Calysta stayed in the room with as Illya’s eyes slowly began to droop and he fell asleep from the two pumps of pain medication on top of what he already taken. Any messages she needed or any other issues that occurred were taken care of from her pad. No one had anything to say about their council woman staying at her husband’s side. Her father had the children and offered to bring Cypher down for her, but Calysta asked that he stayed at home for the first night. She was too on edge to take care of both her little man and her big one.
At some point during the night a moderate count of the missing people and presumed dead came in from the two continents who had taken in the their fellow Kaereleans. She read the message repeatedly. 567 civilian casualties combining Kinte and the adjacent continents struck by the remains of the second isle. 27 military casualties from the squadrons, 13 from Skycorp. The missing count was highly inaccurate because of the Kaereleans who used their own flyers to escape. Considering how many people lived on Kinte as the central hub of government and trade, the emergency would be a considered successfully dealt with by Tikan, Sarai and the others. Yet, she looked at the numbers and then at her Chip who was sleeping slacked jawed with drool coming down the corner of his mouth…and she didn’t feel successful. If anything, she felt like a failure. Surely there was something she could have done?
A burning started in her stomach. It was white hot and made her entire body shake with the heat in her veins. This was Yarbrough’s doing therefore the Federation and the Tannas. They had done this to her planet and her family. She was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. Her mind was spinning with new energy as she opened up her pad and sent a message to her father. It was late, but he would still be up. Will you bring me Cypher? And when you do, bring me every file from my office.
Thomas did as his daughter asked. He had spent the afternoon looking after the children and trying to deal with anyone who came to the house looking for Calysta. They would asked where she was, for which his simple answer was, “She’s out there.”
When the old professor found his daughter in the room, he handed over a box with all of the files she asked for, then unstrapped a sleeping Cypher from his back. “I brought you a change of clothes too, and some food It’s in the box with the files, but Calysta you need to rest,” he said, noting how her shoulders were slumped. She met him back with a fierce sort of look, he’d seen many times but never with so much fury amid the grey. “I don’t have time. There’s something I need to do.”
Thomas shook his head and laid Cypher in the crib. “Yes, there is. Get in that bed and sleep.”
The anger flared up and she pointed Illya. “They took his leg! I can’t sleep, okay…okay?”
Her father winced at the volume, holding up his hands. After hearing his son in law’s condition, Thomas had been praying for him, though he knew that would be little comfort to his daughter at this point. “Okay, Caly. Do what you need to do. I’ll be with Rose at home and you just message me with anything you need.”
Calysta nodded as she ran a hand through her hair for the thousandth time, then gave her father an apologetic look. “Just try to rest, if you feel like you can,” Thomas replied, knowing that she hadn’t mean to yell. She was under enough stress as it was, and telling her what to do was only going to make things worse. This was something she would have to work through.
The night was spent walking between the same three spots; her bed covered in files, pens and an old fashioned note book next to her pad which constantly rang, to Cypher’s crib where he was sleeping soundly, and then to her Chip’s bed side. He would mumbled fevered words in his sleep, or groan in pain that even the pain killers couldn’t relieve. During those times, she would put down her work and walk over to his side. Her cool hands brushed over his cheeks and ran though his messy curls gently, trying to soothe whatever it was he was feeling. Occasionally, his eye cracked open to mere slits and he’d look at her, trying to say her name, though it was lost to the slurring. “Shh…just sleep,” she said, stroking at his hair, “Sleep and dream about that tree house…or a new home on the cliff…yeah? Be anywhere.”
The sun began to rise, letting a little light filter in through the windows, but Calysta couldn’t see it. She was slumped over her bed, pad in one hand and pen in the other. She’d fallen asleep writing a report and now had a drool puddle large enough to match her drugged up Chip’s.
*********
The nurse came in to change his bandages and Illya gave a surly look. She knew what that look meant and picked up her info pad before shuffling outside. “Illya, I’m going to take a shower and I’ll be back soon,” she said, walking out of the door. It would give the nurse plenty of time to change his bandages while she went out to deal with a few things.
Taking a shower was a quick task, as nobody was home. Rose and Thomas had gone to help clean up the school house together, so that left her the large house to bathe and change clothes in total silence. On the way out, she stopped by the kitchen for something to eat, but found nothing particularly appealing. Ration boxes had been given out along with fresh food to weather the interruption in shipments until other arrangements could be made with Uria and Reylia for a new dock.
Once she was clean of the sickening smell of hospital, ash, and her own wonderful funk, Calysta braided up her hair while it was still damp, thinking over what she had in mind one more time. It felt like the right thing to do, but also felt wrong. How can she justify it? Possibly signing the death warrant of one to save her own was not something she had ever done before. She had killed before, but only in self defense. Wasn't this self defense? Her mind felt jumbled with the thoughts as she walked to the Chippeqouti houses.
They had been lucky that the debris didn’t make it further into Pyrta and had grazed the Edge. Several farms burned with some casualties, and the land was damaged, but it could have been much worse had the scrubbers not been in the air already. The crews of the Haulers and Scrubbers and been working day and night to clear the atmosphere of the debris and the mines, while individual continents were in charge of picking up the small bits that were simple annoyances to daily life. Calysta had ordered all remnants to be brought to Skycorp for testing. If there was metal for the Tannas inside Kinte she wanted to know.
There were still a few pieces floating around here and there as she trekked down the dirt pathways toward the meeting house. A few of the Chip children were passing a softball sized hunk back and forth to each other through the air. They yelled excitedly at each other, though with each pass it became obvious one of the boys was aim specifically for the other children’s heads. “Catch et, yah dope!”
The herd of them only paused long enough to wave at her, calling for Little Bird like always. She managed a tired smile, then wave back before continuing on her way.
Calysta stepped into the meeting house used by the Elders and looked around until her eyes landed on Edgar. Then old Chip was talking with another one of the Elders, so she waited patiently for them to be done before walk up and giving a low bow. It made her slightly dizzy to do so, but she ignored it to show her respect. "May I speak with you, Edgar?"
The Elders all turned when Kalizda entered. They had heard about Illya and it was too bad, but there wasn't much that anyone could do about the injury. It was fortunate that Asha got to him in time. According to the Ehaui they may have been able to save the leg if he had been rescued earlier, but as it was they were close enough to losing Illya. Edgar stepped out of the group when she asked to speak with him and he nodded. "Yes, Kalizda." He always spoke in Quoti when he could and he smiled at her gently. "What can I do for you?"
Calysta straightened her back and looked into the Elders eyes, her own grey ones blood shot and dark with stress. He was smiling gently at her and she mustered a half sort of smile for him. "I ask for...guidance from the Elders," she said quietly. She waites for the okay to continue and then took a small breath. "Edgar, I'm no military woman...and I know that. I don't want to be or am trying not to be...but I find myself in a position where I know negotiation will fail. It already has. And my failure has resulted in the Kinte disaster as well as ..." she paused for a moment trying to un tighten her throat, "What happened to Illya as well as several others. Edgar, I feel like I should do something."
She felt badly and Edgar understood that part, but he didn't understand how she considered it to be her fault.
"Kalizda, this is war. These things happen and the General did what had to be done. We all worry for you and for him and we rejoiced with his return and he is recovering. It all takes time." The man carefully started to take her outside for a walk. "You must understand that your duty is to negotiate, but it does not mean that the other side will be reasonable. It is his job to engage in the war and it doesn't mean he'll always be perfectly successful. It was dangerous and they were successful in the mission. You knew about the attack and you warned them. We would be more concerned if you knew and you did not speak."
Calysta listened without interruption with her hands folded in front of her. One of her fingers plucked at the inside of her palm. "War is....his job... I know this. But what if I now had the ability to take down the man who helped in all of this and gain an ally again? Is that too far? I'm an honest negotiator, and a do believe in the truth. The truth would be heard, but the means...would be dishonest in a sense "
Edgar looked at Calysta and he frowned when she made her proposal. "Making a friend like this is not good. They only make a deal when it benefits them and they would not be trustworthy." The man studied her face for a long moment. If they were against us then they will continue to be in mind. We would win the war only for them to turn on us. This is not something we can afford."
"Perhaps not," Calysta said, her eyes meetingthe elderly Chips, "I suppose my eagerness has more to do with knowing that this man will continue his atrocities until he is out of power and I was thinking of protecting our own more than anything."
"How do you protect us by making a deal with a man that commits these crimes?" Edgar was confused by her logic and he stared at her with his bright eyes. "Making a deal with him will not remove him from power and it would not eliminate him as a threat."
Edgar didn't know what kind of deal she wanted, and that was fine. "I don't want a deal perse...I want to expose him to his own people and if he refuses to step down after that..." Calysta's eyes dropped to the ground, showing exactly what she was inferring. "Its shameful to think that way. I believe in peace...but we can't do that with a man like him."
Nodding he made a sort of agreement with her. "I think that if you are exposing him, his own people will kill him. The blood will not be on your hands." Edgar quietly walked for several more minutes before he said anything else. "Have you spoke to any of the general's about this in the event you need to rely on the contingency plan?"
"Not yet," she admitted, " But I intend to. It was a move I was conflicted about..on more than just a professional level in some ways. It would only take one man, I think, if I had to."
"Do what you have to." Edgar nodded to her and he paused where he was at. "I cannot know everything that you do, but we will trust the judgement of our generals and our representative."
Calysta nodded and gave Edgar a little smilewith a nod. "Thank you, Edgar, for your adviceand taking the time to talk with me on this."
The meeting with Edgar only confirmed in her mind what she had to do. It was not peaceful nor was it particularly a negotiation. Still, it felt like the right thing to do and she had done what she had to before to survive. This would be protecting her peoples in the end. It would also be making a statement to anyone thinking of attacking them again.
********
Going home with Illya was harder than she thought it was going to be. He had been stubborn and insisted on going inside on crutches, rather than the wheel chair. She knew it would have been easier to do the chair but he looked at it with a particular disgust that was only matched by the vehement gaze he gave the ten stairs that lead up to their bedroom. Calysta stopped just behind the Chip he looked up to the second floor, his jaw set. “Why don’t we-“
Click..click…
He was already attempting the stairs, and it was all she could do to watch each wobbly step with her breath held tight. Those 10 stairs seemed to take 10 years until he was up to the top, panting in pain and Calysta unhooked her fingernails from her own arm. When he was finally piled into the bed and the nurse gave her the instructions, Calysta took careful note of which medicines to give him when. There were so many that when the woman left, she went downstairs and returned with a label maker. Sitting in the rocking chair, she took each bottle and labeled them with the times they were meant to be taken, with blue print for the mornings and red for the afternoons. There was so much going on that she needed to be able to keep track of them all without giving it much thought.
All the while, Illya watched her work until that was done and she put the bottles back on the night stand. It was later in the evening now, and Thomas had already taken care of the children’s needs, moving the crib to his room so there was space for the nurse to work when she came into change Illya’s bandages. It was strange to feel so torn when she looked at him laying there, a light sheen of sweat on his tan brow. More than anything she wanted to lay down with him and just bury her head into his chest. To forget about everything else going on outside for a little while and keep him company when he was in obvious pain. She also knew that tiniest bump would hurt him and there was work was waiting for her down stairs. There were so many things to do and she had a meeting to prepare for.
Her inner debate had lead to an odd staring match between them as she hesitated on what to do with herself and Illya in the bed. “Hmmm…hang on.”
Running downstairs, she gathered up all of her work with her pad and files, then jetted back upstairs to pile the stuff on her side of the bed. There were files sitting too close to Illya when she spread out her work neatly though. The look on his face was a cross between tiredness and apprehension as he stared at her tidy piles of paper work. Tapping her chin, she thought about how to keep any of her heavier files from sliding over on to him. “Maybe I just shouldn’t share the bed? I can work in the chair. I don’t want to hurt you.” A sadness crept into his eyes at that statement, however honest it was. “Let me see what I can do.”
Going to the linen closet, she grabbed out two extra pillows and soft cases to go over them. She pulled the shams inside out then wiggled in the fat, feathered pillows into the corners before pulling up the sides. It was fast work, but by the time she returned, Illya’s head was lolled back and he was snoring lightly. He must have given up and just gone to sleep for awhile. A small sigh escaped her lips as she tucked the pillows into his left side and crawled into the bed like a sloth, placing each palm and knee with slow precision.
Later in the evening, Thomas appeared in the door way carrying two plates of food. “Oh, thanks dad.” Thomas nodded and put their plates on the bedside table, only for Calysta to look at him skeptically. “Dad, I’m sorry, but Illya can’t eat this.”
Thomas blinked and looked at the plates trying to figure out why on earth the man couldn’t eat chicken with peas and stuffing. It dawned on him that he had made cornbread stuffing and the old professor winced. “Corn.”
Calysta nodded and then took Illya’s plate. “I’ll just trade it. Not a big deal, yeah?” Taking Illya’s plate, she scooped up all of the stuffing and plopped it on to hers before sliding her chicken with the peas to add on to his. Her father’s fuzzy grey brow raised as she picked up her plate of cornbread stuffing, taking a bite. “I like your stuffing dad, thanks.”
The professor looked as though he might argue with her, opening and closing his mouth several times, before nodding. “Well, if you need anything, I’m down stairs grading papers. Those little Chip kids are doing better than some of the Pyrtan in Kaerelean.”
Calysta chuckled a little and then set to work as soon as her father was gone, putting the plate of stuffing to the side. There was a lot to organize for what she wanted to do and if she was going into a meeting with the remaining generals, it was best to be fully prepared. Sometimes she would shift, making Illya cringe a little, and she would hold completely still, her heart pounding. Had she hurt him? The Chip would grumble a little and then go back to sleep, letting her start breathing again.
Work took Calysta late into the night until she swayed, threatening to fall asleep where she sat. Slumping back against the pillows, she felt the bed shift and a warm arm work it’s way around her shoulders. "Jes lay yah head on meh chest and maybe dats all for now." Calysta barely registered what he said other than to know, that he was okay with her laying her head on his chest.
Inching over against the pillowy barrier between them, she moved aside on them to bring her shoulder close enough to lay her head on his chest, tucked under his arm. Her movements were a little clumsier with sleep setting in and she had to be extra careful to settle in gently. “Okay,” she sniffled, burying her cheek into his chest. His heart beat was loud and strong in her ears, but her eyes closed so fast, she didn’t have much chance to say anything besides, “Love you.”
*********
Calysta was sitting at her desk, tossing a half-eaten danish into the waste bin when the first of the generals arrived. Ehvan ducked into the doorway without knocking, quickly followed by Maks and Ehud. Each looked tired in their own way. Ehvan was currently recovering from his own injury during the raid while his son was permanently disabled. Maks was running double shifts, helping the Pyrtan’s tightening security and repair the continent, and Ehud was a single parent with his baby boy Sien on top of his other duties.
“Hi.”
A singular, but friendly greeting to them, before she offered them a chair. The three of them sat down and she looked at each before gathering up her nerves. “Honestly, the last few months have been difficult for all of us and so I’m going to get straight to the point,” she began, “We cannot afford another attack and while I can’t stop the entire Federation. I do have the ability to take out two men who are responsible.”
The three men shifted in their seats, their interest piqued by what she had to say. “Yah mean yeh want tah kill dem?” Maks asked.
“Not necessarily,” Calysta said, “Death is not the worst that can happen to a man and you all know that. I want to force them down, and expose them for all that they are. They will swallow their pride and step down to face judgement by their own people for their crimes.”
Ehvan’s brow furrowed as if he didn’t understand the point of keeping them alive and Ehud simply remained quiet.
“There are several reasons not to kill them out right, namely….that if they confess to their own people, it keeps our hands clean and spreads the word about the Tannas. However, if they refuse to do so, I agree that these men are far too dangerous to leave where they are.”
Leaning to the side, Calysta opened her desk drawer and pulled out two packets, placing them on the table top. Each was sealed with the Kaerelean 3 star insignia and she stared at them. They were relatively light, but felt so heavy when she picked them up. “Each packet holds information on the men. Where to find them, who your contact on their respective home planets will be and the specific instructions I have laid out for each. One will include the extraction of a contact as his life will be in danger once this happens. This will be time sensitive. If you accept my proposal, which I hope you do, we can strike back at the Federation.”
The words left her lips, making her mouth go dry as she stared at the three men waiting for their answer.
********
Rose took the stairs with slow steps, aware of every sound. She wasn’t supposed to be going upstairs unless Kalizda was with her. Her mother had made that clear, but Wolf was up there all by himself while his special girl was in a meeting with the other Chip generals. It was the perfect time to sneak upstairs with a plate of omne jelly danishes she had made with Papa Thomas that morning for breakfast. The nurse had already gone and Illya was laying on the bed with his eyes closed when she pushed up the door. He was always sleeping, but sometimes she thought he might be faking it so things stayed quiet. If he really was asleep, she would give him a good surprise.
The little girl put each of her bare feet down on the hardwood, planting them from toe to toe so the floorboard wouldn’t creak. It was impossible to go all the way around the room without one squeak or groan from the floor, but Illya didn’t wake up at all. He didn’t even flinch. Rose made it Kalizda’s side of the bed, and put the pastries on the beside table next to the pyramid of medicine. Then she crawled in on her hands right next to the pillow wall, hunkering down, a bit like a cat. “Wooolf…wolf.” His eyes cracked up and she gave the Chip a toothy grin, hiding all but her eyes behind the pillows. “Good morning!”
********
The next two weeks kept to the same pattern. Calysta would wake up at the right time, and give Illya his medicine as her first task. Then she would give him a kiss once he’d taken it before getting dressed. The council woman’s outfit still stayed in the shadows of her closet while she chose her plain tunics to wear, though she had discovered her clothes were a little loose. Her fingers went to hook on her belt and she realized the last hook for the chain was still not small enough. “Hmm..I supposed I’ll just order another one when I can,” she said to Illya with a sigh, as she tossed it into the rocking chair.
Once she was dressed, she made sure he was comfortable and changed, go down stairs to see Rose off to school with her father, then go back upstairs to work. Just as she was reading over the morning reports, some good news came in. Smiling up at Illya, she came across the room and sat on her end of the bed to show him the messaged on her pad. “They found the metals we need on the ruins of Kinte’s islands,” she said excitedly, “And there’s a fair amount from what the initial scans say.” He seemed less than enthused by this news and she sighed. “Well, it’s a start anyways. I don’t know what to tell them to do with it yet and I haven’t had time to keep reading into the Tannas files from old Qouti. At least not in any length of time before something else comes up.”
Putting down her pad, she gazed at Illya carefully. He looked so sullen and it wasn’t natural for him to be like that. Her Chip always had cheeky smiles and jokes at the worst of times. Then again he had been cooped up in the same room for nearly two weeks and he was hurting. Still she was doing the best she could to help him even if it wasn't enough. “You wouldn’t want to help me coordinate getting this metal into the forges and made into what they need, would you? I don’t know the Tannas like you do and if you design it…I know it will be the best possible one.”
At some point during the night a moderate count of the missing people and presumed dead came in from the two continents who had taken in the their fellow Kaereleans. She read the message repeatedly. 567 civilian casualties combining Kinte and the adjacent continents struck by the remains of the second isle. 27 military casualties from the squadrons, 13 from Skycorp. The missing count was highly inaccurate because of the Kaereleans who used their own flyers to escape. Considering how many people lived on Kinte as the central hub of government and trade, the emergency would be a considered successfully dealt with by Tikan, Sarai and the others. Yet, she looked at the numbers and then at her Chip who was sleeping slacked jawed with drool coming down the corner of his mouth…and she didn’t feel successful. If anything, she felt like a failure. Surely there was something she could have done?
A burning started in her stomach. It was white hot and made her entire body shake with the heat in her veins. This was Yarbrough’s doing therefore the Federation and the Tannas. They had done this to her planet and her family. She was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. Her mind was spinning with new energy as she opened up her pad and sent a message to her father. It was late, but he would still be up. Will you bring me Cypher? And when you do, bring me every file from my office.
Thomas did as his daughter asked. He had spent the afternoon looking after the children and trying to deal with anyone who came to the house looking for Calysta. They would asked where she was, for which his simple answer was, “She’s out there.”
When the old professor found his daughter in the room, he handed over a box with all of the files she asked for, then unstrapped a sleeping Cypher from his back. “I brought you a change of clothes too, and some food It’s in the box with the files, but Calysta you need to rest,” he said, noting how her shoulders were slumped. She met him back with a fierce sort of look, he’d seen many times but never with so much fury amid the grey. “I don’t have time. There’s something I need to do.”
Thomas shook his head and laid Cypher in the crib. “Yes, there is. Get in that bed and sleep.”
The anger flared up and she pointed Illya. “They took his leg! I can’t sleep, okay…okay?”
Her father winced at the volume, holding up his hands. After hearing his son in law’s condition, Thomas had been praying for him, though he knew that would be little comfort to his daughter at this point. “Okay, Caly. Do what you need to do. I’ll be with Rose at home and you just message me with anything you need.”
Calysta nodded as she ran a hand through her hair for the thousandth time, then gave her father an apologetic look. “Just try to rest, if you feel like you can,” Thomas replied, knowing that she hadn’t mean to yell. She was under enough stress as it was, and telling her what to do was only going to make things worse. This was something she would have to work through.
The night was spent walking between the same three spots; her bed covered in files, pens and an old fashioned note book next to her pad which constantly rang, to Cypher’s crib where he was sleeping soundly, and then to her Chip’s bed side. He would mumbled fevered words in his sleep, or groan in pain that even the pain killers couldn’t relieve. During those times, she would put down her work and walk over to his side. Her cool hands brushed over his cheeks and ran though his messy curls gently, trying to soothe whatever it was he was feeling. Occasionally, his eye cracked open to mere slits and he’d look at her, trying to say her name, though it was lost to the slurring. “Shh…just sleep,” she said, stroking at his hair, “Sleep and dream about that tree house…or a new home on the cliff…yeah? Be anywhere.”
The sun began to rise, letting a little light filter in through the windows, but Calysta couldn’t see it. She was slumped over her bed, pad in one hand and pen in the other. She’d fallen asleep writing a report and now had a drool puddle large enough to match her drugged up Chip’s.
*********
The nurse came in to change his bandages and Illya gave a surly look. She knew what that look meant and picked up her info pad before shuffling outside. “Illya, I’m going to take a shower and I’ll be back soon,” she said, walking out of the door. It would give the nurse plenty of time to change his bandages while she went out to deal with a few things.
Taking a shower was a quick task, as nobody was home. Rose and Thomas had gone to help clean up the school house together, so that left her the large house to bathe and change clothes in total silence. On the way out, she stopped by the kitchen for something to eat, but found nothing particularly appealing. Ration boxes had been given out along with fresh food to weather the interruption in shipments until other arrangements could be made with Uria and Reylia for a new dock.
Once she was clean of the sickening smell of hospital, ash, and her own wonderful funk, Calysta braided up her hair while it was still damp, thinking over what she had in mind one more time. It felt like the right thing to do, but also felt wrong. How can she justify it? Possibly signing the death warrant of one to save her own was not something she had ever done before. She had killed before, but only in self defense. Wasn't this self defense? Her mind felt jumbled with the thoughts as she walked to the Chippeqouti houses.
They had been lucky that the debris didn’t make it further into Pyrta and had grazed the Edge. Several farms burned with some casualties, and the land was damaged, but it could have been much worse had the scrubbers not been in the air already. The crews of the Haulers and Scrubbers and been working day and night to clear the atmosphere of the debris and the mines, while individual continents were in charge of picking up the small bits that were simple annoyances to daily life. Calysta had ordered all remnants to be brought to Skycorp for testing. If there was metal for the Tannas inside Kinte she wanted to know.
There were still a few pieces floating around here and there as she trekked down the dirt pathways toward the meeting house. A few of the Chip children were passing a softball sized hunk back and forth to each other through the air. They yelled excitedly at each other, though with each pass it became obvious one of the boys was aim specifically for the other children’s heads. “Catch et, yah dope!”
The herd of them only paused long enough to wave at her, calling for Little Bird like always. She managed a tired smile, then wave back before continuing on her way.
Calysta stepped into the meeting house used by the Elders and looked around until her eyes landed on Edgar. Then old Chip was talking with another one of the Elders, so she waited patiently for them to be done before walk up and giving a low bow. It made her slightly dizzy to do so, but she ignored it to show her respect. "May I speak with you, Edgar?"
The Elders all turned when Kalizda entered. They had heard about Illya and it was too bad, but there wasn't much that anyone could do about the injury. It was fortunate that Asha got to him in time. According to the Ehaui they may have been able to save the leg if he had been rescued earlier, but as it was they were close enough to losing Illya. Edgar stepped out of the group when she asked to speak with him and he nodded. "Yes, Kalizda." He always spoke in Quoti when he could and he smiled at her gently. "What can I do for you?"
Calysta straightened her back and looked into the Elders eyes, her own grey ones blood shot and dark with stress. He was smiling gently at her and she mustered a half sort of smile for him. "I ask for...guidance from the Elders," she said quietly. She waites for the okay to continue and then took a small breath. "Edgar, I'm no military woman...and I know that. I don't want to be or am trying not to be...but I find myself in a position where I know negotiation will fail. It already has. And my failure has resulted in the Kinte disaster as well as ..." she paused for a moment trying to un tighten her throat, "What happened to Illya as well as several others. Edgar, I feel like I should do something."
She felt badly and Edgar understood that part, but he didn't understand how she considered it to be her fault.
"Kalizda, this is war. These things happen and the General did what had to be done. We all worry for you and for him and we rejoiced with his return and he is recovering. It all takes time." The man carefully started to take her outside for a walk. "You must understand that your duty is to negotiate, but it does not mean that the other side will be reasonable. It is his job to engage in the war and it doesn't mean he'll always be perfectly successful. It was dangerous and they were successful in the mission. You knew about the attack and you warned them. We would be more concerned if you knew and you did not speak."
Calysta listened without interruption with her hands folded in front of her. One of her fingers plucked at the inside of her palm. "War is....his job... I know this. But what if I now had the ability to take down the man who helped in all of this and gain an ally again? Is that too far? I'm an honest negotiator, and a do believe in the truth. The truth would be heard, but the means...would be dishonest in a sense "
Edgar looked at Calysta and he frowned when she made her proposal. "Making a friend like this is not good. They only make a deal when it benefits them and they would not be trustworthy." The man studied her face for a long moment. If they were against us then they will continue to be in mind. We would win the war only for them to turn on us. This is not something we can afford."
"Perhaps not," Calysta said, her eyes meetingthe elderly Chips, "I suppose my eagerness has more to do with knowing that this man will continue his atrocities until he is out of power and I was thinking of protecting our own more than anything."
"How do you protect us by making a deal with a man that commits these crimes?" Edgar was confused by her logic and he stared at her with his bright eyes. "Making a deal with him will not remove him from power and it would not eliminate him as a threat."
Edgar didn't know what kind of deal she wanted, and that was fine. "I don't want a deal perse...I want to expose him to his own people and if he refuses to step down after that..." Calysta's eyes dropped to the ground, showing exactly what she was inferring. "Its shameful to think that way. I believe in peace...but we can't do that with a man like him."
Nodding he made a sort of agreement with her. "I think that if you are exposing him, his own people will kill him. The blood will not be on your hands." Edgar quietly walked for several more minutes before he said anything else. "Have you spoke to any of the general's about this in the event you need to rely on the contingency plan?"
"Not yet," she admitted, " But I intend to. It was a move I was conflicted about..on more than just a professional level in some ways. It would only take one man, I think, if I had to."
"Do what you have to." Edgar nodded to her and he paused where he was at. "I cannot know everything that you do, but we will trust the judgement of our generals and our representative."
Calysta nodded and gave Edgar a little smilewith a nod. "Thank you, Edgar, for your adviceand taking the time to talk with me on this."
The meeting with Edgar only confirmed in her mind what she had to do. It was not peaceful nor was it particularly a negotiation. Still, it felt like the right thing to do and she had done what she had to before to survive. This would be protecting her peoples in the end. It would also be making a statement to anyone thinking of attacking them again.
********
Going home with Illya was harder than she thought it was going to be. He had been stubborn and insisted on going inside on crutches, rather than the wheel chair. She knew it would have been easier to do the chair but he looked at it with a particular disgust that was only matched by the vehement gaze he gave the ten stairs that lead up to their bedroom. Calysta stopped just behind the Chip he looked up to the second floor, his jaw set. “Why don’t we-“
Click..click…
He was already attempting the stairs, and it was all she could do to watch each wobbly step with her breath held tight. Those 10 stairs seemed to take 10 years until he was up to the top, panting in pain and Calysta unhooked her fingernails from her own arm. When he was finally piled into the bed and the nurse gave her the instructions, Calysta took careful note of which medicines to give him when. There were so many that when the woman left, she went downstairs and returned with a label maker. Sitting in the rocking chair, she took each bottle and labeled them with the times they were meant to be taken, with blue print for the mornings and red for the afternoons. There was so much going on that she needed to be able to keep track of them all without giving it much thought.
All the while, Illya watched her work until that was done and she put the bottles back on the night stand. It was later in the evening now, and Thomas had already taken care of the children’s needs, moving the crib to his room so there was space for the nurse to work when she came into change Illya’s bandages. It was strange to feel so torn when she looked at him laying there, a light sheen of sweat on his tan brow. More than anything she wanted to lay down with him and just bury her head into his chest. To forget about everything else going on outside for a little while and keep him company when he was in obvious pain. She also knew that tiniest bump would hurt him and there was work was waiting for her down stairs. There were so many things to do and she had a meeting to prepare for.
Her inner debate had lead to an odd staring match between them as she hesitated on what to do with herself and Illya in the bed. “Hmmm…hang on.”
Running downstairs, she gathered up all of her work with her pad and files, then jetted back upstairs to pile the stuff on her side of the bed. There were files sitting too close to Illya when she spread out her work neatly though. The look on his face was a cross between tiredness and apprehension as he stared at her tidy piles of paper work. Tapping her chin, she thought about how to keep any of her heavier files from sliding over on to him. “Maybe I just shouldn’t share the bed? I can work in the chair. I don’t want to hurt you.” A sadness crept into his eyes at that statement, however honest it was. “Let me see what I can do.”
Going to the linen closet, she grabbed out two extra pillows and soft cases to go over them. She pulled the shams inside out then wiggled in the fat, feathered pillows into the corners before pulling up the sides. It was fast work, but by the time she returned, Illya’s head was lolled back and he was snoring lightly. He must have given up and just gone to sleep for awhile. A small sigh escaped her lips as she tucked the pillows into his left side and crawled into the bed like a sloth, placing each palm and knee with slow precision.
Later in the evening, Thomas appeared in the door way carrying two plates of food. “Oh, thanks dad.” Thomas nodded and put their plates on the bedside table, only for Calysta to look at him skeptically. “Dad, I’m sorry, but Illya can’t eat this.”
Thomas blinked and looked at the plates trying to figure out why on earth the man couldn’t eat chicken with peas and stuffing. It dawned on him that he had made cornbread stuffing and the old professor winced. “Corn.”
Calysta nodded and then took Illya’s plate. “I’ll just trade it. Not a big deal, yeah?” Taking Illya’s plate, she scooped up all of the stuffing and plopped it on to hers before sliding her chicken with the peas to add on to his. Her father’s fuzzy grey brow raised as she picked up her plate of cornbread stuffing, taking a bite. “I like your stuffing dad, thanks.”
The professor looked as though he might argue with her, opening and closing his mouth several times, before nodding. “Well, if you need anything, I’m down stairs grading papers. Those little Chip kids are doing better than some of the Pyrtan in Kaerelean.”
Calysta chuckled a little and then set to work as soon as her father was gone, putting the plate of stuffing to the side. There was a lot to organize for what she wanted to do and if she was going into a meeting with the remaining generals, it was best to be fully prepared. Sometimes she would shift, making Illya cringe a little, and she would hold completely still, her heart pounding. Had she hurt him? The Chip would grumble a little and then go back to sleep, letting her start breathing again.
Work took Calysta late into the night until she swayed, threatening to fall asleep where she sat. Slumping back against the pillows, she felt the bed shift and a warm arm work it’s way around her shoulders. "Jes lay yah head on meh chest and maybe dats all for now." Calysta barely registered what he said other than to know, that he was okay with her laying her head on his chest.
Inching over against the pillowy barrier between them, she moved aside on them to bring her shoulder close enough to lay her head on his chest, tucked under his arm. Her movements were a little clumsier with sleep setting in and she had to be extra careful to settle in gently. “Okay,” she sniffled, burying her cheek into his chest. His heart beat was loud and strong in her ears, but her eyes closed so fast, she didn’t have much chance to say anything besides, “Love you.”
*********
Calysta was sitting at her desk, tossing a half-eaten danish into the waste bin when the first of the generals arrived. Ehvan ducked into the doorway without knocking, quickly followed by Maks and Ehud. Each looked tired in their own way. Ehvan was currently recovering from his own injury during the raid while his son was permanently disabled. Maks was running double shifts, helping the Pyrtan’s tightening security and repair the continent, and Ehud was a single parent with his baby boy Sien on top of his other duties.
“Hi.”
A singular, but friendly greeting to them, before she offered them a chair. The three of them sat down and she looked at each before gathering up her nerves. “Honestly, the last few months have been difficult for all of us and so I’m going to get straight to the point,” she began, “We cannot afford another attack and while I can’t stop the entire Federation. I do have the ability to take out two men who are responsible.”
The three men shifted in their seats, their interest piqued by what she had to say. “Yah mean yeh want tah kill dem?” Maks asked.
“Not necessarily,” Calysta said, “Death is not the worst that can happen to a man and you all know that. I want to force them down, and expose them for all that they are. They will swallow their pride and step down to face judgement by their own people for their crimes.”
Ehvan’s brow furrowed as if he didn’t understand the point of keeping them alive and Ehud simply remained quiet.
“There are several reasons not to kill them out right, namely….that if they confess to their own people, it keeps our hands clean and spreads the word about the Tannas. However, if they refuse to do so, I agree that these men are far too dangerous to leave where they are.”
Leaning to the side, Calysta opened her desk drawer and pulled out two packets, placing them on the table top. Each was sealed with the Kaerelean 3 star insignia and she stared at them. They were relatively light, but felt so heavy when she picked them up. “Each packet holds information on the men. Where to find them, who your contact on their respective home planets will be and the specific instructions I have laid out for each. One will include the extraction of a contact as his life will be in danger once this happens. This will be time sensitive. If you accept my proposal, which I hope you do, we can strike back at the Federation.”
The words left her lips, making her mouth go dry as she stared at the three men waiting for their answer.
********
Rose took the stairs with slow steps, aware of every sound. She wasn’t supposed to be going upstairs unless Kalizda was with her. Her mother had made that clear, but Wolf was up there all by himself while his special girl was in a meeting with the other Chip generals. It was the perfect time to sneak upstairs with a plate of omne jelly danishes she had made with Papa Thomas that morning for breakfast. The nurse had already gone and Illya was laying on the bed with his eyes closed when she pushed up the door. He was always sleeping, but sometimes she thought he might be faking it so things stayed quiet. If he really was asleep, she would give him a good surprise.
The little girl put each of her bare feet down on the hardwood, planting them from toe to toe so the floorboard wouldn’t creak. It was impossible to go all the way around the room without one squeak or groan from the floor, but Illya didn’t wake up at all. He didn’t even flinch. Rose made it Kalizda’s side of the bed, and put the pastries on the beside table next to the pyramid of medicine. Then she crawled in on her hands right next to the pillow wall, hunkering down, a bit like a cat. “Wooolf…wolf.” His eyes cracked up and she gave the Chip a toothy grin, hiding all but her eyes behind the pillows. “Good morning!”
********
The next two weeks kept to the same pattern. Calysta would wake up at the right time, and give Illya his medicine as her first task. Then she would give him a kiss once he’d taken it before getting dressed. The council woman’s outfit still stayed in the shadows of her closet while she chose her plain tunics to wear, though she had discovered her clothes were a little loose. Her fingers went to hook on her belt and she realized the last hook for the chain was still not small enough. “Hmm..I supposed I’ll just order another one when I can,” she said to Illya with a sigh, as she tossed it into the rocking chair.
Once she was dressed, she made sure he was comfortable and changed, go down stairs to see Rose off to school with her father, then go back upstairs to work. Just as she was reading over the morning reports, some good news came in. Smiling up at Illya, she came across the room and sat on her end of the bed to show him the messaged on her pad. “They found the metals we need on the ruins of Kinte’s islands,” she said excitedly, “And there’s a fair amount from what the initial scans say.” He seemed less than enthused by this news and she sighed. “Well, it’s a start anyways. I don’t know what to tell them to do with it yet and I haven’t had time to keep reading into the Tannas files from old Qouti. At least not in any length of time before something else comes up.”
Putting down her pad, she gazed at Illya carefully. He looked so sullen and it wasn’t natural for him to be like that. Her Chip always had cheeky smiles and jokes at the worst of times. Then again he had been cooped up in the same room for nearly two weeks and he was hurting. Still she was doing the best she could to help him even if it wasn't enough. “You wouldn’t want to help me coordinate getting this metal into the forges and made into what they need, would you? I don’t know the Tannas like you do and if you design it…I know it will be the best possible one.”
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