Chapter 18: On Delta

~~ November/December - Weeks 48 to 50 ~~

Carther was looking at the work done by his people.

The transporter depot now looked like a place for visitors to come to. They had even set up a hotel, shops and warehouses. The infrastructure owned by the city and they leased it out. There were still buildings being erected, but he, Aeron and the Queen who happily backed his projects, were happy with the progress.

Since he now kept the Army busy with community jobs, he didn’t have any more deserters or resignations. Apparently, his people now felt they were doing something useful. He had several platoons still working on road improvements and had assigned others to beautification projects.

They had started a refurbishment of the town centre and community buildings to spruce the place up. It was already looking prosperous. Newly laid roads and clean sidewalks made a big difference.

Carther had even started hiring women. It had amazed him just how many were more than happy to defend their country and undergo rigorous training. He also ensured they would learn other useful skills. The fact slaves employed by the army also received free status probably helped.

His people still did the regular patrols of the outer lying villages. He had set up more permanent, policing stations to be manned by his people. He had even extended them by request to several other communities to the north, south and east as well.

He had elected to set up a command post in Silver Valley one of the largest mining towns in the north as they seemed to have the most trouble. He even had several road crews rebuilding the roads to them to make access to their town better and easier for his patrols to monitor.

He did the same for Davinvale to the east. The fact the new roads would also join up six other villages who wanted in the new farming business or their businesses were included in other deals was also a good reason to expand.

His patrols said that a lot of the raids to free any slaves had stopped, but there were still several bands of bandits operating in the north and eastern regions. None of his troops liked hunting slave-raider, but bandits were much more to their liking.

Carther had to smile at the irony. He had gone from 3000-armed troops to 1100 after the mass exist. Previously his troops did patrols or played at mock battles to stay entertained. Now he had an additional 100 men and 300 female recruits. And more jobs than people to do them.

Major Jacobs de Jan, Cronin’s cousin who looked after his engineer division, had already earmarked a third of the females for his division. He believed another third would go to logistics and the last to troopers under his cousin Major Pierre’ de Hur.

Pierre’ had already picked out one squadron he intended to train as sharpshooters. They already out-shot him, he had told Carther.

The fact Mary and the other girls often spent some time at the female barracks when in town encouraging the new troops, had not been lost on him. He now had a set of barracks, a Transporter/Airship tower to coordinate flights and a Customs station located beside the landing platforms.

His people now supervised the unloading, loading and inspection of the ships that landed. They recorded the visitors and the merchandise for drop off and pick-up and checked that the people were all immunised.

Lee and the other wizards had liked his proposal when he had suggested this setup, and they now had similar port set-ups in each of the major cities and for their shipping and airship ports as well. Some were not sure if the military should control customs, but others had argued protection was their job, so it made sense.

Carther, while happy with his successes, had things that were more important on his mind. Mary was coming today. She had taken a week’s holiday to spend with him.

He was eagerly watching the transporter land. He planned to take Mary on a trip around his country and hoped she liked what he planned. He fretted every time she got on the ship and loved having her back here with him.

There was the talk of some of the UN Army personnel being permanently stationed in Tuath and joining his customs teams and Police Forces as shields. Carther agreed as long as Mary was one of them.

At long last, Mary was walking towards him with a duffel bag slung across her shoulder. He met her halfway and soon had his lips devouring hers. Mary came up for breath and laughed at him.

“Missed me, huh?” she said.

“You have no idea how much my darling,” he told her vehemently and pulled her back into his arms to kiss her again. This time when Mary came up for breath, she looked at him funnily and then grinned.

She stepped back and not taking her eyes off him said into her comm, “Lord Lee, please.”

When Lee answered, Mary, said, “Hi Lee, I found you a shield.”

When Lee asked whom, Mary grinned at Carther and said his name. Carther was trying to work out what she was on about. He had some understanding of what a shield was, but he didn’t for a minute think he was shield material.

He knew his Mary was. She had to be one of the best people he knew. He still didn’t understand why she loved him. But she had kept coming back to him. He was just grateful that she did.

She had been sent to shield training several weeks ago. One of the reasons he hadn’t seen her for two very long weeks as she was being trained in her new duties. Carther saw the air shimmer beside him, and Lord Lee appeared.

Lee smiled at him and then placed a hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes, and Carther felt a strange sensation go through his body. Lee looked at Mary.

“He has come a long way. I think he will make a fine shield and partner for you, Mary. I believe you have a week off. Do you mind spending it and another week training him?”

Mary looked at Carther and grinned, “I think I’ll have a lot of fun training him Lee.”

Lee looked at Carther and shook her head. She had a look of commiseration on her face, “She is going to put you thought the ringer boy. I hope you’re up to it.”

Carther blinked and found himself somewhere he had never been before. Lee had blinked him to the Wizards Retreat. Lee had left messages to Carther’s people that he would be gone for two weeks doing his shield training.

She took them to a special room and presented Carther with a metal box. It was 40cm long x 30cm wide x 10cm deep. It contained a ring, a special baton that was similar to her wand, a medallion and a thinner band like Lees but with smaller energy crystals embedded in it.

The items were made of a Beryllium copper alloy. They were strong, conductive and a dark coppery brown colour. Lee had found a set in Jahn’s treasure cave excluding the band. She had Ian copy and then make two hundred sets for her.

She then had Berny make a band for the crystals and got them replicated and had the crystals embedded. She had to spell the other items in their sets but was happy with the results.

The medallion had a wand, a shield, a book and the symbol of two hands clasped on it. Lee had put a larger de Ray crystal in them as well. Lee currently kept them in the cave under the Retreat. Only she or Kyle could hand them out and do the initiation ceremony.

Lee explained to Carther that once a set bonded to a person, they only worked for that person. If he died or he was stripped of the items for misconduct, the bling would return to her.

Lee instructed Carther to place his hands on the lid and say the following, “I Carther de Hur, do solemnly swear to abide by the Charter of the Shields and to serve the people of Delta Pavonis Star System to the best of my abilities.”

Carther dutifully repeated the words. He felt a strange sensation overcome his body, and the lid clicked open under his hands. She got him to open the lid and put on his bling. She explained the major function of each item as he put it on. Carther felt at peace with himself once the items were in place. It was a lovely feeling.

He looked a Mary and knew he had found the person he wished to spend the rest of his life with. She was his soulmate. She negated his shortcomings and shared his desire to protect their people. He smiled at her with all the love he felt for her.

“Welcome to the fold, Shield de Hur,” Lee said. “Have fun you guys,” and she blinked away leaving a very content Carther and a grinning Mary behind.

Carther had the most exhausting and fun-filled two weeks with Mary. She taught him what was involved with being a shield and shagged him senseless the rest of the time. On their second night on the Island Carther was lying with Mary wrapped in his arms when he suddenly said, “So when are we getting married?”

Mary laughed and crawled on top of his naked body, “Took you long enough to ask.”

Carther grinned and said, “So is that a yes?”

Mary said, “Hum, I might need some more convincing.”

Carther rolled her over and kissed her until she was gasping and moaning into his mouth. “Is that a yes?” he asked.

She shook her head no, so he moved down and made love to her breasts as he pumped his fingers in and out of her until she came. “Is that a yes?” he asked.

She shook her head so he moved back over her and pushed into her slowly a fraction at a time prolonging his full entrance as long as he could until he was finally rocking his hips on hers.

He kissed her again as he fucked her slowly with long strokes until she was humping back and trying to make him speed up, but he stopped.

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

She shook her head again. So, he changed tactics. He was pushing in hard and fast and then slowly withdrawing until she was starting to come and then stopped again. “Is that a yes?” he asked.