"Hold still. You're such a sissy Bryan," Malla scolded, as she dabbed the cut on his collar bone with a stinging antiseptic.

"Am not!" He groused, wincing again and pulling away.

"Don't be too hard on the lad dear, he showed great courage in there," Prer Jolly stood watching her ministrations, puffing contentedly on his pipe.

"See!" Bryan accused.

"Bunk!"

Nettie and Isben and Holden West huddled together beside the freight wagon talking animatedly. While getting sorted out and enjoying a hearty meal prepared by Dame Wen, they had discovered through discussion, that they were indeed related way back in their history, and were now busily trading information.

Dame Wen was fussing like a mother hen about Bodluk. His arm was pretty badly mangled but she carefully cleaned and sewed the wounds, satisfied that, with time, it would be as good as new. With his strength restored from her fabulous meal, Bodluk couldn't resist embracing fond memories as he let her tend to him.

"How did you stay so young Wennie?" he teased.

"A little delirious are we?" she replied, blushing slightly.

"Only with your beauty."

Gaz groaned aloud and got up to leave the love birds by themselves. He strolled over to the fire where the others were seated. Marc beckoned him to sit and began talking right away.

"Gaz, this is Dee-Ryka, daughter of Din-Ryka, the officially recognized ruler of Belgar. I'm sure you're familiar with all the details. We have had a long conversation regarding the state of affairs on your planet and have come up with a suggestion that has found some merit."

Gaz looked about the group expectantly.

"Dee-Ryka will assume full authority on Belgar with yourself and Bodluk as her ministers and advisors. Some of the citizens here have suggested that they would be more than satisfied with this arrangement and are eager to try going forward with the treaty."

"I am without words. This is a huge leap for a simple soldier. What of the young Mistress? She can't live in this huge place alone with two hard edged types like Bodluk and me?"

"She won't have to."

All heads turned to the speaker Bodluk who had come to stand behind them, his good arm comfortably around the waist of a beaming Dame Wen.

"Gaz and I accept the proposition eagerly and as Dame Wen and I are- are uh, well uh-. She will stay with us and care for the young Mistress."

A loud cheer went up along with a myriad of cups raised in a toast. Marc looked to the young girl questioningly and beamed when he received her shy nod of agreement.

Prer Jolly harrumphed for attention and waved his pipe in the air, "It's settled then. All that remains is to make an honest man- and women," he bowed to Dame Wen, "of our new couple to seal the event."

Another cheer went up and the group rose to congratulate the flustered pair. Church tapped Marc on the arm and tossed his head beyond the camp fire, indicating the solitary figures by the wagon.

"What do you think? A double ceremony?"

Marc chuckled as he spotted Bryan and Malla holding hands and whispering, their faces inches apart.

"It wouldn't surprise me in the least, Church."

The engineer nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Oh by the way," he added with a bit of humourous surprise, "you might want this as a souvenir. It came from the body of one of our guards on the ship." He handed Marc the metal object, eyes twinkling.

"What's this?" Marc asked, turning it over in his fingers.

"It's a fuel cap."

Home

"It sounds like some deranged person's nightmare," Gothag stated ruefully as Marc completed his report to the council.

The delegation had returned just that evening, landing with barely any notice. Their arrival was a complete surprise and the hasty assembly of the committee left no time to alert the citizens.

Upon hearing the alarming account of their escapades, the committee extended a well deserved round of applause and congratulations to the delegates.

"Perhaps sir, but one we awoke from in time, thank Reb." He acknowledged the credit of murmurs about the table.

"So then, our program begins when?" Gothag asked.

"Two weeks time sir. The first ship of twelve will arrive. Among them young Bryan and his new bride Malla. We all agreed that they deserved to be in the first group selected."

"And a hearty welcome to them both," Gothag boomed, banging his gavel to close the meeting.

*****

"For such a young couple to be wed is distressing," Tugby fretted, poking at the meal Kress had placed before him.

"Why distressing?" Mare Dwellen asked, pausing with her drink to her lips.

Tugby fidgeted on his chair and waved a hand, "Well I mean, they didn't even have an official ceremony."

"Don't be silly. Of course they did. Prer Jolly performed it."

"What authori-"

"Every authority," Kress interrupted, "that's why he's called Prer Jolly. He's had the title for so long everyone's forgotten his real name is Hiram." Kress forked up a mouthful of food and continued speaking as she chewed, "As senior educator he also has license to perform marriages, burials, Rebnings, and a host of other duties. Get with the program Tugby."

"Hmm, maybe so, but-"

"Oh don't be such a fusspot," Mare Dwellen chided, "for Reb's sake, look at us!"

Tugby choked on his mouthful of wine, spraying the table as he did so.

"Tugby!" Kress laughed, "you're beet red! Mare's right. You've been living together without official sanction for years now."

Wiping his flaming face and coughing uncontrollably, Tugby finally composed himself and looked from one to the other meekly.

"I won't say another word."

"Do my ears deceive me?" Marc laughed, coming through the door, "Tugby's going to stop talking?"

Kress screamed with surprise and leaped from the table, running to her husband so rapidly, the collision sent them reeling right back through the door into the yard. Rolling around in a scramble of arms and legs they finally came to rest, Kress sitting astride Marc's chest, her hands holding his face firmly toward her. They stared silently at one another for a moment then she leaned down and kissed him fiercely.

"When did you get back? How long-"

"MMph! You've gained some weight since I left," Marc grunted teasingly, his heart filled with the joy of her nearness.

Ignoring his tease she stared sternly into his eyes, "And you sir have lost some, what with all those nicks and cuts I see. Was the trip a failure?"

"Badges of the warrior dear," he boasted jokingly and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "It nearly was Kress, it nearly was," and he went on to relate the events to her wide eyed attention.

"Well it's time to put away your warrior toys and become my wood-carving husband again." She climbed to her feet, pulling him up and they stood swaying, arms locked tightly about one another, in the evening dusk.

*****

Holden West sat with his family about the kitchen table reading selected parts of the family records Isben had entrusted to him. He had been hugged to distraction on arrival then alternately scolded and praised as he told them of their adventure on Belgar. His children sat wide-eyed, taking in the strange and exciting history of their family's ancestors. At last he sighed and gathered the papers together, jogging them into a neat pile.

"There's a lot more but I think we'll save it for later," he sighed.

"Will we ever be able to go there," his son pleaded.

Holden glanced at his wife and then looked at his children fondly, "One day I'm sure you will. There's a lot of work to be done on Belgar yet but they're making a determined effort and I expect that one day soon we will visit our friends there."

His wife patted his hand and rose from the table ushering the mildly protesting children off to bed. Holden pushed himself up and wandered into the yard and stood staring at the stars.

"You want to go back don't you?" his wife came up behind him, slipping her arm through his.

"I think I do," he replied, "but only with you and the children- and only for a visit. Belgar will be a long time evolving before it holds much attraction for anyone."

They leaned into one another comfortably and let their eyes scan the twinkling night sky, watching the occasional trail of a comet streak across the window of their galaxy.

Holden squinted at a cluster off to his right, selecting a flickering bright star he imagined might be Belgar. He felt his wife snuggle closer and he closed his eyes with a contented sigh.

THE END

A/N: To any and all who read this and the prequel, Answar Chronicles I would like to say thank you very much and sincerely hope it was found to be an entertaining tale