After a prolonged silence,Ekno acknowledged, “It is so. Yet, talk systems between we andIntabet hold rot beyond times of memory. And the travel ways toIntabah hold danger great.” After ensuring that the humans hadeaten their fill, Ekno added, “To travel in the ways of dangerknowing no reward is likely shared at travel’s end – we wouldexactly hold no sense as Maykure keep belief.”
***
A short while later Decker,with Moira tagging along, was taking Kay for an evening stroll inthe village square. She was explaining to the girl that yes, theEarth’s night sky looked similar, full of stars, but with adifferent set of stars visible when she received a surprising hailover her comm-link. “Ricci to Decker, come in, Decker. Do youcopy?”
She said to Moira, “I haveto answer this hail,” then activated her end of the conversation.“Decker here. Is something wrong, Captain?”
“I should be asking youthat. How’s Kennedy?”
After giving him arun-down on Con’s condition and the events which led up to it,Naiche said, “I didn’t know the Lovelace was still within hailingdistance.”
“You may not realize this,considering what a day you’ve had, but we left less than ten hoursago.” She could hear definite amusement stealing into his voice ashe added, “Though, in full disclosure…we’re not actually in normal hailing range. It just so happens thatRamsey is playingaround with some new technology right now – I decided to take itfor an early test flight.”
“That sounds pretty cool.Rank does haveits privileges.”
“It should – consideringwhat comes along for the ride.” Ricci took a deep breath and histone grew chiding. “What happened to that promise of yours, by theway? Did you really nearly jump down the throat of apeerazu?”
“I sense CommanderLindstrom’s penchant for exaggeration here.” Keenly aware of Moiralistening in, Decker gave him a brief summary of the battle,promising, “I’ll tell you the whole story, in excruciating detail,when you get back.” Before Ricci could object to the evasion, sheasked, “How’s Commander Jacoway?”
“He’s fine. He’s busypiloting the ship and worrying about you.”
“Please tell him I saidhello and that there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Yes, to the first partbut as to the second, I never lie to my crew.”
With a laugh, Naicheadmitted, “I walked right into that one.”
“You sure did. You andKennedy both need to stay out of any further trouble until I getback. That’s an order.”
“Acknowledged. Take careand good luck, sir.” With that they both signed off.
Moira asked, “That was yourcaptain?” When Decker confirmed that it was, she offered, “He seemsnice.”
“He is nice.” Naiche tossed her head,admitting, “As long as you don’t piss him off.”
“That rather sounds likeyou.”
Chuckling, Decker answered,“No surprise there – he’s my father.”
“Oh! That is most unusual– is it not?” After she admitted that even in the UDC it was, Moiraflooded her with questions about their relationship that seguedinto questions about the rest of her family. Decker ended uppulling out her moonstone locket to present holos of her variousrelatives. Moira stared for some time at the holo of Naomi Deckerholding an infant Naiche. “You look very much like your mother.”Deck had no response other than a nod; Finnegan then asked, “Is shealso based on the Lovelace?”
“No, my mother died when Iwas ten. She was a Corps diplomat and was murdered trying tonegotiate a truce with the enemy.”
“The enemy in that war youfought in?”
“Yes. It’s why I joinedup. I was young and naïve and somehow thought I could avenge herdeath.”
“You couldn’t because youlost the war?”
“No, we won – but there’sno vengeance to be found in war. Turns out, it doesn’t work thatway.”
“I don’tunderstand.”
“Good. I hope you neverdo.”
They walked in silence fora minute, with Naiche alert for any signs of peerazu. When she toldMoira, they should be heading back, the girl suddenly blurted out,“I should have gotten to know my parents. They wanted to. Parentsget the chance when their child has completed three age-cycles, butI rebuffed them.” Decker didn’t know what to say so she asked why.Finnegan explained, “It’s simply not done. It makes youlook…unusual.” She hesitated before admitting, “I hate being theodd one out. I get grief enough about my red hair and being soshort.”
“What? Your hair isso obviously auburn.” When she’d gotten the laugh she’d hoped for, Deckurged, “You need to meet my friend Blythe Brodie. She’s short,she’s got purple hair, and she is pure awesome.” Moira smiled but it soon dimmed soDecker said, “It’s not too late to bond with your parents. You cantry again when we get you all back together.”
Finnegan stared at theground, objecting, “I am too old. It would be considered especiallypeculiar after all this time.”
“Nonsense. My father and Iwere estranged until I was twenty-eight, which is much older thanyour…umm…four age-cycles. And look at us now.” She could tell Moirawas about to ask for an explanation, so she said, “It’s a longstory. I’ll maybe tell it to you some day.” She returned to thesubject, advising, “Besides, if you really want to know yourparents, it shouldn’t matter if it makes you look ‘peculiar’.You’re going to have to start thinking for yourself, youall are, once you’re onUniterrae. There’ll be no…all-knowing-givers handing out high-techgoodies and smoothing the way for you. But on the plus side,there’ll also be a lot of new experiences and paths open toyou.”
“If the people ofUniterrae think for themselves, then why do you all dress exactlyalike?”
“Where did you get thatidea?” Finnegan waved a hand at Decker’s navy-blue jacket andpants. “This is a uniform! Only people in the UDC wearthis. And we only wear it on-duty.”
“But you at least get todecorate it as you see fit?” Deck was mystified until Moira pointedat the double silver stripes on her wrists and pant legs whichmarked her as a first lieutenant. “I noticed you and CommanderKennedy have silver bands while Priya Kapoor and Yenlin Quan havered bands on theirs.”
With a gentle laugh Naicheexplained, “Those are rank insignia – not decorations. Silverstripes for senior officers, white stripes for ensigns, red stripesfor enlisted personnel. You get more stripes as you advance up thechain. That’s why Con has three and I only have two.” Decker didn’tbother
