“Without even saying goodbye?”
“They’re traveling with the Queen, sir.”
“Figures. Okay, who’s the senior Terran officer aboard?”
“You, sir.”
“Besides me.”
“The squadron commander, Admiral Wen, sir.”
“Get him for me.”
He heard a short beep, then, “Admiral Wen speaking.”
“This is Ray Trexler. We need to discuss our mission.”
“Yes, sir. Can it wait? We’re just about to get underway, and I’m still confirming the personnel transfers. I don’t want to leave without a full crew of Terrans.”
“Do you have room for me in the ops center?”
“Not yet. We’re still cleaning up from the battle, and that table you are on is pretty big.”
“Look, I’m not one to sit on the sidelines.”
“Yes, sir. All I know is that we’re going to Earth with another squadron. Sam Taylor put our crews together, then left. Both squadron commanders will need to be briefed, but at this point, it’s too late to change anything. We’re minutes away from departure. We’ll have a full week before we drop from hyper, then three weeks to transit the system to Earth. Plenty of time, sir.”
Trexler hung up, thought for a minute, then picked up the phone again. “Get me my doctor.”
“She’s off duty, sir. I believe she’s sleeping.”
“Okay, get me a doctor, any doctor. I’m getting out of this tank. On second thought, send the Chief. He knows how to do it, and he’ll talk to me. He has to. I outrank him.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
A week later, Ellie’s frigate touched down at the port on Aldebaran I. Seeton came aboard and was greeted by the Queen and her retinue. He went to one knee before her.
“A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“The pleasure is mine, Admiral. Please stand. I am fully informed of your actions against the Rebels. I congratulate you, and I thank you.”
He grinned. “Your part in it was spectacular, Your Majesty.”
“I have given you a week to get your sector headquarters back on its feet. It’s now time to look to the rest of the sector.”
“We’ve been focused on the big picture all along, Your Majesty.”
“I’m pleased to hear that. Signio Veswicki, whom I have Knighted, speaks highly of you. I need a governor here. Are you willing to fill those shoes?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. However, I might be of more use to you as a military man. We have a lot of sectors to recover.”
“Times are changed, and you might end up wearing both hats. But for now, I Name you Governor of Aldebaran Sector. We’ll hold an official ceremony within the next few days.”
Seeton went back down on one knee. “I am honored, Your Majesty.”
Her voice hardened. “You’ve earned it, Governor, as few others have. Now, I would like to visit with General Waverly as soon as possible.”
“He’s here. It’s Colonel Waverly, Your Majesty.”
“Here? I thought he was in sick bay?”
Seeton smiled. “He’s a hard one to keep down. He left his bed three days ago, and he’s back with his men.”
“Will you call him, please?”
“Actually, he’s waiting outside the ship with an honor guard for you.”
Her hand went to her throat. “They’ve been waiting all this time?”
“They have, Your Majesty.”
She looked at him with a hint of anger. “You should have told me. I would not have kept them waiting.”
“Waiting is high on the list of military activities, Your Majesty.”
“I would like a personal meeting with him before I leave the ship. It won’t take long. Will it be an affront to his customs if I keep his men waiting a little longer?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. May I do the honors?”
“Please.”
While he was gone, she turned to Chandrajuski. “I have affairs of state to conduct. Is there a suitable location that will hold all the Raiders?”
“The governor’s reception hall should be adequate. I hear it’s a bit of a mess right now, but we can get it cleaned up.”
“Please see to it immediately.”
Chandrajuski was still talking on his communicator when Waverly arrived, escorted by Seeton. As Waverly entered the lounge, Ellie stood, drawing looks of surprise from everyone. People usually stood for her, not the other way around. Waverly removed his hat and approached her, then went down to one knee with his head bowed.
Ellie stepped forward and reached out a hand, placing it under his chin. “Arise, my hero. You will kneel but once more before me, then never again.”
Waverly straightened to his full height. “Colonel Waverly reporting, Your Majesty.”
“Yes,” she said, meeting his gaze squarely, then turning to walk in a circle about him with her hands clasped behind her back. She did not miss the bandage on the back of his head. “Do you realize you and your men are on the way to becoming legends here in my Empire?”
“Ma’am?”
“You know that everyone in this room is a hero, that each plays a crucial part in restoring my Empire. Did you know that without you and your men, our task would not succeed?”
“There’s always a way, Your Majesty. Reba’s Raiders play an important role, but we’re just one cog in a big wheel. That’s always the way of the military.”
“You speak true, Colonel. What you might not understand is the role you play in the timing. Your small group of warriors have given the rest of us the means to stop this horror before it becomes entrenched. Without you, we would be years, and possibly hundreds of years, behind. Without you, it is entirely possible that the Chessori influence would spread unchecked throughout the galaxy, leaving the Empire and the Rebels to be minions of this species we know so little about. You have saved uncounted lives.”
“We have a long way to go.”
“We fight on two fronts, General. My first instinct after the coup was to reestablish the Empire. Little did I know that in the long run, restoring the Empire was only a second priority. The first was, and still is, staying free of this horror we call Chessori. You and the others from Earth are our only means of preventing their takeover.”
“In that case, I guess I’ve been too close to the trees to see the forest. Do you understand the idiom?”
“I understand it very well. We will take steps to remedy that oversight. But first, let me say, officially and personally, thank you. Thank you for everything you have done in my name, and be welcome to the Empire.”
“I thank you on behalf of my men, Your Majesty.”
She took his arm in hers. “Let me introduce you to the others here. You met my First Knight, Michael Carver, before he left Earth with his Protectors. You also know Admirals Chandrajuski and Seeton, and you’ve spent months with Sir Val and Lady Rebecca. I’m told that you also know Colonel Dace, the head of my Terran Protectors?”
Waverly grinned to Josh. “I thought all Protectors were Great Cats?”
“They are. We’re just backing them up. It’s good to see you, Jim. Looks like we chose well with you.”
“Next is Sir Otis, Knight of the Realm,” she continued, indicating Otis.
“Lady Rebecca told me about you, Sire,” Waverly said as he greeted Otis. “I am honored to meet you. You’re the first Great Cat I’ve met.”
“The honor is mine, Colonel. Your exploits have been… quite remarkable. Legends will be written and sung about this war someday. Your name will hold a place of honor in them.”
“I’m told your men are waiting outside,” Ellie said. “I would be honored if you will present them to me.” She drew a ceremonial robe about her shoulders, then fiddled for a few moments with a crown. While she did, Waverly had a few words with Otis and Josh. He had armed men stationed about the port, and he did not want anyone getting shot by the Queen’s Protectors. Ellie took Waverly’s arm and led him to the ramp. Her Protectors moved to the front, but Ellie called them back. Though against all the rules, no one would precede her and Waverly down the ramp on this special occasion.
As they stepped to the ground, a loud command of “Atten-hut!” followed closely by “Present Arms!” sounded. Ninety-six Raiders created a corridor for the Queen to walk through, two ranks of twenty-four men lining each side of a red carpet leading to her skimmer, all holding assault weapons in the present-arms position. Mike and Otis followed directly behind the Queen, followed by Val and Reba. Seeton and Chandrajuski, his long neck towering above everyone, came next, then the Protectors spread out to both sides for security. Invisible to all but Waverly and the Protectors, snipers and spotters from Waverly’s forces manned every rooftop and nearby ship.
Ellie stopped after only a few paces and turned to Waverly. “Many of them are wounded, Jim.”
“All of them are wounded, Your Majesty.”
“And I’ve kept them waiting all this time? I’m sorry. If it is not contrary to your custom, I would meet each of them.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. If you don’t mind, I’ll keep you moving right along. As you said, they’re walking wounded.” She spent the next forty-five minutes inspecting the troops. Waverly kept her moving, but he knew what every soldier had been through, and he recounted brief exploits for her before each one. She graciously offered words of appreciation and laid a hand on each one of them.
She and Mike spent the rest of the day with Waverly and Seeton, intending to tour the battlefields. Their first stop was Seeton’s sector headquarters. Her skimmer stopped a hundred meters in front of the deserted building, and everyone just stared at it while her Protectors deployed from their own skimmers. The grounds surrounding the building had become a wasteland. The left front corner of the building was essentially demolished, but gaping holes and rubble adequately described what was left of the front and sides.
“Six men held this place?” she wondered with a hint of incredulity in her voice.
Seeton corrected her. “It was really five incredible soldiers and one frightened, very green admiral, Your Majesty.”
“It’s what Reba’s Raiders do, Your Majesty,” Waverly added. “Ray’s ships played a big part in it.”
She continued to stare at the building, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Then she just got out of the skimmer, tossed her robe and crown on the seat, and started walking through the blasted grounds toward the building. She knew right where she wanted to go and led everyone up to the second floor, turned right, and went down to the corner. It was completely open to the outside.
She neared the edge of the missing floor and bent down to pick up a piece of paper laying in the rubble.
She looked at it, then handed it to Waverly. “A memento, Jim. You freed a world, and you saved the senior officers in this building in the process.”
“I was one of those saved, Your Majesty,” Seeton said. “Actually, Waverly saved the world, and Trexler won the battle in space. He did it without leaving his bed.”
“So I heard. Reba says it was… difficult for the sailors in the fleet.”
“I’m certain it was, but the outcome was never in doubt. I expect you will be hearing a lot of personal stories during the coming days.”
“Then let’s get started.”