by L M Lacee
‘You forgot to tell her the ships were here.’ Trina laughingly replied. ‘Not really a small thing.’
Peyton griped. ‘Fine, take her side.’
Trina winked at Netta and said. ‘The weirdest family I have ever seen, but somehow it works.’
‘It’s because we are all scared of Melody, she yells loud, really loud.’ Peyton countered, which made them all laugh, because it was true. She then focused her attention on Netta. ‘Can you get someone to finish up here?’
‘Yes Madam…’
‘Please call me Peyton, everyone else does.’
At a nod from Trina, Netta agreed. ‘Okay, so as I was saying, Marshall is here and there is very little left to do.’
‘Okay then, go tell her you are leaving and then come on back to me.’
Netta was a little bemused by the turn of events as well as the cryptic comment Peyton had made to Darby. She walked to a container and spoke to a female in uniform, asking her to take over from her. Then she re-joined Peyton, and they backtracked to where the women were still feeding the Warriors.
‘Esther.’ Peyton called, as she entered the kitchen, and smirked as she noticed Kerol had his mouth fill and his bowl was almost empty. Willian looked like he was in heaven as he dug his fork back into a bowl of stew.
Esther stopped wiping a pan and asked. ‘What now?’
‘Melody’s friend Netta is staying with you to make sure you get on board. Willian, Warrior Netta is also on my ship. Make sure you don’t lose her.’
He nodded his head as she turned back to Netta and said. ‘I would like to talk to you when we are on board. Could you please stay here and make sure these ladies all get on the shuttles and try the food it is superb?’
Netta smiled and said. ‘That I can do.’
She moved farther into the room, and Brenda handed her a bowl of stew. Before Peyton and her guards made their way from the kitchen. She looked back over her shoulder and called out to the busy women.
‘Ladies, Netta says we are forty-five minutes and five shuttles away from leaving to board the Warships. Thought you’d like to know.’
She then stepped out of the way as she heard orders being issued and women flew around wiping down counters and packing containers in a flurry of activity. She watched with a touch of satisfaction as Kerol’s plate was whisked away and he made a futile grab for it. He turned his head and gave her a pathetic look.
She laughed, and this time when they walked through the emptying warehouse, she did not stop until they were inside her shuttle.
‘Okay, pilot Nikolas. Two more stops and then the ship. Oh, and this is for you, from the ladies they didn’t want you to get hungry.’
Nikolas took the thermal container from her and opened it. The container held a large helping of Chef Helen’s stew. His nose twitched at the wonderful aroma. He felt his stomach rumble in anticipation, a little stunned at the kindness of the ladies, he said. ‘I will remember to thank them.’ So amazed by the women’s kindness he forgot to say his normal, as you wish Madam before he powered up and lifted from the ground.
Peyton smiled to herself as she opened her tablet and started entering names. She enjoyed Nikolas; he never seemed to have a problem with what she asked him to do, and he was always sincere. He was one of the few Warriors who did not defer to her or seemed in awe of who she was. The biggest blessing was he did not act or seem scared of her. He was just Nikolas, always polite and always kind. She imagined if she had a brother, he would be like him. She hoped in the future, the other pilots would also relax and act like Nikolas.
All too soon they were landing on the courthouse lawn. Her first stop was the jail, sadly she had women to advise they would not be traveling with her and her people. She stepped from the shuttle accompanied by Lukkas and several of her guards. Trina was to remain behind at Peyton’s insistence. Unfortunately, Trina knew several of the women in the jail, and Peyton did not want her to be upset any more than she had to be.
Lukkas guided her to the jail under the courthouse, not that she needed him to; the screaming and abusive language being yelled by the women was guide enough.
When she entered the jail, she saw food and water all over the corridor walls and cell floors. Several of the women sported black eyes, split lips and bloody noses. Fighting had taken place apparently.
Melody and the guards already there stood well back from the cells. Peyton could see Melody was more than just angry. The bland expressions on the Warriors faces made her shake her head.
The women became louder and shouted more abuse when they spied her and her guards. Peyton made a sound between a sigh and a grunt, and the women silenced instantly.
She looked at the Warriors and dismissed them with a smile. ‘Thank you, Warriors. Your ships await.’
They saluted and left, relieved she was sure. Peyton eyed the now quiet women as Melody came to where she stood and asked. ‘What are we going to do with them? They will starve, if we don’t release them, but if we do, they will go shouting to the authorities.’
Peyton nodded her head. ‘I know, it will be alright. I’ll take care of this, Take Lukkas and the guards and go.’
Melody and her guards did not take her words for anything other than an order, and as the Warriors had done, they saluted and left.
Trina watched as Nikolas spooned up the stew with a look of absolute enjoyment on his face. Melody, entering the shuttle after her guards, laughed quietly and asked Trina. ‘Did Peyton feed him?’
With his spoon half-way to his mouth Nikolas said. ‘Madam said the ladies gave it to me.’
Trina nodded her head. ‘I know.’
‘Why did she not say she had given it to me? She is Madam Peyton.’
Melody grinned. ‘Because that is who she is, and she likes you. You seem to enjoy piloting her, and you never go all frigid when she speaks to you. It makes her feel normal, so she makes sure you are looked after. Don’t make a big deal out of it please, it would upset her.’
Trina said. ‘Nikolas, eat your food and thank the ladies.’
‘Because, that is what she wants me to do.’
‘Yes.’
‘Alright.’ He went back to eating, smiling with each bite.
Melody looked at Trina and saw the tears in her eyes. She leaned over and whispered. ‘I find their simplistic view of us charming.’
Trina smiled. ‘I know, I just love the way they appreciate the small things, that we don’t think mean much, you know?’
‘I know.’
Peyton knew Melody and her guards would wait in the shuttle for her. Leaving her alone with over three hundred and fifty women in the cells, who for various reasons would not be leaving with them.
She looked at the women in the cells and saw Marta standing against the bars. Her face screwed up in anger and disgust as she stood next to a woman who thought she could screw her way through the galaxy. Which Peyton admitted wasn’t a terrible thing, but the killing and robbing was.
Sadness etched her voice as she placed her hands together and said. ‘I am sorry, I really am. I had hoped you would be willing to leave Earth for a better life. Unfortunately, your prejudices and your unwillingness to compromise with either your behavior or your perceived entitlements prevent you coming with us. Every one of you, in your own way, just take from the whole and leave nothing but disaster and pain in its place.’
‘Who are you to say so?’ A hard unyielding voice asked from the back of a cell.
It was a woman who had beaten the three young children in her care almost to death because they had eaten before her. Melody wanted to shoot her, she had been so angry with the woman, but Brenda had pleaded for leniency on her behalf. So she had jailed her instead. Brenda believed the woman had not been in her right mind. Peyton knew Brenda was wrong about the woman, she had known what she was doing when she hurt those children. She was just that type of person. Esther called her evil and Peyton agreed with her, especially when she promised to kill Melody if she was
released.
Peyton did not know how she felt about the prospect of this woman and some of the others ending up on pleasure planets or even dead. She just knew that a woman who would beat little ones over food that was readily available, deserved some kind of punishment. Maybe it would have been kinder for her to have taken her life. She had wrestled with that decision since writing the list of who was to stay. These women were not all criminals, and those that were well, justice would find them eventually. The others were just untrustworthy, not a reason to die by her hand.
Marta screamed. ‘What gives you the right to deny us?’
Peyton did not answer either question, there was no answer to give, at least none they would understand.
Instead, she said. ‘I could never trust any of you. None of you will change, and I have no use for bullies or narcissistic women like you. I know we have some self-centred people coming with us, but unlike you, they have no malice in their hearts, which sad to say you all have. Some of you would not go with the ships that have already left Earth, not because you thought it was wrong for women to be sold. No, you refused and hid at Runnerdale because you thought coming with us would allow you to become powerful to become leaders. Still more of you wanted to make deals with the Government for credits or power, by turning us in. So we would be forced into slavery to be bred or turned into whores for the highest bidder or worse, sold for the babies we could produce.’
She looked at each woman and saw nothing, no remorse, no desire to dispute what she had said, nothing but contempt. ‘As you can see, there will be no mercy or forgiveness, your plans were never going to work. There was no way I would ever have permitted it.’
Peyton glowed as bright as the sun filling every corner of the cells and dazzling the women’s eyes. They heard her say. ‘So, leaving you all here to your own fate will be a speck on my conscience, which I am willing to bear, to safeguard my people.’
With that, her hands opened and a pile of dust brighter than white snow appeared. She blew a steady stream of dust into the air, and within minutes every woman slumped to the floor unconscious. Peyton stopped blowing, then walked along unlocking the cell doors as she went. Eventually, the women would wake, and they would be able to leave to live their lives as they saw fit. She hoped they would all have long and happy lives, but for that to happen they would have to change and she feared they would not.
When she stepped from the cells, that same voice reminiscent of a winter’s day washed through her mind.
Justice Served.
FORTY-ONE:
With a heavy heart Peyton returned to the shuttle, collecting her guards that had not already boarded. Her last stop took her to her home, a ranch style dwelling she had inherited from her grandparents. She was sad to be leaving her sanctuary and the memories of her grandparents behind.
She and Melody stepped down from the shuttle and she took in a deep cleansing breath then said. ‘I guess it is time to say my goodbyes.’
Melody sat on the top step of the porch and told her. ‘I will wait here.’
‘Thanks, I won’t be long.’
She shrugged. ‘Take as long as you need Star girl, we will wait.’
‘Okay.’
Peyton walked around the house to where the two graves lay side by side, under the huge tree. She waved her hand, and the graves were encased in crystal, two small headstones appeared with the names of her grandparents on each.
‘Well, Grandpa, Grandma, the time has come for me to say farewell. I promise to remember every lesson and piece of wisdom you taught me. I swear I will fix injustice when I see it and care and protect the people who cannot care or protect themselves. Grandma, know I do not leave alone, the sisters I told you about are coming with me. Grandpa, just so you don’t worry the Warriors are coming with us as well. They are like you, honorable, protective, loyal and kind. We will be safe with them. Grandma, there are lots of women to feed us like the ladies, Helen, Brenda and Esther. Helen makes hot cakes, although they are not as good as yours. Umm… Maybe you should not mention that, she can be a little testy about her cooking. Now a friend of mine will come by every now and again to check on you to make sure no one has disturbed you.’
She looked at the house then down at the graves. ‘I will not return or at least not for some time. So if I have not said it before. Thank you for my life and all the love you gave me. I hope you know how grateful and how much I loved you both.’
Again she looked at the house and stated. ‘Well, I have to leave, there are so many people depending on me’
She took a deep breath and then admitted more to herself than to her grandparents. ‘I am not sure I am ready for this, but I guess it is too late now to chicken out. Wish me luck, wish us all luck. Know I will love you forever and carry you in my heart longer.’
With one long look at the graves and a snap of her link to record the headstones. She turned from the two people who had saved her life, given her the courage to trust herself and taught her to love.
FORTY-TWO:
As she walked back to Melody, she thought about how lucky she was to have shared her home these last ten months with Darby, Heather and Melody. Together they had made a new family with happy memories.
Ones she knew she would cherish forever, and as she and Melody entered their home for the last time and found Darby and Heather waiting for them. She knew it was just the start of many more memories.
‘Aww! You are here.’
Heather told her. ‘Where else would we be.’
They hugged as Darby asked. ‘Did you ever think we would get here? Be brave enough to go to a new world.’
They all shook their heads. ‘Yes... No... Maybe!’ Heather answered.
Melody told them. ‘I kept waiting for someone to stop us, you know?’
‘Yeaah!’ They all agreed as they pulled apart.
Melody gave them all a blazing smile then said. ‘Heather checked we left nothing behind. I turned off the power. Darby withdrew all her tech stuff and started the download of the message to every communication device on, in or above the world. Peyton took care of our prisoners.’
They turned accusing eyes on her, and she laughed. ‘Unconscious… Seriously guys.’
Which eased their sadness, and with lighter hearts all four of the women looked around one last time, then quietly left the house.
Runnerdale was eerily quiet. No one other than the unconscious women were left in the town. Darby stepped into the shuttle where the ever patient Nikolas waited. She nodded to him and said to the guards. ‘It’s weird out there.’
Melody entering after her stated. ‘Much too quiet.’
‘Makes my skin tingle.’ Heather murmured as she entered behind her.
Peyton stood by herself and held her face up toward to the sun as they all watched and listened from the shuttle. ‘Sunshoona, thank you for your help and guidance. I hope we will meet in the future. Know we take your love and counsel with us. Please keep safe the ones we leave behind. If you have time, please care for my grandparents.’
Four flat boxes made from oak appeared in her hands. Startled, she juggled them a little as she heard Sunshoona’s voice in her mind tell her.
I thank you for your kind words. I will care for those remaining as well as your loved ones. These gifts are for you and the sisters of your heart. For your courage and in the hopes you never forget where you were birthed. Go with all our hopes, dear… dear Daughter.
‘Thank you.’ Peyton replied, then she stepped into the shuttle.
Heather asked. ‘That was nice, did she answer?’
‘She wished us happy travels and gave each of us one of these.’
She passed each of the women one of the exquisite boxes that had their names burned into the wood. In place of Peyton’s name was an etching of the sun and planet.
By unspoken agreement, they decided to wait to open the gifts until they were on the ship. Buckling her harness, she said. ‘Okay, Pilot Nikolas, take us to our ship.’
‘As you wish, Madam.’
Peyton softly murmured as she looked down on her home and town for the last time. ‘Time to say goodbye and hello to something new and exciting.’
FORTY-THREE:
When they arrived on board the Warship, Darby and Heather gave Peyton and Melody the grand tour of the ship. Darby told them they were traveling on the largest of the Warships, and Kerol told her this ship usually carried the Jenersar royalty. Thanikis had been granted permission to use the ship for his trip to Earth, which cast suspicions on the rumors that he was out of favour with the Emperor.
As they traversed the confusing passageways, Darby gave them a quick explanation on the levels they did not visit. The lower levels were for maintenance and engines. The next levels were cargo holds and housing for the shuttles and the one man fighters. Then there were levels for the utilities and communications as well as for medical and of course the command level where they piloted the ship from. On each of the living levels were dining rooms or shipteens, the name for ships mess halls, as well as gyms and training areas.
The ship was enormous, and most of the women walked the passageways with an open tablet, displaying a map of the ship. Luckily, there were always wall screens to guide a person from one place to another. Peyton knew she would use them frequently.
The cabins were small, not much more than a bed and bathroom called a cleansing room, which did not have a water shower. Water like storage was a premium on a spaceship which Heather emphasized to Peyton and Melody. She made a point of explaining this needed to be stressed to everyone as soon as possible. One thing they did not want to do was run out of water. There was a recycling system but it, like the Warship, was old.
Darby and Heather showed them the showers, which were sonic. Which meant a beam passed over the naked body and stripped the dirt and oil from skin and hair. It demanded a conditioning moisturizer after each shower. This was easily achieved by touching a button in the shower, and a mist of the conditioner sprayed from the ceiling, covering a person from head to toe. It did not leave a residue and came in many scents.
