Stars & Empire 2: 10 More Galactic Tales (Stars & Empire Box Set Collection)

by Jay Allan

  She flinched and spun away, toward the kitchen. Tea. She needed tea. It kept her mother absurdly calm, no reason it shouldn’t do the same for her, right? Her pulse pounded in her ears, causing his voice to sound distant, all echo-y and muffled. Why did she feel as though she was about to panic?

  “No.” Her voice was so soft she hardly heard it above the pounding.

  Silence lingered for aeons.

  “No…what?”

  “No, you can’t go home right now. We passed New Orient hours ago and are well into Alliance space.” She half-turned to him, leaving herself the option to retreat again. “At this point I can’t afford to turn around. I’m sorry, you’ll have to come with me.”

  He blinked at her. His jaw solidified into a chiseled line. His lips pursed together. He blinked again. She could see his eyes darken, until they were the color of the Pacific under a moonless night sky. “So I’m still your prisoner after all.”

  “There’s no reason to look at it that way….”

  “Not really seeing another way to look at it.”

  “I told you before, I need you with me when we get to Earth.”

  “You need me. Tell me Alex, how exactly do you need me—and don’t even try the ‘two voices are better than one’ line, because that is bullshit.”

  She wished then she were the recipient of an expression of pained patience, as it beat being the recipient of the expression he wore right now by several parsecs. But she had no answer for him. She couldn’t have an answer for him.

  “I guess you’re still my prisoner then.”

  “Well. That’s…outstanding.” The tight muscles along the line of his jaw flexed. Abruptly he pushed off the couch and started down the stairs.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To take a shower. A long one.”

  “But you already—”

  He paused mid-step, but didn’t even glance up at her. “I. Don’t. Care.”

  She watched him disappear down the stairwell. Terrific move, Alex. Top notch.

  She walked slowly to the cockpit, tea forgotten. She sat and toed the chair in aimless circles and tried to puzzle out precisely why she had done it and what she had expected the result to be. But she hadn’t expected any result, because she hadn’t thought. Instead she had panicked and reacted instinctively.

  Which wasn’t like her at all. She felt…detached, untethered. Like the firmament of the world had been yanked out from beneath her, leaving her adrift without an anchor. It was odd, since she usually felt more grounded in space, on her ship, sailing amongst the stars. Now though, her beloved stars had become the enemy. And she was on the verge of turning an ally into another one.

  But when he reappeared upstairs half an hour later, she couldn’t bring herself to retract her declaration. She told herself once he cooled off it would be fine. “Listen—”

  “Don’t.”

  “I only—”

  “And I said don’t.”

  Okay, not quite cooled off just yet.

  He practically stalked over to the data center. “Give me access to the raw data. I’m going to search for anything else to help the team heading in.”

  When she didn’t respond, his gaze rose to find her. Her brow had furrowed in uncertainty at him.

  “Alex, give me access to the raw data.”

  The tone of his voice brokered no argument, permitted no resistance. She found she was standing and walking over.

  She entered a sequence in the holo control panel then reached across and activated the interface in front of him. Their shoulders touched, and she looked up at him; he didn’t look down at her.

  She swallowed and backed away. “You can access whatever you need from there. I’ll be over here working…if you have any questions.”

  CHAPTER 33: Earth

  Houston

  The ballroom gleamed from a ceiling adorned in thousands of fiber-optic icicles. The orchestra occupied a circular raised dais in the center of the room so their dulcet strains could be heard throughout the space without overpowering any portion of it. The bar and buffet lined the left wall, split in the middle by the cake—an enormous affair which spelled out ‘Happy 50th Anniversary.’ It should provide sufficient pieces for the 640 guests. She had underestimated.

  War may have been declared the day before, but it had not yet hit the radar of this social scene. That much was certain.

  Kennedy entered the room fashionably late, having just arrived on the suborbital from Manhattan where she had picked up her dress, her shoes and her date. The dress was sea foam lace, the shoes translucent strappy heels and the date the CEO of a startup solar-power satellite firm. He also happened to be an old friend from university, and more than happy to entertain her when she came to town…or Earth for that matter. It was a shame she had never managed to fall in love with him, because he genuinely was quite a good time and a good friend on top of it.

  She leaned in close on his arm. “Oh my. I haven’t lived here in twenty years, I don’t recognize any of these people—except the famous ones, obviously. You run in these circles, help me out, Gabe.”

  He chuckled. “Well, to the left is your brother, alongside his dashing husband. And there toward the middle near the orchestra are your mother and father. If I’m not mistaken, they’re talking to the Alliance Attorney General and the District Governor.”

  “They are such ass-kissers. And you’re a smart ass.” She sighed and rolled her shoulders gamely. “I suppose we should go speak to them. But I see Tara Singleton over there eyeing the cake—we’re escaping to her at the soonest available opportunity. Oh, and drinks first.”

  He gestured for her to lead the way. “You know, if you dislike your parents so much, why did you travel over three hundred parsecs to be here?”

  “Because it is expected. Because I deplore making a scene, even by my absence. And because I don’t dislike them—I’m merely bored by them.”

  Her parents were intelligent enough people. Capable and shrewd. In their years together they had served as excellent stewards of the family fortune, growing it by over forty percent while investing handsomely in the economic and environmental improvement of the Texas coast and Louisiana delta.

  But they didn’t do anything. They didn’t make anything. The family fortune existed solely due to the genius and sheer determination of her great-great-grandmother, whose design of a commercially viable Woodward-Mach impulse engine opened the solar system to colonization and development. Sixty years later the sLume drive opened the galaxy to the same and rendered the impulse engine a commodity, but those were a very lucrative sixty years.

  Though her great-great-grandmother had died in a construction accident during the early days of the Jupiter orbital habitats, her devoted husband had ensured her legacy endured. Yet each generation since had been less impressive. Her great-grandfather helped improve the radiation shielding necessary for interstellar travel, while her grandmother and granduncle contented themselves with managing—but not improving—deep core oil drilling in the Gulf. Her uncle was a representative in the Earth Alliance Assembly and served on several environmental committees. Her father…he simply married well.

  “Dad, how are you?” She smiled broadly as she hugged him, careful not to spill a drop of her drink in the process. As she pulled back the smile remained firmly in place. “Mom, you look ravishing, as usual.”

  “Oh, but you put me to shame, Kennedy dear. What a stunning gown, truly. And Mr. Hamilton, isn’t it? I believe I saw you on the cover of Galactic Entrepreneur Weekly recently, yes?”

  He bowed at the waist to kiss her hand, ever the gentleman. “It was an honor to be mentioned.”

  As he rose, Kennedy extended a hand to her parents’ companions in turn. “Governor Samus, it is so good to see you again. We met once, at the party my parents gave for my university graduation—I don’t presume you would remember, of course.”

  “And of course I do.” The woman accepted her hand with refined elegance. As a p
olitician, it presumably was her job to remember everyone she met lest they later prove relevant. “You had a bright future then, and it is my understanding you are not disappointing. Your father and mother both have been bragging on you nonstop.”

  Her smile grew into genuineness. Just when her parents threatened to annoy her beyond reproach, they went and reminded her they loved her. She gave her mother a small, heartfelt nod in appreciation and turned to the distinguished-looking man standing beside them.

  “Forgive me, I spend my time these days slaving over ship schematics on Erisen, far from the center of power….”

  The man tilted his head in respect, then met her gaze. Sharp, piercing eyes which almost matched her dress but sparkled far more intensely met hers. “I would not expect you to know me even were you to frequent the Earth social scene, for I am only a humble public servant. Marcus Aguirre, Ms. Rossi. It is a pleasure.”

  “The pleasure’s mine, I’m sure.” She directed her most diplomatic smile at him, though she found his gaze a tad unnerving. “What brings you to my parents’ little celebration? Given current events, I must say I’m surprised your presence isn’t required in Washington or London.”

  She ignored Gabe’s subtle elbow to her side. She wasn’t insulting the man; she was curious. No, that was a lie. She wasn’t remotely curious, but rather making conversation until she found an opportunity for escape.

  Aguirre’s mouth curled into a dark sneer for the briefest second; it was gone before she could be sure it had even been there, replaced by a grim frown. “Such unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in. I had hoped we had at last moved beyond the need for war, but alas. When I leave here I will be traveling up to the EAO Orbital to join the Prime Minister in meeting with the governors of the colonies closest to Federation space. It will be a late night, I’m afraid—but I didn’t want to miss the occasion.”

  “How do you know the family? Are you from the area?”

  “Kennedy dear, I’m sure the Attorney General doesn’t—”

  He gestured her mother silent. “In a manner of speaking. My family benefited from your parents’ Gulf rehabilitation initiatives in the second half of the 23rd, enough to pay my way through university until I earned a scholarship. I am showing my appreciation in the smallest possible way.”

  “Well…” she paused to sip on her drink “…I imagine that is a very good story. I would love to hear it—but I must excuse myself for a moment first to speak to my brother. It was a pleasure seeing you again Governor, and meeting you, Mr. Aguirre. Mom, Dad, enjoy your party.”

  She grasped Gabe’s hand firmly in hers and delicately yanked him away. Once they had put a safe distance between them and her parents she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “While I speak to Ian, you get us fresh drinks. And use your powers of persuasion to ensure they’re strong, please.”

  *

  Pandora: Independent Colony

  The Promenade was not the wealthiest district on Pandora, but it was close. The entertainment engaged in here included no less depraved activities than what occurred on The Boulevard; it was merely engaged in via far more refined surroundings by guests in far more refined clothing.

  Gleaming mid-towers rose alongside the walkway, all constructed of a brushed chromium and all lit in in a soft blue-white glow. The walkway appeared suspended twenty meters in the air, but in reality an invisible membrane extended out beyond it, ready to catch anyone who fell off the side due to clumsiness or intoxication. A small sign of the men behind the curtain.

  Noah didn’t feel much more comfortable here than he did on The Boulevard, but his father had at least made sure he knew how to act, and dress, in places such as this. He straightened his blazer and joined the fashionable denizens strolling toward their evening’s entertainment.

  His destination was a club not far into the core of The Promenade. Distraire was a mid-range establishment striving to become something greater. As such, it tended to attract clientele seeking the same thing.

  Mia Requelme fit the bill perfectly: a feisty young entrepreneur striving for more rarified heights. He admitted to being a bit surprised she’d agreed to come to Pandora…but he supposed any ghosts she harbored were by now either dead or long vacated.

  Over a decade ago she had been a street rat here—a hacker and thief working for Eli, a lieutenant in the Triene cartel. Noah had looked out for her when he could, though his resources were pretty meager back then. Then one day she had simply vanished. He’d feared she was dead, especially since most of Eli’s operation got taken out around the same time.

  But two years later she contacted him out of the blue, searching for some specialized items. Come to find out she had gotten away, gotten out from under Eli—somehow—and was running a home tech supply business on Romane. She ran a good deal more than that now.

  He found her at the bar, slender legs crossed beneath a midnight black dress and significantly exposed by the slit which cut up it. A mane of even darker razor-straight hair fell across a toffee-hued shoulder. She sipped on a martini and scanned the crowd for him. Her mouth curled up ever so slightly when she spotted him.

  He slid in beside her and dipped his chin in appreciation. “You are looking most stunning this evening, Mia.”

  Her tongue ran lightly along subtly glossed lips. “What can I say, I clean up well.” Her gaze ran over him appraisingly. “As do you. I must admit, you are cutting quite a striking figure yourself these days.”

  His grin sported a wicked flair as he accepted the drink the bartender placed in front of him with a nod. “I do try. So how is business on Romane?”

  “Profitable. How is business on Pandora?”

  “…entertaining.”

  She laughed, but her eyes were serious; then again, he remembered, they almost always had been. “I guess we’ve both gotten what we wanted.”

  “I guess so.” He slipped the interface, secured in a small case, out of his jacket pocket and into her hand. She’d paid him upfront so there was no need for an exchange of credits. It disappeared into a small black bag made of the same shimmery material as her dress. “Dare I ask what you intend to use this for?”

  “I have an Artificial. I imagine it’s clear what I intend to use it for.”

  “Hmm. Is it registered?”

  She regarded him over the top of her martini in a manner indicating she questioned either his intelligence or his sanity.

  He gave her a mild chuckle. “Right. Silly of me to ask.” His own eyes grew serious—briefly. “Just be careful, okay?”

  She signaled the bartender for another drink. “Noah, darling, I am always careful. I value the life I have now quite highly.” After the bartender departed she shifted to face him. “So, what do we do now?” The glimmer in her eye suggested she had something in mind.

  Though she was only a year or two younger than him, back when she had lived on Pandora he’d thought of her as a little sister; someone to be protected. The times he had seen her in the years since had been friendly but businesslike, and brief. Now, though…she clearly no longer needed protecting, and appeared more than his equal. And my god but she was a stunner.

  He smiled, this time with a wicked flair of another sort, and leaned into the bar and closer to her. “I tell you what. First, I’d like to buy you dinner. Then, perhaps a little dancing. And later, if all goes well, I’ll show you a side of Pandora you never got to see when you were living on the streets.”

  She arched an eyebrow, but her lips curved gracefully upward. “Oh? And where might that be?”

  “My apartment, of course.”

  CHAPTER 34: Siyane

  Space: North-Central Quadrant

  Caleb lay on the cot and stared up at the ceiling, barely visible in the dim light. He wanted to hit something. Anything. Instead he stared at the ceiling.

  For one, hitting anything—the wall for instance, or one of the tables—would result in a loud noise sure to bring her running. And he did not want to bring her running. It
had been late into the evening when, scarcely able to keep her eyes open, she had finally retired downstairs and given him the solitude, the space to think, he desperately craved. For another…well, that was plenty reason enough.

  A portion of his brain busily formulated a plan to get to Seneca. Despite the dramatic nature of the report, he worried his government didn’t truly understand the seriousness of what they were facing. He had discussed the situation with the leader of the investigation team heading to Metis, a Major Fergusson. The guy seemed sharp enough, if a typical special forces type. Still, he needed to be there, else they were liable to get everyone killed. Or worse, with no one reminding them to keep their eye on the ball, get distracted again by the bloody war and lose sight of the real threat.

  He groaned to himself. He was a patriot, as far as it went, but it wasn’t as though he cared for politicians, bureaucrats or military leaders. The war was idiotic, a fool’s errand likely to end in tragedy for far too many involved. Or worse—again—a trap they had all been ensnared in, one certain to leave them easy pickings for the aliens when they showed up to feast on humanity.

  He felt like a traitor, relaxing here on this ship while others ventured out to confront an unimaginable threat. Granted, he was the one who had alerted them to it. But he should be doing more.

  After six days on the ship he was familiar with the functions of the vast majority of the controls and screens. He at most required her very minimal input to fly wherever he desired. He had no doubt he would be able to force her into providing him access to the controls, and without even harming her—assuming she didn’t fight him like a possessed hyena.

  Which she would.

  Thus, in order to take control of the ship and get himself to Seneca or even an independent world, he’d probably need to hurt her.

  And he didn’t think he could do that.

  No matter how angry at her he was right now—which happened to be quite angry—he didn’t wish to cause her harm. He understood she had legitimate reasons for acting as she did. And though she clearly bore personal animosity toward the Senecan government if not its people specifically, he doubted she actively wished them ill. She was doing what she thought was necessary. It simply happened to conflict rather directly with what he thought was necessary.