Solbidyum Wars Saga Book 1: Battle of the New Orleans (19 page)

“I understand, because that’s how I feel
too.  I don’t want anyone else either.   But what about your career, how do you feel about it?” I asked.

“Well I have always felt it was important, but up until you came along I never felt I did anything of significance
. You have changed that, and now I and everyone in this crew is going to be a major part of the history of the Federation.  That makes me feel, well good and excited, but that will have to end when we get to Megelleon.”

“Why does it have to end?” I asked again

“Because I can’t be your attaché!” she exclaimed, “Our romance violates all the rules.”

“Who says you have to stay my attaché, what
if I get the military to make you my personal assistant? Then you could be on leave to work for me.”  I asked.

Kala rolled over and looked at me
. “What makes you think that they will buy that idea?”

“If I’m going to be as rich and powerful as everyone keeps telling me, I think the Federation will be bending
over backwards to see that I am kept happy.  I think that if I want you to be my personal assistant on loan from the Federation, and if you are willing of course, they will see to it that it happens.”

“I must admit I like that idea
, I just hope they buy into it,” she said “ but just what do you plan to do that you require an assistant”
              “Lots of things my dear,” I said as I leaned over and kissed her forehead.  “From what you have told me there are a lot of planets in the Federation where things are still pretty primitive and rough. I would like to see to building hospitals where they need them and schools.  Help some of the planets establish agricultural programs to provide food for the settlers.  There is a lot I can do that will reduce the time of bureaucracy that the government would have.  Hospitals could be constructed on one of the industrial planets and shipped where needed and set up in days instead of years. I will need someone working with me who understands the system in the Federation, someone trained in dealing with dignitaries and politicians.  For that kind of position a romantic involvement is not a conflict of interest. “

Kala looked at me in amazement and said
, “You’re serious, you would do that?  You do not even know these people, you barely know the Federation and you want to do this for the people with your own money?” 

“Yeah
, why not?” I asked, “Near as I can tell I will have so much money I could build a hospital a day for the rest of my life and it wouldn’t even put a dent in my wealth.  I want to do much more than just that, I can build theaters and arenas for events that otherwise would be years in coming, I can create jobs for people building things and jumpstarting their economies”

Kala rolled over and threw her arms around me and gave me a huge kiss
“No wonder I love you so much!” She exclaimed. “When did you think all this stuff up?”

“Actually back on the
DUSTEN
, the day I blacked out realizing just how much wealth everyone has been talking about.” I said.

The next day we entered the
Megelleon system. There were lots of ships coming and going about us, especially Federation patrol ships, fighters and Frigates, but none of them were paying attention to an old Bunem Freighter.  We knew that Captain Maxette GW message pod would have reached the Capitol before we got here so they knew and expected us; or at least hoped we’d make it.  Captain Maxette had given us a special frequency and code to contact the Top Brass at the Federation for landing orders and to make sure we landed securely.  As ranking officer, and also because of her attaché skills Major Kalana was selected by Captain Maxette to make the contact when the time came.

I sat watching as
Kala gave the orders for Lt. Reidecor to transmit the code, moments later the face of a man with a dark green uniform similar to Captain Maxette’s, only with one gold band running around the chest appeared.  I heard both Lt. Reidecor and Kala give slight gasp.

“Greetings
TRITYTE
, Admiral Regeny here,” the man on the screen said.  “I am assuming I am addressing the
TRITYTE
, though we don’t seem to have you on our screen.”

“Greetings
Admiral, Major Kalana here, the reason we are not visible on your screen is because Thibodaux Renwalt thought it might be safer and easier to deliver us in the belly of a Bunem freighter. There was an attempt to take us back to the Bunem System.  It’s a long story, one I am sure you would rather hear once we have securely landed.  We also have some prisoners to deliver as well as a traitor, I regret to say.  But all is well and we hope to be able to touch down as soon as coordinates are received.”

“Traitor you say
?” the Admiral began “Most unfortunate, but you all are safe and the cargo is intact?  Correct?”

“Yes Admiral. The Cargo is intact.” Kala repeated.

“Excellent!  Coordinates are being sent to you now; we are alerting our security forces to be expecting a Bunem Freighter instead of a Federation Patrol ship.  Please proceed to these coordinates and follow the docking instructions implicitly.  Also, Major, we request that you and the crew stay onboard your ship and that you keep it sealed until we give you an all clear.  Then you may open the hatch but stay in the ship until our troopers have secured your ship and the surrounding area.  I look forward to meeting this Thibodaux Renwalt, Captain Maxette has sent me some most amazing information about him.”

“Admiral, no
disrespect to Captain Maxette, but I after you hear about our journey and the events on the way here, the Captain’s report will seem pale by comparison.”  Kala said with a huge smile and she turned and looked at me.

After the
Admiral had signed off Lt. Reidecor exclaimed, “That was the Admiral himself, the top man!! He was talking to us!”  I could tell he was a bit shaken by the experience. 

Kala turned to me and said
, “You have just enough time to shower and remove that dye from your hair, I would suggest you wear the black dignitary outfit when we leave the ship.”

The landing went smoothly and shortly we were boarded by a team of very professional troopers.  We were escorted off the ship to a waiting bus type conveyance and asked to board it, the officer in charge said to Major Kalana, “The Admiral wishes to meet with you all personally after you have been debriefed. You will be provided accommodations and you will be contacted as to the time.  Someone will come and pick you up at the appointed time, for the time being all of you will be accommodated in the same area.”

The
TRITYTE
was moved into an underground hanger that Kala had told me was designed and built hundreds of years earlier for the day when the
TRITYTE
would hopefully be found and returned. It was heavily protected and fortified to withstand almost anything and was believed to be the most secure place in the Universe.

We were taken to a very lavish set of quarters in a section of the underground base that reminded me of the
accommodations I had on the
DUSTEN.
. Even though Kala’s suite was next to mine there was no connecting door, or at least none that I was aware of.  Kala suggested that until we had been debriefed and had a better idea what was happening, it might be best that we not sleep together, even though we both hated the idea I had to agree with her.  The debriefings didn’t take as long as I suspected.  Each of use was called in before a panel of three investigators and asked separately to relate the events between the times of our departing the
DUSTEN
until we landed in Megelleon.  I was surprised to discover that Captain Maxette had sent videos of every conversation that I had with him, other than the one in Kala’s suite which was not videoed, but for which he did have an audio copy.  Apparently he had a personal recording device on his person, something I had not thought about, but which really didn’t matter to me.  The debriefing, while long, was done in a very casual and relaxed atmosphere and lavishly appointed room, refreshments were provided and the whole process seemed more like a casual discussion than an interrogation.  The interviewers were calm and polite.  After about four hours the interview ended and I was taken back to my quarters.  Sgt. Marranalis had already returned and had just gotten a drink from what I can only think of as automated bar.

”Would you care for something
to drinking Tibby?”  he asked, holding out his glass.

I laughed and said
, “I would if I knew what to order, I doubt that thing has any tequila in it.”

“I doubt it
too, what’s tequila?” Marranalis asked.

“
It’s a drink made out of a plant found in the deserts of my world.” I responded.

“Hmmm
,” said Sgt. Marranalis, “is the plant large or small?

“It’s a fairly large plant” I answered.

Sgt. Marranalis punched up a drink and handed me a glass of something. “Here, try this!”

I took a sip
. It didn’t taste anything like tequila, but it did remind me of another drink: a Long Island Ice Tea.

“W
ell it’s not Tequila, but it’s damn good whatever you call it.  Reminds me of a drink back on Earth called a Long Island Ice Tea, “I took another drink and started to relax.

“We call it a Brown Bojo
,” Sgt. Marranalis replied, “no idea why.”  He paused a minute “I don’t know what will happen after today.  I’ll probably be reassigned to other duty and eventually get back to the
DUSTEN
. I want you to know that guarding you, leaning martial arts and serving with you on the
TRITYTE
has been the highlight of my career.  It’s been a great pleasure.”

Before I could reply I
heard, “That goes for me also.” I turned to see Lt. Reidecor had just returned as well. 

“Make it three of us
!”  I looked to my left to see Lunnie draped across sofa like piece of furniture, either she had been there all the time or had snuck in while Marranalis and I had been talking.

“Well I would like to let you
all know I have very much enjoyed my time with you all as well. I will definitely miss you after all this is over.”  I said, “I would like to stay in communication with all of you. I hope you will all look me up when you leave the service, in fact if the Federation lives up to the agreement and gives me all they say they are going to, I’ll make you all rich enough that you will never have to work another day of your life if you don’t wish too.”

“I’m just hoping you will be here a while to continue teaching us martial arts
. At least as long as I’m stationed here.”  Marranalis said.

“You can count me in on that
,” Lunnie said with her usual sense of comedic humor “I love contorting physically with muscular men.”

“Say
,” Lt. Reidecor began… “were any of your debriefings as strange as mine was?   I felt like I was being interviewed on one of those video documentaries and not really debriefed.”

“Yeah
, well don’t kid yourself,” Lunnie said, “I’ve heard about this new technique, and from what I’ve heard they can get a lot more from you this way. Besides you’re being monitored with vids and voice analyzers and all sorts of other stuff the entire time you’re there.  Did you drink any of the Foccee or snack on anything during the debriefing? Those were all laced with truth inducing drugs, you couldn’t lie about your own name if you tried right now. Those drugs last about nine hours I hear.”

“Damn
,” Marranalis said, “I thought the fruit didn’t taste quite right.”

“I thought it strange that I felt like all the
de-briefers were my best friends.” Lt. Reidecor interjected.

“Have any of you seen Kala?”  I asked
suddenly.

“Nope
,” Lunnie said, “Maybe she didn’t drink the foccee and they are torturing her slowly until she spills her guts about our trip here.  She should be back soon. I understand we’re supposed to be dining with none other than Admiral Regeny himself in about an hour.”

“WHAT
!?” Lt. Reidecor exclaimed, “I don’t have a dress uniform with me, and not enough time to requisition one.”

“Don’t worry
,” Lunnie said with a smile on her face. “There are dress uniforms hanging inside the door all tagged with our names on them. They must have been delivered while we were being interviewed.”

For the first time since I met him I saw
Marranalis nervous, his hands were shaking as he raised his drink to his lips and muttered, “The Admiral himself, now that’s one for me to tell my kids someday if I ever have any.”  To which Lunnie replied. “Any time you want to practice making some, just knock on my door.”

As time got closer to the hour we were supposed to meet with the Admiral I began getting nervous
; Kala still hadn’t returned. I showered and picked up the uniform that had my name attached to the exterior of its plastic packaging.   It was of a dignitary cut but with a difference, it was all in white; shirt pants jacket and shoes, even the socks were white.  On the edge of the collar was a thin edging of gold as well as on the very end of the sleeves. I put it on feeling very strange and giddy inside. I wondered if it was my nerves or if it was the effect of the truth drugs in the Foccee wearing off; if in fact there was any.  Knowing Lunnie she might just have made that up as one of her jokes.  I walked from my suite and out to the common room to see Lunnie in a military style cut uniform, also in white with her chest rank stripes in a light gray. Sgt. Marranalis and Lt. Reidecor were attired the same with their rank stripes also in gray.