Pronunciation guide and glossary:
Dai – Die; used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is a unique or a particular member of its class; "the"
Jurumad – JOO-roo-mad; meaning: Captain (in the Tamaranian army)
Rulad – ROO-lad; meaning: One below the rank of captain (in the Tamaranian army); Second Lieutenant.
Taryia – Ta-ree-EE-ya
Hnyxx – Nix
Author's note: Again, I'd like to remind everyone that Imade up the words based on the phonetics of the Tamaranian words Starfire and Galfore had spoken on the show. I'm no expert, I'll tell you that, but it's the best I could do.
The planets Hnyxx and Euphorix are Vegan planets from the comics. Garon is a planet outside of Vega, also from the comics. While Hnyxx was mentioned in the New Teen Titans comics, I have no idea what their people look like. I made up my own impression of them. I know even less about Euphorix and Garon, as they are from the Omega Men comics. I know practically nothing about the Omega Men; just stuff I picked up from the internet.
Standard disclaimers apply.
PATH TO TAMARAN
Chapter Eight – Way of the Vegan Realms
Starfire stood transfixed, her mind a rush of memories; good memories.
Galfore's monstrous voice, so quick to scare those who did not know him, had brought her such warmth and security in the past that even hearing it now, formal as he was, made her feel as if nothing could go wrong again. At the end of the tape, she continued to stare, drinking in details and comparing them to when she had seen him last.
The scar was the least of it. That was glaringly obvious. He did not have the scar when last she saw him, but it was the more subtle changes that caught her. There were lines around his eyes, like the skin had gone arid with constant strain. His hair, though rich and red at first glance, had hints of silver peppering it.
Tamaranians aged beautifully, and slowly. To see Galfore look old beyond his years was astounding. Her heart wrenched. What has he been doing to wear him out so quickly?
The answer came almost as soon as she asked the question, accompanied by the dull ache throbbing in the pit of her stomach. He didn't look old; he looked tired.
Looking for you.
She sighed regretfully. Given the chance to take back all those years she had spent getting as far away from Tamaran as possible, would she make everything turn out differently? She knew she would not. Given the chance, she would do it exactly the same way. If she could prevent Blackfire from getting exchanged, she would prevent it. If she could fail her tests at Okaara, she would fail it. But even now, looking back on it all, there was no avoiding fate.
Bruce had told her that fate was fate, but destiny was what one made of it. If she could pinpoint the exact moment when her decision shaped her destiny, ultimately leading to the fate she lived with now, she might take all of it back from there. Might.
She looked at Robin, his gaze set on her. Where would he be if she had taken a different path?
He would still be here, but you will be somewhere else, and you will not know him. You will live your lives without each other; without the slightest clue that a part of you was missing.
Starfire knew then that she would not take anything back for the world.
"Is he hostile?"
It was Raven who asked the question and for a moment, the question sounded so preposterous to Starfire that she could only stare.
Robin answered when she didn't. "He isn't supposed to be. Starfire?"
Starfire came to her senses and her lips pursed as she fixed her eyes on Raven intently. "Galfore is not hostile. Galfore is—" She stopped herself on time. Raven would not appreciate her gushing about how kind and wonderful Galfore was—is. "Galfore is a knight of the Ancient Lambian Order and k'norfka to me. His knighthood gives him honor and as k'norfka he bears undying loyalty to his princess. He would die for me before he dies for the Grand Ruler of Tamaran."
Raven arched an eyebrow. "A no would have sufficed."
Starfire sighed. She reddened, embarrassed by her vehemence. "I am sorry. He is important to me and—what he says distresses me."
Beast Boy's eyes widened anxiously. "What? What did he say?"
"He and his entourage will be arriving twenty-four Earth clicks from the time of the tape. I think he means hours."
"There was a twelve hour delay from the time the message was sent," said Raven. "We don't have that much time to prepare."
"Where are they landing?" asked Cyborg.
"Within our approximate locale," said Starfire. "I would not worry about it. A Tamaranian diplomatic ship is hard to miss. They are—well, huge."
Robin, his expression cold behind the mask, asked the most important question. "Why? Why are they coming here?" His voice was controlled; too controlled.
The others weren't feeling the strain. It was too subtle, but Starfire could tell it was there. Starfire had learned to notice it. Maybe Raven knew, but Starfire was sure the empath would say nothing.
"He did not say why," said Starfire. She wished she knew. Uncertainty was a wretched feeling.
"Should we prepare the tower for their arrival?"
Starfire thought about it and gave a slight shake of her head. "Nothing very special. The advanced message speaks of a formal visit, so Galfore will request audience with the leader. He will ask your permission to address me and all you really need to do is give it, but… do not be offended if he acts—well, surprised at the beginning. His loyalty to me could border on the unreasonable. In his mind, I should be the leader, always."
Robin shrugged. "It's no issue to me to name you leader for this visit. If it makes things easier—"
"No. It is better if you are leader," said Starfire. "It is the truth, anyway. I would rather we maintain that. So that there is no confusion, we must all walk behind you at rendezvous point. If we do it that way, Galfore will understand by sight."
Robin nodded. "Alright. How many people are we expecting here? I want to inform everyone in our network about this meeting. They'll be concerned, for security reasons. It's better if they knew the aliens' intentions. After all, we don't want Batman ordering the Watchtower personnel to blowtheir shipto bits."
Starfire counted it out in her head. A diplomatic ship needed a crew of ten to fly it, but it needed a back-up crew of engineers, technicians and perhaps a doctor. It would bring the number up to twenty; not counting Galfore and his entourage. "I would say the ship has about twenty five to thirty personnel, but if you are worried about accommodations, do not. A diplomatic ship could house them well enough. Most of them would not wish to leave the ship anyway."
"Ho man, this is going to be so cool!" said Beast Boy. "It'd be like the Enterprise! Do you think they'd have a hot Vulcan counselor on board the ship?"
"Vulcan?"
"Yeah! You know, 'Live long and prosper!'" Beast Boy held up his hand and made a "V" between his middle and fourth finger.
Starfire was so confused.
Cyborg sighed, rolling his good eye. "Not now, Beast Boy."
"Is there anything else you'd like to add, Starfire?" asked Robin. She shook her head and he looked to the others. "Anyone else have any questions?"
When Beast Boy began to speak, Robin hastily added: "… that has nothing to do with Star Trek, Babylon 5 or any show on the sci-fi channel."
Beast Boy's enthusiastic expression withered.
No one said anything and Robin nodded. "Fine. As you were." For everyone except Raven, that meant going back to their bedrooms to sleep. "Starfire."
She arched an eyebrow.
He jerked his head towards the weights room. It was a casual gesture; personal. She braced herself.
They walked into the room and Robin shut the door behind them. She sat on the bench press and waited for his questions.
His face behind the mask was stone cold. "Have they come to take you away?"
Starfire let out a breath. She knew he would ask that. "I do not know. They will not kidnap me, if that is what you are thinking. They would never inflict violence on the crown princess of Tamaran without warning me before-hand. I mean, it is one thing to creep into the night, unannounced, and then taking me; it is a completely different matter if they present themselves as diplomatic and then catch me by surprise. That is betrayal. They would never do that."
His reaction was very much restrained. He shrugged a shoulder. "Same question: Have they come to take you away?"
She held his gaze. "They cannot make me go back to Tamaran if I do not want to. And I do not want to."
Robin stood there, making no response.
She knew he had another question on his mind and she didn't know what to tell him if he asked it.
"How are you doing with all this?" It was a question, but it was not the one she feared. She thanked X'Hal for it.
She tried to smile for him. She succeeded, mostly. "It is wonderful to hear Galfore's voice again. And truly, I do wish to see him."
"Do you think your parents are on that ship?"
Starfire chuckled and shook her head. "If either of them were on the ship, they would have sent the advanced message. Galfore is the highest ranked in that party. Everyone, even the captain of the ship, must answer to him."
Robin let out a breath, sitting beside her on the bench. "Kind of a relief, actually. I thought I'd have to meet your father or something…"
She stared for a moment before she burst out in giggles. She had been so long without parents that she had almost forgotten how a princess' consort could lose all nerve in the face of meeting the princess' father. She had seen it happen with her cousins' admirers. Every one of their consorts: brave knights and warriors, shaking in their boots when they had to meet the fathers. It was universal. "You will find Galfore much easier to win over than my father ever will be."
He chuckled softly. "That's only comforting if I have no intention of ever meeting your dad, Kori."
She arched an eyebrow, amused. "You want to meet my father?"
He cocked a smile. An odd aura settling over him; the way a person glowed when they made a promise they had every intention of keeping, at least for the moment. "Maybe. Eventually. You know?"
A blush spread over her at the mere implication of his words. It gave her a thrill, however fanciful the thought was, as of yet. "Well, I would not worry about it, if I were you. I do not even know if he likes me."
"And what would he say if he found out you were dating a commoner?"
"Commoner? Oh Robin, do not call yourself that."
He waved her words away. "Eh, it doesn't bother me. What'll he say? I'm just curious."
Starfire made a face. Her father's reaction would be beyond Robin's comprehension. There were a lot of things he still didn't understand of her culture, and many of those things; he didn't need to know about. She settled for a response he was probably expecting. "I am not sure he would approve. He would probably bribe you to stay away from me." It was partially true. No matter what their culture entailed on the matter of princes or princesses having consorts, her father would prefer her to be with a noble of high rank.
"Oh? How much are we talking about here?"
"Richard!"
He grinned and pinched her chin affectionately. "What if Galfore doesn't like me?"
Starfire thought that impossible. She smiled. "He will like you."
"What if he doesn't?"
"I would just have to make him understand why he should. In the end, he really has no choice, Robin. He will like whomever I wish him to like."
Robin shrugged. "Well, I'd really want him to like me for real, and not just because you told him to. He's important to you, so his opinion matters to me."
"You really think so?"
"Well, sure."
She looked at him with warm adoration.
He gave her one of those half grins as he got to his feet. "Better get some rest. Big day tomorrow."
There was an apprehensive quality to her smile as she nodded. "Yes. Big day indeed."
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Starfire stared at the mirror, hairbrush in hand.
She glanced briefly at her table clock and saw that it was only one in the afternoon. She sighed, putting her brush down. The waiting was driving her mindless.
Since she woke up that morning, she hadn't been quite herself. While she had managed not to burn the pancakes and bacon, she had sprinkled flour, instead of confectioner's sugar over her stack. She had been so embarrassed by her mistake that she told no one about it, bravely eating the pancakes without flinching. It hadn't been so bad anyway, just starchier than it should have been. And then while she worked with the rest of the team preparing the planet for the arrival of the Tamaranians, she kept "spacing out", one worry breeding another.
By the time lunch rolled by, she had managed to make a mental list of all the things Galfore would be disappointed in her for; like her hair, for instance.
Galfore had loved her hair long. He had kept her from the shears for as long as possible when she had been a child. When the Gordanians took her, the slavers had chopped her hair short without a second thought, and much to her surprise, she learned how much easier it was to keep hair that—well, wasn't so long.
While her hair was waist-length now, it was nothing compared to how long it was when Galfore was taking care of her.
As she sat before her glass, she was thinking up of ways to make her hair seem longer; or perhaps hide its relative shortness.
She picked up the brush and ran its teeth through her strands, styling it one way, and then another.
"For heaven's sake," she muttered, yanking painfully at a knot in her hair. "I do not even get this worked up before going on a date with Richard."
She checked her nails. They were not perfect, but they were clean. That was important.
A lock of hair fell over her face and she blew at it from the corner of her lip. She looked up in the mirror, blinking.
Her eyes.
Galfore hadn't been there for her transformation, but he had probably figured that she had gone through it. What was he going to think about her inability to shoot bolts from her eyes?
Starfire gave a miserable moan. Oh, I am going to disappoint him terribly!
The sound of her T-Comm broke through her misery and she grabbed it from her table. It was Cyborg.
"Girl, get up here ASAP. It's about our Tamaranian guests."
A dreadful sensation rippled through her stomach. She did not even think twice. She took off, shooting out of her room and through the halls to get to the elevator.
She was in the Information Center in minutes. Cyborg and Raven were there. Beast Boy and Robin followed from the elevator shortly.
Starfire stared at the monitor where the radar readings were magnified. There was a large ship heading towards Earth, and according to the technical data showing up on the computer, she could tell that it was, indeed a Tamaranian diplomatic craft. What bothered her were the three smaller ships that escorted it.
They were just that: Escort Crafts, but escort crafts were used for two reasons only. One was when royalty was aboard the primary ship. Unless Galfore had somehow elevated himself to royalty, that wasn't the reason. It had to be the second reason, which was military in nature. Escort Crafts commonly held soldiers of the Tamaranian army, usually belonging to one unit. If they weren't escorting royalty, they were escorting their captain.
Why a captain would be on a diplomatic mission was never a fixed matter. There was always an important reason; usually tactical.
She couldn't help but feel a bit of royal outrage. Did they perceive her as a threat? Or maybe they wanted to threaten her? How dare they threaten a princess of the realm!
She shook her head. It hardly mattered. At least she was certain that the ships weren't hostile to anyone else. Though Escort crafts were fitted with state of the art weaponry, their main purpose was to protect the primary ship and evade attacks, not initiate them. Besides, Galfore would never allow any harm to come to her and those around her. Army captain notwithstanding, Galfore was still in command of the delegation.
"What's with all the ships?" asked Robin.
"Escorts," she said. "There is an army captain aboard the primary ship. That is his, or her—what you would call—gang." Essentially, it was exactly that. In transit, a captain could hardly be expected to bring his entire unit with him. A unit contained at least five hundred soldiers. It would be impossible to fit them all in three escort crafts. So when the captain had to have escorts, he picked the best of the crop, usually the ones closest to him, professionally and personally. It was like a brotherhood of sorts. Even when the captain was a woman, it was still called that, mainly because most of the army still consisted of men.
Raven appeared beside her, punching the codes to get a visual on the crafts. "Do you usually have the military handy for diplomatic visits?"
"Not always."
"Why are they present now?"
"I do not know, but they are no threat to Earth, of that I am certain."
Beast Boy pointed to another output panel. "They're entering the Earth's atmosphere. They're a bit early."
The communication panels began beeping for attention. The other channels within the network were already reacting; no doubt to inquire about the number of ships entering Earth. They had only expected one ship. More than two was a bit alarming.
The titans fell to their workstations to answer the calls, explaining the situation and telling them that there was no threat as of yet. They coordinated efforts to keep the press at bay and have the police department dispatch the barricades around the approximate landing site.
Starfire tried her best to concentrate on what she had to do. She had to make everyone, particularly the authorities, understand that the presence of the escort ships was no threat to the planet. As far as she knew, the only one who should be worried about the military's presence was her. Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Robin was worried enough about her safety; there was no need for her to lay the alert on too thick.
Forty-five minutes later, with the Watchtower and other security units appeased, the titans plotted the trajectory of the ships and calculated the approximate landing site based on it.
They took the T-chopper while Robin fed the coordinates of the landing site to the proper authorities and all those concerned.
When Robin finished sending out the details, he spoke to the Titans through their headpieces. "Any last minute tips, Starfire?"
Starfire thought about it. She hesitated a second before she went on. "Tamaranians are somewhat—" she searched for an appropriate word "—big. And my people have a manner to them that they may seem arrogant at the beginning, especially because many of us have to physically look down on most races simply because we're taller. Please do not misinterpret it if—well, they use nicknames like 'little one' or, um, 'small friend'. They are not belittling you; they are merely being precise."
She could tell that none of them knew exactly what to say to that. As Titans, they didn't get looked down on much, and they didn't get called 'small' a lot either. Perhaps Beast Boy, and even Robin, had been called something along the same lines on one or two occasions, but Cyborg certainly never got that kind of treatment from others. With the Tamaranians, he just might.
After a brief pause, Robin spoke again. "Anything else?"
Starfire shook her head.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence.
They flew over the dense forest where they could still see traces of their battle with Slade's Fire Giant. Much of the damaged growth towards the outer perimeter of the forest had already grown back thick and luscious, but towards the middle, where the fires had blazed hottest, there were patches of blackened stumps where the trees hadn't recovered.
They passed the press and police converging around the edges of the landing site. There were other helicopters patrolling the air surrounding them, hovering and shooing away press copters with blaring warnings and aggressive maneuvers.
A few civilians were picketing the perimeter area. Whether they were welcoming the other-worlders or shunning them, it was hard to tell.
But all thoughts of present chaos faded at the sight of the spaceship rising in the horizon.
Cyborg gave a whistle. "Didn't look like much on the visuals, but from here, I gotta say… that's a bad-ass ship."
Starfire nodded in agreement. Tamaranian ships were designed to intimidate. They were made to look like mechanical beasts with skeletal ridges and thick armored plates. It was streamlined; fiercely so, like a shark flying through mid-air.
The escort ships came into view. They looked like miniatures of the mother ship. They sank into the heavy growth, disappearing from sight. The primary ship remained hovering above the trees. Save for the usual wind, everything was still. Hover beams did not displace air so there was no obvious disruption on the surface.
Starfire let a breath out through her mouth. "We must touch down now. The primary ship will remain like that throughout the duration of its stay."
"You mean that thing's landed?" Beast Boy asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes. It could maintain its hovering status for as long as there is solar power to support it. Our ships could harness the sun's power too."
"That's too awesome for words."
Robin nodded. "Set her down, Cy."
Cyborg found a patch of land nearby to set the T-Chopper down without getting its blades tangled in the trees. Their landing was smooth and swift, with Cyborg sliding the doors open from the controls even before they were completely touched down. As Cyborg powered down, the Titans removed themselves from the seat straps and began to pile out of the chopper.
The ship loomed not too far overhead and for its size, it barely made a sound.
Robin stared up at it thoughtfully before blowing out a breath. "Damn. That thing's huge."
Raven drifted to Starfire's side. "I'm almost afraid to imagine what your ships look like when you're not trying to be diplomatic."
Starfire grinned. She didn't miss the key word: "Almost." She was inclined to believe that the somewhat gothic design appealed to Raven's sensibilities. "They could be quite terrifying."
It almost seemed like Raven was going to smile. "I'll bet."
Beast Boy gaped, nudging Cyborg with an elbow. "Dude, ten bucks say they'll beam themselves down."
Cyborg frowned. "Again with the beaming."
"Let's go, Titans," said Robin, leading the way. "We don't want to keep our guests waiting."
The Titans flanked him as they walked through the trees, the shadow of leaves playing on their faces. Soon, the shadows bled into one dim sheet, blocking the sun out as the ship floated overhead.
They could see the three escort ships some distance away, placed in three strategic points in smaller clearings but beyond a thicket of trees.
The Titans emerged on a fairly large clearing marred by a few tree-stumps. There were traces of soot on the ground, but it did not look like remnants of Slade's Fire Giant. These were from fires ignited by campers past.
With the Tamaranians abroad, Starfire suspected campers wouldn't be making it this far into the forest.
"How far into the clearing should we go?" Robin asked Starfire.
"Along here is fine. It is customary for the Tamaranians to approach us."
Robin nodded. "Then we wait."
The truth was, Starfire wasn't sure what to expect. Galfore had been straightforward in the advanced message, but he had showed no hint of anything other than what he had said. He had said nothing about escort ships nor did he even acknowledge the fact that they were landing in very alien territory. He had acted as if he was merely dropping by for tea, which was unsettling.
The wait did not take long, but Starfire felt it took long enough to feel the full extent of the ships' ominous presence.
The dead calm was disturbed by the shimmer of air some fifteen yards in front of them, like fireflies appearing in the dimness and swarming amongst each other. It was accompanied by a sound comparable to crystals shattering into shards and dropping to the floor in melodious crinkles.
Shapes began to form; like a television with a bad reception steadily gaining clarity.
The pinprick lights faded, leaving behind the towering form of Galfore and his entourage of towering men behind him.
They had beamed down, just as Beast Boy had predicted.
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Starfire observed them from afar. There was one woman in the group, to Galfore's right, but the rest of them, four by her count, were men. Everyone in the group had long, flowing hair in varying shades of red, except perhaps for the man to Galfore's left who was visible only by the rich shine of brown, slightly wavy hair. Galfore covered everyone to his left. He was huge.
The style of clothing had changed. Instead of the bright purples that Starfire first left them with, the shade had deepened, turning almost black, set in a cassock-like length but fitted enough at the top to show their finely shaped upper bodies. Their belts, holsters and weapon sheathes were set in traditional Tamaranian silver, or perhaps white gold. Their thick armbands gleamed in the darkness.
The three escort ships yawned open. Each ship expelled six men, all of them in perfect formation. They did not leave the perimeter of their ships, but they stood at attention. They were not dressed the same way as the primary party. Their uniforms were more standard: Tunics, surcoats, breaches and reinforced boots. They had their own weaponry, but these were standard issue swords strapped to their backs. Most had hand-sized laser cannons. Not all Tamarnians could shoot bolts. While most of these men were red headed, there were more black and brown haired men and women amongst them.
As the primary group began to walk towards the Titans, Starfire could make out the thick utility boots peeking from beneath their hems. They looked even clumpier than Robin's boots, like the boots themselves were weapons. It did not surprise Starfire in the least. Tamaranians hardly wore armor while in battle, but it was important to reinforce the body parts that could be used to inflict pain.
Galfore walked with bursting confidence, his entourage following with a swagger to their stride.
Starfire's eyes widened as the details of Galfore's dress and armband became even clearer. She understood, in an instant, why the escort ships were there. The ones behind Galfore weren't merely an "entourage", they were soldiers, and Galfore was their captain. They walked with a swagger because they thought highly of their leader, therefore highly of themselves; there was no other way to explain it. They were a pack, and Galfore was their pack-alpha.
It took everything in Starfire's power not to jump up and fly into his arms. All the insecurities she harbored that afternoon melted away as the reality of himsuffused her.Not only was she happy to see him, but to know he was captain, or Jurumad, of the Tamaranian army made her immensely proud. Her heart drummed in her chest as she leaned over to Robin.
"Galfore is the captain," she muttered.
Robin, without looking at her, responded. "What?"
"Galfore is the captain."
He arched an eyebrow. "That explains a lot. Do I have to address him by his title?"
Starfire desperately wanted to gush, "Oh please do! That sounds so wonderful!" but restrained herself and just said, "Yes!" with a luminous grin.
Robin smiled ever so slightly before he stepped forward.
Starfire saw the flicker of uncertainty in Galfore's eyes, but it was so slight that she would wager that even Robin didn't notice it. Galfore was no doubt astonished that she had to answer to someone, or that she was there in the first place. Galfore would have expected that she would be somewhere else, where her rendezvous party would escort the guests to be presented to her. It would take Galfore a while to realize that they were far away enough from Tamaran to have her treated like everyone else.
Galfore came to a halt in front of Robin, and while his soldiers fidgeted momentarily at what they probably perceived as a mistake in the Titan ranks, they recovered almost as quickly when Robin extended his hand for the traditional Earth handshake.
"Captain Galfore. Welcome to Earth. My name is Robin." He did not need to say he was leader. It was obvious enough.
Galfore nodded and clasped Robin's entire forearm, giving it a firm shake. Robin's jaw twitched ever so slightly.
Starfire suppressed her wince, realizing that she should have warned Robin of Galfore's crushing grip.
To Robin's credit, he made no further indication of his discomfort. They unclasped their arms.
Galfore spoke, his voice deep, full and authoritative. "You do me honor by receiving me and my unit. We have traveled a long way, uncertain of the reception we would get."
"There was no reason to treat you otherwise, captain."
To that, Galfore smiled. It was a smile Starfire hadn't seen for years, but had missed so terribly that she felt emotional at the mere memory of it. The smile was warm, friendly, reassuring and kind all at the same time. It was difficult to imagine that he was capable of any kind of violence when he flashed it, yet here he was, captain of the army.
"I thank you," said Galfore.
Robin stepped back. "I know you came here to see Starfire, captain, so I won't delay you any further. Starfire?"
Starfire stepped forward, her smile stretched from ear to ear. She would have flown into his arms and tackled him to the ground, but she wanted to keep him dignified in front of his men. She was so proud of him! He would always be her k'norfka, but in front of his men, he was Galfore dai Jurumad.
Galfore smiled back, playing the part perfectly, were it not for the twinkle in his eyes. He stood straight-backed, chest out. He took a deep breath and belted out a word Starfire didn't recognize. His booming voice rang throughout the forest, possibly scaring away the last of the wildlife who hadn't ran out earlier.
The men surrounding him shifted crisply, shouting out a response while they fell into a stance of respect given only to members of the Royal House of Korithus. Korithus was her grandfather's name, but of course, it was a name taken from ancestors long past.
Starfire felt her cheeks flaming at the display, but to be awkward in the face of such respect would dishonor everyone. She wasn't sure what Galfore had said. It was common in the military for units to come up with signals and words only the members of the unit understood, but it wasn't difficult for an outsider, like herself, to formulate a proper response.
She spoke in Tamaranian, telling them she was honored and that they may be at ease in her presence. They complied with another crisp shift, the thundering stomp of their feet clapping as one and their voices booming in unison as they thanked her for the respect.
It was all very embarrassing to Starfire, and she dared not look back at her friends, but she bore it with dignity, for Galfore. It was his way of showing off, and she loved it, after all.
She reached up with both hands and smoothed her palms over Galfore's officer's surcoat with a snap. She pulled at some imaginary wrinkles and adjusted the officer's pin on his chest, as if it was tilted. She grinned and he returned it. His tooth was still chipped and it warmed her to realize just how familiar it was.
"Excellent form, captain," she said. "Your men do you honor."
He beamed. "Permission to speak and act freely, Princess Koriand'r."
"Permission granted, captain."
"I have missed you abominably, little one." And just like that, he caught her in his mighty arms and spun her in the air.
She giggled, throwing her arms around his neck. "Goodness, Galfore! How wonderful it is to see you, and a captain, too! I am so proud of you!"
"Many things have happened since you were gone from Tamaran, princess. I will only be too eager to tell you. But first thing's first: introductions."
She nodded, a flushed look of excitement on her face, never minding that the rest of the unit remained as still as statues. She pulled Galfore by the hand and presented the Titans to him. "Galfore, you have already met my leader and my dearest friend, Robin."
Galfore nodded in acknowledgement. "Good grip on that lad."
Robin's half-grin rose with his eyebrow.
Starfire gestured to the others as she said their names. "This is Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg."
Raven rose into the air, nodding to Galfore at eye level. Galfore seemed properly impressed by it.
Cyborg looked up and grinned. "What's happenin', bro?"
Galfore looked mildly surprised, probably confused as to why Cyborg was asking about what was happening when he was right there, seeing what was happening. But he let it go without asking, focusing instead on the friendly smile on Cyborg's face.
Beast Boy stepped up to him, eyes as big as saucers. "Cap't… you're—like—humungous."
Galfore squinted to get a closer look at Beast Boy.
Beast Boy blinked under the scrutiny and was caught completely off-guard by Galfore's hand capping his head. The hand was thick, but gentle, like a father patting the head of his son. Beast Boy scowled at the treatment but didn't say much to complain. He wasn't about to displease the hulking and massive captain of the Tamranian army.
Starfire grinned, pleased by it all. "They have all been such friends to me! And they are all very talented. They could do so many things others cannot, and with Robin leading us, we help those who cannot help themselves. I have much to tell you!"
"I'd expect so, my little bunggorf." He chucked Starfire's chin and gestured to his men as he addressed Robin. "These are my most trusted. Rulad; every one of them, and deserving of their ranks." Rulad was one step down from Jurumad though not all of them advanced. Galfore indicated the three men behind him. "These are Luren, Jak'r and Sul-Dharr."
Luren and Jak'r looked like typical Tamaranian males, but Sul-Dharr did not quite fit the norm. Not only was his name of differing origin, but his red hair was set against rich brown skin and golden eyes. It gave him distinction as all three of the newly introduced Rulad bowed respectfully in her direction.
Galfore continued, gesturing to the two to his right and left. "Taryia and Karras are up for promotion very soon and I am proud to have them in my unit."
Starfire blinked, staring at the brown-haired soldier to Galfore's left. He had been covered by Galfore's bulk earlier, and the fact of the matter was, he wasn't as large as the rest of the Tamaranians. He was tall, yes, and his shape was muscular enough to merit him respect in the Tamaranian army, but he was still smaller, because he wasn't Tamaranian; he was Kalapattian.
Karras turned to meet her gaze and the stoic mask melted away. His lips spread into a toothy grin, like a dog snarling at his prey.
When she first saw him four years ago, she had gauged his age to be nineteen or twenty, when he had, in fact, been seventeen, on the cusp of eighteen. He had always looked older because he was cocky, and arrogant. His confidence was terribly grating to her because he had always used it to make her the butt of his jokes. He was twenty and one now, but his goatee made him look much more mature. His long wavy hair was framed by two braids going down the sides of his face in the traditional Rulad hairstyle, but he wore arm-bracers with Kalapattian etchings; a tribute to his race. He had a sword strapped to his waist. It seemed smaller compared to the broad, Tamaranian swords, but it only meant his fighting technique was faster; more precise. She had fought him with weapons before, but she doubted he had come at her with the full force of his skill.
Even after four years, the mischief was still clear in his gaze. One look and she knew that he wasn't quite done making fun of her and that she wouldn't like him any better than she did then.
She frowned and shot him a fierce glare. How in the world did he ever make Rulad? Rulad were supposed to be responsible, dignified, intelligent and consistent in garnering high marks throughout one's military career. Granted he could have been all those things, she was yet to see it to believe it. Besides that, she could not help but wonder if his status as Prince of Kalapatt, potential king, even, had anything to do with it.
His sneer broadened. He recognized her and while it only served to irk her more, her only response was the raising of her eyebrow. She would deal with him later, even if she itched to say something particularly biting that very moment.
One thing was odd, though. Did Galfore not know they were acquainted? Surely, when Karras found out she was princess and sent word to Tamaran, the news had spread in Tamaranian court that she had been under the care of Kalapatt's royal family. Galfore should have known, but it appeared he didn't. Something was afoot, but she would have to ask Karras about it if they got around to having a civil conversation. Right now, she had other, more important things to attend to.
She turned, instead, to Taryia. She was an attractive woman in her own right. She was only slightly taller than Starfire, but she looked like she was built firmer. Her curly auburn hair was tied back in a high ponytail and there was a ferocity to her green gaze that Starfire might have found intimidating if she hadn't stood up to the likes of Blackfire and many other super villains.
Taryia wasn't a striking beauty, but she had character, and if the size of her custom made sword was any indication, she was a formidable warrior.
"As well you should be proud of them, Galfore. I am looking forward to—" She was going to say, "know them better" but that would be an untruth in the extreme. She already knew Karras, and she wasn't planning on getting any more familiar with him. "—engaging them in discussion."
Robin gave an affable smile. "We should continue all discussion in the Tower. I would invite everyone, captain—"
"Please, call me Galfore. There are no formalities between me and the princess' friends."
"Galfore it is, then. As much as you are all welcome in our tower, we couldn't transport everyone there all at once."
"Worry not. I shall bring only Taryia and Karras. Luren, Jak'r and Sul-Dharr must stay here to oversee the rest of the unit. The primary ship is equipped to accommodate me and my men's board and lodging, so you need not worry about where you will put all of us, either."
Robin nodded. "Then let's go." He fell into step with Galfore and Starfire took the other side. She tried not to let Karras' grin affect her as she turned her back on him, concentrating instead on Robin's easy conversation with Galfore.
Behind them, she could hear Beast Boy's voice.
"What's up, Rulad Taryia? That's a bad-ass sword you have there!"
Taryia said something in Tamaranian. She had the kind of voice that couldn't belt out a girlish scream if her life depended on it; a voice that couldn't quite manage a giggle. It was straightforward, crisp and no-nonsense; a voice that men in the army listened to, feminine though it was, yet it wasn't unkind, and Starfire could almost hear the grin as she spoke to Beast Boy. A moment later she was speaking in English. "We are thankful of your welcome, little one. Now we may talk."
Beast Boy probably did not like being called "little one" in spite of Starfire's earlier warning.
Cyborg addressed her as well, and as was Raven's wont, she said nothing. Karras remained quietly in the background. It was likely he couldn't understand anything that was being said. He was Kalapattian. He did not have the ability to absorb languages by touch like Tamaranians do.
"Two Rulad from your unit up for promotion," said Robin to Galfore. "You must be very proud."
Galfore smiled as he absentmindedly put an affectionate arm over Starfire's shoulders. "Yes. These men and women are like my children and to have them advance makes me very happy. They got by on their own merits and I do believe I had very little to do with it."
Starfire patted the hand he had on her shoulder. "Galfore, you are too modest."
"Oh, it is true! In fact, Karras dai Rulad has only been with my unit for—let's see… how do I put this? Ah! One Earth solar revolution and six lunar cycles. And he could have stayed in Tamaran because his—well—social rank allows him that privilege, but he was only too eager to go on this trip with me."
Starfire's eyebrow arched again. I bet he was.
They made their way to the chopper and as they boarded, Starfire heard Beast Boy say, "Man, I can't believe he fit into the chopper."
"Beast Boy," said Raven. "You are embarrassing the entire human race. Stop that."
"Behave, BB," said Cyborg sternly.
"What'd I do?" He didn't get a reply.
Shrugging, he climbed into the chopper and strategically placed himself beside Taryia.
Starfire buckled herself into her seat, Robin beside her. She looked over at Galfore who quite comfortably took up two seats. She glanced briefly at the back and caught Karras staring.
She shot him a scowl and his gaze narrowed at her contemptuously. She could have growled but Raven levitated to his side and sat, securing herself.
The nerve of him, she thought, turning her nose up and settling back down on her seat.
Cyborg closed them all in and started the blades. Moments later, the blades were on full throttle and they were lifting off the ground. They were on their way back to the tower.
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The Conference Room was the most ideal setting for that afternoon's meeting. It was perhaps one of the most unused rooms in the Tower. Most of the meetings Robin held with the Titans had been done in the Information and Recreation level. He hadn't felt the need for a formal set-up when discussing a plan on how to defeat super villains. He simply barked out his orders and they listened. When Robin conducted reports, he had them sit around the dining table, usually with a box of pizza in the middle.
But that day was different. They had important guests. They could relax later.
Starfire was somewhat surprised to note that the musty smell so often present in long-unused rooms was absent. She did, in fact, detect a hint of freshener. She wouldn't be surprised if Robin had undertaken to air the room.
The table was a wide, round disk with a huge letter T stemming from the center of it. There were about ten fixed chairs around it and they were precisely placed so there would be no seat at the top of the T or at the bottom of it. Whether it was meant to signify that all those who joined the table were equal or if it was just a random decision on the part of Cyborg, no one really ever thought to ask.
Starfire sat between Robin and Galfore while Taryia took the seat beside Galfore on the other side; Karras placed himself next to her. Beside Robin was Beast Boy and then Raven; Cyborg took the seat by hers.
"Starfire," said Robin. "You begin."
She nodded. "Now, Galfore. Please, why have you come?"
Galfore smiled. "Aside from the fact that I have been searching for you since that day you… well, disappeared en route to Tamaran from Karna?"
Starfire appreciated Galfore's sensitivity. She had told Robin about her slavery and Taryia would certainly know about it, but the rest of the Titans knew nothing. Perhaps Karras had an idea, but even if he had called her "Gord-Slave" in the past, she never really spoke of it with him extensively. For all he knew, she was merely letting him call her another one of his nasty names. "Yes, aside from that."
"The truth is, princess, your brother has been as eager to find you as I am and had given this mission Royal Priority."
"Brother?" asked Cyborg.
Starfire nodded. "Ryand'r. How fares he, Galfore?"
"Very well, princess. He has done honor to the Royal House of Korithus by passing his trials at Okaara when he became eligible for them."
"Glorious! I never doubted him! And is he—is he married?"
Galfore chuckled. "Well, he is that."
"Goodness! My little brother is married!"
Beast Boy made a face. "Little brother? How old did he marry?"
"Fourteen," said Galfore.
Beast Boy whistled. "Holy shotgun wedding, Batman…"
Robin arched an eyebrow in his direction.
"Galfore," said Starfire. "Does he—does he have children?"
Galfore crossed his arms over his chest. "Well… there's the matter of making babies before his wife could have them. He is still in denial with respect to the princess your father and mother had him marry, so I do not think Ryand'r and the princess have—well, you know…" He hesitated. "Do you know?"
Starfire's eyes widened and she felt the heat creep up her cheeks. What a question! She felt like melting through the floor at that very instant. "G-Galfore, of course I know."
Beast Boy laughed. "Boy Wonder here made sure—"
Someone kicked him under the table and he whimpered like a dog. He promptly disappeared beneath the table to attend to his pain. Judging by the deadly glare Robin shot him, it was evident whose boot had caught him on the shin.
Starfire tried not to pay attention to the look of impending mockery on Karras' face. Had he understood that? He wasn't supposed to. He didn't know English!
Robin cleared his throat. "Please go on, Galfore."
Galfore blinked several times before going on. "As I was saying, Ryand'r is not very happy with the marriage."
Starfire leaned over the table, her brows knotted. "His wife is—" she paused to search for a word "—difficult to like?"
"Oh, not really. In fact, she is sweet tempered, quite intelligent, lovely and she adores him, but I suppose a young man such as himself could not be expected to be thrilled about being—well, attached like that."
"And how old is he again?"
"Sixteen, princess."
Starfire flashed a look of sympathy. Even if it was the royal way of life, it didn't mean she could take it in stride. "Such is life, I suppose."
Galfore laughed. "His misery is his own doing. If he would only give in to this charming young princess…"
Raven's eyebrow arched. "He'd forget he was forced to marry her?"
"Quite frankly, lady, yes."
Galfore's matter-of-fact reply had Raven blinking in mild confusion.
"Marital problems aside," said Starfire. "Father is teaching him well? Ryand'r is expected to be Grand Ruler?"
Galfore smiled. "In every way, princess."
Starfire could not help but smile back. She was proud of Ryand'r; she was also relieved: Tamaran would not be needing her. "Then why are you here, Galfore? What brought you so far from home?"
"Ryand'r would like to see his sisters again."
Starfire took a deep breath as she leaned back on her seat.
"The Grand Ruler also wants to see his daughters."
Starfire frowned. "He said that? That he wanted to see Komand'r and I?"
Galfore's gaze flickered a heartbeat. "Yes."
"You hesitated."
He sighed. It was a deep sound from his gut. "You know your father, princess. He expresses himself differently."
She shook her head. The mere fact that her father could be so incapable of expressing affection always pinched. Neither separation nor time had helped dull the edge. "What does he want?"
"What I could tell you is merely speculation, princess. The Grand Ruler and his advisers make no confirmation of it."
"Speculate."
Galfore gave another sigh, but this one was filled with reluctance. "Your father is always open to making alliances. With his daughters there, he is freer to negotiate with other planets. There are princes there aplenty, after all."
Starfire grimaced, turning away from Galfore to ponder a moment. She caught Robin's gaze and she didn't miss the tension in his shoulders.
Cyborg's robot eye flashed. "Yo, let me get this straight. The Grand Ruler wants her there so he could have the option of marrying her off?"
Galfore reddened. Perhaps even to him, a member of the court who saw such dealings among the higher lords of Tamaran on a regular basis, the practice seemed reprehensible. "That is correct."
"It is the way of the realms."
Starfire looked up, astonished. It had been Karras, and she was surprised he had spoken at all, let alone in the English language. The look on her face must have reflected her confusion, because Karras shot her a derisive grin.
He tapped his ear. "Custom made translator. When you're in an army that absorbs language by touch, a man has to do what he can."
Starfire could only think that it was a superb translator, to have him speaking English as well as have him look like he was actually speaking it.
Taryia shrugged. "It has been the way since the beginning of Kings, Karras, but it does not mean princes and princesses embrace their fate. You should know this."
Karras made a mildly hopeless gesture. "I do not like it, but I accept it as duty. Rather than whine about the inevitable, just get the X'Hal-cursed thing over with and move on."
Starfire arched an eyebrow. That was surprisingly calm and pragmatic, coming from the Brat Prince, but she did not have to agree with him. Robin shot her a questioning glance.
"Karras is a prince," she explained. "Of Kalapatt."
Robin recognized the planet and probably remembered it from her stories. She did feel slightly uneasy of the fact that she hadn't mentioned Karras to Robin at all. She was afraid Robin would take it the wrong way.
It was Galfore's turn to look surprised, but he didn't ask about any previous meetings she may have had with Karras. Those questions could be brought up in a more private conversation.
Robin seemed even less pleased by what Karras had said. "So you're saying Starfire should go back to Tamaran?"
Karras' brows knotted. "Who?" he asked in an irritable tone.
Just for that, Robin certainly didn't oblige him. He let Karras figure it out.
Karras did, with apparent reluctance. "I am saying 'Starfire' would be doing the right thing pledging allegiance to her Grand Ruler and father like any loyal subject of the realm."
Starfire frowned. "And what sort of pacts does my father wish to forge? Is Tamaran at war? Does he need armies? Is Vega putting up some kind of united defense?"
Karras sneered. "There is no need for marriages of that sort when the entire system is threatened. Armies would rise up voluntarily against a common foe. In this case, it is still the constant threat of the Citadel, but since the restoration of the realms, the Citadellians have been nothing but terrorists, unable to mount a large defense. Threat though they are, they are nothing to the unified forces of Vega. Besides, your father boasts of the best allied force in the system. He has the Tamaranians, the Kalapattians and the Hnyxxen pledging allegiance to him and Ryand'r. Euphorix has also agreed to equip all planets with force field generators in case things suddenly go very, very bad. Because he got Euphorix to cooperate, the many realms are considering pledging alliance with Tamaran."
Starfire looked at Galfore, wide-eyed. "Father commands Hnyxx?"
Last time she heard, Hnyxx adamantly refused to be commanded by anyone. But that had been at least seven years ago. Perhaps a lot could change in seven years. They were a powerful and ferocious race. Like wolves: Beastly, but extremely loyal to the pack. To have them under one's command was no small thing.
Galfore smiled. "Where do you think Sul-Dharr hails from?"
Beast Boy sighed. "This is all confusing me. Who are all these people?"
"Vegans," said Raven. "They are people from the different Vegan worlds."
Starfire recalled the look on Sul-Dharr. She had assumed he was a mix of Tamaranian and something else. It never occurred to her that he was from Hnyxx, but now that Galfore mentioned it, he was Hnyxxen; possibly pure Hnyxxen. That detail aside, she refocused her thoughts. "If the alliances are sealed, then why does my father wish me back?"
Galfore sighed and shook his head sadly. "I already told you, princess: we could only speculate. He simply said, 'Get her back here.' Quite frankly, he may as well have said 'Even if you have to drag her kicking and screaming.' He gives no reason, Koriand'r. I am willing to believe that he merely wishes to see you."
Karras arched an eyebrow. "With all due respect, captain. King Myand'r isn't exactly given to sentiment."
Galfore gave a shrug of acquiescence.
Karras went on. "We all know that the King of Garon has been stubborn of late concerning their Livestock Agreements and he has been hinting that his son has a strange fascination for the missing Tamaranian sisters. Garon is a prime supplier of Tamaran's processed meats and Grand Ruler Myand'r would never have the ties severed for anything."
Starfire's eyes flashed fire. It was bad enough that Garon wasn't even in Vega, but processed meats? "Cattle? He will have me marry a stranger for cattle?"
Karras shrugged, a smirk forming on his lips. "Well, he had Ryand'r marry for Changralyn ores."
Starfire's jaw dropped. "Ores?"
"He needs an economy to fund an army, Koriand'r. What did you think it was for? Marriages cut the costs of export products the planet cannot do without. By law of supply and demand, Garon and Changralyn could up their prices and force Tamaran to accept it, because Tamaran has no choice. Marriages, however, render such laws fallible… You know this. Why am I explaining this to you? Were you asleep when they taught this at Okaara?"
Starfire detected the first hint of their old animosity. Taryia must have noticed it because she shot Karras a scowl.
Starfire and Karras had held out fine, until now.
She forced herself to resist it, if only for the sake of everyone else who didn't have to watch them duke it out. She kept her ire in check. It was a proven fact that she got angrier a lot faster than Karras ever did so snapping back at him would do her little good. "Knowing it does not make it any easier to accept. Galfore, how is the Tamaranian economy faring?"
"The fact of the matter is it is doing quite well."
Starfire lifted her nose at Karras. "I do not think my father needs me. I wish to see my brother, and perhaps I would consent to seeing my parents, but they have to come here. I am not going back to Tamaran."
Karras pulled his gaze from her in disgust.
Galfore shrugged. "Your father might not need you, but I was sent here to bring you back, and princess, I am not returning to Tamaran empty handed."
Starfire stared at him, shocked. Galfore was supposed to be loyal only to her. Had that changed in the last few years as well? She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Robin's.
"Starfire doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. If she wants to stay here, she stays here. If you're going to use force, you're going to have to go through us."
"Be easy, my friend," said Galfore in a soothing tone. "I have no intention of taking the princess by force. I would never. I am her k'norfka, remember? That is an everlasting trust. I would never betray it."
Starfire was relieved to hear it and she managed a small smile. Robin's grip on her shoulder loosened.
"What is this k'norfka, anyway?" asked Raven. "It binds you to Starfire. In what way?"
"He is a surrogate parent," said Starfire. "He raised me. Protected me, and he prepared me for the rigors of training in Okaara. He is my guardian in every way. If I were to become Grand Ruler, he would be amongst my advisors. K'norfkas have been known to seek their own death when their charges die ahead of them."
Galfore nodded sagely. "This is why I had to find her, lady Raven. I had to know if she lives."
Beast Boy whistled. "You're a bad-ass nanny."
Cyborg sighed, hopelessly embarrassed by Beast Boy's inane commentary.
Taryia frowned. "Do not insult the captain by calling him donkey names. Do not call him bad either. He is not."
"He didn't mean bad bad," explained Cyborg desperately. "He meant bad good."
Taryia's brows knotted. "That does not make sense."
"Beast Boy seldom does," said Raven.
Beast Boy pouted. "I resent that!"
"You brought it upon yourself."
Robin hastily tried to get the subject back on track. "So if you're not planning to force her, Galfore, what do you intend to do?"
Galfore smiled wanly. "Convince her, I suppose."
"You will not be able to," said Starfire.
Galfore merely shrugged. "I did not expect you to give in so easily, princess. I'd have been disappointed if you have."
Starfire could not help but smile at that.
"Princess," said Taryia. "At the very least, give it some thought. The Marriage-Scenario is not absolute, so I would advise you not to think about that remote possibility. As the captain has pointed out, the economic and political situation of Tamaran is sound. But the fact of the matter is your Grand Ruler summons you: That ought to be enough. We traveled a long way to deliver the wishes of the Grand Ruler and undertake it. To this day, we haven't a single failed mission to tarnish our record. We will not let our trip here mar that record."
There was no resentment in Taryia's tone, but there was no mistaking it: She took it all very seriously. However understanding she was of Starfire's plight, she had a task, and she was going to get it done.
"Noted, Taryia dai Rulad. The ways of the Vegan realms expect me to follow the wishes of my ruler; this I acknowledge, but Galfore taught me better than that. This, you and Karras should know."
They did, and at last, they fell silent.
To be continued…