by Ron Francis
A huge smile crossed her face as she said, “Collin, I don’t know what to say. You are the best part of my new life. I would love to marry you. The answer is yes.” Collin put the ring on her finger and then picked her up in an embrace. He kissed her as all of the tourist at the falls watched. They all began clapping as they realized two of the King’s honored friends had just gotten engaged. After a minute, Collin and Bessa looked up and realized they had an enthusiastic audience and Collin gave a shy smile while Bessa flashed the ring to the crowd. Then they left to go tell the rest of the crew the good news.
Suzy and Tanna could not get enough of Bessa’s ring as Jesse, Kimi, Josiah and Xanu congratulated Collin. Reece came in later and he congratulated him as well while complaining about another beautiful woman being off the market. Jesse had never seen Collin this happy and he was thankful for it. His crew needed some good news and he was happy that Collin and Bessa could give it to them. Bessa looked like she might never stop smiling. She walked up to Jesse to show him the ring, gave him a big hug, and kissed his cheek. “You made all of this possible for me. Never stop helping people.” She kissed his cheek again and then ran and jumped into her fiancé‘s arms. Jesse ordered an elaborate dinner and made it a party. He even called the King and Queen to tell them the good news. Collin and Bessa wanted to marry in the Kalephi Galaxy, which meant that in less than four months, Endeavor would be on its way to Earth with a newlywed couple aboard.
______
After eight wonderful weeks on Hyperia, Jesse decided it was time to move on. The crew was relaxed and refreshed and he had promised to spend some time on Ginderbar and Kaldor before they left. He was to have one final lunch with the Royal family and their Hyperian friends before they left.
After lunch, the King pulled him aside. “Jesse, I have a request, I do not know if it will be possible, but I would like to try.”
“Of course, Your Majesty, if it is within my power to do it, you know I’ll try my best.”
“I know you will, but you may not have the authority to grant my request. I would like to send two full battle groups with you back to your galaxy. I would like my men to explore and see the civilization that has sprung up from the original star jumpers that left us so long ago. I would like you to lead them. Do you think it is a possibility?”
“Your Majesty, once the conduit opens, anyone who wishes may enter. I would love to show your people our Coalition, and I know they have the route mapped out to find their way back, so even a return trip is possible. I would love to accommodate them, but let me give you all of the information first. Then, you can decide if you would still like them to go. If you still wish to send them, I will gladly lead them.”
“That sounds fair, what do I need to know?”
“Our Coalition is fairly powerful, but not nearly as powerful as Hyperia. We have a few alien races that have been trying to destroy us and the Polisian system is not in our Coalition’s core. In fact, we were attacked by Jarlevians as we arrived at the Conduit. We may be arriving through the conduit to the sight of battle. Another thing is, my government may wish to spend a good amount of time debriefing me on Endeavor’s exploits in this galaxy. I would have my people available to help your men, but my government may wish to determine their intentions before they allow them to explore the coalition. That could take time. The crews would need to be entirely volunteer, because I have no wish to lead people that do not want to be there. The last thing, and possibly most important, is that one of our main military leaders is not a good guy. He hates me, and he may try and block your men from any exploration simply to spite me. If you still believe it to be worth a try, you have my word I will do my best to protect your people and show them the kindness you have shown us, Your Majesty.”
“I believe it is worth the risk, and you, my friend, could stay here a thousand lifetimes before I can even begin to pay back what we owe you.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I also have one request. If I return to this galaxy, which looks like a good possibility, I may be bringing quite a few more people than I did this time. Are there any lightly populated worlds in the Monarchy that wouldn’t mind new neighbors should we return?”
The King smiled and said, “You may have your choice. I would be honored if you decided to return and settle your people in the Hyperian Sector.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. That really means a lot to me.”
“What planet do you think would suit your needs, and how many do you think you could be bringing with you?”
“I was looking at Donara because it is lightly populated, and I could be bringing anywhere from a hundred to a couple hundred thousand depending on the circumstances.”
“I shall have a beautiful city built on Donara. If you never have need of it, I shall settle some of the Hyperian people there.”
“You don’t have to go to all of that trouble, Your Majesty.”
“For you, it’s no trouble at all.”
After all of the goodbyes were said, Endeavor was once again in light space on her way to Ginderbar. They would be spending a month there and then a month on Kaldor. The King had told him he would have two battle groups full of volunteers at Kaldor two weeks before the conduit was scheduled to open. Jesse thought about that and was actually excited to see what his friends and family would think about seeing friendly warships from another galaxy.
He had planned to spend his time on Ginderbar primarily working on his galaxy drive and spending time with Kimi. He did plan to see the Chief of State as well. Suzy was really happy they had gone over two months without a battle-related injury. Collin had broken a finger tinkering with the sublight engines, but that didn’t count. That was more amusing than stressful. She had been able to help the Queen almost complete the recovery pod for Hyperia and she was still really excited about that. For her at least, this had been the best part of the trip.
As Jesse stepped out of Endeavor, he flashed back to their first time on Ginderbar. He had found his new favorite restaurant, his crew had been thrown in jail for getting into a bar fight and Kora was in the process of betraying them. A lot had happened since then, and he was happy it was for the better. He smiled as the Chief of State greeted him and his crew as if they were conquering heroes. Josiah and Tanna left to brief Admiral Dyson, Collin and Bessa left to make wedding plans and Suzy took Xanu and Reece to meet with Ginderbar’s chief medical scientist to begin the recovery pod project for Ginderbar. Kaldor and Hyperia were already close to finishing theirs and Jesse had felt terrible that he forgot to offer it to Ginderbar. Chief of State Enosal gratefully accepted their offer to give them the plans and stay to help them get it off the ground for the next month. He also graciously accepted Jesse’s apology for not bringing it to them sooner. That left him and Kimi to enjoy a good meal with Ginderbar’s leader at his favorite restaurant in the Kalephi Galaxy.
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Collin walked out in to the crisp morning air on Ginderbar with Josiah. “In one week, I’m gonna be a married man, Jo. I can’t believe it. I still can’t believe she said yes.”
“Neither can we,” he laughed.
“Jo, I’d like you to be my best man. Do you think you would want to do that?”
“Collin, are you kidding. I would be honored. In fact, I’m buying you breakfast right now to celebrate.” He gave him a pat on the back as they walked.
“Awesome, thank you! We should have just enough time to eat before I pick up the rings. Jo, this is gonna be amazing. We are already planning on adopting at least two kids. We want a Qualoosh girl and a Human boy. What do you think?”
“Collin, I think you are gonna be a great dad. I also think that if that little girl is half as pretty as Bessa, she’s gonna wrap you around her finger so tight you won’t be able to say no to anything.”
“That’s what Bessa is for.” They looked at each other and laughed as they walked into the restaurant for breakfast.
Jess
e was training in the landing bay. He felt like he had been studying the galaxy drive so much, that he had been neglecting his training. He was going pretty hard at the heavy bag with combo after combo. Tanna was watching, amused by the noises he was making with each strike.
“Something I can help you with, Sergeant?” Jesse asked, pretending to be annoyed.
“Actually there is, Colonel,” she replied, pretending not to notice. “Josiah tells me you are planning a return trip to this galaxy, whether it is with your galaxy drive or by the four and a half month route you and Collin have worked out.”
“To be fair, Tanna, I may never be able to make it back here. As much as I may want to, there are just too many variables at this point, but that is the plan. Why?”
“I would like to accompany you to Earth. Not just me, my mother would like to send some Battle Hammers to explore with the Hyperians. Chief of State Enosal has already agreed to let us go if I could convince you. What do you think?”
“So that’s what you and Josiah were doing yesterday. Alright, I’ll tell you this. You, Tanna, are always most welcome aboard Endeavor no matter where we go. I’ll sit down with your mother and tell her the same thing I told King Dominus. It won’t be an easy trip and there’s no guaranteed return. If she would still wish to send the ships, then they are most welcome to join us as well. I have a feeling that if they send ships, Kaldor will also wish to send ships. My people are likely to think I am trying to invade them.” He smiled and began hitting the bag again.
“Thank you, Colonel.” Tanna called as she was walking away, presumably to tell the Admiral.
Five minutes later, Jesse had found a good groove. His shots were landing with the force he was used to. His kicks had their power back and he was enjoying himself. While executing a windmill kick he noticed Kimi standing nearby, studying his every move. He stopped his workout and walked over to her.
“Kimi, is everything alright?”
“Yes, Jesse. I mean, no. I am not sure.”
“What is it., Kimi?”
“I wish to talk about us.” She looked nervously at him.
He guided her over to a bench against the wall and said, “Alright, what about us?”
“These last couple months have been beyond a dream come true for me. We have not had battle, you are making strides on your next invention and everyone seems settled. Collin and Bessa will marry soon, and everything seems to be in place.
“But?” he prodded as she looked nervously around.
“Where do I fit in now? Now that the battles are over, and everything has settled, where do I fit?”
“I’m not sure I understand, Kimi.” He still looked puzzled and then it hit him. Of course, she doesn’t feel like she fits, everyone still has something to do, to look forward to except her. Kimi could never settle for just being my girlfriend and I wouldn’t want her to. I’ve been so wrapped up in my galaxy drive, I failed to notice. “Kimi, you are a very valuable member of this crew. You may not be busy now, but that doesn’t mean you’re not needed.” He paused to let it sink in, and then continued. “And I’m not just talking about how much I need you.”
“Jesse, you don’t have to placate me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. You are the ship’s security officer. You could rewrite the protocols, monitor the progression of Bessa, Xanu and Tanna’s training, or reprogram the remaining bots to assist with ship security. There is work to be done.”
“Could I set up a meeting with the Chief of State and suggest some security protocol’s for his fleet?” She looked apprehensively at him as she waited for an answer.
That’s what this is about; with my working on the drive, Collin and Bessa getting married, Josiah coordinating the fleet we will likely be bringing home and Suzy working on recovery pods, she wants something more big picture to do. “I think that’s a great idea, Kimi, now that Ginderbar is unified, their ships should have coordinated protocols.” Jesse stood up and she stood up with him. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips and lingered there for a moment. He looked at her and replied, “Let me set up a meeting with Enosal. We’ll go to lunch soon and you can pitch him on it. Are you up for that?”
She looked up and smiled. She was stunning when she smiled. “I am up for that, I cannot wait, Jesse.” She squeezed his hand and began to walk away, but she turned back with a smile and said, “You are dropping your left when you go from your knee into your windmill.” Then she walked away.
He smiled at her and watched her go. She was so perfect and so talented. He knew she wasn’t looking for recognition, just meaningful work while everyone else was so engaged with their responsibilities.
______
The big day had arrived. One of the most talked about social events on Ginderbar in recent memory: the wedding of two heroes from the famous ship Endeavor. Chief of State Enosal was very pleased they had chosen to wed on his world. He was also pleased with the suggestions Kimiko had given him. He planned to let her begin implementing them in the fleet immediately. The high council of Kaldor was here. The Royal family of Hyperia had just landed and the ruling delegation of the planet Qualoosh would be arriving shortly. Enosal was hoping to dovetail this event into a strategy session for the new alliance. They were fairly certain the Zinnebailan-backed, pirate-led aliens were no match for them, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the backing of the Hyperian Royal Navy. King Dominus was still predisposed to help them as thanks for their part in saving his daughter, so he hoped to take advantage of that. Now, however, he was about to watch a friend get married. The ceremony was to be a traditional Earth wedding. Bessa didn’t know what a traditional Qualoosh wedding looked like, and she didn’t care. She wanted Collin to be happy. He had kept telling her that this was her day. He wanted everything to be perfect for her. She loved that about him, but she could also see it meant a lot to him that she had chosen his world’s custom. Enosal was looking forward to a most interesting ceremony. Then again, it seemed everything was interesting once the crew of Endeavor got involved.
He remembered back to that first night at Sector Steaks. Garrinoras’ men had gotten the drop on him and both he and his family were in danger. If the pirate had his way, he would have left that encounter with many Battle Hammers. When it looked as though nothing would save him, Colonel Jesse Marcos showed up. Two months later, Jesse presented him with the Sword of Targon, making him the legitimate ruler of the entire planet. He united the mercenary tribes into one, very powerful fleet. Then, along with Governor Valinor from Kaldor, he had begun to put together an alliance of planets that now stood nineteen planets and five races strong. Hopefully, after the galaxy watched a human marry a non-human on his world today, that alliance would grow.
Bessa couldn’t believe this day had finally come. Today, she was to marry the first and only man she would ever love. She was so thankful. A year ago, she could never have imagined a day like this. She could never have imagined people like this. Jesse was to walk her down the aisle in the traditional Earth custom of giving the bride away. It was supposed to be the father of the bride, but her own father had sold her into slavery when she was a small child. She didn’t even care to know who he was let alone let him take part in a ceremony this important. Jesse was a much better choice. He was the reason all of this was possible. Her bridesmaids were all wearing their light lavender dresses, thin strapped and sleeveless with a low, yet modest neckline. The dresses were form fitting and came down just below the knee. They matched the color of her skin perfectly. She was honored that her bridesmaids had chosen to wear them. Standing with her would be her maid of honor, Suzy, along with Kimiko and Tanna. Picking them had been an easy choice as they were the only female friends she had. The ceremony was only an hour away and she couldn’t wait. The man she loved was only two rooms away, but another Earth tradition prevented her from seeing him until the ceremony began. She found that she was not quite as fond of that one.
Colin was
a bundle of energy. He felt like he could power a small city with all of the nervous energy that had built up inside him. He never liked the center stage. He felt it was important to put Bessa there, so he was willing to endure it. Josiah put his arm around him to settle him down. He was glad Josiah had agreed to be his best man. It probably would have been Manny had the ceremony taken place on Earth or Polisia; Josiah knew that, too and still agreed to stand with him. Jesse, Reece and Xanu would also be standing with him. The entire crew was part of the ceremony. Jesse was to walk Bessa down the aisle, which was fitting since he was the one that saved her and brought her to Endeavor. Reece and Xanu had no clue what was happening, but they were happy to be a part of it. Being soldiers made it easy for them. He simply told them stand here until the end and they did, no questions asked.
