Adventures in Parodyverse:  Zephiir’s Prophecy, Part 5


    Shen Rae was curious how well the newly rebuilt Caphan craft would perform, but the sandstorm still raged outside.  It lacked the high performance sensors and stabilizers that her shuttle had, so it wouldn’t be able to handle inclement weather.

    Besides, it was after dark already.  That left an important question in Shen Rae’s mind.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“How long do these sandstorms last?”  she asked as she watched sand trickle in through the door seals.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Anywhere from a few hours to three days.”  Kiivan replied matter-of-factly.  “Sounds like this one is losing strength, though, it’ll probably die out by morning.”

    Shen Rae sighed.  “I suppose I should take you back to the palace till then.  I will pick you up bring you back here tomorrow.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Nonsense.”  Kiivan waved away her suggestion.  “I insist you be my guest at the palace.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’d have to remain...green all night.”  she laughed.  “It’s a little strange, seeing myself like that.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’ll allow you be yourself, just for tonight.”  he said, sounding amused.

    Shen Rae nodded.  “We should go.  Before I’m too tired to fly us back.”


---


    The doors of the hangar opened, and the maelstrom of sand and wind outside poured in, covering the floor with millions of tiny grains.  It looked surreal from inside Shen Rae’s shuttle - the only indication that the view through the windscreen was real was that the shuttle rocked a bit in mid-air as blasts of wind tossed it.

    But then the shuttle powered forward, effortlessly through the waves of airborne sand, which made only faint noise, like rain, when it pelted the hull.

    Some simple ingenuity and skill on Shen Rae’s part was next, as she hovered the craft close enough to the building’s wall so that the side window of the shuttle could slide open, and Kiivan could reach the control panel to close the hangar door.

    Once the shuttle was sealed again, the sound of air rushing, hidden somewhere in its many shiny white panels, made the sand which piled in disappear.

    Then the part that impressed Kiivan most.  From a standstill, the shuttle suddenly accelerated and headed upward at incredible speed, with only a slight lifting sensation felt by the occupants.  They would be at the palace in mere minutes.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Do you think my craft will perform this way?”  Kiivan asked.

    Shen Rae smiled.  “I...don’t really know.  Caph has built strong spacecraft, so it should withstand the forces necessary.  But I don’t know what sensations it’s occupants will feel.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re an excellent pilot.”  he complimented as they approached the palace, and circled around to set down on the courtyard in the center of the complex.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’ve had far more practice piloting spacecraft than most people with ground based vehicles,”  she pointed out.  “In fact, it’s likely I wouldn’t be able to drive one of your ground based vehicles at all.”

    Kiivan entered the palace first, and the guards at the courtyard entrance bowed deeply.  He told them that Shen Rae would be a guest at the palace tonight, and two of the guards, as was their duty, rushed off to tell the palace servants to prepare guest quarters.  Also as was custom, a small group of guards would watch over the shiny silver shuttle tirelessly through the whole night.

    Shen Rae retired to her guest quarters.  They were larger than any home she ever lived in.  But she was tired, and didn’t really think much about it.  She was looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

    Naturally, that would never happen.


---


    Practically as soon as Shen Rae went to sleep, a loud boom shook the palace windows.  That was pretty much the only way a guest of the palace could tell something was going on outside, since the walls were so thick.

    She opened the door to the hallway and heard lots of people rushing and speaking urgently in Caph.  Soldiers fully armed with spears and bladed weapons ran together.  And another group of what appeared to be soldiers, but with different uniforms, raced by as well.

    She had an opportunity to find out what they were, because one of the female palace servants noticed she was looking out into the hall, and rushed to her side with a submissive bow.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What kind of soldiers were those?”  she asked.

    The servant quickly answered, “Those are pilots, Mistress.  They are very rare indeed, and rarer still in the palace.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I have to find out what’s going on.”  Shen Rae said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Please, Mistress, His Majesty has asked that you remain in the palace.  He said to tell you that...that the time is not yet to interfere.”

    There was another loud boom that shook the windows of the palace.  This time, Shen Rae could see a bright flash from outside, coinciding with the boom.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The city is not being harmed,”  the servant explained.  “It is all noise, and light.  His Majesty has said it’s a form of...intimidation.  They are forcing you to reveal yourself.  He says he will not be fooled, and he is raising a show of Caphan force to prove to them we will not be bullied.”

    Shen Rae nodded.  “It’s a good plan.”  she said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is there anything else I can do for you?”  the servant asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is there someplace in the palace I can see all of this without being seen?”

    The servant nodded.  “I will take you there immediately.”

    The red-haired alien hung back for a minute when the servant began walking.  She exposed the silver bracelet on her wrist and made a few short motions on its surface.  If she needed her Light Cruiser, it would be ready for her arrival in minutes.


---


    The servant was a hundred percent accurate in what she said.  Shen Rae could see that now as she overlooked the city from a very large panoramic window in a high-ceilinged room in the palace.  The room’s purpose seemed to be the very one Shen Rae was using it for - the view of the city.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can anything see me through the glass?”  Shen Rae asked warily.  “Trading Alliance ships have very good telescopes.”  She tried to keep the comparison very simple.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I see,”  the servant noted with a nod.  She walked quickly to one side, and pulled a huge curtain nearly to the center, and then the same with another huge curtain from the other side.  “If you stand between the curtains and look out, you should not be visible from above.”

    Kiivan had quite clever servants working in his palace.  Shen Rae followed the suggestion, holding one curtain with each hand as she looked out.  The servant additionally turned the lights in the room way down.

    Outside, blue objects streaked across the sky.  They dropped what looked like slow moving orbs of light once in a while, and then the city shook while a blinding flash lit up the sky.  Yet there was no damage - it was the space equivalent of a giant flash-bang grenade.

    Then there was another streak in the sky.  This one looked like a very simple aircraft with tiny flashing green marker lights.  It moved much less smoothly and less quickly than the blue streaks.  Then there was another, and another.

    Shen Rae quickly figured out that all of Caph’s spacecraft - all but the one experimented on by herself and Kiivan - were airborne.  The point seemed to be to show the obnoxious invaders that Caph was not defenseless, and had aircraft of its own.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s clever.”  she whispered to herself.  She didn’t realize the servant girl was still there until she heard a giggle in response.  “I wonder what Kiivan’s plan is?”


---


    Kiivan stood outside the front of his palace with only two guards, outlining the confidence he had in his plan, and in his people.  He watched a silver shuttle, one just like Shen Rae’s, set down silently in the square below him.

    Two male humans stepped out as the door opened.  They were dressed in what looked like a semi-reflective black military uniform.  Kiivan could tell it was military, because just about everywhere but Caph, military uniforms were so stiff looking.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“So she’s here,”  one of the males confirmed what Kiivan told them to draw them down for a negotiation.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“She is, indeed.”  Kiivan replied.  “I’ll have her brought to meet you.”


TO BE CONTINUED?
    

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2010 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin