Part 2
She awoke the following morning well rested. On the shelf she saw some clean clothes. She held them up. They were made of silk and were large enough that they obviously belonged to Crais. She wondered under what circumstances he had acquired them. She did not recall him mentioning them in his recount of his adventures. She showered and donned the clothes. Fortunately there was a belt to hold them up. She would have to speak to Crais about stopping somewhere so she could get some clothes of her own. Her captain's uniform would be too noticeable.
She was able to find her way to the galley with ease. Crais was preparing breakfast. "Good morning. I trust you slept well last night?"
"Yes, very well. Thank you. That smells wonderful."
"It's eggs with some sort of cured meat. It tastes as good as it smells." They both sat at the table as he served breakfast.
"I was hoping we could find someplace where I could get some suitable clothing. As comfortable as this is, it isn't very practical and I can't very well wear my uniform."
"I believe I can accommodate that request. I will have Talyn search for an inhabited planet. If you are up to it I can give you a tour."
"I'd like that. You never did tell me yesterday what you and Talyn are doing now. I somehow doubt you have no plans for the future."
He smiled at her, "You know me well. We are searching for Moya, Talyn's mother. She and the others believe we perished. Talyn would like her to know he did not."
"And after you find her?"
"Unknown. I have learned not to make plans when dealing with Crichton and the others. He has a habit of upending my view of the universe. Every time I meet up with Moya I seem to find myself entangled in whatever scheme Crichton has masterminded."
"I think I would like to meet John Crichton. We have all heard a lot about him, but I would like to find out how much of it is true."
"There is no guarantee that he will be there. His work on wormholes was progressing well when we left the command carrier. He may have found a way home. Are you ready for you tour?"
"After we clean up, of course."
"Of course." The quickly cleaned up the dishes and Crais began the tour. They started on the lower decks and worked their way towards command. Crais was explaining the facilities in the maintenance bay and the transport pods when Talyn chirped. "What is it, Talyn?" Talyn continued 'talking' to Crais. "It seems that Talyn has located a debris field. He believes it may be from your transport. There are no life signs and no other ships nearby. Would you like to investigate?"
"I doubt that there is anything left, but there is nothing to loose. I might get lucky and find that some of my possessions have survived."
They proceeded to command where they could get a good view of the wreckage. When they walked through the door, Garrix stopped and stared, "This is amazing. The fusion of leviathan and Peacekeeper technologies has been done so perfectly." She moved forward to look at the control panels, "These panels use standard layouts. Any Peacekeeper could easily run this ship. I had heard about your project, but to have achieved this level of success...Amazing."
Crais felt a certain amount of parental pride, but he knew the price to fuse the two technologies had been high. "That was how the idea was conceived. I have come to realize that arming leviathans is not something that should have been done. I have learned about the majesty of them. I am only glad that the apparent failure of my project has led High Command to cease the pursuit of hybrid leviathans. We are nearing the debris field."
Garrix was standing by the view screen console and pulled up the information about the debris field and began scanning. She pointed to an area of debris, "There. That might be a cargo box. That's the only one I see. Can we maneuver Talyn to bring it aboard?"
"We can. We might bring some extra debris onboard with it, but that can always be jettisoned back into space." Crais maneuvered Talyn and had him activate the docking web. As soon as Talyn was in position Garrix left to go to the maintenance bay. As Crais arrived the hangar doors were opening.
She went over to the box and investigated the outside. "It appears to be intact and miraculously it is my box. Hopefully nothing is broken." She released the seal and Crais helped her take the lid off. Her clothes were on top with heavier personal possessions underneath. She put the clothes in the upturned lid. "I can at least wear the pants and the shirts. Ah! My boots made it." The boots in question were extremely well worn. There were the old style boots. Crais was surprised she still had them. He began investigating the other debris Talyn had pulled in. Included in the debris were some of the pulse weapons. He set those aside and began looking through some of the other articles she unpacked. The one thing that caught his interest was a photo she had of the two of them. It had been taken on shore leave, shortly before she was transferred.
*********************************************** 16 cycles ago - Pleasure planet Torot
It was customary for Peacekeeper ships to make occasional stops at pleasure planets. While it was acceptable for shipmates to recreate with each other, some were uncomfortable with it. Besides it was good for everyone to get off the ship on occasion. As large as a carrier was, a change of scenery could be quite beneficial. Crais and Garrix decided to spend the three days together. Garrix had just found out she was being transferred to a cruiser as second in command. He was proud of her getting this promotion, but he realized he would lose his friend, his lover, his confidant. He was a Peacekeeper, he would not let it affect his performance. They vowed that they would not dwell on her impending transfer, they would enjoy the little time they had left together.
They spent a little of their time in clubs and around the others so as not to draw too much suspicion. Captain Tainor knew of their relationship, but chose not to make an issue of it as long as job performance was not affected. The rest of the time they spent on solitary hikes and romps in the woods or in their hotel room. Garrix had been raised on ships and was still amazed when out in the real wilderness. This just reminded Crais of the home he had known for only a short time. One of the shops on Torot specialized in aphrodisiacs and other erotic paraphernalia. Crais was interested in the oils, he did not need the other paraphernalia. He picked up an especially sensual oil for their last night together.
He got back to the room first and had lit several candles. He had also filled the considerable bathtub with warm water and scented it with oil. When she entered the room he was waiting for her, clad only in a silk bathrobe. He swept her into a passionate embrace with an equally passionate kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he gently laid her down on the bed. "I have something special for you," he said between kisses.
"Hmmm. I like special," she replied back. He was helping her out of her clothes.
"Lie down on your front," he told her as he finished removing her clothes. "Here, smell this," he held the bottle near her nose.
"That's divine," she purred.
"Just wait," he whispered in her ear. He licked at her ear before getting in position to massage her back. The oil and his gentle touch aroused her. She knew it was time for her to return the favor. He tried his best to let her finish, but it was too much. He rolled over and pinned her with a kiss. She had no desire to resist and was every bit as passionate as he was. The oil heightened their senses. Crais pulled away and picked her up. Her carried her to the bath where they continued. The vapor put off by the oil was intoxicating. They had never felt so alive. When it was over, there was almost as much water on the floor as there was in the tub.
*********************************************** Present
He was brought out of his reverie by an outcry from Garrix. "It did survive. Look at this. Do you remember when I got this?" She was holding up a sword with an ornate scabbard.
Crais looked at it. He remembered that she had earned it during a dueling tournament held on one of the Peacekeepers planetary outposts. "Yes, I do."
*************************************************** 17 cycles ago - Tagra Outpost
Some of the greatest blademasters in all of Peacekeeper Territory had assembled on Tagra for the two weeken long tournament. This tournament only occurred every three cycles and she had been unable to attend the last one. There were well over a hundred entrants. As someone who had not been recognized as a blademaster Garrix had to participate in the preliminary rounds. She was confident that she would advance to face the blademasters. If she could defeat just one of them she would be named blademaster. She had been working towards that goal for over fifteen cycles. Captain Tainor had found out about this and had been helping her train since shortly after she reported onboard. He was a high level blademaster, but no longer chose to participate in tournaments. He had told her that if she made it to the quarterfinals he would ensure that Xerrin was there so he could watch his pupil succeed. He was confident she would advance that far. She did not want to disappoint her captain.
As expected the competition in the early matches was not that stiff. She had been fortunate enough to draw opponents that she defeated rather easily. Her first real challenge came with only two matches to go in the preliminaries. He was very good and he knew it. He thought Garrix would be an easy victory. No one at the tournament had seen the full extent of her abilities and this drannit thought he could breeze right through her. One of the best lessons she had learned from Captain Tainor was that being a blademaster was about more than skill with the sword. Strategy and the ability to read your opponent were just as important. She had a feeling her opponent had not learned this lesson yet. She was more than happy to teach it to him. She decided she would open the match by fighting just hard enough not to be beaten. She had seen some of his early round matches and he had a very predictable style. He may have had strength, but she had speed and cunning. She let him think she was on the verge of defeat for the first hundred microts or so, just long enough for him to get over-confident in his skill level. She than attacked him with a level of ferocity no one had seen yet. He had not been prepared to go on the defensive and was flailing. This left the opportunity she needed to score the win. There was stunned silence in the crowd for several microts. Her opponent had been the favorite of the un-nameds. Now he would not be one of the four advancing. The crowd, realizing they had a longshot to root for, let out a great cheer after the shock wore off.
Her final opponent in the preliminaries was another female with a similar build. Her opponent was so stunned and intimidated by the victory two days ago that the match was not that difficult for Garrix. Her opponent was so sure she was going to lose that it came to pass. The four victors from the preliminary round would join the 28 blademasters in the main round in four days time. The matches would again be single elimination. She did her best to remain calm and focused in the three days between rounds. These next matches would come one every day. At least in the previous round they had been every other. All matches were by random draw. Through sheer luck she drew one of the lesser blademasters for the first round. He may be a lesser blademaster, but he is still a blademaster she reminded herself. It was a difficult match. She found herself constantly on the defensive in the opening microts. He had the advantage, he had seen her fight in the preliminaries. She worked hard to maintain calm and focus as the microts ticked by. Finally she saw the opening she had been waiting for. She charged into offensive mode. Her opponent had thought she was near exhaustion and was not prepared for the ferocity of this attack. As he backed away he stumbled and fell, giving Garrix the win. The crowd roared louder than they had for the defending champion. The level of support she was getting stunned her. She was even more stunned when she saw Captain Tainor approach.
"Congratulations, Lt Garrix. I told you that you would succeed."
"Thank you, Captain. I thought you weren't going to arrive until the quarter-final round?"
"I lied to you so you wouldn't be nervous in your first match. If you knew I would be watching, you would be more concerned about impressing me than defeating your opponent."
"I think you would have been correct, sir."
"I know I would. Experience has provided me with a great deal of insight. If you will excuse me Lieutenant, I have some old friends here," with that he walked away. It was only then that she noticed Bialar Crais had been standing behind the captain.
"Bialar! I hadn't expected to see you here."
"The captain invited me. You did quite well that match."
"Thanks. I almost got my eema kicked though."
"Almost doesn't matter though. I just wanted to wish you well for your next rounds. I have been ordered to stay clear of you during the tournament so as not to provide a distraction. I will see you again when this is over. The whole ship is rooting for you."
"Thanks. I look forward to you congratulating me when it is over." They shook hands and Crais left to catch up with Captain Tainor.
Knowing that Tainor had already seen her fight in the tournament took an enormous amount of pressure away from her. She would be named blademaster regardless of the outcome of any other matches. She was just competing to prove to herself that she was worthy. Her opponent in the quarterfinals was one of the few female blademaster. This time she did not have intimidation on her side. Her speed and maneuverability would be of little use in this match, she would have to rely on her cunning. Her cunning served her well. It was a long and hard battle but she came out as victor. Unfortunately her match tomorrow was the early one and against the defending champion. She retired early in order to be well rested for the morning match.
From what she could tell when she entered the arena, the spectators were treating this as the match-up of the tournament. She blocked out the sounds of the crowd and concentrated on warming up. She had watched him in the two previous match-ups. He was very good, but she though he was not as good as Captain Tainor. She wasn't quite good enough to defeat Tainor, but she was close. She focused on this thought before the match. Their match turned into the epic battle that everyone had expected. In the end her agility gave her the slight advantage she needed. The crowd roared with approval at her victory. She was so stunned she hardly noticed. She found Tainor in the crowd. He gave her an approving nod and smile. She bowed in return. Madina Garrix was going to be in the final round. She had a chance at becoming the tournament champion.
The final round was almost anti-climactic when compared to the day before. Her opponent was good, but not as good as yesterday's. When she landed the winning blow she realized she had won. An un-named had won the tournament. This was incredible. The announcer informed the arena that the last time this had happened had been nearly 40 cycles ago when the great Jurgen Tainor won the first of four consecutive titles. Garrix was in shock. She had not realized Tainor had been so successful. Tainor came down to present her with her blademaster's sword. The hilt was plain and unadorned, the blade had the intricate scrollwork to indicate what it symbolized. He also presented her with the ornate jeweled scabbard that was the tournament trophy. She was bruised and battered, but elated by her victory. She was granted shore leave until the morning. Senior Officer Crais was also granted shore leave.
After all the congratulations they returned to her room. He had acquired a bottle of a pain relieving lotion and was more than happy to apply it to any part of her that was sore. The massage felt good, the aches and pain went away and the fatigue melted away under his careful ministrations. She was glad he had come down to the planet. Being with him was a greater reward than any trophy. She thanked him intimately for tending to her wounds. He gladly accepted her thanks.
******************************************** Present
She had finished going through her belongings. Amazingly the only thing broken was a bottle a Damark brandy. Garrix had been smart enough to seal the glass in another container in case of breakage. Crais helped her carry her belongings up to her quarters. They had to make several trips but he didn't mind. The fact she was going through all this effort meant she probably planned on staying for a while. As he was helping her put things away he came across a small ornate bottle. "Madina, what is this?"
She came over to look, standing very close to him, "I think you know what it is," she purred.
"It can't be?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes. It's the same oil from our last night together. It should still be good. The seal is intact." She ran her hand down his back.
He set the oil down, "Perhaps later, when we have gotten to know each other better."
"I thought we knew each other pretty well?"
"Sixteen cycles ago, yes, but a lot has changed in those cycles. I need time," he told her apologetically.
"All right. I can respect that. I'm not going anywhere. I can wait." She moved away to give him room.
"Are you so sure you will like the answer?"
"I know you better than you think. I'm sure I'll like the answer." She smiled at him and sounded smug.
The next day Garrix was sitting in command studying Talyn's schematics when he started chirping excitedly. "Bialar, what's he so excited about?"
Crais replied over the comms, "It appears he has located a commerce planet. We should be able to find what you need there." Crais walked into command, "We should be there tomorrow. How is your studying going?"
"I have a lot to learn about leviathans. I understand the Peacekeeper technology, but bio-mechanoid is not something I've ever concerned myself with."
"You don't have to concern yourself with the technology."
"I want to be of some use while I'm here. In order for that to be the case I have to know something about damage control and repairs for this leviathan. By the way, I though the idea of the hybrid leviathan was to design a ship capable of taking on the Scarrans. While the pulse cannon is formidable, it is hardly a match for the larger Scarran vessels."
"That is true, but Talyn is not yet full grown. As he passes into adulthood and his frame is capable of supporting larger weapons, they will grow. That is one of the reasons it was imperative to repair his personality matrix. He will only become more dangerous as he grows older," he sounded somber. Suddenly Talyn began chirping even more excitedly. "Slow down Talyn. Why are you deploying the docking web?" Talyn wasn't answering.
Garrix had already pulled up the sensor data, "I don't see anything out there." They ran down to the maintenance bay and had weapons drawn by the time the hangar bay pressurized.
She awoke the following morning well rested. On the shelf she saw some clean clothes. She held them up. They were made of silk and were large enough that they obviously belonged to Crais. She wondered under what circumstances he had acquired them. She did not recall him mentioning them in his recount of his adventures. She showered and donned the clothes. Fortunately there was a belt to hold them up. She would have to speak to Crais about stopping somewhere so she could get some clothes of her own. Her captain's uniform would be too noticeable.
She was able to find her way to the galley with ease. Crais was preparing breakfast. "Good morning. I trust you slept well last night?"
"Yes, very well. Thank you. That smells wonderful."
"It's eggs with some sort of cured meat. It tastes as good as it smells." They both sat at the table as he served breakfast.
"I was hoping we could find someplace where I could get some suitable clothing. As comfortable as this is, it isn't very practical and I can't very well wear my uniform."
"I believe I can accommodate that request. I will have Talyn search for an inhabited planet. If you are up to it I can give you a tour."
"I'd like that. You never did tell me yesterday what you and Talyn are doing now. I somehow doubt you have no plans for the future."
He smiled at her, "You know me well. We are searching for Moya, Talyn's mother. She and the others believe we perished. Talyn would like her to know he did not."
"And after you find her?"
"Unknown. I have learned not to make plans when dealing with Crichton and the others. He has a habit of upending my view of the universe. Every time I meet up with Moya I seem to find myself entangled in whatever scheme Crichton has masterminded."
"I think I would like to meet John Crichton. We have all heard a lot about him, but I would like to find out how much of it is true."
"There is no guarantee that he will be there. His work on wormholes was progressing well when we left the command carrier. He may have found a way home. Are you ready for you tour?"
"After we clean up, of course."
"Of course." The quickly cleaned up the dishes and Crais began the tour. They started on the lower decks and worked their way towards command. Crais was explaining the facilities in the maintenance bay and the transport pods when Talyn chirped. "What is it, Talyn?" Talyn continued 'talking' to Crais. "It seems that Talyn has located a debris field. He believes it may be from your transport. There are no life signs and no other ships nearby. Would you like to investigate?"
"I doubt that there is anything left, but there is nothing to loose. I might get lucky and find that some of my possessions have survived."
They proceeded to command where they could get a good view of the wreckage. When they walked through the door, Garrix stopped and stared, "This is amazing. The fusion of leviathan and Peacekeeper technologies has been done so perfectly." She moved forward to look at the control panels, "These panels use standard layouts. Any Peacekeeper could easily run this ship. I had heard about your project, but to have achieved this level of success...Amazing."
Crais felt a certain amount of parental pride, but he knew the price to fuse the two technologies had been high. "That was how the idea was conceived. I have come to realize that arming leviathans is not something that should have been done. I have learned about the majesty of them. I am only glad that the apparent failure of my project has led High Command to cease the pursuit of hybrid leviathans. We are nearing the debris field."
Garrix was standing by the view screen console and pulled up the information about the debris field and began scanning. She pointed to an area of debris, "There. That might be a cargo box. That's the only one I see. Can we maneuver Talyn to bring it aboard?"
"We can. We might bring some extra debris onboard with it, but that can always be jettisoned back into space." Crais maneuvered Talyn and had him activate the docking web. As soon as Talyn was in position Garrix left to go to the maintenance bay. As Crais arrived the hangar doors were opening.
She went over to the box and investigated the outside. "It appears to be intact and miraculously it is my box. Hopefully nothing is broken." She released the seal and Crais helped her take the lid off. Her clothes were on top with heavier personal possessions underneath. She put the clothes in the upturned lid. "I can at least wear the pants and the shirts. Ah! My boots made it." The boots in question were extremely well worn. There were the old style boots. Crais was surprised she still had them. He began investigating the other debris Talyn had pulled in. Included in the debris were some of the pulse weapons. He set those aside and began looking through some of the other articles she unpacked. The one thing that caught his interest was a photo she had of the two of them. It had been taken on shore leave, shortly before she was transferred.
*********************************************** 16 cycles ago - Pleasure planet Torot
It was customary for Peacekeeper ships to make occasional stops at pleasure planets. While it was acceptable for shipmates to recreate with each other, some were uncomfortable with it. Besides it was good for everyone to get off the ship on occasion. As large as a carrier was, a change of scenery could be quite beneficial. Crais and Garrix decided to spend the three days together. Garrix had just found out she was being transferred to a cruiser as second in command. He was proud of her getting this promotion, but he realized he would lose his friend, his lover, his confidant. He was a Peacekeeper, he would not let it affect his performance. They vowed that they would not dwell on her impending transfer, they would enjoy the little time they had left together.
They spent a little of their time in clubs and around the others so as not to draw too much suspicion. Captain Tainor knew of their relationship, but chose not to make an issue of it as long as job performance was not affected. The rest of the time they spent on solitary hikes and romps in the woods or in their hotel room. Garrix had been raised on ships and was still amazed when out in the real wilderness. This just reminded Crais of the home he had known for only a short time. One of the shops on Torot specialized in aphrodisiacs and other erotic paraphernalia. Crais was interested in the oils, he did not need the other paraphernalia. He picked up an especially sensual oil for their last night together.
He got back to the room first and had lit several candles. He had also filled the considerable bathtub with warm water and scented it with oil. When she entered the room he was waiting for her, clad only in a silk bathrobe. He swept her into a passionate embrace with an equally passionate kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he gently laid her down on the bed. "I have something special for you," he said between kisses.
"Hmmm. I like special," she replied back. He was helping her out of her clothes.
"Lie down on your front," he told her as he finished removing her clothes. "Here, smell this," he held the bottle near her nose.
"That's divine," she purred.
"Just wait," he whispered in her ear. He licked at her ear before getting in position to massage her back. The oil and his gentle touch aroused her. She knew it was time for her to return the favor. He tried his best to let her finish, but it was too much. He rolled over and pinned her with a kiss. She had no desire to resist and was every bit as passionate as he was. The oil heightened their senses. Crais pulled away and picked her up. Her carried her to the bath where they continued. The vapor put off by the oil was intoxicating. They had never felt so alive. When it was over, there was almost as much water on the floor as there was in the tub.
*********************************************** Present
He was brought out of his reverie by an outcry from Garrix. "It did survive. Look at this. Do you remember when I got this?" She was holding up a sword with an ornate scabbard.
Crais looked at it. He remembered that she had earned it during a dueling tournament held on one of the Peacekeepers planetary outposts. "Yes, I do."
*************************************************** 17 cycles ago - Tagra Outpost
Some of the greatest blademasters in all of Peacekeeper Territory had assembled on Tagra for the two weeken long tournament. This tournament only occurred every three cycles and she had been unable to attend the last one. There were well over a hundred entrants. As someone who had not been recognized as a blademaster Garrix had to participate in the preliminary rounds. She was confident that she would advance to face the blademasters. If she could defeat just one of them she would be named blademaster. She had been working towards that goal for over fifteen cycles. Captain Tainor had found out about this and had been helping her train since shortly after she reported onboard. He was a high level blademaster, but no longer chose to participate in tournaments. He had told her that if she made it to the quarterfinals he would ensure that Xerrin was there so he could watch his pupil succeed. He was confident she would advance that far. She did not want to disappoint her captain.
As expected the competition in the early matches was not that stiff. She had been fortunate enough to draw opponents that she defeated rather easily. Her first real challenge came with only two matches to go in the preliminaries. He was very good and he knew it. He thought Garrix would be an easy victory. No one at the tournament had seen the full extent of her abilities and this drannit thought he could breeze right through her. One of the best lessons she had learned from Captain Tainor was that being a blademaster was about more than skill with the sword. Strategy and the ability to read your opponent were just as important. She had a feeling her opponent had not learned this lesson yet. She was more than happy to teach it to him. She decided she would open the match by fighting just hard enough not to be beaten. She had seen some of his early round matches and he had a very predictable style. He may have had strength, but she had speed and cunning. She let him think she was on the verge of defeat for the first hundred microts or so, just long enough for him to get over-confident in his skill level. She than attacked him with a level of ferocity no one had seen yet. He had not been prepared to go on the defensive and was flailing. This left the opportunity she needed to score the win. There was stunned silence in the crowd for several microts. Her opponent had been the favorite of the un-nameds. Now he would not be one of the four advancing. The crowd, realizing they had a longshot to root for, let out a great cheer after the shock wore off.
Her final opponent in the preliminaries was another female with a similar build. Her opponent was so stunned and intimidated by the victory two days ago that the match was not that difficult for Garrix. Her opponent was so sure she was going to lose that it came to pass. The four victors from the preliminary round would join the 28 blademasters in the main round in four days time. The matches would again be single elimination. She did her best to remain calm and focused in the three days between rounds. These next matches would come one every day. At least in the previous round they had been every other. All matches were by random draw. Through sheer luck she drew one of the lesser blademasters for the first round. He may be a lesser blademaster, but he is still a blademaster she reminded herself. It was a difficult match. She found herself constantly on the defensive in the opening microts. He had the advantage, he had seen her fight in the preliminaries. She worked hard to maintain calm and focus as the microts ticked by. Finally she saw the opening she had been waiting for. She charged into offensive mode. Her opponent had thought she was near exhaustion and was not prepared for the ferocity of this attack. As he backed away he stumbled and fell, giving Garrix the win. The crowd roared louder than they had for the defending champion. The level of support she was getting stunned her. She was even more stunned when she saw Captain Tainor approach.
"Congratulations, Lt Garrix. I told you that you would succeed."
"Thank you, Captain. I thought you weren't going to arrive until the quarter-final round?"
"I lied to you so you wouldn't be nervous in your first match. If you knew I would be watching, you would be more concerned about impressing me than defeating your opponent."
"I think you would have been correct, sir."
"I know I would. Experience has provided me with a great deal of insight. If you will excuse me Lieutenant, I have some old friends here," with that he walked away. It was only then that she noticed Bialar Crais had been standing behind the captain.
"Bialar! I hadn't expected to see you here."
"The captain invited me. You did quite well that match."
"Thanks. I almost got my eema kicked though."
"Almost doesn't matter though. I just wanted to wish you well for your next rounds. I have been ordered to stay clear of you during the tournament so as not to provide a distraction. I will see you again when this is over. The whole ship is rooting for you."
"Thanks. I look forward to you congratulating me when it is over." They shook hands and Crais left to catch up with Captain Tainor.
Knowing that Tainor had already seen her fight in the tournament took an enormous amount of pressure away from her. She would be named blademaster regardless of the outcome of any other matches. She was just competing to prove to herself that she was worthy. Her opponent in the quarterfinals was one of the few female blademaster. This time she did not have intimidation on her side. Her speed and maneuverability would be of little use in this match, she would have to rely on her cunning. Her cunning served her well. It was a long and hard battle but she came out as victor. Unfortunately her match tomorrow was the early one and against the defending champion. She retired early in order to be well rested for the morning match.
From what she could tell when she entered the arena, the spectators were treating this as the match-up of the tournament. She blocked out the sounds of the crowd and concentrated on warming up. She had watched him in the two previous match-ups. He was very good, but she though he was not as good as Captain Tainor. She wasn't quite good enough to defeat Tainor, but she was close. She focused on this thought before the match. Their match turned into the epic battle that everyone had expected. In the end her agility gave her the slight advantage she needed. The crowd roared with approval at her victory. She was so stunned she hardly noticed. She found Tainor in the crowd. He gave her an approving nod and smile. She bowed in return. Madina Garrix was going to be in the final round. She had a chance at becoming the tournament champion.
The final round was almost anti-climactic when compared to the day before. Her opponent was good, but not as good as yesterday's. When she landed the winning blow she realized she had won. An un-named had won the tournament. This was incredible. The announcer informed the arena that the last time this had happened had been nearly 40 cycles ago when the great Jurgen Tainor won the first of four consecutive titles. Garrix was in shock. She had not realized Tainor had been so successful. Tainor came down to present her with her blademaster's sword. The hilt was plain and unadorned, the blade had the intricate scrollwork to indicate what it symbolized. He also presented her with the ornate jeweled scabbard that was the tournament trophy. She was bruised and battered, but elated by her victory. She was granted shore leave until the morning. Senior Officer Crais was also granted shore leave.
After all the congratulations they returned to her room. He had acquired a bottle of a pain relieving lotion and was more than happy to apply it to any part of her that was sore. The massage felt good, the aches and pain went away and the fatigue melted away under his careful ministrations. She was glad he had come down to the planet. Being with him was a greater reward than any trophy. She thanked him intimately for tending to her wounds. He gladly accepted her thanks.
******************************************** Present
She had finished going through her belongings. Amazingly the only thing broken was a bottle a Damark brandy. Garrix had been smart enough to seal the glass in another container in case of breakage. Crais helped her carry her belongings up to her quarters. They had to make several trips but he didn't mind. The fact she was going through all this effort meant she probably planned on staying for a while. As he was helping her put things away he came across a small ornate bottle. "Madina, what is this?"
She came over to look, standing very close to him, "I think you know what it is," she purred.
"It can't be?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes. It's the same oil from our last night together. It should still be good. The seal is intact." She ran her hand down his back.
He set the oil down, "Perhaps later, when we have gotten to know each other better."
"I thought we knew each other pretty well?"
"Sixteen cycles ago, yes, but a lot has changed in those cycles. I need time," he told her apologetically.
"All right. I can respect that. I'm not going anywhere. I can wait." She moved away to give him room.
"Are you so sure you will like the answer?"
"I know you better than you think. I'm sure I'll like the answer." She smiled at him and sounded smug.
The next day Garrix was sitting in command studying Talyn's schematics when he started chirping excitedly. "Bialar, what's he so excited about?"
Crais replied over the comms, "It appears he has located a commerce planet. We should be able to find what you need there." Crais walked into command, "We should be there tomorrow. How is your studying going?"
"I have a lot to learn about leviathans. I understand the Peacekeeper technology, but bio-mechanoid is not something I've ever concerned myself with."
"You don't have to concern yourself with the technology."
"I want to be of some use while I'm here. In order for that to be the case I have to know something about damage control and repairs for this leviathan. By the way, I though the idea of the hybrid leviathan was to design a ship capable of taking on the Scarrans. While the pulse cannon is formidable, it is hardly a match for the larger Scarran vessels."
"That is true, but Talyn is not yet full grown. As he passes into adulthood and his frame is capable of supporting larger weapons, they will grow. That is one of the reasons it was imperative to repair his personality matrix. He will only become more dangerous as he grows older," he sounded somber. Suddenly Talyn began chirping even more excitedly. "Slow down Talyn. Why are you deploying the docking web?" Talyn wasn't answering.
Garrix had already pulled up the sensor data, "I don't see anything out there." They ran down to the maintenance bay and had weapons drawn by the time the hangar bay pressurized.