Chapter 17: New orders
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The story continues from Ayanna's perspective.

The marine and I were walking around the crash site. I wanted to help these people, but I was ordered to coordinate efforts with Earth. Oh goddess, I'm speechless. The damage to our ship is extensive. It really is a total wreck now. How is it even possible that so many people have survived a crash that felt like a genuine earthquake to me?

There are at least a hundred people moving about. I saw people being treated, some by humans. Some were lying down, others were supported while they were limping to the closest medic. 

At one point my comm.device started to beep again. But this was no message, it showed a small indicator, someone was trying to pinpoint my location. I walked towards the direction it indicated, the beeping getting louder and louder, until it stopped. I tapped on it, not sure what I had done wrong, when someone greeted me.

I looked up in surprise, then exclaimed "Taegen! You are alive!"

He then embraced me and softly said, "Yes, thank goddess. And you too, I was afraid that I would never see you again!"

The marine, who was escorting me, stepped back to give me some privacy.

"I missed you so much." I said, making sure not to start crying, remembering my feelings for him at our darkest moment.

"And I missed you. I need to say something important first," he said, releasing the embrace.

I looked surprised, then he said, "Ayanna, I really love you."

That made me giggle. I tilted my head and said "I knew that already, you silly."

"Do you want to go on a date with me today? Events always seem to keep us apart."

"No, I don't want to date," I said in a serious tone while observing the burning wreck.

"So...you don't want to go on a date anymore?"

"No,"  then I smiled and hugged him, whispering in his ear "because I want more than a date."

That made him smile. 
He then said "you scared me for a bit there! Tell me....what else do you want?"

I blushed and said "I think I love you. No...I do love you."

He then said "May I kiss you?"

"I thought you never asked!"

He embraced me gently and kissed me. 

I don't know how much time had passed before I noticed that I had received new orders.
We were both ordered to board the ISF Ausonia, an escort vessel. It would arrive here on this location within an hour, only to take us all the way to Solis, a station orbiting my new homeworld, Shalna.  

My new orders are:
-Report to the ISF Ausonia
-Meet Admiral Ikeshia Jocaryn for a debriefing session at Solis station
Other objectives:
-learn to read, write and speak the Shalna language.

 

It seems that I'm no longer needed here on Earth. I had some very mixed feelings about this. I silently say goodbye to mother Earth, then I ask the marine if I could use their radio. It took some time before I was finally able to speak to the president on the radio. 

"Mr president?"

"Yes, Ayanna, what can I do for you?"

"I just received new orders. I'm sorry to say that I will be leaving Earth today. My superiors have asked me to relay the following information to you. The crashed ship will be towed away soon, all of our people have been recovered and are receiving proper medical treatment. Two vessels will remain patrolling this system for a while. We thank you for your assistance in providing medical care."

"I....see.... But why must you depart? We still have the future of the Earth to discuss. The potential membership of the Empire even?"

"I'm also saddened Mr President. But they have ordered me to return. Another liaison-officer will contact you shortly. I hope they will guide you well on your path to membership. Mr president, this really is goodbye. I thank you and Earth for the hospitality and hope that we will meet again in more favorable conditions."

"Can't I speak to that Admiral of yours?"

"Ah, I don't think it works like that?"

"Alright then. On behalf of all the people of Earth, I extend my gratitude. Thank you for your help."

We then said our final goodbyes, and I returned the radio to the marine.

 

 

Only two hours later, Taegen and I were boarding the ISF Ausonia, one of the escorts.

We first attended a memorial service, where they showed pictures of the people who we had lost. I only recognized the captain. Many tears were shed, including mine. Some quotes from our, or well, their goddess got under my skin. They concluded the service with another tear inducing prayer "may our fallen comrades safely arrive in the gentle embrace of our goddess and find eternal peace." Even if you were a complete stranger here, the sad atmosphere forced you to cry and face the fact that life was always too short. 

 

I took some time after the memorial service to stare outside the huge window, seeing Earth for the last time.
That beautiful blue marble, a precious hotspot of activity in the vast nothingness of space.

The ship's engines then activate and Earth seems to be slowly shrinking as we are moving further away.

At this moment I start to cry, I am leaving everything behind. But I have also gained new things and of course Taegen who is holding me in a warm embrace, letting me shed all the tears I need to shed. 

"Taegen?"

"Yes my love?"

"I told you that I haven't seen my parents for a very long time, right?"

"Yes" he said softly, whispering in my ear.

"While we were in the mountain, the president asked me if he could do something in order to show his gratitude. And he did. I pretended that I wanted to send a letter on behalf of a friend. He assured me that nobody but the recipients would see the message. I wrote the letter myself and sealed it. He then asked his people to look up the correct address and send them that letter. They should receive it, hand-delivered by a government agency any moment now."

"That sounds important. What did you tell them?"

"I told them. Mom, dad, I'm sorry that we haven't seen each other in such a long time. I miss you. I hope you are healthy and happy. I just wanted to tell you that the Navy was the right choice for me then and that I am happy now. Goodbye, Anna." Well, the name is close enough, I can't tell them my real name obviously. 

"You are as kind as you are beautiful. That is why I love you, Ayanna."

He kissed me while I shed a few more tears. Now tears of happiness, enjoying the warm embrace of my love. 

 

After our moment together, we walked through the ship's corridors. This ship has a different configuration, it looks wider, bigger. I was very exhausted from today's events, including my interrupted sleep, so we both decided to go to our quarters to freshen up, maybe sleep a bit.

We were waiting in line in front of an information display. Apparently our orders don't include our quarters' ID, so we need to look it up first.

Imagine my surprise when I touched the display, and it repeated the exact same ID that Taegen had received. We looked at each other in surprise and checked again. Yes, there can be no mistake, we are both assigned to the same quarters. 

"They must be short on quarters now and someone must have seen our....embrace...." Taegen said equally surprised.

I blushed, and said "I don't want to cause a scene here, and I don't mind, do you?"

He blushed a bit too, the tip of his ears turning slightly red, and said "No problem, I will sleep on the floor."

 

When we had finally reached our temporary quarters, Taegen took a shower, then it was my turn. 
When I finished putting on my pajamas, I saw Taegen lying on a blanket on the floor. Granted, these quarters are bigger than the one on the Arbella, but still...lying on the floor?

He only wore shorts and a white t-shirt. He was scanning my pajamas, until he finally focused on my eyes.

We both blushed.

"Taegen."  "Ayanna." we both said at the same time.  This is awkward...

I motioned for him to speak.

"Ayanna, you look amazing."

"Taegen, so do you. Don't you want to sleep in bed?" I said with a soft, warm, and a bit teasing voice.

"Well, I wouldn't..." 

"I know you wouldn't..." I said, "just come and sleep."

It didn't take long for us to settle in bed and prepare for sleep. Except...sleep never came.
My heart was pounding, so I slowly turned around to face him, and noticed that he was also wide awake.

"Can't sleep?" he said.

"No. I can't stop thinking about.....us..." I said.

He smiled.

"Well, if you want...." I suggested.

"You mean.....?" he asked. 

I nodded while smiling my brightest smile.

We then cuddled as if we had known each other forever. He caressed me and kissed me, until it became a bit warm in our quarters. That night we had found true love in more ways than one.

 

 

The next two weeks were spent traveling to our destination, a space station that houses the Galactic Council. We took this time off to enjoy our moments together. 

After traveling for a total of two weeks, we arrived at the station in the early morning. We had both received updated orders just before we were docking with the station. Taegen was ordered to board another ship for departure in a few days. And I am ordered to be debriefed by the Admiral this afternoon.

I was first angry, then disappointed, followed by feeling depressed. We had found each other, but now we were being ripped apart. None of his embraces or "it is only for a while" remarks helped to better my mood.

Until he said "even if you quit the military, I will still be pulled away from you. How about a Union, us becoming One, you becoming my other half?"

"You mean...marriage?"

"Marriage? If you mean that I want us to be registered as officially belonging to each other, then yes. We call it a Union, or becoming One. In our faith our goddess is said to be one of the witnesses."

"Yes, I want that very much!!!" And gone was my foul mood.

Until he said "me too, but there is only one little problem. The traditional Union takes place in a temple, but there is no temple on board this station, only on our homeworld, the world below this station."

"Then...how do you propose we...?"

"Well...this station's captain can also complete the Union. The ceremony is just not as fancy as in a real temple. But it will still officially register our Union in the Empire's records."

"Yes, let's do that!" And I kissed him, to show just how much I want us to be together.
Then I said, "how do you know if someone is...eh, One?"

"Well, we wear a small symbol of our goddess on our clothing. Perhaps you have already seen it?"

I shook my head.

"You can also wear it on your uniform. It proudly says that you belong to me."

"And yours that you belong to me!" I made sure he understood my remark.

"Of course. That is the whole point, that nothing is allowed to break apart what has become One."  

I kissed him and said that I looked forward to our Union, but that I needed to go for my physical examination first. That is required for all staff who transfer to a new ship or station. Taegen will have his physical onboard his new ship. He then told me that he would ask for an urgent Union ceremony, due to our orders separating us soon.

 

After asking for some directions, I finally arrived at the station's medical bay.

Once my ID tag was scanned, I was asked to undress in an examination room. All sorts of scanning equipment was used on me, but only from a slight distance, so nothing was uncomfortable. 

The female doctor who had scanned me said, "alright officer Vohali, you can get dressed now. I will check the scans, I will be right back." 

After I was back in my uniform, the same doctor entered the examination room again and was smiling brightly.

"How is my health, doctor?"

"I'm happy to say that you both are very healthy!"

"Both? I don't understand?"

"Oh...sorry. I..I thought that you already knew. My apologies, I should not have said anything."

"Doctor, now tell me. Shouldn't have said what?"

"No, I really shouldn't have said that."

"Now tell me!!" I shouted, showing my obvious anger.  

"Alright then. Officer Vohali, you are pregnant. Congratulations!" 

My anger subsided and my expression changed into surprise. 

"Are you sure, doctor?" 

"Yes, very."

I lost my ability to think clearly and embraced the doctor, who was kind enough to pat my back.

"I am sorry doctor, I don't know what came over me."

"No problem officer, believe me, I like to give good news to people. You are dismissed."

After my physical I took a shower in my new quarters on board the station. I always feel like I need to shower after visiting the doctor's office. 

 

After receiving an urgent message from Taegen, I hurried to the captain's office on the station.
Taegen was waiting for me in front of the office. "Hello my love," he said, smiling warmly.

I motioned for him to come closer.

"I have news for you." Then I whispered into his ears "You are going to be a daddy.."

I then tried to read his expression...he was surprised...then a smile...
Then he embraced me, "Oh goddess, Ayanna, I love you. I..I can't believe it, you are pregnant."

"Are you happy?" I looked disappointed.

"Happy? No, I am beyond happy! Now let's have the ceremony, so I can brag about my other half and a little one on the way."

We then kissed passionately, until we heard someone say "ahem." It was the station's captain.

"Sorry sir," we both saluted and apologized.

"No need, this is one of my favorite duties. Being able to bring two together as One. Now follow me, you two. Do you want anyone to witness your union?"

We both looked surprised.

"Haven't thought that far, have you?" He was laughing in a comforting way.

"Well, you will need a witness besides the goddess herself. How about allowing me to be your witness then?"

We both said "yes, sir!"

"Good, now relax you two. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. For the duration of this Union ceremony, you are not under any orders. A Union is a sacred bonding, not to be disturbed by anyone, that includes Captains or even Admirals. So relax, and enjoy the ceremony." 

We both nodded, very nervous, while we were holding hands.

"Relax..." the captain repeated while smiling, "Today I have the honor to create One out of two. As the one who was granted the rights to perform a Union I ask you. Do you two wish to become One, with the goddess herself and me as your witnesses?"

"Yes!" we both said at the same time.

"Good, then by divine authority, granted to me by the monks of our Celestial Temple, you are now officially registered as One. You are now both each other's other half. Only becoming One again when you are together. May the goddess always smile on you and keep your hearts together."

We were still processing his words when he said "this is the part where you are supposed to kiss..."

And that we did, very passionately. 

"Good, my friends. I am sorry that I have to end this special occasion. You have your orders and I have mine. Dismissed!"

When we were outside the captain's office, Taegen embraced me again, and I felt welcome in his arms. 
He then opened his hand and revealed a small pin, a pin that shows our Union. He put it on my uniform, next to my ID tag, and I did the same to his uniform.

 

Next chapter: Chapter 18: Smiling goddess

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