by Mike Smith
“What?” Miranda stared at them incomprehensibly.
Jon raised his head to look into her eyes, before offering her his hand, motioning for her to take a seat on the bed next to him. Thinking for a moment, he started in a quiet voice. “People joined the Imperial Navy for many different reasons. Some people believed in the ideals that the service represented and others joined because they had little choice, some just because it was a job and offered an escape from poverty,” Jon said. “However, others joined it because they liked it. They enjoyed the killing, liked inflicting pain and suffering on others. It was one of the few avenues in life open to them to practice their depravities.”
Miranda looked at the three men in the room, none of whom would meet her eyes. “And you permitted this?” She demanded in a hoarse voice.
“No. Of course not,” Jon was quick to reply. “But…” he trailed off.
“When you see your friends butchered by some enemy, their throats slit, sometimes shot like dogs, well sometimes the boundaries become a little less certain. Sometimes you lose sight of where doing your duty ends and the pleasure of inflicting pain on others, knowing that they would do the same to you if they could, begins.” Gunny tried to explain.
“That’s why they call it war, Miranda,” Jon added grimly. “It’s not pretty or noble and it always brings out the worst in people. However,” he added firmly, “That does not make it right and to answer your question, no, we never condoned it.”
“Then by the Maker, how was this man ever permitted to become a Praetorian?” Miranda demanded.
“I don’t know,” Jon replied exasperatedly. “Gideon, my predecessor, he was an honourable man and he would never have permitted it.” Which in a way was an answer unto itself, Jon acknowledged despondently. For Gideon only had one master, one person that could over-rule his better judgement—the Emperor.
Even worse was the growing fear in Jon’s belly at what Sejanus might have done to Sofia. He would have been constantly around her, possibly alone. To protect her! Jon felt like crying out aloud. What were Gideon and Marcus thinking? Could they not see? They should have been protecting Sofia from monsters like that. Yet all Jon could do was to cling steadfast to his belief in his predecessor. Jon knew Gideon had loved Sofia like a daughter; he would never have allowed any harm to befall her. Gideon had been the eldest, the wisest and the strongest of all of them. Surely he would have recognised Sejanus for what he truly was? Something must have happened to him to finally be cast out of the Praetorian Guard forever.
“I’m sorry,” Miranda said, filling the sudden silence. “I didn’t mean to imply that any of you—” she trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
“Keep your compassion Miranda,” Jon replied softly, in barely a whisper. “Keep it close; wrap it as tightly around you as possible and in the days, months and years ahead, no matter how bad things seem always remember there is an inherent goodness in people. Just look at yourself, stolen as a child, you were raised by the Syndicate, sent to kill on their behalf, yet today, without thinking through the consequences, you were prepared to risk your life for another. A person who you had never met before and knew nothing about.”
Jason cleared his throat after a few minutes as nobody had a response to Jon’s words. “So what else did Sejanus say after,” Jason averted his eyes. “Gunny and Miranda left.”
“Not much,” Jon sighed dejectedly. “Without offering up Sofia, Sejanus demanded something of equal value in return. I doubt we can bribe him with a few million credits as easily as Captain Johansson.”
Gunny shrugged, “So just offer him something that he wants.”
“Like what?” Jon replied exasperatedly. “Maybe a couple more warships, in case he does not have enough already? How about enough weapons to equip an army or even better, how about a couple of dozen nuclear warheads? Or something worse? The man is a psychopath who enjoys the suffering of others. You think I am going to give him anything to help him further those sick desires?”
Gunny just shrugged again. “So offer him more of the carrot and less of the stick.”
“Like what?” Jon demanded.
Gunny’s eyes flickered in Miranda’s direction, but did not voice the option out loud.
Jon could only stare in disbelief at Gunny, somebody he had known for years and somebody he thought he knew. “You cannot be serious,” he said pronouncing each word syllable by syllable. “Do you have you any idea what he would do to her?”
“I said offer her. Nothing about letting him take her.”
“No,” Jon said, his jaw set firmly.
“Isn’t that Miranda’s decision to make, not yours?”
“What is my decision to make?” Miranda interrupted, not following the subtle undertones of the conversation between the two men.
“Gunny is suggesting that we offer you to Sejanus in exchange for the Emperor,” Jon replied, not once taking his eyes off Gunny. “It’s not an option.”
“I’ll do it,” came the softly spoken response.
Jon whirled around to face Miranda in disbelief. “Like hell you will,” he insisted. “We will find another way.”
“There isn’t time,” Miranda replied in a resigned tone. “Paul will be arriving with the Sunfire in a little over twelve hours.”
“You don’t have anything to prove to us Miranda,” Jon replied firmly. “I won’t allow it.”
“Is this because I am not part of your precious Navy or because you worry that you are falling in love with me?” Miranda asked, finally looking up from the floor into Jon’s shocked expression.
“I think it’s time that you checked on the troops Gunny,” Jason intervened hurriedly. “Time for me also to be going, I have to, well I’m not sure what I have to do, but there must be something that needs doing. Come on Gunny.” Jason bustled the large marine quickly through the door. Meanwhile Gunny’s eyes were full of laughter at the dumbfounded expression on Jon’s face.
Jon was woken from his sudden stupor by the door quietly sliding shut. “I cannot believe that you just said that.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Miranda insisted, staring intently at him.
“Absolutely not.”
“Then why will you not even consider it? If I was just another one of your officers?”
“No.”
“Then it’s because I am a woman?”
“No.”
“Then if it’s not because you are in love with me, then why?”
“Because damn it, I don’t want to lose you too,” Jon finally confessed.
“Nothing is going to happen to me, you are not going to lose me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you promised me. You swore to me back on Terra Nova that you wouldn’t let anything happen to me and I believed you. I agreed to do this because I still believe what you said and whatever happens I know in my heart you won’t let him hurt me.”
Jon could only rub his face tiredly, not wanting to look into her eyes, knowing he would see the truth of her words shining brightly in them. Even worse, not knowing for sure if he was able to keep that promise.
“Jon I trust you. I trust you with my life and I trust you with my heart,” she said softly. Reaching out to touch his face gently, forcing him to finally look up at her.
Looking into her soft brown eyes Jon could see the truth of her words, her belief in him totally overwhelming. Finding he could not disagree with her when faced with such humbling honesty, instead he shifted closer to her on the bed, until their bodies were almost touching and their lips were only inches apart. Jon could feel her warm breath on his lips as she unconsciously licked her full lips. Then ever so slowly he began to dip his head toward hers.
His taste exploded in her mouth, the feel of his soft lips and his smooth tongue sliding against hers. Miranda was immediately transported back to the time on Terra Nova, when Jon had kissed her for the first time. He consumed her utterly, so what could she do but kiss him bac
k in exactly the same way?
When she did, he covered her body with his, gently lowering her until she was lying flat on the bed. He tangled his fingers in her hair and curved his hand into her hip. She gasped at the quickness and intensity of his possession, and he took advantage of the opportunity to taste her still more deeply. He joined his tongue with hers before sucking it into his mouth, then he slanted his head for a more thorough invasion. The hand at her hip reached up and, finding the fastening to her flight suit, slowly unzipped it, his fingers dancing along the bare skin beneath. Unable to stop herself, Miranda drove her own hands under his uniform, gasping at the strength she encountered there. A shudder of heat rocked her, pooled in her belly, staggered her heart rate and blinded her to anything but the feel of Jon as he touched her everywhere.
His hand skipped briefly over her breast then, restless, he smoothed his palm down over her ribs, lingering at her waist, her hip, her thigh, where he finally curled his fingers over the flight suit still covering her legs. Instinctively, she hooked her calf over his, fearful he would be coming to his senses any time now and would try to pull away, just like he did the last time.
But he didn’t pull away.
Instead he rolled onto his back, rolling Miranda with him until she was sprawled over him. With their positions reversed, she tunnelled the fingers of one hand through the silk of his hair and curled the others around his nape. She felt his hands running down the length of her back, from her shoulders down to her bottom and then to her thighs, before they retraced the journey in a more leisurely fashion. Then he roped his arms around her waist and held her fast against him, so he could wreck more havoc on her mouth.
“Don’t leave me tonight.” The words escaped from her, before she even realised she had said them out loud. “I don’t want to be alone.”
Jon reared up, gazing at her intently, his eyes just as dark as Sejanus’ had been when he touched her hours before. However, his eyes did not leave her cold all over, but started a fire blazing hot and wild inside her, like nothing she’d ever felt before.
“You won’t be alone tonight. I promise,” he said.
*****
As Miranda once again stared into the emptiness of Sejanus’ eyes, she remembered the previous night. Drawing on the feelings of safety and comfort Jon instilled in her and surrounding herself with them like a blanket. Jon had already gone when she finally awoke, but she could still feel his warmth from where he had laid next to her during the night. They had slept together entwined, this time with no barrier separating them. The warmth and scent of Jon had surrounded her, strong and reassuring. She had slept peacefully in the knowledge that while she lay within his arms, nothing could possibly hurt her. She knew in the hours and days ahead she would need to draw on every drop of that strength.
Upon arriving back in Sejanus’ office for the second time, Miranda sensed the subtle shift in the mood of the room. It certainty seemed like Sejanus was expecting trouble, as unlike their first meeting, this time a number of guards were stationed in strategic places around the room. Jon, however, had not even broken stride upon entering the room, he simply let his gaze linger on them for an instant before dismissing them out of hand. Taking another look at Jon from the corner of her eye, she envied his confidence, as inside she could feel a tendril of unease beginning to spread over her. Her heart beat a little faster, fearful of what was going to transpire next. The expression on Jon’s face made her catch her breath, as his jaw was tight and his eyes were furious. He looked as if he was barely able to contain his simmering anger.
“I must say that I am surprised Admiral,” Sejanus said in an amused tone, after Jon explained what he was prepared to offer in place of the Princess. “I never took you for the type of person who would share.” He shot Jon a sardonic look.
Jon could already feel his patience starting to fray, as he was growing tired of this charade and itched for the time Sejanus would end it and they could bring this game of his to its inevitable conclusion. Yet, once again, he had to remind himself that for the moment Sejanus held all the cards and he would need to play by his rules. But only for a very short while longer.
“Just answer the damn question,” Jon replied, consciously forcing himself not to roll his eyes in disdain. “Do you agree to the terms or don’t you?”
Sejanus looked thoughtful for a moment, before a sly expression slowly crept across his face. “I’m not sure,” he mused aloud. “I have no way to compare if the gifts are of comparable worth, but perhaps you could advise me? Who was the better lay, the beautiful Captain here or the Princess?”
Jon’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Sejanus intently. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Oh come Commander,” he interrupted, clapping his hands together in child-like delight. “No need to be so modest. Even this far out on the rim we heard the rumours about the mighty Praetorian Commander and the last Imperial Princess. Please do not continue to insult my intelligence with this farce you have been perpetuating. I doubt you can continue to claim you are Harkov when my spies reliably inform me he has been dead for weeks. Not unless you plan to claim to be his recently departed spirit?” Sejanus crowed with obvious delight and self-satisfaction, immeasurably proud of himself for finally revealing Jon’s true identity.
However, the pleased expression on Sejanus’s face slipped slightly when he noticed that far from being surprised, or despondent at the ruse finally being over, Jon was staring at him with an intent expression. At the same time, the sight of Jon seemed to flicker and waver, as if he was consciously casting off a disguise, to reveal his true identity. For Jon seemed to grow in size and stature, his previous demeanour of irritation and frustration replaced with one of cold, laser-like intensity, his eyes darkening to a flinty-grey, the intensity of his stare increasing in order of magnitude. As he took a step closer towards Sejanus, he seemed to grow even more daunting and intimidating with each step.
Sejanus unconsciously took a step back, alarmed by the sudden change in the demeanour of the man. For suddenly, it had felt as if the power and control in the room had abruptly shifted and Sejanus was finally facing what Jon truly was—the Praetorian Commander. Implacable, unyielding, with eyes blazing, being the undisputed leader of that group of legendary warriors Sejanus had been so callously cast out from. Even without the sword, Sejanus was reminded of a younger Gideon, his nemesis who had once taken everything from him.
“I wondered how much longer you would insist on carrying on this charade,” Jon insisted with a cold glare. “I was getting a headache continually forced to act like that over-confident, talkative dolt. I did the galaxy a favour by sending him back to hell, on a one-way ticket. You will share the same fate shortly, unless you take me to the Emperor immediately.” Jon did not need to act self-important like Sejanus did, he simply stated the edict as if the outcome was already predetermined. “Take me to him. Now,” he commanded, his voice cracking like a whip, causing even Sejanus’ hair to stand on end.
With a conscious effort Sejanus reminded himself that in this place, at this time, he was still firmly in control. He still held Marcus captive and he would soon have the Princess. Radec was just a solitary man, even more so without his fabled sword.
“You!” Sejanus practically screamed, pointing his finger accusingly at Jon. “Do not tell me what to do in my office and, what’s more, on my planet. For here you are nothing, being only a loyal subject with no master, commander of a regiment that has long since passed into the history books. You are simply a single, solitary man, who is powerless and helpless, you can do nothing except threaten and bluster.”
“Take care Sejanus,” Jon whispered in a deathly quiet tone of voice, taking a step closer. “For you are starting to sound much like Harkov. He said much the same thing to me, whilst seated on his flagship, surrounded by the full might of an Imperial Taskforce. He also accused me of being powerless and helpless. Right up until the moment I smashed his mighty flagship, with him in it,
into a million pieces across my knee, like a child’s toy. You should fear me, what I am capable of doing, as there are no limits, no constraints to my wrath, when angered. I will unleash the forces of hell on you and I will tear this planet apart rock-by-rock until it is nothing but the same floating ball of dust that it once came from. Give me Marcus and I will leave, never to return, but cross me at your peril Sejanus.”
Sejanus seemed to shrink away from him, aghast at the transformation. It appeared as though, instead of Radec standing in front of him, it was a malevolent entity from some sort of nightmare realm. The lights in the room seemed to flicker with his words, a cold breeze blowing over him as if the very gates of hell were slowly being forced open.
“You seem to have failed to pay attention to my first demonstration of power over life and death,” Sejanus finally rallied. Taking a firm grip on his sword his eyes swivelled around to the guards in the room surrounding the Commander, as if to draw strength from them. “So perhaps you need another demonstration? This one a little more, personal.” Sejanus seemed to ooze malice.
“If he takes one more step forward kill him!” Sejanus told the guards, who finally seemed to come to life, drawing their pistols and pointing them directly at the Commander. Meanwhile Sejanus moved swiftly towards Miranda, who had been frozen on the spot, unable to reconcile the man now standing in the middle of the room with the one who held her so gently only hours before.
Just like the young woman the day before, Sejanus reached around Miranda’s neck with a strong forearm, immobilising her, pulling her firmly towards his chest, at the same time twisting her around until she was facing Jon. Miranda paled at the sound of the sword slowly being withdrawn from its sheath.
She could feel the sharp point of the blade jutting into her lower back.
She slowly raised her eyes to hold Jon’s stare, expecting to see worry, fear, even anger. Instead all she recognised was a quiet confidence. With a small, subtle shake of his head, Jon managed to convey a multitude of feelings and impressions to her. That she was not to move, she would be fine and he would not allow any harm to come to her. That it was he was in control of the situation this time.