The Last Praetorian (4 page)

Finally recovering his wits, he gasped. “Have you taken
complete leave of your senses? You cannot be here!  If anybody saw you and word
reached your father, he would, he would…” Actually Jon was not entirely sure
what the Emperor would do, but he was very much attached to his head and would
prefer that it remain…well, attached.

“Stop fussing, nobody saw me.  I have spent most of my life
on this ship and know how to get to places without being observed…” Jon did not
want to even contemplate the implications of that statement.  “Please put on a
shirt, I don’t want to give people the wrong impression.”  Jon had a sudden
vision of somebody walking in on this meeting at three in the morning with her
royal highness, Princess Aurelius, jewel of the empire in his presence and him
being half naked…  He made a grab for the nearest shirt and quickly buttoned it
up to make himself somewhat presentable. 

Fixing the Princess with another angry stare Jon re-iterated
his earlier question. “What are you doing here in my quarters at three in the
morning?”

“Why Commander,” Sofia replied coquettishly. “Would you have
preferred to meet me in my quarters?  I could always ask my father…”

Once again Sofia had got the better of him and Jon started
to realise that along with beauty the Princess had also inherited her father’s
razor sharp intellect.  Realising that this was not the way to spar with the Princess
instead he fell back to his formal bearing.  “Not at all Princess, I am always
ready to serve you and your father.  I was simply inquiring how I could be of
assistance.” 

Sofia frowned at his formal response and replied with an
impish smile, “I think I preferred you without the shirt.  Anyway, as to why I
am here I wanted to understand your actions earlier this evening.” 

Thinking back to the events in the officer lounge Jon tried
to think what particular action she was referring to.  Remembering his anger
directed towards her, that it was though her actions that young man had to
suffer and slashing the sword towards her… “Princess Aurelius I would never
have harmed…if my actions frightened you…” Jon tried to explain. 

Sofia’s eyes clouded in confusion for a moment before she understood
what Jon was referring to.  Her expression softening, she moved forward to lay
a delicate hand on his chest.  Jon could feel the heat of her palm pressing
though the thin shirt and for a brief moment regretted having put on the shirt.

“You never harmed me and I was never frightened by what you
did.  Ever since father made you head of the Praetorians I have always felt…
safe with you around, knowing that nothing could harm me as they would have to
go through you - my own white knight, with his magical sword.”  Sofia explained
wistfully with a hint of sadness. 

Jon took a few moments to consider what her life must have
been like, growing up without a mother, surrounded by her father’s court. 
Deciding that this topic of conversation was getting too personal Jon instead
replied truthfully to her earlier question. “You wanted to know why I spared
the boy’s life?”  Sofia made a small nod to acknowledge that this is indeed
what she had been asking about.

“I have seen too much senseless death and destruction over
the years.”  Jon tried to explain haltingly, “from the unification wars,
through to the separatist struggles and pirate attacks.  I just did not want
another senseless death on my conscience tonight.  Anyway…” Jon replied with a
grin, “I am not that old and can clearly remember doing stupid things to try
and impress the most beautiful girl at the party!” 

Sofia seemed to mull his answer over in her head for a few
moments before smiling softly and leaning forward kissed him on the cheek
gently.

“Well…” she blushed slightly at her obviously impulsive
action, “thank you for not hurting him.  I had better get back before father
starts to wonder where I am.”  Nodding in understanding Jon released his arm
from around her waist, which seemed to have moved there of its own volition when
she had kissed him. 

As she stepped through the door, Sofia looked back and
commented with a smirk, “So you thought I was the most beautiful girl at the
party?” 

However, the door slid shut before Jon had a chance to
reply.  Shaking his head at the entire surreal encounter, Jon decided that it
was time that he got some rest.      

*****

“…I left the young man in the care of the senior flight
surgeon Doctor Richardson,” Jon said.  “He assured me that the young man would
make a full recovery.”

The room was completely silent for a few moments as Jon
finished recounting the events that transpired in the senior officer’s lounge
the previous evening.  Jon had come to the conclusion several hours earlier to
leave out what had transpired in his quarters after the fight in the officer’s
lounge.  That would have raised more questions than answers.

Eventually the Emperor seemed to rouse himself from his
contemplation and gazed at the Commander unblinkingly for a moment.  Meeting
the Emperors gaze unflinchingly, inside Jon idly wondered if the Emperor
already knew about his daughter’s late night visitation.  It was not as if the
Emperor was lacking enough spies within the Imperial Fleet.

“Shortly after I had a visit from the foolish boy’s mother,
you might know her…Senator Rione of the Callas Republic?”  The Emperor suddenly
announced, breaking the silence. Jon visibly winced; the Callas Republic was
one of the larger factions within the Imperial Senate, very old and very
powerful.

“She requested your head, followed by your corpse,” the
Emperor added.  “I forgot to inquire which she wanted first,” he added drolly. 
Jon was about to respond but a raised hand from the Emperor forestalled any
response. “Some time later, I had a visit from the young gentleman who
stridently defended your actions… I couldn’t fully understand all his arguments
as his nose was heavily swollen and he had to keep stopping mid-sentence to get
his breath, but I think I understood the essence of what he was trying to
saying…” Jon had to forcibly close his mouth, which had opened in shock.

“The senator’s son…defended my actions?” Jon inquired
incredulously.  

“Indeed,” the Emperor let a small smirk appear on his face. 
“You seemed to have made quite an impact on the young man, if you will pardon
the pun.  He was strident in his desire to join the fleet as an officer.”

“He is certainly brave enough,” Jon muttered under his
breath.  Having the nerve to first draw a weapon on a Praetorian Guard and then
demand an audience with the Emperor himself. “This was why you required my
presence?” Jon inquired, surprised.

“No,” replied the Emperor, “although I must confess to a
certain amount of curiosity about what transpired, as it is the talk of the
fleet, about how you tried to kill my daughter and were only stopped by the
valiant efforts of one of her friends, or how you saved my daughter’s life from
a determined assassin… depending on which set of stories you want to believe.” 
The Emperor stated with a glint in his eye.  Jon could only roll his eyes at
the fleet scuttlebutt, by the end of the week the story would only have grown
more absurd.

“I have a task for the Praetorians,” the Emperor continued
to explain his real reason for the audience.  “I have an important cargo that I
want delivered to Eden Prime.  This cargo is priceless and I want it delivered
unharmed.”  Jon raised an eyebrow at these unusual orders; it was not the
Praetorians usual duty to act as cargo-haulers – not even for extremely
valuable cargo. There was something that he was missing… “Due to the nature of
the cargo you will be carrying I expect you to personally deliver this piloting
the
Eternal Light
.”  This was an even greater shock to Jon as while he
had flown the
Eternal Light
on numerous occasions this was the twin ship
of the
Star Light
, the emperor’s personal shuttle.  As far as he was
aware only the Emperor and his family ever travelled on this ship, which raised
an interesting question of who, or what this cargo is, to which Jon had a
terrible premonition…

“The cargo that I will be transporting is?”  Jon inquired
hesitantly.

“Is my only daughter, Sofia,” the Emperor responded,
confirming Jon’s worst fear. “You have some concerns regarding this
assignment?”  He inquired, noticing the frown on Jon’s face.

“Not at all!”  Jon hurriedly tried to reassure his master. 
“Your daughter is certainly a lovely person….” The sudden silence that appeared
after that statement seemed like a black hole that was suddenly engulfing.  
“And she had a great personality,” Jon was quick to add.  “And I find her
company to be very…” he continued.

“Yes?” The Emperor prompted.

Demoralising.  Uncomfortable.  Maddening.  Painful.  “Delightful,”
Jon muttered, and somehow managed not to choke on the word.  Jon clamped his
mouth shut before he could do any more damage.  The Emperor just pinned him
with another one of his searing gazes and Jon once again wondered just how much
he knew about their relationship.

“My daughter is to finish her education on Eden Prime before
commencing work at the Imperial Senate.” Jon knew for a fact that the Senate
had been based on Eden Prime for the past two decades.  With a sigh the Emperor
motioned around the darkened room, with just the two occupants. “This is not
the environment that I wanted to raise my family, however with the death of her
mother I could not take the risk of being separated from her, however, now my
little girl is growing up, she deserves her own life, to be able to stand on
firm ground, to look up at the sky and feel the sun on her face.”

“Who knows,” the Emperor continued after a brief pause
giving Jon a knowing look, “she might meet somebody on Eden Prime and decide to
settle down and start a family.”  Jon kept his face impassive but inside was
debating what action he would take if any such suitor approached Sofia.  Thoughts
of choking such a suitor to death felt very appealing.

“I will protect your daughter with my life if necessary,”
Jon reassured the Emperor. “No harm will come to her on Eden Prime while she is
under the protection of the Praetorians.” 

And I’ll be making damn sure that no one comes within ten
meters of her!
  Jon did not voice aloud.

The Emperor frowned for an instant, as if he had been
expecting a different response, finally acknowledging the response.  “The
Eternal
Light
is being refuelled on my orders as we speak.  I expect you to be
departing within the hour,” the Emperor ordered in a clear sign of dismissal. 

Jon was taken aback for an instant at the abrupt departure
but quickly dropped to one knee and bowed his head in acknowledgement of his
orders.  Quickly striding from the room, grasping the sword at his side tightly
to avoid tripping over it in his haste, his thoughts were ablaze with
preparations to be made for their early departure.      

*****

Jon was therefore distinctly annoyed that upon exiting the
Emperor’s apartments that he came face-to-face with the last person that he
wanted to meet – Commodore Harkov.

Harkov was a thin man who, upon first seeing him, Jon
thought look sleep-deprived and erratic.  Jon had taken an instant dislike to
the man.  He maintained a high level of security and ran his ship very
strictly, discouraging his subordinates from acting outside of their orders or
asking unnecessary questions, all of which led to low morale on board.  One
incident, which Jon had been present to observe, occurred when Captain Thrace
made a joke during a briefing by Harkov.  The Commodore had struck him.  Jon
considered that Harkov embodied everything wrong with the Imperial Fleet,
overbearing, inflexible, and more interested in personal gain than the ideals
under which the Empire had been incorporated.

“Commander, a word,” Harkov demanded with a strong voice
that carried his authority as a senior Imperial officer.

“I’m busy,” Jon replied brusquely without even breaking
stride, forcing the Commodore to hurry to keep up with his longer stride.

“That was not a request,” Harkov called.  “Need I remind you
that I am your superior,” he insisted. 

Stopping, Jon let out a hiss of frustration as he slowly
counted to ten in his head before turning to face Harkov, his frustration plain
for all to see.  “No, you are simply a higher ranking officer, you are in no
way superior, Commodore.”  Jon placed just enough emphasis on his rank to
remind him of his recent demotion by the Emperor. 

It was obvious that Harkov was struggling to maintain his
composure at the obvious insult.  “I want to know what you were just discussing
with Marcus,” he demanded.

“It was a private conversation,” Jon retorted.  “I am sure
if the Emperor,” Jon emphasised his title, “wishes you to be aware of the
meeting, he will inform you himself.  Now if you will excuse me.”  Jon made it
clear that he did not give a damn if he was excused or not, turning his back on
the Commodore and continuing towards the flight deck.

“Fuck you Radec!”  Harkov shouted at his retreating form.  “You
son-of-a-bitch, you think you are somebody just because you are Aurelius’
latest lap-dog!  I’ll have your head on a platter one day!  You mark my words! 
You’ll get what’s coming to you.  You’ll see, sooner, rather than later.”

Stopping in the corridor and pivoting around to face the
Commodore, Jon put his hand on the hilt of his sword and replied in a biting
tone of voice.  “On second thought Commodore I can probably spare a few minutes
now.”  Harkov just blanched before hurrying off in the opposite direction. 
With eyes as cold as the depth of winter, Jon watched until Harkov had rounded
a corner and was out of sight before finally letting his frustration with the
contemptible officer show.  On the way towards the flight deck Jon could not shake
the feeling that Harkov was going to haunt him for many years to come.