Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 01

"We'll just... wait outside," Jack said, looking away from her lips.

He followed the Tik into the hall.

"I will ask Taggart to join the Tik going to Callosephia," Socrates said, and Jack nodded.

"What was the favor for you?" Jack asked.

Socrates pressed a tentacle against Plato. "We will discuss that after your return."

Jack nodded as he looked between the two, wondering what was so embarrassingly difficult to ask for? Maybe it was a really big favor?

Bayly joined them and smiled shyly at Jack.

He looked at Tito. "Time is our enemy. We must assume we have no time to spare and move as quickly as possible to prevent the loss of lives. We need to get to Callosephia first to speak with the Sultessa to get her blessing to send the ship and some warriors to Danat."

"Jack? Someone is using me as an anchor point for a Gate," Tito said in confusion.

Jack closed his eyes and sighed wearily. Of course, they were listening in.

Three Gates snapped into place in the hall, and a member of Jack's Ishilon security detail slipped through each, scanning the area with their eyes.

Bayly squeaked in surprise and positioned herself before Jack, but he placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled, turning her eyes to him. "It's okay. They're with me."

A broad-shouldered female moved to face Jack. "Shadeem—your hair! Your eyes!" Jack just waved a hand, so after a moment, she continued. "We have come to your assistance. Are you in any danger?"

"Danger? No. Trouble? Yes, due to your unauthorized Gates on Maghadahn, of all places!" He sighed in exasperation as the security team just smiled at him. "Fine, let's go to Callosephia. Now, before Maghadahn Security shows up." He directed Bayly and Tito to follow the other two Ishilon as he followed Dennesh. Before he went through, he smiled at the Tik elders. "Thank you! Oh, and could you let them know I'm sorry?"

Jack stepped through the Gate onto the sandy street, and the Gates closed. Facing them was the old Colony Leader's office which had been converted to an office for Callosephia Security.

He looked around and smiled as he saw the changes from his last visit. The buildings of the Altarian colony were undergoing dramatic changes, and he doubted the original habitants would recognize it.

Some of the warriors were discovering their artistic side. Walls were painted with murals depicting scenes from their past lives on their original home world. Wind chimes were common ornaments on business fronts and homes alike. Apparently, they loved the sound as there were so many of them.

Time to speak to the Sultessa.

-=-

Bayly watched Jack as they walked through the streets toward some destination ahead. Her eyes returned to his broad shoulders, wide neck, and those horns. They were so majestic! He was wearing some kind of caps on their tips, so she assumed they were deadly sharp. A thrill rushed through her. She hadn't thought about choosing a mate yet, but there was something about Jack. His face looked nothing like a Dannt's. His eyes were much smaller, as were his ears and mouth. She found herself fixating on his mouth. Their kiss had been... really good!

She tore her eyes away and looked at their guides. They were even stranger in shape to her. They had no legs, but they certainly had no issues with movement. They seemed to enjoy the sand. Their eyes were beautiful, and their scales gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

She admired the scenery of yet another world. None of her team had any experiences like she was gaining.

"This world feels like the opposite of Gilloollee," she sighed.

Tito chuckled at the comparison, and Jack looked over at her curiously. "I've never been there. What's it like?" he asked.

Bayly smiled shyly. "There is only one small land mass with ninety-nine percent of the world underwater.

Their guides looked back at her with shocked expressions. "That sounds horrible!" the large female gasped.

Jack laughed, and Bayly was pleased with his happy sound. "Dennesh would much rather bathe in the fine white sand you find on Vista Ridge."

The warrior grinned at Jack and nodded. "It's so soft and feels so good!"

Jack looked over at Bayly with a smile. "It's the local equivalent of a spa. A place to go to relax and feel refreshed."

"We don't have such places on Danat," she replied.

Jack looked at her in surprise. "You don't have someplace to go even to get a massage?"

"What's a massage?" Bayly asked.

Jack reached out, then paused. "The Dannt don't have a taboo about touching hands, do they?"

Bayly looked at him in surprise. "No! Is that a thing?"

Jack nodded with a little smile on his face. "The Shreen are a beautiful, loving people, but you won't see them holding hands in public."

He held out a hand as they walked, and she placed hers in his. He stopped walking as he gently pressed his thumb against the muscles of her fingers and palm. "You have very strong hands," he said as the Ishilon watched his actions with keen interest.

Bayly smiled at Jack for the compliment, then she released a low moan as Jack began to knead her hand muscles with his thumbs in pulses.

"This stimulates blood flow to the muscles, which relaxes them," he explained as he reached her wrist and stopped.

Bayly immediately held out her other hand to him, and he repeated his actions on that one as well. As he released her hand, he gestured for them to keep moving.

"We should get to the Sultessa quickly. As I said, time is our enemy." Jack started walking again, and the security team shared smiles.

"Does Sultessa Sahhahr enjoy your massages, Shadeem?" Dennesh asked with a coy smile.

"Should I ask her on your behalf?" Jack asked in return.

"No! I mean, I'm sure the Sultessa does, and she doesn't need to be bothered by my questions," the female responded quickly before focusing on the road ahead.

Bayly saw Jack's satisfied smile, so she wondered what relationship Jack had with this Sultessa Sahhahr.

Moments later, they arrived at a lovely single-story dwelling with a wide but low wall around it. A few security types were guarding the estate and waved to the three with Jack but bowed to him.

"Why are they all bowing to you?" Bayly worked up the nerve to ask.

Jack looked at her, and she saw he was embarrassed. "Uh, I'm kind of their Shadeem."

"I heard them use this word, but what does it mean?" Bayly said.

Dennesh saw a chance to redeem herself, so she addressed Bayly.

"A Shadeem is a spiritual advisor who guides us through life. He uses his wisdom and experience to ensure we do not lose our way. We are his people!" the warrior said proudly.

Bayly looked back at Jack and saw some discomfort in his expression. "You don't like being their Shadeem?" she asked in surprise.

Jack stopped to face her once more. "I'm greatly honored by it, but I can't help but feel I'm unworthy of the title. I barely have a grasp on my own life. What gives me the right to set the course for others?"

Dennesh smiled broadly at Jack. "This is one of the reasons why you're such an excellent Shadeem!"

Jack rolled his eyes and went through the entrance in the low property wall.

"Papa!" The cry erupted from the mouths of many small Ishilon who rushed across the lawn to swarm over Jack, who went down on his knees to hug them.

Bayly looked to Dennesh, who was grinning at the display of affection. "Is Papa another title of honor?"

The Ishilon warrior grinned at her. "It is, but it also means these are Jack's children, which he had with the Sultessa."

Bayly looked at Jack, rubbing his face against the faces of... his children. He'd had children with an Ishilon. Here was proof that Jack might be able to assist Queen Mara! She looked at Tito excitedly, and it gestured with two tentacles for her to calm herself. She knew she needed to follow his advice but couldn't hide the smile that wouldn't leave her face.

Once they moved again, the children circled their father excitedly as he reached down to let them grip his fingers. The group entered the lovely home. Bayly gawked at the beautiful and unique décor, so unlike the tents she lived in at home. They reached a door with two more security guarding it. They bowed their heads to Jack, and he returned the gesture before he knocked on the door.

"Come!"

Jack opened the door, and his kids streamed past him to rush to their mother's side as Jack followed.

Dennesh gestured for Tito and Bayly to enter as she and her two colleagues remained outside.

Bayly walked into the Sultessa's office and was awestruck by the rich fabrics, the soft cushions, and the lovely wall hangings. It was almost like Queen Mara's tent.

Jack was rubbing his cheek against the Sultessa's. She was larger than her subjects, making Bayly think of Queen Mara.

He turned to face her and Tito. "Sultessa Sahhahr Tessahr, please let me introduce Tito Bandito and Bayly of Danat. She's a Dannt. They are on a mission to save her people, who at this very moment are at risk of being wiped out by a neighboring race, the Krreegah."

Sahhahr moved forward to greet the two. Bayly bowed to her, as did the Tik, so she returned the gesture.

"What can we do to assist you in your time of need?" Sahhahr asked. Bayly blinked, then looked at Jack as it was his plan.

"I'm hoping we might enlist the use of your ship to perform a peacekeeping mission for the Dannt. We need to stop the Krreegah from attacking Danat. This means we need to get the ship there quickly and use it to stop their violence. We would use non-lethal force in our response, but they must not be allowed to harm the Dannt. I have enlisted the aid of eighty Tik to operate Gates to move us through a series of jumps to get across the Galaxy to the rim," Jack explained. "If the Krreegah have already launched their attack, we must stop them, capture them, and take them back to Krreegah minus their ships. The Tik will then disable their Gate access for breaking the non-aggression policy."

Sahhahr smiled at Jack and touched his cheek fondly. "We don't need assistance from the Tik to move the ship. It is now capable of creating its own Gates. We've also improved the distances we can travel with each Gate."

"Ah," Jack said. "That's certainly helpful for this situation, but it will make the other Gate Network members very uncomfortable should they learn of its capabilities."

Sahhahr smiled at Bayly. "We'll just keep it between us friends then, shall we?" Bayly couldn't stop her smile from shining as hope flared in her heart.

The Sultessa turned to face Jack. "I like this term, Peacekeeper. It has an honorable ring to it. I've been thinking our ship needs a name to match its new mission. Do you think this might be suitable for it?"

Jack smiled and nodded. "Not that we should paint the name on the side of it. That would ruin the stealth."

Sahhahr shook her head at Jack's teasing and smiled. "You will take a full security team with you," she insisted.

Jack nodded. "If the Krreegah have landed, we may need to subdue their troops to capture and take them prisoner. We'll need warriors, but in keeping with the peacekeeping nature of the mission, they should carry non-lethal weaponry only. Shields and stun weapons?"

"Lorrem will be so instructed. It will take no more than two hours to have Peacekeeper ready for this mission as it's always prepared." She smiled. "Yes, I like the name."

"Tito, can you contact Socrates and Plato and see if they can meet this deadline? As we don't need eighty Tik any longer, perhaps twenty would be sufficient for bearing witness to our activities? We may need this for a report to the Grand Assembly Committee when we're done," Jack said.

Sahhahr looked at him in surprise. "What is the point of stealth if you're going to tell the Assembly what we did?"

Jack gave her a wolfish grin. "If I need to tell them what we achieved in Dannt space, I have no intention of telling them how we got there or how we did it. They don't need to know that, and the Peacekeeper will be far more effective if it stays that way."

Sahhahr smiled at Jack as her eyes flared with desire. "When you return, we will address how you will compensate me for showing up at our charter signing ceremony with a black eye." Bayly picked up what kind of reward she was expecting and felt a little embarrassed witnessing this intimacy. She saw Jack's face warm up as well.

"Yes, uh, that's fine," he mumbled with an awkward smile.

"I like your new coloration, and the odd gown suits you, but you might wish to wear clothes for the mission," Sahhahr said with a smile as she stroked a finger down his chest.

"Yes. I have time to get home to pack a quick bag," Jack agreed. He turned to Bayly. "You two are welcome to join me to see the Danner homestead. To get a brief look at it at least."

Bayly smiled. "I would like that very much!"

Lorrem entered the room and bowed his head to the Sultessa. "We have a mission?"

"A peacekeeping mission," Jack clarified. "We're heading across the galaxy to the outer rim to prevent the Krreegah from killing the Dannt." He gestured to Bayly. "Lorrem Tessen, this is Bayly of Danat. She's here to petition our help as her people are not technologically advanced and face attack from the space-faring Krreegah. If we get there before them, we will prevent them from attacking. If they've landed troops, we'll capture them and deliver them to their home planet, and the Tik will revoke their access to the Gate Network."

Lorrem nodded with a grim look. "We will endeavor to protect your people!"

Bayly felt a little overwhelmed after days of desperate fear and hopelessness. "I don't know how we'll repay you for this," she said with a shaking voice.

Jack stood before her and took her hands in his as he looked into her eyes. "Maintaining civil relations with our Gate Network neighbors is in everyone's interest. There is so much to gain with peaceful coexistence and so much to lose when one of those neighbors steps out of line. We will move as quickly as possible to protect your people and ensure the Krreegah know this behavior is unacceptable."

He glanced at Lorrem. "Speaking of the timing, we'd like to leave in two hours. I just need to get some clothes from home, and then I'll return. I'm taking Tito and Bayly with me for a brief visit."

"We will be ready upon your return, Shadeem," Lorrem said firmly, so Jack nodded to him.

"Sultessa, until we return, be well," Jack said with a little bow, and she smiled hungrily.

Jack guided Bayly and Tito into the hall, where they picked up their escort.

"Where to?" Dennesh asked.

"Gate Terminal. We're going to Chuuruthia so I can get some real clothes and pack a bag." He rubbed a hand across the fine stubble on his chin.

"We can take you directly to Chuuruthia," Dennesh offered.

"No. We use the Gate Terminals. Tik find it very rude to be used as anchor points without permission," Jack said with a scowl.

The three Ishilon warriors looked uncomfortable. "Apologies, Shadeem."

"Don't apologize to me," Jack said, pointing to Tito.

They bowed their heads to the Tik. "Apologies, Tito."

"Thank you," the Tik said politely.

Bayly smiled at Jack's consideration for her Tik friend.

They reached the Gate terminal, and Jack greeted the Ishilon working at the agent's desk with a smile. Bayly placed her hand on the biometric reader then the agent set the Gate for her to step through onto another world. Bayly inhaled and immediately smiled as this planet smelled so good! She felt herself relaxing, and she couldn't stop smiling.

Jack looked at her strangely as they approached a lovely being standing on the other side of the agent's desk. Bayly reached out and touched the biometric reader, and the pretty Chuuruthian smiled at her in delight. "I've never met anyone from your planet before!"

Bayly grinned at her. "I'm the first of my kind to step through a Gate, and I've stepped through so many! So many worlds, so many different people!" She was gushing, and she couldn't stop herself.

"Could she have one of those packets?" Jack asked the Chuuruthian, who nodded with a smile and banded him a little white pouch.

"Breathe through this," Jack said, lifting the packet against Bayly's nose.

Her eyes widened in surprise, then she did as Jack asked and inhaled deeply through the fabric.

"Again," Jack said as the Ishilon smiled at her in amusement.

She inhaled and felt her feet slowly returning to the ground. "What... what was that?" she asked as her mind cleared from the euphoria.

"The flowers around the building can have a relaxing effect, and your race seems strongly affected by it. The pouch contains a remedy. Let's go."

They got a taxi outside the terminal and booked it for a return trip.

As they flew toward the park, Bayly admired the scenery on the way. "Where are the buildings?" she asked.

"The Chuuruthians build their structures to blend into nature, not overpower it. They're a lovely people," Jack explained.

They flew up to the top of a large hill covered in trees. The taxi settled down on a driveway, and people began rushing out the door built into the hillside.

Jack was out of the taxi and running toward the group as Bayly watched in surprise.

"Jack's family," Dennesh said with a gentle smile. "Our Shadeem is blessed with love."

Bayly exited the vehicle with the others and approached the people Jack was hugging and kissing.

One was a tall, dark-haired female with a child in her arms, but the infant had scales like an Ishilon. Jack kissed her deeply, then kissed the child as the woman ran her fingers through Jack's blond hair. She looked very pleased with it.

A black-furred female rushed from the home, leapt into Jack's arms, kissed him feverishly, then rubbed her face against his.

"Jack! Jinnae told me we're having twin girls!" the dark female said.

His face lit up in a broad smile. "That's wonderful news! Do Adina and Zaina know?"

She shook her head, then Jack kissed her again before setting her on her feet.

He picked up a grey-furred female with forward-pointing horns and kissed her sweetly before rubbing his forehead against hers.

When he set her on her hooves, she looked into his eyes. "How were you on Allsa Komanae?" she asked gently.

Jack smiled and nodded. "It wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. I had a few moments, but I wasn't alone—"

"Where's Rikki?" the tall brunette suddenly blurted in surprise.

Jack's expression froze, and he shook his head. "I'm not sure. I'll go into the details later, but Rikki and I ended up on Allsa Komanae when one of its moons was about to crash into the planet. We got everyone through the Gate to Allsa One, but Rikki pushed me through an unstable Gate. It had to stay behind to control the Gate. I may have lost Rikki."

Bayly watched him tap his finger nervously against his collar. That Jack held out hope for retrieving his Tik friend from a world impacted by one of its moons showed incredible optimism or a dangerous inability to accept the loss.

"Aaros and Juul are still on Altaria?" Jack asked as he got control of his emotions again.

"Yes," SennLann said, and Jack nodded.

"Sorry, I should make introductions," Jack said, and Bayly learned the names of each of his family members. When Jack introduced Adam, Bayly was lost.

"Adam's mother is Diana, but you and Lorrem are the fathers?" she asked.

Diana's face was heating up, as was Jack's.

"Yes, but that's a tale for another day. I'm going to quickly change into actual clothes and pack a bag," Jack said, and the ladies protested at the news he was leaving again.

"I'm terribly sorry I have to leave so soon, but there's a time-critical peacekeeping mission the Ishilon and I'll be doing for Bayly's people. She and Tito can explain while I get clothes." He paused and looked at Bayly. "I should have asked. What is the climate like where we'll be on Danat?" Jack asked.