by Leslie Chase
"I see her," Darkfang's AI said, coming online. A track appeared on the screen, showing the position of the imperial ship. The planet was between us, shielding us from sight, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was the part of the plan that required the most luck — we could have come out of hyperspace right in front of her, and then we'd have had no time to react. Now, though, we were close enough to act and still had the element of surprise.
There was a chance that the plan might yet work, as crazy as it was.
Shifting course slowly, using the minimum amount of energy, I aimed for the Shadow. A nice, slow course where we could be mistaken for a stray lump of space rock until the last minute. It would be a slow, nerve-wracking approach, but it was the only safe way we'd been able to come up with.
Relatively safe, anyway. There were still hours in which we could be spotted, or in which anything could go wrong. But this was the best approach we'd been able to come up with.
Course set, I powered down the drive to its lowest setting. Anything that made us harder to detect was a valuable tool now. Even the life support systems were turned down low. There was enough oxygen to last for a day or more, and the whole system could come to life in minutes when needed. The risk was, I judged, worth taking.
Once everything was settled, I turned my attention to the communication channels, listening for anything of interest. Darkfang listened too, flicking through the broadcasts quicker than any biological mind could. Of course, it found something first.
"Xendar, I think you need to listen to this," the AI said, muting the traffic control channel I was listening to. I frowned — the new channel's meta-data marked it as high priority traffic, something intended for the captain of the Shadow's attention at the very least. It shouldn't have been broadcast where we could detect it.
A glance at the display told me that it wasn't just going out to us. This broadcast would be easy for anyone to listen in on. Either someone had made a real mess of things in the security station of the Shadow or they wanted this to be heard across the empire.
"—have captured an impostor posing as Princess Immorata," someone was saying, a cold anger in his voice. "The Acherans murdered our beloved princess, murdered her in cold blood, and were attempting to replace her with a slave from an uncontacted world!"
"But that's impossible," another voice answered. "Did they really think that we'd be fooled?"
"Who can know what those, those animals thought, Captain? Perhaps it was just to sow confusion amongst us, or perhaps they were going to try and pass her off in public while she denounced our Silent Empress's rule, trying to stir up rebellion. All we can say for sure is that they killed our beloved Immorata. We can't let that stand."
I swore, blood running cold. They were going to blame me for the whole thing, not just Immorata's 'death' but also Hope being put in her place. And if that was the story that the imperial news agencies ran with, there was no chance of avoiding a war. My hands tightened on the controls.
"What proof do we have?" The captain, at least, seemed dubious about the accusation. "Not that I doubt your word, Lord Rofain. But I won't be responsible for a war based purely on the basis of that."
"Quite right," Rofain replied, and I marked that voice. He would pay for what he'd done to Hope, and the harm he was aiming to do to the galaxy. "Fortunately, my agents have retrieved both the impostors they were using. Their genetics can be analyzed before they are put to death, and the captain who recovered them can also testify."
The captain's voice was furious as he replied. "I will have the execution broadcast to all of the Silent Empire, then. There must be no doubt about the fate that awaits those who attempt to impersonate the imperial family."
"Quite right," Rofain said, and I bared my fangs at the sound of his barely-concealed smugness. "I shall hold the trial and execution at the fourth hour, then. Best this is over and done with as soon as possible."
"Wait," the captain said, a note of suspicion entering his voice. "Who will check the impostors? I mean no offense, Lord Rofain, but it would be better for the test to be independent, to silence any doubters."
"Quite right, of course," Rofain answered. "Proctor Heriam will administer the genetic test, then. That should be impartial enough for you."
I hammered on the control panel, wishing that I could expose Rofain's deception here and now. But with Hope in his hands, he held all the cards.
Save one. This second 'impostor' of whom they spoke... could that be Immorata herself? I didn't know, but there was no reason for the conspirators to have a second impostor on hand that I could see. Maybe. That gave me a chance.
"Can I speak to them?"
"Negative," the AI answered. "I'm sorry, but if I try to broadcast on that channel we'll be locked out before you say a word, and they'll have our position."
I cursed, looking at the clock. The fourth hour was coming up fast, and there was no time for the slow and stealthy approach we'd begun. The carefully built plan I'd constructed was worthless, unsalvageable. Time to abandon it, then. I pulled the power switches back to full, ramping up the demands on the engine beyond safe limits.
If I couldn't make it to the Shadow in time to save Hope, I didn't care if I blew the engines. Nothing else mattered.
The communicator started to scream demands as the Shadow's flight crew detected us, followed by threats. Their weapons powered up fast, and the first missiles were on their way towards us before I could have responded even if I'd wanted to.
"Mute that," I growled. I didn't need the distraction, and I had nothing to say. Nothing that they'd listen to now, anyway.
"Xendar, your chances of making it to the docking port against hostile fire are..." Darkfang paused and then squawked. "They're incalculably low. This is suicide!"
"I didn't sign on for a suicide mission," Yennifer said as she pulled her way onto the bridge. "What the hell's going on?"
"Hold on tight," I snarled, firing the short-range lasers as the first missiles closed. One burst into flames as the beam struck it, and I dodged between the others. The Nest Four shuddered under me, protesting the violent maneuvers, but it held together for the time being. That was all I could ask of it.
"You'll get us all killed," Yennifer screamed, tumbling against the copilot's chair and gripping it for dear life as I spun through the space between another pair of missiles.
"I have a plan," I snarled at her. There wasn't time to explain, if I lost my focus now we'd be dead before we knew it, and Hope wouldn't be far behind.
I couldn't keep this up for long. But I wouldn't have to. The Shadow of a Forgotten Love loomed large in the sensors, and in next few minutes my new plan would either work — or get us all killed.
19
Hope
The announcement of the trial played over the speakers set into the walls of our forest cell, over and over. The first few times it was terrifying but by now it had just become an annoyance. Yes, they'd found impostors posing as Princess Immorata. Yes, there would be a trial, and yes it would be followed by an execution. After the third time we heard it, it became background noise.
"Why 'impostors' plural?" I asked eventually. "There's only one of me, right?"
Immorata sniffed and looked at me. "Isn't it obvious? They're going to kill us both as duplicates and blame this whole thing on the Acherans. Once that's happened, there will be no way to stop the war from breaking out, and it's their best chance of getting rid of me along with you."
Her words were calm, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I wanted to offer her some reassurance, some hope. Unfortunately, I'd abandoned that back on Erdush. All I could hope was that Xendar would make it home safely, and that he'd survive the war that now seemed unavoidable.
"I'm sorry," I said after a moment. "If I'd known what I was walking into I wouldn't have surrendered."
She managed a creditable smile, and if I hadn't been able to see the fear in her eyes I would have been fooled. Immorata looked impressively calm for
someone facing her own death.
"Don't be silly, dear," she said. "You did what was necessary to save innocent lives. Besides, it's not you who got me killed. As soon as Rofain's plan to kill you the first time failed, I was living on borrowed time."
At the mention of Rofain's name she punched a tree. Wincing and rubbing her knuckles, she continued. "That snake would never have felt safe with me alive. I'm sure he told himself that he would keep me in some luxurious prison, but eventually he'd have wanted to dispose of me. All you did was hurry him up."
I took a deep breath, trying to look as calm as she did, and wondered if the princess thought I looked calm. Were we both equally terrified and hiding it from each other? That would be ironic, but anything that kept me from dissolving into hysterics was a good thing. Collapsing and crying wouldn't help anyone.
"What can we do, then?" I asked. "How do we get out of this?"
"Do?" she smiled. "If you think that I have a plan then I'm afraid you're mistaken, Hope. Right now, the only plan I have is to go to my death with the dignity of an Imperial Princess. Though if an opportunity arises to spite Rofain on the way out of the airlock, I'll take it and dignity be damned."
"Not good enough," I said, shaking my head. "There has to be something we can do. They need to get us to the execution, right? Tell the guards who you are, they can't all be in on this conspiracy. And if they are we'll just have to kick them in the shins and run for our lives. I'm not going to let them just march us to our deaths."
Immorata laughed at that and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she offered me her hand. I took it dubiously, but she smiled and squeezed my hand reassuringly.
"I have to admit that sounds more satisfying than imperial dignity," she said. "Let's compromise. Dignity until we get a chance to fight. Then kicking, screaming and running. Let's see if we can take some of them with us at least."
The great atrium ran the length of the ship, filled with plants from dozens of worlds planted in a complex, beautiful array. It's funny the things you notice when you're walking to your death.
Focusing on the trees around me, their strange leaves and odd colors, the way they'd been carefully arranged to complement each other, was better than looking at our destination. At the far end of the path the lizard-like guards were marching us down was an opening into space. The cold, deadly vacuum waited for me and Immorata, and every time I looked in that direction my heart skipped a beat.
If there'd been anywhere to run to I'd have fled, but the guards were close and vigilant, and anyway, I doubted the doors on the Shadow would open for me. And Rofain had taken precautions, anyway. Both of us were handcuffed and gagged, denying us any chance to turn the guards to our side.
I wondered how the trial would work if we couldn't talk. But then, the announcement spoke of trial and execution, so something told me that imperial justice wasn't big on giving the defense a chance to prove its case. Whatever trial they gave us would be for the cameras only.
Beside me Princess Immorata walked with her head held high. Despite the cuffs and the gag, she managed to carry herself with a poise and dignity I could only envy. Clearly her education had paid off, and I wondered if Heriam would be proud of Immorata even as she presided over her death.
She was waiting at the end of our march, standing on a dais beside the force-shielded opening to space. Proctor Heriam looked down at us with cold, narrowed eyes, but I thought I detected some unease in her body language. Something about the way she stood made me think that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of condemning her princess to death.
I didn't expect that to save us, though. She didn't strike me as someone who'd let a little thing like her conscience stop her once she'd decided on a course of action.
Lord Rofain stood beside her, managing to look both nervous and haughty as he watched our approach. He was dressed in more finery than I remembered, medals covering his chest. I squared my shoulders, trying to match Immorata's outward calm. If we were going to die, then at least I'd do it with dignity.
Somehow that didn't make me feel any better.
Alongside Heriam and Rofain stood a dozen of the alien guards, their armor gleaming and polished. An honor guard, I assumed, though their weapons all looked perfectly functional and they had a wary look about them. My momentary fantasy of tackling Rofain and dragging him out of the airlock with me died before I could really believe it — these aliens were too alert to let me get away with such a simple revenge.
The guards leading us stopped in front of Rofain and stepped back, leaving us to face him. His eyes sparkled with malice as he looked between us. Camera drones floated around us. No doubt he wanted the death of the 'impostors' to be shown far and wide to help fuel support for his war. I glared into one recording lens.
"Impersonating an Imperial Princess carries the penalty of death," Rofain said without preamble. "You have both been found guilty of this heinous crime and will pay with your lives. Would that we had time for a full trial, but we are under attack by your co-conspirators. They are making a misguided attempt to rescue you even now."
Xendar! He had to mean Xendar. I had no idea how he'd caught up with me, or what he thought he was doing, but he was here. For a moment my heart raced with hope, and Rofain must have seen it in my eyes. His cruel smile deflated it.
"Do not think that there is any chance that they will prevail. Even if they, by some miracle, get through our defenses, it will be too late for the pair of you."
He leaned in close, whispering quietly enough that no one aside from me and Immorata could hear. "I'd thank them for the excuse to deal with you quickly, but your rescuers will be too dead to hear me anyway. If you see them in the afterlife, please pass on my gratitude."
Immorata said something into her gag. The tone alone was enough to make him blanch but Heriam stepped forward and took over.
"To show your guilt is beyond doubt, we will now test your genetics against the Imperial Archive." She held out her hand and one of the guards presented her with a cushion on which rested a needle-tipped wand. Holding it up for the cameras to see, she turned towards me and with a careful precision stabbed me in the forearm. I winced, meeting her eyes with a glare as a hologram swam around the wand. Parts lit a welcoming green, but more and more were a warning red until, at last, the whole was an angry denial of my status.
Her thin lips stretched into an evil smile and she withdrew the needle. A hush lay over the audience as she held the wand up as proof.
"A fraud," she said. "Proof positive. They must die for their crimes."
Beside me, Immorata took a step forward, holding up her bound arms and demanding to be tested in turn. How is Heriam going to make that work with the real princess? I wondered, daring to hope that they didn't have a plan for that. The cameras hovered closer.
But Heriam simply ignored her, gesturing to the guards who dragged us to the open doorway into space. A slight shimmer marked the forcefield holding in the air and I couldn't keep my eyes off the endless void outside. The dark emptiness that was about to swallow me and kill me.
Immorata was still struggling with her guard, holding out her arms in a demand to be tested. Rofain drew his sword, eyes narrowing and a smile almost touching his lips. He thought he was about to dispose of the evidence of his treachery, and he might be right. Even if someone was suspicious of the way that they only tested one of us, there wouldn't be any proof that the other had been Immorata. He might get away with this.
And even if he didn't, we'd be too dead to see his mistakes catch up with him.
The guards' hands dug painfully into my arms as I thrashed, kicking and squirming with all my strength. It was futile, and they carried the pair of us to the edge of the darkness. I'd have bitten if it wasn't for the gag, and alongside me Immorata was swearing furiously into her gag. Her words were unintelligible, but the tone alone would make a soldier blush.
Outside, I saw the flicker of lasers burning through the void. They must be shooting at Xendar, I
realized, my heart sinking. There were so many of them that I couldn't believe he could make it through that web of death. His ship, whatever it was, would die and he'd die with it. Even my attempt to spare him had come to nothing.
For a moment, I gave up all hope and went limp in my captor's arms. The sudden change startled him and he almost dropped me, buying me a moment longer. And then I saw it, a tiny dot growing bigger and bigger. Heading straight for the opening.
Xendar. It had to be. I couldn't imagine how, but he was coming to save me.
20
Xendar
Nest Four vanished behind me and the lines of defensive fire from the Shadow tore through space dangerously close to me. It all came down to dead-eye reckoning now, that and my memory of the layout of the huge ship. But if there was one place that an execution was going to take place, it had to be the great atrium. And that meant that the airlock would be open. It was a terrible way to get aboard, but the only one that had even a hope of success.
For the hundredth time I missed my assault suit. It had thrusters, sensors, weapons. The emergency survival suit had none of those, and it was carrying too much mass as well. If I'd missed my aim I'd slam into the side of the Shadow or, worse, miss it altogether. To my surprise I found myself grinning. This was a tale that would be worth telling my grandchildren.
Of course, I'd only live to have grandchildren if it worked.
Behind me, Yennifer had the controls of the Nest Four. By now she'd be broadcasting her surrender on all frequencies, and hopefully that would be enough to get her to safety. They should, at least, bring her aboard the Shadow, and that was all we could hope for right now.
