Future Shadows: Chapter 14

14
Galatean City
Galatea, Lyran Commonwealth
16 July 3040

When the typical citizen of the Inner Sphere hears the word MechWarrior, the first image that comes to mind is usually not a bunch of people hanging around poolside in their swimwear, soaking up the sun through specially filtered glass. But this was exactly where Cera found the Fusiliers while searching out her best friend.
    The Mandarin Capellan’s pool deck was located on the eighth floor; a huge enclosed area protected by enormous panes of specially filtered glass that blocked out most of the ultraviolet light in the sunshine coming from the system’s yellow-white giant. Galatea had a very thin ozone layer, and without the filters anyone exposed would get badly sunburned in very short order, and worse after that. With the filters in place the hotel’s guests could sunbathe in perfect safety.
    The pool itself was a long, narrow, rectangular band with plenty of deckchairs on its spacious deck. Three of the deck’s private cabanas had been booked in advance and the Fusiliers were taking it easy in luxury and comfort. The women looked exceedingly sexy in their swimsuits, which were a mix of stylish bikinis, monokinis and tankinis that showed off their figures: from Isabelle’s slim, petite frame to Sayuki’s eye-popping and phenomenal curves. Even normally modest Alexandra wore a fabulous black monokini that nicely offset her creamy skin and pale golden hair.
    The male Fusiliers wore a mix of swimming trunk styles that helped display their fine fighting physiques, with Erik as always having the most impressive build. But Ian had a very good body as well, and Sun-Lao was no slouch either. Jimmy was, to the ladies, the most surprising because he was usually covered in a tech’s jumpsuit. But you spend a lifetime working with very heavy machinery and you get some serious muscles. He had a hard, lean body decorated with a few tattoos and several work-related scars. Garadun was the only one covered up, wearing a pair of tan cargo shorts falling past his knees and an oversized white t-shirt with the Mandarin Capellan logo on the front.
    Cera was clad in eye-catching swimwear: a jungle cat print bikini that left enough to the imagination to make her that much more desirable. She tramped along the deck, her feet protected by thong sandals, and entered the cabana where Garadun was hanging out with Ian, Sayuki and Marie. They looked up and could see she was annoyed and angry. She waved a holodisk, but her anger bled off when she saw Ian sitting on one of the deckchairs with Sayuki beside him, her arm around him and holding his hand. He looked as if his new BattleMech, Piano Black, had been blown up.
    “Oh no, what’s wrong?” said Cera, sitting with Marie.
    Ian gave her a lopsided smile without much mirth. “I got a vidletter from my parents. I sent them one a month ago when we got here, telling them about Sayuki and I getting married. Told them how incredible she is, how happy she’s made me.”
    “From your expression I take it they weren’t thrilled?”
    “Father’s formally disowned me,” Ian confirmed. “Said I’ve shamed the entire Davion line by marrying the enemy. Called Sayuki a…well, you get the idea.”
    “What a bastard,” said Cera, her anger back. “I’m sorry, Ian, but–”
    “No, that’s okay, Cera,” he said with a sigh. “Gar called him a lot worse. I don’t blame either of you. You’re my family now, and family look after each other…right?”
    “Damn right we do,” she said and hugged him tight. “Family.”
    “My parents were not happy either,” Sayuki added with a forlorn sigh. “I sent them a vidletter, too. Mother is upset and Father says I have dishonoured the family.”
    “That’s just stupid,” said Cera crossly.
    “Don’t worry too much, beautiful,” Garadun told Sayuki from where he sprawled on his deck chair. He smirked. “You’re not the only ones sending vidletters. I sent one to the oyabun, figuring your parents would freak out when they found out about Ian. I told him all about you two, how much you’re in love, how much honour you’ve brought to the Fusiliers, and asked him to speak to your parents in case this happened.”
    Ian gaped at him. “You sent a message to the oyabun?”
    “Why not? It was him who asked me to get Sayuki into the Fusiliers in the first place. I got a message back from Solaris this morning.”
    “So did I,” said Cera, holding up the datadisk.
    “Oh?”
    “You first.”
    “Okay. Basically Igawa says he’ll speak up on their behalf, tell Mr and Mrs Anzai that their daughter hasn’t dishonoured them.”
    “Really?” said Sayuki, now hopeful.
    Garadun leaned forward and met Ian’s eyes. “I was told to give you a message, bro. You have married a daughter of the Izumatura clan. You are now technically part of the clan as well. If you wish to make it official, he’ll meet with you on Solaris.”
    “Blake’s Blood…” said Ian, stunned.
    “Igawa-sama will make my husband kobun?” said Sayuki, equally amazed.
    “That’s the offer.”
    “Don’t do it, Ian,” Cera told him firmly. “You have Sayuki and that’s as close to the yakuza as you want to get. Trust me on this.”
    “You have me as you are,” said Sayuki, looking into her man’s eyes. “You do not have to formally join the clan to keep me, beloved.”
    “All right. Thank you, my love,” he said and kissed her. He managed a quirky smile. “Besides, I don’t think I’d look good with all those weird yakuza tattoos.”
    That got a laugh from everyone.
    “So what’s with you?” Garadun asked Cera. “What’s honked you off?”
    “This,” she said, tossing him the holodisk. “It’s from Mother.”
    “What happened, chérie?” Marie asked, taking her hand.
    “She’s started seeing someone!” said Cera, waving her free hand. “I mean, she’s dating some guy. Been seeing him for months now, apparently.”
    “What’s wrong with that?” Garadun asked.
    “Wrong? She’s my mother,” Cera replied, quite put out.
    “So? She’s also a woman, not just your mom. She’s been alone since your dad died. Now you‘re all grown up and out of the house. And I mean really out of the house. Like light-years out of the house,” he said and the others chuckled. “I can’t imagine how lonely she’s been these last couple of years with you gone. You should be happy she’s found someone again, not pissed about it.”
    Cera floundered as his words hit home. “You really think so?”
    “Cera, you’ve been her whole life till now,” he said with such gentleness that it made Marie look at him fondly. “I know how close you two are. Which made you leaving to be a mercenary all the harder on her. Your mother is a very beautiful woman, just like her daughter. She deserves a life of her own now that her baby’s all grown up and running around the galaxy blowing the crap outta pirates.”
    Cera sniffed, and then suddenly started to cry. Marie immediately took her in her arms and comforted her. Garadun got up and knelt beside her, adding his own words of comfort, and then so did Ian and Sayuki.
    “I miss her so much,” said Cera through her tears. “God, I miss her. You’re right, you’re right,” she said and Sayuki passed her a box of tissues. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “Domo. But he better be good to her, or else.”
    “Ask Igawa-sama to make sure,” Sayuki suggested. Cera bit her lip in thought and then looked at Garadun.
    “I’ll ask him for you,” he said, nodding. “Don’t worry.”
    “Domo arigato.”
    “Shigata ga nai.”
    There was a high-pitched shriek, and everyone looked over just in time to see Erik throw Elizabeth into the pool, making a huge splash. She came to the surface, yelling in fright and anger. Erik simply laughed.
    “You can swim, Lady Elizabeth,” he said, hands on his hips and grinning. “It comes naturally if you’ll let it. There’s nothing to it.”
    Elizabeth floundered to the edge of the pool and crawled out. “That wasn’t funny!”
    “Oh no?” said Sun-Lao as he walked past, and gave her a shove. In she went again. The Fusiliers fell about laughing as she wailed for her sister. Alexandra for once didn’t leap to her defence. She remained stretched out on her padded deckchair while Elizabeth clumsily made her way out of the water again.
    “You need to learn how to swim anyway.”
    “I don’t know how to either,” Sayuki admitted sheepishly.
    “You’re kidding,” said Ian, surprised. “Okay, time for a lesson. Hey, Elizabeth! I’m going to teach my wife to swim. Care to join us?”
    “Very well,” said Elizabeth, irritably. “Thank you. At least you are a gentleman, Ian Davion. Unlike these lunkheads who don’t know how to treat a lady properly.”
    Cera took Marie’s hand. “Come on, let’s help.”
    “Oui, this’ll be fun,” Marie agreed happily.