For Duty (Antaran Legacy Book 1)

by Matthew C. Plourde

  After a few minutes, she asked, “We are headed deeper into the city?”

  Nathan nodded.

  The taxi landed in a crowded market and Helena coughed when she inhaled the pollution. Humans pressed together in an amorphous mass. Hawkers yelled to attract customers. Pickpockets moved amongst the shoppers, searching for easy marks. The aroma of street-cooked food mingled with the smog to constitute a heavy air.

  “You can buy anything here,” Nathan said as he led her through the throng of people.

  “I’ve… I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” she said as she held her kerchief to her mouth.

  “Aha! Here it is,” Nathan said and he held her arm and they ducked under a low overhang.

  Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. As if a curio store had erupted from the ground, oddities and trinkets surrounded them. Helena had never seen such a vast assortment of junk and unidentifiable items in her life. Shoppes on Antares had a purpose and usually a theme. This place had neither. Cabinets were filled on the inside, on top and underneath with treasures. Furniture and mounds of cloth partially blocked her view to the rest of the interior. Only narrow, meandering pathways gave the store a semblance of structure. A Human man with thinning grey hair smiled from behind a counter.

  “Look around,” Nathan said. “I love coming here.”

  Helena remained at his side and whispered, “Why?”

  “I guess I like the uncertainty of this little store,” he said. “I always find some fascinating things.”

  “More surprises,” Helena said. “You Humans are odd indeed.”

  Nathan turned towards the counter and Helena sensed his misstep before he made it. His arm knocked over a tall, glass and gold smoking pipe. Before he could open his mouth to gasp, Helena darted forward and caught the pipe. She placed it on its table, with a dozen other oddities.

  “Please try to be more careful,” she said.

  He smiled and continued to the counter. Helena strolled through the place, but there was just too much to look at. She felt that she could have passed by the same section of the store three times and still not see everything. Then something caught her eye. Three orange, glowing orbs held her captive for a few moments. No larger than one of her fingernails, the gas within swirled and danced to its own tune.

  “Find anything interesting, Lady Helena?” Nathan asked.

  She hadn’t heard him approach but she controlled her surprise. “Yes,” she said pointing at the tear-shaped globes. “These are exquisite.”

  Nathan peered through the glass of the curio cabinet to inspect her find. “Very nice,” he said. “Let’s ask Arthur where they’re-”

  “They are from a gas planet whose name is long forgotten,” the shopkeeper said over Nathan’s shoulder. Helena hadn’t noticed Arthur either. Were the globes interfering with her perception?

  “Fascinating. What powers them?” Nathan said.

  Arthur opened the cabinet door and said, “Oh, they are self-sustaining.” He lifted the three attached globes from their resting place and stepped towards Helena. “May I?”

  Helena nodded.

  Arthur clasped the globes to her hair over her ear and he examined the fit. “You are a masterpiece, my dear,” he said. “Tell me, where are you from?”

  “Antares,” she said as she inspected her new adornment in a nearby mirror.

  “Well, Helena of Antares, I do believe these were meant for you,” Arthur said.

  “I agree,” Nathan said. “How much?”

  “Seventeen thousand.”

  Helena allowed Nathan to pay for the jewelry. The gasses within the globes twisted and changed from a dark yellow to a vibrant red and back again. The motion was both calming and enchanting.

  “Thank you,” Helena said as they exited the shop. “I love them.”

  Nathan smiled and said, “My pleasure.”

  After catching another taxi, they sat in silence for much of the ride. Then, the buildings fell away from Helena’s view. Endless water replaced the grimy Human structures. A sandy and rocky beach extended from the road out to the crashing blue waves. Helena’s years of training and control melted away in an instant. She gasped and held her hands over her mouth.

  Nathan smiled as he watched her. “I know you don’t like surprises. But after you told me you’ve never seen an ocean, I thought about coming here with you.”

  As the waves rolled, Helena felt lost in Nathan’s surprise. Nobody, besides her mother, had ever shown her so much thoughtfulness. Her eyes swelled with water and she attempted to conceal her unabashed joy by turning away and wiping her face.

  Her heart was sinking to a place she dared not explore.

  Chapter 19

  “I… I-” Helena found her words reluctant. She was both awed and terrified at the sight of so much water.

  “It’s not as nice as the beaches on Terra,” Nathan said, “but we were going to be here anyway. And we have a few hours to kill.”

  “Breathtaking,” she said as her composure returned. “I want to get closer.”

  Nathan tapped the driver on his shoulder and tilted his head towards Helena. “That’s the plan.”

  The taxi stopped in a paved lot next to the beach. Nathan led Helena to the ramp that descended to the sand. He began to remove his shoes.

  “What are you doing?” Helena asked as she struggled to retain her balance while gazing upon the enormous ocean.

  “Sand is quite uncomfortable when it gets in the shoes,” he said as his eyes traveled the length of her body. “Are your feet also tattooed?”

  “No,” she said, uncertain about the whole beach experience. A few other Humans walked along the banks, but it wasn’t crowded like the market.

  “Don’t worry,” Nathan said with a wink, “I promise I won’t look at you feet.”

  “That’s not… I just-”

  Laughing, he said, “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you at a loss for words, My Lady.”

  Helena straightened herself and said, “We are to walk barefoot on the sand, then?”

  “It’s pretty much mandatory for first-time visitors.”

  Helena frowned. “Very well,” she said as she slipped her shoes into her hand. She knew he was making a joke, but her trepidation over the nearness of so much water left her humorless.

  “Don’t worry,” Nathan said, “I won’t let you fall.”

  “Fall?” she said. “I assure you, I am in no danger of falling on the sand.”

  “Why so hesitant then?”

  Helena exhaled and said, “The sun has already set. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “We still have a few hours of light,” he said, his face unyielding.

  “Fine. Let’s go walk on this beach before I change my mind.”

  He smiled and extended his hand. “May I help you down the ramp?”

  Leery of his touch, and the emotions it swirled within her heart, Helena coyly refused the offer and walked past him. “I am fine, thank you.”

  Distance. She needed to remain at a safe distance from this temptation. Well, too late for that, she thought. She should have stayed on the Jupiter.

  As they walked along the sand, Helena noticed that Nathan was leading her closer to the water. She calculated the rhythm of the surf and decided upon a safe distance. When he tried to bring her closer, she stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure…” she said.

  “The water isn’t too cold,” he said as he moved close enough for the surf to wash over his feet.

  Foolish girl, Helena said to herself as she followed him into the cool water. Her nervousness quickly faded as she felt a childlike glee with each new wave. The roar of the surf, the salt in the air and the crisp breeze combined into a powerful experience.

  “See,” Nathan said, “I knew you’d like it.”

  A couple with entwined hands smiled at Nathan and Helena as they passed.

  “Are they married?” Helena
asked.

  Nathan squinted at their backs and said, “I think so.”

  Helena paused and stood in the ankle-deep water. Puzzled, she said, “Is that common?”

  “Is what common?”

  She pointed at the couple and said, “Just… spending time with each other like that?”

  “Of course,” Nathan said. “Is that strange to you?”

  Helena cocked her head to the side and said, “I guess for someone in my position, yes. I suppose I’m not very familiar with the everyday life of Antaran citizens, however.”

  Nathan scooped a smooth rock from the shore and skipped it along the rolling surface of the ocean. “Seems to me,” he said as he snatched another rock, “that’s an important piece of information for any ruler. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Before Helena could contemplate his surprisingly insightful words, he stood beside her and said, “Close your eyes.”

  “Why?”

  “Trust me,” he said. “Face the ocean, plant your feet and close your eyes.”

  Though skeptical, Helena followed his instructions and waited. As the waves pulled away from the shore, her feet sunk into the wet sand. The power of the tide entered her soul and she felt quite insignificant in the presence of the mighty ocean. Another wave passed over her feet and the receding water pulled at her ankles again. Helena felt exposed yet relaxed in a way she had never known – not even in her deepest meditations. The ocean’s violence and beauty threatened to overwhelm her. She opened her eyes and noticed Nathan’s smile. He was studying her. His mind was alive with possibilities and eagerness. His heart was sinking into love as fast as his feet in the sand. To Helena’s shock, her own heart mirrored the movement. Was the final destination love? No, it couldn’t be.

  She turned away from him and said, “Shouldn’t we return to the Jupiter?”

  He smiled. “I made a call. They’re not expecting us until much later.”

  “Oh.”

  He moved closer to her. “Why the rush?”

  Helena held her ground and said, “No rush. I’m just curious about our itinerary.”

  “I don’t believe you,” he said. “You’re uncomfortable.”

  Thunder rumbled in the distance and the wind grew colder.

  “Shouldn’t we find shelter?” she asked.

  “I don’t think the rain is that close,” he said softly.

  “I mean, from the darkness. On my homeworld, the evening darkness is without warmth. We are not prepared for a sudden drop in temperature,” she said.

  Nathan shook his head. “Not here. It gets a little colder, but not enough to hide indoors.”

  Helena decided to lie. “I’m cold,” she said, “and a little hungry.”

  “Okay then,” he said as he wrapped his jacket over her shoulders. “Let’s get going.”

  Helena almost melted in his jacket as it was heavy with his exotic Human scents. Her discipline kept her surface composed, but her stomach flipped with each step. He was so close, but to reach out and touch the object of her desire was an act of treason. He was the enemy and for the first time Helena realized the cost she would pay might be higher than she anticipated.

  “Here we are,” he said as they climbed the wooden ramp to the street.

  Helena frowned. “The taxi is gone.”

  Chuckling, Nathan said, “I’m sure there’s a nice, warm place to eat within walking distance.”

  They reached a small restaurant just before the rain began to fall. Helena sensed something amiss with the scent of the rainwater.

  “Acid rain,” Nathan said. “Good thing we made it inside.”

  “This planet has toxins in its atmosphere?”

  “Sadly, yes,” he said. “Though Caledonia was once a very beautiful place.”

  They were the only patrons in the restaurant, but this time the employees didn’t balk at the alien in their midst. From what Helena saw in the marketplace, she guessed the Humans on Caledonia were exposed to visitors from faraway worlds quite often.

  They shared a warm bowl of pasta and Helena avoided eye contact throughout the meal. Doubt and anxiousness swirled together at the base of her stomach. What was she doing here with this Human?

  She watched him eat and everything about him enticed her to want for more. More time, more contact, more surprises. More.

  “So, now it’s my turn,” Helena said after they finished their meals.

  “Your turn?”

  She steeped her fingers and held his gaze. “Last time, on Terra, we only talked about me.”

  “Ah, I see where you’re going with this,” he said. “Can’t you just read my mind and save us some time?”

  Helena frowned and said, “I’m sure there are things you don’t wish me to know…”

  “Like my lust for your sister?” He was referring to the last time she read his mind, on the bridge of the Venture.

  “Among other things…”

  He smiled and said, “Okay, what do you want to know?”

  “Start from the beginning,” she said. “Where were you born? Why did you choose the navy?”

  “Well,” he said, “I was actually born and raised here on Caledonia. Not far from here, in fact.”

  “Do you still live here?”

  “No, I live on a planet called New Detroit,” he said. “As far as the navy, well, that’s a long story.”

  “Why the rush?” she asked playfully.

  “Well, the Jupiter is expecting us. But I’m guessing the rain will keep us grounded tonight,” he said as he checked his commlink datapad. “Yup, we’re not going anywhere tonight. I’m sorry for the delay.”

  Appalled at her elation at the thought of spending the night alone with him, she wanted to cool the air between them. However, her analytical mind was napping.

  Instead, she said, “We have time, then.”

  He raised his eyebrows and said, “Apparently.”

  “So-”

  “Okay,” he said. “I was in the Academy, following after my grandfather’s great legacy, when my parents were accused of treason. At the time, the Proxan hatred was at a high point. Human sympathizers were sent to detention camps, lest they turn and aid the Proxans. My parents, merchants by trade, wouldn’t have lasted long at one of those camps.”

  “That sounds terrible,” Helena said as she grasped his hand. Claudia taught her an empathic mental trick to sooth another person’s nerves and anxiety. Though she wasn’t certain it would work on Humans, Helena sensed Nathan’s pain and attempted to help him. He relaxed under her touch and continued.

  “So, when I heard of their arrest, I stole a ship and helped them disappear underground to a remote planet,” he said. “I’m not proud of my actions, but I couldn’t stand aside while my own government committed these atrocities against innocent people.”

  “What happened to you?”

  “I was caught,” he said, “and sentenced to a remote labor camp.”

  “Did you go?”

  “I did,” he said. “For two years I saw neither sunlight nor hope. Then, one day, they set me free.”

  “They just pardoned you?”

  “It is a custom, when a High Human Councilor resigns, that his or her final request be granted,” Nathan said. “My grandfather was good friends with one such retiring councilman. It also took my grandfather’s resignation, but I was pardoned and given a distant assignment where I couldn’t cause any more trouble.”

  “And you’ve played nice?”

  “No, not entirely,” he said. “When the Proxan attacks renewed, I led a major evacuation and earned the commendation of one of the admirals at the time. He reassigned me to his battle squadronand that’s how I came to crash into your city. Then he gave me command of his ship after his retirement and here we are enjoying dinner on Caledonia.”

  “Admiral Stugardt?”

  “Yes. He has been like a father to me, in many ways.”

  “Are your parents still safely hidden?” she asked.

  “Ye
s,” he said, “though Human inquisitors assure me that they will not arrest them if I surrendered their location. I don’t want to take that chance, however.”

  “And Sean helped you?”

  Nathan nodded. “We were both cadets at the Academy. He helped me steal the ship.”

  Helena sensed his memories and said, “He was not pardoned.”

  “No,” he said. “Sean labored at the work camp for seven years, to the end of his sentence. I still owe him everything…”

  “I see,” she said.

  After a few moments of silence, he looked from her hand to her eyes and said, “How did you do that?”

  She pulled her hand away from his and said, “Do what?”

  “I’m not certain. I just feel so right when I’m talking to you. It’s so easy.”

  “Thank you,” she said, “that is a fine compliment.”

  “You were doing something,” he said, suspicious of her touch. He was more observant than she gave him credit for.

  “I was,” she said. “You seemed disturbed by these memories, so I soothed you much like certain medicines dull physical pain.”

  “You can do that?”

  Helena smiled, but she didn’t respond.

  Nathan cleared his throat and said, “We should find a place to stay for the night.” He produced his datapad and moved his finger along the surface. “Here we go. I’ll call a taxi.”

  Under the cover of umbrellas and the taxi roof, they traveled through the pelting rain to a tall tower. Nathan secured adjacent rooms and they parted for the night. Realizing her heart wasn’t to be trusted, Helena kept her distance from him and voiced a hasty ‘good night.’

  With only her travel bag at her side, Helena removed the Gima markings and sunk into a warm bath. After relaxing, she retrieved fresh bedclothes from the closet and slipped into the silken sheets of the spacious bed. Part of her wanted to knock on Nathan’s door and invite herself inside. However, she squashed that desire and focused on her mission. Now was not the time for weakness. At some point, she would have to kill the captain, the admiral and everyone onboard the Jupiter.