by Terry Mixon
Jared sat down next to Bell. “I wouldn’t last ten minutes. I’m a Fleet officer, not a ground pounder.” He gave Talbot an apologetic glance. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
Jared pinged Bell’s implants and asked for a private communications channel, which the other man quickly accepted.
Is there a pool on how long these two are going to be together?
Bell’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at the two. Are you sure? They’re always behaving like this.
I’m pretty sure. Let’s find out.
Jared smiled at Kelsey. “Did you know that there’s some crazy pool going on with the crew? They think Elise and I are a couple. They’re betting on whether or not she comes back to Avalon with us. Isn’t that crazy?”
“Really? I hadn’t heard.” Kelsey looked at Talbot. “You know every gambling table on this ship. Have you heard about this?”
The marine’s eyes darted to Jared. “Ah… I might have heard something like that. Purely speculation, I’m sure.”
Kelsey slapped Talbot on the shoulder. “There’s a betting pool and you didn’t tell me? Put me down for whatever you bet on them staying together, because I know that’s where the smart money is.”
Talbot gave her a flat look.
“Oh, and there’s another pool,” Jared added. “You might want to get in on it, too.”
“What’s that?” Kelsey asked.
“It’s a wager on how your father reacts when he finds out you’re dating a marine. I have my money on him sending Talbot to Thule for the next decade or so.”
Kelsey managed to stare blankly at him, but she flushed. That was all Jared needed to know his suspicion was correct. They really were lovers.
His sister sighed. “I knew someone would figure it out eventually, but I never dreamed they’d have a pool.”
The marine shook his head as he stared pityingly at her. “There is no pool. I’d have heard. He just baited you out.”
She narrowed her eyes at Jared. “That’s mean. I didn’t bet against you staying with Elise, and I’ve known about the two of you for months.”
“That’s only because you didn’t know about the pool,” Jared said dryly. “And we’ve only been dating for six weeks.”
“You’ve only been dating six weeks. Elise started a few weeks sooner. She’s subtle like that. Are we going to have a problem about Russ and me?”
It took him a moment to realize she was talking about Talbot. No one called him by his first name. Jared suspected the man’s mother called him Talbot.
Jared held his hands up. “No problems from me, though you’re going to need a new guard.”
She bristled. “That’s bull.”
Talbot shook his head. “No. The captain is right. Lieutenant Reese needs to appoint a new guard. I’ll let him know.”
“Are you serious?” The look she gave the marine said that he’d be better off if he weren’t.
The man had his work cut out for him, Jared decided. Thank God Elise was much less bossy.
Jared decided to let Talbot off the hook. “Captain’s orders. I need your guard to be thinking clearly at all times. I’m not saying you have to go public, as I apparently have, or that your relationship is inappropriate. It’s not and it’s no one’s business but yours. You’ll just have to accept this though, because the change in guards is not subject to negotiation.”
Bell, who’d been silent throughout the exchange, ventured a comment. “It’s really for the best. Your security team needs to focus on your health and wellbeing at all times, even when you occasionally disagree with them. Much like the Imperial Guard was with the emperor in my day.”
His sister squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I suppose I knew this would eventually come up.” She looked at Talbot. “And I don’t mean that in a negative way. I’m happy that we’re together. I just don’t want my position to be a negative for you.”
Talbot smiled. “We’re lucky we had the quiet time we did. If the captain guessed that we’re a couple, I’m sure others are wondering. We should beat them to the punch and be up front about it. If you want to.”
“Of course I want to.” She lifted her chin and stared at Jared. “We have to leave for the surface in the next half hour, but I want to get one thing settled right now. What are the rules about cohabitation? Can he move to my quarters?”
Jared nodded. “There’s no rule that says marines need to live in marine country. Relationships with Fleet personnel do happen. He just needs to clear it with his CO. Lieutenant Reese won’t say no. How long are the two of you going to be gone? We’re flipping to the Courageous system in a few hours to swap the crew on Athena and return.”
He’d made it a point to rename the system they’d found the battlecruiser in, a move the Pentagarans had heartily endorsed. If nothing else, the system would have a significant mining presence for the foreseeable future. Any name was better than the bland number the Imperial Stellar Catalog had listed for the system.
“Don’t wait up,” Kelsey said. “I’m meeting Elise for breakfast in a few hours. With the difference between planetary time in the capital and Courageous, it’s almost dawn down there. Don’t worry. I’ll let her know you’ve been outed.”
The planetary rotational period was somewhat shorter than Terran Standard Time, so they’d drifted into an almost opposite timeframe over the last few weeks. Which made secretly dating even more challenging.
“Thanks,” he said dryly. “She probably already knows. It’s me that didn’t notice everyone staring at us. I’m surprised it isn’t all over the news programs and gossip columns.”
“She probably has a deal with them to keep it under wraps. Well, we need to get going. The cutter won’t wait.” She and Talbot rose to their feet.
Bell rose with them. “I’m afraid I’m going to call it a night as well, Captain. I’m due to transfer to one of the Pentagaran vessels. They’re taking me home to oversee the last of the preparations on Erorsi’s surface. Good luck and thank you for an enjoyable evening. Highness, Senior Sergeant, my congratulations to you both.”
Jared saw them all out before returning to his office to go over a few more pieces of paperwork. It was a never-ending chore, though his implants made faster work of it. When he’d had enough, he took a shower and readied himself for bed.
* * * * *
He woke sometime later when a voice spoke in his head. I’m sorry to wake you, Captain. The ship’s artificial intelligence said through his implants. I have a priority signal for you from Athena.
Thanks, Courageous. I’ll take it at my desk.
They must’ve already flipped, because his old ship was on station near the weak flip point in the Courageous system. Jared threw his uniform on and sat at his desk. He touched the flashing icon and the screen cleared to show Athena’s bridge. Ensign Danielle Cruz, one of his cutter pilots, sat in the command chair.
Out here in the backend of nowhere, his old ship only needed a skeleton crew. The command experience was good for her and the other junior officers he’d assigned to the ship for the time being.
“Good morning, Captain,” Cruz said crisply. “I’m sorry to disturb you so early, but a probe from home just came through the flip point. Fleet has found us.”
Chapter Two
Kelsey enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Elise. Talbot had declined their offer to join them and gone to bed. She hoped to join him in a few hours.
Elise, it turned out, had been aware that her relationship with Jared was an open secret for some time. She laughed when Kelsey told her how Jared had reacted to the betting pool by clapping her hands and grinning like a fiend.
“That’s delightful! He’s such a reserved man in public. This will do him a universe of good. And I assure you, when the gossip columns finally find out that the “rumors” they’ve been printing for the last two months are true, they’ll be out in force. It will be a feeding frenzy.”
Kelsey blinked. “Reserved? Jared? You�
�re understating things, don’t you think? He’s the most serious man I know.”
“Then you don’t know your brother as well as you believe. He has a wicked sense of humor. He’s full of all kinds of surprises when you get him alone.”
“Uh huh. I suppose I need to have the official ‘what are your intentions toward my brother’ talk. And I hate to be casting gloom on the moment, but once we take care of the rebel freighter, we’re going to be striking out for home. We have to warn them.”
Elise nodded, her irreverent mood vanishing into a serious expression. “I’ve been discussing that with my father over the last few days. As the heir, common wisdom declares that I need to be here, but I believe I’d be serving the Kingdom by accompanying you back to the Empire. I’ve decided to head the delegation from Pentagar.”
Kelsey wasn’t sure that was the best idea. “What if something happens to your father while you’re gone?”
“My cousin is the next in line to the Throne. He’d assume a caretaker role until I returned. We’ve already presented this to the Royal Council and Parliament. In secret session, of course. They agreed with me after much arguing. I’m much more concerned about your approval, though.”
“You don’t need my approval, but I do. Very much. I think he’ll be very happy that you’re coming with us. And so am I.”
“I hope you’re right. I see something in him that I haven’t seen in any other man I’ve dated. I think he might be the one. If so, that will bring our people closer still.” Elise took a sip of her coffee. “But enough about me. How are things going with Talbot?”
Kelsey smiled more widely. “I figured if anyone knew about the two of us, it would be you. We’re doing very well. In fact, Jared figured it out last night. I was worried that he was going to throw a fit, but he didn’t. Once the two of us get back to the ship, we’re going to make our relationship public. I figure everything will be perfectly fine right up until the point where my father finds out I’m dating a marine. His head will explode, my brother will inherit the Imperial Throne, and he will banish the two of us to Thule for life.”
The crown princess of Pentagar laughed. “Oh, I hardly think it’ll be that bad. I’m certain that your father will be pleased that you’ve found someone who makes you happy. Unfortunately, I do worry that your brother’s antipathy towards Jared will cause him to take some kind of stand against the alliance between our people.”
Kelsey shook her head. “Ethan is many things, but stupid is not one of them. He won’t allow his feelings for Jared to color Imperial relations. He’ll do what’s best for the Empire. In this case, that’s a strong alliance with Pentagar.”
“But he might not like me very much personally. I understand, but that’s unfortunate. How do you think he’ll treat Jared when he assumes the Throne? Hopefully, of course, that will be far in the future. Your father is a fit man in his prime, so I expect he’ll rule for many years to come.”
Kelsey continued to eat while she considered her reply. Feeding her enhanced metabolism was no easy task. She ate like two professional sports stars. She’d slowly been getting over her embarrassment at having to gorge at every meal.
“I’m certain you’re right. Ethan won’t be succeeding my father for another couple of decades. And that won’t be because my father is ill. Everyone already knows he plans to retire once he reaches a certain point in his life. By then, hopefully, my brother will have found someone to share his life with and have kids of his own. I, thankfully, will be nowhere near the line of succession at that point.”
“And you don’t miss that?”
“Not one bit,” Kelsey said fervently. “I’m not looking to rule the Empire. I’ll be more than happy with a husband who loves me and kids of my own. I’ll cheerfully dedicate my life to helping other people with this whole implant thing.”
Elise nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. Based on how well your people have accepted your condition, I don’t think you’ll have much difficulty at home. My people seem to have gotten over their initial shock. That’s very promising.
“At some point, we’re going to start doing implants on a larger scale and you’re setting a tremendous example. We’ll literally be following in your footsteps. In fact, if this freighter has replacement parts, I’ll be the first in line.”
That surprised Kelsey. As much as she tried to put a good face on it, the trauma of the Pale Ones forcibly implanting her colored her reactions. She fought that reflexive reaction every day. “You’d do that? Why?”
Elise’s eyes danced devilishly. “Well, I can only imagine what it would be like for two people implanted people to be a couple. You know, in the bedroom.”
Kelsey paused with her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. “I’d never even considered that. Wow. That’s even more intimate than being intimate. It would be like being in the other person’s head. I wonder…”
She held up her hand. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to think about that. What are your plans for the rest the morning? I’m more wired than I expected, so I’m not going to sleep just yet. For whatever reason, I’m able to get by on a lot less sleep now that I’m implanted. I can take a nap this afternoon and I’ll be good to go.”
Elise leaned forward curiously. “How much sleep do you need?”
“If I get 5 or 6 hours, I’m good to go. I’ll admit that a full night’s sleep is a luxury, but it’s not something I absolutely need. Talbot will be asleep for long enough for me to get a good rest, if you’ve got somewhere interesting for us to go.”
Elise set her coffee cup down. “As a matter of fact, I do. Repair crews have finally stabilized the Parliament Building and we’re going to remove Master Vestor’s carving to be sure the explosion didn’t damage it. It was too dangerous to recover before now.”
The thought of all the damage the late and unlamented Lord Admiral Shrike had caused trying to kill them made her sad. Priceless art had filled the Pentagaran Parliament Building before the assassination attempt. The explosion must’ve destroyed so many irreplaceable things.
She hoped Master Vestor’s carving had survived unscathed. Based on the incredible level of detail in the carving she was taking back to Avalon, even the slightest damage to the work hanging behind the speaker’s podium in the Parliament Building would be disastrous.
“Let’s do it.”
The two of them made their way to a waiting grav limo. Even though the Pentagarans had crushed Shrike and his rebellion, there were still a large number of Royal Guards escorting them in several other vehicles. Several military airships flew high overhead. The crown princess’ security detail was taking no chances.
When they arrived at the Parliament Building, Kelsey was dismayed to see how extensive the damage was. The carved reliefs and columns she’d admired along the front of the building were gone. It looked like the explosion had caused the entire façade to collapse. They’d cleared the debris and scaffolding showed where repair crews were busy replacing the lost portions of the building.
“My God. I had no idea the destruction was so extensive. We must’ve only barely escaped being crushed.”
“That’s not so far from the truth,” Elise agreed. “Thankfully, the police had begun clearing the building as soon as the shooting started. Otherwise, so many more people would’ve been killed or injured.”
The thought of it made Kelsey burn with anger. She’d attended the man’s execution to show her resolve. It had been awful, but she regretted the gesture much less when she considered how much death and destruction the bastard had caused.
“I still have trouble getting my head around what Shrike hoped to gain,” she said, putting the dark memories back away. “He can’t possibly have believed your people would accept him after he overthrew the Monarchy. They would’ve rebelled.”
Elise nodded. “I’d like to think so. I’m still shocked at how many Royal Fleet officers he managed to subvert. If he’d managed to take Courageous, he’d have beaten us.”
“C
ourageous isn’t invincible. Far from it. With all the fighting she went through during the rebellion and against the Pale Ones, she’s expended most of her missiles. We’re going to have to be very careful from here on out.”
“It would’ve been enough,” Elise said grimly. “With Courageous under his control, Shrike would’ve taken the Kingdom. I have no doubt of that. We were all incredibly lucky that you defeated him.
“Of course, you and Jared have proved your resourcefulness several times already. I can’t wait to see how the historians put that into perspective. Or the vid dramas.”
Kelsey frowned. “Vid dramas?”
Elise grinned and opened the limo door after her guards signaled the way was clear. “Hadn’t you heard? Several production companies have joined forces to document your triumphant arrival. Money is no object. They’ve hired only the best and brightest actors and actresses in the Kingdom. Production on several other vids has ceased due to the effort being expended on this one project.”
The news actually made Kelsey stop in her tracks. “You’re kidding.” She shook her head. “Of course you’re not. That’s horrifying.”
The crown princess took Kelsey’s arm and got them moving again. “Surely, you expected that something like this would happen. How many vids do you think have been made about Emperor Lucien’s escape to your Avalon?”
Kelsey shrugged. “I don’t know. A lot. That’s completely different.”
“It’s precisely the same. You, Jared, and the crew of Athena saved the lives of every single person in the Kingdom. Like it or not, you’re heroes. Mythic figures, even.”
Kelsey had seen that hero worship up close many times in the last few months. It made her deeply uncomfortable. She wasn’t worthy of that kind of adulation. Jared and his crew were the true heroes.
Elise continued, unaware of Kelsey’s thoughts. “I understand the competition for the leading roles was fierce. Perhaps worthy of an epic story of its own. You should know that Riley Thomas actually challenged several of his competitors to duels for the privilege of playing Jared. Personally, I like Jared much better, but Riley is still dreamy.” She sighed theatrically.
