The Red Queen [Book 7 of Ever After, an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel]

by Robert Iannone

  “Send the fleet with her,” suggested Serenity.

  “I have thought of that. Again, that would seem out of the ordinary and would arouse her suspicions. I will, however, send the fleet out to greet her on their return trip. By then she will know she has been elected Queen.”

  “Don’t like it,” complained Serenity. “Feels wrong.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” and the other two turned to Jax’x. “Let’s use Ziz to deliver the message when they reach their destination. We can get Kreed to stow it onboard without Egg knowing.”

  “Doesn’t the dragonetta only respond to your amber heart powers?” asked Meggy.

  Sparky interrupted. “I can put an A.I. in that thing. It will act independently . . . or until Egg gives it a command.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Still don’t like it,” continued the Grump. “Egg is defenseless if she’s attacked.”

  Meggy rolled her eyes. “Flying Girl is never defenseless, but I am open to suggestions.”

  “Let’s give Ziz some upgrades,” suggested Jax’x.

  “Like what?”

  “Give her the ability to communicate with us, for one.”

  “Very good. What else?” asked Meggy.

  For the next thirty minutes, the two geniuses came up with a hundred possible ideas. But with only a week until Egg left, they would have to pick and choose which they could do.

  Chapter 3 – All Lives Matter

  Egg changed out of her dress and put on her usual casual attire. She had already made the first regal impression of queen. With a long journey ahead of her, she might as well be comfortable. When she finished, she began to pack. Having a few moments alone with Ziz, she asked, “What did they do to you?”

  “It was horrible. They cut me open and began to . . .”

  “ZIZ! Stop. Just describe the upgrades . . . and keep it simple.”

  “I can draw you a picture, if that would help?”

  Despite herself, Egg laughed. “It’s like having Serenity for company.”

  “I’m much prettier.”

  “Yeah, you are. Listen up – we don’t have much time. Tell me about the upgrades.”

  “Gotcha. You can use me to communicate with Jax’x, I’m now able to bite and peck if you’re attacked. I can project holographic images of Mobius and Bl’uddd . . .”

  “Stop. Why those two?”

  “Big, ugly and scarier as heck.”

  “True dat. Keep going.”

  “I can raise a protective shield to protect myself, I . . .” but the rest was interrupted by the pounding on the door.

  “Yes?” called Egg.

  “Times up. Get out here or I’ll drag you out.”

  “Rude little thing,” observed the dragonetta.

  “At least he didn’t barge in. Okay, play dumb.” Before Ziz could snap off a rude retort, Egg raised her hand. “NO MORE TALKING.”

  “Eek.”

  “Better.” To the bad-mannered hobgoblin on the other side of the door she said, “You have my permission to enter and carry my valise.”

  *****

  She returned to the General who was still in the main control room. “I’m ready.”

  The tall blue woman looked her prisoner up and down – apparently considering Egg’s new outfit. “I approve. Your clothes are less insulting.”

  Egg had no idea what that meant. “How did my dress insult you?”

  The woman’s tongue darted out and once again tasted the air. “You are like the rest . . . with your fancy clothes and the presumption of superiority over my kind (and her arms embraced the whole room). It is the reason we are here.”

  “I’m sorry but I don’t know what that means.”

  “No matter. I will give you a minute to say goodbye to your crew.”

  Uh oh . . . goosebumps.

  “You are releasing them so they may return home, I presume.”

  The blue woman hissed. “Not likely. Once we transport to my vessel, we will destroy this ship and its crew.”

  On her shoulder, Egg felt Ziz ‘tense’ – her claws digging in a bit deeper and her wings beginning to unfold. She hoped the dragonetta wouldn’t do anything on its own. It would only make the matter worse. To Zwam, she said, “You will do no such thing.”

  “I give the orders here.”

  “General, may I have a word in private?” Egg didn’t wait for a reply; she turned and walked over to a corner of the ship that was unoccupied.

  “Send that mechanical bird to the other side of the room.”

  Egg nodded. “Ziz, over there. Don’t do anything, understand?”

  “Eek.” The dragonetta flew off as instructed.

  The General then told the hobgoblin, “Search her for weapons.”

  The little soldier did as he was told. At one point, Egg felt the search was getting a bit too personal and she slapped the guy’s hands away. “Watch it or I’ll toss you out the airlock.”

  “That’s enough . . . both of you.” Zwam sent the soldier away and she walked up to Egg. “You have thirty seconds.”

  “You are making multiple mistakes. First, this vessel is faster than any of yours and would make an ideal command ship for you. Second, my crew is highly trained in the art of war. Their discipline and knowledge would be invaluable. From my brief encounter with your soldiers, I can tell they could use a lesson in discipline. If you intend to fight the entire Federation, you best have a team that is up to the task. Third, you would make me very, very angry. That is unwise. On the other hand, if you spare them, perhaps we could find ways to work together other than as prisoner and warden.”

  The woman stared at Egg for a good half minute. “You called me over here so that I would not be embarrassed in front of my people.”

  Egg wasn’t sure if that was a question. “Of course. They need to have the utmost respect in your leadership ability. If they heard my arguments and agreed with my reasoning, it might sow seeds of doubt. In war, that could be fatal.”

  Silence again as Zwam considered what she heard. “I have read about you in your history books. They did not lie.”

  Egg smiled. “Maybe not lie, but they do exaggerate. I’m not that special.”

  “I will have your word . . . as Queen of Aerianna and as Flying Girl that you will not try to escape or to harm my crew.”

  “I give you my word.” She really didn’t want to but felt she had no choice. Kreed’s life as well as those of the crew were at stake. The problem was she would never go back on her promise . . . even one made to the enemy under duress. Her options were now a lot more limited than they were a minute ago. In fact, there was only one way out. The General would have to set her free. Oh well, weirder things have happened.

  *****

  They walked back to the center of the room. In a loud voice, but addressing Egg, the General said, “You will inform your crew of our agreement.”

  “Admiral Ax’gard, please step forward.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “To whom do you owe your allegiance?”

  “I am yours to command, Majesty.”

  “Please pledge your fidelity to the General.”

  “Excuse me?” The man tried his best not to show surprise.

  “I will not ask again.”

  Kreed had come to know Egg fairly well since he and Sylvia ‘double dated’ with the Prince and his wife on numerous occasions. It wasn’t difficult to tell she was putting on an act. He looked intently at Egg’s face trying to determine his part in this little play. The Queen-to-be gave him an ever-so-slight shake of the head, no.

  “Sorry, Majesty. I have sworn allegiance to the Crown.”

  Egg stepped closer and without warning tore the insignia of rank off the man’s uniform. Kreed didn’t flinch but everyone else who was not part of his crew let out a gasp. The General, herself, apparently was as surprised as the rest – her tongue darting out and dancing to and fro. “For your insubordination, I am reducing your rank to Captain. Now, I a
sk you again, pledge your allegiance to the General.” This time the tiny nod was a yes.

  “As you wish.” He turned to the blue alien. “With respect, I am at your service.”

  Zwam stared at the man (as he had just done with Egg), examining his face in minute detail. “I will transfer my ‘flag’ to this vessel. My crew will be yours to command. You will instruct your people to teach them all the ship’s functions. Furthermore, I expect you to instill discipline in my people and bring them up to an acceptable level of professionalism.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. Is there anything else?”

  The General felt almost giddy. Never had she expected this encounter to turn out so advantageous to her and the rebellion she was embarking on. “That is all.”

  “Ma’am,” and Kreed turned to leave.

  “One moment,” said Egg.

  “Majesty?”

  “You seem to be out of uniform . . . Captain. Please rectify your mistake.” The twinkling in her eyes almost made Kreed laugh.

  “Apologies,” and he executed a smart about-face. “Lieutenant Amato, you have the bridge.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Kreed turned and bowed his head to his two ‘bosses’ then left the bridge to change back into his original uniform.

  Egg waited until the man left then turned to the General. “Thank you for sparing my men . . . and for allowing me to keep Ziz.”

  The poor General knew she was out of her depths. This woman – this Heroine of Aerianna – was everything she was not. Instead of showing her up by taking credit for what had just happened, this Queen actually thanked her. “I believe I will take you up on your offer to discuss my plans.”

  *****

  They adjourned to Egg’s private dining room. The table was oblong with place settings at the head and to its right – the preferred seating arrangement of Benny and his wife.

  “Please,” said Egg, pointing to the chair at the head of the table.

  Zwam would have normally sat in that chair without being asked as was her right as the Commanding General of the Revolutionary Army and Navy. This time she hesitated. “I believe that is reserved for the Queen,” and she sat down in the other chair.

  Egg walked to the head of the table, grabbed the place setting and moved it across from her guest. “Much better,” she said with a smile as she sat down.

  “You are not what I expected.”

  “Why is that?”

  Instead of answering, Zwam asked, “What do you know of the planets in the Outer Reaches?”

  Egg was about to say something diplomatic but something told her that would be wrong. The truth would serve better. “Almost nothing. I have heard that the other members of the Federation consider you almost uncivilized and beneath contempt.” Well, that was a tad harsh.

  Zwam’s tongue shot out then retracted. Shockingly, she smiled. “I was of the belief that Queens must honey their words less they offend.”

  “I am of the belief that honesty is the basis of friendship.”

  “Are we friends?”

  “Not yet. But, your decision regarding my crew put us on the right track.”

  “You do realize that I am here to start a war against the Federation?”

  “I do. I’m just not sure why?”

  “As you have said, the Federation holds us in contempt.”

  “And their insults require a war to avenge?”

  “We do not seek revenge. We seek respect.”

  *****

  “Waging war won’t get you that respect.”

  “It will if we win.”

  “No. Sorry, it won’t. The vanquished never respect those that conquer them. Regardless, what form do you expect this respect to take? I still don’t understand why you feel it’s worth endangering the lives of billions of people? How did you guys even reach this point?”

  “The three worlds of the Outer Reaches are home to trans-evolutionary species.”

  Egg was about to ask what that was, but the answer seemed to pop into her head. “Unlike the humans, serpents and dragons of Aerianna, your kind have yet to fully evolve. I am originally from a planet called Earth. We believe we evolved from a lower species called Neanderthals. Had any world of the Federation met these less advanced primitives, they would have considered them unworthy of respect or at the very least, not their equals.”

  “You do understand. Thank you.”

  “But your kind are far more advanced then my Neanderthals. Do you have any idea what the end of your evolution might be like?”

  The General smiled ruefully. “We are not that sophisticated. Our science is rudimentary compared to yours. We cannot envision our future.”

  “Yet you have this disruptor weapon.”

  “We traded for it. A passing fleet of deep space explorers were in need of supplies. The disruptor was the only thing of value to us.”

  “And your spaceships?”

  “We purchased them from the Federation. They insisted on a price greater than the ships are worth.”

  “That brings us to this war. How have you been disrespected?”

  “We have been ignored . . . spurned. We attempt to negotiate trade, and are treated like ignorant savages. We ask for help in creating the infrastructure so vital for the growth of any civilization . . . and are refused. We ask for help to train doctors and teachers to help our sick, our children . . . and are rebuffed. We asked for food supplies during a devastating drought . . . and were forced to pay a premium. We ask to be able to partake in their societies, too learn how to act with more advanced civilizations . . . and are laughed at. We ask to be respected for who we are in our evolutionary development . . . and are mocked. If we were not part of a Federation, then we would make do with what nature has afforded us. But we are part of the Federation. We demand to be treated as equals.”

  Egg began to get angry. She just hated when those with the resources or the ability refused to help those in need. But there are always two sides to an argument and she had not heard what the Federation would say to these allegations. “Have you tried to negotiate with the President of the Federation instead of the individual planets?”

  “No. It just seemed more logical to deal with those planets that were closest to us . . . our neighbors.”

  “Then deputize me. I’ll speak to the President on your behalf.”

  “Why would you do that? You don’t know us.”

  “I know injustice. I know that everyone deserves a helping hand in times of need. You’re not asking for anything unreasonable. If you receive help, the planets of the Outer Reaches would become an asset to their neighbors as well as the entire Federation. Everyone wins. Keeping you from advancing more quickly is cruel, selfish, short-sighted and downright illogical.”

  The General once again stared at Egg’s face . . . probably trying to discern the true intent behind the woman’s words. “Your goal is to avert this war,” she stated with great certainty.

  “Well of course. War is a downright stupid way to settle disputes. You may think there is a winner, but that’s just an illusion. Both sides lose, one more so than the other.”

  Egg was shocked when Zwam hung her head and tears fell from her face, making small splashes in the empty dish on the table. “Forgive me,” she mumbled.

  The Queen-to-be stood and hurried over to the other woman and knelt before her. “Look at me,” she pleaded.

  The General did as she was asked.

  “I understand what you’re feeling.”

  Zwam instantly turned angry. “How could you? You have no idea what is in my mind or in my heart.”

  “How about – you’re feeling confused and overwhelmed. And maybe a little bit intimidated. You thought you had a simple answer to your problem – this rebellion. But now you’re beginning to understand that it was never the answer. Worse, you know that in this complex society we call the Federation, you are unprepared to fight the real battle – the one with diplomacy. And just to make it a little more painful, you feel
that you’re letting your people down, and they will pay the price for your failure.”

  The General’s big bug eyes grew even bigger. “How can you know this?”

  “It’s what I would feel if the situation was reversed.” Egg couldn’t have given a better answer if she had been allowed a million tries.

  The tall, blue-skinned woman stood up and waited for Egg to do the same. Then she went to one knee and bowed her head. “Queen Eloise, on behalf of all the citizens in the Outer Reaches, I beg for your help. My people suffer and that must end. I will do whatever you ask . . . even forgo war if that is your wish.”

  Egg reached down and helped the woman to her feet. Then she hugged her. “Of course, I’ll help. And I promise you, that if diplomacy fails, I will personally lead your army and help you defeat the Federation.”

  “You would war against your own?”

  “If they don’t see the error of their ways, they’re going to understand that making Flying Girl mad was a big, big mistake.”

  Chapter 4 – Vote your Conscience

  Every politician on Earth – be they liberal, conservative, Democrat or Republican – would have been flabbergasted by the election process on Aerianna. It was far too logical.

  From the moment the election was announced (in this case by Meggy abdicating) to the actually voting was a mere two weeks. That’s it – anyone who wished to be considered for office had fourteen days to convince the populace that they were the right choice.

  The logic behind this was exquisitely simple. If you wanted to hold public office (even as a Queen), you should already be well known to the populace. Talking to the people about their lives and challenges, performing charitable work to help improve their current conditions, discussing your vision of the future which includes listening to their points of view – this should already have been done. Waiting for a ‘position’ to open before you engage in public service would be deemed hypocritical. The whole point of public service was to serve the public. One didn’t need to be Empress of the Universe to do such work.

  In the two weeks allotted until the voting, candidates had two objectives - remind the people of the service they have already rendered and their vision for the future.