The Galactic Bride

A week later the ship had arrived in the Mari system. Sheplam, the Mari's homeworld, was actually a moon over a jungle planet, which struck Aki as odd because Sheplam itself was a more or less a desert. Even with artificial life created by alien technology, it seemed more practical to live on a thriving empty planet below. Aki was told only animals lived there, and the only humanoid creatures the went there was because of farming and vacations.

Lani did little in the way of preparing him for noble manners. She told him that everyone expected him to be half savage anyway, from both the Contest and being from Terra-3, so it didn't matter if he followed the established rules of educate or not. But she did warn him that everyone probably expected him to act a certain way due to the edit of the Contest footage.

"They made it seem like both of you were in love, but the two of you wouldn't admit your feelings. It's one of the reasons Hana and I wondered if you loved the General when you came onboard. So everyone will be expecting you to be sad about losing her. After that scene where you broke down and sobbed after her death, the edit seemed all the more true. So expect people to be talking about that."

Aki wasn't sure he wanted strangers coming up to him talking about Anura. In his mind he had decided to stop thinking of her as the General, now that he understood her feelings for him. This seemed like a good idea, after hearing what Lani had to say.

"The Mari Nobility have provided a wardrobe for you. They don't want you dressed as a Nimbonian or in one of our military jumpsuits." Lani explained. "I guess they want to claim you as theirs now that you've won."

Aki tried to recall what the Mari's fashion looked like from the holograms Anura showed him before the Contest. If he remembered correctly, the girl he saw wore an outfit that looked like she was from some Arabian Nights tale. It would be less clothes than the uncomfortable jumpsuit, but more clothes than the island. He thought that might be a good change.

"They've only been shipped from planet-side an hour ago, so do you want to go look at what they sent you?"

"Sure."

The two of them made their way to the cargo bay. It no longer was a training ground, and actually held what it was supposed to now. Somehow it seemed fitting that his new wardrobe would come in such a place. He actually wished Hana was present, though he knew she was cooking in the officer's mess. She had taken to doing that while he was gone, just so she'd have something to do. Now that they arrived at Sheplam, she would move with him to where ever the Mari decided he would stay.

That thought made him wonder. "Lani, Hana and I are moving below, but what about you?"

"I'm still part of the military. I have to go where they tell me." Lani told him sadly. "But I'm still your fiancée, so after my tour of duty is over, I can come live with you and your first-wife. I applied to be your bodyguard, but the Nimbonian military doesn't like the idea of me transferring to a Mari system just yet. I'm not sure why. I was only told that they need officers."

Aki really regretted that. "Up until now, you've always taken care of me. I don't know what I'm going to do down there without you."

Lani face lightened up when he said that. "I know you didn't mean it like a compliment, but thank you. I'll miss you too."

They opened up the crate of clothes the Mari sent. He had to admit that it looked more rustic than he thought it would. It had that fake-arabian look that he had expected, but there were a number of items, vests especially, with fur collasr and trim. When he looked at Lani, she looked puzzled at this as well.

"So this isn't normal Mari fashion?" Aki asked her.

"No. Well yes and no. All this leather and fur… it's like they-" She paused and mouthed a silent 'oh' movement with her lips. "It's fur similar to that creature you killed. The 'bear' as you called it. It's part of the myth surrounding your stay on the island. They've officially named that creature a bear because that's what you called it, and it seems they've incorporated it into your fashion."

"Hmm."

"It's a bit tacky, don't you think?" Lani shook her head. "Just because you kill the thing doesn't mean you want to dress like this…"

"It's fine." Aki shrugged. "Maybe if people see me wearing bear-fur they'll think I'm tough and will leave me alone when I want them too."

"I guess…" Lani didn't look so pleased with it. "Nimbonian fashion is much more elegant. I don't like these tops that allow so much skin to show. And these pants…"

Without any prompting on her part, Aki zipped down the jumpsuit and climbed out of it. Lani blushed at the abruptness of it. Both she and Hana got this way when he did this lately. He just didn't care about nudity anymore, mainly because he felt there were more important things to worry about. That and he had been practically naked for over a month. The less clothes he wore the better, he thought.

Aki thought he'd pick a casual Mari outfit, just so he'd get used to the fashion. Most of the tops seemed to be the equivalent of a bra, bikini-top, or a tube top. As Lani pointed out, it showed cleavage and most of his midriff. The vests with the fur lining were very short as well, as it's length only went as far as his upper back. As for the vest itself, where the cloth parts were, there was elaborate embroidery featuring curvy symbols he didn't know the meaning of. For bottoms were either low hanging loose pants or a low hanging skirt, with slits on the side to show more leg. Both options had belt like tops that had the same type of embroidery that the vest had. As for the shoes, the Mari provided him with several of the same boots. They had fur tops, but otherwise were normal leather boots. It had a small pointed curve at the toe, but not overly so much that it looked like a Christmas elf.

After he changed he looked at Lani to get a reaction. She was blushing and shaking her head. It was obvious she didn't like the Mari's taste in clothes. He didn't mind it though. He liked wearing less and lighter clothes.

"How is it that you are technically wearing more, but this is more embarrassing than you striping down to your underwear?" Lani's face was red.

"It's not bad." Aki shrugged.

"I guess… but that fur doesn't help." Lani shook her head again, then looked back down into the clothing crate. "Seems all your jewelry is bear teeth and bear claw themed. Typical."

After Aki put on the best of the necklaces, which he allowed Lani to pick out, they decided to go to the mess and show Hana his new outfit. Before he had gotten the stray eye from crew members, now they don't even bothering to hide it. Aki started to wonder if he looked as embarrassing as Lani had thought he did. When they reached the mess, Hana's reaction was different.

"You look so sexy!"

"Sexy?" Aki finally felt embarrassed on hearing that. "You're not supposed to call a guy that."

"It's hard to think of you as one looking like that. You're so hot, I'm jealous."

"Well, I hope you like it, because you'll have to dress in something similar." Aki reminded her. "You're coming with me."

"What!?" Suddenly it was a different story when she had to wear the same outfit. "No way!"

"You won't have to wear the fur." Lani quickly told her. "But it would be frowned upon if you dressed like a Nimbonian on Sheplam."

"Besides you have nothing to worry about. You have the figure to pull it off." Aki teased her.

Hana was half flattered half horrified. "D-Do I have to change into that right now?"

"Sooner is better than later. Tomorrow you both leave for victory reception." Lani told her. "Then you'll have too-"

But she was interrupted. An officer came up to her and pulled her aside. When she came back she was white faced. Bad news. She looked at Aki was dread in her face. "Y-Your family has docked. They are waiting for you in your cabin… the one you haven't been using."

"My family?" Aki blinked, thinking of his mother and father in Tokyo. But that was impossible. It had to be his Nimbonian family members. The Grajin. Suddenly he felt ill. "What do they want?"

"To see you, of course. You've won the Contest for them." Lani reminded him. "Come. We shouldn't keep them."

Hana dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and joined him. She entwined her fingers into his and allowed him to use her strength. His heart was beating, wondering what they were like. When he stopped in front of the foreign door of the unused cabin he felt like turning away and running. But he had faced a bear. He had killed one of the closest people in the world to him. And they were the cause of all that. He steeled his heart and slammed the door panel with his palm. It opened abruptly, as if reading his emotions.

Standing inside were two women in their forties, a thirty year old, a twenty year old, and someone that looked around 12 or 13. Or else that's how old they would look on Earth. He still had trouble telling ages apart in regards to aliens. The Tarfulles, for example, all looked like preteens no matter how hold they were. In a way he looked similar to them, but his japanese features make him stand apart. As most Nimbonians, they all had vivid blonde hair and a mixture of blue and green eyes among them. Because they were seed children, they all looked similar to the two eldest women in the room.

"Aki…um, I mean Kezri, this is your Olma and your Mother." Lani introduced them after they entered the room. She pointed to the one who most looked like him as the mother. "She is Jadkes and your Olma is Kezia."

The two older women looked at him with polite smiles. It was clear they had no interest in him other than the political aspects he represented to their family. Any doubts that he could forgive them for putting him what he had been through had disappeared with those smiles. To them, he was just an insurance policy that paid off.

"This is your eldest sister, Colonel Lama." Lani indicated to the 30 year old in a similar uniform that Anura used to wear when not in a jumpsuit. Lima seemed different than the two parents. Her eyes looked on him with respect. He knew she did not see him as just a way to get power, she admired him in some way.

"Here is Kalra, your second to oldest sister." The one looked like a shy librarian. It was clear she was not well received by the parents, and probably not the older sister as well. So when she looked at Aki, it was as if she was looking at someone who was above her. He didn't like it.

"And finally it's your youngest sister Rima." Lani concluded. Rima looked to be just bursting with excitement on seeing him. He could tell she was warned before hand to act like a lady, but if she had it her way she probably would have been all over him with questions. She gave a big grin at him, and Aki knew that he could very much find himself loving her given time. As for the rest of the family he didn't know.

"Kezri, we are pleased to see that you've grown into a strong woman." Jadkes the mother said. "We wish to thank you for undertaking the Contest on the families behalf."

Aki nodded, not wanting to say what he really wanted to say. He still was unclear what to make of all of this. The Mother he had no connection too. His real mother on earth was his seed-carrier. Technically he was not related at all to Jadkes, other than marriage.

"It would please us if you decided to live with House Grajin on Sheplam." The Olma Kezia broke in. So that was his real father, in a way. The seed giver. He looked the most like the her, of course. It was where his blue eyes came from. He was happy that his earth mother polluted the Nimba features.

"What do you mean?" Aki asked. The first thing he said to his real parents was a direct question. No affirmation of love. Why would there be? They sent him to a coliseum to be murdered for their own political gain.

"Well, as the future wife of the Minister's daughter, you'll have a choice on where you live." Kezia explained. "With your wife's family, on your own with your wife, or with your family. We just want to make it clear it's perfectly fine to stay with us."

There was something in the way she worded that that made Aki suspicious. The first thing he noticed was that even she didn't know the name of the Minister's daughter. In fact, Aki had noticed this before the Contest. When he had asked Anura about his future wife, she didn't know. She even said no one knew what she looked like, except for images of her as a child, for fear it might influence the contestants in some way.

But that wasn't the odd thing that stood out. His Olma clearly came aboard to request for him to live in House Grajin. As he thought about it, this seemed more than just re-uniting the family. Should the hero of the Contest live with House Grajin, that would bring much needed attention to the family.

But even more important than him living there would be his new wife. If the Minister's daughter lived with him, it would require the Minister to visit the Grajin home regularly if she wanted to visit her daughter. In a way they would be holding the girl hostage.

Aki considered all this and wondered what he should do. He knew nothing about these people, other than they were politically motivated. Sure it was calculating, but that didn't necessary mean they were bad people. Even so, it rubbed him the wrong way that they were using people like chess pieces. It wasn't just him they were placing on the board, it was the Minister's daughter as well.