Time flies when you’re having fun, or so they say. I couldn’t speak for Intra on that matter, but based on a few comments I received from her over the past few days I suspected the saying held true for her as well. Though our ideas of fun were apparently wildly different. She spent time with engineers and scientists, having long and deep conversations with them about this or that, and I went sightseeing with Zreeth on more than one occasion.
I feared that we were starting to drift apart honestly, we were so wildly different and things seemed to be getting better for us both, the bond that’s forged during moments of life and death were starting to rust and break. But perhaps that was for the best, it meant things were looking better than they had been… Right?
Still, she was always right there when I called for her, always ready to respond to a question or even keep me company. I was glad for that much at least. She was always polite as well, which wasn’t surprising.
But even so the time between conversations was growing, whereas the time between them for Zreeth and I was shortening. For someone of a royal bloodline, he was actually rather smart, and… dare I say, charming as well. While I mourned the lack of conversation with Intra, I found it slowly being replaced by conversation with Zreeth.
And in no time at all, a week had passed, a nice, quiet, blissful week. Nobody tried to shoot at us, destroy the planet, arrest Intra or me. I had settled into my role as Ambassador pretty well, I’d even been provided a nice home, nothing fancy at my request after seeing the place they had chosen first. Goodness, that had been more space than I could have ever hoped to use.
No, I had a nice little house as close to the palace as possible but also on the bank of a nice smallish river, one of the few that happened to flow through the area. It even filtered into a basin that was mostly calm and still, perfect for swimming, which I ended up doing a lot of. Zreeth not so much, his particular brand of Eltrani lineage was not predisposed to water beyond baths and rain. Beyond the house, I now had a nice little office all to myself in the palace, and while I had no idea at what stage my people were now at, I continued to put our best foot forward. It was mostly a courtesy made by the Imperium, I wasn’t being pressured into any sort of trade or military deals or anything, just paving the way for good relations later on.
It was rather rewarding, I met many, many people, Balvunn being one of them, he was a frequent occupant of my office and steadily becoming a friend. Perhaps not to the same degree as Zreeth.
All good things must come to an end however, as one day I looked up from a book I was deeply engrossed in when someone knocked upon my door. “Come in!” I called out, setting the book aside as a messenger stepped in and bowed, before clearing their throat.
“The Emperor requests your presence in his private library at once in regards to an urgent matter.” The messenger said, and I blinked, wondering just what had gone wrong now, and whether or not this would result in us having to run away again. I hoped not.
“Thank you, I’ll head there immediately.” I said, and the messenger bowed again, stepped out of my office and took flight, off to deliver more messages no doubt. I stood, smoothed out my clothes, which were fashionable yet minimal as was culturally appropriate for my people… as far as I knew these days.
About ten minutes later I found myself stepping into the private library of the Emperor, and found him easily enough sitting at a desk, a number of digi-scrolls and other items cluttering it.
“Ah, Ambassador, thank you for coming so promptly.” He said, motioning towards a seat across from him, which I took after bowing slightly.
“I came as quickly as I could, but I’ve never been in this wing of the palace before so I got a little lost.”
“Ahh it happens. It takes everyone some time to figure it all out…” He chuckled, but it was short lived, replaced by a serious scowl as he stared off into the distance. With a shake of his head, he tapped a button, the lights dimming considerably and a hologram of the sector appeared over the desk. “What I am about to tell you and ask of you cannot leave this room, you are asked to not tell a soul besides Intra but you must swear her to secrecy as well. Understood?”
I could tell that he was putting a lot of trust in the two of us, we were still unknowns for the most part, still potential liabilities. Whatever this was, he wanted it to rest on our shoulders, not his or his people’s. “I understand. How can I help?”
He sighed, before flicking a hand through the air. The hologram changed, showing the Imperium and a neighboring nation. “As of two hours ago I received an encrypted transmission from the Okali Union, one of our longest and most loyal allies. They’ve recently lost contact with a number of their deep space research outposts, and even one colony. They know it wasn’t our doing, but something is out there and it’s picking them apart piece by piece. They have their hands full with trying to figure it out and are unable to divert the ships and personnel to investigate, as they’re being tasked with potentially defending their colonial interests.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As he spoke, points of light along the Union’s border started to go out, illustrating the problem easily enough, even for a primitive such as myself. “They have asked me to investigate the problem areas directly. However, assembling a task force of ships would cause undue alarm amongst my people, and I’d rather not cause an uproar if there turns out to be some sort of natural phenomena behind all of this. Which is where you come in, or rather Intra, as it is her ship and body that would be putting itself in harm’s way.”
He paused, searching for the right words to say next, but I beat him to it. “You’d like Intra and I to investigate on your behalf?” I say, and he nods.
“It would be appreciated, and would give me time to prepare a proper military response if need be. I’d like to know what’s going on before I blindly send my people into the grinder.”
A reasonable reason to be hesitant. I had no experience with tactics beyond seeing what I had with Intra, but it was still something I could understand. We sat there in a contemplative silence for some time, before I spoke up.
“Let me talk with Intra. I’m sure she’ll accept this request but it’s best not to assume.” The Emperor looked relieved by my words, and slumped in his chair.
“Thank you, Ambassador. Know that whatever the outcome, anything you do for me and my people will be greatly appreciated, and will certainly solidify pleasant relations between our people in the future.”
Further incentive to actually do as he asked. Smart move. I smile, and we bid our goodbyes. Leaving, I call Intra, and give her the details.
She doesn’t hesitate to say yes.
⫷⟪∞⟫⫸
I won’t lie, our time spent at Pelevon was wonderful, but I itched to fly again, to explore this strange new land so to speak. Of course, exploration was not what I’d be doing right now, I had a mission, no, we had a mission. It’d be nice to fly with Ula again, I had missed her company. But she had been enjoying time with Zreeth, and I couldn’t bring myself to cut in on that. I wanted her to be happy after all, and if she was happier spending time with Zreeth than me, then that was fine.
As I ensured that the Warden was fully stocked for the trip ahead of us, I sensed something from Ula that I hadn’t before. Well that’s not true, I’d sensed nervousness from her before, but this time it seemed to be centered around me, and I needed to know why.
“Ula, what’s wrong?” I asked inside her head, and I had accidentally startled her, for what she said next was hastily blurted out mentally and verbally.
“I’m not coming with you.”
For a moment those words hung between us, and I wondered if perhaps I had heard her right or suffered some sort of glitch.
“You're not.”
“No, no I’m not. I can’t… I can’t handle battle like you can. I’m not made for it. I’m going to stay here and… and I dunno, be your connection to the Emperor. I just… I feel sick and terrified every time I think about ending up in another space battle over which I have little to no control. I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”
Again, the words hung between us, and I felt a tingling on my cheek, as though I had been slapped. I don’t know why I felt that, it didn’t seem like the right feeling, but perhaps it was the closest one I knew.
“I see… I understand. I do… I’m not mad either, I should never have put you in this position. I’ll see you when I get back.” If I get back that is, who knows what could happen.
“Intra… Be safe, okay?” And she means it, it’s perhaps the only balm on the sour feelings I’m experiencing.
“I’ll do my best.” And with that I cut the connection. I feel a dampness on my cheeks and realize I’m crying. I can’t rightly describe what I’m feeling, but I know it isn’t productive in the slightest and I purge myself of emotions long enough to regain my composure. But it seems I’m not the only one that wants to talk to me, as the Emperor pings me and I open the line.
“Yes, your majesty?” I ask.
“I’m transmitting a file to you. If anyone from the Union stops you, just send them this. It’ll allow you to act freely within their space. It’s only temporary, so don’t expect it to give you permanent immunity.” I receive the file, and check it over. It’s hefty, but filled with codes that I’m sure the Union would recognize, as they seem to be a mixture of Imperium and Union signatures.
“Thank you, your majesty. These should be most useful.” My thanks is genuine, and he can tell.
“May the gods fill your wings with strong winds and see you home safely, Intra.” I look that saying up and smile.
“And may your nest be warm and bountiful. Intra out.”
I seclude myself in the ship, running through checklist after checklist and running diagnostics at the same time. Everything checks out, and with the new upgrades I’ll be doing just fine on my own.
“Needle traffic control this is the Warden of Eternity, requesting release of docking clamps and departure.”
“Warden of Eternity, this is traffic control. Docking clamps have been released. Departure authorized. Good luck and good hunting.”
I smile again, and when the clamps are fully retracted, I engage my thrusters, pushing myself backwards out of the station, starting to flip around the moment my nose clears the bay.
“Needle control, undocking complete. Save me a spot for when I get back.” I don’t expect a response, and I don’t receive one either. Main engines ignite and I start to knife through the void, the gleaming white and gold armor that now adorns me catching the light of the nearby star. I look far, far prettier than I ever have before.
Coordinates locked, I move to a safe distance, align myself with my destination and charge FTL. Within moments, I streak forward, and vanish into the black. I have plenty of time to kill now, and I look for Ula somewhere within my halls, only to find them empty. I remember then that she’s stayed behind, and I curse myself for looking for her. I’d only just spoken to her after all, one would think I’d remember that.
For the first time in my life, I traverse the void well and truly alone.
⫷⟪∞⟫⫸
I peer through the device that Zreeth calls an Oculari, or what humans would call a telescope or spyglass. For something so small, it’s extremely powerful, I can see the Needle from the planet's surface. I watch as Intra and the Warden slip out of the dock, and I feel a pang in my heart. I feel as though I’ve betrayed her somehow, and question my decision to stay behind.
And then she’s gone, blipped away into FTL, and I am now technically stranded on a world not my own. I lower the oculari, a hand resting over my heart.
“You better come back.” I whisper, then turn away and head back inside, needing to find something to do that’ll lighten my mood.