Worth Fighting For (Little Blue Book 1) (17 page)

“You lost many, too, am I right?” Tasid asked.

“Yes. We had several fighters in the air, attempting to fight them off. Obviously our weapons didn’t do much damage, but the pilots were able to use guile to outwit the enemy. Many died, but they died heroes, and their actions saved many. Some of their governments are considering awarding the pilots medals.”

“But not all?” Juno asked, unable to sit quiet any longer.

“Not all,” the councilman answered tiredly. “There are two governments who chose not to, because the men violated direct orders. To them, it isn’t the outcome that matters, but that you follow orders. Those pilots have been told their reward is not getting charged with a crime. Damn shame, too. Those pilots didn’t just save their own people, they saved others as well. They’re good pilots.”

Juno looked up at her mate. “Tasid, maybe they can come work on our ship. It shouldn’t be too difficult for them to learn how to fly the talons, could it?”

Both Adam and Tasid were quiet for a moment. Adam broke the silence.

“That’s not a bad idea, if you’re willing, Tasid. I know we have already hired many, and are still hiring people for the moon station, and some few for the space station, but if you hired some onto your ship, it will go a long way in public relations. But I admit I do not know enough to say if it is good for you, or not.”

“Actually,” Tasid said in a pleased voice, “I think it is a good idea, too. We lost a lot of flyers in that attack, and we have agreed to share our tech with your people, and I like the idea of integrating more humans into our crew.”

“More?” Adam asked, looking confused. “I wasn’t aware you had any.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Juno said, giving her mate an equally confused look.

Tasid looked slightly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “Uh, actually, you do. I’ve talked it over with Sharrow and convinced him to let Jeri continue being on your protection detail.”

Juno squealed and threw her arms around Tasid’s neck.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Tasid squeezed Juno. “It is I who am thankful. She saved your life, and then was able to be a comfort to you after, until I was able to get to you. You were right. There are some things she could do that the other males can’t.”

Juno pulled back and looked up at Tasid. “I can’t believe Sharrow agreed. We all thought it was going to get ugly between the two of them.”

Tasid chuckled. “I confess, I did, too, but after hearing what she did, he couldn’t have been more proud. He even told me of some ideas Jeri has. I have given him the go-ahead to investigate those ideas further.”

Juno felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

Juno sat quietly as Tasid and Adam continued to talk about a few other details, and then the call was disconnected.

“So Jurresh and Adonna are on their way back?” she asked, after hearing Tasid inform Adam of it.

“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. They made the decision right after they heard about the attack on you, and about Benny’s injuries. That reminds me, they haven’t heard any updates, since I hadn’t. Maybe you would like to call and tell them really quick, that she’s doing better.”

“Ok.”

Horo entered the room just as Jurresh connected. Tasid excused himself, and placed Juno on the seat before he walked over to him. They started talking quietly as Juno focused on Jurresh. Before she could say a word, however, Adonna was there with him.

“Juno, my daughter, I am so happy to see you are all right. How is Benny? I’ve been worried sick about her, all day.”

Juno gave her an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry you had to wait so long. I would have updated you sooner, had I known.”

They talked for a while, Juno telling both of them everything that happened and answering questions Jurresh asked. After the call ended, Tasid took Juno to medical. They both visited several of the injured, especially Yewma and Nahsee—who, to her relief, were both improving—before checking in on Benny. Juno was surprised they were still awake. It was late.

Tasid placed a hand on Errim’s shoulder in silent support. He looked at Benny.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her.

Juno could tell Benny was upset, in spite of putting on a brave face.

“I’ll be fine,” she answered.

“Bull-crap,” Juno told her. “We’re family. Tell the truth.”

Benny’s face fell a little. Then she shrugged. “I’m upset, sure, but I’ll be fine, really. I told Errim we could just adopt, or get a surrogate, or something. It’s just one obstacle in a road of many to conquer in life. I don’t want to think about it anymore until after more tests are run.”

Juno grabbed Benny’s hand. “Okay, uh, oh, I can tell you that Jurresh and Adonna are on their way back. They were really worried about you, and I guess there was a miscommunication thing, so they were worried about you all day. Adonna nearly cried in relief when I told her just a little bit ago that you were all right.”

Benny smiled sweetly. “I love that woman, uh, female. I swear she’s the mother we all never had.”

“I know, right?” Juno giggled. “I guess she was ready to flay Jurresh if he didn’t bring her back to dote over us. He told me it was a good thing he was already in agreement without her threat.”

Benny’s eyes lit up. “I can’t wait for Christmas.” Benny looked first at Errim, then Tasid. “That’s a holiday we can’t go without. It’s all about family, and giving, and miracles.”

“That’s right,” Juno said, turning to the two males. “And you guys are family now.” Juno laughed as she looked back at Benny.

“Can you imagine the spaceship all decked out in yuletide joy?”

“Gives a whole new meaning to ‘Deck the Halls’,” Benny laughed, but lightly, keeping a hand on her stomach.

Juno laughed at her comment. Then both girls laughed harder at the befuddled looks on their mates’ faces.

“Ow, ow, ow.” Benny hissed, holding her stomach, and giggled some more.

The rest of their visit was light and positive. Finally Tasid led Juno back to their quarters where he helped her into bed, then wrapped himself around her, giving her comfort, and protection, and love. Juno gave a contented sigh before falling fast asleep.

Chapter Nineteen

Juno’s long, dark auburn hair lightened to a red color in the warm late morning sun, as she stood next to Tasid in front of their entire crew, and the crew of the space station, and Earth’s galactic council, and their friends and family. Surrounding them all were masses of humans, dotted with news crews, reporters, and photographers all wanting to watch and record today’s event. Juno watched as Adam Nuntz stepped up to the microphone.

“As humans, we are many things, among them, persevering, adaptable, and resourceful, to name a few, but we have always pushed ourselves, to better ourselves. However, before life from outside our solar system arrived, we were divided. Our priorities differed. Our beliefs differed. Our tolerances differed. This has caused wars, oppression, and many other negative effects, but today, I stand before you as proof that we are now taking our first steps to making our differences benefit all. For that, we have created a council that represents our planet as a whole, to the galaxy. Our mutual goal is to unite all of humanity together while still preserving our different cultures and customs to cohesively represent the best of who we are to our new allies throughout the galaxy. We have taken huge strides, but we have still so far to go. One dispute has arisen over our name.

“So far, everyone has been calling it ‘Earth’s Galactic Council’, but we felt it didn’t quite fit since we have discovered issues with the name in certain talks and negotiations. We were in need of a name that would represent our authority throughout our solar system, without compromising the separate needs of our planet and others we plan to settle in our solar system. And before you ask, yes, we plan to place a settlement on Mars.”

People chuckled, clapped, and cheered at his exaggerated roll of his eyes and the news about Mars. Juno didn’t blame him. With a city being built on the moon, and many being given approval to live there, there had been heavy inquiries into whether they would be making one on Mars as well.

“Recently,” he went on, “I was informed that our intergalactic friends, the ones who had discovered us, endearingly call our planet Little Blue. This inspired everyone on the council to finally agree to a name. So I am excited to announce, the new, official name our Earth’s galactic council is The Little Blue Galactic Assembly.”

Cheers and standing applause roared through the crowed. Juno looked at him in shock, since she hadn’t been told about this detail, and she was the one who’d told him the endearment that had been given their planet. He turned to her and gave her a quick wink, before turning back to the crowd, waving. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.

“With the name, comes a new symbol.” He tugged on a rope that dropped a cloth that draped over the front of the podium. Juno had been allowed to see the new symbol already—minus the name—so she wasn’t surprised with how it looked. She was able to view it as the camera feed projected on the large screens erected on either side of the platform. It was rather beautiful, depicting their solar system amongst the stars, and rings around the sun depicting the colorful planets in their orbit around the flaming orb, including Pluto. No one would let them leave it out.

Adam continued. “I’ll turn you over now to Earth’s Advocate, Tasid, and his mate, Juno.”

Adam sat down while the crowd cheered and applauded again.

Juno tried not to think about how many there were looking back at her as she stepped up to the microphone. Tasid stood by her side, undeniably proud of her. It warmed her chest and threatened her control over her emotions.

“Fifty-four days ago, I was standing in my living room, with my roommates, watching the news conference that told us aliens existed and were on their way to Earth. Shock and fright coursed through my body that the life that I knew was going to be forever changed. I could only hope it was for the better. Just over a month later, falling naked from thousands of feet in the air, I felt sure that
it really wasn’t for the better.” Juno briefly paused, sending Tasid a reassuring look as she heard the dense crowd laugh.

She smiled back at the crowd, as she continued. “However, since that very moment when Tasid caught me, he has made me feel cherished and adored. He led me past my fears, and has continued to make me feel, every day, as if I am his greatest treasure. I have met and become friends with many other women who were taken as mates, and they all feel the same way. These males are everything we consider noble and honorable.”

Juno started to tear up at what she was going to say next. She looked down and took a moment to get her emotions back into place, then looked around at the expectant faces staring back at her.

“Just over a week ago today, we were heavily attacked. Many lost their lives, both human and alien. On the ship I was on, I saw males risk their own lives to shelter and protect a female. I have seen males refuse medical treatment, even as their blood was dripping onto the floor, to insure that an injured female was treated first, even if the injury would be considered minor. I’ve seen males getting treatment for burns they received after they had rescued a trapped female. And I have seen and heard of their bravery for each other, too.

“During the time of the attack, many talons were destroyed in the bombing that took place on the ship I was on, but we were able to get just over seventy flyers sent out. We were fortunate many were being stored in the cargo holds, which protected them from being destroyed in the blasts. They joined the one hundred flyers that were sent out from the space station. And there were twenty flyers assigned to the station being built on the moon. Out of the one hundred and ninety-three flyers, only seventy-one flyers survived in all. Their heaviest losses weren’t from defending their bases.

“Seven heavily armed enemy ships were in various positions around Earth, guarded by swarms of enemy fighters. In spite of the insurmountable odds facing them, our flyers didn’t doubt or hesitate to follow what could have to others seemed like a questionable order. They valiantly charged the seven enemy lead ships, successfully placing tracking devices on them. We are still searching for two of those enemy ships, but because of the unwavering sacrifice of those flyers, we have been able to safely retrieve five of the enemy ships, along with those they abducted that were on them.”

Juno paused again, as the crowd applauded. Then she continued.

“I have been given the honor of naming the Advocate’s ship. In the honor of those fallen on that day, we christen her
Ardent Flyer
.”

Juno couldn’t stop a tear from escaping as humans leaped up and cheered, while the aliens looked on in a mixture of emotions. She saw gratefulness, grief, joy, and pride.

It took a minute for the crowd to quiet down enough for her to resume her speech.

“From what I’ve understood, even though our Earth governments have made a galactic council, with their own seal, Tasid’s position as the advocate has to stay neutral, so he was asked to create his own seal, or mark as they call it. The job landed on me, so I got together with the other girls, and we came up with one.”

Juno felt nervous as Tasid pulled another rope that dropped the cloth draping over an easel. The round blue, green, and brown earth shone brightly with the silver and grey moon attached to the upper right corner of it, reflecting the sunlight. “Advocate Little Blue” was written in golden letters around the sides.

After the applause died down, Juno finished her speech with their final announcement.

“On board the
Ardent Flyer
is going to be a government unto itself. So with the insistence from every female mate on board, we have asked for, and been granted, two things. First, a wall dedicated to those who have lost their lives in service to the Advocate, or to Earth. This will begin by including every heroic male who died defending Earth during last week’s attack.”

Juno paused to take notice of the responses. For humans, it wasn’t so curious of a thing. In fact, it was often expected, and many times demanded. But since the attack, when she first inquired about something like this, she was shocked to learn that other races didn’t do the same. Still, she and the other women wanted to commemorate those who lost the precious gift of life for them, and Earth, so she insisted that Tasid approved their request to show the other races that their lives mattered to them.

Around her, the foreign races were clearly shocked, and she could tell with most of them, that they understood her message.

“The second thing we wanted was special medals to be given, awarded by the Advocate himself. We have in the making, four kinds of medals being designed that will honor those for outstanding service, or other such great accomplishments. One has already been made. It is going to be our highest medal, the one for acts of the greatest sacrifice and heroism.”

Juno held up the medal to show everyone. She held it still so that the camera zooming in on it would show it clearly over the screens. She saw the astonished looks cross over everyone’s faces and heard awe ripple through the crowd. The medal was a golden phoenix with diamond set eyes, with key feathers finished in an iridescent rainbow of titanium filigree. In the phoenix’s claws it held a laurel with leaves crafted of different metals and crystals to symbolize different elements. It hung on a short, wide ribbon made from a fabric that looked like liquid fire that they were given from another race, so it was very fitting for the piece. When the fabric moved, it even looked like flames in motion.

“This is our Medal of Exalted Valor. For those who have died, their medal, in commemoration, will have their names engraved on it, and will be placed on the memorial wall. For the rest of you, when I call your name, please step up to receive your commendation.”

Juno heard the cameras clicking feverishly as she began to call out names. Every male called had barely contained emotions of pride and gratitude as they stepped up to Tasid, and accepted the crafted medal. It was pinned on their new uniforms, and then they returned to their seats. She could have sworn that they all walked with a bit more pride in their step.

Most of those awarded were from their ship, the space station, and moon station, but they even added a few humans from earth. Those men were exceptionally shocked, and tears shamelessly ran down their cheeks as they accepted their commendations. Some had already been offered jobs on board the ship, and apparently they thought that was their reward.

Hehe, surprise.
Juno smiled at each of them as they made their way past her.

Juno saved a special four for the last. First she called Yewma. After he received his medal, Juno stepped up to him and gave him a hug in gratitude.

“Thank you for shielding me, Yewma,” she whispered to him, just low enough that only the three of them could hear.

Yewma gave her a bow. “It was my honor,” he responded, then returned to his seat.

Next, Juno called Nahsee. The Malastant male had been badly scarred, which on the semi-clear skin of his kind, turned into something solid and lumpy, making him self-conscious of his looks, but Juno wasn’t about to let him hide in the shadows. When the male stepped up to receive his medal, Juno gave him a hug as well.

“You are a courageous male, Nahsee. Thank you.”

Nahsee also gave her a bow, before returning to his seat. Juno wiped away a stray tear and looked out over the crowed once again.

“The next recipient recently flew in The Catch that took place here on Earth. His fierce determination saved his now current mate from a potentially abusive mating. When the other male had retaliated, this hero used significant skill to safely return him and his new mate, to the ground. With that same passion and skill, he led several other flyers on a successful mission against three of the enemy lead ships, before losing his talon when he used it to shield one of the other flyers on approach to a fourth. It is because of his extraordinary abilities and integrity that we have named Oduz our lead officer in charge over all of the flyers.”

Juno watched Anna wrap her arms around the shocked Oduz, and she gave him a fierce kiss before pushing him forward. Those around them chuckled and slapped his shoulder as he went by to receive his medal. 

With one more to call, tears immediately started falling, and she couldn’t stop them, but she kept her voice steady enough to do the job.

“Finally, I am proud to call the first female to be awarded this honor, someone whom I consider a sister. Jeri, please come up here.”

Through partially bleared eyes, Juno saw her best friends leaping up out of their seats and hugging Jeri. When Jeri finally broke free, she stepped up and accepted the award. Jeri was wearing the same uniform as Sharrow, so Tasid pinned it in place as he did all of the others. After, Juno took Jeri in a tight hug.