Chapter 36

"I do not like the way you use our women but I am waiting to see what comes of it."

"There are so few of us, my king. We need every single person."

"I understand that. If I did not go along, even partially I would put a stop to this. Bring back a complete unit and I will try to form an interface."

"Thank you my king."

I was still not sure if my link to Walt could be tapped and until I found a way to make sure, I would have to continue this charade.

"Bring back a DVD player, cables and a television. Cadet Henderson will find a way of providing the proper power."

Erica's face shot up while Chuck said, "Yes Sir." He continued and took Rebecca, Ashleigh and Shirley. He did not take just his own family and he did not take his closest friends. He must be trying to be impartial. He interfaced with who he thought was Rontem and requested data then said, "Cadet Parmeshwari report to the flight bay."

I did some requesting for data and found Parmeshwari to be one of the Tomma women. I did not search out data but I felt that somehow or other Chuck thought Parmeshwari was both a pilot and a good bed partner.

Erica got up and hurried off to find some way of making 60Hz electricity from the power we used on the ship. Chuck and his crew of four hurried out too.

Betts said to me privately, "Can I go too?"

"I'm sorry Betts but no. This is the first independent command for Chuck. Erica has to do something on her own and the whole crew will be watching if she succeeds or not."

I called out to Chuck on our private band, "Bring ice-cream if you can find a way of keeping it frozen and popcorn too."

"Yes Sir."

"Betts, find a way of keeping ice cream cold if it gets here and a way of popping the corn."

"Yes Sir."

When Betts hurried off I said to everybody, "Some of the cadets are going to bring back some entertainment that is popular on Earth. The information is not really training films that you might be used to, but something to feel good about. They require more than a time unit to watch so we will just have a sampling. Over time we will be able to see them all if you are interested in this. I wish you to see a portion so that you understand my reasoning for all this activity."

We broke up and this time we were all obliged to take care of our own mess. Scarlet only had to look at Lenoor for the woman to stoop to act as her own servant.

Connie said, "You look tired Wally. Were those nasty women picking on you?"

"They certainly were but most of it was my crystal work. It's like what I did last summer."

"Your ladies know how to treat us too. They are very combative."

I pulled her to me and said, "They can have you for a while but remember you belong to me."

"I like that even more but can I teach them about my ropes?"

"You just like to get tied up. Do you think you can get the Tomma to do that?"

"I never gave it a thought but it may be fun to try."

"It would be dangerous. You saw how the Tomma fight."

"It might be fun too."

We naturally gravitated to the babies and the mothers kept them near just in case. They seemed pleased. Connie appeared radiant when she held an infant to each shoulder.

Lenoor's children were still here and nearby. I called them over. They were not as fearful of me as they were before. I sat the six year old girl Latto down on floor and sat with her. Little Betty was in my arms and I gently cradled the child and put her into Latto's arms. The girl's face lit up now.

I called the boy over. He was just four. He came out of fear but I got him to sit in my lap. He was stiff as a board. "I am not going to harm you Consa. I wanted to ask you some questions like a warrior."

"What?"

"I wanted to know how well you are doing. It is hard to be young and still be able to fight. You are going to have to show me your attacks. I know a neat one that uses an elbow and a foot."

"I know one that uses my hand but it hurts."

"Do you do your exercises right or do you cheat?"

"It's hard to do the exercises."

"I know. I hurt all the time at the start but after a while you find that pushing yourself hard feels good, not bad."

"No it can't."

"Consa, I am not real old but I fought lots. Do you think that Scarlet would lie to you?"

"Maybe if you asked."

"Well let's ask. Scarlet, when you exercise hard and feel pain when you push yourself, do you feel good too? Now tell the truth."

Scarlet was near because Connie was holding her child. "I used to feel pain when I was young. My mother took a thin piece of wood and hit me if I was slow or did not work hard enough. When I did the work enough then I felt really tired but really good too. I thought it was because I did good but it happened if I did bad too."

"Sit on the floor Scarlet and tell us about your family."

"They are on Cralto."

"I know that. Tell us about them."

"Why do you want to know about my family?"

"Scarlet, sometimes I want to put you across my knee and paddle your bum. You always want to fight. I simply want to understand you and your people better. I can do that one person at a time."

"I have two more daughters. One is ten standard years old and the other sixteen."

"You look so young looking."

I got the feeling of anger quite strongly and quickly said, "What did I say that angered you? I am trying to learn about your race."

"To be young is to be weak."

"You are certainly not weak. You have to be an adult to have a sixteen year-old daughter. Do you consider yourself weak now?"

"Yes. I loose most of my fights."

"Scarlet, if I took you to earth, you would beat everybody. Its slightly possible that two or three people may best you if they get enough of a chance to study your moves first and then practice them."

"Really?"

"Would I lie to you? Do you sense that I am lying now?"

"... You are not lying to me but you humans are not very warlike, except you and your family."

"Humans fight with weapons and only fight with their hands when there is nothing else to fight with. Do you know how to fight with a sword?"

"We use them but mostly we use a piece of wood."

"I would like to learn that."

"You would not survive."

"Did I learn from Sara?"

Scarlet hung her head. "You learned to fight very well. I never saw Holly fight so hard. She did you great honour by doing so."

"I think so too."

Connie said, "What is this all about?"

I said, "To mate with a Tomma woman and not just have fun requires a commitment. Part of that commitment is to fight her and win. I had to get trained by Holly's mother Sara. It was because I knew some good strategies and some unarmed techniques that the Aristis people use that I was able to defeat her."

"That's... odd but why was it supposed to be an honour?"

"If she fought her hardest and I still won, it would show that I really deserved to win. I was bruised and bloody but so was Holly. Everybody knew that our fight was not a fake."

"I'll have to think on that a bit more. Perhaps Scarlet will get a chance to talk later to you about it. You can talk to her about the ropes."

"Now that is a good idea."

Latto said excitedly, "She has to pee. What am I going to do?"

Betty's mother Shukhia said, "She wears clothing that will absorb the pee. Do not worry. All of us adults have been peed on by our children. You would not be hurt if the garment leaks."

"But it's pee."

I reached out and touched Latto's knee. "Do not worry soldier. Think of your own child when he or she comes. You will get peed on."

"A servant will watch the child."

"Latto, do you like holding Betty?"

"Yes, but she is going to pee."

"If you like holding Betty then think how the servants will like holding your child. You will not have that pleasure but they will even when they pee."

"She's peeing now!"

Shukhia was nearby just in case but Latto did not drop the baby. When the look of horror left Latto's face I asked, "Did you feel any pain, Latto?"

"... no, but she's dirty."

"Latto, if you were a baby now, do you think I would worry if I were holding you and you peed on me?"

"... maybe a little."

"That is a truthful answer. I may have to go to use the cleanser but I would take you with me and we would both get cleaned. We would then be the way we were before and I would have to find your mother because you would be hungry then."

"The servants fed me when I was a baby."

"Did the servants that fed you, love you?"

"... yes. Why are you asking that kind of question?"

"When a woman feeds her child there is a bond that forms. This lasts until both die. Talk to the Tomma women and the Aristis that feed their own children."

"It does not matter."

"It does matter and that is an order. Within six units I want you to report back to me about what you have learned."

"I don't want to."

"Latto, I am the Captain first of all. Second, I am watching out for you to make sure you grow up correctly. Third of all, I want you to be happy when you grow up. To do that you have to learn. To learn you need to ask questions."

"I don't want to."

Scarlet said, "Child, you are like my oldest. She was such a sweet child when she was young and then she turned rebellious. I paddled her butt so many times that my hand hurt. You will learn or I will start by paddling your butt too."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Who makes you exercise?"

"... You do."

"Am I nice when I give those orders?"

"No, you're mean."

"I would spank you then and I will spank you for not following an order. My order is that you will do as our Captain says. The whole crew will watch as I pull down your shorts and paddle your bare bum."

"Not my bare bum!"

"You have my word that this will happen."

Latto looked down and pouted until Shukhia took Betty from her arms. Latto was now sad that the baby was taken from her.

I picked up Consa to break the situation. "Show me how you attack and I will show you an attack my father taught me."

Consa was not sure what to do. I stayed on my butt on the floor. The boy thought for a minute then through a feint before launching his own attack. I made a flurry or moves barely deflecting his blows. He was able to do two more before I wrestled him to the ground with a lot of grunting on my part. Once he was on the floor his garment came apart and I blew a raspberry on his belly. Consa fought even harder to get away but I withdrew first and then brought up my hands to ward off an attack.

Consa got up with determination and attacked again. I let him almost win then I did the same thing to his neck.

"Don't do that. I can't think."

"Ah, that is the sneaky way my dad taught me. Sometimes he even tickled."

"What does that word mean?"

"Attack me again and find out."

Consa grunted and groaned and I did too to make it dramatic. After a longer fight I got him in my lap and went after his underarms. It turned out that the ticklish genes had not been removed and the boy squirmed. I let him almost get away before I pulled him back and searched for more ticklish spots.

When he gained his freedom he said, "That is not how a real Aristis fights."

"I cheated and used the way a human sometimes fights. They are sneaky remember."

He launched himself at me again and when he got close he tried to tickle me. I released him as I protected myself and he took this as an opportunity and tickled me the way I tickled him. His fingers or fists hurt because he did not know what to do but I pretended that it tickled and tried to get away. When he straddled me I said, "I give up Consa. You are just too good."

"The Aristis win always."

"You had to use the human moves though."

"That doesn't matter."

Chuck came back but it took a while to hook up with Betts and Erica. It took a while to get everything working and then the corn popped.

It was an hour later that everything was worked out and everybody asked to return to the meeting room. We were all supposed to get a large paper bag of buttered popcorn and then sit.

This time I held Consa in my lap again as we watched the first Star Trek movie. Walt used a large screen and actually improved upon the detail to make it seem more realistic. Consa squirmed for a while until he understood that the character's lips were not in sync with the Aristis language coming out. In a moment or so Wally was able to edit on the fly and now Kirk was talking the Aristis language.

Consa settled down later and then I started feeding him popcorn with my fingers. He did not like this at the start but became accustomed to it. When I did not feed him, his own hand went into the bag to pull some out.

When the movie was over, I had to explain what Ve'ger really was then we had a bathroom break and then we watched the first Star Wars movie. Consa came back and wanted up to his rightful seat this time with more popcorn. We commented quietly about the movie as we watched it. Apart from the wedge shape, the star destroyer looked a lot like the Fonduush.

Consa lasted the entire movie but was falling asleep on his feet. I picked him up and walked to his mother's suite to give her son back to her. Betts came too with Latto but the girl did not need to be carried. I put the boy on his pad and Betts got Latto ready for bed. The mother just looked at us as she calculated what she could do with this situation.

It was the usual time I went to bed. I pulled Betts to me and we started. Erica and Connie did not have a chance to participate. Two of the others took their place. Our love making lasted longer than usual because I had to look for Erica and Connie to make love to them before we went to sleep.

I woke up with my women among the rest while I was with the Tomma. One was actually awake when I opened my eyes. She caressed my face and sat on my dick with perfect accuracy. She worked hard for her own orgasm then I had my own but I had to hurry to pee. If I did not stop this now the orgy would just start up again.

There was still much to do. We were now close to having enough engines to begin our deceleration. Our engines were not based on reaction. Each engine controlled a portion of the hull and to start without the minimum would rip the damaged ship apart.

Midday Monday we ran a test of the system and made four replacements before doing it all over again. When the tests proved successful, we began to decelerate. Nothing appeared different aboard the ship but we were slowing at seven gravities. There was a lot of cheering even among the Tomma.

I had two main choices. I could go to earth or at least near it or go to Cralto. This would be a long trip considering that we had not repaired the Kennsik Drive. Walt took possession of Rontem's memories and with a lot of caution, he analysed them. The original Aristis population had grown. They would not give up their position without a fight. They may not have the Fonduush but they did have a few other ships that had been stored inside the yacht when it made its original escape. Their techs had built many more ships but smaller ones are usually more efficient. Going to Cralto now would get a lot of innocent people killed.

Earth was the only choice. I now began to make smaller crystals that would replace those that were destroyed by the missiles. Some of these were for invisibility but most were for the various types of shields that had to be set up to protect us from cosmic rays to missiles or energy weapons.

We came to a stop a hour later then turned the ship around before returning at the same acceleration. We had travelled a large distance and it would take a long time to get home even if we reached near the speed of light with our Nanney Drive.

The family left Tuesday night. I found that Chuck had got more than enough ice cream to feed our number. They left after the meal with the ladies that went to gather them in the first place. Parmeshwari went too and she seemed to be trying to find a place in Chucks family. Even at fourteen, he was going to need the same assistance Pop received.

Life did not change much on the Fonduush. I had more charges to babysit and the family was used to coming though now we rotated so that some had to stay home and go to birthday parties or attend functions.

There was some excitement though. Warren had got wind that the CSIS or Canadian Security Intelligence Service was going to find out what we were doing in the assembly building without the use of a warrant. With sixteen hours to work with, the cadets made up a plot for a story. They did not go to school to do this work but promised to feed the action live onto the net. Lawyers and lawmakers came to view the first infomercial the academy made. CBC, our government owned television and radio network, agreed to record our information on the understanding that they did not have to transmit it.

Agents sneaked up to the building in the daylight by cutting holes in our fence. When they had heard part of the script they called for the rest of the team. Twenty nine people raced to the building dressed in swat clothing while two trucks rammed through the doors we had so labouriously been put up.

We watched this live on the ship. Patricia stationed herself near the doors when she saw what was happening. I did too and ordered her not to do this but she disobeyed. The lock on the door failed under the force and the door flew open catching Patricia and knocking her for metres.

The spy agency came in from all the doors. Gail and Mom were screaming as they ran to Patricia. They were almost shot because they continued to the girl. Everybody was ordered to the floor and a few rounds were used to punctuate their orders.

The Minister of Education and the Minister for Development had M16s pointed at their heads as did four of out lawyers. My family too was threatened and I wish I had been there instead of where I was. The cameras continued to record as well as send their data out. It was almost a half hour later that the cameras were shut off but two more were in the steelwork overhead to record an overhead view to be spliced into the infomercial. These were not found.

The spy agency recorded their own information. They saw the many copies of the scripts. They questioned the two ministers as if they were aliens. It was an hour later that the agency found that they had seriously blundered. They seized the tapes in the cameras but found the CBC outside the gates filming everything that happened.

The CSIS flashed their badges and got the cameras shut off. Newspapers were there too and so were some freelancers. The aliens were all going to be carted off but there was now a crowd of local onlookers that had seen the webcast.

School and government officials had been asked to assess the webcast for effectiveness. A glitch in the phone system used by the CSIS as well as the transponder near building prevented head of the organisation from pulling off his dogs.

Mad Paul though handcuffed because of his unwillingness to listen, yelled out before he was placed in a car, "Give me liberty or give me death."

Patricia was taken away in an ambulance but her mother was not allowed to go with her. It was then that the phone calls came in.

Canada was the laughing stock of the world. Normally nothing from Canada made it onto the news of the United States or to Europe. It did this time. Even the CBC could not be muzzled.

Paul hammed it up and so did his girl Patricia. The two kissed before the cameras. Paul still had his undress Aristis uniform on that was going to be used at the academy.

The two talked about the academy and what it meant to them before they told their story. They came across as very bright children in love with each other. Doc got them to stop and they did as they were ordered this time.

The next day the Members of Parliament were talking on the floor about what happened to their provincial counterparts. It was not a good day to be known to have anything to do with CSIS.

The third day all the children went to school in uniform. Connie had to work on her four to make them behave. The ones in high school acted much more like cadets now but that set them apart even more. The web cast had been captured and Sam set up a site that repeated it.

As far as I knew the CSIS had never made restitution for damages during an investigation. This may be true for the American FBI and the CIA too but our counterspies were eager to not make waves.

The academy got a lot of free publicity now. Overhead views of the excavations for our school as well as drawings of the final buildings were shown. Doc tried to drop all this in Irene's lap. She called him a coward in private and made sure Doc was called on to give some of the talk.

Our link to Lake Erie made it possible for us to use some nautical terminology when discussing the academy. Ships were mentioned but not which kind. The type of training we offered was mentioned and why some trainees were overexuberant in their quest for freedoms we were supposed to have.

Patricia was supposed to stay behind the next weekend but I ordered her to come. It was then I guess that she knew she was in trouble.

I ordered a disciplinary hearing and within twenty minutes she was escorted to the brig and a nullifier put around this area so she could not communicate. She stayed there and alone until it was time to go home. We had one subdued girl when she left.

The Fonduush was in orbit around Mars when I left for another duty. The Doc claimed I was being home schooled. I could take my tests when it was convenient and it was the most convenient to take them when the other grade nines did. All of the cadets finished our tests very early and then went over them before turning them over. None of the others had to write the tests because their average was all near 100%. They did this to be with me and it felt good to not be the Captain here.

It turned out that we had made an enemy of CSIS. They wanted to get us back somehow. They talked with the RCMP. The easiest way to get us was to get Rebecca and Silvia transferred to another foster family. This had been found out soon after the fiasco at the assembly building. Irene had talked to the Children's Aid Society to let Mrs Augusto get her children back. She had enough documents that the Children's Aid could not go back on its word though they were pushed hard to do so. By mid July Mrs Augusto had her family back.

The woman had visited her daughters or the reverse. She was smart enough to see that they had changed a great deal. They treated their mother as if they were ten years older. They took her out to nice restaurants or went shopping. They always paid their way and for their mother too.

Mrs Augusto came to our house on a regular basis and saw for herself how well her daughters fit in with another couple. Wendy and Ashleigh acted like sisters to the daughters. It was easy to let her daughters stay with us as much as they liked.

We still had some enemies that were stymied for the moment. The CSIS though was prepared to do a lot more to find some dirt and had the laws to let them do it.

I had gone back to karate but that was a mistake. I sparred with Sensi Kazuyoshi and I got by his defence three times in a row and with three entirely new methods.

He said, "These moves are completely new to me. Did the people that taught you before teach you this?"

"Actually it was a new group. This one is entirely women. They enjoy knocking each other around for sport. To be with them is to acquire their way of thinking."

"Are they all proficient as you?"

"Sensi, they are a dream to watch. Some practice some incredible moves that come very close to death blows. They practice this dance and their speed is beyond anything you have seen. The freestyle is not as fast but just as deadly. They take their style from everywhere they can find it. I was the only male to be allowed to train with them. I was a child at the start and I had learned more since I was last here. If they will it, I will bring you to see them perform."

"What school are they from?"

"They have their own school and do not teach other than their own. You have never heard of them because they are a secret society."

"How can you tell me this?"

"Because you are a man of your word, I trust you and I did not tell you enough to harm them."

"Show me the moves again."

I taught him the three moves then he attacked me. I knew it was coming and used mostly karate to defend myself. Knowing what he was going to do as soon as he did helped a lot. He speeded up and his blows got stronger. When he finally stopped he was breathless and he bowed low to me and I did the same to him.

Though out of breath he said, "There is nothing more I can teach you Mr Kiefer."

I bowed one more time and when I stood I saw that he had a smile. "Please remember to allow me to see these amazing... masters."

Betts whispered but loud enough for all if us to hear, "Showoff."

When the exams were over, we left on a 'vacation'. CSIS had the house watched but I had a modified alarm system put in. My computers were removed and would go to the Fonduush for safekeeping. Wayne had made better crystals and I wanted to see how good Warren could do. Matt was still with us but did not appear as good as he once was.

For the next summer months we worked on the Fonduush. Part of it was repair but we also worked on the Curiosity II. This was the ceramic hull that we had started in the assembly building. The cadets and trainees learned Tomma karate from the ground up. They learned very quickly. Gail and Connie competed against the Tomma naked. The loser had to eat the victor to an orgasm. The fighting then was vicious but I saw the day coming when the Tomma would do the eating.

Erica tried the same thing and actually won once when her opponent got distracted by a juicy morsel awaiting her but she could have lost just to get a chance to work on Erica.

I was still babysitting but now so when there were the family present. The mothers didn't mind not getting their children except at feeding time. They knew that their children were helping all of us understand each other.

Walt told me that I had to take in the four widows too. Lenoor was the one that was the snootiest but it was far from what she used to be. The other ladies brought one of them in on occasion to make sure they knew they were with us that made me having sex with all the women on the ship apart from the majority of my family.

The Doc had worked with Warren to send out some letters to some people that the academy could use. The interviews meant that I had to be there. I could not read minds like the Tomma but I could get an understanding of what the people were like. My precog had not diminished but it had not strengthened either. This ability may help.

We flew all over the country to be in the right place at the right time. Usually one of my mates was with me along with Doc or Irene. We offered free room and board. As an incentive the student would get paid according to how much they learned.

There was a lot of scepticism about our offer because most of the students were apparently ordinary or sometimes disruptive. Doc or Connie would pull out their credentials out to show that they were actually helping some of those that did have problems.

We saw three hundred and twelve people and spent two point two hours each with them. This meant I spent my vacation interviewing. Of those only eighty two agreed.

When September came they were given flight tickets and travel money. I was not worried about them as a drone followed each around. Another drone was left behind to monitor the parents. Spies were not nice to me.

Our classes started September twentieth this time. We bought a surplus mid-sized school in January. We had it renovated to have dormitories. Mrs Augusto was rewarded by being given the job of house mother and had her own suite. Other responsible adults were given jobs but they too were hard to find.

Teachers were hired but we chose from the lunatic fringe. Some of them espoused mind reading or other impossible mental manifestations. The teachers and their families had to stay at the school too. This was a twenty four hour seven day a week job, but it paid well.

Everybody in the school soon got a communicator. It was more like what the Tomma had been given. Their small computer did not confer much more intelligence or memory. The school children got a better unit but the intelligence would not go as high as ours until they graduated into the real academy.

The Doc taught astrophysics, navigation and math. Irene taught ethics, and the law. Connie taught science, world history and her own brand of martial arts. Mom and Pop taught too and so did June. Gail taught business and she used real money to do it.