Endings and beginnings

"There's a problem between you and your father?" Anthony asks Rrsh'Dhana when they're back on the ship.

"Yes," Rrsh'Dhana admits, "but I would rather not talk about it." Then she sits down on the bed and Anthony can see that she is shaking.

"Nervous?" he asks. She only nods. "I know just the right thing to make you relax," he says, then sits down behind her and starts brushing her back. She starts to relax visibly after a minute, and lies down on her belly after another minute, giving him easier access to her entire back. He doesn't stop until she's almost asleep. Then he bends over and kisses her on the neck before he starts rummaging in a cabinet, pulling out a large, flat bag.

"What's that?" she mumbles as she sees him zip open the bag and remove several blue garments.

"It's a uniform," he replies. "I haven't worn it in a while, though. It didn't feel right." He quickly dresses in the somewhat rumpled but clean outfit, then sits down beside her again and starts stroking her back and tail with his right hand. She soon arches her back in pleasure, then rolls over on her back and is about to put her arms around him when he grabs her and pulls her into a sitting position to hug her.

It's still dark when they step onto the tarmac at the airfield. The major looks at Anthony's uniform for a moment before acknowledging him with a nod. After waiting a few minutes, Rrsh'Dhana moves closer to Anthony, slipping a slender, fur-covered arm around his back, seeking comfort. He puts an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. The colonel notices, but after glancing at the major, who discreetly shakes his head, decides not to comment. Then, a quarter of an hour later, just after the sun has begun rising, they hear the whine of powerful engines and see a dot on the horizon. As the dot moves closer it splits into one large and four smaller dots. Then two of the dots peel off, leaving only three. The large dot resolves itself into an alien spacecraft as it comes closer, and the two smaller dots resolve into A-10 tank-killer airplanes. The A-10s separate from the steadily slowing spacecraft to gain altitude, and begin circling. The large ship is now moving slowly, almost crawling forward until it is directly above the lighted pad on the end of the runway. There it slowly descends until three spindly looking legs touch the ground. The whine of engines fades, then dies off entirely. The lights on the craft shut off one by one until the only ones left are two slowly blinking lights on the tips of the slender, swept-back wings. A door opens on the side of the fuselage and a staircase glides out from beneath the doorway. Two soldiers in full body armour and large, visored helmets rush down the stairs and take up positions on either side of the staircase. Finally, a large male of the same species as Rrsh'Dhana, wearing a flowing cape over skirt and breastplate reminiscent of a Roman soldier's uniform, appears in the open doorway. He walks slowly down the stairs -- metal-capped boots making clacking sounds as they touch each step -- taking time to get the overview and adjust the cape for best effect, before he approaches the group.

"I am Colonel James Hawkins, United Earth forces, second in command of the European theatre," the colonels states, then points to the other humans in turn. "This is Major Thomas Hinchley, and lastly, Anthony, who had the honour of capturing you daughter."

"I am Rrsh'Ghanar, Clan chieftain of the Rrn'Sshah. Now return my daughter to me," the last obviously an order, not a request.

"No." The single word refusal coming from the colonel stuns everyone. "I'm afraid that we can't do that yet," he continues. "You see, there is a distinct possibility that we are at war, and if so, then we can't return her."

"HA HA HA! You must be joking, human. What is to stop me from just taking her with me?"

"Only two things," the major replies. "The aircraft circling above and the snipers stationed around us."

"And those are supposed to stop me?" the imposing alien blusters, amused.

"Yes," the major states, calmly." The wolves also thought, wrongly, that their body armour was adequate, and as for the aircraft, just watch." He then takes out a small radio and speaks a few quick words into it. A few seconds later one of the circling aircraft goes into a shallow dive, passing above the group, aiming for an old building near the outer fence. The aircraft's gattling gun gives off a muted roar and the building disappears in a cloud of smoke and debris. "Feel free to send one of your soldiers over to investigate the remains of the building, but I can tell you that it was made of heavily reinforced concrete," the major says as the smoke clears from the ruins.

"Of course, we don't want to keep you away from your daughter, and you'll want to make certain that she hasn't been mistreated. We'll let you speak to her alone for as long as you need, then we'll continue our discussion over breakfast. Just don't do anything that might annoy the snipers," the colonel says, glancing, first towards a copse of trees, then towards a tall building. Then he points to a building before continuing, "We'll wait for you over by that building there." Anthony reluctantly releases Rrsh'Dhana, then the humans walk over to the mess hall, leaving Rrsh'Dhana alone with her father.

"What was all that about?" Anthony asks as they walk towards the building.

"Politics, I'm afraid," the colonel replies. "We're very vulnerable right now, and we desperately need to get the message across that we can give out a lot of grief if we're pushed."

"This is totally off the record and top secret," the major interjects, "but the Phoenix is undergoing repairs and won't be flying anytime soon. Not that it matters, since we don't have enough warheads for another barrage, either."

A few minutes later Rrsh'Ghanar, together with Rrsh'Dhana, joins them by the mess hall. "There are issues?" he asks.

"Yes," the colonel replies, "but why don't we discuss them over a meal?"

The major opens the door and precedes the others into the hall. Seeing what is set out on the table, he turns towards Rrsh'Dhana and says, grinning, "Could you please leave some of the smoked salmon this time?" Rrsh'Dhana seems to take it as a dare and promptly dumps half of the salmon onto her plate.

"Now, what was all this nonsense about a war?" Rrsh'Ghanar asks between mouthfuls as he samples the food.

"Yes, that," the colonel replies. "It all depends on Rrsh'Dhana's situation. As I understand it, she joined the wolf forces to 'prove' herself. Some sort of tradition among your people?" Rrsh'Ghanar nods, and the colonel continues, "The question here is whether or not she joined after the war started, and if so, did it with your people's approval."

"I fail to get the point..."

"If she joined without official approval, then she can be considered a mercenary, which is something we can accept. Not like, but accept. But if she had the support of your leaders, then that would indicate that your people are not in a neutral position, but are in fact actively supplying personnel and aiding the wolves' war effort. By our conventions that is tantamount to a declaration of war," the colonel explains. "Of course, since we have recently finished one war, we're not particularly interested in beginning another."

"Of course," Rrsh'Ghanar responds, nonplussed. "No, the choice of going out and where to go is up to the individual. It is not something we try to interfere with, though. But if I had known what she had planned, I would have locked her in her rooms. She really needs to learn to get both sides' version before joining a fight." He then helps himself to more of the salmon before speaking again. "I can understand why my daughter likes this --- 'salmon' you called it? Quite an interesting taste." He then turns towards Anthony. "I find myself intrigued by you, human. The only obvious reason I can see for you to be here is that you were the one who captured my daughter. You wear a uniform different from everyone else, with no signs of rank upon it, but the officers treat you as an equal. Why is that?"

Anthony looks at him for a long while. "I'm here because Rrsh'Dhana has been in my care since I captured her. And this uniform? It was once the parade uniform for the Royal Norwegian Air Force. I don't display any rank because my unit no longer exists. Call it... a tribute to dead comrades."

"You must have a strange story to tell," Rrsh'Ghanar comments, prodding for more information.

"No." The single word is spoken with a surprisingly cold, flat voice.

"No? Not a single glorious moment in a war that has lasted for so long? There must be at least one moment of bravery, of heroism in that time?" he asks, prodding for more information about his daughter's captor.

"There is nothing glorious about war," Anthony replies in a steely voice. "There is no bravery or heroism either; only desperation and fear." Then he gets up from the table and walks over to a window.

Rrsh'Ghanar follows him, still intent to know more. "But I must know your story, for it belongs with Rrsh'Dhana's story. How else can her journey be weighed if not everything is known?"

"No, you don't want to know my story," Anthony states, then turns around to face the large alien. "But you're not going to stop asking, are you?" The coldness of his voice, and the look of his eyes devoid of any emotion stun the alien. "So be it," Anthony declares after a brief pause. "What do you want to hear?" The last isn't really a question because he immediately continues, "The bombardment started the day after my wife gave birth to a son. I know that because I spent two days and a night digging through the ruins of the hospital, hoping against all odds to find them alive. Then I spent another day digging a grave for two. But that isn't what you want to hear, is it? No, you want glory and courage. On the third day after the bombardment the wolves came. We were a small country, but when they landed we rose in resistance, more than a hundred and fifty thousand of us, armed and crying out for revenge. The carnage that first day cannot be described. They killed us by the scores, but we didn't die alone. They, too, died as we shot down their transports with rockets and fought their soldiers in the mountains, in the forests and in the ruins of cities. There was no glory then, only desperation. Ten men died capturing a single plasma cannon, then a hundred more died defending it. There was no courage then either, only desperation and fear. I could tell you about the wolves' desperation when they realised they were trapped, that no transport could retrieve them, but there was no glory in that, either. I could tell you about finding an old friend crushed under wreckage but still alive, begging for help that we could not give. I could tell you how he smiled as I put my rifle to his head and shot him, ending his suffering, but there was no glory then, either, only sorrow. I could tell you about when the combat helicopters came to aid us, but the fighting was so widespread and disorganised that they couldn't separate friend from foe. There was no glory then, either. The fighting ended a week later when our allies finally got air superiority and could fly in troops. I could tell you about the years afterwards spent traveling at night, hunting for wolves that managed to get down onto the surface, but there was no glory in that, either." Anthony then turns and walks stiffly out the door, and no one in the room tries to stop him. A moment later they hear one of the cars outside crank and drive off.

"Damn!" The exclamation comes from the major who rushes over to a telephone in the corner. There he quickly dials a number and speaks a few quick sentences before he hangs up. "Let's just hope he doesn't do something stupid," he mutters.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rrsh'Dhana asks, worried.

"No, I'm afraid not. He has a private war to fight," the major replies. "We guessed that he had been in the Norwegian battle but he never spoke of it, so we never knew exactly what he went through. No wonder he never let anyone get close."

"It wasn't the largest of the battles," the colonel interjects, "but with the long distance to the major powers, and the other three invasion forces, it took time before we could send enough fighters to win air superiority there. That prolonged the battle significantly."

Morning.

Anthony wakes the next morning to find himself alone and fully dressed in his cabin. He sits up with a low groan, then unbuttons his rumpled jacket before shambling off to the small bath. He splashes water in his face to wash the sleepiness out of his eyes before staggering to the rear cabin. There he starts rummaging through cabinets for something to fill a stomach that has not received any food since early morning the day before, not noticing the sound of the door to the forward area opening. Slim, furry arms suddenly embrace him from behind, then a broad muzzle rubs against the side of his neck.

"Whew! You stink!" Rrsh'Dhana exclaims, then releases him from her embrace.

"And a good morning to you too," he replies.

"Morning?" she asks, "It's almost noon. What were you really doing yesterday?"

"I went for a walk," he replies. "But what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be on your father's spacecraft, heading home by now?"

"Yes, she should." The deep voice of her father comes from the corridor. A door creaks open and he steps out of the small guest cabin. "But I have finally learned that there is no use arguing with her," he adds dryly. "She can be even more stubborn than her old father." He looks around, nodding approvingly, "Nice ship you have. Small, but tidy."

"It's large enough for me," Anthony replies. "It needs to be tidy. Anything that's loose can be a danger in bad weather."

"I can very well imagine. That must have been difficult for Rrsh'Dhana," he offers grinning. "She never did manage to keep her rooms tidy back home."

"Father!"

"Just teasing you," he retorts. "What is that on the wall there?" he asks, pointing to the rifle hanging in its brackets.

"That---" Anthony replies, "that is the rifle I used to shoot down Rrsh'Dhana's fighter." He then unlocks it, checks that it is unloaded and hands it over. "Here, take a look."

"Strange weapon," Rrsh'Ghanar mumbles as he turns it this way and that, looking down the sights and trying the grips before handing it back. "Why do you use this weapon when you could use a plasma rifle?"

"I know this weapon," Anthony replies as he starts breaking the weapon down. "I can disassemble and reassemble it again in less than a minute while blindfolded. It may not have the reach of a plasma rifle, but at close range it can even penetrate the chest-plate of wolf body armour. It was built to function under any condition, from arctic to desert, but most importantly, this weapon doesn't have an accumulator that must be recharged periodically."

"A weapon capable of penetrating heavy body armour, eh?" Rrsh'Ghanar says. "I must try this weapon sometime."

"Maybe we can arrange a trip to the shooting range some day," Anthony replies as he finishes reassembling the rifle. Then he hangs it back up and locks it into place before he resumes his search through the cabinets.

"Are you looking for something?" Rrsh'Dhana asks.

"Yes," Anthony replies. "Something to eat."

"Oops, sorry," She says. "I was by yesterday to pack my clothes and I was hungry. I should have restocked, but..."

Anthony just rolls his eyes and shakes his head before he turns and walks back towards his cabin.

"Where are you going?" Rrsh'Dhana asks.

"To shower and to put on some clean clothes. Since there's no food onboard, we might as well go out and eat."

"So tell me, how did the talks go after I... left yesterday?" Anthony asks as they sit down at the hunters' table at the café.

"After Rrsh'Dhana finished chewing off my tail, you mean?" Rrsh'Ghanar replies. "We came to an understanding, yes."

"May I ask what you agreed on?"

"Nothing much, really. We get upgraded computers on some of our ships and your people get to borrow a flight of sixteen of our long-range in-system fighters. We will also send a full crew, both pilots and technicians, to help you train your own crew. In addition to that, we'll let you borrow a couple of large shuttles for a while to help you set up a spaceport on your moon."

"Very generous of you," Anthony says. "And all you get in return are the fastest ships in the known universe. But why a spaceport on the moon?"

"Actually, we also got a promise that your people wouldn't sell the technology to anyone else for at least ten years. My clan owns a large shipping operation and we'll use any advantage we can get. As for a spaceport on your moon, there are many reasons for that," Rrsh'Ghanar explains. "Freighters won't need to be atmospheric-capable or need a shuttle to unload, and goods destined to other parts of the solar system won't have to be freighted in and out of the steep gravity well of your home planet. And then there are the military reasons. Fighters stationed on your moon can be launched anywhere much cheaper and quicker because of the lower gravity, and finally, there will no longer be any reason for any ship to enter orbit around the Earth, minimising the risk of a sudden bombardment."

"Sounds sensible enough when you put it that way," Anthony comments. "But it still sounds like we got the best part of the bargain."

"Well, there is one more thing," he admits. "I also managed to get an exclusive contract on such Earth-type delicacies as salmon, coffee, tea, and a few other luxury goods. The entire deal is subject to approval by the council, but with the samples that we'll be bringing back I doubt that it'll be overruled."

Just then the woman from the clothing store enters, sees Rrsh'Dhana and waves at her. Rrsh'Dhana stands up and prepares to leave the table. "Could you excuse me for a few minutes, please?" she asks.

"Of course," Rrsh'Ghanar says. "Go ahead and talk to your friend." They both watch as the two females disappear into another booth, talking and giggling. "Now that she is out of earshot I have a few things to discuss with you," Rrsh'Ghanar states. "While waiting in the small cabin, I noticed that the bed there looked as if it hadn't been used for a while. Now, my people don't like to sleep alone, so I can understand it if she decided to share your bed. But if she tells me that you ever tried to take advantage of the situation, I'll rip you open and feast on your entrails."

"You're welcome to try," Anthony calmly replies. "Just don't try to bite off more than you can chew."

"You think that you can take me?" Rrsh'Ghanar asks, bemused.

"I have survived for three months with your daughter," Anthony replies. "Fighting you can't be that much harder, can it?"

"Probably not," Rrsh'Ghanar replies, grinning with amusement instead of a threat. "She can be quite strong-willed sometimes. She takes after her mother that way." Then he continues in a slightly more serious voice, "What are your plans for the future?"

"I don't have any plans, really," Anthony states matter-of-factly. "I never thought that I would live to see the end of the war, not with me working as a wolf-hunter for so long."

"Wolf-hunter?"

"Yes. After the battles there were a number of wolves loose on the surface, and they sometimes sent down saboteur teams. Not to mention one or two pilots that survived being shot down. We couldn't let them just run around, so we began sending out people in the areas where we suspected they were hiding. A lone hunter could more easily search them out than a large group of soldiers. Some of the wolves were actually relieved to be found."

"Sounds like dangerous work."

"It was," Anthony replies. "Most hunters lasted less than a year. Since it was so dangerous it was volunteer-only work."

"Any immediate plans then, if you don't have any long-term?"

"The boat still needs a lot of repairs; that has first priority. Some of the decking has been leaking since it was scarred by a plasma lance from a fang fighter that got too close. A lot of smaller things," Anthony replies, then shrugs. "Other than that, I'll probably help on some reconstruction project somewhere."

"And how are you doing financially?"

"Not too bad," Anthony says. "Wolf-hunting paid quite well, and I don't need much, living on a boat. Why do you ask?"

"I feel that I owe you for taking care of my daughter for so long."

"No need to," Anthony says. "It was a pleasure having her around. Besides, she's a better cook than I."

"You really like her, don't you?"

"Yeah. She helped me get through a rough period. I'll really miss her company."

"Don't worry," Rrsh'Ghanar says. "We'll be back in a few months with the fighters, and then we'll be staying for a while." Just then, Rrsh'Dhana returns and the discussion turns to the food they're eating.

4 months later.

A slender, female figure carrying a large bag walks slowly through a snow-covered street towards the docks. Seeing a man in a doorway, she stops for a moment to ask directions; "Excuse me, but do you know if the White Lady is in and where she is docked?"

"She's at the far end of the docks, as she has been for the last two months," the man answers without turning to see who is asking.

The female, heartened by the news, picks up the pace as she turns the corner around the warehouses and begins the long walk along the docks. As she nears the ship she can see light from a porthole and she increases the pace yet again, almost running the last few meters to the ship. She quickly climbs onto the deck and makes her way aft to the hatch, which lies open. Noticing the smell of cooking wafting up into the cold winter air, she gently sets her bag onto the deck and stops to listen for a moment before silently lowering herself down the hatch. "Is there enough for two?" she asks as she hugs from behind the man standing in front of the stove.

"Rrsh'Dhana!" the man exclaims. "Of course there is enough for two. Or at least it will be if you release my arms so that I can add some more to the stew." As she releases her hold on him he turns around to take a better look at her. "You look great," he says, grinning, then hugs her close. As he releases her again he reaches out to stroke her left ear, which sports a single, plain gold ring. "What's this?" he asks.

"It's a memento of my journey," she replies. "Do you like it?"

"Sure," he replies easily, "but won't it interfere when I tickle your ear?"

"You're silly," she replies before reaching up and licking him on the cheek. Then she climbs back up the ladder to fetch her bag.

"You're planning to stay for a while?" he asks as he sees the large bag.

"Something like that, yes," she responds. "Don't you want me to stay?"

"Of course I want you to stay," he replies. Then he takes the pot off the stove and puts it on the table, together with a loaf of sliced bread. "Is your father coming also?" he asks as they sit down to eat.

"No, he had to attend a meeting on another planet," she replies. "I had to travel on a freighter to get here. I couldn't even get all my things down with me on the shuttle today."

"Oh?" he asks, "you have more with you?"

"Two more bags and a big crate," she replies, grinning slightly.

"The bags I can understand," he says, puzzled, "but why a crate, too? How long are you planning to stay?"

"I didn't bother to reserve a return flight," she replies. "Is that long enough?"

Not an end, but a beginning...