Free Ristèard Unwilling Empress by S.E. Smith Page A

fingers curled around the tablet in his hands when she gave him a serene, non-committal smile. Frowning, he gazed down at the tablet again. She was right. The coordinates pointed to a mountain ridge just twenty kilometers from the entrance to the ancient city. It looked as if his unwilling Empress was living up to the legend surrounding her.
    *.*.*
    A half hour later, Ristèard seemed convinced by her findings. She had continued to elaborate on the similarity between the tablet found by the Kassisans and the one found on Elipdios and the conclusion that she had drawn from information she had been able to piece together so far. She really would need more time to research the Elipdios’ archives. There had to be additional files that contained more about the history of the aliens that had come to the planet and why the two tablets contained the same coordinates.
    Her mind switched gears to the man who had kidnapped her as they stepped out of the conference room and onto the main part of the bridge. She refused to be intimidated by him. He had a very strong, commanding personality. After reading the report and piecing together facts that she already knew about him, she could understand why that was necessary. Still, some instinct told her that it was important that she not let him walk all over her, not that she would in the first place. Her own personality was one of control. While she wasn't as aggressive and in-your-face as he was, she was still very tenacious when she set her mind to something. She would think of him as just another task that needed to be completed. While the looks he kept giving her were disturbing, they were nothing she couldn’t handle. Adjusting her glasses, she nodded to the other male who had remained a primarily silent observer as she passed him in the doorway leading out onto the bridge.
    She couldn’t resist looking around the large room. For a moment, her gaze paused on the two men that had escorted her to Ristéard. She gave them both a reassuring smile when she noticed the nervous glances they kept casting at the large man standing next to her.
    Both had insisted that she remain in his cabin, but she had persisted, telling them both that it was a matter of life or death. Ricki knew she could be rather intimidating herself when she wanted something. Her mom and dad referred to it as ‘the look’. It might not be the greatest talent in the circus, but it had helped them hundreds of times.
    A giggle escaped her when she thought of a few of those times. Her eyes danced with mischief when she caught Ristéard’s questioning glance. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued her assessment of the Warship.
    “I’ve never been on the bridge of a spaceship before,” she remarked, looking around her. “When we were on Manota’s ship, we were restricted primarily to the lower sections, except when we were attacked. That was pretty scary.”
    “You were attacked?” Ristéard asked in surprise. “By who? It is very unusual for anyone to attack a Warship, even one traveling alone. The Kassisan warships are known for their advanced weaponry.”
    “Yes, well, that didn’t stop you from coming to Kassis and kidnapping me, now did it?” Ricki retorted. “The technology is mind-boggling. The Earth isn’t nearly as advanced.”
    “Yes, that is what I have heard,” Ristéard replied in an uneasy voice. “I must admit, from what I have recently learned, I am surprised that you and the others of your kind were so receptive to the idea of aliens.”
    Ricki studied the half dozen men and women working quietly at their assigned stations. There were two sitting at a console in the front. Behind them, Andras, the man from the conference room, had moved to sit in what looked like the captain’s chair. The other man, Harald, nodded to them both as he passed by and exited the bridge. There were others at different stations, monitoring screens and talking quietly.
    Ricki chuckled as she nodded. “There were