Last of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book One)

by Lawrence P White

  All heads nodded. “In that case, I’m done. Return to your ships, gather up your personal gear, and report back to Krys. You are to have no further interaction with Empire crewmen at this station. We’re working hard to make certain you and your ship are untraceable.”

  He left, and Stven moved to the head of the table. “Report back here in two hours. This is not the time to make long good-byes. The less your friends know, the longer we survive. Dismissed.”

  Tarn gathered up Krys’ few belongings while she located a hotel near the spaceport and signed everyone in. She gathered them together in her room where silence prevailed for a time.

  “We have a lot to do, and we have a lot to talk about, but I, for one, would like to see our new home. Is anyone else interested?”

  She led them to a maintenance hangar on the civilian side of the spaceport. Inside the cavernous building they found several ships in various stages of overhaul, looking like they’d never fly again.

  “I’ve named her Rappor,” she told them as they walked up to the immaculate, burnished underside of her ship. The ship swarmed with technicians, and sections of hull gaped open in various places. “She’ll be ready in two months. Strings have been pulled to meet that timetable. I’ll give you the details if we can find some privacy onboard.”

  They couldn’t. Technicians were everywhere, so they kept their tour brief, stepping over hoses and electrical lines and around technicians, just getting in the way of everyone working. At Engineer Gortlan’s suggestion, they left the technicians to their work and retreated back to the hotel.

  “Why the major refit?” Stven asked.

  “Admiral Chandrajuski is doing his best to bring a private ship up to military specifications,” she said. “She’s getting better guns, the best she can support, a military AI, special communications equipment, and better sensors and shields. And she’ll be as fast as they can make her in the available time.”

  “They can do all that in two months?” Gortlan asked.

  “He’s pulled a lot of strings.”

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll spend most of my time with the technicians. I want to know as much as I can about her systems and where everything is located.”

  She smiled. “Just try not to sound too military, okay?”

  He frowned. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “And that goes for the rest of us. Our cover is that I’m a rich kid out trying to spend as much of daddy’s money as I can. We’re all going to need new wardrobes. Would you like to go one at a time, or should we all go together?”

  “I’m not real good at shopping for clothes,” Tarn spoke up. “Especially expensive ones.”

  “Nor am I,” she responded. “Are any of you?”

  “I don’t wear clothes. I’m more interested in knowing our mission,” Stven said.

  She bit her lip. “I’ll give you a full briefing when we’re underway. Most of what I will tell you comes under the umbrella of Imperial Secrets.”

  “Can you tell us where we’re going?”

  “I can. Our first stop is Rrestriss. You’re going home, Captain.”

  His eyebrows rose, but his breath held, so she continued. “I’m hoping to pick up Senator Truax. We need him to go with us.”

  A couple of small puffs escaped. M’Sada began a rapid preening of his antennae. To him, the odor was not only unpleasant, it was painful. Stven apologized, then ignored him. “Senator Truax is going to be on my ship?”

  “If he agrees. He might not.”

  “I’d be honored to have him, My Lady.”

  “So would I.”

  The crew spent long hours with the technicians to learn the ship, though they would still have a lot to learn of her capabilities once they were in space. The first leg of their journey would be busy for all. When Rappor was ready, they took her out for a brief shakedown, then spent two more days making final adjustments and they were ready.

  Three Great Cats showed up just before departure, and Krys joined them in their quarters as Stven got the voyage underway. Walls had been shifted to make a lair for the cats, their preferred arrangement. Other walls had been shifted to create a training room, something the Great Cats always required. Their lethal skills would be kept at the highest possible level. All three were Guardians transferred from civilian contracts at Chandrajuski’s insistence. Kross was senior.

  “We are at your service, Ma’am,” he began.

  “What do you know of our needs?” she asked.

  “Nothing at all.”

  “What do you need to know?”

  “The more we know, the better we perform. I mean no offense, but to us it matters little who the client is. Knowledge of where we go and your purpose there will be helpful.”

  “You’re wrong, Kross. Who your client is has everything to do with your job.”

  “I believe you are a wealthy socialite?”

  “I am not. All of this is a cover. I call Otis friend.”

  Kross sat a little taller. “Your wealth comes from the Royal Family?”

  “I have no wealth. Your client is Daughter.”

  Great Cats rarely showed emotion, but Kross growled low in his throat. “The Chosen are dead.”

  “Daughter lives. Her location is unknown, but she lives. We seek her.”

  “Important words. Who are you to know?”

  “Are you familiar with the story of Otis and Val on Hespra III?”

  “All our people are familiar. The event has become one of our tests. It was . . . irregular.”

  “Are you aware that two orphans left Hespra III?”

  “I am.”

  “Both are Friends. One has special status. Do you know why?”

  “If I did, I would not speak of it to you.”

  “If you won’t speak, it’s because you know it’s import. You know she is a Seer.”

  “If such a thing was true, it would certainly be an Imperial Secret. How would you have such knowledge?”

  “Because I am her.”

  Kross stared at her. So, too, did the other Great Cats. She pulled the locket from around her neck and passed it to him.

  He studied it, but he only needed a moment. As he handed it back, he said, “We are honored, Friend. How may we serve?”

  “I’m not certain. At the moment, I’m not in need of protection. That might change. We seek Daughter always, but until we find her, our mission is to take word to certain individuals that she lives. The task will not be easy.”

  “You have seen her?”

  “I have seen her, but only in visions.” Krys told her story, leaving nothing out. She didn’t know if it would be enough, but the Great Cats now understood her task.

  “So we were hired under false pretenses,” Kross said when she was done.

  “Is that dishonorable?”

  “In this case, not only are we honored, we’re grateful. Word of your mission must be carefully guarded.”

  “Do you believe my story?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “It does to me.”

  “Your tale is impossible to prove, but your Naming as Friend assures our trust.”

  “Struthers was trusted by the Queen. We can trust no one.”

  Trist, the female, spoke. “And we won’t. If your tale is false, we lose nothing but time and effort, at worst our lives. If your tale is true, we help restore what was lost at the Palace. The choice is not difficult.”

  “You said we seek Daughter,” Sheeb said, “yet our mission does not focus on that.”

  “It does not . . . yet. I keep hoping for another vision. Until I get one, my job is to spread the word that she lives. The task I ask of you is not merely to Protect. I might need some help convincing the people we meet. At the moment, I have only myself and a message from Admiral Chandrajuski for proof. Your trust in my words might help sway minds. Will you vouch for me if necessary?”

  Kross spoke. “The highest calling among our people is to support the Royal Family, and through them t
he Empire. Your special abilities are trusted by Daughter, so they are trusted by us. Struthers is an aberration. Until you prove otherwise to us, we will do whatever needs to be done to restore the throne. This mission is meaningful. Is it possible to call at Brodor, our home world?”

  “It’s not on my list, but it should be. Is it likely you’ll encounter other Great Cats on our journey who could bring word to Brodor?”

  “You place no restrictions on us in that regard?”

  “None. Your people must know.”

  “Then we will get to work.”

  “What do you do to prepare?”

  “Rrestriss is our first stop. We’ll know everything there is to know about it by the time we arrive, including the layouts of the major cities and ports. We’ll know in detail the layout of Senator Truax’s home and office complex. Do you plan any other stops there?”

  “No, but I can’t say what will develop or who else we’ll need to see.”

  “Not to worry. We’ll be prepared.”

  “I should probably get some training on how you operate and what I can do to make your jobs easier.”

  “If you’re willing to learn, we’re happy to teach, and your knowing will make us more effective. Have you ever fired a weapon?”

  “Yes. Otis and Borg trained me and Val. It’s been a long time, though.”

  “The skills will return, and the rest of the crew could probably stand some improvement as well.”

  “I don’t know if we brought any personal weapons.”

  Kross opened his mouth in the feral grin she had occasionally experienced with Otis and Borg.

  “We did.”

  Chapter Twenty-six: A Visit to Rrestriss

  Krys had not looked forward to the tedium of another long trip, but that turned out not to be a problem. She had no spare time at all. Training by the Great Cats occupied a large portion of her time. Her proficiency with the small blaster Kross provided was not good, and she knew it would be worse if she ever had to really use it. Surprisingly, her hours of meditation had trained her to focus her mind, and that focus helped with her aim. She would keep working on it.

  She became familiar with many scenarios of attack and escape and what the cats needed from her to make the process more efficient. Again, she was not an expert, but that would come with more practice.

  She never skipped her meditation periods. Tarn joined her whenever he was free, and she took to scheduling the sessions when he was off duty. She found the stretching and exercises associated with her meditations much more enjoyable in his company. During meditation, she always sought a vision of Daughter, but she had no visions of any kind.

  So much for improving her skills, she complained to him.

  “Maybe you’re trying too hard. Why don’t you try thinking happy thoughts for a while? It might do us all some good.”

  “What do you mean? Have I been difficult?”

  “No, just curt. You’re always in a hurry to rush off on another project.”

  “I have so much to do.”

  “And one of those things is to lead. You don’t have to be our friend, but it’s better when you are.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I like being your friend, Tarn. You’re right. I barely know M’Sada, Gordi’i, and Kali’i.”

  “Why don’t you come into the net with us? Those were great days, and there’s no better way to get to know your crew and your ship.”

  “I will, but I might not spend a lot of time there. I’ll make time after Rrestriss, I promise.”

  “No, you won’t. You’ll have Senator Truax to entertain.”

  She smiled. “Trust me, if he comes, he’ll have his own entertainment. He’s in love with learning.”

  “Doesn’t he know enough already?”

  “Don’t ever say that to a Rress,” she chided him. “They simply won’t understand.”

  She did manage to go into the net, and in doing so she became more familiar with the ship and her crew. M’Sada delighted her. Very quick of mind, he enjoyed pranks and didn’t mind pulling them on her. She wasn’t able to reciprocate, not yet, but she was determined to find a way.

  Gordi’i and Kali’i mystified her to some extent, at least initially. They seemed to have little interest in anything outside their chosen profession. On the other hand, when not in the net with the guns, they were helpful to anyone who needed something done. Gortlan called upon their services regularly during his constant inspections of the ship, and they seemed to like the work.

  She startled them one morning with a request. “You’re experts with weapons, right?”

  “We are, Krys.”

  “Just ship’s weapons?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, if you’re truly weapons experts, wouldn’t it make sense to include other weapons as well?”

  “What others?”

  “Well, hand weapons for example. Do you have any experience with them?”

  “We have to qualify periodically.”

  “Would you consider doing more than qualifying? I might need some backup one of these days, and I like the thought of how many guns you can hold with four hands. Who knows, you might be able to add a whole new category to your expertise.”

  They deliberated in their slow manner, but as she and Tarn joined the Great Cats for training several days later, they passed the two Dramda coming out of the training room. Both had grins on their faces.

  Arrival at Rrestriss was completely uneventful, as they had expected. No one yet knew of their mission. Stven desperately wanted to accompany her on her visit to Senator Truax, but he chose to stay behind. He wanted to assure himself that no one was taking any special interest in the ship. Tarn accompanied her, along with Kross and Sheeb. Trist remained with the ship for security, though she did not remain in the ship. She prowled the port looking for anything suspicious.

  Senator Truax was only too happy to see her and agreed to an immediate meeting. Sheeb remained outside the building while Krys, Tarn, and Kross went inside. The lift deposited them on the top floor, and the Senator was waiting as they stepped off. As opposed to Stven’s purple hue, yellow predominated on Truax’s features, including his eyes. Those eyes widened when he saw the Great Cat, and Krys sensed the wheels turning in his mind.

  “Welcome, granddaughter,” he said happily.

  “Welcome, grandfather,” she replied, their personal greeting for each other. She had lived with him for a number of years before moving into her own apartment. “Please meet Tarn Lukes and Kross.”

  They followed him past the staff in an outer office and into his private domain. “Are you busy, or can you spare us some time?” Krys asked.

  “I have a little time, and there’s always tonight. Will you join me for dinner?”

  “With pleasure, but I must inform you that I am here with a purpose. Is this room secure?”

  “No official rooms are secure. You know that.”

  “Then perhaps we should wait until later.”

  “What news do you bring? We’re always a little behind things here.”

  “You know about the coup, of course.”

  “Only recently. It’s true then?”

  “Yes. There’s a lot of turmoil, as you can imagine.”

  “And much fear of what is to come. We’re running prediction models of what will become of our Empire. They are not promising.”

  “We can discuss this further over dinner, if it pleases you.”

  “Then meet me at my home at the usual time.”

  Kross spoke for the first time. “May I suggest someplace else? Our ship perhaps?”

  Truax studied the Great Cat. “My home is quite secure.”

  “Nowhere is secure these days when it comes to Imperial matters, Senator.”

  He stared at the Great Cat. “I see. Should I bring anyone else?”

  “No . . . not yet,” Krys replied. “Perhaps later.”

  When Truax stepped onto the ship that evening, he was stunned to find another Rres
s aboard. Stven bowed to him. “Commander Stven, captain of Rappor, at your service, Senator. I am honored to meet you.”

  Truax studied him from head to tail, his eyes missing nothing. “You’re a rarity, Captain.”

  “I am, Senator. Bad blood or something, according to my family.”

  “Given present circumstances, it may be fortuitous. We Rress are not without value to those in charge. Is this a military vessel?”

  “Sort of. We’re in disguise.”

  “It’s a good one. Will you join us?”

  “It would be my pleasure. Give me a few minutes, Senator.”

  He turned the ship over to M’Sada with orders to call him if anything even remotely suspicious materialized. He thought for a moment. “With him here, our cover is compromised for the first time, however small it might be. Let’s be ready for an immediate departure, eh?”

  M’Sada’s upper hands began preening his antennae as he considered. “Agreed, Captain. I’ll be in the net, and I’ll keep the guns warmed up as well. Should I call Trist back?”

  “No. She’s probably a better sensor than anything on the ship. She’ll know if it’s necessary to return. Heck, she’ll probably be our first warning of anything amiss.”

  When Senator Truax had been completely brought into their plans, he sat back on his tail in contemplation. “It’s a powerful plan, Krys. Admiral Chandrajuski is right; the word must get out. His plan is focused, and because of that it’s easily modified, but I would like to model other plans that include the general populace. Keeping things focused within a small, upper cadre will give Daughter a full range of options when she’s in control, but other plans might give her more power. We simply must find her, you know.”

  “I’ll keep trying. Until then, this is what we have. Will you accompany us?”

  “Can you give me a few days? I’d like to run it by some friends. They’re very discreet. I’m not certain if my presence on this ship is the most effective use of the resources I represent. To begin with, we’re not necessarily going to the same places. Will you share Chandrajuski’s list with me?”

  “I’ll share it with you, but no one else. You can understand my concern.”

  “A look will be sufficient, and I will not share details with anyone else.”