by Saxon Andrew
“Thank you, Sir. Thank you very much. Do you know how much the room rate will be?”
Mitch smiled, “I know what you make, Captain. You can afford it.”
“Thanks.”
• • •
The next morning, Russ provided his personal ship to transport Russell and Ana to Ross. They arrived and landed at the space port. A transport was waiting for them and took them to the hotel. Russell went up to the front desk with Ana and waited in line. Ana said, “This city is unbelievable. It extends over the horizon.”
“We also have a great view of the Castle from here.”
An orderly was moving down the line of those checking in and said, “Do you have a reservation?”
“It was set up by someone else and he asked me to ask for Ben Gemini.”
The orderly looked at his list and said, “Please come with me.” Ana looked at Russell and he shrugged. He also wondered what was going on. The orderly took them to a station next to the main check in area and a young man stood and said, “Are you Russell Slade?”
“I am.”
The young man said, “George, take their bags and show them to their room.”
Russell said, “We’re going to need separate quarters.” The young man saw Ana smile at Russell’s comment and he said, “I really don’t think that is going to be an issue. However, if we need to make any changes we will accommodate your wishes.”
Russell nodded and they followed the orderly to the elevator. When the elevator stopped the orderly walked forward and put the electronic key next to the lock and opened the door. Russell stepped aside and Ana walked in and stopped ten steps into the giant room. Russell ran into her and also looked around and was stunned by the size of the suite they were in. The orderly said, “There are ten bedrooms in the suite and you can use any of them.”
Russell looked at the orderly and said, “There has been a mistake. I can’t afford a room like this.”
“The bill has already been paid. Enjoy your stay.”
“Wait a minute! Who paid the bill?”
The orderly smiled and turned to Ana, “The Hotel has comped the stay. The Bristone Star means a lot to us here on Ross. Enjoy your stay.”
Ana looked at Russell and sighed; he saw her expression and said, “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. If you want to go home, I’ll understand.”
Ana shook her head, “This is Joe’s way of telling us to have a good time, Russ. We’re right where we belong.”
Russell smiled and said, “Let’s change and go see Colony Park.”
“Give me a few minutes.” Russell nodded and went to the far bedroom to clean up. Ana went to the room in front of her and cried. Finally she found peace and said, “Thank you, Joe.”
The day literally flew by and after eating in the Hotel’s restaurant they went to their room and found a note on the table in the entry. “Your tour will begin at nine in the morning.” They were exhausted and went to sleep quickly.
• • •
The next morning, the chime sounded and Russell found a striking man dressed in formal wear at the door. “Good morning, Sir. I hope you’ve not had your morning meal.”
“We haven’t. Ana, our tour guide is here.” Ana came out of her room and Russell was stunned by how beautiful she was. She was wearing a yellow sun dress and it matched the flower in her hair.
“What’s wrong?”
Russell said, “Nothing, you’re gorgeous.”
Ana blushed and said, “Hello, I’m Ana Tarver.”
“Just call me Gregory. Are you ready?”
Ana smiled, “We are; where are we going?”
Gregory smiled, “There are some things that are best left to be a surprise.”
Ana smiled and said, “Well, lead on.”
Gregory smiled and escorted them to the elevator. The elevator rose to the roof and they boarded a small white ship. It lifted from the roof and Russell squinted and said, “I thought traffic over Castle Grounds was prohibited.”
Gregory leaned back and said, “Your sense of direction is phenomenal. We’ve been given clearance to save time.”
Russell nodded and looked at Ana. She moved closer to him on the seat and put her hand on his arm. Russell was surprised when the ship landed. Gregory said, “I’m leaving you here. You’ll be teleported to your hosts and I hope you enjoy your visit.”
Russell started to ask who their hosts were but he and Ana suddenly appeared in a large room with a fire place. He looked around and saw The Duke and Duchess of Ross. He immediately bowed and Ana seeing him turned around and turned white. She couldn’t move.
Jixie ran forward and said, “Please rise and relax. We’re excited about having you visit us and we didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Ana nodded and gathered her wits, “You are legends of the Realm.”
Jixie laughed, “Not yet. We’re still here.”
Ana caught her infectious smile and laughed, “There are some legends that don’t have to die to achieve it. You are legends; trust me on this.”
Sam smiled, “Great! Now that I know I’m legendary, you should do as I say.”
Jixie turned and said, “Hey, I’m one too, so don’t think I’m cutting you any slack.”
Russell smiled and said, “It is a great pleasure to meet you, Your Highnesses.”
Jixie said, “We dispense with royal titles and honorifics in our personal quarters. I’m Jixie and he’s Sam. You can also forget all the bowing.”
Jixie and Sam took them to the dining room and had breakfast brought in. In thirty minutes Russell and Ana were at ease. After breakfast, the Royal Couple took them on a tour of the giant castle and shared the history of the people that ruled on Ross.
Later that evening, the four returned to the family room and Russell answered their questions about his last combat and the people in his battalion.
“We have an outstanding commander who is a genius in coming up with tactics. Our Battalion Scout is also amazing.”
Jixie said, “Do your Commander and Scout get along?”
Russell smiled and said, “I don’t think they show it but I think they have a special relationship. I really think they were made for each other.”
Sam smiled, “Really?”
“I do. I don’t know where I get that feeling but it seems right.”
“It’s always hard to have a relationship when one of you can be killed at any time.”
Sam looked at Jixie and said, “That’s the reason you shouldn’t wait. Warriors should find happiness whenever possible. Tomorrow may be too late.”
“But wouldn’t losing your object of affection cause too much sorrow?”
Russell looked at Sam and sighed, “Ana could probably answer that better than me.”
Jixie said, “But what do you think, Russell?”
“I’ve never been in love but I loved my partner and he gave his life to save me. I’m a better person for knowing him and I know I’ll be a better friend in the future because of what he taught me. I hope that the same is true for others that love. I believe we are better for allowing ourselves to care that deeply.”
Jixie turned to Ana and saw her tears. “I’m sorry, Ana. I didn’t mean to cause you sorrow.”
“You haven’t. Russell is right. I’m stronger and my heart is larger because of the time Joe and I had together. If I knew it was going to happen I would have still chosen to love him.”
Jixie smiled and said, “He must have been a wonderful person.”
Ana and Russell both said at the same time, “He was.”
Sam said, “Well, thank you for sharing our home and we’ve really enjoyed talking with you about your unit Russell. We miss being out among the stars fighting for the Realm.”
Russell smiled, “I’ve never understood why you stopped. You are certainly two of our greatest leaders.”
Jixie saw Sam’s expression change and she said, “Gregory will take you back to your hotel. Enjoy your visit to Ross.”
Ana said, “Thank you for a wonderful day.” Greg appeared and took them back to their quarters.
Jixie looked at Sam, “Something’s bothering you.”
“Why did we stop, Jixie?”
“Because we had a daughter to raise properly, Sam.”
“And now?”
Jixie stared at Sam and said, “I don’t know.”
Sam got a look on his face and said, “We need to think about this.”
Jixie got a mischievous expression and said, “Yes we do.”
“Do you still like to play?”
“More than ever, my love.”
• • •
Russell opened the door for Ana and followed her into the suite. He looked at her and smiled, “I need to thank Mitch for setting this up for us. They are the most remarkable Royals I’ve ever met.”
Ana nodded and said, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Russell watched her go to her room and wondered what he had done to upset her. He watched her door close and he sighed. He went to his room and showered and wondered what he had done to make Ana feel so sad. He couldn’t sleep so he went out to his balcony and stared at the giant castle in the distance. He thought about all that had happened and he lowered his head and felt his tears begin. “I don’t ever want to see you cry again.”
Russell looked up and saw Ana standing in the doorway to the balcony. He was lost on what to say and saw that she was wearing a sheer night gown. She came out and sat down in his lap and said, “I am going to love you from this moment on and maybe someday you will love me. I know this is what Joe would want and you were right tonight. My heart is bigger and there is room for you in it if you want to be there.”
Russell kissed her and for the first time in his life felt what it meant to love someone. They didn’t leave the Hotel for the next two days.
Chapter Eleven
Russell arrived at Fourth Battalions Headquarters and found a message from Major Dinter. He smiled and went to report in. Sgt. Major Caldwell said, “He’s expecting you.”
Russell knocked on Mitch’s door and heard, “Enter.”
“Captain Slade reporting, Sir.”
“At ease, Captain; how was your trip to Ross?”
Russell smiled, “Extraordinary, Sir. I can never thank you enough for what you gave us.”
“You did that on the slope, Captain. This was just my way of saying thanks; is your company ready for operations?”
“We will be in eight days, Sir.”
“What’s happening in eight days?”
“I’ll be getting my Lieutenant back from training, Sir.” Mitch tilted his head to the left and Russell said, I’ve forwarded Major Dinter’s reports on his progress and I think you’ll find them interesting.”
“Sit down and let me take a look at them.” Mitch read the reports and when he finished he sighed.
“What’s wrong, Sir?”
“Well, I have good news and bad news.”
“Give me the good news first.”
“He’s achieved the highest rating of anyone that’s ever gone through officer training.”
Russell said, “Uh oh.”
Mitch started laughing and said, “You’re right. You better find another lieutenant. I’m promoting him to command B Company.”
Russell shook his head and said, “If he’s that good, he should be there. It will strengthen the Battalion.”
Mitch nodded and said, “You’ve come a long way.”
“It was a long distance to get here, Sir. I am glad you took a chance on me and I owe you my life.”
Mitch stuck out his hand and Russell shook it, “That’s how it’s supposed to be in the Life Warriors. We all take care of each other.”
“Then my Company is ready, Sir. I’ll leave Sgt. Semy in command of the platoon.”
“Do you think he’s been doing a good job?”
“He has.”
“Then I’m going to push through a promotion and we’ll send him to officer’s training at a later date. He’s had enough experience as a non-com so that he won’t need it as much as a new warrior.”
“That is a great idea, Sir.”
“I’ll notify you when the promotion is approved.”
Russell stood and saluted. Mitch returned it and said, “It’s good to have you back.”
Russell smiled and went to organize his unit.
• • •
The trainees were celebrating their victory over the officers and Major Dinter went over to the loudest table and said, “Mr. Clarke, may I speak with you for a moment.”
Clarke stood and followed Dinter to a vacant table. Dinter looked at him and said, “I want some honest answers.”
Clarke saw Dinter’s expression and said, “I took a chance on burning the tunnel under your positions the night before.”
“It’s not about that, although that level of sneakiness does impress me. It also makes me wonder why your life has been so unimpressive.”
“Sir?”
“I’ve pulled everything I could find on you in the Realm’s records and you have done absolutely nothing that would impress anyone. I’ve seen what you can do and the only way that could have happened would have been for you to deliberately hide your talents. Why did you do it?”
Clarke slowly shook his head and said, “Karma.”
“I’m sorry; what do you mean?”
Clarke took a deep breath and said, “You’re looking at someone that doesn’t have one ounce of ambition.” Dinter stared at Clarke and he said, “I’m serious, Sir. I had no desire to get ahead in anything and I knew that to avoid responsibility I had to stay below everyone’s radar.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“My Captain caught me. He saw my armor was still performing at a high level even when I was outside his coverage. I made a mistake.”
“Then why did you agree to come to this training?”
“I wasn’t going to agree, but Captain Slade told me that to those much is given; much is expected. I think the music also played a role in the decision.”
“What do you mean?”
“Major, do you hear the music?” Dinter shook his head and suddenly heard the melody. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Clarke looked at him and said, “What sense do you get from it?”
Dinter searched for the right words and finally said, “An incredible sense of loss.”
Clarke nodded and said, “I also see it that way. I decided that I had things go my way my entire life and that Karma had finally caught up with me and demanded I balance the scales.”
“Tell me how you made those assignments.”
“Sir, I’ve always been able to see patterns in everything around me. I don’t have to analyze them. I see them and understand them immediately. Those tactical views were nothing more than another pattern. I saw the solution as quickly as I saw the pattern. It didn’t require any thought.”
Dinter stared at Clarke and said, “If what you’re saying is true, you could have been a very wealthy man.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a casino.”
Clarke smiled, “As a matter of fact, I did go with some friends once.”
“And?”
“I discovered that winning at gambling was the simplest thing I’d ever seen.”
“So why didn’t you strike it rich?”
“Sir, if you win, you’re required to give the casino an account to put the winnings in. Once that account exists, there will be those that come to take advantage of your wealth and tell you what to do with it. You become famous and quite frankly, I didn’t want that much pressure in my life.”
Dinter chuckled, “Then why did you perform at such a high level here?”
“In order to return to my normal life, I’m going to have to balance the scales and that’s going to require an extreme level of high performance to balance it over a short period of time or average performance for decades. I chose to take
the easy route and spend the next five or ten years excelling.”
“You believe in karma?”
“It’s another pattern I’ve seen, Sir. It does exist.” Clarke hesitated and said, “I also decided that if I’m going to lead a unit of Life Warriors, I would be responsible for their welfare. I don’t want that responsibility, but if I’m forced to do it I might as well prepare myself to be effective.”
“You will tell us when you’ve balanced the scales.”
“You’ll be the second to know.”
“Who’ll be first?”
“Me, I’ll see the pattern.”
Dinter stared at Clarke and said, “Have you ever been in love?”
“I’ve had a very good time in my life, Sir.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Clarke stared at Dinter and said, “No Sir, I have not. That’s a pattern I’ve avoided. Why do you ask?”
“I suspect that will be one of the things you’ll be required to do before you can balance the scales.” Clarke fell back in his chair with a sour expression and Dinter said, “What?”
“Damn you. You’re probably right and I could have sailed peacefully away in blissful ignorance and not let that bother me. I don’t know if I’ll ever balance the scales if I have to do that.” Dinter laughed out loud. Clarke said, “What’s so funny?”
“Love will turn your whole world upside down. I hope I’m around to see it.”
“You’re just mad about us beating you.”
“I am and that is what will make it all the more enjoyable.”
Clarke scowled and Dinter laughed harder.
• • •
Dinter met with the class after graduation and handed them their orders. He shook their hands and finally arrived at Clarke’s desk. He handed Clarke his orders and watched him. Clarke looked at Dinter beforehe opened them and said, “I don’t like your expression, Sir.” Dinter just smiled and Clarke opened his orders. He read them in less than a second and put his head in his hands.
Dinter said, “Congratulations, Captain.”
Clarke rubbed his head and said, “This must be what an aneurysm feels like.”
Dinter laughed and hit him on the back, “A little more balance in the scale.”
Clarke just shook his head, “I’m sure it feels just like this.”