Recycled (20 page)

"I'm glad you could make it," she said.

"My Queen . . . so much has happened, and your great personal loss . . ."

"Someone please give my sister a sedative. She's very distraught because of our ordeal," the queen ordered quickly.

"I'm wha . . . ?" Stasha collapsed into the arms of the medic who had given her a shot, and was hauled quickly away towards the medical facility with Margot right behind them.

"My sister . . . she's a delicate flower, and she's been through a great ordeal." Drewcila stumbled again, and Dartan found himself supplying a supportive arm to the monarch.

"My Queen . . . are you ill? What happened to your tongue?"

"Ah . . . There's something wrong with my tongue? Must be the effects of the poison. I sure ain't feelin' in the pink if you know what I mean. Atario had me poisoned, and I have just a few moments ago learned that he had my dear husband killed. Then the bastard had the nerve to try and frame me for it! His attempt at a coup shall not, will not, succeed. My sister and my husband . . . they were very close, and I'm afraid she just completely lost it. I'm still very sick, and it's been a very long, stressful night. You'd be surprised to know how much one person can puke . . .

"I have much to think about, and consume, and I'm a little overwhelmed right now. I'm not going to lie to you: the nobles have put our country in a position of grave peril. Give me a few hours to rest, time to eat a warm meal and absorb all the data, and I will better be able to address the problems we all face." She nodded her head, and the Valtarian lizard woman took the queen from him, and started mostly carrying her towards what Dartan assumed were her chambers. The rest of the queen's entourage followed.

"Cameras off," Dartan ordered. For the moment all his reporter's instincts were on hold. He motioned for the camera men and his crew to stay behind as he rushed to catch up with the queen."May I help you, my Queen?"

She smiled broadly at him."Whatever floats your boat."

He took her other arm and helped to move her along."My Queen . . ." words which had flowed so easily just moments ago momentarily left him. '. . . I have heard so much about you."

"Ah, you can't believe everything you hear," she warned.

"Most of what I've heard has been very good," he assured her.

"That's exactly my point," she said laughing out loud. They had reached the door to her chambers and stopped. She raised a hand and gently patted the side of his face."Don't get too far off. I just need to get a shower, recharge my batteries, and figure out just what in hell's name is actually going on. When I know all the details and have made a plan of action, I'll want to address the nation. Four hours," she looked briefly at the lizard woman and smiled, "five tops. In the meantime, extol my virtues and make damn sure you don't allow anything in a frame that would give away our position. Hepron Station is a prime target for our enemies as it stands, and with me here . . . well, that's just bonus points if you know what I mean, and I'm sure you do. You look like a sharp guy. Oh, and see if you can't incite the people to riot on the castle, start kicking some noble butt-boy ass. Those guys have really started to piss me off, and it would be nice if they had been crunched by the time I woke up from my little nap. Something to look forward to in these darkest of times."

"As you wish, my Queen." He bowed low and departed. Drew opened the door, and she and Arcadia entered. The others started to follow, but Drew held up a hand."Where the hell do you yahoos think you're going?"

Jurak, Dylan and Facto just shrugged.

She sighed deeply."My brain is tired! Why do I always have to do all the thinking?"

They shrugged again.

"Great. All right. You," she pointed at Jurak, "keep an eye on the reporter and his crew. And you," she pointed at Dylan.

"Damn it, Drew, I'm tired and I'm hungry . . ."

"And you whine more than my fucking grandmother. Get something to eat, and then make sure Hepron Station is secure, that all our early warning systems are intact, and that all our anti-aircraft guns are operational. Make sure my ship is actually here, or at the very least on its way. We're a prime target for the Lockhedes. I wasn't just bullshitting him about that. I want to be able to jump planet if I have to." This got her a dirty look from Facto, which she mostly ignored."I want the station put on the highest possible alert . . ."

"What would that be?" Dylan asked curiously.

"How the fuck should I know? Call it ugly-puppy-delta-red-six-alert for all I care. I just want to make damn sure that if any Lockhede bastard thinks it's a good idea to attack us, we show them real quick that it's not. And you," she pointed at Facto."You make damn sure that my sister talks to no one, and that she doesn't find out that Zarco's dead until I get a chance to talk to her."

"Why can't I do that job?" Dylan whined.

"Because I think in your fragile, hungry, tired state, it might be a good idea if some of the blood actually got back to your brain. When you put us on hair-pie-beta-blue-five-alert, go and get some sleep. You can return to your quest to bone my sister when you wake up."

Dylan snapped a salute, "Yes, sir!"

Drew looked at the three of them and sighed again."Key-rist! What the hell are you still standing her for? Get your asses in gear, and do my bidding."

Drew walked the rest of the way into the room, and Arcadia shut the door. Her chambers here were large and lavish, fit for a queen or the galaxy's leading salvaging mogul, and she was, of course, both. Truth was she had rarely used them, and yet had still spent more time here than she had at the castle. She looked at Arcadia and smiled."Gee, I thought they'd never leave." She walked over to the bar and started mixing herself a drink."So . . . let's see. Jack Be Nimble with a shot of Barcadian Rum."

"I'm surprised you remember," Arcadia smiled."These days I'm mostly drinking Hurling Monkeys."

Drew looked momentarily surprised."Me, too. I like mine with a twist."

Arcadia laughed."Well, I didn't expect you'd drink it straight." Arcadia sat on the couch, moving her tail out of the way. Keeping her spikes from puncturing things had become as natural to her as a human not sitting on their hands. Of course there were times when she had to actually remind herself that she was permanently attached to a dangerous weapon. Safe sex for her meant corking the tips of her spikes. Drew mixed the drinks, walked over and handed Arcadia hers, and then flopped on the couch next to her, successfully spilling both drinks. She mumbled curses and wiped her hand over the liquid on her jumpsuit and then licked it off.

"I'd never actually heard you speak on camera before. Very impressive with all the shall-nots and big words and all."

"It's just like bullshit, only a little more formal. You have to be just stiff enough that you sound like you know what you're talking about, yet honest enough that the common folk buy your line of crap."

"So . . . what was with the act? I mean . . . you hardly seem worse for the wear right now."

Drew leaned against Arcadia and sipped at her drink."Sympathy. Besides, I need a little time to think about everything that's happened and go over all the events of last night as reported on all sides. Find out just where my ship's at." She pointed at her head."Work up a good getting all the people over to my side speech."

"Oh . . ." Arcadia said a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Drewcila laughed at her."Arcadia . . . my planet is in chaos, my business is falling into the toilet, and I'm a widow, which means I'm now the reigning monarch if I can get those noble rich fucks out of my castle . . . My castle. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I'm a little hurt, though. I thought you knew me better than that. Of course I wouldn't think of tackling any of that shit without a good stiff drink and a really good tumble first."

Stasha woke to a strange whirling sensation in her head.

"You're all right," a familiar voice was saying."We're safe, you were a little over-wrought." It was Margot. If she squinted her eyes a little she could put the face with the voice.

"Margot . . . what happened to me?"

"You were very upset . . ."

Memory flooded in as the fogginess left her head."No I wasn't. I wasn't upset at all. My sister had me drugged. She had me drugged so that I wouldn't tell the reporters that she's the one that shot Zarco. That's it, isn't it?"

"Now calm down, Stasha. Getting upset isn't going to help anyone." That was Facto.

She was alone in a dark room with Margot and Facto. She tried to get up, and found that she was strapped to the bed."What madness is this? How long does my sister think she can bind me here like this?"

"Calm down," Facto ordered, moving to undo the straps."You aren't being restrained. The straps were only to keep you from rolling out of the bed."

"Don't lie to me, Facto. Why would I roll out of my bed? Do I normally roll out of my bed? No." She rubbed at her wrists."Where is she? Where is the Queen of Whores now?"

"She's sleeping."

"Alone?" Stasha asked in an accusing way.

"No, I don't think so," Facto said.

"But I'm alone, all alone . . ."

"We're here for you, Stasha." Margot said in a comforting tone that was wasted on Stasha.

"No you're not. You're here because she ordered you to be here. You're not my friends, you're my guards, and I'm not the idiot my sister thinks I am."

"You're just talking nonsense now, Stasha," Facto said throwing up his hands.

"Oh really? Well here." She sat up and slid her feet off the bed."I'm getting up, and I'm . . ." she started walking towards the door, '. . . going to leave!"

Facto quickly moved to stand between her and the door."Stasha, you aren't thinking clearly."

"Why's that Facto? Could it be because I'm trying to leave the room, where you've been ordered to keep me so that my sister can weave whatever lies she's going to weave? Would that be why you'd say I'm not thinking clearly?"

"No, actually, I was thinking you were confused because you're naked," Facto said gently.

Stasha looked down, noticed that she was indeed naked, ran back to the bed and covered herself with a sheet.

"Where . . . where are my clothes?" she demanded.

"They were very dirty and torn. The medics cut them off you and gave you a bath. We all thought you'd rest better this way," Margot explained.

"No . . . no you didn't. You took my clothes to make me vulnerable . . . To make it so that I can't leave without making a spectacle of myself." Stasha pulled the sheet more tightly around her."I want to see Drewcila. I demand to see her at once."

"Your sister has been sick, and there are matters which need her attention. She needs her sleep," Facto objected.

"Facto . . . you get me my sister, or I swear I will walk out of this room naked and scream until the reporter finds me."

"You will not do that," Facto said sternly.

"You watch me."

"You will not do it, because I will not let you do it."

Her comlink was making that god awful noise that comlinks make when someone was patching an emergency call through. Drew pulled a pillow over her head and tried to ignore it.

"Drew," Arcadia started rocking her body."Drew, you'd better get that, it's a distress call."

"What? A distress call in the middle of a coup and a war? Unthinkable!" Drew sat up and slung the pillow aside."All right, hand me the fucking thing." Drew ran her hands down her face as Arcadia grabbed the buzzing comlink and handed it to Drew. Drew opened the channel."What! What the fuck do you want?" she screamed into the receiver.

"It's Stasha. She's out of control," Margot said in a panic.

"I told you not to let her find out that Zarco was dead."

"We didn't, she doesn't know that Zarco's dead," Margot said.

"Dead! Zarco's dead! Oh my gods!" she heard Stasha cry out.

"Oops," Margot said.

"Yeah, big fucking oops, Margot."

"She killed him! Drew killed him, didn't she? Oh, gods . . ."

"Where are you?"

"Med unit, room six," Margot answered.

"Don't let her leave. Sedate her if you have to. I'll be there as soon as I get dressed."

Dartan was waiting with his crew outside the queen's chambers, hoping she would emerge soon, since he had exhausted all other possible newsworthy venues within the station. The door opened, and she walked out wearing tight black leather pants with zippers where zippers shouldn't be, and a dark blue shirt with no sleeves which didn't quite hit her belt and was open all the way to her navel. A huge blaster in an elaborate black leather holster hung on her right hip. She looked well, awake, and ready for action. Out the door behind her came her bodyguard, the Valtarian lizard woman, wearing the plain blue sleeveless jump suit with the Qwah-Co logo that most Qwah-Co employs wore. Her blaster was also prominently displayed on her person.