From what he'd learned during dinner, a few days prior, Sasha had personally overseen the creation and design of the shirt, having sacrificed one of her favorite dresses for the materials. Tingly warmth embraced his mind at the thought. This was a precious gift from Sasha, and when he wore it, he felt her presence, her love. Oh, how I love her.
He located his most comfortable pair of pants, made of a material similar to cotton, with a base coloring of black that shifted to dark red as it approached the feet. Sasha had explained that they were to only be worn when they were alone, since they were quite unsightly and didn't put forward the appropriate noble image he was expected to present at all times. He only planned to wear them to the sitting room to meet with Knight Admiral Bhool. She'll surely forgive me, he hoped.
Quietly, he crept out of the bedchamber, the door sliding silently shut behind him, and almost jumped when he found someone seated in the closest dining area within the noble sitting room. It took only a moment for him to realize who it was, Sasha's lady-in-waiting and best friend, Tiana. Her wavy blond hair tumbled over her dainty shoulders and almost fell into the plate of rainbow colored food sitting before her, which she poked absently with her utensil. She looked up as he approached, her bright blue eyes twinkling an azure that looked exotic next to her bronzed skin. Her soft features tensed, showing surprise, most likely from that fact that I am alone, Trent realized, before returning to normal. She pointed to the empty seat across from her.
“Trent,” Tiana started before he could greet her, pausing as she watched him lower himself into the chair. She took a deep breath, apparently having difficulty with her next words. “I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday. I was foolish and should have never dragged you into the fight with my mother and Sasha,” she told with reluctant honesty. Not one accustomed to apologies, Trent realized, thinking it probably a common trait of much of the NHA nobility.
“It's alright, Tiana. I'm pretty hard headed,” he smiled, tapping his forehead with his fist. She smiled back, then returned to her breakfast, but stopped before taking another bite, looking again in his direction.
“I do have to say, Sir Trent, that as I've started to get to know you, I have been pleasantly surprised,” admitted Tiana, her tone friendly.
Trent wasn't sure how to take her words. He still remembered, quite clearly, the look she gave him when they had first met, the look of disgust that had been common throughout his entire life. He thought for a moment about how he should respond, deciding, as always, to be honest.
“I'm assuming you must have thought me a loser?” she gasped, obviously shocked, the most common response to his honesty. “It's alright if that was the case,” he quickly continued, “I'm still having difficulty convincing myself that I'm still not the same loser I was on Earth...” He trailed off as remembering his past did what it always did; made him depressed. The fact that he was now the consort to the daughter of the king of NHA Galaxy 189 did little to change the fact that, a mere month and a half ago, or five NHA periods, he had been living the life of a hobo, an outcast, discarded by Earth’s society to wander the abandoned railroad tracks for eternity.
Why did Sasha choose me? It was a question that he probably should have asked well before now. She was beautiful, full of life and personality, the perfect woman that anybody would kill to be with. Of course, she did have bouts of sudden anger and could be selfish at times, but compared to her good points, they were easily dismissed. But him, on the other hand, he was...what? He couldn't answer the question, he didn't know who or what he was. Sir Simwa had said he was garbage, which as sad as it might seem, he found some truth in. Sasha had said he was a great and kind man, and he remembered smiling thankfully at the words, but did I actually believe her? The destructive thoughts continued and he felt his head drooping, melancholy taking fully hold of his mind.
Pain exploded through his cheek, forcing him back to reality. Tiana glared at him furiously, her scrunching nose a hairsbreadth from his own. He raised his hand to his cheek, confused, only to find pain explode on its mate as she slapped him again. He looked at her in bewilderment, bracing himself for a further barrage.
“You know,” Tiana fell back into her seat, her assault finished, “this is what I have a problem with, Sir Trent...this...this self-pity that you seem to fall into. I haven't seen it since the first time I met you and when I brought it up to Sasha, she told me a great many things about you that eased my mind. But let me tell you this, Sir Trent....it still bothers me.” She violently tore a chunk of what looked like meat from her fork, her glaring eyes no longer showing anger, but now full of what scared Trent most; disgust. “Let me tell you this, Sir Trent. I know Sasha loves you and I know you love her. But if you do not make an effort to try to get better, to fix this useless self-pity of yours, I will make your life a living nightmare......no matter if Sasha loves you or not!” She slammed her fork upon the table. Trent met her unwavering stare and noticed a part of the disgust fade, but knew it was still there, hidden below the surface, and would probably always be.
“Then what would you have me do? Would you like to know why I'm like this? Why it is so difficult for me to fully move on?” Trent asked, a tinge of anger mixing with his pleading.
“I already know your past, Trent,” Tiana responded calmly, picking back up her utensil, “but I do not understand why it affects you so? You have Sasha......what else do you need for you to forget your horrible past?” Tiana questioned, though it sounded more of criticism.
He thought about her words for a moment before responding. “Nothing...all I need is Sasha,” he said honestly. “But that's not the problem. The problem comes from dwelling on things. I...I don't really know how to explain it...but now, before you slapped me, I...I had started convincing myself I was no good and didn't belong with Sasha...if you hadn't hit me...” He let his words trail off, knowing to continue down that particular path would call back the destructive feelings.
“Why did you suddenly have that thought now? You've been with her for over five periods now,” she asked, her curiosity obvious by her tone.
“This is the first time I can remember being awake without her,” he answered without thought. “When she's around, those thoughts don't come...don't materialize, because she seems to have the ability to make them vanish,” he blushed when he realized how she usually accomplished that feat, moving his fingers unconsciously to his lips.
“I see,” Tiana nodded, slapping her hands together. “Well then...I have an idea, Sir Trent. I do not foresee many situations when you will be apart from Sasha. But if you are, and I'm around, or even Vickie,” she paused, considering for moment, “well maybe not Vickie,” she grinned, “but you need to talk about it, talk to me! Tell me exactly what you are thinking!” Tiana's eyes twinkled, her grin shifting into a full blown smile.
“I thought I did?” he questioned, confused, words hushed as he tried to recall their earlier conversation. Didn't I tell her why before I started getting depressed? He cursed the pain that made his memory fuzzy.
“No, you stopped and went into some sort of la la land,” she slapped her hands on the table, making him jump. “That is unacceptable, Sir Trent, and you cause pain to those around you, including Sasha, when you think badly of yourself. You need to fix it, and I told Sasha, no matter how I felt about you, I'd help. So,” she took a deep breath, “you will voice all your negative thoughts, your feelings, and I will help you through them whenever Sasha is not around,” she exclaimed, matter-of-factly, Trent unable to resist the urge to smile in response.
“You are kind, Tiana. I now know why Sasha thinks so highly of you,” he whispered. Tiana, eyes wide, started bouncing in her seat like an overexcited teenager, the mature woman of moments before, gone.
A question flashed into his mind. “Tiana, how old are you?” he asked. She froze.
“How old do you think I am?” she responded mischievously, asking the loaded of all questions. Why did I have to ask? He sighed to himself.
> Crossing his arms before him, he fell into deep thought. Tiana would talk with a worldliness and wisdom at times that made her seem much older then she looked, which appeared to be her mid to late teens. But he knew he couldn't trust looks with genetic alterations within the NHA keeping humans looking young for well over a hundred years, or so he’d been told. Her personality wasn't much help either, shifting drastically from the over excitable young girl of the day before, to the experienced woman who just talked him down from the edge. He sighed, deciding on the middle ground.
“Twenty-two?” A giant smile leapt across her lips as she rushed over to his side, a hop in her step, then leaned close to his ear.
“Sixteen,” she whispered and before he could respond, presented him a small peck on the cheek, all thoughts of their previous conversation, gone. She skipped back to the chair across from him and turned, crossing her arms under her bosom.
“You need a lot of work, Sir Trent, before I'll fully accept you as Sasha's consort! But,” she moved her hands to her shapely hips, “I do believe Sasha is right about one thing...you are a kind and honest man,” she took a deep breath, “but remember! Sasha's not the only one that cares for you. If you need help, come talk to me. I may not be able to help as much, but I will do anything for Sasha...and for you!” she finished, blushing so brightly Trent had to fight the urge to shade his eyes. Tiana curtsied, then skipped to the door, pausing just outside to greet Knight Admiral Bhool who was in conversation with the Alutia Guard Captain, Knight Captain Seb'Losh.
“Sir Trent, Knight Admiral Bhool is here to see you,” Sir Seb'Losh entered before the knight admiral, bowing slightly. Trent smiled.
“Thank you,” he paused before formally greeting the knight admiral, having a sudden idea, “actually, Sir Seb'Losh, I think I may require your opinion. Would you be willing to join us for a few hours?” Sir Seb'Losh nodded, face showing the distant look of using his biological communication node, or BC node, which Trent had learned was called being “nodded locked”.
Knight Admiral Bhool approached and saluted, Trent stood, bowing in response, as he'd been taught by Sasha, then led the old admiral, who Trent would have thought in her thirties had Sasha not told him otherwise, to the nearest working area. Her “noble perfect” features, framed by silky smooth, shoulder length brown hair, little matched her gaze, that held an ocean of wisdom so deep he knew it born of well over a century of life. She wore an informal uniform, a double breasted coat of crimson, embroidered with pure gold, over a skin tight undershirt that hinted at the muscular physique within.
“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to assist me, Knight Admiral Bhool,” he said while seating himself on the curving coach, using the same reverent tone he once saved for talking with his superiors at his job, but without the feigned deference.
“It is my pleasure, Sir Trent. In fact, I should be the one thanking you. It is not every day that the emperor temporarily rescinds a proclamation to allow a noble to design his own starship,” Knight Admiral Bhool responded as she seated herself in a chair across from the curving couch, running a hand through her hair while removing the semispherical combat PDU from her ear. “If you'll excuse my rudeness, Sir Trent,” she raised a thin eyebrow, “but are you alright? Your cheeks are a rather unnatural scarlet and appear slightly swollen.” she leaned closer as she spoke, showing concern Trent could only think born of obligation.
“Tiana has been given permission to help me deal some of my inner demons,” he responded without thought, regretting the words immediately. It probably isn't a good idea to spread my personnel issues, especially to the head of the Alutia Battle Fleet, he scolded himself. Knight Admiral Bhool looked confused for a moment, then her eyes told that she understood.
“They say when you marry a lady, you also marry her ladies, Sir Trent. I am sure whatever she did, she did out of love.” A genuine smile crossed her lips and Trent returned it, feeling noticeably better then even minutes before now that his mind wasn't idle. Knight Captain Seb'Losh, Captain of the Alutia Guard, Sasha’s personal protectors, moved to their side, standing at attention with his hands crossed behind his back.
Sir Seb’Losh, though standing only a few centimeters taller than Trent, held an imposing presence. His features were hard, rounded, reminding Trent of the “ideal” male hero types that were so common during the early days of visual entertainment on Earth. But unlike those heroes, who would always grandstand and boast, Sir Seb’Losh held his emotions in check, showing only an ever serious, almost stoic, facade that made Trent think him an android more than a human.
“Please sit, Sir Seb’Losh. This may take awhile,” he gestured to the seat adjacent Knight Admiral Bhool.
Sir Seb'Losh nodded, taking the seat without question. “Thank you, Sir Trent. I do not know what help I may be able to offer, but I am, like always, at your service,” Trent smiled at the ever polite Sir Seb'Losh.
He knew something had occurred during Sasha's trip to Earth that caused the Alutia Guard Captain to be banished on a fool's errand. But nobody would explain why, and he was reluctant to dig to deep. Either way, having the ever vigilant man in charge of Sasha's security made him sleep better at night.
Trent leaned back in the couch and accessed his biological communication node, or BC node, a special sensory organ that allowed him to communicate wirelessly with a biological access point, or BAP, that linked into the starships information systems and databases, or matrixes as the NHA referred to them, without the need of a physical terminal.
From what Trent had learned, the NHA had added the BC node to the human genome, along with many other improvements, tens of thousands of years in the past. But the humans of Earth, who he had learned were actually test subjects for a grand experiment on human evolution, had not been included. So after his recruitment into the now defunct Terra Space Battalion, his genetics were restructured to match NHA standard. This included, beyond the growth of his BC node, a greatly expanded lifespan, increased healing ability, self-maintaining muscles and organs, and a biological translation node that could seamlessly translate the many different languages spoken within the NHA to his native tongue. These changes, however, didn’t come without a price.
The restructuring process took place without his knowledge, when, due to the loss of his arms thanks to the now banished Sir Simwa, he’d been placed in what was known as an emergency medical tube. This device allowed for accelerated healing and genetic restructuring through the use of a special nutrient liquid and biological nanites. But for Trent, it was pure torture. All his memories from the time of his tubing being of excruciating pain, fearful isolation, horrible hallucinations, and nightmares so severe, that when provided the option to be tubed for seven days, or face constant pain for six NHA periods, or two Earth months, he gratefully chose the latter.
“Sir Trent?” Knight Admiral Bhool pulled him free of his thoughts.
“My apologizes,” he nodded, returning his attention to accessing the design system he had been sent by the NHA Starship Design and Research Group, or SDRG. He transferred it to the irradiated particle display unit, or PDU, on the table before him, or thought he did. The PDU on the work area across the stone walkway from where they sat, activated, projecting a starship. All three looked over at the next table together, then Knight Admiral Bhool and Sir Seb'Losh turned to him, their looks quizzical.
“I've only had it for a few periods,” he explained, blushing in embarrassment. Both nodded understanding, neither seeming to mind the slight delay. He took a deep breath and tried again, this time transferring the design system to the proper PDU location.
The cuboid shape, or three-dimensional rectangle, of a standard NHA starship filled the air before him. On its flanks appeared information streams, listing basic data about the starship, such as crew and energy requirements, weapon systems, and the multitude of other facts and figures required for the design process. Trent smiled, happy with himself for completing the minor, but for him, complicated
task.
He turned back to his two guests. “As I mentioned briefly to Knight Admiral Bhool, part of the Star of Terra commendation I received involves me being awarded a personal starship, which I have been provided permission to design myself. Since I have little experience or knowledge in regards to starship operation, besides the little I've had a time to acquire while stuck in bed, I was hoping to get some input and help with my design,” he glanced to Sir Seb'Losh, “and when completed, this will be Sasha's private starship, so I thought we should take into consideration security when designing her.” Trent thought he caught a smile flash across Sir Seb'Losh’s lips, but couldn’t be certain.
“Thank you, Your Grace. It is not common for nobles to want to take practical considerations with their toys,” his tone said it all, and Trent couldn't help but smile knowingly in response.
“Sasha's comfort and safety are my top concerns as well, Sir Seb'Losh, but I have some ideas about how I want to design the starship that I haven't had a chance to pass by anyone. I want this to be a floating palace, a place where Sasha can run the business of her duchy safe from both external and internal threats,” Sir Seb'Losh nodded approval. Knight Admiral Bhool, on the other hand, looked dubious.
“Sir Trent, you have a very noble idea, but I am quite skeptical about the feasibility of such a design. Battleships,” she gestured to the projected starship floating before them, “are purely warships, and do not have the excessive space found on super-capital and capital ships that allow for larger noble amenities.” She waved her hand around their current surroundings as an example. Trent nodded, staring intently at the image of the floating starship, its dull, metallic surface reflecting imaginary sunlight.
“I figured that would be the case, but I'd like to try anyway. I do have free reign on the design...so I may be able to find some free space that previous designers missed.” Knight Admiral Bhool nodded, but still looked unconvinced. Trent hid a smile, assuming her reluctance had to do with her being a pure military officer at heart and thinking that any space would always be better utilized for weapons or defense systems.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 5