Goddess of the Moon (Young Ancients: Tiera) (39 page)

Smythe
gave her a strange look.

"I
think I understand. So there's a plan in the works?"

The
time for lies was done, wasn't it? They'd never been hers in the first place.

"Yes.
Gerent Lairdgren has a device that will kill all the Ancients on the planet.
Normal people will be left unharmed. If the Others attack again, which was what
we heard was the plan, he's going to set it off. Which will mean that anyone
with the right genes left there will simply die." She spread her hands and
looked at the little sack of growing fields in her left hand, her case floating
behind her. "If that hasn't happened already, then Alice is supposed to
get our people off the planet. We're exiled, for ten years or so. The regular
people should be able to come and go however, so, as long as we don't let those
bastards kill the world, they'll be all right. Or as good as they can be with
the world trying to break around them from the damage done already."

It
was Karina that gasped, her eyes going wide.

"
Alison
."
For a moment, Tiera didn't get that at all, but the Prince did.

"Crap.
Right. Varley's little girl is an Ancient. If we'd known we'd have taken her
too. We have to go back. Now. I'll talk to the Captain." He moved to do
that, but Tiera shook her head.

"No.
If this works," she hefted the little sack, making the green gems the
ships were on tinkle a little, "we can beat this ship back by days, even
if it takes me several more to make it. Really, the first thing to do is call
home and make certain that people are alive and well. I haven't been trying,
because most of the people I know are here."

That
got people to scramble for communications devices and all hit different sigils.
The first one to answer was the person that Smythe tried to contact.

"Ridley
Dens, here. How may I be of service today?" Tiera didn't know who that
was, but the others all looked at Smythe closely, so he was probably important.

"Ah!
Very good, you're in. This is William Smythe. We just landed on the Moon, I
believe. I was making certain that we could communicate with people there. I
don't suppose you have anything to report?"

There
was a pause, and finally the voice whispered, after having gotten someplace
secret, Tiera hoped.

"The
rebellion is picking up force again. A few that were on our side have gone over
now. It was the attack on Callwood and Countess Baker being removed like that.
No one feels secure now. Countess Printer has removed her support. She hasn't
gone all in with the rebels, but that's the
good
news. There's talk of
Cannor going too. King Richard had been scrambling to smooth things over
there."

"Ah.
I see. Very well then. Perhaps you could arrange to have the King use your
device to contact me? I'll stand by for that. There's some news here as well,
but for his ears only."

"Understood.
I'll try to arrange that, sir."

The
line was turned off, since Alphonse had Varley on the line and Gerent picked up
his own unit as well. That was who she tried for, since they were family.

"Gerent
speaking. Hello?"

"Gerent!
It's Tiera." She didn't know what to say, but had to assume that the
Others had a way to listen in by now.

He
got that too though, it seemed. "Oh! So good to hear from you, are you all
safely at the new colony then? I'm really looking forward to coming out too.
Collette and I will be along in a few weeks. Ten days from now, actually. I'm
trying to bring Tim along as well. He said that he'll be ready by then. In ten
days. I'm bringing in a load of seeds, like you said. Can you have the
facilities ready for us then? In ten days?" He didn't stress the word ten,
but even Sheri was rolling her eyes a bit. She walked over and squealed a bit.

"Gerent!
It's Sheri. I'm going to be staying here for a while, with Maris, so we can
open a restaurant. Will you be leaving in ten days, or getting here then? Maris
and I expect you and Collette to stay with us. Live with us, too, if you're
going to stay? Please say yes. I miss you."

It
was a bit closer than the two actually were, but Gerent handled it like a professional
spy, actually understanding what was being asked.

"Wonderful,
thank you Sheri, we'd
love
that. If all goes well, we'll be heading out
in ten days. The rest of you will probably be back by then, right?" That
part actually sounded like he meant it. Then, the students
would
be
going back, wouldn't they?

Tiera
smiled, so it would show in her voice.

"That's
right, for some of us at least. Karen Derring might have to stay here, since
the High Servants are a problem. We need to go now. Make sure you don't leave,
before ten days is up, or you'll miss me. Make sure you have Timon around too,
for that." Her voice was too dark and foreboding, she knew.

Gerent
chuckled a bit, sounding nervous. "Naturally. I'll see that he doesn't get
buried in his work."

Then
they got off, and she listened to what Varley was saying which was... Light and
playful.

"Oh,
the baby is doing well. I wish that we all could have gone with you, but she's
too young to travel yet, I think."

That
might be a problem, Tiera knew, but Smythe stepped forward and sounded
fatherly.

"I
thought that too, before the trip, but it's been most pleasant. Certainly no
more of a hardship than living in a magical house at all. Really, I think you
should make an effort to at least go into orbit. Little Alison too. Especially
her. It would be a good idea to get her used to the new way of things early,
after all."

"Oh?
I should take her, especially, into space?"

The
man grimaced, since there was a lot of weight to the words.

"Oh,
my yes. A good man to get with for that would be Gerent Lairdgren. He's
planning a trip out here with a lady friend of his, Collette Coltress? She
might also have some information. That's in ten days I believe. You could meet
them in orbit, with little Alison."

"Well,
that sounds like fun. Yes, I think I'll try to put that together. Gerent you
say? Excellent. Should I get mother and father to come as well do you think? Or
Raul?"

That
got the man to stop dead, so Tiera pushed in.

"Hey
Varley! Tiera here... That would be great, but you probably shouldn't take any
of them away right now. We've heard some things, you know? Say... Have you met
Ridley Dens, yet? He's Smythe's assistant. He sounds pretty cute..." She
had no clue, but Alphonse laughed.

Loudly.

"That
is so true. You should get to know him, sis. He's a very good friend of
Trice's. The special kind? I can recommend him for company too."

There
was a light chuckle, "all right, I'll see if I can meet up with him then.
He's at the palace?"

That
got them talking and Alphonse walked off, with Karina following. It was
actually sort of normal sounding really. What she would have been doing if she
had relatives on Earth, which she did. She hit the sigil for Tim, not expecting
anything at all, but he answered after only a few seconds.

"Tim
Baker." That was all he said, and he sounded like he was in a trance
state. That might help, really, since it meant he might be paying extra close
attention.

"Tiera
here, Tim. I was just on with Gerent and he said that you and he would be
leaving in ten days. Is that right?"

"Yes."

It
was clear he knew what she was asking then. Otherwise he would have tried to
get more information from her.

"Great.
I was thinking of swinging by and picking you all up? I have a new type of ship
to show off, or will by then. It isn't certain, of course." Which was true
enough. The build felt strong so far, but it was complex on a level that she
didn't really think she could explain, and be believed. Luckily she had a
nearly perfect memory, or she couldn't have done the work at all.

"Oh?
That sounds fun. Sure. Is Trice with you?" He sounded incredibly bland,
but there was something that came across in his voice. It was so subtle she was
probably imagining it.

"Not
right now. I can probably rope her into the trip though, if she doesn't get
busy here. It's so exciting. We need to go soon and look around. Maybe do some
work here? I'm hoping to build a house before I leave. I think I like it
here." That she realized, was just the truth. It felt right. Good.

"See
you in, say, eight or nine days then? I'm in the Capital right now, but I'll be
up at Lairdgren School then. It's early, but I wanted to chat up the Dean there
and see if I can get in next year. After being kicked out of Printer like I
was."

"I
can meet you there then. Call it eight or nine days. I'm a girl so might want
to stop and do some shopping first. That's the rule isn't it?"

She
was teasing, and setting a trap for him to walk into. He didn't though. Not at
all.

"Love
ya, Tiera. Tell everyone else that too?"

"Sure,
but, you know, you
have
a communications device. I'm surprised they
haven't been communicating with you yet. We're on the
Moon
! Can you
believe that?"

He
laughed, said that he'd call the rest of the family and then got off the line. Then
they all moved out, heading to the hangar they came into, which was where they
were supposed to be getting off at anyway. Jennifer Quigley was there, seeing
to the offloading of goods already, and most of the fighters section was
helping with that.

To
greet them was a single High Servant, who was a woman that seemed to be a
noble, which wasn't a shock, but also humble, which was. She bowed to everyone,
and let her fingers intertwine in front of her.

"We
weren't told that people were coming. How wonderful. We don't really have any
facilities ready yet, on the surface." She looked embarrassed by that, but
Tiera could see it. They'd need air and water to fill the spaces, after all.
She could see to that, so walked over and bowed to the woman, half way. A bow
between equals. The woman returned it, happily enough.

"Saxon
Breen. High Servant, and Conserina First, Breen. At least until my brother has
a child."

"Tiera
Baker. Bearer of gifts. I have devices for you. We can make air, water, and
gravity inside the dwellings. We also have air purifying devices and better
food units. Really, all we need are some air tight spaces and we're good here.
Do you have everything ready?"

That
got a wince that was vastly ashamed, for some reason.

"No."
She took a deep breath, as Sara Debri came over, but went on, bravely enough.
"That is, we have a few spaces finished, but most of the others, well,
when we got here, there were problems and most won't do much at all. They just
stay on the ship and..."

Sara
winced back. "Ouch. Well, I have some units from Tor, that can make air
tight underground dwellings, so we can make those pretty quickly. We should be
able to have space for a few thousand inside a few weeks, that way." She
dug into her bag, and got one out, then gestured to her little brother, who
walked over and bowed to the High Servant, very professionally. He didn't even
seem smarmy about it or offer to have sex with her in his first six words. It
was impressive for him.

"Kurt
Debri, of the Debri Merchant House. I'm setting up shop here. It sounds like we
should go and set up some spaces then? I'm not certain how to do that, but if
Master Tor did the work, it will be solid. He's the best you know." That
bit had merchant written all over it. Selling the idea already and everything.

Tiera
liked the idea though, since otherwise things might get a bit uncomfortable,
fast.

"Saxon...
may I call you that?" She waited, even as Karen started to storm over.
They'd just been seen, so it would take her and Smythe a bit to get there. Ten seconds
or more even.

"Yes,
ma'am."

"Tiera,
please. Now, would you be willing to go and get the other High Servants that
are willing to work at all? You might drop that your High Commander has come,
and she is not pleased with the reports. In fact, I heard a rumor that anyone
not working from now on will be left outside,
without
a shield on. That
might make it hard to breathe. The rest of us will go and start making those
underground spaces."

She
stiffened a bit, her white robe looking glaring under the ship's light. Then
she saw Karen and scurried away, not letting her say anything. That didn't go
over well, but Sara giggled.

"Tiera's
giving them one last chance. I guess the idea is that anyone too stupid to show
up for work right now really can just be taken back and... Um, lost in
transit?"

Smythe
looked disgusted but didn't say anything, even as Saxon formed a tiny air lock
around herself and left through the otherwise solid looking wall. It was clever,
but she'd had time to learn how to do it.

Everyone
had shown up, along with their gear, but Kolb and Doris moved to the front, and
called Tiera's family and the Lairdgren group over. Gently of course. Then she
looked at Sheri and Maris and didn't have to suggest they come too.