Daughter of Ethos

by L M Lacee

  He looked a Kerol who looked just as stunned back at him. Kerol stated. ‘We do not understand.’

  Peyton explained. ‘Oh, okay, so Heather said created because she is a researcher and was surprised, probably because she thought you may not have known.’

  ‘Really, Peyton, it was not that.’

  Peyton shrugged off Heather’s comment as she said ‘And Darby snorted.’

  ‘I did not!’

  ‘Yeah, you did.’

  ‘No, I did not, it was a sniff of disdain for the comment.’

  Peyton smirked. ‘It was, if you were a horse!’

  Darby growled. ‘How…’

  ‘Enough ladies!’ Melody said sternly as she did, when annoyed.

  Peyton ducked her head. ‘Oh yeah, Melody said bullshit, which is a cuss word and can express many things. In this instance it meant, you are so wrong and what you said could not be further from the truth and I said…’

  Hawk held his hand up. ‘I see.’

  ‘Okay then!’ Peyton beamed a smile in his direction; he kept his eyes on her just to make sure she was not about to speak again. He did not know if he was charmed or amused by the Star Daughter. Although he could feel Kerol’s amusement and something he had never felt from his second before about a non-warrior... Admiration.

  He stated. ‘It is a reflection of our training and lives that we are unused to this type of communication. In our experience we have found females do not give anything, be it time or conversation freely. There is always a price to pay, so I ask who is to pay this price, you or us? Because I cannot... I will not commit my Warriors to something that truly could come back and bite us in the ass, as you Earth people like to say.’

  At their nods of understanding he continued. ‘Let me explain, if we do this, you realize we would be going against the ones that created us. They will retaliate and not just against my Warriors but you as well. What makes your offer so great that we would be willing to do so now?’

  Peyton, and the other three women listened to the Commander of the Warriors, now stationed on Earth ask his questions and felt relieved on hearing the cautious hope in his voice. Thankfully they had at least some answers to his questions.

  The four Warriors watched as the three females looked over to the one who was the Star Daughter. Hawk Roeah, had known when he and his males had stepped into the dwelling who the female behind the invitation was. The one called Peyton with or without the essence of the Star Daughter was a powerful being all on her own. He had no doubt that she would have organized a way to rescue these females regardless of the stars help.

  Peyton looked each of the Warriors in their eyes, finally settling on the Commander and smiled as she told them. ‘Let me just say here, that the only price either of us will pay is freedom. I understand your hesitation and the reasons behind it. I just want you all to have an open mind about what we are going to reveal.’

  Hawk nodded. ‘We will endeavor to do so.’

  ‘Thank you. So we have three promises that we can make happen immediately.’ Peyton held three fingers up and pointed to one but before she could say anything, they all heard a loud sigh. She demanded of Darby. ‘Why did you sigh?’

  ‘Because you did the finger thing!’

  Melody agreed. ‘I thought we said no to that.’

  Heather frowned at Peyton saying. ‘We did, but she went with it, anyway!’

  ‘Because it is a good and impactual way of making a statement!’

  ‘It so is not, and what did we say about making up words?’ Darby demanded, as she drummed her fingers on the table.

  Peyton screwed her face into a frown as she replied. ‘Pretty sure it is a word. Miss. Know it all.’

  ‘That is right, I do know it all, now as you don’t really know if it is a word or not, you should not use it.’

  Heather growled at Peyton, bringing them back to the topic at hand. ‘Seriously, we said no finger counting, we voted on it.’

  Peyton squirmed in her seat, she had forgotten that. ‘Yeah but I forgot, it happens you know?’

  ‘See, and you have not even started yet.’ Darby chortled in triumph.

  Peyton sniffed in disdain or what she hoped was disdain, then said. ‘I wouldn’t have if you had not interrupted me!’

  ‘Ladies, enough!’ Melody said in the voice she had often used with her soldiers.

  They all looked at her and asked. ‘What!’

  With gritted teeth she indicted the Warriors. ‘You were saying Peyton, without fingers please!’

  Peyton eyed the annoyed Melody and figured she was a hairs-breath away from yelling, never a good thing. Melody had a very loud voice when she was annoyed, hurriedly she said. ‘Well okay, so what I was saying was firstly, we will provide potential mates.’

  At the men’s in-drawn breaths, she quickly followed that up with. ‘I say potential because the bequeathing of a mate is up to the fates or the Star Child apparently and the individuals involved. We are however, taking over thirty-thousand females of varying ages and ethnicity with us. I am sure some, if not all of them will end up being mates for you and your Warriors.’

  Commander Roeah’s eyes narrowed, and his features sharpened into disappointment as did his Warriors. He made to storm from the house as he felt the flame of hope dwindle in his chest. That was until he heard the voice of Sunshoona in his mind.

  Stay your intention Commander. What our Daughter reveals may please you.

  He did as she asked and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed and thought on what this female, Peyton had just stated. In truth he was unaware there would be that many free females left and able to leave.

  He asked. ‘This is certain?’

  All four women nodded their heads as Peyton said. ‘Yes, most definitely!’

  Hesitantly his second in command, Kerol asked. ‘They would want to mate with us?’

  Hawk guessed Kerol was asked by Sunshoona to wait as well and to ask this question why else would he have done so. The taller female of the four, her name he remembered was Melody, an armee General or in his language Commander. It was plain to see she had commanded, she had the bearing of a Warrior.

  A smile graced her face now as the other females laughed, their laughter was not cruel or condescending. Hawk and Kerol knew what that sounded like, instead it almost sounded friendly and was confirmed by her statement. ‘Warriors, we are certain that your males will be every women’s dream of what a husband…’ At their blank looks she amended her statement. ‘I am sorry, I meant mate. Warriors, you are exactly what our female’s want in a mate.’ Melody left her eyes on Kerol’s face as his finger unconsciously trailed down the scar that ran from below his eye to his jaw. She let him see the honesty in her eyes as she told them. ‘Scars and all.’

  Peyton said quietly. ‘We will give you children.’

  At their looks of disbelief, she hurried on. ‘We have just on fifteen hundred children, from months old to young teenagers, around fifteen years old. They are of course, all females and will be coming with us. We are hopeful our females and your Warriors will mate so they can give these children both a mother and father as well as a loving home. This is a chance for your people and ours to make family units.’

  The women waited while a discussion broke out between the Warriors, all except the stern Commander who sat unmoving, his eyes and face giving nothing away, Peyton bet there was lots going on behind that bland exterior.

  Under cover of the Warriors conversation, Darby leaned over and asked out the side of her mouth. ‘How do you think it is going? They are talking so fast I cannot keep up, damn it!’

  They moved closer to Peyton to hear her answer but before she could speak, Heather murmured. ‘If they react like this to that news, wait until they hear the next part.’

  Silence descended on the room as four sets of black eyes stared at them. ‘What is the next part?’ The Commander asked, proving they had exceptional hearing.

  Peyton grinned. ‘You are going to love th
is, we and by we. I mean these two amazing women.’ She flipped her hand toward Heather and Darby. ‘Along with their team of scientists, have been able to isolate the missing element in your physiology that keeps you from mating and reproducing.’ She said gently. ‘That means having sexual relations, and making babies, that was the second point in case you wanted to know.’

  The air in the room seemed to contract and expand, as if the room itself took a breath, saving the shocked Warriors from having to do so as Heather asked her. ‘Why would they need to know that?’

  Peyton grinned as she answered. ‘They may have lost count.’

  Melody grumbled. ‘Ridiculous!’

  Darby stated. ‘No counting!’

  ‘You never said that, you said no fingers!’

  Peyton smirked again in Darby’s direction, causing Melody to ask. ‘Do I have to raise my voice?’

  ‘Rude…’ Peyton mumbled and was cut off from saying anything more, when the Commander and the other three Warriors stood abruptly, causing their chairs to sail out from behind them and crash forcibly against the kitchen walls.

  This had the effect of causing the four women to scramble from their seats at the unexpected violence and dash to the opposite side of the room. When quiet once more settled on the room. Hawk Roeah, Commander of the Jenersar Warriors felt ashamed. The Star Daughter and the tall armee female were now standing in front of the other two females. By their expressions and grips they had on the clothes of the two females in front of them, they were very frightened.

  As he looked at each of his Warriors, he could feel their shame as well. Females should never fear a Warrior; females were to be cherished and protected.

  With a hand over his hearts Commander Roeah bowed, followed quickly by the other Warriors. Straightening to his full height, he said. ‘Please forgive us, it was not anger for you. Only amazement that you would have discovered what has eluded us for so long.’

  He once again heard Sunshoona in his mind as she said. It would be wise of you Commander Roeah, not to doubt the Star Daughter again, she will not disappoint.

  Sighing he pulled his chair back into place as his males did the same. Re-taking his seat, the tension in the room slowly relaxed, he and his males waited for the females to decide to sit again.

  Slowly Peyton and Melody parted allowing Darby and Heather to re-take their seats. Peyton took a calming breath and let it out as she sat and inclined her head saying. ‘Apology accepted.’

  Heather took several calming breaths then asked the Commander. ‘I don’t understand, in all this time no one has discovered what we found?’

  Hawk inclined his head. ‘Mayhap, I should have said, it is something we were discouraged to look for and when one is a Jenersar Warrior, staying alive is more relevant than trying to discover something only alluded to.’

  ‘Oh, that I understand.’

  Peyton smiled and said. ‘Darby was going to explain how she and the others were able to discover this information. However, I think unless you are a doctor sorry healer or scientist such as they are. It would be better to leave that to people you have, who will understand it all.’

  At the Commander’s nod and a flash of what looked like relief in his eyes. Peyton knew she had been right; she could still feel the fine tremors running through Darby’s hand as she held it. She explained. ‘I know this is a shock and I…’ With a quick look at the others she grinned. ‘Sorry, we understand how you might be feeling but know this, gentlemen. Whether you agree to take us or not to our solar system, we will make it so you can have your own children.’

  Hawk nodded in acknowledgement as Peyton took another calming breath in and let it out slowly. ‘While we were researching how to leave Earth and with whom, we found some very interesting information about you and the Warriors, Darby and Heather discovered…’ Peyton closed her eyes briefly then said reluctantly. ‘Show them?’

  Darby quickly flicked her fingers over the screen of her tablet and a hologram of a brain appeared above the table, she had taken this software from the Coalition databases. Heather flicked her finger and the holographic image of the brain started slowly revolving. When the Holo stopped moving, she pointed at what appeared to be a small bulge.

  In her soft voice, she explained. ‘Right here in the brain you can see a small, what looks like a twisted knot in the back of the head.’

  Darby expanded the picture and pin-pointed the area Heather was describing. ‘This is in fact an implant, disguised as a blockage, as you can see if this was ever discovered it would be passed off as an anomaly of your brains. Obviously, it is not! As I said, it is an implant that has been designed for two applications. Firstly, it can render a person unconscious and keep them in an induced coma indefinitely. Secondly, and the more dangerous of the two applications, this implant can be triggered to terminate a person’s life, in effect, it is what we term a kill switch!’

  The picture of the brain and implant revolved a few more times until Darby flicked her fingers once more and dismissed it. Hawk swallowed and asked the question that his Warriors knew the answer to, but wished to deny. ‘You have found this in us... in my Warriors?’

  Heather gave a sharp nod in answer. He closed his eyes on the despair he felt. One of the other younger Warriors, Heather remembered his name was Lukkas asked her. ‘Healer, how do you know this, have you dissected one of us?’

  The way he accepted that they probably had, broke the heart of each woman there, Heather was quick to assure them. ‘Dear Lord, no! We would never!’

  Darby shook her head as she said. ‘I found it, when I downloaded the information from a Coalition computer, Ambassador Jenerika’s, to be exact!’

  Hawk opened his eyes and looked at the unassuming female named Darby. She was so small but he would be a very poor Commander if he dismissed her as of no importance. This female he was sure was very intelligent proved by how often the other females deferred to her. He watched as a slow smile started first in her eyes then encompassed her whole face, that smile showed what a smile could do to an unassuming female.

  He found himself turning his body on an angle and leaning a little across the table, almost as though they were the only two people in the room and softly asked.

  ‘Tell me Lady Darby what else did you happen to find while you were scanning the Coalition’s and Ambassadors computers?’

  Darby moved closer as her smile grew. ‘You assume that is what I did?’

  He raised a black brow and said nothing, just waited, she ducked her head and looked at him from under her lashes. ‘Well, yeah, okay, I did that.’

  ‘What remarkable things did you find, Lady Darby?’

  ‘I found out loads of things. I am guessing your interest will be in the fact that I found out how to terminate the kill switch.’

  He stilled, and his seldom seen smile graced his face, turning him from commanding to amazingly handsome. ‘You really are a small gift to myself and my Warriors, tell me Lady Darby can you save my Warriors?’

  ‘Yes, you are an Elite, are you not?’

  He gave a small nod as his smile faded, unsure where this was leading. Darby drummed her fingers on the table as she said. ‘So you will know the codes to alert all your Warriors?’

  ‘Yes, if they are near a computer or any communication terminal. I can download codes to them.’

  Darby rubbed her hands together. ‘Good, I will give you a code that will deactivate the implant, as long as a Warrior or squad leader sees it, he can pass it along through their link and the kill switch will automatically become inactive. We need to do this especially for you and your Warriors on Earth, in case whoever holds the activation codes decides to use them.’

  Every male in the room had tensed by the time Darby had finished speaking. Hawk leaned back in his chair as his voice took on the suspicious tones of a Commander and sharply asked. ‘You know about the link?’

  Darby dipped her head and hunched her shoulders as she finally realized she may have caused a problem
. Peyton took her hand in hers as she stared at the Warriors, small flames flared in her green eyes, reminding them she was more than just a human. Reminding them all, they were in the presence of a being not seen in millions of years and only whispered or read about in history books. She admonished the Commander. ‘Tread gently please, Commander.’

  At his nod, she said. ‘Only the four of us are aware of the means you have of communication and believe me we are the last ones to tell anyone. In fact if you wish it, I have the ability to wash it from our memories?’

  Hawk looked over at his second and the others in his squad, even the new Warrior, Willian, did not believe the females meant them harm. Hawk was of the same mind as he said. ‘No, Star Daughter, please keep the secret.’

  Peyton asked with horror filling her voice. ‘You aren’t going to keep calling me that are you?’

  Which brought more than one smile to a face. Melody watched the interaction and silently touched Darby’s shoulder in comfort.

  No one answered Peyton, leaving her with the uncomfortable feeling that in the future. Star Daughter was indeed going to be her new title!

  FOURTEEN:

  Changing the subject and dispelling Peyton’s frown Melody said. ‘Okay, so we have told you about the implant and how to deactivate it. Peyton tell them the rest.’

  ‘Right, for our last gift, Darby has one more revelation. Then we would like your decision on whether you will take us to our new world.’

  Hawk Roeah smiled and again it turned him from severe to handsome. ‘That is not even in question, even without the benefit of the Star Daughter you have shown us your worth. We will take you to your new home world.’

  Peyton asked Hawk as she and the other three smiled in relief. ‘Are you willing to come and start a new home with us?’

  ‘There is not a Warrior alive that will not accept a chance to call Maikonia home. May we have the next revelation please?’

  Darby frowned. ‘Okay, but I am not sure you are going to be really happy about this?’