The Cyber Chronicles VII - Sabre by T C Southwell

chief engineer, My Lord, and these are my assistants. We knew
nothing about the order to capture the rogue cyber."
    Fairen rose
and approached the edge of the dais, removed his right glove and
stretched his hand out. "Come closer."
    The three men
approached and knelt, bowing their heads.
    Fairen sighed.
"Stand up."
    They obeyed,
looking nervous, and Fairen held his hand up to each of them in
turn, then returned to his throne and settled upon it. "These three
are innocent of the charge. Remove them."
    Two guards
escorted the engineers out, and silence fell. Fairen surveyed the
group again. "The rest of you are guilty. The penalty for
disobeying an Overlord is death. However, I said I would only
punish you as much as you harmed Sabre, if I found him alive.
Although you tried to hide him from me, that stands. I consider
thirty lashes with a laser whip each to be a just punishment for
the injury and pain you caused him. Let the sentence be carried
out, then release them."
    Commander
Shrain gestured to the guards, who herded the enforcers out. As the
door slid shut behind them, Fairen removed his hood and rubbed his
face, looking tired.
    "When they're
released, I'll take you to Omega Five, Sabre."
    "Thank you, My
Lord."
    Fairen stood
up. "Call me by my name."
    Sabre smiled
and inclined his head, looking a little embarrassed, and Tassin
shot him a teasing smile. Tarl elbowed him with a grin, and Sabre
gave him a shove that sent him staggering sideways. Fairen laughed
and stepped down from the dais.
    "Lunchtime, I
think."
     
    ***
     
    Tassin gazed
at the peaceful blue and white globe in the screens with a smile, a
deep sense of homecoming warming her heart. The Scorpion Ship had
completed its translocation mere moments before, achieving in a few
seconds what she and Sabre had been trying to do for months. She
stood beside Fairen in his private lounge, sipping a mild-flavoured
drink, and Sabre leant against the bulkhead next to a screen, also
armed with a fruit drink. Fairen had invited them to join him for
refreshments before they left the ship, and Tarl sat on a stool at
the refreshment counter, clearly ill at ease.
    "Home, at
last." She sighed.
    "This time
nothing will stand in your way," Fairen said.
    "Thank you, My
Lord, for all you've done for us."
    "You are
welcome. I'm glad you're returning to your home, where I hope
you'll be happy, but I'm sad to see you go."
    "Come with
us." She looked away when he raised his brows. "For a visit."
    "I cannot
leave my ship."
    "Why not? You
can do as you please, surely?"
    "It's
considered dangerous."
    She shook her
head. "There's nothing dangerous on Omega. Not in Arlin, and
besides, Sabre will protect you."
    "I haven't
walked on a planet for... ten years."
    "Then it's
high time you did." She shot Sabre a coy glance. "I would like to
invite you to our wedding, if only I knew when it was. Perhaps if
you came with us now, Sabre will propose."
    Sabre snorted.
"Don't count on it."
    "I will not be
an accomplice to forcing his hand," Fairen rebuked her. "He'll do
it when he's ready."
    "But will you
come anyway, just for a short time? I'd like to show you my
kingdom."
    Fairen shook
his head. "I'm afraid I must decline. However, when your wedding
day is decided, I will attend it."
    "That will be
wonderful."
    "On the
condition that I will be incognito. You cannot tell anyone who I
am."
    "But My Lord,
if I introduce you as a commoner, that's how you'll be
treated."
    "Then you may
introduce me as a noble."
    "Of course.
Thank you."
    Fairen smiled.
"Your gentle wiles won't work on me, Queen Tassin. Shame on
you."
    She grinned.
"Sorry. Do Overlords marry?
    "Some have,
yes."
    "Then perhaps
you'll meet a nice girl when you visit. There can���t be too many to
choose from on this ship."
    "There are
none,” he said. “The servants of an Overlord are precluded from
trysts with him."
    "By whom?"
    "By us."
    "Ah. Then how
do Overlords find a wife?"
    Fairen glanced
at Sabre. "Is she always this