Starlight Gleaming Ch. 14

Naked but for the ribbons woven into her hair, Ixma dug into the box of Nu-Skin patches, retrieving several smaller-sized bandages.

Setting a towel nearby, I turned on the water. The water stung on my scrapes, but I watched Ixma. When she closed up the box, she set the bandages onto the chair holding my towel. Stepping into the water with me, she held out her large brush.

"Ixma, I don't have time for–"

"Shut up and give me the soap," she growled. Despite her tough words, I could see she struggled. "I love you, Ranji Kandikan. The very thought that you almost died this morning is almost ... almost too much for me to bear. I'm doing everything I can to keep myself together, to be strong like you want me to be. You take good care of us. Please. Please let me attend your wounds."

Her lips trembled. Yet she held her ground, her hand out for the soap.

"All right," I answered quietly, handing it to her.

A brief smile, then she focused on her task, examining each of the scrapes for gravel and dirt. She used the brush with soap to work over the raw abrasions. It stung, but it needed doing. When she was satisfied they were clean, she reached for the towel, blotting the skin dry, then applied a Nu-Skin patch, each time holding it out of the water stream for the required sixty seconds so it would properly seal.

When she was done, she stood up. She turned away, but I grabbed her arm, drawing her close.

Startled, she looked up at me, then began to cry. So I gave her a long, heartfelt kiss. It calmed her right down.

"I'm here, Ixma. I'm all right."

"Oh, Ranji! Please be more careful!" she sniffed, clutching me tightly.

"I think we all knew that the changes we are trying to make weren't going to be easy. What matters is that we keep being worthy of the trust placed in us and wear our uniforms proudly. Know that I love you, too, Little Mama."

She blushed as she giggled. "Do you need your back scrubbed?"

"Oh, you do tempt me. But I need to hurry or I will be late to work. I will try to swing by for lunch, though."

"All right," she grinned. Stepping back out of the water, she quickly dried off in the warm morning air, changing her sun dress for her Class B work clothes. Since my towel was soiled with blood, Ixma brought me a clean one.

Quickly soaping down and then rinsing, I dried off and dressed for work.

Sowitwee brought me a bottle of water with electrolytes. "Drink it, sir. You need it."

I was feeling parched. I downed it in one go, handing him back the empty.

Ixma had my thermos filled with hot cahault, and a cup of the chocolate coffee to drink down before I left. The thermos and two hot wraps were put into a small lunch kit.

"That's new," I remarked, holding the kit.

"Something to carry your breakfast in, since you don't have time to eat with us now." Ixma smiled. "The kit is Calia's doing. She is quite the shopper. She knows a lot about clothes and furniture, taking care of people, and how to run a house. We were going to the Commissary, and ... and, I'm babbling because I'm still terrified by what almost happened. Be careful." Tears began to spill from her eyes. "Be careful today, and from now on. Because they aren't going to stop, are they? Please, be careful."

Calia didn't say anything, but her heartfelt stare spoke volumes. Ixma wiped her face, sniffed, and gave me a shaky smile.

"I will. Count on it," I assured them, then gave Ixma, Calia, and my daughters a kiss goodbye.

Collecting Doyya and Sowitwee, we climbed into my ChoCac and headed to work. Doyya sat in the front passenger seat. I noticed that they, too, had lunch kits. Calia had been busy indeed.

On the way in to work, Doyya cleared her throat. "Lieutenant? I need a replacement for my laptop. Apparently initial inventories are that a lot of electronics that are supposed to be in the warehouses are missing. Also, what should I do about my missing vehicle?"

I sighed. Doyya would need replacement equipment and a new vehicle. Waiting for inventory to catch up would be a waste of resources. There was a lot of paperwork for lost or damaged equipment, especially when requesting replacements. I'd pay to buy her a new laptop, and if necessary, a new vehicle, too. She would need it while I was gone.

"I'll get started on that this morning, Doyya. I already have to take care of Sowitwee's equipment. Let's see what our options are when we get there."

"Yes, sir."

I pulled into the parking lot. As they started to exit, I said, "Wait. Let's go get your stuff, Doyya. With all that's going on, I'd feel better if we had it secured."

Settling back in, I used the AI to contact Sergeant Chita.

"945th Auditing and Security Oversight. Chita here."

"Kandikan here. We're headed over to Lieutenant Lovyanchiti's quarters to secure her possessions. We'll be an hour, maybe less."

"All right, Lieutenant. You're all right, then?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Sergeant Yalcamara and her team scrambled out of here at the start of shift. A request from Commander Barankoshto to help in searching the Supply warehouses. And the assassination attempt on the Commander came over with this morning's base dispatches, so everyone is buzzing about it. Sergeant Barris mentioned you were there. And that you were injured."

"I'm fine. We'll be in the office as soon as we're done here. Kandikan out." I glanced at Doyya. She, of course, knew more of the story. Actually, my calf ached, but I had things to do. "What do you think, Doyya?"

"About what in particular, sir?"

"Anything that stands out, or even what comes to mind. You are my Second. I want your opinion."

"They're idiots, sir."

"Informative in a really vague sort of way. I need more than that," I told her.

"Sowitwee told me about the two corporals those sergeants put into the hospital. I think it was calculated, and they are seeing how far you will push these Protection Orders. And I saw the shiner on Yalcamara and Stimmi's fat lip yesterday. This attempt was idiotic, and if the men behind it are halfway competent, the one who took a shot at you – and missed – will likely be dead when he's found. My concern, sir, is that they up the ante. Poison or a bomb. Kill you and the Protection Orders die out. Or so they hope."

I blinked. She was right. Those were scary thoughts. "That's a lot to consider. What would you suggest?"

"I honestly don't know, sir, other than taking care. I know next to nothing about Security procedures. I intend to learn, of course, but right now I have little knowledge or experience to draw on. I expect Yalcamara might have some good advice, though."

I laughed. "Doyya, you've been in two combat situations in the past week, and come out on top in both of them. Yes, you weren't alone, but you did what you needed to do, when it was needed, and you did it without flinching. I will do my best to keep you alive, but I have no doubt you will continue to surprise everyone, including me, with your resourcefulness. You are a warrior and an officer. I consider myself lucky to have you."

She looked away, flushing at the praise. "Thank you, sir."

From the rearview mirror, I saw Sowitwee grinning at her.

"How are your wounds healing? You're moving your left arm a bit more easily this morning."

Doyya nodded. "Lady Calia's efforts, I think. She's been massaging my shoulder and back with some creams and oils. The massage seems to be helping. Doctor Chandahay in Capisco did a good job, too. With the Nu-Skin, the surface skin is healed up. It still aches deep down, but I expect that to go away after a while."

Corporal Sowitwee cleared his throat. "You are taking the blood thinner, too, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Corporal. I'm being a good girl."

I smiled at them both as I pulled into a parking space, right next to the fenced compound of the Bachelor Women Officer Quarters.

The guards recognized me from before, but when they saw Doyya, their demeanor eased. After we signed in, one guard escorted us to the Quartermaster's Domicile Office.

Sowitwee and I received startled glances from the enlisted we saw. Men inside the compound were a rarity.

Once inside the building, the women typing away stopped to see what was going on. We stopped in front of a Ground Service First Sergeant. She frowned at me. "What do you want?"

I raised my eyebrows, but before I responded, Doyya was in her face.

"That is my commanding officer, Sergeant! We are officers! The next time you address the Senior Lieutenant or myself, I'd better hear the word 'Sir' coming from your lips or you will find my boot up your fat ass! And it had better be said with respect. Do I make myself clear, First Sergeant?"

Glowering, the sergeant stared back. "Sir. You are Air Service and I am Ground Service. It's my job to keep the women living here and their quarters safe. So with all due respect, take it down, Lieutenant. Sir."

Doyya drew in breath for a second go, but someone interrupted.

"Is there a problem here?" The woman speaking had a voice used to being obeyed. She was a Ground Service captain. House name of Uturuncu on her uniform, which was Queschuan for jaguar. She had a handsome face, and by her facial features, I thought she herself might even be full Queschuan.

The First Sergeant stood up, snapping to attention. "I was just in the process of finding that out, sir."

Doyya, too, snapped to attention.

"At ease, both of you," she said.

Sowitwee and I also gave her a salute, which she returned.

"So, what can we do for you Lieutenant ... Kandikan, is it?" Recognition at my name, and she offered her hand to me. "A pleasure to actually meet you, Lieutenant. You are the hot topic of a lot of scuttlebutt these days. Sergeant Betinya, this is Lieutenant Kandikan. He and his people are the ones working with Commander Barankoshto, and they started the bus service. His unit is the one that started the Unit Protection Orders for the women."

"Lieutenant, I meant no disrespect–" she began.

"Forget it, Sergeant," I said. "Look. A couple of days ago, we picked up some of Lieutenant Lovyanchiti's things. She's healing up from an injury and staying where we can keep an eye on her while she gets better. We'd like to safeguard the rest of her possessions until she can return here. So we'd like to collect the rest of her gear, and we'll be out of your hair."

Sitting back down, the sergeant looked at Doyya's House name and began typing. "I thought your name was familiar. I saw it on the log this morning. Yes, there it is. Four boxes of possessions were collected and your quarters were released last night."

"What!" Doyya exclaimed.

"I see by your reactions, you didn't get your gear, nor did you release your quarters," observed Captain Uturuncu. "Do you want to keep the quarters, Lieutenant Lovyanchiti? Very well. Restore the quarters to her name, Sergeant, and flag the information for a Theft Report. Once that's done, secure your station and come to my office. Lieutenant Kandikan, will you and your people please join me?"

Once inside her enclosed office, she closed the door. Gesturing to empty chairs, she moved behind her desk and sat down. While we seated ourselves, she picked up the phone and spoke into it. "This is Captain Uturuncu. Get me Lieutenant Killayana at Ground Security. Call me back when he's on the line."

Leaning back in her chair a bit, Captain Uturuncu looked us over. Then she moved to her keyboard and started typing away. "Lieutenant Kandikan, is there anything I should know?"

"If we hurry, we might actually be able to catch them."

She paused typing, raising her eyebrows as she looked at me. "Explain that statement, Lieutenant."

"When I was here last, I was worried something like this might happen." Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out my laptop and powered it up. "After all, they broke into my home and destroyed everything. Then they went to my Aide's quarters and cleaned him out of everything he and his wife owned. I had purchased Locator bracelets for my family, in case anyone was abducted."

Both Doyya and Sowitwee gave me alarmed looks.

I continued. "I also happened to pick up one for my Second. At the time I was driving a HueCac and only had room for two boxes of the Lieutenant's things. Since she was staying with us, I dropped her bracelet into one of the boxes left behind in her quarters."

I typed on my own computer, and found the file I needed. "Sending wifi connect request to you."

The captain typed on her keyboard. Connection granted, I sent the file containing the bracelet information to the captain.

Nodding, the ground service officer grinned. "I take pride in doing my job well, and it galls me that someone came into my house and stole from someone under my care. I manage the bachelor officer quarters for men and women as well as the enlisted barracks for the division. I'm forwarding this information on to Lieutenant Killayana. He's with CID. With any luck, we'll catch the scum-eaters quickly and recover your possessions, Lieutenant Lovyanchiti."

Pushing aside the keyboard, she thought a moment. "Rumor has it that you brought Commander Orchid here, meeting with her in the office of the Air Service general shortly after she arrived. And that you directly played a part in saving all the women affected. Is that true?"

Sowitwee and Doyya both glanced briefly at me again. However, I kept my attention on the captain, saying nothing. I couldn't open that door. That knowledge might bring more problems for my family here, and possibly further compromise Melannee's situation. I terminated the wifi connection and put away my laptop.

The captain nodded. "That's all right, Lieutenant. I can see by your people, they, too, have already been talked to. I'll respect that. Commander Barankoshto has mentioned you and your efforts. They have been noticed. And appreciated."

There was a knock at the door.

"Enter."

Sergeant Betinya entered the room.

"Ah. Sergeant, please collect the camera shots from last night from the hallway outside the Lieutenant's quarters. Also, get the paperwork regarding Lieutanant Lovyanchiti's possessions and quarters. Lieutenant Killayana will want both, and access to the room, so no housecleaning."

"Already in process, sir. Corporal Dalikti has flagged the hard copy, and has not touched it, awaiting Lieutenant Killayana's team. Sergeant Gan is working on the photos. We expect it to be completed in the next half hour, Captain."

"Very good, Sergeant. That's all." When the sergeant remained, the captain looked back at her. "Something else, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir." Addressing Lieutenant Lovyanchiti, she said, "I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior, Lieutenant. You are quite correct. I was not respectful of your rank. I also want you to know that I am personally grateful for your efforts, sirs. There are many here that are also grateful. Thank you. That's all I wanted to say."

The captain nodded to her, pleased. "Thank you, Sergeant. Dismissed."

Snapping a salute, the sergeant did an about-face and exited smartly, closing the door behind her.

"We will do our best to follow up on this, I assure you," Captain Uturuncu promised. "I will keep you both up to date on the progress. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

Standing up, I shook my head. "Thank you, Captain. We will wait to hear from you on the matter."

Doyya and Sowitwee stood as well. The captain shook my hand and Doyya's.

Outside again, we walked back across the compound to my ChoCac.

"I'm sorry about your things, Doyya."

She nodded. "Thank you. At least they didn't get all of my stuff. But the bracelet? That was smart thinking, sir."

I shook my head. "No, if I'd thought about it, I'd have sent Sergeant Yalcamara to go get your things yesterday. I would rather think ahead of them."

Doyya gave me an amused look. "You've done all right by all of us so far. You can't think of everything. As we get used to working together, we will become more dangerous to our enemies. Llam nuquan, Lieutenant."

Corporal Sowitwee looked around, then asked quietly, "Is it true, sir? Did you bring Commander Orchid to our base? And did you meet with her in the general's office?"

"No, I didn't bring her. I told her what was going on, and she came all on her own. I had looked only at the possible threat to my own family, to Cholan and Ixma. She was the one who grasped the enormity of the situation, checking to see if the other women here at the base were also affected. So the gratitude owed her is deservedly hers alone. Like Commander Barankoshto said, she deserves loyalty, honor, and respect."

"You did your part, Lieutenant," Doyya said. "You let her know. And she was probably the one person in the Empire who could do what she did. So did you meet with her? I'm curious now, too."

I sighed. Mentioning the sex couldn't be seen as anything other than bragging. Janetta knew. No one else needed to. "Yes, I did meet with her. I had met with her earlier, and she decided that she liked me. She asked me to be her friend. I agreed."

Doyya laughed. "You are so modest! I heard from Ixma how she came to you for help when the Minister had turned against her, and you gave it, saving all those women and children. Remember, I saw you on the beach beside her, the two of you fresh from a firefight, with the bodies on the ground around you both. You stood beside her in battle. Not just a friend, but also a comrade in arms. And the both of you put an end to the selling of children for food."

Sowitwee looked startled.

"You played your part, too, Doyya," I told her. "You helped save her life. I am sure she won't forget that."

As realization sank in, she muttered quietly, "Holy shit."

Sowitwee grinned at her.

Doyya raised her eyebrows at him. "What are you lauging at!"

He shook his head. "Not laughing, Lieutenant. It's pride. For you both. I am blessed to serve honorable officers."

After a pause, she quietly told him, "Thank you, Corporal."

Passing through the compound gate, we climbed into the ChoCac. Flipping the power switch, the electric vehicle hummed to life. I backed us up, and then headed toward work.

"Later, when there's some privacy, I'll tell you what I know later, Corporal," she promised him. "Not at work, though. Too many ears. But we have to be careful so the Lieutenant's daughters don't overhear. Mina had a nightmare during her nap yesterday afternoon, and it took Ixma almost an hour to calm her down."

I hadn't known that about Mina. I wondered if Sisi had troubles, too. She was older, more able to understand – as much as a four-year-old child can understand anything about all the changes in her life – and how much danger they were in. They had both reacted badly to the stuffed alligator right after their rescue. I hoped with time and love, they would both heal.

Adopting the girls had been spur of the moment. Sisi had had Zinja's affection and recommendation, which was no small thing. And I trusted my gut with Sisi's choice of Mina. I thought of Tomin and my impulse to make him my blood brother.

Then I thought of Doyya, and when I'd first met her, not so long ago. I had also trusted my gut with her, acting before really thinking it over, and Doyya thus far, in my estimation, was a solid Second. She lacked the officer's training, but I'd trust Doyya to keep her head in a firefight, do her best to get the job done and to bring anyone with her home alive. All of those were outstanding hallmarks for an officer.

"Something funny, sir?" Doyya asked.

"Not at all. Actually, I was just reminding myself how lucky I am to have Lieutenant Lovyanchiti as my Second. When you see her, will you let her know?"

She looked away, mumbling something. Her color darkened considerably.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," I said.