Six months later, a ship appeared in the unmarked system. They waited until local nightfall before they sent a shuttle down to the surface. They took their time doing that, so it wasn't visible as they passed through the atmosphere, and landed a discrete distance away from the settlement. They followed the directions they were given and stopped at the prefab living section closest to the center of the little town and went inside.
“You guys are lucky I stayed awake to wait for you.” I said as they entered my house. “That approach wasn't stealthy at all.”
“It was his fault.” A hooded woman said and pointed to the man with her. “He wanted to take his time.”
“How often have we piloted together on the same mission?” The guy asked. “I'm trying to be subtle about spending more time with you at work.”
“See what I mean?” The hooded woman asked and I chuckled.
“All right, let's get them out of here.” I said and used Presence to pick up the huge nest in the living room.
“You are not getting that through the...” The woman started to say when the whole side of the living room floated out of the way. “...never mind.”
I carried the nest with the three avian women in it out of the settlement and to the shuttle that already had its rear cargo hatch down. “Hey, Monna. It's great to see you.”
“Hi, Grandpa!” Monna said excitedly. “I really miss having you inside of me!”
The hooded woman burst out laughing, despite the mission's parameters of being quiet, and the man's hood fell from his head as he stared at the shuttle in shock.
“I miss being inside of you, too.” I said and held in my laughter as I carefully put the nest into the cargo hold. “We'll be having some more fun rides together in about two years.”
“Yay!” Monna exclaimed.
I turned to Jelly. “They are going to wake up tomorrow and they are going to be quite upset that I snuck them off without telling them goodbye.” I warned her. “I suggest leaving them inside Adona's shuttle bay until you play this for them.” I handed her a datapad that was already queued up, then I gave her a wooden box with three shield pendants in it. “Hold this open for them at the right time.”
“All right.” Jelly said and took both the datapad and the box. “It's really nice to see you again.”
“In person.” I corrected. “I saw you barely three days ago.”
“It's not the same.” Jelly said and looked at her boyfriend.
“Go ahead. It's not like I can tell you no when you want something.” He said with a smile.
Jelly smiled back and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and held her for several moments, then let her go. She didn't say anything else and the two of them stepped into the cockpit and I left the cargo area.
“Bye, Monna. Say hi to Adona for me.” I said as her cargo hatch started to close.
“Tell her yourself.” Monna said with a chuckle. “She can see you.”
I laughed and looked up at the ship in orbit and waved as I turned on my wrist communicator. “It's nice seeing you again, Adona.”
“Likewise.” Adona said. “I miss having you inside me, too.”
Jelly laughed from inside the cockpit and then poured power into Monna's engines.
“Take care of them.” I said to both Jelly and Adona, then used Presence Run to go back to the settlement and stepped into my living room and put the wall back into place.
“They are going to be very angry that you sent them away without saying goodbye.” Noma said from the bed.
“I am going to say something like goodbye, that's what's on the datapad.” I said.
“They won't be happy that they can't say it back.” Noma said as I climbed into bed beside her.
“Do you really think they could make themselves bid a fond farewell to a False Tiercel?” I asked with a chuckle and then kissed her.
“No.” Noma said with a smile as I traced my hand up her thigh and over her hip. “That doesn't mean that they don't want to.” She moved in close and my hand slipped around to her backside. “It's nice of you to chose the lesser pain.”
“I'm glad you understand.” I said and kissed her as she mounted me, then she sat up and looked down at me. “You've filled back out nicely.” I commented as I put my hands on her now firm breasts and she moaned appreciatively.
“It's... all... you.” Noma said as she started to move and enjoy herself and I fed her bits of Presence.
*
The next day, the three avian women awoke in a well lit place and covered their eyes.
“What... what's going on?” Val asked and sat up. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the brightness and she saw that she was still in their nest; but, the nest was no longer in Hunter's living room. “Where are we?”
“You're on a transport ship headed back to your home planet.” A strange woman's voice said and all three women hissed, warbled, and chirped in both distress and anger. “Hunter said to play something for you when you woke up.”
“Hunter!” The second avian woman exclaimed as she sat up. “That bastard! I'll kill him!”
The first avian woman put a hand on her shoulder and sat up as well. “You may play the message as long as you do not approach us.”
“We know the rules.” Jelly said and stepped into view with the datapad and the wooden box, then turned on the display that she had set up near the nest.
“Honored Matron.” Hunter said from the display and bowed his head. “Second Ranked.” He said and bowed again, then he chirped and tweeted and bowed again, because there wasn't a common word for Val's position in the hierarchy. “Please accept my sincere apologies for not escorting you home personally, since I can't leave the planet until it's time. I've arranged for personal friends and those I consider family to do it in my stead.”
“He... he knew...” The first avian woman whispered.
“I fully accept onto my own person, the disgrace I have forced upon you, and no fault belongs to you. It is solely my own and you are not responsible for the actions of a False Tiercel.”
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“No!” Val said and then chirped it in her own language. “I wanted to keep it!”
Hunter on the screen smiled. “I'm sorry, Val. I can't let you keep the stigma.” He said. “I also can't let you keep the nickname I gave you.”
“Noooo!” Val warbled and hugged herself. “Please, don't!”
“It's against Aviatoma law for a human name to be given to one such as you. I didn't understand why at the time. Now I do and I'm so sorry for causing you to lose personal status.” Hunter said. “I accept the blame for it and at the first opportunity, I will present myself to the Aviatoma people and will submit to the proper authorities for punishment. I give you my word that you will have your full status back.”
Val was crying openly and she couldn't stop the tears, even if she wanted to.
“The datapad Jelly has includes copies of all the relevant documents that I've filed to return you to your people and to restore you to your rightful places.”
“What?!?” The first avian woman gasped. “That... that's not...” She almost choked on the last word because it would have been a lie. Possible. It's possible. She thought instead.
“All sentences have been commuted to time served and for your good behavior.” Hunter said and all three avian women squawked in surprise. “Even in a prison with so many people around, you upheld your own societal rules and no other higher commendation could be given than that.”
“He... he really... he understood us.” The second avian woman whispered.
“If you will allow Jelly to approach, she has a parting gift that I offer to you as tribute.”
The first avian woman nodded and Jelly took two steps towards her and held out both the datapad and the now opened wooden box. All three women gasped at what was inside.
“Honored Matron, please accept the blue crystal pendant.” Hunter said and she lifted out a pendant that looked like a hawk as it swooped down to catch its prey, the blue focusing crystal. “Second Ranked, the red crystal pendant is yours.” He said and she carefully took out a pendant that looked like a hawk in flight as it soared through the sky towards the setting sun, the red focusing crystal. Hunter chirped and tweeted for Val. “...the green pendant is yours.”
Val reached a shaky hand out to lift the final pendant, and it was a hawk that stood regally and held the focusing crystal in its beak. “It's beautiful.”
“Since I am not allowed to be by your side when you return home, I offer you these shield pendants to protect you from harm.” Hunter did a quick demonstration on the screen with Val's pendant to show how it worked. “No sword, laser bolt, or Light sword will ever harm you.”
“F-False Tiercel.” The first avian woman said, tears in her eyes, as she put on the pendant and held her head high.
“I will see you again.” Hunter said and bowed, then the message ended without him saying goodbye.
“He knew.” Val said softly as she cried. “He knew that we wanted to say goodbye and we couldn't.”
“Yes, he knew.” The first avian woman said and stood up. “Jelly, is it?”
“Yes, Matron.” Jelly said.
“Show us to proper quarters and ensure this nest comes to no harm.” The first avian woman said and stepped out of the nest, as did the other two. “It will be preserved in his honor when we return home.”
Jelly nodded and used her bag of holding to make the nest disappear.
“He truly trusts you to give you one of his deepest secrets.” The first avian woman said to her, and Jelly blushed.
“This way, please.” Jelly said and led the three avian women out of the cargo bay and up into the ship.
“What... this place is...” Val looked around at the opulence and couldn't believe her eyes. “Is this for real?”
“Hunter said you have permission to stay in his personal room.” Jelly said and opened the room that Hunter used when on board. “He said you would understand what that meant.”
The three avian women nodded and Jelly pointed out the amenities and told them that meals would be served three times a day. They could either eat with the others or alone, it was their choice, and she told them the times and left them alone.
“When we get home, we need to file an exception for him.” Val said.
“It will never be approved.” The first avian woman said. “There's no precedent for allowing a human to join the hierarchy.”
Val sighed. “He deserves at least one nest full of eggs.”
“He knew his limitations and he would not want you to abort so many babies for him.” The first avian woman said. “No matter how valid it would be to do that for him.”
The second avian woman was quiet for some time, then she spoke. “Just one.” She said. “One each. We will keep them in stasis for him, so if he ever finds a way to fertilize them across the species barrier, we will have the children that he deserves.”
The first avian woman smiled warmly. “I believe we can all agree that is an appropriate sentiment.”
Val nodded emphatically. “I'll start gestating as soon as we hit atmosphere at home.”
The first avian woman chuckled. “There's no need to rush. He said we had a couple of years to...”
“I would start now if there was a stasis chamber on board.” Val said with a grin and cut her off. “I wonder if they do? This is a luxury passenger ship. I'm sure there's an emergency medical procedure or something.”
The first avian woman laughed for the first time in a long time. “Calm your feathers. I don't think they would have anything like that onboard.”
The intercom beeped at them and Val walked over to it and pushed the button. “Yes? Hello? Who is it?”
“Hello. I am the ship's AI, Adona. We have a fully stocked medical bay in the last compartment by the top of the stairs to the cargo area. If you need any assistance, please let me or the pilots know.”
The three avian women gasped at the information.
“Did... did you say there is a full medical bay on this ship? A medical bay that's only supposed to be in a space station? That kind of medical bay?” Val asked.
“Yes. It's one of the very first modifications Hunter made to the ship, in case there was an emergency.” Adona responded. “We haven't hired a dedicated medical technician to run it, however.”
“Why not?”
“We haven't found anyone that we want to invite into the family.” Adona said. “We're still looking.”
“Perhaps we can help with that.” The first avian woman said and exchanged looks with the other two. “How many Aviatomas do we know that are fascinated by alien anatomy?”
“Our information is very out of date.” Val said.
“When we exit into the next jump coordinates, you'll have access to the intergalactic network.” Adona said. “Feel free to contact whomever you wish.”
“Wait, what?” Val looked at the intercom. “We're not restricted from its use or anything?”
“Why would you be?” Adona asked. “Hunter said that he pardoned you for your crimes.”
“How long until the next jump transfer?” The first avian woman asked before the AI changed its mind and decided not to answer.
“Three days. This region has a spacial anomaly in the next system, so we need to fly around it.” Adona said. “It's two days of normal space, so communications will be possible at that time.”
“Thank you for the information, Adona.” The first avian woman said. “You have been very helpful.”
“You're welcome.” Adona said and clicked off.
“Three days before we can start to repay him.” Val said with a smile.
“We will do our best to help him.” The first avian woman said and nodded.
“They have a full medical bay on a space ship.” The second avian woman said. “Should we start gestating now?”
The other two avian women exchanged surprised looks, then they laughed. Their fierce friend had almost immediately transformed into motherly mode and her personality had adjusted to the thoughts of bearing an egg already.
*
Hailey laid in bed and her mind raced over everything that was going on in her life. The man she loved, the man destined to be her husband, had escaped an inescapable prison and had taken all of the prisoners with him. Now he was on an unnamed planet with those prisoners and he was maintaining his administrator duties, even though none of them were actually prisoners. She completely understood why he was doing it, even though he didn't explain it to them.
Hunter was giving the prisoners time to adjust to being free.
Hailey hugged herself as she thought about how much danger he had put himself in since he went to prison, and it hurt her when she found out what had happened to him when he was tortured. He had tried to keep it from her and said that he had healed the damage already; but, that wasn't the point. He had been hurt and she hadn't felt it or known that he was damaged like that.
She concentrated on their connection and her chest tingled above her heart. She knew she could only do such a limited thing because she needed a lot more practice in Presence use before she could actually share more than that while so far away. As she thought about that, she couldn't help but imagine what it was going to be like when they finally met in person after so long.
“I owe him so many kisses.” Hailey whispered into the darkness, then she smiled. “He will have them.”
“Go... to... sleep.” Simone said from her bed not far away.
“I would if you would stop moaning and playing with yourself.” Hailey said.
“I'm... sorry.” Simone said, honestly sorry. “You know I... when we talk to him and he's right there...”
“I know.” Hailey said and resisted her urge to try it herself. She didn't want to do anything like that without Hunter being there to experience it with her. She had promised herself that a long time ago.
“I'm almost... DONE!” Simone yelled, then she moaned happily and immediately fell asleep.
“Goodnight, sis.” Hailey said and closed her eyes and went to sleep, too.