Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights

by Lawrence White

  “Where did we find them?”

  Stven cleared his throat, as always a lengthy process for a dragon. “The same place you found us, Sire?”

  Mike frowned. “A nebulous answer if I ever heard one.”

  “I challenge you to find a better one.”

  Mike rolled his eyes, but he had to agree with the dragon. There were no answers to some questions.

  “They’re a group of leaders, his whole crew,” Ellie said. “Tranxte is in good hands, but I can envision calling any or all of them to higher service some day.”

  “Uh . . . what could be higher service than saving a civilization?” Mike asked.

  “Let’s wait and see.” She looked up at him sharply. “He reminds me a lot of you.”

  “Huh? In what way?”

  “Don’t play dumb. He can’t possibly know how you operate, he hasn’t been around you enough, but did you see how he cleverly credited me with his own ideas?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Right,” she answered dryly. “It’s not me he’s crediting, of course. It’s the position of Queen he’s empowering. It takes a strong person to do that, but in the long run it’s the right thing for the Empire. And Atiana didn’t correct him. She understands.”

  Her eyes went to the ceiling as her thoughts wandered, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

  * * * * *

  Atiana asked Graylee to accompany her the next day and Graylee agreed without hesitation. Governor Seeton’s staff made arrangements for them to visit a local farm, and those arrangements included transportation for the media. Havlock put his own plans on hold, which meant remaining on Aldebaran a little longer.

  As they approached the farm, the size of the waiting entourage alarmed Atiana, and Graylee suddenly found herself far outside her own comfort zone again. Havlock recognized their discomfort, and though he, too, was not particularly experienced with the media, he had been briefed the night before by Seeton’s communications expert.

  “Stay focused, all of you,” he said. “We’re here to learn about the future of farming on Tranxte, and we’re here to give the media more face time with Atiana.” He looked into her eyes. “Ignore them unless you have a point you want to make public, then speak clearly.” His eyes moved to the rest of his group and stopped at Graylee. “Otherwise, just be the wonderful people you are. Be genuine. If you’re not, they’ll sense it. Today is all about the future of Tranxte, and we’re all actors on a stage.”

  Atiana leaned her head on his shoulder and Hawke squeezed Graylee’s shoulder to let her know she was not alone. The skimmer landed and smiles fell into place.

  Galborae stayed by Atiana’s side throughout the tour. As Hawke had forecast, the two of them had become an item. Borg strengthened his protection detail as the number of spectators grew, adding six Terran Protectors who mingled with the crowd.

  The three from Tranxte understood very little of what they saw, but their Riders helped fill in the gaps. Graylee, not aware that they carried Riders but very aware that certain explanations would not make sense to them, stepped to Atiana’s side and took her arm, asking the guide for deeper explanations as if she herself needed them. By the end of the day Atiana actually had a broad understanding of where her farmers and ranchers might end up.

  * * * * *

  The media dispersed as Havlock and his group boarded their air car. Once aboard, Atiana spoke to Havlock loud enough so that everyone could hear. “I’m short a lot of farmers right now—they’re dead. I could improve the productivity of the remaining farmers if I could bring some of this knowledge and machinery back to Tranxte with me.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “Baby steps, M’Lady. We have to take baby steps. We’ll eventually bring experts who can guide your people, and who knows . . . maybe your people will come up with better ideas than what we can give them.”

  “Our people,” she corrected him.

  * * * * *

  They dropped Graylee off at her gziekolt and were about to leave when Hawke jumped up.

  “Let me out,” he demanded. “I’ll escort her back to her quarters and meet up with you at our hotel.”

  Havlock stared at him, maybe a little longer than necessary. “She was just the right person for us today,” he said. “Give her my thanks.”

  Atiana added a comment as well, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “She asked me earlier today if I knew how lucky I was to have the Teacher by my side. She said it to me, but I have a feeling it was meant for you.”

  Hawke stared at her while his mind shifted gears, then he jumped from the car and caught up to Graylee. She turned as he approached, an instant smile brightening her face. He suddenly felt awkward and at a loss for words.

  “Uh, I thought I’d escort you home. You’ve had a long day.”

  Her smile stayed in place. “Thank you! Can a marine be a gentleman?”

  Hawke’s eyebrows lifted. “I guess so, as long as we’re not fighting.”

  “Then I’ll fix us dinner.” She hooked her arm through his and said, “Come on!”

  She held to that arm as they entered the oland, not releasing it until they reached her apartment, a sign Hawke took as encouragement. Back in somewhat familiar surroundings, he plopped down on a couch. She brought him glass of water and sat down next to him.

  “Such an amazing two days,” she said.

  “Tell me,” he said. “You’ve been wonderful, Graylee. No, you’ve been perfect. Even Governor Havlok agrees.”

  Her eyes lit up. “I have? He does?”

  He stared a question at her, then pursed his lips in frustration and moved to another chair. He sat down facing her to discover disappointment and confusion in her eyes. She pulled her hair forward again to cover the scar, something she’d been doing all day whenever she noticed him watching her.

  “I saw that,” he said. He leaned toward her. “You’re a beautiful woman, Graylee, with or without the scar and the limp. Those things are just a fact of life on Tranxte. Enough people have them that I hardly even notice them any more. If anything, in my eyes your scar reinforces your beauty and character. You don’t need to hide it from me, ever.”

  He held his hands out palms forward. “Look, I’ve only got a few more days here, so I can’t beat around the bush. I like you . . . a lot. Occasionally in life we meet someone who we just know is special, and you’re her. I’d like to get to know you better, but that’s not what this is about. Well . . . it’s not entirely what this is about.”

  He looked away, afraid his words might backfire on him. When he looked back to her, she had settled back into the couch with one dimple showing, seemingly enjoying his discomfort.

  “It can be what this is about,” she said in that husky voice.

  He stared at her in amazement. “Uh . . . Okay, uh . . .”

  She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, then just stood up, took the few steps to his chair, and sat on the arm of that chair. She placed a hand on his neck and leaned closer. “Since you only have a few days, I can’t beat around the bush either.” She leaned forward and brushed those amazing lips across his. “Your nearness has been distracting me all day.”

  “No way.”

  “Way.”

  He looked into her eyes, deep pools that sparkled, invited. He so wanted to fall into those pools, but he couldn’t. Not yet. He moved his head back a few inches and took a deep breath while lifting up a finger to separate them. “Can you hold that thought for just a minute?”

  “You risk spoiling the moment. You might not get it back.”

  “I want it back, but I want more and you deserve more. That’s what this is all about.”

  Those dark pools delved into his own. “The past two days have been like a fairy tale. I don’t want it to end.”

  “It doesn’t have to end. Stay a part of this, of us.”

  She leaned away from him, questioning. “You’re leaving.”

  He nodded. “I am, but I
’ll be back. Do you have any idea how amazing you were today?”

  “You already said that.”

  “I watched you being me today. We have a gift, Graylee, you and I, but I’m just a soldier dealing with soldiers. I don’t have the technical skills I need for the future. I know just enough about teaching to know I need help. I’m using a meat cleaver to get through to these people right now, but in the years ahead I need to learn real teaching skills, the systems and methods you educators use. I’d like you to come to Tranxte and teach me. You’d end up teaching a lot of others as well.”

  She sat like a statue, but he knew her enough to know her mind was operating at high speed.

  “I’m just asking you to consider it,” he ended lamely.

  “You want me to be a teacher?”

  “And an engineer and anything else you’re good at. We look at abilities, not titles.”

  Her eyes focused on him like daggers. “What’s it like there?”

  “At the moment its a horror story: bloody and scary and dangerous every second of every day. People die all around you, including your friends. There’s disease and starvation, bed bugs, it’s too hot, too cold, or just plain rainy with no escape from it, the food is lousy, and we’re their only hope. The locals fear us but they hang on to our every word. Then, Havlock or Atiana or Galborae finds you and gives you a pat on the back. That makes everything worthwhile.”

  His eyes took on a far away look, his mind going back to Tranxte, then he returned to Graylee’s home and Graylee. “You can’t come now, it’s too dangerous, but after we’ve dealt with the gleasons it will be better: just dusty and dirty, hot or cold or rainy with no way to avoid it, bed bugs, lousy food, and kings and queens fighting over every scrap we give them.”

  “I barely know you.”

  “I know,” he said, nodding. “You can’t come for me. If you come, it has to be for yourself.” He stood up, and she stood up with him. “Did you like your work with the colony?”

  “I loved it.”

  “I know conditions there had to be bad, or maybe I should say primitive. Tranxte is pretty primitive, too, but that’s just a small part of the challenge. Once the gleasons are gone, we have to guide a whole civilization through its emergence. Governor Havlock is determined to make them work for it. He wants them to come out on the other end as whatever they choose to be, not what we’ve made them into. For that to happen they need people like you who are sensitive and smart.”

  “You’re talking about a whole different skill set than what I needed with the colony.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m talking about an additional skill set, and you already have it. You’ll still get your chance to build things and to teach, you just have to be clever and not give away the store. It’ll seem like baby steps to you, it’s like that for all of us, and that’s exactly how it has to stay, one baby step at a time.”

  He stepped away from her and went to the window, a window that was really a screen, to stare out at the sun setting over the spaceport. When he turned back to her, he gestured toward the city outside. “It’ll be like turning your colony into that, but it will take a lot longer and require a lot more patience. The locals will be doing the work with the least amount of guidance we can give them. I’m supposed to lead the process, but I don’t know what baby steps to give them. Will you help me? If you say yes, I’ll guarantee you a seat at our meetings with the governor.”

  She turned away from him with her eyes staring into the distance. When she turned back, she walked across the room and joined him at the screen. “You’re describing something completely different than the colony. What if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t work out.”

  “I’ll get you a free ride back.” He took both of her hands in his own, her nearness making it almost impossible for him to focus on Tranxte. “I’m just asking you to think about it. Will you?”

  She pulled his hands around her waist and reached her own arms around his neck. “Of course I will. Your words tantalize and frighten at the same time.”

  He nodded, though a grin had found its way to his face at her clear indication of interest. “Yup, that about summarizes Tranxte.”

  She leaned away from him without letting go and looked at him with accusing eyes. “Some tryst you turned out to be. Are you still hungry?”

  “I’m always hungry.”

  “Why did I know you’d say that?”

  “You dare to talk down to the Teacher?”

  “A teacher who doesn’t know how to teach.”

  He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. “Show me the way, Graylee. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret it.”

  “How long do I have to decide?”

  He looked off into the distance. “A couple of years, maybe more. Actually, probably more. It’s too dangerous right now. I hope you don’t forget about us by then.”

  “Maybe you should return from time to time to remind me.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  The house announced a visitor. She frowned, looking into his eyes and starting to brush her lips across his again, then she changed her mind. She took his face in her hands and pressed her body to his as their lips found each other.

  When they came up for air, she whispered with that throaty voice of hers, “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” She went to the door and opened it to Inspector Loren.

  “Will you accept a visitor, Ms. Rodjiks?”

  He stepped aside as Graylee leaned forward to look, but she didn’t get far. A Great Cat thrust his face into hers. She stepped back in alarm when Borg brushed past her without a word. He prowled his way through the house, taking Hawke into consideration without any visible indication, then returned to the door.

  “Clear,” he announced.

  Atiana stepped into the doorway. “May I come in?” she asked.

  Graylee blinked away her amazement and waved an arm invitingly as her mind shifted gears. “Please, Your Majesty.”

  “I’m so sorry to intrude,” Atiana apologized as she entered. She went to the main room and stopped in surprise at the sight of Hawke. She recovered quickly, her eyes betraying her amusement. Since the two of them had stood side by side against gleasons, there was no need for secrets between them.

  “Escorting her home, eh?”

  Graylee came to Hawke’s rescue. “Slightly more than that, Your Majesty. He’s trying to recruit me.”

  “Really! Have you succeeded?” she asked Hawke with lifted eyebrows.

  “I . . . uh . . . almost,” he said, his freckled face reddening.

  Graylee came to his rescue again, taking Atiana by the arm and leading her to the couch. “He’s persuasive, Your Majesty.”

  Atiana acknowledged the offer to sit but remained standing, her focus totally on Graylee. “Maybe I can provide additional persuasion.”

  Graylee’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Your Majesty?”

  Atiana’s lips firmed as she tilted her head to the side. “It’s time for us to dispense with titles and get down to work. I’m Atiana.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty . . . Atiana.”

  Atiana turned to Hawke. “What’s your argument?”

  “I’m good at what I’m doing, but I’m a soldier. I need a real teacher to take me into the future, to take Tranxte into the future.”

  Atiana nodded and turned back to Graylee. “He’s right. So do I.”

  “Your Majesty?”

  “Sit down, Graylee.” Atiana paused, looked around at Graylee’s home, and blushed. “Sorry. Will you sit down, please, and hear me out?”

  Graylee went for the chair and sat with her back ramrod straight.

  Atiana sat on lip of the couch opposite her and leaned forward with her hands in her lap. “I’m from an emerging world. I’m uneducated by your standards, and I don’t speak your language. If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m also in love with Governor Havlock. His job, once he’s dealt with the gleasons, is to bring Tranxte through its emerge
nce. He’s relying on me to help. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

  Graylee nodded. “I think so, yes.”

  “I have a lot of learning to do, which means I need someone to teach me. What I really need is a big sister I can lean on and learn from and bounce ideas off of. You were just that to me yesterday and all day today. I know it’s asking a lot, but I felt a connection. I get the feeling you might like to be that person.”

  Tears suddenly filled Graylee’s eyes to overflowing. Hawke knelt down beside her chair and reached up, wiping the tears away with callused thumbs. She looked down at him, remembered everything he’d said to her, and the flow increased.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “We’re your friends. There’s nothing to cry about.”

  Graylee lifted blurry eyes to Atiana. “I have no family, and I’ve always wanted a sister. But a queen?”

  Atiana stood up, smiling. “I’m a queen, Graylee, but I’m also a person, a person who’s asking for your help. A person who’s asking to be your friend.”

  “Friends don’t always make the best teachers.”

  “Nor do sisters, but we’re better than that.”

  “You see where I live. I have no idea how to survive on Tranxte.”

  “Teaching can work both ways.”

  Hawke interrupted. “Only after we’ve dealt with the gleasons. It’s too dangerous for her right now.”

  Atiana chewed her lip while she considered. She had never not been a warrior, but Hawke was right—Graylee was not a warrior. She needed civilization, not a war zone.

  She nodded. “Agreed. I’ll wait, but not overly long.” She looked to Hawke. “It just means you’ll have to do double duty. I’m going to claim all your free time. I will do whatever it takes to make my arrangement with Gar work.”

  “What arrangement is that?” he asked with a grin.

  “Well . . .” she said, shifting uncomfortably, “nothing’s formalized.”

  He nodded his understanding. “I’ll be there for you, Atiana. So will Gar.”