CHAPTER THREE

thena couldn't hold back the gasp of admiration as she regarded the full glory of the starship Artemis for the first time. She stared in wonder from the window of the shuttle as it slowly approached from above and smiled at the young pilot, who was clearly attempting to look blasé about the whole experience, as if it were a regular occurrence in her actually mundane existence. In reality the woman was as overawed as her passenger by the wondrous sight of the brand new cruiser that hung before them like a great eagle with wings outstretched. The unsullied, silvery alloy that covered the body of the ship seemed to glow with a light all its own, illuminating the scarlet lettering and the golden symbols that adorned the upper side of the massive blades. The central shaft of the vessel was peppered with windows and lights and tipped at the fore with an ovoid bulb that contained the bridge and the departments that made up the vessel's nerve centre. In fact, the Artemis reminded Athena of its captain, her former love; immense power, strength and confidence wrapped in a perfect package; everything that went on inside, all the passions, joys and sorrows of the inhabitants concealed behind an absolutely calm, protective mask of steel.

It had been Cassandra's inability to truly let Athena behind that mask that had ultimately driven them apart. The ambassador was a diplomat by training and by nature, and she had never confronted her lover about the wedge she had put between them; in hindsight Athena thought she probably should have brought matters to a head, perhaps they could have sorted it out that way, but she hated arguments, especially with those she loved, and avoided them whenever possible. She had loved Cassandra deeply and she knew the captain felt the same but ultimately they were too different and they were set on different paths. Absently, the ambassador wondered how it would feel to see her lost love again, after all this time. Probably it would be awkward at first but, strangely, she was looking forward to it, she had missed Cassandra in all sorts of ways.

She could just imagine how Cassandra had reacted when the Queen informed her that her ex-lover was to accompany them on their mission, suspecting that the tight-lipped woman had taken it in her stride, without a hint on her face of the trepidation within. It was not that their parting had been acrimonious, it had just been very sad, and had left them both drained. It was though, Athena now acknowledged, inevitable; they were too different, one might even say they were polar opposites and, though they may have complimented eachother at one time, in the end their differences pulled them apart. They had not seen eachother to speak to since their split five years before, not because they felt antagonistic but because they were each privately afraid, afraid of the consequences of meeting again while they were still in..... while they still had unresolved feelings. At least, she knew her own feelings were unresolved and she would bet money on the fact that the intrepid captain had buried her own emotions on the subject deep, rather than dealing with them. But this kind of thinking would do them no good at the moment, she decided. There would be time enough for that when they had recovered the Labyrys and if they failed, it would all be irrelevant anyway. The important thing was that they had a job to do and anything else would have to take a back seat to that.

When the shuttle Boudicca had docked with the Artemis and Athena stepped into the reception hall, the captain was waiting, a sincere smile of joy creeping almost surreptitiously over her lips. Rather than following the logical course and finding herself a doctor in Kore, Cassandra had flown herself back to the Artemis one-handed and reported to the infirmary. The young doctor Xanthe had, of course, been horrified, though not surprised, and had made her feelings on the subject quite clear before removing the spike from Cassandra's shoulder and healing her wounds. The captain had explained calmly to the exasperated doctor that she was not in the habit of neglecting her duty because of a little discomfort that could just as easily be sorted out on the ship as it could on the planet, and that she had no intention of being late for her meeting with the ambassador.

In truth, Cassandra had felt a little nervous and awkward about this meeting right up until she saw Athena's beautiful face, adorned with the comfortingly familiar smile and, at that moment she had instinctively known that they would be friends again, indeed that they had never really stopped being so. She stepped forward with her hands outstretched and her lips curved in a smile of welcome. "Captain Yael" said Athena in a gently teasing tone, raising her hands to meet her friend's.
"Ambassador Eadon" greeted the captain with a raised eyebrow and she bent a little to exchange kisses on each cheek, "Welcome aboard the Artemis".
The ambassador cast a cursory glance around the large reception area, her hands still clasped lightly in Yael's and observed "She's certainly impressive. I wouldn't mind a tour sometime, if it could be arranged."
"Of course, whenever you like" the captain agreed.

The two seemed not to notice they were still holding hands as Athena turned her dark blue eyes back to Cassandra, but young Ensign Grainne had noticed and she fought against the knowing smile that was tugging at her lips. Athena took a deep contented breath as her eyes settled on the captain's and asked softly "how are you, Cass?"
"I'm well" replied the captain with a nod.
"Well, you haven't changed" Eadon observed "apart from this" and, cocking her head a little, she raised a hand to run her forefinger gently along the pale scar that started behind the captain's right ear and travelled down her neck to disappear under the collar of her jacket.
Cassandra huffed quietly, "I have a few more of them since the last time we met", she admitted and then enquired "and how are you?"
"Oh, I'm very well.....but I'm worried" replied the ambassador, with a frown that wrinkled the smooth skin of her high forehead.
"I've scheduled a senior officers' meeting for four-thirty" the captain informed her guest, dropping her hands and becoming more businesslike, "we should talk before then."
"Absolutely, I think that would be a good idea" Athena agreed. Yael stepped back, indicating the young woman that was standing at ease a discreet distance away.
"Ensign Grainne will show you to your quarters and help you settle in", she said in a formal tone, "and then escort you to my office at...shall we say quarter-to-four? There's a lot we need to discuss."

* * * * * *

"I didn't think you'd believe in the power of the Labyryrs, Cass", Athena said when the doors of the captain's office had swished shut on Grainne's retreating form.
"I'm not sure I do" replied Yael with a wry smile, "but I trust Her Majesty, I believe in her and my duty is to serve her. Besides, whatever the Labyrys is, it's loss will certainly be detrimental to Amazon morale and, if it is what the Queen says it is.....the consequences of its disappearance are too appalling to contemplate".
"I agree entirely" the ambassador said, settling into the large armchair and accepting the offered coffee from Cassandra's hand, "but I can see you have questions."
"Don't I always?"
Athena giggled lightly, remembering how Cassandra's inquiring mind had often got her into trouble. "Well, I probably don't know much more than you do but I'll answer as far as I can" she replied.

Cass sat down opposite the ambassador, her manner unusually relaxed as she sipped at her coffee. "Its a weapon of mass destruction" she stated in a neutral tone.
"Not exactly" Athena answered, thinking how typical it was of a military mind to assume that, "It houses a power capable of mass destruction but no one knows if it was intended as a weapon. The same force that can be used to destroy planets and galaxies and human life can also be used to create or restore them. Like most natural phenomena, of itself this power is neither good nor evil, it is how we use it that makes the difference."
"Then why are we assuming that whoever has it has evil intentions?"
"We're not...but do you really think we should take the chance?"

The captain smiled. She was amazed and somewhat relieved at how natural it felt to be with Athena again.
"Do we know how it happened?" she asked, "Her Majesty was a little vague on the subject"
"That's because the information we have is vague" Athena replied. "As you probably know, the Consort of Kharana was tragically killed in an accident last month. The Labyrys was sent there, aboard the Hyppolyta, to be used at the funeral...."
"The Hyppolyta!?" interrupted Yael, "She's a high security ship, she's virtually impregnable!"
"That's why she was chosen" replied Athena, "but apparently she wasn't entirely impregnable. On the return journey she was hijacked, we don't now how or exactly where. All we know is that it was in deep space just outside the Kharana system and that no other vessels had approached."
Cass looked up sharply at that statement and asked suspiciously "how do we know that?"
"The Hyppolyta's captain managed to send a message before the ship was destroyed. It was patchy since the signal was badly degraded, clearly someone had tried to erase it. However, we did gather that the hijacking came completely out of the blue, with no warning of any kind and that a group of armed warriors had somehow infiltrated the ship. The captain started to give their position but was cut down by laser fire before she could give an exact co-ordinate. We only know that they were less than a thousand kilometres outside the boundary of the system."
Cass sighed and let her head fall back onto the soft chair. "Well, I suppose that narrows it down slightly," she said "although the system is massive and I doubt the Labyrys is still there. I suppose the obvious place to start is Kharana Prime. All we know for sure is that it was there until.....until when?"
"The funeral finished at 3pm last Friday" replied Athena, "The Hyppolyta's logs are not retrievable but, presumably, they left soon after that."
Cassandra nodded and lifted her head to drink her coffee. After a lengthy, thoughtful silence she requested "What do you know about the Kharanan Queen? I understand you were friends in your youth"

Eadon shifted her weight in her chair and said "I've known Morrigan for years. We trained together and we've been friends ever since, though I haven't seen her for a couple of years. She's a great warrior and a very honourable woman. She was distantly related to Cartimandua XIth and became captain of her personal guard at only 21. When the Queen was fatally wounded at the Battle of Quinqura Ridge, she gave her Right of Caste to Morrigan without hesitation." Athena stretched out and settled deeper into the warmth around her, resting her half empty mug on her thigh. "She's tough" she said in a reverent voice, "and she's focused. She has a clear vision of what she wants for her people and she's determined to achieve it. She's dedicated to her duty and yet compassionate. Her subjects adore her. But she's passionate too, with the soul of a poet and philosopher as well as a warrior." Athena lifted her eyes from their contemplation of the captain's feet and quietly added "she was so utterly in love with her wife. I've never seen a more devoted couple, a pair so clearly meant for eachother. They were like one entity, so absolutely in harmony that they seemed only to exist as a unit. Not that they were unable to function independently, you understand, they were both very strong, independent women, but it was as if they each possessed a beautiful but incomprehensible picture and when the two pictures were brought together they merged and their meaning became so obvious that you wondered why you never saw it before." Athena's eyes filled with sadness as she whispered "I can't begin to imagine how Morrigan feels without her."

* * * * * *

The officers' conference room on board the Artemis began to buzz as the captain fell silent and she let it go for a while before bringing the room to order once more. "I know you must all have a lot of questions," she said, raising her hand to forestall one from Lieutenant Alyona Zapata, her chief Security officer, "but please save them until the end." When the room had quieted she stood to walk around the table and began "The Labyrys was on its way back from the Kharana system, where it had been used during the ceremonial funeral of the Consort. Sometime during that journey, (we can't be sure exactly when, since the data is rather scrambled), the ship carrying it, the Hyppolyta, was ambushed, the entire crew killed or captured and the Labyrys stolen. I'm afraid that's all we know and that only because the captain managed to send a 'mayday' from aboard the Hyppolyta before she was killed."

The captain, having finished her slow circuit of the room, sat down again and leaned forward on her elbows. "For reasons I cannot divulge, this mission must be a secret one. No one outside this room must know that the Labyrys is missing, is that clear?" When those present had mumbled and nodded their understanding, she continued, "Ladies, I have been literally sworn to secrecy over this matter and I have told you all I am at liberty to, but understand, it is absolutely vital that we retrieve the Labyrys as quickly and efficiently as possible, with as few people as possible knowing what's going on. The Hyppolyta's security was among the tightest in the fleet, that's why she was chosen, so obviously we're dealing with a highly organised and professional band of thieves, possibly hired by someone powerful and rich enough to pay for the best in the business; either that, or a professional army. I can't tell you exactly what is at stake here, but rest assured, it is more than relics, symbols and Amazon pride. We simply cannot afford to fail. Understood?"

When all the other senior officers had left the conference room, cmmdr. Lilliard remained, but just as she was about to open her mouth, the captain raised her hand to forestall the question. "Don't ask me, Tara," she said, a clear warning in her voice, "I've said all I can?" and she slumped down into her chair with a sigh.
The commander nodded and sat down next to her captain, "I've rarely seen you look so worried, ma'am", she said calmly, stretching out a hand to rest it on Cassandra's forearm. The captain sighed and placed her other hand over Lilliard's. "I'm sorry, my friend, I wish I could tell you more but...." and she shrugged resignedly.
"I understand, Captain."
Yael nodded with gratitude and patted her friend's hand a few times before sitting back. "Now, tell me about this nebula", she requested.

The commander took a deep breath and sat back in her own chair. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Captain," she admitted, "it's definitely a nebula, and not an artificial one either, but it seems to move around in a very directed way, almost as if it had intelligence. I could swear it's been following us."
The captain had been gazing at the shiny tabletop as the commander spoke, but now her head snapped up in surprise, "following us!?" she almost choked, a stunned expression falling over her face, "well, I'll admit nebula's aren't my speciality but I've seen my share of them and I'd say that was impossible, Commander"
Tara smiled ruefully and said, "uh, yes ma'am, so would I....if it hadn't happened."
"Well.....could it be some kind of previously unencountered space-dwelling lifeform?"
"That was my first thought, ma'am, but there's no organic matter, no electrical impulses, no lifesigns of any kind. I know it's hard to believe, captain, but I'm telling you....it's a nebula."
Yael gazed at her first officer exasperatedly and asked with a supressed giggle "an intelligent nebula?!"
"Exactly."

Cassandra couldn't hold back her soft laughter, but when she had pulled herself together she shook her head and said "No, I can't accept that. I'll admit there're 'more things in heaven and earth' and I've seen some pretty weird stuff in my time, but an intelligent nebula?!.....I don't think so. If there's intelligence behind that thing it must be coming from somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?"
"Yes" confirmed the captain, only now realising what she had just said, "someone else must be controlling it."
It was Lilliard's turn to be sceptical now as she asked "but how.....and why? It's pretty bengin. I mean, it couldn't be used as weapon or anything. What would be the point?"
The captain sat forward, suddenly feeling unaccountably nervous, "this one is benign," she agreed, "but some nebula's are decidedly not. Maybe whoever it is that's doing this is just starting out, learning to use this control. Maybe they're starting small in order to practise and intending to build up to something more threatening. Maybe........" Quite suddenly the captain's face went ashen as the ghastly thought knocked the breath out of her, and she gasped "OH, MY GODDESS!" Springing to her feet, she tapped a button on her wristband and announced "All hands, this is the captain, prepare for immediate departure. Bridge, set a course for Kharana Prime and launch, maximum warp!" and with that she ran out of the conference room and headed for the bridge, a very perplexed First Officer following close behind her."

* * * * * *

The woman smiled furtively as the light of the twin moons streamed through her meagre window and landed on the massive axe that leant against the gloomy wall, making its sharp edge glint coldly. Despite, or perhaps because of the potential threat it represented, she found great beauty in the object, somehow it seemed to touch her soul. The shaft was of cedar which, although hewn millennia ago, was as perfectly smooth as chrome and polished to a high glossy shine. At one end and half way down, the shaft was bound in soft, emerald suede edged with gold thread, to provide handholds. The solid gold blades of the weapon swept out like huge butterfly wings on each side of the thick shaft and were engraved with meandering abstract patterns. The whole thing was a work of art that spoke of delicacy and subtlety as much as it spoke of power and death.

The woman was quietly confident. She had every faith in her protégé, who was even now ensconced aboard the ship that was being sent to retrieve this treasure. She knew the girl would carry out her wishes to the letter just as her five sisters had, thus buying the woman the time she needed to master the forces locked within the axe and bend them to her will. She walked over to the gleaming monster and ran a finger reverently over the tracery that adorned its blades. The coldness of the metal was somehow a comfort against the burning desire in her heart. Unable to lift the enormous weight, she pulled a chair over to the axe and sat before it as one might before a camera, or a confessor, and then she reached out both hands and placed her palms against the gold on each side of the wood. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the image of the great ship that was forming in her mind and then, focussing all her attention on that image, she began to chant.