Way of No Return (Champions of the Crystal Book 8)

Chapter 12.6

By the time Ford had finished telling them about Avestar and his journey home, Stecklan had mostly recovered his senses, though he looked more miserable the more lucid he became. Ford wondered if he needed medical help as he listened to Mukryilla's report on the state of the capital city. They were interrupted near dawn as Pohan and Eniris came to report, greeting Ford with delight and full of news about the state of the palace.

"They emptied the vault," Pohan said, "but we found most of the regalia scattered around. They didn't have much use for it, after all. They took the Sword, though."

"We put everything back and locked it up as best we could," Eniris said.

I'm going to have to get the sharding Sword back, Ford thought in dismay. "Thank you," he said, then turned back to the group at large. "My first objective is to find some way to draw the Kyan back into the city, to lessen the danger that they may find the Inheritor. Second, we need to protect the remaining civilians by evacuating them or lessening the Reissian presence in residential areas. Third, I'd like to choose a sensible symbolic gesture, retaking the palace, perhaps, to boost public morale. I would have preferred the Legislative Complex, but it seems that will be a rebuilding project," he added with a sigh.

"The palace isn't very habitable," Pohan said reluctantly. "There's some water back in the lakebed, but the entire island smells like rotting fish, and there are all kinds of dead things floating in the water. Plus there's water damage to the building itself, not to mention what the Reissians did to the gardens."

"The building isn't very defensible even at the best of times," Ricar said. "It really needs a shield like Dansestari's."

"It was built for peaceful times," Ford agreed. "And I don't want to live in a fortress, but I want to make it a safe place for my family. We'll look into the shield idea when this is over. But I understand your point: if we retake it, the palace will require a huge investment of personnel and equipment to defend, assuming we can all stand the smell. It would be hard to supply, too, come to think of it. Is there a better place for us to make a stand?"

"The Academy. We partly hold it, and there are a lot of people still there," Ricar said. "The militia is using the Military Academy as a base, but the Reissians have made incursions, and they're besieging the Student Commons."

Mukryilla nodded. "Liberating the entire Academy and putting a line of defense around it would give us added security for those of you who must be kept safe and provide shelter for refugees from other parts of the city. I believe we will shortly have enough volunteers to make this idea feasible, but we will need to coordinate with Captain Tevoris of the militia."

"Are you in touch with the base at Veshirin?" Ford asked. "There are plenty of military personnel stationed there."

"Unfortunately, no," Mukryilla replied. "Communications are a problem, as we believe the enemy is monitoring. If we had a secure system like the one we had to destroy at the palace, we could contact them."

"Baldaran will have a system like that wherever he is," Ford mused. "I just need to figure out how to ask him to send them along to us using Scotty's code. The Military Academy doesn't have a secure system?"

"They are not technically active military," Mukryilla said. "The Corweign Academy at Dansestari is the only military academy that houses an active military installation. Though I plan to suggest that be reevaluated when this is over."

"I don't want to militarize Bathir," Ford said, "but we could have been better prepared for this, it's true. Their luring Mother away was a stroke of genius, and one we didn't anticipate."

"How will we know when the Guardian plans to strike?" she asked.

"She'll let us know. I believe she plans to wait until the fleet arrives, so that the enemy has to contend with both a space war and a ground war. Assuming they don't use another distortion wave to knock out the fleet," Ford said. "But I believe she has taken that into account. I know it was much on my father's and Khediva's minds."

"I can imagine," Mukryilla murmured. "We will begin laying plans to take and hold the entire Academy campus, then. But first, rest. You are all dismissed. Your royal highness, if you would not mind remaining?"

"Certainly," Ford said. "Stecklan, wait for me. We'll head back to the Academy as soon as it's full light and we won't look like we're sneaking around. You can sleep on the cot on my lab after we get there."

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"Oh," Ford said, just remembering, "hang on a minute. Sastarn, you too."

"Yes, sir," Sastarn said, climbing back down the ladder.

"Stecklan," Ford said when everyone else was gone and the door had closed behind them, "I don't want you at risk; you know too much. But we still need to have someone out there as Sabrina's emissary, especially if I'm not going to be making public appearances. I want you to give the signet to Sastarn and give him whatever instructions Sabrina gave you, and then continue serving as my bodyguard. I will be remaining in secure areas for the most part, so that will help ensure neither of us are captured and forced to betray what we know."

Stecklan looked unhappy. "Sir, what you say makes sense, but I gave my word to the princess I would not surrender her rings to anyone other than herself, except on my death."

"Hm." Ford frowned. Then his expression lightened. "Taking into account that I am both her husband and co-ruler, does your oath allow you to surrender the rings to me? Legally, we are almost the same person."

Stecklan thought about it. He knew that no matter the wording of his promise, Sabrina would have no objection to his giving the rings to Ford, but he wanted very much to honor the letter of his word.

Mukryilla said, "Would it help if I made it an order, Subcommander?"

Stecklan grimaced. "No, ma'am. That would only confuse the issue further, since I am not sure where you are in the Bathiran chain of command."

"Nowhere," Mukryilla admitted. "I am in your chain of command, however. Very well, let me merely advise you to surrender the rings to the prince, to be given to the emissary of his choice. I assure you that the princess would urge you to do so if we could contact her."

"I have no doubt of it," Stecklan said. He reached into his inner pocket, then drew out the rings.

Ford regarded his hesitation with some sympathy. "I know, Stecklan, that you don't want to let her down—that you want to do the job she gave you. And I wish I could let you. But I can't have you at risk while you know her exact location. It made sense for you to do it when there were no other options, but now there are."

"I know," Stecklan murmured, looking down at the rings.

Sastarn said, "Speak to him with her voice, sir."

They all turned to look at him, and he gave them a sheepish grin. "I heard the princess do it, back in Homeworld space. Sometimes people wouldn't be satisfied with just her answer and they wanted yours too, so she would give them the answer again and say she was speaking with your voice."

Ford grinned. "You have unnaturally sharp ears for a chauffeur, Sastarn. But you're right; we both used that trick when necessary. It had legal force behind it because of how the ambassadorial orders were drawn up. I think the provisions in our marriage contract would serve the same purpose." He stood, facing Stecklan solemnly. "Speaking with the voice of Sabrina, Princess of Bathir: give me the rings, Stecklan."

Stecklan handed the rings over. "I'm sorry to make a fuss, sir."

"Don't apologize for taking your promises seriously," Ford replied. "I wouldn't want you with us if you didn't." He slid Sabrina's wedding ring into his pocket, grateful to have something of hers as a talisman, and handed the signet to Sastarn. "Don't lose it," he said sternly.

Sastarn swallowed hard. "No, sir. Do you want me to make the same promise?"

"No. Don't die for a piece of jewelry, no matter how symbolic," Ford said. "But try not to get it smashed, would you? You've no idea what it cost, aside from the sentimental value."

"Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

"You two go upstairs and brief each other," Ford instructed. "I'll be up shortly."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, climbing the ladder and closing the trap door behind them.