“Have you been up here all night?” I asked Sinae as I stepped onto our Observation Lounge in my quest to find my daughter. She had disappeared from our quarters sometime during the night.
“Most of it. I really couldn’t sleep, if you can understand that, Chance.” My Lynxin friend answered sadly.
“I understand completely. Seems we’ve both been thrown a whole lot of responsibility in a super short period of time. I’ll do what I can to help.” I commiserated as I lifted Savanna up to check her diaper. She gave a few gurgles and a ‘coo’ or two.
“Yes, sweetie, I know you’ll help our sister out too. I would expect nothing less from a Summers.” I answered my daughter.
Savanna added another short conversation and I noticed Sinae’s fur blush.
“So, you HAVE been listening.” I giggled at my Coven sister. “So Savanna likes to cuddle up next to you when she feels cold? Apparently, her Lynxin aunt beats my old, musty, stuffed animal from Mom’s stuff.”
Sinae really must have been tired; she didn’t even refute the last statement.
“Chance? What am I going to do? I never wanted to replace Grandma on the throne. I have absolutely no idea how to rule. And, I have absolutely no patience for ‘bureaucratic horseshit’. Chantell’s words, not mine.”
“Well, my parents and aunt seem to think you’ll do fine. They know Queen Libra better than anyone alive today. I think you should trust them.”
“I trust them, Chance. They’re the only real link to Grandma I have. I guess I’m just frightened. This is something even scarier than Hoblins. I’m not sure I can do this.”
“I thought that about Grunfuller and me, too, Sinae. I was terrified to admit I…I liked him, and terrified he didn’t like me in return. Its totally unexplored territory for me, as you can imagine.”
“Well, from what Savanna has been telling me, that territory is pretty much conquered now. Well explored too.” Sinae giggled politely.
“I guess that’s true, but it was still very frightening at first.”
Savanna gurgled several times and ended with a laugh.
“You little Imp! Shame on you for telling Aunt Kitty about what we did in our quarters the other night! And, for your information there were quite a few ‘Homeruns’ hit last night! If you hadn’t popped over to Aunt Cora’s you would’ve known that!” I scolded.
My daughter gurgled some more and blew me a raspberry.
“What do you mean you were trying to sleep and it got too noisy, so you went to Aunt Cora’s?!”
Sinae began laughing as she followed along with our conversation. It was good to see her smiling again.
“Where were you two during my darkest moments?” She asked, rhetorically, as she shook her head in amazement.
I waited a moment before I said anything else.
“We leave for base tomorrow, late morning. I’ll try to draw this mission out as long as I can, girlfriend. Sooner than later though…”
“I know, Chance, and I respect what you’re doing for me. Thanks.”
“Excuse the interruption, High Priestess, but we just received a priority communication on Witch Corps’ secured channel from Capt. Serangetti on Mare de Tempest.”
“What’s he say, Dell?”
“He wishes to alert us that Mare De Tempest has been ordered to change course. He wasn’t sure if we were monitoring Galactic Dispatch.”
“So where have they been ordered to, Dell?” Sinae asked cautiously.
There was a long pause.
“Mare has been ordered to FeLane, Kitty. I’m sorry.” Dell apologized. “They’re headed there now at flank speed. ETA is three weeks.”
“In case anybody cares, Pegasus can be there in eight hours,” Charli added needlessly.
“A second message has been received. He wants us on Mare ASAP. Apparently ‘someone’ has sent word that our clean-up of Kane has concluded.” Dell continued sounding none too happy.
I looked to Sinae apologetically.
“Karma has come back to kick my ass, Chance. Let’s get it over with.” She sighed in defeat.
“Compute an intercept course to Mare. Alert our local chapter of our orders and offer them passage and quarters at Mare Base while transiting to and visiting FeLane.”
“As you wish, High Priestess. Again, sorry, Kitty.” Dell commiserated.
 
 
“Everyone wants to come; Kate too?” I asked in shock as Lokust informed me of their decisions the next morning after entering the Bridge.
“They all feel they should be there to support their sister, Chance. I think it’s a beautiful gesture on the Corps’ part.”
“I do as well. We leave in two hours, Exec.”
“As you wish, High Priestess. Communications. Alert all Coven members that we depart for Mare Base in two hours. Casual dress except flightcrew.” Lokust told Dell. She nodded acknowledgement.
 
 
“High Priestess? All Coven members have gathered and wish to board Pegasus, but they refuse my permission and instead demand your and Lady Kitty’s presence outside.” Lokust informed me as we finished our preflight.
“Lady Kitty, meet me at the entry hatch.”
“On my way, Chance.” Sinae replied.
I think Sinae’s breath caught as the hatch opened to reveal seven people in full Witch Corps uniform standing at attention. Samuel Redman had somehow adapted his old Galactic Service dress grays to look very much like a male version of ours. It was an impressive sight- top hat, tails, and all.
Aunt Cora stepped forward and bowed politely.
“Lady Kitty. High Priestess. We ask permission to board and attend the future monarch of FeLane to her coronation.”
Sinae began to fidget, wiping furiously at her eyes.
“I believe permission has been granted, Ladies and Gentleman of Witch Corps. Prepare to get underway. Off-duty personnel to the Observation Lounge.” I answered instead. I turned to Sinae.
“My Lady, will you be okay to pilot Re-Tailed into orbit for docking with Pegasus?”
She nodded silently.
“Witch Corps. Ladies Kitty, Artemis Dell, Simone, Lokust, and Chance to your brooms. Rendezvous with Pegasus for high orbit docking. Lady Hope, you have the Bridge.” I ordered as we all divided up.
 
 
“Let’s get going, Hope and a Pair.” I said after completing my preflight.
“Shouldn’t you secure Princess into her seat, Chance?”
“Pegasus, Chance. Is Princess with you?” Aunt Cora’s voice asked over my comm.
I quickly unbuckled and turned to see Savanna smiling back at me from her ‘car seat’ on my second seat.
“I have her. We’re good.” I answered after buckling her in. Turning around to re-secure my harness, I noticed that Samuel and Janet’s neighbors had arrived to witness our departure. They knew enough to stand closer to the house and stay out of our way. Most were pilots and wanted to give us a clear departure vector.
“Pegasus1 ready for departure.” I announced as I enabled my maneuvering emitters.
“Pegasus1, Whitecliffe Tower has been advised and you are go for planetary departure, Chance. See you in a few.” Chantell acknowledged.
I took us to plus twenty feet before advancing Hope and a Pairs’ throttle. Within a few seconds we were in orbit to wait docking with Pegasus.
 
 
“Welcome aboard, High Priestess. I hope Princess didn’t catch you off guard.” Aunt Cora greeted as I carried Savanna and her car seat to my station and secured it beside my seat.
“Now you behave yourself and I’ll consider removing the holding spell from you and your car seat.” I scolded my excessively mobile daughter.
 
 
“All brooms have docked and an intercept course to Mare De Tempest has been transferred to the helm, High Priestess.” Mom reported as she took the helm back from Samuel Redman.
“Make it so.” I said as I waited to see what response that might bring.
“Course set. Velocity, High Priestess?”
“ETA at full speed?”
“Four hours and forty-three minutes at full emitter power, High Priestess.” Mom replied professionally.
“Make it an even eight hours.” I said, after which, mom turned back to me and began to appraise me.
“So how do you do it?” Mom narrowed her eyes. “I mean…really, how do you keep doing that?”
“How do I do what, Lady Hope?” I asked, deciding to play dumb.
“Seriously?” Mom glared at me in disbelief a moment. “Okay….How do you seem to know so many of my era’s terms and euphemisms, oh great and mysterious High Priestess?”
Her sarcasm was unbelievably thick.
I thought for a full minute, looking here and there, around the Bridge.
“I really don’t know, mom.” I admitted after another minute’s wait.
“Wow! Did you feel the breeze?” Chantell asked. “I think the Karma train just blew right through this compartment, Hope! And it was haulin’ ass!”
“Knock it off, Shan! You want to know just as badly as I do!” Mom groused.
“Yeah, but I figure she’ll tell us when she feels the time is right and not one blasted second before.”
I placed my left pointer finger to my nose and smiled devilishly. Chantell closed her eyes and shook her head several times, a slight smirk appeared.
“I think I’m going to check on Sinae. Dad? Where is she?”
“Our troubled Lynxin sister is upstairs in the lounge, sweetie. Sensors indicate she has reached REM. Savanna is curled up next to her.”
“She is?” I asked in surprise before looking into her car seat.
“The little Imp strikes again! How’d she break my spells?”
“Looks like that Karma train just backed up a few blocks doesn’t it, hun…?” Mom sniped.
Our Observation Lounge appeared around me.
Demi was the first to notice my arrival and quickly placed a finger to her lips and nodded over to a recliner on our right.
“The two seem to comfort one another, Chance. Let us speak privately over here.”
I was completely taken aback by the woman’s change in voice and pitch.
“Yes, I dropped the act, dear niece. These people you call friends are true and devoted to this group you call a Coven. They also seem to be willing to do anything for you or one another. It is the true meaning of family, dear Nike, and you have at last found your true home. I, also, owe you apology. The works I have seen done and participated in these past few days embody the true intentions Father Zeus has repeatedly tried to reinforce within us, his children and grandchildren.”
“I also applaud your artful, mathematical trickery in your attempt to confine me to this dimension for ‘training’. If you search Nike’s memories, you will find that I was also at the forefront of battles, right alongside you, Hephus, and Artie.”
“Unfortunately, I do let vanity hamper my personality at times and that, in turn, jades my character; consequentially, it forced your already strained psyche to erupt and transport you Zeus-knows-where.”
“So, it is with renewed faith in father’s ‘Furys’ that I will now take my leave so that I will no longer be a reminder of those tumultuous times so many eons ago. Take care, my amazing niece… my sister.”
Demi looked surprised then stunned that she was still standing before me! She nodded to no one then smiled warmly.
“I do deserve this, you know. Father has been telling me for some time that I need to re-visit some of our past students in order to remain cognizant of our role in human development.”
Demi reached out and hugged me tightly.
“Until I am released then; I am at your service, Chance Summers, High Priestess of EFMC Witch Corps. It would be an honor to serve with you. Oh, and I am a ‘hugger’ as Artie noted earlier.” She whispered in my ear.
She released me and looked to the streaks of ‘blue-shifted’ stars passing slowly overhead.
“By the way; nice special-effects.” She giggled.
“It’s not a special effect. That’s what happens to starlight when you’re moving faster than the light itself- several magnitudes faster than the light, actually.” I grinned.
Demi’s mouth dropped open. “I had no idea you were that advanced!”
She quickly drew me into another embrace.
“You are simply… truly amazing, Chance Summers!”
“Pegasus is a group effort. I just put her all together.” I deferred.
“From what I can see, you all did a miraculous job. She’s beautiful.”
“High praise from a Goddess, Lady Demi.” Kate said as she ‘happened’ over. “Chance, Kitty’s been out for only a short while. I’m not sure whether Savanna arrived before, during, or after she entered slumber.
“As Demi suggested, it may be mutual.”
“I believe that, Chance. There’s just something about that little Summers of yours… All I know is, any time I’m around her I get this urge to just pick her up and cuddle her and kiss her…
A vibration suddenly shook us and the star-streaks overhead began to waver, jaggedly then suddenly became stationary stars once more.
“Pegasus? What happened? What’s wrong?” I demanded in serious concern.
“Port emitter economizer grid has failed and the resulting imbalance threatened structural integrity. Main propulsion has been discontinued for safety.” Our AI reported.
“You, Simone, and Artie get back to engineering. I need an evaluation of repair time.” I said to Kate, who was already heading for the elevator.
“On it, ma’am!” She gave me a ‘thumbs-up’ over her shoulder.
“What was that, High Priestess?” Jamie asked, a bit shaken.
“Our port economizer grid failed, Jamie. Nothing to worry about.” I explained.
“Port economizer grid? I’ve never heard of an ‘Economizer’…well, I do know of them, but not used in conjunction with propulsion emitters.”
“As I told you earlier this week, Pegasus is a prototype and therefore utilizes new technologies. The Current Economizer is one such technology. They afford us an overall 99.9997% Current/Thrust efficiency.”
Jamie gasped. “I knew Pegasus was special, but…damn!”
“We visited ten different systems in three weeks, with twenty percent still in our Current reservoir when we returned to Base.”
“Simply astounding! I can see now, why you want Pegasus seen but not investigated. I wonder how long she would take to travel to the nearest galaxy?” Jamie wondered to herself.
“Charli? Can you answer our sister’s question?” I asked.
“If the distance estimates are accurate and not shifted too terribly, we could reach one of the outer systems in the Andromeda Galaxy in five weeks. Provided that all broom reservoirs and both of Clean-up’s nacelles were full.”
“Thanks Charli.”
“I understand now, High Priestess,” Jamie bowed to me, “if the Hoblins had obtained the technology contained within Pegasus, how much more than just the Way would be compromised. I can assure you, information that sensitive in nature would never make it past my desk, and I would do everything I could to make such advancements seem to be pure fantasy.
“A noble sentiment, but inevitably, our tech will be leaked or even surpassed.”
“Understood. Though, my truest hope is that Witch Corps only surpasses itself and does not fall behind, technologically.”
“Amen to that, sister.” I smiled pleasantly.
“Simone, Chance. High Priestess, we estimate Pegasus can resume course and heading in about an hour…maybe less if you show one of us how you manifested her in the first place.”
“I’ll be right down, M’lady. Would you mind, Lady Jamie?” I motioned to Savanna as I bent down to my daughter.
“Now you behave yourself and listen to Aunt Jamie,” I paused to look into her increasingly devious orbs, “That means no transporting to my location…or any other location while I’m gone, Got it, young Lady?”
A blink from my daughter would have to suffice and I turned for the elevator.
 
 
“So, what’s it look like out there?” I asked as I joined Dell by the observation port beside the service airlock in Engineering.
“Simone and Kate are just getting the old grid released. It seems to have taken a hit from something, Chance. Once we get it inside the storage bay we’ll be better equipped to tell.”
“That should do it, Artie-D. Care to open the storage hatch?” Kate’s voice called over Dell’s comm.
“Spacing it now, ‘K’. One minute more, so pull up your big girl panties.”
“Copy that, Artie-D. Ya know, bein’ activated sure helps navigate out here. Didn’t know we could negotiate deep-space maneuvers like this. Convenient…very convenient.”
“Chance always said witches are good at flying. I guess the medium doesn’t matter.” Dell smiled as she looked to me.
I nodded.
“Sounds too artsie for me, Artie-D.” Kate giggled.
The storage bay environment indicator changed to red.
“Storage bay doors are opening. Watch your heads.” Dell said seriously.
“Even though I know she’s big, Pegasus’ storage compartment is crazy big! Holy…you even brought two spare Main Emitters? Where was Chance when I needed spare parts?!”
“It never hurts to be prepared.” I said evenly with a grin.
“Hey, Artie-D, is that Chance I see through the peephole?”
“Chance, Kate and Simone. Yes I’m here, Special ‘K’.” I said as Dell snickered and shook her head a few times. “What can I do for you?”
“Simone and I had some ideas we’d like to try to strengthen these grids. Could you possibly instruct us in how you convert materials?” Kaitlyn continued.
“Same way I do everything else, Kate. I ask my Current. It also helps if I understand the said material’s composition, too.”
“Sounds so easy. Okay, we’ll try it for our idea.”
“What were you thinking, ‘K’?” Dell asked as she smiled deviously to me.
“We were thinkin’…if we could piece together a new alloy…something using palladium and maybe titanium with a tiny bit of iridium isotope to attract Current better...”
“What kind of ratio? Sounds expensive to make.” Dell questioned further.
“Sixty: thirty-eight: two, would be a reasonable mix, Dell.” Simone answered.
I had remembered hearing her ‘serious’ voice only a few times- one of which was when she first told me about her thesis on our present engines.
“Dammit, Artie-D! I wanted to try it!” Kaitlyn swore as something happened.
Dell looked at me as I smiled.
“What happened, ‘K’?” she asked.
“The damn grid just repaired itself, changed color and got slightly easier to maneuver- not to mention my EV suit just started to pick up more trace radiation! Thanks, Chance.” Kaitlyn complained.
“She did it to our spares too, Kate.” Simone added without much emotion.
“Are we there yet?” I asked into my comm. in a whiny voice.
“I think that’s her way of telling you to get that grid back up, girls.” Dell giggled.
I winked to her.
“Yeah, Hope always had a way with words, too!” Kate complained.
 
 
“Chance? All diagnostics have completed on the new Economizer grids.” Simone reported.
“Yeah, I think we may have increased their efficiency just a smidge- at least that’s what the sims’ are saying.” Kate added with an excited sparkle in her eyes and expression.
“Charli? ETA to Mare Base?” I asked.
“At full power, we could get there in three hours- forty-seven minutes.”
“Helm, set course for Mare Base…and keep it under the speed limit.” I ordered with a smile.
“As you wish, High Priestess; fifty-five percent throttle.” Mom acknowledged professionally as she turned slightly- her eyes narrowed.
Our view of the stars blue-shifted again.
“Keep an eye on your new play toys, girls.” I said to Simone and Kate. “I’ll be upstairs with Sinae.”
“Has anyone seen Lyra and Sonya?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Security indicates that their quarters’ door has been manually locked, Chance.” Dell reported.
“Thank…”
“Chance? Their interior sensors have also been disabled.” Dell interrupted.
“Okay, got it. I’ll consult my Current to see if those two are okay.”
 
 
“So the repairs are complete?” Demi asked needlessly as she motioned to the Observation Lounge ceiling- at the blue streaks overhead.
I nodded.
“And you’ve increased the overall efficiency of your ‘Economizer Grids’? Wonderful.” She continued.
“Lady Jamie? Like, you need to pay-up?” She grinned as she looked to our right.
Jamie rolled her eyes and conjured her financial card as she raised her up-turned hand. Demi did something similar and the two briefly touched their cards together.
“Pleasure, like, doing business with you, sister?” She giggled.
“Moral of this story?” Jamie groaned as she spoke to herself. “Never make a bet with a deity.”
Something hitting my shoulder lightly made me instantly react and bring my arms up.
Savanna laughed a few times as she looked up at me with those innocent blue eyes.
“What’s the matter, Aunt Kitty kick you out, cupid?” I asked.
“No, ‘Aunt Kitty’ didn’t kick her out! ‘Aunt Kitty’ woke up and almost freaked, Chance!” Sinae clarified as she walked over, still wiping at her eyes.
“We tried not to wake you, Sinae. Feeling better?” I asked pleasantly.
“I got some shut-eye, that’s as far as it went. Is she going to make a habit out of popping in here and there?”
“The little imp defeated my holding spells, Aunt Kitty, so…I’ll just have to be even more devious.” I looked down at my smiling daughter. “Yes. Mommy is just going to have to up her game, isn’t she, Princess Savanna?”
“Chance? What do you think I should do?” Sinae asked, instantly full of uncertainty as I said the word ‘princess’.
“Let’s go down to my quarters; while I change our Princess we can talk?” I suggested before snapping my fingers.
“Woah! I wish you wouldn’t do that, Chance. Can we go back and get my stomach?”
I smiled and placed Savanna on the changing table I had conjured a few weeks ago.
“So you want my opinion of whether or not you should accept your coronation?”
Sinae remained quiet.
“I might be the wrong person to ask, as I had no intentions of becoming this Chance Summers or High Priestess of Witch Corps, Sinae.” I said truthfully. “I’m still not confident I can do the job properly. Hell, I’m not even sure I can be a good mother to Savanna!”
“So claims the woman that just changed her child while talking to me, and placed said child to her breast without even thinking about it. You handle things so easily…so gracefully, Chance. How can you not see the confidence you exude? I never thought I’d ever say this, but since your change, you’ve matured; and quite a bit too! Old Chance seemed afraid…afraid to do anything that might make people- our shipmates- question or even see you. Old Chance kept to the shadows to escape being noticed or designated a…how did you put it…ah…a ‘freak’. You didn’t push issues. You were completely- well to an extent- submissive- nothing even resembling an ‘Alpha’ male.”
“Now, however, you’ve changed…not just your anatomical structure, but your psychological structure as well. You’ve developed into the ‘Alpha’, albeit female instead of male, I think you’ve been since birth. Chance was a good worker, crewman, and friend, but Chance…you are not only a good friend, you are a mother; a Coven sister- no, strike that; you are my sister! You are also a fellow soldier that I trust with my life, and the most respected and caring CO I’ve ever had the pleasure to serve under! You make it look so easy! How can I possibly match those high standards and take responsibility for my Lynxin brethren?”
“You do things your way, Sinae. Never mind adhering to what you think are MY standards, simply do things the way YOU would do them. Never let anyone else completely subjugate your decisions, consider any and all viable suggestions or proposals, as they would affect your agenda… your decision.”
“My advice to you is to weigh good against bad. Once you do that then the choice more or less selects itself.”
“So, you’re effectively leaving it up to me to decide. Thanks, Chance.” Sinae frowned.
“I’m sorry, Sinae, but if I gave you specific advice and you took it only to have it not work out for you, who would suffer? The short answer is we both would. You wouldn’t be happy and instead be angry for having listened and implemented whatever advice, and I would be kicking myself for giving the advice in the first place.”
“See, I only want you to be happy. You, Kitty Sinae, are the only one that knows what will truly make you happy.”
“As I said, Chance. You make it look and sound so easy.”
“Bridge, Chance. We’re ten minutes out.” Mom called over our comm.
“Already?” Sinae questioned. “I thought we had been delayed because of a failed Economizer Grid?”
“Simone and Kaitlyn made some improvements.” I smiled.
“It figures.” Sinae grumbled.
 
 
“Welcome back, Witch Corps! I see we have added to the ranks, High Priestess?” Our base’s AI greeted pleasantly.
“Good to be back.” I answered. “Did we miss anything?
“I am currently conducting the eighth major reconstruction of the training arena. All additional residences have been completed and await appropriate fittings. Three new Brooms have been completed and also await appropriate customization. Oh, and Capt. Serangetti wishes me to alert you that Mare has been ordered to FeLane and will arrive there in just under three weeks time. Shall I begin offloading your brooms from Pegasus, High Priestess?”
“Go ahead, but leave Pin-Up on the flight line. I think Lady Cora has some responsibilities she needs to take care of on Antarra.”
“As you wish, High Priestess.”
“Oh, how kind of you, Lady Chance.” Aunt Cora’s sarcasm overflowed.
“Hey, I’ve been dying to get back there. Maybe your niece and I could head out to that huge fresh water lake south of Norge…what was that lake’s name again?” Samuel Redman questioned as he snapped his fingers repeatedly.
“Norge Lake.” Our three blue-haired sisters chorused in annoyance.
“Yeah! That one! What say you, Lady Janet?” He asked while sticking out his lower lip in a sorrowful pout.
“Wow, we haven’t been there since before Simo…Oh, I get it.” Janet smiled.
“Family is always welcome, but Pin-Up is only a two-seater, Sam.” Aunt Cora reminded.
“If I can get permission from Capt. Serangetti, I’d like to visit with you some more, Aunt Cora; if that’s okay?” Simone spoke up with more than a little interest.
“Broom closet Control? Please leave Clean-up on the flight line also.”
“As you wish, High Priestess.”
“I’ve sent a request for a three week leave of absence to Capt. Serangetti in your name, Simone.” Charli informed her.
“Wow. You guys are the best.” Simone turned and kissed Charli then hurried up the metal steps and into our living area.
“Savanna and I will be in our quarters.” I announced as I effortlessly hauled my daughter and her seat up the steps and entered our base living quarters.
 
 
“Hey.” Simone greeted as she walked into our Galley.
“Hey.” I responded as I sat my cup of coffee down after taking a sip.
“I want to thank you again, Chance…for everything you did for me and my parents- especially, mum. I can’t believe they took my decision so well- again, especially, mum!”
“I’m glad that things worked out. Your dad looks way happier, too.” I smiled. Lokust had volunteered to look after Savanna today while I tried to get my reports finished and submitted.
“So, Serangetti signed off on my leave request and we’ll be departing in the morning. By the way, how are the Serangetti’s getting along? I heard the captain turned four shades of ‘Holy Shit’. Chantell’s words, not mine.”
“I haven’t seen or heard anything since Lyra and Sonya left base last night. I kind of passed out when my head hit the pillow. Lokust had to take care of Savanna…volunteered again today.” I answered before taking another sip and continuing. “While I get our mission reports drafted and filed.”
“There’s always paperwork. And, it never seems to stop. At least with us around, the Current spills will be a non-issue.”
“That reminds me, I still haven’t ‘officially’req’d a new set of BDU’s. Guess I should probably do that at some point today. I’ll be resuming my regular duty schedule starting tomorrow.”
Who’s going to be watching Savanna? Hope or Charli?” Simone asked.
“I’ll let them draw straws or fight to the victor. I’d much rather be here for my own child…ya know?”
Simone nodded in agreement and we were silent for a moment.
“So, Sandra was telling me the captain gave a ship-wide stream. In it, he officially addressed the Hoblin invasion and informed the crew that certain individuals couldn’t be returned to normal by the ‘unofficial and unsubstantiated’, ‘alleged’ appearance of Witch Corps. He specifically mentioned you as an example. I don’t know why. You think he came up with some plan to re-introduce you to the ship, Chance?”
“Like anyone would believe that after seeing me in that long gown and then in my uniform?” I groaned. “Now that he knows about Sonya, this is his way of humiliating me.”
“Serangetti, High Priestess. Could you have SFC. Summers come to my conference room?” Capt. Serangetti called on our comms.
I took a deep breath and let it out in an equally deep sigh.
“Of course, captain, I’m sending her to you now. High Priestess, out.”
Standing up I walked my half finished coffee back to the sink by the distribution urn then concentrated on what my BDU’s looked like after my threshold. I had to quickly reach to my waist to catch my pants before they fell completely to the ground.
“Wow! I didn’t realize you lost that much mass, Chance! Why go this far? Serangetti has already seen you…post threshold?” Simone seemed startled by my change of clothing.
“He initiated his comm with ‘High Priestess’ and asked specifically for SFC. Summers. Obviously, there is someone else with him that knows of the Corps, but not of my part in it.” I speculated.
“Best play the part. I get it. So…want me to complete and distribute the reports you’ve already finished, High Priestess?” Simone smiled playfully.
“I’d appreciate it if you filled in the blanks on what happened while Dell and I were…um…’away’? Just try to keep emotion out of it and stick to the facts. I know you Antarrans can get very emotional in times of stress.”
Simone hurriedly wrapped her arms around me and gave me a warm, tight hug.
“You are sooo full of shit, Chance Summers! Break a leg.” She said as she released me and stood back.
Capt. Kimbou Serangetti’s conference room appeared around me, and intent on playing things up, I immediately wobbled and reached frantically for anything to steady me.
“What? Where am I?” I groaned as I feigned nausea, ‘apparently’ transported here unexpectedly. “How did I get here?”
“Specialist Summers, you look appalling! Have you no sense of decency- or of the uniform?” Capt. Serangetti declared in outrage as he appraised me.
I hurriedly bent over and pulled my over-sized pants back up from where they rested on the deck around my ankles. Holding my pants tightly, I then tried to look as pathetic as possible by using my free arm to desperately cover my chest while I slumped noticeably, and shyly looked around.
Capt. Serangetti stood at the other end of his long conference table, glaring at me while obviously fighting to hold a straight face. He quickly rolled his eyes at me while the others stared at me in shock.
Flanking him down both sides of the table were twenty of the higher-ranking section chiefs and the higher-ranking members of the Bridge and CC officers.
To Serangetti’s immediate left was Lt. Cmdr. Rusk Kavendish, our new executive officer. To the captain’s right, Lt. Malcon Singh, Supervising Sections Chief- my…the old Chance’s top supervisor.
Even though I was really only playing a part, I felt the urgent desire to look for a way out- some mundane means of escape. Transporting out would be a dead giveaway as to my real identity at this point.
As if choreographed, they all stood and began clapping- smiles and tears on everyone’s faces! My cheeks began to burn as my eyes tried desperately to quench them.
I felt two small hands take my forearms.
Lyra and Sonya were suddenly by my sides, helping to steady me.
“They have been cleared and know, High Priestess.” Sonya told me over the diminishing applause.
“And to top it all off, you seem competently theatrical, Specialist Summers.” Capt. Serangetti jested as everyone quieted, but remained standing. “Now, would you care to change into something more appropriate for your clearance level?”
So, to the surprise of those gathered around the table, I recalled the cream-colored, single–shouldered, sheath dress I hadn’t worn in over a month.
“Oh, my God! It’sss true! You really are aaaaaa…”
“A witch? Yes, but we prefer to call ourselves ‘Current Mages’ these days. It sounds so much cooler.” I answered Lt. Renee S’pithe, one of Mare’s pilots- her forked tongue wildly flicking from her scaly mouth, desperately sensing the air around her for an explanation.
“Have a seat, My Lady Chance Summers.” The captain motioned to the chair in front of me. “Now,” he paused before continuing, “in compliance with the personal privacy/ top secret disavowment addendums you all read and signed, the information gained here shall not go any farther and may not be relayed, passed on or altered in any way to your subordinates. Understand?”
The gathering nodded or verbally consented before Serangetti motioned everyone to be seated.
“Are you really Chance Summers? My Current troubleshooter, M’lady? I know that Chance is a male Terran. Clearly you are not. What happened?” Lt. Singh questioned but then looked away a moment.
“I’m truly sorry, Lady Chance! That was rude of me and highly unprofessional, but I am curious as to what happened.”
“As are the rest of us,” Lt. Jo(e) Hanlin added as she/he appraised me from my right. The LT was from an asexual subspecies called the ‘OmiTerr’, and clearly defined the term: ‘Bisexual’.
“How much can be revealed, Capt. Serangetti?” I asked before answering.
“Yes, Capt. Kimbou? How much shall our High Priestess relate, and at what cost to her privacy?” Artemis was suddenly standing behind Hanlin.
Everyone except Hanlin and I jumped from their seats-me because I was used to this sort of thing, but Hanlin because Artie had placed her hands firmly on ‘their’ shoulders. Serangetti rubbed his forehead and quietly sat back down.
“Welcome, Lady Artemis. To answer your question, Lady Chance may answer with whatever information she feels comfortable.” He told her.
Sonya had instantly pulled her scepter and nervously hovered between Artie and her mate.
“Oh so protective, young one! Though, we have met and you know I pose no threat to anyone in the room.” Artie said as she raised her arms, palms out.
“I was just startled, My Lady. Please forgive me, sister.” Sonya answered as she hovered out of the way and landed gently on the deck, back beside me.
“That is soooo darling! I take it, it really does work, and you know how to use it?” CPO Ashante Williams praised the kitten excitedly.
“Indeed I do, so please, do not force a demonstration, Chief Williams.” Sonya warned through clinched teeth- her canines showing through her tight, tense smile.
“Please forgive my eldest kitten, ladies and gentlemen. As you can see, she takes after her mother’s side of the relationship. Please sit down and behave, Sonya.” Serangetti apologized.
A quiet snarl escaped our sister’s lips as she reseated herself by her ‘sister’.
“As you have seen, I and my Coven sisters are witches…Current Mages in today’s vernacular. I found from an early age that I could not only sense Current, but I could also ‘absorb’ it to a certain degree.” I started.
“You mean you can actually eat Current?” One of the subordinate chiefs blurted out.
“No. We can absorb it and either return it to a pure source or ask it to do things for us.”
“Ask? Ask Current to do things?” One of the CC officers coughed.
“Current is sentient. It exists as its own domain…its own dimension or realm as they call it.” I answered.
“They? I thought Current just a power source!”
“And you would be wrong, Lt. Keefer. The Current is just as alive, just as sentient as we are.”
Everyone remained quiet after that answer.
“As I said, we can ask Current to do things for us. The Hoblins, on the other hand, prefer to order the Current to do things, enslave Current to do their bidding. Their greed for Current is what drives them. Some of you have even been conscripted- transformed into Hoblin minions. And I’m sure some of you have at least some dim memories of the ordeal- some nightmare-like thoughts that you might have done things and had no control over them. I recognize most of your faces from after me or one of my Coven sisters recovered you. Lt. Singh, I personally pulled you into wet closet 4E2WC23 once I recovered all of you.”
My supervisor’s jaw dropped.
“R-r-r-r-recovered…all of me?” He gasped in horror.
“A Conscript’s original pattern starts to degrade after a certain period of time, sir. When I first recovered you, only…”
“Oh my God! It really happened? I had a nightmare that I had somehow been cut apart at the thighs…”
“You were one of the lucky ones, sir. Some of the crew…” I answered, but my eyes began to cloud.
I quickly wiped them dry and continued.
“I asked my Current to find the rest of you and help me put you back together. In your case it worked. Anyway, back to answering the original question. Yes I was a male Terran, but because of my ‘special’ abilities, I was able to ‘store’ Current. I’m sure some of you heard I recently received two crates from my home planet of Gaia Four? In it were things that my mother had stored…for me, it seems.
“The case contained a DataTab from her that I thought were her final words and wishes before the attack reached my family home. It turns out that Mom and my Aunts were founding members of Witch Corps. Mom had left me some things that I would need and told me to absorb as much Current as I could before some ‘unknown’incident overtook Mare. She hinted toward my reaching my ‘threshold’. At the time I didn’t know what ‘threshold’ would do to me.” I motioned down my smooth, sleek gown.
“Apparently, females can absorb and hold more Current than males, hence we were and are called ‘witches’.”
“I reached my threshold just as I and Grunfuller Lokust were captured, paralyzed, and about to be conscripted. I passed out from the Current surge they sent and from trying to protect Grunfuller. When I awoke I was as you saw me when I teleported in here moments ago. Oh, yeah, every last Hoblin in the immediate area had been destroyed- absorbed by me and purified by the locket I wear around my neck.”
Since that initial ‘threshold’ I have reached and exceeded threshold three more times.” I said to make them think. “That is my story, ladies and gentlemen.”
Serangetti looked appalled by my admission to achieving three more thresholds.
“I was not aware that you went through such a painful experience three more times, My Lady!” He gasped.
“As you all heard, Lady Chance has stated that the Current is a living, breathing, realm all of it’s own. She has actually visited it twice that I know of. It is a place of vast beauty and comparable technology to this realm. Father Zeus and I have visited the Current realm twice also to aid Ladies Chance and Artemis Dell” Artemis said as she poured it strong and thick.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you listen to what she says. While on assignment with Witch Corps for the last several weeks I was honored to make acquaintance of both Artemis and Zeus. I would suggest that you don’t upset them.” Serangetti warned.
“The same warning applies to Lady Chance- or any of father’s furies, Captain.” Artemis advised back.
Serangetti nodded politely.
“Now, have you any suggestions as to how our High Priestess can be successfully assimilated back into Mare’s…um…culture, Lady Artemis?”
“First, I would rephrase the question slightly. In my travels through the eons,” She stopped as a gasp filtered throughout the room, “As I said, eons, I have visited one or two civilizations that have completely and drastically embraced their technology. Even I and other Olympians,” Again she stopped to glare around the room as another quiet gasp was heard.
“Yes, you all heard right! I am an Olympian- as is my niece, Nike.” Artemis motioned with a dramatically pointed finger to me.
“Aw, shit.” I whispered in embarrassment as I tried to make myself small and unnoticeable.
“We are sisters in Father Zeus’ eyes and heart. This woman, Chance Summers, has been tested and proven to be the reincarnation of Nike, Goddess of Victory. Though, feel free to substitute your own mythos name for your home planet’s Goddess of Victory. Chance Summers has the power of Nike and has recently unleashed it to fight off a rather nasty Hoblin on the planet Kane.”
She snapped her fingers and an archived media stream projected a hologram in front of the far wall. It showed clearly that I had caused a…a singularity that left a crater where our Witch Corps’ hangar had been. Then, moments later, the same singularity reappeared and restored the hangar to normal as if nothing had happened.
I was flabbergasted! I had actually caused that! I felt moisture on both cheeks.
My hands were suddenly covering my face and were also wet.
Things suddenly got very quiet in the room.
“Now like, look what you did, Di! Had to like, rub salt into the wound? Why, Di? Why? Hasn’t she been through enough? Do you want her to vanish for another hundred or so eons?” I heard Demi’s voice as I felt her hands slide down my shoulders then slowly, gently rub up and down my arms.
Whatever she was doing, I felt much better…more relaxed. The rehash of my display of power on Kane suddenly didn’t matter as much.
This wasn’t right!
“I’m fine, Lady Demeter. I’ll handle my grief from here on.” I told my sister as I patted her hands gently with my own.
“You like, go, girlfriend!” She giggled brightly and was gone.
“So you found the real ‘Borg’? I asked Artemis as she looked to me sadly. I had literally no idea what a ‘Borg’ even was, so why did I ask in the first place?
“They were one of our rejected, mentoring projects. No imagination, just pure logic and no individuality of any kind. We ‘protected’ the rest of the galaxies from them…it…their ‘collective’.” Artemis explained further
“Our galaxy? The Way?” I asked in horror.
“What you refer to as the ‘Crab’, I believe. Fear not, for they have fallen into oblivion since that galaxy nebulized.
That made me wonder what she meant by ‘protected’. Had the Olympians protected the other galaxies by causing that one to explode?
Something in me…somehow…knew that might have been the case.
Artemis caught my attention and nodded sadly.
I gulped.
“Look!” I shouted out as I stood and began looking over everyone. “I…I just want things to return to normal!” I declared, pounding a fist lightly on the table so it wouldn’t break under my greatly enhanced strength. “I just want things to settle down…so I can do my job…here on Mare. I don’t think that’s asking too much, do any of you?”
“But, M’lady. What you and Witch Corps have done on Mare and as we’ve learned, Kane… We all owe you and…and the Corps our very lives. To not want any recognition…Why not?” Chief Williams asked in shock.
“Because that is her way, my lady. Nike, as well as, Lady Chance, wish not the fuss nor pomp. To us…Demeter excluded…” Artemis answered but was cut off.
“Hey! Not nice, Di!” Demi cried as she ‘popped’ back into the room.
Artemis rolled her eyes.
“To us both, it is only doing our job. It is nothing special, and neither of us feels any special treatment or party,” Artemis glared at Demi a moment, “should be given.”
“Well at least an awar…” Lt. Cmdr. Kavendish began to say, but an arrow suddenly hit, sinking almost an inch and a half into the metallic table directly in front of him.
The people gathered in the room, gasped in fright. Artemis had moved impossibly fast and even had another arrow nocked and ready!
“We of Olympus discovered eons ago that Nike, as with Chance today, will not tolerate such frivolous accolades! Do not re-activate the quest I only recently completed, mortals!” She warned.
“My Lady! Please!” I asked, hoping to defuse the ramping altercation. I was now standing between her nocked arrow and my shipmates. “The commendation should be given to Witch Corps instead of me specifically. We all did our part in ridding Mare of the Hoblin scourge.”
“You know that cannot happen, My Lady. As I said in my recent reply to your request to announce Witch Corps, such a covert team officially doesn’t exist.” Serangetti reminded.
“Really, Captain? Then why do more people know about Witch Corps now than at any time in the past? With the Hoblins still out there, the species need to know that someone has their backs. Yes, Witch Corps is a covert group of the most elite soldiers in the Way, but…but it’s time we were seen for the defensive, humanitarian, force we are. We’ve always been about helping the people of the Way, Cmdr. Serangetti! Ever since Mom, Charles, and Chantell first approached Queen Libra for sponsorship.”
I began to think about my clothing while the room remained deathly silent; yes, I was somehow in uniform. Looking around at all the faces, it was also clear that my opinion was in the minority.
“Fine, we’ll play it your way for the time being.”
Demi and I now wore precisely tailored, official issue BDU’s and I took her hand to head us for the door.
“I will be reporting to my original post at 0800hrs tomorrow morning. Let’s go, sisters.” I informed everyone as I left.
 
 
“So they didn’t go for the idea of unveiling the Corps?” Grunfuller asked as he entered my quarters.
“Artemis showed up to make sure my well-being was preserved. She meant well.” I said pointing to our Olympian guest across the room.
“But she came on way too strong?” Grub surmised as he cautiously regarded Artemis.
I nodded as I switched Savanna to my right side.
“So we go to work tomorrow like nothing happened?”
“I’m afraid so, Grunfuller. Now the ‘real’ freak will be parading through the ship trying to resume her normal duties.” I moaned. “I’ll tell Singh you’re sick when I get to our work compartment. That way you won’t see my embarras…”
“Hey, Chance. I’m with you, Buddy. I’ll be by your side for whatever.” Grunfuller said with a smile as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll even go as Lokust so we can share the ogling if you want.”
Savanna released my nipple, looked to Grunfuller, and gurgled then frowned a few times before giggling once or twice.
Artemis’ mouth dropped open as well as Grub’s and mine!
“You will do no such thing, young lady! I will not have my daughter transforming anybody!” I gasped in shock.
“I didn’t think she could do that already?’ Grub stared at Savanna in deep concern.
“Honey. You just can’t go around changing people just because they insult Mommy. You need to know the difference between humorous and serious talk before you can start passing judgment on others.” Grunfuller added.
Savanna laughed a few times as she tried to grab the finger he was pointing at her.
“I think I’ll go check on Demi.” Artemis said as she stood and walked toward my door. “She seemed especially traumatized by those BDU’s you dressed her in at that meeting.”
“I’m sure she’ll find some way of ‘glamorizing’ it,” I said cynically. “I guess Serangetti will have me putting a holding spell on the brig next.”
“We all have hang-ups, Chance. I assure you, Demi’s heart is in the right place, though.” Artemis giggled.
 
 
0800hrs came too fast the next morning. Someone knocking on my door woke me from a perfectly awful nightmare. I had been fighting Evans again…and again…and again…
“Enter.” I moaned as I sat up and rubbed my face with my left hand.
“Good morning, sleepyhead! Look who came to see grandma a few hours ago…? Are you alright, honey?” Mom greeted, but stopped when she saw my condition.
“Nightmare?” She asked as she looked around the room.
I followed her eyes and took in the horrific condition of my quarters. Things were everywhere; tossed about like a tornado hit the place!
“No wonder Savanna decided to pop in early this morning. You want to talk about it, sweetie?”
Savanna began gurgling and waving her left arm in jerks and fists.
“Not you, munchkin. I was talking to your mommy.” Mom smirked to her granddaughter.
“Evans.” I stated succinctly.
“Re-living the fight. PTSD, I take it?” Mom said flatly as she continued to look around.
“What gave you that idea, mom?” I asked before snapping my fingers.
My quarters were spotless and perfectly intact again- as if nothing had happened overnight.
Savanna burped lightly and began laughing. Mom just rolled her eyes and remained quiet.
“Come on, munchkin, let’s let mommy get ready for her first day back to work.” Mom said as she bent down to the changing table and grabbed some new diapers from the second drawer. “If you need anything, honey, just use your comm.”
I nodded as I closed my eyes for a moment. “Thanks, mom…and you, young lady,” I pointed to Savanna-who had an impish grin on her face. “You stay with your granny, understand me?”
She winked at me! My month-old daughter just winked at me!
I smiled and shook my head.
“We’ll see you after your shift, honey.” Mom said as she and Savanna disappeared into the hallway and closed my door.
 
 
“See? Made it to the old work station and not one off-color comment!” Grunfuller announced as we arrived for duty. We both started to check the previous shift’s log on our DataTabs.
“That’s because we didn’t see a soul on our way here, Grunfuller.”
“Hey, I thought Demi was supposed to be shadowing us for a couple days?” He asked as if just remembering.
“Heeeeeey. Like, sorry, I’m late?” Demi greeted enthusiastically, just popping in.
“Lady Demeter, may I remind you that, around here, we walk or run? Normal people just can’t pop to and fro at will to get places.”
“This ‘Will’, like, is he cuuuute?” She grinned.
“It has to be an act, Buddy. No one can be that clueless and bubbly.” Grunfuller stated the obvious.
“Of course it is an act, Grunfuller Lokust. How best to observe and gather intelligence than by deception?” She stated seriously. “So, like, where do we begin, sir?”
“Basically, we wait for someone to call us then we go troubleshoot the problem and fix it.” I said matter-of-factly.
Both our DataTabs chimed.
“Duty calls.” I said as I read the work request and sighed.
“Yeah, this ought to be interesting, Buddy.” Grunfuller scoffed. “Current leak in Hangar two-nine.”
“Yay.” I cheered dryly as we both gathered our equipment. I reached for and helped Demi into her tool belt. As I suspected last night, she had somehow managed to make our working uniform look sultry.
“What are these for, Chance?” She asked innocently.
“So we can find the Current leaks.” I said as I pointed to the Current probe on her belt. “And so we can fix the leak.” I added, pointing out the aerosol, patching compound.
“Okay, but we can see Current, right?”
“But normal people can’t, and the object here is to blend in with normal people, remember?”
Demi nodded with a sigh.
“So what are these other thingies?” She asked as she pointed to a small assortment of Current diverters.
“If we need one, I’ll tell you then. Let’s get going; the longer it takes us to respond, the higher chance someone will need medical attention.” I said as Grunfuller and I hurried out of the compartment with Demi bringing up the rear.
“Hey guys.” Lt. Singh greeted as we arrived at hangar twenty-nine. I hadn’t expected him to greet us personally. CPO Reginold was standing beside him- a stunned look on his face. I immediately blushed and set my eyes to the deck.
Grunfuller noticed and immediately took action.
“Hey.” He greeted back. I’m sure you both heard about my partner, Specialist Summers? Cut the staring guys! He…she’s had it rough the last month. This is his…sorry…her first day back and I don’t want h…er to hole back up in hi…er quarters again.”
“Sorry, Chance. It’s just that you look so…”
“So much more like a freak than I did before? Thanks, Chief.” I whispered.
“No! That’s not what I was going to say! You look fantastic! Magical, even!” Reginold complimented as he winked a few times.
As I feared, he recognized me from our arrival in Pegasus.
“So who’s the newbie?” he asked to quickly change the subject.
Our LT just stood there, dumbfounded.
“Spc. Demi Freyja. She’s part of our replacement program- just shipped in yesterday. Chance and I have her shadowing us to get the lay of the land before starting her real shift.” Grunfuller hurriedly offered introduction.
“I like what you’ve done with the uniform, Spc. Freyja.” Reginold complimented as his eyes continued to undress her.
Our LT rolled his eyes.
“Well, welcome back, Chance. Let me know if you encounter any…problems?”
“Hhhh-she will, sir.” Grub answered quickly.
Lt. Singh turned around and walked out of the hangar to let us get back to work.
“We noticed the usual symptoms right over here…” CPO Reginold said professionally as he guided us to the leak.
 
 
“”So how was your first day back, honey?” Mom asked as she and Savanna knocked then entered my quarters.
“It was surreal, mom. Everywhere we went the crew stared at me…they stared longer at Demi- a lot longer than me, though. I’m kind of grateful she was there with us.” I said as I continued to rub my right instep. “The low heels made my feet ache though. I never thought that I’d hear myself say that. Ever!”
“She was just fed.” Mom smiled at me and handed Savanna to me. I kissed her, placed her to my shoulder and began rubbing and patting her back.
“Any word from Simone and Aunt Cora?” I asked, moving to the next topic.
“They arrived in Norge about two hours ago; after Simone went postal on the target arrays again. I could hardly hear her communication with Janet laughing so hard from her back seat.”
“How many she take out this time?” I giggled.
Mom smirked.
“All of them. And, at warp four! I don’t think she likes those things very much.”
“But there had to be a hundred thousand of them.” I gasped at our sister’s achievement.
“Two hundred-eighty-three thousand- and four.” Mom stated precisely. “Don’t worry, they’ll make more. I think our young Antarran sister might have some…issues?”
“Probably not anymore.” I laughed.
“Probably. I know for certain the Major-General AND his staff had major laundry service issues this time.”
“To answer your next question, Kitty is pacing back and forth in her quarters like a caged lioness! She’s really taking those idiots at face value, and I’m afraid she’s going to snap if she remains self-sequestered for much longer.
Savanna was suddenly gone from my shoulder.
“Aw, man. Not again.” Mom groaned.
A muffled knock sounded at my door, and Sinae opened it and walked right in.
“Chance? About ‘Little Savanna’. This is the third time in eight standard hours that she’s ‘popped’ into my quarters and scared the Apis regert out of me! Think you can teach her some manners like, when to leave people alone?”
“Come here, you little imp.” I said as I held out my hands. Savanna appeared on my shoulder with a definite ‘thump’.
“Thank you.” Sinae said as she turned for the door.
“How are you doing, Sinae?” I asked quickly.
“You mean aside from thinking that wherever I go some royal litter cleaner will find me and make me go back to FeLane so my ass can grow fat and useless on its throne? Peachy. You? How was the first day back?”
“Weird. Everyone stared at me, which wasn’t that unusual since they’ve seen me in our Corps uniform or diplomatic gown.” I complained.
“Funny. I thought they’d be swooning over Demi’s rendition of our BDU’s. That girl really has no shame!” Sinae laughed once. “So how long is she going to stay with us…mortals?”
“Until I can figure out what Nike did to keep her in our realm, Sinae.”
“But aren’t YOU Nike, Chance?” She looked perplexed.
“Nike is a part of me, but…but I believe she means to teach her aunt a lesson. I’m sure she’ll either tell me how to remove the spell, or release Demi herself when that lesson is learned.”
“Freud would have a field day with you, Chance.” Mom giggled.
“Ja, ja. Und how vould you feel about zhat, being her mutter?” I blurted out uncontrollably.
“Seriously, Chance, we have to have a nice long chat about that.” Mom deadpanned.
“You three are definitely related.” Sinae began giggling. This was the first time in three or four days that we had seen her smile.
Savanna began reaching out to our sister while cooing, gurgling, and flexing her chubby little fingers- all with an adorable smile on her face.
“She says she’s worried about you, Sinae. She was only trying to cheer you up. Now, when she saw you smiling, she just wants to grab your whis…I mean, hug you forever.” I laughed.
“I’m not her stuffed lioness, Chance. She needs to know that, AND that she had better not try to turn me into one…should she ever learn that trick!”
“I think she’ll just stick to teleporting here and there until she gets older. It seems to make her hungry after she does that a few times.”
“You got that right! Your precious little bundle drinks heavier than Shan does when off duty and planet-side!” Mom laughed.
“Has anyone seen Dell? I have to apologize for my bitching at her yesterday.” Sinae changed the subject.
“Dell’s right here, Kitty, or should I call you ‘Catty’?” Dell’s voice dared from my doorway.
“Look, Dell, I’m sorry for those rude comments. I had no right to assault you with my own depression and self-loathing. I’m still not certain if I want to continue running or simply accept my fate.” Sinae looked away from our friend and Coven sister before sighing and looking down to the deck. “I had no right to take it out on you.”
“And?” Dell encouraged.
“And I’d like us to be friends again? Actually, I wondered if we could revisit the relationship we had before it all exploded in our faces?” Sinae continued while pouring on the wide-eyed, pathetic, kitten look.
“Lady Lyra, Lady Chance!” Lyra’s excited voice flashed across my comm.
“Chance here, what’s wrong, my lady?” I asked.
“It’s momma! We’re in Poppy’s rooms. Something happened!”
“On my way, sweetie. Chance out.”
“You stay here with Grandma, little one. I’ll be right back.” I said as I hurried out of our base.
It took several minutes to reach Capt. Serangetti’s quarters, and upon arrival, I knocked on the door.
A grown-up Sonya Serangetti answered the door. She immediately pulled me into the room so the door would close and embraced me tightly.
“Thank you, Chance! I had hoped you would change me back. Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!” She rattled off.
Lyra stood behind her with a sad frown and her arms crossed.
“I had nothing to do with you changing back, Serangetti Sonya.” I told her.
Lyra looked very confused- almost as much as her mother.
“You didn’t?” Both asked.
“Nope. You did that all on your own, Lady Sonya.”
“I/She did?” both chorused again.
Apparently, you share a similar trait with Lokust, Kaitlyn and Charli. You can change back and forth on your own. Try to manifest your scepter.” I requested.
Sonya did as I asked and her toy-like, child’s scepter appeared in her grasp.
“Okay, now try to shift into your eight-year-old self- in your uniform.” I coached.
After a little concentration, eight-year-old Sonya was back- dressed in her Witch Corps uniform.
“WOOOOW!” Lyra cried excitedly. “Welcome back big sister!”
Sonya stood in front of me with the biggest, cutest eyes I had ever seen. Her scepter changed hands several times and she even rolled it around several more before looking up at me.
“And I can do this anytime I want?” She asked cautiously.
“Try to grow-up, sweetie. That should answer your question.” I smiled. “But don’t forget about your clothing.”
Adult Sonya was back and she let out a loud sigh of relief.
Lyra, on the other hand, sighed in sadness. Sonya immediately turned to her kitten.
“Why the sigh, Lyra?” Sonya knelt down to her. “I thought you wanted to have me back?”
“I do, but…but I liked my big sister too. She was fun to play with and…and I…I feel like…like she doesn’t want me…anymore.” Lyra all but cried.
“Lyra, of course I still want you! Do you think I want to go places without you- for such long periods of time?”
“But you’re big again. That means you’ll be going back to the rim.”
“I won’t be going back to the rim for a while, Lyra. And, if I do, I think I’ll be taking you and Poppy with me…for protection.” Sonya smiled brightly.
“Why? You’re in the Corps too, momma. You can protect yourself just as well as any of us.” Lyra stated maturely.
“Where are my two wonderful kittens?” Capt. Serangetti called out as the door started to slide open. He stopped abruptly and stood silent when he saw me, and that his mate was back, but kneeling down before Lyra.
“Welcome home, my mate. What is wrong with Lyra?” He asked.
“She is afraid that her older sister will not be back.” Sonya answered looking over her shoulder.
“Is she right? Lady Chance?” He asked, looking to me.
“Lady Sonya can change whenever she wants, Captain. I will never stop her from her choice.” I replied. “She will always be a valued member of Witch Corps, and she can also be ‘big sister’ when she chooses.”
“But why do it to her in the first place, Lady Chance?” Capt. Serangetti asked me.
I paused for a moment before answering.
“Of course. Why would she tell you?” I sighed.
The captain looked to his mate in confusion.
“Sonya was under orders to commandeer my ship AND my command. Under false pretenses as it turns out; she had no choice but to follow orders.”
“But Witch Corps is not under the direction of any government or military entity- not even the Galactic Defense Committee.”
“I was not made aware of that fact when given the assignment, my mate.” Sonya stated calmly.
“You could have been shot or worse, Sonya! Didn’t you research your assignment first? Witch Corps’ charter clearly outlines strict sanctions for insubordination and mutiny. It appears our High Priestess severely diluted those sanctions.”
“Lady Lyra petitioned for leniency, sir. Lady Sonya’s punishment was her idea.” I admitted.
Serangetti looked between Lyra and me a few times with a neutral expression.
Capt. Serangetti then bent over to his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“That was very mature of you, Lady Lyra. Charity and integrity are truly positive character traits, and I applaud you.”
“Okay. Can big sister come and play with me now?” Lyra said innocently as she brought her ‘pleading’ face forward.
Capt. Serangetti stood and rubbed his forehead while shaking it- a smile appearing.
“For a few hours, my lady. I’d like to take you and momma to dinner after that. Then momma and I have to talk about some things after. Is that alright?”
“Um…okay! Come on, Sonya!” Lyra smiled and bounded out of the room.
Capt. Serangetti motioned for Sonya to follow. Frowning, she transformed into her eight-year-old form and walked after her ‘little sister’.
The captain waited until the door to the next room closed then looked at me with a seriousness I had never seen.
“How is Kitty, Chance? I can’t begin to understand what is going through her mind these last few days.”
“I’ve heard she’s been pacing her quarters like it was a cage, sir. I can’t say I blame her.”
“She has to know what a great honor it is to be the next queen of FeLane. And, I know you were thrown into command of the Corps, but you’ve done a wonderful job so far.”
Commanding an elite team is nothing like ruling over four systems and seventeen planets, sir. If she decides, she needs to be prepared for that enormous responsibility.”
“But I’ve been watching her for many years…watching both of you. She can do this, Chance! I know she can.”
“The question is not whether she can do the job, sir; it is does she have the confidence to do it.” I responded. “Confidence is the key factor.”
“Well, I hope she decides before we hit the system boundary, Chance. Once on FeLane’s sensors we’re pretty much committed.”
“So what is our ETA, sir?” I asked.
“Mare should reach the outer system markers in ten days, Chance.”
“I’ll see if I can help her reach a decision before then, sir.” I promised, “But I’m not going to push her one way or the other, sir. I just thought I’d let you know that up front.”
“That is completely acceptable, Chance.” Serangetti nodded. “By the way, thanks for returning Sonya to me, High Priestess.” He smiled. “Though, I quickly warmed to having two kittens around me.”
“Like I said, sir, it’s up to her which form she takes at any given time. Good eve to you.” I said as I bowed, turned and exited his quarters.
 
 
“Hey Buddy?” Grunfuller called as we worked on a problematic Current leak. We just couldn’t get it to stop and I think he was losing his patience and stock of aerosol patch. “You want to toss one of your cans of spray over? I’m damn near out. Why is this one being such a pain?”
One of my patch sprays hovered over to him. He quickly grabbed it and looked at me in horror!
“Chance? What’s the matter with you? You could get caught!” He hissed just above a whisper while looking around us in all directions.
We were on an emergency call in a part of the ship that Dell and Sinae had cleared of Hoblins. The section was well away from hangar twenty-nine, so it was fairly safe to say that no one knew that I was ‘High Priestess’ of Witch Corps here.
“Well, we both know my throwing arm isn’t the greatest now, don’t we? Remember what happened last time?” I countered, also getting upset at not finding this leak’s source. “I’m going to ask the system if anyone knows where the leak is. Cover me, Grunfuller.”
My partner rolled his eyes, but nodded his agreement. We had been at it for over an hour now.
Blinking on my Current sight, I began to scan the area. Finding nothing extraordinary, I walked over to a flow valve.
“Can you tell me where the leak is, please? We’ve been trying to patch the system, but we haven’t had any luck so far. No? Okay then could you please check with you friends along the conduit? You will? Why, thank you. So, how have you been feeling? So because you’re so overrated, you’re feeling under utilized? Why did we install… Oh, what was that? Wonderful. Thank you very much!” I asked the mechanical device.
It confided that it didn’t know but would check with its ‘friends’. While the word went out, I had a pleasant conversation with the control until it heard back.
“Check valve CFCV875293 is reporting a reduced pressure on its input side.” I told Grunfuller, thanking the valve before turning around.
I was stunned to see six of our fellow crewmembers staring at me with wide-open eyes and mouths.
“Specialist Summers? Were you just talking to that control valve?” One of two female Orions asked with a slight smirk on her disproportionately small mouth. Her huge, disproportionate eyes blinked horizontally several times.
“Yes she was.” Grunfuller answered immediately. “Haven’t you all been told what happened to her in the Hoblin attack?”
“We were informed that Specialist Summers had suffered ‘genetic gender transfiguration’ at the hands of the Hoblins, yes. Nothing, though, was mentioned about her psychological functionality.”
“It’s part of that.” Grub answered quickly. “She found out she can talk to the plumbing. Any more questions…and what are all of you doing out here? It’s not safe!”
“We come ta see what’s takin’ s’lon...!” A male Magellan grumbled, but he suddenly began to scream out in pain with his hands waving at something off to his left.
My Current sight still enabled, I saw the strong stream of Current drenching him.
This wasn’t good!
Wand suddenly in hand, I formed a protective shield around the group and hurried over to the massive leak.
Placing my hand on the ruptured conduit, I asked my Current to seal the tear then turned to my six shipmates.
The Magellan was still frantically trying to wipe the Current from his body, but the others were stone still and staring at me in shock.
After removing the protection shield, I took the Magellan’s hands and began absorbing the excess Current from him. I then used some of my latent Current to heal his wounds.
Not a sound was heard in the large compartment!
“My Lady? Will the Magellan live?” Grub asked as he bowed to me.
Taking his hint and looking down, I noticed I was in uniform- my Witch Corps uniform.
Dammit.
“You will tell no one of this! Do you all understand?” I ordered sternly.
“You are a Current Mage!” One of the two male Orions- the Section’s Lieutenant- declared with a gasp.
I nodded. “The Magellan will survive with no issues to his health.”
“You’re one’a them Coven members o’ Witch Corps tha’ lib-rated Mare lost month!” The Magellan gasped as he took stock of his hands and bearded face.
“I am, but this incident never happened and you never saw me or my uniform change, is that crystal!” I confirmed, my ire and volume rising. “And how do you all know so much about something that doesn’t exist?”
“Centuries ago, Witch Corps helped clean the Hoblin plague from our homeworld. Thank you, Lady Summers…for then and now!” The lieutenant explained.
“E’re ya also part o’ tha’ group tha’ we recen’ly heard lib-rated mah home, mum?” the male, five-foot Magellan asked cautiously.
“I am.” I answered.
He hurried over and embraced me tightly.
“Thank ya, Mah Lady! Mah bett’r ’alf tell’d me o’ this myster’ous team sent ta des-troy them Hoblins an’ return mah fellow citizens from conscription. We cannae repay ya fer tha’ service, Uh’m ‘fraid.”
“We’re square, sir. No need for recompense of any sort.” I smiled as he pulled away and looked up.
“R’gardless, thank ya, Lady Summers.” He said as he stepped away.
“The Current has been reclaimed and your workplace is again safe. Have a good shift, ladies and lords.” I announced after a minute. I motioned for Grunfuller to follow me. I also dispatched my Corps uniform and wand.
“Remember! You never saw anything out of the ordinary!” I emphasized turning back to them as I approached the compartment’s bulkhead door to exit.
 
 

 
 
“That could have been a real catastrophe back there, Chance.” Grunfuller stated as we arrived back at our shop compartment. “Still, what made you go all ‘Corps’ like that?”
“I didn’t even know I had changed clothes until you brought it to my attention; thanks, by the way.”
“Anytime.” He said and paused a moment. “Speaking of time, I have just enough of it to write and file the report before our shift ends. Have anything planned for this evening, Chance?”
“Well, I was hoping that a certain someone would invite me and Savanna to dinner…” I hinted while batting my lashes coquettishly.
“Then would you and Princess Savanna do me the honor, M’lady?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to see if I have anything to wear. Can I get back to you on that, Grunfuller?”
“As Father Zeus would say: ‘You wound me, M’Lady’.” He quoted with his hand covering his right pec.
“You do know their hearts are on the same side as ours? It’s not like they’re ‘Time Lords’ or anything.” I giggled.
“What are ‘Time Lords’, Chance?” Grunfuller asked in confusion.
“I have absolutely no idea. It just came to me.” I admitted.
Savanna appearing at my shoulder frightened me so badly I almost didn’t catch her in time!
“Wow! We’re two sections away from Base. Our little imp seems to be getting stronger.” Grunfuller observed.
“And heavier. She’s gained four pounds just in the last two weeks.” I added as I looked into her innocent blue eyes. “Are we going to get a call from Aunt Kitty about you disturbing her again?”
She giggled and laughed.
 
 
“There you are, you little twerp!” Mom cried in relief as she hurried over to take my daughter from me.
“She’s been ‘popping’ in and out of everyone’s quarters all day, Chance- especially Kitty’s. I think she’s about ready to kill her!”
“Hey, everyone!” Dell greeted as she walked into the Base reception area.
“Hello, cutie!” She said as she walked over and jiggled Savanna’s chubby little cheek.
“So how many times did she visit you today, Dell?” I asked my Coven sister.
“She didn’t…why?”
“Because she ‘popped’ in on us just before our shift was over.” Grunfuller explained.
“But your shop is two sections away?” Dell gasped, stunned.
“Hey!” Chantell shouted as she passed by out in the hallway. “Can you put a leash on that kid? Scared the piss outta me twice this morning! Literally!”
“Oh, come on, Shan!” Mom tutted.
“Seriously! I was sitting on the head. Next thing I know, Little Savanna’s in my lap, giggling and waving her fingers at me then she’s gone. Four hours later, same thing!” Chantell elaborated. “Look, I love the little squid to death, but she needs to know some boundaries. The head is one of them”
“I’ll have a talk with her.” I promised.
Chantell nodded to me and disappeared down the hall.
“I guess I should check in on Sinae. Can you watch our ‘princess’ while I go smooth things over, mom?”
“I’ll try to keep her attention on me, Chance.” Mom said as she conjured a bright, colorful toy and began to play with Savanna.
 
 
“Sinae? It’s Chance. Can I come in, please?” I asked as I knocked on her door.
The knob twisted and the door opened an inch. I took that as an invite.
Sinae was busy pacing the room, so I hurried inside and closed the door before her next pass. I walked into the center of the room and watched a few minutes.
“Sinae? Is there anything I can do?”
“Unless you can hide me where those officials will never find me, no nothing, Chance.” She answered, not stopping her pacing.
“Sinae! Can you please stop the pacing? It’s only wearing out the carpet!” I said confronting her, placing myself in her path.
When she tried to go around me I gently grabbed her forearm.
“Will you please stop!” I repeated, glaring into her eyes.
“If I stop, they’ll find me. I need to keep moving. Could you please fuel up Re-Tailed? I’m going to pack a few things then you’ll have plausible deniability.”
“What if I don’t want ‘plausible deniability? What if I want to help my friend?”
“What if your friend is beyond help? What then?” Sinae countered.
“Then I find a way to help anyway! You shouldn’t be alone in all this.” I redirected stalwartly.
“Why would you want to do that, Chance? What makes you think I’ll even listen?”
“You’re not an idiot, Sinae. That’s why.” I told her staunchly.
“I’m also not ‘queen’ material.” She stated flatly.
“And I’m not High Priestess material either.”
“You’re more High Priestess material than I am Queen stuff, Chance. You’ve done a wonderful job of resurrecting Witch Corps and guiding it. You’ve proven yourself in battle, as well. That is more than I can claim.”
“I’m still not sure I’m the right choice, Sinae. I’ve screwed up quite a few times. Things just happened to work out… with the help of my sisters. As far as proving one’s self in battle, I can’t think of anyone more courageous and victorious than Kitty Sinae of FeLane! You have set the bar for the Corps, Sinae, not me.”
That’s not true and you know it, Chance! With the things you’ve done, the things you’re capable of...how can you say I’m the basis of Witch Corps standards when we all know it’s you? You are Witch Corps, Chance. Not Dell; not Simone; not Lokust; you, Chance Summers! You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Period!”
“And you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, Sinae! I’ve never met anyone that taught me as much as you! You are my role model, girlfriend!”
A knock sounded on Sinae’s door.
“Hey, Sinae? I come bearing beverages. I thought you could use some drink and company.” Lokust sang out from the other side.
“Better let her in, Sinae, you know she won’t give up.” I recommended.
My Lynxin friend pointed at the door and it opened on its own.
Lokust and Dell walked in carefully. Each carrying enough beverages to keep us drinking for hours.
“We thought you could use some familiar faces, Sinae. It’s much better than drinking alone.” Lokust explained as she placed her case of forty on Sinae’s low table. Dell too, placed her case on the same table and proceeded to open the container, remove one, open it, and hand it to our friend.
“So, where did Chance leave off with her counseling?” Dell asked as she took the first sip of her own beverage. “Chance?” She asked holding up a drink to me.
“Thanks, but Savanna is a handful now. I can’t imagine how she would be if that stuff made it to her.” I declined politely.
Sinae laughed as she guzzled her second container.
“Your daughter is just as tenacious as you, Chance. She just won’t leave me alone! It seems every time I turn around sh…”
Savanna appeared on Sinae’s shoulder and our Lynxin quickly reacted to catch the infant from falling with her free hand.
Savanna was laughing, smiling, and trying to grab Sinae’s whiskers.
“See what I mean? What if I drop her, Chance?”
“Then she learns a valuable lesson and learns what pain is.” I answered as I folded my arms in front of me.
Savanna became very boisterous as she looked to me about ready to cry.
“You heard me, young lady! If you persist in bothering your aunt, you’ll get what you deserve- and if you get hurt it’ll be that much more meaningful.
Savanna responded by crying with some gurgles and other sounds mixed in. It hurt me to see her crying, but I also knew she was playing it up.
“No! Stop that. Despite what you think or feel, you will always be loved, and by everyone here! Sometimes a lesson needs to be painful in order for you to really pay attention, sweetie. Sometimes we all need to do things we don’t want to do, or don’t feel we can. That’s just how life is. Contrary to what you see, none of us here have complete control of our lives.” I told my daughter.
I noticed Sinae staring at me, looking down at Savanna at her shoulder from time to time as she seemed to be considering my little talk, too.
Another knock sounded at Sinae’s door. This time Mom, Charli, Chantell, Kaitlyn, Jamie, and Sandra filed in. Each brought the customary case of beverages.
“You would think there was one helluva party going on here with all the booze.” Mom commented with an impish smile.
“Yeah, some things never change, do they, Hopewell?” Chantell laughed as she opened a container and chugged it down in one gulp.
“Pot and a cauldron, Shan?” Charli giggled while she gingerly took a swig of her own drink.
“Hey, I’m just catching up with my sisters, Charlene. It’s just good manners.”
“Well, that much hasn’t changed over the centuries.” Mom revealed. “You remember how Libra threw them back after we completed a mission?”
“Now there was a girl that hated to go back to the ‘norm’.” Chantell surrendered as she tossed back her third container with nothing more than a quiet belch.
“I remember, Shan! God, did she hate going back to FeLane to resume her royal duties.” Mom confirmed.
“But she did, didn’t she, Hope. She did what she had to…what she knew she needed to do for the good of the Confederation.” Charli added as she opened her second drink.
“She certainly handled both sides of the coin with equal tenacity, didn’t she?” Mom commented as she finished her third.
I was beginning to feel like the odd one out. It must have showed.
“Relax, honey, a few won’t hurt your milk. Trust your mother.” Mom giggled as she handed me a drink. “It didn’t seem to hurt you.”
“Could you tell me more about my ancestor, My Lady?” Sinae asked mom very politely.
“When you can show me you’re really not such a stick at parties, sweetie.” Mom challenged.
Sinae glared at our Coven sister a moment then shook a new container, held it up over her open mouth and quickly plunged the pointer claw of her other hand into its bottom. The container’s top popped open on its own.
“Damn! Now that’s a righteous ‘shotgun’, girlfriend!” Chantell clapped as her newly opened, sixth drink hovered in front of her face. When done with her applause, she grasped the floating container, polished it off, dematerialized it, and reached for another.
“Well, I did ask for proof.” Mom laughed. “Okay. Libra was always looking for ways to get out of the royal residence. I’m one hundred percent certain she used our initial ‘crossing their border’ as an excuse to head up that intercept mission.”
“I got that feeling, too. Especially after I overheard one of her generals saying how abnormal it was for her to take command that day. Of course, I’d heard it almost a year after arriving. Apparently, the old alley cat thought we still couldn’t comprehend their language well and felt completely safe talking around us.” Charli agreed.
“Oh! That guy. Yeah, what was his name again? General…Gen. Gastric…Something or other?”
“How about Gen. Gastone Serangetti?” He was my ancestor and first Serangetti to serve her higness, Queen Libra.” Capt. Kimbou Serangetti filled in the blanks in mom’s memory as he appeared in Sinae’s open doorframe with Lyra and an adult Sonya.
“Nice old gent, but thought too much about his own importance and far too little about new relations with alien worlds. A very discriminatory shit- especially after Hopewell’s accident.” Chantell related in a sour tone. “You act nothing like him, Kimba.”
“Lady Chantell, it very much annoys me when you take privileges with my given name!” Serangetti seethed through clinched teeth. “You have had plenty of time over the years to get it right, yet you continued to disrespect it.”
“Wait, you knew these women? For years?” Sonya gasped in surprise. “You’ve known about the Corps since before we mated?”
“Why so appalled, sister?” Mom confronted her. “You know of our longevity and relationship with the Lynxin monarchy. Didn’t you believe the history you read before the Regent had everything confiscated and destroyed?”
“I read the files and thought it fantasy BECAUSE of the longevity of Queen Libra and her sister, Sonya…from whom I was named, as it turns out. In their time, Lynxin life spans were at most, three hundred years. To live for that long still seems completely and utterly in the realm of fiction!”
“Yet you are talking to three examples of that ‘longevity’ you cannot believe.” Mom smiled deviously.
“Of course, I believe it now, My Lady! I only need to ‘think’ about my own talents to see it is fact.” Adult Sonya started, but young Sonya finished her reply.
“Oh, hi, big sister! So, do you want to play?” Lyra greeted excitedly with a huge, canine-bearing, smile.
“I hadn’t really intended on transforming…”
“Awwww. Okaaaay. I just thought me and my sister could have some fun.” Lyra said sadly as she enabled her ‘pathetic kitten’ look.
“Fine. You ‘grown-ups’ have a good time. Me and my little sister’s going to be up in the training hall.” Sonya smiled as she and Lyra left our gathering.
Everyone had been waiting to open another beverage until the two youngsters were gone. An unopened container appeared, hovering in front of Kimbou Serangetti. Taking it out of the air, he popped it open and downed it in one gulp.
“I take it two kittens are not what you were expecting when we returned, sir?” I asked.
“Two kittens, I can handle. An adult Sonya is the handful I worry most about. She is the definition of ‘Alpha Female’, as you have seen.”
“Funny. I heard Chance knocked her down a few pegs. So High Priestess overrides Alpha Female- in the Corps at least.” Sinae said as an amused grin spread across her face. It warmed my heart to see it!
“I know you and Sonya haven’t seen eye to eye at times, My Lady.”
“I’ve never seen eye to eye with her since we first met, Captain! She is rude, overly forceful, and in no way would make a good leader or diplomat. She is far and away from any ‘Alpha Female’!” Sinae argued forcefully.
Mom, Charli, and Chantell suddenly became very quiet- all three staring at our Lynxin sister in amazement.
Sinae quickly noticed.
“Okay. What did I do now?” she sneered before looking at her drink and downing the rest of the container.
I wondered the same thing.
“Alright, I’ll rephrase. What did I say now?” Sinae continued, as the three remained tightlipped.
With her new question posed and still no response, I just had to say something.
“Charli I can imagine being quiet. You two,” I pointed to mom and my aunt, “This is definitely a first!”
“This may be a first for you, Chance, but the three of us have heard those exact same words before- spoken in the same exact order, in exactly the same tone and temperament.” Mom finally responded.
“Here, listen for yourselves.” She said as she produced a strange little device in one hand and a very small, thin square of polymer in the other. “I have no idea why I even thought about saving this, but I think you all will find it fascinating.”
Placing the small poly square into the device she ordered: “Play file: 12, August, 2151: 1406.”
“As for my sister, I’ve never seen eye to eye with her since we first met, Admiral! She is rude, overly forceful, and in no way would make a good leader or diplomat. She is far and away from any ‘Alpha Female’! Your request is hereby rejected. Now, tell my sister to come in here so that I can tell her she has been passed over for the position.”
“Your majesty.” A male voice replied.
Sinae’s mouth was agape as we all listened to her voice on the device mom held.
“How can that be me?” She gasped in shock.
We were all looking between her and mom thinking the same thing.
“It’s not, sweetie.” Mom sighed. “In those days, I still followed protocol and secretly recorded all conversations I was privy to. That, ladies, is Queen Libra telling one of her Admirals that, under no circumstances would she allow her sister, Sonya, to enter into the Diplomatic Corps.” Mom explained.
“Was she actually experienced for the position, or was Queen Libra just biased, Lady Hope?” Sinae gulped as she asked.
“High Princess Sonya was in no way qualified for the job, sweetie. She had talked the Admiral into nominating her so they could both rocket off to Earth and get married. That didn’t work out to her satisfaction.”
“Excuse the interuption, My Lady, but do you recall the sire-name of the Admiral?” Capt. Serangetti politely inquired.
“His name was Persuan Gats, Kimbou. Libra found out a year later after Sonya and Gats ran off to who-knows-where to mate. Libra was furious! When they suddenly reappeared in Capital, she ordered him from active patrol duty to the Royal Guard where she could keep an eye on him and Sonya.”
“Sonya disappeared about five years later and we heard Gats registered the FeLane equivalent to divorce papers shortly after that.”
“Witch Corps ran into her as we were chasing the big three Hobgoblins around the ‘Belt’ ten years after that. In much the same way as you did for Janet, I did for Sonya, since we needed the help. By that time she had two kits and a kitten. Her mate had been conscripted and couldn’t be recovered. Libra was on that mission with us and almost collapsed in tears when we found her. The two really hated each other, but they still loved one another- sisterly love.
All the while mom had been monologing, her device had continued its replay.
“Well, that went well, Libra,” Mom’s voice on the playback caught our attention. “You were a bit rough on her, weren’t you? She’s only a kid and really doesn’t know who she is yet.”
“She isn’t ready for such a critically sensitive venture yet, my friend. She is just using this opportunity to attract a mate. That is not the idealology for diplomacy. You can’t know what sorrow it brings to my heart to have to deny my only sister. I love her dearly, but she also angers me to the extreme!”
“So just tell her that you suspect the real motivation but explain it in a way that a sixteen year-old kitten can understand. You should never try to intentionally distance family, Libra.” Mom’s voice suggested.
“I know that, Hope! I’m not sure I can do this, though. As I’ve told you repeatedly, I’ve never thought I was cut out for this…this royal crap! FeLane would be in much better hands if someone else…”
“Stop it! Stop it right now, Libra! You KNOW you’re the best person for this role- that nobody else has the desire or tenacity to see the monarchy through both hard and good times. You’ve made the best, well-informed, decisions possible given the circumstances.”
“Do you really think so, Hope? I’m relying on you to council me through all this. You, of all people, can understand that change can be very frightening and confidence nulling.”
“You had to bring that up again, didn’t you? I thought we had a deal, Libra; you wouldn’t bring that up and I wouldn’t…?”
“Well that’s enough of that.” Mom hurried to stop the device and dematerialized it quickly. “The point is, Kitty Sinae, just like you, Libra continuously wondered if she had the right stuff when it came to ruling the Confederation. She would guess, second guess, even third guess herself when making even the smallest of decisions. You, sweetie, are no different. I, personally, believe that makes for a good leader.”
“I think Kitty needs to catch up! She’s behind by a few beverages.” Lokust declared as she handed our Lynxin sister another container.