"I'm not very happy with her either at the moment," Dadina answered, squeezing her half-sister. "I mean, not since I discovered I have a half-brother."
"You told me your baby boy died in four days!" Kelikana's words were loud enough to be perfectly clear. "How come he shows up twenty years later, huh?"
"That's a good question," Selinda commented, thoughtful.
"At least she told your mother she'd had a boy," Dadina grumbled. "As far as I knew, she had never touched a man!"
"Ah. So what's the big deal?" Selinda frowned, trying to understand.
"Well, I haven't screamed at my mother yet, but I haven't managed to speak alone to her about T'ymi'chel. As for your mother..." She sighed. "I'm afraid she finally realized she doesn't care about Maela. She used her to have you – although she could have gone to Sylvania by herself – but probably won't stay here for much longer."
"So we'll have to part?" Selinda asked, worried.
"Maybe. But we can always keep in touch through the meganet. Which reminds me, I do have another half-sister on Sylvania... I wonder if I should contact her!"
"How old is she?"
"Oh, she's three years older than me, so you'll still be my baby."
Selinda smiled. "I thought that would be Chibi."
"Well, I've lost him to Kay-low, so... Of course there's Astrid and Laura and David, but..." Dadina shrugged. The other children had two biological parents, not one like her. Even Kay-low, if Bess-lin forgave Kol-ian, could have two parents. But she and Selinda – both born on Sylvania – had only a mother to rely on.
Kelikana emerged from the bedroom like a fury, startling both Dadina and Selinda.
"I can't believe I spent ten years with such a lying bitch!" Kelikana spat, glaring at Dadina.
"At least you knew she'd had a boy," she commented while her mother emerged from the bedroom with a pained expression.
"See? She's totally unreliable!" Kelikana insisted. "She must have an AI instead of a brain!"
"Actually, biological brains are more unreliable than AIs," Dadina said. "Therefore she definitely has a human brain."
"And I love you, Kelikana," Maela said quietly.
"Oh yeah?" Kelikana whirled around. "Well, shove it up your... Shit! You make me swear in front of my daughter! Now I really hate you!"
"Mom, you've been hurling insults at Maela for some time now," Selinda said. "And I'm not deaf."
Kelikana clenched her fists and pressed her lips together. She looked as if she wanted to punch someone – probably Maela – but didn't dare.
"Come, Seli," she managed to say at last, controlling her anger. "We're packing. We leave on the first available flight to Ypsilanti."
Selinda sighed, but obediently followed her mother. Maela hung her head, defeated. Dadina averted her eyes from her mother's face and went to lock herself in her room.
***
"I was surprised she stayed for ten years," Gaurishankar commented upon hearing the news that Kelikana had left with her daughter to go back to Ypsilanti. "Did she talk to her sister when you went to the Grand Ballet?"
"Yes," Maela answered, eyes low. She looked subdued and had reunited the original crew of the Falstelo in the shared living room – without the children who were in the garden, supervised by Hiro. Bess-lin and Kay-low hadn't joined them yet, but at least now they were on speaking terms. Shan-leo was almost sure they'd soon join the extended family.
"Did you feel invisible in their presence?" Gaurishankar insisted.
"Yes," Maela repeated flatly.
Dadina nibbled her nails and Shan-leo's eyes went from mother to daughter and back.
Gaurishankar sighed. "I'm sorry, Maela. I guess she never loved you like you deserve," he said sourly.
Kelikana had been his first girlfriend, but when a mad scientist had turned him into a were-panther, she had dumped him to marry his brother Markandeya. Then they'd been abducted on Vilas Lok, along with Kol-ian and Ker-ris who had tried to find them, and were eventually rescued. Markandeya had divorced her to be with Tyro, and she'd gone to Sylvania with Maela to have a baby girl on her own.
"She's too traditional to fully accept this extended family," Shan-leo said. "I'm sure she feels guilty for having had a daughter on Sylvania."
Gaurishankar chuckled. "The Goddess certainly doesn't approve!"
"But if even Daniele and Chantal, who were so narrow-minded about sexuality, got used to us, why couldn't she?" Dadina asked, frowning. She hadn't spoken to her mother yet, but obviously wasn't happy with Kelikana either.
"Our minds were opened by a smart seven-year-old Sylvanian who made us feel so dumb we had to adapt," Chantal said, amused.
"Besides, you set up your own traditional family anyway," Kol-ian commented with a chuckle. "You haven't found yourself a same-sex lover!"
"Ma te prego!" Daniele snorted and reverted to Italian as he did every time Intergalactic failed him. He didn't need a translator anymore, but he was still the least proficient at languages. "I mean, I don't mind watching two women, but..."
"I know, watching me and Ker-ris still makes the hair on your arms stand up," Kol-ian teased.
"I think Kelikana hoped to seduce one of you guys," Chantal said, amused. "She knew Gari was out of the question, but she's tried to get in Daniele's pants, and I'm sure she tried something with Ker-ris when you were preparing a show..."
"And what stopped Daniele from cheating on you?" N'ell'onera asked, amused.
"He pretends to be a Casanova, but in fact he's a very loving husband and father," Chantal replied while Daniele shrugged with a smile.
"Maela, are you all right?" Ker-ris asked, concerned.
"Yes." She finally looked up. "I'm sorry, I didn't sleep much." She looked exhausted. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch up on some sleep, and then I'll need to talk to my daughter..."
Shan-leo glanced at Dadina who kept her head down and pouted. Definitely time for a mother-daughter break.
She's your only biological parent, he transmitted to his foster sister. There's nothing you can't forgive her.
Dadina glared at him as she rose from her chair and followed her mother out of the room.
***
Dadina felt like a child again in her mother's arms. Maela's artificial hand was hard and cold – unlike Shan-leo's – but she was so used to it by now that the caresses were as soothing as if it were a flesh-and-blood hand.
"I didn't mean to lie," Maela whispered. "But delivering a baby boy was a trauma for me. I watched him grow under my eyes for thirteen hours, all jittery and wide-eyed since he didn't understand what was going on. If his father hadn't sent his sister to pick him up, I'd have put him on the first starship ready to leave, at the goodwill of whoever was onboard. I told myself he was dead because to me it was as if he was."
"But he'd survive if you sent him off planet. I mean, you knew he'd survive when he left with his aunt."
"True. But Dadina, I had him in half an hour. I didn't really feel him grow inside me – didn't have time. I ejected this... baby and for thirteen hours I barely dared touch him. It was heartbreaking, and when Juna suggested the real deal, I hoped it would help me forget."
Maela squeezed Dadina, kissing the top of her head like she'd used to.
"I could have spent months moping around, or could have accepted a suicide mission to get out of my misery. I chose to give birth to you instead. I never mentioned your brother because it hurt me thinking about him. And then life got out of hand – we ran away from Sylvania, eventually settled on another planet... Do you realize how lucky you've been to grow up with me instead of in the Girls' House?"
Dadina sighed. Of course she realized her luck. Shan-leo was right, there was nothing she couldn't forgive her mother.
She looked at Maela's pale face. The rings under her mother's eyes were gone, but her smile wasn't back.
"I love you, Mom," she said, squeezing her mother's torso. "Tell me more about T'ymi's father – was he like C'ell'andy?"
/> "Much darker, actually. And it was my first and last time with a man. I was your age, Dadina, and completely unaware of the consequences. Juna almost dumped me for my mistake."
"You cheated on her!" Dadina smiled. "But she forgave you?"
"Yes. We fell out of love after the maiming, when you were already born."
"So how many women did you have?"
"Three so far. Adelia, Juna and Kelikana. T'ymi's father... it wasn't love."
"I had no doubts about that." Dadina giggled. "And who's Adelia?"
"You remember when we went on Alahairo with Kol-ian and the Falstelo?"
"Uh... no. Sorry. I've just come back from Alahairo, Kay-low wanted to visit Fantasilandia."
"Ah, so that's where you went! Well, anyway, it was the first months of our rogue years and Adelia wanted to take me back to Sylvania, dead or alive."
Dadina opened her mouth, then closed it, frowning in concentration.
"I vaguely remember a woman trying to kill you. Gari and Roa took care of her."
"Yes, that was Adelia." Maela nodded.
"But now we could go back to Sylvania without being arrested, couldn't we?" Dadina asked. In her memories Sylvania was dull, but maybe it wasn't so. Maybe her mother could find her smile again on her home planet.
"Of course. There isn't much left of the original prosthetic." Maela patted her metal leg. Besides, Ker-ris had paid for her freedom twelve years earlier. "Would you like to go back?" She looked worried.
"If it's only for a visit... why not?" Dadina answered with a smile. "I'm sure Shan-leo will lend us the Haiduc. He's not going anywhere without me anyway!"
Maela smiled against her will. Her eyes were still sad as she caressed Dadina's head with her real hand.
"And what about you and Shan-leo? Was it love?"
Dadina blushed. She'd never discussed her relationship with Shan-leo with her mother.
"I know you two had sex after the accident," Maela continued, amused. "But was it all there was?"
"He can't mind link with a non-telepath, so he humored me." Dadina sighed. "I guess I was in love, but it was unrequited. And I knew about birth control."
"I know." Maela hugged her. "Love you, Dadina..."
"Love you too, Mom."
6. RETURN TO SYLVANIA
"Yes, you can take the Haiduc, as long as you drop me on Serenaide on the way there," Shan-leo said with a smile. "Jan-wen gave me a list of stolen manuscripts and I want to talk to the librarians in charge. If I can figure out how the thefts are conducted, I can reassure Jan-wen and alert our security. I doubt they'd hit Marc'harid, but you never know..."
"Oh. Cool." Dadina was a little puzzled, but she knew of Shan-leo's love for calligraphy. "Would you like me to bring you something from Sylvania?"
"Anything old and handwritten on paper would be great," he answered. "I heard Hiro is doing your job while you're away."
"Yes, well, he's on the cybernetics team."
"I'm sure he'll do great. Being fired by Bess-lin was a blessing for him. Although now that she's moved back to the palace..."
"Well, Kay-low has a lot of new friends and is rarely alone anymore!" Dadina chuckled.
"He's learning what I had to learn with you – dealing with non-telepath children. He's strengthening his mental shields, but still has the mind link with blood relatives – including his mother."
"You Sire never cease to amaze me," she said admiringly. "So, can we leave tomorrow? We'll drop you on Serenaide and go to Sylvania for a brief visit."
"Don't forget to pick me up on the way back!"
"I won't." She blew him a kiss. "See you tomorrow on the Haiduc."
That night she was so excited, she didn't sleep much. Onboard she fell asleep in the cabin she shared with her mother who spent most of the time on deck with Shan-leo. The trip was short and she ended up sleeping through most of it.
After they deposited Shan-leo on Serenaide, Dadina and Maela set the course for Sylvania.
"What did you talk about with Shan-leo?" Dadina asked, relaxing in her pilot seat.
"We didn't talk much," Maela answered, thoughtful. "But he sent soothing waves to my mind. He knew how upset I was and did his best to calm me."
"And did he succeed?" Dadina asked, impressed.
Maela smiled, but not with her eyes.
"Yes. But he also proved to me one more time Sire superiority in manipulating minds. I mean, he did it to help me, but I couldn't stop comparing him to his heartless grandfather."
Dadina shivered at the memory of her only meeting with the Emperor – how he'd knocked out Kol-ian and Shan-leo and blocked them all with his mind until Ker-ris had killed him.
"Shan-leo is an empath," she grumbled. "He'd never hurt us."
"I know, but it still makes me wonder," Maela mused. "Take Kol-ian. He was very fond of us and everything, but he destroyed M'aera S'iva's mind. I mean, get on the wrong side of a Sire, and you're brain dead."
"So? Are you considering staying on Sylvania for the time being?"
Maela sighed. "I don't know, Dadina. I've been happy both on Sylvania and on Marc'harid. All my friends are on Marc'harid now. But Kelikana is gone and... I need time."
Dadina pursed her lips, seeing tears filling her mother's eyes. She leaned forward to hug her. It felt strange to hold her mother and listen to her sobs. Maela had always looked so strong...
Dadina felt anger rise inside her towards Kelikana for breaking her mother's heart. She'd have to talk to Shan-leo. They could go to Ypsilanti and punish the bitchy dancer. Kelikana wasn't much different from her sister Zigaema after all.
Maela calmed down and freed herself from the embrace.
"I'm sorry, Dadina," she whispered, drying her tears with her real hand.
"It's all right, Mom," she replied tenderly. "At least now I know you're human too."
Maela half-laughed through tears and hugged her.
"What would I do without my baby girl..."
"Who is nineteen and loves you very much, Mom."
"I love you too, Dadina."
***
Dadina only vaguely remembered her grandmother. Cora had taken care of her when Maela was on her war missions, but after fourteen years away from Sylvania, Dadina had trouble recognizing anything or anyone. Yes, she had senses of déjà vu here and there, but the flat planet and its human beehives of cities looked as foreign as any other planet she had never seen before.
By the time she visited her mother, Maela had recovered from her grief – at least outside – and looked quietly serene. Not happy – Dadina knew she wasn't – but fine for anyone who hadn't seen her in years. Cora lived in a condo for retired women and was very happy to see them. She asked about life on Marc'harid and inquired about Dadina's education away from the Girls' House.
"At least I didn't get pregnant when I did it with a man," Dadina said with an impish smile. "And since I don't feel the urge for motherhood yet, I'm taking the pill – like most non-Sylvanian women of the galaxy who don't want it."
Cora smiled indulgently at her granddaughter.
"What are the soldiers doing these days?" Maela asked her mother, who was a retired soldier. Dadina was amazed by the physical resemblance between the three of them – except for Maela's prosthetics they looked like the three ages of the same woman.
"The ones with no maiming usually entered the Galaxy Police. The ones with prosthetics are usually employed in security services on the planet. I think it's a good thing the war with the Reptilians is over." Cora looked at Maela's silver hand with melancholy. "At least the new generations are still whole."
Dadina thought about Shan-leo's artificial arm – but then, accidents were bound to happen and surely happened less often than war maiming.
"So, where does Juna work now?" Maela asked, making Dadina's heart jump. She looked at her mother, worried. Surely Maela wasn't thinking of rekindling her love with Juna, was she?
"Queen's Guard," Cora answered with a shrug. "And she's mad at her
firstborn who wouldn't follow in her footsteps."
"Why, what does Erika do?" Maela asked, puzzled. Dadina had only flashes of memories of her half-sister.
"She opted for medicine. But she's just a nurse. She said that after seeing what her mother had become in the war, she'd rather be curing people than shooting at them."
"Cool!" Dadina beamed. "I don't remember her much, but she sounds smart!"
"Would you like to meet her?" Maela asked her.
"If it's not an excuse to see Juna, why not." She shot a warning glance at her mother who smiled.
"Erika is twenty-two. I'm sure she lives on her own – or with a partner – not with her mother. That's not the Sylvanian way."
"Right, Girls' House," Dadina grumbled, lowering her eyes.
"You mean you kept Dadina with you all these years?" Cora marveled.
"That was the reason to leave, Mother. I didn't want her to grow up without me in the Girls' House."
Cora sighed.
"Obviously there's something good away from Sylvania. Your daughter is smart and well-mannered. We could probably put her cybernetic knowledge to good use in the Sylvanian labs, but since she has decided to work off planet... The Star Nations are changing this galaxy a little more every year!"
"Indeed, Mother. But as long as there's no open war, we'll be fine. The Emperor couldn't keep the peace, the High Council does. We're free to travel, explore and invent, now that we don't have to worry about sudden attacks..."
That night mother and daughter slept in a hotel. The local homes weren't big enough to have guests sleep over, so they couldn't stay with Cora. Now that Maela had a wage from Marc'harid, she had the means for a hotel room – a commodity the locals couldn't afford at the capital, although they had cheap ones in the vacation spots on the planet.
"Will you really look up Juna?" Dadina asked as they lay in their room, ready to sleep.
"No, honey, but I'd love to see Erika. I wonder if she remembers me..."
"Cool! I'd love to see her again too!"
"Then tomorrow we'll go and see her. Sweet dreams, honey..."
Star Minds Next Generation Page 6