Starlight Gleaming Ch. 21 Pt. 04

Janetta said nothing, resuming her meal.

Calia leaned down between Janetta and Zinja. "Captain, are you two going to be doing more heavy lifting today?"

Janetta shook her head. "No, Zinja's working the backhoe that arrived late last night. I'm in the office all day. Ixma's cleaning the tool bay. We expect to make a lot more progress on clean up, thanks to the heavy vehicles Lord Kandikan arranged to get for us. By the way, Commander, my CO sends you his personal thanks for your intervention."

"I don't recall ordering a backhoe," I commented.

"Last night Captain Tanosca called the vendor and had it added to the heavy vehicles for an additional two hundred credits a day. Is that all right?"

"Of course," I replied. "If you need it, you should have it. Getting the debris cleared and the airfields ready for use is important. You need anything else, give me a call, all right?"

Janetta looked at me. "Ranji, the equipment you provided will save us days of hard work. While my ass is dragging at work, I'll do my best to remember that. I'm... grateful, too."

I smiled, giving her a wink.

"Salvia!" Janetta turned and snapped out. "Where are the lunch kits?"

"Nearly done, Captain! Ten minutes more, please?"

I was going to talk to Janetta about needing Cholan for the foreseeable future. When I focused on my island girl, she looked miserable -- exhausted and emotionally on edge. I scooted back a bit from the table and opened my arms. "Cholan?"

She came quickly around the table and crawled into my lap, suddenly bawling as she clung to me.

"Oh, come on, Cholan!" Janetta glared at her sergeant. "You had a fucking nightmare! Big whoop-de-doo. Put it away and grow up. There are people in the next room who were kidnapped, beaten, and raped. Some of them died! Almost everyone at High Guard is hurting over real losses, but you're crying over a nightmare."

"Knock it off, Janetta," I growled. "If we don't have--"

Calia leaned over, her chest leaning against Zinja's back. She put one hand on my shoulder and the other on Janetta's. Because Cholan was on my lap, I felt a mental connection to all four women suddenly open up.

The next instant I learned of the efforts that Calia had done to comfort Cholan during the previous night. Then more information-laden images flooded my mind.

The nightmare itself had begun with a turbulent, messy experience with her parents at the dinner table. I was there sitting next to her one moment but then I vanished. The bloody corpses of her parents unfairly started blaming Cholan for their murders. Her mother's head toppled onto the table, blood pooling around it while continuing her accusatory diatribe. In a jumbled sequence of events, her parents struggled against disembodied, shadowy beasts with fierce fangs and long, sharp claws. Blood and gore spattered the walls as one by one the monsters silenced the screams of each helpless victim.

Suddenly, there were howls and desperate gasps of air as Cholan leapt from the table and ran, chased through her parents' home by the vicious dog-men. Running and running in fear down impossibly over-long hallways in slow motion, all while vicious jaws snapped and snarled at her heels, and worse, were slowly gaining on her.

Finally, she burst outside, turned, ran to the wall and jumped, trying to clamber onto its top. Sharp pain as embedded glass lacerated her hands. Trying to pull herself atop the wall, despite the agony, the dog-men closed in. Kicking out with her feet, she desperately tried to keep them away while she struggled to climb higher.

Yapping and barking between guttural growls of 'Kill her!' and 'Drink her blood!' filled the air. Then stabbing pain. One bit into her leg, savaging her flesh, forcing Cholan to cry out as she slipped down. Another one latched on and it, too, drove its fangs into her leg. Then another grabbed the other leg, savaging her flesh. Yanking and pulling, Cholan screamed in pain as she lost her grip. The desperate fear as she fell, a momentary respite as she landed heavily onto the stone tiles. Then they charged in. Snarling and howling in triumph, their sharpened fangs literally biting deep and tearing away chunks of flesh, literally eating her alive. Bloody semi-human faces digging back in for more as the darkness swallowed her vision.

Small wonder she'd awakened, screaming. The image of Calia's arrival to comfort her mixed in with her guilt over her last fight with her parents and her shame at waking an already exhausted Calia.

I also knew that Janetta and Zinja had received the same burst of information, the same visceral images.

What the fuck was that! What's happening here? Janetta demanded. Did you... are you doing this to me, Calia?

Calia's mental words filled our minds. We are communicating together through my touch. Please, no more questions. My lord has important information he wishes to share with you, Captain. And you needed to see what she had experienced. Cholan's not weak. Rather, she's very brave, but she forgot it was a dream. No one can be strong all the time, Captain.

You're doing this to us? Janetta said, half-rising out of her seat.

Stop! I thought strongly. Don't break the connection, Janetta.

Janetta sat back down, her face a riot of emotions -- anger, alarm, even some fear quickly suppressed.

I am not reading anyone's thoughts, Calia firmly asserted. Like speech, you have to think of what you want to say for me and the others in this link for us to hear you. I cannot control you or any other person against their will, nor can I peer into your private thoughts without great effort and you knowing about it. Please, my lord, hurry! Tell the captain what she needs to hear.

Janetta, I thought, the circuit board for the shield generator arrived yesterday. However, the technicians were killed on their way to High Guard. We both know Cholan is a wizard with avionics. We need her help to make the energy shield work.

Calia suddenly broke contact and sagged, panting hard. Ixma jumped up and she and Zinja steadied her.

Clearing her throat, Janetta looked to me, to Calia, then to Cholan, her angry glare softening. More calmly, she said, "Sergeant, I apologize to you. The fear you felt was real to you. By the same token, you had nothing at all to do with the deaths of your parents and their servants. Stop blaming yourself for something you had no part in. As for the other matter, Commander Kandikan is correct. Go with him today and study the manual. I'll talk to my CO. Maybe a few other e-men can be selected to give Cholan assistance. I'm assuming you are the project manager, Commander?"

"At this point, yes. Thank you for understanding," I replied.

"No thanks needed, Commander." Her large black eyes stared intently at me. "We desperately need this to work -- and as soon as possible. Can you talk to the Base Commandant? We should have any of the recovered debris from the Atlantean aircraft taken to a hangar adjacent to ours? We can provide some guards, but actual security forces would be helpful."

"I'll see to it," I assured her.

"As for what just happened, we will have to revisit this -- whatever it was and deal with it eventually." Flustered and avoiding any glance at Calia, Janetta gave a sharp nod, stood up -- her plate unfinished. She downed her cahault and strode out to the garage.

Cholan shuddered, then took the cloth napkin, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She sniffled, but worked on calming herself, murmuring, "Only a dream. It was only a dream."

Without even looking at her, Calia asked Zinja, "What I just did, does that scare you?"

The Oexacan mechanic took a deep breath before speaking. "Somewhat. But we all know how much you love Lord Kandikan, my daughters, and my granddaughter. I remind myself of that. I don't pretend to understand what you did or how, but I trust you, Calia. Ixma? See if Salvia's done with our lunch kits, and if you need to, help her along. Captain's in the vehicle and waiting on us, and she shouldn't wait alone."

As the older woman stood, Calia said, "Thank you, Mama Zinja."

Surprised, and Ixma grinning, Zinja drew Calia in for a good hug and a gentle pat on the back. "I'll do what I can with the captain. See if I can ease her mind a bit. This isn't bad, just strange. Don't be afeared about us, Calia. Am I clear?"

"Thank you," Calia answered.

Zinja said to Cholan, "Make us proud, Sergeant."

"I'll do my best, Second Sergeant."

"That's all any of us can do. Carry on." With that, Zinja strode out the door.

Terra brought over a sealable container and helped Ixma scoop the rest of her breakfast into it. Salvia hurriedly finished loading the other two lunch kits and handed them over. Ixma grinned at me wistfully, then hurried, snapping the latches on her kit closed, collected the other two, then dashing after her mother into the garage.

I turned my attention to Cholan, who still sat on my lap.

"You hungry at all?" I quietly asked my island girl. She shook her head, her face morose.

Breathing into her hair, I slowly rubbed her back. "I've got you. You're at home and you're safe, Cholan."

Terra made a plate of food for Calia, and surprisingly, she insisted that Calia take the time to eat. Calia raised her eyebrows, and both sisters went from bossy to silently pleading with their eyes. With a single nod, she began to eat.

I added, "Please try and take time for a nap today, Calia. You take care of everyone, but you need to take care of yourself, too. If you fall apart, what will the rest of us do?"

Calia murmured, "Yes, Master," and resumed her meal.

After Salvia poured some hot water into a mug, she set it in front of Calia with a tea bag. Then she collected Cholan's untouched plate and pushed the remains onto mine.

Taking the hint, the next bite I fed to my island girl. I worked on my breakfast, feeding every other bite to Cholan. After a few minutes of that, my island girl realized what I'd been doing and was both cheered and embarrassed. After wiping again at her eyes, she said, "You mean all I had to do to feel better was let you feed me?"

"Apparently, but I had to distract you first," I replied with a grin of my own. "You're too canny for a direct approach." She snorted as I fed her the last bite and then I pushed the empty plate away.

Terra refilled my cup and took my plate away.

Cholan leaned against my chest. "I know you're busy, but... thank you for taking care of me."

"Ready to put your mind to something new, Island Girl?"

"Yes, sir. I won't let you down." She got off my lap and brushed at the wet spots on my shirt.

I leaned over to give Calia a long hug as she finished her meal and a quick kiss. I whispered into her ear, "I may be astonished and amazed at these new things you can do, but you will always remain my Calia, and I will always love you."

A tear spilled down her cheek as she gazed at me a moment before nodding. Then she said, "You need to go, Master. Please be safe."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mack putting on her weapon belt. Facing her, I said firmly, "You and Akama need to stand down for a few more hours. Get some sleep, play with your child, do whatever. I don't want to see either of you before twelve hundred hours. That's a direct order."

"But who's going to take you to work?" protested Mack. Akama stepped into view behind her partner, her own trooper shirt half buttoned, revealing her sports bra as she froze at my words.

I said, "You both have put in a lot of extra hours the past three days. I'll drive the cruiser you drove last night. And I promise I'll wear my helmet and my vest. I'm going straight to work and expect to remain in the office at least until noon. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," they respectfully replied. Neither one was happy with the order but they were not prepared to argue about it.

Sowitwee came out of his bedroom dressed in civvies. Though his arm was still in a sling, he was clearly moving about easier. "Good morning, Commander," he said cheerfully. "Lady Calia tells me that I'll be fit for light duty in three more days."

"That's indeed excellent news, Wit."

Terra plated him breakfast, which he took gratefully. Salvia set down silverware, cups, and mugs for him and another, then moved on to other tasks. Nariya came out a few minutes later carrying their newborn child. Both of them bowed their heads briefly at Calia before beginning their meal together. The woman in question did her best not to respond, but flushed when she caught my gaze on their open acknowledgement of her.

Having finished her own meal, she stood and leaning over, embraced me, then turned and gave Cholan a kiss on her cheek, too. "Will you be home for dinner?"

"Yes, Cholan and I both will be here."

"Your daughters and I will be happy to see you both." Turning, she waded through the busy kitchen and disappeared into the crowded gym amid greetings of welcome from the women troopers. Akama had already disappeared around the corner.

Cholan and I gathered our things for work. Mack insisted on checking both of our gear before she would let us leave.

Once inside the cruiser, I took off my helmet and Cholan removed hers as well. Carefully backing up, I turned us toward Air Security and began to drive.

I glanced at her. "Have you been able to visit with your sisters at all?"

"Not since everything fell apart. Lieutenant Fortri sent me a quick message that everyone had survived, but that was two days ago. Nothing directly from my sisters, but military comms have priority right now, and I've been busy helping with repairs."

I nodded. "After this project is done, I'm positive that you'll be more than ready for a few well-deserved days off. I intend to shower you with some TLC, but why don't you also make the time to visit your sisters? See your nephews and niece, too. Then you can see for yourself if your sisters are happy with the man they are sharing."

Cholan actually laughed a little. "I still can't believe they are doing that. Breena was so scandalized when she learned I shared you with other women. Now, she's doing the same thing -- with Tanti, no less! Lieutenant Fortri, is he a good man? You said he was."

"He is indeed a very good man, and I consider him a trusted friend. Apparently, he's eager to make sure your sisters are happy and he looks forward to the prospect of being dad to Breena's children."

She sighed. "They were rotten to me, but if they are with a good man, I'd be happy with that. Not a lot of men would accept becoming dad to another man's get, so that's a big point in his favor. Breena's children will benefit with a good role model. Maybe Tanti will get a chance to be a mom, too."

"I should think so," I assured her. "Pen assures me your sisters are attentive and affectionate."

Cholan raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"They are even learning to do oral sex for each other. Apparently, that was Breena's idea."

She burst out laughing as she glanced at me. "Well, maybe if they start having some good sex, it will improve their temperaments and they might even become actually decent human beings."

"It certainly couldn't hurt," I replied with a grin.

Cholan smiled back at that, then asked, "Will he do right by them? Tanti's a widow and Breena's a divorcee."

"By my guess, it'll happen as soon as things settle down a bit. Breena's boys are responding positively to his presence. Pen was going to refuse a dowry for either one of them. Told me he didn't care if they had money or not, if that helps convince you. However, Pen's parents are conservative and would very likely give him a hard time without it. I've already set it up. They will get ten thousand credits each."

"Ten thousand? Each?" My island girl shook her head. "Ranji, that's more than either of my sisters received from my parents for their first marriage! Why did you give them so much?"

"For the same reason I gave you another twenty-five thousand after Copán. If anything happens to me, I want you taken care of. You are mine, and they are yours. Because Pen is a good friend, I want him to have a good start. His parents might never fully warm to them, but a decent-sized dowry will hopefully garner some respect."

"I bet neither one of them is doing any sort of birth control, either." She chuckled a bit. "All right, you've convinced me. Once this project is done, I'll take some time and go visiting. At least I know my nephews like me. Hopefully, this new tech won't be too hard to figure out." She grinned at me. "Between you and Calia, I'm feeling much better, Ranji. Thank you."

I sighed dramatically. "You're just saying that because you like me."

Cholan burst out laughing. "Like you? Now there's an understatement! Not forgetting you and I are genuine members of the Rad High Club, Commander. By the gods, I love you."

"I love you, too, Cholan. And I think I need to get a bigger bed. With Izel there, there's no room for an extra person for emergencies. What do you think?" Pausing at the stop sign, I checked both ways before resuming the drive.

"I'm torn, truth to tell. I really enjoy sleeping next to you, especially after we've made love. However, I also enjoy the privacy of my own room. I mean, sometimes I get lonely because we don't get together as often as I'd like. And now you have a wife, and she's a noblewoman! I don't know how that's going to affect how much time I'll have with you. I understand that everything's crazy right now, but it won't always be that way. Right now, I would much prefer the Atlanteans took a chill pill."

"A chill pill?"

"It means to quiet down, to stop being an irritant."

"Ah. Sometimes you come up with the most unusual expressions. Fair enough, Cholan. Then we must make sure the Atlanteans get a batch of these chill pills and make sure they take them like they are supposed to, won't we." I parked the cruiser in my designated place.

After checking in at the front desk, I escorted Cholan to my office. I greeted Hanami and we exchanged a few words about current tasks and appointments on my calendar. She and Cholan waved discreetly to each other, then my admin dove back into whatever she had been working on prior to my arrival. I glanced at Sergeant Chita after I opened my office door; she was busy talking on the phone.

Inside, I pulled out a portable work table from the closet for Cholan to sit at. I borrowed Sowitwee's padded chair for her to use. I greeted the men guarding my safe, opened it and presented her with both the manual and the circuit board.

For several minutes, she looked at the circuit, tracing the connections and muttering quietly to herself. It was almost half an hour before she put it aside and cracked open the manual.

My first task was to call Dr. Jehantli about Emilo and the kids; I was told I'd hear from him around noon. Next, I completed the paperwork upgrading Cholan's security clearance, then did the same paperwork for Janetta, Zinja, and Ixma. While the latter was still planning to exit the Air Service, with the current emergency, there was no telling how soon the blockade would end and she would be allowed to complete her exit. I sent all four forms to the Base Commandant for his signature.

In a separate email, I asked that any recovered debris from any downed Atlantean aircraft be housed as close as possible to Captain Tlacotli's hangar. Hopefully, we might find enough salvageable tech to give Janetta's upgraded Lightning some decent teeth. I brought up the fact that there were many ground crews with skilled avionics specialists without pilots and available to lend a hand.

With those tasks done, I got up and, after running the water in my private toilet to clear the pipes, I rinsed and cleaned the cahault maker and set it to making some fresh brew. I still didn't know how to cook any food -- there were still reservations in my household after my last attempt to make toast -- but after both Hanami and Sowitwee had explained the process to me, I was able to make a decent pot of cahault.