“This is incredible,” Jack breathed.
“Oh, yes,” Aria agreed. She closed her eyes, breathing in the cool, still air of the temple. “Long time since I come here.”
“What gods do they worship here?” the human asked, looking at the statues.
“I show you.” Aria took him to the nearest statue, which depicted a male Ailian standing with his legs in a wide stance, a long blade planted tip down into the ground. “Galan'te, god of the hunt. Long time ago, Ailians pray to Galan'te for luck hunting, protection from animals. Soldiers pray to him now, ask for skill in battle, safe return home.” They walked to the next statue, across the floor from the first. “Nala'ran, goddess of prosperity.” This statue depicted a female, draped in long, luxurious robes, a beatific expression on her face as she held out hands filled with coins. “Merchants pray to her, ask for good fortune in business.”
As Jack was shown through the temple, he was introduced to more gods and goddesses than he could possibly have hoped to remember, but Aria recited them from memory without hesitation. There seemed to be a god or goddess for everything, all the way from good health to good weather. Each of them had their own statue, and each statue had offerings of flowers, food, and various trinkets placed at the bases. Aria explained that most Ailians who came here did so out of tradition, rather than any real belief in the ancient gods. The only visible exceptions were the attendants of the temple, who could be distinguished from the temple visitors by their flowing black and red robes.
Finally, they came halfway down the length of the temple, where one statue was in the center of the floor, standing out from all the rest. The statue was taller than the others, reaching almost up to the ceiling. Jack tilted his head back as much as he could, looking up at the stone figure. The statue showed a young, beautiful Ailian woman, wearing what looked like a suit of armor that left her head bare. In one hand the woman held a long sword, the point held down towards the ground. In her other hand was a bunch of flowers, clutched to her breast. Her head was tilted with her face to the ground. Jack thought that her features looked very solemn and noble, with a softness that none of the other statues possessed.
“Most important,” Aria said. She walked up to the statue, laying the flowers she had purchased at the base among the offerings left by other temple visitors. The Ailian stood there quietly, her tail hanging behind her, not moving. Her eyes were closed, and Jack thought he could see her lips moving in what he could only assume was silent prayer. When she finished, Aria looked up into the face of the statue. “Is Liren'sa, goddess of love and war. She is most powerful. Leader of them all.”
“Why is that?” Jack asked curiously.
Aria turned to face him. “Love and war very similar. Both have struggle. Both require strength. Drive us all, one way or another.”
Not entirely convinced, Jack just nodded anyway. “I guess I can sort of see that. Still doesn't make much sense to me, but it sounds very nice.” He gestured to the flowers. “Giving an offering to the goddess?”
“Yes.” Aria moved to his side. “Say prayer to Liren'sa. Wish for luck in war.” She looked at the floor of the temple, appearing pensive. “Already have luck in love. Now that I return to war soon...need more luck with that, yes?”
“So now I know what the flowers are for. What about that other thing you bought?”
“Ah, yes. Incense. For this. Follow.” Aria showed Jack to the very back wall of the temple, where the wall was divided into equilateral squares. Many of the squares had words etched into them in Ailian script, none of which Jack could read. Aria started at one end of the wall, her eyes scanning the words carefully. All of a sudden, she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. “Here.” She placed her finger on a square just below her head level, tracing the letters.
Jack looked up at the square. “What does it say?”
Aria bowed her head, her ears flattening to the top of her skull. “Li'ara Me'lia. Her ashes behind this wall.”
A shiver passed through Jack's body. He remembered well Aria's youngest sibling, the girl of thirteen who had been killed when a band of human commandos, sent by Aria's mother, had invaded the family home. The brutality of the killing had deeply affected Aria at the time. “This is a memorial wall, then.”
“It is.” Aria placed her palm flat on the wall. “Was not allowed to come when her ashes placed here. Here now.” Without another word, she went to one of the candles set into the wall, lifting the cone of incense she had purchased. Lighting the tip, she let it burn for a second, and then she blew the flame out. The incense glowed red, releasing a steady stream of fragrant smoke. Returning to the wall where Li'ara's ashes rested, Aria knelt on the floor, placing the incense there beneath her sister's square.
Not knowing what else to do, Jack knelt as well. He looked up at the square with Li'ara's name, silent for a while. He glanced over at his mate. She had her hands clasped over her heart, her eyes closed, but unlike when she was at the statue of the goddess, she did not seem to be praying. As Jack watched, he saw tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
“What's the incense for?” Jack asked quietly, after several minutes had passed.
“For Li'ara,” Aria replied, her voice hoarse with the grief she hadn't allowed herself to feel until now. “To cleanse her spirit. Bring her peace.”
Closing his own eyes, Jack breathed in the soft and peaceful scent of the smoke. “I hope she finds it,” he said, and he meant it.
Sniffing, Aria leaned over and nuzzled Jack's cheek. Then she gave up all pretense, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him into a strong embrace. As her face touched his, he could feel the tears streaking her fur. He hugged her in return, rubbing his hand over her back. Aria managed not to cry aloud, but he felt her shaking silently, refusing to disturb the sanctity of the temple even with her sorrow over the loss of her sister.
“Thank you for being here,” Aria whispered into his ear, as the last wisps of smoke rose up from the dying embers of incense.
“I wouldn't have missed it.”
- 6 -
It felt good to be back in uniform.
When she stepped out of the military transport into the midday heat, Aria straightened the ruffles from her black jacket. As she did, the shiny new captain insignia on her lapels caught the glint of the sun. The Ailian smiled, touching a finger to the silver triangle. Two weeks ago she had been brought onto Mat'aar Airbase, the largest military installation on Lirna, in shackles as a prisoner being tried for treason. Today she came onto base a free woman, fully reinstated as a member of the Ascendancy Navy. The previous day she'd spent hours at the quartermaster getting her formal and duty uniforms sized perfectly. Upon arriving home, most of her family were very impressed with her appearance. Jack had seemed impressed as well, but in a much different way, and
she
had been impressed by how quickly he was able to get the uniform off of her that evening.
Aria got a little worried when she thought about Jack. His time on Lirna had so far been a trying one, but he had weathered it fairly well for a human, especially considering he'd had to spend it as a slave. True, he had never
really
been treated much like a slave, and he'd definitely been much better off than he would have been as a prisoner of war, but he'd hardly had what one could call a vacation. He didn't really belong here, after all. Only a twist of fate had brought them together in the first place, and set this whole series of events in motion. Really, it was a wonder they even still liked each other, let alone loved each other. Aria had tried to look after him as best she could, and in return he'd shown her far more care than she ever would have expected.
Now, though, she was coming to her base to receive her first orders as a new captain, and she had no idea what those orders might be. When she'd returned home after escaping the captivity of her mother, Aria had been told by the Empress that she would have a new assignment for her, which Aria took to mean that her time with the patrol fleet was over. Apart from that, she had no clues. What she did know was that with the war with Ara'lana's forces and the Pteryd brewing, not to mention the fighting that continued with the humans even as the Empress attempted to end that war through diplomacy, her next assignment was very likely not to be on Lirna. If so, that meant she would be separated from Jack, and for how long was anybody's guess. Aria didn't like leaving her younger sister, Sami, with the responsibility for looking after him. Not because of any kind of jealousy; she knew that Sami was not interested in Jack in that way, but she preferred having him close by, for all the usual reasons that one might expect. Aria and Jack had been most energetic ever since her return home, and she was a little saddened that those wonderful nights might have to come to an end soon. She wondered how he would hold up when they were apart, since he was so far away from anyone else that he might be able to consider family.
Fortunately, her family seemed to have finally adopted him as one of their own, and that would just have to do. For now, Aria had her duties to attend to. As she entered the command center of the base, she had to stop at a security checkpoint, manned by several enlisted soldiers and an officer. To her perverse delight, she saw that the lieutenant in charge of the checkpoint was the very same officer who had led the security detail which had taken her into custody when she'd first arrived on Lirna with Jack. Stepping up to the desk, she cleared her throat, waiting to be checked in.
The lieutenant looked up, and Aria had the pleasure of seeing his fur flatten as his ears laid back. -What are you doing here?- he stammered as he looked her over. He seemed very shocked to see her standing before him.
Aria cleared her throat again, her expression hardening as she crossed her arms over her chest. -Captain Aria Me'lia reporting in,- she said, staring him down, as she kept the madly wagging end of her tail below the desk and out of his view. -I have an appointment with the base commander.-
-'Captain'? But...- The lieutenant called up his records on his computer, scrolling through the day's appointments until he found it. He looked dismayed, because he knew the consequences that could come from disrespecting a superior, female officer. Belatedly, he stood up and saluted Aria. -Of...Of course, Captain. Commander Vash'ti is waiting for you in the base commander's office. One of my soldiers will show you the way.-
-Why, thank you, lieutenant, but that won't be necessary,- Aria said, in a falsely sweet tone. -I know the way. Please inform the commander I will be there shortly.- She turned away from the flustered Ailian officer, nodding to the attending soldiers as she began to move away.
-Certainly, Captain,- the lieutenant said. A moment later, in a manner that Aria was sure she hadn't been meant to hear, she caught the muttered words, -Disgusting female...Human-lover...-
That was something she wasn't able to let stand. Feeling a flare of anger inside of her, she came to an abrupt halt and whirled around to face the lieutenant. The snarling expression on her tiger-like face was enough to make him shrink back, and she saw real fear in his eyes as she advanced a few steps back in his direction. -Would you care to repeat that last remark, Lieutenant?-
-I...,- the lieutenant replied. He was clearly struggling with his words, trying to find a way to maintain his steadily-decreasing dignity while attempting to think of a way to backpedal and apologize without looking like a fool. -I wasn't...Perhaps I should rephrase...-
-No, no, leave it the way you said it before,- Aria hissed at him. -I'm sure you meant it as an insult. I assure you, I do not see it as such.- She kept advancing until she was standing at the desk again, her yellow-gold eyes staring laser beams at the cowering lieutenant. -You want to call me a human-lover? Be my guest.- She grinned rather evilly at him. -Because all it shows is your shame that you know you could never measure up to half the male that he is. And I do mean that in every sense.- Aria ignored the stifled laughter from the female enlisted soldier on the lieutenant's right. -Really, how anyone could trust you with guarding so much as the mess hall is beyond me. Now, do you wish to remain a lieutenant, Lieutenant? Because with your tongue I can most definitely guarantee that you will either remain there for the rest of your life, or sink just as fast as I can report your insubordination to the base commander.-
Completely subdued, the lieutenant sank back into his chair, defeated by Aria's dressing-down. -My apologies, m'lady,- he said grudgingly. He would not meet her stare. -I wouldn't dream of disrespecting you.-
Aria glared at him just a short while longer, and then she nodded. -Accepted, Lieutenant. Do try not to misplace your tail at the end of your duty shift.- With that, she turned back around and continued on her way, suppressing the urge to break into triumphant laughter as she made for the commander's office.
******
Upon reaching the office formerly held by Major Tal'in, Aria was surprised to find that the office was guarded. While this, in itself, would not have been all that unusual, the guards were not the normal naval security personnel that she would have expected. Instead, the door was flanked by a pair of black-clad, ebony-furred Ailians, easily recognizable by their plain, unadorned uniforms as members of the elite Royal Guards. They remained impassive as Aria approached the door, not acknowledging her presence even as she knew that they had to be keenly aware of her. They were intimidating merely by their appearance, and it was not without apprehension that Aria stood at attention between them.
-I am Captain Aria Me'lia,- she announced to them. -I am expected by the commander.-
Wordlessly, one of the guards half-turned and reached for the door handle, opening it for her. Taking a breath, Aria stepped inside, and the guard pulled the door closed once she was clear of it. When she was in, Aria briefly looked about the office. The room still looked much the same as it had when Major Tal'in had occupied it, although the many war trophies that she had acquired had been removed by somebody. The office was decorated rather plainly, although like any self-respecting Ailian officer would, the new commander had placed a few small mementos of their career here and there. She then turned her attention to who was in the room. Sitting behind the desk was a tall, somewhat young, and slender Ailian male with rusty-brown fur wearing the uniform of a naval commander, who Aria assumed to be Commander Vash'ti. She realized that she recognized him, and that he had been present at her preliminary treason hearing on the first occasion she'd returned to Lirna. In fact, he had been one of the officers to vote on the side of dismissing her charges. Seated in two of the three chairs placed in front of the desk were two admirals. One, not so surprisingly, was Chief Admiral Te'rou. The other was a crimson-furred, older female, and Aria recognized her very well as Admiral Grelen, the commander of the First Fleet which protected the homeworld. One other Ailian was in the room, but she had her back to Aria. Whoever she was, she was dressed in the rich formal uniform of an admiral just as Te'rou and Grelen were. She was looking out of the large windows which made up the back wall of the base commander's office, her hands clasped firmly near the base of her tail.
Snapping to attention, Aria saluted smartly. -Commander Vash'ti,- she said in a loud, clear voice, -Captain Me'lia, reporting as ordered.-
-You may be at ease, Captain.- These words came not from the commander, but from the unknown admiral standing at the window. Even as Aria registered the familiar voice, the female turned around, and she saw immediately that it was the Empress. The presence of the Royal Guards was now quite clear.
-Your majesty!- Aria said. She bowed hurriedly, feeling her pulse quicken. She had allowed herself to forget that, though she was the ruler of the Ascendancy, Empress Solan was still actively commissioned as an admiral in the Navy. Aria felt very outranked in the room now. -Forgive me, m'lady, I did not recognize you.-
Kri'a smiled. -Well, I can hardly fault you for that. It has been quite some time since I wore my uniform. With all that has been going on recently, I felt perhaps now was the time to put it back on. Thankfully, it still fits.-
-Please be seated, Captain,- Commander Vash'ti said, indicating the free chair in between Admirals Te'rou and Grelen. -And thank you for being punctual. Time isn't exactly scarce, but I'm glad to see that your time out of uniform hasn't spoiled your discipline.-
-Of course, not, sir,- Aria said. She sat down in the chair provided for her, folding her hands in her lap. She kept her eyes forward, looking between the Empress and the commander, waiting patiently even as she was overcome by curiosity. Surely her new assignment would be something special, indeed, to warrant the presence of her ruler and two admirals.
She was not kept waiting for long. The Empress approached Commander Vash'ti's side, leaning over to call up something on his computer. One of the bookshelves standing against the left wall of the office slid aside, revealing a wide display screen. The display flickered to life, showing large blocks of text interspersed with images. Aria saw several small map images, showing various sectors of Ascendancy space.
-The admirals and I have been going over some of the intelligence recovered from the ship you brought to us,- the Empress explained. -You did well, Captain. Though we lost some of the data due to safeguards that Ara'lana has apparently placed in her ships, we were able to save most of it. It was most informative, and quite alarming.-
Admiral Grelen spoke up next. -As you reported upon your return, it appears true that Admiral Me'lia has secured the alliance of several sizable fleets of humans. As a result, she has added the territory they were charged with to her own territory, to include the human homeworld, Earth. Earth is now entirely under the control of the Outer Colony rebels, and the majority of the humans' main governing body, the United Nations, has fled to the world of Cerelis and several other major colonies.- At Grelen's words, the Empress advanced the display screen to show an updated map of human space. A large swath of it was now indicated as rebel space. -Unfortunately for us, this has not led to a reduction in hostilities from the humans. In fact, they appear more desperate and are ramping up their attacks in an effort to break our defensive lines. Of course, we are
only
conducting defensive actions per Her Majesty's orders.-
-My diplomats are most insistent on that,- Kri'a piped in. -They are making little progress as it is. I was very lucky that their ships were not simply blown out of space when they arrived at Cerelis. The reports they are sending back to me indicate that engaging in a renewed offensive campaign could sabotage what progress they have made.-
-Yes,- Admiral Te'rou grumbled. He was clearly not of the same opinion as the Empress in this matter. -Even more troubling than the humans is the Pteryd. Up until now, we only had your reports to suggest their involvement to any degree in Ara'lana's rebellion. Now we are seeing Pteryd ships in increasing numbers in our battles with the rebels. They appear to have joined the war in earnest.-
-Which I see as somewhat of a good sign,- Kri'a said. -To me, that suggests that Ara'lana is losing confidence. From what our intelligence officers have been able to gather, she expected to make progress much faster than she has been. Calling upon her Pteryd allies to take a more active role would seem to indicate that she needs their help.- She paged through the intelligence. -Whatever the case, in recent days we have been able to regain some ground in key sectors, and though those gains have been small they are not insignificant. What's more, the intelligence you recovered has convinced our allies in the Nuretan Empire. They are committing their forces to aid us, which I believe will give Ara'lana pause.-