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

by Craig Gerttula

  “I am sorry, sir. I owe you much for everything you have taught me over the past 20 years...and I am highly grateful. But......you know I would do anything for him,” Her eyes burned with passion that her words hid with trained professionalism. He nodded, content that she would still be a great asset to Alutia, even if she was no longer at his side.

  “Very well...and thank you, Daiyu, for everything over the years. You were a superb vice-commander and I hope one day to have you return to commanding at my side,” Quinn said honestly as he stood, stretching a hand to her in the style of Earth. She rushed to her feet, gripping his with her much smaller, even dainty hand, but squeezing with a strength not many would expect to be hidden within.

  “Thank you, sir. It was a great honor to serve with you as well,” They gripped each other's hand for a moment longer than usual, looking into each other's eyes, no tears or sadness present. It was the end of an era for them both; but the beginning of a new story, a new chapter, a new adventure.

  “I hope you can keep up with him,” he muttered as he released his grasp and returned to his seat. Daiyu raised an eyebrow, a half smirk crossing her lips.

  “I'm assuming you're referring to his latest heroics, sir? And yes...though I hope the grand duchess will allow me to help rein him in...if only bit,” Daiyu responded, her dry tone one that he had rarely recalled hearing over the years she served as his vice-commander. He let loose a guffaw, running a hand through his dense beard.

  “That will be a sight to see,” he responded with delight.

  “Well, I am still searching for an XO, sir.” Daiyu looked at him seriously, raising an eyebrow, and he almost buckled over laughing.

  “I will miss you, Daiyu,” he recovered quickly, clearing his throat. “Good luck...and stay safe.” He let his tone return to normal; stern and serious.

  “I will. Are you deploying before the inauguration? I'm sure the TSB survivors would be happy to see you again, sir,” Daiyu queried politely, seeming reluctant to end what would probably be their last conversation for a great while.

  “Yes and no. The Loyal Reverie has just been commissioned at the newest Alutia Fleet Construction and Refit Station orbiting Alutia'Earth III. It will be another period, maybe longer, before the rest of the battle group is operational. But I still need to interview fleet and command officers in the meantime. So it appears unlikely I will be able to attend the opening, given that the estimated date coincides with the workup of 6th ABF battle group and the inauguration of the Alutia Home Fleet,” he furrowed his brow, running the numbers in his head again and still finding no possible way that he could be on Alutia'Earth at the same time the initial battle group of the fleet he commanded was being trialed.

  “That is a shame, sir. But you appear to have another idea,” Daiyu responded, knowing him quite well.

  “That is correct. I've included a recording of a short speech in case I cannot make it on my own. Though it does not carry the same weight, I believe it should be sufficient for the dedication.” He knew it wasn't, the men and women who died because of his failure deserving his full attention. But, no, that isn't true either, he reminded himself. The best gift he could provide them was to carry on and attempt to foil future follies by the arrogant, egotistical, self-centered NHA nobility, which, of course, he was also included.

  Daiyu nodded. “I will be sure that it is played, sir...and inform the men of the reasoning behind your absence...they will surely understand,” Daiyu responded with an uncharacteristic grin.

  “Thank you, Daiyu. Please pass on my regards to Sir Trent as well. I still haven't had the opportunity to apologize for the turmoil that was his recruitment trial.” The memory of the disheveled Earthling, eyes bloodshot, but honest, sitting before him and trying his best to explain his actions returned. Except that memory quickly vanished when the one of Sir Simwa, the bastard NHA liaison to the TSB tried to kill Trent, but almost killed Daiyu in the process. It was something that should have never occurred in the first place; except for the mistimed assistance of a TSB Lieutenant Daniel. He suddenly wondered what happened to the talented, but arrogant, troublemaker.

  “Of course, sir,” Daiyu responded with a stiff nod. Her face tensed, going distant for a moment, before she continued. “Well, sir, my shuttle is leaving shortly, I should start heading towards the hanger bay,” she said, her words stiff. He stood again, saluting this time, which she returned with crisp professionalism. She nodded one more time before turning and starting towards the door.

  “Captain Daiyu. Did you ever wonder why the culture on Earth seemed to mimic the NHA so closely?” Daiyu froze in the doorway, turning, her interest piqued.

  “I've had my suspicions,” she said. He reached into a compartment set flush into the side of the desk, pulling free one of the handheld portable PDUs that contained Earth's compiled history. Including everything related to the TSB, plus files that had been sealed to hide its many failures. He tossed the domed disk across the office and Daiyu caught it with ease.

  “Something to keep you amused on the journey...take a look at the file, Earth's Hidden Immigrants. It is very enlightening.” He smirked and she nodded, taking a step back, the door sliding shut before her.

  He sighed, wishing that he could see her face as she read through the compiled history of failures that was the TSB. The records of the thousands of NHA citizens who snuck their way onto Earth, influencing cultures, religions, technologies, and even mating with the natives. Their grand experiment had been corrupted before it began, 5000 years before. The rapid technological advances, diversity, the whole modern history of Earth, shaped and directed by NHA immigrants.

  He called up the file he'd been working on when Daiyu arrived, the one he was sending to the Earth Memorial Museum being constructed in Alutia City on Alutia'Earth, once more scanning the last entry, the entry that he knew would shape the future view of Earth. He'd considered its inclusion for the last few days, knowing it was an important piece of its history, but realizing that most would take the knowledge and use it to corrupt her image. The question seemed to answer itself as he stared. He gently tapped the file and selected delete, forever removing from the compiled history of Earth the horrible mutation that was the cause of her destruction; the Human Devolution Phenomenon.

  Rest easy kind souls, for your legacy shall not be tarnished, and if this bane of humanity rears its ugly head again, blame not shall be laid upon those of innocent graves...lost, for all eternity.

  Part 2

  Shallow Partings, New Beginnings

  Prologue - Part 2

  “Silence!” Emperor Yuloo bellowed, slamming his palms upon the surface of the crystal cut table surrounded by the Council of High-Admiral’s. Their bickering ceased, many blushing as they realized the discussion had yet again turned away from the question he'd raised.

  Why is it so difficult to respond clearly? He wanted to demand, unable to fathom why his high-admirals could not explain how a debilitating corruption had slithered its way into the hearts of those who manned one of his many purge fleets.

  It disturbed him to no end. A fleet of 100,000 vessels, “infected”, taken over by those who found pleasure from the act of destruction; of indiscriminate slaughter. But that wasn't the worst of the news he'd received. The latest reports trickling in from the agents he'd dispatched to review his other purge fleets delivering frighteningly similar results.

  The timing couldn't have been worse. The Anti-Sapien Unification, an alliance of non-humans who were able to withstand the mighty fleets of the New Universal Empirical Human Alliance, 400 years before, again threatened humanity. Normally, they were of only passing concern, enclosed within “The Wall”, an unbroken blockade of sensor platforms, fortifications, SJS Gate capture nets, and fleet bases within NHA Galaxy 189. But recently they had become aggressive, the ASU's technologically advanced fleets probing the “The Wall”, threatening invasion, all while the ruling nobility of galaxy 189 had become unstable.

  Yuloo knew he
was partially responsible for this instability. He had initially forbidden the king of galaxy 189 from removing a troublesome duke who was threatening insurrection, before recently rescinding this order when he came to fully realize the duke’s destructive nature. At the same time, Yuloo had started actively supporting a newly formed duchy within galaxy 189, called Alutia, with two rulers who he’d suspected to be of the realist political sect. But he had come to realize they were actually reformists, those who challenge the longstanding policies put in place by the NHA ruling majority of the traditionalist political sect, which the realist hypocrisy wouldn’t dare pursue. This wasn’t a major concern, however, since he'd hoped they were reformists, planning on using them to create a ripple, which he would foster into a wave of change. But this was before he'd learned of the latest difficulties facing the NHA.

  It seemed every time he supported change, tried to nudge the NHA away from the horrific traditions built on the bones of the weak, the universe itself would turn against him; unbelievable events transpiring, one after the other.

  He sighed, letting the worst of the anger that had surfaced drain away before turning his attention back to the latest and most pressing of his problems; his purge fleets.

  “Why am I just learning of this now?” he questioned again, this time his voice calm, but stern. His piercing gaze passed over the assembled Council of High-Admirals, many of whom were still flush from the previous debate, unable to stop fidgeting in their seats, trying to avoid prolonged eye contact with the emperor.

  “Is this not knowledge that should be disclosed by my most trusted Council of High-Admiral's?” This time he paused long enough to stare at each of those who sat in his highest confidence. His gaze passed over Knight High-Admiral Asula's empty chair, he being head of the Emperor's Escort Fleet, and as such, absent while he accompanied Emperor Yuloo's daughter, Future Empress Yukie, on her travels.

  In the chairs beyond sat the aged group of high-admirals who oversaw the Emperor's Home Fleets. Most stared back at him with little emotion, knowing, quite well, that they were not responsible for the emperor's current state. But the oldest admiral of the council, Knight High-Admiral Yutomian, a distant relative of Yuloo, stared back with eyes saying that, like always, Yuloo was weak, unable to properly rule over the NHA like his father, and father before him. But Yuloo didn't let the man’s judging gaze sway his heart, turning to the other knight high-admiral that held his gaze, Lady Chisito, one of the youngest on the Council of High-Admirals, but also the most headstrong. Her scarlet irises flickered, a flame living within that begged him constantly to provide her permission to act, to prove her worth, while the smirk that grew on her thin lips reminding him clearly of her cocky demeanor.

  He moved on to the next group of high-admirals, those responsible for the current plight, those in command of the Emperor's Purge Fleets. None but the ancient Knight High-Admiral Evulia dared to hold his gaze. But even Evulia turned away, but not before his eyes flashed a similar emotion to that of Yutomian, though Evulia’s appeared born more of disgust then disapproval; the barely discernible cold sensation growing from the Eye of the Emperor confirming this assumption.

  His glance then fell on the mostly empty seats of the high-admirals responsible for the Emperor's Wall Fleets. Those present were on Origin only because their fleets were currently in rotation, undergoing refit and maintenance while allowing their crews time for leisure and relaxation. The rest were on active duty, stationed with their deployed fleets, overseeing the unbroken line of fortifications, sensor platforms, SJS Gate capture nets, and fleet bases that made up “The Wall”; the only barrier keeping contained the threat that was the Anti-Sapien Unification.

  “Is my daughter a better judge of character then all of you, many of who have been serving the House of Yu since the days of my grandfather?” Emperor Yuloo returned to his questioning, then sighed again, knowing it useless.

  “It is a show of your true ch-,” Knight High-Admiral Evulia, seeing that the emperor was pausing long enough for him to respond, began, but was cutoff when Precursors Novi, the emperor's chief agent, cleared his throat from the base of the 203 steps that lead to his normal seat of power within the Great Hall of Humanity.

  “Majesty...I believe you need to hear this,” Novi said seriously, his bald head, scarred cheeks, and single eye a testament to his past tenacity. Yuloo occasionally wondered why the man wouldn't agree to be tubed to have the ancient wounds fully healed, but knew the most likely answer; that they were an effective tool in Novi’s line of work.

  Precursor Novi belonged to an “unofficial” arm of the Emperor’s Service, or spy core, which had existed long before the human’s of Origin had begun their fated journey through the stars. Members of this arm, many of who had no idea they were actually a part, were plainly known as; Agents of the Emperor. Though they had no formal mission, their existence one of oral tradition passed from emperor to emperor, they were generally used to perform difficult, and sometimes impossible tasks that only the most trusted could be assigned. This made discerning who should fill the ranks of his agents difficult, since most NHA nobles had some standing allegiance, generally to themselves, while commons and petties were, more often than not, unqualified, unable to properly perform his bidding which meant dealing with the NHA ruling nobility quite often. But a cunning past emperor established a method to use the Programs, the artificially created beings that assisted in the oversight of the NHA and its ruling nobility, to decide if those chosen as agents would be a proper fit. Except, as was their custom, Programs would not directly intervene in situations like; selecting a suitable Agent of the Emperor. Unless, as this cunning emperor discovered, said agent was receiving a gift of restricted technology that was within the bounds of the Programs interest.

  This is where the Emperor's Jewelry came to light. These special sets of adornments were created by the Programs when a new emperor ascended the NHA throne, each piece incorporating a special ability that helped the new emperor rule effectively. But when an emperor died, the jewelry was reclaimed by the Programs and held in trust until a future ruler deemed it appropriate to award an extravagant gift to show their favor. Though even this was rarely allowed, the Programs finding those chosen to be inadequate, or not showing the traits wherein the Programs would trust such powerful tools. So it was decided to name those who the Programs allowed to be gifted the Emperor's Jewelry; Agents of the Emperor. The Programs being able to discern much about ones heart and motives that not even an emperor, with a full set of Emperor's Jewelry could surmise.

  “Very well,” he responded to Precursor Novi, knowing the man would never waste his time, and realizing it was unlikely any of his high-admirals would answer him honestly. Two Emperor's Guards, in the pure black livery of Origin, stepped forward, a woman he knew quite well standing between them.

  “Bia'Opi?” he asked in confusion, noticing immediately that her wrinkled cheeks were drawn and ghostly, her short white hair, damp as if from a constant sweat, and her dulling brown eyes bloodshot and puffy from tears.

  “You...Your Majesty. I...I am so sorry...” Yukie's tutor mumbled, unable to speak clearly through a wave of fresh tears.

  “Bia'Opi, why are you apologizing...what has befallen?” he asked with rising concern, looking from her to Novi, who gently rubbed the woman's back.

  “Tell him what you told me...and what you saw...he will believe you,” assured Novi, his kindly tone not matching his looks. Bia'Opi raised her head, nodded, then took a deep breath.

  “He said they'd kill Yukie if I told...” Emperor Yuloo shot up in his seat, as did most of his high-admirals. “I overheard them whispering, something about stopping the cancer before it spread...it was...I couldn't...I tried...” she began to lose her composure, so Novi picked up where she left off.

  “I cannot be positive, Majesty......but from her description it appears it was Knight High-Admiral Torici who threatened her...it would explain-,” Evulia stood, interrupting Novi, slamming his fist
s on the table.

  “What lies are these? Torici is a loyal and respected officer of the NHA! I mentored him personally! He would never say or do such a thing!” Evulia shouted at Bia'Opi, who cringed behind Novi. But Emperor Yuloo barely heard the man, being lost in thoughts of his daughter, and the returning memories of his dead wife, his fear of losing Yukie clinging to every inch of his being.

  “Majesty?” Novi questioned, ignoring Evulia, looking to Yuloo while caressing the chocker about his neck. Realizing what he meant, Yuloo cleared his throat, returning his heart to the matter at hand.

  “She is not lying...and to question this fact is to question me...do you understand?” Yuloo stated firmly. Evulia stared at him, laser bolts threatening to shoot forth from his eyes, but he just fell back into his seat with a growl.

  “Are you certain it was Torici?” Emperor Yuloo asked, knowing it would be difficult for Bia'Opi to be able to discern one admiral out of the tens of thousands that visited the Seat of Humanity daily.

  “No, Majesty...but based on the reports about how he reacted to the Vn'Oco Royal Guard Rebellion...which from all secondary reports, was already contained...may explain his actions and what this “cancer” is he speaks of...” Yuloo knew immediately of what Novi spoke, he being in constant communication with his daughter, who he'd allowed to attend the Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia and Sir Trent's wedding on the planet, Alutia'Earth.

  When Yukie had arrived, a rebellion within the Royal Guard of the king of galaxy 189 was taking place, but well contained. Torici had jumped on the opportunity, landing a million purge guards under the auspice of helping to end the rebellion. Apparently, he decided to treat the matter like an occupation, arresting innocent nobles and, for all intents and purposes, capturing Alutia Palace. He then proceeded to confront the Lady Sasha, Sir Trent, King Johan, and Queen Vahna, who his shock troops were prepared to purge. But fortuitously, his daughter and her special Empress Guard were able to intervene. This was when the corruption in the purge guards ranks first came to light.