Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) (32 page)

“Attention!” Taku turned to the gathering
crowd. “As you've all heard from the NHA nobility, our commander
and vice-commander, along with an enlistment candidate named Trent,
dishonored and assaulted Sir Simwa, the NHA Liaison to the TSB. Sir
Simwa demanded justice and claims he was denied and imprisoned,
which is why we are facing this current predicament,” murmurs of
agreement rolled through the crowd as Taku's words trailed off.
“Well, my fellow honorable TSB officers and crewmen, we have a
guest who may be able to shed some light on exactly how truthful
these claims may be,” he turned to Trent with a flourish, “Now
Trent, let us hear your side of the story, and remember to speak
only truths,” Taku pointed up to the ceiling, “for we will know if
you are lying.” Trent stared at Taku, then the crowd, who broke out
into a sea of angry whispers when they heard his name, and sighed,
sitting upon a small crate provided and began his story.

“I guess I'll start from the beginning,” the
crowd went silent, “...I was walking down an old railroad track
about 250 kilometers west of the Old Boston’s industrial district
when...”

She studied the unexpectedly seductive woman
being reflected in the narrow mirror, running her hands over the
rose red and black jumpsuit that lay flush against every curve,
flattening imaginary creases while calming her racing heart. Terra
squawked as he started circling her neck, letting his irritation
known at being separated from his favorite sleeping spot. Sasha
exhaled, slowly removing the latches at the top of the jumpsuit one
after the other until the irritating squeals vanished and a fuzzy
warmth snuggled between her bosoms.

“At least I don’t look too much like a
paramour,” she muttered, noting that Terra appeared content with
allowing her to show only a modest portion of her cleavage. She
thanked him, and the universe, for small favors, while grabbing her
laser arc, the last piece of her new ensemble, to latch it over her
shoulder, before hurrying from her temporary quarters, towards the
waiting briefing room.

Almost two days had passed since they set
their plan in motion, and they had already fallen over a day behind
schedule. They could have started sooner, but Sasha had been vague
when explaining her plan to Tho’Mos, who programmed the wrong agent
into the detector. He’d chosen, as anyone would have expected, the
most effective option for
incapacitating
the traitors. Unfortunately, that particular agent was occasionally
lethal if those exposed were left untreated for an extended period
of time. So after much debate, where Sasha clearly explained she
wouldn't accept the risk that it may accidently kill the hostages,
it was decided enough time remained to reprogram the foreign agent
detector with the less effective, but also less lethal,
alternative.

Communications with the assault shuttle
trailing the ABF Princess One had cut off a little over a day
before. Apparently, someone on the bridge had stumbled upon their
unauthorized access to the short range communication array and
decided to overload the entire system. This baffled everyone, since
it would also influence the traitor's ability to communicate with
their allies, presumably the Hulk'Zif Battle Fleet, when they
arrived at the Earth star system. But one critical piece of
information slipped through before communications were lost; they
were still a day away from Earth.

Sasha walked briskly into the briefing room
and everyone stood, saluting. Surprised, she clumsily saluted back,
stopping her trained curtsy before it began when she realized how
foolish it would look with her current attire.

“Thank you everyone. Please be at ease and we
will review the plan one last time,” Sasha glanced to Knight
Admiral Bhool, who nodded, accessing a detailed schematic of the
shuttle to be projected by the PDU built into
the
ceiling of the
briefing
room.

“It's go time, ladies and gentlemen,” she
started to pace about the projection. “We are less than an hour
from the outer edge of the Earth's star system to be handed over to
Duke Zehman for a fate I cannot begin to describe,” she looked at
Sasha, eyes of concern. Sasha nodded back, knowing that she would
be the one that would feel the brunt of Duke Zehman's wrath should
she be captured alive. “First, we will be splitting into three
teams. Alutia One, which will be personally led by me, will assault
the bridge and the forward passenger compartment, regaining control
of the helm and trying to redirect our course towards the TSB Fleet
Base before we rendezvous with the HZBF invasion fleet.”
Originally, they'd planned on attempting to rendezvous with the
trailing assault shuttle. But Vin had intervened, recommending the
TSB Fleet Base instead. Apparently, when the short range
communications were cut, the assault shuttle had closed to within
LPA range and after a brief exchange of fire, had been forced to
fall well off the trail.

“Alutia Two, led by Alutia Guard Private
Usa'Pol, will ascend the elevator shaft and secure the guard
barracks and Grand Duchess Sasha’s apartments. Alutia Three, led by
Senior Deck Engineer Tho'Mos, will release the sleeping agent into
the air supply, then secure the incapacitated guards and move them
to the temporary holding cell we erected in the engineering tools
department,” she turned to Sasha, “Your Grace, you and your
ladies-in-waiting, including Servant Gil'Da and Alutia Guard
Lieutenant Lia'Sil, will be on standby within the ferry shuttle. If
anything happens, you will launch immediately and without question,
and set a course directly for the TSB Fleet Base. The ferry shuttle
should be small enough to pass through most sensor nets, but just
in case, you will go communication silent and not respond to any
starship you encounter on route...no matter if they are TSB or ABF.
We do not know the situation within the inner star system and Earth
may have already fallen to enemy hands,” Lady Bhool paused,
considering her next words. “If that is indeed the case, you will
change course to the outer star system, to the coordinates I will
provide to Vin, where an allied starship should, eventually,
rendezvous,” Sasha’s heart screamed an objection, wanting to stay
behind so she could assist, but she held her tongue. In the current
circumstances...she was useless.

“It's time,” Knight Admiral Bhool scanned the
crowd, “are there any last minute questions?”

“Ma'am,” a young junior engineer came to
attention when her eyes passed over him.

“Speak, crewman,”

“What if something goes wrong?” It was the
question that lay on the minds of all present, but nobody wanted to
ask for fear of already knowing the answer. Knight Admiral Bhool
stared at the young man, eyes rigid.

“You die...if it will protect Her Grace. If
not, you move to the escape shuttle attached to the Grand Duchess
Sasha's apartments, or to one of the escape pods. But remember
this...all of you,” her voice went deep, serious, “...the safety of
the grand duchess is paramount, if I have to blow the starship to
save her, I will,” an eerie silence greeted her words as the
crewmen mentally prepared themselves for what lied ahead. Knight
Admiral Bhool was about to continue, but Sasha raised her hand,
gesturing to interrupt.

“Please survive,” she started, letting her
heart take over, “I do not know half of you as well as I should,
having only been aboard this fine vessel for a few short weeks, and
knowing each and every one of you is willing to sacrifice so much
for my sake, touches my very heart,” tears began welling within her
eyes, “but I do not want anyone else to die for me. So I order you
all, as your grand duchess, to live, and to succeed in your
mission!” The tears broke free and Sasha noticed many of the dark
expression turn to thankful smiles. Knight Admiral Bhool seemed
touched by her words as well, coming out of her temporary reverie
and presenting her reassuring, stoic facade.

“Everyone into position! We go in five
minutes!” The room emptied and Sasha, holding Tiana and Regalia's
hands, rushed out last, to the small docking bay and entered the
waiting ferry shuttle. Sasha took the pilot seat, while Tiana sat
to her right, in the co-pilot seat. Gil'Da and Regalia took the two
passenger seats in the middle, while Lia'Sil was already strapped
to a stretcher that locked into place where the rear seats usually
stood.

Lia'Sil looked better, Sasha noted, but knew
that there was little hope for a full recovery. Neural gas had a
particularly nasty habit of destroying the neural pathways in the
brain and leaving most victims dead or comatose. So even though
Lia'Sil had only inhaled a tiny amount, it was enough to disable
most of her higher brain functions. She was lucky that the area
that controlled her autonomous functions, heartbeat and breathing,
remained fairly intact. At that moment Sasha realized a grim
reality. The woman would most likely never recover. She would need
to write Lia'Sil's fiancé to let him know of what had befallen his
love, before turning her mind back to the task at hand.

She studied the area in front of the pilot's
seat, finding only the PDU responsible for projecting the pilot
station and viewscreen, when a familiar fluidic bronze sphere
appeared before her.

“Integration complete. Vin is now integrated
into the ferry shuttles systems,” a monotone voice stated. Sasha
stared at Vin's sphere for a second, grasping at an idea.

“Vin, could you prepare the shuttle for
launch?” Normally, she would expect a negative response from any
other Program in existence, but she knew Vin was a different. It
had little trouble indirectly interfering in events most Programs
would never become involved, since Programs, as every NHA noble
knew, were only permitted to intervene in the highest level
decisions, or so she thought before she met Vin.

“Very well, Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, I
will commence launch preparation. Please inform me when you are
ready.”

“Thank you, Vin,” Sasha nodded, “please patch
me into the com channel being used by Knight Admiral Bhool and her
strike teams,”

“Of course, Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia,” Vin
responded without question.

“One minute,” Knight Admiral Bhool’s voice
filled the tiny cabin, “are you in position Alutia Two?” she
questioned, voice a whisper.

“We're at the top of the elevator shaft
placing the dehacks now,” Private Usa’Pol responded immediately,
her tone unwavering.

Sasha’s last remaining loyal Alutia Guard,
other than Sir Seb'Losh, had been distant for the past two days,
watching over Sasha with bloodshot eyes, making it clear that she
was in no mood for conversation. Sasha figured she was having a
difficult time accepting what had occurred, and who could blame
her. The people she trusted with her life, being traitors.

“You better hurry, 30 seconds. How is gas
dispersal preceding, Alutia Three?” A bit of anxiety seemed to
creep into the admiral’s words.

“They should be out cold, ma'am. They have
been breathing in a fifty-fifty mix for the last minute,” Tho'Mos's
voice boomed, apparently unconcerned about being overheard.

Sasha realized she was holding her breath and
felt a hand squeezing hers. She looked over at Tiana, whose eyes
were bloodshot and cheeks puffy from tears, but still strong.

“Oxygen masks on now! Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three, two....go, go, go!” Knight Admiral Bhool
shouted. A few seconds passed in silence, Sasha waiting with baited
breath.

“Bridge clear! Alutia Three, start collecting
the prisoners!” Sasha sighed with relief and Tiana's eyes once
again welled with tears.

“Knight Admiral Bhool, the grand duchess's
apartment is clear, but we have a problem,” said a noticeably
shaken Usa'Pol. Sasha tensed, clenching Tiana's hand, ignoring the
concerned squeaks rising from her bosom, “There is a time coded
bomb in the guard barracks. It's melded to the deck and the
countdown timer is at five minutes,” Sasha froze.

If she recalled correctly, a time coded bomb
required a code to be entered within a set time period, such as
once every 30 minutes. If it wasn't entered, the bomb would go off.
Nobles had once been known to use them during negotiations to
guarantee the other side didn't try anything dirty...which in
itself made little sense to her.

“Tho'Mos-.”

“Already there, ma'am,” Tho’Mos cut off
Knight Admiral Bhool. “It's trouble. Get everyone to the emergency
escape shuttle.” Sasha felt her blood drain, knowing the order to
come.

“Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, launch
immediately, I repeat, launch immediately,” she took a deep breath
and glanced to Tiana, whose eyes were wide with fear, then Regalia,
whose face was buried in Gil’Da’s chest, the old woman’s expression
unreadable.

“Vin, launch!” the ferry shuttle rocked
violently as it was ejected from the bottom of the starshp.

A spherical control unit appeared before her.
She stuck her hands into its sides, grasping the two tangible
handles within, stopping its sudden rotation as the NSD came
online.

Sasha had been provided a crash course in
emergency starship piloting during one of her many trips to Planet
Vn'Oco, having been amazed at the time by how the 15 helmsmen,
through the use of their BC nodes and the “meld” piloting system,
maneuvered the massive, 40 kilometer long super-capital ship in
trained unison. But that skill required years of training, so in
emergencies, all starships were still able to be piloted manually
with the spherical control unit.

“Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, please direct
the shuttle towards the blue reticule on the viewscreen. This can
be done by manipulating the sphere control unit in the direction of
the displayed arrow. Once the ferry shuttle is properly aligned, it
will lock into automated flight for high-speed travel.” She took a
deep breath, staring intently at the curving viewscreen that
appeared before her, displaying the darkness of space flecked with
many stars. She began to panic when she couldn’t locate the
reticule in which Vin spoke, only grey, yellow, and red boxes
outlining distant objects and points of interest. But on the
top-right edge of the viewscreen she noticed a blue arrow with the
word,
destination
, flashing beneath. A hand squeezed her
shoulder, pulling her gaze to Tiana, who stared at her with
desperate eyes. Nodding while forcing a reassuring smile, she
turned back to her task, trying to steady her trembling hands.