The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2)

by Craig Gerttula

  “Program,” Sasha stood, glowing brightly, Trent unable to resist squeezing his love for her. “I would like to accept the proposal to develop Alutia'Earth in the manner just presented.” A hush came over the crowd and a new tension mounted.

  Trent had learned during his studies that the Programs had final say over all major decisions, such as this matter, and he thought he noticed more than one face show signs of expecting the plan to be denied.

  “Proposal logged and accepted. Exception added: food production facilities must be fully operational before population exceeds five-hundred million.” To Trent's surprise, scattered cheers echoed through the court. Some from noble supporters who’d been quiet throughout, but most from the guards and servants, who Trent figured, were the majority commons, and such a prohibition of colonization would have limited the ability for them to live close to their families.

  “My dearest Sasha, I'd like to assist in the construction of these facilities.” King Johan offered happily.

  “I accept on behalf of Alutia, and thank you, Father, for everything,” Sasha stood, curtsying to her father, who masked his happiness quite well, but not well enough.

  The king turned his attention back to the architects. “Senior Architect Bei’Nwi, please inform the Vn’Oco Royal Engineering Core of my decision and have them dispatch additional Royal Construction Fleets to Alutia'Earth immediately,” King Johan instructed.

  “It would be my honor, Your Majesty,” Bei'Nwi bowed deeply, eyes still wide in disbelief.

  The king then turned to Sasha, all business. “What is the current outlook for the Alutia Duchy?” Sasha bit her tongue, Trent realizing she had little time to review such matters while busy dealing with social obligations and his rehabilitation, during their journey to Alutia’Earth.

  He cleared his throat, the king looking to him, a flash of surprise showing in his clearing eyes. “Six, full-scale, large raw material mines in the sole asteroid belt within the Don'Alutia system. Four, full-scale, large raw material mines and twenty-six specialized, small raw material mines in Alutia V5432 system, split between two class H planets and the fourteen asteroid belts and fields throughout the star systems itself. All mined materials are currently being used to supplement the initial crown allocation of materials for construction of the four starship assembly retrofit facilities in the Don'Alutia system,” he paused as he ran through his memory, tapping forefinger to thumb. “Also, one full-scale, large mining facility on a class X exoplanet, and ten starship assembly and retrofit facilities are currently planned for construction in the Alutia'Earth star system, in orbit around Alutia'Earth III, the star system’s largest gas giant and...and two hundred standard gorian mines are currently in initial construction phase at Alutia G0002, by a Royal Construction Fleet.” He glanced to the king, eyes questioning, who nodded for him to continue. “Currently there are three populated planets within the Alutia Duchy; Alutia'Earth, Don'Alutia and the industrial planet, Alutia V5432. Initial estimates state an additional ten-thousand habitable, uninhabited planets from Class A through C, with another one-hundred thousand or so class D through F, having been discovered during the initial survey,” He noticed the king raise an eyebrow, then look to Sasha. Trent turned, seeing her shaking her head at her father.

  “I'll explain later.” Sasha squeezed his hand. He nodded, wanting to ask, but knew it would be impolite.

  “Since detailed exploration has just begun, the outlines of the new earldoms and marks are in flux. But based on the existing models I’ve studied, I separated Alutia into 111 marks, 89 earldoms, and a single dukeship,” he finished, looking back up at the king, who stared at him oddly, a hint of an unreadable emotion peaking through his stone-like exterior.

  “Very good, Sir Trent, I think it would be best for us to sit with the royal cartographers, administrators, and engineers to fully develop a long term development plan for Alutia going forward before I leave in a month's time,” King Johan explained, before turning his attention back to the still simmering noble assembly.

  A wave of relief washed over him. He was beyond glad he’d spent so much time while bed ridden studying the starships massive library, and sifting through the hundreds of reports Sasha received, but had little time to review.

  “Thank you, my duke,” Sasha whispered into his ear.

  The excited biological architects took their leave and the court business moved on. Knight Admiral Bhool was next in line with her request for construction of an immense fleet officer academy, battleguard academy, and the multitude of other specialty training schools required for general crewman training, to be built on one of the many habitable planets within the Alutia'Earth star cluster, which were all accepted. She then requested additional fleet stations, defensive fortifications, and starship construction and refit facilities in the Alutia'Earth star system proper, which were also approved, to the dismay of the noble assembly, who expected tradition to be followed, and star systems that contained paradise planets to be protected only by the standard NHA fleet formation.

  Sir Seb'Losh was next, presenting his plans for rebuilding the Alutia Guard. His request for a large guard training school, on the same planet as the fleet officer academy, was accepted without debate, while waivers to allow petties to join in mass were furiously debated, with Sasha deciding to allow their inclusion, again to the dismay of the noble assembly.

  Trent had found the debate odd and still didn't fully understand the difference between commons and petties. All the official records he could find mentioned only the legal separation of hereditary nobility from the general population, nothing formal about the differences between commons and petties.

  He noted his question in the back of his mind for a better time, then listened to a few nobles who had business with the king, grievances about trade routes or border disputes, nothing of more than passing interest to Trent or Alutia. Then, as no additional business was raised, Queen Vahna took the floor.

  “Now to the most pressing matter. The wedding of Grand Duchess Sasha and Sir Trent will be held a period from today...and you are all invited!” A mock cheer went up and Trent smiled, leaning in to kiss his blushing bride, causing real cheers to rise from their real friends, led by Sasha's ladies. He smiled, glancing down to Vin's sphere, which as he'd planned, recorded everything and everyone during the first official Alutia Court on Alutia'Earth.

  *********

  Regalia kissed her exhausted mother goodnight before hurrying back towards the central tower of the palace where the apartment she shared with Vickie and Tiana was grown. Joy of the likes Regalia could never recall feeling before joined her every step, she beyond happy that her mother would be staying in Alutia, by her side from now on. It will not be easy for her though, she knew, her mother already having difficulty adjusting fully to her new station.

  Lady Belia, her mother, had for years lived a life that revolved around being active in noble courts, mainly to stay relevant after they were forced to flee from her uncle's barony for reasons no one had ever explained to Regalia. This constant pressure had hardened her mother’s mind, to both Regalia and all others who may stand in the way of her desperate maneuvering to regain her lost power. This had led to many hardships, forcing Regalia to grow up quickly so she could help protect her mother from the constant intrigue that plagued many a noble court. But in the end, it wasn’t enough, and Belia had sent her away to take a position as one of Sasha’s lady-in-waiting, so Belia herself could continue her pursuit of power without worry for Regalia.

  So after the shock of Sasha's judgment faded, Regalia had seen a change, like a weight had vanished from her mother's soul. Regalia jumped at the opening, telling her mother everything that had occurred since she'd become Sasha's lady-in-waiting, and for the first time she could remember, her mother actually listened with an open heart. She would cry whenever discussion fell to matters of the nobility, something Regalia had only witnessed once before, the day her father died, and probably would for quite awhile yet. But R
egalia didn’t mind. She loved her mother very much, no matter her past wrongs.

  Pulling herself free from her thoughts, she studied the unfamiliar intersection where she found herself. A modest fountain tumbled from one of the walls, while two faceless statues, set in the body language of greeting, looked down upon her from the other.

  “I’ve never been here,” she realized, the still growing palace a labyrinth, many of the signs and hallways still missing. She turned to start back the way she'd come, “oomph,” and grunted, bumping into Donnlie, who stood only a half step behind.

  “Do you know where we are, Donnlie?” she asked, his presence having become familiar. Donnlie's expression went tense, his freckles scrunching and ear length red hair bouncing comically, as occurred whenever he was “nod locked”.

  “We are in guest wing three of the palace, Lady Regalia,” Donnlie responded, anxious as always. Regalia couldn't keep from smiling, finding his always uncomfortable demeanor oddly reassuring.

  “Could you lead me to my apartments?” Regalia asked politely. She knew she could easily find them on her own, but mother always said people liked to do their jobs, so she should allow them if she ever had the opportunity.

  “Of course, Lady Regalia, follow me!” Donnlie said excitedly as he turned, a spring in his step.

  As they meandered along, they passed a transport tube station. No tube transports could be seen within, the tube network still being constructed and wouldn’t be fully operational until the palace and surrounding city was fully grown. So for the time being, the only way to get anywhere was by shuttle or by foot. Regalia didn't mind, however, actually enjoying the freedom of exploring the wonders of her new home without servants, guards, and administrators constantly asking what she was doing.

  The majority of the side hallways they passed were decorated in red and black, the standard colors of Alutia. Some had thick carpeting of elegant design and make, while others were tiled in expensive white or black stone, with reddish hues. A few of the primary corridors and concourses, including the one they now walked, had mysterious, reddish wood walls that looked alive, shimmering and pulsing. They probably are alive, Regalia realized, running her fingertips over its smooth surface, feeling a faint beat originating from within, knowing the vast majority of building materials used on planet were converted from living flora. She pulled her fingers away as they passed a rose vine column set in the wall, careful not prick her finger on one of its many thorns. Just beyond the column appeared a mural of programmable matter art, currently displaying a living nebula of a size unimaginable, thousands of stars being birthed within its primordial womb. The ceiling above was littered with bioglobes, the much more luxurious cousin to the standard biolighting, which Regalia really liked, being able to watch the tiny lights dancing within, showing her the exotic, abstract art of distant worlds she could never imagine on her own.

  Donnlie grasped her arm, pulling her into a hidden alcove behind a fountain with water tumbling over a statue of a faceless woman as they entered an intersection, where five hallways split from the main concourse. Before she could ask what was going on, she heard voices.

  “...they say we can live here and don't have to be servants,” a woman whispered.

  “I'd be careful...if Count Barodin heard you speak of this he would have your head,” a man responded, noticeably shaken.

  “I don't care, I'll fill out an application before we leave and if it's accepted there is nothing...” the woman’s voice faded as Donnlie peered around the statue, checking if the coast was clear, before exiting the hidden alcove with Regalia in tow. A giggle escaped her lips as Donnlie smiled.

  The first time they played this game, hiding from everyoneC like they were on a top secret mission, was when they arrived onboard the ABF Alutia. But the game was quickly put to an end when Gil'Da discovered they were the mysterious intruders that were lurking in restricted areas. But Gil'Da isn't around, is she? Regalia thought with a smile, skipping down the side hallway in which Donnlie pointed.

  Whenever they stumbled upon someone, they would hide and listen. Most discussions they overheard were from servants talking about the new rules Sasha had put in place for Alutia'Earth. But a few others were nobles talking in anger, discussing, plotting, and planning how they would use the noble assembly to sway future rulings away from, as they explained it, Sasha’s “childish” fancy.

  “This should be a shortcut,” Donnlie whispered, pointing down a servant corridor that still seemed to be growing, the floors yet to be fully placed, and only a few standard biolights covering the ceiling. She paused, finding the spotty darkness eerily creepy. But unwilling to look the coward in front of Donnlie, her mother always saying cowardice was the first sign of weakness, and had no place in the heart of a ruling noble. Regalia took a deep breath, and started down the corridor.

  The deeper down Donnlie’s shortcut they went, the darker it became. Partially constructed floors vanished and they were forced to walk over the living rose vines that ran underneath. When they started down a particularly dark stretch of hallway, Regalia found herself reaching out to Donnlie; to ask if we’re lost again, not that I’m scared, no, she explained to herself.

  Her arm froze, a feeling of wrongness flowing into her chest. It felt odd, like the gorian pendant hanging from her neck was trying to tell her something, warn her of approaching danger. Thinking it all in her head, but seeing no reason not to listen, she yanked on the back of Donnlie's uniform, pointing to an area beside one of the large columns that was hidden in total darkness. He looked at her with confused understanding. Regalia smiled at the weird expression only Donnlie could make as they huddled behind the pillar, trying to keep from giggling. A minute passed and they were about to exit, when light footfalls could be heard approaching.

  “Here is good,” a man with a husky voice said.

  “When are we going to do it?” a man with a raspy voice responded, his nervousness apparent by his shaky words.

  “Tomorrow, the order came in, just the duchess and her ladies. He wants this to be an example, a clear understanding of what it means to make us an enemy,” the man with the husky voice replied.

  “How are we going to escape? It will be difficult once the bodies are found,” Regalia froze, trembling in fear as she realized what these men were planning.

  “Don't worry about that, we will be able to leave like normal. There is already a group set to take the fall, so all we need to do is follow the operation plan,” the man with the gruff voice explained, words barely audible.

  “What about the arcs? All mine were confiscated,” the other man replied, his words coming from both sides of the pillar, apparently the man was looking back and forth as he spoke.

  “There was a stash left behi-.” Donnlie sneezed and Regalia froze. Her best friend put his finger to her lips, then ran.

  “Stop him!” the gruff voiced man shouted. Regalia peered around the pillar just as two men in black and purple uniforms appeared in a sliver of light, chasing Donnlie down the dark corridor, back the way they'd come. She panicked, unable to believe what just happened, but quickly realized Donnlie was in grave danger. I have to save my friend!

  She sprinted like the wind in the opposite direction, through the dark shadows and horrors her mind screamed were hidden within. She burst into a primary concourse that had been fully completed. She searched desperately for anybody within the palace that felt like an abandoned labyrinth. After what seemed like an eternity, she crashed into two off-duty ABF Battleguards.

  “Lady Regalia? What's wrong,” one of the startled battleguards asked. “The...y're...going...to...kill...him...” she wheezed, out of breath, unable to respond clearly. The battleguard's skin went pale, having somehow understood Regalia's choppy words.

  “Who? You must tell me who, Lady Regalia!” he asked desperately. Regalia brought her breath under control.

  “Donnlie.......they're going to kill him and...and then they said...said they were going to kill Sasha
...” The battleguard’s eyes went wide as he looked to the woman beside him, who started whispering rapidly into the combat PDU attached to her ear.

  “Who, Lady Regalia? Who is going to do this?” At that moment, two Vn'Oco Royal Guards, in black and purple uniforms that matched exactly those who chased Donnlie, turned a corner. Regalia pointed as her mind registered.

  “Two men dressed like that,” she said with all her honesty. The remaining blood drained from the battleguard's face.

  “Are you positive, Lady Regalia?” he questioned, voice unsteady.

  “Yes,” Regalia nodded, having never been more positive about anything in her life, making sure to force the same honesty into her words, and her eyes.

  “You two, freeze!” The battleguard drew his laser arc and pointed it at the two Royal Guards, who froze in sudden confusion.

  “Let the knight captain know, and put out a general alert to detain all Vn'Oco Royal Guards on sight, none are to be harmed unless they resist!” The other battleguard nodded, sweat raining from her brow as she whispered even more rapidly into her combat PDU.

  “You! How many Royal Guards on Alutia'Earth?”

  “5000 were planned for initial deployment,” The Royal Guard, seeming to understand something was amiss from the battleguard’s earlier words, responded without question. He swore, then turned to his partner.

  “Better get fleet command on the line, I think we'll need reinforcements.”

  *********

  A map of galaxy 189 floated high above the conference table in one of the many noble sitting rooms situated within her and Trent's private apartments. The projection was unlike any she had seen before, the size and detail only possible because of the specialized design of this particular sitting room.