“What are the numbers, Admiral?”
Nalyra and Vessa strode briskly down the corridor, heading once more to the bridge. Soreth had excused herself, heading back to the chapel on board, undoubtedly to pray. The Crown Daughter couldn’t really blame her — the High Priestess had been quite shaken up by their prisoner.
“Twelve with broken bones, nothing too serious, mostly fingers, and an arm or two.” Vessa scrolled through the tablet she was holding. “Four concussions, and then various sprains and contusions. All of them should be fit to return to duty in a span or so.”
“Just some broken bones and bumps on their heads. Unbelievable.” Nalyra muttered, gritting her teeth. She rolled her shoulders. “Make sure to add some hazard pay to their next cheques. And put all the Armswomen who made contact with the Ydani troops at half-watch for the rest of the span. Let them recover a bit.”
“It will be done, Crown Daughter.”
The pair entered the bridge, stepping around the engineers at work replacing the door the Ydani had broken through. One particular Ydani, actually.
The bridge was only half full, many of the officers working elsewhere to get the Aegis back to full readiness. A few of the remaining women stopped to bow when their Royal Hand entered the room.
“Crown Daughter.”
Nalyra acknowledged them with a nod, then climbed the stairs to the command dais, Vessa following behind.
“Let us take another two watches to get the crew settled, then plot a dive back to Zakkil.” Nalyra instructed. “I’d rather not linger in this sector longer than necessary.”
“Understood.” Vessa gave a slight bow, then moved off to talk with the crew in the front of the bridge.
“Nalyra, come take a look at this.” Mikka’s voice came from the side. The Crown Daughter decided to let the woman’s casual tone slide. After the past few bells, Mikka had earned a little insubordination.
Nalyra moved over to the Troop Commander’s station. Mikka hadn’t moved since Nalyra had left the bridge, still pouring over security recordings from the encounter. A bottle of brandy sat next to her, barely touched.
“What do you have for me, Mikka?” The Crown Daughter moved closer.
“Here. See these Ydani, stacking up like this? Watch.”
On the monitor, a trio of armored Ydani soldiers smoothly stacked up at a doorframe, clearly preparing to breach it. A moment later, a squad of her Armswomen spilled from a nearby corner, quickly moving into position and readying their weapons.
If her troops had responded rapidly, then the Ydani had responded faster than thought. Instantaneously, the three armored figures slid into a new formation, the lead soldier dropping to one knee, and the other two firing over their head with those odd, non-lethal weapons they had used.
Half the squad of Armswomen were incapacitated before they could even raise their weapons.
Mikka paused the recording, turning to look at the Crown Daughter.
“Pretty much every encounter went like this.” She shook her head.
“What’s your analysis, Lieutenant Commander?”
“Armed forces aboard a Citadel are the pride of the Monarchy. Our girls see the most combat, get the most training in all of Zakkili space.” Her blue eyes went back to the monitor. “These Ydani forces made our soldiers look like a backwater militia. Even if you take away those monstrous suits, they outfought us at every turn.” She fixed Nalyra with a steely gaze. “I can only guess that those troops have seen active warfare. Like, real war. Not skirmishes with pirates or smugglers. Either the Ydani recently fought a war, or they're still in the middle of one.”
“I see.” Her mind flashed back to what she had glimpsed while she was Delving into their captive’s mind. The crack of gunfire, the smell of ash and smoke. The sight of blood on the walls.
Even though she had suspected it, it was still unsettling to have her Lieutenant Commander confirm it. Knowing the reason her soldiers were beaten so cleanly did little to soothe her wounded pride.
“And those suits? What did you make of them?”
Mikka shrugged.
“I can’t be sure, but from all I saw, I’d guess that our heavier AP weapons will punch through them. The only issue is that we don’t have enough of them for all our squads. That, and we’ll end up trashing the Aegis’s Mid Deck if we have to repel boarders like that again.”
“An outcome I’d like to avoid, yes.” Nalyra sighed. “Bundle up all the most pertinent recordings, and include a report detailing your observations. We’ll include it in the Q-comm packet we send back to Zakkil.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mikka muttered, her eyes going back to her screen.
“Mikka.”
The Crown Daughter’s soft voice pulled her attention back.
“How’s the atmosphere on the Under Deck? How are the civilians doing?”
Mikka glanced around, disguising the motion as a casual stretch. Satisfied that no one was listening in, she leaned closer to Nalyra.
“People are tense, but not worried. There were rumors of an attack, after the ship went to action stations, but they died down when we released the lockdown. No one down there knows what really happened, so there’s no problem, for now.”
The Crown Daughter felt a trickle of relief in her mind. The last thing she needed was to deal with a ship-wide panic.
“Thank you, Mikka. Make sure your soldiers keep the details out of the public’s ear. The situation is too complex for them to get a clear picture at the moment.”
Mikka grinned.
“You don’t need to worry, Nalyra, my girls know when to keep their mouths shut. The civvies will probably forget by our next dive anyways.”
She gave the Royal Hand a wink, and went back to her monitor.
Nalyra straightened up and looked around, searching for Nivi. She found her conferring quietly with two of the engineering leads that reported to her.
“Master Engineer, a moment of your time.”
The woman quickly trotted over, bowing deeply to the Crown Daughter.
“What can I do for you, Highness?”
There was a new kind of nervous energy seeping out of her, mixed with excitement.
“You have read the message I sent you, yes? With the information gleaned from the prisoner.”
“Yes, Crown Daughter. I was just discussing it with them.” She gestured to the other engineers. “You’re, uh, sure that he wasn’t lying, Highness?”
“I didn’t Delve the truth from his mind, however, I do believe his words. I can see no other way to explain what we witnessed.” Nalyra crossed her arms. “I want your opinion on it, Nivi.”
“Well…if you had asked me a ship-day ago if it was possible, I would have said no.” The engineer’s gaze drifted. “Now that we’ve actually seen it, though…hmmm. We were talking about it, and it might be something we can recreate.”
“Then it could be within our reach?”
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Honestly? I dunno for sure.” Nivi shrugged, looking sheepish. “You’d have to ask the shipwrights back in the Core. My specialties are systems and maintenance. But if the Ydani could figure it out, I’ll bet we could too.”
“Noted. Take a look at the recordings if you need, then I’d like you to consolidate your observations and conjectures on the technology. We’ll be sending a packet to Zakkil before next watch.”
“Yes, Highness.” Nivi gave her an uncertain smile, then hurried away to her station.
Nalyra strode to the front of the command dais, and paused there, looking out over the bridge. Her kingdom. Her sanctuary.
Involuntarily, her eyes slid to the broken door. Her brow furrowed.
“This will not happen again.” She whispered, swearing to herself.
The Crown Daughter closed the door behind her, sighing quietly in the privacy of her own room. Nalyra slipped her boots off, moving to the corner of the room. She waved a hand, causing the wall to slide away, revealing the depths of her closet.
It was a very comfortable room, one of the many perks of being Royal Hand of the Aegis. Situated at the rear of the High Deck, one of the entire walls of the room was transparent, allowing an unrestricted view of the empyrean. Against another of the walls, Nalyra’s massive bed sat, covered with silken sheets and fluffy pillows. It was large enough to fit ten Zakkili women comfortably, but Nalyra had always enjoyed the extra space.
The floor was covered with imitation wood, always warm to the touch due to the heating system hidden inside it. The Crown Daughter slipped her stockings off, wiggling her toes contentedly as her bare feet found the warm flooring.
The room held a magnificent desk, this one made with real wood, facing the transparent wall. It had everything Nalyra needed to conduct the business of being a Royal Hand. Hologram emitters, a large, storable view screen, and connections to every necessary system aboard the Aegis. Her fortress of report writing and admin work.
Nalyra let her dress fall from her shoulders, the light, artificial breeze of the climate control system brushing her bare skin. She ran her fingers over the velvety material of her nightgowns, hanging in a perfect row in her closet. She pulled a dark red shift, a one piece gown the same color as her favorite wine, and slid it over her head.
Her bed called to her, tempting her to lie down, perhaps listen to some music or continue reading the novella she was in the middle of. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the time to relax just yet.
Instead, she moved to her desk, sinking into the cushioned seat. Carefully, she started to pull the pins out of her hair, dismantling her complex Crown Veil. After nearly a mark, her dark hair fell free, reaching her waist. She took the chance to stretch her crownthreads, before letting the tendrils fall to her waist, settling in among the strands of her hair.
Nalyra glanced at the small timepiece in the corner of her desk. It was still a bit early.
Impulsively, she opened one of the drawers of her desk, and gingerly pulled the dagger out. She held it carefully, looking it over once more. It was beautiful. Her thumb trailed over one of the golden rays engraved on the sheath, feeling the fine details.
The weapon remained a mystery to her. Everything about the Ydani, from their ships down to her captive’s uniform and translator, was strictly utilitarian, bare bones even. Even the suits they had invaded her ship with had focused on function over form, despite their admittedly impressive design.
That left this dagger.
Nalyra slid the weapon from its sheath, the blade glinting in the low light of her cabin. Even there, the dagger was ornamented, complex designs engraved into the metal. Slowly, she ran a finger over them, marveling at the craftsmanship.
The weapon had to have some meaning, some special purpose. What had the Ydani said when he offered to her? She tried to recall the words that appeared on his device. Something like: I surrender myself and my honor. Or similar. Perhaps there was some ceremonial meaning to the entire gesture.
She absentmindedly rubbed a finger over the weapon as her thoughts went to her prisoner. Tor’laen, he claimed his name was. He had not been as she expected. To be able to defend himself from a Delve, even one as hurried as Soreth’s ill-advised attempt, was no mean feat. As much as she hated to admit it, the Ydani had clearly studied her people. Invented defenses for their mind. Effective ones, it would seem.
At least it made for an interesting opponent. The captive had not folded, like she expected he would, but remained calm, determined. It was impressive, she could admit. His composure had lasted all the way to the end of the interrogation.
It had faltered slightly then — bending, but not breaking.
She had not done such a strong Press in ages. Nalyra was glad that she had not misjudged him. A Pressing of that level could easily break a lesser mind, and traumatize even a strong one. Within this Ydani though, she had sensed steel, and had been vindicated. The Queen Matriarch’s prize was as of yet undamaged.
At that thought, she glanced at the timepiece once more, then quickly sheathed the dagger. Even as she did so, the viewport on her desk lit up, noting an incoming communication request. Hastily stowing the weapon back in the drawer, she straightened up, and tapped the icon to accept the call.
The Queen Matriarch appeared on the screen.
“Majesty.” The Crown Daughter said respectfully, bowing her head.
“Nalyra, daughter.” Azora said, worry in her eyes. “Are you alright? Did the aliens do as they promised?”
“Yes, my Queen. They willingly left the ship, and their fleet dived away. Their commander surrendered, and is currently in captivity aboard the Saint’s Aegis.”
“Praise the Maker.”
Relief filled Azora’s face, Nalyra could see it easily as her ears drooped slightly. Azora closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, the last bit of her mother that Nalyra could recognize had vanished, and the Queen Matriarch sat staring impassively at her.
“Crown Daughter.” Her voice was regal, calm. “What happened? How did aliens come to capture one of my Star Citadels away from my own blood?”
“I make no excuse, Majesty.” Nalyra sat rigid, keeping her crownthreads still.
“We can talk of excuses and reasons later. Tell me how this came about.”
Nalyra pushed the sting of her Queen’s words down, glad that it was impossible to bleed over a video call.
“This ship responded to a report of unusual radio activity beyond the current borders of the frontier. We found a small fleet of unknown design there.” Nalyra explained slowly, carefully choosing her words. “We attempted to follow first-contact protocol, but before we could begin, the aliens sent us a message in Zakkili.”
“In Zakkili?” The Queen’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes, Majesty. After what I have learned, I believe that these aliens, who call themselves ‘Ydani’, have been secretly watching us for some time. They could translate our language. They knew what a Star Citadel was.”
The Queen made a small humming noise, but didn’t interrupt.
“We demanded they surrender immediately, but there were no further communications from the Ydani. Their only reaction was to send a number of small ships – fourteen shuttlecraft – to sit just beyond our effective weapon range.”
Nalyra swallowed, annoyed by how dry her mouth felt.
“My officers and I believed they intended to try and push through our point defenses, and believed they would fail.” She faltered slightly. “We also believed that letting them…observe the futility of their actions would incentivize them towards surrendering.”
Nalyra paused for a moment, and the Queen gave a slight nod, prompting her to continue.
“Their shuttles showed a strange surge of energy, then vanished, instantly reappearing inside the hangars of the Saint’s Aegis.”
The Queen Matriarch made a soft hissing sound at this, as if she had just discovered something unpleasant in her tea.
“From what I gleaned from our captive, the Ydani call the technology behind this feat ‘Punch Drives’. It uses some manner of quantum tunneling to instantly vanish and reappear elsewhere, allowing them to bypass all methods of defense. I included recordings of this phenomenon, along with observations from my engineers, in the packet I sent to Zakkil earlier.”
“Yes, Leora did mention receiving a load of data from the Aegis.”
“Once inside, the Ydani made use of large, mechanized, armored suits to invade the ship. These suits made the aliens practically invulnerable to the standard ship defense weapons my Armswomen employ.”
“Armored suits, Crown Daughter?”
“Yes, Majesty. I included recordings of them as well in the packet. They allowed the aliens to easily overpower my soldiers. In addition, the Ydani troops were battle-hardened veterans, in the opinion of my Lieutenant Commander. Their tactics and training made them far superior to my Armswomen, regardless of the difference in arms and armor.”
The Queen said nothing, keeping Nalyra in her gaze.
“These factors allowed the Ydani to reach and secure the bridge of the ship, where their commander forced me to surrender and open communications with you, Majesty.”
“I see.” The Queen Matriarch was silent for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the Crown Daughter.
“And now, Nalyra? Do you still believe they simply wish for coexistence?”
“I do, Majesty. The captive has continued to espouse the same ideals. Even after I demonstrated the ability to Delve deeply into his mind, he did not waver.”
“Hmmm.” The Queen Matriarch’s voice held neither condemnation nor forgiveness.
Nalyra sat there in silence. She would not beg. She would not shift blame. She was a Crown Daughter. She knew her responsibilities and duties.
“These events carry the seeds of great change, Crown Daughter. Bring me the captive, alive and well, and we shall see if it would be prudent to sow them, or leave them to rot.”
“As you will, Majesty.”
“Good. You will not fail me, Crown Daughter.”
For a split second, Nalyra saw a flicker of her mother in the Queen’s eyes, then the call was cut.
The Crown Daughter gazed out into the empyrean. Without thinking, her hand reached into the drawer, finding the dagger once more. She clutched it tightly, her fingers running over the intricate engravings.
“I will not fail, mother.”