Skoshi

by Katherine Allen

Table of Contents
Part 10 and part 11
appear in this issue.

conclusion

Suddenly he sagged and let Skoshi go. When he fell to the ground she herself dropped and inspected him for wounds. She found a hole in his jacket similar to the one in the escort’s. She felt the man’s pulse and, finding none, told the guard that the man was dead. When she looked up she saw a guard coming toward her. He was holding a gun. After finding that Skoshi was all right he dragged the man out of the crowd.

As Skoshi stood, shaking she saw Ethan, James, and her grandmother coming toward her. She ran to her grandmother and hugged her. And, regaining her composure, the four of them walked into the building... flanked by four guards. After making a stop in the bathroom so Skoshi could wash the blood off of her hands they made their way to the room where the ceremony was to be held.

As they walked into the ceremony the people there stood up and began clapping. Skoshi cleared her throat and walked onto the stage. The governor was there and began his speech, “Skoshi Takshi Hara, the people of this planet are grateful to you for your bravery and your honor and valor and courage and strength and...”

His daughter leaned over and hissed in his ear, “Daddy! Your speech.”

“Ah, yes. We thank you for this, and that you saved these one hundred fifty men from death.” He continued as he pointed to the men lined up against the wall. From the far wall where the men stood Skoshi heard several whistles and cheers. “Before I present you will this medal, some words from your captain.”

James stood up and walked toward the podium. “Miss Skoshi Hara is one of the most amazing people I know. She has shown courage, and mercy. My ships doctor has told me that she is one of the most talented women... no, the most talented person, he knows, in the medical field.

“On Skoshi’s home planet women are pushed down and looked upon as inferior. All her life, Skoshi was told that she could never amount to anything. She was told that she was just a woman who would never do anything more worthwhile than to marry and give her husband sons.

“But Skoshi rose above that. She and her grandmother left the planet. Skoshi dressed and acted like a man on board my ship, in order to get away. And she succeeded. She has impersonated a man, been one of the best medical students that the Space Corps will ever loose, and saved the lives of one hundred fifty men. Skoshi is a model for us all. Thank you.”

The governor stepped to the microphone and began, “And now, in behalf of my planets people I present you with this medal, for bravery, and for mercy. We thank you for rescuing these men of our planet.”

Feeling tears in her eyes, Skoshi replied, “Thank you Captain, for the honor you have bestowed upon me. I would like to also thank Lt. Ethan Frazier for his support and help in the rescue of the Reuben James.” Then, accepting the medal she walked off the stage to the sound on hundreds of hands clapping.

She went to the table where Ethan, James and her grandmother sat. “Skoshi, love,” her grandmother said. “This was not exactly what I had in mind when I mentioned meeting you in a crowded place. Oh, how I missed you.”

Skoshi hugged her grandmother and then sat down and began wiping away the tears in her eyes. “Grandmother, I missed you, too. Oh, I have so much to tell you. It has been such an evening. And I never even asked about the poor man who was shot. The wound didn’t look very deep, but I didn’t have the proper equipment to tell. I was so shocked and confused. But I have a good idea who sent that other man after me.”

Ethan grabbed her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “Don’t worry, I checked, it was just a shoulder wound. He’ll be all right in a few weeks. Who sent the assassin?

Skoshi sighed, “Probably the man I was engaged to, and my father.”

“Your father?” James asked, a shocked look on his face. “That’s impossible, no man would send a person to murder his own daughter.”

“Exactly, Captain. To them it’s not murder. To them it would be a message expressing their disapproval. Besides, if I lived, after dishonoring him, it would make it look like he could not control his daughter, a woman.

“Now, I would like to go to the hospital to see what I can do for that escort.”

“Nope, you’re exhausted. Since it’s impolite to accept a medal and run, you’ll have to stay here for a while. And then you are going to go back to your hotel room and get some sleep,” Ethan told her firmly. So Skoshi ate the dinner and then got up and danced with Ethan.

“Ethan,” she said while they were dancing, “remember the first time we danced?”

“Yes, you were bright red the whole time. I never could figure out if it was because you were holding a guy’s hand or if it was just because I was a really bad dancer.”

Skoshi laughed, “I think it was the first reason.”

“Say, remember that story about what you did to your brothers?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I just wanted to tell you that if you ever have any kids, please don’t teach the girl any of those tricks,” Ethan said laughing.

“Why not?”

“Trauma. I don’t want any of our kids to be traumatized.”

Skoshi smiled to herself. It was a small slip, but she had still heard him say ‘our’.

* * *

Later that night, after the party was over, Ethan escorted Skoshi back to her room. In the hallway outside the door he stopped and said, “Skoshi, I have something I want to ask you. Now that you know you won’t be court-martialed, what are your plans?”

Skoshi looked at him, felling her stomach rise into her throat, “I... I don’t know. I guess I’ll go and live with Grandmother and James. Why?”

“Well, I wanted to tell you the reason I was late tonight. Really there are two reasons, but I’ll tell this one first. I placed a call to one of the admirals of the Space Corps; he’s a friend of my grandfather’s. I told him your story and your medical ability. I also made a call to the head surgeon aboard the Hippocratic and got his testimony that you were doctor material.

“I also had a call from a man named Mr. Grimes. It seems that this man is a very good lawyer, and would gladly take your case.”

“My case? I don’t have a case.”

“Oh, yes you do. A case to enter the Space Corps!”

“Oh, Ethan!” Skoshi said, her eyes brimming with tears. “Really? There’s a chance? Even a small one?”

“Nope, not a chance. A certainty. After hearing the speech given about you, and the testimony from the head surgeon on the Hippocratic, not to mention the threat of legal action from one of the most prestigious lawyers in the United Planet worlds, the admiral agreed that you should be allowed to enter the Space Corps as a doctor in training! Isn’t that great?”

“It’s... It’s wonderful! Thank you! It’s more than I could have ever hoped for! But... I’ll not see you again for a long time if I’m in medical school,” Skoshi said,

“Well, there is a way.”

“How?”

“Well, the admiral told me that since I did so well on my last mission that I was promoted to Commander on a small ship. He also said that the doctor aboard the ship could finish your training.”

“Ethan,” Skoshi’s heart sank, that was not quite what he was supposed to say. “That’s... great.”

“But, you know, I was thinking, it might be awful awkward having a single woman aboard a ship full of men. That is, since they will know you are a woman.” He blushed a little, and Skoshi held her breath. “The admiral suggested that it might be easier if you were married.”

“I... I can’t imagine who I could marry.”

“Well,” Ethan was by now bright red, “you could marry me.”

“Ethan! Really? I mean, do you mean it?”

“Well, I very seldom say things I don’t mean. So, yes, I mean it.”

Skoshi looked at Ethan, she then smiled a mischievous smile. “All right, Ethan, I’ll marry you. But only if you ask it properly.”

Laughing, Ethan got down on his knees and said, “Skoshi Hara, I love you, and even though you mutinied and pretended to be a man and a hundred other things, I think you are the bravest, best, sweetest person in the world. And with all the adventures you’ve had so far, I think you need someone to keep you in line. Can I have the job? Will you marry me?”

On Hon’ya, Skoshi’s father watched a newsreel. He saw a murder attempt. And he saw it fail. While it failed he saw his life’s work and honor go down the drain. He saw a ruination of his family. He saw nothing but disaster.

Beside him sat the young man from the government. “Mr. Hara,” he said, “I’m afraid that that’s it. She has not only survived your murder attempt, but she has received the medal. Not only can you not control your mother and daughter, but you can’t even have either of them killed. I am afraid that you are dishonored. And now, if you will excuse me, I do not wish to be in your home any longer.”

As he got up to leave he paused. “Since there is so much publicity at this moment there will be no more murder attempts at this time. But if she ever comes back to Hon’ya she will die. That at least might bring you some comfort.”

“Yes,” Skoshi’s father thought, “I will derive comfort from the fact that my daughter will die. It is an odd world.” He then buried his head in his hands.

* * *

In a space station circling above the planet Earth, in a small little office, two couples exchanged vows. One couple was old, one couple was young, Grandmother with her captain, and Skoshi with her commander.

Grandmother and James would live on Earth; they had decided that they would go around the world on their way to Australia. They might settle in another place temporarily, but they would be on their way to Australia.

The official report that the Space Corps sent out was that after considering the extenuating circumstances the Space Corps headquarters had decided to let her count her time aboard the Journeyman toward her medical studies, and they were letting her complete her studies under the Doctor assigned to the Zither, Ethan’s ship. But Skoshi and Ethan knew what had really happened. Amazing what a lawyer’s name can accomplish.

Skoshi was happy, how could she not be? Within a few years she would be a certified doctor, and even when she and Ethan retired, she would still be able to practice in a small town in the Scottish Highlands, Ethan’s home and hers.

Epilogue

Late one night Skoshi looked up from her computer and gazed out at the evening star. Soon other stars would be coming out. Soon she would be able to see Hon’ya’s star, the star of her old home, the place where her journey had begun. She looked down at the book on her desk. Hard to believe such a little thing could cause so much change, it was only a story, her story.

She looked back to her computer screen. On it was the speech made today by the president of the United Planets. It announced the end of the official regime on Hon’ya. Her story had done that, her history. Never again would a frightened young girl have to flee that lovely planet. To escape a marriage she she would hate.

After the second murder attempt seven years ago, Mr. Galion, a noted writer, wrote her biography, and things had started churning. There had been some investigations ordered by the president of the United Planets. When they found out about the oppression of women, they sent in some diplomats and people from the Space Corps to persuade the government to change some of it policies.

Finally, after five years of work some rights had been established for women. A wife could get a divorce without her husband’s or father’s permission. Also, she only had to tell the government she had been forced into marriage and it would be annulled if she wanted it to be. Women were also allowed in public schools, and parts of the curriculum were courses in rights and government. Men who were just replaced the officials in the different townships.

Skoshi was amazed she had helped do that. In a small way she had beaten them. Grandmother had beaten them; how she must be chuckling now. She and James had finally made it to Australia. After retiring, Skoshi and Ethan had moved to Earth, and now lived in the small thatched cottage where he had been born.

They had three small children, two girls and one boy. One of the girls and the boy were twins. They were named Hannah and Daniel, after those two little kids from long ago. A few years ago the twins had stopped by and visited Skoshi. They had grown into surprisingly sane adults and were both married with children. The other girl was named Martina, after Ethan’s mother, their grandfather’s sister.

Now that things had calmed down and Skoshi’s death sentence was lifted, Skoshi and Ethan could take the children to Hon’ya to see all the sights and see what Skoshi had seen. Hon’ya was a beautiful planet, and after it was changed in this vital way, it would be even better.

Yes, Skoshi was happy with life now, She seldom frowned and smiled often. She had set out to do something and succeeded. What more can one ask out of life than that?