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  "She takes after her mother," he said with nary a smirk.

  I elbowed him. "Behave. You must be Trent," I said as I attempted to break the spell my daughter had placed on the poor boy. I hadn't seen anything this bad since Shenda worked her magic on Chasm.

  Coming out of his Christa-induced fugue state, he turned and saw the elf and me for the first time. "Forgive me, General, Prince Lucien. Yes, I am Trent. Welcome to Tryton station," he said as he took my hand and shook it. The hell with this, I grabbed him and gave him a hug. Then the elf did the same, leaving the poor boy totally confused.

  "Mom, Dad!" Christa yelled, abandoning her workstation to run over and grab Harm in a hug while Bobby walked over to give me the same.

  "How the hell do you stay so calm?" I whispered to Bobby as Hurricane Christa subsided.

  "Tai chi every morning," he answered. I looked over at Trent and saw him nod in agreement.

  By now, the tears were flowing down Christa's cheeks, just like the ones flowing down Harm's cheeks. Elves and tears; the unbreakable bond. She let go of her dad and grabbed me. "I'm so glad you're here."

  "Prince Irithyl, General McMurphy, how nice to meet you," Lady Sienna said as she walked up flanked by her two Katalan guards.

  "General, Prince Lucien, my mother, Lady Sienna Craal of House Cadiz," Trent said as he introduced his mother.

  "Milady," Harm said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Seeing his expression of respect didn't sit well with her guards, Harm said something to them in perfect Katalan. They relaxed, if only a little.

  "You can speak Katalan?" an incredulous Sienna asked. "What did you say to them?"

  "I speak many languages. I told them that if they didn't behave, I'd stroke their fur backwards."

  I elbowed him before turning my attention to Lady Craal. "My Lady, I've heard a great deal about you."

  A look of discomfort clouded Sienna's face. "I see. So, what brings you to our humble station?"

  God, hold me back, please, I thought to myself. "We're here to help Christa and Bobby with a small personnel problem. It seems their programmer left, and their driver got shot, so we thought we would lend a hand."

  "You two know something about suit fighting?"

  "Harm has been designing and building suits for about twenty years while I've been driving them most of my military career. Have you heard of the Mark IV Minotaur suit or the Mark III Centaur? Harm helped design them."

  "And you have driven them?"

  "No, I usually destroy them in hand-to-hand combat," I said with a mile-wide smile. "Are you involved in this wonderful sport?"

  "Yes, I have several teams competing. Perhaps we will meet in the ring, I mean our teams, of course."

  "Of course," I noticed that Harmon hadn't spoken for a while. I looked and saw him frowning. "Well, I hate to cut this short, but Harm and I need to get to work."

  "I understand. Actually, I stopped by to check on Trent and offer my sincere apologies to Princess Christa for the incident last night. I have dealt with the matter personally. You have my word that it will not happen again."

  Christa looked at me for guidance. I could tell that she had reached the end of her "Princess" training. I gave her a slight nod.

  "Apology accepted. Consider the matter closed," she said with a slight bow.

  "Trent?"

  "I'm fine, Mother. The damage will heal."

  "I see. Then I will take my leave. General, My Prince, perhaps you will join me for dinner tonight at my residence?"

  I glanced at Harm and saw something akin to horror in his eyes. "That would be wonderful."

  "Dinner is at eight, and we have cocktails at seven."

  "Perfect," I replied. "We'll see you at seven."

  Sienna nodded before walking off with her security in tow. As they left, Harm said something in Katalan that got a chuckle from the two guards. When they were out of earshot, I asked, "What did you say?"

  "I told them I'd bring them each a ball of yarn if they behaved."

  I cuffed him, then took his arm. "What's up?"

  "Nothing." He turned to the kids. "Want to show us what's going on?"

  The three of them nodded, then walked us over to the work area. Inside were two suits, one dismantled, and one stored in a corner. Christa explained about Brenda, Brawler, and suit fighting in general. Bobby and Trent showed us where they were with Brenda's rebuild before showing us the pilfered parts locker. By now, Harm's frown had turned into a grimace.

  "Where's the control harness," I asked.

  "Here," Trent said as he handed it to me. The harness was very light-weight and almost infinitely adjustable--"One size fits all didn't begin to do it justice. I put it on and adjusted it for my size and build. "Can I try it out with Brawler?"

  "Sure!" Christa sat down at the control console, brought up Brawler, and then tied the harness into the training suit. It came alive, stepping out of the corner before mimicking my stance.

  "Nice," I said as I put the suit through several warm-up moves based on Earth tai chi and EMEF calisthenics. "Christa, can you adjust the feedback? Maybe smooth it out?"

  Harm walked over to look over her shoulder with glances in my direction as she made adjustments. He nodded, pointed, and smiled, but let her do the work. He's a firm believer in learn-by-doing.

  "Better, much better," I said while moving into more-complicated moves. I stopped and looked around. That's when I realized the stalls backed up to a small arena. "Can I use that?" I said while pointing to the floor beyond the stall.

  "Yeah, no problem," Bobby said as he and Trent opened up the wall to let Brawler out. I stepped out into the middle of the workout floor with Brawler about three meters in front of me. I closed my eyes, restarting the routine, while letting the feedback circuits guide me as I twisted, turned, kicked, jabbed, and punched in the time-tested EMEF Marine training routine. For years, I would go out into the yard and train with these moves. It felt good, just like when I was younger. I could feel the minute changes in feedback as Christa tweaked the inputs and outputs. Soon, I was performing pirouettes, fouetté turns, scorpions, leg lifts, leaps, three-point landings, and back handsprings. Damn, it felt good.

  Finally, after several minutes of some pretty complex routines, I ended the set with a back somersault into a stick landing. I could hear the suits servos complaining a little, but this was only the training unit. The real suit, Brenda, would give me even finer control.

  I stood there, breathing hard when I heard clapping.

  Lots of clapping.

  I opened my eyes to see contestants--mostly male--standing in their stall's access doors, applauding my routine. Over in ours, Harm and the kids were doing the same, proudly clapping away.

  I almost cried. With a bow, I walked off the practice floor with Brawler close behind.

  "Mom, that was incredible," Bobby said while hugging me.

  "I am speechless," Trent said. "Would you consider taking me as an apprentice?" This from a kid whose been fighting for several years.

  "Hell, yeah," I said, one soldier to another. "We get you healed and I will teach you the elf Marine way."

  Christa just beamed.

  Harm kissed me. Now, that's what I'm talking about. "What do you think about Brenda?" I asked.

  "She's a mess. It seems someone has been coming in and switching out parts."

  "Excuse me?" I demanded while going into momma bear mode. No one screws with my kids.

  "Using my personal scanpad, I compared the surface finish of one of the actuators in the suit with the one Trent got from Magus the parts dealer's shop. The one in the suit is borderline substandard while the spare is top shelf."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "The suit frame, outer skin, and electronics are fine. It's the mechanicals that are problematical, so I called Magus and ordered a complete set of top-of-the line Elven Industries, Ltd., replacement parts and spares, each with a certificate of compliance showing that they are legal for use in
this type of competition. We'll be up and running with a new-old Brenda by tomorrow."

  "What the hell is going on around here? I recognized a number of the drivers and none of them would go for this kind of cheating."

  "The drivers, no, but they're all military and male. I think their teams are keeping them separated from the inside action."

  "Perhaps we can find out more at dinner tonight," I said while watching the kids’ eyes light up as several loads of parts showed up. Yep, definitely a good thing we're here. Now, we catalog inventory and rebuild Brenda.

  Chapter 11 - Growing Children

  Moving through other-space, somewhere between where they had been to where they were going, the crew of the LTV Marta McMurphy milled about quietly in the lounge while they waited word from Doc about the conditions of Ashley McMurphy and her twin brother Grayson. The tension in the room was palpable.

  "Connie!" Shenda yelled over the intercom. "Where's the nearest station or planet where we can meet-up with a courier vessel?"

  Connie ran over to a terminal and typed in an inquiry. "Deep Space Way Station Regulon, ten hours from our present position at current speed."

  "Change course for Regulon and engage," Shenda ordered. The intercom went dead.

  "Bree, with me," Connie ordered as she headed out of the room leaving the rest of the crew wondering what the hell was going on.

  Connie and Breanne returned a few minutes later followed by Chasm. While they sat down, he walked to the center of the room and stopped, his eyes glowing with green fire. "Here's where we're at," he explained. "The kids are growing at a phenomenal rate, but Doc has no explanation as to how and why."

  "How fast?" Adaira asked.

  Chasm looked at the floor. "Physically, they are about ten years old."

  Gasps from the crowd. "What about mentally?"

  "They seem to have absorbed the League and Crystal Empire databases when they linked with me to stop the mercs back on Ventos prime. Doc thinks they are mentally in their twenties with full language skills. Emotionally, they are not children anymore. It is like their minds are waiting for their bodies to catch up."

  "How is this possible?" Torren asked. "Is it our genetics?" he said referring to his and his siblings’ unique genetic makeup?"

  Chasm looked at him with his green gaze. "Most likely it is mine. Remember, you and your siblings had normal, natural births. I was the one who was artificially aged thirty years during the time I spent in a gestation tube."

  "Chasm, why are you so worried? So what if the kids are growing fast? They're healthy, aren't they?" Connie asked.

  "Yes, they are healthy, but so were the 199 of my fellow GELFs who died before decant. These children don't have the luxury of being inside a state of the art medical support unit. To be blunt, I'm scared shitless."

  Breanne hurried over and put her arm around him. "Stop it. They will be fine. They're strong and smart, so stop fretting. Now, why are we going to Regulon?"

  "To meet a specialist, Dr. Winsome, a Crystallanian who has studied GELF physiology with Queen Losira. He was at a conference at our next destination when we called the Queen. He is now aboard a fast courier in route to Regulon where he will meet us. Regulon has an advanced pair of medbeds he will use to examine the kids. Hopefully, this rapid aging is normal for them."

  Doc and Shenda walked into the room. Behind them were two preteens with glowing blue eyes and black flowing hair tied in ponytails. "Hello, Connie," Ashley said while her tail flicked back and forth.

  "It is nice to finally be able to talk with you," Grayson added as his elf ears swiveled about to point at her.

  Connie fainted.

  ###

  Connie's eyes fluttered open as she regained consciousness. "Wow, that must have been some party," she said as Shenda helped her sit up. "I had this crazy dream about Ashley and Grayson..."

  "It wasn't a dream, Aunt Connie," Ashley said as Grayson just smiled.

  Connie suppressed a scream. Only now was she comprehending what Chasm was talking about and it frightened her. Instead, she calmly asked, "Hey kids. How's it going?"

  Grayson nodded. "Not bad."

  Ashley smiled. "Not bad at all."

  Connie gave them both a weak grin.

  "Connie, why don't you stay here and talk with the kids. You seem to fascinate them," Shenda said as she gave them both a kiss on their heads.

  "Me, Boss?" Connie sputtered.

  The kids nodded vigorously.

  "Yes, you. Now have fun you three," Shenda said as she headed to the hatch. One last look showed Ashley grabbing a multi-level chess set while Grayson picked up a copy of War and Peace, published in its original old elf, from the bookcase.

  As she headed to the bridge, she keyed her comm bracelet. "Chasm, it's Shenda. Do you copy?"

  "Yes, my love. How are Connie and the children doing?"

  "They're fine. Connie is entertaining them in the lounge. I was wondering if you could check on them when you finish your shift."

  "I would be more than happy to spend time with my offspring."

  Shenda smiled, knowing her husband meant every word. He loved those kids like nothing else, except her, of course. "I'm going to give Ruby a call. Want me to tell her anything?"

  "Tell her she can stop the silent treatment. It won't work," he answered.

  "Right. Shenda out." She shook her head. Ruby, Chasm's AI companion, has been in a snit since he took this job aboard the Marta while she stayed behind on the Cube where she worked in the biocybernetics department. She wasn't happy that she couldn't monitor his life signs at this distance.

  Shenda walked onto the bridge and sat down at the communications console. Forward sat Breanne at the pilot's seat while Shenda’s brother, Torren, monitored the operations station. She activated the transmitters and established a link with the Cube. "You have reached the Cube. This is Doreen. How may I direct your call?" the communications operator asked politely."

  "This is Captain Shenda McMurphy calling for Ruby in Biocybernetics," Shenda replied.

  "One moment, please..." Doreen was replaced by music.

  "Shenda! How's life at the castle? Aren't you due soon?" Ruby asked.

  Shenda checked that the link was on a secure channel.

  "Ruby, you may want to sit down."

  "OK, I'm sitting. What gives?"

  Shenda explained.

  Silence from the other end. Breanne and Torren glanced at Shenda. Finally, she asked, "Ruby, you still with us?"

  "How's Chasm dealing with all this?"

  "Stoically. It took him a week to recover from the energy drain, but he's fine now, though it bothers him you never call."

  More silence. "When do you arrive at Regulon?"

  Shenda glanced at Breanne who raised four fingers in reply. "Four hours."

  "Great. We'll talk more then. Ruby out."

  "Wait. Ruby? What the hell? She cut me off. What does she mean we'll talk in four hours?"

  "Ruby's an AI," Chasm said as he entered the Bridge carrying a tray of tea-filled mugs. "She's not constrained to traveling around the League in a ship. She'll be waiting for us at Regulon." He handed everyone a tea before giving his wife a kiss. "I'm heading down to the lounge. Need anything?"

  "Ummm, nice. Thanks," she said between sips. "No, we're OK up here. How's she going to get around if her body is back at the Cube?"

  "She is resourceful; she will find a way," he replied as he kissed her once more before leaving her to her duties.

  "Lovely, I can't wait to see the outfit she finds on a Podunk station like Regulon."

  "Want to drive for a while, Boss?" Breanne asked.

  "You're doing fine. I need to think," Shenda said while leaning back in her seat. "It has been a busy day."

  ###

  Regulon station brought a whole new meaning to the concept of Spartan. With only a small number of freighters to service out in the hinterlands, Regulon was primarily an emergency repair depot. It also served as a remote offic
e for OffSec and a jumping-off point for deep space exploration missions. Because of this, the decor of the station could be described as early Earth World War II U-Boat. "My, I love what they've done with the place," Connie said as she stood at the bottom of the loading ramp with the rest of the Marta's crew.

  "Functional..." Ashley noted

  "Yet sparse." Grayson added without missing a beat.

  Connie looked at them, then Shenda. "They get that from you, you know."

  "Get what?" Shenda asked.

  "Our tendency to finish each other's thoughts. It is similar to what you and Uncle Torren do when you're working a problem together."

  "We do not..." Torren started.

  "Finish each other's thoughts," Shenda added. They looked at each other and laughed. "OK, I guess we do."

  The banter stopped when a large elf walked up and bowed toward Shenda. "Capt. McMurphy, my name is Winsome, Dr. Winsome. Queen Losira asked that I meet with you regarding your children."

  "Dr. Winsome, thank God you're here. This is my husband, Chasm..."

  Dr. Winsome bowed deeply while whispering, "Chasm. Destroyer of the Harvest moon and savior of the Crystallanian race."

  Chasm took the doctor by the hands and helped him straighten. "I am just Chasm, a father worried sick about his kids."

  Winsome nodded. "Where are your children?"

  "Here, doctor," Ashley said as she and Grayson walked up to the physician.

  "Oh, my. When were you born, exactly?"

  The twins looked at one another. "Two months ago, though this growth spurt started a week ago," Grayson said while Ashley nodded.

  Dr. Winsome gently took Grayson's pulse, then Ashley's. "How do you feel?" he asked.

  "Fine," Grayson replied.

  "I can't wait for puberty!" Ashley added with a great deal of enthusiasm. This caused a fit of coughing amongst the female members of the crew.

  "I see. Would it be permissible to examine the two of you in a medbed?"

  The twins nodded affirmative.

  "Excellent! If you would follow me, then. Captain, there is a lounge across from the infirmary where you and your crew can wait.

  The group walked across the concourse, but were stopped by someone yelling, "Wait for me!" They turned to behold a very tall being, sort of elf-like, but much thinner, with impossibly long limbs and eyes twice normal size. It was wearing a red dress with a diagonal-cut hem slanting across its hips.