Solbidyum Wars Saga 5: Desolation (40 page)

After the meal, Regeny said he needed to return to the Capitol.   I walked with him to the compartment where the Cantolla gates were located.  The gate that connected to the one outside Regeny’s office was next to the one that led to the
NEW ORLEANS.  
Looking through, we got a glimpse of Padaran and Jenira holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes before they kissed.  It was obvious that neither of them were aware of our presence, which amazed me, as the clomping feet of our marching bodyguards could have awakened the dead back on Megelleon. Once they ended the kiss, and Jenira turned to come through the gate to the
DUSTEN,
they saw us and both reacted with embarrassment as the realization we had just witnessed their kiss sunk in.

“Ah… I was just, ah, seeing her safely back, as you instructed, Admiral,” Padaran stammered with a red face.  “Ah, hi, Uncle, Sir; I wasn’t aware you were on the
DUSTEN
.”

Regeny tried to suppress a grin as a red-faced Jenira stepped quickly through the gate and tried to pass us, but with the contingent of both Regeny’s guards and my own standing there, the passage was completely blocked, and so she stepped to the side and just stood there with her head down.

“I just stopped by to discuss your events today on Goo’Waddle with Tibby,” Regeny replied.  “That was some fantastic swordsmanship you displayed young lady.  I was impressed.  You may just be the greatest swordsperson ever to live.”  Jenira kept her head down and turned and even brighter crimson, but she raised her hands and signed, “Thanks.”

“So you got the recording I sent you?”  Padaran added quickly, trying to draw attention away from the clearly embarrassed Jenira.

“Yes I did, thank you.  I just stopped by to see Tibby to clarify some of the details of the events and also to discuss the offers you’ve had from the Ruwallie Rasson, to join our fight against the Brotherhood as mercenaries.”

“Oh, ah, yes, ah, I’d not had a chance to tell Tibby about that yet,” Padaran stammered.

“So I’ve noted,” Regeny said with a grin as he glanced at Jenira, who still had her head down.

“Well I would love to stay and chat, but I really must be getting back to the Capitol.  If you find the time, you can always step through the gate there to see me on Megelleon.  I’m sure I can find time to chat with my favorite nephew,” Regeny said fondly.

“Sir,” Padaran said, “I’m your only nephew!”

“Well then there can be no doubt you are my favorite one, now can there?” Regeny stepped through the gate to Megelleon followed by his guards who cleared a place for Jenira to slip by them.  On the other side of the gate that led to the
NEW ORLEANS,
I observed Padaran watching her as she departed; he started to walk away still looking back over his shoulder, and walked right into the wall.  I heard my guards laugh and a few shook their head, but no one said anything.

Before going back to my suite, I took a few minutes to stop by the bridge to check if there were any new developments.  Captain Wanoll had not returned to the bridge after the meal, and the officer in charge of the bridge notified me that Wanoll had retired for the evening.  I returned to my quarters and entered to find a grinning Jenira sitting on the floor cross legged while Lunnie and Reidecor climbed all over her.

By now, Kala had viewed the recordings of Jenira’s exploits several times and her anger seemed to be abated, and she sat looking at Jenira fondly while gently scolding her for not being there earlier in the morning when she needed her.  Jenira signed back saying she was sorry but with the excitement of all that was happening, she totally forgot. Kala forgave her far more quickly than she forgave me, I might add.

I noticed Lunnie staring at the thin red marks on Jenira’s arms where Nybidong’s swords had barely scraped her enough to cause them to bleed. Lunnie got a hard look on her face and touched Jenira’s cut and then took her small hand and hit her own chest in a stabbing motion repeatedly, then she closed her eyes and slumped down in a still position.  From across the room, I heard Kala gasp as she jumped up and ran across the room and scooped Lunnie up in her arms.  Instantly Lunnie opened her eyes and grinned and bopped Kala on the nose with her tiny fist and said, “Boo.”  Kala turned to me with tears streaming down her face, “Tibby! It really is her!  She remembers how she died.”  I just sat there too stunned to speak.

I must admit that Lunnie’s actions certainly looked as though she was reenacting the way her Aunt Lunnie had died.  However, it could just have easily been a coincidence and merely looked that way.  Whatever the reason was, it was creepy.  Kala held on to Lunnie a few more minutes hugging her as Lunnie struggled to get free.  When Kala finally did release her grip and Lunnie saw the tears in Kala’s eyes, she got a sad look and leaned forward and kissed Kala, making her smile.  Then, Lunnie climbed down off Kala’s lap and ran back to Jenira and threw her tiny arms around Jenira’s neck and kissed her also. Reidecor scrutinized the scene with a confused look and then, thinking there must be something he should do as well, he gave Jenira a kiss and laughed, which made us all laugh, but I could still see that Kala’s eyes were full of tears as her memories flooded back to years earlier when her sister Lunnie had died at the hands of Lexmal.

Jenira didn’t stay long, saying she needed to get some rest, but she promised Kala she would be there early the next morning to take care of the twins, so Kala could moderate the meeting between the leaders of Kendrop and Gochian.  After she left Kala said, “Jenira was acting mighty strange when she got back here a while ago.  She was all red-face and seemed upset about something.”

I quickly told her about Admiral Regeny and me seeing her and Padaran kissing and their not realizing we were there.  Kala laughed and said, “Now it all makes sense.  I could not figure out why she was acting both embarrassed and upset at the same time.  It’s been obvious for some time those two are attracted to each other.”

Once we had the twins in bed, Kala and I settled into our own bed.  I was expecting her to still be upset about Jenira’s combat on Goo’Waddle, but she didn’t bring it up; instead she laid her head on my bare chest and just lay there silently for a few moments.  Finally, she sighed and said, “Tib, Lunnie really scared me tonight when she saw Jenira’s wounds, and she started making stabbing motions on her chest, and then acted like she was dead.  She knows, Tibby.  She remembers being who she was before and how she died.”  Kala sat up looking at my face.  “Tib, you saw her.”

“I certainly saw something and I won’t lie to you.  It startled me.  However, it could all be just a strange coincidence, and we interpreted her actions the way we did when they were nothing more than Lunnie playing.”

“Tibby, she knows.  I tell you she knows.  I can feel it.”

“So, let’s say she is your sister Lunnie reincarnated, now what?  Does it make any difference?” I asked, not sure where the conversation was leading.

“Yes, well no… Oh I don’t know Tibby… I guess it’s just all so strange.  I mean if it is Lunnie my sister, what does she remember?  What does she think and feel?”

“Only time will answer that question Kala, and then maybe it never will.  All I know is that she is our daughter, your sister reincarnated or not, and we love her, and she loves us.  Nothing else really matters beyond that, now does it?” 

“When you put it like that, I guess it really doesn’t make a difference,” she said as she laid her head against my chest again. She was silent a few minutes before adding, “It feels good to lie close to you like this.  It seems like we are so busy of late we have no time to be close anymore.”

“I know, Kala.  I feel that way too.  Before the twins came along you were by my side most of the time, now you need to take care of them, and I need to make sure the universe is safe for them to live in.  I never really thought about it much before, but when I think about it, I guess most couples and families go through transitions like this at some time.”

“Mine didn’t,” Kala said as she slowly began tracing her finger tips across my skin in leisurely circles.  “Both my parents were scientists, and even though their profession was in different fields they both worked at home, and both raised us, and they both were near each other and could see each other at any time.”

“So are you suggesting we strap on the learning headbands and fill our heads with some scientific knowledge and become scientists?  Or is it too late for that?”  I said jokingly.

Kala slapped me lightly on the chest, “That’s not what I meant at all, Tib.”

“Tell me, even with your mother and dad living and working under the same roof, how much time did they actually spend together?  I mean in the same room, talking to each other.  You, yourself, told me once that you didn’t even dine together as a family, and that you took plates of food into your dad which he often neglected because he was so absorbed in his work.” I asked.

“That’s true.  They really didn’t spend much time in each other’s presence, but they were always there and available for each other if they wanted to talk or just see each other.  Even though they often went for days without really saying much, they sincerely loved each other; you could see it in their eyes when they looked at each other.  I don’t think one of them ever entered the room without walking over to the other and giving them a touch or kiss.”  I was about to ask Kala another question when suddenly my com link began giving off a priority message alert tone.  I picked it up quickly off the nightstand by the bed.

“Tibby here,” I answered.

“Admiral, this is Captain Wanoll, we just received word that Captain Sokaia and about a dozen troopers were killed in an explosion on the
HAPRIN
.”

“What?” I shouted as I felt Kala grip my arm, “How did it happen?  I thought Sokaia was here on the
DUSTEN.
”

“She was, sir, but a call came in from some of the troops she’d left behind on the
HAPRIN
saying they had found something strange on the bridge, and she decided to go over and check it out for herself.  She was there about an hour when there was a huge explosion, killing her and all the troopers and workers in that area.  It appears it was some sort of booby trap left behind by the Brotherhood.”

“Does Marranalis know about this?”  I asked.

“Yes sir, he’s taken a patrol ship and several troopers and is flying to the
HAPRIN
now.”

“Why isn’t he using the Cantolla gate to travel to the
HAPRIN
?”

“Sir, I believe the gate was knocked out when the explosion took place.”

“I’m on my way to the bridge.  I'll be there shortly, in the meantime, if you haven’t already done so, contact Admiral Regeny’s office and let them know.  Oh, and notify Slater and tell him I would like to see him on the bridge also.”  I broke contact with Wanoll and turned to look at Kala.

“I can’t believe it Tib, Sokaia’s gone.  Why, it was just two days ago that she was here playing with the twins.  Tibby, this is horrible!”

“War is always horrible, Kala.  This sounds like some of Ming’s doing; back on Earth it was quite common for enemies to leave booby traps behind when they had to surrender territory to the other side; what they didn’t take with them or destroy they usually booby trapped.” I said as I swung my legs out of the bed and stood up.  “Sokaia was a great trooper and a good friend.  The Brotherhood is going to have a lot to pay for on their day of reckoning.”

“Tib, you don’t think Marranalis will do something rash, do you?  I mean he and Sokaia did have a long relationship going on.”  Kala said.

“I’ve never known Marranalis to do anything rash. However, there is always a first time.  I just hope his emotions aren’t ruling his actions now.  I know all too well it can happen to anyone,” I said as I unconsciously touched my cloned eye.

When I arrived on the bridge, Captain Slater was already there talking to Captain Wanoll.  “Admiral,” Captain Wanoll said as he saw me enter.

“Captains,” I said addressing them both in unison, “Who is next in command of the troopers with Captain Sokaia no longer with us?”

Captain Wanoll looked at Slater indicating he clearly didn’t know.  “I believe it’s Commander Mazone.  It’s unlikely Sokaia would have taken him along; usually they are not in the same location at the same time,” Captain Slater responded.

I looked at Wanoll and said, “See if you can find him and get him here.   Have we heard anything back from Marranalis since he left for the
HAPRIN
?”

“No sir,” Wanoll answered.  “However, we did hear back from one of the engineers that survived the explosion, and he said he believes he can have the Cantolla gate on that end operational again very soon.”

“Good, get someone to go to the
NEW ORLEANS
and find Padaran, have him report here to me in 30 minutes with a full squad of his best security people.  Tell him they are to be ready for the worst possible situation.  Captain, I’ll also expect a full squad of troopers from here as well.”

“Admiral, surely you’re not planning on going over to the
HAPRIN
yourself?  It’s not safe.”

“Captain, we’re running out of time, and that’s precisely what Ming and the Brotherhood desire.  They want us tied up here as long as possible. We need to be on our way to Sector 3 as soon as we can, with as much fire power as we can muster.  I need to be sure that the
HAPRIN
is safe for work crews from Kendrop and Gochian, and then we must be on our way.  A’Lappe and Cantolla have all the components for a ship-sized gate at this end, and parts and a team have been sent to Sector 3 to prepare a gate there as soon as Admiral Kophious and his forces get in the vicinity of the next offensive action.”