by M. D. Cooper
Cheeky replied.
Cheeky felt a moment of panic.
Cheeky wondered how often Piya had altered her thinking patterns. Would she even be able to tell? What if she was just a puppet that Piya operated.
Piya said.
Cheeky sighed, only half listening to Antaris as he described the types of dances that would happen at Yucana that evening.
Cheeky had to place a hand over her mouth to hide the smile from the image Piya placed into her mind in response.
She glanced out the window as the shuttle lifted into the air on its anti-gravity column and began to fly east, continuing to climb until the sky turned from blue to black. Then the shuttle turned, and the looming white-and-purple form of Serenity Primus—the jovian planet around which all the moons orbited—came into view.
Yucana, their destination, was only the next moon retrograde from Acadia, and the data on the shuttle’s net indicated it would only take three hours to arrive. She decided if she was going to beat Piya at her own game, she’d best start working Kristina.
CHANGE OF VENUE
STELLAR DATE: 10.23.8938 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Laurentia Estate, Acadia, Serenity Primus
REGION: Serenity Ordus, Orion Freedom Alliance, Perseus Arm
After taking breakfast in the dining hall with the others, Jessica returned to their quarters and waited until Cheeky and Addie left the suite and their shuttle departed before emerging.
Jessica gave a mental shrug.
She slung her bag—containing a selection of outfits to match the various house’s styles—over her shoulder. She didn’t expect to make it back to Acadia before the night of the last dance—if things even progressed that far—so she wanted to have as many options open as possible.
Her initial plan had been to go to Teros and mingle with the staff preparing for the following night’s dance, but at the last minute, she had decided to change tack and take a shuttle for Charlemis along with several members of House Laurentia’s advance security team.
She took a lift to one of the upper halls, checking her appearance in the reflective doors, glad to have found another of Retyna Girl’s purple one-piece suits in her luggage. This one was trimmed with white, and had blue panels down the sides. It looked sporty and fun. Her hair rose in a single soft crest that stood five centimeters off the top of her head before flowing down her back.
The lift deposited her in a long corridor that ran to the rear landing pad, where the security team was passing out the far doors. She rushed after them, and reached the shuttle’s ramp as the last of them were boarding.
The men looked at her askance as she boarded, but Anastasia had given her people instructions to let Jessica and Cheeky have nearly unfettered access to the dance venues.
No one challenged her as she took her seat, though two of them had trouble keeping their eyes off the tight purple outfit she wore. It didn’t bother Jessica in the least. Let them submit to their baser instincts. Her appearance was only the first weapon in her arsenal.
The shuttle lifted into the air, and Jessica settled back into her seat and closed her eyes, reviewing additional information Iris had gathered on the Houses of Serenity, and discussing her findings with the AI.
“I witnessed you land on Acadia last evening. You were adorned in the style of Acadia then, but yet now you are wearing Gallas?”
Jessica opened her eyes as one of the security team members sat down across from her.
“It suits me,” Jessica said plainly. It was not a lie—although she had to stand naked in front of her balcony windows for an hour in the morning in preparation for a day of full clothing.
In retrospect, it may not have been a good idea to stand out there for so long. Now her face practically shone like a light.
The guard nodded with a smile touching his lips. “I suspect nearly any mode of dress would suit you. You’re a very beautiful woman.”
Jessica sighed, debating whether or not to send this man on his way, or befriend him and see what information she could glean. The words ‘I know, I have a mirror,’ were almost on her lips before she changed her mind and smiled sweetly.
“Why thank you…”
“Martimus.”
“Martimus,” Jessica said with a smile and offered her hand, which Martimus leant over to kiss.
Thirty minutes later, six of the guards on the shuttle were clustered around Jessica’s seat as she battled two of them in simultaneous games of Snark.
A pile of hard credit chits lay on the table between the seats, and Jessica prayed that all her long games in Sabrina’s Port-Side Hold #2 would pay off. If she could become one of the boys, then they would give her the full scoop on anything she asked.
Jessica just needed two more cards to complete her set and victory would be hers. Everyone grew silent as she drew, and slid the cards into her hand.
No emotion showed on her face as she arranged her cards, and slowly lowered them to the table next to her forward arrangement.
“Boom! Double twin stars and a full series of nebulae.”
Cries of joy and dismay filled the shuttle’s cabin as her competitors threw down their hands in disgust.
“Better luck next time, guys,” Jessica said as she gathered her winnings into a pile.
“Let me grab your bag,” Martimus said as he rose and pulled Jessica’s pack from an overhead compartment. “I don’t believe your attire contains any pockets.”
Jessica laughed. “It barely contains me.”
Martimus placed Jessica’s bag on the table, and she unzipped one of the pouches and deposited her winnings inside.
“So, what are you gentlemen going to do for the next three days on Charlemis?” Jessica asked as she passed her bag back to Martimus.
“Well,”
he said as he set the duffel back in place, “we’re going to sweep the quarters assigned to House Laurentia, as well as the location of the dance and the surrounding area. It’s very fortunate to get the advance duty. There are many smaller parties that will happen tonight and each night leading up to the larger celebration.”
Jessica could read between the lines. He was hoping to meet up with a nice girl—perhaps Jessica herself from the way he was looking at her—and have a bit of fun on the side.
“So, a few nights of relaxation after you check everything over. It sounds very nice,” Jessica said.
“Well two nights, I suppose. Kristina is coming to Charlemis on the third night. She has had ill dealings on Mesophis. Lena, the head of Mesophis, does not get on well with her.”
“Seems like she will need to learn,” Jessica replied. “If she is to become the head of House Laurentia someday.
“May that day be far off,” Martimus said with a bowed head.
At first she thought he was making a statement about whether or not Kristina was fit to be Head of House, but she noticed that the other men in earshot had all lowered their heads as well.
Jessica commented to Iris.
“I believe when her time comes, Kristina will make an excellent leader for house Laurentia,” Daniel, one of the other men sitting nearby, said. “She is still quite young, not yet past her first century. In the histories of House Laurentia, it is often the case that the house scion is rash and impetuous, but once the mantle of responsibility falls, they always wear it well and lead Acadia forward with grace and honor.”
Martimus nodded. “Well said, Daniel. It is true, our histories do show this. Other houses often have tumultuous transfers of power, but ours never does. It is why House Laurentia has remained preeminent at the High Table for so long.”
“And Charlemis?” Jessica asked. “They seem to be on the rise, or at least a contender that Anastasia is concerned about.”
Daniel snorted. “They are but an upstart. Their name is only a thousand years old. Before Charlemis came to be, House Thermodes reigned over the moon of Gallas. But house Charlemis’ influence grew over time, and six hundred years ago, they unseated Thermodes and took their place at the High Table.”
“But Thermodes is still present on Gallas,” Jessica said. “Are they attempting to regain their seat?”
Martimus shrugged. “Who is to say. We do not pay attention to the inner struggles on Gallas. Our concern is for the safety of our charges.”
Jessica was surprised Martimus would feel that way. Understanding the motives of your enemy was crucial in predicting their next moves, to understanding their actions.
Then again, things were very insular in Serenity. Perhaps there were unwritten rules she did not yet understand.
THE DANCE
STELLAR DATE: 10.23.8938 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Mepholec Ritual Grounds, Yucana, Serenity Primus
REGION: Serenity Ordus, Orion Freedom Alliance, Perseus Arm
Cheeky spun around the circle of dancers, carefully tracking their movements and following the steps Piya fed into her mind.
Cheeky didn’t reply, focused on completing the next round of twirls, leaps, and more twirls. Then came the grand finale where all the dancers formed up into four lines and leapt over a fire-filled pit. It wasn’t the blue-white flames Anastasia preferred, but a real wood fire complete with sparks and withering heat.
She closed her eyes as she leapt over the flames, feeling the heat on her legs, and then she landed on the glowing stones of the plaza. Once all the dancers had made it across the flames—a feat that even the heavy skirted and corseted women of Mesophis all managed—there was a round of applause from those sitting on the gleaming stone pyramids, and the music slowed, signaling a break before the next round.
Cheeky spotted Pharis, the scion of House Charlemis at a nearby refreshment table. She selected one of the tall, cucumber-filled glasses of water and brought it to her lips as she surveyed the crowd. By some miracle, Pharis was alone—the first time that night.
Cheeky threaded the crowd and reached Pharis’s side, sighing with delight as she picked up a glass. “These are just perfect. Can never have enough cucumber.”
Pharis glanced at her and nodded. “It’s certainly refreshing, especially with the heat from that fire. I don’t recall it being nearly that large last time.”
“Oh?” Cheeky asked. “I wasn’t on Yucana last time for the dance. It’s pure luck that I’m here this time.”
“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure, you are…”
“Kerstin,” Cheeky said and offered her hand, which Pharis shook firmly. “I won a lottery drawing to be here…well, I was a runner up. One of the other girls got sick, and so I got shuffled onto a shuttle at the last minute.”
“How delightful for you,” Pharis said as she took a step back and looked Cheeky over. “I must say, Kerstin, I love your outfit, you certainly stand out here.”
Cheeky knew that to be true, while all the women from Charlemis were indeed wearing skin tight suits covering them from the neck down, theirs were all more muted in their color and sheen. Cheeky’s, on the other hand, was a bright gleaming pink, with yellow accents, something she had since learned was in vogue decades ago, but not anymore.
So much for Addie’s fashion research being infallible.
“Why thank you,” Cheeky said with a smile and a slight bow. “I know that it is retro, but I rather like the color. Besides, I’m hopeful that it may attract the attention of one of the men from Acadia. They seem to like bright and shiny things.”
Pharis laughed, and gave Cheeky’s arm a friendly touch. “You are positively delightful, Kerstin. I must admit that the current style is a bit drab—a reflection of my mother’s mood for the last while, no doubt. I, for one, miss the more colorful fashions of yesteryear. Perhaps my mother will spot you and it will remind her how pleasant color can be.”
“I would like that as well,” Cheeky said. “Life is too hard not to take delight where we can.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” Pharis replied. “Come with me. I assume, given your late selection, that you are alone here.”
Cheeky nodded. “I am, yes. And thank you. Being alone in a crowd is far more difficult than one would expect.”
“That is something I know all too well,” Pharis replied. “My mother believes there are always those trying to take our place away from us. She fears that the other houses at the High Table still wish to bring back Thermodes, and so she works so hard to cultivate a regal air that it isolates us from the rest of Gallas.
“On top of that, my sisters, all hunger for my place at the head of the line, imitate her, hoping to supplant me should mother ever decide I’m unfit.”
“It does sound difficult,” Cheeky said. “I have no such issues in my family. My father owns farms, and believes everyone should work the fields and understand all the machinery. It does, however, have its own downsides.”
“What are those?” Pharis asked, appearing keenly interested as she sipped her drink.
“Well, a woman’s appearance often suffers on the farm, and I’m glad for the opportunity to spend some time in more formal attire,” Cheeky said as she held up her gloved hands. “And thank goodness for these. Days at the spa wouldn’t
be enough to smooth out the callouses I have.”
Pharis shook her head. “That sounds awful.”
Cheeky laughed, carefully notching up her pheromone output. “Sometimes it is, but it’s very rewarding as well. To plant seeds in soil and watch crops grow; plants turning dirt into food. It’s really wonderful. We have many thousands of cucumber plants growing that we export all over the Ordus. Who knows? Maybe your drink is filled with my cucumbers.”
“That’s a really poetic way to think if it,” Pharis said dreamily. “Plants turning dirt into food. It’s so easy to be disconnected from that truth.”
Pharis looked Cheeky up and down. “Hey, I have some friends here and we’re planning on skipping the next few dances to…you know, have our own little party. Want to come?”
“That would be a dream come true,” Cheeky replied with a brilliant smile.
“Great!” Pharis said and grabbed Cheeky’s hand.
Cheeky laughed.
Addie said.
Cheeky laughed at the innocence in Addie’s voice.