Daughter Of Ethos: Divine Justice Book 4

by L M Lacee

  Peyton frowned as she asked. ‘Is someone attacking their world? They look as if they could protect themselves very well.’

  In a manner of speaking, the Darganissa or Empress has decreed the Bronze Draygonissia or any variation of their color is to be outlawed. She has since made her scientists look for components of their blood within the population. The Darganissa insists the Bronze

  Draygonissia are a throwback to a time of great conflict on their world. She is not very well liked and won her position by a small margin. Therefore, her opposition remains strong. She is re-enforcing her position by maintaining the Bronze Draygonissia are warlike and untrustworthy and are not of pure blood. Her historians are finding the truth of this as they research their histories, or at least the Darganissa’s truth. Now some of the populace has decided to embrace this notion. Even the opposition who when this all began were on the side of the Bronze Draygonissia have now turned on them and agree with her.

  ‘Because it is a winning stance. I have seen it before as I am sure you have Nimbyya?’

  Sadness coated her words as she agreed. This is true, I have.

  ‘How long has this been a factor on Draygann?’

  The present Darganissa has been ruler for over two hundred and fifty of your yentas. As I said she is not well liked and has intense opposition to her leadership. In the last hundred yentas her position has only become more radical. I have awaited your return to Maikonia to ask for your help.

  Peyton smiled. ‘You know I will do what I can. What is it you wish me to do?’

  I wish you to remove the ones she calls unclean, to give them a home or find one for them.

  ‘Why not remove the Darganissa?’

  That may cause instability for the world. They have been hovering on the brink of a civil war for many yentas due to the Darganissa’s strict decrees. Some fractions believe what she has done to the Bronze Draygonissia is wrong, but they will not go against her leadership. Even though their rebellion grows, I wish to avoid a war. Their world experienced much of this in the early days of their civilization. I hope that if the Bronze Draygonissia are removed and she was shown that you the Star Daughter were once again in the Universe. She may become a better ruler or she may loosen her control on Draygann.

  Peyton had her doubts, but kept those thoughts from Nimbyya. She would assess the situation and see what she could do to help, noncommittally she said. ‘I see.’

  Also, I would like you to rescue the eggs she is hoarding to sell.

  Peyton breathed out in surprise at the unexpected request. ‘The Darganissa is planning on selling the children of Draygann?’

  Yes, I would like for you to let her know she cannot sell her people and that the eggs are her people as well. I know she is planning to do this and has already sold males. A brother star has reported that there are Draygonissia in an underground cavern on a dead planet near him. He thinks the ones in control are trying to make Warriors like yours.

  Peyton stood abruptly as the impact of what she said registered, was it possible this was happening? Dearle stars she hoped not. Hawk would be furious and Darby, well she would be devastated to know all her efforts to eradicate the formula for creating more Warriors was for nothing.

  Nimbyya hurriedly asked. I am sorry, you are angry with me?

  Peyton, her emotions boiling to the surface glowed. ‘No my dearle Nimbyya, never with you. I am so very happy you told me of this. I will need coordinates for Draygann and the location of the planet your brother told you about, is this possible?’

  Oh, most possible Star Daughter. She said happily, then asked. You will come and stop the Darganissa?

  ‘Most definitely I will come. My people like to do things like that.’

  This is most wonderful, the Star Child said you would be willing.

  ‘They were right. Do you think the Castque would come and make a home here on my worlds? We are military, are they warriors still?’

  Their needars remember what they once were. To awaken that part of themselves would be no hardship. They descend from great warriors and are a wonderful race of people, who would welcome being seen as whole once more. To not live in degradation would be a new experience for all but the older of them. I am afraid not many have survived their harsh existence.

  Peyton did not want Nimbyya to be blindsided, so she softly asked. ‘Nimbyya are you prepared for civil war? When I remove the focus of their hatred, it may shift to others. I worry there may be a war, anyway?’

  I am aware of this, and it is a possibility, but I will know I have saved the innocent.

  ‘That is all we can do.’

  It is so.

  ‘So we are going to go kick some butt and then get those Draygons and let them know what it is like to be free. My people are really good at that. Then we will go see about this underground operation.’

  Star Daughter? Nimbyya asked faintly. Does that mean you will come and rescue my charges?

  ‘Yes it does.’

  Thank you, I am so very happy you are here, Star Daughter.

  ‘Aww! You say the nicest things. Now remember Nimbyya if you wish. You may come and join my system. A place is always here for you.’

  Thank you, Star Daughter. I cherish your invitation. She then laughed, which sounded like sunlight and soft music.

  Peyton asked. ‘Why do you laugh?’

  To be wanted sends joy through me.

  ‘Well take care, don’t laugh yourself out of your orbit now.’

  Soft laughter floated through her mind as Nimbyya left her.

  THIRTY:

  ‘Penny!’

  Penny entered her office. ‘Yes, and please use the comm.’

  ‘The what, now?’

  ‘Seriously, you would try the patience of a Star. What is it you wished for Madam?’

  Peyton eyed Penny, she looked as though she was glowing again, perhaps temper was causing it. Although she really didn’t look angry, her expression was more exasperated, which was an expression Peyton was used to seeing on her face. And again she thought the expression was totally unnecessary.

  ‘So Penny, how are we doing on the people I asked you to find?’

  ‘They are here waiting for you?’

  ‘Good, send them in. Oh, and we have an away mission, can you comm the usual people please? I would like to meet in Hawk’s conference room in an hour.’

  ‘You know he calls it his war room.’

  ‘I know, I just like conference room, it sounds nicer.’

  ‘Whatever.’

  ‘Seriously, what have I done to annoy you now?’

  ‘The mission and me.’

  ‘You expect me to understand that female.’

  Penny went to reply and Peyton held her hand up.

  ‘Wait… wait before you start getting all growly faced.’ Peyton could see she was already working one up, so she hurriedly declared. ‘Kerol has a mission, so I am sure you can go with him. And before you get all irritated again. Hawk only informed me about it last eve.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Why do you say it like that?’

  ‘Sorry, thank you.’

  ‘Yeah… yeah.’ She flapped her hand in dismissal, which for once Penny did not scold her about.

  Peyton shook her head in amusement at how the females from Earth wanted to be included in away missions as often as possible, and it was not just her own family. Other Terrans couldn’t wait for the chance to leave and discover what was in their Universe. The scared, reticent people who had arrived on Maikonia luneras ago, were turning into adventurous star travelers. She put away those thoughts and the thoughts of the mission to come, as the door slid open and four people walked in accompanied by Alexx.

  ‘Greetings, so who is who?’

  A Warrior and his mate came forward. ‘We are Lucy and Arron Llanders, we are artists.’

  ‘Welcome, please take a seat.’ She led them to a two-seater couch in her lounge, then addressed the other couple. ‘You must be the plaque m
akers?’

  ‘Madam, we are stone masons.’ Said the Warrior as he walked forward, his hand protectively on his shy mate’s back guiding her to Peyton. Who took her hand in hers and softened her smile. ‘Welcome?’

  The Warrior made the introductions. ‘My mate’s name is Leela and I am Fredron Declin, my mate is deaf and mute, she uses sign language. We have only been mated for a lunera, so I am still learning.’

  Peyton asked Leela. ‘Have you seen the healers?’

  Leela smiled and signed, and Fredron translated. ‘She has on Earth and here, the healers are not able to repair the genetic malfunction or give her an implant, apparently her body rejects them.’ He looked at Peyton. ‘My words.’

  ‘I assumed.’ She said with a twinkle in her eyes, then she asked Leela. ‘Would you like to hear and speak?’ She was nodding before she had finished asking. ‘Would it be alright if I try to make that happen?’

  Two tears rolled down Leela’s cheeks as she made the sign for yes. Gently Peyton touched her forehead, as she looked into the vast knowledge the Star Child had gifted her with. When she found the information she needed, she shifted her focus and looked inside Leela’s brain where the nerves and sensors for her sight and speech were.

  ‘Well look at that, you have it all there, it is just not being used. Oh look at that I can fix that, I have found a bit of something that should not be there, it is stopping Leela from hearing and speaking. Huh, they seem to be at cross purposes. Fredron after we are finished here, please take your mate to medical and ask for a scan and the download for languages.’

  ‘I will Madam.’

  Leela felt a slight push and then a pop and sound rushed in she covered her ears and cried out. Peyton touched her again, and the noise muffled. Her eyes widened and fear fought for happiness in her eyes.

  ‘No Leela, it is still there, just muffled, over the next few days, your hearing will improve. It was like opening the flood gates, too much noise at once. Having all that sound hurt?’

  Leela nodded and signed yes.

  ‘So what I have done is let you hear softly like a trickle of water and as the days pass it will become more and more. Alright?’

  Leela smiled her understanding and Fredron hugged her, saying. ‘You can hear my Leela... you can hear.’

  Leela stilled and took a breath and touched his mouth. She mouthed the words. ‘I heard you.’ The wonder in her eyes was amazing to witness.

  Peyton asked them both. ‘Are we good here?’

  Leela made the sign for okay.

  Fredron said. ‘Thank you Madam; she was mine whether or not she could hear and talk.’

  ‘I know Fredron but this will make it better for you both.’

  Together they did the sign for thank you.

  ‘Well good, take a seat please.’

  They moved to another two seater couch next to Lucy and Arron Llanders, excitedly talking together in sign. Peyton turned to Alexx, who had patiently waited.

  ‘So Commander, what can I do for you?’

  ‘I apologize for interrupting, but to be honest Madam, I am lost. I have no project. Marlo and Larson have the Warriors taken care off. Raley is with the Defenders. I was hoping you would release me to another world, maybe I can be of use there?’

  ‘Do you want to leave?’

  He shook his head, sounding frustrated as he told her. ‘No, this is my home, but I am tired of doing nothing, of feeling useless.’

  ‘I understand, Alexx. I really do?’ She gave his hand a squeeze as she pulled him toward the lounge where the two couples sat waiting. She said to him as they took their seats. ‘I do have something and was in the process of getting it started, but I do not want you to think I am just making a position for you. I really need someone like you to oversee what I am about to implement.’

  She looked at the four people and Alexx and told the five of them. ‘This will be a full time position. I do not see it ever ending. You should realize this project is dearle to my heart and something I have been thinking about for a while now. Also, it is going to be sad and it will always be a hard task.’

  Alexx looked at her honest, open face and saw the truth in her eyes. She was not just making the position up as she went along. ‘I will take it.’

  Peyton laughed. ‘Well how about you listen to my proposal, then if it is something you can see yourself doing? Then you will consider taking the Command, otherwise we will look for someone else. I do not want you to be unhappy and do this because you are frustrated or bored. It is too important, this goes for you all.’ She looked at the other four people there. ‘It has to be a passion for you, otherwise it will not have the love and dedication I believe it deserves. Now if you do not wish to do the project, it is fine, maybe you will recommend someone who can. Let’s get started.’ She yelled. ‘Penny!’

  ‘Oh my stars, the comm female?’ Penny said as she came through the door.

  ‘Seriously, is that anyway to speak to me, your boss?’

  ‘Yes, if you do not start using the comm.’

  ‘Fine, do you have the list?’

  ‘Yes, it just came in.’ She showed her a data drive, which she placed in the console on the coffee table. A screen lit up and five hundred and forty-two names started to scroll over the screen. Penny closed the door quietly behind her as she left.

  Peyton said as they all watched the screen. ‘These are the names of five hundred and forty- two of our Warriors who lost their lives on a world called Uthrio.’

  Sadness filled the room as Lucy said. ‘Oh my, that is so many names.’

  ‘So many Warriors.’ Alexx murmured. ‘So many dead.’

  ‘I know it is sad, and unfortunately before all our Warriors are home and even after that. It will not be the first or last we will have dead to mourn.’ Peyton sadly told them as she watched the names repeatedly scroll on the screen. They looked at her and she smiled slightly.

  ‘I am sure you ladies have guessed why I asked for you?’ They both gave slight nods. ‘What I want are gardens, and I realize I forgot to ask for landscapers and gardeners to be included. But our Commander in charge will deal with that, I am sure?’ She refrained from looking at Alexx. ‘So I want remembrance gardens or parks created on every planet. Each place will be divided between the Warriors and Terrans, Solverea’s who we are calling our spy and counter intelligent agency. Prowlers and Mystics. Oh, that is what we are calling the Specialists and Senes now. Of course there will be other groups of people included, but you get the idea.’

  Lucy said. ‘I love the idea it is a wonderful concept, gardens or parks for those that have gone to the afterlife.’ She turned to Leela and asked. ‘What do you think?’

  She made the sign for okay, then signed more. Fredon translated. ‘I do not know what you need us for, we are stone masons, we carve stone you need metal workers.’

  Peyton smiled. ‘No, I want the names chiseled into walls of stones or granite or whatever stone there is that will allow us to do so. The reason for that is I feel stone is warmer.’ She reached over and tapped the table and a pic of a monument wall appeared. ‘Many yentas ago on Earth, walls like this were used to commemorate people who had passed away. As yentas passed the meaning of the walls was forgotten and the walls were destroyed. No one wanted to have reminders of wars and disasters that occurred and shaped Earth. Basically, they re-wrote their history. I don’t want that to happen here. I want to have a place I and my children can go to and remember people. Perhaps people I never knew or did know and miss. I want to think of the times we had together, or we would have had, if not for them leaving. Some may call this morbid, I call it love and I believe nobody should ever be forgotten. So I would like something like this. I wish for them to be permanently carved. I want the carvings to incorporate the name of the individual and to have a pic like a flower, a ship, a star or moon. Something that says more than the person’s name. I do not want it to have where or when their lives were lost, that will make no difference to us or them. We want
to know who they were and something that says they were someone to remember.’

  ‘Oh, I know a memory in memorial.’ Fredron said, he noticed their confused expressions, with a smile he explained. ‘I read that phrase a long time ago, it seems to have stuck.’

  Peyton grinned. ‘Fredron is right, that is it exactly. So do you all have the idea?’

  They all answered. ‘Yes we do Madam.’

  ‘Okay, as for you artists. I want a tribute symbolizing each group, as an example, the Prowlers, the Warriors, and so on, do you understand?’

  They both nodded their head as their eyes gleamed with excitement. Arron asked. ‘These are to be in statue form and I am guessing large.’

  ‘Yes just like that.’ She turned to Alexx. ‘You see what I am asking for.’

  ‘On every world?’

  ‘Yes our people will not be forgotten.’

  He stood. ‘I can think of nothing worthier. I am your Commander, if you will have me?’

  ‘Alexx, thank you.’ She bowed her head to him. ‘I know you will give them the respect they deserve.’

  ‘We will give them the love.’ Lucy said softly.

  Fredon said. ‘We will give them the memorial.’

  Peyton said. ‘Please take your time to design what you think would work, make each world unique. I will obviously have the final say.’ She told them. ‘Let your imaginations go, we live on extraordinary worlds, with extraordinary people as are the ones we lose. We have all experienced loss so when you design these parks and gardens. Remember they are to be places of love, peace and remembrance for our loved ones, make them proud. Make them a place we can take our young to, so they will understand freedom has a cost, and it is never to be taken for granted. Hire the people you want, decide on a budget and do not be scared to ask for what you need. Remember what you create today will remain forever; I will see to that. Frand and Rose will guide you on materials. We need these to last lifetimes. I am sure there is a list somewhere with gardeners and landscapers and botanist and artists.’ She scrunched her face up and yelled. ‘Penny!’