by Kylie Chan
The suits in the recording approached my corpse as Marque lifted my soulstone from my forehead.
‘Destroyed,’ one of the suits said in the recording.
‘Nova,’ another said.
‘Yes,’ Six Eighty Four said, latching onto the common experience. ‘She was in a star that went nova. She is destroyed.’
‘We contemplate,’ the suits said, and disappeared from the recording.
The image blinked out and everyone in the room focused on the suits.
‘Not destroyed,’ one of the suits said.
‘The dragons moved her to a new star,’ Rapclick said.
The suits shrank with shock. Before they met the dragons, moving to a new star was a rare achievement for their kind. When their home star went nova, they frantically mated to produce some space-wandering larvae, then attempted the traumatic, dangerous journey to a new star. The attempt usually ended in their destruction as they travelled too far from the stellar winds and died of starvation. This had stopped happening since they’d met the dragons, who carried them to a new star when the sex was done.
‘Do you enjoy the company of dragons?’ the Empress asked the suits.
‘Enjoy,’ one of the suits said. ‘Nova star, company of dragon, exceptional. Transport, new star, valuable.’
‘Yeah, we think the sex is pretty amazing as well,’ she said wryly. ‘Your sharing with dragons will go nova and be destroyed if you harm another citizen of the Empire.’
‘Clarify exactly what we did to avoid repeat,’ the suit said.
Rapclick gestured for Six Eighty Four to move closer to them. ‘Six Eighty Four is energy. Six lives in a star.’
‘We live in stars,’ the suits said.
‘The rest of the citizens here live on matter,’ Rapclick said. ‘They are physical. Do not separate them – they must stay in one piece.’
‘Matter. Physical. One. Piece.’ The red-gold energy creatures left their suits and joined at the middle to discuss the concept. ‘What is “one”?’ they said in unison.
‘Do not touch physical citizens,’ Rapclick said.
‘Dragons are physical? Can touch dragons.’
Six Eighty Four flared with frustration. ‘Don’t repeat what you did to poor Colonel Choumali!’
‘Which is Colonelchoumali?’
‘I am Colonel Choumali,’ I said. ‘You separated me into pieces and I was destroyed.’
The energy creatures writhed above the floor, still talking to each other.
‘Assistance, Marque,’ they said.
Marque formed an energy iteration of itself and joined the four energy creatures. They writhed around each other, shifting in colour from deep red through bright orange to yellow.
Marque broke away from them. ‘They’ll try. They’re not really sure what they did wrong, but they’ll ask in future. I’ll keep an eye on them, Silver.’
‘Let me make this abundantly clear,’ the Empress said, enunciating carefully. ‘If any of you – and I know you are more like a single joint consciousness than individuals – harm another physical-manifest citizen of the Empire, you will be expelled and no dragon will share an exploding sun with you ever again.’
‘Marque help. Avoid. More dragons,’ the suits said.
‘I will make sure you don’t make the mistake again.’
‘We like the Empire,’ the creatures said. They re-entered their suits and left in a hurry.
‘Do you think they’ll keep their word?’ the Empress asked Six Eighty Four.
‘They’ll make a mistake,’ the blue energy creature said with certainty. ‘Help them out, Marque. I’d hate to see what happened to Colonel Choumali happen to anyone else.’
‘Just Jian, please,’ I said. ‘I’m not a Colonel any more.’
‘Sure, Jian. I think we’re done here, thank you all for your attendance,’ the Empress said. ‘I’m glad the click babies are safe, and I must come to see them, I’m sure they’re adorable. Colonel Choumali, you have my highest esteem for throwing yourself in front of those babies. You gave your life to save them – you really are exceptional.’
I tapped my soulstone. ‘I didn’t really give my life, I’m still right here.’
‘That looked extremely painful,’ she said, studying me.
I looked her in the eye. ‘I’m glad I don’t remember it.’
‘Dismissed, everybody, thank you,’ the Empress said. ‘Colonel Choumali, would you like to come up to my apartment and visit with me? Tea and company?’
I gave up with the Colonel business. It looked like everybody had decided that my first name was Colonel, and it was a waste of time correcting them, so I just used the formal words of polite refusal. ‘Thank you for the kind offer, Majesty, but I respectfully decline.’
She nodded, unfazed, and delivered the courteous acknowledgement. ‘I respect your wishes and treasure our friendship.’
‘As do I. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to go home to my family.’
‘Six Eighty Four?’ the Empress said. ‘How about you?’
‘Let me arrange for someone to feed my breks, and I’ll be right with you,’ Six Eighty Four said.
‘Show the guests out, Graf,’ the Empress said.
‘Majesty,’ Graf said, and indicated the way with its three front legs. The door opened onto a towering hallway that went through the middle of the Palace, and Rapclick and I followed it out towards the square.
‘Do you require dragon transport? I can arrange it,’ Graf said.
‘Yes please,’ I said.
‘Not for me, I have some dragons to visit,’ Rapclick said. It stopped and clicked its front pincers together. ‘Colonel Choumali. Thank you for your sacrifice. You are always welcome on the click home planet, and will be celebrated and honoured whenever you visit. May your bones be strong.’
I clapped my hands in reply. ‘Thanks, Rapclick. I’m glad I could save the babies. May your shell be shiny.’
‘This way,’ Graf said, and led me towards the square. ‘We have a transport waiting for you in the folding nexus; I’ll escort you to the private elevator. The Empress’ own elevator car will take you up.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Colonel, while you are here, please reconsider the Empress’ offer for you to take the position as Captain of the Imperial Guard,’ Graf said as Marque lifted us through the atmosphere and onto the private space elevator platform. Designed for the exclusive use of parliamentary staff and the royal family, the platform was circular, three hundred metres across, and shining white. Wedge-shaped cars sat around its edge, each on their own elevator ribbon leading up to the folding nexus. ‘What you did on the click planet demonstrated courage and sacrifice that would be a real asset to the Empress’ household.’ We stopped at the Empress’ own elevator car, sky-blue with silver scale-shaped decorations over it. ‘And I’m terrible at it!’
‘You’re doing fine,’ I said as the door opened. I entered the wedge-shaped space, littered with cushions and rugs dragon-style, and with a small kitchen and separate bedroom. I turned and faced Graf where it stood on the other side of the door. ‘The cats are back on their homeworld, the humans are safe, and I’m planning to enjoy every experience the Empire has to offer. Prince Haruka has invited me to view the cherry blossoms on New Nippon.’
‘Of course he did; you saved the humans,’ Graf said. ‘I think a lot of people will want to honour you.’
‘Just as long as I have a chance to enjoy myself at the same time,’ I said. I smiled at the thought of travelling and meeting new people. ‘Thanks for the offer, Graf, but I think I will be having far too much fun to even think about it.’
‘Just keep the offer in mind,’ it said.
‘I will.’ I raised my hands to it, then went further into the car and sat on the rugs.
It raised its front legs in return and the door closed.
I reclined on the cushions and closed my eyes. Time to have some fun.
10
The pink
petals were a blizzard over the grass of the Imperial gardens on New Nippon. This closed event was only for the citizens of New Nippon who’d been rescued from the cat planet, as a celebration of their freedom and the new peace. The captives and their families had spread picnic blankets on the grass and were enjoying tea and snacks from a row of stalls nearby. A few people greeted us as we walked along the path, but they didn’t approach.
Haruka was his usual grumpy self, strolling through the gardens with his hands behind his back. In the spirit of the traditional festival, he wore a dark green, masculine-fashioned kimono under a traditional haori jacket that highlighted his green hair and the scales on his temples. The jacket was embossed with the gold chrysanthemums that indicated his rank. He was flanked by two bodyguards who were as tall as he was.
‘Nobody’s coming up to say hello,’ Masako said, sounding disappointed.
‘They were told to stay away from us,’ he said. ‘The last thing we need is to be mobbed.’
A small child ran up behind me and grabbed me around the legs, nearly knocking me over. ‘Choumali! Choumali!’ she yelled.
‘Sorry,’ a woman said, and I turned to see.
‘You brought my mother home!’ the little girl shouted. She appeared about four years old and was wearing a tiny pink silk jacket and pants, with her hair in cute buns. She released my legs and jumped in circles. ‘Thank you thank you thank you!’
The woman picked up the child and put her on her hip. She was obviously one of the captive humans, but I didn’t know her. ‘Sorry, Ms Choumali, Highnesses, I couldn’t stop her.’
‘She’d still be there and hurt if it weren’t for you.’ The little girl reached out to me. ‘Thank you.’
I touched her hand. ‘You are most welcome. Your mother was very brave.’
‘My mother’s the bravest!’ she said, and the woman laughed.
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ she said. ‘I still have nightmares.’ She squeezed the little girl. ‘But I’m home now, and you and Daddy are looking after me.’ She turned back to me. ‘I appreciate all you’ve done, and I’ll leave you to enjoy the festival.’ She nodded around. ‘Apologies.’
‘I’m not sorry because Colonel Choumali is the best!’ the little girl said as the woman carried her away.
‘Come this way, where we’ve set up a table and chairs to watch the fireworks display,’ Haruka said. ‘Hopefully no more interruptions.’ His face softened. ‘No matter how cute they are.’
‘Do you have children, Highness?’ I said as we sat. Masako’s personal goldenscales servant, Miko, was waiting for us and served us with sake and a selection of small dishes that were meticulously prepared to look like the cherry blossoms on the trees around us.
‘Masako and I have a monogamous relationship,’ he said, nodding to the dragon. ‘Any children we have will be dragons, so we must wait for permission from the Empress.’
‘You’re monogamous, Masako?’ I said. ‘That’s . . .’ I didn’t say ‘unheard of’. ‘. . . Unusual. What about your other spouses? Surely you had some before you met him?’
‘I have never met anyone like Haruka before,’ she said. ‘I had only two other spouses that I shared with other dragons, and I still see them – but it’s not the same.’
‘She spends time with her children,’ Haruka said. ‘I make sure she fulfils her parental responsibilities.’ His face went wry. ‘Having children with me is another matter.’
‘Do you want to have children together?’
They shared a look that said it all.
‘Don’t look like that, Jian,’ Masako said. ‘It’s not a difficult restriction. It’s quite likely we’ll be given permission with so many dragons lost during the cat action. It’s for the best.’
Haruka glowered at the table but didn’t say anything.
‘I still feel responsible,’ I said. ‘If you want to have children, I’m the reason you can’t.’
‘Ambassador Maxwell’s the reason,’ Masako said. She bunted Haruka with her head. ‘We dragons deserved it. You humans were correct – what we did was wrong.’ She grinned up at him. ‘We will have a child one day. And he needs to have some human children as well. I cannot wait to see them.’
‘As the Emperor’s nephew it is my duty to have a backup heir to the throne,’ Haruka said. ‘Only the current Emperor, me, and one other are direct descendants of previous Emperors, and we are required to have children to continue the line. The children can be at most dragonscales – a dragon can’t inherit – but regardless.’ He looked into Masako’s eyes. ‘She is my only one.’
‘And you are mine,’ she said. ‘But you still need to have some human children, my love.’
He sighed loudly and looked away.
A small, round Japanese woman in traditional attire – hair ornaments in a complicated setting, paper parasol, heavy makeup, the whole works – approached us and bowed to Haruka and Masako, then to me. ‘Choumali-Sama. I am delighted to finally meet you.’
She wore a delightful blue kimono with a green obi that had plum blossoms embroidered on it, but something about the glint in her eye – and her aura of maturity – made me look twice. She lacked scales on her temples, so she was fully human, and I stared at her hair, trying to work out whether it was a wig or her own thick black hair.
‘This is Akiko, my second cousin?’ Haruka said. ‘She is visiting from Earth.’
‘Great-Aunt,’ she said as she folded the parasol and sat at the table. She smiled, revealing enchanting dimples in her cheeks. ‘I hear that you’re planning to travel and experience things like the ice-ribbon skating of Aerna and the fluorocarbon diving of Sillon.’
‘Absolutely. Before the cats attacked, I’d finished the flight training on Mon but never did my first solo,’ I said. ‘I’d like to go back and finish it now that things are resolved between the cats and the Empire.’
‘I want to do all those things so much . . .’ She sighed. ‘But I always seem to be stuck wearing restrictive clothing doing ceremonial bullshit—’
‘Akiko!’ Haruka said.
She ignored him. ‘. . . and being introduced to men that I have no interest in. I told the Imperial Household staff about my preferences, and they completely ignored me. They see me as a brood mare.’
‘If you fulfilled your reproductive duty to the family, it would not be an issue,’ Haruka snapped. ‘Only three of us remain, and we must continue the line.’
Both Masako and Akiko stared at him, then burst out laughing.
Akiko controlled her mirth to speak to me. ‘My mother was the previous Emperor’s sister. Haruka’s father was the current Emperor’s brother,’ she said. ‘I’m trying to find a place for myself, and I thought New Nippon might be it.’ She smiled again. ‘I know a spot on the hill where you can see the fireworks over the city; would you like to see?’
I was totally enchanted by those dimples. ‘I’d love to.’
‘This way,’ she said, rising and gesturing with the folded parasol. She bowed to Haruka and Masako. ‘Nephew. Princess.’
They nodded to her, then Masako took two-legged form and sat closer to Haruka. It was definitely time to move.
‘Do you know how old I am, Princess?’ I asked Akiko as she led me away.
‘About the same age as me, Jian, early sixties, right?’ she said, and stopped. ‘May I call you Jian?’
‘Of course.’
‘Call me Akiko, don’t stand on ceremony,’ she said, switching to perfect Euro with a slight American accent. ‘The reason I’m on New Nippon is to get away from that stifling ceremonial bullshit in the Imperial Household. It doesn’t seem to be working, though. How dare he scold me about reproductive duty.’ She looked around and took my arm. ‘This way. Quickly.’ She guided me to a stand of cherry trees, then led me through them until we weren’t visible from the rest of the group. ‘Here, take this,’ she said, and handed me the parasol. She ripped off the wig to reveal her hair in a black buzzcut, and suddenly looked completely differ
ent. She bent and rubbed her hands over her head. ‘Thank god for that, it was driving me nuts. So itchy!’ She tossed the wig into the air. ‘Take it back to the Palace, Marque.’
‘I’ll take the parasol too,’ Marque said, and it lifted from my hands.
‘Can I have something to wipe the gunk off?’ she said, and a damp cloth appeared in her hand. She wiped the make-up from her face, and a completely different person emerged. She had a squarish, intelligent face under the short hair and her smile was delightful, the dimples becoming even cuter.
She turned the obi around on herself so that the bow was at the front and undid that and the complicated under-ties. The kimono fell open to reveal ripped black pants and a black shirt with thick black boots.
‘Do you like punk rock, Jian?’ she said. ‘Are you into traditional music?’
‘I’m British!’ I said.
‘I’ll take that as a yes.’ She raised the kimono and Marque took it. ‘The Rooster Stews are playing at a basement in town. Once in a lifetime chance to hear them live and acoustic, and they didn’t even publicise it. Care to join me?’
I linked my arm in hers. ‘Lead the way, Princess.’
‘First beer’s on me,’ she said, and we shared a smile.
*
Rhythm-of-Slaps looked like a blue stingray, except it had two rigid bone projections on its belly that acted as skates. It tapped the ice with its wings to speak as it gave me the final run through.
Marque translated for it. ‘This will be much harder without the energy barriers. Remember, if you feel you’re going too fast, tell Marque—’
‘I know, tell Marque and we can start again.’
‘Nobody finishes the course the first time they do it without barriers.’
‘I think Jian can,’ Akiko said from the other side of the launch platform. She was wearing a black jumpsuit to keep her warm as she waited for her skating window.