Beautiful, she whispered with imaginary lips as she tried to take it all in.
The enormous rose vines that made up the tower's primary structure, wrapped organically around one another like a braid as they pierced the sky itself. Much of the towers surface was covered in blooming roses of varying colors and sizes, intermingled with massive thorns that presented a clear warning to anyone who may threaten her splendor. It was a sight of beauty protected; a reminder of the need for Alutia to always be wary, its rulers to be ever vigilant.
Her vision slowed abruptly, diving the last few meters to the leaf shaped landing pad meant for her and Trent's personal use. Atop its surface gathered many familiar faces, chatting idly as they awaited her and Trent's arrival within the hour. She studied the congregation as her vision weaved slowly through their ranks, hovering unseen when it located her first target.
Her mother stood elegantly, conversing with a large group of nobles that Sasha didn't recognize. Off to her left paced Sir Seb'Losh before the ranks of what must have been the first class of the new Alutia Guard, singling out a recruit to state his displeasure at her slightly askew uniform. The vision floated on, locating Tiana and Regalia, who stood near the edge of the landing pad with a giggling Yukie, separated from the others by a cordon of nondescript Empress Guards. It seemed they were chatting about something inappropriate, based on the shocked expression covering Regalia's blushing face.
Administrator Oadi and Administrator Fabis stood just outside the cordon, adorning what must have been the newly redesigned Alutia administrator's robes. Their exquisite make caught her eye, with a base of black only cut by prismatic red swirls that were outlined in gold. When disturbed, it provided the likeness of red waves flowing over a black sea. On the robes breast stood a vibrant depiction of the Alutia Crest, a gorian tiara wrapped in rose vines with a blooming rose on each of the tiara’s three peaks. Its background a swirling galaxy with arms of crimson. She knew her mother must have had a hand in the new design, Sasha having mentioned in passing that the previous design recalled too many memories she would rather leave forgotten. She watched as the two administrators lectured the others who gathered close, wearing similar robes, but with less of the red swirls and a trim of silver instead of gold. She could only assume them to be the newly assigned Alutia'Earth Assistant Administrators.
Another small group caught her attention, wearing the standard Alutia Battle Fleet uniforms of a rose red overcoat covering a black undershirt and pants, with a dense trim colored like gorian. But that wasn’t what caused her to pause. It was the starship crest in which they were assigned; stating the ABF Sasha. The officer who adorned the planet insignia on her collar, indicating the rank of captain, was someone she could never forget; Vice-Commander Daiyu of the disbanded Terra Space Battalion. The woman who Trent had saved at nearly the cost of his own life, the woman who first informed her of the treachery of Sir Simwa, a pawn of Duke Zehman, and a woman, who Sasha had discerned, held romantic feelings for Trent. She brushed aside a sudden fit of jealousy, knowing that no matter the woman’s past feelings for Trent, she was honorable.
The distant vision became difficult to maintain, so she released her grip on the Arm of the Emperor, and within seconds, returned to her body.
“How do they look?” Trent asked from her side. She smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder, trying to slow her rapid breaths.
“Good, everyone but Vickie is waiting, plus a few others,” she let her smile slip, staring intently into Trent’s gentle, hazel eyes. “I hope you clearly remember who is your proper wife,” she forced annoyance into her tone.
Trent went white. “Wha...who...why...what's going on?” She chuckled at his befuddled reaction. Trent, seeming to sense her teasing, frowned, bumping her lightly with his elbow. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“I love you, my duke,” he blushed, eyes twinkling, making her want to fall back into the mindset of the past 45 days they were in isolation.
“And I you, my love...” He kissed her deeply, passionately, appearing unwilling to forget their time alone together. She felt herself drawn into his desire, the touch of his lips calling forth her own yearning. His hunger for her trickled slowly through their bond and she felt the urge to resist start to fade, melt away.
The pilot of the atmospheric ferry shuttle coughed. They both froze, then quickly pulled away. She cleared her throat, glancing at Trent, who seemed unable to stop grinning behind his flushed cheeks, as if he was purposely trying to embarrass her. She tried to force a pout, but he tickled her stomach, and she couldn't repress her giggles as Terra and Lia escaped her bosom with a hoot. After their playfulness was spent, Trent rested his weary chin on her shoulder.
“Are you going to check on Vickie?” he whispered.
“Yes, but it will be the first time I try to locate someone over such a great distance.” He leaned back, nodding understanding while placing an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
“I will make sure to rouse you with a kiss, shall my princess seem to not be waking,” he declared, though his words of bad poetry made her chuckle. He frowned noticeably.
“That was very beautiful, my duke,” she kissed him gently, then leaned back, squeezing his hand as she pictured Vickie.
Her ghostly vision shot across space so fast that the stars were distorted, making the darkness appear white. But it only lasted a moment before it slowed and a planet of sparkling gold and white grew before her. She tried to take it all in, but her vision moved too quickly, accelerating towards the surface and a blue sea surrounded by lush vegetation. Cube and pyramid shaped buildings flashed into existence as she flew into the ground. Darkness engulfed her, making it impossible to tell if she continued ever deeper or had stopped in an unlit room. She concentrated, the darkness seeming to relent the harder she thought of Vickie, unable to hold back her determination at wanting to view her lady, and suddenly, she could see her.
Vickie lay upon a floor of smooth stone in total darkness, curled in a tight ball, being hugged close by Sir Georigi, who appeared covered in dry blood. Til'Ma, a hooded individual she didn't recognize, and a combat armor guard squatted a few meters away.
Something is amiss, she realized, not understanding why they would be underground on a populated planet. As concern took over her mind, she lost control of the Arm of the Emperor and her vision started to return. She tried to memorize as many details of the planet as possible, but found it too difficult, her vision returning to her body twice as fast as it had left.
“Trent! Sh...eh trouble!” she blurted, words garbled, her breathing heavy.
“Sasha...slow down, what's going on?” Trent asked, his voice of concern, calming her rattled mind.
She turned to him, tears pushing towards the surface. “Vickie, she....she's on a strange world, hiding underground,” she told, voice gradually steadying as Trent caressed her back.
“Did you recognize the planet?” he asked, not even a thought to question her, his trust, unwavering. I love him so!
“No, but it appeared to be a barren planet...or desert...with a small oasis surrounded by non-biological buildings of a few different designs.” Trent's expression went tense, going “node locked” as he accessed the shuttles BAP. A moment passed in silence and he sighed, noticeably relieved.
“It has to be Alutia V5432. It fits the description perfectly and would be the only colonized planet of that look within range of the marks Sir Georigi showed interest,” he explained. She frowned when his words sunk in.
“That barony is still under control of one of Duke Zehman's men...if I'm not mistaken...along with the entire Don'Alutia Mark,” Trent nodded. They had already discussed their plans to deal with the planets and holdings that had been “officially” transferred to Alutia from the Hulk'Zif Duchy, and it involved tens of thousands of ABF Battleguards and many, many ABF battle groups.
“Vickie knows this, so...something pressing must have caused a change in plans. It is the only explanation
as to why they would visit such a dangerous planet,” Sasha continued, voicing the most likely scenario. They must have received a request for help and Sir Georigi, being the honorable noble, rushed off without thinking. But why would Vickie have allowed him, since she knew, quite well, the dangers? It didn't make sense.
“Pilot, can you get us back any faster?” Trent asked.
“Yes, Your Grace, if you can guarantee I won't lose my flight status for breaking safety protocols,” The answer was obvious.
“Of course, as long as you don't crash in the process,” Sasha responded first.
“Very well, Your Graces, please hold on.”
They were pushed back in their seats as the shuttle shot across the green tinted sky like a laser bolt.
*********
“Yukie, I hope you don't plan on telling Sasha that story. Even though you are an empress, I doubt she would ever forgive you,” Yukie smiled, unable to keep from giggling at Tiana's warning.
“I still don't understand. I've heard those strange moans before...but...” muttered Regalia, standing at Yukie's side, appearing baffled, her arms crossed, scrunching her eyebrows in thought.
Tiana sighed. “Don't think too hard about it, Regalia. In fact, don't think about it at all! Your mother may not be pleased if she heard we have been talking about this with you.” Regalia's face went stiff as she tilted her head slightly.
“Tiana, I am old enough to know what goes on in the bedchamber of a married man and woman,” she said matter-of-factly, causing Tiana to lose her composure, it taking all her willpower to not fall to ground in laughter. Yukie, on the other hand, didn't seem to care, falling to her knees and holding her stomach as boisterous laughter escaped her lips. The entire landing platform went silent and the welcoming party turned to the three laughing ladies.
The last few days had been beyond dull, even more so then the previous 35, since the mystery of the magically appearing holes and green slime had been solved.
When they handed the creature they captured in the cave over to the biological engineers for study, they reported back that it was not of this planet and, to everyone's surprise, shared similar ancestry to catillians. The engineers refused to provide any additional details, the local Program classifying the data restricted. Yukie seemed to expect this, and explained, with an un-Yukie like seriousness, that it was paramount to keep everything they'd learned a secret, the World Wall being something that would not be allowed to become common knowledge. Tiana, suppressing her rising curiosity, had agreed. There was definitely something odd about that cave, like a holy place of the star gods that should have never been disturbed. She shook off the memories, knowing it was better not to dwell on something she couldn't change, and helped Yukie to her feet, squeaking as the girl hugged her, their catillians hooting in joy.
“I love you, Tiana!” Yukie shouted. Many of the guests, who were still staring in their direction, started to whisper and giggle at the scene. Regalia's mother, who stood amongst the nobles at Queen Vahna's side, appeared as if she would faint, while the queen, instead of frowning like Tiana expected, held a barely perceptible smirk on her elegant facade. It appeared the time spent with Regalia had loosened the older woman up, but she quickly realized it would be best not to test that theory.
“Sir Seb'Losh, how much longer till they arrive?” Tiana asked the Alutia Guard Captain who stood nearby, having just finished inspecting the ranks of the newest Alutia Guard recruits. The majority of the new recruits were already experienced enough to bypass the required stint at the newly formed Lia'Sil Alutia Guard Academy, which had just recently been completed, along with the Alutia Battle Fleet Academy, on Planet Reverie.
Tiana smiled at the reminder of the hero of the Alutia Guard who saved both her and Sasha's life when Duke Zehman's men attempted an assassination. Lia'Sil had reacted without hesitation when a neural gas bomb exploded during their dinner meeting, ordering an emergency decompression to remove the deadly gas from the dining hall. But Lia'Sil had found herself too close, and had inhaled a minute amount of the gas. Luckily, she survived, but the initial prognosis was that she would never fully recover, her neural pathways damaged beyond recovery. So after the Battle of Earth, she'd been sent to recuperate on Planet Vn'Oco with her fiancé, who had recently sent the joyous news that most of Lia'Sil's higher-brain functions had returned, and the vast majority of the memories lost had been of her childhood. As soon as she was well enough to travel, they planned on returning to Alutia to join the Alutia Guard. Tiana couldn't wait.
“Fifteen minutes...” Sir Seb’Losh started responding while staring over the horizon, expression becoming hard. Tiana followed his gaze, noticing a black streak crossing the sky at incredible speed, flocks of birds fleeing before its charge. It took Tiana only a moment to recognize what it was; an atmospheric ferry shuttle. It came to an abrupt stop a few hundred meters above their heads and rapidly started to descend. A moment later, a sonic boom caused the crowd to cover their ears; someone had been ignoring atmospheric flight safety regulations.
The shuttle landed hard and the hatch slid open, a stern faced Trent exiting first, holding the hand of Sasha, who looked to have been crying. Everyone rushed forward, trying to take their positions for the formal welcome, but Trent and Sasha moved too quickly, heading straight for Captain Daiyu, who Tiana had learned was the new captain of the ABF Sasha, Trent's private starship. Tiana grabbed Yukie and Regalia's outstretched hands and hurried across the private landing pad, reaching the group of saluting ABF officers at the same moment as Trent and Sasha.
“Captain Daiyu, how quickly can we be on our way?” Trent questioned, his unemotional tone striking Tiana unexpectedly; something was definitely amiss.
“The crew is on shore leave, Your Grace...but I can have them recalled within the hour,” Captain Daiyu responded, showing none of the surprise that was painted on the faces of the rest of the bewildered welcoming party.
“Good, let Knight Admiral Bhool know that we will require an escort. Whatever starships she can muster...and I'm happy to see you, Vice-Commander, it's good to have an accomplished officer such as yourself as the captain of the ABF Sasha.” Finally some emotion peaked through Trent’s words.
Daiyu saluted again. “Thank you, Your Grace, but we will be unable to assemble a proper escort. All battle groups in the galaxy have been called to “The Wall”. I do not know all the details, but apparently the ASU has found a way to slip starships into NHA space.” The gathering crowd gasped and Tiana looked to Yukie, whose expression made it obvious that she thought it should have been common knowledge.
“That doesn't change anything...we leave as soon as we can,” Trent commanded as he turned to Tiana and the other ladies, showing a sad smile. “And Captain Daiyu, I need to see each member of the crew before they board the transport shuttles,” Tiana understood why, looking at the choker around Trent's neck that allowed him to sense if someone meant them harm.
“Very well, Sir Trent. Can we fly with you to the spaceport?” Daiyu asked. Trent nodded and was about to turn when Sasha grasped his arm desperately, turning him with her towards the bewildered welcoming party.
“I would like to thank you all for coming. Lady Vickie and Grand Marquis Georigi have apparently run afoul of Duke Zehman and we must make all haste to save them,” whispers rumbled through the crowd. “Sir Oadi and Sir Fabis, we leave the administration of the Alutia, Alutia’Earth, and the Alutia Dukeship in your hands. Mother, I hope you don't mind staying longer and making all pertinent decisions in our stead?” Sasha sounded ever more like a ruler and it made Tiana beam with pride.
“Yes, my dear. I will await your happy return,” Queen Vahna said. Sasha curtsied her thanks, seeming to resist the urge to hug her mother. Trent leaned in and whispered something into Sasha's ear, which to Tiana's surprise, caused her to frown and shake her head. Then after he whispered something else, a little more animatedly, Sasha sighed and nodded. Trent released Sasha's hand, causing both Terra and Trent's c
atillian to squawk in anger, before he rushed over to the group of huddling administrators. Sasha walked directly to Tiana, Regalia, and Yukie, spreading her arms wide, hugging the three girls as one.
“Oh, I missed you all so much!” Tiana couldn't hold back the tears.
“Sasha, oh Sasha, I missed you so,” her voice trembled and she heard Regalia crying at her side.
“I must accompany Trent to the spaceport, but get yourselves ready...pack only what you must,” Sasha whispered as tears continued to fall.
“Can my mother come?” Regalia's tiny voice broke through the hug.
“Of course, Regalia...go let her know,” Regalia sniffled, releasing her death grip and scurried to her mother’s side.
“I'm coming,” the muffled declaration made Tiana tense. Yukie stood trembling, her head buried in Sasha's gown. Tiana glanced at the Empress Guard Captain who stood at her back, expression unreadable.
“Yukie, if you get the approval of your father and guards, you can come...otherwise, you must stay behind,” Sasha explained. Yukie pulled herself free, eyes red and her sculpted features looking as if they were about to crumble.
“I am coming! Toonga! Tell my father I will be accompanying Grand Duchess Sasha and Grand Duke Trent on their new starship...the ABF Sasha, he knows the one!” her shouting silenced the whispering crowd who looked on in wonder as most, for the first time, realized who Yukie actually was.
“Shuttles will arrive in 30 minutes, if you do not have approval by then......you will have to stay behind. I am so very sorry, Yukie,” Sasha looked genuinely distraught at the thought of having to leave the young empress behind. Trent appeared at Sasha's side, nodding with a kindly smile to Tiana and Yukie.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 37