Gundar

by Loretta Johns

  Once dressed, she made her way back to the kitchen and prepped the pot roast as much as she could without the dried soup mix. The food had not yet arrived, so she took out the fishing pole like cat toy and dangled the belled feather on the end of its string at her now very excited kitten. “Come on, Trouble! You can do it, get it!” she urged it in the sugary tone she reserved for it. She knew she probably sounded ridiculous, but she didn’t care. Trouble had just caught the feather and was trying to yank it off of the elastic when the door to their quarters chimed. “That’d be our food!” she told the kitten, dropping the wand onto the floor where Trouble continued to play.

  After having brought the food in and put everything away as well as adding the finishing touches to the snerlak pot roast before switching the Crockpot on, she found herself at loose ends. Trouble had given up on the toy, having wandered off to have a snooze the side table. She picked the toy up and put it away, trying to decide what to do. Now that she had all the time to herself that she could practically want, she couldn’t think of anything to do that fully captured her interest fully. She sighed. “I think I’ll talk to Gundar about going to school sooner rather than later,” she decided. Decision made, she made herself a sandwich and poured herself a drink before settling in the chair and turning on the main view screen in the living room. She found Get Smart again and decided to binge watch the box set. Not like I’ve got anything else to do, really. Not anything that needs doing, anyway.

  Chapter Twenty-one: Gundar

  Gundar wondered how Darla was doing. He’d contacted the chief science officer after Darla had let him know that she was bored and wished to ‘go back to school’. The chief science officer had designed a study course for her and assigned her a mentor from amongst the crew. Darla had been surprised to find that she’d not only been assigned the relevant science and math work, but partnered with yet another person, this one from security. Her job was to supervise Darla during calisthenics. It made had sense to Darla, after all, human astronauts had a physical regime as well. He was grateful that she understood. Some of the mates had complained bitterly, asking why the artificial gravity wasn’t enough. They simply seemed to not understand that being too sedentary was bad for their health in general.

  Today was Darla’s first day. After calisthenics and returning home to bathe, change, and have lunch, she was to meet her science mentor. He looked forward to hearing how she found things. He had told her to not worry about their evening meal. He would prepare it tonight while she told him all about her day. He shifted in his seat as his yeoman approached, interrupting his idle thoughts.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Security Chief Dorflan asked me to let you know that he has sent a report on dissident activity to your kunnarskyn and that he is currently in talks with the rest of the fleet’s security chiefs.”

  Gundar inwardly groaned. For Dorflan to send him a report meant that there had to have been an incident that he needed to be aware of, but nothing so serious that he needed to take personal action. If that had been the case, then Dorflan would have spoken to him directly. He lifted his arm and activated the kunnarskyn he wore on his arm. He tapped the entry that indicated it was from Dorflan. The report hovered before him in a hologram. Gundar frowned.

  There was always opposition on the planets they arranged to trade with, and Earth was no different. This, however was ridiculous. It was also an insult to their honor and integrity. “They accuse of this!” he roared. His bridge crew froze. Only Herlief dared to approach him.

  “What is it, sir?”

  Gundar was too angry to speak, instead thrusting a forefinger to point at the holographic report. His first officer repositioned himself so that he could read it, his own face becoming suffused with blood as his anger rose. “They dare,” he hissed. “Commander, can we not take action against these humans? To attack a Bride Registry Office and claim we are stealing children, it is beyond provocation.”

  “They say we are stealing children?” yelled Kriegar, turning around from his station to face the Commander.

  “It is the one human, and it looks as if it is a gambit to stop his child being taken to the fleet when she mates the Mylos she has been matched with. He is on his way from Frylex IV, having been matched via the Groom program. I have no doubt that the human court will see it for the falsehood that it is. Chief Dorflan has arranged to speak to the judge already and security is being tightened at the offices.”

  “What if the judge refuses to allow the bride to bring her child?” Herlief asked him in a low voice.

  “Then we shall contact the Prime Minister and advise them that they are detaining a citizen of Mylos. Once the groom claims his bride, full citizenship transfers to any minor children of his bride’s. They may not detain the child without breaking the treaty. If I have to, I myself will go with a full security detachment to escort the family back to the fleet.”

  Herleif nodded, satisfied. “I am sure every warrior in the fleet would be willing to volunteer for that duty.”

  “Let us hope it does not come to that.”

  The rest of Gundar’s shift passed without incident and soon he was able to return home. Darla was already there, poring over a text her mentor had assigned her to read prior to their next meeting.

  “How was today?” he asked.

  “It was good. I’ve got sore muscles from all the exercise, but it’s the good kind of ache. And I like Ensign Tegarn. She knows just how far to push me without it being too much. Kildeft is cool too. Very serious, but wow, boy does he know his stuff. He showed me some footage from where he’d gone on a science mission and they watched a star being born. I mean, they weren’t right there, right there, because it’d be too dangerous to be smack dab next to it when it happened, but the ship was at a safe distance and... I’m babbling, aren’t I?”

  Gundar grinned as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I am happy to hear you so excited. I had hoped your day was going as well as you wished it too.”

  “Oh, it has, it really has!”

  Gundar straightened. “I believe I promised you dinner.”

  “You did. And how can I resist? The most handsome man in the universe, who happens to also be the sexiest, feeding me delicious things?”

  Gundar’s smile turned predatory. “I’m sure you can think of a way to pay back such a man, yes?”

  “Oh, I can think of a few ways,” she flirted back, a light blush now dusting her cheeks and turning the tips of her ears pink.

  Gundar sauntered into the kitchen and made a show of getting out the cookware and ingredients.

  “Stop that,” she laughed, “Or I’ll never get this read because I’ll be busy looking at your butt!”

  Gundar laughed. “I cannot help being s irresistible.”

  “Uh huh. I’m gonna take this into the living room,” she announced, moving from the breakfast bar. Gundar’s chuckle followed her. She liked his butt, did she? Well, he planned to let her see it in its full glory, later. That and the rest of his anatomy while he became reacquainted with her body as well.

  Chapter Twenty-two: Darla

  “Hi, Mama,” Darla said, waving at the view screen. Her entire family was grouped around the sofa again. “Long time, no speak!”

  “Oh, honey,” her mother said, “we’ve missed you so much! We got the wedding video. I just wish we’d been able to have been there.”

  Her father looked away, a look of disgruntlement on his face. “Would have been nice to get to walk my daughter down the aisle,” was all he said.

  “That’s one of the things we’re calling about, Daddy. We’d like for you guys to arrange things so Brother Thomas can have us renew our vows next year, on our first anniversary!”

  Her father’s expression softened. “That’d be lovely. Everyone from church could be there and all.”

  “I’ll call him later this week. Oh, I’ll have to tell your aunts and cousins, too. Everybody will want to be there!” her mother said excite
dly.

  “The other thing is, we’re coming down. Gundar booked us a week in Hawaii, at the Hilton in Waikiki, can you believe it! But first, he said we could stop by and see you guys!” Her siblings began chattering in excitement.

  “What do you like to eat, Gundar?” her mother asked.

  “No need to worry about that. We wish to take everyone to dine at the garden of olives.”

  “He means The Olive Garden, Mama. I told him you love their food, so he said that’s where he’d take us.”

  “That’d be expensive for everybody!” her mother protested.

  Gundar stiffened. “Everyone is not having to pay. Only I will pay. It is, my treat?” he glanced at Darla. “That is the expression, yes?”

  “Yes,” Darla reassured him, “but what she means is, she thinks it’ll cost you too much if you take the entire family out.” She turned to face the view screen again. “It’s okay, Mama. He’s not gonna go broke taking us all out, okay?”

  “People become broken from eating other than in their homes?” Gundar asked her worriedly. “Are they attacked? I can have a security detail if you are worried.” Darla’s parents laughed.

  “Broke means run out of money,” Darla explained.

  “I have money. I have private funds as well as what the fleet arranges for my use in exchange for my duty,” Gundar said gravely.

  “When you guys coming?” her father asked.

  Darla looked at Gundar. “We are to arrive at the resort Sunday after twelve noon. We thought to come visit you on Saturday.”

  “He’s booked us a suite and everything in Nashville, Mama!”

  “Nashville! That’s a ways from here,” her father pointed out.

  “We’re going by shuttle, Daddy. Can you guys meet us at the Bride Registry Office? If you meet us around ten, we can all go to the one in Nashville, do some sightseeing, grab some lunch, maybe do some shopping, and then go have dinner.”

  “Oh, mama, can we?” her little sister Crystal begged.

  “Yeah, can we?” the other children all chimed in. Her parents looked at each other. Her father nodded.

  “Got to pick up some school shoes for Thomas still and a few other things off their supply list, anyways. Might as well buy them in Nashville, I reckon,” he said.

  Darla bounced in her seat. “Everything going all right with y’all, otherwise?”

  “I got new glasses!” her brother Jerry shouted. “Lookie, they’re blue!”

  “I see. Looking good!”

  “I can see real good, too. I can see the board all the way from the back of the classroom and everything. I don’t have to though, my seat isn’t that far away,” the gap toothed child told her proudly.

  “The medical coverage is much appreciated. It got us a waiver so we don’t have to pay a penalty for not buying insurance, as it acts as if we did,” her father said gratefully. “And no co-pays! Real load off our minds and all.”

  Darla felt tears prick her eyelids. “I’m so glad, daddy. I was so surprised when Gundar told me it was a family benefit. I had no idea that it was even a thing! They never mention it in the ads or the brochures.”

  “I am sorry,” the Mylos warrior who’d brought the portable view screen said. “I have to be on duty shortly for my security shift.”

  “Oh! Sorry! Okay, bye, Mama, daddy, everybody!” Darla blew them a kiss. Her siblings waved energetically at the screen, already discussing what they wanted to eat at the restaurant.

  “Miss you, baby,” her mother said tearfully.

  “Talk again soon,” her father said.

  The view screen went dark as the warrior shut down the device on their end. Darla turned to her mate. “Security shift, huh? Is it getting that bad?”

  “It is better to be cautious than to be caught unawares,” Gundar told her. “But, yes, it is getting worse. I think I will arrange for two members of security to shadow us during our visit. The father of the child has been stirring high emotions among many by going on television programs and several persons have taken up his cause.”

  “But, I heard on the news that the little girl doesn’t even know him! He’s not paid a dime in child support or nothing, even. Just out of the blue, decided to start something.”

  “It is strange. It has occurred to me that he perhaps has another agenda other than getting to see his child.”

  Darla nodded. “Like, maybe wanting money? Either wanting to be bought off or maybe someone is paying him already, to make trouble?”

  Gundar narrowed his eyes. “That is something worth looking into. People would sell their child in this way?”

  Darla looked sad. “People have sold children for all sorts of reasons, many of them for very, very bad things.”

  “Do not worry. The child will be here with her mother tomorrow as Nefrix’s shuttle arrives tomorrow. He will be docking here where we will debrief him on the current situation and escort him to claim his mate and young.”

  “Fingers crossed it goes without a hitch.”

  Gundar gave her a grim smile. “No one will come between the child and the family who will care for her. All the warriors of Mylos will make certain of it, if necessary.”

  Oh God. I hope it doesn’t come to that.

  Chapter Twenty-three: Gundar

  Gundar stood in the shuttle bay with his chief of security. Five warriors stood behind them, each one handpicked for the security detail. He could see the exact moment that Nefrix realized something was wrong.

  “I wasn’t expecting such a welcome,” the man said.

  Gundar stepped forward. “I am Commander Gundar, and this is Security Chief Dorflan. We regret to inform you that a situation has arisen. You are aware that your mate has a child?”

  “Yes. Information on the child was included. I am excited! It was the reason for my taking longer than one might expect to depart. My home only had one sleeping area and no place for a child to play, so I had to find suitable quarters and furnish it, ready for my mate and our child.”

  “An admirable action,” Dorflan approved.

  “Is the child well?” Nefrix asked worriedly.

  “As far as we know, yes. The issue is not with the child or the mother, but the father,” Gundar explained.

  “I do not understand. The information I was given stated that the father did not, and had never wanted, her. He refused to provide funds for her care, even, and had never seen her.”

  “This is true, and we have verified it with the human authorities. The problem is, he somehow heard about your match and began making public claims regarding the child. Claims that you and the mother are kidnapping the child, preventing him from ever knowing his daughter,” Gundar explained.

  “That is outrageous!” Nefrix shouted. “I thought he was without honor before, but now I know it! He has insulted me, my mate, and the Mylos people by even suggesting such a thing!”

  “Agreed. He went before a judge to try and stop the mother from bringing the child, but he was unsuccessful. Chief Dorflan spoke to the judge before the hearing, letting him know that the child, by the very act of your accepting your match and coming to claim your bride, automatically became a citizen of Mylos. Our concern is that he or persons he has stirred up, may try to interfere when you go to collect them today. Thus, we are coming along. The registry office has also sent a protection detail to escort your bride and child to the office.”

  Nefrix inclined his head. “You are warriors of great integrity. Your actions are most appreciated.”