Aboard the Exodus…
"Here is some food for you," a security officer said.
A nod. "Thank you very much," Fungi dai-Jaedeen said as he took the small tray of food in hand, and then placed it down on the table beside the bunk bed in his personal holding cell deep in the Neptunian cruiser's bowels. He was grateful for the food; aboard the destroyer he and his co-workers had been travelling on back to Earth, it had been almost impossible to shrug off the constant offers of hard liquor from the crew, even during the times they had been in the ship's mess to enjoy a final meal among countrymen before returning to their lives as observers in the Holy City and beyond.
Fungi paused as he allowed the memories of the last week and more to replay in his mind. Despite the reason he had been on Earth over the last year or so, it had been a very pleasant stay in Tomobiki, away from the maddening demolition-and-rebuilding still rampant on Phentax Two as the last vestiges of the older faiths were wiped out of architectural memory and all the cities and towns throughout the Union were remodelled on the current — was that now "former?" — residence of the Living Goddess. Despite such "great awakenings" being quite common amongst his kind — especially in the last five centuries or so — it was still jarring to find himself staring on his hometown one day to see a near-perfect replica of Hollywood…and then the very next day, see it transformed into a suburb of Japan's largest city.
He sighed. No doubt, his part-Vosian ancestry — his maternal great-grandmother, Karinba, had been a Confederation Exploration Directorate officer who had come to the Phentax star system well over nine hundred years after its discovery by the great unification leader Lecasur; she had recognised and married a local priest of some long-forgotten faith, then later took him off-planet after they raised several quite handsome children — gave him a rather interesting perspective when it came to his native society. While change was always a good thing — it was, in effect, the way of Existence — change just to conform to someone's idea of what was "holy" and "divine" (the price for non-conformance being death on charges of apostasy) was just something else at times. For his friends and co-workers — Shaskaar, Koeko, Juhzi, Makasai, Saari, Mikosh and Toran — what happened was normal and was to be accepted without question. But Fungi himself…
Especially given the considerable extremes the leaders of the "One True Faith" were willing to go to ensure all would conform to their desires…
He then blinked as he sipped the ice tea he had been given. As soon as they had been brought aboard the Neptunian cruiser, they had all been separated and placed in individual holding cells. When they realised that they were being put into the brig, many of Fungi's co-workers began to protest, demanding they be allowed to speak right away with the Union's embassy in Kōri City. Fungi had wisely kept silent, thus escaping being frozen into an icicle by a clearly VERY angry Crown Princess Pukaze when she had come down with the cruiser's captain to speak to them. That had been a relief.
He was smart enough to realise it wouldn't last long.
"Good day."
He looked up, and then he stood as the force field holding him inside the cell was deactivated to allow the commander of the Neptunian military inside. A respectful bow later, he gazed upon her. "Good day to yourself, Your Highness." Fungi then felt his lips twitch into a smile. "I assume that since I'm not frozen in a metre of ice, I'll be the one to answer what questions you may have about what just happened."
Pukaze stared at him, an eyebrow arching in surprise. Most Niphentaxians she had met in her lifetime — especially in the last decade or so, after the Church of Lum was formed and became the One True Faith among her guest's people — had been sycophantic to such a nauseating degree that she could not help but get a migraine whenever she had been briefly greeted the local ambassador while standing in a receiving line at the Royal Palace during a levée. How her cousin, much less her uncle and aunt, could stand talking to such people, she would NEVER understand. "I am afraid you are quite correct, sir," she said as she took her seat in the lone chair across from the bunk that Fungi had been on when she came in. After he took his own seat, she stared coolly at him. "I have many questions about what just happened in the last few hours. I have managed to arrange a flag of truce meeting with the current commander of the Earth fleet within the next few hours. I hope that your squadron isn't being followed; I don't think you would like the idea of whatever that was that butchered many of your friends to go on ANOTHER rampage, would you?"
Fungi blinked, and then he shook his head. "No, Your Highness, I certainly wouldn't welcome the idea of more people — mine, yours, others — facing the wrath of someone like Ryofu Hōsen." Noting Pukaze's eyebrow arch even further, he then smiled. "I'm not too much of an expert on tōshi as a whole. One of my friends, Juhzi, is a big fan of theirs. He could answer any specific questions about people like her."
"Fortunately, your friend also knows well how to keep a civil tongue. I will talk to him after I am done with you," the Neptunian field marshal stated. "Much that I understand your desire to not be accused of something as grotesque as apostasy or heresy — I'm fully aware of how your people's leaders view such things — there are questions I need answers to before I meet with Director Moroboshi." She was quick to see his eyes widen in surprise on her using that phrase to describe the current leader of the Volunteer Earth Defence Force. "I'm already on very shaky ground with her. In the Director's eyes, my cousin and all of Lum-chan's other friends were simply monsters that tortured her brother without letup or clear cause." She then sat back. "I take it your people never knew Lum-chan's ex-husband had a sister."
"I must confess that is quite the revelation," he then admitted. "I never heard or saw any signs whatsoever concerning the Gr-…" — he then caught himself before he gave his host an embarrassed smile — "…pardon me, Your Highness — I meant Moroboshi-sama — having a sister. Did she elaborate how this is? What's her name?"
"Moroboshi Hiromi. And she claims to be Ataru's adopted sister," Pukaze supplied. "Still, there is one thing I took notice of. You recall the incident six Earth months ago? After Lum-chan rescued Ataru from Queen Elle?"
A nod. "The chapel they were all in exploded while Moroboshi-sama was vigorously protesting his being forced to marry Lum-sama," Fungi stated. "It ensured everyone caught inside remained in intensive care for six to eight weeks. And there was simply no sign of Moroboshi-sama, either on Earth or elsewhere." He gazed at her. "Do you know something, Your Highness? Surely, after what happened to Oyuki-sama…"
"I have my theories," she stated. "I'll hold off on them for the time being. But after everyone reunited, so to speak, in Tomobiki, Ataru began wearing a very strange white earring off his left ear. Shaped distantly like the Earth Arabic number '9.'"
Silence.
"A magatama?"
She perked. "You know of it?"
"Juhzi would be able to explain better than I can," he assured her. "I know some basic things, but I might tell you something that will conflict with what he knows. It's best you really hear it from someone who made it his business to know."
She nodded in acceptance. "There is one other thing, though."
"Being?"
"The slaves that were reported to be on those ships you were on."
Silence.
Fungi blinked as he took that in, and then he felt a chill race through him. Oh, Dear Fates, have mercy…! he breathed out as he sensed her gaze harden.
THAT was the ONE secret his people kept under very tight lock and key.
And now…
"Even if you do learn of them, Your Highness," he then said as he gazed on her, "I doubt that there will be much you can do to change things."
She nodded in understanding, and then she smirked. "Isn't it a pity that Director Moroboshi thinks otherwise. And from what we were able to scan of her ships — and taking into account last week's events in Tomobiki — the chances are VERY good that she can call upon not just the Noukiites to assist her…" — she then paused as she fixed him with a knowing stare — "…but the Maidens of the Eternal Voyager as well. And need I remind you of what might happen should news of your kind practicing chattel slavery ever get to Yehisril?"
Fungi jolted on hearing that, and then he felt his whole body shiver…
Sometime later…
"Welcome aboard."
Pukaze nodded her thanks as she and the Exodus' captain stepped off the materialiser pad aboard Haida, both then pausing to bow their heads to their current host. "Thank you for hosting us," the crown princess and field marshal said as she gazed on the blue-haired, aqua-eyed, tomboyish girl in what appeared to be a dark blue dress with a white apron draped over the front, gloves over her hand. Like the woman in charge of this vessel, a white magatama hung off her ear. "And you are…?"
"Ryomō Shimei," the girl said evenly.
Feeling that stare fall on her, Pukaze felt her body quake. She had been the recipient of such stares before. Usually from renowned warriors such as the expat Vosian hunter Nassur; his former partner, the adopted Fukunokami hunter Shogai Dakejinzō; their teacher in the ways of tracking criminals, the Grand Duke of Cademus and the Lord High Executioner of the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril, Lord Varanko of Kyotos; and the Lady Seu-P'ye Yesu-Re Hechnich'-K'ekhech of Noukiios, the Dragonspeaker of the Flower Youth of the Imperial Dominion. Given what Juhzi dai-Nyhon had just told her about these tōshi…
"I trust you will take us to the Director?" Pukaze then asked.
Shimei nodded as she waved them with her out of the room. They stepped into a long hallway that seemed to run the full length of the kilometre-long starship, divided equidistantly by pressure bulkheads. Fortunately, they didn't have to walk very long before they stepped into an alcove to enter a turbolift. Once the doors were closed, the car then ascended a considerable distance before stopping and opening into the entrance stairway of a spacious lounge located on the starship's forward weather deck. Awaiting them were four people, three women and a young man, all with magatama hanging off their ears.
Pukaze was quick to walk over to greet Moroboshi Hiromi. "Director Moroboshi."
Hiromi rose to gently grasp the other woman's hand. "Your Highness." A nod to her companion. "Captain. Please, both of you, relax and be comfortable. We're having tea and snacks brought up right now. It appears we have some things to talk about."
The visiting Neptunians nodded as they took a couch for themselves. "A most impressive group of ships you possess, Director," the captain noted. "All named for famous Earth navy warships, if I am correct. Hood, Bismarck, Richelieu and Vittorio Veneto; all battleships from your Second World War. Santísima Trinidad; the largest warship of her time during the Napoleonic Wars." He then gave her an apologetic smile. "I don't seem to recall this ship's namesake, though."
"Haida was a destroyer used by the Canadians during the Second World War," Hiromi explained as footfalls heralded the arrival of Kagawa Kyôko, a tray with tea and snacks in hand. "Four of her sisters — Zulu, Sikh, Cossack and Maori — were actually involved in the hunt for Bismarck after Hood was lost in the Denmark Strait." She waved to Kôgetsuei and Bunjaku. "Both Tsukihana-san and Ayami-san here elected to choose names that would reflect the maritime traditions of the largest nations, population-wise, on Earth. I believe we struck a very good balance, but that will have to wait for the judgement of the United Nations and the individual national governments, of course."
Pukaze perked. "You aren't an official force."
"Not as of yet," Hiromi replied. "We hope to change that soon. We know that many organizations on Earth are aware of these ships' and their sisterships' presence in orbit over Earth, but they have as of yet chose not to contact us."
Both Neptunians stared at her. "You allow yourselves to be detected?" Pukaze asked.
A snort. "Madame, I am trying to win the trust of a very diverse group of people. My homeworld is not under one single government as you'll know. And there are powers loose on Earth that would find detecting the VEDF ships quite easy even if we chose to cloak ourselves." Hiromi gazed on her guest before she sat back in her chair. "Tell me something, Your Highness: Does the word Chappa'ai sound familiar to you?"
Pukaze had been sipping her tea when Hiromi asked that. The field marshal's eyes went wide as that word rang in her mind and she nearly choked herself on the tea. Quickly recovering, she placed the cup down before she stared in disbelief at her host. "How in Kōri's Name did you know of THAT?!" she demanded.
"It's quite easy to discover once you know the specific energy readings one of those things throws off," Bunjaku stated before sipping her own tea. "It's clearly been active for some time now," she then explained. "Tsukihana-kun and I have found other planets with both active and dormant stargates during our travels."
"Have you encountered the Goa'uld?" the captain asked.
"Personally, no," Hiromi said as Bunjaku and Kôgetsuei shook their heads. "But I am very close friends with someone who has fought them on occasion. I believe you may know of this person: the Lady K'ekhech of Noukiios."
Silence.
"You are friends with the Dragonspeaker," Pukaze stated. "I would assume therefore that your brother knows her as well?" She was quick to see Hiromi's eyes become hooded as a pained look crossed her face. "I'm sorry. Did I say…?"
"Ataru-kun is dying as we speak."
More silence.
Pukaze and the captain both stared in stunned shock at Ryofu Hōsen. "I'm sorry. May I ask what happened?" the former then said as she gave Hiromi an apologetic look.
Hiromi gazed on her, and then she sighed. "It is a very long and complicated story. And please don't take personal offense at this, Your Highness, but I realise that you may have been influenced by your cousin's viewpoints towards Onii-san. Thus, I find myself rather hesitant to tell you anything about it." A wry smile crossed her face. "My brother has quite a negative reputation among the peoples of the Galactic Federation. I understand it and accept it quite well. But he is my brother, adopted or no. Unlike the two people he is forced to look on as his parents, much less his other relatives, I gladly give him the love that he has long deserved."
Gazing at her host, Pukaze then nodded. "I can accept that. Is he in Noukiite space now?" Seeing Hiromi's eyebrow arch, the Neptunian smirked. "After what happened last week — and given what you just said of your friendship with the Lady K'ekhech — it was quite easy for me to conclude. I assume one of the Great Dragons was responsible for what happened six months ago in Onishuto?"
A nod. "It was Lord Nengmek'i. He took very great interest in Onii-san and I." Hiromi then sighed. "Please believe me when I say this to you, Your Highness: I don't hate your cousin or her friends. Neither does Onii-san. But…" — here, she took a deep breath — "…in a way, all of them are victims of something that has dominated Onii-san's life since he was a young boy. If there were ways to avoid people being hurt, I'm sure Onii-san would have taken them. Unfortunately, given other problems — your current guests, for example — he felt that, by the time he was being forced into playing tag again with Lum, that he had finally run out of options. And given Lum's total willingness to allow all of Earth's very biosphere to be threatened by what Carla accidentally unleashed…"
The crown princess took that in, and then she nodded. "You seem to know very much. I assume it was the Noukiites that taught you those things?"
"You're correct." Hiromi sipped her tea. "Both Onii-san and I found it quite shocking to learn that his 'marriage' to Lum was, in effect, ILLEGAL under Urusian law since the only time he tagged her horns was during the conducting of a Tag Race. Regardless of what Onii-san said afterward, Lum should have realised she had no right to press something like that to him." Another sip. "It was also quite shocking to learn that there is this so-called 'church' that venerates her as a living goddess figure. A church whose leaders aren't shy of actually SPYING on the diaries of those closest to Lum to compose their 'holy book.' And whose leaders, I might add, aren't the least bit afraid of browbeating their allies so they can get away with literal MURDER…!"
"Not to mention slavery?"
Eyes locked on the Exodus' captain. As the Terrans all blinked in surprise, Pukaze took a deep breath. "We know now of the Avalonians," she admitted.
Hiromi gazed on her, and then she placed her tea cup down. "Come with us."
Later…
"So when will we be released and allowed to return home?"
Hearing the question from the senior-surviving observer of the Church of Lum — a rather boorish man named Hoss bedai-Diyasbugh; someone whose arrogance was something that Pukaze found quite offensive — the commander of Neptune's military blinked before she gazed at him, a smile crossing her face. Watching from his position in his own cell, Fungi was quick to see the total lack of humour in that grin.
"When, you ask?" Pukaze mused as she gazed intently at him, that making him falter. "Oh, be assured of this, Hoss-san. You will be released and allowed to return home. You have done no crime against the Kingdom of Neptune." Her eyes then narrowed. "Save for spitting on and defying all the governments of the Galactic Federation agreed to in good faith since you joined us years ago!" she then spat out.
Hoss blinked as his mind wrapped around those words, and then he shuddered. "Now, see here, madame…!" he snarled.
"The control mechanism for the Avalonians you have serving in your place on Earth."
Silence.
Hoss was white-faced. "I…I have no idea what you're talking about…"
"Well, isn't that just too bad," Pukaze stated. "For you see, Director Moroboshi has taken up the fallen banner of your very honourable countryman, Ganzo dai-Louc…" — she ignored the shocked hiss that escaped Hoss and several other observers nearby on her mentioning the name of the Arch-Heretic Himself — "…and is now working hard to do everything she can to free those poor people from your control."
"They're just MACHINES!" another observer barked out.
She gestured with her hands, instantly freezing him in place. "A pity the government of the Imperial Dominion of Noukiios believes otherwise," Pukaze stated. "And very soon, I assure you, news of them will reach Yehisril." As the Niphentaxians all began to quake on hearing that planet's name, the crown princess then smirked. "Don't expect your attempts at keeping their existence a secret will save you for long. You see, Director Moroboshi and her brother are very good friends with the Dragonspeaker. And she happens to share a hobby with Prince Sheko!" As gasps escaped her prisoners on hearing the name of the Mad Prince of Kyotos, she then smirked as she gazed knowingly on Hoss.
"Do you believe your 'one true faith' will survive Earth becoming a protectorate world of the Royal Kingdoms AND the Imperial Dominion?"
As Hoss sank to the deck, we…
(Posted Sun, 16 May 2010 04:45)
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