Star Carrier (Lost Colonies Trilogy Book 3) Page 6

  A woman named Jillian was their leader. Unlike many Great Houses and the Council, we Sparhawks didn’t employ specially bred agents. Our people were trained, rather than designed, for their jobs.

  “Glad to see you made it home, sir,” Jillian said. “We found your air car in the forest—the driver was dead.”

  “Yes,” I said, “I was detained.”

  “Can you tell me why you were held?” she asked with honest concern.

  I thought about that. The Chairman must have known I’d face questioning of this sort. It took me a moment to edit my story in my mind. I was accustomed to telling the truth, but in this instance I’d have to leave out some portions.

  “We landed in a forest against my orders. I found myself locked in the back seat and unable to escape.”

  Jillian looked astonished and upset. “What of the driver?”

  “I killed him myself. He was in on it.”

  “I’m so sorry, sir!”

  “So am I. You must scan those in your employ. Remove any suspected of disloyalty.”

  She nodded and compressed her lips tightly. “I will, sir. Again, you have my apologies. I see bruises… are you injured?”

  “I reached another house and was cared for. I’m fine. Now, if you might be so kind as to step aside…”

  “One more thing, here are your personal items. They were left at the scene.”

  She handed me my cloak, my sword and my sidearm. I took them gratefully and put them on. I felt better once I was armed again.

  Jillian clearly wished to ask me more questions, but I wasn’t in the mood. I strode to the front doors, and they swung open inwardly before me. Jillian followed.

  “Have you seen Chloe of Astra?” I asked her. I asked this casually, as I wasn’t certain if she was in on this kidnapping affair or not.

  “She arrived last night saying she was here to meet you. She waited the night.”

  “Ah, excellent. I’ll have to apologize for missing our appointment.”

  “Uh, sir—you have another visitor.”

  I swung around, pivoting on the heel of my boot.

  “Who?”

  “Lieutenant Zye of Star Guard. She heard about your disappearance and—well, we couldn’t say no to her.”

  “I’m not surprised. Thank you, Jillian.”

  Dismissed, but clearly agitated, I left her at the entrance. It was her job to make sure I was protected while on Earth, and I could tell she wasn’t happy about failing at that task. Still, I thought it better to move on and not get near the details of my visit with the Chairman. The risks were too great.

  My parents were glad to see me and made an effort to be welcoming. They interviewed me with worried glances tossed to one another. Interestingly, neither of them asked much about where I’d been during the night which made me wonder if they knew about the Council.

  How could they not? My father had been a Public Servant for six decades. My mother had been at his side during a hundred political campaigns. All of us danced around the details, and I thought that was probably for the best.

  “Such an ordeal…” my mother said at last. “Perhaps you should retire immediately to your quarters.”

  “I thought you were heading to Asia…?” I said questioningly.

  “We heard of your disappearance and returned.”

  “Of course,” I said, wondering how things had really gone. “What of Lady Astra? Is she here waiting for me or not?”

  They traded glances again. Their eye-contact was very brief but very telling. They’d been together for so long, it was almost as if they had a single mind when they were busy manipulating events.

  “She’s here,” my father admitted. “But we were under the impression that you two had broken off your affair.”

  There it was, out in the open. I looked from one of them to the other, aghast.

  “You haven’t told her of my arrival, have you? Were you hoping I’d come home so fatigued I’d flop into bed and forget she existed?”

  “Let’s not be dramatic, William, please,” my mother said.

  Standing and walking away from the plush settee I’d been sitting on, I exited the room. I wasn’t in a good mood. I’d been abused by the agents of people who shouldn’t exist, and I wasn’t interested in entertaining my parents’ incessant scheming.

  Ignoring their calls behind me, I strode up the stairs. I headed directly to the guest quarters, automatically selecting the suites reserved for the most important persons.

  After tapping on the door, I tried the handle and found it unlocked.

  Stepping inside, I called for Chloe.

  “Lady Astra, are you here?”

  I heard a splashing sound from the bathroom. The door stood ajar. She came out, dripping wet, holding a towel to herself. It covered only the essentials.

  Both of us eyed one another in surprise. I knew I shouldn’t be looking at her lovely skin, but I couldn’t help myself.

  “William! I had no idea you were home.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, “I would have called, but my implant isn’t functioning. I’ll wait outside until you’re dressed.”

  “Nonsense. Come in, come in.”

  Awkwardly, I found a chair and perched on it while she vanished into the bathroom and dried herself off.

  During this time, the door to the suite cracked open, and Jillian poked her head inside. I waved her off crossly and closed the door again. She tapped at it, but I locked it in response. After a time, she went away.

  She’d probably been sent up here by my parents bearing some message designed to distract me. I wasn’t interested. Jillian had had her chance to affect today’s events, and as far as I was concerned, she’d failed to do so.

  When Chloe came out at last, she was informally dressed but undeniably lovely to behold. Her hair was tied back and unadorned, but I barely noticed. Her gown caught the light, as it had no doubt been designed to do, reflecting the chandeliers with a sparkling effect. I was unable to tell if the gown was enhanced with optical effects or made of spun gossamer. Either way, I found it enchanting.

  She smiled at my admiring gaze.

  “Do you like it?” she asked. “It’s a new style from the orbitals.”

  “I love it. Would you like to go out with me?”

  She paused and blinked. “Now?”

  “Yes. Immediately. I find this environment oppressive.”

  She cocked her head to one side and looked mischievous. “You’re doing this to distract me. You don’t want to tell me where you’ve been. It won’t work. I want to know everything.”

  Hmm, I thought to myself. It was going to be difficult to avoid any kind of explanation for my absence. I suspected my parents knew what was happening—but I was just as sure that Lady Astra didn’t.

  “That wasn’t my intent,” I said honestly. “I’m annoyed with my parents, and I’d rather leave the House.”

  “In that case, you can take me out to dinner tonight,” she said. “But first, you must tell me who you spent the night with. Was she pretty?”

  “Not in the slightest,” I said, thinking of the ghastly Dr. Peis. “It wasn’t like that, Chloe. Really.”

  She looked baffled now. She shook her head. “So all this talk of being waylaid by rogues from a rival House is true? I had no idea. I’m so sorry! Do you know who they were? Is there a feud brewing?”

  I thought about the Chairman and the other Council members. I doubted they came from any particular House. They were a collective of people who’d passed on from the public eye. I had no doubt they were somehow related to all of us—but they no longer circulated among even my elite slice of society.

  “I wouldn’t want a feud with them,” I said truthfully.

  She came close then, and she ran her hand over my cheek. She looked concerned. She discovered my swollen flesh, which had been masked by sprays and treatments, but some of the injuries were still visible under scrutiny.

  “You’ve been injured!” she said i
n surprise and outrage. “This is about your position in the Guard, isn’t it? Sometimes I hate my own peers.”

  “Sometimes I do as well. I can’t talk about it. Please understand.”

  She nodded slowly. “I do, unfortunately. Politics… It ruins everything. We have so much wealth and power, but we still mistreat one another.”

  I noticed then that her hand had stayed in contact with my face. Her nearness was intoxicating. I moved on her then, without thought or plan. In truth, I’d never fallen out of love with Chloe of Astra.

  She allowed me to kiss her lightly, but after melting for a few moments, she suddenly stiffened, and I felt her small hands pressing me back.

  I retreated a half-pace. My breathing was accelerated.

  “I know you to be a man of your word,” she said. “I trust that in you. Tell me one last time, did you spend the night with some painted girl from the city?”

  “I most certainly didn’t,” I said with a decisive tone. “I’ve enjoyed nothing about my return to Earth thus far.”

  She eyed me critically for a few seconds, then nodded and pressed herself against me.

  “I believe you,” she said, “and I’m going to change your luck right now.”

  Events proceeded rapidly. I found she was wearing nothing beneath that flashy gown, which made me think she’d suspected how our meeting might conclude.

  We made love gently at first, then with urgency. At last, I found I was glad to be back on Earth.

  Some hours later, when we tried to sneak out, we were waylaid by my mother.

  “William,” she called. “Lady Astra!”

  We paused, and her smile bathed us in false warmth. “Are you two trying to escape so soon?”

  “Not at all,” I said. “We were merely stepping out to the city. I’m sure you understand, mother.”

  Her eyes slid back and forth between the two of us, gathering information like two searchlights.

  Chloe looked slightly embarrassed. We were holding hands, and my mother’s gaze lingered on our intertwined fingers.

  “I see,” she said. “No one is interested in our Chef’s finest? We’re having—”

  “No, mother,” I said firmly. “We want to go out. I’ve only just returned.”

  “I understand,” she said with a sigh. “Home is always boring to the young. All right then, I won’t trouble you further.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lady Sparhawk,” Chloe gushed. She clearly wasn’t used to being in the role of a girl dragging a son away from his mother.

  “Don’t be, Chloe. I was just like you eighty years ago. Enjoy yourselves—I’m sure you will.”

  I glanced at her sharply as she spoke these last words. They seemed to be delivered in a sarcastic tone. She had to be aware I’d spent hours in Chloe’s quarters alone with her. Perhaps she was annoyed at the fact.

  Deciding not to take the bait, I forced a smile and pressed on. Chloe’s hand was still in mine, so she was swept along after me.

  At the door to the carport on the roof, my father sat in his hover-chair. I swallowed, knowing that brushing by him might be even harder.

  “Hello father,” I said, “good of you to see us off.”

  His eyes were calculating and concerned. “May I have a private word before you go, son?” he asked.

  That last caught me by surprise and stopped me in my tracks. He rarely referred to me directly as his son. He’d never been completely happy with my career choices. Among the rich and powerful of Earth, military officers had long been considered of low rank.

  “I’ll wait in the car for you,” Chloe said, hurrying out into the afternoon sunshine.

  I watched her go wistfully, and I saw that she was escorted into the back of our finest vehicle. My parents rode in it personally when they attended state affairs.

  “What’s the problem, father?” I asked.

  He beckoned for me to lean close. I glanced around, not seeing an agent within easy earshot, but I crouched beside his hover-chair and leaned close.

  “I know where you’ve been,” he said in a low voice. “I know who you’ve spoken to.”

  Not knowing how to respond, I said nothing.

  He nodded. “Yes, I see in your eyes you understand your peril. Listen to me, William of Sparhawk. You’re my only offspring, and I don’t want to create a new one at my age.”

  He reached out a hand and squeezed mine. “I don’t want to forget a son. Not again.”

  My mouth fell open, then I closed it again.

  “That won’t happen, sir,” I said.

  “Good. See that it doesn’t. Be careful about Lady Astra as well. She’s a politician now, remember?”

  I left him in his chair without responding. I didn’t know what to say. Could he be right? Could Chloe be renewing our love affair for political reasons? The thought was disheartening to say the least.

  But far more disturbing than that were his hints concerning the past. Had he once conceived an heir and lost him? Had such an individual been erased from public memory?

  My parents were both about a century old while I was only thirty. It was unusual for people to wait so long to have a child, but it wasn’t unknown. Curiously enough, I’d never considered that there might have been another…

  To think that I might have had a sibling… Had there been such a person? A person wholly unknown to me who’d been expunged years ago, probably before I was born? It was difficult to get my mind wrapped around the concept.

  Many things did fit, the more I considered the possibility. My father had been so stern, so driven to see that I followed in his footsteps with lockstep motions. Had all that been due to his regrets concerning a past failure?

  Climbing into the back of the air car, I was pleased to see Chloe’s shining eyes. She seemed not to notice my distraction and proceeded to speak animatedly about an itinerary of shops, cafes and shows she wanted to visit with me. I acquiesced to them all, barely hearing any of it.

  Our top House agent, Jillian herself, piloted the air car. This made me smile briefly. She wasn’t about to let anything happen to me again tonight.

  While Chloe showed me flashing images from her computer scroll and discussed each possible entertainment in detail, I found my eyes wandering out the window.

  I saw the city laid out beneath us, like a carpet of glowing, moving lights.

  My mind was churning. I’d learned so much over the last twenty-four hours about my world and how it really operated.

  Deciding to seize the moment and enjoy it for what it was I turned back to Chloe, who was staring at me.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, William,” she said.

  “I’m just glad to be home.”

  She beamed then. “You see? I managed to change your moping attitude!”

  We laughed together, and we kissed. It was good to have Chloe back no matter what the future might hold for us.

  “What about your resignation from public service?” I asked her in a quiet moment. We’d both been avoiding the topic.

  “I… it would make it easier to spend more time with you,” she said.

  “Now, that I believe. Have you made a decision?”

  She licked her lips and avoided my eyes. “No, nothing final yet.”

  “Okay then,” I said, not wanting to press her harder. I could tell she was holding something back, but I figured she would tell me about it when she felt the time was right.

  -9-

  After a few days of blissful reunion, Chloe and I had to part ways again. We weren’t a couple, not like before, but we’d certainly enjoyed one another’s company. We’d never again brought up her possible resignation from public service, but I felt her backing away from the idea.

  By the end of my visit, she left to return to her duties. Satisfied with this, I didn’t say a thing.

  For me, the whole vacation together provided a sense of closure. After our breakup a year or so ago, she’d remained in the back of my mind. Both of us had had a number of a
ffairs, but we’d still felt something for one another that we’d never found with anyone else.

  “Well, this is my last day of leave,” I said. “I need to return to Defiant by tonight. I’ll miss you.”

  “I’m so glad you’re assigned to defend Earth now,” she told me at breakfast. “We can see each other more often—can’t we?”

  “That’s indeed possible, but you should keep in mind that it’s also possible I’ll be sent to the stars at any moment. That’s the life of a Guardsman.”

  She glanced at me in surprise. Looking back down, she played with her coffee cup.

  “But… your parents told me this assignment would be permanent. They were quite adamant about it.”

  I froze. In that moment, a number of inconsistencies knit together in my mind. Why would someone as important as the Chairman insist a particular captain be kept close to Earth to guard her while all the rest flew to the stars?

  Because of politics, that’s why. My parents had already demonstrated they were aware of the Chairman and the Council. They weren’t without their own influence. Perhaps, as a favor from a loyal patron, they’d requested that I be shackled here.

  “…like a dog on a leash…” I muttered.

  “What’s that, William?”

  “Nothing, love. I was merely regretting that I must depart.”

  “So soon? I thought you had until this evening to report—”

  “A captain’s duties never cease.”

  Reluctantly, she let me go. We embraced warmly and parted ways. I paid the hotel bill, despite her complaints. It was true she was a dozen times richer than I was, but as a starship captain whose pay had recently been doubled, I wasn’t without resources.

  I also possessed an access chip to my family accounts. After a moment’s hesitation, I used it to pay the bill. If my parents or their accountants wanted to complain, I would counter with a list of my own complaints.

  Angry, I took public transport back to my parents’ estate. I didn’t want them to know I was coming.

  But along the way, I lost heart and redirected the pilot to the spaceport. After all, what was I going to say to them? Would I demand they stop meddling in my affairs? I knew they wouldn’t. Should I suggest they get over the idea of trying to protect me? That too, would be fruitless.