The Smuggler's Ascension: The Ties That Died

by Christopher Ingersoll

  “You now hold the Tears of the Maiden,” Cassandra told Anasha. “They are my tears, shed for the losses I have suffered and the love I once thought I knew. The tears will disrupt Azrael’s connection with the Great Maelstrom by making him feel that love again for a moment, and make him vulnerable to the Hammer once more. Only by working together can you succeed.”

  “And what is my role in this?” Sabine asked quietly.

  Cassandra rose and went to Sabine’s side, where she sat and rested a hand on Sabine’s stomach, feeling the baby within.

  “You, my love,” Cassandra said, “Have the power of the Mother of All, though you did not know it until now. Yours is the power of love, which you wield freely and create love and peace all around you. The changes here in the Garden are of your making. It is your love and strength that will sustain your loved ones in the fight to come. It was also that power that allowed you to feel the deaths of your people not so long ago. You felt the pain of the Mother as she grieved for the deaths of her children.”

  “And my baby?” Sabine asked, fighting tears. “Am I to lose my baby at the end of the fight to some greater destiny? Will I never know him?”

  Cassandra closed her eyes in concentration as she sent her thoughts to the child within. Kristof watched her closely, as he felt no less emotionally about his son than Sabine did, though he hid it better. Finally, Cassandra opened her eyes and smiled.

  “You are the Mother indeed, it seems. The child I sense so brightly within is destined to set the Underworld aright should Azrael fall,” Cassandra said as she caressed Sabine’s cheek and wiped away her tears. “But I sense more to the tale, though I cannot say what it shall be. Keep hope in your heart, is all I can say, my love.”

  Kristof went to Sabine and embraced her as the tiny woman wept. Cassandra’s smile was tinged with compassion, and Kristof wished that he knew what she had meant by more to the tale. He supposed they would have to wait until the tale unfolded to know how it ended.

  “Where can I find Azrael?” Kristof asked as Sabine’s sobs subsided.

  “As Pyreus acts through the form of the Phoenix, Azrael also must have a host in the Mortal Realm,” Cassandra told them. “Azrael has chosen one of the Gau’dran’Seti as his Paramour to carry his essence in the Mortal Realm. It is this form you must assault and ultimately vanquish, for should you enter the Underworld you shall surely perish at his hand.”

  “It is Karina, my sister, isn’t it?” Kristof asked knowingly.

  “It is,” Cassandra agreed. “Azrael’s spirit has consumed her sanity, yet your sister she still remains. Do not let the bonds of family turn you away from the task you must do.”

  “No worries about that,” Kristof said darkly. “I’ve wanted to kill her for years.”

  ~31~

  The goodbyes were long and tearful as Anasha said farewell to her mother and father. Seeing them together again and so happy had set a part of her heart at ease that she hadn’t even known was still aching. Kristof also seemed to have been healed of the pain that had almost suffocated his life force not so long ago, as he shared a fierce embrace with Subat.

  “You are the son of my spirit, if not my body,” Subat told Kristof with a smile. “You will always have my love, my son. For the joy and happiness you have brought our Anasha, Juliet and I will always consider you ours. Go in peace and love.”

  “See if you can’t make us grandparents if it’s not too much trouble,” Juliet added as she embraced Kristof just as fiercely.

  “Mother!” Anasha cried in shock, laughing even as she felt herself blushing.

  Cassandra smiled mysteriously as everyone shared a laugh.

  “Oh, you hush,” Juliet told her daughter with a smile. “And you make sure you take good care of this man and that tiny wife of yours.”

  “I will,” Anasha said as she embraced her parents one last time. “I love you both so much, and I miss you.”

  “We are always with you,” Subat said as he gave his daughter a smile, “And we will always love you.”

  Sabine snuck in for one last hug as well, and Anasha laughed as the tiny queen became engulfed by her father and her mother. Sabine was about as tiny as her mother was large, and they looked just a bit absurd together, but there was much love as well. Anasha’s life felt full in that moment, with her husband and wife standing with her mother and father.

  Finally, Anasha stepped onto the boarding ramp with Sabine and Kristof and turned to say one last farewell. Cassandra stepped forward to stand at the edge of the boarding ramp. She looked upon the three of them with a smile, and a single tear ran down her cheek.

  “I find I do not want for you to go,” Cassandra said at last, “But I know that I must let you. Another lesson in love, I suppose. My people would also give you their thanks for what you have given me, for they rejoice in seeing my happiness. Humanity’s ability to grow is one of your greatest strengths, it is something the Gods rarely do anymore, and I envy you in that even as I am grateful that you shared it with me. Go with my blessings and love upon you.”

  Anasha stepped off the ramp to embrace Cassandra one last time.

  “Our love stays with you, as well, beloved Anza’Tai,” Anasha said as she gave the Goddess a quick kiss, and then stepped back onto the ramp.

  Anasha watched as Kristof powered up the Phantom a short time later. The crew had remained asleep where they had fallen before, yet they all seemed to be smiling as they slept. The wave of love from the night before had reached them too, it seemed to Anasha. She hoped that all they had felt was the love and not seen the whole show in their dreams. It was embarrassing enough to get the looks from her parents.

  The Phantom eased back into the rift and Kristof set a course back the way they had come. They had barely been in flight for an hour, though, when they reached the edge of the rift and could once again see the Queen’s Honor on their monitors. Anasha suspected Cassandra’s influence in the shortened flight.

  The crew came awake once the ship had returned to normal space, and Kristof relinquished the controls to Captain Gerris so that he could handle the rest of the trip out of the black holes’ gravitational disturbances. The crew made frequent remarks about how well rested they felt and how fast the trip had gone by, not realizing they had been asleep for more than two days.

  Anasha was relieved to see that none of the crew had any knowledge of what happened in the rift. Kristof found her concern rather amusing, but Sabine blushed when the possibility occurred to her at Anasha’s statement.

  “That would have been very awkward,” Sabine said as she punched Kristof’s arm as he laughed.

  “So what happens now?” Anasha asked as she smiled at Kristof’s feigned injury from Sabine’s blow, to which she showed no sympathy.

  “Our last records indicated the temple of the Gau’dran’Seti was on Clovani II,” Kristof said after he took a seat next to her. “It’s looking like another invasion of Clovani space. Whatever is left of their fleet will surely be there, so it’s doubtful we’ll be sneaking in, not when they know we are coming.”

  “You’re probably right,” Sabine said a bit quietly, and Anasha knew she was most likely thinking of the death of Clovani Prime. Even though she’d been manipulated by Pyreus, Sabine still had nightmares about ordering the planet’s destruction.

  “We should call a war council when we get back to Purannis,” Kristof said as he pulled Sabine into his arms. Anasha could tell that he had picked up on Sabine’s distress as well. “The military commanders are going to need to know why this is necessary. General Mannis and your grandfather know why, but it may be time to bring the whole High Command in on this. Otherwise we may have a small mutiny on our hands by those who still disagree over what happened to Clovani Prime, even if it wasn’t your fault.”

  Kristof stressed the last part, clearly showing that he would listen to no argument about her fault in the matter. Anasha agreed with him, the matter had not been Sabine’s fault. She’d been furious at Sabine d
uring the first few hours after the death of Clovani Prime, until she had watched Kristof pull a piece of the Phoenix God from her wife’s mind. Now, much like Kristof, she was torn over whether Pyreus should die with Azrael or not.

  “The Su’Tani will need to mobilize in force for this, as well,” Anasha said. “The Dark Priestesses will defend their Temple and Karina with their lives. Getting in by ourselves will be impossible, we’re going to need the Su’Tani’s support.”

  “Let’s hope I didn’t burn that bridge, then,” Kristof said ruefully.

  “I think Cassandra will change their minds if they object,” Sabine said with a smile. “If I remember correctly, the Su’Vanii can speak with her directly, so I am sure she will have a lot to say to them in our favor.”

  Anasha smiled as she realized Sabine was correct. She almost wished she could witness that conversation in person, but she would trust Cassandra to not be too harsh with her Elders. The Elders had not willingly given up any information other than the name of Anza’Tai, and everything had worked out well in the end anyway. Cassandra would surely forgive them and insist that they help her and Kristof.

  “Karina must die, we know that,” Sabine said, “But I want your brother taken alive, if possible, to stand trial for the attacks on the Protectorate.”

  “No death penalty,” Kristof insisted. “Korvan has been as much a victim of Karina as anyone, probably more. It doesn’t excuse what he’s done, I’m just asking for a level of mercy for him.”

  “So long as he admits his guilt and repents,” Sabine said, and Kristof nodded in agreement.

  Max greeted them when they landed on the Queen’s Honor hours later. The android seemed most anxious to know that they were all alright. Anasha embraced him to calm him and let him know they were fine.

  “You know, I had meant to ask Cassandra if she knew why androids couldn’t pass through the rift unless shut down,” Sabine said as she too embraced Max.

  “Pregnancy makes women forgetful, I think,” Max said with a smile, “Must be the baby pulling blood from her brain.” Max dodged Sabine’s sudden swing as they all laughed at the android’s joke.

  “You’re getting as bad as Kristof now,” Sabine accused with a pout.

  Anasha was continually amazed at the changes in Max, and she pondered them as they made their way through the ship to their quarters. Her and Kristof’s plans to have Max named as an honorary Su’Tani came back to her mind, as well as giving Max her father’s house, and she vowed that these things would happen when they returned home and before they headed off to Clovani II.

  The military campaign would take time to plan, so Anasha was sure she would have time to arrange the ceremony at the Su’Tani Temple once she convinced the Elders that it was a good idea. After everything Max had done for them, he deserved this honor, she felt. She decided to get a head start with the process and excused herself from the group as they neared their quarters. She explained to Kristof her plan, and he nodded eagerly for her to continue before he followed Sabine and Max into their quarters.

  The Queen’s Honor had a dedicated communications center that was state of the art and rather breathtaking in its own way. The center was tiered with a huge screen on the far wall at the bottom tiers. Each tier held row upon row of computer terminals that employed the latest communications gear, and the center was capable of handling all communications traffic for the Protectorate when the Queen was aboard. The large lower tiers handled private and commercial communications, while the middle tiers handled official political channels. The top two tiers handled all military communications, and were the most restricted.

  Anasha did not have need of a military channel, luckily. While she held official rank and could access the area if she wished, it wasn’t necessary. Instead she found an open terminal in the diplomatic section and punched in the code to contact the Su’Tani Temple. She was greeted by a Temple officer after a few moments.

  “Greetings, Commander Undani,” the officer said. “How may I be of assistance?”

  “I need to speak with Commander Alexander on the Judicar Order if she is available,” Anasha said politely.

  “One moment, Commander,” the officer said and the screen changed to the Su’Tani Armed Services logo, a shield with the Eye of the Oracle emblazoned on it. Moments later the screen changed again, and Anasha was face to face with a middle aged woman with dark hair and steel grey eyes.

  “Commander Undani, it is good to see you again,” Commander Gloria Alexander greeted Anasha warmly. “I was deeply saddened by the loss of your father. You have my condolences.”

  “Thank you, Gloria,” Anasha said with a smile. “Father always spoke very highly of you.”

  “You are kind to say so,” Gloria replied with a smile. “How may I help you today, Anasha? I am sure this is not merely a social call.”

  “Well, it is nice to speak with you,” Anasha said with a grin, “But I do have a matter I wish to discuss with you. It is in regards to a field operative who served with great distinction with my father and myself, and who has also served the Queen with distinction. He saved the Queen’s life recently at great personal risk to himself. I would like to seek an admission as an honorary Su’Tani Guard for him as a sign of our deep respect for his service.”

  “As a Commander of the Su’Tani Armed Services, this is certainly within your right,” Gloria responded. “It certainly doesn’t need my involvement, or that of the Judicar’s Office, I would think.”

  “The operative in question is an android,” Anasha said, and watched as Gloria’s smiling face became one of shock.

  “Surely you can’t be serious,” Gloria said after a time.

  “Max is not a common android by any means,” Anasha said firmly. “He has been in the service of my husband for many years now, and while Kristof may not be a typical Su’Tani, he is Su’Tani none the less. Max has saved his life countless times as well as my father’s and the Queen’s. I realize this is a highly unusual request, which is why I came to you for help.”

  “It is, as you say, highly unusual,” Gloria admitted thoughtfully. “Based just on merit, the android has certainly earned the honor. Let me do some research and see if there is precedent for this before we make a big deal of it.”

  “Thank you, Gloria,” Anasha said warmly, her gratitude writ across her face.

  “You owe me one for this,” Gloria said with a smile as the screen went dark.

  The return trip to the quarters she shared with Kristof and Sabine was a quick one as Anasha walked happily home. Max truly deserved the honor she wanted to bestow upon him, and she was happy to have an ally in the effort back home. The Judicar Order was the Su’Tani’s group that acted as judges, arbitrators, and sometimes policemen for the Protectorate. As the head of her Order, Gloria had final say in matters of law and legal precedent. If anyone could help Anasha make Max an honorary Su’Tani and make it stick, it would be Gloria.

  Now all they needed to do was end the war of the Gods, and they could all live happily ever after.

  ~32~

  The military high command had been called together upon their return to Purannis, and things had immediately gone in an unexpected direction. Once Sabine had laid out her intentions to attack Clovani II in order to take out the Dark Priestesses and end the war, several of her commanders had objected vehemently, saying that such an attack was unconscionable after what had happened to Clovani Prime. Among the loudest opponent were General Mannis and Admiral Raekis.

  Sabine had been shocked at their opposition, especially since General Mannis had been with her for so long. It became apparent just how much she had wounded the man’s spirit with the destruction of Clovani Prime, even though it had been Pyreus influencing her in those decisions. Admiral Raekis had been no less wounded in spirit by that attack, and Sabine did not know what to do to heal them now. Her own guilt at what had happened came roaring back in the face of their objections.

  There were other commanders who also objecte
d to any further attacks, but it was the dissent of her two highest commanders that hurt the most. They had now forced Sabine to make some hard decisions, ones that she did not want to have to make. The attack on Clovani II was vital to ending the war and she could not let the objections of a few commanders interfere with that, no matter how much she valued them. If she did nothing, then even more people would die.

  “I have heard enough,” Sabine said finally, ending the debate that had been raging for an hour. “As much as it pains me to say this, any commander that does not feel they can carry out my orders in this mission should consider themselves to be on temporary leave until the conclusion of the war. The safety of everyone’s lives is at stake here, gentlemen, and I cannot place anyone’s personal feelings above the future survival of the Protectorate. That being said, the time is now for all of you to make up your minds. If you cannot support this mission, then please leave the room now.”

  The silence that fell was deafening as Sabine surveyed everyone in the room. There were greatly troubled looks on many faces as the full impact of her words sank in. Sabine’s heart broke a little as General Mannis rose from his seat. His face showed the depths of his sadness as he turned to face the Queen.

  “I have been your teacher and your friend for many years,” the General said quietly. “I have watched you grow from a willful young woman to a strong, honorable ruler. But this…after the destruction of Clovani Prime, I cannot bring more pain to the people of the Empire based on legends and fairytales. You tell us of this war of the Gods, but we have seen no Gods. Our people do not believe in the Gods. This just seems like a war of vengeance against what the Clovani have done to you, and I can no longer support that.”

  Anasha rose to speak before Sabine could counter General Mannis’s statements. She had dressed in a full Su’Tani military uniform and was there to represent the Order.

  “What do you think happened here last year when Kristof destroyed the Clovani fleet at the cost of his life?” Anasha asked the General and the assembled commanders. “Where do you think that power came from, if not the Gods? The Elders have pledged their strength to the cause, yet you would call the Su’Vanii liars for their belief in the Gods? For millennia the people of the Protectorate have trusted the Su’Tani as keepers of the truth and knowledge, and now when we call on you to believe, you do not? I am disappointed, General Mannis.”