CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
I wish I could say I enjoyed the card game, but that would be a lie. I’m mostly just glad it’s over. There were ten folk there total – me, Cap, the Admiral, the King, the Overseer, that one guy from the thing, that woman who owned something-or-other, the man who knew that one other goblin the Admiral also knew, the woman who once did something and was involved in something else, and the other woman who used to do something with starships. I honestly don’t remember any of them.
Overall, it was just another wonderful reminder of why I’m not an Ambassador, and why I need some kind of study into how to deal with that kind of situation in the future. If these are the things I’m supposed to do as a captain, I need to work on them. I doubt I did a good job of pretending I had fun, although no one ever called me on it. I just wanted nothing more than to go back to the ship.
Now that I’m in my own quarters and done with it, I feel a little better. Today was a good day. Standing less than a meter from my own bed, I can see the good in a lot of things. Especially that pillow.
I log onto my terminal and send a meeting notice to my staff for mid-morning. After setting an alarm for myself, I toss my dress uniform on the chair and crawl happily into bed. Everything’s better when you know the next few days are going to be normal.
««»»
The beeping wakes me from a pleasant dream. I feel good today! Ready to get back to work and get the ship organized! Well, maybe in five minutes.
I reach an arm out to tap the holoterminal and instead hit something soft and decidedly not like a chair or table. Opening my eyes, I look over to see a certain Chief Engineer of mine wearing a robe and snoozing in my chair with her bare legs up on my table between me and my terminal.
The beeping finally wakes her as well, and she opens her eyes to find and tap the terminal to stop it. Looking around, she sees me and smiles. “Hey, girl! Have fun last night? Bring anyone home? Got any indecent marks on any indecent body parts?”
Rolling my eyes, I sit up and drop the blanket so she can see my uncovered top half. “Check for yourself. Nothing happened last night. It was just a bunch of diplomatic weirdos who wanted to be able to say they met me.”
She checks my neck and ears, then my chest, then lifts and looks around my arms. I’d be more irritated if she hadn’t been doing this to me every morning after I spend a night out without her for the last thirty-some years. Finally, she clicks her tongue and sits back in the chair. “Shame. That Overseer was kinda hot. I was hoping you wouldn’t pass on that one.”
I sigh and get out of bed to grab my robe. “That’s what Kesn thinks, too. I have this scary feeling I’m going to start waking up to both of you in here checking me!” Pulling my robe on, I turn around to her. “Maybe I should check you, now!”
She laughs. “Nah. Aelon was out with Darkmuck most of the night drinking. Came back a few hours ago, came in my quarters, and started snoring so bad I had to leave. If his quarters weren’t always such a mess, I’d have gone in there, but I finally decided your chair was better than that oaf’s snoring in my ear. So there’s nothing to check. Sorry for that.”
I shake my head, turn my back on her and go into the washroom to clean myself. I’ve been hearing about the drunken snoring and messy quarters for three years now. Sometimes I wonder if she tries so hard to find me a boyfriend just so she can distract herself from Aelon. But I learned long ago that there’s no value in arguing with Tanna about her boyfriends, so I just shrug it off. She is the way she is.
Once I’m clean, I step back out and see Tanna using my terminal. Opening the wardrobe, I grab a clean uniform that I keep in the back just for days like this and toss it over to the bed by Tanna. The sound of it hitting gets her attention, and she looks over and smiles. “Thanks, Rylae! I knew it was a good idea to always keep one of my uniforms in here. Yours just don’t fit properly!” She logs out of the terminal and heads into my washroom.
Once I’m dressed, I log onto the terminal and send a quick request to Kesn about the wine and pie from lunch yesterday and the casserole from the Burning Hut. I also let her know that I’ll send her a resupply list by the end of the day. Since we can’t get most of what we need until we reach Terra, I don’t expect it to take too long.
I stand and stretch my legs, then see my dress uniform on the other chair. I grab it to toss it in the basket by my wardrobe, but it feels heavier than it should. That’s when I remember the packet Mrs. Gloomfire gave each of us and fish it out of the inside pocket of the jacket.
It’s about 20 cm long and maybe 2 cm thick, with a piece of parchment wrapped around it. I carefully tear the parchment and pull out a piece of fabric, rolled tightly to take up less space. When I unroll it, it’s about 30 cm long by 20 cm across. Similar in design to the chestpiece the Admiral was wearing yesterday, the weaving is done in red, silver and black, and makes multiple patterns of diamonds and angled waves. It’s truly beautiful.
I hear Tanna’s voice as she exits the washroom. “Wow! I like yours! Mine is green, blue and silver. They must all be unique! I can’t believe Zaxn’s mother made them all!”
I smile and hang it from a corner at the top of my wardrobe. “She must have been making things like this for years. I can only imagine how many she’s created in her time as seamstress. It’s an amazing gift. I’ll have to thank her again before we leave.”
I see Tanna finish closing the front of her uniform, so I gesture to the door. “I’d like to get something to eat before the meeting. Coming?”
««»»
The next four days are blissful business as usual. We put together a resupply list, which is mostly foodstuffs, and submit it to Kesn. I tell my senior officers about Kesn joining the ship, and everyone is happy to hear it, if still sad for Calgonnel. We talk briefly about his memorial service when we get back to Terra, but otherwise leave the discussion for a later time.
Zaxn agrees to help Tanna with the recharge maintenance for the rest of the time we’re on-world. She questions him again about why he couldn’t just explain to her how to use local mana so she could have started days ago. In response, he holds out a hand and creates a small ball of fire instantly in his palm. Showing it to her, he gives her simple instructions to do the same. She holds out her hand for two minutes before finally giving up and saying that she can’t feel any mana. Zaxn just nods.
That small act of defiant argument is more backbone than I’ve ever seen him have against other officers. The mission changed him a lot. Or being home changed him a lot. I’m not sure what it is, but something changed him a lot. I don’t think I’ll be calling him a kid any longer.
I give the crew freedom to visit Stenchstone for our last four days. Half of the crew disappears almost immediately, including Sen, Tanna and Aelon who have been stuck on the ship for almost the entire time we’ve been here. It’ll be good for Stenchstone, too, to start getting used to seeing UCST elves and dwarves again. Not to mention the money that the crew spends on-world.
Kesn and Rosa invite me out to dinner one night, and we talk about work stuff for a bit before mostly chatting about Rosa’s new Ambassador job and her incredibly long list of local goblin men she has to choose from. She offers to share it with us, but we just laugh. Kesn doesn’t need a list with a body like hers, and I’ve been outed as the King’s elf concubine so no one wants to even ask me out. Unless you count that one drunk goblin. But, seriously, all three of us? He’d have to be a lot more sober (and attractive) for that! We’ll laugh about that one for a long time.
I have dinner at the Palace once more the night before we launch. Cap and the Admiral have been here the entire time, making plans and sorting out details with the King. From the bits and pieces I get out of them, it sounds like they’ve been making quite a few plans. Admiral Shockpaw’s going to come back for six months with a few other admirals to help negotiate trade details and train additional ambassadors to work w
ith Rosa. The city is going to get a permanent UCST station to handle docking and resupply, and there’s mention of seeing if LC Darkmuck wants a promotion to Commander so he can be in charge of it. The Overseer is offering enforcer positions to non-commissioned battalion members that finish their UCST contracts, and a number of businesses have expressed interest in both hiring folk who want to migrate as well as expanding their offices onto other worlds.
The more I hear, the more it sounds like Stenchstone, the first ever peaceful goblin world, is interested in becoming a peaceful mixed-race world, similar to Terra. The way I see it, no one has ever heard of a peaceful goblin world before, so who can say that a mixed-race world with a goblin king won’t work? I think they have the right folk working on it, so anything’s possible.
As dinner comes to a close, Cap and the Admiral disappear to finish packing their things so they can leave with me. The Guard Captain, Luis, also mentions other plans and prepares to leave. He walks over to me and shakes my hand, then gives me a dangerous look. “Commander, I hope I never again hear of you sneaking into the Palace during a lockdown.”
In response, I snap to attention and salute. “Yes, sir!” Lowering the salute, I give him a dangerous look in return. “Captain, I hope I never again find such a major security hole in your lockdown checkpoints that would allow an untrained elf to infiltrate the Palace unseen.”
He smiles, then snaps to attention and salutes. “Yes, ma’am!” We laugh and he shakes my hand again. “Thanks for everything you’ve done, including pointing out my security holes. It’s been an honor having you here.” With a nod to everyone else, he turns and leaves. I’m left with Kesn, Rosa, the Overseer, and the King.
The Overseer comes over to me next. “Commander Westiel. I’m going to take Rosa to her home on my way to mine, so we’re going to leave you as well.” He takes my hand, kisses it, and lays it across my breast while looking into my eyes. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to spend more time together. I hope you’re able to return for a visit soon.”
My heart flutters again. Apparently, a shot with the Overseer was never entirely out of the realm of possibility! I’m just about to respond when another voice cuts in. “Hey! That’s my favorite elf concubine you’re making a pass at, Nex! Don’t make me call the gossip papers and tell them of your insubordination!”
We all laugh at the King’s joke. The Overseer turns to him and bows. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I will wait until she stops being your favorite before again attempting to woo her away from you.” Turning back to me, he winks and steps away. “Hopefully that’s not too long from now.”
I don’t have any time to think before I get attacked by a female goblin hugging monster. I wrap my arms around Rosa and squeeze her back tightly. I hear her in my ear as she tries to reassure herself, “I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry. Damnit, I’m going to cry!”
She lets go and drops in front of me. I can see the tears starting to run down her face, and I’m sure she can see the ones starting to run down mine. Smiling through them, she steps forward to hug me again. “I’m glad I met you, Rylae. I already miss you! Promise me you’ll send messages! I’m going to get ships coming out here monthly, and I better get messages from you! You’ll get them from me!”
Hugging her back, I try not to cry harder. “I promise, girl. You’ll get replies to all of your messages, and you better come visit me on Terra or Tir Tairngire sometime! Unless you’re too busy being an Ambassador, that is.” She punches my back as we both laugh. Eventually, she lets go and Kesn takes her arm to walk her out, but not before I see tear marks on Kesn’s face, too.
Looking around, I realize that leaves me alone with the King. With a smile, he gestures me toward a chair near where he’s sitting. I walk over and take it, hoping I don’t say or do anything stupid. It’s obvious when he laughs that he can see my discomfort. “No reason to be nervous, Commander. Just because the gossip stories say you’re my concubine doesn’t mean I actually think you are. You’re not really my type anyway. Too elf-y.”
I chuckle. “That’s good! I was wondering what the proper diplomatic protocol was to refuse having sex with a king. I’m not trained in this sort of thing, you know!”
He shakes his head. “There’s another reason I’m not interested. I like when my women are trained in exactly those sorts of things.” He sees my eyes grow wide and laughs. “Commander, it’s just me in here now. You have to remember that I wasn’t always King. I wasn’t raised to be King. Bax literally just handed me the crown one day and walked off… and he was never raised to be King either! Neither of us thinks we’re better than anyone. We just make more important decisions, is all.”
Smiling at him, I nod. He turns to look at a tapestry to his side and starts talking again without looking at me. “Commander, I know we talked a little before the mission, and I had that big speech by the statue and all, but I wanted to take a minute to again give you my sincere thanks for saving my folk. We had no idea those troll-humping bastards were still in existence and preparing another attack. None at all. If not for your investigation, more of our treasured goblin folk would have been killed.”
He turns then and looks at me. “I’ve talked at length with Bax and Elthen, and they’ve assured me numerous times that it was entirely your investigation. The accolades rest solely on your shoulders, and I don’t think I can sincerely express my thanks enough for what you’ve done.”
Standing, he offers me a hand so I’m standing with him. Without letting go, he looks in my eyes. “Commander, we owe you a tremendous favor. If you ever need something that we can assist with, it’s yours. I hope you never forget that, because we never will.”
I smile and hold his hand between both of mine. “Thank you, sir. I’ll keep that in my thoughts. Just know that I didn’t do anything for a reward. I did it because your folk needed to be saved, and that was reward enough for me.”
He laughs. “And you say you’re not an ambassador!” He stops then and shakes his head. “I almost forgot something! This is kinda important, too. Elthen told me you’re trying to become a UCST Captain. I decided that you don’t need to wait. You’re officially Captain Rylae Westiel of the Stenchstone Palace Guard, equal to Luis. You have no duties, and you get no pay, but you’re on the roster.”
I’m absolutely speechless. It’s probably against protocol, but I jump forward and wrap my arms around the King in a hug. A second later, I step back and attempt to regain my composure. I still don’t have anything fancy to say, so I just smile. “Thank you, Your Majesty. That means a lot to me.”
He laughs and lays an arm around my shoulders to lead me out. “I’m glad you like it. Now, I think I need to get you back to your Captain and Admiral before we get another lead headline in the gossip stories.”