Knight of the Empire
Chapter 11

In a few hours we would be exiting hyperspace and entering the Nthus system. I was glad to be back as Marsha’s XO after Doc Brown released me from the clutches of the medbay. Even from my seat I could feel the tension hovering in the air of the bridge. My main concern was what we would replace on exiting hyperspace. The crew was still reeling from the revelations about my assassin. What surprised me was the amount of good feeling towards me. Even frosty Lieutenant Armaradies was more pleasant to me.

“How long to exit Willmass?” I asked the leather faced reptilian Fandaren at the helm.

“Four hours ma’am.” Fandaren were often found on Confederacy ships as navigators or helmsmen.

The door bleeped as it slid open my current bodyguard Lawrence went on alert then lowered his weapon. Despite everything I was still stuck with a guard everywhere I went. I had hoped to leave that behind when I reached the Confederacy but from the looks of it I would have someone trailing behind me for the rest of my life. I glanced back and saw Marsha standing there.

“What are you doing here?” I was still on duty for the next couple of hours.

“I was feeling too tense,” she said unhappily.

The fact that Com Ops or someone within it had instigated the attack on me was weighting heavily on her mind.

I lowered my voice. “Didn’t Shawna help?”

“As much as she could,” Marsha admitted.

“Go back and rest!” I told her.

“I’m too wound up.”

“How about another fight?” It was the sort of thing that would relax a Valkyrie like Marsha.

“As much as I’d like to. I don’t want you to end up back in medbay.”

“Doc Brown has given me a clean bill of health.”

“You said that just before you passed out.” Marsha frowned. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on you Doc’s orders.”

Even though the Doc had said I was fine I was still supposed to report to him after every watch so he could do a full physical exam.

The door slid open again and Lieutenant Armaradies entered. I frowned my mind on the Sovran and what happened there. The bridge was destroyed taking the entire senior staff from all watches with it. Leaving me the only officer left, in charge of a damaged ship and frightened crew.

“What are you doing here?” I said to her. The regs had been tightened up since the Sovran incident. The current regs stated no more than two watch officers on the bridge at the same time.

“Just wanted to say good luck ma’am.”

I stared at her as if she had grown another head. “Thanks.” I replied I know it sounded lame but I was too shocked by her actions to say more.

“My whole watch and I are fully behind you!”

“Thanks,” I said again.

“Don’t thank me. Find those responsible and kick their butts!” With that she left.

I regarded Marsha. “You should go Marsha you need the rest. Shawna will help you relax.”

“You are right Sandra,” she sighed. “I’m so angry that we’ve been used I don’t know what am supposed to do.”

“Be the captain. We all rely on you.”

“Thanks Sandra.” she reached out and brushed her fingers across my shoulders it seemed to be a habit she had picked up. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours and we both can stand watch as we exit.”

“I think we all will,” I replied.

Abruptly she turned and marched out of the bridge her head held high.

Time ticked by as I stood beside Marsha. All too soon we would be exiting hyperspace unknowing what would be waiting for us.

“Close blast shutters!” Marsha ordered.

The shutters closed shutting out the view of hyperspace. Minutes stretched out as the timer wound down. The light’s flickered and we exited.

“Comms monitor all traffic!” Marsha said.

“Aye ma’am.”

“Sensors?” Marsha snapped at the T’Arni on sensor duty.

“Nothing on screen ma’am.”

“Open shutters,” Marsha moderated her tone sounding relieved.

The shutters opened and I had expected to see the Nthus system. “Where are we?” I asked.

“The outer edge of the system just beyond the outer range of detection.” she pointed to a star shining bright in star-studded space. “Ross is the shuttle ready.”

“Aye ma’am.”

“Launch.”

I eyeballed Marsha she responded to my unasked question.

“The shuttle is less likely to show up on the detection grid. Ross will lock onto the nearest comms relay and send us a tight beam comms signal. That will give us a chance to replace out was is going on.”

The wait seemed interminable I was starting to get restless. I had to admire Marsha’s aura of calm.

“Ma’am?” the comms officer spoke up.

I nearly jumped out of my skin I was wound up too taut.

“Comms?” Marsha reached out and touched my arm. “Take a deep breath Sandra and concentrate,” this sounded odd from a Valkyrie who could fly off the handle at the slightest thing.

“Good clear signal, scanning all military frequencies.”

“Report?”

“No alerts all comms traffic is normal.”

“Good, recall the shuttle.”

There was another long wait as the shuttle returned.

“Shuttle secured,” I said with a nod to Marsha.

“Helm head on in standard speed,” Marsha said as she sat in her chair.

“Aye ma’am.”

The professionalism of the bridge crew never ceased to amaze me.

Out of habit I saluted Marsha. “Permission to go and see Gena, captain.”

Gena was out of the regen chamber but she was still as Doc Brown called it on the critical list.

“Of course,” she muttered with a wave of her hand.

Doc Brown looked up as I entered. Gena lay on the medbay bed pale faced an oxygen mask over face the bleep of monitors her only sound.

“She’s still in a coma,” he said without emotion.

I couldn’t help but worry about her. Whatever the Guardians had done to me had saved me. Gena had only caught the slightest wisp and that had nearly killed her. I on the other hand had made a near full recovery. “Is she going to be ok?” Someone was going to pay for this. My attacker had died too quickly. I shuddered at the thought, that was too Valkyrie.

“I’m getting her transferred to the Nikephoros Idalkos Hospital in Athanasios,” he stated.

Athanasios was the capital of Nthus also called the city of spires. I had heard good things about that hospital. “She’ll be well cared for there,” I replied. “I’ll be going with her.”

“Oh?”

“It’s the least I can do.”

“Good!”

I returned to the bridge. Marsha sat forward her blue eyes angry and her face grim. “Com Ops wants to see you.” She scowled. “I’m not letting you near the place without a heavily armed escort.”

“That can wait!” I needed to be with Gena, my guilt wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“They were most insistent!” Marsha growled. “I don’t like it.”

“I’m not in the GF anymore they can’t order me around!” I retorted angrily.

“Peace Sandra, I am on your side.”

“Sorry,” I apologised. “I can’t trust them. Besides I’m a private citizen. If Com Ops wants to speak to me they’ll have to go through the Terran Embassy.”

Marsha suddenly grinned. “I have no doubt the embassy will make it difficult for them. I’ll convey your message to them.”

A thought occurred to me. “If we are using the comms I’d like to tell Ellie what’s been going on. The last thing we need is the Terran Navy in the Confederacy.”

“Use my ready room you’ll not be disturbed there.”

“Thanks,”

Marsha’s ready room was the same as the number of times I had been here. The same prints of the Valkyrie homeworld hung on the walls. The only difference was a crystal vase with several artificial roses in it. I guessed they were from Shawna. Flowers didn’t seem to fit with the Valkyrie temperament. I sat at her desk and opened a comms channel.

“Open a person to person channel to Empress Constantina, Terran Empire, Earth, Sol System,” I rattled out my ID as a matter of course and waited for the connection.

Ellie’s face appeared looking a little exhausted. “Sandra is that you are you ok?”

“I was just about to say the same.” I felt a little lurch on seeing her I had said a few things I regretted the last time I had spoken to her I hadn’t been at my best.

“I’m just glad to see you.” She paused looking puzzled. “I’ve been hearing a few things about you.”

Quickly I explained everything that had happened since I had last spoken to her. I left a few things out. I wasn’t sure how she would react if she knew I’d been sleeping with Tony. Just thinking about him brought an ache to my heart.

Ellie sighed deeply. “I could have you recalled but I know you too well. You’ll have the full support of my embassy. Do be careful Sandra.”

“I’ll try but I can’t promise anything.”

Ellie sighed again.

There was something up, Ellie may have been the Terran Empress but she was still my cousin and younger than me. “Mother ok?” I may have a bumpy path with Camelia but Ellie relied heavily on her.

“Mother’s just dandy.”

I must have looked confused. “Just dandy?” I hadn’t heard that expression before.

“I have news,” Ellie said sounding unhappy.

“Not from the sound of it!” I suddenly felt very protective of my cousin.

“I’m getting married!”

“Married?” I was shocked.

“That’s the long and tall of it,” she said.

I wished she didn’t use phrases I didn’t understand. “Not your choice I take it?”

“Mother’s she’s worried about the state of the Empire. I hate to admit it the Usurper did too much damage and we’re doing our best to restore things. I can see it from her point of view. An heir will stabilise the situation. And after all that’s happened to you the only option.” she sighed. “I just wish it was someone I’d liked.”

“Who are they pairing you with?” I hadn’t wanted to ask the question. I couldn’t help myself in wishing it wasn’t Tony. I had no idea where that thought had come from it made me feel uncomfortable.

“Someone you don’t know from one of the colonies.” Ellie snorted. “Good pedigree, God it’s like breeding dogs!”

“Then refuse.”

“It’s my duty.”

“Duty be damned!”

Ellie leaned forward on her seat her face almost touching the screen. “You know who I blame for all this?”

“Who?”

“You!”

“Me?” with all that had been going on I couldn’t have been any more surprised.

“If you hadn’t gone away none of this would have happened.”

“Look there is nothing I can do now.” I had my own duty to contend with and traitors to replace. “If he hurts you in any way there will be nowhere for him to run. I will hunt him down,” I stated bluntly and meant it.

A smile suddenly brightened Ellie’s face. “Thanks coz I’ve got a lot to do it’s nearly midnight and I need to sleep.”

“Sleep well Ellie,” I said as the connection was cut. I looked up to see Marsha standing there. “You heard?”

“Your blood has a difficult choice.” Marsha had never called Ellie my ‘blood’ it must have some significance for the Valkyrie. “At least I had the option to run from mine.”

I knew not to ask Marsha what, she would tell me in her own time. “If that’s all I’ll head back to the bridge.”

“Fine,” she replied. Clearly Marsha wanted time alone before we approached Nthus.

I was seated in Marsha’s chair when she returned to the bridge. Quickly I vacated her seat as she strode over to me. She opened her mouth to say something when the T’Arni comms officer interrupted.

“Ma’am receiving a tight beam comms signal.”

“For us?”

“Negative ma’am. It’s aimed at the comms unit in storage.”

I knew where it was communicating to, the unit in the assassin’s hideout. Vorra had disabled it functions and directed any signal it received to the bridge.

“What’s it signalling?”

The comms officer’s eyes widened. “It’s sending a scuttle code!”

That would have blown the ship apart. Whoever was behind this was getting desperate they definitely didn’t want me on Nthus. Unfortunately for them Marsha with Vorra’s help had changed the codes and disabled the scuttle system. If they wanted it re-enabled they would have to do it manually.

“Where’s the signal coming from!” Marsha demanded her fists had curled into a ball.

She wanted to hit something badly. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Tell me you got something?”

“I got a partial lock. The transmission was sent from somewhere on Nthus it cut out before I got a full lock.”

“You did the best you could,” I assured the T’Arni.

“It wasn’t enough ma’am.”

“Looks like they know the games up?” I said to Marsha.

“Battle stations, arm all weapons!” Marsha barked after she gave a puzzled look.

I had visions of her blasting the hell out of a civilian area. “Is that wise?”

Marsha sagged her fists uncurled. “Not really. This is my ship and my crew. No one messes with them.” She turned to the comms officer. “Send a message directly to Admiral Katares.”

“Who?” I wasn’t sure if Marsha was thinking rationally.

“The head of Special Operations. He’s a T’Arni.”

“Why?” What Marsha was saying actually made sense.

“He’ll know what to do and he isn’t linked to Com Ops. They had a falling out several years ago over a operation. A lot of our people got killed in a senseless rescue mission. Admiral Katares blamed Com Ops for sending him duff information.”

It made sense. Anoxi was another of those rescue missions gone wrong. I wondered how deep the rot descended. Their intel hadn’t told us about all those anti-ship batteries the Orsini had captured. That’s why the 43rd ended up with seventy-percent causalities in that first drop.

“Comms I’ll wait for his response in my ready room. And open a channel to my clan.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“You have the bridge XO.”

The rest of our journey to Nthus was fraught with tension. After that first comms signal no other had been sent. I wondered what our enemy would try next their efforts to destroy the ship had failed. When the ship docked at Pandora the space station in orbit around Nthus Doc Brown was ready to transfer Gena to a civilian medical transport. I watched as they loaded her into the shuttle.

“She’ll be ok,” he assured me. “I know you wanted to go with but there isn’t enough room for you and the medical team. I’m afraid you’ll have to take a shuttle down. I know how hard it is for you but we can’t do it any other way.”

I nodded thoughtfully. I would have to change it may be ok for Marsha to insist I was her XO it was another for me to go walking around in a uniform that wasn’t mine anymore. I walked back to my quarters deep in thought.

I hesitated looking at the door to my quarters the door was open and the light was on yet I held back worried. Even after all this time I was worried about danger. I should have never been this hesitant. I began to wonder if I should speak to Ocynca about my issues. I took a deep breath and made a careful sweep of my quarters. It was clean and I could relax. I changed out of my skinnies and into my grey pantsuit. Shawna and Vorra were waiting for me as I stepped out of my quarters.

“Where’s your uniform?” Shawna asked.

“Despite what Marsha thinks and does I’m not Confederacy anymore. I can’t go to Athanasios in a uniform I’m no supposed to be wearing.”

“Nonsense major!” Vorra spoke up.

Shawna gave my greys her scrutiny. “And you can’t go down in those too Terran.”

“They’re all I have!” I protested.

“I have an idea.” Shawna grinned.

“Yeah I know what you think I can’t go naked. That would draw too much notice.”

“I don’t know that might be interesting?” Shawna said with a broad grin on her face. “No silly, you and Gena are the same size. See I was paying attention when you swapped gear with her.”

“I do remember.”

“We’ll dress you in some of hers.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. Shawna was making sense although I doubted she’d have anything different from what I was currently wearing. All I had seen her was in grey as I dressed in.

Reluctantly I followed them to the squad quarters and felt a pang of regret on seeing Gena’s locker. Shawna routed in Gena’s locker and pulled out something red. Eye watering red considering that all I had seen her wearing was grey or Terran pale green. Shawna careful unfolded it. The dress if I could call it that was red with a white floral pattern. The hem was short at the front and long at the back in an oval scallop. It had a plunging neckline and no sleeves. I dressed unhappy about I but I couldn’t think of anything better. At least it was a Confederacy style dress even if it was for a woman twenty years younger than I was. To add insult to injury another Terran expression I had picked up. Shawna added a white lacy hat with a broad brim. Lastly she gave me a pair of gloves to hide my mark and a fake leather belt purse to wear around my waist. I’d rather have a weapon strapped to my waist rather than something that held what most women considered their essentials.

“I’m going to look stupid in this!” I complained.

“It will pass inspection and you’ll look less like a Terran.”

“I feel underdressed, I can’t wear a sidearm with this?”

“Do that and you’ll set off every security alarms for klicks,” Vorra told me.

“Sorry stupid idea.” I knew they were trying to help.

“Give us a twirl,” Shawna asked.

I turned quickly a blush coloured my face. I really needed to relax I was way too wound up. “Well?”

“Wow you look sexy,” Shawna nudged Vorra. “What do you think!”

Vorra shrugged.

“I’m supposed to look inconspicuous. In this getup I’ll have every head turning.”

“You’re wrong,” Shawna tried to reassure me. I didn’t feel that reassured. “This is another form of disguise,” she said. “Haven’t you seen all those spy vids?”

“Yeah and so have they,” I replied wondering what I had got myself into. I should have never agreed to Shawna’s insane idea.

“They’ll be to busy looking at your body and may I say you have a great body,” Shawna gave Vorra a wink.

Vorra just rolled her eyes and said. “Shawna is correct this will work.” She touched her mane of hair. “Humans are obsessed clothing and what’s under it.” She touched her hair again. It was longer than I’d seen on most Ezarans.

I guessed that it was her vanity. “Ok I get your point.” I just wanted this ordeal over.

“We have finished yet,” Shawna said cheerfully clearly relishing the fact that she was dressing me up like some doll.

“Ok, ok.” I felt resigned to my fate.

She pulled out a matching pair of high heels. I began to see a side of Gena I hadn’t seen before. Once she got better we were going to have a long talk. I wasn’t angry with her it was that I didn’t want her to go through life emulating me. I’m fine with a pair of GF boots but she deserved to live her own life. I fact I’m quite comfortable with boots. I have worn heels before but only if I was on a date. These had high heels higher than I was used to and ended in thin spikes. I could see the weapon potential in then. “Is that it?” I wanted this nightmare to end.

“Oh no Sandra you’re not getting away that easily,” Shawna remarked as she steered me over to the table and sat me down. “Sit there and don’t move!”

Shawna walked over to her locker and pulled out a battered wooden box. I was dreading what she was about to do next. “When I’m finished with you your mother won’t recognise you?”

“I doubt she would want to.” In her eyes I had gone over to the enemy.

She had been interviewed several times by pro-ATL networks and every time she had she had said. “What daughter?”

Of anything that had hurt me the most. I guess it was why Camelia had been so over protective of me. I thought of the elaborate lengths that she had gone to hide the truth from me. I supposed she knew me well enough to know that I would have gone back to the Confederacy and clashed with my accusers and turned myself away from my mother. Shawna applied make up to my face and painted my nails. I doubt she would have dared doing that to a Valkyrie although I was sure I’d seen Marsha wearing rouge on a couple of occasions.

Finally she finished and stepped back. “My best work what do you think Vorra?”

Vorra brushed her hand over her mane that was her vanity. “I’ve never understood the human fascination with powders and paints.”

“Here Sandra look at this!” Shawna held up a small mirror from her box.

I stared at the face I was seeing in the mirror. I hardly recognised the face that stared back. Somehow she had done wonders my squared off chin didn’t look so squared off even I was hard pressed to see the real me.

Shawna looked pleased. “That was my best work even dad would have been impressed. He was a vid series make up artist. All my skill I learned from him.”

“Have you finished?” I was impatient to get going.

“Yes that’s as much as I can do.” Shawna gestured to Vorra. “We’ll escort you as far as the docks. And before you argue these were Marsha’s orders.”

“Right let’s go!”

The docking umbilicus was attached to the ship in a framework of steel and glass. I always felt uncomfortable walking down these things so I concentrated on the path ahead talking to Shawna and Vorra like three friends on shore leave. Shawna did most of the talking we just nodded at the right moments. I learned more about Shawna’s life before she joined up more than she had told Marsha during their time together. I assume the box of cosmetics had some sort of significance but I wasn’t about to pry into something that personal. We halted in the little atrium that separated the umbilicus from ship. Tutor and Kriaeusus were on duty in full armour guarding the entrance to the station. I couldn’t see it because they were wearing helmets but I knew they were both grinning at me.

“Don’t say it LT, not a word. The same goes for you Kriaeusus!”

“Yes ma’am!” they said in unison.

I heard the laughter behind it and just scowled. It was not better on the other side at the entrance to the station. This time I had Bacare and Lawrence to deal with at least they weren’t laughing. There was another small atrium with a few of the station crew in it but they were too busy to take all but a cursory look before returning to their tasks. We halted at the entrance to the main concourse.

“This is as far was we can go,” Shawna said looking unhappy. “Marsha said if you’re in trouble just call. We can get a team to your position within thirty minutes. I wish you could go armed but you’ll set off all the sensors.”

“Good luck major,” Vorra added.

“See you soon.” I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen whether to ship or me it was a feeling I couldn’t shake off. With a heavy heart I headed into the station.

The main concourse was crowded as I slipped into the throng. I felt less

self-conscious seeing the civilians around me. Despite my worries about my clothes I blended in to the crowd walking along the walkways with T’Arni in the pastel shades and humans in colours more glaring than the ones I was wearing. There was a queue for the security desks to the shuttle port. I joined the queue and patently waited my turn.

“Next, ID check?” a bored sounding human said as he reclined in his seat behind his counter.

I wasn’t thinking as I held my wrist to the sensor. I had done this so many times before that it was an automatic response. I was then I realised my error. The system would instantly know that it was me. I cursed my stupidity it went along way to explain how Camelia knew exactly where I was and when I was using the fake ID she had procured for me. Of course she would have that ID flag up when I used it. I felt such a fool it goes to show that I wasn’t cut out for espionage work. Too late now. The human suddenly leaned forward in his chair looking interested.

“All clear you are cleared to proceed. Have a nice day Sandra Locke!” he said rather loudly.

My cover was blown so much for the stealthy approach. I wasn’t about to panic I had to stay in control. “Thanks,” I replied and I meant it sarcastically.

The rest of the journey down to the planet was uneventful. I knew what might be waiting for me when I landed. I had to stay cool getting angry with myself was defeatist I had to stay positive and take each moment as it came. The shuttle port was busy, busier than I expected it to be. I had to be cautious here amongst the crowds. Once outside the port I halted and surveyed my surroundings. The shuttle port was a huge semi-domed structure open to the sky for landing and take off surrounded to the rear by ancillary buildings and encompassing them was row and rows of tall spires. Athanasios was called the city of spires for that reason. I considered myself to be in a combat situation. With so many people coming and going I was hard pushed to identify any enemies. With the Orsini I at least knew who the enemy were. I decided to risk it and commed the ship. Lieutenant Armaradies answered my call. I had expected Marsha. Quickly I summed up my situation.

“I’ll get Ross to pick you up,” she said over the comms.

“That’s a negative,” I replied looking at the tall spires that lined the broad road that led from the shuttle port. Ross would have a problem landing here and I wasn’t about to go back into the shuttle port and fight my way through the crowds. “I’ll grab a taxi and Ross can pick me up at the hospital.”

“Ok major.”

Her comms clicked off and I searched around for one of those driverless taxis.

The bright red ground cars weren’t hard to replace. I chose one a random and slipped into the passenger seat. The car was like a teardrop on wheels with the computer system in the front and rear seats for passengers. I sat in the back and punched in the co-ordinates for the hospital the car would do the rest. Terrans didn’t have driverless taxis or any driverless cars. They didn’t trust them especially since the AI war. I had seen the vids of the carnage the rogue AI had created. I took a quick glance around as the taxi pulled out into traffic. Something caught my eye another ground car following. What stood out about it was the five humans in it and that one of them was driving. Instantly I knew I had a tail as a precaution I keyed in my comms unit. To my dismay my signal was blocked. Someone was using a scrambler a highly illegal piece of tech to block my comms channel. I slipped out of Gena’s high heels and nice as they were they weren’t ideal if I got into a combat situation. If the worst came to the worst the spiky heels would make a good weapon.

Suddenly the taxi pulled up to the sidewalk as the engine died. Someone had overridden the computer system. It was automatic if the taxi had a problem but no warning lights had flashed. The only ones with that sort of tech were security cruisers and there was none in the vicinity. I guessed my tail had the clout to use security channels it didn’t bode well for me. I slipped on Gena’s heels regretting what I was about to do to them. Fighting was one thing but kicking out the emergency panel was another. The panel crashed open under my third kick both heels losing their spikes. My legs felt a bit numb but it wasn’t finished yet. I pulled of the belt purse dropping the purse to the floor and wrapping the belt around my hand. I crawled out of the taxi as the ground car pulled up. There was a moment before the five exited. I didn’t think they were expecting me to do that. Instead of running I kicked off the remains of Gena’s heels and approached the ground car taking up a combat stance. I could feel the anger build up. I was going berserk that’s what the Terrans called battle rage. Suddenly I felt something sharp touch my neck I reached up and pulled a dart from my neck leaving a blood trail behind. It was either poison or a tranquilliser but whatever it was I wasn’t going down without a fight. Red clouded my vision. In some rational corner of my mind I knew in my agitated state the contents of the dart would work quicker. I was far beyond that as the rage took over. All my pent-up feeling overflowed. I dashed forward. It was brutal I killed one with a punch to the throat. I had learned much fighting Marsha and training with Terrans. I barrelled into my next victim throwing him to the ground and stomping hard on his groin. His shriek of pain was music to my ears. I whirled around and my strength failed. As the blackness overwhelmed me I fell to a flurry of blows.