“I see. Well, that’s all for today. Good bye, Mr. Struthers.”
“I think the least you could do is tell me your name and where you’re from, First Knight. I’m a people person. I thought I knew most of the important people in the Empire.”
“I guess you were wrong,” Mike responded and left.
Chapter 27
A vast fleet rendezvoused in deep space, and the laborious process of transferring the wounded to a hospital ship commenced. Ellie’s first concern was for her wounded, but she was told they needed a few days before receiving visitors. She decided to visit the survivors first.
Before leaving Resolve she called the crew together. Tables and chairs were moved aside to create a cleared space in the center of the lounge. With the exception of Tom O’Brien who remained on the bridge, every single person on the ship filed into the lounge and formed a circle. Ellie stood within the circle with Krys and Tarn beside her.
She called Stven. Shiny purple scales reflected the light as the great dragon stepped proudly to her and lowered his head.
“Stand tall, Captain,” she commanded. She looked at Krys thoughtfully, then let her gaze move around the room to each of Krys’ crew. “Your job is not yet done. Krys tells me the Chessori domain calls to her, an empire we know little about. Only time will tell where your new voyages take you, but I believe that everything you have done to date is just a warm-up for what is to come.”
She focused back on Stven. “Here me well, Captain. Since forming this crew you have acted and spoken with the wisdom of the Chosen. You are not only a credit to your people, you are a credit to me and to the Empire. I Name you today for those accomplishments, but more important, I Name you for what is to come. You are going into uncharted territory, a mission that will require wisdom and forward thinking. I do not doubt for a moment that you will find occasion to speak in my name. Such is the demand of a Knight, and I know that whatever words you speak will be spoken wisely.”
“You honor me beyond measure, Your Majesty. In honoring me, you also honor my people and this crew.”
She nodded. “Captain Stven, do you swear fealty to your Queen?”
“I do, Your Majesty.”
“For the power and authority you are certain to need in the coming years, I Name you Sir Stven, Knight of the Realm. Your words are my command on all worlds of the Empire. I task you further with carrying my words beyond the Empire to the Chessori. We - and by we I mean myself and my top commanders - will rely on your wisdom as we attempt to bring the Chessori into the Empire.”
A puff tried its best to escape, but he swallowed it. His attention turned inward for a short time while he dealt with the repercussions, then his gaze returned to the Queen. “Your Majesty? They’re the enemy.”
She reached a hand out to his snout. “For its survival, Earth requires that we defeat the Chessori, and we will. But what then? The Empire has never permitted genocide. This Chosen, your Queen, seeks partnership with the Chessori. That is the mission I assign you, a mission that will tax even the brilliance of the Rress.”
Stven jerked his head toward the ceiling as two small gouts of flame forced themselves from his nostrils. His eyes showed a brief panic, then he called into the room, “George, help!”
“Aye, Captain.” The room quickly cleared as George rerouted fresh air into the room. Everyone was fanning the air except M’Sada. He’d been forced to leave, weaving his way through the multitude of bodies with his upper hands hard at work.
“Well!” Ellie said, staring at Stven in amazement. “That’s a first for me. Probably a first for every Knight ever Named.”
“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty,” Stven spoke softly. Then his head came back down to her level. “We’re going to invite the Chessori into the Empire?”
“Or force them,” she answered. “What do you think?”
He stared at her. “Your reputation speaks of creativity. Now I see why.”
Her lips formed into a thin line. “You will not be alone on this mission, and I cannot say who will be in command, but whomever it is will need the wisdom of the Rress. Never forget: winning the war is not the goal. We seek more. We seek a permanent solution.”
“It will take more than the wisdom of the Rress to achieve that, Your Majesty.”
“It will. It will take all of you continuing to give everything that you are. Now, which hand works best for you?”
Without speaking, he lifted his wings and spread them out above everyone’s head, then folded them back against his body with the hand on each wing coming together to form a cup before Ellie. She placed a Pin into those rough hands and closed her own hands over them with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she removed her hands.
“Open the Pin, Sir Stven.”
He did so. She took the Pin from him, then frowned. “I usually pin this to clothing, but the Rress do not wear clothing.”
He reached a hand out and she placed the Pin in that hand. Scales opened on the great dragon’s belly, and he slipped the Pin into a pouch, clanking against a few other items including a blaster as it settled. He bowed once more to Ellie, then stepped around her and stood behind Tarn and Krys, his head towering above everyone.
“Commander M’Sada,” he called.
M’Sada scurried back into the room, his upper hands still busily cleaning smells from his antennae. “Captain?”
“Front and center,” Stven commanded.
Stven approached Ellie and lowered himself to the floor.
“Stand, Commander,” she said. She lifted her gaze to the rest of the room, her eyes sparkling. “You have achieved miracles,” she said to them. “I need more miracles. I charged you before with protecting my daughter as she delivered her messages. Little did I know then that it was not just her you were protecting. It was our whole Empire. You are a team, a team who knows no limitations. Does anyone here wish to leave the team?”
No one spoke up, and she nodded. “I didn’t think so. I said earlier that you were a ship of leaders, all of you. Standard staffing aboard a ship of this size poses limits on the number of senior officers, but there is nothing standard about this ship. None of you have had the opportunity to attend command schools, and that shortcoming will be addressed, but not until this war is ended. Until then, I need gifted warriors like you to lead the rest of us.”
She looked down at M’Sada. “Krys tells me that during your interview you made it clear that you hoped to achieve the rank of admiral during your career. Despite that, you agreed to forfeit all rank for a time. That time is over. Commander M’Sada, I hereby promote you to the rank of admiral.”
The preening stopped. “But Your Majesty, I’m just the pilot.”
She looked kindly toward him. “Just a pilot? I happen to know that’s not the case. It takes different kinds of admirals to fight a war. Everyone sees the squadron commanders, the fleet commanders, but look at Admiral Jons. Where would we be without his expert guidance on engineering and production. You are an expert at small ship tactics, maybe our best expert. Your choices of tactics have led directly to everyone’s survival here. You advise fleet admirals, and you even devised a method of defeating the gleasons, a tactic which helped lead to my own survival. I am the Last of the Chosen. What higher calling could one of my officers have than to play such a part in my survival? The rank of admiral is earned and deserved. The day might come when you lead fleets, but you might instead find yourself leading a new class of Empire warrior. Smaller ships will play important roles in our future, more so than in our past. They will need a creative leader.”
She held out a hand. Within that hand rested an admiral’s insignia, but it was more. M’Sada’s multifaceted eyes took in the tiny star attached to the insignia, and his head lifted to her, the usually busy hands still.
She nodded. “I not only name you admiral, I name you admiral in the Queen’s Own.” She lifted her eyes to the rest of the Empire crewmembers. The same applies to each of you. Each of you is promoted two grades, and I name all
of you to the Queen’s Own.” Her gaze traveled around the assembly. “You’re the first of our new Empire I have so named. I hope you will wear the star as proudly as I bestow it.”
She leaned down and attached the emblem to a sash M’Sada wore around his neck. When she was done, her gaze went to Krys’ Protectors. “Promotions within the Protector ranks are Otis’ responsibility. Know that he knows what you have done.”
Tom O’Brien was on the bridge, but she knew he was listening. “Captain O’Brien, I am not at liberty to promote you either, but your exploits are known. Admiral Trexler will be paying you a visit soon.”
She shifted her gaze around the room once more. “This is a ship of Knights, admirals, and senior crew. It’s unorthodox, but your mission calls for it. You deserve it. Each of you has my personal thanks.”
She looked up at the ceiling. “Resolve is a ship like no other. It is first and foremost an Imperial ship, always been in service to the Royal Family. It is also home to whomever resides here. George, are you listening?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“I think everyone here knows your story, but it’s possible they do not. You carried me from one side of the Empire to the other for many years. We’ve been through a lot, you and I. Those were wonderful years, and it was under your care that my family came together. You were a silent partner to many, many discussions during those years. You probably know as much about what’s going on in the Empire as anyone alive.”
George picked up on the one word that meant the most to him. “Alive?”
“Yes, alive. Not by the standards used by some, but you are very much alive, George.”
“But I was created by people.”
“Mike once said you were built, not created, and I think he was right. You’ve done the creating yourself.”
“He gave me my name.”
She nodded. “He gave you a name. I only wish I’d had the wisdom to do that. He was right, George. You took the name and never looked back. I include here the fact that you made the ultimate sacrifice for your Queen: you accepted death so that I would live. Few can lay claim to that honor.”
“I have to disagree, Ellie. Many have given their lives for you,” George’s diaphanous voice said into the room.
Her lips thinned as she thought about the past few years, all the dying. “You speak true, George,” she said softly. “I was the first Chosen to enter a net. You skillfully brought me in, a gift I shall forever cherish. Do you remember how you first introduced yourself to me?”
“Of course.”
Ellie’s eyes looked around the room. “Not everyone else here does, and they deserve to know. Will you tell them?”
“The Chosen have historically not adapted well to the net. We were afraid the net would drive you insane, possibly even kill you. We brought you in one small piece at a time. You first met Mike and Jake on the net, but your people skills are legendary and we weren’t too worried about your meeting people. Meeting me, on the other hand, a machine, was risky. I presented myself to you as a person, as a knight dressed in shining armor riding a black stallion.”
“And how did you introduce yourself to me?”
“As Sir George,” the room heard softly.
“Will you accept a new name?”
“I like the name Mike gave me. I don’t wish to change.”
“I’ll ask you the same question he asked you. Will it impair your function?”
“No.”
“Do you swear fealty to my Crown?”
There was a long pause, a very long pause. “I do. In my heart I so swore long ago, Your Majesty.”
“George, I hereby Name you Sir George, Knight of the Realm. I can’t Pin you, but your name will be entered into the official records. I’m certain you are the first ship to ever be so named.”
“Sir George,” he said. “I cannot taste, but I like the flavor.”
* * * * *
Stven had to wait until the wounded completed their transfer to a hospital ship before reuniting the Queen with her troops. As Resolve settled into position on the hangar deck he alerted her. “Your Majesty, this is not what you expected. You have a welcoming committee.”
“A formal welcome? I need to dress up?”
“I’m afraid so.”
She hastened back to her quarters and changed. When she returned to the ramp, most of Resolve’s crew was waiting. She started lining them up, but Krys objected.
“They’re not here to see us, Mother. They’re here to see the Queen.”
Ellie considered, but not for long. “You’re right.” She gave Krys a kiss on the forehead, then went to the ramp and started down.
As more of the hangar came into view, she stopped. The vast space was literally filled to overflowing with people. When she looked more carefully, she saw that they had been arranged. Mike stood at attention in front of everyone. Directly behind him stood her Knights: Otis, Reba, Val, Chandrajuski, and Waverly formed a short semicircle. Behind them in a larger semicircle were her senior commanders. Behind them were the surviving Great Cats and Terran Protectors, most of them wounded and organized haphazardly. Behind them Waverly’s Raiders stood in ranks, many of them bearing wounds as well. To the left of these mostly Terran forces, a group of her own Empire crewmembers stood in neat ranks. She was about to continue down the ramp when she saw movement to her right. She stopped and waited while some 100 Imperial Senators filed into place to the right side of the troops. Their senatorial attire added color to an otherwise austere setting.
While the senators filed in, several crewmembers pushed an elevated platform into position. When Mike announced, “Ten-hut!” Ellie proceeded the rest of the way down the ramp and up the few steps to the platform. She surveyed the crowd, then changed her mind. She stepped back down from the platform and walked around to its front. There, she knelt with her head bowed deeply.
When she looked up, she saw Mike’s eyes watering, and she nearly followed his example, but she could not: she was Queen and she was on display. These men and women deserved her very best.
She went back to the platform and stepped up. She surveyed them briefly, then said, “Three of my Knights are missing. Please join us.”
Tarn led Krys down the ramp and toward the line of Knights. When Stven, the newest Knight, came down the ramp, a gout of flames shot up from within the senators. She turned and bowed briefly to Senator Truax who was busy making excuses to everyone around him.
“Stand at ease,” she ordered. She waited until the shuffling died down before continuing. “Hmm. Fighting gleasons, parachuting from near the edge of space, taking over a control center and turning their own guns on the defenders, holding off hordes of defending ships - is there anything you can’t do?”
In a softer voice, she said, “History will judge what you just accomplished, what we accomplished. Those histories are usually written by the winners, so we’d better start writing.”
When she paused, some of them took that as permission to cheer. She let them. When she spoke again, she said, “Together we have set the stage for a return to Empire, the Empire that was. More important, we have learned from our mistakes and we have discovered new friends in the process. Together we are going to build a better Empire.”
She hung her head for a moment. When she looked back up, she said, “Many have fallen. We will honor them over the next few days, and we will honor the wounded as well. Their sacrifices have paved the way for their children’s futures, and it is up to us to make certain those sacrifices were not in vain.
“Today I honor you. Words cannot describe your ordeals. Words cannot describe the sacrifices you made. Anyone who was not there will likely never appreciate what you did, but I do.” She looked to her left, to her Empire crews. “I have manned the guns, I have stood my watches, I have suffered the scree, and I know how hard it is to let others do your fighting for you.” She looked to her Protectors. “I have held against gleasons, but no one has held against them like you did.�
�� She looked toward the back of the room. “I have not fallen from 50,000 feet into a major battle, and I hope I never will. The Empire is forever in your debt. So, too, am I.
“We have taken giant strides on the road to victory, and we’ll stand down for a few days, but we are not done yet. The Rebels have lost. It will take months for word to reach all corners of the Empire, and when it does, some will fail to grasp its significance. We will have to prove it to them, and we will.
“I have not forgotten about the Chessori, nor I am certain have you. Earth remains in peril. You are going to take this war to the Chessori, and I will be with you.”
She stared into them, her eyes moving from one side of the hangar to the other: the senators, her Knights, her Protectors, the Raiders, and her Empire crews. “The Empire lives. It lives because of you. The Chessori could still bring us down, but we have proven our mettle against them, and we will prove it again.”
She paused when fists rose into the air and catcalls sounded. When the hangar quieted, she said, “History will record that the Last of the Chosen stood before nine Knights today. I tell you that in my heart I stand before a thousand knights. We stand together, and we will prevail.”
Notes From the Author
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Voice of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Three) Page 46