Truth cares not about your desires. If you do not bend to its will, you will live a lie.
- Writings of the Sol Empress, Words of Faith
[Celeste]
He looks so peaceful.
Lying on her side in bed with him, Celeste watched Moon's muscular chest rise and fall in slow rhythm as he slept. A pleasant warmth swept through her like a summer breeze.
My lover. My protector. How am I so lucky that he took me back?
Moon's eyes fluttered open. He stretched, flexing his arms above, while expressing an airy groan. His eyes caught hers and he wrinkled his forehead. "What?"
Celeste smiled as her fingers slipped under the white blanket and gently traced a line down his torso to a thigh. "On, nothing. Just admiring the handsome naked man in bed with me."
Snaking an arm under her, Moon pulled her across his chest. "You know, I could get used to waking up every morning with a beautiful naked woman."
Nuzzling her head against his shoulder and looping a leg over his thighs, Celeste purred. Little sparks erupted into shudders as his fingers tickled their way down her side. She almost whimpered when they stopped, going no further than her hip.
Moon whispered, "I'm glad I found you again."
"As am I." Celeste whispered back. "Sorry I shot you." He chuckled. A grin came to her face, then faded. "I need to tell you something, you did a wonderful job raising your children."
"Correction, our children."
"I do not know..."
Moon turned his head to peer into Celeste's eyes. "I do. You gave them life. I still don't agree with your decision to leave, but I understand why you did."
A cloud of remorse shadowed her heart. I missed so much in their lives. Things that I can never get back. And Faith... I missed everything.
Celeste pressed herself against him. "I think Gabriel has accepted me, but Hope still has reservations."
He tightened his arm around her. "Well, Hope always was the stubborn one, even as a baby. But I think she will come around. Celeste, I want us to be a family together once more."
"Careful, I might fall in love with you again."
A sly grin came to Moon. "That's part of my wild ass plan."
"No," Celeste said with a smile. "Actually, I will not fall in love again. Because I never really stopped."
"And I never stopped loving you, and I damn sure don't want to lose you again. Let's formalize this, us together."
Celeste jerked her head up, her eyes widening and breath hitched. "Moon, are you asking me to marry you?"
"I am."
Celeste slithered on top of him and touched her lips against his, slow and soft at first. Moon demanded more, pulling her in for a long deep kiss within tightening arms. She was all too happy to comply. Lips parted and tongues wrestled in a match where both contestants won. A euphoria flooded through Celeste's core, and that small part of her heart left empty for so long, filled and overflowed.
With flushing cheeks, she lowered her lips to his ear and whispered, "Yes."
Celeste yelped as Moon flipped her over to her back and positioned himself on top. Wrapped arms around his neck and spread legs curled around his calves entrapped him there. She pulled him down for another kiss.
"Dad? Celeste?" A voice came over the com.
Celeste covered her mouth to suppress a giggle while Moon groaned. He said, "What is it, Gabriel?"
Gabriel's voice took a serious tone, unusual for him. "Well... You really need to see this."
After throwing on some clothes and smoothing her tangled hair as best she could with fingers, Celeste walked with Moon onto the bridge. Gabriel, sitting in the captain's chair flanked by Hope and Eshe, swung around. "This just came in. It is a video statement from the Consortium about the events at Elysium by the Chairman himself."
Diego! Celeste clenched her hands into fists and she struggled to contain an erupting rage.
Gabriel turned back around. "Play it, Sai."
The video began on the forward display panel. Because of the enormous distance, shimmers and white streaks distorted the long-range com picture, but it was clear enough. Gideon Diego, wearing a tailored black suit and blue band-collared shirt, stood with his hands clasped behind his back. To his side and just behind stood the Prime Minister, Wyatt Wilkes, half a head taller than Diego. Further behind stood the Empress Pro Tempore, Ali Zahara, wearing the traditional white gown and headgear of her office. In the background, the golden surfaces of the rounded Parliament building gleamed in the triple suns Aquirii.
Celeste seethed. These are the two most corrupt men in the Commonwealth and their puppet of an Empress. The muscles in her neck tightened, and her mouth drew down into a frown. Moon rubbed her upper back in gentle circles. With a deep breath, she put an arm around her fiancé and mentally prepared herself for the statement.
"Good people of the Commonwealth," Diego began, looking directly into the camera as if he was the viewer's most trusted friend. "I have come here to speak truth to recent events in the Outer Colonies."
There will be no truth.
"Even as we grieved for Gwen Graaf, a vicious unprovoked attack occurred against the Trade Consortium facilities on Elysium. The documents smearing the Consortium that the attackers claim to have acquired are fabrications. Be assured, the Trade Consortium would never operate in this manner. I ask your patience while we seek to remove this fake information from the info-web and scan-logs."
Hope turned toward Celeste with a deep frown on her face. Celeste pulled her lips tight and nodded, communicating that she shared the sentiment.
Diego continued, narrowing his eyes slightly. "The Trade Consortium ships were fired upon and wisely retreated to avoid further conflict. While it is true that Elysium has defaulted on development loans, these ships were not an invasion force, rather they came to offer loan restructuring at a loss to the Consortium." He put a hand to his trimmed beard, looking thoughtful. "It is also in our interest that this beautiful world become prosperous. In fact, the prosperity of all the Commonwealth is a Trade Consortium goal."
Gabriel made a gagging expression, sticking a finger into his open mouth. Eshe grinned at the gesture.
Narrowing his eyes further, Diego's voice took an angry edge. "As to the emergence of a so-called Empress heir, this is a total falsehood. Tragically, Empress Iona died by the actions of the terrorist group Free Dawn along with any heirs. That is a well-known fact. Did they think we would fall for such a ruse?" He put up a hand as if to calm an enraged crowd, although none were there.
"A strong Trade Consortium means a strong Commonwealth. We are in this together!" Diego quoted from a recent advertising slogan.
With a nod from Diego, Prime Minister Wyatt Wilkes stepped forward. The gold medallion around his neck, signifying his prominent position, glistened in the sunlight. He cleared his throat and straightened his suit jacket.
"My friends," the Prime Minister said, flashing his wide campaign smile, "No doubt you have also heard of the recent provocative actions by the Confederacy." He raised his voice and glared at the camera. "We will not be intimidated by them, nor by their terrorist wing Free Dawn! They are an illegitimate group seeking to undermine the Commonwealth and our way of life.
"I have ordered deployment of the Invictus Battle Group to protect our fellow citizens in the outer colonies and beyond." He held up his hands. "Now, we do not seek conflict, not at all. But if the Confederacy dares to attack, they will face an overwhelming response!" A reassuring smile came to his face. "I am confident, my friends, that this situation will resolve itself. And soon, the news will again be dominated by the usual celebrity scandals."
The Prime Minister stepped back, grasping Diego's hand and raising it high. For a brief instant, Diego's face flashed annoyance, then quickly replaced with a tight smile framed by his trimmed black beard. To Celeste, it looked sinister.
The Empress Pro Tempore never spoke, instead stood nearly motionless with eyes turned down and hands clasped tightly at her waist. Like she did not want to be there.
The transmission ended.
Moon huffed. "Well, that was... nauseating."
Hope threw her hands up. "Do people really believe this shit?"
"Watch your language, daughter!" Moon drew his eyebrows down.
"Well, it fits!" Hope protested, but then gulped at her father's continued glare. "How about oral excrement? Is that better?"
"That's better." Moon nodded.
Celeste sighed. "Many will believe them. They do not know any different."
Moon continued the thought. "And many depend on the Trade Consortium for their livelihood, all by design. The Consortium squeezed out most of the independent haulers."
Hope dipped her head. "What do we do?"
"The people still thirst for a true Empress," Celeste said. "As the Writings state, counter darkness with light, hate with love--"
"--and lies with truth." Hope completed.
"Yes." Celeste smiled. "I know a popular blogger in the Leonus system who is sympathetic to Free Dawn. Perhaps the Empress should make a surprise appearance."
"Is it safe to do this? Can we trust him?" Eshe asked.
"I have used him in the past as Haven. I trust him."
Moon put a hand to his chin. "The system is not very far away in the outer colonies, and fairly remote. We should be able to get in and out before the Commonwealth battle group arrives. But regardless, there is still a Commonwealth presence in nearby systems. There is a risk." He turned toward his daughter. "What do you think, Hope?"
"It would be another blow to the Consortium." Hope nodded. "Let's do it."