“The use of a sword is new to the ceremony,” she said to the Raiders. “Since the future of Empire is so closely tied to the future of Earth, I find it fitting that a piece of Earth’s history finds its way into this very special moment.”
She faced Waverly who was looking up at her as he knelt on one knee. She turned the blade flat and lowered it to his left shoulder, saying, “Do you, James Waverly, swear allegiance to my Crown?”
Waverly lifted his head and turned to his men. “Your Majesty, I swear allegiance to my men.” He turned back to Ellie. “I swear allegiance to you, as well.”
“I Knight you…” She lifted the sword and moved it to his right shoulder,… “Sir James. Your word is my command on all worlds of the Empire. You need never kneel again in my presence, but others will surely kneel before you. Stand, Sir James.”
Waverly stood, and Ellie removed a Knight’s Pin from her pocket. She placed it into his hand, then pressed both of her hands over his. Her eyes closed for a time.
When they opened, she said, “Open the Pin, Sir James.” Waverly passed a hand over the Pin, and it sprung open. Ellie’s countenance shone forth in a bright light. She closed it and pinned it to his collar, saying, “Only you and I can open this Pin forever more. It provides unquestioned proof to all that you are a Knight of the Realm.”
She kissed him on the check, then handed him off to Mike for a congratulatory hand shake. When he reached Reba, she took his arm and guided him down from the stage into the midst of his men.
Ellie sat back down, her eyes brimming at the wonder evident in the Raiders’ eyes. It was a terrible breach of protocol to leave the dais before the Queen, but she was pleased. Forgotten for the moment by these amazing men who cared little for Queens, Knights, and even the Empire, she drew strength from the camaraderie that was a physical presence within the room.
Mike placed a hand on her shoulder, and Ellie placed her own hand over his with a warm smile on her face. “We should leave,” she said softly to him.
“No. Go to him and take his arm. They honor him in their own way, but let them see the esteem in which the Empire holds all of them.”
She looked up at him. “Will you go with me?”
“Not this time, Your Majesty. This is not a time for your First Knight. This is a time for warriors and their Queen. He is your escort.”
So Waverly became a Knight of the Realm. In seven months he’d gone from a colonel commanding Rangers on Earth to a general/Knight of the Realm of a star faring empire. In the interim he’d fought two major land battles, a number of skirmishes in space, he’d buried 581 comrades, he’d become accustomed to travel between the stars, he’d become friends with aliens, he’d killed aliens, and he’d learned to communicate in an alien language.
Reba’s story had been absolutely amazing to him, almost unbelievable. But his own story, well… he might have to write a book someday. If he lived long enough.
K rys
Chapter Twenty- eight
Resolve dropped from hyperspace. Grnlee lay ahead, another of Admiral Korban’s district headquarters. Grnlee had the honor of being a major overhaul facility for Empire ships. Struthers had likely taken control of this world, but if he hadn’t, Chandrajuski wanted to plant a seed that might keep it out of his hands. Admiral Mzdak was their contact here.
As usual, there were a few Chessori traders in the system and two Empire squadrons, but as they neared the space port, they discovered eight Chessori military ships at the repair facility adjacent to the port. The ships appeared to be powered down. One Empire cruiser was also undergoing repairs at the facility.
Stven set out to register his arrival with great misgivings. He was accompanied by three of Washburn’s men. He registered, and the official asked his purpose in coming to Grnlee.
“I’m having a problem with my beacon. It seems to work okay most of the time, but I’ve had intermittent reports that it’s weak. If it goes out completely, I might lose my AI. I’d like to get it looked at.”
“Sorry, but civilian ships are temporarily out of the line-up. Admiral Mzdak has taken over the manufacturing and repair facilities, and he’s only accepting military work. I’ve been recommending Zletska to anyone who needs help. I hear they’re looking for work.”
“But that’s months away.”
“Sorry. You’re wasting your time here.”
“Maybe I’ll speak to Mzdak. He might make an exception.”
The official glanced out the window at Resolve. “Pretty nice ship you have there. Whose is it?”
“I’m carrying a wealthy socialite. It’s terrible duty. She’s a brat, and to make it worse, we had to detour here, spoiling her plans.”
“Money talks, but you can see all the Chessori ships parked here. He’s working on them, and the facility is full up. Good luck.”
“I thought you said he was only accepting military work? The Chessori I’ve heard about are civilian traders.”
“I don’t know. All I know is that the work has been contracted by the military. If you can get in to see him, you can ask.”
Stven returned to the ship, deep in thought. There was no way he was going to let Krys off the ship, not under these conditions. If Admiral Mzdak was working on Chessori ships, he’d certainly gone over to the other side, though in his defense, he carried a strong recommendation from both Chandrajuski and Buskin.
He shared his concerns with the crew, and there was a long silence, which he broke. “I’ll go if you want, Krys.”
“Maybe we should just leave.”
M’Sada disagreed. “I’d really like to know what he’s doing with those Chessori ships. I wonder if he’s giving away Empire secrets of some kind?”
“What if he is?” Tarn asked. “We can’t do anything about it. Just bringing back word of what’s going on here will place everyone on alert.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve already committed to contacting him,” Stven said. “I might as well follow through on it.”
“All right, but give it up at the first sign of trouble,” Krys agreed.
Stven went to district headquarters, accompanied by Washburn and two of his men. One Great Cat followed them at a distance. It took all day to get in to see Mzdak, a frog-like creature from Hesport. Stven was admitted to the office to find Mzdak sitting on a raised platform behind a work table.
“I’m requesting assistance on behalf of my passenger,” he said.
“So I hear. Who is she?”
The scales on Stven’s back rippled, a sign of pleasure. “Does that mean that if I give the right name, you’ll help?”
“Probably not. You might have noticed on the way down that my facilities are full right now. It all depends on who your passenger is.”
“I did notice. Were those Chessori ships?”
Mzdak croaked with displeasure. “They are.”
“You’re working on their ships? That’s new, isn’t it?”
“Orders from the new regime, Captain. Now, what is the name, and what do you need?”
“I hesitate to give a name, Admiral. My passenger is trying hard to keep a low profile, and once spoken, names cannot be rescinded.” His neck swung toward Mzdak, his head reaching across the desk. He said softly, “I’ll make it worth your while, sir.”
He had intentionally moved into Mzdak’s private space. He wanted to put the admiral on the defensive, test him under stress, and it worked. Though the Empire was civilized, Mzdak knew that his kind would make a good meal for a dragon, and hard-learned instincts kindled of their own accord. The admiral backed away.
“Sorry, sir. That was an unforgiveable breach of etiquette.”
Clearly ruffled, Mzdak replied angrily, “Look, Captain, I’m under a lot of pressure here. I’m forced to do things I consider unconscionable, I’m behind on the work schedule, and now you come in and threaten me. My answer is no. Get out.”