The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (28 page)

Sadly shaking her head, Gabrielle believed
the same or similar thing happened to the Chisamore. Except this
time the Chisamore and its crew were not so fortunate. The
situation for it and those aboard was catastrophic at the moment
but, with her own senses so impaired, the admiral could not tell
how great the damage might be, or even if there were any
survivors.

Groaning with dismay, Gabrielle closed her
eyes in pain. It would be many long hours before the earliest of
communications would reach the RavensRook, even with the new and
still secret konic-chiiton audio signal machines. It was doubtful
any ships in that quadrant were yet equipped with such
transmitters, the technology only recently being developed and
reserved for front-line fleet carriers and major escorts. By the
time news of the Chisamore’s fate reached them, Gabrielle would
surely be aboard the Senegal en route to EdenEsonbar.

It was later discovered that a trusted
officer and close confidant-turned-traitor had sabotaged the armed
bilander Gabrielle and Mihai’s team were using to reach Darla in
hopes of capturing the ship and crew when it became disabled,
unaware of their mission. Gabrielle’s bilander did not remain
disabled long enough to fall victim to the waiting enemy, and the
officer fled long before sabotage was suspected. What with all the
following excitement and confusion, there was no in-depth
investigation, the common belief being the saboteur was a
disgruntled, lone-wolf seeking revenge for some imagined
indignity.

Over the many long years following, there
had been several other
accidents
that followed similar
blueprints, but no one connected the dots to consider there might
be a mastermind behind a carefully crafted plot to cripple the
leadership in the Children’s Empire. Now Gabrielle was beginning to
see the pieces of the puzzle swirl together in her mind. As those
pieces fell in place, the woman’s understanding of current events
crystallized before her eyes.

It was not about the Chisamore other than it
being a convenient weapon to be used against Gabrielle. Only a
person of high rank or authority or a trusted
someone
having
serious connections in the government would be privy to the kind of
support Gabrielle often gave to Mihai at critical times and have
access to ships’ patrol routes and current locations. Then there
would have been the necessity to place a saboteur aboard the ship.
A saboteur - like at other times - also most likely perished in the
same conflagration he or she created.

Gabrielle quietly fumed. Once again, the
enemy had taken advantage of their innocent naivety. No! It was
their stubborn, arrogant unwillingness to accept the hypnotic power
and evil cunning of their eldest sibling, how old feelings of
fealty and devotion did not necessarily die, but would lie hidden
beneath the surface, awaiting the siren’s call to be reawakened,
and that there long existed one or more of those sirens nestled
deep within the bosom of Children’s Empire.

The timepiece on the wall struck its chimes,
signaling the hour. Gabrielle looked up, painfully squinting
through aching eyes. Few were the fleeting moments until her
departure, with many details to be addressed before doing so. She
also wanted to entertain Commodore Sands in a bit, an important
formality enlisted by the Navy when welcoming new officers aboard.
Later, after a private conference in her office, she and the
commodore would exchange receivership of the RavensRook before the
officers and crew, Gabrielle officially standing down the fleet to
the new commander while also announcing that First officer
BuetraSega would be captaining the ship.

A knock came on the admiral’s door. In a
moment, the ship’s surgeon stood in front of Gabrielle’s command
desk.

Standing, Gabrielle addressed the surgeon
with her request. “The hour is late and I have so little time to
finish my duties here, but first I have great need of a soothing,
harmonic recharge. Would you be so kind to set up the sonic room
for me, and also assist my wobbly legs to get there? I have but an
hour.” She sighed, “Oh, but a wonderful hour in that chamber!”

The surgeon smiled, tipping his cap as he
bowed ever so slightly. “It will be my pleasure, my lord.”

With that, Gabrielle and the surgeon, he
knowing all too well the admiral’s condition, arm in arm, departed
the stateroom and sauntered quietly toward the staging deck’s sonic
chamber.

* * *

A half-mile from the waiting assemblage, the
advancing entourage dismounted, all except for Lowenah, who refused
to lower her dignity in front of that rabble. Enclosed wagons
filled with barter goods and prisoners divided Lowenah’s and
Mihai’s parties, the horses laboriously advancing the giant wheeled
contrivances through the powdery sand. Several grenadiers remained
behind with the mounts, prepared to bring them forward at a
moment’s notice if required. The remainder of the soldiers, many of
them shrouded in long, gray cloaks, accompanied the others on foot.
This secretiveness troubled Mihai, but right now she had other more
pressing matters to contend with.

To the right and slightly arrears of the
front wagon walked PalaHar and Tizrela, Lowenah’s standard bearers,
holding her royal banners high, followed closely by Darla in all
her naked finery, leading Lowenah’s horse by its reins. Ardon
walked to her right, staying a little behind, close enough to step
in to save the day, if need be. Following along in back of them
there were another dozen or so of Lowenah’s court officials, all
dressed in royal finery of Lowenah’s choosing. Lowenah had no
soldiers or armed guards accompanying her...didn’t want them…didn’t
need them.

On the left, Mihai, with Trisha by her side,
strode out in front, just ahead of the lead wagon. To Trisha’s
left, and just behind, walked Planetee, the gentle giant, Eutychus,
close to her. Marching to Mihai’s left, Paul, Jonathan and Jebbson
held their stations. The remainder of Mihai’s party followed
them.

In the best of times, the air quality on
EremiaPikros was poor. Photosynthesis was of marginal quantity, the
broad expanses of green lichens near the planet’s poles producing
most of the atmosphere’s oxygen, its few seas so salty that life
there existed at a minimum. This, added to the planet’s very low
barometric pressure, equal to EdenEsonbar’s at about eight thousand
feet elevation, made breathing difficult. Along with this were the
almost constant daytime winds that whipped up the red talc-like
dust, clinging to the skin while irritating lungs, eyes, and
ears.

Then there was the high summer sun beating
down mercilessly upon friend and foe, the difference being that
Mihai’s people were struggling across burning sands that slipped
away beneath a heavy footfall, making the trek slow and cumbersome
at best. Yet on this day, the thin air, choking dust and burning
sand were the least of Mihai’s worries. There were far more
troubling things pressing her mind.

Chrusion’s demand that Lowenah remain out of
the official proceedings placed upon Mihai all responsibilities for
executing a successful exchange and release of the hostages. This
was unprecedented. Although Mihai was used to officiating at past
exchanges, Lowenah always stood at the ready to step in should
things turn unpleasant. Now Mother was to remain only an observer
to whatever mischief the enemy might attempt, and it would be that
way. Mother had accepted Chrusion’s terms, staying out of things
unless he requested it, and Mother would stay true to her word.

That, in and of itself, was bad enough, but
now Mihai also faced this most treacherous opponent with an
untested, ignorant, lost child from
nowhere
to act as
herald during these negotiations, she, Mihai, standing silent,
waiting for only private consultation with her. Oh, how she missed
her close companion and confidant, Gabrielle! It was that woman who
acted as her herald during the past two millennia, standing as
archon during the ages before then. Now there was only this
u
rchin
from forgotten times and places to risk the freedom
of her people. Why had Mother made such a foolish decision to have
this miserable creature here in the first place?

With every labored step, the company drew
closer to the opposing enemy line. Faces gradually became
recognizable, while other details began to stand out in a person’s
vision. With each forward step, Mihai’s anxiety increased, her
heart beating faster while a nervous ache grew in her chest.
‘Kala-
boom!
Kala
-boom!
Kala
-boom!
’ The sound
of coursing blood crashed upon Mihai’s ears, ‘Kala-
boom!
Kala-
boom!
Kala-
boom!
’...the pulsing rush pummeling
the woman’s head with aggravating pain.

Forcing her attention away from inner
trepidations, Mihai focused on the moment. In only minutes, she
would be standing before the lord of the League of Brothers, her
greatest protagonist and adversary. This was no time to allow one’s
thoughts to wander. Asotos, also known by the name ‘Chrusion’, was
addressed only as ‘Adelphos’ - meaning ‘brother’ - by members of
the Children’s Empire when in his company. He was a very dangerous
foe, one who would leave nothing to chance. Mihai must study her
surroundings carefully, discounting nothing. But first she must
show that she is commander in charge.

Motioning with her hand, Mihai shifted
toward the right, lining up on Chrusion and his chief lieutenants,
the entire company gradually drifting in the same direction. This
move pushed Lowenah’s entourage further to the right, which would
eventually place the wagon train between them and Chrusion’s line
of sight, Lowenah silently smiling in satisfaction.

As this move was being executed, Mihai
closely studied her opponent. What she observed only increased her
anxiety. Chrusion had delivered a rather large armada of thinly
disguised fighting ships, painted and fitted to appear as little
more than lightly armed transports. While it was true that few
dared deep space travel with unarmed ships in this day and age,
other say than the odd collier out of Desiah, a fast packet sloop,
or a small Wildcatter merchantman, it was accepted protocol for
ships of war to be orbiting at some distant location, or to be
landed several leagues away on the planet’s surface with engines
cold, when attending diplomatic events such as the Prisoner
Exchange.

Mihai grew increasingly nervous as her eyes
scanned the disproportionate opposing number of gaily-attired
military officials and honor guard clad in burnished armor. It was
not their attire that concerned Mihai as much as the numbers. It
was a common practice to for the honor guard to be little more than
dandy-dressed soldiers. Both sides practiced it. It was part of
their ‘insurance policy’ that promised matters would remain civil
and protocols followed. The number of soldiers Chrusion had this
day were troublingly large, possibly four score, and the two nearby
transports might hide dozens more in reserve.

A feeling of silent regret swept Mihai’s
heart - regret for disregarding the council of several lieutenants
to bring a larger number of soldiers with her. The woman had not
been able to wrap her mind around the possibility that this
upcoming exchange might be anything more that just that, an
exchange of prisoners. She could only chastise herself now when
considering the many warning signs presented earlier. She also knew
well that the time appointed for this exchange was the anniversary
of her attack outside the city walls so long ago - a fact she had
vehemently disregarded, but that now was returning to her with a
haunting.

Oh how her yearning grew for the one
companion she could trust at all times! Gabrielle did not walk
beside her this day, and there was no offering of inner peace that
so often came to her when the two women were separated. Alone she
was with an untested, belligerent, self-aggrandizing, herald, while
she
, the experienced negotiator of several prisoner
exchanges, was expected to stand quietly by as this… this… naive
fool
bumbled them all into catastrophe. Just one mistake or
misstep and all hope might be lost… and… and her little sister a
hapless victim of a needless fiasco.

Mihai’s attention was turned to her current
dilemma. The fated moment drew nearer, little the time remaining
for the execution of a successful solution to rid them of this
threat - this Trisha creature bringing to ruin any hope to save the
ones she loved. Why, oh why, did Mother pick this urchin of lost
days to become the new field marshal?! Mother did like the wine and
strong drink and at times allowed herself to fall under their
hypnotic wiles. Could she have been
celebrating
a little
before appointing
it
to that most important position, at
such a critical time and moment?

Mihai’s head ached with growing apprehension
as doubt and uncertainty flooded her mind. Everyone… all those
around her were blind to the intentions of this
beast
walking beside her. Who could she trust? With her own wits was this
contest to be won. She must change the battle plan, must move
swiftly to remove the threat that would bring ruination to them
all. In her determined concentration to find a solution to the
dilemma, she ignored the whispering snigger sounding in the back of
her head.

Glancing around, Mihai caught sight of
Planetee, breathing a quiet sigh of relief to see her loyal
companion so close. She could trust Planetee, did trust her. This
very morning, after the confrontation with that
creature,
she had confided her concerns to Planetee, the woman promising
confederate support to Mihai should the need arise. Planetee,
positioning herself at little more than an arm’s length behind that
arrogant thing,
helped ease Mihai’s troubled mind.