Allan, Aly, and Kallanna all made their way to one of the space-facing airlocks, where the sight greeting them was of Jalla desperately trying to restart the leader's heart.
“What happened?” Aly demanded as she rushed forward to a panel in the wall, pulled what Allan could only guess was a first aid kit of some kind, and rushed to the being.
“He just smiled at me suddenly and jerked his head in a strange way. There was a loud snap, and he simply went limp.” Jalla said, confusion in her voice.
Aly tried for several minutes to do the same as Jalla before Allan stopped them,“Aly, Jalla, it's done. He clearly did not wish to give us any more information. Why don’t you all go eat, and I will deal with this.” He gestured to the body.
Roughly half an hour later, a freshly showered Allan joined Aly, Jalla, Tillia, and the princesses in the mess hall, where he snarfed down his food rapidly. When he completed his meal, Allan stood up and looked around the room at the group of ladies.
“Well then, now that we really know what is going on, let's get down to business.” Allan turned to each of the women in turn and spoke to them, “Aly, Tillia, please double check on the new communication AI. Also, if you can make sure that we have everything we might need for the ship, that would be awesome. Jalla, please go to the cargo hold and do an inventory of the stores from Earth, as well as our weapons situation. Kallanna, you are going to be with me. We will be picking some things up.”
Allan gave the other princesses some small jobs, ignoring their protests, and told them to spend time in the rec room when they were done. Everyone rose to do their duty, and Allan gave Aly a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing his translator, taking Kallanna, and heading out of the ship.
As they walked, Kallanna felt nervous and kept her face down to the ground. Allan noticed and poked her in the arm, “Don’t walk with your head down like that. How will you see an attacker coming if you stare at your feet?”
The question seemed absurd to Kallanna, “I keep my head down in the hopes that none will recognize me.”
“So if someone threatens you once you take the throne, will you walk around wherever you live in the clothing of a servant?” Allan asked.
“No! Of course not!” Kallanna said indignantly, “But this is different. When I take the throne, I will have security. And…” She trailed off, trying to think of something else she would have.
“Tell me, princess,” Allan said, “do you think your security could stand against me if I were to come after you?”
Kallanna stopped in her tracks and looked up at Allan with a faint look of fear on her face, “No, from the one interaction that I have witnessed, I believe that you are one of the most dangerous beings I have ever met, and the fact that you are a deathworlder, along with the things that you explained, only reinforced that idea to me.”
“So then what are you worried about here?” Allan said, gesturing for her to continue walking, “As I have already stated, you are under my protection, and I am confident enough in my abilities to stop most attacks, at least from up close.”
Kallanna thought for a moment and nodded, standing tall and lifting her head from the ground, “Very well, Allan, thank you.”
Allan smiled, and continued walking with her toward what Allan had been informed by a station computer was a general goods store.
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[Aly, Jalla, and Tillia, Onboard the Solstice]
Aly, Tillia, and Jalla finished the things that Allan had asked them to do quickly and efficiently and then went to help Tillia inventory all of the things Allan had purchased on Earth.
“What should we do with all of this as far as storing it?” Tillia asked as she surveyed the rows of boxes, crates, bags, and other containers taking up most of one side of the cargo hold.
“I don’t know.” Jalla said, “Ohh but look at this.” She gestured to a box that had a picture of people dancing between two speakers.
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“It’s a speaker system.” Aly said, reading the label on the box, “When he was picking all of this up, I did overhear him muttering to himself, though about what–I don’t know.”
“A workshop.” Jalla and Tillia said in unison. Jalla continued, “He was talking to himself about eventually wanting a workshop here on the ship where he could tinker with weaponry and other things.”
“Hmmm.” Aly said, tapping her comms device, “Hey Allan, did you get the list? You did? Good. I want to add some things to it, but it will probably take you most of the day. Yes, I know you wanted to leave, but we need all of this.”
Aly kept talking as she sent a list of items off, including where to get them. She felt bad, the items were all needed, but she had definitely selected locations for acquiring them that would Take Allan and Kallanna great distances around the orbital ring.
“Okay, that should be it. Please contact me before you head back. I am going to check with the other Princesses and see if there is anything they want or need.” Aly smiled as Allan said he loved her and then closed the comm channel. Aly looked to Jalla and Tillia, “Will you help me set all of this up?”
They nodded and smiled, beginning to pick up boxes.
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[Allan and Kallana, Orbital Ring three hours later]
“So your country on Earth does not have a king? Or any royalty?” Kallanna asked.
“No, we actually fought a war against our former ruling family to gain our independence. And since then, America has been extremely anti-royalty.” Allan said as he allowed a scan of his eye to pay a drone to take their recent large purchase to the ship, “And it isn’t just America. Another country on Earth is famous for the execution of many of its upper class using a guillotine.”
“What is a Guillotine?” Kallanna asked, and Allan smiled as he began explaining.
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[Jalla, Tillia, and Aly, on board the Solstice, 4 hours later]
“How many tools does one man need?” Jalla asked.
“Well, if Allan is normal, apparently a lot,” Aly said as the two of them finished moving the third and final toolbox on wheels into the room to the right of the rec room. One wall now had a metallic tabletop down the length of it, with tools hanging on a strange board behind it. The opposite wall held lockers and shelves. The wall across from the door had the three tool boxes and an empty cart. To either side of the door, a large safe stood.
“The safes are kind of redundant, aren't they? Isn't the ship secure?” Ivathi asked, standing in the doorway and looking around the newly put-together workshop.
“It is,” Aly responded, “but I am sure Allan has his reasons.”
Suddenly the youngest princess burst in with her remaining sisters, “They are back!”
“Alright. Jalla if you want to bring him down here, please do.” Aly said, smiling at how excited the princesses were to be involved in this surprise.
A few moments later, Jalla came in, leading Allan and Kallanna. When she stepped to the side, everyone else yelled out, “Surprise!”
Allan was pleasantly surprised. At the very least, it seemed the princesses were getting along well with Aly, Jalla, and Tillia. He looked around the room, taking in the things he had purchased, realizing what it was they had done. “Wow, Thank you so much.”
Allan walked around the room, looking at how they had arranged everything and set up the workbenches. Aly looked slightly nervous, “Do you like it, Allan?”
Allan turned as he spoke, “Of course I do. I love it, Aly.”
Allan wanted a moment for a response, but his heart sank as a voice he knew spoke from behind him.
“Allan, we need to talk.” Elunitra said, and Allan turned around once more to be confronted with six strange beings.
“You know, Elunitra, you have fucked up a lot of things for me with this time stop act you pull.” Allan said, getting a sinking feeling about the number of divine beings he was facing. His hand crept for the gun at his waist. Logically, he knew that it would not do anything, but it would make him feel better.
One of the beings stepped forward, and Allan knew it was the god of the Sidhesh who spoke, “Hello Allan, my name is Gultinth. You already know Elunitra, and Death, but we have with us the Gods of the Galgax, Gish, and lastly, the God of the Jeglithin.”
Allan looked at the assembled group and saw a note of fear on the face of the Jeglithin God. The rest looked resigned to a cause.
“So what could you lot possibly need from little old me?” Allan asked, “Need me to clean up more of your messes?”
Elunitra stepped forward, looking like she was struggling with her emotions, “Allan, we do, in fact, need something from you.”
Death stepped forward, “Allan, we need you to die.”
“Like hell.” Allan said, drawing the gun, ignoring the knowledge that it would not do much, and pointed it between Elunitra’s eyes, “Let's see if I can pull a Nietzsche and kill a god.”