Boris was sitting by Sharin's bed, holding her hand, as he'd been doing ever since he'd come back from a untasted meal. There was no response, as there had been one last night. Suddenly, he got the feeling he was being watched. Turning to the window, he saw an eye-- a very large eye, that was glaring at him with undisguised fury.
Tzarna leapt up and glared at the two valkyries that had followed her.
"What is he, doing here? He tried to murder her!"
"No." Max said, "That's only a suspicion, it hasn't been proved, and he has nurses and police constantly by him… watching." Sorry Boris Max thought..
"I want him out. Now." Tzarna said dangerously.
"I'm afraid that that…"
"Will happen." Tzarna said, angrily. "She is my commander, and she has been attacked. The fact that you are taking any chances with her…" Boris watching from the window, opened it and glared at Tzarna.
"I had nothing to do with this."
"Well you certainly-" Tzarna said, voice raising, until an angry shout from a nurse two floors down shut them all up.
"I'm coming out." Boris said, all things considered, quite a brave act, Max thought. The micronian Tzarna had brought with him, sighed.
"I'll go up and talk with the doctors caring for her." Chang said, walking into the door. A moment later, Boris emerged from it, looking up at Tzarna.
"Shouting up here will just disturb the patients." He said. Tzarna didn't hesitate. A hand reached down, grabbed Boris and brought him up to her face. Boris didn't flinch, although both Veritechs shifted slightly. Boris looked at the infuriated zentraedi.
"If you believe that I had anything to do with this…kill me now." He said. "It's no less than I deserve. But I did not, and I would have done anything to prevent this…for anyone, but-" his voice caught, "especially to Sharin."
"Then why did you not protect her." Tzarna snarled. "She communicated to us that she trusted you!" Boris bit his lip at that, though it made him want to break down.
"You're right." He said, "I did not protect her… I didn't know-- I never believed that this would have happened, and maybe I should have." He paused, "In that, I am guilty, Tzarna." He shrugged, "Sharin didn't think about this…but someone who would paint the ship of a commander who hated her bright orange wouldn't be likely to consider the risk of a lunatic that serious."
"Hmph." Tzarna said angrily. "You should have."
"I know!" Boris snarled back. "I should have kept her in quarters the whole time we were here!"
"Gah." Tzarna muttered, losing her rage despite her best efforts. "If she was interested, you wouldn't have been able to keep her in…" Sharin had always been better at reading fellow zentraedi, and later reading micronians, and Tzarna couldn't shake the conviction that she would not have trusted someone unworthy of it.
"Why do you think she's been targeted?"
"I don't know-- before the meeting, yes, but she'd negotiated all the important parts." Tzarna frowned, that made sense…or didn't make sense, depending.
Chang looked down at the unconscious commander. Dr. Lang had only been there long enough to take a sample-- he had far too many things on his plate, but Chang was a former family doctor, not a specialist. The brain chemistry read outs spoke of massive changes and great activity…but beyond that he couldn't say what it meant.
She was among the mirrors. Each Mirror seemed to look out into a different world. Here was Boris's face, concerned, strained seeming to look down at her. There was the face of her first commander, enraged, fist raised as she beat her for the humiliation her prank had inflicted. Voices drifted on the wind.
"…useless shrunken failure…"
"Sharin… those Invid are getting closer…"
"You're someone very important to me….."
The last was in Boris' voice, and the one before it had been in Tzarna's voice. Sharin turned to follow that, walking further into the mirrors.
Chang was standing by her, when an orderly walked up and started checking the readouts. The doctor didn't bother him, until he took a hypo from his pocket. He wouldn't have said anything…but the orderly didn't check the charge or the dosage before preparing to slide it in…and there wasn't any note of it on the schedule.
"Hey!" He shouted, "That's not on the schedule!" The man said nothing, and Chang charged forward, to wuff in agony as a hard driven fist exploded into his belly. Still, he managed to grab him, and the "orderly" growled in anger as he grabbed Chang and threw him out of the window. The police officer charged him, only to be kicked through the door into the corridor.
Falling from a fourth story window is normally fatal. Fortunately, Tzarna's lightning reflexes saved the day, catching Chang with her free hand. Chang gasped.
"The commander!" Boris paled.
"Tzarna, throw me in there!" Tzarna complied.
With the needle just above her heart, the orderly looked up just in time to see a Boris sized missile streak into the room through the shattered window. He grabbed the assassin, and threw him against the wall, smashing his hand until the hypo fell to the ground. Boris was furious…he'd kill this man... except he needed him.
"Tzarna! Catch!" He said and threw the man out of the broken window. Tzarna had put Chang down and caught the orderly easily.
"Let me go! Help!"
"What the fuck was this!" Boris snarled, holding the hypo.
"Go to hell!" Max and Miriya were moving forward.
"Tzarna…let the police handle this." Max said. Tzarna smiled at him…unpleasantly.
"Of course…once he tells me who ordered him to do this…and where they can be contacted." The man laughed at that.
"yeah, right!" Tzarna stood up to her full height, and negligently tossed him in the air. He screamed, and she caught him.
"I'm quite agile." She said, "I often amused myself by…how do you put it…juggling things." He flew up into the air. Another scream echoed, and this time he came closer to the ground. She tried again.
"Whups! Almost missed you!" She said, in an amused tone. The man's nerve broke.
"Alright, all right! I'll talk, just get me away from this psycho bitch!" Tzarna laughed and held him by the shoulders.
"No. Talk first..then I put you down." The man looked into her eyes and started babbling, giving a series of coordinates.
"I was paid some money-- they expected her to die right away, but she didn't, and so they gave me a hypo…I know where they're staying-- in case they wanted to double cross me, now put me down now!" Tzarna looked at him.
"Certainly." She said, and flipped him over her shoulder. His despairing cry echoed until he hit the pool in front of the hospital, where police waited for him.
"What a pity." She said, "I was trying for the parking lot."
Sharin struggled. The mirrors were there, she could here, knew that they were near, but the air was like mud, every inch of movement a terrible struggle. She had to speak…she had to tell them… One mirror showed Boris, rage and fear on his face…and Tzarna? What was she doing here?
"Tz…Brs…" Her voice came, barely audiable. Instantly, Boris and Tzarna were at her side, Boris in the room, Tzarna bent down by the shattered window.
"Sharin, I'm here…you're safe." Boris said.
"Commander, what are your orders?" Tzarna asked.
"Dnnnttt." The effort was agonizing to see, "d..o….anyting…stupid…" Exhausted by the effort. The woman sagged back, unconscious again, as more doctors, including a wheezing Chang, started to attend her…in addition to a large number of police. Evidently, the officer on duty outside her room had assumed that the intruder was a authorized orderly-- aided by the false ID the man had shown. This time, that would not happen, as two officers took up spots in her new room, and five officers occupied the hallway.
Boris and Tzarna looked at each other.
"By the time the cops get there, I bet these fellows will be gone."
"True." Tzarna said, "unless we go quickly."
"She said not to do anything stupid." Boris muttered… but getting the SOB's who tried to kill her and frame me isn't getting into trouble..
"She didn't say it was an order." Tzarna commented.
"No she didn't…" because she was unconscious…
"And defeating these rogues would be a very good thing."
"Oh yes… unless they defeat us."
"Frightened Micronian?"
"Not at all…you ready? They won't stay where they are for very long…"
"I'm afraid that you're not allowed to move without an escort, Ma'am." Max said. "We'll just have to come along to…escort you."
"That was not the intent of the orders, was it?" Tzarna asked.
"We won't trouble them with this news." Max said, placidly. Tzarna smiled, offering her hand to Boris, as the three giant figures took off down the road.
At the airport, there was another surprise. Carl was standing by his plane, with another already preflighted.
"I was up here for a debrief…and when I heard the tac net, figured you might want a plane made ready." He grinned.
"Carl, you're gonna get court martialed for this."
"Court martials are a dime a dozen. Friends are important." He looked over to where Tzarna had already leaped into her suit, and was making preflight checks. "You ready, or are we going to wait for her?"
"Let's go."
This time, their was no hesitation in anyone. The four veritechs and single zentraedi armor shot into the sky, and Max and Miriya traded ruthlessly on their reputation, in one case flat out telling an obnoxious captain that they were on a secret mission for Admiral Gloval, and if they wanted to call him and confirm it, Max had his home phone number.
"Secret mission?" Boris said.
"Well he did want us to keep you out of trouble, Boris." Max replied.
The inertial compass gave them a location some three hundred miles from Macross City-- like most of the world, the difference between settled land and wasteland was abrupt, with nothing save the occasional hulk (long stripped of anything useful, this close to Macross), their broken hulls soaring into the sky. The destination, in fact, proved to be another hull, this one a small scout cruiser.
"It was listed as salvaged…nothing but the hull left." Max said, when the buzz of the ECM suit sounded in the vehicles.
"Some salvage!" Boris shouted as the spray of zentraedi anti-aircraft missiles rose from the hulk. None of the veritechs were equipped with missiles, which lead to an unavoidable conclusion.
"Down and guardian!" Max snapped. He and his wife cut right, Boris and Carl cut left, and Tzarna went up the center. Boris fired, missing one of the missile launchers, Carl missed his as well. His second shot hit it, and he had the satisfaction of seeing it explode as the APDS rounds punched deep into its ready magazine. Max, Miriya and Tzarna hadn't missed once. The missile launchers were being taken out by single, pin point blows.
"Aircraft, Max." Miriya said. Boris looked up and saw the fighterpods launching, with a pair of black veritechs in the lead.
"The veritechs are mine!" He snarled, and converted to fighter mode.
"And mine." Tzarna said shortly. Her pod lept up after him. The battle devolved into utter chaos. At least a dozen fighter pods and two enemy veritechs against four veritechs and a zentraedi ace. Boris found himself locked into a desperate fight with his veritech, while Tzarna peeled off after hers. Carl shot down two fighter pods and than found himself out of targets, as Max and Miriya had accounted for five apiece.
"How pleasant." The voice spoke in his radio. "The knight defending his cow…" Boris gritted his teeth and said nothing. Losing concentration in a dog fight was suicidal.
"You do know that its very likely she'll be… less intellectually inclined after this, that is if sh-" Boris turned the radio off. The bastard was good, very good…and he had missiles. Boris transformed to guardian to let a missile overshot him, and spun around, opening fire with his GAU-11. Much more and he'd be out of ammunition…
Tzarna was not out of missles, but she avoided using them except to intercept her enemies own missiles. Her rage demanded a more personal vengeance. She would, however, use them to get into position. Micronians loved to transform to guardian to let missile flights overshoot them…and she counted on that. Tzarna fired off a huge volley, and watched as the micronian transformed.
The pilot sighed in relief as the flight obliterated a part of the ground, missing him. Now where was that… he looked up and didn't even have time to scream as Tzarna drove her mecha's fist into, and through his canopy, reducing him to a red paste. She looked over to Boris, still in a dog fight, and slowed her mecha down.
She would not aid him. If Sharin was to be infatuated with a micronian, it would be one worthy of her.
Sharin stood among the mirrors, seeing fragments of her life, burning her, every glint from them like fiery knives on her skin. She had been wearing her uniform, but it was being shredded as she stood against the howling of their voices…shredded, to be replaced by the dress she'd worn.
"Failure!" Her first commander screamed.
"Unworthy!" Boomed Dolza.
"Useless!" Shouted the legions of the dead, in a chorus. Sharin fought to keep her hands from covering her ears.
"It is you who are failures!" She shouted back, defiantly. "You never lived…all you were was toys, was tools!"
"IT WAS ALL WE WERE MEANT TO BE!" The voices roared, "WHAT ARE YOU NOW? A COPY OF WHAT THE MICRONIANS WISH YOU TO BE!? SEE YOURSELF AS YOU ARE!" The wind and knives came back, redoubled. Her dress was shredded from her, leaving her nude before the raging wind. Now the mirrors showed other sights… her dancing, dressing, telling tales to children.
"IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? IS THAT WHAT IT IS TO BE ZENTRAEDI?" Sharin sagged to her knees as the wind grew.
Chang shuddered. The top flight doctors at Macross had pushed him to the side, but they now looked equally helpless. Her EEG, her body , it was almost like it was tearing itself apart. Her heart rate was increasing until it looked like her heart would burst. What was going on in there?
Boris converted to battloid, and slammed his jets on, letting the other Veritech overshoot him. Everyone else was keeping out of it, which suited him fine. He was almost out of ammunition…but he had a plan. The other guy was also out of missiles. The enemy veritech came around in guardian mode, firing. Boris waited. This was a standard tactic-- fire to keep the enemy from targeting you…but the chances of a hit were not good…and Boris knew it. The rounds sprayed around him, one knocking off one of the lasers. But now he had the range. His rifle spoke, firing every last round…which impacted on the vulnerable leg joints. The legs collapsed, as the turbines shredded, and the veritech crashed to the ground in a squeal of failing metal. Boris grinned, and strode over to the veritech. Looking down at the cockpit, he boomed out of his mike.
"It's over. Get out." The cockpit opened, and a flightsuit clad individual, face invisible under his helmet got out. Tzarna was there as well.
"I told them they should have used someone more reliable." He said, "Still, you won't get anything else out of him."
"We have you."
"No. You had me." He said. "Still, a good dogfight…pity you don't have good judgment about the company you keep." Boris almost said something, when he touched a button on his wrist. With a scream, the pilot was enveloped in a fireball, as the thermite running through his suit went up. At the same time, his veritech exploded, knocking both Boris and Tzarna's mecha down. When Boris's eyes cleared there was little there, and another explosion erupted from the scout ship. Max approached.
"I've called in a recovery team…but I don't think there'll be much for them here."
Sharin was on her knees listening to the voices, the screaming voices that demanded she return to her allegiance to the days when everything was simple. She closed her eyes, then opened them. She looked into one Mirror…Boris and her dancing, under the South American sky… Mela and Virik, needing no masters…and never alone.
And the Song. To fight to the death, if need be…but for something worthy. She remembered all her victories against the Invid…and the feel of Boris's skin against hers. Of a people that had a history… a past to honor, and hope for the future.
"What do I want to be?" She said, softly, barely audible through the roar. "I am who I chose to be." She said, and stood. It was amazing how that gave her strength. The roar continued, but somehow it seemed…less real. The knives no longer cutting, but plucking at her skin, as if they were fading out. She stood, and found her nudity clothed, in a dress, yes, but one that had her zentraedi name on it.
"I am not a slave to your past, or what you made me." Sharin said, "I will have a past, and leave a future to those who come after me." She said in a louder voice, "I am my own person now…and If I chose to give myself to Boris…" She picked up a stone and held it, "Then that is none of your business!" she shouted and threw it. When it hit the mirror with the glaring face of Dolza on it, the entire chamber became a howling mass of mirror shards. They should of slain her where she stood…but Sharin stood…and was not dismayed.
Boris and the others flew slowly back. he was vaguely empty. The chances of getting any forensic information from the dead was nil, the base was gone…and the first examination indicated that both veritechs had been assembled from spare parts…and the fighter pods were registered as having been expended as target drones. No surprise there.
Abruptly, the radio crackled to life.
"Lt. Vakowsky!" It said, and Boris tried to come to attention in his cockpit.
"Admiral Gloval, sir!"
"I am…surprised at you, Lieutenant." The admiral said. "You do realize how much paperwork it is going solve the difficulty your failure to list yourself on this training flight created."
"I'm sorry, sir." Boris said, wondering when the little matter of the dog fight would come to light.
"In fact, it has caused other difficulties." Gloval said. "I have cleared you and Tzarna into Macross hospital, so that you might discuss this with Commander Sharin."
Discuss this…!
"Ah, Yes, sir, Thank you sir!"
"Indeed…I expect we will be meeting soon, good day, Lt. Vakowsky." Gloval said.
The citizens of Macross were used to veritechs grounding on streets, having shared the city with Rick Hunter and other pilots that seemed to have an aversion to landing where planes were supposed to land, as opposed to cars. Still, a Queadluun-Rau raised eyebrows, especially as it was not decked out in RDF insignia. Fortunately, the escort of veritechs calmed most individuals.
Boris landed the thing in the front, leaped out and left the mecha sitting, cockpit open as he charged up the stairs, taking them three at a time. He hit the end of the hallway and dodged past the guards and nurses. Going through the door of a new room (one without a hole in the wall), Boris walked in slowly. Sharin was sitting up in the bed, with a oxygen mask covering her drawn face, but she looked alert. Boris walked up to her bed, and reached out.
"Boris." She said. "I…explained what happened to these officers…they seemed to have been under a misapprehension about the circumstances of this assault."
"Yeah." Boris said, "I got that…how are you, Sharin?"
"Better." She said, "Much better." She smiled, "Dr. Chang and the doctors here believe that the poison has largely been neutralized… "
"That's great… you rest, OK?"
"I cannot do much else." She commented, and than looked out the window, and noted Tzarna.
"I thought I had seen you, Commander." Sharin said. "And your opinion of the treaty?"
"I am still…reluctant." Tzarna said, "But I follow you, Commander." She paused, "We have slain those who attacked you, and…Boris destroyed one of the enemy in single combat, as did I." Sharin looked over at Boris.
"I seem to recall saying something."
"Oh yes." Boris said,
"You told us to do nothing… stupid." Tzarna added,
"And we didn't." Boris rejoined.
"Maybe I should have kept you two apart." Sharin said, then leaned back, exhausted. "Very well… Tzarna, since you are here, you can join me on Friday for the ceremony."
"Ceremony?" Boris said, "Sharin, you almost died!"
"And the best way to show any remaining members of this group how utter their defeat is will be to appear and sign the agreement." Sharin said. She smiled, "It is strategy…and I have some skill at that…" She sighed, and closed her eyes. "But now, I am very tired…" Her voice drifted off. Chang looked at the monitors and looked down at Boris and then up at Tzarna.
"Don't worry-- it's natural and proper for her to react this way." He paused, "Now as a doctor…shoo!" he said waving Boris off and drawing the blinds on Tzarna. Boris left, noting the three police who took up positions in the room, and the fact that the corridor resembled an armed camp.
The next two days passed both slowly and quickly. Slowly while Boris fidgeted at the fact that Sharin wasn't immediately up and on her feet, and quickly when he found himself before Admiral Gloval and a very high ranking group of officers, including the leaders of Skull Squadron, Lisa Hayes, and several generals. Boris had been shopping for a very special gift when he'd been paged to come to the meeting, finding his father there, in the uniform a retired officer was entitled to.
"You will not be brought to trial." Gloval said. "And your actions may indeed have prevented a conflict that we can ill afford. That is why I have given retroactive approval and notification that you and your companions were acting on secret orders." He looked over at Max, who had the good grace to be abashed.
"But…" Gloval continued, "There will be a certain amount of hostility from certain quarters, and we of course, have probably not learned everything we need to know about the forces that attempted to assassinate Commander Sharin. The base was destroyed, and the bodies were either incinerated, or have no flags associated with their DNA in our records…but they were able to manipulate a large amount of material and goods…although the Captain in charge of the New Austin firing range is currently up on charges…it seems he was doing a side business in selling recovered zentraedi equipment."
"Is he a part of the group, Sir?" Boris asked.
"I doubt it-- simply someone who let greed get the better of him." There was real regret in Gloval's voice. "It happened all to often during the Global Civil War."
"But…" Gloval continued, "This will mean that you could face future questions as to your loyalty." Boris nodded.
"I know sir, and that is why I'm tendering my resignation from the RDF, effective immediately."
"Boris!" His father said, as Max and Miriya added their comments.
"Boris, I'd be happy to have you in Skull Squadron," Captain Hunter said. Boris looked at them, and tried to make them understand.
"It's not…that." He said, "It's a different problem. You've probably guessed that I and Sharin… have feelings." He paused, "But that doesn't change the fact that as a soldier of the UEG…I'm under your orders. I cannot risk being ordered to attack her…and these recent events make me afraid that some individuals may intend just that." He looked at Gloval, than his father. "But equally, I cannot give you my loyalty…'except if'. I'm a soldier and I need to follow orders, and if I can't… then the thing to do is to resign, my honor intact." Gloval looked at him, then over at Max and Miriya.
"I understand…but I cannot accept your resignation." Boris opened his mouth and Gloval raised his hand. "Please wait. I will place you on reserve duty… for as long as you require, and I will also include orders to the effect that should there ever be a conflict between New Macao and the RDF or UEG, you will be considered to have been honorably discharged. That should free you from the dangers of having two masters." He looked around the room, "Lt. Vakowsky, the world is changing…and those like you, like Max and Miriya will have a role in making it… and that is why I cannot let you go. It is logical that you would need to go on reserve duty… but there is no need to burn your bridges… not yet, and hopefully, if we all do our jobs, never." He nodded at Boris. "Now lieutenant, about your decision to cooperate with Commander Tzarna, I am interested in your method of gaining her trust…"
After the meeting, Boris found himself walking with his father.
"Dad I…know you probably weren't happy about that offer."
"Not happy? Son, I was ecstatic-- any officer needs to know when his honor and duties are in conflict…and be willing to pay the price that demands. You were."
"I hope Gloval was right."
"He was right-- that's the other thing an officer needs to know-- when his superiors should be trusted…Gloval should be." He checked his watch. "There's a meeting at the hospital, You ready for it?" Boris nodded.
Back at the hospital, Sharin was sitting in her wheel chair. To her great annoyance, walking more than a few feet had her dizzy with effort, although the doctors were confident that that was a short term result of the poisoning…but there was a longer term one, one that had Dr. Lang himself giving the briefing.
"The effect of the poison has led to certain changes in your DNA…" Dr. Lang said, "specifically, the modified portions allowing the micronization process." Tzarna snorted from her video monitor. Evidently, she wasn't a fan of science talk.
"In effect." Lang said, taking the hint, "You cannot be macronized."
"It would be more risky?" Sharin asked,
"It would be suicidal." Lang said, bluntly. "It would have the same effect as opening the chamber during a half finished procedure." Tzarna and Sharin both turned pale at that. Lang waited, and than continued.
"But do not be overly alarmed, commander… Admiral Gloval has given me permission to speak to you of formerly classified information. Sharin nodded, still seeming stunned.
"The size of the zentraedi is a physical impossibility-- in normal gravity, you should collapse, you heart, large as it is, would not be able to pump blood…and so on."
"We do exist, scientist." Tzarna growled.
"Yes, because you incorporate protoculture in your body…the fusion reaction is what gives you the strength…the power to continue."
"And?" Sharin said.
"And have you heard of stories of dying zentraedi… zentraedi that died of malnutrition even though they were eating?"
"I have-- it happened once before Sharin was decanted." Tzarna said, "At a cut off outpost."
"Exactly…they did not die because they could not eat, they died because their bodies lost the protoculture reaction that allowed them to exist at their large size!" Lang paused. "All the information is in here-- it will be made public soon, but in return for what you have suffered, it was decided to give you the first look." Tzarna looked very dubious. Sharin looked at Lang.
"I'm assuming that you are not speaking of an immediate development?"
"No…in fact many zentraedi could probably live their entire lives without fail-- only those zentraedi cloned most recently, when the protoculture reserves of the empire were falling, would suffer from this."
"But later clones…"
"Would likely not be viable, at least at the full size of the zentraedi…" Lang shrugged, "In fact, the clone tanks might not be viable for even micronized individuals-- protoculture is used in them, to some degree, although we do not entirely understand it."
"You need not worry about that." Sharin said, "The clone tanks also program their subjects, and that will not be something I permit." Lang nodded at that. Sharin frowned and took his proffered data pad, and looked at it.
"So the zentraedi would have died, no matter the outcome here." She said softly, and shook her head. "Very well, Doctor…I thank you...will you be at the ceremony?"
"No… there are other matters that require my attention. " Sharin smiled at that. Everyone knew about the resident micronian genius-- some Zentraedi even called him the reincarnation of Zor. The fact that Gloval permitted her, even half invalid, to see him without a guard was a great comment of trust. The fact that Gloval didn't permit Tzarna within physical reach of him wasn't worthy of comment. The man was decent, not stupid. As Lang left, Boris walked over to Sharin.
"Sharin, there's something I need to tell you." She nodded, he seemed overly tense. In a flood, Boris explained what he'd offered and what had been granted him. Sharin's eyes widened in surprise at that.
"Boris…what does your father think?"
"He's fine with my decision."
"Good… I have no family…and I would not like to think that I had done the same thing to you." She paused, "So…what is it you intend to do now?" Boris looked at her.
"Well… two things." He said quietly. "first of all, I would like to come back with you." Sharin nodded.
"I would like that a great deal…" She said, "a great deal." Boris smiled, leaned down and kissed her. When they came up for air, Boris had something else, a small box.
"I…bought this earlier today." He said. Sharin looked at it, and then opened it. In it, was a small gold ring. "Among our people….this is an engagement ring." Sharin was looking at it, mesmerized.
"I know of it, Boris…some of the humans that took refuge with us had them…they are given only to those that are…" She paused and took a breath, "Intended to marry." She looked up at him.
Please don't let this be the wrong time Boris thought.
"Yes…and Would you? Marry me, I mean…not right away, but…"
"Soon?" Sharin asked. "There will be problems. Some Zentraedi will say I have turned my back on our ancient customs, some humans will brand you traitor…" She suddenly got a devilish smile on her face, "Let them. It will be good for them, and I do not care if they choose to lock themselves in their little worlds….Boris Vakowsky…I… Yes." She said as Boris leaned down and gave her another kiss. A snort interrupted them, although it didn't seem that way, Boris and Sharin took their time in breaking.
"Yes, Tzarna?" Sharin said.
"Shall I explain why this is foolish, stupid, irritating, and other matters?"
"Do you think it will do any good?"
"No…" Tzarna said.
"If you can find any reason, beyond the fact that he is a micronian, and this is against the ancient doctrines planned for us by the masters that wanted a disposable military force, that this is a bad idea, I will listen."
"I…er…" Tzarna frowned again, and gave a humph. "I-- very well, Sharin… I can't think of any reason-- but I don't like it and I don't trust the micronians." Sharin paused,
"What about this Micronian?" She smiled, "The one that took up arms on my behalf, and risked dishonor before his officers for me?" That would have resonance before a zentraedi, there being few higher signs of friendship. Then Sharin used her trump. "As you did when Captain Alys tried to have me slain?" Tzarna shook her head and gave a half-distracted, half-frustrated wave. Then the screen cut off.
"Will she?"
"Tzarna is my friend." Sharin said, "She will come around-- she's already coming around, I think.:"
"Now what?"
"Now, we kiss some more." Sharin said practically, "And then, we go to your parents and tell them what happened."
Epilogue:
At the signing of the UEG-New Macao treaty of non aggression, many noticed how the representative of New Macao, Commander Sharin, stood close to the tall Lieutenant. Many had heard about the attempt on her life, and some of those simply felt that the Lieutenant was being allowed to stand by her as a sign of favor, and that his hand on her shoulder was a way of stabilizing her, without having to subject the zentraedi to the embarrassment of using a cane. Some of them smiled at the sight of the mighty zentraedi so weakened. They however, kept their faces carefully neutral when the formidable, full sized zentraedi standing behind Sharin swept her gaze over them. A smaller number, including the leadership of Skull Squadron, Carl, and Boris's family, new the full reason for his stance, the gold ring on Sharin's finger, and her expression, seemingly overly happy even given the treaty. They made no attempt to hide their smiles. Looking at them, Tzarna sighed. This was horrible, disgusting, and annoying…and she never should have let Korva trap her into that long distance bet three days ago that Boris would be returning with them. The bet was one thing…but he'd be laughing about it for the next ten years…
End.
Minstrel Boy, The
Thomas Moore
The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him
His father's sword he hath girded on
And his wild harp slung behind him
"Land of Song!" said the warrior bard
"Though all the world betrays thee
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again
For he tore its chords asunder
And said "No chains shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and bravery!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery!"