The Star Captains' Daughter

by Kimber An

  “Very well, but Princess Rowan must remain on our side of the border. You will not use her as a weapon against us.”

  Ariez came to his full height and looked down, but he could not risk revealing his hand at such a critical point.

  “Either cooperate as an ally and dominate this quadrant with us or face a war you will not possess the resources to fight. Do you really think the Intari Parliament will do nothing to prevent your consolidating power against them? The Denahi Star System is insignificant compared to the threat of religious and political power united on the Menelaen Throne.”

  “Get out.”

  “Are you feeling better?”

  Junior followed her father into the gymnasium for their morning Kaiyakempo lesson. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she grumbled. “I hated the Imperial Court.”

  Delano thumped her shoulder. “I know. I hated it too.” He handed her the practice sword. Stepping out onto the floor, he drew Aodhan from its sheath. “But, it’s over now. We’ll soon be home on Denahi.”

  Home on Denahi. That was just one of the things Junior was hesitant to talk to her father about. “I overheard some things at the party.”

  “What things?” Delano handed her the practice sword, hilt-first.

  “Oh, well, about Prince Ariez. Some people think he’s alive.”

  “Yeah, that rumor crops up every other year, usually after Princess Ara does something tyrannical.” Delano spun his sword in wrist-stretching exercises. “It’s easy to believe Prince Ariez can do better on the Throne, because he’s not here to prove otherwise. Some people will cling to whatever hope they can find, even false hope. Who’d you hear it from?”

  Junior whipped her practice sword around her body a couple of times, feeling her muscles loosen up. “Kaliban.” The blade looked wooden, but was actually made of the same energy-absorbing metal the practice fighting knives were.

  “Kaliban?” Delano froze. “Naana said she and the others ran him off.”

  “Well, he got a few words in before they did.” Junior shrugged, willing herself to calm. If Dad sensed her anxiety, she’d get a lecture.

  “We can’t get out of this armpit of the galaxy fast enough.” Delano grumbled and turned back on her to begin the exercise. “Don't become involved with any member of the Imperial Family in any way.” He swung sword around his body, first to the right and then the left. “The Empress will die soon. The religious factions oppose Princess Ara’s succession claim. There will be a power struggle. People who associate with the Imperials during times like that often die in well-staged accidents.”

  Junior followed his lead, swinging the practice sword around her body, loosening up. “When are you going to let me try Aodhan again?”

  Delano pointed at her. “When you stop thunking yourself in the head with your practice sword.” He turned around and assumed the balanced stance. “I don’t like it when you bleed all over the place.”

  “Oh, I suppose you never accidentally took off an ear.”

  “An ear, the tip of my nose, and three fingers, but that‘s beside the point.”

  “What if I promised not to misplace any severed body parts so they can be re-attached?”

  Her father chuckled.

  Junior giggled in spite of the dark feelings still haunting her. She tried to chase them away with good memories. Isaiah in the med-bay. Chef in the galley. Everything on the Maverick the way it had always been. If Isaiah and Karana married, then… Karana had a son, I think. That’s all she could remember.

  Kaliban’s words haunted her. Already you’re teetering on the edge of sanity from Incompletion of the Marital Bond.

  “Quiet your thoughts.” He drew his silver blade back. “Follow my lead.”

  Junior could not obey. “Dad, what about what the Empress said? That I have to marry a Menelaen or you’ll lose Denahi?”

  Her father’s great shoulders slumped a little as he blew out a breath. “Don’t worry about it. I’m Admiral Park’s adopted son. We’ll think of something.”

  “But, Dad, I can’t live here for the rest of my life if I can’t even have a boyfriend. Besides, are you really going to let your sole heir become a fighter pilot?”

  He turned, face grim. “You’re a princess now. You’ll have plenty of other…”

  “But, Dad, I don’t want to do anything else! I want to be a fighter pilot and make babies and explore deep space. There’s no future for me here, Dad.”

  “I will create one for you.”

  “Dad…”

  “Calm your thoughts. Everything will be all right.” He turned back around and resumed the exercise. “I’ve taken care of everything.”

  You’ve taken care of everything you know about, anyway, and you don’t want to hear about anything else. Breathing deeply, she assumed the stance behind him and began to mimic the slow exercise, drawing her sword around.

  Chapter 16

  Junior leaned against the shuttle window watching the Menelaen homeworld fall away and the eternal night of space come into view above the clouds and blue horizon. Such a relief. The Mydis was not the Maverick, but at least it was a starship.

  A week of space travel at maximum velocity brought the Mydis into orbit of Denahi Prime, one of two habitable planets in the star system.

  Junior stood on the command deck with her father when the greenish world came into view, shining brightly on the viewscreen. Mostly lush forest, a Southern continent was brown desert. Two large pockets of deep blue formed the small oceans with rivers of blue snaking away from them. She’d learned in her geography lesson with Govina that the rivers had been widened to accommodate boats because the Denahi were amphibious. They preferred travel by water than by road or air.

  When their shuttle craft came to rest on the landing pad outside their new palace, Junior understood the rivers better. The Denahi officials waiting to greet them were clearly Intari, though more waif-like than stout. She’d stayed awake long enough in history class to learn the Intari homeworld had looked very much like Denahi before the Menelaen War destroyed the atmosphere. Now, it all made sense.

  The Intari and the Denahi were the same species.

  Junior’s experience with the emotionally expressive Intari told her the Denahi’s polite greeting belied resentment in shades of yellow around their recessive ear spots.

  “Does this please Your Highness?” The new Denahi governess walked beside her and spoke Menelaen. She wore a cobalt blue underdress under her gray jumper. A simple fabric band wrapped around her naturally bald head, her facial features fine, her lips wide and thin.

  The blue-gray stones and tall, arching windows of the palace certainly were a welcome departure from monochromatic Menelaen structures. Junior had heard enough of the Denahi language to discern its subtle differences from its mother language, Intari. She replied in the Denahi language, “It’s beautiful, but I can’t agree with the government it represents.”

  The governess couldn’t respond aloud, but her color changed to soft pink – delightful surprise. “This way to your private chambers.” Her stiff voice softened too, and reverted to Denahi. She ascended the sweeping staircase inside the entrance.

  Junior followed her. When she reached the top, she noticed the foyer was acoustically perfect. She paused to enjoy the sensation. Even as she did though, she overheard her father speaking with the House Chamberlain.

  Bowing, the Chamberlain said, “The Princess is very beautiful, Your Highness. It will be a tremendous honor to serve her mother, as well. When can we expect Queen Olivia to grace these halls?”

  “Soon, Mr. Yet. The transfer of power is complete. I can concentrate my efforts on bringing her safely across the De-Militarized Zone. You may begin making arrangements for her comfort.”

  Junior studied her fingers upon the banister.

  Dad wasn’t going to let go of this fantasy. He had set himself up as a king, complete with peasantry to oppress.

  Mom would never take him back like this.

  When Ju
nior lifted her eyes, she found her father looking right at her. Somberly, she turned and walked away.

  As promised, Dad took her rock climbing soon after arriving on Denahi. The mountains looked Chinese to them, rounded and thick with greenery. A far lake provided ample diving adventures too.

  Within days, however, Delano departed for patrols of the De-Militarized Zone, leaving Junior in the provincial palace surrounded by ladies-in-waiting, every luxury, and tight security.

  Junior studied her lessons in her expansive private chambers, white sofas, crystal tables, and white silk draperies everywhere. If she had an eye for interior decorating and wasn’t so otherwise preoccupied, she might’ve splashed some color around. She faithfully practiced her Kaiyakempo on the green lawns. She also went exploring and played in the streets with the children. At first, the Denahi were frightened of her, but one smile from her governess put them at ease.

  No Menelaen troubled himself to learn the Denahi language. In fact, it was forbidden to speak it in their presence.

  Junior spoke Denahi the entire time.

  She taught the children human games like ‘Red Rover‘ and ‘Kick the Can.’ Still, there weren’t any teens to befriend. They worked in the fields alongside their parents. No amount of charitable donations could get them out and education beyond the elementary level violated Menelaen law. The days became weeks which stretched into months. The loneliness bit at her soul, creating a chasm of despair.

  ***

  Dreamtime.

  Junior rested on her side, head on arm folded back, gazing blankly at the forest below their tree house.

  "Please, permit me to cleanse your heart of this anguish." Ariez touched her ear. "I want to make you happy."

  "For your sake or mine?" She felt his hesitation, his confusion stiffen his body.

  "For both of us. We are becoming one soul."

  "Are we? Or are you making me an appendage of yours?"

  "I… " Ariez's breath can in short rasps. "I do not understand."

  Junior closed her eyes. A tear squeezed out. "I know." Then, she felt his hand spread out over her face. "No."

  "Please."

  "No!" She knocked his elbow away and rolled over the side. Grabbing a vine, she swung down to the ferns and feet squished into the cool moss.

  ***

  IN THE YEAR OF HER HOLINESS 2287

  It happened that Junior’s 17th birthday fell in the middle of the week. She wasn’t sentimental about exact dates for special occasions though; not after being raised by a star captain with a crazy work schedule. Nevertheless, when the sun rose her heart sank.

  No matter how busy the day had been, Mom always found a way to make her birthday special. That would be impossible this year.

  Junior strolled out onto her breakfast balcony with the table laid out behind. Her friends and family on the Maverick filled her thoughts. Ret and Rehama. Isaiah was probably marrying Karana without her there to march in with… Her face tightened, realizing she’d now forgotten everything about him, except that he was Karana’s son.

  Despite her father’s censorship, she’d managed to squeeze out of Lali the fact that Menelaen males erased all memory of other romantic partners from their females’ minds, if they could get away with it.

  Jae had tried it with Lali and Bo had to talk him down from the local temple spier afterwards. Apparently, refusing to complete the Marital Bond once it had begun was more painful than being burned alive and Jae nearly committed suicide instead.

  Anyway, Lali forgave Jae, but she sacrificed her career in the Kaiya Order to marry him and Junior felt rather sorry for her. Since the infertility epidemic began, law required fertile females to stop working outside the home once bonded. Naana had said the day was coming when all fertile females, bonded or not, would be locked in their homes.

  I wonder if Kaliban erased that boy, Karana’s son? She looked over her shoulder to the educational computer. But, then, who erased Kaliban? After a glance to ensure privacy, she proceeded to it and lowered into the seat as though someone might pull it out suddenly. “Computer, access historical record of Prince Ariez…” she knew the name to be common in the imperial dynasty “…son of Empress Araina and Imperial Prince Consort Kalric.” Imperial children were always named for the Emperor or Empress Regent. Hence, Ara and Ariez were the biological offspring of Empress Araina. Their fathers played no part in their naming.

  The screen lit up with a handsome face, all at once familiar and mesmerizing, and those blue eyes… Junior drew a deep breath, feeling fingertips caressing the side of her face and down her neck. “Computer, off-screen.” She stood and walked away, cupping chin in hands. The feeling left her and she swallowed hard.

  The door slid open and Palin walked in.

  Junior retreated to the railing and pretended to study the bennu birds in the pond below. “Palin.” She licked her lips.

  “Yes, My Lady?” Palin carried a steam iron and a white dress in her arms and was en route to the dressing and bathing chambers.

  “I’ve been, um, studying my history lesson and…” she shrugged one shoulder “…I was just wondering. What do you think would happen if Prince Ariez was alive?”

  “Prince Ariez?” Palin pondered over the name, as though she was reading it on the sofa. “Civil war.”

  “Civil war? Why?” Junior’s pulse suddenly raced.

  “The eldest child of the Emperor or Empress Regent is the Imperial Heir Designate, unless he or she cannot produce offspring. Princess Ara is infertile. When Prince Ariez came of age, the medical board verified him reproductively fit. Most of the hereditary aristocrats support her claim, regardless, and she tolerates no rival.”

  Leaning hard on the railing, Junior watched her knuckles turn white. “Do Menelaens believe in ghosts?”

  “Ghost? What is this?”

  “The spirit of a dead person.”

  Palin gave her such an odd look. “Our spirits return to the Celestial Garden when our corporeal selves die.”

  “I see.” Junior straightened. “You may go.” She watched the lady bow and withdraw through the dressing chamber doors.

  Breathing deeply, she wrapped arms around herself and closed her eyes, and the feeling returned as though invited by her behavior. Lips on her neck, hands on her waist, whispers in her ear she could not understand. The whispers she could not understand, but the feeling she could. Ariez is alive.

  Considering all she knew of Naana and the others, there would be a major freak-out if she spoke her belief aloud. “And Dad…” Oh, God. She smoothed hands up to her face, body freezing up. How will I get him across the border to Mom if I lose my mind completely? Goodness wrapped around her, pushing the fearsome thoughts away. Wait…I can’t… But, she wanted to.

  And she did.

  A week passed without a word from her father. Finally, Junior contacted him. “Forgetting something?” She folded her hands on the desk before the computer screen.

  “No,” Dad said, obviously pleased with himself. “I prepared the com-beacon to send across the DMZ to your mother for our wedding anniversary.”

  Junior sighed. “Your anniversary is in September. This is July.”

  “Oh.” Delano folded his hands together, crestfallen.

  “Dad, my birthday was July 1st.”

  “Oh! I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you when I come home next week.”

  “Tomorrow. You’re supposed to be home tomorrow.”

  “I am? Right.” He looked to the side. “Well, some things came up. I can’t make it back for a visit until next week.”

  Junior could tell he was searching for an excuse to end transmission. “Dad, I want to come live with you on the Mydis. It feels weird not having a hyperspace engine around.”

  “I’ve told you this sector of the DMZ is too dangerous.”

  “Dad! I didn’t leave everything and everyone I loved on the Maverick to come live with you so I could be stuck here while you’re out there all the time!”

 
; “Rowan, you’re becoming hysterical.”

  “And you’re becoming a jerkwad.” The angst mounted within her.

  Dad blew out a groaning breath. “I’ll be home as soon…”

  “This isn’t home. This is Denahi, a disputed territory in the Intari-Menelaen cold war.”

  “I’ll be home next week.”

  “No, you won’t, but I might be.”

  “Rowan, don’t start. Now, do your homework and go to bed.”

  “Whatever.” Junior slapped the com button and his image vanished.

  The goodness she held back longed to comfort her. She buried her face in her hands. Ariez is coming for me. Dad’s gonna freak out. They’re gonna kill each other!

  “Computer, off.” Junior stood and turned slowly, gaze lifting to the stars shining in the window. Maybe if I run away, Dad will chase me across the border.

  The blanket of goodness fell over her as she sank into the sofa. I will cleanse your heart and bring you joy.

  I’m losing my mind. She rolled her head over in the pillow.

  Our time of longing is nearly at an end.

  Inside an asteroid cave, Captain Olivia Delano sat in her command chair on the Maverick, elbow on armrest, leaning forehead against finger. Sensors showed no Alliance or Menelaen vessels in the vicinity. She knew they were out there, however, faced off against each other on either side of the border with her little ship somewhere in between. She stood and contemplated lunch, emergency rations again. She rubbed her tense neck muscles, wondering how much longer. Her crew had already sacrificed so much.

  “Captain, a communications beacon!” Ashley announced from the com station.

  “Locate.” Olivia jumped out of her seat and strode back to him.

  “Bearing Mark-one-three-nine. No power. Emitting Claryon particles only.”

  “Junior! How far is it?” Olivia studied the tiny yellow light on the spatial grid.