[title=grey+white]Chapter 2[/title] Chapter 1 can be found here I begrudgingly wake up early the next morning. Not by the use of an alarm clock, but from one of the main attractions of visiting the palace, the loud squawking from the red-tipped seagulls. I slowly open my eyes and I'm greeted with a beam of light burning my corneas. Did I really forget to close and lock the window before bed last night? Gee. I'm glad security is good around here. I toss the covers to the side and bring my legs to the floor. I rub my eyes and slightly stretch, standing up while I do so. I can feel all I did in training yesterday. I stroll over to my window and look up at the sky. There they are. Red-tipped feathered seagulls, circling around the water for their breakfast. I take a deep breath, enjoying the fresh scent of the lake. Normally, I'd sleep in on such a lovely day, but my subconscious knows better than that. Amber is on this diplomatic mission with me and she'd probably kill me if I was the reason for her "perfect" record to be damaged in any way. Her family has a high reputation to uphold for some reason. I've never understood why, I mean. Besides being the family in charge of my family's security, they're the governors of their home planet Garza I yawn as I leave the window for my double door closet. I open both of them. I'm greeted with a large assortment of clothing sets and footwear ranging from high to low end hanging from two large metal poles protruding horizontally from the wall. I reach my hand up and touch one of the two buttons that rest atop the doorway. The clothes begin cycling around. It'd probably be best, and more comfortable, to skip the full royal uniform until we enter Shard space. With that in mind I slow the machine down when I got to a set I like, a long sleeve black shirt, dark jeans and tennis shoes that compensate for my bad ankle, Good enough for me. I grab the clothes off the hanger on with one hand and snag the shoes with my other. I take the set to the bed and lay them out. I remove my night clothes and swiftly put on my pants first followed by sliding the shirt past my head. I pause. Almost forgot to put my belt on. I take the shirt off, toss it back on the bed and climb on it, facing the headboard. I place my right hand on the wall and say, "release." It glows a bright white for a few seconds before disappearing, revealing a hole in the wall. This is where I keep my, "personal" items. I reach inside and grab a upper body leather belt that cross into an X on my chest and back. Secrecy is key in a battle, and my ability to control both the wind and earth allow me to combine the two into one. That power is sand manipulation. This belt here just keeps it from the public eye. I hop back down and put the shirt back on. Once fully dressed, I look all around my body, making sure everything looks good until my eyes catch a look at the back of my brightly glowing wrists. My father would want me to cover them up while in somewhat hostile territory. We don't need to attract more spies. I turn back for the closet and begin digging deeper for something to use. Eventually, I find some wristbands and slide them over the marks. To be honest, I expected some kind of power surge or weird ability by now. Maybe I need to give them more time to kick in since it's been dormant for years. I just hope it's a useful boost to my power. I hate to sound like I'm completely spoiled, but I'm sure that anything else I need with me was most likely added to the shuttle last night. All I need to bring is my staff, a twenty-three-inch long obsidian pole with two blue gems protruding out from the ends and four handles on each side, and my armor, which is made of the white rocks from the cliff. It's light enough for me to wear on my upper arms, to disguise it with my sleeves, and durable enough to withstand attacks. And since it's made of the earth, I can use it as a secondary weapon if I somehow manage to lose my staff. My mother and sister will probably be angry at me for not telling them goodbye, but I'd rather Amber to remain somewhat in a good mood on the way there. I leave out my room and head for the hangar bay. My room is located in one of the many spirals that populate the top of the palace. That means I must walk all the way down to the hangar bay which is built into the cliff. The long descent to the hangar bay took me about thirty minutes and I arrive at the entrance of the facility dead at ten o'clock. This entire facility is restricted for state use, meaning only royal, noble, military personnel or invited guests are only allowed to be in here. The hangar houses the capital cities' rapid defense fighter wings. As I walk into the hanger, I hear the engines to the interplanetary shuttle click on loudly. I turn over to take a look. It has a sleek, rectangle like design painted with my family's colors, gold, and white. The shuttle sits in the center of fourteen W-Shaped space-jets in a diamond formation. Their engines are already fired up and ready for take-off. Amber and Ted, my lieutenant in command of my forces, are standing in the middle of the walk ramp to the shuttle, directing my men on what cargo to bring and what to leave behind. He's wearing his standard black and blue steel armor and she's wearing a white dress that leaves her shoulders mostly uncovered and flows down into a delicate jewel neckline. It's a comfortable fit which covers up her breasts but does so without making it look awkward or messy. Her arms are only covered at her shoulders, which is a good thing. Her smooth, dark skin isn't something you want to cover up in my opinion. The dresses' waist is thin, but it's a slim fit. A bow is wrapped around her and rests gently on her stomach. Below the waist, the dress fits snug around her and has a flounded style at the bottom. The dress reaches to well above her ankles and is slightly longer at the sides and back of the dress. To top it all off, she's wearing an ornate necklace and an opulent bracelet. A bit of an over-kill for this mission, but I don't mind seeing her dressed up. Two squads of five men stand on opposite sides of each other on the platform. Their guns facing upright at, one hand on the butt of the rifle and the other on the barrel. "Duke on deck." The one closest to me yells out. The men move the rifles across their chests in tandem with one another. I smile and walk through them. Amber quickly turns around and stares at me with a disappointed look on her face that I know so well. "You look very nice this morning, Amber." I say. "Why aren't you dressed yet?" She says, throwing her hands in the air. "We have time until we get there. Don't we?" "You should be dressed and ready to go now. Why aren't you taking this more seriously than I am?" I ask. "I'm just not feeling a random diplomatic mission like this. I would have at least heard about it way before now." I say. "Stop pouting right now. Have you ever been outside of the territory your family governs?" She asks. "Once or twice." I reply, folding my arms in victory. "To the Shard capitol planet? To meet their king? This will be a learning experience for the both of us. Get dressed. Now." "We still ha--." I start. "It's not worth it, Emeth. Your girl has got you. Let it go." Ted says, cutting me off and chuckling afterward. "Fine." I reluctantly agree. I walk past her and board the ship, taking the pathway for my personal room. I can hear the engines roaring at full power and feel the ship shake a little as we hover above the ground. Not seconds later, the force of the ship's takeoff is pressing down upon my body as we exit the atmosphere. I walk over to the nearest window and take a lookout. I see the 7th fleet, my handpicked pride and joy, maneuvering into formation around the shuttle. I was lucky enough to get the expeditionary force and not the boring job of patrolling the border. The fleet consists of everything except my flagship, the space needle. Everything else came fresh out of the shipyard this year. For front line actions, I have thirteen Aile class dreadnaughts, designed after a dart and has sixty-six gauss man batteries. For mass fighter deployment, I have four Ocat class super carriers designed to look like a whistle compass. And last but not least, I have sixteen Hillic class All Purpose Ships that boast forty-two main batteries and is designed to look like a pair of scissors, only, the hull of the ship does not open and there aren't any finger holes. The back part is split into two though. All are made of Reshian metals. Something that is unique to my fleet, besides the basic supply and medical ships. I carry three assault corvettes, one for Mershiar, and another for the Marines, for in-space boarding and planetary hotspot warfare and one for an armored assault division. My thinking then, as well as now, is to have a well-balanced force that has more than one option on the table, unlike my other siblings. I depart from the window and head for my room. The trip from here to the Shardic capitol planet is roughly seventy light years southwest. We have to go through the Republic of Danyian's space, a nation very friendly to us, and the buffer zone, a swath of space declared neutral between the Shards and Novans after the war. We have at least fifteen hours before we arrive. My family has a very large amount of territory to govern. We have three planets, Fheic, Garza and Rakto, fifteen moons, Vastuytov, Zawhinda, Jues, Fohines, Yiolea, Slaboter, Snecoturn, Crodeturn, Strilles, Vorun, Inaku, Inaka, Danrak, and dozens of space stations. Not to mention the vassal states on our non-Dodeca family borders. As such, we operate a large check-in system to know who and what is in our territory at all times. To put it simply, this fleet will be subject to checks at least three times before we reach the ghost zone, a buffer of space designated by the Dodeca treaty as neutral space, and three more before we reach the Shardic capitol planet, Krestal. I enter the room and take a seat at my desk and lay my head on the rest. Amber is a stickler for rules, but I know my limits. The down period should give me plenty of time to do a little research. The situation just bothers me. For nearly eighteen years, this group has remained dormant. Now, days before Amber and I's birthday, they move? It doesn't add up. And I don't believe in coincidence. What could they possibly want from us? And is sending us away really the best course of action? Whatever the reason is, with a trip to the Shardic capital and the use of my family's memory banks, I'll be able to unearth something. Just then, I hear a pair of loud metal clanking coming down the hall. In a panic, I close all the web pages and lean back in my chair. Seconds later, I hear a knock on the door before it slides halfway open. "Emeth. We're at our first checkpoint before we head out. Do you need anything?" Ted asks, popping his head through the door. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I'll be napping if you need me." I reply. "Don't nap for too long. I don't have to tell you why." He replies with a smile. I stay still and listen, waiting for the clanking noise to fade away. He's right though. Amber will get mad at me. Oh well. The nap will be well worth it. Who knows how many hours later, I regret putting so little of thought into that decision. I woke up with a stinging slap to the right side of my face. "Why in the hell aren't you dressed yet? We will be there soon." I hear Amber bark at me. I immediately clutch my cheek and scoff. "Do you want me to visit royalty with bruises on my face? Huh? I should have you court-marshaled for that." "Please, your mother would have loved to watch me do that. Besides, no one else would put up with you like I'm forced to. Get dressed and head to the navigation room now. You're needed." She says before leaving out the room. I sit back and laugh. Not sure what'd I do without her nagging me into doing my duties. I stand up and go over to the closet and grab my suit. Black pants, yellow shirt, bronze shoulder pads and my medals. I head out from my room and quickly make my way to the navigation room, which is currently occupied by at least thirty-five people gawking at whatever it is they see outside. I maneuver my way in and look out. Alright. I can cut them some slack. Out from the window is a ship. Or, station. Or planet. I'm not sure. I'll just call it what it looks like. A floating fortress, nearly twenty KM across and 17 KM wide. Something like this normally would move slow as hell but it seems to be made out of a light but strong aluminum At the bottom of the fortress is a spiked rubber ball shaped propulsion system with open pods, probably there to fire torpedoes The outer ring of the fortress has a dock with several dozen ships currently under repair. The entire thing is bristling with hundreds of AA guns, anti-ship battier, and what looks like a Holin rocket system. It even contains a swivel bridge on all sides for boarding, made out of aluminum. I wonder whose it could be. I don't see a flag or symbol anywhere. Probably just the Reprosl family test driving some contraption out. "Has it violated our perimeter yet?" I ask. "Not yet, sir. It's just trailing ahead of us for now. I can contact it if you want." An operator says. "Go ahead." I say. "Rogue vessel. You are nearing a novan royal family convoy. If you don't turn around or acknowledge us, we will shoot you down." The operator says. We all waited anxiously or a response. I've never given the order to destroy another vessel before. "Our leader would finally like to meet with the royal one on board." A voice replies in a strange way. It's in our language but sounds weird. "I don't meet with people who don't schedule an appointment. Have your leader contact the state department." I say. The room remained quiet. "Very well then." The same voice replies before cutting the transmission. I look out towards the fortress and see it making a hard right. "That was odd." Ted says. "Where do you think it's headed?" Amber asks. "Probably to Fheic." I say back.
Its feels like it's written in the style of choose your own adventure, except there's no choices and no adventure.
I like this chapter Seth.. The pace picked up and the imagery has more context now.. A cool space opera in the making
Something about a cliff or something. Rp? --- [title=grey+white]Chapter 3[/title] Chapter 1 can be found here Chapter 2 can be fiund here Before I was born, my entire family, along with a few others, was invited to a state dinner at Bryun, the Shardic capital planet. I’ve only seen pictures of it from my history lessons. It’s a planet with rolling hills and valleys that can stretch out for miles. As expected, the Shardic military only allowed my shuttle to enter their territory, with the exception of two escort fighter jets. Amber, Ted and I stand at the exit bay, awaiting touch down at a landing pad in the capital city, Askal. The shuttle rocks just a bit as it lands. I look down at my outfit and sigh deeply. Time to go look like an ass. The doors slowly opens while a walk ramp extends out to the ground. The platform we are docked on is circular and has a speeder hovering near the edge of the other side with three people walking from it towards us. Two are men and the other is a woman, dressed like your typical diplomats, accompanied by a full regimen of Shardic soldiers in their classic multi-colored armor. I’ve always assumed them to be some type of camouflage. I begin heading down the platform, taking the chance to get a good look at this races' shining gem. The city is centered on what appears to be government building, built with marble and slabbed with gold. I can see parks and monuments everywhere. The limit to how high the buildings can go is about fifty stories, most likely done to preserve the skyline, which is barely visible in Fheic unless you live in a high-rise. From what I can see, the buildings are relatively old, for being their capital. And by old, I mean it looks like it did after the rebuilding of the city after the fire that burned it down two-hundred years ago near the end of our war. Although it’s incomparable to mine, it’s still a pretty nice view. I step forward and to the side, allowing the ship’s crewmen to take the luggage to the shuttle. The escorting jets do one last fly-by before heading off to the fleet. I wave them off. "Hello, and welcome to our humble planet! I am Katrina and the three of us will be serving as your tour guide during your stay here." The woman says with a bow. "Thank you for the warm welcome." I reply with a short bow. "Which one of you is a part of the royal family VanderHill? Is it the female?" She asks. I look over at Amber, who is looking back at me. "You weren't informed of which one of us is which?" I ask. "Yes, but your culture is very confusing in the sense of legalities and customs." She replies. "That's understandable. I'm Emeth, duke of the royal house VanderHill." "If you don't mind me asking, what is your place in the line of succession?" "Actually, I'm the fourth duke, but, I'm one of the first in the line of succession. You have to be one of the current Arch and Arch-Duchesses’ children to be eligible." I reply. "I see. I apologize if we aren't being respectful enough. That's why we invited you here, to learn more about you and your culture." "Well, I'm glad you chose to invite my family first instead of the other ones. This would be an intergalactic incident right now." I say with a laugh. "Thank you. Would you like to discuss the training of our three students?" "Training? I wasn't informed of any training?" "But we'd be glad to assess their skills after we get the proper clearance." Amber chimes in. I can feel her eyes staring at me full of disappointment. "Alright." Katrina says while stepping to the side, her arm held out towards the shuttle. I walk forward and get inside the shuttle first, followed by everyone else. "Would you three like a tour first? Or would you like to get settled in before the banquet?" I sit back and think for a moment. "We can tour tomorrow. I have to inform my family that I have arrived safely and that the military detail hanging outside of your space can depart." I reply. "That’s fine. You’ll be staying at one of the most prestigious hotels we have to offer our esteemed guests and their escorts. The security is tighter than the palace." "I will determine that on my own." Ted says, folding his arms. "Be my guest. Driver, take us to A1." The shuttle bobbed and weaved through traffic at high speed and practically forced every other driver out of the way. I assume he has a diplomatic license plate. Otherwise, we'd be getting flipped off right now. Needless to say, we made it to our destination in no time flat. The hotel is dead at the sky limit, with high granite-slab structure with statues and columns sticking out everywhere. When we got out, a team of twenty bellhops came rushing out the revolving doors and took the luggage in one by one. "You won't have to lift a finger while you're here. You’ll be staying in the penthouse. I'll be here to take you all to the banquet in a few hours." She says before ordering the driver to take off again. "Well, that was interesting, and maybe a little awkward." Ted says, his tone showing disapproval. "Just a tad. It's probably because of post-war tension. The Dodeca families aren't exactly nice to them." I reply. "I hope you're right. I'll make sure the luggage gets to your room safely." Ted says, following the bell hops in. "Let's head up. I need to ask my dad about this training thing." I say, starting the walk up the steps. Amber walks close beside me. I cut my eye over at her. She's looking down at the steps with a concerned look on her face. "What are you worried about?" "Hm? Oh. Nothing. Just making sure we aren't forgetting anything." "Alright." I say as we enter the hotel lobby. I ignore everything and everyone in the room that and head straight for the elevator with Amber. We take it up to the penthouse and before we enter, I press the green button on my watch. "What is it, Emeth? Are you alright? Can the fleet head to neutral space?" My dad asks. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's this I hear about training?" "Oh, right. Can you teach them the basics? Just to show our skill and such. Nothing too advanced." "I wish I knew that before I left the palace. I would have brought the training gear." "I told you to bring all your gear!? Are you even hiding your birthmarks from them?" "I have the wristbands on." "They will have to suffice. Remember to always be weary." "I always am when you send me on a mission." I say, before ending the transmission. I walk through the open doorway into the penthouse alongside Amber. "Oh, you should feel right at home here, Emeth. This is almost as big as your room." I look around the room. Everything in the room was either white or brown. And the windows and doors had gold thrown on it. From my quick look over, I could only see four rooms: the kitchen, living room, the bedroom and the bathroom. "Very funny. I believe your bedroom is bigger than mine. Not including the bathroom or walk-in closet.” “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of me now?” “You live in a tree. There’s nothing to be jealous of.” “Alright then. Next time you’re in danger, I’ll take my time.” She says with an innocent smile. “Right…Hey, did she mention where you’re staying at?" I ask, walking over to the bed and sitting at the edge. "No. I guess she either figured that we're a thing, or that your guards shouldn't be sleeping on the job." "Well..." "Don't start. We can all share the room. Ted can take the sofa, I'll take the bed and you can sleep on the floor." "As comfortable as you make it out to be, I'm sleeping in the bed. You can cuddle with me. I don't bite." "I'd rather sleep on the floor. Besides, from what my dad says, you snore louder than your father." "Enjoy it then." I say, throwing a pillow and the top cover at her. “You would really let me sleep on the floor?” “I offered you a spot up here!” “I don’t like sleeping beside pervs.” She replies. “Oh, so you don’t like being wanted?” My eyes bulge at that thoughtless outburst. Amber reaches her hand out and pats my head. “Cute.” “Whatever. I’m taking a nap.”