The Reluctant Empress

by Teresa Howard

  “Relax, we’ll only be here for the night,” Houston replied.

  “I’d rather not catch the fever.”

  Ninallia collapsed across one of the beds.

  “I’ll find us some supper,” offered Houston. He left the room, closing the door before Tegani asked him to bring back clean towels.

  She shed her robes and managed to get clean in the small bath, drying off with the least stained towel. The delicious smell of fish stew and fresh bread greeted her as she came back into the main room. The food was spread on the small table like a banquet. A bottle of wine at one side.

  “Can I have some wine?” asked Ninallia.

  “No,” Houston and Tegani said at the same time.

  “There’s a bottle of juice. The waitress says there will be fresh milk in the morning. A local dairy delivers here at six,” he added.

  ~ * ~

  The innkeeper gave them bad news at breakfast. “There won’t be a suitable ship for passage available for two days.”

  Tegani was disappointed but reasoned the time would give Ninallia a chance to recover. The inn might be a dump, but the cook was excellent and ran a clean kitchen. Tegani peeked in and found a sleek, modern, and spotless place. A friendly waitress informed them that the cook liked to use local, fresh produce and dairy products and, in fact, the quality of the food drew customers to the inn. They enjoyed a hearty breakfast before heading out.

  They strolled along the docks and town square, looking at the sites. It didn’t have much to offer tourists. The economy was primarily based on the shipping industry, warehouses, and shipyards—not known for their picturesque qualities. The stench of saltwater, oil, fish, and offal was everywhere.

  As their group turned back toward the inn, a group of men stepped from between buildings. “There he is.”

  There was the sound of a blaster, and Houston turned, drawing his weapon as he fell. It flew from his hand and hit the ground. Tegani rushed to him as Ninallia dove for his weapon. She grasped it in both hands and fired toward the men.

  “Hey, you’re going to kill someone. We’re using a stun gun,” one of the men shouted.

  “Well I’m not playing, and this is a real blaster.” Ninallia fired off two more blasts. Her aim wasn’t good, but it was close enough to send the men scattering.

  “Help me get him inside,” Tegani said. Each grabbing an arm, they lifted Houston and dragged him into an empty storage building, locking the door behind them.

  Ninallia touched Houston’s chest. He didn’t appear to be breathing. “Is he dead?”

  Tegani loosened his robes. The stunner shouldn’t have been fatal. The men intended to incapacitate him and rob them. There was no way they knew he had an artificial heart system.

  “Help him!” Ninallia urged.

  “I don’t know how. I’m not a healer.” Tegani’s mind was frozen with fear. “The mechanical system keeping Houston alive is much more sophisticated than a lock.”

  Ninallia placed her hand on Tegani’s arm and shook it vigorously. “I’ve seen you do more than locks. You can do this. You have to try.”

  The words penetrated Tegani’s panicked thoughts giving her confidence. Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands to his chest. The mechanism was still. Tegani sent a small jolt of energy into the heart capacitor, and it responded with a small beat. She tried again, and his heart began to beat weakly but stopped when she stopped. For a moment the heart beat on its own. Focusing her mental energy and willing the heart to function, she tried again. As he gave a huge shudder in drew in a breath, she collapsed across Houston’s chest.

  Soon Tegani began to stir, weak but unharmed from the exertion.

  “I knew you could do it,” Ninallia congratulated her.

  “Do you smell something?” Houston struggled to his feet.

  The scent of fuel filtered under the door.

  “We know you’re in there. Hope you can take some heat.” There was drunken laughter.

  Houston looked around at the boxes and shipping material. Once the fire got under the door this place would burn quickly. He didn’t see another door or even a window? “Got any ideas, Sister?”

  Ninallia said, “What about fighting fire with fire? Do you have anything that will explode?”

  He gave her a nod and a slight smile. Tegani thought Ninallia was smart, an asset on any mission. He handed Tegani a blaster and a smaller one to Ninallia. Taking one of his weapons, he fiddled with it until it jammed. The warning light began to flash, and it emitted a high-pitched squeal.

  After removing the safety, he tossed the blaster next to the door where the smoke was filtering into the unit. “Get down and be ready to run, shoot at anything that moves.”

  The explosion shook the building and sent the door flying out in a cloud of dust.

  “Run,” Houston shouted.

  He led the way, aiming at the men surrounding them. At first they seemed too surprised to return fire. A shot almost caught Ninallia, and Houston rushed to pull her close and shield her with his body.

  Tegani continued to aim shots toward the figures. Sirens squealed, and the men scattered instead of firing back Houston motioned for Tegani to return. “We can’t afford to be questioned.”

  ~ * ~

  Back in their room, Tegani cleaned their scrapes and cuts before applying healing cream. A new layer of stains soiled the towels. Houston’s face was pale, but the attack seemed to have energized him as he barely sat still.

  She said, “I think we should stay in the room until our ship departs.”

  Ninallia washed smoke and soot off her face. She ran her fingers through the sides of her hair. They would need to be trimmed before they got on the ship. She made a promise to herself. One day I will wear fine robes and gowns again. No more boys’ clothes, even if they do make movement easier.

  Their evening was uneventful, which was what Ninallia needed because the day’s attack exhausted her. She curled up in the blankets on her bed and tried to sleep. Tegani was asleep beside her, and Houston was quiet on the next bed.

  She could tell he wasn’t asleep. There was definite chemistry between the Sister and Colonel Houston. Ninallia couldn’t understand why they didn’t act on it. Sisters weren’t forbidden to marry or take lovers. Maybe it was because there was something dangerous about Houston—dangerous and foreign.

  Sixteen

  The Bella Star was a large freighter with sleek lines and massive armory. These were modern times with aircraft, space travel, and treaties, but the Berini Sea remained rife with pirates. No ship carrying a valuable cargo sailed unarmed.

  Moving like a well-oiled machine, the crew loaded freight being transported out of the Empire into the ship’s large cargo bays. There was a joke circulated in the port city that the captain was more interested in the cleanliness of the cargo bays than she was the personal hygiene of her men. This was pretty much true. Whatever the goods, if they transported by the Bella Star, were delivered on time and in excellent condition. No dents and cracks in shipping cartons, and temperature sensitive items were handled appropriately. The captain’s prices were high but those with quality freight were more than willing to pay the price.

  Houston led the way up the boarding ramp. Tegani and Ninallia followed a porter pushing their supplies. Tegani stepped up ahead of Houston and said in a firm voice, “We’ll see the captain now, please.”

  One of the deck crew swung round, and Houston stepped aside to avoid getting hit with the box he was carrying. “Captain’s busy. We’re all busy.”

  “If you’ll be good enough to point us in the direction of our stateroom, we’ll get setup.”

  “This isn’t a passenger ship. There’s one stateroom besides the captain’s.” He nodded toward the front of the ship.

  Tegani motioned to the porter, and they headed toward the stateroom.

  “Ho, mistress. Are you the family that booked passage on my ship?” The voice was friendly and feminine.

  Tegani turned. Her gaze m
oved up and up. This was the tallest woman she had ever seen.

  The woman extended a large hand. “I’m Captain Joanani, and this is my ship.”

  Remembering the innkeeper’s assurance that the captain’s father owned the largest private fleet in the Empire, Tegani bowed. Something honest and wholesome about the captain’s manner made Tegani like her at once. She took the large hand. “Pleased to meet you, Captain. We’re glad there was room for us on your ship.”

  Houston and Ninallia seemed to be laughing at a private joke as they caught up to the two women.

  Tegani gave them a quelling glare. “This is our captain. Her family has been in shipping for over two hundred years.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Captain,” said Ninallia.

  The captain gave Houston an appraising glance. Ninallia frowned.

  Tegani watched her a moment then they all followed the captain. Their room was large by a ship’s standards but felt cramped. There was a bed, a bolted down table and chairs, and a fold down, single bunk built into one wall. Houston wouldn’t even be able to stretch his legs on that.

  When Ninallia opened her mouth, Tegani silenced the girl with a glare, afraid Ninallia was about to volunteer to sleep on the bunk. That would have embarrassed Tegani. She looked around. Dim natural light filtered in from a small porthole that was so high she would have to climb on a chair to see out. Not a chance of that either, since they were bolted.

  Finally, Ninallia stretched on the normal sized bed and declared herself ready for a nap.

  ~ * ~

  “Of course, I know the empress’s half-sister. I’ll have a large shipment of her wine on the return voyage. They can’t get enough of it in the Imperial City’s restaurants.” Captain Joanani smiled. “If you want to visit her, I recommend you stay on board until we reach the Port of Davondi.”

  “Why?” Tegani asked. She sat across the table from the captain, who had invited them to dinner on their first night onboard.

  “It saves three days overland freight, and we can refuel. It’s an extra day onboard, but worth it.”

  Houston, who appeared to be enjoying a steak grilled rare, nodded. He’d cautioned against telling the captain their destination, but Tegani trusted Joanani.

  Ninallia wanted to try some wine. The captain even came to her defense. “The boy’s half grown. A glass of wine won’t hurt him.”

  “I’m his mother, and I say he gets no wine until he’s older.” Tegani shot Ninallia a message that made her blush.

  “My wife’s father was a drunk. She is afraid the gene carries down,” explained Houston

  The captain turned to Tegani. “My apologies to you, lady. A mother’s word is law.”

  “Can I walk around the ship and watch the loading?” asked Ninallia.

  The captain frowned.

  “You’d get in the way. Why don’t we unpack and begin your lessons?” Tegani interrupted.

  “Yes, Momma. I’ll go begin unpacking now.” She bowed to the captain and thanked her for the dinner and headed back to their cabin.

  The captain laughed. “I’ve never seen a boy so eager for schooling.”

  “My wife is a great motivator. She bribes the boy.” Houston finished his glass of wine. The captain winked and refilled his glass.

  “There is nothing wrong with rewarding diligent study. The boy may inherit his grandfather’s business one day,” Tegani said.

  He changed the subject by asking the captain to describe the ships armory and why it was necessary on a cargo vessel.

  “I thought I spotted a military man. Imperial Army?”

  Tegani rolled her eyes. “My husband ran away as a boy and joined the League.”

  The captain whistled. “Having a League soldier on my ship will be an honor.”

  “Ten years ago, I got wounded at Minino. They sent me home to recover, and I never returned to duty.”

  ~ * ~

  They walked back to their cabin. Houston asked if Tegani thought it was a wise to be training Ninallia. “You know there is no way the Empire will let her go to the Temple City.”

  “The empress’s half-sister spent a year in the Temple, as many Nobles do in their youth.”

  He glanced sideways and cleared his throat. “She was an unimportant relative. If Ninallia lives, she may become the regent.”

  Tegani shook her head. “That is for the Council of Nobles to decide. I don’t see them placing an untrained teenager in charge of the Empire.”

  They found Ninallia waiting in their cabin. She was anxious to begin her training as a Sister.

  “You must first understand I can’t properly train you without testing. The best I can do is the basic exercises novices learn.”

  Ninallia sat on the bed. “I know I will be a Sister. It’s like a vision, and I can see myself doing it.”

  “Well, empty your mind,” Tegani said.

  “But I thought you were going to teach me to be a Sister of the Order.”

  “I am. The first thing you must learn is to empty your mind of everything.” Tegani used the tone she always used on novices—firm and commanding, not harsh.

  “That should be easy; her mind is empty anyway,” teased Houston. When she and Ninallia shot him almost identical scowls, he raised his hands in surrender. “Okay. I’ll go talk to the crew and leave you two to your work.”

  As the door closed, Ninallia turned to Tegani. “Why does he get to go talk to the crew and I can’t?”

  “Don’t worry about Houston. We’ll begin your first lesson. Empty your mind.”

  Most novices found this harder than they imagined. Whenever they managed to almost get there, memories and random thoughts invaded. A mother’s smile or someone’s kindness filled the empty space and brought them to tears.

  Ninallia opened her eyes and hit the table in exasperation. “I can’t do it.”

  Tegani laughed. “I didn’t say it would be easy. You’re giving up after what, fifteen minutes?”

  “I’m not giving up,” Ninallia said and closed her eyes again. She concentrated and was silent for the next hour. She felt the room go quiet. She couldn’t hear Tegani breathing or the hum of the ship.

  “I did it!” Ninallia shouted.

  “Yes, you did,” said Tegani in amazement. It took most novices days to master the skill. “Now practice until you can empty your mind at will.”

  There was a knock at the cabin door. Tegani answered, and the door opened to admit a crewman carrying a small crate.

  “Captain sent us to make a quick run before we left the dock. She said your son would need these.” He sat the crate on the table and pried open the top. Inside the crate, bottles reflected the cabin light in several colors.

  “Fizzies!” cried Ninallia, clapping her hands in excitement. The fruity carbonated water was obviously a favorite.

  ~ * ~

  “Incoming, Captain, incoming fire. Pirates in the area.” The warning booms clanged. The clatter of the crew rushing to man the armory sounded on the decks and ladders.

  Houston jumped up from his bed and drew his weapon. “Stay here. I’ll see if the captain needs help.”

  “We can help. Tegani can stop the shells,” Ninallia said.

  Tegani stared at her in surprise. She shook her head. “I cannot stop them. No one can. Houston is right, we should stay here. We would only be in the way.”

  “But, if you concentrate, you could explode the shells before they reach the ship or send them back on the pirates,” Ninallia insisted.

  Tegani gave the girl’s shoulder a shake and said, “That’s not the way my gift works. We might get in the way and endanger the crew.”

  Chastened, Ninallia said meekly, “Yes, Sister. I’m sorry.”

  She got back onto her bed and pulled the pillow up around her.

  The Berini Sea was the third largest body of water on Bengar, behind the great Caserian Ocean and the Sea of Destiny. Four Kingdoms and the Empire itself had coastlines on the Berini Sea. Over the centuries, squabbles
and wars over control of the shipping lanes in the Berini Sea cost millions in lives and credits. Because of treaties and agreements, the sea was declared open territory, and the Empire and other kingdoms were limited to less than ten miles from their coast. Piracy was supported by several governments and cargo ships were armed to survive. The sailors who manned the freighters in the Berini Sea were a tough lot.

  ~ * ~

  Houston climbed to where the captain was directing her men and watching for incoming. She nodded as he approached.

  “Can I help?” Houston returned her nod. He squinted as he looked past her to the sea. This could be an ordinary pirate attack, or it could be more. Someone might know they were on board.

  The captain gave him an appraising look. “I could use someone to handle the aft gunnery. Do you have any experience with short range missiles?”

  “A bit,” he answered with a grin.

  The captain looked toward the aft section. “It’ll help if I don’t have to split my focus. We’re trying to set up communications with the pirates to see if I can talk them down.” Her voice wasn’t hopeful.

  His senses ratcheted to full alert. “Do these pirates have aircraft?”

  “Sometimes, not often.”

  He gave her a knowing look that was returned. It was always best to prepare for the worst

  “Incoming aircraft! Ready on the aft,” the first mate shouted.

  Houston raced forward and commandeered a weapon. He muscled the weapon frame loose and aimed it skyward then fired a burst into a low hanging cloudbank. The sky lit up with an explosion, and the attacking aircraft spiraled down.

  More missiles fired and landed in the waters around the ship. There were no hits, and he began to hope the worst was over. A sudden barrage of fire sank those hopes. The ship took a hit, knocking out three guns and killing one of the gunners.

  The captain ran to where Houston was feeding more ammo into his weapon. “I need you starboard. I think they will strike there next.”