Tides of Mars (Omnibus Version)
Page 48
Passengers: 15,129 (Max. 8,000)
Crew: 1129 (1692 normally)
Docking orbit 14924 Jupiter Space.
Captain Fr'aint Ip Tyre, Commanding.
“Attention on Deck! Her Imperial Majesty, Princess Guardian Lady Ariel Parker, arriving!” echoed through the ship followed by a thunderous cheer as the people learned of her arrival. She could actually feel it through the deck plates of the ship.
Ariel hadn't known what to expect when she stepped aboard through the Tides' airlock, but she was pleased to be greeted by the Captain, himself, as well as his executive officer, both dressed in formal mess uniforms.
The Captain, an older looking gentleman, stepped forward. “Majesty, welcome to the Brer'ant Fleur. You honor us with your presence,” he said and then he introduced his staff.
“Captain, it is I that am honored. I'm still wondering how you managed to get this big ship safely down to pick up refugees in the middle of a planetary bombardment,” Ariel said.
The Captain smiled. “I can't say as I'd like to make a habit of it, Majesty. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time.”
Ariel nodded at him, grinning. “I understand you're packed to the plasma vents in here. Is there anything you are in dire need of; other than more room of course?”
“More of everything, Highness. We're on full rationing, and it's getting tight. The whole fleet is short; I've been getting worried about food riots,” the Captain admitted.
“Cole! Priority emergency! I want every tender, skiff and shuttle we have stuffed full of supplies for these ships before I leave here. How did no one make sure these people had supplies?” Ariel asked, pissed.
“With respect, Majesty. We were told where to park, and that was it. We've sent in requests for supply, but we haven't heard back from anyone,” Captain Fr'aint said. “We've undertaken to spread out our supplies over the whole fleet.”
“I understand, Captain. You've done excellent work here. Please excuse me for just a moment. Cole, please get me Admiral Gr'eis on the Divine Light,” Ariel said. “This needs to be fixed right now.”
“Highness, I thought you were on a tour of the refugees?” Gr'eis asked.
“I am Admiral. I also issued a Fleet order without talking to you first, and I wanted to call and tell you about it,” Ariel explained. “These folks are sitting out here with no supplies. It would seem that no one even bothered to inquire if they needed anything other than a place to park.”
The anger was very plain on Gr'eis face, and Ariel wondered if she had just made a mistake telling this woman. “I assure you, Majesty, I had no idea. I'll take care of this personally. Would you please have all the captains, or their quarter masters forward supply lists directly to me? Most urgently needed supplies first?”
“I'd be very happy to do that for you, Admiral. Could you do me a favor?” Ariel asked.
“Of course, Highness, anything,” Gr'eis said.
“Hold off executing the mother-fucker responsible for this until I can talk to him personally?” Ariel asked.
“That will be difficult, Milady. Do you care what condition he's in?”
Ariel closed her eyes, and got her emotions under control. “Admiral, if this was just a major fuck-up, I don't want him or her physically harmed. But if it was intentional, I fully intend to find out just how long they can hold their breath in a vacuum.”
Gr'eis nodded. “Understood, Milady. Please pass along our most profound apologies, and my personal reassurance that every ship in this fleet will be sending supplies within the hour. I will also order the fleet supply ship into the middle of their formation immediately.” She still looked like she wanted to kill someone. “Milady, there is no excuse for this. Someone, somewhere had to know about it, and was ignoring it.”
“Excuse me, Highness. Admiral, this is Captain Fr'aint of the Brer'ant Fleur. We were told to send our requests to Fleet Supply attention Lieutenant Tihs si Siht. So far, we've never received a reply.”
“I appreciate that, Captain. Could I have the name of the crewman that gave that information to you?” Gr'eis asked.
“I couldn't tell you, Milady. It was pretty confusing then. It was right after our arrival,” Fr'aint replied.
Gr'eis smiled at him. “Captain, there is no need to call me, 'Milady'. I'm common born, just like you. There is no Lieutenant Tihs si Siht. The person who told you that lied to you. When I find them, they'll never see the outside of a cell again!”
Ariel nodded to Gr'eis. “Excellent. Thank you for getting right on this, Admiral, I know you're busy.”
“No need to thank me, Highness. If I'd had a clue about this, I would have taken the Divine Light out there and off-loaded the supplies myself. If I may be dismissed, Milady. I have a lot of orders to get moving.”
“Go get 'em, Admiral,” Ariel said and dropped the connection. “What a mess. Why would someone do something like this?”
“Highness, our Empire has been like this for a very long time. But its changing now, thanks to you, and the stupidity of the Trading Guild,” the Executive Officer replied. She was a cute little red-head that looked far too frail and innocent to be an exec on a big liner like this one. But at that moment, Ariel thought she saw a resemblance to the Captain.
“You're his Daughter,” Ariel smiled and nodded toward the Captain.
“Aye, Majesty, and the worse slave driver I've ever served under!” she said, smiling fondly at her father and Captain.
“Aye, an' if I wasn't ye'd be havin' us all orbiten' the smallest planet instead o' the biggest!” the Captain replied teasing her back. “Be gone with ya! Send the supplies request to the Admiral as she asked, or I'll give your rations to the cook's assistant!”
In their play, they'd forgotten to maintain the formal tones they normally would in the presence of such high royalty. The Captain and Ariel watched the girl trot off to follow his orders. He turned slightly and seemed to remember himself.
“Ah, uh, I hope you'll forgive me, Majesty. It's the relief I think. Shar's been worried the most. As XO it's been her head on the block so to speak over the supplies. It's gotten to the point she doesn't dare return to her quarters anymore, for fear of being attacked.”
“Think nothing of it, Captain. I think you'll find I'm not your typical Royal,” Ariel paused, and Bri'tell coughed into his hand. “You're very proud of her.”
He nodded. “She may not look it like much, but she's the best I've ever trained. She's gotten her Masters ratings from six different Captains, in cruisers and merchantmen alike. Before everything went to hell, she'd been offered her own ship, but she refused it.” He shrugged. “She still won't tell me why.”
“Maybe she likes her present position,” Ariel suggested.
“Could be, but she can't be hidin' in my shadow the rest of her life. She needs to get out there and make her own,” he said, and sighed. “Again, I'm talkin' like a new sailor on their first voyage. What part of the ship would you like to see first, Highness?”
“Where do you need me to go first, Captain?” Ariel asked.
His smile brightened the passageway as he winked, and led them down the hall.
Chapter Seventeen
Galactic Majesty Cruise Lines, Brer’ant Fleur.
Passengers: 15,129 (Max. 8,000)
Crew: 1129 (1692 normally)
Docking orbit 14924 Jupiter Space.
Captain Fr'aint Ip Tyre, Commanding.
“Ariel, I thought you might like to know that Sharian Ip Tyre has the correct genetic coding to be a guardian. I've accessed her official records with Galactic Majesty, as well as the military reservist records, and she has had only four reprimands placed in her files,” Cole reported.
“What were those for?” Ariel asked.
“Two were for insubordination, and two were for assault. Because she has command potential, Imperial Intelligence investigated the charges. All of the reprimands have been removed from the military file because they were all justified.
“The other insub report was justified, but handled poorly. The last assault charge was filed by a longshoreman with a big mouth. She gave him a broken jaw, and he gave her the charge,” Cole reported.
“If she honestly had a bad temper, there would be far more charges against her. What's the rest of her file look like?” Ariel asked.
“Glowing. In fact, there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. Other than those reports I mentioned, everything else is excellent.”
“I think I'll want to talk to her before we leave then. I'd hate to take her away from her father right now, but we need her,” Ariel finished the mental conversation, and turned to her escort. “Captain, before I depart, I wonder if I could speak to you and your daughter in private?”
The Captain looked surprised. “Of course, Highness. Is there something here that meets with your disapproval?”
“No! No, Captain, you and your crew have done a remarkable job in impossible conditions. No, there is another matter I would discuss with the two of you,” Ariel replied.
It took a few minutes for them to reach the small dining room reserved for the command crew of the ship. Once there, Ariel had her guards secure the room while Cole scanned for listening devices. Once the room was secured, Ariel smiled at a nervous looking Captain and his very curious daughter.
“Shar, I have a question to ask you. It's a very important question, and very top secret, so before I ask, I need to know one thing,” Ariel said.
“Ask, Highness,” Shar replied.
“For now, in this room, please call me Ariel. I need to know why you refused your own command.”
The small woman looked surprised, and a little scared, but stood up straight. “Because of you, Ariel.”
The answer took Ariel by surprise. “Huh? I don't think I follow you. We've never met before; I'm sure I would have remembered you.”
Shar blushed slightly. “No, we've never met. In fact, I've never even been to this sector before. I refused because of what you represent to the Empire. The ships I was offered were either warships, or slavers. I was offered the slave ships first. You'd think when I broke the asshole's jaw, they would have gotten the hint.
“The second time they wanted me to take command of one of their fleet supply ships. I was going to do more than break that asshole's jaw, but they told me that if I refused this time, they would make me watch as they tortured and killed my father before tossing me in the slave pens.
“I told them I needed an hour to put my affairs in order before taking command. I went to a bar I know, and paid my entire savings to a guy I know to kill my 'guide' and his boss. Then I came straight to the Brer'ant Fleur, and we left port.
“I'm sure you're wondering what all that has to do with you. To me, it's everything. Our Emperor, may the gods bless him, was doing everything he could to counter the trading guild and the excesses of the nobles, but it just wasn't enough. People had begun to lose hope.
“Then, out of the blue, a new heir was named. Someone no one had ever heard of before, on a world that wasn't even part of the Empire. You are so beautiful you quickly became the darling of the media, although no one had even interviewed you.
“Then, word started getting around that you didn't tolerate slaving, and a pirate video of you smacking down Altrov made the rounds of the net. Several very sexy pictures of you in a skin suit also made the rounds, and suddenly you were everyone's darling. There were hundreds of very bloody bar fights fought about you, and at least two deaths, that I know of.
“You became the icon of freedom for our people. Emperor Cr'ale is our leader, but you represented our hope and the power of the people. If you hadn't come along, I probably still wouldn't have accepted the command, but I wouldn't have fought so hard to stay free. Because of you, there is no way I would have accepted a ship that would be against you, and what you represent to our people, or to me,” Shar finished.
“Why didn't you tell me about the threats, Sweetheart? I could have helped, you know,” Fr'aint said softly.
“I know, Daddy. But I felt this was something I needed to handle on my own, so I did. I'm sure luck has more to do with it than anything else, but the important thing is that we're safe,” Shar said.
“What I'm about to tell the both of you is highly classified and cannot leave this room. Do you both agree to keep this secret for as long as you both will live?” Ariel asked.
“Aye, Ariel. If you don't want it discussed, it won't be,” Fr'aint promised.
“Aye, Ariel. I will hold my tongue about it,” Shar said.
“A couple of months ago, we discovered something that the Senate has covered up. The genetic disposition required for Guardians was not a noble trait. In fact, a good portion of the general population also has it,” Ariel said. “So, for the last few months, we've been recruiting and training non-noble Guardians.”
“I knew Guardians had to been drawn from the nobility highness, but I've never known why. Are you saying there is no reason regular folk can't become Guardians too?” Fr'aint asked.
“Not exactly, Captain. There are certain genetic markers that indicate who is a viable candidate for the enhancements that Guardians undergo. I'm told that without those markers, a candidate's body would either reject the alterations or simply not survive the treatments,” Ariel explained. “Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Guardians are any more special than any other citizen of the Empire; however, those with the markers do have the ability to accept the cybernetic enhancements required to become a Guardian.”
“You don't care very much for the separation of the classes, do you Milady?” Shar asked, smiling.
“Shar, in my view, everyone is created equal, and we all have our parts to play. If I had to choose between saving an old royal or a young child of a dirt farmer, the child would win every time.”
“What if the old royal in question was our lord Emperor?” Fr'aint asked.
Ariel smiled at him. “I'm sure Grandfather would understand my choice and approve. But, back to what I was saying; the reason I'm telling you about the Guardians is because Shar has the markers needed to be a Guardian.”
The room was silent for a few minutes as the two thought about what Ariel had just told them.
Slowly the light seemed to dawn for Shar. “Highness, are you asking me to become a Guardian?”
“I'm informing you of an option you might not have known existed for you. The choice, of course, is yours. If you wish to become a Guardian, I will sponsor you at the Academy we've built,” Ariel said.
“If you would like for me to become a Guardian, Highness, I'll leave immediately,” Shar said.
Ariel smiled at the smaller woman. “Shar, I only ask that you think about it. In most cases, a Guardian's life is lonely and hard. I know you like it here with your Father, so please consider it carefully before you make a decision.”
“I will, Ariel. Thank you for letting me know about this,” Shar said.
“It's my pleasure, Shar. If you would like, I have a couple of friends that have recently become Guardians themselves. Both are leaving very soon on missions, but I can ask one of them either to call or stop in and see you on their way out of the system, if you'd like,” Ariel replied.
“I think I would like that, Ariel, thank you,” Shar said.
Ariel smiled at the pair. “Now, I need to get my butt in gear; I need to visit a few other ships before returning to Earth. If you have any more supply problems, or anything else we can help with, please let someone know.”
“We will, Highness. Thank you for all that you've done,” Fr'aint said, standing and bowing slightly.
“I didn't do anything, Captain. But, I appreciate the sentiment,” Ariel said, returning his bow. Then, she kissed Shar on the cheek and followed B
ri'tell back to the lock Cole was docked at.
Moran-Parker Estate
Henderson, Nevada, Earth.
Sol Sector
Ariel was exhausted by the time she made it back to Earth. However, she woke up a little when she saw how many of the Guardian ships were parked out in the desert surrounding the Estate. On each side of the main gate into the complex sat two of the brand new Guardian stealth assault class ships. Obviously, Wendy and Taylor were here.
The second thing to get her attention was that the estate still seemed to be surrounded by the U.S. Marines. However, there was a construction crew hard at work just outside the shield perimeter. Several projects were underway, and back away from the construction area, there was a large tent city where the Marines had set up camp. She made a note with Cole to go out and see them before she left.
“Ariel, as you can see we're arriving. Your honor guard is composed completely of Guardians this evening, so don't panic and shoot anyone, okay?” Bri'tell said, teasing her.
“Hey! It isn't my fault no one told me that Captain Granse was a dead ringer for Altrov!” Besides, I didn't actually shoot him!” Ariel replied, remembering how the scared captain had collapsed when she drew her weapon and pressed it against his head. The only thing that had kept her from pulling the trigger had been Bri'tell pulling her hand away.
The poor man had been mortified because he fainted in front of her, and because she had been so apologetic and attentive afterward. It all worked out though, by the time they left the man's ship, he'd been teasing her for having him shot as a slaver.
The whole thing had turned out to be a major public relations win for her. Not only had the people on the ship witnessed the whole thing, Cole had been broadcasting the visits to the fleet, and everyone saw what had happened and how she'd reacted. People saw that she was most definitely not a typical royal.
“Excuse me, Ariel,” Cole said aloud in the cabin. “The interdiction weapon is ready for launch. Admiral H'sean has authorized its release, but asked that you be notified.”
“Thank you, Cole. Tell her good luck, and good shooting. When will we know if it worked?” Ariel asked.