During the chaos, Princess Sasha and her ladies were able to flee to the TSB Fleet Base situated within the Earth system's inner asteroid belt, which had, unbeknownst to them, fallen into traitorous hands. Then, through methods that were still unclear, Princess Sasha had escaped, somehow finding her way to the TSB Earth Base hidden deep within the Earth's crust, which had also fallen to men loyal to Duke Zehman. Luckily, she was found by a friendly Earthling named Trent, a mysterious man who had only recently joined the TSB, before Duke Zehman's men could apprehend her. After escaping pursuit, Princess Sasha proceeded to award the Star of Terra, a medal equivalent to the second highest honor in the universe, the King’s Nova, to Trent for his heroic actions during the incident Duke Zehman used to justify his invasion. Johan still didn't completely understand the events that transpired during that time, much of the information restricted even to him. But he trusted his daughter's wisdom, even though he assumed it was swayed by love, and approved the ascension that goes along with the award, allowing Trent the court rank of duke.
After the ceremony, Sasha and Trent were again forced to escape from Duke Zehman's men, stumbling upon an old abandon research complex that contained information about, he cringed at the memory of the report, the Human Devolution Phenomenon, or HDP, which had been locked deep within the Earth's crust for 25,000 years.
The researchers who had been assigned to initially study the unaltered and uneducated humans deposited on Earth had begun finding entire tribes vanishing without a trace. When they investigated, they found that the mass disappearance was caused by an evolutionary mutation that turned humans into snarling, bloodthirsty beasts. The researchers were able to eradicate the infection, but left a specimen intact in case future research needed to be performed.
To the surprise of everyone, even the artificial beings who watch over the NHA in the emperor's name, called Programs, an ASU Schnac'lasis elite infiltration team had gained access to the long forgotten research complex, releasing the HDP infected human that was kept in stasis within. The ASU infiltrators were able to escape with an HDP sample and critical research data. Both his daughter and Trent somehow survived the encounter, but not without grievous injury. Once they returned to orbit, and Trent was provided medical attention, they were able to organize the TSB and ABF forces, who erected a barrier on the surface of Earth to contain the HDP outbreak and started searching for the ASU infiltrators.
This is when things became confusing. According to the conflicting reports King Johan received, Knight High-Admiral Baric, who was in command of the two newly gifted Vn'Oco Battle Fleet battle groups, had been excluded from the planning stages of the containment operation because he disagreed with Princess Sasha's authority. When the high-admiral discovered his exclusion, his anger exploded, claiming to have been in contact with Crown Prince Kohan, which Johan later learned was actually the Prince's consort and the high-admiral's sister, Princess Xeros, who provided him permission to destroy Earth. When Baric refused Sasha's demand to stand down, she ordered him placed under arrest for treason. The man decided to resist, even attempting to take Princess Sasha hostage in the process, leading to a clash where Knight High-Admiral Baric and his command staff were all killed.
Johan still remembered the response from King Luric of galaxy 2, Baric's father. Until Johan delivered the head of who was responsible for the death of his sixth son, all trade was severed and no starships from galaxy 189, no matter military or civilian were allowed access beyond the SJS gate hubs.
He sighed with resignation, knowing quite well who was responsible for Luric's son's death. Apparently, Trent, having witnessed, along with the 40 other fleet officers present, Knight High-Admiral Baric aim a laser arc at Princess Sasha, had responded without hesitation, killing the man before he could act. Johan would never dream of selling out his daughter's future husband. Instead, he sent his condolences to King Luric with a censored report of what had befallen, and even considered awarding Trent another commendation for his actions to protect his daughter.
Trent's quick thinking, along with the valiant efforts of the TSB fleet and her heroic crewman, were not enough to head off the last order of Knight High-Admiral Baric; the order to destroy Earth. Four of the five planet killers launched by his capital and super-capital ships were intercepted at the cost of the lives of many brave men and women. But the fifth escaped the desperate defense, and in the end; Earth was destroyed.
The commander of the loyal ABF forces then gave an order that Johan could never agree with, but due to the situation, and because the emperor would not allow him to directly intervene, he had to accept.
The order was to destroy all enemy starships, while not accepting surrender, breaking many universe and galaxy mandates. Most of the smaller starships escaped after witnessing the few that attempted to surrender being destroyed without mercy. But almost all the larger vessels were annihilated, no survivors, most with loyal Vn'Oco Battle Fleet officers and crew onboard.
He sighed at the uselessness of it all, turning his attention back to the floating image of galaxy 189. He let his eyes fall shut, reaching out again with his Biological Communication Node, or BC node, to access the local Biological Access Point, or BAP, manipulating the projection to zoom in on the newly discovered paradise planet, Alutia'Earth.
After the chaos had died down, her daughter had decided to designate this virgin planet the new capital of the Alutia Duchy, along with the location for her marriage of elevation ceremony to Sir Trent. The idea of her marrying a man, who a month before was considered even lower then a petty, made him uncomfortable. But Vahna warned him about any sort of complaints, knowing quite well that it was illegal for the king or queen of galaxy 189 to intervene with the chosen partner of any of their children who were not the crown prince or princess. He momentarily cursed his great-grandfather who'd implemented the mandate, but retracted the statement, remembering the great man he had been.
Fatigue started to crawl into his old bones as he stood, deactivating the PDU before meandering over to his wife. She appeared to have finished the design of the biological summer house and had again started fiddling with the already approved design for the colossal, Alutia Palace, that, despite initial concerns with compatibility with the local environment, was built of modified rose bushes. He leaned in as she spoke enthusiastically to the biological architects, kissing her lightly on the forehead. She froze, glaring up at him with suspicious eyes.
“I am going to rest, my dear Vahna. Let me know if you need anything,” he forced a smile, knowing the words meant little to his estranged wife. She nodded curtly, before turning back to the waiting architects.
He slowly started towards the exit leading to their separate bedchambers and thought back to the reason things had become this way. It’s because of Sasha, he knew, Vahna still blames me...blames me for removing her at birth...blames me for placing her in danger...and most of all...blames me for missing her life. This would most likely be the last time they would journey together, may even be the last time we see each other, he realized.
He’d learned she planned to stay on Alutia'Earth, since the rules governing contact with their children ended after marriage. Glancing back over his shoulder at the woman he loved, the woman who had been at his side for over a century, the woman who, when she left him, would cause the weight of ruling the galaxy to finally crush him.
*********
Future Empress Yukie stared at the PDU projection with uninhibited fascination. An image of a man and woman floated in the air before her, kissing deeply, their embrace one of love, of ecstasy. Cheering filled the air in response, from nobles and fleet officers, overflowing with excitement born of pure joy. The scene made her blush and heart race, even though she'd seen it more times then she could possibly recall.
Try as she might, the idea of a princess and a petty falling in love constantly filled her dreams. Her father had told her to get back to her studies, to stop watching the restricted records containing Trent and Sasha. But sh
e couldn't help herself. She was engrossed, unable to pull herself away. Hushed voices broke the silence. She glanced over her shoulder while quickly disabling her portable PDU.
“Yukie, are you here?” Bia'Opi, her personnel servant and tutor, shouted, her tension filled words echoing throughout the cavernous indoor garden. Yukie crept slowly from her hiding place inside a hollow, globe shaped tree, called a Sphericolopia, which she'd claimed as her own, hidden deep within the garden situated in the confines of the ruling palace on the NHA capital planet of Origin, or more commonly referred: the Seat of the Universe.
Bia'Opi, wearing the plain, grey, ankle length dress she was so fond of, stood flanked by twelve of Yukie's personnel guards, whose scanning eyes turned in her direction as she quickly ducked back into cover. She waited for the muffled words to fade, before she took another look, happy to find her keepers had turned towards the exit, Bia’Opi looking like she would pull out her shoulder length, wavy brown hair. Smiling to herself in triumph, Yukie crawled back into the hollow tree and her waiting portable PDU.
“Toonga, can you show me any other records with Trent and Sasha?” asked Yukie. The fluidic bronze Program sphere, hovering millimeters above her necklace, pulsed and rippled in response. The image being projected by the PDU faded and new one took its place.
A simple banquet hall full of elegantly dressed nobles and fleet personnel in formal uniforms of blue and white, rose red, or bright green, appeared before her. The image hovered for a moment over the mingling crowd, before flying forward. It slowed, stopping just above a raised table where Grand Duchess Sasha and Sir Trent sat among other nobles she didn't recognize. A curious feeling overtook her as she noticed neither smiled. Trent's expression seemed downtrodden, almost troubled. This was the first record she recalled seeing where they both were not full of joy, of happiness born of love. Confused, but too curious to turn away, she watched the record unfold.
A noble woman, who Yukie recognized as one of Grand Duchess Sasha's ladies-in-waiting, approached the pair and placed a drink of swirling rainbow colors before Trent. Sasha, seeming not to trust the woman, immediately grabbed it, her eyes wild like a beast, drinking down half its contents before returning it to Trent with a nod. Trent finished the rest of the drink without expression. Within moments, both flushed a deep crimson and Yukie wondered if it had something to do with the strange drink. After a quick conversation between the lady-in-waiting and the guard captain on duty, Trent and Sasha rose to their feet, grasping tightly onto each other as they were escorted out of the banquet hall, without a word to the curious onlookers.
The image followed down the corridor, joining them as they entered a transport tube. Yukie gasped as she witnessed the unexpected scene unfold before her. There was something different about this kiss, she knew, since she had seen them kiss so many times before. Most of the others were precious, like from her childhood fairy tales. But this kiss, this kiss made her feel strange. Her heart beat loudly in her ears and the blush that covered her cheeks expanded over her entire flesh. The tube transport stopped, allowing the two to reluctantly exit, before running down the hall to vanish into a guarded room. The record didn't follow.
“Toonga? Why doesn't the image continue into the room? I'd like to see what they are doing!” Yukie asked, voice trembling with her concern. Usually the records would continue until she told them to stop.
“Records are unavailable,” Toonga the Program responded.
“Why? I've always been able to see the records I want!” she asked with disbelief.
“Restrictions are in place regarding record taking from certain private locations. This can only be overridden during times of emergency.” Yukie felt a pout start to fully take hold, preparing to throw a tantrum, but quickly shook it off. Father will be angry if I keep acting like a child, she reminded herself. I am 13, a teenager, and need to start behaving like one.
“Very well,” she sighed reluctantly, “thank you, Toonga. Could you show me the marriage announcement again?” The image faded, morphing back to the one she had watched a moment before, for the hundredth time.
“My sweet, you must stop ignoring Bai'O-.” Yukie squealed as she flung herself against the curving wall, interrupting the voice that had taken her by complete surprise. Her father, Emperor Yuloo, a small smirk on his pale, aged lips, kneeled by the entrance to her hiding spot within the Sphericolopia.
“Daddy! Don't scare me like that!” she shouted, still trembling from the shock. Her father seemed to muffle a laugh, crawling stiffly into the trunk, barely fitting through the tiny entrance. After scanning the interior, he slid to her side, sitting up against the wall to stretch out his cracking limbs, letting out a long, single sigh.
“How did you find me?” she ask that most dreaded of questions when her nerves had started to calm.
“I always know where you are, my dear,” he responded kindly, sliding his arm around her as he spoke. “This is a wonderful hiding place,” he again studied the interior, running his fingers over the wood that emitted a faint glow, “I may use it myself to escape my incessant fleet admirals. A few days of mindless searching would do the old fools good,” he chuckled dryly. Yukie stared at her father, wondering what was wrong. She'd realized when she was young that her father would turn to humor when he was worried.
“What's wrong, Daddy?” Yuloo tilted his head ever so slightly, trying to hide a quizzical look, and then smiled.
“Nothing ever slips by you, my sweet Yukie,” he playfully rubbed her long, silver and gold hair. “Some troubling news from the ASU, nothing overly worrying, but enough to work my fleet admirals into hysterics,” he rested a hand on her head, making her feel like a child, but she didn't mind. “There is also this business with Princess Sa-.” Yukie glared angrily at her father, “my apologies, Grand Duchess Sasha,” Yukie nodded her approval. “I would very much like to send someone to her wedding ceremony. I caused her much grief without her knowledge, as you know, and it is the least I could do to provide her my respects.” Yukie stiffened, her ears twitching and her heart beating out-of-control.
“Daddy, you know how-.”
“No,” he cut her off almost immediately, “I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, my sweet, especially after what happened with your mother...” his kindly voice trailed off. Yukie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She knew better then most how lonely he had become.
Mother died when Yukie was only three, returning from a trip to visit her family. No one had ever discovered what had befallen the escort fleet, there being no debris or distress signals ever detected. Emperor Yuloo had been devastated and never fully recovered. The incident had caused such hardship that he now looked three times his age of 79.
“I'm sorry, Daddy, but if you keep me locked up, I'll never be able to learn anything about the universe! What better way than for me to experience a marriage of elevation between a noble and a petty!” She forced all her desperation into her words, pleading while trying not to hurt her father's fragile heart. She sensed him waver, so she pushed closer, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing as hard as she could, trying to place her full feelings into that one hug. A gentle hand pattered her head and she heard another sigh.
“My dearest Yukie, I'm not sure I could-.”
“Father, please,” she cut him off. “This is a great opportunity for me! The only people I've ever met are old fogies and overprotective servants and guards! Let me experience this...please! I'm begging you!” All semblance of holding back faded. She knew if she didn't go on the offensive now, she would never get to go.
Emperor Yuloo looked down on her with caring, pleading eyes as she forced fire into hers, staring back without flinching. Another sigh echoed through the trunk and Yukie couldn't help but beam a smile.
“Very well...but you will be guarded at all times and will take my personal escort fleet. You will also be required to continue your studies and send me updates at least three times a day,” she thought of complaining about th
e last part, can’t I take a break from studies for just a bit, but quickly locked her jaw. A few sacrifices wouldn't kill her.
She leapt into her father's arms, almost hitting her head on the low ceiling.
“Oh! Thank you, Father! I love you so very much!” Tears streamed from her eyes...tears of joy...tears of anticipation...and tears of fear; fear of being separated from her father for the first time she could ever remember.
Part 1
Unseen Corruption, Unbreakable Bonds
“A petty as a noble? Preposterous! You must be human to be a noble...which as every man knows, petties are not!”
King Casir of NHA Galaxy 57, NHA year 32,832, in response to a ruling noble's request to raise a petty citizen to a noble.
Chapter 1
With skill born of experience earned through years of intense training, Alutia Guard Trainee Donnlie planted his left foot upon the wall, flipping gracefully to strike the prismatic ball with explosive force. The ball contorted, appearing to grow a glowing tail as it streaked across the brightly lit, zero-g arena like a comet passing through the heart of a star system, on a direct course for the goal that had just become active.
Trent reacted swiftly, launching himself forward, gaining momentum with every step, trying his best to breach the ball's path before it broke through the unprotected goal’s plane. But a ripple in the padded floor caught his toe and he tumbled, smashing violently against its surface. He winced, bouncing, unable to catch himself before crashing into the transparent ceiling. A distant buzzer sounded, followed by cheers as the gravity returned and he plummeted to the padded floor below.
“Are you alright, Sir Trent?” Donnlie asked with honest concern as he hurried across the arena. Trent would have waved him off had his body not been crying out in pure agony.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 2
