But Yukie was careless, playing her move too fast, as Regalia had planned. The empress had not realized that the “Full-S” provided Regalia a perfect pathway back to Yukie's own command sector. Regalia took a deep, calming breath before selecting a “Full-DV, the piece with opposing ends tilted inward, placing one end on the edge of a blue cell, another on the crest of the “Full-S” Yukie just placed, and the last on Yukie's command sector.
“That's not fair!” Yukie shouted, storming to her feet. But it was too late.
“Winner: Blue. Competition scores now stand: three points Empress Yukie to three points Lady Regalia.” She smiled wide as she heard the Program's monotone voice lay down its judgment, ignoring Yukie's complaints and forced pout. The surrounding Alutia Guards cheered, many complementing her fine play. She blushed, embarrassed, and began to stand, but was held in place by her mother.
“You did well, my dear. But you should have won on move 24. You had no reason to shift to a defensive strategy when you did,” her mother explained firmly, placing a hand on each shoulder while queuing the PDU projecting the “Strape Board” with her BC Node, reverting it back to the turn in question. Regalia listened intently to her mother's observations, studying where she pointed and the opening she had missed.
“I'm sorry I missed it, Mother,” she apologized honestly, feeling distraught.
Her mother patted her head gently. “Good, just as long as you learn from your mistakes. Remember, no matter how hard you try, if you continue making the same mistake over and over, people will stop trusting you, and you will quickly find yourself out of the court’s favor,” her mother's lecturing tone always made her feel safe and secure. She is always looking out for my best interests, Regalia knew.
“But, even with that said, you did win in spectacular fashion, my darling. That move, wherever did you ever come up with it?” Regalia smiled as her mother queued her last move again.
“I just altered your winning move in the match we played this morning. See how the “Full-S” is similar to the “Half-V” and how my “Full-DV” intersected it?” Regalia's mother followed her pointing finger down the “Full-DV”, with two opposing angles on both ends, then squeezed Regalia’s shoulders.
“Well I'll be...you are right, my dear. You are so very smart,” she kissed her hair. Regalia beamed, having rarely been complemented by her mother before her fall from nobility.
“You play well, Regalia. But this isn't over!” Yukie exclaimed from Belia's side, hands on her hips and chin raised high, having politely waited for Regalia to finish talking with her mother. Belia curtsied nervously before hurrying back to her place in the shadows, next to the line of servants, Donnlie, and the rest of the Alutia and Empress Guards.
“Thank you, Yukie. You played very well yourself. I am still amazed at your ability to name all 203 kin-.”
“204,” Yukie interrupted. “Father just approved the colonization of a new galaxy to begin later this year. It wasn't really his intent given the moratorium put in place by great-grandfather at the start of the war with the ASU. But the king of galaxy 52 has fallen ill and to avoid a conflict of succession between his twin daughters, he decided to gift Princess Vionia the right to rule galaxy 204 for her marriage to second Prince Nathial of galaxy 122. Both will be fine rulers, or so father believes...so...” she shrugged and Regalia sighed. That must have been the one I’d missed, she realized, since the Programs would consider a new galaxy queen and king to be listed in the King, Queen, and Emperor Review, no matter if the knowledge was common or not.
“Empress Yukie, the ABF Sasha is about to rendezvous with the VTF Hero'So and Captain Daiyu mentioned you requested to be informed,” one of Yukie's guards interrupted, finding an opening.
Yukie nodded, turning back to Regalia. “You shall accompany me,” Yukie grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet, quickly leading her out of the sitting room.
They rushed through the corridors of Yukie's apartment onboard the ABF Sasha, the few servants they passed quickly moving aside while bowing or curtsying. Just outside the apartment, they entered a waiting tube transport and shot off through the transport tubes, towards the fleet command deck, arriving in only a few seconds.
As they again to their places in Sasha and Trent's command chairs, her mother, Belia, who had followed quietly, rushed to her station adjacent the CID that sat in the center of the fleet command deck and brought online a projection of local space. A single dot flashed within a tight grouping of stars, before the projection closer, showing the dot to be a NHA bulk freighter rotating slowly in the darkness of space, showing no signs of life.
“Empress Yukie...Lady Regalia...” a projection of the saluting Captain Daiyu appeared before them.
“Captain Daiyu! I hope my guards have been accommodating?” Yukie responded, squeezing Regalia's hand in excitement.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Knight Captain Erio was more than happy to assist in the operation and a squad of your guards will be boarding first, just in case hostiles are onboard,” Yukie nodded repeatedly, Regalia unable to resist the urge to study the empress closely.
Regalia had not thought highly of Empress Yukie when they had first met, she seeming to be a ditz, always shouting in excitement and acting without consideration. But Regalia had learned over the past two days of their competition that she was anything but a ditz. Her level of knowledge was on par with Regalia's own and she was always thinking, always listening, always planning, and most of all, always ready.
“Has there been any word from the freighter?” Yukie asked.
“No, Your Majesty. All communications are silent,” Captain Daiyu responded, Regalia noticing her expression momentarily shift to slightly dubious. Dead in space and no communications was rarely a good sign, Regalia knew.
“Thank you, Captain. You have been most helpful. Could you patch us into the boarding party’s audio feed?” Yukie asked, batting her eyes just in case the captain decided it might not be a good idea.
“Of course, Your Majesty. Please let me know if you ladies require anything else,” Captain Daiyu saluted and the projection vanished.
“Empress Yukie is listening so let us show her why we were chosen as her personal guard!” an Empress Guard’s shout echoed across the fleet command deck.
“Yes, sir!” the simultaneous response of the rest of the squad was immediate and crisp. Regalia glanced at Yukie and couldn't contain a sigh.
Yukie was glowing and Regalia knew, for the immediate future, she would have no other choice but to stay at her side and listen to her gloating. She glanced at Donnlie and received an understanding smile in return.
*********
Screams and howls echoed through the tunnels as the creature once known as Daniel moved in search of the image that had been appearing in his mind. A loud beep sounded constantly from within the mysterious cave of spheres, and after studying the images his prime mate caused to form in his mind, he realized what the sound meant.
The promised live food and mates were about to arrive.
He howled for silence, the females that followed falling to the floor behind him, groveling at his feet, all but his prime, who squatted at his side, hissing at the others. He knew he should scold her, show his displeasure at her not listening. But he could not, finding her special, and against all his instincts, he allowed her to boss the others in his stead.
The floor vibrated, signaling the promised arrival. He screeched his orders, his mates scattering down the tunnels as he moved with his prime mate towards the area he knew the live food would emerge.
He crawled low to the floor, scanning the larger cavern, where his original nest still lay; finding something else had appeared within. He moved slowly around the cavern’s edge, making sure to cause no sound and stay well out of sight. A hissing filled the air and an opening appeared that he knew would provide him his promised future.
The smells were strange and he didn't recognize them, but he knew they were wrong, not what the images in his
mind promised. Shiny creatures emerged, filling the large cavern; carrying strange cylinders that the images in his mind told him were bad; dangerous. His prime mate snarled and launched herself forward before he had a chance to warn her. One of the of the shiny creatures turned and a bright blue flash erupted from the cylinder he carried, striking his mate, who tumbled to the floor, no longer moving.
Instinct took hold as he howled, launching himself forward, not high like his mate, but low across the floor. He took two unaware, sticking them with the sharp bone protruding from his wrist and forcing his spores to release. He was thrown clear, tumbling across the cavern floor, unable to recover on its slippery surface. A blue flash struck him and pain filled his being as darkness started to take over his mind.
“I told you not to damage them,” a woman hissed and the creature once known as Daniel somehow understood her words.
“I'm sorry, Ma'am. The male was too fast and struck us before we could disrupt,” a metallic voice answered the first.
“Well don't let it happen again. Rhis is the first ship we've found intact and with a single family unit no less,” the female explained, causing Daniels spore's to release instinctively.
“The Ceaseless One is pleased. Start genetic resequencing immediately and return to the search. We are concerned that your side trip may be discovered,” a familiar monotone voice sounded as the creature once known as Daniel mind faded, a swirling darkness pulling his consciousness clear of his body.
As the last remnants of consciousness vanished into the milky tendrils of its darkness, a single scream rang through his mind, the scream of his prime mate, which suddenly had a name, the name of Ninifis.
*********
“Keep it tight!” a shout cracked over the com as the first squad of Yukie's guards exited the assault shuttle, into the silent freighter.
“We've got toxins...stick with full suit atmosphere,” another commanded firmly. Regalia turned to Yukie, noticing Toonga the Program's sphere shimmering and shifting colors just above her breast, appearing to also tap into the audio being received from the boarding party.
“They are the best,” Yukie whispered, the concern in her eyes not matching that of her tone, and Regalia could guess why.
Yukie’s guards, her silent protectors, were the only constant in her life and it would have been difficult to not form some sort of bond with them over the years. Regalia turned to her own protector, Donnlie, who stood in the shadows, blushing as he caught her gaze turning towards him. A giggle escaped her lips and Yukie turned to her in shock.
“Regalia? This is not the time!” Yukie exclaimed.
Regalia blushed her embarrassment. “I'm sorry, Yukie,” she apologized honestly. Yukie nodded and turned back to the CID projecting a three-dimensional schematic of the bulk freighter with 20 flashing dots showing the current location of her guards within.
A red dot flashed in a corridor ahead, then vanished. “Movement! Anyone have eyes?” a guard questioned, voice tense.
“Negative, it moved too fast,” another responded.
“Damn...Sa'Mei, take Ot'Tu and Vic'Tor and follow, but stay together!” Knight Commander Suili, the Empress Guard in charge of the operation, ordered, seeming to have forgotten that others were listening to the live channel. Yukie didn't seem to mind, creeping closer and closer to the edge of her seat.
“Roger.” Three of the dots split off from the rest, moving slowly down an intersecting corridor as the main squad continued down the primary corridor, heading towards the enormous cargo bays. Minutes ticked by and they watched in silence as the main squad continued to move, then stopped just before a three way split leading to the rear cargo bays, bridge, and main engineering.
“As planned...black left, silver right...the rest on me,” Knight-Commander Suili stated quickly. Two, three man teams broke off, moving slowly down the side passages towards the bridge and engineering, the remaining eleven of the main squad continuing straight, towards the rear cargo bays.
“Sir, more movement!” a guard shouted as two more red dots flashed, then vanished.
“I see it, keep your eyes on your c-PDU's. They moved into cargo bay 32...” the eleven guards of the main squad stopped again, just outside a massive open area. Obviously one of the cargo bays.
“Bridge secure! No signs of life...downloading logs now.” Another, less tense voice broke over the com.
“Great timing as always Sim'Mon. Once downloaded get your asses moving back to the shuttle!” Knight-Commander Suili ordered.
“Aye, sir.”
“Alright...enter the cargo bay, standard suppression pattern empress three. Call out targets as you see them, but verify they are hostile before firing. Understood?” It sounded as if they were preparing for a fight, but Regalia couldn't think why. Wouldn't the movement just be a frightened member of the freighters crew?
“Training,” Yukie said carefully, having noticed Regalia's confusion. “They use any opportunity to train for a real battle. Plus, you never know if some unknown species has entered the universe and captured the freighter,” Yukie never looked at Regalia as she spoke, seeming to be deep in her own thoughts. Regalia smiled. Yukie was always thinking, even though you could never tell by the way she acted. She would make a great empress someday, Regalia had begun to realize.
“Sir! We have a problem?”
“What now, Sim'Mon?” Knight-Commander Suili answered, obviously annoyed. The main squad continued to move through the cargo bay, spread into a formation with four on point, three in the middle, and four in the rear, appearing to move unopposed.
“According to the logs this freighter was struck by an asteroid...about 50 to be exact. But it doesn't make sense....” Regalia knew why, the freighter being undamaged. “They appeared to slow right before contact, then for the next ten minutes they stay connected to the hull, before they all separate as one,” Sim'Mon sounded as confused as his words.
“That doesn't make any damn sense, Sim’Mon...double check the logs and send them back to the ABF Sasha for analysis...” his voice suddenly faded. “Everyone retreat to the shuttle! Repeat...retreat to the shuttle!” Knight-Commander Suili shouted orders were followed by the sound of battle arc fire. Yukie squeezed Regalia's hand, beads of sweat appearing on her iron brow.
“Level One Quarantine agent detected on NHA Bulk Freighter VTF Hero'So. Destruction of starship must be carried out immediately,” the Program integrated into the ABF Sasha startled everyone, its monotone voice filling the com and the air around them at the same moment. Yukie stared at Regalia, face stricken with horror, then raised her necklace to look at Toonga's sphere.
“Toonga! What's going on?” Yukie shouted.
“Human Devolution Phenomenon agent has been detected onboard the NHA Bulk Freighter VTF Hero'So. As per order of Emperor Yuloo Origin, all contaminated vessels are to be destroyed on sight,” error erupted within Regalia's mind as memories of the HDP, the Human Devolution Phenomenon, the mutagen that lead to the destruction of Trent's childhood home, the Planet Earth, returned. But how was it on this freighter? It was impossible, her mind screamed, she knowing all remnants should have been destroyed with the destruction of Earth.
“Captain Daiyu! Please! Please, provide them time to escape to the shuttle before you fire!” Yukie pleaded desperately.
“Of course, Empress,” Captain Daiyu responded from below, cool and collected as always.
“Please be advised. Allowing contaminated personnel to leave is strictly forbi-.”
“I don't care!” Yukie interrupted the Program. “As is my right as future empress of the New Universal Empirical Human Alliance, I temporarily allow Captain Daiyu to ignore the Program's orders and take all responsibility onto myself!” Yukie shouted at the ceiling as she stood, pulling Regalia to her feet alongside her. “Captain Daiyu! Tell them to hurry up!” Yukie shouted again as she fell back into her seat. Regalia watched the 20 dots move rapidly through the freighter, the tension seeming to rise with each tick of th
e adjacent chrono, until all 20 made it safely to the assault shuttle.
“Knight Commander Suili, please move clear of the freighter and remain in your combat armor. The shuttle must be spaced and cleared before you are allowed to dock. I hope everyone's atmospheric functions are working properly?” Captain Daiyu instructed over the com.
“Yes, Ma'am.” Knight Commander Suili responded, noticeably winded, but relieved.
The assault shuttle accelerated away from the freighter as the ABF Sasha maneuvered to a safe distance. Both girls watched, unblinking, as a single, strategically placed LPA beam pierced the freighters NSD core. With a brilliant flash, the freighter vanished as its unstable singularity containment system collapsed around the momentarily exposed, “artificial” neutron star.
“Empress...” Belia's voice trembled, her skin having gone a pasty white.
“Mother?” Regalia questioned as a two-dimensional projection appeared before them, replaying the record that had scared her mother so.
“Schnac'lasis!” Yukie shouted as groups of the small, grey furred, ball-like creatures, with eight tentacle-like appendages, appeared on the display, scurrying through the freighter, throwing clear globes at any crew they came upon. The globes would explode into clouds of orange. Any crewman who came into contact with the orange clouds collapsed, and just like the record from Earth, which had caused her nightmares for weeks, the bodies were gradually enveloped by a gooey green substance that grew into a pulsing, grotesque pod. Before they had a chance to watch any of them hatch, the record shifted to other sections of the freighter and the rest of the infected crewman.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 62