Being able to get the thoughts and feelings that were running through my head on paper was exhilarating. The weight that settled on my chest lifted. I could breathe again, if only slightly better. My mind allowed me to sleep peacefully for the first night in a good long while. I never knew how much I would miss being able to sleep peacefully.

Perhaps that is why I did not hear Matilda knocking the first few times. When she opened the door to my room, the small creak of the metal startled me awake. I was still unused to being on spaceships. With a short laugh, Matilda smiled at me before she moved further into the room.

“I apologize princess. I did not mean to startle you. We let you sleep for over a day, figuring you were quite exhausted. However, we must get you dressed and to your station before we arrive at our final destination.”

Yawning, I sat up in bed and stretched. So many questions popped into my mind, and I bit my tongue to stop them from erupting from my mouth. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I allowed myself a brief moment to focus on Matilda before I spoke.

“Thank you, Matilda. It will still take us three months to reach Tir Andrel, correct?” I asked gently. Knowing how long I had to prepare myself would allow me the chance to focus on what I was going to say or do when I met this contact of my aunt’s.

There was an overwhelming sense of not seeing the entire picture that was nagging in the back of my mind. This whole situation was a jigsaw puzzle, and some of the pieces were missing. It was disconcerting. I needed to solve the mystery, but I could not.

“That is the normal length of the trip.  However, as the situation is urgent and we are in a hurry to drop off our special package at its destination, we are traveling much faster than is normal. We may arrive there within the month.”

Gulping I allowed the words to sink into my brain. One month. In thirty days, I would be on the soil of Tir Andrel, the planet that I grew up thinking was the archenemy of Caesar Seven. I knew little about the political structure on that planet and hoped that whatever my job was aboard this ship would allow me to learn.

“I’ll be waiting just outside the door. Dress, and then I will show you where you will be working until we arrive.” Matilda’s voice carried to my ears before she closed the door and waited.

Climbing out of bed, I yawned once more and then spotted the closet. Hanging in the closet were two options. There was a dark brown linen dress. It had three quarter length sleeves and looked like it would come down to my knees. Comfortable and functional, but I was not ready for a dress. Not one where the neckline scooped in the front and back, allowing anyone to see my brand.

The second option would suffice. Hanging up was a pair of white canvas trousers. Slipping into them, I realized that they flared out at the legs a bit like the old bell-bottoms that were popular on earth. The pants fit perfectly. Slipping on some undergarments, I then pulled on the matching top. It was soft silky material that felt sturdier than silk. It was a sleeveless shirt. The neck was loose but would not show anything that would make me a spectacle.

Once I was dressed, I ran a brush through my hair and moved out the door. Smiling softly at Matilda, I nodded for her to lead the way. Our trip was silent as she took me through the halls of the ship and towards the command center. Stepping inside, she smiled as the Captian waived us over. I recognized Arnthor from when we met, but I had not seen the captain yet.

Standing before me was the biggest man I had ever seen. I knew I was considered short by most standards, but this man had to be near seven feet tall. His blond hair shined like sunlight in the room, and the ice-blue eyes stared at me with a mixture of curiosity and sorrow. I understood the curiosity part, not the sadness.

“Welcome aboard my vessel princess. I am Erik Bjornson, Captian of Raven’s Flight. You will be safe here, that I swear on my honor as a Viking. You’ve already met Arnthor my first mate and Matilda, my sister.”

His voice was rough but lilting. For a moment, I almost felt as if I could remember where I heard that voice before. Strings of it ran through my mind, memories that were hazy and blurred.

“Yes. Matilda said I was being brought to my job, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. What am I doing here?” I could not keep the tremble out of my voice. While I had quite a few more questions in my head, these felt like the place to start. Demanding answers to other issues would no doubt put me on the captain’s wrong side.

The sound of the laugh breaking from the captain startled me, and I could not look away. His eyes softened towards me before he motioned to a station on his right.

“You’ve got spunk. So much like your mother. I miss her, my dear niece. We understand that you are quite gifted at husking. We’ve got a few jobs lined up, but we need someone to do a little hacking and make sure the contacts are legitimate. We lost our previous husker in a battle engagement with your brother. Gunnar Thorsson was the best navigator we had and an ace with that console. He managed to shoot Nathaniel in the shoulder before he was killed.”

My brother, shot? There was a time that I had loved Nathaniel, but now I was not sure if I could ever love him again. Knowing that he was injured in a battle that he more than likely started was a small balm to my soul. However, knowing that Nathaniel was killing others hurt. He needed to be stopped, and right now, I was too weak to do such a thing.

“Only my mother knew about my husking. I’ll be glad to help. Can you tell me about this contact, who am I meeting?” I allowed the questions to spill from my mouth without restraint this time.

“We are meeting our contact aboard his ship, Orion’s Embrace. I cannot tell you more than that now. This ship is known and feared, but no one knows who the captain is. Not even I.” Came the voice of Erik with a chuckle.

He had said that he liked my spunk but was that truth. He also called my mother, his niece. So many questions and so little answers. It made my head hurt.

With a soft sigh, I moved to the console that had been pointed out earlier and set about working on logging in. I found the needed information on my access in the system, checked what restrictions if any I had been given. It would take me a day to get familiar with their chosen methods, sooner if I did not receive a break. I could do this. I could earn my keep while waiting to meet this elusive contact.

I had heard of Orion’s Embrace. It was the most powerful and dangerous of the Royal Fleet. One of the frigates that they used in defense of the planet. The most massive and most deadly. Its captain was said to be a man not much older than me. Someone cold and calculating but not without mercy. I hoped that my contact was not the captain. No one knew his real name, only his designation, Commander General.

I could feel the icy fingers of fear grip my spine. I had to stay strong. I had to do this. Surviving was my only choice.