CHAPTER 6
Jenissa felt a crush of grief hit her like a collapsed building. Part of her wanted to die under the weight of it; part of her wanted to rise up and choke the life out of Councillor Lentol, just as she had the life choked out of Menari.
Jenissa's aunt Ultessi spoke. "What right did you have to put down a Taliss slave?" The governor was incensed. "This was a private family matter."
"That is where you are wrong, Governor," said Ambra. "It is very much a matter for the Council." The councillor faced Jenissa. "Jenissa, by your own admission you have lied to the Council and consorted with a slave. Your actions make you unfit to one day represent the Hegemony as governor. I will take this evidence to the Council and have you declared Hebsifilla."
Jenissa only half-listened to what Councillor Lentol was saying. Her life was over the moment Menari took her last tortured breath. She would never be able to erase the memory of Menari's desperate struggle as Lentol's henchman, Gral'hilanth ap Falentha, choked the life out of her. She was fighting it because of me. She didn't want to leave me! Jenissa silently lamented.
"You've done what you came here to do, Councillor." Mariantha said. "You need to leave. Now."
Ambra smiled. "This isn't over Judge Karthen. This is just the beginning." With that, Councillor Lentol turned and walked out of the hall, with Falentha and guards falling in behind her.
The governor ordered everyone to clear the hall. A few slaves stepped forward to collect the body, but Jenissa ordered them not to approach or touch Menari. They did as they were told and returned to their positions against the walls.
Jenissa didn't bother to look around to see if anyone was watching. She was beyond caring. She collapsed on the floor and gathered the lifeless corpse of her once beautiful lover into her arms. "I am sorry. I am so sorry," she whispered as she brushed Menari's hair out of her face and kissed the blue-tinged lips.
"Come." A hand reached down and touched Jenissa's shoulder. "You must let Menari go."
"No!" Angry tears streamed down her cheeks, and she turned her back on the older woman.
Mariantha knelt down next to her and gently said, "You can do no more for Menari now. Let… her go."
It wasn't lost on Jenissa that Judge Karthen had honoured Menari by saying 'her' rather than 'it'. She glanced towards Mariantha and then back to Menari, whose once sparkling brown eyes stared lifelessly into oblivion.
With one last kiss on the cheek, Jenissa allowed her lover's body to slip to the floor.
Mariantha signalled for some slaves to come and gather up the body. "Take good care of it," she said.
Jenissa began to openly weep as Menari's body was taken up and carried away. Mariantha helped her off the floor and onto a nearby settee. "What have I done? What have I done?" Jenissa asked wailfully.
With an arm around Jenissa, Mariantha replied, "You were given no choice."
"I was given a choice." Jenissa shrugged off the older woman's arm and spoke to the judge as though pleading her case. "Your daughter offered to take us with them. Instead I chose to stay." Jenissa lowered her eyes. "I was too afraid."
Jenissa looked along the corridor down which Menari's body had taken. "Menari chose to stay with me, because she loved me that much." Tears started flowing down Jenissa's face once more. "And now she is dead and my life is over."
~~~~
The Dansek autumn was being kind. A late spell of good weather meant the birthday party her parents were hosting for Tehvay and her sister Yuniph could be held in the garden. When Tehvay stepped outside, she was awestruck by all the effort the Veilans had put into preparing for the party. Red, blue, green, and yellow lights had been placed around the garden to provide a festive atmosphere. Outdoor heaters were on hand for later, to take the nip out of the chilly evening air. Tables with food and drink had been set up against the house and the kitchen table held some back up provisions if needed.
When a guest arrived, her mother would call Tehvay over to introduce her. Asta kept a cheerful expression as she greeted the guests, but Tehvay noticed her mother's discreet check of her personal communicator for any word from Yuniph. A couple of hours before the start of the party, Yuniph had suddenly announced she had to go out, and had yet to return.
The guests were friends and neighbours who had known the Veilans for years, but this party was the first opportunity most were getting to meet Tehvay. There was great enthusiasm to find out more about Asta and Pallin's long-lost daughter. Tehvay smiled and thanked them for coming, offered them refreshments, and patiently answered their questions about what it was like to be reunited with her family.
"You surprise me, Tehvay," said Asta, as the latest arrivals moved off to get something to eat.
"Oh, how so?"
"You seem so at ease with meeting new people. Yuniph is not as comfortable in large groups."
"Neither is Kikola." Tehvay glanced over to the spot where Kikola had posted herself. She had found the gap between the refreshment table and the fence that separated the Veilan's garden from their neighbours, her back to the wall of the house.
Trying to hide in the shadows, thought Tehvay.
Kikola wore an unassuming black dress, similar to the one she had worn to the party on Kalenth, though this one was not as finely tailored, Tehvay thought it suited her just as well. Tehvay herself wore a white and gold dress that she had bought especially for the party. The colours were split down the middle, but the design was asymmetrical. The right-hand side was white with a high collar and sleeve covering her arm. The body of it fell in waves down to her knee. The left-hand side started just above her left breast, was a bit more form fitting than the right-hand side and ended at her mid-calf. A silver necklace with a yellow crystal, a birthday gift from her parents topped off the ensemble.
Tehvay's attention returned to her mother, who was looking over Tehvay's shoulder towards Kikola.
"Kikola is learning how to live in a world outside the privilege and restrictions of Elit society. It isn't easy, but she is making progress," Asta observed.
"Yes, I know she is," said Tehvay, "and I am so very grateful."
"I hope it isn't gratitude that keeps you with her."
"No, Ima. I love her, and I am grateful for her love in return. And I am grateful to you for taking her under your wing."
"I don't know which of us is more surprised by that," said Asta. "I guess I saw someone who was as lost as your father and I were when we first arrived. I was just passing on the help we received, but I've grown to like her." Asta blushed. "Why don't you go and see if she's all right."
"Sure." Tehvay left her mother's side and went to see if Kikola needed anything.
"How are you doing?" Tehvay said as she approached.
"I am fine," said Kikola. "I have just been watching you greeting your guests."
"And…?"
"I was just admiring the ease with which you talk to others, especially people you don't know."
"Ima was just saying the same thing. I give the credit to speaking at PPG rallies. I had to become comfortable with public speaking. And to be honest, I rather enjoy it."
Kikola gave her a noncommittal hum just as Trujilon appeared from inside the house. He, along with his sister, had been one of the first to arrive.
"Where's Ell?" Trujilon looked around the garden for his sister. "Ah, there she is!"
Tehvay looked to where Trujilon's attention had been drawn and saw her father escorting Ellovene around the garden. Pallin took every opportunity to show off his horticultural domain. Her father glanced over at her and waved. He tapped Ellovene's shoulder and pointed to where Tehvay was standing. Ellovene came over as Pallin drifted off to find another guest to impress.
Ellovene glanced around as she walked over. "Where's Yuniph? We haven't seen her yet."
"It's not like her to miss her own birthday party," Trujilon observed.
"I don't know. I'm sure she will be here shortly." Tehvay reached for a nearby tray of refreshments. "In the meantime, may I offer you another beverage and something to eat?"
Tehvay offered some to Kikola as well; Kikola politely declined.
Ellovene took a bite of a small pastry. "This is delicious!" She waved the half-eaten pastry at Tehvay with one hand and brushed a crumb from the corner of her mouth with her other. "Who made them?"
"My mother and I did. Well, my mother did most of the work. I just helped." Tehvay rolled her eyes. "A bit."
"Chief taster, I bet!" Trujilon laughed as he helped himself to one of the pastries.
"Well, if we served these at the next PPG rally, we'd double our recruitment!" Ellovene claimed.
Everyone chuckled – everyone except Kikola. Tehvay was aware of Kikola's opinion of the PPG; however, she wasn't inclined to steer Trujilon and Ellovene towards another topic.
"And speaking of the next PPG rally, we have a surprise for you," Trujilon added. He glanced at his sister. "We were going to mention it tomorrow, but… shall we tell her now?"
"Yes," said Ellovene. "We had a meeting with the other committee members, and—"
"—And we're all in agreement that you should become a member of the leadership committee as well." Trujilon said, barely containing his enthusiasm.
"Me?" Tehvay asked in disbelief.
"Yes," said Trujilon. "You are a very persuasive speaker, and you offer a singular perspective on slavery. It wasn't even us that proposed it. Szymon did."
"Well, I…" Tehvay glanced at Kikola who remained inexpressive, but not hard to read. "I'm flattered. May I think about it and get back to you?"
Trujilon and Ellovene put down their drinks. "Of course," Trujilon replied.
"Forgive us," Ellovene added. "This is your birthday party. We can discuss this another time."
"We should go look for Yuniph," Trujilon said to his sister, and the two of them drifted away.
Tehvay turned to Kikola. "Is something wrong?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you didn't say one word to Trujilon and Ellovene. I know you don't like parties, but it's something more, I can tell."
"It's nothing."
Sometimes Kikola's impassive face spoke volumes to Tehvay. "This is about them asking me to be on the leadership committee, isn't it?"
Kikola didn't respond.
"I didn't say I would do it. I said I would think about it."
"So, you did."
Tehvay was about to say something more, but her mother was approaching them. "We'll discuss it later, okay?"
They opened up their circle of two to include Asta, who was looking a bit worried.
"Have either one of you heard from Yuniph?" Tehvay's mother asked. "Guests are noticing her absence. She's not answering her communicator. She hasn't sent me a message. It's most unlike her."
Tehvay too was beginning to wonder where her sister was. "No, we haven't."
"I'm beginning to get concerned for her safety," said Asta.
"I am sure she is fine," Kikola replied. "She is more than capable of looking after herself."
"Yes, you're right," said Asta, and her shoulders visibly relaxed.
A small disturbance caught their attention. Rikana had come over the fence and landed a metre away from Pallin, who was standing nearby talking to a guest. Tehvay watched the exchange between her father and Rikana with some amusement.
"Hey, Mr V.," she said brightly.
"Good evening, Rikana," Tehvay's father replied. "What have I told you about climbing over the fence?"
"That it's adorable." She dipped her head and raised her eyes to look at him.
"Uh, huh." Pallin patted her shoulder. "I think I used the word 'don't' in there somewhere."
"I'll remember next time, Mr V."
Rikana slipped between Pallin and the guest and came over to where Kikola, Tehvay, and Asta were standing.
"Hey, Mrs. V."
"Hello, Rikana. I'm glad you could make it."
"You know," Rikana shrugged. "Party. Food. Drink."
Asta chuckled. "Well, help yourself."
"I will, thanks." Kikola's fellow officer barely gave her a look as she greeted Tehvay. "Hi, Miss V. Great dress."
Tehvay noted Rikana's ensemble: a purple and black blouse, matching skirt cut in the style popular with Trengosian youth – from right thigh to left ankle – and black leggings. On top of that she wore a loose-fitting jacket that appeared to be made of many random shaped pieces of material, all in varying shades of red.
Rikana's bold fashion choices match her personality, Tehvay thought. "Thank you, and you look very stylish, especially that jacket."
Rikana, who normally had a quick comeback for everything, just blushed at the compliment. "Um…" Rikana reached into her jacket and held out a small package to Tehvay. It was poorly wrapped in plain paper. "Happy Birthday," she muttered.
"Thank you, Rikana." Tehvay took the proffered gift.
Rikana reached around Tehvay to the refreshment table, grabbed a bottle of beer, and slinked away.
Tehvay opened the gift to reveal a small, delicate porcelain figure of an animal.
"I didn't expect that sort of gift from Rikana," said Kikola.
Tehvay held up the figurine to examine it. Delicate strands of fur had been painted on its body and tiny dots in its eyes brought the animal's expression to life.
Pallin came over to his daughter. "She's quite the talent," he said.
"Rikana?" Kikola queried.
"Yes, she makes these." Asta took the gift from Tehvay to look at it, then handed it back. "Not very often, mind. Special occasions, like birthdays. She has given me one every year."
"It's lovely," Tehvay replied.
"She is full of surprises," said Kikola.
Suddenly the back door opened and out walked Yuniph. "Hello everyone."
It suddenly got very quiet among the party guests as Yuniph approached her parents, Tehvay, and Kikola. "Sorry I'm late."
Tehvay had to do a double take just to be sure it was Yuniph. Yuniph's long blonde hair had been cut short, almost as short as Tehvay's hair.
Any concern over her daughter's safety was gone. "Sorry? I should hope so," said Asta. "You said you were just going out to run an errand. You failed to mention you would be gone for hours."
"I didn't know it would take hours."
"Had I known it was for this," said Asta pointing to Yuniph's hair, "I never would have allowed it."
"'Allowed it'? What am I, ten?"
"Yuniph," Pallin chided.
Yuniph changed her tone to one slightly less petulant. "I thought I'd be back in time for the party."
"Why didn't you let us know you were going to be late?"
"Because I didn't know until it was too late."
Tehvay found this exchange between her mother and sister uncomfortable in the extreme. She had never seen her mother so angry or her sister so defiant. Her stomach was in knots – torn between wanting to run away and wanting to intercede.
"How could you be so thoughtless to us, to your guests, to your sister?"
"I—"
"Hey, what have you done to your hair, Veilan?" Rikana interrupted Asta's admonishment of her daughter. "Now you look exactly like Miss V., except without the fashion sense." She looked at Yuniph's plain white dress and laughed.
"Shut up, Rikana. I am sick and tired of you telling me I have no fashion sense. And while I'm about it, I am sick of being compared to Tehvay all the time."
"Yuniph!" Pallin chided again.
"We don't compare you to Tehvay," Asta replied.
"Ha! Ever since she showed up, you barely notice I'm in the room. It's all about Tehvay for you two."
"That's not true," Asta countered.
"Be honest, Ima. Would we have bothered with this birthday party if it weren't for Tehvay?"
Asta didn't reply.
"No offence to Tehvay," Yuniph continued, "but since she arrived, I've been practically invisible. And that's another thing, she's over here all the time. I feel suffocated."
"We had no idea you felt this way," Asta replied.
"We are trying to get to know the daughter we lost. We make no apologies for that, but we have never stopped loving you," said Pallin.
"I'm leaving. This is getting too much for me," said Rikana. "Thanks Mrs. V, Mr. V. Happy Birthday Miss V. I'll see you at work, Veilan. And as for you Kikola, good luck telling them apart now!" Rikana cackled and leapt over the fence the same way she came in.
All the other guests had discreetly slipped out as well. The party was decidedly over. It was just the Veilan family and Kikola standing in the garden amidst the empty chairs, half-eaten plates of food, and an uneaten birthday cake.
"Perhaps we should leave as well," Kikola said to Tehvay.
"If anyone's leaving, it's me!" Yuniph turned on her heel and went back into the house.
Pallin called after her. "Yuniph, come back." He started to follow her.
"No, wait," said Tehvay. "I'm the one she has an issue with, so I should be the one to go and talk with her."
~~~~
Tehvay found Yuniph in her bedroom staring at her reflection in the mirror and running her fingers through her hair.
Yuniph glanced at Tehvay and said, "For what it's worth, I am sorry if I ruined your birthday party."
"You didn't ruin it. I had a lovely time. The only thing that could have made it better was having you there to share it with me."
"How can you be so nice after the awful things I just said?"
Tehvay sat on the edge of Yuniph's bed. "Come sit. Let's have a chat."
"I really don't feel much like talking right now."
"That's all right. We don't have to talk if you don't want to." Tehvay made room for Yuniph to join her and patted the spot. "Please? Consider it a birthday present to me."
Yuniph smiled half-heartedly and sat down next to Tehvay. For a few minutes neither spoke, and then Tehvay picked up a soft toy from the bedside table. It had six legs, one of which had been reattached, a tail that looked like it had been chewed off about half way, a pointy snout, one long ear and one chewed nub where the other ear should be, and wings.
"What's this?" asked Tehvay.
"Something silly," replied Yuniph. She took the toy off Tehvay and held it in her lap. "It's a dryg, a mythical creature. I named it Idris. It was my favourite toy when I was a baby. I took it everywhere. Slept with it. I was maybe four or five before I could leave it home when I went to school. Never could throw it away though. Did you have one?"
"One what?"
"Favourite toy?"
"No. I didn't have any toys."
"Sorry." Yuniph bowed her head. "Stupid of me. I should have thought."
"No, no, you shouldn't have to think about it. No one should." Tehvay reached out and held one of the creature's wings between her thumb and forefinger. "I can't miss what I never had. I can't relive the past with the knowledge of what I know now."
She returned Yuniph's stuffed toy to its place of honour and took a deep breath. "My first owner liked young girls. He had four of us. We shared a cell. I can't even remember their names now. For all the terrible things we endured together, we weren't close. We weren't friends. We had been raised to believe we were property."
"Tehvay, you don't have to—"
"Please, I want to." Tehvay looked her sister in the eyes. "One night our owner came to our cell, pointed at one of the others and said he was going to kill her in the morning. That was it. We just went to sleep. There was no fear. No trying to console the one he pointed at. If he had pointed at me, I would have reacted no differently." Tehvay decided not to go into details of what happened the following morning. "If I look back and think about what I should've done, how I would react if it happened today, I would go insane. So, don't you do it."
Yuniph wiped away a tear. "You've been treated like dirt your whole life. I should treat you better. I'm sorry."
"I'm not saying this to make you feel sorry. I'm just explaining why I didn't have toys," replied Tehvay. She smiled, but she could see that it didn't help Yuniph feel better. "Let me apologise to you."
Yuniph looked perplexed. "Why should you apologise to me?"
"Because in all my enthusiasm in discovering that I had parents and a sister, I never stopped to think how this would affect you. The kind of adjustments you would have to make. The questions, the emotions, the loss."
"Loss! What loss?"
"The loss of your family as you knew it," said Tehvay. "You were an only child until I showed up. In an instant, your family history had been rewritten, your world turned upside down."
"Did Kikola say something to you?"
"No, I knew something was bothering you. I just didn't know what it was until now."
Yuniph stood up and paced the floor a few times. Tehvay sat quietly on the bed and waited for her sister to decide to open up to her. Finally, Yuniph re-joined Tehvay on the edge of the bed.
"Don't take this the wrong way," Yuniph began. "I'm glad you're free from slavery. I'm glad Ima and Ita have found you again. But you're a stranger to me – a stranger with my face, but a stranger nonetheless. We should have shared so much growing up, but we didn't. And now there is this woman who has nothing in common with me that's inserted herself into my life. You even stole my friends!"
Tehvay assumed Yuniph meant Trujilon and Ellovene, but she didn't want to invoke logic by pointing out that she hadn't stolen Yuniph's friends. Yuniph was too emotional for that. Right now, Yuniph needed to vent, and Tehvay wasn't going to interrupt her.
"I can't relate to your upbringing," Yuniph continued, "the horrors you've endured." She held up her hands. "I'm just being honest. I'm just telling you how I feel. I am grieving the loss of the family unit I had known all my life. Not that finding out I have a sister was a bad thing. It's not. I'm very happy I have a sister."
Tehvay reached out for Yuniph's hand. "So, am I."
"It's just…"
"It's just that you wish it was someone more like you."
Yuniph drew her hand away. "Yes. That makes me a bad person, I know."
"No, it doesn't. It just makes you, you," said Tehvay. "Kikola is going through a similar adjustment. Everyone around her is different from the people she is used to. She finds it difficult to fit in. It doesn't make her a bad person, just like not knowing how to cope with me doesn't make you a bad person."
"That's good of you to say," Yuniph replied, "but there are times I resent it as well – not so much that you are here a lot."
"No, you're right. I do spend a lot of time here. And I can understand why you would resent it, feel suffocated."
"No, I don't feel suffocated. I just said that because I was angry."
"I don't blame you for feeling angry. It was never my intention to make you feel like I was somehow trying to take your place in Ima and Ita's eyes."
"No, I know you weren't. It's me," Yuniph said. "I was feeling left out, an outsider, whenever the conversation turned to your time as a slave. That is an horrific experience that you and our parents share that I will never be able to understand or be a part of. Does that make sense?"
"Sadly, it does," Tehvay replied. "I'm sorry. I will try not to talk about it when you're present."
"No! I don't want you to feel that you have to censor yourself when I'm around. It's my issue, so I need to get over it. Besides, it must be the same for you when we reminisce about family memories. I just realised how painful that must be for you," said Yuniph. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologise. I admit, at first I felt a twinge of sadness that I wasn't here to share those memories with you, but I am very happy to hear about them, because in the retelling, I become part of it."
"You know, now I'm so glad I got my hair cut and stormed off in a fit of pique," said Yuniph. "If I hadn't, we never would have had this conversation!"
Tehvay gave Yuniph a warm hug. As she pulled back and looked at her sister, Tehvay still had a question.
"May I ask you something personal?"
"Sure."
"Why did you get your hair cut today?"
Yuniph hesitated before offering an explanation. "To be honest, I was feeling sorry for myself because I was jealous of you. It was, in hindsight, a childish act of defiance."
"Getting your haircut?"
Yuniph got up and looked at her reflection in the mirror again. "Yes. I did it to get back at Ima and Ita for lavishing all this attention on you," Yuniph confessed. "I'm not proud of it, now that I've had time to reflect."
Tehvay stood and joined Yuniph at the mirror. She was taken by just how alike they looked now that Yuniph's hair was a similar length to her own. "I have a confession to make."
"Oh, what's that?" Yuniph asked.
"I am jealous of you sometimes."
"You are jealous of me? Why?" Yuniph questioned.
"Perhaps jealous is too strong – envious," Tehvay replied. "I am envious of the close bond you have with our parents, especially with Ima. No matter how close we all become as a family going forward, I will never know what it is like to be raised by loving parents or grow up with a sister and best friend. And I resent the years taken from us by a cruel twist of fate."
Yuniph glanced away.
Tehvay gathered Yuniph's hands in hers. "But I am grateful too – grateful that we have the rest of our lives together. And that's what we should focus on – not what we've lost, but what we've gained. Let's start right here, right now being sisters. What do you say?"
Yuniph grinned. "I say, let's go eat some birthday cake – sister!"
The words were sincere. Tehvay believed Yuniph truly meant it, and it was a big step in the right direction. However, she also knew the issues had not been resolved in one conversation. Tehvay turned to gaze at their reflections in the mirror once more. Yuniph turned to look as well. Their eyes met in the glass.
"Sister," Tehvay echoed and smiled.
~~~~
The ship was fast. Too fast.
"Back off!" ordered Kikola.
"Are you crazy? They're getting away!" shouted the pilot.
"We are not going to catch them if we follow them. Once they hit the atmosphere they will have to slow down. We can move faster than them up here. They are being tracked, and we can intercept when they try to leave. Now, back off."
The pilot grumbled and broke off the chase. The quarry disappeared from visual but the sensors still had them.
Kikola hit the comm. "Interceptor Four, this is Interceptor One. Move to co-ordinates eight-zero, minus three-five. Wait there."
"Copy."
"Interceptor Three, this is Interceptor One. Hold position over the southern pole."
"Copy."
"Interceptor Two, this is Interceptor One. Move to co-ordinates minus eight-zero, minus one-one-five."
"Copy."
Kikola turned to the pilot. "They are flying low over the ocean. They know they are not welcome so will try and leave the atmosphere before reaching land, here," she tapped the screen. "Get above there."
"This better work," he muttered.
A head poked into the cockpit. "Why haven't we caught them yet?" asked Rikana.
"Patience," said Kikola. The sensor showed the target was climbing. "All Interceptors converge on me, now!"
"Shall I—" The pilot started to ask, but Kikola knew what he was going to say.
"Yes!"
The pilot punched a button on the console in front of him. A stream of energy shot out of the lead interceptor ship causing a large ball of heated plasma in the upper atmosphere. The slave raider's ship was travelling too fast to avoid it.
"That'll blind 'em," chuckled the pilot.
"Well done," said Kikola. "Get alongside them."
"Now?" asked Rikana with a big grin.
"Now," said Kikola and followed the younger woman to the airlock.
Rikana was continually bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation, while Kikola remained passive. The contact light came on.
"Come on," urged Rikana. The seal light came on. "That's it!" She pushed a button and the door slid open revealing the airlock door of the slaver's ship. Without waiting for instruction, she sprayed the liquid explosive on the door, placed the detonator, and stood back. Only then did she look to Kikola. A simple nod was all it took, and she detonated the explosive.
As the smoke cleared, it revealed a hole large enough to walk through in the airlock door.
Kikola tossed in a stun grenade, and Rikana rushed in as soon as it had gone off. Kikola shook her head at Rikana's impetuous nature, and followed her colleague through the blast hole and onto the slaver's ship. There were two bodies just outside the airlock, knocked out by the grenade. That left four more, if the sensors were correct. Kikola cuffed the unconscious figures and moved on.
Weapons fire caught her attention and Kikola hurried on. She found Rikana cuffing two more inert bodies. "One's holed up in the 'pit, the other ran off down there." She nodded to a stairwell.
"I will take the one in the cockpit," said Kikola.
Rikana said nothing before heading off. Kikola inched towards the open door to the cockpit. A shot whizzed out, and she ducked.
"You are beaten. Surrender," Kikola ordered.
"I ain't beaten 'til you drag me out of 'ere." The reply was punctuated by another shot.
"If that is how you want me to do it." Kikola tossed in another grenade. When the smoke cleared, she went in and handcuffed the disoriented criminal.
Kikola headed down the steps to find Rikana. She heard the sounds of something hard hitting flesh and bone from outside the hold. She entered and saw Rikana standing over the prone body of the final raider, raining angry blows down on it with a chain. There were a lot of chains in the hold, designed to secure people by the throat to the wall. The raider was long dead, but still Rikana swung the chain and cursed every time it made contact.
Kikola stood back and waited for Rikana to tire. Eventually the woman gave up, dropped the chain, and silently walked back to the interceptor without a word.
~~~~
After returning to headquarters, the surviving slavers had been put in the cells. Kikola and Rikana had written up their reports and were now waiting for Yuniph to read them. Yuniph looked up at the pair.
"Your reports—" she began.
"Are accurate," said Rikana.
"I was going to say vague."
"There is not much to put in it, Sergeant," said Kikola. "We boarded the ship, stunned five and brought them into custody. The sixth died before being apprehended."
"Their injuries were—"
"They resisted." Rikana stared straight ahead.
Yuniph looked at Kikola.
"They resisted, Sergeant," said Kikola.
She sighed heavily. "Very well. Dismissed."
The two officers walked silently down the corridor to go and sign out. As if by some unknown communication, they both came to a halt near the stairway down to the lobby area. Rikana stared out of a window at the evening gloom. Kikola studied the floor.
Eventually Rikana spoke. "This doesn't make us friends or anything, but thank you for not saying anything."
"I do not desire you as a friend," said Kikola, and looked up. "However, I do not dislike working with you."
Rikana turned from the window, a frown creasing her forehead. "Speak properly."
Kikola ignored her barb. "I know what happened to your parents. I know the anger you must have felt confronting that raider, seeing those chains and knowing that your parents could have met their fate that way if they weren't killed."
Rikana sniffed and looked away. "I don't want your sympathy."
"It is not sympathy. I am saying I understand your anger. Please accept some advice. Keep that anger in check. If you are going into a situation like that again, or any combat situation, remain calm. Anger is distracting. It attracts the attention of your enemies. It gives them something to use against you."
Rikana shook her head, causing the barely contained mass of curls of her hair to sweep across her back. "I don't want your advice, either."
"You might not want it, but you need it."
The young officer raised her fist and looked like she was about to punch the wall. Instead, she exhaled noisily and tapped the wall gently. "So, you never feel angry?"
"Feel it, yes. Show it, no." Kikola moved into Rikana's eye line. "Every time you throw an insult my way, I get angry. I want to react and lash out at you. However, I know that you have reasons to mistrust the Hegemony and, by association, me. I know that reacting to that anger and destroying you would serve no purpose. I also know that giving in to that anger would be a sign of weakness."
"What's your secret for combat situations? How do you stop yourself from showing anger?"
Kikola recognised a shift in the tone of voice of the younger woman. For all her lack of breeding and abrasive ways, Rikana had a sense of honour. Kikola decided that given a sense of purpose and a bit of guidance, there could be an understanding between them.
"Win," said Kikola. "There is only one goal of any conflict and that is to win. Focus on that and use whatever advantage you can to secure victory. Know your enemy's weaknesses and exploit them. Most importantly, show no weaknesses of your own."
"Simple as that?" Rikana showed genuine interest.
"The theory is simple. The execution takes practice. That is why we spend ten years training before being given command."
"What if you can't win?"
"Survive. If you survive, then you can win another day. Never let an enemy think you are beaten for good."
"And if you can't win or survive?" Rikana asked.
"Then you lose."
"Surely you go for the noble death?" Rikana took a skipping leap to the top of the stairs. "Take as many of them with you before you go? Aaaarrgh!" She mimed throwing herself down the stairs.
Kikola allowed a laugh, and then turned serious again. "There is nothing noble about dying in battle. If you die, you lose. We do not accept losing."
"We? Or do you mean 'them'? The Heggers?"
"I mean 'we'. Me and whoever is on my side."
Rikana approached Kikola and stared her straight in the eye. "Then you better pick your side carefully."
Kikola smiled. "You learn quickly, but—" she moved with lightning speed, grabbing the younger woman and pinning her to the wall, "—you still have much to learn. Choose your side carefully and I might teach you."
Rikana laughed. "I'll let you live, for now, while you may be of some use."
"Good," said Kikola. "You're not showing weakness, but you can't win this battle. How do you survive it?"
Rikana tried moving, but Kikola had her immobilised. "I guess I made a mistake somewhere."
"You did. You were over-confident. You underestimated me and got within my range." Kikola relaxed and let Rikana go.
A passing colleague gave them a curious look. Rikana told him what he could do. Kikola thought it physically impossible.
Kikola continued. "As well as knowing your enemy's weaknesses, know their strengths. In close quarters unarmed combat with me, you will not win, or survive. On that slaver ship you won because they underestimated you. News will get out that slaver ships will be targeted if they come here, so the next one that tries will be prepared for us to intercept it. They'll be better armed and ready to use force. Do what you did today, and you will lose. If you lose, I lose, and I don't like losing."
"Neither do I," said Rikana.
The younger woman held out a hand, Kikola reached out to take it and was caught by surprise when Rikana moved the hand away and lightly tapped her on the cheek. "Ha, ha. Gotcha."
"Or did I let you win?"
Rikana frowned. "There has got to be something I'm better at than you."
Kikola nodded. "There is… I… Asta told me about the present you gave Tehvay. That you make them."
"That's right. What of it?"
"You never struck me as the artistic type." Kikola gasped. "Sorry, that was judgemental of me."
Rikana cackled. "If you can't judge others, who can you judge? It's no fun judging yourself!"
"No, it's not," Kikola agreed. "I find I am constantly judging myself on Trengos. Am I fitting in? Am I acting too much like an Elit?"
"Hey! I judge you enough, so you don't have to."
"That's very kind of you," said Kikola, and smiled.
"That's judging me! I'm not kind," said Rikana with mock sternness. "At least not your kind, as I have pointed out before!"
Laughing with Rikana felt good to Kikola. Growing up she had often wanted to share in the laughter of others, but she had been shaped to be the best, most efficient military officer she could be. Laughter was not a part of that plan.
"Back to those animal figures," said Kikola after the laughter subsided.
"My…" Rikana hesitated. "My mother taught me. She was the real artist in the family. They're not that hard to make. Don't tell anyone," she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, and leaned forward, her eyes darted left and right. "I use a mould." She straightened up. "I just paint them."
"I have always wanted to paint," said Kikola, "but it wasn't meant to be."
"Why not?"
"I was meant to be an aloyd, not an artist. It's deemed unnecessary to train for a role one is not fulfilling."
"Heggers, you're so weird." Rikana paused. "Does that word bother you?"
"What word?"
"Hegger."
"Should it?"
Rikana snorted. "Some people think it's offensive."
"It's only a word."
"You should."
"Should what?" asked Kikola. "Find it offensive?"
"No, stupid. Paint – if you want to."
"You're the second person who told me I should paint."
"Let me guess – Miss V. was the first."
"Yes." Kikola smiled at the name Rikana used for Tehvay.
"Do you want to or not?" Rikana pressed.
"I don't know."
"Look, if you want to paint, I can give you the address of the shop where I get my supplies."
"That's very kind of you, though I am not sure I would know what to buy, or where to start."
"Don't worry. Olliad is very patient with newbies. She should be able to give you the name of a teacher. You can see how good you are before buying."
"My thanks."
"Don't get all gushy. It's just an address." Rikana transferred the information to Kikola's comm device. "This still doesn't mean we're friends."
"Right, not friends. Got it."
"Though I guess you're not half bad, as Heggers go."
"High praise, coming from you."
"I guess you're anxious to get home to Miss V.?"
"Tehvay is going to another PPG meeting tonight. Aren't you going?"
"Nah. Been. Signed up." Rikana grinned and spread her arms wide. "Killed a fucking slaver!" The grin faded.
"Is that the first person you've killed?"
Rikana shook her head. She reached behind her head and pulled her hair free. "Killed a few bad guys on duty. The bosses prefer us to use stun settings, at least on those we want to talk with later. But if you're exchanging fire and they're trying to kill you, it's allowed. Stun setting is not as accurate on these things." She patted the IPB on her hip.
"You seemed accurate enough when you shot me at the spaceport."
Rikana shrugged. "I got close. Must have been my lucky day, something was distracting you."
"I guess I forgot my own training," said Kikola with a wry smile.
"What about you? You killed anyone?"
Kikola thought back to all the lives she had taken. "Yes," she said quietly. Then she thought of Supreme-Aloyd Taliss. "Only one of them deserved it though."
"Let me buy you a drink," said Rikana. "There's a lot we can learn from each other. You can teach me more about military tactics, and I can teach you how to loosen up a bit."
Yuniph was working late, so Kikola's plan was to catch the transport home, get a meal from the dispenser, and wait for Tehvay to return. Rikana's offer sounded better. "I would like that. Is there a good restaurant nearby? You can buy me a drink, and I will buy you something to eat."
"A good restaurant? Do you want good décor, good service, or good food?" Rikana asked. "You'll be hard pressed to get all three."
"I will leave it up to your judgement!"
Rikana cackled and they headed downstairs.
~~~~
As the front door closed behind her, Kikola reflected on the evening she had spent with Rikana. The young woman had given Kikola a list of where she considered the best places in Dansek to eat, shop, or get drunk. Kikola was, in fact, pleasantly surprised by the restaurant Rikana had chosen for their meal. It was small, hidden away down a narrow alley off a side road from the main shopping thoroughfare. On entering, the waiter immediately called for a beer for Rikana. It turned out to be a regular haunt for the young officer. While the décor itself left a lot to be desired, the service was quick, friendly, and human – most food outlets went for automated servers since they were more efficient. Kikola found the food to be quite palatable by Trengosian standards.
The dinner conversation had been informative, though Rikana did most of the talking. Either she tried to make jokes, some of which Kikola found funny, others that just went over her head, or she bombarded Kikola with questions. Kikola was more at ease discussing their intercept mission and exchanging ideas on how to go about policing. Kikola tried to impart her military training, while Rikana explained why it wouldn't work on the streets, or grudgingly accepted that Kikola's idea was a good one. By the end, Kikola felt they understood each other better.
After a quick shower, Kikola changed into a sleeveless vest and loose-fitting trousers. She headed back downstairs just as Tehvay came through the front door.
Tehvay smiled and came to Kikola for a kiss, and Kikola was happy to oblige.
"How was the meeting?" Kikola asked.
"Good. I need to get something to eat." Tehvay moved by Kikola to the kitchen. "Do you want anything?" she asked over her shoulder.
"I have already eaten, thanks."
"Okay. Go sit down." Tehvay nodded to the sitting room. "I'll come and join you in a bit."
Kikola happily did as instructed and settled on the settee. Tehvay soon joined her, carrying a plate of food in one hand and a drink in the other. She sat down, placed her drink on the low table in front of them, and cozied up to Kikola. Kikola draped her arm over Tehvay's shoulders and watched her partner tuck into the dispenser meal.
"We heard the news," said Tehvay as she swallowed.
"News?"
"Mm-hm," Tehvay hummed as she leaned forward to take a mouthful of her drink. "The successful intercept." She beamed a wide smile at Kikola. "Slave raiders in custody. It's brilliant news!"
"Yes. Very good."
"When the audience heard that news, I think it doubled the number that signed up. It's great, a positive result so soon after implementing the plan. So, tell me about it." Tehvay took another bite. She didn't wait to swallow all of it before adding. "I take it you were involved."
"Yes. Rikana and I boarded the ship and apprehended the culprits."
"And?"
"And what?"
"I want details." Tehvay grinned and gently nudged Kikola in the ribs. "I want to be able to tell the group what a hero you are. I'm so proud of you."
"I was just doing my job."
"You're too modest. Go on, tell me."
"I can't. It is up to the Dansek Security Force, probably Commander Simeal, to release any details. All I can tell you is what you already know."
Kikola hated to see the look of disappointment on Tehvay's face. What harm would it do to share some unclassified information? Kikola thought. "What do you want to know?"
Tehvay put her food down on the table, threw her leg up on the settee, and turned to face Kikola. "Well, I know a slave raider ship was intercepted, boarded, and ten arrests were made. Was it just you and Rikana against all ten of them? I can't imagine they just handed themselves over when you boarded. Were there ten? Or more?"
"I can't confirm the number." Kikola leaned forward and reached for Tehvay's drink. "Do you mind?"
"No, go right ahead."
Kikola lifted the glass to her mouth and took a sip, and then placed it back on the table in front of Tehvay. "I can confirm that they didn't come quietly."
"Are you saying they resisted?" A surprised look appeared on Tehvay's face. "Did they fight back?"
Kikola didn't respond immediately, weighing how much of the details she should share.
Tehvay's eyes grew wider. "Were you in danger?"
"Do not worry. I am fine."
"Yes, but you might not have been."
"I have been in more dangerous situations." Kikola smiled reassuringly. "Your attempt to elicit more information will not succeed."
Tehvay gave a comical pout and settled once more against Kikola. "So, what have you been doing this evening? Not too lonely on your own?"
"No. I was not on my own. I had a meal with Rikana after we finished our shift."
"That's nice." Tehvay shifted to look at Kikola. "Are you becoming friends now?"
Kikola recalled Rikana's avowal that they were not friends. "No, but I am beginning to understand her a little better."
"Oh? What did you talk about?" Tehvay took another bite of her food.
Kikola absent-mindedly reached out and wiped some food from the corner of Tehvay's mouth with her index finger. Tehvay caught Kikola's finger in her mouth and closed her lips around it. A growing heat spread slowly through Kikola as Tehvay sucked and licked her finger.
"She told… me…"
Tehvay pulled her head back and glanced up at Kikola. "Told you… what?" Tehvay didn't wait for the answer. She straightened Kikola's second finger and took both fingers in her mouth again. Kikola was so fixated on what Tehvay's lips and tongue were doing that she abandoned all conversation and sought Tehvay's lips with her own.
She opened her mouth and welcomed Tehvay's exploration. Their kiss was interrupted when Tehvay's plate slipped to the floor.
"Leave it," breathed Tehvay. She shifted position, straddling Kikola's lap, pinning her to the seat.
As Tehvay's lips locked to hers, Kikola felt a tugging at the drawstring on her trousers. She leaned back, eager to help facilitate Tehvay's advances.
Tehvay pulled Kikola's trousers down. Her hand descended. Kikola let out a breathy moan as two fingers pushed past her labia. The moment was over as soon as it happened. Tehvay pulled back and raised her right hand. The tips of the first two fingers glistened.
Tehvay placed her second finger in her mouth and used her index finger to beckon Kikola closer. Kikola obeyed. She took Tehvay's finger in her mouth and tasted her own essence. Tongues probed around fingers, seeking each other. Hoping to do the same to Tehvay, Kikola slid her hand down until it found the bare flesh of Tehvay's leg, and then it changed direction, lifting the fabric of Tehvay's skirt out of the way. Tehvay did not object, so Kikola slowly moved her hand up Tehvay's thigh. She felt Tehvay's muscles tense. Should I stop, thought Kikola. Tehvay relaxed. Taking that as a sign to continue, Kikola moved her hand again, and this time Tehvay allowed Kikola to touch her clitoris, Kikola's heart pounded as she let her fingers probe lower.
Fists pushed at Kikola's chest. Tehvay grunted. It took Kikola less than a second to realise what was happening. She withdrew her hand.
"No! No!" Tehvay skittered backwards and sat heavily on the low table, sending her drink to the floor. She turned her head to avoid Kikola's eyes. "Sorry. No," she muttered.
After taking a few moments for both of them to settle, Kikola gently reached out. Her fingers brushed Tehvay's fingers. Tehvay responded and their fingers entwined.
"I am sorry," said Kikola.
"It's my fault."
"No," Kikola said firmly. "This is not your fault. Don't ever say that. Don't ever think that."
Kikola had never felt so helpless as Tehvay flung herself against her chest and cried. All she could do was hold her and love her.