Act 4.3 - Conference

Nalyra stepped from the shuttle, ignoring the slight soreness that lingered beneath her belly, with Tor’laen descending right behind her. They were both wearing their finest outfits, her gown-like uniform and his officer’s attire, but with one small difference. At the insistence of both Mikka and her consort, she and Tor’laen now had slim, low-rated body armor concealed underneath their clothing. Nothing that would stop a rifle round, but sufficient for sidearms and knives. Not that Nalyra believed anything would happen aboard another Royal Hand’s Star Citadel, but after the past few spans, neither she nor her consort were interested in leaving anything unnecessarily to chance.

A pair of Armswomen were waiting on the deck of the hangar, and both saluted the Crown Daughter and her consort. Nalyra nodded to the women.

“Crown Daughter, welcome aboard the Haven’s Gate,” one of the soldiers said. “Please allow us to escort you to the bridge. The Royal Hand is waiting.”

“Understood, Sergeant,” Nalyra replied, noting the rank insignia on the woman’s chest. “Has my sister come aboard yet?”

“Not yet, Highness. We expect Crown Daughter Zikara to be arriving within the next few marks.”

“Very well. Lead on, Sergeant.”

The soldier saluted again and set off, with the other Armswoman falling in behind Nalyra and Tor’laen. The small procession moved through the busy hangar, with various engineers and technicians stopping what they were doing to salute or bow to the visiting Crown Daughter.

It was always a strange feeling, being aboard another Royal Hand’s Citadel. The massive ships were all constructed nearly identically, but the small, lived-in differences made it feel somewhat odd, as if returning home in a dream only to find it inexplicably changed.

There was one quite notable difference, however. The entrances, refueling stations, even the dataports in the walls were all newly hardened, looking as though they could withstand tremendous punishment. Interesting. The engineers on the Gate were clearly swift workers.

They were soon out of the hangars and moving along the Mid Deck, heading toward the bridge. Keeping her face impassive, Nalyra prodded Tor’laen mentally, catching his attention.

Do stay on your guard, husband.

My guard? Are we in danger, Nalyra? Smoky concern colored his thoughts.

Physically? No. She radiated a bit of assurance to him. But the Royal Hand of this vessel, Jalari…let us just say that she has a reputation among her peers.

How so?

She is a ruthless, determined woman, and does not think very highly of non-Zakkili. Nalyra sent the thoughts with a mild note of disapproval. I doubt she would try anything in my presence, but take care not to let her provoke you.

I believe she would find that…difficult. Came his response, his mental voice grimly amused.

Even so, it never hurts to prepare. She sent the final thought with a burst of emotion, part of the lingering cloud of feelings left over from the night before. Her consort brought a hand up to hide his grin, disguising the action by scratching his cheek.

Nalyra shifted her attention back to the front, noting that they were approaching the entrance to the bridge. The Armswoman guiding them simply tapped at the console on the wall, and the double doors slid open.

“Announcing Royal Hand Nalyra and Shield Consort Tor’laen,” the woman said, standing at attention. The crew of the bridge rose as one, respectfully turning toward the Crown Daughter and her consort. She gave the room a solemn nod, and made her way to the command dais, again getting that odd feeling of déjà vu.

Royal Hand Jalari was waiting at the top of the stairs.

The woman was dressed in the attire of a Royal Hand, her uniform far closer to Vessa’s than what the Crown Daughter was wearing. It was to be expected, though, as the woman was just one step up from common-born as far as Nalyra knew. A minor Noble, who had worked her way up to become Royal Hand. Nalyra commended the woman’s effort, but part of her wished Jalari would act with a bit more dignity.

The other Royal Hand’s auburn hair was loose, her curls about shoulder length. Her amber eyes were focused on Nalyra, her expression hard to read.

“Crown Daughter. I bid you and your consort welcome to my ship,” Jalari said as Nalyra reached the top of the steps.

“I appreciate your hospitality, Royal Hand.” Nalyra nodded respectfully to the woman. Movement from the other side of the dais caught her attention, and the Crown Daughter’s stomach did a little flip.

A male Ydani drew closer, stepping around the holotable in the middle of the dais.

Before either Royal Hand could say anything, the Ydani gave a salute, thumping his right fist against his left shoulder, the same way she had seen Tor’laen do.

A stream of what she presumed was Ydanic left the man’s mouth, his gaze on Tor’laen. He looked almost…in awe of her consort. Starstruck, even.

Tor’laen’s jaw tightened, and a small throb of pain came over their Bridge. He responded with a sentence that Nalyra couldn’t understand. Perhaps one of the other languages her husband said he spoke?

“Zakkili is fine, yes?” the other Ydani asked, his command of Nalyra’s native tongue slightly rough, but clearly functional.

“I can speak Zakkili, correct.” Tor’laen nodded. “It is good to see you again, Lieutenant.”

“It is…great honor to meet again, Captain,” the other Ydani said eagerly. He looked down at the Crown Daughter. “I am Lieutenant Kae’rel, Highness. It is pleasure to meet you.”

“Well met, Lieutenant,” Nalyra said, acknowledging his salute. Her gaze went to Jalari.

“Kae’rel has been serving as my aide for the integration efforts,” the woman answered the unspoken question. “His insight into Ydani society has been invaluable.” Jalari’s eyes were on Tor’laen, looking the man over, her curiosity obvious.

Tor’laen and Kae’rel were talking quietly in either Hylec or Tali’nev, their words foreign to Nalyra. Most likely Hylec. Tali’nev, if she remembered correctly, was the old religious tongue.

The Crown Daughter took the opportunity to look the other Ydani over. He was the first of his kind she had seen besides her husband. Kae’rel was clearly younger than Tor’laen; she could see it in both his bearing and his face. He was well-built, though not as broad as the older Ydani. Kae’rel’s skin was a slightly darker shade of red than her husband’s, and his hair was an earthy brown color, which he kept cropped short, though his eyes had a similar golden glow as Tor’laen’s.

The most interesting difference, at least to Nalyra, was their horns. As opposed to Tor’laen, whose horns swept back over his head, Kae’rel’s horns flared out to the sides of his head, giving the man a distinct silhouette. Perhaps every Ydani’s horns were unique?

“Crown Daughter.” Jalari’s voice pulled Nalyra from her observations. “May we dispense with the formalities?”

“I think that would expedite things, yes. I am here as a Royal Hand rather than a Crown Daughter.”

“Good,” Jalari breathed a slight sigh of relief. “The situation has turned into a fine mess, as I’m sure you have heard from Zikara.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“The propaganda,” Nalyra reasoned.

“Yes. Your consort’s image has been plastered across the system,” Jalari growled. “When I find the wretch that did this, I’m going to throw them into the Gate’s reactor core.”

Nalyra simply blinked at the woman, momentarily speechless. The other Royal Hand must have caught her surprise.

“This is my mission directly from the Queen, and I intend to complete it to Her satisfaction,” Jalari explained, a touch of defensiveness in her voice. “Unlike some, I need to earn Her favor.”

“Then our purposes are aligned,” Nalyra said, ignoring the little barb Jalari had thrown in. “I have no desire to see this system fall into chaos.”

“That makes two of us,” the other Royal Hand muttered.

Nalyra was about to reply when the door to the bridge opened once more.

“Announcing Royal Hand Zikara and Crown Consort Queni’la.”

They waited until Zikara and her consort arrived at the command dais, and the group gathered around the holotable. Tor’laen and Queni’la took their positions behind their respective wives, and somewhat surprisingly, Kae’rel moved to a similar position behind Jalari. He would be joining the briefing, it would seem.

“Nalyra. I’ll bring you up to date on the current situation.” Jalari glanced at the Crown Daughter. “As I’m sure you are aware, I have been working on the integration of the Ydani into the Monarchy. Things were proceeding slowly, but without issue. That is, until roughly a span ago.” She tapped at the holotable, and images of the propaganda appeared once more, along with a map of the system. “They were distributed nearly simultaneously across the system, especially here on Ydan.” The Royal Hand indicated one of the planets, and Nalyra recognized it as the world they were currently orbiting.

“Do we have any idea of who distributed the material?” she asked, frowning.

“There have been mixed reports,” Zikara sighed. “But we believe it originated from a Zakkili source, then spread organically.”

“As you might expect, it’s thrown everything into damn chaos.” Jalari spread her palms on the table. “Now any Zakkili even simply walking the streets of the capital is regarded with fear and suspicion by nearly half the population.”

“Do we have a decent idea of which groups are buying into it the hardest?” Nalyra asked, tapping a finger against her chin. “Just who is turning against us?”

“There’s no absolute split, but in general…” Jalari glanced at the Ydani standing behind her.

“Many enlisted — soldiers, pilots — and some officers push back hard. They see Zakkili as…infiltrator. Coward. Enemy,” Kae’rel explained.

“On the other hand, I would wager that the Monarchy is finding favor among the operational support,” Tor’laen added.

“Operational support?” Nalyra asked, as all eyes turned to her consort.

“Every Ydani child is sent to the Academy for their education. There is an aptitude test, the results of which sort students into their lifelong role early on. Those suitable for combat or command are sorted into military courses, while those unsuited are placed into the operational support role,” Tor’laen said, staring at the holographic map of his home system. “There is no intrinsic dishonor in becoming a laborer or civil servant, but…there is a certain lack of pride associated with it. No parent is overjoyed to see their child be placed into operational support. And once you are assigned a role, that is your place in Ydani society. Permanently.”

“So the Monarchy offers a future outside of that role,” Zikara said, catching on to his reasoning. “A hope for those stuck their whole life as an agri worker or something similar. I can’t imagine they would receive much respect in a society built around war.”

“Captain Tor’laen speaks truth.” Kae’rel nodded. “Much support is from them. And older veterans.”

“Those who saw combat in the war with the Cal’raz,” the Shield Consort said, his voice grim. “They understand best what a war with the Monarchy would cost.” He glanced up at the other Ydani. “What about High Command?”

It was Jalari who answered instead.

“They support us and the integration efforts, of course. However, they cannot be too open with their backing, lest public opinion turn against them completely. Even now, there are rumors of several high-ranking officers in the Ydani navy considering what a coup might look like.”

“Obviously, we cannot allow that to happen.” Zikara shook her head. “But if we step in too heavily, it all but guarantees the outbreak of civil war in the system.”

“What of ship and troop deployment?” Tor’laen asked. “And the Outrunner fleets? Have they been recalled?”

Jalari launched into an explanation of the current state of the Ydani navy, but Nalyra’s attention shifted when Kae’rel pulled a buzzing communicator from his belt. The thing was clearly of Ydani make, and the man stepped away for a moment, speaking quietly into the device in what Nalyra assumed was Ydanic. After a few moments, he clipped the communicator back on his belt, and returned to the holotable.

He bent down and put a hand on Jalari’s shoulder, and she halted her explanation as he spoke quietly into her ear.

“Alright, I got it, Kae,” she said after a moment, putting her hand on his for a breath. She looked back to find the two Crown Daughters and their consorts staring.

“High Command just contacted him.” Jalari jerked her head in the direction of the Ydani. “They would like to meet with Nalyra and Tor’laen as soon as feasible.” She folded her arms tightly across her chest, looking between the other Royal Hands as if daring them to say something.

“Understood.” Tor’laen was the one who broke the small silence. “As soon as the briefing is finished, we will take a shuttle down to the capital.” He glanced down at Nalyra, who nodded.

“Yes. Good.” Kae’rel stepped forward. “For fleet and troop positions, come over here, please.” The Ydani beckoned to the Shield Consort, gesturing over to where Jalari’s Admiral was at her console.

“I will join you,” added Zikara, pulling Queni’la along with her. “The Blade recently received new intel that should be shared.”

The small group moved to the other side of the command dais, leaving Nalyra and Jalari standing at the holotable.

“I had not expected you to warm to the Ydani so readily,” Nalyra remarked quietly, glancing at the other Royal Hand.

Jalari gave her an incredulous look.

“I have not,” she scoffed. “If I had my way, I’d dismantle their entire government before the end of the span. They’re a backwards people, still huddling in fear from a war they won decades ago. The sooner they embrace our way of life, the better.”

Nalyra simply raised an eyebrow at Jalari, her gaze going to Kae’rel, her meaning obvious.

The other Royal Hand didn’t stutter or backtrack, her voice steady and even.

“Kae’rel is one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever worked with. Had the man been born a Zakkili woman, I have no doubt he would have ended up as an Admiral or Troop Commander on a Citadel. He picked up enough Zakkili to communicate comfortably in less than a measure.” A note of pride entered her voice. “I meant it when I said he was invaluable.”

Jalari glanced at Nalyra, a shrewd grin on her face.

“Besides, I can imagine you would be able to appreciate how capable a Ydani can be in the bedroom.”

Nalyra resisted the urge to snap at Jalari for her impropriety, the Crown Daughter’s cheeks heating up. Still, she could not find the words to deny the other woman. Not after the previous night.

“...I suppose I cannot argue with that,” she said lightly, trying to sound casual. Jalari’s grin widened.

“When I first heard the news of how close you kept your former prisoner, I thought you’d gone insane, if I am to be honest.” Her gaze found the two Ydani, both hunched over her Admiral’s console. “But now I understand.” She gave an amused huff. “Incredible how such a backwards society can produce such fine men.”

“Perhaps.” Nalyra glanced at the other woman. “But let us keep such sentiments out of the public’s ear, no?”

Jalari snorted. “Of course. The last thing I want is for half of Ydan to think the Zakkili are going to snatch up all their males.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of the rest of the small group. Tor’laen’s brow was furrowed, his concern pulsing over their Bridge.

“Have you a grasp on the situation, Consort?” Nalyra asked, looking up at him.

He was silent for a few breaths, his gaze on the holographic map of his home system.

“I do, but I will reserve my judgment until after we meet with High Command,” he said finally. “There are questions I need answered first.”

“Then let us waste no more time.” Nalyra circled the table to stand next to him. “We shall descend to the surface without delay.” Her gaze flicked to the other two Royal Hands. “Unless there is more you have to brief us on?”

“No.” Jalari shook her head. “That’s pretty much where things stand.” She beckoned to Kae’rel. “If you have no objections, we will join you on the shuttle. I have intel that I need to pick up in person, and numerous projects I need to check on.”

“So be it.” Nalyra looked to her sister. “Zikara, will you be joining us?”

“Hmmm.” The other Crown Daughter tapped a finger against her chin. “I think not. The optics of all three Royal Hands arriving together in the capital could be easily misconstrued. Quen and I shall stay in orbit in case there are any further developments.”

Within a few marks, Nalyra and Jalari were moving through the hallways of the Citadel, back toward the hangars of the ship, both Ydani trailing them closely.

“You seem to be in high spirits, Nalyra.” Jalari raised an eyebrow at the other Royal Hand.

“In some ways, I suppose I am,” she admitted, with a toss of her head. “The situation remains dire, but…”

She glanced back at Tor’laen, a small grin on her face.

“It is not every day that one gets to see their Consort’s homeworld for the first time.”