The Line of the Sol Empress

Chapter 9.5

Mihra repeated the test on Hope, getting the same results. As with her sister, Hope understood nothing of the significance.

The older Priestess smiled. "Daughters of Empress Iona they be."

Celeste looked up at Mihra. "Would you take these two? I think they are ready for a burp and a nap. And Gabriel is hungry."

Moon directed Mihra to the rocking chair beside the bed. The chair had a classic spindle design with curved arms and rockers, but constructed of standard gray plas-steel. A folded blanket padded the seat.

Mihra sat down and shifted back and forth. "A fine rocker this be. I would not have expected such on a cargo ship."

"It was a surprise gift from Sai. Came off the fabricator printer this morning."

"Your AI made you a rocking chair?"

Sai replied through Nanny-bot. "Oh yes, Priestess! The rocking motion is well known to sooth babies and help them fall asleep."

Mihra grinned. "So I've heard."

Her eyes widened, and she held her breath for a moment as Moon placed the baby girls in her lap. After burps over her shoulder, one after the other, Mihra laid them into the crook of each arm and cooed softly. The motion of the rocking chair made little eyelids grow heavy, and with tiny yawns, the little ones drifted into sleep.

Her mouth opened, but it took a moment for words to emerge. "Never thought that I would rock the Sol Empress in my lap."

Moon delivered a squirming Gabriel to Celeste. As the baby boy settled into his mother's arms, a breast brushed against his cheek. He rooted on instinct, turning his head with little mouth wide to find his mother's nipple. Celeste winced as Gabriel latched on.

Moon nodded. "Yup. Definitely hungry."

He turned toward Mihra. "There are two daughters. Which one would become Empress?"

Mihra answered. "Originally, it was always the first born. But later came a selection process to choose the one best suited. The criteria be rigidly set to prevent favoritism." She looked down at the newborns in her arms. "But all things being equal, the first born would be Empress."

A troubling thought came to Moon, spurring a question. "What about Gabriel? As son of the Empress, how would he fit in?"

"His existence be beyond tradition. Never has there been a Sol Emperor, only Empress. Centuries has it been since there be a male offspring. I know not what his station might be, but I assure you, Gabriel would be provided the same upbringing and honor as his sisters."

"Everything about this situation defies tradition, Mihra." Moon grinned. "But I know one thing, the Sol Empress just peed on you."

Mihra laughed out loud, but then suppressed it as the sleeping babies in her lap momentarily stirred. "So she did. Both of them. I am reminded that, despite the reverence the Empress commands, she be very much human."

Sai's voice came through Nanny-bot, breaking the mood. "Sir, we are being scanned."

Moon jerked his head up. "By who?"

"Unknown, sir. An unidentified ship approaches at forty-five C relative velocity. Time to intercept estimated to be three minutes and fourteen seconds."

"How did you not notice them until now?"

"Unknown, sir."

"Display tactical and telemetry."

The display panel over the desk blinked on. A green triangle represented the Phoenix Star, and a red triangle represented the rapidly approaching unknown ship. A string of numbers and symbols appeared next to the red triangle.

Moon narrowed his eyes. "Damn! Sai, ramp up the fusion reactors to full and boot up the quantum drive."

"Sir, they will intercept us before the drive is ready."

"Understood. We'll have to stall them somehow."

Celeste's eyes widened. "Moon, who is it?"

"I think it is a Commonwealth Frigate, probably the same one that was at Mihra's home world. The newer ones have a field suppression technology, which was how it got so close before Sai detected it."

Celeste dipped her head and cuddled Gabriel at her breast. "I am an alleged terrorist. They come for me."

Mihra shook her head. "They would not dare harm children of the Empress. Nor their birth mother."

Celeste looked up, her eyes misty. "They wouldn't. But those who wish to end the Line of the Empress would."

Moon put his hand on Celeste's shoulder. "Not on my watch."