The Last Praetorian (22 page)

It was only while enfolded in their loving embrace that Jon
truly allowed himself to relax.  The last week had been a nightmare of battles,
dramatic escapes and running for their lives.  Continually looking over their
shoulder to see who might be chasing them. 

Suddenly, Jon remembered Sofia. Looking at her, he watched
her observing the scene closely, with such yearning in her eyes.  Remembering
the recent loss of her father, and losing her mother when she was only a small
child, Jon suddenly felt very awkward surrounded by the love of his family. 
Gently detaching himself from their embrace he reached behind him and slowly
dragged Sofia into the light, both parents stilled at the sudden sight of Sofia
and Jon awkwardly introduced her.

“Mum, Dad, I would like you to meet… Sofia,” Jon explained
with difficulty, only at the last minute deciding not to mention her full title
and family name.  He knew that he would need to give a full explanation later,
but thought it was better not to have that conversation on their front door
step.  “Sofia, my father Ryan,” Jon introduced, “and my mother…Irene.”  Both
pairs of eyes swivelled to focus on Sofia before turning back to him with
inquiring expressions.  Internally Jon sighed to himself, this was far too
close to an introduce-the-girlfriend-to-the-parents-for-the-first-time
conversation than he was entirely comfortable with and he knew that his parents
were leaping to some wild assumptions, but now was not the time to have this
discussion.

His mother was quick off the mark, and inviting Sofia into
the house before he could get one more word in edgeways, leaving Jon on the
doorstep facing a very bemused father. 

Recognising the weary expression on Jon’s face and his
soaked clothes, his father added sympathetically. “Why don’t we get a drink
while the ladies get acquainted?”  Jon could only nod in agreement before
entering their home.

*****

Seated, Jon gratefully accepted a towel to dry himself and a
glass of Scotch from his father, momentarily warmed by the smoky drink easily
sliding down his throat.  His father was momentarily taken off balance, when
Jon motioned towards the bottle for a refill.  Jon had never been a heavy
drinker.

“You want to tell your old man what is going on?”  His
father asked perceptively, recognising that the weary expression on his son’s
face was not just a result of the long journey. 

Trying to think where to start, Jon simply stated. “The
Emperor is dead.” 

Recognising the bleak expression on his son’s face, his
father inquired. “I assume that he did not pass away quietly in his sleep…” Jon
simply shook his head and started to recount the story from the beginning.

It was sometime later when Jon concluded the narrative with
their arrival at his parent’s home.  His father just stood silently for a
moment before peering down at his own empty glass.

“I think I’ll join you in another drink,” he stated, pouring
himself a generous helping and refilling his son’s glass, which was also now
empty.  “So after almost 500 years, the rule of the Aurelius family has finally
come to an end,” his father murmured aloud.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Jon replied peering thoughtfully into
his glass, swirling the smoky drink around the glass.

“I forgot, Marcus has or had a daughter.” 

Jon could never get this head around his father referring to
the Emperor by his first name.   “Has,” Jon corrected his father’s earlier
statement.

“So where is she now?” His father inquired innocently, as
Jon had only mentioned Sofia in passing while recounting their escape from the
Imperial
Star
.  Unfortunately his father noticed Jon’s eyes flicker towards the
sound of his mother and Sofia in the adjoining room.

His father’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “You cannot be
serious!” he exclaimed.  “You brought her here? An Imperial Princess? Daughter
of the Emperor?”

“What the
hell
was I meant to do?” Jon hissed in
frustration, almost spilling his drink. “We have the entire Imperial Navy
chasing us, half seem to be intent on killing us, and the other half, who
knows?  The Praetorians are no more, and on-top of that we seem to have a
bounty on our head, so every bounty hunter and mercenary in the Imperium is out
to get us.  I didn’t know where else to go…” Jon exclaimed in a despairing
tone.

Ryan peered down at his son, ashamed. He had just been taken
by surprise and had not meant the harsh-words spoken.  Patting him reassuringly
on the shoulder he said. “You know that you always have a place here, and
whomever else you want to invite.  After all, you did buy the house for us, so
it’s yours just as much as it is ours!” His father exclaimed with a warm
chuckle.

With the reassuring touch and warm words, Jon looked up in
thanks, before asking softly. “What do I do now?”

“Well the first thing we are not going to do is tell your
mother about the Princess,” his father stated firmly.  “Hell, your mother
spends days cleaning the house whenever we have guests from the ‘old
neighbourhood’, if she found out we had an Imperial Princess here she would be
cleaning into the next decade,” Jon smiled at his father’s humour, deciding
that urgent decisions about what to do next could wait until the morning.

“Do you have anything to eat?”  Jon inquired desperately.
“We have been living off emergency rations from the shuttle for the past week. 
I’m famished!” 

With a hearty laugh his father clapped his hand on his
shoulder and stated. “Let’s go and see what your mother has planned for
dinner.”     

*****

Sofia looked around curiously, not sure what to expect from
Jon’s family. She was still embarrassed at not having given them a thought in
the past.  Sofia remembered, uncomfortably, more than once mocking Jon about
having no life when she came across him while roaming the
Imperial Star
when lonely.  Whenever she encountered him, he was always busy with reports,
eating alone or checking on their security.  She repeatedly urged him to get a
hobby, or
get a life
she remembered was her favourite term.  Now walking
though his childhood home she wondered if he had also been very much alone, she
could never remember seeing him with anyone, aside from fellow officers,
issuing orders.  Looking back on the time, Sofia remembered that he had always
made time for her, while the other officers and Praetorians seemed to go out of
their way to avoid her.  She wondered if it was this, back so long ago, that
had drawn her interest to the young Commander.

Picking up a photo that was resting on a shelf, she noticed
the young boy, with the grey eyes and dark hair, wearing an instantly
recognisable serious expression.  It was another thing that she associated with
the Commander, he almost never laughed or smiled, she wondered what happened to
him to cause him to permanently wear such a grim expression.  Her sight was
instead drawn to a young girl at Jon’s side.  She guessed that she was a few
years younger than Jon, his sister, she assumed, as both children had almost
identical features, except the girl had a wide smile, as if she had just
trounced her older, more serious brother.

Remembering Jon’s mother, she turned to face her, the
picture still in her hand. “Jon’s sister?” she asked motioning towards the
picture.  Sofia was taken aback when instead of the proud smile that she was
expecting, Irene’s expression slipped and a sliver of sorrow crept into her
expression.

Taking the picture gently from the younger woman she looked
at it for an instant before explaining.  “Yes, our younger child Catherine, she
passed away when she was still young.  This was the last photo that we have of
the two children.  They were always close and Jon was never quite the same
after she passed away, we think he blamed himself.”  Irene continued to look at
the picture fondly before putting it back safely on the shelf.

“Jon was involved in her death?” Sofia asked shocked.

“Of course not!” Irene replied firmly.  “Catherine died from
a genetic disorder, Tay-Sachs disease.  There was nothing that Jon could do.”

Surprised, by this news, Sofia replied confused, “I thought
that we could cure all genetic defects now by gene regeneration therapy.”

“Yes dear,” Irene replied patiently. “But such a treatment
is hugely expensive and is only available on the core words.  The medical
centre on Altair does not offer treatment and we…we could not afford to send
Catherine for treatment.” 

Sofia looked around at the neat and tidy house, with the
plush furnishings, remembering the pretty neighbourhood asked, confused, “But
how can you afford…?”

“We did not buy this house dear,” Jon’s mother explained.
“Jon purchased this for us a few years ago.  Our old home, was…” Irene paused
for a moment, “let’s just say it was not such a safe neighbourhood and Jon
worried about us.”

Sofia was astounded, looking at her surroundings in a new
light.  Jon had purchased this for them?  But how?  She remembered her earlier
recollections of Jon on the
Imperial Star
, always alone, never leaving
the fleet, never… spending anything.  Suddenly Jon’s past began to make more
sense, but still it did not explain everything.  While this home was certainly
no palace, it was still a substantial purchase and while Sofia had no idea what
a Commander in the Imperial Fleet earned, she doubted that it was enough to buy
this in just a few years.  So where had Jon got the money for this? Borrowed
it?  Looking at the proud woman in front of her and having known Jon for a few
years she doubted it.  They would have been too proud to ask.  Ashamed, Sofia
realised that a few years ago she would have just laughed in Jon’s face if he
had asked her for money, although the money to purchase such a house was a drop
in the ocean for her.

So how had he done it?  Sofia hated not knowing things and
would not let the thought go.  Stole it?  Blackmail?  Threats?  Sofia rejected
each one out of hand, unable to picture the scene of some darkened corridor
with Jon shaking-down somebody for money.  She
knew
Jon, knew that he
would never lower himself to that, that his personal honour and integrity would
not allow it.  Her mind kept going back to phrase
a few years ago
.  Why
did that sentence keep sticking in her mind?  Well that was an easy question to
answer, for that was when she had first met Jon, at the award ceremony… and
suddenly everything clicked into place and she knew with absolute certainty
what Jon had used to purchase a new home for his family…

*****

Imperial Princess Sofia Aurelius, daughter of the Emperor,
crown jewel of the Empire, stifled a yawn.  As an Imperial Princess, tradition
dictated that she had to be present, at her father’s side, at the fleet award
ceremony.  Held twice per year it was to recognise Imperial Navy personnel, the
backbone of the Empire, for outstanding contributions and for heroism and bravery. 
Peering down the line of immaculate navel officers Sofia was quick to form the
opinion that there certainly were a large number of Captains, Commodores and
Admirals to be recognised.

Is nobody else in the fleet below Captain capable of
bravery and heroism
? Sofia wondered ironically.
Perhaps the rest of the
navy have more common sense.

Finally her eyes came to rest on one of the officers at the
end of the parade line.  Considering her earlier thought, she noticed that he
was much younger than the rest, nearer her own age.  He was also a lot junior,
no Captain or Admiral but simply a young Lieutenant.  By chance he was also
standing directly opposite from her, while the other officers seemed to be staring
into outer-space,
probably trying to stay awake too,
Sofia thought, this
officer was staring straight ahead, at her!  Subtly glancing to either side of
herself she confirmed that nobody else was standing near her, noticing her
puzzled expression, the young officers featureless expression shifted to a
knowing grin for an instant, and then was gone!  Sofia was incensed!  But what
was she going to do? Interrupt proceedings and berate the young officer, in
front of all, for
smiling
at her!  Everyone in the room would think her silly,
hence with a firm shake of her head she intently focused on the Admiral
currently being awarded the fleet cross for bravery. 
Yawn.

Quickly glancing back to the officer to check that he was
not still staring at her - he was, she averted her sight again.  Damn it!  She
could feel herself start to blush and it was only through extreme self-control
and thinking about other topics, aside from young fleet officers, with deep
grey eyes…

Finally, much relieved, the ceremony came to the young fleet
officer, the last recipient for the day.

“Lieutenant Jonathan Radec,” a voice called out.  The young
officer stepped smartly forward. “In recognition for outstanding heroism and
bravery, in the face of impossible odds and at significant risk to yourself,
and your squadron, the Emperor awards you the Fleet Medal.  The Aurelius Star
Cluster.”

Sofia could not help it, her mouth dropped open in
disbelief.  This young man, this lowly Lieutenant, surrounded my Captains,
Commodores and Admirals was to receive the Fleet Medal, the Aurelius Star
Cluster.  The highest military award in the fleet, in the Imperium? No way!

However, the young officer ignored the stunned silence in
the room, ignored the fact that every eye in the room was on him, probably the
fleet, as this ceremony was broadcast live. Instead he confidently marched
forward to stand in front of the Emperor, her father to receive the award.

Falling to one knee in front of the Emperor, with a
flourish, her father laid the medal around his neck and then in a complete
break with tradition and to an audible gasp from the audience offered the young
man his hand to stand.  For a brief moment Sofia thought that he was going to
refuse her fathers hand.  After all, it was death for anybody daring to touch
the Emperor, she wondered why her father offered his hand, perhaps some test? 
However, the young officer smoothly grasped his hand and rose, once again to
his feet.  Slowly, but with increasing volume, clapping began from the legion
of assembled officers, which quickly grew in volume until it was
deafening.