All That Glitters Ch. 52

"Control, this is EMS One, requesting priority authorization, over," came a new voice that Grace thought might be Heyya.

"EMS One, you have priority track to the ship and return. Can you see the input?" the Controller demanded.

"Roger, Control, we see the track, launching now, out."

Both of the emergency shuttles were the newest versions with better engines than the older shuttles. They were decked out with the best suite of trauma kits available, ones that Heyya herself had designed or purchased to use on the shuttles. The shuttle moved swiftly out, getting to .75% C before reversing and pushing hard with her engines to bring the shuttle to a low enough speed to safely enter the Djinaëte ship. They were there for over five minutes before the shuttle indicated it was returning.

"Trauma center, this is Heyya. Female, approximately thirty years of age, emaciated and with multiple trauma injuries. We see a broken right humerus that has not been set. Multiple bruising from powerful blows. The victim is in respiratory distress and not breathing on her own. Over."

"Trauma Center, acknowledge. We will be ready for you on arrival, out."

Something clicked in Grace's mind.

"Comms O, ask the Djinaëte ship where they have just come from," Grace ordered.

A minute later, the Comms O replied. "Ma'am, the ship says it has just come from ShemetAR in Asocan space."

"Shit!" Grace heard behind her. "Heyya, this is Fiona. Does it appear that the victim was recently wearing a collar?"

"Yes, Fiona, it looks like she might have," came the reply.

"That victim has just become an intelligence priority, Heyya. I know you will do your best regardless, but make sure she lives," Fiona ordered.

"On it," came the reply. Then the EMS was back against the platform.

"Secure from emergency stations," Grace ordered, getting 'Aye ma'ams' from around Control.

Fiona spun the chair around, "Care to explain that," Fiona asked, looking down on Grace, sitting in the Boss' Chair.

"Explain what, Director Marsh?" Grace asked, innocently.

"Don't come all innocent on me, Grace. That was damn good, too good. Where the hell did you learn that kind of authority and control?" Fiona demanded.

"My father's security teams were always running drills. They would use stand-ins for my father and sometimes that would be me. They liked when I played the part as they could literally throw me around," Grace explained.

That got a snigger from her bodyguard.

"Something funny, Ms. Montel?" Fiona barked.

"Yes. I was recalling one time when the boys threw her a little too hard, the look on the faces of those four guys as they tried to catch her before she hit the ground." Heather Montel replied.

That got a chuckle from Fiona's military aide, who suddenly went quiet when Fiona rounded on her. "That doesn't explain your understanding of our protocols, Grace. Where did you learn that?"

"That was my fault, Admiral," Capt. Pétillante said. "You get bored sitting on the nude beach for two weeks, so we played different scenarios to bring Grace up to speed."

"Nude beach," someone on the deck murmured.

"Never you mind where she spent her down time," Fiona snarled. "I would like to have been informed that you were doing this, Émilia. I would like to have assessed Grace's capabilities before hitting the ground here."

"We really didn't get much of a chance to do anything, Admiral. Quite frankly, I am in as much of a shock as you are after seeing her performance just now," Émilia replied.

"It was pretty decent," SOps indicated, standing beside Fiona. "I wouldn't mind getting her certified as a watch officer. She certainly seems to be able to handle it."

Grace held up her comp as she stood up, vacating the Boss' Chair. "I have most of Liramor-23's priority codes. I have been reading them. I'm sure there are things I can learn from your team, have already during this little incident."

Fiona snorted. "Right. I still have a priority secure message from Liramor Holdings that I have to get through. Grace...you might as well sit back down. "Martine, get her clearances sooner rather than later," Fiona ordered of her SOps. "And start getting her Watch Officers ticket punched."

Grace sat back down and smiled shyly at the people in control. They smiled back, showing pride in their new boss.

"Let's get back to the routine, people," Grace ordered, getting a chorus of 'Aye ma'ams' from around Control.

"Boring good, excitement Baaaaddd..." someone said, getting chuckles from all over. Grace recognized a quote that Fiona was often heard to say at Denders. She now understood that quote much better.

PV The Trine, On Route

The Trine was a little crowded with the extended family, Seeka and her band, but everyone was in a good mood and Seeka and the children were singing songs during the trip out to Anuura.

Forty minutes after leaving Denders, they were landing at the Grand Temple of Andanii Shuttle Port in Aereet City. The extended family made tearful goodbyes, everyone of them giving hugs and kisses to the family. Even Seeka got a few of those, much to her amusement.

"They liked your style of singing," Junelliya explained.

"Sing good, they like," Zarreniya told her unnecessarily, getting smiles from the band.

"Next stop is Liramor-23, then the ship will take you back to where we picked you up in Byandi space," Henadi explained.

"You come see home?" Ikekiya asked excitedly.

"I have always wanted to see the embassy on Liramor-23," Seeka admitted. "But I don't know how much time would be available to me."

"Take as much time as you like to explore Liramor-23. I am told that all of the leaders that have not already been there are stopping to check out the embassies on their way home," Fayad told her. "The Byandi Embassy Staff will probably be thrilled that you stopped by."

The Trine rose out of the gravity well of Anuura and jumped directly to Liramor-23. They received directions to their personal berth and settled in within thirty minutes of having left Anuura.

"I am amazed that the ship can just slip through the shield into an atmosphere," Seeka told them, looking back with a shudder at what was essentially empty space.

"The Gara-Hinn shield. Our friend Ohi had to modify it as it was designed to cover a much larger exit on the massive Pod-Drran Man-Jays, their great ships," Fayad explained. "The shields are now a hot selling item for Anura Labs. They are being placed on every new and existing space station and Navy ship and are being offered as options for new and refit commercial ships."

"How could I buy stock in your friend's lab?" Seeka asked.

Henadi laughed and sent her something to her new comp. Seeka had seen the value of the comps immediately and purchased one of the more capable and blinged versions. Henadi asked her if she had stock in the company that was selling the comps and systems to the Byandi. Seeka got excited when she looked at the portfolio from the House of Ur Trading Company.

"So inexpensive!" she cooed. "With their product line, they are bound to make a considerable profit."

Seeka and her group went off on their own for a bit as the family made its way back to their quarters. The Cats called out happily when the door opened and they flew around the familiar space.

A half hour after they had returned home, Seeka came to visit. The children were excited to show her around the small apartment.

"It is rather small but we are on a space station," Henadi explained.

"Oh, don't bother to say anything. When I travel, I am lucky to have a room to myself," Seeka told them. "Djinaëte ships may be big, but they lack in creature comforts. Your Trine is much better for that.

"Speaking of which, how do I purchase a ship of my own?" Seeka asked.

"They are not cheap," Junelliya warned her. "However, the old Princess Class will now be discounted as Pallanders tries to sell them off. The Princess II Class is replacing that line and the Princess Class have only been in service for about four years, so even a used model will still be in very good condition and much less expensive than a new ship."

"Don't worry about the cost, Junelliya. I am a superstar entertainer for my people. Money I have, using it is a different story. I have a rather large house, an airship, several expensive aircars and even a large surface ship, Mylatinyl is after all a water world. Even if a personal ship of the Trine Class cost a hundred million credits, I can easily afford it," Seeka admitted.

A few minutes later, Henadi was informed by Capt. Bellany that The Trine was ready to depart. Seeka gave hugs to all, getting admonishments from the children to call..."You call, we teach Ukulele," they told her, getting giggles from her.

As she approached the door to leave, the chime sounded and the door opened to Dr. Marla and Nurse Meela who were shocked to find Seeka in the Piscium home.

Junelliya pursed her lips and brought her finger up to shush them before they both let out a scream. "If you scream, you will give away the fact that she is here. Then you will miss out on your own personal time with Seeka," she told them, instantly silencing the pair.

"We came to see our two favourite children," Dr. Marla indicated. "We have not seen them for over two weeks." Both Marla and Meela had stayed behind on Liramor-23 because of their duties.

"I understand," Seeka admitted. "They are the most delightful of children." She spent a couple of minutes with the pair, posing for selfies with them before saying goodbye once again and heading to the shuttle bay. It would be a long trip back to Byandi space but, with the capacities of The Trine, it would be much faster than any trip she had taken before. Djinaëte vessels rarely went directly to any one planet.

"That one is blessed of Layalle," Meela said as Seeka left the apartment. Dr. Marla agreed with her.

"Layalle?" Hanalei asked.

"We are here so often we forget that you do not know much about us," Meela replied. "Layalle is part of our pantheon of Gods. You know of Mylatin, our creation Goddess. She is most revered of all the Gods and Goddesses; our very planet is named after her.

"Layalle is the Goddess of the hearth, the home," here Meela called up an image of Layalle. It appeared to be a coloured statue showing the Goddess sitting near an open hearth on a high-backed chair with no arms. Over her shoulders was draped a mauve coloured shawl. She was holding what Hanalei recognized as a Cattass, a stringed instrument similar to a Terran Lute. In front of the Goddess was a low table with scrolls on it.

"The Goddess is revered for the three things that make a hearth a home: love, education, and music. Her colour is sesach (mauve), which is also the colour of love for Byandi," Meela said, explaining the image.

"Pretty," said Zarreniya as she came up to the seated Byandi.

"She is very beautiful," Marla admitted.

"We should give you a small version of the statue for your home," Meela stated. "No home is complete without her."

"They are not Byandi," Marla mentioned offhand to Meela.

"It matters not," Meela replied. "Do you not see the things Layalle is revered for here in this home?"

"Momma and Pappa bring love. Mommy bring music. Clarrisiya and Urano bring teaching," Ikekiya stated, putting plainly the thoughts of the two Byandi into words.

"Fwends teach too," Zarreniya added.

The adults all smiled at the little girls and nodded sagely.

Interspecies Embassy, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

As Fiona had thought, it was a very busy day guiding the leadership around her platform. They were impressed with the proposed layout for the modifications to Liramor-23 and its new name 'Ard Mheydeh' (Anuuran for Neutral Ground).

"We will start these modifications within the week," Fiona explained to Mylatinyl Adriné toward the end of the day. "We hope to complete them by this time next year."

"I look forward to coming to the expanded station, Director Marsh. Let us hope that by then, this business with the Asocans will be completed," the Mylatinyl stated, getting nods of agreement from those around her, mostly her people. "It's going to make the trip home a lot longer because we cannot cross Asocan space."

************

Fiona had just seen the Mylatinyl off when she received the notice from Heyya.

"Our patient is awake," Heyya said over the link.

"Be right there," Fiona replied and headed for the hospital section, Grace and Émilia in tow.

"How is she?" Fiona asked as she came into the Trauma Ward.

"Not good. She has suffered frequent beatings, her organs are working at reduced capacity, probably from a calorie-restricted diet, she has multiple broken bones that did not properly mend and old and relatively new bruising over most of her body. She is lucky to have survived until now," Heyya told them.

"Will she live?" Graces asked.

"Yes. She is one strong woman, that one," Heyya said. "Her name is Lindsey Briller. It took us a few minutes to get that from her as she would only give her first name, the name she was known by as a slave. Once she understood that she was no longer in that fleet nor in Alliance space, her relief was palpable."

"I would like to welcome her to Liramor-23 and assure her that she is safe now," Fiona said. "I will not speak to her very long."

Heyya gave her a nod and she was taken into the ICU. Fiona saw that she was sporting full leg casts on both of her legs, a full arm cast on her right arm, and a cast on her right wrist. There were multiple bandages all over her body and what was not covered by a bandage or a sheet was covered in old bruising.

"Lindsey Briller? I am Vice-Admiral Fiona Mash, commanding Sector Fifty-Nine of the Union Navy. You are now on the space station Liramor-23 in the Piscium System, in Union controlled space.

"We are aware that you were a slave on a ship. You are safe now, Lindsey. I am not sure if you are aware of this but the Union raided the Alliance to get back our citizens who were forced into slavery. You should have been freed several months ago.

"When you are rested and feeling a little better, we will want to talk to you about the ship you were on. We need to know how many others are out there. We intend to recover them, to rescue them. Do you understand?" Fiona asked.

Lindsey nodded her head and then began to cry. Heyya was there immediately, holding the woman. "It's alright, now. Let it out," she told her, waving Fiona away.

Fiona went back to the Nurses station. She was a little upset by what she had seen.

"Fiona?" Grace asked.

"It was bad, Grace. I don't ever want to see something like that again. She looked like she had been in an air vehicle crash. If I wasn't already determined to get the son of a bitch that launched that missile, I would be just as determined after seeing that woman," Fiona told them.

Heyya came back out. "She is sleeping now, more or less. She was in very bad shape, Fiona. Her organs were at the point of shutting down; still are. We are pushing fluids and nutrients into her body, but we have to be very careful how much we push at her at any one time. Her body just can't handle what it now considers 'excess'. There are several broken bones that were never properly healed. We rebroke the more recent ones. Once we get her back to some semblance of normality, physically, we can treat her with nanites to help correct the others.

"She is going to have a rough time of it for a week or so. She was pleased to know that she is now free, Fiona. You did good telling her that," Heyya explained.

"I will have the Interplanetary Police Services start working on her identity. Did we get fingerprints and DNA samples from her?" Fiona asked.

"Yes. We have all of that. The imagery of her face will have to wait until the bruising and swelling subsides. I hope we can take better pictures in a few days," Heyya said. "In the meantime, we will be giving her 24/7 care until she is through this crisis."

Heyya stopped an Asocan that was walking by in the corridor and called her into the nurses station. "Fiona, this is <Gorlat Mutt Inett, Medical Surgeon Class One (MS1) she is an Asocan surgeon and the person who was attending to Lindsey while on the Djinaëte ship. She kept her alive until we got to her. <Gorlat, this is Director Fiona Marsh, she runs the platform."

"Thank-you <Gorlat for rendering assistance to Lindsey. You went above and beyond to help her," Fiona stated.

"Think nothing of it, Director," <Gorlat waved off the praise. "It is what we do," she said, referring to being a doctor. "I am here to familiarize myself with human anatomy and gain certification to work on your people. Lindsey was the first human I have ever met. It was obvious from the start that she needed help to breathe and that is what I did for her."

"How long do you intend to stay on the platform?" Fiona asked.

"For as long as necessary to achieve my certification. I am told that there is a Pod-Drran medical team that covers Pod-Drran physiology and medical practices. I am hoping to offset my instruction costs by doing the same for Asocan medical practices."

"I will take you round to see Professor Smeldt as soon as I finish here, <Gorlat. She will be thrilled to see you," Heyya told the big Asocan female.

Fiona thanked Heyya and her team and left for her office. She contacted Human Resources on the way. "Dianne, I need accommodations for my new EA. It will have to be somewhere near me and she comes with a bodyguard. What can you do on that issue?"

"Sorry, Fiona. We have no accommodations for staff on that level. Best we can do is to put them in VIP accommodations until the reconstruction is completed on that part of the station, in approximately three months time," Dianne Ancien answered.

"If you send them to me I will take care of them."

Grace called up a map of the platform and headed to HR. To say the least, Dianne was more than surprised to find out who Fiona's new EA was. Grace smiled politely and told Dianne the same thing that she told Martine Lavoie, "I'm on my own now, only one tie still to daddy," she said, pointing to her bodyguard.

"Well, let's hope that when you lose that tie it will be for good reasons," Dianne said.

She quickly set up an account for the pair, noting that both had already earned their 'Space Directives Certification' (every person working in space must learn how to live in space and how to deal with emergencies on a ship or platform). The only thing that they needed to sign off on was the Liramor-23 Emergency Certifications, basically getting to know the layout of the station vis-à-vis on platform emergencies.

Dianne assigned Maria Fontenette, one of her people at HR, as the go to contact for the pair. She took them around to familiarize them with the platform. The pair finally found their way to their accommodations on the VIP deck, not far from and one deck above Fiona's apartment. They had a two-bedroom unit with some space in it, the perks of being a VIP.

They settled in early as Fiona was usually up early for morning exercises.

Liramor-23 Campus of Malton University, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

Professor Smeldt was talking to a couple of miners who were students at her campus, when Heyya came into the room. She finished up and turned to see her with an Asocan.

"Professor Smeldt, this is <Gorlat Mutt Inett, Medical Surgeon Class One. She is tentatively being hired by the Asocan Embassy here but she is quite overqualified for the position," Heyya explained.

"Let me guess, her real purpose for coming here is to qualify to work on other species?" Zilina asked.

"Got it in one," Heyya admitted. "She heard that our famous pair of Kayl and Hend-Ur were doing comparative anatomy, physiology, and medical practices of the Pod-Drran while attaining their certifications on human physiology and medical practices.