Shalia's Diary Book 2 Read online

  SHALIA’S DIARY

  Book 2

  A Clans of Kalquor Story

  By

  Tracy St. John

  © copyright October 2013, Tracy St. John

  Cover art by Erin Dameron-Hill, © copyright October 2013

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s

  imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or

  events is merely coincidence.

  Kindle Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  PLEASE NOTE:

  Shalia’s Diary is an ongoing serial story. This is Book 2 of that tale, picking up where Book 1 left off at the October 1 entry. It is highly advised that you read Book 1 in its entirety before reading this second part. You may also read previous entries for free starting with the August 17 entry at http://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html.

  October 1

  I was sore after my fun with Dusa and Esak. Imagine that. So I wandered over to Medical this morning to check in with Dr. Dad. Nayun was as sweet as ever, but of course he wanted to know why I needed a hit of pain inhibitor.

  I have no doubt I was red as a lobster as I stuttered. “Um … strenuous activity.”

  He looked at me kind of funny. “Have you started a new exercise regimen?”

  Yeah, it’s called Fuck the Pounds Away. Sheesh. How am I supposed to tell my dad (even if he’s my unofficially adopted dad) about my sex life? I’m going to raid some of the empty dorms to see if any aspirin was left behind by previous inhabitants so I don’t have to go through this again.

  I scowled and told him, “I had a date last night with Dusa and Esak.”

  It was Nayun’s turn to blush. As he went to get my pain inhibitor I heard him mutter, “I’m going to have a talk with those two about being so rough. Maybe I’ll get a bit rough myself.”

  Yep. He’s my alien father, all right.

  When he came back, I took the opportunity to catch up on all the latest gossip. “So what happened to Mom’s abductors and the people they were working with? Are they being interrogated?”

  I’ve heard how harsh Kalquorian interrogation methods are. They are supposedly as brutal as Earth’s old regime when it comes to torturing suspects and the convicted. Not that I felt very charitable to the people who had kidnapped and traumatized Mom, but she had come through her ordeal as intact as someone with dementia could hope to. She’d been all smiles as she boarded her shuttle to daycare this morning. I felt kind of cringe-y when I thought about men and women being beaten and stuff, even though a part of me yelled they deserved it.

  Nayun placed his palm against my cheek, comforting me. “The Empire is not holding any Earthers liable for their post-Armageddon actions unless it is a direct attack on us. Kalquor is leaving that duty to the Galactic Council.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “So Nang let loose the people who took Mom?”

  “Of course not. They are being held in guarded seclusion until Galactic Council lawgivers arrive to take charge of them. The Galactic Council will determine what punishments are warranted. The kidnappers will still have to answer for their crimes against their own people, but their punishment is not up to Kalquor to determine.”

  “How long will it take for the Galactic Council to get here? They’re almost as far away from Earth as Kalquor, aren’t they?”

  Dad nodded. “Yes, but since we were at war, there was a contingent of the neutral lawgivers shadowing our fleet and yours to make sure atrocities were not committed against prisoners. That being said, this site and your mother’s kidnappers are not a big priority right now. The representatives for the Galactic Council should arrive in a couple of weeks, at the latest.”

  “The women who took Mom away will be held responsible too? Or do you lovelorn Kalquorians give them a pass? Can they score freedom for a kiss or a roll in the hay?”

  Dad chuckled. “I like the way you think. I’d sign up for invoking punishment in that case.” He patted my shoulder. “The women involved in all this have committed a crime, especially the ones who lured Eve away. They must answer for that just as the men will. Those females are locked up and awaiting extradition as well.”

  I felt a lot better. No one was being tortured, but the evil Pageant Trio was getting a little of theirs back. Good enough. “So it will be a couple of weeks before the Galactic Council takes them away. It seems to me you guys are stretched plenty thin without having to babysit the kids who can’t behave themselves.”

  Dr. Dad gave me a little frown. “Speaking of going, have you decided on the destination for you and Eve? You’ll need to put in your immigration status soon.”

  I grinned. “I know where we’re going, all right. Kalquor, where Mom can get her procedures and have a real life restored to her.”

  Nayun was thrilled. “Excellent! So you’ll be entering the lottery?”

  A little of my happiness dimmed. “Yeah, well that’s part of the package, isn’t it?”

  He patted my arm again. “I know you’ve gotten close to Dusa and Esak. But even if they had an Imdiko and were established as a clan, they are young and without much rank, Shalia. In the lottery, clans are given a battery of tests to determine their worthiness to clan Earther Mataras. They also have gained standing in their careers and community. They have achieved a certain standard of living, so that their mate and future children will be well provided for.”

  I arched a brow at him. “So they come with a dowry, is what you’re saying.”

  Nayun looked confused. “Dowry?”

  “Nevermind.” I huffed a breath. “What about love? Hasn’t that got anything to do with clanning?”

  Dr. Dad’s eyes went wide. “Are you in love with Dusa and Esak?”

  “I didn’t say that.” I shook my head at him. “I care about them. I adore them, so yeah, I suppose you could say I love them. They are absolute sweethearts. But I wouldn’t call it ‘in love’. I’m definitely not ready to clan with anyone, not even them. Not after all the shit I’ve been through recently.”

  Nayun looked relieved. “Thank the Mother of All. They are good men, but not ready for the responsibility of a Matara. As for your readiness, the trip from Earth to Kalquor takes nine months. Your mind may change about being ready to settle down by then.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that, but I didn’t say anything. Instead I prodded him. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

  He smiled at me with such warmth I could have hugged him. I really do adore Nayun like the father I should have had. “To me, love is an essential ingredient, Shalia. I certainly would never had clanned without it. I hope you do find a clan who inspires you to give your heart. It is a lifelong commitment, after all.”

  His look was wistful. I had to ask, “Is your clan going to find a Matara?”

  Nayun chuckled and his color deepened again. “We are getting too old to clan a fertile Matara. I do not expect we will find any woman to join us.”

  “Why not?” I scowled at him. “Just because a woman can’t have children any longer doesn’t mean she’s ready to be put to pasture. Mature women like good men to share their lives with, you know.” Or at least, that’s what I hoped. After my real dad left and before the dementia kicked in, Mom had often commented how much she missed sex. Privately, of course – women didn�
�t go around on Earth yapping about getting it on. I’d thought she was crazy at the time, but my sexual expertise before Dusa and Esak had been with men who blackmailed me into their beds.

  Nayun shrugged. “Maybe we’ll meet someone. I suppose anything is possible.”

  “Of course it is,” I said cheerfully. “An intelligent, nice man like you is bound to attract some lucky lady. That is, if your clanmates aren’t complete jerks.”

  That got Dr. Dad laughing. I couldn’t help but grin. I love his deep, rolling guffaws.

  “No, my Dramok and Nobek are good men,” he said when he’d recovered enough to speak. “Perhaps you are right, and we will find a woman who likes us.”

  I left him still chuckling over the idea his clanmates might be jerks. I’m glad to know he’s got a good Dramok and Nobek. My Kalquorian dad deserves the best.

  I suppose I should register my intentions to go to Kalquor now. I also need to line up Mom’s procedures. I bet I have all sorts of forms to fill out for myself since I’ll be going into the lottery. Lots to do, and I’m not thrilled to start on any of it. You’d think since the world has ended, there wouldn’t be any more paperwork. Ha! So much for that. At least I have dinner with Dusa and Esak to look forward to tonight.

  October 2

  Dinner was nice and full of surprises. Mom ate with us and Weln joined our little group as well. I think Dusa and Esak might be getting serious about having him as their Imdiko. They could certainly choose worse. And it turns out he’s a lemanthev howler, so they could not only complete their clan but their little musical group as well. Earplugs, please. Okay, okay, the lemanthev music isn’t that bad, but I can’t summon up as much enthusiasm as they have for it. Esak and Weln even began to loudly disagree on who was a better pounder: some guy named Din (appropriate, yes?) or another guy named Sugal. Dusa put an end to their argument by growling, “Enough!” With that one word, they shut up instantly, though they pulled a few faces at each other. Boy, it must be nice to be a Dramok and have everyone listen to you.

  The second surprise was a tall Earther man wandering up to our table in the semi-private dining room. He wasn’t accompanied by any Kalquorians, which is usually the case when an Earther ventures in. He was as buttoned-up as a businessman and smooth as a politician with his trimmed and brushed hair, blue polo shirt, and pressed khakis. His smile couldn’t have been more suspiciously innocent and friendly.

  “Good evening, all,” he said. “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I was recently voted to be the spokesman for the Earthers staying here at the Academy. My name is Matthew King, but everybody calls me Matt.”

  Dusa, being in full leader mode after shutting down Esak and Weln’s discussion, took it upon himself to answer for all of us. “I am Dramok Dusa. My Nobek Esak, and our friends Imdiko Weln, Matara Eve, and Matara Shalia.”

  Matt nodded to each of us as Dusa pointed us out. “A delight.”

  I wondered about his assertion that he’d been ‘voted in’ as the Earther spokesman. I sure hadn’t voted for him or anyone else. Hell, I hadn’t known there was some kind of election. Then I remembered I hadn’t been on exactly friendly terms with my fellow Earthers. So I told myself to shut up with the suspicions, already. After all, Matt spoke with civility to me and *gasp* Kalquorians.

  So I plastered on as friendly a smile as he bestowed on us. “Hi, Matt.”

  “So you’re the famous Shalia. And this is your mother.” His beam dropped in wattage to be replaced with gentle concern as he spoke to Mom, who was busy contemplating her reflection in a spoon. “I am so sorry to hear about the awful things that happened to you, Mrs. Monroe. I hope you didn’t suffer too much.”

  Mom looked up from her spoon to blink at him. “Huh?”

  “Matara Eve suffers from confusion at times,” Dusa said, still being everyone’s Dramok.

  I thought, look at this guy, lord and master of the dinner table. Okay, I’m being mean. It kind of got on my nerves that Dusa assumed he could answer for me and Mom though. He can be in charge when it comes to sex, but I am an adult and perfectly capable of speaking.

  Matt nodded. “I’d heard, but I’m not one to talk about a person who’s present like she’s not.”

  Well, that scored a point with me. Matt was turning into an okay guy in my book, even if he was kind of a politician. Or had he been voted spokesperson without campaigning for it? If it had been dumped on him, he had my sympathy.

  “May I sit down for a few minutes?” he asked. “Or would it be better if I spoke with everyone at a later time?”

  Dusa finally looked to me to get my opinion. It was about time. I nodded. “Please.”

  Matt pulled up a chair. “I wanted to introduce myself, especially to the Earthers who are making strides in good relations with our Kalquorian rescuers. I know a lot of hurt feelings and concerns exist between our two races, which has led to plenty of problems.”

  “Like Matara Eve’s abduction,” Weln said. He scowled as he said it. Mom is important to Weln, and he’d taken her kidnapping pretty badly.

  Matt smiled at him like he was a star pupil. “Exactly. I heard all about the wonderful presentation Shalia here gave your people in order to help them help us. I can’t tell you how it disturbs me that her efforts to make this terrible Armageddon situation better resulted in such a heinous act.”

  He turned his smile to me. I wondered if Matt’s cheeks ever get tired from holding such a pleasant expression for so long? Maybe his facial muscles were really well developed. “I hear you’re assisting Commander Nang with a similar presentation he wishes to make to us.”

  I nodded, cautious again. “I am. If people understood where the Kalquorians are coming from on all this and that they had no intention of setting off Armageddon, more Earther lives might be saved. Everyone wouldn’t be so scared of the Kalquorians’ attempts to rescue us.”

  Matt patted my hand. “A noble, selfless cause, especially after what you just went through. I’d like to offer my help, if I may.”

  My eyes widened. The majority of Earthers at the Academy are not happy to be among our former enemies. I’d been flat-out ostracized by almost everyone. Now their spokesman, the guy they’d made their mouthpiece, was siding with me?

  I couldn’t help but blurt, “Why?”

  “Because after your mother was victimized, many felt ashamed of how they acted. Whether people agree with opening the lines of communication or not, they know there was no excuse for the abduction of an elderly, mentally disabled woman.” The smile disappeared, and anger lit Matt’s brown eyes. “A lot of us want to know the truth of Armageddon, Shalia. I didn’t just hear about your presentation to the Kalquorians; I attended it. That our Holy Leader himself advocated such a thing was bitter to hear. Through your video of that poor woman’s suffering after she was found guilty of her own rape, I saw with fresh eyes how depraved our Church had become. I had known about these things all along. After all, I lived here, didn’t I? I was part of this society. Yet I’d never truly seen it until I looked at it from the standpoint of a stranger.”

  I had to agree. As horrified as I’d been back when I’d made that vid, it had still hit me with fresh shock when I used it to tell the Kalquorians of the terrors Earthers had endured under the former regime.

  Matt kept talking. “I told those I could trust about your presentation. They told those they trusted. There are still plenty of holdouts when it comes to seeing the Kalquorians as anything but enemies. However, a lot of people are talking about how we need to change our attitudes. It’s like we’re all waking up from a dreadful nightmare.”

  He took a deep breath. “We want to start fresh. This new beginning has come at a terrible price, so we have to make the best of it. We have to do better than we did before. Any way I can help, I’d like to.”

  I was happy to hear this. I had thought Nang would be wasting his time with trying to make a presentation to a bunch of hostile Earthers, but it seemed there might be hope after all.


  I told Matt, “I’ll mention your willingness to assist to Commander Nang. I’m sure he’ll be grateful to hear of it.”

  Matt seemed to be pleased. After a few more pleasantries with the group, he excused himself and left.

  The rest of our dinner was nice. I didn’t get to indulge in any hanky-panky due to Dusa and Esak having early shifts first thing in the morning, plus Mom had a hard time settling down for the night. So much is dim for her these days, but she does understand we’ll be leaving Earth soon. She’s in a panic to finish all her knitting for her Kalquorian friends, so she tried to stay up half the night to work on a green-and-white striped cap and scarf. She’s even knitting the biggest mittens I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see the look on the recipient’s face, whoever he is.

  Matt’s attitude has given me some hope about my poor, crazy species. It’s good to know Earthers can see past their prejudices and fears. Heaven knows, we could all do with feeling a little more safe.