CHAPTER 8
A table finally opened up at the crowded café, and Tehvay grabbed it. An automated serving device came to life and asked in a pleasant female voice, "Party of one?"
Tehvay replied that she was waiting for two others to join her. A moment later, place settings for three were set out on the table, along with one glass of water in front of Tehvay. She found herself saying "Thank you," to the device.
It replied, "You're welcome."
Tehvay sipped on her water while she waited, glancing towards the door every few minutes. By the time her glass was half emptied, her friends had arrived. She waved them over to her table and watched as the man and woman made their way through the swarming restaurant towards her. She greeted them both with a warm smile.
"Sorry it took so long," said Ellovene. "We had to circle a few times before we found a parking space."
"We're going to have to increase the budget for snacks at those PPG leadership committee meetings, I'm starving!" Trujilon exclaimed. "Glad we dropped you off to grab a table first!"
As soon as they sat down, the automated serving device recognised that the party of three was complete, came to life again, and displayed the menu. They each ordered one of the specials and a cup of dyodpeth.
Three steaming cups of dyodpeth arrived at the table almost immediately. Tehvay wrapped her hands around her cup and brought it up to her nose. She breathed in the steam and noted the rich, earthy, slightly acidic aroma of the dyodpeth beans. She took a long satisfying sip of the dark roasted liquid. "That certainly warms my insides."
Ellovene and Trujilon agreed that a hot cup of dyodpeth was just what they needed after walking half a kilometre in the chilly evening air from where they had to park their vehicle.
As they ate their meal, the conversation naturally turned towards the PPG leadership committee meeting they had just come from.
"So, what did you think of your first leadership committee meeting?" asked Trujilon.
"Interesting, though I didn't have much to contribute," Tehvay replied.
"The leadership committee thinks enough of you that they asked you to be part of the delegation that goes to Inosa," said Ellovene.
Inosa, the nearest inhabited planet to Trengos, was also experiencing an upturn in slave raider activity. News of the PPG had reached there and some were interested in forming their own organisation similar to the PPG.
"Yes, but why me?" asked Tehvay.
The black-haired woman replied, "Because everyone is impressed by your charisma and ability to connect with others when speaking at the rallies."
Tehvay blushed and turned her attention to her meal. She had ordered fish, but it was sadly lacking in quality. She reached for some sauce to improve the taste.
"You're left-handed!" Trujilon suddenly blurted out.
Tehvay froze as if she had been caught stealing. She looked at the black-haired man, who was staring at her hand with his fork halfway to his mouth.
Ellovene snorted and nudged her brother. "He's a bit slow," she said to Tehvay.
"What? I only just noticed," he explained.
"Is it a problem?" asked Tehvay.
"No," said Ellovene.
"After Yuniph had her hair cut, I thought it would be harder to tell you apart," said Trujilon. "I know Yuniph's right-handed, so that makes it a bit easier."
Tehvay thought of her sister. For all their physical similarity, there was so much difference between them.
"How is Yuniph after…?" Ellovene let the question trail.
"The party?" asked Tehvay.
Ellovene nodded.
"She's fine. We chatted. Cleared the air a bit. But it's still going to take time for both of us to adjust. Finding a long-lost sister has affected her more than I thought." Tehvay finished adding sauce to the fish and tried another bite. Much better.
Ellovene picked up her cup of dyodpeth and took a sip. "I think it has less to do with having a long-lost sibling and more to do with her sibling being an ex-slave. It's just my opinion, mind," explained Ellovene, putting her cup down.
"Really?"
"Former slaves come to Trengos with fresh optimism seeking a new life, but the reality of it is a bit harsher. They are considered outsiders by native Trengosians, who have trouble relating to those who were ex-slaves. They can't imagine what it would be like to be a slave for the Hegemony, and they don't know what to say to those who were. Children can be cruel, and Yuniph was teased at school for having parents who were former slaves."
"I had no idea. She never talked about that. Neither did my parents."
"Your parents may not have been aware of it. Yuniph tends to keep things to herself most of the time, in case you haven't noticed."
Tehvay smiled wryly into her cup of dyodpeth.
"Besides," said Trujilon, "once we became friends, we made sure the others didn't bother her anymore. She learnt to stand up for herself eventually. I think that was why she went into the security force and not further education. She found somewhere she can make a difference and help those that can't help themselves."
"Thank you for telling me. It explains a lot." Tehvay glanced at the time displayed on the automated serving device. "Is that the time? I need to get going. Kikola will be home from work shortly."
"We'll drive you," Ellovene offered.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
Trujilon paid the bill and the three friends started to make their way out of the crowded café, when Trujilon said to Ellovene, "Why did I pay? You're the one with a job."
"Because you're a fool," she replied, and poked him in the side.
"I'm a fool?"
"So, you admit it. Well done."
Tehvay observed the brother and sister tease each other with good humour. Is that what close siblings do? She wondered. I wonder if Yuniph and I will ever be that close.
~~~~
Rikana wouldn't call herself domesticated, but she could whip up a tasty meal using real food in a short amount of time. It was something she had learnt from her father. Her original plan for the evening was to go home and spend some quality alone time. That plan was scuppered when Yuniph invited herself over. Rikana figured the best way to get rid of her was to feed her as soon as possible. So, within thirty minutes of arriving home, they were seated at the table eating a meal of renjur sausages, served with ator and mashed calrot. The meat and vegetables were staple food on Trengos, common and versatile. Rikana's secret weapon in converting the everyday meal into a culinary masterpiece was the rich gravy made with the juices from the sausages and finely chopped chebol.
She glanced up as Yuniph pushed some of the yellow mashed calrot and a few of the green ator onto her fork and ate it. Rikana could tell Yuniph was enjoying the food but something was on the blonde-haired woman's mind.
"So," said Rikana. "Are you going to eat that?" She gestured to the half-eaten sausage on Yuniph's plate with her fork. Before Yuniph could reply, Rikana speared it and took a bite off the end.
"Hey!"
Rikana cackled around the mouthful of sausage. Yuniph pushed her plate away.
"They make your hair greasy," said Rikana. "Oh, wait. You don't have any!"
Yuniph ran a hand through her recently shorn locks. Rikana had to laugh at Yuniph's attempt to be rebellious. The shorter hair was an effort to copy her sister Tehvay. However, where Tehvay's hair was wild and looked like it had never seen a brush, Yuniph's hair was lustrous and perfectly styled. Tehvay's hair made her seem interesting, someone unconcerned with how she looked to others, someone with an edge. That appealed to Rikana's sensibilities. Yuniph's hair just made her look boring.
With a sigh, Yuniph picked up her plate, and Rikana's, and headed towards the kitchen.
"You don't have to do that," said Rikana.
"If I don't, you won't."
Rikana cackled. Tidying up was never at the forefront of her priorities. She stood up and went to the sofa. She pushed aside a pile of clothes. An item of underwear caught her attention.
Well, they're not mine, she thought as she held them in front of her crotch.
"Tsk."
Rikana looked up at the sound, Yuniph was averting her gaze. Yuniph's prudishness was one thing Rikana always found amusing. "Yours?" The item of clothing was clearly meant for a man, but Rikana couldn't pass up the opportunity.
"Obviously not."
"Are you sure? Maybe, you're hiding something."
Yuniph sighed.
Rikana bundled up the underwear and dropped it behind the sofa. She picked up the remaining clothes and dumped them on top of the underwear. Then Rikana flopped back down on the couch and picked up a namida fruit from the bowl on a small table to her side. She squeezed the fruit and brought it to her nose. With a satisfied smile, she dug her thumbnail into the skin of the fruit.
Yuniph sat down next to her.
"Want one?" Rikana waved the namida at Yuniph.
Yuniph shook her head. Rikana turned her attention back to the fruit. She pulled at the hole she had made and the skin fell away, revealing the segmented interior.
"Mmm." Rikana made a contented noise as she popped a segment into her mouth.
"You said I could talk to you about any problems I had," said Yuniph.
Rikana concentrated on licking some juice off her fingers. "Yeah, but I kind of hoped you wouldn't take me up on the offer."
Long ago Rikana devised a method on how to get the measure of other people. Start off antagonistic towards them and see how they deal with it. If they ran away, they were not worth it. If they responded in kind, they were worthy of respect, but that was all. If they handled it with humour, or ignored it, then they were someone she could get along with. She had worked out that Yuniph was too strong to run away, too nice to respond in kind, too serious to laugh it off, and too sensitive to ignore it. She knew Yuniph had long since become immune to the jibes, and Rikana had long since got any enjoyment out of them, but she wasn't going to let Yuniph know that.
Rikana looked up and could see Yuniph was being serious. She put the namida down on the arm of the couch and turned her full attention to Yuniph. "Go on," she said.
"I always thought I was the good guy. Standing up for justice. The downtrodden. The victims."
"Well, you are," said Rikana brightly. "Is that it? Glad I could help." Rikana picked up the namida and popped another segment into her mouth.
Yuniph leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. "I feel… I don't know… lost. Real injustice is going on out there," she flung her right arm up to gesture at the ceiling.
"You're on the rotation for interceptor duty. You'll get your chance."
"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what happened to Tehvay – what's happening to millions of slaves, right now!"
"Yeah, it sucks, but Karthen has a point, I guess. We're not big enough to make a difference."
"A single voice can make a difference. If one person hears it and joins in, then there are two voices. And if two people hear them and—"
"Yeah, yeah. I get the picture. You don't need to preach to me. Give me a big weapon and point me at them. I'll do the rest."
Rikana noticed the wry smile Yuniph offered quickly fade.
"Remember that day when Kikola first came here and you left us alone."
Rikana looked down at the sofa. "You didn't? Not where I'm sitting, please!"
"Be serious." Yuniph tapped Rikana's knee with the back of her hand. "She told me I could never know what it's like to be a slave. No matter how bad I think it is, it's worse." Yuniph tilted her head to look at the ceiling. "These last few months I felt like Tehvay was stealing my parents away from me, I've harboured some dark thoughts. And I hated her for making me feel that way."
"I thought you cleared the air after the party," Rikana replied.
"We did, and Tehvay was super nice about everything. I wanted her to hate me. Or shout at me. Something. But, no. After all the horrors she had to endure, putting up with my insecurities was like finding a hole in her least favourite shoes." Yuniph uttered a hollow laugh. "I guess having more than one pair of shoes, hole or not, would seem like a million credits to a slave."
"You've lost me," Rikana said, "or maybe you were being boring and I didn't listen. Are you comparing Tehvay's life to an old pair of shoes?"
"No." Yuniph shook her head. "What I mean is Tehvay's been beaten. Raped. Degraded. Forced to do things that no one should ever have to do. What are the grievances of a petty sister stacked against all of that?"
"Shit, Veilan. I didn't know it was that bad." Rikana hesitated before laying a hand on Yuniph's shoulder.
"Tehvay's the hero. She's the one putting her voice out there at these PPG meetings. I'm just hiding behind a badge and a uniform."
"We all hide," said Rikana. "We all fail to live up to standards. Whether they're are our own or other people's."
"Yes, but letting yourself down is harder than letting someone else down."
No, it's not, thought Rikana. "Look, Veilan, bitching about all this to me is not helping you. You're smarter than me, so you've probably already figured out the answer. Or at least the answer I'm going to give you."
"Get over it?" Yuniph offered.
"Exactly. You know what the problem is: you're too fucking nice. You know what the solution is: continue being nice and don't let it bother you. Look, there are no easy problems in life, but there are easy answers. The goal is to survive. You do that by not giving up and by not letting the problems beat you."
"What if the problem is insurmountable?" asked Yuniph.
"Then you make it uninsurmountable." Rikana frowned. "Or is it surmountable? Mountable? Table? Whatever. You break it down and deal with it a bit at a time. And maybe a problem is in-uninsurmountable. In which case tell it to fuck off and make it work its arse off to beat you."
A faint chuckle escaped Yuniph's lips.
"The only one beating you up about this, is you," continued Rikana. "Just stop it."
"How do I do that?"
"Whatever works for you? Get laid, or something."
Yuniph blushed.
"I don't have all the answers," said Rikana. "What I do know is that your sister, whether it's despite of what she's been through, or because of what she's been through, is kind of an okay person. Poor taste in who she loves, but not everyone is perfect. That includes you." Rikana paused. "I'm perfect though. Don't ever doubt that."
Yuniph chuckled. "Don't ever change. You're like a force of nature. You cut through everyone's problems without caring if you hurt their feelings. Not because you want to hurt them, but because it's what they need."
"Hey, don't—"
"I'm not finished," Yuniph interrupted. "I need you. I need you to show me what I know. I know how to help others, but I sometimes forget how to help myself. Thank you." Yuniph smiled. "You may now make a suitable humorous and/or insulting quip."
Rikana didn't know how to respond. She looked down at the partly consumed namida in her hand. "Nah, I can't be bothered. Make up your own."
After a few moments of silence, Yuniph spoke. "I better go. I know you've probably got things you'd rather be doing."
"Yeah, like what – laundry?"
Yuniph glanced towards the pile of clothing Rikana had tossed behind the sofa. "You said it, I didn't." She stood up and headed for the door. "I'll see you in work."
Rikana bowed her head, hoping Yuniph wouldn't see just how bad Rikana felt for her friend's predicament. "Bye."
~~~~
Kikola came home from work early with a surprise for Tehvay – a bouquet of flowers. "Tehvay," she called out.
There was no response.
She walked towards the kitchen. "Tehvay?"
Still no response.
This was the fourth night in a row that Kikola had come home and Tehvay was not there to greet her. Kikola surmised that Tehvay was at yet another PPG function. Kikola allowed herself momentary irritation, but reminded herself that it was her own fault for not letting Tehvay know she would be home early.
She left the flowers on the kitchen table and went upstairs to change clothes. She was disappointed that Tehvay was not there to help her. Their evening ritual was something Kikola looked forward to. Tehvay undressing her was tantamount to foreplay. Even if it didn't result in sex, it was still sensual and intimate.
Reluctantly Kikola took off her security force uniform and hung it in the wardrobe. It struck her how light it felt in comparison to her Aloyd's uniform, which hung in the far corner – a shrine to past glory. She pushed away other garments to look at it more closely. It seemed a lifetime ago since she had worn it. She reached out and ran her hand down the sleeve. Kikola didn't have the heart to dispose of it – it was too much a part of her still.
Kikola shook off her melancholy and thumbed through the rest of the clothing looking for something to don. She finally selected a light-green short-sleeved shirt and dark-blue drawstring slacks – not necessarily the most fashionable choice, but comfortable and handy.
Kikola walked downstairs to get something to eat. The food dispenser produced a nutritious, if uninspired, plate of food. Kikola normally wasn't fussy as long as the meal met the nutritional requirements, but tonight she didn't have much of an appetite. She picked at the food and stared at the empty chair across the table.
I didn't leave everything to stare at an empty chair, she thought.
Kikola could hear the door open and voices laughing. Tehvay came into the kitchen, followed by Trujilon and Ellovene. Kikola didn't look up from her plate.
"Oh, good. You're home," said Tehvay cheerfully. "I thought you were working overtime this evening."
"No, I came home early – to be with you."
"I'm sorry. You didn't call to tell me."
"No, I wanted to surprise you."
"And you have." Tehvay noted the flowers sitting in the middle of the table. "What are these?"
Kikola merely shrugged and glanced at the flowers.
Tehvay picked up the bouquet and breathed in their fragrant aroma. "Alstromara and zinlantha – they're lovely. Thank you."
Kikola offered only a nod of her head.
"Well, we probably should let you two get on with your evening," Ellovene observed.
"Yeah, I want to tell the others the good news – that you've accepted," said Trujilon.
Kikola couldn't resist asking. "Accepted what?"
"I'm joining a delegation the PPG is sending to Inosa."
"No."
"No what?"
"No, you aren't going to Inosa."
Tehvay turned to her friends and said, "I will call you tomorrow, and we can go over the details of the mission."
"Uh, sure," said Trujilon as his gaze moved from Tehvay to his sister.
"Well, good night." Ellovene tugged at her brother's sleeve to signal they should leave.
Tehvay showed the brother and sister out, and then came back into the kitchen. She stood in front of Kikola and crossed her arms. "Care to explain?"
Kikola looked up from her plate of food. "Explain what?
"Your surly mood for starters."
"I was expecting to come home to you, not an empty house – again."
"I'm sorry." Tehvay uncrossed her arms. "We went for a meal after the meeting. I wasn't expecting you to be here."
Kikola grumbled. "They asked you to go to Inosa."
"Yes, and I accepted."
"I warned you about getting too involved with those people."
"Those people? You mean Trujilon and Ellovene?"
"Yes."
"They are my friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes, friends. Do you even understand the concept?"
Kikola felt the sting of Tehvay's question. Kikola's mind searched her memory for someone she could consider a friend. She remembered her uncle Toman's words of advice the day she entered the academy: 'Aloyds don't make friends; they only have colleagues and subordinates.' Kikola had taken her uncle's advice to heart. There was no one in all of her life who she could count as a friend. Tehvay came the closest to being that for her… and so much more. I don't want to share her with others.
"Well, your friends are monopolising too much of your time with this PPG business already."
"No, they aren't. I want to help them."
"Not by going to Inosa."
"And why not?"
Because I want to protect you, to keep you safe, and I can't if you are light years away. Also, I would miss you, and I want you to be with me, always. That's what Kikola wanted to say, but she couldn't get the words to come out.
"Because… because I… because you can't."
"Can't?"
"I mean—" Kikola started to explain herself, but Tehvay wasn't finished.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous!"
I care for you. I want you with me, she wanted to say aloud.
"So, you're not denying it!"
Kikola was confused. She did not understand Tehvay's reasoning and tried to assert her own logic on the conversation "I gave up everything for you, so that we could be together. Now I feel like..." I am losing control. "I want control."
"So, you admit you'd be happier if we were back to 'owner and slave' again."
"No! However, it was a simpler time then. A time when I felt I had control," Kikola explained.
"So, are you saying you want control? Of me? Of who I have as friends? Of my body?"
"Yes... no, I mean, I don't know."
"I may not be the slave you fell in love with, but this is who I am now, and if you can't handle it, then perhaps we need to re-examine our relationship!"
Kikola didn't immediately respond. By the time she could, Tehvay had turned on her heel and walked out.
"Tehvay?" Her voice was quiet, plaintive. "Tehvay?"
She got up from her chair and watched as the front door closed.
"What just happened?"