by Dave Bara
“We will ensure they do not bother you again for a very long time,” promised Renwick. Reya translated and the Clan-General spoke again at length. Then Reya turned back to him.
“He says our fleet is over one-hundred ships, but they are not of the latest design nor in good repair. But he promises that we will hold off the Dark Ones if you can ensnare the Hi’shoth on their base,” Reya said.
“The ‘Dark Ones’?”
“That is what they are called in our language, these Soloth, as you call them, ‘Dark Ones’ or ‘Hidden Ones’. They have been coming here for many centuries, interfering with our empire, but always they move in the shadows.”
“I’m not surprised. It seems to be their way,” said Renwick. At this the Clan-General clasped his hands together in a strong gesture and spoke rapidly, directly to Renwick. After a few minutes of this Reya turned back to him with the translation.
“He says that the Gataan and the humans have an agreement, but that he is an old-fashioned man, fond of traditional ways,” she said.
“I’m not sure I understand,” Renwick admitted, looking to Aybar for support. “What does that mean?”
“He asks if the woman is your wife,” said Reya. Renwick looked again to Aybar and then back to the Clan-General.
“No. We are compatriots, not husband and wife,” Renwick said, confused by the question. Reya translated and there was look of relief on the Clan-General’s face, followed by more talk between he and Reya. Finally she turned back to Renwick and Aybar.
“He is pleased that you are not married. He wished to inform you that the traditions he speaks of involve you marrying his daughter, to seal the bond of peace between our peoples. He asks if you will do this for him, as a show of good faith,” she said. Renwick was stunned into silence while Aybar suppressed a laugh. She leaned in and whispered to him:
“Talk about your shotgun weddings.”
“This is not funny,” he said back through tight lips. He could see the look of expectation on the Clan-General’s face. This was a very delicate moment. The negotiations could be lost.
“What are you going to do?” asked Aybar. Renwick looked at her with annoyance. Finally he said:
“Tell the Clan-General I would be honored by such an arrangement, but that our time here is very short.” Reya translated.
“He assures you that the ceremony will be brief, if you will accept,” she said. Renwick swallowed hard, then turned to Aybar.
“Do you think I have a choice?” he said. She shook her head, holding a tight smile the whole time. Renwick turned back to the Clan-General and bowed his head. “Tell him I accept his proposal.” Reya did, and the Clan-General smiled broadly, then jumped up from the table and started giving orders.
“What’s he doing?” asked Renwick of Reya.
“He is calling for a priest, and making arrangements for the wedding bed,” she said, then she stood up. Renwick and Aybar did the same.
“What? Wedding bed? We scarcely have time for that,” Renwick said, hopeful he could turn the situation around. “Tell him I’m sure his daughter is lovely, as are all the women of the En’obli clan, but I must be on my way back to my vessel to prepare for battle.”
Reya started walking away from him. “I cannot tell him that,” she said.
“Why? And where are you going, Reya?” he said.
“I cannot tell him that because he does not want to hear it. And I must go to prepare myself, because, you see, I am the Clan-General’s daughter, the princess, and we are to be married within the hour,” she said to him, the she turned and walked briskly away from him, leaving he and Aybar practically alone. Aybar came up and patted him on the shoulder.
“Tam Renwick, intergalactic gigolo,” she said. He glared at her.
“Remind me never to take you on one of my diplomatic missions again,” he said.
She just laughed.
16.
Thirty minutes later Renwick found himself inside a room adorned with animal skins and hunting trophies, clearly decorated for masculine sensibilities. He had sent Aybar out to call up to the Kali and have Thorne send down a shuttle. He also begged her not to tell Yan anything about the ‘wedding’, and privately hoped the shuttle would arrive before the ceremony could begin.
Unfortunately that was not to be. After only a few minutes alone pacing back and forth in the room Renwick was ushered into a small side chamber that looked like a chapel. There was a Gataan male who he took for the priest, and after being motioned forward he dutifully took his place at the priest’s side, waiting for his ‘bride’ to arrive.
She kept them waiting for a what seemed an eternity to Renwick. Finally Reya came in wearing a flowing gold gown and attached headdress, attended by a pair of ladies in waiting. She was young and beautiful, there was no doubt of that, but Renwick’s thoughts, and his heart, lied elsewhere.
The priest went through a blessedly brief ceremony in Gataani, which Renwick understood none off, with the smiling Clan-General and his wife there as the only witnesses. After a few polite kisses to close the ceremony he and Reya, along with the maids, returned to his room and were left to presumably consummate the marriage.
“Reya,” he started. She held up a hand, stopping him in mid-sentence as the maids helped her remove the headdress from her gown.
“My father is a man of tradition, Senator. But traditions change. I have no intention of letting this marriage last longer than it needs to in order to facilitate this alliance,” she said. “Nonetheless, I am a woman of honor, and if you wish to have me, you may take what you want now.” Then she uttered something that seemed harsh to the two maids, and they suddenly stopped attending her and stood to either side of the princess, facing him.
“If you do not find me attractive, you may have congress with either or both of my maids, but the effect of consummating the marriage will be the same,” she said plainly. He was taken aback by her straightforward nature, but he still managed a smile for her.
“I think you are the most beautiful woman on this planet, Princess Reya,” he said. At this she uttered more commands and the maids left swiftly without so much as glance back. When they were alone Reya put her hands to her hips, all business.
“I need to know if you are telling the truth to my father, Renwick. About your intentions. Our world has been through much pain, too much, for far too long,” she said. He stiffened.
“I am telling you the truth, Reya. But before we can relieve the pain of the Gataan we must survive this invasion, together,” he said. She eyed him pensively.
“Spoken like a true diplomat. I have studied your people, Renwick. Lying comes as easily to you as breathing. It is not so in our culture. But I believe you to be a man of honesty. Therefore I will fulfill my part of this arrangement,” she said. “If you will fulfill yours.”
Thinking she was speaking of their military alliance, he said, “That is my intent.”
With that she bowed her head to him and then removed her gown in a single, quick motion and stood in front of him completely naked. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so.
“Uh,” he said unsure what to say or do next. “I...” She came up to him and put her arms around his neck and then kissed him passionately on the lips.
“Touch me,” she said.
“Reya...”
“Put your hands on my body, Renwick,” she insisted. Haltingly he put his hands on her smooth and slender hips. She looked into his eyes with an intense glare.
“At this point in the proceedings it would be traditional for the woman to chase the man around the wedding chamber, to capture him and then to devour him,” she said. “Not literally of course, but as symbol of the cycle of life being fulfilled.”
“Of course,” said Renwick. He swallowed hard and his breathing was getting heavier with each passing moment, and the thick air of Tarchus wasn’t helping.
“But I plan on breaking many old traditions soon,” she said. “One day I will be leader of the En’obl
i clan. Then perhaps we can meet under different circumstances. But for now, you have a brief time to have anything of me that you wish,” then she kissed him again, more slowly and with less force. “What do you wish for?” she asked. His silence said all he could say. She took his hands and ran them over her body. It was a uniquely sensual experience, one that he savored, but...
“Please, Reya...” he said. She smiled, kissed him a last time, then went to a closet and put on a one-piece lounging suit, zipped it up and flopped down on a sofa.
“I see even an En’obli woman is not enough to tempt you. She must be extraordinary, this woman who owns your heart, whoever she is,” Reya said.
“She is,” said Renwick, smiling as he thought of Yan, “in every way.”
“Good. Then she will understand.”
“Um, understand what?” he asked tentatively.
“That you must take your wife with you into battle,” Reya said. “It is our way.”
“Battle? I can’t Reya. It’s much too dangerous for you.” And for me, he thought.
“You cannot deny the daughter of the Clan-General the right to fight next to her husband. It is the En’obli way,” she said.
“Reya...” she waved off his protests.
“Do you think you married some school girl, Renwick?” she said. “You married the daughter of an En’obli warrior. To not take me with you would be an insult to the Clan-General and the En’obli clan. Do you wish to risk that, with this alliance so recently made between us?”
“No,” he admitted. She jumped up from the sofa then and unzipped and removed her clothes again. She certainly wasn’t shy about being naked in front of her new husband.
“Don’t worry,” said Reya as she started to pull on a military uniform. “Our marriage is not official anyway. That priest was just my father’s military advisor.”
“What?” Renwick said, incredulous at this turn of events.
“Go,” she said, waving him off. “Go and prepare your ship. I will pack my belongings and join you at the airfield. And do not even think of leaving without me. As far as my father is concerned, we are husband and wife, and I am your battle lieutenant, and I represent the interest of the Gataan in this struggle. You cannot deny me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, then he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him, heading to the airfield as quickly as he could.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER Renwick, Aybar, and Reya were on approach to the landing bay of the Kali again, safely ensconced in one of the Void ship’s utility shuttles. Renwick was dug deep into his safety couch, sulking next to Aybar, while the automaton Thorne piloted the shuttle. Reya sat up front, strapped in next to the robot, fascinated by her first foray into space.
Aybar leaned in and very quietly said to Renwick: “Do you have anything you want me to say on your behalf after we land?”
“No,” he said just as quietly, shaking his head, “this was simply a diplomatic necessity. Nothing more.”
“Do you think Yan will buy that?”
Renwick eyed her, annoyed. “She’s a woman, of course she won’t buy it. But I had no choice,” he said.
“Now that’s a truth I can get behind,” said Aybar. Then she laughed quietly so that only Renwick could hear her.
“Remind me never to take you on a diplomatic mission again. You’re disloyal,” he said.
“Yes,” she replied.
Five minutes later and they were taxiing on the deck. Renwick unbuckled his safety couch and hurried out of the shuttle hatch once they were stationary. At the bottom of the ladder he extended a hand to his new wife, helping her down and on to the deck of the Kali for the first time.
“I did not think such a ship was possible,” Reya said, awed by the size of the landing deck. “How is it that you need the help of the Gataan to fight your enemies?”
“The Kali was not designed to fight battles, but to spread the Void. Her technology is used as a weapon of defense, not to attack,” Renwick said.
“Still, she is a marvel,” said Reya.
Aybar joined them on the deck and then Thorne followed, carrying all of Reya’s substantial luggage. Renwick pointed the way to the main lifter.
“I’d love to give you the tour,” he said. “But the captain and I have work to do.”
They took the lifter up to the command deck. Yan greeted them as soon as the doors opened.
“The Gataan fleet is assembling,” Yan said, then looked at Reya. “Who the hell are you?”
Reya moved close to Renwick, wrapping her hands around his arm in a show of possession. “This must be the woman we spoke of,” she said.
“Yes,” said Renwick, turning red with embarrassment, “she is.”
“’Woman you spoke of’?” said Yan, narrowing her gaze on Reya and then swiftly turning her growing wrath back on Renwick. “You’re bringing native girls on my ship when we’re on the verge of battle? What the hell is wrong with you, Renwick?”
“I had no choice, she’s-“
“I am his wife,” cut in Reya, stepping forward as if to challenge Yan.
“Wife?” Yan thundered. “Oh my god! Thorne, get her off my bridge,” she ordered the automaton.
“Wait,” said Renwick. “I can explain-“
“Later,” said Yan, holding up her hand to him as she started to move away. “Right now, we have a battle to fight.”
“Just a moment!” demanded Reya, stepping forward again. Yan turned back to her, fuming, but said nothing. “I am Reya D’omirasu, daughter of Aatar D’omirasu, Leader of the En’obli clan and Clan-General of all the Gataan. I stay and fight this battle with you, or the Gataan do not fight at all.”
Yan gave Renwick a withering glare, then said: “Very well, Reya D’omirasu of the En’obli clan, wife of Senator Tam Renwick of the Terran Unity. You may stay on my bridge, but you’ll stay out of the way, or I’ll put you off my bridge myself.” Then she stalked off.
Aybar tried to look as if she hadn’t seen the whole thing. Thorne started taking Reya’s bags towards the crew area. Renwick turned to Reya.
“It would really be best if you went to the crew area,” Reya started to protest but he stopped her with a gentle hand to her hip. “Just for now. It’s much more protected than the rest of the ship, and there’s really nothing for you to do at this point,” he said. Reya looked put out but resigned.
“Will this please you, my husband?” she said.
“It will.”
“Very well,” she agreed, her eyes smoldering. She was clearly unafraid of competition with Yan. “But I will take my place in this battle soon enough.” Renwick bowed his head to her.
“Thank you, my wife,” he said. She smiled quickly, then left with Thorne. Renwick and Aybar started for their bridge stations.
“Best of luck with that, Senator,” Aybar said with a giggle. He sighed.
“You’re growing most tiresome, Captain Aybar,” he said. Her only response was to laugh out loud.
TWO MINUTES LATER HE had taken up his station at the command console without another word to Yan. After checking his displays, he spoke out.
“What’s our tactical situation?” he asked, all business.
“We have eighty-seven Gataan ships by my count,” replied Yan without looking up. “Not enough to stop the Soloth fleet, but enough to slow them down. Ambassador Makera was kind enough to send us their fleet strength, though.”
“How bad?” Renwick asked as Aybar entered the bridge area and took up her weapons station.
“Four-hundred thirty ships, not counting the eleven remaining Gataan cruisers. Mostly frigate sized or smaller. It seems the attack fleet is designed for speed, not power,” Yan said.
Renwick nodded. “Makes sense. Strike swiftly, disable your opponent, then come in with the big guns to finish them off.”
“That’s what worries me,” said Yan. “Where are the capital ships?”
“Probably hanging back. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,”
he said, trying not to react too negatively to the news and pretending to concentrate on his console systems. After a few moments of silence Yan cut to the issue at hand.
“So it seems your diplomatic mission to Tarchus was a great success. You left a bachelor and came back a husband. Maybe someday we’ll get time to chat about that, but right now I have a battle to coordinate,” she said, then headed off to talk to Mischa Cain at navigation.
“Thank God for that,” said Renwick under his breath. He looked to Aybar, but she was focused, or pretending to focus, on her weapons systems.
Within a few minutes they had coordinated with the Gataani fleet, assigning them the task of slowing the Soloth fleet through a series of mobile mine waves, delaying maneuvers, and targeted attacks. Makera’s fleet analysis allowed them to pick out which ships would likely be the most valuable targets, tankers, support ships, and the scoopers were identified and passed along to the Gataan generals. After a few minutes their new allies returned the communiqué with an acknowledgement. Renwick watched on the monitors as they soon began the task of arranging their fleet according to the likely disbursement of enemy forces. The frigates assigned to the mobile mine waves set up first. They would have to make their runs at an acute angle to the incoming fleet, leaving the mines in their wake as the Soloth tried to decelerate. The second wave would take out as many of the scoop ships as possible, while the third, and smallest, wave would target the support ships; tankers, repair auxiliaries and communications. There were thirty ships in the mine wave, forty-seven in the scoop flotilla, and just ten to take on the support ships. Renwick nodded as he saw their final formation. The Gataan did nothing halfway, especially when it came to battle.
“Now it’s our turn,” he said to Yan, who had returned from Navigation. “You’re the military commander, but I suggest we try and plug the hole into this system. Even if it’s only a few thousand kilometers deep they’ll still have to use the scoop ships to break through.” Yan came up and looked at the command board, then checked the tactical monitor.