Vari's Choices

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “Our only chance?” Garen asked in surprise.

  “I’m afraid so, Uncle Garen. The Doftles have been in this part of the galaxy for too long, and they have too many clones, hybrids, weapons, planets, and we have no idea how many ships and space stations. None of which can be seen unless we accidently stumble onto them, like the storage planets. We’ll never find enough of them to stop them in time.”

  “But the Colony can?”

  “Yes, they can.”

  “It could take a long time to find Kinah,” Trey said. “Maybe too long.”

  “That’s why we need Nia to guide us, Uncle Trey.”

  “The Jumper will make a big difference,” Jay said. “Even if we didn’t have the Jumper, we’d still have to do this.”

  “It’s very important that we do everything possible to keep our plans to find Kinah secret,” Vari said. “With the preparations we’ll have to make, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to keep it secret. That means the Doftles will probably know about it before we even leave Jasan. But the more effort we put into keeping our journey to Kinah secret, the better our chances are of convincing the Doftles that that’s all we’re going to do. If they get the slightest hint that we’re looking for the Colony, or that we even know about it, they’ll step up their plans.”

  “Agreed,” Garen said. “No further mention of the Colony can be made to anyone outside of this group. And we’ll all be careful not to discuss it even amongst ourselves unless we’re in a secured location.”

  Vari heard a soft sound and glanced down at Pandora who was snoring on her shoulder. She started to smile, went still for a moment, then grinned. “I have an idea,” she said. “Let’s stop using the word colony altogether. It’s the word Rodnil used, and the Doftles will immediately recognize it if they hear it.”

  “Good idea,” Garen said. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Pithos,” she said, smiling.

  “Which means what?” Garen asked.

  “There’s a female character in ancient Greek mythology of Earth whose name is Pandora. In the myth, Pandora was given a box which she was told not to open. Her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it anyway, releasing all the evils of humanity. By the time she managed to close it again all that was left inside was hope.”

  Garen smiled. “I like that. But where does the word pithos come in?”

  “In the original myth a jar, pithos, was given to Pandora. The word box is a modern substitute for the word jar as people no longer use jars for storage.”

  “Even better,” Garen said, nodding. “From this point on, we will banish the word colony from our lips and use the word pithos instead. Even then, only when necessary.”

  There was more discussion about security and keeping the secret, which Vari tuned out. When there was a break in the conversation, she turned to Declan.

  “How long will it take us to prepare for this journey?”

  “If we work hard and fast, at least four to six weeks,” he replied. “There won’t be anywhere for us to stop along the way to replenish supplies, so we’re going to have to come up with a method of taking what we need with us.”

  “Those issues have already been considered and planned for,” Val said. “It won’t take nearly as long as you think to prepare, either, since a good deal of the work is being done as we speak. You’ll have to tow a barge along with you which will slow you down, but it’s the only solution.”

  “Running out of fuel and food will slow us down a lot more than towing a barge,” Declan pointed out. “That leaves the matter of space for twenty three women. There are only six staterooms on the Bihotza not counting the master quite, and one of those is occupied.”

  “There’s another problem, too,” Vari said. “What if we find Kinah only to discover that we’re too late? Or that they need a lot more help than we’ll have either the time, the training, or the resources to provide?”

  “Those are good questions which I won’t bother trying to find answers to since I know you already have,” Garen said.

  Vari blushed but she smiled, too. “I think we need to take an ICARUS ship with us.”

  After making that rather startling statement, she said no more, letting the men around the table consider it. It was Prince Val who spoke first. “You’re right, Vari, an ICARUS ship must go as well. They can use the device that’ll allow them to open the doors the Bihotza makes to return.”

  “The question is, which ship?” Garen asked. “It must be one that can prepare itself quickly, and be trusted. Perhaps Nica’s Legacy.”

  “We know we can trust her, that’s for certain,” Vari said. “If she doesn’t want to go, she can tell us which ship we should take.”

  "We'll handle that, and the additional supplies as well," Garen said. “Salene said you planned to reach Jasan in a week. Is that right?”

  “That’s what we told her,” Jay said. “If we proceed at FLANK speed, that’s how long it’ll take. However, Salene didn’t seem to think Nia had much time left so we think EMERGENCY would be a better choice. That’ll get us to Jasan in three days. It’ll cause excessive wear to a few engine components, but we’ll just have to replace them when we get to Jasan.”

  “I agree that the faster you can get there, the better,” Garen said. “The reports we’ve gotten from Salene and Doc indicate that a week is too much to hope for.”

  "If we’re finished here, we can leave immediately," Declan said.

  “If you don’t mind, I have another subject I’d like to discuss very briefly,” Faron said.

  “Of course, Ata,” Vari said, frowning at the expression on his face. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him look like that before. “What’s the matter?”

  “We’ve all seen the mission vids,” he said. “And we’re all concerned about an incident that occurred right after Shanti was transported to the Bihotza.”

  Vari’s face paled but she didn’t drop her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ata, but I had no choice. I couldn’t put the lives of fourteen thousand people at risk to chase Ria down. I love my sister, you know that. But I just couldn’t do that.”

  “You misunderstand, Daughter,” Faron said gently. “You did nothing wrong. The choice you made was the right one, and no one thinks otherwise.”

  Vari swallowed against the lump in her throat and nodded uncertainly. She was relieved, but curious. If that wasn’t what he wanted to discuss, then what was?

  “What we need to know is, do you believe, truly, that she would have made a scene had you attempted to force her to transport?” Dav asked.

  This time Vari did drop her eyes. She didn’t want to answer that question. “It’s all right, Vari,” Dav said. “I can see the answer in what you’re not saying. To be honest, none of us doubted it.”

  “She dared you,” Faron said, revealing the anger he’d been so careful to hide. “She dared you to risk the lives of all those people just so she could have her way.”

  “She did dare me,” Vari agreed. “But she was concerned for her patients, Ata. She didn’t want to abandon them.”

  Faron opened his mouth, then closed it, deciding that Vari didn’t need to be concerned about this matter any further. She had enough on her plate as it was.

  “We’ll remember that, Vari,” he said, offering her a faint smile. “Now, we have many hug-less years to make up for so come give us some before you leave.”

  Vari got up and went to hug each of her fathers while Declan, Jay, and Kai looked on. Then she hugged the Princes, each of them squeezing her, but not too tightly.

  "I'll let Mom know to expect you earlier than planned," Faron said.

  “Thanks, Ata.”

  “Shall we have a male-set meet you at the skyport to speed travel you to the ranch?” Garen asked Declan.

  “One for Vari will be sufficient, but whoever it is will need to bring a set of jammers for her. That, or one of us will need to accompany her. Otherwise, we have duties to perform once we dock. We'll catch a VTOL to the ranch
when we're done. Do you have a particular date in mind for our departure?”

  “Only that it should be as soon as possible,” Garen said. “We'll be leaving the task force today as well, but it'll take us about twelve days to reach Jasan. We can speak further on dates and other matters then."

  ***

  When Vari and her men transported back to the Bihotza they were surprised to find Shanti waiting for them. Vari knew immediately that there was something troubling her friend.

  “I was just going to vox you,” she said, hugging Shanti because she looked like she needed it. The way Shanti clutched her shoulders told her how important this was.

  “Declan, Jay, Kai, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take Shanti to Pandora’s room.”

  “Of course we don’t mind, Miraku,” Declan said after greeting Shanti. “Enjoy your visit.” A few moments later the men were gone, and Vari was leading the way to the room she and Pandora had shared before she’d moved her things to the master suite.

  “If you two want privacy, I can go somewhere else, too,” Pandora offered.

  “I’ve no objection to you staying, Pandora,” Shanti said.

  “We can wait to talk until we get to the room, but please tell me if you’re okay.” Vari said.

  “I’m okay, Vari,” Shanti said, reaching over to squeeze her hand tightly. “I was visiting Aunt Niri and she told me the Bihotza was going to leave soon and head straight to Jasan.”

  “That’s true,” Vari said, then fell silent as they stepped into the elevator. It was strange for her to use an elevator without worrying about what might happen.

  A few moments later they were in the stateroom. Once they were both seated and Vari fetched each of them a bottle of water from the chiller, Vari decided not to bother with small talk.

  “All right, Shanti. We’re alone now. What’s going on?”

  “I’d like to ask you a favor,” Shanti said, her eyes fixed on her lap.

  “You can ask me anything, Shanti,” Vari said worriedly. “Just name it.”

  “I want to come with you, on the Bihotza.”

  “To Jasan?”

  “Yes. No. I mean, I want to go wherever you go from there.”

  Vari was careful to keep her expression neutral. “You didn’t say anything Pandora, I know that. But please confirm it for me.”

  “No, I said nothing to no one,” Pandora said without animosity.

  “Thanks.” Vari thought for a moment, then sipped her water and thought some more. “Secret time, my friend.”

  Shanti looked up at her with hope in her eyes as she closed her fist and touched her heart with her thumb, a gesture that said without words that Vari had her most solemn promise. Until that moment, when Vari caught a glimpse of the despair and sadness in Shanti’s eyes, she hadn’t realized the depth of her friend’s grief. She immediately set the current subject aside for one that was much more important.

  “You were in love with Geoff,” Vari said gently.

  Shanti nodded. “I only knew him a couple of weeks, so I suppose that sounds silly.”

  “Not in the least,” Vari said, surprised that Shanti would even say such a thing. “How long do you think I’ve known the Dracon-Bats?”

  “That’s different,” Shanti said. “You’re Jasani. You’re all destined to be together. There’s no guesswork or luck involved.”

  Vari sighed, then stood up and moved her chair closer to Shanti’s. She sat back down and reached for her friend’s hand, holding it carefully between her own.

  “Shanti, love cannot be measured, or restrained, or corralled. You either love someone, or you don’t. That’s all. I’m very sorry for your loss, and yes, of course you can come with me.”

  “Thank you, Vari,” Shanti said on a big sigh. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. What’s the secret though?”

  “I ask that you first tell me why you want to go wherever the Bihotza goes next.”

  “I don’t know,” Shanti said, her shoulders more relaxed now. “I just feel as though it’s the right thing for me to do. I can’t explain it any better than that.”

  “You don’t need to,” Vari said. “Sometimes…most times…we have to follow our feelings. Right Pandora?”

  “Absolutely,” Pandora said. “And um, if you don’t mind Shanti, I’d really like it a lot if you’d agree to share this room with me.”

  “Of course I don’t mind, Pandora,” Shanti said. “In truth, I’d like that very much. But why?”

  “Because I’m not used to being alone so much, but I can’t intrude on Vari and her men all the time.”

  “Since I don’t want to be alone, I understand what you mean. I’m very happy to share space with you, Pandora. Thanks for asking.” Shanti turned to Vari. “Secret?”

  “Ah yes, well, we’re going to take a very long journey in search of a world whose people are on the brink of extinction. It’s a big secret though.”

  “Can you tell me more about these people?” Shanti asked, a flicker of interest replacing the sadness in her eyes. That was enough for Vari.

  She told Shanti all she knew about Kinah, about the surviving women, and about Nia. She had to tell her a little bit about shadow people and her experiences with them, but she kept that short and to the point.

  “So,” she said when she was finished. “You sure you want to do this?”

  “More than ever,” Shanti said. “In fact, if you don’t take me, I’ll try to find another way there. I’m just supposed to do this. I know it. Are you sure no one will object?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Shanti smiled and this time, it reached her eyes.

  Chapter 15

  Vari waited just inside the Bihotza’s docking door for Jackson Bearen to arrive. She was nervous, and found herself starting to pace twice before she could prevent it.

  “Are you sure you don’t want one of us to go with you, Vari?” Declan asked.

  “To be perfectly honest, I would,” Vari said. “But I know how much work you have to do here, and there really isn’t anything you could do but stand around. So while I appreciate the offer very much, no, thank you.”

  “Maybe you should reconsider taking Shanti with you,” Kai suggested.

  “No, I don’t want to do that, either,” Vari said. “Her grief is too fresh for her to witness this.”

  Jay nodded. “It would probably be best that she not get…ideas.”

  Vari understood that he was concerned Shanti would want her to summon Geoff. She shared that worry, though she didn’t want to say so.

  “I ask that you promise to call us if you need anything at all,” Declan said.

  “Yes,” Kai added. “Even if all you want is to have one of us nearby.”

  “I promise,” Vari said just as Jackson Bearen appeared beside her. She was too used to speed travel to be startled though, especially since she’d been expecting him.

  “Hi Uncle Jackson,” she said, turning toward him. When she wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug, Jackson was so surprised that for a moment he couldn’t move. When he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back, he had to blink away the stinging in his eyes.

  “Hello, Blueberry,” he said in a choked voice. “How did this miracle come about?”

  Vari stepped back, smiling at the old nickname that only he could get away with. “There was a reason for my inability to touch people. Now that I’ve used it for what it was meant for, I don’t need it anymore. That’s my theory, anyway.”

  “Sounds like a good one to me,” Jackson said, giving her one last squeeze before releasing her. “Now I understand why your Ata asked that I personally speed travel over here to get you. He wanted me to see this for myself.” He held up an object that looked like a metal tube cut horizontally. “I guess this is no longer needed?”

  “Nope,” she said, grinning.

  “What is it?” Kai asked.

  “Protection,” Vari said, taking the device from Jackson and setting i
t over her shoulder. “It allows me to speed travel without actually being touched.”

  “Allowed,” Jackson said. “Past tense. Where’s Pandora?”

  “I’m here,” Pandora said from Kai’s shoulder. “Vari’s been pacing so much this morning she made me dizzy. Kai is much calmer.”

  Jackson gave Vari a sympathetic look, then dug a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  “Thanks, Uncle Jackson,” she said, opening the box to find a new set of psionic jammers that looked just like sapphire earrings. “How’s Nia?” she asked, removing the jammers from the box.

  “The truth?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Doc and Glory agree that she will pass sometime in the next couple of hours.” Vari’s heart skipped a beat. “Everyone, including Nia herself, has done all they could to keep her alive longer. But there’s nothing further that can be done.”

  “Then we better not waste any time.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “Just about,” she said. She put the earrings in her ears, then turned to Declan. “Okay, I’m ready to test them.” He nodded and a moment later the shield she’d grown so used to over the past two weeks vanished. Immediately a dull roar began to fill her head. She quickly tapped the back of each earring, activating the jammers.

  “They’re working perfectly,” she said before she bent to pick up the straps to her duffle bag and toiletries case. Jackson immediately took both bags and slung the straps over his own shoulder.

  “Give me a call when you’re finished working, and we’ll speed travel you back to Dracon Ranch,” Jackson told Declan. “The River House has already been prepared for you.”

  “Thank you, Jackson,” Declan said. “Don’t forget your promise, Vari.”

  “I won’t,” she said before wrapping her arms around Declan's neck and hugging him tightly before giving him a quick kiss. Jay and Kai each got a hug and kiss as well before she turned to see Jackson grinning at them.

  "I see congratulations are in order."

  "Yes, they certainly are,” Declan said, his eyes fixed on Vari. "For us, anyway. We are luckier than we have any right to be.” Declan looked away from Vari and met Jackson’s gaze steadily. “As capable as Vari is, which is extremely capable, we ask that you keep her safe for us."