Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) (18 page)

“If you keep parading your sexy body in front
of me, Sasha, I may think of becoming a paramour or romantic, since
it’s so difficult to resist your allure,” Tiana whispered
seductively. Sasha pushed her, and her roaming hand, away in one
motion, causing a delightful giggle to escape her lips.

“Regalia, please do not follow the example of
this...this...vixen!” Sasha snapped, pointing accusingly at Tiana
while looking to the blushing Regalia, who was covering her eyes
while peeking through the gaps in her fingers. She almost followed
by saying Regalia should use her as an example, but realized it
might not be a good idea, given she was parading her naked body
around her apartments, just like a paramour. Though someone more
appropriate immediately came to mind.

“In fact...if you need an example to follow,
keep an eye on Guard Lieutenant Lia'Sil, she is a fine role model
for any young lady,” Sasha raised her voice loud enough so Lia’Sil
could clearly overhear her.

“Thank you, Your Grace. But Lady Regalia
would be best to follow your example...unless she wants to join the
services when she comes of age,” responded the guard lieutenant,
voice full of modesty. Sasha smiled and was about to continue, but
the Lia’Sil cleared her throat, causing her to pause.

“Your Grace, I'm sorry to interrupt your
conversation, but Knight Admiral Bhool requested that I remind you
to check your messages. She thought you may have overlooked the
need during the stressful time of bonding,” her tone became
professional, allying none of the cordiality that was previously
present.

“Now that you mention it, I have been rather
preoccupied,” Sasha stared accusingly at her now sleeping
catillian. “Did Lady Bhool provide any additional details?” Sasha
asked, wondering what couldn't wait until she was officially grand
duchess.

“Yes, Your Grace. As you know, when a new
duchy is formed, the galactic king holds governorship until the
official transfer ceremony. It is customary, however, that as soon
as the choice of the noble who will become duke or duchess of the
new duchy is made, they shall immediately be provided all the
decision making powers for said duchy, even though it has not been
officially transferred,” Sasha was puzzled for a moment, trying to
wrap her head around the guard lieutenants words.

“So, in simple terms, I am still responsible
for the duchy even though it has yet to be officially handed over
to me?” Sasha smiled, finding a strange enjoyment in untangling the
guard lieutenant’s explanation.

“Yes and no, Your Grace. Minor decisions are
still handled by the royal administrators, but major issues are
forwarded to you...and it seems that a major issue has arisen,”
Sasha sighed, realizing that the announcement she just heard would
most likely end her carefree days.
Would it be a blessing or a
curse?
She couldn't wait to find out.

“Thank you, Lia’Sil. I have a moment now, so
I will peruse my messages. Could you thank Knight Admiral Bhool for
me and please, if you are willing, stay on duty for just a little
longer, in case I have any additional questions,” she knew it was
about time for Lia'Sil to change shifts, having been on duty for
the last 10 hours. But having someone of her knowledge present
would be a definite boon.

“It would be my pleasure, Your Grace.”
Satisfied, Sasha turned back to her ladies-in-waiting.

“You two have no reason to stay and I doubt I
will require your input. Feel free to leave if you like,” Sasha
said flippantly, knowing their responses before she made the
statement, but still felt like being a little snooty.

“What? And leave you to make the wrong
decisions? I think we'll stay...right Regalia?” responded Tiana, a
sly smirk spreading across her lips, with an accompanying nod from
Regalia. Sasha forced a frown, knowing Tiana had seen through her,
and decided not to pursue the game any further. Instead, she
stroked her sleeping catillian, finding the gesture relaxing, and
accessed her private BAP with her BC node.

She was surprised by the sheer quantity of
messages waiting, all within the last two days. There were two
special level military messages, the highest noncombat military
priority, and 160 level one civilian messages, the highest level
priority that ruling nobles were allowed to use outside of imminent
threat of invasion. She decided to ignore the level two and three
messages, cringing at their ever growing numbers, and decided to
start by accessing the two special level military messages. But as
she skimmed the senders attached to the level one messages, one
suddenly caught her mind.

The message was from Duke Zehman, the current
ruler of the Hulk'Zif Duchy, who had generously provided a large
portion of his own territory for the Alutia Duchy. Thinking the
duke would provide her an accurate and reliable gauge of the
current situation, she decided to access his message first. After
queuing her request, the message began flowing into her mind.

“Dear Your Royal Highness Sasha,” she was
slightly disturbed that he didn't use her new title, but let it
slide since it still wasn't official, “in the recent realignment of
the Hulk'Zif Duchy, the administration of the special protectorate
of Earth has fallen to the newly formed Alutia Duchy, which will
soon be under your rule. As such, I no longer have authority to
deal with matters that arise therein without your consent. For this
reason I contact you now, in the hope you will consent to immediate
justice and allow me to deal with a most heinous of crimes
purported against one of my honorable nobility.” Sasha paused the
message, her interest perked.

She vaguely recalled learning the name Earth
in her childhood studies, but wasn’t able to remember exactly why
it had been provided the rare standing of special protectorate. She
queued a query to the BAP, hoping the starships immense database
contained information on Earth. But, strangely enough, the query
was returned as unrecognized. She considered accessing the rest of
the message, but another idea struck her.

“Lia'Sil? Do you know anything about the
special protectorate of Earth? It appears I am now responsible for
its oversight...and I think I should have a greater understanding
of the rules governing its administration,” asked Sasha, trying not
to sound too much like the ignorant traditionalist nobles she'd
grown to despise in her youth.

“Yes, Your Grace,” to Sasha's surprise,
Lia’Sil blushed, noticeable even from across the room, “my...my
fiancé was actually a member of the Terra Space Battalion before
being transferred temporarily, then permanently, to work with the
supply company responsible for covertly delivering goods to the
TSB.” Sasha gasped in surprise and Tiana suddenly began to bounce
in place, a mischievous grin plastered on her lips.

“Now everything is starting to fall into
place. Do tell, Lia'Sil?” Tiana jumped on the opportunity for some
juicy gossip and Sasha knew she would have to reign in her
lady-in-waiting before the conversation started down the wrong
path. She placed her hand gently on Tiana's leg, causing the girl
to twitch in surprise, turning towards her with a confused
look.

“Tiana, we can discuss that at another time.
For now, I need more information about Earth...this is important.”
She continued holding her friend’s gaze, whose drooping eyes and
trained pout did little to sway Sasha’s heart. Seeing this, Tiana
thought better of voicing her complaints and just fell back into
the couch, crossing her arm in resignation.

“Go on, Lia'Sil, but keep in mind, I will
need a full briefing about this fiancé of yours at a later date,”
Sasha smiled briefly, suddenly remembering her nudity as she
uncrossed her legs, causing a blush that matched the one covering
Lia'Sil as she corrected herself.

“Yes, of course, Your Grace. I’ll start from
beginning,” Lia’Sil cleared her throat. “Earth was colonized around
25,000 years ago,” Sasha barely kept from chocking as she sipped
from her cup of Etique, knowing galaxy 189 had only been officially
colonized for the past 5600 years, “by order of the then emperor of
the NHA,” Lia’Sil paused, looking to the recovering Sasha, who
nodded for her to go on. “This emperor, as stories tell, wanted to
conduct his own experiment on early human development and
evolution. So he decided to send out an expedition that included
around 100,000 pre-developed humans, raised in complete isolation,
with no genetic modifications, education, or technology, with the
goal of leaving them on a virgin world much like Planet Origin,”
Lia'Sil paused, gathering her thought.

“Do you mind coming closer? I can hear you
fine...it is just awkward to have a conversation with someone from
across the room,” Sasha chimed in before Lia’Sil could
continue.

Without complaint, she marched quickly across
the room, coming to attention adjacent the projected viewport,
which now displayed a star speckled darkness. Sasha pointed to an
open seat on the sofa. Lia’Sil paused, apparently reluctant to sit,
but gave in quickly when Sasha raised her eyebrows.

“As I was saying, Your Grace,” Lia’Sil
started as she sat herself on the farthest edge of the couch,
obviously still hesitant at the committing such a “severe” breach
of protocol, “the emperor had decided to arrange an expedition to
deliver these pre-developed humans to an uncolonized planet similar
in makeup to Planet Origin. As you probably have learned, around
that same time, the Great Galactic Discovery was taking place and
tens of thousands of galaxies were being discovered every year. The
vast majority were only provided a cursory scan, while staying, for
the most part, completely unexplored with just their universal
location codes being catalogued. The emperor chose from these
galaxies one that was similar to galaxy 1, which we now know as
galaxy 189, and sent the expedition through its founding SJS gate
with orders for the research vessel to return after locating a
suitable planet and delivering their charges. Though they were
further instructed to complete an initial 50 year study of the
pre-developed human’s integration into the environment, before
returning with the location of the test colony so a permanent
research organization could be created,” she paused, looking to
Sasha who, like Tiana and Regalia, was hanging on Lia’Sil’s every
word.

“Two hundred years passed,” she continued,
obviously delighted to have such eager listeners, “and the research
vessel never returned. The emperor, having just breached his third
century, left a request with his son to dispatch a scouting fleet
to search for the lost colony experiment before he passed. The new
emperor, after having settled into the position, decided to heed
his father's last wish and sent out a significant exploration force
to galaxy 189 in the hope of finding traces of his father’s lost
experiment. Less than 30 days into the voyage, the exploration
fleet returned with a message pod found in a debris field of a
destroyed NHA vessel only a few million kilometers from the return
SJS gate. The message contained the location of the planet the
colonist had been deposited, but nothing about the research vessels
own fate. At the time, the young emperor, having decided on a more
thorough investigation of the galaxies being discovered, became
embroiled in a major conflict, now so elegantly referred as the War
of Galactic Tears, and due to the unknown nature of the research
vessels destruction, decided to lock the SJS gate until the dungar
threat could be annihilated. Hundreds of years later, when the
emperor died, the experiment was forgotten. Then, when the War of
Galactic Tears ended, the gate to galaxy 189 was locked away with
all the rest so as to not repeat the previous emperor’s mistake
that lead to the most horrific of wars,” Lia'Sil paused again,
glancing at the drinks on the table as she unconsciously licked her
lips. Sasha, seeing this, sent a request to her servant and held up
her hand.

“So, if I gather this correctly. Earth was
colonized 25,000 years or so ago with uneducated humans...so the
emperor could study how they would evolve and grow?” Sasha quickly
recapped what she'd heard, glancing up the moment an embarrassed
servant entered the room, reminding her yet again of her nudity,
and causing her to shift in a way that made the fact less obvious.
Lia'Sil thanked the servant for the drink, taking a sip, before
looking back at Sasha.

“Thank you and that is correct, Your Grace.
The emperor of that time was responsible for many great advances in
the biological science, including the addition of the healing gene,
and decided to prepare many long term experiments, including Earth,
for his descendants,” Sasha found the entire thing mind boggling.
An experiment that lasted 25,000 years was an incredible thing.
“The whole experiment was forgotten until an emperor, about 5,700
years ago decided that resources were abundant enough for the
simultaneous colonization of a group of promising galaxies that
were discovered during the Great Galactic Discovery. During the
process of unlocking galaxy 189's SJS gate, the records of the
Earth project were released and an expedition was mounted. What
they found was a pre-Industrial human society that had spread and
slightly evolved, with minor changes in looks and skin coloring due
to the varying environments on Earth, similar to what occurred with
many of the early human's origin planets from galaxy 1,” Lia'Sil
paused, making sure no one had a question, before continuing.

“The emperor then decided to maintain the
experiment, and during the early colonization of galaxy 189 he
mandated the creation of the special protectorate of Earth, while
establishing the Terra Space Battalion to research and protect the
planet from outside influence. The TSB, as it's now called, has
been monitoring and studying the fledgling planet ever since,”
Lia'Sil considered for a few seconds before continuing.