Epilogue
Yna set the shuttle down and triple checked her documents on her data pad.
Ahlgos poked his head into the command area and asked, “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “I am. I have all the proper forms filled out and authorized by the imperial house.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
“Do you have the bag?”
“I do.”
“Excellent.” She got up and passed him, stroking his chest and shoulders as she moved along the hallway, brushing against him. “What is taking you so long?”
He shuddered and followed her, his free hand seeking out her hip and the curve of her butt.
She chuckled and armoured her backside, thickening the Masuo.
“That’s cheating.”
She grinned. “We have been married for a year and you are only catching on to my cheating now? You are very slow for a Guardsman.”
They left their shuttle and walked across the tarmac with long strides, heading for the customs office.
It took them less than an hour to make it through customs with their new import, and then, they were on their way to the Ikato property.
Yna looked to her husband and his care with their gifts. A slight smile played around her lips as she flew them across the landscape to the vineyard.
The moment that they landed, they knew why their visit had been given priority standing.
Srevesh came out and removed the ear protection. “Do you have something that can help?”
Yna reached for the bag that Ahlgos was carrying. “We are assured that this will do the trick.”
The contents of the bag shifted, and Yna headed for the centre of the house where the plaintive wails could be heard.
Li and Nia were both pacing, each trying to sooth a newborn who was unhappy with the press of minds on it.
“So, where are my niece and nephew?”
Both new mothers turned to Yna with relief.
“Sit on the floor, and I will give you the treatment for this problem.”
The new mothers didn’t sit, they collapsed.
Yna walked in and settled on the floor between them, opening the bag.
Two third-generation Yaluthu appeared, one pink and one vivid purple. They flapped their wings and bumped into each other as they headed to the baby who would be their person.
“What do we do?” Nia held her son as the small creature approached, its huge eyes blinking as it chattered encouragingly.
Yna had to raise her voice to be heard over the wail of the infants. “Just help the Yaluthu make contact with the babies. They will do the rest.”
Li held her daughter close to the approaching fluff ball, and the moment that the waving green fist touched the fluff... there was silence.
Nia saw it and rapidly extended her own child toward the purple beast. The Yaluthu hopped onto the baby, and after a few seconds, silence fell.
The mothers looked at each other and laughed helplessly.
Li cleared her throat. “How long can I keep it?”
Yna rubbed the back of her neck. “About that. The bond is permanent. The Yaluthu will remain with the children until they are adults, helping them shield their minds from the outside world.”
Nia was less shocked. “What do we feed it?”
The purple critter tucked itself into a small ball and was in the crook of the baby’s arm.
Yna looked over to Li, and the small pink bundle was doing the same on the alert and happy baby.
Huknos came running in. “Is something wrong? The baby stopped crying.”
His hair was dishevelled, and his clothing was askew. It was fairly obvious that he had just laid down to rest.
Groven was behind him, and he skidded to his knees next to Li. “Is she all right?”
Yna sighed. “As you know, your children were born with open minds. The Yaluthu form an emotional stability link with the child and act as a buffer. All you have to do is feed them and give them a place near the baby to sleep. They will grow with the child, and when they are ready, they will reproduce.”
Li looked from the purple to the pink. “They are a breeding pair?”
Yna rubbed the side of her nose. “No. They are self-producing. Each Yaluthu will have anywhere from one to seven offspring, but they can delay that reproduction until their host is ready to help them care for the little ones.”
Li blinked. “What will we do with the babies?”
Yna chuckled. “Their parent will care for them. I will explain more on the next trip, but these are help for your children for their entire lives. It is weird that they are both open-minded, but then, it does suit this family.”
Ahlgos came in with his parents, and he grinned. “Our family.”
“Yes, Ahlgos, our family.” Yna got to her feet and swayed a little. Her husband was at her side in an instant to steady her.
She leaned against him and sighed. “This leave is coming at just the right time.”
Miett picked up on their close proximity and the careful way that Ahlgos was holding her. “Is there another grandchild on the way?”
Yna sighed. “I hope so. After the last time, we both underwent gene therapy to increase the compatibility. I just want to go about life quietly for a few months until we can assess the progress.”
Miett looked around the room and frowned at everyone but the babies and Yaluthu. “Then that is what you will have.”
The family looked to their matriarch, and everyone nodded, though they were also all grinning at the good news.
Yna hoped that this time her body could manage the feat of splicing two different species into one, but after the previous two losses, her nerves were intense. Time with the Ikatos was just what she needed.
“If I don’t get out of here soon, I am going to break out. We know I can do it.” Yna sat shelling peas and waiting for the twinge in her back to ease.
Miett laughed. “I know. Take it easy. Ahlgos will be home soon, and then, you can beat him within an inch of his life for staying away so long.”
“I plan to, but I may have my arms full.” She inhaled sharply and dropped the pea she was working on. “I think we had better call the med centre.”
“How long?” Miett helped her to her feet.
“Most of yesterday and throughout the night. I have been trying to hold off.”
Her mother-in-law let out a sharp whistle, and her brothers-in-law came running.
Yna was carefully assisted to her room while the imperial med teams were called. Being the sister-in-law to an imperial princess had its advantages.
An incubator was set up, as well as all the equipment that Citadel Balen had shipped over for her use.
She was perturbed that her husband wasn’t there for the birth of their child, but the contractions soon took over her resentments.
“Hey there, Stripes. Welcome to the world.” She held her son and stroked his forehead.
The medics didn’t have much to do with his delivery. He had made his way into the world without their assistance. Li and Nia were next to her and smiling at their children’s cousin.
“He is adorable. Are stripes common among your people?”
“No, but I think there is something in the Ikato makeup that has something to do with it. With the gene therapies, it is likely that the recessive genes became dominant. I don’t care; he is going to be a stunning young man.”
She stroked the cheek with the sharp stripe running back toward his ear. “He’s going to break hearts.”
Four days later, Ahlgos crept into the room while she was feeding their son.
Yna arched a brow. “Is the evacuation of Karuton over?”
“I cleared the forests and made sure that they have enough crops to keep them going for five years when they settle. Life will go on. How about our little life?”
He sat next to her and stroked his son’s head with the tips of his fingers. The delicate care that he used made her smile.
“He is strong, healthy, progressing nicely. He is going to be a normal Remuyan boy with stripes and pale skin.”
“I could not ask for more. How are you?”
Yna sighed. “I wish that we could do this one more time, but I know that our decision was right. I might not make it through another one.”
“I have you both now, and you are both healthy, that is all I want.”
“Good, because we just want you in our lives and with us on Balen.”
He opened his mouth to object, but she gave him a stern look.
“I can teach my courses with our baby on my back as well as I can without it. Agents and Guardsmen need me. They need to know that their hands can be put to practical use when all seems lost. It was that skill that kept me sane in the restrictor suit, and I want to share that knowledge.”
“Right. As soon as he is deemed safe to travel, we will head back to Balen, but expect my family to visit when they can and expect visits on an annual basis.”
“Of course. It is in the Yaluthu contract, after all.”
He grinned. “Of course, it is. So, what have you named him?”
“Hiimeo, after your great grandfather. He is going to be my little forest cat.” She winced. “He is already eating like he has fangs.”
“He probably does. So, are you going to break it to my mother that we are leaving in a few weeks?”
She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him in for a kiss. When she released him, she whispered against his lips, “You do it; you are my hero, after all, you just took your time.”