Chapter 2
Brista, 27 Shiaa, 4400 Orthodox Calendar
Monday, 1 December 2013, Terran Standard Calendar
Brista, 27 Shiaa, year 1326 of the 97th Generation, Karinne Historical Reference Calendar
Foxwood East, Karsa, Karis
His family would have probably disapproved, and he knew that most of the people of Earth would have, but they just didn't understand.
They couldn't. Only a telepath could understand.
Jason lounged almost lazily in bed, glancing at the clock that Tim and Symone kept on the wall, and saw that it was nearly noon. He wasn't alone in bed, however, for they were still there. Jyslin was cuddled up against his back, and Symone slept with his arm thrown over her stomach, and Tim's arm over her chest and his hand resting lightly on Jason's elbow. He didn't want to get up, despite the duties he knew were waiting for him. Being here, surrounded by love and acceptance, hearing the breathing of two women he loved and a friend he would call brother, a man with whom he was so close that he shared his thoughts, his wife, his very life with him, and the feeling of telepathic union that surrounded them as they kept light touches on each other even through sleep, it was simply impossible for anyone who was not a telepath to understand. Jyslin… God, how he loved her. She was the focus of his entire life. Symone, wonderful Symone, so happy and cheerful, so full of life, she was impossible not to love. And Tim, his best friend, his brother, the only man who shared his life to such an extent that he could look on and watch Tim make love to Jyslin and only feel happiness for them both, a man who had, in the way of men, imprinted onto Jason. Jason loved Tim. It was that simple. And he knew that Tim loved him in return. There wasn't any sexual attraction between them, but there was a kind of familiarity between them that made some barriers dissolve. There was no attraction, but there also was a lack of barriers between them. Jason could, and indeed had, hold Tim's penis in his hand, and had had fondled him, and had cupped his scrotum. And he felt absolute no trepidation at the idea of it, a boundary that was usually taboo among men. He could reach over right now and grab Tim's genitals and not bat an eye, and neither would Tim. And it would bother him a bit if Tim did the same. Jason was absolutely certain he could kiss Tim full on the mouth, and mean it, and not feel any kind of shame or revulsion at the idea of it. More than once during threesomes or during their full groups, Jason had caressed Tim with his hands, and had been caressed in return. Jason was certain that he could masturbate Tim and not bat an eye at all at the idea of it. He would even go so far as to say that if it did come to it one day, he could have sex with Tim. He'd feel uncomfortable at the idea of it, but it wouldn't change things between them. If Tim came to him one day and asked him to give him oral sex, Jason would, if only because he loved Tim. In that respect, Jason was at that same point that Jyslin had been when she first started exploring her attraction to Symone, where she was awkward with sensations she had never had before. Jason didn't have those same feelings that Jyslin had, but there was also a lack of resistance to the act if it was asked of him. It wasn't his cup of tea, but if Tim wanted gay sex, Jason would give it to him.
That was how close they were. There were no boundaries between them except for a simple lack of sexual attraction between them, and if that were ever to change, then he could admit to himself that he could willingly have sex with another man… but only Tim. The idea of having sex with Tim did not repulse him as it did if he had the same thought about any other man. The feeling was one of… neutrality. A certain distaste for the idea of it, a lack of enthusiasm, but no bells and whistles in his head telling him not to do it.
Which, he had to admit to himself wryly, was exactly how Jyslin had started down the path of her new relationship with Symone.
He considered that a moment. Would it bother him if he and Tim ended up imprinted to that degree, that they became willing partners? The idea freaked him out a little, he could admit that, but there was no aversion to it in his mind. To him, if it happened, it happened. So long as it was what both of them wanted, then so be it. He loved Tim too much to deny him what he wanted, and if Tim wanted Jason, then so be it.
But that was an issue for another time, a situation that would come later. For right now, he was just having too much fun living in a way that would give an evangelical pastor a heart attack, living in delicious sin with his wife and lover, and his lover's husband, giving and sharing equally, reveling in a feeling of unity, of an uncomplicated, pure love that was shared among all four of them. It was the bond of the amu dozei, not the casual love between a man and woman outside of the marriage, but deeper, more personal, encroaching on the bonds between him and his wife. But he only allowed one to enter Jyslin's territory that Jyslin loved in return, and where Tim and Symone reciprocated, letting Jason and Jyslin into an intimate part of their lives usually only reserved for husband and wife. Jason had gone to that level of intimacy that would only belong to Tim with Symone, and Jyslin had done the same with Tim. Theirs was all but a marriage of the four rather than the two. The fact that they lived in separate houses was a mere formality.
That was what it meant to be amu dozei. When it was two couples, it was a joining of couples, not a joining of individuals. When it was a single joining a couple, it was a complete acceptance of the individual into the pair-bond of the couple, literally the taking on of a second spouse. Because Jason and Dahnai both were married, Dahnai would forever be amu dorai unless Kellin and Jyslin entered into the bond as well, grew to love each other with the same passion Jason and Dahnai loved each other, forever denied a part of Jason she had often tried to take when they made love, that realm reserved only for Jyslin… and also for Symone.
Amu dorai and amu dozei, known simply as "the amu," was probably one of the most common subjects in much of Faey literature and poetry. Jason found it oddly curious that the love between a man and woman seemed to not catch the interest and passion of writers and poets as much as the amu. Entire operas were written about it. Books by the score had been written about it. And Faey history was rife of instances of amu either starting or ending wars. It was one of those interesting little personality quirks of the Faey that made them so curious, that they found a multiple relationship much more interesting than "old fashioned" love. But then again, for a telepathic race, the concept of the multiple relationship probably would be one of intense curiosity and inspiration, because of the overwhelming power of the telepathic pair bond. It took a lot to cause that to change, and the inclusion of a third or fourth into that powerful bond between two would certainly set fire to a poet's muse.
He felt Jyslin stir against his back, then she hummed softly in her throat and wrapped her arm around his side, gripping his shoulder as she kissed him lightly on the side of his neck. Morning, my love, she sent softly, delicately, so as not to disturb Tim and Symone.
Afternoon, actually, he replied, barely having to send at all since she was touching him. Touch dramatically magnified their telepathic bonds.
You should go on trips more often. You're such an insatiable beast when you come back, she teased, running her hand across his chest, caressing it. I thought you were going to bend Symone in half there for a minute.
She certainly didn't seem to mind, Jason noted lightly.
Fuck no, I didn't mind, Symone agreed with a satisfied tilt to her thoughts, patting Jason's hand on her stomach. That was unbelievably hot. I felt like a Barkan whore, and Trelle, did it make me horny. But we have to have a little talk, babe, she sent, looking over at him with a sly smile. Why did I keep getting flashes of Aura running through your mind while we were fucking?
I'm honestly not sure, I don't remember it, he answered. We bathed at a hot spring on her planet, and I did notice that her body is somewhat like Dahnai's. I thought she was sexy. I guess that's why.
What, you don't get enough pussy at home, love? Jyslin accused playfully, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. Between us and Dahnai, you'd think we'd keep you too tired to let your eyes wander.
You said it yourself, love, I was away for two days. I escaped the power of your pussy, he retorted, and that let me start noticing another woman.
Well, we'll have to make sure that doesn't happen again! Symone declared, sitting up, pushing him onto his back, and swinging a leg over him, sitting on his stomach. We're just going to have to wear you out so much before you leave that you can't walk, so you don't get a chance to recover before you come home, she winked.
You two and Dahnai very nearly pulled that off, he accused.
I think I need to find an amu dorai of my own, Tim mused as he woke up. Then I'd get three women in bed at the same time, too.
It's an overrated experience, Tim.
Overrated? Overrated? Jyslin sent with mock outrage. We rock your world in a way it's never been rocked before, and that's overrated? What an utter ingrate!
Tim sat up and gave Symone a long, loving kiss, making sure to get himself a healthy handful of her breast while doing so. Oooh, is my Tim-Tim getting a third wind? she asked with a bandy tilt to her thoughts.
Good grief, woman, can't a husband feel up his wife without having to have sex?
Not when it's a husband as hot as you, Tim-Tim, she replied, giggling as she grabbed hold of him and pushed him to the bed, kissing him passionately. Symone knew how to push Tim's buttons, knew exactly how to send to arouse him, and Jason saw that Tim was committed. He turned and wrapped his arms around Jyslin, giving her a loving kiss and then rubbing the tip of his nose against hers with a gentle, contented expression.
I guess I should get up, I have a mountain of work to do today, Jason sent with a sigh. But some of it I can't do for a while yet.
Don't go looking for work today, love, just relax for a little while, she told him, running her hand up and down his side languidly. Since the Consortium attacked, you've been running yourself ragged. You deserve at least a little time to rest, or maybe pay attention to your wife and your amu dozei, she smiled. If it's important, they'll call us.
I think someone's listening too much to the other side of the bed, he accused with a light smile as Symone groaned. Tim was on top of her, and they had begun intercourse, judging from the shaking of the bed and the sensations they were sending, which both Jason and Jyslin were receiving. Symone's certainly frisky today, he noted dryly, which made Jyslin laugh.
She's been especially frisky since yesterday afternoon. She went and saw Songa about a little problem.
What problem?
Jayce, Symone's the only one of us girls who doesn't have a baby, she reminded him. She finally broke down and went and saw Songa about it. Songa gave her a detailed checkup focusing on that part of her, and found what she called a minor imbalance. She gave Symone a treatment for it and a medicine to take for a couple of weeks, and sounded hopeful that fixed it. So, Symone's looking to get pregnant.
Ah. Well, she shouldn't have come after me, she should stay with Tim. Tim should be the father of their first baby.
Well, she's not in her fertility phase yet, Jyslin winked. She's just practicing.
Like she needs any more practice, Jason noted dryly.
Like… I could… have you in… my bed… without fucking you, Symone sent in a disjointed manner, her thoughts disrupted by bursts of pure sensation and pleasure and encouragement. I'll… stay with Tim… when Songa says… I'm close to… my window.
Just tell us when, and we'll stay clear hon, Jyslin assured her.
Love, wait til she's done. You know she'll never remember anything you say when you send to her while she's having sex.
True.
Jason was content to kiss and caress Jyslin while Tim and Symone finished up, the two of them more than happy to just lay there and let Tim and Symone's pleasure flow through their minds, revel in the joy of their amu dozei. Usually, the sensations of one couple drove the other to sex, but sometimes there was much to be said of just laying there and experiencing it through Tim and Symone rather than do it themselves. Symone jokingly called it sex by proxy, but no matter what they called it, it was a wonderful thing. When they were done, Symone reached out and put her hand on Jason's back, then she slapped him. I remember enough to be get you for saying that about me! she sent, which made Jason and Jyslin laugh.
Mommy! Where are you? Rann called. Jason was startled; it was the first time he had ever heard his son send. In just a few days, he had learned enough about sending to reach out for his mother, and while his sending was a little fuzzy and hesitant, it was still strong. Very strong. Rann was going to match his father in power, at least. Maybe even exceed him. Power he had, but power was not the only part of sending. Many men were weak in talent, but masters of sending, capable of far more than stronger but lesser trained women. Rann would learn that power may come naturally, but clarity and speed would come in time, as he mastered the art.
I'm over at Uncle Tim and Aunt Symone's, baby, she answered in a nurturing manner, sending slowly and carefully in return. I'm having some private time. Can you be a good boy and wait at home with Ayama and Surin?
I can, Mommy. I was just worried, you weren't home when we came back from Aunt Maya's.
"They grow up so fast," Jason said, then he chuckled. "He's gonna be so strong."
"He certainly walked through Trelle's hair," Jyslin agreed with a proud smile.
Is Daddy with you? Miss Ayama says he's home, and Captain Aya is here. Did he go see Miss Miaari?
I'm with your mother, little man, Jason called, using the same slow, careful sending. We're not quite ready to come home yet, but it won't be long. You just wait there at home and we'll be over to see you real soon, okay? Go do your exercises with Captain Aya while you're waiting for us, she's back home too and she's probably waiting for you. If Aya says you're really good, we'll take you and Danelle to the boardwalk.
We'll be really good! he promised, enthusiasm bleeding into his thought. The boardwalk was Rann's favorite place in Karsa to visit, because of the rides and the games.
Now you're neglecting your child to pursue your sexual whims, Symone teased.
Rann can wait just a little bit, Jason noted, kissing Jyslin languidly. Promising to take him the boardwalk is the ultimate form of bribery.
It works, though, Jyslin agreed, giggling against his lips.
He could only shirk duty in the arms of his wife and lover for so long, though. The pull of duty, the thought of what can I do today to make the lives of my people better had taken control. There were reports to read, people to see, plans to make. He had to find out how the repairs were going, how promotions were being handled, how the people at Exile were doing in the plan to uproot them. He needed to talk to Miaari, he needed to send a report to Zaa, and he needed to get an update on the progress of getting that Consortium ship back to Karis. If they couldn't get it going on its own, then the Dreamer would have to tow it back.
He gave his wife a final kiss, then regretfully left the comfort and inclusion of his amu dozei's bed and wandered to the shower. He reached out, reached all the way to Karsa, using his impressive power to touch on many minds, searching for someone he knew. He finally contacted Sioa, and then reached out to her. Sioa, he called. Can you reach me?
Of course I can, she answered, a bit testily. Where are you? We've been trying to get in touch, but Ayama's stonewalling us.
I needed a little time, I was very tired, he answered. What's going on?
The Dreamer as at Exile, she told him. They had another brush with the Consortium, but no shots were fired. Fifty-three Consortium vessels jumped into the system, but turned and jumped out before we could engage. Hyperspace probes show that they completely abandoned the sector, they didn't just jump some distance away and wait. Military intelligence has a theory. Well, the same theory we had, just with more substantiation now.
Well, what is it?
We think they don't have any more ships close enough to assist, she answered. The Consortium used the Urumi to help attack Karis, we think it's because they didn't have enough military force to do it themselves. We believe that they've depleted their forces in this sector, and must wait for reinforcements. We believe those fifty-odd ships are all that's left of the Consortium fleet in the sector.
I hope that's not just wishful thinking.
It does have some solid evidence backing it up. But Zaa has still deployed an additional two hundred ships to Exile as a precaution.
I'm going to have to bring her to Karis and give Zaa a big kiss.
I'm sure she'd enjoy it. The Kimdori are actively searching for the Consortium, hunting for their base. Those ships had to go somewhere. If we can find them, we can attack them. We'll deal them a serious blow and disrupt their attempts to continue operating in this sector.
They're from Andromeda, so the logical place to look is the closest point between this galaxy and that one.
That happens to be the arm of the galaxy where Exile is, Jason. No, they have a base somewhere else. The Kimdori agreed to search for it, and help us attack it.
Well, another reason I need to kiss Zaa repeatedly. This isn't the Kimdori's war.
I think you underestimate how angry the Kimdori were about the Consortium attack, Jayce. Not only did they get blindsided by something they never saw coming, Karis, you, and Cybi herself were directly assaulted. You know how Zaa reveres Cybi. You didn't see Miaari when the Consortium appeared. I've never seen her so furious. This may not be a war aimed at the Kimdori, but this is definitely the Kimdori's war.
What's the status on that Consortium ship?
The main power was blown out, and the computer core might be beyond repair. The technicians believe they can repair main power, but they're pessimistic about the computer core. They're not going to do anything until they get it back here, and after they remove the computer core. The Dreamer is going to tow it back, and might already be on the way, I'm not sure. I haven't gotten a status report. They're leaving it alone until they get it back here because they don't want the computer to try to destroy the ship if they can repair it, and it's brought back online. Myleena's clearing space in Kosigi for the ship. She's already drooling at the thought of taking that ship apart.
She's not the only one. How is it going on Exile?
Pretty smoothly. The Exiled aren't too happy about your decision, but they're cooperating. The first ship will be jumping back to Karis in about two hours.
That fast?
They're not playing around, Jason, she intoned as he lathered up his hair and began to wash it. When Sevi showed the Exiled pictures of the battle that took place at Karis, and then showed them the captured Consortium ship in orbit, they got the picture quickly.
I should have done that, Jason grunted. I just ordered them without really explaining why I was giving them the order. I tried to explain the danger. I guess it would have made more sense to prove my words.
We all err, Jason. Be glad yours was a little thing, Sioa sent supportively. Given how rarely you do make a mistake, I think we can let you slide a little on this one, she added lightly.
Gee, thanks. Are the repairs still on schedule?
All on schedule. Myleena's revised her completion date of the interdictor, she moved it up one day. She wants two days to test it, then she'll put it on line.
Two days? We may not have two days.
If our estimates as to Consortium fleet strength is true, then we do have two days, she corrected. Think about it, Jason. If they had the forces to take on the Kimdori battle fleet protecting Karis, wouldn't they be attacking right now?
He could only send a wordless agreement to that.
We have a tactical advantage, and we need to press it. That's why the Kimdori are hunting for the Consortium base. It's better to put the enemy on the defensive than stay on the defensive ourselves.
I can't argue with that. Sioa, word that we have a Consortium ship can't leave the Karinnes. The Urumi must have spies in the Imperium, and that means that the Consortium might still be getting information, even if the Urumi aren't passing it on anymore. That means we must keep our secrets. Dahnai can't know. The secret unspoken remains a secret.
Naturally. That's why the Kimdori deployed some devices that scrambled light and energy patterns that left the Exile system that will prevent any kind of passive observation, so they can't just point telescopes or passive sensors at Exile and see what happened. The Kimdori are pretty clever, Sioa sent appreciatively.
Jason had to agree. Light moved at a set speed, and what happened in the past could actually be seen by using telescopes aimed at planets, based on ships that would jump hyperspace to a predetermined point calculated to look at a specific time. Using that trick, Jason could jump to a point in interstellar space and point cameras back at Karis, set the magnification, and then watch the entire battle, were Karis not protected from just such actions. The Kimdori had probably deployed hyperspace-based units that scrambled energy passing through an area of real space, disrupting all coherent light and energy signals passing through. Given that hyperspace was much more encompassing than normal space, a single device could disrupt signals in a huge area. Those defenses were part of the ring of satellites that had been around the inner system, that disrupted light passing through to prevent telescopes from seeing what was happening on the planet, rendering any image of Karis fuzzy… which could be blamed on the intense radiation that was supposed to be present. But now that Karis was no longer a secret, more substantial defenses were in place that completely disrupted all light and coherent energy signals passing through, isolating Karis from surveillance. Kimdori were masters of hyperspace, knowing the secrets of the Karinnes from before their destruction, and that gave them powerful tools.
Anything else to pass along?
Not really. We just wanted you to know about the Consortium. I assume you're fine with allowing Sevi to make tactical decisions there?
I wouldn't have left her in charge if I wasn't. There's something you can look into for me.
What?
The Exiled seemed a little unsettled with the idea of living inland. Look around and see if we don't have a premade town big enough to hold them that's on the ocean that most closely matches the weather conditions of Exile. Probably northwest of Karsa, closer to the equator.
Jason, all our volunteers are already in place.
I know, but after what I heard, I think we might want to think about giving them something more like home to them. It might make those who resent being moved maybe a touch less antagonistic.
Always at the last minute with you, she accused, but not harshly. I'll talk to your interior cabinet and have them see what they can find.
It's how I keep myself interesting, Sioa. I thought women liked unpredictable men.
Not when they make the rules, I don't, she sent playfully in reply.
Keep up with me if you dare, Sioa, Jason shot back. I'll be home in a while, you can get me there.
Alright. Talk to you soon.
Later hon. [Cybi, can you link me to Myleena?]
[Certainly. Myleena, Jason wants to talk to you.]
[Sure, Cybi. Hey, Jason?]
[It's me.]
[Babe, when I see you, I am gonna kiss you so hard!] she communed ecstatically. [How did you do it? How did you pull off capturing a ship?]
[I remembered Songa's report,] he answered, then explained how they had done it.
[Brilliant! Babe, you'd have been such an awesome member of Black Ops! When is it getting here?]
[Sioa said that the Dreamer is towing it back. I'm not sure if they're on the way or still preparing, you'll have to talk to her about it. She said you're clearing out space?]
[Yeah, I cleared out a destroyer bay and I'm getting ready. You gotta be here, Jayce! You can't pass up the chance to get your hands in their intact technology! If we're lucky, we can restore their main power and get the ship working. Imagine, using the ship as a decoy to slip behind their lines!]
[I thought you were gonna take it apart.]
[You bet your ass I am, but that doesn't mean I can't put it back together when I'm done,] she answered. [When are you coming up? Oh, and bring Danelle!]
[I have some other things to do, but I'll see if I can't find some time.]
[Alright babes. Let me get back to work.]
[Sure thing. Later Myli.]
[Later Jayce.]
Jason ended the communion as he rinsed his hair, tilting his head slightly to let the soap rinse off his gestalt. The gestalt had, over the years, completely rubbed away the hair that used to grow underneath it, but that made little difference, since he never took it off. He had become so completely used to it that he couldn't fathom not having it bonded to his face, not having it tickling the back of his mind at all times. Jason and Myleena were the only Generations that had such complete attachment to their gestalts, though. Erinn and many others preferred to take them off when sleeping or bathing or when they didn't need them, but Jason felt that it was a part of him, and he'd take it off with the same feel of unease he'd have taking off his left hand. Jyslin was already used to seeing it on his face, and Rann had never seen his father without it.
But it wasn't the same gestalt he'd worn all these years. This gestalt was 40% smaller than the last one he wore, the newest version just built last year, with the curved upper prong gone from the design. That prong had once held the circuitry of part of the gestalt and had also contained the antennas for its communion, but Myleena had streamlined the design and worked out a way to use the case of the gestalt itself as the antenna. The new gestalts did have slightly less power than the old ones, but that was a fair tradeoff for not having that upper curved prong digging into the side of his head when he was sleeping. The new gestalts were thin and comfortable, and it was so easy to forget they were there, so comfortable, that never taking it off didn't matter.
Tim stepped into the large shower and took up a position at the other shower head. Their bathroom was much more human than Jason's, with a large shower and only the soaking tub, and the shower and tub both were big enough for two people. Pass the shampoo, will ya? Tim asked.
Sure. What's on your agenda today?
Well, after Miaari bitches me out for being late for work, odds are I'll still be working on the Consortium data. She's been having me work on the Consortium data. I've been put on the team deciphering their alphabet and writing. I've been spending most of my time looking at pictures and inspecting the wreckage, searching for writing samples to add to the database. I guess my job will be a hell of a lot easier when that captured ship gets back, he noted with an audible chuckle.
I'll tell Miaari to give you a pass, Jason sent with a chuckle. I'll assert my Dukal privileges.
That's a new way to call a conjugal visit, Tim laughed. A Dukal privilege indeed, he grinned, slapping Jason on the butt.
Hey, hey, I'll sic Aya on you for assaulting my royal person! he threatened, which made Tim laugh. What did Songa say about Symone's problem?
That it was chronic but minor, and it was easily fixed, he answered. Songa said the best time to try to get pregnant would be in about ten to thirteen days. So, we're gonna try.
Good luck, man. Children make life so much different. And better.
Thanks.
Hurry up you two! We wanna shower too! Jyslin called.
Well, what's stopping you? Get in here, silly woman! Jason answered. Aya.
Yes, your Grace?
We'll be over in about twenty minutes or so. Can you get the kids ready to go to the boardwalk?
We'll get started, she promised.
I should be going in to work, but I promised Rann, and I'm not gonna break promises to my son. It'll set a bad precedent.
You'll have more fun with your kids anyway.
Amen, Jason agreed as Jyslin and Symone invaded the shower. It was a little cramped with all four of them, but Jason was done anyway, so he slithered out… but not without making sure to get all kinds of feels of both women while he did so.
Such a fucking tease! Symone challenged with a grin when he groped her on the way out of the shower.
I was just making sure you didn't fall over as I squeezed by, Symone, Jason told her as he dried off.
By grabbing my pussy?
Well, it must have worked, since you didn't fall over, he sent mildly, which made all three of them laugh.
Keep your calendar open tonight, baby, cause you just got yourself an appointment.
Promises, promises, he sent flippantly.
Jason dried off, dressed, and went back home. He picked up Rann and Kyri and gave both of them big kisses. "And how are my two babies?"
I'm no baby! Kyri challenged, but she did hug him around his neck.
Alright, how's my little man and my little lady? he corrected, sending slowly for Rann's benefit.
He's the baby, he can't even send right! Kyri taunted, giving Rann a smug little look.
Hey, I'm just learning, and Mommy said I send really good!
Good for a baby!
That's enough, Jason chided them, which made Kyri fall silent, Rann glare at her, and then Kyri stuck her tongue out at him. Kyri! Jason barked. Apologize right now, and you'd better mean it.
I'm sorry I called you a baby, she sent, a bit sulkily.
Better, Jason assured her, then he kissed her on the cheek and made her giggle. I swear, I have no idea where you pick these things up. That's not even an insult in Faey society, it's something that might get you in trouble for an entirely different reason when you're older, he sent to Kyri.
Mommy said it's a way human kids tease each other.
Your mother needs to teach you better things than how to annoy your brothers and sisters, Jason told her mildly, which made her giggle.
What? Rann sent suspiciously.
Nothing, Daddy was telling me something meant only for his daughters, she sent, a bit smugly.
Yes, I was lecturing her on how impolite she's being, Jason sent flintily, which made Rann sprout a smug smile of his own. "Are you two ready for the boardwalk?"
"Can we go now?" Rann asked excitedly.
"Let's wait for Mommy Jyslin," he said, using Jyslin's name because he had Kyri. To his kids, their own mother was Mommy and Jyslin was Mommy Jyslin, but to Rann the other mothers were Aunt. It was subtle, but a very telling distinction in how Jyslin asserted her authority as Jason's wife and the Duchess Consort over the other mothers of Jason's children. All the ex-Marines had Duchess titles, but Jyslin's official title of Duchess Consort was higher than a regular Duchess, which allowed his wife to outrank all the other Marines as more than just the wife of the Grand Duke. "Where's Danelle?"
"Upstairs," Rann answered.
She's changing into a new pair of shorts, Kyri elaborated. Daddy, Mommy said that if we go to Draconis, we'll turn blue. Was she just kidding?
No, it really happens, he nodded. That's why I try to avoid going to Draconis and staying a long time. I come back home looking very strange.
So it doesn't stay?
Only as long as you're there. It fades after few days when you come home.
Oh.
Why do you ask?
I was just curious. I was wondering what I'd look like if I was blue like Danelle is.
You'd still be my little lady, he smiled, kissing her cheek and making her giggle.
I can't understand you two, Rann sent sullenly.
Just keep practicing, little man, and you'll be able to understand us in no time, he promised, kissing Rann on the cheek, then putting both of them down. "Danelle!" he shouted. "Get a move on, girl, we're leaving as soon as Mommy Jyslin gets back!"
"Coming!" she shouted from the stairwell.
The car is ready whenever you are, your Grace, Aya reported.
Thanks, Aya. Jyslin, you about ready?
I'm dressing now, love, be over in a minute.
"Jyslin's almost ready, so go ahead and go out to the car," he told them.
They hurried out to the car, and Jason swooped down and grabbed Danelle as she tried to run by. Danelle giggled and hugged his neck. Like the children of the other Marines, Danelle was almost like his own. She spent probably a much time in his house as she did at home, because Myleena was so busy, but Jason didn't mind at all. Since Danelle's father wasn't in her life, Jason was more than happy to fill that role, for Danelle and for the children of Lyn, Bryn, Min, Sheleese, and Myri. They, like the others, were trying to get pregnant, and Jason had found it strange that all ten women seemed to be having the same problem Symone was, a curious lack of conceptions since having their first child.
That, Jason had heard, wasn't unusual. Faey women seemed to have this gap of two to three years between their children, some kind of biological issue with them that discouraged conception while the youngest child was still an infant, probably some kind of adaptation to their species that made them different from humans. Perhaps the conception gap after the first baby was some kind of genetic assurance that the first child had plenty of time to develop without competition. It also showed in Maya through her two daughters; they were almost exactly three years apart.
But, it had been about four years since they'd come to Karis. Perhaps the planet itself was having an effect on the women. He'd have to have Songa go through the birth records and see if it was a consistent effect. Until then, maybe all of the women should go see Songa and see if they had the same minor imbalance that Symone contracted.
With Aya, Ryn, and Dera, Jason and Jyslin took Rann, Kyri, and Danelle to the boardwalk. It was his first casual trip out among his people since the battle, and he hadn't expected quite the reaction he got. His people cheered when they realized he was on the boardwalk, and he was surrounded by well-wishers who clapped his shoulders, kissed his cheek, and shook his hand. He even had one of the rare Kizzik that lived on Karis, one of the nobles, perform the kree'kthk, a ceremonial tasting of his blood so as to absorb what they felt were his noble qualities… and which almost got her head blown off by Aya when she pricked Jason's hand with one of the spines on her armored wrist. But Jason was aware of the ceremony, a ceremony meant to honor him, since the Kizzik was saying through the ritual I want to be more like you.
The Faey were remarkably human-like, and their cultures and attitudes were amazingly similar, but the Makati and Kizzik on Karis reminded him that the House Karinne was a multi-species house, and species that were much different from humans and Faey.
They played games, rode a few rides, and visited some shops on the boardwalk, enjoying a little rest and relaxation after a hard couple of weeks. But real life had to intrude on his day out with his wife and some of the strip's kids, while Jason and Jyslin were eating ice cream at a little parlor with tables set up on the boardwalk while the kids, watched over by Dera, watched a Faey juggler with amazement in their eyes as the brightly dressed young man made five red balls dance over his blurring hands.
[Jason, Myri is trying to contact you,] Cybi communed with him.
As it always did, any time Jason used communion near Kyri, it caused her to react. She seemed to stiffen slightly and looked around, a hand to her head. Kyri couldn't yet hear communion, but she was definitely sensitive to it. But Jason knew it was just a matter of time until she could. Kyri was a Generation, and was probably the strongest telepath in the Imperium. In ten years, once her powers fully matured and she had more experience, she would be the most powerful telepath alive.
[Can you connect us please?]
[Certainly.]
[Jason?]
[Go ahead, Myri.]
[The Dancer just arrived, Jayce, and the Consortium ship came through the tow in perfect condition. Two destroyers are towing it into Kosigi as we speak, and the Dancer is going to return to Exile as soon as the crew has a chance to rest.]
[That sounds good. Hand it over to Myleena as soon you can and let her get to work. I'll try to go up and take a look at it when I have a chance.]
[Buried in paperwork?]
[No, in butter pecan ice cream,] he replied with a light current. [I'm spending a little time with the wife and kids.]
[Never anything wrong with that, as long as you do it in moderation,] Myri chuckled in reply.
The enemy ship just arrived, Jason told Jyslin, sending privately.
She nodded. They didn't waste any time getting it here.
That ship is the second most important thing we have right now. Between the interdictor and that ship, we have real weapons now, concrete weapons to battle the Consortium. As soon as we tear that ship apart, we might find some weakness in their technology we can exploit to protect ourselves, maybe even learn more about them to take the fight to them. Who knows, we might get their computers intact, break into them, and learn all about their operations in our galaxy.
It would be nice. They know so much about us, and we know almost nothing about them. It would even the playing field. They captured the Karinne ancestors and their ships, and now we've captured theirs. And when we learn all we can from it, we'll come after them and show them you don't fuck with House Karinne and the Imperium, she finished with an adamant set to her thought.
Nor should they be fucking with the balance of power in our sector, Jason added. Outside of the war with the Skaa a few years ago, things have been nice and quiet around here, and I'd like it to stay that way.
What do you mean?
When I sent that technology to the Academy, I meant it, he answered. I want everyone to have access to it, because I don't want anyone to be vulnerable to the Consortium, either militarily or tempted to enter into an alliance with them in exchange for their weaponry. I also want everyone armed with the same weapons, so there's no imbalance of power between the Imperium, the Skaa, and the Alliance. If everyone has the same potential for destruction, it keeps all three sides nice and unwilling to get into wars with each other.
And the Urumi?
I'm sure they'll survive. If they get conquered, oh well, that's the price they pay for dealing with the devil. They've already lost their border systems to Dahnai, and their fleet was decimated. They're vulnerable, and everyone knows it. Hell, even the Nine Colonies on the backside of the Collective might try to annex the Debarix system. The Urumi are in no position to do anything about it. I figure they're gonna lose their ring systems but continue with their core systems. They'll lose half their territory, but the Collective will live on.
And now there's another race in the Imperium, Jyslin mused. The Urumi did surrender. Dahnai will probably keep the populations of those systems intact and just make them pay tribute, but she'd better be careful. The Urumi will only behave if they're treated fairly by the established rules of combat agreed to between the Urumi and the Imperium some three thousand years ago, at the end of our first war. As long as she doesn't mistreat the Urumi, they won't rebel or fight back. It would be the smartest thing to do to just leave them be and let them pay tribute, since tensions with the Urumi are going to be too high for our races to mingle for a while.
I'm going to do something about that. I haven't gone into work yet because the first thing I need to do is talk to the Queen of the Collective, and I'm waiting for it to be morning on Uruma so I'm not waking her up. I'll have to talk to the Alliance and to Dahnai too.
What do you have in mind?
Well, the Urumi attacked us. Doesn't that mean we should get first choice of taking on the Urumi planets as Karinne holdings?
Jason, the Karinnes have never held territory outside of Karis before.
That's the old Karinne. I intend to keep Exile as it is. I have an idea for Aurigae and the other border systems, a way the Urumi can help us and also not feel like they're going to be punished by the Imperium for the treachery of their queen. Like you said, they did surrender. They deserve a little leeway for that.
You really think Dahnai is going to give you an arable system? She loves you, baby, but not that much.
I think she might after she hears my idea, because the last thing we need right now is for us to fight among ourselves when the Consortium is lurking out there. The Urumi could be allies, and they'll probably jump at the chance to pay the Consortium back for their betrayal. I need to contact the Collective queen anyway. In fact, I should do that right now, because she'll be in her window of activity in about an hour, he noted, having his gestalt bring up local time for the Collective homeworld, I have to make the call before Queen Sk'Vrae gets involved with other matters. Love, watch the kids for me.
Certainly.
Aya, I'm going to the White House, he called. The White House was the seat of the Dukal government. It wasn't a house so much as it was a complex of buildings, all painted white, in the center of the city. It had started as something of a joke when Jason noted that he'd be in a white building as he looked at the plans for the complex, like the American President, and the idea took off to where it became official. It was there that the municipal Dukal government operated, overseeing those planetary programs that dealt with the house as a whole. It was there that land grants were issued, marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, and other permits were handed out, where planetary systems like power, water, and waste reclamation were administered, it was the location of the military headquarters where Shey worked, and it was technically where Jason had the seat of his power. In typical Faey fashion, Jason had a throne room there… which amounted a ten by ten room with a simple chair. But, when he talked to other rulers except for Zaa and Dahnai, that was where he did it, from the official seat of his house, wearing formal robes. Find me a car or something.
Jason was there in half an hour. He padded quickly through the polished halls, nodding to the administrators and secretaries as they bowed to him, until he reached his throne room. Who's running the comm today? he called as he stepped into the antechamber to put on a court robe. Appearances were very important when dealing with the leaders of other governments.
I am, your Grace, answered a young male named Gerin, who was a very proficient technician and knew all the various forms and customs when dealing with other races on the communications console.
Good. Get me the Academy, Gerin. I want to talk to the Brood Queen Sk'Vrae of the Urumi Collective.
There was a startled silence. Uh, certainly, your Grace. It may take a while, though. Would you like to wait in the lounge?
No, I'll wait right here, he said, sitting in his polished walnut chair.
It took about ten minutes for Gerin to finally get through to the Collective, having to go through the Academy, which gave Jason plenty of time to put on his blue court robe embroidered with the crest of Karinne over his left chest, and in typical Faey fashion, had one sleeve longer than the other. The Urumi ambassador was still there, but he had all but barred himself in his office while the Urumi students tried to leave.
Sk'Vrae was not a very handsome female. She was Urumi, which meant she was an odd cross between a reptile and an insect. Urumi were reptilian in appearance, like the Skaa, but they had bony plates on their outsides that almost looked vaguely like an insect's carapace, bony armor protecting their sensitive areas, with tough scales between them, and no bony plates on the face or neck. Urumi were formidable in unarmed combat because they were from a moderately high-G homeworld that gave them good raw strength in addition to their natural armor. Sk'Vrae was a massive female Urumi with a bony crest over her eyes, the crest a mark of a female, and her plates and scales were all painted red, the mark of her royal station. "What doesss the leader of Karinne want with me?" she asked, hissing at him in Faey. "Doesss your bitch queen sssend you to make more outrageousss demandsss? You have our border sssyssstemsss, what more do you want?"
"I want you to send your Urumi students back to the Academy," he told her immediately. "I want your ambassador to remain, and I want to make you a deal."
"What deal?" she asked.
"I've sent samples of Consortium technology to the Academy so their scientists can analyze and understand Consortium technology so all governments participating in the Academy can copy the technology and build the weapons themselves. I'm doing this because the Consortium threatens all of us, so we all need weapons capable of fighting them. That technology will not be held by any one government, it will be available to anyone who needs it, including you, your Majesty. My deal is your scientists earn a spot at the table when the Academy starts that work so you can take part in the project if you provide samples of the armor they gave you, so we can also analyze that."
"And why would I do thisss?" she asked. "We have thossse weaponsss. We can take them apart and learn their sssecretsss ourssselvesss."
"Because the combined efforts of us all will make that happen much faster than if you do it yourself. I guarantee you you'll be at least two years behind, and all your neighbors will have those weapons while your factories are still retooling to produce the new technology."
She was silent a long moment, so he continued. "I have a couple of other offers."
"Prossseed."
"I have something of an idea to try to reduce tensions between the Collective and the Imperium. I'll offer the neutrality of House Karinne as a buffer between you and the Empress. I'll make Dahnai back off, and I'll make her give me the border systems she conquered from the Collective. When she does, I'll split the farm production from the farms of Aurigae with you. I know you're going to need the food, your Majesty. I don't believe you had anything against my house. I think you got lured into an alliance by a partner that hid the truth from you and then tried to use you, and I for one am not going to punish the Collective for it. Yes, you attacked my planet, but you were repelled, and as far as I'm concerned, that is a moot point in the face of the current situation. I'm willing to let that go in the interests of a greater peace."
She glared at him icily. "And what favor will I owe the Grand Duke Karinne for hisss generosssity?" she asked.
"Allow me to recruit Urumi on the border planets into my military and into my house, those I see fit to invite."
"You would trussst them?"
"We're telepaths, your Majesty. We'll know if they're lying to us. I'm not going to induct them fully into the house, what I'm looking at doing is establishing a splinter house staffed by the Urumi who will oversee the border systems I control. In short, your Majesty, I will allow the Urumi to govern themselves however they wish, even have agents of the Collective there on the planets to ensure the good treatment of your people, so long as they don't actively oppose Karinne. What I want from you is your blessing. I know your people, Queen Sk'Vrae. Their oaths of loyalty will hold them to the Collective unless you give them the option to forswear them if they so wish." He gave her a steady look. "And you'll get your chance at revenge against the Consortium," he added. "We intend to take the war to them, your Majesty. I'm sure you'd like a little payback for their betrayal of you. Your soldiers inducted into my house would strike a blow for the Urumi, and when the time comes, I'll welcome Urumi ships among us as we destroy the Consortium for their dishonorable acts."
She stood up, and she hissed. Jason knew Urumi. They were very honorable creatures, no doubt carrying out their side of the bargain in good faith until the Consortium betrayed them, and the backstabbing they received from the Consortium would be like a raw wound. There was that, and there was the fact that the Urumi could hold a grudge like nobody's business. They called it a matter of blood, and when a matter of blood came up, Urumi would devote their entire lives in the pursuit of justice. They had nursed a thousand year grudge against Merrane and the Imperium over the destruction of the original Academy. The Consortium may have power and technology, but they didn't know the races in this sector very well. If they had, they'd never had been stupid enough to backstab the Urumi, because now the Urumi would hunt them for the rest of time until they felt the matter of blood was settled. "You have my attention, your Grassse," she said seriously. "You will plead the Collective'sss cassse to your bitch queen?"
"I can make no promises, but I'll impress her with the fact that the Urumi could be more useful as allies… if they agree to a written peace treaty, and you'll finally forgive Merrane for the destruction of the Academy."
"Blood hasss yet to be repaid for that," she said, sitting back down. "But we can honor a temporary trussse in the matter, ssso that we might both focusss our attention on a greater foe. Our fuedsss againssst Merrane and Trillane may resssume after we have avenged ourssselvesss againssst the Consssortium."
"She might go for that," Jason noted absently, forgetting the formal forms for a moment. "Trillane, you say?"
"They broke a deal bargained in good faith," she hissed. "That isss a matter of blood."
"Well, far be it from me to get in your way with Trillane. As you know, we have no love for them either. I'd be happy to let you take big bites out of those bloodsuckers after we deal with the Consortium."
"At leassst in that regard, you and I do sssee the sssame picture," she agreed.
"So, you will return your people to the Academy?"
She nodded. "And I will sssupply sssamples of the armor which we were given," she agreed. "In return, you will include our ssscientisssts in the resssearch of their technology, and you will ssspeak on our behalf to your bitch queen."
"I make no promises how far I can get, but I will do my best. Regardless of how well I do, your Majesty, we can't afford to be divided right now. The Consortium is a threat to all of us. You, me, the Imperium, the Skaa, the Alliance, the Nine Colonies, the Zyagya, the Confederated Trinary, even the Kimdori."
She was silent a long moment. "I will honor our agreement. The contract will be drawn up and sssent to you ssso you may sssign and affiksss your ssseal. Asss isss proper, it will be sssent to you with my mark and ssseal upon it."
"Have it delivered to Secretary General Kim of the Terran's United Nations, and from there it will find its way to me. I will read it, and if it matches our spoken agreement, I will sign and affix my seal and return it to you."
"Then we have a bargain in good faith," she declared, touching her nose, her cheek, then her bony crest in succession with her reptilian hand. He clapped his hands together twice and gave a short bow in his chair in the response to her ritual act. It was an old Urumi ritual giving "the bond of word" that would hold until the agreement was drawn up as a proper contract. "I will contact my ambasssador at the Academy and give him the proper commandsss."
"And I'll contact Empress Dahnai right now and see what I can do."
"Now, asss to thisss offer of government. If you take control of the border sssyssstemsss from the bitch queen, you will allow them to govern themssselvesss?"
"Yes."
"Would you permit me to sssend a daughter to each sssyssstem to act as Brood Prinsssesss Ruler? The Collective isss quite lossst without a queen to rule."
"I… will consider it. If your daughters suitably convince me that they won't simply try to make the systems rebel against Karinne and rejoin the Collective, I'd probably permit it."
"If you were conquered by the Ssskaa, would you not yearn to rejoin your home government?"
"I would. How about a contract of years of service? They agree to thirty years of loyalty to Karinne. After thirty years, House Karinne and the Queen of the Collective meet to discuss the matter and the possible return of the border systems to the Collective."
"I… will ponder the matter," she said slowly. "It hasss merit, but I must ssseek counsssil with my advisssorsss before I agree to sssuch a contract."
"Fair enough. We'll talk about that after I talk to Empress Dahnai and see if I can get control of the border systems."
"Then until you know, our busssinesss isss done."
"Not yet. Your Majesty, in three weeks from tomorrow, I'm convening a council of all parties about the Consortium. It's going to be so we can all sit down and talk about the threat, put our cooperation over Consortium technology in writing, and iron out any wrinkles. I'd like you to attend."
"Persssonally?"
He nodded. "I'm going to extend the invitation to everyone, and it'll be held in the Academy, a neutral site."
"I will dissscusss the offer with my advisssorsss."
"Then I believe we're done, your Majesty."
"May Tr'Bakk blesss your path, Grand Duke Karinne of the Houssse of Karinne."
"Walk under the shadow of Grx'Vin, Queen Sk'Vrae of Uruma."
Her image disappeared from the screen, and Jason leaned back and sighed. That was easier than he expected. He thought Sk'Vrae was going to fight about it. She'd inform her council about their agreement, and then she would have the contract drawn up and delivered to Earth.
Now came the other fight. Gerin, get me Empress Dahnai.
At once, your Grace.
It took about a minute. Her image appeared on the screen, dressed in her court robes and holding her crown in her hand. It was midafternoon there, so she had probably just finished a court. "Hey babe," she called with a smile. "Uh oh, you're in your throne room. Is this business?"
"It has been, yeah," he answered. "I just finished an audience with Queen Sk'Vrae."
"That horny bitch? What were you talking to her for?"
"I got her to put her people back at the Academy," he began. "And I promised her a place when the scientists start working on the Consortium technology. She even agreed to bring the armor the Consortium gave her people with her so we can analyze that as well."
"What? Why?" she demanded. "Babe, we're at war with the Collective!"
"No, you're sitting with your fleets in the border systems making a lot of noise about invading the Collective core worlds when you have no intent to do so, trying to scare her into giving up more than what you've already taken," he said calmly. "But that's not what I called about. I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal? A deal over what?"
"I want the border systems you conquered."
"What? The Karinnes never—"
"We're not the Karinnes of old," he said. "I want Aurigae and the other border systems, Dahnai. That will put the Urumi under me, and I've already promised Sk'Vrae I'd treat her people with respect. I can keep order there and their farms producing better than any other house, because the queen will tell her people to obey me completely. She won't do that for you."
She gave him a hot, unfriendly look. "What deals have you been making behind my back, Jason?" she demanded. "You say you're not the old Karinne, but making your own private deals with other governments is a page out of the old Karinne's book!"
"I know I'm pushing things, Dahnai, but I'm looking at more than just what I can get out of you or the Collective. The Collective was betrayed by the Consortium, hon. They were backstabbed. Do you know what the Urumi do when they've been betrayed?"
She opened her mouth, then she laughed. "They'll go after the Consortium!"
"Exactly. So, me and Sk'Vrae have something of a common interest, and we've already agreed that when the time comes to kick the shit out of the Consortium, the Collective is in. In a show of faith of our new partnership, I offered to try to talk you down, and that's what I'm doing. Sk'Vrae won't fight over the systems you've already conquered, if you give them to me and let me handle it. I'll promise you here and now half of all food exports off the arable planets. Karinne will run the planets at zero-profit. We'll take nothing but what's necessary to make the systems self-sufficient. My only interest is to put a cushion between the Imperium and the Collective, and I can provide that. It will keep the peace, the border systems will produce for the Imperium, and you score some brownie points with Sk'Vrae."
"And Sk'Vrae gets the other half of the food?" she asked with a wry smile.
"I'm not going to starve the Collective, hon," he said simply. "They're going to need that food. In return for that, you get half the food production of two arable planets that aren't going to rebel on you if whatever house you give them to start doing to the Urumi what the Trillanes did to Terra."
She pursed her lips, then nodded slowly. "Yes, that is a risk," she agreed. "I'll think about it, babe," she said. "No promises. Let me think about it for a while."
"While you think about it, consider just one more thing."
"What?"
"Can you really afford to keep pursuing war with the Collective when the Consortium could come back? This is your chance to keep what you've taken and get a peace treaty in the bargain. Sk'Vrae agreed to sign a temporary truce with the Imperium until the Consortium is removed as a threat."
"A temporary truce?"
"She said there's still a matter of blood with Merrane, but also with Trillane," he said with a wolfish smile.
Dahnai laughed. "Maeri's gonna pay for backing out of her alliance with the Collective, I take it?"
"Oh yes. She violated a treaty, and the Urumi do not let that go unchallenged. And I'm gonna pull up a chair, grab a beer and watch it with a big grin on my face."
Dahnai grinned. "I'll give the Collective one thing. They're consistent," she said with a nod. "Oh, by the way, your people that Trillane took are almost halfway returned."
"That was one of the things I needed to talk to Terra about," Jason grunted.
"What kind of condition are your people in?"
"Most of them are functional," he answered. "the Trillane conditioning left their personalities and memories intact, they just programmed them with absolute loyalty. The Marines stationed on Terra are reversing that conditioning. It's slow going, and it'll take them a few months to heal three million, but at least the Terrans are cooperating."
"They are?"
He nodded. "The Trillanes ordered them to obey all orders from us as if we were Trillanes, and their programming binds them. So they do as they're told until we can get rid of the brainwashing. It makes it a very orderly process."
"I can imagine," she mused. "It sounds like Maeri actually held her side of the deal."
"She did. I'm still gonna enjoy watching Sk'Vrae cut little pieces out of her, though."
"I think I will too," Dahnai laughed. "That bitch has been nothing but trouble since the day I took the throne." She gave him a smile. "I thought I knew you, babe. I thought you'd go after the Collective for attacking Karis. I'm surprised you haven't."
"I get the feeling that the Urumi got screwed by the Consortium, and while I'm not entirely happy with what they did, I'm more worried about the Consortium than I am angry with the Collective. This isn't the time for the governments here to be fighting each other. Not when the Consortium is going to come back and fuck with all of us… and it will be all of us. The Alliance, the Skaa, they've seen the Consortium in action now, and they're not gonna cooperate with them, not after what the Consortium did to the Collective. If the Consortium somehow conquers a part of the Imperium, then they'll be surrounded by enemies, and not just the Imperium. The Alliance, the Skaa, maybe even the smaller empires past them, they'll resist the Consortium if they return. And I'm going to make sure that all of us are armed and ready for them."
She sighed. "I wish you would change your mind about that."
"I told you a long time ago, hon, I will not arm the Imperium and unleash them against their neighbors. But the Consortium changes the rules a little bit. So, instead of arming you and watching you make war on everyone, I'm giving everyone the same weapons so they can protect themselves from the Consortium and from the Imperium. That keeps the balance of power without upsetting it too much. Yes, whoever has the biggest fleet will have an advantage, but they'll still face dreadful losses if they make war on another government."
"Mutually assured destruction," she chuckled.
"Precisely. If you want to declare war on the Skaa, you'll do it fully knowing they have weapons that can wipe out your fleet if you attack them. And they'll know the same thing. Everyone will have all these deadly weapons, but will be afraid to use them against each other because whoever attacks first will lose their fleets trying to conquer defended planets."
"Sometimes you're just too fuckin' clever, babe," she said sourly.
"Thank you," he said with a smile. "Just so you know, I'm going to try to arrange a meeting of all parties involved to discuss the Consortium in three weeks. State leaders, not just ambassadors."
"That might get tricky, but sign me up. I'll warn my schedulers to leave three weeks from today flexible until we have specifics."
"Sounds good. You have any free time coming up? I'd like to see you."
"A state visit?"
"State? Hell no. I want to see you," he said. "I don't have to hide Karis anymore, I want you back in my life."
She gave him a bright smile. "Oh, well, in that case, why don't I clear some space next week? Bring Jyslin and Symone and Tim. I want to get to know them better, and of course, I have a promise to keep," she said with a sultry smile.
"You realize if I tell Symone that, she's gonna go crazy."
"I know," Dahnai purred.
"Bitch."
"I love it when you call me names," she said with a sly little smile. "How about, um, Thursday by your calendar?" she asked, looking at a monitor under the camera. "I'll cancel court that day. You can get here Wednesday night and leave Friday morning."
"Sounds good. But I want you to think about my offer, and we'll talk about it face to face next week."
"See you then. I can't wait. First I'm gonna kick your ass for dealing behind my back, then I'm gonna fuck you til you can't walk straight," she purred, blowing him a kiss, then the communication terminated from her end without saying goodbye.
Jason chuckled. Dahnai wasn't stupid. She'd see the value in what he was talking about. Jason could get cooperation out of the Urumi in the border systems if Sk'Vrae told them to behave. And with the threat of the Consortium, lurking, stability was very important right now.
But, he had one more call to make. Get me the High Staff of the Council of the Alliance, Gerin.
It may take a few minutes. Do you want something to eat while you wait, your Grace?
I'm good.
The Alliance was composed of five different races; the Makati-sized Beryans, the huge simian Bari-Bari, the skeletal Jakkans, the avian Shurai, and the silicon-based Stevak. Their form of government was a leadership council at the head of a bureaucracy that managed the 51 systems. They had a Zyagyan and a race called the Veruta on their council as neutral observers during non-secret council meetings. The Zyagyan was there since the independent system of Zyagya was completely encompassed within Alliance space, but the Veruta was invited as part of a peace treaty between the Alliance and the Veruta from a war they had over a hundred years ago. There was an Alliance member in the Verutan Emperor's advisory staff, so the two governments could try to avoid a second war. The leadership of their council passed from race to race in 2.5 year terms in Terran years. The current High Staff of the council was a Jakkan, Graith Meribial.
Graith's visage appeared on the screen. It was like a large yet slender skull with skin pulled tightly over it and black teeth and eyes and an open-cavity nose. The Jakkans were not a pretty race to humans, but they were very intelligent and remarkably kind despite their grim visage. "Ah, your Grace! It is good to hear from you. Are things well?"
"Well enough, High Staff," he answered. "I wanted to ask a favor of you."
"Certainly. The Alliance is always willing to listen to the requests of the Karinnes."
"I'm sure you've gotten word of what's coming to the Academy?"
"Yes, yes, of course. I've sent six additional experts on astrophysics and energy generation to the Academy to help analyze the Consortium technology."
"Good. Well, as everyone knows, the Alliance is among the leaders of long-range sensor technology. I'd like to ask you to search for something for me."
"For the Consortium?" he asked.
Jason nodded simply.
"I'm already searching for them," he answered seriously. "I want to know where they are, and what kind of potential threat they pose to our sector. I would be glad to pass along any information we discover to the Karinnes."
"I'd like you to make it public through the Academy, High Staff. We all need to know what the Consortium is up to."
He was quiet a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. I'll inform my ambassador to make the arrangements to disburse any information we collect about the Consortium to a central office in the Academy we can set up for it."
"You'll have a place to send it as soon as I talk to the Academy. I'm going to have them create a department of cooperation where all Consortium information can be centralized and accessed by all necessary parties."
"Excellent! I'll make the arrangements, then."
They exchanged pleasantries before saying goodbye, then Jason leaned back in his chair. [Cybi, could you get me Ayuma please?]
[Certainly. Just one moment.]
[Jason? Cybi said you want to talk?]
[I do, and it's business. I want you to set up a new department at the Academy that'll act as a central depository for all Consortium information. Not just their technology, but something of a situation room where we can pool all intelligence about them and share it.]
[Ah. I think I know exactly what you want, and Kiaari already has something similar to that for her own spy network. I'll ask her if she can organize it for us. A Kimdori would be best suited for such a task.]
[She'll probably agree to help us set it up and explain how to best run it, so long as we don't try to make her run it herself. The Kimdori won't get involved like that without direct authorization from Denmother Zaa.]
[True.]
[In about an hour, you're gonna get an official missive from me, announcing that the Karinnes are sponsoring a summit to debate the Consortium threat in three weeks. If you could, please push it out to all the ambassadors. I'll be calling them personally to invite them, but I want the public to know we're working on the problem.]
[Certainly. You been practicing your TK?]
Jason chuckled. [When I think about it,] he answered. [I'll be coming to Terra in a couple of days to see Kiaari. Wanna have lunch?]
[Sure! Want me to warn Temika and Mike?]
[I'll call them myself.]
[You got it. Let me get down and see Kiaari.]
[Alright, thanks hon.] Gerin, get me Emperor Assaba of the Skaa.
Jason paid call on every leader of every government that had ambassadors in the Academy, some 34 calls. Some got through to leaders, some were answered by ambassadors because it was off-hours there and their leaders were resting or busy. He told each one about his summit and invited each one to Terra personally. Most of the leaders he managed to contact agreed to come immediately, while the rest either said they'd get back to him or he'd reached representatives who had to deliver the message to them. After he had that done, he went to his office in the White House, which he rarely used, and prepared the announcement and had it sent off to Ayuma. Miaari joined him not long after that, and he told her about his plans and his idea with the Urumi, to which she nodded. "I find it a logical and workable idea. It will depend on if Dahnai is willing to do it, though, and she is under some pressure from the Siann about those border systems. Merrane can't keep them, and there's already a great deal of jockeying to gain the contracts to them."
"Well, I have an advantage over all of them."
"Yes, and the Siann will believe your agreement with Dahnai is unfair, that you slept it out of her."
"They can believe whatever they want, they don't concern me."
"They should. If Dahnai angers the Siann, they can remove her from the throne regardless of your alliance with her."
Jason leaned back. "Hmm," he mused. "Then I think I should head that off."
"How so?"
"I'll offer to split Karinne's profits from the industry of the border systems with all of the Siann, and take no profit myself. After all, I'm not interested in those systems for what they can make for me, I want them so I can keep Dahnai and Sk'Vrae from stepping on each other's toes."
Miaari gave him a strange look, then laughed brightly. "Shingrha jhee, my friend, I forget how cunning you are sometimes," she said in admiration. "Such an act would undercut any kind of protest the houses could offer, while at the same time preventing any one house from gaining too much advantage from control of those systems. And it also reinforces the image you pose of a neutral party not interested in the politics and machinations of the Imperium to those inside. You will earn a reputation for wisdom and generosity. Yes, I believe that would be a very effective tactic."
"Then let's draw up some paperwork we can send to Dahnai to let her look over."
"Yes. Bring in our legal team," she called to the open door.
Jason employed 14 legal experts for the house, his legal team, whose job was to write contracts and treaties and review offered contracts and treaties from others. They listened as Jason explained the objectives of the agreements he wanted to make concerning the border systems, and then, after copious notes, they took them back to their main office and started working on the language of the contracts. They were very efficient, and when they promised to have a first draft for him tomorrow morning, he knew it would be on his desk exactly when they said it would be. He also warned them that a treaty would be en route from the Collective in the next couple of days, and be ready to examine it.
There was one call he did need to make, though. It was early evening on Draconis, so he was fairly sure that she was awake. He had the call sent from his office, and with Miaari listening just outside the view of the camera, Jason leaned back in his chair as a face winked onto the screen.
Yila Trefani.
"Grand Duke Karinne," she intoned, nodding slightly. "And what do I owe the honor of this call?"
"How would you like to go into a little business together, Yila?"
She looked honestly surprised. "And what business would that be?"
"The Trefanis have many business contacts, and with those comes the almost unintended matter of gathering information. I'd like to see if I can't have you ask your trade agents to keep their ears open for rumors beyond the Imperium of Consortium activity."
"And how can we do what the Kimdori cannot?"
"Oh, the Kimdori could find out, but the more ears are open, the better chance of hearing what might only be spoken once," he said, to which Miaari nodded in agreement.
"And what would you offer in exchange for me passing along certain tidbits that might cross my desk?"
"I think I might be persuaded to speak on Trefani's behalf when trade relations reopen with the Collective," he told her. "Unlike the rest of the Imperium, I'm still on speaking terms with Queen Sk'Vrae. She sees me as a neutral party, like the original Karinnes. I think I might organize a couple of meetings between Trefani and Collective business agents so you might get an early jump on lucrative markets over the Highborns and House Moyanne."
She pursed her lips. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I can ask."
"I'll call you tomorrow with my decision."
"Fine with me. Until tomorrow then?"
She nodded. "Fare well, Grand Duke Karinne."
"Fare well, Grand Duchess Trefani."
When the image of her vanished, Jason laughed. "Got her!" he proclaimed, slapping his hands on the desk.
"You're so sure?"
"I know Yila Trefani, my friend, and that was her I'm about to make some money face, no doubt," he said confidently. "What I'm offering is too tempting, given she thinks she's giving me nothing I can't get from the Kimdori."
"You could."
"I know I could, but like I said, the more people there are listening, the more you hear. And it really doesn't cost me anything to get it, I just have to ask Sk'Vrae to meet with Trefani agents to talk about trade agreements. She'd welcome them, the Collective is going to need money after this disaster, and Urumi goods actually sell well in the Imperium. They make very good metalworked goods, and people love their trimetal fountains that sing with harmonic resonance when the sun hits them. They have a knack for it."
"Well, you're right about it not costing us anything," she said. "And it benefits both Trefani and the Collective."
"And it never hurts to have a friend in the Trefanis," Jason added. "Ever since the Friendly Puppies, Yila's given me the cold shoulder. I wouldn't mind getting off her shit list, the Trefanis can be very useful when you need them." Jason's eyes glanced to one of those very Friendly Puppies, which now sat on a shelf on his wall, an Odie-looking toy that was actually a very cunning robotic device. Beside it on the shelf was a plush Hello Kitty wearing a cute little pink dress and a powder blue My Little Pony with a silver mane, just waiting for their turn to be unleashed on an unsuspecting enemy.
"I think we're about done, my friend," Miaari said, smoothing the white fur on her chest, the mark of the Handmaiden. "I'll pass on what we've done here today to Zaa."
"Please, I tried to call her to fill her in, but got her ambassador."
"I'll send it along. Are you going home?"
He nodded. "I've only been here like seven hours," he grunted, looking out the window at the sunset. "I'm hungry."
"Aya, prepare for the Grand Duke's departure," Miaari said, to which Aya and Dera nodded, then went from the room while Ryn remained.
Jys, Jason called, reaching the twenty miles from his offices to the house.
Yeah love?
I'm on the way home. What's the dinner situation?
We've already eaten, but I can have Ayama make you something.
Could you please?
Just tread lightly. Symone's looking for you, Jyslin sent with amusement. She may not let you eat dinner if she catches you.
Think I might be looking for her too, at least after dinner, Jason answered lightly. Wanna join us?
No, I have a date with Tim, she answered with anticipation in her thoughts. We figured you two would be busy.
Well, have fun.
Oh, we will, no doubt, she sent impishly. Besides, after we have our separate fun, we can get together and have even more fun, she added lasciviously.
Symone corrupted you.
She didn't have to work very hard to do it, Jyslin noted nonchalantly. And she certainly didn't have to work at all to corrupt you.
I guess I'm a pervert at heart.
And I love it, she told him with a dirty eddy to her thought.
Stop it or I'll have to walk out of here with my hands in my pockets, he warned as Aya returned and nodded without sending.
Then get home and eat so Symone can do something about it, she ordered.
I guess I will.
Jason woke up to Rann's cheerful cry as he barreled into the room and jumped into the bed. "Wake up!" he called, shaking Jason's shoulder. "Wake up, Daddy!"
"It's too early in the morning, you little rugrat," Symone complained, pulling the covers over her head.
"Aunty Symone! Where's Mommy?"
"Over at Uncle Tim's," Jason told him, shaking the cobwebs out of his mind and waking up. "She'll be over for breakfast."
Rann was aware of the dual relationship between the two couples, but he didn't entirely understand it. What he knew was that his parents were very special friends with Tim and Symone, and that sometimes his father had private time with Symone and his mother had private time with Tim. Unlike a human child, Faey didn't hide sex from their children, even though they didn't entirely understand it, nor did they hide the openness of their society. Rann was fully aware that Jason slept with Symone and Jyslin slept with Tim, but he saw it as perfectly normal, because that was how he was raised to see it. It wasn't the first time that Rann had bounded into the room and found Symone in bed with Jason instead of Jyslin, or found Tim in bed with Jyslin instead of him, or even had come in to find all four of them asleep in the same bed together. "Oh. Can I have pancakes for breakfast?"
"Go ask Ayama," Jason told him. "Now scoot, little man, and close the door so I can get a little more sleep. I'm a little tired."
I wonder why, Symone sent in a bandy manner, reaching out and touching his shoulder fondly. "I think your father and me are going to have some private time, kidlet, so go down and see Ayama about breakfast."
"I… that didn't make any sense," Rann said, screwing up his brow in concentration. "I mean, there was a feeling in there. I didn't understand it."
"You will when you're older," Jason told him dryly. "Now do as Aunt Symone says and go down and see Ayama about breakfast."
Rann left them and dutifully closed the door, but Symone chuckled and rolled over, pulling the covers aside and shimmying up onto him. Hello there, she sent with a leering smile. Can Jason come out and play?
Such a morning girl, Jason teased as Symone's lust bled through her thoughts and attacked Jason, trying to excite him.
So is Jyslin, that's why we're such a good match, she winked, then kissed him quite seriously.
They weren't alone for long. Just about when they were committed to it, Jyslin came in. She was wearing a simple robe that ended at her thigh, belted so loosely and casually that her left breast was hanging out of it, showing it off to the world, and it was parted from the waist down, all but showcasing her red pubic hair between blue silk curtains to anyone who gazed upon her. Jason, however, didn't notice, since Symone was on top of him and aggressively making love to him. Jyslin watched them for a moment, smiling, then padded past the bed and to the dresser, laying out the clothes she intended to wear. She didn't bother them, didn't disturb them, was almost indifferent to them as they had sex, her thoughts touching on both of them to share their pleasure without getting actively involved.
She didn't actively take note of them until after they were done, after Symone collapsed on top of him with a satisfied, lusty sigh after they achieved their climaxes. My, that was short, Jyslin teased.
I like it hard and dirty in the morning, you know that, Symone answered, giving Jason a hot kiss. And that was both. Thanks baby.
Any time, love, anytime, Jason returned, slapping her lightly and fondly on her butt.
What's on the agenda today?
I'm going up to Kosigi to go look at the Consortium ship while I wait for Dahnai and Sk'Vrae to call me back, he answered. So I'm gonna be busy most of today. You know Myli's gonna keep me distracted.
Yeah, I'd better warn Rann you may not be home tonight, Jyslin laughed.
Next week, we're gonna go see Dahnai, Jason told them. All of us. She invited us over for Thursday.
Nice! I wonder if she talked to Kellin, Symone said, sitting up and licking her lips in anticipation. I want all six of us in one bed in the worst way. I could wrap my legs around that fine hunk of a Faey, no doubt about it.
So could I. He's taller than most Faey men, and really buff, Jyslin agreed. And of course, he's got a really nice dick, she hummed, sending a memory of him at the beach, where Jyslin had taken a very long, detailed look at his genitals, all but studying him.
I've only seen it limp, but it looks plenty big, Symone agreed. You've seen him hard, baby, when you threesomed Dahnai with him. How big is he? she asked Jason.
You may find out someday, who would I be to ruin the surprise? Jason asked with a smile.
You dare deny me? I'll have to torture you for the information! she challenged, attacking his ribs. He laughed and squirmed under her, but her weight held him down as her fingers tore laughter out of him. Talk! Talk! How big is he hard? Huh? Huh? Talk or I tickle you til you throw up!
She gasped in surprise when she was picked up off the bed by nothing, lifting her hands out of reach of her fingers. "Now, you were saying?" Jason asked, putting his hands behind his head and crossing his feet casually, smiling up at her.
She laughed. "Oh baby, just imagine you doing me like this," she grinned, spreading her legs in a vulgar manner. "I've never been fucked while hovering in midair. It would almost be like joining the Zero-G club," she told him with a naked leer.
"Leave it to you to even turn my talent into something perverted," he accused with a laugh, setting her down gently, back in her original place. She laughed and leaned down, then kissed him quite seriously. Wanna come up with me?
I will, Symone nodded.
You know I'll be there, I'm on Myli's staff. We should bring all the kids, Jyslin said. They need more exposure to the workings of the house.
Sounds good. Jason expanded his power to send across the entire strip. Everyone get up and get ready, we're all going up to Kosigi today to inspect the captured ship, he boomed. Including the kids. So everyone get your breakfast and get dressed and we'll meet up at the main gate in two hours, and remember that we have to wear our armor!
Two hours, eh? Symone asked.
Yup, that gives me a little more time, he remarked, grabbing both of Symone's breasts and fondling them.
Oho, so Jason's still feeling frisky, Symone grinned.
I seem to recall a certain challenge to keep me to where I couldn't walk straight, he sent teasingly. I'm nowhere near that exhausted yet.
Jys, I think a certain overconfident man of ours needs to have his nuts shriveled, Symone called, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him down. Come over and give me a hand.
I do hope you'll let me use more than that, she noted dryly as she unbelted her robe and came over to join them.
Jason could walk after he came down for a quick bite to eat, but his legs certainly didn't feel entirely stable… so it was a good thing he was in his armor and his powered armor could help his legs out a little bit. They were all in armor, everyone but the kids. Jyslin and Symone came down a minute after him, carrying their helmets and sharing a naughty little smile as Meya and Myra gave them a curious look. What? Jason asked, giving them a little smile that made them look a bit irritable.
That made his day.
After breakfast, the entire strip piled into the Scimitar and flew up to Kosigi. The lunar base was like a tennis ball inside a hollow bowling ball, reminding Jason of the old literary creation of a Dyson Sphere, an artificial construction that encompassed a star. There was a real moon in Kosigi, but the moon that everyone saw was built around that very small rocky sphere, rendering the moon effectively hollow. The real moon had become a foundation for the entire shipyard operation, which was suspended in zero-g because of a very exacting balance of mass between the small rocky core in the center and the heavy-metal exterior so that the space between the inner core and outer shell was balanced in mass at the shipyard zone which rendered a huge swath of volume inside the base zero gravity. This balance wasn't perfect, so it was augmented by gravity inducers here and there, which also created pockets of gravity here and there inside the base to give the workers places to work, rest, and have recreation. The balance of mass was so detailed that the moon actually projected a gravity well one would expect from a moon of its size consisting of rock, and sensor jammers returned a false reading about the interior of the moon when being scanned, making it appear to be a solid mass of the same rock as that at the surface. The Scimitar entered through the huge doors and passed down a tunnel that was nearly two miles long, bored into the solid rock and heavy metal that reinforced it. It then opened into a vast empty void that was nearly ten miles wide, where bays were either built on the moon below, hanging from the roof above, or docks floated freely in the void. There were 137 berths in the moon, where the rest of it was open and available to be developed, giving them room to build bays to build even more ships… and that construction was in progress. The moon base could build anything except a capital ship and the heavy battleships, since they wouldn't fit through the doors, and there was so much room inside, they could build a ridiculous number of ships if they only had the facilities within to do it. The Karinnes had not yet finished building Kosigi when they were destroyed, so what Jason had inherited was a half-finished project that was very useful to them, but could also be much, much more once they finished building all the bays and built more floating docks.
The ship flew past a two mile thick supporting column that attached the outer shell to the moon below, on the way one of the docks that floated in midair, which looked like some kind of gigantic spider that had wrapped its legs around the Consortium vessel. The kids, who almost never got to come to Kosigi, gaped and stared at the wonder within with wide-eyed fascination, and that attitude infected a few parents as well. Lyn and Bryn and Sheleese didn't come to Kosigi often enough to be used to it.
"Wow!" Zachary said in wonder. "It's like the inside of a dollhouse!"
"There's even air out there," Meya told him, pointing out the window. "We could open the door and you could breathe, but it's cold outside."
"It's cold?"
"Just a bit above freezing," she nodded. "But it's warmer wherever we do work, because we heat things up around the ships. We even have clouds in here."
"Really?"
"Yup. The clouds form in the boundaries where we heat the air so we can do work without freezing. It would rain if there was enough gravity to pull the water out of the clouds."
"And that's what we came to see," Jason added, pointing at the Consortium ship ahead, passing by the Jendra, one of the destroyers damaged during the battle, hanging in midair with a floating dock around it and workers repairing it.
"It's all so big," Kyri said quietly, looking out the window. "I thought it would be smaller."
"There's a lot of space in here, little lady, but not much equipment. That's what restricts us," Jason told her. "We could build an entire fleet of ships all at once, if only we had the materials and facilities in here to do it. The only limitation is we can't build anything that won't fit through the doors."
"Well, we should make bigger doors," she decided.
"We are," he chuckled. "On the far side of the base, they're building a new set of doors big enough for any ship to get in and out. It should be done in a few months, digging through the outer shell of the base is a very long process."
The Scimitar docked with the floating dock, and the Dukal party filed into a large staging room where Myleena and quite a few others waited for them. They all bowed, and then Myleena ran up and gave Jason a hug, armor scraping against armor. "Thank you for bringing me this toy, babes!" she grinned.
"How far have you gotten?"
"Not much. We're still documenting everything and cleaning the remains of the crew out," she answered. "We won't start really tearing it apart for a couple of weeks. Everything has to be inspected first."
"What about the power and computer?"
"Power, we can restore that," she answered. "The shockwave blew out most of the plasma exchangers and shattered a fuckton of conduit, and their power systems aren't too different from ours. They use a kind of hyperphased plasma that's more advanced than the Imperium, but behind us. But their computer, well, we're not sure about that. The shockwave did extensive damage to it, and it's a hardware architecture we've never seen before. It's some kind of cybernetic system using crystal nodes not much different from moleculartronic alignment storage, but it uses four states rather than three. The shockwave destroyed much of its storage, and we're not sure we can recover enough data to reconstruct their software. If we ever put it back together and use it, we'll probably have to replace the computer."
"But you can recover data?"
"Bits and pieces," she said, waggling her hand. "I have Siyhaa working on it with her Moridon team, if anyone can comprehend their computer network, she will."
"That's good. So, is it safe for a tour?"
"Safe enough. There are some microbes still on the ship, so we can't let anyone go in without an e-suit. But, I have some just for the kids," she smiled. "So, let's get the kids ready to go, and go take a look around."
The ship was very… small. They entered through the landing bay, where teams from Songa's medical service were decontaminating the ship one section at a time. They were hard at work in the landing bay, bathing all surfaces with an energy field that killed the microbes. Myleena showed them into low, honeycomb-like passages, hexagonal in structure and with doors in the ceiling and floor. "Near as we can figure, the insectoids don't use artificial gravity in the ships," she said. "The walls, floor and ceiling are made of this rough material, so their claws grip I would imagine, and all their rooms are low and set up in a way that makes it clear that they float around. It looks like about two thirds of the ship is oriented in one direction, but then there are things like that," she said, pointing at a door in the ceiling over them.
"Songa said they were low-G. I guess they had no gravity at all in here," Sheleese mused, looking at the ceiling that was only a couple of inches over Jason's head.
"How much gravity would be in a ship like this naturally?" Ilia asked curiously.
"Negligible," Myleena shrugged. "The ship doesn't have enough mass, and it's not centralized enough to produce enough gravity to matter."
"That's a very strange way to do it," Jason grunted. "The crew of this ship couldn't land on a planet. They'd be killed."
"Well, they have exoskeletons, so I'd guess that that would give them some protection," Myri noted. "But these things couldn't pilot their landing craft without some kind of gravity manipulator, or they'd die."
Myleena took them all over the ship, from the bridge to engineering, and again the design of the ship showed its operation. There were no elevators in the ship, only long tubes with what looked like would be moving belts to move the crew back and forth. The rooms and passages were all low and long, almost never any large empty space, except for the landing bay and a section of the ship in the bow that had higher ceilings and little or no equipment. "I bet this is where those energy beings stay when they're on the ships," Jyslin mused as they moved through.
"We think the same thing," Myleena nodded. "There's no equipment of any kind around here, just what looks like a comm device."
Engineering was more cramped than a Karinne ship, but the engines found there looked remarkably similar to Karinne technology of a thousand years ago, which put it about equal to Imperium technology. "They didn't even change the casing," Jason grunted, a bit offended that the Consortium would so blatantly steal Karinne technology.
"Yeah, just gives you even more reason to hate the bastards," Myleena growled. "The engine is powered by a striated hyperphased plasma system, different from ours, but almost as powerful as double metaphased. They're about equal to current Imperium standards, a bit stronger. But this is a damn big engine for such a small ship, so this thing has some serious maneuverability and speed in combat."
"Then they have to have some kind of gravity system in this thing, the G forces induced by a turn might kill," Jason grunted. "Maybe some kind of anti-gravity system, that only nullifies gravity effects to keep maneuvers from killing the crew. I'll bet it got blown out by the shockwave… too much for it to handle."
"Probably, but we'll have to wait until we start gutting the ship to find out," Myleena agreed.
My Grand Duke, I'm getting a communication for you from the Academy. The Urumi ambassador says that he has a message for you from the Collective, one of his administrative staff sent.
Alright, I'll take it in a few minutes, he answered. "Afraid work is calling, kidlets," he said aloud. "An ambassador wants to talk to me."
"Aww, make him wait, Papa!" Kyri complained.
"This is really important, so I gotta go, little lady," he chuckled. "Show them the rest of the ship, I'll catch up," he told Myleena.
Jason took the call in a lounge in the floating dock, that gave nothing away. All anyone could see was a gray wall behind him, and that anyone was the Urumi ambassador, the same one he'd pinned to the ceiling not two weeks ago. "Your Grace," he said, bowing fluidly despite his scales and bony plates. The ambassador, unlike Sk'Vrae, could speak Faey without any distortion. "My Queen has contacted me to relay her decision on a matter you discussed with her."
"Go ahead."
"I am not privy to the agreement, your Grace, so I can only give you her answer and hope you understand it. She orders me to relay to you that she agrees, and a contract is on its way to the Academy as we speak. She insists, however, on brood Princesses."
"Tell her that I accept those terms provided I can get the border systems from Dahnai," he said.
The Urumi's black eyes narrowed, then widened, then he seemed quite pleased. "Yes, yes, of course," he said brightly. "I'll inform my Queen of your acceptance, and stress your condition."
"I'm confident it will reach her quickly, then," Jason nodded to him calmly.
Jason let the ambassador go, quietly relieved. Keeping Dahnai and Sk'Vrae from butting heads along the border was critically important to the overall peace of the sector, and it was imperative to keep everyone focused on the real threat, the Imperium. He couldn't afford some war between the Imperium and some other empire to flare up because the Imperium would take advantage of it, and protecting the Faey was nearly as important as protecting Karis. The Consortium would need Faey to create artificial Generations, if they held to the plan that Jason suspected they had, so defending the Faey was of critical importance right now. It was why he was willing to give Dahnai interdictors, and why he'd do everything in his power to prevent another border war that might or might not be manufactured by the Consortium.
They might even try for humans, but Jason had a suspicion that they didn't think humans could be Generations. He was sure that the Consortium knew that Jason was a Generation, and there might be other Generations on Karis. Jason was a Generation, but he had Faey ancestors, so that was a commonality he felt the Consortium wouldn't overlook. They probably wouldn't think to see if a human could be a Generation without Faey blood, unless they had no access to Faey in order to test.
That would be an issue further down the line, but an issue he meant to address. He fully intended to put an interdictor at Earth, but before he could do that, he needed to build a Stargate that went from Earth to some central point to all members of the Academy where they could put a Stargate, then defend that Stargate with so much fearsome weaponry that the Consortium couldn't get through to the planet. That would give everyone access to the Academy, but also protect his planet from Consortium attack.
Instead of waiting, he had his staff call Dahnai. She appeared on the monitor in the midst of donning her court robes, with her inner robe on and two maids helping her wrap herself in a shimmering ruby outer robe. "Hey love," she smiled. "What, too impatient?"
"Something like that. You've had a day to think it over, Dahnai."
"So I have," she said with a smile. "And I'm inclined to give you what you want, but you have to pay for it."
"You know I'm broke, and you know I won't give you any of our technology."
"What I want you don't have to give me now," she said. "Which is more than I'd give about any other house. You do have to offer me something, I don't hand those contracts out for free."
"Well, what do you want?"
"Ten percent of the gross product of the border systems, before you divide it up among the Siann. And I want the ships you took from Maeri attached to the Imperial Navy."
"You can't have them," Jason said immediately. "They've been dismantled and recycled. I wouldn't send my people out in those things."
And they had… almost. All those ships were currently in Kosigi, hanging over on the far side as one of his teams worked on them. They were using the ships as test hulls for new designs and ideas, a kind of working lab where prototypes were tested. The ships had been decommissioned from active service after they got their own fleet going, but those ships still served Karinne by helping them test and experiment.
"Well then, I want some of your ships attached to the Navy," she said. "I want one of your little attack groups in Draconis orbit at all times."
"As long as you don't try to integrate my ships with Imperial staff, I could agree to that. That's extra protection."
"And I want one more thing."
"What?"
"I want you, here, at least one day a week," she told him. "I want you in court again. I want you to rejoin the living!"
"Hon, look at this," he said, rapping the chest of his armor. "I'm not wearing this because it's comfortable. "I'm busy, and what I'm doing is very important."
"It can keep being important, but I still demand that you come to court at least once a week," she declared. "And I will not be moved. You either come to court, or at the very least come see me once a week, or it's no deal. And I want it in writing."
"You're serious?" he asked incredulously.
"As Aris herself," she stated, giving him a flinty look. "You're a member of the Siann, but you're also my amu dorai, and I want to see you!" she told him. "And if I have to write it into a planet contract, then by Trelle, that's what I'm going to do!"
"What, is Kellin making you unhappy?"
"What kind of stupid fucking question is that?" she demanded hotly. "I don't have to be mad at Kellin to want to see you, you dipshit!"
"Sorry, sorry," he said placatingly. "I just thought—"
"No, you didn't think," she told him. "So, if you want those border systems, you will be in court tomorrow morning my time," she told him. "And that is not up for negotiation!"
He sighed. "Any chance at all I just come see you instead of coming to court?"
"No," she growled. "You will be in court. If I have to go, you have to go. Besides, I'm going to announce the contract award to you, so I want you there. We can go back to my apartment afterward and hammer out the details, then you can hammer something else."
"And the true motive is revealed," he said, giving her an amused look.
"What can I say, Symone corrupted me," she said with a slight smile. "Besides, I think I'd like another shot at you and Kellin, I don't think my hubby will be quite so nervous next time."
"Well, I guess I won't complain too much about that. Besides, if you're too impatient to get in bed, I think I can bargain a better deal out of you," he said with a light smile.
"Conjugal visits will sweeten my disposition," she winked in reply.
"Well, I guess I'll have to do something about that," he told her.
"You better. Remember. Here. Tomorrow. If you're not here, I'll declare war on you!"
"I'm just surprised you couldn't wait until next Thursday."
"I don't have to share you if you come tomorrow."
"You will if I bring the others."
"Oh no, you're coming to court on official business! And besides, I want you to myself," she said with a grin.
"Greedy, greedy, greedy," he teased.
"I'm the Empress, babes, I'm allowed to be greedy," she smiled.
After she cut the transmission to get to court, Jason just chuckled as he reached for his helmet. Thank God, Dahnai wasn't going to fight him over it. She saw his point, she saw that he could keep the peace and keep things calm. Since he'd be distributing all profit from the operation of the systems to the entire Siann, and was letting the Urumi run things themselves, he was fairly confident that his plan would work. He wanted stability and the Urumi to be if not allies, then comrades in arms against the Consortium. If he had to make a deal with the devil to get it, he'd haggle with Dahnai any day.
That haggling took place the next day. Jason had plenty of time to prepare, since he had 30 hours before court would begin the next day, and that was close to Karis' 28.93 hour day. He spent that time going over reports, touring a few ships still in Kosigi for repairs, and then going down to tour the new town where they'd put the Exiled.
The Interior department found what Jason felt was a perfect place. It was a village built on a small island off the coast of the continent of Karga, about 47 miles west of Karsa and about 3 miles off the coast. It was big enough to hold all of the Exiled and their volunteer helpers, and have enough room to store all of their equipment and machinery, and what Jason found most important was that it had a spectacular view of the town of Embraijn on the mainland, which was one of the recently populated towns, just opened within the last year. The town had a couple of docks, but it had a natural harbor where the Exiled could moor their ships. The ships would be nice to sail here, but since the ocean had no fish in it, they wouldn't be fishing.
There would be… eventually. The fish would need an ecosystem, and Cybi had been working on that. They were going to focus on the marine ecosystem first, and then move on to develop land-based ecosystems. They could set one up on land now, since they had the plants, but a healthy marine ecosystem would sustain a land ecosystem better than a land ecosystem would a marine one. They had already started part of it when they introduced several species of algae and marine plants into the seas around Karga, and they had seeded both critical species of marine bacteria and plankton from both Draconis and Earth into the oceans in several areas. Plankton and bacteria could survive in the sea because the water had the minerals and nutrients the plankton needed, drawn up from the last place on Karis where life-sustaining nutrients could be found; the ocean floor. The radiation that had blasted the planet had killed everything and destroyed virtually all organic material, but the organic matter at ocean floor had somewhat survived. It wasn't life, but it was organic compounds that bacteria and plankton could eat, and Cybi had had reclamation robots stirring up those nutrients from the seafloor for nearly a hundred years after the radiation was cleaned up. Those robots had failed centuries ago, but they had at least started the work, and there were also natural currents that brought some nutrients up. In the five years since the Karinnes returned, they'd restarted those organic pumps, and now they had sea life feeding on it. Between the nutrients deep under the ocean and sunlight, they had a very small yet stable marine ecosystem going in seven "lifeblooms" in Karis' oceans. After they gave the plankton a chance to reproduce, giving them ideal conditions to spread like the plague, they would then introduce krill, tiny crustaceans that fed on both the same nutrients and plankton, and they would also create some artificial webwork and sink it, then introduce coral to that area. After the krill, they would slowly start introducing species of fish, shellfish, mollusks, and crustaceans in a staggered pattern where each new stage could feed on something already there, but not allow "super-predators" from depopulating a lifebloom area and wrecking the ecosystem. Their hope was that as they introduced more species, they would start spreading out, and eventually they'd have an ocean-wide distribution of life.
And the backbone of the whole system would be plankton, coral, and krill.
There were some unofficial land ecosystems already. Part and parcel of the farming effort was livestock, and there were a whole lot of animals on Karis. Food animals like pigs, cattle, sheep, joba, and keerits could be found on any farm, and bees had been introduced from Earth to help with pollination both on crops and in the wild. Some joker had brought some rabbits from Earth and promptly let them escape, and in just one short year they multiplied to such an extent that they had to introduce coyotes, foxes, and vulpars to control their population. There were dogs and cats and birds and griia lizards and the little simian peki that Faey favored in the cities, and the herbivorous griia had started to show up out in the wild as well. The largest ecosystem they had was just around Karsa, and it was all of three organisms; rabbits ate the plants, and the coyotes, foxes, and vulpars ate the rabbits. Vulpars, being the overly clever little animals they were, had already started raiding the managed beehives for their honey, which was vexing the beekeepers who sold that honey. Jason had already forbidden them from killing the vulpars, since they were needed to control the rabbits, so his interior department was working up a way to keep the fox-like animals away from the bee farms. But it would all work out.
There were already Exiled there, and they did not greet him with complete happiness. There were fifty volunteers there already helping them settle into their new houses, and while some of the Exiled greeted him with smiles, he got several scowls as well. But, the all agreed that the village he found for them was nice enough, and it was on the sea, so at least it had an ocean to soothe them.
He got up early the next day, ate breakfast with Rann and Danelle, then did something he hadn't done in five years… put on court robes. He chose soft charcoal gray robes with the pattern uneven sleeves, which had the crest of Karinne embroidered into each side and the crest done in brilliant silk threading on the back. Rann laughed a little when Jason came downstairs in his court robes, but Jyslin, who was giving him a lesson in telepathy, swatted him on the knee. Be nice, you'll be wearing those too, she warned.
They look itchy, he countered.
They're actually heavy, I'm wearing three layers of clothes here, Jason told him. The outer robe, an inner robe, and a shirt and pants under it all.
Well, why wear so much?
Because it's tradition, and I'd look strange if I didn't, he answered.
Well, don't you already look a little strange, Daddy? Didn't you say you were the only human that's a Grand Duke?
Jason laughed. Yes, but this is a tradition I can't get out of, little man, he answered. If I want the others to take me seriously, I have to observe their little customs. This ridiculous robe is one of them, he sent with a touch of annoyance. Aya, I'm ready to go. Is the Scimitar ready?
I object to you using that ship, your Grace, she answered. It's unarmed!
It's also heavily armored and defended and it can outrun almost anything that tries to chase it down, he answered calmly. Besides, I'm taking a patrol group, remember?
I'd rather you be on the cruiser, not the scout ship.
I'll be completely safe, Aya. I used the Scimitar before, and I'm comfortable in it. Just make it happen. And that's an order, he warned, cutting her off.
I thought we established that I'm the bully around here, your Grace, she sent dryly.
Only when I let you, he replied cheekily. Now, I'm ready to go, so warn the Scimitar whether it's ready or not. They can get ready while I'm sitting there giving them all dirty looks.
Despite Aya's objections, Jason took off in the Scimitar with only two guards, Aya and Dera, who would be his escort in the palace; it was still considered improper for men to move about the palace without an escort. Jason and Kellin were in a sort of gray area, since they did it all the time, but Jason tried to obey the custom when it didn't inconvenience him. Besides, nowadays, Aya would never let him out of her sight or let him roam around a potentially dangerous area without protection… and she defined dangerous area as virtually anywhere beyond the strip. That was the only place she allowed him free rein. The choice of Aya and Dera was deliberate; Aya would not feel safe about letting him loose without her there, and Dera's ability to hear private sending would give them plenty of warning in case of an attack, or plotting. Give Dera fifteen minutes in the throne room during court, and she could learn all kinds of interesting things, though never anything truly damning, since the Grand Duchesses were well aware that the Empress would be stupid not to employ jhemae, or listeners, as those who had the gift Dera and Symone had were called.
It had been a long time since he'd attended court, nearly five years, and Dahnai certainly didn't miss showing him off when he arrived. As soon as she entered to begin court, she called him up to the throne and had him stand at her left as Kellin stood at her right, which meant that Jason had a place of honor for the day.
After she called court to order, she stood and addressed the assembled nobles of the Siann, using sending, which meant that she was making an official announcement. Court traditions called for Dahnai to speak most of the time, for it was long considered that sending would contain only the truth. So, to avoid being caught in a lie, Dahnai only sent when she was making official announcements, when she was summoning someone in the palace to her presence, or when certain customs demanded it.
I am announcing the dispensation of the four border systems captured from the Urumi, she sent, strong enough so even those still on the way to the throne room could hear her. We have agreed to an operations contract with the House Karinne, she declared, which caused immediate hostile looks and dark whispers and private sendings around the nobles. But, she continued, The Grand Duke Karinne has voiced, reluctance, to take and hold systems beyond his own. So, in compromise, he has decided to share all profits resulting from his possession of the systems equally with all houses of the Siann.
That caused some stunned looks. This contract was reached for one simple reason, she told them. The Imperium cannot afford to engage in a protracted war with the Urumi at this time, because of the Consortium threat. The Brood Queen Sk'Vrae of the Urumi has agreed to allow the House Karinne, which she sees as a neutral party, to occupy the space between our two empires, to prevent the outbreak of war. The Grand Duke Karinne, wishing to maintain his neutrality in all matters of the Imperium, has therefore decided to share all profits earned from the border systems with all the noble houses. I see this as a fair and equitable action, since it both prevents further war with the Urumi until after the threat of the Consortium has been removed, and also allows the entire Imperium, allows every noble house be it Minro or Hightborn, to enjoy the spoils of war. And it continues to show the Collective that since the Karinnes gain nothing from the operation of the captured systems, they will be fair and impartial administrators.
The contract will be finalized after lunch. Until lunch, then, let this court proceed as scheduled.
It had been a long time, years, since he'd been at court, but he found it to be the same poisonous atmosphere he remembered. He received all kinds of false calls of welcome from the women of the Siann, a place dominated by the women because the Grand Duchesses were much more prone to bring their daughters and nieces to court rather than their sons or nephews. The few men that were there were the husbands or sons of nobles; the only male attending court on his own was Jason himself. Jason drifted from group to group as Dahnai attended to mundane matters to which nobody paid any attention, formal readings and decrees that went on while the rest of them talked out in the throne room.
The only real business Jason did was to have a long talk with Yila Trefani in one corner, as they discussed their deal for Jason to get the Trefani merchants back into the Collective before anyone else. Jason fully intended to honor his deal, and he was already prepared to talk to Sk'Vrae about the matter when he talked to her about her sending Brood Princesses to the four systems the Imperium had wrested from the Collective.
After lunch, the official contract was signed. It was drawn up that morning and sent to his legal team, then when they sent their approval, he signed it in a little ceremony that afternoon. It put the four border systems under the control of the Karinnes, to run as they saw fit, until such time as the Empress wished to renegotiate the contract, but for a term not less than thirty years barring activity that caused the Empress to withdraw the contract.
Jason's response to this was to take the rest of the afternoon off and contact Sk'Vrae, and inform her that she could send Brood Princesses to the border systems, and that in three days, he would meet with the Brood Princesses and the Urumi in command positions of all four border systems, so they could hammer out how the Brood Princesses would rule and what materials the systems would need to get back on their feet. He assured her that Imperial ships would provide protection, because he made sure that Imperial protection was part of the contract.
In all, Jason felt that it was the best solution to the problem. Both Dahnai and Sk'Vrae would honor his neutrality and allow him to administer the border systems. The Siann had their teeth pulled when they found out Jason was going to operate the systems at no profit to the House Karinne, which strangled any objection they could raise.
He'd have plenty of time to get it all ironed out before the summit meeting about the Consortium.
But it was an important step. Just the first step in his plan to protect his house, the Imperium, and the entire sector for that matter, from the Consortium.