[Celeste]

Please, no...

Celeste pleaded to herself as she burst into the galley and snatched up her black duffle bag. The stasis tube brought only heartbreak. Small red lights blinked on the control panel and red letters displayed the message 'stasis fail'. She clutched the tube to her chest and slid down the wall to a sitting position, her eyes closed and bottom lip trembling.

Shame cut her heart like a hot dagger. My one true purpose... I've failed.

Moon swung around the doorway, his eyes wide. "Celeste, what is it?"

She turned moistened eyes up to him and turned the stasis tube control panel to him, showing her failure.

He dipped his head. "I'm sorry. There must be something we can do?"

She clamped her eyes shut again, squeezing out from the corners, and tightened her lips. Think, Celeste, think! There must be some way.

Her eyes snapped open. "Moon, are you fertile?"

His jaw dropped. "Yeah, I think so. I do have protection, but this is really not the time for--"

"I need a sample of your semen." Celeste spoke with an urgency.

Moon's eyes widened, and he froze in place. "Umm, what?"

"The stasis failure was recent enough that the ova may still be alive, but not for long. The only option for their survival is to fertilize the eggs."

"Me?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't see any other males around here! I'll just have to do with your genetic profile."

He furrowed his brow. "Hey, I have good genetics!"

"Whatever. Just get on with it. We have little time."

"Uhh, I'm not ready to be a father."

"Moon, the future of humanity is at stake. The Sol Priesthood will see to raising the children. You will not have any responsibilities. I saw the Writings in your room, so I know you are sympathetic to the Sol Way. This is the only way to preserve the Line of the Empress. Please."

He stammered. "So, you want me to... Umm. Right here? Now?"

"I'm sure you know how." Celeste rolled her eyes. By the Creator, he can be so clueless...

"Well, yeah, but... I mean, I can't do it just like that. I have to be in the right frame of mind." His face paled, and he gulped. "This is really weird."

She blew out a breath, still sitting on the floor. "Fine! I'll help you."

"You would? But Celeste, you're a Priestess... Can you...?"

"My vows only require dedication to the Sol Empress. There is no requirement of chastity or sexual purity."

Moon's eyebrows lifted. "Really? That's good to know." He shook his head. "But this has to be the worst seduction scene ever."

She growled. "This is not about your sexual pleasure!" Still sitting on the floor, she scooted closer to him and tugged at his belt. "Please, Moon. For the good of all humanity, drop your pants!"

*****

Celeste's face brightened with a broad smile as she stared at the magnified images on the screen. She moved the microscope lens across the culture plate, searching for new life. 

So small. So precious. There is still hope.

Moon walked in and peered over her shoulder while wiping his hands on a rag. His eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is?"

She beamed. "Yes! Offspring of the Sol Empress." She turned to him. "And yours too, Moon. There are four of them. Four of the six ova survived, and now they grow. Four chances for the Line of the Empress!"

A wry grin grew on Moon's face. "You could say they would be children of the Sun and Moon."

Celeste paused in thought. "Yes, in a way it is so."

They both gazed silently at the image, a grouping of gray translucent spherical-shaped cells, the humble beginnings of human life. A wave of optimism spread through Celeste like a warm summer breeze.

Moon moved closer such that his breath tickled the hairs on the back of Celeste's neck. "So, what happens next?"

"The embryos are only a cluster of a few cells. In two or three days, when they reach the blastocyst stage and cellular differentiation begins, they will be transferred to my womb. We have no way to put them back in stasis. I have already begun the hormone shots to prepare myself for them. Fortunately, the timing is good, I am nearly at my mid menstrual cycle."

With her spoken words, the longer-term implications struck her like a shock wave. What have I done? I would birth children — the Empress' children? Possibly quadruplets?

Moon grinned. "You know, I never thought I would knock up a Sol Priestess."

Leave it to him to make this irreverent.

Celeste put a hand to her forehead and groaned. "Moon, you have a way with words, but not always in a good way."

He dipped his head. "Sorry. Bad joke." He looked back up. "But I have some good news. Sai and I got one of the fusion reactors online. There should be plenty of power now. The bad news is that the quantum drive and both long-range communication arrays are pretty much trashed."

"Is trashed another technical term?"

"Yup."

"Be that as it is..." She sighed. "Sai has also been helping me repair the medical bot. We are going to need it for the embryo transfer."

"She's very good at multitasking." Moon looked up. "Sai, can you do an embryo transfer with the equipment in the med bay?"

A voice came from the ceiling. "Oh, yes, sir. The bay is capable of a full slate of reproductive services. The Priestess and I have discussed the procedure."

"Very good."

The lighting brightened in the room and the medical monitors flickered on.

Moon nodded. "The reactor seems to be up. Sai, how is it doing?"

"The fusion reactor is operating within normal specification ranges, sir."

"Okay, when you can fire up the thruster and put some more distance between us and what's left of that Corsair. The bad guys might wonder why it does not respond and send someone out to take a look."

"What course should I take, sir?"

"Hmm, good question. We can't go back to Meridian. What is the nearest destination that would have ship repair facilities?"

"The Oracle Mining Colony in the Delphi System, sir."

"Good. I have a contact there. How long, assuming we get both fusion thrusters working?"

"Four-point-eight Earth standard years, sir."

Celeste gasped. "Could we make it that long?"

Moon shook his head. "The oxygen and water reclaimers would be okay, but food is the limitation. I have enough emergency rations onboard for maybe a year. If we restrict calorie intake and use the garden exclusively for food crops, we could last longer. But that does not even consider that we might have a bunch of rug rats crawling about."

Celeste pulled her eyes to narrow slits and tightened her lips. "Do not refer to the Empress' children as rug rats or, for that matter, any other creative descriptors you may have." She balled her fists.

I am so not looking forward to being stuck on this ship with him.

Moon pressed his lips together. "Sorry."

"Why can't we just activate a distress beacon?"

"It's tied to the communications array, which is nonfunctional. But anyway, likely the first to respond would be those trying to kill you."

She bowed her head. "After all, we've been through already, is hope now lost?"

Moon held his hands out and pointed his thumbs toward himself. "Hey! You've got me. Have some faith, Priestess." He ducked his head as he strode out the hatch. "Sai, it's time for you and me to do something creative."

Celeste removed the glass culture plate from the microscope and cradled it in her hands. Tears formed in her eyes and despair shadowed her heart.

Is all this futile? Would the Empress' children be born only to die in the loneliness of space? How cruel would that be?

Sai's voice came with a gentle tone, containing little of her usual playful innocence. "Don't despair, Priestess. Captain Moon has demonstrated frequently an aptitude for defying disastrous outcomes. I feel certain we shall persevere."

These words of reassurance surprised Celeste. Such an emotionally intuitive response was unusual from an AI. She smiled and wiped moisture from her cheek. "Thank you, Sai. I think we shall. Faith and hope it is."

A thought came to her. If my efforts were to yield daughters of the Empress, that shall be their names.