“We can draft one on the way to the bridge,” the queen assured him, “and she can walk with the guards… if that is permissible?”
I watched as Mack’s gaze shifted to me. There really was only one answer he could make to that, and I’d be okay. I glanced back at the guard. Her grip had loosened, but her hand still rested on my shoulder. She turned her head towards me, and raised one eyebrow in an all-too-human gesture. I felt my own eyebrows rise in response, and turned hurriedly back to the queen.
Mack’s answer was as inevitable as the stars.
“As your Majesty wishes.”
The queen flashed us both a quick smile, and gestured towards the door.
“If you would lead the way, we will arrange for the repairs your Shady Marie requires.”
I saw Mack hesitate, for just the briefest moment, before walking towards the door.
“Of course, your Majesty,” he said, but he favored me with a quick and worried glance as he passed.
There really was nothing I could say to that. The queen was right: The arach forces had to be found and driven out—and we had a debt to repay. We had, after all, been coerced by the arach into playing a small part in their plans. There was only one way to clear that debt from our plates, if not our consciences.
“Exactly.” Mack’s response sounded in my head, quietly, as though only I would hear it.
It was almost a relief when no-one else responded, as though even the vespis understood the illusion of privacy. That concept had to hold value in a society of psi.
Mack kept walking, and Tens followed him. Delight remained with the Doc, helping him over to a seat, and brushing away the bodyguard’s concern.
“He’ll be okay.”
The wasp hovered a moment longer, clearly worried. It flinched, when Doc reached out and laid a hand on its shoulder.
“I’m just a little old for these shenanigans,” he said, and it raised a hand to his weathered face, placing a palm gently on his cheek.
“We are sorry,” it said, and Doc patted it on the shoulder.
“It is not your fault,” he told it. “I was being foolish.”
“You were defending your nest-mate.”
There was no real response for that, so Doc said nothing. He just patted it, again, and sat down.
“Go,” he said, when it hesitated. “Delight is here.”
It moved a couple of steps away from him, and then turned to look back.
“We will need her on the bridge.”
It didn’t say when, but we all knew Delight was needed as soon as she could make it. Doc understood.
“I will not keep her long.”
“Thank you…” and the series of sounds it made at the end held nothing but respect.
The queen turned, and crossed to where Doc was resting. She said nothing when she arrived, just stood and looked down at him, before laying a palm briefly against his cheek. To my surprise, he turned his face into it, kissing her lightly and covering her hand with his own.
It was a short-lived gesture, and full of a meaning I could not decipher. I wonder what Mack would have made of it, but said nothing. A glance at Delight showed her observing the exchange, and frowning slightly, as though the meaning escaped her, as well. It was something I would pursue, later. For now, all I could do was follow the queen, and work with her people, as she had commanded.
And as Mack wished.
I sighed. I hated politics, and this looked like more politics than what I had trained for. When the bodyguard fell into step behind her queen, I walked beside her, glad when she took her arm from across my shoulders. After all, where would I go?
Mack was having no luck with the station master in charge of the orbital.
“You cannot dock.”
“I have to dock. My ship is in need of urgent repair.”
“You are not authorized.”
“Station, this is the captain of the Shady Marie requesting permission to dock for emergency repair.”
“Shady Marie, wave off, wave off, wave off. You are not permitted to dock. Wave off.”
“Station, why are you refusing permission?”
“Shady Marie you have been in contact with arach forces. We cannot risk contamination. Permission to dock, denied. Wave off.”
Mack opened his mouth to try, once more, but the queen cut across him as she entered the bridge.
“Station, this Queen Tekravzary aboard the Shady Marie. You will allow this ship to dock.”
“But, my queen, the arach…”
“The arach force has been eliminated, but this ship is in need of sanctuary and repair.”
“I cannot offer sanctuary…” the station master began, but, again, the queen cut across him.
“I can. You will allow this ship to dock, or I will relieve you of your position. You will not deny your queen a second time, today.”
“I…” and we heard him pause. “Of course not, your Majesty. The Shady Marie can dock on Arm 3.”
“That is not where the repair docks are located.”
“The repair docks are not available, your Majesty,” the station master said, and this time, we all caught the nervous flicker of his eyes.
“Station Master,” the queen said, “do you need our assistance in preparing the repair docks?”
He opened his mouth to reply, and was suddenly pulled below the top of his console, his cry of alarm echoing through the bridge, even as the link to the station died.
Mack turned to the queen.
“Looks like your station is compromised,” he said.
“Not all of it,” Tens broke in. “The control center, and the repair dock show arach life sign, but the rest is currently clear. It looks like the station personnel were able to lock themselves down, when the first wave hit.”
“What about the freighter?”
“The freighter is currently locked in its docking bay,” the queen said, but her form was wavery, and anger rolled around her in a palpable wave.
Around me, the bodyguards shifted from human to vespis, and sent out a low, penetrating hum. I heard it broadcast ship-wide over the intercom, and felt it penetrate to the bone. My ears ached with the power
