The Blarmling Dilemma (Hearts in Orbit Book 1)

by S. C. Mitchell

  A whimper escaped from the cell. Lart fighting his own battle. Oolo had been by his side constantly. Now she tottered out into the control room. We are so sorry we caused all this anguish. Tell Phoebe we are sorry.

  Rigel relayed Oolo’s message.

  “No,” Phoebe said, going to her knees and hugging Oolo. “You didn’t cause this. United Research and Technologies caused this, and I aim to stop it. Now.”

  So brave. Rigel couldn’t help but admire Phoebe’s courage. “You’re sure.”

  He returned to the command chair and brought up the bounty claim program. He could claim the bounty on Phoebe, and show the pending funds transfer as credit to set up the warp drive purchase and refitting of his ship. He’d only need to be on Tanis Yarba a few hours before lifting off fully capable of taking the Blarmlings home at last.

  His hand hovered over the send button. “Do it,” Phoebe said softly. “Then come here and give me something to remember you by.”

  He hit send and his stomach knotted. It had only cost him his soul.

  Chapter 30

  The cold titanium of the cuffs chilled her wrists as Rigel shackled Phoebe. “Sorry, it’s necessary procedure.”

  “I know,” she answered.

  They’d had less than an hour to say their goodbyes. Passion had flared hot, and all future thoughts abandoned to the moment. Rigel had taken her to new heights, and for one shining moment she’d been able to forget what lay ahead. Now, her wrists shackled, she was forced to face her fears.

  In her mind she went over her arguments and pleas, not for herself, but for the Blarmlings. Other alien beings had been admitted to the Galactic Federation. She simply needed to make the case. But there was so much that could go wrong.

  She’d sent a post to her parents, telling them everything. Hoping they’d understand. Her father’s position gave him some influence with the galactic council, but Phoebe didn’t know how far that went.

  The post would take a while to reach her parents, so she’d probably never see their reply, still she wanted them to know she was safe.

  Rigel engaged the lock on the cell door after giving the Blarmlings a release remote just in case. The ship would soon be crawling with techs, installing and repairing systems. It was the best way to keep the Blarmlings safe. By the time word got out that they were on the ship, Rigel would be on his way.

  “It’s time,” Rigel said, and he escorted her down the ramp into the dry-dock area. Already technicians were moving scaffolding into position around the ship.

  The locals gave them a wide berth as they secured spots on public transport. Rigel was tense—on edge. “I hate the way they’re looking at you.”

  “You’ve turned in prisoners before,” Phoebe said, trying to calm him.

  “They weren’t you.”

  They were looking at her like she was a criminal. But she was. She couldn’t fault the people for that.

  “I broke the law.” Somehow she found the strength to stay strong . . . for him.

  The galactic security compound was a three story, stoutly built edifice. Armed galactic marshals guarded the entrance and patrolled the hallways. It didn’t take long. A retinal scan confirmed her identity, and she was turned over to two blue and gold clad officers. As they escorted her down a hallway and around a corner, she risked one last look at Rigel Antares. He was staring back at her, utter despair in his eyes.

  Chill gnawed at Rigel’s stomach. The emptiness was crushing. His head swirled in confusion, refusing to accept reality. She was gone and he didn’t know when . . . if he’d ever see her again.

  “Hey, buddy. Don’t you want the bounty?” A galactic marshal held the credit scanner, cocking his head in question. Rigel numbly held out his arm for the transfer of funds.

  Concentrate on the here-and-now. He had a job to do, and five young lives to save. There’d be time to grieve his loss later.

  No. Time to plan how he’d get her back. He’d never give up, on the Blarmlings or Phoebe.

  “There were a couple of biological specimens she had in her possession. You don’t happen to have those in your possession as well.” The officer raised an eyebrow.

  “Nope.” It was an easy lie to tell because it wasn’t a lie. Oolo and Lart were not biological specimens, they were people. “I didn’t find anything like that on her ship. She must have dumped the evidence before I boarded.”

  The lawman shook his head and went back to inputting data on his terminal.

  Rigel shook his head to clear it. He had a job to do. “But . . .”

  The officer looked back up.

  “You’re going to need to send a marshal out to Vega 7. There’s a group of backtechers there that were attacked by pirates. I picked up their distress call on my way past.”

  “Vega 7?” The man looked back down at his display. “That’s O’Callaghan’s beat.”

  “I guess O’Callaghan never showed.”

  The man mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, “Big surprise.”

  So they were aware.

  He looked back up at Rigel. “I’ll get someone out there right away. . . Someone else.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rigel cast one last long look at the hallway where Phoebe had disappeared. Uncertainty and regret warred with logic in his mind, and it took all his energy to turn away and leave the galactic security building.

  By the time he reached the dry-docks, The Blarmlings’ Hope was just about finished with her refitting. A brand new warp core glittered on the ship’s stern and damaged hull sections had been repaired. The electro-mechanical operations manager was just unplugging the analysis workstation.

  The sandy-haired technician turned toward Rigel. “She’s good as can be for a ship this old, though you’ve got an anomaly in a retrofitted macrocondensor just off the cargo hold. I could look into that, but it would take a while.”

  His secret compartment, still a secret. “Nope, I don’t have the time. It’s nothing I can’t live with.”

  The bill came to just over thirty seven thousand credits. Without Phoebe’s bounty he’d have never been able to afford it. He held up his arm for scanning.

  “You know those pets of yours in the lockup are really cute,” the tech said, hesitating in his scan. “My daughter would love one. I could give you a real deal on the repair costs.”

  Rigel narrowed his eyes. “They’re not pets. They’re people.” He pushed his arm forward, under the scanner. “They’re not for sale.”

  The galaxy needed an education in just who the Blarmlings were. Rigel hoped they were about to get one.

  The steel-glass door slammed shut behind her as Phoebe scanned her small cell. It was barely larger than the cell on Rigel’s ship. The bunk was recessed into the wall. A small desk stood against the outer wall with a com screen attached. The toilet, sink, and bathing stall were in a small alcove, with no privacy screen. The cell felt cold, sterile, and quiet.

  She’d never felt so alone. So cut off. Even after she’d rescued the Blarmlings, she’d had them for company. Now there was no one. Not even Miss Snotty Pants.

  She’d left the toy and all her possessions in Rigel’s care. She wondered when . . . if . . . she’d ever see them again

  She sat on the edge of the bunk and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to quiet her racing mind. This was the scene they never showed on the holovids—the prisoner alone in their cell. Quiet, tortuous hours of self-reflection. Time suddenly seemed to stand still.

  The sound of her cell door opening brought Phoebe out of her reverie. A petite, dark-haired marshal stood in the doorway, a data pad in her hands. “Phoebe Callista?”

  “Yes?” Phoebe stood, not knowing what to expect.

  The officer entered, and the cell door closed behind her. Her
steely gray eyes betrayed no thought or emotions as she scanned the data pad. “No priors I see. You ever been in lockup before?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  She looked up, eyeing Phoebe from head to toe. “Well, you don’t look the violent type. You should do fine. I’m just here to tell you your lawyer is on his way.”

  “Lawyer?”

  Phoebe must have looked as confused as she felt. The woman looked down on her data pad. “A Mr. Faren Gnorstine? He is your lawyer, isn’t he?”

  Faren Gnorstine was her father’s lawyer, and a junior partner in one of the galaxies most prestigious law firms. Phoebe’s post must have gotten through to her parents. She felt instantly better. Leave it to her parents to come riding to her rescue. She hoped she hadn’t caused them too much distress.

  Now she’d really be able to tell her story and make her case. “Yes, Mr. Gnorstine is my lawyer. Do you want me to make a statement?” She was ready to face the coming trial.

  The marshal again scanned her data pad. “Nope. Orders say, no statements without the lawyer present. You just need to relax for a bit. You’ll be meeting with Gnorstine right before your trial tomorrow. Get some rest. You’ll probably need it.”

  The cell door opened and the officer exited the cell. Phoebe lay back on the bunk feeling much better about her situation. The trial couldn’t come fast enough.

  Chapter 31

  Streams of sunlight filtered through the Verril trees that surrounded the Blarmling village. A soft breeze rustled the bright green leaves overhead. Rigel leaned back against one of the stout tree trunks and breathed in the clean, freshness of Blarm. They’d made it just in time.

  Lart lay in labor in the village center surrounded by most of the area inhabitants. A birthing was a celebration of life in the Blarmling culture. Clicks and whistles accentuated each contraction, and Lart was the center of all the attention. He appeared to be enjoying it, boasting loudly, when he was able, that they would all see he was biggest man.

  Rigel could only smile. His friend had fought valiantly to hold back the birthing of his children until they could be safely delivered. Oolo had been by his side, at times softly encouraging him, and at other’s loudly berating him. The two made quite a pair.

  After landing The Blarmlings’ Hope just outside the village, Rigel carried Lart to the required birthing spot. Thanks to the Blarmlings shared community mind, everything was ready. Clean bedding and warm receiving blankets for the new babies had already been laid out. Rigel wondered just how far the Blarmlings mind reading telepathy reached. In any case, he didn’t doubt there was a scramble to assemble everything as soon as the village became aware.

  There was jubilant celebration in the air, not only because of the impending births, but also the return of the two lost Blarmlings. The planet’s communal mind had felt the loss, months ago. The betrayal of humans cut deep. That a human had been responsible for their return did much to make up for that. Still, there would be fences to mend between the cultures.

  All of Blarm was concentrating on a better understanding of the human mind. Rigel didn’t doubt he was under constant scrutiny by the locals. Well, the Blarmlings were welcome to whatever they could glean from his mind. They’d need all the help they could get in the coming years.

  What if they hadn’t made it? If Oolo and Lart had lost their babies? Rigel wasn’t sure he would have been welcomed back to the planet.

  The important thing was they had made it. Phoebe’s sacrifice had paid off for the Blarmlings.

  Gods, I miss her.

  Rigel worried about her, and continually questioned whether there had been another way.

  He shook his head, sighing.

  A Blarmling ambled toward him. The dull gray shadowing in its silver fur told Rigel this was an older Blarmling. I am Tuka, village elder. Oolo has shared your wondrous tale with us. Word of your great deeds now spreads across our planet. Thankful we are you bring Oolo and Lart back to us. Rigel Antares and Phoebe Callista will be long remembered and honored here.

  Phoebe. Leaving her behind was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. He’d known her only a short time, but now without her there was a void in his life, an empty hole in his heart.

  We share your loss and grief.

  Before the Blarmling elder could say more a commotion rose from the village center. The first baby comes. First nurture must be observed.

  Tuka turned and ambled back toward the other Blarmlings.

  Blarmling young were not so much raised by their parents, as by the village as a whole. Every adult was charged with the care and nurturing of children. As a token of this trust in their community, new parents were encouraged to give up their newborns to those they respected most in the village for first nurturing.

  Lart birthed the first of his children and Oolo accepted the newborn Blarmling as it came out, then gently set it in Tuka’s arms. The Blarmling elder smiled, bowing toward Oolo and Lart, then pulled a Verril leaf from a nearby tree and started feeding the baby. There was a collective sigh from the village, as the newborn started to eat.

  A healthy babe. That notion came from more than one of the villagers, and Rigel got the impression they’d had their doubts about the birthing because of Oolo and Lart’s off-world adventures.

  The second, third and fourth babies were birthed, all healthy, and Oolo passed them to other village members. The babies were so adorable, so precious.

  The ache in Rigel’s heart lessened just a bit. Yes, it had all been worth it. Oolo and Lart’s children would survive. Still Phoebe’s sacrifice had been a high price to pay. He needed to do something to get her back. But what?

  We will get Phoebe back.

  Lost in his thoughts, Rigel had missed the birth of the fifth child. Oolo stood before him with the babe in her arms.

  Will Rigel honor first nurture?

  The crowd of Blarmlings stood behind Oolo, curiosity obvious in their bright purple eyes. What was Oolo up to?

  “Oolo, I’m not a Blarmling.”

  There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. You are Blarmling now. Accepted by village. Accepted by whole world. Spacer no more.

  Moisture clouded Rigel’s vision. No longer a spacer?

  You belong here, with us. You need home. We need you. Be Blarmling. Honor first nurture.

  Oolo pushed the newborn Blarmling into his arms. Softly he cradled the cooing creature.

  One of the other Blarmlings placed a Verril leaf in his hand and he positioned it near the babe’s mouth. Slowly the baby began to chew on the verdant frond. It was an amazing feeling, touching Rigel’s heart in a way nothing ever had.

  Clicks and beeps erupted from the crowd of Blarmlings around him. Acceptance . . . welcome . . .

  He was home.

  There was only one thing missing.

  Phoebe paced her cell anxious to testify. She didn’t expect to get off, but if she could just convince the galactic magistrate, and her jury that the Blarmlings were people, she would happily accept her fate. She just needed to get things moving in the right direction and hope the galaxy saw things her way.

  “It’s time, Miss Callista.” The galactic marshal that came to escort her to the courtroom looked and felt honest. She had some hope again. Hope that her case would be heard properly. Justice would be done, and the Blarmlings would forever be placed off limits to such companies as United Research and Technology.

  She walked into the courtroom with her head held high, and toward the table she saw Faren Gnorstine standing next to.

  She’d only met the man once, at a party her father had thrown for people he worked with. Faren had come across as a rather stiff, serious young man. Very lawyerly, in Phoebe’s mind, but not someone she’d want to party with. Now her defense, her very life, was in this man’s hands. But, her father had se
nt him, so she took comfort in that.

  Phoebe took a deep breath. Everything would be okay. They’d work a deal or something.

  She strode up to Mr. Gnorstine and offered her hand. He took it then gestured her to a seat. “I’m sorry to see you in this situation, Miss Callista.”

  They had about fifteen minutes to confer before the trial started. Phoebe poured out her story, and Mr. Gnorstine nodded his understanding. From time to time he took notes on his data pad. Phoebe laid out her case, and he questioned her on certain points. He seemed to get her point of view, and the tension Phoebe had been feeling building at the base of her neck began to ease. At the end of their discussion he looked up and smiled at her warmly. “I think we’re ready.”

  Her first indication that something was drastically wrong was shortly thereafter when Mr. Gnorstine rose to address the galactic magistrate.

  “Your honor, we will be entering a plea of insanity. Miss Callista wishes to throw herself on the mercy of the court.”

  Instantly a transparent security tube descended around her. “What? No!”

  She’d seen how these things worked on the holovids. She would be able to hear the proceedings, but no one in the courtroom would be able to hear her. From the moment she’d pleaded insanity, she’d turned her entire defense over to her attorney. The problem was she hadn’t pled insanity.

  “As you can see,” Gnorstine continued, “Blarmlings are incredibly adorable animals.”