The_Sarran_Senator_by_AC_Katt

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Love is born of faith [and] lives on hope…

—Gian Carlo Menotti

Castle Air: 14:00 tines

Garlance and Emot set the table as Syn relaxed in her sitting room with her feet up on the fainting couch Bron had devised for her comfort. It was made of an upholstered, heavily-cushioned material like that used on the Brightstar’s walls. Covered with what looked like lavender silk velvet with silver piping and gilded silver wood, the couch conformed perfectly to her body.

She mused. When the Earthen fem first found out that everyone was pregnant, the Ta took it on themselves to go to the hidden fem archives and gather up any information on pregnancy and birth for Anya, a physician—albeit a pediatrician—and Ellen, a psychiatrist, to analyze.

Both fems had done an ob/gyn rotation in medical school but had to study the procedures in the archives and Earthen medical journals to get the most current data. It was a good thing that Tonas and Jonal had brought the contents of all of Earth’s media with them, stored on crystals.

Syn remembered the conversation regarding their conclusions from a tide before the Brightstar landed. Having juice and cookies, they sat at a round table outfitted with the comfortable chairs Bron designed for pregnant fems that had made him another fortune in credits because of the many downloads from the fabricator.

“My best guess is that we are due in about three to four tides or about thirty to forty risings plus, taking into account the different gestational periods of Sarran and Earthen bebes.” Anya finished her juice.

“If you look at Naffie, Sarran children are big, yet the Sarran fems were the same size as Earthen woman.” Ellen straighted her red tunic top over her belly. The fems found Sarran clothing to be perfectly suited for a pregnancy.

“If it were an offspring, the bebe would grow too large to exit through the vaginal canal, if we went the full twenty-seven tides of Earth’s gestational period,” Adele postulated.

“However, the femspring will be smaller. How will the femspring be fully developed if we go only fifteen tides?” Syn poured them all another glass of juice.

“We’ll just have to have faith that the Goddess won’t let anything happen to her fems.” TaEllen Macavoy, the psychiatrist and Earthen fem who had been the most skeptical of the Goddess existence, said in an offhand manner.

“Ellen, did you hear what you just said? You are officially a believer.” Syn, Anya, and Adele giggled.

An amused expression crept over Ellen’s face. “So I am.”

Syn came back to the present time with a sigh. For the moontine meal, she would have Anya and Mark’s Triads along with Senator Johnson, Princess Sara’s father.

I wonder what they’re like. Sara seemed nice when we were running around the field after Naffie and Michael. When Mark and Juraens made their first report two tides out from home, they said she was horribly abused and would have died if not for Sarran medical technology. I’ll have to watch her aura to make sure she’s okay.

Syn heard a knock at her door. ::PaChette, do you want to lie down before you get dressed?::

::Yes, I think it’s time.:: She looked at the lovely diamond watch Bron and Zaron had presented to her on the anniversary of their sixth tide together. It was fourteen tines, just enough time for her to take a short nap, get ready, and arrange the flowers.

The door opened and her WarriorPair came into her sanctum. Bron strode over to the couch and picked her up. “I can walk,” Syn protested.

::You’re uncomfortable, my little love. The risers are high, made for Sarran Warriors.::

“You don’t have to keep carrying me around. You probably didn’t do it for Nara.” Syn didn’t want to be considered less capable than her predecessor.

“PaChette, Nara stayed in bed for most of her pregnancy by her own desire. You are active and constantly going up and down the stairs.” Zaron kissed her hair.

“I’ll be doing more of that when our femspring comes and you won’t be around. Sometimes you have to go away on council business. I can handle the stairs.”

“Handling the stairs after you give birth isn’t a problem. You can teleport to the bebe’s slumber chamber. For that matter you could teleport to the slumber chamber now. We just like to carry you.”

“Speaking about the bebe’s slumber chamber; did anyone in your engineering prototype lab come up with a design for a bebe monitor?”

“With the arrival of the Brightstar on my mind, I forgot to tell you. One of our unbonded engineers, Tarin, designed it and will get a dukedom for the project. He’s called to council next rising. We wanted to surprise you with it. He finished it two days ago. Every bonded fem is pregnant and every fem wants one and when they explain the purpose, their Warriors insist they have it. I have one for us downstairs.”

“I’ve never met, Tarin have I?”

::No, little love, you haven’t. Tarin is a high ranking Warrior, an Honorable, who retired to his home after the Zyptz War took his bonded. It’s a shame. He was headed for council. He gave in to depression and finally worked his way out the other side this past cycle. When he heard that members of the council were able to bond in Triad again, he came out of seclusion, hoping the Goddess would favor him once more with a PairBond and maybe even a Triad. He’s about forty-six and a gifted engineer.”

::Why don’t you invite him to the moontine meal? I have plenty and he’s near Sam’s age. When you said his name it occurred to me that it would be the right thing to do. After all, Sara’s now pregnant too and Sam needs someone to talk to who isn’t shoulder deep in bebe preparations.::

::Oh, Jonal and Tonas are bringing their aides, Einar and Frick, to meet Garlance and Emot as all four of us are on council and the aides will be working closely together. They’ll eat with Garlance, Emot, and Hilnut in the kitchen. Zaron and I have to make up another list of qualified aides because it’s already been decided that Mark and Juraens are being called to council next rising and we’re going to offer Sam a position as Advisor on Earthen Affairs. He’ll need an aide, too.::

Syn clapped her hands. “It’s good that Sam will have something to do where he feels useful. The Democratic Party was going to nominate him for President of the United States. He should be able to do more here than sit back and play grandsire.”

::Not to take advantage of Sam’s expertise would be a waste of Goddess given talent.:: They reached the slumber chamber door. It opened. Bron walked in and he laid Syn down on their bed.

::You’ll call Tarin. I have a feeling that Tarin being here this moontine is important.:: Syn delicately covered a yawn.

::I’ll call Tarin. It shall be as you ask. I’ll have Garlance and Emot set another place in the dining chamber and two in the kitchen for Tonas and Jonal’s new aides. Now it’s time for you to rest.::

Zaron kissed Syn and she closed her eyes.

* * * *

Gatehouse: 18:00 tines

Sam stood in the courtyard just outside the gatehouse looking up at the sky. He saw the six small moons and Ulna the White. He didn’t know where to look to find Earth’s Sol. I’ll have to ask Juraens.

His grandson, Michael, was excited about having dinner with Naffie in the kitchen with Garlance, Emot, and Hilnut. Sam had met the aides and the driver earlier in the day when Emot was out in the garden with Naffie and Michael and Hilnut was bringing in their bags. He didn’t care for Hilnut; he wasn’t sure why, but he planned to keep an eye on him, especially around Michael and Naffie.

Juraens and Mark need to pick out aides, if what Zaron and Jonal said is true and they are about to be elevated to council. I’ll speak to my new offspring about due diligence in appointing staff. I have a feeling there wasn’t enough due diligence when Hilnut was appointed to the Chief Elders’ Household.

The council meeting was next rising at eight tines. Sam had already asked for the genetic vial and the council would administer it the next rising under Mark’s supervision, with Zaron and Bron acting as witnesses and Juraens as Sam’s advocate. Sara had also requested the vial for Michael and given the holos taken by the medical staff as evidence of the horrible abuse, and given the fact that Bradley was still alive and in the United States, Zaron and Bron said the council would be inclined to make an exception to their rule that the offspring must decide themselves at the age of culpability.

When he asked about its effects, Mark said, “Read the history of the last voyage. Search for my name and Bane’s and you’ll find out what I know about the vial. It knocked me out for about a half-tine, but I think it was because of Bane and the phony bond rather than the vial itself. However, there is a small conference room off the council chambers where you and Michael could lie down, if necessary.”

The vial would finalize Sam’s decision. Unlike the fems who could breed both with Earthen men and Sarrans, once Sam became Sarran in body, he was completely Sarran and there was no going back. But here is where I want to be, with Sara, Michael, and my new sons-in-law. This time Sara comes first.

When asked if he wanted to wait, his grandson had said, “I want to be with my bonded,” and that was that.