Cassandra's Challenge

  William rolls onto his back, pulling her over him, wrapping his arms around her. “Cassandra, I nearly lost you, if you’d been standing in front of that hatch when it blew….”

  “But I wasn’t!” She interrupts him. “I wasn’t because of you. You’re not going to lose me. I love you.” Tightening her arms around him, Cassandra lays her head on his chest, falling asleep to the beat of his heart.

  The next morning the Admiral puts a plan in motion to convert his storage room into a bedroom for Victoria. Javiera agrees to have Tori spend another night so the room can be completed, surprising her. She even has some suggestions what needs done telling the Admiral she’ll send Leander over with the items. When Cassandra wakes everything is set.

  Waking slowly Cassandra knows she’s alone, seeing the time she realizes why, it’s already 1030. Tibullus was to be here at 1000 to finish the interview. Climbing out of bed with protesting muscles she sees breakfast waiting for her on the table. Her stomach rumbles loudly as she takes the cover off. Hutu made loblolly with thimbleberries, it is becoming one of her favorite breakfasts.

  After devouring the bowl, she decides it’s time for a shower before Tori comes home. How are they going to work this? She doesn’t want to leave William’s quarters, even if he’d let her, but Tori can’t sleep on the couch either. Letting the hot water sooth her aches and pains the only solution she can find is for them to find new quarters. Wrapped in a towel she leaves the bathroom to find William entering their chambers.

  Seeing her coming out of the bathroom, he’s staggered by his love for her. She wants to have his child. Walking to her he sinks his fingers into her still wet hair, framing her face as he leans down for a kiss.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty good.”

  “I’ll call Bliant.”

  “No, William really, I’m still stiff and sore but better.” Leaning back she looks up at him. “How did the rest of the interview go?”

  “Fine. Everything’s wrapped up. You don’t need to worry.”

  “I wasn’t, I knew you’d handle it. Now I need to get dressed before Tori gets back.” She heads to the closet.

  “She’s not coming back today.”

  “What?” She stops and turns to look at him.

  “She’s going to stay at Amina’s one more night.”

  “Why?”

  “One, so you can rest. And two, so we can get her room done.”

  “Room?” She raises an eyebrow.

  “I have a crew coming to make the storage room into a bedroom for her.”

  “William.” Cassandra rests her head on his chest.

  “What’s wrong?” He’d seen the tears in her eyes.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I was just in the shower trying to figure out how to tell you we’d need new quarters.”

  “You’re home Cassandra, this is where you stay.” His voice is gruff.

  “I know. I didn’t say I wanted too. She’s going to love it.” Rising up she gives him a kiss. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I want her here too. Now let’s get you dressed before the workers arrive.” Moving to the closet she finds her clothes, what little she has, hanging up next to his.

  “You’ve been busy.”

  “I want you here.” As the hatch buzzes he leaves to answer it.

  Cassandra’s dressed by the time William returns followed by Lucas. Pulling her hair back she smiles at the two Zafar men.

  “You’re looking better.” Lucas runs a quick eye over her.

  “I’m feeling better. What’s up?”

  “I need to go to the bridge for awhile.”

  “Okay.” Puzzled she looks from William to Lucas realizing William means for Lucas to stay with her. “I’ll be fine alone.”

  “You won’t be alone, there will be crew in and out all day.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “No.” His eyes blaze telling her this is important to him. He needs to make sure she’s protected even though the threat passed. She can’t fault him for it.

  “If that’s what you want.” She turns, “Lucas, you’re going to be bored out of your mind.”

  “Not me,” Smiling he walks to the couch. “I brought the deck. I thought I’d teach you how to play five square.” Cassandra looks at what he has in his hand.

  “Cards?”

  “Lucas….” William’s gives him a warning.

  “What? Just a friendly little game.” His face is full of innocence.

  “I take it he’s somewhat good.” Cassandra walks over to William.

  “That would be an understatement.” William sees the gleam come into her eyes. His life mate is competitive.

  “Are you going to be all day?” She asks.

  “A good part, I want you to rest when you need it.” His eyes harden. “I mean it Cassandra.”

  “I will.” Ignoring Lucas, she rises up to give him a kiss. After he leaves she walks over to Lucas. “So what’s this game.”

  On the bridge the Admiral heads to his command center, finding Quinn already there. “Engage the privacy screen. I need a secure, encoded line to High Admiral Valerian.”

  “I’ve arranged the line Admiral. Will, are you really going to request the removal of the Retribution from this tour?” William says nothing waiting to be connected the High Admiral.

  “Zafar, what’s going on!” Demands Valerian.

  “Sir, I have a situation here that I believe demands immediate attention.”

  “I’ve read your reports Admiral. While I agree something is going on I don’t agree with this need for secrecy.”

  “That’s because I’ve intentionally left out many details from my reports sir. Not trusting that the fleet wouldn’t be compromised.”

  “You didn’t report facts to me!” Valerian’s rage is easy to hear.

  “No sir.”

  “You suspect me?”

  “No sir, but information has been leaked, information that gave the Regulians the fleets coordinates in the last attack. It came from Carinian space on a Carinian channel in Regulian. It was our exact location High Admiral.” There’s silence on the other end.

  “What have I not been told?”

  “Are your communications totally secured High Admiral?” Quinn’s eyebrows shot up at William’s questioning of the High Admiral’s security. William knows he’s over stepping but he’s going to make sure his life mate is protected.

  “You’re pushing Zafar.”

  “Yes sir, I’ll be pushing more before this is done.” After several moments Valerian responds.

  “I’ve engaged all security. Now tell me what you’ve got Admiral!”

  William takes the High Admiral through the Regulian attack on Earth, specifically the attack on the Chamberlains. Victoria’s kidnapping. All the Regulian transmissions. Regulian attacks. The thread found in Victoria, the Carinian thread with Regulian technology. The High Admiral listens saying nothing.

  “What you’re suggesting…”

  “I’m not suggesting anything, I’m point out saying there is a high ranked Carinian traitor filtering classified information to the Regulians on our fleet’s locations!”

  “Zafar! Stand down!”

  “Damn it Valerian!”

  “Admiral! You should be reaching the Rodham space station shortly. I suggest you take some leave.”

  “No we won’t”

  “No you won’t what, Admiral.” The High Admiral’s voice is frigid.

  “Be arriving at the Rodham space station. We are nowhere near it.”

  “Just where are you?” He gives him their present location.

  “You’ve falsified your fleet’s location to High Command!?!”

  “Yes sir, I changed the fleet’s course after the last Regulian attack. So far they’ve been unable to locate us. The space station has been informed to be on Alert Status 1.”

  “I can bring you up on charges Admiral.” William rubs the back of his neck.

&nb
sp; “Do you remember in the academy that once a month we’d have to play out a scenario of one kind or another?” The High Admiral is listening.

  “Yes.”

  “We decided to give them code names, so the opposing team wouldn’t know what we were doing.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you remember PR25?”

  “PR25? Fuck! You can’t possible think that’s what this is!” Shocks apparent in Valerian’s voice.

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. Someone, high up thinks it. That’s why the Earth was attacked, why the Regulians are so desperately attacking the fleet. They’ve been promised something to make sure PR25 doesn’t happen. I have two survivors from Earth on the Retribution, one with a thread in her arm that’s been there for seven cycles. The Regulians continue to attack, targeting the Sentinel. The transmission said ‘believed being protected’, the Sentinel is from the House of Protection.” William is silent letting the High Admiral think.

  “What are you wanting to do?”

  “I want the Dioscuri to replace the Retribution on this tour, so we can head directly to Carina. That should draw the fire away from the fleet and the Sentinel can then be repaired at Rodham.”

  “You realize what you’re asking. If I grant this request you’ll never command another fleet.”

  “Yes.”

  “You feel that’s strongly about this.”

  “High Admiral, someone on Carina has conspired with the Regulians to murdered seven billion people because they feel threatened. Who else are they willing to sacrifice?”

  “Fuck. I’ll authorize the Dioscuri to replace the Retribution. I’ll let you know when to expect the Dioscuri.”

  “On a secure line.”

  “Yes Admiral a secure line. Stay in one piece until then.”

  “Yes, sir.” As the call ends Quinn looks at his long time friend.

  “Are you going to tell me what PR25 is? Or am I a security risk too.”

  “If I’d thought you were a risk you wouldn’t have been in this room Quinn.” William sits down in his chair.

  “PR25 is a scenario for what we would do if the missing Princess of the House of Knowledge was ever to return. What we would do. What the possible fall out would be for the existing trustee’s family, the procedures to follow for her protection. What would be needed to establish her legitimacy to the throne.”

  “But we’ve already established that Victoria isn’t who they are looking for.”

  “She isn’t”

  “Then who…” Quinn trails off. “You think its Cassandra.”

  “I know its Cassandra.”

  “Will, every member of the royal family has a birth mark. You have a birth mark. Victoria doesn’t.”

  “Cassandra does. Her mother had it. Her grandmother had it. Her middle name is Qwes Quinn. Every woman on the maternal side carries it. In the twenty-eight days she’s been on this ship she’s not only learned how to fix our laser system she’s learned the Regulian language. She was the smartest person on Earth, according to Victoria.”

  “If it’s true Will, you know what it means.”

  “Yes I know.” Will looks his long time friend in the eye. “Start getting all the Intel together the Dioscuri will need. Do it quietly. I’ll be in quarters.”

  Entering his ready room William hears laughter, Cassandra’s laughter. The sound makes any sacrifice bearable. Following the sound he finds his life mate laughing and his son scowling.

  “So how much is that you owe me?”

  “I don’t understand how you do it!” Lucas throws his cards down in disgust.

  “Superior female mind, Lucas. Superior female mind.” Seeing William she forgets the card game. “You’re home.” Walking over she wraps her arms around him. Hugging him she can tell something’s off. “William?”

  “Sounds like you’re beating the boy’s butt.”

  “Soundly.” Lucas scowls. “I don’t know how she does it. But after the first ten hands she’s been beating me all day.”

  “Did you rest?” He scans her face.

  “Yes, Hutu brought a great second meal. They finished Victoria’s room. She’s going to be so excited.” Cassandra lets it go until they are alone.

  “Good, so are you going to pay up or what Lucas.”

  “Will you take a marker?”

  William stares at the two. “How much does he owe you?” The figure Lucas states amazes him. “Did you lose a hand?”

  “A few.”

  “In six hours?”

  “So.”

  “Remind me to take you to Vargis.”

  Later that evening, Cassandra props herself up on William’s chest, running a hand along his cheek.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “William…”

  “What could be wrong? You’re safe in my arms. Victoria comes home tomorrow.”

  “But there’s something.”

  “Just fleet business. Nothing for you to worry about.” At her doubtful look William continues. “Really, it’s being handled.”

  Cassandra doesn’t know what to make of what he’s telling her but the fleet is his business she needs to trust he knows what he’s doing.

  “You’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. Go to sleep, tomorrow Victoria comes home.”

  Chapter 8

  “Aunt Cassie!” Cassandra is just entering the ready room when Victoria comes bursting through the hatch.

  “Hey there.” She catches Victoria in a hug ignoring William’s look.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m good, getting better every day. Thank you Javiera.”

  “No thanks needed. It was wonderful to have her. I need to get going. I’ll talk to you later?”

  “We will.” As the hatch closes she returns her attention to Victoria. “So you had fun?”

  “Yeah, but I missed you.”

  “I missed you too. The Admiral has a surprise for you.”

  “He does?” She turns to him. “You do?”

  “It’s not just my surprise.”

  “Don’t let him fool you Tori, he did this himself.”

  “What is it?”

  “Come on we’ll show you.” Entering their private quarters William puts his hands on Victoria’s shoulders pointing her towards what was once a storage room.

  “What?”

  “Turn the light on and look.” The look that comes over her face is something he won’t soon to forget.

  “It’s a bedroom! Is it mine?” Hopeful eyes look up at him.

  “It’s all yours.”

  “Aunt Cassie?”

  “All yours. Just yours.” Victoria launches herself into William’s arms.

  “Thank you! Thank you! This is awesome! Wait until I tell Amina!” Wiggling down she runs into the room. Stepping into his now empty arms Cassandra stretches up to give him a gentle kiss.

  “I think she likes it.”

  “I should have thought of it earlier.”

  “No. It would have been too soon.”

  “It would have kept you safe.”

  “William…” She rests her cheek against his chest.

  “I need to get to the bridge. You’ll be okay here, with Victoria?”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “You’ll rest.” He tips her face up letting her know it isn’t a question.

  “I will.” Giving her a hard kiss he heads for the hatch. Taking a calming breath Cassandra turns to enter Tori’s room.

  Over the next several days they develop a routine, the Admiral walks Victoria to class while Cassandra either rests or reads from the library with Javiera walking her back. By the end of the seventh day Cassandra is ready to go crazy. It’s time to get things back to normal.

  “You about ready Tori?”

  “Just about.”

  “Finish up while I tell the Admiral I’m walking you to class.”

  “You are?”

  “I am.”

  Walking
into the ready room, William is at his desk reading some documents, his face grim. Seeing her walk towards him he smiles.

  “You’re moving better.”

  “I’m moving fine, so fine that I’m going to walk Victoria to class.”

  “You need...”

  “I don’t need to rest it’s been over a week William. I’m fine. I’m going to walk my niece to class.”

  William knows he’s being so cautious is driving her crazy.

  “Trust me.”

  “Okay, but…”

  “I will rest if I need too.” With a kiss goodbye, the Chamberlain women leave the Admiral in his ready room.

  The corridors of the Retribution are buzzing that Cassandra is walking Victoria to class. Ignoring it, she concentrates on Victoria, they make it nearly to class before they met up with Javiera and Amina.

  “You’re moving!” Javiera hugs her.

  “Yeah, I’m feeling really good.”

  “That’s wonderful. Are you going to be heading back to engineering soon?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that yet.”

  “No rush. You need to make a full recovery first.” The girls give them each a hug before they enter their class. “Oh I wish I could stay and talk. I promised Pakar I’d meet her on Deck J. Can we get together soon to catch up?”

  “I’d really like that.” Separating the two friends walk in opposite directions.

  Cassandra lets her mind wander as she heads back to quarters enjoying being mobile again. Stopping she finds herself in front of their old quarters.

  The damage from the bomb is still clearly evident. Shards of metal protruded from the wall directly across from a hatch that now sits half off its hinges. If she or Victoria had been entering the room ….

  Stepping inside she finds it totally demolished. What the bomb hadn’t destroyed, fire had. The comm center where they’d learned Regulian, the couch William had held her and the bed where she and Tori slept all destroyed. Tuning to leave she finds Tibullus in the hatchway.

  “Chief.”

  “Not a very pretty site.”