Crown Daughter Nalyra was having an exceptionally good morning.
The reactor bleed issue had at last been completely eliminated, thanks to Nivi, and the efficiency projections for the rest of the measure were excellent. Better still, one of the Chapel priestesses had chosen that morning to question Nalyra’s latest political maneuverings aloud. By the end of their conversation, the woman had been trembling and staring so intently at her own toes that Nalyra doubted she would dare look higher for the next three ship-days.
On top of that, she hadn’t even had to scold Mikka for sleeping with someone catastrophically inappropriate for an entire span.
So yes, Nalyra was in quite a good mood as she stalked back onto the bridge of her ship.
“Royal Hand.” An ensign near the door made a deep bow as the Crown Daughter entered, her large ears drooping in deference. This woman was newly promoted to the bridge staff, and her face was full of awe as Nalyra swept by. Nalyra favored her with a half-smile, motioning her to return to her duties. The ensign scurried off, heading down the corridor towards the Mid Deck, clutching her delivery tightly. If the woman lasted on the bridge crew, Nalyra would deign to learn her name. Probably.
The Crown Daughter made a quick round of the bridge, her purple eyes sweeping over the various helmswomen, navigators, and gunners who made up the first two watches. Many murmured “Crown Daughter” or “Royal Hand” reverently as she passed, but kept their eyes and hands on their stations.
Nalyra demanded veneration and attention when it was due, but her bridge crew knew the highest respect they could pay on duty was efficiency and focus.
Satisfied with the state of her bridge, she ascended a small stairway to the command dais. The separated area held a large holographic table for the exclusive use of the command staff. Surrounding it were stations for the ship’s Troop Commander, its Master Engineer, and its Admiral.
The latter two were at their stations, but Mikka was currently lounging against the holo table, looking bored. She flashed a grin at the Crown Daughter when she caught the woman’s eye. Nalyra checked a sigh at her Lieutenant Commander’s flagrant insubordination, and instead sent a mental sliver of annoyance her way. Mikka’s grin only widened when it hit her and, without bothering to straighten up, she gave a lazy salute.
Sweeping around the woman, Nalyra made her way to the chair at the head of the command dais, one she often caught the bridge crew quietly calling her “throne.” It wasn’t quite worthy of the word, but it was suitable enough, adorned with the emblem of the Maker’s Covenant, her personal crest, and finally the symbol of the Zakkili Divine Monarchy.
Nalyra settled into the large seat, bringing up several holographic displays with the slightest flicks of her fingers. Her posture immaculate, she looked out over her bridge. Over her ship. Over her kingdom.
The Saint’s Aegis was one of ten Star Citadels that kept the Queen Matriarch’s peace throughout the Monarchy. Each was an instrument of divine authority and imperial force, its power directed through the highest will aboard: the Royal Hand.
It was more than a warship. The Under Deck was closer to a city than a section of a battleship, where most of the civilians aboard lived out their faithful, loyal lives. Above that, the Mid Deck formed the military heart of the vessel, where crew members, Armswomen, engineers, and the rest of the navy personnel kept the Citadel ready for judgment or war. Above it all sat the High Deck: command and sovereignty wielded from above.
A kilometer and a half of divine authority and unstoppable armaments, containing the lives of 15,000 loyal subjects. Her subjects.
Large viewports wrapped around the bridge, offering an almost uninterrupted view of the empyrean and its stars, pinpoints of light across the vast emptiness.
Her Admiral was already standing attentively beside her.
“Vessa. Any matters that require my attention?”
“Nothing urgent, Crown Daughter.” She slid a finger along the screen of her tablet. “The shipping dispute is still continuing on Svalya, but…”
“Not worth the time nor attention of a Royal Hand.” Nalyra finished the thought for her. “Petty bureaucrats fighting over scraps. What is the profit margin down to now?”
“Two-point-five percent, Highness.”
“Pitiful.” She casually flicked through one of the silent displays hovering near her fingers, scrolling through a collection of duty reports from the different sectors of the ship. “What about the House Alzyna affair? Has the Matron come through with any more information on the illicit Delving?”
“Nothing further from her, Crown Daughter. She says she’s still investigating the matter.”
“How surprising.” Nalyra scoffed, her voice heavy with scorn. “More likely she doesn’t dare look closely into it, for fear it would reveal that one of her precious daughters has gotten a little too bold in prying secrets out of the minds of the House servants.” She glanced over at the Admiral. “If she doesn’t make significant progress within the next span, send a squad of Armswomen to expedite the process.” Nalyra thought for a moment, tapping a slender finger against her chin. “Perhaps led by…Sergeant Kinna, I think. She’s usually quite adept at putting her boot up a simpering noble Lady’s ass.”
From over where she was still leaning on the holo table, Mikka gave an audible snort.
“I will see it done, Highness.” Vessa tapped at her tablet as if she hadn’t heard anything.
“Is there nothing else?”
“Well…” Vessa frowned down at the screen of her device, and Nalyra straightened up, her heart quickening the tiniest bit. Anything that could make her Admiral hesitate was usually at least somewhat interesting.
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“A request came over the Q-comm network,” the woman began, glancing up from her tablet. “A patrol ship caught unknown signals. Radio, primarily, along with a carrier frequency not used by any vessel in the Monarchy.”
Nalyra raised a single sculpted eyebrow at her Admiral.
“Come now, Vessa. We receive reports like this near daily. It is some minor smuggler trying to keep peacekeeping vessels from reading her client list, I’m sure.”
“I was doubtful as well, Crown Daughter, until I noticed that the request specifically asked for the assistance of a Star Citadel.”
“They want a Citadel to investigate an unknown radio signal?” Nalyra didn’t bother hiding the dubiousness in her voice.
“Yes, Highness.” Vessa scrolled down on her tablet. “The reason they gave is that the signal has been persistent…and that it is coming from beyond the Inara system.”
“Inara?” Her fingers stilled on the holographic display. Even Mikka perked up a bit, her large ears twitching.
“That’s the edge of the frontier.”
“Precisely, Crown Daughter.”
“Hmmm.” Nalyra allowed a grin to spread over her face. In the most mundane case, they had just found a sizable smuggling operation bold enough to hide beyond charted space. A fine diversion. Her crew could use the exercise, and the Queen’s frontier could always use another reminder of whose peace it enjoyed.
On the other hand, persistent unknown signals from uncharted space…
It could even be a civilization, just waiting for the tender uplifting hands of the Zakkili.
“We shall be responding to the call of the Queen Matriarch’s loyal subjects,” Nalyra declared, anticipation welling up from within. However, she kept her crownthreads still, her face serene, allowing none of the anticipation to bleed into the bridge.
“By your will, Crown Daughter.” Vessa saluted, then returned to her station, preparing to give the necessary orders.
Nalyra waited a moment, then turned her attention to the remaining member of the command staff.
“Master Engineer.”
“Yes, Crown Daughter?” The woman turned and answered, a little more eagerly than was proper. Well, at least she had gotten the title correct this time.
“After your work on the reactor, I trust the Aegis is ready for subspace travel?”
“Yes, Highness, I guarantee it! The bleed is sealed, the coils are stable, and the subspace envelope will hold clean.”
A bright little flare of the engineer’s enthusiasm brushed Nalyra’s mind, and one of Nivi’s mindthreads – the commoner’s shorter, smaller cousin to a royal’s or noble’s crownthread – gave an undisciplined waggle. The Crown Daughter made a mental note to have a quick talk about bridge etiquette with the young woman…again.
“Well done, Nivi.” Nalyra offered gracefully. “I trust you’ll keep an eye on the numbers during the dive?”
“Of course, Crown Daughter!”
It was all Nalyra could do to keep from rolling her eyes as another splash of excitement bled from the engineer. She was about to give the young woman a few carefully chosen words to consider when the doors leading to the Mid Deck slid open, and one of the Crown Daughter’s least favorite people aboard stepped through.
Soreth entered the bridge with the same measured tread she always used, as if she were still walking down the purple carpet that spanned the length of the chapel on board, her robes whispering around her. She solemnly climbed the stairs to the command dais, making her way to the cushioned corner that Nalyra had begrudgingly reserved for her.
“Crown Daughter.” She murmured as she passed Nalyra, sounding more like she was praying for an unfortunate believer than giving her ruler the respect she deserved.
Nalyra put her best political smile on and turned to look at the woman.
“High Priestess Soreth. You’re just in time for our preparations to dive.” She said, her voice light and airy.
“And toward what duty are we being called, Highness?” The woman asked, sinking to her knees on the soft pillows.
Nalyra had to keep a wave of irritation from bleeding out. No one else on the ship would dare ask the Crown Daughter so rudely. Except Mikka, perhaps, but she didn’t count.
“Out past the Inara system.” She said, keeping the venom out of her voice. “We have…business there.”
“Then I shall pray the Maker grant us wisdom along with safe passage.”
The robed woman bowed her head and closed her eyes, mouth moving in silent prayer.
Nalyra pointedly looked away, refusing to let her good mood be ruined. The Crown Daughter watched a cluster of navigation officers, checking and re-checking the route for their dive, tapping furiously away at consoles and handheld tablets. One of the officers hurried up to Vessa, saluting and exchanging a few words with the Admiral.
“Crown Daughter, our course is set. A four-bell dive to the edge of the Inara system.” Vessa announced, turning to look at Nalyra.
“Excellent.” She straightened up, tapping a few commands on one of her displays. After a moment, Nalyra’s voice rang through every deck of the Citadel.
“Crew and citizens of the Saint’s Aegis, this is your Royal Hand. In five marks, we begin our dive toward the outskirts of the frontier, where we shall ensure the Queen Matriarch’s order is upheld. Make your needed preparations. We are expected to remain in subspace for four bells; during that time, all non-essential duties are suspended. Enjoy your leisure, my loyal subjects. Glory to the Zakkili, long live the Queen.”
She cut the broadcast with a flick of her wrist, then stood, straightening to her full four-foot height.
“Helmswoman, place a five-mark countdown on the main viewport.”
“As you wish, Crown Daughter.”
The woman tapped a brief command into her console, and a large, translucent “5:00” appeared over the view of the empyrean, and began to tick downwards.
Nalyra slowly paced the perimeter of the command dais, watching as the bridge crew hurried to finish all of their final adjustments before the dive. As she had come to expect, the women moved efficiently, purposefully. Even Nivi was in her element, rapidly sending instructions to the reactor crew and other engineering staff.
“Entering subspace in ten, Crown Daughter.” A helmswoman announced, as the countdown approached its end. “Five…four…three…two…one…” She smoothly slid a lever forwards at her station. “Commencing dive.”
There was a momentary feeling of freefall throughout the ship, as if the entire vessel were dropping rapidly, and the view of the empyrean flooded with spirals of blue light, bathing the bridge in an ethereal glow. Nalyra paused, gazing out the viewports. She had been through more dives than she could even begin to remember, but the mesmerizing dance of blues always stirred a small part of her with its beauty.
After a moment, she turned away, imperious and inscrutable once more.
“Admiral, I will be taking my midday meal in my cabin. Please have it sent up. I leave you the bridge in my absence.” She glanced over at Vessa, receiving a salute in return. Nalyra would have invited the Admiral to dine together, but she knew the woman better than that. The Crown Daughter doubted if even a squad of Armswomen could drag the stubborn Admiral out of the bridge during a dive, regardless of how uneventful they were.
At least the woman’s loyalty and sense of duty were unquestionable, she supposed.
Giving one last disdainful look towards the still-praying High Priestess in the corner, Crown Daughter Nalyra made her way up the stairs at the rear of the command dais, climbing toward the High Deck and the privacy of her cabin.