Neutral Space(51)

“If her mother saw that, she wouldn’t despise you so much.” That didn’t really make me feel any better, but I knew what he was trying to say. Kheda told me about her mother. No matter what Kheda did, her mother always wanted her to be the best. For years Kheda did that as Trekes. Then I came along, and suddenly her career was gone, she was married to a human and having half-breeds. I knew her mother’s type; we would face them the rest of our lives. Her father obviously didn’t agree, and it made things so much easier. Kheda didn’t really care what her mother thought. It was her father’s approval that was important to her. “Kheda told Aya you’re a better pilot than she was. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

I nodded and took him to the ship that Kheda spent months tinkering with.

“How’d you know where to leave that list?” I asked him on one of our many days of travel.

“I know my daughter. Something didn’t feel right about her trial. I knew she was either being set up or she was on a mission. I also knew she kept her journal and her orders at the lake house. It’s remote, familiar and easily defendable. I found her orders and journal just where they should be, but curiosity got the better of me, and I read her diary for the days she spent with you. I had a feeling then there was more to this than just her mission and was afraid she might end up in a situation like this.

“I know the Kelsairan government, too, and they would not be happy with one of their soldiers, especially one as decorated as Kheda, defying them. I offered her a way out, and she took it. Of course, you and she are helping me achieve my lifelong goal as well, but it is for the good of all.”

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. I let him read my journal up until that day and offered to tell him everything we’d discovered. He accepted the journal but refused the information. He wanted to find out with everyone else. After reading my journal, he offered to tell me what Kheda wrote, but I didn’t need to hear it. I knew she loved me and that was enough. How or when wasn’t really important besides when she was ready she’d tell me. I learned with Kheda that everything had its own timeline. She was complicated, to say the least, but she was slowly opening up to me and unraveling 15 years of layers she’d built up in the army.

I couldn’t help but ask who in his family served in the army. I was surprised to hear he lost two siblings to the war: a brother and a sister. He said that loss was part of the reason Tam and Sai never had children. They didn’t want to lose anyone else to the war. Sen spoke very little of his siblings, and I let the subject drop. But that led to a discussion of my two children.

I told him of the third we’d lost early in the pregnancy and he wasn’t surprised. He said the same happened to his wife, Cime when she carried Kheda. Multiple births were more frequent with Kelsairans, but when one child was lost in the womb, they believed its strength is given to the surviving child. It was actually a good omen.

Sen asked about my family, so I told him about the farms on Sirus Seven. Then he asked what I would do when this was over, and I had no clue. I’d served in the military for seven years, was a prisoner in Kras for eight months, and on the run for a year. I hadn’t had time to think about life after the army. So much of my life lately had been about just getting to tomorrow. I told him as much, and he nodded. He mentioned that Tam would love it if we stayed with him for a while something about him needing help at the vineyard. I think he was offering a job, but he didn’t come right out and say it. I knew Kheda would love being on Kelsair, but I feared the trouble I’d bring.

I thought then about going back to Sirus Seven, but that could hold the same dangers only with Kheda and the children. I was now stuck. Even with the war on the verge of ending, we were still going to be outside looking in. I put him off for the moment, thinking I couldn’t do anything unless I stayed focused on what I had to do and returned to Kheda alive.

We arrived at Micea right on time. The dignitaries and merchants already landed just as I hoped and were all gathered at the base. The power was working, and all the lights were on. I set the ship down and saw three Kelsairans gather. They meant to arrest me. Sen wanted to go first. I wouldn’t let him. They wanted me, and he wouldn’t be able to stop them. I could see he was worried for his daughter’s sake, but he didn’t know just how well she’d taught me.

I opened the hatch and hid on one side. “Come out with your hands up, human. You won’t be harmed.” He took a step onto the stair. He had a rifle ready to shoot. “You’re under arrest. Come out with your hands up.” He climbed another step, and his rifle was almost in range.

“This is neutral territory you have no authority here.” He turned at the sound of my voice, and I grabbed the barrel of the gun. I pulled him toward me and smashed his nose in with the heel of my hand before knocking him out with the butt of his rifle. I marched down the stairs with the rifle in my hands, and the Kelsairans exchanged a look. “All right, now we all have weapons. I say we do this the old-fashioned way.” I offered.

The Kelsairans grinned at one another, thinking I’d lost my mind. They held their guns out to the side as I did the same. The Kelsairans set theirs down gently on the ground, and I let mine drop. They rushed me, and I ducked. I swept the one on the left’s legs and punched the right one in the stomach. The one on the ground recovered quickly and got to his feet.

He tried to hit me in the jaw, and I blocked. It stung, he was twice as strong as Kheda. I focused on the task at hand just as she taught me falling back on my long hours of meditation. He tried to punch me again, and I sidestepped.