Collapse pt 4

Iocor's child - a second son for Malum - was born on G'geckah twenty days after Vejiitasei's severe midwinter. Because of the intensive preparations for the various performances Mahrayne wasn't able to be with her brother's female for the birth: however Malum contacted his sister via commlink shortly after.
      Outwardly, Mahrayne glowed with delight; not only was it wonderful to see her brother out of the regeneration tank but the tiny baby he held up to the monitor was so beautiful. Inwardly though she, and her twin, were disturbed.
      *How is this possible?* Alida *gasped*. Mahrayne was grim.
      *I can only assume the G'geckans have something to do with it.*
      Malum had named his son Tornus, but the child was his son, not Iocor's.
      The twins couldn't begin to define where the knowledge came from but they knew that even though Iocor had given birth to him, Tornus had no direct genetic connection to her. It could only be the G'gecks doing, but why? Why were the aliens meddling in this manner? Mahrayne remembered the anomalous statistics she'd unearthed in her people's archives, data suggesting a high proportion of the Hassinan females who'd travelled to G'geckah for medical treatment had returned pregnant. It made her wonder how the 'advanced' G'gecks, who'd befriended the barbarians on the outer planet several centuries ago, truly viewed her race. Were the Hassinan simply living experiments?
      Malum glanced to one side, and smiled.
      "Iocor would like to speak with you."
      Mahrayne beamed as the female took her place in front of the monitor. "Congratulations, my friend, Tornus looks strong and healthy. How was the birth?"
      "Long." Iocor laughed, accepting the baby back from Malum and cuddling him to her.
      "I'm sorry I couldn't be there." Mahrayne spoke with soft regret.
      "I understand," the younger female smiled. "You have your own responsibilities – and I wasn't alone."
      The dancer chuckled. Nonnia and Olla had remained behind with Malum's four females; no, Iocor would have been far from alone.
      "Iocor – " Mahrayne hesitated, unsure how to tactfully pursue the hypothesis that was forming in her mind. "When you and Ientus first arrived on G'geckah, did the G'gecks... examine you?"
      Iocor blinked.
      "No, they asked to examine Ientus, because she was pregnant, but they didn't want to see me until later, after I discovered I was pregnant." She frowned. "Why do you ask?"
      "No reason," Mahrayne hid her disquiet behind a nonchalant shrug, "just curious."
      Iocor laughed.
      "Ah yes, Mahrayne's infamous curiosity."
      "It's got me into a lot of trouble, my curiosity." the dancer's smile felt weak to her. She changed the subject. "How is Malum? He looks tired."
      Iocor flicked a glance sideways and lowered her voice.
      "He is in pain, but the G'geck overseeing his recovery says that will pass as Malum regains his strength."
      "That's good news."
      "It is, and we'll be going home shortly."
      Mahrayne's breath stopped in her throat.
      "... Oh. Good." she managed. "Are you looking forward to that?"
      "Yes," Iocor's delicate face was sombre. "G'geckah is beautiful but it's not home."
      Mahrayne nodded, then with something very close to panic circling in the back of her mind asked if she could speak with her brother again.
      "Malum, please don't go back to Hassina." Her voice was low and urgent. The hunter frowned.
      "I have to, 'rayne, I'm Astolan's heir now, he needs me."
      Mahrayne strove for calm.
      "But you're a hunter –"
      "Not any more, I'm not." there was a deep grief in the young male's eyes. "I can walk but I'll never be agile - or strong enough - again to be anything but a liability on a hunt."
      "Oh, Malum, I'm so sorry."
      He shrugged minutely but his face was bleak.
      "My fate, obviously."
      Mahrayne lowered her voice further.
      "You've heard about the cave-ins?" Her brother nodded. "They're going to get worse."
      "How do you know that?" Malum frowned, puzzled.
      "I - just know..."
      The male's expression was openly sceptical.
      "Our people have always survived disasters. We've always recovered and rebuilt."
      "Not this time." Mahrayne was grim. "Please, Malum, reconsider."
      "I have to go back, 'rayne, I have a duty to our father, our family."
      The dancer slumped, lowering her eyes as she nodded mutely in defeat.
      "Please be careful then, please listen to the Effodios if not the aliens."
      Malum was gazing at her, thoughtfully.
      "You're serious, aren't you?"
      "Yes!" Mahrayne suppressed a surge of desperation. "Hassina is no longer safe, Malum, speak to the Lead Speaker if you don't believe me."
      "I will," he said, quietly determined. "But for now I have to return."
      Mahrayne bit her lip.
      "I – understand." She straightened her shoulders. "Take care then, baby brother." That earned her a scowl. "Your sons are wonderful, Malum, spend as much time with them as you can."
      "I will." The ex-hunter's smile was soft.
      "And say goodbye to the others for me, please? I have to go now."
      "Goodbye, 'rayne, take care of yourself."
      Mahrayne watched as her brother's image faded from the monitor, refusing to consider the possibility that that could be her last view of him...

"Tell me everything!"
Mahrayne leant forward, bronze eyes gleaming with eagerness. Merces laughed, lounging at ease on the floor cushions in the dancer's quarters. The older female glanced at the two reserved Hassinan males seated a decorous distance away.
"I'm sure, between us, we can answer all your questions..."

Merces and her Effodio kin had returned from their survey of the Kamome cave system and as soon as Mahrayne could spare the time she'd asked the trio to give her their findings in person. She'd invited them to her rooms primarily because she didn't want any interruptions, not that that location was any guarantee that someone wouldn't want to speak to her in the meantime, but it was quieter than the public rooms in the Academy.
      Merces was relaxed, especially without the Saiyan warrior there to glower at her. Torvus and Lento, however, were obviously uneasy being with the two females somewhere that could be considered 'private'.
       "The caves are definitely habitable. It won't take much to make them comfortable, either." Merces took a sip of the salty liquor Mahrayne had poured for them all, sighing in appreciation of the luxury she'd missed while at the peninsula. "We didn't explore as deeply as we'd have liked but at a rough estimate I'd say there's enough room to accommodate several small Households' worth of people."
       "There isn't the diversity of animal life in the caves as at home," Torvus, the elder of the males, spoke up, "but the…" he frowned, searching for an appropriate word, "…vegetation above ground is teeming with game."
       "Excellent!" Mahrayne enthused, "and the light in the forests is muted, the hunters shouldn't have any have trouble adapting."
       "You're serious then, about some of us settling here permanently?" Merces steadily regarded her younger friend.
       "I am, yes," Mahrayne replied, then after an odd, sideways look at apparently empty space, said quietly, "though not everyone will listen, or agree."
      Torvus' seemingly permanent frown deepened.
       "Why would any of us want to leave Hassina?" His tone implied he still couldn't understand Merce's, or anyone's, decision to stay on Vejiitasei.
       "This planet is rich, and inviting." Mahrayne answered earnestly. "Life here will be... easier than on Hassina."
       "That's not the point." Torvus scowled. "Hassina is our home. We belong there - "
       "I think Vejiitasei is beautiful," Lento, the young male, defied convention and spoke directly to Mahrayne. "I could imagine being happy here." The apprentice Effodio blushed deeply at the beaming smile she gave him, and dropped his gaze to the colourful rug he was sitting on.
       "Don't be ridiculous," Torvus snapped, "Manica will never agree to you leaving the Household to come here."
       "He may not have a choice." Mahrayne's murmur was so quiet Merces wasn't sure she'd imagined it, but before she could query the dancer Mahrayne lifted her head and smiled ruefully. "You'll have to excuse me, I have another class starting soon."
       "Oh, of course," Merces stood and bowed her head in deference to Mahrayne's higher status, refraining from hugging her friend in the presence of the males. "I'll organise our findings and send them on to the Lead Speaker?"
      "Please," Mahrayne grinned, "and if I could have a copy as well…?"
       "That can be arranged." The older female briefly clasped the dancer's hand, unable, ultimately, to resist touching her past-lover. "I'll see you later, 'rayne."
       The dancer nodded, then smiling, escorted the visiting Hassinan from her quarters.

Lento stifled a sigh and let his gaze drift away from the pile of notes he'd been trying to sort. The task was simple enough but the apprentice Effodio couldn't seem to focus his thoughts past the dazzling smile Mahrayne had bestowed on him. Lento sighed again and consciously closed the internal valve at the base of his penis, restricting the blood-flow. He had no right to be thinking of her in this manner, it was... unseemly. He pondered his reaction to the dancer. Mahrayne wasn't conventionally beautiful but she was unlike any other female he'd known and there was something, some vitality about her that was... arousing.
      "Lento?" The young male twitched guiltily, swivelling his head to find his much older sibling regarding him with gentle amusement. "Is there a problem?" Merces enquired. "I'm going to need those notes as soon as possible."
      "No, no problem."
      "But - ?"
      Lento flushed: how was it Merces always seemed to know when he wasn't being completely honest? Making a snap decision to confide in the female, the apprentice glanced over his shoulder to the bathing room – Torvus was well out of earshot – he respected his brother but had no wish for the reactionary male to overhear what he was going to say. The young male lowered his voice.
       "It's Mahrayne..."
       "What do you mean?" Merces frowned momentarily then her eyebrows shot up in alarm as she interpreted the expression in his clear, silver-grey eyes. "No! No!" she hissed. "Don't even think it!"
       "Why not?" the young male was prepared to be argumentative now he'd taken the first step.
       "Because – she's – it's – " the older female growled, floundering, "It's just not possible."
       "I don't see – "
       "Idiot! Even if Mahrayne was eligible for breeding, her father wouldn't be inclined to give her to someone of lower status."
       "She's already had children."
      "To an alien."
       "Without Astolan's permission." Lento sounded smug even though he was still whispering. "And you said yourself she's no longer involved with her children's sire - why shouldn't she consider me?"
       Merces' mouth opened and closed, then she grinned rather ferally.
       "You remember the female Saiyan warrior that was looming over Mahrayne the first time you saw her?"
       "Yes – "
       "Think of her as Mahrayne's male."
       Lento's nose wrinkled.
       "That's just silly!"
       "Saiyans are extremely possessive of their mates." Merces said with finality. "Mahrayne isn't available." Lento's stubborn scowl elicited a sigh from his sibling. "Please, child, don't pursue this."
       "I'm not a child."
       "You're half Mahrayne's age – you think she hasn't noticed?" Merces indicated the small bumps making up the angular patterns on his face, the only skinbeads he had so far. "Besides, your own females will be ready for you in a few years. Just think how pretty Cena and Nenia are, and how much you'll enjoy each other."
      Lento looked unconvinced but Torvus' reappearance prevented him from speaking further.
       "How soon will it be before we can leave?" the older male paced to stare moodily out of the window at the encroaching evening, his long, rough grey hair still damp from bathing.
       "The last transport left only a little while ago, it'll be at least - " Merces frowned as she mentally converted the timescales. " – fifteen Vejiitasei 'days' before the next one arrives."
      "I'm unhappy being stuck here while our skills are needed at home." Torvus grimaced.
       "Short of chartering another transport I don't think you have a choice." Merces pointed out. "And there are other Effodios, good ones, in the Settlement."
       The older male grunted.
       "Perhaps, but I still dislike being out of touch."

Lento watched the exchange with interest, quietly pleased he wouldn't have to leave straight away. It would give him a chance to find out more about Vejiitasei, and Mahrayne's plan to settle the Kamome caves...

It'd been a long day and Mahrayne was very tired, but she was so full of nervous energy she couldn't have sat still even if she'd wanted to. Kel and Kuri were returning from Pankuzu this evening, after being away for ten days. Mahrayne had missed them both, horribly.
Lord Kurumi's request to see his daughter and grandson had come as an uncomfortable surprise to Kelapa who'd more or less assumed the elder noble would never want to lay eyes on her again. The warrior had been reluctant to resume contact with her father – he'd been bitterly disappointed over her claiming Mahrayne – but Kuri was keen to meet his mother's sire and so Kelapa had taken some leave and travelled south with her son to the island where she'd grown up.
Mahrayne had had contact with them at least once a day, via the communit, but the physical absence of the Saiyan female was unnervingly reminiscent of the bad times when Kelapa had left her. There was a heavy ache, an emptiness in Mahrayne's heart that she instinctively knew that would disappear when she was reunited with her mate.

Kuri reached her first, streaking in through the balcony window to almost knock the Hassinan off her feet.
       "Maazirayne!" he twined arms and tail around her, burying his nose in her neck and inhaling deeply. "There was a fucking huge storm and a huge tree came down and almost hit the house! It was fun!"
       "Really?" Mahrayne grinned at the cub, "That would've been exciting." Though she couldn't remember there being a tree that big near the clearing that surrounded Lord Kurumi's dwelling.
       "Stop exaggerating, brat." Kelapa smirked, loping into the room to wrap herself around the parts of Mahrayne her son wasn't already covering.
       "Okay, so it wasn't that close," Kuri admitted, dark eyes gleaming, "but it was still fucking loud! The crash woke me up!"
       "It's so good to have you both home." Mahrayne tightly hugged the pair. "I've missed you."
      Kelapa's lips found hers for a gentle, prolonged kiss. The females' atypical 'pathic link blossomed, stirring awake; Mahrayne relaxed into the *awareness* of her partner, feeling safe and warm for the first time in days.
       Kuri was eyeing them both with a huge smirk. The cub yawned ostentatiously, and unwound from the Hassinan.
       "'m really tired, maazis, I'd like to go to bed now," his face brightened as if he'd just had an idea, "and you can have a bath!"
       Mahrayne blinked, then laughed out loud.
       "Ah, leidan..." she ruffled the cub's thick and soft mane. "Saiyans are not noted for their subtlety, yes?"
       Kuri smirked unrepentantly then dove for small carry-pack he'd discarded on entering the suite.
       "'ve got something for you, maazirayne," he rummaged around in the leather bag, shortly pulling out a spiral shell, large enough he needed two hands to hold it: it was covered in what looked like curved barbs. "I caught it for you."
       Mahrayne took the gift with a dazzling smile.
       "It's beautiful, Kuri, thank you." She admired the shell's lustre and the way the bands of rich red, pale purple and deep green wound a sinuous pattern around the spiny projections. "You caught it? What was in it?"
      "A shimet- " Kuri looked to his mother.
      "Shimetsu." Kelapa supplied, her expression revealing her fierce pride in her offspring. "They're fast, and vicious. The brat did well catching it without losing a finger," warm brown eyes narrowed, "though he shouldn't have pursued it into the deep water."
      "Aww, maazi, was okay, there was nothing big enough to eat me."
      "Hn."
      Kuri yawned again, genuine this time, and Mahrayne grinned.
      "Time for sleep, young warrior," she helped him off with his bodysuit then tucked the furs around the small, sturdy body. "Good night, leidan." the Hassinan planted a fond kiss on his forehead.
      "'night..." Kuri was deeply asleep within seconds.

Mahrayne and Kel rested together in the cooling waters of the bath, sated and happy. The Saiyan licked gently at the raw abrasion on her mate's neck.
      *Sorry, takibi, did I hurt you?*
      *No,* the Hassinan's smile was languid, golden bronze eyes shining with love and contentment. *How is your father?*
      *Old.* Kelapa sighed. *But delighted with his grandson.*
      *Old?*
      *The past couple of years have been hard for him, I think.*
      Mahrayne was silent: no doubt her and Kel's actions had contributed to the noble's problems.
      *Kurumi sends his regards to you, though,* the warrior half-smirked, *his 'warm regards' – those were his exact words.*
      *Will he forgive us, do you think?*
      *I don't know,* Kel sighed again, *but he's being civil, and he's invited you and the other two brats to visit.*
      *I'd like that.* Mahrayne smiled softly. *I'm fond of your father, and Pankuzu.* She paused, then hesitantly: *Do you think Lord Kurumi would object if Zorun and Ti'aasaan visited? I think 'rena would prefer to go with them than with me.*
      The Saiyan's tail tightened where it coiled around Mahrayne's waist.
      *What do you fucking think?* The Hassinan could hear her mate's forced amusement. *Having the King's Guard and one of the High King's family pay him a visit? Do wonders for his standing on the fucking council!*
      Mahrayne chuckled, doing her part at keeping the conversation light.
      *I'd like to see the look on Hezerunattsu's face when Kurumi idly dropped that into the conversation.*
      Kelapa smirked, then nuzzled her mate's neck.
      *Water's getting cold.*
      Mahrayne grinned, snaking her hand over Kel's hips to stroke her tail beads.
      *Better go to bed then, yes?*
      The warrior quivered, pulling Mahrayne close to her again.
      *In a little while. Don't want to wake the brat...*

'tiisaan brought the hvassah to a close, swirling to his knees, his body angled in supplication, slender arms folded across his chest, head lowered submissively so long, shining green hair could fall to partially obscure his beautiful face...
      The hostling held the pose as the recorded music faded, then raised his head to pout at his reflection in the mirror-wall. The dance was perfect, technically, but it lacked that indefinable something Jeice could've brought to it. 'tiisaan flowed to his feet, expression more thoughtful now than sulky, and padded across the empty rehearsal room to shrug into a bodysuit. He believed he knew what was missing from the dance but was undecided over how to go about making up the lack. The hvassah was about sex, basically, and as yet 'tiisaan hadn't explored that part of his nature. He hadn't needed to, his art was all-consuming, but now...? Now there was need for him to experience love-making so he could fully express the emotions.
      But who could he have sex with? If Jeice was here there was no question he'd approach him, but the hash'shavven was on Home and unlikely to return for some time. 'tiisaan did not want to end up hosting so all of his siblings, indeed, any other zn'hre, could not be taken into consideration. One of the hybrids? Only Za'rayne, Korena and Ti'vassaan had remained behind; 'rena and 'vassaan were physically too young and 'rayne hadn't appeared to show any interest as yet.
      The dancer absently tidied the rehearsal room as he pondered.
      A Saiyan? There were plenty of them about.
      But Peyaru belonged to Bu-chan, Kiraz was off-planet and Ry had his hands full with 'raadiin. 'tiisaan pouted - there were lots of others to choose from but he didn't really know any of them, and while having sex with a total stranger might one day be exciting right now it wasn't very appealing.
      Another student? Hn, possibly, he was good friends with many of them -
      The dancer abruptly stopped what he was doing as another candidate popped into his mind. What about the young Hassinan male Mahrayne had introduced him to? What was his name? Lento... The hostling's stunning smile was wasted on the empty room. Yes, Lento was certainly attractive enough to consider. Tall and lean, his eyes and hair were exactly the same shade of silver-grey, a lovely contrast to the warm golden skin of his angled face. His facebeads were interesting too, very different to the female Hassinans'. The dancer wondered if he had any more patterns hidden beneath the colourful robes... 'tiisaan's smile broadened; not only was the male quite beautiful but he moved with an unconscious grace - the hostling hadn't been able to help noticing - like Mahrayne did...
      The young dancer almost bounced as he made his way out of the rehearsal room and back to the zn'hres' wing for the night. It seemed he'd made his decision - now all he needed was a plan to implement it...