A Galaxy Unknown 10: Azula Carver (42 page)

"Welcome Minister," Madu said, smiling warmly and extending her hand.

Gkibuke smiled pleasantly and shook the proffered hand. "Thank you, Madam President. As a representative for the nobility of Nordakia and Obotymot, I extend the hand of friendship to the people of Dakistee. The king and queen in particular have asked me to state how delighted they are that the people of Dakistee survived the criminal acts perpetrated by our dishonorable ancestors so many millennia ago, and they hope the efforts they've made to find a cure for the plague will be just the first step towards complete normalization of relations between our nations."

"Thank you, Minister. I share your hopes. Do you have a particular date and time you'd like for the press conference?"

"We'll leave that entirely up to your office, Madam President. We are available at any time. Lady Carver has made arrangements for accommodations at the North Pendleton Marine Base. We shall wait there until the day of the press conference."

"Lady Carver?"

"Lt. Commander Carver is officially a Lady of the Royal House on Nordakia, and that is the title we normally use when addressing her."

"I see. Very well, my secretary will contact you when the press conference arrangements have been made."

"Thank you, Madam President. We bid you a good day."

Madu tapped the button that opened the doors to her office and the Nordakian delegation began to leave, but Minister Gkibuke paused when he realized Jenetta wasn't leaving yet.

"I'll join you in the outer office in a few minutes, Minister."

Gkibuke nodded, then turned and left Madu's office.

As the door closed behind the delegation, Jenetta said, "Now that wasn't too difficult, was it, Madam President?"

"You'll never know how difficult it was for me to get the words out and smile while doing it."

"It's the mark of a successful politician. On a personal level, I know that once you cleanse old hatreds from your heart, your mind is opened to new and richer relationships with the people around you."

"Yes, well, if there's nothing else, I have a great deal of work to do."

"Then we'll get out of your way, Madam President. Thank you for your time today."

~     ~

Once the Nordakian delegation was settled in the guest quarters at North Pendleton, Jenetta and Christa returned to Jenetta's barge. After checking in on the twins, Annette, and Celona in the smaller suite next door that was intended for the admiral's aide, Jenetta and Christa went to Jenetta's suite to have dinner and relax.

"That didn't go too badly," Jenetta said later, as she sat on the floor brushing Cayla's thick fur.

Christa was grooming Tayna as the Jumaka purred in contentment. Alex and Ruby, having eaten their supper within the past hour, were fast asleep on the carpeted sitting room floor.

"For a few minutes it seemed like Madu would refuse to accept the cure from the Nordakian delegation."

"No, there was never any chance of that happening. I just had to back her into a corner and leave her with no other choice but the correct one."

"She seemed so determined to avoid any contact with the Nordakians. So tell me, what's happening here? You've brought Ruby to be a companion to Kaycee and Jake for Kyle?"

"I've told them that the arrangement isn't permanent until the babies get old enough to decide, but Ruby and Jake were so upset when they learned that Kyle and Kaycee were going away, I decided to allow a temporary pairing."

"Jake and Ruby want very much to be paired with Kyle and Kaycee," Cayla said after activating her collar speaker, although both Jenetta and Christa could have heard what she said via their CTs, "but they know the babies will have the last word."

"I was hoping one of the cubs would like to come with me," Christa said.

"Any of the cubs would probably go with you in an instant, Christa," Tayna said. "You are exactly like Jenetta and they all love her. They are old enough now to make the decision to leave home, but you will have to go to Obotymot and stay there for a week or so. That will give you time to get to know them and give them time to decide as well."

"I'm sure I can take some time off once the press conference is over. I only need a ride."

"Let me know when you want to go, and I'll arrange for your ride. You have a highly placed friend now."

"I'm
still
amazed you took the job. I really never thought you would. When I saw the five stars on your shoulder today I nearly fell over. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I've been kind of busy the past few weeks, so I haven't sent out any announcements. The boys don't know yet, but they will soon, even if I don't tell them. The media knows now, and it'll be all over the news today or tomorrow."

"But why did you decide to take the job after being so adamant that you never would?"

"Motherhood and marriage made the difference. I'm certainly not looking forward to flying a desk for the next twenty years or so, but it will allow me to be home with the twins almost every night. And I'll be in the same Region as Hugh, so we'll be able to get together whenever he comes to Quesann rather than waiting until he retires and comes home to stay."

"Only twenty years?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. We'll have to see what happens. I want the kids to have as stable a home life as possible through their teen years, given both parents are in the military."

"And will there be more babies?"

"Mama believes so. I don't know. You know my concerns for how the health of our offspring will be affected by the DNA Manipulation and Age Prolongation Procedures."

"They're almost four months old now, and they appear to be growing properly. They're the right size for their age, have the right number of digits on their hands and feet, and appear perfect in every other way as well."

"So far so good. I just hope they don't get to a certain point and stop growing."

"The scientists who messed with your body couldn't be that cruel."

"They worked for the Raiders. Who knows how cruel they were. But Space Command has the best doctors in the galaxy and they'll keep monitoring the twins. That's one major advantage to being in Space Command."

"
In
Space Command? As you told Madu, you
are
Space Command. And you may not like the job, but Space Command couldn't be in better hands. Now, how about freeing me from this command?"

"You've done a wonderful job here, Christa, and you've learned a great deal."

"You're not going to tell me I have to stay here, are you?"

"Guiding this fledgling nation without seeming to guide it, as you've been doing surreptitiously through your influence with Madu, is still an important job and will require someone with your talents for some time to come. But— I also know how much you want to get back aboard a ship. A normal tour of duty is five years, and you've been here four. We'll start looking for a replacement to take over from you next year, and I'll get you a ride on a battleship. You've earned it. There's a new battleship set to be launched in the fall of next year. Perhaps the captain would like a Carver as XO."

Christa smiled widely. "Thanks, sis."

~ finis ~

~~~      
The exciting adventures of the Carver sisters
      ~~~

will continue

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This map shows Galactic Alliance space after maps were redrawn following the end of hostilities with the Milori, and the war with the Tsgardi, Hudeerac, Uthlaro, and Gondusans. Unclaimed territories between the three regions were claimed in order to have one contiguous area. Regions Two and Three are so vast that exercising control and maintaining law and order has been largely impossible to this date.

The only purpose of this two-dimensional representation is to provide the reader with a basic feel for the spatial distances involved, and the reader must remember that GA territory extends through the entire depth of the Milky Way galaxy when the galaxy is viewed on edge.

.jpg and .pdf versions of the maps created for this series are available for downloading at :
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should the names be unreadable in your printed or electronic media, or if you simply wish to gain a better overall perspective.