E:A Vol 1 Ch 22—April 12, 2118

“Thank you again, Janice,” Victoria said as she put the babies into their playpen. “We had a wonderful night with not having to wake up every few hours to change diapers. Well, I did, anyway.”

“Happy to give you two a break,” she replied. “I don’t know everything that’s been going on, I just know how stressed and tired you looked when you showed up a couple of days ago. And I know you were crying when you were in talking with Becket.” She raised a hand, “He didn’t say anything, I saw how red your eyes were when you came out. Listen, if you ever need a break from the kids, you let me know. Apparently your husband trusts me with them, so if you need a break, call me.”

“I will.”

“I mean it, Doc.”

Victoria smiled, “I know and thank you.”

“Ah, good morning, Janice,” the High Chancellor said as he and the First Commander walked into the quarters after getting a report from the flagship, “I hope my children were not too much trouble.”

“Not at all. Good morning, First Commander.”

He gave her a nod and a slight bow, “Good morning, Janice.”

“If you’re ready to go to the mainland,” Victoria said, “I’m ready.”

“Thank you, Janice, for watching over my children last night and this afternoon,” Zy’nayth said.

“This afternoon?” Victoria asked.

“I will be joining you and the First on the mainland. Janice has already agreed.”

“Thank you, Janice, again,” Victoria said and gave her a hug.

Zy’nayth, Victoria, and the First Commander went to the mainland where the Expedition had crops started and a little bit of livestock. There was a botany research area for larger plants that they came across which couldn’t be housed in the tower facilities; a backup medical area, MedBay 2, that was erected after the computer virus shut down the tower and its facilities; training grounds for the military personnel; a camp site where some people went just to be out of the glass tower from time to time; and a gym which was nothing more than a warehouse where the guys had some makeshift equipment.

“What are they doing?” the First Commander asked pointing to the beachfront.

“Volleyball,” Victoria said, “a game. The idea is to score points by getting the other team to miss the ball so it touches the floor…or beach.”

“Ah. Odd.”

“It’s kinda fun. Pretty good workout.”

Victoria led the two men around the various areas of their small mainland operation then ended up at the agricultural research area.

“This is Dr. Hank Wells,” Victoria said, “Director of Agricultural Research.”

Hank gave the High Chancellor and First Commander a nod, “An honor,” he said.

“I’m interested in seeing your facilities. I’d like to learn more about what you do,” the First Commander said. “I feel as though once we find a way to subsist on plants, we need to know how to grow them.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Hank, I think the High Chancellor and I will take a little walk up the hiking path. If you need something, I have my comlink on.”

“Sounds good,” Hank said. “Sir, if you’ll come with me.”

Victoria and Zy’nayth walked behind one of the main structures into the wooded area where the team members had made a hiking path. “You think it was a good idea leaving him alone with the First Commander,” Victoria asked.

“Are you worried about Hank or the First Commander?” Zy’nayth asked with a smile.

“Hank. He hasn’t had much interaction with Rayth.”

“He did not seem terribly nervous.”

Victoria slipped her arm into her husband’s, “Thank you for letting us help you. And I wish you would have told me about your brother. You don’t need to bear this stuff alone.”

“The less you know, the less stressed you will be. I need you focused on our children.”

“Zy, I get more stressed when you hide stuff from me. I want to help you. I mean it, no more secrets.”

“I will tell you what I feel you need to know.”

Victoria sighed, “Don’t do this. I want to help you.”

“You can help me by taking care of our children.”

“I am more than capable of doing both.”

Zy’nayth shook his head. “There are things you need not know.”

“Okay, fine. At least…if you’re having a tough day…tell me. Let me dote on you.”

“I will consider it.”

Victoria sighed again, “You don’t have to be so difficult.”

“I am merely trying to protect my loved ones.”

Victoria led him to a fallen tree where she sat down and enjoyed the fresh air. “It’s so quiet here.”

“Thank you,” Zy’nayth said.

“For the quietness?” Victoria asked.

“For believing me.”

“Believing you?”

“That I did not use you to gain access to Terra 2.”

“That whole thing was a little difficult to hear. But I believe you love me and did from the start.”

“You were quite upset. I could sense that easily.”

“I was. But I remembered how upset you were when you struck me…after my interrogation about your Second. To see the most powerful Rayth in the galaxy in tears over what he’d done to me…that image has never left me. That image reminds me of how much you love me.”

Zy’nayth drew her into a passionate kiss, “You are my heart.”

“I love you so much,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Zy, I’m so worried about all of this. The Gyhan, the traitors. I’m worried about you.”

“I will be fine.”

“Promise me. I can’t lose you, Zy. I can’t.”

“I am the most powerful Rayth in the galaxy,” he smiled, “do you think I can be so easily harmed?”

She grinned, “Don’t use my words against me.”

“Come, I prefer the top of the hill.”

Victoria took his hand and they made their way to the hilltop. “I should have packed a picnic lunch. It’s a beautiful day.”

“Perhaps tomorrow.”

“I’d like that. And no uniform. We’re supposed to be taking a break.”

“I will consider it.”

“No uniform, Commander.”

“For you I will do this.”

Victoria smiled. “The kids can play on the beach. Maybe get you and the First Commander to play a game of volleyball.”

“No.”

Victoria laughed, “You might like it.”

“No. This I will not do, not even for you. If you wish to play this game, I will watch.”

The couple talked about their plans for the following day, and when Victoria thought that enough time had passed to give the First Commander an idea of what Hank and his team did, they slowly made their way back down to the Ag research center.

“Did you learn anything useful?” Zy’nayth asked his First Commander as they met him and Hank in the main agricultural building.

“Many things. Dr. Wells has been quite patient showing me everything.”

“And you’re welcome to return any time,” Hank said.

“I will be in the city the rest of the week with the High Chancellor, I would like the opportunity to return.”

“Like I said, come by any time,” Hank said with a smile.

The First Commander gave him a slight bow. Then they walked out of the building and just as Victoria was saying her goodbye, a scream cut through the peaceful afternoon. Victoria began running towards the beach where she thought the scream was coming from.

“Doc!” one of the men yelled running up towards Victoria, “Alessa…she was diving off the dock…help her!”

By the time Victoria reached the beach, two men were already tending to Alessa Howard. “What happened?” she yelled as she closed in on her patient.

“Went to dive off the platform, slipped, cracked her head.”

Victoria began giving instructions to those around them as she checked the injury, then she tapped her comlink, “Becket, we have an emergency,” she said, “guys here are grabbing equipment from the MedBay 2. Severe head trauma…” she paused as her fingers felt the back of Alessa’s neck, “broken neck. Get a shuttle here now!”

Zy’nayth stood aside as the First Commander knelt beside the young woman. His hand settled on her chest and healed her wounds. “I believe she will be fine,” he said after a minute.

Victoria looked up at her husband, he gave her a slight smile. “Let them know it is no longer an emergency. Thank you, First Commander,” Zy’nayth said.

“It is what you would have done, is it not?” the First asked.

“Yes. Come, walk with me. Victoria, I will meet you back in the city. I am sure you and Dr. McKenna will want to run a scan on her.”

She gave him a nod and stayed with her patient.

“Did I do something wrong?” the First Commander asked when they were out of earshot of the humans.

“No. I just need to know your reason for healing the human.”

“Her injuries probably couldn’t have been healed by the humans.”

“True. But why heal her? You do not know her.”

“I honestly don’t know, sir. May I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” Zy’nayth answered.

“Why didn’t you heal her? You’ve healed other humans from this Expedition.”

“I was waiting to see your response. If the delay had been too long, I would have healed her.”

“Would you have done so because you felt it was right? Or, forgive me, to impress your wife?”

“Because it was the right thing to do,” Zy’nayth answered. “I do not need to impress Victoria.”

“You care about these people, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“They have been willing to listen, to learn about Rayth. They may fear us but they have come to understand that we have no choice on what we feed upon. That means something to me.”

“But you must feed on someone after you heal another’s injury. Perhaps not after what I just did. I will need to feed slightly sooner than normal but still, when you saved Becket and Victoria… you had to take a life in order to save another. How do you reconcile that?”

“I am not sure I do. Those of this Expedition are…friends. They would not intentionally harm me. Other humans would.”

“Friends?”

“For lack of a better word. I would not reveal my name to everyone here. I do not implicitly trust them. Do not think that I do.”

“But you have, to some.”

“Yes. Those who I know to be true friends.”

“Would you like me to become friends with these people?”

“I want you to do what you think is right,” Zy’nayth replied.

“Will it make a difference in my position if I choose not to befriend these humans?”

“No. You are an excellent First Commander. I trust you. I do not trust many. And I do not want to replace you and waste years of grooming you to take over my position as Supreme Commander.”

“Thank you, sir, I am honored.”

“Kol’non, I did doubt your loyalty when this whole thing started.”

“Back when you sent Victoria and the Second to check that Gyhan outpost?”

“Yes.”

“To be honest, sir, I was thinking about going to the other side.”

“And what kept you on my side?”

“You entrusted me to heal Victoria after the interrogation. I know your past. I know you only had one other wife. I know in the four thousand years I have worked with you, you haven’t taken any companions. So I knew when you took Victoria as your wife, she was special to you. You would have not entrusted her life to just anyone to heal.”

“Not many know of my past. Not my personal past.”

“If I wanted to be First Commander, perhaps Supreme Commander, I thought it best to know who I was working for. If there is anything I’ve learned from you, sir, it is to be observant and know all you can about everything and everyone.”

“You have learned well. I am thankful to have you on my team, Kol’non. We should head back to the city.”

“Sir, thank you for being honest with me.”

“I want you to feel free to ask any questions, First Commander. I cannot remain both Supreme Commander and High Chancellor indefinitely. Plus, I would rather not die to turn my command over.”

“I would rather not have to kill you, sir,” Kol’non smiled.

Zy’nayth gave him a nod, “Let us hope it never comes to that.” He tapped his comlink and gave an order for him and the First Commander to be teleported to the control room of the city.

“Would you like to check on Alessa?” Zy’nayth asked Kol’non as they appeared in the control room.

“Yes, sir.”

“Follow me,” he said and led him to the infirmary.

***

“Dr. McKenna, how is Alessa doing?” Zy’nayth asked.

“She just came around a few moments ago. Victoria is with her,” he pointed to the curtained area where the young woman was being tended to.

Alessa had only been on Terra 2 for a year, so she only had a passing acquaintance with the High Chancellor. She was a specialist that worked both in botany and agriculture, and even on her days off, she was often found on the mainland either in the fields or the lab. Today, however, she was on the beach having fun with her friends.

“Alessa, you remember the High Chancellor,” Victoria said.

“Yes, hello, sir.”

“Good to see you are well,” he replied, “and you have my First Commander to thank for that.”

“Thank you so much,” Alessa said as she extended her hand, surprising the First Commander. Most humans did not readily shake a hand that could take a life in seconds. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you, sir.”

“No, not at all. I am simply not used to being offered a hand.” He reached out and took hers, but instead of shaking it, he gave it a tender kiss. “It is an honor to meet you, Alessa.”

Alessa smiled and blushed. Victoria stood and placed her hand on her husband’s arm, “We should tend to our children. First Commander, you are free to come and go as you please. I don’t think you’ll need a guide any longer.”

“Thank you, Victoria, and High Chancellor.”

“Does he have a wife?” Victoria asked her husband when they returned to their chambers.

“No.”

“Significant others?”

“He does take advantage of…ah…nothing significant in the way you mean.”

“Oh. He takes lovers?”

“He has, yes.”

“Hmm. I wonder if that would upset Alessa.”

“Victoria, do not go playing matchmaker. You know quite well that a Rayth and human relationship is not easy.”

“Our relationship is.”

Zy’nayth groaned, “I meant the conditions surrounding such a relationship. Humans are not readily accepted by my people and Rayth are not by yours.”

“But…”

“Victoria, no. I forbid it.”

“Forbid? Really?”

He turned his silver gaze on her, “You will not try to create a romantic relationship for my First Commander, or any Rayth, and anyone on this base. Do you understand?”

“But Lutia and Ja’val…and…”

“That was Ja’val’s decision. You are not to interfere. That is the end of this discussion.”

April 17, 2118

“I’m not going to want to leave tomorrow,” Victoria said as she and Zy’nayth sat on the west dock and watched the sunset. “I don’t want to be cooped up in that room again.” Zy’nayth remained silent as she rested her head on his shoulder. “But then I can’t stay here, I’d be lost without you and I hate not having you by my side when I sleep. Why don’t you quit your job and we can stay here and just forget about the troubles in the galaxy?”

“And allow the Gyhan to destroy one human settlement after another?”

She groaned. “I said we’d forget about them.”

“You could not. And you know that I could not.”

“Why did I have to fall in love with the guy who’s bent on saving the galaxy? Why couldn’t I find someone with a nice quiet desk job?”

“I am sorry that you are not happy about our marriage,” he said as he stood and began to walk away from her.

“No! Zy!” she exclaimed as she ran after him, “That’s not what I meant. I am happy with our marriage, I just…I worry about you. You’re trying to fix everything and I hate to see you so burdened.” She grabbed his hand, “Zy, I just want this war to be over. I want us to be a real family. Have days at the park with the kids. Stuff like that. Instead of there goes Daddy heading off to battle. Or Daddy…” she began to cry, “might not come home.”

She fell to her knees, “Zy, I have this horrible feeling that I’m going to lose you. That when John and his team start messing with things…and everything escalates…something’s going to go horribly wrong and I’ll never see you again.”

Zy’nayth sighed and sat on the concrete dock next to her, drawing her into his arms. “Victoria, I have told you before: I have not lived for ten thousand years by losing battles.”

“But this is different. You’ll be going up against Rayth, not humans.”

“And you have seen me spar against my best warriors. I believe I hold my own quite well.”

“Yes, but…”

“You must trust that I will take every precaution. I do not go into situations blind and underprepared.”

“I know, but…”

“Victoria, do not worry. Now come, it is our last night of our vacation, we should enjoy it.”

She took his hand and they returned to their quarters. Janice had just fed the babies and put them down for the evening, so the couple retired early and Zy’nayth made his wife forget all of her worries, at least for a while.

April 18, 2118

The bright sunlight eased across Victoria’s face, waking her. It was almost 9:00. They were supposed to be back on the flagship already. She sat up and called for her husband, but there was no answer. She took a quick shower and threw on her clothes then went to check on the babies but they weren’t in their cribs. At first she started to panic then thought maybe Zy’nayth went ahead and took them on board the ship to allow her to sleep in until the last possible moment. He’d done it before. But as she turned and headed towards the main room of her chambers she saw an envelope on the dresser.

Victoria—From now on, the fight is my own. I have taken my children. They will be raised to know that their mother loved them very much. Bridge portal addresses to the island and the estate have been changed. All communication devices no longer work. You will not be able to contact me. I have also dissolved the marriage. You are free to take another mate. Becket will take good care of you. You will not see me again.—Zy’nayth

With trembling hands she unrolled the tissue paper that had been with the note. In it was his wedding band and the four inch braid which he had cut out of his hair. Clutching the note, ring, and the braid, she grabbed her comlink and tapped his direct access code. No answer. She kept trying to reach him as she flew out of her chambers to the control room. Security let her pass without question and she pounded on the bridge portal’s keyboard, entering the bridge address of the island estate, at the same time still begging for the High Chancellor to answer the comlink.

“Victoria, what’s wrong?” Vince said, hearing the near hysterical cries from her attempts to reach the High Chancellor.

“He’s gone! It won’t dial the island!” She tapped her comlink, “High Chancellor, please answer!”

“Victoria?”

She spun, “Where’s the First Science Commander?”

“He and Lutia are already gone,” Vince replied.

“Lutia? He took Lutia?”

“Yes. The High Chancellor said they married early this morning…Victoria, tell me what’s wrong.”

“I need to contact him, where’s Science’s comlink?”

“With him, I’d imagine,” Vince said. “Why…Victoria! Dammit! Get McKenna and his team!”

Victoria had passed out. While Becket and his team came running in, the general picked up the ring, braid, and note.

“What is it?” Becket asked, “What happened to her?”

“Passed out. I caught her before her head hit the floor. Here…you need to read this.”

Becket ordered his team to get Victoria to the infirmary while he read the note. Becket was enraged by the time he finished the short paragraph. “He wouldn’t…Vince did you know…”

“I didn’t know anything. And here, his ring and this braid. I don’t get this hair though.”

“Oh, God. That braid…it was…the High Chancellor wore it because…after that incident with the former queen, when Victoria was shell-shocked, when the two of them made up, she was goofing around and put the little braid in his hair. He decided to keep it and have her remake it over and over. He said it was to remind him not to take her love for granted and that they were woven together. Vince, he could have just undid it, but look, it’s been cut…he cut it out…she’s…listen, contact him, tell him he needs to get down here and…”

“He cut communications,” Vince replied, “to be honest, I thought they had all left. I had no idea Victoria was still here.”

Becket put the note, ring, and braid in his lab coat, “Talk to John, see if he has a way to contact him. Simon too.”

“Already got a list of things going in my head, you go take care of her.”

***

Victoria was just coming around when Becket entered the infirmary. He was told by Geoffrey than scans were clean, she had just simply passed out.

“Becket!” she cried when she was able to focus, “Becket!”

He pulled her into his embrace, “I saw the note, sweetheart, Vince is trying to figure out how to contact him.”

“He left me!” she sobbed, already gasping for air, “He took my babies. He took my babies and he left.” Anger set in, “He took Lutia! He let her go but not his own wife!” Then the tears and sorrow took over, “The braid. Did you see…where is it? He cut it…cut it…Becket!”

“Here, love,” Becket said, “the note, braid, and ring. Honey, I’m so sorry.”

Victoria folded the note carefully and neatly, then put it in her pocket along with the ring, but she clung to the braid, stroking it with her thumb as she allowed herself to be held by the doctor.

“He promised he’d never leave. He said…” she wiped at her tears, “What did I do wrong? Becket, what did I do?”

“I don’t know, honey. Vince and Simon will get in touch with him and we’ll get this straightened out.”

“He left me…he took Ky and Kenna…we made love last night. How could he do this?”

“Janice,” Becket said when the nurse walked in, “Get Dr. Danielson to cover for me today. Come on Victoria, let’s go to your chambers.”

Janice nodded, “Will do. Victoria, you okay?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Becket said as he led Victoria out of the infirmary. She stared at the braid in her hands and sobbed.

***

“Any luck?” Becket asked when Vince came by several hours later.

He shook his head, “Victoria?”

“Out. I gave her a sedative. Listen, he had to have left a way for us to contact him. He wouldn’t let us go blind into Gyhan territory. He might not give us tech to use, but he’d give us intel, he said he would. And the research I’m doing…he had to…”

“Nothing. Every comlink we had on site to contact his ship or the First Science Commander doesn’t work. Apparently her private line to him doesn’t either. We dug through your office and got your bridge dialing device for the island, it doesn’t work. Victoria’s code didn’t, but she was frantic, so I assumed she just fumbled the code, but when your device didn’t work…he did what he said, he changed the bridge portal access address.”

“Is the bridge broken?”

“No. We’ve had a team go out an hour ago.”

“What about the video feed Ja’val set up to the Vice Chancellor in the conference room? Maybe…”

“He got to that too.”

“There had to be something he forgot.”

“I doubt it,” Vince said. “Any idea why he did this?”

Becket shook his head. “No. I know she’s been worried about what’s going to happen once we start going directly after the Gyhan and he starts targeting the traitors, but other than their first day here last week, there hasn’t been any fights. At least none that I know about. She doesn’t know why either. She even said they made love last night.”

“Do you think he planned this? That he planned to leave her?”

“No,” Becket shook his head, “listen, I know he’s a very calculating and cunning man, but he loved…loves her. Something had to trigger this. Something big. He…listen, we just need to find a way to contact him. I’ll talk to him. Vince, she’s going to be a mess. He was everything to her. And for him to take the kids…this wasn’t about her safety. If he was worried about her safety, he wouldn’t have taken his kids and put them in danger. Something happened to make him leave, to do this to her.”

“Okay, Doc, this is out of my league and above my pay grade. Tell me what you need me to do.”

“Just find a way to contact him. I’ll need to adjust my schedule until I’m sure she won’t do anything stupid; I want to be here for her. I’ve got Neville covering for me today, I’ll work out the next couple of days, but I don’t want to go off-world.”

“Done.”

“Simon might find something on Ja’val’s computer. A bridge portal number, something, to a Rayth outpost.”

“Already have him looking, but I don’t like the idea of sending anyone to a Rayth outpost. We’re on good terms with their leader, not with the rest of the population.”

“But we could send a recorded message for him. Toss it over the bridge then shut the bridge down. What about Lutia? Victoria said he took her.”

“Yeah, Zy’nayth said that Lutia and Ja’val got married, so the two of them teleported off.”

“Maybe check her quarters, see if she had some sort of comlink. Maybe he left something there.”

“Be’atta’s already searching. And Kaven is going through Ja’val’s quarters.”

Victoria came stumbling out of the bedroom, the braid still clutched tightly in her left hand. “Vince, sorry for collapsing on you,” she said groggily.

“Quite all right. How you holding up?”

She shook her head and sank into the oversized chair, pulling her knees to her chest. “I don’t know what I did. I don’t know why he left. He promised not to leave; not to hurt me. He promised.”

“I’m sorry, Victoria. I’ve got people tearing this place apart trying to find a way to get in touch with him. Is there anything I can do for you?” Vince said.

She shook her head. “He took Ky and Kenna.”

“I know,” he said as he knelt in front of her, “Hey, we’ll find him. It might not be today or tomorrow, but we will find him. You two will straighten this out and you’ll have those two babies back in your arms.”

“No,” she said, “he’ll never let me find him.”

“Hey, that’s quitter talk,” Vince said, “and the Victoria Carson I know doesn’t quit. She fights back.”

“I’m not a very good fighter. He tried to teach me. I wasn’t very good.”

“You fought against Jason, you fought for years,” Vince said, “and you won.”

“I didn’t win. Zy did. Zy killed him and saved me. I’m not a good fighter. I can’t even hide well.”

“Honey,” Becket said, “we should get you something to eat.”

“Not really hungry.”

Becket looked at the general, “Mind grabbing us something from the mess? I left my comlink in the infirmary.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he said then gave Victoria a kiss on the top of her head, “You do what Doc tells you, okay? And I’ll do what I can to find your husband.”

“Ex-husband.”

“Don’t give up, Victoria,” he said, almost as an order.

***

As the days turned to weeks, Victoria grew more despondent. She stayed in her chambers, only leaving when, on a couple of occasions, Becket got her to go on a walk with him. The rest of the time, she sat in the big chair that she’d always thought of as her husband’s chair, and stared out at the waves. She had found the babies’ bracelets and put them, along with her and Zy’nayth’s wedding bands on a gold chain and wore it as a necklace. The braid was always in her hand, her fingers always gently stroking it as she stared out of the window hoping against all hope that she’d see him on the dock heading towards her.

 

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