Queen of the Pirates (39 page)

Date of the Republic March 16, 394 City of Corynthe, Petron

She still thought of it as Arnulf’s throne, regardless of the fact that it was hers now. Being so tall that her feet did not touch the ground hadn’t helped. At least until she had exercised royal prerogative and added a small footstool so she could sit comfortably.

Queen Jessica surveyed her Court. Jessica Keller, Queen of the Pirates. Admiral of the
Corynthe
fleet. Mourning widow.

On her right, Enej Zivkovic, continuing his role as her flag centurion, regardless of where the fates took them. He stared down at the crowd from his height on the platform like a breakwater across a harbor mouth.

On her left, Desianna Indah–Rodriguez, Chancellor to the Court of
Corynthe
, widow of King Arnulf, Dowager Queen. Jessica hadn’t asked what had happened to Jing Du. She suspected she was better off not knowing that answer. He was simply marked on the reports as having committed suicide in his cell during the battle.

Before her, her Court. Three mobs, carefully sorted into groups, separated by a meter of open space and facing her like pie slices. Unlike her first visit to this Court, where she had barely rated an interruption to side conversations, the room was nearly silent, every eye facing forward, every soul on pins and needles.

To her left, in the first row, David Rodriguez, representing the combined Captains of
Corynthe
, and beside him, Cho Ayaka Nakamura,
Furious
, representing the pilots of
The Queen’s Own
. Uly Larionov, the captain of the little 1–ring Mothership
Baba Yaga
, had been granted precedence as well, having sent the only three fighters he had ready into the
Battle of Petron
when he could have simply watched.

Plus, his blade had killed a king.

On Jessica’s right, senior centurion Denis Jež and Command Centurion Robertson Aeliaes were in the front row, along with senior flight centurion Milos Pavlovic,
Jouster
. The other flight commander, Marta Eka,
Southbound
, had been killed in the battle, along with the tower gunner from the
S–11
bomber
Starfall
, Ebbe Lanik. Considering the scope of the confrontation,
Vedic
in scale,
Aquitaine
casualties had been amazingly light.

It had been a slaughter among the pirate fliers, on both sides of the equation, as well as the Imperial pilots. Forty percent of the men who had gone into this battle had not returned, and all of the Imperials and all but one of the pirates were male.

In the center slice, the six captains of the Imperial Squadron stood in the front row, politely escorted by a team of heavily armed marines from
Auberon
and her own palace guards. Garth Agano and the captains of
Valhalla
,
Warduck
,
Chevalier
, and
Ares
stood close by, shackled with heavy iron chains, mostly as a public humiliation, but not part of the Imperial group.

Jessica looked at the group standing behind the Imperials. A few officers, many of the surviving pilots, all in a state of shock. She considered how she looked from their point of view, remembering that
Navin the Black
, all two plus meters and one–hundred–twenty kilos of him, stood behind her, looming over her like Arnulf’s shadow brought to life.

Today, the man had actually brought a marine boarding axe to go with his field utilities. He probably looked like
Doom
.

Certainly, she felt that way.

One other face. Where was he? There.

Imperial Admiral of the Red Emmerich Wachturm, Duke of Eklionstic, cousin of
His
Imperial
Highness
,
Karl VII
. Dressed today in his most formal uniform and looking like the Imperial gentleman he was.

At the moment, he was part of the
Aquitaine
contingent, rather than in with his countrymen. That was important, considering what was going to happen next.

Jessica took a deep breath and rose from the throne.

Her throne.

The nervous energy would not let her do this seated. She nodded at Desianna’s glance and stepped next to her.

Even breathing stopped.

“It is the will of this Court,” Jessica began, her voice pitched to be clear to the marines at the back of the hall, as well as the people down front, “that mercy be shown.”

After several hours of vicious arguments in her new private chambers, with the key elements of her new administration, primarily Desianna and David. Still, they had prevailed over her mad desire for vengeance at odds with all civilized custom. It was probably for the best.

Jessica gestured with one hand to indicate the group of Imperials in the center, carefully not including the Red Admiral.

“Your vessels are forfeit as reparations for damages done,” she pronounced flatly. “As a condition of your surrender, you will additionally pledge on behalf of your government that you will return to the
Fribourg Empire
and never again operate in
Corynthe
. Anyone who does will be treated as common criminals, rather than organized members of a foreign military governed by the laws of war. Who speaks for you?”

The captain of the Escort Carrier stepped forward and bowed politely. Perhaps a touch more than necessary, but he had heard the comm traffic during the battle. He knew how close to death he had come.

“I speak for the
Empire
, Your Majesty,” he said carefully, never once looking over at the Red Admiral. “It shall be as you say.”

Jessica nodded curtly and the man stepped back.

She paused, looking over the group again, before turning to the Red Admiral.

“Admiral Wachturm,” she said, much more politely, two colleagues discussing lunch plans, “it is my intent to hire a vessel to transport these men back to an Imperial world safely. Given the broader situation, I believe it would be appropriate to forego my earlier plans to review your circumstances at
Ramsey
, in
Lincolnshire
. I can offer you a place on this vessel, such that you will arrive home when they do. You are not subject to their sentence. Would you find that an acceptable outcome?”

It was diplomacy. Publicly. The art of the said and the unsaid. Treat him with care and dignity. They would face each other again, someday.

“Command Centurion Keller, Admiral Keller, Your Majesty, I thank you for your hospitality and hope that I can return the favor someday.”

Jessica gestured him to move to the center. “If you would join them, then, Admiral?”

She watched the man move with great dignity.

He
had not been mousetrapped and defeated by a lucky woman. He was still the victor at
Qui–Ping
, even on a technicality. He was still
The Red Admiral
. The Imperial officers crystalized around him like rock candy in cooling water as he entered their realm.

Jessica looked around until she found the two men she wanted next, the captains of the
Lincolnshire
escorts,
Admiral Matsushita
and
Winnipeg
. They were a few rows behind Denis, standing on either side of Tomas Kigali and trying not to look nervous, here in the lion’s den. She smiled to reassure them, and then turned to David Rodriguez on her left.

“When the interlopers depart,” she said calmly, as if the Imperials were already gone, “the Navy of
Corynthe
will impress the two Carrier Tugs.
T–87
will henceforth be known as
King Arnulf
. T–104 will enter the fleet,” she took a deep breath to hold her voice, and her nerves steady, “as the Mothership
Warlock
.”

The least she could do to keep his memory alive here. Both of their memories.

“What about the Escort Carrier?” somebody in the middle of the Captains spoke.

Jessica only saw who because Uly Larionov turned to a captain a row back and punched him in the stomach hard enough to double the man over. The rest of the captains stepped back, as though someone had left dog shit on the sidewalk.

Jessica held her snarl in check. This had to be done correctly, the first time. Everything else rode on this moment.

“That vessel,
Admiral Schmitz
, along with the escorts
Bremmen
and
Schlachtross
, will be transferred to the navy of
Lincolnshire
,” Jessica replied, a queen doling out rewards to her faithful knights. “The third escort,
Porcupine
, will remain with
Corynthe
.”

“May I inquire as to why, Your Majesty?” David stepped forward and spoke clearly. This had all been worked out well in advance, but the observers did not need to know that.

Diplomacy.

“Because,” Jessica said, “when
Corynthe
asked for help in her time of need,
Lincolnshire
came to her assistance. That, ladies and gentlemen of the Court, is the basis of the relationship we will cultivate with our neighbor, going forward. We do this, in part, to thank them. But also to make sure that
Corynthe
does not grow so strong that we are tempted to prey on a weaker neighbor.”

That seemed to satisfy the captains.

Jessica stepped back to Arnulf’s throne and sat.

“Is there any other business to come before this Court?” Desianna called from her spot. After a moment of silence, she continued. “Ladies and gentlemen of the Court, you are dismissed. Good day.”

Jessica watched the room slowly empty, Imperials being escorted to a nearby hotel rented to keep them safe while transport was worked out, captains returning to their crews, the
Aquitaine
squadron returning to their role as Protectors of the Throne, for now.

Desianna stepped close enough to whisper, just the two of them.

“I know you don’t believe me now, Jessica,” she said quietly, “but you will survive.”

Jessica held back a fresh torrent of tears that wanted to erupt. She still had to shepherd
Corynthe
to a new place, ready to stand on its own.

And in the back of her mind, the Goddess of War still occasionally demanded blood.

Epilogue: Ramsey

Date of the Republic April 30, 394 City of Lincoln, Ramsey

The governor of
Ramsey
hadn’t gotten any better with time and familiarity. Or maybe Jessica had just been through too much.

The office certainly hadn’t changed one bit, all dark wood and thick carpet, indicative of a man intent on his pleasures.

He still looked like a politician was supposed to, according to all the popular videos. Tall and reasonably good looking, with a full head of hair and perfect teeth. He had a ready smile, a good tan, and a firm handshake.

At least today, he was keeping the innuendo out of his conversation. Hopefully, someone had briefed him. Jessica wasn’t in the mood to slap him if he propositioned her. She would probably just knock him down and start kicking.

The man was apparently perceptive enough to grasp that fundamental point.

“So what should I call you?” he said, apparently at an honest impasse. He was a good operator as a politician, but still struck her as being as dumb as a box of rocks.

Jessica took a breath and considered
diplomacy
.

“I am still the Queen of the Pirates, Governor Wapasha,” she said quietly. “At present, I have declared a regency and appointed David Rodriguez to rule in my place until I return to
Petron
permanently.”

Hopefully, after so long that everyone accepted David as their rightful king. Maybe she should retire there in a few decades and learn to knit. Or teach the youngsters
Valse d’Glaive
.

That got a smile out of her soul.

“In that capacity, I have delivered the Escort Carrier,
Admiral Schmitz
, and the corvettes
Bremmen
and
Schlachtross
, as a thank you from
Corynthe
for your assistance against the Imperial forces.”

“You mean, after Tomas Kigali blackmailed me?”

“Governor,” she leaned forward, sizing him up for a blow to the throat, “
Corynthe
lost two 4–ring Motherships and about seventy pilots, along with two kings and a half dozen of her top Captains. They will not be a threat. I could, however, keep those vessels with me and take them to
Aquitaine
. I’m sure the border forces facing
Fribourg
would appreciate the aid.”

“Oh, no,” he raised his hands defensively. “It was a masterful stroke on your part, all the way across the board. I wanted to compliment you. I haven’t been played like that in a long time. And I still get to keep my job here.”

“You’re welcome,” Jessica said carefully.

What had Kigali and Aeliaes forgotten to mention about that last meeting?

“And we would like to rename the vessel in your honor, Queen Jessica.”

“No.”

“But…”

“I said no,” Jessica leaned in closer, quieter. Harder. “If you want to go down that path, I have a better suggestion. Name her
Auberon
.”

The governor of
Ramsey
leaned back in his chair, wheels turning in his eyes as he considered the angles.

“Yes,” he agreed, “that would do nicely. Will you stay for the commissioning?”

“I’m afraid not, Governor,” she said. “I’m overdue at Fleet Headquarters at
Ladaux
as it is.”

“One other question,” the governor asked after a moment, in a sideways manner. “When you left, you took a local criminal with you, a young man named Tanis Bedrosian. What became of him?”

Jessica stared at the man.

“In light of circumstances, I decided to send him home with the Imperials. Perhaps he can make something useful of his life there. Leaving him on
Petron
or bringing him back here was just a slower way to execute him.”