The Genevian Queen: The Complete Series, page 29
“Ummm…” Rika looked from Kelly to Leslie, then at Chase and Tremon. “Have I totally missed something?”
The chancellor nodded. “You really have. Perish the thought that all our lives hinge on your powers of observation, My Queen.”
Rika groaned. “Well? Is anyone going to tell me?”
“You’re serious?” Kelly asked. “You haven’t noticed?”
“That’s it.” Rika turned away from her old friend. “I’m not talking to you till after I’m coronated.”
“Oh?” the SMI asked.
“Yeah, then I’ll issue a decree forcing you to tell me.”
“It won’t work,” Kelly countered.
Rika turned back to the door, on the other side of which waited a room full of people she didn’t know—most of them, at least. “You all really aren’t helping.”
“Easy, hon,” Chase placed a hand on her shoulder. “This is going to be a cakewalk. Tremon’s going to guide you through it all. Thirty minutes and it’s done but for the drinking.”
“I’m already ready for that part,” she muttered.
“So are we all,” the chancellor said. “You know, I was nicely retired before I met you, Rika.”
“You were hiding. That’s different.”
The chancellor shrugged, a relaxed smile on his lips. “You say tomayto, I say tomahto.”
Rika quirked an eyebrow at the man, glad to see him actually happy. In many regards, his time in Genevia had mirrored hers, insofar as unwanted added responsibility was concerned. But, for all her grousing, the Genevian people had been receptive to her, and positive in their reactions to having a mech as their magnus, and soon to be queen.
Niki said to Rika.
She sent a mental laugh her AI’s way and shook her head.
Rika didn’t reply to the AI, and glanced at Tremon. “So, do you go out first? I have to admit that I wasn’t paying much attention to the order of procession.”
The chancellor shook his head. “Yeah, me first, then—actually, Niki can just tell you when you’re on. Relax and go with the flow.”
“Umm…because that’s not disconcerting at all,” Rika muttered.
At Niki’s direction, she stepped out of sight before the doors opened, and Chancellor Tremon walked out. He was followed by Kelly and Silva, who looked magnificent in their white armor.
In a way, the ceremony felt a bit like a wedding to Rika. Instead of being married to Chase, though, she was being married to the Genevian people.
Even so, she’d walk down the aisle with him at her side.
The only thing that felt wrong was how few of her mechs were present. In fact, other than the members of her personal guard—the rest of whom were spread throughout the room—there were no other mechs on Belgium.
he replied, shooting her a curious look over her use of ‘too’. Luckily Rika was saved from him bringing it up by Niki speaking up.
Rika took Chase’s arm, and the pair walked out into the ballroom.
The space was filled with Genevian leadership, from planetary governors to ministers to stationmasters—nearly everyone in the inner system who had been found to be loyal—and not a Nietzschean toadie was present.
The room was decorated in a style fit for a mech queen. The pillars that supported the roof were covered in sheaths reminiscent of Rika’s own armor. They rose up to a darkened roof that was filled with stars and images of ships passing overhead, Marauder vessels doing battle against Nietzscheans in the faux night sky.
At the center of the room was a raised dais, where Tremon stood waiting for Rika. Kelly and Silva stood on either side, and Chase stopped at the edge as well, holding her hand for a moment before letting go.
* * * * *
Kora strode onto the ViperTalon’s bridge and stood next to the captain’s station, arms akimbo. “We in queue yet?”
“Yeah, using your name got us priority placement,” Rajiz said, his tone carefully neutral.
Despite the fact that Kora and Gary had essentially commandeered his ship, the captain hadn’t made a big issue out of it, and seemed resigned to the fact that he was facing another round of interrogations before—hopefully—being let go.
Avi on the other hand had been building up a solid grudge, her eyes shooting daggers at Kora every time they encountered one another. It had become so uncomfortable that Kora and Gary rarely left one another alone out of a growing concern for their safety.
“That’s good,” Kora replied, wondering how to broach the next subject with the captain and his first mate, certain it was going to rub Avi the wrong way.
“So, I’m curious if you checked the case with the Discipline chips in it when you first took it.”
“What do you mean?” Avi snapped, her brows lowering. “Are you asking if I popped it open for a quick look-see when we were in the Nietzschean compound on Chad?”
“Yeah, or shortly after,” Kora suggested. “I’m just curious if everything was in there, or if some things were missing.”
“Not that I know—” Rajiz began, but Avi stood up and spoke over him.
“Kora, what in the effing stars makes you think we know so much about Nietzschean Discipline systems that we know what would and would not be in that case? We were hired to steal it, and we stole it. Job done.”
“Don’t you check to make sure that you grabbed the right thing?”
Avi shrugged. “I was told to get a case labeled DT11-142-X, so I got case with that label. It was sealed and Linked, so I didn’t exactly want to crack it open with ten thousand Niets around to see if they’d notice.”
“And later?” Kora pressed.
“I opened it,” Rajiz said. “But just to check that it had stuff in it. I only knew what they were from my time in the service, I didn’t inventory them.”
“Why do you ask.” Avi’s lips settled into a sneer.
Kora fixed the woman with as unpleasant a look as she was receiving. “Why the core do you think I am? Because some are missing!”
“How many?” Rajiz asked.
“Three.”
“So?” Avi folded her arms across her chest. “Aren’t all those Discipline units old Genevian tech? I thought the Niets hated mechs and the Discipline system.”
“They did,” Rajiz nodded, his brows furrowed in thought. “They hated the modification of the pure human form, but they respected the warriors. Maybe they have some mechs in their military and these units are for them.”
“Wait.” Kora turned to face the captain directly. “I thought you just said the Niets hated Genevian mechs.”
“Well, I didn’t say that exactly, but I imagine a lot do. Either way, they used our own mechs against us in the war, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it again. There’s still that planet in the Melburn System. People say it’s been cleaned out, but I think a lot of mechs are still there.”
“Shit,” Kora muttered. “Rika will be interested in that.”
“So what are you worried about specifically?” Rajiz asked. “The Marauder mechs have been altered. The chips won’t work on them.”
The detective drew in a deep breath and rolled her shoulders in a slow stretch. “That’s true, but what if they use one on a human close to Rika?”
Avi blinked, her expression turning from haughty to grave. “You’re thinking assassination.”
Kora only nodded. “I need to relay this to Leslie.”
CORONATED
STELLAR DATE: 06.09.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Royal Palace, Mount Genevia, Belgium
REGION: Genevia System, New Genevian Alliance
The ceremony had been blessedly short. It consisted of her reciting an oath of office that was similar to the one the presidents used to swear, and then Tremon placed a small circlet on her head.
As much as Rika wanted to consider it a foolish bit of pomp and ceremony, the feeds were alight with the pride her people had in having a warrior queen, someone who would bravely lead the charge against the Nietzscheans.
There was some grumbling, but Niki assured her that those not in favor of having a queen were a distinct minority.
After shaking more hands than she ever had in her life—most prepared to use their left, though a few still surprised by the gun-arm on her right—she’d retreated to a balcony to gather her thoughts.
“Queen Rika,” a voice said from behind, and Rika turned to see a slender, dark-haired woman walk onto the balcony, left hand extended to clasp hers.
Her HUD gave the woman’s name, and Rika extended her hand. “Becky, captain of the Slyfe.” They shook. “How nice to see you here. Thank you for getting us the news from Gerra so quickly.”
Becky’s eyes grew cloudy. “I’m just sorry it wasn’t better news. I can’t believe what the Niets did there! I knew they were savages, but attacking innocent civilians like that….”
Rika withdrew her hand. “Well, we saw worse in the war—though not by much. The Niets hate to lose.”
“Yeah…I’ve noticed. Even after you beat them here, they tried to steal that ship.”
Rika gave a mental snort.
“Well, the Marauders’ Lance is quite the ship. I can see why they’d want it back.”
“It’s big, sure, but it’s really not that good in a fight, is it? Just a large target that’s hard to move around the battlespace. That’s why I like my Slyfe, it’s quick and nimble.”
“The Niets like to make big ships,” Rika shrugged. “Just like their Harriets and the Fury Lance. Then, later on, they realize they’re not that practical, and focus on their smaller cruisers and destroyers.”
Becky nodded as though she had a solid understanding of fleet strategy and tactics—which Rika very much doubted the woman did. She seemed to just fly around, living off money given to her by her wife.
She wondered what it would be like to have no worries, no stress, not a care in the world other than where you’d dock next.
Rika tried to imagine what that would be like, but couldn’t begin to fathom it. Still, the idea seemed enticing, even if it were just something to try for a while.
“…the hull was this amazing iridescent blue, it was so beautiful. Too bad warships can’t be pretty like that.”
Rika suppressed a laugh. “Well, it’s hard to be stealthy when your entire ship is glowing.”
“Maybe they’d think you were so sure you’d win any conflict that no one would even take a shot…like those brightly colored frogs.”
Rika laughed.
“Please,” Becky whispered, her carefully crafted look of benign interest cracking. “They’re making me do this. I’m so sorry.”
“Who?” Rika hissed, anger causing her cheeks to flush.
“The PLI…Rachella. She said you took her sister and she wants her back.”
Rika glanced around the balcony, scanning the area beyond the doors to see if anyone else was nearby. Stars, Kelly, where are you?
“How many are there?”
“Please, they put something in my head, it hurts so much when I don’t do what they want.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Rika took a step forward and reached around Becky, placing her hand on the back of the woman’s neck.
As she was delivering a passel of nano, the captain of the Slyfe jammed the heel of her hand under Rika’s chin. There were tears in her eyes, and she mouthed, ‘Sorry’.
Then Rika’s entire world turned into pain.
* * * * *
Silva sent a laugh.
Rika and Niki’s signals had dropped off the network.
A second later, every member of the queen’s guard was on alert, with Silva, Kelly, and Keli moving toward Rika’s last known position.
Leslie joined in on the Guard’s combat net.
Kelly sent an affirmative as she and Silva closed on the exit to the balcony where Rika had last been seen. She was three strides away when something slammed into her and knocked her to the side.
She rolled to her feet and squared off against a massive man who didn’t hesitate to fling himself at her once more. There wasn’t room to bring her GNR to bear, so she grabbed her pulse pistol, jamming it between them, and squeezed the trigger a half-dozen times.
The man shuddered and groaned, but didn’t release his hold. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Silva was also grappling with an opponent, and another—a tall woman with a menacing glower on her brow—was closing in.
The man was punching her in the face with one hand while the other was clamped around her neck. Neither tactic was doing more than annoy her, and she thrust her arm into the air and swung her elbows down on the man’s forehead. There was a sickening crunch and he staggered back before falling to the ground.
“Gross,” Keli commented as she raced past, Kelly right on her heels.
“Rika!” Both mechs called out as they saw their queen slumped over the railing, another woman at her feet.
“I’m OK,” Rika said in a weak voice. “Bitch fired an EM burst right into my face.”
“Shit, Rika!” Leslie cried out as she swept onto the balcony, her jet black form barely visible in the day’s fading light. “Who—”
“Becky,” Rika said, pushing the figure at her feet over. “Niki shut her down and disabled her D-chip. She’s not a threat anymore.”
“Kelly killed baddies, and mine is going to need a cruiser-sized dose of pain meds when he wakes up,” Silva said as she walked onto the balcony.
“Mine’s going to need a new head,” Keli said with a laugh as she glanced back out into the ballroom where the regular guard—mostly consisting of rebel forces from Gary’s platoon at the Refuge—moved the guests back.
