by C H Gideon
“Hey, look, this is right where you kidnapped me and took me hostage,” Jiya said, grinning broadly.
“Hey!” Reynolds argued. “It all worked out in the end, so no harm, no foul.”
“For the record, I was against all that,” Tactical clarified. “He wanted a crew, but I tried to convince him it was a bad idea. We didn’t need any stinking meatbags.”
“You’d miss us if we were gone,” Jiya told the AI personality.
“You severely overestimate my ability to process fucks,” Tactical replied.
Jiya chuckled. “Yeah, I probably do. But if nothing else, I’d miss you,” she told him.
Tactical grunted.
“I’d miss you most of all, Scarecrow,” Reynolds told her, shooing her from the bridge. “Now get the fuck down to the hangar bay so we can find out what the hell has gone on here in our absence.”
Jiya grinned and fired a salute his way. “Yes, sir!”
Jiya grabbed Geroux’s hand and led her off the bridge. Maddox clopped along at their heels, while Reynolds called for Ka’nak and Takal to join them.
A hoverlimo met them at the ramp. It pulled up smoothly as they debarked, and the driver climbed out of his seat and opened the back doors for the crew to enter.
“This is a fancy ride to the gallows,” Maddox joked. “Classy.”
The crew climbed in and the driver started off, weaving and winding through the spaceport traffic on the way toward the palace.
Jiya leaned over the separator between them and the driver and asked, “Are you taking us to see President Lemaire?”
The driver chuckled. “I’m afraid I’m sworn to let the provincial representatives answer all your questions, Ms. Lemaire.”
“There’s that word again,” Maddox said, referring to “provincial.” “It seems a rather broad term for Marianas, I’m thinking.”
“I agree,” Jiya said, sitting back once she realized the driver intended to stay true to his word and not answer her questions.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a long ride to the palace.
They arrived a short while later and were let inside the gates without even having to stop. Not long after, they pulled up to the entryway to the presidential compound and the driver hopped out, opening their doors again.
The crew climbed out a bit hesitantly, still unsure of what was going on.
“All the tension might well drive me to drink,” Takal said with a grin, catching Geroux’s eyes as he spoke.
For once, she didn’t chastise him. “I just might join you, Uncle,” she replied with a laugh.
They entangled their arms and marched along the walkway toward the entrance. A suited male greeted them at the door. It wasn’t Gal Dorant, the head of Security and personal advisor to her father, whom Jiya had expected. She was pleasantly surprised to not see him.
The old head of security had always bothered her, appearing as though he were crafted from scorched, weathered matchsticks and threaded into an expensive suit.
Instead, there was a young male standing there, his short-cropped hair and brilliant crimson skin making Jiya’s look muted in comparison. His eyes were giant pools of obsidian.
He bowed to them. “I am Bal Huro, head of Security for the provincial palace. Please, come inside. Your presence is expected.”
Before Jiya could ask Huro anything, he spun on a heel and started off, leading the crew inside.
Memories washed over Jiya as they entered the palace and her eyes wandered everywhere, her head on a swivel.
The first thing that stood out to her was how…bright the place appeared.
She remembered it being dark and utilitarian, a reflection of her father’s attitude. No lights that weren’t absolutely necessary were ever allowed on, and there was no clutter or decorative nuances to make the palace seem like a home to three little girls.
No, it had always been a palace; a place of business for her father.
Now, however, there was a welcomeness to it that had never been there before. Art adorned the walls—historical pieces as well as banners.
It was nothing like the gaudy efforts of the Telluride in their original homes, but there was a comfortable, relaxed feel to the decorations. Whoever had hung them hadn’t meant the place to be for stuffy royals or executives only. They had meant for it to bring joy and happiness to those who spent more time there than a quick, formal meeting.
Jiya’s first thought was that her father must have died.
It was an awkward thought that she didn’t know how to process, but it faded as Bal Huro led them into the throne room.
Jiya’s eyes went wide at seeing her young sisters seated side by side in small, simple thrones atop the royal dais.
Despite the time between, she recognized them immediately.
It was Reea and Lory.
Jiya gasped and ran across the throne room. Security shifted around the room to deflect her, but the sisters waved them off and ran down the steps to greet their long-lost sibling.
The three collided in a mass of hugs and kisses and muffled greetings.
“I’m guessing that means we’re not here to be executed,” Ka’nak stated, grinning. He wiped the back of his hand across his brow. “Whew.”
Maddox chuckled. “It would have been just one more chance for you to get into a fight.”
The Melowi shrugged. “True.”
The sisters called Geroux over, and she joined the melee until the four of them had worn themselves out.
Finally, the two younger sisters composed themselves and returned to their thrones. Bal Huro gathered the crew all together and led them to the foot of the dais. There were smiles all around.
“While introductions are likely unnecessary, it is my duty, regardless,” Bal stated. “My ladies, Queens Reea and Lory Lemaire, may I introduce the Federation’s Captain Reynolds and his crew, Ka’nak, General Maddox, as I’m sure you remember, Geroux and Takal Durbin and, of course, your sister.”
“Queens?” Jiya asked, taken aback by the twin titles. She asked the question that had been nagging her since she realized her father was no longer in charge. “Is father…dead?”
Reea and Lory grinned.
“No, but he likely wishes he was,” Reea replied. “He’s been imprisoned and will probably spend the remainder of his life there.”
“It’s hardly a punishment, given how posh his quarters are, but I’m sure he doesn’t see it that way,” Lory added.
“What I wouldn’t have given for a posh jail when Lemaire imprisoned me,” Maddox opined, grinning.
“He’s been jailed?” Jiya asked. “Why?”
She realized the question was pretty stupid right after she asked it.
“I mean, besides him being an asshole,” she corrected.
“Good thing that’s not a jailable offense or I’d be fucked.” Reynolds laughed.
“Oh, it’s much more than that,” Reea assured. “He’d been poisoning the other countries against each other, working behind their backs to bring each of them to each other’s throats. War nearly broke out before it was determined what he’d done.”
“The war would have broken the whole planet,” Lory continued. “But when he was found out, members of the council loyal to our family helped us take control of Marianas. We staged a coup and deposed Father. Then, after we began talks with the Toller and Melowi nations, it was decided that all three of us should join forces for the betterment of the planet.”
“We became the Lariest Provincial as a whole, and Lory and I were placed in charge of it all,” Reea told them. “Well, sort of.” She laughed. “We represent Marianas and the other two nations to visitors to our world, but the Toller and Melowi nations largely manage their own internal issues, as we do with Marianas.”
“Still, it is a world away from where the politics of the planet stood when you left to join Captain Reynolds here,” Reea said, smiling at her sister.
“And though Father never wanted you to return, know that you are always
welcome here, sister. We’ve missed you,” Lory told her.
“And Captain Reynolds and the crew of the SD Reynolds are also always welcome here. The terms agreed upon by President Alac Sumor of the Melowi and President Corrh V’ariat of the Toller regarding your safe passage and supplies anytime you are in the system are in place here in Marianas, too,” Reea assured.
“Good to know,” Reynolds replied. “We thank you.”
The sisters rose and came down the stairs to stand among the crew.
“Now, we know you didn’t come all this way simply to catch up, so is there something we can help you with?” Reea asked.
Jiya grinned. “You always were smart girls,” she told her sisters. “Better suited for all this than I would ever be.”
“A life of adventure suits you, Jiya,” Lory told her, smiling pleasantly. “But yes, please tell us what we can do for you.”
“We’re actually on a mission,” Jiya explained. “We needed someplace to bide our time and effect minor repairs to our ship. We only need a place to stay for tonight, where we can catch our breath far from the trials of our mission. We’ll be gone again tomorrow.”
“Ohh, I wish you could stay longer, Jiya,” Reea said, “but we understand. Of course, we have plenty of room for all of you. We can feed you and give you comfortable quarters for the night, or for however long you stay.”
“You had me at food, Your Majesties,” Ka’nak said with a grin.
Reea and Lory smiled back at him.
“Bal, show our guests to comfortable quarters and provide them with every luxury while they’re here,” Reea said, waving the head of Security over.
The sisters turned back to Jiya and hugged her.
“We’ll let you go about your work, but we’ll stop by later and reminisce, if you’re okay with that?” Lory asked.
“Of course,” Jiya replied. “I want to spend as much time as possible with you. Then, maybe when all this is over, I can come back for a real visit.”
“That would be delightful,” Reea and Lory said in unison.
The crew said their farewells, and Bal Huro led them out of the throne room and back into the familiar palace. He took them to quarters Jiya remembered as being stuffy and cold, and she realized they had been revamped, much like the rest of the palace.
The suite of rooms was warm and welcoming, and every convenience was made available to them. Bal Huro left them to their own devices shortly after he made sure they were fed appropriately.
The crew sat around eating until they were full.
No matter how great the food the aggro-printers provided was, it was always great to have a home-cooked meal made by someone else.
Reynolds set Jora’nal’s stolen computer on the table once it had been cleared. The thump of it nudged Jiya out of her pleasant reverie.
“We’ve got a decision to make,” the AI stated. “The information we obtained from the cruiser’s databases confirm the locations and nature of the other two places we learned of from Jora’nal’s intel. Plus, it hints at several other locations of underground cult activity across the universe. However, none of it points directly to Phraim-’Eh.”
“What do we have?” Maddox asked.
“I think we can discount the other locations we’ve dug up for now, since intel informs us that they are all on densely populated planets not under the cult’s control. I find it hard to believe that Phraim-’Eh could hide his flamboyant need to call himself a god without there being some sort of uproar regarding it. Recent news from these locations shows nothing of that sort.”
“So, what do we know about the other two spots?” Maddox asked.
“Both locations are military outposts, from what I can garner. One’s seriously remote, some frozen planet that goes by the designation of Hajh. There’s little information regarding it, beyond that it appears to be some kind of staging outpost. It’s intentionally way the hell out there, from the looks of it.”
“The other location is called Suri,” Geroux added.
Reynolds nodded. “This one seems to be larger and more active cult-wise, but it’ll be more like the one at Rolant. It’ll be a fight on its own, even if Phraim-’Eh isn’t there.”
“The latter is more likely to have intel, though,” Maddox stated, rubbing his chin. “A staging base at the butthole end of the universe isn’t likely to serve much purpose beyond giving the cult’s ships one last stopover before they fly out of the galaxy.”
“Maybe, but Jora’nal’s logs show Phraim-’Eh frequented the place for some reason,” Reynolds said. “That makes me think it has more importance than we’re being led to believe.”
“Where better to hide out than the middle of nowhere?” Jiya asked rhetorically.
“My point exactly,” Reynolds agreed.
“Could be what Phraim-’Eh is hoping we’ll think,” Ka’nak pondered.
“Normally, I’d agree with you, Ka’nak, but I think Jora’nal fucked up when he let us get our hands on his computer. He looked about ready to shit himself when he realized it had survived the explosion. I don’t take him for being a good actor. This was intel we weren’t supposed to get our hands on. It’s probably the same for the cruiser’s data, although that seems more benign at first glance.”
“Well, what else do we have to do besides tear down Phraim-’Eh’s world one brick at a time?” Jiya asked. “I say we hit the out-of-the-way post and see what we find, then go from there. Does it really matter which one we take out first?”
“It might,” Reynolds stated. “We could be in for one hell of a fight if word gets out that we’re attacking his installations. Shit, they might already know we’ve gained some sort of intel, and likely know what it is, given what happened on Aspar. They have to suspect that Jora’nal is in our possession by now, even if they don’t actually know it.”
“Sounds like we’ve made our choice,” Ka’nak said. He grunted, leaning back in his seat, and rubbing his belly. “As such, I say we relax and enjoy the rest of our stay in this comfy palace and make the most of it.”
“You know, you actually make sense sometimes, Ka’nak,” Maddox told him, raising his glass in a toast.
“Sometimes,” Jiya agreed. The crew clinked glasses to that and settled in to plan the specifics of their next move.
Chapter Fourteen
The night came and went far faster than Jiya wanted it to.
She’d spent time with her sisters, but once she’d returned to the SD Reynolds, it was clear it hadn’t been enough to satisfy her longing for their company.
She had promised to return when she could, and she meant it, wanting nothing more than watch her sisters grow into the people they’d soon become, but she still had a mission to attend to.
She was part of the crew of the SD Reynolds, and that was not only a job she took seriously, but it was an honor. Jiya loved being aboard the ship, traveling across the universe and helping better it one planet at a time.
When they took out Phraim-’Eh, it would release millions of souls from his sway, and she could think of no greater use of her time and efforts.
She stared out as the brilliant orb of Lariest disappeared behind them. Ria guided them into space, readying to Gate them to the outpost Hajh.
Jiya didn’t know what they’d find there, but she hoped it would be Phraim-’Eh himself so they could end this farce of his godhood and put him away. He’d been a shadow at their backs since the moment she’d joined the crew, even if she hadn’t known it then.
She’d become a part of Reynolds’ mission to destroy Kurtherians, and though Phraim-’Eh wasn’t exactly that—a foul descendant of that other vile race—she wanted to help Reynolds lay waste to the person who claimed to be a deity.
“Opening the Gate to the coordinates for Hajh,” Ria reported. “Shields and weapons up and at the ready, and scanners set to sweep. Ready to go on your command.”
“Do it!” Reynolds told the ensign.
The SD Reynolds Gated without hesitation
, appearing in the distant galaxy hidden away from the rest of the universe.
Jiya didn’t know what to expect when they arrived, but it was every bit as barren and desolate as she’d expected.
“Report,” Reynolds called.
“That’s one frosty ball out there,” Tactical said.
“He’s not really wrong.” Maddox chuckled. “The temperature is tolerable, but we’re looking at it being about negative twenty degrees Celsius on the more habitable side of the planet. Looks to be about negative eighty on the dark side.”
“Come to the Dark Side,” Tactical muttered. “We have cookies.”
“Medicated ones, hopefully,” Jiya fired back.
“Scanners show there is an outpost located exactly where Jora’nal’s intel shows it to be, and there are maybe two hundred lifeforms packed into it,” Ria reported. “They’ve pinged us and know we’re here, but I’m not picking up any ships anywhere in the area. It looks like they’re all alone down there.”
“Could be a trap,” Asya said, examining the data.
“Could be, but I’m not seeing that they have the resources to surprise us with anything,” Reynolds noted.
He double-checked the reports, confirming the ensign’s assessment of there being no ships nearby. And with no other planets in the system, the only way someone could reach them quickly enough to cause them grief would be to Gate in.
“I say we pop dirtside and see what we can find,” the AI suggested. He looked at Ensign Alcott. “Can you get a clear scan of that outpost and determine a clear layout?”
“Yes, sir,” Ria replied, turning to focus on her console.
“Thinking about transporting down?” Maddox asked. “That’ll save some wear and tear on the Pods.” He laughed.
“We also need more practice with transporting, and this seems like a good time to get that in,” the AI replied.
Jiya shrugged. “What the hell. I’m in.”
“Besides, it gives us the advantage of surprise, since there’s no way they’ll expect us to teleport down,” Reynolds went on. “They’ll be waiting for a Pod or for us to bring the superdreadnought into the atmosphere. As long as we don’t do either of those, we’ll keep them guessing as to what is going on.”