Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights (36 page)

Her eyes narrowed. “I would know your name, sir.”

“Tarn calls me Murty, Your Majesty. Everyone on the ship knows me. Outside the ship, everyone just refers to me as his Rider.”

She leaned away from him, but she collected herself and stopped, then she moved closer. “I thought you were water.”

“Physically I’m similar to water, but as you can see, there’s a bit more to me.”

“You’re a person.”

“I am, but only in the dream. Except for Krys, I’m Tarn’s best friend.”

“You know that for certain? There are no secrets between you?”

“There could be, but we haven’t felt the need.”

“But surely there are things he doesn’t want you to know about himself.”

“Why? Do you feel the need to keep secrets from Gar?”

“Well! Yes, of course!”

“Your Majesty, it’s clear to everyone how you two feel about each other. Within the net, it’s even clear to him despite his being a thick-headed marine. Can you imagine what your relationship would be like without all the artificial barriers you put in place, barriers you don’t even think about?”

She glanced at Havlock, then lowered her eyes. “I could only dream of such a thing.” She lifted her eyes and straightened up. “Barriers serve a purpose.”

“Agreed. They’re probably necessary between people, but not between Riders and their hosts. Tarn and I have no artificial barriers.”

“But what about privacy?” Because of the net, her intended meaning was clear to all of them and she blushed furiously, but she pressed ahead despite her embarrassment. “What about when Tarn and Krys are together?”

Murty shook his head. “I’m not right there in Tarn’s mind all the time. We take breaks from each other. And don’t forget, Riders do not reproduce in the manner of humans, Atiana. We fission, reproducing the same way as some of the cells George showed you. That’s why I’m frequently referred to as an
it
. But . . . I can and do share in their love for one another, a feeling that would, without a host, be denied me forever.”

Her eyes grew large as a hand came to her mouth. “In truth, I hadn’t thought about it from your perspective. It’s sad.”

“No, it’s not sad. I am what I am, and I like myself. That said, I’m a lot richer because of the relationship I have with Tarn. A Rider would have a huge impact on your relationship with Gar should you be willing to accept one into your body. As a matter of fact, I’m volunteering my offspring. She’ll be me, and in a very short time she’ll be you.”

“But you’re male.”

“No, I’m an it, remember? My offspring will appear to you as a female, unless of course you prefer a male. It’s entirely up to the two of you.”

Atiana blinked several times, hard. She looked to Havlock and blushed furiously, "I need some privacy, Gar.”

He winked out of existence. She turned to Tarn with a questioning look.

“I can’t leave the net, Atiana. Not without taking Murty with me,” he said. “I can go elsewhere, however. You’ll have your privacy.”

She didn’t have to ask—he just disappeared. She blinked again, then turned back to Murty, this thing that was an it but was really a person. She wasn’t sure where to start.

Because of the net, he knew what she was thinking. A person more experienced with the net could have buried some thoughts a little deeper, but she was like an open book to him. “You want to know how I can speak with authority about relationships when I can never have a relationship with anyone besides Tarn, right?”

Her nod was enough.

“What do you call what you and I have? Isn’t it a relationship? Because of the net, I have relationships with everyone on the ship. I’m one of the lucky Riders in that respect.”

“But you can’t be intimate with anyone. You can’t have the ultimate relationship.”

“You’ve lived your whole life without the relationship you’re hoping for with Gar. Is your life so poor?”

“Compared to what I envision with him—yes.”

“Can you envision never being away from his side?”

She shook her head. “You’re describing something wonderful, but people don’t work that way. We need our space.”

“Ah! There you have it. Riders and their hosts don’t need space, at least not very much and not very often.” Murty’s form thinned and became transparent, then solidified again. Only now he was a woman. Atiana stared at the figure before her with wide eyes.

“I can’t predict what your Rider will look like to you,” the woman said, “but it can be anyone, most likely a female of your species. You can’t talk to a bowl of water, your mind just doesn’t work that way, so we tend to take on whatever physical aspects you define in your thoughts.”

“You said a Rider would have a huge impact on my relationship with Gar. What do you mean?”

The woman smiled a sad smile. “You’ve given up on the idea of having a child.”

“I’m too old. No one says it to my face, but I’m considered an old maid on Tranxte.”

The woman came to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “What if that wasn’t true?”

Atiana’s virtual image burned hotly for a moment, so hot that she glowed. It didn’t last long. “I’m okay with it,” she said.

“Lies don’t work in the net, my dear. Tarn told you about the life saving capabilities of Riders. He didn’t tell you that we like our homes to be as perfect as they can be. Within a few months your body, your Rider’s home, will be in perfect health.”

“That would be nice.”

“Atiana, accepting a Rider into your body means you’ll never be alone again, not as long as you live. You’ll never be without a friend, a close friend. You’ll never be sick again, you’ll be full of energy, and your time for motherhood will be extended considerably.”

“How considerably?”

“I suggest you don’t ask.”

“How considerably?”

“Well . . . you mentioned a few days ago that Tranxte would take generations to emerge. With Riders, you, Gar, and the others might be able to lead them through the whole process.”

Her virtual image paled. “We’d be immortal?”

The woman shook her head. “No, not even close. Maybe four hundred years.”

“Four hundred . . .” Atiana sputtered, then her image evaporated. She left the net and pulled the helmet from her head to find Havlock kneeling before her with a frightened look in his eyes. She felt slightly hysterical, a rare feeling for her. She stared into his eyes for a long time, the feeling gradually fading but not disappearing entirely.

“You knew?” she asked.

He nodded. “I’ve thought of little else since the possibility arose. Aside from the fact that I’ll die in a tank without a Rider and so will you, living longer has not been the issue for me. Sharing those years with you in any capacity colors my every thought.”

She reached out and cradled his head in her hands. “Any capacity?”

“Well . . . I can want more and settle for less as long as you’re a part of it. Think what it would be like to have our tight group shepherding Tranxte through its emergence.”

She placed a finger against his lips. “Don’t say another word. Not yet. It’s too soon.”

He stood up, and she stood with him, their eyes inches apart. Tarn came out of the net, took one look at them, and left her quarters.

Havlock kissed her gently on the lips and pulled away. “I won’t leave it like this,” he said. “You have decisions to make, and you need to take one more fact into consideration. I love you. I’ll spend as many of our years together with you as you’ll let me. I’ll settle for a friend, but I’m hoping for more, a lot more.”

Her arms went around him and tightened as she lay her head on his chest. Her eyes looked into the far distance, her imagination running rampant, but not for long. She closed her eyes to savor the feel of him, hearing over and over again in her mind the words she had thought she would never hear from a man, any man. After a time, she leaned back slightly and lifted her lips to him. His lips touched hers softly, not with the urgency she wanted. She pressed closer and harder, but he pulled back.

“Not yet,” he whispered.

She touched her lips to his again, then released him. She took a few steps away and stopped, looking around at her surroundings. They were alone in her quarters. Could her life be any more confusing, any more amazing?

She turned back to him, wiping tears from drying eyes. “As usual, you’re right, Sky Lord. The day is not far off when you will hear the words you hope to hear from me, but not today. Too much has happened. Will you stay with me, sit with me in silence? I need company, but I need to think this out on my own.”

He smiled his understanding. “I will, M’Lady.”

He led her to a couch and sat with her on his lap, his arms comfortably around her. She snuggled in and before long was fast asleep. He stretched the two of them out and settled in for a long wait, savoring every moment.

She woke up during the night still in his arms. The lights had been dimmed and a light blanket covered them. Galborae, she wondered? She opened her eyes to study Havlock for a time, then closed them and snuggled closer.

The next time she awoke, she opened her eyes to his eyes. She studied him, then closed her eyes again, saying, "Mmm. Is it morning?"

"I think so. George?"

"Good morning, Sky Lord, Your Majesty."

"Is it morning?"

"It's mid-morning, yes."

He kissed the top of her head. “We should get up."

She reached a hand out and pulled his head to herself and kissed him on the lips tenderly. "Just another minute." She snuggled back into his shoulder with a smile on her face.

"This is our last day of peace. What would you like to do?"

"More of this," she mumbled.

"Breakfast in bed?"

Her brow furrowed. "That's possible?"

"We each have a food dispenser in our rooms. George can fix us pretty much anything. I guess I forgot to mention that during your tour. Sorry."

She lifted herself away from him, then kissed him again lightly on the lips and stared into his eyes. "I'd like that very much. First I want to clean up and put on fresh clothes. Would it be asking too much to have a whole day alone with you?"

"Probably. We can try, but I expect Galborae to come through that door any moment."

"I'll settle for just the three of us, or even the six of us.”

Not long after George settled
Resolve
into the assigned parking position at the port on Aldebaran I, Borg called for him to open the ramp. Borg and two other Great Cats leaped down the ramp and fanned out. Washburn and Sergeant Jacobs followed a little more sedately, and two other Protectors stayed out of sight at the top of the ramp with long-barreled blasters.

Otis approached Borg and gave the all-clear. Borg kept his men in place until the Queen and her First Knight passed, then they spread out farther. As long as the Queen remained with
Resolve
, the primary responsibility for her safety fell to him, a duty which all Protectors relished.

As always, reunions between Krys and her adopted mother Ellie, the Queen, were special. Stven joined them a little later for the discussion about
Resolve’s
month’s long mission, a mission which had shed dark light on the K’tiri, the ruling class of Chessori.

Michael Carver, the Empire’s First Knight, said to Krys, “Our efforts to defeat the K’tiri are still in the early stages. I haven’t heard from Reba for a few months, but her mission is critical, possibly now more than ever. What you learned just reinforces what we knew: they're horrible creatures guided by little more than selfishness and greed. We have to pursue them to the very end of their existence if Earth is to survive."

A puff escaped from Stven’s nostrils, a major faux pas in the Queen’s presence. He was mortified but there was nothing he could do about it.

Krys ignored the smell she had become accustomed to during their years together. Her blind gaze settled on Mike. “A month ago I would have agreed. Now, I must tell you that we’re on the wrong track. Tarn and Stven are in agreement with me.
”

Startled, Ellie stood up and went to Krys, kneeling down in front of her with a hand on each of Krys’ knees. “Daughter, you and Tarn have given direction to generals, admirals, governors, sector commanders, your fellow Knights, your First Knight, and me. I listen carefully when you speak, but this! You’re telling me you want to redirect our efforts to deal with the Chessori? We’re going down the wrong path? We’ve made an enormous investment in Reba’s project, both in time and materiel. As Michael said, Earth’s survival rests in the balance.”

“I know, Mother. Actually, I don’t want to redirect Reba’s efforts, I just want to redirect the outcome, an outcome for which I cannot see a solution despite the fine education the Rress gave me. Governor Seeton should be here for this meeting.”

Ellie’s brow furrowed, but so much did she respect Krys that she did not hesitate. “George?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The message has been delivered. Welcome aboard by the way.”

She smiled as she stood up. “It’s good to hear your voice, old friend. Krys tells me she just received a summons to return to the Leaf People on Lianli, a summons which includes all of us. I had hoped your presence here would be a time of reflection and relaxation among family and friends. It looks like I’m wrong.”

“I can’t speak to the Leaf People, Your Majesty. I’ve never touched the ground in their presence, and I don’t expect to this time either. As for reflection, there will not be a better time for that, both coming and going. I hope you can make the most of it. The Leaf People, though they do not know me and probably never will, have inspired me to be more than I am.”

“That could be said of all of us. You’ve grown.”

“Daily, Your Majesty.”

“I knighted you. Isn’t it time you called me Ellie?”

“I beg forgiveness, Your Majesty. Since you first came aboard all those years ago, you've been like a queen to me, and now you are my Queen. I consider it a privilege to call you Your Majesty.”

“You have my forgiveness, but I still call you friend, George.” She turned to Mike. “Things are getting back to normal within our Empire. Is it time I became more formal?”

He stood up and went to her, smiling as he put both of his hands around her waist. “Remember how when we met you told me you had no real friends, just people who were friendly to you because of your position?”

“I do, my love.”

His smile broadened. “Can you say that now?”

“Hardly. I’m surrounded by friends.”

“That’s a mark of your reign I hope will never go away.”

She smiled. “I don’t want to go back to the life that was. I cherish our friends.”

Krys squeezed Tarn’s hand. “Should we invite Governor Havlock to join us?”

He considered, then said, “All of them.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Ellie, Mike, and Seeton need to meet them, and they deserve to hear Tranxte’s story first hand.”

Seeton, governor of Aldebaran Sector, arrived and went right to Krys. The Queen and his First Knight had been ensconced on his planet for some time now, and they saw each other regularly. Not so, Lady Krys.

“Welcome, My Lady, Sir Tarn,” he said.

Krys smiled, something she’d been doing a lot more of lately. “It’s good to be here again, Governor. I know you’re dealing with lots of issues. Can you spend a little time on the issue of Tranxte?”

“Of course I can. Your word is my command here for more reasons than the obvious.”

“Do you know of the progress there?”

“I know General Stymes will be shipping out in a few months. The reports he’s getting are actually more hopeful than he’d expected—there seems to be a process in place that’s working. We’re gearing up to provide major support to the planet after his arrival.” He ran his fingers along his goatee as he considered the issue in its fullness. “I’ve been told the locals were not able to work the fields this year. Famine is something our Empire can prevent, though it’s a massive and expensive project.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. We’ll gather the food, find transportation, and let General Stymes figure out how to distribute it on the other end.”

“Even though Tranxte is not in your sector?”

He smiled a tight smile. “I’m hitting Governor Korban up for help, a lot of help. He might take over the Tranxte situation eventually, but the marines are mine. I want to support them for the present.”

“It turns out you’re short a few marines. I’ve reassigned three of them.”

He did not hesitate, not when it came from Krys. “I’m sure you did so with good reason, My Lady.”

“One has come at my insistence. He doesn’t know it, but he requires Testing.” She turned her blind eyes toward her mother. “Without any knowledge of the Leaf People or what happened to us on Lianli, and without the benefit of the fine educations some of us have been lucky enough to receive from the Rress, he has called us. At the very least, his choices have demonstrated to me the wisdom of the Chosen.”

Ellie stood up deep in thought. In the end, she said, “Well, that’s a new one.”

Krys smiled. “It is indeed. I won’t disappoint you mother, nor will he.”

A trace of anger shadowed Seeton’s face when Havlock and his entourage arrived. Dressed in fine leather pants and shirt, Havlock looked like he’d come from a hunting ground rather than an elite military unit. Then he remembered Lady Krys’ words: she’d reassigned him. Then he remembered they’d come from Tranxte, the hunting ground of gleasons. These people had been the hunted. Recent reports indicated they’d become the hunters. Considering Havlock's prey, he decided the man had the right to dress any way he wanted.

He stepped up to Havlock. “Colonel, I’ve been following your reports. You’re getting quite a reputation around here.”

Havlock wanted to salute, but he was out of uniform. Instead, he just nodded. “It’s my pleasure to meet you again, Governor.”

Atiana’s eyes strayed to the others in the room. When they took in the person whose picture had been held captive in Sir Stven’s Pin, she took a step toward the woman and went to a knee, her head bowed deeply.

Galborae and Milae followed the example of their queen, but the three marines stood there dumfounded. Seeton turned to Ellie with a hand outstretched to Havlock. “Your Majesty, Colonel Havlock, Imperial Marines.”

Havlock had no idea his Queen was even in the room. He immediately went to a knee, followed shortly after by Hawke, and Kori, all of them speechless in the Queen’s presence.

“Stand, all of you,” Ellie commanded. When they reassembled, she said, “Colonel, let me introduce you to your First Knight, Sir Michael.”

Havlock took one look at the tall, dark man standing beside the Queen and went back to one knee. Everyone else followed his example.

“Stand, all of you,” Ellie said again. “No more kneeling or we’ll never get anything done. To whom am I speaking?”

Havlock stood up and took Atiana’s arm in his own, then stepped forward. “Colonel Gar Havlock, Your Majesty.” He shot a look to Seeton, then added, “Governor of Tranxte.”

Seeton did a double-take, but not for long. Crinkles appeared around his eyes as he held back a smile. He suspected what Krys had done without knowing the details, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would approve. He made a mental note to talk to her later. Sector Governors did not appreciate getting left in the dark, especially in matters pertaining to their own troops and the Queen.

Ellie barely skipped a beat, knowing instantly that the title had been bestowed by her Knights. She held out a hand. “Governor is it? I look forward to hearing your story.”

He stared at her hand, not sure what to do. She helped him. “At this point, Colonel-Governor, you take my hand and either kiss it or shake it. Lowering a knee is standard protocol, as well, but we’re well beyond that here.”

Havlock took her hand and lowered a knee as he kissed it. “Your Majesty, what a pleasure.”

“Lady Krys tells me you’ve brought great honor to your uniform, in which case the honor is mine. Will you introduce your accomplices?”

Havlock turned briefly to his First Knight, bowed, then straightened up and touched Atiana’s arm. “Your Majesty, may I introduce Queen Atiana of Tranxte?”

Ellie blinked in surprise, then a smile lit her face. “Another queen!” She paused, then said, “Queen Atiana, I’m pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty.”

“The fact that you’re here suggests to me you’ve had some dealings with gleasons?”

“I have, Your Majesty. I’ve fought gleasons and been wounded by them. Your Sergeant Kori, known on Tranxte as the Healer, saved my life.” She hesitated, then asked, “I was told you might not know of gleasons?”

Ellie shot a withering glance toward Havlock, the most obvious source of Atiana’s information, before focusing back on Atiana. “I might not know of gleasons? My dear, I died at the hands of a gleason. In my case, my First Knight, Michael, brought me back to life. In another attack, I killed a gleason with a knife. It happened to have him in its clutches at the time. We’ve both fought gleasons, we’ve both been wounded by them, and yes, we both know of your problems on Tranxte. You have my sincerest apology for what happened. We will spare nothing to rectify the situation.”

Atiana’s eyebrows rose. “Why, thank you, Your Majesty.” She turned to Havlock. “May I have your list, Governor?”

Havlock’s jaw dropped. When he recovered, he said, “Not now, Your Majesty. I’ll give the list to Governor Seeton later.”

Seeton’s hand twitched, wanting to see the list, but Ellie beat him to it. “Nonsense. Let me have the list, Governor.”

Havlock reached into a breast pocket and brought out his pad. “It’s not complete, Your Majesty. I need to discuss it further with Governor Seeton.”

She took the pad but did not look at it. “And you will.” She looked to Galborae. “You are?”

“Sir Galborae of Tranxte, Your Majesty. This is my wife, Milae. She’s our local healer.”

“Hmm. Interesting. I’ve heard of you, sir. To Milae, she said, “A pleasure to meet you.” She turned to Hawke and Kori with an unspoken question.

Havlock introduced them. “Teacher Hawke and Healer Kori, Your Majesty. Both were Imperial Marines before Sir Stven Named them.”

“Hmm,” Ellie murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear. “A queen, a governor, a knight, healers and teachers, and you’re all here at the insistence of my Knights. Please sit down,” she said, indicating nearby couches and chairs. "This should be an interesting tale.”

“It’s a pretty long story,” Havlock managed to croak out.

“We have some time, do we not?” she asked, looking at Seeton.

“Two weeks, Your Majesty. Trexler and a few others will be here next week. We can leave when Reba and Val get here.”

“We should start with clearing up titles.” She turned to Havlock. “Are you a colonel or a governor?”

“I’m both at the moment, Your Majesty. I command the advance contingent of Imperial Marines on Tranxte. Lady Krys has seen fit to reassign me and two of my staff.” He looked to Seeton. “Sorry, sir.”

Seeton didn’t miss a beat. “We trust her judgement around here, Governor. Do you have any idea what she’s done for the Empire?”

“Uh, not in detail, sir.”

“It’s probably safe to say that without her there would be no Empire. Among lots of other things she has played crucial roles in the battles for Earth. An end to Earth means an end to our Empire. We cannot fight the Chessori without them.”