Guardian of Empire

by Kylie Chan

  Masako reclined on the cushion-strewn rug and studied herself in a mirror three metres wide and two high as Miko hovered around her, fussing with the jewels that adorned her neck and toes.

  ‘Leave it, Miko,’ she said. ‘Captain Jian is here.’

  Haruka ignored me as he sat at his make-up table in front of the mirror, touching up his eyeliner. He checked himself in the mirror, then rubbed a cloth over his green soulstone until the stone shone. He stood, flicked his long green hair back, then tightened his topknot so that the green scales on his temples were more visible, glowing against his golden skin. He was wearing a magnificent pale pink kimono with wide, sweeping sleeves, and an obi adorned with green bamboo that brought out the colour of his scales, soulstone and hair.

  I bowed to him. ‘Ambassador Haruka.’

  He scowled so quickly it was almost unnoticeable, then composed his face. ‘Captain Choumali.’

  ‘The escort is here, Highnesses,’ I said. ‘The square is full. This will be a send-off to remember.’

  ‘No wonder the dear Captain is grumpy,’ Masako said. She turned and walked out the door with Haruka by her side, and I followed them. Miko watched them go with her claws clasped in front of her and an expression of barely contained excitement, tempered with her pride in her mistress.

  ‘The Captain is grumpy? It’s hard to tell – she’s always so miserable,’ Haruka said as we walked down the white stone hallway towards the Palace entry hall.

  ‘Don’t tease the dear Captain, Haruka,’ Masako said, her voice warm with affection. ‘She works so hard to keep us safe.’

  ‘And now that we have peace, she’ll have nothing to do,’ Haruka said.

  ‘I am right here, you know,’ I said as I followed them.

  Haruka cocked his head. ‘Did you hear something, Masako?’

  ‘Nothing at all, Haruka,’ Masako said, her voice full of suppressed laughter.

  I sighed loudly as she followed them onto the Palace’s front terrace. The Empress was already there.

  The blue-white sun was setting over the square and the nebula in the sky lit the white paving with a reflected rainbow of colours. People filled the square below us, producing a loud buzz of conversation. There were a large number of residents of the Empire present – everybody wanted to wish Masako and Haruka well on their peace mission. Marque had erected large screens to give those further away a better view of the Empress, and in the images I was standing behind the dragons, stiff and dour. The Empress’ eyes met mine on one of the screens as if she was looking at me in a mirror, and I smiled at her. The image reflected it, and the Empress nodded to me.

  ‘All clear, Marque?’ I said silently through comms.

  ‘No ships in the vicinity, no cat ships anywhere near the Empire and the guard are all in place.’

  ‘Give me a heads-up on the crowd.’

  My vision filled with an analysis of all the people in the square below us. Marque highlighted the armed people and identified them for me. All were legitimate guards or permitted private citizens. Marque’s floating bots pinged on the display, and none of them had sniffed out any traces of dangerous substances.

  ‘This crowd contains a fourteen per cent greater outworlder element than the city’s regular population,’ Marque said. ‘Everybody’s in the mood to celebrate.’

  I requested a quick wider sweep of the floating city and Marque obliged. Nothing unusual to any of Marque’s eyes in the sky, and no munitions anywhere to detect. Marque quickly extended the sweep to ground level below the floating city without being asked.

  ‘All clear, Captain,’ Marque said.

  ‘Thank you.’

  I relaxed slightly. Maybe nothing would go wrong after all. There was a small but significant chance that the cats had planted non-cat agents in the crowd and would use the announcement to attack us.

  The Empress raised one claw and the thousands filling the square in front of the Palace went silent.

  ‘Dearest Imperial subjects of all species, dragonchildren, and dragons, both here on Dragonhome and on other planets listening through the Empire: after six weeks of successful ceasefire, my daughter Princess Masako and her consort, honoured Ambassador from New Nippon Prince Haruka, will travel on the new flagship, the Silver Lotus, to the border with cat space and put our name on the treaty with the Cat Republic. Peace will finally reign across the galaxy.’

  The Empress let them cheer for a while, then raised her silver claw again, and the crowd went silent.

  ‘In honour of this occasion, it is only fitting that the birth of a new dragon be permitted. We have rebuilt the coloured clans after the last great conflict with the cats, but there is still space for one more dragon in the Empire. I have given permission for Prince Haruka to have a dragon child with Princess Masako.’ She swung her head on her long neck to address the Princess and her Ambassador consort next to her. ‘We all know the depth of love that you two share, and it’s about time we had a new dragon. You may have a child. The resulting dragon will be the head of a new clan: the Clan of Peace.’

  There was a stunned silence across the square. Masako lowered her head and gazed down at Haruka, and he looked up at her, his expression full of the love they shared.

  The crowd responded with jubilation, and Marque filled the square with glittering, floating dragons made of light. This would be the first new dragon in more than ten years, and every new dragon – and the interstellar transport it represented – was cause for celebration. Triumphant music filled the square, and some of the humans danced together. Haruka and Masako were lost in each other’s eyes.

  The Empress raised one claw and said, ‘Go and celebrate, everybody.’ She turned and gestured for Haruka and Masako to follow her into the Palace.

  As soon as the doors were closed behind them Masako bowed her head. ‘Thank you so much, Mother. I am so honoured. This is a rare privilege.’

  ‘Thank you, my Empress,’ Haruka said. ‘We will not disappoint.’

  ‘Take Jian with you,’ the Empress said. ‘Make a party of it. She isn’t in a relationship right now; it would do her good.’

  I stepped back and tried to control my face. ‘Uh . . . I had a meeting already arranged.’ I quickly recovered. ‘Much as I would like to share with them, everyone knows that Haruka and Masako have eyes only for each other.’

  Haruka nodded his appreciation in the corner of my eye.

  ‘Nonsense. You could mother a fine dragonscales from Masako, Jian, your talents and intelligence should be passed on to a new generation. I believe there is still room for a couple more human dragonscales on Earth, and you should be first to bear one,’ the Empress said. ‘How old are you, anyway? It must be close on a hundred, and it’s time you had a pure-human child of your own as well. You are neglecting the needs of your species.’

  ‘I’m only ninety-two,’ I said. ‘Plenty of time for childbearing. And I won’t relax until the treaty is signed.’

  ‘Always worried about our safety,’ Masako said. Her voice became more brisk. ‘Well, Haruka, the Empress has given us a job to do.’

  ‘I don’t appreciate everybody knowing about our reproductive activities,’ Haruka said. ‘This is an invasion of our privacy.’

  ‘We’re royal, we have no privacy,’ Masako said. ‘I’m glad we have Jian to mind the door!’

  ‘Yes,’ the Empress said. ‘Jian, stand guard outside their door; I’m sure everybody will want to know if I have a new grandchild coming, and their privacy may be breached.’

  I nodded. ‘Ma’am.’

  The Empress nodded and turned away, and I gestured for three of the guards to follow me and the other four to remain with the Empress.

  ‘You really should think about having a child, Jian,’ the Empress called back as she headed towards her own wing. ‘If not with Masako, then perhaps with me?’

  I didn’t reply.

  Masako lowered her head, and hoisted herself onto her back legs. Her hips and thighs clicked into standing configura
tion, her two-legged form. She concentrated, and shifted into her human-appearance camouflage. The guards around me made soft sounds of appreciation, but I’d seen dragon two-legged forms enough times that they didn’t make me completely spellbound.

  To me, Masako’s human form was male – a man with black skin similar to my own. He was broad-shouldered and slim-hipped, and wore his hair long and twisted into dreadlocks that were gathered at the nape of his neck and fell down to this waist. He had small eyes, well-defined cheekbones and a strong chin.

  I’d seen many artists’ impressions of dragon-human forms, all of them different, and none of them looked anything like this. I still found it hard to believe that this was what my brain showed me, when every serious relationship I’d had was with fierce, intelligent, short and round women.

  Masako reached to Haruka and he took her hand.

  They gazed into each other’s eyes as I followed them to Masako’s chamber, and they didn’t even notice when I closed the door on them. I sighed as I turned to take guard position in front of the door, with the two other guards stationed further down the hall. I did have a meeting arranged, and I hadn’t planned on being given door duty. I directed the rest of the Imperial Guard to their strategic positions, then stood at ease outside the Princess’ door.

  ‘Please let Admiral Blake know that I can’t make our meeting,’ I said to Marque through comms.

  ‘The Empress rescinds her order,’ Marque said. ‘You can put someone else on door duty and go to meet up with him.’

  ‘Sorry, Jian, Marque reminded me that you had a meeting already arranged,’ the Empress said through the link. ‘I was too caught up in the excitement. Go. Enjoy.’ Her voice filled with amusement. ‘Stewart Blake is fully human like you, isn’t he?’

  ‘He’s a close friend and that’s all,’ I said. ‘Childbearing can wait until I find the right person.’

  ‘Don’t forget that I am always here if you decide to have a child. You could mother a fine dragonscales Princess for me, my friend.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Marque, call Green Sunset, will you? Pass on the order.’

  ‘Done, Captain, Green Sunset’s on her way.’

  I didn’t relax until Sunset rolled up the hallway towards me. She was one of the newer members of the Guard, a mobile fungal type that looked like a small moving ball of writhing white threads.

  ‘Captain. Go have fun. I have it covered.’

  ‘Who’s minding your children?’

  ‘Marque’s set up a funfair with rides for the children on the side of the square, and it’s minding them for me. My husband will finish at the gallery, then collect them and take them home.’

  ‘They’re having a great time and I don’t think they want to go home yet,’ Marque said.

  I waved my hand over Sunset’s sense organs next to her green dragon scales as I departed. ‘I’ve already done the handover to Graf for the next three days while I’m at the border. If you have any queries, take them to Graf.’

  ‘Captain,’ Sunset said. She collapsed inwards, then flowed like a liquid along the floor and up the door until she completely covered it.

  I strode down the hallway towards the human exit of the Palace – a smaller door on the side of the larger main ones. Marque put the four-sector symbols above my head, and I tapped sex to turn it off, leaving the other three sectors on before heading outside to the festivities.

  ‘Is the Admiral still there, Marque?’ I said through comms. ‘I assume you told him.’

  ‘Yes, he’s waiting for you. He says no rush, he and his new friend are enjoying the light show.’

  I slowed my pace slightly, then picked it up again. A new friend? I smiled as I slipped out the door into the street party.

  *

  I hurried onto the plaza. Marque had lit the sky with twining dragons of light, and the four-sector celebration was in full swing. I walked through the food-and-drink sector looking for Blake. People were sitting at tables and reclining on the ground, eating and drinking and watching the show. Flashing lights to the side of the square marked Marque’s funfair for the children, and the occasional delighted scream floated from it.

  ‘Marque, which table is Blake’s?’ I said through comms.

  ‘Dunno. He’s on private.’

  That was unusual. I checked the faces of the people at the tables, and saw Griffith, Leckie and MacAuley sharing a table and laughing with a dragonscales and a couple of young human women. They waved to me and I waved back, then saw another uniformed arm frantically waving, attached to a grinning Blake. I eased my way through the tables to Blake and the woman accompanying him.

  ‘Sorry I’m late,’ I said.

  Blake stood and we shared a quick cheek kiss, human-style.

  ‘The Empress nearly made me into a privacy lock on Masako’s door,’ I said. ‘Marque helped me out.’

  Blake slipped his arm around my waist and gestured towards the woman sitting at the table. ‘Captain Jian Choumali, this is Merry Pacifica. After I dropped a shipment of embryos to Pacifica on the new flagship, she asked for a ride here to see the dragon homeworld, and I promised we’d show her around.’

  I bowed to Merry as much as I could manage with Blake wrapped around me. Merry was an Aquatic; her skin was a translucent pale turquoise and her waist-length hair deeper purple. She wore a long shift of shimmering gold that flattered her enhanced-human shape. I saw past the skin colour and the breathing tube inserted into the side of Merry’s throat to the woman beyond, and my appreciation deepened. Merry’s golden eyes were bright with intelligence, and full of kindness below the orange soulstone in her forehead. The Aquatic was all curves from the thick layer of fat under her blue skin that provided protection in her home environment. The gold dress was gathered around her rounded body and under her full, soft breasts.

  I became aware that I’d been staring, so I returned my gaze to the Aquatic’s face, only to see a similar level of appreciation as Merry ran her gaze over my own fit body.

  Merry winced and looked up into my eyes, probably realising what she was doing, and we clicked. We smiled knowingly at each other.

  Are you telepathic as well? I said to her, mind-to-mind.

  ‘No, Captain, I’m not suffering from that particular affliction,’ Merry said.

  ‘By the dragons, you’re soul mates?’ Blake said incredulously. ‘Damn I’m good.’

  ‘Close, but not true,’ Merry said.

  ‘Close enough to thank you for bringing us together, dear Stewart,’ I said. I kissed him on the cheek and sat at the table. I loosened the collar of my dress uniform by one button for off-duty and smiled at Merry. ‘I’m Jian, Captain of the Imperial Guard.’ I put my hand out to the Aquatic. ‘I am very pleased to meet you.’

  Blake was grinning like he’d just won first prize in a high-level competition. Merry shook my hand, and the Aquatic’s skin felt cool and rubbery, like a wetsuit, but completely dry.

  ‘I know exactly who you are, and I’m delighted to meet you,’ she said. She looked from me to Blake. ‘I’m meeting so many famous people today!’

  ‘I wouldn’t call us famous,’ I said, leaning my elbows on the table to smile at her. I spoke to Marque silently through comms. ‘Please put me on liaison privacy settings.’

  ‘Already done,’ Marque said. ‘But before I go, I suggest that you ask Madam Merry about the sexual practices on her homeworld. They’re fascinating and you’ll definitely want to visit next time you’re on leave.’

  ‘Butt out,’ I said, and switched comms to emergency only.

  Merry’s eyes widened. ‘Your Marque just said that if we’re going to make this a private party, it would like to join us in an android body of any gender we please. It says that Jian and Stewart are brown, I’m blue, and it would like to bring another blue body along to make a set. Our Marque isn’t nearly as forward!’

  ‘Marque, butt out,’ Blake and I said in unison.

  ‘It’s been trying to get into my pants for nearly a
hundred years,’ Blake said.

  ‘Leave poor Stewart alone, Marque,’ I said. ‘Go calculate some prime numbers and bring me a beer.’

  ‘It’s a long-standing joke between Marque and myself,’ Blake said. ‘Ever since I refused it when we first met on Earth, it’s been pursuing me, and I’ve been rejecting it. It says that I have self-esteem issues, and I need to be appreciated.’

  ‘And do you?’ Merry asked him.

  ‘Marque says if I tell it to stop, it will,’ Blake said. ‘And I haven’t – so probably.’

  ‘Admiral of the Fleet with self-esteem issues,’ I said as a tray floated to the table with my beer on it.

  Blake picked up his own drink and we tapped our glasses together. I nodded appreciation to him for finding this extraordinary – and exquisite – new friend for us, then turned back to Merry. ‘Tell me about your interests, Merry. What is your favourite occupation?’

  Merry sipped her own drink and her smile deepened as she answered the unasked question. ‘I’m twenty-nine years old, first generation Aquatic. One of the first to breed true after the manipulation, and a triumph of Pacifican genetic engineering, if I do say so myself.’

  ‘You’re a genetic engineer?’ I said with interest.

  ‘I am trained in genetic engineering, but when the second generation were born I spent some time with the children confirming the sequencing, and enjoyed working with them so much that I decided to stay,’ Merry said. ‘I’m now chief education officer for Pacifica. We have so many new children that we are in the process of creating family names for them.’

  I stared with awe, then gathered myself. ‘You honour us with your presence, Lady.’ I shared another sly glance with Blake, who looked even more pleased with himself.

  She waved me down. ‘I’m here on Dragonhome to research the ancient stories of dragonkind, to share with the little ones. I may write a book about it for them.’ She leaned over the table. ‘Do you think you could arrange an audience with the Empress for me?’

  ‘Absolutely, the Empress loves telling stories from long ago, particularly to honoured educators,’ I said. ‘You are more than welcome. Please do anything you can to stop her from boring us to death with them. Princess Masako will have some for you as well.’