Protector of the Realm (9 page)

“No, you won’t. I’ve brought a civilian judge on board the
Ajax
. You can get married right now, before we rendezvous with the ambassador. No matter what happens then, you’ll be a SC citizen with all its benefits and obligations.”

Kellen looked shocked. “But…who would marry me? I told you. I don’t know anyone.”

“Hear me out. You’ve met several people on the station, and of those people you’ve had the most interaction with me.”

Kellen crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. Rae could tell from her hardening expression that she still hadn’t grasped what she was saying.

“With my occupation, I’ve never had time for, or wanted to form, a family unit,” Rae said in a matter-of-fact voice. “However, it makes sense to do it now. Since no other suitor for you comes to mind, the most realistic option is that you become my wife.”

Kellen stood by the porthole in the commodore’s office and watched the stars turn into silver streaks. Her inner turmoil had settled into a false calm, as if her life were that of a stranger.

Only a few weeks ago, she and Armeo had lived happily in the quiet countryside on a planet light-years from here. What twists of fate had taken the son of her heart and placed him in such danger? She had to be pragmatic. She and Armeo were fugitives, refugees at the mercy of strangers. Their life on Gantharat was over and her options limited. Rae’s route offered the best possible outcome, but damn, the woman overwhelmed her.

The commodore’s solution to her situation disconcerted Kellen, and an inner voice clanged, warning her not to trust Rae.
H’rea deasav’h!
The Gantharian curse flashed through her mind, relieving some of the pressure.
She’s a member of the damn ruling class. High up enough in the hierarchy to have power over an entire sector. Everyone on Gantharat knows it’s only a matter of time before the SC recognizes the Onotharat occupation. No matter how you look at it, she’s part of all that!

Kellen pressed her nails into the calloused palm of her hand, trying to remain collected. She had to play along; right now she had no options.
She’s damn sure of herself, manipulating me this way. Well, two can play that game, Commodore.

“Kellen, this is Judge Trijjani.” Rae’s calm voice broke her out of her reverie. Turning around, Kellen faced an extremely tall man dressed in a long black robe. His handshake was strong when he greeted her the traditional human way, and the gleam in his brown eyes was alert and observant.

“Ms. O’Dal, I’m glad to make your acquaintance,” he said in a deep voice. “I believe we have an urgent ceremony to perform.”

“So I understand.” Kellen glanced at Rae, trying to judge what she was thinking. Rae merely nodded, her eyes darker than usual.

Turning her attention back to the judge, Kellen scrambled for something polite to say in Premoni. She had to prevent them from noticing her true feelings regarding this charade. Searching her brain, Kellen wanted to curse out loud when the alien language eluded her. She clenched her hands harder and attempted a common nicety, almost choking on it in the process. “Thank you for helping me…for…” This was not going well.

“For assisting us in this matter,” Rae filled in, moving up to stand next to Kellen. “I have summoned two witnesses, as required, Your Honor.”

“Excellent. I know we must hurry.” Judge Trijjani walked over to the desk and placed a folder and an old scroll on it.

The door hissed open again and Lieutenant Grey entered, shortly followed by Commander Todd.

They exchanged formal greetings and shook hands with Judge Trijjani.

“Thank you for coming.” Rae gestured for her crew members to stand by the porthole. “You are here to witness a legal procedure.”

Kellen thought she detected a glimpse of understanding in Commander Todd’s eyes when he shot her a look. Refusing to lower her gaze, she returned his glance with defiance. He surprised her by smiling and winking discreetly, which took her off guard, since she expected him, and everyone else around Rae, to disapprove.

“Let’s begin,” Judge Trijjani suggested. “Commodore, please stand in front of me and take Ms. O’Dal’s hand.”

Kellen and Rae moved in front of the impressive man, looking up at him. Kellen tried to remember all the objections to Rae’s solution to her problem that she hadn’t listed out loud yet.
We don’t know each other. We’re from different worlds. And we certainly don’t love each other.
And who knows what the commodore’s agenda is.

Kellen knew she should feel grateful for Rae’s sacrifice, and she did, but her emotions were tangled as she tried to fathom Rae’s real motives. Was she being absurdly overprotective? Would Kellen become a political pawn for Rae’s future promotions? Or was she being what she seemed--caring and unwilling to let Kellen die a slow, agonizing death on an Onotharian prison asteroid?

Kellen had agreed to marry Commodore Rae Jacelon only because she had no other choice. She would be trapped in a loveless marriage for five years, but that was a small price to pay if it guaranteed Armeo’s safety. Standing in front of the judge, she felt a hand claim hers. She refused to look at Rae but found she clung to the hand nevertheless. No matter how she distrusted the commodore, right now, she was her only solution.

The judge began the ancient ritual. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to join these two women in a civil partnership, the bond acknowledged and revered by the Supreme Constellations and all its inhabitants. They have agreed to form a family unit, forsaking all others and staying true to each other until life expires.”

Kellen listened to the strange words, unable to take them in, aware only of the sound of her thundering heart. She was about to commit to a stranger, someone who’d hauled her in like a common space thug. To spend five years in this woman’s presence, acting to the world like her spouse, seemed undoable. Her throat constricting, Kellen held on to Rae’s hand with ice-cold fingers. She wanted to yell to the friendly judge to stop, it was all a mistake and they could find another way. But it was too late for objections. It was time to repeat their vows.

“Rae Jacelon, do you take Kellen O’Dal, to cherish and care for, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“Kellen O’Dal, do you take Rae Jacelon, to cherish and care for, as long as you both shall live?”

Kellen flinched, her voice betraying her. Rae squeezed her hand and forced her to focus.

“I do.”

“You have now, in the presence of these witnesses, agreed to the terms of matrimony. By the power vested in me by the Supreme Constellations Council, I hereby declare you partners in life. You are now responsible for each other and obligated to pursue mutual happiness. All worldly assets are now your common property. You may embrace.”

Startled, Kellen turned to Rae, who smiled. “It’s tradition.” She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Kellen’s cheek. “Now you.”

Oddly comforted by the small caress, Kellen allowed the feeling of Rae’s lips on her skin to warm her just like kisses from loved ones had done in the past. Finally able to take an unlabored breath, Kellen turned her head and kissed Rae’s cheek.

“Congratulations to the both of you.” Commander Todd said. “May I call you Kellen? I’m Jeremiah.”

She nodded, dazed at how quickly everything had transpired. Unable to take in the fact that she was now married to a woman who was little more than a stranger, Kellen refused to let go of Rae’s hand when she felt Rae tug on it. Their connection seemed the only thing of substance at the moment.

Owena Grey joined them. Radiating strength, she extended her hand, first to Rae and then Kellen, who reluctantly let go of Rae’s hand. She recognized the calluses on the outside of Lieutenant Grey’s hand and wondered if Owena’s training equaled her own. The lieutenant moved with controlled force, even in this private setting.

“Ms. O’Dal, Commodore, congratulations. I hope you will be very happy.” Owena’s intense blue eyes examined them but revealed nothing.

“Thank you, Owena. We’ll do our best.” Rae checked the time on the computer screen on the wall. “We don’t have long before our rendezvous. Return to your stations.” Turning to the judge, she gave him a warm smile. “Thank you for joining us on this mission, Your Honor. You better return to your quarters now. Things might heat up soon.”

“My pleasure, Commodore. I just need you to sign the scroll, please. Ms. O’Dal as well. I’ll register your marital status on my computer as soon as I’m back in my quarters.”

Kellen took the proffered pen, made of titanium and sculpted like a bird’s feather, and signed her name, watching Rae do the same in unfamiliar letters as the ink sizzled against the paper, scorching it. Judge Trijjani rolled up the scroll, gathered his belongings, and left after once more wishing them well.

Todd and Lieutenant Grey returned to their duty stations, leaving the two women alone in the office. For a moment it looked like Rae didn’t know what to say.

Hoping to avoid another awkward moment of losing her voice, Kellen reached out and took her hand. “Thank you,” she murmured, determined to hide her mixed emotions of gratitude and resentfulness. Armeo was one step closer to safety, but the feeling that Rae had maneuvered her into a situation not of her choosing lay like smoke over Kellen’s soul. “You have sacrificed five years of your life with two words and a signature.”

“Let’s look at this more optimistically, Kellen. Our marriage is one of convenience, but we can get to know each other and be friends. You’re younger, and if you think about it, you may have sacrificed more than I have. You might have found someone to love. After all, you’re very beautiful.” Rae seemed uneasy and freed her hand.

“All I care about is Armeo’s happiness and safety.”

“And your own happiness?”

“It’s secondary. If Armeo’s happy, I’m content.” Kellen clasped her hands behind her back, regretting her harsh tone of voice. Rae was obviously trying to bridge the gap between them. “I would like to be friends, though.”

Rae leaned against the desk, arms folded over her chest, and Kellen wondered if the reality of signing away five years of her life had struck the commodore as it had her. “Let’s try for that, then. But right now, it’s time to offer our warmest welcome to the ambassador.”

*

The ambassador’s cruiser, surrounded by six destroyer-class vessels and five frigates, floated motionless, apparently waiting for the SC fleet.

“Comm channels. Audio on,” Rae ordered.

“Go ahead, Commodore,” her operations officer said.

“Onotharian vessels, this is Commodore Rae Jacelon of the
Gamma VI
Space Station. You have unlawfully violated Supreme Constellations space. If you fail to rectify this infringement, we will view it as a hostile act and deal with it accordingly. Over.”

A short silence filled with faint static permeated space.

“Commodore, there is no need for these hostilities. This is Deputy M’Indo, Ambassador M’Ekar’s aide. The ambassador has permission to enter SC space with as many of the Onotharian fleet as he chooses.”

“Do you have proof of such a claim?”

“The ambassador’s good name and well-known connections in the SC Council should be proof enough.” M’Indo’s supercilious tone indicated that this assertion should be obvious. “We take offense to your attitude, Commodore.”

Unimpressed, Rae sighed inwardly at the little man’s pomposity. “Deputy M’Indo. Turn all but two of your ships back to the outer border immediately or I will be forced to take actions against you and your fleet. You have one minute to comply.”

“Commodore, they’re charging their weapons array,” the tactical officer said.

Rae gestured to the ops officer to cut the audio. Using voice command, she opened the comm system for the SC fleet. “
Gamma VI
vessels, this is your commodore. Man your stations and prepare to engage the enemy. Deploy fighters and raise shields. Do not fire. Confirm.”

“The fighters are deployed and shields are up,” Owena acknowledged from her work console.

“Stand by for Tornado-Alpha attack maneuver on my mark.”

“Standing by,” said Owena.

“Deputy M’Indo. I wish to speak to the ambassador or the commander of your fleet immediately. Take your weapons systems off-line and begin to redeploy ten of your ships out of this airspace. ”

“They’re not responding, Commodore.”

Rae watched with astonishment as the ambassador’s cruiser opened fire. “Mark!”

The SC fleet established a
V
formation with a destroyer in the lead, the frigates and assault craft taking up the flanks, and the
Ajax
falling back to assume the command position.

The
Ajax
reeled from explosions around it. Rae felt her vessel lurch underneath the soles of her boots. “Evasive maneuvers!”

“Aye, ma’am. Evasive maneuvers, Tornado Beta,” Leanne replied. Punching in commands and handling the joystick as if it were a plaything in her hands, she threw the
Ajax
into a spiral dive, avoiding the torpedoes fired by one of M’Ekar’s frigates.

Rae’s eyes never left the screen. “Damned Onotharians! What are they trying to do? Start a damn war?”

Ten or more of her assault craft engaged the ambassador’s cruiser, skillfully avoiding its antispacecraft defense systems. It took them three daring rounds before holes in the hull appeared in the lower decks. Two SC frigates moved in from the left flank, firing torpedoes at one of the Onotharian destroyers.