Chapter Eighteen

Tantos System

Pakorus groaned and slowly opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was the blast at the Tantos Station docking bay, the wave of fire, hitting the floor, and then nothing… nothing until he woke up here, that is. Shaking his head, he sat up, realized that he was lying in a bunk, and looked around the small room in shock. This wasn’t anywhere on the station, he was certain. It was nowhere he’d ever been before at all.

The room was dimly lit, with metal walls that were darkly painted. Along one wall was a shelf of books, most of which seemed to have titles written in languages he couldn’t read; a faint shimmer indicated that a forcefield was holding them in place. Beside the shelf were tables on which rested strange devices whose functions Pakorus couldn’t even guess; on the far wall hung a painting depicting a twisting, geometric image his eyes couldn’t even decipher. Even trying to make sense of it made it his head hurt; Pakorus shook himself and then let his gaze slide down to the floor in front of the picture, where a human figure sat.

It took him a moment to recognize Midaia; she’d changed out of her flowing robes and wore a simple shirt and loose pants, albeit both in her customary black. Her dark hair was bound back from her pale face in a loose tail; all told, it was an oddly mundane look for someone who normally seemed so… ephemeral. She was seated on a mat on the floor with her legs crossed and her hands on her knees, with her eyes closed and her breathing rhythmic. She didn’t seem to notice that Pakorus had awoken as he slowly stood and stretched, trying to shake the stiffness from his limbs and the pain from his head.

“You’re awake,” Midaia said suddenly, without opening her eyes; apparently, she was paying closer attention than he’d thought. “There’s kaf and some pastries in the next cabin down the hall, if you’re hungry; you probably are after what you’ve just been through.”

“Thank you,” Pakorus said reflexively. “But first, I want to know where we are and what’s going on.”

“Understandable,” Midaia said, opening her eyes and gesturing for Pakorus to take a seat across from her. He did so cautiously. “And as for the first question, it’s simple enough. We are presently on board my personal yacht, Sister Night, and have just entered jump, where we will likely remain for some time until we reach our destination.”

“Your yacht?” Pakorus asked, and then paused; now that he listened, he could hear the faint hum of the jump engines beneath them. “Who’s piloting?”

“We’re on autopilot for the moment,” Midaia said. “Don’t worry; it’s perfectly safe. I don’t install anything less than the best on my ship, after all.”

Pakorus held up his hands. “Okay, slow down,” he said. “I think we’d better start over. How did I get here, anyway? The last thing I remember was blacking out.”

“That’s what I had assumed,” Midaia said, nodding. “The fighter you flew to Tantos Station was destroyed, along with most of the other ships berthed in the same hangar. Someone – I suspect part of the same mercenary crew who went after Specter – set a bomb. Whether the target was Specter himself or simply anyone who consulted with him I don’t know. I kept us alive by means of my arts and carried you to my ship where it was berthed in another docking bay and then we departed the station. I considered returning you to your father, but it seemed that Lion of Carann was engaged in quite a ferocious battle over Tantos III and I didn’t like my odds of getting us there in one piece, so I decided to take you with me. You’ll probably be safer with me anyway; there’s not much in the galaxy that poses a threat to me, after all. And we are, if I’m not mistaken, looking for the same answers.”

Pakorus groaned and put his head in his hands. “Father’s probably worried sick about me,” he muttered. “First, I was stupid enough to run off to see Specter on my own, and then my fighter got blown up – if he was keeping track of it, he probably thinks I’m dead! And it’s starting to seem like you didn’t rescue me so much as kidnap me.”

Midaia rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, Pakorus,” she said. “I sent a message to your father to let him know where you were, though I don’t know if he’s had a chance to read it yet. And you were the one who went looking for a notorious criminal and information broker because you wanted to solve a mystery. I’m giving you the chance to work with me on that investigation – would you rather be stuck back on Carann, sitting in the garden reading old books and wishing you could be like their heroes?”

Pakorus flushed in embarrassment and looked down at his hands; Midaia smiled knowingly. “I had a feeling that was the case,” she said. “But for now, you and I are hunting the same quarry. I found the drive Specter gave you and uploaded the coordinates for the old Imperial laboratory he told you about; this is may very well be the first clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Commander and who is behind the attempts to destroy our Kingdom.”

“How did you get involved in all this, anyway?” Pakorus asked.

“You might say I’ve always been involved,” Midaia said. “Like I told you, these are the people who murdered my mother, and it isn’t the custom of House ast Carann to allow such a crime to go unavenged. I’d been doing some investigations of my own after Artakane killed the Commander, and there I was… stymied.” She looked troubled for a moment, and Pakorus frowned at that, but then she continued. “That was when I ran into, shall I say, some old friends of mine. They gave me a riddle – seek the old one, seek the hidden one, seek the dead. The old one I know well enough, and he and I will have a long talk before this is over. The hidden one I decided was our old friend Specter. The dead, no doubt, is the Commander himself. So, I resolved to meet with Specter, find out what he knew, and use that to try and trace the Commander back to his origins. And as I suspected, Specter was able to help. The rest, you know.”

A part of Pakorus burned to ask Midaia who these ‘old friends’ of hers were and why they apparently gave her riddles instead of straight answers, but he doubted she’d do anything but evade the question if he put it to her. “It sounds like you’ve got everything covered,” he said. “What do you expect me to do to help? It’s not exactly a secret I’m not much good in a fight.”

“Well, as I mentioned, for the moment you’re probably safer with me than anywhere else,” Midaia said, which didn’t do Pakorus’s pride much comfort. “But on the other hand, from what I understand you’re not unintelligent – got very good marks at the Academy, I hear – and your father is one of the sharpest nobles in the kingdom, when he remembers to think with his brain instead of his sense of honor. And you did shoot a man who was in the process of trying to shoot me, something for which I am grateful. So, I suspect you’ll come in handy. There’s more to life than dueling, Pakorus, despite what most of the nobility in this kingdom seem to think. And I believe you have talents even you haven’t realized yet.”

She regarded him with piercing eyes that seemed to see directly into his soul, and Pakorus looked away, embarrassed. “If you say so,” he muttered.

“Oh, I do,” Midaia said. “And I’m rarely wrong, so it would be very embarrassing if you do end up letting me down. Try not to. Now, I recommend you go grab something to eat. You just barely avoided being blown up, after all, and our journey isn’t over yet. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s barely begun.”

///

“This is all your fault,” Sateira snapped as she paced back and forth in the sitting room, arms folded angrily. Darius watched in silence from where he stood guard in a corner, but he privately he didn’t think he’d ever seen her more furious. Honestly, he couldn’t blame her for it.

“My fault?” Respen demanded, voice equally harsh. “What would you have had us do – slink away and beg the pretender for forgiveness on our knees? At least I did something rather than passively wait for her to pass sentence on us. If anyone is at fault here it is our friend the guildmaster, whose people failed to notice that Artakane was wearing a transmitter!”

“All you did was start a fight we lost,” Sateira replied. “I was the one who actually landed a blow that took Artakane down, if you will recall.”

“And yet you still failed to keep her from escaping!” Respen said, rising to his feet angrily and glaring daggers at Sateira.

“Enough, both of you!” Naudar said, stepping forward and forcing both of them to step back by holding his cane between them. “This bickering is pointless. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter whose fault our current predicament is; what we have to decide now is what we’re going to do about it, and the two of you coming to blows over your own pride won’t help us at all!”

“And what would you have us do?” Respen asked. “Surrender and cut a deal with your friend Mardoban to keep your position while leaving the two of us to hang?”

“If I thought it might work, I’d be sorely tempted,” Naudar said. “Luckily for you, I’m afraid we’ve passed the point where that sort of arrangement is possible. This will only end in blood. Now, the loyalist forces remain in-system, no doubt waiting for reinforcements. I recommend that we launch an attack before those reinforcements can arrive, pulling in forces from our duchies if necessary, with the goal of taking Artakane and Mardoban hostage. If we can manage that, we will have the leverage necessary to force the rest of the council to acquiesce to our demands. It lacks the air of legitimacy our original plan would have carried, but considering the circumstances, it may be our best option.”

“And how do you know they don’t have more surprises waiting for us, like they did here on Tantos III?” Sateira asked. “I recommend we do the unexpected; bypass the loyalist fleet completely and launch an attack on Carann itself. With their forces here, the planet’s defenses will be light, and once we hold the capital, the rest of the kingdom will fall in line.”

Naudar stroked his mustache thoughtfully. “The potential rewards are great,” he said, “but the risks are high. Personally, I don’t like it – even with the flagship and part of the fleet here, Carann is still the most strongly defended planet in the Kingdom. Even if we pulled all our forces out of Tantos, I doubt we could take it – and certainly not quickly enough that we’d manage to entrench ourselves before the Lion returns.”

“I agree with Naudar,” Respen said; Darius was surprised at that at first, but then the duke of Aurann continued. “At least, to a point. I’m not willing to risk and attack on Carann at this juncture, but neither do I intend to sit here idly by and do nothing while waiting for reinforcements. Nor do I intend to allow the pretender to go unpunished for humiliating us today. I will send for reinforcements from Aurann to join the occupation on Tantos and prepare to engage Mardoban’s fleet, but I myself intend to take a squadron of ships to Katanes and burn it from orbit. That planet is lightly defended and will fall easily – and Artakane will doubtless rush to defend her home. Then I will take her and have my revenge.”

“And do you intend to accomplish any particular strategic objective in attacking Katanes or simply vent your bloodlust?” Naudar demanded. “What if Artakane doesn’t come? What will you have accomplished then?”

“You’re my partner in this, Sakran, not my superior,” Respen said, eyes burning. “Even if you think being the oldest of us also makes you the wisest. I will launch this attack with or without your approval. Adjust your plans accordingly.” Turning angrily, he swept from the room.

“I will also send to Tashir for reinforcements,” Sateira said when he was gone. “Though I will be staying here for now. I agree with you, Naudar, that an attack on Katanes is a pointless diversion, but I intend to be ready to engage the loyalist fleet. So long as we hold one of their planets, they won’t go far.” She nodded at the older duke, and then turned and left the room as well.

When she was gone Naudar sighed and seated himself on a nearby chair, then gestured for Darius to join him. “Always such a pleasure to work with, aren’t they?” he muttered irritably. “But still, we must work with the tools the Lord gives us, as they say.”

“What do you want me to do, Father?” Darius asked.

“I’m sending you with Respen,” Naudar said. “Don’t look shocked. You’re too good a swordsman for him to turn down, and I’ll send a squadron of Sakran fighters with you as well. Respen is correct that an attack on Katanes may be enough to make Artakane react without thinking, but what he has planned is little more than the mass murder of civilians. That’s the sort of crime that would turn the entire rest of the Kingdom against us. I want you and your siblings to try to prevail on him to change tactics – to raid the planet instead of levelling it and seize the Baron ast Katanes and bring him either back here to Tantos III or to Respen’s citadel on Aurann. That should be sufficient to provoke Artakane without earning us the hatred of the entire Dozen Stars.”

Darius shook his head. “Respen won’t like that,” he said. “Not with his blood up like it is. What if he won’t see reason?”

Naudar looked his son directly in the eyes, his expression cold. “I always knew this alliance was a temporary convenience,” he said. “If Respen proves to be intractable – do what you have to do.”

Darius felt a chill that had nothing to do with the sitting room’s mild temperature run down his spine.

///

Arta sat in a chair in the Lion’s lounge, nursing a cup of kaf and a splitting headache. Karani sat across the table from her, looking both concerned and relieved. Finally, her sister couldn’t seem to contain herself. “We were so worried about you!” she said. “How do you feel?”

“Lousy,” Arta muttered. “Like I just got trampled by an izdakan that desperately needs to go on a diet. Getting shot by that sonic blast wasn’t much fun, and I used so much power during the fight that I’m still pretty drained.”

“But you got away!” Karani said. “And now everyone knows how the rebels planned to double-cross you! Mardoban says that the rest of the council is furious, and the dukes are getting ready to send more forces to help us retake Tantos III. You turned the tide on this, Arta! I’d hug you if you didn’t look like that would probably knock you out or something at the moment.”

“Thanks,” Arta said drily. “But you should thank Latharna, too. She helped get me out of there more than anyone. I’m not sure I’d have made it if it wasn’t for her, especially after Sateira shot me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone fight like she can, not even at the tournament. Did you hear she actually bloodied Darius?”

“Well, I guess maybe she is good for something after all,” Karani said, though her tone was light. “Where is she, anyway?”

“With the ship’s medic,” Arta said. “Darius cut her pretty good; she wanted to get it looked at. Me, I mostly just need rest. Not that that’s something I’m liable to get much of any time soon.”

The sound of a faint knock on the door heralded Duke Mardoban’s arrival. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said as he stepped inside.

“Not at all,” Arta told him. “What’s going on?”

“We’re still in a holding pattern for the moment,” the duke said. “We don’t have the forces to take back Tantos III, but the rebels also don’t want to risk attacking us at the moment and leaving the planet undefended. We’re waiting for reinforcements from Carann and the rest of the council, and I expect that the rebels are doing much the same. We have more planets, but their three duchies are all very powerful, and by capturing Kallistrae they’ve taken Tantos out of the game as well. Speaking of which, how did the other part of the plan we discussed go?”

Arta smiled. “Perfectly,” she said. “Latharna pretended to fall onto one of the serving mechs and got the beacon attached to it, and I don’t think anyone noticed what we’d done. By now, the mech’s programming has been altered and it should be serving as our eyes and ears inside the palace tower.”

Mardoban put a hand on Arta’s shoulder. “Excellent,” he said. “I’ll have the communications crew watch for any transmissions it makes. Between that and getting the rebels to expose their treachery, at least we have some good news today.” He shook his head, his expression darkening. Arta frowned.

“All right, I get the feeling there’s something going on here I don’t know about,” she said. “What’s the matter?”

Mardoban sighed and then quickly filled her in on the situation with Pakorus. “We haven’t heard anything from him in some time,” he finished, looking weary. “I think I’d know if something had happened to him, but I am worried. Angry that he did something so reckless, of course, but worried. Still, he may be onto something – if anyone knows more about what was going on with the Commander, it’s Specter. I just wish he he’d spoken to me about it first.” He sighed. “And I pray every moment that he’ll be all right.”

Arta rested a hand on the duke’s arm. “He will be,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt, and to ignore the feeling of worry that had crept into her chest when he’d told her what Pakorus had done. “He’s smart, and I trust that he knows what he’s doing. And I promise you that he’s my friend too, and if something has happened to him, I’ll do everything in my power to get him back.”

Mardoban looked relieved. “Thank you, Arta,” he said; then he smiled and shook his head. “Lord, you reminded me of your mother just then. Aestera always believed in her friends, but if she knew they were in danger, she was never someone to sit back and do nothing.”

The sound of footsteps suddenly came from the hallway outside the lounge, and Arta turned to see one of the Lion’s communications officers hurrying in, sketching a bow in her direction before turning to Mardoban and saluting. “Your Majesty,” he said, “Your Grace; Lady Karani. I’m sorry to bother you, but we just received a report we thought you should know about.”

“What is it, lieutenant?” Mardoban asked, tone wary.

“Sir, our sensors indicate that elements of the rebel forces at Tantos III are preparing to separate from the main force and enter jump,” the officer said. “Two Equestrian warships, plus some smaller ships and fighters, mostly of Aurannian origin. Based on their current trajectory, the most likely jump destination is Katanes.”

Arta’s grip went rigid on her mug of kaf; behind her, she heard Karani’s sharp intake of breath. “Katanes has some defense forces,” Mardoban said slowly, “but I don’t believe it has what it takes to hold out against a determined attack.”

“It doesn’t,” Arta said, a cold feeling in her gut. Fear filled her, but increasingly it was replaced by anger. When she spoke again, it wasn’t with the voice of the girl Arta, but the voice she’d used when addressing the rebels on Tantos – the voice of Artakane. The voice of a queen. “Aurann – those are Respen’s ships. He’s preparing to attack my home. We came to meet with him as requested; this is revenge for escaping from him and making him look like a fool, I know it is. Duke Mardoban, you said that my mother never stood by when those she cared for were in danger, and that I was the same way. You’re right. Prepare a strike force to leave for Katanes as soon as possible. I’m going home.”