Part V
"I know it's busy, Doctor, but I really need those supplies."
Yuki's hand tightened around the receiver and her brow furrowed. "I sent Miyuki over with it about thirty minutes ago. Haven't you seen her?"
"No, ma'am, I haven't. I guess I can come myself-"
"No, it's all right. I'll send someone else." Yuki hung up and prepared another satchel. She beckoned Hideki to her. "Bring this to the satellite infirmary. Don't stop for anything, and call me when you get there. If you see Miyuki, tell her to report to me immediately."
"Yes, ma'am." He turned and left.
Yuki let her eye rove about sickbay, hoping she had accidentally missed her return. It's nothing, don't jump to conclusions, she thought. She probably just got distracted. Before resuming her duties, Yuki picked up the receiver again. She radioed the brig.
"Sano here."
"This is Yuki. I want you to check on the prisoner."
"What is it you want me to check for?"
"Open the cell and make sure he's still there. Do it now."
"Uh, aye, sir. I mean, yes ma'am!"
Med techs rolled two injured crew into sickbay on stretchers. Yuki waved them to one side while she waited for the guard to report back.
"Doctor?" said Sano.
"Yes?"
"He's here."
Yuki let her shoulders sag briefly in relief. "Have you seen Lieutenant Kodai Miyuki?"
"No ma'am."
"If you do, " she continued, "Contact me in sickbay immediately. She is not allowed access to the brig."
There was a brief pause. "Yes, Doctor."
Yuki hung up and went back to work.
Sanada began a multi-scan sweep of the corridor. Rounding the bend, he saw something brown on the floor. He bent down and fingered the torn edge of a satchel. He picked it up, and a small vial rolled towards his feet. Glancing around, he saw what had obviously been the satchel's contents scattered about the floor. He scanned the supplies as well. Deducing their sickbay origin, he went to the nearest radio.
"Let me talk to the doctor," Sanada told the med tech who answered. "Yuki? This is Sanada. I'm investigating a strange energy build up on deck E. I found medical supplies all over the floor here. Is anything missing from sickbay that you should know about?"
"I sent Miyuki over to the satellite infirmary to supplement their stores."
"When was that?"
"About forty-five minutes ago."
"Would she have gone by way of E deck?"
"It's possible." Yuki's voice betrayed a trace of panic. "Sanada-San, what's wrong? What did you find?"
"Nothing yet, except for the supplies. Could be just a random engine discharge we picked up. Try not to worry; I'll let you know when I know." Sanada hung up and continued with the scans. The clues were few, and puzzled him greatly.
Miyuki woke up with a headache. She found herself lying in a tiny cell bathed in a harsh light. It was cold, with a sterile scent, and unmarked by any fixtures. Miyuki pressed her throbbing head against the cool wall. Why do I feel so groggy? she wondered. The details of her abduction remained elusive and disjointed. Her captors were Ilydrian, she knew that much. She remembered a prickly stab in her neck. Something was in her, some kind of drug. Stripped of her uniform, she was left to shiver clad only in her undergarments. Miyuki dimly recalled being passed from one person to another, each apparently intent upon his own private investigation of her person. Her breasts and bottom ached. She shifted into a kneeling position to ease the pressure.
There had been some kind of procedure, or more than one. Clamps to restrain her. What felt like the confident hands of a doctor probing her bare skin with cold instruments. A spray that made her eyes water. Tubes that invaded her throat and made her gag. Thankfully, it hadn't lasted long, or maybe she had fallen unconscious and lost track of the time. Now she was here, in another strange place.
Where am I? Does anyone even know I'm missing? Miyuki thought. Fears of abandonment breached her hazy mind and she began to cry. She bent over her knees, arms hugging her body. Tears spilled onto a floor that stared back unsympathetically. Momma! Will I ever see you again?
It occurred to her that the worse might be yet to come. She might be raped, or tortured and killed. You have to be brave. Don't let them see you cry came an unbidden voice in her head. What would the Captain do? She conjured up the image of her father. Papa! Miyuki hadn't seen or spoken to him since they argued. Remorse flooded through her, causing a fresh wave of tears. She choked them back, and tried to calm down.
Another speculation crept into her mind. I must be here because of Alois. Could they know about us? But how? And how did they find me? For those answers, Miyuki would have to wait; at that moment the cell door opened. A fresh pair of guards entered and pulled her to a standing position. One of them had a bundle of cloth in his hands. The other compelled Miyuki to lift her arms, while the first draped her in the silky white fabric. It was some sort of woman's dressing gown. Miyuki immediately covered her chest with her arms to hide her cleavage. Laughing derisively, the guards yanked them down and roughly secured them behind her. They led her out of the cell.
When Hideki returned to sickbay, Yuki cornered him with another assignment as she sutured a wound. "I want you to find Miyuki. She never showed up at the satellite and hasn't reported back in."
"Every department. Physically locate her and escort her back."
"But that's going to take forever!"
"Then now's a good time to get started!"
Hideki wearily turned himself around and exited sickbay to begin his search.
Back on the bridge, Tokugawa and Sanada made their reports to Kodai.
"I found trace amounts of tachyon particles clinging to the walls, floors, and ceiling," Sanada told him. He paused as a ship-wide page came in.
"Will Lieutenant Kodai Miyuki please report to sickbay immediately. Attention, Lieutenant Kodai Miyuki to sickbay."
"The structural integrity of the area is sound. Unfortunately, the scans are inconclusive. Without more information, it's difficult to make a diagnosis."
Kodai turned to Tokugawa. "And the engine?"
"Checks out fine, sir."
The captain sighed. "All right. Just be alert for anything unusual."
It was becoming more and more difficult for Yuki to concentrate on her patients. Hideki had reported in four times and so far, had not found her daughter. Had she not been so worried, she would have been impressed with the way he efficiently launched a search by networking with various department heads to canvass the ship. Yuki fought to control her mounting panic; she had little success, much to her chagrin. She made repeated calls to the brig to ensure Alois was still there. Each time, the guard assured her that nothing unusual had happened. Then why don't I believe you? Yuki lamented to herself.
Miyuki was brought to a cavernous hall. The high ceilings were lost in shadow. At the far end, where they were headed, sat a throne. It was dark in color, with a rounded back, and was encrusted with precious stones. A single light fixture draped it in a soft white light. This was the throne hall of Etruvia, the most ancient of Ilydrian families. Large murals spanned the walls, depicting battles and heroes of old. Miyuki was made to kneel before a great dais that spanned several hundred feet across and wide.
The guards stood behind her, ever vigilant. It was a painfully long wait; a deep cramp began to throb in her left thigh and spread upward. Whenever Miyuki dared to look up to examine her surroundings, one of the guards would immediately wrench her head back. She could only surmise that she was being presented to someone of great importance.
Finally, a door slid aside to her left silently slid open. More guards streamed in. Miyuki could hear the steady cadence of their footfalls as they proceeded across the dais and took up positions along each side. Her curiosity became so heightened that she momentarily forgot about the ache in her thigh.
The hall became deathly quiet. A lone figure treaded softly across the glossy floor. Miyuki heard his breath, which creaked like a worn out rocking chair. She wrinkled her nose in disgust; a rank odor preceded him as well.
"So here we are," the man said, and squatted on the floor in front of Miyuki. He reached out a hand with a viper's grip and drew her chin upward.
His strength belied his age. Miyuki blanched at the sight of him. She instinctively drew back her head, but he held her tightly. Here was a man who perhaps was once stalwart and noble in looks and deeds, but now remained only a shadow of his former self. He was tall, but rail-thin, almost emaciated. Sinews bulged under his skin like the roots of a tree about to break ground. Robes and a tunic, once vibrant and elegant, now hung about him in drab tatters. Pallid skin stretched tightly across a face framed by stringy gray hair. He had the sunken eyes and cheeks of a corpse, and his breath smelled as though it belonged to one. Miyuki was forced to stare into his eyes. Gray and penetrating, they roved across her face and body while he grunted and cackled.
"I have something for you," he said, and released her momentarily. He motioned for an attendant to come forward. A young woman presented him with a small blue case. He started giggling like a five-year-old who had found a cache of sweets or toys that he did not have to share with anyone else.
"W-who are you?" asked Miyuki, her speech mildly slurred from the drug (drugs?) in her system.
One of the guards cuffed her left ear and she cried out.
The old man grinned with a leer and wagged a finger at her. With a sly wink, he slowly shook his finger: "We must behave now." He removed a shiny object from the case. It was a thick silver bracelet that bore a dark blue gem. "We must BEHAVE!" he bellowed. His voice reverberated endlessly, cascading through the hallways.
Miyuki cringed, and tried to pull away as he reached behind her. The guards held her still while the old man fastened the bracelet around one wrist.
"There, aren't we pretty, now," he said, and patted her head as one would a child. He sat cross-legged on the floor before her. His visage changed suddenly, transforming him into a dark and brutal fiend from a nightmare. "Your people have something I want, and you're going to help me get it. I will contact Yamato, and this is what you'll tell them." He leaned forward and pressed his cheek to hers. It felt dry and cool. His mouth was at her ear.
Miyuki listened as he whispered to her, but she was shaking with fear and disdain. Her eyes widened as he spoke, for he said many words, but they made no sense. After a minute or two, he pulled back and stared at her.
"Practice what I told you," he said, "please." His eyes slit shut. This was not an exercise in being polite. Not by his tone. Nor was it a request.
This was too much for Miyuki. Her eyes began to well up with tears, which gently streamed down her flushed cheeks. "I don't understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The old man cocked his head. For a moment his face softened, and he clucked at her like a nursemaid. He reached out a bony hand and raked his fingers through her hair. "No crying my dear, only behaving." Swiftly he leaned forward and clamped his mouth on her cheek to catch a fresh tear that had fallen. Miyuki cried out as if his touch burned. Then his teeth closed in and he started to bite her. Miyuki jerked back and fell sideways to the floor.
The guards moved too swiftly for her to consider any kind of escape. They snapped her back into a kneeling position. A reddish welt appeared on her cheek; thankfully, the skin had not been broken.
The old man was licking his fingers and lips with a strange, guttural laugh. "You will tell them what I told you, or I will stop playing so nicely." He nodded to one of the guards.
Miyuki felt a hand grope her right wrist, the one with the bracelet. The guard moved his thumb across the gem and pressed it. Miyuki arched her back as a painful wave of energy surged through her body. It felt as if her skin had been turned inside out and was being pelted by hot coals. The shock of it tore the scream from her throat. After a few moments, the guard released his thumb and stepped back. Miyuki gasped for breath while beads of perspiration erupted from her pores. She was nearly prone on the floor. Slowly, the pain ebbed away.
He's crazy, she thought. I've got to get out of here! But, too weak to move, her remaining strength slipped from her body as she fell to the floor. The guards remained near, but the old man had retreated to another part of the hall. Feeling scared and confused, Miyuki wept.
Panting heavily, Hideki caught up with Yuki while she was setting a bone fracture. "Doctor, I looked everywhere. Unless she's hiding out in a storage closet somewhere, I'm fairly certain she's not on board."
Yuki sealed up the cast as the liquid covering hardened. "Thank you, Hideki. Here, wheel this patient to a cot and give him something for the pain." She stepped back and wiped her brow. Her calm exterior never betrayed the rigid knots in her stomach. Yuki went to her desk and radioed the hangar.
"Have there been any unauthorized launches?" she asked the pilot who answered.
"No, ma'am."
Yuki hung up and gazed dully at her surroundings. Something is wrong...very, very wrong, she thought. She stood up. "Fuchida! You have sickbay. I'll be on the bridge."
Leagues above the waves that lapped at the shores of Great Island, Yamato was giving chase to several enemy battleships. Left to themselves, they would have demolished the Novorossiysk, on her last legs and attempting retreat. Suddenly, the battleship on Yamato's port side was crushed into oblivion. It splintered into pieces like so much dry kindling. An immense Ilydrian dreadnaught had warped into its time-space.
"Here comes another!" shouted Ota. "Two more-no, make that five. Dammit, they're coming in fast." He watched the radar screen intently as five more gargantuan enemy ships assumed coordinates not far from the ship. Fear struck his heart as he realized "We're surrounded!"
Kodai gave the order for evasive action, but before Tanaka could act, Yamato was breached multiple times by giant metal cables that launched from the underbellies of each dreadnaught. They were the ten ruling Houses of Ilydria. Yamato was held fast, trapped like an insect in a spider's web.
"Whatever has a hold of us is tipped by a mechanized orb," said Nambu. He listened to several more reports. "They're doing what?" he muttered. He turned to the captain. The orbs have reconfigured and clamped themselves against the inside of the hull."
"They're probably bombs," Sanada interjected. "I wouldn't move the ship if we can help it. Any further movement could threaten hull integrity."
"Incoming!" Aihara swiveled around in his chair to face the captain. "We're being hailed. Apparently, their Emperor wants a word with us."
"Patch it through," said Kodai as he turned to face the video panel.
An old man, advanced in age by many years, slouched on a throne atop a dais. Kodai looked at him expectantly. Long moments passed. Mr. Sanada joined Kodai and they exchanged glances as unobtrusively as possible.
The silence became distinctly uncomfortable. Kodai decided to initiate the exchange. He introduced himself, and ended with a polite, but firm, "Who are you?"
The old man finally began to move, slithering around in his chair like a snake aiming to strike. "Kodai of Yamato, I am Laurentius, supreme ruler of the Ilydrian Empire. There has been a travesty, a great, great travesty." Laurentius shook his head and rested his head on his chin in a thoughtful manner. His eyes grew briefly unfocused, then pivoted back again. "Nothing is safe. Nothing is sacred anymore. They, least of all, understand."
Kodai regarded him with a puzzled expression. "I don't follow you."
The door to the bridge opened. Yuki ran up to the captain's station and tugged on Kodai's arm. He motioned for her to wait.
"I will not be the witless victim of your schemes," the emperor continued. "We have such a dense hold of you, it will be a synchronicity destruction if Yamato dares to oppose me! Attempt escape or evasive nonsense and we will detonate the bombs." Laurentius balled his hand into a fist and smashed it into the armrest. His voice boomed.
"RETURN MY SON TO ME!"
Kodai blanched. "Your son?" he said, and looked at Yuki. ("What is it?" he whispered, in a hurried aside. "I can't find Miyuki," she said frantically.)
Kodai began to feel a sense of dread. Alois is your son? The Emperor's son? His thoughts wandered back to the beating he had inflicted. Why would Alois withhold that kind of information? This is some kind of elaborate trap, or Alois is completely estranged. Or does he even know he's the Emperor's son? In light of Yamato's vulnerable position, Kodai opted to reveal the truth. "A man by the name of Alois, of the House of Etruvia, has come to us asking for political asylum. We are considering his request."
Laurentius abruptly stood up. He shook his head vigorously. His speech was measured: "You will give him back. Now."
"But what if he doesn't want to return? Even though he's your son, with good reason we can- "
"What he wants is of no consequence. What you want is of no consequence. What I want is of every consequence!" Spittle broke forth from his lips as he spoke.
"I will inform him of his choice to return. I will guarantee safe passage from Yamato if he desires to leave."
For a moment, Laurentius was silent as he paced. He ran his hands down his front with repetitious, jerky movements in a vain attempt to smooth out his clothing. "Perhaps," he began, and his speech regained a more normal tone and volume, "perhaps this little morsel will persuade you." The emperor surged forward and dove to a spot on the floor. He disappeared from view.
"Oh, no!" Yuki exclaimed.
Kodai looked at her. "What?"
"He must have Miyuki!" she said, and drew a hand to her mouth in panic.
The crew heard a cackle, then watched as Laurentius came back into view. Held tightly by his side was Miyuki.
The crew was aghast at the sight. For several moments they stared, too shocked to respond. Sanada was the first to recover. To Kodai he said, "I think I understand now about the energy build up. They must have used warp technology to develop a teleportation device!"
Yuki cried out her daughter's name. Her eyes filled with tears.
Mamoru stood up and edged back to the rear of the bridge. Later, no one could say for sure just when it was that he left.
Forgetful, perhaps, that he could be heard, the emperor was speaking fiercely into Miyuki's ear. His voice was tinged with a sinister excitement. "Tell them what we practiced, tell them, tell them now, now is the time!"
"Miyuki!" Kodai shouted.
Upon hearing his voice, her eyes grew suddenly alert, and latched onto his image on the screen. "Papa! Oh, Papa... Momma," she said, her throat choking with sobs, "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble. Please forgive me!"
Yuki clung to her husband. Kodai's expression melted into one of love. "Miyuki!"
Laurentius became livid with rage. "That is of no consequence!" he roared, and let his arm fly loose with a backhanded slap. The force of it threw Miyuki to the ground. He bent down and started to shake her. A barrage of what could only be curses spewed from his mouth. Propping Miyuki up again, he seized her wrist and depressed the button. The crew watched in horror as she writhed in pain.
"Leave her alone!" Kodai shouted. "She's done nothing to you, you goddamn bastard!"
Following his lead, the bridge crew began shouting and cursing at the emperor.
Abruptly, Laurentius let Miyuki drop to the floor. He could barely be heard above the din. "My son," he said. "Return him to me, or I will send this wench into painful oblivion. You have one hour." He faded from view.
"Yuki!" Kodai said. He had spoken so loudly that everyone immediately quieted and turned to look at him.
Yuki stopped short at the elevator. She acknowledged him with a slight turn of her head.
Kodai ran over to her. "Don't even think about it!"
Yuki turned reluctantly around to face him. She was choked up with tears. "But it's my fault. I sent her out of sickbay on an errand. I have to get her! I'll take Alois' plane; they won't suspect a thing." She spun around to leave.
Kodai grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace. He spoke privately into her ear. "There is no one to blame here but the enemy. We'll exchange Alois for Miyuki; it's the safest way."
Yuki made a small movement as if to leave, but Kodai held her fast. "Yuki," he said, "don't make me put you in the brig."
Her shoulders sagged and she began to cry.
Kodai cupped her face in his hands and smoothed away the tears with his thumbs. "Yuki," he said, his voice nearly breaking, "I need you to be strong."
For a moment they looked at each other, then Yuki nodded. She took a deep breath and wiped her face.
Kodai turned to the crew. "Everyone get back to your posts! Mamoru, come with me to--" Kodai glanced at his empty chair. "Where is he?"
Alois sat against the wall with his arms folded behind his head. It had been a long, dull road since his last contact with Miyuki. With only a single exception, Kodai had ceased the interrogations. The guards had begun to check on him more frequently. Alois would look up eagerly each time, hoping against hope that Miyuki would walk through the door, her smile a burst of sunshine on a drab, cloudy day. But only the grim, sometimes hostile, faces of the guards broke the monotony.
Alois ruminated constantly on his fate. He narrowed the possibilities down to three: He would remain a prisoner indefinitely; he would be returned to his people; or he would simply be killed. Goodness knows this Kodai would feel he had enough justification, he thought. But surely he realizes that if they sent me back, death awaits me there as well. A grim smile passed across his face. Of course, only after a sound torture and mind probe, the kind that makes death seem like a day at the beach. That the Captain had mixed feelings himself about the prisoner's fate was beyond Alois' knowledge. Then he might have understood his prolonged stay aboard Yamato.
While the bruises faded, he listened closely to whatever sounds reached his ears. From the telltale patter of footfalls in the corridor, and the occasional shudder in the walls, he guessed that Yamato was engaged in combat. Thus, the days passed, one much like the other, with only exercise and anxiety to ward off the unknown.
Until today.
Mamoru burst through the door. "Get up!" he said.
Alois jumped to his feet. He made a note of Mamoru's flushed face and tense expression. "What happened?"
"Your father has abducted Miyuki. You're going to help me rescue her." Mamoru stared at him defiantly.
Alois nodded quickly. "Of course!" he said, and motioned for Mamoru to lead the way.
They flew through the corridors on their way to the hangar.
"How did he know about Miyuki, Alois?" Mamoru asked as they ran. "I assume now that your relationship with her was a secret from your father as well."
"It was. Someone must have seen us at Laramie. Or possibly, though I doubt it, when I was laid up on Cepheus."
Indeed, though for the rest of his life Alois was never to find out, he had been spotted with Miyuki during their rendezvous at the outpost. One of his comrades had lain injured in the corridor, obscured by the dead body of an Earth civilian that sprawled atop him. From his angle, he could see Miyuki's face, and watched the exchange between her and Alois. He was rescued shortly thereafter and transported back to one of their battleships. When he regained consciousness in the medical ward, he sent word at once to the Emperor, who ordered a concentrated intelligence campaign to learn Miyuki's identity. The informant later died from his injuries.
Mamoru swore. "How did they infiltrate the ship? Can you people really teleport?"
"Not without drastic casualties. It's dangerous. I know for certain that the technology is only in the planning stages. The Emperor is being extremely shortsighted by allowing its use."
Alois motioned his head to the left. They slowed to a jog. Mamoru stared in horror and wonder at the torso of an Ilydrian soldier that protruded from the wall. His head hung down, and his fingertips nearly reached the floor. A few of Yamato's engineers were studying him.
"I take it he was probably one of many sent to capture Miyuki. Some probably never even made it that far. Thank goodness she didn't suffer the same fate."
"You're not kidding!" Mamoru mumbled as they picked up speed.
When they reached the hangar, Mamoru steered Alois to the Ilydrian fighter in which he had arrived.
"But it was damaged," said Alois.
"We fixed it," Mamoru said as he suited up. He tossed Alois some gear. "You think a squad full of tech-hungry pilots is going to sit idly by when a fighter like this is around? You got a nice piece of hardware there. Hang on a second."
Mamoru took out a pen and a scrap of paper he had snatched on his way to get Alois. He scribbled a message on it. "Hey! Ito!" A young maintenance tech ran up to him. Mamoru folded the paper and passed it to him. "Go up to the bridge and give this to my mother."
"Aye, sir!"
Mamoru turned back to Alois. "You take it from here," he said. "I'll ride shotgun while you take us to Miyuki.
Alois nodded. From Mamoru's description of the room he had seen when the emperor contacted Yamato, Alois was certain of their destination. The two men suited up and boarded the fighter. They taxied out swiftly and were gone.
Kodai was deep in consultation with his senior officers when Ito reached the bridge.
"Sorry for the interruption sir, but I have a message for Doctor Kodai." He handed Yuki the paper and left.
She unfolded and read it while the conference continued: Mom, I've gone with Alois to rescue Miyuki. Back soon. Your loving and disobedient son, Mamoru.
Yuki looked to the side in an effort to maintain her composure. Kodai was staring at her apprehensively. Wordlessly, she handed him the note.
Kodai's brow furrowed as he read it. He reached for Yuki's hand. They drew from each other what strength they could, shaken as they were by fear of the unknown fate that loomed over Miyuki and her brother.
Alois steered the plane toward Etruvia. He transmitted the ID codes that would clear them for landing. "We're headed for the royal hangar," he told Mamoru.
Located behind and underneath the main bridge, the access doors spiraled open. It was a small hangar that housed only a few fighters and shuttles. Alois taxied the plane into a berth and the men jumped out. There was no one about.
Mamoru cocked his rifle and gazed around. "Go ahead, lead the way. I'll cover you."
Suddenly, he felt the prod of a gun at his back.
Before he could even turn his head, Alois shoved him against the side of the plane. He took Mamoru's rifle and leaned in close. "Be still," he said.
"Be still, my ass!" Mamoru craned his neck around to stare at him hotly. "You bastard! What the hell kind of stunt is this? I thought we had an agreement!"
Alois reached out a hand and shoved Mamoru's head back against the plane. He spoke in a low, commanding voice. "Quiet down! Do you think I can allow you to just walk freely about the ship? Trust me, this is the best way to reach Miyuki. They have to believe you're a captive. Now, walk in front of me and act like a prisoner."
Mamoru obliged him, but not without a few curses muttered under his breath. He began to calm down after realizing that Alois had only divested him of the rifle; Mamoru's other firearms were attached to his holster and belt in plain sight.
Alois nudged him with the muzzle in the direction he was to take, and their path took them out of the hangar. Mamoru noticed that any crew they passed refrained from interfering. Any that did attempt an inquiry were met with Alois' harsh glare, or the muzzle of his pistol. They passed through military barracks, which give way to elaborately decorated hallways and rooms. Mamoru thought it looked much like a fancy hotel or resort. Here they encountered more people, support staff or servants by the look of them. They merely stopped in surprise, and watched the pair curiously at their passing. Most bowed in Alois' direction. Alois herded Mamoru into an elevator.
"Are you taking me to the VIP room?" he quipped.
"The royal hall," was all Alois would say.
The elevator opened onto a sumptuously accessorized passageway that extended several hundred feet to a flight of stairs. It was dimly lit.
"Quickly, now! Run!" said Alois.
They raced down the passageway. Suddenly, Mamoru came to an abrupt stop.
"Keep going," Alois said.
Mamoru ignored him. "What's that up ahead? On the stairs?"
They jogged cautiously on.
They rushed forward. She was draped downward upon the steps like a rag doll abandoned by a child. Her hands were unsecured but the bracelet remained attached. Reaching her first, Alois bent down. He checked her pulse, and breathed an audible sigh of relief.
"She's alive!" Gently he reached beneath her back and cradled her in his arm. With his free hand, he released the secret catch on the bracelet. He removed it and tossed it aside.
Mamoru drew his gun and stooped down beside them. "Awfully quiet around here, don't you think?" He swiveled his head to and fro.
"This is no coincidence," said Alois. "I'm sure my father is up to something."
"Do you think he knows we're here?"
"Undoubtedly." Bracing his legs, Alois picked up Miyuki and stood. Her arms and legs hung down like the graceful leaves of a willow. "We'll go using one of the House's escape shuttles. Shoot anyone who tries to stop us."
Mamoru nodded grimly and cocked his weapon. He followed Alois through another series of corridors and halls. Shadowy figures and echoes of footsteps teased his senses. Whenever he looked behind them, there was nothing but empty space.
At a door outlined in a hexagonal pattern, Alois stopped. He swung Miyuki over one shoulder and went to a control panel on the wall. A series of beeps filled the air as he typed in a code.
"Ready your weapon and take cover by the door," he told Mamoru. "If we meet any resistance, it will be here." He drew his own gun.
With each man flush against the wall, the door spiraled open. As soon as Mamoru peered out the opening, he was met with a barrage of laser fire. He motioned for Alois to wait and yanked a grenade from his belt. It sailed through the opening before the pin even hit the ground. The walls trembled. At a signal from Mamoru, the two men charged into the room, guns blazing left and right. They were in a compact bay that housed three shuttles, reserved for the Emperor and his immediate family. Alois led them to the middle one and quickly keyed the code to gain access.
Laser fire from Ilydrian soldiers ricocheted around them. Mamoru lost his footing as a laser bolt grazed his thigh. "Shit!" he cried, and sprayed the advancing guards with laser fire in return.
Alois shouted for him to board the shuttle. Gritting his teeth, Mamoru limped toward the entrance. He took out two more guards before spilling through the door like a sack of rice. The door slid shut behind him. He looked down to assess the damage in his thigh. It appeared superficial, but he could feel blood seeping down the inside of his uniform. The pain was sharp, but manageable. Mamoru pulled himself up and shambled to a pilot's seat.
Alois had already secured Miyuki in a cot that detached from the wall. He was powering the shuttle to life and began pointing out controls to Mamoru. "This is the lead maneuvering helm here, and to initiate full speed use this lever here. I set up a hail already; just press this button when you're safely away. If you need to speak with your Captain directly, just shift that toggle down; it will open up a link."
Mamoru waved his hand for Alois to stop. "Aren't you coming with us?"
Alois paused. "No," he said, and announced that the systems check was complete. "There's something I have to take care of."
Mamoru stood up with some difficulty, and grabbed Alois' arm. "What about Miyuki? What am I supposed to tell her?"
Alois looked over to where she lay. He put a hand on Mamoru's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Mamoru let his arm drop.
Alois walked over and knelt beside the cot. Miyuki was unconscious, but breathing regularly. He reached out to stroke the side of her face with his fingers, and caressed her lips with his thumb before speaking.
"Tell her...ask her to wait for me, if she can."
Alois stood up. "Hurry, Mamoru. There's nothing to wait for. Get yourselves out of here!" With that, he ducked out the door.
Mamoru stared after him with a mixture of sympathy and confusion. His attention was drawn suddenly out the windows-the bay doors were opening. Mamoru resumed his seat and oriented himself to the controls. "Wish me luck, sis," he muttered, and steered the shuttle forward. With only a slight bump, it shot out and sped away.
"Where is my father?" Alois snarled at the guard he had seized by the collar.
The man gurgled. "Last I heard, Sire, he was in the throne room."
Alois released him and took off.
Being that the power of the Ilydrian emperor was infallible and absolute, and that said power extended to his children, Alois knew he would not be harmed, unless it were by the hands or direct order of the Emperor himself. Alois strode into the throne room and roared for his father. The echoes bounced off the high ceilings like a kaleidoscope of sound.
Alois looked to one of the attendants, who pointed an arm toward the throne. Alois' eyes narrowed. He waited.
For quite a long time, he waited, until a movement at the base of the throne caught his eye. He took a few steps forward. Slowly, furtively, a bony hand moved along the floor from behind the throne. The emperor's head followed, his eyes locked onto Alois like a vise. The old man slinked around the corner, but hunkered down against the side of the throne. Alois strode closer and kneeled a few paces away.
"Who are you?" said Laurentius, in a raspy voice.
Alois stared at him in surprise. It had been a few years since he had seen his father, and the change in his appearance was striking. Alois recalled that he had been thin even then, but not like this. His clothes were ill-fitting, and hung upon his frame in tattered shreds; they looked to have been torn recently. He had clearly not bathed in many weeks. Deep circles cupped his eyes. Alois wondered about how long it had been since his father had last slept.
"I am Alois of Etruvia. Your son."
When Laurentius did not respond, Alois continued. "My liege, I strongly urge you to end now this war with Earth. It has been a pointless endeavor for many months, and we would do better to seek an alliance than destroy them. Yamato is a powerful ship, and has vanquished entire empires, as I'm sure you well know."
A scornful cackle erupted from Laurentius' throat. Alois winced at the sound of it.
"I see now that you've gone the way of your brothers, and of your mother," said the emperor, and laughed again.
"Gone what way?"
"Wayward ways. Ways of the wayward. All taken care of, yes, my boy, all done!"
Alois had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "What do you mean, you've taken care of it?" He struggled to put the pieces together. His eldest brother, Llyr, was killed during a test of the vortex weapon. Elias was dead after leading an ill-timed ambush on a Gamilon colony. Cairell had been assassinated. The culprit was a member of the House of al'Baan, accused based on highly circumstantial evidence, Alois remembered thinking at the time. The cause of their mother's death had never been found.
Laurentius started rambling, his speech pressured. Alois listened closely for some minutes, but little of it was coherent. His father seemed to be speaking to people that existed only in his mind, or in the past. "They all wanted me to stop...no more attacks. You'll overextend our forces...you idiot...how dare you? I'll not have it! How dare you," he hissed.
Alois looked at him in shock and wonder as the realization hit him. "You had them all killed!" He shook his head slowly in disbelief. "They dared to oppose the war, and you had them all killed."
"Everything and nothing," he said. Laurentius cackled again, and rambled on some more.
Alois' eyes grew wide. "You intentionally banished me to the front lines, didn't you? To test me, to see how I would handle it." He turned pale. "You meant for me to die!"
The emperor snorted and hooted derisively.
Alois realized his father had never stopped talking, or making some kind of ridiculous noise. "Good god," he said, "you're mad!"
Alois was quiet for a moment as he contemplated the implications of his father's unbalanced state. "You need help," he told him, and scooted over to kneel by his father's side. He placed a hand on the old man's shoulder.
The emperor's right arm shot out and his hand closed around Alois' throat. He brought round his other one and began to pound his son's head against the throne.
"I know what you want!" Laurentius said in a vicious snarl. "I know! Your mother knew, and I knew her! You're all the same, you despoilers and miscreants!"
Alois shoved his hand against the emperor's face in an attempt to extricate himself. His skin was flushed; Laurentius' grip was tighter than a snake's. A raspy ouch! escaped his lips as the emperor bit his hand. Alois felt the breath being squeezed out of him. The light started to grow dim.
There is no other choice. Here is where it must end!
The emperor's hands grew slack. Alois watched in dismay as the life in his father's eyes grew weak, faint, then faded out altogether. Alois' tears felt hot, as hot as his father's blood that seeped out of the wound in his chest. He threw his gun aside; it clattered against the floor and was silent. Alois drew his father's head to his chest and wept.
It was a few tense moments after reaching Yamato before Mamoru convinced Aihara that it was he and Miyuki aboard the Ilydrian shuttle. Once inside, he opened the hatch to find his mother waiting with a stretcher, accompanied by a few med techs. She rushed past him to do a preliminary check on her daughter. She barked a few orders, and Miyuki was transferred to the stretcher.
Mamoru had by this time limped out of the shuttle. "I'm reporting to the bridge," he announced.
Yuki called over one of the nurses. "Follow Mamoru to the bridge and tend to his injury, if he won't stop for you before then." She caught her son's eye with a grateful smile. "You're definitely your father's son," she said, before returning with Miyuki to sickbay.
Mamoru grinned weakly after her. "I just hope he doesn't hold it against me," he said, leaning on the nurse as they exited the hangar.
Hearty cheers and claps greeted Mamoru when he entered the bridge. He dismissed the accolades with a wave and stood before the captain to make his report.
Kodai listened attentively until he finished. "Well done," was all he said. He watched as Mamoru returned to his post. You're truly your mother's son, he thought.
Aihara signaled for the captain's attention. "I just intercepted a message. I'll bet you a hundred to one we were meant to get it. It reads: Emperor Alois of Etruvia hereby orders all fleets and Houses to cease-fire and withdraw immediately. Set a course for Planet Mircea and await further orders."
Kodai ordered Aihara to forward the message to EDF command. The fighting began trickling down to a stop, although some overzealous EDF battleships continued to pulverize the enemy with cannon fire and missiles until Todo ordered them to back off.
Suddenly, great wrenching sounds bellowed throughout Yamato's hull.
"Status report!" said Kodai.
"I think they're setting us free," said Nambu.
"Steady, Tanaka," said the captain. "Ready thrusters, fire as needed. Sanada-san, please oversee the repairs."
Sanada nodded his way and left the bridge.
Alois sat on the bridge, having ousted the previous commander for the time being. He watched the video screen as the Houses withdrew their cables from Yamato.
All but two.
Alois hailed them. The screen split into images of the reigning lords: Hestia of Kalimar, and Yaro of Peraldes. Both regarded Alois with stern expressions.
"Why have you not withdrawn? I ordered a full retreat!"
"Where is the Emperor?" asked Yaro.
"He is dead. I am Emperor now."
Hestia's eyes narrowed as she processed the information. Her response did not surprise Alois. He knew that the loyalty of these two Houses to his father ran deep.
"The House of Kalimar does not recognize Alois of Etruvia," she said.
"Neither does Peraldes. I challenge your assumption of the throne."
Alois glared. "You will obey my command or suffer the consequences!"
Yaro disregarded him with a wave of the hand. "Your recent actions have been highly questionable. I, for one, will not accept a traitor and murderer as emperor. This battle is not yet resolved. Ready all weapons," he said to his bridge crew. His condescending look betrayed his opinion of Alois. "Fire at Etruvia and Yamato at will!"
Alois jumped up in a rage. "House of Peraldes, STAND DOWN!"
He was answered with a blank screen as Yaro and Hestia closed the links. Alois sounded a red alert. "All hands to battle stations," he cried. "Fire at will. Target: The Houses Peraldes and Kalimar. Destroy them both!"
From Yamato's bridge, the crew stared in astonishment as the great dreadnaughts began to lay siege upon each other. The other eight had retreated to a safe distance, perhaps, Kodai thought, waiting to see who emerged victorious. Thick, molten-hot bolts of laser fire leapt from each ship to sear and scorch. Turret after turret gushed forth their contents.
"Uh, some of that's headed our way!" Ota reported. "First wave of missiles approaching!"
The crew was tossed about as the barrage of missiles ripped into Yamato's starboard side.
"Tanaka, hard to port, eighty degrees. Maneuver us away so those anchors slip out. Hopefully they're a little too busy right now to notice."
"Aye, sir!"
Yamato strained against the cables, and with a few deft maneuvers, pulled herself free. Meanwhile, Etruvia was sustaining heavy damages. She was enveloped in a thick blanket of fire and smoke. Cannon fire from Kalimar and Peraldes continued to rake her sides.
"Mamoru," said Kodai, "Prepare the Wave Motion Gun. Target the dreadnaughts."
Mamoru turned around to look at the captain, his features awash in disbelief. "On Alois?"
"No!" said Kodai in a frustrated tone. "The ones attacking him!"
"Charging sequence in effect," reported Tokugawa. "Firing level at one-hundred twenty percent."
"Standing by to fire," added Nambu, and he confirmed the coordinates.
Mamoru adjusted the sight. "All hands assume brace positions!"
The countdown began.
"Fire!"
The force of the Wave Motion Gun pounced on Kalimar. It buckled and exploded with the sudden onslaught of energy. All ships in the vicinity, including Yamato, pulled back to avoid the blast. Etruvia renewed its attack on Peraldes, and shortly reduced it to a drifting pile of debris.
Soon after the last explosion faded, Aihara detected an incoming messagae. "Alois is hailing us!"
Kodai nodded at him to patch it through. When Alois appeared, his expression was grim, but determined. The front of his shirt was splattered with blood.
"Captain," he said as acknowledgement, and gave a slight bow with his head. "The threat against Earth has been removed. Laurentius is dead, by my hands. I have ordered a full retreat and withdrawal from your territories. Earth need not fear us again. You have my word. My thanks to you for your assistance in the resolution of this conflict."
"Alois!" said Mamoru as he stood up. "What about Miyuki? She loves you!"
Alois sighed and looked down. When his eyes opened again, they were soaked with grief. "Be that as it may, I'm sure her father will find someone much more suitable for her. Farewell." His image faded out.
"Alois!" cried Mamoru. "Alois! Aihara, hail him before he warps away. Tell him we can-"
"Belay that," said the captain. "Let them go."
He turned to his father with an expression of utter surprise. "What? How can you let him go? It'll break Miyuki's heart!"
Kodai said nothing.
His silence only infuriated Mamoru, who leapt out of his chair and stormed up to him. "Alois risked everything he had! He sacrificed his own father to save thousands of lives. The only reason this war ended is because Miyuki showed him a little compassion!"
Mamoru shook his head in frustration and slammed a fist onto the control panel. His features were etched into a glare, and he mockingly held out a hand "Give me that chip on your shoulder, Dad, because I'm going to smash it to pieces!"
His words echoed and hung like icicles in the frozen atmosphere on the bridge. Kodai stood up. If Mamoru were any less upset, he would have realized he had overstepped his bounds. Before Kodai could respond, Yuki rushed through the door and ran up to them.
She regarded them both curiously before speaking. "Come down to sickbay. Miyuki is starting to wake up. She's going to be fine."
"Sanada-San, you have the bridge!"
Mamoru followed his parents into the elevator. On the way down, he kept his back to them, arms crossed and a sulky expression on his face. Yuki briefed Kodai on Miyuki's condition. Once in sickbay, she led them to where their daughter lay.
They entered the room. Miyuki's eyes were already open. When she saw her father, she strained forward to sit up. Yuki rushed to the other side of the bed to help. Kodai sat down in front of her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her softly.
Miyuki's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm okay."
Kodai was tearful as well. He touched a finger to her chin. "I just wanted you to be safe!"
"Oh, Papa!" she cried, and threw her arms around his neck. "I know! I'm so sorry!"
Kodai hugged her back. "Miyuki!"
Mamoru had been watching them from the door. Resentment toward his father had built up in him to the point where it became more than he could stomach. He walked out of the room in a huff. Yuki noticed him leaving and tracked him down in the outside corridor. He was leaning against the wall staring morosely into space.
Yuki placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Mamoru gave her a perturbed look. "Alois just ended this war, and Dad let him go! The love of her life, and he let him go!"
Yuki chose her words carefully. "Your father is thinking only about protecting her. He couldn't bear for anything to happen to you or your sister. He loves both of you dearly."
"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it."
"Mamoru, when you've lost as many people as your father has, then you can pass judgment," she told him, and walked back into sickbay.
Mamoru stared after her, frowning as he thought about her comment. He briefly closed his eyes. Dammit, Mom, why do you always have to be so right? After a few minutes of reflection, he went back in.
When he entered the room, Kodai was standing up. He glanced at Mamoru.
"I should return to the bridge. Why don't you keep your sister company for a while?"
Mamoru nodded, and stuck out his hand to shake his father's. Kodai grasped his hand warmly, his eyes regarding Mamoru only with approval. He and Yuki left the room.
Mamoru leaned down to hug his sister and sat on the edge of the bed. "Feeling alright, sport?"
Miyuki nodded. "Dad said you're a real hero for rescuing me, and wanted to be sure I thanked you."
Mamoru scratched at his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, well, Alois had more than a little to do with it, too."
"Is he okay? I didn't dare ask Papa about him."
"He's fine. He's an emperor, now, you know. I guess he's got his work cut out for him."
"Alois is gone, isn't he?" Miyuki asked, with a slight tremble to her voice.
Mamoru looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah. Sorry about that, kid. He took his cue from Dad."
"Did he say anything? About me?"
"He told me to ask you to wait for him."
Miyuki put a hand to her brow. She was determined not to cry. Mamoru silently studied his hands. After a few moments, she looked at him and offered a weak smile. "I...I guess the realistic thing to do is move on." She cast her eyes down. "I've been enough trouble to everyone already."
Mamoru grabbed her hands and gave them a squeeze. "I think my life would be really boring if I didn't have you around to cause a little trouble now and then!"
Miyuki grinned. "But look," she said, "I know you said Alois was pretty cute. But if he does come back, I've got dibs on him, okay?"
Mamoru snorted and rolled his eyes. "As if!" he said, launching Miyuki into irrepressible giggles.
Two months have passed since the Ilydrian Empire ended its attacks. Earth's defense forces began their recovery, and plans were made to rebuild Laramie Space Station. The lives of the thousands lost were mourned, and the valiant actions of the war's heroes were honored. The Milky Way Galaxy knew peace once again. After weeks of festivity, the Kodai family settled down into their daily routines. The time is late spring on a weekend afternoon.
Kodai was on the deck replacing some splintered boards. A movement in the yard caught his eye. Miyuki was walking barefoot across the grass, a book in hand. She sat with her back against an oak tree. From where he worked, Kodai could see her outstretched legs.
About an hour later, he was gathering his tools when a breeze kicked up. It carried with it the unmistakable sounds of crying. Kodai went to stand at the railing. Dusk was beginning to settle, but he could still see Miyuki's legs where she sat. Her book lay casually in her hand by the ground; hardly a suitable angle for reading.
Yuki walked onto the deck carrying a tea set. A magazine was tucked under her arm. She poured her husband a cup of the amber liquid and brought it over to him.
"Yuki," said Kodai as he accepted the cup, "I can't stand it. Do you hear that?" he asked, and waited until the wind delivered another chord of Miyuki's weeping. "She's miserable! She tries to act like everything's fine, but..." he paused, and sighed.
Yuki gazed out into the yard, then walked to the table and sat down. She fixed herself a cup and took a sip. "Then you know what you need to do," she said. She opened her magazine and began to read.
Kodai turned around to look at her. He opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it. There was no debating it; his wife was right. The time to go had come.
"Miyuki, are you ready yet?" called her mother from the foyer. Yuki was posed at the mirror applying soft pink lipstick.
Mamoru lounged in a chair reading a magazine. He looked up and grinned as his sister trudged down the stairs.
"I'm ready," Miyuki told her mother.
Yuki gave her a disapproving look. "Not in that outfit, you're not. Go upstairs and change."
Miyuki looked at her mother in annoyance. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked, gesturing to her casual top and jeans.
"You're father's been gone for three months, that's what's wrong with it. He deserves a little more respect than that. Now go back up and change. Put on that pretty white sundress."
Miyuki turned around as though she were in a pit of quicksand. "Oh, all right," she mumbled, and trudged up the stairs twice as loudly as her descent.
Mamoru stifled a laugh.
"And you," said Yuki, who took his magazine. She hit him playfully with it on the shoulder. "Don't sit like that or you'll get your uniform wrinkled."
Mamoru stood up and stretched. "I think we should tell her."
Yuki was back at the mirror. "No, because I want to be sure. I haven't spoken with your father for nearly a week. Anything could happen."
Miyuki reappeared a few minutes later. The three left the house and drove to the base.
The terminal was crowded. Not only had Yamato returned, but also many other ships that had been out on patrol. Family members and hordes of young children milled about while they waited. Yuki and her children made their way to Yamato's berth.
Tired of the continual dodging of bodies, Miyuki suddenly plunked herself down on a bench. "I'm waiting here," she said.
"Suit yourself," said Mamoru. He continued on with Yuki.
Momma, you don't understand! Miyuki thought. After losing Alois, it's hard to see you all lovey-dovey with Papa. I miss him so much it hurts!
Her mood was sullen as she waited. There was a flowerbox behind the bench. Miyuki grabbed a daisy and began to meticulously yank out every petal. She became increasingly lost in thought as each one fell to the ground.
Mamoru appeared out of the crowd. He had run back, and was panting. He sat down beside her and started whistling.
"What's your problem?" Miyuki said as she plucked another blossom. She gave him a sideways glance.
He made a silly face at her.
"Cut it out," she said.
Mamoru threw his arm casually across the back of the bench. "Say," he said after a moment, "who's that with Dad?"
Miyuki looked up reluctantly. She could see her parents winding their way through the crowd. Someone with grayish hair walked behind them, but she didn't see anyone she knew.
"Probably one of his fogey old friends," she said.
Mamoru doubled up with laughter.
It wasn't that funny, Miyuki thought. Her brother stood up, but she paid him no mind. She was in a foul mood, and was ready to go home. She turned her attention to desiccating the flower. The petals fluttered down as if in slow motion. The last few landed on a pair of feet that stepped into view.
Miyuki looked at them curiously. They seemed familiar, yet not like any fashion she had seen recently. She threw the stem aside and looked up.
He was smiling at her.
Miyuki gasped sharply and stood up. "Alois!"
For a moment she stared, the shock of him almost leading her to disbelieve her own eyes. She wanted to ask him how he came to be there, but then she remembered her parents. Glancing around, she saw them off to one side, watching her and Alois with bemused expressions. Miyuki was dimly aware of cameras clicking as she and Alois gazed at each other. Stupid press, she thought.
His smile faded somewhat, as Miyuki, so far, had only stared at him. Aware of her parents, and of the crowd that looked greedily on, Alois kept his salutation formal.
"Nurse Miyuki," he said, and stuck out his hand, "it's wonderful to see you again."
Mamoru chuckled. He came up and slapped Alois on the back. "I think she's looking for more than a handshake, my friend!" Mamoru nudged his sister. "Give the man a proper welcome, already!" With a lopsided grin, he stepped back.
Miyuki had started to regain her composure. She looked up at Alois with shining eyes. Ignoring his outstretched hand, she rushed up against him and threw her arms around his waist. Alois visibly relaxed and closed his eyes. He wrapped his arms about her.
They stayed that way for a long time. After whispering excitedly that she and Alois could spend some time alone in his apartment, Mamoru left with their parents. The crowds thinned out, and the bustle of the terminal died down.
The couple sat down on the bench. Miyuki giggled shyly. "I don't think I'll be able to stop crying anytime soon. This is just so wonderful! I never stopped thinking about you."
"Nor I of you," he said.
Miyuki stroked his hands. "How long can you stay?"
"As long as it takes to win your hand in marriage." He smiled wryly. "Of course, with your father's approval. He encouraged us to spend the next year together, to get to know each other without a war raging on around us. After that, if we wanted to be together, he said he would give his blessing."
Miyuki squealed in delight and peppered his cheeks and lips with kisses.
They lived happily ever after.
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