Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) (22 page)

The trial moved on and Sasha raised an
eyebrow in disbelief when she heard that Trent had battled a
krakllian during the first phase of his trial, then listened
intently as Sir Simwa, quite arrogantly, spent time arguing over
Sir Quinn’s use of the word bravery. She had an itching suspicion
that the message she received from the vice-commander may be more
accurate then the duke's, but resisted the urge to make a judgment
based on feelings alone.

After Sir Quinn raised his concern that Sir
Simwa had not reviewed the record of the event in question, as
required, a projected image suddenly appeared before each of the
five participants. The image being projected for the ladies shifted
a moment later, to a forested landscape with leafy green flora she
didn't recognize, and a peculiar looking crisscrossing track
cutting through the center. Surrounding a portion of the track
stood dilapidated buildings, the local vegetation encroaching upon
them, showing that they were more than likely abandoned.

A disheveled man appeared at the edge of the
projection, skipping merrily along with nary a trouble, when, a
sight that everyone who grew up within the NHA knew from childhood
stories, appeared beneath a stilted, cylindrical structure: a
krakllian.

“There really was a krakllian!” Lia'Sil
exclaimed, seeming to have been as skeptical as she of Sir Quinn’s
initial words. The three ladies gasped repeatedly as the man in the
image, she realized to be Trent, charged the beast and a fight
ensued.

“Oh no,” Sasha gasped, her heart screaming
for Trent to stop, to not challenge that most dangerous of species,
for if he did, she felt as if her heart would shatter. Again, she
couldn’t fathom her involuntary response, or the feelings that were
beckoned forth as she witnessed the battle unfold. Thankfully,
neither Tiana nor Lia’Sil noticed, both engrossed by the
unimaginable event being displayed before them.

When the battle finally concluded, Trent had
not only survived, but was able to force the injured krakllian to
flee, even with the grievous wound he sustained to his arm. Before
she had a chance to recover, her heart still racing and her full
body blush still obvious, the projection returned to the trial.

A verbal battle ensued between Sir Simwa and
the three TSB officers, but quickly ended with Sir Simwa as the
losing party. The discussion then turned to Trent's recollection of
the fight and she was a little concerned about his nonchalant
attitude towards alcohol use, noting to herself that she would need
to scold him, before quickly discarding the thought, wondering
where it had originated in the first place.

“Your Grace, can we pause the record?”
Lia'Sil interrupted, just as Trent’s account of the battle with the
krakllian ended. The image froze.

“Please query any questions,” the Program
responded. Lia’Sil looked to Sasha, who nodded for her to go
on.

“Is the battle with the krakllian the reason
Trent is being recommended for the Star of Terra?” Sasha panicked
when she recalled that was the official reason for the displaying
of this record, not so she could find out who was lying to her.

“TSB Lieutenant Trent’s actions during phase
one of the enlistment and recruitment trial are not the reason for
the recommendation of the Star of Terra. Decision to include based
on the requirement of character in the formal guidelines for the
rewarding of the Star of Terra,” the Program answered.

“So let me get this straight. TSB Lieutenant
Trent is presently going through the recruitment process to join
the Terra Space Battalion...and the first phase is to battle a
krakllian with your bare hands?” Tiana asked with disbelief,
showing she had been listening more intently then the embarrassed
Sasha.

“For native adult Earthlings, yes, they must
face a dangerous species such as the krakllian to prove they have
the mental fortitude to adapt to required changes,” the Program
replied.

“What would have happened if he failed?”
Sasha asked with trepidation.

“He would have been destroyed,”

Sasha could swear she heard a hint of emotion
in the Program’s monotone response, but realized it was most likely
her mind’s projection. Curious, and frightened by the idea of what
may be taking place within her new duchy, she wanted to know
more.

“How many people die during phase one?” she
questioned without thinking, realizing as she voiced it that it
really wasn't important. The Program seemed to consider before
answering.

“99.9765% are terminated during the first
phase.” Sasha gasped, realizing the TSB had been recruiting for
hundreds of years and the numbers killed during that time would be
staggering. She looked to her companions, who both sat stone faced,
though their eyes told that they too understood what that meant.
The Program, taking their silence as approval to continue,
restarted the record.

Sasha paced restlessly around the sofa as she
listened intently to Trent discuss his latest love interest. For
reasons she couldn’t begin to fathom, she found the entire affair
bothered her immensely. Unbridled anger erupted to the surface as
he delved deeper into his time together with this woman named
Samantha, but was extinguished when he explained how the
relationship ended. Tears began to well as she felt his utter
sadness, her heart screaming to jump into the projection itself and
hug him close. Thankfully, she was able to resist the urge, both
for the tears and the inexplicable need to embrace him. Then, as
the rollercoaster of emotions continued, anger again took over as
she listened to Knight Captain Quinn read a report that had
apparently ended Trent’s life on Earth, all because of that fickle
woman, who Sasha could only think of as a follower of the
traditionalist paramour belief. Lia’Sil raised her hand to
interrupt just as it looked like Sir Simwa was about to speak. The
image froze.

“I'm a little confused at the point of this.
It seems cruel to subject him to recalling these memories,” Sasha
couldn’t agree more with Lia'Sil’s statement, and waited
attentively for the Program’s explanation.

“Phase two of the enlistment trial was
established to test the bonds of the candidate to their past life.
Candidates are presented with a simulation similar to, or an exact
replica of, a time in their life when they were happy or content.
If they fail to realize, or refuse to accept, this fabricated
reality, they are disposed of.”

“How many candidates fail phase two?” she
asked, no longer caring if it was irrelevant.

“86.79% of candidates who pass phase one,
fail phase two.”

“What was Trent's simulation?” she pushed,
though she was uncertain if she actually wanted to know.

“TSB Lieutenant Trent was presented the time
before he discovered his lover’s betrayal. He was able to see
through the fabrication within the set time limit to successfully
pass phase two,” the Program responded without question. Sasha
sighed, letting the query about exactly what happened die on her
tongue.

The image unfroze a moment later to Sir Simwa
exclaiming that he believed the fabricated report over Trent's
version, stating the traditionalist view that only the “elite”
should ever be taken seriously. Though TSB Lieutenant Daniel
contradicted him, seeming to toy with the noble, like Tiana would
incessantly do to her, while reminding him of the Program’s truth
protocol. Sir Simwa, as Sasha expected, didn’t believe him either,
leading to Trent,
quite magnificently
, Sasha noted, lying
about respecting the arrogant noble, setting off the Program's
truth protocol.

Sir Simwa lost all semblance of composure,
claiming that Trent was garbage and should be disposed of, calling
an end to the trial while drawing his laser arc and aiming it at
Trent. Sir Quinn dove over the table, crashing into Sir Simwa the
moment he fired, the discharged laser bolt barely knocked off
course, striking the back of Trent's chair to send it and him
flying. Trent rolled to safety, but the chair crashed into the
unlucky Vice-Commander Daiyu while she rushed to Trent’s side,
knocking her motionless to the floor.

This can’t be real?
It felt like what
she was witnessing wasn’t reality, but an acted narrative, like
those that had been popular during the pre-NHA period. But the
sight of blood pooling by Vice-Commander Daiyu’s head, and the
desperate struggle taking place between Sir Quinn and Sir Simwa,
screamed of nothing but reality, no matter what her mind told.

“It’s over,” Lia’Sil’s words touched her ears
as if they traveled from a great distance, “there is no way Sir
Simwa can overpower Sir Qui-,” her words cutoff when a wild-eyed
Lieutenant Daniel dove towards the two combatants, knocking Sir
Quinn off balance in the process. Sir Simwa grasped at the
opportunity, regaining control of his laser arc. Finding only a
single clear target, the unconscious Vice-Commander Daiyu, he took
aim, a maniacal smile spreading upon his lips.

Then, without any concern for himself, Trent
dove across the floor, barely reaching Daiyu before Sir Simwa
fired. The laser bolt sizzled through the air, straight at where
Daiyu had been a moment before, to strike Trent, who had pushed her
clear with all his might.

Tiana shrieked and Sasha gasped in horror,
covering her eyes to hide from the gruesome sight, but unable to
resist peeking through her fingers. The image zoomed to provide a
close up view of Trent's heroic action, but also presented the
grisly scene of his arms being disintegrated to just above the
elbow.

The record continued to play, though Tiana no
longer watched, her head buried in her knees as she sobbed, while
Lia’Sil, though her eyes were open, had turned so pale Sasha
wondered if she had not actually passed out in place. Sasha felt
the same way, wanting to look away from the gruesome scene, demand
the record cease. But she had to watch.

She let a calming breath fill her lungs and
lowered her hands just in time to witness Sir Simwa knocked
unconscious by Sir Quinn, who then rushed to Trent's side. A dazed
Lieutenant Daniel soon followed, then hurried out of the scene,
returning with what appeared to be a medical kit. The moment they
began administering first-aid, the image faded and the Program's
sphere once again started to undulate.

“I guess that answers all our questions, Your
Grace. Sir Simwa was definitely responsible, no matter what he told
Duke Zehman,” Lia'Sil stated, having come to the same conclusion as
Sasha.

“Is he alive? Did he live?” Tiana questioned
through the tears.

“TSB Lieutenant Trent was in stable condition
when the Programs were requested to keep additional information
about his status restricted,” the Program replied.

“Why is it restricted?” Sasha's asked, her
tone like ice.

“It was deemed appropriate due to security
concerns. The Programs agreed and his current status is
restricted.” Sasha wanted to demand the information, but stopped
herself, realizing that since the request for the Star of Terra was
not delivered as postmortem, he had to be alive. Plus, something
just didn’t add up.

Her mind ticked as she thought about what
she'd just witnessed. Sir Simwa's actions didn't make sense.
Was
he really that unstable that he would try to murder someone in cold
blood?

No,
her mind cried,
there had to be
something else going on that she just couldn’t see
. Sasha was
about to ask the others for input when the memory of TSB
Vice-Commander Daiyu's message resurfaced. A conspiracy afoot, she
had mentioned, but never elaborated.

Sasha gasped, the last piece falling into
place. Trent must have, by chance, been caught in an elaborate
scheme to bring about events to allow for the destruction of Knight
Captain Quinn, and possibly the TSB, by creating a situation that
Duke Zehman could immediately respond too, with guns blazing.

Sasha looked hard at her two companions.
First at the now composed Tiana, who smiled weakly, then to
Lia'Sil, whose face had regained its color and now stared
expectantly at Sasha. It took her only a few moments to make a
decision that she knew would create a ripple that would course
through the entire galaxy.

“Tiana, Lia'Sil, I believe that there is a
conspiracy afoot within my new duchy. I received a message that,
when taken with the events we just witnessed, provides me little
doubt of its validity,” she raised her hand to stave off any
questions, turning to the Program sphere.

“Will I still have access to this record
after the decision has been made on the awarding of the Star of
Terra?” she asked, her fledging confidence growing that she was
making the right decision.

“This Program has been assigned to integrate
into the NHA Shuttle ABF Princess One once current assignment is
completed. All Program data deemed unrestricted will be accessible
to Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, including the records presented at
today's proceeding.” Surprised by the unexpected news, having never
heard of a Program integrating into a starship, she resisted the
urge to again, get sidetracked with an unimportant line of
questioning. She needed to present her decision before she had a
chance to reconsider.

“I must apologize to both of you. My decision
in this matter may cause us all great distress in the future,”
Tiana shot up, staring at Sasha with disbelief, while Lia'Sil flew
to her feet, mouth moving but no words escaping.

Sasha opened her stance, placing her hands on
her hips to stare directly at the Program sphere, feeling like an
ancient queen of the Blood of Yu that was about to hand down her
almighty judgment.

“I, Grand Duchess Sasha Alutia, after
considering the evidence presented in the request to award the Star
of Terra commendation to TSB Lieutenant Trent Marcello, have
decided, without doubt, that the reward is justified. I approve of
the awarding of the Star of Terra and bestow all additional honors
that the award entails,” the Program beeped acknowledgment.