Magnitude: A Space Opera Adventure (Blackstar Command Book 2)

by A. C. Hadfield

  His image still represented all the things that she hated, and feared, back on Zarunda: the chrome faceplate, the wheezing piston of his partially fixed leg, and the cigar jammed in the corner of his mouth.

  He pulled the glowing cigar free and smiled. “Nice to see you again, girl. You’re looking good.”

  “I wish I could say the same about you,” Senaya said, adding a little more bite to her words than she intended, but she refused to apologize. She did, however, smile at Brenna and Kendal. “Hey, so to what do I owe this pleasure? If it’s about Kai—”

  Brenna waved away the suggestion, presumably because like Senaya, she too was still hurt by his loss. Then her expression lightened to reflect Senaya’s smile. “Actually, we’ve come with some good news—and a proposition of sorts. Could we come in to discuss it?”

  Senaya stepped back and held her arm aloft, pointing through to the kitchen. “Sure, take a seat at the table. Jiff’s recently made some fresh bread. Can I offer you guys a beverage?”

  “A Bulshari scotch would go down a treat; we’ve been flying for hours,” Bandar said as he brushed past her, blowing out a plume of smoke and taking in her cottage. His large frame made the place feel smaller than it was, and she had to fight the temptation to ask him to leave.

  “I don’t have any alcohol,” she said flatly. “It’s tea or water, I’m afraid.”

  “Tea would be just perfect, thank you,” Kendal said, entering the cottage and bowing gently to her in a respectful greeting. “I’m sorry that we’ve turned up without any warning.” He took his seat at the table next to Brenna. “We were passing through the system on a diplomatic mission and decided to make a stop off, as we’ve come into some information I think you would be interested in. And it felt better to deliver it in person than over the network.”

  “It’s okay,” Senaya said, taking the seat at the head of the table. Brenna and Kendal were seated to her left and Bandar to her right. At the other end, Jiff prepared the tea, which he then brought to the table and, after dispensing cups and saucers to everyone, poured out the delicious blend he had spent the last three months perfecting.

  Senaya took her cup and drained the liquid, eager to get its effects into her system and banish the low-level tiredness that had so far plagued her the entire morning.

  “I’m sorry for the lack of a proper welcome,” Senaya said. “It’s just that I’ve been busy lately and I’m still getting used to the place. Seeing the Blackstar again… It’s… Well, it’s weird. I thought I was done with all that, but I guess the past has a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.”

  Brenna smiled gently then took a sip of the cup. She smacked her lips and nodded in Jiff’s direction. “That’s a tasty blend you have there… um…“

  “Jiff,” the android reminded her. “It’s made from a collection of over fifteen local herbs and petal extracts. The exact formula enables—”

  Senaya held up her hand. “It’s okay, Jiff, I’ll send them the recipe later. If you wouldn’t mind changing the bedding upstairs…”

  The android got the gist of the suggestion and left the room.

  Brenna’s and Kendal’s gazes followed its route through the kitchen and up the stairs. Both of them noticed the holocube on the table between the sofa and the fireplace. Kendal turned to Senaya and asked, “So how’s Eesoh doing? Has it figured out what it is yet?”

  “He hasn’t. He knows he is the male of his species, but beyond that, he doesn’t know anything else about his origins other than what he is here and now and that’s enough for him. It’s enough for me too,” she added before Kendal could press her further. “It doesn’t matter to me what he is, only that he is, if that makes sense. I’m tired of galactic secrets and the desire to know everything. We’re happy as we are—and we’d like to keep it that way.”

  “You’ve changed, girl,” Bandar said, pointing the now unlit cigar at her. “I’m not sure it suits you.” He leaned his bulk against the table and rested on his elbows.

  The jab hit her in the chest. She opened her mouth to retort but came to her senses and stopped herself. She reminded herself that she was no longer involved with these people anymore. She had her dream, a life on Jallan IV, and she wasn’t about to let them spoil that.

  “Let’s get to the point,” she said. “I’m happy here, and although it’s good to see that you’re all in fine health, I’m not ready to revisit old times or entertain guests. What is it that you want from me?”

  Brenna lowered her head in acceptance of the situation and told her why they had arrived. “Before all the craziness with the Dominion and the war as a whole, Marella was working on that video of yours—the assassination of your cousins. Well, she gave us a lead, and after the war, I had some people look into it. We’ve discovered why your cousins were killed, and who hired the assassin to kill you.”

  Kendal removed a scroll from his jacket and handed it over to Senaya. Inside the scroll was real paper, and on the paper, written in a fancy, cursive calligraphy, was something about a royal court. Most of the text was hard for her to read. It wasn’t in Coalition Common apart from a few words here and there, which appeared to be titles, and then at the bottom, her name.

  She looked up at the others. “I don’t understand; what is this?”

  “You’re a royal descendant, girl,” Bandar said, cracking a wide smile. “We really should have bowed or curtsied when we arrived.”

  “Royal? I don’t get it…”

  Brenna explained as Senaya sat there in disbelief. “We traced the identity of your cousins through the Coalition database. It turns out that they were the next in line for an ancient family of royals on a distant world on the edge of the galaxy. A place called Verallis. It’s not under Coalition rule or Host. It’s a principality and has mostly thrived through trade of its precious metals and unique gemstones.”

  Kendal took up the story next. “Once we identified your cousins, it was a simple task to trace the rest of the people in the video. Through the GTU’s extensive network of shady operators, we found the original deal with a guild of assassins. Using some government pressure, we got some names and found the client who hired them.”

  “Who was it?” Senaya asked, clutching the scroll.

  “A Tasarel woman called Muerto Hesantahlia,” Kendal answered. “Your last remaining cousin, and second in the chain of succession to the throne of Verallis.”

  She shook her head and glanced down at the scroll again, trying to take all this in. It didn’t make any sense. Her cousins were in Coalition space, on their way to help with the peace talks during the war when they were killed—nowhere near a distant principality on the edge of the galaxy. And as far as Senaya had known, her second name was Orlanda, not Hesantahlia. She even had a digital birth chip to prove it.

  “I think you’ve got me mistaken here,” she added, nodding to the scroll. “I’m not a Hesantahlia.”

  “You are,” Bandar said. “Your birth chip was changed—we have proof of that too, and guess who did it? Yup, the same Muerto who hired an assassin later on to kill you. You see, Sen, your older cousin had hired spies to track you down. With your existence still unaccounted for, she couldn’t take the throne. In all of these years, it’s been in flux.”

  Brenna jumped in, adding, “But now your extended family knows about you—from all the media coverage during what you and Kai did to save Capsis Prime the first time around. It didn’t take long for us to put it all together. Your cousin, Muerto, is now in prison for the rest of her life, and your extended family has prepared the process for you to take your rightful place as queen of Verallis. You’re made for life now, Sen. You have control of an entire planet.”

  Confusion and a mix of emotions swamped Sen. Her throat closed, and she stood up from the table, moving out through the back door and into the garden. She leaned against her knees as a dizzy spell threatened to knock her to the ground.

  Kendal and Brenna quickly arrived by her side and helped her u
p. She turned to see Bandar leaning casually against the door frame, a big grin on his grizzled face.

  “It’s all true, isn’t it?” she said.

  “It sure is,” Bandar replied. “I couldn’t believe it myself, but when Mom and Pops here showed me all the evidence, there was no denying it. Who’d have thought that little Sen—the mechanic, rogue, and general troublemaker—was a legitimate queen?” He shrugged before adding, “But then, both of us have seen stranger things, right?”

  Her guts cramped and sweat broke out on her neck and forehead. This was unbelievable. Truly. For years she had wondered about the truth behind her cousins’ murder, but as the years had rolled on, she had become less concerned.

  And here it was, smacking her in the face once more, turning her life upside down when she had just begun to feel settled again.

  Kendal and Brenna were just staring at her, their faces a combination of happiness and concern.

  “I’m sorry,” Senaya said, finally calming down. “It’s a lot to take in. Is there anything I have to do? Are people waiting for me?” There were a hundred more questions, but she had to start at the beginning; otherwise she would overwhelm herself.

  “Let’s get some more tea and discuss what’s next,” Kendal said, helping Senaya back into the cottage, her legs still a little shaky from the revelation. They all sat back down. Bandar poured some more tea from the pot.

  “So,” Brenna started, “the next step would be to come with us to meet your court. From there, you’ll be taken to Verallis and introduced to your people, shown around your new palace, and then there’s the royal induction and the oversight of laws…”

  Senaya tuned out.

  On and on it went, a dozen things, a hundred, all of them seemingly impossible just a few hours ago. As they continued to explain what was expected of her, Senaya found herself shrinking away. She pulled her attention from the discussion and stared out of the open door and looked upon the mountains.

  The fog had cleared now. The golden swoop-wings flying around their nests were visible in the light of late morning. A group of seven ganik cows from the neighboring farm trotted through the meadow, stopping every now and then to chew on the grass. Their thick brown hides almost glowed under the sun and their big docile eyes looked over at her briefly before moving on to the next patch of grass.

  Brenna and Kendal continued to talk and point to various sections within the scroll, explaining what it all meant. She didn’t know how long this went on for, having tuned out some time ago, but eventually a silence fell on the cottage, and she found herself at the center of all of their attention as though they were expecting her to say or do something.

  “Well?” Kendal said. “Do you have an overnight bag you want to bring? We’ve got to leave shortly. We can send for the rest of your stuff once we’re on our way.”

  “What?” Senaya said, almost startled as the truth of the situation hit her hard square in the chest, threatening to slice her heart in two. “I can’t go anywhere… this is my home.”

  She looked down at the scroll and let go of it so that it rolled back up and rocked on the table surface. She stared at it as though it were a cursed object.

  “Sen, listen to us…” Brenna began, but Senaya didn’t want to hear it.

  “Look, I appreciate you guys coming here. I appreciate what you’ve tried to do for me, but you had no right to meddle. I was done, happy to be away from it all. I don’t want to leave here. Everything I have is here. I’m no queen, regardless of blood or lines of succession or whatever. I make stuff, fix stuff. I don’t sit on a throne, ordering servants around. I don’t deal with courts and stroll around a dusty palace. That’s madness. That’s not me.”

  She stood up again and moved over to the sink, where she poured herself a glass of water. As she swallowed the cold fresh drink, she stared out at the window as a group of three swoop-wings flew down from the mountain and over the meadow. Within a few moments, they flew overhead, their wings quiet but powerful in the still air.

  “I’m sorry,” Kendal said, his voice right behind her. She turned to face him and saw confusion and worry written in the crags of his face. “We thought you’d be happy to know, to realize your potential and take what’s yours.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to take or rule anything. You have completely misunderstood me. I’m afraid I can’t go with you. I’m sorry that you’ve had a wasted journey. You’ll have to send my apology to the people of Verallis. I’ll record a message or something—tell them to find a new queen. My name is Senaya Orlanda, and I’m a humble mechanic who is going to live out her years here on Jallan IV.”

  THE LOCKE FAMILY remained for another hour, trying to convince Senaya that this was a good thing, but she wasn’t budging. She had made her mind up. And then towards the end of the conversation when it was clear they were unable to change her mind, the subject of Kai came up.

  Kendal and Bandar had returned to the Blackstar to prepare for launch, leaving Brenna behind on the path. Senaya remained in the doorway, not wanting to leave the cottage even for a moment, preferring to feel grounded in the familiar.

  “Do you miss him?” Brenna said, the grief obvious in her voice, her words heavy and strained.

  “Every day,” Senaya said.

  “And you don’t blame him for leaving you here alone? For… sacrificing himself like that…” Misty tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away with the cuff of her robe. Senaya wanted to reach out to her, but there was a distance between them now that she couldn’t cover.

  “I’m sorry,” Senaya said. “I believe he did what he thought was the right thing. He ended his life how he always lived it—with the best intention. I don’t judge him for that. He wasn’t one of us; he was something else, something far greater. Only he could fully understand what he did. We have to get on with our lives, what’s left of them, in the best way we can.”

  Brenna choked back a few more tears and stepped forward, pulling Senaya into an embrace before she could back away. Reluctantly, Senaya wrapped her arms around Brenna and gave her the comfort she clearly needed.

  After a long moment, Brenna broke away. Kendal poked his head out the door and beckoned her. “We’re ready to launch.”

  “You should go,” Senaya added, not with any malice, but with the intention that Brenna should be with her family. There was nothing here for her now. Nothing that would bring her any happiness. “But trust me, Kai loved you as if you were his biological mother. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

  “Thank you,” Brenna said, and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You’re such a sweet girl. I’m sorry that our coming here has made things difficult. But don’t worry, we’ll smooth everything with the people of Verallis. We’ll respect your wishes and leave you in peace, but please know that we’ll always be here for you if you ever need us, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  With a smile, Brenna turned and ascended the steps to the Blackstar. She waved goodbye and entered the ship. Senaya waited for it to take off and watched as it slowly turned and headed away from the village before engaging its main thrusters.

  She didn’t wait to see it blast out into space.

  As soon as it was out of view, she returned to her cottage and made her way upstairs and into the spare room, closing the door behind her. Jiff was somewhere down the hall, presumably going about his chores as instructed.

  The room was in darkness, as she always kept it. She found it worked better that way. The curtains were closed, and the thermostat was set to a few degrees above freezing. She shivered as she approached the crystal.

  Its blue hue glowed with a pulsating throb.

  She knelt at the altar upon which it stood and pressed her forehead against its cold surface. She took a breath, taking in the crystal’s power, and heard his voice in her head.

  “Senaya? You seem troubled,” came Kai’s voice, sent from beyond the Veil, from beyond life. Although to her and the rest of the family he was physic
ally dead, his spirit remained in his final form within the coffin that had remained empty all those years, waiting for him to take his rightful place.

  “Oh, Kai, things have been difficult… your family just visited.”

  She sensed a ripple of emotion across the void, a tension that threatened to overwhelm her, but as usual, Kai controlled it so that his connection with her remained subtle and weak enough for her kind to cope with.

  “Tell me what happened,” he said.

  So she did. In all the detail. All about the monarchy, her cousins, her real identity. She talked about how Brenna, Kendal, and Bandar looked, their health, and what they were up to. Kai seemed happy that they were getting over their grief and moving on with their lives, busying themselves with work.

  It still freaked Senaya out to communicate with Kai this way. Although his spirit was more powerful than she could imagine, it was still difficult to accept that through this crystal—that he kind of illegally stole from his own people to give to her—he was capable of such a feat.

  A part of her felt bad that he had given it to her instead of his parents, but she understood why; they were very similar, had grown up together, and until the end survived together.

  “I’m glad you turned it down,” Kai’s spirit said. “Only misery would have come from it. We all know what power can do.”

  “Especially to minds as weak as mine,” she said with a hint of sarcasm, but knowing it was true. Seeing what Kai, now a pure mind, could do and handle, it made her realize all the more how fragile most species were.

  “Weak as it is, it’s still the strongest I’ve ever known. I can’t talk for long; the Veil is under attack and requires all my energies. The Sumahn suffered a great number of losses even after the war against Hett and his minions. The Patari have sided with Darkarahn’s minions in the hopes of gaining control.”

  “How likely do you think that is?”

  “The future is impossible to describe,” he said, indicating that he could see the future to some degree. Which was no great surprise given the power of the Navigators. “But we’re safe for now at least.”