by Saxon Andrew
The fight for Britannia
Homecoming – A Small Omission
Saxon Andrew
Copyright © 2019 Saxon Andrew
All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, organisations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.
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Contents
Introduction
Chapter One • Chapter Two • Chapter Three • Chapter Four • Chapter Five • Chapter Six • Chapter Seven • Chapter Eight • Chapter Nine • Chapter Ten • Chapter Eleven • Chapter Twelve • Chapter Thirteen • Chapter Fourteen • Chapter Fifteen • Chapter Sixteen • Chapter Seventeen • Chapter Eighteen • Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Books by Saxon Andrew
About Saxon Andrew
Introduction
New Britannia and the Colonies have been at peace for almost two decades and the alliance with Earth has flourished. No new enemy has appeared and the alien civilizations on the other side of the galaxy’s black hole had not made any movement beyond their borders. It was a time of happiness for Grady and Taffy. They were there to watch their children grow up and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Britannia’s population had grown, and Grady began to think about leaving. He finally decided when he refused to run for another term as Planet Leader and a new one was elected. He decided to announce his decision during the fall holidays just before new Year. It would be a present to Taffy and the children; they were going home to Britannia. The problem was, Taffy had made a small omission years ago and Grady’s plans would undergo a dramatic change because of it.
Chapter One
Sweets Dunhan walked down the crowded corridor as students were moving to their next class. It was her senior year and she looked forward to getting out of school. She saw Linda Kay leaning against the wall ahead of her and noticed she was focused on something in front of her. She walked up and looked in the direction Linda Kay was staring and saw Britt with his back to them confronted by a pretty blonde girl. Sweets said, “She’s at it again.” Linda Kay nodded. “Are you just going to stand here and let her get away with it?”
Linda Kay kept her eyes on Britt and said, “I want to see how he handles this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know what he’d do if I were with him, but I’d like to know what he’ll do if I’m not.”
Sweets nodded, “This is a rare opportunity.” Linda Kay nodded agreement. Sweets stared down the hall with Linda Kay and commented, “It looks like he’s not getting a word in edgewise.”
Linda Kay nodded slightly, “Eleanor is a talker.”
• • •
Britt shook his head as Eleanor Caldwell spoke at high speed, “Britt! I’m having trouble in my math class and you’re the smartest one in the class. Will you come over to my home tonight and help me with my homework?” Britt opened his mouth and Eleanor put her hand on his arm as she twirled her long blonde hair and kept talking, “My parents won’t be home, and you can teach me what I need to know in math class and maybe I can teach you a few things as well.”
Britt finally had enough and put his hands on Eleanor’s shoulders and moved her out from in front of him. He previously tried unsuccessfully to step around her, but she kept moving in front of him. “ELEANOR!” Eleanor stopped talking at the volume of his remark. “I’m not going to do that unless you ask Linda Kay to join us.” Eleanor stared at him in silence and Britt stepped forward, “Don’t ask me to do this again!”
Britt walked away and Sweet’s smiled, “That’s my uncle!”
Linda Kay snorted, “He’s only ten months older than you.”
“So are you and you’re my aunt.”
Linda Kay turned to Sweets, “And just how did you determine that?”
“Well, think about it. My father is your brother, right?” Linda Kay tilted her head. “That would make you my aunt.”
“Sweets! I am not related to you!”
“You say that because you don’t want to be related to Britt; you don’t have to worry about that; you aren’t.”
Linda Kay stared at Sweets; “Are you sure about that.”
“Your parents are not related to Taffy or Grady. So Britt is also not related to them as well. Which means he’s also not related to you!”
“Then how are you related to me?”
Sweets rolled her eyes, “I just told you. Your brother married Taffy’s daughter. I’m related to you through Candy and RJ’s marriage.” Sweets looked down the hall, “Looks like Eleanor has chosen another victim.”
Linda Kay looked up the hall and smiled, “Follow my lead.”
Eleanor was standing in front of George Campbell making her pitch as Linda Kay and Sweets walked up. Linda Kay took George’s arm and pulled him away, “GEORGE! You promised to walk Sweets to her next class and didn’t show up. You’ve hurt her feelings!” George looked at Sweets and she instantly put a frown on her face.
“I did?” The two girls had pulled George away from Eleanor and saw her stamp her feet, turn, and walk away.
Sweets and Linda Kay stopped pulling him and Sweets smiled sweetly at him, “Don’t you remember?” George shook his head. Sweets looked at Linda Kay and shrugged, “I guess it was someone else. Have a nice day, George.” They turned and walked toward their next class leaving George wondering what just happened. They arrived in their history class and took their seats across the aisle from each other in the second desk in each row.
They entered school together even with the difference in their birthdates. Linda Kay had to wait until she turned six in January, but Sweets turned six in September and entered school with Britt and Linda Kay. Taffy had been ecstatic that they were all together in the same grade.
The girl sitting in front of Sweets walked in with an arm full of books. Sweets shook her head. The poor thing was short, not even five-foot tall and she wore her hair in what looked like a bowl cut. She wore no makeup and always kept her head down.
One of the girls walking in behind her rushed up beside her and knocked the load of books out of her hands. They tumbled to the floor and the girl laughed as she walked around the small girl on her knees picking up her books. She looked at the girls following her and didn’t see Sweets extend her leg in front of her; she went down like a sack of rocks.
She lay on the floor grimacing and Sweets smiled sweetly down at her, “Oh, I didn’t see you coming.” The girl glared at Sweets as she leaned over and said menacingly, “Just like you didn’t see the girl you shoved. If your vision is bad in the future, you’ll answer to me. You got that!”
The girl looked up from the floor and saw Linda Kay was also glaring at her from the other row. Her friends helped her get to her feet and she went to her desk in silence. The small girl turned around and said, “You didn’t have to do that.” Sweets looked at her. “You’ll be tripping people all day if you try to protect me.”
“Does this happen a lot?” The small girl lowered her head and nodded. Sweets looked at Linda Kay and said, “We…are three!”
Linda Kay looked at the small girl and shrugged, “Why n
ot?”
Sweets turned to the small girl, “What’s your name?”
“Cami.”
What’s your last name?”
“I don’t have one.”
Linda Kay’s eyes narrowed, “How can you not have a last name?” Cami raised a shoulder. “No, I really want to know!”
Cami sighed heavily then said, “When I was three-year- old, my father took me to the hospital to be treated and walked away before he signed any paper work. He was never found, and no one knew my name. I did know my first name and told the doctor. I was processed as Cami and that’s the name used at the state facility.”
Linda Kay looked at Sweets. Sweets asked, “Why were you at the hospital?”
Cami looked into Sweet’s eyes, “My father had beaten me harder than normal and broke two of my ribs.” The young girl shook her head, “Thank you for taking up for me, but I can take care of myself.”
Linda Kay snorted, “We’ve seen that. You just bend over and pick up your books! I’ve seen you in our other classes, you must be pretty smart to be in them?” Cami shrugged. “From now on, you will walk with us to class.”
“But…”
“Hey, it’s not an option. I don’t think anyone is going to bother you after you’re seen with us a few times. So get over it.”
The teacher walked in and Cami turned around in her desk. Linda Kay looked at Sweets and nodded; this was the right thing to do.
• • •
After their last class, Linda Kay and Sweets walked with Cami out of the building. They saw a State Transport parked and Cami turned to them, “My ride is here. Thank you again for your kindness.”
Sweets nodded toward the transport, “Do you still live in the Facility?” Cami nodded.
“Well, you’ll be an adult soon and can leave,” Linda Kay commented.
Cami turned to her, “I won’t be going anywhere for a while.”
“Why not?”
Cami sighed and said, “I’m ten-years-old.” She turned and walked toward the transport leaving Sweets and Linda Kay with their mouths hanging open.
Sweets shook her head, “She must be lying.”
“She doesn’t impress me as one that would ever even think to lie about anything.” Linda Kay turned to Sweets, “When are you going to see your grandmother?’
“I’m having supper with them tonight.”
“See if Taffy will look her up in Grady’s computer. I don’t want to believe her…but what if she’s right?’
“I’ll do it.”
• • •
That evening after dinner was completed and the family went and sat in front of the huge entertainment monitor; Sweets smiled at Grady, “Would you mind helping me find out something.”
Grady, Taffy, and Britt turned to her, “Depends on what it is,” Grady answered.
“Linda Kay and I came to a small girl’s assistance and we asked her to walk with us to our classes; it appears she gets picked on…a lot. At the end of the day, she was picked up by a State Transport; it appears she lives in a state-run facility. Linda Kay commented that she would be able to leave soon because she’ll be an adult. She told us she wasn’t going anywhere.”
“I wondered who she was,” Britt interjected into the conversation. “Why won’t she be leaving?”
“She says she’s only ten-years-old. I don’t want to believe it, but I sense she’s telling the truth.”
“What can you tell me about her?” Grady inquired.
“She says that when she was three-years old, her father took her to the hospital to treat broken ribs and disappeared. She says he beat her more severely that day.”
“THAT’S TERRIBLE!” Taffy said forcefully.
“Well, let’s see if she’s telling the truth. Bob.”
“Yes,” the huge robot standing against the wall in its charger replied.
“Tap into the planet’s main data base and see if you can find a three-year-old treated for broken ribs about seven or eight years ago.”
“A name would be nice,” The robot replied.
Grady looked at Sweets, “She says her name is Cami; she says she doesn’t have a last name,” she replied.
“I’ve found it.”
Britt’s head went back, “You found it that fast?!”
Grady chuckled, “What these robots can do will shock you.” He turned to the Robot, “What do you have?”
“According to the records at New Britannia Medical Center, a man brought his daughter in to be treated for injuries. She was screaming in pain and was immediately rushed to an examination room. Her father followed the Doctor to the room and when the Admitting Nurse went back to collect his information, he was nowhere to be found.”
They were silent and Taffy asked, “What was the extent of her injuries?”
“According to the Doctor’s report, she had three broken ribs, multiple bruises all over her body, and severe internal injuries. If she had arrived an hour later, she would have died,” Bob answered.
Grady’s expression was grim, “Bob, did the camera in the hospital record them when they arrived?”
“Give me a moment.” They waited and then an image appeared on the large monitor. They watched the man rush into the emergency room carrying a young girl and Grady quickly said, “Freeze the man’s face.” They stared at the image and saw a man with a thin face and sunken eyes. Grady shook his head, “Bob, see if you can find that man in the database.”
“Found him.”
“What do you know about him?”
“He was a top graduate of Britannia Engineering and took a job working in the ship building plant. He married a woman named Crystal James Asbell three years later. Two years after that, a daughter was born; the mother died in childbirth.”
“HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN!!” Taffy blurted out.
“She had an aneurism in her aorta valve, and it burst, she died instantly after the baby was born. It went undetected and the Doctors insisted it was a one in a billion accident.”
Grady sighed and said, “What else do you know about him?”
“He went into a severe state of depression after his wife died. He lost his job and was treated for depression multiple times. The therapist says he blamed his daughter for the loss of his wife.”
“Where is he now?” Sweets asked.
“Deceased.”
“How?!” Grady demanded.
“On the same night he took his daughter to the hospital, he crashed his transport into a concrete pylon at 150 miles an hour. Apparently, since the hospital didn’t have his daughter’s name, they weren’t connected until years later when a random DNA check turned up they were related.”
Taffy shook her head, “He loved his wife so much he lost his mind when she died.”
“Was the institution informed of the relationship?” Sweets asked.
“No.”
Grady turned to Sweets, “It appears she’s telling the truth.”
“But how can she be a senior at ten-years-old?”
“Bob, look up her school records.”
“She entered elementary school when she was five-years-old and started in the third grade.”
“Why?” Taffy asked.
“Her scores on the entrance tests indicated that was where she belonged.”
“Go on,” Grady prodded.
“Two years later when she was eight, she was moved from the fifth grade to the seventh grade. She spent one year in the eighth grade and then moved to the senior class when she turned ten.”
“Why would they do that?” Taffy asked.
“According to the school psychologist’s report, Cami had been hiding her academic skills to avoid being placed in a higher grade.”
“I can understand that.”
Everyone turned to Britt, “She was always the youngest and smallest student in her classes; she had to be picked on by the older students.” Britt nodded toward Sweets, “Apparently, it’s still going on.”
“How did they discover she
was hiding her talents?” Taffy asked.
“They had her wait for an interview with the psychologist in a room filled with games. She started playing them and she was winning at games that most brilliant adults couldn’t begin to defeat. In the psychologist’s report, she confronted Cami telling her that she knew she had been deliberately hiding her abilities and that if she didn’t take the tests using her best ability, she would be removed from school and remain at the State Facility all day. Cami begged her not to do that; school was her only escape. So she agreed to do her best.”
“And?” Grady asked.
“The test results showed she was performing at the level of a college graduate. The psychologist had her placed in the senior class prior to being admitted to college.”
“BUT SHE’S ONLY TEN-YEARS-OLD!!”
Grady put his hand on Taffy’s arm and turned to Bob. “Is there anything else.”
“Her IQ score beat Dr. Goldman’s by more than seventy points.”
“Holy Moly!” Britt replied. “And she’s only ten-years-old.”
Sweets eyes were moist, and she was shaking her head slightly. “What’s wrong Sweets?”
Sweets looked at Taffy, “Imagine having unbelievable brilliance and you go through life being picked on every day. It’s just not fair!”
Grady sighed, “The Universe isn’t fair, Sweets. It took impossible odds for this to happen to her. I’m glad you and Linda Kay have decided to be her friends.”
“Count me in as well,” Britt interjected.
Sweets turned to Taffy, “Do you still have some of the clothes I wore when I was ten?”
“Candy should have yours, Sweets.”
“Mom doesn’t keep anything that’s not useful. Did you keep hers?”
Grady chuckled, “Taffy keeps toothpicks she uses. Hoarder should be her middle name. She demanded that Candy give her anything of yours she intended to throw away. I suspect Taffy has your clothes as well.”
Sweets looked at Taffy and she rolled her eyes, “Yes, I have them.”
“I want to give some of them to Cami, but I know I’ll embarrass her if I try. Is there any way I can give them to her without her knowing they came from me.”
