Emily looked concerned. “Avoiding them is no way to get your stuff delivered.”
“Couriers of the galaxy, are they?”
“You’ve been out here for years. How can you not know that?”
Shaking her head, Selene muttered. “For the majority of that time, I was the package, not the person waiting for their merchandise.”
“Sorry to hear. I don’t know who you are, but Captain Koal has been known to give sanctuary to those in need.”
Gritting her teeth, Selene snarked. “Don’t get me started on Captain Koal.” Catching herself, she smiled brightly. “So, what new and interesting bugs did you get delivered?”
Sounding disappointed, Emily plopped her beetle on the counter. “Little ones. I thought they’d be larger from the pictures.”
“Where did you get that?” The woman looked shocked.
Selene interjected smoothly. “Haven’t you heard? Charlie here was a gift from Captain Koal.”
The woman picked up the jumbo-sized beetle. “Well, Charlie is a female and she is getting ready to lay about a hundred eggs. Also, you might want to be aware that a specimen like this is extremely rare. I’ve seen specimens half this size go for a thousand credits each.”
Emily danced a little jig as she sang an impromptu jingle. “I’m getting a hundred gigantic beetles. I’m going to be the beetle queen.”
The woman shook her head. “Captain Koal is not going to allow you to keep a hundred of these things.”
Emily stood with one hand on her hip, pouting. “Will too.”
“He will not, young one.”
“He’s my dad.” The smirked little look on her face was adorable.
Selene intervened. “Think of how rich you’d be if you sold them all. You could buy one of every bug in the galaxy.”
Emily’s face brightened, as she watched the woman put Charlie into a glass hatchery.
She smiled at the lady. “Sorry. I got a little greedy there for a minute. My sister and you are right. We can’t keep a hundred of these things. They take up way too much space and what if they all started breeding? We’d be chasing them down morning, noon, and night.”
The woman smiled indulgently. “Maybe you could keep a good breeding pair and sell off the rest. Then you’d have a little money maker to keep you in bugs.”
“And clothing with bug designs. Don’t forget that.” Selene chimed in that reminder for good measure.
“Is everything well, little one?”
“Sure is, Kre. Where’s Jalona?”
Selene turned to see Ambassador Kredor. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I can’t believe it’s you in the flesh.” Selene gave him a quick hug.
“You look well, Lady Selene. I’m sorry about that unfortunate business with the Shardon raiders. “Thanks be to the gods, you’re here with us now.”
“Except now I’m right back where I started.”
“We struggled with what to do with you when you came aboard to sign your contract.”
“I wasn’t signing up to leave the solar system.”
“Everything happened so fast. I negotiated a mining contract with Earth and before we could get the operation set up, your ozone layer collapsed. Captain Koal was very leery of taking you but I advocated that if we sent you back, your chances of survival would be minimal. I looked around for another similar mining operation and found that one was operational on the Sylon home world. Once Prince Korban saw you, he was insistent upon meeting you. I could hardly fault him for that. I thought it better to have a new home with a prince than a life of hardship on Earth. I did negotiate that you would be given a choice in your resettlement. Korban agreed that if you didn’t take a liking to him, he would settle you on your world of choice.”
“Well, when you explain it all like that, it sounds real considerate. Could you not have just communicated that to me? We could have used that computer thingy that we used to negotiate the contract.”
“I was worried about your fragile mental health. We decided for the prince to explain that to you in person, once you reached your destination.”
“Thought I’d flip out on everyone, didn’t you?”
“Yes. That was a great concern.”
“I probably would have. Thanks for trying to help me. I know you did your best.”
“I remain at your service, Lady Selene.”
Amie was falling asleep, so Selene scooped her up and made her excuses before heading back to the captain’s quarters.”
Emily tapped on the glass, giving her beetle a good night kiss. Turning, she scooped up her sister’s snoozing little pet. “Buster never lasts much longer than Amie. These two were meant for each other.”
As they stepped out of the room, Tref and Shafra shimmied into view.
“What’s up with the invisible guards?”
“They’re my friends. Lady Shafra was an imperial princess but disavowed the imperial family to seek a life of action and adventure.”
“Wow, that sure sounds like fun. Does the big warrior belong to her?”
“His name is Commander Tref and they belong to each other.”
“That’s kind of romantic. Do they kiss? I only ask cause Koal don’t even know what kissing is.”
“I try not to pry into their personal business. You shouldn’t either. They’re going to be traders, like Captain Koal.”
“They should hang out here. Koal could teach them all the best places to trade. He even has a special place where he buys shuttles and ship parts. They sell freighters there too. I’ve seen them.”
“He took you to a junkyard?”
“Shipyard. It’s not the same thing at all. You don’t get out much, do you?”
Selene shook her head. “You’ve had a lot of interesting experiences in a few short weeks.”
“Koal says I’m an adrenaline junkie like him. That’s why he takes me to all the good places. Sure beats hanging around on Earth, getting sun and wind burned.”
“I’ll agree with you about that, sister.”
“About what?”
Elaine’s question caught her off guard. Selene hadn’t realized they were back until she walked over the threshold. Handing over the little one to her mother, she noticed Emily walking off towards a reflecting pool. Pulling off her clothing, she stepped into the water. Selene walked over.
“Strange water. What are you doing in there?”
Selene reached out to touch the water but Emily warned. “No touching. You weren’t invited.”
Tilting her head, Selene asked curiously. “Can’t you just invite me?”
“It is Koal’s water. He has to invite you.”
“Forgive me, I have been remiss. Lady Selene, my water is your water. Please enjoy yourself anytime you like.”
Nodding, she rolled up her pants and stuck her legs in.
Koal tossed his head happily. “You are so very like your mother, Lady Selene. She only put her feet in the first time she visited as well.”
“Well, you managed to win her over in the end.”
“As Prince Korban did you, Lady.”
“That stuff I said back on the raider. I didn’t mean it. Well, I meant it when I said it. After taking to Emily and your ambassador, I know how wrong I was. Can you forgive me?”
Touching her cheek gently, he spoke with a quiet dignity. “Because your mother has captured my heart, you will always be a daughter of my heart. Know that come what may, you can count on me to advocate for your needs and fight at your side if need be.”
“My sister’s right. You really are a big old softie.”
“I believe that is a compliment.”
Nodding she smiled at him.
CHAPTER 12
Korban slid into the meeting place just as Ambassador Teric’s ship arrived. Both shuttles approached the Candorian freighter at the same time, attaching to side-by-side docking rings. Captain Koal, Ambassador Kredor, Commander Tref, an
d Shar Jalon waited patiently inside.
“I wish to see my intended.”
Captain Koal motioned them to a nearby conference room. “The daughter of my heart does not wish to cooperate with the retrieval of more females from her home world. I’m certain you can understand why.”
“You have taken her mother to mate? You were only supposed to transport her.”
“My family affairs are private. You must know this meeting will go badly for you if you cannot stay focused on the business at hand. Lady Selene will see you afterwards.”
“Her mother and sisters are safe?”
“Even now, they refresh themselves in my water.”
“That will have to be good enough.”
Ambassador Teric spoke up. “Would it be possible to at least see them, even if they will not speak to me?”
“No. I guard my family closely.” Koal’s tone left no room for argument.
Shar Jalon spoke. “I will present my information first. We have much to report. Ambassador Teric, we have adapted the multi-language bacteria to translate two of the human tongues without incident. Per the directive of His Royal Highness, the Imperial Emperor, we have integrated two Earth tongues. The first is English, which is now the dominate language spoken on Earth. The second language was Japanese. These cases contain over two 0hundred doses. Use them wisely.”
S0har Jalon shoved the cases towards Teric, before continuing.
“We thank you.” Teric murmured diplomatically.
“We have made an extensive study of Lady Selene and cross matched biological samples against Krylon, Shardon and Candorian DNA as well as several dozen other species. Human biology is very adaptable. It is clear that human females are biologically compatible with every other species we’ve matched. Cross-species breeding is not only possible but with their high degree of fertility and the fact that they ovulate roughly twelve times per year, it is very probable.”
“That is good news. We suspected as much.” Korban leaned forward.
“I have spoken to my brother and he refuses to share human brides with my home world. Therefore, I ask that you carry this message to him. Tell him that the Imperial Princess Shafra and I break with the imperial family. From this day forward, we go our separate ways with the fleet stationed on the Sylon home world. We will no longer pay any member of the imperial family tribute. Tell him to think carefully about his response, because failure to accept our terms means war.”
Ambassador Teric paled at the shocking announcement. “I will repeat you message exactly. If I can be of further assistance, do not hesitate to let me know.”
“If all are in agreement, you are dismissed.”
There was no objection, so Teric left with his doses of the newly synthesized multi-language bacteria.
Shar Jalon noted awkwardly. “That was very unpleasant.”
Captain Koal chimed in his opinion. “I would have advised against such a bold move, Prince Korban. It would be impossible for any of us to stand against the imperial family and survive, you least of all.”
“I have no intention of standing alone. If the three of us form an alliance, none can defeat us. My sparsely populated planet has seven large continents, each rich in minerals and endless hectors of oceans. Though the land is fertile, it has little in the way of natural flora and fauna, but our oceans are teeming with beautiful coral and sea life. I believe it is time for the Candorian people to have a home world. We will soon be family, Captain Koal. That alone is reason enough to band together. I offer you my protection, my trust, and the oceans of my home world for your people. You were once good stewards of your world, therefore there is little doubt in my mind that you will care properly for the waters of my home world. Let my waters be your waters, Koal.”
Recovering from the astonishment of being offered a new home world, Koal answered immediately. “I accept your generous offer. The Candorian people will live, work, and fight at your side from this day forward.”
Turning to Shar Jalon, Korban continued. “The Shardon could also benefit from a place of respite in this sector. A secure place where you could establish a new community of clones with human brides. I will gift you with the empty continent of your choice and share our technology. You could assist us in studying more about our failing female genome. The work we do in that regard alone will secure us inclusion in the Galactic Council of Worlds. The Shardon could mine and trade in the minerals on your continent. You could have a very good life on Sylon.”
“More importantly, if the three of us join together, we could petition Earth Gov for a trade treaty, exchanging females for the raw materials that are so abundant on my home world. I know the Candorian people have an abundance of females, so perhaps your share could be traded among your allies. I’m certain that between Shar Jalon and myself, we could arrange a trade you would be happy with.”
Shar Jalon spoke. “This sounds like a dream come true, for my people are far from home and often discriminated against when it comes to trade. I would accept such an offer and be grateful to have it.”
“It is settled. Instead of a king, my world will have three princes, each responsible for ruling our own people. We will meet every quarter to ensure the arrangement continues to work and solve problems as they arise.”
Shar Jalon nodded. “If you would each like to send you ambassadors, we can begin work on the treaty with Earth Gov. I have dared to dream of having a female of my own. Now, I find myself eager to hurry the process.”
“As the only one of the three of us with no human bride, I say let you be the first to choose from among the humans we procure.”
“Thank you, my prince.”
“No need to be so formal, Shar Jalon. We are all now princes, are we not? If it pleases you both, I would like to visit my intended.”
Koal stood. “I invite you both to my quarters for a small celebration of our good fortune. The women await us.”
“We have much to celebrate.”
Being reunited with his intended was an emotional event for Korban. As soon as they entered the room, she flew into his arms. Holding her fast, he couldn’t bear to let her go. Thankfully, she seemed to have no intention of letting him go either. He finally swept her up in his arms and carried her to the settee.
Koal sat with Emily at his side. “We have news.” Gesturing to Prince Korban, he took Amie from Jacob and settled her onto his lap.”
Clearing his throat, Korban spoke. “I am sorry to say that my home world will never have a king. We have elected on three princes instead. I have broken ties with the imperial family in favor of forming an alliance with the Candorian and Shardon. Koal will establish the first Candorian settlement on the floor of our oceans on the Sylon home world. The Shardon will form a colony on one of our unused continents. Together, we will approach Earth Gov with a treaty to exchange brides for the much-needed raw minerals on our home world.”
Elaine spoke up. “Selene and I have discussed this new interest other worlds have shown in human women. We believe that it would be best to put some safety protocols in place. It will make Earth Gov more comfortable dealing with us and ensure we are respecting their rights.”
Selene interjected excitedly. “We talked about setting up some sort of lottery system by which the males are preselected to meet with groups of women. If women come looking for husbands, they will be quick to snap up the ones they’re attracted to. If we leave the coms open to Earth, the women will naturally contact their loved ones back home and report on their positive experiences.”
“That sounds like a win for everyone.”
Shar Jalon asked curiously. “Do you think the human females will accept clones as mates or should we just focus on gathering samples to enhance our efforts at diversity?”
Selene grinned. “Are you kidding? Your clones are sexy, adaptable, and fun to be around. I’d say they will be the first chosen.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’ve warmed to the
idea of having a mate, as impossible as that sounds.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Shar Jalon. If I hadn’t met Korban first, I’d have been interested in a Shardon husband. Where’s Jacob anyway? I’m sure he has something to contribute to this conversation.”
“It thrills to know we will be on the same world, Selene. I will need all the assistance I can get in catching the notice of a potential mate.”
Korban pulled her back into his arms. “You will find him a mate, straight away. I do not like the way he looks at you.”
Selene laughed at his not-so-subtle teasing.
CHAPTER 13
Korban carried his little sweet to his shuttle and tended to her during the short voyage to his ship. He had to admit that his female didn’t seem to be any worse for the wear. It rankled him that she paid such attention to a clone. Then again, once he spent some time with them, he realized something about them.
“What are you thinking so hard about, My Prince?”
Looking down into Selene’s adorably human face, he responded honestly. “I was thinking of the clones. Their thought processes, much like my own, are flawed when it comes to leading our people into the future.”
“We’re all just people, even the clones.”
“I can see what was once obscured by my own arrogance.”
“I happen to like that you own up to your mistakes. It gives me hope that you’ll own up to the ones you made with me some day.”
“Shar Jalon told you, did he not?”
“That you paid Koal for me and turned him into the Galactic Council as well? I wasn’t too thrilled about that, to tell the truth.”
“Then you’ll be even less thrilled to know that I have not once regretted that decision.”
Sitting up, she backed away slightly. “Maybe you’ll learn your lesson with the next woman you manipulate the entire verse to get your hands on.”
“Do not play games with me, my sweet. I know in my heart that you are mine. I knew it the first time I ever saw you. Would you force an apology out of me, when I am anything but remorseful?”
Maruvian Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 5) Page 21
