From the Journals of Rachael M. Blist

Chapter 4 – The Hyperspace Guild.

The next month was nothing like the first. I picked up three new clients and rejected four on the grounds that I just wasn’t ready for any other surprises. I saw Tregger again, and had an equally enjoyable time, but my new clients were surprisingly boring. Two were Jovian’s, who are quite human in appearance, but lousy lovers. I had to do most of the work in both cases because they were unable to get any kind of an erection. It turns out that Jovian’s only get sexually excited at one time of the year, and this wasn’t it… My third new client was more than ample in the size, but he stunk so bad that I had a hard time concentrating. Some species just don’t think it’s necessary to bathe more than say, once a month. Or more.

In the end, I had accumulated quite a sum of Mina in my account. Jaled and I upgraded our living space to a permanent structure outside of the port, and enjoyed a lifestyle that was hard not to be happy in. It was in our routine that I would do business only when he was away. That way, I could devote myself to him completely when we could be together. I asked him one night to consider just staying home all the time.

“We have more than enough in the bank to last us well into retirement, why not stay home and enjoy yourself?”

Jaled lapsed into a moment of silence. When he spoke, I realized that I had touched on something personal.

“Rachael. For a Kzin, enjoying the luxuries of wealth is something that one only does after a hard battle, or a victory in business, or a heavy work day. As much as I might like to, my own blood does not permit me to idly make love to you for days on end… Or eat out at high-class places, or even lounge around and soak up the sun.” He had a look on his face of puppy regret.

“Oh….” I said, realizing my mistake.

“Please understand, I enjoy nothing more than being with you, but my species is not used to… what did you call it?”

“Domestication.” I said flatly.

“Yes. We are warriors. It’s what I do.”

“I’m so sorry, Jaled… I should have thought first.”

“Don’t be sad, my love,” he answered as he brought me into a warm hug. “I do not blame you. We are, after all, different species.” He was smiling playfully.

“Oh yeah?” I torted wickedly as I reached between his legs. “Perhaps you might prove it…”

“Grrrrrr…. Indeed!” Jaled pushed me back to the bed and hungerly held me down while he moved his massive body atop my own. I felt his sex, hard and urgent at my gates and welcomed him inside me, taking his fullness with a passion that surprised even him.

I took Jaled to the space port later that night, for a job that he said would be a full four weeks. It was a long time, but he promised to make up for it by an extended stay at home. I was happy, and wished him well, never asking about his work, as was our silent agreement. Part of me didn’t want to know what my husband did for a living. I knew it was often dangerous and unpredictable, and that he was sought after for his services throughout the quadrant. Beyond that, I never questioned him.

Which was why I was caught so off-guard three weeks later when an unknown Kzin warrior showed up at my door one rainy evening. He was dressed in the full military uniform of the High Guard, and although he wore no honors, as was custom, I knew he was of high rank. You could see it in the depth of his eyes.

Somehow, I knew why he was there the moment I opened the door, but I quickly locked down all emotion. Showing him in, we sat down in the living room.

“My name is Karod of the Noshon clan. I have news of your husband, Jaled.” He said the word “husband” with hesitation, eying the Chaarka blade bound to my left leg.

“What is your relation to Jaled, Mr. Karod?” I was stern and cold on the outside, but internally, I was already falling apart.

“I… I’m a long time friend and shipmate. We served together many times. He asked me to deliver something to you should anything ever happen to him…” He was staring at the knife again.

“Then I can assume that this is more than a friendly visit… Mr. Karod, do you have a problem with the placement of my weapon?”

He looked startled. “No, it’s not that…”

“Then what?!”

“It’s just… well… To be honest, I am shocked that Jaled would let you wear such an important item.”

“Why is that,” I asked, my eyes locked with his.

“They are the symbols of a Kzin warrior…”

“Are they limited to the Kzin race only?”

“No, but…” I could see he was growing nervous in his position.

“Then do you doubt my skill?!” My voice was growing louder with each word.

“Well, it’s just that as a… human, I don’t see…”

“Mr. Karod. I think you may be about to make a grave error. I wear my Chaarka with the pride and honor of having EARNED it. If you doubt my skills as a warrior, then we can step outside and I’ll be happy to inform your clan of your death!” I was standing now, my face just about level with his. I noticed that his hand went to his side and his weapon out of instinct, but otherwise he was completely taken aback. We were both silent for what seemed like a week, then, slowly, a smile formed on his weathered furry face. Hard for a Kzin…

“Jaled said you had the soul of Mariska in you. I see now that he was right… Please forgive my ignorance. I should not have questioned your skills as a warrior unless I was ready to challenge you.”

Now it was my turn to be taken aback. I knew that Jaled had trained me well, and my own challenge was said with seriousness, but it was probably one of the biggest risks I have ever taken, considering that the Kzin in front of me could probably crush me with one hand.

“Accepted and forgotten.” I said after a moment. Sitting down once again, I continued, taking a deep breath. “I can assume that you are hear to inform me of his death.”

“I am,” He replied simply.

I looked away for a moment, my pain pressing at my chest and throat.

“How? How did he die?”

“It is not customary to ask of one’s mission…”

“HOW! DAMNIT!!” Tears were starting to break through my emotional mask. I all but yelled the words in his face. “Did he die with honor?”

Again, the Kzin looked surprised.

“Yes. He died well, with honor.”

I nodded.

“Miss, you should know that his death was not meaningless. He… He died so that thousands, perhaps millions of entities could be free. He was one of many, but his personal contribution was far above others. He is now held as a planetary hero on at least five worlds, and his name shall be spoken with reverence for dozens of generations.”

I considered the Kzin’s words and compared them to the Jaled that I knew. I tried to let his marterdom console me… it didn’t.

Karod was opening a package he had brought with him. It was a Chaarka blade… Jaled’s.

“You understand what it means to receive this,” he asked, holding the glistening knife before me.

“I know, sir.” I said standing with him. Then I locked eyes. “I also know that it means I have lost the one true love of my life, my husband, lover and close friend. It means that I am now completely alone on a cold and uncaring world…” I stopped, sniffed back a tear and stood straight. “It means that I now carry his namesake, his honor and his memory. I assume he had no other family?”

“None.”

“Then I will wear his blade along side my own…” I then switched languages and spoke Old Dialect Kzin. Karod raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. “<I take this Charka to myself, in memory of the warrior for whom it served. I swear to protect and defend his honor to my last breath.>” Reaching out, I received the only remaining part of my husband. It was said that a Kzin’s soul lived in their Chaarka blade. I hoped so, for then we would always be close. I carefully strapped the blade to my right thigh and stood quietly.

Karod gave my shoulder a squeeze, (the only time he broke protocol) and nodded approvingly. Then, without another word, he was gone. I stared at the empty room until my legs started to shake. Alone, my emotions finally broke through and I fell to the ground sobbing.

The next morning, I applied to the Hyperspace Guild in order to take the test. I was on board a flight later that afternoon. The two day translation gave me time to work through my grief and concentrate on what was before me. When I arrived on Telios V, the home world of the Pertrephod race, I was resolute, confident and eager to get on with my life. After what I had just been through, I figured any complications here would be a breeze. I couldn’t have been more mistaken.

You have to understand that the Hyperspace Guild was very elite. Almost 80% of its members were Pertrephods themselves, with all but two of the ruling board from that same planet. I thought it was a bit foolish of the Galactic Magistrate to allow such a monopoly by one planet, but somehow it had stuck for nearly six thousand years, possibly longer, but the records seemed to get fuzzy before that. No doubt on purpose.

I didn’t discover this information until after I had paid my huge fees and taken the test, which I found to be somewhat easier than I had expected. I never saw my scores, I simply received a message from the guild stating that I had failed and that I was discouraged from attempting a retest.

I hadn’t come all this way to be pushed around by a bunch of bureaucrats, so I went to the board the next day and started asking questions. Not only wouldn’t they answer me, but they outright shut the door in my face. I persisted, and found myself suddenly arrested for threatening a galactic citizen.

Actually, I did more than threaten his life, but that’s all they could pin on me because the Pertrephod Magistrate that pressed the charges couldn’t get his story straight. It was the first time I had ever drawn my Chaarka blade on someone, and I suppose I would have sliced one of his damn heads off had I he not tripped and fallen as he fled for his life.

The charges were dropped and I was set free the next day, for reasons I only learned about much later. Either way, I was depressed in the extreme. I had counted on getting into the Guild and making a living as a Hyperspace tech. Now, it looked like I would have to go back to turning tricks. Life sucked.

It got worse.

Everyone it seemed, was all excited about a new product that was all the rave. It was a drug called Senthix, that was developed by a now very wealthy chemist on Gulangie 2. I read the news faq with an increasing sense of dread. It seemed that this one individual had somehow designed a drug that allowed almost any race in the galaxy to experience sexual pleasure at “Human levels.” In a week, he had found a manufacturer and was spreading the stuff all over known space and making an outright killing because he was selling it at prices that anybody could afford… and everybody did. In the span of five days, my status had gone from highly desired and sought after, to a homeless, jobless prostitute with useless skills and a market that was literally screwing itself. And to make matters worse, I didn’t even have enough money to get back home.

I considered ending my life right there, then thought it might be more useful to do it on the steps of the Hyperspace Guild. In the end though, I was saved by a short little rabbit named Hector, who walked up to me and said in galactic three, “Is your name Rachael?”

“Yes,” I said, on the defensive.

“Did you just take the test?” I assumed he meant the Guild test. He seemed to be considering me for something.

“Yes, I did.”

“How’d you think you did?” He asked, cocking his round head to one side.

“I think I aced the damn thing!” I replied with warmth.

He rubbed his chin.

“Look,” he said, his long pink ears nearly touching the ground. “I know this ain’t exactly legal, but do you want a job?”

“Doing what?” I asked, not quite seeing what he was getting at.

“Fixing Hyperdrives! What’d ya think I meant?!”

“You’re serious…”

He looked at me in frustration.

“Of course I’m serious! I have to get my ship to the Anteries sector in five days or we’ll lose our cargo. I could care less about the Guild and their regulations, but I need to know now. So, once again, do you want the job or not?”

“I’ll take it!” I answered immediately.

He nodded and shook my hand. I felt like I had just made a pact with the Easter bunny.

“I’m Hector. Welcome aboard.” For the first time, I noticed he had buck teeth.