-No...-
Ara'lana frowned, leaning back in her seat. -What did you say?-
-I said no, mother,- Aria said. She swallowed hard, raising her head and straightening up in her seat. -You were always my model of what an Ailian should be. I loved you like a daughter should. I couldn't imagine wanting to be anything less than what you are. And now I've found out that everything I thought I knew about you was a lie. An act.- Aria felt a tear run from her eye down through the thin fur on her cheek. -I can't betray the Empress, mother. I can't betray Jack. I will not join you.-
For the longest time, her mother just watched her. A series of emotions played across her face and through her eyes. First she saw anger, then denial, and then disappointment. Finally, Aria saw a look that she could only describe as sadness, her mother's ears drooping low. -That is your final decision?-
Unable to respond verbally, Aria just nodded. She was very afraid now, but she did not allow herself to shake.
Sighing, Ara'lana raised a hand. -Very well.- She snapped her fingers loudly.
Aria turned in her seat as the door leading into the sitting room opened behind her. Before she had the chance to react, two guards approached her from behind and grabbed her by the shoulders. Growling angrily, Aria tried to push them off of her, but her arms were still not back to their full strength. The guards hauled her out of the chair, starting to drag her back towards the door. -Mother...!-
Standing up, Ara'lana turned away from her. -I'm sorry, my daughter. But if you will not join me, I cannot allow you to leave here.- She waved a hand back. -Take her to a cell in the brig. I'll send orders regarding her later.-
-Mother, please!-
-I wish we could have come to more agreeable terms,- the elder Ailian said. She looked over her shoulder at Aria. -But perhaps if I remove the source of your hesitation, you will come to see things my way. Would you agree?-
With a sudden burst of strength, Aria managed to rip one of her arms free. -If any of your people even touch Jack, I swear I will kill you! Do you hear me, mother?- She tried to rush forward, and then two more guards came into the room, getting her back under control. As they pulled her out of the room, still struggling violently, Aria saw her mother smile and laugh.
-Your threats mean little to me, child. I have kissed the lips of death and come away clean. I fear nothing, now.-
******
Two days after the abduction of Lieutenant Me'lia, Empress Kri'a Solan sat down to a meeting with Admiral Te'rou and several of her other admirals, as well as some of her most important advisers. Also present were a few representatives of the Nuretan Empire, the allies of the Ailian Ascendancy. An amphibious race who originated on an aquatic world, the Nuretans were a shorter, slender people, though still taller than humans. Bearing slick skin with mottled blue patterns on their flat faces, their most vivid features were their neon-colored, dual-pupiled eyes, and the long, flowing white hair which grew from their heads. Among the Nuretans, who had arrived urgently at the request of Kri'a, was a female named Kalma Soumaren. Dressed in a military uniform of tiger-striped greens and blues, she was the commanding general of the Imperial Marines, the top infantry fighting force of the Nuretan Empire. Though historically only the commander of this specific military branch, in recent centuries the commander of the Imperial Marines had come to be a position analogous to the Chief Admiral's position in the Ascendancy Navy, making General Soumaren the Empire's counterpart to Admiral Te'rou.
Kri'a felt exhausted, more than she had in all the five years that she had been Empress. She had not slept much for the past two days, and it was mostly because she was unused to sleeping alone. At her request, her mate of ten years, Li'ren Amani, had left Lirna for her home planet of Arbaros in the Inner Colonies. The abduction of Lieutenant Me'lia from the middle of a highly secured Ascendancy Naval base, with elite Royal Guards in attendance besides the usual compliment of soldiers and security personnel, had made Kri'a aware that whoever was behind the rebellion might have operatives anywhere. She also knew that in the coming rebellion, she would be a prime target for assassination, and she did not want Li'ren to become collateral damage for any attempt on her life. Though she knew it had been for the best, Kri'a missed her terribly.
Clearing her throat, the Empress began the meeting. -Admiral Te'rou, thank you for taking time out of your schedule to meet with me,- she said. She nodded to her Chief Admiral, then turned to the Nuretans in the room. -And thank you all for coming on such short notice. Especially you, General. I think you will agree that the situation is certainly one of concern.-
General Soumaren inclined her head to Kri'a. -Yes, indeed, Empress,- she said, speaking flawless Ailian with a light, bubbly accent. Her electric blue eyes narrowed as she spoke. -Your report was most alarming to the Premier.- The general was referring here to the elected chief of state of the Nuretan Empire. Unlike the Ascendancy, the Empire was a highly democratic society, and had been for thousands of years without fail. Their stability was what made them such valuable and reliable allies to the Ailians.
-I should hope it was. It has been hundreds of years since your people aided us in our first civil conflict, and now it seems we are in the same situation again. I know that none of us hoped we would ever have to repeat history like this.- The Empress leaned forward, folding her hands on top of the meeting table. -Before we begin, I must know what level of aid you can commit to us.-
-Right now, I regret that I am only authorized to offer limited aid, Your Highness,- General Soumaren said. -If it were up to me, I would commit the entirety of our force to you, but our Premier wishes to be cautious. We fear a rift within the Ascendancy just as much as you do, but the Premier wants to hold the majority of our forces in reserve, should the conflict become dire. He says we must be prepared for the worst. I admit I do agree with him somewhat, but I believe the hard and fast approach would put an end to this quickly.-
Kri'a stifled a sigh. -Please, as soon as you can, tell the Premier that we cannot afford to be cautious. It is not only the rebellion of our Outer Colonies that we have to deal with, we are still engaged in combat with the humans.-
-I know, Empress, but remember, we have no quarrel with humanity. We cannot consider that front of war in making our decision. I must remind you that we do not have unilateral rule as you do.- The General shrugged helplessly. -They are debating the matter in Parliament, but these things can take time with us.-
-Very well. Please continue to try, and we will gratefully accept whatever aid you can give us now.- Turning to Admiral Te'rou, Kri'a activated the holographic display in the meeting table, calling up a map containing star charts of the Ascendancy. -Admiral, give me an update of the situation.-
-Yes, Your Majesty.- Admiral Te'rou manipulated the map, splashing it with an array of different colors. -The rebellion forces are making significant gains into the Inner Colonies. Sector Four is being overrun, and Sectors One and Three are reporting major skirmishes as well.-
The Empress tensed slightly. -And Sector Two? What do you hear of Arbaros?- One of the most important worlds of the Inner Colonies, Arbaros was home to major naval ports, besides being the home planet and current location of her mate, Li'ren.
-Sector Two is secure,- Admiral Te'rou assured her. -In fact, it's the only place where our fleets are holding strong. We could probably spare some of the ships from there, in fact, to help the other sectors.-
-No,- the Empress said immediately. -I will not risk the port facilities, and I will not give the rebel forces another place to make a foothold. All fleets will hold firm in Sector Two, is that understood, Admiral?-
-Perfectly.-
-Good.- Taking a breath to steady herself, Kri'a paused before continuing. -Now. The humans. What of the war on that front?-
Admiral Te'rou shifted uncomfortably in his seat. -More bad news on that, I am afraid. Human intelligence seems to have caught wind of the uprising of the Outer Colonies, and it appears to have emboldened them. They are pushing our fleets
back slightly, and the isolated human fleets have succeeded in making some connections with each other. They may use the opportunity to make an offensive campaign.- The Chief Admiral hesitated, then he made a suggestion. -Perhaps we should re-initiate an offense of our own, Empress. We could bring in the First Fleet from its position around Lirna and throw the humans back. That would give us breathing room.-
-Your admiral makes a good point,- General Soumaren chimed in. -And if you needed some assistance, I believe I could commit one of the Empire's fleets to such a campaign with minimal convincing to the Premier and Parliament.-
Empress Solan shook her head firmly. -No. This I will not do. I am trying to end the war with the humans. I will not engage in any actions that will work in opposition to this goal.- She nodded to her advisers. -I have come to a difficult decision. It is not one that I make lightly.- Looking around the table, at all the Ailian and Nuretan faces looking to her, Kri'a closed her eyes. -Admiral Te'rou, you will order all forces within human space still loyal to my authority to begin withdrawing. They will remain only in human-occupied space which was part of the Ascendancy prior to the opening of hostilities ten years ago.-
The shock in the room was almost palpable. In recorded history, there were very few instances of the Ascendancy Navy being ordered to retreat. Most Ailian commanders preferred to fight to the death, and retreat was seen as a great dishonor.
-Your Majesty,- Admiral Te'rou said, his voice trembling slightly. -Is that...wise?-
-Furthermore,- Kri'a continued, ignoring her Chief Admiral for now, -I want ambassadors dispatched to the human United Nations immediately. It is time that we begin negotiating a ceasefire. It may be a difficult task, but I would like to start paving the way towards normalizing relations with the humans.- She opened her eyes again. -I am deadly serious here, my friends. We may be on the brink of collapse. My mother made a terrible mistake ten years ago, and we are reaping what she has sown. The humans should have been allies, not enemies. We need to make it happen, whatever the cost.-
His jaw tightening, Admiral Te'rou nodded once to the Empress. -I'll see to it, Your Highness. Due to the Outer Colonies' invasion of Earth, I believe the seat of human government has been moved to Cerelis. We'll make every effort to contact them there.-
-Thank you.- Feeling exhausted, Kri'a passed a hand over her eyes. A tired growl escaped her muzzle, and the claws of her other hands scraped the tabletop in frustration. -Things are moving much too fast for my liking. I would like to apply the brakes before we lose everything.-
******
-This is a familiar feeling...,- Aria thought to herself. -Accommodations aren't as nice this time, though. This is probably what Jack had to deal with when we got rescued.-
The Ailian was staring up at the metal ceiling of the cell she had been placed in, which was bare apart from a single light fixture in the center. She was lying on a metal bed attached to the wall opposite the door. The bed had no padding except for a recessed cushion where she could put her head, and the toilet facilities were typically spartan. Aria wasn't certain how long she had been in the cell, but she had been fed three times since the guards had thrown her inside, so if they were giving her meals on a regular schedule it was at least the second day of her imprisonment. Her mother had not been to see her, but at this point Aria wasn't surprised by that. In fact, apart from bringing her meals, nobody had been to see her.
Swishing her tail, hanging down from the bed beside her, angrily, Aria ground her teeth together. -How could mother do this? For years she pretended to be loyal to the Ascendancy, and everyone thought she was honorably killed in battle. Now I find she's been alive the whole time, and she's allied herself with the Pteryd...- She felt betrayed, and if she ever got out of here she had no idea how she would explain it to her family, least of all her father. Arn Me'lia had mourned his mate for three years. He was only now starting to come out of the depression he had felt over Ara'lana's supposed death. Hearing that she had been alive the whole time and had never tried to contact him would destroy him.
The sound of the door opening brought her out of her thoughts, and she sat up on the bed as another person she thought she had known came into her cell. Clasping her hands behind her back, Major Misa Tal'in looked down at Aria as the door slid closed.
-Lieutenant,- the major said, blinking her eyes slowly at Aria. -I didn't get the chance to say much to you at dinner the other night, but you're looking well.-
-No thanks to you,- Aria growled, her lips drawing back to bare her sharp teeth. -Traitor.-
Major Tal'in smirked at her, chuckling quietly. -Listen to you. Cavorting about with a human, and you call me a traitor. The difference between a traitor and a patriot, Aria, is who writes the history books. I think history will be on my side when all is said and done.-
-Don't count on it.-
The major's smile widened. -You're hardly one to be the judge of that.- Her tail waved pleasantly behind her. She was obviously much enjoying her position of power right now. -In any case, Admiral Me'lia has sent me here to speak with you. Because you are her beloved daughter, she wants me to give you the chance to change your mind about joining us.-
Aria gave a dismissive flick of her ears. -I'm not interested, Major. And you can go back and tell that woman that she has been dead to me for a long time.-
-Be reasonable, Lieutenant. You must realize that if you do not join us, you will be killed. You don't have anything to gain by refusing.-
-Except my own honor.-
Major Tal'in's expression soured. -I have been honorable my entire life, Lieutenant. If you are implying otherwise, you will regret it.- Her ears were steadily flattening to her head. The major was not one who was used to being disobeyed, and even less used to being insulted.
-Honorable?- Aria laughed. -Major, you are perhaps one of the least honorable people I know. You swore an oath to the Empress when you joined the military, and for your whole career you have been secretly working against that oath. You have never known any personal honor. You're worse than a slave. You're trash.-
-Really, now?- The major brought her hands in front of her and clasped them together tightly, the joints in her fingers crackling. -You have quite the mouth on you, Lieutenant. Your mother was right when she told me how disrespectful you have become. Maybe I should teach you a little respect for your betters.- Major Tal'in glanced over her shoulder at the door. -The door is thick, and the guard station is all the way at the end of the hall. Nobody's going to hear us, and I doubt you'll be able to stop me with your arms as weak as they are.-
-How noble of you,- Aria snarled. -Not afraid of angering my mother, are you?-
-Get up!- Major Tal'in barked at her. -I'll ask for forgiveness later. You won't insult me and get away with it!-
Taking a deep breath, Aria readied herself. -Have it your way.- Without warning, she launched herself from a seated position and tackled the major where she stood, catching her by surprise. Aria wrapped her arms around the other female's middle, though she wasn't able to get a great grip. As they both tumbled to the floor, Major Tal'in was already striking back, and Aria grunted in pain as she felt several sharp blows to the side of her head. Aria didn't worry about that for right now. Her focus was on the major's belt, where a heavy pistol and combat knife were hanging. Whatever she did, she couldn't let the major retrieve her weapons.
-You're going to regret that, Lieutenant,- the major growled. She slapped a hand over Aria's face, covering her eyes and nose. Pushing hard, she forced Aria's head back. With difficulty, owing to her sudden blindness, Aria tried to find the buckle of the other Ailian's belt. The major noticed what she was doing and drew her knees up underneath Aria, pushing her harder to get her away.
Just as Aria felt her grip failing, she managed to grab the belt buckle. Gathering as much strength as she could, she ripped it back, and the buckle snapped under the strain, falling away from Major Tal'in's waist. As the major succeeded in pushing Aria most of the way off, Aria drew her
right knee back and slammed it as hard as she could into the other woman's rib cage. She heard a series of crunches and a gasp of pain as several ribs gave way from the force of the knee spear. Ruthlessly, taking advantage of the moment, Aria kicked her again and again, hearing several more bones snap from the force of the kick.
The major's grip weakened, allowing Aria to shove her away from her broken belt. She kicked hard with both feet and Major Tal'in slid across the cell, coming to rest against the opposite wall on the floor. For a moment Aria considered the pistol, but then she changed her mind. The sound of a shot would surely draw the guards, even if they weren't able to hear the struggle going on inside the cell. Getting to her feet, she quickly moved to where the major lay, just as she was beginning to get up as well.
-I think you're about to learn a valuable lesson yourself, Major,- Aria said. She planted her foot firmly on the older Ailian's chest, slamming her back down on the floor. Major Tal'in gave a choked gasp of agony as the kick placed pressure on her broken ribs. -If your enemy's arms are injured, you mustn't forget about the legs.- Aria then placed a foot on Major Tal'in's throat. Her eyes widening, she tried to grab Aria's ankle, but it was a bit too late. With firm downward pressure and a violent twist, Aria quickly, if messily, broke the major's neck.
Stepping back from the limp corpse on the floor, Aria brushed a hand over her face. After catching her breath, she went back to where the major's belt lay. The belt itself was useless with a broken buckle, but the contents of the belt were more important. Aria pulled the knife and sheath off and slid them into her left pocket. She withdrew the heavy pistol from its holster, taking spare ammunition magazines from their pouches and placing them in her right pocket. Going back to the major's body, she found an electronic key fob in her shirt. Aria hissed in triumph.
Transmission Lost Page 40
