Prosperous: Chutes & Ladders
Chapter 5

“PADA!” THE BABY TERALLIAN ON THE SCREEN CRIED AND THENGIGGLED.

The dreadlocks of flesh that older Terallians had were justnubs on her head and her skin was yellow with faint green stripes. She smiledand her yellow tinted baby teeth sparkled. Her mother, Rouchel, held thewriggling child close, talking softly to her.

Captain Amidien Lixu smiled, watching his wife and daughter.Rouchel wasn’t as quiet and reserved as most Terallians believed she was. Itwas all an act to keep her from being arrested or executed. Their joining hadenraged his parents for many reasons. As a hatchling his parents had promisedhim to a countess which was now nullified since Terallians married for life,Rouchel was a common Terallian without an ounce of royalty in her bloodlines,courtships were supposed to take twenty years but the two married after five,and Amidien didn’t ask either of his parents approval for the marriage. Amidienhad been sent to a prison labor camp for the marriage, but when Rouchelannounced she was carrying their first child, Lixu released him and insteadindentured Amidien to the Terallian Battle Fleet for 100 years – likely inhopes a battle would kill off. In three weeks that indentured servitude wouldbe over and Amidien already had plans for his newfound freedom.

“How are my two favorite Terallians?” Amidien asked.

“PADA!” the baby cried, grabbing at the screen.

Her parents laughed. Amidien watched Rouchel’s smile. It waslike the sun appearing over a mountain top, bright and alive. It made him longto go home, send the children to his sire’s house, and spend the day doinganything Rouchel wished – which was usually spending the day lazing in Traqispark and talking about the past and Earth.

“Her name seems to be the only word she understands,”Rouchel told him, hugging her daughter.

“She’s getting big. Pretty soon she’ll be talking all thetime and you’ll wish she didn’t know the other words.”

Rouchel laughed, dipping her head. Amidien touched thescreen over her dreadlocks. They were soft as a newborn offspring and he lovedto feel them on his chest when he held her at night.

“I love you, Rouchel.”

She looked up at him, seeing his hand on the screen. She puther hand against the screen under his.

“I miss you, Amidien.”

“I’m coming home soon. In another three months.”

“I’ll count the days, my love.”

He didn’t understand why Rouchel used human phrases so much.Not that he really cared. Amidien looked down at his daughter, his firstdaughter after eight sons. His heart broke as he watched the chubby, happybaby. Unlike his sons, in twelve years little Pada would be expected to joinwith a Terallian that was three times her age and probably had five otherwives. He wouldn’t love Pada or care about her wants or desires. Amidien hadthought about that for several months now and came to a final decision.

“And when I return, I’m going to put in my leave and I’mgoing to take that offer to be a Merchant Raitor captain.”

“But we’d have to move to Earth.” Rouchel’s eyes narrowedslightly.

Amidien smiled, telling her everything she needed to know init. But still he told her, “I promised we’d move there before you died,remember?”

Rouchel laughed, covering her mouth with the back of herhand. Pada looked up at her, laughing with her. Rouchel looked down at Pada,her hand drifting to the young Terallian’s cheek. She looked back up.

“Besides, I think I’ve had enough of being accused ofearning my rank because I’m one of Emperor Lixu’s sons.”

Amidien was sure that the channel was being monitored, butthe comment wasn’t worthy of punishment. It was considered honorable for a sonto claim his position was of his own doing and not that of his father’s making.

Amidien moved his hand down, one finger lying over Pada’shead. Rouchel nodded. She understood the real reason behind the decision. Heand Rouchel were concerned about their daughter’s future on Tetra or theTerallian colonies, a fear that Rouchel frequently whispered and cried aboutwhen they were alone at night.

“Then it’s settled?” Amidien asked.

Rouchel nodded. Amidien looked at the intercom when itbeeped. His hand left the screen to tap the panel.

“Yes?”

“Admiral Riliq is requesting to speak to you, sir. He is ona secure frequency.”

Amidien looked back at Rouchel and Pada. He hated todisconnect. An hour a week wasn’t enough for him, but he also couldn’t ignoreAdmiral Riliq.

“I’ll see you when you get home, Amidien,” Rouchel told him,“I love you.”

“I love you too, Rouchel.”

Amidien tapped the keyboard and the scarred, snarling faceof Admiral Riliq replaced his lovely wife’s.

“Sir,” Amidien said.

“I love you? You risk saying something so weak minded on amonitored channel? I always knew you were too weak for the Battle Fleet,Amidien. If I’d had my way, I would have discharged you years ago.”

Admiral Riliq nevergave Amidien a break, and he was sure it had a lot to do with Amidien notrespecting his father.

Amidien bit his tongue from the acidic, snarling comebackthat it wanted to spit at Riliq.

“I’m sorry to hear that, sir,”Amidien snapped.

“I’m transmitting your new mission. And you won’t be home inthree months, so you may want to inform that rahetel and cancel your plans ofjoining Merchant Raitor.”

‘My wife isn’t atraitor,’ Amidien thought, ‘She isstrong minded, something your twenty wives couldn’t fathom.’

“No comment?”

“No, sir. The mission, sir?”

“You are to go to Karek. You will meet with anotherTerallian raider, a Paskian war craft, and an Avinion defender. Then you willall go to the Eslin system. Once you get there, cloak and await furtherinstructions.”

“Permission to request further information, sir.”

“Granted.”

“Why are we aiding the Paskian and Avinions with cloakedships?”

“We aren’t. The ships have Terallian crews.”

Amidien was confused.

“How soon after we arrive should our raiders cloak?”

“All ships have Terallian cloaking matrixes installed. Youwill all cloak.”

“How soon after shall I expect further commands, sir?”

“Not long. Will that be all?”

‘No!’ Amidien’ssilent voice snapped. “What’s going on!?Why do alien ships have our cloaking matrixes? Why do these ships haveTerallian crews? I want to know why this whole thing feels very wrong and why Ican’t go home to my wife. I was promised this would be my last tour!’

Amidien nodded once and Riliq was gone. He tapped thecompanel.

“Helm, make course adjustments to Karek.”

“The prison planet,sir?” his helmsman asked.

“Yes. Top speed.”

“Aye, sir.”

Amidien leaned forward and began typing a letter to Rouchel.She was going to be so disappointed, but better that, than him never cominghome. Never coming home? This wasn’t a war he was headed into; he was justescorting ships to a dead solar system.

Amidien looked up, struck with that thought. A dead solarsystem?

The Eslin system consisted of a sun and three gas planets.No race lived there or claimed it. Why were they going to the Eslin system? Hisinstincts told him that there was something insidious about to happen,something that may get him killed.

Amidien erased the start of the letter and began a new one.Rouchel and he had developed a secret code and he had to tell her to get offTetra and to the safety of their friends on Earth. Instincts told him that ifshe stayed, she and the children were in danger.

Merchant Raitor Union Recruit Training

Protocols Class, Division II

Racism is common throughout the galaxy, but while serving with the Merchant Raitor Union, discrimination against another crewmember for their race, creed, religion, lineage, or orientation will not be tolerated and should be reported immediately. Anonymous reports are accepted at all spaceports, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed aboard a ship.