by Chris Burton
* * * *
Jonathan Hoskins was in his quarters. He just woken from a deep sleep, having spent yet another night alone. His mistress and the ship’s CAG, Lieutenant Obeya Temsouri, was on nights again and Hoskins could not help but feel that this was a deliberate ploy on her part, rather than a quirk in the rota. It had been ten days since she last slept beside him. Not that this was unusual. Obeya occasionally backed off from their long term relationship—mostly out of frustration—because of Hoskins’s refusal to commit.
He understood Obeya’s irritation. He spent ninety-nine percent of his time with Obeya over the last four years and just a few short weeks with his wife. Yet it was his wife for which he pined and of course his baby son, Oliver. The truth was he loved them both for different reasons, but he knew he could not have them both. In recent months, Obeya was becoming more vocal on the subject. This latest abstinence on her part was the biggest manifestation yet of how deep her feelings were.
Hoskins was about to take a shower, when the entrance alarm sounded. Obeya had entered his quarters and stood before him in the doorway of the bedroom.
“Hi; how are you?”
“I am tired. It has been a long shift, with not much going on. A bit like the last five shifts in fact.”
“But you have come to seem me this evening. I am glad; I have not seen you properly for ten days.”
“Don’t flatter yourself that I have come here to jump into bed with you right now. There is a good reason why I have kept away for the last ten days and you know damn well what that is.”
“So, why did you come to see me this evening? Or is this an official visit?”
“No, you stupid bastard! I want you to get this into your thick head. I will no longer settle for second best. I don’t want to be shared anymore. I thought it was about time you were ready to make that commitment.”
Obeya was not shouting, but Hoskins saw the emotion build up as she spoke. He knew the onus was very much on him to move things forward.
“Obeya, sweetheart. You know I love you and you know I am committed to you. We are together aren’t we? There is not much I can do when we are stuck on a ship, travelling at stellar velocity across the cosmos.”
“Very impassioned, Jonathan. You just don’t get it, do you? It’s what you fail to say that gives the game away. You still love your wife and I cannot share you, dammit. Well, I’ve had enough now. You are holding me back. I still love you, but I am asking for a transfer. There are at least two other CAG roles available within the chasing fleet alone.”
Hoskins was angry now.
“What do you mean “holding you back”? I am a senior commander in this fleet. I will probably soon be commanding an A class and I will take you with me. You can have the pick of the roles then. The CAG of a Star Ship…”
Obeya shook her head. “So, the Admiral’s mistress can walk into any position she wants because of him and not because of her own accomplishments. Jonathan, we need a break, because you don’t appreciate me. We need space away from each other so you can start to miss me. Maybe then you will give me what I want.”
Hoskins tried not to let his emotion take over. Obeya was showing her emotional side; but she could be utterly ruthless when she wanted something. This period of inactivity affected everybody. Maybe it was a good idea to let her go, but not too far.
“You know if you want to leave, I cannot stop you. But I don’t want you to go. This journey is killing the souls of everybody. It’s giving us too much time to think. All I ask is that you give me some time to prove myself. You know I have a child and his mother on Earth and I prey that they are still alive. I love them both; of course I do. My love for Sarah is because she is the mother of my child. My love for you is much deeper.”
Obeya smiled. “You still know how to pour on the charm Jonathan. I’ll give you that. And you are right I have had too much time to think. But if you and I are to have a real future and believe me, I want that more than anyone; then you have to let me go. We will still see each other. It will help bring us together.”
He knew he was beaten and she was right. In a way he was holding her back. Her career was important to her and she was probably the best CAG in the fleet right now. She needed to grow her career and he could not stand in her way. He paused for a few moments before responding.
“Okay. You win. Get the transfer set up and make sure I have a good replacement CAG. But I want you close by Obeya. We need to continue to see each other. We need to make time to be together. It’s important we spend some quality time together before you go. Is that okay?”
Hoskins saw the relief on Obeya’s face. This had clearly been on her mind for a long time. She smiled and brought herself close to him, kissing him on the cheek before releasing her grip.
“Yes, I will adjust my shift patterns, so we can be together. I think this will work for us and, in time, we can be together again properly. For now, let’s just make the most of the time we have left.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Queen’s Advocate
Carla wasted no time when she arrived back on Alpha Two. Having formerly briefed Colonel Harrington, she now planned to protect her family. She was in a position of strength, uniquely with a line direct to the President and she intended to exploit it.
* * * *
“So, what would you ask of me, Carla?”
“I want to protect my family, sir. My parents and my sister. I think you know the history.”
“Yes. I do, but I am not sure I can do much. Are your parents under or over sixty?”
“Under, sir. But because of my position with the Queen, they are all at risk. I want them to disappear.”
“If this is going where I think it is going, then I think we should meet personally come to my office today. We will find somewhere safe to talk.”
“Thank you Mister President. I will be with you shortly.”
The comm.link ended and Carla opened a new link to the senate administrative team. She needed a shuttle to Earth ASAP.
Two hours later, the senate shuttle set down on the launch pad, inside the confines of the Presidential buildings. Carla disembarked and was greeted by a presidential aide, who led her straight to the lawned area behind the Presidents office. She was guided to a large oval metallic table, under cover of a sweeping linen sun canopy, where tea was being served. The President was reading. He looked up when he saw Carla and stood to greet her.
“Major. Please take a seat and have some tea.”
“Thank you Mister President.”
Roslyn waited patiently while the tea was poured and the maid was out of earshot before speaking
“Now. Down to business. First of all, this area has been swept for bugs and electronic scanning devices and we have an operational blocker in place to prevent unwanted spies from above. We are quite secure. You mentioned that you wanted to protect your family. I am presuming you are alluding to the protection afforded by Alpha and their underground bunker; which of course you should not know about.”
“Yes, sir; that is what I had in mind. My parents and my sister are both under threat if something goes wrong with my discussions with the Queen. I just can’t risk them being taken. They would presumably be safe if Alpha had them?”
“I would think so. Logistically it may prove slightly difficult, but I will make sure they are protected one way or another. Now, perhaps we can discuss the actual content of your discussions.”
* * * *
Twelve hours later and Carla was back in the Queen’s sanctuary. The Queen just joined her.
“Welcome Carla. I see you have taken my threat seriously and taken steps to remove your family from danger. But of course they are not in danger and you are here, of your own free will and you want to find out as much as you can about me as I want to about you. Let us start with me to
day. I want to explain something of our history and our caste system.”
The Queen paused, as if expecting a response from Carla. Carla had nothing to say. She was listening intently, but trying desperately to keep the Queen from penetrating her mind.
How the hell did she find out about her family? Had she read her mind or was the President’s security leaking? The extended silence made her realize a response was merited.
“I am grateful to you, Trieste. We are keen to find out more about the Kryl. I am sure there will be a cross-over of areas of interest.”
“How diplomatic of you Carla. I mentioned before that we want to be your friends. We mean you no harm, but of course your people are providing a source of sustenance for my people. It is important that you understand why.”
The Queen started to explain the Kryl caste system; explaining that a Kryl was born with no caste and it wasn’t until adulthood that the caste for each Kryl was revealed. She went on to detail the various levels of castes and why the distinction was so clear. The stronger the extra sensory capability, the higher the caste; the ultimate caste, always a female; the Queen. If the Queen then joined with a Kronan and conception took place, the balance of power was shared between the Queen and the chosen Kronan; the chosen one, both being now as powerful as each other.
Carla showed genuine interest as the Queen talked about how the caste system related to her. The Queen went on to say that while she had twice selected her chosen one, conception had never actually taken place.
“What happened to your chosen ones? Did you just move on?”
“No! Your partner, Jake Carter executed my first and contributed to the death of my second.”
Carla instantly regretted her interjection. So, Winterburn had been her chosen mate.
“You knew him as Winterburn, but his name was Navalion. He was a remarkable Kryl, who selflessly took himself away from the trappings of power to seek out a new food source. I believe you knew him quite well yourself.”
Carla gasped when the implication of what the Queen suggested became apparent.
“We were never intimate!”
“Relax. Any sexual activity was part of his rouse. I believe your sister was quite taken in by him.”
Again the reference to her family. Carla tried to close her mind to any further personal issues. She was determined to not let the queen probe her mind again.
“My second chosen one was Morvalt.”
“Jake played no part in his death. He was rescued and Morvalt was killed in the battle that ensued.”
“After our peace treaty was signed, Carla…and Alpha continue to breach the terms of that treaty. We will turn our attention to that matter now. It is about time you participated more fully in this conversation.”
Carla was taken aback by the force in the Queen’s voice. It was as if everything that had gone before was designed to bring them to this point. Again she felt compelled to respond. But she tried to stand her ground.
“I am not sure I understand what you mean?”
“Yes, you do Carla. I want to know what Alpha is planning.”
Carla tried not to panic. She knew if her stress levels rose, her mind would be more open to the Queen’s penetrative forces. She had to keep control.
“My role is as a diplomat. I am not privy to operational maneuvers and of course Alpha has effectively been disbanded.”
“Which explains why large numbers of Alpha vessels have been seen heading away from Earth. Where are they going Carla?”
“I am sorry, Trieste; I don’t know. I am not the right person to ask.”
“You are hiding something but I must commend you. Your attempts to block me are being at least partially successful. Let us move on again. Tell me about your relationship with Jake Carter?”
The Queen was twisting the knife; deliberately moving from one emotive subject to another and Carla had no choice but to participate. The Queen had her just where she wanted her; hoping eventually she would break. But Carla was strong. She had been through this before and was not going to be beaten. She continued her stance. She would cooperate but not let the Queen in.
“Jake is my partner and we plan to have a future together.”
“So, are you together now? Where is he?”
“I don’t know where he is. I guess he is continuing his training.”
“You love and miss him. Surely you must have some idea when you will see him again.”
Carla needed to get off this subject. She had to turn defense into offence. She needed to change tack.
“Yes, I love him and miss him. Is there a new chosen one for you?”
The Queen laughed. “If you mean Safrec, then he is not the chosen one and he never will be.”
Carla was enthused. She managed to detract the conversation and wanted to keep it that way.
“But he is your Kronan. As there can be only one Kronan; that means you will not find a mate all the time he is in that position.”
“I do not need a chosen one. Kryl are different to humans. I have many sexual partners, at different castes. The only time the chosen one is relevant is when and if I intend to breed. Which I do not.”
“But he is still an obstacle to that. Okay, you don’t want children yet, but what about someone to be close too. Will Safrec ever fulfill that role?”
She could see that the Queen was angry. She felt the muscles tightening at the back of her neck. Oh, my God—is she going to kill me? The pain subsided as the Queen returned to her normal passive self. Her pallid complexion and featureless face, showing little of the anger she had displayed only moments before.
“I do not need companionship Carla. I do not need to share my power. I am the Kryl Queen and I will reign on my own. That is enough for today. You should leave now. I will not need to see you tomorrow, return the next day and we can continue.”
Carla knew she hit a raw nerve. Something she needed to carefully exploit over the coming days and weeks. She had been given a unique opportunity to do something here. If she could maintain control. It would be Carla penetrating the Queen’s mind rather than the other way round.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Destination Moon
The Pantheon and the Patrol ship linked now only by the umbilical portal were in standard orbit fifty-five kilometers above the moon surface. Half the Pantheon’s crew already transported to the moons surface via the Pantheons two shuttle craft, which were free to take off and land; the storm on the surface of the moon having now abated.
Jake Carter and Wesley Smith were in the Pantheons ready room discussing the difficulties of maneuvering the Pantheon through the fifteen kilometer atmospheric barrier. The logistics of pulling the Pantheon through the atmosphere at the correct angle was a technical minefield. Too fast and the Pantheons already weakened superstructure would fail; too slow and the atmospheric weight of the Pantheon could pull the Patrol ship into a spiral, sending both ships plunging towards the surface out of control.
“The approach angle must be trimmed by two degrees and the cut-off timed perfectly; two kilometers beyond the atmospheric belt. Then you need to gain sufficient momentum to pull back up. I guess you need to be straight too. It will require a hell of a piece of flying. What experience do you have of piloting a Patrol ship in heavy atmosphere?”
“None…but I have no problem with this as long as we get the plan right. I think we should stick to the current approach angle. That way both ships come through the heat unscathed. It will just require greater adjustment once we are free. Don’t forget the Pantheon is going to be in free fall, the moment we release the bubble. The angles here are critical to preserve the Pantheon.”
“If the old man see’s what you are planning, he will never sanction it.”
“We haven’t come this far, only to ditch the Pantheon into the
mountains at the last minute. Wesley this was always going to be the difficult stage. We get everybody off both ships and onto the moon surface and then we go for it. Chadwick knows you have the final say.”
“Yes, arguably he is complicit in agreeing to this by not countermanding your orders. We have come this far. We need to speak to him now though.”
“I agree. I will ask him to join us.”
* * * *
Less than thirty crew members remained aboard the Pantheon and all were limited to the top deck, where the air supply from the patrol ship was able to create breathable conditions. The engineering team had completed work on the thrusters, which would soon become critical to the survival of the ship. Wesley Smith and Jake Carter were joined by Lieutenant Chadwick.
“I guess you are going to try to sell this to me now?”
Smith knew he would probably have to pull rank to get Chadwick to agree, but he wanted broad approval and he needed the Patrol ships CO to see that all angles were considered.
“You’ve seen the figures Bill. Both of us have issues and there is no pretending there are no inherent dangers for both ships; but we have mitigated them to the best of our abilities.”
“At best the chances of survival for both ships is less than fifty percent. I still feel the sensible option would be to leave the Pantheon in orbit. We can get a ship here from Earth if necessary and a larger ship would be able to tow her down to the moon surface, where repairs can still be carried out. You have done a great job getting the Pantheon here Jake. The crew are safely on the ground; let’s cut our losses. Some battles are not meant to be won.”