Ta1Ta Chapter 14

- The Ta'ainvel -

- By Khan -

14.

He arose naked in the middle of the night to stand by
the windows in the bedroom. Charlotte was still sleeping
with her long brown hair draped around her head on the
pillow. He returned his eyes to the dark Sanctum below.
He had found that he loved this Human woman utterly and
had done so since he had comforted her after the death of
the last brigands what seemed a lifetime ago. His feelings
were matched in her, he could feel that, but he still
wondered what would come out of a love between a Ta'ainvel
and Human. It had happened very rarely before and no one
had heard the end of those tales since the couples moved
away from normal society and its judgements.
Judgements, yes. The Humans had shunned their own for
falling in love with someone of another race. What would
the Ta'ainvel do? How would they react to one of their own
falling in love with a Human? And the First pilot, no, the
Commander he amended himself, at that. His fears of what
his people would think, and do, held him by the window for
another hour.
Then he found his thoughts not really caring anymore.
What does it matter if I love someone not of my own kind?
It was no different than in the ancient days when a black-
furred Ta'ainvel wasn't supposed to show any feelings for
the yellow-furred, not to mention the red-furred. Or was
it? Of course it was, this was a Human, not simply another
Ta'ainvel of another fur-colour.
Then again. Their difference was merely the accident of
evolution. If it had been the Arathurian equivalent of apes
that had evolved into sentient beings, they would not be
different at all. There were no big differences now either,
only appearances. They had found during the night that they
indeed were compatible in all the ways that mattered.
It would soon be time to start the day and Jante didn't
return to the bed. Instead he crossed the dayroom into the
bathroom and took a shower.
He put a towel around his waist after drying out most
of his wet fur and went to put on his overall and jacket.
He found Charlotte standing by the windows in the dayroom
looking out, as he had, into the Sanctum. She must have
heard his light footsteps.
"The Sanctum is very beautiful at night," she said, not
turning.
"Yes, it is," he replied.
"I know you think so. Never for once believe that a
woman sleeps when her man is troubled." She turned. "I
could see your fears on that black-furred back of yours as
clearly as if I had read a book. You are afraid of what
your people will think of you for having a relationship
with a woman of another race."
"No. I am not afraid anymore. My love for you
suppresses those fears." Yet he was afraid. Not of what his
people would say, but afraid of what Ayshala would say.
They were brother and sister but during the twenty years he
had known her they had on more than one occasion made it
into more. It had never evolved into more than closeness
but still he wondered how she would react.
"No, Jante. You still have them, only buried somewhat
deeper than before."
He sighed as he looked at her across the dark room
outlined against the window. Gods, how he loved that woman.
It didn't matter that she could read him like an open book,
it only made him love her even more for knowing him so
well. And he loved her a little bit more because she hadn't
delved deeper into his thoughts than the general emotions
that he showed.
"You're right. I don't want them to think anything bad.
Not about you." was all he said as he turned and walked
into the closet.
It would soon be six am and he hurried into his overall
and jacket. He put on his fur boots and gold bracers and
then fastened the communication device to his ear. Picking
up his headcap and a bundle he once asked for from a shelf,
he walked out of the closet to find Charlotte still
standing naked by the window. She had turned back now,
looking out.
"You shouldn't care really, what they think," she said.
"No, I know. And I don't care. I just don't want them
to think anything bad about you." And I don't want Ayshala
to hate me for loving another woman.
"I know."
"Now, come on. The medics said that you are physically
healed, though somewhat weak, and that you can start your
theoretical training immediately." He walked up to her,
stroking her lightly scarred stomach, and held out the
bundle containing a blue overall and a green jacket.
Charlotte looked up at him and smiled. "Alright. I'll
be along in a minute."
She walked into the bedroom to put on the clothes.
Gods, how I love that woman, Jante thought again. He also
found himself wanting Charlotte to stand naked in the dark
before the window again with the starlight illuminating the
Sanctum below. She really was beautiful if furless.
And so his thoughts returned to the questions about
what his people would think. Would they call her names and
shun her? Would she not be allowed to become a pilot? No,
he didn't think so...but it might still happen.
She was still fastening the segmented metal belt when
she came back out. The uniform fitted her perfectly as he
had been given her measurements by Anna. As she walked up
to him, Jante placed a communication device in her left
ear. It quickly extended its microphone and asked for voice
identification.
"Its been pre-programmed with your ID and current rank.
You just have to say your name into it now for it to be
fully tuned to you."
She did and Jante heard in his own device that 'Second
pilot in training Charlotte Westings' was logged into the
system. Ayshala and the former commander would also hear
this in their communication devices. Which reminded Jante
that he still had the task of thinking up a new title for
the commander. Amazing what strange things crossed one's
mind when faced with problems.
He led her through the still dark corridors to the
bridge and as the clock in his communication device
reported shift start, they walked through the doors. She
quietly asked about 'this shift business' and he explained
that two out of three working shifts currently had a pilot
on the bridge. This would go on for the next month or so
until they were sure that the Gravity Fold Drives worked as
they should. Then they would all have the same working
hours that would be longer and span almost two shifts.
However, he said, there will be no pilot on the bridge as
such. They would work as mobile commanders, taking in
reports all over the ship and being where they were needed.
He led her through the room to Ayshala's empty chair
and showed how it worked.
"This will be your place in a little time, in theory at
least. As I said, you will spend very little time in the
bridge itself for the next eight years. This has become
common practice among these colony ships only. On the
ordinary starships both pilots spent their entire waking
time on the bridge as the trips those ships usually made
only took at most two days."
Walking out of the room with Charlotte he reported that
he would be back in a few minutes.
The corridors were slowly lighting up and more and more
people walked through them. Charlotte studied the people
and the passageways making an effort to remember both.
Jante brought her by elevator through the command section
and downward past the Sanctum and the small docking bay
beneath the bridge. Soon they reached the section where the
green jacketed pilots housed their fighters and carriers,
and where new pilots trained.
"You'll have to learn the Ta'ainvel language over time
but right now you will be just fine. I've instructed your
tutor to speak to you in Dinathinian," Jante said to her
when she asked about language problems. "Or even English if
you like," he continued as Jonas appeared when the elevator
doors opened.
"He is my tutor?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes. His force commander has a very high opinion of
him and considers him, with his previous training in Human
aviation, to be fully educated. I believe you are up for
promotion, are you not Jonas?"
"Yes, I am. Now, come on Charlie, we're going to be
late for your first lesson," he said grinning.
"Watch it, you are still younger than me," she replied
walking out of the elevator.
"Only by fifteen years," Jonas laughed as the doors
closed.

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