Teela of Kolander, page 15
“No, silly. It was just kind of obvious.” Mary flopped down on a large soft chair looking extremely satisfied and began to munch.
“What's with you?” Teela said. “You look like … I don't know, like you just found treasure or something.”
“I did. I did. I saw the universe like I've never even dreamed of before. Back on Earth, we don't have the telescopes or the other sensing devices like they have here and I saw wonders I had never even imagined before. Devices to locate, amplify and measure nearly every kind of energy field, not just light.”
Juleeta grinned mischievously. “And Boranni, the intern, wasn't bad to look at either, right?”
Mary did blush this time. “Uh, I didn't notice.”
Teela sensed from Mary that she had indeed noticed despite her answer. But as happy as she was with Mary's joy, and her mother's presence, relaxation eluded her. She felt incomplete, unfinished, depressed, like a great cloud was hovering over head blocking all the light that could become happiness.
She loved Ander, its natural and man-made beauty. Her escape from her deranged father had been almost miraculous. Discovering a free Ander and her mother deep within the Empire had been wondrous, but she still felt unfinished, still felt as though she had things she must do. Knowing she would eventually have to talk about these feelings with her mother, she heaved an exaggerated sigh.
“Mother, I don't know how to say this. We've been here for three wonderful days. But I don't feel right. I feel incomplete, like there are things still I must do. What are we going to do, here? Just sit around and … and … exist, buried within that abominable Empire, filled with cruelty and terror.” Teela sat straight up.
Juleeta frowned deeply and stood up. “The people of Ander have been existing quietly for a thousand years, not three days. We do not have the military might to survive direct conflict with the Empire. Our choices are slim or none. We chafe at the restrictions, but we have not been standing still as you saw yesterday.”
“I wasn't criticizing Ander. I was trying to express my feelings, I don't know. I don't feel right with my bastard of a father out there terrorizing the galaxy. And I wasn't talking about going to war.” Teela said as she shrugged in confusion. “I was just feeling bad about the things I saw while in the hands of the Empire. If the Empire was ever a good thing for the people, it has lost its way somewhere along the way. The Emperor ... the whole royal family has no idea, or even worse, don't care how the rest of its citizens have to live. I'm talking about the farmers, the businessmen, scientists, the servants, you know, the rest of us who actually make up the Empire. The Emperor's henchmen do and seem to enjoy enforcing their status. Remember, I also know how bad life is when you're not royal.”
Juleeta reached over and grabbed Teela's hand. “Don't you think I understand that. I may be Queen of an isolated land, but I'm not blind to the plight of the common people existing within Ander or the Empire.” They sat back down and Mary looked back and forth between them, wide eyed.
Teela sighed. “I know you must understand, but during my escape from Bardonis, I pushed two people into stupors, using my inexperienced abilities. My suggestions to them worked but I have no idea how long the push may have lasted or how much damage I may have done to them in my untrained use of my ability. I feel bad for our poor, innocent pilot, who we left picking flowers back at Kolistor.”
Teela's expression changed to anger. “But I don't feel bad about the push I did on my insane father. Last I saw him, back in Donistor, he was laying with his face in his plate, immobile, with his personal servant trying to keep him from suffocating in his meal. He had finished acting on the suggestions I gave him, then collapsed into his meal ... and I don't care.”
Juleeta's face lost all expression except for her eyes which shown with restrained zeal . “You never mentioned the level of Kregus' mental state in your story. Tell me about it now, in detail.” Her voice was flat and her eyes held back emotions that Teela could not read.
“Sorry, thought I did. Well, Kregus was going to force me drink a special suppressor elixir and I was afraid it had been doctored to do more than just suppress my abilities. So I pushed him. I pushed him really hard with everything I had. I was scared and angry. I had him send me here to Kolander to see the palace where I had lived but do it officially as his heir. Thought I would have less problems that way.”
Teela watched her mother's expression change from restrained to almost gleeful. “So, he did as you suggested and you left Kregus diminished enough for you to escape, right? Just how diminished was he? How were his abilities to rule.”
“Well, five days ago he was slumped over with his face in his food, nearly catatonic. I had told him to send us to Kolander and then forget about me. Don't know how long it will last, though. It at least lasted the two plus days of our flight here. He's probable over it now, and already contacted Kolistor,” Teela said.
Mary sat straight up and asked a question. “Wait. So, who's in charge here on Kolander with Kregus now residing back on Bardonis?”
“Who indeed.” Juleeta said almost absently but Teela could see that she was thinking.
“Teela,” She finally said. “Mary's question is absolutely on target. Who was running Kolistor when you got there, when you left there to come here?”
Teela shrugged. “It seemed like it was sort of on automatic. I think Mary will agree. After I got there, it appeared that they thought I was in charge because Kregus had sent me there as the Princess and his daughter, and his …”
“His heir! Right!” Mary finished.
Juleeta nodded. “So, Teela, you are in charge on Kolander. At least three days ago. In that case, we may have an unprecedented opportunity. You must return to Kolistor as quickly as you can, hopefully before Kregus comes to his senses and contacts them. We need to destroy the border monitoring system without that fact becoming known to Bardonis. We can free Ander, at least on Kolander.”
“How would we do that?” Mary ate the last mouthful of her fruit. “It must be nearly planet wide and be the highest level tech stuff.”
“It is,” Juleeta smiled. “But we have spies in the military and all other areas of the Empire's operations as well. All monitoring data is received and stored in the Border Control Center adjacent to the Palace itself in Kolistor. For Ander to effectively take back Kolander from the Empire, we must be able to cross our borders. And it all depends on the amount of incapacity Kregus is suffering from.”
Teela watched as Juleeta called in her top military advisers and began a strategy meeting, talking of troops, of battles, and the estimated potentials for human losses by various strategic approaches. She remained silent at the periphery feeling more and more uncomfortable with the drift of the conversations. After nearly four hours, the passing of morning, and the first midday meal, the military commanders were finally dismissed and Juleeta sat back with a cup of strong tea.
Teela remained sitting with her head down, staring into her own cup of tea. The stresses of remaining in the background for the last few hours as the generals discussed battle plans, finally grew beyond her control and she could no longer remain silent. She shuddered and looked up. “Mother, I know what you are planning is critical and even righteous. But as much as I despise Kregus and find the Empire he now leads, despicable and corrupt ... I don't really want to be part of another coup, another insurrection where people will die.”
Juleeta nodded but did not smile. “I understand your reservations. Since long before Kregus took power, you have been manipulated, abused, and left powerless. You were but a small child when his manipulations began. He used you and it was an abominable thing to do.” She grasp Teela’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “But now, you are nearly grown and you must face this situation as an adult, not that hurt little girl. Loss of life is inevitable. The Empire will not give up anything without a fight. You are not under any chemical or psi push now and are free to make your own choices.”
“Am I? Am I really?” She looked at her mother with moist eyes. “I don't feel free to choose. If I don't do this, my mother and Ander may remain prisoners on this planet and Kregus can continue to trample everyone around him. If I do it, people will die. And there is no guarantee of success.”
“Life never offers a guarantee. You just move through it with your best efforts.” Juleeta squeezed Teela's shoulders in support.
Mary moved closer to Teela, sitting next to her. “And he could decide to go back to Earth and make it another vassal planet like Kolander. I know how you feel. Remember, I really know how you feel.” She tapped her head. “But I would be willing to fight for Earth. Please fight for Kolander and I'll help. Then maybe, we won't have to fight for Earth or another planet later.”
Teela looked at Juleeta for several moments. “If I do this and we succeed Mother, you've got to promise me, we won't be just trading leaders, not just another coup. But we will be making some real changes in the way the Empire works. I want our efforts to do something that will make the people's lives in the Empire better.” Teela looked back and forth between her Mother and Mary.
Juleeta nodded thoughtfully as she looked at Teela. Then she sat back and smiled, chuckling. “Just who do you think will be the new leader of the Empire, if we win this day?”
“You, of course. You're the Queen of Ander.” Teela said.
“No, my silly girl.” Juleeta laughed for the first time this morning. “We don't need a bloody coup. You are already the legitimate heir to the throne of the Empire. It is you who will be the new Empress of the Barkol Empire.”
Mary became animated and jumped up. “Wait a minute! Teela, she's right. All we have to do it demonstrate that Kregus is unfit to rule and you can simply take over for him. It's really not an overthrow, just the passing of the crown from an incapacitated ruler to the known and legitimate heir.”
Juleeta nodded then frowned. “But, we have to disable the border monitoring functions first. Let's move.”
Chapter Twenty-One
-Liberation 1-
Teela sat with Mary in the first passenger seats of the winged flying machine. Juleeta and two of her personal body guards sat further back engaged in quiet conversation. It took just less than an hour to fly to the Empire's border monitoring station from Anderstor. Juleeta had decided that only she and her two specially trained bodyguards would accompany Teela dressed as servants along with Mary when crossing the border.
They flew low, rarely reaching over five thousand dunits in the low tech machine using lifting aerodynamics instead of anti-grav. As they approached the border wall, they flew lower and lower, eventually just above the treetops. Suddenly the pilot switched on the hidden anti-grav unit and dropped straight down through the forest canopy and landed about half an hour's walk from the wall.
Teela and Mary lead the way toward the wall, retracing their earlier steps along the well worn path. Juleeta and her bodyguards followed close behind. The two guards had had special training in close hand-to-hand combat and were also especially talented in use of their psi abilities. Mary, Juleeta and the bodyguards were dressed like a common household servant at the Kolistor palace. When they approached to within camera range of the wall, they all dropped back to the customary distance behind Teela.
Just as they were becoming visible to the border surveillance equipment, Teela turned back toward Juleeta. “Look, we need to sneak back through like last time, in case someone is actively monitoring those cameras. It will increase the element of surprise on our return to Kolistor. I'm sure this border station sends data to the central command in Kolistor and they send it on to Donistor and the Emperor's central command. We do not want to trigger any alarms. We need all the time we can get.”
Mary nodded in agreement. “Remember, when we went through before, I adjusted the camera angles to allow a path through and away from the door. Maybe they are still misaligned. I'll check.” Mary stood behind a tree and looked at the mounted cameras on the border wall above the door. They still pointed just as she had left them when they had entered Ander, almost three days ago. Teela, Mary, Juleeta, and the two bodyguards carefully walked within the cameras' blinded path and passed through the fence and border unchallenged. Teela worried a little about the record of her leaving and reentry, but she knew there was nothing she could do but hurry. They walked quickly to the small ship still sitting there with the door open.
After shooing out the few flying creatures which had taken up residence and two slithery ones, they took their seats. Mary took the pilot's seat and activated the ship, commanding it to navigate back to the location where they had left the poor pilot three days before.
“Mary,” Juleeta said. “When did you learn to pilot a ship?”
“On our way to Ander … but the computer is really flying the ship. All I do is carefully tell it what to do.” She turned around to face the others. “This should take about a tenthday if I remember right. If the poor pilot has recovered from the push, and is still where we left him, he will not understand why we left, how we got back, and definitely not why we have three additional passengers.”
Juleeta nodded. “Before you pick him up, we will move back to the small cargo area. It's big enough.”
The ship landed on autopilot and opened the door. Teela gasped. “Greats stars above. Is he dead?” She jumped from the ship and ran to his side and heaved a great breath of relief. “Not dead!”
The pilot was laying on the ground, barely conscious, trying to pick nonexistent flowers from the air with his fingers while chanting to himself. “Leave the ship and pick flowers.”
Around him were thousands of dead and wilting flowers that he had picked while he could still walk. He had obviously not eaten or drunk since Teela had pushed him to pick flowers. Juleeta and her guards came back out of hiding to carry the pilot into the ship, placing him in the pilots chair.
Juleeta stared at the pilot and then at Teela. “Great stars, Teela, just how hard did you push him? From the looks of him, he would have let himself die of thirst before he stopped picking flowers.”
“Not that hard. Not nearly as hard as I pushed Kregus.”
“I feel bad for the pilot, but this dramatically increases our chances of success, especially if Kregus is at least equally affected. But that amount of power is very dangerous. You need some training, and you also need to fix the pilot soon.”
Teela felt bad for the poor pilot and turned to her mother. “I didn't mean for that to happen. I just wanted him to leave the ship. I thought he would realize what happened as soon as the ship left, and find a way back home.”
Juleeta grabbed her shoulders. “I know you would never harm someone without cause. But this bodes very well for our problem with Kregus. I pray to the stars above that his mind is still just as fogged over as the pilot's.” She directed her guards back into hiding and just before she followed them in, she looked back, “Now fix that pilot before it is too late.”
Teela gentled pushed the pilot, removing his compulsion to pick flowers and handed him a bottle of water which he downed and lay back in the pilots seat. He looked at Teela and Mary, confusion written across his face.
“I don't know what happened to you.” Teela lied with a straight face. “You had a mental break of some kind. You suddenly landed the ship and began to pick flowers. We were so scared and didn't know what to do. It's been three days, but you seem better now. Are you able to fly us back to Kolistor?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The ship does most of the work.”
“Right after we arrive, you need to be checked out by a doctor.” Teela very gently pushed him to believe their flimsy explanation and to not check the flight history in the ship's computer.
He nodded, still a little confused. “Your Highness, please have your servant secure you in your seat and we will be on our way.”
Mary did as was expected and then took her seat in the back of the cabin next to the cargo door where she gently knocked, hoping it would alert Juleeta and her guards to prepare for takeoff.
They arrived at the Kolistor palace in the evening after last meal, and Teela very gently pushed the pilot into an easy sleep in the command chair. “He needed it anyway.” She said as Mary let the others out of the cargo area.
Though it was late, Juleeta said they must move ahead not knowing how long Kregus would remain in a fog and unaware of Teela's actions. Teela nodded in agreement and assumed a haughty royal attitude. Juleeta and her two bodyguards, now redressed as scientists and technicians, according to the plan, lined up a respectful pace behind Teela. They exited the ship and walked to the main entrance.
Jarveel met them at the entrance, almost dancing with anxiety. “Great stars, your back! We were so worried, Your Majesty. It has been over three days.”
“Did you report my absence to the Emperor?” Teela frowned at Jarveel, striving for a level of intimidation.
“I know should have. I take full responsibility. Please do not punish the staff for my mistaken decision. Your absence would reflect badly on us and I did not want to contact His Highness but we were prepared to ... if needed.”
“Thank you, Jarveel, for your concern. I am glad you decided not to contact him. He has enough things clouding his mind.” She looked at Mary who quickly suppressed a grin at Teela's sarcasm. “The pilot had some kind of mental breakdown and it took him nearly this long for him to recover. I suggest that he get several days of enforced bed rest and not fly again for a while.”
“Of course, right away.” He said as he gazed over her shoulder at the people behind her.
Teela knew it was time to initiate their plan. “I had not mentioned this before because it was to be a surprise for the palace. My father had entrusted me with a great task before I left Donistor. I had instructed my pilot before he lost his mind, to stop at the university where I commandeered these scientists for the task His Majesty set before me.” She stepped closer to Jarveel. “I will need your help Jarveel.”
