“You’ll get no argument from me,” Ellie assured her. “Besides, I pretty much assumed Mikk was an alias. I mean, I can’t say I’ve had much experience with space pirates or Korghetian farmers, but you don’t fit my preconceived notion for either.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard much to color your perception of the so-called pirates,” Mikk noted with a bite to her words.
“That’s not exactly what I meant. Only that you… Well, you’re not… Forgive me. That sounded rude. I simply meant you’re not a battle scarred old man or a… Good grief, I’m making this worse, aren’t I?”
“You might be, but it’s rather amusing to me,” Mikk said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
“Look, all I mean is that I promise, your identity, along with anything you wish to remain in confidence, is safe with me,” Ellie said in an embarrassed rush. “Though Gevandar apparently knows who you are.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” Worry darkened her expression for a moment. “Gevandar has reasons to keep my identity secret, selfish as they are, but I am more than certain he will do everything in his power to make sure I am silenced.”
“Okay, that doesn’t sound ominous or anything.”
“Sorry, your majesty. I did not mean that in the fatalistic way it came out.”
“I’m just Ellie, remember?”
“Fair enough.” Mikk relaxed and let out a snort. “Believe me when I say your discomfort is understood,” she added with a hint of amusement. “Out in the Oravaschaeal, a dear friend of mine’s young niece had trouble with my full name and it came out Mikk. Soon, most everyone called me Mikk and I think many all but forgot my real name.”
“What is it?” Ellie asked, knowing it was slightly rude, but curiosity pushed out the words before her brain could engage.
“Meioak,” she said with a sad smile. “But it is best you forget that and simply call me Mikk.”
Again, Ellie was stunned into momentary silence.
“I see,” she said, dropping her eyes as embarrassment lit her diodes. “My apologies. I do indeed understand why you would want to remain anonymous, your highness.”
“But how…” It was Mikk’s turn to be stunned into silence. “So the Eidyn Master is all knowing after all.”
At that Ellie let out a loud guffaw.
“The Kyroibi is knowledge, but no, I’m definitely not all knowing. I…” she trailed off, unsure how to proceed. “I spoke to Refuge Organizer Pendren, who also asked that I keep his confidence. He told me how you and Gevandar are from rival royal families and I…” She again faltered, uncertain, but finally decided to be as honest as she could. “The prince, the one who tried to stop the Emperor from sending all those people to die, you’re related, aren’t you?”
“Indeed. My only living family.” Mikk’s voice went quiet all of the sudden. “Sozoak is my brother.”
“I’m sorry, my lady,” Ellie said quietly.
“Do not be,” she replied with a wistful expression. “He is alive. I feared for him for so long. Sometimes, the not knowing was worse than anything. But do follow your own rules, Ellie. I am still Mikk and nothing more.”
“Fair enough,” Ellie said sheepishly. “Is he, your brother that is, doing any better?” From what Pendren had told her, it didn’t sound like the prince was in good health.
“He will make a recovery,” Mikk said with determination. “Of that I am sure. It is just absolutely the most important thing that Gevandar does not find out Sozoak lives.”
Ellie shuddered at what it was Mikk did not say. She didn’t want to believe that even Gevandar was capable of going to such lengths to eliminate those he saw as a threat to his rule, but nothing he’d done so far had proven otherwise.
“You won’t get an argument from me,” Ellie assured. “I’m the one challenging his leadership position, in case you forgot.”
“And for that, I am grateful,” Mikk said with an apologetic smile. “My position is not one anyone wants to hear, so it is good to have others who can challenge him. I am certain Gevandar was quite aware that the Empire sent prominent political figures to die by our hands. He says nothing because he is without empathy, perfectly at peace with sacrificing the lives of others when it works in his favor…” she cut off with a frustrated noise, somewhere between a growl and a hiss. “He is gresch. He is worse than gresch!”
“I don’t even know what that is, but I’m inclined to agree,” Ellie said with a sinking feeling.
“Your word I believe is a piece of shit,” Meioak clarified, noting Ellie’s confusion. “But much worse. Gresch is the excrement of the higget, a creature of little value who eats the vegetation away. Gresch is the worst, most foul-smelling of excrement and it holds no value as it is highly acidic and kills the ground where it lands. Gevandar is equally as useless and toxic. More so.”
Ellie bit back the inappropriate laughter that was threatening to surface. Certainly, she could find no counterargument in favor of the overbearing prince, but there was certainly nothing to laugh about. “Based on what little Refuge Organizer Pendren told me, and based on what little I know of Gevandar, I’m afraid I’ve come to the same conclusion. I’d hoped… I didn’t want to be right.”
“And I am most afraid you are,” Meioak said with an empathetic nod. “El’iadrylline, Gevandar has always had ambitions of power, but in the past, the Alliance did not want to listen. I do not feel they would listen now without additional proof.”
“Is that why you ended up with the Paisreatta?” Ellie asked.
“The second time,” Meioak said with a flush. “I returned to Ghowrn as was my duty, but ultimately that was also why I went back to Oravaschaeal.”
“Oh?” Ellie found the cryptic words intriguing. “So why were you out there to begin with?”
Mikk let out a small, mirthless laugh. “I am the poor little lost princess of Oakwrn.”
“Lost?” Ellie asked.
“Long ago, Princess Meioak disappeared,” Mikk began in the same tone one would use to tell a bedtime story, but her expression was one of total sarcasm. “According to the official records of the court, the princess was abducted by Paisreatta unrulies on the eve of adulthood. In truth, no such thing happened and the rulers of Oakwrn knew this, but the rumors were spread and eventually confirmed by the royal family when a better excuse for my disappearance did not present itself.”
“And what was the reason for your disappearance?” Ellie asked, intrigued.
“I happened to discover what was expected of a female SiFa royal when she came of age.”
“Did it involve an arranged marriage?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” Mikk sneered, as if remembering something unpleasant. “And I was not so unintelligent as to allow certain things to escape my notice, like a particularly boring oaf of a prince who had been spending much time in conference with my parents. And so, I ran away from home and denounced the throne.” Mikk’s smile, while mischievous, did not quite reach her eyes. “For a short time, I lived a free life. Hard working, but free. All are equal in the Oravaschaeal mines, you see. But soon, word came of Huptsov’s uprising and I had to return. I had a responsibility.”
“Wait,” Ellie cut in, staring openly at Meioak. “The Huptsovian uprising. You mean when Svoryk came to power? That was nearly twenty-five years… err… almost twenty cycles ago. You couldn’t possibly—”
“I am nearly the same age as Lady Isaverlline,” Mikk corrected with a rosy blush forming on her cheeks. “Flokatu, my good friend, she often said I must be a Terran vampire. I think, like she, you are meaning a compliment and I thank you, intended or not.”
“Of course it’s a compliment,” Ellie said with an awkward smile. It was difficult to think of Mikk, who looked at most like a sixteen year old girl, as a middle-aged woman. But then, it was equally as difficult to see her as the small-yet-imposing Paisreatta mercenary as well.
“Upon return, I discovered Fhasmyr had fallen to the Empire. Sintar as well, but instea
d of my parents, the Darwrn family of Sintar were representing the Sintar-Fhasmyr cooperative at the Korghetian capital. My family, I would discover, had been on Fhasmyr when the Huptsovians invaded. I appealed to Lady Orindar, the family head at the time, presenting a strategy by which the Federation forces could exploit the Fhasmyrric terrain and take back the system. She declined to bring my proposal before the federation council.”
“But why?” Ellie asked.
“Her excuses were weak,” Mikk’s voice was laced with venom. “Yet her reasoning was quite clear. Her family was safe. By stroke of luck, she had secured leadership. It mattered little that the people she was meant to represent were now slaves to the Empire. Darwrn had won.”
“That’s despicable,” Ellie spat.
“Sorry,” Mikk whispered, trying to gain her composure. “My outburst was out of control. It is not my place to let my personal feelings sway you against the Alliance.”
“Actually, yeah, it is,” Ellie said with growing anger. Her assessment of Gevandar was that he was shortsighted in his determination to take down the Empire. Now, after listening to Mikk, she had to wonder if that was the case or if he was putting innocent lives at risk for the sake of political posturing. “And I don’t necessarily mean because you’re royalty. Government’s the same everywhere. If it isn’t working in the best interest of the people, then the people have a responsibility to call foul. I know you don’t want to draw attention, but if there is anything you can tell me to help us make it work, I’d appreciate it. I mean, I can’t figure out how he even became the leader of the Alliance. Mom says he has a good service record, but honestly…” Ellie shook her head in bewilderment. “He’s rather overbearing, but surely he didn’t just…” she trailed off. Plenty of leaders on Earth blustered their way into positions of power. It wasn’t too much of a stretch for her to accept that might have also happened here.
“As a captain in the Alliance military, Gevandar was a brilliant strategist, I’m told. That we did not again lose ground to the Huptsovian Empire is his doing and the reason he was elected to lead the assembly.” Mikk’s words of praise were in opposition with the bitterness in her voice. “He uncovered a plot by the Empire to take back Sonna. A fleet of imperial ships were intercepted and taken down before the Huptsovians even knew what hit them, but that wasn’t enough. Captain Gevandar then ordered a strike on the occupied Sintar-Fhasmyr capital.”
She cut off with a strangled growl and wiped a tear from her eye before adding, “The same strike that killed my parents as enemy combatants.”
“I’m sorry,” Ellie said quietly.
“Do not be, Ellie,” Mikk said with conviction. “My parents fought for our people, not a title. Theirs was an honorable death. And Sozoak lives. That is my comfort.”
“But what about you though?” Ellie asked. “Gevandar is no different from his mother. Perhaps he is worse. We know he doesn’t want the Alliance to know who you are for fear that you’ll get a leadership position, but Mikk, aren’t you worried he might try to do something to you?”
“Oh, he will certainly try,” Mikk seethed. “Which is one of the reasons I am staying away from the capital as well as the communities well known as SiFa refuges. But do not worry for my safety, Ellie. One does not survive the Oravaschaeal cluster without learning many skills. Some less socially acceptable than others.”
Despite knowing little other than rumors about the Paisreatta, Ellie felt she understood too clearly that which Mikk did not explicitly say. If nothing else, she was glad to have the rogue princess on her side.
“Well,” she said at last. “I promise I will do everything I can to ensure Gevandar is not allowed to recklessly endanger lives. If I can get him removed from a position of power, even better, but Mikk, one way or another, I want to see a free system, and for that, I think I may actually need your help more than that of the Alliance leadership.”
“Of course,” Meioak said with a predatory smile. “Are we starting a rebellion, my lady?”
“We might be, your highness,” Ellie retorted with equal amounts of sarcasm. “But first,” she added, growing serious once again, “I want to make certain we’re prepared for any eventuality. Do you think you could teach me to fly like you do? Being able to command an Eidyssic vessel with the Kyroibi is handy, but actually having the skill to pilot is something else entirely. I don’t want to end up in another situation where I have to hope the ship knows what it is doing.”
Mikk again held out her hand with a wide grin. “It would be my pleasure, partner.”
Chapter 13
A Ghowrn trial, Ellie quickly discovered, was nothing like the court cases she’d seen in movies or television shows on Earth. For one thing, there was no court room. The trial was to take place in the same cavernous meeting room where leadership held their meetings. A wave of anger hit her as she noticed Gevandar still sat at the head of the table, easily conversing with several other leaders. Leaders that she couldn’t help notice were the same ones who had previously stood against her.
The only thing that set this meeting apart from the last was that instead of the Eidyn Council, several witnesses to the events including Julian, her fathers, and many of the Sonnan rangers were present. Richard gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned with as much confidence as she could muster, though the curt nod from Julian stung more than it should have.
She tried not to dwell. If he was correct, the assembly would already be dismissive enough without the added complication of their personal feelings. It mattered little that Gevandar had a history of acting on his paranoia. That the witnesses were either family or of the same heritage seemed to create the prejudice that she had somehow masterminded a plan to overthrow current leadership.
Ellie took a seat as far from Gevandar as she could, ignoring the glare from her mother, who apparently expected her to sit near the arrogant prince despite being the one bringing charges against him. Instead, she kept her eyes on the other delegates as they each filed in and found seats. She knew little of them, only what she’d managed to infer from the last meeting.
She knew she could use the Kyroibi to learn all that the Eidyn knew of the various cultures, but that would only give her so much. After all, people were more than the planet they were born on. What she wished for was a window into their thoughts. Especially of those who seemed chummy with Gevandar. Surely there wasn’t enough wealth and power in the universe to go along with his madness.
A moment later, the lighted panels in front of everyone went dark, save for that in front of the Sonnan elected leader, Jorigul. As the room quieted, she sat taller and rapped a small crystal cup with an ornate stick, creating a melodious chime that echoed through the high ceilinged chamber.
“We are here today to hear the arguments of one Lady El’iadrylline, Heir to the Korghetian throne and True Master of the Eidyn Kyroibi, who is challenging the fitness of one Prince Gevandar, Alliance Battalion Captain and sitting leader of the Ghowrn Alliance Leadership Assembly. I, Jorigul of the Sonnan Wetlands and representative of the common elected leaders, have drawn the rose stick. As such, I shall officiate. Understand that officiating the trial affords me no additional privilege. Each leader shall have a chance to ask questions of both the accuser and the accused, as well as those who will testify on their behalf.”
As she spoke, the panels in front of each delegate lit up. Ellie noticed that the panel in front of her and Gevandar had turned a light green, whereas the rest were a yellowish orange light.
“Let it be known that Lady Isaverlline of Korghetia has forfeited her right to cast a decision, citing her familial relationship to the accuser and testifiers.”
Curious, Ellie thought, stealing a glance at her mother. By her actions, Isaverlline seemed likely to defend Gevandar’s actions before taking her side. Perhaps recusing herself from the proceedings was so that she did not have to publically act against her daughter.
“Leader El’iadrylline,” Jorigul said, startling Ellie. “W
ould you please state for the record the accusations you are raising against Leader Gevandar?”
The light on Ellie’s panel darkened to an emerald and Jorigul’s dimmed.
“Thank you,” she said nervously and looked around. “I am calling into question the motives behind the attack on the imperial warships. We have many witnesses who can prove the ships were not making any threatening motions at the time the strike was called. Based upon historical information and his own words to me after the attack, I believe that Leader Gevandar is incapable of putting the needs of the many above his political aspirations.”
“Are you able to provide this historical proof?” asked one of the Korghetian elected leaders.
Ellie smiled, glad she’d spoken to Vonsse prior to the trial, and tapped on the screen in front of her, pulling up the public record of the Ghowrn Alliance Military’s every strike and trial.
“This is the transcript of the War Council’s discussion of the strike on the SiFa capital. You’ll note that in the highlighted areas, opposition to the strike clearly showed not only that there was no point to striking the area, but also that the city held more imprisoned allies than enemy combatants. Ultimately, the strike did not gain the Ghowrn Alliance any additional territory, but it did kill a number of imprisoned allies, including the former high family of the SiFa Cooperative.”
By the look he gave her, it was clear Gevandar knew she didn’t get that information by reading the military archives, but there was truly nothing he could do without announcing Mikk’s true identity to the council. Ellie returned his glare with a smile that said as much.
“It has long been suspected that the Huptsovian Empire’s plan has been to eliminate those in positions of power as a method of destabilizing our retaliation. I am not here to make broad generalizations, but based on what I have seen, it is my belief that Leader Gevandar was not only well informed of the consequences, but has used them to his own political advantage. My intentions today are only to do what I believe is right in order to see that future tactical maneuvers against the Huptsovian Empire are done with benevolence and as little casualty as possible.”
The Princess Rebellion (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 2) Page 11
