Serendipity

Chapter Nine

She came awake slowly.

The air smelled funny, sterile. She opened her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. She took a deep breath, trying not to panic. What had happened? They had been walking home from the river; how did she get here, and what was wrong with her eyes?

"Please lay still," a smooth female voice said. "You have been injured, and are currently lying in a healing cocoon. If you lay still, I will free you."

"Who are you?" she whispered, her throat dry.

"I am the ship's medical unit," the voice replied in calm tones. "You have been injured, but you are now healed."

"I can't see," she whispered. "And I can't move my arms. Am I blind?"

"No, there are med patches covering your eyes," the voice said. "I am now giving you a sedative. Your heart rate is rising in response to the conditions in which you find yourself, making it difficult for me to extricate you from the healing cocoon. Sleep well."

She woke again, but when she opened her eyes this time she could see. The dim light hurt her eyes. She was lying on a cupped, cushioned bed against the wall. Above her was a canopy, covered in blinking lights.

"You are now free to get up and move around the ship," the disembodied voice said.

"Please exercise caution, as your muscles may be slightly stiff from inactivity."

"Where am I?" she asked, leaning up experimentally. Her arms felt strange, weak.

"You are on board the Serendipity," the voice said. "The Serendipity is a class four cruiser. Our current destination world is Saurellia."

"How did I get here?"

"That information is not contained within my database."

"Where is Jax?" she asked, her voice rising. Panic threatened her again. "Where are my children?"

"That information is not contained within my database."

"You're not much help, are you?" she muttered, then stood. The healing unit wisely remained silent. She clutched the wall for balance, feeling slightly dizzy. Then she realized she was completely naked. She shook her head, trying to think. Everything seemed fuzzy and confusing.

"Is there any clothing in here?" she asked.

"Clothing is located in the cabinet to your left," the voice said.

Moving carefully, Sarai opened the cabinet and pulled out a loose, lightweight shirt and pants that tied at her waist with a drawstring. Then she walked slowly and deliberately to the door. Time to find Jax and the children.

It slid open and she stepped out into a corridor. There were several doors along on either side, and she opened each. All she found were empty bunks. The effort was exhausting, but she kept moving down the corridor. The ship was clearly a small one; they couldn't that be far away.

The corridor opened into a largish room, one that reminded her of the main living area in Seth's ship. The lights were dim here, too, and across the room was a couch, which had been converted into a bed. Sprawled across it was Jax, one child cuddled in each arm. She gave a sigh of relief, and almost collapsed. She was exhausted, and she knew where her children were. She could rest again.

She dropped slowly to her knees, then stretched out on the floor. A small part of her mind whispered that she'd be more comfortable if she could make it to the couch, but that was too much work. She drifted out of consciousness, secure in the knowledge that the children were safe. It was enough.

"Mommy," a small hand was shaking her, and Mali's voice rang urgently in her ear.

"Mommy, wake up! Jax! I think Mommy's dead!"

She opened her eyes, meeting Mali's gaze and trying to smile at her.

"I'm all right, sweetie," she said. Mali burst into tears.

"I thought you were dead again, Mommy!"

Again? Sarai wondered.

Then Jax was there, lifting her into his arms. She could hear Able's voice in the background, shrilly telling his sister to be quiet.

"What happened?" she whispered, looking up into his face. He was smiling down at her, his expression filled with love and exhaustion.

"Hector Prime was attacked by imperial troops, Sarai," he said, laying her down on the couch with gentle care. Mali bounded up beside her, burrowing against her side. Sarai clutched the child to her, and looked for Able. He stood off to one side, watching her with concern written all over his face. She gestured to him to join Mali, and his face crumpled in tears as he crawled up beside her.

"Oh, Mom, I was so scared," he whispered. "Jax saved us. We thought you were dead, but you weren't. It was really bad, Mom."

She looked back up at Jax, questions in her eyes. He shook his head, then sat down heavily on the couch beside Able.

"The main blast hit the spaceport as we were walking back from our picnic, he said quietly. "Then they started hitting the smaller towns."

"Why?" she whispered, face filled with confusion. "Hector Prime was neutral, and half the people there were imperial citizens. Students!"

"I don't know," he replied, his voice filled with sorrow. "I suspect we'll be able to find out when we reach Saurellia, but I have no idea why they would do such a thing."

"How did we get here?" she asked, looking around the ship's cabin. "How many survivors are there?"

He didn't meet her eyes, and the true horror of what had happened washed over her.

"We can't be the only survivors," she whispered, eyes filling with tears. She thought of the students who had lived with her these past months, and little Kally from down the street. How could they all be dead?

"We're the only ones I know of," he replied, his voice soft. "I scanned for living humans as soon I got you and the children in the ship, but we were attacked by an imperial patrol ship. I had to get us out of there while I still could."

"Wait," she asked, shaking her head. "Wait a minute. How did we get on this ship?

Where did it come from?"

"I called it down out of orbit," Jax said, reaching over to touch her face with one finger. "It's pretty standard among my people to keep an escape ship in orbit when you're traveling with family."

"Traveling with family?"

"Well, if you're anywhere other than Saurellia," he replied. "As soon as I realized you were my lifemate, I made arrangements for us to evacuate if we needed to. I did it the day I went into the spaceport."

She jerked away from him, and Mali squawked in protest.

"You knew something like this could happen, and you didn't warn anyone?"

"No, of course not," he replied, looking startled. "It's just a backup. I had no idea this would happen. If I had even dreamt Hector Prime was a target, I would have taken you away weeks ago. I was just being cautious. It's just dumb luck that we survived, you know.

I couldn't even fly the ship close enough to see what happened to the hostel. Too much smoke and radiation."

"Mom, if Jax hadn't been there we'd all be dead right now," Able said quietly, breaking in to the conversation. His face was pinched with concern, and she hugged him close. "And he's been taking real good care of me and Mali while you were sick."

"I realize that, sweetheart," she replied. For once, he didn't protest the endearment. "I was just startled, that's all. Thank you, Jax. Thank you so much for saving me and the children."

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile. "We thought we might lose you for a while.

You got hit in the head. Fortunately, the Serendipity has a pretty high-end medical unit.

Otherwise I doubt you'd still be here."

"We thought you were dead, Mommy," Mali whispered.

"Well, I'm not," she replied, squeezing the little girl tightly.

"I know," Mali replied. "Jax took good care of you."

"Yes, he did," she said softly, looking into his eyes. His face was worn, but his eyes were filled with love for her and the children. Realization hit her, and she knew he had been right all along. They were lifemates. Love welled up inside of her. She blinked back tears, unable to speak. He seemed to understand, though, and leaned toward her, kissing her deeply over the children's heads. She closed her eyes, drinking in the sensation of his touch.

Despite the horror they had just escaped, life was very good indeed.