Chapter 25

“Please be seated,” Captain Bank said, seeing Kate and me enter the room just behind Dr. Cina.

An armed security guard closed the door behind us. The relaxed tone in the room felt casual not formal. Most of the senior officers had arrived ahead of Kate and me, for a brief meeting, before the start of the captain’s formal dinner. The dozen guests standing around the wardroom found their way to their chair. Yeoman Rogers directed Kate and me to a pair of seats next to the captain, near the head of the table. Julie intercepted us and gave us a polite kiss on the cheek. Her polished silver hand caught my eye; it didn’t normally look so shiny.

“I’ll be sitting next to Kate tonight,” Julie whispered excitedly. “This is the first time the captain’s had the good silverware out this trip. Doesn’t it look splendid?”

The wardroom staff had used the ship’s china, silver and crystal to set a festive table. Kate and I came from rich families and had experienced our fair share of lavish dinners. Julie’s modest family background gave her every right to feel impressed, so I didn’t want to act unimpressed.

I squeezed Julie’s hand in agreement as we walked down the length of the table. Kate said, “I just love it when they turn the lights down and light the candles.”

“Our last dinner aboard the Entous,” Julie added. “I’m glad we got to see this.”

“A pleasant send off,” I responded.

Ulla was already sitting across from Kate’s chair, cheerfully talking with Commander Tarry and Harper Wood, so I knew the Captain had truly dispensed with normal formalities. Normally, in this type of setting, crewmen didn’t sit when the captain was standing. Captain Bank stuck out his hand. I took it and gave him a proper shake. He kissed Kate’s hand, which surprised me.

“Welcome to our celebration,” Captain Bank said, looking directly at Kate and me. He indicated we should take our place at the table.

“Thank you, Sir,” Kate and I responded in unison.

The captain seated himself with the grace of a warrior. Ulla winked at us once we were seated, while another steward poured a clear liquid into our wine glasses. A couple of stewards I didn’t recognize were manning a small bar at the far end of the compartment. Lt. Fante nodded at me when she took her place next to Ulla. Dr. Cina unceremoniously dropped into her chair next to the engineering lieutenant, clearly not wanting to be present. I didn’t blame her with the grief of her dead daughter ever-present. Yet, like the captain, I knew she needed to be among her peers, so they could comfort her. Even so, with our unresolved feelings about my role in Nonie’s death, I didn’t feel overly uncomfortable with her stiff body language.

“Ensign Solon.” Dr. Cina’s forehead wrinkled tightly, a mask of reproach and disapproval.

“Good evening, Dr. Cina,” I responded politely. “Also, good evening to you, Lt. Fante and Commander Tarry.”

“And to you, too,” Lt. Fante answered, tipping her wine glass at me.

“Splendid to be here,” Commander Tarry announced with good humor. “A fine job you did young man. Thank you.”

Dr. Cina opened her mouth but stopped herself, turning her head away. She began talking to a hanger deck officer I didn’t know.

“Rayz and I wished we could have worked out Commander Price’s deception about your being sick, much sooner,” I said.

The Chief Engineer waved me off. “Nonsense, he had all of us fooled.”

“Yes, he did,” Captain Bank growled. “We’ll never hear of what would have been if things were done differently. I am pleased with all the crew’s performance in this matter.”

I was pretty sure the captain was talking to Dr. Cina more than anyone else. However, Dr. Cina acted as if she had not heard, still chatting with the flight officer. Captain Bank’s eyes tightened and he sighed. Picking up a spoon he tapped his wine glass a few times to get the table’s attention.

“Thank you for coming tonight. You have all worked hard putting the ship back together and I wanted to show my appreciation. Also, I want to make an announcement so you can start the rumor mill going after dinner,” the captain said with a broad smile.

A subdued number of chuckles followed his statement and a general mirth rolled through the room.

“In light of the pirate attack and the unexpected infiltration of the Entous that has altered our lives, we will leave for the ESC Stardock tomorrow evening. In the meantime, we will take time to automate the scientific station on Winterfall and conduct a wedding.” The captain tipped his wine glass at Kate, Julie, Ulla and then me.

Dr. Cina almost spilled her wine glass, everyone else turned happy eyes upon my women. The rumors about my relationship with Ulla, Julie and Kate were well known, but if any of the officers were surprised at the formal commitment, they hid it better than Dr. Cina.

“Congratulations,” Commander Tarry injected before the captain could continue. “A wedding will cheer the crew up.”

Bank grinned and let the rest of the good wishes wash over the table before he continued. “Of course, you might not know that some of the women marrying Ensign Solon are working tonight. Julia Fitz is helping repair a damaged shuttle and Kate’s younger sister Merritt is assisting the wounded in Medical.”

Dr. Cina gasped at the other names, and then tipped all her wine down her throat in a rush. She tugged at her bandaged hand in discomfort.

Richard Rogers let out a laugh. “Congratulations in all things.”

He knew about the pregnancies, so his comment was as discreet as I could have asked.

“Honestly, so many?” Dr. Cina asked in a quiet voice.

“I cannot imagine just being a mistress,” Julie said with a snarky tone.

“I can tell you Mr. Solon is very much a gentleman with all of them. As his steward, I should know,” Rogers interrupted.

“Yes, I have interviewed them all with regard to their arrangement,” Captain Bank added, giving a note of finality to the topic. “We will honor them mid-watch and send them on their way.”

“On their way?” Lt. Fante inquired.

“They will not be returning with us. As a group, they have decided to become true explorers and dive into the unstable wormhole,” Captain Bank announced.

“A true loss to the Empire,” Yeoman Wood said. “However, they want to steer their own destiny.”

“We owe them, especially after helping save the ship,” Commander Tarry said. “The rescue bounty will be offset by the discovery of Winterfall anyway. Once the company sees the logs, videos and has to deal with the notoriety of this affair, I daresay they won’t bark at the decision to aid Von Solon.”

I loved how Tarry cuts to the heart of the matter of what was on the other officers’ minds. After looking at Dr. Cina’s haunted eyes, I knew she would never watch any of the videos he mentioned. She was already having trouble banishing destructive thoughts.

I think Captain Bank sensed the Doctor’s pain too, he stood up and lifted his glass. “To departed friends who will never be forgotten.”

We stood and returned the gesture, drinking down our wine.

Bank continued, now that he had our attention. “Eventually, we all felt the vaguely sinister aura around Commander Price. He hid it well, from some of us better than others. Now we understand how his shadowy plan was intended to play out. However, the blood of our friends and shipmates has bleached that slate clean. We will write our next chapter without that pirate, while forever remembering the heroes that paid the price for our current freedom. Soon our colleagues in the Empire Space Corporation and throughout the Reserve Fleet will hear of what happened in this system and aboard this ship. Those people will be as proud of this crew, as I am.”

He paused, slowly surveying our faces. I felt like he was branding this moment in his memory.

“Ensign Von Solon stands out, even among many other heroes. Never did I think when we changed his status from guest to a working member of this crew that the Entous would need what he possesses more than what we had to offer him. I thought to help him reintegrate into society, help him with certifying his spacer licenses, and keep him busy until we returned to civilization. Instead, my new respect for this ensign springs from his willingness to lead and the selfless use of his body to put himself between our foes and the crew when he didn’t have to. I dare say, any other junior officer who would have been tossed in the command chair would have stayed there for the duration of the emergency. And, we would have wanted him to stay on the Bridge. Yet, in his maturity and from his personal experiences on Haven, Ensign Solon judged it necessary to gather an ad hoc welcoming committee for the raiders. He was right.

Julie and a few others laughed at the welcoming committee comment. Dr. Cina was holding back tears, perhaps even giving me a softer examination.

The captain paused again to take a drink. “Few returned with our ensign. Nevertheless, Solon’s crewmates accounted themselves well. They spoiled most of the pirate attack that otherwise would have assaulted the Bridge. His leadership sent what was left of his ad hoc group to defend Main Medical, even before it was clear they were needed there. Solon’s group had limited security experience. As you know, only private Nehring and Solon survived the defense of Medical, and even they sustained minor wounds. It was a heroic act for a guest and a castaway, but for a warrior it was just duty. Thank you, Von, for executing your duty. We honor you.”

“Here, here.” The officers called out their thanks, and slapped the palms of their hands on the table in agreement.

Dr. Cina was in tears, her mask of anger was gone. I think Captain Bank’s words were intended for her as much as for me, remembering other people and their losses. The captain was trying to touch her with a broader prospective, and he seemed to have affected her. Not knowing what else to do, I gave them a slight bow. Kate gave me a kiss on the cheek, showing her approval of the accolades. The rest of the meal went without further embarrassment.

Ulla was my sole companion during the night, which rather surprised me. Kate and Merritt gave me no reason other than she deserved the alone time with me. They meekly announced Ulla had all her girl stuff in order, and they didn’t need me as a distraction while they finished their business. It was clearly a non-answer, but I had learned to accept the mysteries of female social politics among my lovers. While ensconced in my cabin, Ulla and I shut out the responsibilities and activities of others and nested. We undressed together, desperate to reconnect and feel each other’s unencumbered touches. She had a salacious appetite, even though we were full from dinner and wine.

Early in the morning, long before it was time to begin my day, from the empty side of the bed a sudden flurry of sheets subsided when a body popped down. Ulla was fast asleep, worn out from our activities. Soft, feminine skin rubbed against me and two fingers to my lips forestalled my question of who it was. Half-asleep, it didn’t matter, I closed my eyes again, feeling for the darkness of slumber. Gentle fingers and warm lips provided other ideas for my body. Her caresses and lips brought back warm memories of similar events that happened regularly on Haven. It didn’t take long for my body to harden to her silent appeal.

My lover’s touch pleased me. It didn’t take long before she straddled me and took what she came for. My lover liked it slow and easy with a carefully building pace, until she angled her hips, and then I understood her need for deeper penetrations and more strength to the thrusts. We continued this way until she moaned into my chest, and her velvet walls pulsed with satisfaction. I didn’t dawdle, releasing my seed into her with my own peaked pleasure. She kissed me repetitively in quiet affirmation of our lovemaking and then rolled off me.

I ran my hand down her flank, appreciating its roundness. My energy spent, I succumbed to sleep.

Mid-morning, Kate, Merritt, Julia and Julie rushed into my bedroom. They dragged me into the refresher, leaving Ulla alone on the bed. It didn’t feel fair that I had to get up first. They laughed and giggled at my protests that none of them joined me in the shower. When I exited the shower with my towel around me, Ulla ran into the refresher and took my place. Kate stripped me of my towel and slapped my buttocks.

“Get your skinsuit on, Lieutenant,” Merritt barked.

“We need to dress you in your new uniform for the wedding,” Kate added, taking a white uniform from Julia’s hand.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“The captain didn’t want to embarrass you last night. He promoted you,” Julie responded. “The attack on the ship effectively activated the Entous to reserve duty. The status doesn’t change until the ship returns to port to report.”

“So, with the powers vested in his position as a commodore, Bank gave you a combat promotion,” Kate said.

“Isn’t that nice of him?” Julia asked with a smirk.

They dressed me and kicked me out of my cabin to find my breakfast. I was out of the room before I thought to ask whom they had sent into my room. Richard Rogers just laughed at me when he saw I’d been ejected from the cabin.

“The mess is still open,” Rogers announced over his shoulders as he walked into my room with a tray of food plates.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, not really feeling upset.

Of course, it was a set up. All the women I knew from the Tree Loft, sensor techs and communication specialists, that at one time or another had danced with me, were waiting for me. They were all Merritt’s close friends, and I considered them my friends too. Abhati led me to a mess table, after kissing me hello. Once at the table, all the Tree Loft women demanded and obtained a going away kiss too. I took the liberty of feeling Abhati’s rear to test a theory. She snorted a laugh of surprise, not reprimanding me. It wasn’t she who had slipped into my bed.

“If I had known you were looking for another woman, I might have considered going on that shuttle with you,” Abhati announced, taking another kiss as payment for my presumption.

“But you are engaged!” Jan blurted out.

All the women in their group laughed, and the tables of men and women around us laughed too. The mess had come to a standstill; all the crew members were watching me.

“No one kisses like Von,” Abhati responded, loud enough for half the room to hear her.

A lot of men booed and hissed at her statement. The women just laughed at the men. The room lost all semblance of order, and a line of women formed, demanding proof of Abhati’s statement. “Another set up,” I thought.

It started as a friendly game until some women slipped back into the end of the line. Abhati kept track and stopped them when they tried for seconds. After that we had breakfast, and the Tree Loft women plagued me with questions about Haven. Before I knew it, we had been talking for a few hours. I had avoided talking about all my wives and lovers, other than mentioning their personal accomplishments. We talked about the Great Marsh, the warm weather, the different cultures I’d run into, the look of the villages, towns and cities. I explained such a world wasn’t ready to join the Empire.

When Abhati asked about the wounds I’d obtained there, the crowd went quiet. It was easy to talk about the assassination attempt on my life. Kate and Merritt had seen the end of it, and they had reported it to Price. Information on my poisoning and knife cuts were general knowledge on the ship, after the scientist obtained some of my medical records and their committee confronted me about it. Abhati wanted me to admit more for some reason.

“Ulla showed me the video,” Abhati announced, prompting me with her eyes.

“What video?” I asked, remembering Ulla mentioned such a video once before.

Abhati seem surprised at my question. “The giant battle on the bridge. You were in ancient armor and fighting with a sword, behind a wagon that was blocking an army from crossing. You were terribly outnumbered but you won the day. It was incredible how you personally held them back with so few supporters. It was clear you were the leader of the defenders.”

Abhati looked around the enraptured faces pulled in by her revelation. “We didn’t rescue you. We rescued ourselves when we took you from Haven. Without Captain Bank, I felt lost and defeated. Yet when you took over. I knew you had the heart to fight for us. I felt safe.”

Abhati dropped a tear.

“Damn implants. Miley, why did you show that to Ulla?” I shouted.

“Your former ship’s A.I. recorded a number of events and loaded them in your implant’s memory core. I did not see a reason to keep that particular record secret; Lt. Ulla Foth is the head of security. I wanted her cooperation in providing you access to weapons training,” Miley responded from the speaker above my head. “Also, it is logical that your mates should see your ability to protect them. They will be more responsive to you.”

A few men laughed, clearly thinking how the women might be more responsive. I was leaving the ship, so I cast off my concern and shut up.

“OKAY, time for me to head out to the hanger,” I announced, trying to change the crowd’s focus.

“We’ll escort you,” Abhati announced. “Kate wants us to make sure you aren’t late for the wedding.”

A flock of women stepped behind us and followed.

Miley took my lack of response for approval of her actions. As I walked out of the mess hall I noticed a satellite recording of the battle with the raiders at the bridge, playing on the social media monitors. The video started with me deploying my troops around the bridge and the river’s ford. The camera zoomed in on my face for a moment, before panning back out. A number of men and women stopped to watch it. I pressed on to my appointment with the women I’d grown to love and need.

The main hangar door barred my path. The huge door was closed and two armed security men with their visors down stopped my procession. I didn’t sense any danger and the body language of the guards was relaxed.

A corporal stepped up to me. “Lieutenant,” a distorted voice grated out of his helmet speaker.

“Corporal,” I said, non-committally.

He lifted up his visor. “You are no fun,” Nehring responded, waving the door open. “Ulla said I could try to tease you. She said you’d get all formal on me, not demanding. I lost the bet.”

I cracked a grin. “What do you have to do?”

“Bake her cookies.”

We laughed together and I put my hand on his shoulders. “Thanks for everything, Corporal.”

“All the best to you, Sir.” Nehring saluted me.

I returned his salute and entered a small crowd. The sensor techs swarmed around me and ran to greet the brides before I could even take a step past the bulkhead door. Kate, Merritt, Julie, Julia and Ulla all wore red dresses, the same semi-formal gowns they had danced in. I noticed they all wore their gold wolf earrings. Most of the senior officers from the captain’s wardroom dinner were present; they greeted me just inside the hangar-bay door. By the time I had run the gauntlet of pleasantries with the officers, Abhati and her companions held flower bouquets, as did Dorothy. The bridesmaids formed a semi-circle on either side of my ladies, near the shuttle. I noticed Miley had lined up three cargo-bots against the wall with their cameras focused on the wedding party.

From all the friendly smiles and polite comments, I could see the crew was slightly awed by my multiple wedding partners. My women looked splendid. I felt sure a lot of married men in the crowd thought we were out of our depth, creating a multitude of potential problems. Nevertheless, they didn’t know about my family on Haven, and how relationships worked well for us because of the nanomites that had changed us all.

Kate walked to me and kissed me on the cheek. “We will talk about Ulla once we are in the shuttle, alone.”

Her cryptic comment confused me; yet, I decided to take her instructions and push the thought aside. I felt more worried about why it never occurred to me to get groomsmen.

Richard Rogers stepped out from beside the Captain. He flashed a ring bearer box with five rings in it and then grinned at me. Rayz stepped forward too, holding a similar box with a single ring.

“Thank you, Richard. Thank you, Rayz,” I said.

“Merritt arranged for the rings, and she mentioned you wanted us for your groomsmen,” Richard answered.

“Dorothy and I are so proud to be here,” Rayz added, casting his familiar smile at me.

Richard winked again, not expecting a response. We had a little laugh together that sounded like snorting, and his eyes twinkled their own laughter at me too. He had been the perfect gentlemen and steward during my voyage.

Captain Bank was accompanied by Yeoman Harper Wood, which surprised me. She wore the same outfit that she had stormed the Bridge with when I was in command. Her golden Imperial breastplate shined under the harsh lights of the hanger deck. Interestingly, she had her pistols strapped on too.

“One moment of your time before we begin, Lieutenant,” Yeoman Wood announced, in a commanding tone.

“Yes, Ma’am,” I said, stepping up to her and the captain.

She pulled out a jewelry box, and then looked at Rogers with a smile. I looked at him and he just grinned back at me.

“Rogers and I have a present for you,” Wood stated, more formally.

She opened the box lid and showed me a golden medallion. It had an Empire’s Eagle on its face, a Yeoman Society Medal. When the captain saw I understood, he grinned.

“Lieutenant Von Solon Wolfenstein, it is my pleasure to present you with the Yeoman Society’s Medal of Honor. With this medal you receive all rights, and privileges that the Empire assigns Yeoman Society members,” Wood said loudly to the audience, placing the ribbon around my neck. “This is in recognition of your service to the Yeoman Society and the Empire.”

“Thank you.” It was all I could think to say.

“This isn’t as grandiose as Julie’s Empire Medal of Honor, but it will do for saving the ship,” she whispered. “As the Grand-mistress of the Yeoman Society it’s the best I can do; and, I daresay the Emperor will be pleased not to have to ransom me back, so you are probably missing another medal from him by wormhole hopping.”

She stepped back. “She is the head of the society?” I asked myself.

Reading my thoughts, she stepped forward again and whispered. “Of course, it takes two senior yeoman to confirm such an award. Senior Weapons Master Richard Rogers agreed with my submission.”

“Thank you, Richard,” I said with a little bow. Wood stepped back again to the captain.

“These medals always have a uniqueness for each recipient. Not that there have been very many recipients since Wood took over,” Richard confessed in my ears. “Look on the flip-side of the medal.”