Battalion's Bride

by C. J. Scarlett

  “I can’t eat all that, and I hate to waste food.”

  “This is for the three of us. I will probably have to get more. Valic and I can easily eat this much between us and Dargon must consume half his weight in protein each day just to survive.”

  “Do not allow her to eat the meat cookie. Once she tastes that, she will not eat anything else.”

  Looking over at the smug creature, she saw he laid on his side spinning the orange she was coming to think of as hers around in a circle again. “Drones do not tell queens what to eat. You know this, Dargon.” Haroc seemed more than a little perturbed.

  “She needs to drink the juice of one globe a day to survive in space. If our queen dies, it will be all your doing, Haroc. You will be the very first queen maker to all his queen to die of neglect.” The poor creatures sounded so serious, Ember looked down, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

  She burst out laughing when she realized the juice of one globe was an orange. “You want me to drink orange juice?”

  Perking up, Dargon nodded. “It is composed of a special nutrient humans need. You will die without the partial circle nutrient. It is critical to your health. Armon said his queen fed him many globes and when he will ill. The partial circles made him large, strong and healthy again.”

  “I don’t doubt it. Oranges are very healthy for humans. When I was young, we used to squeeze a bunch of them into a glass and drink it. I love orange juice.”

  Lifting his head proudly, Dargon’s voice sang out. “I will fetch this healthy drink from your hatchling years so you may regain your strength and be well again.” Leaping to his feet, he ran off, with his wings folded against his body.

  Shooting Haroc a nervous glance, she explained. “I was just sharing, I didn’t expect him to go try to make orange juice.”

  “Always expect the unexpected with a Golugua. They enjoy contributing to their family units. What food would you like to try first?”

  Looking him in the eyes, she replied politely. “How about we start with a meat cookie?”

  A ghost of a smile curved up his lips, as he picked up a small round green disk. “Meat cookies are Krylon delicacy. Dargon is correct that human women seem to love them.”

  Taking the small hard confection from him, she took a small bite. An explosion of flavor made her gasp. They were amazing. It didn’t taste like meat exactly, but she could well understand why the name had stuck. The flavor was strong and earthy, like roast beef but totally different. Tossing the remaining piece in her mouth she peered into the box. “What is the other round disk. It’s green but larger and it looks almost like flatbread. I would love to try a bite of that.”

  Beaming, Valic explained. “This is Chelva. It is a traditional Maruvian food. I hope you enjoy it, because it is not only high in protein and healthy but also a favorite of my clan.” Breaking off a piece of the hand sized round, he brought it to her lips.

  Smiling up at his sweet gesture, she nibbled a bite off. Immediately nodding, she swallowed before speaking. “I can see why you like it better. It’s milder and has a slightly nutty flavor. I hope it’s not expensive, cause I could live off this stuff.”

  Haroc interjected helpfully. “It is made from a plant on our home world. We propagated it on new world and discovered the vines replicate so quickly it’s becoming a nuisance.”

  “Well that’s me sorted. I’ll just open a bakery and ship this all over the galaxy. We’ll keep the vines from overtaking us and I’ll have something to do.”

  Haroc’s shoulders slumped, clearly disappointed with her idea.

  “I’m a really good cook, I promise.”

  Valic cautioned him quietly. “Don’t go into all that right now. It’s overwhelming for queen to take in so much information all at once.”

  Ember glanced between the two of them, once again trying to figure out what they were talking about. Did she want to get into the intricacies of Maruvian family dynamics at the moment. Strangely enough, even though the impact on her future was profound, she wasn’t ready to have potential conflict with her clan. “We have plenty of time to talk about what you expect of your female clan member. Maybe, we can just eat for now. I’m eager to spend time with my brother.”

  “Might I suggest you try one bite of everything? It will make selecting food easier in the future. I have a list, and will check off your preferences.” Valic looked so sincere, she agreed, though just eating the little she had was making her feel full already. Moving in a grid pattern, she nibbled each item in turn and following a gesture by Valic, took turns feeding the rest to each of them. She tried to be as efficient as possible, working her way through fruits, vegetables and things that looked suspiciously like meat, though the drones insisted it wasn’t.

  She became aware of a commotion, as both men jumped up and rushed to the back of the room. Several drones were surrounding to Dargon. He had crammed what appeared to be alien sandwich press with oranges and was smashing the top down.

  “Golugua, you must stop. The device was not designed to create beverages.”

  “Go away. My queen needs nourishment. If is do not attend to her needs, she will suffer poor health needlessly.”

  “I demand that you stop.”

  “Be gone. My queen needs this hot nourishing beverage with the partial circle substance to survive. Do not make me remove your head from your useless shoulders, drone.”

  Haroc attempted to intervene. “We should leave him be. Our queen is in need.”

  Smelling the hot juice as it dripped from the machine into a large shallow bowl was nothing short of revolting. Stepping forward, she ran a hand over Dargon’s shoulder. “You look like you’re holding up people from making their food.”

  “They can all wait.”

  Smiling sweetly, she asked. “Why don’t I teach you how to make it the human way.”

  “Does it take a great deal of skill?”

  Nodding, she began gathering up oranges. “It’s time consuming but results in more partial circles per drink.” Okay she was totally just making it up crap as she went, but it worried her how the other drones were looking at Dargon.

  Letting go of the machine, he tucked his wings back away. “I will become an expert at making this juice. Even if you do not accept me as your sentinel, I will make it for you whenever you have need.”

  Trying to fake her way through the situation, she murmured. “That’s real sweet of you, Dargon. I can’t imagine any woman turning down a sentinel as fierce and protective as you.”

  Haroc and Valic stepped back to let them pass, each wearing the same inscrutable expression. Dropping back into her seat, she unloaded all the oranges onto the tray they’d been eating from. At least that would keep them out of the floor. Valic sat down an empty bowl and Haroc a set of metal nesting glasses. Taking a deep breath, she flew through the motions. Shoving the tray back, she grabbed an orange, rolled it around on the hard metal table until it was soft then used the strange three pronged fork to take a plug out of the side. Using both hands, she squeezed the juice out into the bowl. Before she could get turned around the men all grabbed and orange and did the same. After a couple of rounds the orang hulls were all in a stack and there was a bowl of juice.

  Leaning over, Ember peered into the bowl. “No seeds?”

  “The fruit is replicated. Since no queen wished seeds, it was eliminated from the programming.”

  Haroc’s explanation made sense. “Is all the food replicated?”

  Nodding, he answered quickly. “Yes. We do not grow food on our ships. On our home world we try to eat as much natural food as possible. It is our belief that it is healthier.”

  “I don’t know if replicated oranges have any vitamin C, but should taste good. Would you like to try some?”

  Tilting his head, Valic asked. “What is a vitamin?”

  “I don’t really know. I just know we need them to be healthy and vitamin C is one of the more important o
nes.” Palm smacking her forehead, she realized what Dargon was talking about. Tracing the letter C on the table, she didn’t have to explain.

  Valic quirked a brow. “This is the sign for it, this partial circle design. Perhaps Dargon is more knowledgeable than we thought.”

  Glancing at the creature, who was now eating his way through the pile of orange peels, she had to smile. “He’s really smart about human women. Let’s drink up and go see my brother.”

  “Agreed, my queen. You served you clan well this day by diffusing the situation with Dargon.”

  Carefully pouring equal amounts into the three slightly different sized metal glasses, she responded quietly. “He was just trying to do right by me. You can’t blame him for wanting to be helpful.”

  “We certainly agree. Are you certain you wish to share your healthy drink with us?”

  “Gosh, I couldn’t drink all this if I tried.”

  Taking a tentative sip, everyone seemed to be in agreement that it was tasty. Their time together was suddenly awkward. Ember shifted in her seat, and quickly drained her cup.

  Haroc gathered up their dishes and piled them on the tray. Shoving then into the middle, the center dropped out and they disappeared. Without thinking, Ember jumped to her feet and leaned over the table. Staring down into the hole, she saw only darkness. Looking under the table she saw the pedestal supporting the table was roughly the size of one a Maruvian dinner tray. Looking from the table to the back of the room, she imagined a hidden unit that transported their dishes to the cleaning area. “Everything here is so freaking fascinating.”

  Making their way to the medical unit, Ember resisted the impulse to check the security feed. She’d be there in a few minutes, she told herself. Dargon led the way gruffly ordering people out of their way. The sentinel needed to work on his social skills. He was about the size of large dog and seemed young to her. Unlike when they walked together before, Haroc and Valic didn’t press close. They were a few inches on either side but each held out one, covering her back. She knew this because their wings bumped into a couple of times when she slowed abruptly. It felt everything with her clan was going to be steeped in ritual.

  Chapter 8

  Small Miracle

  ~ Ember ~

  Music Mix

  Taking that final step to stand beside Dark’s beside, Ember felt something break. All her strength came pouring back. He wasn’t dead. Not only was he still alive but all his wound’s had been sealed, with not even a scar to prove they had once been there. His vitals were improving.

  An older healer approached her clan. Addressing her directly, he irritated her right off the bat. “The human male is…”

  “My brother’s name is Dark.”

  “…responding well to the therapies initiated by the Shardon healers. As you probably know, his body had been bombarded with primitive projectile weapons. He took substantial damage to his right lung, liver and the lower left ventricle of the heart. We mitigated the damage by grafting cloned tissue on as needed and cloning blood samples we took from his own body.”

  “Do you expect him to recover fully.”

  “Though Dark is a male in the prime of his life, his system had been ravaged by poor nutrition and dehydration. His immune system was highly compromised. We’ve done our best to correct those problems. Our scan’s reveal no brain damage due to lack of oxygen.”

  Reaching out to Haroc, she replied. “My clan mate put him in stasis within seconds.”

  “Thanks to his rapid response, your brother is certain to recover. It is unclear if he will function as well as he did prior to his injuries, but he should be awake within a few hours.”

  “That’s quick.”

  “His body has been completely repaired. The clones have developed a unique grafting technique that heals the graft in place instantaneously. He’s been properly hydrated. We will keep him for a day or two of observation and then check him regularly for a week or two.”

  Gaping at the older man, she saw his brows quirk and his antennas constrict. “You brother will survive. He will need to avoid strenuous exercise for a couple of weeks, but being up and moving will be the best way to ensure a full recovery. The human pulmonary system is not designed for sedentary positions.”

  Valic placed an arm around her waist and spoke soothingly. “This is the best possible report we could have hoped for under the circumstances.”

  Wrapping her arms around both men’s waists, she pulled them into a tight hug. “This is better than good news. It’s a miracle, and I have both of you to thank for it.”

  The healer sighed and Ember immediately amended her previous statement. “But of course I am most thankful for the medical team. My brother will live because of your sound medical decisions and your willingness to collaborate with the Shardon. I have nothing to offer in return for you service, except my thanks and endless admiration.”

  Smiling wide enough to show all this sharp teeth the older drone, pulled up his data pad in front of him. “You are very kind. It is our pleasure to serve.”

  When the healer ambled off, Valic commented dryly. “You remind me of our clan leader Talon. He is very formal and always knows what to say for every occasion.”

  “I’m not very articulate. Sometimes, I just get lucky. Can I stay with Dark until he wakes up?”

  “You can do anything you like.”

  Haroc leaned around and corrected Valic’s statement. “Anything that isn’t dangerous.”

  “You two don’t have to sit around with me all day. I can wait right here and read over all the information Valic loaded onto my data pad while I wait for him to wake up.”

  “We should be here to support you.”

  “I’ll be fine, I promise. Don’t you two have things to do?”

  “Our duties are being attended to by drones without an intact family unit. Not every clan was successful securing a queen.”

  Patting him on the shoulder, she explained. “You have both been really good at making me feel safe and secure. I’m doing really good now. I’d like to talk to my brother privately when he wakes up. We have a lot to discuss.”

  “Will you allow Dargon to stand sentinel for you?”

  Looking over the strange creature, who was now sitting on the floor vigorously scratching behind his ear with a set of sharp claws. “Sure, why not?”

  Valic looked a little downcast, but he reminded her politely. “You can communicate with us on your data pad if you need anything, or if you get lonely for our company.”

  Smiling at him seemed to cheer him up a bit.

  Haroc fluttered his wings in a manner that communicated mild frustration. “We will come back for you when our work is complete.”

  Feeling like she was compromising, Ember nodded an agreement. Watching the two handsome drones walk out the door made her feel something twist in her chest. Why had she asked them to leave again? Truth be told, it was to see if she could fine some of her old fire without them standing at the ready to fight every battle for her. She sank down into the chair beside Dark’s healing platform, feeling conflicted about why she wanted her old fighting spirit back. Ember didn’t even like fighting or conflict.

  Pulling out the tablet, she was surprised that she had pending messages. Opening the first one, a woman’s face appeared. She recognized her right away as the Maruvian queen. Even if she hadn’t recognized her face, Ember would have known by her long beautiful gown and the headband that looked much like a crown.

  “Greetings new transplant to our world. Your decision to relocate to the Maruvian home world was a wise one. We welcome you with open arms. Our drones have created a new state of the art resort for women wishing to explore mating opportunities with our males. If you are fortunate enough to have already selected a clan, rest assured you will warmly welcomed into their family unit. Our drones are respectful and willing to go to great lengths to see to your happiness. Please deal honestly with them, for they are very
innocent about the ways of love. If you find our world is not to your liking, merely alert my actionator, Talon and arrangements will be made for you to be transported to the world of your choice. Having said that, I should say none have requested that option so far, so I am confident you will find our drones acceptable as mates. Thank you for listening to my orientation greeting.”

  Since it was an information message sent out to each person relocating to their world, there was no need to reply. The woman’s formal but friendly demeanor left Ember with a positive impression of Queen Carolyn. It was nice to hear formally that queens chose their clan and that relocation was an option. She didn’t feel nearly as boxed in now that she knew such safeguards were in place. Looking up at her still sleeping brother, she knew he’d researched all the differences. Swallowing thickly, she went back to viewing her messages.

  The next message was from a woman with long brown hair and large expressive blue eyes. “Welcome to our world, Ember. My name is Tara and I’m mated to Haroc’s brother, Aric. I thought that I would fill you in on our family a little. The head of our little clan is Haroc’s father or sire as the Maruvians say. His name is Braden and he’s really nice. He had close to seventy sons, but only eleven made it to this region of space. His queen died long ago and he’s done a good job of keeping everyone together. I know seventy sounds like a lot but his line are queen makers and they can spawn over a dozen young at one time. I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to come right out with it. There are around half a dozen different insectoid species but they all come in three general categories.”

  Pausing the woman sighed, rolled her eyes and then continued. “Each drone either has wings or a dick. If see one with wings, then rest assured he’s as smooth as a ken doll.”

  Pausing the message, she thought back to last night. Both of her guys had wings and they were smooth like she said. Frowning, she wondered how they were going to have a real marriage without dicks. Honestly the thing that had put her off about the idea of a clan was having to deal with more than one man wanting sex, now it didn’t look like she was going to be having to worry about that issue. Perhaps their clan leader was the only one with an actual dick. Ember was still harboring some resentment about him asking this clan members to lie to her.