Chapter 24: Reunion

TERMS

tinton - 2 1/2 seconds
specton - 2 1/2 minutes
Toton - 2 1/2 hours
minton - 2 1/2 days
daycon - 2 1/2 weeks
Malant - 2 1/2 months
quant - 2 1/2 years
galant - 2 1/2 centuries
Metson - 2 1/2 inches
maclon - 2 1/2 feet
heckson - 2 1/2 miles
tetson - 2 1/2 acres
unit - 2 1/2 ccs

Mayan Terms

nohchil - Chief
Ahau - King
k’aat - Claim
k’iimil – Death

Characters

Bill Axor (AKA Ambrose) - Lion clan, Cit-Chac-Coh
King Tomco Traxor - Bill’s dead father, Lion clan
King Tobias Traxor - Bill’s dead brother, Lion clan
Queen Trianna Axor - Bill’s dead mother, Lion clan of Mandria
Queen Niaco Traxor - Tiger clan, Tobias mate, now Bill’s
Twitty Glax - Grey Tabby clan, bill’s body guard and mate
Glenna Nox - Bengal clan, Bill’s body guard and mate
Mikos Glac - Chartreux clan
Skylos - Commander of star cruiser - Wire hair clan
Henna Glac - Chartreux clan, Mikos mate, Xendran Doctor
Theta Panadon - Cheetah clan
Cornelius Glax - one of Bill’s Uncles, Grey Tabby clan
Conrad Nox - Bill’s other Uncle Bengal clan
Assassin group - Jaguar clan
second assassin group - Ocicat clan
Typree Maxor - Sub King of Mandria, Lion clan
Adina Maxor - Paladin Princess of Xendra, Sub-princess of Mandria, Lion clan
Timora - The great mother of the feline people, mate of first tribal leader
Hippacamp - Timora’s father, father of modern Xendran doctors

Knights

General Roth - Leopard clan
Gregor - Cougar clan
Gwayne - Panther clan
Thomas - Lynx clan

Paladins - Female Knights

Wrena - Leopard clan, Roth’s mate
Cetana - Cougar clan, Gregor’s mate
Dawney - Panther clan, Gwayne’s mate
Mileen - Lynx clan, Thomas’s mate

Ambrose watched as they docked with his cousin’s Mandrian battleship. Opening the airlock, Ambrose shouted into the darkened ship.

“I suggest if you want to stay alive, you haul your asses in here!” There was a confused number of voices, then several men came tentatively through the airlock followed by Typree. “Cousin? Where in the hell are we? The last I saw, you disappeared into some type of energy tunnel.”

“How long ago was that?” Ambrose asked, trying to gauge how long it had seemed to his cousin.

Looking at the chronometer on his furry arm, Typree replied, “Only an hour ago. Why do you ask?”

“Cousin,” Ambrose clapped Typree on his shoulder. “That was almost a week ago! Obviously, you were on the fringe of whatever transported us here.”

Ambrose could see that Typree’s eyes were bulging as he tried to wrap his head around what his cousin had just said. “Uh ... by here, where exactly are we?”

“The nearest that we can tell, we are in orbit around the planet Earth,” Ambrose told his cousin as Twitty closed the airlock, then they headed to the other ship. Docking, Ambrose repeated the same actions as Jankuis and several men stumbled through the airlock.

Bowing low, Jankuis was at Ambrose’s feet. “I thought I recognized your ship, Sire,” Jankuis said from the floor.

Ambrose sighed as he tried to get the male off the floor. “I’m sick of all this damn floor-bowing! Why can’t you all get it as quickly as my command crew did?”

This, of course, started Typree laughing as Ambrose growled at him. “Get used to it, cousin. I’ve had that for the last four to four and a half quants. You rule the entire kingdom; it’s going to happen no matter what.”

Sighing, Ambrose nodded. “I know, but when I ask them not to, I expect them not to after a while!”

“I could never disrespect you or your father like that, Sire. I respect you and him far too much for that,” came from Jankuis, whose head was still bowed.

Sighing, Ambrose nodded his understanding. Then, as Twitty closed the airlock, an idea came to Ambrose. “Typree? Just how many can these ships carry?”

Typree’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Ambrose. “Almost three hundred comfortably, though I have to ask why?”

Ambrose nodded again, explaining about moving the people of the city, and then he turned back to Skylos. “You think you and Twitty can get them restarted?”

Skylos was deep in thought as Twitty walked up to the three of them. “Not sure, Sire. I haven’t seen the configuration of their engines.” Then he looked at Typree. “How much more power does it have than this ship? I saw them in combat. I could swear that you had twice the power and armament.”

Typree was staring back and forth between both of them, his mouth hanging open. “I ... I’m not sure. Jankuis!” Typree called out to the male. After explaining their need for both ships, Jankuis thought for a moment. “The configuration of the engines is the same, though we do have an extra to provide more power. Though not as fast, they are a force to be reckoned with.”

Skylos nodded as Twitty looked at both of them as if they had lost their minds. “You want to do an orbital restart? With no power, no air, nothing?! Have you lost your freaking mind! Now I know you have a death wish.” Shaking her head, she stared at Skylos like he was a lunatic.

“Queen Twitty, they just went offline. With any luck, we shouldn’t need much to get them restarted. Besides, we still have all that extra Taak’in onboard,” Skylos told Twitty.

Twitty’s eyes opened wide as she nodded. “That takes care of that. What about breathing? I’m not a fan of passing out and possibly dying from lack of air!” Twitty snapped at Skylos.

Skylos held up a small mask with a hose and a small box at the other end of the hose. “We can use these emergency air breathers. Did everyone forget that we had them?” Twitty nodded as she grabbed it from Skylos, heading to the airlock.

“Well?” Twitty said with exasperation. “You said we need to hurry! Let’s go!”

Skylos nodded as he donned another emergency air breather. Turning to Ambrose, he whispered, “You are so lucky, sire, to have such a strong mate!”

“You wouldn’t always think that if your mate was like any of my three!” Ambrose whispered back.

“I heard that!” Twitty shouted from the airlock. “One should consider oneself lucky that I accepted your claim!”

Typree laughed as he clapped Ambrose on the shoulder. “Ah, cousin. Glad it’s you and not I!”

“Don’t worry, Typree Maxor; all three of the Queens have plans to have you married within three or four Malants.” As Typree’s face went from elation to one of horror, it was Ambrose’s turn to laugh.

“I don’t have time for such things, Queen Twitty, I...” Typree started.

Twitty stared at him with a serious look as she said, “It is one of the THINGS that you WILL make time for. Like your cousin, you have no heirs for your part of the kingdom.” Here Twitty turned, throwing over her shoulder. “Not to worry, Typree Maxor, we do have a female that would be perfect for you. That is after we are done here. Skylos! Let’s go!”

A shocked Typree turned to Ambrose, a look of desperation in his eyes. “Sire, you have to do something! I don’t have time for a mate. I have to...” Typree was suddenly silent as Ambrose held up his paw. A moment later, after Skylos and Twitty had entered the other ship, Ambrose spoke.

“I have found, cousin, that to argue with them only invites more of their brand of concern. I suggest you go along, then disappear for a time. Perhaps you will grow lucky and they will forget.” Then Ambrose leaned closer to Typree, whispering, “Though I wouldn’t count on it. I’ve seen all three take hold of an idea, riding it to the end. If you wish to fight this, then you do it on your own.” Again, Ambrose held up a paw to quiet Typree. “If, as I think, you are thinking of fighting this, then be prepared for a very long siege, in a battle that I personally know you won’t win.”

Typree’s head dropped as he started to formulate plans to hide in plain sight. A wicked smile lit up Typree’s face as his plans started to form. ‘Yes,’ he thought, ‘they’d never find him!’ A mere two spectons later, the second of his ships suddenly powered up.

“Alright, sire, we were able to restart with little trouble. I have the ship at fifty percent and climbing. All air recyclers are online. Be back in a half specton,” came Skylos’ voice over the communicator.

“Good, sending Jankuis and his crew back onboard,” Ambrose replied.

After the exchange, they went to the other ship. Moving in, Skylos and Twitty were there for spectons when Skylos called. “Sire, I’m afraid it might take far longer to restart this ship. I’m afraid that...”

In the background, they could hear Twitty cursing as she struggled with something. “Skylos! Get off the com! Help me remodulate this before we lose everything!”

Sighing, Skylos whispered, “I have to go, sire, I...”

“Sire?” They heard Twitty say. “I’m sorry, mate. I WILL CALL you when we are done. I told him it wasn’t a good idea to try a restart in space. Now get off there, we have to save what we can!” With that, the comm went dead. Ambrose had a huge smile on his face. Damn, but he was falling more for his mates, that was sure!

It was almost a half toton later when Twitty appeared at the airlock dragging an unconscious Skylos. Ripping off her EAB, she fell to her knees, doubling her fists, she came down on Skylos’ chest. “Breathe, you stubborn idiot!” Again, three more times she came down on his chest, then blew air into his lungs. “Don’t you dare die on me, Skylos! Breathe, you piece of shit!” She was shouting as she came down on his chest.

Suddenly, Skylos gasped a huge lungful of air. Then he started to cough uncontrollably. Opening his eyes, he first saw a relieved, then an angry Twitty. “Ah, I am dead, I am in the afterlife with an angel attending me,” Skylos weakly said.

“Don’t you EVER do that again, you hear me! If you do, I might just let you die, if I don’t break something first!” Twitty was yelling in his face.

Skylos was nodding as he groaned, “I knew it, and I knew I’d probably go to the other place.” Trying to sit up, Skylos yelped loudly, his eyes large when he felt at least two ribs broken. “Looks like you won’t have to, Queen Twitty. It appears you broke at least two ribs.”