Duty, Honour, Love

Mark stood and watched as Arthur shooed his staff away. He gestured to the steel tables and the contents in various bowls. Clearly he wanted Mark’s opinion on his recipes. “Ok what is wrong?” Arthur said pointing to loaves aravi bread.

Arthur picked up a loaf a mix of Aravi and wheat. “Please give me your honest opinion of this. It’s our best seller?”

Mark took the loaf and examined it carefully. The man wanted his honest opinion and he’d get it. What worried Mark was that he’d been out of the loop so long that he’d probably forgotten how to assess the quality of the loaf. He tore a piece off and put it in his mouth and chewed slowly.

“Well?”

“Reduce the temperature of your ovens by at least three degrees and your baking time five minutes and this would be prefect.” Mark was glad some of his parents’ teaching had been retained. “Aravi doesn’t do well overheated and over baked.”

Arthur beamed. “Good, good.” He gestured to the rolls of dough and bowls of mix on the tables. “What about these.”

“I’m hardly dressed for this?” Mark indicated his tunic. He unbuttoned it and hung it on a hook. He had a plain white shirt underneath. He rolled up his sleeves. Arthur handed him a clean apron. Quickly Mark tied it around his waist.

“Right let’s get to work there are orders to fill and remember Captain Karasena needs to eat?”

“Of course,” Arthur said eagerly.

Karasena watched fascinated as Mark worked kneading dough and mixing the contents of bowls. He seemed a natural in the kitchen like he was born to it. From what she had learned from him he had been. Which made his choice of a career in the military all the more strange. She saw how he talked to Arthur’s staff more a guide than a harsh taskmaster. She found herself drawn to his easy manner. She was so engrossed by the activity behind the counters that she jumped a little when a server brought her a tall froth topped coffee and cream topped bun.

“Compliments of Mr Tremble,” the server said and was gone to fill another order.

So busy watching Mark working that she barely realised someone had sat in the seat opposite. She looked up to see a woman staring at her. A woman she knew well Erikino’s one and only reporter. The woman was tall for a human with a narrow face and high cheekbones and a prominent hooked nose. Her hair was done in a messy bun. She was wearing a salmon coloured business suit with a turquoise blouse. In her hand was a datapad.

“Eloise?” Karasena said without enthusiasm.

“Captain ‘K’,” Eloise replied.

“What do you want?” Karasena was certain it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Eloise put on her best sneer. “I wanted to see our brave ‘hero’ of the Confederacy cozying with the enemy. There is a war on?” She paused obviously playing to an unseen audience. “Don’t lie you were seen walking down Main Boulevard with a man in Terran uniform. Care to deny that?”

“Yes, I wanted a private discussion with Captain Stillway as to how we bolster our defences.” It wasn’t the whole truth but it was one of those things she wanted his opinion of. “We need to find a way to defend this planet if the worst comes?” she wasn’t going to say too much she didn’t want a panic nor did she want everyone hostile towards Mark and his crew. It was poor luck on his part that he landed here poor for him but good for her. But that was the future and now was now.

Eloise’s eyes lit up. “Ooh has he turned traitor. Now that’s a juicy story!”

Karasena felt her anger notch up. “There are other enemies we should worry about!” She glared at Eloise.

“Yeah like who?” Eloise scoffed.

Karasena reigned in her anger. Eloise was a petty minded Human she’d only got the job because no one else wanted it. “Raiders, Orsini, Ulkoi.”

“And you really think these are more of a threat than the Terrans?”

“I know so,” Karasena said and instantly regretted it. She hadn’t meant to say that. “Erikino has no Planetary Defences, heck we don’t even have a picket boat to guard the system space.”

Not that a picket boat would be any defence against a ship like Mark’s River class frigate. A picket boat was double sized shuttle with a crew of five. Armed with one missile and two point defence railguns and little in the way of a shield. It was the pauper’s version of a warship and a laughing stock by all that had the credits for a proper warship. The Confederacy constitution allowed planets to have a home defence fleet as long as it only operated within the home system. Of course the Valkyrie had the biggest and the best. Erikino had none. Planetary Defences, cheaper and more effective than a fleet protected other worlds without fleets. Until now no one that thought Erikino would be in danger. It was too close to the Core and too remote to be in danger.

Karasena continued putting her point across guessing that this ‘interview’ was going out live. “I don’t have enough forces to protect the civilians. The Chief is seeing to that.”

“You are avoiding the point!” Eloise demanded.

Karasena’s eyes narrowed. “What do you think is the point. The Terrans surrendered without a shot being fired. More concerned with their wounded.” She gave Eloise her full glare. “Wounded that weren’t in a fight with any Confederacy ship. Does that sound like the callous killers you paint them out to be? We’ve all seen your biased reports cobbled together from images of a hundred years ago. That’s always been your problem all you care about is sensationalism. You are blind to the truth. If you want to cause a stir how about you strip naked, paint yourself blue and run about the streets?”

Eloise drew a breath to give a sharp retort when someone placed a plate of Aravi rolls fresh from the oven in front of Karasena. She glanced up to see Mark smile and wink at her before heading back behind the counter. Automatically she picked up a roll, the scents of which called to her stomach and her heart. She broke it in half to see the centre filled with red kokimoro juice. The juice held in perfect stasis in the centre the way it should be. Aravi and kokimoro berries were her favourites. She took a bite tasting perfection and warmth. It made her forget her anger with Eloise. It took her to a peaceful place far away from her concerns. She ignored what else Eloise was saying. She suddenly realised that Eloise was eating her rolls and enjoying them.

“So where is the Terran Captain. You let him escape didn’t you?” Eloise took another bite of the roll she was eating. “These are really good Tremble had out done himself.”

Karasena allowed herself a smile. “Oh the Terran Captain he’s been right here all the time. In fact he baked the aravi rolls you are eating.”

The stunned expression of Eloise’s face was a moment she would treasure.

“The Terran Captain?” Eloise stuttered.

Karasena noted she hadn’t put down the roll she had been eating.

“This isn’t our viewers…”

“Will what?” Karasena interrupted. “See you make a fool of yourself. Or that these Terrans are more interested in aiding the people of Erikino than going on a killing spree. Or is it that you are a biased bigot?” Karasena’s tone was mild and chiding. “The Confederacy stands for freedom of all or have you forgotten ‘United we are free’?”

Eloise scowled. “This isn’t over.”

“It is now, goodbye Eloise.”

Eloise slid out of the seat mustering as much dignity as she could. She snatched up her datapad and another roll. She stomped out of the bakery.

“Asshole!” Karasena said out loud. What shocked her was the round of applause that broke out to her comment. Even the two Security Officers gave her a thumbs up.

“You ok?” Mark asked her. He had redressed in his tunic and behind him she could see Arthur beaming happily.

“I am now,” she replied genuinely glad to see him.

“Have you eaten enough to stave off your hunger?” Mark asked her concerned.

“I’ll be ok.” With Mark at her side she felt she’d be more than ok.

“See that you are. I wouldn’t want to lose you.” Mark admitted. His feelings for Karasena had grown stronger.

Karasena felt warmth flow through her his words had been heartfelt.

“Best we leave,” he said to her. “I’m afraid we’ll need a vehicle I cut a deal with Arthur I taking the leftovers to my crew. We’ve been living on ration packs for so long we need some variation in our diets.”

Karasena loved that about him he was always thinking of others. With that in mind they headed back.