Jack's True Calling

Jaas looked uneasily at the slow approach of the females then back to Jack. No! He would not be denied killing Danner! He tried to lunge toward him but only managed a short shuffle before delicious shivers ran down his spine as his body tingled.

He suddenly recalled a call from the Klaekta assassins asking for poison to put on their horns to kill the twins. His fingers reached up to touch the deep gouge on his cheek. His eyes locked on Danner's only to see the creature touching his own cheek with a wicked knowing grin. Jaas' eyes flicked up to the tips of the black horns. Something was smeared on them. The tingling in his extremities got worse.

A sudden piercing pain shot through his body as daggers plunged into his back. He spun and clumsily managed to knock back three of the females in a lurching backhand but the dam broke. He was swarmed by screaming females who stabbed at him viciously. He choked on a roar as a knife struck his throat. It turned into a wail of agony as he was dragged to the ground. FrenHall was front and center and drove her blade deep into his chest as she bared her teeth in a scream of rage.

Gee stepped forward and handed Jack a wipe. He reached up and carefully cleaned the goo and blood from the tips of his horns. Then he put the caps back on.

"Danner! You poisoned him?!?" the Wuu leader accused incredulously. It sounded outraged.

"Nope. It's just a native herb the Phem Kalos use as a stimulant. Makes them tingle. I understand it's quite enjoyable. I'm wiping it off as I don't want to expose the kids to it."

The Wuu Leader made some odd choking sounds of its own then began to laugh. He finished with purrs at Jack's cleverness.

SennLann hadn't participated in the killing of Jaas, who was wheezing out his last breaths, looking like a very bloody pin cushion. She rushed over and leapt into Jack's arms to kiss him. Then she rubbed her face against his beard and purred very loudly as he held her against his chest. The twins clung to his legs. He set SennLann down and the kids were immediately in his arms and he kissed them too.

"How did you two get here?" he asked.

Adina and Zaina shared a guilty look. "We snuck through the Cargo Gate."

Jack shook his head as he closed his eyes to stop them. "Never mind. It's better if I don't know." He kissed their cheeks again. "I'm just glad you're both safe."

SennLann ran her fingers through his beard. "What happened to your eyes? Why is your hair black? How did you get that scar on your cheek? Why is your face so furry? I'd gotten used to it being naked but I like it this way much more!"

He shook his head with a little smile. "Don't get used to it. I'm shaving it off when we get home."

Her purr deepened as she smiled knowingly.

The pursuit orb rolled by and the younger females began chasing it. The twins twitched. "Go collect it before it drives the others insane or leaves the Audience Hall! Watch for warriors!" Jack told them as they sprang away from him to join the pursuit.

SennLann hugged Jack again. "I was preparing for your arrival. We escaped from the palace and began a revolution! Fighting back from the shadows. We were taking back our rights!"

Jack hugged her again. "That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

FrenHall approached and SennLann turned to her. "Jack, may I introduce Queen FrenHall du Tren. This is Jack Danner."

Jack bowed to FrenHall. "Your majesty."

FrenHall blinked in surprise at SennLann for her use of the royal title. She nodded to Jack. "I must thank you for your timely rescue-"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't rescue anyone. You saved yourselves. Me and my friends," he gestured to the commandos, "...we were invited on a hunt with our good friend, the Wuu Leader." The Wuu in question rolled forward and exchanged greetings with FrenHall.

It picked up the story. "Our ship had a problem with its flight control and guidance computer on the way home and we crash landed here. My sincerest apologies for the damage our landing did. As compensation, we will gladly provide protection services for a period of time you may define, after which we will return home," the Wuu suggested. FrenHall blinked at this as she grasped the magnitude of its offer.

Jack nodded. "We were savagely attacked without provocation when we fled the crashed ship. We just stumbled upon a revolution already underway."

SennLann nodded to the Queen as she held her eyes. FrenHall smiled at them both as she understood his meaning.

FrenHall bowed to the Wuu. "We would gratefully accept your assistance in protecting the populace during the transition period."

The ladies behind her all grinned at this.

FrenHall's sister gasped as she saw a warrior walk into the Audience Hall at gunpoint. His armor was gone and all he was wearing was a loin cloth. The smaller tech holding the weapon was wide eyed and nervous but he marched the warrior across the room. The Wuu growled and pointed their spears at the big Phem Kalos but he showed no threatening motions.

To Jack, he looked... relieved.

"Who have you brought to us?" FrenHall asked the tech, her voice tight.

"Jaas' second in command, Skarl Vonn Augg. He saved my life... more than once," the tech answered.

Skarl's head slumped forward. Then he dropped forward on his knees.

"Begging for mercy?" FrenHall snapped.

"No... kill me," Skarl's voice rasped out.

FrenHall's eyes widened. "Kill you? Can't bear being captured? Defeated?" FrenHall's voice was starting to get a little shrill.

"No. Can't bear the memories any longer. The children. I killed them. I killed your children-"

FrenHall was on him in a second, knocking him onto his back with her knife pressed against the side of his neck. Her eyes were wild and she was making a keening sound, her grief being ripped from her soul.

Skarl relaxed under her and lifted his chin to expose his neck as his eyes closed.

No one moved. He was hers to kill. Some of the other mothers screamed at her to do it, to slice his neck open, to end his miserable life. Payment for their children.

FrenHall shook as her body and mind waged a battle. She pushed herself up to look in his eyes as she pressed the blade against the throbbing vein on his neck. Her teeth creaked from the pressure on her clenching and a little spittle dripped from her lip onto his fur.

Skarl's eyes opened in confusion.

"You wish to die? You wish to escape the torment of their cries in your ears, the memory of the terror on their faces?" she hissed.

"YES!" Skarl gasped, his body shaking.

"NO! No, you shall NOT have that peace! You took their lives from us! YOU'RE LIFE BELONGS TO US!" FrenHall screamed.

Skarl looked at her desperately.

"You will wear their murders as stains on your honor. You will work for the rest of your life to balance that terrible debt! And on your deathbed, when you are too old to keep your heart beating, you will ask me again if you may die. Only if you have earned it, will I agree." Tears were dripping down FrenHall's cheeks. "Swear on the souls of our children that you will obey!"

Gasping with the grief tearing at his heart, Skarl held her eyes. "Yes!" he choked out then broke down, weeping for the weight of his sins on his own soul.

FrenHall stood and looked down at the warrior for a moment then turned her eyes to the former prisoners, many of whom had tears in their eyes while others still showed rage.

"No one will grant him the mercy of a swift escape. He will repay his crimes with years of service, sweat, and tears. Is. That. Understood," she growled as her eyes moved to each one with challenge in her eyes. All looked away before she did.

She looked back at Skarl whose expression was one of utter defeat.

One of FrenHall's team rushed into the hall and over to her with a comm in her hand. "FrenHall! Ghret called from the telecommunications building! They've taken it over. The workers there are all helping! They're broadcasting a call to revolution though the audience on the eastern continent is probably very limited." Her expression became grim. "There was one soul on the eastern coast who had a television and caught the message. He contacted the station and said he could see a huge number of Eastern Continent warriors mobilizing."

"How many?" Wuu asked.

The woman with the comm shook her head and no one else seemed to have an answer to that one.

FrenHall looked to Jack nervously. He just tilted his head towards Skarl. Her eyes widened as she realized the resource she had.

"Skarl, you will get the warriors to surrender," FrenHall said.

He shook his head.

"Already you break your oath?!?" she exclaimed.

He twitched painfully as he shook his head again. Then Jack saw him refocus himself. "I meant they won't surrender. Especially to a female. It will never happen. They will fight to the death."

"How many will come?" she asked.

He held her eyes. "Close to seven hundred warriors."

FrenHall gasped. "How will they get that many warriors to the western continent?

"They will send roughly one hundred by air. The rest will come by sea. A four day journey," Skarl explained.

Wuu Leader made a surprised sound. "By sea? On ocean faring ships?"

"Yes."

"Why?" the Wuu asked.

"The Eastern Continent has been planning an invasion for years. The ships are ready and they work. No one watches the sea for invaders any more. It was a practical solution. That's how an eastern mind works."

The Wuu was silent for a moment then it turned to FrenHall. "As enjoyable as it would be to battle with these incoming warriors, I can arrange a more... expedient method of my own. With your permission, I will send some of my people home to Wuu through the Gate to make preparations. I can promise that none of the ship bound warriors will set foot on your continent. The ones who arrive by air will be met by my people."

FrenHall nodded and the Wuu screeched something to its entourage and three rushed away.

"The Gate is under whose control?" Wuu Leader asked.

"The Tik, always," BassDrop offered. "The civilians are still allowed to work but there are no Warriors on site. No one will risk damaging the Gate."

A Wuu rolled quickly into the Audience Hall. "Wuu Leader! More Warriors are arriving in the palace courtyard! At least forty of them!" Its voice sounded more than a little eager.

FrenHall looked to Skarl. "These are the ones Jaas sent to the truck depot and likely any patrols they encountered on the way back," he explained.

"We have sufficient numbers to deal with them. Would you like to join us?" Wuu Leader asked Jack with a grin in its voice.

"I have to get my family back to Altaria," Jack said. "Thank you for everything."

"It was an epic hunt as I suspected it would be," the Wuu Leader purred. "I will send a group with you to the Gate Terminal to ensure you reach your destination." Jack bowed to the Wuu Leader and its purr just got louder. It left with a fair number of its warriors, all eager to get a chance to fight the remaining Phem Kalos warriors.

"We'll stay with the Queen," Cha'Risa said to Jack. She looked to the unhappy expressions on Leo's and Maxim's faces. "You two need medical attention before you go joining any more battles."

Nann stepped forward to speak with FrenHall. "Hello, I'm Nann Graf, a friend of Jack's. I have extensive knowledge of revolutions as I'm a history teacher on Earth. If I might make a suggestion, if you have control of the broadcast systems you should make an announcement of your new government to assure your people there's stability and continuity. Ask them to pass the message along. We can take you there."

FrenHall looked at the commandos with wide eyes as it finally sunk in what it meant to be the Queen to her people and how much more responsibility she had for them. "Yes, please." She looked to Skarl. "You will join us." He nodded, looking lost.

Cha'Risa smiled and shook Jack's hand. "As usual, it was an adventure I'll never forget."

"I don't know how to thank you!" Jack said, his voice becoming a little rough. He gave her a hug as she smiled broadly.

Nann got a hug too and the boys shook their hands and the hands of Gee and Bal as well. FrenHall squeezed Jack and SennLann in a big hug then let the commandos guide her, Skarl, and the surviving members of her team out of room.

The Wuu escorts led Jack, SennLann, and the twins out of the palace where they saw the Wuu overwhelming the arriving warriors. Their group took a different exit to make their way to the Gate Terminal.

As they walked, SennLann recalled her statement to FrenHall that once the dust settled, she and Jack would go home to Altaria to be with her daughters. She looked down at Adina and Zaina's smiling faces and realized this was even better.

They went inside the Terminal Building and said their goodbyes to the Wuu who left in a hurry to join the battle.

Jack and his group met excited male and female workers who arranged a Gate for them to Altaria. It took some time before the Gate accepted the destination. Obviously, someone on the other side was concerned about who was entering from Phem Kalos and was making preparations.

When the mirror surface finally appeared the Tik moved to the front of the group.

"I will leave you now," it said, reaching out a tentacle which Jack touched.

"Thank you for saving my life and for helping me save my family. I have no way of truly repaying you for that," Jack said. SennLann and the twins were looking at Jack nervously at his mentioning being saved by the Tik.

"You have given me experiences that no other Tik has ever shared. The Tik are eternally grateful for this."

Jack's face heated up as he recalled some experiences he wished he'd never shared. "Yes, well... thank you." The Tik moved to the Gate and touched it before entering. No doubt temporarily altering it to go back to Chuuruthia. To share those... experiences with... millions of Tik. Jack sighed.

He looked at Gee and Bal. "Ready?

They nodded. "Let's go home," Gee said.

They walked forward and stepped into a chamber filled with Altarian security. One stepped forward stiffly.

"Gee, Bal, you will surrender your weapons and accompany us to headquarters."

The agents handed over their gowns but left a thin veil wrapped around their bodies for modesty. With a final glance at Jack they left with their escort.

The senior agent then turned to Jack.

"Ambassador Danner?" she asked looking wide eyed at his dark eyes, short black hair and beard. When he nodded, she continued. "By the authority of the Ministry of Security, I hereby place you under arrest."

"WHAT?" SennLann growled loudly.

He turned to her and took her face in his hands. "It's ok. I expected this. Girls! No! Give me your backpacks," he said as he caught the twins preparing to spring him from the trap. They froze at his stern voice.

Jack accepted the bags from them then immediately handed them over to Altarian Security. They relaxed once they had them.

He knelt and hugged his girls and kissed SennLann when he stood back up. Then he let the security team lead him away.

His family was home. He wanted to check on Diana but that would have to wait. They would fill him in soon enough.

They were civilized like that.

-=-

SennLann and the girls watched Jack being led away. Several agents walked up to them. "We will take you to the hospital for an examination. The other members of Ambassador Danner's family will meet you there.

She nodded and took the hands of her daughters. They followed the agents outside and into the back of a van. She wondered if they'd done the same thing to Jack.

It didn't take long to reach the hospital. They were immediately brought to Chief Physician Jinnae who ran some tests and gave SennLann an injection of vitamins. There was deficiency from her diet on Phem Kalos.

"We were told we would see the rest of the family," SennLann insisted once their tests were done.

"Let me take you to Diana," Jinnae said.

"She's the only one who came?" SennLann asked with wide eyes.

The physician looked at her in surprise. "Oh! You were kidnapped that night so you don't know."

SennLann glanced at her daughters and saw they had sad eyes. "What? What happened!?!" she gasped and seized the doctor's hand.

"Diana was critically injured in the attack. She stopped breathing and her heart stopped at the apartment but the paramedics managed to bring her back. We don't have an accurate measurement of how long she was in that state. She came out of the coma a few hours ago but she's still very weak."

"Please take me to her," SennLann asked. The twins hugged her.

They went up a few floors and down a hall to a private room. SennLann rushed forward when she saw Diana on the bed. Eyes turned in her direction but the look on her face was confused. There was a large white bandage around her throat.

SennLann looked back at Jinnae. "What happened to her neck?"

The doctor smiled for Diana's sake. "She was badly injured but some highly skilled surgeons repaired most of the damage. She can't speak yet but the Chuuruthians said they could probably bring back much of the functionality of her larynx."

SennLann moved closer to Diana, right up to the side of the bed near her face. Green eyes tracked her and the confusion was still there.

"Diana, I am so sorry they hurt you!" she said as tears came to her eyes. She lifted one of Diana's hands and pressed it to her cheek. The green eyes locked on hers. She kissed the inside of Diana's wrist and the woman made a small grunt noise.

"Don't try to speak Diana. Your vocal cords aren't ready," Jinnae cautioned as SennLann held her lover's hand.

Diana's eyes went to the physician then back to SennLann with an almost desperate intensity.

"I love you, Diana!" SennLann said softly. She leaned forward and gently kissed Diana on the lips.

The woman squeaked then gurgled but her lips returned the kiss.

"SennLann, please. You are causing her distress!"

"No! She recognizes me!" SennLann gasped.

Beautiful green eyes were filling with tears of joy as flashes of memory identified the lovely feline being as SennLann. She didn't know why her memory was so spotty but it frightened her. Being with someone who she recalled loving was such a relief. She struggled to keep her eyes open but the burst of emotions had drained her. She smiled at SennLann then slipped into sleep once more.

SennLann watched Diana fall asleep and gave Jinnae a worried look.

"It's ok. She's just exhausted. Her body is doing a lot of healing. It was an extremely positive sign that she recognized you."

SennLann gathered her daughters in her arms for a hug then they followed the doctor out of the room. The twins squeaked with happiness when they saw Douglas walking down the corridor with his mother. Then they spotted Eve with Emily and Joseph. They raced ahead to throw their arms around their brothers and sister. SennLann caught up and more hugs were given. Jinnae guided the group into a waiting room as Karrel and Leffera arrived with their own kids Alex and Lillian but also with Max and Gwen. No sign of Queen Elissa though. SennLann and the twins enjoyed more hugs and kisses then they all got comfortable.

"How is Diana?" Karrel asked Jinnae.

The doctor smiled. "She woke earlier today and was awake when SennLann and the twins arrived. She didn't immediately recognize SennLann but after a short time she did. This exhausted her so she fell asleep once more. All in all though, an excellent sign for her recovery. Everyone should expect some confusion from her at first but she is remembering. It would be best if we start the visits tomorrow after she's rested. Small groups. We will have to take it slow. Eve, if you could bring Emily and Joseph tomorrow morning?"