Authors: Thorarinn Gunnarsson
Consherra opened the door and stood staring at him in surprise. He was not
in armor, but wore instead the closest thing the Starwolves had to a uniform.
He was dressed in the solid black of a pilot, tunic and pants with boots tucked
up under the cuffs, and a short cape fastened about the collar. His shaggy mane
of thick brown hair was carefully brushed, laying neatly over his shoulders and
falling into a smooth cascade halfway down his back. Combed to its proper length,
his hair hung down over his eyes, which glittered within its shadow as he
returned her stare. In spite of the lack of armor, he still looked very much
the warrior – in spite of the inherently adolescent look of his features.
"Are you about to go up to the bridge?" he asked, almost eagerly.
"I am on my way up to the bridge, and I do not want you to miss
this."
"Yes, I am on my way there now," she replied uncertainly.
"Miss what?"
"I have one more surprise for Valthyrra and the Commander," he
replied cryptically. "You will have to wait and see."
"I will be patient then," she said, joining him as he returned to
the lift. "Actually, I am pleased that you should remember me."
"Why should I not?" he asked. "We have not been alone
together these past two days, but I have not forgotten you, and I never will.
Are you certain of our love?"
"Are you?" she asked as they waited for the lift.
Velmeran frowned, glancing down shyly. "You were always open in your
affections, and I was too innocent to realize that I was being courted. But who
do you love? I am two people now. Do you see only Velmeran the warrior? He is
strong and forceful and a very fascinating person, I do admit, but he is also
false. He is the person I become when duty requires. But I want love during the
time which is my own, from someone who knows and loves the real me. Do you
understand what I am trying to say?"
"Of course I understand, but you are wrong," she insisted.
"The two Velmerans you describe are one and the same, and I love them
both."
They entered the lift, which had arrived a moment earlier, and Consherra
quickly set the controls for the bridge. She turned back to him as soon as the
door was shut. "To be truthful, you did surprise me. I held you in my arms
four hours while you slept, and I assumed that we would become mates before you
left me. I had the distinct impression that the thought did not even occur to
you."
"Perhaps I am looking for more," Velmeran replied defensively, but
his look argued that she was right. "Sex itself is easy enough for me to
find just now. I have had five offers for duty mating since I returned from
Vinthra, and I refused them all."
"What?" she asked incredulously. "Like it or not, you are
Velmeran the Magnificent, and you have a certain responsibility to spread your
well-ordered genes far and wide."
"Do you think that I am not aware of that? You are my mate, whether our
union has been consummated or not. That is all I care about."
"Then what are you waiting for? You had the opportunity."
"I forgot! So what?" he demanded in return.
It was a good thing that the lift came to a stop at that moment, since it
gave him a chance to escape. Consherra took her place at the helm console while
Velmeran continued on to the upper bridge. The Methryn had already left orbit
and now flew at the head of an arrowhead formation, flanked by her two sister
ships as they accelerated casually to light speed. Velmeran saw that Valthyrra
was watching him with particular interest; the formality of his appearance did
not escape her notice. Mayelna's appearance was almost a mirror of his own
except in white. Velmeran saw that his timing continued to be precise; it
seemed that she had the same thought in mind.
"Ah, Meran. Half a moment," Mayelna said, glancing up briefly
before returning to the com mike in the arm of her chair. "Three months it
is, then?"
"Right," Commander Schyrrana replied. "Of course, you would
need to come in two or three weeks before so that Velmeran can give it a good
look and work up a plan. But he can do it."
Velmeran can do what? he had to wonder. He glanced at Valthyrra, but she
only continued to stare at him in a most disconcerting manner.
"No problem," Mayelna promised. "We will see you then."
"No problem," Velmeran echoed sarcastically. Mayelna glanced up at
him. "Gelvessa Karvand has a little task for you. Nothing on the order of
what you just did. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course," he insisted. "That is my business."
She triggered her seat to roll back, out of the confines of her console, so
that she could stand, moving up closely so that they could speak privately.
"Meran, are you happy?" she asked simply.
"Yes, I believe so," Velmeran agreed. "There is much for me
to do. But I would take it piece by piece, and it does not frighten me."
"That is where we are different, you and I," she shrugged at her
own helplessness. "Fate never whispers in my ear, the way it seems to take
such good care of you. I have decided that, instead of fighting it, I should
take advantage of my assets and give you command of this ship in such matters
that are my own weakness."
She glanced over at Velmeran, as if for his approval, and he nodded.
"It has also occurred to me that this ship has gone entirely too long
without a Commander-designate," she continued briskly.
"I understand," Velmeran replied gently. "That is why I am
here."
"It is not as if Valthyrra has had any trouble deciding... "
Mayelna paused and turned to stare at him.
"What do you mean you understand?"
"If Valthyrra wants me to command tins ship someday, then I would be
happy to do it," he explained. "In fact, I have known for some time
that I was being cultivated for that role. Add Consherra to the group, and the
three of you are about as subtle as a herd of thark bison. I was fascinated to
see which was going to endure longer, Valthyrra's patience or your own stubborn
resolution. I also suspect that she knew that I knew."
"That seems obvious enough," Mayelna said, glancing suspiciously
at the camera pod. "She is not at all surprised by this turn of events...
just very self-satisfied."
"Of course I knew," Valthyrra insisted. "I knew that if you
did not go to him, then he would eventually come to you."
Mayelna turned to Velmeran. "Is that what you really want? In just a
few short years I would be gone, and you will still be very young."
"Yes, it is what I want," he agreed. "I have found my
purpose. I enjoy flying and I would miss the packs, but it is not enough. My
purpose leads me here."
Mayelna nodded. "I understand that now. Back when you were seeking some
meaning and purpose in your life, it was here all along. And you are very, very
lucky, Meran. Few people ever find the true meaning and purpose of their lives
except in retrospect. I made a mistake, and I am sorry for it. I tried to judge
this matter for you, because I thought we were so much alike."
"We are not so different," Velmeran said. "Perhaps you were
thinking only of what you wanted for me. If you had really looked into your
heart, you would have known that I would make this same decision."
"I realize that now," she agreed. "The Aldessan do tell us
that our futures lie in shadows, while our pasts are open to the plain light of
day. I have been seeking the meaning and purpose of my own life, now that most
of my years are behind me. You are the best part of my life, as it turns out.
Not only do I leave the best part of myself behind, but something even better.
And I am content."
Velmeran smiled shyly, and allowed her to take him gently in her arms.
Valthyrra glanced away, as if to hide tears forming in the lenses of her
cameras, while Consherra leaped from her seat and rushed from the bridge. The
two Kelvessan were left staring in surprise.
"Well, there she goes again," Mayelna remarked. "Now what do
you suppose got into those two?"
Velmeran smiled. "Too many wishes coming true at once, if I had to
guess."
"Indeed? Well, the first rule to commanding this ship is to make it
clear that only a certain amount of this behavior would be tolerated." She
walked over to give the camera pod a sharp rap. "Get under way, you aged hulk!
We have work to do."
"Right away, Commander," Valthyrra replied in an uncertain voice.
Still flying in close formation, the three carriers cut acceleration from
their main drives, diverting that power into their star drives. The immense
crystal engines began to glow from deep within, growing steadily brighter as
they built to power, and exploded suddenly into life. As one the three ships
moved into starflight, each one carried upon twin shafts of brilliant light.