THE LAST VOYAGE
Spaceship Lyra Log 006
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 1

    Rianne turned on the stool and looked back at Willow, giving the young journalist a mischievous smile over her shoulder.
"This one is for Donte."
   Willow snapped several pictures and smiled. "I like that pose. I think he will too."
Rianne sobered. "I'm sure he'll be pleased with all of them."
   Willow had been trying to act casual but she was clearly uncomfortable. Surely by now she realized that Mascots were no different than anyone else – or did she think her husband was unusual? Adan had left planet Arcane after over 100 years in the service to marry Willow and join her on planet Oriel. That part had certainly been unusual.
   Willow laid the camera on a table. "You're so beautiful. It would be difficult to take a bad picture of you." She retrieved a pad and pencil from the table and hesitated a moment before resuming the interview, as if unsure if it would be proper to ask a question.
   "This is your second trip to Oriel. What influenced your decision to return? Was it Donte's choice?"
   Actually, Donte hadn't wanted to spend six months of his three-year leave on a spaceship to Oriel and then another seven to get back to Arcane, but he'd rather die an agonizing death being eaten by a dinosaur than admit it. He had no idea she knew how he felt and she wasn't going to tell him. He was doing this for her. She didn't feel as guilty about that as she probably should.
   Donte's mind had been so poisoned against Oriel from the first trip that he resisted any changes that could be traced back to them. He had been disappointed in planet Purlieu for adopting some of Oriel's customs but, truthfully, Arcane could use some upgrading.
   "Well, as you know, Donte had been on leave for over a year. When I heard that we were putting a Lyra base on Oriel and Kenyon was going to be temporary commander. I asked Donte if we could visit. Kenyon's mate, Celyn, and I are good friends and Kenyon is Donte's father, you know."
   "So, visiting Oriel was your idea."
   "Yes, and this is Commander Vidal's last voyage before retiring."
   Willow tapped her cheek with the pencil and looked confused. "Everyone is a commander. How do you know rank?"
   Everyone from Oriel asked that question. She shrugged. "Well, of course Purlieu and Arcane aren't as populated as Oriel and we only have five spaceships, so everyone knows who the spaceship commanders are. Other than that, uniform color. The darker the uniform, the higher the command."
   Willow watched her a moment. "And that's why Donte's uniform is black?"
   "Yes." She waited while Willow wrote something on her tablet. She thought the next question would be about who was in command while Donte was on leave, but Willow took a different direction with her questions.
   "You have four children. How do they feel about this trip?"
   Rianne smiled. "We have four children with us, but Donte and I have had ten children altogether. Five of them are grown."
   "I didn't know that. What are their names and where are they now?"
   "Petra is our oldest and she lives with her mate on a farm in Bergen colony on Purlieu. She was with us during our first visit to Oriel and so was Andras. He is now commander of Spaceship Moeder. Rikki was born shortly after we returned from Oriel. He lives in Libertad colony on Purlieu now. Arabella, the youngest of the first four, lives with her mate on Arcane. Evi was born after we moved to Arcane and she is serving on the Lyra right now. Dederick, Gregor, Luna and Stewart are with us this trip."
    She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal about Dederick's present state of mind. She'd never had a child act like he did and wasn't sure why he was so hostile toward Donte.
   "Dederick is twelve, and he doesn't seem to care much one way or another. Gregor is eight and he doesn't travel well. He doesn't like being cooped up, so he's ready to explore Oriel. Luna and Stewart are typical two-year-olds. They are probably enjoying Donte's undivided attention more than anything else."
   "Stewart – he's the little boy you adopted, right? When I first saw him, I thought he was the twin that...." Her voice faded off without finishing the sentence.
  "Yes. Daan died shortly after birth. Stewart is an orphan Steward – more experimental people Fontalo left on Arcane."
   Willow looked like she wanted to ask more about that fiasco, but she hopped to something else. "That's only 9."
   "Yes, we lost a baby on Arcane in an accident."
   "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Donte had children from a previous...um...union, right?"
   "Yes. His mate and children were murdered. Then he had two more children and one of them died. He has a tragic past."
   Willow paused a moment before continuing on another subject. "I met Oribe when I visited Arcane. I heard he was with you."
   Rianne laughed. "Yes, Oribe and his mate, Myrna, came with us this trip. I think he wants to meet his makers."
   The Sentinels were Fontalo's first attempt at mixing human and animal genes and they had resulted in some strange looking people. Donte was a tall man, but Oribe dwarfed him. Oribe had a stocky build, but the most striking feature about him was his face. He had eyes like a cat and his nose and mouth were extended from his face. Donte was his best friend – other than Myrna.
   Willow wrote on her tablet and grinned. "Meet his makers. I like that. This should be interesting." She looked up. "Will he be at the party tomorrow?"
Rianne sobered and shook her head. "No. I'm sure he and Myrna would both feel uncomfortable."
   Willow nodded. "I can understand that. I'm looking forward to seeing him again." She hesitated and sighed. "I'm going to ask this for personal reasons – off the record. You adopted Stewart. Do you feel the same about him as you do about your biological children?"
   Mascots and colonists were unable to produce offspring together, so if Willow and Adan wanted children, they would have to adopt them. She gave Willow a reassuring smile.
   "Absolutely, and so do Donte and our other children."
Willow nodded and looked thoughtful. "Stewart appears to be more attached to Donte."
   "Oh yes. That's true of biological children as well. Dederick is more attached to me and Evi has always tagged after Donte. Gregor is a daddy's boy. Children have preferences in personalities, and so do parents. That doesn't mean you love one more than the other."
   Willow nodded. "Mom says she feels the same about Phoebe as she does me."
   "You're adopted?"
  Willow smiled. "No. Mom and Dad gave up trying to have a child and adopted Phoebe. Then I came along two years later."
   Willow watched her for a moment, obviously trying to decide if it was appropriate to ask a specific question. Finally, Willow looked at her tablet while she spoke.
   "Adan told me about all the Mascots who died when Fontalo gave them a serum to sterilize the males. He had four children – the youngest only two – and they all died. Then his wife committed suicide."
   "Yes, sad as it was for him, that wasn't an uncommon situation...not the suicide, but losing entire families."
   Willow tapped the tablet with her pencil. "He said that after Fontalo knew how dangerous it was, they gave the serum to the leaders."
   "Yes. Quade was one of them – he raised Donte after his mate died."
   Willow lifted her head and looked Rianne in the eye. "It didn't happen in my generation, but I still feel guilty about it – and ashamed."
   "You're right. The experiments didn't happen in your generation, or even your parent's generation. Oriel wasn't aware that they were contaminating natives from another planet with animal genes. I'm sure that many people who worked for Fontalo had no idea it was happening. Fontalo was forced to pay restitution and we were given a spaceship. The Lyra now assists the people Fontalo created as well as others. You have no reason to feel guilty."
    Willow nodded. "That's what Adan says."
   "Well, he's right. Sometimes people do bad things. King Farasi turned on his people and even killed Donte's family."
   "But he went insane because of the serum."
   Rianne shrugged. "As far as we know, yes. There were others, though, who never took the serum. Chait was one. Sometimes people go bad, even Mascots. We aren't perfect. We simply have attributes that the average colonist doesn't."
   "But you were programmed to help."
   Rianne laughed. "Nonsense. We originated from a genus that is more inclined to assist than do harm. Fontalo recognized the benefits of that. I know Fontalo did some gene alteration, but I think the idea that they were able to program our brains genetically so that it passed on from generation to generation is ridiculous. I haven't read anything in the records that indicated Fontalo believed they had programed our brains."
   Willow looked surprised. "You've read the Fontalo records? I thought they were turned over to Fontalo."
   Neither Oriel nor Fontalo knew that the Lyra had a copy of the records. Donte didn't want that known yet. She shrugged. "We had several months to read them before Fontalo picked them up."
   Willow looked doubtful. She probably thought they had made a copy, but didn't want to start trouble. There certainly was an advantage to doing an interview with a journalist married to a Mascot.
   Willow smiled. "Well, I think they created something magnificent, regardless of their intent.
    Rianne thought that every time she looked at Donte. She had never seen a more physically perfect person than Donte. Willow probably thought the same when she looked at Adan. The two men were different in personality and physical appearance, but their moral compasses were almost identical. Both would give their lives to save others – even people they didn't know or like. It wasn't because they were programed by Fontalo to do so. They were just good people. That was one reason they were so valued.
   Kenyon had said he thought having a base on Oriel would help Oriel understand that Mascots were individuals. It might, but it might also strengthen the belief that they were a different species – a problem Willow and Adan had to contend with already. Donte didn't like the idea of a base on Oriel, but he had put Adriaan in command while he was on leave and this was Adriaan's idea. Donte supported him. Donte hadn't liked the idea of Adan going to Oriel, either, but he thought Adan had the right to decide where and how he lived. Adriaan and Donte both wanted Adan to be the base commander on Oriel. Kenyon still thought that might happen. Willow said Adan didn't want the position. He had broken free of the Lyra. Adriaan said he had tasted freedom and liked it. She was inclined to agree. Hopefully, Kenyon would eventually return to Arcane and let someone else be commander of the Oriel base. Donte was anxious about leaving Kenyon and Celyn on Oriel. They had both been part of the prophesy and he still relied on them heavily. Living without them would be a difficult adjustment for Donte. Kenyon was more than his father. He was a close friend, a talented doctor and one of Donte's most valuable troops.
   On their first trip to Oriel, they'd had to leave Celyn on Purlieu. Celyn hadn't understood that at the time because she was half of the Anialwch connection in the prophesy. She and Donte still worked together in ways no one else could. This time, Celyn would be on Oriel while Donte was on Arcane. Donte wondered if they would still be able to work together.
   Willow tipped her head to the side. "I get the feeling that Donte isn't in total agreement about the base on Oriel."
   Rianne smiled. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask Donte about that when you interview him. That isn't something I feel comfortable about discussing."
   Willow nodded. "Fair enough." She dropped the subject and went on to something else. "You are the Lyra representative."
   Rianne sighed. "Everyone knows that Donte is the true representative."
Willow lifted her brows. "You think he gave you the position because you are his wife?"
   "No. I think he created the position because he thought the Lyra needed a representative. I had been the Bosvrouwen colony representative for decades, so he knew I was qualified."
    "I see. You just think your position is unnecessary."
   "Not unnecessary, just duplicate – which is probably a good thing at times; like when Donte is unavailable. It also gives him the opportunity to focus on other things."
   "Like when you negotiated on Opus while he was leading troops. That was when you got captured, right?"
   "I didn't do much negotiating that day. It was supposed to be a play day for Evi and me. I did negotiate on that mission when Donte had been shot with a poisoned arrow."
   Willow stared at her tablet a moment in thought. "He nearly died – then and many times. Does it bother you that his work is so dangerous?"
   "Of course, but that's his work and he has qualifications that few possess – not even most Mascots. He can and has saved many lives."
When Willow's gaze lifted to hers, she looked sad. "Adan is that way here on Oriel. I was glad when they decided to put the Lyra base on Oriel. I thought it would give him some relief." She grimaced. "But I think he will probably continue risking his life as if they weren't here."
   Rianne nodded. "It is in their nature. When you love them; you learn to accept it."
   "Oh, I accept it, but...I'm so afraid I will lose him."
   "I know what you mean. It's a fear I have lived with for over a half-century. I don't know what I'd do without him. I think I'd rather die than lose him."
   Willow gave her a chagrinned smile. "I don't think I'd go that far, but I wouldn't know what to do without Adan now."
   A successful marriage took more than a couple years to reach fruition. Hopefully, Willow's marriage to Adan would last, but it was too early to know at this point. Considering their age difference, being Mascot and colonist as well as differences in culture, they probably had more hurdles to jump than she and Donte had faced. Only time would tell.
   Willow looked at her tablet. "So, tell me; as a husband, what is the worst thing about Donte, and the best?"
   The worst thing? Donte had a tendency to draw into himself when he felt troubled. He could be neglectful in those times. He saw it as being self-centered. Perhaps it was, at least to a degree, but wasn't everyone at times? Sometimes it was self preservation. Donte wasn't selfish. When brought to his attention that he was being neglectful, he instantly apologized and rectified the situation. She shrugged.
   "Donte and I accept that we are not perfect. No one is. We have faults and we generally acknowledge them to each other." She sighed. "I suppose that, as a husband, his instinct to protect me has most often caused problems between us." She gave Willow a wry smile. "I'm not quite the delicate butterfly that he thinks I am."
    Willow giggled. "Some women might think that was the best thing about a man."
Some might, until it limited their participation in events. She turned her attention to the best thing about Donte. Her first thought was that his desire to protect and please resulted in a great sex life. That wasn't all their marriage was about, though. It wasn't who Donte was and it certainly wasn't something she wanted to share.
   "Donte is the kindest, most gentle and honorable person I have ever met. He is a good listener and he is quick to forgive." She rolled her eyes. "But you wanted me to narrow that down to one thing."
    Willow laughed. "Oh, I think that answer is better than what I requested." She sobered. "You two seem like the perfect couple."
    Rianne nodded. "It seems that way to us as well. We've had our differences, like all best friends do, but after all these years together, we are still very much in love."
Willow sighed. "Fifty years. What's the secret to a long-lasting marriage?"
   Instantly Rianne's thoughts went to their separation. She had left Donte for six months. They both had thought their union had ended. They had been mates for thirty years. The secret to a long marriage? She lifted her brows. "The secret to a long marriage is not breaking up."
   Willow stared at her for a moment. "Well...I suppose that's a given. Do most Mascots stay married that long?"
   Rianne smiled. "Most Mascots don't get married. They take mates. Donte and I were mates for the first thirty years. We got married on Opus."
   Willow nodded. "I know. Adan said that people on Purlieu exchange personalized vows and call it taking a mate. You don't get divorced, but...."
   "No, we don't get divorced. The union is personal, not a legal obligation. If the couple doesn't get along together, they make the decision to dissolve their vows and go different ways. No one else has a say in it." She sighed. "And yes; it isn't uncommon for...colonists...to break their vows. Mascots break them less often – probably because children are not involved – and because they live longer."
   Willow frowned. "What would having children have to do with it?"
   Willow wouldn't know because she had no children. "Children are a blessing, but they can also be a huge strain on a union; especially if the parents don't agree on how to raise them."
   Willow leaned forward in full attention. "You and Donte agree?"
   Rianne laughed. "Not always or completely, but compatibly. Of course, other than Lochfowk Mascots, we are one of the few couples who are able to reproduce."
   Willow thought about that. "Adan says most Mascot women go through the change of life in their fifties – but you're over eighty and still having children."
   Rianne nodded. "Yes, and we don't know why. Quade wondered if it had something to do with Donte's strong pheromones or that we are both mixes. Fontalo didn't want different colonies to mix because it could cause mutations.
   Quinn, our daughter-in-law, discovered that the favorite beverage on Purlieu is a sort of birth control. She thinks that, after so many years of drinking it, women went into menopause. I thought that had happened to me, but the drink wasn't available on Opus and I conceived. Celyn didn't drink hers as strong. I'm careful about how much and how strong I drink it, but I don't know if that's the reason I'm still having children. Our ancestors, the Primaz, natives of Arcane, also have trouble conceiving. They may go ten or twenty years and then suddenly conceive. It's possible that could happen with Mascot women, but with the exception of Lochfowk, now there are only a few men who can father a child."
   Willow grimaced. "Thanks to Fontalo."
   That much was fact, and as they had established; not Willow's fault.
   For a moment, Willow studied her tablet. Finally, she lifted her brows and looked at Rianne. "Something he does that makes you feel special – a touch or...."
   Every time Donte looked at her, she felt special. Something he did? She smiled.    "He lightly touches me right here." She indicated her lower back with one hand. "It's his way of declaring that I am his, I think. He only does it in public." She shrugged.       "It feels sensual, but I think it's really his way of declaring; If you harm her, you'll have to answer to me."
   Willow looked surprised. "Do you think people are afraid of him?"
   Rianne laughed. "I think most people are in awe of him. They respect him, but I wouldn't be surprised if some were afraid of him. He has a reputation for being able to take care of himself, but he also has powerful friends who don't want anything to happen to him."
   Willow lifted a brow. "Like Adriaan?"
   Rianne nodded. "And the premier infantry, all the colony leaders and spaceship commanders – not to mention his staff. They like Donte. They trust him and they know he will back them. When he is in the field with them, they are literally trusting him with their lives. He uses his senses to warn them, and he almost always puts himself between them and danger."
   Willow wrote something on her tablet before looking up. "Adan says Donte socializes with the troops. That's unusual for high-ranking officials, isn't it?"
   "Not on Purlieu. I suppose thirty years of experience as Ruler of Bergen has taught him how to be a comrade without sacrificing authority. Cadha says he has always been an approachable commander. The troops like him and know he will make time for them."
   Willow nodded. "They ask him for personal advice?"
  Rianne smiled. "I don't know how much of their conversations is of a serious nature. Donte has quite a sense of humor." She sobered. "All the same, when you ask Donte what he thinks, you better be prepared for an honest answer."
   Willow sighed. "Such dedication. I hope I can be that kind of wife for Adan."
   Rianne hadn't thought of her feelings in that matter as dedicated. She had been in the service and understood his approach. She admired Donte more than any man she had ever met. It wasn't because she loved him. That was something different – and difficult to explain, so she didn't try.

   The rest of the interview went smoothly. Donte would be next on Willow's list of people to interview. She'd like to be present during that interview – just to listen. Willow would discover that Donte measured everything before he released it. His would be a tough interview. Willow had arranged them separately, though.

****
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THE LAST VOYAGE
 Spaceship Lyra Log 006
by Linda Rigsbee
Clean literary colonization
 soft Science Fiction.
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