END of LINE: Humanities Last Stand - part 3 (45 page)

“He's every bit the Warrior you thought he was and more.” Phillie defended her Jon “He just needs to take it easy and heal before he goes into another
battle. Jar, take him up and have the Healer make sure he's all right. If he isn't, have him put back in the tubes, otherwise have his meals sent to him.
I'll find out where our cargo needs to go and see to their needs.”

“OK my love. Let's go Boss.” Jarrieal said as he left the landing bay pushing Jon ahead of him.

“Alright you two honored guests.” Phillie turned and said to the females. “Lets get something straight. Just like little miss blue here can read people, I
can sense them. So if either of you are planning to try anything to hurt Jon, I'll know it. When Jon is out of action I am in command of this ship. That's
how he wants it, that's how it is. Follow me and I'll show you to your quarters.”

They walked behind Phillie for several steps until the mourner in black looked across the hanger bay and almost fell over her own feet when she saw the
multicolored Dragon Ship parked with the other shuttles. For their host to have that ship here, now, could only mean one thing. Soon all of the closely
held secrets would be revealed.

As Phillie led them through the corridors of the ship and up to the quarters she had assigned to them she continued her lecture. “Until we reach your
destination, you are to remain in your quarters except during meals. This ship is a lot faster than anything either of you have ever flown on. In just the
few minutes since your arrival we've made four jumps. Right now, no one knows for sure where we are except our Navigator and me. You will give me our
destination coords and I'll make sure you get where you're going. You are flying with the most trusted name in this part of space. We have only one rule on
this ship. Do exactly what you're told to do without any questions! You're safe on this ship as long as you follow the rules. Break a rule just once and
you'll be sorry.”

Stopping in front of a hatch Phillie opened the locks and showed the females inside. “I've seen better rooms on some pleasure ships and while these are
still not up to Sanctuary standards either, they'll have to do for your needs until we deliver you wherever you're going. Your private chambers for relief
and cleaning are at the back. Out here is the sleeping and living space. Meals are served three doors down at 0600, 1230 and 1700. If you're with us on
Defiance long enough, you'll find the food to be very good. Far above what is normal for a Peacekeeper ship. Our cook is the best in the galaxy. When you are
ready to let me know your destination, just COM me. Ask for Wrenches. That's my call sign. Make yourselves comfortable.”

With that last remark Phillie had to leave the room before she exposed the Lexie for whom she really was. She wasn't kidding when she told the females that she could sense them. The taller one was one of the same race as her friend Kelesro, back on Lexon Station. While she would never call her friend such a vile name, most of the galaxy
called her kind a Mind Witch because of their unique talent for sensing others emotions with just a touch. The Lexie was the same one who had touched Jon's
cheek on the first day she and Jon had met back on Lexon Station. His essence was all over her, just as hers still flavored him. She was not his mate
she was his heart-mother! Why after all this time would his heart-mother make an appearance?

“High One, are you willing to tell me?” Tiaz asked.

“Forgive me Tiaz. I could not until now. I still don't know enough to tell the whole story but I will tell you what I can. Many cycles ago I fell in love
with a human male. I tried to change my stars, but the Goddess had other plans and when he kissed me by surprise, I released my essence into him, which he
joyfully accepted. We claimed each other, united and married, as was the custom of what few humans still remained back then. Of course, my own father was
appalled and had me taken from our house. I was forbidden from returning

My mate and I spent many happy and loving cycles together until news came that Jon's true parents had been killed in a terrible crash. His parents had left
Jon in our care while they had gone to the seaside together to spend a week. Of course we took him in and raised him as our own. It seemed that my
husband was unable to provide strong enough seed to create a youngling in my own womb. I was always sure to tell him it was my eggs that could not accept
his seed, I loved him too much to tell him the truth that the problem lay with his seed but I think he knew better. So Jon became the child I was never to
have.

He grew to become a strong male with many wonderful qualities and when I saw how the Princess desired him, I knew the time for mourning was upon me. I had
foregone it for too many cycles while he grew. Then he was forced into the Peacekeepers by the twisted designs of one of Haven's lesser criminals. Both of
us were being called away, but there was nothing I could do to prevent his going. It was decreed by law that he leave our home. My own by the needs of my
body to finally mourn for my lost husband. So we parted.

The last time I saw him, he was on Lexon Station and my son looked so alone and frightened. He was splendid in his uniform with his midnight black hair and those beautiful deep blue eyes. Just like his father's and my mate's. I never understood why the females of Haven refused and mocked him. Then I learned of the male child of the criminal who had Jon forced into service. The boy child was a bully who tormented Jon all through their schooling.”

“How did you know the Princess wanted him?”

“We Lexies know these things about our men. We know the instant our eyes fall on the one to be our mate. I saw that knowing look on the Princess and on him
the first time they met. I'm certain Jon didn't know, but the Princess knew. As surely as I stand here now, she knew. Then I saw him at Lexon Station and
he looked so lonely I had to touch him one last time before leaving. That is when I first saw that little furry female who brought us here. She is his good
friend, much as a sister to my Jon. Did you see how easily she commanded him to obey her?”

“Yes, much braver than I would be against one as clouded with darkness as he is.” Tiaz admitted.

“Just that he has given control of his ship into her hands tells of how he trusts her. She cannot see the dark; all she sees is her love for her brother
and his pain. Both the physical and the deep emotional pain he suffers. She searches for a cure to that pain. We must help her find one and I think I know
just what will work. You must take these coords to her and tell her we must wait until a ship arrives with another passenger.”

Walking over to the COM unit Tiaz called “Wrenches, can you hear me?”

“Sure can Bar-rat, what do you want?”

“Can I meet with you about our next destination?” Tiaz asked.

“I'll be in the mess room in under 5. See you there. It’s out your door, take a left, go three doors down and turn right.”

“Thank you. I'll see you then.” and she stuck her long tongue out at the unit. “I am not a Bar-rat!” She exclaimed.

Despite her training, Auntie Gala chuckled.

“Alright Bar-rat, what do you need from me?” Phillie asked.

“I need you to stop calling me a Bar-rat for one thing. I'm the servant of the High Ones. I speak for them to the public. I also have been instructed to
give you this and instructed to ask you to go to these coords and wait until another ship meets us with a third passenger, then you will receive additional
instructions.” Tiaz told Phillie.

“First, my mate named you Bar-rat and until you earn a different name on this ship you shall remain Bar-rat. Just look at Jon. You call him Butcher without
even knowing why I gave him that name. Now he is Dragon. Only you people who don't know him still call him Butcher and if you knew how much your name hurts
him, you'd never call him that again. All it ever does is remind him of his failures.

Second, I'll pass on these coords and we'll go wait out the arrival of another ship. It may do Jon some good to get the rest he needs. Know this,
IF
we get fired on by pirates or worse, I'll personally have your skinny ass thrown out of the hanger bay.” Phillie informed her.

“You care for him a lot. Don't you furry one?” Tiaz asked.

“Would you care for someone who took you away from a lousy place, gave you a chance to turn your life around and then trusted you with everything he owns?
Tell me how you'd feel about someone who did all that and only asked you to give him was your best work in return. Never once has he ever taken advantage of me
and the Goddess knows I might have gladly let him!”

“Why didn't you?” Tiaz asked.

“His heart already belonged to another and that male is hers now for the rest of his life. He can no sooner take a new mate than a right foot can become a
left foot. Even if she has rejected him, he will always love her. It’s turning his soul black and I don't know how to stop it.” Phillie sniffled away a
tear. “I'm not even sure that if she walked in this room right now Jon could accept her again in the same way he did before. He's been hurt too deeply.
When he needed her the most, she ignored his pleas.” Phillie stared across the room before saying, “I sensed Jon's essence on your High One. I know who she
is. I don't think Jon can handle having her here yet. Wherever you are going, try to get there and let Jon come to her when or if he is able. Otherwise,
when we get you to where you need to be, just get off his ship and leave him alone.”

“Dear Wrenches, we have no desire to harm your Jon.” Tiaz truthfully told her. “You are right, the High One has already told me the story of how she raised
your Jon from a youngling. She will never cause him harm on purpose. This I can promise you with a clear heart. You must believe that we both pray to the
Goddess for his happiness, whatever the cost.”

“I fear for him Tiaz. I fear that he will go beyond the point from which he can return. Already each time he goes into battle he comes back weaker and less
like himself. He killed over twenty males with only that flaming sword of his during the last battle. I wish he would put it back wherever he found it and
forget the thing exists. Every life he takes with it takes more of his own life from him. I don't know how many more he has killed during his time as a
Peacekeeper. I just know he's very good at taking the lives from pirates while saving the lives of the innocent. He wore himself out during our last fight
and had to be carried off the ship. One day he will forget that he is a mere flesh and blood male. Then we will have lost him forever.”

“Then we must be his constant reminder so he can never forget what he is.” Tiaz told her. “Have no fear little one. Your Jon will come through this. He is
stronger than anyone gives him credit for. You know my kind and what we can see. His heart is locked away, but I have seen the lock. It can still be opened
and filled. Together we must make sure it gets filled properly, with much truth and love. Only truth and love can totally release him now. Having his
heart-mother onboard is the beginning of the truth, much more remains to be found. I will speak with her concerning your fears for her son.”

“Let me give these coords to our helmsman.” Phillie said while wiping the tears from her eyes. “The sooner we get there and make the pickup, the sooner Jon
can get the rest he needs to make his legs stronger.” Phillie finally turned away and went up to the command bridge. Feeding the coords into the nav
computer she let the nav officer make the jump and as Defiance settled, the crew went into its regular series of practice drills. Phillie went back down to
Engineering to study her newest modifications to the slip drives before going over the data on converting them to jump drives. She spent some of the time
checking out the two pirate Destroyers and selecting the one she'd attempt to convert into a Jump Drive ship first.

Jon stayed in his stateroom trying to rest but his mind refused to let him. He'd been forced to accept more of the pain drugs by Healer Hukor, but even
those were not allowing his brain to fall into a restful sleep. Defiance had been sitting on station for three days and still no ships had come to meet
them. He had spent those days down in the sparing room, working with Mopie trying to regain his ability with his sword despite Phillie's constant
insistence that he slow down. He still had not regained his status as an eighth degree Master Swordsman, but Mopie had assured him that he was improving
with every practice. Jon never admitted the intense levels of pain he suffered through during every session.

Nights were the times when he found his head filled with questions about their “Cargo”. Why would anyone want to take two mysterious females from him so
badly that they would fire on his shuttle? What possible purpose could a Lexie mourner and a blue Bar-rat have that was worth killing them to prevent them
from leaving the planet? Was it all just a disguise to get away from some crime they had committed? If that were true, then he was guilty of killing people
who may have been legally sent to catch them. Why did they take him to sit in empty space supposedly to await the coming of another ship and passenger?
Would that ship open fire on him as well? Maybe the females were only expendable pawns in a bigger plot to kill him along with his ship and crew because of
all the trouble they had been dealing out to the pirates who operated on the rim.

By now the Defiance had built up a reputation as the ship that would appear from nowhere and strike down any pirate ship that dared to operate in the slipways. Everywhere they had gone, Jon had made sure that the good people had a means to contact his ship directly if they needed his help. If anything, his last battle against not one but two ships that were his equal in size and strength, said the pirates were getting wiser about his attacks. He'd have to change his tactics soon to keep them guessing. Otherwise the pirates
might just send a big enough force to destroy him.

An announcement came over the ship wide coms that a ship was dropping from the slip almost on top of them. Jon ordered Defiance to move straight down from
its current position so as to give the other ship plenty of room to leave the slipway and stabilize in normal space. He also told the weapons sections to
have their cannons ready to fire and the attack craft ready to launch if needed. Then he made his way to the bridge in his wheelchair. Soon what appeared
to be a Yacht just a little smaller than a Cutter emerged and came to rest over the Defiance. The smaller ship was not transmitting an identity signal and
it was fully armed with what the scanners told him were laser cannons that had been added to it after it had been originally built.