Transmission Lost

by Stefan Mazzara

  -What is the meaning of this, mother?- Aria asked, her voice a low growl. -What is this...this...thing doing here?-

  If the Pteryd could understand what she was saying, it displayed no offense at Aria's insulting words. Instead it seemed rather curious, its head rotating a quarter turn to one side as its antennae twitched in her direction. The claws on its hands flicked, but Aria could not tell if it was a gesture of irritation or merely a nervous motion.

  -Calm yourself, Aria,- Ara'lana said, a tone of warning in her voice. She waved a hand to her daughter, bidding her to sit down. -I will explain everything to you. As I said, this is Seirin-143 of the Pteryd Combine. It is a representative of its people, here on my invitation. I will not tolerate any sort of threat to it, is that clear?-

  After staring at her mother for several long moments, Aria slowly resumed her seat, turning her eyes back to the Pteryd. -'It?'- Aria inquired, her voice overly polite now. She had recognized the veiled threat in her mother's voice. The same tone of speech had been used not infrequently when she was a child and had done something wrong, usually as a precursor to punishment of some sort.

  ~That is correct,~ a voice said. The sound nearly startled Aria to death, since it seemed as though it was coming from within her own head. For a moment she didn't realize what was going on, and then she recalled that the Pteryd were a telepathic species. Obviously Seirin-143 was the one speaking. ~As you may know, our species reproduces by parthenogenesis. Though we are all sexually female, gender holds no meaning for us.~ Seirin-143's “voice” was very neutral and androgynous, with no inflection to suggest mood or temperament. For Aria, it was like listening to a less electronic voice readout from a computer. ~Therefore, 'it' is the most proper word to use when referring to the individual.~

  Aria blinked at the Pteryd. -Noted.- She looked at Ara'lana. -What is it doing here?-

  -As I said, I invited it,- the former Chief Admiral said. -I have been negotiating for months to come to agreeable terms for an alliance with the Pteryd, and now we have come to a most satisfactory agreement. Seirin-143 came at my invitation to finalize that alliance.-

  Aria's ears laid back as she grew more confused. -I don't understand.-

  -Aria, we are on the brink of a very exciting time for our people,- Ara'lana said with a smile. -Now that the rebellion against royal tyranny has begun, we need to solidify our place in the universe and assure security for our citizens. It's time for us to set aside the conflict that we've had with the Pteryd. I doubt that anyone in the Ascendancy, save for the most dedicated of scholars, would even be able to remember why we hate them so.-

  ~Well said, Lady Me'lia,~ Seirin-143 agreed. ~The conflict has gone on far too long. So many dead, and so much progress lost in the name of war. There must be an end to it.~

  -That is a very noble idea,- Aria said, with some measure of thinly veiled sarcasm, -but your actions to this point don't seem to match your ideals, mother. If peace is what you want, than I can perhaps understand your rebellion against the Inner Colonies and Central Worlds. But I know that you have also invaded Earth and the center of human space. That surely will not bring an end to the war.-

  Quiet until now, Admiral Selina Kris spoke up. -Quite the contrary, Lieutenant. You are not thinking strategically.-

  -Then make me understand,- Aria insisted.

  -Certainly.- Admiral Kris smoothed down the front of her uniform, folding her hands in her lap as she regarded Aria coolly. -Though the Inner Colonies and Central Worlds collectively have a few more fleets than the Outer Colonies, the actual personnel and numbers of ships in the Outer Colony fleets far outnumber them. As the primary line of defense at our borders, this has always been so. Therefore, we have a comfortable advantage over the royalist forces. This allows us to expand the campaign against the humans while we fight in the Ascendancy.-

  Ara'lana nodded in agreement. -With the support of our new Pteryd friends, we can overcome the Inner Colonies and Central Worlds, as well as the humans.- She waved her tail behind her serenely, her peaceful smile widening. -And once the Empress and the humans have fallen, the conquest of the Nuretan Empire will not be far behind. Those ridiculous frogs had no business imposing themselves in the Ascendancy's affairs during the first civil conflict. It would seem only fitting, then, that we repay them in kind.-

  -Imagine it, Aria,- Lady Shi'ala said, leaning forward earnestly in her chair. -We have the opportunity to unite the known universe. Human, Pteryd, Nuretan, and Ailian, all at peace finally, for the first time in thousands of years.- She shrugged nonchalantly. -Of course, the war will be bloody. But one must accept these things on the road to greatness.-

  Looking around the room in shock at what she was hearing, Aria examined the face of each of them in turn. Seirin-143 was unreadable, but her mother, Major Tal'in, Lady Shi'ala, and Admiral Kris all looked thoroughly convinced in the rightness of what they were saying. They had just stated to her, more or less, that they meant to take over the entirety of known space through total war. And they all thought of themselves as righteous warriors, soldiers in a fight for the greater good. Aria sat back in her chair, staring at her mother as the conclusion rose to the front of her thoughts.

  They're all insane.

  ******

  The kitchen servants all steered clear of Sami that evening while dinner was being prepared for the family. She felt like keeping to herself anyway, busying herself with chopping meats and vegetables for a hearty stew. For the most part she was operating on automatic, doing what she had done hundreds of times without really thinking about it. Her thoughts were instead on her sister and where she might be right now. The young female Ailian was almost too mentally exhausted at this point to even be truly worried. She just felt so tired. The whole thing seemed wholly unfair. Her family had been so happy once. Both of their parents had been alive, even if their mother and eldest sibling were frequently away, and they didn't have to deal with trials, kidnappings, hospital stays...There had been a war, yes, but it had always seemed so far away. Now it was practically on their doorstep.

  -I wish everything could be back to the way it used to be...,- Sami thought to herself. Reaching to her left, she picked up another dense, green root vegetable, laying it on the cutting surface in front of her. Picking up the knife, she began to slice it thinly. Everything went perfectly until, in her inattention, the blade slipped and nicked her index finger on the hand not holding the blade. She dropped the knife quickly, grasping her injured finger as it began to bleed. “A're meori ke sho!”

  “Careful.”

  Sami glanced over her shoulder, seeing Jack standing slightly behind her. “Ah...Jack...” She turned her attention back to the cut on her finger, watching the small trickle of blood soaking her orange fur. “Why you here?”

  “I just though I'd come see if there was anything I could do to help,” Jack said. He stepped up beside her, looking at the bubbling pot of stew. “It smells good.” Looking over at Sami, he raised an eyebrow. “Haven't heard you curse like that before.”

  “Ah...you understand that...,” Sami said, feeling her face warm with embarrassment. She rarely ever used language as strong as what she had just said, but she was upset. Stepping away she began running her finger underneath a faucet, washing away the blood from the minor cut. “If want help, could cut for me.”

  Jack nodded. “Sure, I can do that,” he agreed. Pushing away the knife Sami had been using, he picked up a clean one and started cutting the vegetable where she had left off.

  Sami opened a cabinet, looking for something she could dress her cut with. Finding a small first aid kit placed in the kitchen for such occasions, she withdrew a bandage and wrapped it securely around her finger. “Thank you.” She observed Jack's cutting, making sure he was doing it correctly. Though the knife, designed for an Ailian hand, was unwieldy in his grip, he seemed to have little trouble. “Not believe I do that...”

  “Look at it this way,” Jack said as he dropped the sliced vegetable in the pot. “At l
east you didn't do it on purpose.”

  The attempt at humor was very weak, and definitely not appropriate, but it still broke the tension of both of their moods. Sami looked at the floor, trying not to smile at the joke and failing. “Is true.”

  Wiping his hands off on his shirt, Jack looked back at Sami. “I really came here to check on you,” he admitted. “You hadn't said more than two words to anyone all afternoon, and I learned my lesson not to leave anyone alone for too long when they're upset. How are you holding up?”

  Sami sighed, her tail drooping. “Not well...,” she said, holding up her bandaged hand as evidence. “So tired. Wonder what happen to Aria. Wonder if she ever come home again.”

  “La rek a'mari ke han'rek,” Jack said, crossing his arms.

  Looking surprised, Sami nodded her head. That was a phrase that her father was very fond of. It meant “whatever happens will happen”. Hearing it from Jack was something she hadn't expected. “You learn speak right,” she said, managing another small smile. “But you accent bad.”

  “Aria tells me the same thing,” Jack said with a smirk. “My Ailian still isn't as good as your English, but I guess I'm picking up a few things.”

  “Except cut roots right,” Sami admonished him, looking into the pot. “Too thick. Will be tough.”

  Jack grinned. “I never was much of a cook. My chef skills are pretty much limited to picking up the phone and calling for delivery. Even when I was roughing it out in space, Aria did most of the...” He stopped. Thinking of those days was painful for him. Back then he never would have thought he'd ever look back on those times favorably, but on an increasingly frequent basis he found himself wishing he was several months in the past. As complicated as survival had been when he and Aria were stranded together, he figured he was at least a little less stressed then versus now. And back then they were together, able to rely on each other.

  Noticing his sudden change in mood, Sami laid a hand on his shoulder. “Will be alright,” she said quietly. The Ailian drew him into a gentle hug. “Aria not here, but you with family. Brother.”

  With a wry smile, Jack looked up into her blue eyes. “Sounds strange to hear that. Though you feel like more of a sister than my real sister.” He was surprised at how grateful Sami's expression became when he said that. “It's weird. I know that I'd like to return home one day, but at the same time I feel like I'd be so out of place there, now.” He sighed, brushing a hand through his sandy blonde hair. “But what I really want right now is Aria...”

  “Me too.”

  ******

  -You're very quiet, Aria.-

  Flinching a little in her chair, Aria looked up. Her mother was staring at her, a neutral expression on her face. They were alone now, in a different area of her mother's living quarters, a private sitting room equipped with soft lighting and comfortable, padded armchairs. Both of them had mugs of the hot, strongly bitter tea that Ara'lana favored. The former admiral was drinking hers with great enthusiasm, but Aria had barely sipped at the beverage. Her mind was elsewhere.

  -I apologize, mother,- Aria said. She looked down at her lap, then back up at her mother, and then she lifted her cup and took a halfhearted sip. -I was thinking.-

  -About what?-

  -What else? This whole situation!- Aria turned her gaze away from Ara'lana, looking at a random spot on the wall. -You still haven't told me something I've been wondering, mother.- With difficulty, she brought her eyes back to the older Ailian. -If you knew where I was, and you knew the charges I was facing, why did you wait so long to take me away? Do you realize how much I've suffered these past months? Mother, I nearly killed myself because of the stress!-

  Ara'lana's expression remained impassive. -I'm aware of that, daughter. A foolish thing for you to have done. A true Ailian soldier does not surrender to such stresses.- She cupped her mug of tea in her hands. -I had my reasons, but most of all I was grateful for the distraction. Any additional strain that could focus resources away from potential discovery of my plans was valuable to me, and the spectacle of your treason charges was just such a thing. Of course, I am glad you survived.-

  -Glad? You're glad?- Aria was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that her mother was saying such a thing. -Mother, you used me! How do you imagine that makes me feel? I'm not some diversion to be used for strategic gain, I'm your daughter!-

  -Calm yourself, Aria,- Ara'lana purred. -You're far too emotional. You always have been. Besides, it is not as if Major Tal'in's operation was the first time I sent someone to try to retrieve you.-

  Aria blinked, confused enough that she forgot her anger momentarily. -Not the first time? I don't...- Then her eyes widened as she received a sudden flash of inspiration, and of horror. -You don't mean...You can't mean those human soldiers! Mother, Li'ara died when they came to our home! Please don't tell me they were there on your orders.-

  A flash of anger passed across Ara'lana's face, but she quickly brought it back under control. -I most certainly did send them. You see, not all humans are so foolish as to think they can defeat the power of the Ascendancy. In recent years, some of them have wisely seen the benefits that allying with me may bring.- Growling quietly, she speared her daughter with an intense stare. -Unfortunately, I did slightly underestimate the resentment that a mere ten years of war can bring to such a weak-minded species. They were unable to resist the meager revenge that killing you would bring them. I am glad that you showed them the error of their ways.-

  Still horrified, Aria shook her head slowly. -You're mad! Li'ara was your daughter, mother. I can't believe you would send armed human commandos into our home. How could you even think of putting your own children in that kind of danger?- Aria swallowed, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. -They killed Li'ara. They were going to kill everyone else, too, including me and Jack...-

  -You mean the human you brought home with you?- Ara'lana asked. -Yes...Speaking of him, we need to discuss that.-

  -Discuss how?- Aria inquired, her voice suddenly becoming very guarded.

  Aria's mother set her mug of tea down on the arm of her chair, folding her hands in her lap. -I'm sure you can guess how. We need to discuss your choice of...I suppose 'lover' would be the proper term for it, since a human cannot be a true mate.- She closed her emerald eyes. -You realize that I cannot tolerate such a thing. I will not have my daughter ending up like that deviant we have for an Empress, choosing a partner who cannot assist her in extending the family line.-

  With a shock of fury, Aria rose from her seat, her tea spilling from her lap, the mug breaking on the carpeted floor. -I hardly think you're in the position to dictate that!- she snarled, glaring at her mother. -You have been gone for three years. Who I choose to...to associate with is none of your damned business!-

  -Sit down.- Ara'lana's voice was maddeningly calm, sufficiently enough to send a chill through Aria's blood. -My guards don't like hearing raised voices in my private quarters. A misunderstanding would be most unfortunate.-

  Slowly, Aria sat back down again, fighting to get control of herself. After learning what her mother was truly capable of, she would not put it past her to call her guards in to kill her. -Mother...- She took a deep breath. -I know he is a human. I know he is not one of us. I know...I know he can never give me children. But I love him all the same. He has been there for me when it seemed like no one else was.- She gave her mother a very pointed look at that last sentence.

  -I understand the way that you feel,- Ara'lana said, looking as though she was working very hard to keep her own anger in check, -but I must forbid it. After all, one day I will be the ruler of our people. And I must have someone to carry on my legacy.-

  Aria's tail twitched. -You mean me?-

  -Of course.- Aria's mother stood, beginning to pace around the room as she spoke. -Aria, this rebellion is the result of an entire lifetime of work. For decades I masqueraded as a loyal servant of a royal family that my very blood told me to loathe. I bided my time, making alliances within the ranks
, finding like-minded individuals, gathering resources...I have not come so far just to have it undone when I finally do die.- She was circling her daughter like a shark. -While I was patient, I made sure that my legacy would be secure. I found a mate. I had a family. I had two sons, and more important than that I had seven beautiful daughters.- Coming behind Aria, Ara'lana placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. -And you are the best of them all. The oldest, the brightest...The only one that I knew would follow in my footsteps. I knew you would not resist the call that burns in your very soul. And now you are here, with me.-

  -What are you asking of me, mother?-

  Coming back around to her chair, Ara'lana sat down. -I am asking you to join me. As you know you are destined to.- She leaned forward, her tail waving rapidly behind her. -Help me, Aria. Together, we can guarantee the safety and freedom of our people. We can end these long years of war once and for all. And we can rule it all when our task is complete!-

  Aria stared at her mother. She could not deny that she, herself, was ambitious. Aria had always dreamed of being someone important, someone like her mother. When her career in the military had begun, she had thought that one day she would lead her own unit, perhaps becoming a commander, or a fleet admiral. Maybe even eventually making the transition from a military career to a diplomatic one. She had liked the idea of being an ambassador in her twilight years. Of course, when those fantasies had been hers, she had always pictured herself with a family of her own. But things had changed recently. Now she felt that she would be contented to spend her days with Jack, if she lived through the conclusion of her trial, perhaps even leaving her work in the military and taking over her father's business. She loved her job in the Navy, but she knew that it was unlikely that she could continue on with it now.

  But Aria also realized that if her mother had her way, she couldn't have any of the things she had come to want. If Ara'lana was to complete her plans, she had to believe that humans would fare even worse in the new Ascendancy than they had in the current one. Her mother had already said that she would never allow her relationship with Jack to continue. Besides Jack, there was the Empress to think about. Aria could not begin to describe how grateful she was to Empress Solan for everything she had done, and to her consort Li'ren, as well. To join her mother in this rebellion would be a poor way to repay them. Aria knew exactly where her loyalties were.