Chapter 26
Huston Spaceport, New Texas

Sub Lieutenant Cedric Castle staggered across the ruins of the airfield. He could not believe the destruction that lay before his eyes. The three great Monolith dropships were smashed beyond recognition. Huge sections of hull plate lay scattered across the spaceport. They had landed on vehicles, tents, even the control tower had been cut in half by a piece of hull metal. Even the bunker in which he had taken shelter was struck by hull metal. It had taken the recovery crews four hours to dig them out.

Cedric’s first thoughts was to organize a defensive line along the outer edges of the spaceport. As a member of the warrior class it was his duty to protect the base. As he started to look for his commanding officer to report-in Cedric spots the Command Post for the first time. “By the goddess! What the frack did they hit us with? It couldn’t have been nukes.”

“It wasn’t. The Imperialists used thermobaric warheads. They didn’t need to use nukes Sub Lieutenant.” Cedric turned to look at the man who was talking only to receive a knife blade between the ribs. “Just like I don’t need a gun to kill your ignorant ass, just a sharp blade.” With a sharp twist and shove to the side. “And a little backwoods training in how to gut a whitetail deer. I hope you burn in hell River Slut.”

All across the destroyed spaceport the citizens of New Texas were taking out their revenge against the demoralized Amazons. It hadn’t taken the New Texians long to realize the greatest weakness in the Amazons. Without their officers to command them the front-line soldiers were as lost as a newborn babe in the woods. With the unexpected destruction of the Central Command Post the total Command Structure fell apart. Like all hive minds, you kill the queen and the hive dies. Which was what was happening all across New Texas. Without their Supreme Commander Von Bencher and his subordinates the front-line commanders had no idea of how to react to the new threat posed by the sudden arrival of thirty-six new Death Dealer divisions. Better known throughout the Empire was the Royal Combat Divisions or Death’s Own Divisions. The meanest, hardest, most diehard Death Dealer Combat Divisions in all the Empire.

The problems were compounded by the fact that all of the warrior class clones had been conditioned from birth to only follow the orders of their superior officers. The lower ranked officers were still being trained to be the ones giving the orders. Terresa Cole had planned the attack on Huston Spaceport to only cripple or destroy the clone ships. The fact that all three were taken out in the first strike allowed the rest of the Wraiths to go after secondary targets. Things like the Control Tower, Command Post, fuel and munitions depots, service yards, and communications networks. The Wraiths’ attack was having repercussions far across the planet.

A hundred miles to the south in the town of Billings. Those repercussions resulted in a total collapse of the front-line battle trace. With the loss of their air cover and coordination from their superiors the Amazons facing James and his RCT were meat for the grinder. When three of the divisions from the Royal Battle Group landed to their rear and deployed the Amazon forces broke into pandemonium. Even now six more Combat Divisions were surrounding the city of Huston and the remains of the spaceport. The outlying defenders had already been neutralized through sheer overwhelming firepower. Between the Long Toms and the long-range missiles of the Ogre class dropships few of the Amazon defensive positions lasted long under the weight of the artillery barrage.

The greatest blow to the Amazon forces was the total destruction of the Supreme Command Post. At the time of the attack Von Bencher along with his Command Staff where inside when the Mark 48 aerial drop torpedo slammed home and detonated. The five-story building that had been the final Command Post of the Amazon Expedition Force crumbled under the force of the Mark 48’s explosion. Buried deep under the ruble and twisted steal that was all that remained were Von Bencher, his XO, and the upper echelon of the command structure. This one blow had been delivered by the youngest member of the Wraiths, Lieutenant Kindra ‘Ratchet’ Stone.

With the fall of Huston and the spaceport to the Death Dealers the war would rapidly come to an end. Without their Supreme Commander the divisional commanders were at a loss for what to do. With the arrival of the four super-carriers of the Royal Battle Group the Mobile Command Posts for the Amazon Divisions were now being directly targeted by the bomber squadrons. By the end of the day only battalion and company commanders would be left on the battlefield. Not that it would matter as by that time all fifty-four Combat Divisions of the two Battle Groups would be fully deployed all cross the planet.

One-hundred miles south of Huston, the town of Billings.

James Nakatoma walked his White Tiger into the town square of the small town. The unrestrained destruction by the Amazon forces was everywhere. None of the small town’s buildings remained intact. James’s fury over the senseless destruction left him wanting to do more than just destroy the Amazons. He wanted to wipe them from the roles of humanity and history. He wanted to relegate the Amazons to the ash pile that was the Temple of Holy Light. Even as he fought to control his temper, he wished he had not reigned in his RCT.

Even as the remaining Amazons were surrendering he was tempted to pull the triggers of his main guns, but he was the Crowned Prince of the Empire, and therefore had to act as the stabilizing political influence for the area. That meant he had to allow the scum the chance to surrender. At least in the eyes of the Empire. The fact that he turned a blind eye to the occasional butt stroke of the rifle or kick in the ass would have to be overlooked by history. To him the Amazons had brought this on themselves pure and simple. That they only got what they deserved.

The arrival of a heavy lifting shuttle on the edge of town let James know that his time at the front was now over. “Looks like we need to report in Wild Cards.”

“Don’t you mean YOU need to report in, Joker.” The soft voice of Heather Pike corrected her long-time friend.

“I hate to say this Joker, but the Queen of Hearts is right. We don’t need to do anything. This is all on you brother.” Steven Light Horse quickly added.

“Joker, you got yourself into this mess all on your own. Don’t go trying to drag the rest us in with you.” Was all Derick Pike said over the open channel.

“Piss off, King of Diamonds. We’re either all in or all out.” Joseph Silver Leaf snapped at his old friend. “The same goes for the rest of you.”

“Chill King of Clubs. I know that our friends won’t leave Glinda to hang. After all this is the first time she has to face my mothers.” James was not above playing dirty, especially with his friends. “I know that none of us would want her to face them all alone, all by her little old self.”

Almost as one the members of his lance started to grumble. Heather even went so far as to accuse James of unfair tactics. It wasn’t that the four closest friends James had a problem with visiting Ryuk. It was what visiting Ryuk could lead to. An unwelcome visitation with the Empress, and War Princess. It wasn’t that the Empress or War Princess were mean towards them or anything. It was just that James’s mothers could terrify battle hardened generals on a good day. On a bad they could make Assault class APSs run the other way with just a glance.

James just chuckled at his friends bitching as he marched his White Tiger towards the edge of town and heavy lift shuttle. Keying his mike James contacted his XO. “Roughrider six, this Joker. Over”

“Roughrider six here, Joker. I take it that you and the Wild Cards are being pulled out? Over”

“Most likely Roughrider six. The RCT is yours. Try to keep them in range of the support trains this time. Over” James answer the Colonel that was his XO.

“Understood, Joker. I won’t let it happen again. Have fun with the Wave Dancer. Roughrider six. Out.” The radio went dead as James chuckled. Only a man who had served under his mother Maiha could make that kind of joke and get away with it.

James maneuvered the 85-ton APS into the special carriage that would be used hold it in place as they travelled to Ryuk. Once Reaper was secured in his cradle he turned over the suit to the AI. “Looks like we get to visit my moms, Reaper old boy. Please make sure to secure your systems.”

“James, the day I let some wrench monkey have full access to my systems is the day that Victory Maid gives birth. Now, get. I’m sure that your mothers are having the time of their lives with that Fury of yours.”

James stopped dead at the cockpit exit. “Where the hell did you hear that?”

“You may think you’re having private talks with Death James, but I hear everything in my cockpit. Besides I find the idea of the Man called Death marrying the Fury Tisiphone very appealing. Yes, I can see it now, the Fury of vengeful destruction and Death bound together in holy matrimony.”

“Oh, shut up! You old perv! I swear you’re worse than my mothers at times. Speaking of which. Have either Puss-in-boots or Victory Maiden contacted you?” James asked of his APS’s AI. He want to know if the Royal Command Lance was awake for a reason.

“Not as of yet, James. They normally don’t bitch me out until we are alone in the hanger. You would think that they are my mothers the way they act at times.” Reaper grumbled much to James’s amusement.

“Okay bubby. Well, I need to get my ass down in a seat. I don’t wait to keep the pilot waiting too long. I have a feeling that he is under orders to haul ass back to Ryuk as soon as he has us secured. See you in a bit.” James closed and secured the cockpit hatch then climbed down the front of his APS.

James smiled at Heather and Derick hugging each other. James’s AI, Stephen could tell that this show of affection between his friends filled James with jealousy ‘Don’t worry James. You’ll be in the arms of your Terresa shortly.’

‘Stephen, there are times that I really do envy those two. I just hope like hell that my mothers haven’t sent Terresa running for the hills. You know they get at times. I swear that poor boy that tried to date Ohmie is still in hiding.’ James told his bio-AI with more than a chuckle.

‘Yes, you’re quite right. The last I heard he joined a Pure Light monastery on Cayman Seven in the Caribbean System.’

James just shook his head and joined his friends as they took their seats in the heavy lift shuttle. The pilots didn’t waste any time once their passengers were seated and secured. The takeoff was a little rough, but the flight smoothed out once they had gained altitude. James leaned back in his seat and relaxed. Closing his eyes James did his best to let the past six hours fade into the background. The nonstop fighting of the war had reached a point where it was beyond barbaric.

Once word of what the Amazons had been doing spread through the ranks of the Death Dealers no quarter was given. Whole Amazon units had been slaughtered to the last man. As much as James wanted to say that the Death Dealer divisions were obeying the Rules of the War, he couldn’t. Not when the Amazons were refusing to surrender or showing quarter themselves. This war had long ago become one of annihilation. On both sides of the lines. He knew that his report to his mothers wasn’t going to be one that would sit well with them.

James felt the shuttle touch down on the recovery deck of Ryuk before his friends. Releasing his harness James stood up with a smile. “Pass my compliments to the pilots, airman. Smoother flight couldn’t be had.”

The rest of James’s lance gave the same respects to the airman and followed James off the shuttle through the rear ramp. James was the first to be pinged by the ancient AI that ran the massive battle platform. James stopped and opened a channel to Ryuk. Calling out in a clear voice for all to hear. “Permission to come aboard Old friend?”

The voice that answered James’s question was rich and highly cultured. “Permission granted, James. Welcome home. It has been a while since you last graced my decks.”

“Thank you, Ryuk. You are right it has been a while since I was last home. I hope that you won’t hold that against me? I have been kind of busy with certain commitments and performing my duties as an officer of the military.” James said aloud. Which got the others chuckling. They all knew that Ryuk was more than just a battle platform to James. The ancient warship was his home in a very real way.

“You’re forgiven James. Just remember that you can always stop in while on leave.” James could have sworn the ancient AI was laying on a guilt trip. Then again Ryuk was as much a parent and teacher to him as his mothers. “Your mothers are in the upper observation dome as usual. Colonel Terresa Cole is in the pilot’s ready room.”

“Thanks, Ryuk.” Turning to Derick, Heather, Steven, and Joseph. “If you guys want to bail I’ll understand. I know that more than one of the mess halls is still serving. Why don’t you guys get yourselves something to eat?”

“Sounds good bro. We’ll catchup with you later. Go find Terresa before heading off to see your moms. She’ll need you by her side when they meet her for the first time.” Heather ordered James.

“I agree with Heather, mate. Terresa may be hot on the stick, but she sure as hell isn’t ready to face your mothers on her own just yet. Frack. I don’t think anyone is ever really ready to do that. They are flat out scary.” Joseph cracked.

“Scary is an understatement, Joseph. I remember the first time I met them. I damned near pissed my pants.” Derick said honestly as he shivered. “Empress Maiha can be terrorizing with just a simple look.”

“You can say that again. Don’t forget the War Princess Alison and that frown of displeasure she has. I mean, come on. Who would turn that look on a ten-year-old just for finger painting the Royal Corridors.” Steven complained. Which naturally got all of them laughing at the memory of Steven and James’s greatest adventure in the art world. Even Ryuk was chuckling as he followed the five members of the Command Lance through his decks and corridors. “You didn’t need to rat us out Ryuk.”

“Oh but I did young Steven. I will never lie to the Royal Couple. Especially when they have been entrusted with the wellbeing of a child.” That alone got them all to laugh even harder. “I should warn you all that Nia is going to be going over your APSs while they are on board. She said something about finding what the yahoos in Maintenance missed.”

That brought a round of chuckles from the four young men and one lady. The personal maid and APS Technician for Empress Maiha and Princess Alison was known for her prickly attitude towards those who worked on the Royal APSs. The last person to cross the old woman’s path in that manner ended up missing ten-pounds after the ass-chewing. Nia treated the Royal APSs like they were her children. And woe be to anyone who dared to hurt one of her children. They had only gotten halfway to the exit from the recovery deck when a scream of bloody murder rang out over the normal din. “WHERE THE HELL IS THE CROWN PRINCE?! WHAT THE HELL DID HE DO TO MY BABY?!”

“RUN.” Was all James said as he took off like a bat out of hell. His friends were right behind them as they heard the rage of the old woman climbing at the sight of their APSs’ damage. None of them wanted to be on the recovery deck with a pissed off Nia. The woman was known to take out her displeasure with pilots in unique and interesting ways that often resulted in a painful lesson.

Once the five APS pilots were safely out of range of the pissed off Tech/maid they started to laugh. James hugged Heather then waved to the guys. “I’ll catch up later guys. I need to go find Terresa and her squadron. Before my mothers’ Lady’s maids do. No way in hell am I going to subject her to that just yet.”

The very mentioning of Gin and Kina was enough to get the battle-hardened vets laughing again. With the exception of Heather who shivered at the thought of facing those two women and their assistants. The look she gave James conveyed more than her words. “Better run and not look back if they get a hold of her first.”

James got the none to subtle hint and took off for the pilot’s ready room at a dead run. He knew he had to be in time to save Terresa from the none too tender mercies of his mothers’ personal maids. They were set in their ways on how a young lady should present herself in public in a High Family setting. Military uniforms didn’t play into their view of how things should be. Terresa would likely try to gut the two old women and find out the hard way her mistake.

Pilot’s ready room, Ryuk.

The air in the pilot’s ready room was thick with the smell of stale sweat, old coffee, and tobacco ash. More than one of the chairs had burn marks from dropped cigarettes, or cigars. Even now there was a thin haze of smoke drifting at chest height that filled the room. Only three of the twenty pilots gathered did not have a lit cigarette, cigar, or one case a pipe in their hands. All had been given a black flight suite and their choice of tobacco upon landing. When shown where the ready room was, all they asked for after that was for three urns of hot coffee.

Terresa sat behind the desk at the front of the ready room going over the after-action report with Spider and Smoke. She was amazed by the number of confirmed kills for her squadron, and that of the Strike Eagle squadron. Eighteen KV-81s were destroyed over Huston. With a total of twenty-eight IL-2s and fourteen IL-4s over the town of Billings. At first, she couldn’t believe the actual number of kills. They just didn’t add up. That was until Spider pointed out that the IL-2s and IL-4s were reinforced half way through the air battle over Billings.

“Did anybody spot where those reinforcement come from?” Terresa asked of her pilots.

“I did ma’am. And I don’t think that there will be any more from that area.” Jimmy ‘Hawk’ Two-knives answered her quickly. Then went onto explain. “One of those Ogre’s dropped right on top of that position ten minutes after we engaged the reinforcements ma’am. That satellite base has their own problems to deal with right now.”

“Thank you, Hawk. That helps out a lot. Anyone have any idea of how many more of those satellite bases there are?” Terresa asked of them all. She had already found that if she was honest with her pilots they were honest with her.

“According to the latest intel around ten to fifteen, Colonel.” Micky House answered quickly as he was the squadron’s Intelligence Officer.

“Any way to get that number firmed up Mouse?” Terresa asked him.

“I’ll need to get with the Intel Office on board ma’am. But I doubt that they will be much of a threat for much longer.” Mouse took a heavy drag off of his cigar before continuing. “I overheard that the battleships and destroyers are heading out to pound all of the outlying airbases in the next two hours.”

“Between the battleships, destroyers, and the supercarriers those bases will be nothings but ash by the end of the day, Colonel.” Ratchet told Terresa with a smile.

“Why do I have the feeling that you would love to be out there with those carrier squadrons Ratchet.” When the young lieutenant nodded her head Terresa chuckled. “You’re not the only one. I believe that the rest of us want to be out there pounding the River sluts some more.”

“Yah, why were we pulled out of the fight, ma’am?” Otto ‘Ice pick’ Johannsson asked with some heat to his voice, but a lot of respect for Terresa.

Terresa could understand the big man’s anger at being pulled out of the fighting. Of all those here, he had the most reason for hating the Amazons. His hometown with his family was one of the towns that had been evacuated by the Amazons. So far only Terresa knew what had happened to Otto’s family. Oh, she knew that her pilots had heard of what happened in a lot of towns, villages, and cities across New Texas. So far, she had been able to keep her pilots on a tight reign. Instead of running off on seek and destroy missions all across the Western continent.

Terresa was saved from having to answer that question by the arrival of someone she really want to hug just then. “Attention! General in the ready room!”

“At ease! Continue with your briefing Colonel Cole.” James said with a wave of his hand. “Pay me no mind.”

Terresa stood up and glared at James. “That will not be happening General. You walk in on our mission debrief you can expect to be shown the respect you have earned.”

“I’m only here to sit in on your briefing Colonel. I kind of need the perspective of you and your pilots for my own briefing later on.” James said with a smile. “One that I am afraid you’ll be joining me in. You have thirty minutes to complete your debrief. Will that be enough time?”

Terresa grimaced and turned to Spider. “How about it Spider? That enough time?”

“Only one other thing ma’am. It concerns those Mark forty-eights we used ma’am. I’ve been receiving requests from Fleet Command for an impact statement. How do you want to proceed with the request?” Spider said.

“Tell Fleet Command to go piss up a rope Spider. We don’t answer to those shitheads. If they have a problem tell them to come talk to me.” Terresa snarled out. “They weren’t here when we were the only thing keeping the River Sluts from over running the planet. Besides, we’re Death Dealers and we don’t answer to Fleet.”

“Well said Colonel.” James said out loud as he walked to the front of the ready room. “And Major, if the jackasses in Fleet Command give you any grief tell them to take it up with General Davenport.”

“Yes, sir, General.” Spider just smiled at the thought of tell Fleet Command to go piss up a rope or talk to General Davenport.

James turned to Terresa. “As much as I know you would love to sit here and bullshit with your pilots Colonel. We’ve a meeting to attend.”

Terresa just glared and stood up. “Spider double check with the air boss. If we’re on stand down, see if you can round up some beer for everyone.”

“Ryuk old buddy, you got a minute?” James called out into thin air. A few seconds later the ancient AI answered James.

“For you James any time. What do need?”

“Is Gunnery Chief Davis still operating his brewery?” James asked.

“Don’t worry James. The old Chief is still in operation. He even has a new beer. One that the younger crewmen say is extremely smooth. Should I send him a request order for the Wraiths? Say a twelve pack each?”

“So long as they’re not on duty, Ryuk. I don’t need them getting in trouble with the air boss.” James answered quickly.

“As per her Majesty’s orders the Wraiths are on a forty-eight hour stand down from all flight operations, James. I have already sent the request to Chief Davis. He said that he’ll have six cases of his newest brew sent up within the hour. And James, your mothers know that both you and the Colonel are aboard.”

“Thanks, old man. You always know how to take care of the troops.” James called out. Then took Terresa by the hand with a smile. “Come on Terresa. Time to face the music. We do not want my mothers hunting us down.”

“Then I suggest that you put a little pep in your step, boy. They have been waiting for the both of you for the past hour.”

James just pulled Terresa along behind him as she thought for a way out of having to meet the Royal Couple. “Don’t I get a say in this? Damn it, James! Let go!”

James did let go of her hand but only once they were alone in the corridor. “Terresa, love. I know that you’re afraid of meeting my mothers, but you’re going to have to meet them sooner or later. I would rather that you meet them now in an informal setting. When you can jut be yourself. Than at some fracking State function or some other bullshit public forum. Somewhere that we do not have control.”

Terresa ground her teeth as she understood all too well what James was getting at. She either met with his mothers now in an informal setting or later in the throne room in front the whole damned Empire. In Terresa’s eyes neither option was a good one. Then again it was not like she had much choice. Her own mother had warned her about getting involved with the Prince. That warning was now coming true.

“Can I at least find a regular uniform before we meet your moms?” Terresa whined.

“You’re fine the way you look now, Terresa.” James looked her up and down with a smile. “By the way where did you and your squadron get those black flight suits?”

“Don’t ask me where they came from. We landed, and the deck crews were handing them out. Hell, I’m trying to figure out how they got our damned sizes correctly. When I asked the crewman, who gave me mine all he said was talk to the big guy. When I asked who was the big guy I just got a blank look followed by a either a chuckle or giggle depending on who I asked.” Terresa bitched as James chuckled.

At her look of displeasure James called out. “Ryuk, old buddy, would you care to introduce yourself to Colonel Cole?”

“Good afternoon, Colonel Cole. It is a pleasure to finally be introduced to such a lovely and passionate young lady. I was the one to provide the flight suits for both you and your squadron. It was a rather easy task. All of your measurements are on file after all with the Quartermaster Corps.” There was a smugness the ancient AI’s voice that had Terresa’s eyes bugging out.

“Don’t worry love, he does shit like that to me all the time. You’ll get used to him after a while.” James said with a sly smile. “That or go around the bend.”

“I will have you know James that I have never driven anyone around the bend, except for you and those four younger siblings of yours.” Ryuk huffed. Only to have Terresa bust out laughing at the ancient AI. “See. Terresa doesn’t have the problem that you do. She has a sense of humor.”

James frowned at the comment. “Oh, bight me, you old fart.”

“Biped pinky!” Ryuk retorted with a chuckle. “Your mothers are waiting. I suggest you get a move on kids. They have their bows out.”

“Shit! Come on Terresa. We’ve kept them waiting long enough if they are working with their bows. They only do that if they are trying to calm down.” James rushed Terresa through the corridors to the one elevator that would take them to the upper dorsal observation dome and the Zen garden that was Maiha’s second most favorite place on the ancient battle platform.

Terresa could only keep up with the man she had come to love as he ran through the corridors. She knew that something was up, but no what. She fought to keep track of where they were in the corridors. Terresa alright until they got to the four-way intersection. It was here that she lost her direction. The last thing she could truly say she knew where she was, was in the elevator rising to dorsal observatory.

Ryuk’s Dorsal Observatory.

The thud of an arrow striking home on the heavy wooden target was followed by a second. One of the two young women asked of the other. “How much longer should we give them Pussycat?”

“Let them have another thirty minutes, Kitten. Young love is such a fragile and beautiful thing. Especially in wartime.” Alice told Maiha with a small smile. She knew how much Maiha loved their oldest son James. And how she had worried over the proud young man. Alice was the only one who saw the devastation in Maiha’s heart the day that Cathy Pike was laid to rest in Fiddlers Green. Maiha had truly worried that loss would forever haunt their son James. “They will be here shortly. Then you can finally terrorize the young woman who has finally captured our son’s heart.”

“I will not, as you put it, terrorize the young woman.” Maiha harrumphed then stuck her tongue out at Alice. Then lowering her bow Maiha gave Alice playful look. “I just want to make sure that she good enough for James. After all, we both know that boy has been catting around long enough. It’s well past time that he settled down and gave us some grandchildren to spoil.”

The laughter that suddenly filled the room was full of joy and light hearted. “Maiha, you’re worse than I ever was. Give the boy a chance already.” Dai Etsu scolded her daughter. “As it is you already have four grandchildren. No need to be greedy. Ohmie and Ahmie are more than happy in raising their families.”

“I will quit pestering the boy the day he settles down.” Maiha huffed, then with a sigh, smiled. “Which I’m glad to say has finally happened again.”

“Does that day still haunt young James?” Reverend Mother Katsumi questioned her.

“I believe that it still haunts all of the Wild Cards Reverend Mother. Just as it haunts me. I never should have allowed that situation to reach the level that it did.” The anger that filled Maiha at that day and the people who brought it about filled Maiha to the point that golden cross-hairs flashed within her eyes. “One of these days the Vanderbilt High Family will pay for what they did.”

“There will be a line around my outer hull on that day, my Empress. But it STARTS with me.” Ryuk’s voice sounded harsh and was filled with the promise of great violence for the Vanderbilt Family. “Before you correct me Reverend Mother understand something. The harm they caused MY students is too great for me to let go. When the day comes they shall taste the fury of my main guns.”

The elevator sounded the warning tones for someone raising to the observation doom. “Your son has finally arrived my Empress.”

“Thank you, Ryuk. Don’t worry old friend once this war is done. We’ll be settling accounts with the Vanderbilts. For now put such thoughts to the side. Let us welcome our newest Princess to our family.” Alice called out.

“You know that this is going to cause a shit ton of problems with the Parliament.” Dai Etsu said with a smile. “How are you going to swing her Peerage?”

“Simple mother. I’ll use our own Peerage as grounds for Terresa’s. After all Alice was in the same boat as Terresa when Daniella pulled that War Princess crap.” Maiha pointed out rather smugly.

The two older women chuckled at the look on Maiha’s face. Dai Etsu put their feelings into words. “Even after all this time. You still cannot get over my student out foxing you. When will you just give up?”

“When she is in the grave mother Dai Etsu. You know how Maiha is. No retreat, no surrender. Not then, not now, not ever. She is just too much of a Death Dealer to be any other way.” Alice pointed out for them all.

“True. Even when she was married to my sister Matsu, Maiha was this way.” Dai Etsu sighed as she reached over and hugged Maiha. “The Owens family are very much samurai in every sense of the word. They never needed to be taught the code of bushido.”

“Nope, we just needed to be taught restraint.” Maiha smirked. “We’re still working on that thought. I don’t understand why people say I can’t use a PPC to settle disputes within the Parliament. I mean bang! No more dispute.”

The four women had gotten so caught up in their banter they failed to notice the arrival of James and Terresa. “Because mother, as much as that would end the problem it would also mean special elections every few days.” Alice and Maiha turned as one smiling at their son. Alice was the first to embrace James in a hug before letting Maiha get in her own hug. “It’s good to see mother Maiha. I wish that you weren’t here though. This whole mess should have been avoided.”

“I wish that it hadn’t even gotten to this point myself, James.” Maiha sighed as she pulled back from her son. “The Amazons just won’t allow the rest of the Empire to help. It was never against the law for them to clone or to use clones on their colony worlds. All they had to do was tell us just how bad that clones factory failure was, I would have sent them the needed scientists to help. They were just too damned proud to accept the help.”

“No ma’am. I’ve battled them in the skies. It was not pride that brought them to this point. It was arrogance.” Terresa wasn’t thinking when she corrected the Empress. She just wanted the truth to get out.

Maiha looked over at Terresa with curiosity. “Tell me Colonel Cole. How do you come by this insight? I for one would greatly wish to understand the Amazons.”

Terresa gulped hard. James saw Terresa start to shrink back then square her shoulders and face his mother head on. “It is not insight, your Majesty. It is hard earned respect and admiration for my enemy. The warrior class of the Amazons are not push overs. Their greatest problem is the greed and short sightedness of their leaders.”

“I like her James. She has real fire. When are you going to propose?” Dai Etsu asked bluntly. Much to the embarrassment of the Crown Prince.

“Damn it grandmother! When are you going to stop harping on me to get married?” James grumbled as Terresa giggled. “Don’t you start on me. I get enough of it from my sisters and brothers, Terresa.”

Alice leaned in close to Terresa and stage whispered. “He was always a late bloomer, dear. Give him a little time but don’t wait to long. The first girl he ever went out on date with had to ask HIM out.”

“Ah for the love of the goddess, MOM!” James quickly saw where his family was going. Looking over at Maiha. “Don’t you start on me either mother. I can handle my love life just fine without you sticking your noses in it.”

Maiha just smiled at James then smirked when Katsumi drove the nail in his coffin. “Why shouldn’t she do that? After all, my student, your mother has always looked out for your best interests. Even when you could never see them.”

“Ah shit! I knew I should have just stayed at the front.” James complained. “At least there I could shoot back, and the odds weren’t so lopsided.”

Terresa was by this point laughing outright. Maiha smiled over at the young woman. She liked what she saw, in more ways than one. Terresa Cole was everything that she wanted in a wife for her son. Strong willed, independent, extremely intelligent, extremely passionate, and honorable. All of this was topped off by her unearthly beauty. The petite Claymore had an air about her that drew one to her eyes. Those silver eyes that held all the pain, hurt, and death she had witnessed over the last months. Yet they also held a tenderness that offset all that death and pain. Here was a true daughter of House Nakatoma.

“Terresa may I have a moment of your time alone?” Maiha asked out of the blue. Totally catching James off guard. Terresa’s answer sent his mind reeling.

“My time is yours, Empress.” Terresa just followed Maiha off to the far end of the dome. When they reached the far edge of the dome Maiha just stared out at the skies. Terresa let her eyes be draw to the contrails of the CAP fighters.

“Tell me Terresa, what is it you want from your life? There has to be more than just flying your beloved fighters.” Maiha could feel the young woman’s distress at her unknown future. “What would you do if you could no longer fly?”

Terresa sighed and let her eyes be drawn to the far horizon. “I don’t know, Your Majesty. All I have ever wanted to be is a fighter pilot. I knew that I would never command something like a supercarrier. So I never thought along those lines. Back when I was a man I wanted to find a good woman, get married, have two or three children and work my way up through the ranks. To, maybe one day, command a squadron. I never expected to be a bird Colonel before I was thirty.”

Terresa sighed and looked over her shoulder at where James stood with the Grand Lady Dai Etsu, Princess Alison, and the Reverend Mother Katsumi. “I do love your son, Majesty. I just don’t know if I belong among the Nobility, let alone the Royalty of our Empire. I am just a simple fighter pilot, from a military family. I have no High Families blood in me nor do I have the social graces that is required to function among those circles.”

Maiha chuckled and placed a hand gently on Terresa’s shoulder. “Allow me let you in on a very poorly kept secret Colonel. The Princess Alison was a lowly APS pilot when I first met and married her. An orphan with no ties to the High Families. Just as my grandfather was. The only tie that I have to nobility or the High Families is my grandmother. A lady who married one of the rudest, rowdiest, socially unacceptable, Death Dealer Sergeants, that ever graced the battlefield. James J. Owens may have arisen to the highest rank among the Death Dealers, but he never forgot where he came from. If it had not been for my grandmother, he would have never gone past the rank of Command Sergeant Major.”

Looking over at Dai Etsu and the others. “The Grand Lady Dai Etsu is my great aunt but with the death of my grandfather she adopted me. It was from her that I learned how to be a noble lady. Let this be your first lesson in the ways of the so-called upper class. They put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else. That and that none of them with all their highly overrated sense of superiority are worth the one credit forty-five to blow their asses to hell.”

Terresa couldn’t help herself. She started to laugh. Here she was being given her first lesson on how to be a noble lady from the Empress herself. And Maiha was telling her to basically screw whatever she had ever heard. Maiha took Terresa by the hand and led her back to where everyone was standing. Reaching over she grabbed James hand and placed Terresa’s in his. With a smile she stepped back looking her son in the eyes the whole time.

“Tell me James. Have you proposed to Terresa yet?” was all that Maiha asked.

“Not yet, but I wanted you and mother Alice to meet her before I did.” James answered with his reasons for holding back.

“Then don’t wait any longer. I find her ever charming and, despite her protests, to be very much your equal.” Maiha told him smugly.

James knew an order from his mother when he heard one. She wanted to be there when he proposed and wasn’t going to wait any longer for him to delay. “Only one problem mom. I don’t have a ring.” James knew he had Maiha.

Alice just smiled and reached inside her kimono to pull out a small velvet cover box. “Here. It should fit her just fine. We talked with her mother to get Terresa’s ring size. Not to mention all of her other sizes.”

“Did your squadron appreciate the new flight suits dear?” Dai Etsu asked.

“Um… yes ma’am. We were all a little surprised to be given flight suits when we touched down. We’ve kind of gotten used to flying in just our bio-armor.” Terresa answered Dai Etsu shyly. “I do have one question. Why are the squadron patches all marked with Ryuk’s designation number?”

“Oh that silly thing.” Katsumi waved her hand as if to brush away an annoying fly. “Your squadron has been reassigned to Ryuk as the Royal Escort Squadron.”

Terresa was going to blow her top but was stopped by Katsumi’s next words. “Just as James’s lance has been reassigned to the Royal Battle Group’s Command Battalion.”

“Okay just what the hell is going on here mothers? What does Reverend Mother Katsumi mean by these reassignments?” James demanded.

“Simple, you and your lovely fiancée along with your units have been reassigned to Ryuk until further notice. I’m not about to have the next Royal couple placed in harm’s way without good damned reason.” Dai Etsu told him pleasantly.

“Don’t we get a say in this, grandmother?” James complained. Only to get a one word answer from the four most powerful women in the Empire.

“No!” James just gave Terresa a sad smile opened the box and took out the ring inside and dropping to one knee.

“Terresa Cole, would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man within the Empire?” James held his breath as the beautiful elfin white woman held his fate in her hands with a simple word. Until now, James had never even thought that she might not accept his proposal. When Terresa said nothing but held her left hand out, James slid the diamond engagement ring slowly onto her ring finger. When she still said nothing only nodding her head James grabbed her and swung her whooping for joy. Gone was the restrained and refined Crowned Prince of the Human Empire. All the while, Terresa screamed at the top of her lungs “yes” over and over.

Unseen by the young couple a group of Hellhounds entered the observatory. In their Commander’s hands were two wooden boxes. The first wooden box was five-feet in length, two-feet wide, and eight-inches thick. The wood was a deep red, polished to a mirror reflective shine. The top two-inches were a hinged lid with the Cole Family crest carved in it, with matching mother of pearl and black jade inlay.

The second box was just as ornate. Only the wood was as dark as the blackest night. Even though it had been highly polished, no light reflected from the surface. It was as if the box refused to give up the life giving warmth of the sunlight. Inlayed on each corner was a blood ruby red, and pure ivory white, pair of roses wrapped around a silver sword. This was the crest of the once great family now lost to the annals of time. They held one of the lost Princedoms within the Empire.

“James now that your lovely fiancée has said yes we need to take on the small matter of her peerage.” Maiha reached over and took the smaller box from the Hellhound Captain. Opening the box slowly with far more reverence than James had ever seen his mother use Maiha took the silver and black onyx circlet from its blood red velvet bed. “This is the tiara of the Princedom Fire Winds.”

James staggered back a step as Terresa grabbed his arm for support. The lost Princedom of Fire Winds was said to be founded by the ancestors of the Scottish High Landers. It was one of two such planetary systems in all of the Empire. The other was the home world of the Owens Clan and the Blood Red Knights. Only the Wallace could claim that system, just as only the Bruce could claim Fire Winds. James knew the second he laid eyes on that circlet what his mother was going to do.

Maiha stepped over to Terresa smiling. “For the last three-hundred years the Princedom has been without Prince or Princess. The last Bruce to hold Fire Winds died of old age without heirs. It was placed in the trust of the Empire until such a time that a certain warrior appeared. A warrior of unparalleled skill. A warrior of unmatched bravery. A warrior with unquestionable honor. Yet a warrior who showed compassion and respect for their foe. This simple piece of metal has sat waiting for three long centuries for that warrior to appear. As have the people of Fire Winds. I am happy to say that their long wait is now at an end. Kneel.”

Terresa did as ordered dropping to both knees bowing her head as she did so. “Do you Terresa Cole swear your undying loyalty to the people of Fie Winds? Do you swear to hold and protect those same people from all enemies? To never cease in the pursuit of justice in their name? To never take up arms against your people but only to protect them and all they hold dear? To rule with honor and mercy?”

Terresa let her eyes grow wide and looked up at the Empress. This couldn’t be happening. It shouldn’t be happening. Yet it was happening. Looking over at where James now stood behind his mother the Empress with his hand on his sword’s hilt. The thought of where the hell did he get those ran through Terresa’s head. Then she noticed that Maiha was wearing the two swords she had seen earlier. With nothing else to give for an answer Terresa swallowed hard then a load clear voice.

“With all of my being I give my blood, my word, my heart, my every being to the people of Fire Winds. Most especially I give them my fury only in their defense. Just as I give my fury to those who dare to threaten the Empire.”

Maiha slowly placed the onyx and silver circlet on Terresa’s bowed head. “Welcome home Princess of Fire Winds, the first Countess of Bruce, Duchess of the High Lands, Terresa Cole. It has been a long wait for your people. Too long.”

Terresa slowly climbed to her feet and noticed that James was also wearing a circlet similar to her own. The biggest deference was his was made of gold. Seeing where Terresa was looking Alice pointed to her own head with a smile. “They were brought in earlier by the Hellhounds. Don’t worry Terresa, we almost never wear them unless it is for some stupid pain in the ass state function. Maiha almost never wears hers even when she is supposed to, like when crowning someone a Princess.”

“Hush you! I am not done with my Royal duties yet.” Maiha turned back to the Hellhound Captain and opened the large box. Reaching in with her left hand Maiha was glad for her enhanced Death Dealer strength as she picked up the massive two-hand battle sword laying there. Turning back to Terresa, Maiha drew the blade one handed from its scabbard. Even for Maiha it was a struggle as the blade an unwieldy weapon, two inches broad, doubly edged; the length of the blade three feet seven inches; of the handle, fourteen inches; of a plain transverse guard, one foot; the weight six pounds and a half. Handing it to James along with the scabbard. “Do your duty Prince James.”

James set the massive sword point down then reached down to help Terresa to her feet. “Remember when I told you that there was one more reward coming?” Terresa nodded her head. “Well, this is it. You’re becoming a Knight of the Realm.”

Taking the scabbard and draping over Terresa’s shoulders so that it hung across her back. James fastened the decorative yet functional clasp over the center of her breast. Lifting the massive sword by the hilt with the point up. “This is the sword of the Prince or Princess of Fire Winds. She has a blade that is two inches broad, doubly edged; the length of the blade three feet seven inches of folded and twisted steel. Its handle, is fourteen inches of the finest leather wrapped oak. The transverse guard may be plain but it is one foot of Damascus steel. The total weight six and a half pounds. Feel the weight.” With that James just dropped the sword in Terresa’s hands. The second Terresa saw the massive blade Lilly gave her the name for this type of sword. One that would forever ring in her heart.

In a voice barely above a whisper. Terresa let her wonder fill the room. “A Claymore for a Claymore.”

-----tbc-----