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"Keep these Kirrass as a reminder of this day," Raymond told his two new family members. "The day you came back to the world. Rest well, my warriors. Get healthy so that you can join the rest of our family on my ship," Raymond told them, seeing them close their eyes as calm finally came to them and took them into what would be a deep and fitful sleep.
"I expect daily reports on their condition, Nal-Hut," Raymond said.
Nal-Hut gave him an indulgent smile. "Of course, Patta," she said with a smile.
"Don't you think it is best that you get dressed now, Raymond?" Junelliya asked. "Not that I don't mind looking at you, however, I am a married woman and my mate is elsewhere."
"Oh, hush, woman," Gillaya intervened. "I was enjoying this!"
That brought a giggle from the women with him and the starling laugh of the Pod-Drran around him.
He looked to Ayesha who checked his wound. "Yes, you can dress. I will check the wound again later.
"I am receiving instructions on the care of the others from Nal-Hut but I may ask Sha-Ret to provide us with a mated pair of Dae to help us for a couple of days until I am fully familiar with their needs," Ayesha ended.
"Sha-Ret, do you think you can spare us the help of two of your medical people for a couple of days?" Raymond asked formally.
"Would any volunteer?" Sha-Ret asked to have all the medical people raise their hands. She snorted a laugh, looked to Raymond and shrugged.
"Ayesha?" Raymond asked.
Ayesha looked at the two who had first arrived. "You are a mated pair?" she asked.
"We are," the Dae responded. "We are both Sin," she further informed Ayesha.
"Good, then gather what you need and we will move to my facilities on the ship," Ayesha ordered.
Things moved quickly then, with the two invalids moving to the medical bay on the Koh-Tan and the two appointed doctors moving to collect what they would need for treatment. Not long after, everyone boarded the shuttle which swiftly returned to The Wanderer.
The courthouse was packed with a lottery having been established to get seats inside the great room of the largest court in the district. All others were watching via a video feed to the net as Wassim Andjuran was finally brought before a judge and jury. The people in the courthouse had to get through two check points, one at the main door and another before the door to the court.
The people sat in silence in the courtroom as the charges, all 150, were read out, a process taking more than an hour to complete.
"Wassim Andjuran, you have heard the charges against you, how do you plead?"
"Your honour, on behalf of my client, I enter a plea of not guilty to all charges," said Gakeemah Hasnawi, the lawyer for Andjuran. The courtroom erupted in anger but was quickly called to order by the judge.
"The public is reminded that outbursts of this nature are not permitted in a court of law. Should this display be continued, the public pews of this court will be closed and all of you will all be removed," the judge called out in annoyance.
"Wassim Andjuran, the charges against you have been read out and you have selected to contest those charges, as is your right. However, due to the severity of those charges, you will not be permitted your freedom.
"You are remanded into custody until the beginning of your trial when you will be brought before this court to answer to the charges read out in this court today. Your trial will begin in two days time at 10:00 hrs. Your lawyer and his team will be permitted access to your person in order to prepare for your trial. No other person will be permitted access," the judge intoned.
He banged the gavel and rose to depart to his chambers.
"All, rise!" the bailiff called out, as the court came to its feet for the judges retreat.
Andjuran was swiftly pulled from the room and into the special elevator where he was whisked to the garage floor and into an armored vehicle.
The convoy left the building before most of those in the courtroom had even exited the fifth floor room itself. They were back in the district jail within minutes.
C. Cst. Hafeez breathed a sigh of relief but did not let his guard down. His job was now two-fold; stop an escape by Andjuran until a few days into his trial, then, stop an assassination attempt against him until his trial ended when he would be executed, either for the crimes he was charged with on Anuura, or the crimes he had already been found guilty of on Terra.
Andjuran's trial was scheduled for twenty days due to the number of charges against him. Hafeez dreaded any extension of the trial, it would be a very long twenty days for him and his constables as it was...
Hotel Deck, Liramor-23, Piscium System, 106 Light Years from Terra
Heyya was sitting in with Hanalei in her quarters, the Cats flittering around as they jumped and flew around the space. She always enjoyed watching them as they brought fond memories of home.
Her comp bleeped and a 3D image of Junelliya appeared over her wrist.
"Oh, The Wanderer must be back," Heyya said, opening the link.
"Heyya, we have a medical emergency," Junelliya began as soon as the link connected. "We have six special guests who are in a very bad way. We need to place them in the hospital as soon as we get there. We also have two 'guest' medical specialists who will help you acclimatize to the needs of the new members of the Ur family.
"We will need to get Mind-Ur to the hospital to accept the parole of her new family members. Raymond has made her the head of the house. We have just arrived in system and will be bringing the injured aboard the platform within fifteen minutes. Raymond is declaring a medical emergency to Central Control as we speak.
"I'm going to close out as I need to speak to Hanalei before we arrive," Junelliya said.
"I'm with Hanalei right now, Junelliya," Heyya advised her, moving her wrist so Junelliya could see her mate.
"Junelliya, what do you need?" Hanalei asked.
"I need you to bring Juneya to me. I need her comfort, and yours, my mate," Junelliya stated.
"We'll be there," Hanalei assured her.
Hanalei called the Cats to her and they swiftly left the apartment for the hospital, further down the corridor. She contacted Mind-Ur and urgently called her to the hospital. Heyya was on her comp to her people giving instructions as they moved. The walk down the corridor was swift. They were in the hospital within a couple of minutes.
"OK, people, listen up!" Heyya called out. "We have six unknown trauma victims coming in and they are likely Pod-Drran. We will also have guest medical staff to help us with the trauma victims. I don't know the story, so don't ask. Just be sure to have everything we need in place, except blood and fluids. Ours are not compatible with the Pod-Drran.
"Let's move!" she ordered and everyone moved to prep the trauma ward.
Heyya's comp bleeped and Fiona's head appeared. She opened the unit. "I'm already aware, Fiona. We are prepping for six Pod-Drran victims now," she told her.
"Damn, Heyya, I know you're good but, really? I only just found out myself!" Fiona groused.
"Junelliya was in need of comfort from her Cat and Hanalei so she called ahead. She indicated the need to us and I simply advised the hospital. The trauma wing will be ready for them as they arrive," Heyya explained.
"We're sending them to the hospital shuttle entrance, you can send your people there. The Wanderer has them in anti-grav chairs so you can just take those through to trauma," Fiona advised. "I'm on my way there shortly."
"OK. We'll be ready for them," Heyya stated and cut the link.
It wasn't long before her people began returning with the victims.
"What have we got?" she asked.
"I have a Pod-Drran mated pair who have been badly treated by their former 'house', Dr. Heyya," Katanya advised. "This is Kayl-Kirlen and her mate Hend- Kirlen, they were once a doctor and nurse, now they are patients."
"Oh, lovely, just what I need. Medical staff make the worst patients," Heyya groused, bringing a Pod-Drran laugh from Kayl after the translation.
"I promise we will listen to your instructions, Sin Heyya and San Katanya," Kayl returned.
Both of the Pod-Drran looked rather pale and both had many lesions on their bodies. There were several new, and some old scars. Their skin did not look good either and they did not smell like Mind-Ur, a healthy Pod-Drran smell, Heyya realized.
"What happened to you?" she asked of Kayl.
"We were Kirlen to a Rai who despised us and treated us badly," Kayl informed her. "Fortunately, Raymond Ro defeated our tormentor and offered us Shar-Terg to protect us from continued abuse.
"I and my mate are grateful for his doing this, most of our kind would not have accepted us. They would have left us to die," she finished.
"That's our Raymond," Fiona said having arrived as they ended their story. "Pain in the ass white knight all the way," she snarled, getting giggles from many of the staff.
"And you love me for it," Raymond stated, coming up behind her. "Good-afternoon, Fiona. I love you too," Raymond said with a boyish grin.
"Damn, you're just to damned good looking to argue with," Fiona snapped, but gave him a grin all the same.
"So, we now have six new Pod-Drran in asylum?" Fiona asked.
"Eight, actually," Raymond stated. "I had to leave two more who were much worse off than these with the medical staff on the Koh-Tan."
"Gods, if they were much worse off than these, we might have lost them trying to treat them ourselves," Heyya stated. "These people are not in good condition, Fiona. If they were Union citizens, I would be bringing charges against the person responsible."
"Not to worry, Sin Heyya," Kayl advised. "Raymond defeated her in combat, then she tried to assassinate him, and his Jurte Rai killed her defending him."
"What!" snapped Fiona. "You went into a combat with the Pod-Drran?" she practically shouted.
"I did no such thing," Raymond stated. "She decided to take a poke at the Jurte Pair in order to break the possible alliance between the Pod-Drran and the Union. She did that out of hatred for Sha-Ret, rather than out of the good for her people.
"She challenged me and set the punishment for refusal to not returning ever again to conduct negotiations. I had no choice but to accept challenge and defeat her," Raymond explained quietly.
"And what did you use as a weapon, Raymond? One of their swords?" Fiona demanded, getting angrier.
"Of course not, Fiona. I am a weapon. I faced her unarmed," Raymond told her.
"YOU WHAT!!?"
"FIONA!! This is a hospital, if you cannot calm down then you will leave it immediately!" Heyya snapped.
"You, come with me!" Fiona snapped at Raymond.
"Cannot at this time, Fiona," Raymond said, pointing at his stomach. "I received a poke from her, so need to have Dr. Heyya take a good look at it."
Heyya saw that Fiona was ready to explode so she quickly stepped in front of her. "I'll send him to you AFTER we have tended his wounds and after you, Fiona, have calmed down some. For now, I need you out of my hair so that we can tend to these people, including Raymond."
Fiona growled, spun on her heels and left the trauma ward.
"Raymond Ro, who was that person?" Caye asked.
"That was Fiona Marsh, the commander of the local defence forces and director of this platform," said a new voice speaking in the Pod-Drran language. "You would consider her to be a Jurte. However, she is not the person you need to pay attention to, I am.
"I am Mind of the House of Ur, citizen of the Union and confidant of Raymond Clark and Fiona Marsh. I am the senior Tae of the House Ur and I will hold your Sirsh. Do you understand? Is there any here who would dispute this?" she asked.
"It is not the Pod-Drran way," one spoke.
"No, but it is the human way and we now live amongst them. We must either adopt to their ways or die. We can send you back to the Koh-Tan," Mind-Ur stated. "Is that what you wish?" No one spoke.
"Good. Raymond, what has happened and what have you done?" Mind-Ur asked of him.
"We killed a very bad person, Mind-Ur," Raymond told her. "I was told that her Kirlen would not likely be taken in by any on the Koh-Tan because she had a reputation of mistreating them. They would not wish to have them in their house as there would be the real threat of their dying on them, thus tarnishing the reputation of their own house. The Rai and the Ro I left behind were both on the brink of death. I gave them Shar-Terg and removed their Kirrass, bringing them into the House of Ur, though I will keep them on The Wanderer. They will learn our way of fighting before they are given their Sirsh.
"Now, these Kirlen need to be brought into the House of Ur. They all understand that the senior female of this house is a Tae, you. Will you accept their parole, Mind-Ur? Will you take them into our house?" he asked her.
"I will," Mind-Ur confirmed. "Normally, this would be done in a private ceremony but we need to start your treatment. So forgive me for doing this as a group and in a public context with strange people watching.
"I am Mind, senior female of the House Ur, a Tae, and I will hold your Sirsh. Is there any here that would dispute this?" Mind-Ur asked. No one did.
"Very well, I Mind-Ur, accept you into the House of Ur. You will defer to myself or to Raymond in all judgments as a member of my house. You will keep yourself and you rooms clean and tidy and I expect all of us to support each other in all aspects of house life. I expect you to act as any Pod-Drran who is a member of a House. You will show dignity and respect to all, regardless of their Class or species.
"You will be expected to complete three special duties as part of my house. The first is to learn the language of the humans so that you can converse with them without the need for the translator.
"The second is to adapt to their education system so that you can achieve similar status to what you had before. Kayl Sin-Dae, you will need to study the hardest in order to achieve the degree of medical doctor. I expect you to succeed at this no matter how long or how hard you need to work for it.
"You Hend, will be able to achieve your status of San fairly quickly. The pair of you will be our defacto medical staff for all Pod-Drran who live on or visit this platform. Those will be your official duties on this platform. However, as most of the people on this platform are human, you will have to understand human physiology and earn the rank of Medical Doctor and Nurse from the human institutions or you will not be able to work for the hospital.
"The third thing all of you need to do is apply for and achieve the citizenship of the Union. I will help you there. There are many things you must understand before you can achieve citizenship though it can be done surprisingly quickly, especially as we have been given Shar-Terg by Raymond.
"These things are not negotiable. They will allow you to live and to thrive amongst the humans of the Union. Being a Tae, I understand the humans mindset, which honours education and the advancement of the mind.
"Being a Pod-Drran, I understand the needs of our people. You will work hard to improve yourself. Your efforts will reflect upon this house. Do well, and this house will gain a reputation of strength and intelligence among the humans.
"As our Head of House, you will defer to me in all things. Serve the house well and there will be no issues.
"Do you accept the Shar-Terg, the new name to your house, Ur?" Mind-Ur demanded.
"I do," came the reply from many voices.
"From this moment on, you are now of the House of Ur. Serve this house with pride and distinction.
"Dr. Heyya, please remove the Kirrass as part of their treatment," Mind-Ur stated.
"Kirrass, Mind-Ur?" Heyya asked.
"The device around their necks is called a Kirrass. It is the symbol of the Kirlen, Heyya, those who have been defeated by others or taken into the household of another after their principal senior has been defeated, as these Pod-Drran were.
"Removing it is the responsibility of the new house, as no Kirlen may remove a Kirrass by themselves on pain of death. They have been elevated from Kirlen by Raymond's hand. I have accepted them under my leadership, under the name of my house.
"They will train with the university so that they can achieve status, as I have. I will soon achieve my degree, Dr. Heyya, and the right of my own to be called 'Doctor'," Mind-Ur explained.
"Allow us, Dr. Heyya," Raymond said and pointed to Kim, who gave him a smile. She moved forward and swiftly cut through all the Kirrass as Mind-Ur followed behind and personally removed them from around the neck of each individual, asking their names and adding Ur as their family name; Kayl-Ur, Hend-Ur, Caye-Ur, Gend-Ur, Lent-Ur, Ren-Ur.
"I will make a seal of the House Ur, that you will be given to wear as part of your new uniforms. Wear it with pride everywhere that you travel. Welcome to the House of Ur," Mind-Ur bowed to her new family, who all bowed in return as best they could.
She turned to Raymond.
"I apologise, Raymond," She began, bowing low. "I must ask your compassion for these six. They will need clothing and they will need comps similar to mine."
"I expected this, Mind-Ur and already have Thimble working hard," he told her. "Their outfits will be designed to allow them to fill into them as they gain in health. Comps are being ordered; it will take a couple of days for them to arrive and their programing changed to be suitable for a Pod-Drran.
"In the meantime, we need to ask HR for places for our new arrivals. You can take care of that, once I have calmed Fiona down a little," he reassured her.
"You, sit, silence, I don't want you to say another word until I have assessed what has happened to you stomach," Heyya ordered of Raymond.
"I like how this Sin does business," Arl-Hal Sin-Dae commented as she watched the interplay her translator comp giving her instant translation.
"Mind-Ur, who are these two and what is their status here?" Heyya asked.
Mind-Ur turned to the two medical staff.
"I am Arl-Hal Sin-Dae, this is my mate, Qan-Har Sin-Don. We have been requested to assist your medical staff while the injured Pod-Drran are recovering," Arl-Hal stated. "We have brought many items that you will need, including blood plasma and fluid solutions that you will need to provide volume for them."
She indicated the box that was floating beside her on a grav pad. She opened it to show the contents and identified what was what, though the distinctive blueish-green colouring of the blood made the plasma stand out.
"There seems to be quite a lot of blood and fluids here," Heyya commented. "Will they need this much?"
"Of course not," Arl-Hal stated. "However, you will need provisions for those of the Pod-Drran who are now of your people. Our blood and fluids freeze well and can be kept thus for many years.
"It was easier for us to bring too much, as opposed to requesting more from the Koh-Tan," she said with a smile.
"I like this female, Raymond. Can we keep her?" Heyya asked.
"Sorry, Heyya," Raymond returned. "We have to send her back to her people. She is on loan to us until our resident medical specialists are back on their feet."
"Pity," Heyya said with a smile to the two Pod-Drran doctors. "I am Dr. Heyya, head of the Trauma Ward and currently the administrator for this hospital," she said by way of introduction to the two.
"Currently?" Qan-Har asked.
"Yes, the position of Trauma Head means I have little time to work efficiently as the administrator. We have a dedicated administrator coming in a few days. Then I go back to being just a doctor," she explained.
