“Don’t worry; your Warriors took care of
everything. Tonight we eat a Sarran meal, Brok and Tack work even
as we speak. You don’t even have to make the coffee. We have that
Keurig machine and the chefs will clean up,” Bron promised.
“This is three nights in a row,” Syn
said.
Anya agreed. “This is too much.”
Zaron spoke, “Remember when I said the
highest ranking officer must do the hosting? We are the highest
ranking officers on the planet. Occasionally, when being
entertained, we can go elsewhere, but if Sarran business is to be
discussed, it must be here.”
Syn looked at Anya and sighed, “He did say
that. Good thing I had a very well-stocked larder. But when the
fleet goes back to Earth, they go with a grocery list.”
“Well, since they cooked, let’s get Naffie
and the cats and go eat dinner.” Syn laughed and complied.
When Syn and Anya teleported in; they were
surprised to see Juraens and Mark. “I take it there is a big
pow-wow tonight,” Mark said to Syn as he greeted the two fem with a
kiss on their cheeks.
“The issues discussed today do concern you,
so it’s right that you’re here,” Anya said as she gave him a
hug.
Zaron and Bron brought them directly to the
table. “Naffie, you may eat with us tonight. I have some questions
for you,” Bron told him as he put his arm around Naffie’s shoulder
while they walked to the informal dining chamber.
“I take it that this is some sort of
celebration?” Juraens asked as he pulled out the chair for Mark,
setting eyes on the Sarran Sparkling Pinner wine.
“Yes, both Anya and Syn carry our bebes and
they are both fempring.” The four Warriors beamed with pride.
“This is wonderful news.” Juraens saluted the
four Elders.
“As we already discussed some of this with
Mark, it creates somewhat of a problem,” Tonas said to Juraens.
“Mark told me. If the Earthen fem are as
fertile to Sarran sperm as they appear to be; they will all give
birth at approximately the same time. Out of two thousand five
hundred fem, over fifteen hundred have bonded. The rest may bond
within the next thirty days. That is an awful lot of deliveries.
Even if the Sarran doctors are trained; there aren’t enough doctors
to go around,” Juraens said thoughtfully, putting his arm around
Mark’s chair and stroking his neck.
“We have a solution that may take care of two
problems at once,” Bron said, seating Syn while Zaron poured her
Tierest juice. “The efficacy of the plan depends on something
Naffie keeps saying.”
“Let’s eat,” Zaron said from the head of the
table. Syn sat to his right and Bron to his left. Anya sat between
her Warriors and Mark, Juraens and Naffie across from them.
“First we eat, and then we talk.” Zaron
looked around meaningfully. Duchess and Tigger nibbling at their
tuna at the far side of the table took their cue.
Tigger found one and Duchess two listening
devices. All three were under the table.
“All clear?” Tonas asked Tigger.
::Yes, but there is a traitor in this
household. We made a sweep earlier before the council meeting and
found four more in the study.::
::Gentleman, let’s ward the room. All of
the food is out on the buffet.::
Zaron began to serve, first
the fem, then Tonas and Jonal followed by Juraens and Mark.
“Following protocol, I see.” Mark said as he
put a piece of what looked to be beef on his plate along with a
mashed purple vegetable and some greens. “I’ve been reading up on
it.”
“What protocol?” Syn asked genuinely
bewildered. “This is an informal dinner,” Bron answered, “The most
senior officer serves and then he serves to the next senior down
the line. Of course, the fem are served first.”
“Okay, but I insist we dispense with the Te
and Ta with our friends.” Syn picked up her fork.
“It shall be as you wish,” Zaron said as he
reached over and kissed her hand.
“So,” Syn asked, “why are we all here?” She
swallowed some of the mashed purple stuff. “This is wonderful, what
is it?”
Juraens answered, “A tuber called monc,
similar in shape to your potato, but it carries more vitamins. It
grows in cultivated patches planted in the forest. We don’t farm
the land as you do. Thousands of years ago, we had huge farms and a
larger population. But big agriculture polluted our rivers with
fertilizers, so now our farmers grow in patches in the wild where
they harvest the crop and sell at market. If the crop fails, we
have the fabricators to feed the population. But since we stopped
factory farming; we haven’t had a single crop failure.
“To answer your first question, we must quiz
Naffie. Pa Syn, you’ve been seeing auras, yes?”
Syn took a moment to finish swallowing her
monc. “Yes, the first time it happened was on the field when we
landed after Naffie, used mindspeech and
popped
, as he put
it, my barrier.”
“And what of you, Mark,” Zaron asked.
“If you mean the colors around people, yes;
but I dismissed that as a planetary phenomenon. What is this meat?
It’s better than a porterhouse.”
“It’s laptard. Zaron and I went hunting
before the voyage,” Bron answered.
“And you, Juraens, have you begun to see
auras since your bonding with Mark?” Zaron probed deeply.
“Yes, I have. I was going to report it to you
next rising; since you were in meetings all day today.” Juraens put
down his fork.
“Have you seen any black clouds, like a
miasma hanging over an individual?”
“Yes, Stoker when we came into the
manse.”
“Jonal, use the silent com, call PsyOps to
the manse, post haste. We found the traitor who set the bomb and
planted the listening devices. Tigger, could you and Duchess and
keep an eye on Stoker until we say otherwise?”
::Didn’t like him, he spit in our tuna this
rising.::
Syn was appalled.
::Why didn’t you say
something.::
::I didn’t have to, he has a chunk missing
from his calf and a large scratch. I spilled the tuna and had banc
instead. He had to clean it up.::
Tigger walked across the
table.
::Wouldn’t mind some of that laptard, though.::
Tonas got up immediately to serve him and
Duchess, cutting the meat into bite size pieces.
::Even we can
get sick of having tuna all the time.::
If the situation wasn’t so grave, Syn would
have laughed.
::Nothing like a well-trained Warrior,::
Syn
shot to Anya on a private channel. Anya covered her mouth with the
napkin to stifle a giggle.
Bron turned to Jonal. “How soon before they
arrive.”
“They are teleporting in as we speak,
TeBron.” Syn looked at Jonal as if trying to figure out why he had
reverted back to formal speech. It was then she noticed the six
PsyOps Warriors teleporting into the room.
Zaron used the com to call Stoker and
Garlance to bring the coffee. Stoker came in first. He had a laser
but Mark used his telekinesis to grab the weapon. Garlance looked
confused.
“We found one of our traitors,” Jonal told
the PsyOps troops. “Take him to a secure location and put him on
mind lock.” One of the troopers looked angry.
“Is that necessary, TeJonal?” the operative
asked defiantly.
It was then that Naffie shouted. “He has one
too!”
The Warriors and the PsyOps troops acted
quickly and grabbed Stoker and the unknown Warrior. Stoker began to
speak, but Zaron grabbed his head between his two hands and
squeezed. Bron leaped across the table and grabbed the Warrior. The
PsyOps took over and transported them away as quickly as they
came.
“Where are they taking them?” Syn asked.
“To the Government Hall for a mind wipe,”
Zaron answered.
“No trial, nothing?” Anya blustered.
Mark answered, “When you can deep read a
mind, you don’t need a trial. You know their deepest most closely
held secrets. Most Sarrans can’t but those who sit in this room,
including you, Syn, and Naffie can do this with training. They
don’t because it is impolite and a deed punishable by the Codex.
But in cases of treason, no permission is necessary. If we were
wrong, Zaron and Bron would have been relieved of their command.
That is why the information on the auras is so important. They tell
us where to look.”
“The reason we called for a dinner this
evening is to have everyone here prepared to read the auras during
the birth trainings for the next three tides. We need to ferret out
all of the traitors loyal to Zuff and Angle. We just found
two.”
“Don’t you keep them for questioning?” Syn
asked.
“They don’t need to, not when they’re deep
read. Juraens explained it to me on
Brightstar
, those who
have no honor will only tell lies.”
“Why didn’t you catch Stoker before? Couldn’t
you read the auras,” Syn asked.
“Not until we bonded with you, Pa Chette.”
Zaron said grabbing her hand.
“Now for Naffie. Offspring, what do you mean
your Mommie can fix auras,” Zaron asked.
“Like operations, Zadda…you know. You fix it
with your hands. Only you use you psy like your hands—an operation.
Mommie can fix the bloody ones and even some of the black ones that
are more grey than black, but she can fix it!” Naffie looked
frustrated trying to make them understand what he was trying to
tell them.
Anya looked up, “I think I know what he’s
talking about, I saw it on a PBS Special but on Earth it’s a hoax.
I think Naffie is talking about psychic surgery on auras, not gall
bladders.”
Mark started to laugh but covered it with a
cough as soon as he saw Naffie’s face begin to scrunch up to
cry.
Anya offered, “Jonal and Tonas probably
uploaded information on this to the ship’s library.
“We uploaded everything in Earth’s libraries,
on the internet and the archives of your television and radio
stations, also cable. You have a very complicated entertainment
structure. I liked what they called commercials. The little green
reptile was very funny.
Zaron looked up at Garlance who to Syn’s
astonishment seemed unmoved at what had occurred. “Bring the coffee
to the study, Ensign; and find a roster for those eligible to take
Stoker’s place here. When you have it narrowed down to five, we’ll
pick a replacement.”
“Yes, TeZaron, it shall be as you ask. You
will have the names on your desk at dawntine.”
::Garlance never liked Stoker; but had
nothing he could put his finger on to tell his superiors. He was
glad the PsyOps took him away,::
Duchess said.
::Just in
case you’re wondering.::
“Duchess, you are amazing,” Zaron said.
* * * *
The party adjourned to the study. “So we need
to research psychic surgery; and you say Mommie can do this,
Naffie,” TeBron asked.
“Yes, she can. Mommie is very smart. She
fixed her own red one and now it’s purple like our house color,
regal,” Naffie said in a firm voice.
“How did I do that, sweetie?” Syn asked,
pulling him onto her lap.
“I don’t know. You did it like an operation,
you used your mind to heal. I’m tired, Mommie, may I take Duchess
and Tigger for a sleepover and go up to bed.”
“Yes, sweetie,” Syn replied.
“You go on and take Tigger with you; it’ll be
nice if he spends the night sleeping on someone else’s head,” Tonas
said winking at Jonal. Anya elbowed Tonas in the ribs.
::I told you milk gives me gas,::
Tigger turned his ass toward Tonas, let loose, and popped out of
the study. The room burst out in laughter.
::Tigger and Tonas have a love/hate
relationship. It’s because he sheds all over. Tonas is the one who
brushes him and he hates it on his clothing.::
::Then I hate to see what’s going to happen
with my two. Duchess has more hair than Tigger; but Naffie has
taken over her grooming. He seems to like doing it and she loves
Naffie.::
Tonas turned and addressed Zaron and Bron,
“You’ll see, living with a feline is not an easy task; but now at
least he has a use: banc. There are no banc within a mile of the
Palace of Light.” He sat on the couch between Jonal and Anya and
idly played with Jonal’s hair. Jonal laughed giving his Warrior a
kiss. “Remind me to set up a viewing at the Palace of
The Odd
Couple
; it fits us to a tee.
* * * *
“I think we are set for this evening.” Zaron
and Bron rose. The others took the cue that it was time to go.
Zaron and Bron followed the group to the teleporter.
“Jonal, you and Tonas need to find aides
through PsyOps to guard your fem and unborn fempring. I suggest
Warriors who have not yet bonded. By being your aide they are
exposed to more possibilities to find their one.”
“We’ll do that,” Jonal replied, “Thank you
for the information.”
“Once we pick from the list Garlance
prepares, we’ll send the rest of the names to you and save you some
trouble.” Bron patted Jonal on the back.
“Once again, you are too kind and we are
grateful, Bron. We will take our leave.” Jonal and Tonas saluted
Bron and Zaron.
Juraens and Mark got ready to get on the pad.
Zaron stopped them, “A word…”
Bron continued, “We know that Castle Water is
a ruin. To make it habitable, craftsmen will have to work for
tides. As princes, you will receive more credits so you can get a
lot of what you need handmade. That takes longer than fabricator
work.”
Zaron placed his finger on Bron’s lips. “My
long winded BondMate is trying to tell you that you are welcome to
use the gate house until Castle Water is livable. If you find a
fem, you don’t want to bring her there.”
“Thank you and we will take you up on your
offer. As for our fem, she is still on Earth. We know this in the
fabric of our souls. We intend to go on the next fleet run and find
her then. She is in the United States, we can feel her,” Juraens
said simply.