Center Worlds - Spark

Clanworld Camelin -31 BA

The sound of a strongly crying infant reached the ears of Ryo and Lya as she rested in the healing waters of the birthing pool. The water swirled around them, drawing away the blood and mucus, and cleaning the body of mother and child as they welcomed the newest member of both clans into the world.

“What do you wish her named, Ryo?” Lya breathed as she gazed upon the face of their daughter.

“We can name her Gya, after my Father. This House god is Nysa, do you want traditional naming?” He murmured as he leaned over and kissed Lya’s sweat-soaked forehead, her body still reeling from the birthing effort.

“She is the first of a new dawn for this Clan, and yours. We should be both Traditional and modern. How about Gyasalon Helvanyso Camelin?”

Ryo smiled and kissed his consort. “Not Camelin, she must carry your clan name forward so we can bring you back into the Confederacy. She needs to be Desinlo.”

“Gyasalon Helvanysa Desinlo then, female tense on everything.”

Ryo and Lya very much enjoyed being in the presence of their first child. Little Gya wanted for nothing, and the Clan population also rejoiced at the birth of their Leader’s daughter. Celebrations spread across the planet and through Clan space. Even the Lord Emperor sent his congratulations, although he could not make the journey in person, due to age.

As young Gya grew into an adorable toddler, Ryo discussed with Lya the need for her to learn how things had changed over the centuries that she had been isolated. She accepted his offer to travel to Tara as a student of History to learn all about the modern Confederacy. This was done in secret, she traveled under the Camelin name, with identity papers that showed her as being born to the Clan leaders but not directly associated with Ryo. Lya spent a Cycle on Tara, absorbing everything she could about the culture and how many changes had occurred. She was always protected, and Ryo felt no fear while she was gone. He knew that a member of the Lari’Sota, an order of royal companions was always with her, and then she was back. Tanned, looking even more healthy than before, and full of life and new knowledge.

She was also very hungry for Ryo, and they spent the next four days in his chambers as she showed him just how much she had missed him.

Gya did not remember her mother after such a long absence, but that soon changed, and the little girl was back to her happy self within days, Lya also brought with her a Lari’Sota companion for her daughter, to act as a nanny and to help raise the girl. Tiana was dedicated and loving. Also, nursing, so that Gya would have mother’s milk as needed until the baby was ready to wean.

Her people had settled into Clan Camelin and were strongly integrating. Lya was pleased that so many marriages and couplings had occurred, her people were happy, and the planet was at peace. In her absence, the Cobalt Projectiles had continued to be fired every four months, but the weapon platforms concealed around Desinlo made short work of them once the Michelab ship had jumped back into Vortex or Neospace.

Ryo had not challenged Michelab, simply ignored the single message, and there had been no more, so he did not concern himself with them much, except that he had begun to reduce trade with that clan in favor of other clans that could supply the same materials, even if they were a higher cost. He began to slowly pull his support away from Michelab. So slowly that nobody even noticed, except those who watched numbers.

Ryo spent half his time on his planet with Lya, the other half was spent on the orbiting battlecruisr that made regular patrols around the rim of Camelin space to protect the border and let all the citizen know that they were protected. On these sojourns, the immense starship came into orbit over each of the sixteen worlds that were under the Camelin flag and stayed for a short time, so Ryo could administer clan needs, then it journeyed onwards.

Things remained at peace for almost three full cycles, then as always, change occurred, and not for the better.