by Frank Carey
"Aren't you sweet? If you're finished in here, why don't you take me down to the lounge and introduce me to everyone?"
"Yeah, sure, good idea. Silvestri, take over, but let me know of any problems."
"Yes, sir. Hello, Mistress Gloria. Nice body."
"Hello, Silvestri. Thank you. How are they treating you?"
"Very well, mistress. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable."
"I will," she said as Tobath walked her back to the Lounge.
CHAPTER FOUR
Arriska sat in the window of the palace and stared out at the star-filled night sky wondering what Tobath was doing at this exact moment. Though the palace and the grounds were aboard a giant spacecraft, the illusion was perfect. Here, she could imagine she was living on a real planet and not some metal and composite behemoth. She had been thinking about him a lot lately as life in the palace grew more tense. Shortly after her return, she came to the realization that she had made a horrible mistake. Visions of the prisoners filled her dreams, but the look on Tobath's face, the sadness and disgust, filled her nightmares.
"Arriska, my precious, why do you not sleep?" her mother asked from the open doorway. Arriska's mother, Sarriska, the Queen of the Martok race, stood there in all her royal glory. Eight feet of pure, four-armed, royalty who, in the eyes of her subjects at least, could do no wrong. She stood there, deeply worried about her increasingly troubled daughter.
"Hello, Mother. What keeps you up so late?"
"Affairs of state. The War which goes on much too long."
"Mother, may we speak of Tobath?"
"That name holds no meaning for me or for you. He deceived us, betrayed us. If I ever see him, I will rip his arms off and feed his carcass to my pets. Do not be troubled, little one; the palace is filled with suitors. You just need to choose one."
"Dammit, Mother. I love Tobath. He is my other half. How is it you cannot understand love? Did you not love Father?"
"We will not speak of this again. The matter is closed. Get some sleep," she said as she walked out of the room leaving Arriska to bury her head in her hands and cry.
The cry of a wumpwump startled her from her grief. She looked out the window and saw it in the bright light of the holographic moon, running from tree to tree as a sat ska chased it. It came to the end of a limb and stood there as the predator closed on it. At the last possible moment, it leapt straight up as the sataska dove for it, causing the predator to fly underneath it and out into the night to land in the river below her window. The little prey animal landed on its patch of branch, safe for now. With a flick of its tail, it was gone.
Arriska remembered something that Tobath once told her. He said that the mark of true sentience was the ability to adapt to any situation and survive. If the universe gave you sourfruit, then plant it and grow an orchard.
Arriska wiped her tears and changed into traveling clothes and a cloak. She wrote a note for her mother before arranging for her private ship to be prepared for flight and a car brought around to the front entrance. It was time for the Princess to get her ass in gear and grow a sourfruit tree.
CHAPTER FIVE
The ship slipped out of the palace and headed out into the vastness of space with her majesty, the Princess Arriska, searching through the Martok Master Database for any mention of Tobath and his whereabouts. The database was a storehouse of knowledge collected over the thousand plus centuries of the Empire’s existence from the first days to present. Unknown to any in the League, it included League news feeds collected by automated listening posts strung along the border between Martok and League space since the creation of the League. The Martok knew more about the League than many of its citizens.
As with all Royal ships, the Royal Courier Ship P'Kena's computer system connected to the vast database via another-space radio link. This link is what made it possible for Arriska to look through League information faster than the League itself.
"Computer, League of Planetary Systems, alias League," she said to the terminal.
"Working... Accepted."
"Computer, search, League, proper name Tobath, context Martok."
"Working... Eight hundred thirty-two references."
"Display first one hundred."
The screen filled with titles and synopses of articles mentioning Tobath in context with the Martok.
"Too old. Computer same search, time last month."
"Working... Three references."
"Display."
The three references appeared on the screen. Two were retrospective pieces pertaining to the events which led to the war. The third one contained an article about the current war, but she could not find any reference to Tobath. About to give up and chalk it up to a glitch, she saw a tiny advertisement for a musical group scheduled to play at a venue on the edge of League space. The group called themselves Musae and someone named Tobath was listed as a member.
"Computer. League. All references to musical group Musae."
"Working... Five thousand eighty-three references."
"Temporal span?"
"Five years eight months."
"Display last thirteen months."
"Working..."
The screen filled with references starting thirteen months ago, right before the Arriska incident. She read each one before coming to an article in a music-related newsletter about Musae. The group contained members of the Musae family, all adopted by a Storen woman named Nersa Musae. The article ended with the mention of a new member named Tobath, a total unknown. He had taken over the duties of their ship's engineer. Below the article was s picture of the family and off to one side was a familiar face.
"Tobath, my love," she whispered. "Computer, transfer next location of Musae to the bridge."
"Working. Completed."
"Captain, this is Arriska."
"Yes, milady."
"I have just transferred a set of coordinates to the bridge. Set course for them, best possible speed."
"Milady, those coordinates are for a League adamantine mine. We won't get within a parsec of the facility. Ma'am, not to be impudent, but we are at war with the League, and that is one of their most protected facilities."
"Just get me close. I'll figure something out when we get there."
"Yes, mistress," he said. Minutes later she felt the ship shift speed.
"I will find you, my beloved. I will fix this," she said not realizing that the universe may not allow her to fix anything.
CHAPTER SIX
After introducing Gloria to the family and setting her up in a cabin, Tobath left them to talk while returning to the cockpit to monitor their flight.
"Hey, big brother, how goes it?" Glit asked from the cockpit door.
He got up and let her have the Captain's seat while sitting back down in the copilot position.
"All systems nominal. We're on course for the mine and should arrive in a little less than three days. Silvestri, the new NAVComp, is operating at maximum efficiency, aren't you, Silvestri?"
"Yes, sir. All my systems are running five by five. It is good to meet you Ms. Glit."
"Thank you, Silvestri. It is good to meet you too," she said as she scanned the board. "Bro, you're relieved."
"I stand relieved," Tobath said. “How'd it go with Silk?"
"Eh. Xe's not as dreamy as I thought xe would be, but it's nice to see a Torsan face now and then."
"But you're fine, right?"
"Of course, silly. I'm a big girl."
"Point taken. You want me to stay or would the vastness of space be better company?"
"Go. Silvestri and I need to bond for a while. By the way, Gloria seems to be very nice."
"She is, but this is the first time I've seen her alive, I mean in her own body. I normally see her in a biocybernetic suit."
"Where did you two meet?" she asked, not able to come up with a scenario where an OffSec agent would rub elbows with a Martok.
"Aboard the
Arriska. She was wearing a BC suit that was a cross between a human and a bovine."
"We really need to talk. I could so write your stories down and sell them to a publisher."
"Perhaps we'll have some downtime," he said as he got up and headed to the door. "Call me if you need anything."
She waved as the door closed behind him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Arriska continued to research Tobath's movements as the P'Kena made her way through other-space. She paused and pulled up a 3-D map of the sector and overlaid their current position. According to the computer, they were passing through an old Erdexi stronghold, but no strongholds, old settlements, or labs showed on the map. The Erdexi, as usual, left only dust to mark their passing.
"Mistress, this is the captain. Sensors have picked up an odd radio emission from the system dead ahead. It seems to be coming from the vicinity of the third planet."
"Other-space or real-space?"
"FTL, ma'am, but not on a wavelength in use by the League or Erdexi."
"Content?"
"Heavily encrypted."
"Flash a message to Central Command with our position and a sample. Let them deal with it. Continue on course."
"Yes, ma'am..." the captain was cut off by an explosion on the exterior of the hull. The ship rocked as the lights failed, replaced by the red glow of the emergency system.
"Captain! Report!" Arriska yelled.
"We are under attack by forces unknown. We have dropped to real-space and are on an evasive course away from the system. First Officer, activate the disaster beacon and pop the log buoys." The ship rocked again. This time sirens sounded. "Princess, shields are down, and we have a hull breach. You need to leave," he said.
"I will not abandon ship," she said.
"And I will not let you die. Abandon ship. That is an order," he said as the "Abandon Ship" klaxon sounded and the first officer called it from the PA system.
"Good luck to you all," she said as she leapt into her pod and slapped a large red button marked "ESCAPE."
Straps shot out of the wall of the pod and locked her in place as ejection charges blew the pod into space. The moment the pod was clear of the hull, its cloak activated, surrounding it in invisibility. Its main engines fired taking her away from the doomed ship at a crushing seven gees acceleration, almost pushing her into unconsciousness. She activated the viewer and watched as her ship, and its crew, exploded under the fire from two unmarked interceptor-class ships. Seeing their death coupled with the acceleration was too much for her. She passed out as the automated systems flew her to safety.
The designers of the pod were good. Its computer system scanned a sphere around the ship and only when it was clear did it drop the cloak to conserve energy. It then activated a distress beacon on a frequency only used by Martok ships and one League ship--the LTV Melete. For reasons unknown even to him, Tobath had programmed the Melete's systems to scan both League and Martok frequencies. Something in him refused to completely abandon his people, though he knew it would be death for him to even rescue a Martok ship.
The pod calculated energy draws, which it compared to its reserves before putting the princess in a deep sleep to preserve energy. Even so, she only had four hours of life left. After that, rescue was a moot point.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Glit activated her holokeyboard and played a few notes before writing them down on paper pre-marked with staffs. She loved her cockpit alone time because it gave her the seclusion she needed to write music.
She was well into her third page when an alarm started chirping followed by Silvestri announcing, "Mistress, we are picking up a distress signal. It seems to be from a life pod at bearing 090, azimuth 03, distance one-half light-year. Mistress, it's a Martok pod."
"Martok? Why the hell are we monitoring Martok frequencies?" She remembered her brother was Martok so she added, "Oh, never mind. ETA?"
"Just less than four hours best possible speed."
She didn't think twice before changing course and increasing their speed. "Get Nersa and Tobath in here."
"Yes, mistress. At once."
Tobath and Nersa arrived just as the course correction had been made. "What's up, sis?"
Glit explained what happened as Tobath ran diagnostics and pushed the beacon through Silvestri's analysis section. "Martok, alright. What bothers me is it's a high-born signal. No one from that caste has any business being out here."
"Could it be mercs looking for you?"
"I'm not that important. The Queen is up to her eyeballs with the war and wouldn't have even a second to spare for me. Anyway, hunting down impudent boyfriends of the princess would not involve a high-born ship. No, something else is happening. What's our ETA?"
"Just under four hours."
"Damn. Silvestri, can we increase speed?"
"Sorry, no, sir. We are at max."
"What's wrong," Nersa asked, concerned about her son.
"Those pods are good for four hours. Its computer will do everything it can to extend that time, but the laws of physics don't break even for a high-born. Nersa, I'm sorry, I should have told you about the frequency mod. I forgot I had done it until now."
Nersa touched his arm and gave him a stern look. "Never apologize for saving a life. What you are doing will bring honor to this family. We just have to make sure the person in the pod doesn't kill you in the process," she said as she mussed up his hair and smiled.
"Thanks. You really are a great mom," he said. He stopped and thought for a moment. "Glit, are you up to some crazy flying?"
"Damn skippy, bro. What'cha got in mind?"
"Drop out of FTL ten seconds out from the beacon with the forward thrusters running at one hundred ten percent. We grab the pod in the forward bay and stop it with the bay tractor array. We can then scan for other survivors while we transit the area."
"What about pirates?"
"Muusta will be manning the weapons array, and we'll have enough forward momentum to get us back into FTL."
"I might as well quit and write full time. How do you know so much about piloting?"
"My mother let me fly left seat since I was old enough to reach the controls. Her and father believed in educating their kids."
Both women took one of his hands and squeezed it. "We don't have a lot of time," he said as they released his hands, allowing him to head out the door with Nersa in tow and leaving Glit to run sims of the maneuver she had only one chance at performing.
CHAPTER NINE
Gloria and Tobath stood waiting in the forward bay. Gloria had two first-aid kits, one calibrated using Tobath as a standard, with the other set to auto calibrate. They sealed the bay with Kaylon and Alby standing guard outside, while the exterior bay door was open so they could see FTL space moving past the pink glow of the atmospheric containment field. Behind them the repulsor/tractor array glowed on the wall, ready for Silvestri to activate it. All was ready to receive the pod, at least Tobath hoped so.
"You know you don't have to do this," Tobath said to Gloria.
"You're mistaken if you think for one moment I'd let you take on a strange high-born Martok. Not going to happen, though I wish I was in the Minotaur suit. I feel a little naked."
"How can you feel naked while wearing body armor?"
"It's a girl thing, okay?"
"Right. Girl thing. Got it," he said with a crooked smile."
"I owe you a smack. One minute to decant."
"Roger that."
"You sure Glit can handle this?"
"I saw Glit fly under a bridge once. She becomes one with the ship."
"Okay. Ten seconds."
The view out the open door shifted as real-space replaced FTL space. Ten seconds later, the repulsors kicked in with a swoosh and thrum. Tobath looked down and saw a pod sitting in front of him. As his family rushed in he reached down and placed his palm on a red circle. The two top doors slid open.
"Get back," Nersa said as she stepped between him and the pod as
she tried to minimize its occupant's view of Tobath.
Tobath walked back about three yards and watched.
There was a gasp.
"Easy there. Take deep breaths," Gloria said as she helped the occupant out of the pod.
Visions of a warrior wreaking havoc filled Tobath's mind. Or maybe it was the Queen herself.
Everything stopped as his family parted and let the pod's occupant see him. She stood there, speechless, staring at him with her eyes wide. "Tobath," she whispered as a smile formed across her beautiful face.
"Arriska," he whispered back.
They stood there, locked in place until she screamed his name, ran over and jumped into his arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.
A collective "awwww" filled the shuttle bay.
"That's so beautiful," Glit said over the intercom.
"Mistress Nersa, should I prepare another room?" Silvestri asked.
"Yes, Silvestri. Prepare another room." she answered while watching the two Martok kiss and hold each other.
Tobath stood there and marveled at the odds against this happening, of Arriska finding him in the middle of nowhere. He wanted to be mad at her, hurt by her actions, upset at her, but all he could do was thank all the holies she was safe and with him. He had not realized how strong his feelings were for her or how much he had missed her. Once able to break free, but not too much, he looked down at her and asked, "How?" as he wiped tears from her huge beautiful eyes.
She slid down and stood on the floor, refusing to let go of his arm while she explained what happened.
"They blew-up your ship?" Gloria asked as she walked up and ran a scanner over the Princess; to make sure she was unharmed by her ordeal.
"Gloria? I don't recognize you without the Minotaur suit. Is this the real you?" Arriska asked as she touched Gloria's elfin arm.
"Yes, this is the real me. You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Yes, there were two ships, and they attacked us out of nowhere. The captain insisted I abandon ship. I saw no one else make it out."