[Moon]
Moon met Mihra at the docking bay hatch. The cylindrical shape of her shuttle, with the name "Harmony" stenciled on its side near the bow, appeared through the bay window. Apparently designed also for atmospheric flight, it featured swept-back wings extended from both sides. Once the green safe light appeared, he swung open the heavy rounded hatch.
Her black shoulder bag swung low as she ducked through the door to meet him. The tall woman nearly looked Moon straight in the eyes and had a sturdy form that some might find intimidating. The wide toothy grin that emerged on her face countered any such impression, the smile even more apparent by the contrast between white teeth and dark skin. The bright colors of her long patterned dress flowed as she stepped past the threshold. Moon extended a hand in greeting with a smile of his own. But she would have none of that, instead grappling him in a hug tight enough to take away his breath.
Celeste was right. She is a hugger.
Once able to break away, he said, "Priestess Gwend, welcome to the Phoenix Star. I am Elijah Lee, captain and crew of this ship."
"I be not one for formalities, Captain. Call me Mihra."
He bowed his head. "Then call me Moon."
She pinched his cheek. "A handsome one you be, Moon. But enough chat. You know who I be eager to see."
Moon extended his hand down the hallway. "Follow me, then."
As they walked, he asked, "Umm, did you bring the baby supplies? We didn't get a chance to stock up at Oracle."
"Yes. In the aft hold."
He looked up towards the ceiling. "Sai, have one of your robot minions unload the supplies and bring them to us right away."
A voice answered. "Yes, sir."
Moon turned to Mihra. "We could really, really use some diapers. The babies have soaked just about every spare piece of cloth I have."
She grinned. "Babies be good at that."
"And watch out for Gabriel. I swear he has a two-meter range."
Mihra chuckled as she rounded the bedroom door, then put her hands to her mouth. "Look at you, girl!"
Celeste sat on the bed, leaning back on pillows stacked against the wall, holding a baby at each breast. Another fussed in Nanny-bot's arms, waving tiny limbs in protest. Wadded t-shirts secured with gray tape served as diapers.
Celeste smiled at her guest. "Mihra, I would like you to meet Faith," she tilted her head down toward her left breast, "And Hope." She tilted to the right. "Gabriel is not so patiently waiting his turn, but I only have two nipples."
Mihra shook her head with wide eyes. "This be wondrous. Be they truly heir of the Sol Empress?"
"They are. And I have quite the tale to tell you."
Mihra asked, "May I apply the Signet test?"
Celeste nodded. "Of course."
Mihra sat on the bed next to Celeste and removed a small handheld device from her shoulder bag. The satiny metallic cylinder spanned just longer than her outstretched hand.
Moon pointed. "What is this?"
Celeste answered. "It is a genetic scanner to confirm if someone is in the direct line of the Sol Empress. It is also a key of sorts."
Mihra gently pried Faith's tiny hand open and placed the device against the baby's palm. By reflex, Faith tried to grasp the cylinder, but it was far too big for such a tiny hand. Within a moment, a faint blue glow appeared from a clear tab on the end of the device. It grew more intense, becoming like an electric arc. Moon turned his eyes away from the brightness. Faith paid no heed to the process, instead devoting her attention to dinner.
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."