by L M Lacee
‘Your name please.’
‘Warrior Nikolas Faelone.’
‘Hello Warrior Nikolas.’
‘Hello Lady.’
Nikolas’s shyness was adorable for a huge Warrior, Peyton could tell he was young like Lukkas and Willian and just as handsome. He had shoulder length black hair and a red eye ring.
‘Could you open a comm to the other shuttles, please, Nikolas?’
‘As you wish, Sta... Sorry Lady.’
Peyton grinned and mind-sent. It is okay Warrior Nikolas, and we say Ma’am. It sounds better than Lady.
He sighed as he said hesitantly. I am sorry, Star Daughter. Commander Hawk asked me to be your pilot and told me who you were. I will seek a replacement.
What for?
Star Daughter, I nearly told.
So who cares, it is okay Nikolas. Soon everyone will know, please don’t worry.
Very well Star Daughter. He then nodded to Peyton to let her know she could start speaking.
‘Hello, to everyone we just picked up. In case you had not realized it, you are all safe and will be going to a small town called Runnerdale. When we arrive, you will be asked a few questions and will see a doctor. If you need one immediately, please inform the reception committee. I believe you are all aware that we are mobilizing to leave Earth. I am sure some of you have an idea of where you were to be sent, and I am sorry our Government decided that for you. I hope in time they realize the women of Earth are not pawns in whatever game they are playing. But until that happens, if it ever does. I refuse to wait around for that to happen. Anyway, we are leaving, but we still have a little time left until we go. Now there will be beds, food and showers for you all and a safe place to live. You will be asked to help as and where you can, I am sure you can imagine that there is still lots to do before we go. I hope you will all help if you can. Thank you.’ She tapped Nikolas’s shoulder again, and he flipped a switch, disconnecting the transmission as she said. ‘Let them know we will need doctors please.’
‘I will notify General James.’ He tapped at his console and started talking.
Peyton walked to Penny and asked quietly. ‘The name please?’
Penny nodded and whispered the name of their traitor, Peyton did not let her see the hurt and anger in her eyes. She just nodded her head, then returned to her position next to Nicolas. A little while later he said.
‘Ma’am, we are at the medical center.’
‘Please land and then can you drop me at my place.’
‘As you wish.’
She nodded to Penny and Jean and said. ‘I’ll see you both again soon, say goodbye to Trina for me and remember you are safe here.’
Penny closed her eyes and when she opened them again, there was a sheen of tears showing. All she wanted to do was drop to her knees and kiss this woman’s feet in relief. Knowing she would probably not appreciate such a display of thanks, she said respectfully.
‘Thank you, Madam Peyton.’
‘Aww don’t say that. It’s just Peyton.’
Jean squeezed Penny’s hand in relief and stated. ‘I don’t think you have ever been just anything. You should get used to the title, I think it becomes you, Madam Peyton.’
Penny said to Jean. ‘It has a nice ring to it.’
Peyton stated. ‘You know, in the past. Madam meant brothel owner.’
Which for some reason made both women laugh uproariously. Peyton shrugged, it was true.
Jean stated as she eyed the smaller woman. ‘If you wish to take that from it, you can, although I would not.’
Penny chipped in with. ‘I have a feeling like Jean said, you should get used to the title.’
Peyton frowned. ‘Why?’
As Jean and Penny stood, Jean winked, saying quietly. ‘We have just met you and even we can see you are more than just a regular person.’ She moved closer and whispered. ‘It’s in the eyes, sweetie.’
Jean now Peyton got a better look at her was a little older than Penny, maybe between thirty or thirty-five. She was what Peyton’s grandfather would have called a statuesque woman. She had short curly brown hair and an engaging smile, her brown eyes held far too much sadness and wariness for the light-hearted banter they had been indulging in. Although, Peyton was used to seeing those emotions in the eyes of the women she spoke to daily.
Grinning at them both, Peyton shook her head. ‘Well, there is not much I can do about what others see, but I am very happy to have met you both.’
They stepped down from the shuttle and were hustled away by several women in medical coats. The last she saw of them, they were talking to Heather’s friend Patty. Peyton grinned, knowing they would be fine. Nikolas closed the door and powered up the shuttle, and within seconds he was landing outside her home.
Stepping down herself from the shuttle, she thanked him and then stood and waved goodbye until he was a speck in the sky. Walking into her empty house, she placed her palm against the scanner overriding Darby’s defense system. Then she collapsed on the floor as sobs racked her body, finally releasing the tears she had held tightly for what seemed like hours.
Suddenly she was surrounded and held in the arms of her sisters, while she cried out her fears for them and the Warriors. Then she cried for the Government’s betrayal of their people, and tears fell for all the men and women she would have to leave behind. She cried harder for what she would have to do in the morning and lastly; she cried in relief that she was home.
Eventually, her tears subsided, and the sobs abated as sleep overtook her, helped by a sedative hypo spray Heather administered. Hawk, who had been with the three women when Nikolas had signaled the Star Daughter was home. Lifted Peyton and carried her to her bedroom, as Melody murmured. ‘Well, I don’t know about you two, but I think that was a long time in coming.’
Darby stated. ‘I did not think she could cry.’
Heather smiled softly. ‘We all cry.’
‘Do we? I know we all do and have.’ She pointed to Peyton in Hawk’s arms and said. ‘I was not so sure she did. She is very self-contained.’
‘Now we know she does.’ Melody told her, ending the conversation about the vulnerable woman who had become so very dear to them all.
Hawk laid her down on her bed and stood looking at her. Then he looked up at the three females as they entered. ‘It is a harsh task the Star Child asks of one so young.’
‘What is it they ask of her?’ Melody asked as she brushed the hair back from Peyton’s forehead.
He replied simply. ‘She is now their arm of justice.’
With that he walked from the room, heaviness in every step he took for what he knew was to come. He wondered if it had dawned on Peyton that she was no longer just human. He also wondered if her family, really understood what was going to emerge from the one they called sister. He thought they did not, and he had no way of telling them, because he truly did not know himself.
The three women looked after Hawk as he left and by tacit agreement, did not discuss his revelation. Due, Melody thought, to fear and a lack of understanding for what he had said. If the others were like her, they did not want to find out what the arm of justice entailed for Peyton or for them.
Without a word to each other, they went about the business of slipping Peyton into her nightwear and making her comfortable. With one last look at the small woman curled in on herself, they left her to sleep, making sure to leave the door slightly ajar.
None of them acknowledged the sounds of crying that came from her room on and off throughout the long day and night. Although each of them made a request to Kerol for relevant information about the Star Child’s arm of justice.
THIRTY-THREE:
The next morning saw Peyton up early, showered and dressed in black jeans and a long-sleeved dress shirt with a calf length gray sleeveless vest. On her feet she had placed her favorite western boots, of which she had many.
She sat at the kitchen table working on her tablet with a half cup of coffee next to her. Dar
by entered the kitchen and watched her for a moment. Without looking up Peyton told her. ‘I am okay Darby, I swear.’
She took in a shuddering breath and said. ‘I just needed to make sure.’
‘Yeah, I know hon.’ She smiled as she looked up and whispered. ‘I have a plan.’
Darby grinned, a mischievous twinkle replacing the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. She started making tea as she asked. ‘Is it going to make the amazing Commander Roeah frown and Melody cringe, because that is always fun.’
Heather walking in looked between the two women and helped herself to the tea, saying. ‘You two are so bad, count me in.’
Peyton grinned as she stated. ‘You don’t even know what we are talking about.’
Heather snorted. ‘Peyton, anything that puts that look on her face, must be good.’ She pointed to Darby, who was still smiling.
Peyton laughed softly. ‘That it is.’
When Melody dragged herself, heavy eyed, from her bed, just as Hawk and his squad arrived, Peyton outlined her plan. The ships were still two weeks away; Hawk would speed them up with the new navigational guide that Peyton sent to his tablet.
‘Where did this come from?’ He asked as he scrolled down the information and looked at the star charts.
Peyton shrugged. ‘After yesterday, the Star Child has decided we must leave as soon as possible. To facilitate that, they have given you the charts for your ship Commanders.’
‘I thank you and them, this will reduce the time of our exodus. In fact, ladies prepare to leave within six days.’
‘Wow, that fast?’ Peyton blinked several times in surprise. She knew the charts would make leaving faster, but six days seemed quick.
‘Yes, maybe sooner if they put on speed.’ Was his happy reply or as happy as he ever sounded.
Peyton nodded, then said. ‘Darby, get your people to send the code. Have all the women come as quickly as possible and to notify us if they need help.’
‘Done.’
Peyton explained the details of her plan. If Thanikis and White had been informed of the date, they had planned to call the women to Runnerdale. She was hoping by initializing the code early, it would catch the Ambassadors unaware. The biggest surprise she had for them was she would ask Sunshoona or the Star Child to hide Runnerdale and the surrounding towns. Again in the hopes it would throw the Ambassadors off. This she assured them was a precaution just in case they got it in their heads to visit the towns again.
Peyton waited for a reaction from Melody and Hawk, who did not disappoint, he frowned heavily as he said.
‘It could be done.’
Melody narrowed her eyes as she yawned again. Peyton asked. ‘Melody hon, are you okay?’
Melody sighed, hiding it behind a yawn as she covered her mouth with her hand and nodded. She could not tell Peyton that she had read late into the night about what it meant to be the arm of justice for the Star Child. She could definitely not tell her, she had lain awake most of the night listening to her crying.
Looking Peyton over, she was relieved to find her back to her normal self. She definitely preferred the Peyton who never cried, to the woman who had curled into herself with despair the night before. In all honesty that female confused her, she understood the snarky smart mouth, clever Peyton who used a hundred words instead of one. To explain something she herself could explain with three words. So for good or bad with Peyton back to scheming again. Her world had righted itself. She waved her concern away and grumpily told her. ‘Yeah… yeah, just need coffee, that’s all.’
Heather handed her a cup with a light pat to her back, knowing what she was not saying and why.
Melody smiled and after a long swallow of coffee stated. ‘My concern is will they all come, are they ready, it is a big ask of all those women and children?’
Peyton said. ‘Yep, they will come. If you think those women haven’t been ready for weeks, think again. Come on Melody, we have to do this. It’s getting dangerous, yesterday proved that.’
Darby stated in her blunt way. ‘Also the Ambassadors were lying, they said there are about one billion women left on Earth. By my calculations there are less than seventy-five percent of that number.’
Heather asked. ‘Melody, what do you think is going to happen when they do the next head count and one is coming. Darby’s people have discovered, it will be within the next month. All we can hope is they don’t do it any earlier, because if they find over thirty, thousand women missing. They are going to start implementing home detention and clamping down on movements again. The Government will never believe an outbreak of the Virus took that many lives without it being reported.’
‘Yeah, I see that.’ Melody sighed. ‘It is just so early.’
Darby asked Hawk. ‘Peyton told us they have soldiers. Do you think they have ships coming too?’
He nodded as he answered. ‘That is guaranteed, Lady Darby.’
Heather asked. ‘Who would crew them, not your Warriors?’
Kerol scowled as he told her. ‘No, not our Warriors. There are always people that can be hired for credits.’ ‘Oh yeah, we call them mercenaries.’ Heather said with distaste.
Kerol inclined his head. ‘In our world we call them Raiders, the scourge of the Universe.’
Peyton brought them back to the topic at hand. ‘So, are we all agreed, we step up our leaving date?’
Hawk agreed with the others. ‘We are, if we can have the people come to Runnerdale closer to when we expect our ships. We can have them transported immediately along with the ladies who are here now. Therefore, we will not have any concerns about housing them while we wait, is that possible?’
Peyton looked at Darby. ‘Darby?’
Darby looked at Melody, who answered for her. ‘Sorry guys, it won’t work. As soon as the signal goes out, they will all start making their way here. Don’t forget we have some women coming from across the world. My soldiers will have to be on twenty-four-hour pickup detail, especially with the shield going up. We are going to have to let the women know pickup locations where we can meet them. And those locations are going to have to change every other day. No, we will have to just hope we can house them all, until the ships arrive.’
‘Huh.’ Peyton screwed her lips into a pout, as she thought about what Melody just said.
Heather grinned as she asked her. ‘You forgot about the shield, didn’t you?’
‘Maybe, Miss Smarty pants.’
‘It’s Doctor Smarty Pants to you!’ She retorted, causing the women to laugh as the Warriors looked on in confusion.
Noticing their expressions, Heather told them. ‘I will explain it later, I promise.’
They nodded, in the short time they had known the females, they knew they always strived to tell the truth and when they promised something it was always fulfilled. Which for the Warriors was a totally new experience and left them slightly unsettled, but they were adapting and finding they enjoyed this level of trust and friendship.
Peyton closed her tablet. ‘Okay, let’s go with this. Commander Roeah, will take as many as he can on his ships now. Hopefully, that will make room for the women coming. How does that sound?’
‘Like a plan.’ Hawk agreed he turned to his second. ‘Kerol, you Lukkas and Willian, see to that please.’
‘Yes Commander.’
Hawk asked Peyton. ‘Do you know who our traitor is yet?’
Peyton answered. ‘Unfortunately, I do. I will take care of that this morning.’
‘Who is it?’ Heather asked, not really wanting to believe there was a traitor. She had believed it was impossible for that to happen until Peyton was taken into custody. It hurt to think someone would jeopardize all their lives for whatever reason they deemed worthy. Looking at Melody and Darby, she saw the same thoughts mirrored on their faces. ‘So who is it?’
Peyton did not answer, her eyes were filled with sympathy as she stared at Darby. Heather and Melody looked at her as well, and they all watched as it slowly dawned on
her why they were all staring at her.
‘Oh screwitshittyhellshit! It’s one of mine, right?’
Peyton nodded. ‘Yeah, sorry Darby.’
Darby moaned. ‘Aww, that is so not right. I vetted them, how could this happen?’
No one answered her because they did not know, it seemed so outlandish that anyone would betray them. Especially someone who had been here from the beginning, as Darby’s scientists had.
Peyton asked her carefully. ‘Do you want to know who it is?’
She shook her head and lifted her tablet to her chest, in what they knew was defensive comfort. ‘No, I really don’t.’
Peyton nodded, then told her. ‘Listen Darby; you don’t need to be down here anymore.’
Darby silently nodded in agreement.
‘Good, that applies to you to Heather. Why don’t the two of you go on up to the Warship and work from there? Darby before you go can you contact a woman named Jean Harding please. She will tell you what she did to find the women destined for shipping off world and what program she implanted to find others.’
Peyton looked from her to Melody. ‘Melody, we need that announcement stating the facts of what the Government agreed to and what they are doing. Also we need to tell them about the drugs and what we found out about the pleasure planets. Let’s arm the men and women who are staying behind with knowledge. I think the Government has hidden long enough behind ignorance. Oh, by the way, two soldiers said to say hi.’
‘Who were they?’
‘Sergeants Mike Thomas and Henry Adams.’
Melody’s eyes softened. ‘So they are alive, good to know. They must be still with the counter-terrorist group.’ She looked at Peyton and sharply asked. ‘They were working for the Ambassadors?’
Peyton grinned. ‘I think working for them is too strong a word, they were there.’
‘That sounds right.’
Peyton asked her. ‘I would like for you to contact Naya and Adam, please and inform them of what we know and give them what help you can.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, let’s help their resistance movement.’
