For Duty (Antaran Legacy Book 1)

by Matthew C. Plourde

  Leave it to Marcella to add drama to an already tense situation.

  Emperor Agreios stood and smiled at Helena. “Begin,” he said.

  Helena sensed a great amount of love from her father, but she was forced to concentrate on her opponent as Captain Connor moved a pawn two spaces forward. From what she remembered of the Human material, he performed a standard opening that allowed several of his pieces an avenue to escape from the back row. The goal was to control the center of the board. She sensed that he preferred to use that move as an opening in most of his matches.

  Helena countered with a pawn of her own and Captain Connor smiled.

  “I hope you’re not just following a known strategy,” he said as he moved a knight over his row of pawns.

  Scanning his thoughts to see what his next move would be, Helena moved a knight of her own into position. “I studied many of the strategies known to work,” Helena said, “but I found them shortsighted.”

  He laughed, moved a bishop next to her knight and said, “Really?”

  He was enjoying himself. Why was he so unconcerned with the match? Surely he cared if he won or lost.

  Helena moved another piece and studied her opponent. “Do you not agree?”

  He shrugged. “There’s a reason they’ve worked for thousands of years.”

  “This game is that old?” she said, intrigued by Human history.

  Claiming a piece, he said, “Yes. Chess dates back to our home planet, from what I understand.”

  Helena focused and attempted to follow her opponent’s many strands of thought. He was considering several different ways to defeat her.

  After she countered his move, he asked, “How are you making these moves so fast?”

  She mimicked his shrug, though she wasn’t sure why. “It’s simple math, really,” she said.

  The captain paused and looked into her eyes. Helena’s heart fluttered and she chided herself. Why was she so distracted around this off-worlder? Physical attraction shouldn’t be enough to give her pause. Yet, here was a dashing outsider, charming his way into her heart where only her love for her family and country should reside. He had no place there.

  “Math, you say?” he asked. “What if I make this move?”

  Immediately after his play, Helena calculated her best move based on his strategy and shifted a piece to counter.

  “Wow,” he said. “That’s pretty good. You’ve never played this before?”

  She shook her head. “We have other games, but I’ve never heard of this one.”

  Grinning, he said, “You’re just pulling my leg, aren’t you? What if I do this?”

  Again, after he moved his piece, Helena countered. This time, he examined the move and leaned back in his chair. He released a low whistle and glanced at the ambassador.

  “Okay-” Captain Connor said. “That wasn’t nice.”

  Helena stared at her opponent and said, “While this may be just a game to you, Captain, my peoples’ lives hang in the balance. Can we speed this along so I can accompany you to Terra?”

  A laugh escaped his mouth followed by a few more laughs. Each one was an individual sound.

  “Is something funny?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said after he moved a piece and was immediately countered again. “You’re not playing fair.”

  Afraid her mental invasion was detected, Helena retreated from his mind and asked, “How do you mean?”

  Smiling, he said, “You’re kicking my ass.”

  Helena took another piece after he made his move. Like his seat was crawling with biting beetles, Ambassador Bergem bolted from his chair and approached the table.

  “Only the contestants are-” Marcella never finished her sentence as the ambassador maneuvered around her.

  “What are you doing, Captain?” Bergem asked, his face red. “Are you throwing the match?”

  Captain Connor raised his eyebrows and exhaled. “No, sir. She’s a freak.”

  He moved another piece, and Helena crept back into his mind. Sensing his plan to recover from her assault, she countered.

  “See?” Captain Connor said, chuckling again. “It’s like she’s reading my mind.”

  The captain’s mood remained jovial, almost in awe at Helena’s skill. She decided he was just cracking a joke and not making an accusation. Humans remained oblivious to the Antaran mental discipline.

  “Stop playing around, Captain,” Bergem said. “Just finish her.”

  After losing another piece, Captain Connor put his palms to the sky and said, “You’re saying that like I have a choice.”

  Helena detected distaste in the captain’s mind for the ambassador. She hoped Prisca had gleaned some useful information.

  “Dammit, Captain,” Bergem said as he returned to his seat. “I’ll have you demoted if you lose.”

  Captain Connor leaned close to Helena and said, “You’re not making me look good in front of my ambassador.”

  “My responsibilities do not include improving your public image,” she said.

  “Listen,” he said, “I might not get another chance to talk to you, so I’m sorry about what happened. The crash. Please know that I tried my best to avoid your city.”

  She secured a better position with her queen and said, “You failed.”

  The off-worlder seemed genuinely remorseful, and Helena regretted her words. Her mother warned her of the dangers of embracing logic to an extreme, but Helena didn’t have her mother’s guiding voice in her life any longer. Had she gone too far? Would her mother disapprove? No, Helena decided her path had allowed her to take control of important events in her life. Like this one.

  “Well,” he said, “Even if you won’t accept my apology, I’m sorry anyway.”

  “The problem with your apology is simple, Captain. It is not enough,” she said, maneuvering her knight for a decisive strike. “Thousands of my people have died because of your war. A war the Antarans have no interest in. No, Captain, I cannot accept your apology. Check.”

  Marcella translated the move to the Antaran audience, as they weren’t familiar with the game. “Helena has just forced Captain Connor into a very disadvantageous position,” she said.

  Ambassador Bergem rose from his chair again and scowled at him.

  “Well,” Captain Connor said, “I’m not apologizing for the whole war. I’m just sorry my ship went down and killed innocent people. That’s all.”

  He moved his king, just as Helena anticipated.

  “Perhaps you will do better next time,” Helena said, referencing both the crash and the chess match. She wondered if the off-worlder’s simple brain recognized the barb.

  “Check.”

  “Damn,” he said.

  “Captain?” Bergem said.

  Captain Connor huffed. “Settle down, Ambassador. I have a few tricks left.”

  Surprised at his tactic to remove the immediate danger, Helena nodded to her opponent. “Nicely played, Captain.” She probed his thoughts to find he reverted to long dormant chess knowledge buried below the surface of his thoughts. Perhaps these Humans had more depth than she originally assumed.

  “But,” she said as she countered, “you must see your fate, even now.”

  He smiled. “My Lady, you are a formidable opponent.”

  Scanning his thoughts as he decided his next move, Helena found him to be a jumble of emotion. He seemed surprised to be losing, annoyed with the ambassador, aroused on an epic level by Marcella and intrigued by Helena. How could he even think with so much noise?

  “All right,” he said, “let’s try this.”

  He attacked with his rook and Helena realized she had him. She moved her pawn into place and a knowing look spread over his face. He had lost.

  “Shall we call it, Captain?” Helena asked, giving her opponent the opportunity for a graceful defeat.

  He scanned the game board. However, he knew he was finished. “You know, My Lady, surrender isn’t in my box of tricks.”

&nb
sp; He captured an irrelevant piece, but seemed satisfied to cause some destruction in his death throes.

  “Interesting,” Helena said as she positioned her rook to contain the enemy king. “Check.”

  “I know,” he said. “But I can take a few more pawns before it’s over.”

  True to his promise, he maneuvered away from check and captured a pawn. However, the game was over.

  “Check,” she said.

  “One more.”

  “Checkmate,” Helena said as she toppled the captain’s king by moving adjacent with her queen.

  Chapter 6

  “How about this?” Terentia asked, holding aloft a shimmering silver robe.

  Helena examined the garment and said, “I doubt I will be attending any dances while on Terra.”

  “I don’t know,” Terentia said, “Captain Connor is quite handsome. Perhaps-”

  “My dear,” Helena said as she folded another gown, “are you reading those trashy romance stories again?”

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Terentia said. “And I promise to focus entirely on my studies over the next few months. I’ll be ready for my duties here on Antares while you are away.”

  “I have faith in you,” Helena said. “And besides, the captain had eyes for Marcella.”

  “What man doesn’t?”

  Prisca entered Helena’s private chambers and smiled. “I see you two are discussing important matters of state.”

  “Helena’s social life is of the utmost importance,” Terentia said. “Well, to me anyway.”

  “Social life? What’s that?” Helena said.

  “I doubt any of us will ever know,” Prisca said as she sat on the edge of Helena’s bed. “Except maybe Marcella. How did she get the best job?”

  “Have you looked at your sister lately?” Helena said. “She rivals Galeria from the Legend of Arrius.”

  After sharing a laugh, Prisca turned serious. “Helena, I’m sorry I wasn’t successful with the ambassador.”

  Helena waved her hand and said, “I told you before, your apology is not necessary. That man is not easy to read.”

  “Do you think he’s dangerous?” Terentia asked.

  Helena nodded. “I’m sure of it.”

  Terentia bit her lower lip. A habit Helena failed to break. “Be careful, please.”

  “Do not fear for me,” Helena said as she placed her hand on her sister’s cheek. “Mother trained me well for this mission.”

  “I miss her,” Prisca said, wiping tears from her eyes.

  Helena hugged Prisca and said, “Me too.”

  Terentia rose to leave the room, as she usually did when they discussed their mother. Guilt burdened Terentia, as their mother, Vipsania, died giving birth to her.

  “No, Terentia,” Helena said. “I’ve watched you carry your guilt for too long now. None of us blame you for Mother’s death.”

  Lips quivering, Terentia said, “Valeria does.”

  Helena and Prisca gathered their younger sister in their embrace.

  “How many times do I need to tell you?” Helena said. “Valeria is a bitch.”

  Terentia giggled in between sobs.

  Prisca kissed Helena on her cheek and said, “We will miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you both as well,” Helena said. “But now, I must go speak with Justina.”

  Prisca eyed her and said, “How long has it been?”

  “Since we’ve spoken at anything other than an official function?” Helena said. “Too long.”

  “I haven’t seen her in a while either,” Terentia said. “Tell her I send along my best wishes?”

  Helena nodded. “Of course.”

  As usual, Helena found her sister, Justina, at the Chapel of Light. Since their mother’s death, Justina had turned to prayer. Now a high priestess of their faith, Justina spent most of her time at the central chapel in Olympus. Helena watched with pride as her sister finished the evening mass.

  “Very moving,” Helena said as she sat opposite her sister in the chapel’s antechamber.

  “I thought it fitting,” Justina said. “Reminding the people about family when my sister is about to leave.”

  “I’m sorry I missed the beginning… I was-”

  “No need,” Justina said. “We both know your path is not a spiritual one.”

  “My world is numbers and-” Helena paused. “We’ve been over this before. I don’t think we need an old wound reopened. I am, of course, here to say goodbye.”

  Justina nodded and said, “My prayers will go with you, my sister. And-” Her voice wavered slightly. Enough for Helena to notice. “And, I wish you to take this.”

  Unraveling her prayer beads from her wrist, Justina held them towards her sister.

  “These are-” Helena gasped, surprised at her inability to control her reaction.

  “Yes,” Justina said. “These are Mother’s beads. I think she would want you to have them on this journey, even if you don’t have faith in the Light.”

  Stunned by her sister’s generosity, Helena allowed her emotions to creep towards the surface.

  “I will return them to you when I am finished. And I know I haven’t been involved in your life lately, but…”

  “Again,” Justina said, “apologies between us aren’t necessary. We have different lives. You at the palace and me serving my faith. However, I think we have said all we need to say. You don’t approve of my decision to follow my faith and I tolerate Father’s mockery of our religion. As you said, we don’t need to reopen that wound.”

  “When we’re done with this, I want things to be different between us,” Helena said. “I… I miss you.”

  Helena scolded herself, this time for allowing her feelings free reign. Perhaps her father’s emotional weakness had spread to her heart as well.

  Justina smiled. “Facing death has a way of softening the soul. Things will be no different when you return, though I wish it otherwise.”

  Despite her one moment of weakness at the mention of their mother, Justina hadn’t softened. Helena took comfort in her sister’s strength.

  “I must go see the emperor,” Helena said. “It was nice talking with you, my sister.”

  “Go with peace in your heart and clarity in your mind, dear sister.”

  As Helena departed the chapel, she wondered why she always left so many things unspoken with Justina. She wanted to apologize for judging her so harshly when she turned away from palace life and towards the waiting embrace of the church. She wanted to tell her sister that her public criticism of Justina’s sect was a political action, not a personal one. She wanted to tell her that she envied her for finding peace in her life when Helena only knew stress.

  Maybe next time, Helena lied to herself.

  Absorbed in her own thoughts after another aircar trip, Helena hadn’t noticed Valeria.

  “Going to see Father?” Valeria said, stepping in front of her sister.

  Helena met Valeria’s dark green eyes and said, “Yes.”

  Sensing Valeria had just come from the emperor, Helena wondered how far Valeria’s dagger was planted in her back.

  “Let me guess,” Helena said, “Father denied your request to replace me on this mission.”

  “You know the math,” Valeria said. “My skill surpasses yours. I should be the one to negotiate with the filthy Humans. Father is not acting logically.”

  “Do you think skill is all that factors into the equation?” Helena said. “You have yet to learn so much, little sister.”

  As Valeria’s anger exploded she said, “You are favored for now, and I will support you in this, our time of war. However, once we are rid of the Humans and Proxans, I will show Father the truth. You are unfit for rule.”

  Helena studied her sister. Where did she go wrong? As second oldest, Valeria was taught as much by their mother as by Helena. Why did Valeria not embrace logic? Why must everything with her be a battle? Where did her anger live and grow? For many years, Helena had asked hers
elf these questions.

  Without betraying her sadness and frustration, Helena said, “Our final words should not be in wrath. I will see you again after my negotiations, sister. May logic guide you.”

  Valeria smiled. “Always the dutiful daughter, saying the things you should say. Very well, I can play that game too. May logic guide you as well, dear sister.”

  After the last word, Valeria stormed away. The praetorians at the emperor’s chamber door remained motionless throughout the exchange. Through the years, they had witnessed many such fights between Helena and Valeria. To the guards, the room was still undisturbed – life as normal at the Antaran palace.

  Helena passed through the gilded doors and found her father on the balcony, his favorite spot. He smiled when he saw his daughter.

  “Heir Helena,” Agreios said. “My heart is warmed by your presence.”

  “Father,” Helena said with a slight nod of her head. “I hope the afternoon finds you well.”

  Agreios returned his gaze to the city below the balcony and said, “Someday, my dear daughter, you will have children. Only then, will you understand what I feel in my heart when I know how few of you are likely to return from this dreadful task. My heart is rife with guilt.”

  Refusing to be drawn into her compassion for her father, Helena said, “I have meditated on your strategy, Father. There may be a problem.”

  “Nothing escapes your sharpened eye, does it?”

  “You know, then?”

  Agreios nodded. “I know.”

  Voicing her concern, Helena said, “If we do not succeed, then the Humans will come for everyone. The destruction will be worse than it is now.”

  “Yes. That is an awful risk.”

  Helena approached her father and said, “Is it too much risk?”

  After a lengthy pause Agreios said, “Do you recall the Legend of Arrius?”

  Helena nodded and sat next to her father. For a few moments, they gazed upon the orange Antaran sun. She enjoyed her conversations with her father, though she felt this could be her last such experience for quite some time.

  “Well, you know the tale,” Agreios said. “The radiation from the sun was killing our ancestors, the Gima, yet not all of the city-domes were affected. The queen at the time, Galeria, arranged for her people to relocate to the healthy domes. Though she was under enormous pressure from the politicians and senators to quarantine the afflicted city-domes, the queen did not waver. She decided that the entire Gima people would live or die as one. Galeria was betrayed and killed before her plan was executed. But her son, Arrius, carried her vision forward.”