by Susan Kelley
“I know, but if I suddenly reappear on Giroux safe and sound, they’ll be asking a lot of questions. If I have the army take me home, I can make up a story and avoid mention of you. At the same time, I’ll be able to tell someone in authority about my suspicions.”
Joe started to protest, but she reached over and put her hand on his arm. Her hand had been so soft when he first met her. Now it was browned and hardened with calluses.
“You can sneak into Giroux and join me there. I should be safe with an escort from Drant. You can stay out of sight until they leave.”
“I don’t want you away from me.”
“My way will get us both home without incident. Where is Drant’s headquarters?”
“Ice Station Six.” Joe couldn’t order her to forget this crazy plan. It was much easier to lead men into battle than work with a woman.
“We’ll land on the civilian port at the station, and I’ll make my way to the army post. I’ll tell a story about being rescued by a merchant ship and buying my way to the station.”
Joe’s mood darkened as hers brightened. Her reasoning was clever, and he had to admit it might work. But he wouldn’t be able to defend her while she was with the army.
“Callie, Minister of the Army Smeltz is the one who lied about us. He threw us to the void. That makes the entire army suspect to me.”
“The entire army can’t be corrupt.”
“But it could be fatal discovering which part is and which isn’t.”
“We’re going to have to take some chances, Joe, and gamble a little.”
He punched in the coordinates for Ice Station Six. Gamble with Callie’s life? Damned if he liked how this was going.
* * * *
Callie refused to sit or even shuffle her feet. Beneath the multilayered silk robe she wore, a few droplets of nervous perspiration gathered between her breasts. Hopefully, no one looking at her face would see anything but the cool expression of a queen. Though she didn’t see them, she suspected there were video feeders keeping an eye on this room.
She consciously tried to slow her racing heart. Had she left her courage in the street with Joe? He watched the army facility from somewhere outside the sprawling installation. She touched a finger lightly to the new earrings she wore. Each contained a tiny microphone so Joe could hear everything that happened during her meeting.
The room she’d been led to when she presented herself at the gate was as bare and nondescript as a sand dune. Two metal chairs sat in lonely disuse against one windowless wall. She ignored their questionable comfort and watched the door in front of her.
She didn’t have a timepiece, so she had no idea how long she’d waited before the door opened. The muscular man who strolled toward her carried the air of command as obviously as Joe did.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, your highness.” The man ducked his head and put his fist to his heart. “General Drant at your service. I was in the map room, coordinating the search for you. For some reason, the officials on your home world only reported you missing two days ago.”
“I appreciate your efforts on my behalf. Please pass my thanks to all your troops who’ve spent time looking for me.” Callie stored the information about the tardy report of her disappearance.
“Certainly. You’re held in high regard by the entire army. If not for your elixir and the discount you give us, many of the men couldn’t serve on interplanetary missions.”
Callie’s tension eased. “I know the importance of what you do, sir.”
“Is the rest of your party with you, your highness?”
“No, but they’re safe.”
Drant frowned. “I believe you have a story to tell. Let’s find a comfortable place to talk.”
“Thank you.” Callie followed the veteran soldier, silently rehearsing her fictional account of her rescue. Though her instincts were to trust this man, she wouldn’t tell even him about Crevan Four.
A young soldier brought iced water as the general and Callie took seats in comfortable chairs. The cozy room appeared to be the general’s private study. They sipped the cold refreshment as Callie spun her tale about a crash and a timely rescue by a merchant ship.
“That’s an amazing story,” Drant said when she’d finished. “You were lucky.”
“Lucky?” Callie leveled her best glare on him. “Sir, we were attacked. I don’t call that luck.”
Drant’s face darkened, and he sputtered an apology. “I meant you were lucky to land safely and to be rescued. Pirates or worse could have attacked you once you were helpless on the surface.”
“Worse is what put us there.”
“Pirates are worse, your highness.”
“Worse than rich mine owners that parade as civilized gentleman when they are in fact as morally deficient as any pirate?”
Drant frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Are you familiar with the mine owner, Geoff Hadrason?”
“I’ve had dealings with him,” Drant said with a reserved tone.
“Hadrason would have me for his wife, no matter my wishes on the matter.”
Drant took a moment to fit the meaning of her words together. His lean jaw went tight. “That bastard tried to force a marriage with you? He forced your ship down?”
Callie hid her smile at the general’s outrage. Her instincts about the man were proving correct.
* * * *
Joe leaned against a wall of the pub. He tugged the furred hood of his heavy coat, trying to cover more of his face. The off-duty soldiers that strode into and staggered out of the drinking house paid him little attention, but they made him nervous. He had to stay put though, or the thick walls of the army post would block the signal from Callie.
His queen had Drant eating out of her hand. He’d already promised her an escort to Giroux and vowed to investigate the attack on her ship.
“What of your staff? Can I offer protection for them?” Drant asked.
“They’re in hiding until this threat is squelched,” Callie answered. “I’ve hired sufficient guards so I’m not worried about their welfare.”
“Then I’ll tell Captain Edow you’re ready to return to Giroux. He’ll see to your safety once you’re there.” Drant’s deep voice carried easily through the tiny microphones.
“Thank you. Now there’s one other item I wished to discuss with you, general. I hope you’ll keep my inquiries confidential.”
“No, Callie.” Joe wished he could reach across space and stop her.
Her voice came loud and clear. “What do you know about the court martial of the Interplanetary Recon Marines?”
* * * *
Drant leaned back, his eyes widening but quickly narrowing. “What would a lady such as you know of the recon marines?”
“My father discussed their creation with me when I was old enough to understand.”
“Your father spoke against the science that designed them.”
Callie knew Joe was fuming on the other end of the microphone. He’d ordered her not to bring up the marines when she spoke to Durant. As if he could issue her an order! “He did speak out and try to stop it, but he also defended the marines years later when a movement started to destroy them.”
“I remember. Why do you ask about them now?”
“I heard they’ve been recently court-martialed.”
Drant growled under his breath. “Sacrificed is more like it.”
“What was that?” Callie asked, though she’d heard him fine.
“They were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.”
“So they’re in prison.”
“No. They died in a crash on their way to the Nye Moon.” Drant stared at her with speculation. “At least we assumed they died. No one has ever found any signs of their accident.”
“Was their conviction just and warranted?”
“I wasn’t there, your highness. I believe it was arranged for me to be away when they were brought to trial. When I learned of it, I planned t
o protest and investigate the charges, but it was too late. They were already dead.”
Callie didn’t break eye contact. “I think it would be quite noble of you to clear their names. It seems a shame that a group of men who gave so much to the Galactic Alliance should be unfairly maligned even in death.”
Drant sipped his ice water, her gaze growing quizzical. “I could take a closer look at it. Those soldiers were amazing weapons. I could use them if they still lived.”
“Weapons?”
“Weapons, your highness. Guns with brains.”
“Weapons are disposable and replaceable. Men are not. A weapon can’t be tried for treason. If a trial was held for these men, then wouldn’t you say the Galactic Alliance admitted they were men and had the same rights as all men do?”
Drant smiled and lifted his water in a mock toast. “Very good, your highness. Too bad you weren’t their advocate when they needed one.”
“Sometimes one loses an opportunity and is fortunate enough to get another chance to do the right thing, General Drant. Why don’t we both do that?”
* * * *
Captain Edow was a tall, handsome man, serious in his duties, but kind to Callie. She spent most of the four days needed to travel to Giroux in the small cabin provided for her.
After lunch of the fourth day, Edow informed her they would arrive on Giroux shortly after dark. Callie dressed in a comfortable knee length gold tunic with black leggings and warm boots.
She packed her bags, pushing the earring microphones to the bottom. She had no idea how to turn them off, and she didn’t want Joe to hear the unpleasant encounter she was likely to have with Dania Cresbol when she landed. Joe might make a hasty mistake. Hopefully, Callie could avoid her until the next morning.
“Your highness, the shuttle is ready.”
“Thank you, captain,” Callie answered into the wall communication unit. “Would you send a man for my bags, please?”
“Certainly. I’ll be there shortly to escort you to the shuttle hangar.”
Callie liked Edow. She trusted him to get her home, though she wouldn’t trust anyone in the army with Joe’s life. Not yet.
As they walked toward the shuttle, Callie explained her plans to the captain. “I thank you for the ride. I know the general ordered you to see to my safety, and my trip has been very peaceful.”
“It’s been my pleasure, your highness.”
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I must reestablish my rule as quickly as possible. There are a few on my council who will have used my absence to try and take control of Giroux.”
“We’ll rout them out for you,” Edow promised.
“I’m sure you could in a very efficient manner, but I must ask that you don’t.”
“Your highness?”
“You’re a leader of men, captain, so I’m sure you understand the importance of appearing strong and capable in front of those you command. I must do this myself or my people will think I can only hold my throne with the help of the Galactic Military.”
Edow frowned. “But doesn’t the economy of Giroux depend on your elixir?”
“Of course, but I could become nothing more than a figurehead in making decisions. I must insist I take care of this myself. You can deliver me to my own guard captain.”
“I see your reasoning, you highness, but I’m uneasy with this. The general ordered me to see you settled securely.”
They arrived at the shuttle. Edow helped her board and about a dozen men joined them. The captain signaled the pilot and soon they were hurdling toward the blue and gold globe of Giroux.
Callie blinked back tears of joy. Home! Now if only she could get rid of Edow so she could have Joe beside her. Edow himself came up with the solution.
“How about I give you a hyperspace communicator turned directly to my ship. You can call if you need help. No one besides you will even know we’re still here, and I won’t be disobeying my orders to assist you.”
“Very clever, sir. Thank you.”
Edow spoke with the royal guard operating the communications center for Giroux and demanded a private meeting with Captain Sontu on the palace landing zone. They hoped to keep Callie’s arrival a secret for the moment.
“Your Captain Sontu gave General Drant a dressing down when it was discovered you were missing, your highness,” Edow said as the shuttle slowed for their approach.
“He’s quite loyal to my family.”
They didn’t speak further as the shuttle engines whined with the stress of landing. The door opened, and the clean, cool air of Giroux filled the shuttle.
Callie thought she would be able to maintain her royal aloofness, but the moment her foot touched the ground, her throat closed and her eyes teared.
“Your highness!” Captain Sontu trotted toward her. His wrinkled face sported a wide grin, and unheeded tears ran down his cheeks. He started to kneel in front of her.
Callie would have none of it. She threw herself into the arms of the man who had been her father’s personal bodyguard and was now her trusted advisor. “I’m home, Jak.”
Sontu hugged her tight for only a moment before backing away. “I’ve kept your return a secret, my queen, but we’d best get off the tarmac or the news will be out.”
Callie turned to Captain Edow. “Thank you for your kindness, sir.”
“My pleasure, your highness. Remember I’m only a call away.” Edow handed her a small electronic device. He nodded to Sontu and then gathered his men back into the shuttle.
Jak hustled Callie into one of the guard entrances instead of the one reserved for her use. She followed him through narrow halls, all of them dark and silent in the sleepy hours.
After a few twists and turns, Callie wondered if she might be lost in her own home. Finally, she recognized the steep stairway designed as an emergency exit.
Sontu ducked into the kitchen for a tray and then led the way up to the third floor. Her floor, and then they walked into her rooms.
Callie sank wearily into her favorite overstuffed chair while Jak poured them tea from the tray with the skill of an experienced serving woman. She took it with a grateful smile. Giroux black tea. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor.
“You must have quite a tale, Callie.” Jak took the chair near her he always sat in when they discussed the day.
Callie told him everything except the intimate details of her relationship with Joe.
Jak shook his head when she finished. “Only you could take a potential disaster and turn it to our advantage. You find riches beyond our greatest hopes and a body guard unmatched in skill.”
“If I can keep him.”
“Keep him? You make it sound like he’s a pet.”
Callie’s face heated. “I meant if I can keep them from taking him away.”
“General Drant is a thorough man. He might be able to find the truth.”
“I understand you’ve had some conversations with him.”
Jak snorted. “Just doing my job and making sure he’s doing his.”
“Give me the bad news.”
Jak didn’t pretend he didn’t know what she meant. “Minister Cresbol has been trying to take the reins. Most of the council are at their land holdings, directing the harvest and preparing for winter so there’s none to gainsay her. She’s been giving orders around here like the crown is sitting on her conniving head.”
“I expected as much.”
“There’s more.” Jak set his tea cup on the marble table sitting between them. “That Hadrason bastard has been here twice to visit her.”
The hot tea curdled in Callie’s stomach. “Hadrason here, on Giroux?”
“I didn’t have specific orders from you to keep him away, though I knew you didn’t want him on our world.”
“When was he here?”
“Last time was two days ago. The first time was the very day we expected you back. He brought the news of your disappearance though it took me going behind Cresbol’s back to
get the army looking for you. Makes a lot of sense now that I know what caused your crash.”
“But we have no proof. I guess I’ll start in the morning with Dania and remind her of her place.”
“She’s brought in a couple of men to work for her. Don’t know their official job title, but they look like soldiers. I’ll rest easier when your marine gets here.”
Callie gave Jak another hug before he left. He promised no one would enter her hallway tonight.
Callie felt a bit guilty about her friends still on Crevan Four as she filled her bath. She soaked neck-deep in the sudsy warmth anyway.
Her bed enfolded her like the arms of a favorite nursemaid. She should have fallen asleep immediately, but she remembered telling Joe he would share this bed with her. The familiar comfort now seemed too big and very empty.
* * * *
Getting by the Galactic warship took all Joe’s skill and the shadow of the third Giroux moon, but he was confident no one spotted his cruiser when he landed shortly after the army shuttle set down.
Joe fiddled with the communications enhancers he and Vin had installed. Did the Galactic Military have any idea how easy it was to monitor their radio messages? He studied the holographic display of landscape features and selected a dense forest to hide his ship. A few branches scarped the sides of the sleek cruiser, as he guided it into a small clearing. He checked the scanners once more for signs of human life. All clear for at least two square miles.
He shut down the electronics and strapped on all the weapons he could carry without losing mobility. The tiny hover scooter he powered up gave up some of its speed in exchange for a nearly silent propulsion system.
Thanks to his excellent vision and reflexes, he could travel without lights. He skimmed to top of the grass once he arrived at open fields, rising over fences and livestock. Giroux likely didn’t posses the technology to perceive his approach, but he hugged the terrain as if they did.
An impatient hour passed before he spotted the first lights of Zelltown, Giroux’s capital city. The largest of Giroux’s three moons sat just above the tip of a tall, sharp spire. Callie’s castle. The four days spent separate from her seemed like months.
