by L M Lacee
‘I see and yet as I am the chief medical officer. I will still carry out my examination.’
‘As you wish Lady.’ He smirked and looked over at Hawk to see him frowning as he told him. ‘She is referred to as Healer Heather and Dinas I do not remember you being such an asshole.’
Which made Melody grin as Dinas asked sharply. ‘What is this word?’
Melody stated before Hawk could explain. ‘It means olesho.’
Hawk sighed. ‘Dinas, this is Commander Melody James, the world you have woken up to is very different to the one you left. My friend relax, you are safe.’
Dinas frowned heavily as Heather started her examination. ‘It is probably the disorientation. I do not think this download is complete either, it looks like we will have to try another. Darby will help.’
Melody muttered. ‘He is probably just a jerk.’
‘Taje.’ Hawk translated for Dinas as Heather said in warning. ‘Melody.’
Dinas raised an eyebrow at Melody, who raised one back, making him smile slightly. Hawk rubbed a hand over his head. ‘Maybe, it is a bit of both.’
Dinas said through gritted teeth. ‘I am still here.’
Hawk nodded. ‘Oh, we know my brother. We really do.’
Dinas growled and then looked at Heather impatiently as she moved the scanner over him. She said quietly. ‘I am doing this because your brother is worried about you, so lay down, shut up and bear it.’
Surprised, Dinas sharply nodded as a feeling of sheepishness sweep over him. Turning away from that feeling, he let his eyes rove over the room he was in and realized with a start he was on a ship. Eagerly he returned his eyes to his brother. It had been so long since he had seen him or heard his voice. He had missed him every day; it had been a constant ache in his needar. He catalogued the changes he observed in Hawk. He was older and there seemed to be something different about the male he had grown up with. This Hawk was relaxed, a smile lurked in his eyes, something he had never seen before and his voice was softer, the harsh tones of the past were gone.
He turned his head slightly, so he could see the female Commander at the end of his bed. She rested her hand on her blaster, ready to leap into action if he made the wrong move. Dinas acknowledged she was clever to be concerned and wondered if she was as deadly as she appeared. He thought not, although the fact Hawk spoke to her with respect gave him pause.
His mind spun thinking of her being a Commander. When had females been allowed to be Warriors and why? Had something happened in the Universe that there were not enough males to serve the Emperor? How did Kardan allow this to happen, it seemed out of character for the Elite? His thoughts were hazy as he tried locating something about his past yentas. The harder he tried to trace down a thought, a new one would appear, and the circle started again. Was he crazy, had that been the reason for placing him in stasis? Looking around the medical room, his mind settled on one thought and screamed at him to be careful. These females were much more than they seemed they had authority and power.
Suddenly he worried Hawk was under their control. Where was the Elite and the other brothers? Why was Hawk here by himself, something was wrong?
He felt his heart speed up as sweat broke out on his body and his ability emerged, adding to the sense of danger in the room. Especially when he remembered Hawk had called the little female Star Daughter.
Hawk laid his hand on his shoulder and said soothingly. ‘Steady Dinas, everything is as it should be. I will give you an explanation, for now just know you are safe, we are all safe.’
When he was a little calmer, Hawk nodded to Heather. She gave Dinas a pat on his shoulder, ignoring the flinch as she told him. ‘Everything is well, do as you diagnosed and you will be back to normal in a few wekens.’ She turned to Hawk and said. ‘So Commander Hawk, he needs to be brought up to date. How are we going to do that, obviously the download didn’t work on him?’
Hawk grinned at someone behind her. ‘With Lady Darby’s help.’
Darby walked forward and her eyes went huge as she looked at the large, half-naked male on the bed.
‘Greetings, umm… Hawk, can you?’ She waved the injector at him, he took it and smiled saying.
‘Lady Darby, this is my friend and brother, Commander Dinas Serapera, he is a healer and an Elite.’
Darby smiled, transforming her from an unassuming female into a female of beauty, who was worth a second look, causing Dinas’s eyes to open wide at the transformation.
‘Oh I know, I researched him. He is very clever. I was going to tell you Heather, that he almost had the cure for the Warriors. Of course he missed the kill switch but then just about everyone did. He also has some information we will need later. So can I go now?’
Melody hugged her. ‘Yes hon see yah later.’
‘Eve- meal?’
‘Yep.’ As she turned to leave, Melody said. ‘Hey Darby, Peyton fixed him and lied about it?’
Darby came to an abrupt halt. ‘She did not.’ Her voice was serious as she turned and faced Melody, a ferocious look on her face.
Heather said. ‘She so did.’
Darby stood there with her foot tapping as Dinas watched her with amusement. She looked like an annoyed doll. While his concentration was on Darby and Melody, Hawk quickly passed the injector to Heather who plunged it into Dinas’s upper arm. Before he could protest, he passed out.
Hawk breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you, my friends. He can be obnoxious sometimes about what goes in his body. It saved a large argument.’
Darby walked back and told him. ‘This is a new download. I am sorry, but all the others only partially worked. I am hoping he will accept this entire download. If he does, we will have a working application for the other Warriors, if not maybe he can help with a new one.’
Heather said. ‘I think we should leave the rest of the sleepers in stasis until we are planet side. We are just not equipped to handle all of them in medical and Hawk cannot be here every min.’
Darby sighed in agreement. ‘I know, what do you think Hawk?’
‘Leave them as Heather advises. Dinas will be able to help regardless of his manner now, he is from what I recall a brilliant healer.’
‘Oh, he is.’ Darby said. ‘Heather, you should read his case notes. In fact, you two should work well together. He will at least not be working off only notes.’
Heather sighed with pleasure as she said. ‘That is true and seriously anyone that can help, is gold in my book.’ She smiled at Hawk saying. ‘It’s okay Hawk, he will be fine. Go take a walk, stretch your legs. Darby, how long until he wakes up?’
‘An hour, I will sit with him, until you are back Hawk.’
‘Thank you Heather.’ Hawk stood and stretched. ‘I will take your advice and Darby if he wakes before I return, do not let him flirt with you.’ He watched as a delightful flush of pink appeared on her face and she ducked her head.
Melody smiled. ‘Come on old man, I will buy you a drink of tea. Esther will need to be told about Dinas, and we can let it slip that Peyton used her power. That should be good for a laugh.’
Hawk nodded. ‘Your humor escapes me, but I will come with you. Esther will need to be brought up to date. She does not like to be left out of the loop, whatever that means.’
They wandered off with Melody explaining the term to Hawk as Heather said to Darby. ‘What aren’t you saying?’
Darby took Hawk’s seat and held Dinas’s hand, like she had seen Peyton and Melody do. ‘I think that Hawk’s brothers were with Dinas when he was taken and they aren’t here. In a report he uploaded it says he believes four Elites were killed by a missile of some kind. They could not find the bodies, but they found fragments of bones. Dinas could not test them, but he presumed they all perished. I think they were Hawk’s brothers. How do we tell him?’
‘We don’t, until we know for sure, we hope for him and I will ask Dinas before Hawk does.’
‘Alright Heather, thank you, I could not say it. I know I shou
ld be able to but…’
‘Sweetie, until we know for sure we know nothing. Remember that okay?’
‘I will.’
‘Well, I will leave you. I’ll be back.’
‘Okay, hey did Peyton really lie?’
‘You know Peyton.’
‘Yeah, enough of the truth to be truthful.’
‘Yep, that’s our girl.’
An hour later to the minute, Dinas opened his eyes slowly and spied Darby, her head bent over a tablet.
‘Lady Darby.’
She grinned as she raised her eyes to the handsome male. ‘Hawk said you are not allowed to flirt with me.’
‘He has always been a spoilsport.’ He replied making Darby laugh, then ask. ‘How do you feel now?’
Dinas answered. ‘I feel more orientated, not so displaced.’
‘Good, can you please look at the download? I designed it to release information as you need it. We found the Warriors have a very literal mind and structured thinking pattern. Designed I would assume?’
‘You would assume right, I do not frighten you Lady Darby?’
‘It is just Darby, and no, did you want to?’
‘No, dearle lady, I do not.’
‘Oh good. So can you look please?’
‘Of course, what shall I look for?’
‘Something that is annoying you.’
‘How long was I in stasis?’ He asked out loud, but Darby could see he was searching for the information in his mind. He sat up and held his head in his hands, when he lifted his eyes to hers; they held desperation and sadness. ‘So long, I have been gone a very long time.’
She nodded and said quietly. ‘Hawk mourned you, he lost his brothers and his best friend all at the same time. I am sorry so much life has passed you by, but another way of looking at it is you woke up at the right time.’
‘I have?’
‘Yes, we are here.’
He smiled a slow smile and said. ‘This is very true Darby, and I am thinking it is an excellent time to be alive and back in the world.’
Darby nodded as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. ‘Still, it was very cruel, to do that, rip us from him. He must have been so alone.’
‘He probably was, he made friends with others and he had Kerol and now he has us. We try real hard to fill all the lonely places in him, in them all. We hope we can anyway.’
‘What do you fill them with?’ He asked, his voice going even softer with hope.
Darby leaned nearer and said. ‘With hope, love and protection.’
He frowned, confused. ‘You protect what?’
‘Your hearts, all your hearts.’
‘I do not understand?’
‘I know, you will in time, now,’ she said briskly, ‘look please at the design of the kill switch, do you recognize it?’
He looked and then in a swift move threw himself from the bed. Thankfully, he was wearing pants, Darby thought as she breathed out in surprise.
Danger and rage engulfed Dinas as it never had before. He braced his hands on his hips, tipped his head to the ceiling and yelled. The walls flexed with the force of his power. Darby was impressed at the control he exerted, even though the suddenness of it scared her. She watched in amazement as he pulsed power again. Heather came running but stopped when she saw Darby sitting calmly where she had left her.
Several Warriors moved in from the corridor but at a sign from Heather and with one long look at the raging male they left. Heather placed a hand on her shoulder, with a trembling hand Darby held it, as she explained. ‘He just found out about the kill switch.’
‘Oh, that would do it.’
Dinas grabbed hunks of his long black hair as he murmured random words.
‘What is he saying?’ Heather asked Darby, who shrugged. ‘I think he is cussing, but in languages I do not know, he is very good at it.’ She said admiringly. Heather grinned at her tone. ‘Yep, he has good rhythm.’
‘Huh! Maybe that is what I am missing in my cussing.’
Heather nodded with a soft smile. ‘Maybe.’
Hawk walked in just as Dinas came to a stop, his breathing became shallow as his eyes searched Hawks. Then a smile broke out on his face, and he hugged his brother and whispered. ‘We have a home. You did it, my brother.’
Darby and Heather walked from the room, leaving them to their joy as the brothers discussed more of the information Dinas accessed from the download. When he had showered and dressed, Hawk took his brother and best friend to meet one of his new best friends. Esther, who waited with her best friends to meet Dinas.
SEVENTY-SEVEN:
Rose and Frand’s Parta Savo, was nothing like Peyton had pictured. She thought he would be an older version of Frand, tall and lean of frame with muscle.
Wiry, Melody called him, Peyton also assumed he would be like the siblings and have the same black hair and amber eyes. He was not; he was tall, yes, thin no. Although he had the same soft lemon coloring as Frand, who explained when Peyton commented on this, that the Leesungha males always bred true.
Meaning, Rose explained, all males were the color of their fathers. Females more often than not resembled their mothers, as she and Miko did. Her cousin Teenarlo was a shade lighter than her own mother, Teelu, who was nothing like the members of the Leesungha family.
She was an exquisite beige color. Her hair was a darker beige compared to her skin tone and her eyes were chocolate brown, as were her eyebrows and eyelashes. Truthfully, all Peyton could think of when she had been introduced to Rose’s Unta and cousin, was waffles and cream.
Savo had deep blue eyes and a hearty laugh that belied his shrewd eyes. He looked fifty and was probably far older. He took the news of Rose and Frand’s crash and subsequent rescue with a small shake of his head. His eyes revealed an understanding that confirmed Peyton’s suspicions, but that was for later. Right now she greeted him and his mate Teelu and all three of his children with pleasure.
Their first son Reeico and second son Savna were just younger versions of their father, although they all had their mother's chocolate brown eyes. They were all a few yentas older than Rose, Frand and Miko. Who Peyton was amused to see was an almost carbon copy of Rose, except she had longer hair and was very shy.
Minutes after, they had been introduced to each other and at Savo’s request. Peyton led them to the cargo holds where Savo and his entire family, including Rose, Frand and Miko. Compared inventory and priced the hoard, which is what Darby called the cargo.
When they finished, everyone retired to Helen’s dining room where they met the rest of Peyton’s family.
Rose took an enormous amount of enjoyment introducing her family to her new friends, including Dinas, who was as polite and amusing as Hawk said he would be. Even Melody was seen laughing and talking to him, without a weapon in sight.
After a fabulous meal, thanks to the three ladies, they got down to business. The contract was brought out and Rose’s Unta Teelu, who was a Lalorla or the equivalent of a lawyer. Proceeded to scrutinize each paragraph of the contract, much to Rose’s horror and Peyton’s delight.
Darby asked Savo if he would know where she could obtain a copy of the law they were using. He delighted in gifting it to her. She was pleased and quickly downloaded it into the data stream, making it available to their Lalorlas on board the ships. Darby then set the computer to search for all law pertaining to the Indorino Universe. Now she had an idea what to look for. Their Lalorlas would be drowning in laws.
Once the contract had been dissected, added to and altered until it was almost changed beyond what was originally written. Darby, Rose, and her Unta Teelu seemed happy with what they decided on.
Peyton just said whatever Rose and Darby were pleased with, pleased her. The Leesungha family all looked at her like she had made the worse statement in history. Rose and Darby assured them she meant it.
Then came the signing of the contract, Hawk was amused and humbled to be drafted into signi
ng as well.
‘You are my First Commander.’ Peyton told him. ‘So you should get used to signing things like this.’
Hawk’s response made her smile in understanding and feel saddened at the same time. ‘I have never signed my name to a document that was not to issue an order, it is just as well, I have practiced.’
Once they had the document signed, it would be recorded with the trader’s guild. The guild was on a planet that housed the trader councilors who presided over all trading houses. Peyton was amazed to learn they had their own court as well as Ambassadors.
Savo and Teelu said once the contract was registered, Rose, Frand and Miko would be recognized as a legitimate trading house. Savo also told Peyton that once every yenta the traders all gathered together on the trader’s planet. Whereby all disputes and offenses were heard and judged. He issued an invitation to her on behalf of the guild for her to attend their next gathering. She gracefully accepted.
Teelu told her it was a lunera long affair, at Peyton’s horrified look, she had laughed and said she would not be required to attend the whole lunera. Although Rose, Miko and Frand would be.
Peyton had sighed her relief and then turned to Rose and said formerly. ‘Rose Leesungha, chief trader for Maikonia, trade our goods please. We need those items we discussed, and we need credits.’
Rose bowed in formal acknowledgment of the title and order. ‘As the Star Daughter requests. Trading will commence.’
SEVENTY-EIGHT:
They all went to the war room which had the most screens, and a comm was established with several prominent traders. Negotiations were fast and furious. Peyton and those not of the trader family just watched fascinated as Rose and Savo traded via screens. The language they used was incomprehensible, unless it seemed you were a trader. Occasionally a trader on screen would say something and the whole Leesungha family broke out in laughter, then something else would be said and a screen would go dark.
Apparently they were uninterested or their trade was completed. Instantly another person would appear, and the talk would commence again. It was amazing and reverting and held Peyton enthralled.
