The Fork in the Road
"Mom? Oh God no. Nino?" Jupiter rushed into the house with Caine and the others following closely.
"Good evening, Your Majesty."
Chicanery Night was seated in the middle of the room with a glass of Jupiter's uncle's whiskey in his hand and the bottle standing on the floor beside the chair in which he sat.
Jupiter was aware of the sound of many guns being drawn around her.
Greeghan moved out of the shadows. "Easy, Dingo," he said softly as he stepped forward, his gun aimed at Caine whose gun was aimed at Chicanery Night's head.
"Where's my family?" Jupiter's anger infused her words as she glared at Chicanery.
"Well, we can all only hope that they remain unharmed."
Chicanery smiled and snickered. Before anyone could move Jupiter had crossed to Chicanery and punched him in the face causing his head to jerk sideways, his whisper thin white hair trailing in the wake of the blow.
"I see you have the standard issue Abrasax temper." Rage glittered in his small, black eyes.
Captain Tsing moved to Jupiter's side. "A transfer of title has already been processed. You and your Lord are trespassing in this precinct."
Chicanery had regained his composure and rolled his eyes upward at the Captain's words.
"We are aware of all current legalities."
He returned his attention to Jupiter. "I have been instructed to offer your grace a proposal."
"What proposal?"
"You are to come with me to meet My Lord. There you will abdicate your title and in return my Lord guarantees that he will do everything in his power to see that no harm comes to you or your family."
Captain Tsing whispered urgently in Jupiter's ear, "You can't do it, Your Majesty. You cannot trust these people. If you abdicate, you'll have nothing to protect yourself."
A dawning awareness became apparent on Jupiter's face, "You're going to kill them
if I don't come with you."
Chicanery feigned shock at her words, "Your Majesty, I could not even consider
such an abhorrent crime."
"He's lying," was Caine's scathing reply from her opposite side.
Chicanery looked upward indignantly, "You wound me, Mr. Wise."
"If I were trying to wound you, Mr. Night, you wouldn't be breathing."
Greeghan moved forward a step, "If it makes everyone feel warm and cozy, the Aegis is welcome to follow us."
"No," Caine hissed, "She won't be going anywhere with you."
Chicanery raised an eyebrow at Jupiter, "Very well. I will inform My Lord you have rejected his offer," and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Chapter 1
Chicanery turned back towards her, but however softly she may have said the word, Jupiter continued to glare at him.
"Please tell your Lord," she uttered the word 'lord' sarcastically, "that I will meet him so long as Mr. Wise, Mr. Apini, Captain Tsing, and the rest of the Aegis crew are with me. Make sure you tell Lord Balem that if he refuses to meet with me or harms my family in any way he will be sorry because," she moved closer to Chicanery, her face inches from his, "some of your Queen's memories seem to have come with her genes and I have information that is of utmost importance to him."
She stepped back and was gratified to see confusion flit across Chicanery's rat-like face. He was quick to hide it but she knew she had hit her mark and was equally sure the same would cross Balem's face when he heard the message.
"I am sure your Lord will be extremely interested in knowing what memories of hers I have, especially the ones that occurred during the last moments of her life. As a matter of fact, we accept the offer to follow you to your Lord."
She folded her arms in front of her awaiting his response, never taking her eyes off his. She was terrified but would not let anyone know. She knew that Caine's keen nose would pick up on it of course and she had already heard his sharp intake of breath when she mentioned the Queen's memories.
"If you will wait a moment your Grace, I shall have Greeghan send an FTL to My Lord explaining the change of plans."
Chicanery turned to Greeghan and gave him a slight nod which sent Greeghan presumably out to their air craft to send the message. He was back quickly with the news that Balem would, of course, be happy to receive them and they could indeed follow Chicanery and Greeghan to the Jupiter refinery. This news both terrified and excited Jupiter and she almost buckled to her knees. Through the sheer power of her will she managed to stay upright and look unaffected by the news that they would be following Balem's henchmen to the planet that her father had loved so much that he wanted his first and only child to bear its name.
Chapter 2
Once aboard the Aegis, Jupiter could feel several pairs of eyes on her but she wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. She could feel the tension in the pilot bay as she stared out the huge window of the cruiser as they made their way towards Jupiter.
She sensed Caine at her side before he whispered, "Are you going to tell me, or anyone, what the plan is?"
She whispered back, "Please just trust me Caine okay? I believe I know a way to get all of us, including my family, out of harm's way. I trust you and Stinger's instincts and all you and the Aegis have to do is keep me out of harm's way."
"Are you telling the truth about the memories or is it a bluff?"
She turned to look him in the eye. "I know everything."
He said no more but Jupiter could still feel the tension rolling off of him. She knew that he, Stinger, and the Aegis would be able to respond to anything Balem might try and she did not think that the Third Primary of The House of Abrasax was going to jeopardize his position in the Universe by pulling some outlandish stunt, like killing them all. Or at least that she hoped that he wouldn't.
The Aegis cruiser docked in the North Bay Docking Station of the refinery and they all disembarked and were met by Kalique and Titus who looked somewhat bemused at being on Balem's turf without knowing why.
No one was as confused as Balem was when he arrived with Chicanery, Greeghan, and a battalion of his guards. His eyes settled first upon Titus and Kalique who gazed back expectantly.
"To what do I owe your presence here?" Balem asked them.
"Brother, whatever do you mean," Titus asked, "You sent an FTL asking us to meet you here."
Jupiter quickly stepped forward, Caine and Stinger instinctively following on either side of her.
"It was actually me who asked you to come as I felt you deserved to hear the information I am about to give your brother. It seems to be the result of a strange phenomenon that has arisen as part of the recurrence."
Titus and Kalique were surprised and interested in whatever was about to be revealed about the recurrence while Balem looked apprehensive, as if he might not want to hear whatever news or information she had."
"But first things first," Jupiter said pleasantly, "Balem I believe you have my family?" She paused a second before saying, "And I would really like them to be released." She smiled amiably at Balem who was over his initial apprehension and returned her smile.
"I am sure you are aware Jupiter that I am perfectly within my rights having your family as they are part of the Skim before the title for earth was reclaimed by you. Therefore I can and will do with them what I please."
Jupiter eyed the collar that Balem was wearing around his neck, then looked him in the eye saying, "You have the most intricate and beautiful collars but," and here she paused for a moment before continuing "I wonder if they serve as a fashion statement or another function altogether?"
Chapter 3
Everyone looked at her as if she had gone mad with the exception of Caine, Stinger, Kalique, and Titus, all of whom looked shocked and a little bit afraid. She was pretty sure the fear was for her. They turned in unison to look at Balem who looked as if someone might have just punched him in the stomach.
Jupiter smiled sweetly at him and nodded her head knowingly, "You know I think they serve as both maybe, one for sure."
To his credit Balem regained and maintained his composure. He returned her smile but his smile looked decidedly dangerous.
"Jupiter, surely this is not a game you are playing when your families' lives lay in the balance?" He flicked his wrist and the floor they were standing on became opaque and all could see Jupiter's family lying beneath what looked like the most terrifying of either doctor's instruments or a carpenter's tools. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw her mother and she almost burst into tears.
Suddenly Jupiter did not feel so sure of her plan but she had to continue, it was all she had. She hoped her poker face remained in place and she willed it to become hard and unforgiving. Before Balem could do anything to further his threat, she strode to the diagram of the refinery on the wall and jabbed her finger at a specific location on the map before turning back to him and allowing the hatred she now felt to show. She willed herself not to look in Caine or Stinger's direction because she knew what she would see and she did not want to draw anyone's attention away from her.
"I think I would like for all of us to go right here because there is something there that has been overlooked for quite some time and would interest quite a few people." She glanced at the Aegis members and then Balem's siblings horrified faces before turning back to Balem with a questioning look.
"I am thinking that perhaps we might want to have a more private meeting but I have to insist, for my own safety, that Mr. Wise and Mr. Apini be present as well. I would like the Aegis to remain where they are to be able to keep their eyes on my family and Mr. Night to make sure they remain unharmed.
The smile had dropped from Balem's face and he kept looking at the spot where Jupiter was pointing and back to her set face before speaking. "To save you from the looking the fool Ms. Jones I will grant you this conversation. Please follow me, and for my safety Greeghan shall be present as well."
"As will we brother, since you did not include us in the statement you just made. We insist,' Titus ground out, giving Balem a scathing look, something he would have never had the nerve to do before but he was so angry at the present moment that no threat from his brother could stop him right now.
Balem did not reply nor did he stop Titus from taking Kalique's arm and following as they went in to a chamber just off the dock they left the Aegis in to watch and alert them to any sudden, unwanted developments. The Aegis had informed Balem that they had reinforcements just outside the gate that Captain Tsing ordered Balem to leave open.
Chapter 4
Once inside a large, furnished chamber, Balem turned to Jupiter to question her but Jupiter did not allow him that chance.
"I know that Mr. Wise attacked you after the murder of your mother. It's why he and Mr. Apini are no longer skyjackers and no longer have their wings isn't that correct?."
Balem laughed, "Is this what all your allusions have been about. This is old news Jupiter, Mr. Wise could have told you this himself. And if not him, any number of people could have. It isn't spoken of but neither is it a secret." Balem chuckled and smiled at her indulgently, believing he again, and as usual, had the upper hand.
"You're right of course," Jupiter agreed, "but what isn't known by anyone else besides you and the people in this room, is why he attacked you and grabbed you by the neck with his teeth, a wound that now renders your voice practically a whisper and caused scarred flesh that is now covered by those stylish collars you wear. I suspect that, at this point, your brother and your sister have a good idea why Mr. Wise attacked you as well."
A brief glance at their faces confirmed that she was correct.
"The information I have, simply put, is that you murdered your mother right where I pointed on the map of the refinery. The reason I know this is because she showed me."
Balem's face reddened with rage.
"How dare you," he screeched as he flew at her, one arm outstretched to snatch her up by the throat. Stinger and Caine intercepted this by stepping in front of Jupiter and simply blocking him from her. They made no move to harm him as Greeghan raised his firearm to protect his master, they were simply protecting Jupiter.
"You can posture all you want, I know it's true and unless you release my family at once, the whole universe, including the Aegis, will also know. The proof is that I know exactly where to find the one thing that was missing and that has not been found since her death. You left your blood, scent, and most importantly, your gene print all over it."
"You're bluffing," was Balem's angrily hissed response.
"I could be but I think you know I am not. You didn't want me killed just to keep Earth; you knew that a recurrence sometimes remembers things from their past lives, especially traumatic experiences."
Jupiter could hear Kalique softly crying and she looked to see Titus with his arms around her but his hot gaze fixed on Balem. Caine and Stinger remained in front of Jupiter but each had stepped slightly apart to allow Jupiter to see but not enough for Balem to reach for her.
"Caine went after you because he literally smelled her murder on you and he instinctively knows to protect royals, however, you being another royal made the situation impossible for him. You only allowed him to live out of the fear that someone might actually believe him if he decided to divulge what he knew. Instead, it was blamed on his genomgeneering and poor training, effectively stripping him and Stinger of their livelihood and throwing Caine on a prison planet."
Balem sank into a nearby chair, sighing deeply. He looked at Greeghan.
"Release her family to the Aegis."
Greeghan left to follow his Lord's order and Balem looked at Titus and Kalique.
"I know this will not comfort you but she told me she hated her life and she begged me to end it, so I did. She is the one who always said to take decisive action regardless of how I might feel about it and that I would never rule successfully if I didn't follow the truths she taught."
Titus laughed without humor. "You are so self-serving brother. She may have hated her life but she was trying to stop the killing of humans for the production of Regenex so why would she ask to be killed? I don't believe you!"
"And neither do I," Kalique shouted at him.
"Nevertheless it is true. She knew she could not stop the process without bringing the House of Abrasax to its knees, just as you telling anyone about this will do. You both love your lives too much to change anything about them or bring scandal to our name."
"Which is why I did not bring the Aegis into this meeting." Jupiter looked at the three the siblings in turn. "This is something the three of you will have to live with and decide what, if anything, you want to do about it. I just want my family safe and a little insurance that they will remain safe which is why the object of which I spoke that has been missing..."
"Her ruby and diamond brooch," Kalique interrupted.
"Yes," Jupiter responded. "It will remain where it is unless there is a further threat to me or my family, or anyone I care about. If there is, its location will be given to the Aegis who will then finally be able to dispense the justice that your mother deserves."
The room became silent, each left to their own thoughts for a moment. Balem did not move but Jupiter knew he was too strong and full of himself for this to keep him down for long. She only hoped that Titus and Kalique would give him a few ultimatums to keep him in check. It seemed that history in the universe was filled with the same sort of power crazy people that the human population on Earth had. Hitler quickly came to mind put she pushed all negative thoughts away. Suddenly, she was exhausted from all that she had endured in such a short time, starting with Caine rescuing her in the clinic.
She looked at Caine and Stinger. "I would really like to go home now." She could feel her legs and body begin to tremble and her thinking was becoming a little foggy. Just as she thought she might buckle under from the severity of her fatigue, she was scooped up into Caine's strong arms.
"At once your Majesty," Caine said softly and Jupiter looked into his reassuring and loving gaze and let her eyelids slowly close as the exhaustion took over.
THE END