"And they are back with us," Jen teased crossing her arms over her chest as she turned to lean back against the stove. Mac assumed the same stance at the sink.
"I… umm…" Luol stuttered, his face turning bright red. "I did not mean to…"
"It's alright, Luol," Maysa patted his arm reassuringly, even though her face was red too. "They are just teasing. I'll see you later."
Three sets of eyes watched with amusement as Luol quickly escaped before Maysa turned back to the other two. "I do not believe I have ever seen my Dasho so flustered before. Thank you."
"Thank you?" Jen asked.
"Yes. My Dasho is usually a very calm, very controlled, serious male. He feels he must be to perform his duties properly. He rarely allows his passion free reign and only when we are alone. For him to forget himself…"
"He's missed you," Mac murmured.
"So it would seem."
"You doubted it?" Jen asked.
"No, not really. But I couldn't understand why Luol did not request to return home for a time, as he has earned it. Or request that I join him, as he has done before when on a secure planet. I now do."
"What do you understand?" Jen frowned at her.
"That he would never leave the two of you. Especially you, Jen, with no Healer."
"But…"
"I must tell you truth. Even knowing how horrible the Zaludians can be to non-Zaludians, I still thought my Luol exaggerated the severity of the condition both of you were found. Now I see he did not, and why he felt he must stay."
"But he has already healed us," Mac argued.
"Yet, it has been nearly four moon cycles since you were discovered and both of you are still extremely underweight. And you, Jen, you require treatments to help manage the pain he cannot free you from. How could my Luol, in good conscious, leave when both of you still needed him?"
"I would have been fine," Jen immediately told her. "It’s not like I didn't live with a lot more of the pain before we were discovered."
"Truth, but my Luol would never have seen it that way." Maysa raised her hand to stop whatever words Jen was about to say. "I do not blame you, Jen, or you, Mac. I am just stating truth. Luol would not be the male I love if he could leave you. It is why I came to him."
"He shouldn't have had to make that sacrifice." Jen turned back to the stove stirring the stock. "Not for me."
"Why?" Maysa moved toward her. "Why do you think you do not matter? Because of your scars?"
The silence in the room grew thick as neither woman answered her.
"They can be repaired, Jen," Maysa told her quietly. "I know Luol told you this."
"He told you?" Jen's eyes shot to Mac. Mac had told her how Luol informed Treyvon on her medical condition, that there was no such thing as doctor-patient confidentiality in this new world in which they found themselves. It had been bad enough to know that Treyvon had intimate knowledge of her condition but to know that everyone did. That nothing was held in confidence.
"Why does that upset you so?" Maysa asked, her gaze moving from Jen to Mac. These two so reminded her of her and Luol's own females that she couldn't help but be concerned, particularly in the look of betrayal in the eyes that stared back at her.
"On Earth, medical information is confidential," Mac said moving to Jen.
"Confidential?"
"Yes!" Mac snarled. "It means that a Healer isn't allowed to talk to anyone else about someone's condition unless the patient says they can. But it doesn't seem to be that way here. Here, apparently, everyone gets to know about our condition."
Maysa was slightly stunned by the venom in Mac's voice. Of the two, Luol had felt Mac was the calmer one, the more understanding and accepting. "I… I am sorry I didn't realize."
"It honestly doesn't bother you that everyone knows your medical history?" Jen asked looking to Maysa.
"My medical history? Why would anyone be interested in my history?" She found herself pinned by two sets of eyes.
"Are you saying that not everyone knows your medical condition?"
"Of course not. Why would anyone be interested?"
"Why are they interested in ours?!!"
"Because…"
"Because?" Mac and Jen demanded as one.
"Because we have never encountered ones such as you and…"
"And?!!"
"And Mackenzie is the first to wear a True Mate bead in nearly five hundred cycles."
"So because of that, you think it gives everyone the right to know intimate details about us?" Jen all but shrieked. "To know if we're underweight? If we have physical or emotional scars? To know if we're in pain or love or just pissed off?!!"
"Jennifer. Mackenzie. Not everyone has the right to that information! I am so sorry if my words have made you believe that!"
"Then who knows and why do you?!!" It was Mac's turn to demand.
"Luol, the Emperor, General Rayner, and I assume for you, Mackenzie, your Dasho and True Mate, Nikhil. No one else."
"Then why do you know?" Jen questioned, but her demand wasn't as hard.
"Because Luol tells me everything if I ask. And I must admit that I have had lots of questions about the two of you."
"Why?"
"Because my Dasho is so protective of you, because of what you've survived. He is only this protective of myself or one of our offspring, so you must understand my interest. Why I questioned him and why he told me truth."
"You're saying that not everyone here and in this god damn universe knows everything about us?"
"No. I am so sorry, Mackenzie and Jennifer, that I… that any of us made you think that. I don't know what I would do or how I would feel if others had that information about me… about my offspring. Some things are private in our universe, and our medicals are one of those things."
"Just not for us."
"As I have said, you are an unknown, you and Mackenzie. And because of that, special interest has been taken in you. In both of you."
"Why?"
"Why?" Maysa gave both of them a disbelieving look. "Because you, Mackenzie, as I've said are the first True Mate in nearly five hundred cycles. Something like that can't be kept secret, no matter how hard the Emperor has tried. Not for long. Everyone wants to know why. They wonder if you are an anomaly. If it is because you are human or if now, others might be able to find their True Mates."
"I. Don't. Care. Why," Mac spit out. "All I care about is that I love Nikhil and he loves me."
"I understand, Mackenzie, because that is how I feel about Luol, even though his True Mate bead has never accepted me." The sadness that entered her glowing eyes gave both of them pause. "But that bead also puts you in danger. You and Nikhil."
"What are you talking about?" Mac pushed away from the sink moving toward Maysa.
"Nikhil hasn't told you…" Maysa's eyes widened.
"Told me what?" Mac demanded, not stopping until she was toe-to-toe with Maysa, her head tilted back to look up at her.
"It is said that if one True Mate dies…"
"That the other often chooses to follow," Mac finished. "Yes, Nikhil told me."
"Wait!" Jen walked up to look at Mac. "What?"
"It’s part of the myth of the True Mate beads," Mac told Jen. "That the mates are bound so strongly together that when one dies so does the other."
"So if someone wanted to kill Nikhil, the best way to do it would be…" Jen trailed off.
"To kill me," Mac finished.
"Yes. So now do you understand why the Emperor and General Rayner are so interested in you?" Maysa asked. "Squad Leader Nikhil is one of our greatest Warriors and now he is vulnerable. When you were injured in the Zaludian attack, Nikhil nearly lost his mind."
"I know he was upset…"
"Upset does not begin to describe how he was. He was almost inconsolable until Luol was able to reassure him you would recover. And that was after you'd only been together a short time."
"Nikhil would never do that! Never just give up like that!"
br /> "You are his heart now, Mackenzie. Before he fought to protect his fellow Warriors, his people, and the Kaliszian Empire. Now he fights only for you. To keep you safe. If he loses you, he will lose his will to fight. There are those that might try to find out if the myth is truth."
"Then we keep her safe," Jen said shortly, "because I'm not losing anyone else I love. Now, I have work to do if I'm going to feed the Emperor tonight. You still interested in helping?"
Maysa's eyes widened slightly at the change of subject and the challenge. "Yes."
"Good, let’s give the Emperor a meal he'll never forget."
• • • • • •
"You've rechecked and confirmed all comms, Gryf?" Treyvon demanded.
"Yes, General. There are no other ships within a day of Pontus, and the only communications sent or received since we learned of the Emperor's plans have been with the highest security. The sender and receiver verified."
"Good. I want the Defender to leave orbit and visually confirm that it is the Monarch approaching along with its six battle cruisers. Once that is done, the Defender will escort the Monarch into a low orbit then return to its normal high orbit and do continual deep space scans. The battle cruisers will patrol all areas around Pontus and intercept any ship that comes near Pontus. Understood?"
"Yes, General."
"You will remain in the Command Center while the Emperor is on planet, and will immediately inform me of anything unusual."
"Of course, General."
"Good. How long?"
"The Emperor will arrive in two hours."
"Make sure everyone is prepared."
• • • • • •
"My Goddess, Jen, these are amazing!" Maysa mumbled, her mouth full of biscuit slathered in butter.
"I'm glad you like them," Jen said, trying not to smile as Maysa took another large bite.
"Like them? I love them! I thought they were great last night but to have them straight out of the oven. I've never tasted anything like it before! Not even in the Palace. No wonder Warriors are refusing transfers."
"What?"
"Pontus isn't exactly a hotbed of activity nor is it the most… pleasant place to remain, not with its heat and storms. And yet no Warrior has requested reassignment."
"I… I didn't realize."
"The word of what you are doing with their food supplies is spreading? Warriors are requesting assignment to Pontus. That is something that has never been done before. It's why the Emperor is on his way here."
"To taste my food?"
"To see why his best Warriors wish to remain and," her gaze turned to Mac, "to meet Squad Leader Nikhil's True Mate."
"Me?" Mac squeaked. "The Emperor wants to meet me?"
"Of course."
"But… what am I going to wear?" Mac looked down at her coverings that had streaks of plúr, where she'd wiped her hands and damp spots from doing the dishes. "Oh my God, I need a cleanse."
Jen and Maysa looked at each other and began to laugh. "I have brought more coverings for you, for both of you," Maysa said looking to Jen. "Why don't you go cleanse, I will put them in your quarters, and you can choose which you wish to wear."
"You two go, I need to finish Last Meal," Jen said.
"You don't wish to cleanse before meeting the Emperor?" Maysa questioned, her surprise clearly heard.
"No. The Emperor is here to taste my food. Cleansing and new coverings aren't going to make his meeting me any easier to take."
"Jen…" Mac whispered.
"Don't worry about it, Mac. It will be all right." Jen made a shooing gesture with her hands. "Now you two get out of here."
• • • • • •
Emperor Liron Kalinin let his gaze travel over the barren landscape, taking in the late day heat and dusty smell, as he waited for the ramp of his transport to finish descending. He had only been here once before, with his manno, when he'd still been a young male. His manno had wanted him to witness first-hand what happened when one thought only of himself, instead of how his decisions affected all.
The place hadn't changed.
"Emperor Liron, welcome to Pontus." Treyvon walked up to the end of the ramp and bowed to his Emperor, cousin, and friend.
"General." Liron walked toward him and instead of just accepting the bow as he would with others, embraced Treyvon. After a moment, Treyvon did the same.
"Come, let's get you out of the heat," Treyvon said taking a step back.
"I won't argue about that. I had forgotten how hot it could get here."
"Emperor Liron?" The syrupy female voice coming from behind them had both males pausing. Only Treyvon saw the slight tightening of Liron's mouth before it relaxed and Liron turned.
"Colleen Klueh, my pardons, I had forgotten." He held out his hand to help her finish her descent.
"Forgotten, Emperor? Me?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"But for a moment. General Rayner, you remember Colleen Rachana Klueh, do you not? Minister Klueh's first born female."
"Yes, Emperor. Colleen Klueh." He gave her a slight bow.
"Treyvon, it's been some time."
"It has." Treyvon turned his attention back to Liron gesturing for them to precede him. "Emperor, shall we get out of the heat?"
"Yes, of course, General. Colleen Klueh?" Liron extended his arm, and slipping her hand into the curve of his elbow, Rachana allowed him to escort her inside.
• • • • • •
"Gulzar, would you mind getting that tray of biscuits out of the oven, please?" Jen asked as she ladled up some of the stew into a smaller crock she had heated in the oven. Covering it, she turned and wiped her hands on the Kaliszian size towel she'd been able to wrap around her waist like an apron. "Oh, those look perfect! You did a great job, Gulzar. See I told you you'd get the hang of it."
"I believe I finally have," he told her smiling. "Thank you, Jen."
"For what?"
"For making it possible for me to help my family."
"I…" Jen felt herself blushing. "You are very welcome, Gulzar. Your family is lucky to have such an honorable and worthy male as a son and brother."
It was Gulzar's turn to blush. "I will take these biscuits out. Warriors are starting to arrive."
Jen shook her head at that statement. Ever since the Warriors had discovered that the biscuits were made from stores that before went unused and they could eat as many of them as they wanted, they had been requesting she make them. They had also been coming earlier and earlier to Last Meal, sitting down and talking about their day as they munched on biscuits. At first, they had rushed every tray as it was brought out, worried there wouldn't be enough. But over time, they had learned she would make as many as they requested. They were even allowed to take them back to their quarters to eat later.
Reaching for a large bowl, she lined it with a clean dishtowel then filled it with biscuits before pulling the towel’s edges over the top keeping them warm. Putting it on the hover cart, she grabbed the bowls and utensils she'd put aside, then finally the crock.
"You've got everything covered here?" she asked as Gulzar reentered the kitchen.
"Yes, I will take the stew out next."
"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can to help you." With that, she pushed the cart out of the kitchen.
• • • • • •
"So, Treyvon, I've sent you several communications that you have not responded to." Rachana sat in one of the chairs around the table that had been set up in Treyvon's office for Last Meal. She'd waited until the Emperor was on his comm before speaking to Treyvon.
"Have you?" Treyvon asked in a noncommittal tone.
"You know I have!" she said testily, then lowered her voice as Liron looked her way.
"I receive hundreds of communications every day, Colleen Klueh. They are filtered by priority. I will have to check those deemed nonessential."
"Nonessential? My communications are nonessential?"
"Do they deal with t
he security of the Empire?" Treyvon demanded.
"Of course not! But I am a female! The daughter of a prominent Minister!"
"I am aware of that. As are many other males."
Rachana's mouth snapped shut, her eyes narrowing as she tried to decide if Treyvon had just insulted her. "You would do well to watch your tone with me, General. There are those that would not take kindly to it." Her gaze shifted to Liron then back to him.
Treyvon knew she was trying to insinuate that Liron was the one to take offense, but Treyvon knew better. Liron rarely accepted a female's friendship, and never from one of his Minister's daughters. It would cause too many conflicts. A knock on his exterior door saved him from having to reply.
"Enter," he ordered.
• • • • • •
Jen's pace slowed as she turned the corner to Treyvon's Command Center. The usually empty corridors were now lined with Warriors. Warriors she did not know. They were wearing uniforms similar to what the Elite Warriors did, but the pants were black and the vests were a dark red that made her think of blood. When she first came around the corner, every head turned in her direction, and every hand moved to a weapon.
"Jen." Nikhil's voice had her looking further down the corridor to see Mac's huge Warrior striding toward her, the width of his shoulders bumping into the Warriors not smart enough to get out of his way. Reaching her, he turned and faced the wall of red that closed behind him.
"Captain Troy, this is the Earth female, Jennifer Neibaur, who is charged with preparing Last Meal for the Emperor."
Captain Troy slowly moved toward her, his glowing eyes missing nothing even as they lingered on her scars. He was a large male, well large by Earth standards. "What is that… odor?"
"Odor?" Jen frowned slightly looking from the Captain to Nikhil.
"I believe he means the wonderful scent of your biscuits and Beast Stew," Nikhil said in a low deep voice. "They are not used to food smelling appetizing."
"Oh."
"That is Last Meal?" Troy’s eyebrows drew together as he bent at the waist to get a better look at the covered items on the hover cart.
"Yes." It was Jennifer who spoke instead of Nikhil. "And I am keeping you and your Warriors’ share warm in the kitchen, Captain Troy. Emperor Liron requested I prepare enough for all of you. You only have to let me know when and where you would like it served."