by P F Walsh
“Yes sir, Nan-Cee is now officially Duchess of Cee. She was delighted to accept and is holding private tours of her shoe closet for the other Duchesses before she and her mate move to the Duchy estate.”
“Yes, I was talking with her Mate, he says it’s not really a closet, it’s a tabernacle.” Said the Councilor wryly, and then,
“Include the new Duchess in my lunch with Ms. Tripperty. That should be an interesting dialogue to hear.” He chuckled as he thought,
“It’s nice to have good reports for a change. Maybe this will be a good day.”
That night at the Old Mill, the Zelkon hawks roosting in the beams above the Sisters of Mak’am were trying to understand the unsettling waves of emotions coming from the gathered Sisters below. They were chanting but in a way that was a cross between mournful elegy and fearful anticipation. The hawks did not know what to do. They had never heard such a confused wave of emotions. They hopped from one beam to another, disturbed but not knowing what to do. The Sisters below were being led in the chant by Sister Janq’uor Acting Mother.
“The Queen is dead! A new false Queen reigns with a hand covered in blood.” The chanting rose in volume.
“Our Mother leads the eyes of justice against the blades of tyranny.”
A feral dog, hunting outside, could hear the faint chants and the fluttering of wings in the Mill tower. This was a sign he knew he should avoid. A flock of Zelkon hawks leaving the tower would swoop down and fetch him for an evening’s meal. He slunk lower into the high weeds, and rapidly left the area. Shortly thereafter, the hawks so disturbed, decided to hunt and satisfy their unsettlement with a kill. They left in a flock, flying high above the river nearby and scanning the ground below. The dog escaped being discovered and huddled under a fallen tree trembling with the nearness of death and an empty stomach.
A few of the older hawks landed on the upper rim of the Music Festival Shell under construction nearby. They were preferring to wait for movement below among the construction site which drew scavengers looking for food scraps dropped by construction workers. Their keen eyes silently scanning for the slightest movement while the young hawks leaned into their wings to fly along the river bank, swooping low across the water like wraiths.
Chapter Sixteen
Book Three
The blades flashed in the sunlight and moved in a blur. Jillip, now Swordmaster, was defending herself against two trainers who pressed their number advantage and were pushing her back as she defended against two aggressive swords. She watched their moves with hawkish intensity waiting for the right moment when both opposing swords were knocked aside, creating an opening between the two. She rushed into the space knocking one of the trainers on her right in the forehead with the pommel of her sword, he fell, stunned, and dropped his sword. She swung behind the other and brought her blade against his neck from behind as he cried,
“I Yield!” He dropped his sword as well. At that moment a servant came running out from the guard house screaming,
“They’re here, they’re here!” Jillip grabbed him by the arm and swung him to face her.
“Who is here, fool, and why are you screaming?”
“There’s a starship that has just arrived in orbit and it’s not one of ours. The Nemesis Master has called all swordsmen to the palace, especially you Jillip. Don’t bother to clean up, get inside quickly.” He panted.
Jillip ignored his suggestion and the two trainers. She went to the guardhouse to wipe off the sweat and change into her dress uniform. As Swordmaster, she was not going to show up at the Palace looking bedraggled.
An hour after the Discovery sent its request for approach and landing, a communication was heard back.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in our system?” This response seemed unconnected to the message Discovery sent, so Allister repeated the message contents,
“We are an explorer, diplomatic vessel from the planet Earth, and a Member of a fifty-two-planet consortium seeking contact with other worlds for trade. We request permission to land a shuttle under diplomatic accord to meet with your leaders.” Another hour passed before a reply came,
“How many crew members are in your vessel?” The voice inquired. Sean prompted Allister to respond,
“How many are in your Leader’s Palace? He responded. A long interval passed and then,
“You may send down a shuttle with no more than six representatives. Identify your senior Officer and those who will be coming with you.” They responded.
“Our expedition is led by Captain Sean Flynn, Senior Field Officer of the Embassy of Planet Earth, Member of the Council of Worlds, and Duke of Mer. The Captain will be accompanied by Doris Lang Security Officer of our starship, and Mother Primitia of the Sisters of Mak’am. The shuttle will also contain a pilot who will stay with the shuttle and not disembark.” Allister sent.
“Allister, are they sending coordinates for us to land?” Sean asked.
“I am still waiting for that, Captain.” He said. Sean replied,
“Ask them for specific approach coordinates and landing location.” Allister sent the request. Another long interval went by indicating to Sean that there was confusion about what to do without confirmation from the highest Official. Approach and landing information finally arrived. Sensing the disorganization below, Sean asked Allister to reply that the shuttle would be arriving at mid-day, three hours later. Sean hoped that by that time the requisite authorities would be awake and prepared for their arrival.
“Hal, plan on coming with us fully armed, include a ‘crowd pleaser.’ Your job will be to stay with the closed-up shuttle, and to stay in contact with Allister who can talk to me. Both Mother Primitia and I are unsure of what our reception will be. At the first sign of trouble dust off and evade conflict, notify Allister and return to the ship’s weapons coverage as soon as possible. Doris, be armed. Allister you have the ship and the fleet, arrange a position of defense in relation to the cruiser. At the first sign they are warming weapons, do the same, and be prepared to defend.” Sean ordered.
Hal ran to the weapons cabinet, and then went to the cargo bay to prep the shuttle.
The Discovery shuttle slowly settled down onto the instructed landing pad. As they descended, they could see this was inside the walled Palace compound. Allister was following the visuals through the shuttle, and then through Sean’s translator worn around his neck, hanging mid-chest. They both could see there was a very large crowd outside the Palace walls. Sean thought it was likely one of the frequencies they broadcast on was connected to the media. He could see hundreds pointing at the shuttle as it settled. Sean allowed the shuttle to sit unopened for a while to indicate a leisurely approach to the first contact.
The reception group was backed by three rows of uniformed guards. They all appeared armed. Sean noticed that there were other guards concealed within the landscaping all around the shuttle.
“Not sure what they are expecting. Seems heavy handed to receive three people.” He thought and then said,
“Hal, open the shuttle ramp and raise the protection panel in front of the cockpit.” The shuttle ramp began to lower and set its edge onto the cement landing pad with a small clunk. Sean, with Doris and Mother Primitia following, strolled down the ramp, sniffed the air which Allister had already declared safe, and looked at the group in front of him centering on the person in the middle. This man was not in a guard uniform, but all in black. Sean noticed his startled posture as Mother Primitia came into view. Sean said,
“This seems like a very large force to deal with one man and two women. May I ask what has you frightened? Or, is this how you receive all diplomats. It’s quite impressive.” Sean said as he walked toward the figure in black while the shuttle ramp behind him closed up. The figure stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said,
“I am Ketrug-lis, Nemesis Master of New Mak. We have no fears as you say, but this is our first diplomatic visit from a foreign power, and it seemed a good time to roust all the gu
ard for practice.: He smoothly replied as he held his hand up, palm out. Sean struck palms lightly and asked,
“Do you have a State representative to whom I may present my diplomatic credentials?”
“No Captain, those powers are all reserved by the Queen for her pleasure to dispose of. This way, please.” As he led the three toward the Palace, the guard line parted and allowed them to pass.
“Captain, there is much anxiety and fear here. Ketrug-Lis is not to be trusted, he hides his thoughts in dark places, they are hostile, but I cannot see detail.” Mother Primitia sent silently to Sean. He acknowledged her caution.
They walked into the Palace accompanied by six guards, passed through several halls and sitting rooms. Finally, they reached a set of double doors that were guarded. Ketrug went in and a few minutes later the doors swung open by two more guards from the inside. Ketrug motioned them to come in. This was a small Queen’s receiving room with a small throne set upon a dais with three steps to ascend so that the seated person’s eyes were slightly higher than those on the floor. The Queen was on her throne glaring at the visitors as they lined up in front. Sean bowed slightly and said,
“I am Captain Sean Flynn of the explorer diplomatic ship Discovery. I am Senior Field Officer for the Earth Embassy and a Member of the Council of Worlds as well as Duke of Mer. To whom may I present my credentials?”
The Queen inspected him thoroughly before saying,
“You may place them on the first step before my throne.” And then,
“Why have you come here into my space, uninvited and bringing an abomination with you to affront me?” She said curtly.
“Careful Captain, she refers to me. She is a fraud and not the real Queen. She plans to harm us.” Mother Primitia whispered into Sean’s head.
“Your Majesty, I affront no one, and come with associates of good hearts and mean no insult or harm. If your Majesty prefers, we can leave and not return. We sought only trade and to provide assistance of aid if required. It appears none is required. We will retire.” He said, as he posed to turn away and leave.
“No one leaves my company unless I command it.” She shouted and rose from her chair.
She made a hand signal and a sticky net dropped from the ceiling encompassing all three. It stuck to their limbs and body making it impossible to move. Struggling increased its grip. Sean whispered into his embedded comm,
“Hal, dust off. Allister, raise shields and warm weapons. Recover the shuttle. We have been seized in a sticky net.”
Then, Ketrug calmly walked up alongside them, and one by one, stunned each of them into unconsciousness. Mother Primitia, with prior counsel from Sean, pretended to fall unconscious as well. They were dragged inside the net from the Queen’s receiving room as she laughed hysterically and kicked his credential packet across the floor.
Allister had watched the entire episode and could see that the Captain had been stunned and was unconscious. He implemented the Captain’s orders immediately and brought the ship to ‘high alert, combat mode.’ He tracked the shuttle as it streaked up to the ship unmolested and landed in the cargo bay. Allister closed the cargo bay door and pressurized it. His attention had been on the New Mak Cruiser nearby which hadn’t made any signs of alert or preparations to engage. In fact, Allister wondered if there was even a capable crew on board. Hal waited for the cargo bay to pressurize and then went straight for the bridge and the weapons console, switching it on as he arrived to sit down. All systems came up ready after the test cycle was finished. He turned to Allister who was standing next to the Captain’s chair and asked,
“What’s next Allister?”
“We wait. In the meantime, I will bring the fleet in closer.” He said confidently.
“The Captain and I had suspicions that our contact may not go well and we planned several options. The first one is to wait and see what the Queen plans. The Cruiser is no threat to us, I am jamming communications, so they will receive no instructions from the ground. I have been monitoring their communications and nothing more than custodial comms has transpired.” He said. Hal just smiled and centered his crosshair aiming reticule on the Cruiser’s Laser port. The Cruiser remained dormant. Hal thought they were all asleep. Allister contacted Welly back in the engine room,
“Welly, do you know how to run and pilot a Cruiser grade ship?”
“Aye, Allister, they’s be mostly the same. Should be worth a spin if you’ve a mind. I can run the whole ship from their engine room and override the bridge if I had to.” He answered and then added, “Some of the older ones had very poor central computers. A child could hack it.” He said as a prompt to Allister.
“Good point Welly, I’ll ‘take a spin’ as you call it, and see if I can get into their systems.”
Jillip was standing guard in the Palace near the Queen’s chambers and could hear the arguing through the closed doors. The Queen was screaming at Ketrug that she wanted them all put to death especially the ghost they brought with them and capture their ship for its secrets and fuel.
“Ghost?” Jillip wondered. “What is she screaming about, there are no ghosts, are there?” Then, she remembered her secret readings of the actual Mak history Tilga had left her buried in his house. It included history about the Sisters of Mak’am, and how they were unassailable Truthsayers. She did not see their arrival to confirm they existed, but would get a chance later when she was off duty to check the restraining cells in the basement where they must have been taken. She would make an inspection of their guard and see for herself where truth lay. Kupal was probably the guard, and he was stupid, that’s why he had cell duty even if there usually was no one in those cells.
“This will be easily done.” She thought.
Sean woke up lying next to Doris who was still unconscious. Mother Primitia was awake as she had never been affected by the stun gun but merely pretended to be. She was standing there and she spoke to Sean,
“Are you awake now, Captain?” She whispered into his mind.
“Yes, where are we?” He asked back.
“They have taken us to a lower level of the Palace. We are in a restraining cage, one of several. I can feel there have been many hideous acts of cruelty here, and the Queen plans those for us. She insists we are to be executed and the Discovery captured.” She said.
“I won’t worry about Discovery. Allister will see to that. I left him with plans for just such an event as this.” He replied. He sat up, and checked Doris who was breathing, but still out. He got up off the floor to sit on the single hard bench attached to the stone wall holding his head from the effects of the stun. After a bit he noticed a window up high, unreachable, but possibly allowing communications.
“Allister, can you copy me?” He sent through his embedded communicator.
“Yes, Captain, the signal is weak. Where are you?” He replied. Sean was relieved. This was a major advantage to have that their captors were not aware off.
“We are in a holding cell in the basement of the Palace.” He sent, and then,
“What is the status of Discovery?” he asked.
“We are secure Captain, all systems on alert, weapons warmed and ready. I have jammed communications to the Cruiser so they have not received any instructions, but I suspect they will send a shuttle soon.” He sent, and then,
“I have seized the Cruiser’s computer controls and disabled the bridge and weapon’s systems. We have the cruiser.” He said.
“Excellent! Initiate a series of alarms, starting with life support, and continuing with anti-matter breech alarms. Let’s get the crew to abandon the ship. Once that happens, plan to board and move the ship away from its parked orbit and add it to our fleet.” He ordered.
“Acknowledged Captain. Alarms are being set off now.”
“Good, once they vacate, send in a collector to scan the whole inside of the ship for any life signs in case they had a captive, or one volunteer to stay with the ship.”
“Wise suggestion Captain. If there
is anyone left, we will find them.” Allister replied.
Sean sat back knowing that soon their captors would become aware that their warship was no longer an asset to use against Discovery, and then, that it had been taken. He smiled and wondered,
“Are they going to feed us? Doris will wake up soon and she is always really hungry.” Sean got up and walked over to the front of the cage and he could see down the hall where a partial view of the guard could be seen sitting at his desk eating. He watched him for a while trying to see as much as he could when another figure came into view, a woman in uniform wearing a sword.
Jillip went down the stairs passing through three locked doors as she went. As Swordmaster she had access to the whole palace except the Queen’s private quarters. Only her maids and Ketrug have access to that.
She finally made the turn into the cell area and she could see the guard sitting at his desk with three trays of food. He was eating off of one, and sampling from another. She stomped on the floor heavily to alert him she was coming and he stood up at attention immediately with food still being chewed in his mouth. She drew her dagger and pointed it at his throat,
“What are you doing Kupal, eating the prisoner’s food? Do you suppose the Queen will be pleased that her prisoners have not been fed?” She snarled as she moved the dagger closer.
“I was hungry, no one has relieved me in over a solar and a half.” He cried, his eyes wide open with fear.
“So, Kupal, are you so easily forgotten by your supervisor? Does this happen often?” She demanded.
“Not often, only from time to time.” He said gulping. Jillip now had good cause to be there should anyone question it. There was poor administration of the cells, empty or not.
“Kupal, go and get something to eat and rest for a few hours. I will take your shift while you are gone, but I am not very patient, so do not abuse my kindness and fall into a deep sleep. I will question your supervisor later. Now go!” She spat at him.