“Trent, you need to stay awake,” he looked at her, eyes hazy, but still nodded.
The dust cloud that engulfed them finally dissipated and she was able to clearly see their surroundings for the first time.
A desert spread before them, swirling dust clouds appearing and disappearing as howling winds buffeted their armor. The desert around the Barrier Oasis Colony was flat while small dunes grew larger, or so she thought, as the desert moved in the distance. Unbearably dry heat beat down on her exposed skin, but luckily, the combat armor had built-in cooling, meaning only her head and hands felt the full affect.
“We need to move,” Sasha whispered. Trent nodded absently in response.
They moved off the dune, towards the Barrier Oasis Colony, Trent stumbling at her side. She knew from her review of the colony schematic that petty cities lined the outside of the barrier, meaning one should be nearby, or so she hoped.
When they started moving parallel to the barrier, she fearful of getting too close, a gust of intense wind warned her of the massive wall of yellowish-white sand that flowed rapidly towards them.
Sandstorm, she realized almost too late. Knowing nothing else to do, she kneeled, pulling Trent down beside her, using their robes like tents to protect them. She wouldn’t dare allow Trent to activate his helmet, fearing he would fall asleep without her constant supervision.
The sand attacked their robes mercilessly, quickly piling up around them as she continued to stare into Trent's eyes, kissing or probing whenever it looked as if his lids would start to fall shut. Then, as suddenly as it began, the sandstorm slowed, then died.
She stood, pushing her way free of the small mountain that had grown around them, when a sonic boom caused her to look towards the sky. Their shuttle, having appeared to complete its mission, disappeared into the atmosphere, firing a few more shots at the rooftops and pursuing assault shuttles that continued to attack as it fled.
“Well, there goes our ride, Trent,” she muttered, resigned.
“Then...will just have to find another, won’t we,” his whispered response made her shiver, knowing that no matter what happened, he would always be there with her.
She locked an arm around his waist and they pushed their way through the loose, waist high sand left over from the storm, and in the direction of what she hoped; was a petty city.
*********
The massive viewscreen that curved 180 degrees around the front of the bridge was clearly visible from the fleet command deck. Tiana watched intently as it zoomed in on the shuttle, providing a bird's eye view of its descent through the atmosphere. Gradually, it began to slow as it passed through the gap in the shield that protected the Barrier Oasis Colony. It flew over the tightly packed buildings, approaching the tallest that sat near the sea’s edge. Once the landing pad came clearly into a view, the shuttled hovered, extending its combat tube.
“Please be safe...” she whispered, tightening her grip around Yukie's waist, who had chosen Tiana's lap as her preferred seat. Regalia still sat by her mother’s side, both lost in studying a projection of a freighter and all the pertinent data that had been collected after Trent had shown an unusual interest in its origin.
“Incoming fire detected!” Someone shouted from the bridge, pulling her attention back to the main viewscreen.
She gasped as a laser bolt struck the shuttle’s impenetrable side, the force of the blast sending it careening away from the landing pad, the viewscreen barely able to track its unexpected movement.
“Oh no!” Yukie shouted, launching to her feet and sprinting to the railing overlooking the bridge. Tiana cringed in absolute horror, seeing the combat tube swinging, Trent hanging off the tube’s edge by one hand, while barely holding onto Sasha with the other. The shuttle started to level when two more laser bolts shot across the sky, striking the shuttles as one. Again it careened, but this time much more violently. The combat tube swung almost vertical before the shuttle over recovered, descending rapidly towards the ground. As the force of the swinging tube became too great, Trent lost his grip, and he and Sasha were catapulted through the air towards the barrier.
“Follow them! We need to know where they land!” Captain Daiyu shouted as the viewscreen started tracking Trent and Sasha’s flight.
“Please...” she whispered, watching Trent and Sasha cling to each other desperately as they broke through the barrier and started spinning wildly in the wind beyond. They plunged, faster and faster, and to Tiana's horror, Trent's thruster burned too early as he pushed Sasha towards a rising dune, causing her to slow considerably, before Sasha's own thrusters burned a moment before impact. A plum of sand exploded into the air as they struck.
Silence covered the bridge, taking hold of Tiana’s mind, as if speaking would curse Trent and Sasha to a fate no one wanted to believe. Yukie collapsed to her knees, grasping the railing, knuckles white. Regalia buried her face in her hands as her mother cooed into her ear, saying it would be alright. Tiana stood motionless, unable to think, unable to act, only able to watch.
“The thermals show movement!” Someone on the bridge shouted.
“Bring it to the main screen!” Captain Daiyu ordered frantically, hopeful murmurs rising from the bridge officers.
The main viewscreen overlaid with a multicolored thermal input, showing a single body moving around frantically. Tiana recognized it as Sasha, tears bursting forth at the knowledge that her friend was ok.
But where is Trent? The question pushed through the tears, watching Sasha slide down the dune, pausing before what looked like a human foot. She grabbed it, pulling Trent’s body free as if out of thin air. But Trent, to her rising horror, hung limp.
“Oh no...” she gasped as she watched, with baited breath, as Sasha shook Trent desperately. There was no response, and as Tiana felt despair creep over her mind at the thought that he was dead, Trent sat up on his own. Cheers broke across the bridge. Yukie hurried back to her side, losing each other in their arms as they cried in relief.
“Contact the Providence One, inform them of their position. Prep the standby shuttles and have them wait my order to launch,” Captain Daiyu ordered.
“Ma’am, we have hostile assault shuttles in zone, count 50. Providence One is under heavy fire while waiting for extraction team to return. Reports damage to atmospheric thrusters and combat tube. Requests backup for recovery of Gra-,”
“Ma'am! I have incoming contacts,” the bridge sensor officer interrupted the com officer, “Fifty starships! Unknown origin. But system is returning 99% probability that it is an NHA battle group!” Tiana and Yukie froze, tears of joy running dry.
“That's impossible! All battle groups...” the captain's voice faded. “Cancel standby shuttle launch! Inform the Providence One to return once extraction team is recovered. Log the grand duchess and grand dukes location. Sound battle stations!” Captain Daiyu ordered. Alarms blared and the deck lighting shifted to slightly red, Yukie's and Tiana's guards appeared all across the fleet command deck.
“We will be staying,” Yukie informed her guards with chin held high, cutting off any possible response. The guards, hesitating for only a moment, took up positions at their flanks. She and Yukie moved back to the command chairs that overlooked both the fleet command deck and bridge, and, like Trent and Sasha always did, locked their fingers together.
“Belia, bring up surrounding space,” Yukie ordered.
“Yes, Empress,” Belia responded. The massive CID came alive a moment later, and a scaled, hundred million kilometer area around the starship appeared, then zoomed in, showing the approaching battle group that was already within 50 million kilometers. It was definitely an NHA battle group, consisting of one 40 km long super-capital ship, two 10 km capital ships, four 2.5 km dreadnaughts, four 1 km battleships, six 500 m cruisers, twelve 200 m corvettes, and twenty 125 m frigates. They were in the standard cylindrical approach formation, the larger starships in the center, surrounded by layers of the smaller starships.
&nbs
p; “Ma'am, a message received from the commander of the battle group. They claim to be ABF,” a bud of hope grew within Tiana's mind, but quickly wilted when Yukie shook her head.
“If they were from Alutia, they would be at “The Wall”...not here,” Daiyu responded instantly, saying the words that were on Yukie's lips. “Com! Request clarification and find out who is in command,” instructed Captain Daiyu. A few minutes past in tense silence as the enemy battle group continued to close.
“A response, ma'am. He claims to be a Knight Rear-Admiral Quo'Nup on a mission of assistance. He claims no knowledge of the orders to “The Wall”.” Tiana froze, the name sounding familiar.
“Tiana?” Yukie asked, seeing she had gone rigid.
“That name...” Tiana started when it struck her. She accessed the control PDU on her armrest, opening a com channel to Captain Daiyu.
“Captain Daiyu, he is from Hulk'Zif! I remember Knight Admiral Bhool explaining that she didn't trust his loyalties,” Tiana said rapidly, recalling the meeting that ended with the Alutia Guard trying to kill them all.
“Thank you, Lady Tiana, Knight Admiral Bhool made sure we all knew, quite well, where Quo'Nup's loyalties lie,” Captain Daiyu responded before closing the channel. Tiana felt embarrassed, but a beaming smile from Yukie let her know she had done the right thing.
“Any word from the shuttle?” asked Captain Daiyu.
“No, ma'am...”
“Well...it seems we will be testing those improvements of Sir Trent's sooner than expected...” Captain's Daiyu's hushed words barely reached the fleet command deck.
Time slowly ticked by as silence again took hold of the bridge. Tiana stared at the enemy starships that approached, closing on the point of no return. Soon they would be unable to run, they would be forced to engage.
“It's all right, Tiana, this starship is indestructible,” Yukie reassured, her voice so loud that everyone on the bridge had to have heard them. She smiled at her friend, her naive friend, but her friend nonetheless.
“You don't believe me do you?” Yukie said, a trained pout covering her perfectly shaped lips.
Tiana turned to her. “Of course I believe you. But...but Yukie, I'm sure there is a weakness?” Yukie, like the pout never existed, smiled wide.
“It does, but it would require infiltrating the starship and attacking from the inside,” Tiana let her chin fall to her chest, then found herself laughing. If Yukie’s right, why not just charge the 50 warships bearing down on them?
“Ma'am?” a voice rose from the bridge below.
“I know,” Captain Daiyu responded, voice tense. Another few minutes ticked by and another starship appeared on the CID, rising from the planet.
“Ma'am! It's the Providence One. They have extracted Lady Vickie. They are requesting a status update on the progress of the retrieval of the Grand Duchess Sasha and Grand Duke Trent,” the com officer declared.
“Patch them through to my station, com. I'll inform them personally,” instructed Captain Daiyu without emotion. “And once they dock, set a course directly for the incoming battle group. Let's see if Empress Yukie is correct, and that this starship is indeed....indestructible,” Tiana couldn't help but glance at Yukie, who smiled triumphantly, and hoped beyond hope that she was right, and that they weren't, in fact, rushing to their deaths.
Chapter 14
“Vickie!” Regalia cried as she dove into Vickie’s arms the moment she arrived on the fleet command deck. “I missed you so much,” she mumbled, Tiana and Yukie joining in the hug.
“I missed you too, all of you, so very much,” Vickie said honestly, rubbing each of the girls hair in turn, but with little of her normal exuberance.
“Vickie? What’s wrong?” Regalia asked, sensing something definitely amiss.
“Its...its Sir Georigi...” Vickie whispered, trembling, color having drained from her cheeks.
“Til’Ma, what happened?” Tiana asked the servant standing behind Vickie as they led the melancholic lady to their seats.
“During the escape we lost track of him. His guards say he drew the enemy away so we could escape. We know nothing of his current fate,” Til’Ma explained. They all fell silent, Regalia realizing what that most likely meant. Without a word, she sat on Vickie’s lap, looking up into eyes that had lost their luster, their shine, no longer those of the woman Regalia knew so well.
“Captain Daiyu!” Sir Seb’Losh, who had just arrived on the fleet command deck with Sir Erio, rushed to the railing, shouting down to the bridge.
“One moment,” Captain Daiyu replied without emotion, taking the lift up to the fleet command deck from the bridge below. She glared at Sir Seb’Losh, who stood almost twice Captain Daiyu’s height, as she approached.
“I must demand you allow me to requisition a shuttle to return to the surface!” Sir Seb'Losh shouted, slamming a combat armored fist against the wall.
Captain Daiyu tensed, but didn’t flinch. “As I explained before, Knight Captain Seb’Losh, it is too risky. The Providence One is too damaged to chance another sortie and I am not about to place you, the shuttle’s crew, and the grand duke and duchess in danger by allowing you to fly unprotected through a combat zone full of enemy assault shuttles!” Captain Daiyu steamed.
“That shouldn't be an issue if we leave now. We can fight through the assault shuttles and arrive on the surface before the enemy fleet arrives and stay within the atmosphere until the threat has cleared. If they are alive, I must return to the planet. If you continue to refuse to allow me to perform my duty...” the normally composed Sir Seb'Losh seethed, spittle raining upon all who stood before him, his anger tumbling out of control. Captain Daiyu gritted her teeth behind an iron mask, cheeks flushed, but somehow able to maintain her composure.
“You may be in charge of security, Knight Captain Seb'Losh, but I am in command of this starship. That means no matter what you may believe, I have final say over all decisions in regards to my ship, crew, and her passengers, and most of all, their safety,” she continued to hold Sir Seb’Losh’s piercing gaze. “With that in mind...the best thing we can do for Lady Sasha and Sir Trent is to attract as little attention to them as possible. Two people...even nobles...should be able to hide within the local population. But if an ABF shuttle is seen searching frantically, what do you think our enemy will do then? We must afford them the best opportunity to survive, since we do not know when, or if...and that is a big if, Sir Seb'Losh...we will be able to return.” Captain Daiyu stared at the trembling knight captain, whose response was cut off by Sir Erio’s raised hand.
“Sir Seb'Losh...she is right. We must trust in the grand duchess and grand duke to hide within the petty population. The risk is just too great to try an extraction through those defenses with a standard assault shuttle,” his aged voice, and advice, was of reason.
“No!” Sir Seb’Losh wouldn’t budge, “I refuse to leave my charges alone when I have the chance to save them!” All rational thought had fled the man, emotions fully in control.
“Sir Seb'Losh. You and Knight Captain Erio will provide me a plan for saving my guardians. Please leave the fleet deck and handle this immediately,” Empress Yukie instructed as she stepped forward, causing all those present to lower their heads and fall silent. The order seemed to grant Sir Seb'Losh a semblance of hope, and part of his sanity returned. He bowed to Empress Yukie, ignoring Captain Daiyu, and hurried from the fleet command deck, Sir Erio close behind.
“Donnlie...you should go as well, it will be a good learning experience,” Regalia instructed. Donnlie turned to her, surprised, his doubt painted all over his freckled face. But in the end, he nodded understanding without a word. Regalia watched him scamper after the other two guards before she looked back up at Vickie. Her eyes were distant, framed black and puffy from tears. It detracted little from her beauty, but made Regalia's heart ache to have to see her friend in such sorrow; such despair. So she turned completely around in Vickie's lap, kissing her ice cold cheek, and hugging
her as hard as she could.
“He will be alright, Lady Vickie,” she reassured calmly, hoping to garner a response from the woman who had fallen silent.
“Thank you, my dear, but-,” she looked past Regalia and froze. Regalia turned, seeing a man in a brown robe, accompanied by two men in the black and purple uniforms of the king’s services exiting the transport tubes.
“We have word, Lady Vickie. Apparently the services have been investigating reports of an unusually large number of petties disappearing from the archives. So they have been tracking all outgoing freighters and it so happens the last one to escape before the arrival of our saviors contained a medical tube with a severely injured...but stable patient.” Regalia noticed the flame within Vickie’s eyes began to smolder as newborn hope grew within, her embrace strengthening.
“Do you think...” she started to question, but her voice faltered.
“We know, Lady Vickie, one of our men infiltrated the Barrier Oasis Colony’s primary starport and overheard two nobles discussing the capture of one of the fleeing Alutia nobles, as well as obtaining this record.” One of the men in black stepped forward, providing a palm sized portable PDU that projected an image of a medical tube. The PDU zoomed in on the small projection of the patient with vitals on the side of the medical tube, showing the face of none other than Sir Georigi.
“Do you know where they sent him?” Vickie asked, trembling, her hope renewed.
The men turned glum. “I am sorry, Lady Vickie. Unregistered freighters do not file flight plans and none of our groundside informants overheard any discussion of a possible destination. It's a problem we've been having for quite awhile now. We know that petties are being shipped off planet illegally, but no destination has yet been discovered.” The man sounded noticeably distraught. Regalia's eyes went wide, a thought bursting to the surface.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 42