Chapter 337

The Retreat

Selina sat in the living room while Diana paced. "He's deliberately making me wait," Diana groused.

"He is not, My Queen," Selina responded reasonably. "My Prime would never do that to you. He said he was going to shower after working out, and suggested we wait in the living room. That was only eight minutes ago. I am certain he shall return as soon as he possibly can."

Diana didn't bother to challenge Selina's comment about the time, although it seemed much longer than that to Diana. Selina, like Jeff, seldom bothered to check a watch or clock, their internal clocks sufficient most of the time. If Selina said it was eight minutes, then it was eight minutes, even though it seemed a lot longer than that to Diana.

"And if I might say so, I have never observed you when you appeared to be as upset as you seem to be this morning. Although none of us have graduated from Ship's academy to date, Arlene's graduation is approaching, and she and the others have learned practical skills that they have used to advantage – more specifically, the surveillance of the aliens by use of the scout ships that Arlene, Ann, Dave and Evie accomplished."

"But, Selina, I've never particularly liked flying in the first place, and imagining myself piloting a scout terrifies me, not to mention what even thinking about combat in an interceptor does to my nerves."

Bored with sitting and anxious to get started, Selina stood, then turned to face Diana. "But, My Queen, you are the Clan Queen. Every action you undertake achieves perfection. You organize essentially everything that occurs here, and you do it with elegance. You are the number one wife of fourteen, and all of your sister-wives undoubtedly love you, respect you and appear to be eager to please you in any way possible. I have heard nothing of controversy between you and the others, and I am certain that is because there has been none."

"We get along because we love each other," Diana protested, "and ... I love my husband." The Queen hesitated for a second. "I'm terrified I will embarrass him at Ship's academy, not to mention my daughter, as well as all my sister-wives that you have just mentioned."

"But you won't," the six-year-old genius responded, her use of a contraction catching Diana's attention as much as the exasperation in the child's voice. "You have splendid eye-hand coordination, as evidenced by your excellent shooting abilities."

"And how would you know how well I'll do at Ship's academy? You haven't been there either," Diana reasoned.

Thinking that she had finally won a point with the little genius, the Clan Queen was shot down an instant later when Selina rolled out the big guns as she put her hands on her hips, looked hard at Diana and announced, "Because, My Prime said so."

In the silence that ensued while the two stared at each other, the Prime asked, "Ladies. Are we ready to go?"

"You might be," Diana said under her breath, "but I am not."

Jeff heard her, of course, but acted as if he hadn't, having learned there was a truism about his harem – one woman mad at him meant all the women were mad at him – and in addition, being right did little to abate their anger, so he played deaf. But he was, nonetheless, determined that his Clan Queen, as well as every adult at the Retreat, would be able to function as a viable member of Ship's crew, regardless of the possibility that he might have to do without pussy for extended periods. Further, he was worried that learning how to fight Ship might be needed sooner than any of them expected.

Fight Ship: A term Jeff uses to indicate the Clan directing Ship in battle.

Knowing he was in trouble anyway, he pulled his wife tight against his chest and kissed her – really kissed her – as Selina giggled. Before Diana could get her mind around a response, he threw her over his shoulder, grabbed Selina's hand, and marched toward the rear garage singing loudly and off key, "It's off to the academy we go. It's off to the academy we go..."

Selina was giggling, but Diana, to understate, wasn't pleased in the least with his stupid song or his having thrown her over his shoulder. "Jeff, put me down," she demanded as she slammed a hand hard against his back. An instant later, she sucked in a breath when she realized what she had done, and her anger dissipated in a flash. "Oh, my goodness. I've hit Little One – again," she wailed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Did I hurt her, Jeff?"

"Di, you wouldn't have hurt her if you had hit her with a sledgehammer. She seems amused by your, uh ... response," then in the next breath, "It's off to the academy we go. It's off to the academy we go..."

He's singing that stupid thing again, Diana groused mentally, and even worse, Selina has joined in. And, indeed, she had.

By the time they arrived at the coat racks, even Diana was beginning to be amused at her husband and Selina, but the Queen hadn't totally given up.

As soon as Jeff put her on her feet, Diana started, "Jeff, I've just thought of something that..." and he kissed her again, and wouldn't stop.

Selina put her coat on, and pulled Diana's from the rack. When Jeff turned his wife loose, the six-year-old handed the Queen her coat.

"Shall I carry you, Di? I love you, you know."

Diana leaned into his arms, near tears, despite Jeff's obvious efforts to make light of the situation. "Promise me you won't be mad if I screw up. Promise me."

He kissed her on the forehead while tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I promise, Baby, and that's going to be one of the easiest promises to fulfill that I've ever made, because you're going to excel at the academy."

"Let's go before I chicken out," the Clan Queen said as she slipped into her coat.

"Shall I carry you?" he asked again.

She wasn't sure whether he was still being silly or actually meant it. "No. I'm perfectly capable of walking." But since the wind was blowing very hard, they used an Escalade, instead.

When they walked through the hatch, feeling the slight tingle as usual, Ship greeted each by name. Then as Selina and Diana tossed their coats on a seat, "Are the two of you anxious to get started with your academy training?" Ship asked.

"Certainly," Selina hastened to say.

"Well, the 'anxious' part is right, anyway," Diana returned, darkly.

Ship, being a novice at speech, and particularly with the comment coming from an alien race, didn't notice Diana's sarcasm, or if she did, ignored it.

"Diana is a little uptight about this," Jeff offered.

"Odd," Ship responded. "All who have attended my training sessions to date have been very enthusiastic about the process."

Diana didn't respond, but before the silence became embarrassing, Ship continued with, "The training area is active and awaits you."

A few minutes later, they walked in to see couches similar to the command couches on the bridge. Diana grabbed Jeff's head, pulled him down and kissed him hard. Before he could say anything, she hurried over and lay back on the nearest couch. It snuggled to her, and she was out.

Jeff leaned to hug and kiss Selina on her forehead. "Take care of my Queen, Baby. She's awfully worried about this."

Selina felt a flash of pride avalanche through her body. Her Prime had just entrusted her with escort duties for the Clan Queen. Jeff would have had to go a long way to flatter the little genius more.

"And..." Jeff added, "She must never know I said that. Once she gets over her worry, she'll excel. Of that, I'm positive, but I'm concerned about her lack of confidence, at least in the beginning. I'm sure that will change after the first tests, but..."

"I will bolster her confidence, but I have my own trepidations. My stature will be a distinct disadvantage..."

" ... and your genius will overcome it," Jeff finished for her. After a short pause, he continued, "Ship just informed me that she has set the first session for two hours our time. She says that will translate into slightly more than three months subjective time at the academy."

Selina smiled at Jeff. "I am anxious to begin."

"Be careful. You're very, very smart, but don't let overconfidence because of that intelligence get you into trouble. I've already cautioned Diana to use her strong suit – her common sense. She's awfully good at that, and common sense plays a large part in the decisions you'll have to make during your training. She has reined me in more than once with her logical thinking. That's one of the reasons she is so good at organizing and running things with the Clan."

"I shall remember that," the six-year-old genius assured him just before hurrying to the couch beside Diana's. With a wave and a smile, she lay back and closed her eyes.

They are walking toward the main entrance to the Landfall Space Academy on orientation day, Ship said in Jeff's mind. Both come from remote, but separate planets, and have been chosen because of their outstanding grades during the selection process for academy trainees. They met when they both changed ships before the final leg of their journeys. Diana is from a farming community and Selina is from a small village. Neither had ever been off-planet before they received their notice of acceptance to the Academy. They remember nothing of their true histories except they will feel they should protect and assist the other as much as possible, and I have further instilled in them the instructions that you have given them, but they will consider those ideas their own.

Jeff walked on toward the bridge where Arlene awaited. I see you're going to wait, too, he said to her through Ship's mind.

Well, maybe not. But I am waiting for you. I thought we could spend a little time together. I imagine we can find something to do, don't you, Husband?

Damn straight, he sent with a smile to go with it.

Landfall Space Academy

The two had just departed the spaceport shuttle and had walked partway down the wide walkway toward the entrance to the main building when they stopped to take in the majesty of the area.

"Oh, my," Diana quietly said as she stared around her while others passed the two by. "The grounds and buildings looked big on the aerial shot from the vids, but the vids didn't do justice to this. Just the main building seems absolutely enormous, not to mention how beautiful it is, and we can't even see the other buildings from here."

"If you're going to stand and gape, you need to move out of the way," a passing soon-to-be plebe snarled as he brushed Diana's shoulder unnecessarily as he walked past.

"Arrogant ass," Diana said under her breath. "But I guess we do need to hurry, Selina."

"Why?" Selina said as the two resumed their pace, their small cases dutifully floating after them, "We are an hour early."

"Well, so I won't have to brain that idiot, if nothing else," the young woman responded with a chuckle.

Selina let out her distinctive tinkling laugh. "Easy for you to say, but with my size, I have to ignore comments like he just made."

Having refrained from inquiring until now, Diana seized the opportunity, "If you don't mind my asking, is your size genetic, or..."

Selina had long expected the question and was ready with her stock answer. "My race grows slowly, but is long-lived. We mature mentally long before our bodies reach their full potential. My parents – according to the med comp, and that seems to be substantiated by a vid that I have of them – had physical statures of normal height. It will be another ten years before my growth is finally completed, though. And yes, I have already been advised that my reduced size will be a factor in my training, but I felt that if I missed this opportunity, I might well not receive a second chance. Few of my race have ever attended the academy, and none have successfully completed the training. I am going to be the first."

During the trip, Selina had told about her parents being killed in a brush war when she was small, forcing her to have to be raised by a foster agency. Not wanting to bring back bad memories, Diana responded, "Well, my case is similar. As I mentioned on the ship, I'm the first that has ever been selected from my planet, and it's even more of a miracle to be chosen because of where I live in our very obscure little farming community." Diana was quiet for a couple of steps, but then asked, "Since we're both from remote planets, do you suppose they'll let us room together? Uh, that is if you want to," she hastened to add.