Smoke on the Wind

by Sean Benjamin

Hawkins spent three hours aboard Predator with his grandfather as he walked through the ship. He enjoyed showing off his ship and crew. He believed his grandfather enjoyed the time also. After a midday meal, Hawkins and Gallagher returned to the palace in the shuttle. After landing on one of the pads at the back of the palace, Tobias Gallagher took his leave.

  As he moved to depart, he put both hands on his grandson’s shoulders and looked him square in the eye. “Opportunity comes in the strangest forms and often presents itself only once. You need to trust in your allies, especially your new ones.”

  Hawkins nodded at the cryptic advice. Before he could ask questions, Gallagher turned away and boarded a shuttle on the pad next to Rafe’s shuttle for his return to Haven Hill. Raferty frowned as he turned to a waiting guard and the secretary who had greeted him before. The trio entered the palace. Surprisingly, Hawkins was not taken to the Queen’s office but escorted to her private quarters. He was left in a large reception room with huge windows on one wall looking down on the city. He glanced around the room to ensure he was alone, and then he walked to the windows to take in the view. It was spectacular. He slowly scanned the city, determined not to miss anything. He suspected he wouldn’t have too many opportunities to see the city and its surroundings from this window again so wanted to take it all in. Five minutes passed as he watched the activity below. Rafe casually glanced around behind him and saw the Queen quietly waiting three meters away. She smiled as he turned. He said, “I hope you were not waiting too long, Madam. I got lost in the sights.” Hawkins bowed briefly to acknowledge his slight embarrassment.

  Alexis smiled. “Not at all. First-time visitors always get absorbed in the view. I have looked out there for many years and am still enchanted each time.”

  Hawkins smiled and got to the business at hand. He knew the Queen would be busy, and he needed to get on his way. The Badlands beckoned. “How can I be of service this afternoon, Madam?”

  “I have a proposal for you,” began Alexis.

  “What sort of proposal, Your Majesty?” asked Raferty.

  Alexis smiled. “A wedding proposal.”

  Raferty looked puzzled. “A wedding proposal? For who?”

  Now Alexis looked puzzled. “For you.”

  Hawkins was truly perplexed now and was instantly on his guard. “To who?”

  “To me,” the Queen replied with a touch of heat seeping into her voice.

  Raferty’s response was instantaneous. “Why?”

  Alexis frowned. She had planned this out to be a quick and easy conversation and now could feel it taking a turn to who knew where. Her mind quickly formed an answer. You get a marriage proposal from the Queen of the Aurora Empire and you asked why? What the hell is wrong with you?! She knew that would be the invitation to an argument, and she wanted to avoid that. Her annoyance caused her to override her caution, and she answered with an abridged version of her original thought. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Nothing, Your Majesty. I was caught by surprise by your… unusual offer. I am wondering why I would be a candidate for such a proposal.”

  Alexis stared at him. She now realized she had to sell this idea, and that particular thought did not appeal to her and she was not prepared to do it. She had expected him to say yes and be damned happy about it. Now she saw there had never been a chance of that happening. The miscalculation made her realize she did not know her potential consort at all and the thought irritated her further.

  She replied in a terse tone. “Do not sell yourself short, Black Hallow. And don’t sell me short either.”

  “Of course not, Your Majesty. It is just… unusual.”

  He was using the same word again. It showed his surprise and resistance to the idea. Alexis didn’t quite know what to do. The fact was the whole thing really was unusual. She couldn’t argue otherwise. She thought she would be making a generous offer to be quickly agreed to, and now she was hip deep in quicksand and sinking fast.

  She grabbed at straws to stop her descent. “Surely, Black Hallow, you can see the advantages to such a match.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty. I see great advantages to me and my family. However, I see no great advantages for you or the monarchy. I wonder as to that.”

  “Perhaps the advantage for me will be I’d be marrying a fine man.”

  “There are many fine men within the Empire, Madam. Probably any of them would be a more suitable a match for you than I would be.”

  His tone suggested he would not be yielding his position anytime soon, and he was making little attempt at deference. He was not arguing with the Queen now but with a crazy woman advancing an insane idea. An idea that had to be killed before it had a chance to take root.

  Alexis pushed forward in a direct assault. “I will be the judge of who is suitable for me. Such matches as this are done all the time, especially when royalty is involved. Surely you know this. Why are you so resistant?”

  He spoke rapidly to repel her attack. “I’m always suspicious of deals where I don’t see the advantages for the other side. I’ve never met a saint and don’t think I’ll be greeting one anytime soon. If the other side’s advantages aren’t obvious, it usually means a double cross is coming or their hidden advantages are to my distinct disadvantage. I just don’t see any advantages for the monarchy at this time.”

  As he talked, Alexis stared at him in mute amazement. He was basically calling her a liar. She couldn’t recall anyone anywhere or at any time doing that. He added one final observation, “Nobody does anything this important out of the goodness of their hearts.”

  As if acting on its own volition, her right hand came up and slapped Hawkins hard across his left cheek. The blow came so swiftly and unexpectedly, Hawkins made no move to block it.

  The Queen of the Aurora Empire spoke in an icy tone. “Do not presume to know what is in my heart, Black Hallow.”

  In a deliberate fashion, Hawkins ensured he made no move to his face. He nodded slightly in deference. “Your Majesty.” The words were correct, but he still managed to make it sound like an insult. Alexis stared at him as she reflected on her sudden action. She was surprised she did that. She couldn’t recall having the thought to do it. It was as if her right hand didn’t like the conversation so decided to take action. Clearly, his arguments had had more of an effect on her than she wanted to admit. She fleetingly thought she now had firsthand knowledge on how Hawkins’ enemies must feel. They come up with an excellent plan, move to the attack with overwhelming force, and think victory is a foregone conclusion. Then the battle is joined and they watch their plan go to hell in a heartbeat, and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.

  The two combatants stared at each other. Hawkins stood quietly in deference to her while still managing to convey he had no intention of backing down. He was just waiting for the new attack to begin so he could counter it. Alexis slowly raised her right hand to his face and now gently caressed the cheek she had assaulted seconds before. She left her hand there and Hawkins made no attempt to remove it. They stood silently and still for several seconds. The wave of anger on both sides had risen, crested, and now fell away.

  “I am sorry,” Alexis said softly. “I had no right to do that. Please forgive me.”

  Raferty spoke just as softly. “No need, Madam. I owe you the apology. I overstepped.”

  Alexis gave him a slight smile. “Let us agree that we are both guilty then.” Hawkins matched the slight smile and nodded.

  Alexis kept her hand on his face. She liked it there, and he seemed content with it also.

  Alexis thought for a moment and then said, “I have clearly misjudged this entire event. Perhaps a slight break is in order to allow a fresh beginning.” Hawkins nodded again, and she went on. “Please join me for the evening meal. Shall we say six o’clock here?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  Alexis leaned toward him. “Dress is informal. It will be a very casual meal. I want to relax and enjoy the food
and your company.”

  “I would be honored to dine with you, Madam.”

  Hawkins then surprised her by bringing up his left hand to cover the back of her hand on his cheek. He turned his face slightly to the left and kissed the palm of her hand. A very soft kiss, and then he held her hand pressed to his lips for a few seconds. He moved her hand slightly from his face, and his left hand now enclosed her hand from the back. Her fingers closed and gripped his fingers that were now in her palm. Hawkins kissed the back of her fingers as they gripped his hand. Alexis smiled and enjoyed the moment. Again, she thought of Hawkins’ enemies. The unexpected move that throws an opponent off balance. She wondered if she should be thinking of this event in such terms. She decided to mention it to get his reaction.

  “I did not see any of this happening the way it did, and I did not see this coming at all.” She squeezed his hand to emphasize that “this” meant the hand kiss. “Is that how you throw your enemies off balance and win so many battles?”

  “You could never be my enemy, Your Majesty.” He looked into her eyes while making the definitive statement.

  “Are you sure, Black Hallow?”

  “I am positive, Madam. I care too much for you to ever let that happen, and I can’t imagine any action you could take that would make me change my mind in that regard.”

  “You didn’t seem that way a few moments ago.” Her pushback was gentle and accompanied by a smile.

  Hawkins nodded slightly in agreement. “That is because I am a fool, Your Majesty. I hope I have a chance to rectify this situation at this evening’s meal.”

  Alexis now smiled. “You are not a fool, but we will have a new beginning this evening, Raferty.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  The Queen kept her smile. “I have one request, please.” Hawkins nodded, and she went on. “While this discussion is going on, will you please call me Alexis? I think it would be appropriate given the subject matter and the tenor we should be striving for.”

  Hawkins smiled at her. “I would be greatly honored to do that. Thank you, Alexis.”

  She smiled in acknowledgement. Hawkins gently released her hand. His reluctance to do so was obvious. He bowed slightly. “Until this evening, Alexis.” He turned and departed.

  Chapter 51

  Raferty returned to Predator in orbit over the capital city. He entered his day cabin and came up short. Despite his expectations, his day cabin was not empty. Not even close. Killian O’Hare, Tactical, and Baby Doll sat at his briefing table. Mason Reed and Blondie were on his couch. Tactical gestured to the lone empty chair at the table as an invitation to join them. Rafe sat down.

  Tactical began with her usual directness. “Did you accept?”

  Hawkins was surprised that the news had reached the ship. He stared at his sister, and she correctly interpreted the look. “Grandfather told me before the ceremony this morning what was going to happen, and I told everyone sitting here. We are here to congratulate you or berate you. You get to tell us which one is appropriate.”

  Raferty was a little perturbed his grandfather let him be ambushed, but this wedding was probably a great idea from his point of view. He now saw what his cryptic advice meant, and that was as close as he would ever have come to giving his grandson a warning. He would never have preempted the Queen by telling Hawkins the whole story beforehand. The slight irritation passed and Rafe returned to the task at hand.

  “Does the entire crew know about this?” Hawkins didn’t want this to become common knowledge. One reason was he didn’t like this problem being on everyone’s minds and tongues. A second reason was public knowledge of the proposal would make it more difficult to refuse. A refusal would embarrass the Queen, and he wouldn’t want that. He liked and respected her too much to allow that to happen.

  Tactical shrugged as if the crew’s awareness was totally irrelevant. From her point of view, it probably was. She was also not in a patient mood. “Well?”

  “I didn’t give a definitive answer. We are dining together in a couple of hours to discuss it further.”

  Tactical stared at him in incredulity. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Raferty looked slowly around the compartment. He was met with neutral looks. He had no allies here, and he knew why. These pirates could easily see the advantages in having their commander being the Queen’s consort. They expected their commander to do everything in his power to improve their chances of survival and victory. Right now, he wasn’t doing that. Rafe had to admit they had a point. He had been thinking of himself, and it was time to expand his vision. Marriage to the Queen would change everything. For the better. He needed to act for the benefit of all his force not merely for what he desired.

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I didn’t see this proposal coming. It’s a big step, and I need an acclimation period.”

  Baby Doll smiled at him. “Been there. Done that. Turned down a dozen proposals but never got one from royalty.” She leaned across the table toward him. “You don’t have the options I had. I could just say no or excuse myself to the head and then sneak away. You need to make it a quick acclimation period and then accept the offer.”

  Rafe nodded and said to Mason Reed, “When we departed the Electra System after that fight, your suggestion of me proposing to the Queen because of the replacement ships she got for us is coming true. Slightly in reverse as far as who is doing the proposing, but the end result will be the same.”

  Mason smiled at him. “There are worse fates. Probably a couple thousand of them.” He paused as he got serious. “Rafe, I know this is a tough call so soon after Sky Mallory, and it wasn’t on the schedule of upcoming events, but you can’t turn this down. You just can’t. This is a game changer. The biggest one we are ever going to get.”

  Rafe nodded and glanced at Blondie. She stared back in undisguised disapproval. Hawkins understood it. She was a Royal Navy officer and a citizen of the Empire. She would hold the Queen in the highest regard. Hawkins nodded to her. “Go ahead. You know you want to.”

  Blondie leaped on the invitation. “You must marry her, Captain. It would be the highest insult not to and would have consequences for all of us in the Badlands. Also, you would find yourself with no allies in the Upper House and no friends in their military. People like Lord Cunningham would see to that, and the insult to the Queen would be just the excuse they would need to close you out of any influence within the Empire. Screw this up and there is no recovery.”

  Hawkins nodded slightly. Blondie left out the part of the Queen being embarrassed over the refusal as she focused her comments on the effects he would endure. She also might have thought Hawkins didn’t give a damn about the Queen’s feelings so that would not factor into his decision.

  Hawkins leaned back in his seat. “Thanks to all of you for your input. You make some important points. I need to think this through before heading back down to eat.”

  Everyone stood to depart, everyone except Killian O’Hare. She didn’t so much as twitch as she continued to regard Hawkins quietly from her seat. All present knew she was waiting for a private conversation. They also knew she had the most influence on him. Everyone filed out without another word. As the last one out, Mason closed the hatch behind him.

  The two lifelong companions looked at each other. She spoke for the first time. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  He gave a small smile. “Several women saying that to me in the last hour—the Queen, Tactical, you.”

  “Great minds think alike, and we are all thinking you are being extremely stupid today.”

  “Probably,” he answered.

  She continued, “No ‘probably’ about it. Marriage to a rich, powerful, smart, beautiful queen. There are about ten billion men out there who would love to be thrown into that particular tar pit. Why aren’t you one of them?”

  Raferty stood up and moved away from the table. She stood and followed him. He turned around, and she was right there in fr
ont of him. She closed the distance between them until they were half a meter apart. “Tell me,” she said quietly.

  He replied just as quietly. “I don’t see what she gets from this. Like you say, there are ten billion men who would take the deal in a nanosecond. Several hundred of them would be rich business tycoons, or peers from powerful families, or highly respected men skilled in various fields that would be very suitable matches for her—much more so than a self-educated pirate who fell into a peerage. The only things I got going for me at the moment is I’m a colorful media figure who has won a few battles. Well, color fades, the media moves on, and nobody remembers war heroes after one standard year. She needs to be thinking long term here, and I don’t see myself as a good long-term prospect, so we are back to the original question. What’s in it for her?”

  Surprisingly, O’Hare nearly laughed but settled for a broad smile. “You’re not dealing with some sixteen-year-old virgin who has a crush on you. She is the Queen of the Aurora Empire, for God’s sake. Everything you just said, she already knows. She knows what she is doing. Trust her on this.”

  Rafe recalled his grandfather’s identical advice on trust as he responded to O’Hare. “You seem to be trusting in fate and good feelings here. Not your normal modus operandi.”

  O’Hare said, “I think the Queen is playing it straight. She is smart enough to know all the ramifications of this, and she has the situation well in hand.” She leaned toward him. “Trust her.”

  He looked at her quietly. Tactical was his sister and they were very close but, in some ways, he was closer to O’Hare. He couldn’t remember a day without her in his life, and if he could remember such a day, he wouldn’t want to. He decided to trust her intuition on this and immediately felt better about the circumstances. A frown crossed his features as he suddenly realized the effect his wedding decision would have on their relationship. He didn’t like what he was thinking. He talked without thinking further about it. He had to say it before he overthought it. “I would miss you.”