The Sunfire (34 page)

“I guess Captain Harrington and the
Sunfire
have
arrived Sarge,” Jonas quipped.

“Typical fleet,” Gunny growled. “Leave us down here to do
all the dirty work, while they sit up there nice and comfy and blow the shit
out of everything.”

The two other marines just smiled at the typical
ground-pounders view of ‘fleeters’ as they were known to the marines.

“Well at least we know our ride has just arrived. Can you
two secure this corridor by yourselves until the Commander arrives with the
boss?”

“Sure thing Sarge,” Jonas replied, glancing at the layout
with the eye of a professional soldier. “With this cover we could hold off an
entire brigade.”

“Very well then. Just make sure you don’t shoot the
Commander or the boss by accident. I’ll go check in on Jason and Miranda. I
need to interrupt their little tête-à-tête and remind them they should be
procuring us a shuttle,” Gunny groused.

The two marines laughed. As Gunny disappeared back into the
hangar they moved into the alcoves on either side of the corridor. They laid
out their spare magazine clips on the floor next to them and then started to
prepare their weapons. With their backs to the wall, they occasionally glanced
back down the corridor to ensure no uninvited guests were planning on
gate-crashing their party.

*****

“So I notice that you and the Commander seemed to be fairly
close back there?” Marcus Aurelius enquired, last in the line of great Imperial
Emperors, ruler of over ten billion people. “Seemed to be a quick turnaround
from
Oh Father, he left me, he betrayed me.
” Marcus tried to imitate his
daughter’s despairing tone.

“Five years in captivity. You’ve only been free for a little
over ten minutes and
that
is your first question?” Sofia growled in
disbelief.

“I’m your father. I want to make sure somebody has been
looking after my little girl. So any grandchildren yet?” He added gleefully,
rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“Father, I cannot believe
—
”

Sofia was so distracted by her father’s question, while
intent on following the directions on the datapad Jon had pressed into her
hands just as she was leaving, she had not been paying attention to her
surroundings. Hence, as she turned a corner it was difficult to know who was
more shocked as she collided into the chest of a young man hurrying in the
opposite direction.

Sofia only had time to register a flash of surprise in the
young man’s eyes and a large red bruise already forming on his forehead when
she instinctively smashed him around the head with the datapad she was holding
in her hand.

The young executive reared back in fright, unable to believe
his misfortune, as this was the second time today he had turned a corner and
been attacked. At least this assailant did not seem to have a sword, as the
last one had. In addition this one seemed far prettier than the last, who
scared the hell out of him with his dark grey eyes and angry looks.

Then the executive noticed the pistol in her other hand.

As the young man leaped back, Sofia raised the pistol Jon
had given her. Not really aiming, as the man was barely a meter away, she
closed her eyes, pulling the trigger.

Sofia hated guns ever since the incident almost five years
ago when she had shot and killed an assassin who was just about to shoot Jon…
She had nightmares about the incident for months thereafter, although she was
unsure if it was her shooting the assassin or Jon almost dying in her arms that
frightened her most.

The pistol flared in her hand, and Sofia could feel the heat
from the discharge of the weapon. She could picture the green bolt of energy
impacting the young man on the chest and hear his scream of pain. Then nothing
but silence. Opening her eyes, she stared reluctantly at the body on the floor,
picturing the black smoking hole where his chest had once been. But his chest
was unmarked and the man seemed unharmed but was unconscious. Sofia felt
relieved when she realised Jon must have left the pistol on its stun setting.

“You shot him.” Came the incredulous cry from behind her.
“After hitting him in the face with a datapad.”

Sofia could not decide if her father was more shocked or
horrified. Sofia just shrugged. “He’s only stunned.”

“Shot? Stunned? You are an Imperial Princess, by the great
Maker. You have a reputation to maintain. You cannot go around hitting and
shooting people. What would the Senate think?”

Sofia could think of a good number of Senators she would
very much enjoy hitting and shooting, but did not say anything out loud.

“Anyway who taught you to do such things?”

Sofia just shrugged. “Jon did. I spent some time with him
and his family and he suggested some self-defence training would help me.”

“Self-defence training?” This time her father did sound
aghast. “That’s his job not yours. Anyway back up a minute. You spent some time
with his family? I didn’t know that the Commander had any family
—
he
never talked to me about them.” Her father sounded quite put out by his
exclusion.

“He’s got a mother and father on Altair. He’s the eldest of
two, but his younger sister died from a genetic disorder when she was very
young. I get on well with his parents, they are good people.” Sofia glanced at
her father, as he had gone very silent then rolled her eyes at the wide grin
slowly crossing his face.

“I’ll look forward to meeting them at the wedding. Unless I
have missed it?” He asked excitedly.

“No you have not missed the wedding,” Sofia sighed aloud,
before clamping her mouth firmly shut. Realising that encouraging her father
was just going to make things worse.

“So come on girl, fill me in. I have been waiting over five
years. How is my Empire? I assume that you are still in charge. I hope that the
fleet didn’t give you too many problems. I assumed the Commander would help you
keep the Admirals in line.”

Sofia sighed for a second time. She had been hoping to put
off this conversation, at least until they had left Tartarus. “Yes, I am still
in charge,” she replied, telling one version of the truth. “Everything is
running fairly smoothly, except for the odd incident.”

Like Jon blowing up your flagship with a nuclear warhead
he stole
.

“Jon dealt with the Fleet Admirals, they pretty much do as
they are told these days.”

“And I hope that Jon has been treating you well?”

Sofia sighed despondently, unsure how to answer that
question. For Jon had treated her with nothing but love and respect. She in
return had taken him for granted and ignored him when he needed her the most.
Finally, had come to believe he had betrayed her when instead it was her own
father, her family that had betrayed him. Eventually she had driven him into
the arms of another woman, before finally driving him out of her life totally.
He had left without a word of complaint, although he must have been
inconsolable, missing her desperately. Yet never once did he tell her the real
reason he left, protecting her to the last. And she? She had thrown herself
into her career, burying herself so deeply in her work she rarely had the
energy left over to even spare him a thought. Not until the day she received a
call from Paul telling her of the grave danger that he was in. It wasn’t until
that day she realised she had taken him for granted. She had always assumed he
would always be around, if not at her side. It was only the thought of losing
him forever that finally spurred her into action.

Sofia let out a sob of pain.

For so long she had been angry with him. She was the injured
party, the spurned lover. Yet she had it all back-to-front. Jon was the one who
had been betrayed. He was the one who had every right to be angry, yet what had
he done? He had treated her with kindness, compassion and respect even after
she had pushed him away. Yet now she knew it must have torn him apart. No
wonder she pushed him into the arms of another women, first that blond
temptress on Eden Prime and now Miranda.

“Oh, father,” she said stopping in the corridor, crying. “I
have made such a mess of things. I thought I was doing the right thing. That I
was so clever, but I wasn’t. I didn’t know a thing and now I don’t know how I
can fix things. Jon must hate me so.”

Her father was quiet for a moment, not sure how to reply. He
had been apart from his daughter for so long. In some ways he hardly recognised
her. He remembered his fragile little girl who insisted on always sleeping with
the lights on as she was afraid of the dark. Yet he could instantly recognise
the pain, sorrow and loss in her expression. As every time he looked in a
mirror he saw exactly those emotions reflected back at him.

“I have found there are very few things that cannot be fixed
when they are broken,” he said thoughtfully. “If you have made a mess of
things, then I will help you fix them. Know that whatever has happened or
whatever will happen I will always be here for you, and love you. That bond can
never be broken,” he said taking her into his arms. “And as for the Commander,”
he continued on. “I seriously doubt he hates you and maybe things are not as
broken as you imagine.” He had noticed the way in which the Commander looked at
his daughter had not changed much over the past five years.

Sofia did not know how it was so, but just being surrounded
by her father’s reassuring presence seemed to make her worries disappear. But
suddenly she felt him tense in her arms.

Eyes wide, an expression of shock appeared on his face,
which rapidly changed to a grimace of pain. He opened his mouth to try and say
something, but no sound came out. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and
suddenly Sofia found him slumped in her embrace.

“Father?” She cried in sudden fear, gently lowering him to
the floor. It was only then that she noticed the guard standing several meters
away, his pulse pistol pointed directly at them, finger already on the firing
stud, ready to fire again.

“Get down,” a voice that she did not recognise shouted, from
further down the corridor.

Quickly glancing back, Sofia could make out the outline of a
figure in grey tactical armour with a large rifle pointing in their direction.
Not knowing what else to do, who was friend or foe, she covered her father, who
was now lying on the floor, with her own body. Closing her eyes tightly in
preparation for another fatal shot.

However, the volley of gunfire seemed to go high. Sofia felt
the heavy shells passing just above her head. Hearing a cry of pain, she looked
up just in time to see the guard thrown back down the corridor, his chest
disappearing in a cloud of blood.

“Ma’am are you hurt?” A voice enquired from just behind her.

Sofia turned around to look into the face of the
sandy-haired young man who had earlier called to her, telling her to take
cover. Her eyes took note of the tactical armour and heavy rifle, now slung
over his shoulder. “No, I’m fine. Who are you?” She asked breathlessly.

“My name is Jonas, ma’am. I’m here with Chief Reynolds and the
Commander to rescue your father.”

“You know who I am?” She asked blankly, not recognising the
man.

“Yes ma’am. I was on
Terra Nova
a few weeks ago when
you last visited. It was lucky that I recognised you.”

“My father,” Sofia suddenly remembered. “I think he has been
shot.” She looked down at the grey pallor that had quickly spread across his
face.

“I’ll carry him ma’am. We have a medic in our team who can
attend to him. Where is the Commander?”

“He said that he would be coming shortly,” she replied distractedly,
still worrying about her father.

Jonas cursed, lifting the Emperor over his shoulder. Taking
Sofia by the other arm he hurried back down the corridor towards the hangar
bay.

Stepping through the door, the two of them came face-to-face
with Gunny, whose expression rapidly went through the full gamut of expressions
from shock, surprise and disbelief to finally settle on a wiry grin.
“Princess,” he stepped forward bowing his head slightly. “I should probably say
that it is a surprise seeing you here, but to be honest it’s been a strange
couple of weeks. Right now I would not be at all surprised if Admiral Sterling
himself stepped through that door.”

“I left him on Eden Prime,” Sofia replied distractedly. “My
Father. I think he’s been shot. We need to help him.”

Jonas delicately lowered the older man to the floor, pushing
away his jacket, seeing the angry burn mark from the energy pistol on the side
of his chest.

“Medic!” Gunny and Jonas simultaneously bellowed.

*****

I should have just shot the bastard!

Jon thought as he ducked a vicious slash from Sejanus’
sword. Jon did not think Sofia particularly cared how Sejanus died, as long as
he was dead. Marcus probably cared even less. It was just Jon’s own stupid,
stubborn pride that demanded he beat him in a fair fight. Considering how badly
this duel was going it was possibly going to be the last mistake he ever made.

While Jon believed there wasn’t a man, or woman for that
matter, alive who could best him with a sword, that had been many years ago...
In the past five years Jon could count on the fingers of one hand how many
times he had wielded this weapon. The last time was only a few months before
when a group of Syndicate enforcers had invaded
Terra Nova
and he had
fought off one of their squads. However, it was obvious Sejanus practiced
regularly. In addition he was extremely fit from frequently working out. The
most exercise Jon had in the past few months, was hobbling out of the medical
bay after sustaining yet another life threatening injury. To say he was out of
shape would be an understatement.

Instinctively Jon blocked the follow up thrust that would
have disembowelled him, and gave Sejanus a boot in the chest for his troubles.
Sejanus stumbled back for a second and then attacked again, quickly, with a
riposte Jon was lucky to deflect.