The girls looked at Quaid. “I am hosting a dinner aboard the Hadrian to commemorate Princess Teagan’s first official visit to Epopeus. There will be a brief tour of the ship. Afterwards, Captain Valen has offered a tour of his Parvac warship.”
The girls’ eyes had gone even blacker, and they could no longer continue with the calm and polite act. Consul Bosh and Quincy laughed at them. “I hope it won’t take you long to change.”
Clinging to their dresses and framed documents, they ran. Their family laughed. We filled three long transports. Thunderdrop refused to leave the stuffed octopus.
Eric greeted us in the transport bay. The red carpet was out for Consul Bosh. The girls had chatted excitedly along the way and commented on everything they saw. They followed me to Quaid’s quarters and looked through all of his things while I changed Neema. Each of the girls had her picture taken in Eric’s chair. Gary grinned at all of the little princesses. Neema wanted Eric, so my hands were free to enjoy dinner.
Next, we drove down the land port to Kane’s ship. “Hey! There’s my fighter ship!” Luckily, the suns had set and solar lights illuminated the port.
“It’s white,” Eri said.
Quaid parked near her. Kane and a few of his officers stood waiting for us.
After greeting everyone, Kane said to the girls, “Princess Teagan has an adventurous spirit as does your older brother. I assumed his sisters would enjoy sitting in a fighter ship.” The princesses forgot all about being calm and lady like. They jumped up and down and jostled each other in their attempts to be first. “Order, ladies. Order. The shortest princess goes first.”
Eri jumped up and down. “Me! I’m the shortest!”
Elspeth and Julia laughed at her. Quaid took pictures.
“Do I get a turn?” I asked.
Quaid exchanged a guilty look with Nico. Then, he said, “It might be best to wait. It would be dangerous if you were to slip and fall.” Looking between the two of them, I realized Quaid had switched sides. I took a deep breath. I could hear Yukihyo chuckling. Once we were on board the ship, I showed the girls the Imperial quarters.
On the ride back to the Bosh estate, Eri said, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
“Me? Thank you, but you haven’t met Simon’s mother, the Lady Montgomery, or Hiroshi’s wife, Lady Ling Chan Lee. They each worked hard to bring about peace between the Galaxic Government and the Parvac Empire. Without the hard work of people like them, we wouldn’t have enjoyed all of the fun we had today.” Simon met my eyes with his pale blue ones. Hiroshi grunted.
“Who did you want to be like?” Jamila asked.
“I still do. I don’t feel grown up. I think Captain Espanoza is amazing.” I told the girls about her. When we got back, the princesses had to go to bed.
The next morning after breakfast, it was time for us to begin our journey to Leucon. Eri threw her arms around me. “No! I don’t want you to go!”
“Eri, come now. You will see your new sister again,” Elspeth said.
I hugged Eri and got hugs from everyone else, too. Quaid rode with us to Tora. In my quarters, Quaid kissed me goodbye. “I love you, Teagan. I will see you on Leucon.” He gazed down at me with incredible tenderness.
“Okay, I’ll miss you.” Quaid pulled me against him and gave me a kiss by which to remember him.
Chapter Eight
Once we were underway, Hiroshi assured me that my sculpture had arrived from the gallery in pristine condition. I spent the first day of our trip doing laundry. During dinner, I asked, “What will we be doing on Leucon?”
Hiroshi said, “Yukihyo and I have hopes of interesting a few buyers in the gear we bought from Ephors. You and Simon will look for a market for your protective silk. Dresses and gowns will not sell well either here or on Chione.”
Yukihyo seemed to still at the name. Hiroshi, Phillip, and Nico stared at him. “I am fine. It does not pain me as much now that I know my mother and sisters live.”
“Regardless, we have not been there since the day we rescued you or even spoken of it,” Hiroshi said.
“My daughter should see her home world. It is time I face it.”
Simon entered the kitchen with Cass and a sad Thunderdrop. We watched as he took them to the laundry room to fill their bowls. Simon came back and sat with a glass of juice. “The poor little guy finally realized she was pretty packaging around an empty shell.”
Phillip laughed, “He couldn’t even play with the wrappings.”
“Poor Thunderdrop. What can we do to cheer him up?” We looked around at each other.
The next morning, I turned my vid-screen on to watch my forest. Thunderdrop seemed more content as he watched it from his tree sculpture. I had changed the other bed linens on board and had just finished making my own bed. I placed Captain Ice Bear and my octopus in front of my pillows. Thunderdrop climbed my bed. He touched a claw to my bear and then my octopus.
“Chitter chitter! Chitter chitter!” He said angrily.
“I’m sorry she misled you, baby.”
“Chirp chitter.”
“Yes, now you know.”
He hissed at her and went to play with a transport. I trapped my lips between my teeth and got Kaoti to watch Neema, so I could go over the habitation deck with the floor bot. By the time we landed on Leucon, I was satisfied with Tora’s cleanliness.
Yukihyo said, “Dress as warmly as you did to play in the snow. We have arrived during the winter on this side of the planet. The land port at Nephele will be warmer.” We did as Yukihyo suggested. Simon and I convinced Cass and Thunderdrop to stay aboard the ship. Eric and Quaid met us in our transport bay with a long black transport. Snow fell outside. Kane and his officers were following us. The governor of Leucon answered to my new father-in-law and had arranged a welcoming reception for us. While dressing as warmly as possible, we had still dressed up. I wore the coat Elspeth had made for me. Quaid and I took a few pictures together and sent them to his sisters.
Through the transport’s windows, the land port looked like an exciting place to be even though the cold must have put a damper on things. Eric drove us to a brightly lit stone and wood building. I knew the Hadrian patrolled this sector and had been to each of the planets several times. I had no idea how many times Tora had visited before I became part of the crew. I did know that Eric and Quaid were switching off days, so they could each enjoy shore leave. Eric and Phillip had made plans to visit their lady friends. I was glad Phillip’s improved mood had him less focused on me.
Smoke rose through the falling snow flakes from the massive chimney of the building in front of us. Quaid and Nico ushered me inside. Yukihyo followed with Neema. A large cheerful man with a big smile greeted us. His hair was a dark grey, and his eyes were the same white as Yukihyo’s. Once I had removed my gloves, he took my hand, bent over it, and kissed my fingers.
“Princess Teagan of House Probus of the Parvac Empire, it is my pleasure on behalf of Leucon to bid you and your kinsmen welcome. I am Governor Ajee. We hope you will feel at home on our planet.” He bowed to Nico, Quaid, Kane, and Eric. He froze when he focused on Yukihyo and Neema.
“Governor Ajee, this is my husband, Lord Yukihyo Alaric Montgomery Lee, and our daughter Princess Neema.”
Governor Ajee stepped closer to Yukihyo and clasped arms with him. They touched foreheads. “You are most welcome. So is this adorable little one with her pretty eyes.”
“Thank you. We accept your hospitality. With your blessing, my brothers and I wish to establish trade.”
Governor Ajee spread his hands wide. “I wish you good fortune,” he said as he looked from Yukihyo to Phillip, Hiroshi, and Nico sensing their bond. Then, he focused on me bowing to me again.
We were served hot spiced tea, and they discussed weather conditions. I wandered off to the restroom. Many of the Laconians I saw inside of the building had white eyes like Yukihyo’s, but many had black eyes like Quaid’s. I, along with the other Parvacs, got a few sideways di
strustful looks, but no one was blatantly rude to us. Quaid had been displaying clear ownership like behavior toward me. It started to make me angry, but Yukihyo seemed to be encouraging it and shook his head at me. Clearly, I needed to study Laconian culture. After the welcoming party ended, Governor Ajee invited the captains to extend shore leave to their crews and encouraged warm clothing. As soon as word reached the ships, the married Parvac and Militia couples began making plans. Before we left, we saw uniformed couples hurrying into nearby hotels.
“Kane, how many of your crewman found wives on Epopeus?”
“Fourteen of them, tiny cousin. Your name has become synonymous with marriage and contentment and grows more popular each day.” I rolled my eyes at him.
Eric said, “Follow me and I’ll show you the highlights.”
We got inside of our transports. Eric pointed out large buildings that housed shops. There were several large buildings that contained specific types of goods such as food, clothing, and supplies. He showed us a place where people could pay a few credits and ski or sled down the snow covered slopes. Kane’s officers related the information back to their crew.
“That looks like so much fun, and I don’t get to do anything.” I knew it wasn’t mature to pout, but I did it anyway.
“Lady wife, allow me to make it up to you. I will give you anything you desire.”
I snorted at him. “Like what? What could I possibly want? Oh, I’ll take a foot and ankle massage, please.”
“I will give you the best foot and ankle rub of your life.”
“We’ll see. Quaid and Phillip are tied for the best foot rubs at the moment.”
“Excuse me, lady wife?”
“Well, you always get distracted.” Yukihyo grinned at me.
“He just wants to give you a thorough rubbing, Cupcake.” I groaned.
Eric drove us back to Tora. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said before leaving.
Quaid stayed with us. I had a comfort break, fed Neema, and changed her diaper. Then, I changed us both out of our fancy clothing and into warm comfortable attire. Thunderdrop and Cass were playing with their xylophones. “Are you ready to go? We are taking you to an indoor market the likes of which you have never seen,” Hiroshi said.
“Sure.”
Hiroshi drove us back to one of the places Eric had shown us. There was covered parking attached. Snow continued to fall. Yukihyo and Neema loved it. I looked past the transports out at the snow as it fell and squinted my eyes as a cold blast of air blew against my exposed face. I saw bright flashes of light fill the sky through the snow. Then, I heard a loud “Boom!” The men’s vid-screens started going crazy. Quaid listened to his. “Our ships are under attack!”
Nico said, “She’s safer here. Get her inside.”
“We must go to Tora and render assistance,” Hiroshi said.
Quaid looked back at me before getting into the transport with Hiroshi and speeding off in the way we had come. I held Neema close. One earsplitting boom after another filled the air. Neema began to cry. Nico, Yukihyo, Kaoti, and Phillip surrounded us as they led us inside of the large market building. Customers and vendors formed an orderly line as they went downstairs into a shelter. Nico listened to the activity on the bridge through his pocket. I could hear Kane barking orders. My heart pounded, and Neema continued to cry.
Suddenly, Nico and Kaoti were engaging in hand-to-hand combat. I couldn’t see around them to whom. I held Neema closer and hunched over her as much as I could. Yukihyo had downed one opponent whose blood began to form a pool beneath him. He grappled with another. Phillip had his back to me trying to serve as a shield. I heard the impacts of punches, sounds of weapons, the noises of the men, and Neema’s screaming through my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I kept my eyes down. It was a mistake. I saw the dead eyes of whomever had faced Kaoti. Turning away, I saw another whose head had been bashed. Bile rose in my throat when I saw pink crinkly parts coming out.
Phillip yelled out. I turned to him. Blood poured from his leg, and a man held a knife to his throat as Nico, Kaoti, and Yukihyo each fell to the ground unconscious. In horror, I saw several darts protruding from their necks and faces. I saw the stunned faces of the women who waited to enter the shelter and that of an old wrinkled man who clearly wanted to help but was unable.
Neema continued to wail, and the building to shake with whatever battle happened above us. A man with solid black eyes and clothing splattered with blood stared at me as he held a knife to Phillip’s throat. A drop of blood slid down Phillip’s neck. Phillip’s pants leg was drenched with blood.
“The darts contain more than tranquilizers. Each dart is poisoned. The doctor here can save them if I don’t slit his throat. In order to save them, he must first stop the bleeding in his leg. I can provide him with a medical kit and the antidote if you come with me.”
Kaoti sounded as though he were having difficulty breathing. Yukihyo’s unconscious face looked ashen. “Fine. If, you let them live, I’ll go with you.”
He removed the knife from Phillip’s throat. A line of red marred his neck. Phillip’s face was deathly pale from blood loss. Another man handed Phillip a medical kit. When I bent to help him, a hand gripped my elbow. I had to go in the direction in which I was pulled or risk dropping Neema. Once I was being led away, one of the men fired shots toward Yukihyo and Nico.
“No!” I screamed and tried to turn back.
“It wasn’t set to kill, Princess. It was set to slow them down.”
We were taken out a side door and into the snow. The explosions were louder outside. A transport with open doors waited. I was pushed inside. Men with solid black eyes surrounded us. Neema stopped crying, put her fingers in her mouth, and went to sleep. My own mind emptied. I saw the bright lights in the sky and thought how pretty they were. I heard grunts of pain coming from someone in the transport. Men spoke to each other in a language I didn’t know. Then, one of the men said a bad word that I had heard Quaid use on Epopeus. The transport had gone into a tunnel. It stopped. The men opened the doors and got out. The man who had held the knife to Phillip pushed against my thigh and slid me across the seat toward the open door where another man helped me stand. Neema continued to sleep in my arms. I was led up steps and into a shuttle that hovered above the ground.
I tried to ask where we were and where we were going, but I couldn’t form the words. I couldn’t ask anyone for help. I couldn’t project my fear and terror because our attackers were blocking me from my own thoughts and feelings. The men smiled and nodded to the people around us. They led me into a reserved car. The knife wielder put me in a seat. A baby seat was next to me. He took Neema from my arms, even though I tried to scream at him not to touch her. Carefully, he placed her in the seat and secured her.
Knife stared into my eyes. “We will not hurt you or your daughter. If you do not cooperate, we will hurt the men you love.” He kneeled down in front of me. “Not a hair on either of your pretty little heads has anything to fear from us, Princess.” Then, he rose and sat across from us.
The man who had been groaning and cussing had his shirt off and was receiving medical treatment from one of our other assailants. One of my men had ripped into him with a sharp knife. I remembered Phillip’s pale face and all of the blood. Yukihyo. A wrenching pain filled my heart as tears filled my eyes. Then, my thoughts and feelings disappeared. I felt the shuttle begin to move. It moved fast. I closed my eyes and put my hands over Niklos. It felt like the shuttle was tilting up a little on its side as it sped along. I felt bile rising in my throat. Knife opened a bag and held it in front of me. I partially made it, but also got his shoe and the floor.
I continued to be sick every few minutes until the shuttle finally stopped. By that time, Knife’s mood had suffered the same fate as his shoes. Fortunately, I was too dizzy to stand, and all of my abductors seemed to know I wasn’t faking. Knife carried Neema. I wanted to claw his eyes out for touching my baby. Someone else picked me up. Carrying
me out of the shuttle attracted the attention of the strangers who had been riding in other cars. The injured man managed to walk as though he were fine. I managed to throw up again for the audience of departing passengers. I moaned for good measure. The shuttle had been much worse than a boat or transport ride. I was dizzy and miserable, and I wanted to wash my mouth out and lie still with a blanket over my head.
I cried when he carried me into another transport. Neema was placed in a transport seat. The asshole kept me in his lap and stroked my hair. When the transport began to move, I managed to say, “No.” They spoke to each other in the Laconian dialect Quaid knew. I wanted to know if my husbands and family members were okay. The motion of the transport had me squeezing my eyes shut. I recognized the calm sleep-like state someone tried to force me into. I struggled against it and failed.
I woke up in a small room on a small bed under a blanket. I sensed Neema. Sitting up I saw a baby bed against the wall across from me near the door. I pushed the blanket aside and carefully stood. My feet were bare, and my coat had been removed. I could tell that we were in a ship. Neema was sitting up in the bed. Her eyes spilled over when she saw me. I picked her up and held her to my chest. I took her to the bed and fed her. Laconians with black eyes had attacked and taken us. Had they been working in tandem with whomever had fired on our docked ships? Had Phillip managed to save himself, Yukihyo, Nico, and Kaoti? Had Quaid, Hiroshi, and Simon survived in Tora? Were Kane and Eric and their crews unharmed? I brushed the tears from Neema’s face. While I burped her, I went into the small bathroom and got tissue for her nose. Then, I carried her back to the bed and continued to feed her. It was then that I noticed that my gold bracelet was gone. I hadn’t taken the bracelet off since the day Phillip had placed it on my wrist. Not only did it contain my credit chip, but it also contained a tracking device. Looking around I noticed that I didn’t have Neema’s bag. How would they find us?
The door opened, and Knife stood in the entrance. He placed a bag on the floor. I was afraid to ask him any questions. If I had been alone, I would have, but I had Neema and had to try to protect my helpless baby. My baby may have been held by her daddy who loved her for the last time. I felt my heart break and couldn’t push my sorrow and pain away. My throat closed around a sharp pain that had traveled to it from my soul. A sob escaped me. A false wave of calm encased me. “Don’t cry. You and your baby are safe. No one is going to hurt you. There are things in the bag for the baby.”
The Parvac Emperor's Daughter (The Space Merchants Book 3) Page 14