“We will guard our lady, Clan Leader,” Zared assured Yukihyo.
Grudgingly, Yukihyo kissed me and left with Jazon, Izaac, and Rozz. Phillip had disappeared long ago. He was making up for lost time with the ladies. Eli insisted that everyone exploring the station do so in armed groups of four. Parvacs and hybrids weren’t popular. Nico was staying with the children. I armed myself with Thunderdrop, my onyx bracelet with its credit chip and tracking device, and an empty shopping bag. I smiled excitedly ready to go.
Xavier grinned at me. “At times, you are a silly little female,” he said.
I shrugged. “Can we go now?”
Zared and Eli were also with us. I sensed Zergio and Traviz nearby but just out of reach. We stepped from my cargo bay and into a sturdy, sealed, rectangular-shaped tunnel that was large enough for a transport to drive through. It connected our ship to the space station. My security officers were heavily armed and guarded our cargo and the entrance. They saluted as we stepped from the tunnel and onto Trambelus.
My eyes widened. It was clean but at the same time dirty and gritty. Stores with flashing lights lined the corridors. They sold all manner of things and were arranged without any reasoning. A store selling machine parts was located next to one selling tacky lingerie. A few shops down, there was a restaurant where loud patrons ate and drank at metal tables in the middle of the corridor. A few men whistled at me. I feared Zared would cut off their lips. We decided to walk clockwise around the tier on which we were docked.
“Is there a nicer level?” I asked quietly.
“The Empress was assigned to the best dock. These are the classiest stores on Trambelus,” Zared said.
That made me afraid of what the other rings were like.
“Would the pretty little princess like to return to her brand-new starship?” I heard Jazon ask in my mind.
“Why is Jazon such an asshole?” I asked.
When no one answered, I feared they had assumed my question to be rhetorical. I sighed and observed the various humanoid races as they interacted. The humans were distrustful of the Laconian mind readers. The Laconians viewed the humans as the less evolved species. Everyone was wary of us. I thought the humans and Laconians seemed unorganized and inefficient when compared to The Empire. I was treated politely, but they verged on hostile toward Xavier. It made me angry. I looped my arm through his. If they had a problem with Xavier, they could say something to me about it.
“Don’t let them get to you. You’re better than all of them,” I whispered.
We walked along the promenade and looked at odd items from all over the universes. Everything was overpriced. I went into a store that sold odd plasti-art and looked around.
“What is this stuff?” I asked.
“May I offer the beautiful lady a demonstration?” a very serious young man offered.
“Sure.”
He picked up a red ball, pushed a button, and it floated up into the air. Then, it began trying to hit him. He moved quickly darting from side to side while avoiding it. “It is a training device. It aids students in learning to avoid blows.”
I bought several of them for the gym on our ship. I was looking through a store window trying to decide if I wanted to go inside when Zared glided behind me. I turned in time to see him taking a man down. I heard a snap and the man’s scream.
“You will not touch my wife,” Zared said coldly.
“Don’t kill me! I was just going to feel her hair.”
“Princess?” Zared asked.
“I think we should let the Enforcers deal with him,” I suggested.
“No, please! Don’t get them involved. I’ll be on my way.”
People were staring at the commotion. Zared backed away from the man and placed himself between us. The Laconians laughed at the man for being so stupid.
“What’s the problem?” The question came from a huge man. He was almost as tall as Nico, had brown greasy hair, and a missing tooth. He wasn’t alone.
“I wasn’t doing anything, Captain. I swear. I just wanted to see how soft her hair was, and this hybrid freak broke my arm.”
I moved in front of Zared. “My husband is not a freak, you perverted fucking little shit.”
“Chirp!”
“I didn’t mean no offense, Princess.”
“It don’t matter if you did or didn’t. No pampered little harem boy is gonna fuck with my crew,” said the toothless captain.
“Harem boy? I don’t have a harem.” I scowled at him.
“Teagan, go in the store,” Zared ordered.
More men were joining the others. Great. I turned and minded him. I peeked out at them from behind the window. Zared, Xavier, and Eli stood against at least fifteen smelly looking space rats.
“Should I call for the Enforcers?” the shopkeeper asked.
“No, probably the medics. My men are going to hurt them badly.”
“Chirp.”
“That’s a high and mighty attitude,” he said in admonishment.
“No, they fight for fun and relaxation.”
“Those smugglers are armed.”
“Let’s hope my men let them keep their arms. Just in case, maybe you should call for cleaning bots.” I scrunched up my face. “Oh, no. Now, they are really going to get it. Poor bastards.” Luca and Dario strutted up to the scene. Luca saw me through the window and winked at me. “They want to show off. Shit. This is going to be a political nightmare.”
The scraggly crew was mouthy. One of them drew a weapon. Then, everything became a blur of fists and feet. A man’s back hit the store window hard enough to make the wall shake before he finished sliding down it. I took several steps back. The shopkeeper went to the back to call for assistance. Meanwhile, the sniveling jerk who had started everything snuck into the store. He had his right arm cradled against his chest.
“The way I see it, getting hurt needs to be worth it. I’m not gonna hurt you, pretty lady. I’m just gonna feel your hair and maybe give it a little sniff.”
I started laughing.
“Chirp! Chirp!”
“No, you are not.”
“Whose gonna stop me? They’re all distracted. Come on, now,” he said as he moved closer.
“Back off before you get hurt,” I warned him.
“Look. I don’t want to hurt that spider. I like critters.”
“Is that why you don’t wash?”
He lunged for me. I moved behind a display. Some small ceramic replicas of the space station crashed to the floor. I felt Thunderdrop preparing to leap.
“Stay put, Thunderdrop. I have a plan.”
“Chitter chirp!”
“Just hold still. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He kept trying to grab me. I reached into my bag, grabbed a training device, activated it, and threw it at him. Automatically, it began hitting him in the head. “Turn that damn thing off and come here!”
“Leave the store,” I ordered.
He didn’t listen. I activated another device and threw it. It went for his knees.
“Ouch! Stop!”
“Get out!” I yelled. The idiot kept chasing me around the store. I threw two more at him. “Huh. Look at that. They’re color coded. Different colored devices attack different body parts. Neat.”
“Chirp!”
We stood back and watched as all of the devices hit him alternately while he thrashed about the store breaking things. One by one, the devices timed out and returned to my hand. I bagged them. I raised an eyebrow at the sleazy creep. He still had an arm over his head to protect himself.
“You’re fucking crazy!” he said as he stumbled over broken knickknacks and turned for the door. That’s when he saw Zared and pissed himself.
The store owner stood beside me with a blaster either to protect me or his store. The man looked around in dismay.
Sullenly, I said, “He started it, but how much do I owe you for the damages?”
I hadn’t even wanted to go into the store and had ended up spending twen
ty thousand credits in it. I got a couple of the figurines of the station that hadn’t broken for my trouble. I had been overcharged, but it would be difficult for the man to restock his store. Moaning men were being led away by Enforcers. Security cameras had recorded everything, so we didn’t get into trouble. The men had ganged up on us and started it. The matter was dropped, or so I thought.
Jazon, Zared, and Xavier paid the men a private visit on their ship and explained to them in graphic telepathic detail what would happen to them if they troubled us again. The three of them had eyes that were lighter and seemed more relaxed when they returned to our ship. The Ponidi Clan had a violent streak. I decided that Trambelus Space Station wasn’t my cup of coffee. I told Violet how right she had been to remain on the ship, gave her and Galina each a ceramic miniature of the space station, and went to take a hot shower with lots of soap.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A few days later, we docked at the frozen land port of Chione. It looked even colder on this visit than it had been on our last. Flurries of snow swirled through the air. I worried about the children being warm enough. I didn’t want Niklos, who was accustomed to warm climates, to get sick.
“We are meeting the Lady Galatea inside. She wants to take Galina to their clan home. Afterwards, Dario will take us in his shuttle to our front steps,” Yukihyo said.
“Tell your mommy to stop worrying,” Nico said to Niklos.
I had Galina bundled up and her bags packed. She was excited, nervous, and afraid. I hugged her.
“Lady Galatea is going to love you so much,” I whispered.
“You’re sure?” she asked.
I nodded.
Once we had all made it inside, we discovered that the entire Galatea Clan awaited us. Yukihyo and I each held one of Galina’s hands.
“They all look like us!” Galina said to Yukihyo.
I looked around at the white, opal-like eyes of Galina’s family. Yukihyo had a wide grin on his face as he greeted childhood friends.
“Ruyo Ponidi, have you brought my son’s child to me?” Lady Galatea asked as she struggled not to be overcome with emotion. She kneeled down and held her arms out. Galina let go of our hands and went into her grandmother’s arms. Knowing how Galina felt, having experienced it myself, I wiped at my eyes. We watched as they touched their foreheads together and bonded linking Galina to everyone in their clan. “Thank you, Ruyo. You know where we will be.”
All of Galina’s nervousness had vanished. I had never seen her so happy. Yukihyo bowed to Lady Galatea. Galina happily waved goodbye to us as one of her uncles took her bags.
“Does she know what Galina did to be able to visit her?” I asked.
“She knows Galina’s feelings as well as you know Neema’s,” Yukihyo answered.
“Let’s get Violet some snacks before we go,” I suggested.
Dario and Luca were waiting for us when we returned to our ship. Yukihyo handed Kaoti the box of food, and Violet began sampling everything. We were planning on staying for two weeks so Galina would have time to get to know her family. Dario and Luca were being cordial to Drex for which I was grateful. I hadn’t really wanted any of them coming with us to our home, but Nico and Fitz had encouraged Yukihyo to extend invitations to them. It had been concluded that Violet, the children, and I would be safer from ice bears in Dario’s shuttle, and it was warmer and faster than a large land transport. Zared, Jazon, and Xavier had gone with Yukihyo ahead of us to check our home’s security. After they were satisfied that it was safe, Dario flew us to the front steps as promised.
Yukihyo, wearing a thick coat and gloves, took Neema, who wore similar outerwear, from her seat and inside. I scrutinized everything Nico did as he followed with Niklos. I had Thunderdrop under my coat. I watched as Kaoti helped Violet up the stone steps and inside as though she might break. I was relieved when the thick doors closed behind us. Yukihyo held open the next door and ushered us inside. Twin fires crackled in the semi-circular fireplaces.
“It feels good to be home,” I said.
“That it does. Now, if you will excuse us. I wish to show our daughter her home. Neema, you were a baby when last we were here,” Yukihyo said as he took her into the weapons room.
We removed our coats and gloves. I went into the next room with my curious little friend.
“Thunderdrop, this is the dining room. To the left is a communal restroom, and to the right is the kitchen.” He climbed from me and onto one of the long tables. “If you want a tour of Yukihyo’s mountain fortress, you can go with him while he shows Neema.”
Thunderdrop blinked his eight eyes at me, hopped down from the table, and went to find them. Kaoti showed Violet around. While Eli and everyone else went to explore, I remembered Isidora’s lessons and started making coffee. I left the carafes on the flat stones just inside of the fireplace nearest the kitchen and brought out a few cups.
“You seem happy,” Zared said as he took the tray of cups from me and placed it on the table. He moved my hair back and gently kissed my neck making me sizzle more than the fire.
“I’m not pregnant this time. I can do things without help. I can wander around and look at everything. In fact, I may even go along on an ice bear hunt.”
“Really?” Yukihyo asked from across the room. “That’s great! We will go in the morning.” He grinned at me as he walked away with Neema and Thunderdrop into the family room.
“May go,” I muttered under my breath. I sighed. I couldn’t disappoint him now.
That night, I cuddled with my husbands in our massive bed. Having been raised in polyandrous families, Fitz and Nico thought nothing of it, but Zared was as uncomfortable with it as Quaid. I had won with my argument that as Laconians they saw nothing wrong with a man sharing his bed with his wives and that if they were to choose other wives that I wouldn’t whine about it. When they realized the profound and deep effect having them all with me had on my sense of safety, they relaxed. Regardless of that, they were eager to awaken early to go hunting.
Pierce, Lorca, Phillip, and Violet were staying home with the children and Thunderdrop. Dr. Savelli was coming with us along with an eager Captain Ricimer with whom Nico joked and laughed. Rather than the thick hunting clothes that the men wore, Captain Ricimer had brought for me the smallest space suit he had available. They were commonly worn for emergency repairs to starships. It was still too big. Instead of rolling up the pants legs, Yukihyo pulled them down over my feet and then covered them with thick socks, boots, and then snow boots. Violet had a good laugh at my expense. At the front doors, Yukihyo added a face mask, hat, gloves, and jacket to my outfit. He spun me around and then nodded. After the men had all bundled up, we went outside.
I went down the steps and jumped into the snow. They didn’t even attempt to dodge the snowballs I threw at them, but that was mostly because my throws fell short. It was still fun though. Yukihyo was describing the terrain and giving survival tips. Then, the men divided into hunting groups. Everyone had a buddy to keep in constant sight. Yukihyo was mine. I smiled at him, but I wasn’t sure if he could tell through my mask. Also in our group were Nico, Kaoti, Zared, Quaid, Dario, and Dr. Savelli.
“Teagan, no being more than five feet away from me at any time,” Yukihyo said.
“Try to be as quiet as possible, or you will scare away the animals,” Nico added.
Hunting on Chione involved a lot of walking. I frowned when I realized that I was the only one making any noise. I didn’t know how to minimize the crunch and occasional squeak of sound the snow made under my boots. I tried to pay attention to how the men walked. Kaoti was like a ghost. I would catch sight of him only to blink and lose him again. We walked past snowbanks, snow covered boulders and rocks, frozen ponds, and then beneath snow flocked trees.
From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I froze. A big white rabbit under a bush had heard us and gone completely still. It had even stopped chewing the leaf it had in its mouth. Hoping none of the men had seen it, I hurrie
d to keep up with Yukihyo. Each of the men had a small backpack and carried hunting blasters with additional weapons attached to their belts.
Everything around us was white with a trace of wood, stone, or coniferous leaf mixed in. Yukihyo motioned for me to be still. A herd of antlered animals twice the size of the deer on Arachne grazed on some type of ground shrub.
In my mind, Zared said, “Crouch down as slowly and quietly as you can.”
Nico and Kaoti had moved away from us, and I could no longer see them. I made myself into a small ball. Yukihyo took a shooting stance in front of me. Anxiety, fear, and curiosity played tug war with me. Automatically, my emotions and thoughts were soothed and calmed. I heard what sounded like five blasts, and then the sound of terrified animals and hooves hitting the snow. Yukihyo and Zared hadn’t fired. I realized that they were both protecting me. Four of the large animals hadn’t escaped.
Nico removed his pack and pulled out metal rods that he snapped together into a flat rectangular lattice. Then, he attached an anti-gravitational unit to it. Kaoti and Quaid dragged one of the huge deer onto the pallet he had made. Long, high-pitched howls sounded in the distance raising the hairs on my arms even underneath all of my layers.
“You are safe,” Quaid whispered in my mind.
“Aren’t you scared?” I whispered.
I didn’t understand how this was fun. We had to eat, so it was necessary, but I was cold, tired from all of the walking, and scared even with all of my husbands around me. Anyway, what if one of them were to get hurt?
Yukihyo chuckled to himself. “At least you gave it a try.”
The howling continued.
“Are those wolves? Are they coming closer? Can we go home now? How can you stay out here for so long, days even? I thought we were going to hunt ice bear.”
Omnes Videntes (The Space Merchants Book 4) Page 36