Haven 2: Redemption

by Sandra R Neeley

  Ba Re’ stepped forward, punched a code into the scanner mounted on the wall beside the cell door, and the door swung open after a soft clicking sound could be heard. Ba Re’ pulled the door opened, then stood back, his wrists crossed behind his back, his head raised, regarding Gaishon. “I will see you in one hour, in my office. Do not be late.”

  “No, sir. I won’t, sir!”

  Ba Re’ turned and walked down the hallway, as stiffly as he’d arrived. After he’d moved only halfway down the hallway, he called back to Gaishon, who was just taking the first steps out of the cell and starting down the hallway on his way to his new life. “Welcome to the crew of Command Warship 1, Gaishon.”

  Gaishon smiled. He was very happy and very proud. “Thank you, sir!” he answered happily.

  Chapter 29

  Kol sat at the table in the quarters that had been assigned to Ada Jane. He didn’t tell her, but she’d been assigned to the mated quarters. Her quarters had a bedroom, a cleansing chamber, a private kitchen and dining area, and a living room for entertaining company.

  She sat across from him at the table, waiting for an answer.

  “I do not know what to say, Ada Jane.”

  “Try the truth, Kol. You and Vivian said that it would be some time before I could even think of going home because it took a great deal to arrange it. But, today at lunch I was told by Betsy that some government agency is sending a shuttle to take all the females who care to go home, home. Why would you tell me that it takes so long to get there, and is very hard to arrange, if it’s as simple as getting onboard a shuttle that is coming here for just that purpose?”

  “I didn’t wish to upset you further,” Kol said. “You were so fragile when you first awoke. And you feared me greatly. All of us you feared. The last thing you needed was to become more upset. So we made the decision to keep the information from you until you were stronger, more recovered.”

  “Fragile? Is that how you see me?”

  “Yes, in the beginning. But now, I see you becoming stronger.” Kol smiled. “I am very pleased to see the female you are becoming. I am anxious to know you and all the things you think and feel.”

  Ada Jane nodded slowly. “Well, let me tell you. I’m a farm girl. I grew up in Nebraska, on a farm, helping my Pa haul hay, breaking horses, milking the cows and mending fences. I never, have ever, been fragile or weak in any way. And it irks the heck out of me that you see me that way.”

  “Irks?” Kol asked, unsure of the word and not willing to wait for the computer to translate it for him.

  Ada Jane leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “Pisses me off!” she whispered.

  “Oh! Makes you angry. Okay, I understand that now.”

  “Don’t make me say bad words again. I don’t cuss, unless I’m really, really angry. And you’re pushing it right now, but I’m not there yet.”

  “I do not see you as weak, my Ada Jane. I saw you struggle to come to terms with all you’d survived. I saw you trying to determine who was friend and foe. I saw you fighting the memories, struggling to keep yourself from being brought back to that place and those circumstances in your dreams. I do not see weak. I see great strength. You are a survivor. I admire you,” Kol said sincerely, reaching out to take Ada Jane’s hand in his.

  Ada looked at her pale skin against his deep blue flesh. She listened to his words and felt the warmth of his hand on hers. Her belly did a little flip. She couldn’t deny that she felt attraction for him. And the fact that he came running to her the moment he heard about Rosie’s psycho mate and his bag of bloody heads and hearts was very romantic. He was concerned for her safety and her peace of mind. She’d never had a man back on Earth the least bit concerned with what she wanted. It was all about what she could do for them. Most country boys wanted a woman to cook for them, keep their houses clean and birth their babies. She’d always dreamed of more, but this — aliens and spaceships — was a bit more than she’d dreamed.

  “Please don’t call me yours. I can’t stay here. You know that, and I don’t want to disappoint you when I leave.”

  “You are mine. You will see that one day. And I will still be watching over you, and protecting you, until you realize what I already know.” Kol reached for her hand again, smiling at her. He knew that she was human, and humans didn’t feel the pull the way the Cruestaci did. Even Vivi didn’t feel it at first for Zha Quin — it took time. And he was prepared to wait.

  Ada Jane sighed. He was persistent, she’d give him that. “Tell me why you hid the fact there’s a shuttle coming for us.”

  “Because going home is not good for you,” Kol responded, that look of worry crossing his face again.

  “Because you want me here. Right? Just like every man back on Earth, all you worry about is what you want.”

  “No! No, it is true I want you here. But Earth is not as you think it is.”

  Ada thought about his words. “Why?” she asked, pulling her hand away from his. “What’s different?”

  Kol looked at her, worry even more evident.

  “If you care about me as you say you do, don’t lie to me. What do you know? What is different?”

  Kol took a deep breath. Whether she stayed here on Command Warship 1 or returned to Earth, she needed to know what was going on so that she’d be prepared. “What year do you think it is, Ada Jane? Back on Earth, what year is it?”

  Ada Jane thought about it. “It was 1986. So, I guess at the most it’s 1987, but most likely the end of 1986.”

  Kol looked at her sadly. He shook his head slowly.

  Ada’s blood ran cold as she began to figure out what he was trying to keep from her.

  “What year is it, Kol?”

  “You are loved here, Ada Jane. You are adored and treasured above all else. You have a home here. You are not alone,” Kol continued.

  “What year is it, Kol?!” Ada yelled at him, her entire body beginning to tremble.

  Kol swallowed and reached for her hand again. Ada Jane pulled away from him, placing her hands in her lap and clasping them together.

  Kol relented. There was no way around it. “It’s the year 2121. You were taken 135 years ago. There is nothing left as you once knew it on Earth. There was a war. There are very few of the major cities left, and those left are but a shadow of their former selves. The Earth is broken up into quadrants, different species oversee justice in their particular quadrant. All quadrants report to the United Consortium Defense. The Consortium oversees all worlds and universes that are members. Those that are not members are watched closely to ensure that they do not invade and impose their will on any other world.”

  Ada Jane began to tremble, tears filled her big, blue eyes, the whites of them turning red with her tears.

  “I am sorry, Ada Jane. I am so sorry.”

  “My home is gone?” she asked.

  “I do not know for sure, but most likely. And if it remains, it is much changed. At least that I’m pretty sure of.”

  “My parents are dead.”

  Kol hesitated, but finally nodded. “Yes. I am sure they are long gone from normal aging by this time.”

  “If they survived the war,” Ada whispered.

  Kol nodded.

  With her lips trembling, her face soaked with tears, she looked up at Kol. “Why am I still alive? It’s been more than a hundred years. I should be dead.”

  “No. No, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.”

  “My natural life should have ended long ago. I should be buried with my family in our family cemetery. I should have children who have died by now, and their children should be tending our graves,” she said, her voice rising as she became more and more upset.

  “No, Ada Jane. Fate had different plans for you…”

  “For what?” Ada screamed. “To make me an alien’s whore? To steal me away from all that I knew and loved? To make my parents die never knowing what happened to me? Not knowing if I was alive or dead? What kind of fate is that? Tell me! What
kind of fate is that?!” Ada Jane looked at Kol for a moment more, waiting for a reply. When he had none to offer, she jumped to her feet and ran to the bedroom, throwing herself onto the bed and screaming her rage and fury into the sheets and pillow as she cried her heart out at the unfairness of the life that was stolen from her.

  An hour later, once her tears and hiccups had stopped, Kol stood outside the bedroom door. He keyed in the code he knew, had known all along, would open the door. When the door swooshed open, he stepped inside. He saw Ada Jane pull the covers up to her chin and knew she was awake.

  “You have never been any male’s whore. You have always been my mate, my Ehlealah. The life that was stolen from you I can never give back to you. Though I would without a second thought. That’s how much I love you. But I can give another life. A life here with me, a life filled with love, and happiness and adventure. Children to love you and give us grandchildren. I hate the way you came to me. I’d rather never find you than to have you endure what you have. But it’s happened. It’s done and cannot be undone. And now you’re here. I know your heart is breaking. I know you are mourning a life lost. But you are still alive, Ada Jane. You have another life waiting for you to accept it. I will be here, watching over you, loving you, protecting you, while you take all the time you need to find your way to your place beside me. Never fear, my Ehlealah, you are not alone.” He waited, but she didn’t respond. “I have to go on duty. I will lock up so that no one but I can enter. You know the codes if you wish to leave. Please call for me if you need me — or want me. You need only say aloud, ‘Missy, I need Kol’. She will contact me.”

  Kol stepped out of the doorway and allowed the doors to swoosh closed once more. He programmed in the code that kept the doors from opening unless Ada Jane wanted them opened, and quietly left the apartment. He had to report for duty, check on his males. He had been preoccupied of late with Ada Jane, and he needed to be sure that all was as it should be.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  The doors of the Command Deck opened to reveal a female standing hesitantly at the threshold, not sure if she should be there or not.

  She looked at the males standing at attention on either side of the entryway.

  One looked down at her. “May I be of assistance, female?” he asked politely.

  Synclare looked down at the small plate in her hands. She’d eaten two of the four cakes the General had left for her with Cook, and she’d decided to bring the other two to him when she’d learned he was on duty. “Umm, no. I think I made a mistake coming here. Thank you,” she answered and turned to go.

  General Lo’ San was standing over their Communications Master, reading the responses to their request for a multi-com meeting when he heard Synclare’s voice. He turned quickly and saw her turning to leave. “Sink lar?” he called, straightening and beginning to stride toward her.

  Synclare turned at the sound of her name. It wasn’t quite right, but she loved the way he said it. “Hi. We can speak another time. I don’t want to interrupt. I can see that you’re busy.”

  “Nonsense. Please. Come,” he said, waving her toward him as he moved toward her.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, taking a few steps in his direction.

  “Very. I am greatly pleased that you came to visit,” he told her, smiling when they were finally standing face-to-face.

  “So, this is what you do?” she asked, feeling like kicking herself once the words were out of her mouth.

  General Lo’ San chuckled. “It is. I am Commander Zha Quin Tha Tel Mo’ Kok’s second in command. One of us is running the ship at all times. When he rests, I run the ship. When I rest, he runs the ship. There are times that we overlap when one or the other of us has something to tend to. But that is usually him. He has a female now, so is very often with her when she needs him.”

  “I see. It sounds like you work a lot.”

  “I do. But I do not mind it. I’m pleased to be needed, as I have no one else to share my time with.”

  Synclare smiled at the General’s comment, then blushed when he added one final word. “Yet.”

  “Yet?” she asked, blushing profusely.

  “Yes. I hope to have a female of my own one day. It is a desire that I recently discovered.”

  “You didn’t want one before?” she asked.

  “I had never thought of it. I had dedicated my life to my career. But I find I recently have begun to consider other options.”

  “Oh,” she said, looking down at the cakes she’d brought him.

  “Are those the cakes I saved for you?” he finally asked when she made no move to say any more.

  “They are,” she said excitedly. “I ate two of them, and thought I’d bring the other two to you.”

  “How thoughtful,” he said. “But I’ll only have one if you have the other. We will enjoy them together.”

  “Deal,” she said, smiling.

  He picked up one of the cakes and handed it to Synclare, then took the other for himself and took the plate from her, setting it down on his command chair.

  Synclare took a bite of her cake and licked her lips where the sweet, white frosting stuck to her lips. It wasn’t exactly frosting, more like a soft pudding that encased the cake, yet clung to it as a frosting would.

  Lo’ San bit into his and nodded his head in approval. “I love these small treats. I could make a meal of them,” he said, popping the rest into his mouth and finishing it off in two bites.

  “They are some of the best I’ve ever eaten,” she said, taking another bite and chewing appreciatively.

  Lo’ San reached out and used his thumb to wipe away some of the frosting beside her mouth.

  Synclare glanced up to him, surprised at the gentle touch, and darted her tongue out to lick the spot he’d touched to be sure there was no more frosting there, freezing as she watched him lick the frosting from his thumb.

  “Here, you have the rest of this one,” she offered breathily. “I’ve already had two before I brought you these.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “I am,” she said smiling, holding it out to him.

  Lo’ San made no move to take it from her. Instead he opened his mouth and waited for her to place it on his tongue.

  Synclare reached toward Lo’ San, placing the remaining piece of cake in his mouth. He closed his lips around her fingers and she removed them slowly as his lips slid softly, but firmly, across her fingers.

  He watched her the entire time.

  She watched him.

  “General Lo’ San. I’m getting more responses from the Consortium, Sir.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Lo’ San answered.

  “I’ll go now. I just wanted to bring you the cakes, not make a nuisance of myself. I know you have work to do,” Synclare said, backing toward the door.

  “Thank you for coming, Sink lar,” Lo’ San said, watching her leave the Command Deck. “You are never a nuisance.”

  Synclare smiled at him before turning and hurrying out of the doors that had opened at her approach.

  General Lo’ San walked over to Vennie’s station to see the incoming information. “This is excellent. Almost all have responded with acceptance of our invitation for a multi-com meeting. The Sovereign and Sovereigna wanted to address all the worlds Unified under the Consortium at once, as well as any other who cared to watch. I believe they’ll be well-pleased.” Invitations had gone out before they’d even arrived on board, and responses were pouring in.

  “Add the acceptances to the list we already have, so they’ll be ready for the Sovereigna to review the moment she is ready.”

  “Yes, General. I’m already on it.”

  Chapter 30

  Rokai jogged down the corridor, Rosalita’s hand tucked into his as she jogged along beside him. His eyes scanned the nameplates mounted beside the doors they passed, looking for a suitable one to temporarily hide away in.

  He slowed and stopped in front of one. A slow grin spread across
his face. “This one. We’ll stay out of sight here.”

  “Are you sure?” Rosie asked. “It looks pretty official with all the symbols beside the door.”

  “I am sure. They’ll never think to look for us here.” Rokai turned to smile at Rosie. “It’s their formal conference room. They’ll never think we’d be so bold as to hide in their own conference room.”

  Rosie smiled back at Rokai. “Hiding in plain sight. Perfect!”

  Together they approached the doorway, and it slid open, admitting them to the official conference room of Command Warship 1.

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  Kron stood outside Rosalita’s room, repeatedly ringing the tone that announced to those inside that he was waiting outside. He grew more irritated with each passing moment. He needed to get back to his sister. He knew Li’Orani was safe — she was protected by Vor, who’d claimed she was his Ehlealah. But Li’Orani had not given any indication that she was receptive to any claim by anyone. And Kron just needed to be near her, to listen to her voice, to watch her sipping her drink, nibbling on whatever food they brought her, to watch her smile as the huge shraler Sirena Vivian kept as a pet made the rounds of medical accepting pets and treats from any who’d offer them to him.

  Kron pressed the button again. “It’s me, Rokai! I know you are here. I want to speak with you!” Kron called.

  He waited a beat more before realizing that if they were indeed there, Rokai was not going to come out. “I’m not here to arrest you,” Kron said quietly. “I wanted to thank you, to give you my undying support. You gave me my sister back. You did what I was unable to do, and for that, I’ll never be able to repay you.”

  Kron waited a moment more and when still there was no reply, he pressed his hand against Rosalita’s door. “Thank you, my friend. Thank you,” he said, before dropping his hand, stepping back and looking at the door for a second longer. “I’ll try again later when perhaps you’ll be more willing to speak.”

  Kron turned and hurried back to Li’Orani’s room in medical, anxious to simply lay eyes on his sister again to assure himself that she was actually here with him.