Duty, Honour, Love

Admiral Katares sat at his desk but he wasn’t alone with him were Prince Lento and his consort Sheila in a business suit that matched the red of her hair. They were seated opposite him. The Prince was dressed in a traditional T’Arni suit in muted pastels. Katares always felt a bit drab in his uniform next to the Prince’s immaculately tailored suit.

“Well old friend it’s over,” Lento said to Katares. “What is done is done.”

Katares heard the gentle chiding in his voice. “I can’t believe Captain Karasena refused to hand over the Terrans and that General Osward went along with her lie?”

“Did you not order her to make the crew of the Orinoco vanish?”

“Yes but I did expect her to hand them over once the crisis was over?”

“And is the crisis over? Eloise’s news report clearly shows that the Enemy has agents everywhere. Take the ATL their activities have increased since the war with the Terran Empire started.”

“The Anti Terran League have always been there since the Secession War.”

“But they’ve never been that organised,” Sheila said. “My contacts in the Empire say that there was an increase in Night Guard activity during the reign of the last Emperor. That matches the ATL, coincidence I don’t think so. The new Empress is trying to quash them while simultaneously holding back the Orsini and negotiating with Congress. On that note the Congress is moving too slow over this.”

“Sheila is right. This is a historical precedent, always before when the Empire withdrew the Congress was quick to sign a peace treaty. But not this time I’m afraid we’ve got the Enemy to contend with. They want the Confederacy to be in chaos, they want the Empire weakened. I for one do not want to be the Enemy’s slave I’ll push the Congress to accept.”

“What about the compensation the Congress wants from the Empire?” Katares knew everything that was being said made sense if you looked at the whole picture.

“I have been in contact with Lady Camelia Broaden the Empress’ mother. We’re on the same page here. That’s a Terran phrase by the way. We need to build a combined fleet able to take on the enemy. That’s were the compensation comes in not in money but in ships. The Empire has a huge navy compared to us so they can spare a few and we’ll fill them with our crews and with theirs. I have even got the prefect name for them. The ‘Alliance’ for that is what it will be. A united force to face our Enemy and push them back into the void they’ve crawled out of. It will take a while blood is still running hot and both sides and we have agents of the Enemy to deal with,” Lento said to him.

“Ok I’ll drop issue.” Katares caved in.

“Good,” Lento said and stood. “As much as I like to stay pressing matters need us elsewhere.”

Katares watched his friend leave. Lento was correct there was much to do and time wasn’t on their side. They may have won this battle the Enemy would strike back and hard. With the worry in mind he turned back to his work.

~~~

A several of months had past since the raiders had been defeated and progress at rebuilding was slow. Wind whistled through the tall aravi stalks as Karasena sat on a chequered blanket the remains of a picnic at her side. She swirled a long fluted glass of amber liquid watching the sun glint off its golden hue. She raised it to her lips the liquid tasting bland. It was a non-alcoholic wine she was drinking. It had the fizz without the bite of the alcohol. She felt a kick in her stomach it seemed the baby didn’t like its taste either. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up to see Mark looking down at her. She patted his hand with hers the gold ring on her middle finger matching the one on his.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to go back soon,” Mark told her.

As much as she wanted to dwell here she had her duty to the people of Erikino. Thanks to Kathleen and Laura she was now the first President of Erikino. She sighed. “Can’t we stay a little longer?” She rubbed her belly as she received another kick. The baby had other things in mind it wanted to go home. “Here help me up!”

Mark pulled her to her feet and planted a kiss on her lips. “More of that later,” he whispered to her his eyes full of love.

Her heart warmed to that. The sounds of someone stomping their way through the tall aravi towards them broke that feeling.

“Corporal Bryant,” she muttered.

“Corporal Bryant?” Mark asked amused.

“A man of the city, hates the countryside. Dareia always send him to find me.”

“You’re not in the army now.”

“And you not in the navy.”

Mark chuckled. “I’ll pack up, you can talk to Corporal Bryant and find out what Dareia wants?”

She saw Bryant floundering through the aravi as Mark packed up the remains of the picnic. She once had a dream about the picnic. She would have never believed a passing dream would turn out to be prophetic.

“Bryant,” she said as he came closer. He was in his GF skinnies.

Bryant saluted automatically.

“Don’t salute Bryant I’m not in the GF anymore.”

“Sorry cap… I mean Mrs President. Lieutenant Dareia’s compliments. The ‘Hope’ is ready to launch she just wanted to let you know that if you hear a noise it’s that.”

“She could have commed me?” Karasena said.

“Ah neither of you have your comms turned on,” Bryant said tactfully.

Karasena sighed. “There goes our peaceful moment, back to work.” She turned to Bryant. “Inform Lieutenant Dareia we wish her good luck and we are heading back to the city.”

“Will do so ma’am.” Bryant saluted again.

The trio made their way to a blue ground car parked on the side of an empty highway. An armoured ground car in Confederacy colours was parked next to it.

Bryant halted. “Lieutenant Dareia asked me to escort you to the city.”

“Ok Bryant I’ll be having words with the lieutenant over this.”

Mark said nothing but the amused expression on his face said volumes.

“Oh so betrayed,” Karasena said laughing herself. They both knew how a conversation would go between the two. Impossible when a tepe could read your mind. She changed subject. “You think the launch will go well?”

“It should do. It has a good crew and Melissa…” Mark answered.

Karasena saw his jaw tighten a bit. He still hurt to think a woman he had known for years as Jane Walberg was an impostor. A woman he had trusted with his life and that of his crew. “Its ok Mark,” she said to him.

He shook off his hurt. “You are right Karasena. She’s still the same as she was.”

Even as he said that she knew that wasn’t true. She was linked to Dareia another tepe. The two women were one and same two bodies one mind.

Mark loaded the ground car and looked at Karasena. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Karasena took one last look at the tall green aravi waving in the wind. She had done her duty, kept her honour and found love without searching for it. She got into the ground car and drove away from the aravi fields.

The wind blew across the aravi it had no thought for duty, honour, love it was the wind constant and unchanging.