All That Glitters Ch. 57

TreäkHome! thought the Asoc. Yes, this is home. It is good to be back where I belong. She mused.

The Asoc knew that the items she had tasked TreäkGorlat approaching her early the next morning as she passed through an open square.

“Asoc,” >Gorlat began with a rather formal bow, causing the Asoc to tighten her resolve. “I regret to inform you that War Dragon Minister Leifram Mutt Kottane and her aide have died of their wounds. Neither regained consciousness before their deaths.”

The Asoc gave a solemn nod of her head then turned and fled the square.

************

Junelliya was walking alone around the >Clot heard her, came out and approached Junelliya looking very worried. “The Asoc is falling into depression, Junelliya, we do not know what to do.”

“I do,” Junelliya assured her, opening her comp. “Fiona, find Heyya and home in on my comp. The Asoc is starting to react to the after effects of events. She will need both of you for support and to tell her what you have each been through, get here fast, Fiona.”

“On my way,” came the instant reply. Fiona had come in the night before when she heard that the Asoc had won. She brought every Fleet Tender she could lay her hands on with her. They were now in orbit working on repairing damaged ships. Others had gone to the location of the clemency fleet to help out there.

Treäk> guided Junelliya into the room in which the Asoc was now concealed, the Asost was holding onto her but he had a very worried look on his face. Junelliya gave him a reassuring smile and touched them, sending calm to both.

“Junelliya! All the people who died…for what, Junelliya?” the Asoc wailed. Junelliya took the fraught Asoc into her embrace, giving her encouraging words and a tendril of her power sending calm and reassurance. A few minutes later, Fiona, Heyya, and >Gorlat were guided into the room.

Heyya ordered a tea service and asked someone to bring a selection of teas. It showed up remarkably quickly. They all sat down and had some tea, Treäk> worked ceaselessly around the table until Junelliya ordered her to sit and gave merter escort her some tea that she knew had a calming effect on Asocans. Treäk> needed to be calm in the presence of her distraught boss.

“I felt so helpless when the pirates took the other medical staff from the hospital at during the Second Battle of Liramor-23,” Heyya began. “I and my staff were the only people remaining that could help the hundreds of injured that were beginning to enter the hospital.

“When two pirates came into my trauma unit, I had the opportunity to act directly against them. It almost cost me and my patient our lives but I would do it again. Then, the Marines arrived, killed one of the pirates and took the other away. My staff and I worked tirelessly until, several hours later, the medical staff were returned to the hospital.

“I remember working on adrenaline for more than a day. When things settled down, I went to the morning brief, but when I saw how Fiona looked, I broke down. We cried on each other’s shoulders for all that we had seen and been part of.” Heyya ended.

“I never felt so helpless in my life, Asoc,” Fiona explained. “I could not even be in Central Control because I had been caught in the small ship bay when the attack occurred.

“We took the Valour out and I took my vengeance on those pirates, destroying anything that my ship’s guns could lock onto, and we locked onto a lot of pirate vessels that day. It was later, when I returned to see the damage done to the platform that I first lost control over my emotions.

“I had a hard time over the next few days, seeing the names of people who I had known who had been killed in the attack. Each name brought the image of a face. People with hopes and aspirations for the future, people who I had personally worked with, now gone forever.

“I kept asking myself; why was it that I was still alive and they were not? But it was the wrong question to ask. Chance left me to fight on the Valour. Had I been in Central Control, I would likely have been killed.

“Still, the hardest part of that attack for me, was the aftermath. Writing to loved ones that their partner, their child, or their friend, had been killed is never easy. When it is someone that you personally knew for so long, had worked with intimately, it is particularly difficult. I still have nightmares about that attack and the aftermath.

“It is solely because of the efforts of Junelliya, Dr. Heyya, Dr. Maya, and the Toolend medical pair Tougrate and Malnad, that I am still able to function in some semblance of normality. More than anything though, was talking to those that have been through this same experience. Kind of a shared hug of the loneliness, fear, loathing, helplessness, and anger. This will be difficult for you to organize, Asoc, but I think it will help you if you do.” Fiona finished, looking pointedly at Treäk>.

“They speak with truth behind their words, Asoc,” >Gorlat informed the Asoc. “I have seen for myself the mental effects of the attack on the people who live on Liramor-23. Those who have been through that attack, through OP Sandcastle, OP Oran and the battle here on AsocAR. The ‘group hug’ as they refer to it can be quite helpful.

“Treäk>, you will have to find people of sufficient rank to be brought into such a group therapy session that could include the Asoc, the Asost, yourself, and the surviving ministers who went on the attack with the Asoc.” >Gorlat advised, getting a nod from Treäk>. The small group stayed with the Asoc, the Asost, and Treäk>, for most of the morning. By the afternoon meal, the Asoc was much improved and very thankful for Junelliya’s intervention.

Boulangerie Beauchamp, Liramor city, Liramor Prime, The Liramor System, Thirty Light Years from Terra

Junelliya and Fayad, were back with Hanalei and the family. They decided to take güngören escort the day to go to Liramor Prime where they purchased French pastries and breads, intending to bring some back for the workers of Liramor-23 as the platform still did not have its own Boulangerie. They had already visited several pastry shops and purchased all they had at hand.

It was in their fifth shop, the Boulangerie Beauchamp, that Zarreniya had asked her mommy an innocent question.

“Mommy, pourquoi est-ce que tous les propriétaires sont si ronds?” she had asked innocently (‘Mommy, why are all the owners so round (rotund)’? Referring to the size of their stomachs).

“Ils font un excellent contrôle de qualité, ma cherie,” Hanalei had replied equally innocently (‘It’s because they do such excellent quality control my dear’).

Zarreniya had nodded her head sagely then let out a snort and quickly covered her mouth with her hands. However, the damage had been done. She started to giggle…then the giggle got louder and more insistent until, finally, it rolled into a full belly laugh which was followed by her sister Ikekiya when the import of her mamma’s words washed over her, causing the two little girls to fall over and roll on the floor in laughter.

The small crowd of shoppers watched in amusement as the little girls laughed their hearts out at the inadvertent joke between them and their mother. In a brief break in the laughter, Zarreniya looked up and saw the angry look on the face of the owner.

She let out a frightened ‘Eeep’ and covered her eyes with her hands. A few moments later, she slowly parted her fingers, only to see that the owner was still angry. The little girl let out another awkward sound, clambered to her feet and hid behind her mommy, followed by Ikekiya hiding behind her own mamma, much to the amusement of those in the shop.

The owner’s wife let out a belated chuckle and told the little girls not to worry about the big, mean, owner. “Il se met en colère, mais il se calm vite.” (‘He gets red (colour, angry) but calms down quickly.’)

The owner’s wife shooed him into the back of the shop while she took the order of the small family. She looked at Junelliya and for a moment, and thought she recognized her. She asked the children’s name and was surprised when she learned who they were. Things clicked in her mind.

“O! Mon dieu! Les enfants d’or sont dans ma boulangerie!” (‘Oh my God! The golden children are in my shop!’) She quickly came out from behind the counter and shook the hands of Junelliya and the children, who each gave her a quick thank you and small curtseys.

The family swiftly placed their order, surprising the owner by the size of it.

“We are bringing treats back for our friends,” the children explained in French. “They likes pastries.”

Now loaded down with the output of half-a-dozen shops, the family made its way back to the shuttle port and their ship. Clearing customs was easy and swift as Liramor-23 was classified as a part of Liramor Prime. The pastries would be well received on the platform.

The Imperial Palace, Capital City, Pod-Saar, The Sharanas System, 109 Light Years from Terra

The Kumar-Pair and their brood were looking forward to talking with Clarrisiya and Urano via The ICS link. The children adored the two who always taught them new things. They also had the opportunity to talk to Ikekiya and Zarreniya, which they very much enjoyed.

“How are things going now that OP Oran is starting to wind down?” Junelliya asked of the Kumar-Pair after the children had broken off on their own to speak with Clarrisiya on the smaller monitor moved from the kitchen.

“Much better now that the stress is going down some. However, we now have the problem that many from Maha-Oran wish to remain here on Pod-Saar. They fear their home planet and do bağcılar escort not wish to return.

“Aunty >Catal fix,” Zarreniya reminded them from the corner where they were showing new blocks and words to the brood.

“We do not know when the Asoc will be able to act on her promise Zarreniya,” Hanalei replied.

“No, she fix soon. Prakeshya say,” Ikekia replied.

Hanalei hesitated for a brief moment, giving Junelliya a strange look. “When did Prakeshya say, Ikekia?”

“We talk,” she said, connecting with her sister for emphasis.” She was giving the impression that Prakeshya had used empathy to speak with the girls while they were talking via the ICS.

“Ikekiya, Pod-Saar is quite far from our home,” Hanalei suggested.

“No, Prakeshya can say us,” Zarreniya replied, innocently.

“Kumaraie, are the children glowing?” Clarrisiya asked.

“Yes, off and on during our chat and theirs,” the Kumaraie confirmed.

Clarrisiya gave Junelliya and Hanalei a significant look and a hand motion to say they would chat after.

“Dey talk when we sleep,” Ikekiya stated, noting the signals.

“We ptend sleep?” Zarreniya asked.

“No, we tired, we sleep. Big people need talk,” Ikekiya told her sister, getting giggles from both the brood and the adults, especially the Kumir-Rai/Ro.

************

“What do you think is happening, Clarrisiya?” Junelliya asked later after the children had gone down for a nap.

“I have no idea, actually,” Clarrisiya admitted. “It is obvious, however, that the children are able to use empathy with each other via ICS. That is not something that we have seen before and is very important to confirm.”

“Yes, if the children can do it, then it should be simple for adults to do the same,” Violletiya said, rolling her eyes to show just how ‘simple’ that would be. “But we do not know how the children are accomplishing this. This is supposed to be impossible.”

“You know the old adage, if someone is trying to do the impossible, don’t tell them that it is (impossible) until they have given it a good try. You never know what will happen,” Hanalei quipped. “If I look at it from the children’s point of view, they simply don’t know that they can’t do this thing.”

The four adults gave each other significant looks, opened a link to Pod-Saar, then called Petronellaya.

Office of the Council of Empaths, Scherm’s City, Hollander’s World, The Sullivan System, Sixty Light Years from Terra

Councillor Petronellaya had her assistant and her significant other, Councillor Elliya, remain with her as witnesses when she got the call from Violletiya. She noted the presence of the Kumar-Pair, rose and bowed to them; her action followed quickly by those in her office.

“Hello Kumaraie and Kumaroe, Violletiya, Clarrisiya, Junelliya, Hanalei. How are things where you are?” she asked to keep things light.

“Interesting,” was all Clarrisiya needed to say to make all three on Hollander’s World sit up and take notice.

“The three children seem to be able to converse empathically via ICS,” Violletiya explained why they had called.

“Are you sure?” Elliya asked.

“Not really,” Clarrisiya replied. “We haven’t confirmed it yet, however, the children are passing information to each other via means other than conversation during our daily links with the Kumar-Pair’s family. The Kumaraie has confirmed that they see the children glow at regular intervals during these chats and our two have confirmed that Prakeshya’s precognition has told them that the Asoc is prepared to act on a promise to the Pemipinae. That was something that did not come up in open conversation with the children until they informed us of it.”

“We were speaking with the Kumaraie about the winding down of OP Oran and Zarreniya informed us that ‘Aunty Catal fix soon’ in reference to the displaced Maha-Rrin. Ikekia confirmed this and told us that Prakeshya had told them so. They had no open conversation on this issue but Prakeshya also confirmed that it was so. The Asoc had promised to make a planet in the Asocan realm available to the Pod-Drran and to the Maha-Rrin,” Clarrisiya finished.