Helena walked the corridors of the Jupiter, nodding and smiling to the crew as she passed them. Some of the awe was gone, replaced by disappointment and uncertainty. Perhaps the railing of the Church had gone farther than she calculated. Or, perhaps they lost some of their admiration after the Bastion fell. Digging deeper, Helena found a mixture of those two thoughts and a third: their distrust over her relationship with the captain.
Rowe waited for her outside the war room. He eyed her as she passed and she found she couldn’t penetrate his thoughts. No matter, he was leaving soon. Nathan had finally won his battle with the Council and the assassin was being reassigned.
Her face betrayed no emotion as she passed him. He eyed her from beneath his dark bangs, but she didn’t give him the pleasure of a glance.
“Lady Helena,” Stugardt said. “Everyone is ready.”
Admiral Leighton’s face appeared on one of the holo-displays. “Lady Helena,” he said. “Thank you for joining us.”
“Admiral,” Helena said, nodding towards his image.
“We are going to begin the main offensive,” Leighton said. “You and your sisters have proven to be an invaluable tactical aid. The Proxans are reeling from each defeat. I’m sure they are wondering how we’re beating them so soundly.”
“It’s probably best they wonder,” Helena said. “It means we still have the advantage.”
“Agreed,” Leighton said. “Anyway, let’s get into the details so we can push this thing forward.”
Nathan flicked his eyes towards Helena and said, “We’re ready to begin when you are, Admiral.”
Helena smiled in response to his glance in her direction. So much for controlling her emotions! Was there any way to avoid that dark path? As Helena sat in front of her console, she realized the necessity of her resolution. She caught Nathan’s eye again and her heart fluttered like a humming bird.
Necessity. Duty. Responsibility. Survival. Her people needed her. Why did she doubt? The darkest path was the correct one in this case.
The meeting plodded forward at the crawling Human pace Helena had come to expect. She reviewed the plan with them again and made corrections where she saw fit. If nothing else came from the Antaran gamble, the Proxans would fall. The part after that wouldn’t be as easy.
A few days passed and Helena found herself reflecting on her recent concern over the Human Church. Why did they concern her so much? Then, as if in answer to her mental question, the day’s news feed turned sour.
“How could this happen?” Stugardt said as he watched the newscast.
Everyone on the bridge was fixated on the broadcast screen as the Human Church was publically denouncing the Antarans and their witchcraft. The Cardinal, speaking on behalf of the entire church, called for the immediate detainment of Helena and her sisters. Everyone knew about their mental powers now.
“Admiral Leighton has ordered us to attack two days early,” Nathan said. “We can’t afford the Proxans time to review this information. It’s only a matter of time before they know too.”
Helena wondered for only a moment who leaked the secret about her abilities.
“I know who did this,” she said. “Rowe.”
“Rowe?” Nathan said.
“He is a religious fanatic,” Helena said. “He recorded conversations and he vowed to destroy me.”
“Well, the Church has no hold over the military,” Stugardt said. “The secret is out but we can deal with that. Nobody’s coming to arrest you or your sisters. I, for one, don’t believe in witchcraft or the Church’s stand here. And neither does the Council.”
Helena’s blood rose in temperature and she clenched her fist. “I’m going to talk with Rowe,” she said.
“Wait,” Nathan said. “Let me make all the preparations for our departure and I’ll go with you. I’d like to hear what he has to say. If it was him, then we’ll throw him in the brig for treason.”
Helena sensed Rowe in one of the nearby hangar bays. He was leaving. “No. He’s stealing a ship!”
“Wait!” Nathan said as Helena dashed for the lift.
Lieutenant Sandra Rhom followed Helena into the lift and pulled her sidearm.
“The captain ordered me to go with you,” Sandra said.
Helena nodded. As the doors closed, she heard Nathan order some marines to intercept. They would be too late.
The lift halted in the hangar bay and the doors opened. All was quiet as they entered the bay and Sandra checked a console. Besides their own movements, the chamber was still. Long shadows crept between the piled crates. Helena detected his presence but she couldn’t pinpoint his location.
“He fused the main doors shut,” Sandra said. “The only way in is through the lift we just took.”
Then, Helena sensed Rowe and his imminent violence.
“Get down!” Helena called.
Rowe, hidden behind some barrels, fired three shots from his pistol. Two bullets impacted Sandra’s back and the third hit the wall with a violent spark. The Lieutenant crumpled to the ground and was motionless.
Helena rushed towards Rowe and focused on his mind. Though it was more difficult than before, she gained entrance and discovered he laid this trap for her!
He raised another pistol, loaded with needle-darts.
“Let’s go on a little trip,” he said as he depressed the trigger.
Helena calculated the trajectory of the dart and ducked. The dart sailed over her head. Rowe fired two more times. She deflected the first one with the palm of her hand, but the other one sunk itself into her leg. She tumbled to the ground from the pain and numbness. Poison. Rolling to her feet and keeping her momentum, Helena jumped and caught him in the face with her foot. He fell backwards and his pistols scattered across the floor.
Helena’s world lost focus for a few moments as the poison flowed through her bloodstream. Then, her gut erupted in pain as Rowe bludgeoned her with a metal pipe. She regained clarity long enough to block his next attack with her forearm and deliver an open-palmed strike to Rowe’s shoulder. She was aiming for his throat. He countered with an elbow to her chest and she fell to the ground. The hangar spun. Her leg burned. Her head felt heavy.
Before she lost consciousness Rowe said, “Sweet dreams, witch.”
Chapter 35
Helena awoke in a white room with several beds – the Jupiter’s medical ward. She turned her head and saw Lieutenant Sandra Rhom on the bed next to her. The Lieutenant’s face was covered with an oxygen mask and her eyes were closed. Intravenous tubes pinched at Helena’s arm and her head ached. What happened?
One of the ship doctors smiled and approached. “Just get some rest,” he said.
Helena drifted in and out of consciousness for days. She floated to her home, where the memories were sweet. Safe with her family, and far from the war, she basked in the glow of her dreams. Her mother was with her again and she floated in the carefree days of her youth.
Slowly, the present solidified around her. Like a climber reaching the top of a mountain, she strained to remain conscious through the last few moments of drugged sleep. She sensed a quiet room with only two beds. Sandra smiled when Helena opened her eyes.
“There you are,” Sandra said.
“What… what happened?” Helena asked.
“You were right,” Sandra said. “Rowe was the one who informed the Church. He wanted to take you with him, but the captain saved us both.”
“The captain?”
“Yeah. Rowe disabled the lift after he shot both of us. Then, the captain and several marines crawled through the shaft and captured Rowe. Following protocol, the captain jettisoned Rowe in a pod with a beacon. The authorities may or may not pick him up and take him back to the nearest planet to face charges. I hope he runs out of air.”
“My head feels so heavy-”
“The doctor said you were poisoned with something that would have put you in a coma. Good thing the captain got to you quickly, otherwise it could have been much worse.”
“I’m sorry… tried to warn you-”
Sandra smiled. “I know. Thanks.”
“How long?”
“Three days,” Sandra said.
“Three?” Helena said. “I need to get to the bridge.”
The doctor entered and said, “Not anytime soon. You need rest.”
Helena sat in her bed and collected her scrambled memories. No. The attack was probably already underway.
“I’ll be fine,” she said.
Despite the doctor’s protests, Helena disconnected herself from her tubes and made the trek to her quarters. She donned a simple dress and her Gima markings. After a brief meditation session to center her mind and body, she ascended the lift and stepped onto the bridge. Dizziness threatened to overtake her several times, but she kept her balance.
“Helena?” Nathan said, forgetting to address her in the proper way.
“Captain,” Helena said. “I am ready to resume my duties.”
“The doctor called. He’s not too happy with you,” Nathan said.
“I’m fine,” she said. “What’s our situation?”
Nathan pulled her aside and searched her eyes. His concern was imprinted upon his face. “You need sleep,” he said. “We can handle things up here.”
Helena shook her woozy head. “I’m not going to spend the war in the medical ward,” she said. “I’m fine, really.”
She sensed many eyes on them. The bridge crew was still curious about their relationship.
“Listen,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, “are you alright? Really?” His eyes searched for an answer.
She met his gaze and said, “Yes, I am fine, Nathan.”
He studied her for a moment and said, “Alright, I think I even believe you. But… it crushed me to see you in that bed. I almost lost you.”
She smiled and touched his arm. “Thank you for saving me,” she said. “Lieutenant Rhom tells me you were quite heroic.”
“Keeping Rowe onboard for as long as we did was my decision and it was a costly one,” he said. “You have nothing to thank me for. I should have sent him away a long time ago. I’m sorry.”
Helena shook her head. “You couldn’t have known-”
“Captain?” a science office said. “Can you take a look at this?”
Nathan sighed and broke all protocol by hugging her. She felt the collective shock and some jealousy amongst the bridge crew. Only Admiral Stugardt seemed pleased.
“When this is all over, I promise to show you my home in New Detroit. It’s a bit rainy, especially in the fall, but I think you’d like it. You know, to visit that is.”
Helena smiled. “I would like to visit your home someday, Captain.”
“Perhaps Caledonia again, too?” he said as he fingered her glowing hair accessory.
“I will always hold Caledonia dear in my heart,” she said.
Nathan scanned the bridge and said, “Admiral. Take over for me here.”
Admiral Stugardt nodded and resumed his discussion with the science officer who interrupted them.
“Let’s just-” Nathan said as he led her into the captain’s office. After closing the door behind them he embraced her again, this time pressing his body against hers.
Then, Nathan looked into her eyes and smiled. Realizing she was already lost in his presence, Helena pushed away from him and gazed out the small viewport into the empty stars.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I… I must not see you anymore,” Helena said. “Not like this.”
“Why? Our relationship isn’t causing any harm.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I think there is a time and place for us,” she said, “and now isn’t it. Until the war is over, we must redefine our relationship.”
He approached her from behind and pushed her hair off her shoulder. “I don’t think I can do that,” he said. “Can you not sense how important you are to me?”
As if she could shield herself from his emotions, she squeezed her eyes closed and attempted to ignore the shared feelings between them. If she told him that he was as meaningful to her as she was to him she guessed she’d break down in front of him. Driving pains lanced through her heart when she realized the truth.
She didn’t have the strength to separate her feelings for him from the rest of herself.
And that meant…
He wrapped his hands around her and each breath from his nose grew goosebumps on the back of her neck. She softened her closed eyes and slightly parted her lips. How could he affect her so completely?
Before her desire could take control she stepped from his embrace. After monumental effort, she said emotionlessly, “We should return to the bridge.”
Prisca’s plan was the only path left to her. She realized needed to start the process to remove her emotions. The death of her heart would mean life for her people.
Resigned but hopeful, Nathan said, “As you wish.”
Keeping her back to him, she exhaled as she walked to the door. Control. She must remain in control until she was able to meditate and start the process.
“Excuse me, Captain,” Admiral Stugardt said as he intercepted them on their way back to their stations. “We’re picking up some fluctuations from within the cloud.”
As Helena and Nathan returned to the tactical command station, Helena asked, “What’s happening?”
“We’re providing support for the Saturn,” Nathan said. “She’s scouting a nebula right now. We think the Proxans have a hidden communication station in there.”
Helena marveled at the red and orange cloud of gasses and dust which dominated the front viewport. The space anomaly reminded her of her gaseous globed jewelry which scintillated with almost the same pattern and colors. The Saturn winked in and out of view on the holographic tactical display as the nebula interfered with sensors.
“What else-?”
Helena’s words halted in her throat when both the viewport and holographic display erupted in a brilliant flash of light. The cries of thousands of people echoed in Helena’s head and she grasped the handrail to avoid from falling. Among those voices was Prisca. Helena searched the escape vessels and the new Proxan battleships with her mind. She scanned the nebula and the debris from the Saturn with every cell of her being, but her sister was gone. Prisca and most everyone onboard the Saturn was dead.
Chapter 36
Helena fell to the ground as the bridge crew scrambled for their stations. Two Proxan battleships and a swarm of smaller vessels broke through the cloudy nebula and attacked the Jupiter. The ship rocked and the noise level in the room escalated. Everyone was shouting. Helena felt empty.
Prisca was dead.
“Helena!” Nathan said. “We need you!”
“Torpedoes in the water,” someone yelled.
“Move to bravo-nine,” Admiral Stugardt said.
The Jupiter shook again.
“Direct hits on our port engines,” one of the officers said.
The voices jumbled together until someone pulled Helena to her feet. It was Nathan. He calmly looked into her eyes and said, “We need you.”
She searched his eyes for answers but realized none were there. Prisca was gone. Dependable Prisca. What happened?
“Please,” Nathan said.
Time halted for Helena as she exerted all of her skill and determination into one instant of focused thought. The bridge froze in mid calamity but Helena didn’t examine anyone’s face. She dared not look at Nathan again. Instead, she closed her eyes and pushed time aside in a bubble around her. She looked inward and, out of necessity, began the process her mother taught her to sever her emotions.
The meditation was designed to be completed over many weeks. But Helena didn’t have the luxury of time. She pushed the limits of her ability to cause the ripple around her while she drifted towards a desert plain – the same desert upon which her mother gave her the test.
Eons had passed in this world between worlds since
the last time Helena had visited. Like before, she found herself on a scorching wasteland wandering for days on the brink of dehydration and exhaustion. Then, she stumbled upon a vibrant city. People bustled about their tasks and everybody seemed cheerful. This was different from what she remembered.
“Mother,” she said aloud, “what is this place?”
The answer came to her before she finished forming the question. This was the same place she had visited many times – an internal representation of her own psyche. There was one difference. The people had discovered love.
People rejoiced everywhere she looked. They lived fuller lives. They were complete. At that moment, Helena realized what she was destroying.
For many days she sat on the edge of the city. Her mind was active but her body was an empty shell. She knew the path her mother taught her was a violent one. She must destroy the city. Then the next city and so on until all traces of life were gone from this world. Then, and only then, would a new order arise. An order free from the confines of emotion.
No. Not confines. Emotions weren’t binding – they were liberating! Why did the early Gima work to suppress emotion? Were they afraid of the decadence that permeated the Humans and Proxans? Were emotions the path to destruction?
Her father believed as much. Her people corralled their emotions into specially approved sections of their lives. Why?
Again, Helena immediately knew the answer.
Look at yourself, she thought. You love the Human captain and that emotion interferes with your duty. You are an Antaran princess and heir to the throne. By what authority do you deem your heart more important than the whole of your people? Kill them all and you will find the strength to both handle Prisca’s death and destroy the Humans. Even those you once loved.
The words were her mothers. Or, rather, that part of her mother that still lived within herself. Her grandmother was also there, staring down upon her. And all the way down the Antaran line to the Gima queens of the past. They all stared and waited.
“You know your duty,” they said collectively.
Helena looked at the faces of the jubilant people in the city and lifted her spear.
For Duty (Antaran Legacy Book 1) Page 23