Morgan and Len

Morgan leaned her cheek against Len's hand.
"You're tense," Len began massaging his wife's shoulders. "You were so deep in thought. I didn't think you heard me come in."
"Um. That feels so good. I have hauled cargo, unloaded ships, danced for hours, butchered zrabicas and battled dragons, but shelling beans is the hardest job I've ever done. I am so tired."
"What were you thinking about?"
"When we first met."
"You mean when we were married?"
"No," Morgan smiled. "When I tied you up and left you in the vithan village. It was even before I became Khai's bodyguard. Do you remember?"
"Oh yeah. Tige Minton was my partner." Len slipped his hand off Morgan's shoulder and into her blouse. "Where are the kids?" Len whispered in Morgan's ear. His tongue tickled the edge. Morgan shivered as he blew on her ear, cooling the moisture from his tongue.
"Inhibe took Ophah and Edan on a tour of the Amethyst Forest. She promised to protect them from falling crystals with her wings. Inhibe is doing quite well with her dragon lessons. She can turn her wings almost to stone. I told her..."
Len leaned over Morgan and silenced her with a kiss. "Be quiet woman. The kids are gone and your man needs some loving."
Morgan laughed into Len's mouth.
"He does, does he?" Morgan turned so she could kiss Len. "Let me just turn off the transmitter."

The person you are trying to contact is not accepting transmissions at this time. Please submit your contact information and the person or persons you are trying to contact will open the com-link at a later date.

Vithan Jungle

Internal Log Entry

Tige Minton. What can I say? I would love to take him out back and beat the crap out of him. But all that would get me is a reprimand from headquarters and possibly a demotion.

He claimed that he couldn't hike into the Vithan Jungle. He stated that he would hire a pilot to take us into the jungle. I tried to tell him that as Protectors we were completely capable of avoiding man-eating vines and hostile tribes men. Would he listen? Of course not.

Tige found a perfect pilot. Neither Tige nor I have a pilot's license. So he signed out a shuttle and hired a pilot.

I should have known. Actually, I should have left the moment I discovered the criminal I was looking for was Morgan Taj Zephyrain. If she is the original, then she has been evading authorities, governments and bounty hunters for nearly...of course she couldn't be the original. She is much too young and beautiful to be the orginal.

I digress.

Tige found the perfect pilot. He was as tall as I am. A Traveler by the look of him. Black hair braided in that intricate twining they used to wear before they were outlawed. Granted Travelers make the best pilots. This one wore retro jeans and a black leather jacket. And dark glasses. Never took them off.

I should have known.

The pilot flew the shuttle like a pro. Avoided vines by flying around the tendrils, over and under the branches. Never used a flamer once. Most pilots would simply burn a path through the vines. Not this one. Real skill.

I should have known.

Another thing. The pilot drank ... alot. I have never seen anyone drink so much alcohol before. About seven bottles of very expensive whiskey. All gone in a matter of minutes. And he still managed to fly that shuttle without getting hit by a single vine.

When I got close to the pilot, I should have known. My mind began to wander dwell on things I had no business thinking on. At least not on duty.

Half way to the village, the passenger compartment of the shuttle filled with gas. Sleeping gas.
The dreams I dreamt would burn the holograms off this recorder.

Anyway, I woke up tied to a pole inside of a hut in a village. Tige was tied to another pole. The pilot was gone. So was our shuttle. A small holographic projector was set next to me.

When one of the tribesmen untied us, I played the hologram. The most sensuous, most beautiful and seductive women I have ever seen moved in ways that set my body on fire. She smiled and I wanted to...well never mind what I wanted to. Then she laughed.

"I left you alive. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I think the blond is good looking. Something about him calls to me. Maybe I'm just like a good joke. I think we will meet again. By the way, my name is Morgan Taj Zephyrain. You can tell the Protectorate that you were piloted by the infamous Morgan. If you follow me, I may not be so nice next time. After all I am known as a cold-blooded killer."

I should have known.

Len Braxton out.

Read how Len Braxton and Morgan meet in Prophecy of Vithan by Charlene Leatherman at www.cerridwenpress.com

Log Entry Len Braxton

Internal log entry:

Len Braxton, Master Protector Grade 14. Log Entry

I have just spent the most frustrating eight days of my life. After those imbeciles lost Morgan Taj Zephyrain and after Tige managed to assault the tour guide of StarBright Tourism Agency, I was recalled to the Galactic Council for a debriefing. Debriefing? I barely got any information. The subatomic particle of information I was able to get is she went underground into some jungle. I tried to convince the GC that holding me at headquarters was wasting precious time and she could be getting away. Would they listen? Of course not. They listened to Tige. They took his version of rebellious aliens hampering the investigation. And demanded why I didn’t torture the tourists to discover what they knew about Morgan.

That woman is becoming more trouble than she is worth.

Of course, the reward for her return is huge. More than I make in 10 years. But something about the GC’s insistence that she be returned alive bothers me. If she is that dangerous, wouldn’t dead be a better solution? And why do they insist on DNA sampling of anyone claiming to be Morgan? Granted DNA will identify anyone we capture, but there seems to be more to the request for her DNA than usual. I will have to do some investigating of my own.

I have to admit that I do not trust the GC. True I have been raised by the Protectorate and trained since I was five to be a Protector for the Galactic Council. Their methods and their politics, not to mention their quest for power, really turns my stomach.

End Internal log entry.

Begin Official Log Entry

Junior Protector Tige Minton and myself, Master Protector Len Braxton log entry.

Tige and I are initiating landing procedures into the casino district of the moon Vithan. It has been rumored that fleeing felon Morgan Taj Zephyrain was seen in the jungles of Vithan after escaping from the club Arena.

Billy, the club manager, after being released from questioning by other Protectors returned to the club and has not ventured further than his house and the club. It is suspected that he is aware of his being watched. That source of information is considered exhausted.

Tige wants to visit the casinos and question the players at the casino. I have not given the approval for such a turn in investigation. Our information states that Morgan has traveled into the jungle. We will travel by foot into the jungle. There is reported to be vegetation that is dangerous and as such we will carry hand held flame throwers. Unknown animal life. Primitive tribes would be within hiking distance. If we do not discover some semblance of proof that Morgan traveled into the jungle within the next day or so, I will officially abandon the jungle search.

According to the maps we were able to acquire there is a primitive tribe near the edge of the jungle. That is our destination for the first night. We will question the people there. (sub comment: I will not allow Tige to cause a galactic incident. The procedure will be questioning only.)

Tige Minton and I, Len Braxton, will leave for the jungle in the morning.

Log out.

End Official Long Entry


Prophecy of Vithan is available to buy at Cerridwen Press.
Discover what Len discovers about Morgan.
Charlene Leatherman
Defeat the villain, Destroy the monster, Deliver the hero and never break a nail.

Len Braxton, Protector

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please remain in your seats. I know you have the StarBright Tourist Agency apologies, and I would like to add mine.
I am Master-Grade Protector Len Braxton. This is my associate Junior-Grade Protector Tige Minton.
No, Tige, you do not need to brandish you weapon to emphasize that you are a Protector.
A-Hem, well, yes, back to what I was saying. I am Len Braxton. You may address me as Protector Braxton. I am here to interview you about the criminal Morgan Taj Zephyrain. Since you were all in the Arena at the time of the attempted capture and her subsequent escape, my associate and I will interview you about what you saw or heard. Perhaps something you were witness to, no matter how trivial, will give us an idea of where she is headed.
Tige, I said interview. That means with your mouth and a recorder. I did not say for you to invade anyone's mind. --- Yes, I understand the Protector Training Manual says that interviewing is best handled by psychic invasion. However, I am in charge in the field on this particular mission and I determine how the interviews will be handled. Now release the tour guide from your Command. No, there is no need to strip search her and there will be no rape on my watch.
Please, Ladies and Gentlemen, I realize you are from other systems and even though you are under the governing body, the Galactic Council, you may not have dealt with Protectors before. My associate is a bit overly zealous. There is no reason to fear.
Yes, Tige, you are right, no reason to fear if you are innocent. No you may not probe for guilt. Besides, probing is only done by Psys.
(I have to speak to my father about another assignment. One with no partner.)
Each interview will be recorded. Please remain in your seats. We will come to you.
Passenger Interview Alpha 435 Beta one:
My name is Hugh Trent. Yeah, I was the one she was fighting with when you Prots, uh, excuse me officer, Protectors came crashing in and interrupted our tour. Man, I would have had her if you ... Yes, sir, I will keep to the subject. No, Protector Braxton, I wasn't really fighting with her. We were in the ring using sonic weapons. The setting was on 3 so no one would get hurt.
How, the hell should I know how the setting on her sonic broadsword got to 17. I assume she switched it. No, I didn't see her switch it.
Look, Morgan is one hot broad. I don't know if she is a criminal or not. All I know is that you and that freak ... yeah, sure, I'll be respectful of the office. Your partner sure doesn't deserve my respect. Hell, look at him.
Yes sir, I was there when the other Prots, er, Protectors tried to capture Morgan. You should have been there. I thought for sure they had her dead to rights. They came in there phasers locked on kill. I figured I was dead and she was history.
You know what? She pushed me - look at me I'm a body builder. I bench 500 pounds. Seh pushed me out of the way. Well, yeah, push is the wrong term. She dropped down into a crouch and swept her leg out and BAM down I went. Then I see her swing the flattened side of the sonic broadsword over her head. Must have activated some kind of energy system in the club, cause all the audience around the ring ... yeah us tourists and everyone else ... were suddenly outside of a force field. the only ones inside were the Prots and her. They started shooting at her. She used the broadsword to block the shots. Well, I don't guess a regular sword could do that, but a sonic sword at setting 17 could. I don't know. I'm not an engineer. Anyway, she did. I have no idea how.
She blocked this one shot. Then she ran and slid on the floor toward the Prots. You should have seen their faces. It was worth a thousand creds to see their faces. She jumps up and drops the sword. Morgan knoced the phasers out of their hands and landed some good punches. I know one really stupid Prot. Well, he had to be stupid to do what he done.
He grabs her and is trying to hold her while his associates try to restrain her. Man, if I live to be 100 I will never forget that sound. What sound? Why the sound of her breaking that Prot's arm. She moved in ways I never saw before. Some kind of really slick martial arts. Anyway, I hear this sickening crack and the Prot go all green. The other Prots call for back up.
All of a sudden, she looks up and sees us. Everyone standing outside of the field. Her face goes all concerned. Like she doesn't care about the fight at all. She is more concerned about us than fighting for her life. Wierd, huh?
That's when she shouts. She hollars to some guy named Billy. She yells one word. "Jungle."
She raised her wrist to her mouth and evidently spoke into some com-link. All of a sudden a sklight opens in the roof. A ladder comes from someplace. No, I told you I was outside of the force field. If I had been inside, I would have kicked some Prot butt. You got no right treating people the way you do.
No. I think I suddenly got a case of amnesia.
End Interview.


Be sure to read Prophecy of Vithan by Charlene Leatherman. Available at Cerridwen Press.

Virgina calls home.

Mom? Yeah, this is Virginia. I am having so much fun on the tour. Yes, mama, I am behaving myself. Yes, I am learning a whole bunch. I ask questions and everybody answers.
Guess what? Morgan Zephyrain (un-huh, the one from the novel Prophecy of Vithan. Yeah, the one you bought from www.cerridwenpress.com) took us to go see the 23 Falls and the volcano. Then she took us to her club The Arena. It was really fun. I played some games. I got to do a holodeck game with some other kids. One kid had tentacles. He tried to cheat. But I wouldn't let him. There were 6 of us kids and we were playing Trazen dodgeball. He tried to throw eight balls at the same time. I told him that was cheating. Well, anyway, he didn't win and neither did I. Some little girl (littler than me) named Sylthe won.
Then I went and climbed the Wall. It was really neat. Some of the grown ups got upset. It was funny. You see, the wal sort of knew what you were doing. So when you took ahold of a rock the rock sunk in and came out some where else. Lots of grown ups fell off. It was okay though, cause they wore harnesses.
Then I got to go into the ring with Morgan herself. She let me hold a sonic sword. She called it a broadsword. It was real heavy. But it was okay mama. It was on a setting that didn't cut me. Morgan showed me how to hold it and even let me fight with her. Of course, I just banged her sword a couple of times. Then I had to leave but I got to watch her really fight against some grown ups. One man, he was real big and had lots of muscles, thought he could beat Morgan. He bragged alot. Morgan just smiled and it was so great. She beat him into the ground.
Not really, mama. But she sure beat him good.
No. I'm not at the club now. We had to leave.
The Protectors came and tried to arrest Morgan. She flipped the switch on the broadsword and fought like hell. I'm sorry mama. I heard one of the grown ups say that. She fought real hard and got away.
It was real exciting.
Yes, mama, I will try to get some sleep. No, mama, I don't know where we are going tomorrow. One of the moons I think. I can get the holographic tour book if you want me to. I think it is under the seat in the shuttle. Maybe some candy and some soda dropped on it. Oh, okay, I won't get it. I will let you tomorrow morning when Maggie tells us where we are going.
Nite Mama.

First Stop - Sonij and We're in for a Treat

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. We are approaching the landing pad on Sonij. Please return your chairs to the upright position and strap on your restraining harnesses. The descent to the Sonij landing pad is always rough and bumpy due to the harsh alcohol atmosphere. Be sure you have on your protective suits and are wearing your breathers. If you do not have on your protective gear you will not be allowed to disembark. The Sonij atmosphere is caustic enough to burn the skin of any species other than native Sonijian.

Yes, Captain? One moment, ladies and gentlemen. Maggie, #$$%&***()^)(*& #$%^&&*****(*^^%$()_)(%^ Ladies and Gentlemen. I have exciting news. We just received a transmission from Morgan Taj Zephyrain. You may know her from the novel being released August 2, 2007 Earthdate entitled Prophecy of Vithan from Cerridwen Press.

It seems Morgan is in between assignments and has volunteered to give us a tour of two of her favorite places on her home world. She will take us to the Twenty-three Falls of Afji. (Yes I know. She may not be able to hear it, but you can applaud. Not many people ever get to see the falls no matter how long their life is.) Morgan has also said she will take us to the much talked about Sonij volcano. Yes, you will get to stand on the ridge of the only active volcano on Sonij.

Ah. We have landed. I see Morgan coming up the ramp. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Morgan Taj Zephyrain.

Good morning everyone. My name is Morgan. I am Sonij. As you can see I do not need to wear a protective suit or a breather. No, (what is her name?) No, Virginia it would not be wise for you take off your suit. Your eyes would melt, your lungs would ulcerate and your skin would burn off your bones. If you survived that, your brain would die from exposure to the equivalent to 7000 proof alcohol.
(What? Sonij children are told the truth. You want me to sugar coat it and let you deal with her parents when you deliver their daughter to them as a piece of fried fat? I didn’t think so.)
Before we go to my shuttle, I will show you the traditional Sonij greeting. The dropping to one knee indicates recognition of slavery. The one knee upright indicates the freedom we desire. Covering the face indicates the loss of home world and the pain we cannot show. The appropriate response to friends and family is covering one’s face and stating “My pain is diminished by the increase of my kin”. Yes, Virginia, very good.

My people, my generation were raised as slaves. As such our culture is filled with the reminders of what we were forced to endure. No, sir. We do not use the culture to make ourselves victims. Rather we use our culture to remind ourselves that we are strong and we can overcome anything. One of the sayings, much like Hello, is Sonij is pain. It means that to be Sonijian you must endure. No matter how much you want to quit and how much it hurts, you endure because you are Sonij and that is what we do.

Is everyone seated in the shuttle? Excellent. I am sorry I do not have the more technically advanced seats like StarBright. My shuttle is functional rather than luxurious. Just make sure you have your seat belts fastened.

We are coming up on the Twenty-three Falls of Afji. Yes, I know it has only been five minutes. And yes I know that normally it takes fifteen minutes to fly from the landing pad to the falls. That is why I told you to fasten your seat belt.

The falls were named for one of the first people created by the Ancients. Who has not heard the legend? Ah, most of you. The legend about the Twin Planet System goes like this. There was one huge planet, the Father Planet. It was hit by a meteor and split into two. The Ancients, a race from another dimension, terraformed the two largest pieces into planets and the remaining pieces into the thirteen moons. Each moon and planet had a different Ancient create it with its own uniqueness. Sonij was created by Estratite. She then created the Sonij people. Afji was one of the first women created. It is said that she gave birth to twenty three sons all at once and suffered so much pain that she melted into the water. The water has been black ever since.

As you can see the water is indeed black. All water on Sonij is black and is drinkable by Sonij people. No, it is not polluted. It is fresh water, just not the color you are used to. This pool is fed by the 23 falls that you can see above you. The water does not come from a spring in the mountains like on other planets, Earth in particular. The water simply comes from the ground up in 23 separate places and falls into the pond.

Yes, sir, there is fishing. However, most of the fish catch the people. The smallest recorded fish in this pool was 75 feet long and weighed 900 pounds. No ma’am. We do not eat the fish. Sonij are generally vegetarians. Why? Excuse me for laughing. Sonij are vegetarians because the meat animals here eat people.

It is getting late. Maggie has suggested that I take you to your ship where you will bunk overnight and take you to the volcano tomorrow. Yes, Virginia, scary things do come out at night.

If Maggie can get permission, perhaps I can take you all on a short detour to my club on Vithan, the Arena. Well, let’s get you back to your ship and I will start on the permits to have StarBright Tours come to my club.

images from the internet. If you do not wish me to use your image please contact me.
image of the planet from www.hubblesite.org