Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 02

Jack shook his head sadly. "I wish there was. Instead, there is a central world where every neighbor has a representative, and they sit in a large chamber, voting on the proper action to take for every decision."

The group made sounds of dismay.

Gettz wasn't finished. "They decided you should come to protect us?"

Jack shook his head. "No. If I'd waited for them to make up their minds, we would have arrived too late. I was fortunate to have friends with a ship that could take me across the distance extremely quickly and powerful enough to prevent the bad neighbors from hurting anyone."

They were quiet for a moment as they thought about that. It was Gettz who broke the silence.

"Are you going to get in trouble with the representatives of the central world for not asking?" the young Dannt asked.

Jack smiled at the looks of concern on their faces. The Dannt were good people. He didn't want them to worry.

"Naaah. I'll be fine. Hey! Let's go for a run, okay?" he said enthusiastically. That brightened up their expressions. "Before we go, any dangers I should be aware of in the grasslands?"

They uniformly indicated there was nothing, so they headed out.

"Where does this path lead to?" Jack asked before anyone was too winded to talk.

"The village of the Central Plains Tribe. Three days run toward the east horizon," Wallos said.

The weather was good, and Jack enjoyed running with the group as they seemed like a great bunch. The three ladies in the group were too shy to speak but smiled a lot. He caught them staring at his horns.

Jack's lungs were sucking in the sweet air, and his blood was pumping as his muscles carried him across the plains. Soon, he lost awareness of anything but the horizon ahead of him, the sun's warmth, the air's freshness caressing his face, and the pounding of his feet on the soil. It was a truly blissful place.

"Jack. Jack? Jack!"

He returned to the here and now when Tito's voice finally broke through his runner's high.

Jack allowed his pace to slow, and he glanced up at the Tik floating along beside him. Looking behind him, he realized none of the Dannt were in sight. He slowed further, then stopped.

"What... happened... to the... Dannt?" Jack panted.

"None could sustain your pace and distance. They dropped off one by one until it was only you and me. I believe they headed back."

Jack nodded as he could see that happening.

He looked around, and a short distance ahead was a small cluster of trees in a slight dip. It was the first vegetation he'd seen in the endless plain of wild grasses. He frowned as he thought he heard something, and his hackles went up. He was sprinting forward at full speed before the sound truly registered. He pulled his gloves from his pockets and pulled them on as he raced down the path. The screaming got louder. It was a combination of terror and rage. The voice was female, and he heard weakening cries from a lower voice and the roar of a beast.

As he entered the small clearing in the grove, his brain registered several things in rapid sequence:

A female Dannt had a baby in a carrier on her back.

She held a bloody spear in both hands and was facing down a large Rakka.

There was a badly injured Dannt male on the ground before her.

The Rakka defended its kill by pinning him to the dirt with one paw.

Jack reached up, pulled the caps from his horns, and accelerated toward the Rakka as he growled.

It spun to face him, jaws wide.

The mother used this opportunity to stab her spear deep into the creature's side, and it threw its head back in a pained scream.

Jack dipped his chin to his chest as he slammed into the Rakka at full speed, lifting it up as he pushed off the ground with all his might. He was surprised by how light it felt, considering its size.

Hot sticky blood gushed down his face and chest from the impaled Rakka then they landed in the dirt and tumbled. Jack grabbed its front legs, ready to fight, but it was limp. He pushed against the body and felt his horns backing out of the holes he'd driven through the beast.

He staggered to his feet and wiped the blood from his face as best he could.

"Jack! Are you all right?" Tito gasped in dismay as it rushed over to see him. Gates opened immediately in the clearing, and the Ishilon poured through. Jack saw the woman still holding the spear as she crouched over her injured mate.

He left the corpse and walked closer to the female. "I'm a friend of Queen Mara. We're here to help. We need to get your mate to the village as quickly as possible. My friends can get all of us there if you let them."

She looked at him cautiously, and he realized he must look like a madman, covered in blood as he was.

Finally, she nodded, and Jack got his team to gently lift the male and carry him back to the village through a gate.

Jack found his bone caps which he'd dropped. Then he followed Dennesh and Tito through a Gate to step out at the village's eastern edge. The patient was being rushed toward the center of the town with his mate guiding them.

Queen Mara rushed toward him, but he held up his bloody hands. "The blood isn't mine," he said wearily. Some of his protection squad carried the body of the Rakka through their Gate, then they were all back, and Gates closed.

"What happened?" Mara asked.

Jack smiled and felt the blood crack on his face. "I'd really like to wash this off first. Then I'll tell you all about it."

Mara nodded and called out orders to the people gathering to see the Ambassador covered in Rakka blood. Many nodded to the Queen and rushed away. She led Jack through the village where other Dannt stopped and stared in shock at him. Some pointed at the deadly sharp points of his horns as they spoke to each other quietly.

They finally reached her tent, where her people were streaming in and out of the entrance in a bucket brigade. She called out again, and they stopped entering, and the ones inside quickly left.

Mara guided Jack inside to a small side chamber where a large and beautifully crafted basin awaited, filled with the heated water her people had shared.

Jack noted he was alone with her, so he allowed her to peel off his sodden running clothes, dropping them into a bucket until he stood naked before her. He glanced down and was relieved that his shoes seemed to have escaped the ordeal relatively unscathed. Mara went to pick them up.

"The shoes are fine. You can leave them," he said quickly, and she nodded, moving them to the side.

Jack stepped into the basin and eased himself down into the warm water. It could have been hotter, but he wasn't going to complain. Using a small bowl, he poured the water over his head, and Mara was kneeling next to the basin, helping him rinse the blood from his hair. He realized how lucky he was to have avoided any injury in the attack. If it hadn't been for the spear in its side making the Rakka lift its head, Jack might have run straight into its teeth. He jolted as the image of that went through his mind, and Mara looked at him closely.

He looked into her eyes. "Sorry, just now realizing how stupid my attacking a full-grown feral Krreegah was. It had the injured male on the ground and looked like it was going after the young mother and her child."

She nodded grimly, and he saw fear in her eyes as well.

He shook his head. "The stupid thing I did is over, and it worked out this time. We move on."

"Where was your Security Detail?" Mara asked sternly.

Jack caught the tremble in her worried tone and shook his head again. "I didn't give Tito time to bring them. I heard the scream and... I just reacted. Tito caught up and immediately brought help, but the creature was dead by then."

He looked into her eyes and saw the conflicting emotions. She was terrified for him, and she was furious with him. He couldn't stop his smile as she reacted exactly as Elissa would have.

"I'm so sorry. I can't help myself when someone is in danger. My need to protect is instinctive."

"Tell that to our child if you can survive that long!" she finally snapped.

Jack froze with his mouth open in shock.

Mara's worried scowl slowly became a timid smile.

"You're pregnant?" Jack gasped quietly.

"Yes!" she finally gushed as her happiness exploded.

Jack rose to his knees, took Mara in his arms, and kissed her passionately. She was clinging to him as well. They heard a sudden swell of cheering outside until the sound was thunderous. They pulled back from the kiss and looked at each other as they listened for voices.

"The Queen is with child!"

Jack recognized that joyous voice. Bayly.

He saw Mara's shock and moved to block her outrage. "They weren't listening in. They likely felt it in your emotions."

She took a moment to realize that was true then her smile returned. "I prayed for it but never expected the wish to be fulfilled."

"Your people need to see you. I'll finish up here and join you." He looked at his clothes in the bucket. "Could you ask Dennesh to bring me something to wear?" He looked at the stains on her clothes. "You might wish to put on something dry, too."

She leaned over, kissed him again, and then pranced out of the chamber to get dressed. Seeing someone so large and muscular prance was too sweet for words.

The water was cooling quickly, so Jack cleaned himself as best he could, stepped out and rinsed his bloody clothes, then dried himself with a rough but absorbent towel waiting next to the tub. He wrapped it around his waist. Then he carefully cleaned his horns and returned the bone caps to their tips. Finally, he stepped out into the larger sitting area of the tent.

"Shadeem. Your clothes."

Jack looked at Dennesh and saw she was bowing her head in shame, and she wouldn't look at him.

"Hey! What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

She glanced at him, and he saw she was miserable. "We failed you!"

Jack's eyebrows rose until it felt like they disappeared into his hair. "In what way did you fail me?"

"You faced a deadly opponent, and we could not get to you to protect you!" Dennesh blurted as her lower lip trembled.

Jack leaned back as he was hit with proof he'd been thinking selfishly once more. He wanted a run but knew it would be difficult for his team. He did it anyway. That felt bad, and Dennesh and her team were suffering.

Jack seized her shoulders and faced her. "Look me in the eye and hear what I'm saying. You didn't fail me! I failed you! I let my need to go for a run in this strange new place override common sense. Yes, we were told there were no risks in the grassland, but they failed to mention a small grove of trees where a feral Krreegah might be hiding. Regardless, I recklessly rushed in headfirst instead of waiting for help when danger arrived. I gave Tito no time to send the request for help or act as an anchor point. I'm sorry for failing you!" He released her shoulders and bowed.

Dennesh saw his gesture of remorse, and she was surprised. Then she gave him a small smile. "Why must you be the one to rescue everyone?"

Jack choked on his startled laugh, then shrugged at Dennesh. "All I can do is repeat what I said to Queen Mara. It's instinctive."

Dennesh nodded. "Did-did you really give her a child?"

Jack looked into the warrior's eyes and saw curiosity there. "That's what she said. I don't know how she can tell. To my knowledge, Humans need to take a medical test to determine if they're pregnant, and they have to wait more than a few hours before that test is truly accurate. It seems other races get signs much earlier." He saw the smirk on Dennesh's face. "Yes, Ishilon are in that group."

"I will let you get dressed. You may wish to join the celebrations," Dennesh suggested, and he nodded.

When he was alone, he looked at what Dennesh had brought him and smiled. He wouldn't be going commando, at least. He tugged on his underwear, then his denim shorts. He frowned as they were a little snug. The button-down Hawaiian shirt was a little loud, but he felt the buzz of surviving a deadly encounter, and flashy colors made him feel good.

Finally, he slipped his sandals on and left the tent.

A roar of approval went up as he faced a happy group of villagers. Dennesh and her team were visible on the perimeter.

High Priestess Laannaa-Klovalis was standing off to the side. He saw a conflicted expression on her face and wondered if that would be problematic for Queen Mara.

The Queen was amongst her people with the widest smile on her face. "Welcome, Jack Danner. Protector of the Dannt, Slayer of Rakka, father of my child."

The noise dropped considerably when Mara made the last statement.

Laannaa's expression was frozen in shock and dread. Jack wasn't sure of the reasons, but maybe he could get out in front of that.

"The child will be pure Dannt. I don't know how it works, but it does," Jack admitted. He looked to the gathered Tik.

Juju moved closer to speak with the leader. "Queen Mara. I can confirm what Jack says is true, as can his Ishilon team. I could also do a scan to set people's fears to rest."

"What will this scan do?" Mara asked with a hint of nervousness.

"It simply confirms the health of the developing life inside you," Juju said.

She nodded, then led the Tik into her tent.

Jack smiled at the waiting villagers, but Laannaa was no longer there. Instead, he saw the young mother he'd rescued approaching. She didn't appear to be crying, so he took that as a good sign.

"How is he?" Jack asked immediately as she stopped before him.

She smiled with sudden tears in her eyes. "Hestor lives and will recover. Thank you for coming to our aid!"

Jack just smiled and nodded to her in relief. "I'm so glad to hear he'll be okay."

She nodded and smiled shyly at him as she turned and slipped back into the crowd to return to her mate's side.

Mara left the tent, and everyone went silent in anticipation.

She walked up to Jack and took his hands. He looked up into her lovely brown eyes, which were filled with joy. "They are healthy and completely Dannt!"

"They?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Three!" Mara called out to her audience, and they erupted in cheers. Triplets were the best that could be hoped for in a Dannt pregnancy, and their Queen had achieved it. A very good sign indeed.

Jack was dazed. He was having triplets with Queen Mara. He definitely had to make regular trips to see them. His eyes scanned across the villagers and saw their joy. One face was still missing. Laannaa's.

He looked back at Mara and saw her smiling at her subjects.

Jack spoke softly for Mara's ears alone. "The High Priestess—"

"I know," she said without changing her expression, so he let it go. It was her issue to deal with.

"We shall have a celebration tonight!" Mara called out, and the joy from her people was almost tangible. Their fear of losing their queen had been eliminated, and the future looked bright once again.

She released Jack's hands and walked amongst her people as he watched her go.

Jack received many smiles, but none were wider than Bayly's.

She rushed up to him and threw her arms round him in a hug, her enthusiasm off the rails.

Jack laughed as her joy was infectious.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she gushed.

He grinned but shook his head. There was nothing he could say to calm her.

His stomach grumbled from being empty.

He hoped the celebration included dinner!

-=-

High Priestess Laannaa-Klovalis settled into her favorite cushions in her tent and did her best to relax. She'd made her preparations, and all that was left was the waiting.

This gave her time to remember.

She and Mara had grown up together. Her favorite memories all included Mara. Laannaa knew from a young age that Mara was destined for greatness. Her inner strength matched her powerful physique and a capacity for love that took Laannaa's breath away.

Laannaa loved Mara more than anyone and protected her when the heir-apparent's views strayed from the path the former High Priestess advocated.

Mara was equally supportive when Laannaa worked her way through the Order of Goddess Devotees and backed her when she campaigned to take over the duties of the High Priestess when her health suddenly deteriorated. Others might have given Mara an easier time, but Mara insisted her dearest heart kept her honest.

This reminded Laannaa of her greatest secret. A truth never spoken aloud.

She was deeply in love with Mara.

While it was true that she'd pressed Mara to find a mate and have children to protect her role as Queen, she felt guilty that she was secretly grateful it had taken so long. Jordem had been a suitable match, but they'd just begun being a couple when tragedy struck.

Hearing Mara's mourning cries had been so painful.

Now Laannaa had the opportunity to share Mara's emotions.

But Mara would feel hers, and Laanna's biggest betrayal would be exposed to everyone.

The sad and lonely High Priestess had worked so hard to keep anything from changing. She'd forced the weaker-willed High Priestess' on Danax and Danam to follow her lead and vetoed any of the Queen's policies which might lead the Dannt back toward adopting the technology they needed to make their lives easier and safer.

In her pursuit to keep Mara under control and, more importantly, dependent on her, she'd damned the Dannt to a dwindling death.

Mara struggled with Laannaa's restrictions, but she'd never openly defied her.

That is, until the arrival of the off-worlder.

When Mara told the Dannt-Tik Interface team that she was going to address the village after breakfast and large changes would take place to ensure the people came back from the brink of extinction, Laannaa knew her ability to stay by Mara's side had come to a close.

Her later announcement that she was pregnant and that the odd-looking off-worlder was the father was too much for Laannaa's heart to endure. She was ecstatic that Mara no longer had to step down, but her dearest heart had sex with the alien!

So be it.

Mara had chosen, and Laannaa knew what she must do. She would support Mara in the only way she still could.

The letter she'd left for Mara and the new Goddess' directives she'd prepared would help her get control of the other two High Priestess' and the order of Goddess Devotees on all three worlds. They would be her hands and eyes on all three worlds.

Her fingertips and toes were so cold. She pulled a blanket over her but knew it wouldn't help.

Her tent flap suddenly flipped open, and she frowned at the impertinence of the intruder.

Then she saw it was Mara, and her expression was filled with love and concern.

She felt her heart ache as she knew she would soon never see her beautiful friend.

Mara looked at the heavy blanket enveloping Laannaa and looked into her eyes as dread spread across her face.

"What have you done?" Mara gasped.

Laannaa shook her head slowly as moving was becoming painful. "Only what was needed to ensure you will be able to achieve the recovery of the Dannt. I believe in you, Mara." It suddenly wasn't enough to leave it unsaid.

"I... I love you, Mara."

Mara looked into Laannaa's eyes and nodded gently. "Laannaa, I've known you loved me for a long time. I love you too. Now what have you done?" She pulled the blanket back and gasped sharply when she saw Laannaa's hands were blue.

"Poison? Why?" Mara cried.

Laannaa was still processing that Mara knew her secret. "Why... why didn't you tell me you knew I loved you?"

Flustered, Mara scowled. "If you'd wanted me to know, you would have expressed it to me directly. As you didn't, I respected your wishes. Now, what did you take, how much did you take, and when did you take it?"

Warrez burst into the tent, and Laannaa glared at her incredulously.