Year three in the Voyage of Andromeda. The adventure that started in Among the Stars, and Beyond the Farthest Planet continues in Far From Home.
CHAPTER 21 A
"Rhea do you have a minute?" Kacey called out as the Security Chief left her post.
"Of course. Something going on?"
"In a way. When we land on Brin, Kate and Anya will take a week off by themselves."
"I heard a rumor about that. So it is true?" Rhea asked. "That puts you in charge."
"Right and because of that I can not follow my orders." Kacey stated. "Because you are my back up, I wondered if you and Bella of course, would be willing to... umm..."
"Go with them?" Rhea finished.
"Sort of. You would not be 'with them' with them, but close enough in the event something were to happen."
"Of course Kacey. Bella and I have already talked out this. Only her love for Kate and Any would pull her away from her precious engines."
"That is really good to hear. Now I just have to tell Kate about this."
"I took the liberty of having your troops load a survival hut into the Captain Shuttle along with a generator, portable cooker and cooler and whatever else they would need. Bella and I will bunk out in the shuttle a short distance away."
"Thank you Rhea and thank Bella for me please." Kacey said.
"Listen kiddo, Kate and I have been friends since we were young kids and that is a good many years. I want to remain being friends for a good many more. Besides I do not want Patricia on my ass if Kate was left without protection and something happened."
"Kiddo? You have not called me that in years." She laughed.
"You may be a hot shot Colonel to your troops and an old married woman with children to everyone else but to Kate and I you will always be that skinny kid who had a huge case of hero worship for her older sister."
"The hero worship is still there Rhea. It always will be." Kacey admitted.
"Go talk to Kate."
Kacey walked away and headed to her quarters. She let herself in to see her family waiting for her. Kate held Caitlyn while Patrick nestled in his grandfather's arms. Anya and Natalia helped Patricia in the kitchen and the girls played a game on the floor. They all looked up as she walked in.
"Hi honey I'm home." Kacey stated as she walked towards the kitchen. The girls left their game and rushed at Kacey who picked them both up easily. Anya scowled at her. "Hey rug rats."
"Aunt Kacey you want to play with us?"
"Kacey you are going to hurt yourself. Put them both down now." Anya ordered.
"Maybe later okay?" They both nodded. She put the girls down and finished her walked to the counter. Natalia handed her a brandy. She tried to snag a piece of the salad Anya was preparing and had her hand slapped for her efforts. "Hey."
"Behave Kacey." Natalia stated. Kacey leaned over and whispered, "come with me and I will show you how good I can behave." This cause Natalia to blush. "Go get cleaned up for dinner. You look like you have been rolling around on the floor." Natalia ordered as she pushed Kacey back a step. She turned and went to take a sip of her drink but yelped when a wet towel snapped her backside. She turned quickly to glare at Natalia and found her mother holding the towel.
"Go get cleaned up. Dinner will be in thirty minutes." Patricia stated, threatening her with the towel in her hands.
"Yes ma'am." She stated and headed into the bedroom to shower. She stopped long enough to kiss her children before she continued. Kacey grabbed clean clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later she walked back into the living room her hair still wet from the shower. "Sure smells good. Can I help with anything non cooking related?"
"Everything is being taken care of. Go sit and talk with Kate and your father for a few minutes.
Kacey picked up her drink and sat on the love seat. "Kate I talked to Rhea earlier."
"Oh did you discuss anything in particular?
"As a matter of fact we did." She took a sip of her drink. "The topic was your security and protection for your vacation."
"Anya and I will be going alone." Kate stated empathically.
"That my dear sister is not going to happen. My troops are loading a survival hut and all sorts of nifty stuff you might need into your shuttle. Bella and Rhea will bunk out in your shuttle a short distance away."
"No way. I forbid that I am..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know you are the Captain, but you are also going out on a foreign world that we know for a fact has been visited by Limari. We were on a much safer planet when Talia and I tried to finish our honeymoon and you made me take two Marines." Kacey stated. "I was perfectly capable of protecting us. No offense Anya."
"Non taken, I assure you."
"You need the extra security. Also you will have the video lock on you at all times and you must stay under the protection of the shields."
"I seem to recall someone forgetting to turn the shock sticks on that first night." Kacey blushed and cleared her throat. "Will the parameters of the video lock be the same?"
"Yes. Even after all those things you have sent us both I do not think you want to be in a porn movie."
"What things are those?" Patricia asked.
"Just a few things they thought we needed." Kacey felt the blush color her face as Kate laughed.
"Kate agree with Kacey." Anya ordered.
"I agree with all the precautions and actions you want to implement. I wondered how you would juggle being in charge and following your orders. Good job little sister."
"Younger, Kate. I had though of assigning a squad of Marines, but decided to ask Rhea and Bella instead." She stated. "So the two of you discussed this?"
"We did and it is your lucky day. I agree with whatever you suggest within reason."
"Thank you Anya." Kacey stated.
"Why are you just thanking Anya? I make the command decisions." Kate argued.
"Yes but without Anya telling you to say yes you would have fought me on everything."
Anya laughed from the kitchen. "You are correct. Kate was ready to fight you. Girls wash your hands. Dinner is ready."
-------------------------------------------
Andromeda held orbit wile the shuttles and Stingers launched. They flew over the landing area to make sure the ground was cleared before the large ship came down.
"Shamrock to Andromeda. All clear."
"Roger Shamrock." Kate replied. "Take her down Rich."
"Aye Captain."
"Open ship wide channel." A chime sounded. "This is Captain Jensen. We are about to land on Brin. All crew make ready your stations"
Kacey flew over the shielded area where the Brin lived. Many Brin watched her land and shut down her shuttle. Govan lowered one shield and came to greet her.
"Kacey" He shouted. "You return to Brin."
"Hello Govan. How are you and your people?"
"Brin good. Live on top ground now. Like watching little fires light up sky in the dark."
"I like watching the stars come out also."
"Great ship will come down?"
"Yes they are landing. Have you had any more problems with the raiders or wild ones?"
"Raiders and wild ones still come but shields protect Brin. Raiders leave us alone. We watch from under shields."
"That is very good to hear." Kacey stated. "Govan, I need a favor. Do you have a place under the shields that two people can go to be alone? Something that is near water?"
Govan thought for a minute. "Yes the is a place." He turned and pointed to a spot.
"Would you be able to show it to me?"
"Yes Govan show."
"As soon as the big ship is down we will take one of the Rovers to this place."
The Stingers and remaining shuttles stayed out of the way as Andromeda landed with a slight bump. The weight absorbed on the large struts. The smaller ships landed around Andromeda. The engines were shut down. In the quiet they could hear the sounds of nature around them. The songs of hundreds of birds and the soft sigh of the breeze through the trees in the distance. Kacey touched her communicator.
"Mike?"
"Yes colonel?"
"As soon as the ramps open bring out all the rovers."
"Will do.
The ramps opened. Residents and crew filed out. Marines drove the rovers out of the Hanger. Kate and Liam made their way to where Kacey and Govan stood.
CHAPTER 21 B
"Kate, Li-am" Govan called to them.
"Govan my friend. It is good to see you again."
"Tis happy I am to be seeing you and how many of your people are living above ground." Liam stated.
"Brin happy too Li-am."
"Govan was telling me that the raiders are still coming but they are leaving the Brin alone."
"Shields keep Brim safe."
"That is good to hear." Kate stated.
"Kate, Govan and I will taking one of the rovers to look at a place for you and Anya to vacation."
"Alone? No I can not allow that." Kate stated.
"You forget you are on my turf now Kate. Besides you have packing to do." Kacey joked.
"Will you take a couple Marines with you at least?"
"Of course. They need to know where to put up the survival hut and get it stocked for you both."
"Govan smiled at them. "Govan happy you no longer mad."
"We still get mad at each other. The universe would implode if we did not have arguments." Kacey stated.
"This is a good time for us right now. Next week however," Kate shrugged "is up in the air."
"Colonel all the rovers are out." Mike called to her.
"Thanks Mike." Kacey called back. "I will get the rover and we can go look at that spot Govan." Kacey walked to where Mike stood. "Mike grab weapons, a radio and water for us."
"May I ask where we are going?"
"We are going to scope out a site to where I am sending Kate and Anya for a vacation. Jere, that box I packed, hat has to be loaded up also. Also the crates of supplies that are near the office. When I return I will tell you where to set it up."
"Certainly Colonel."
Kacey climbed into the rover and waited for Mike to return. Within minutes he came out of the hanger with the items they needed. He handed Kacey a holster and a rifle. Then placed the water and radio between the seats. He climbed into the back seat leaving the front for Govan. She drove to where Kate and Liam stood talking with the tribe leader. He climbed into the front seat.
"Lass would ye be minding if I came along?" Liam asked.
"Of course not dad. Hop in." Liam climbed into the back.
"This give Govan high status with Brin." Govan stated with a large smile on his face.
"You are their leader. Don't you already have high status?" Kacey asked.
"Yes but riding in box makes Govan have more."
"Lass he is meaning that because he is the first of his people to be riding in the rover that is making him brave and increases his status among his people." Liam explained.
"I understand." Kacey stated. "Govan how far is this spot?"
"Not far, yet far enough." Govan replied. Has water, grass, few trees."
"Govan do you have insects that sting on your world?"
"Insects? Sting?"
"Bugs that buzz?"
"No bugs here."
"That is really good to here." They travelled for thirty minutes before Govan pointed .
"There is place."
Kacey stopped the rover beside a small lake. She climbed out and looked around the area. "Any animals near?"
"Some. No wild ones. They outside shields."
"Tis a grand place lass. Safe for Katie."
Kacey looked at her father. "Was I being that obvious?"
"Aye lass."
"I have to be sure dad. I will not be able to be here to watch her back."
"It has been over a year. You need to be letting go."
"I do not think that will ever happen dad, because if I ever let that happen, let my guard down, Kate could get hurt again. I can not let that happen."
"All right lass. We will work together to keep Katie safe from harm." Liam stated as he put his arm around Kacey's shoulders. "Now shall we be returning to get things started?"
"Thanks dad, for understanding."
"You are welcome. Let's go so your lads can get the hut built."
They climbed back into the rover and returned to Andromeda. "Mike will you be able to get everything ready?"
"Of course Colonel. Should only take a couple hours to build and stock the hut. We will also have a generator to run the warming and cooling units."
"Set up a perimeter of shock sticks twenty meters around the hut and give them a protected path to the lake. You will also have to do the same thing one half kilometer away from that point for the Captain's shuttle where Rhea and Bella will stay."
"We will get it done Colonel."
"Why you do this Kacey?" Govan asked.
"Let me see how can I explain this." Kacey thought for a minute. "As Captain, Kate has a lot of pressures on her. Sort of what you go through. Everyone looking to her for answers, even when she is supposed to be off duty. She never is because of her position. Kate and Anya need time for just the two of them. No family, no pressures, no worries. It is what we call a vacation."
"Being leader is hard. Is good a leader can take time to be alone."
Kate and the family waited for them as they drove up. Kacey jumped from the rover.
"There is a beautiful spot near a small lake."
"Did you fill in any holes and remove anything I could trip over or twist something?"
Kacey looked at her. "My people are going back to get everything ready and stocked. There are a few trees around the lake and you can see the mountains in the distance. Rhea and Bella can land your shuttle a short distance away and yet still give you some privacy."
"Kacey I..."
"There are no wild animals under the shields. Also Govan said there are no insects on his world." Kacey continued ignoring Kate's interruption. "They will also set up a safe perimeter around the hut and a path to the late. There will be a generator for power. You can leave in the morning if you want." She started to walk away. "I need to check on a few things."
Kacey disappeared inside the Hanger. "Katie, your safety is her main concern. She can not be with you, so she will be doing everything she possibly can to make sure you are safe. If there was a way for her to be in two places at once she would be the one going with ye."
"I know I should not give her a hard time, dad. It is just that she can get carried away with this protection crap."
"Crap is it now? Your sister is not thinking your safety is crap. Tis not something ye should be doing neither." Liam told her sternly.
"I... How do you do that dad?"
"Do what?"
"Only you can make me feel like a little girl who has done something wrong and make me feel this guilty."
Liam laughed. "I can not be giving away all me secrets. Does that mean ye will be cutting your sister a wee bit of slack?"
"You know it does, dad."
"Good to hear lass. Now ye should go help Kacey get everything ready for your vacation and may be do a wee bit of talking to her?"
"I will." She kissed his cheek and went into the Hanger to find Kacey.