“He’s determined to make it on his own. He refuses to let Daughter interfere in any way with his career.”
Chandrajuski backed away. “My respect for him increases. Still, I would like to have known. What brings you here?”
“Daughter is in mortal danger, sir.”
His head instantly swooped toward her face again. She held her ground. “What kind of danger?” he demanded harshly.
“I can’t say, sir. I have certain . . . abilities . . . but I am sworn to secrecy.”
“By whom?”
“Daughter.”
Chandrajuski backed up, then turned away. She couldn’t help but marvel at the delicate precision of his long, jointed legs as they carried him to a glass wall overlooking the city. Without turning to look at her, he stated softly, “You must see my dilemma. When it comes to the Royal Family I never hesitate, but to act, I must have knowledge. Do you know where she is?”
“No, sir.”
“I do. She is on her way to Dorwall, a Chessori world. She leads a treaty mission to them.”
“Chessori? I haven’t heard of them, sir.”
“I’m not surprised. Few have. They’ve been trading within the Empire for a number of years now. We’ve decided to formalize the relationship so that we can trade within their realm as well.”
“Won’t they just join our Empire?” she asked.
“Too early to say.” His long neck swung around until he was looking at Krys. “You wouldn’t have come here if your concern was not meaningful to you. You may be sworn to secrecy, but she would not demand silence among Friends if the cost of that silence meant life or death. Tell me what you know, child.”
Krys had reached the same conclusion before coming to him. She took a deep breath, then uttered words that could never be taken back. “I have visions. Daughter believes I’m a Seer. I’m not so certain, but I’ve had two visions recently that compel me to act.”
Chandrajuski turned his whole body toward her. “A Seer! I’ve heard tales of such, but there have been no Seers within living memory, none that I am aware of.”
“Hence the need for secrecy, Admiral, at least until we find out if I am truly a Seer.”
“How can you not know? Either you have visions or you don’t.”
She sighed. “If only life was that simple. I spent seven years on Rrestriss with the best teachers she could provide, but they could not help me. While I got a wonderful education, my skills as a Seer did not improve.”
“Yet she believes in your abilities strongly enough to name you Friend. Tell me what you know, and tell me what you suspect.”
“I have had two clear visions recently. The first was of the Palace. It stood in all its grandeur, but it was devoid of life.”
“A strange vision, child. An impossible vision.”
“Agreed. So impossible that you can see why I doubt my abilities. The second vision was of Daughter writhing in agony on the floor. Her Protector, Otis, stood over her. He was shooting at something.”
Chandrajuski blinked, then blinked again. “She was hurt?”
“I don’t know, sir. I saw no wounds.”
He blinked again. “Do you know if this has already happened?”
“It has not happened yet, but I sense it is imminent.”
“Where is she in your vision?”
“I recognized the corridor outside her quarters on Resolve, a corridor I have been in many times, but I don’t know where Resolve will be when this happens.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“Not concerning these two visions, but I had another vision of her when I first met her. That vision is what led her to believe I might be a Seer.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“When I first met her, I didn’t know who she was. She took my hands, and the moment we touched I had a vision of her and Otis. In that vision, she was lying in the dirt beneath a ship at the foot of its ramp. Otis and another Protector were beside her. Otis fired into the night, at what, I do not know. This particular vision came with words, as some do.”
She stared into Chandrajuski’s eyes, then spoke the words. “You will be so much more and have so much less. They will best you, but a man of dirt will come to your aid.”
“What is the meaning of the words?”
“We never figured them out. When words come to me, they are always in the form of a riddle. I never discover their meaning until the event takes place, then the meaning is clear. In this particular case, the word ‘dirt’ is a translation, one that I sensed was correct. The actual word from my vision was earth, or Earth. The man who comes to her aid may be a man of dirt, or he may be a man of Earth, a place that does not exist in our star charts. Neither made any sense to Daughter or me.”
“Do your visions come true?”
“I don’t know, sir. I’m usually not around to find out. Some have come true.”
He stared at her for a long time before saying, “There are similarities between the two visions you had of Daughter.”
“There are, sir.”
He reached a decision. “When it comes to the security of the Royal Family, I never hesitate. I will send help. Will you go with them?”
“I will, sir. She can be stubborn, but I believe she will listen to me.”
“Remain here. I’ll be back shortly.”
Chandrajuski disappeared for a long half hour. When he returned, a young man in an ensign’s uniform stood nervously behind him. Chandrajuski was all business. “This is Ensign Tarn Lukes. He will be your personal aide during the voyage. Your shuttle is waiting, Krys.”
“You mean, right now?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes. Right now. You don’t have time to pack. We’ll take care of your needs aboard the cruiser.”
She hesitated, then turned to Lukes and pushed him from the room, saying, “I’ll be right out, Ensign.” She closed the door and turned back to Chandrajuski. “What of the Palace?”
“I don’t need to send squadrons to the Palace, they have plenty of their own, but I’ll send word, and my words will be heard. Now go, child. I hope you are wrong. I hope we are all proven to be fools.”
Chapter Fifteen: Tarn’s Vision
Tarn Lukes took her directly to a shuttle at the port. The shuttle was filled with squadron members responding to the emergency recall, and the ship lifted soon after Krys and Ensign Lukes boarded. Lukes took a seat across the aisle from her looking dejected. She suspected she might know the reason why.
“I’m sorry you got stuck with me,” she said, leaning toward him so as not to be overheard.
“It’s okay, Ma’am. We’ll be aboard the cruiser soon, and someone else will take over from there.”
Her brow furrowed. “Oh. I guess I misunderstood the admiral.”
“Yes, Ma’am. He said I’m your aid for the duration of the voyage, but I’m certain he just meant our voyage to the cruiser. I’m a gunnery officer, and that’s my place. The captain will find someone more qualified to help you.”
She had left everything behind, and knowing Daughter as she did, she suspected she might never see this world again. When she reached Daughter, she would likely stay with her. Would she ever see Val again? She believed in her heart that she would, but she couldn’t be certain. She desperately wished for a vision of happiness, but her wishes were not answered.
The shuttle approached an immense, egg-shaped cruiser and settled to the floor of hangar deck. When the shuttle opened its doors, they disembarked into a cavernous hangar area. Lukes led her across the deck to stand in a long line of crewmembers waiting to check in. When they reached the front of the line and Tarn gave their names, the officer stared at him aghast.
“You waited in line? Don’t you know you’re escorting a special passenger?”
“Sorry, sir. I’m new to this.”
“Well, no more lines for her. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.” He received her room assignment and led her there, then lef
t quickly. His parting words were, “I’ll see that someone checks on you.”
The room was more than she expected, considering she was aboard a military ship. She had a bed, an enclosed bathroom, a worktable with screen, a chair, and several closets and drawers for her personal things. She went through the drawers and closets, quickly as it turned out since they were empty. Was there a store on the ship? She had no idea. She and Val had received a tour of a cruiser twelve years earlier, but she remembered little of it.
A couple of hours later she heard someone banging around in the next compartment and went out into the corridor to see what was going on. To her surprise, it was Tarn Lukes throwing all his worldly belongings from a cart into the room, and he did not appear happy about it. Krys leaned against the cart, hiding a grin behind her hand.
“Guess I heard right after all, huh?”
He looked up with a scowl, then straightened when he saw who it was. “Excuse me, Ma’am. Is there anything I can get for you?”
“Are you allowed to tell me what’s going on?”
“I just got the worst chewing out of my life, that’s what’s going on, and from the Skipper personally.”
“You’re in trouble?”
“Let’s just say I’m going to keep my head down for a while. When a Sector Commander gives you an order, you pay attention to every single word and you take the words verbatim. Essentially that’s what the Skipper told me, mixed in with a lot of other words. Ma’am.”
“Are we on our way?”
“We are. I don’t have a clue what this is all about. Do you?”
“Has the squadron commander asked to see me?”
“Not that I know of. Will he?”
“Yes.”
Tarn’s eyes widened, and he stood a little straighter. “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear. Is there anything else I can do for you, Ma’am?”
“Actually, yes. I wasn’t expecting to leave the planet. I don’t have anything with me. Is there a store on board?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll show you the way.”
Krys bought a few changes of clothing and some personal items. When she stepped up to pay, Tarn stopped her. “I believe you’re a guest of the ship, Ma’am. I think we have procedures for taking care of such things.”
“It’s okay, Ensign. The prices are reasonable. I can pay.” She reached for the money key Daughter had given to Val all those years ago. Once the property of a Knight, it was unmarked, meaning the charges were not traceable to the user. Most amazing, there was no credit limit. She had used it only rarely since Val had given it to her, and then only on what she considered official business. Her hand hesitated, then she changed her mind and pulled her personal money key out instead. Her own funds were sufficient for the moment.
Tarn had to ask directions to the guest dining room. When they got there, they were the only two in the room. She took one look and balked. “No way, Ensign. Where do you eat?”
“With you for as long as you’re on the boat.”
“Where would you eat if I wasn’t here?”
“The crew mess, Ma’am.”
“Show me the way.”
“No, Ma’am. This is where I was told to bring you for meals.”
“I’m not permitted in the crew mess?”
“I don’t know, but those were my instructions.”
“Well, I’m not going to eat here. It’s a waste of everyone’s energy to serve just the two of us. I insist we go to the crew mess.”
Tarn hung his head in defeat. “Yes, Ma’am.”
The mess was crowded, boisterous, and more to her liking, but during the meal Tarn was called away. When he returned he looked pale, and he had no interest in the remains of his food.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing, Ma’am.”
She leaned over the table. “Look, Ensign, you’re making me feel old with this ‘Ma’am’ stuff. I’m not much older than you. My name is Krys, understood?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She leaned back in her seat to stare at him. She was tall, dark-haired, and spare, but he was considerably taller than her, blond, and fit. And though young, his features if not his actions hinted at more maturity than she would have expected of a junior officer fresh out of the Academy, which, clearly by the rank he held, he was.
“You’re in trouble again, and it’s because of me, isn’t it.”
“No, Ma’am.”
“Tarn, I have a feeling we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. It’ll go a lot easier if we’re honest with each other.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“You’re in trouble because of me?”
“No, Ma’am. Not exactly. I didn’t follow orders.”
She nodded her head, “Uh, huh. Someone noticed us here, and your instructions were to dine with me in the passenger’s mess. I’m sorry. I’m done here. Let’s go.”
When they got back to Tarn’s quarters, a light flashed on the message pad outside his room. He blanched when he saw it. He keyed in his identity, read the contents, and his shoulders slumped.
Krys edged her way in front of him and read the message. Quarters not per regulations. Two days extra duty with the quartermaster following completion of current assignment. Report when extra duties are completed. Signed – Lieutenant Rodix. She looked in his room, and it was, indeed, a mess. She wished she had asked him if he needed more time before they went shopping.
She was beginning to see a pattern. She pulled him out of the hallway and into his room. He stared at her in shock. “Ma’am, you can’t be in here. My instructions, from Admiral Chandrajuski himself, were to treat you as a Lady at all times.”
She saw the look of fury in his eyes and pulled him back into the corridor. “Will we be overheard here?”
“No, Ma’am. Not if you keep your voice low.”
“Are you often in trouble?”
“No. Never like this. I feel like I’m back at the Academy.”
“It’s not your fault, Tarn. It’s mine, and I’m sorry. This military environment is new to me. For your sake, I’ll try to be more cooperative. Give me my things, and I’ll leave you to take care of your room.”
“No, Ma’am. I’ll take them to your room.”
“So you can come into my room?”
“Uh . . . no, Ma’am.” He walked her to her quarters, only a few feet away, and handed the packages to her. “Just call or knock on my door if you need anything,” he said.
“Straighten up your room, Tarn. And I expect to be called by the admiral sometime soon. You might want to make sure you’re ship-shape by then. I’ll play by the rules from here on out. You just have to let me know what they are.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
The call from the squadron commander came later that day. Tarn led her to the admiral’s office where Krys was shown in by the admiral’s aide. Tarn remained in the admiral’s outer office.
“Welcome aboard, Ms. Krys,” Admiral Jast, a human, said as he rose from behind his desk. “You’re probably aware that we’re underway. I understand you know what this is all about?”
“I’m sorry, sir, but there’s little I can say except that Daughter is in grave danger.”
“Hmm. Admiral Chandrajuski’s very words. Can you be more specific?”
“No, sir. I don’t even know where she is.”
“Then what is your part in all of this?”
“I’m just the messenger, sir.”
“Who gave you the message?”
“I can’t say, sir.”
He approached her and put an arm lightly about her shoulder, steering her to a comfortable chair in a corner meeting area. He took another seat and leaned forward. “Ms. Krys, this mission is absurdly unusual. That’s okay,” he said holding up a hand. “We don’t have a lot to do this close to Centauri III and the call to action is welcome, but my orders are pretty skimpy. I am in command of a fleet of three squadrons.”
“Three squadrons!” sh
e interrupted.
“Yes. Our mission is to deliver you and your message to Daughter, thereafter to provide any assistance she might require. Do you have any idea of the firepower inherent in three squadrons? It’s a rare occasion that finds more than one squadron insufficient to deal with a problem. Anything you tell me will help me understand what this is all about.”
“Where are we going?”
“We’re headed to Dorwall, a world on the outskirts of the Chessori domain. Daughter is enroute to Dorwall as we speak, leading a treaty mission to the Chessori.”
“Who are these Chessori?”
“They’re traders, and they’ve been trading within the Empire for some years now. That was okay as long as they were selling their own goods, but they’ve begun cutting into our own traders’ profits recently. It’s time we formalized something with them.”
“We’re going outside the Empire?”
He smiled. “Just a bit. She has two squadrons with her already. I can’t imagine her needing more.”
“Nevertheless, Admiral, I believe she is in danger.”
“From what, or from whom?”
“I wish I knew, sir.”
Frustration flared in his eyes for an instant, then he clamped down on it. “Very well. It’s a long voyage. We’ll enter the system in six weeks. If, during that time, you find it within yourself to part with any additional information, anything at all, I would be most receptive.”
“I understand, sir. I truly do not know the details. I only know that she is in grave danger.”
The weeks passed slowly for her. With little to occupy her time, Tarn led her on a tour of the massive ship. She was lost most of the time, and she had little interest in the ship anyway. To her, the ship was just a means to take her to Daughter. She asked for and received approval to dine in the crew mess, much to the relief of both of them. The several meals they had taken in the visitor’s mess had been desultory affairs.
She spent most of her time in study, just for something to do. A part of each day was spent in meditation, something her instructor on Rrestriss had hoped would improve her skills of Seeing, though nothing had come of it. In spite of its failure, she had come to enjoy the hours of meditation and had stuck to the regimen during all the years since.
Last of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book One) Page 17