Allison watched Dhark’s message as soon as she woke up. She sighed when she saw him. He looked so much thinner and weaker than a couple of days before. He coughed as he tried to talk.
“Thanks for the message. It was awesome. The worst part for me was definitely when you a had almost no clothes on. You need to cover up your furless skin. It’s a hazard. I can’t wait to see you in person.”
Allison grinned. Bit was waiting in their backyard for her. She was leaving so early no one else was awake. It was on purpose of course. The sooner she got to the station the longer she could spend with Dhark. She got clearance as soon as she arrived. She wasted no time rushing to Dhark’s room. When she arrived it was empty, even his sketches were gone. One of the staff for the section passed by; Allison called out to the Synthlin.
“Where is Dhark?”
The Synthlin bowed his head.
“Oh, you must be Allison. I am sorry child. His time in this physical realm has passed.”
Allison’s face fell and she felt sick in the pit of her stomach. Tears started to drip down her cheeks. He touched her shoulder gently.
“It was his time, child. He asked us to pass some things on to you. Please, let us go to one of the mourning rooms. I will bring them to you and ensure some food is brought.”
He guided Allison to the mourning chamber. She stared out at the gas giant that was now named Mary’s World. She curled up on the couch with her knees to her chest and rocked. A few minutes later a Yorleer brought in a tray of food. All League comfort foods. The Yorleer said nothing and left Allison to her thoughts. Leshy entered next with a large folder bag and placed it beside Allison.
“Oh child, I am so sorry for your loss. I know you and Dhark have been corresponding. It is so sad that he was so near the end of his life. He has been much happier these past few weeks. I believe it is because of you he finally felt ready to let go. He had a very challenging life. No family or friends, until you. It is the dichotomy of such things. He didn’t want to die because he had never known such things as close friendship, but it was that he felt he would be remembered by you that he could move on.”
Leshy patted the folder gently.
“He wished you to have these. I hope they bring you comfort. He also requested we ask you how to dispose of his shell. He said he’d sent a message with his last wishes. I will leave you with your thoughts. Please, stay as long as you wish, if you need anything or to talk, please let us know. I can make myself available or one of our councilors.”
Leshy hovered off leaving Allison alone. She finally got up the courage to look inside the folder. It was all of his charcoal sketches, only the number had tripled. The extras were all of her. All drawn from the messages she’d sent him, or Mary’s memorial service. There was one of her with armor on standing in front of Bit. She started sobbing when she reached the last one it was of the pair of them standing under the waterfall in each other’s arms. With the message, I lived more in the last three weeks than in my entire life. I will keep an eye on you from the other side. You are the best friend I’ve ever had. Dhark. PS: You should really consider fur treatment.
Allison carefully put the sketches away. She knew where they were going. Half to Silwra and half to Earth to decorate her residences. With the waterfall one in her room at home. She sniffled and started munching on the comfort food until she had leveled off on the emotional roller coaster. It would hit her again when she was doing something that she would send to Dhark. She sniffled a few more times and picked up the folder. She wanted to see the message he’d sent her. She couldn’t view from here because of the restrictions on electronics so she went to Bit and pulled it up. It had been sent when she was mid-transit, she couldn’t receive any comms in FTL. Dhark looked so weak in it.
“Hey, you furless monkey, did I say that right?”
He chuckled and started coughing.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m going to make it. I’m sorry. I tried. I wish I had more time. I wish we had more time. Don’t be sad. You made dying worthwhile. If I wasn’t sick, I would never have known you. That song you sent me… what were the lyrics? Your language is hard for me… You are the one who can make us all laugh, in doing that you break out tears, please don’t be sad, if it was a straight line you had we wouldn’t have known you all these years… I think that was it. You played me a tune and it made me happy. I’m bad at words. You made my life worth having lived even in the short time we knew each other. Don’t forget me, but don’t be sad. You did a good thing. I think you always do the right thing.”
He coughed.
“I don’t now if you can do this… or… Well, I want to be buried somewhere beautiful. Could you do that for me? I want to sleep in a bed of those moon flowers… I want the night to light up for me. I don’t like the dark.”
Allison closed her eyes and sighed. No one could be buried there. It didn’t exist anymore. She thought of their yard and how the webs would glow in the night. She smiled. She’d plant some of the glowing flowers there, under the trees. She’d kept some of those bulbs back. She hoped they would take in the soil of Eden Prime. She made arrangements to have his remains loaded into the stasis pod in her fighter.
The nanites were packed into smaller packs this time. They had more time to prepare them, so they were much better organized. Allison headed off to Ratoa. Her plan was simple. Drop off the nanites and get the fuck out. Plans don’t always go right. There was a saying somewhere that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. It wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t expecting enemies though. She rode in the truck keeping an eye on the supplies. Maria had asked her to make sure they arrived at the facility in one piece this time. They got dropped off fine it was when she got dropped off at the airport again that things started to go wrong.
Bit was still in the hanger but there were Ratoan military vehicles sitting outside with a full platoon of their army deployed. An older woman stepped out when Allison arrived, the teenager wasn’t familiar with Ratoan military symbology so had no idea what the woman’s rank was, but she was obviously higher than everyone else. She looked Allison up and down.
“So, you’re the ‘battlelord’. I’m General Olara. We’re going to take you into custody and confiscate your fighter for the war effort against the Rebellion.”
Allison drew her pistol and aimed at the General.
“No.”
Allison had sixty projectile assault rifles pointed in her direction. The general smiled.
“You are slightly outgunned, Duchess. I’m doing this under Ratoan law. We can confiscate any civilian craft required. With your fighter, I will put an end to this Rebellion once and for all.”
Allison flicked her weapon to stun.
“And the Empress is okay with this? I have a feeling she might not appreciate it, oh and there is the slight issue that there is an Alliance fleet in orbit. I don’t think they’ll appreciate me being taken into custody. Nor you stealing the fighter.”
The general shook her head.
“By the time they realize what has been done this Rebellion will be over. Put your weapons down, I assure you, no harm will come to you, and you will be kept comfortable. Once our pilot is away you will be released, and your fleet will be notified so you can get a ride off the surface.”
Allison’s helmet went up and she fired. The general collapsed. The primitive assault rifles were unable to pierce her armor, while it had charge. The force redirection plates deflected the bullets and the military vehicles started to be riddled with bullets. The soldiers started diving for cover. Allison called out.
“Bit!”
Her starfighter hovered off the ground and flew low shredding the low-tech vehicles with her plasma gatlings. She landed in front of Allison to provide cover. The teenager jumped into the cockpit with her armor’s enhanced strength. She stuck her middle finger up at the soldiers before causing a low-level sonic boom. The air disturbance blew the soldiers down.
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“Bit, let the Fleet know we were just attacked by the Ratoan military. Then send a message to the Empress and inform her that if anyone else fires at us I will not hesitate to use our antimatter weapons. Targeting her palace first. I’m done with this planet. No way I’m coming to a ball here. Screw that.”
She wasted no time jumping to FTL. As she exited the wormhole in Eden Prime local space Bit spoke.
“We have an incoming signal routed from Ratoa, it is your grandfather.”
Allison narrowed her eyes.
“Ignore it or tell him to call someone who cares. I don’t care just don’t make me see his face.”
She angrily hit the controls to set a course for home. Allison set down in her backyard, she picked up the folder of sketches and waved to Bit as the starfighter headed to the hanger. She’d have to get things sorted before she could take Dhark’s remains out of stasis. At least he wouldn’t be alone while he waited. Aryna saw Allison’s face and the chunks out of her armor’s still formed breastplate.
“What happened?”
Allison was in a foul mood. She waved her hand dismissively.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
She stopped and looked around.
“Where is everyone?”
Aryna looked up from her tablet again.
“Your parents are on Earth for the Andromeda Sector Governor’s meeting. Robin is staying overnight at Taylor and Geogina’s house for their birthday. Their parents are going to get her to school in the morning. Raghar is sleeping on my bed and Oozie is pouting on Robin’s bed.”
Allison nodded.
“Well, good. I guess. I’ll be back out once I’ve calmed down.”
Allison swiped her hand across her AR HUD to block all calls not from Major Ghai. She had no wish to deal with anyone. She dug through the folder to find the picture Dhark had sketched of Aryna and set it aside. She paced back and forth in her room afterwards opening and closing her fingers. How could Babu marry that psychotic bitch. One call to her Aunt and she was sure the Empress would be left without any support from the System’s Alliance.
*****
Maria’s hologram paced back and forth in front of the Empress projected from a portable holo-projector delivered into her throne room by Thomas Elk’s Special Forces team. Along with a pissed off vampire, Helen in this case. The team had her entire palace guard on their knees in front of them. Maria was pissed.
“You are lucky you have a planet left. You attacked an Aurelius. If my niece and council had their way we would have glassed it from orbit. There is a code, blood for blood. It is the old law. An attack on one is an attack on all. If my niece had even a bruise after you attacked her and tried to steal her fighter you will not have support against the Rebellion you will have a new war to fight, which you will lose.”
The empress had not had the opportunity to meet a vampire in person. She thought Allison was an example of an average vampire after her talks with her grandfather. Now she truly saw what she had made a deal with. Helen was angry. With her age and the fact, she was very close to their true source she had a palpable aura of fear radiating from her. What she did know was their president was far older than the one in front of her and she was angrier if appearances were to be believed. She tried to maintain a calm demeanor.
“General Olara went rogue. She had no authorization to interfere with Allison. You know how vital Allison is to the stability of my empire. I gain nothing from this, and I need her alive. For all I know the General’s next step was to use the fighter to try and overthrow me. She has been upset with the System’s Alliance refusing to act directly against the Rebels. I do not know what was going on in her head, she has always been loyal to the royal family. Surely, we can find a resolution to this that doesn’t require further violence on anyone’s part.”
Olga entered at this point and tossed a beat up looking at General Olara in front of the royal guard.
“Found her boss. She was trying to get past our fleet on a disguised military shuttle, as if we didn’t lock onto her life signs the minute the fleet was notified of the attack. Idiot.”
Olga pulled her bolter out and pointed it at the General’s head.
“Just say the word.”
Maria looked at the empress.
“The loyalty of your military is your problem. Deal with it, or we will. I assure you if there is another attack on our people, we will consider it an act of war. Consider yourself on notice. Keep your people in check or we will revoke all support. If you can prove my niece and her family will be safe, we will still proceed with the masquerade ball, otherwise, it is off. This is what I like to refer to as a come to Jesus moment. If your military cannot be depended on to defend you and follow your orders it is time to disband them and let us take over. Goodbye Empress, if you have gods, pray we do not speak again about matters related to this.”
Her hologram vanished. Olga shrugged and holstered her bolter.
“Looks like it is your lucky day comrade.”
The team, Helen and Olga retreated while keeping their weapons aimed at the royal guard. The empress looked down at Olara.
“What were you thinking Olara?”
Olara pulled herself up and she held her side.
“One of their fighters can end this Rebellion in seconds. Should I let a child stand between us and winning? We don’t need outsiders. We don’t need an alien queen. All we needed was that one fighter.”
The empress couldn’t believe her ears.
“You thought you knew better then me? Their starfighters are sentient. If you’d managed to take the Duchess into custody it would have told their fleet, you wouldn’t have been able to control it and you’d be lucky if you survived the encounter. You foolish child. You have always been too eager for an easy solution. Your mother is cursing you from the afterlife. The System’s Alliance isn’t the League content to negotiate a peaceful solution. And she is not just a child. She is the niece and sister of the rulers of the Alliance. Rulers that are literally bloodsucking undead. Did you think… you didn’t think. We were already on thin ice with the Duchess now you have likely ruined any chance. Was that the point? Are you working with my enemies? Should I call the Duchess’s personal guard back to execute you for treason?”
Olara looked up at the empress.
“I swear, I am loyal. I was just doing what you were unwilling to do. You are playing politics when our people are dying. My people. She is one child. I had no way of knowing their armor could reflect our bullets.”
“Olara, she took on an army of Sal’nash on their colony that was attacked, alone. You thought your troops with our weapons could slow her down?”
Olara glared at the empress.
“Bugs, dumb, bugs that are only a threat in numbers.”
The empress put her hand behind Olara’s neck and threw her to the ground with strength belaying her age.
“The Duchess is an unstoppable killing machine. She is half-vampire as they call them. She can heal from almost any injury. She can tear ship hulls open. All she needs is blood and your troops would have given her all the supply she needed. Now if a child, who is only half-vampire can tear apart an army of bugs, what do you think an actual vampire can do? I have seen video. They can tear apart the Alliance ships with their minds. Move so fast we cannot perceive them. These are not people you fuck with. We can be their friends, or we can be their enemies. You and I both know this empire is on the brink of collapse. The rebellion is only a symptom. Then you go and risk making enemies of the ones that can keep people like us in power. You aren’t a glorious war hero.”
The empress turned away in disgust.
“You are the villain. It was your brutality that started this rebellion. I overlooked it. I thought it was just overeagerness to fill your mother’s boots. After this, I think it might actually just be incompetence. The next soldier, including you to threaten my alliance or my heir will be executed without trial. I will shoot them myself. My relationship with your mother is the only reason you’re still alive. Get out of my sight.”
*****
Allison snapped at Aryna when she opened the door and called her name. When she looked at the door there were two MP’s standing there. As soon as they saw her, they saluted and left. Allison heard them calling someone.
“She is at home and fine…. Confirmed.”
With that she heard them leave the house. Aryna looked Allison up and down.
“I cannot read you anymore, what has happened. Why are they so worried about you?”
Allison shook her head.
“I was attacked on Ratoa. They tried to steal Bit. Dhark… is dead.”
Aryna’s face turned sympathetic, and she embraced Allison.
“I’m sorry.”
Allison hugged Aryna tightly. The Qual’sa put her hand on the back of Allison’s head. Just like Queen Aryna would. Allison closed her eyes and pretended it was the Queen and not the shell that now housed her latest incarnation. Allison wiped away her tears as they parted. She motioned to the sketch of Aryna.
“This is for you, from him.”
Aryna looked at it, her hand tracing her chin without touching the charcoal.
“He was very talented. A true artist. It is like he captured my soul. The universe is lesser for his loss. Too many people bring the ugliness of hate and violence to it, not enough bring beauty.”
Allison sat on her bed and looked up at Aryna.
“Why do kind souls like him die and monsters like me live? I literally need blood to thrive. I’m surrounded by death.”
Aryna smiled.
“Sister, you inspire. You bring hope. We all have a part to play. Dhark’s is over so he moved on.”
Allison looked at the floor.
“What if my part is to bring death?”
Aryna touched Allison’s chin and lifted her head up.
“Death is what brings new life. It is a cycle. Death is just as important as bringing life. Who have you killed? Sal’nash. They are not part of the cycle. The death they bring causes no new life, just barren worlds. Perhaps your existence is the universe righting itself.”
Allison sighed.
“He asked me to bury him under the moonflowers on Qual’sa. I never told him they were gone.”
Aryna smiled again.
“Then we shall plant the ones you kept back for me over his grave. Where will you be burying his remains?”
Allison glanced towards the back of the house.
“You know the trees near the back of the property? Under them so the webs will light up the night for him.”
Aryna nodded.
“Then let us do that before your parents get home and can stop us.”
Allison smiled at Aryna then realized something.
“Why would they send the MP’s and not Helen?”
“Perhaps she was busy with another matter.”