The Third Cycle of Time-Chapter 9

From: Cheryl Baumgartner(C Baumgartner, Posted Date: Jun 18th, 2011

                “It’s the ugliest thing that I ever laid eyes on, but I wanted you to have something that I had made with my own hands.  It’s my first and rest assured last effort at woodcarving.” Kai said with embarrassment.

                “It is the most beautiful thing that I have laid eyes on my son.” Adana said as she hugged Kai.  “This is a labor of love.”

                “It’s just a wooden chest with some decorations.” He said bashfully.

                “Irina has arrived.” Zinn said eying the chest.  “She wants to know where her brother the great warrior is hiding on his 18th birthday?”

                “I’ll just bet she brought company with her?” Kai asked, and then looked disgusted at his father’s nod.  “Which is it this time? Terror or hero worship?”

                “Kai, a little understanding.  I know it’s annoying but look at it from their point of view.” Adana started.

                “I am looking at it from their point of view.  I’m either some blessed savior or walking weapon, no matter which, they view me as an object.  They don’t see me as a person.

                And forget about any girl that was born into another caste.  To delicate to handle the stress of being around warriors and the older I get the worse it becomes.  You’d better depend on Irina if you want grandchildren.” Kai went out to see his sister and deal with the latest sacrifice to her matchmaking efforts.

                “18 is too young to be so cynical.” Zinn said as he and Adana followed in Kai’s wake.

                “Mother, you have to do something with him.” Irina said as she joined her parents.  “Look at him, I swear he looks constipated.

                Tissa was so excited to meet him, and he looks like he would rather be anywhere else.  It’s always the same reaction.”

                “Did you tell her anything about the prophecy?” Zinn asked.

                “No, she already knew about it.”

                “That’s the problem.” Adana sighed.  “These girls don’t see your brother, they see the prophecy and Kai knows it.  It annoys him that people automatically see the prophecy, especially these girls.  No matter where he goes he has to deal with the prophecy, it’s been a bitter pill for him.”

                “It would be a bitter pill for anyone.  People look at him and see their savior.  The fall of Teso to the insects only increases the pressure.” Zinn said.

                “He is the only one who has any practical knowledge of the insects.  Denon approached me today about having him teach a class on the insects.  Evidently he asked and Kai turned him down.” Adana said.

                “Why would he do that?  A nice cushy job teaching when he just graduated?” Irina asked.

                “He accepted a security position with the Cargo Transport Service.” Adana replied.  “He’ll be doing the frontier runs.”

                “Kai!  Are you addled?  Where is your brain!” Irina yelled at him.  Tissa looked like she was about to faint.

                “Thank you for coming by, but I believe we are about to have a family argument.  Perhaps you should go home.” Kai said as he escorted her to the door.  He closed the door behind her, turned around crossed his arms and leaned on the door.

                “That’s the second time today that someone has called me addled, strangely enough the accusation came first from my mother and now from my sister.  I take it you have heard about my assignment.

No I am not addled.  I need the experience.  Mother the council continues to ignore your warnings.  They don’t see any threat to Brunnis.  You and I both know what the council’s opinion of warriors is now that Mara has been appointed head of Council.  We have become glorified security guards.

What good are security guards going to do against insects?  At least out there I may get some experience.  And I’ll also be in a position to know what is actually happening and what I know, you will know.” Kai explained.

“He will advance in rank faster out there and it will be an actual advancement.  If he stays here there will always be the question of which one of us bought it for him.” Zinn added.

 

 

“Kai, come in.” Captain Hir said.  “Sit, sit I have a problem and I’m hoping that you can help me with it.  I understand that you attended closed council meetings before you earned the Gortha?”

“Yes I attended with my mother.”  Kai replied.

“I find myself in a bit of a situation here and I’m not sure how to proceed.” The captain handed Kai a stack of papers.  “This is our delivery contract, the Ardonians are refusing to pay the agreed upon price.  Yet they threaten to cut their ties with us if we do not deliver the cargo.  I have no experience in contracts and treaties and such.”

“Let me look at the terms of the treaty and the contract.  I’ll see what room was left for us to work with.”

 

 

“I am Kai.  I have an appointment with your Minister of Interplanetary Affairs.”  Kai announced himself.

“I am the Minister of Interplanetary Affairs.  I was lead to believe that I would be meeting with a representative of the Matriarch Council, however you are a warrior.”

“I am also the son of the High Warrior Delegate Adana of Brunnis.  She has given me full authority to act on her behalf and that authority was agreed to by a majority of the council.  There is a freighter in orbit over Ardonia bearing cargo that was ordered by your Trade Commission.  We are here to make the delivery and your Minister of Finance refuses to pay the agreed upon sum.”

“It is more than we can afford right now.  We have had…troubles.  We have lost several outgoing shipments which means we do not have the revenue to pay for the shipment which you have delivered.” The man said.

“What do you mean you have lost several shipments?  Accidents, theft?” Kai queried.

“Insect attack.  They come across the border into our local shipping lanes.  Several worlds have lost precious cargo.  Because we are so far out, we have been unable to secure our space.  We worry that the insects will grow bolder.”

 

 

                “Mother, Ardonia wishes to petition for aid.  They had every intention of honoring the trade agreement.  I offered them a solution but Mara may not like it.  A contingent of Dragon Fighters to escort their cargo transports much as we are now doing with our own frontier transports.

                Of course this would technically make them a military ally and give you more leverage in getting the council to take this threat seriously.”

                “It would strengthen our position somewhat.  Official reports coming through the administration would have to be accepted whereas rumor and hearsay carries no weight.  This will rile Mara, it will weaken her stance of business as usual.”

                “As Commandant of Dragons, father has the authority to send in a ‘temporary peacekeeping force’ until a military treaty can be officially ratified.”

                “If I fail to get it ratified they would be recalled.”

                “I thought of that, there is a way that you can get Mara to help you push it through.  Ardonia is a member of the local trade cartel, interplanetary trade is the domain of the cartel.  There are 13 worlds represented in the cartel and 10 of them have trade agreements with Brunnis.  Under the terms of membership in the cartel each world is legally bound to honor the trade embargos of any member planet.  So if the military treaty with Ardonia is not ratified, Ardonia could impose an embargo on Brunnis.  Brunnis would lose 10 trade allies.” Kai told her.

                “You are a born politician, my son.” She said with a wide smile.