Heather
and Raymond stood by Chloë on the bridge of the starship. They were
getting ready to open the jump gate, and while it was well assured that no one
would be in their way, there was plenty of concern about an unwanted
escort
of Bervik ships of who knows which Houses waiting for them. From their
end they had the desired escort of two heavy cruisers and three dreadnaughts of
the Shukurae, but it was a given that the Shukurae were going to be
unwelcome. She knew that the Shukurae had a series of ships with the
jumpgates all but powered up, ready to spring into action, but honestly, Chloë
wanted to do this with as little show of force as possible. The more
hotheads that were gathered in one place, the more likely something stupid
might happen by accident!
Chloë
sighed as she took Heather’s hand, “Okay, Captain, at your leisure.”
The
Captain nodded smartly, “Yes, your Highness.” He readied himself; a
professional of many years he, too, understood the diplomatic and military
risks ahead. “Prime the gate. Check the curvature and then
broadcast clearance.”
“Aye,
aye sir. Gate-drive stable and showing no immediate curvature.
Broadcast on civil and military channels shows a minimum ten minute window.”
“All
right then,” the Captain muttured under his breath. “Expand the gate and
take us through!”
There
was an obvious strain on the ships power system as a wormhole briefly sparkled
into existence in front of them. It swelled and everyone briefly felt
queasy as they passed through… “Engines back to norm. All systems
stable. We have broadcast from Shukurae ships’ gate drives, hold steady
for safest course.”
“Bloody
well hold steady!” blurted the Captain.
Everyone
on the deck winced briefly as the five Shukurae warships popped through their
own wormholes a second later. Three wormholes in rapid
succession. One for each of the dreadnaughts while the two heavy cruisers
exploited the stable wormholes produced by the dreadnaughts and followed in
their wake.
Drafting
behind the Shukurae dreadnaughts… that brought back memories for Chloë as she
recalled her governess Anna doing the same thing to scoot them across the
galaxy just weeks earlier.
“We
are being hailed.”
They
all expected that. The Captain nodded to Chloë before facing the front of
the bridge, “On screen.”
“
Royal
Amsterval Ship Illustrious
, we are showing non fleet ships in your
proximity. Do you need assistance?”
“Who
are they?” asked Chloë under her breath.
“That
is the
RAS Defiant
, heavy cruiser. We are showing one other heavy
cruiser and four light cruisers as well. All House Amsterval, your
Highness.”
“Well
that keeps it tidy… Do answer the hail, dear Captain.”
“This
is Captain Gerrard of
RAS Illustrious.
The other ships are on
personal retainer of her Highness, Princess Chloë Stratford-Amsterval. We
are in route to Bervik VI; your ships are in our path. Please stand clear
for her Highness.”
“Where
is Count Alfonso, Captain Gerrard?”
“Count
Alfonso is under house arrest for kidnapping and murder having declined to
stand in trial by combat. Her Highness speaks for the ship.”
“With
all due respects…”
“With
all due respects, move your ships!” snapped Chloë. “Armed ships
blockading normal trade corridors is generally called piracy. Armed ships
refusing direct orders from the House Amsterval is generally called
treason!
”
Chloë was getting much better at snarling, but she didn’t like it. This
was bringing out the worst in her…
“Princess
Chloë, your father bid us rescue you from your current and most unfortunate
situation.”
“If
you meant Prince Philip then you do not speak of my
father!
I
stand here on this bridge of my own free will. Those who stand beside me,
do so at my request. Those dreadnaughts off our wings that stand ready to
do battle, do so at my request. Now
who
exactly is needing rescuing?”
“Your
Highness, Shukurae warships on our frontier are
unacceptable!
”
“Why?
They move under standard trade and custom along the standard trade
routes. They do so with transponders broadcasting in plain. There
is no subterfuge or impropriety. Unlike your vessels that continue to
block our path.” Chloë was running out of ‘snarl.’ It just wasn’t
in her nature. She bit her lip as she looked to Heather.
Heather
nodded, “Do it.”
Chloë
sighed as she nodded to the communication officer, “Page our support.”
There
was hardly a pause between the press of the button there on the
RAS
Illustrious
’s bridge and seven wormholes opening all around them. In
a swish of ones’ tail, seven more Shukurae dreadnaughts and fourteen more heavy
cruisers exploded onto the scene.
“Sensors
showing the dreadnaughts’ mass drivers are online!” came a squeak from the
bridge.
“Move
out of our way!” growled Chloë slowly, articulately and defiantly.
Chloë’s
growl was all but superfluous, the opposing ships were already in motion.
The
Defiant
made quick exit via wormhole leaving the other heavy cruiser
and four light cruisers on their own.
“Can
the small ones gate on their own?” asked Raymond.
“No,
Sir Raymond. They rely on the heavy cruisers gate drive or the trade
wormholes.”
“Offer
them the chance to reorient and all gate out in a safe and controlled fashion,”
sighed Chloë, obviously wanting things to quickly be smoothed over.
“The
heavy cruiser
RAS Swordfish
is hailing us.”
Chloë
nodded to Captain Gerrard, “Put them on.”
A
pair of stately but obviously rattled men appeared on the screen. One
Chloë guessed to be the ship’s captain, the other she immediately recognized:
Earl Kevin of the Lakes. Chloë tried to not looked shocked, but she had
half expected the earl to be rotting in prison someplace for his part in Anna
and Chloë’s escape.
“Greeting
your Highness. We stand here still quite honestly worried for your safety
and security,” began the earl. “The lady we see and hear before us is far
different than the one we all know so well. Thus you must understand the
concern that you are being manipulated.”
“Or,”
chimed Chloë with an honest smile, “the far more shocking concern that I’m
not
being manipulated by anyone at all! Most notably: Prince Philip!”
The
earl laughed, “Your Highness, you cannot deny the fire in your voice that is
now present. But then, maybe that is your mother starting to show!”
He cleared his throat and continued, “Whatever the case, we still have our
concerns for your safety, security and freedom. Thus, if you will permit
me to come aboard and meet you in person and verify your situation, we will
gladly turn these great ships around and travel
with
you to Bervik VI.”
“That
seems perfectly reasonable, Earl Kevin. I would suggest no more than four
retainers with you. Choose them well, the Shukurae will be inspecting
them as they board,” replied Chloë with the closest thing to a smile all
morning.
“That
is perfectly acceptable, your Highness. I will board within the hour.”
The
screen blanked out and they all sighed and relaxed. Chloë paid her
respects to the Captain and the three left the bridge.
“You
trust the earl?” asked Raymond somewhat suspiciously.
“Oh.
Oh yes. He helped Anna and me escape.”
Raymond
was caught flatfooted, “The earl? Why?”
“Maybe
because he is a good guy,” offered Heather broadly.
“That
and ask Anna!” grinned Chloë mischievously.
“You
mean he’s not gay?” asked an honestly surprised Raymond.
“No,
just thoroughly in love with someone very much beneath his station. You
know, kinda like you and
princess
Heather,” joked Chloë.
Three
quarters of an hour later the earl and two retainers boarded the ship. To
say they were scrutinized by the Shukurae was an understatement, but all
parties involved were professional and soon the earl met them in the Great
Hall. The hall had been cleared and swept for bugs, only Watzkel’s
Shukurae were to be found as guards.
The
earl smiled as he bowed, “It is wonderful to see you, Princess! You have
done well for yourself and have chosen your friends wisely!”
Chloë
grinned, “Okay, if you trust my friends so much, why the long speech just to
come aboard?”
The
earl laughed, “Those are the formalities and speeches people expect to
hear. If I had stood there on the bridge and blubbered, ‘Is Anna going to
be all right?’ people would have asked way too many questions!”
Chloë
smiled, “Anna is on a long path to recovery. But she is doing well.
She may do better if you had the chance to go visit her. And oh, for
heaven’s sake, drop the ‘your highness’…”
“Lady
Chloë then?”
“That
is fine,” she grinned.
The
earl nodded and grinned, “I’d heard that Ivy Strartford had taken you in.
The irony is not lost on me: I
know
who her husband is!”
“Is
that known widely?” Chloë asked curiously.
A
raspberry, from the earl! He was going to fit right in! “Not
hardly! That requires people look and think beyond their own little
territories… Any of those others that
do
know are keeping it quietly to
themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if some are keeping a still tongue
hoping
that it comes to blows between your father and Prince Philip.”
“So
you would call Llewellyn her father?” asked Heather with a broad grin.
“Ivy
Stratford brought Chloë into your house. End of story. Whether or
not Lady Chloë’s domain spans two houses or just one is the only
question. I, for one, am not to argue with your First Mother!”
Chloë
smiled, “Okay, I have to ask, why are you free? I figured you would have
gotten into horrible trouble over my very exciting exit from the palace.”
The
earl smiled, “Ah yes! Your exit. While things were
compromised
by my security drill, it seems the most fascinating thing occurred:
little lady Jasmine, who has a horrible crush on the young Duke of the
Estherdale, seems to have dropped the age old portcullis at the gate house as
you and Anna went running past. Not only did that prevent the guards from
following, it also took out power for half the complex! It seems no one
ever expected that old gate to be used, so power coupling had been run through
it years ago. Drills are one thing; actually losing power is quite
exciting!”
“Is
Lady Jasmine in trouble?” asked Heather with honest concern.
The
earl just smiled, “She’s eight! She was grounded for a week, but that is
about all that came of it for her. The young duke, however was terribly
embarrassed by the whole thing.”
“As
in embarrassed that he actually likes her? He’s going to have to wait ten
years for her!” laughed Chloë.
“He
has a long list of interested parties; I doubt he is going to wait ten years.”
“How
in the world did I end up on his short list?” asked Chloë flabbergasted. “I
didn’t even remotely like him and I don’t think he really even noticed I
existed.”
“There
you get to blame Prince Philip and Duchess Amanda: the most powerful House on
Bervik III and the most powerful House on Bervik IV.”
“It
was all about power games!” snarled Chloë.
“Would
you like to know the worst of it, my Lady?”
Chloë
blinked, “Being married off against my will for power politics wasn’t the
worst?”
“Maybe
worst
was the wrong choice of words…
coup de grâce
to your fine
sensibilities?”
Chloë’s
stomach immediately tied in knots, “Okay, just spill it.”
“The
duchess is a widow…” Earl grinned broadly.
“That
fink Prince Philip was seeing the duchess!” screamed Chloë. “Like I
needed another reason to hate him!”
“If
Prince Philip were to abdicate, would the Duchess Amanda take him in?” asked
Raymond suddenly.
Chloë
glared at Raymond but the earl quickly piped up, “It was a reasonable question,
Lady Chloë. Sir Raymond was actually being very practical. If
Prince Philip does abdicate, he has to go somewhere.”
“Back
at the academy they used to say to give your opponent an escape route. If
they don’t think they can escape, they will fight like they have nothing to
lose.”
“People
who think they have lost it all…” murmured Chloë as she thought of Llewellyn in
his youth. She paused and hugged Heather before turning to Raymond,
“Sorry I snapped. You were trying to be helpful… I don’t like
snapping; once you start, it’s hard to stop. I don’t want to be that kind
of person.”
Raymond
just smiled, “You didn’t snap, Lady Chloë, you only glared. It’s alright,
I understand.”
Chloë
smiled and gave Raymond a quick hug, “Thanks. Oh I will be so glad when
this is all over.”
“So
how about this,” offered Heather, “Philip quits to go hang out with this
duchess creep and your birth mother takes over as Crown Princess of House
Amsterval? If a duchess can run things on her own, why not a princess?”
Earl
Kevin grinned broadly, “That sounds like an excellent suggestion. Now, if
we could just get all parties to agree to that…”
“Will
my uncle be upset if Prince Philip gets divorced?”
“Actually,
I think he will break into song and dance,” grinned the earl.