Chapter 2
“Your brother?!” Vor exclaimed.
Zha Quin didn’t answer, just looked at Vor.
Vor stood. “I am sorry, Sire. My words were callous and unfeeling. I meant no insult.”
“I am aware you meant no insult,” Zha Quin answered.
Jhan sat at the table tapping his clawed fingertips on the tabletop. Suddenly he stopped and looked up. “What is to stop him from fleeing as soon as the Consortium escort leaves?”
“We can disable his ship as soon as he docks,” Vor offered.
“And we can be sure that he cannot find any replacement parts, nor can he order any,” Ba Re’ said. “I’ll block all orders coming from this ship. They must all go through me.”
“When he steps off the ship, have Missy monitor him at all times. Have her take a DNA scan so that he can be followed without fail every moment of every day,” Jhan said.
“Put him in my elite unit,” Kol said.
“What?” several voices asked, shock clear in each of them.
“We are on stand down until the next revolution. We are simply training and preparing for the next time we are called to serve. Put him with my elite unit. Not one of them will back down from him. I will make it clear to each that he is not to be lethally injured, but is to be challenged, and is to be kept under surveillance and active with us at all times.”
“Are you sure?” Zha Quin asked.
Kol smiled. “There is nothing he can do to intimidate my males. He may very well intimidate most others, and he may even attack. My unit is trained to deal with those of his like. It will keep them on their toes, and they are the safest to deal with him.”
“Done,” Quin answered.
“We will all make every effort to contain him and keep him in control without him knowing of it. It seems to me that knowledge that he is being surveilled would only tend to raise any angst he already feels at being here,” General Lo’San commented.
“Perhaps he should know he’s being watched at all times. It may give him reason to challenge us less,” Ba’ Re answered.
“True,” Vor agreed.
“Thank you, each of you. I will not forget your loyalty to me and mine,” Zha Quin said humbly. “And please, anything at all that you feel needs addressing — come to me at once. I will not be offended. He is my brother, but I am under no illusions of the man he truly is.”
The meeting finished, all males got up and crossed their arms over their hearts in a show of loyalty, and all headed off to prepare for Rokai ahl’s impending arrival.
“Kol — if you would stay for a moment…” Quin said as the males started filing out.
Kol nodded and stood to the side to allow the others to leave.
As soon as they were alone, Zha Quin stepped toward him, placing his arm around Kol’s shoulders. “Come, we have a healer to confront.”
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
The doors to medical swept apart, and Zha Quin marched through with Kol just a step behind him. “I wish to see the human female and hear of her progress,” Zha Quin announced in his standard bellow.
The new healer assigned to the ship hurried toward them. “Commander,” he said, bowing his head in deference. “I was just on my way to check her vital signs. Perhaps you could accompany me?”
Zha Quin’s eyes took in the half-eaten meal spread across the desk in the office to the right that the healer had been in when they entered the medical suite. He also took note of the games on the computer terminal that should have been displaying a constant readout of the female’s vital signs.
“It seems to me, her vitals should be displayed on the terminal there,” Zha Quin said.
“Oh, well, yes, Sire. Most of the time they are. I was on my lunch break and took the liberty of a game to relax a bit before returning to my shift.”
“I see,” Zha Quin answered, and stood waiting for the healer to escort him to the female’s room. After a few awkward moments Zha Quin huffed in frustration. “Are you taking me to the female or not?!”
“Oh, yes, yes, this way,” the healer said, indicating with a wave of his hand that Zha Quin should follow.
They entered the room and found the female asleep, the sounds of the machines monitoring her beeping and pulsing away.
“You see, Sire? She is well, sleeping peacefully.”
“I understand that she has awakened twice. Each time you have sedated her again.”
“Yes, Sire. When she awakes, she becomes hysterical, and her state requires that she be put back to sleep.”
“Have you tried to speak to her?”
“No, Sire.”
“Has anyone tried to speak with her?”
“Elite Commander Kol Ra’ Don Tol has on both occasions, but I stopped him and sedated her.”
“Why?”
“I don’t understand your question, Sire.”
“Why did you stop him? Why did you insist that she be sedated again?” Zha Quin demanded.
“Because she is human, Sire. She is delicate and cannot be allowed to upset herself in such a manner.”
“So you expect to keep her asleep for the rest of her life?” Zha Quin questioned.
“Only until she is no longer hysterical, Sire.”
“You are an idiot,” Zha Quin snapped.
“Sire?” the healer asked, surprise in his voice.
“Have you not met my Ehlealah? She is human. What about my Ehlealah makes you believe she is fragile?” Zha Quin gave the healer no chance to reply. “One does not sleep off trauma. One has to face it head on. One cannot face it head on unless they are awake!” Zha Quin shouted. “Kol is her male! She is his Ehlealah! Any decision he makes or wish he has regarding her treatment will be followed without question.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“You will not sedate another female without express permission from me or another healer. Am I clear?” Zha Quin demanded.
“Yes, Sire,” the healer said, fear clearly heard in his voice.
“Kol — see to your female. Call me if you need anything. I will have Vivi come by and visit with you as well.”
“Thank you, Quin.”
Quin turned to leave the room and almost ran into the healer who was hovering in the doorway. “Why are you still here? When will Doc be back?”
“He is to return at the end of this week, Sire. His recreation is almost at its end.”
“It is far past time for his return. Move! Go back to your games, healer!”
The healer scurried away, and Zha Quin left medical on his way to his own suite. He needed to tell Vivi about Kol’s female, about Rokai ahl, and even more than that, he just needed to kiss her and hold her close for a moment. Every time he saw one of the females they’d rescued from Malm’s ship, he found he needed to assure himself that his Vivi was still safe and warm.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Zha Quin stepped through the doors into his and Vivi’s quarters and came to an immediate stop. Slowly a smile started to form on his face despite the wincing of his eyes from the decibel level of the Earth music Vivi blared at deafening levels as she stood on the couch, her eyes closed, her head thrown back and her arms occupied — one seemed to be holding some invisible instrument as the other hand strummed it.
Kitty sat curled in his bed, watching his ‘Mommy’ from the other side of the room, a wince on his own face as the instruments in the music hit levels that surely had to be painful to all living creatures. His eyes drifted to Zha Quin and seemed to say, ‘Can’t you do something?’ before he turned his back on the both of them and burrowed his head under his favorite blanket.
Zha Quin chuckled as he stood watching his Ehlealah. The pure joy and happiness on her face as she lost herself dancing and singing to music from her home world made his heart soar. He would, without hesitation, endure any number of her Earth songs in order to see her so free and happy. Her song ended, and she bounced from foot-to-foot on the couch, her arms raised in the air as she uttered a hushed, ‘Thank you!
Thank you!’ to an imaginary audience.
Zha Quin, still grinning, couldn’t help himself. He began applauding heartily. “Well done, my Vivi! You are quite the entertainer!” he encouraged.
Vivian screeched and spun around to face him. “What are you doing here?! How long have you been there? Don’t sneak up on me like that!” she demanded.
Quin stepped all the way through the door so that it would close behind him. “I live here, and I’ve been there for several moments. I love watching you dancing and celebrating. It makes my heart smile.”
“Oh. Well, okay then. I guess,” Vivi answered, embarrassed at being caught rocking out to one of her favorites.
“You guess? You know. You know that I love to see you happy,” Zha Quin answered. “And what is the music called, that I might order you more?”
“It’s rock and roll,” Vivian answered.
“Is there much of it?”
“Yes. This particular one is called ‘Highway to Hell’ by a band called AC/DC.”
“That is a strange name for a song, and for a band,” Quin commented. “But no matter, if you enjoy them, I shall purchase you more of their songs,” he said, as he approached the couch.
Vivian held her arms out to him, and Zha Quin didn’t pause as he got close enough to reach her, scooping her into his arms and snuggling her close to him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.
Zha Quin held her tight, his nose buried in her hair, his huge, muscular chest expanding as he took in the scents surrounding his Ehlealah. This was home. This was what mattered to him. Not the place they stood in, but the very space that she was in. Wherever she was — that was his home.
“You alright?” she asked, holding him just as tightly.
“I am well. I just needed to hold you,” Quin responded.
“Was she terribly lost?” Vivian asked quietly, still holding Zha Quin, her face pressed into his neck.
“Who?” he asked.
“The female you saw. The one that made you need to make sure I’m still okay.”
Zha Quin smiled into her hair. His little female knew him better than even he knew himself sometimes. “She is. We think.”
“We think?” she asked, leaning back to see his face.
“Yes. She has not awakened properly yet. And each time that she does, she is hysterical and becomes violent.”
“Which one is she?” Vivian asked.
“Kol’s woman,” Quin answered.
Vivian released her hold on Quin and slid down his body to stand once again on the couch, before folding her legs beneath herself and sitting down. She looked thoughtfully at Quin. “I thought they were going to call me when she awoke so that I could be there to help.”
“We have a temporary healer who is an idiot. Each time she awoke, rather than allow Kol to try to speak with her and reason with her, he has sedated her.”
“He what?! He is an idiot! Now she believes that she is still being drugged and will be used at their will still!” Vivian shouted. She stood up and stalked toward their bedroom, muttering the whole time about idiot alien assholes and how it was a miracle they’d ever managed to achieve a damn thing until she’d found them.
Quin chuckled, knowing full well that Vivi would go straight to Kol and his female and make sure that everything was as it should be for the woman to wake and feel safe.
Moments later, Vivian returned to the living room, her signature boots on, her chain wrapped around her wrist and draped down her back, and her dagger in place in its sheath. “I’m going to see about her.”
“I knew that you would, Ehlealah. But there is one other thing that I must discuss with you before you go.”
“Is something else wrong?” she asked, taking a seat across from him on the couch as Kitty rose and started to pace beside her, knowing that his person was preparing to leave their home.
“Not yet. But I’m sure it is only a matter of time.”
Chapter 3
“That sounds ominous. Is it really that bad?” Vivi asked, reaching out to pet Kitty’s head and soothe him since she was not leaving right away, and he was clearly ready to go.
“I’ve received a communication from Bart. He has intercepted and rescued a male that was captured by those who wished to harm him. This male is being sent to our warship under heavy guard from the Consortium.”
“Okay,” she answered, waiting to see how this affected her and Quin.
“This male most likely deserved the harm all those wishing to harm him planned for him. But I cannot allow him to come to harm if I am able to intercede. Bart knew this.”
“And this is why he’s being sent to us?” she asked.
“Yes. It is imperative that you remain alert while he is here. I know better than to ask you not to venture out. This is your home, and it will never become a prison to you. But I will ask that you be alert and that you keep your distance from him.”
“Why? Would he try to hurt me?” she asked.
Zha Quin didn’t answer right away. He was considering his answer, trying his best to be truthful with her. “I do not believe that he would truly wish you harm. But, he would most certainly wish to harm me. And to harm you, would harm me.”
Vivian’s eyes grew large, and her eyebrows raised. “Then why are you bringing him here?”
“I have no choice, Vivi. I cannot send him to my parents. They have endured much embarrassment as a result of his behavior. It falls to me to try to reason with him, contain him. Try to keep him from getting himself killed, if I am at all able.”
“How will you do that?” she asked.
“Once he arrives, his ship will be disabled so that he cannot escape our warship. Missy will be programmed to advise us if he attempts to begin repairs on his ship without our knowledge. Lo’San, Vor, Ba Re’ and Jhan have all agreed to help me keep him under control if necessary. Kol has volunteered to have him assigned to his Elite Unit, so that they can keep him occupied. Kol’s Elite Warriors will also take turns shadowing him as he moves about the ship until, or unless, we determine it is no longer necessary. I’m hoping to form some type of alliance with him while he is here. If I can do that, it may calm him a bit. Though I don’t hold out much hope.”
“Why all this trouble, Quin? Why not just allow the consortium to deal with him? What is he to you?”
“He is my brother, Ehlealah. He is my brother. And I can’t turn my back on him, no matter how tempting the idea may be.”
Vivian nodded her head. “I understand. Black sheep of the family…”
“Black sheep?” he asked.
“Yes. A family member that just doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the family. Some are always in trouble, always creating drama, always doing the opposite of anything anyone expects or anticipates he will do. Despite being family, they just don’t fit in well.”
“More or less, yes. But he is in a worse position than even he thinks. Bart has said that he will no longer negotiate for Rokai ahl’s release. If he manages to be arrested again, regardless of the government that arrests him, Bart will not intercede. And if we do, it could be viewed as an act of war if the Cruestaci insist on his freedom as an ultimatum. This is a situation I pray may be avoided.”
Vivian sat there, listening to Quin, but her mind working as she considered what Quin was telling her. “Which of your brothers is this? You’ve never told me that one of them was a trouble-maker.”
“This one is a criminal. If I am truthful with myself, a troublemaker would be a welcome change.”
Vivian waited for him to answer, her question still out there.
Zha Quin sighed. He looked at his Ehlealah, so precious to him, and was immediately irritated that he had to tolerate the presence of Rokai ahl in the very vicinity of their home.
“He is my older brother. I tried for years to be close to him. I wanted his approval, his friendship. He has always treated me with little more than disdain. Eventually, I came to realize that our issues were his,
not mine. And I said as much the last time I tried to reach out to him. The more accomplished I became, the more bitter he became. I fear there is no chance for a reunion.” Zha Quin stopped talking and looked down at his hands. “No. That is wrong. A reunion would signify that we were ever together. Rokai ahl has always held himself apart. He resents everyone and everything. Me especially.”
“But, you are the oldest child. There is nothing in your history about an older brother,” Vivi started, realizing that something was out of place here.
“No. There is not anything about an older brother. And I am the oldest only to one of my parents,” Quin admitted.
“I don’t understand,” Vivian said quietly, giving her proud mate the opportunity to explain in his own way.
“He has never been acknowledged publicly by my parents. He is not of pure Cruestaci blood, and therefore not in line for the throne, nor any other noble stature.”
“And this is why he resents you,” she said, more of a statement than a question.
“I suppose it could be the reason. He’s never done more than snarl and talk in circles since we’ve come to adulthood.”
“If he’s older than you, that means he’d be first in line, ordinarily,” Vivian said, trying to put the pieces together.
“If he was of Cruestaci blood, yes. But only a full-blooded Cruestaci warrior can ascend the throne and lead our people.”
“I thought that your parents were mated very young — your mother Ehlealah to your father. If he’s your brother, wouldn’t that mean that one of them had an affair, outside their mating?” Vivian asked.
“They are mates!” Quin insisted, defensiveness evident in his voice. “They are,” he said much more calmly. “Rokai ahl was born before their mating.”
“Well, that doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter. He’s still your brother and should be treated with respect.”
“Until recently, our people had very different views on children born outside of a mating. Would that they all felt as you do, but most were given to childless couples, or deserted at birth, left to survive or not.”
Haven 2: Redemption Page 2