I'm Still Among the Living!

Why, yes, I have been missing in action this last week or so. Sorry for the dark blog!

But I have a very good excuse. I'm up to my earlobes in Courting Disaster edits. This will be the last of my rewritten and published-as-standalone books from the StarDog tales formerly published in annual Pets In Space volumes (so no longer available). 

And it's a lead-in to the next--and last--novel in this timeline of the series, so it's a pretty major story.

I'll have a couple more weeks of work to wrap this one up and shoot it off to my editor, then I'll be working on my next project. (More on that soon.) Meanwhile, I have some new graphics and fun stuff to show you.

In the meantime, if you haven't caught one of the free reads on this blog, here's one you can check out. The Shell and the Star is an aquatic Science Fiction Romance!

>>> CLICK HERE TO READ <<<

The Shell and the Star - Part 34 (EPILOGUE)

Welcome back to the conclusion of The Shell and the Star.

This final link will be added to ongoing story which, if you aren't up to date, you can read in its entirety by click here  >> The Shell and the Star 

Thank you to everyone who has followed these excerpts since they began posting earlier this year. I appreciate all your thoughts and feedback. :D

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EPILOGUE

 

Standing on the shore of a pond, Jinn closed her eyes and opened her mind. The soft wind sang to her, the voice of the earth calling her name. Her father had always told her she needed to trust in herself, that great things were within her. She’d never believed him.

Not until now.

Not until her love for Trey helped her discover the strength of her heart and the promise of her destiny.

They were no longer alone in their garden. Others like them had come to their little paradise. Whether they hailed from the sea or the sky, now they were all Land dwellers. All twelve—and more arriving every day—were learning to walk on the land, to tend the crops, harvest the bounty and build a village. Their permanent new home.

Jinn heard a shout of greeting and looked over her shoulder to see Trey appear at the crest of the path from the sea, followed by two others, all hauling nets of sea grass and fish mulch from the Shell, hand tools and gauges from the Star. Already the newcomers had adjusted to moving in gravity, working the farm, even carrying burdens.

Jinn went back to her chores, throwing handfuls of food into the teaming fisheries. Watching across the ponds as four others harvested fruits from the orchard and vegetables from the gardens. In the calendars to come, the gardens would be expanded into fields, and the fields into plantations.

Not all the flora she surveyed had been planted. It seemed that nature wanted to play a part in the transformation, as well.

The stream rushed and tumbled within its banks, a gift from the clouds that lingered all morning atop the mountain peaks to the north. The fresh water fed the irrigation trenches and filled the many underground cisterns that would see them through the drier season ahead.

Jinn paused to take a deep breath and feel the wind lift her hair. Just over the hill, they had staked out large sections of the flats where they would soon build structures to house centers of learning and commerce.

Jinn felt the welcome warmth of Trey’s hand on her shoulder and his deep voice near her ear. “How do you feel?” he asked quietly.

That was her Trey. Always concerned with her comfort, especially now that she carried their first child. Doubly so, now that the child had been confirmed by Talstar’s doctors as a…

Well, certainly not a throwback. That label had now been proven wrong in so many ways.

“I feel free,” Jinn replied. She looked into Trey’s eyes and touched his proud smile with her fingertips, sliding her hand down to thread her fingers together with his. “I feel we’re where we belong, creating this new world with ties to both the Shell and the Star, but bound by neither.”

“Bound only to each other.” Trey whispered, raising her hand to his lips to kiss the blue Star tattooed on her palm. And then the symbol of the Shell freshly tattooed beside it. He closed her hand on the images and held it tightly in his own. “And to the future we’re going to shape, together.”

 

THE END

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I hope you enjoyed this story, which may have never come to light if not for this blog and the devoted readers who followed it week-by-week.

I hope it had some engaging twists and turns, and a surprise happily-ever-after you loved. Feel free to leave a comment about the story or characters, or contact me privately with your thoughts, if you prefer.

My plan is to make this novella a free offering in its entirety in the future, probably through BookFunnel or a similar service. 

I've added a little more below about how this story ties to The Inherited Stars Universe. 

Final Word

A few years ago I had a stroke of inspiration and started writing one of my on-a-backburner-in-my-head stories that had been simmering away on my creative stovetop for many years. It started out as a lighthearted SFR story about two misfits who fell in love. But over time it evolved...just like the characters.

In my head, I gave it that tag line. "An evolving story. A story about evolution."

After a meteor all but destroys their world, a small group manages to survive on an orbiting space station designed to last for 100,000 years. Those who read the earlier books in the series may have caught the identity of this man made orbiting super-structure. It's none other than Talstar Station--once home of the Universal Flight Academy and the Carduwan Fifth Fleet Headquarters in the long, long ago and all but forgotten. (It also served as a location in a past Pets in Space story, Courting Disaster, which I plan to re-publish in the very near future.)

When their population later outgrows the station, the inhabitants divide into two distinct cultures -- one that finds refuge in very different habitat of the oceans on the planet below -- with a necessary but tenuous reliance on each other. But in time, the ties between the cultures begin to weaken and unravel. The growing populations put a strain on their resources. And two friends who are leaders in their separate cultures see an opportunity to betroth their "mutant" children and forge new bonds between The Shell and the Star.

But as you now know, things don't go quite as planned.

This story is meant to pose an unspoken questions to readers. “Who are these people and why do they believe they are the only humans in existence? Why were they abandoned by all the other advanced cultures and subspecies in the known universe of Inherit the Stars, StarDog and SpyDog? When the asteroid struck, why were they not evacuated to other worlds instead of being left to struggle for survival on their own for over 50,000 years?” 

What could have possibly happened?

A very large clue to that mystery is revealed in one of my four StarDog stories that was first published in Pets in Space 5 and which I also hope to release in the near future. That story is titled Juggernaut. 

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Have a great week.

The Shell and the Star - Part 33

Can you believe it's October already? And now The Shell and the Star has almost reached it's dramatic conclusion. Only one more part will be posted after today to bring this story to its close. 

If you've been following this journey as it posts each week for most of 2022, I thank you for giving Jinn and Trey's adventure the life it deserves--which is to be imagined through a reader's eyes.

If you're just tuning in for the first time today, the entire story that's been posted to date can be found on The Shell and the Star page on this blog. Just click on the title at the top right tab on the header of this blog to get all caught up on all parts posted to date. 

For those following along each week, THANK YOU, again, for following this aquatic space adventure romance novella.  

This is how and where we left Trey and Jinn last week:

Tardem gripped his spear and his gaze returned to the surface. Doubt colored every feature of his face. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened and he locked gazes with Trey.

The water above exploded in a violent froth. Jinn’s bubble sank into their midst and the Perling scattered in panic.

No.

Not her bubble.

This one was occupied.

By her father!

Twenty-two more envirospheres crashed into the sea around him, each filled with a member of the Talstar militia. The sum balance of bubbles that Talstar possessed had just invaded the sacred Conclave of the Elders! The shadow of hovering trade transports blocked the sunlight, their outlines clear on the floor and walls of the Conclave.

“Commander Arc Amalla!” the Imperator sputtered. “You dare invade Fourth City?”

______________________

Jinn could just make out her father’s answer via the speakers of his bubble. “Invade? No, old friend. This is a rescue.”

Imperator Amalla shook his head, his eyes dark with anger. “You cannot interfere in these proceedings.”

“It seems I must,” Jinn’s father replied. “For I received troubling news that my daughter was in jeopardy. That she had been sentenced to death by the Conclave of Elders. And then I arrive at Fourth City to find her abandoned envirosphere empty and adrift on the surface. What’s a father to think?”

Jinn’s heart filled with hope. Her father hadn’t disowned her then? He’d come to save her? Could he save Trey, too?

“And then,” her father continued, “I plunge beneath the surface to search for her—and find her here, swimming amongst you as your two sons engage in mortal battle? How am I to interpret such an event, my old friend?”

The Imperator waved a fin to still the throng. “This is none of your affair, Commander. Talstar takes a dangerous liberty this day.”

“I believe my breach of protocol is warranted. It seems not only is the survival of our children hanging in the balance, but our two civilizations, with it.”

The Imperator’s eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself.”

“My friend, I know my daughter loves your son. And I also know your son loves my daughter.”

“How can you know my son’s heart?”

“Because he sent me a very heartfelt message last night via a trade transport.” Jinn’s father held up a note. “Our children span both worlds and their bond was intended to strengthen our two societies, not bring us to the brink of war. This is not just a matter for the Shell. This unfortunate situation will determine the survival of all.”

“You dare challenge the sovereignty of Shell law?” the Prime Elder shouted.

“This is bigger than your law. I have no desire to see this end in war, nor the severance of a trade partnership that has endured for nearly ten thousand longtides, so I have come to offer a fitting compromise.”

Tardem abandoned his embedded spear and went to Eldelza’s side.

The Imperator swam in a slow circle, assessing the strength of his sentinels, giving subtle signals to his captain, before completing his turn to bring his scowl to bear on Jinn’s father. “Our laws are set. There can be no compromise.”

“My new trade partner thinks otherwise,” her father said.

“What is this you speak of? What new trade partner? There is only the Shell and the Star in all existence.”

“No, my good friend. Now there is also the Land. The Land that your son and my daughter have reclaimed and re-colonized, thus making them citizens of neither of our realms, and not subject to any of our laws. They are now their own nation.”

“Trey!” the Imperator roared in a cloud of bubbles, spinning to face his younger son. “Does he speak truth?”

Jinn jumped when Trey placed a fin on her back and looked into her eyes.

“It’s truth.” Trey faced his father. “We have made our own world—separate from both the Shell and the Star—and we now declare our independence.”

“How can this be?”

“You know how I’ve devoted so much of my life to Trey’s Garden, Father?”

The Imperator gave a puzzled nod.

“The real Trey’s Garden isn’t in the sea. It’s on the land.”

His father rotated slowly to acknowledge his men. “When my sentinels reported to me that they’d found you and the Commander’s daughter walking upright, on the rocks of the shore, I didn’t believe them.”

“It’s how we escaped the Razortooth,” Trey confirmed.

The Fourth Imperator gave his head a mighty shake and studied his son. “You…have returned to the land?” he muttered, eyes round.

Trey nodded his affirmation.

“It’s finally happened, my friend, just as we always knew that it would.” Commander Amalla maneuvered his bubble closer to the Imperator. “We foolishly thought our children inferior to us, never seeing their true potential. My future son-in-law tells me he has been busy building his new realm for many tides. And he is growing food there. Just as our ancestors did so many lifetimes ago. It seems the demands of our growing populations hindering our trade may now have a remedy.” He looked toward Jinn and Trey. “Our folly was in thinking the solution was the bonding of our children, when our children were working on a solution of their own. Your son has a vision, Fasaro. A wonderful vision. Given time, the infinite bounty the Land can produce will ensure that all our kind may thrive—Star, Shell, and Land, alike.”

The Imperator had no words. With the wave of a handfin, the Imperator bid his sentinels to lower their spears.

The Prime Elder signaled his Guard to ready theirs.

“The Elders of the Conclave condemn—”

“Be silent, Merrick,” Trey’s father commanded, raising his fin high. “You oversee the law in this realm, but not trade relations nor the welfare of the people. That role is mine.”

“This Challenge is a matter of law,” the Prime Elder sputtered, “and it has not been concluded!”

The Imperator looked from Tardem, who had remained at Eldelza’s side, to Trey, who held Jinn’s hand in his fin. “I think it most definitely has.”

Tardem spoke out. “I withdraw my Challenge on the grounds it is no longer valid.”

“You cannot withdraw!” The Prime Elder puffed out his chest and looked to the other members of the Conclave for support, but they shook their heads, denying him.

“Yield your authority, Merrick,” his second in command said sternly. “The Challenge has been formerly withdrawn and in consideration of the extraordinary circumstances presented here, your fellow elders consider this dispute satisfactorily concluded.”

The Prime Elder dropped his head, and stepped away from his podium in defeat.

The Imperator motioned Jinn, Trey, and Commander Arc closer.

“We will reassemble in my manor. We have much to negotiate.”

______________________

So disaster has been averted, but the story isn't quite over yet. 

Please return to read the final wrap on The Shell and the Star next Monday right here on Spacefreighters Lounge, and be sure to read my closing comments on the story.

Have a great week,

The Shell and the Star - Part 32

I have a fairly lengthy ending commentary this week, so I'll keep the intro brief.

If you're back to read this week's excerpt, jump to the title image and read on.

If you're just discovering The Shell and the Star for the first time, you can click the link below to catch up on the entire story posted to date:

The Shell and the Star

And we're off...

Tardem hefted the Barclay spear in one de-finned hand and began to circle Trey. He made a tentative thrust, but Trey dodged it easily.

Jinn’s heart skipped. Did he have a chance to survive? Trey’s skill and power in the water gave him an unexpected, if slight, advantage, just as it had helped him win a Boggy Ball game against five much larger opponents a few days ago.

But as the two men sparred on—thrust and counter, lunge and evade—she knew his strength and quickness couldn’t last. He would tire. Then one error, one reaction that was just an eye blink too slow, and it would be over.

Tardem grew more determined with every miss. His fitness as a future leader was at stake if he could not best an unarmed foe. Trey darted ahead of his brother’s frantic spear thrusts, but his opponent’s strategy soon became clear. If he couldn’t hit Trey center mass, he would lance an arm or leg with enough force to incapacitate him. Then he could be declared victor and Trey’s bleeding body cast out the gates of Fourth City to let the monsters of the sea finish him. Tardem must have convinced himself he’d carry less guilt for his brother’s fate if he didn’t inflict the fatal blow.

Tardem has much to learn about guilt, Jinn thought sadly.

The two brothers engaged in an endless deadly dance, eyes keen but both showing signs of fatigue. Tardem gripped the spear tighter and Jinn hugged herself.

Then Trey faced Tardem and went still in the water. His head sagged in defeat, his arms and legs stilled and he bowed his head.

Surrendering?

Trey, no!

Tardem gripped his spear, closed his eyes and put all his force behind a charge at Trey. The spear tip glinted in the sunlight as it sliced through the water toward its target, and Jinn’s heart stopped beating.

In the last millisecond, Trey arced his body into a C and the tip of Tardem’s spear jetted past him and embedded deep into the podium of the Prime Elder, who back-finned in alarm.

Tardem tugged at the spear, kicking and thrashing, but couldn’t pull the barbed tip free when it had penetrated so deeply from the force of his lunge. Trey circled him, waiting, watching. Tardem finally was forced to release the spear and surface for air.

Trey made no grab for the weapon. He followed his brother to the surface.

The two men remained above longer than was needed to refill their lungs. The Elders and the spectators began exchanging glances. Trey’s father went still, his eyes fixed on the surface where his two sons remained.

Jinn stared, too. Were they talking? Arguing? Threatening?

Tardem returned to his spear, bracing both footfins against the podium and heaving. Still, the spear didn’t budge. He glanced at Trey, glanced at the surface. And tried again with the same result.

How long would the Elders allow Tardem to struggle with his spear? What would happen if they called the Challenge a draw? Would it end the duel, or would the two simply be forced to begin their battle all over again?

Tardem gripped his spear and his gaze returned to the surface. Doubt colored every feature of his face. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened and he locked gazes with Trey.

The water above exploded in a violent froth. Jinn’s bubble sank into their midst and the Perling scattered in panic.

No.

Not her bubble.

This one was occupied.

By her father!

Twenty-two more envirospheres crashed into the sea around him, each filled with a member of the Talstar militia. The sum balance of bubbles that Talstar possessed had just invaded the sacred Conclave of the Elders! The shadow of hovering trade transports blocked the sunlight, their outlines clear on the floor and walls of the Conclave.

“Commander Arc Amalla!” the Imperator sputtered. “You dare invade Fourth City?”

______________________________________

Story Commentary:  Upping the Stakes 

While I was writing The Shell and the Star, there was a challenge prompt put forth in a writers' support group I was involved with:

"How many characters will you kill off today?"

Hmm, I thought, The Shell and the Star isn't a body count kind of story. It's a light SFR that's serenely romance-focused. I realized I had some subconscious doubts about the impact of this tale, because the one thing I strive for in my work is to make readers think...about actions, consequences, decisions that are neither good nor evil but lie somewhere in the gray area where humanity seems to center itself.

This story is about two very different civilizations attempting to strengthen their interdependent bonds via the potential marriage of two individuals. But...

No wait!  It was more.

There are some pretty dire consequences at play in what I had been thinking of as a "sweet and fluffy" SFR. The disaster potential was real.

After some thought, I responded to the prompt:

"Two opponents facing death via hand-to-hand combat. Underwater. With the survival of two civilizations hanging in the balance."

That’s when I realized I was completely underselling this story in my head. And in doing so, I might also be completely under-writing it.

My mission, and I did decide to accept it, was to pen a romance that could be many things -- serene, romantic, eye-opening, heartbreaking, defiant, soul-rending, suspenseful, but ultimately, world-changing. 

I’ll be posting the conclusion of The Shell and the Star over the next two Mondays. I hope you enjoy the grand finale of this aquatic SFR adventure. 

Have a great week.

The Shell and the Star - Part 31

For those following this aquatic science fiction romance story each Monday, welcome back!

For those just tuning in for the first time, you can catch up on the entire story posted to date at this link:

The Shell and the Star

Last time, we left Jinn as she was joined in exile by Eldelza, who is now Trey's intended. Neither Trey nor Eldelza want this match, but fate, law and circumstance have created a terrible dilemma, not only for Jinn, Trey and Eldelza, but for Trey's older brother, Tardem, as well.

Now what? 

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Eldelza stayed with Jinn until a thin crescent of the sun crept just over the horizon, flooding the waters of Fourth City with dawn. Then, together, they returned to the Imperator’s estate to join the somber school of Shell swimmers who made their way to the Conclave of the Elders.

The Imperator and twelve of his sentinels led the way, followed by Trey and Tardem, with a handful of spectators trailing behind. Eldelza guided Jinn to bring up the tail of the last group, and draw what little moral support they could from each other.

The duel would be held in the auditorium. Eldelza had explained the shallow waters there were necessary for combat, so the contestants could take air during the fight.

Jinn set her gaze on Trey at the moment he looked back, searching for her in the procession, and a glib frown molded his mouth in a way that made Jinn’s heart sink to the sands below her. The school continued into the Conclave, past the stern-faced guardians with upraised spears who lined the entrance.

Inside the structure named for them, the Conclave of Elders had assembled behind their podiums, and the audience took positions at the back of the amphitheater, leaving the center open for the combatants.

The Prime Elder looked out over the faces of the spectators. “We have come this day…” he began.

Jinn barely registered the balance of his ceremonial citation. She watched Trey as he waited, head bent and eyes cast down. Tardem, beside him, no longer seemed the brash, emboldened Perling she’d met that first day on Veros. If Remorseful had a face, he wore it.

“And now,” the Prime Elder concluded, “the Imperator of Fourth City will officiate over the Challenge.”

Jinn’s breath caught. Their father was expected to preside over his sons’ duel to the death?

When Trey and Tardem were told to face each other to acknowledge the terms of combat, Eldelza went still in the water. In her bubble beside her, Jinn pressed a fist tight to her stomach.

She watched in horror as Tardem was handed his Barclay spear.

Trey’s brother took the lethal weapon reluctantly, shifting it between his handfins. He regarded the gleaming, barbed head with a slow exhale of bubbles as he cast off the fin on his weapon hand.

Their father indicated the surface, and both combatants rose to fill their lungs with air before the battle began. Most of the witnesses did the same.

When Eldelza rose, Jinn powered her bubble to the surface with her, opening the seal and raising her couch to slip over the rim into the water. Then she fitted the breather over her face. Jinn would not be viewed as an outsider today—an alien encapsulated in a piece of her own world—but one who had lived in theirs.

Her actions gathered attention. The Imperator’s eyes widened for a brief moment, as did many of the elders and spectators. Trey’s eyes sparked with surprise, and then dimmed in sorrow. Was he thinking of what could have been?

Jinn’s heart sank even lower.

“Begin,” the Imperator instructed, though without her envirosphere translator, Jinn had to rely on her scant knowledge of Perling facial movement to interpret his word.

Panic took hold. She wanted to swim between Trey and Tardem, wave her arms and kick her feet and shout at them that this was senseless and barbaric and there was no honor in fighting this battle. She wanted to pummel her fists against the Prime Elder’s chest and tell him he was being stubborn and unreasonable. She wanted to pull Trey into her arms and shield him from the gleaming blade of his brother’s spear.

But those actions would gain her nothing. She would only be expelled by the guards and robbed of the final moments of Trey’s life. So instead, she gazed at Trey helplessly, answering his woeful look of farewell with one of her own.

___________________________

Thanks for following Jinn and Trey's journey with me as we approach its conclusion. There's still more surprises in store....but only three more parts to go!

Hope to see you back next Monday for Part 32. 

Have a great week!

The Shell and the Star - Part 30

If you're tuning in this week to read one of the final episodes of The Star and the Shell, welcome! Thanks for following the story as it has unfolded over the last few months.

If you're just finding it for the first time, you can catch up on all the parts posted to date at this link:

The Shell and the Star

This time we join Jinn as she faces the near certainty of death -- both her own and Trey's -- in the coming hours. Is there any chance the inevitable can be averted? 

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CHAPTER TWELVE

From the couch in her bubble, Jinn watched the first glow of dawn seep across the horizon in a thin line of pinks and reds. Like blood in the water, she thought. And shivered in fear that that’s exactly what this day would bring.

The blood of the man she loved.

What chance would an unarmed Trey have against his spear-wielding brother?

How would she bear the inevitable outcome?

But…

She wouldn’t have to bear it for long, because she’d be joining Trey in the Deep, soon after. She felt no fear. Only terrible sadness. Only sorrow that a future with Trey would be lost to her. That the outcome of this challenge may lead to the death of the Perling she loved.

Overhead, the stars sparkled in a black velvet sky—a sky that would soon gradient to gray and then the blue of day. She leaned back in her couch, staring up through the open hatch at the great dome of the heavens stretched over Trey’s world. Was her father looking down from those heights, even now? Did he miss her? Would he mourn her when she was gone? Would any feel the grief of her passing who lived in her world?

No, not her world, she reminded herself. Not any longer. She had no world now.

Her envirosphere was once more parked and powered down in the tiny rock-lined lagoon at the surface above Trey’s Garden. Even had the invitation been extended—and it certainly was not—she had no desire to spend the night inside the walls of the Imperator’s estate nor the will to climb the steep, narrow path to the comfort of Trey’s shelter. This was where she belonged this fateful night.

Apart.

Separate.

Alone.

Living with her fear, her sadness, her regret and her helplessness.

Trey couldn’t come to her in the night to share their last private words, even if she wished it so, even if it’s what he desired. His father had no choice but to see to it he was sequestered until the moment of the death dual with his brother. No, the Perling Imperator would not allow his challenged son either to speak with her or to slip away to his mysterious refuge where no Perling could find him.

As if he didn’t realize Trey would never do that.

As if he didn’t know the depth of his own son’s honor.

She started and levered her elbow against the armrests when she heard a tap on the bottom surface of her bubble. Trey? Was it possible he’d found a way to see her, after all?

Or was this a more sinister visitor?

The Perling that rose from the blackness of the night waters wasn’t Trey.

Jinn blinked and stared. The woman swept dark scarlet hair from her face with her handfins and her throat moved.

“I thought I might find you here,” the translator said.

Jinn slumped lower in her couch. “Why were you looking, Eldelza?”

“I couldn’t sleep. My heart is too heavy. I thought we might…talk?”

“What more do we have to say?”

“You need to understand we share the same fears. Trey is my friend.”

“But you love Tardem.”

“Heavens help me.”

“And Tardem being Tardem never made his feelings for you known, so the Imperator had no clue what he was setting in motion by conspiring with your father for a beneficial bond between you and Trey.”

“All true.”

“So now Trey will fight his brother empty-handed.”

“Tardem doesn’t wish to fight Trey. His temper got the better of him when he heard of Trey’s bid for my hand. He regrets making his challenge, especially after hearing all the sides to the story, but he cannot retract it or he will be the outcast. If only…” Eldelza voice trailed off in a downbeat of futility.

“I have a few if-onlys of my own to bear,” Jinn admitted, running her finger along the surface of her console.

“If only your words hadn’t been spoken before the sentinels, you and Trey could have talked it through?”

“Yes. For one.”

“And if only the Imperator hadn’t been left with no quarter but to immediately expel you from Fourth City and make immediate actions to save his son’s status, there would have been no hastily arranged bid that has brought us all to this.”

“Why must your elders be so inflexible about a simple misunderstanding between Trey and myself?”

“This I can tell you.” Eldelza looked up at the glittering constellations. “Long ago, when the Perling first came to this world, life was very hard. When things got desperate, some began to pillage or raid their neighbors to acquire food and precious resources they needed to survive. All respect for authority was lost, lawlessness prevailed, and our people could no longer protect themselves from those who formed large schools to prey on their own kind. Four of our five colonies were abandoned and only Fourth city remained. The survival of the Perling hung in the balance.

So the leaders created the Law of the Shell to restore order to bring our world back from the brink of self-destruction. Only stringent order is what allowed the Perling to survive here. And since that time, the law has always been kept in the strictest covenant.”

She looked Jinn’s way. “This is why the Elders have ruled as they have, and why the Imperator must obey their decision. The people look to their leaders to maintain order, and if the Imperator allows his own sons to live outside the law—even in a small way—then he will break this covenant with his people and fail as their principal.”

“And the Law of the Shell is more important to him than the lives of one or both of his sons?”

“In his eyes, the laws must apply to all equally. Perhaps especially to his children, since his heir must possess the qualities to one day succeed him.”

“Then there’s no hope that this blood duel can be averted?”

“Sadly, we know from our past,” Eldelza replied softly, “that hope has never been a sound strategy.”

***

_________________________________________

Both Jinn and Eldelza feel helpless to change what is to come. The strict Law of the Shell has locked both Trey and Jinn into a terrible fate, and chances are they'll both be dead before the sun sets.

As Eldelza declared, hope may not be a sound strategy, but sometimes it's all we have.

I hope you'll stop back next Monday for the next episode of The Shell and the Star. 

Only four more parts to go!

The Shell and the Star - Part 29

Happy Labor Day, all! Hoping you're having a wonderful end-of-the-summer weekend. We have a BBQ and other fun on the agenda today, though I am scratching my head a bit at how the heck the summer slid by so fast. Wow!

Welcome back to this continuing story.

If you're just discovering this aquatic SFR for the first time, you can catch up on all parts posted to date at this link:

The Shell and the Star

If you're following the story each Monday, here's a quick recap of where we are...

Last week, we left Trey and Jinn at the entrance to the Conclave of Elders after Trey and his father were abruptly summoned in the middle of Trey and Jinn trying to convince him of their status.

There are definitely more shocks and surprises in store for Jinn, Trey, the Imperator...and you, the reader. Hang on!

The corridor they entered was dark and foreboding, but it soon connected with a huge amphitheater, brightly lit by the sun filtering in from the surface, which was only a few footspans above the occupants’ heads.

The Elders were a somber group, all dressed in long black bodyveils and stationed at large podiums that arced in a quarter circle along the convex wall at the front of the hall. The Imperator had taken his place on the floor before them and Trey swam to join him, motioning Jinn to motor her sphere just behind him and to his left.

“Imperator Fasaro Bantos, and son, Trey Bantos,” the Head Elder began, “you have been summoned before the Conclave of Elders to receive the pronouncement under Shell Law this day. It is our duty to state the conditions of this pronouncement.”

The Head Elder referred to something on the podium before him. “This matter is directly related to the recent bid of Trey Bantos’ for the daughter of Emerro Tulang. She will now come forward and be recognized.”

Jinn’s attention swept the crowd looking for the Perling girl that Trey had bid for.

The breath stilled in her lungs when the flame-haired beauty reluctantly swam forward.

Eldelza?

“Eldelza Tulang, you acknowledge that a bid for your hand by Trey Bantos was presented to you and you accepted his bid?”

“It is truth,” Eldelza confirmed quietly.

The protest died on Jinn’s tongue when the Head Elder continued. “Then it is my duty as Prime Elder of the Conclave to announce that this bid has been challenged under the Law of the Shell,” the Prime Elder rumbled, passing his fin over his podium.

Trey ceased to tread water and his body went rigid.

Jinn swallowed hard. His bid had been challenged? What did that mean?

The mellow ding of a water chime sounded. “The challenger will now come forward so the challenged may address him.”

Tardem swam into the chamber, shoulders and head set back in defiance. Eldelza glanced at Trey before her eyes cut to Tardem, and then to Jinn.

“Brother?” Trey’s brow furrowed. “You’ve lodged a challenge against me?”

“I have,” Tardem snapped.

“And such a challenge,” Trey said in a tone of disbelief, “can only be decided by a fight to the death.”

Jinn gasped.

“That is our law,” Tardem said, snapping off each word.

Eldelza raised imploring eyes to Tardem. The Imperator’s First Son returned her look briefly, before rising to the surface for air.

Eldelza exchanged glances with Trey, and something unspoken passed between them.

Trey’s attention locked on Jinn.

When Tardem returned to his place, Trey spoke. “I do not accept Tardem’s challenge because my bid for Eldelza’s hand was not valid.”

The Conclave of Elders collectively exchanged looks of surprised disbelief. “You infer,” the Head Elder questioned, “that your bid is not valid? Explain.”

“Because I invoke First Right of Refusal under Talstar law,” Jinn blurted out. “Trey first bid for my hand, and I have now accepted his bid.”

Trey twisted a quarter turn toward her, splaying his fin in a signal to stop.

“The witness has not been recognized to speak,” the Head Elder boomed. “So her outburst will be stricken.” The Elder’s condemning gaze came to rest on Jinn, his black eyes glinting in malice. “She will now come forth to enlighten us with her official statement.”

Jinn cleared her throat and eased her bubble forward to hover beside Trey.

“I was not educated on Perling customs,” Jinn admitted. “The words I spoke were not intended as rejection of Trey’s bid, I only asked for more time to consider it. But the words I chose out of ignorance were witnessed by the Imperator’s sentinels and taken as rejection as per Shell tradition, and I was expelled from your domain. I have since returned to assert my acceptance of Trey’s bid. Therefore, I proclaim my First Right of Refusal under Talstar Law."

“Your realm has elected not to educate your citizens about Perling culture or history out of fear. That is the fault of the people of the Star and has no bearing on these proceedings. You uttered the official words of rejection according to the Law of the Shell.”

“Be that as it may, I was the first to answer Trey’s bid and in my eyes and in my heart, my response was not a rejection.” She leveled her gaze on Trey and registered his subtle acceptance of her claim. “I have now accepted Trey’s bid for my hand and therefore his second bid to another is moot and Tardem has no challenge. I am not Perling, therefore Talstar custom must be considered in a matter of a joint union.”

“How dare you challenge the ways of our realm, Jinn Amalla!” the Elder shouted.

“I would address the Elders,” Trey said.

“Speak what you will then, second son of the Imperator,” the Head Elder snarled.

“Jinn’s not asking you to defy our laws, Your Honor. She’s asking you only to consider her own. This is a special case. We…” Trey moved closer to Jinn’s bubble and laid a fin on the surface. “…are a special case.”

“There can be no special cases,” the Head Elder stated. “Our laws and customs are absolute.”

Trey’s father collected himself, brushing his handfin down the front of his bodyveil. “I wish to speak to this matter, Head Elder.”

The officiator granted his request with a deferential bow. “You are, of course, granted a voice in these proceedings, Imperator Bantos.”

“I must share some of the responsibility in this situation. Eldelza accepted the bid I put forth, and Trey has not yet made his formal bid to seal the arrangement. The two haven’t completed the Ritual of Pairing. Under our customs, they are not fully pledged.”

Trey’s father was taking their side?

With a mighty stroke of his arms, Tardem propelled himself forward and spun to face his father. “You did this?” he demanded. “You arranged this bid by Trey?”

“Trey’s place in our society was in peril. I had to act quickly.”

“But why her?” Tardem thundered.

“Her father has great influence in the Fourth City. She was the obvious choice for a bond with my disgraced son.”

“And what of your undisgraced son? Why have my desires always been second?”

“The Imperator scowled hardened. “How am I to know your desires when you hide them so well? This is not the time or place to air your personal grievances with me,” the Imperator scolded. “We will discuss this later, in private.”

Tarden back-finned, giving his father a tight-lipped glower. “There may be no later.”

Jinn nudged her sphere forward. “There’s an important matter that hasn’t been brought forward,” Jinn asserted. “About the status of Trey’s bid to me.”

“Jinn,” Trey warned under his breath.

She wouldn’t be deterred. “My answer to Trey’s bid wasn’t just by my words. Trey and I completed the Perling Ritual of Pairing.”

The chamber went deathly quiet.

The Imperator rounded on his second son. “Is this true?”

Trey’s tormented gaze found her. Agony flashed in his eyes. “It’s truth.”

“Then it is my duty to acknowledge your confession, Jinn Amalla of Talstar,” the Head Elder said coldly “To engage in the Ritual of Pairing without accepting the bid of your suitor is a capital crime in our realm. If you do not rescind your claim, your punishment is death.”

“I will not rescind. Because we did perform the ritual,” Jinn declared, “And as I’ve told you, I have accepted his bid.”

“Then I rescind my acceptance,” Eldelza cried. “On the grounds…the grounds that I wasn’t aware that Trey had completed the Ritual of Pairing and his first bid was undecided when a new bid was negotiated by our fathers.”

“Your Honor,” Jinn interjected quietly, continuing even when the Prime Elder turned to her with a glare. “Tardem has challenged his brother for Eldelza’s hand because he realizes he wants her as his own mate. I believe Eldelza feels the same toward Tardem. I love Trey and he loves me. Trey and I have performed the Ritual of Pairing and I have accepted his bid. The matter of the exact words I spoke prior to my acceptance are now irrelevant, are they not? There is a simple solution to this in a mutual agreement by all present. No one has to die needlessly to satisfy some meaningless law.”

“I would accept such a decision whole-heartedly,” Eldelza said.

“As would I,” Tardem added glumly.

The Prime Elder made a firm finstroke of his chin, his eyes settling on each of the four young ones in his presence. “As the law keeper of the Fourth City, it is the sacred duty of the Conclave of Elders to entrust and uphold the Perling ways. Our laws are not meaningless. There can be no such agreement. A challenge has been made. It will be answered.” He looked to the Imperator’s eldest son. “Tardem Bantos, you will come forward.”

Tardem gave his father a peeved look, and moved before the Prime Elder.

“As challenger, you will be first to choose your weapon.”

“If you are so determined to see bloodshed.” Tardem snorted, jetting air from his nose. “I choose the Barclay spear.”

“And your weapon of choice, Trey Bantos?”

“This challenge is invalid, and I will take up no weapon against my brother.”

Tardem’s spine stiffened, and he looked to his brother. “Then you will die,” Tardem barked in a cloud of bubbles.

Trey nodded his understanding. “So be it.”

Jinn closed her eyes at the soul-crushing regret that painted Trey’s eyes a somber granite.

“A challenge has been made and it will be carried out. The combatants will assemble here at morning high tide, and an audience will be gathered to witness the outcome of this Challenge. Living or dead, the loser shall be cast into the open sea to appease the denizens of the Deep.” He paused to draw a heavy breath. “And you, Jinn Amalla of Talstar, will be put to death at sunset tomorrow, regardless of the outcome.”

__________________________________________

Now that Jinn thought she might have something to live for, she's been sentenced to death. Stop back next Monday to find out what happens next. 

There will only be five more parts posted until the epic conclusion.

Have a great week! 

The Shell and the Star - Part 28

 Welcome back!

The pot is about to boil in this aquatic SFR. If you've been following along each week, you know that Jinn and Trey are now in very hot water.

For those just stumbling on this post for the first time, you can catch up on all the parts posted to date in this 'aquatic SFR' at this link:

The Shell and the Star

For those who are back to continue the story, last week Trey finally had a change of heart and is allowing Jinn to accompany him to his father's estate, though they both know it may put Jinn in peril. 

Jinn doesn't believe she has anything to lose, because she's confessed to Trey that a life without him would be no life at all for her. But can she and Trey find a way to convince his father that mistakes were made and their relationship is worth saving?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

The Imperator’s visage, haggard and lined with his burdens, turned to Trey when they were escorted before him in his office.

“It’s true,” he muttered. “You’re alive, when I so feared you dead.”

“I was in seclusion, father.” Trey said. “Until Jinn found me.”

With a deliberate hard-set frown toward Jinn, he dismissed her and addressed his son. “You returned to make your formal bid and engage in the Ritual of Pairing with your intended.” It wasn’t a question. It was a decree.

Trey’s attention cut to Jinn for a moment, just long enough for her to glimpse the dogged set of his jaw. “I will mate with no one but Jinn.” His steadfast avowal came as a soft hiss through her bubble’s translator.

Jinn snapped her head his way but Trey was locked in a silent battle of wills with the Imperator. He was outright defying his father. He was doing this for her. For them!

“The rejection of your bid by the Talstaric commander’s daughter was final. The Talstar female has been banished from our dominion and no longer exists under Shell Law. You will fulfill your new obligations,” the Imperator announced in a voice heavy with authority.

“No,” Trey countered, “I will not.”

Jinn readied her defenses. She would have her say in this. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Your Grace, I must speak with you immediately.” Morra hovered near the entrance to his chamber, her face white and mouth quivering.

“It will wait,” the Imperator growled.

“No, Your Eminence. With apologies, I’m afraid it will not.” Morra crossed her forefins before her, remorseful but steadfast.

“What it is?”

“The Conclave of the Elders has called a tribunal. They demand to speak with you and your second son. Immediately, sir.”

***

Trey’s father swam far ahead. Trey and Jinn followed. All were accompanied by a host of the Imperator’s sentinels.

“Is this about me?” Jinn asked.

“I don’t know. But whatever the affront, the calling of a tribunal by the elders is…monumental.”

“Will they even allow me to enter the Conclave?”

“It might be better if you didn’t.” Trey warned. “The summons was for my father and myself, so you are not subject in this judgment though any words or actions on your part could endanger you.” Trey gave her a solemn look. “But if you wish to enter the Conclave, I will see to it you enter.

“You stood by me. And now I’ll stand by you.”

Ahead, the Imperator passed through the Conclave Guardians at the entrance, but when Trey and Jinn approached, they crossed their spears, barring the way for her sphere.

Trey faced off with them. “Jinn Amalla will attend this tribunal as my witness and advisor, as written in Shell Law.”

“Only the people of the Shell may enter the Conclave.”

“Nowhere in our laws does it state a witness must be of the Shell.”

Their spears remained crossed, and one of the guardians said, “The Conclave of the Elders is a sacred assembly, reserved for justice under Shell Law. Therefore, it is understood that no Talstar will enter the Conclave.”

“You are incorrect, Chief Guardian. May I remind you that Jinn Amalla’s own father was summoned to the Conclave many longtides ago.”

The Chief Guardian looked to his companion. After several moments, he gave a terse wave toward the entrance. The second guard disappeared through the yawning entrance to the structure.

“What’s happening?” Jinn asked Trey in a low voice.

“They’ll seek a decision from the Conclave of Elders, itself.”

Jinn dropped her eyes. What chance was there that the Elders would allow her to pass?

The second guard returned a short time later. “The witness will enter.”

The Chief Guardian looked pained, but he raised his spear and allowed Jinn to continue forward in her envirosphere.

_________________________________

What fate awaits Trey in the Conclave of Elders? And what will happen to Jinn now?

Find out next Monday in Part 29. There are only six parts left in the story!

Have a great week!

The Shell and the Star - Part 27

Welcome back to Part 27 of The Shell and the Star. Thanks again to those who've been reading along each week. 

For anyone who might be new to this "aquatic SFR," you can catch up on all the parts posted to date at this link:

The Shell and the Star

This segment is going to be a bit longer than the usual episode. A lot happens in this segment, and I felt it needed to all be revealed at once.

Jinn has found Trey again -- alive and well -- when she really didn't expect to find him at all. Though they are reunited, it doesn't mean they can be together.

Things have gotten complicated.

CHAPTER TEN

 

Numb from a dreamless sleep, Jinn opened her eyes on the unfamiliar place. Dim light now shone into the space from beyond. She rose, slowly, to sit, surveying her surroundings. Rock walls encompassed her in the cool twilight. An above-water cave?

She slid to perch on the edge of the cushion and lowered her feet to the ground. Her bed was resting on a low framework that elevated it several hand-widths above the floor of the cave. Below her feet, the surface was level and covered in mats that looked like woven sea grass.

A bandage wrapped one of her knees—the same knee she remembered crusted with blood, sand and grit. Had Trey cleaned and dressed her wound while she slept?

She looked toward the light that diffused into the space from her right. What lay beyond? Spying a large, well-weathered fishing net draped between pegs set into the wall. Jinn drew a tremulous breath and summoned her strength, as well as her courage.

She thrust her fingers into the knots of the net and hauled her body up. Bent at the waist, she raised her head toward the light. Jinn took a faltering step toward it. And then another. Using the net to steady herself and leverage her movements.

Outside the mouth of the cave, she found a series of connected rooms, fashioned of what looked like crude flow-coat squares. But these weren’t tinted. They were the color of mud. Overhead, a framework of poles held a weaving of thick grasses and live vines that formed a ceiling of sorts.

Who had built this place? Trey? Alone? With his own hands? A secret sanctuary he had carved out above the waves and below the sky?

Why? What was his purpose?

A breeze rustled flaps made of the woven seagrass and Jinn saw they covered oval openings in the solid walls. She reached out, tottering slightly at the shift of balance, and lifted a flap to peer beyond.

Her mouth went lax and her eyes widened.

Jinn dropped the flap and scuttled along the wall to the narrow opening at the end of the shelter and stared outside, transfixed.

Beyond, things grew! Big solid trunks—a whole collection of them!—lined up in rows, stretching great stalks up to the sky that were covered in dense clusters of green. They looked organic, and not unlike the dwarf fruit trees in the arbor on Talstar, but larger. Much larger. Colossal!

A giant orchard? Here? On land?

How was this possible?

Nearer the shelter, Jinn spied several large staked spans of dirt that were filled with small plants pushing up through the soil in orderly rows. What was this meant to be? Was Trey trying to grow crops in this dirt, like they did in the hydroponic beds on Talstar? How was it even possible? Where did these growing things get the nutrients they needed to survive?

Not far from the garden, a small rivulet of water ran through a rock-filled hollow, tumbling and sliding over stones that seemed intentionally placed in its path. Several depressions led from the stream to the squares of ground with the growing things. The depressions were dry, but the soil looked dark, as if water had run through the channels not long before.

And to the right, there were many ponds of water, also fed by the stream. And… living things in the water. The surface broke and Jinn saw a flash of one of the creatures before it disappeared back into the pond. A fish! Many fish! The ponds were teaming!

Jinn straightened, released the net, stepping through the opening of the shelter.

Did you build this place, Trey? Why?

“Jinn!” She looked to the voice to find Trey standing by an outcropping of rocks, staring, his feet on a narrow sand path that led over the ledge and down the slope behind him.

Grasping for words, she motioned to the collection of flora and fauna laid out before her. “This place…you built it?”

He twisted his shoulder to lower the bundle he carried to the ground before he answered. “Yes, I built it. Over many years.”

“Why?”

“It’s...an experiment.”

“You’re trying to grow food here?”

“I am growing food here. Successfully.”

“How? Where did you…” Jinn shook her head. The trees. The plants. The fish. How had he managed such a thing? And where did he get the knowledge to create this place?

“Most of the crops are from Talstar. From the air-farms your people manage there.”

“Hydroponic farms,” Jinn corrected.

“A few are water plants that were growing wild in the stream.”

“Growing…all by themselves? Without being germinated?”

“Nature takes care of the germination. I only needed to find and harvest them.”

“How can this be?”

“I think the planet is finally starting to recover. I’m just helping it along a bit.”

“Do the Perling know what you are doing here?”

“No one knows.” Trey’s blue gaze settled on her face. “Only the two of us now.”

“How did you know to…?” She made a handsweep toward the garden.

“Books. Very ancient books in our archives. I learned what I needed to know about historic methods of farming and cultivation. I’ve been acquiring specimens--air plants from Talstar shipments, tree seedlings, freshwater fish. For study, I said. I just didn’t tell anyone how or where I chose to study them.”

“And the shelter?”

“The cave was a natural formation. The rest of the structure I built. That knowledge is all in the books, too.”

“This is…truly wondrous,” Jinn said.

His lips tugged into an almost-smile, but the sadness in his eyes didn’t echo it. “It’s of no use to the people of the Shell or the Star. Neither are suited to live on the land. Only we are, Jinn, and any who may be like us.”

Jinn turned her head slowly to meet his eyes. “This is what you told me you wanted to show me before the Razortooth came. This place.”

“This place,” he echoed. “This future. But it’s lost to us now.”

She sagged against the shelter wall. Heart heavy and words failing her, she peered up at him.

Trey stood tall, feet spread and hands still.

Silence filled the space between them. Silence that hardened to a solid thing that separated them—pushed them farther apart.

Jinn knew she’d caused the destruction of this dream—through unintentional ignorance and misunderstanding, yes—but she was responsible. For all of it. A loveless bond for Trey. A lonely exile for herself. She’d brought this misery on both of them.

And she was the only one who could right this oh-so-terribly-wrong.

“When you return to your father’s estate, I’m going with you.”

“It’s not safe for you there,” Trey snapped, but then his voice came lower, calmer. “My father’s word is final. He banished you and if you defy him, it’s possible you could forfeit your life.” He drew in a breath between clenched teeth. “I can’t let you risk that.”

“My father’s--Commander Arc’s--word is also final. I can’t return to Talstar.”

Trey threw his head back and closed his eyes. The sun showered his face with soft morning light. In time he said, “Stay here, Jinn. Live here. There’s air, food, water, and I’ll see to it you have everything else you need.”

“But not you?” Not a life with you.”

“No, Jinn. I can’t be with you. And I don’t wish to. I couldn’t bear it.”

His words pierced her heart, left her broken and bleeding. “Then I have no life left to forfeit.”

“Jinn. Don’t do this.”

She shook her head and met his tortured gaze. “All my life I’ve let others define who and what I am. No more. No declaration will keep me from your side. No threat will warn me away. I did this…and now I’ll undo it. Because I’ll never accept any future that I can’t spend with you. ”

His eyes went hard and his jaw muscles tightened, but he had no rebuttal for her vow.

***

Trey left the shelter and ascended the steep, twisting path to the water. Jinn followed. She used the rocks to steady her when she faltered, but she needed much less assistance now. She could do this. Already her muscles were growing stronger. Adapting.

At the tiny rock-lined lagoon, Trey slipped into the sea and Jinn climbed into her bubble, checked the waning charge and closed the cover to power it up.

She found Trey waiting at the inlet to his sea garden. He marked time until she reached him and after fixing her with a long, stoic look, they set off together for the Imperator’s estate.

____________________________________

Trey is bound by the laws of his society, but maybe, just maybe, Jinn has convinced him that their love is worth fighting for. At the very least, he has recognized the sacrifices she made to return to him, and her admission of love might have made all the difference.

Find out next Monday in Part 28. Only SEVEN more parts to go!

Have a great week!