Baby?

Obsidian Arrows

Year of our Lord Creatos 1538, Thursday the 16th of June

Baby?

After a major dressing down by the commandant, one seventh of restricted duty and a formal apology.  We were allowed to return to normal, with the exception that the “little man” was allowed to do his job and impede their progress for two sevenths with his frivolous inspections and unnecessary reports. All in all, the worst of it was over. As for the commander, she was busted to Lieutenant commander and due to the fact that she still outranked everyone else on the ship, she retained her first officer’s position. So, nothing had changed. We were to proceed to Charlie two checkpoint and make our run on Jupiter.

Aboard the Hōkūle‘a, the control room was so small that Tarinnish felt in the way. He would have nothing to do with this operation, so he retreated to the aft day room. He could monitor everything that was going on from his pad and if he was needed, he was only seconds away. Clarish was also bored. As the ship would be in a holding pattern until the eighth hour of the watch. Then they would start the acceleration portion of the test. She wanted to double check the connections to the scouts as they were critical to this test.

She pulled up the schematic and looked over the response times from the controls. .065 nano seconds. That was good. Almost instantaneous. But something was bugging her. She seemed overly occupied with the connections. Tarinnish knew there was something else going on.

Tarinnish came up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. She didn’t fight it. She was hoping he would come near. Tarinnish whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong?”

She faked like she was studying her pad. “Nothing.”

“Well there’s nothing interesting on you pad, so what is going on in the beautiful brain of yours.” Tarinnish asked.

“I want a child.” She blurted out. She didn’t look around. “I mean…” She paused, “Well.. I mean.” She stopped again.

Tarinnish did not expect this. They had talked about it after Jason Stone was born, but it faded. Now?

“I’m an only child and…” She wanted to choose her words well. “I didn’t think I would ever love someone enough to want to…procreate.”

Tarinnish flushed, “I’m flattered, but”

She didn’t let him continue, “We need to be quick.”

“But how?” He paused, this was not fair, he had no time to think about this. And how were they going to have a child? Surely, they would receive their orders in the next cycle.

“We could use a surrogate.” She turned around, “And my parents would raise him.. or her until we returned.”

“That sounds reasonable, but…” He didn’t get a chance to finish.

“Especially if we don’t return.” She looked down. “My parents could not have any other children. The colony was full, and they weren’t allowed. Then the accident took my mother’s ability to have any more children. So they just have me…” She paused.. “And I’m running off on some fool’s errand.”

“I think you’re apprehensive about our mission.” Tarinnish was looking for some breathing room. He had nothing to offer this… union. His parents were dead, and he was from the Seventh system. They were despised in the colonies. If it weren’t for his mother’s father, he wouldn’t be here. If he were to inseminate his beloved with his seed.

Especially under these circumstances, everyone would know. His child would be despised. And he would be half a galaxy away. Unable to assist his son or daughter. His brain was going a thousand KPH. How could he have let this happen. He was supposed to get on a ship and be gone. Away from this. “I can’t” was all Tarinnish could say.

“You can’t or you won’t.” Clarish asked.

“You don’t understand.” Tarinnish was debating on what to say next. Should he tell his love what he was. Where he came from. Would it matter?

“Forget it.” Was all she said.

But he knew her. Her mind was set. She would be impregnated and then the embryo would be placed in a surrogate. She would be un-detoured.

“No, you don’t understand what I’m saying.” Tarinnish finally said. He had made up his mind to be open with Clarish. “I’m not what you think I am.”

“You’re a man. I know that much.” Clarish said, “What else does it take?”

“I’m from the Sycarine Colony.” Tarinnish said and waited for that to sink in.

“Your from the seventh. How?” Clarish now understood.

“Don’t say that so loud.” Tarinnish instructed. “My mother was Sarack’s wife.” Tarinnish also let that sink in.

“Oh, shit!” Clarish finally said.

“I’m not my father.” Tarinnish continued. “Yes, I lived there until I got my name, but I didn’t like the war and I didn’t participate.” he paused, “My mother managed to keep us away… well until we left.”

“How did you….” She let the question hang there.

“How did I get into one of the most secure posts in the military?” Tarinnish finished her question. Then he answered it, “I had help.” He did not want to implicate any of his mother’s family.

“You said your mother’s father help you.” Clarish said out loud as the memory of what he had told her came to the front of her mind.

“Yes, that’s what I tell everyone.” Tarinnish said.

“So, why the Arrows?” Clarish wanted to understand why he was here.

“I’m a scan away from being detected on the colonies.” Tarinnish started.

“But your scanned all the time here.” Clarish protested.

“Yes, but this database has me as Tarinnish son of Gath, born on Aborhar Five.” Tarinnish said then continued, “If by chance someone has not updated their database I would be found out.”

“That’s why your here, to hide.” Clarish was angry.

“Yes, and to get lost somewhere other than here.” Tarinnish finished her thought again.

  A thought hit Clarish and she turned to Tarinnish with a sparkly in her eye. “We keep our search for a surrogate here. On the station.” Her mind was racing.

 Tarinnish wanted to give his love what she wanted, but her mind was clouded, “No. You don’t understand, our child wouldn’t be here. He would be in the colonies and if it was discovered. We wouldn’t be there to help. If we were still alive, we would be thousands of light cycles away. How fair is that?”

The gleam was starting to fade as she realized the implications of what he was telling her. She wanted this, but it might be a curse. “By Creatos there has to be a way.”

“Truth be known, I don’t pray to Creatos.” Tarinnish was being completely honest. He had to be under these circumstances. He just wished they were on their way to the actual gate and not on a test. That way he would not have to agonize over the fact that Clarish might turn him in before the mission started.

The gasp that Clarish release was like a nail in Tarinnish’s coffin. “You… what?” Clarish was not making since. “I’ve seen you pray. Who… what do you pray to?”

“The God of the universe.” Tarinnish did not want to explain this now.

Clarish walked away, she needed to process this. The man… the only man she’d allowed into her heart, was not the man he pretended to be. Then it hit her, “You hate Creatos because he sent Knorack to destroy your world.”

“I don’t hate him. I just don’t pray to him.” Tarinnish explained

“But your people were brutal… savages.” Clarish was recalling all the reports from the war. “They kidnapped Knorack’s wife, destroyed convoys and disrupted trade throughout the six colonies.” She looked at Tarinnish, “they were monsters.”

“Mostly lies.” Tarinnish said, hoping that she would listen.

“Mostly?” Clarish ask in a way that demanded an answer.

“We had no war ships. Everything we had, was converted from ships of commerce. We cannibalized the ancient warships at Sirious boneyard.” Tarinnish looked at the ceiling, “My father just wanted them to leave us alone.” Tarinnish looked back at Clarish, “They attack us. They came at us with a fleet of warships.” Tarinnish looked down. “They didn’t know what we were fighting for and they fail to understand that we would fight to the end.”

Clarish had to ask one question, “Is that why you killed the 1st Warrior’s wife?”

“We didn’t.” was all Tarinnish said. 

“But...but if you... didn’t?” Clarish did not finish her sentence. Then she stiffened, “So, you are saying what?”

“Your god is devious.” Tarinnish didn’t offer any more.

“No.” Clarish realized what he was saying.

“Yes.” Tarinnish insisted.

“Why?” Clarish asked.

“The First Warrior was waging a measured war, he only applied enough force to subdue us. He never destroyed a disabled ship or used any force beyond what was necessary. He needed to be pushed.” Tarinnish took Clarish’s hand because he was going to tell her something she didn’t want to hear, “Creatos wanted us destroyed and he needed to push Knorack to a point where he would do it.”

“No! Creatos is benevolent. He only wants the best for us.” Clarish shook her head, but her heart told he that that was not the truth.  She had struggled her whole life with this fact. It might be the biggest reason she was here.  She could get away from Creatos and all the religious stuff that didn’t give her peace.

“Give me some time.” Tarinnish said more as a question.  “Let me pray to my God and see what paths we might take in this.”  Tarinnish was waiting for an answer then as he saw that she wanted to think on it he said, “I consider you my mate and our kind mate for life.”

She looked at him.  Not the outer shell, but at him.  Was she ready for this commitment?  The same commitment that her father showed her mother. That lifelong soul sharing commitment that eventually led to two people acting as one. Her heart longed for it, but was this it? Was Tarinnish from Sycarine going to be her mate?  She needed time.  Luckily, they had that with the run on Jupiter, the second largest gas giant in their system, as that would take more than two alunars. Finally, she looked at Tarinnish and said, “Let me think on that...mate thing.” 

Tarinnish was hurt.  He thought she felt the same, but to live with someone for two to three hundred cycles is a huge commitment.  One that is rarely made these days.  The best, most couple would give, is a few decades.  Then they start looking for someone else.  Creatos decreed it as the norm so as to spread the genetic material in a wider pattern.  Making us stronger, but in reality, it made even the strongest relationships superficial.  You just didn’t bother to try and get a soul mate because they would be gone in a few cycles.  So, you selected a mate based on what you could get out of it. Prestige, power, a position in a good company.  It was more strategy than love.  Most marriages were empty civil arrangements.  Nothing more. That’s not what Tarinnish wanted and he was sure that Clarish wasn’t looking for this either.  She told him of how her parents loved, better or worse.  They chose to be together.

The short jaunt out into the solar system was going to get real long now. As Clarish and Tarinnish did not speak to each other for six periods.  They had nothing to do with the operation.  Their only duty was to accomplish the system checks every four hours and that only took about fifteen minutes, so there was a lot of time to think.  They even slept opposite each other so they could perform the “Checks” separately and cover the full 20 hours of each period.  Finally, at the morning breakfast - briefing Tarinnish finished his report and said, “I love you and I miss you.”

Clarish did not look up.  She forced her eyes to stay on her pad. She could not allow herself to look at him.  The man she loved.  She had to stay focused.  He could not provide her or her offspring with anything of value.  Her mother’s voice kept telling her that Tarinnish was the wrong man.  He had nothing to offer the family. But oh, how she longed for his arms to be wrapped around her body.  To have him see into her soul and his ability to read her inner thoughts.  She longed for that again.  

By the end of third seventh the captain told Clarish to resolve the issue with the Lieutenant.  Having 50% of the crew acting in a cold and guarded manner was affecting the other part of the crew. Basically, they were choosing sides and the ensign was sleeping alone as a sign of solidarity.  This small ship was starting to have some big problems.  And the captain guessed right when he told Clarish to fix it.  She was the one with the decision.  She had to accept Tarinnish for what he was or tell him that it was over.  Clarish was just having problems with one thought…”Mate for life.”

End of Chapter 4

Next Chapter 5

This blog contains two books of the Remnant Series If you want to start at the beginning of Book 6, click the link below.

1st Chapter of Obsidian Arrows

If you want to read more about the Remnant Series see the links below.

            Book 1-3: Graham Heights available on Amazon.com

            Book 4: The Grey Abyss available on Amazon.com

            Bood 5: Chaos coming soon to Amazon.com

Book 6: Obsidian Arrows

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Thank-you
R. A. Legg

    
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