by L M Lacee
He smiled as he thought that for someone like him, who had never taken the time to relax as Netta called it and space out on vids and junk food. He was quickly coming to love the time he got to do just that. His smile turned to a frown as he made his apartment door, thinking that lately he seemed to be viewing vids a lot. Since his time in stasis he was finding it difficult to sleep, something within him had changed. He found closed-in spaces made him uncomfortable and at random times he found himself drifting off, staring at nothing, his mind blank. He was covering for his lack of sleep and loss of thoughts, but he knew he was going to have to get help soon. The constant restlessness of his Rie was becoming dangerous. Maybe talking to the new mind specialists when they arrived could help, he hoped they would anyway.
He let himself into his apartment, and without looking at his peaceful haven, walked into his office. Which unlike Melody’s was tidy and furnished with more than a desk and chair. Every wall held shelves and art, and unlike the rest of the apartment, the room was decorated it in soothing tones of gray and white. Unfortunately, he did not feel soothed as he comm’d Hawk. ‘Comp connect to Commander Hawk.’
Connecting…
Hawk was in his new office on the ground floor of the Star Daughter’s residence. It had only been completed days earlier, and Dinas knew he was pleased with the stark black and gray interior Esther had decorated for him. When people asked her why, she chose those colors. She explained that was the decor he felt comfortable with, and as it was his space, they should mind their own business. That comment he thought could have been directed entirely at Melody.
When the comp warned Hawk of an incoming transmission, he did not bother to look away from his tablet expecting it to be audio only. ‘Commander Hawk speak.’
‘We have a problem.’ Dinas told him and watched Hawk’s head lift from his tablet.
Shifting back in his chair, he observed his brother. ‘You look winded, hard session?’
Dinas scowled. ‘Netta. She is deadly, she took out Sambrin.’
Hawk shrugged. ‘If that is all, he probably deserved it, he’s an olesho.’
Dinas dropped into his chair, massaging his knee where Netta’s foot had connected. He would have to go to medical and have it scanned. He was sure it was broken. Furin Netta.
‘I agree, but she also took out Josep, Getter and Nase, his entire squad.’
Hawk sat up. ‘Are you saying, she fought a squad of Warriors and defeated them?’
‘Yes my brother, this is what I am saying. She demolished them one by one and still had enough fire to fight me. Brother, there is something else.’
‘What more could there be Dinas?’
At Dinas’s look of hesitancy, Hawk ordered. ‘Tell me.’
‘She breathed Rie.’
Hawk closed his eyes as he slowly stood, breathing deeply himself, and then looked at his brother Elite. His eyes mirrored the wonder and confusion in Dinas’s eyes and heart.
‘That cannot.... it… impossible… is it not, brother?’
Dinas shook his head. ‘I was under the impression it was, but I know what I saw and felt.’
Hawk nodded, remembering when he too had felt something from Netta, many luneras ago. He walked from his office and stopped at the door. ‘I do not doubt you Dinas, where is she?’
‘Hawk, I had to put her down hard. She is in medical.’
‘Shit... Tuap, Peyton will not be happy, how hard?’ Dinas just looked at him.
‘Furin Hayda! Alright, meet me in medical and let us hope we are not too late.’
He hurried from his office as Dinas heaved himself up and looked down at his swollen knee. Furin hayda, she could kick. He placed the pain away as he had been taught to do and limped out of his apartment along the corridor and onto the transfer circle and thought medical.
Hawk and Melody were already standing by the bed where they had placed the unconscious Netta when Dinas arrived. Without turning to him, Melody asked. ‘So, you want to tell me what happened?’
Neither of the males were fooled, they had seen Melody angry many times. Dinas told her. ‘Sambrin lost his head and said some disparaging things about you and Netta.’
Melody snorted her contempt for males that said disparaging things. Her tone was hard and uncompromising as she said. ‘No, there was more, Netta has heard it all. She and I have been called many things, so what else happened?’
‘What did he say?’ Hawk asked, curious as to what the male had said to have Netta take down his entire squad.
Dinas’s lips twisted in distaste, as he related what had been said. ‘They were woian scalluts, which is the only way they had risen in rank so fast.’
Hawk’s hands tightened into fists and he growled low in his throat. Melody grunted and gave his arm a pat as she told him. ‘Not the first time for either of us. He and his squad are recently released from stasis, right?’
Dinas answered for Hawk. ‘Yes, it was his squad brother Nase that started it. Then Sambrin bested Trina, which seemed to escalate everything else.’
Hawk asked again. ‘What happened?’
Dinas grimaced as he recounted what he knew. ‘Trina, Janet, and several of the other female Warriors were training with swords and had just completed the standard drills and were pairing up as they do.’
Because the female Warriors were still so new to the sword, every morning they arrived at training and worked through sword drills, it was standard practice for beginners. Afterward, if they had done well, the instructor, this time Captain Yend would have them pair up, and he would take them through drills for combat and defense.
Dinas said. ‘Yend stepped away and apparently there was no other instructor there and in truth there did not need to be. These are Warriors, not young cadets. As it happens, a mistake on his part. In his absence the squad, led by Sambrin, arrived from their mat training.’
He wiped his face with his large sculpted hands, surgeon’s hands, Heather often said. Forgetting he was an Elite Warrior before he was a healer. He continued on with his account. ‘Sambrin demanded Trina show him what she had learned. Janet better at the sword stepped in front of her and was dismissed by Nase, who dropped her to the floor with a surprise punch. Which, as you can imagine had the desired effect, Trina launched into an attack. Sambrin toyed with her. She held well but she is no match for him. Nase and his squad brothers prevented the other training students from helping her and as he played with her. He decided it was the time to discuss how Melody and Netta obtained their positions by becoming the Star Daughter’s bed partners. Netta arrived just after Trina was hurt by Sambrim. He removed her sword, which should have been the end of the tournat. But he decided to add a reminder to the lesson.’
Melody angrily asked. ‘The lesson being she should not use a sword or she should try harder or that she is female and should not be training. Which was it, do you think?’ Neither of them answered her, Dinas cleared his throat as the tension and Melody’s anger touched his raw nerves. ‘As a reminder, he placed four cuts from his blade across the top of her right arm. One for each of his squad brothers, in the belief the scars would remind her of her lesson, they are on her sword arm.’
Hawk took one look at Melody and the angry line of her mouth, stating in the hopes to defuse her anger. ‘Trina, is not very good with a sword, all know this and we have been working with her. I was thinking of speaking with you about transferring her to linguistics, she is amazing at languages. It would be a better placing for her.’
Melody let a little of her famous temper loose as she snarled. ‘You want a female who loves being a Warrior, talk’s non-stop about how she can help people, to leave the only thing she loves. You want to crush her, by taking her away from something she devotes her every waking hour too.’ She gave him a scathing look. ‘This is on those olesho’s heads, and their training, not Trina, and you making an excuse for them does not help.’
Outraged at her accusation, he snapped. ‘I resent that. I am not excusing their behavior
, which is abhorrent.’
Melody slashed the air between them with her hand, so angry she forgot who it was she was talking too. ‘You could have furin well fooled me. It sounded like you have already decided Trina was in the wrong.’ Before he could speak again, she stated. ‘She needs training, we were not all born with a sword in our furin hands. She will get it in time, as all the female Warriors will, but not if you keep pushing them out or into administration.’
Hawk felt his temper rising. ‘You think this is what I am doing?’
‘There is no thinking in it Hawk, you discriminate between female and male and it is about time you realized it too.’ She poked him in the chest for emphasis as she growled. ‘Trina is not the first I have seen or heard about being politely encouraged to go somewhere else.’
Hawk snarled and clenched his hands tighter, as her words ran around his mind, he went over all the instances where his decisions could be seen in that vein and felt a rising tide of shame as he now questioned his motivations.
Melody turned to Dinas. ‘How did it go down?’
He grimaced and told her. ‘Netta came in as Trina was getting up from the floor, she was holding her arm and bleeding heavily. They are with a healer now. Janet was just starting to come around when Netta asked what happened. The fools were laughing as they told her. Then Trina told her side of the story. Netta had Janet and Trina removed, then she challenged them all.’
‘With sword or knives?’ Melody asked sharply.
He looked puzzled but answered. ‘Knives.’
‘Oh my stars, she was really pissed.’
‘What is the difference?’ Dinas asked as he and Hawk shared a look.
Melody murmured. ‘With swords they had a chance, she is good with them. With knives, they had no chance. Netta is perfection with her knives.’
Dinas sighed. ‘You are right. I came in halfway through her bout with Nase. She had taken out the others already. Seldom have I seen such skill, she made knife work look like a beautiful dance. Yend said she made the others look like cadets by reducing their sword work to youngling’s play.’ He rubbed his hands over his face again, as he told them. ‘She finished Nase off, then before I or Yend could do anything, she started on Sambrin. Systematically slicing fifty-one cuts to his body with controlled precision. I have never seen someone do that before. She was amazingly accurate and fast… so furin fast. When I stepped in, she kneed me with some type of flying kick. I have never felt or seen it before, dropping me to the floor, then returned to completing her punishment of Sambrin. Melody, I do not believe she knew who I was.’
Ignoring what he said as fear for Netta entered her heart, she asked. ‘Where are they?’
‘Sambrin and his squad are in medical.’ He pointed to the far wall where a door opened into another ward. ‘Trina and Janet are in another ward being treated.’
‘How do you know how many cuts she administered?’ Hawk asked Dinas, who wearily answered. ‘She was loudly counting each one.’
Melody almost grinned when she heard that her sense of honor only outweighed Netta’s sense of humor. Melody looked over to where she knew the four Warriors were and thought twice about finishing Netta’s work but was halted when she heard Dinas say. ‘She is a danger.’
Melody whipped her head around to stare at him, fear for Netta uppermost in her mind. She wondered why Dinas said that. Netta was many things, and all knew she was deadly, but a danger to anyone, no.
Her next thought was what would happen now. It was not like they had discussed discipline and what that entailed and who administered punishments. They were still in the coping and trying to mesh two different styles of armies together. She liked both these males, trusted them completely, but this was Netta and this was the first time something like this had occurred. Would they retaliate because Netta had bested four of their own? Would they demand Netta be banished? Could she stop Netta from killing these males or being killed when she woke? She always knew there was much more to Netta but a danger, surely not… Not Netta. Melody eased the fear from her throat before saying.
‘No, she is not dangerous, she is a female that was angry. Warriors hurt and embarrassed a Warrior for no other reason than they could. It was wrong.’
Hawk rubbed his face, much as Dinas had earlier. ‘I agree, but fifty-one cuts to the male was excessive, she could have killed him or all of them, she was just as wrong. Just because she can, does not make her right. She is a Captain, she should have had more restraint.’ At Melody’s annoyed grunt, he said. ‘I am sorry, I will not tolerate her administering her own form of punishment. We have a chain of command, if she cannot follow that, then maybe she should be removed from her position. She will have to be held accountable.’
‘For what?’ They all knew that voice and every one of them cringed.
Hawk sighed and thought. Furin hayda. But all he said was ‘Darby, this is a military matter.’
Darby stood at Netta’s bed and placed her hand on her sister’s forehead, smoothing her hair back. She did a quick once over of Melody, making sure she was unhurt, then relaxed a fraction and looked into Hawk’s irritated eyes.
‘I understand, but I would like to know why seven Warriors need medical attention. Even for regular training that seems extreme, and the fact one is still lying unconscious, even more so. Telling me will be sensible, then I can explain it to Peyton, without her killing everyone here. Don’t you think that will be better?’
They did, there was not a one of them who did not think Darby explaining to Peyton was better. Therefore, Hawk made his report and as he had with Melody, he left out the fact Dinas had seen and felt Netta breathe Rie. That was a concern, but not perhaps for others who were not Elites, he would think on it.
Darby nodded once as he was finished then said. ‘Okay, so here is what we will do. Hawk and I will go to Peyton’s office and explain this to her. It might be a good idea if you two stayed here.’ As Melody went to protest she said. ‘I know Melody you want to go but you are angry and seriously we need calmness, not anger. She is protective of Netta for some weird reason, as if the female cannot look after herself without her help.’ At their amused expressions she shrugged. ‘Anyway, you know this will not make her happy.’
Melody could find no fault with that logic, Peyton and Netta had become close on the trip to Maikonia. They knew it had a lot to do with Netta keeping Peyton from becoming overwhelmed. If it was not for Netta in these last three luneras, Peyton would have never slept or had a moment to herself with the constant demands for her attention. Thankfully, now with Penny as her new assistant, some of the pressure they all knew Netta had been under would lessen.
Melody unhappily complied with Darby’s plan. ‘I know you are right, we will stay here and see to the others.’
Darby smiled her thanks and assured Melody and Dinas. ‘We will be quick.’
Hawk and Darby left to tell Peyton one of her favorite people had been knocked out and was in trouble. Unfortunately, at the same time they were discussing how they should tell her. She was having a discussion with an Ambassador in her office, which soured her mood.
TWENTY:
Connecting…
‘I am trying. Now connect.’
Connecting…
‘Seriously connect already.’
Connecting…
‘Dearly stars, connect now.’
Connected.
‘Finally, thank you!’ Peyton breathed a sigh of relief as her comp finally connected. She would have to ask Jean to look at it again, and she just knew she or Darby would blame her for breaking it. Although now she thought about it, she could probably do it herself. She grabbed her screwdriver, then remembered the agreement and sighed once more. Stupid Agreement.
The screen went green then blurred, then finally cleared to show a male staring at her.
‘I wish to speak to the Star Daughter.’
‘Greetings, I am she. How may I help you?’
‘You do not look like the Star Da
ughter.’
‘Really, how should one look?’
‘Elegant, refined someone with grace and one would assume, she would be beautiful. Definitely not short, pale and plain.’
‘Well, that was direct and to the point. I am sorry I disappoint you. Comp off.’
Peyton grinned as she mumbled. ‘Rude, long-nosed, yellow-headed, asshole, or is it olesho. Huh, I like the sound of that… olesho.’
She said it a few more times under her breath, thinking of the long-nosed taje. And then forgot him as she went back to the work she was doing or trying to do. Her desk comp was being annoying. She had just reached for her screwdriver again, when her door opened and she snatched her hand away as Penny entered. She looked suspiciously at the innocent Peyton and the comp that was making chirping noises and asked. ‘I thought Jean fixed that. Someone is trying to comm you.’
‘I thought she had too, comm her again, will you please. I assume it is the same male as before, you know with the long nose?’
Penny frowned as she asked. ‘A long nosed male comm’d you before?’
‘Yes, when the comp was being annoying.’
‘Really, just call it broken.’
‘Why do you say it like that? I did not dismantle it or touch it with my screwdriver.’
‘Did you answer your comp?’
‘Was I not meant to?’
‘No, that is why I am here.’
‘But you did not answer it.’
‘I was away from my office.’
‘So, I had to answer it.’
‘Well yes, but refrain from doing that in the future.’
‘I do not see how, if you are going to be off all the time. I will have to answer it.’
Penny breathed deeply through her nose, trying for patience. ‘Because I will answer it.’
‘But you were not here?’
‘Peyton.’
‘Yes Penny.’
