Ull (Tornians Book 7)

by M. K. Eidem

  "And the repair units?"

  "I have already contacted the Emperor about those, and they will be on the next ship that comes to Earth.”

  "Do you know when you'll be returning?"

  "No, we've been ordered to Luda, which is a two-week journey from here. Once there, it will be up to Emperor Wray as to when we return."

  "So, a minimum of a month, one of your 'moon cycles.'"

  "Yes."

  "Alright, I'll make sure rooms are made available for Minister Ruskin."

  "We'll be down shortly.”

  Trisha had sat in stunned silence as Ull, and her tío spoke.

  He was leaving.

  Ull was leaving.

  Yes, she'd known that eventually, he would be, but not today, not now. She'd thought she still had some time to see him, hear his voice, and maybe casually touch him. Now she didn't.

  "Trisha, are you okay?" Aaron asked after ending the comm.

  "What?"

  "You seem pale all of a sudden."

  "No, no, I'm fine, just trying to rearrange things in my head."

  "Nothing has changed. Tomorrow Minister Ruskin will oversee the use of the educator for Prime Minister Gagnon and President Ochoa. Once they've had some time to recover, we will convene the Council and continue negotiations with the Kaliszians."

  "I was thinking more along the lines of helping Jakob adjust to our world and our foods."

  "I'll leave that to you as you have experience in what he is used to consuming."

  "I'll go meet Jakob at the landing pad." Wiping her mouth, she rose. "Should I bring him back here?"

  "Yes, and I'll have several guards meet you there."

  "Guards?"

  "Because I'm sure the Minister will have luggage, not because I don't trust him," he quickly told her.

  "Oh. Well then, that would be great. Also, how late is the cafeteria open?"

  "You want to take him there?"

  "Yes, I doubt Jakob has had time to eat, and it will allow him to see the variety of foods the Earth has to offer. After all, with the other leaders here, I'm sure you've had something from every region prepared for their support staff."

  Aaron just shook his head. "You are a born politician."

  "Hey now, no reason to get nasty." But she returned his smile. "I'll see you in a little bit."

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Trisha rapidly blinked, so her tears didn't fall. Ull hadn't even gotten off the shuttle. He'd landed, lowered the ramp, and Jakob had exited carrying two large bags, one in each hand. Jakob had hardly stepped off the ramp before it retracted, and the shuttle lifted off again to disappear rapidly.

  "Did you get dust in your eyes?" Jakob asked. Setting his bags down, he stepped in front of her, blocking the worst of the still swirling dust.

  "What?" Trisha pulled her gaze from the sky and forced a smile on her lips. "Oh, no, just thinking." She looked to the guards. "If it’s alright with you, I'll escort you to where you'll be staying."

  "That would be wonderful." Turning to retrieve his bags, he found them already in the hands of two warriors.

  "They can carry those for you," she told him as she linked her arm through one of his. "Did you have last meal before you came down?"

  "No." Looking over his shoulder, he realized that no one would understand what they were saying, so he told her what he knew. "Everything happened rather quickly once we landed. Emperor Wray recalled the Searcher without giving any reason."

  "Do you think there is trouble in the Tornian Empire?"

  Jakob had given that a great deal of thought on the way down. "I don't believe so. Wray is a fit and worthy Emperor who has earned the trust and respect of his fellow warriors. I'm hoping to hear something about it when my Emperor responds to my transmission."

  Trisha came to a halt and turned to look at him. "Damn, I hadn't even thought about that. Can you communicate with him when the Searcher’s gone?"

  "Captain Veron placed a communications satellite into Earth's orbit so I could still send and receive comms. It's not ideal but will do until we deploy permanent, advanced comm satellites. Then we can communicate directly back and forth both visually and verbally."

  "We'll actually be able to see the person we're talking to? Even this far away?"

  "Once a network of satellites is set up, yes."

  "How amazing," she murmured as they began to walk down the corridor again.

  "You are going to find there are many amazing things in the Known Universes. I'm almost envious of your people discovering them all for the first time."

  "There are also many terrible things."

  "This is truth, but hopefully we will be able to help you recognize them, so you don't learn the hard way as we did many times."

  "I'm sure that will be appreciated." Stopping, she knocked on a door.

  "Enter."

  "These are President Garcia's rooms," she told him as they entered. "He wanted to escort you to yours personally."

  "Welcome, Minister Ruskin." The President rose to greet him. "I have to say I'm excited to have you staying with us. It is an opportunity for everyone to get to know you as a person."

  "That will be a benefit, yes."

  "I wasn't exactly sure what you are accustomed to, so I hope what we have will be suitable. I did have the bed changed out, as Trisha said everything on the ship was Tornian size, which I assume is also a Kaliszian's preferred size."

  "It is, thank you."

  "Wonderful, then let me show you where you'll be staying." Both Trisha and Jakob stepped back, allowing the President to exit first then followed. "I hope you don't mind. I put you in my area."

  "Of course not."

  They walked for several moments, passing a corridor. "I thought you'd be more comfortable across the hall from Trisha. That way, if you have any questions or problems, she's near."

  "That was most considerate, Mr. President."

  All this was news to Trisha. She hadn't been to her quarters yet, although a guard took her bag there.

  "This is Trisha's quarters." He gestured to one door then to the one across from it. "And here is yours." Pulling a key card out of his jacket, he pressed it against the reader, and they heard the locks turn. Reaching out, the President pushed down the handle and walked in, the lights immediately coming on. "I'm going to let Trisha show you around as she knows better than I the difference." He handed Jakob the key card. "I'll see you in the morning."

  "Goodnight, Tío Aaron." Stepping forward, she hugged him. She knew it wasn't the proper thing to do in the presence of others, but Trisha didn't care. After everything that had happened today, she needed the contact.

  Aaron didn't hesitate to return the hug, even going as far as placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll see you in the morning too." With that, the President left.

  Trisha smiled at Jakob as the guards put his bags in the bedroom then left, the door closing behind them. Looking around the room, she wondered what Jakob thought.

  "It's not like on the Searcher, is it?" she asked.

  Jakob's gaze traveled around the room, taking in what, compared to the Searcher, were lavish accommodations. The stone floor was familiar, but on top was a rug even thicker than the one in his own home. Several chairs appeared comfortable, but a tight fit for him. The couch was deep enough. But what caught his eye was the sizeable Kaliszian-size desk.

  "I’ll see that you receive larger chairs."

  "That would be appreciated."

  "This is your resting room, as you refer to it," she said, walking over to the only other door in the room. There was a massive bed in the room, as per her tío’s orders, with Jakob's bags sitting on it.

  "Is that wrong?" Jakob asked. "Do you not rest in this room?"

  Trisha smiled. "We do, but because of the bed, we usually call it the 'bedroom.'" She went on to explain the rest of the room. "Like in your office, the lights come on automatically, but you can also control them by voice. Lights off," she commanded, and the ro
om went dark. She then ordered, "Lights on. Once you use voice commands, the only way for them to be automatic again is to touch a pad." She gestured to one by the door and then walked over to the one by the bed. "There is also a sensitivity level, so at night the lights won't turn on if you're just rolling over."

  Jakob nodded his understanding and took in the controls, the bed, and the few pieces of furniture with again the thick rug on the floor. It all offered warmth and comfort.

  "And in here is your cleansing room. There are handless controls for the sink and shower as on the Searcher, but the temperature adjustment is manual." She showed him the levers for both. "There are towels here," she pointed to the ones hanging on the rails then opened a cabinet. "And more in here if you need them."

  "I'm surprised the President was able to accommodate me so quickly."

  "To be honest, so am I," she admitted. "I never knew this facility was here. I doubt few do. But my tío gets things done."

  "He certainly seems to."

  "He'll do his best for you and your people, Jakob. You will get the food you need."

  "I'm actually starting to believe that. Thank you, Trisha."

  "I didn't do anything but translate for you. But speaking of food should we get some? Ull's comm interrupted my meal, and you didn't get any. I could return your kindness to me on the Searcher and try to describe what things are and taste like."

  "I would like that."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Several hours later, after a delightful meal, where she enjoyed watching Jakob's reaction to the staggering variety of foods available and their different tastes and textures, she was finally alone in her quarters.

  God, she was so tired. It felt like she hadn't slept in days, and she hadn't. Her night with Ull hadn't involved much sleeping. More like passing out from pleasure. She'd never known anyone with Ull's stamina and recovery time. She'd had more orgasms during the night with him than she'd had in her entire life combined and that included the ones she gave herself. Just thinking about it had her getting wet and the tender flesh between her legs throbbing in anticipation.

  Forcing her thoughts away from Ull and the pleasure he'd given her, she moved into her bedroom, where her small bag sat on the bed. She needed to talk to her tío about cleaning what clothes she had and getting some more. When she'd packed, Trisha hadn't taken into consideration how long she'd be gone, probably because she'd still been shocked by the arrival of 'aliens.'

  Sighing, she opened her bag and pulling out her sleeping pants, tank, and toiletry bag, headed for the bathroom. She needed to wash away the day, and hopefully, the heat of the water would relax her enough to sleep. Fifteen minutes later, she waved off the water and stepped out into the steam-filled room. Grabbing a towel, she began drying her hair as she opened the door, letting in the cooler air from the bedroom.

  By the time the mirror had cleared, her short hair was nearly dry, and she wrapped the towel around her body. Pulling what she needed out of her toiletry bag, she brushed her teeth, and then her hair before reaching in for her pill bottle. Not finding it, she set her brush aside and gripping each side of the bag, opened it wider peering inside. She immediately saw her moisturizer, the makeup she rarely wore, and her manicure set.

  But no pill bottle.

  With her heart beginning to pound, she upended the bag, dumping its contents onto the counter and started frantically searching through them.

  No pill bottle.

  Gripping the edge of the counter, she closed her eyes and thought back to the last time she knew she'd had it. It had been that morning on the Searcher. She'd showered after Ull had left, taken her morning dose, then put everything into the toiletry bag for the return to Earth. Could it have fallen out?

  Rushing into the bedroom, she began pulling all her clothes out of her travel bag, then flipped that over and shook it vigorously.

  No pill bottle.

  Ignoring the mess she'd made, she slowly sat down on the bed and tried to figure out what happened. Either she didn't put the bottle in the bag, or it fell out, and she didn't notice it. But none of that mattered now. What mattered was what was she going to do now? She could have just contacted Ull and had him bring the bottle down with him tomorrow if the Searcher wasn’t recalled. It wouldn't have been ideal, as she wasn't supposed to miss any of her doses, but it wouldn't have been earth-shattering either. But the Searcher had been recalled, and it had been hours since it left.

  What was she going to do?

  If she told her tío, not only would he freak out, he might remove her from the negotiations, especially since they would all be able to communicate directly. She couldn't let that happen. Lisa had pleaded for her to help the Tornians, and she'd be damned if she’d let her friend down again.

  She couldn't call her pharmacy and have them send more medication. She was in a top-secret facility. It had no address, at least not yet.

  Maybe she could talk to Dr. Monroe. Chances were slim that he would have the exact medication prescribed for her, but with them not knowing the condition of the returnees, maybe he had something similar. Looking at the time, she realized it was too late to contact him tonight. She'd have to do it in the morning.

  Cleaning up the mess she'd made in the bedroom and bathroom, she dressed in her sleepwear and crawled into bed. Within minutes, despite this new concern, she was asleep.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Ull's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edges of the back viewport of the Searcher and continued to stare out, even though Earth had disappeared hours ago. Goddess, he hadn't wanted to leave her, not like this, not without a proper goodbye. He'd seen her standing there on the landing pad waiting for Ruskin. Not him. And he knew if he got off the shuttle, he would have kidnapped her…again. So he'd forced himself to leave as quickly as possible.

  He was doing what all fit and worthy warriors did, following his Emperor's order. But if it was the right thing, then why did it feel so wrong. The Kaliszian had been right. A male's place was at his female's side. It's where he wanted to be but didn't know how he could get there. It had him wanting to rip the Searcher apart. Turning away from the viewport, he went to the only place that might soothe him.

  The lights automatically came on as he entered the quarters Trisha had once used. He'd never given much thought to quarters before, on the Searcher or off. They only needed to serve a warrior's needs. But when Trisha had been here, they'd become more, more interesting, with more warmth, and more alive. Now, this room was back to being the cold, grey, and uninviting place it had always been.

  Entering the resting chamber, he took in the disheveled bed, a testament to what they had done in it. Moving toward it, he lifted a pillow to his face, taking in his Trisha's unique scent. The circulation system had removed it from the rest of the room, but here it still existed.

  Goddess, he missed her.

  And not just for Joining.

  She openly challenged him when she thought he was wrong. Not with tears and tantrums the way Tornian females did when they didn't get their way, but intellectually, arguing her point. She made him see things differently, like how wrong they had been in kidnapping those females. If something like that happened to his Trisha, he'd destroy the Known Universes to get her back.

  The ringing of his comm jolted him from his dark thoughts.

  "What?"

  "It’s your shift for piloting," Veron told him.

  "I'll be right there." Leaving the pillow on the bed, he turned on his heel and strode into the outer chamber. As he headed for the door, something on the floor near the cleansing room door caught his eye. Frowning, he walked over and picked up an amber-colored bottle. Rolling it in his hand, he could see there was writing on it, but he couldn't read it. It had to be Trisha's.

  Putting the languages of Earth into the educator so everyone could understand one another, no matter the dialect they spoke or wrote, needed to be addressed quickly once negotiations were over.

  Tucking the bottle in
to his vest so he could return it to Trisha, he left her quarters and headed to the control room.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  "What is the name of the drug?" Dr. Monroe asked Trisha early the next morning. Trisha pronounced the medication the best she could and saw Monroe's eyebrows shoot up. "That's a potent drug." He paused, then continued. "It's only used for extremely aggressive late-stage cancers."

  "I know," she told him. "The President doesn't know, and I'm trusting you to keep it that way."

  Monroe let his gaze travel over the young woman who'd played a significant role in getting their kidnapped people back home. She was instrumental in the negotiations between the Tornians, Kaliszians, and Earth and had been this sick while doing it?

  "I will say nothing to the President."

  "Thank you. And the prescription?"

  "I don't carry that specific drug. Let me do some research to see if a combination of what I do have can be substituted until we can get your prescription here."

  "Is that even possible? This is a secret facility."

  "Which has to be restocked from time to time. I'll put in a special request to be resupplied sooner and add your prescription to it. That should keep it under the radar."

  "Thank you."

  "Don't thank me yet, not until I get it here." He pointed his finger at her, "And I expect you to tell me immediately if the medication I prescribe doesn't help. We can't let this get out of control."

  "I will," she promised.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Trisha was returning to her quarters when Jakob stepped out of his. "Good morning, Jakob. Did you sleep well?"

  "I did, thank you."

  "Interested in getting first meal together? There will be a different variety available this morning."

  "Truth?"

  "Truth." Smiling, she linked an arm through his. "Come on. I'm hungry."

  Last night Jakob had been surprised by the variety and amount of food. Trisha had encouraged him to try a little bit of everything, stating it would help him to know what to negotiate for, so he had. Jakob felt guilty afterward, knowing that the majority of Kaliszians had less than a tenth of what Jakob had sampled for last meal. Entering the same room now, he came to a stunned halt.