The Aledan's Children - First Draft Beginning

INTRODUCTION

Hankura is an Aledan telepath born into the Narcaza line on Aledus, a world where psions were subjected to discriminating psi laws.  He had been sent to University of Learning Human Psi Institute on Velran at age ten. During the journey to Velran, the passenger freighter that took him there put into Earth orbit on a night when he was feeling especially dejected and alone.  Michelle Marlow aka Chelle was alone and frightened that the huge carnivorous rats would get her before her older brother could come back and rescue her.

As she cried out her fear and loneliness, she didn’t realize she was a latent telepath and she had also cried out with her mind. Her fear and pain reached into Hankura’s mind and he reached back to comfort her, a connection that would bring them together twenty years later because they were psi mates.  

As the story opens they are returning from Velran with their children, Jamerin, Lara and Calan on the Sential Trader owned by Captain Otian who married Rona a new crew member a year before.  Rona’s eight-year-old daughter Parei is Jamerin’s psi-mate.

CHAPTER ONE

After a six-month space journey from Velran, the Sential Trader was on final approach to Oltarin orbit in preparation for landing at Mari-Sanna Starport. Unlike the journey to Velran, the trip back was uneventful. A huge Tregan cell on Velran had been contained and deported from Velran with the help of the Wholaskans.  That fight wasn’t over.  It might never be over for the Federation, but Hankura, Chelle, Delmran and Lishaad would be making their stand on Oltarin if it came to that.

They had already avenged the torture, rape, and murder their crew had suffered on Zevus Mar. It didn’t take away the pain for any of them. Time and distance helped. Building a new life on Oltarin helped. The memories no longer intruded into their lives on a daily basis.  They couldn’t change the past, but they no longer let themselves to dwell on it.

  Hankura and Chelle were thrilled to finally come home after three years, with the six-month journey to and from Velran. The Oltarin system is on the opposite side of the Federation territories from Velran. But the long journey was worth taking to have their children trained in using their psionic abilities by a Wholaskan expert. It was extremely important because their children were more powerful psions than they were. They hoped that would be enough.

 They had left with two children and came back with three.

Eight-month old Calan was born on Velran, conceived in vitro as part of Hankura study on the genetics of dominant psi factor. The implications results had so terrified him that he had erased them from all his computers and the study itself. Hankura and Chelle were the key, and Calan was the proof. Only psi-mates and the children of psi-mates can produce psions with genetically dominant psi-factor. Hankura and his family were full of the genetic material that could product genetically dominant psions.

This was why the Tregans had tried to capture them on the way to Velran.  Three crew members of the Sential Trader were killed; several were wounded along with Hankura who almost died from his wound. Jamerin, their eldest son was also mortally injured.  Only Chelle’s psionic healing abilities saved them.

Also going to Oltarin with them were their close friends Delmran and Lishaad, and their eight-month old baby girl who was also conceived in vitro as part of Hankura’s psi-factor study. Delmran had been security chief at the Federation Embassy on Velran, which was actually a covert unit.  He’d gone to Velran in pursuit of revenge against the Tregans who’d escaped their home planet when the Federation put it under martial law for their attack on Federation colonies.

Zevus Mar was one of those colonies. The exploration vessel Searching Star was preparing to land for crew leaves and supplies when the attack killed more than half their crew. The rest were taken prisoners---raped, tortured, murdered until Hankura escaped by killing two Tregan officers and every other Tregan who got in his way in his bid to rescue his psi-mate Chelle. Hankura was a physician and Chelle a Med Tech.

It took years to put the nightmare behind them. It took falling in love with Lishaad for Delmran to decide he wanted more out of life than revenge. The Wholaskan Mesgar had charged him with protecting the Aledan Hankura.  The best way to do that was to start his new life with Lishaad on Oltarin where Hankura and Chelle made their home after the Explorations. Their new home was waiting for them along with a new job for Delmran as head of the Federation Embassy on Oltarin. They had never been happier.

There were three children who were not so happy to be coming back to Oltarin: Jamerin, his sister Lara and Parei.

“We are psi-mates,” Jamerin said to Parei. “We will be lifemates.  We should stay together.”

“And you’re my best friend,” Lara added.  They were alone in the tiny playroom of the Sential Trader.

“And you both are my best friends,” Parei replied.  She and Jamerin were eight and Lara was five. “But Mommy says we are too young.  We have to be grown up to be lifemates.”

“Our parents said the same thing,” said Jamerin. “Well, I already knew that. Mesgar told me. He knew we would meet and said that we would be together forever---someday. But I want it to be now so we can play and do school, ride our horses, and have fun together.”

“I know,” Parei sighed. “I want that, too. But we can’t.  Mommy said that your Dad told her we will still be connected in our dreams when we are apart---like your dad and mom.”

“That’s not enough,” Jamerin asserted. “We can take you with us and they won’t even know you’re gone.  I know how we can do it.”

“Parei is so upset.  I don’t know what to do,” Rona mused.  “She wants us to let her stay on Oltarin with Jamerin.  They’re only eight. I don’t want to be apart from her that long. We only come around here every two years.”

“We feel the same way,” Chelle said. “Jamerin and Lara are upset too.”

“We reminded him of Mesgar’s teachings and told him about our psi-mating,” said Hankura.  “Chelle and I never met face to face until twenty years after we touched each other’s mind. I even shared the memories with him. He said it was different because we didn’t get to spend six months playing together and then get split apart.”

“He’s right,” Chelle agreed.  “We were never quite real to each other until we met.”

“So what do we do?” Parei’s mother asked. “Put them into stasis until they turn eighteen?”

“That would only solve one problem and restrict their natural development.” Hankura said. “We could sedate them for a few days to give them time to adjust to the separation.”

“What about stasis for just a couple months?” Captain Otian, Parei’s stepfather suggested.

“Their separation anxiety would still feel just as fresh as it does now,” Chelle said. “Mild sedation could take the edge off. Then after a few days taper it and encourage them to connect with telepathy.  Psi-mates can do that.”

“We should start the meds today since we only have three days until we touch down.  I’ll bring you enough for a few days before we turn in tonight.” Hankura said.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Parei’s mother said.  “They can’t be together for ten more years.  It’s bad enough they will only see each other every two years---but Otian’s life---our life is out there. She gestured toward the stars.”

“It will be fine,” Chelle told her, “this is different than for Hankura and me.  They have us to take care of them until they can be together.  It will give them something to look forward to.”

“Earth hasn’t changed much since you lived there,” Otian put in.  “We didn’t leave Farringay Starport when we were there on our way to Velran.  It’s still a very dangerous place with the gangs and overlords.”

“You don’t have to tell us. That was like another life,” Chelle said. “It was probably wise that you didn’t venture out into the city.”

“That was where we had our first encounter with a Tregan,” Hankura remarked.

“And he almost killed you…”

“But I knew you wouldn’t let me die,” he smiled faintly at her.

“Not after I waited twenty years for you to come back for me.  I wasn’t about to let you die. Certainly not this last time either.”

“Hurting you was a mistake,” Delmran said.  “They were supposed to capture you, not kill you. If you and Otian hadn’t killed them, Emperor Renid would have had them killed.  That whole operation was a fiasco from beginning to end.”

“Almost everything that could go wrong did,” Hankura said.

“And I would have been a dead man if not for Mesgar and your kids,” Delmran added.

“I wish I could have seen Renid’s face when he found out you weren’t dead,” Lishaad said.

“He only slipped a little when I walked into the room,” Delmran put an arm around his life mate’s shoulders. “I don’t want to think about him anymore.  We’re starting a new life here---new home, new job.”

“I can hardly wait to see it,” added Lishaad. “And I have an interview with Territorial Planning and Land Management. They have quite a waiting list for colonization of the uninhabited continents on Oltarin.”

“What about Beyonn?” Delmran asked.

“We will need a nanny, but I will be working from home much of the time---if they hire me.  When not, there are office suites with child care rooms. So I can supervise her care while both at home and at the office.”

“Doesn’t the Embassy provide similar accommodations?” Chelle asked.

“Actually, I believe so---if not they will.” Delmran replied.  “What about you, Chelle?  Now that you have your physician’s credentials?”

“My job isn’t going to change that much.  I will make rounds to the five clans villages see patients in the Blue Summit Clinic once a week.”  She said. “It’s going to be good to be home.  I missed the horses so much.”

“Oh, right,” said Lishaad. “Delmran told me about the horses.  I am looking forward to seeing them for real.”

“I’ll even teach you and Delmran, how to ride, if you like,” Chelle offered. “Even Hankura has developed a liking for the horses and he rides too.”

“I can honestly say I’ve missed our rides on the mountain trails,” Hankura added.  “It’s so peaceful and beautiful.”

“Sounds like a lot has changed in the twelve years since we first touched down there,” Delmran commented.

“Not so much in the mountains as down by Sapphire Lake and near Mari-Sanna Starport.  The main difference in the mountains is increased ownership of hovercrafts and development of efficient power,” Hankura told him. “The ranchers still use horses to move their cattle and short trips.  There are more modern settlements on the other continents.  That’s what brought Casir and company to Oltarin last year while we were at Velran.”

“It’ll be good to see him again. I missed him on Zevus Mar, so I haven’t seen him since Velran,” said Delmran.

“We should have plenty of time.  He seems to think he will be busy here for several years,” Hankura said. “Jana and Delara and the children are with him as well.”

“That’ll be great,” Delmran grinned. “I haven’t seen them since Velran when we were all in University.” He didn’t even want to think how many.  It was too many.

The three children remained quietly sullen for the rest of the flight to Oltarin.  They said their good byes on the ship in private. Lara hugged Parei first, sniffling as tears ran down her face, “I can’t wait til you come next time.  They said then you could stay longer come to our house.  You are like my sister, now and I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

“Me too,” Parei sniffed.  “I will think to you with Jamerin every day.” She let Lara go and turned to give Jamerin a hug. “I will miss playing with you and Lara, but we can think to each other any time.”

“Me too,” Jamerin said after a brief hug.  There were tears in his eye as well.  He gave Parei an imperceptible nod. 

She backed away, crying in earnest, turned and ran from the passenger entrance of the Sential Trader in the direction of her cabin. Rona gave her friends an apologetic look and followed her daughter. She found her daughter in her bunk, crying into her pillow. Rona sat down on the edge of her bunk and took out a med dot from the pack in her pocked and pressed it painlessly to her arm.  She sat rubbing Parei’s back and spoke soothingly to her.

“Baby, I know you feel bad now. You are going to miss Jamerin and Lara.  We’re all going to miss them and their families. They have become good friends after all the time we’ve spent together.  But it’s not forever, honey,” she soothed.

“I know, Mommy,” she hiccupped. “I just need to be sad now.”  She sobbed for several minutes then calmed and finally fell asleep. Rona left her in the room, dimmed the lights, and closed the door.

She sighed as she headed to the cargo bay to help supervise the unloading of the passengers’ possessions on to the droid trams---one for the Aledan’s family and one for Delmran’s.

Lara was still sniffling after Parei ran to her cabin.  Jamerin took her hand and they followed their parents down the exit ramp with Delmran and Lishaad bringing up the rear.  Lishaad carried baby Beyonn and Delmran carried the baby’s supplies. The two families parted company at the hoverport where each had a hover craft waiting to take them home.

Hankura’s and Chelle’s home was high in the Blue Mountains set on a large agricomplex.  It was built by their friend Casir and his construction company from stone and wood found on the property.  It was essentially a huge log cabin, made from a unique type of tree which harden to the constancy of granite as it cured. It included and apartment with a separate entrance for Orin and Nalina who served as farm manager and housekeeper/nanny respectively. They were more than glad to be home after two years away.

Jamerin and Lara remained quiet and withdrawn during the thirty-minute flit to their mountain home. Still angry with their parents separating them from Parei, they kept their thoughts to themselves and blocked their parents’ attempts to soothe and console them.

Hankura, what are we going to do? They won’t let us in and we can’t make them. Everything was going fine until they met Parei.

I know. It was bad timing all around. They’ve had six months to bond and now we want to separate them and they are resisting---punishing us for keeping them apart.

Should we have let Jamerin stay with Parei?  They’re only eight---not ready for a psi-mate bond.

We can’t break the psi-mate bond….

We wouldn’t if we could.

Perhaps we can convince him to put it away for when he is older.

First we have to get him to listen to us and neither Jamerin nor Lara are letting us in right now. And he is stronger than both of us combined.

Damned bad timing for psi-mating.  Everything was under control until this. I think we should sedate them at bedtime for the next few days and then try to reason with them. We can’t force them to do anything. Medication is a temporary solution. Jamerin must remember that psi-mating is for mating and having children which must wait until he is an adult. He’s years from puberty, I doubt he is motivated by the mating instinct.  I never felt it until I became sexually active at nineteen.  Only then did I start having sex dreams about you.

But we never met face to face as children. There was no time for the bond to strengthen before you were whisked away to Velran.

This was so unexpected. We shouldn’t have let them spend the last six months together. Then, how long would we have waited for another transport back to Oltarin. Besides, we already have millions invested in the Sential Trader.

…And been through so much with Otian and the rest of the crew. They are our friends. They came back to Velran just for us.

We should have foreseen the problem we’re facing now.

We just wanted to come home.

And here we are.

Jamerin and Lara were apparently asleep when the hovercraft set down at their mountain home.  They were still blocking their parents’ telepathy, so they couldn’t be sure.  It was past their bed time.  Orin Hart, the big Tregan they’d saved on Zevus Mar was waiting just inside the hoverport when they touched down. He carried Jamerin, Hankura carried Lara, and Chelle carried baby Calan into the house to put them to bed. They had been dressed in comfortable lounging clothes in anticipation they would fall asleep before arriving home.

Hankura and Chelle decided to administer the sedatives to blunt their emotions temporarily until they could resolve the issue of separating Jamerin from his psi-mate.  Once the children were all put to bed, they fell into bed exhausted. They didn’t discover anything amiss until breakfast the next morning.

They weren’t surprised that Jamerin and Lara didn’t wake up to share the morning meal with them due to the sedative administered.  It was Orin Hart’s question that puzzled them.

“Where is your hovercraft?”

“It’s not in the port?” Hankura frowned.

“Nope.” Orin shook his head.

“But everyone is here. Lara and Jamerin are still asleep,” Chelle said.

“Did you check on them?” Orin asked.

“I did,” Hankura said. “Go see for yourself,” he added, suddenly not so sure he actually saw what he thought he saw.

Orin nodded and strode down the hallway, stopping first at Jamerin’s room then Lara’s. “They aren’t here,” he called back.

Both Hankura and Chelle jumped up from the table and ran to their children’s rooms.  They saw two beds occupied with sleeping children.  “Orin, they’re right there,” Hankura insisted.

Orin shook his head, uncertainly. “They are not.”

Though he couldn’t read the Tregan’s thoughts, he could tell by his facial expression that he wasn’t joking.  Hankura went and looked again into Jamerin’s room and still saw his sleeping son in the bed.  He blinked and shook his head, but the vision didn’t change.  He knew that Chelle was seeing Lara sleeping in her room. A frisson of fear crept up and down their spines as they suspected what was happening.

Jamerin!

Their son was using mind control to make them think he and Lara were still there. Because telepathy didn’t work on Tregan’s, Orin could see that the children weren’t there.

“Goddess, what have they done?” Chelle gasped.

“There was an empty opened container on the droid tram as well,” Orin added. “What the hell is going on?”

“Jamerin and Lara are using psi on us,” Chelle replied.  “He met his psi-mate on Velran.  She’s the daughter of Otian’s new wife.”

“She and Jamerin became very attached to each other on the journey back,” Hankura added.  “I have a feeling they took the hovercraft and wherever they are, Parei is with them. If they don’t want to be found, we aren’t going to find them.”

“We thought everything was under control,” said Chelle.

“Right. It looks like everything is under Jamerin’s control. …Doesn’t seem like Velran was much help at all.” Orin said dryly. “How are we ever going to trust him?”

Both Hankura and Chelle looked stricken as Orin verbalized just what they were thinking.

“Otian, have you seen Parei?” Rona asked as she stepped onto the bridge of the Sential Trader.  “She didn’t come to first meal.  I thought she’d slept in because of the sedative, but she was not in her room.”

“She must be here somewhere,” he smiled reassuringly at his wife. “I’ll go on the overhead and call for her.”  He swiveled back to his console and asked for Parei to report to the bridge. 

Because of the difficulty of separating eight year old Parei from her psi-mate, Otian and Rona decided it best to leave Oltarin as soon as passengers and cargo had unloaded.  They were just leaving the Oltarin system when Rona discovered Parei wasn’t in her room. Now Rona paced the bridge behind her husband, waiting for her daughter to come to the bridge.  Ten minutes later, Parei still hadn’t come.

“Attention all crew members,” Otian spoke into the microphone for the overhead.  “Please report. Has anyone seen Parei? Please check your work stations and the observation lounge.”

Within minutes, all stations had reported back. Nearly every nook and cranny had been searched.  Parei was nowhere to be found on the ship. As the last report came in, Otian looked pale beneath his red hair and freckles, his green eyes were troubled. “She must still be on Oltarin. There is nowhere else she could be.  Norsen, take us back to Oltarin.”

“Captain, I have Hankura on channel three,” said Jake. “On screen?”

“Sure,” said Otian. He waited for Hankura’s image to fill the main com screen, then he said, “Hankura, what can you tell me about my step daughter?  She seems to be missing.”

“Jamerin, Lara and our hovercraft are missing as well.  Chelle and I think they are probably all together but we don’t know where on Oltarin.  Jamerin and Lara used psi to make us think they were here while they were getting away.” Hankura told him.  “We’re tracking the hovercraft on the New Demus continent.  There is not much else we can do.  They won’t answer the com and they are blocking out telepathy.”

“Now what?”  Otian shook his head.  “How are we going to get them back?”

“That’s the problem. They are stronger psions than we are---stronger than most human psions ever known.  We can’t make them do anything and they know it.” Hankura made a frustrated sounds as he blew out his breath. “I’m at a loss.  What they’ve done goes against all their training. Such manipulation is exactly what the psi-law on Aledus were designed to prevent.”

“We knew they didn’t want to be separated, but I never thought they would do anything like this,” said Rona who was standing just behind Otian. “What are we going to do?”

“Chelle has an idea, but we will need help.  We’re going to take our other hover craft to New Demus.  Our friend Casir is there.  When you touch down, com Delmran.  I’ll com him after we’re done here and ask him and Lishaad to pick you up and meet us at Casir’s.”