Starlight Gleaming Ch. 23

One of the most recognizable features of the King Pelican was its engine placement; the pair of jet engines were affixed at the rear of the fuselage. This configuration required the vertical stabilizers to ride higher on the rear rudder so as to avoid fighting the jet exhaust.

This particular King Pelican was painted sky-blue with red highlights; on the tail was a white circle displaying an eagle descending to the lower left, claws extended and beak open. On the fuselage, in huge bright red Queschuan script were the words Eagle Airways. Below that were the same words in Nahuatl. Eagle Airways operated commercial routes throughout the region and to all cities to the north with a population above fifty thousand, but they went no further south than Tikún; southern cities were serviced by other privately owned airlines. For example, Raydam, further north and adjacent to Defiant War Base, had Western Gull Airline, and both it and Eagle Airways had routes connecting to Sugarland, the Seven Nations hub that Janetta and I had flown to earlier in the year.

These new civilian jet transports were designed to provide civilian travel in comfort. Its dimensions were an average of twenty feet shorter in height, length, and wingspan than the Condor. As it approached, the gargantuan size of the Condor made the King Pelican appear almost dainty by comparison. While familiar with the aircraft's specs, I had never ridden in one.

The blue and red of Eagle Airways were also the favored colors of Huitzilopochtli, god of the north and patron of the Eagle Warriors. Originally part of the Nahua warrior traditions, when the god became patron of the Imperial Air Service, the god's temples proliferated throughout the rest of the Empire. Likewise, for Tezcatlipoca; when his worship was embraced by the Ground Service, the temples likewise spread throughout the Empire. While the Jaguar god's colors were black, yellow, and orange-bronze, it was the latter colors that were adopted by the Ground Service, the black being reserved for the Imperial Guards and Imperial Security.

Behind the approaching King Pelican were three columns of military vehicles keeping pace with the aircraft. Several of the ChoCacs sported huge flags affixed to poles, the banners fluttering boldly in the breeze. The lead banners depicted the same white eagle on a blue field bordered in red, the state flag of Nahua. Mixed among them were banners of medium green; in the middle of which were five black swords, hilts pointed toward the center in a five-pointed star. I recognized them as being the flag for Ocotepán, the region ruled by Izel, currently overseen by her deputy, Lord Tango.

Mack stepped up to me, asking quietly, "Are they friendly, Commander?"

"The green banners tell me they are from Ocotépan, and Lady Izel is their ruler," I replied, then turned to Izel. "Still, taking precautions would be prudent."

Both Izel and Janetta watched the approaching vehicles, content for the moment to remain leaning against me.

I asked, "Dear wife, were you expecting this reception?"

"Yes, Lord Tango told me there would be an honor guard to escort us to Ocotépan, though the size of this escort is a surprise."

When the King Pelican came to a stop, the vehicles swept around it, then coming to a stop fifty feet away.

Lord Chiatl called his men back to attention.

Mack was quick to follow, bellowing out, "Platoon! Helmets on and form up behind our commander. For the honor of the six-oh-two! Move, move, move!"

The remaining field troopers snapped into formation.

Chiatl and his men looked good, having dressed in their finery. But I was no less impressed with my field troopers, my proud warriors in their cyan shirts beneath armored vests, crisp dark blue trousers, black combat boots, helmets with visors raised, carrying a mix of carbines and shotguns. They wore heavy stunners on their hips and pistols in shoulder holsters. Six of them also carried the clear, Starkline-9 shields. Then I saw that instead of riot batons, they wore short swords and had white gloves on their hands. Obviously, Mack or one of the other sergeants had anticipated we might be on show and had prepared accordingly.

In my Class B uniform, I felt a bit underdressed. I remembered something Styen had once told me, "It's the man who fills out the uniform, not the other way around, Ranji." With that bit of remembered wisdom, I relaxed.

Izel had my flight jacket draped over her shoulders to ward off the chill undercurrent to the breeze. Janetta and Zinja both wore their Class A uniforms, and my fierce warrior smirked at me as she put her aviator glasses on. With the full jackets, crisply pressed trousers, and the cyan-colored berets, they looked quite dashing.

The third ChoCac in the center column disgorged four warriors in beige khakis. All wore pistols. Two had rifles in tactical carry position. The fourth was a color sergeant; he unfurled a banner for Ocotépan half the size of those affixed to the vehicles. The three officers, followed by the color sergeant, marched smartly forward.

My family watched them close the distance. One of the officers spoke into a portable radio, and the rest of the combat vehicles emptied, the men coming to attention beside their vehicles.

While I didn't have a helmet, I was wearing my protective vest. I didn't expect trouble, but until they declared themselves, I wanted to be ready. I saw a fire team escorting our non-combatants into the Terminal, just in case things went sideways. I moved Izel behind me. Janetta stood imposing, her legs apart and arms folded as the men approached. Zinja, Chiatl, and the others flanked us.

Three of the four men halted about twenty paces away. Their leader continued for another ten paces, facing us, his attention clearly on Izel.

Speaking Nahuatl, their leader, a full commander, asked my wife, "You are Lady Izel Ocotépan?"

My wife answered, "Almost correct, Commander. I am Izel Kandikan, Lady Ocotépan of Nahua."

She gazed at him impassively. No, that's wrong. Izel looked positively regal in her fine, quality-made dress, even with my flight jacket on her shoulders. She wore it proudly, like it was a cape at a state function.

It was clear her answer wasn't quite what he expected. "I see. To help confirm your identity, you are the widow of General Olmec Dagantochtlo?"

Izel's face darkened into fury, and she actually spat before angrily shouting, "Do not ever mention that vile man's name to me ever again! The general died a coward and a cheat in a duel of honor! For twenty-six years that wicked, cruel man made my life one of misery and pain. He's dead and I'm well rid of him! Am I clear, Commander?"

Astonishment flashed, then he snapped her a salute. "Yes, Lady! Do you prefer we address you as Lady Kandikan or Lady Ocotépan?"

Regaining her composure, she answered, "I will answer to either. Now, I charge you, Commander, identify yourself and explain your business here."

He dropped to one knee. "I am Lord Hanksay, commanding officer of the Nahua 1^st Eagle regiment. You are the last surviving direct heir of Lord Tizoc. By consent of the entire regiment, we wish to declare our loyalty to you, personally. Will you accept our fealty, Lady Ocotépan?"

"I will accept your service on behalf of myself and my husband, Lord Commander Ranji Kandikan of the Imperial Air Service," Izel answered clearly.

Turning, the commander faced the six hundred armed men at attention and shouted out, "Eagle warriors of Nahua! Lady Izel Kandikan, Princess of Nahua, daughter of Tizoc the Great, and Lady of Ocotépan, has returned to us! Kneel and offer your fealty!"

While the color sergeants knelt and bowed their heads, keeping their banners aloft, everyone else, including their commander, dropped to their knees and touched their foreheads to the tarmac. I noted that below each white eagle written in gold was their specific unit designation, making each banner unique.

"We pledge our honor and lives to Lady Izel of Ocotépan and her husband, Lord Kandikan," they shouted. "By the gods, make it so! For Ocotépan and for Nahua! Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!"

Izel waited ten seconds, lifted up her arms, and shouted back, "Arise, mighty warriors of Nahua, brave and true! Arise!" Speaking to the Nahuan commander, she added, "You may approach, Lord Hanksay."

An older man, possibly in his late forties, the commander stepped closer. "I am Irto Hanksay. You are Lord Kandikan?"

I held out my hand. "I am."

We shook hands, and he looked me over speculatively.

Izel said, "Yes, he's young, but make no mistake, Lord Hanksay, my husband is every inch an Imperial officer. He is liked throughout High Guard War Base, and he is known as a brave warrior. When I asked my friends for help, no one would stand for me! My good friend, Captain Tsocotchi, told me, 'Find Commander Kandikan at High Guard. He's a good man.' Best advice I've ever received!"

Hanksay's eyebrows raised. "Indeed?"

My wife asked, "Do you know who Captain Tsocotchi is, Commander?"

"No, ma'am," he admitted.

"She's the commanding officer of the 3^rd Company of Her Imperial Majesty's Household Guards. My husband had impressed her when they met, and she doesn't impress easily." My wife wrapped her hands around my arm, looking at me with a mix of pride and adoration, which gave me a lot of warm fuzzies inside.

Izel continued speaking. "When Kirfan chased me to High Guard, my husband housed me, fed me, and offered me Sanctuary, and at my insistence, he agreed to marry me. That was after Captain Tlacotli and Calia, a gifted healer, both of whom are members of my husband's House, saved my life after I'd been poisoned by nauyaca venom, inflicted by someone I had trusted. A short time later, all of High Guard was attacked by the Atlantean Air Force and suffered terrible losses, Frustrated by not immediately having his way, Kirfan killed some of the Imperial forces keeping watch over him, and he and his men rampaged across the war base during the emergency like murderous bandits, killing Imperial troops!

"Eventually, Kirfan found my husband and I as we rested in a nearby empty barracks. With sixty armed men at his command, they quickly overwhelmed the two guards keeping watch. They barely managed to cry out a warning before they were coldly murdered, brave men who just hours earlier had helped rescue a score of trapped mothers and their children from their burning home. When Kirfan's men attacked, my husband shielded me with his own body as scores of bullets flew at us. If it was a rainstorm of bullets coming our way, Ranji fired back a veritable hailstorm. He killed almost a score of men and wounded a dozen more before Imperial forces led by the brave Captain Reno arrived and captured the rest. Never have I seen such calm and cool bravery and quick action as exhibited by Ranji Kandikan! While I crouched down behind him, shaking with fear, my husband held them off like a hero out of legend! He even made me wear his protective helmet because he was worried about my safety."

The eagle warrior commander looked at me.

I shrugged. "To be fair, I managed to get the cot wedged into the doorway, creating a bottleneck. They were constrained by their need to capture my wife alive whereas I had no such reservations."

"Sixty?"

"Kirfan, his two servants, and Oceotl didn't attack, but yeah, there were fifty-nine armed belligerents. Kirfan was armed, too, but I don't think he fired a shot."

Hanksay looked over my weapons. Two pistols, a belt knife, and my Air Security belt with its useful pouches. "You're Air Security, but you don't carry a stunner?"

"My protection detail are equipped with stunners. If I have to step in, my opponents have already made their hostile intentions clear."

He nodded in acknowledgment. "I recognize the Caiman, but not the make of this other weapon. May I?"

"It's a Wampag Talon, a rather esoteric design that's proven its usefulness more than once." I pulled the weapon from my shoulder holster, checked the safety, dropped the magazine into my hand, stuffed it into its carry slot, then racked the slide to eject the chambered round, all within seconds. Janetta snatched it from mid-air before it hit the ground. Damn, the woman had fast reflexes! She grinned at me, a sight with her expressive black eyes hidden by her glasses. I chuckled as I handed over the empty weapon to Hanksay.

Yeah, I wasn't going to hand over a loaded weapon. He could be a stand-up warrior, but I didn't know him.

"An unusual pistol to say the least. May I see the cartridge, Captain Tlacotli?" When she handed it over, he frowned as he examined it. "What exactly is this?"

"A flechette, a type of metal dart housed in a fiberglass sabot," I explained. "Played hell with Kirfan's men in their chain armor. Went right through the metal links. Downside is it doesn't have near the same range as the Caiman. However, we've had a lot of incursions by aliens who use energy shields. Normal bullets get deflected, but the flechettes are able to penetrate their personal shield. All of our field troopers have heavy stunners, but half are equipped with Caimans, and their partners carry Talons."

"Why is that?" he asked, then added, "I mean, besides its use against the alien shields."

"That's enough, isn't it? If every patrol pair has a Talon, they are better able to hold their own against an alien incursion. The alien energy shield also provides them with near perfect camouflage abilities. The aliens can masquerade as humans, and if they incapacitate or kill someone important, they can take their ID and keys, and mimic that person in a matter of seconds. One alien can cause a great deal of mayhem."

"That happen a lot at High Guard?" he asked, handing back the Talon.

"Often enough to be a problem," I answered. I took the cartridge and slotted it back into the magazine. Retrieving the Talon, I quickly checked the safety, seated the magazine into its slot, chambered a round, and holstered it.

"You do that very well," Commander Hanksay commented.

"I spend my fair share of time at the firing range," I replied, then added, "Kirfan's men weren't the first ones I've had to kill, either in the line of duty or to protect myself."

The commander looked like he was going to continue verifying my credentials, but Izel snapped out, "Lord Hanksay, enough! If you have more questions about my husband, you can sate your curiosity later, after we've reached my estate and we've had a chance to relax."

"A thousand pardons, Lady Ocotépan! I meant no offense. I and others have questions. We know little about your husband. You've made clear your first marriage was a terrible one. We just... uh..."

"You just want to make sure I'm not under duress," Izel finished for him, her gaze impassive.

Lord Hanksay at least had the courage to look her in the eyes as he nodded. "Yes, my lady."

Putting my hand on Izel's shoulder, I said, "My wife is your social superior, Commander, and you just placed yourself and your men under her direct control. That makes her your military superior as well. While you want to confirm her wellbeing, you still argued with her first directive to you, and that is absolutely unacceptable."

The man blinked, then flushed with embarrassment. I continued speaking. "Lady Izel has ruled her lands and people for decades, Commander. Her people have long benefitted from her policies and decisions. She possesses a brilliant intellect with an eye for details. If she ever asks for opinions or advice, it means she's gathering information prior to making a decision. It is not a request to have someone step in and make decisions for her! You have been told to save your doubts and questions for later, in private. Do not disrespect her authority again. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly, Lord Kandikan." He bowed, then said, "My lady, I've made a mess of things, and once again, I sincerely apologize for my breach of conduct. My regiment and I truly are here with the best of intentions. The jet here is to take you and your retinue to Texapan, capital city of Ocotépan."

Izel deferred to me with a glance.

I said, "We have fourteen security cruisers here. We are also securing a transport bus for use within Ocotépan. Unfortunately, we also have to wait for the rest of our luggage to be unloaded before we can depart."

Commander Hanksay said, "Lady Ocotépan, why not enjoy the comforts afforded by being aboard the jet? I'm assured they have a very fine lunch waiting for you and all your guests. And, it's out of this cool breeze."

My wife looked at me and I told her, "Why don't you and everyone else board the King Pelican. I'm sure Janetta will be interested in looking at the cockpit! Even if it's an unarmed transport, it flies." At that comment, Janetta slid her aviator glasses down her nose and glared at me. I winked at her and continued. "You and the others can go on ahead and travel to your estate. As soon as we get our vehicles, we'll drive overland and be there by this evening, and we'll bring the luggage along. It's been some months since you've been there, and this way, you and the family can relax at your manor."

Turning my head, I called out, "Sergeant Mack, those with children will travel on the jet with the others. The rest of you, stand down."

"Yes, sir!" Mack snapped back crisply. "Haytam, Laylandi, Alto, Fay, go retrieve the rest of our charges from inside the Terminal."

Izel frowned, leaning closer to me. "Ranji, I don't like the idea of being separated from you just after arriving back in my homeland. I would prefer that you travel with us."

Giving her a quick kiss, I said, "You'll have Lord Chiatl and his men with you, along with Janetta and Oceotl as well as Sergeant Mack and her team." Then I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "While you're overseeing the opening of your estate, you are forewarned that once I arrive, you will go straight to your office and wait for me. There, dear, sweet wife, once I arrive, I will come to you and have my way with you. The only option you have is whether you're on your back with your legs on my shoulders or you're bent over the desk, but your pussy will be wrapped around my hard cock and you will come again for me, after which I will fill you with more of my seed."

My wife shivered, then looked at me with wide eyes as she licked her lips. "Oh, gods, Ranji. Really?"

"Yes, really." I caressed her cheek.

She leaned into my touch, kissed my palm, then stood straighter, her gaze locked onto mine. "As you say, my husband, I shall go prepare a welcome for your arrival." Tugging me down, she kissed me, slow and gentle, took a deep breath, then turned to Janetta and Zinja. "We're going on ahead. Best say goodbye to him."

As Izel moved on by, followed by Lord Chiatl and his men, Janetta gave me a smirk and stepped closer. "Goodbye, Ranji."

"Oh, no, that won't do at all." I told her, pulling her into my arms, my mouth trying to devour hers. As I kept bumping up against her glasses, she took them off, her hand holding them away until Zinja took them. Then Janetta's arms wrapped around me and she gave herself over to the kiss. When the need for air became too great, she leaned back. "You'd better not get into trouble, Ranji. Because after I kick their asses, I will kick yours."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

Frowning, Janetta added, "All right, I will have to have Izel and Zinja help me. It's that we just got here, and it would suck if you ended up in the nano-tanks because I wasn't around to look out for you."

Zinja said, "Not just you, Captain."

Giving her a sideways glance, Janetta added, "Too right. You need both of us." As she stepped back, holding out her hand, she gave me a rueful smile.

"Never forget, Janetta Tlacotli. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I love you."