FSE

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It was two days later that Angelica stood outside a set of large, ornate doors, the thick frame carved into the shape of an arch of intertwining vines. Colourful flora spilled over the rims of golden urns either side of the door. The ante chamber they stood waiting in was, like the rest of the giant construct, more jungle than space station. She stood hand in hand with her twin sister Rachel, staring up at the doors in trepidation. Rachel shifted uncomfortably beside her, her pink hair glittering softly in the overheads as she brushed a few stray strands out of her face. The door was large enough that Billy could have danced in it with room to spare and regardless of how beautiful it and their surroundings were, it was still intimidating. They were well out of their depth and felt alone in the universe, even though they could still feel the rest of their family at the edges of their minds, a beacon of reassurance in the turbulent times they found themselves in.

''Sister. Relax. You are trembling.'' Rachel whispered softly, doing her best to put aside her worries and project a calm front, ''They already know you were not yourself. You had no control over what happened. They will not sentence you to death or imprisonment. I'm sure they would have done so earlier if they wanted to. Once news spreads of the incident we can begin healing our world and our people can return to their proper place in the universe.'' Rachel squeezed Angel's hand softly, though her words of reassurance carried that same note of fear Angelica felt in the pit of her stomach.

Angelica took a deep breath and nodded, gathering her thoughts and steeling herself for what was to come. The doors opened slowly and steadily, sliding back into their wall recesses on smooth rails, revealing the room beyond. It was much like what they had seen of the parts of the station and shipyard they had been allowed to visit; organic shapes with a robust and complicated hydroponics system bringing things to life in the form of lush vegetation and hanging biotopes. A cool breeze emitted by the air systems rustled the auburn leaves of a weeping willow that hung overhead, lending the area above the semi-circle of daises at the back of the room a natural canopy. The two fidgeted uncomfortably beneath the stern gazes that met them. The room was vast, circular and five Tuvenese of considerable rank sat atop their daises, leather jerkins studded with bars, pips and other symbols of their office. Angelica and Rachel wore only their traditional loin cloths and breast covers. It seemed right to present themselves before the the members of the Tuvenese council as they would back home. A slim Tuvenese female slinked from the shadows, her dark mane braided with silver ribbons and ruby beads, her fangs capped with gold.

''You may enter the chamber now.'' She purred. There was a dangerous tone to her voice and her mind felt sharp and wary. The two wolves were aware of more security guards lining the perimeter of the room, each one hunkered in the shadows, studying their every move.

The pair stepped into the room silently, the doors sliding closed and sealing them off from the rest of Firmament. A psychic barrier came down across the chamber and the sussuration from beyond the bulkheads faded to nothing. Rachel tensed and Angelica gave a quick squeeze of her hand to reassure her.

''We were told what to expect.''

''I know. I still don't like being cut off, though.'' Rachel replied.

The largest of the cats pushed himself up onto his haunches and looked down at the wolves from atop the central dais, ''Princess Angelica and Princess Rachel. Welcome. Please, be at ease. You are not subject to criminal charges. That hearing has been adjourned and duly processed. The situation at present is very clear; your society has been cut off from the rest of the galaxy and thus you have all become wildly unaware of the universe and its laws and nuances around your home systems. You were coerced into destructive behaviours and done great harm while under control not of your own. Upon coming to Firmament for processing, you requested aid with returning Thymion and its empire to its former glory, or something approximating as such. You have no true governing body, nor do you have any formal trade routes nor the knowledge on how to correctly interact with the alien races beyond your borders.

''You say you wish to join the rest of galaxy, yet you have no way of doing so safely; no formal education to prepare you or your spacers for the dangers of exploration or dealing with others, and no means to complete transactions with other worlds. Your ships field weapons too heavy to be deemed legal under both regular Spacer's Laws and Military Laws, and your rift generators are wildly out of date in comparison to the rest of your ship systems. You do not appear to have the knowledge on how these drives and generators were constructed, which leaves us all wondering if your people actually know how to maintain them and perform re-furbishments when necessary, much less know how to build new ones.'' He paused, his paw brushing against the screen at his feet, bringing up more points concerning the meeting.

He continued, ''Yet you are willing to learn these things and are willing to build such infrastructure to accomodate such an epic undertaking.'' He paused and they waited patiently, hoping their request for aid would not be turned down, ''We are more than willing to render aid in both governance and medical. Oshanus fields the most advanced hydroponics vessels in the galaxy, such as the Leviathan - no doubt you saw that ship as you entered our space. It is that egg-shaped sattelite sitting in a geosynchronus orbit above Ilya's north pole. Considering the pollution levels on your world, it would be prudent to ask Oshanus about hiring one of these biome vessels until your water and soil is revitalized. There are also terraformer units available on the common market for purchase, which will help revitalize your soil and atmosphere. They are old units, but they are still capable of doing their job and training on how to operate them so that they don't re-shape your world completely will be provided.'' He shifted his weight from one paw to the other, ''That is just a small portion of your request. What you have asked of us, whilst not out of our capabilities, is a monumental task. Healing your world is not a quick job. It could take decades, maybe even centuries. We will extend our help to Thymion on one condition.''

Angelica and Rachel nodded eagerly, joy swelling in their hearts, ''What is the condition, Lord Tyru?''

''The Avrans that... crash landed on Thymion during those first shipments of aid,'' He said, his tone turning dark, ''Avras have long since buried them and mourned their loss. They have moved on, their families grown and healed. Spouses have re-married, had children and otherwise put the past behind them. If they were to find out that their loved ones were still alive and leading different lives without any knowledge of themselves prior to their amnesia,'' He added with a hint of distaste, ''Avras would surely turn their hand back to war. Currently, they are backed into a corner by the fight between the Sterwil Federation and the Connarum Sector, and this news would surely break them. This is not something you want happening, especially now they have the Bressis on side. If they find out and act upon what has been done to their people, Thymion would go extinct, its people devoured. Leave Avras be and utter not a single word of your amnesiacs to anyone beyond this chamber.''

The two stood, open mouthed. Trillian, Owen, Sonja, Vinecath... they had all warned her what the council's reaction would be to that piece of information. They had explained, time and again that Avras would not take kindly to being played a fool again.

''It's cruel-'' Rachel began, her thought directed at Angelica.

''It is necessary. Let Thymion's captured Avras population continue to breed its genetic heritage into extinction. You would be causing a great deal of people unnecessary grief otherwise, both on Avras and Thymion.'' One of the other Tuvenese rumbled. He had heard the thought loud and clear and neither had known that the cats had been listening, both audibly and psychically.

Angelica swallowed a hard lump in her throat. The tone both cats spoke with brooked no argument and their expressions were stern, cold and calculating. After everything that had happened, lying to an entire people about the state of their loved ones only served to increase the sick feeling in her gut. But like she had been told numerous times, keeping Avras in the dark was necessary. She remembered how Corporal Marsh's mind had felt against hers. Hungry, predatory, gleaming and sharp like a diamond edged blade... The idea of millions of those minds, ravenous and insatiable, descending upon Thymion and her worlds was intolerable.

''We agree to your condition.'' She said heavily, ''The Avrans within Thymion will remain as they are and their people oblivious to their fates.''

''Good.'' Tylus shifted his weight and sat more comfortably, tapping a series of orders into his computer, ''By the end of next month, you will have an ambassadorial ship leave for the Thymion Empire. She will have a datacore in her hold set up for planetside installation to act as a central library for your people to learn from, whereupon it will remain until you no longer need it. The datacore will receive updates from all local ansibles, exo-ansibles and gather fresh intel from passing ships that wish to share any information.'' He said, ''Aboard that ship will be a group of tutors - maths, galactic history, technology and engineering, alien literature, science and social education. They will help rebuild your schools and educate those of your people who wish to become teachers so you can expand your education system throughout your worlds. They will be your first step towards understanding how things work beyond your Empire. You will also have political and trade advisors to help you deal with finding what kind of governance suits your society the best and also to help negotiate and secure some trade from the surrounding worlds.

''I recommend you secure a biome ship from Oshanus before your set your sights on anything else, that way you can re-stock your marine life and start farming, and build upon your tradeable inventory. Our aid workers will deliver to you grains, vacpak MREs, seeds and saplings for planting along with medical supplies and yurts for those that find themselves homeless. You will have military advisors, too.'' At this, he frowned at them, ''They will teach you the nuances of operating warships beyond your borders and the ettiquette of how your Black Navy should interact with others. Not everyone will see you as friendly interlopers. And not everyone will welcome you across their borders with open arms. So long as you uphold the condition, we will allow you to move freely within the Tuven Sector and grant your empire the same freedom of trade others enjoy within our space. Thymion and its worlds will also be afforded the same protection from ne'er do wells as Tuven's other member worlds. The Tuvenese presence on Thymion will only be temporary, small and will last long enough until the civil and military ambassadors believe that Thymion can function autonomously again, and if required, a task force from the Ancillary Fleet will be dispatched to aid with border control. What say you? Do you still find all this to be acceptable?''

Angelica and Rachel resisted the hard urge to bounce in glee. Tuven had thrown them a lifeline and to squander it would be foolhardy. Regardless of how ill the thought of keeping quiet about the amnesiac Avrans made them feel, they knew, deep down, that it all boiled down to a matter of survival. The elation they felt about such an offer dispersed when the thought of having Tuven's Ancillary Fleet patrolling their doorstep sank in; Their mother, Mariana, who was still clinging tightly to her power back home. Mariana had known about it all, about the stone, about the creature it contained.

And she had taken advantage of it, using Angelica in her sickened state to exact a twisted revenge against the Temlesarians and whomever else dared to oppose her. She had become power hungry and had taken easily to using her estranged daughter as a weapon, quietly manipulating and guiding her hand to wreak havoc and destruction.

Angelica had been a proxy, Billy had pointed out grimly the previous week when she was still in the EHP, whilst Mariana herself had sat back, hidden, playing her games un-rivalled.

''We will need all the help we can get.'' Angelica paused, realising that she had left out one very important detail in her frenzy to secure Thymion's future. Then they continued, speaking as one, fearful of the reaction, ''Our mother will not agree to any of this. She may try to attack, to maintain control of Thymion for war.''

There was a hushed muttering between the Tuvenese council members, a heated debate in a language the twins could not understand. Their hearts sank further and Angelica chastised herself for forgetting to mention her mother to them beforehand. She had even failed, she realised, to mention Mariana to Captain Spears when he interviewed her. Panic bloomed in her chest, Rachel's feelings mirroring her own.

''And you did not mention this before, because...?'' One of them asked. He was reed thin, his mane grey and wispy, and he wore the insignia of a master engineer. His voice wavered with age but they could clearly hear the anger there.

The two bowed deeply in apology and Angelica spoke up, ''I apologise, your Lordship. I may have my mind and strength back, but my memory is still patchy. There are still things I cannot remember, things that may or may not come back to me. The offer of aid was far more than we had anticipated from anyone...'' Tears threatened as she realised she may have just lost them all of that help. She tried to speak more, but a hard lump formed in her throat and her words stalled as she clung to Rachel.

''Memory loss is a common thing when something traumatic happens.'' Purred a deep, feminine voice. ''I am willing to extend the benefit of the doubt to this one. After all Makkus, did you not forget to add the hot water to your tea this morning?''

Makkus cut his annoyed glare away from Angelica and Rachel, and turned it upon the shipyard's chief medical officer. She smiled warmly at him by way of chastisement and then turned her attention to Admiral Yorven beside her. He was huge, muscular, his jerkin armoured. A strip of medals ran across his left shouder and a golden braid looped around his right. He looked down at them, his head tilted, his dark eyes scrutinizing them.

''Hm... The power behind the throne. There's always one.'' He rumbled, ''How powerful is your mother and to what extremes will she go to keep your empire in the dark?''

''Mother is a literal god. She can warp the fabric of space and time on a whim, and her control of flame is so strong, she can snuff out the core of a galaxy if she tried hard enough. As for what she will do... violence makes her sick. She was the core fundamentalist behind the pacifistic beliefs of Thymion. It's why we didn't take up arms against the genocide and those that aided it, for almost 200 years. But she is not above getting her hands dirty if someone came at her with a knife....'' Rachel replied.

Angelica scoffed softly, looking aside and swearing in Thymion before adding her own two cents, ''Mother won't kill. She won't even slap someone. But I don't know what she would do if pressed against the wall. Though... I must say she wasn't like this... not before that thing used me as a meat suit. She was kind. Loving. She wanted to cherish and love. Even the Temlasarians. She felt everyone could be reasoned with. But I don't know to what extent it poisoned her too. You saw and spoke with the crew of the Hope's Blade. They were unable to function for three days. They didn't know who or what they were. My father's mind was addled. My siblings and mom were on edge. They couldn't even understand what happened until it was all settled and shown to them. It's likely mother was under a similar effect, but to what degree I dont know.''

There was another brief, heated discussion between the Tuvenese present, this time lasting longer. Both Angelica and Rachel sensed their mood shift, as if plans had suddenly changed.

''Do you believe she will be violent when you return? When she discovers that you came to us for help without her knowing?'' Tylus asked the twins.

''She may be upset, but violence? No. But she will not simply surrender the power she wields and she will not so easily accept the help of outsiders. Not after everything that happened with the first wave of aid shipments. She will subvert and coerce to protect her kingdom. Even strand ship crews and erase memories...'' They replied, their gazes focussed on a point at Tylus's broad paws. They did not want to make eye contact with the cats again, not since their mood had shifted an iota into the territory of annoyance and suspicion.

There was another muttered argument in Tuvenese that seemed to take an eternity to resolve. Angelica and Rachel grew tense, their wings drawing tight to their backs in reflex. They had had a life saving carrot dangled infront of their noses and once again, Angelica chastised herself for screwing it up. Rachel gave another reassuring squeeze of the hand. Angelica reciprocated. They could feel the moods of the cats shifting like a kaleidoscope. Eventually, the cats looked back upon them, a decision made.

Tylus cleared his throat and said, ''The offer still stands. An ambassadorial ship accompanied by an escort of both Tuvenese and allied worlds warships will arrive at the Thymion border to render aid. But before we begin gathering our people and resources, you must return home and deal with your mother. I will not have my people sail to their deaths. That has happened too often in the last year and we can ill afford to part with anymore ships.''

The twins's heads snapped up, eyes wide, ''Really?'' Rachel gasped.

''Our crew is still recovering. We will send word home this afternoon and leave at the end of the week.'' Angelica said, relief flooding her. It would give her the opportunity to speak with her family and would also give her a chance to figure out how to deal with her mother once she returned.

''Very well. Once you have dealt with your mother, you will contact us and update us. If she is compliant to the aid and swears not to incite violence, then Tuven will mobilize. But only if she is not a threat.'' Tylus said.

The two bowed deeply, ''We will speak with her as soon as possible and let you know. Thank you. Thymion will show you no hostility.''

''You are dismissed from the council chambers.''

Feeling giddy with relief, the two left the meeting and boarded the station tram, heading back towards the hab decks.

''It will be good to see our world healed.'' Rachel said as she and Angelica looked out of the window, taking in the vast construct that was the coreward wing of the Firmament shipyard. Tiny flashing lights moved between the silver-grey shipyard and the vessels. They were mostly tenders running errands, performing re-supply and general maintance that did not require the ship to dock in one of Firmament's repair bays. Others were the security detail, cruising around, making sure everyone behaved and watching for any signs of incursion. The scene slowly slid into their periphal and the Hope's Blade came into view, a splinter of gold glowing in the sunlight. The giant destroyer was dwarfed by the shipyard and her accompanying, bookend orbital stations. Her running lights twinkled like a tight cluster of stars and pinpricks of light flitted around her; security ships watching over her and shuttles ferrying the Hope's crew around as the onboard shifts changed.

Angelica smiled, ''It will. And I cannot wait.''

The tram pulled into the station and they disembarked. It was time to tell their family and the rest of the Hope's crew about what had happened in the meeting and what had been offered.

~~~~~~

It was their attitude of jovial behavior and respect for Firmament's laws that earned them some relaxed restrictions. The Hope's Blade was still anchored within reach of the station, a small security detail keeping watch, even as the crew came and went, performing the menial tasks of general maintenance. The entire crew of the Thymion ship took advantage of their freedom to actively enjoy whatever tourist traps Firmament had to offer, openly spending their wealth and buying food and drink, enjoying recreation and the holomovies which deeply gained their attention. The only gripe they had, was that they could not leave the station to go visit the jungled planetoid of Ilya that Firmament clung to.

Despite her crew's eager curiosity of the aliens and cultures they had found themselves surrounded with, Angelica and her family were withdrawn, taking time to simply relax and bask in each other's warmth and company. As much as they wanted to go home, they did not relish what may await them. They had been away for too long, their minds bent towards following the Ranger to Sterwil controlled space. Angelica ran her hands through her hair as she lounged on the large mat of soft moss that constituted a bed, watching the tiny flecks of silver and blue swimming around in one of the hanging biotope globes. It was like watching fireflies on a warm, summer's evening. She hoped the firefly population had not died out completely. They were part of the charm of the warmer seasons.

A feeling of restlessness stole over her and she rolled out of bed and rummaged through the drawstring bag Rosemary had handed to her a few days ago, pulling out a pair of shorts and an old tank top. She pulled them on and slipped out of the bedroom, hoping to avoid any more questions about where she was headed to and what she was doing, but Asteria was sitting crosslegged in an armchair, a datapad in one hand, a flute glass of blood in the other. She was the only one there, besides Angelica; she could feel the minds of the others, wandering through the station.

The vixen smiled at her in greeting pulling Angelica back into the room, ''Come out of your food coma at last, then?'' She said in jest.

Angelica's lips thinned, ''Yes, thank you.'' She retorted lightly. She had enjoyed that evening's meal very much. You could hardly go wrong with a plate full of honey roast poultry and fresh bread.

Asteria looked her up and down, her gaze flicking across to the chrono on the wall. It was 2AM, far too late for the best diners to be open and far too early for the more reputable entertainment venues to be active.

''It's a bit early to go exploring. Half the decent places are closed for the night and you're in no condition to go drinking.'' The vampire's eyes narrowed, ''Who're you off to see?''

''I'm going down to the sparring chambers for a couple of hours. Burn off some energy.''

Asteria thought for a moment, watching Angelica thumb the door controls. The door slid open in silence, ''Off to find a certain tiger?''

''Maybe.''

''He's got a rod up his ass, that one.''

Angelica paused, ''He has reason to be stern. He's a warrior. People's lives depend on him.''

''He doesn't like vampires.'' Asteria added offhandedly, sipping her meal.

''Thinking of trying to change his mind?'' Angelica asked, looking over her shoulder.

''Maybe, maybe not.'' Asteria shrugged. ''We'll see how things pan out.''

Before anything else could be said, Angelica stepped out into the dim hallway. Firmament was in its nighttime cycle, so all lights throughout the stations and living quarters on the shipyard would be dimmed. She quickly made her way to a bank of elevators and thumbed the button for deck nineteen.

It could be the last the chance she had to speak with Trillian and she did not want to miss out on saying her good-byes, knowing that the plans of his immediate future involved being far, far away from Thymion.