“But why am I dreaming of him......and why with such clarity? Why so vivid? And...and my emotions...they go out of control when I think about him, it’s...it’s not like me, Tiana,” Sasha voiced her worries, glancing at the distant stars while squeezing her friend's hand. Tiana smiled up at her...a warm, kind smile.
“Well, Your Royal Highness, I believe you may be in love,” Sasha tensed, turning to her lady-in-waiting, whose voice hid a hint of amusement.
“In love? How...how could I be in love? I've never even met him...its...that’s...” she began to stutter, incredulous. Tiana hopped to her feet, laughing a single laugh while skipping back to her seat.
In love, her...never! The thought was beyond outrageous. She'd promised herself never again after the incident with the noble boys in her teenage years...the hurt was just too much...too fresh.
“Sasha, I think you're in love too,” Regalia's dainty voice rose from behind. She started to turn just as the young girl carefully slipped around the seat, and plopped down on her lap.
“Mother always said that love finds you in the strangest ways, and when it comes, you have to recognize and grasp it, because if you miss it, you may never find a love like it, or worse, it may never come again,” Regalia explained, her speech like that of a woman ten times her tender age, her wide, puppy dog eyes, staring deep into Sasha's, touching her very heart, before turning to Terra, who she gently caressed with an outstretched finger, giggling when he did the same to her.
“The words of a child hold more truth then many wish to see, Your Grace,” Gil'Da spoke as she leaned over Sasha's shoulder, staring down with the same caring eyes she remembered from her youth.
“Not you too,” she sighed, “I am not in love! Just...just fascinated. I want to know more about him since...since I am awarding him the Star of Terra....that's all!” she said, appalled that they would even think otherwise.
“It's love I tell you,” Tiana threw her hands in the air in feigned disgust. “But just remember, my princess, the first time you see him and he rushes to hold you in his arms, you tell me then that this is not love, just fascination!” The image that Tiana’s words placed in her imagination, made her heart feel like it would burst into a thousand pieces.
“Your cheeks are red, Sasha,” Regalia's smiling face appeared only a few centimeters away from her own. Sasha turned away, only to find Tiana and Gil'Da leaning close, with wicked smiles on their lips. She was about to burst, the teasing too much, when Regalia started laughing, with Tiana and Gil'Da soon following suit. Sasha, trying her best to force a pout, gave in, and joined the now boisterous laughter.
“Destination reached, transferring control to TSB Fleet Base Docking Command,” the women froze as Vin interrupted. They looked to the viewscreen, seeing the first twinkles of the inner asteroid belt and their current salvation.
*********
The battle station alarm blared as the TSB fleet closed on its objective. Daniel almost jumped out of his seat, having arrived early to the bridge, his mind lost in his work. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't the only one. Everyone’s nerves were on edge and the best way to relax was to do something you knew, and for most starships officers and crewmen, that was their job.
Daniel glanced over his shoulder, finding the captain and XO talking animatedly over a projection of a readiness report. Knowing time was short, he accessed the Earth star system sensor net feed that Lieutenant Howe had patched into his tactical station earlier. The seven red dots representing the HZBF invasion fleet had changed course a few hours before he arrived on the bridge, having detected the TSB Fleet with their long-range sensors as they began their deceleration at a range of 100 million km. From the current TSB fleet formation, Daniel thought he might be able to discern Knight Captain Quinn's current plan.
The TSB fleet was grossly outnumbered in terms of starships and firepower. But the one advantage they did have came in the form of the specialized Electronic Warfare, or EW Frigates. These frigates had almost no firepower whatsoever themselves, but they each carried the EW capabilities of a super-capital ship. This provided the small, fast frigates some very useful abilities that would help close the gap in firepower, such as creating fake gravity signatures, distorting starship numbers and types, and having the ability to melt sensor and electronic systems at close range. To take advantage of this ability, the 100 EW Frigates had been scattered throughout the fleet, the majority having been placed in screening and flanking positions to mask their numbers.
Since it wouldn't be in TSB's best interest to fight a standing battle in range, Daniel assumed the TSB fleet would engage in a “flyby” maneuver to limit contact time. Once the first “flyby” was completed, they would then come around again, repeating the tactic in the hopes of slowing the enemy fleet until reinforcements could arrive. The only fault Daniel could find with this plan would be the reliance on reinforcements. He knew the king wouldn’t sit idly by after his daughter was killed by the HZBF, and Daniel could only hope he would react sooner then later. He glanced back over his shoulder, switching his display to standard tactical as XO Geoff finished his discussion with the captain and started making his rounds.
“You ready for this, Lieutenant?” XO Geoff asked as he studied Daniel’s tactical display.
“Yes, sir. I've been reviewing EW markers constantly since the mishap during the first combat simulation,” he answered, somewhat honestly.
“Good, make every shot count,” Geoff responded seriously as he squeezed Daniel’s shoulder before moving on down the line of bridge officers. Daniel turned his attention back to his display, finding another unfamiliar icon, this time from the com, flashing in the bottom right corner of his station. He glanced towards Lt.-Commander Xi, hoping to get an idea of what it was before he opened it. But found she was currently conversing with the XO. His curiosity being too strong to wait...he touched the icon.
“...turn 1.1 by negative .001 and continue current deceleration,” Daniel grinned as the fleet command channel became active. He checked to make sure that his station input was muted and continued to listen.
“Confirmed, 1st TSB battle group, turning 1.1 by negative .001...” Additional acknowledgements followed the first, as the fleet turned slightly down and to the right.
“Xi, patch me through to all hands,” Captain Aysi called over the bridge. Daniel muted the fleet command channel.
“Open, ma'am,” responded Lt. Commander Xi, smirking as she glanced over at Daniel, knowing exactly what he was just listening to.
“Attention crew of the TSB Ero'Cia. Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia is safe,” a sense of relief seemed to flow across the bridge, the tension easing, but Daniel was angry...there goes the enraged father reinforcements, he steamed, “she was able to escape on a ferry shuttle and has just arrived safely at the TSB Fleet Base. In her wake, comes our salvation, two Alutia Battle Fleet battle groups,” Daniel went stiff...would two be enough to counter seven? Fear began to creep to the surface, taking its place next to his growing anger, “and should arrive within the next 12 hours. They will be placed under Knight Captain Quinn's direct command. But until then, we have a job to do, our sacred duty, to defend the sanctity of Earth and destroy all who threaten her. Combat operations will begin shortly, may we all be safe and victorious!” Cheers resounded across the bridge, but Daniel's own was dull, lacking heart.
A feeling of dread began to overwhelm him, born from the thought that they were going into battle for a lost cause, a battle they couldn't win...a feeling that he didn't like.
*********
The ferry shuttle's door slid open and Sasha, quite unlady like, skipped onto the docking platform, stretching her arms while taking a deep, refreshing breath, happy to be free of the cramped confines. A squeak of pleasure emanated from her bosom as Terra mimicked her stretch and proceeded to crawl free, circling her body before perching himself on her hip.
The docking bay where she emerged was enormous, having been carved directly out of the gigantic planetoid tha
t held the TSB Fleet Base. The ceiling and far wall were covered in a deep shadow, while the gangways that ran parallel to her docked shuttle, intersecting the docking platform where she now stood, forked at 30 meter intervals to vanish into the smooth grey walls.
It was quite obvious that this dock was meant to handle starships of a much larger size, but Sasha found the enormity pleasing after spending over 11 hours in the tiny ferry shuttle. A small group of TSB officers approached from the nearest gangway, all in the blue and white formal dress of the Terra Space Battalion.
“Welcome to the TSB Fleet Base, Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia. I am Commander Talan, Headmaster of the TSB General Training School, we talked briefly earlier,” Sasha accepted the bow from the exotic looking old man, with long, brilliant white hair, sharp features, and deep, beady eyes, who led the small group.
The conversation with Commander Talan, 20 minutes earlier, had provided Sasha an update of the current situation in the Earth star system. A TSB frigate had rescued Knight Admiral Bhool and the other crewmen, transporting the survivors to the main TSB fleet. Sasha and the other ladies almost broke down in tears at the news, but smiles and happy giggles emerged instead. But the happiness was short lived. News followed that the HZBF invasion fleet, consisting of seven HZBF battle groups, had begun moving in-system, led by Duke Zehman himself. Apparently, the duke was ignoring all communication requests, replying that he would only talk to the king and that his actions were legal and justified to save the wrongly imprisoned Sir Simwa. Sasha gritted her teeth at the thought, knowing her father could not act. So in his stead, she needed to take steps to resolve this crisis...and fast.
Sasha nodded politely to the other members of the welcome party as they were introduced, realizing she wasn't actually listening, then quickly moved aside as a medical team came rushing down the gangway to move Lia'Sil to the medical bay.
“My companions,” Sasha turned towards her ladies-in-waiting, “are Lady Tiana, Lady Regalia, and Friend Gil'Da,” the three ladies curtsied, while Gil'Da stared at her, eyes narrow. Sasha knew many people had certain expectations of noble ladies, thinking it appropriate for a servant to serve, and nothing else. But Sasha found Gil'Da's input refreshing at times, and by using the term friend, a moniker for a common acquaintance to a noble, nobody would try to exclude her from any important meetings. The small group of TSB officers bowed to match their curtsies.
“Grand Duchess Sasha, if you and your companions would follow me, I have rooms prepared. Mind you, they are well below your rank, but they are the best I have to offer at the moment,” Sasha thought she could see honesty in the old man's eyes, but something else twinkled far beneath.
“Anything is better than the ferry shuttle, Commander Talon,” she smiled, the group laughing politely in response. She took a step to fall inline beside the older man, but stopped as she found Regalia tugging lightly on her hand. Sasha leaned down, giving her ear to the noticeably nervous young girl.
“Vin needs to talk to you,” Regalia whispered. Sasha stared at her for a second, wondering what the Program could want, before nodding and turning back to the waiting welcoming party.
“If you would excuse me, I seem to have forgotten something important in the shuttle,” The officers bowed once again as she briskly walked the short distance over the docking platform and back into the ferry shuttle. Vin's sphere was waiting.
“Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, please remove the device from the compartment below the pilot's seat,” Vin stated. Confused, but seeing no harm in listening, Sasha leaned over the seat, reaching beneath, finding a hole with a small square box within.
She studied its smooth black surface carefully while turning it over in her hands. She frowned, finding it to be just a plain black box, but as she turned back to Vin, she found his sphere having suddenly vanished.
“Vin? What am I-,” the box clicked and a red outline appeared on one of its sides in the shape of a rose. Terra, who had been watching intently from her shoulder, scurried down her arm, placing one of his tiny hands on the box’s surface. A moment later, a green outline appeared, in the shape of a shield, on another side of the box, a solid white line attaching it to the rose. The box clicked again and Sasha, to her dismay, found it still sealed shut.
She stared intently at the two shining symbols, thinking she could make out a faded outline of two swords crossed in front of a heart on another side. Without warning, Trent's face appeared floating before her, his expression of complete and utter sadness and despair, like the first time she had beheld him. The image was so vivid that she thought it real. She reached a trembling hand towards his cheek, finding it soft and warm. The sadness drained from his eyes at her touch, and utter confusion took its place a moment before he vanished. She heard another click and looked down to find the symbol of the two-swords crossing a heart outlined in blue, while another small shield, outlined in green, appeared on the last side, all connected by a thin white line.
The box floated free of her hands, folding out to become flat. Two pure beams of light, one of red and the other of blue, exploded from the red rose and heart symbols, colliding directly before her eyes. She stared in awe, having never seen anything of the like before. An orb of purple began to coalesce where the two beams swirled together. Then, two smaller green beams appeared, emanating from the two shields symbols, piercing the spinning purple mass. Two green orbs broke free from the spot where the beams intersected, to orbit the now pulsing purple orb. They fed part of their own wispy substance back to the larger orb, while ethereal droplets would slowly form and fall towards the floor to vanish within. The orbs circled like two tiny moons, faster and faster. Before Sasha could blink, the orbs vanished, merging into a halo, and with a flash, a circular object appeared in their place, hovering in a cone of clear light. Sasha, without thinking, grasped for the floating object, causing the light to fade and the black box to collapse back into its original form.
The ring shaped item Sasha held before her was made of a reddish metal with a purple tint. Two faceted, oval green gems, either emeralds or garnets, were set in both sides, with a larger, smooth oval purple gem, an amethyst, adorning its peak. She rotated the oversized ring in her hands, only to realize that it was, in fact, a bracelet. Unconsciously, she slid it over her left wrist, Terra squeaking with excitement from her bosom as he watched.
The bracelet began to undulate, its metal surface appearing to liquefy before shrinking, molding perfectly to her wrist, before once again solidifying. She watched in awe, unable to pull her gaze from the exquisite piece of jewelry that now perfectly adorned her wrist, noting that only one of the two green gems glowed mysteriously, while the purple amethyst, oddly enough, glowed crimson. Vin's bronze sphere suddenly reappeared, but this time, hovering millimeters above the red glowing purple gem.
“Integration complete; Arm of the Emperor has been partially activated,”
“Vin, what's going on?” she asked with wonder.
“A gift from Emperor Yuloo Origin has been provided as is custom for a newly landed duke or duchess. Originally, gift was intended to be awarded at your ascension ceremony by King Johan Vn’Oco in the name of Emperor Yuloo Origin. But due to the ascension having already occurred when Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia arrived in the Alutia Duchy, this Program deemed it appropriate to present the gift immediately,” Vin explained, a shiver creeping from the bracelet that seemed to vibrate with its every word. Terra scurried down to her forearm and started to playfully swat at Vin's sphere, which would move the instant before it was touched, causing Terra to squawk with delight.
“Let me get this straight,” she took a deep, calming breath, “this is a gift from the emperor for when I officially become grand duchess and that occurred once I arrived in the Earth star system?” Sasha asked, having started to regain her composure. But still found the entire situation difficult to fathom.
“Partially correct. Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia officially claimed her right the moment she entered her duchy. No offi
cial ceremony is now required,” Sasha smiled, wondering if her father had known about this.
“Thank you, Vin. What exactly is the Arm of the Emperor?” she assumed it was a housing for a Program, but it didn't hurt to hope for more.
“Currently it is used as a Program link and universal locater. Further information about the Arm of the Emperor is restricted,” Sasha nodded towards her wrist, containing a laugh as she thought of the humor in the odd gesture.
“What is a universal locater?” the bronze sphere undulated in response, then started shifting color rapidly, before returning to its bronze shimmer.
“Information is partially sealed. User may be able to track location of certain individuals through an integrated Program recondiverse communication protocol,” she raised her eyebrows. If she could track people, the uses could be endless, she realized, deciding it best to investigate sooner than later. She concentrated on the bracelet while thinking of Tiana.
An unnatural sticky sensation spread across her skin, like she had plunged into a tub of sap, as her mind's eye separated from her flesh, becoming a wispy, slightly foggy vision. It glided out of the shuttle, directly through the hull, and down to the group waiting patiently beyond, centering on Tiana. After a few seconds, the vision forcibly returned to her mind.
She released her breath and found her heart beating uncontrollably, sweat pouring off her brow. The sensation was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and it would definitely take some practice to become accustomed. But the ability to locate anyone would definitely come in handy. She started towards the exit, gently persuading Terra to move away from the bracelet and back into her bosom, and returned to the waiting escort.
After the second round of bows concluded, and Sasha assured everyone that she was indeed, alright, the group moved out of the hanger and into the waiting individual transport tubes. A short trip later, Sasha emerged into a very plain lobby, with blue and white rugs and a painting of a blue, green, and white planet on the far wall.
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