The Sarran Senator (15 page)

“No, the other fems have to see how we react
in crises. We’ll stay here and let them see we trust our Warriors
to protect us.”

Newly bonded WarriorPairs returned to the
hangar and were directed to the barracks. Aloysius, Tigger, and
Chou came in to report.
::The fem didn’t panic once Meg and Sara
took charge. Meg was able to figure out quickly what the problem
was and sent Chou up to Menalaus to get the antidote. He came
immediately and administered it in Tierest juice but couldn’t stop
the onset of labor. Meg recruited four fem physicians to take care
of the Ta. Each cot is guarded by two cats and a fem acting as a
nurse along with the doctor. Thank the Goddess that the other
pregnant fem were on the Brightstar with their
WarriorPairs.::

::TaSyn is crowning,::
Dr. Mai Lee
told Zaron and Bron.

Bron and Zaron stood by Syn’s cot just behind
the doctor. “Can we hold our fem’s hands?” Bron asked. Syn knew
they wanted to do something but neither Warrior knew what to do.
The doctor was taking care of everything.

Syn picked up her head. “Dr. Lee, let them
take the bebe. They took the classes; they can do this.”

Dr. Lee stepped aside. “TeBron, TeZaron, take
care of your femspring.” Syn pushed down once more and the baby’s
head crowned and it slid out. Bron grabbed her shoulders and turned
their femspring to remove her from the birth canal. Zaron delivered
the afterbirth. Bron placed the baby femspring on Syn’s belly and
Zaron cut and tied the cord. Both men were openly weeping.

“PaChette, you’ve given birth to the first
bebe born on Sarran in ten cycles. Nara’s was the last pregnancy on
Sarran and now you, our fem is the Zinna of the first born. Thank
you, Cynthia, you have restored my faith in the Goddess, in Sarran,
and in our people’s ability to survive.”

::May I name our femspring, Bron,
Zaron?::

::Of course, PaChette.::

::I want to come full circle. Our femspring’s
name is Nara.::

Bron and Zaron got down on their knees loped
their arms over Syn and the bebe and sat there murmuring love words
to Syn and the baby while they continued to weep.

Garlance stepped up behind them and cleared
his throat. Bron and Zaron rose, wiping their eyes. “Report.”

“Hilnut was found by Aloysius and Tigger and
a party of thirty felines who executed him, witnessed by Mark and
Juraens who were the closest Sarrans to receive the cats’ call.
They teleported the body to Brightstar to be spaced.

“Good work, Garlance. We’ll see you at home.”
The Warriors turned back to their fem and femspring. In this moment
they were doting sires rather than heads of state.

Anya crowned next and Jonal and Tonas took
care of business assisted by Lisa Scott who found her WarriorPair
this moontine. Their femspring had Anya’s reddish hair and Jonal’s
fiery eyes but the shape of her face screamed Tonas.

Ellen delivered next followed swiftly by
Adele and just like that, the Sarran race took a deep breath and
exhaled. The Earthen fem were truly compatible with the Sarran now,
in deed as well as word.

Two by two the newly bonded Warriors came
back to the hangar accompanied by their fem. While the Ta
delivered, Meg had stayed in the background in case someone needed
her. She was about to slip away back to the barracks when Syn
called her name.

::Meg, please come over here. Zaron, Bron,
Meg is the reason that the Ta are alive. She took charge; sent for
Menalaus and the antidote. She also dispatched the cats to chase
after Hilnut and another squad of felines to guard the fems. Meg
asked Sara to go to the barracks to make sure the fem were not
distressed. In short, she took charge of an explosive situation and
handled it admirably. She deserves a commendation.::

Sam and Tarin were among the last to arrive
to collect their fem. They found the four Zinnas standing: Syn,
Zaron, and Bron with Nara, Anya and her Warriors with their
femspring and Ellen, Adele, and their Warriors with their
offspring.

“Sam, Tarin, we’ve been waiting for you.
There will be a council meeting next rising at nine tines. We would
like you and your fem to attend. Congratulations on bonding to such
a bright, resourceful, and capable fem. She saved the Ta and the
bebes from poisoning.”

“Who?” Tarin asked.

“Hilnut,” Bron spat through gritted
teeth.

“Not surprised. I didn’t like him the moment
I met him. I wouldn’t have left Michael and Naffie in the kitchen
the moontine of Syn’s dinner if only Hilnut had been there.”

“Why didn’t you say something, Sam?” Bron
asked grimly.

“It was my first moontine here and I wasn’t
sure of the reason for my antipathy. I thought it best to watch
him, but got caught up in the bonding and Hilnut wasn’t on my
radar, Tarin was,” Sam said, a bit shamefaced.

“You at least saw something. He’s been
working as our driver for cycles and we noticed nothing,” Zaron
said.

“What tipped you off, Sam?”

“ A feeling in my gut. It always served me
well in the military. His aura was wavy. I’ve been able to see
auras since my first rising on Brightstar. His just didn’t look
right.”

* * * *

Very little is needed to make a happy life;

it is all within yourself, in your way of
thinking.

―Marcus Aurelius

Falling Waters, The Duchy 01:30 tines

::Little one, come home with us. You did
good work this moontine. You must be exhausted. We’ll teleport
home.::
Tarin and Sam locked arms around Meg’s shoulders and
they transported into the slumber chamber at the Duchy.

::I only did what needed to be done. I
tried to think about what Syn would do and that’s what I did.::
Meg’s mind voice sounded as if she was belittling her own
accomplishments. She looked around, “Oh my goodness, it’s beautiful
here.”

::Never mind the décor. Don’t make light
of your own accomplishments. The point is, little one, you did it,
not Syn. Syn was incapacitated. Everyone else panicked when the Ta
went down. You didn’t, you kept a cool head. Your steady hand on
the helm gave the fems confidence that the situation was under
control so that they didn’t distract their Warriors in the midst of
a short, but very intense battle.::
Sam kissed her palm. Meg
stood up.

::Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I didn’t
think…::
Meg moved her hands over Sam, then Tarin as if she
were checking for injuries.

::We’re fine, little one. We were more
worried about you. We go to council next rising, early, so let your
Warriors take you to bed, to sleep. We want to do nothing more than
hold you this moontine and keep you safe.::
Tarin kissed the
back of Meg’s neck.
::You’re irresistible.::

::I never doubted your ability to keep me
safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I know it’s crazy but
I think I love you both, but I’m not sure. I’ve never been in love.
You’ll just hold me this moontine?::
Meg was hesitant.

::We promise and when a Sarran Warrior
makes a promise to a fem, the only thing that will prevent him from
keeping it is his death. Let’s get your suitcase and you can go
into the bathing chamber to change into your moontine
clothes.::
Sam kissed her forehead.
::Now go, we’ll be
waiting for you in bed. Take the left side. Sam sleeps in the
middle this moontine. We all have to appear in front of the council
next rising.::

::You mean I have to go to Council,
too?::

::Yes, little one, you were there while
the battle raged above. You spoke to the Ta and sent the cats after
Hilnut. Hilnut was executed midmoontine and his body was spaced.
This is what happens on Sarran if someone so much as strikes a fem.
Hilnut attacked the Ta because he knew that if the Ta perished, the
Te would know right away and would be incapacitated and therefore
unable direct the fight. Some of them would not have survived the
death of their Ta. You, plus Tarin and Bron’s Sky Shield saved
Sarran next rising.::
Sam handed Meg her suitcase.
::We’ll
fabricate a dress from one of your designs in the
dawntine.::

::After that, we’ll either get one of our
tailors to make you some new things to your specifications or buy
made material for you to work on yourself,::
Tarin assured
her.

“All right then, I’ll go and get changed. The
bathing chamber is that way?” Meg pointed to the closed door.

“Yes, little one, we’ll get a shower at the
rising.” Meg took her suitcase to the bathroom. Sam turned his head
to Tarin. “Let’s take the opportunity to get undressed so we don’t
make Meg uncomfortable. We better fabricate sleep pants
quickly.”

When Meg came out of the bathroom, her
Warriors were waiting for her in bed. Sam drew the covers and Meg
scurried inside. Tarin spooned Sam and Sam pulled Meg into his arms
and within minutes she was asleep against Sam’s chest.

::Our fem has had her self-confidence
eroded.::

Snowy and Midnight came into the slumber
chamber.

::I’ll sleep with Midnight this moontine, but
next rising, I want my own bed.::

::Certainly,::
Sam assured her.

::Snowy, do you know anything about Meg’s
life before she came to Sarran,::
Tarin asked.

::Yes, I peeked before Tigger told me it was
impolite. Her father was mean to her. He hit her when he was drunk,
which was often. The majority of the time he belittled her. Is that
the word, belittle?::

::If you’re trying to say that he made her
feel like she was less than she is, yes, that’s the word,::
Sam
growled.

::Thank you for telling us, Snowy. We just
want to help her. We think she needs to see TaSyn for
coffee
a few times a week. TaSyn will help her feel better about
herself.::

::Duchess told Midnight and me what TaSyn
does. Meg needs to see her. She needs to think more of herself. If
she wasn’t amazing, I wouldn’t be with her. I’m going to
sleep.::
The little cat turned around and curled up in a circle
under Midnight’s belly.

Sam and Tarin chuckled, kissed each other
good moontine, and went to sleep themselves.

* * * *

The Duchy: 07:30 tines

Sam and Tarin leaned over and took turns
kissing Meg good rising. She opened her sleepy eyes and said, “Is
it time to leave?”

“No, little one, it’s time for breakfast.
Tron has prepared breakfast for us before we have to go to
council.

“I have to fabricate something to wear.” Meg
looked a little frazzled. “And I need a cup of tea.”

Sam’s face scrunched up in consternation.
“Tea is another import item we need to investigate.” He looked over
to Tarin and said, “We have to fabricate the tea. I didn’t know
that Mark and Juraens didn’t bring tea. Maybe Syn has a box of tea
she could spare. I’ll pop over and see.”

“You don’t have to do that for me.” Meg
seemed to be uncomfortable with the idea of anyone going out of
their way for her.

“Yes, I do. We’re your Warriors.”

* * * *

Syn’s Kitchen/Duchy Slumber Chamber

Sam transported himself to the courtyard and
knocked on Syn’s kitchen door. Syn opened the door in her robe.
“What brings you here so early, Sam. I was just about to feed the
bebe.”

“It’s Meg. She asked for a cup of tea and I
can only make it if I fabricate it. Sara told me you had a
well-stocked larder. Do you have any teabags, if it’s not too much
trouble?”

Syn smiled. “For the woman who saved our
collective asses last moontine, I have three boxes of one-hundred
Irish breakfast teabags each. I’ll get them.”

“You’re a lifesaver. We didn’t want to have
to refuse her the first thing she asked us for.”

Sam transported back to the slumber chamber.
“Meg, I have three hundred bags of Barry’s Irish Breakfast teabags.
How do you take your tea?”

“You found tea! Oh my Lord…you are
incredible. The tea in the fabricator isn’t that good. I take it
strong and black with sweetener.”

“Would you like to try spel instead of
fabricated sugar?” Tarin asked.

“Yes, I had some last rising and I liked it.
I can’t believe it—Barry’s Irish Breakfast Tea. When I could afford
it, this was the brand I bought at home.”

“How does Tron make it for you? I’ll have it
for you as soon as you dress,” Sam promised.

Meg laughed. She had a full throated laugh.
“Just put the bag in a cup. Pour boiling water over it and let it
steep until I get to the kitchen. Thank you so much. I’ll have to
thank TaSyn.”

“Syn would want you to call her by her name.
She told me you saved them last moontine. You’ll see her, the
others, and their bebes at council.”

“I’ll put on my good dress,” Meg
stammered.

“No, Tarin got up at four and had a tailor
use some handmade fabric to make what your design portfolio called
a Sunday morning dress. The tailor tried to come as close to the
material specified as he could.”

Tarin into the room. “Here’s your dress,
little one, and the small clothes. The bra is Bron’s design, you
fit it under your breasts, and it will adhere and hold them up
without putting uncomfortable creases in your shoulders. Now, Sam
and I will meet you in the kitchen. Normally, your Warriors would
help you dress and do your hair but I don’t think you’re
comfortable enough with us for that yet.”

Fifteen mots later Meg came into the kitchen.
“I used the brush in the bathroom. It dried and curled my hair. I
don’t look wanton, do I. I mean by wearing it down.”

“You look beautiful. Sam and I are proud to
name you as our fem. Now drink your tea. I had Tron make you some
Sarran cheese on bread. Snowy said you liked that. I can’t wait to
spend a lifetime finding out what you like.” Tarin kissed the top
of her hair.