Meadows of Heaven (17/23)

[epeeblade]

Chapter 17

"Will you, Misha, accept this collar and all the terms of the contract previously agreed to?"

"I will."

Jensen watched as a member of the crowd in the Great Hall as Claudia took the black leather collar from the queen and placed it around the neck of a kneeling Misha. This collaring would be the final one of the Choosing, and apparently it was quite the event, reflected on each of the floating screens in the room and, he knew, on screens throughout the city. It wasn't every day that the most prominent red band took the black, or so Jensen heard over and over today.

He and Jeff stood on one of the floating platforms, like many of the nobles of Harmony, held up in a position of honor. Tappen and Johnson were somewhere on the floor, Tappen receiving his blue collar from Ian much earlier. At the closing of today's ceremony, the queen would acknowledge them and speak about the new base. Afterwards, when the citizens went back to their ordinary lives, far from the fanfare of the Choosing, Jensen would accompany Jeff as he signed the treaty on behalf of the UP, concluding their work here.

Jensen could not believe how quickly the time had passed. It seemed like only yesterday he had been trying to convince Jeff that yes, people really had sex like this for fun. He bit back his grin looking at Jeff now, dressed like any other dom here in Harmony, standing tall and proud with his sub by his side. For once he felt optimistic about the future, a little bit of thrill in his chest at the idea of going back and still having Jeff, not having to leave him behind.

Peter knelt at his master's feet, on the other side of the room, his hands clasped behind his back and his head bowed. Jensen wished he'd have another chance to speak with him, but as the Royals were returning to their home districts after the ceremony, he doubted he'd get that chance.

"I hope you all join with me in wishing our friends from the stars safe journey back to their home," Queen Michelle had taken back the floor and all eyes were on her now. "But soon they will be our neighbors. Commander Morgan's people will build a base in the forest that surrounds Harmony, and we will join in friendship and trade with them."

Jensen looked around the room, judging the reaction of the crowd to this news. The people cheered and most seemed happy, at least he and Jeff had made a good impression on them. When he looked over he saw Duke Adrian scowling furiously for a moment before he smoothed his expression. The man still gave Jensen the heebie jeebies.

Jeff waved as the crowd turned towards them. "Thank you all for your hospitality," he said. "We will never forget this place or its people." The tech once again carried his voice across the room.

The queen calmed the crowd with a single hand. "Now is the time to release the bound sub, ending the Choosing for another year."

Jensen looked up as something descended from the ceiling, a cylindrical object, it was about as tall as a person, and reminded him of one of the escape pods common on space stations. It landed just to the right of the queen. She touched her hand to the surface, and the color began to change from soft gray to a warm red. Only then did the door slide open, revealing a young sub, bound spread eagled inside.

"Awake," Michelle ordered and the girl opened her eyes, blinking rapidly at the return of the light. "You are free to return to your master."

The ropes binding her retracted, and she stepped out, falling to her knees before the queen. "Thank you, mistress," she said, voice hoarse, but still broadcasted across the room.

"Suspended animation?" Jensen guessed, whispering for Jeff's ears only. It was certainly the most extreme form of bondage he'd ever seen if it were so.

Jeff only sighed, probably still wrapped up in the whys of it all. Jensen smiled.

"Safe journey back to your homes," the queen was saying, and the platforms began to move. Jensen assumed they'd take the others to the trams and back out into the city. The one he and Jeff were on would take them to the conference room, where they'd connect with the Mercury and sign the agreement. And then they'd take a tram to the city gates and trek back to base camp.

And leave Harmony long behind.

***

Jeff remembered when comming the ship resulted in blurred images and static-filled sound. However, ever since Jensen had bonded with Harmony, the reception for the comms had gotten much better. So it was easy to set up the device in the conference room so that Captain Devine could speak with Queen Michelle. Frankly, Jeff worried for the galaxy if the two women ever met in person.

"I have reviewed the terms of the agreement and it is acceptable to us," Michelle said, her voice pitched a little louder than usual to be heard over the comm.

"Thank you," the captain's voice echoed through the speakers. "We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you and your people. Consider Commander Morgan's signature binding on behalf of the UP."

And Jeff picked up the funky stylus and signed his name, watching as it appeared on his slate and the copy on every slate in the room. He might not get this world's technology, but he certainly appreciated it.

Michelle signed then, for all of her people, and the color of the slate changed, signifying that the agreement was now binding. They could begin building a more permanent base now, once the supply ships arrived. Jeff knew the UP needed a good situation out here in deep space, and this was the first step.

"Thank you, Commander Morgan," the queen said. "I'll come to your suite to see you off."

"Mistress," Jensen said in his unobtrusive voice. "May I say goodbye to Colin before we go? I haven't seen him today."

She smiled at him. "Of course. I believe he is in the gardens. He prefers the fifth level, so you might be able to catch him there."

Jensen turned to look at Jeff, who waved a hand at him. "Go on. We're all packed anyway, you'll just need to change before we leave. I'll meet you back at our quarters."

"Yes, sir." Jensen bowed slightly. He rose with a smile and then disappeared through the conference room's shimmering door.

***

Jensen didn't find Colin on the fifth level of the gardens - and he was a bit embarrassed to learn now that the gardens had a numbering system. That would have helped him out quite a bit earlier, although he'd mostly wandered after others who knew the grounds much better than he. Jensen found the terrace Colin had run to, after his fight with the princess, but there was no sign of the boy there either. He sat on the half-wall, looking out over the ocean as the waves battered the shore.

All right, just maybe he was stalling. If he really wanted to find Colin he would just call up the tele and look up the boy's location. Jensen closed his eyes, feeling the light breeze on his skin, breathing in the salty-sweet air of the ocean. This mission had been more like a dream than anything else and he feared going back to crisp reality. He hadn't forgotten the obligation waiting for him back home. He'd said yes to the mission before being diverted to this one, and Jensen knew he couldn't go back on his word.

He just didn't know how he was going to explain it to Jeff. The man was a fellow soldier, he'd understand, but Jensen knew it would hurt him. Especially after losing his wife to the Confed, Jensen wouldn't want to burden him with that kind of worry again.

"Jensen?"

Jensen opened his eyes, surprised to see Peter standing in the grove, his arms clasped behind his back. "Peter! I'd thought you'd left."

"I wanted to say goodbye. Master is holding the tram for me," Peter said, his lips curved into a tight smile.

Something about that didn't sit quite right, Adrian didn't seem like the sort of man to hold anything up for the sake of a sub. But Jensen was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. After that first horrific introduction, Adrian hadn't given him any real reason to worry for Peter, allowing his sub to accompany Jensen as he learned about Harmony.

Jensen slid off of the wall, sandals slapping against the red brick path. "I won't keep you then." He walked over to where Peter stood, wondering if he would be allowed to hug the other sub. With Misha, public displays of affection were more than welcome, but Peter always held himself a bit aloof.

"I'm sorry, Jensen," Peter said softly.

Jensen frowned. "Why?" Before he could get the word out completely, something covered his face, and the entire world went completely white.

***

Jeff hadn't realized how late it had gotten until the door chimed and revealed Dr. Johnson on the other side, holding his pack over one arm. The queen would be arriving shortly to see them off and there was no sign of Jensen.

"I apologize for being late, sir," Johnson said. "I went to see Major Tappen before I left."

Jeff winced at that, remembering the fierce look Tappen had shot his way during the closing ceremonies. That was the first time Jeff had seen him as the sub of Guard Ian, dressed in nothing more than loose fitting trousers and a dark blue collar around his neck. "If I'd had the choice, Doctor. . ."

Johnson shook his head. "I don't think Hank quite knew his own mind on the matter. He might've growled about the whole thing, but you didn't see the cow eyes he was giving that guard of his."

"Are you actually saying that their way of life actually has merit?" Jeff deadpanned. It was Dr. Johnson's words on slavery, after all, that had gotten them in this entire situation to begin with.

Johnson gave him a weak smile. "An old dog can learn new tricks, Commander." He pursed his lips for a moment. "Have you read my file? Do you understand why I was so upset?"

Jeff sank down into a comfortable chair. He'd read everyone's personnel files before they'd joined the reclamation project, but the information Johnson was talking about Jeff hadn't seen until he'd gone through the sealed records, opened only at the captain's request, so they could hunt down why Tappen and Johnson had been the only two taken. "Only before I returned," Jeff said. "I'm sorry, Karl, I didn't know."

"It's not something one talks about." Johnson sat across from Jeff, setting his pack on the table beside him. "Being a former Confed slave."

"It's not something one usually survives," Jeff said. "Give yourself some credit, Doctor. You're a survivor. I don't blame you for letting this place get to you."

The door chimed again, and Jeff stood to answer it, palming it open with practiced ease. He stepped back, startled to see the queen, the princess and their subs standing there. Conscious of the honor they were showing him, Jeff bowed and stepped back, allowing them into the sitting room. "Thank you for coming to see us off, but I'm afraid Jensen still hasn't returned."

Michelle grinned. "Colin must be talking his ear off. I'll remind him of the time." She grazed her fingers against the wall and it bloomed to life. After a moment, a picture of Colin's face appeared on the screen.

"Yes, mistress?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Colin, can you send Jensen back, please. His tram has arrived."

Colin frowned. "Mistress, I haven't seen Jensen since this morning during the ceremonies."

Jeff's heart plummeted. If Jensen wasn't with Colin, then where the hell was he?

Michelle clearly thought the same; she dismissed Colin and then called up a screen for Jensen. It remained stubbornly blank, meaning Jensen didn't answer, or couldn't answer.

"He's fallen in the garden before," Jeff said, proud of how measured his voice sounded.

"Show us Jensen," Michelle commanded. The blank screen disappeared, showing a grid of the city, which was how the locator usually worked. Normally it would zero in on the general area of the person you were searching for. However, the full grid remained stubbornly on screen.

"Mother, I've never seen it do that before," Alona said in a hushed voice. She came up behind Michelle and put her arm around her mother's waist.

Jeff pulled out his comm and dialed Jensen's code. He heard the chime come from Jensen's pack, which rested up against the wall where Jensen had left it earlier. "Damn," he swore. He should have make Jensen take it with him.

Michelle touched the wall again. "All subs and guards," she commanded. "Search the palace and locate Sub Jensen. Contact me immediately when you find him." She stepped back, and the wall became simply a wall. "We will find him," she told Jeff.

Jeff wanted to believe her, but couldn't understand where Jensen would have gone that was out of the reach of the technology of 328. He feared the worst, that Jensen had had some sort of accident in the gardens, and Harmony couldn't locate him because he was dead. Jeff sank into a chair and dropped his head into his hands. No, Jensen couldn't be dead. He couldn't do this again.

***

Sometime later Colin showed up at the suite, holding a slate under one arm. "I found it in the garden," he said, holding it out to Jeff. He bit his lip, his blue eyes large and worried.

At first Jeff didn't understand why, but when he touched it, the slate came to life, the screen lit up showing one message. "Master, I'm sorry, Jensen." He looked at it blankly, not understanding the glowing text.

"Let me?" Michelle asked softly. When Jeff handed it to her she slid her finger along the bottom and the printed text transformed into the handwritten letters originally scrawled on the screen. "Is this his writing?"

And Jeff couldn't answer that question. He hadn't known Jensen long enough to know what his handwriting looked like. They hadn't had any occasion over the past few weeks for Jeff to have seen any samples either. He was sure it was on file somewhere, but still that was out of reach. "I don't know," he told her honestly. "But he wouldn't. . .he would have written 'Jeff' instead of Master, if he truly meant the message."

"What do you think it means?" Colin asked. He had remained in the room, adding himself to the worried party in Jeff's sitting room. "He wouldn't have, he couldn't have . . . the force fields wouldn't let him . . ."

"Breathe, Colin." Jeff knelt in front of the boy and grasped him on the shoulder. It was almost gratifying for someone else to panic, because then Jeff could focus on calming Colin and not worry about his own nerves. "No, Jensen wasn't suicidal. He wouldn't have killed himself."

"Then why apologize?" Alona asked, sounding just as confused as Jeff felt.

"Colin, was his collar left behind?" Michelle asked softly.

Fredric, who had been kneeling by her side, turned sharply to look at her. "You don't truly believe he meant to leave his master?"

"It is not unheard of," she said, resting her hand on the back of his neck. "Perhaps he did not want to return to your stars. After communing with Harmony, maybe she asked him to stay."

"He would have told me," Jeff protested, but even as he spoke the words he wasn't quite sure if Jensen would have. Their relationship was still so new; he had no idea how they'd function without these roles of master and sub. But even then, Jeff realized, they'd have their ranks to get in the way, he'd always be Jensen's superior in some form.

"Jensen wouldn't leave without telling anyone!" Colin insisted. "Not even Harmony would ask that of him!"

"You don't know what Harmony would ask," the queen chided him slightly.

"Colin has a point," Jeff mused. "He would have told someone. If not me, then maybe Misha? Or Peter?"

Michelle nodded. "I will send messages through both Claudia and Duke Adrian."

"My mistress," Fredric interrupted softly. "This seems more than strange to me. Harmony has never failed to show the location of one of her subs before. Even if she did lay claim to him."

"Fredric, what are you saying?" Michelle blurted, surprised out of her usual cold demeanor.

"It wouldn't be the first time a greedy dom played with the rules," Fredric said in a low undertone. "Perhaps even manipulate the tele?"

Jeff frowned. "Is that even possible?"

The queen and her sub exchanged looks. "All of the Five are given the key to Harmony," she explained. "I am queen now, but it is possible for any of the others to rise and take over. I believe she did that so no one would rule as a tyrant."

Jeff shook his head. He might not have been the biggest fan of the council of senators that ran the UP, but at least those assholes were elected by the people. "So any one of the dukes or duchesses could possibly manipulate the system and make it so we couldn't find Jensen?"

"It's possible," the queen agreed. "I wouldn't have said probable."

Fredric snorted, causing all eyes to look in his direction. "You know. . . "

"No," she snapped at him. "Now is not the time or place."

"I have to contact my captain," Jeff said. Devine had to know why they hadn't shown up at base camp yet.

"Commander, know what we will do anything we can to find Jensen and bring him home safely," Michelle said.

"You're damn right you will," he snapped, not caring that his irritation showed in his voice. Jeff left the sitting room, the door closing behind him as he entered the sanctuary of the bedroom, the very room where he had woken up curled around Jensen this morning.

The stupid note on the slate spoke to all of his fears, that Jensen would run at the slightest chance, turn away from Jeff in search of someone better. But the Jensen Jeff had come to know would never leave behind his responsibilities. He remembered Jensen insisting on comming his younger brother before they left for 328, that he did so before every mission. That was not the soldier who turned his back on his world chasing some sexual master.

That settled, he punched in the code for the ship, closing his eyes as the Captain answered. "Lieutenant Ackles is missing."

"I don't believe the comm circuits are working correctly, Commander. I believe you just told me Lieutenant Ackles was missing?"

"Yes, Captain," Jeff said. "He didn't report to the tram this afternoon. I'm working with the queen and her guards in locating him. Request assistance, including a team with bio scanners."

"Will they let us in this time, Commander?"

"They damn well better," Jeff snapped. "I think one of the nobles may have abducted him."

"Commander, do you have any proof of that?"

"Of course not, but when I do . . ." He had specifically put it in the contract that if any citizen of 328 committed a crime against a citizen of the UP, they'd be judged according to the law of the UP. The queen had agreed after looking at a sample of their criminal code, saying that the UP penalties were far more lenient than their own. Jeff reminded himself to look up exactly what was the penalty for kidnapping in Harmony.

"Keep me informed. You'll have your backup as soon as they can get to the city gates."

"Thank you, Captain."

Jeff closed the connection. He took a moment to rest his head in his hands, letting the worry and exhaustion flow through him. But that was all, Jensen needed him, and Jeff would not let him down.



Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Epilogue