Jailed (3 page)

“I stepped in a puddle on a world that worships water.”

Garden paused with her cup nearly to her lips. “What?”

“You heard me. Shiloss. I broke one of their water taboos, so they had me chucked in prison until they could decide whether they wanted to kill me nor not. Fortunately, they decided not. They destroyed all my stuff and set me loose, but then, I had to look for a new position. So, my friend got out around the same time as me and she offered me some time on Wyencar.”

“I am still grappling with it. You stepped in a puddle and ended up in Janial? That is bizarre.”

“Welcome to my world, so to speak.” She shrugged and sipped at the tea with a smile.

“You are wearing Masuo as well.”

Kori blinked. “It was another gift from Nikada.”

Garden got a faraway look and nodded. “Oh dear. Nikada Ru. No wonder you were able to get clearance to Wyencar so quickly.”

Kori tilted her head. “Is there something in her files?”

“She is the head of the prime family of Wyencar. They are not big on etiquette or flash, but if she speaks, the council listens.”

“What about her brother?”

Garden’s vision shifted again. “Norod Ru is one of the few men who is authorized to own his own home and other properties. He runs a shipping empire for the Ru family and has many holdings off world, as does his sister.”

“What made them a prime family?”

“Their ancestor, Dorina Ru, was a first contact member who managed to put treaties and trade routes through their system into effect, for a small profit. She was sought out by a number of other families and had nine children with four different fathers. It was the beginning of an empire, but the Ru’s have never been fussy about insisting on their position. They look just like everyone else.”

“Aside from Norod running the shipping interests.”

“Well, aside from that. He seems to make quite the profit, so they are delighted to let him run things.” Garden grinned.

Kori looked around and she waved her hands, “So, this is quite the ship.”

“It really is. The
Emerald Fairy
is sentient and contains enough research materials to keep scientists busy for years. We are a flying greenhouse. It is why we have a link with Yalki and its host. They are experts at producing a variety of customized plant life and we are only too happy to transport it under guard.”

Kori looked around. “And Mercury?”

“Oh, he is my mate and he acts as security. My ship likes him, so I put up with him.” Garden chuckled.

Kori smiled and enjoyed her tea. “You seem pretty full here, is there a place in the main hold where I can crash?”

“You can. We normally keep our guests on ice, but it has been so long since I have been near another Terran, aside from the bride of Yalki, that I am eager for conversation.”

Kori grinned. “Me too.”

Her parting with Nikada had occurred an hour before Kori was allowed on the tarmac and waiting for the guardians. Her friend was eager to learn of her adventures but was willing to wait for a few weeks while Kori got her bearings.

Kori was expecting a visit within a week of her contact with Nikada.

Two days of girl talk and camping out in the hold later, Kori was ready to begin her new job.

Garden was great, as were her mate and the ship, but they made Kori want to start her own phase of Terran history.

Docked with the Yalki Station, she waited by the hatch for the pressure clearance to allow her to exit. Her goodbyes had already been said along with several see-you-soons. The
Emerald Fairy
was a regular visitor to Yalki Station.

The moment the door opened, she stepped through it and onto the platform of the station. At the end of the doorway, she faced three creatures with the lower half of their faces covered by masks. Garden had explained the masks as she had the bride of Yalki.

It was odd to think of a human as having married both the moving aspect of a planet and the planet itself, but she had heard of Alliance Avatars and Terran women, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch.

“Archivist Korianne Genner?” One of the dark-eyed women spoke.

“Yes.”

“Welcome to Yalki Station. I am Yoani, this is Torriana and Weshei. We will be your escort around the station until you get your bearings. Please come this way.”

The women inclined their heads as their names were read out and they turned as one to lead her into the station. They escorted her through customs and waited while she was scanned and registered with the Yalki government.

Once that was done, they took her to her quarters and gave her a quick tour. “I am sorry to press you, Korianne, but the Host and Bride are here and they would like you to attend their next negotiation. Our previous record keeper could not withstand the station air. She had to return home. You became available at precisely the right time.”

“I am glad I could be of service.” She set her bodysuit into more sober colours and looser lines. With quick movements, she braided her hair into a thick column down her spine and nodded her readiness. “Ready when you are.”

The three women looked delighted that she was so eager to get to it. They led her through the station and a number of checkpoints where men in masks stood at attention.

The high security got her attention and Kori began to clue in that this was not a simple matter of note taking.

She was escorted into the boardroom and shown her station. Yoani ran her through the procedures and what was required of her and the three women left her with a pot of tea and a comfortable chair.

Ten minutes of learning the system and setting up later, the doors opened on either side of the boardroom and a woman with an elaborate hairstyle and human features came in with a Freyalki man on one side while some Saburan lizard-folk came in the other door and both took seats at the table.

Kori poised her fingers and began to type.

Six hours later, Kori was exhausted, but the agreement was ready to be signed. Honour had driven a hard bargain, and the host had been content to let her ask all the probing questions. The Saburans had given in to her every whim, but then, they were rather in a nasty set of straits. They had blown up one of their main feeding grounds with a targeting incident. They needed plants from Yalki in the worst way.

The agreement broken down simply, the Yalki would provide the seeds of a fast-growing food source and the Saburans would offer them a negotiable corridor through their space that the Yalki could trade at their leisure, for one century.

Kori slid the three copies out, and the host signed one, the Saburans the other, and then, they exchanged the data pads so that they could complete the ratification.

Once those signatures were in place, they took turns on the final copy for the space corridor maps archive.

When everything was signed, Kori sent the documents to the respective archives and waited for the pings. The moment she had complete confirmation, she nodded. “The agreement has been logged. It is complete.”

“Thank you, Archivist.”

She nodded and became still while the host and bride shook hands with the Saburans.

Once the lizard-like folk had left, Honour grinned and came around for a hug. “Get up, cousin.”

Bemused, Kori got to her feet. “Um, we are not related.”

“Out here, we are as close as we get.” Honour hugged her tight.

Kori smelled the Terran skin, but under it was crackling energy and the hint of green. “And yet, you are not completely Terran anymore.”

Honour grinned. “No, but I have a baby on the way, so I will accept that things have changed.”

Kori looked at Honour’s flat belly. “When are you due?”

“In a month or so. You will be invited down to the planet to meet the baby when she arrives.”

Kori was confused. “How?”

“As the Bride of the Host and Yalki, I can’t bear a child. I don’t age at a normal rate, so while I can conceive, the pregnancy would take close to a century or more. By using a Yalki volunteer host, I can have a child and still fulfill my duties.”

“Well, congratulations.” Kori gave her another hug.

“Thank you. The entire population is holding their breath. Few brides have ever gotten pregnant. Her arrival will be a very big deal.” Honour had a soft expression on her face.

“I am sure it will be.” Kori felt a rumble in her stomach. “I think I need to find my escort. I am in need of a meal.”

“Oh, sorry. I forget that you can’t simply charge up.” Honour laughed at her expression. “Kidding. Come with us. We are up here for two days, so if you would like to take your meals with Acuar and myself, you are welcome to.”

Acuar inclined his head, content to let Honour do the talking. His name on all the documents helped with identification.

“I would like that. It is funny, I go six years without seeing another human and then, I meet two in one week.”

Honour smiled and linked arms with her, hauling her away for her first meal on the station.

It was quite the first day at work.

* * * *

Norod returned home after forty days of negotiations with the trade envoy for shipping rights. His first question was the same one that had been on his mind since that day nearly two lunar cycles earlier. “Nikada, where is Kori?”

Nikada looked up from the documents she was filing for the Ru family. “She is gone. She was summoned to a new position and left four days after you did.”

Norod froze from looking around the office. “Where?”

“Why do you care? She was attractive enough, but she wasn’t anything extraordinary.”

Norod whirled on his sister and roared loud enough to shake the walls. “She was to me!”

Nikada sat back and applauded slowly. “It was about time. I have put enough women in your path, and she is by far the best natured.”

He was extending and retracting his claws in rhythm. “Where did she go?”

“Yalki. She has been sending me messages and I have been replying, but I didn’t want to go without seeing if you wanted to come with me first. It isn’t every day you run into a mouse with the heart of a lion.”

Norod paced and gradually calmed himself. His thoughts had been on feverish dreams of Kori and the smooth silk of her skin mingled with her sweet scent. Having her gone wrenched his plans.

The bots came in with a tray of snacks and tea.

Nikada pushed back from her desk and waved at him to sit at the desk opposite her. “Sit. Are you sure that she is the one you want?”

He nodded. “I am sure.”

“Then you will have to find something for her to do here. She has a fear of not being able to support herself. You have to put something in place for her.”

Norod blinked. “Are you joking?”

“No. I have never been more serious about anything in my life. You need to make a place for her so that she can support herself. Giving her credits or setting up beautician accounts for her will not be the answer. She needs to have self-worth and for her, that comes from being occupied. She almost went nuts in Janial. I became her occupation when I arrived.”

Norod sat and poured for them both, handing his sister a plate of her favourite snacks along with the tea. “This is going to require some thought.”

“You aren’t kidding. She sent me the purchase price of her hair reconstruction and her Masuo along with interest. She really doesn’t want to owe anyone anything.”

He groaned and put his head in his hands. “All I have to offer her is financial.”

“You can offer her a place in our society. In your life. You need to make a plan before you tear out of here and demand her. She is on a six-month contract with the Yalki and I know she will not break it. You have time.”

Norod looked at her and sighed, “Nikada, will you help me?”

“To get the one that got away to fall for you? Sure.” Nikada grinned. “But it is going to cost you.”

He toasted her with his cup. “I expected nothing less.”

Kori watched as Honour opened the gift for tiny Arabella.

Honour lifted the teeny baby gown and the surrounding women made noises of admiration for the intricate work that had gone into it. There were matching dresses in Yalki style but each had embroidered roses around the neckline. It was enough to last the baby until she was four or so.

Honour looked at the work and then at Kori. “You did this?”

“I have to keep my hands busy and I bought the supplies at the station. It was fun.”

The surrogate looked over at the gown. “It is very pretty.”

Kori smiled. “Thank you, Liash.”

One of the other women asked, “Do you take commissions? I would like something like that with a vine around the neckline.”

Kori shrugged. “Bring me the clothing and I will put on the design. I am a better embroiderer than I am a seamstress.”

That excited the women and little Arabella began to fuss. Her mother took her for a moment, stroking the downy pale green cheek. Honour’s eyes glowed green while she looked down at her baby, but there was a wistfulness in her expression. Kori felt a lump in her throat as she realised that the mother would outlive the child by centuries. That had to be a hard thing to come to terms with when your child was three days old.

Liash looked over to Kori and gave her a tired smile.

Kori got to her feet and went over to her, whispering, “If you would like to go and lie down, I can bring the baby to you if she gets hungry. You have been through a lot over the last few days.”

“I have been in pain, yes, but for me, it is over. For the Bride, it is just beginning.” Liash patted Kori on the shoulder and left her, reclining on one of the couches on the edge of the room.

Annabella waved her chubby arms in the air, and her mother smiled and rocked her.

“She looks just like you and Acuar.”

Honour grinned. “Yeah, and a little bit of Yalki as well. The forest has made its mark on her.” Honour scooted the baby’s shirt up and showed a rose bud on a small vine on the baby’s belly.

“What is that?”

“It is the same mark that the forest put on me. She is wearing a different colour though. I expect that there will be a crop of blue roses spreading across the countryside soon.” Honour lifted her daughter to her shoulder and stroked her back.