Alutia Rising

by Craig Gerttula

  Luckily, someone had thought ahead and one of her servants, Gil'Da, was waiting with a dress cut low on the top. She quickly pulled it over her head, making sure to further spread the top open to avoid suffocating her complaining catillian.

  "Thank you, but I must return to my apartment." She curtsied awkwardly to the baffled looking welcome party of officers and crewmen, then rushed toward the elevator to the guard quarters, nodding off the Flight-Captains concerned inquiry. After a short ride, she quickly exited the elevator and walked briskly towards her apartments. She stopped just short, turning to Sir Seb'Losh, who was, as always, right on her heals.

  "Send for Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil, Guard-Private Usa'Pol, and Guard-Private Mia'Tol." She'd made sure, early on, to try to memorize all the Alutia Guards names, particularly the female ones. Without hesitation, Sir Seb'Losh accessed his BC node, looking at her curiously, but not asking any questions, seeming content to let Sasha have her way. A few minutes later the three female guards appeared, fixing askew uniforms and unkempt hair, signs of their hasty preparation.

  "Good......you three will be assigned as the apartment guards until further notice." She turned to Sir Seb'Losh.

  "One of them will be staying with me at all times, while one is on guard duty at the door and the other is resting. That should meet your requirements for my safety?" She was now glaring at Sir Seb'Losh, waiting to respond harshly to any argument.

  "Yes, Your Grace. But if you would just explain to me what is going on, I may be able to help." Since he didn't put up a fight, she decided to give him a hint.

  "From our exchange on the ferry shuttle, you seem to be knowledgeable to some extent about catillians. Access the information on how to complete the permanent bonding ritual. If you still cannot figure it out...I'll explain it to you in a week!" She turned, glaring at the guard on duty outside her apartment, who quickly opened the door, allowing her to storm through, followed by Tiana, her servants, and the three confused female Alutian Guards. The door closed behind them and once she verified the door was in fact, locked, she turned to Gil'Da.

  "Gil'Da, could you please go and bring the others? I do not want to have to repeat this." The old servant bowed and started off, stopping suddenly.

  "Your Grace, Lady Regalia arrived while you were away, would you like me to bring her as well?" Sasha suddenly remembered her new, young lady-in-waiting that was supposed to arrive today.

  "Yes, that would be for the best, thank you, Gil'Da." The servant bowed and hurried off as Sasha smothered an ironic grin, thinking of the meeting she was about to have with the 10 year old Lady Regalia. She turned to Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil.

  "Guard-Lieutenant, you have access rights for the record monitoring system so you can shut them down during emergencies, correct?" Sasha knew why Sir Seb'Losh had given in to her request so easily. He was able to monitor all parts of the starships via the record system. When she had first found out, she'd forced him to lock out access to the ladies bedrooms and bathrooms, but he was adamant about keeping the rest active...which she reluctantly allowed.

  "Yes, Your Grace, but Knight Captain Seb'Losh would have my head..." The Guard Lieutenant was noticeably nervous in her response.

  "As much as he might not believe it, he reports to me, and I will handle any complaints! Lock out all record feeds to the apartment...please." The Guard Lieutenant blinked repeatedly as she nodded, then accessed her BC node. A few seconds passed, a frown slowly creeping across the Guard-Lieutenant's face.

  "He must have assumed you'd try this, Your Grace, he's locked me out of the security systems." Sasha was livid, she was the one in charge, and she'd had enough.

  "Open a communication channel to Knight Captain Seb'Losh please, Guard-Lieutenant." The voice that erupted was layered in ice. A voice, by the look on Tiana's face, that was unexpected of the usually kindhearted Sasha. Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil immediately put her wrist to her mouth, waited a few seconds, then pushed her wrist towards Sasha.

  "Your Grace, how may I serve you?" The voice that emanated from the wrist communicator made Sasha grit her teeth.

  "Knight Captain Seb'Losh, you will disable all record monitoring in the Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia's apartments until further notice. This is an order." She gave the command in the same icy tone, hoping it would get through to stubborn Guard-Captain.

  "I am sorry, Your Grace. But I cannot obey that order. It is my duty to see to your protection and I am given the right to disregard orders I believe may keep me from performing my duty." The calm in his voice grated at Sasha's nerves. She decided to pull out her trump card, something she'd hoped never to have to do, but it was time to put Sir Seb'Losh in his place.

  "Very well, Guard Captain Seb'Losh..." She used his non-noble title on purpose, raising her voice to accentuate the point.

  "...I forgot my favorite hat back on Planet Tidelia. You and Guard Commander Rok'Lew are hereby commanded to fly to the NHA Super-Capital ABF Alutia, where you will be provided a shuttle and crew for your journey back to Planet Tidelia. Once your mission is complete, you will rendezvous with the escort fleet at Planet Vn'Oco before we depart in a month's time. This order is classified Alert Level One and is signed by myself and Knight Admiral Bhool." Sasha didn't like the idea of having to use a top level command order to get Sir Seb'Losh off her back, but she had enough, she was done backing down. The tension in the air, combined with the deafening silence, started making Sasha antsy. She was about to order a response when the communicator cracked.

  "Who do I talk to about the hat when I arrive? Or am I suppose to siege the castle and bring back every hat I find?" His voice was seething, full of venom, something Sasha would never have expected from the ever composed Sir Seb'Losh. She felt her own anger rise at what she saw as complete disrespect, and was about to explode into the communicator when Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil pulled her arm back and brought it to her own mouth.

  "This is Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil. It is my duty to remind you sir that you are speaking to the Grand Duchess of Alutia, Her Highness, Princess Sasha. I would recommend you remove yourself to your mission immediately before you say any other words you may regret, sir." Sasha heard a click as the Guard- Lieutenant disabled her communicator.

  "Your Grace, I would like to apologize for Knight Captain Seb'Losh's words. He really does care for you and in his mind, is only looking out for your best interests." The pleading in the Guard-Lieutenants words touched Sasha's heart, but her anger had yet to fully subside.

  "I realize that Guard-Lieutenant, but I am not a child to be babysat! And the sooner the Knight Captain accepts this, the less pain he will go through! He would not listen to my pleas, so now he will have to listen to my actions!" The anger began to subside as she spoke the words that had been building in her heart, but turned quickly to embarrassment when she noticed the well dressed, golden haired young girl standing behind Gil'Da, peering at Sasha with noticeable fear in her eyes. Sasha lowered her head and took a deep, shameful breath, knowing immediately that her first meeting with Lady Regalia, her new lady-in-waiting, couldn't have come at a worst time. The minutes ticked by in silence and Sasha started to lose her patience.

  "Guard-Lieutenant, has local command of the Alutia Guard been transferred to you?" Sasha asked, knowing Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil would be the highest ranking officer when the Guard Captain and Guard Commander left the ABF Princess One, officially beginning their mission. Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil's face went distant, then returned with a serious look.

  "Yes, Your Grace...and I have disabled all record systems in the apartments." Sasha nodded to the Guard Lieutenant and studied the faces that surrounded her. Her servants stood stone faced and scared, seeing a side of Sasha they had never expected. The guards looked uneasy, fidgeting, while having trouble standing still. Tiana was looking at Sasha curiously, appearing to expect this to be some sort of grand joke. Lady Regalia, who was still peering around Gil'Da's leg with obvious fear in her eyes, caused Sasha's heart to drop. She threw her hands in
the air as her raging emotions took over and tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.

  "I am so sorry everyone! I did not want to do this, but there are circumstances that required it. Sir Seb'Losh was out-of-control...so I discussed the issue with Knight Admiral Bhool and when she explained to me about his past, we decided that he either needed to be broken of his over protectiveness or be dismissed from guard duty." The three female guards were noticeably dismayed, with one unable to hold back a gasp. Sasha quickly raised her hand to stop the questions before they arrived.

  "Right now, and for the foreseeable future, he is still the Captain of the Alutia Guard. But his actions will be watched and any overzealousness will be dealt with swiftly." Sasha sighed again, wiping away a single tear that broke free of her eye as her emotions continued to swirl.

  "Now.......to the reason for all this, Knight Admiral Bhool gifted me a catillian." A few amazed gasps escaped the assembled party as Sasha dropped her dress to the floor and started to remove her uniform.

  "I'm not sure how much everyone knows about catillians, but they require a bond to survive, which allows them to feed on their owner's energy. They first form a temporary bond at birth and require a permanent bond shortly after. The ritual for the permanent bond is rather unique..." She blushed as she finished removing her uniform and stood in front of the group in her undergarments. Sasha noticed the fearful eyes of Lady Regalia turn to curiosity as she stared at the hairy purple lump trying to sleep in her cleavage. Forgetting herself, she squatted to the floor and waved to the young noble.

  "You can pet it if you want." Lady Regalia looked at Sasha with careful eyes, then up at Gil'Da, who nodded, then slowly started forward, as if she was approaching a wild animal. When she was just barely in reach, she stretched out her hand and lightly caressed the catillian with a single finger. A slight giggle escaped her lips as the catillian awoke and playfully grabbed the young girl's finger with two of its six hands, placing its small breathing hole up against the tip, very much like a kiss. Sasha reached out and lightly placed her hand on Regalia's doll like hair, forcing a smile.

  "I'm sorry you had to see this, Lady Regalia. Can I explain to you later why it was necessary?" Startled, Lady Regalia looked up into Sasha's eyes, her own full of innocence, nodding her head in agreement before quickly rushing back to Gil'Da's side, still eyeing the catillian longingly. Sasha stood, gathering her calming emotions before continuing.

  "The bonding process is quiet simple...the catillian needs access to every part of my body during the bonding ritual. This means that while it is taking place I must stay completely unclothed, for up to seven days, so the catillian can place its feeding nodes." A few startled gasps emerged from her servants, but a guffaw escaped from Tiana as she realized what all the secrecy was about.

  "I can't believe you! Are you still concerned about what happened with that bastard Robarto?" Tiana yelled in amazement more than anger. Sasha suddenly blushed and screamed back, her emotions exploding and tears once again bursting free.

  "What do you expect? He said he loved me and when we were alone...he...he stripped me and held me down while his friends entered with body scanners!" The tears were uncontrollable, gushing freely as the memory felt as fresh as the day it happened.

  "I'll never let that happen again! I don't care what the reason is...I will not allow any man to humiliate me again!" She fell to her knees, crying into her hands, lost in her despair. She felt a sudden warm embrace, followed by another, and another, until she was surrounded by understanding whispers.

  At the edge of the embrace, barely visible through Sasha's bleary eyes, Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil's face was distant, using her BC node while whispering what Sasha thought was one word.... revenge.

  Chapter 6

  A swirling luminescence of pure white appeared at the edge of the darkness that suppressed all thought. Trent cringed as the radiance assailed him, forcing back the night, returning memory to his hazy mind. Instinct told him to retreat, deeper into the protective darkness, away from the hateful glow, but he no longer knew how. Nothing existed but the swirling, revealing light, gradually filling the all encompassing darkness, while penetrating his frozen mind.

  Trent's consciousness began to panic, memories returning. He must be dead. He recalled pain, having been injured, dying on the floor. The images became clearer as the swirling light continued to expand, forcing back the tendrils of milky shadow that invaded his mind.

  Clarity...he knew he must go, towards the swirling light, out of the dark void engulfing his being. He pushed his consciousness forward, attempting to get closer, thinking it may be his salvation. Suddenly, the tendrils of light grasped his consciousness, overwhelming and absorbing the darkness and drawing him into the now all encompassing swirling white light.

  He awoke, his body burning, his flesh on fire, like it was bathed in acid, and his insides melting, as if his blood had turned to lava. The swirling light that had overtaken him, absorbed him, was gone, vanished...now there was only pain.

  Forcing his eyes open, he was greeted by a blurry, blinding light, so he quickly slammed them shut, cringing when he did. A new, horrific pain started repeatedly piercing his head, as if microscopic explosions assailed his brain. He tried to sit up, but found his limbs unresponsive, his body restrained. The searing pain multiplied as he fought to move, expanding over every inch of his being...every pain receptor firing at once. His weakened mind began to fade back into the dark abyss, but muffled voices broke through the throbbing in his ears, as if the words were heard through water.

  "He's awake! How the hell is he awake!" A noticeably male voice shouted with disbelief.

  "It's due to his age. The process of genetic restructuring is rarely used on anyone out of infancy. Is the Program still active?" A calm female voice responded.

  "Yes, and his consciousness should still be part of it! How could he have left the Program without its consent?" The male voice regained some of its composure, but was still noticeably shaken.

  "As I said, this is usually done on infants. A developed mind may be able to remain in a type of semi-consciousness within the Program. But that doesn't matter now, his life signs are spiking, there is no way he can survive the completion of the gene restructuring unless we get him back in the hands of the Program." the female voice said as Trent felt a strange tugging on his mind.

  "I think I have him again. It's strange, his consciousness pattern changed, probably why the Program lost track of him." the male voice said with noticeable relief.

  "We will need to study the phenomenon further when this is over and send our findings to the Vn'Oco Royal Academy. But for now, bring up another Program to monitor his pattern and feed any changes to the Program responsible." The slight tugging on his consciousness was now an unrelenting pull as a feeling of freefall overwhelmed him. It felt pleasant, like he was falling into a frozen lake, extinguishing the burning as darkness grew around him and the pain was replaced by that of euphoria. Trent briefly witnessed the shrinking, swirling luminescence as he was whisked well outside its range, and the darkness of the void once again enveloped his being, suppressing his questioning mind.

  *********

  After days of delay in its organization, the TSB review council for Trent's enlistment trial was over rather quickly. Knight Captain Quinn, being head of the review council, was present at the event being discussed and didn't require additional statements from the other witnesses, Daniel and Vice Commander Daiyu. So after showing the restricted records to the assembled TSB captains and commanders, he closed the session with a grand speech about loyalty to the TSB and their duty to defend the Earth against all possible invaders, which Daniel found odd. Review council's were notoriously dry, meant to follow a formal process to deem if actions taken were in line with the TSB mandate. So an emotional speech, like the one Knight Captain Quinn just finished, didn't make sense.

  He sighed, deciding not to trouble himself further trying to decipher what the old kook wa
s thinking, and turned his attention to the remaining occupants of the large oval conference room. His eyes passed over the rows of stadium like seating, now all but empty, stopping when he noticed Vice Commander Daiyu, who was talking quietly with a group of TSB captains. She had recovered the night of the incident, having only suffered a deep cut, concussion, and some bad burns. It looked worse than it actually was and the medical teams easily repaired the damage, and after a good night's rest, Vice Commander Daiyu was back on duty, her bird like face seeming more ridged than usual.

  Daniel turned back to the small group of officers who whispered quietly around him, excusing himself, while absently nodding goodbye to those he knew, before he weaved his way to the exit. Small groups of officers had gathered outside in the lobby, whispering about what Daniel could only guess was the abnormal review council. He pushed his way through and exited into the busy corridor, heading towards the transport tubes, staying off to the side to allow the faster traffic by, while thinking about the events since the strange incident, seven days prior.

  Trent had become a ghost and no one besides the Commander and, Daniel assumed, the Vice Commander, knew his location. When he messaged the Knight Captain a few days earlier, asking if he could visit Trent, the short response he received stated that for the time being, it was best not to talk about Trent or what had occurred at his trial. Daniel had found this odd, but when he was confronted by one of the nobles who accompanied Sir Simwa, who asked, rather rudely, about Trent's location, the secrecy suddenly made sense.