Brooke looked at Jack before she leaned forward and took some food. “I don't think we're ever getting out of here...,” she said. She stared at the food in her hand, some sort of pastry-like concoction filled with a meaty mixture, and after a few moments she put it back down again. They'd been given it several times before, and while the food was certainly edible, it wasn't what one would call particularly flavorful. “We've been down here for days.”
“Yeah,” Jack grumbled. He crossed his legs, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. “I wish there was something I could do. If one of those guards would come in by themselves, or if they'd just forget to lock the door, or something...”
“I don't think they're going to be that careless,” Brooke mumbled hopelessly. “They look pretty serious.” She huddled up again, drawing her knees up towards her chest and resting her forehead against them as she hugged her arms around herself. “We're going to die down here. I just know it.”
By this time, Jack privately agreed with the young teen, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. Instead he put one arm around her and gave her what he hoped was a comforting hug. “Hey, none of that,” he said gently. “I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, not while I'm still alive, alright? So don't worry, okay?” He squeezed her shoulder. “Don't forget, the rest of the Ascendancy is still out there. I'm sure they're coming to Lirna soon.”
“I don't think they're too worried about rescuing two slaves,” Brooke said. Her voice sounded bitter. “Even if they come, they're going to be more concerned about saving the Empress.”
“Aria will come,” Jack said, putting a firm tone into his words. “I know she'll try to get to me. So that means she's coming for both of us. I'm sure of it. If I can't get us out of here myself, she'll come.”
The young slave girl was quiet for a long time after Jack said that. Then she lifted her head up, and she locked her deep green eyes with his, forcing a smile. He could tell that she didn't believe what he was saying, but that she desperately wanted to. “I...hope you're right...”
They both sat in silence for a while after that, and eventually the food that had been brought to them got eaten. Like they had for the past three days, they tried to keep themselves occupied. Brooke seemed particularly interested in hearing stories about what life on Earth was like, as well as on Cerelis and other human planets that Jack had visited. Since she had been a slave for almost her entire life, and couldn't remember anything else, she had never experienced what it was like to live among other free humans. She in turn told him about the places she had been in the Ascendancy. He had sort of assumed that she had never left Lirna before being sent to Arbaros by the previous Empress, but as it turned out she'd been taken to numerous planets by previous owners. He was just as interested in the various worlds that were in the Ascendancy. They were able to take their minds off of their present situation just a little bit in this way.
Some time later, perhaps two or three hours, there came a quiet commotion in the corridor outside of their cell. Jack and Brooke could both hear someone talking, and whoever it was sounded like a woman. They heard what must have been the guards outside responding, and then came the louder, sharper sound of the door's lock disengaging.
Jack quickly stood up, his heart starting to beat a little faster. “Brooke, stay behind me...,” he said in a low voice. As the door opened, he got himself ready. This, finally, might be the moment to try to attempt an escape. When it swung open, however, and he saw the person that stepped inside, the anticipation drained out of him to be replaced by an intense feeling of dread.
He had seen her painted portrait hanging on the wall of dining room, every day, at the Me'lia estate. He had seen her photograph once or twice in the weeks since the civil war in the Ascendancy had begun. And he had once seen her during her taunting, gloating communication to Arbaros in the aftermath of the loss of Lirna. None of that could have prepared him for seeing Ara'lana Me'lia face to face.
She was easily the tallest Ailian that Jack had ever been in the presence of, and would have towered over Aria were they standing side-by-side. Her fur was of the purest white shade, crisscrossed with coal black tiger stripes, which would have made her quite attractive were it not for the absolutely cold expression on her face. Her brilliantly emerald eyes reflected the dim light of the cellar room they were in. As she approached him, he noticed how solidly built she was. Even with the differences, the resemblance to Aria was apparent. The uniform she wore was even much the same, apart from the crimson color versus Aria's black. Jack stood his ground, his head slowly turning up to keep a look at her face as she got quite close. She was staring right back at him, just as intensely. Jack could hear Brooke whimpering quietly behind him, but Ara'lana seemed to be ignoring her completely.
When she stood right before Jack, she bent down so that she could look at him more closely. At this distance, the human could see, faintly through the fur on her feline face, the spiderwebbed pattern of scars around her eyes. She narrowed her gaze, and her nose twitched as she sniffed at him. Jack could feel that he was shaking, as much as he tried to hold it back. Aria's mother put a hand underneath his chin, and she turned his head from side to side, examining him. As frightened as he was, he jerked his head away, out of her grasp. Ara'lana grinned tightly.
“Such fear I smell on you,” the rebel leader said, a chuckle in her voice. “But defiance, too. Surprising in a human.” She spoke English with much the same accent as Aria, though more fluidly and with none of Aria's charm. “So finally we meet, human. Or should I call you 'son'?” She sneered at him. “I must say, I was rather delighted when I learned that my soldiers brought you here as well.”
“Were you?” Jack asked dryly.
Ara'lana nodded, straightening up to her full height again. “Oh, yes, very,” she confirmed. Her tail was wagging in a deceivingly playful fashion. “I was very much looking forward to being able to kill you myself. I did promise Aria I would, after all. And an honorable female always keeps her promises.”
Jack felt a chill go through his body. “How noble of you.”
Sighing, the imperious Ailian female clucked her tongue in a very human-like fashion. “Come now, the sarcasm is hardly needed.” She stroked her chin thoughtfully, and frowned at him. “I will admit, you have been a complication much greater than I would have thought a human could be.” Her face darkened. “If my daughter hadn't had the misfortune of meeting you, she might have been more agreeable to joining me. Who would have thought that a mere human and my own daughter could become so involved?”
Despite his fear of Ara'lana, Jack managed a scornful snort of laughter. “Aria would never have joined you,” he said with a sneer. He crossed his arms and presented the tall Ailian with as brave a front as he could muster. “She's loyal to the Ascendancy, and to the Empress. She's twice the woman that you are, and-”
Abruptly, Ara'lana drew her hand back and lashed out at Jack, striking him brutally in the right side of the face with a closed fist. Jack heard a startled shriek from Brooke as pain exploded in his jaw, and he was rocked to the side, hitting the wall and stumbling down to his knees. The girl started to get up, but Jack put a hand out and waved her back, worried that Ara'lana would turn her wrath against her if she tried to intervene. Brooke looked terrified, but she sank back down to the floor, cowering in as small a ball as she could curl herself into. With a dangerously low growl, the white-furred female knelt near Jack, and she grabbed his face in one hand, turning him so that he was forced to stare right into her eyes.
“You would do well to learn your place, human,” Ara'lana snarled, her lips drawn back to show every one of her razor-sharp teeth. “It will make what little remains of your life so much easier.” She shook him roughly, her strong grip exerting severe pressure on his skull, so much so that Jack was afraid she'd crush his head outright. Her claws were digging into his cheeks, cutting him. “If Aria was as you say, I would not be here now.”
He could barely speak, but Jack was able to croak out a few words. “You won't...be here for long,” he gasped. “Aria is coming, and she'll end you.”
“So you say.” Ara'lana's expression changed to a sinister smile. “If you're so convinced that Aria is more woman than me, perhaps we'll have a comparison, hm? I could show you who the better female is.” She licked her lips, sending another chill up Jack's spine. “You might consider it a favor for a dying man, yes?”
Jack's eyes widened as he saw Ara'lana glance up and down his body, and he shivered as she leaned in close. Her breath was on him, and her hand was still gripping him like a vice. He couldn't have turned away and his back was still up against the cellar wall, but he realized that his arms and legs were still free. Jack gathered up as much strength as he could, and he lifted his right foot and aimed a kick squarely for Ara'lana's stomach. His foot connected, and the Ailian gave a surprised grunt, jerking back only a few inches. That was all the room that Jack needed to bring his fist up, and he landed a hard punch on the front of her muzzle. She grunted again and shoved him back, slamming him against the wall as she shot to her feet, but Jack was free. He scrambled up to his feet, holding his hands up in front of him in preparation for the retaliation he knew would be coming.
To his surprise, though, Ara'lana just grinned wider, an amused laugh rumbling from her mouth. “Spirited. I like that.” She lifted her arm and swiped the back of her hand over her nose. The white fur came away streaked with red. “Now it seems almost a shame to kill you. But I suppose such is the way of life, yes?” Her tail was whipping back and forth, either in arousal or anger, Jack couldn't tell. “How I would love to do it right now. All in good time.”
Before Jack could respond, the door to the cellar room opened again, and one of Ara'lana's Ailian soldiers rushed inside. Without a look at Jack, she crossed over to the former admiral and cupped a hand around her ear, whispering to her in hushed tones that he couldn't make out. He saw a flash of annoyance pass over Ara'lana's face, and the fur on the top of her head raised, but she quickly smoothed herself out. She spoke back rapidly to her soldier, who nodded and left as quickly as she had came. Ara'lana took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Well, regrettably there is a matter that requires my attention,” Ara'lana said, in an apology that rang all too hollow. She gave Jack a stiffly proper bow. “But fear not. I promise I won't forget about you.” She looked at Brooke for the first time, leering at the young slave girl. “Either of you.” With that parting shot, she left the room, and the door closed and locked after her.
Once she was gone, Jack slowly sank back to the floor. He raised a hand to his face and felt it, wiping the blood away from his chin and his cheeks. He worked his jaw around, and it popped loudly, but as sore as it was, it thankfully didn't seem to be broken. “Fuck...,” he breathed, glancing over at Brooke. “You okay?”
“Me?” Brooke asked, astonished. She crawled over to Jack. “I'm fine. I thought she was going to kill you when you hit her.” She swallowed hard, and he could see that she was paler than usual. “She's...She's insane...”
“No argument from me...”
******
Aria was standing on the bridge, her hands planted on the rail surrounding the command deck, with the perfect view of space outside when the
Krisa'la
emerged from hyperspace. The mottled colors blurring by the front viewport gave way to the dark black and stars, and right in front of her was the massive, desert-swathed orb of Lirna. And all around it were warships, hundreds of them, with flashes of light passing between them in a flurry of fireworks that lit up space. The battle was already well underway.
As soon as they were stabilized, Admiral Te'rou began issuing orders to the ships of the First Fleet. -All ships, maximum shields and full power to weapons!- he barked. -Intensify forward firepower, and drive a hole through the enemy fleets. We need to make more channels for our landing craft to get through.- Te'rou tapped a button on the arm of his chair, which opened a communication channel between himself and the crew in the bridge. -I want a status report right now.-
There was a brief pause as the crew processed his orders, and then one of the officers down below called back. -We've sustained minor damage across the fleets, Admiral! We caught them by surprise at first, but the enemy is regrouping quickly. General Soumaren reports that approximately twenty percent of our landing forces have penetrated their defenses and made landfall. So far the losses are well within acceptable limits.-
Admiral Te'rou allowed himself a tight smile. -Excellent. Continue the landings and keep me updated. Launch our fighters and prep the landing craft.- He turned to the more junior admiral who served as the captain of his flagship. -The ship is yours, admiral.-
With that, the
Krisa'la
surged forward with the rest of the First Fleet at her back. Aria watched as she opened up on the rebel fleets ahead with her main guns. As one of the heaviest battlecruisers in the Ascendancy, she carried more than thirty particle cannons on rotating turrets, as well as a multitude of smaller point-defense cannons and missile ports and some of the most powerful shields available. At almost two kilometers long, she was plated in multiple layers of heavy armor with dead zones in between that would keep the ship sealed if any one layer was breached. The
Krisa'la
had three hangar bays, the largest of which contained numerous landing craft and several gunboats. The two smaller bays held two full squadrons of fighters each, and as Aria watched they began streaking around their mothership, heading into the fray. The massive battlecruiser could, on her own, hold off several smaller ships.