Chapter 41
Ivar
It’s a week before we hear news from the senate.
We don’t know if it’s good news or bad news. All we know is that President Haggard is going to deliver it himself. In person, at our mansion. We’re all in the living room except for the babies, who are in the nursery. We’ve spent most of the day with them.
Erik is on the couch next to Avery. She’s puffing on her vape. Sigurd is beside her, an arm around the back of the couch, brushing against her neck. He’s drinking some ale. I’m considering it, but I want to keep a clear head.
“If it’s an eviction notice, then we’ll grab what we can on the way out and find another planet. Maybe one we can rule. Why shouldn’t we be gods for a while?” Sigurd mutters, clearly feeling the ale now that he’s just sipping instead of downing them.
“That doesn’t help our people,” I say, shaking my head.
“No, but it sure would be nice. We could just kick back, relax, and make them do everything for us,” he says. “If we can’t save our people, we should at least enjoy the rest of our lives, right?”
“Let’s not go making plans like that,” Erik says. “I’ve got some ideas, if we need them. None of them involve playing Morlock on another world.”
“Meh,” Sigurd says dismissively.
“I just hope it’s good news,” Avery says. “I don’t want to leave. I hope they’re going to let us stay and let everyone else come here.”
“It would be grand,” I say. “We’d still have to deal with the warship, but if they let us stay, we can determine our next move after that.”
We’ve discussed a number of things. None of them would be easy. All of them risk our lives. Risk us not seeing our mate again nor watching our children grow up. Even worse, she’d be left with three babies to raise and she’d be alone here.
She might even have to activate Vikingo. I shudder at the thought of that strange happy-go-lucky robot tending to my children. No, we have to come back. Avery needs us.
The house sensors notify us of an arrival. I stand immediately. Everyone else tenses, except Sigurd who casually sips his ale.
I’m at the door before the president makes it there. He’s alone, but the security detail is waiting by his ship.
“Greetings, Mr. President,” I say as I open the door.
“Ivar,” he says, nodding as he walks in. “Ah, good, everyone is here.”
“Yes, please have a seat. Can we get you anything?” I ask, moving to the living room.
“I’m fine,” he says, waving a hand. He walks into the living room and sits in the chair I usually sit in, so I sit in the one across from him. “After much deliberation, the senate has finally passed the vote. You will not be allowed to remain on Midgard 13.”
All the air feels like it’s sucked out of the room. A collective gasp. A flicker of unease even passes across Sigurd’s face. Banishment. Again. And we didn’t even steal anything this time. We didn’t do anything but play by the rules.
Well, that, and tell them that they’re just one of many worlds seeded with clones and coded DNA. Morlock was desperate to protect his so-called religion. This world doesn’t worship the gods, but… maybe they still thought they were special, religion or not.
“However, under Midgardian rules and regulations, including Regulation 1742, which specifically addresses kidnapping, Avery will be offered sanctuary. Along with her children,” he adds.
“Kidnapping?” Avery gasps.
“Yes, you are a victim of kidnapping. These three men broke into an Intergalactic Alliance refugee center and kidnapped you. They are dangerous criminals, according to the Intergalactic Alliance,” he continues.
“Mr. President!” I say firmly. “We were honest with you, especially in front of the senate. You knew all of this.”
Erik mouths something. Sigurd looks angry. He puts his ale down and cracks his neck. This is about to get ugly. President Haggard turns toward Sigurd and shakes his head.
“Son, I’m going to ask you kindly to keep your wolf quiet for just a bit longer. Part of evolving is knowing when it’s time to listen, and it’s common courtesy to let a man finish speaking before you try to tear his head off,” President Haggard growls.
Sigurd doesn’t relax, but he reaches for his ale and downs it.
“Go on, Mr. President,” I grind out, struggling to keep my wolf contained.
“That’s the official position of the senate, and it will be entered into record,” President Haggard says, leaning back slightly.
“I must say, I was very intrigued by what you told me about Mallow. I had some of our engineers look over your ship, and that hyperdrive is very impressive. It’s so precise you could stop it on an atom if you knew where it was. ”
“Yes…” Erik says, confusion in his voice.
“And if someone were to load that ship up with explosives, like the ones… hmm, I don’t know, carelessly left in the loading dock not far from where your ship is parked, it would be quite easy to…” He glances over at Erik.
“Turn it into a fucking bomb,” he mutters. “And that hyperdrive… if it explodes.”
“Right in the middle of an Intergalactic Alliance warship?” President Haggard says.
“Oh, fuck,” Sigurd says, nearly dropping his cup.
“Morlock upgraded it with so much power. It would be an enormous explosion!” Erik’s eyes widen, then they narrow. “But wait, if we blow up our ship, we can’t be on it.”
“Well, I’d think Viking raiders like yourselves could easily solve that problem by stealing one of our ships,” President Haggard says. “Like the one haphazardly parked not far from yours, doors open, systems unlocked.”
“Wait, are you… helping us?” Avery asks.
“No, you’re being given sanctuary,” President Haggard says. “As for these criminals, by the time they get to their planet and load the rest of their survivors on our ship, the Intergalactic Alliance will show up with more warships. Plural.”
“Right… And we only have one ship to blow up,” Erik says.
“Which is why we’ll be right behind you, and by the time they show up, we will have already taken you into custody.
And all of the survivors, for their part in your plan,” President Haggard says.
“The treaty we signed with the Intergalactic Alliance states that prisoners do not face extradition, if they are held for crimes against our world. Which the three of you will be, after the carnage you’ll cause on the way out. ”
“The Intergalactic Alliance will want us for crimes far greater than stealing explosives and a ship,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Doesn’t matter,” President Haggard says. “The treaty we signed still takes precedence. They would have to break it, and they won’t. They may violate the terms by not bringing survivors with Fenrir’s Mark to our world, but they’re not going to declare war over it.”
“I’d be happy to join your army if they do,” Sigurd says. “Criminal or not.”
“It won’t come to that, trust me. We are more trouble than we’re worth, even if we are peaceful,” President Haggard says, standing up.
“My peace officers are standing by, ready to move on my command. Either way, you cannot remain on this world. If we bring you back as prisoners, you’ll be treated like any other criminal. ”
President Haggard walks to the door and steps outside. We look at each other, slightly dazed, all of us processing what he said.
“Wait,” Avery says. “They’ll be criminals? What do they do with criminals here?”
“Nothing,” Erik says. “Well, I mean, not a first-time offender. They don’t really have crime here, and outside of something heinous, all first-time offenders are given a second chance. And even if we were imprisoned, we’d simply be confined… here.”
“Like house arrest?” Avery asks. “You’d just have to stay home?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t violate that, your home is your cell,” Erik clarifies.
“Well, shit, I should have broken some laws,” Sigurd chuckles.
“Sounds like we’re going to break a few,” I say. “But the real damage is going to be done to the Intergalactic Alliance. If this plan works, we’ll save our people. We’ll all have a life here, on Midgard 13… no, Midgard. It will become our Midgard.”
“I don’t mind marrying three criminals,” Avery says. “As long as you finally make an honest woman out of me.”
“The mating bond means more than a wedding,” Sigurd growls. “A wedding is just a celebration to ask the gods to bless the marriage. Who wants the blessing of a bunch of clones?”
“I’d still like to have one,” Avery says, pouting a little. “It means a lot where I’m from.”
“Then you’ll have the wedding of your dreams,” Erik says, taking her hand. “But first, we have to make plans.”
“The plans have already been made, brother,” I say. “We just have to execute them.”
“When?” Avery asks.
“Now,” Sigurd says, finishing his ale. “Why wait? Let’s put an end to this once and for all.” Vivar’s cry rings out. “After we feed the babies.”
We all go into the nursery and care for our children. We hold each of them. I say a few words to all three, but Vivar especially. If something happens to me, he’s heir to my throne. A throne he’ll never sit on, but I guess it still means something.
We’re almost in tears when we finally walk out of the nursery.
“You better come back to me,” Avery says, wiping her eyes. “All three of you. I mean that.”
“We will,” Sigurd growls as he hugs her, lifting her off her feet as he does. “Somebody has to spank you after the next feast.”
We heard about Sigurd and Avery’s little post-feast celebration. It’s a shame Erik and I missed it. We won’t miss the next one. With any luck, the next feast will be on our wedding day.
“We love you, Avery,” Erik says, hugging her when Sigurd finally puts her down. “We will do everything we can to get back to you. Back to them.” He glances back to the nursery. “If we don’t, make sure our children know how much they were loved. And why we aren’t here.”
“Don’t say that.” Avery shakes her head, more tears streaming down her face. “President Haggard wouldn’t be helping us if he didn’t think it would work. He’s risking a lot, too.”
“Yes, we can’t overlook that,” I sigh, pulling Avery into a tight embrace and kissing her goodbye. “We’ll try to be home before you have time to miss us, especially Sigurd.”
“I miss all of you already,” Avery cries.
We each hug her one last time, then walk out of the mansion. We’re leaving our future behind to give our people one too.
This won’t be easy.
But it’s the best chance we have.