Page 50 of Tears of Tungsten
It also provided us with another brilliant piece of intel without which I’d feared to venture into the quasar. The area was basically a whirlpool of terrifying gravitational forces and infernal heat. In theory, it wasn’t impenetrable, since there was some kind of world within it, something that sustained life. But never, not in all the years since the first Apsid Wars, had we managed to breach the natural defenses of our foes.
What we did have was a solar energy shield frequency which could protect certain vessels from the energy of the Apsid Quasar. But our best bet would likely still be the chimeras, since they were more resilient to such temperatures than regular ships.
If we left today, we could get to the quasar by tomorrow. Too long, but better than what we’d had before.
“Thank you for this, Lady Welton,” I said, looking at Penelope once again. “I owe you a favor I can never repay.”
Penelope shook her head. “All I want is for you to keep your part of the deal. You promised you’d find a place where I’d be safe.”
“Of course, and I’ve already made arrangements. I’ll program your shuttle to take you to Terra. We’ve spoken to High Priestess Tanya Renard of New Washington. She’ll receive you there and keep you hidden.”
“And that will work?” Penelope asked in disbelief. “My father won’t find me?”
“The Terrans are resourceful. I admit I can’t offer any perfect guarantees, but it’s your best chance after this. The High Priestess will make sure you’re safe.”
“But why would she do that?” Penelope asked. “I treated her daughter horribly.”
“So did we,” I admitted. “But her goal is to get her daughter back, and right now, the only way to accomplish that is by working together. She’ll cooperate, as long as you’re useful.”
“Just in case, don’t make any insulting comments about Terrans,” Knox added. “They tend to not react well to that.”
I hoped this would be enough to keep Penelope from acting out and betraying us. For the moment, she seemed cooperative. “I can understand that,” she whispered. “Very well. I’ll go to Terra. It’s not like I have much of a choice. I suppose it’s too late now to turn back.”
“It is, for all of us,” I replied, “but I don’t think you’d want to turn back even if you could. You know better now.”
Our eyes met and in her gaze, I could still see a slight spark of hope and yearning. I didn’t want that spark to bloom again into something that would be a problem. “We don’t have much time at our disposal. Let’s see the ship’s systems.”
Penelope showed us to the navigational panel without comment. She knew a few bits and pieces about shuttle piloting, but had heavily relied on the machine to get her here.
As promised, I input the New Washington coordinates I’d already agreed upon with Tanya Renard. The High Priestess hated me with a passion for what I’d done to Gaia’s Haven and for almost getting Selene killed, but she wasn’t petty enough to ruin Penelope’s life because of it.
“Have a safe trip, Lady Welton,” I finally said. “I will do my utmost to make sure you don’t suffer any repercussions because of the aid you’ve given me.”
It was a goodbye, and she understood the underlining message. “I believe you. I hope we’ll see each other again, one day, under different circumstances. Best of luck with your quest, Your Highness.”
With that, Knox and I made our way out of the shuttle. As we watched Penelope’s vessel take off and disappear into the distance, Knox let out a small, irritated growl. “She loves you.”
“She thinks she does, although I have no idea why. I suppose I’m the only real option she had at her disposal. But I don’t think it’ll cause a problem, not anymore.”
“Why not?” Knox asked.
“Because she also believes I’m going to my own death and she’s given up on me. And first and foremost, she knows she has to prioritize her own survival if she wants to avoid the wrath of The Grand Judiciary.”
I shot Knox a small, dark smile. “But of course, that won’t be an issue since we will come back. And when that happens, I’ll find a way to take care of all of them, once and for all.”
