Intimate Domain, Spaceship Lyra Log 005 by Linda Rigsbee

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Chapter 1

Malin stepped back and flattened himself against a boulder when he heard the airship. The tan uniform camouflaged his body as the airship shot over the cliffs. It flew low enough that he could read the word Lyra on the side. Fontalo rarely flew over this area anymore. He couldn't imagine why they had done so today. Fortunately, the militia had finished their meal hours ago and there were no fires to reveal their presence.

He waited a few minutes and, when no more airships appeared, he left the shelter of the boulder. Making his way to the cliffs, he entered the cave. There, he climbed the steps to the upper level of their underground city. He liked it better up here because there were openings in the ceiling where natural light could enter. Some lived most of their lives in this environment, but as leader of Espero's small militia, he spent most of his time outside. Recently, keeping the Wards and Stewards separated had become a full-time job. Hence, the meeting.

He stopped at the third door on the right and knocked. When he heard the invitation, he opened the door and entered. He was late again. Everyone sat around the table, waiting for his arrival. There were only four of them. He made the fifth.

He pulled out a chair and sat at the table, muttering his usual apology.

Jules, governor of the Custodians, gave him a stern look, but said nothing. He had run out of effective words for this situation a century ago. Elias and Luka didn't even look at him, but Hannah, governor of the Stewards, lent him her support in a small smile.

Jules launched into his usual method of starting a meeting.

"As you all know, we are here regarding the problem with the Wards and Stewards. It is our responsibility to protect both, but the Wards are not simply taking slaves now. They are killing Stewards" His lofty gaze landed briefly on Hannah before fixing on Malin. "What is your recommendation?"

Jules didn't actually want a recommendation. He wanted results. Malin had given his recommendation long ago and it had been ignored. He had never considered the taking of Steward slaves to be a simple matter. No doubt, neither did Hannah, but she wouldn't contest Jules. Stewards avoided conflict – at any cost, it seemed. He fixed his attention on Jules.

"Of course, we all know the only recommendation I can make is to contain the Wards where they cannot escape."

Jules grunted. "Yes, we have considered and rejected that recommendation. It would be cruel to confine them for eternity."

Malin nodded. "Then the only other thing I can recommend is punishment."

Jules frowned. "Their violent temperaments are the fault of Fontalo. Again, we have already denied this recommendation. You have had sufficient time to consider this and implement new direction. Perhaps we need a new leader for the militia."

An idle threat. That had been done before and they had discovered he wasn't as expendable as they thought. The Wards had no incentive to follow the rules. They had been leaving their assigned territory for centuries to capture Stewards for slaves. So far, they had not left Espero because they feared retaliation from Fontalo. At least once a week Malin and his militia searched for missing Wards, usually finding them in Steward territory.

The government of Espero could forbid Malin to punish the Wards for leaving the territory they had been assigned, but when it came to his men, he made his own rules. Any move against the militia resulted in immediate punishment – up to, and including, death. As he had told Jules – there must be a line drawn and the people who had to deal with the Wards on a daily basis should draw that line. Malin agreed that responsibility for the violent temperament of the wards belonged to Fontalo but the Wards obviously responded to punishment. They understood consequences; and that the Custodian government offered none. The only line the government had drawn was the borders of Espero. No one, not the Custodians, the Stewards or the Wards, was allowed to cross them without permission – and none of them did.

But, as Jules had pointed out, they'd had this argument before. It had done no good then and nothing had changed.

Malin shrugged. "My newest recommendation would be that the Stewards stay out of the territory of the Wards. As you know, they have been violating that border for decades."

Jules looked at Hannah and she blushed, avoiding looking at him as she spoke. "It is against our rules to enter the territory of the Wards. It would be unfair to punish them when the Wards are not punished. They believe the river has healing power. As you know; we are not immortal and our medical knowledge is less than sufficient." She looked at Malin. "The Wards have attacked Stewards who do not enter their territory."

Jules fixed Malin with a stern look. "What have you done about that?"

Malin looked Jules in the eye. "What can I do about it? We capture them and take them back to their territory. This isn't going to get any better until they are contained or punished."

Jules waved a hand in frustration. "You never have anything new to say at these meetings. I wonder why we invite you. Stop whining and do your job."

Luka and Elias looked empathetic. Frankly, Malin wondered if the presence of the two council members in the meetings was merely to lend Jules support now that Fontalo didn't.

Hannah looked at the table. Jules knew he would get no resistance from the Stewards. Malin had often questioned the need for their weekly meetings. They rarely accomplished anything. The meetings had not stopped when Fontalo left and they had not changed since they had returned.

When the Fontalo spaceship had left Planet Arcane, centuries ago, Malin had been thankful. He had been thankful for the eternal life bestowed on the Custodians in return for taking care of the Stewards and Wards, but he had also been thankful that Fontalo left. Their departure had put an end to the experiments and life had been peaceful.

Malin had been sent to negotiate with the Primaz to create a territory for the Stewards, Wards and Custodians. Espero had a mild climate, plenty of fresh water and game. A channel of deep water separated Espero from the area where the dinosaurs lived. A range of high mountains marked the northern and southern borders of their territory. Espero had been a virtual paradise – for the first fifty years. Then the drought came. The channel became shallow and the hungry dinosaurs migrated into Espero. Immortality had been a façade. No one could survive being ripped apart and eaten by a dinosaur.

Their city had been completely destroyed within a week. In the centuries since, vegetation had completely taken over the site. The survivors had moved to a new location in the cliffs. It had been difficult at first, but they had adapted. When the dinosaurs had eaten all the game and the rains returned, they returned to their former hunting grounds. Once again, the Custodians had been left in relative peace. They had learned to survive on the vegetation Espero provided.

While Espero flourished, the Primaz had died. They had died of diseases brought by Fontalo and because their food supply had been eliminated by the dinosaurs. They probably would have gone extinct if Fontalo had not returned.

When Fontalo returned, they had moved the Sentinels and Primaz from Hirina to a new location away from the dinosaurs. For a while, the Custodians had hidden, only coming out at night. Malin had expected Fontalo to attempt contact, but it was as if they had forgotten about the existence of the Custodians. No one wanted to remind them. The Custodians did keep track of what Fontalo was doing, though. Because of his knowledge of the terrain, Malin was the person they usually sent.

It had been almost sixteen years since Fontalo had returned and, other than an occasional shuttle or airship flying overhead, Fontalo had not made contact with the Custodians. Malin had seen no indication that Fontalo had resumed the experiments, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. He had never been inside their new base.

Now they had another problem – a drought and the return of the dinosaurs. If Malin ruled Espero, he would make some changes, but he didn’t. Espero's militia was his responsibility. It didn’t matter what he thought. Jules was right about one thing. His presence in the meetings was pointless.

They covered a few more subjects in the meeting, none of which affected him. Finally, they mercifully concluded the meeting.

***

Since he was a small boy, Kenyada had believed that he would one day rule. His father had been President of Nyumbani colony on Planet Purlieu since it changed from a monarchy to a democracy. His parents, Kwasi and Bahati were Mascots – humans genetically modified with animal genes. As a Mascot, Kenyada believed his destiny was to guide and protect colonists. He had studied all the colonies on Purlieu. He knew their languages, their cultures and their governments. He wanted to do something different. He wanted his own colony. Planet Arcane provided the best opportunity for that venture, but one didn't simply move to Arcane. The only way to get there was on the research and rescue spaceship, Lyra, which was based at Arcane.

To gain passage on the Lyra, he would need the permission of Adriaan, the commander. With a few exceptions, only mascots were allowed to remain on Arcane, and even those were required to have some kind of special training – usually at least three years in service on a spaceship and three more in the Premier Infantry on Purlieu.

A minimum age of sixteen was required to sign up for service on a spaceship and he had only turned eighteen today. He had no special skills except those he had picked up with a good education and following the example his father provided. Arcane was a peaceful planet with a scant population and he would have a peaceful colony. There would be no need for military training. Those he chose would have hunting and farming skills. His requirements were different than those the Lyra employed. If he could speak to someone in command at Arcane instead of Cade at the recruiting office for the Lyra here on Purlieu, they would understand.

His proposed transportation to Arcane would soon arrive at Purlieu. As the son of Nyumbani's President, he would be welcomed at the celebration in Bergen colony for returning Lyra troops. For the same reason, he would be given permission to speak to Donte, Supreme Commander of all the spaceships, and Adriaan, commander of the Lyra – the spaceship based at Arcane.

He had contacted Cade, commander of the Premier Infantry on Purlieu, and Dalziel on Arcane, but the answer had been the same. Go through military training first. He had used all the proper channels of communication. Now he was going to go to the top. Donte. Relatives and friends of Donte had been accepted with no resistance.

Kenyada even had a name for his new colony – Huru. In the language of the Nyumbani, it represented sovereignty. If Huru ever needed a militia, they could train their own. He didn’t want to do things the way everyone else did. He wanted a peaceful colony where people were free to farm and raise their families. Since their alliance with Planet Oriel, Purlieu had forgotten what it was like to live simply.

The Lyra would be returning this week for fresh troops. Those who had served their three years would attend a celebration in their honor. Donte would be at the Groot Thuis in Bergen for the celebration. Kenyada’s father had been invited and Kenyada had been given permission to travel there with him. His father had even agreed to introduce him to Donte; the man who had freed his father from Lochfowk nearly fifty years ago. Kenyada felt excited. He was on the brink of achieving his goal!

***

In the last six months, Dr. Alexandra Ramsay had discovered that Purlieu wasn’t nearly as backward as Oriel thought it was. True, their clinics needed fresh training, but that could be said of many places on Oriel as well.

When she had first arrived on Purlieu, she had worked at the underground complex of the Premier Infantry headquarters with an aging Dr. Gillis and his assistant. That had certainly been an eye-opener. She had trained them enough that she didn’t feel like she was wasting their time, but she had also learned from them. Until then, she had only read about Mascots. The complex was full of them. They were all exceptionally attractive men and women.

Cade had sent her to Lochfowk, Libertad, Anialwch, Nyumbani and finally, Bergen colonies. None of the leaders had impressed her as much as Cobus, Bergen's ruler. She found him to be the most attractive of all the Mascots she had met – not only physically, but in every other way. She found his violet gaze hypnotic. He was kind, gentle, wise - and devoted to the people of Bergen. It was no surprise that they adored him. The surprise came when she learned he was single. He lived in an apartment upstairs in the Groot Thuis by himself. How had he escaped all the women who openly flirted with him?

One of those who openly flirted with him was Willow, a journalist who had arrived from Oriel on the same spaceship as Alexandra. She was a beautiful girl with a lovely figure. At twenty-three, she had all the wisdom of a mature woman and none of the common sense. On the spaceship coming to Purlieu, Willow had made no secret of the fact that she wanted to take a Mascot back to Oriel with her. Considering the way she had flirted with Cobus, it looked like she had set her sites on him. Nothing like starting at the top.

As Anialwch had its palace in the desert, Bergen had a Groot Thuis in the mountains. The entrance opened up into a large lobby with a kitchen off to the side. Millie said the lobby was where the celebration would take place when the Lyra arrived to exchange trained troops for new volunteers. She said serving on the Lyra was a coveted goal for most of the troops. Millie had served on the Lyra for six years before retiring and working in the kitchen of the Groot Thuis. She lived in Bergen with her husband, Renaldo, who was Bergen’s official translator. They had two children; one an infant. Renaldo had come to Purlieu from Oriel.

The couple had made her feel welcome from the time she arrived, as had Huib, the main doctor in the Groot Thuis infirmary. She had been with them only a month when Dr. Huib had asked her about training doctors on Arcane. At first, she wondered if they were trying to get rid of her, but both Millie and Renaldo assured her that she should feel honored. Dalziel, head of the Premier Infantry, always selected the most qualified people to work on Arcane and the Lyra.

Alexandra felt overwhelmed. She had heard of the Lyra and its Supreme Commander, Donte. He had a lot of influence with Fontalo, or at least did when Arlo was CEO. Donte was Purlieu’s highest-ranking officer and his approval was essential if a person wanted to visit Arcane. Even the people on Oriel's Planet, Opus, held him in high regard. She had never met anyone with that much power and had no idea how to address him – or even if she should. She might regret agreeing to go to Arcane – but she was looking forward to it, all the same. Arcane would be the fourth planet in what had turned out to be a galactic medical tour. So far, she liked Purlieu the most.

As soon as Willow heard that the Lyra would be docking at Purlieu, she had started urging Cobus to ask Donte if she could go to Arcane. Cobus told her that Donte would make that decision, but he would introduce her to him. This was going to get interesting.

***

Evi would soon be sixteen and she was ready to officially join the service. She thought she would have trouble convincing her parents, but Mama had reminded Daddy that she had always wanted to be part of the Lyra team and she would soon be the required age. Daddy probably thought she might sign up on another spaceship. She wouldn’t do that. The Lyra had been her home away from home since birth. She was an Arcane native, as were her two brothers, Deidrick and Gregor. Now Mama was expecting two more babies – twins. Daddy was excited at the prospect, but Mama didn’t seem quite as happy about it. She only wanted one more baby. She said four children made a perfect family. She said that because she and Daddy had raised a family of four in the Groot Thuis when Daddy was the Ruler of Bergen. They had started all over with a family after Daddy became Supreme Commander.

The whole idea left Evi wondering about her mother's reasoning. After all, when she joined the service and the twins were born, Mama would still have a family of four.

Nanna, Daddy's grandmother, would be there to help Mama with her brothers. Deidrick was a sweet eight-year-old, but four-year-old Gregor was a pain. He was always into something he shouldn’t be. Mama said Daddy had spoiled him. They all had.

Mama didn’t want to go to Purlieu and Daddy didn’t want to leave her behind. Nanna had convinced him that it would be more comfortable for Mama to stay on Arcane. Great Grandpa Quade would be there and he ran the base hospital. Mama wasn’t due until after their scheduled return, so Daddy finally agreed. Bergen wanted him to participate in the celebration, so he had no choice but to leave Mama on Arcane.

Daddy said the least he could do was take Dederick and Gregor with them so Mama could get some rest. Gregor thought that was a grand idea. He always wanted to be with Daddy. Dederick didn’t want to leave Mama, but he didn’t want Daddy to go without him. So it was, that they had taken their first trip on the Lyra without Mama.

Grandpa Kenyon had stayed on Arcane with his mate, Celyn and their daughter, Braith. It was their son's first trip without his parents as well. Dai was her uncle, but he was only one year older. They had grown up together like cousins. Dai had officially joined the Lyra team as a cadet when he turned sixteen. After a year of basic training, he was now focusing on a specialty – communications.

Evi had another reason she wanted to go to Purlieu, but she didn’t say anything about it to her parents. It had been almost four years since she had seen Cobus. She could hardly wait to see the look in on his handsome face when he realized she was now an adult. He wouldn’t be coming back to the Lyra and she didn’t want to leave it, but she loved Cobus. Mama and Daddy would say he was too old for her. He was older than Daddy, but Kenyon was old enough to be Celyn’s grandfather and that had worked out. All that mattered was that they loved each other. Cobus would probably live for another two hundred years.

***

Adriaan left the troop organizing to Maas, as he had since their last mission. Maas was a capable and cooperative Mascot and now the commander of the Premier Infantry on the Lyra. Maas had smoothly slid into the position that Cobus had vacated when he became Ruler of Bergen. Cobus had been the best commander that Adriaan had ever had - even better than Donte. As much as Adriaan hated losing Cobus, he had to agree with Donte that Cobus was the best fit for Bergen. Cobus loved his new position and the people of Bergen loved him. He had organized Bergen as easily as he had the Lyra troops and, under his tutelage, Bergen had reclaimed its previous place as one of the most powerful and influential colonies on Purlieu.

It hadn’t taken Maas long to learn what a challenge working with Donte could be. In emergencies, Donte often stood between danger and the troops. He had learned to delegate, but there were some things for which he was better suited than anyone. Donte could sense things – the presence of people and animals, as well as their moods. He could sense when a person was telling a lie and his intuition about something that was going to happen had saved the troops more than once.

Donte's son, Heri and Kenyon's son, Dai, could sense presence, as could Donte's youngest boy, Gregor, but they had not inherited the abilities that Evi had. When Evi learned to use those skills, she was going to be more powerful than Donte ever was. Evi couldn't wait to join the service and Adriaan welcomed her, but he wasn't going to let her get into situations like Donte did. He couldn't control his Supreme Commander, but he could control Evi – at least he hoped he could.

****

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