Every day Rena revived Dias's speech in her mind, and it made her feel very special and loved. But it also saddened her. She never knew Dias's real feelings for her and if they had been deeper than friendship, Rena knew she would feel terrible. But she loved Claude, and Dias actually saluted that. So in that, Rena saw that Dias did not feel bad, that he was proud that she had married the man she loved.
Into the first year of their marriage, Rena soon discovered that she was pregnant.
To relieve any stress because of her condition, and to get exercise, Rena took a daily walk with her husband through the Shingo Forest. They also often had picnics there as well.
Seven blissful months went by. Then a terrible incident happened that separated the two lovers........
*******
"Let's see," Rena said as she packed the picnic. "A thermos of Daikon Miso soup, egg sandwiches, shortcake, coconut milk........."
"Don't forget the chocolate crepes," Claude sang as he set the thermos in the picnic basket.
"Oh, yes!" Rena remembered as she grabbed the box of crepes and put them in the basket.
"So is junior giving you any trouble today?" Claude laughed as he pulled Rena close and placed his hand on her stomach.
"Not yet," Rena giggled as she leaned forward to kiss Claude. "Come on, we'd better get going," she picked up the picnic basket and holding Claude's hand, headed for the door.
As the couple walked through Shingo Forest, they marveled at the newly growing flowers that stretched up towards the early afternoon sunlight. Claude picked a little yellow flower and presented it to his wife.
As they walked the dirt path that led into the depths of the forest, a noise rang through the quiet air.
"Did you hear that?" Claude stopped and listened close.
"Hear what, love?" Rena had no idea what he was talking about.
All of a sudden, the sound rang again, but this time, it didn't stop, it continued. Rena heard it now. It was low, as if it came from far away. And it sounded, Rena thought, just like the rocket Opera had used to return to Tetragenes with Ernest.
But Claude knew exactly what the noise was. It was a distinct sound, specific to the craft that emitted it. The sound was of the engines of a spaceship that belonged to the Earth Federation. The engines belonged to a model of ship that was exactly the same as his father's old ship, the Calnus. But this starship, which he could hear in the distance, was only a third of the size of the Calnus, and was usually used for rescue missions.
The noise grew louder, as if the spacecraft were approaching.
"WHAT IS THAT?" Rena had to yell in order to be heard. She clutched tightly to the picnic basket and Claude's hand.
Just then, a large dark object soared through the air, just above the tops of the trees.
Claude watched as the rocket hovered in the heavens for a few moments, and then land in the forest clearing just ahead of them.
"Follow me!" Claude tightly held Rena's hand and ran to where the spacecraft had landed. Rena, still clutching the basket, followed.
When they reached the clearing, they saw a great door on the back of the black object open and a person emerged. The flying machine, was indeed, the spaceship that Claude knew it was.
The person, a middle-aged woman, was wearing navy blue trousers and a sea-captain style jacket that was also navy in colour. The jacket was covered in many badges, and atop the woman's brown hair, which was put up in a bun, sat a black Commander's hat - like the kind of hat Claude's father used to wear.
"Stand back, Rena," Claude warned as he released her hand and approached the woman.
As Claude advanced towards the woman, the woman straightened herself up and saluted Claude. Claude did the same.
"Ensign Claude C. Kenni," the woman barked. "Is that your name and position?"
"Yes my name is Claude C. Kenni," Claude answered, "but I am no longer an Ensign."
"That is correct," the woman grinned. She reached into her jacket pocket and produced a black object that resembled Claude's old communicator. She opened a section of it and bellowed into the perforated surface, "He is Commander Kenni."
"I beg your pardon?" Claude demanded.
The woman moved the black object away from her lips. She stretched out her hand, motioning for Claude to shake it, and said, "Come with me, Commander Kenni."
"I am not a Commander!" Claude blurted out.
"Please come with me, Commander Kenni," the woman asked again.
"I already told you, I am not a Commander! I am not going with you!" Claude took a step back.
The woman raised the black object to her mouth again, "Commander Kenni refuses to obey. Retrieve him," she barked into it.
Just then, several men, clothed in the same outfit as the woman, but also wearing yellow sashes, emerged from the spaceship. They walked right towards Claude and the woman.
Rena, afraid, approached her husband and stood behind him.
The woman raised one hand and pointed her index finger at Claude. "Seize him," she barked to the men.
"What!?" Claude was suddenly surrounded by the men. The men then tried to apprehend Claude. Claude struggled and tried to get away.
"Claude!" Rena screamed and ran to his aid. But she was held back by one of the men. She fought with the man, but he was too strong for her.
She dropped her picnic basket. As it crashed to the ground, the food spilled everywhere, and the thermos broke into many pieces, spraying Daikon Miso soup everywhere.
Rena continued to fight, even though she knew that the stress was hurting her baby. She tried to use her spells, but she became so tired that none of them worked.
Claude had a small dagger with him - he had it on him at all times in case he encountered trouble. He slashed out with it, causing a deep gash to be formed on one of the men's arms. But nothing could stop the men. The men eventually knocked Claude out with a blow to the head, and started to drag him on board the ship. The woman followed.
"Claude!" Rena dug her nails deep into the facial flesh of the man that held her back. The man yelped in pain, then slapped her. Rena fell down to the ground from the force of the smack. The man followed the woman into the ship.
"Rena!" Rena heard Claude yell out one last time. Though her vision was blurred, Rena watched as her husband was pulled onto the ship, and the door closed. Then the spacecraft whirred to life, and started to rise from the forest floor. After hovering there for a few seconds, the ship lifted up and away from the forest, and flew away.
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she fell unconscious.
Into the first year of their marriage, Rena soon discovered that she was pregnant.
To relieve any stress because of her condition, and to get exercise, Rena took a daily walk with her husband through the Shingo Forest. They also often had picnics there as well.
Seven blissful months went by. Then a terrible incident happened that separated the two lovers........
*******
"Let's see," Rena said as she packed the picnic. "A thermos of Daikon Miso soup, egg sandwiches, shortcake, coconut milk........."
"Don't forget the chocolate crepes," Claude sang as he set the thermos in the picnic basket.
"Oh, yes!" Rena remembered as she grabbed the box of crepes and put them in the basket.
"So is junior giving you any trouble today?" Claude laughed as he pulled Rena close and placed his hand on her stomach.
"Not yet," Rena giggled as she leaned forward to kiss Claude. "Come on, we'd better get going," she picked up the picnic basket and holding Claude's hand, headed for the door.
As the couple walked through Shingo Forest, they marveled at the newly growing flowers that stretched up towards the early afternoon sunlight. Claude picked a little yellow flower and presented it to his wife.
As they walked the dirt path that led into the depths of the forest, a noise rang through the quiet air.
"Did you hear that?" Claude stopped and listened close.
"Hear what, love?" Rena had no idea what he was talking about.
All of a sudden, the sound rang again, but this time, it didn't stop, it continued. Rena heard it now. It was low, as if it came from far away. And it sounded, Rena thought, just like the rocket Opera had used to return to Tetragenes with Ernest.
But Claude knew exactly what the noise was. It was a distinct sound, specific to the craft that emitted it. The sound was of the engines of a spaceship that belonged to the Earth Federation. The engines belonged to a model of ship that was exactly the same as his father's old ship, the Calnus. But this starship, which he could hear in the distance, was only a third of the size of the Calnus, and was usually used for rescue missions.
The noise grew louder, as if the spacecraft were approaching.
"WHAT IS THAT?" Rena had to yell in order to be heard. She clutched tightly to the picnic basket and Claude's hand.
Just then, a large dark object soared through the air, just above the tops of the trees.
Claude watched as the rocket hovered in the heavens for a few moments, and then land in the forest clearing just ahead of them.
"Follow me!" Claude tightly held Rena's hand and ran to where the spacecraft had landed. Rena, still clutching the basket, followed.
When they reached the clearing, they saw a great door on the back of the black object open and a person emerged. The flying machine, was indeed, the spaceship that Claude knew it was.
The person, a middle-aged woman, was wearing navy blue trousers and a sea-captain style jacket that was also navy in colour. The jacket was covered in many badges, and atop the woman's brown hair, which was put up in a bun, sat a black Commander's hat - like the kind of hat Claude's father used to wear.
"Stand back, Rena," Claude warned as he released her hand and approached the woman.
As Claude advanced towards the woman, the woman straightened herself up and saluted Claude. Claude did the same.
"Ensign Claude C. Kenni," the woman barked. "Is that your name and position?"
"Yes my name is Claude C. Kenni," Claude answered, "but I am no longer an Ensign."
"That is correct," the woman grinned. She reached into her jacket pocket and produced a black object that resembled Claude's old communicator. She opened a section of it and bellowed into the perforated surface, "He is Commander Kenni."
"I beg your pardon?" Claude demanded.
The woman moved the black object away from her lips. She stretched out her hand, motioning for Claude to shake it, and said, "Come with me, Commander Kenni."
"I am not a Commander!" Claude blurted out.
"Please come with me, Commander Kenni," the woman asked again.
"I already told you, I am not a Commander! I am not going with you!" Claude took a step back.
The woman raised the black object to her mouth again, "Commander Kenni refuses to obey. Retrieve him," she barked into it.
Just then, several men, clothed in the same outfit as the woman, but also wearing yellow sashes, emerged from the spaceship. They walked right towards Claude and the woman.
Rena, afraid, approached her husband and stood behind him.
The woman raised one hand and pointed her index finger at Claude. "Seize him," she barked to the men.
"What!?" Claude was suddenly surrounded by the men. The men then tried to apprehend Claude. Claude struggled and tried to get away.
"Claude!" Rena screamed and ran to his aid. But she was held back by one of the men. She fought with the man, but he was too strong for her.
She dropped her picnic basket. As it crashed to the ground, the food spilled everywhere, and the thermos broke into many pieces, spraying Daikon Miso soup everywhere.
Rena continued to fight, even though she knew that the stress was hurting her baby. She tried to use her spells, but she became so tired that none of them worked.
Claude had a small dagger with him - he had it on him at all times in case he encountered trouble. He slashed out with it, causing a deep gash to be formed on one of the men's arms. But nothing could stop the men. The men eventually knocked Claude out with a blow to the head, and started to drag him on board the ship. The woman followed.
"Claude!" Rena dug her nails deep into the facial flesh of the man that held her back. The man yelped in pain, then slapped her. Rena fell down to the ground from the force of the smack. The man followed the woman into the ship.
"Rena!" Rena heard Claude yell out one last time. Though her vision was blurred, Rena watched as her husband was pulled onto the ship, and the door closed. Then the spacecraft whirred to life, and started to rise from the forest floor. After hovering there for a few seconds, the ship lifted up and away from the forest, and flew away.
"Claude," Rena whimpered as she fell unconscious.