Chapter 5
Kaista,20 Shiaa, 4400 Orthodox Calendar
Monday,18 November 2013, Terran Standard Calendar
Kaista, 20 Shiaa, year 1326 of the 97th Generation, Karinne Historical Reference Calendar
The planet Karis, capitol planet of House Karinne
It was insanity.
Jason was shunted aside as the command staff erupted into action, and he could only watch and listen and nearly have a seizure. With a force nearly seven times bigger than the Karinne fleet appearing behind the planet, on the daytime side, and an Urumi fleet still threatening on the nighttime side of the planet, Myri, Juma, Sioa, and Navii quickly assessed the situation and took quick and decisive action.
"That fleet is hostile, people, they're raising shields and charging weapons! All forces converge on Kosigi and repel the second fleet!" Myri barked. "Planetary defenses prepare to repel the Urumi! Raise the planetary shield immediately! Recall our ships attached to the Imperial fleet! Bring the Kosigi GRAF cannon online! Ground forces on full alert, prepare for a possible land invasion! Jason, warn Dahnai, then get ready to attack when the Urumi get in range!"
Jason blinked, then realized Myri had ordered him, and he obeyed. Cybi got Dahnai back on his right window, and she looked relieved and happy. "Jayce, I was about to call you! The Urumi retreated, babes! They jumped–"
"I need my ships back now!" he told her, almost hysterically. "We're under attack by the Consortium!"
Dahnai paled, then she turned and looked to her left. "Get on the comm and tell the Karinne ships to get back to Karis right fucking now!" she screamed. "Jason, is there any way we can help you? Any at all? You bought a stargate, is it up? Can you link it to us and let us gate in?"
"No, it's not up, and there's no way you can reach us, Dahnai. Just pray."
"I will pray for you, my love," she said with a stricken look, kissing her armored fingers and holding her hand out to him. "How long will it take to jump a fleet to Karis?" she demanded, looking ot her left.
"Two days if they jump from Makan," came a reply. "That's the closest point we can reach by stargate."
"Then do it," she shouted. "They may need reinforcements by then!"
Jason cut the transmission as Cybi wrapped around him, because he saw on his tactical that the Urumi had surged forward. She floated behind him and put her hands on his head, and he felt the electric feel of her semi-solid hologram touching his skin. [They approach, Jason, and we must repel them. Now, my Duke, my friend, you will show them the power of the Generations,] she told him, with surprising vehemence. [Join with me. Together, we will protect our home.]
He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, and opened himself to Cybi. The CBIM connected to his mind through direct communion, as he and Cybi joined minds, joined souls, became a single consciousness. The cameras and sensors scattered around the planet became his eyes, the pulsing of the power plant below became the beating of his heart, and his body became the computer core that pulsated with light behind the chair holding his flesh and blood body.
The combined being of Jason and Cybi opened its eyes and looked around, able to see everywhere around the planet and Kosigi in an instant, as sensor data and camera views were processed with the speed of the CBIM mainframe. In that eternal instant, Jason used his knowledge of military tactics to assess the situation. They were not in range yet. They watched as the Karinne fleet raced around the planet, even as the Urumi surged ahead, and then the mines activated and charged the Urumi fleet. There was a cacophony of detonations as the mines detonated just outside the shields of the Urumi ships, unleashing a torsion shockwave, a wrenching of space that would deal drastic structural damage to anything in the blast wave. As the light faded, the ships in the forefront of the advance were burning debris littering the path of the ships behind, which continued forward, plowing through the remnants of their fleetmates with their shields.
They spared a second to assess what was going on on the daytime side. Kosigi flared with light, as the GRAF cannon was charged. It was a torsion cannon much like the torsion weapons the Consortium used, but the difference was the GRAF used torsion to generate a beam of energy. GRAF stood for Gravometric Resonance Alternation Force, which used a harmonic torsion pattern in the cannon's core to focus and release a massive blast of pure kinetic force. What the cannon fired was, quite simply, pure kinetic energy. The advantage of the GRAF was that it had an unlimited effective range; as long as there was a physical straight path between the cannon and its target, it could strike it.
And that range was used. The GRAF fired, illuminating the surface of the moon as a white-hot bar of pure energy blasted forth, streaking across the thousands of miles between the moon and the attacking ships, and slammed into the very center of their formation. Much to Jason's eternal relief, he saw that the GRAF had damaged the ship it struck. The sustained pulse struck the ship's shields and brought them down, and then blasted right through the narrow bow section, out the back of the crescent, then slammed into the aft section and ripped a gaping hole in the vessel. The vessel was violently deflected in its forward course by the impact, spinning up and out of control, tumbling away. The light of the GRAF faded, and then slowly began to build again. The weapon could only fire about once every twenty seconds, and at the rate those ships closed, Jason and Cybi calculated they would get six more shots before Kosigi was in range for them to fire on the moon and try to disable the cannon.
But that was not their concern at the moment. They turned their attention back to the Urumi, as the satellite weapon platforms opened fire. A cloud of plasma missles filled the sky, raging towards the enemy fleet, and the ships opened fire on the missles to stop them from hitting. The entire Urumi fleet was swallowed up in a raging inferno of plasma detonations, as every single ship in the Urumi fleet was struck by missles. As the plasma storm faded, though, it was apparent that the ships with shields had weathered the attack well, with minimal damage, but those ships whose shields had not been repaired before they arrived had been completely destroyed. The Urumi then returned fire, launching a salvo of missles back towards the planet. The gun platforms opened fire on the missles, destroying about half of them, but the survivors locked onto satellites in orbit around the planet and tried to destroy them.
He would have paid money to be on the bridge of one of those Urumi ships when they saw the brilliant, scillinting shields that flared into visibility around those satellites when the missles hit them. The satellites wobbled in orbit from the explosive impact, but the shields held, and the platform engines returned them to their proper orbits.
Now the Urumi knew they had to close to use beam weapons to destroy the satellites, and they were going to open themselves up to the automated defenses to do it. They rushed forward, opening their formations as the slower or damaged ships were outpaced by the larger ones, but the faster ships found out quickly that rushing forward only made them the first targets.
For they had come in range of the particle beam platforms orbiting the planet.
Brilliant white lines of light erupted from the satellites, shearing into the lead ships with just as much power and efficiency as the Steadfast had shown in his attack. The lead ship, a battleship, was literally cut apart by a plethora of particle beams when it came in range, and the ships behind pulled up and fired those black beams at every source of origin of the particle beams. The beam platform shields bloomed into visibility, and the particle beams simply fired again as soon as they recharged, dissecting another ship that had just come into their range.
Jason and Cybi simply waited.
The Urumi ships came to a halt just outside the range of the particle beams, then they rushed forward in unison. The particle beams sliced into their formations, cutting 6 more ships apart and crippling a seventh, and they got close enough to fire their torsion weapons. Reddish beams of light struck the defense satellites and went right through the shields, as spatial warping damaged the weapons, either making them explode or rendering them inoperable.
Still they waited.
The Urumi surged forward into a chattering blast of pulse weapon fire, weathering a pounding from the incoming fire as the three command ships in the back began moving forward, the ships in front of them moving out of the way to give them a clear field of fire. Within the center of all three command ships, and growing light appeared, as the three ships prepared to fire massive-scale energy weapons against the planetary shield protecting the planet.
[Now.]
They struck. The combined mind of Jason and Cybi used the biogenic relays scattered all around the planet to attack the Urumi with talent. Jason's talent, boosted to exponential degrees by Cybi and the biogenic computers that merged with them, was unleashed on the Urumi in the form of a psychic cacophony, a mental scream that was so loud, so painful, that it incapacitated every single thing within the area they had attacked. Tens of thousands of sepentine Urumi aboard those ships all screamed in pain and fell to the floor, writhing, blood oozing out of their earslits and muzzles. The ships no longer had any control, any guiding hands, and they continued on doing whatever they were doing when Jason and Cybi attacked them.
The three command ships, who had begun a firing sequence, were vulnerable. With no controllers to control those weapons, they charged, and charged, and charged. They continued to charge, long past the point where they should have fired. They continued to charge, even as their weapon systems overloaded and overheated, causing automated safety measures to kick in to prevent the ships from exploding.
The center ship shuddered, then its light suddenly flared, and then vanished as all power on the ship was disrupted by the safety systems, knocking out its power. The command ship on the left was the next to go dead, but the ship on the right's light suddenly began to dim. Someone on that ship had managed to fight through Jason and Cybi's attack enough to abort the charging sequence. But Jason and Cybi did not let up. They intensified their attack; clearly, if someone could still function over there, they weren't putting enough power behind it. The blood started pounding in Jason's ears, the power spiked in the core room as a high-pitched whine heralded the demand for more power, and more power, and more power. The generators reached 100%, and still Jason and Cybi maintained their crushing attack, tearing at the minds of the Urumi with their psychic scream, driving the sound of it through their very souls. The raw power and fury behind it was enough to drive the weak-willed among the Urumi insane, as Jason and Cybi attempted to do nothing less than kill the Urumi through the use of Jason's telepathic powers, augmented to exponential degrees by Cybi and the biogenic systems of Karis.
The attack served its own purpose. It incapacitated the Urumi for critical moments while the gun platforms redeployed, putting the pulse weapons in range of the attacking fleet.
But the hardware could not match the determination of the software. The generators kicked into emergency mode, robbing Jason and Cybi of the power they needed to kill, scaling back the assault from lethal, to crippling, to incapacitating, and then to higly disruptive. The telepathic members of the Urumi could shield against his attack, and through them the Urumi slowly started regaining some semblence of control over their vessels. But by then, it was too late. The redeployed gun batteries orbiting the planet were in range, and a shimmering arc of angry white balls of energy erupted from them, blasting into the Urumi fleet like a deadly avalanche. Dozens of ships were either outright destroyed or mangled so thoroughly they were dead in space, and dozens more, hammered by that relentless assault, were heavily damaged, listing, drifting out of formation as the kinetic energy introduced into them by the impacts and explosions knocked them out of formation.
[We need the generators back online,] Jason and Cybi thought in unison, for they could see the truth. When the remaining Urumi ships regained control, they would fire on the gun batteries, which would not survive their torsion cannons. The orbital weapons weren't doing enough damage, and with the planetary shield up, the ground-based weapons couldn't fire on the Urumi. The shield would stop it.
Then, it was a miracle.
They jumped in behind the Urumi fleet, twelve triangular Karinne vessels, and they were being led by the Defiant. They moved in a tight formation directly into the heart of the Urumi horde, and their particle beam cannons lit up the starry sky as they attacked, striking at a fleet more than ten times their number with almost suicidal fearlessness, moving into the area of Jason's attack with impunity, for the Faey on board those ships were protecting their crews from the less-intense attack Jason was managing to maintain on them. Dozens of brilliant beams of white slammed into the three command ships, shearing deeply into their hearts, crippling them, then the ships drove through the formation of Urumi ships, firing on absolutely any ship they could hit. The Urumi crews were still under assault from Jason, still barely able to think because of the soul-shattering scream echoing through their brains, and their inability to react quickly was fatal.
The Defiant and Washington led the destroyers through the Urumi fleet, particle beams shearing, pulse weapons blasting, trying to do as much damage as possible before Jason's attack ended. They withered the center of the Urumi fleet as the orbital gun batteries continued to mercilessly hammer at the ships on the leading edge, but then the generators finally red-lined, and went offline. The core chamber went dark for a moment, and then emergency lights kicked on as the backup power took over powering the facility. Jason and Cybi were out of it until the main power plant cooled off, did a diagnostic, and put itself back online.
The Urumi ships burst into action. The Karinne ships in the middle of them were attacked from all sides by dark streaks of energy and reddish beams, and they turned and fled by going through the Urumi and running towards the planet. A destroyer was hit in the aft starbord, and then ship's lights went dead and the ship listed fatally to port, a slow spin that, if left on its own, would cause the ship to slam into the planetary shield. A volley of reddish beams pounded the Defiant, causing a rupture in the armor on its top, gouting black smoke and atmosphere into space. The ship seemed to become sluggish, but then all three particle beam projectors bloomed to life, eviscerating the heavy cruiser that moved to block the Karinne ships. The Washington swooped in over the injured cruiser like an angel of death, pulse cannons ripping through an Urumi destroyer that was moving in to fire on the Defiant and causing the entire ship to explode in a brilliant inferno, but then Jason saw one Urumi cruiser fire, not towards a Karinne ship, but on one of its own. Jason zoomed in and saw fighters pouring out of the destroyers, and realized the telepaths were attacking the Urumi within the vessels in the classic Faey tactic that utilized their greatest weapon.
Their telepathy.
It was total chaos. Any semblence of cohesive strategy broke down when the fighters came into the equation, as Faey assaulted Urumi with talent from close range from fighters, and the Urumi launched fighters to put a stop to it. Naval vessels fired on each other in a wild, chaotic melee, as the nimble Karinne vessels continued to push their way out of the Urumi formation towards the planet, but spreading out, breaking up, to make it harder for the Urumi to fire on them without risking hitting their own ships. Fighters danced in the space between the ships, weaving between pulse blasts, particle beams, black streaks and reddish beams from Urumi weapons, creating a complete brawl. The Washington turned on the last of the big ships, a heavy battleship, and raked it with particle beams in a continuous blitz. The Aurora and Devenne joined the cruiser, adding their single particle beams to the three of the cruiser, and the two destroyers and cruiser systematically tore the battleship apart. They didn't stop until someone hit something vital and caused the entire bow section of the battleship to explode in a hellish blast of reddish-green fire.
The Urumi ships seemed to flail about wildly, and Jason realized that they had crippled the chain of command. The remaining ships had no leaders, nobody telling them what to do, so they were losing their cohesiveness, fighting as a collection of ships rather than a coordinated task force. They wilted under a furious assault by the 10 remaining Karinne vessels capable of firing at them, for now the Defiant was listing, its lights flickering, and it was clearly out of the battle. The Urumi ships seemed to turn in wild, random directions, as two more of them exploded from relentless pounding from orbital pulse batteries and particle beams, and the remaining ships fled. The Karinne ships did not pursue, they instead rushed to rescue the crippled destroyer and the Defiant, grabbing them in towing beams and pulling them to safety as the 53 ships left of the Urumi attack fleet fled back towards deep space, trying to get far enough away to jump into hyperspace and flee back to Urumi space.
That side of the battle was won, so Jason and Cybi looked to the other side.
And they found hell.
The Karinne fleet had engaged the Consortium ships near the moon of Kosigi, whose surface was pockmarked with columns of hellish fire. The GRAF cannon was destroyed, as well as many surface batteries, but the remaining batteries still fired on any of the black ships that were in range, even as the Karinne fleet held a furious, frenzied defense against the Consortium vessels, chasing after them as they rushed towards the planet. Twisted, burning wreckage littered space around the pitched battle, and to Jason's horror, he saw that there were more Karinne ships littering that graveyard than Consortium ships. The battleship Victory was burning, slowly turning on its keel in space, clearly out of commission, and the Aegis had sustained heavy damage to its bow and port keel. Raptor fighters swarmed around the black ships of the Consortium, but the Consortium had no fighters of their own to fight them.
That advance slowed somewhat when the Consortium ships got within range of the orbital defense platforms, for they opened up on the attackers, pounding the lead ships, and Jason saw with some relief that these unkown ships were not invulnerable to Karinne weaponry. The particle beams sliced right through their shields and sheared through their armor, digging deep, crippling wounds in the black ships, and the pulse weapons punched into the sides of the ships and exploded, ripping savage holes in them. But they didn't stop advancing, even as the ships near the shield exploded from the crossfire between the defense platforms and the Karinne ships behind. A single Consortium ship managed to breach the perimeter, and Jason could only watch as it struck the planetary shield, but did not rebound off from it. He saw a sudden cloud of objects drop from its bow, and zooming in showed that they had launched robotic fighting vehicles that looked like twenty foot six-legged praying mantises, with scythe-like frontal arms. They looked oddly like a Kizzik. They entered the atmosphere, and Jason and Cybi could see that they were on a course to land on Kosiningi… but it was a moot point, for now that they were inside the shield, the ground-based weapons could fire on them. A barrage of missles rose up from the planet surface and hammered into the landing craft, but much to Jason's shock, those landers survived the attack. A plasma bolt, plasma being the only weapon that had that kind of range in an atmosphere, streaked up and hit the lead robot squarely in the belly, but the robot's armor withstood the strike, just like their own armor. Those mecha continued a controlled descent, metal shields drawn up and covering areas of them, which opened like wings to reveal black metal weapons mounted to their backs. They descended confidently… until a squadron of Raptors intercepted them.
The lead Raptor fired pulse weapons from below, striking the lead mecha in the belly. A gaping, smoking hole appeared in the belly of the craft, it turned in the air, and then broke apart in the air friction. The Raptors unleashed a furious volley of pulse fire against the landing crafts as they tried to scatter away from the fighters, but the Raptors were built for high-G atmospheric maneuvering where the alien mecha were not, and that allowed them to systematically blow them out of the sky.
The ship that had launched those ground units exploded in a hellish blast when the heavy cruiser Olympia sheared through its primary power generation plant with a particle beam.
[Where is that power?] Jason demanded irritably.
[Patience, Jason. The maintenance robots are completing repairs. Until then, have faith in your people.]
Jason took stock. Though there were 17 Karinne ships out of commision out of a total force of 63, Cybi showed him that 163 Consortium vessels had been destroyed or crippled, many of them the victims of the Kosigi weapons. The Consortium had lost nearly a third of their fleet in their assault on Kosigi, because they had exposed themselves to the hundreds of particle beam and pulse weapon batteries on the moon's surface when they closed in to destroy the GRAF cannon. In the no-man's land where the Karinnes had no support, they had suffered significant casualties, but with the Consortium within range of the orbital guns, now they were the ones taking heavy casualties. Their ships had superior armor and shields compared to the Urumi vessels, but even that was not enough when put up against the Karinne's devastating particle beams and teryon pulse weapons. And Karinne shields were resistant to their dark matter guns, leaving their only recourse to use the torsion weapons, which had an inferior range compared to particle beams. They had to come into harm's way to deal damage, and they paid for it with lost ships. The Karinnes had seemed to work out that range, and were now actively running from Consortium ships, keeping them in range of their particle beams, but staying out of range of their torsion weapons. The change in tactics helped, but the KMS kept losing a ship to every three it defeated, and at that rate the entire fleet would be destroyed quickly
[The crews of those ships are resistant to talent,] Cybi noted impassively as reports trickled in to Myri, which Cybi monitored. [Our mindstrikers are having no effect.]
[Get our power back on and we'll take a shot at them. I don't thin k they can resist us, since we don't work the same way the mindstrikers do.]
[True.]
Things changed quickly, however, when the Karinne fleet broke off, retreated back behind the orbital platforms and regrouped, right up against the shield. Consortium ships tried to chase them down, but they were driven back by the barrage of fire from the orbital platforms. That close to the shield, the Consortium had no choice but to come into the range of the orbital weapons in order to get in range of the ships. And more and more orbital batteries were getting there, en route from around the planet, adding more and more firepower, as well as the Washington and the 9 destroyers left that had ambushed the Urumi, having finally circumnavigated the planet and joined the Karinne fleet. It was a desperate stalling tactic, trying to make the Consortium back off, giving Myri and the general staff a critical moment to think things through and try to come up with something to salvage the situation, because it wasn't looking too good at the moment.
The Consortium still had 152 ships, where they were down to 46 ships. That was still a three to one advantage, with only the orbital weapon platforms evening the odds. The Karinnes had superior firepower if the Consortium attempted to attack the planet or Kosigi, but so long as they just sat out there, out of range of Karinne weapons, there wasn't much they could do about it, not with such a huge disadvantage in numbers. The Consortium had had no choice when they went after the GRAF cannon on Kosigi, else the cannon would have just picked them off one by one until they go out of line of sight or retreated, and erred when they sacrificed several ships just to get one close enough to try to launch ground units, which were intercepted and destroyed before they got anywhere near the planet's surface.
Why had they done that, anyway? It didn't really seem to make much sense… unless it was nothing but a test.
Jason could do the math. Now that the GRAF cannon was destroyed, the Consortium could just sit back there and wait, maybe call in reinforcements. They had the advantage out away from the orbital weapons, and the Karinnes didn't have the numbers or firepower to drive them off.
The Consortium ships drew in, forming a tight, almost packed formation. The lights flickered, and the main power came back online, just as that formation charged straight ahead at full speed!
In seconds, Jason was again part of Cybi, and the two of them struck at the black ships charging them. They unleashed their power against the strange-minded beings within those ships, but found them to be resistant to the telepathic cacophony, very disciplined, very strong.
A fundamental truth hit them in that attack. These minds… they were insectoid. These ships may not be from the Consortium. These were not the minds of beings who existed as pure energy. These were carbon-based, and their thoughts were filled with hatred, a hatred so strong, so powerful that they could sense it as a palpable thing, a black aura around the minds within those ships.
Instead of resisting, the Karinne ships scrambled out of the way as the black vessels charged right through a withering storm of fire from the orbital platforms, their weapons firing in a concentrated arc before them, blasting away the platforms. Jason realized that the ships were trying to reach the shield, and Myri had wisely ordered her ships to get out of the way. The Karinne fleet raked the attackers with particle beams, but they did not fire back, or even try to dodge. Dozens of enemy ships were sheared apart, exploded, or listed out of their formation as they charged the gauntlet of orbital platform and ship fire. Of the 152 ships that had made that insane assault, only 77 survived to reach the shield. Those ships struck the shield, drove their bows through it, and then launched a dark, ominous cloud of surface attack units, descending towards the planet's surface like deadly rain.
Their landing craft deployed, the ships then turned and fled, again being hammered by Karinne ships and orbital weapon platforms.
"Prepare for a surface attack!" Myri's voice touched his ears. "They're heading for Kosiningi! Redeploy Gladiators to reinforce the island!"
Jason watched the alien ships. They lost even more from their fleet as they retreated back, but then the 66 survivors slowed to a stop and waited, outside the range of the orbital platforms. But they turned and redeployed when the Karinne fleet came screaming out from their protective nook near the shield, clearly more than willing to take on the alien fleet with the numbers they had now. The Aegis led the advance, its massive size shielding the smaller ships as a cloud of fighters darted ahead of the naval vessels.
The battle in the atmosphere was more of a duck shoot than a battle, but it was no less desperate. A swarm of Raptors attacked the mantis-like mecha as they descended, blowing them out of the sky, but there were too many for the Raptors to destroy before some of them reached the ground. They dropped through the clouds and slammed into sea, creating splashes hundreds of feet high, but mere moments later they appeared on the beach, scrabbling forwards on their six legs as the cannons on their backs deployed.
And then the Gladiators were there.
They were led by a sleek black Gladiator, piloted by Sergeant Kyva, and they pinned the invaders down at the beach. Red pulses of light from torsion weapons sizzled in one direction, and blazing white bundles of teryon energy raced in the other. The Gladiators took cover behind a dune by the sea, firing over it and then ducking back down out of sight, but Kyva ghosted forward on her gravometric drive, coasting above the sand, and she was amazing. He'd never seen anyone pilot a mecha with such grace, skill, and artistry! She weaved between red bolts like a dancer, ducking, sliding, twisting, almost looking like a ballet dancer lost in the glory of her expression, and she invaded the enemy formation alone. He thought it was suicide, but then she deployed the monomolecular blades from the forearms of her Gladiator, the last-ditch close combat weapon, and he realized what she was doing. She was in the middle of them, and she had the reflexes of a cat. Every mecha that fired on her missed, and most of them ended up shooting one of their own comrades. In such close quarters, using their weapons only did damage to themselves, and she danced within the center of them, her monomolecular blades ripping through their armor like paper. Robotic appendages flew with every lightning-fast slash of the Gladiator's arms. She slid out of the way of a red beam that struck the mantis she'd just dismembered, making it detonate, and then she returned fire from her forearm-mounted pulse cannon, blowing meter-wide holes through its entire body. The wreckage sagged to the sand, smoking and burning. She parried the slash of another mantis' scythe-like front appendage like a medieval swordfighter, sliced that appendage off, then stabbed the mantis through the body with her other blade. It dropped twitching to the sand, its legs quivering spasmodically, and Kyva fired a blast of pulse fire into the mecha that had come into view behind it as it fell. Another mecha turned to fire on her, but its entire front half exploded when a Raptor hit it from above with a pulse blast, and the remaining mantises tried to push in from the beach as more Raptors opened fire on them from above.
Other mantis craft landed on other parts of the island, but those who landed on solid earth, instead of attacking, instead leaned down and fired some kind of coherent energy beam from a plate in the chest of the mechas, which melted through the ground.
They were trying to burrow down into the bunker!
Myri realized that herself, almost immediately. "They're trying to reach the bunker!" she snapped. "Stop them no matter what it takes!" she screamed.
But Jason realized something. They were close. They were very close. He could see them, and he was connected to Cybi, who boosted his talent exponentially.
That included his telekinesis.
He struck like a hammer. One mantis mecha, who had landed right by the emergency response building holding Cybi's core, turned and moved towards the building, but then it stopped dead. the mecha shuddered, and then it dropped to the ground, smoke oozing from its open ports. Jason found that he couldn't affect the armor of those things, but he could shred them from the inside, attacking their much less armored interior workings.
He laid into the invaders like an avenging angel, focusing on attacking any mecha that was not under attack or was too close to the compound. Mantis fighting mechas dropped to the ground, destroyed from within, all over the island as Jason joined in the defense, using his vastly amplified telekinetic powers like the weapon they were. The Gladiator pilots seemed quite baffled by what was going on, as mecha they targeted just dropped dead of their own volition, with no visible indication of what was happening to them. "Gladiator pilots, the Grand Duke is attacking the invaders with his telekinesis," Cybi called aloud, which was transmitted out on the command gravband frequency. "Leave the smoking ones be, they have already been neutralized."
"I knew I loved that man," Kyva mused from the beach, where she was now part of an element of 14 Gladiators that repelled the amphibious assault, as the mantis mecha tried to get off the sandy beach and onto solid ground. It seemed that they could not try to burrow in from underwater or from the beach; only the mecha that reached solid ground made the attempt.
It took nearly half an hour. Thousands of mantis mecha had reached the surface, and it was a pitched battle all over the island. Gladiators and Raptors attacked anything that moved, while Jason focused on destroying the mecha that got past them and had managed to burrow into the ground, killing them before they could reach the bunker and directly threaten him, Cybi, and his family and command staff. The mantis mecha gathered into defensive mobs and tried to cover the ones that were burrowing down into the ground, which was a fairly effective tactic. But it became apparent to them after about ten minutes that it was going to be impossible for them to reach the underground bunker so long as Jason could kill them before they could get close, and they were basically surrounded, trapped, and helpless. They had no aerial support, they had no way to retreat, and they were surrounded on all sides by savagely protective defenders, by Gladiator and Raptor pilots who were fighting with intense resolve, for they were defending their Grand Duke's very life. Not a single Faey or human among the defenders did not believe that the attack on Kosiningi was anything but a direct attempt to kill Jason Karinne.
The result were almost fanatical defenders who took awful chances, but were so angry that those daring assaults were actually successful. Kyva had to be the perfect example of that, for she was absolutely fearless, willing to attack a large mob of mantis mechas by herself. Any time Kyva showed up to attack a concentration of mantis mecha, that formation was quickly broken up and scattered from the sheer fury of her attack, her deadly aim, her uncanny combat skills, and her amazing reflexes to avoid taking damage in return.
It took nearly thirty minutes, but in the end, as the barracks by the emergency building burned and firefighters and damage control dealt with several fires in the emergency response building itself, the last of the mantis mecha were destroyed, and a sensor sweep showed that the island was secured.
The defenders had beaten back the attack, but they all knew that had Jason Karinne not been there and been able to attack the enemy with his talent, they would have won this battle, but lost the bunker and everyone inside it, which would have been the most crushing defeat imaginable… the death of the Grand Duke and his family.
Jason turned his attention to space, and found a similar situation. The KMS had been engaged in combat with the invaders the entire time, and what was left of both fleets continued to do battle. There were only 31 Karinne ships left operational, but they had managed to take a much bigger bite out of the invaders, who only had 19 ships remaining. The Aegis was on fire and motionless in space, heavily damaged, but the battleship Trelle's Gift, the last of the large ships operational, rallied all the remaining ships around it as they pressed the attack. The black ships of the invaders were broken from their formation and trying to regroup, but the battleship drove into the center of them as the destroyers and cruisers pressed, forced them to spread out even more, until most of the remaining ships were isolated.
"We've got more ships coming out of hyperspace!" Myri said in fear, then she laughed. "They're Kimdori! They're coming to assist!"
Jason felt a wild surge of elation as an armada of Kimdori warships approached the planet at top speed. He then saw, to his horror, one of the enemy ships turn and accelerate, aiming its crescent bow right at the Trelle's Gift. It was going to ram!
The battleship saw it coming. Particle beams sheared through its aft section, causing its engines to explode, which blew the entire aft section apart. The bow and neck spun away from the explosion wildly, bouncing off the battleship's shields. Jason saw all of the enemy ships turn and try to ram the Karinne vessels, in some kind of final, suicidal attempt to take as many Karinne ships with them as they could. Many of them were destroyed, but he gasped when he saw one of them ram the much smaller Resolute, driving the smaller ship in front of it like a bulldozer, but the Resolute's armor withstood the unbelievable force of the impact. The Defiant, which had somehow repaired itself enough to re-enter the battle, raked the ramming ship with its particle beams and pulse cannons, blowing it apart, which pushed the Resolute even further as the concussion of the explosion hit it. Another black ship tried to ram the Resolute from the other side, but a swarm of fighters pounded it with their weaponry, and they must have hit something vital, for the black vessel suddenly veered to port, veering away from the destroyer, as fire and a sudden explosion erupted from its aft section, just forward of its spike-like wing. The destroyer San Diego fired pulse weapons right into that gaping wound, which caused the entire aft section of the ship to erupt into a massive fireball, shattering the neck and bow section in a cataclysmic detonation.
One by one, Jason watched the KMS destroy the enemy craft as they tried to ram, until the last vessel was destroyed. Then there was a moment of silence, until Myri's voice came in over the command channel.
"All forces stand down," she called. "Begin damage control and recovery procedures."
There came a cheer from the command center behind Myri, but everyone knew it wasn't over yet. The battle was over, certainly, and they had won. But now came the painful chore of picking up the pieces, and finding out how many of their family they had lost.
When the core was returned to the surface from its hot hiding place in the planet's mantle, there was a large procession there when the latches were in place and the door opened. Jyslin and his family rushed in and hugged him, and he made sure to kiss Jyslin and every Marine, child, and Symone at least twice as he let his relief they were well flood into him. He took Myri's hand solemnly, then pulled her in and hugged her.
"How bad?" he asked simply.
"Not very bad," she said with optimism. "We don't have the information in yet, but what we do have in gives me some hope. We had twenty-six ships lost in total. Seven were completely destroyed, and nineteen are beyond hope of salvage. The most heavily damaged are going to spend a few months in drydock, but they can be returned to service. The Kimdori are helping us tow our ships back to Kosigi to start repairs, and they've taken up defensive positions around the planet in case those bastards jump in another fleet."
"Casualties?"
"Light, given the ferocity of the battle," she answered. "They're still picking people up from space. Putting everyone in Crusaders made a huge difference, Jason. We had a little over a thousand killed, five times as many injured. The armor really, really made a difference. We had survivors from ships that were totally destroyed, because of the armor."
"That's why I did it," he said, both saddened to hear of a thousand deaths, but glad… because it could have been much worse.
"The emergency compound took some damage, but nothing we can't fix," she said. "I'll have the solid numbers for you as soon as we have a complete tally."
"And them?"
"No prisoners," she told him. "They're some kind of insectoid race, and it was clear that those that survived the battle killed themselves rather than be captured. We can probably salvage some of the technology from the debris, and we're looking for some intact computers so we can try to get some information on them. I've already got some teams out investigating."
"That sounds good," he said.
"Now then, your Grace. I want you and your people to return home, to Karsa," Myri told him. "There's been some damage here, and I'm afraid your vacation house was destroyed. Besides, I want to get you to a secure location, and Foxwood is secure enough."
"I can do that," he told her. "Did you tell Dahnai we made it?"
She nodded. "She jumped a fleet to us, but it won't get here for two days."
"Alright. I'll make a declaration when we get home, and lift martial law."
His children were quite animated and excited on the flight home, but Jason was quiet and pensive. A thousand dead. A thousand. He would recognize the names when he saw the roles, and each one would pain him. They were his people, his precious people, and they had died in battle to protect the house, and in a way, to protect him. Those aliens–he wasn't sure if they were Consortium or not, though they certainly were using the same weapons the Consortium sold the Urumi–had made a direct attempt on him, and his people had beaten them back. He felt… vulnerable now. The presence of the Dukal Guards in the dropship was actually a comfort, for with them nearby, he felt strangely safe, and he wouldn't let Jyslin and Rann get out of reach of him. He kept tight hold of her hand, and kept Rann on his lap, keeping his family close, as if their proximity reminded him that they were safe and well.
When he got home, the first thing he did was give an open address to the house. He told them that they had persevered, lifted martial law, and then gave an account of how things had unfolded. And much to the surprise of the people of House Karinne, the Grand Duke Karinne broke down in tears when he told them about the casualties. But then he wiped his eyes, told his people how damn proud he was of them, and assured them that the Kimdori fleet was protecting the planet, and they would be safe enough while the fleet put in for repairs.
If anything, the emotion the Grand Duke showed about the loss of his people made them even more loyal to him.
Once home, back in his study, he sat down and first contacted Zaa. She appeared as a hologram behind his chair, in the middle of the room, her hands behind her back, a look of concern on her face. "Cousin," she called. "Miaari already contacted me, and told me you prevailed. I am pleased that you are well."
"Did she tell you everything?"
Zaa nodded. "We have no contact with this race. They are unknown to us."
"Why didn't you help us sooner?" he blurted out.
"I got the fleet there as quickly as I could, cousin," she told him calmly. "When the second fleet arrived, Handmaiden Miaari called me. But I was unavailable when she called, and it took her nearly five minutes to get in touch with me. She explained the situation, and I mobilized our fleet to reinforce you, which, as you know, is not an instantaneous matter. I took them about ten minutes to organize and jump, and then they had to travel there. It takes nearly sixteen minutes of continuous hyperspace travel for them to reach Karis from Kimdori. It is a long way there from here, cousin."
"Sixteen minutes?" he gasped in surprise.
She nodded. "It is usually done in stages, because of the dangers of that much hyperspace exposure to the crew, so in actuality it takes nearly thirty minutes to get there. The fleet only made one brief stop to relieve the crews from hyperspace exposure, so they arrived in twenty-two minutes. I ordered our fleet to assist as soon as I was warned of your predicament."
"I didn't know it takes that long. You always just seem to get here so fast," he said in wonder.
"I am quite resistant to hyperspace exposure," she smiled. "I, and many individual Kimdori, can tolerate such a long journey safely."
"Well, I'm sorry then, Denmother," he said contritely. "I didn't mean to accuse you."
"I am relieved to hear that, cousin," she said honestly. "And be assured, I know it is a heart that mourns the loss of those you care for that spoke in anger, and I take no offense to it. But I am most pleased with your house, Jason. They protected Karis from a major threat with no outside assistance. You have truly come into your own."
"Not without some deaths and a lot of damage," he sighed.
"I know, but does the knowledge that your people will be safe not relieve you?"
"I, I guess it does," he admitted. "We had our trial by fire, and we passed it."
"Truly. I will look into the matter of these unknown creatures. That which is unknown to the Kimdori unsettles the Kimdori. We will find the truth of this matter."
"You need to keep me posted."
"We will. I will leave you now and see to this matter, personally."
After speaking with Zaa, he contacted Dahnai. She looked almost emotionally relieved to see his face, sniffling and clapping her hands. "Thank Trelle!" she said explosively. "Your command staff told me you were okay, but I wanted to see you, love!" she called. "Are you alright?"
"I'm alright," he told her.
"I have a fleet en route to Karis now, love," she told him. "Are you going to be able to hold your defenses until they get there?"
"We'll manage," he told her. "It was a short, very nasty fight."
"What happened?"
"They tried to kill me," he told her bluntly. "They penetrated our defenses and landed fighting mecha on the planet, and it was abundantly clear that they were coming after me. My ground forces literally repelled them from my doorstep."
"Oh Trelle!" she gasped. "Is everyone alright? Is Rann okay?"
"Everyone's fine," he said, "and thanks for asking. I really appreciate it, hon."
"Hey, you're family, and I happen to love you, you silly boy," she told him with a glorious smile. "What kind of damage did you take?"
"It wasn't pretty, but we're still viable," he told her. "Thank God, casualties were light, but my fleet got its ass pretty much well kicked. I don't have a single ship that didn't take damage of some kind, and I lost nearly half my fleet."
"Well, I have an armada coming to defend you until you get your ships back in service," she told him.
"We might have to negotiate about that," he told her.
"Bull SHIT are we negotiating!" she shouted. "I don't give a damn about your secrecy and your technology, you asshole! I am not going to give those Consortium bastards a CHANCE to hurt you again!"
Jason laughed as Dahnai's face twisted in outrage, then she glared at him. "Well, it's nice to be loved, but I'm not really going to need your ships, Dahnai. I have enough defense here to protect the planet."
"When I get there, I will be the one to decide that," she told him hotly. "I know you have some way to get back and forth between there and Draconis in real time, so come and pick me up, Jason! My fleet is coming, and I will be there to greet them. And make sure they behave themselves."
"I take it you're going to be serious about this?"
"Either you come get me or I'll declare war on you!" she said with savage conviction.
Jason considered it, and decided that it might be for the best. Karis was compromised. There was no doubt about that now. And Dahnai knew from earlier that his ships had some way to move about in real time, so that wasn't giving anything away either. Maybe, with the Empress herself here, it would keep the Faey on their best behavior.
One thing was for certain, though… he'd have to tell Zaa to pull her fleet out before they got here.
"It won't be today, Dahnai," he acquiesced. "Would, uh, sixteen hours be alright? Well, it better be alright. It's more of a 'take it or leave it' proposition. Right now, I just can't spare anything to come after you."
"I don't like it, but I'll live with it," she said flintily.
It took a little doing with Zaa. He called her back and told her about what Dahnai had done, and she was not happy about it. "She cannot know of our involvement with you, yet the presence of her and her fleet will hamper our assistance in your recovery and jeopardize things," she said, her hologram pacing back and forth in his study. "But there is nothing to be done about it. My fleet will assist with the recovery and salvage until they must leave, and then they will leave. You must convince Dahnai not to leave any ships or assistance, Jason, no matter how much she demands or how sincere she may be. To do so would only hinder you."
He could agree with that.
From Foxwood, Jason monitored the clean-up and recovery. Myleena launched to start going over the wreckage of the enemy ships, both Urumi and the aliens, and Miaari and Tim went with her. Jason wanted to go, and so did Jyslin, but Aya gave him a withering glare when he brought it up, which cowed him into remaining at his house. But he wasn't alone, that was for sure. After he left his study, everyone came to see him, and all five of his children were kept there by the Dukal Guard, keeping the entire Dukal family together so they could protect them or move them if another fleet appeared to threaten the planet. Myri checked in every half hour to give him updated reports on the progress, and Myleena kept in constant communion as she combed through the wreckage in a Gladiator, escorted by Sergeant Myka. He spent quite a bit of that time with someone on his lap, be it one of his children, his wife, or Symone, as they kept close to him. His children didn't really understand what was going on, but they could tell that Jason was upset, so they kept close to him. Jyslin and Symone did fully understand what was going on, so they kept near him to comfort him as Myri kept updating the casualty lists, and Jason kept recognizing names, KMS personnel he knew personally that were either dead or injured.
The diminutive Captain Travka, the Makati captain of the Defiant, was killed in battle. Captain Jeya of the Steadfast was injured. A torsion weapon went right through the bridge, and she was directly struck. It had ripped her left arm off, and she'd be in hospital a while as they grew her a new one. And they weren't the only ones. The captains of 17 of his ships were either dead or injured, people he knew personally, talked with on a regular basis.
So much damage, but again, he could only sigh in relief that it hadn't been much worse.
Over the course of the afternoon and into the night, Jason watched. The damaged ships were towed to Kosigi and put in drydock, where Kimdori crews joined in with his human and Faey workers to start repairs. Crews were on Kosigi as well, repairing the damage its surface suffered in the attack, but the base within the moon itself was undamaged, fortunately. Kimdori vessels began the formidable task of sweeping up all the wreckage, saving it so both they and Myleena could pore over it, to study it. While Myleena went over the alien technology, Songa performed autopsies on the insectoid crews, and the Kimdori towed in a crippled Urumi command ship, quite a prize, and took the surviving Urumi prisoners that were clinging to life aboard the wreckage of the ships that had been destroyed in the battle.
"It looks like we could salvage this thing," Tim called over a radio when Jason asked what was going on with him, Myleena, and Miaari. "The only real damage is they blew out their main reactor and it fed back and blew out their entire power system. We have just about all of it, Jayce, even the crew. At least what's left of them."
"What do you mean? I thought you said the ship's intact."
"Most of the crew is insane," he answered. "I touched on their minds, and well over half of them are totally mad. I think they couldn't handle your attack. Anyway, after they went mad, they started fighting each other. That's where most of the damage came from. It was a ship full of insane maniacs, driven to violence by your attack on them, and they didn't give a damn about trying to shut down the overload and getting power back online. The sane ones just barricaded themselves into sections of the ship and tried to hang on."
"Well, I'm not going to shed a tear," he said curtly. "You find any sane officers?"
"Yeah, we got the captain of this ship, he's sane. He's got some telepathic ability, so he managed to shield himself well enough."
"Take him to Miaari so she can arrange to have someone interrogate him. Have them tow the ship into orbit and weed out the sane from the insane, then drop them on one of the barren continents with enough food and water to last them a while, til we ship them back to the Collective."
"That's a pretty good idea. We won't have to worry about sticking them in jail cells. After all, if we dump them in a desert with food and water, where are they gonna go?"
"Exactly."
"Jason, can you go to a screen please?" Songa called over the link. Jason went back to his study and brought her up. She was covered in green gore, her gloves smeared in it up to her elbows.
"What is it, hon?"
"I'm done with the necroscopies on the enemy dead," she told him, as a human aide wiped her face for her. "They're not too exotic that it's anything to report about. They've got physiology I'd expect to see in an insectoid species of their size, and I found no microbes or diseases at all that they're carrying, which I though was a bit odd. Just like Terran bees or ants, all of the bodies I've examined are female in gender, but they're also sterile, unable to reproduce. But, I did find two rather interesting things."
"What?"
"Well, first, these things are adapted to a low-G environment," she told him. "Their physiology is almost delicate in ways that they wouldn't be if they matured in a normal gravity well. I don't think they could even survive more than a few hours in the Karis gravity well. They're like the Menoda that way."
"Yeah, that is a little weird," Jason agreed. "What's the other thing you found?"
She reached out of view, then pulled back a small silvery device. "One of these was implanted in the brains of every single one of them," she answered. "It's not working right now, none of them are, so I'm not too sure what they do. I sent one to Myleena so she can study it."
"I'll have her check it out. You should send a couple of them to the Kimdori as well."
"I'll make sure they get some," she promised.
He returned to the living room, where Rann and Kyri were playing a concentration game with Ayama that helped teach them the Faey alphabet, and sat down beside Jyslin. What did Songa want?
She reported on what she found out. He relayed to her what Songa had discovered. I wonder what those devices do. Maybe those were why the Faey couldn't affect them with telepathy.
That's possible. They could have been something as simple as implants to let them communicate with each other, too, or something that just lights up when they need light. Don't jump to conclusions until we know, she teased with a wink. Then she snuggled against him and sighed. I'm so glad we came through it alright. I wasn't really worried until after it was over, though. They didn't even tell us that those things tried to dig down to the bunker until after the battle was done. When I heard that, I almost had a heart attack. That was the first time I really felt scared for Rann. And it was after it was over, of all times.
I know how you'd feel, love.
By sunset, when Jason felt drained and exhausted, Myri had come to see him as Ayama made dinner for him and the family. She took a place at the table, sighed, and put her helmet on the floor by her chair. Trelle, what a day, she sent with mild understatement. I have the final tallies and a full report on the damage and repairs needed, Jayce. I sent it to your panel.
Thanks, Myri. You need to take a break.
I still have a lot to do yet, she shook her head. As you can imagine, it's a mess back in the command room. We're trying to pick up the pieces and get things back to something that might someday be considered normal.
I know how you feel. Everything changed today, he sent grimly. We faced our first armed attack, and now we can't hide anymore. They know where we are, and we have to be ready for it.
I know. I hope Kosigi gets that interdictor built.
It has complete priority, even over repairing the ships, Jason told her. The Kimdori are lending us more workers to repair the ships so we can get both done at the same time. I'm not going to sleep well at night until that interdictor is up and running.
Me either.
How long until the Imperial fleet gets here?
Thirty-one hours, she answered. The officer in command of the Kimdori fleet already gave me his schedule for withdrawal. They're going to pull out in stages starting in about four hours and mass up near the blue sun on the far side, just at minimum hyperspace jump distance. That way they're a fast jump away if we need them.
And the star's radiation will hide them from Faey sensors, Jason nodded in approval. Only Kimdori or Jakkans could keep a fleet that close to the star, he sent with an audible chuckle.
I swear to Trelle, they have one hell of a racial immunity, Myri declared with a grin.
How do things look for the future?
Well, I think we'll be alright, Myri told him. We didn't lose anything we can't replace equipment wise, and our casualties were almost miraculously low, thanks to all the cash you dished out putting all of us in Crusaders. We lost a few damn fine ship captains, though. They won't be easy to replace. On the bright side, we captured intact Consortium weapons and shield generators from that Urumi capital ship, and I think Myleena's tearing them apart as we speak to see how they work. That was a real prize, but forgive me if I don't like the price we had to pay to get them.
Amen, Jason agreed soberly. Stay for dinner?
She nodded. I haven't eaten since this morning.
Jason slept heavily that night, and awoke the next morning a little groggy, but feeling a little better. The rather wild night the night before hadn't given him real sleep, just exhaustion-induced sleep, and he made up for it with ten hours of deep sleep. He threw his legs over and rubbed his face, then used his interface to bring up the vidscreen on the wall, a screen he used very rarely. Given it was in his bedroom, he only allowed them to initiate contact to speak to him in emergencies. Shey's face appeared on it, and saluted to him in greeting. "What can I do for you, your Grace?"
"How are things?" he asked.
She gave him a slight smile. "Things are under control, your Grace. The Kimdori are withdrawing their forces, and are almost complete. The space around Karis has been largely cleared of debris, and the larger pieces have been placed in orbits near the Alpha Station so they have access to it. Repairs to Kosigi are on schedule, and our ships are currently under repair. The Aegis and Trelle's Gift had their engines repaired sufficiently to allow them to jump, and the Kimdori have taken them back to their docks to effect repairs. The Dreamer is in close orbit at Kosigi for repairs to its engines so it can jump out as well." Those ships were too big to fit through Kosigi's doors, so they had to either be fixed in space or taken back to the docks where the Kimdori built them. "Medical reports are favorable for all our injured. Generals Myri and Juma are off duty, currently sleeping. General Sioa is on Kosigi, General Navii is on the Kimdori flagship coordinating with them. And I am here," she completed with a slight smile. "And, your Grace."
"Yes?"
"As much as I enjoy getting to look at you naked, perhaps next time you should wait until you're fully awake before you call me?"
Jason looked down, then laughed ruefully. "I guess I could have put on a robe or something," he agreed.
"Oh, not for my benefit," she smiled. "These, unburdened, conversations are what one might call a perk for working the hours I do."
"You're a bad girl, Shey."
"We already established that fact last night, your Grace."
"So we did. I guess I'll let you go back to being bad."
"Of course, your Grace. I'll send you a detailed report about my evil activities as soon as I've completed them."
Jason laughed as Shey terminated the call. That woman had a very subtle sense of humor.
He put his elbows on his knees and considered things. He'd go get Dahnai today, in about five hours actually, and then probably spend the rest of her time here keeping her under control. Aya had already organized her visit, and which would probably be much to her eternal shock, she was going to be put up in the guest house out on the far side of the swimming pool. It was a cozy little five room house with the bedroom in the loft, where people who came to visit him but couldn't get home stayed overnight. Aya wouldn't permit strangers to stay in his house, and that included the Empress. Despite the fact she was an Imperial Guard, she was attached to the Grand Duke Karinne, and in that role Aya could not consider Empress Dahnai to be safe enough to run around his house unescorted. After Dahnai was here, it was going to be touch and go. He was still trying to keep up on how things were going, and he'd most likely spend most of today driving his staff crazy with incessant calls and requests for information.
Jyslin stirred, then he felt her hand slide across his lower back. Good morning, love. Sleep well?
I slept like a rock, he answered.
She sat up and put her hands on his shoulders, then pulled him down. He let her lay him down with his head on her legs, and she looked down at him with a loving expression, stroking his hair. You needed it. What did Shey say? I heard you talking to her as I was waking up.
Not much, just her telling me where things stand. I forgot to put on a robe before calling, so she had to make a joke about that.
I'll make you Faey yet, she teased.
You're well on your way, he drawled. You know that Dahnai's gonna really disrupt what's already pretty crazy, he warned.
I expect her to try to dominate your time, love. She doesn't get to see you often, and I know she'll want to capitalize on the fact that you're finally bringing her to your home. You know, she sent slyly, this will be her first real chance to meet Symone, outside of an official setting.
I didn't think of that. I expect that should be amusing, he chuckled audibly. Symone won't be afraid of her at all. That should be refreshing for Dahnai.
All your girltoys gathered in one place. How will we ever decide how to share you, she teased, leaning over and kissing him playfully on the chin.
That's the last thing on my mind right now.
Well, you'd better get it into your mind. You know that Dahnai will not pass up this chance. I fully expect you to be sleeping over with her tonight, so much so that I'm spending tonight with Tim and Symone.
It's Tim's turn, eh?
Yeah, he's really looking forward to it, she winked. So am I.
Well, have fun.
Oh, we will. Symone already can't sit still at the thought of it. Last night before I came to bed, she caught me in the kitchen and kissed me. I almost thought you were kissing me for a minute, it was really hot. Then Ayama came in and caught us, she sent with a laugh. I thought I was gonna die of embarrassment, but she just winked at me and told us to carry on. And Symone did, she sent with a memory of the sensation of Symone grabbing her in all kinds of places. I swear, if we wouldn't have been in a house full of people, I think Symone would've sat me on the counter and went down on me right then and there. You have no idea how hard it was to come up here and go to sleep after that, she complained. But I knew you were tired.
You should have gone over to their place.
No, I didn't want to. You always sleep better when I'm here. I wanted you to have a good night's rest, and besides, there's always my trusty old Number Nine, she sent with a dirty undertone. Ten minutes in the bathroom with a dildo fixed that problem.
Did you have to dust it off first?
She laughed. It was a little surprised to see me when I dug it out of the drawer, she winked. Between you and Tim, I haven't been without a partner when I'm randy for like two years.
I must have really been out of it if that didn't wake me up.
You were, but I felt the edges of you reaching out to me when I was close to coming, she told him. I think I triggered a sex dream for you.
If you did, I don't remember it, he told her. I'm a little jealous now.
Of a dildo? Oh, push off, Jayce! she sent with a laugh, grabbing a pillow and smacking him in the face with it.
Now I'll always wonder which one of us is better, he sent with mock regret, pushing the pillow away and looking up at her slyly.
The only thing you're missing is a variable speed setting remote control, she sent with a naughty grin.
Jason sputtered in laughter. I totally forgot you had that. I haven't seen it in years. I guess I thought you threw it away.
Baby, a girl never throws away her sex toys, Jyslin told him with twinkling eyes.
Jason grinned. I guess that means you're stuck with me.
I'd never throw you out either, but you do have one thing going for you over Number Nine.
What?
At least I don't have to worry about your PPG fading right at the good part.
Jason burst into laughter.
Bantering with his wife never failed to put him in a good mood. The clock told him that Rann would be up any time now, and in their house, that meant that he'd be barging into their room any time now. Rann didn't do it every day, but whenever he'd had an exciting day the day before, he did usually do it the next morning. Rann's habit of barging in on his parents had caused him to walk in on them quite a few times while they were having sex, and when he was having sex with Symone, and when Jyslin was having sex with Tim. But even at the tender age of five, Rann had something of a basic understanding of it, that it was something that mommies and daddies and very special friends of mommy and daddy did with each other, and that while it was okay to barge in on them, it was also the right thing to do to leave them alone so they could finish. Nothing really upset Rann, and by then, Jason and Jyslin were used to Rann barging in on them. They certainly wouldn't continue having sex in front of him, but it also didn't send them diving behind the bed either. Sex acts were common fare on any channel on Faey viddy, and Faey didn't hide their children from it. So when Rann realized his parents were having sex, what they always called "private time," he knew to come back later.
And he was right on time. Rann opened the door and ran into the room, then came to a stop. "Private time?" he asked, seeing his parents in what, to him, would look like an unusual position. Unusual positions were private time in his mind.
"No, not private time, sweetie," Jyslin grinned. "Good morning!"
"Morning mommy!" he said enthusiastically, climbing up on the bed and sitting on his father's bare stomach. "Can we go see Cybi today?"
"You saw her yesterday, sweetie," Jyslin told him, leaning over and kissing him. "But someone really special is going to come visit today," she told him.
"Who?"
"Empress Dahnai," she told him. "Remember her?"
"No, but Surin shows me pictures of her," he said. "Isn't she the mommy of the girl I'm gonna marry?"
"That's right, she is," Jyslin told him. "She's coming to see us today, to make sure we're all okay after what happened yesterday."
"That's nice of her," he bubbled.
"I guess it is at that, kidlet," Jason told him, bouncing him a little on his stomach, which made him giggle. "You're gonna have to be extra-good for her, you know. She's a very important lady. You know, top-button good."
"I hate top-button good," he pouted.
"I hate it too, believe me, kiddo," Jason chuckled.
Rann climbed off his father's stomach and crashed into Jyslin's bare chest, making her breath escape her in a whuff. "Careful, sweetie," she said a little breathlessly. "I wasn't ready for that."
"Sorry, mommy. Can we have french toast?"
"I'll have to ask Ayama about that, sweetie," she told him. "Hold on." Ayama, are you awake?
Of course I am, my Lady. Is Rann up?
He's up. He wants french toast. Do you have what you need for it?
I'm out of eggs. I can go get some if he can wait.
"I can wait, mommy."
Jyslin and Jason both gave him a surprised look. "Rann! Did you hear that?" she asked quickly.
"Yes, mommy. Ayama said she's out of eggs." He gave a confused look, then looked around. "I didn't hear it with my ears, though. It was like Ayama was talking in my head."
Jyslin hugged Rann, bouncing him up and down in her lap. "Ohhh, that's my big boy! You heard us sending, baby!"
"I did?"
"You did, honey! I'm so proud of you I could burst!"
"It sounded kinda funny," he said seriously.
Jyslin laughed. "Well, you'll get used to it," she winked at him. "Now, since my Rann is becoming a big boy, we have to get him some breakfast! And after breakfast, you and me and daddy are going to sit down and talk about it. Remember what I told you about what would happen when you could hear sending?"
"Yeah, that I have to start new lessons and stuff, so I know what I'm doing."
"Just so, sweetie," she grinned.
"I don't want to do new lessons."
"You'll like these lessons," she told him.
"You will, kiddo. They're very fun," Jason agreed. "And you get to learn how to talk like the adults, too."
"Does that mean I have to do private time?"
Jyslin snorted, then burst out laughing. "No, dear, not til you're older."
"Yay! Private time looks all icky!"
"You won't think so when you're older, son," Jason chuckled. "Now go get dressed while Ayama goes and borrows some eggs from someone."
"I get to talk like grown-ups!" he shouted in excitement as he jumped out of bed and ran out the door.
Jason put his head back in Jyslin's lap. They grow up so fast, he lamented.
Now that bitch Yana can't lord it up on me that her daughter's talent is awake, Jyslin sent with surprising heat.
You are so competitive, he teased.
Of course I am. I'm Faey.
He's his mother's son, that's for sure. Five years old, and his talent's awakening.
He's better than his mommy. I wasn't active until I was seven. He beat me by two years, she sent with vast pride in her thoughts. Everyone, Rann's talent is starting to awaken, Jyslin sent openly with impressive power, probably waking quite a few people up, given she had a range of a good twenty miles. So send with care for the next few days, alright?
Wow, and he's only five! Congratulations, Jayce and Jyslin! Sheleese sent immediately, and it was followed by an onslaught of people adding to Sheleese's congratulatory message.
Now that's the son of a Marine! Myri added at the end.
I'll start arranging the party, Surin sent privately to both Jason and Jyslin.
Oh, would you, Surin? Jyslin answered
It would be my pleasure. Despite his age, a child simply cannot have his talent awaken without a passing party.
A passing party was a Faey custom for children whose talent awakened. It was a celebration of a child beginning to mature into an adult, passing into a new phase of his or her life, though it usually was held for a child in his or her teenage years, also entering puberty. For normal children, it was something like a Jewish bar mitzvah, the celebration of adulthood, but Rann was not a normal child. Jason was fairly sure that Surin would arrange something like a birthday party for him, a grand and fun celebration that he and all the kids could enjoy, while the parents and adults celebrated the child's stepping into the next level of Faey society. At one point in the party, when the parents introduced the child to the adults attending, it would be the first time that any adult other than the child's parents would directly send to them.
What day would you like it on?
Any day will do, Surin. We'll make sure to work around your schedule, Jason told him.
I'll set it for Chiira afternoon, then, your Grace. May I borrow from petty cash?
Surin, you'll get a blank check, Jyslin declared.
No need to get quite that outlandish, my Lady, Surin sent with amusement. I just need to buy a few things we don't have on Karis, that's all. I want it to be special for Rann.
Like what?
Well, I thought we'd get them some of those inflatable jumping houses they use on Terra to play on in addition to the usual games and activities, he pondered.
As much as he bounces around? He'd be thrilled, Jason sent with an audible laugh. But we can make those.
No, I want to buy them, Surin said. I want it to be a celebration, not extra work, not given how much work is facing us right now. Just let me handle it, your Grace.
Alright, Surin. You can dip into petty cash all you need to.
I'll get to work on it right now.
Take all the time you need, Surin. Consider yourself on special party duty. That's your only concern.
I can handle the party and my other duties, Lady Jyslin, Surin sent with amusement. Now stop trying to turn this into an Imperial Ball.
Jyslin blushed, which made Jason laugh delightedly. Busted! Jason sent to both her and Surin.
I'm gonna bust you, buster, she sent with an ugly, snarky undertone. She took up the pillow and started beating him with it, causing him to cover his head with his arms and laugh like a little kid.
Jyslin was just too good to be true sometimes.
After breakfast, they sat down with Rann and explained things to him. Jason was impressed by Jyslin, because she was obviously ready to give him that speech. She explained how talent worked in ways Rann would understand, then explained what he would be learning in the coming days, being very particular to stress how important it was for him to learn how to close his mind.
"What happens if I don't?"
"Then everyone around will be able to hear what you're thinking," she told him. "And you'll hear all the thoughts of the people around you who don't know how to close their mind, and they'll be so loud that you'll have trouble hearing your own."
"Oh. That doesn't sound good."
"No, it's not," she winked.
"Wait a second. I have to learn how to do this, right?"
"Right."
"Doesn't that mean you could hear me thinking all this time?"
Rann was sharp, that was for sure. Jason had to suppress a laugh, and Jyslin gave him a withering glare. "We could have, sweetie, but we adults just tune you out," she told him. "That's another thing we're going to teach you."
Rann seemed to mull that over, scratching at his blond-orange hair. "That's how you knew I broke the lamp, isn't it?"
"That's right," she said with a sly smile.
"Oh, okay I guess. Why didn't you teach me to do it before now?"
"Because your mind isn't ready to do it the right way until your talent wakes up," she explained. "But just think," she said, leaning forward and whispering. "When you learn what we teach you, you'll be able to hear your brothers and sisters thinking. They won't be able to lie to you anymore, just the way we knew you were lying when you said you didn't break the lamp."
Rann's face took on a slightly evil grin, and Jason gave Jyslin a surprised look. "I will, won't I? They won't know how to do that! They'll never hide my Brody doll and tell me it's on the roof again!"
You just opened a can of worms, Jyslin, Jason sent with both amusement and surprise.
I'll make sure he doesn't abuse it, she winked.
"Well, it's about time for me to go," he said regretfully. "I have to go get armored up, then go pick up Dahnai."
"Oooh, can I go, daddy?" Rann asked excitedly.
Aya gave him a stern look and shook her head.
"I'm afraid not, kidlet," he told him with sincere regret, reaching over and ruffling his hair. "Miss Aya says no, and as you know, she's the boss when it comes to keeping you safe."
"Awww!" he complained.
Tell you what, Rann. While your daddy's picking up the Empress, why don't we go to the boardwalk? Aya offered, sending openly, and not sending in that special manner she usually used that allowed children to hear her, a type of open sending similar to the technique they used to allow the humans to hear their thoughts.
"The boardwalk? Yay!" he squealed in delight, jumping up and running towards the kitchen. "We're goin' to the boardwalk, Ayama, we're goin' to the boardwalk!"
"Just think, you won't need to do it the hard way anymore," Jyslin said to Aya with a wink.
Thank Trelle. That always gave me a headache, she grunted mentally. Semari, pull out the cart, we're taking Rann to the boardwalk.
The boardwalk was the proof that Karsa was a living, breathing city. It was an entertainment area like the old Atlantic City boardwalk back on Earth, a boardwalk filled with games, music, festive shops selling all kinds of colorful and useless trinkets, and a few small rides, mainly for kids. It was the place where the parents of Karsa brought their kids for some fun and entertainment, and luckily for Jason, the boardwalk was only about two miles from his beachfront compound, on the western edge of Karsa.
Ryn, Suri, report to the Duke's dropship. You're escorting him today.
On our way, commander, Ryn answered.
Myri, it's time for me to go. What have you got?
I have five destroyers, a cruiser, and a heavy cruiser that are repaired enough to do the job, she answered.
Have all of them readied to leave, Aya commanded. There's still a threat that the Consortium might attack. I will not risk putting his Grace and my Empress in a single ship with no escort or protection.
Do it, Jason agreed. Aya's right. I'm not worried about me, but I will not leave Dahnai exposed like that. She needs a full escort.
I'll have them exit Kosigi in fifteen minutes.
Which heavy cruiser is it?
It's the Arabax.
Uh, you better tell Sevi to keep her mouth shut.
I'll make it abundantly clear to her that keeping her chair depends completely on not pissing off Dahnai.
That should work. I think she'd marry that ship if she could.
I think she has sex with it, Myri sent flatly, which made several people in the house laugh. Captain Sevi's… attachment to her ship was well known in the KMS, so much so she turned down command of the Trelle's Gift to stay on the Arabax.
After being ferried up, Jason got a look at the ships, and saw that just one day wasn't enough to make them look new. All of them showed scars from the battle, and the destroyer Fuji had an obvious patch that ran nearly seventy feet across its bow. But despite the signs of combat, all the ships were steady and strong in space, and looked more than capable of a short trip to Draconis.
They landed in the main bay of the Arabax, a heavy cruiser commanded by Sevi Avanne. Sevi was a discipline problem in the KMS because she had a mouth and didn't have enough self control to know when to keep it closed. But despite that, she was one hell of a good captain, and when the chips were down, a fellow couldn't be in better hands. She and the command staff of her ship greeted them in the landing bay. Sevi was a tall, rather flat-chested Faey woman with hair the color of pampas grass, kept in a short pixie style, and she was one of the rare Faey he knew with a tattoo. She'd got it on Terra, a swirling pattern tattooed on her right ear, from the lobe to the pointed tip. Jason always rather thought it made her look quite striking. She saluted him sharply, then hugged him when he stepped up. "It's good to see you in person, your Grace," she said honestly, speaking aloud for the benefit of one of her two human staff officers. The male, Patrick Abrams, was a human telepath, a Baron in the house. "Are your kids okay? Did they come through alright?"
"No problems at all," he said gently. "They didn't even know it was a battle."
"Thank Trelle," she said sincerely. "I have a crew doing what they can to convert one of the guest cabins to be suitable for her Imperial Majesty, but I'm afraid it won't be what she's used to," she apologized.
"Don't even bother doing that," Jason told her. "I'll take her to one of the normal guest cabins. I want her to know she's not quite so special when she's in my back yard."
Ryn and Suri gave him a surprised look, but Sevi just laughed delightedly. "We can do that," she winked. "Would you like to come to the bridge, your Grace? Or would you like to go to a cabin?"
"I'm kinda tired, and I need to call Myri, so you can put me in a cabin for now. Sorry."
"No offense taken, your Grace," she grinned. "I figured you might be too busy to grace us on the bridge while we jump. But I had to offer. We all know you love being on the bridge, butting your nose in our business."
"It's how I keep you girls honest," he told her blandly.
She laughed. "Take his Grace to a guest cabin, Lieutenant Abrams."
"Certainly, sir," the human male said, stepping up. "If you'd follow me, your Grace?"
Jason, Ryn, and Suri followed the tall, rather handsome blond man as he took them through the passages of the ship. Jason knew this officer. He was the second officer on the Arabax, and had some very good scores. He was one of the officers currently under consideration for command… and with the battle costing them so many flag officers, he very well might get his chance.
It must be rather interesting for you on a ship with so many Faey, Ryn sent in the manner that allowed humans to hear her.
It's interesting enough, Abrams sent in reply, which made Ryn miss a step. I'm sorry to startle you. Everyone aboard knows I'm a telepath, he grinned back at her. I forgot to introduce myself.
That's one hell of a secret, she sent with a silent laugh.
It's no secret, he scoffed.
A tall, handsome human telepath? You must be very popular.
Sometimes I wish I were gay, he sent with honestly, which made Suri and Ryn explode in voiceless laughter. There aren't many men serving on these ships as it is, so those of us who are usually have quite a few girls looking our way after a couple of weeks of exercises.
I'm sure you don't mind.
I didn't at first, but it gets kind of silly after a while, he explained. And they love to tease us, too. At the end of our last rotation, the engineers kept selling the passcode to my door to any girl who'd pay, so I installed a zapper on my keypanel. When the engineers came down and disabled it, I called them into a meeting and demanded half the profits. That just took all the fun out of it for them, he sent with a chuckle. My friend Wilson had a line of girls standing outside his door after he got off duty, just lined up as happy as you please, waiting their turn. It was all a big joke, though.
It sounds funny to me.
Well, they learned the hard way you don't piss off the guy who's in control of the laundry. After the line stunt, every girl on the ship got back her underwear, two sizes too small.
Even Jason burst out in laughter after that one. Now that's revenge! Jason sent admiringly.
Yeah. I thought it was pretty damn clever. Here we are, your Grace, he said, opening a door in the passage, showing a rather large guest cabin with a window on the far wall. If you would, please strap in once you're inside. The captain will be jumping any minute.
We will.
I like him, Ryn sent cheekily as they entered and brought out the jump seats, which were recessed in the wall by the bed.
I think he has the right mettle to be in command, Jason pondered openly as Ryn helped him lock in. He has a sense of humor, and that'll help him deal with Faey, but he also has enough sense of authority to make them cut the bullshit and obey him.
Is he in line?
He's one of the ones under consideration. I think I'll have a talk with Myri.
Jason talked with Myri about the repair progress as the ships prepared to jump, then brought up Abrams with her, telling him she needed to take a good look at him. The ship jumped moments later, and he continued his conference with Myri as the ships approached Draconis. He then called Dahnai, who appeared in her apartment, topless, with Kellin behind her handing something off to a maid. "Hey babes, we're getting ready now," she told him. "I'm bringing Kellin and Shya and my guards, but no one else. I want Shya and Rann to get to know each other," she grinned.
"That's fine. We're approaching Draconis now. We'll let you come up in a dropship, just have your pilot approach the largest ship. Our traffic officer can guide you in."
"I got a visual on them now," she said, looking to her left. "Shit, babes, you weren't kidding when you said all your ships were damaged."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Dahnai."
"Yeah?"
"Are you topless because you're getting ready, or just to show off your tits?"
She laughed, holding up a stained piece of cloth in her hand, which had been out of view. "Shya spilled oye juice on my shirt," she explained. "She's been bouncing all over the place since I told her she's coming and none of her brothers and sisters are." Shya came into view behind her, her platinum hair flying behind her as she ran across the room without outer robe, as one of the grooms chased behind her, shaking the robe in his hand and calling after her.
"I see," Jason chuckled. "We should be there, in, oh, hold on." Sevi, how long?
About fifteen minutes.
"Fifteen minutes."
"We'll be ready," she said as a maid handed her a new shirt, and she shrugged it on. The maid started buttoning it up for her, but she slapped her hands away. "Oh, and here, just for you, babes," she said, opening her shirt and thrusting her breasts out boldly.
Jason laughed. "Now that's Dahnai," he grinned. "See you in a bit."
"We'll be there."
She's gotten so big, Ryn sent, a bit wistfully.
She's going to be a heartbreaker, Suri added. I could see it when she was born. She has her mother's face.
She better not break my son's heart, or I'll throttle her, Jason sent forcefully, which made the two guards grin at him.
Jason and the two Imperial Guards were just part of the large, hastily assembled honor guard that met the Empress' rather large dropship. They were all in their Class A's, with Captain Sevi and her first officer, Commander Bralla, standing just behind Jason. The dropship came into the bay as the Raptors flying escort landed on each side of the dropship, and the hatch opened. Dahnai's Imperial Guard, nearly 40 of them, marched out of the hatch, looked around, then nodded back to the ship and stood at attention. They saluted as Dahnai came out of the hatch and down the stairs, which caused everyone in the bay to snap to attention and salute the Empress of the Imperium. She wasn't wearing robes like Kellin and Shya, she was wearing that simple button-down shirt and a pair of soft brown pants, with slippers on her feet. Jason bowed to her as she approached, and she just laughed and rapped the front of his armor. "So you're still afraid of facing me without this," she teased.
"I kinda didn't bring any other clothes," he admitted with a wry smile. "It was armor or standing here naked."
We don't allow his Grace to enter potentially dangerous situations without full protection, your Majesty, Ryn sent respectfully, bowing to her. And visiting you carries its own unique forms of danger.
Dahnai laughed loudly, then reached out and clapped her hand on Ryn's armored shoulder. "I've missed you, Ryn," she admitted. "I really regret attaching you to Rann's guard."
We miss you as well, your Majesty, Ryn sent with simple elegance.
"Your Highness," Jason said, bowing to Kellin as he led Shya out by her hand. "How have you been?"
"Busy, your Grace," he chuckled. "I've been taking correspondence courses through the Academy. They fill up my free time."
Shya pulled free of Kellin's hand and hugged Jason's leg. "Unca' Jason!" she said excitedly. "We gonna go see Ranny?"
"We are, your Highness," Jason nodded, reaching down and taking her hands, then picking her up and kissing her on the cheek, which made her giggle. "Have you been good?"
"I've tried," she said honestly, which made Dahnai laugh.
"Try being the key word there," she added, taking Shya from Jason and bouncing her on her hip. Since Shya didn't yet live with Dahnai, not until she was ten, Dahnai was very intimate with her when she did have her, liking to hold her and keep her close.
"Your Majesty, may I present Captain Sevi Avanne, commanding officer of the Arabax," he said, motioning at Sevi. "And this is her first officer, Commander Bralla Aeyenne."
"Your Imperial Majesty," Sevi said, saluting, then bowing very deeply to her.
"You look familiar to me," Dahnai said critically, putting a finger on her chin. "Have we met?"
"Uh, n-no, your Majesty," she stammered.
"I know I've seen you before," she said persistently, looking her up and down. "Have you ever seen me in person before?"
"Yes, your Majesty, when you toured the Aranno. I was at the helm when they showed you the bridge."
"Ah, I remember," she nodded.
"I'm flattered you remember me, your Majesty," Sevi said with sincere amazement.
"I remember because you looked about ready to wet yourself," she winked.
Sevi blushed deeply.
"She's come a long way since then," Jason said, defending the honor of his captain. "She's one of the best captains I have. That's why she's here."
Sevi beamed at him.
"We have a guest cabin, Empress," Jason told her. "We can catch up as Sevi takes us home."
"Lead on, Jason," she said with a dazzling smile.
The Imperial Guard escorted them through an empty passage to the guest cabin, which was close to the main landing bay so guests didn't have to go far, and four guards took defensive positions in front of that door. Dahnai seemed a little underwhelmed when she was led into a very plain guest cabin, but Kellin didn't seem to even notice. He took Shya from her and took her over to the table, setting her down in a chair and pointing out the large window, starting to name the continents of Draconis for her.
"Well, I see you like to keep me in my place outside of the public eye," she said with a look at him.
"It keeps you grounded," he said dryly as he motioned for her to take a seat on the couch facing the window. "You could do with a little humility now and again. It helps you keep your perspective." She sat down beside him, and Shya ran over and climbed into her lap. Dahnai kissed her daughter on the cheek fondly as Kellin came over and sat on the chair by the couch.
"Alright, straight up, hon, how bad was it?"
"What I told you earlier," he answered. "My people have cleaned up most of the mess and we're working to repair the damage."
"Did you capture any of them?"
"We got some of it, mainly an Urumi capital ship," he answered. "We have quite a few Urumi prisoners to ship back to the Collective, but we didn't take any of the others alive. When they realized they were going to lose, they tried to ram my ships. The ones that weren't killed killed themselves. I'll have Miaari make up a report you can take back with you to your intelligence people. We have to share some of this, you have to know about it."
"I'm glad you realize that," she told him seriously. "How are the kids? Did the attack scare them?"
"They never knew what happened," he told her. "They were in an underground bunker, and they never saw any evidence there was any fighting."
"Well, that's good. How long is it going to take you to get back up to strength?"
"It shouldn't take too long," he said after thinking about it moment. "To be honest, we won't really need your fleet there, we can protect ourselves. The planetary defense grid came through without much damage at all, and they're getting the ships back up as quick as they can."
"I told you, babes, I won't buy that until I see it myself and I'm satisfied you're going to be alright," she told him adamantly. "You can hold yourself apart from us all you want, but at the end of the day, you are part of the Imperium, and I do have a sacred duty to protect you. I will not leave any part of my empire hanging with its tits waggling in the breeze, just waiting for someone to come along and grab them."
"Well, I appreciate that, hon. What are you doing about the Urumi?"
"I have a task force attacking Skralla as we speak, and they've already captured Aurigae," she told him fiercely. "Most of their fleet is either destroyed or in hyperspace, retreating back to Collective space. I'm going to beat the shit out of their border systems, then mass my entire fleet in the Aurigae system and demand a peace treaty that forces them to give up Aurigae to us. I've already got a stargate en route to Aurigae."
"Be careful."
"Aurigae fell in two hours, and Skralla V surrendered without a fight," she said dismissively. "They're attacking Skralla IV right now. The system was totally undefended, all it had was planetary defenses."
"You know, it makes you wonder what the Urumi were thinking," Jason mused aloud. "They stripped all their defenses to attack us, then they turn around and retreat from Draconis and Arctus without firing a shot."
"Maybe the Consortium promised them help, but when they broke their relations, they reneged and left the Urumi hanging."
"Possible. But still, that's odd," Dahnai noted. "If the Consortium broke off with the Urumi, why did they attack you? And if they really were allied, why did they not attack Draconis and Arctus too?"
"They came after me personally, Dahnai," Jason told her. "For some reason, the Consortium wanted to kill me."
"You are a rather important person, babes," she winked. "Seriously, you're about the only person who can speak to half this side of the galaxy, and they'll listen to you. Demir's sword, I certainly couldn't do that. Maybe this Consortium knew you have that kind of influence, and tried to kill you."
"I guess that's possible. Right now, though, just about anything is nothing but conjecture." He glanced at Kellin. "They tried to do the same thing to you, too. Or Kellin, more to the point."
"I still can't believe that," Kellin said.
"It doesn't make any sense at all," Dahnai said absently, tapping her chin with a finger. Shya reached out and tapped the other side of Dahnai's chin with her finger, which made her laugh and kiss her daughter on the cheek. "Why would they try to kill Kellin? If this assassin could get that close to us, why not target me? That would be much more effective. Kill me, and the Imperium goes bonkers."
"That's what doesn't make any sense," he agreed. "Near as we can figure, the Urumi or Trillane or whoever sent Rahne wanted to drive a wedge between you and me, but leave you in control of the Imperium."
"I'll have to ask Maeri about that," she said in a dangerous voice. "Clearly, we're missing some really big pieces of this puzzle. I just do not understand what was going on over there with the Urumi and this Consortium. There's too many things that just don't add up, don't make sense, and just plain old confuse the fuck out of me."
"I've been trying to figure it out for a few days now," he told her with a wry chuckle. "It doesn't get any easier over time, believe me."
"I do believe it's time for me to take a pretty significant contract out with the Denmother," Dahnai mused. "Oh, by the way, expect to have your people start returning home by the end of the month. Maeri submitted a schedule. I forwarded it to Secretary Kim for you."
"That's great news!" Jason sighed explosively.
"They'll be returned free of the conditioning Trillane put in them," she assured him. "They better. Maeri came a vulpar's whisker from losing her charter."
"Why didn't you take it, after everything she did?"
"Because it would have caused more chaos than it solved problems," she answered. "I'd have had to integrate Trillane loyalist commoners into other houses, and the Imperium doesn't need that kind of destabilizing influence right now. Keeping them all together and in a house that's now a social and political pariah keeps them under control."
He couldn't argue with that kind of logic, so he nodded.
"Oh, don't worry about Maeri getting off the spot this time," she said with narrowed eyes. "I raked her over the coals, and the whole Imperium knows what she did. If anyone in the Siann ever talks to her again, it'll be a miracle. Right now, all Trillane wants to do is slink into the deepest hole they can find and hope the Imperium forgets their treachery sometime in the next three hundred years."
"Punish her all you want, I'll just cheer you on," he told her bluntly.
Your Majesty, your Grace, we'll be jumping in a couple of minutes. Could you kindly strap in please? Sevi sent politely.
"Alright, let's get ready," Jason said as the guards outside entered the guest cabin, and Jason showed them where the jump chairs were. There weren't enough for everyone, only eight in the chamber, so the six guards in attendence decided among themselves which two would be using the chairs in another cabin. Ryn and one of Dahnai's guards left the chamber, and Jason watched as the guards expertly helped the Imperial family strap in, as Dahnai told Shya about hyperspace, and how it would be really crazy, but nothing she saw or heard would be real or could hurt her. The guards checked the Empress, then Kellin, then Shya, and then even checked him, then they locked themselves in themselves. The Imperial family is strapped in and ready to jump, the commander of the guards sent through the ship.
"Is it really like a dream when you're awake?" Shya asked Kellin as Jason felt the ship turn.
"Yeah, it is, honeybear," he told her. "I usually close my eyes. I don't like it, really."
"You big chicken! I'm gonna keep my eyes open!"
"You're braver than me," he told her, tightly closing his eyes.
"Someday you're gonna have to explain how your ships can jump hyperspace in real time," Dahnai told him, quite seriously.
"I guess you can always hope I will," he told he evenly.
"Bastard."
"Your one and only."
After jumping, Dahnai demanded that she be given access to a screen and cameras so she could survey the system. He allowed it, and she scanned the area as Kellin stood behind the couch, his face quite rapt in wonder. "It looks almost the same as the pictures in the history books," he breathed. "I can't believe I'm looking at Karis."
"To you, it's history. To me, it's home," Jason told him, controlling the view, then zooming in. "That's Karsa right there, the capital city. That's where we're going. I live on a house on the beach. It's a little warm for me, but Jyslin won that little argument. Besides, I can tolerate the heat as long as I'm living by the sea."
"I see your people have cleared the battle debris," she noted.
"We have the bigger pieces in orbit by one of our research stations," he told her, showing her the space station and the twisted wreckage parked in orbit near it.
"I hope you won't keep all that hidden behind your wall," she said dangerously.
"Dahnai, my oath makes me protect our technology. It has nothing to do with theirs. I'll be giving you almost everything we learn about the technology the Consortium gave to the Urumi, because now that the Urumi have it, you're going to need it."
Dahnai gave him a bright, glorious smile. "Well, you just avoided about six days of nagging," she told him with a wink.
"I'm so glad."
Jason rode with Dahnai in her dropship, but he was the one flying it, as a squadron of Karinne Raptors joined the two Raptors that had come with the Empress on the trip down to the planet. Her dropship handled like a pregnant whale, and he was a little rusty flying by hand, so it was just a touch unsteady there when he brought it out of the bay. But by the time they entered an entry vector, the ship responded to him with delicate certainty. Dahnai was in the copilot's chair to look out the windshield, much to her guard's objections, and he pointed out landmarks and features to her as they descended to the planet. "That's Karsa right there," he said as the city came into view as they descended.
"There are so many people!" she said in surprise, looking at the capitol city of Karis, a block of civilization surrounded by green, on the only green continent on the planet. "Where did they all come from?"
"From the Imperium," he told her. "I have Faey, Terrans, Makati, and Kizzik here. I even have a small tribe of Parri," he added. "I had agents out in the Imperium, looking for the right kind of people who could come here and start something new. When they found them, people who didn't mind rolling up their sleeves and wouldn't be too worried about living isolated from the rest of civilization, I'd bring them here, grant them some land, and let them get to work. And every month, I bring more and more, as we reclaim the planet and make it green again. As soon as we finish terraforming a new section, people move in and get to work making it thrive. They build communites, businesses, schools, parks, they build everything they need, and then they make it live. They built all of that, Dahnai. Karis is a thriving economy now. I have industry, agriculture, art, entertainment, education, research, everything you'd find on any other planet. You can go out into Karsa later, and you wouldn't know you're on a planet that's separate from civilization. The only difference is, we make almost everything we need here, by ourselves, for ourselves. Hell, we've even started trading with the Imperium now, through a series of shell companies and fronts that hides who we are from the rest of the Imperium. Down there, Dahnai, is the true heart of House Karinne. I'm much more proud of what you see below you than I am of anything else. Those people are what make me get out of bed and wonder what I can do today to make their lives better."
"You're a good man, Jason," she told him seriously. "And you've been busier than I thought you were."
"Maybe now you see that I wasn't kidding all those times I told you I was too busy," he said.
"I think I owe you some apologies," she winked.
"That's my house there," he said, pointing to starbord as they turned to make a landing.
"That? Jason, you live in a closet!" she protested.
"I'm a simple man, Dahnai. That house is all I need."
"Well, where am I staying? I don't think you have room for me in that thing!"
"If I live in a closet, then you can think of it as me stuffing you in a gown bag," he told her with a chuckle. "I have a little guest house behind the pool for people who stay over. It's a one bedroom cottage, but I'm sure we can work something out. I didn't really expect you to bring Shya. I think we can put her in with Rann."
"They need to get used to sleeping together anyway," Dahnai chuckled.
"Well, let's wait til they know what to do with each other before we start locking them in a room."
Dahnai laughed, then she sighed. "I feel like I'm back on Prius, stuck in that hotel," she complained.
"There's no room service here," he told her. "And I have only two servants who are usually too busy looking after the kids to be gophers. If you want it, go get it yourself."
"What?" she asked, looking scandalized.
"It's what I do, and you're on my planet," he told her evenly. "My planet, my rules. Welcome to being a normal person, Dahnai."
"I'm starting to hate this trip more and more," she sulked.
"Try it. You never know, you might find it's not all that bad," he chuckled.
"I like being waited on, thank you very much," she said frostily. "I am the Empress."
"Then you're in for a very rough couple of days," he told her straightly.
They landed lightly on the big pad behind the house, and a group approached the dropship, flanked by the Dukal Guard wearing Crusader armor that had been chrome plated, making them look very flashy and impressive. He saw Jyslin, Symone, Tim, Miaari, Myri, Kumi, Navii, Myleena, Ayama, Surin, and all of his children down there, all wearing formal dress robes or Class A uniforms, or in Tim's case, an elegant gray suit with a fedora. The Imperial Guard opened the hatch and marched out, surrounding the dropship, then the commander of them sent that it was secure of the Empress to disembark.
Jason led Dahnai out of the dropship, and she hesitated a moment on the last step, before stepping down onto the paved landing pad. "Well, now I can say I've visited every system in the Imperium," she smiled.
They stepped up to his friends and family, who all bowed to her, but Dahnai pressed forward and gave Jyslin a warm hug. "Jys! You need to call me more!" she complained.
"I've been very busy, Empress," she said, hugging her back. "But it's good to see you!"
"We have so much gossip to catch up on," she promised.
"Jyslin," Kellin said, giving her a chaste hug. "You're looking well."
"I've been doing good, Kellin. You still playing batchi?"
Kellin laughed. "I try, but the other teams are afraid to play physical. I guess they think that if they bruise me, Dahnai will have them arrested. That takes a lot of the fun out of it for me, half the fun was the checking and tackling."
"He's an animal on a batchi field," Dahnai laughed. "You'd never think it, looking at him."
"You remember Symone and Tim?" Jason asked.
Dahnai reached a hand out towards Symone. "So, you're the other amu dorai," she said. "We have to talk."
"About Jason? Do you have a few extra months?"
Dahnai laughed. "Well, the sooner we start, the sooner we can start comparing," she winked.
Oh yeah, Dahnai was Faey to the roots of her hair.
"There's my Rann!" Dahnai said happily. "Come here and give me a kiss!"
Rann stepped forward shyly, and before Dahnai could reach down, Shya came out from behind her. She took his hand boldly, then kissed him on the lips. "Ranny!" she said happily. "Your hair changed!" she said in surprise, looking at his hair.
"It keeps changing color," Jyslin said with a laugh. "It started out orange, then it turned red, now it seems to be going blond."
"Are we getting married now, mama?" Shya asked, looking up at Dahnai.
"Not quite yet, baby," she answered. "Not til you're both twelve."
"Can you stay until Chiira, Empress?" Jyslin asked. "Rann expressed, and we're having his passing party."
"He expressed, and he's only five? Jyslin, I'm proud of you!" she said happily. "Congratulations!" She made a face. "I didn't know, I didn't bring any presents!" she groaned.
"Just being there is present enough," Jyslin assured her.
"Oh, no, my son-in-law's big day can't go without presents," she said adamantly. "I'll have to get something."
"You can go buy something in Karsa," Jyslin shrugged. "Just don't get too exotic, that's all I ask."
Dahnai scooped up Rann and spun him around. "Rann, I'm so proud of you!" she told him with a broad smile. "Only five years old! You really walked through Trelle's hair!"
"Aww, it was nothing," he said modestly. "But now I have to go do more lessons," he complained.
Dahnai kissed him on the cheek. "Those are the grown-up lessons, which tells everyone how much of a little man you are, honey!" she told him. She put him down, then gave Navii a critical look. "So this is where you went, Navii!" she said in surprise.
"They made me quite an offer, your Majesty," she answered. "I got to build a military from scratch. It was a very satisfying experience."
"You said you were bringing people here, Jason," she laughed. "I see you were raiding my military as much as my general population!"
"I was retired, your Majesty," Navii said primly.
"But it seems you retired just to take this job," she challenged.
"No, your Majesty. I retired in good faith from the Marines. His Grace worked very hard to lure me here. He can be very persuasive when he wants to be," she said, giving him a slight smile.
"He can at that. You're looking well, Miaari."
"I enjoy an assignment that matters to me, that keeps me with friends," she shrugged. "It makes me content."
"I guess it would. You about ready to come back home, Myleena?"
Myleena flushed. "I am home, your Majesty," she said simply, touching her gestalt deliberately. "This is my home. It always was."
"Well, I can't compete with that," she said ruefully. "This is Eleri Trillane, isn't it?"
"Duchess Eleri Karinne, your Majesty," she corrected primly, bowing to Dahnai. "I'm the brains of this outfit. I keep this place in the black."
"God help me, but she's not lying. It's a miracle we're not using rocks tied to sticks."
"Hey!"
After the Imperial Guard investigated the three house compound that made up the central compound of Jason's house–his house, the cottage, the garage, and Tim and Symone's place–they allowed her to move about the area freely. The Guard had something of a fight with Aya when they wanted to post guards inside Jason's house, but that was off limits. His house was not patrolled by armed guards. The other guards patrolled the outside all they wanted, but there were no guards posted inside. There were guards in his house at all times, however, but not officially posted in defensive locations. They were the personal retinue that interacted with the Dukal family on a direct level, and they were commanded by Aya. They didn't just defend the Grand Duke and his family, they also helped watch the kids, teach them, and helped the family in their daily routine.
Aya and the other Imperial Guards had a very heated debate about it, until Dahnai stepped in and forced a compromise. Her guards would establish a perimeter and control all movement on and off the grounds, but they'd leave the inside to Aya and her guards, who already had an established pattern and were fully aware of all the little nuances of the house and the people who lived in it. "Really, Sava, think about it. We're the first visitors to Karis. I don't think there's much here to threaten me," Dahnai told the commander of her guards with a laugh.
We are protecting you from all threats, even the ones the Karinnes themselves may pose, Sava sent flatly. And we can't protect you if we can't be there.
"Sava, Aya is an Imperial Guard as well. She might be attached to the Grand Duke right now, but she is one of you. When she pensions, she'll go to the pensioner's wing just like you will. She's fully aware of things, and I'm sure she'll keep me well protected."
Well… alright, Sava acquiesced, but very reluctantly.
Once that little spat was settled, Dahnai complained quite a bit about the little cottage that Jason had put aside for her, but Kellin and Shya didn't seemed to mind it at all. Dahnai gave her husband a withering glare when he looked around and said that it seemed quite cozy and comfortable, and Shya immediately moved into Rann's room, making herself at home. Rann didn't seem to mind her at all, and they were in there playing as Jason changed out of his armor and into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Dahnai came to his door with Sava behind as he pulled the tee over his head and pulled it down. "It is a closet!" she complained. "There's nowhere to put my things!"
"Have them stow it in the garage," he told her. "Just take what you need and put it in the cottage."
"I need it all!"
"I really doubt that," he said dismissively. "All you really need is a couple of changes of clothes and your toiletries."
"You mean just pick one or two things to wear?" she asked, sounding scandalized.
"Do you need a full closet of clothes, Dahnai?"
"Yes! I may change my mind!"
"Then think ahead to what you know you'll want to wear, and keep it out."
"Babes, women just don't do it that way," she laughed.
"Well, go work it out," he told her.
"This is your room, eh?" she said, stepping in and looking around. "Well, I recognize that wall, but the rest of it is new to me," she chuckled. "I expected something, well… bigger."
"Bigger isn't my style, hon," he told her.
She came over and sat on the bed, putting her hands on it and bouncing a little bit. "I see you have a nice strong mattress," she said with a slight smile.
"It gets a lot of exercise."
She laughed. "I can imagine. I'm looking forward to doing it in your bed, babes. I'm not passing up a chance to spend the night with my amu dorai. So pick a night you can arrange it with Jys and let me know."
"Tonight's fine. Jys is gonna stay over with Tim and Symone tonight. She already kinda planned for this."
"I knew I liked that woman," Dahnai chuckled. "I'll send Vizzi to stay with Kellin in case he gets horny tonight. She likes him, and he thinks she's really hot. He's attracted to buff girls," she laughed. "And Vizzi's the most built guard in the palace."
"Well, look at how built his wife is, and you wouldn't be surprised what he finds attractive," Jason told her.
She smiled, flopping back onto the bed. "You know something?"
"What?"
"This isn't at all what I expected to find. But now that I look around, I realize that this is what I should have expected to find."
"Remember where I came from, Dahnai. This is who I am."
"And that's just fine with me."
"I'm so glad you approve," he said, sitting down and unfolding a pair of socks.
She laughed and slapped him on the side, the put her hand on his back and rubbed it as he put on his socks. "You wanna talk business now, or later?"
"You just got here, Dahnai. Let's relax a while. We can go over business later. Wanna go down into Karsa so you can pick up a gift for Rann?"
"Sure, after I decide how I'm gonna set up that closet you put me in," she complained.
"Just look at it as a chance to see how your common citizens live," he told her blandly.
"You're just ruining this trip for me."
Having Dahnai around was both very disruptive and curiously pleasing.
To say she disrupted Karsa was an understatement. The Imperial Guard tried to cordon off blocks of the city where she went shopping, and the citizens of Karsa tried to swarm around to see her. It was a fracas there for a while, as she both shopped at quite a few stores and filled the trunk of the hovercar she came in, and did quite a bit of sightseeing. He showed her around the city, showing her the satellite college linked to the Academy, the business district, the Twin Lakes Park on the north side of town, and one of the new schools for the children that had come to Karis. He let her tour a moleculartronics board manufacturing plant, one of the businesses that sold its wares to the Imperium through Kumi's front system, and then they ate cotton candy and played carnival games down on the boardwalk. Shya baited Rann into riding the loop-the-loop coaster on the strip, but she paid for it when they both staggered off and fought for space at a trash can so they could throw up.
After the tour, they returned home and just relaxed a while. Jason did keep getting constant reports from Myri about the state of repairs and the redeployment of remaining forces, and they started going through the medals and awards that would be given out for valorous acts during combat. Jason had already made it abundantly clear that Sergeant Kyva was getting the Dukal Medal of the Champion, the highest medal available, in recognition of her brazen, almost insane attack on the landing mecha during the land battle on Kosiningi. That single young lady was a very big reason why Jason and his family were still alive. What came with that medal was induction into the noble house with the title of Zarina, promotion to the rank of First Lieutenant (whether she liked it or not), a yearly stipend, and he decided as well that the black Gladiator she piloted in the battle would become her property. She would own it, and while the KMS would maintain it and upgrade it as necessary, it was hers to keep. She would also receive the Crystal Cross, the second-highest award, in conjunction with the 21 Gladiator pilots that had faced off against vastly superior numbers and initially held the invaders pinned down on the beach, which bought precious time for the reinforcements to arrive. The captains and crews of all the ships that attacked the Urumi by surprise while Jason tried to take them out with talent would be given the Crystal Cross as well, while the crews on board the KMS ships that attacked the last of the Consortium fleet would receive the Order of Sora, the third highest medal, and virtually everyone that participated in combat would receive both the valorous duty medal and the meritorious service award.
Kyva was going to walk out of that ceremony with four new medals on her chest, officer's bars, a noble title, and her own personal Gladiator.
But with the honors also came the duties of tending to the fallen. Military funerals were scheduled, and Jason picked several at random to attend, on top of tending the funeral of Captain Travka and every other ship captain who had died in battle. Myri sent him the condolence letters, which he would read and sign personally, and he also had her schedule multiple visits with the survivors of the soldiers killed in battle. Those widows and children would never want for anything, Jason would make damn sure of that. No family whose members paid the ultimate price to defend House Karinne would ever face a day of hunger or want. Songa was making sure that the wounded were being well tended, and they were all favorable. She kept a detailed progress report on every one of her patients
Then they talked about promotions. Jason made sure to point out Patrick Abrams as a solid candidate for a destroyer command, and they went through the current captains to decide who was going to move up to replace those who had fallen. When they were done, six destroyer captains were moving up to cruisers, one cruiser captain was moving up to a heavy cruiser, six first officers were taking command of the ships on which they served, and two other officers were jumping over the first officer position to take command.
After they were done, he spent some time with Rann and Shya, who were playing with Kyri and Aran. It was almost funny watching those two. They knew they were going to be married, so Shya kept trying to boss Rann around, but Rann proved to her that she wasn't all that high and mighty when she was in his house. They did get along fairly well, though, he had to admit. Despite trying to be bossy, Shya was a good playmate, not even complaining when Rann beat her in a Faey child's game called Seven Circles, where the kids moved little rings up a notched pole after spinning a number wheel, trying to get their seven rings to the top first Aya watched over them with quiet smiles as they moved on to playing with some of the dolls and stuffed animals Rann had. Rann had a broad spectrum of toys, because Faey women kept giving him dolls and things Jason would consider to be girl toys, like play kitchens, while Jason made sure he got the full range of boy's toys; construction sets, toy trucks, his own batchi stick and football, and the like. He had plenty of toys that both genders enjoyed too, like kites and painting sets. So, when Shya came over, at least they had plenty of toys.
Sometimes Jason felt that Rann had too many toys, but looking around the room, he saw that nearly half of them were actually his brothers and sisters' toys. They kept bringing them over when they played and left them behind.
Dinner was a huge affair, so big that Ayama couldn't do it all herself. She had to order out, and Dahnai was introduced to the joys of a Terran culinary delicacy… pizza. Ayama was looking at the prospects of trying to cook for Dahnai and her guards and all the people who kept coming over to visit Jason and meet the Empress, so she surrendered and called in a very large order to New Italy, run by a pair of bona fide Italian pizzaria owners, who'd run a pizzaria on Earth before coming to Karis. And their pizza rocked.
The table was only big enough for ten people, so ten lucky people were sitting while others filed in and out, attending what had become basically an unplanned party. Kids were screaming and running around, pizza boxes were stacked almost on every flat surface, and Faey chamber music droned in the background from the built-in speakers in the walls and ceiling on the first floor. Dahnai looked a little spooked, constantly looking around, keeping an eye on Shya, who was eating pizza in the living room with the other kids, as adults filched pieces from whichever box held their favorite. Dahnai wasn't used to the loud goings-on, and looked very out of place. But she kept smiling, chatting amiably, and willing to try what was put before her.
"Mmmmph, wha' is thiff one?" she asked after taking a bite. "It's delithuff!"
"Pineapple and ham," Symone said after looking at the box. "I'm surprised that you've never had pizza, Empress Dahnai!"
"Just Dahnai," she said with a smile. "I don't think you guys would be too impressed with my title anyway. I certainly don't look like the Empress," she said with a face, pulling a string of cheese from the corner of her mouth.
That produced from laughs from the table. "What do you think of Karis, Dahnai?" Maya asked, looking around Vell, who was about to fight Ilia over the last piece of sausage pizza.
"I think it's incredible," she answered. "It got a little annoying that I couldn't open any doors, though. Jason won't explain how that works!"
"It's something best left unsaid, then," Maya said with a smile.
"Which of that pack is yours?"
"Aran, the boy with green hair," she said. "He's Jason's son. The two blond girls over there are my and Vell's girls, Sami and Yuri. "Sami, Yuri, come here and say hello to the Empress!"
The two girls came over holding pizza and tried to bow. "Hello, your Empress," Sami said.
"It's your Majesty," Yuri said critically, bumping her younger sister. "Hello, your Majesty," she said with a little bob.
"They're very lovely."
"Thank you," she said with a smile.
"Do you go to school here, or does your mom teach you?" Dahnai asked them.
"Oh, we go to school," Yuri answered. "I'm in grade four, and Sami's in grade two."
"Grade four, eh? What do you do in grade four here on Karis?"
"We're learning algebra, and we take Faey and history and computer classes," Yuri answered.
"Do you like it?"
"It's fun!" she said with more enthusiasm. "We got to go up and tour a ship last month, and it was really neat!"
"Oh really?" Dahnai said with bright eyes. "What did you do there?"
"We're not allowed to say, your Majesty," Yuri said with an apologetic bob. "It's house stuff."
"I see you teach them young," Dahnai noted to Jason, who sat beside her.
"You shoulda seen that coming."
"Well, are you coming to Rann's passing party?"
"Yeah, school's out til next week cause of the battle and stuff, so we can be there. But we haven't bought a gift yet."
"We're doing that tomorrow, Yuri," Maya assured her.
The two girls drifted off as Dahnai watched Kellin eat a slice of pizza, then laughed as he tried to figure out how to break the cheese strings in a dignified matter. "You know, why haven't we ever heard of this stuff?" he asked, taking another, bigger bite. "It's great!"
"It's a Terran recipe, and they don't serve much Terran food in the palace," Jason answered.
"I think we have to go have a talk with the kitchen, love," he noted to Dahnai.
"Hell yes," she agreed with a chuckle, taking another bite of the pineapple and ham.
"Ayama makes some good pizza. I'll have her give you the recipe to take home," Jyslin offered.
"I think I'd like that."
"When do you think you'll be going back home, Empress?" Yana asked shyly.
"Not sure," she answered between bites. "I wanna make sure that Karis is totally safe and secure first, and there's quite a bit me and Jason have to talk about concerning the Consortium and what happened, too. I'm definitely staying for Rann's passing party no matter what, though. Two days in that closet," she grunted, which made them all laugh. "Don't laugh, I'm not used to living in something that small!"
"We understand that, but it's still funny," Symone said cheekily.
"I have to say, though, I'm amazed. I knew you guys were here, but I was expecting a radiation dome or you living on a station or on the moon or something. Not trees, grass, and cities full of people!"
"There were some automated systems left after the attack that cleaned up the radiation," Jason explained. "They also started the terraforming process, but they all failed centuries ago. When we came here, we just picked up where it left off. We'll make Karis a living planet again," he said with affirmation, to which everyone at the table nodded.
"And there are no bugs here," Sheleese grinned.
"No animals at all except what we brought," Jason added. "The automated systems only had plant seeds. It couldn't do anything about animals."
"Well, sounds like I won't be worried about something biting me when I go for a swim at the beach," Dahnai grinned. "I bought myself a nice bikini."
"Bikini? Dahnai, if you use our beach, you go natural!" Symone told her. "Bikinis are just for going up and back!"
"It's a tradition," Maya chuckled.
"Well, far be it for me to buck tradition," Dahnai said grandly.
"They've never explained that to me," Jason noted to Dahnai.
"Explained what, hon?" Symone asked.
"Why you bother putting on a swimsuit when you just take them off when you get there," he said.
"Because we have to look good coming back and forth, of course, and girls look good in bikinis," she told him.
"It makes perfect sense to me," Dahnai said with a nod.
"You're the one that looks silly, Jason," Min told him with a wink. "Sometimes he wears trunks, sometimes he doesn't. When he doesn't, he comes out naked with a towel over his shoulder," she told Dahnai, leaning over the table. "Stops every girl on the beach when he does it."
"I fully understand why," she said in agreement.
"True, you've had up close and personal views of him, you'd know," Symone giggled. "Jason's got a big dick, Kellin, so we all have to stop and watch it swing when he walks," she explained to Kellin, who laughed.
"I've had episodes like that myself," he said. "Back before I married Dahnai, I played batchi in a fun league, and I scored quite a few goals because the defenders didn't have their eyes on the ball," he grinned. "I used to wear an oversized cup to keep them distracted."
"Oh, they had their eyes on the ball, all right," Symone bantered. "They were looking at the ones that matter more, that's all."
"Batchi? How many teeth did you lose?" Lyn asked.
"None, but I got banged around a lot," he answered. "Most of them took offense to a boy playing a girl's sport. They used to call my team the Tubers, at least until we started kicking their asses," he said proudly.
"Kellin's as strong as he looks," Dahnai said proudly.
"What's it like living in the palace?" Ilia asked him.
"It took me a while to get used to it. There's no privacy, anywhere," he said. "The Imperial Guard is always there, and there's always maids, servants, and outside there's flunkies and nobles and cameras everywhere. I'm from a very small house, and I wasn't used to that. I'm like Jason, I never really had any servants when I was growing up, and then I go to a place with no door on the bathroom and a woman standing there watching me while I sit on the toilet. I think it took me two weeks to finally work up the nerve to take a dump," he admitted, which caused a round of laughter. "But I got used to it, and besides, it was worth it," he added, reaching out and putting his hand on Dahnai's forearm. She leaned over and kissed him, then started licking the cheese off his chin, which made him gasp and laugh and try to push her away.
"Sounds like a culture shock, alright," Ilia noted. "It took me a while to get used to being a noble, but here on the strip, it doesn't really feel like it."
"Strip?" Dahnai asked.
"We all live here on the beach," she answered. "Jayce and the Marines and a few others, like the twins and Kumi. You know, the people close to him. It's a little contained community where we're all friends and all our kids can grow up together."
"Ah, sounds like you've got something special here."
"I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," she answered honestly.
"Me either," Maya agreed. "It's nice to know that my children will grow up in the best place in the Imperium, but also learn that just because there's a wall separating our houses from the houses on the other side, it doesn't make us any different from them."
"Well, you're a little different."
"We're all of us members of House Karinne," she said simply. "That's a tie that matters much more than noble titles and status and prestige. We're not like any other house you've ever seen, Dahnai. Here, anyone on Karis can come to this house and talk to Jason, as long as he's not busy. There may be a wall and guards here, but they're not here to keep the people out. They're basically here to make sure the kids don't get in trouble."
"Really?" Dahnai asked in surprise.
"More or less," he answered. "Not many do, though. I tend to get most suggestions through CivNet, but sometimes people in Karsa will come over and talk to me in person, especially if they think it's important."
"I'm amazed your guards don't have gray hair," Dahnai chuckled.
"We're pretty laid back here, Dahnai," he shrugged. "This is a very isolated, very close community where we all see each other as friends and neighbors, not strangers. We're very careful to only bring people here who can fit in with that mentality."
"Well, this wouldn't work in the Imperium."
"We know it wouldn't. We had the chance to create what we wanted, not take over what was left to us," Jyslin agreed.
"Still, it's pretty amazing that it works so well. The more people you have, the harder it is to keep that kind of small community feeling."
"I'm very proud of my people," Jason said with absolute sincerity.
After dinner and mingling in the spontaneous party, Jason brought Dahnai and Kellin into a more intimate setting, at least after they put the kids to bed. Rann and Shya were put in the same bed, and they snuggled up together in complete contentment. Once that was done, Dahnai and Kellin found themselves sitting in the living room watching in shock as Jason and Jyslin helped Ayama and Surin clean up, that they would do manual labor, then sat down with them on the couch, with Symone, Tim, and Myleena in the chairs around the coffee table. That was the core of his family, for Myleena was his fellow Generation and almost like a sister because they shared so many interests and they were such good friends. Ayama distributed out glasses of wine to them, then patted Jason on the shoulder. "Will you need anything else, Jason? If not, me and Surin wanted to go to our room."
"No, that's fine, thanks Ayama," he told her.
"It was nice to meet you, your Majesty," she said, bowing to Dahnai. "Good night."
"Night hon," Jyslin said, and they all waved to her as she took her leave.
"She seems nice," Dahnai noted.
"This house would fall apart if she wasn't here," Jyslin admitted with a laugh.
Ayama's a friend much more than a servant, Jason sent, taking a sip of the wine, which was quite good. Miaari hired her for us. She was the perfect woman for the job.
Amen to that, Jyslin agreed. If you want to know who really runs this house, they're in that room back behind the kitchen. Ayama and Surin keep everything under control and keep all of us on schedule.
Ayama always jokes that since I'm so busy with everything outside my front door, everything inside that door should be the last of my worries, Jason sent with a chuckle. She takes very good care of us.
Well, at least you know how to let servants pamper you, Dahnai winked.
Pamper? Dahnai, the only person that gets pampered in this house is Rann, she challenged. Ayama's always yelling at us because we keep doing our own laundry and washing the dishes for her when she's busy with the kids. The only job Jason gladly won't do is mowing the lawn. He hates it.
I'm still waiting for you to invent a strain of grass that stops growing, Jason told Myleena.
I'll put it on the board and we'll take a look at it, she grinned in reply.
You really do things differently, Dahnai sent, her surprise evident in her thought.
It keeps us from getting big heads, Jason shrugged.
I meant to ask, what do you guys do? she asked. I'm sure Jason's busy running the house, and Myleena is certainly doing research, but what else do you do?
Well, I'm an intelligence analyst, Tim answered. I work for Miaari.
I was trying to get into engineering before I married Jason, so I'm still studying. I work on Myleena's staff.
She's pretty good at it, too, Myleena complemented.
I'm kinda not doing anything at all, Symone laughed. I guess that's why I'm always getting in trouble. I have way too much free time on my hands. I'm Jason's sex toy when Jys is busy, but that's about it.
That sounds like a fun job to me, Dahnai sent as she gave Jason a leering smile.
Oh, it is, believe me, Symone agreed with a nod. But we're gonna give you some space tonight, Dahnai. We figured you haven't seen him for a while, so he's all yours.
I intend to take advantage of that, Dahnai assured her. I've already arranged for one of my guards to entertain Kellin tonight.
Jys is coming over to our place, and we're gonna threesome, Symone announced bluntly. I'm already getting wet at the thought of it.
It sounds like I'm going to to the wrong room, Dahnai noted, which made Symone burst out in laughter.
Hell, Dahnai, take Kellin with you. You haven't had good sex til you have your husband on one side and your amu dorai on the other. Just kneel there and let them bounce you back and forth, it's awesome.
Well, that does sound tempting, Dahnai sent honestly, but maybe we'll try that later. I'd like a chance to spend the night in Jason's bed for once, just me and him. There's always tomorrow, though, she said, giving Kellin a sultry look.
I'm still gonna be going at it tomorrow, Symone sent with a predatory smile, reaching over and cupping Jyslin's breast. Tim has great stamina, and we can always just lick each other while he's resting.
Jyslin pushed Symone's hand off her breast primly. Not in public, girl, Jyslin protested.
You never told me your wife and Symone are bi, Dahnai sent privately to Jason, her thoughts naughty and sly.
This is actually fairly new. Jys explained it, she said my attraction to Symone imprinted on her, and it happened to Symone too. She's still trying to get used to it, cause she's straight but she's having sexual feelings about another woman.
Ah, that does happen from time to time, Dahnai noted.
Myleena, though, wasn't quite so tactful. I didn't know you were bi, Jys.
I'm not, she sent with a slight blush. I imprinted from Jason.
Ohhh, Myleena sent with a nod.
That happened to my aunt, Kellin told them. She had some issues with it, but it worked out in the end.
What happened?
She moved my uncle's amu dorai into the guest house, he sent with a wink.
Well, I'm still getting used to it, Jyslin admitted with a slight flush. Our first attempt wasn't very… graceful. Neither of us had ever done something like that before.
Myleena laughed. I guess it wouldn't be, she agreed.
It's a little embarrassing, she confessed.
You certainly weren't very embarrassed when you were eating my pussy, Symone sent, with a slightly challenging tone.
Why would it be, Jys? Myleena sent. It happened, it's a natural thing. Nobody's thinking less of you because of it. In fact, I think it's beautiful. You get to experience everything that makes Jason love Symone first hand, not just through sending with him. It's always better when it's you doing it, not feeling what he's doing through sending.
I never thought of it that way, Jyslin admitted. I'm sorry, hon, I'm just not quite as quick as you are getting used to it, she apologized, putting her hand on Symone's leg.
That's alright, you'll be making it up to me very soon, Symone grinned lasciviously. In fact, I think you'll start making it up to me right now. Let's go back to my room and fuck, she sent graphically, standing up.
Well, that sounds like I'm being sent to my room, Tim sent with a laugh.
I wouldn't keep her waiting, Tim. From what I'm feeling under her thoughts, you wouldn't want to know what she'll do to you if you make her wait, Myleena winked.
Damn right, baby, Symone sent, grabbing Jyslin by the hand and pulling her to her feet.
Symone dragged Tim and Jyslin out with goodbyes, and the Imperial couple gave Jason light smiles after they left. "Symone seems… energetic," she noted.
"That's a tactful way to put it," Jason chuckled. "She's a very loving and affectionate woman, and that's just one way she shows it.
"You said she was brave. You weren't kidding at all."
"Not a bit," he nodded.
"Speaking of going, I need to head out, Jayce," Myleena said, putting her glass down on the coffee table. "I have some lab results to look over and some other stuff to do."
"Alright, see you in the morning," Jason told her.
"Good night, your Majesty, Kellin," she said.
"Night Myleena," they said in unison, and Myleena padded past Aya, who brought Jason a handpanel. He looked over the newest report from the command staff about repairs, and saw that everything was on schedule.
"Thanks Aya," he said as he handed it back, and she nodded and went back to the kitchen.
Dahnai gave Kellin a brief look, and Jason could sense right on the edge of his mind that they were sending privately… and Dahnai was being very strong about it. "Ah, well, I think I'll go settle in over in the closet," Kellin said with a smile at Jason. "I'll see you in the morning, love. Have fun," he said with a grin, then he leaned over and kissed Dahnai. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him back, then she slapped him on the butt as he got up and left.
"Well, we seem to be alone," she said in a purring voice.
"Let me guess, Symone got to you."
"Guilty," she laughed. "So let's go have some fun."
"As long as you don't mind that I'm a little tired, I'm all yours for as long as I last."
"Why do you think I'm taking you to bed so early?"