Transmission Lost (53 page)

Aria wasn't so sure about all that, but she wasn't about to contradict the Empress. -As you say, m'lady,- she said. Tactfully, she went on, -Not that this isn't informative, Your Majesty, but might I ask what this has to do with the reason I was called here?-

The Empress took it in stride. -Well, nothing, I suppose. I just wished to let you know how helpful your assistance has been.- She switched off the display, and the bookshelf slid back into place. -So, I imagine you have been enjoying your week of leave. Your family is well?-

-Much better now that I am home,- Aria said. -They are not taking the news about my mother...very easily. But I think my father and siblings would be taking it much worse if I had not survived. They are doing as well as could be expected.-

-That is very good,- Kri'a said. There was a knowing twinkle in her eye. -And Jack? He is well?-

-Very well, thank you,- Aria said, feeling a touch of warmth in her face. She did feel a bit awkward for the Empress to be bringing
that
up, especially with Admiral Te'rou present. He had, after all, led the campaign for her treason charges because of her relationship with Jack. She could just feel the admiral's dislike for the subject, even though she wasn't looking at him. -I...ah...I must admit. I was not expecting the...well, the news interviews. Or the letters. And not all of it has been positive.-

The Empress looked sympathetic. -I went through much the same thing years ago, with Li'ren,- she admitted. -I can assure you that it will pass, eventually, though the behind-the-back comments may never end. All you can do is stand firm through it all.-

-Yes, m'lady. I will.-

-Good. But now to business.- The Empress came around the desk, leaning back against it. -I asked Commander Vash'ti to call you here on my behalf. I have an assignment for you which I sincerely hope you will take. And speaking of Li'ren, it actually involves her to some extent.-

-Oh?- Aria's curiosity was piqued.

-Indeed.- The Empress crossed her arms over her chest, and her ears laid back slightly. -It has not been very widely publicized, but my consort is no longer on Lirna. For her safety, I sent her back to her home planet, Arbaros. As you know, that planet is a major port world in the Inner Colonies, protected just as heavily as the homeworld, perhaps even more so considering the abundance of shipbuilding and supply points in orbit.- The Empress looked down at the floor. -Unfortunately, we have our suspicions that Ara'lana has learned this fact. How she learned it, we don't know, since I didn't tell anyone other than a select few trusted people that it was going to be done.-

Aria nodded her head. -My mother is quite aggressive. I assume you are worried that she will make an effort to take Lady Amani, to use as a bargaining chip against you?-

-Or to kill her outright,- the Empress said. -As you reported, she attempted to use the same tactic regarding Jack, to try to coerce your cooperation.- Aria remembered that very well, indeed. When her mother had first brought up the idea of Aria joining her, she refused almost immediately. With her daughter's refusal, Ara'lana had threatened quite coldly to have Jack killed if she did not reconsider. -Whatever Ara'lana's aim, I am not willing to risk Li'ren's safety by leaving her under the protection of regular soldiers. Therefore, I am activating a new unit of the Royal Guards, to be stationed on Arbaros and keep my consort safe. Several of my personal guards will be going there to supplement the new guards, but they will need a leader. I want that to be you.-

Aria nodded along with what the Empress was telling her, and then her brain caught up to what she was being told. -You want
me?
- Aria exclaimed, at the exact same time that Admiral Te'rou barked -You want
her?
- Aria couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Empress wanted her to lead the Royal Guards on Arbaros, to be responsible for protecting the second-highest ranking member of the Ascendancy's royalty. That was something far and above anything she had been expecting.

-Yes, Aria, I want you,- Kri'a confirmed. -You have demonstrated that you are someone I can trust absolutely. Beyond that, Li'ren thinks very highly of you, and so I do as well.-

Admiral Te'rou coughed, sitting up straighter in his chair. -Empress, I'm not sure that would be the best thing,- he said carefully. -With absolutely no offense meant to the captain...- Aria could just hear the effort that it took for him to say that. -Is she really the sort of person you want leading a unit of the most elite soldiers in the Navy? The Royal Guards are a public symbol of the power of the royal family. I don't think we want someone with Captain Me'lia's checkered reputation leading them. Especially when you consider the fact that her
mother
is the very person leading this rebellion!-

-Jin,- the Empress said, very calmly and looking the admiral right in the eyes. -You know I value your opinion very much. You have very rarely given me ill advice when it comes to military matters. In this matter, however, I believe you are mistaken. I think selecting Aria for the Royal Guards shows that no matter what your background or your lifestyle, you have a place in our society.- She looked at Aria very pointedly. -And believe me, that is a message that many young people in the Ascendancy need to hear.-

-Your Majesty, I...with all due respect, I'm a patrol ship pilot.- Aria swallowed. -I'm not suited to be a ground soldier, not anymore.-

-You have previous experience as a commando, I believe.-

Aria blinked. -Well, I do, but that was several years ago. I haven't kept my skills up, not to the level required of the Royal Guards.-

-I disagree,- Kri'a admonished her. She raised a hand. -Your reports from after your crash tell a much different story. You demonstrated an uncanny ability to survive, and your record after that is equally as impressive. You almost single-handedly defended your family's home from a human attack, and you were able to fight your way out of your mother's base of operations. I think you're quite qualified to do the job I am asking of you.- She crossed her arms again. -Of course, you will not be forced to do so. If you want to return to flying patrol ships, I will allow it.-

-No, Your Majesty, I...- Aria stood up quickly, bowing low enough that she thought her ears might brush the floor. -I'm very honored that you would even consider me for this role. I would be glad to accept.- Rising from her bow, she resumed her seat, trying to contain the pride that she felt inside of herself. She never would have imagined, not after being charged for treason, that she could have been asked to join the Royal Guards. For her, it almost felt like being promoted to admiral. -But, there is one thing, Your Majesty.-

The Empress leaned forward. -What would that be?-

Aria bit her lip, her ears flattening slightly and her eyes dulling. -My family. My father, and my sisters and brothers. And Jack. What about them? For this assignment, I'll have to move to Arbaros.- She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. -I'm worried about what my mother might try to do in my absence. She has already sent armed men into our home once.-

-Ah...You are afraid that she may do something to harm your family?- The Empress considered that for a moment. -You have a fair point. You really think she would harm her mate and her own children?-

-I don't think she ever gave a damn about my father,- Aria spat out vehemently. -And until she outright ordered my execution, I would have never thought she would harm me or my siblings.-

Kri'a nodded. -I see. Your fears seem well-founded.- The Ailian ruler tapped her foot thoughtfully on the floor, the tip of her tail flipping from side to side. -Then of course they must go with you. I will arrange their accommodations personally. The royal governess of Arbaros will be expecting you, and will meet you and your family upon arrival. Is that satisfactory?-

Aria felt a relief so great that she could barely believe it. The largest of her worries had been that she was going to have leave her family again, and she'd had enough separation from them to last her a lifetime. -It's more than I would have expected, m'lady. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough, for this and for everything you have done.-

-You can thank me by doing your job well, Captain of the Guard.- The Empress winked at her with a grin, but a second later her smile faltered and she dropped her eyes to the floor. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse, almost labored. -I am leaving in your hands the most important thing in the universe to me. Please...take care of my little one.-

******

It felt good to be back in command of a ship.

Well,
Jack thought,
maybe that's stretching it a little. But I'm in the pilot's chair, and that's good enough for me.
He reached for the controls of the passenger transport he was piloting, hitting a few switches to check the time to hyperspace exit. The human had to stretch a bit more than usual, since the ship was designed to be piloted by an Ailian. By pushing the pilot's chair forward as much as possible and adjusting the foot pedals to their most extreme setting, he was able to manage it without being too uncomfortable. The hardest part had been familiarizing himself with the unusual control scheme, but the controls weren't all that different from the sorts of ships he was used to flying. As it turned out, bipedal, two-armed species wound up designing their pilot compartments very similarly. There were only so many ways humanoid beings could function in a starship, after all.

The ship was an impressive one, though. Large but pretty sleek and streamlined, Jack had been made to understand that it was a corporate vessel used by Aria's father's company, for hobnobbing with potential clients and the like. The ship could be piloted by a single person, but it operated most efficiently with a copilot. More like a yacht than anything else, it had plenty of room for Jack, Aria, her father, and her seven siblings.

When Aria had told them all that they would be moving at such short notice, Jack had been surprised how well the family had taken it. He supposed he had taken for granted just how serious Aria's role as the eldest female was. He'd known that the Ascendancy was a matriarchal society even before he'd ever met an Ailian in person, but he would have assumed that Aria's father, being more than thirty years older than her, would have had at least
some
say in the matter. But when she had explained things to them, and told them what the Empress' plans were, they had all agreed at once. Jack thought that if his own mother, or older sister if he'd had one, had said the same thing to him, he would have at least protested a little bit before uprooting and moving to a new planet. Then again, Aria's family was wealthy and could do a thing like this, and her father had part of his business on Arbaros, the planet they were headed for, anyway.

After consulting with itself for a few minutes, the ship's computer projected the time remaining for this leg of the hyperspace jump on the forward viewport. Jack wasn't the best at reading an Ailian clock, but as he understood it they were twelve Lirnan hours into this first leg of the trip, and based on the calculations that the ships navigational systems had made they had three hours left until they were ready to emerge from hyperspace and readjust for the next leg. Aria had said it would take about two days to arrive at Arbaros, a journey twice as long as usual. Because of the rebellion, the usual routes were no longer as safe as they had been, so they had to take a longer path that was better protected by Ascendancy assets.

Jack yawned, stretching his arms out and hearing a few joints pop.
Definitely didn't miss
this
part of piloting.
While he was gratified that Aria trusted him enough to get her family safely from Lirna to Arbaros, there really wasn't all that much for him to do. With the way ships were automated, the autopilot and the hyperdrive were handling most of the work, leaving Jack bored most of the time. And yet, he had to remain at the controls, just in case something went wrong and he had to take over manual flight. Still, it was hard not to fall asleep. By Lirnan time, it was nearly midnight, and he was starting to get drowsy.

“You tired, yes?”

With a smirk, Jack swiveled around in the pilot's chair. Aria was standing behind him, her arms down by her sides. He was a little disappointed that she'd returned to wearing military dress, rather than the casual, sheer clothing she'd been wearing at home. With her body, she really made those thin, silky desert clothes look amazing. Then again, as his eyes traveled up her form, the military uniform she was wearing did hug her curves pretty tightly. It wasn't all bad. “A little bit. There's not much to do right now. I've been watching hyperspace, but it's kinda hypnotic. Might not be the best way to stay awake.” He turned back around to face the forward viewport. “Couldn't sleep?”

“I sleep a little.” Aria came over and sat down in the copilot's chair. She also looked out at hyperspace, watching as the blurred colors, mostly blues and purples, swirled and flew by the ship. They both looked on in silence for a while. “Was...three months ago, yes? Four?”

“Somewhere in between,” Jack agreed. He reached over and put a hand on Aria's knee, and she curled her tail up and around his arm. “Feels a lot better to be able to jump through hyperspace properly, instead of blindly.”

“Yes. No engine explosion. Much nicer.”

He laughed, able to find it funny now. “So, tell me about this 'Arbaros' place we're going to. What kind of planet is it?”