by Richard Fox
His arm screamed in pain, and broken ribs stabbed in his chest like hot irons. Remi looked Cosima in the eyes, then got back to his feet.
He raised his blade high over his head with his uninjured arm.
Quinn, flicked blood from his hand, shook his head in pity. “Fool. One more pass?” He held his blade behind his hip, both hands on the hilt.
Remi and Quinn charged. Their blades struck as they crossed. Quinn’s shield flared and he slowed to a stop, blood across his blade’s edge.
Remi stumbled forward and crumbled to the ground.
“Paul! No!” Cosima screamed. She tried to run to him. Quinn caught her and shoved her back against a wall. She sank to the ground, still reaching for Remi.
“I think we’re done with this little game, Princess,” Quinn said. “I was going to make this quick, but now…”
Quinn, his eyes burning with hate, raised his sword over his head and swung the bloody blade at Cosima.
A metal hand caught Quinn’s wrist.
Quinn looked over and saw Prince Vincent, the escape passage open behind him. Vincent’s face showed barely restrained fury.
Quinn wrenched his hand out of Vincent’s grip and sneered. “Vincent, you saved me the trouble of tracking you down.”
Vincent aimed a pulser at Quinn’s head.
“Are you going to waste your bullets against my shield too?” he said with a chuckle.
“What shield?” Vincent asked.
Quinn looked down at his lapel and saw his emitter, smashed and smoking. Remi’s final strike had destroyed Quinn’s protection.
Quinn looked up into Vincent’s barrel.
Vincent shot his brother between the eyes, knocking Quinn’s head back over his shoulders. Quinn wavered and fell to the ground, dead.
Cosima didn’t hear Vincent’s orders to the Guardsmen and soldiers that poured from the escape passage. She tore free from helping hands and ran to Remi’s side. Blood pooled beneath him, and his arms wrapped tightly across a cut that ran across his flank.
“Paul! Paul can you hear me?” She cupped her hand under his face. His skin was cold to the touch and deathly pale.
“Cosima,” he said weakly. “Quinn…get away.”
“He’s dead. He’s dead I promise. Vincent is here, you’ll be OK now.”
Remi reached a blood-soaked hand to her. She grabbed it and held it against her chest.
“Hold on, please, Paul, just hold on.”
Remi ran his finger down her cheek, leaving a streak of blood.
“Cosima….” Remi’s hand went slack and his eyes closed.
“Paul?” she bent her face next to his. “Don’t leave me. Please, please, I love you don’t leave me.”
Someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from him. She screamed and clawed, begging to stay. Vincent pointed to her and barked orders to the Guardsman dragging her away from Remi.
She saw Vincent kneel next to Paul and put a hand on his shoulder. She caught the edge of the escape passage and refused to let go. It took three men to finally pry her loose and carry her to safety.
CHAPTER 15
The palace smelled of smoke and ash. Everywhere Cosima went had the smell of battle and loss. The morgue was no different.
There were three bodies, each cleaned and dressed for their funerals: King Rasczak, still in his stasis tube, Prince Francis in a military dress uniform, a golden braid worked into his service sash, and Remi. Remi’s body held a sword in his clasped hands. A gleaming blade ran from his chest to his knees.
Cosima, dressed in mourning black, sat on a stool next to Remi. She wiped away another tear and set her hand over Remi’s. His hands felt cool through the black lace gloves she wore.
It had been barely a day since the attack. Vincent had rallied the surviving Guardsmen and led reinforcements from Fort Schwehr in a counterattack. The attacking war bots were smashed, their mechanical heads hung from the palace walls in victory. The source of the droids, a merchant ship registered to a string of shell companies, had self-destructed before the orbital police could seize it.
Vincent had wasted no time asserting control over the palace and all of Sidonia. He was on TV within an hour of the last war bots’ destruction, assuring the planet that he and Cosima had survived and the palace still belonged to Sidonia.
Cosima had spent a sleepless night on Fort Schwehr surrounded by a battalion of infantry. She’d refused to eat or drink until she’d returned to the palace and found Remi. She’d been by his side since.
The door to the morgue opened and Vincent entered. He wore his military dress uniform, a gray glove over his prosthetic hand. He was entitled to wear a regent’s crown, but went bareheaded.
Vincent paused at his father’s side, then Francis’s.
The prince stood next to Remi’s shoulders, then knelt beside him.
“I’m sorry, brother,” Vincent said. “I wasn’t there when you needed me. I failed you. I failed you trying to save my father, the palace. I got to Cosima in time, finished the battle you’d won with your final strike. You are a good man, the best I’ve ever known. Forgive me, brother, I did all I could.” He stood and touched his metal hand against Remi’s forehead.
Vincent straightened his uniform and pressed his flesh and blood forearm against his face. Cosima watched as grief left his face, replaced by a regal manner.
“You can return to your space station at your convenience. The Chaebol Corporation is leaving. There’s no treaty, no reason anyone would hurt you now,” Vincent spun on his heels and walked away.
“Wait. If there’s no treaty, what will happen when the Aquitaine fleet gets here?”
Vincent stopped and half looked over his shoulder. “As king, I can surrender or fight and doom Sidonia to defeat.”
Cosima looked at Remi, the man who’d sacrificed his life for her, for Sidonia’s freedom. She couldn’t let his death be in vain.
“Vincent, take me up to the Chaebol ship. Now.”
****
The conference center of the Seoul could accommodate hundreds of business men and women with ease, but was almost empty. Everything was stowed for the translation back to New Chosun. The crew had little time to prepare a proper reception for Vincent and Cosima’s sudden visit, placing an ornate carved table with seats for the three ambassadors and the Sidonians was the best they could do. A long pane of transparent diamond looked out over Sidonia, Styria station hung just over the horizon. The three corporate executives waited at the table, untouched coffee cups steaming in front of them.
Cosima, still in her mourning black, barged into the conference room. Vincent was right behind her, but he didn’t bother to keep pace with her as she lifted the hem of her dress and ran across the empty room. The executives stood and bowed.
Cosima stopped and slammed her palms against the table, jittering the coffee.
“Fools,” she said. “Only fools would leave money on the table.”
The ambassadors didn’t react. “We are sorry for your loss,” the one on the left said.
“Let me talk to you about real loss in terms you might appreciate,” Cosima jabbed a finger toward the window. “Your corporation spent over a trillion won, more than a decade’s earnings for my entire planet to bring this ship to Sidonia. Now you’re going to double that expense and leave without a jump gate? With no claim on whatever alien tech is waiting for you in the Gaia system?”
“Princess Cosima,” middle said, “your political situation is untenable. We require a long term partner for a long term project. To take such a risk on a world such as yours is bad business.”
“The coup failed. Vincent lives. I live. We will honor the treaty you negotiated with Francis and my father,” Cosima said. Vincent stopped next to her, his face unreadable. “Isn’t that right?” Cosima asked Vincent.
“Sidonia remains whole. Every noble house has pledged their loyalty to me as the new king,” Vincent said.
“The terms were negotiated and approv
ed by the CEOs themselves,” middle said. “We could not modify the treaty without their consent.”
“What if…what if we adjust the negotiated toll rates?” Cosima asked “Sidonia will absorb the cost of your transit to and from New Chosun and compensate you for your flexibility.”
The executives spoke at once, each saying something different. Their look of shock was identical. The three men glanced at each other in panic. One held up a finger and the three retreated to the back of the room where they huddled together.
“Cosima, what are you doing?” Vincent asked quietly.
“Business, Vincent. You were raised to be a leader, an officer. I was raised to be a businesswoman and an engineer. You look at this problem as a matter of honor but it is a matter of profit and loss. Now remain quiet and don’t screw this up,” she said.
A panel in the floor slid open and a tray full of walnut cakes floated before them. Cosima took one and nibbled at it. She nudged Vincent’s arm.
“I’m not hungry,” he said.
“Be. Polite.”
Vincent ate a cake, nodded in approval and reached for another.
The Chaebol men exited their huddle and returned to the table, their pace in lock step.
“If you will agree to a three percent reduction to your toll rate for seven years, we can modify the contract on a provisional basis until such time as our expenses are covered,” Lee said.
“Two and a half percent and full terms,” Cosima said.
“What are you—” Vincent’s protest ended when Cosima stomped her foot against his.
The executives exhaled as one and rocked their heads from side to side. “Full terms for so little,” Kim said.
“I’ll not have you pack up and leave on a whim,” Cosima said.
“Three percent, full terms,” Park said.
“Agreed,” Cosima said the word like it caused her pain.
The executive in the middle pulled out a sheaf of paper from the desk and flipped it open. He pulled a cap off a fountain pen and made an annotation. He flipped the treaty to the final page and crossed through two names. He handed the pen to Vincent.
“Please sign,” he said. The two crossed out names were Francis and Cosima’s father. Vincent hesitated, then signed with trembling fingers. Cosima added her name with more emphasis.
“Full terms requires a dedicated business partner. You two will marry soon?” Lee asked.
“Yes,” Cosima looked at Vincent and bit her lip. “For the greater good of Sidonia. We will marry. Won’t we?”
Vincent swallowed hard and gave her a half smile, the best his damaged face could manage.
“We will,” he said.
“Very well,” Kim said. “We will begin construction of the wormhole gate immediately.”
“And the orbital defenses,” Vincent said.
“Yes, of course. Now, excuse us. There is much work to be done.” The executives turned and left the room.
Vincent went to the window and pressed his metal hand against the glass. He hung his head.
“What? What’s wrong?” Cosima asked.
“Cosima, what are you doing? You didn’t want to marry my brother. I don’t think you want to be with me either,” Vincent said. He turned around and tapped his metal fingers against the prosthetics on his face. “You don’t want this.”
“I’ve seen what you’ve done, what you’ve sacrificed for Sidonia,” she grabbed his hands and held them tight. “You are a good man, Vincent. I will be your queen for the sake of Sidonia. Be my king.” She smiled at him and squeezed his hands.
“I’m not the man you loved. I know that. Why are you doing this?”
“There’s more at stake than what I want. Remi didn’t die so I could run back to my space station. He died so I might live…for Sidonia. Take a chance on me, save the planet.”
“A chance? I ran out of luck years ago.” Half of Vincent’s face smiled.
“Why don’t we get back dirt side and show our people they have a king and queen?”
THE END
From the Author
Thank you for reading The Queen of Sidonia. I hope you enjoyed it! It would mean a lot to me for you to leave a review on Amazon. If you want to go above and beyond, tell two friends about the book.
Would you like to read more about Cosima and Vincent? Spotted a typo that I should hunt down and kill with fire? Let me know at [email protected].
FOLLOW ME AT
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
My Website
Amazon
Join my mailing list to stay up to date on new releases and receive a FREE book.
Also By Richard Fox:
The Ember War Saga (Military Space Opera Series):
1. The Ember War
The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance.
In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission—determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada.
The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor, who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.
Earth will need a fleet. One with a hidden purpose. One strong enough to fight a battle against annihilation.
The Ember War is the first installment in an epic military sci-fi series. If you like A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and The Last Starship by Vaughn Heppner, then you'll love this explosive adventure with constant thrills and high stakes from cover to cover.
2. The Ruins of Anthalas
An ancient holocaust holds the key to humanity's survival.
Only a sliver of mankind survived the Xaros invasion. With Earth's defenses in ashes, nothing can stop the aliens' inevitable return. Hope arrives from a cryptic message from a long-lost alien race, promising the means to rebuild the shattered space fleet. Captain Valdar takes one of the last strike carriers, theBreitenfeld, and his shell-shocked crew on a desperate mission to the dead world.
Unfortunately, humans aren't the only power that received the ancient message...
3. Blood of Heroes
A peaceful planet needs a miracle to survive an alien onslaught. It’s got the Strike Carrier Breitenfeld.
The Xaros, a galaxy-wide scourge of murderous drones, have their sights set on the planet Takeni. Captain Isaac Valdar volunteers his ship to defend the innocent civilians and evacuate every one he can. Pressed by an alien fleet in space and a horrifying foe on the surface, the Breitenfeld must risk everything to save the doomed populace.
4. Earth Defiant (Coming this February!)
+++
THE RED BARON
At the dawn of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen sought glory. What he found was misery. Sentenced to a meaningless staff position after losing his first battle, Richthofen joins the fledgling German air force and discovers his deadly talent for air to air combat.
In the air, victory and renown come at the expense of other men’s lives and with a burden that grinds against his soul. To the soldiers and people of Germany, he was the pride of an empire. To his foes, he was the Red Baron. As wounds to his body and spirit mount, Richthofen learns that even heroes have limits. As the war enters the final stages, finding the strength to keep fighting will be his greatest battle.
+++
The Eric Ritter Spy Thriller Series:
THE CALIBAN PROGRAM
When the CIA summon young Lieutenant Eric Ritter to Pakistan, they throw him into the cloak and dagger war against al Qaeda. A war Ritter isn't ready for.
INTO DARKNESS
A Deadly ambush leaves two soldiers in terrorist hands, and their only chance at rescue is the connection between Eric Ritter and the al Qaeda mastermind behind the attack.
THE SOCOTRA INCIDENT
Somali pirates hijack a fishing boat smuggling a nuclear warhea
d and a frantic race for the weapon ignites. Al Qaeda wants the bomb to strike a devastating blow against the West. The North Koreans want the nuclear weapon back before their role in nuclear terrorism is exposed. The CIA want their operative Eric Ritter to seize the bomb intact for later use…and Ritter doesn’t know why.
THE BELTWAY ASSASSIN
An assassin murders one of the shadowy Directors of the Caliban Program-a covert arm of the CIA that operates beyond the bounds of law and morality. As the targeted killings of America’s elite continues in Washington DC, the investigation falls to two men who don’t trust each other, Eric Ritter and Greg Shelton.