Out Past the Stars

by K. B. Wagers

  My knees wobbled and I leaned against Gita with a curse. “I was hoping to avoid this sort of excitement,” I whispered as my Trackers reached us.

  Emmory didn’t ask what happened, which meant Gita had told him when she commed. I offered up a weak smile. “I want the Shen to have an escort when they go to the ship. Please get with Aiz and see what he needs.”

  My Ekam touched my shoulder as he passed. I headed for the door, crossing paths with Iza and Indula as I left the room, and the pair stagger-stepped for a moment at the sight of me before I snapped, “Emmory’s in there, go help him.”

  “Majesty, where are you going?” It wasn’t difficult for Gita or Kisah to keep up with my stride, but my strength was returning. Along with my anger.

  I didn’t answer, shouldering aside the Farian guard in my way and grabbing Rotem by the shirtfront. The blood that remained on my hands smeared over the white fabric. I jerked him onto his toes, ignoring the protests of the Farians around us in the hallway. “Where is Adora?”

  “She’s in medical, Your Majesty. Under guard. She couldn’t have orchestrated this.”

  “You’d better hope that’s not the truth, because my other option is that you are responsible.”

  His platinum eyes snapped wide in horror. “Your Majesty, we would never—”

  “You did it once, Rotem.” I cut him off, shoving him away from me before I gave in to the temptation to cause him the same sort of pain I’d just felt in Mia. “You tried to kill her when she was only a child! Where are your medical facilities?”

  “I will take you, Your Majesty,” Delphine said. “This way.” She waved off the guards who tried to join her. “I suspect the empress would prefer no escort. You two go find out if Enix was working alone or if others were involved.” Both Farians visibly straightened in response to the snap of command in her voice.

  I slowed my pace so that the smaller Farian wasn’t running to keep up and also to give my temper a moment to settle. What I wanted to do was kill Adora with my bare hands. Despite Rotem’s protest I knew she was behind this attack; my gut wouldn’t let me believe anything else.

  “Majesty, a moment?” Gita’s quiet request came as we reached the door. “Ma’am, I know you are angry.”

  “I am not sure that word adequately describes my feelings, Dve, but continue.”

  “You had the same look on your face at Canafey, ma’am.” Gita was being startlingly formal and at her words I realized why.

  Canafey, where I’d dragged a Royal Marine out to the front of the governor’s mansion and executed her for betraying us to Wilson.

  I took a deep breath. “I am aware that this situation is different on a number of levels, Gita, and will endeavor not to do anything that will result in Emmory shouting at either of us.”

  Her look was patient but just a shade exasperated. “I am not afraid of Emmory.”

  “You should be.”

  “I am worried for you. That Farian in there could kill you if you let her touch you.”

  The more arrogant part of me wanted to test it and see if that was still the case, but I knew Gita was right to be cautious.

  “Dve Desai, I promise I will not let anything happen to the Star.”

  We both looked at Delphine and the Farian pressed her hands together with a small bow. “Obviously it would be better if you didn’t touch Adora, Your Majesty. But I understand tempers sometimes get the better of us…” She let the sentence trail off with a shrug of her shoulder and gestured at the door.

  I studied the younger Pedalion member for a moment. It was becoming increasingly clear to me that I’d underestimated her, both in her level of power in the Pedalion and in her value as an ally.

  “I think Gita is right, Delphine,” I said. “I will be on my best behavior.”

  An answering smile lit her face. “I am not sure that is a wholly good thing, Your Majesty.”

  “Oh, it’s not,” Gita muttered.

  I took another deep breath, let it out. “Let’s go see what Adora knows about this mess.”

  As we passed into the room, Gita’s hissing swear hit me just a second before I saw Priam standing next to Adora’s bed.

  There is a moment in any interaction where one has a choice—take the offense or roll over and show their belly. I have never been good at the latter, though I’ve employed it on occasion when necessary.

  “Majesty, we should go,” Gita murmured over the com link. None of us were armed thanks to the rules of the peace talks, and despite my training with Aiz I wasn’t at all sure I was ready to go toe to limb, as it were, with Priam in a space this small.

  But for most of my life I’d picked the offensive and I wasn’t about to stop now.

  “Adora. You seem to have gotten over your belief that Priam and the others are monsters I replaced your gods with,” I said.

  “Hail. Delphine.” Adora dipped her head. She was sitting up in the medical bed, but her hands were covered and bound and her ankles strapped down to the metal braces at the foot of the bed. She didn’t make any effort to conceal her disdain, or her glee as she asked, “How’s Mia?”

  The fury those two words put into my throat was coppery, but Adora’s clumsy poke had the opposite effect of what I’m sure she intended. I’d played this game with some of the best in the universe and she was too used to having the upper hand to know how to handle herself now.

  “The assassin missed,” I replied softly. “He’s dead. Mia killed him even with a knife in her heart. Thanks for the confirmation that you were involved; we’ll be sure to put it on your list of offenses.”

  “Star of Indrana, I have been here with Adora this whole time. She wouldn’t—”

  I put up a hand, and Priam cut off his protest. “I would never accuse the Itegas of directly trying to harm a guest of the Farians,” I said. “Though this is your second failure, isn’t it, Adora? First Earth, now here.”

  “What is it you humans say? Third time’s a charm.” Adora’s mouth was tight and she spat the words out with more venom than nonchalance. Priam was watching me, face expressionless. I wondered what was going on in his head.

  “Some of us. We also like to say three strikes and you’re out.” I crossed the room and leaned against the other side of the bed with a grim look. “I’d like a moment alone with Adora, please.”

  Gita gave me a look but backed to the door only after Priam gave me a nod and disappeared from the room, transporting himself in the same way Thyra had moved us into the Pedalion chamber. Delphine followed my BodyGuard back out of the room and the door slid shut behind her.

  “Successful or not, Aiz will not stand for such a thing.” Adora smiled. “Your precious peace talks are over before they even got started.”

  “You’d be surprised how much Aiz has changed,” I replied, and her eyes narrowed in response.

  “Your meddling won’t stop this.”

  “You brought me here.” I spread my hands wide. My own grin was one that had terrified some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy, and I watched Adora’s vicious expression fade. “You manipulated my people and insinuated yourselves into our empire for the express purpose of getting me here in this moment. I want you to think on that, Adora, when you are feeling more assured than you should be about the outcome. You created this. And you will deal with the consequences of your choices.”

  I pointed at the door. “Your false gods gave you up as a sacrifice for the greater good. The Farians know the truth of what they are. You are stuck here while I’m out there with Fasé and Aiz and Mia making this peace into something that benefits everyone. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

  “I will see you dead for what you have done.” The disdain was gone, replaced by an anger that seethed in her platinum eyes. I had no doubt now that if I touched her, Adora would do everything in her power to try to kill me.

  I leaned into her space, my face close to hers. “Better people than you have tried and failed. Come at me. I will be the end of
you.”

  8

  Back on the Hailimi and in the safety of my cabin where I no longer had to pretend to be the stoic empress, I wrapped my arms around Mia and buried my face in her hair, heedless of all the other people in the room.

  “I am all right,” she whispered. “Thanks to you.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” I pressed a kiss to her temple and then forced myself to let her go.

  “You warned me and according to Aiz did the bulk of the work in healing me.” She reluctantly released my hands as we separated, her fingers brushing over mine. “You should rest, Hail. It is not the first time the Farians have tried to kill me. I doubt it will be the last.” She glanced past me at Fasé and offered up a smile. “Present company excepted.”

  “I would hope it would be the last,” Fasé replied. “Rotem sent us a message while Hail was speaking with Adora. He—”

  “You went to see Adora?”

  I winced and ran my tongue over my teeth at Mia’s stunned question. Aiz was watching me with a raised eyebrow and Emmory stood stone-faced by the door of my quarters.

  “We had a conversation.”

  “Is she still with us?” Aiz asked.

  “Yes.”

  “More’s the pity. Would be easier if she went to hang out with the souls for a while.”

  “Possibly.” I leaned back against my desk. “It also would have provided her followers with something to rally around. I am only borderline neutral here at the moment. If I’d killed a member of the Pedalion, no matter how justified, that would no longer be the case.”

  “You’re not the least bit neutral here,” Mia said.

  “Maybe not here.” I pressed a hand to my heart and then tapped a finger to my head. “But up here, yes. I would like for the three of you to figure out some way to work through this incident and continue the peace talks.” I shot Aiz a look when he snorted. “If it helps, your sister expects you to walk.”

  Aiz’s jaw muscles shifted and he glanced up at the ceiling. The silence stretched to the breaking point, but I didn’t take the bait. He wanted this peace now just as much as the rest of us; every choice of his had been to that end. So I waited until Aiz finally allowed his grin to show. “Far be it from me to do what Adora is expecting.”

  Fasé cleared her throat. “What I was about to say is that Rotem has messaged me with an apology and an offer that the Pedalion will agree to whatever security measures we deem necessary so the talks can continue. I propose we go back to the model on Earth—four participants for each side. Majesty, your presence is not required, but it may help for you to show up occasionally.”

  “I’m sure I can do that.”

  The others filtered out of the room, Mia leaving with a last suggestion that I rest, and after pouring myself a glass of whiskey I dropped into a chair with a sigh that was loud in the silence.

  “Do you need to yell at me, Emmory?”

  “Do you want me to, Majesty?”

  I took a drink, hissed at the burn, and leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “Not especially. For the record, Gita objected and I did behave myself. Mostly.” I smiled up at him. “Adora threatened me. I told her to bring it. The usual.”

  Emmory pushed away from the doorjamb, rubbing a hand over his shaved head as he joined me in the room. I held up my glass, a peace offering, and was surprised when he took it. But he didn’t drink right away and the silence settled in the room. I looked up at my Ekam, swallowing down the desire to ask him to talk to me, and instead waiting for him to figure out whatever it was he needed to say.

  When he finally did speak, it was not what I expected.

  “I received a request today from the Raksha,” he said after taking a drink and handing the glass back to me. “Or rather, everyone on the Raksha but Admiral Hassan, who I don’t think is aware of the request.”

  “You’re saying request like it’s not, Emmy.” I frowned. “What do they want?”

  “For me to encourage you to come home once the peace talks are underway. They sent this before the attack on Mia,” he said. “Though I doubt the news will change their opinion much.”

  I muttered a curse into my whiskey. “Apparently neither did my report about what’s going on here.”

  Emmory exhaled. “With respect, Majesty, there’s some concern that the threat isn’t quite as bad as you think.”

  This time my curse was loud enough to bring Kisah into the room, though she returned to the corridor when Emmory waved a hand. “Admiral Hassan, my quarters, please,” I said over the coms, then slammed back the rest of my drink and returned to the bar.

  “You know this thing can get bad fast, Emmory, right? It’s not me losing it or not wanting to be empress or whatever the fuck it is they think I’m doing here.”

  “I do, Majesty. Which is why I’m telling you about it rather than knocking you out and taking you home. I already asked you if you wanted to go and you said no.” His dark eyes locked on mine. “I am your Ekam, Hail. I go where you tell me.”

  “Majesty?”

  I blinked away the sudden moisture in my eyes and gestured at Admiral Hassan with my glass. “Did you get a message from the Raksha today?”

  Inana frowned at me from the doorway. “I did not, Majesty; what’s going on?” I watched her face change expression as Emmory sent her the message—shock first and then anger. “Your Majesty, may I—?”

  “You have my permission to use any language necessary, Admiral. Perhaps a reminder that I am not sending them detailed reports of what’s happening here for my health, and that the only thing accomplished by going behind my back to my Ekam is that it pisses both of us off. Let me know if I need to deliver that message in person.”

  “I will, Majesty. I’m sorry they didn’t run this past me first. I’ll go handle it now.” She snapped a salute and left the room.

  “I almost feel sorry for them,” I murmured.

  “I don’t,” Emmory replied, taking the glass from my hand. “Go lie down, Majesty.”

  I nodded and made my way into the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled off my boots before crawling under the covers.

  I woke to the smell of chai in an empty room. The mug sitting on the nearby desk along with a tray of food was quiet evidence of Stasia’s presence. I was going to miss my maid desperately when this was all over.

  Rolling out of bed with a groan, I headed for the bathroom. “Emmory, I’m up. Going to turn my bios off and shower,” I said over the com.

  “Zin’s on the door, Majesty, I’ll let him know. I’m in the ready room with Admiral Hassan if you’d like to join us when you’re done.”

  “Will do.” I checked the time on my smati. It was early morning by the Farian clock. The long days on Faria meant our schedules tended to float throughout the day rather than attempting to push our human bodies to the thirty-four-hour span on Faria.

  I composed a letter to Alice as I showered, the distraction helping with the panic. Though I’d noticed how it had lessened in the last few days, along with my desire to feel the sting of the edge of Johar’s borrowed knife.

  Part of me wondered if it would all come rushing back once we were out of danger. If I was ever going to have anything close to a quiet life again, or if I was just stuck in this endless cycle of chaos and despair.

  “Uie maa, way to be overdramatic, Hail,” I muttered, turning off the water and stepping out of the shower to dry off. “Just be happy you’re not in a pile on the floor right now.”

  I flipped my bios back on, dressed and ate with the kind of efficiency that used to impress Portis, and grabbed my half-finished mug as I headed for the door.

  “Majesty.” Zin greeted me with a smile.

  I patted him on the shoulder with my free hand. “How are you?”

  “Doing good. Are we headed to the bridge?”

  I nodded and we set off down the corridor. The ship was already bustling with people who greeted us as we passed. I waved Commander Nejem back into her se
at as we came onto the bridge. “Morning, Sarah, how are you?”

  “Holding steady, ma’am. Did you sleep well?”

  “I did, thank you.”

  “Ekam Tresk and the admiral are in the ready room.” There was no expression on her face as the raised voices floated through the open door. “As you can maybe hear.”

  “I can.” I headed across the bridge as Inana’s voice rose again.

  “I am well aware of your concerns, Caspel. What I’m saying is they should have been brought to me, or at the very least to Alice. Not to Matriarch Saito and certainly not to Emmory as some sort of directive that I’ll remind you is completely illegal.”

  “Admiral, there was no such directive issued.”

  I heard Emmory’s snort as I leaned against the doorjamb, just out of sight of the people on the screen set into the far wall.

  “Don’t try that sophistry with me, Caspel. You can frame it as a suggestion, a request.” The word was heavy with sarcasm. “None of it detracts from the fact that you fucked this up.” Inana faced down the director of GIS. The rest of the Raksha was behind him, while on another screen I could see a very unhappy looking Alice Gohil sitting with Caterina Saito.

  Alice had taken over the empire during my time on Sparkos, though my heir had gladly given the position back as soon as we’d decided I was fit to rule again. I was well past the point of wishing I could walk away from all this, though at times like this it was more than a little tempting.

  “So, you should all know that I draw the line at one coup per reign,” I said, coming all the way into the room to stand between Emmory and Inana. Sharp, indrawn breaths of surprise answered me. Alice pressed her lips together as she tried to hide her smile, but when she met my gaze there was fire in her eyes.

  “Your Majesty, that is not funny,” Caterina protested.

  “Do I look like I’m laughing?” I set my mug down on the table in front of me and leaned both hands on the surface as I stared them all in the face one at a time until they looked down or away. “In the admittedly short time you’ve all known me, have I ever exaggerated a threat to this empire? Have I ever put my own desires and wishes above that of this empire? Since you put this crown on my head, have I ever given any of you a reason to think that my first thoughts are not of the safety of this empire?”