by Calista Skye
They made their way further into the Space Force section, and now they were surrounded by space marines everywhere – lying down, sitting or standing up. They looked shocked and many were covered in blood and golden liquid.
They walked further into the base and came to the main hall. Olivia saw General Wilhelmsen and started to walk over to her, but Ator'aq held her back. “Be careful. The traitor was of a high rank. It might be her.”
“Let's find out,” Olivia said. She was sure it wasn't.
It was rare to see the Chief of Intelligence for Space Force be so surprised that her jaw dropped, but seeing Olivia come walking towards her through the throng of exhausted and wounded space marines seemed to be enough.
“Olivia?! How on Earth...!”
Olivia saluted. She had technically deserted from Space Force, but she was in uniform.
“General.”
Wilhelmsen collected herself quickly. “I see you have returned with the Braxians. I did wonder what had happened to you. In your place, I would have left with them, too.”
“Well, that seemed to be the best way to rescue my sister.”
“Ah, yes. Those who were kidnapped. And did you succeed?”
“Yes.”
“Good. The Space Force successes are few and far between. It seems our efforts were hampered by a traitor in our midst.”
Olivia kept her face neutral. “Really?”
“I'm afraid so. Star Marshal Hoffner seems to have been taken over by an Ethereal – possessed, in a way. He must have reported all our moves to the enemy.”
“Hoffner, huh? The Commander in Chief himself?”
“No other. I first suspected him when he seemed to change personalities right before our excursion to that mountain. He went from being optimistic and unyielding to dull and defeatist. And when he dissolved the alliance, I was sure. I kept him under observation from then on, and made sure he didn't get any useful information. Not that we had much of that, but still. Then, when the Ethereals attacked, he ordered us to surrender before the fight had even started. When we refused, it was like he... changed. He ceased being Hoffner and became an Ethereal, like he was shedding a skin.”
“That has happened before,” Ator'aq agreed. “When that happened, was something left?”
“Yes, like I said, he shed his skin. And the skin was left behind, a golden metallic kind of fabric...”
Ator'aq nodded. “So he was taken over by an Ethereal. Hm. My presence here shook them up bad. No Ethereal willingly takes over an inferior being like that, unless it's deemed absolutely necessary. And they see everyone else as inferior.”
General Wilhelmsen straightened, and the silver stars in her earrings glittered.
“Now, Lieutenant, although the enemy is defeated, there's still work to be done. You will continue acting as the liaison-”
“Excuse me, General. I don't think I'm attached to Space Force anymore.”
The general frowned. “And why is that, Lieutenant Cooper?”
“Because didn't I pretty much desert when I left with Ator'aq and the Braxians? And I did leave. During wartime.”
“You left this station, certainly. Had I been there, I would have ordered you to do precisely that. You made a snap decision in the field. I expect nothing else from an Intelligence officer.”
“Ma'am, with all due respect, I doubt the Space Marine Corps will see it like that. I left base with forces that weren't even allies. Not something a space marine does.”
“Ah,” the general said. “I see the reason for this confusion. No, Olivia, you aren't attached to the Space Marine Corps anymore. But you didn't desert them. When I started suspecting that Hoffner was a traitor, I quietly transferred you to Military Intelligence. It is within my authority to do so. Before, you were just a space marine who was also an agent for Intel. But at that moment, you became entirely one of my officers. You are an Intelligence officer now, not a space marine officer. I wanted to make sure that you were not wasted on useless grunt duty. You are not guilty of desertion, as far as Space Force is concerned. You've been one of my officers for several days now. Your space marine background is only a nice bonus.”
Olivia felt her spirits rise even more. Being a deserter had bothered her more than she had thought. So many things had worried her lately, but not being a space marine anymore had not been good for her self image.
“Thank you, General,” she said.
“So. Orders. Like I said, stick with the Braxians like before. Then, Space Force will get another Supreme Commander. I can tell you in confidence that Earth has promoted me to Star Marshal in preparation for that job. I will need a new Chief of Intelligence. It comes with a star.” She indicated her own earrings. “You interested? You're more than capable. Your extensive experience with aliens is extremely valuable.”
Olivia felt dizzy. She, little curvy Olivia Cooper, a brigadier general? “Ma'am, I'm only in my twenties...”
Star Marshal Wilhelmsen shrugged. “Space Force is a young army. We don't mind having young officers of high ranks. I'm not that old myself.”
“Lady,” Ator'aq said, “you should know that Olivia killed the Ethereal king. She has been of immeasurable worth for me and vital for our victory.”
The general's eyes widened. “Then my decision to make her a general is only more apt. Well, the offer stands and will do so for a day or two. It's up to you, Olivia.”
Olivia just nodded. “We'll see. I have to process all this.”
“Don't we all,” Wilhelmsen said. “Don't we all.”
33
The war was over, and the right side had won. At high cost. Of the ten thousand space marines on the base, almost two thousand had died when the Ethereals realized that they were not trying to kidnap anyone anymore, but were fighting for their lives. And Olivia knew that her own price for the victory might not have been paid yet. A visit to the infirmary confirmed it.
Ator'aq wanted to get to the bottom of it and assembled six of his oldest warriors.
“Friends, the Ethereal king told us something disturbing before we killed him. We are not certain about how true it is. Now, Olivia and I have been... intimate. Several times. And I know that Braxian males can override any obstacle in a woman of fertile age and in essence force a pregnancy on her. The alien enemy said that I have done so to Olivia. If true, it was completely unintended. He also said that Braxian babies are so large that it will kill her when she gives birth. And-”
He was cut off by uproarious laughter from Gar'ox. The huge warrior howled with laughter and slapped his powerful knees. The sound filled the room completely, and some other warriors chuckled along with him.
“My lord Ator'aq is sometimes...” Gar'ox had to break off, shaking with mirth. “Is sometimes so innocent it...” Again he couldn't finish his sentence.
Ator'aq was not amused. “Yes, Gar'ox?” he said icily.
“My lord, forgive me,” the giant gasped. “I mean no harm. For a man who possesses so much wisdom, you are also remarkably innocent about certain things. Now, now. Let me collect myself.”
“I wonder, Sire,” another warrior said, “if Gar'ox isn't alluding to the possibility that you have never studied the topics that are talked about when women are assembled. Such earthy and necessary matters as childbirth and its many complexities are maybe not your own specialties. It's understandable, of course. You were never trained in these things, and you spent your upbringing among other men and with a sword in your hand.”
“Indeed I did,” Ator'aq said, pale with anger. “And now I would have this topic cleared before I draw that sword and make certain impertinent warriors one head shorter.”
“Sire,” the second warrior said, not scared by his king's mood, “I am myself not too well versed in these things. But I have some knowledge. The idea that Braxians can somehow force a pregnancy upon a woman is a myth from the old days. Braxians are fertile, certainly, but forcing it... No, Sire, it simply won't work. And Braxian babies are indeed large, but
not overly so. I don't know the common birth weight of an Earthling baby, but I highly doubt the discrepancy can be too huge. Do you know, Olivia?
“About six to ten pounds, sometimes a little more or less.”
“Hah! I was correct. While I'm sure that mighty Gar'ox came into this world at his current weight, I know that I weighed just about eleven pounds. And I have always been of average height for a Braxian. Let us keep in mind that while we Braxian males are usually larger than Earthling males, our females are not much taller or heavier than Earthlings. I hope this will set your mind at ease, Sire. It will not kill her. Not at all. The Ethereal was deceiving you.”
“Was he?” Ator'aq was still not certain.
“Yes. It will be a quite normal pregnancy, I predict. How long are Earthling pregnancies, Olivia?”
“Nine months.”
The room was suddenly silent, and everyone was staring at her.
“Ah,” said the warrior. “Perhaps it will be slightly accelerated.”
34
“Three months?” Olivia yelled. “I will give birth to your brat in just three damn months?”
They were finally back in their quarters. It would have been a time for sweet loving and rest, but the pregnancy was still very new to Olivia. The medics had confirmed that she was pregnant.
“No, I don't think so,” Ator'aq said. “This baby is not pure Braxian. It's half Earthling, let's not forget. It will be interesting to see just how long the gestation time is. I hope it's longer than three months, too. There is much to be done. The wedding, not least.”
Olivia took a deep breath and calmed down. The wedding. She was going to become a queen and a wife. Maybe she could worry about the mother thing after that. Suddenly she missed her easy days as a simple space marine.
“Our kid will be a prince, right? Or a princess?”
“Of course.”
She scratched her head. “Princess of what, exactly? There's not much left, right? Or did you hide some things about your kingdom, too? That it's ruined, I mean.”
“Just a little. Our colonies were destroyed, it's true. But we have reason to believe that Brax itself is not quite as dead and empty of resources as I stated. There is a kingdom. It's just down for the count right now.”
Olivia collapsed into a deep chair. “That's fine. I don't care that much about the kingdom right now anyway. But I guess I'd want to see it at some point.”
“You will. As for right now, I think we should stay here at Earth, at least until the baby is born. How do you feel about a wedding in space?”
“Pretty good. Let's not make it a huge occasion, though.”
Ator'aq looked out a window, thinking. “Hmm. It's a royal wedding, Olivia. There has to be some sense of occasion, at least. But we'll keep it smaller than most royal weddings. It has to be planned, of course. I have some ideas myself.”
Olivia suddenly saw flashes in her mind of a Braxian-planned wedding with people wearing furs and endless yelling, ceremonial sword fighting and campfires and back-slapping and who knew what else.
“You know,” she said quickly, “I'll plan it. I'll get Tessa to help me.”
Ator'aq brightened. “Yes, that seems appropriate. Then I will plan the coronation to take place right after. I feel that I've earned the crown of the Braxian kingdom now. We have to make two crowns, of course. The original ones were lost in the Ruin. But that can be handled.”
35
The wedding took place on Space Force Base. It was simple, but it still had a solemn feel. The oldest remaining Braxian warrior presided and wedded them in a ceremony that contained many elements from Earth weddings, as well.
Olivia wore a simple dress, white with discreet purple accents to stress the royal element. She was a few weeks along in her pregnancy, but not showing much yet. The dress fit her spectacularly well, and the tone of white that had been chosen created a sublime contrast with her vanilla caramel skin.
Ator'aq had ordered an outfit that was the gala uniform of a Braxian general, black and with golden tresses. He looked spectacular, and his large sword still hung from his belt.
Many famous fashion houses had wanted to make both Olivia's dress and Ator'aq's suit, and they had all offered to do it for free.
The hall where the ceremony took place was filled to the limit by Braxians and Space Force personnel. Tessa sat on the first row, and the huge Gar'ox sat beside her again. Those two had been spending a lot of time together in the month after the final victory, and Olivia suspected there would be more wedding bells not too far into the future. The lively Tessa and the grim, confident Braxian who preferred not to wear clothing above his waist was perhaps not the most obviously well-matched couple, but the same could be said for her and Ator'aq, she thought. Maybe that meant that they were actually really well suited for each other.
Star Marshal Wilhelmsen, now the Commander-in-Chief of Space Force, was also sitting on the first row. She wore a conservative black dress, and she now had five golden stars dangling from each ear to discreetly indicate her new rank.
Olivia touched her own earlobes. She had a silver star in each, to denote her own new rank as a one-star general. She had accepted Wilhelmsen's offer of taking over the job as Chief of Intelligence for Space Force. She intended to spend more time in uniform that Wilhelmsen had. She liked her space marine fatigues. So those earrings might not get used too much.
They both said “I do”, Ator'aq placed a gold ring on her finger and kissed her, and then they were married.
The reception seemed grander than the ceremony, because Star Force had insisted that the matrimonial alliance between two worlds and species had to be marked in a way that was more than just “a sandwich and a plastic cup of coffee,” as Star Marshal Wilhelmsen put it. And with Ator'aq's many advanced shuttles, bringing good food and everything else up to the space station from Earth was much less troublesome than before.
There were even some dignitaries in attendance, both politicians and royals from some countries. But now, Wilhelmsen discreetly made Olivia aware, she outranked them all as queen, not of just a country, but of a whole planet and alien civilization.
Olivia stood and smiled at everyone there while Ator'aq easily chatted with two old European kings. Tessa sauntered up to her in her space marine gala uniform. “Do I have to say Your Majesty now?” she asked and took a sip of fiercely expensive champagne. It was her second, and the was already flushed in the cheeks. She had recovered very quickly from her ordeals in Ethereal captivity.
“If you want,” Olivia said. “Or 'General'. Or 'ma'am'. Or just 'Olivia'. Or 'Livia' like when we were kids. Which do you think would be best?”
Her sister took another sip. “So you're a queen. What does that make me? Like, I have to be a half-princess at least, right? Is that a thing? I'm shaky on that whole royal idea. No, is that 'half-blood princess'? Actually, that makes me sound anemic. Can you make me a title? You can, right?”
“For real? Ator'aq did say that it would be natural for you to have a title like they used in the old days, like 'lady of the bedchamber' or something. I forget.”
Tessa considered it. “'Lady of the bedchamber' sounds like a high-class ho. I kind of like it, I guess.”
Olivia cuffed her sister gently on the shoulder. “Just kidding. At our coronation tomorrow, you will be created Duchess of Hieric, which is a planet in the Braxian kingdom. It's deserted now, but still. Doesn't mean you'll own it. But it's better than nothing. It's supposed to be a surprise, so act surprised tomorrow.”
Tessa grinned. “Oh, I will act surprised. Duchess Tessa! And Queen Olivia! Oh, I love it. Who'd have thought that we humble Cooper sisters would get that far ahead?”
Devon was there and came over, looking happy with his recent promotion from sergeant to Second Lieutenant. With many space marines dead by Ethereal hands, there were lots of empty positions to fill.
“Congrats, space marine,” Olivia said and raised her glass so he could clink it. “That bar looks good
on your shoulder. I have a feeling there will be more of them, too.”
“Yeah? Well, I'm in no hurry to become general. Not like some people I could mention.”
“Hey,” Olivia said. “You know what they say: Per aspera ad astra. I got my astra. You'll get yours. But first you'll need some aspera. No way around that for a space marine.”
They clinked their glasses again.
36
The coronation was the next day, aboard the End of Time. Again, the oldest Braxian warrior was the master of ceremony. He placed the golden crown on Ator'aq's head, and Ator'aq in turn placed the queen's crown on Olivia. This time, they both had their swords strapped to their waists, to demonstrate that they were both warriors. Olivia's dress was a traditional Braxian outfit that was both extremely old-fashioned and made to show off her curves in a way that she found she really liked. The purple accents were still there.
They were now King and Queen of Brax and the most powerful individuals in the Solar system. The people of Earth had been extremely impressed by Olivia's way of handling the Ethereals and the way she had killed Denibael. It had all been recorded by her visor, and the clip of her spinning with impossible speed and cutting down the enemy with one vicious stroke had been playing almost continuously on every news channel. Every country had awarded her their most prestigious medal in recognition of her accomplishment, and there was loud talk about making her the queen of all of Earth as a reward and because it seemed like no one could protect Earth like she could.
It looked like it might happen, too, as a purely ceremonial title that would signify that she matched Ator'aq's rank in her own world.
Everyone wanted to congratulate her, and she spent many hours shaking hands and hugging old friends and giving short interviews to seemingly every single media outlet on Earth. It was fun, but also exhausting.
Ator'aq and Olivia snuck off at one point, seeking out the alien AI Boniar. His predictions had turned out to be true, but they had also turned out to be completely tuned to Olivia – only she had been surprised by the many Braxians who came to save the day after she had killed the Ethereal king. The AI had requested to be set free in space, on a course that would take him to the Andromeda galaxy two million light years away.