Victoria's Challenge (52 page)

“The secret kind.”

“Right, like he’d tell you.” Degas moves to leave.

“No wait
! He doesn’t know I know.” Degas pauses looking over his shoulder. “I’ve had his passcodes for cycles.”

“He changes his codes every moon cycle
,” Degas says in disgust.

“Yeah
, but they are always the same for each moon cycle. It’s the only way he can remember them. He doesn’t think anyone would notice.”

“But
you
did?”

“Of course
, how else could I have known Victoria’s schedule?” Gad says smugly.

“Your father was tracking her?
” Degas doesn’t try to hide his shock.

“
Always, he wanted her gone, but he was never able to get to her. I did.”

“You got caught
,” Degas reminds him.

“
She got lucky.” Gad’s arrogance is back.

“I get you out
, you tell me everything you know, and I mean everything Gad. And I want your father’s passcodes, I’m not going back under his thumb.” Degas gives him a hard look.

“He’ll kill me.
” Gad pales.

“Fine
. Stay here. I’m sure
eventually
your father will get you out.”

“No
! Wait!” Gad’s mind is racing. He has to get out of here. “I’ll give you the codes…once we’re on Messene.” He’ll have his father change them once they are in contact.

“Once we’re off the Retribution.
” Degas counters, walking towards the cell door.

“Fine
! Fine!” Gad quickly agrees when he hears voices down the hall. “You get me off the Retribution and I’ll give you the codes, tell you what I know. You’ll have access to all his records, including his treasury. On Messene, you can withdrawal as many credits as you need and disappear.”

Degas slips the key in.

“You mess with me, Gad, and I’ll dump your ass in an escape pod and send you into the Relinquished Zone. If you’re lucky you’ll die before the Regulians find you.” He sees Gad pale.

“I swear Degas
! I’m not messing with you! You’ll have the codes.” Unlocking the cell, Degas glares at him.

“Stick close to me and
keep your mouth shut!
You say one word and I leave your ass behind, you understand?”

“Yes,
” Gad answers but his eyes glare at Degas.

“Excuse me?
” Degas growls, moving so he is nearly nose-to-nose with Gad. Gad pales then nods. “Good. Follow me.”

Tar watches Degas on the monitors as he weaves his way along the path they’d laid out, seemingly dodging guards and personnel that have been told to let them pass. He smiles as Gad sweats and shakes a little more with each passing patrol. Fuck, if this had been a real escape, Gad would have given them away on his first step.

Finally,
they make to D Deck and the waiting Trier. As they exit the Retribution, Tar leans back and waits. Now they will see whose side Degas is really on.

“You did it Degas!” Gad finally speaks, standing he slaps him on the back. “I have to contact my father!”

“No.
” Degas moves, locking out the comms, or at least that’s what Gad thinks he is doing.

“What
? Why?” Gad demands. “I need to let him know we’re on our way to Messene.”

“Are you really that stupid
, Gad? The Trier is a
transport
ship. It doesn’t have encoded transmission capabilities.” At least it hadn’t until Lorre and Vagi had gotten a hold of it. “You send one word to your father and we’re dead, worse than dead, we’re back on the Retribution. Now give me the fucking codes.”

“Not yet
,” Gad fires back, thinking he’s in control.

Degas engages the autopilot.

“You will give me those codes, Gad.” His voice is deadly as he rises. “Or I’ll beat them out of you. I’ll enjoy it too. It’ll be payback for all the shit I’ve had to put up with for the last four cycles.” He raises his fist.

“No!
” Gad cowers away from him, knowing Degas is telling the truth. “No! I’ll give them to you, I
swear
, but you have to
promise
you’ll get me to Messene.”

“I’ll get you there
, you little foabhor. How else am I going to get my credits?” Degas grabs him by the scruff of his neck, forcing him back into a chair. “Enter the codes. All of them, and they better work on Messene or I’ll kill you.” He shoves a keyboard at him.

“They
will, Degas. Promise.” Gad’s fingers quickly fly over the keys. “Dad thinks he’s so smart. He uses the moon cycle name then adds the name of someone he wants dead or who he’s killed.”

“What?
” Degas’ head whips around.

“Yeah
, stupid right?” Gad grins at him, thinking he’s being impressive. “See, we’re in the moon cycle of Nallag. It’s the cycle the Queen’s first son was born, Kayden. Therefore, the passcode is
kaydennallagdeathtothetraitorsdescendents
. He thinks the longer it is, the less chance anyone will figure it out.”

“But you did.”

“Of course, he is old and getting sloppy, soon I will have to take over for him.” Degas sees the evil gleam in Gad’s eyes, a reflection of his father’s. Finally, he finishes entering the codes.

“Save it, Gad.” Degas orders and watches as he does, knowing Gad does not realize he has just transmitted his father’s codes to Admiral Tar, that the entire conversation is being recorded and transmitted for evidence against not only Assemblyman Stannic, but Gad.

Tar sits up in his chair as the transmission starts to come in. He had to trust that Degas would activate the comm once the Trier had left the Retribution. If the trace had been active when they left it would have triggered alarms on the Trier, and the man had come through.

“Get me the High Admiral!
” Tar orders as he listens.

Cassandra silently stands in the doorway, watching her husband stare down at their sleeping daughter. The awe that still fills his eyes every time he looks at her makes her smile, but she also sees the concern, concern that’s grown over the last few weeks.

“She fought going to sleep.
” She slips her arms around William's waist as she gazes down at their daughter. “She wanted
you
to lay her down.”

“Did she now…
” William smiles, pleased at the thought.

“Yes, she’s a daddy’s girl
. No one else will do for her.”

“Good
. It will stay that way for at least the next thirty cycles.” His tone telling Cassandra he’s totally serious.

“Thirty…
” Cassandra smiles up at him, her eyes laughing. “Really…”

“Yes, maybe then she can date.
” Trying to hold back her laughter, Cassandra pulls him into the outer room.

“I think she’ll fight you on that
. She
is
a Zafar you know.”

“Yes she is.
” William smiles, thinking how all their children carry his name.

“Tell me what’s got you so concerned.
” William gives her a sharp look. “I know you, my love. You’re keeping something from me. Security’s been tightened. You haven’t left the Palace since before Sabah was born.”

“There has been a lot going on.”

“Yes, but this is something else. You sense a threat…a threat against your family.” She can see she’s right. “A threat against me.”

“Yes, there is a threat against the throne, from within the House of Knowledge.
” Her eyes widen and he sees her mind start to process what he’s saying, going back over the last few weeks.

“Stannic.
” Her eyes harden, gone is the soft loving mother of a few moments ago, in her place is the Queen of the House of Knowledge.

“Yes.”

“Tell me what you know. What have you planned?”

“I am so happy for you, Victoria.” Cyndy hugs her daughter tightly, it seemed like only yesterday she was watching her take her first steps and now…

“I love him so much
, mom.”

“I know.
” Leaning back, Cyndy has to wipe the tears from her eyes. “It shows in everything you do. In every look you give him.”

“He’s such a good man.”

“He has to be to get your father’s approval.” Cyndy smiles, remembering Lucas’ nervousness as he waited for Peter’s reply, after he asked for permission to marry Tori. How she’d been surprised, Peter hadn’t made him sweat longer. “He’s impressed your father from the beginning.”

“You mean
after
he shot him.”

“Yes well
, he didn’t
know
him then and,” Cyndy holds up a silencing hand. “You know as well as I do that if your father had wanted to kill him, he would have, even then.” Tori thinks back and realizes her mother is right, her father is a crack shot, if he wanted Lucas dead he’d be dead.

“Mom…”

“What baby?”

“I…”

Cyndy watches her baby girl hesitate.

“What
? Victoria Lynn, what’s wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong…
it’s just… Unions are done a little differently on Carina.”

“What do you mean different
ly?”

“Well…
the woman… she walks down the aisle alone… symbolizing she is entering into the Union freely.”

“Oh…
well I guess if that’s the way it’s done and it’s what you want…” Cyndy trails off, knowing Peter would be heartbroken not to walk his little girl down the aisle.

“It’s not
. I always thought Uncle William would walk me to Lucas but now...”

“But now?
” Cyndy prompts, understanding where she’s going.

“Do you think dad would be upset if he
and
Uncle William walked me down the aisle? I love them both so much and…” Desperate eyes met hers.

“Tori.
” Cyndy frames her face with gentle hands. “Your father knows what William has done for you, for you and Cassie, and while he’ll be surprised, your father will understand.”

“Understand what?
” Peter asks, walking into the room, sweaty from his workout and smiles at his two favorite girls.

Sitting with Lucas’ arm around her, Victoria lets out a contented sigh. The boys have long since left to play some new game Lucas has brought them. Aunt Cassie and her mom are sitting on a couch, cooing over Sabah, while Uncle William and her dad are discussing some new training procedures for the Academy.

“I think now would be a good time to discuss the Union.
” Tori’s words are met with absolute silence.

“Union…
” Cassandra’s eyes flash from her to Lucas then to William. “Who’s Union?”

“Mine and Lucas’
.” Victoria gives her Aunt a confused look before looking up at Lucas. “You didn’t tell your dad?”

Coughing to keep from chuckling
, Lucas raises a fist to his mouth, covering his smile. “Ah, no baby. I thought we’d do that together.” He can’t stop himself from enjoying the staggered expressions on his father and Cassie’s faces, for once, the Queen and High Admiral are the last to know.

“You knew?
” Cassie turns to her sister-in-law, still holding Sabah.

“Of course
," Cyndy informs her cooing at the baby. "I was there when Lucas asked for Peter’s permission.”

Cassandra opens
her mouth to respond, shuts it, opens it again but there is nothing she can say. “Give me back my daughter, you… you…” She moves to take Sabah from Cyndy.

“Not in this life time
, sister. Sucks being the last to know, doesn’t it your Majesty?” Cyndy raises an eyebrow to her sister-in-law as she settles Sabah more comfortably into her arms. “Deal with it your Highness, you don’t get to control
everything
.” Cyndy’s smile softens her words.

With a
huff, Cassandra looks to her husband. “At least tell me
you
didn’t know.”

“Lucas
never said a word,” William assures her, his eyes narrowing on his son. He’s never kept something this important from him before.

“Look
, it wasn’t meant to be some big secret.” Victoria looks around trying to calm the waters. “I just assumed Lucas told Uncle William when Jotham agreed to perform the Union and that he told you.” She looks to her Aunt.

“Jotham is performing the ceremony?
” William looks to his son.

“I asked him
on the Bering.” Lucas informs him. “He was thrilled.”

“So, that’s why I thought now would be a good time to discuss it.
” Victoria pulls the conversation back to the beginning. “Lucas and I have talked about it and would like to have the ceremony performed in the Queen’s garden, specifically in the memory garden.”

“Oh Victoria.
” Cassandra feels her eyes fill with tears at the thought of having them joined in front of her father.

“We just want a small ceremony
. Family and friends and….” She looks at Lucas who nods. “We want it before the Guardian leaves.”

“What?
” Cassandra can't hold back her shock. “How am I supposed to plan a Union in that amount of time? Even a small one! There are announcements that need to be made. Parties that must be given…”

“Aunt Cassie…”

“There will have to be a reception…” Cassandra stands to pace, thinking out loud.

“Aunt Cassie…
” Victoria tries again.

“Cassandra Qwes Chamberlain
! Shut up!” Peter orders his sister.

“You forgot Zafar.
” William quietly reminds him.

“
Oh yeah, sorry about that.” Peter acknowledges William before zeroing back in on his sister. “This is Victoria’s wedding… Union… not yours. She’ll have what she wants.”

“But…
” Cassandra looks at her brother and stutters, no one speaks to her like that anymore, well no one but William… and Victoria.

“There will be no buts
. She and Lucas want to be married before the Guardian’s maiden voyage and as her father, I agree. Therefore,
you
will sit down,
listen
and
then
you can use all that power of yours to make it happen.”

“Well…
” Cassandra sits down next to Cyndy in a huff, a small smile tickling her lips before looking at Tori. “Told you, I didn’t always win.” They share a laugh.

“Okay what am I missing?
” Cyndy looks between the two.

“Victoria once said that I always
won when Peter and I would argue. I disagreed.”

“You were pretty damn close
,” Cyndy replies, smiling. “Totally pissed him off.”

“I know
, it was always so fun to see the big bad military man outsmarted by his
baby
sister.”

“Do you see what I
've had to put up with?” Peter looks for reinforcements from William and Lucas who nod sympathetically.

“Anyway..
.” Victoria continues, laughing. “Since very little of this Union is going to be ‘traditional’ there are a couple other things I’d like.”

“What do you want
, Tori?” Cassandra looks to her niece.

“Well besides being in the garden
, I would like Amina to stand up for me. I’ve talked to her about it, explained the tradition on Earth and she’s agreed.”

“And I’ve asked Barek.
” Lucas watches his father raise an eyebrow.

“The other Earth tradition I’d like
keep is to be walked down the aisle by my father…” Victoria's eyes look to her father before moving on to William. “Both my fathers.”

William
, in the process of raising his ale, freezes as what Victoria is saying sinks in. He’s been enjoying the shocks she’s been giving his wife, but now the tables are turned. His eyes fly from Victoria to Cassandra to Peter. Surely, she can’t mean what he thinks… but he sees the truth in Peter’s eyes.

“Victoria…
” As his voice breaks, William finds he has to start again. “Victoria, I’m honored that you would consider this but your real father…”

"Is fine with it
, so just shut up and accept Zafar.” Peter's eyes blaze into William's.

"Please
, Uncle William?” Standing, Victoria walks over to him, putting a hand on each man’s arm. "It would mean a great deal to me to have the
two
men who raised me at my side as I start my life with Lucas. A symbol, if you like, that the
three
most important men in my life stand as one."

William looks into pleading emerald eyes and realizes there's no way he can refuse her
, not when she looks at him like that. "It would be an honor to walk with you, Victoria.” He tells her and is rewarded with a brilliant smile, before she launches herself at both men, knowing they will always catch her.

"Thank you
, Uncle William.” She kisses his cheek. "Thank you, daddy.” She buries her head in her father's chest."

Peter looks up at the stars in the night sky… stars that are in the wrong spots.

"Are you really okay with this?
” William asks quietly, having followed him into the garden when he slipped out of the room earlier.

Peter stiffens at the intrusion
then realizes he should have expected it. He's gotten to know William Zafar pretty well over the last few moon cycles.

"It's what Victoria wants.
” He tells William.

"That's not what I asked."

"No but it's what matters.” Peter sighs heavily, knowing he now has to speak the truth. "When she first asked, I was shocked. I never once considered she would want both of us. I should have... from the way she talked about you, but...” He looks at William. "I think I actually hated you for a moment... hated that
my
little girl could love another the way she loved me. In a way that should have been reserved for
only
me.” William says nothing. "Then I realized that if it wasn't for
you,
my baby girl wouldn't be getting married, wouldn't even be alive to get married, none of us would."

"You give me too much credit
, Peter.” William denies. "Yes, I was on that Raptor but it was for purely selfish reasons. I was there to get
my
son back. It had absolutely nothing to do with you and your family. If it hadn't been for
Cassandra
, Victoria would have died in that field. It was h
er
love that saved Victoria, not mine. Everything that happened after... that was because of
Victoria,
because of what
you
taught her. You and Cyndy. You made sure she knew she was loved, would always be loved, no matter what.” William pauses, traveling back through time.

"She w
as so little that day, the day all our lives changed. She jumped into learning everything she could and charmed everyone she met. It's a testament to you that she could. That she was able face everything that happened to her and not let it break her. When she stood in front of the Assembly demanding her right to pass judgment...” William just shakes his head.

"She showed us the recording."

"I know grown men who couldn't have done
what she did. Who would have let what happened to them fester inside, turning them. It's what happened to Valerian but not Victoria, and that's because of
you
. You and Cyndy taught her what really matters. You gave her the skills she needed to not only survive, but flourish, all I did was let her."

"You did more than that, you loved her,
gave her a home and not because of Cassie."

"No, not beca
use of Cassie and not because of Lucas but because she's Victoria and I love her. Love her as if she were my own daughter. She expanded my world with the way she looked at things, how she reacted to them, she made me remember that there were more important things than a career and duty. There was family and love, and she included
me
in her world. The day she asked to call me Uncle, because no one else could, sealed it for me. She
became
my daughter but it never meant she wasn't yours. She never forgot you, either of you. It's because of that love that there is now a Mother's and Father's Day on Carina."

"What?
” Peter gives him a confused look and William smiles.

"That first Mother's Day
... we were still involved in the Challenge, and Cassandra didn't remember but Victoria did.” William thinks back on that night when he'd found them crying over what they'd lost. "She cried for Cyndy, cried for the 'secret' you never got to tell her."