Cassandra's Challenge (47 page)

“Chief.” The Admiral lowers the security
screen.

“Admiral.”

“Are your men ready?”

“Yes sir. Ten men trained to protect a Royal, as
ordered sir.”

“
Good. Tomorrow we arrive at Carina. You
will have five men outside my ready room, the other five stationed
outside Michelakakis’ quarters. A shuttle from the House of
Protection will arrive, once it does your men are to escort the
Michelakakis’ family, Hutu, Lucas and Victoria onto the shuttle, is
that understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Lucas has the final word on Victoria’s
security. Anything involving her is cleared through him.”

“Yes sir.”

“On board the shuttle there will be a security
detail. They will be escorted to my ready room.”

“Sir?”

“Listen Marat.”

“Yes sir.”

“King Jotham’s men will be in charge of getting
Colonel Tar, Cassandra, and myself onto the shuttle. You and your
men are in charge of our protection. You will take orders from only
me.”

“Yes sir.”

“Understand this Chief, no matter how else is on
this ship, no orders penetrate the King’s protection, the only
orders you receive are from
within
the King’s protection.
Understand?”

Marat stands there for a moment, wondering what
the hell is going on.

“Marat!”

“Yes sir! Understood!”

“Have your men ready. Dismissed.” Raising the
shield Marat leaves.

“Tar!”

“
Sir.” When he approaches the Admiral the
security shield lowers.

“Upon our arrival the High Admiral will be
coming aboard. He will be escorted to my ready room.”

“Yes sir.”

“You will remain.”

“Yes sir.”

“Once the meeting is over we will leave for the
House of Protection.”

“Yes sir.”

“Make sure everything you want to take is in the
hanger bay. It will be loaded onto the shuttle.”

“Yes sir.”

“And Quinn. Thank you.”

“Not a problem Will.”

“You can still change your mind.”

“And miss all the fun? No way.” Tar grins at him
as the Admiral raises the shield he gives him a slight salute then
leaves.

“They need a scan of your measurements to make
the clothes.” Javiera tells her.

“Okay.”

“You need to be naked.”

“Excuse me?”

“They need your real measurements Cassandra.
Then they can cut the clothes and get started.”

Having sent Javiera the pictures and drawings of
the gowns and clothes she liked to forward on to her family,
Cassandra had thought her gown issues were done. But now they need
measurements.

“Give me a minute.” Pulling out of the closet
what she needs she heads to the bathroom.

“Cassandra.”

“Just a minute.”

Closing the bathroom door she changes into her
sleeping shirt then covers her birthmark with a sock.

“Let’s do this.” Cassandra returns to
Javiera.

“Cassandra?”

“No one sees my birthmark Javiera. Not until the
Assembly. The measurements will be fine with the covering. How long
will this take?”

“A couple minutes. You’ll need to stand with
your arms out, legs slightly apart.”

Taking off her shirt Cassandra stands as
instructed as Javiera walks around her with the scanner.

“Done.”

“Are you packed?” She asks from the bathroom as
she gets dressed.

“Just about. We’re telling Amina tonight.”

“We’ll be telling Victoria too.” She looks at
her friend. “There’s still time to change your mind.”

“Cassandra, we’ve been through this.”

“I know. But if something happens to one of
you.”

“We’ll make sure nothing does. Stop worrying
about us.”

“Alright. You’ll get that to your family?” She
nods to the scanner.

“In a little bit.”

“I have some other ideas…” Standing, Cassandra
has to stop as the room starts to tilt.

“Cassandra? What’s wrong?” Javiera grabs her arm
to steady her.

“Nothing.”

“Cassandra…”

Looking into the eyes of her friend Cassandra
can’t decide what to do. Does she tell her she thinks conceived
before she tells William? But if she hasn’t and she tells him will
he think she’s like Salish?

“You’ve conceived.”

“I don’t know.” She can’t stop her she from
replying. “It’s been only been twenty days since my cycle, I’m not
late.”

“When did the Admiral go off the Ollali
juice”

“I don’t know if he has.”

“Cassandra.”

“We’ve been a little busy.”

Javiera looks at her, thinking about everything
she’s been through. Could her body just be reacting to all the
changes?

“We could go to Bliant…”

“No, there’s no time.”

“There’s a test. You can do in the morning.
Normally you take it after your late, but…”

“Like a home pregnancy test.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but
woman normally take it before they go to the doctor.”

“Can you get me one?”

Javiera looks at her, wondering how hard it
would be to have everything going on that she did and not know if
you’d conceived. Could she handle it?

“I’ll get you the test. But Cassandra you can’t
be worried about how the Admiral will react.”

“If I’ve conceived, no, I know how he’ll react.
But he doesn’t need to wonder.”

“But you’re feeling okay?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll go send these to Pazel.”

“Thank you.”

With dinner finished, Cassandra looks at William
then turns to Victoria.

“Victoria, I need to tell you something.”

“What Aunt Cassie.”

“Tomorrow we’ll be in Carina.”

“I know. Amina told me.” Excited eyes meet
hers.

“Once we’re there we have to leave the
Retribution.”

“What?”

“We’re going to a place called the House of
Protection.”

“But we’ll be coming back right.”

“No, baby we won’t.”

“But my room!” Tears well up in Victoria’s eyes
as she gets up to run to her room.

“Victoria….” Rising Cassandra follows her,
finding her crying on her bed.

“It’s not fair Aunt Cassie!”

“I know baby, I know.” Rubbing her back she
tries to explain. “But we can’t stay here. The Admiral has found us
a better place.”

“But we have to
leave
!”

“I know. But we’ll be together. And how do you
know it’s not a better place.”

“But Amina won’t be there!”

“But Amina is coming with.” Victoria rolls over
looking at her aunt. “So is Lucas, Javiera, Leander, Hutu, Colonel
Tar and the Admiral.”

“Really?” Victoria looks over Cassandra’s
shoulder to the Admiral.

“Really.” He tells her. “Tomorrow we’ll get on a
shuttle, bigger than what brought you to the Retribution, and go to
a special place on Carina.”

“So you need to pack tonight so we’re
ready.”

“What can I take?”

“Anything you want.” Sad eyes look from
Cassandra to the Admiral.

“Okay.”

William pulls Cassandra into his arms once
Victoria’s door is closed.

“Shhh….it’s okay.”

“Am I doing the right thing here William? Should
I just let it go?”

“You’re doing what needs done. That’s all you
can do.”

“But the look in her eyes…I never thought about
how much her room meant to her.”

“We’ll get her another room. It’s just a place
Cassandra. It’s the people that make the difference.”

“You’re right. I know you’re right but right
now….”

“You’re just tired. Come on tomorrow will be a
busy day, you need your sleep.”

“And you don’t?”

“We both need our sleep but first we’ll make
sure Victoria’s ready.”

With Victoria packed and asleep they climb into
bed together. Pulling her close to him she lays her head on his
chest.

“What time tomorrow?”

“We’ll get to Carina about 1000. Valerian will
be waiting. King Jotham’s security will arrive shortly after.”

“You don’t want him to know.”

“Not until absolutely necessary. He won’t take
it well.”

“Can he stop us from leaving?”

“Not with the King’s protection.”

“I love you William.”

“I love you too. Now sleep.”

The tentative touch on her hand has Cassandra
jerking awake, William’s arms tightening protectively around
her.

“Aunt Cassie?” William’s arms loosen so
Cassandra can rise.

“Tori, what’s wrong?”

“I’m scared. Will you sleep with me?”

Taking his arm from around her William picks
Victoria up, putting on the other side of her Aunt. With a grateful
look Cassandra rolls to her side, pulling her close.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong then?”

“I miss mom and dad.”

“Oh baby, so do I.”

“Can the Retribution go kill all the
Regulians?”

“What!?!” Cassandra is stunned.

“Payback. Daddy always said he believed in
payback. So do you. Shouldn’t we payback the Regulians for killing
everyone on Earth?”

“Victoria….” Cassandra is at a loss of what to
say. Victoria isn’t wrong. She and Peter did say that. They both
believe in it, but not like this. How is she going to explain it?
William’s hand on her hip tells her she has his support.

“They all need to die, the Regulians, just like
everyone on Earth.”

“No, Victoria, no.” Putting a hand on her
niece’s face Cassandra looks her in the eye. “That’s murder.”

“It’s what they did!” Victoria’s eyes are
fierce.

“Yes, I know but not
all
Regulians did
it.”

“I don’t care!” Tears fill her young eyes.

“You do, I know you do.” Taking a deep breath
she tries to explain so Victoria will understand.

“Let’s pretend that the Retribution
did
kill all the Regulians. What does that accomplish?”

“They wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

“True, but not
all
the Regulians did
that. Regulians have families too. Mom’s, dad’s, children. Should
they all die for something they didn’t do?”

“But that’s payback.”

“That’s not what your dad meant. You know that.
If you listened, or should I say eavesdropped, you know that’s not
all he said.”

“He said he believed in payback.” Stubborn eyes
met hers.

“What else.”

“That when someone hurts you, you hurt them
back.”

“That’s not what he said Victoria Lynn and you
know it. He believed that some people do bad things and that when
they do, someone has to stop the person responsible, that’s
justice.”

“That’s what I said.”

“He never said you kill everyone. Kill the
innocent. He said you find the person responsible and stop
them.”

“But the Regulians are responsible!”

“All of them? Even the families that don’t even
know what happened?”

“No, but…..”

“If the Retribution kills all the Regulians,
even the innocent ones that had nothing to do with Earth, what does
that make us?”

“What?”

“If we do what the Regulians did, it makes us no
better than them. And Victoria,” Cassandra’s eyes bore into her
nieces. “We are better.”

“But I miss them!” Letting her cry Cassandra
rubs her back.

“It will be okay Victoria. It will.” She mummers
to her.

“But how? If the Regulians are still out there
how can there be justice?”

“Because we find the person responsible.” Tori
raises her eyes to Cassandra’s.

“The Glitter Man.”

“That’s right.
He’s
responsible. We get
payback, justice, for everyone on Earth, for Grandpa Jordan, your
mom and dad, by stopping the Glitter Man.”

“That’s why we’re going to this special
place?”

“Yes.”

“I get to help?”

“You get to help. Now sleep, we have a lot to do
tomorrow.”

When Victoria rolls to her other side Cassandra
pulls her close, wrapping an arm around her. Behind her William
does the same, covering Cassandra’s hand with his own.

He’d listened to everything she’d said to
Victoria. How she struggled to explain the difference between
payback and revenge to a nine cycle. That Victoria understood is a
tribute to her parents. There are adults, like Valerian, that don’t
understand the difference. Kissing her neck he whispers in her
ear.

“You are an amazing woman Cassandra. You’ll make
an amazing Queen.”

“As long as I’m your Queen, I don’t care.”

“You’ll always be my Queen. Sleep.”

Waking to a ringing comm the Admiral pulls on
the headset, hoping not to wake Cassandra and Victoria.

“Zafar.” He answers walking away from the
bed.

“Admiral, I’ve just arrived on the bridge. We
are an hour out of Carina.” Colonel Tar informs him.

“What!”

“Sir, apparently orders came through over nigh
that we were to increase speed.”

“Orders from who!” As if he didn’t know.

“High Admiral Valerian, sir.”

“Why wasn’t I notified?”

“The High Admiral requested it that way.
Sir.”

“Slow us back down Quinn. I want two hours.”

“Yes sir.” Pulling off his headset he turns to
find Cassandra watching him from their bed.

“Valerian ordered an increase in speed
overnight. We’ll be in Carina in two hours.”

“Go do what you need to do. I’ll get Victoria to
Javiera’s.”

Nodding William grabs some clothes and heads to
the shower. Laying back in bed Cassandra organizes her thoughts.
Valerian was trying a power play showing who is in charge. He’s in
for a surprise.

Dressed except for his jacket the Admiral sits
down on the bed.

“I want you back here, with the hatch secured,
as soon as you take Victoria to Leander’s. Understand?”