on the under-net of mass arrests and disappearances on the outer colonies where the Talik'Jhor had long suspected the Drigald to be establishing terrorist cells.

  Garbane had only one Resaki district, located in the southwest quadrant, and that was Em'rik's final destination. He normally didn't come home from work through the market square, but Alenza had asked him to buy some k'ime cheese for tonight's supper, and he had just enough on the ration card to buy a wedge. But when he saw the line at the cheesemaster's kiosk, Em'rik gave a silent groan. Not only would he be waiting for at least an hour, but there would most likely be nothing left once he got to the counter. Same with the breadline.

  Em'rik looked around at the other stalls, tuning in to the cajoling of the vendors to see what else was for sale. He probably had enough money for some fresh sea root, or maybe a heel of roasted crild. Meat was scarce in the Resaki district, and Alenza would be pleasantly surprised if he returned with some crild instead of a wedge of dry cheese. As Em'rik drifted closer to the booth, the aroma of the spiced meat made his mouth water. Lunch today had been two slices of stale bread and some fruit. It was nearing the end of the month, and his ration card would not be refilled for another week.

  "What can I get for 20 gusitt?" Em'rik asked the meat vendor.

  The portly cook grinned and pulled from the oven a stick of good-sized meat. There was a nice layer of fat along one side, which sizzled and spit as the man wrapped up the meat in thick paper and sealed it. "There you go, my friend."

  "Are you sure?" Em'rik asked.

  "These are hard times, my friend," the butcher replied, "and I've already met my quota for today. Consider the extra a gift."

  "Thank you!" Em'rik said, trying not to gush. He passed his ration card over the scanner and then tucked the meat under one arm before threading his way back towards the square's exit.

  The daylight was fading, and so was the crowd. Several vendors were closing up their stalls, and even the cheese and bread lines had started to shorten as most people realized they weren't going to get anything good today. Because of the recent bombings in Gtheldron and Golaiaus, a strict curfew had been implemented by the Talik'Jhor and the senate, and there was less than an hour before the gates of the market square would close for the night.

  Em'rik shifted the meat to his other arm as he passed through the gates, looking down in order to avoid the stern visages of the pair of soldiers guarding the exit. He fell in step with a crowd that was making its way to the transit station two blocks over, but as soon as they turned to enter the depot, Em'rik turned in the opposite direction and crossed the street. He and Alenza couldn't afford the monthly fare for public transit, and the 'Saki district was only 3 xabb away. If he walked briskly he could be home in half an hour, maybe twenty minutes.

  It was going to be a warm night, and the buzz of hovercraft overhead made pleasant counterpoint to Em'rik's thoughts. The purchase of the crild had put him in a good mood, and he couldn't wait to surprise Alenza. His stomach growled as the aroma of the meat seemed to get stronger with every step, and he quickened his pace.

  Neither Em'rik nor Alenza had been born and raised on homeworld. She was from the spice colonies on Rosst, and his parents were both machinists in the factories on Shraqq. Em'rik's father had been killed some years ago in an explosion at one of the chemical plants, and neither he nor his wife had made enough money to put some away for retirement or other needs. They, like millions of other citizens of the great Emperium, were of the lower middle class, living just above the poverty line, hand to mouth and month to month. Em'rik had been the only son, the most that they could ever afford, and it had been expected of him that he would quit school as soon as he was old enough to begin working in the factories.

  But his father's death when Em'rik was only twelve had changed those plans, and his mother couldn't afford to support both of them with just the factory job. Her and her husband's paycards had been just barely enough to meet all the bills each month and put food on the table. So she moved herself and her son into the Resaki district and applied for a ration card. Em'rik continued going to school while his mother searched for a second job, but employment was scarce on the Shraqq. When he was sixteen, Em'rik had left home on a freighter bound for the spice colonies, where the unemployment rate wasn't as high as on his homeworld. That's where he had met Alenza.

  As Em'rik turned the corner he caught sight of a small crowd halfway up the street that had gathered before a public screen. The screens were several feet in height and width, usually attached to the sides of government buildings, and they streamed a constant flow of news and other important information to the citizenry. On this particular night, the lord emperor himself was making a special broadcast that was being transmitted live to the public – not just on homeworld, but throughout the Emperium. Em'rik paused as he neared the group of bystanders, as curious as everyone else what "special" message the lord emperor thought his people wanted to hear.

  Erengaar had already given his introduction by the time Em'rik joined the small crowd to listen, and the lord emperor paused, gazing through the screen as if he could see the faces of his listeners, milking the dramatic moment for all it was worth.

  "My fellow citizens, I have spent many special sessions with the Imperial Senate over these last few weeks, as we have looked ahead to the future of the Emperium. By now, you all have heard of the military fleets that were constructed in secret in a remote star system over the last century. My grandfather, Lord Emperor S'elrim, envisioned a star fleet so grand and so powerful that no other fleet could stand against it. He, like his son, longed to return our empire to the glory and power that it was a thousand years ago.

  "Sadly, their dream failed. Because of the traitorous actions of two high-ranking officers of the Imperial Senate, that star fleet was destroyed, and the resulting loss of not only the brave soldiers who gave their lives on that day, but also of the monetary wealth of this crown that was poured into those ships, has cost the empire dearly. We are now paying the price for that loss, and it may seem to all of you that this crown has not felt your pain and suffering."

  Erengaar paused once more, and his expression softened. "Nothing could be further from the truth. 'The king is father to his people'. All of you know the man who spoke those words at the founding of the modern age, and though we no longer use t
he titles of 'king' and 'queen', I believe in those words, and I am your father. As your father, I feel your pain when your table is bare and your pockets are empty. I stand with you in the lines in the market squares, hoping as you do for some bread and soup to feed your family tonight. I know that many of you watching this broadcast are in the Resaki districts, and it is to you that I now directly speak.

  "Beginning tomorrow, I am embarking upon my annual progress, and I am going to start with all Resaki districts here on homeworld. I am bringing with me enough gusitt to pass out to your local governors. They, in turn, will dispense it to all whose names are on a ration list in each district. It isn't much, but, for most of you, it will be enough to feed and clothe your families for a few months, at least. And this is just the beginning. In the next several months I will be working with the senate to implement new tax relief measures for the poor and the middle class; not just here on homeworld, but throughout all colonies of the Emperium. We are also going to address the high rate of unemployment for Jha'Drok citizens. Hopefully, gods willing, when the senate convenes for its annual session in six months, all of these talks will pave the way for new laws that will change the state of the Emperium."

  The lord emperor folded his hands on his desk and leaned forward, his expression turning stern and his face filling the screen. "I make this solemn vow to all of you tonight, as your lord emperor and as your father, that these trying times in which we live will change. I have heard your grievances and your woes, and I, along with the Imperial Senate, am going to address them. But these changes will take time, and you must trust in your crown and in this government, and in the constitution of this empire that was drawn up over two thousand years ago. Actions such as the recent bombings of the civilian squares will gain you nothing except the continuing pain and despair of your fellow citizens. I implore you to cease this senseless violence, and work with your local representatives to bring your grievances to the floor of the senate. Only there, and only by working together, can we achieve a lasting peace in these dark times."