{"id":1259,"date":"2016-01-24T07:27:23","date_gmt":"2016-01-24T13:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1259"},"modified":"2016-01-26T07:33:37","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T13:33:37","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-clone-part-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1259","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Clone – Part 23"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Clone<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 23<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Meia followed into the basement of the building and took a look around the room. It appeared to be a place which held no importance to anyone looking in, but she took notice of the people in the room.\u00a0 One person in particular caught her attention, he appeared to be a higher ranking citizen which didn\u2019t surprise her at all, and in fact, expected to see someone like this here.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what do we owe the honor of this visit Carl?\u201d the higher ranking person said. She noticed he looked at Carl, then over at Meia waiting for an explanation of what was going on and she would have to speak up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is more going on than you probably will ever know,\u201d Meia finally said after a few heartbeats and Carl appeared caught off guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is so much going on, then perhaps you\u2019ll enlighten us to what is going on,\u201d the man said waving his arms around indicating the rest of the group and dismissing Meia\u2019s comment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want,\u201d Meia replied looking around the faces of the men and women in the room. \u201cWhat you know is carefully dictated by the Empire.\u00a0 I had been drugged for years to make sure I never started to think for myself, or remember my memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this helps us how?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cEasy, I am the rightful heir to the throne, by being Boris\u2019 daughter,\u201d Meia stated boldly waiting for the expected murmur of voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow preposterous,\u201d one finally said, but the higher up seemed to consider her words.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it makes sense now that I think about it,\u201d the man said. To Meia he almost seemed too willing to accept it without any proof.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been hearing things, and this might be the proof we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean you\u2019re actually going to listen to her?\u201d another man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I am,\u201d the reply came back.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo not do anything would mean to remain living as you are now. If you don\u2019t do something differently to improve your life then you are not going to improve the situation, and handing off the problem to your children,\u201d Meia stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what do you know of our situation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up living as an Epsilon class citizen, even Gammas don\u2019t want to associate with us, so imagine the scandal if an Alpha Superior married an Epsilon,\u201d Meia stated knowing what it might mean if her father and mother had actually wed.<\/p>\n

She watched the group think about that for a few seconds. It seemed she had to wait for them to make up their minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do help you, what do you require?\u201d the upper class citizen asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust help to get me back to the Alliance. They have the best ability to help out the most,\u201d Meia said, knowing that while the rebellion was nice, they lacked the recourses to fight the Emperor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not asking much then,\u201d the man replied. \u201cI don\u2019t know if we can do that.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have the resources to leave the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can fly anything, I only need a ship,\u201d Meia said. \u201cA small transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis might take a while,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about a military base, I can fly the transport, and they have the ability to jump,\u201d Meia said. \u201cIf I can get onto one of those, I could leave the planet and head away before they could react.\u00a0 Anyone who helps could come with me on the transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s possible,\u201d the man replied. \u201cLet us see if we have the manpower to undertake such a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia, along with Carl and Ewa were lead out of the room and back upstairs as the group discussed the mission. Meia could only hope they voted in favor of her idea, otherwise she was back to being on her own again.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Randy walked onto the bridge checking once more how things were going. He\u2019d ordered the fleet to stop again an hour away from the target destination and wanted to make sure everyone\u2019s engines were functioning normally.\u00a0 The last thing he needed during this was a ship sabotaged and lost due to a miscalculation or something especially consider a few ships were either new or having recently completed a refit in dock.<\/p>\n

\u201cStatus of the fleet?\u201d Randy asked looking at Kim.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is going as planned admiral,\u201d Kim replied much to his relief.<\/p>\n

Randy acknowledged the statement feeling slightly better at everything, but wasn\u2019t about to relax yet. He still had a mission to undertake and the hardest part was still to come.\u00a0 He wanted everyone to come back safe and sound.<\/p>\n

He also knew how much was resting on Meia and her abilities. He didn\u2019t want to get into a shooting war if at all possible but wouldn\u2019t hesitate to defend himself or any of his ships.\u00a0 This mission could determine if the Alliance and Cimalian Empire worked together in peace or war.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me know when we arrive at the point, I\u2019ll be in my office,\u201d Randy said indicating the position when they were about ready to go to battlestations. Kim nodded back at him as he headed off to his office to try to relax.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Meia waited with Carl and Ewa as the leaders of the rebellion debated behind closed doors at what to do. Meia hoped she had done enough to convince them to do something, anything instead of nothing.\u00a0 She looked over to see Carl and Ewa who both seemed concerned about the situation<\/p>\n

\u201cMeia, you seem awfully calm for such a situation, I\u2019d be nervous in your shoes,\u201d Carl finally said breaking the silence between them causing Meia to consider the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts dire, but I\u2019ve already faced death several times now. This waiting is more annoying than anything else, and not being in on the conversation, its troublesome,\u201d Meia said.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem worried, is something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

She watched Carl look around seeing how close the guards and others were before answering in a low voice. \u201cI fear the rebellion\u2019s been infiltrated by the Emperor\u2019s spies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t surprise me at all,\u201d Meia replied honestly, something she had already thought of. \u201cEspecially considering how much power the Emperor wields, and he\u2019ll do anything to maintain that power.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you afraid of falling into a trap?\u201d Ewa asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but if I don\u2019t try then I\u2019m giving him the victory for everything,\u201d Meia answered before thinking about something. \u201cDoes the rebellion have a plan beyond taking down the emperor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know,\u201d Carl finally said after several seconds of thinking about the question which caused Meia some concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rebellion has been useful in many ways, a way for people to voice their grievances, and support for those who the empire has forgotten about,\u201d Ewa stated defending the rebellion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn other words, they\u2019ve done nothing to actually improve the situation,\u201d Meia said crossing her arms and leaning back knowing something sound very wrong about this group.<\/p>\n

\u201cLately, since Dave has become involved, we\u2019ve started doing a bit more, even recon of Empire assets,\u201d Carl stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDave, is he the upper-class citizen?\u201d Meia asked recalling the man and watching Carl nod his head. \u201cThen your traitor is porbably a long-time member, not a new one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible, everyone here is-\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cLower class,\u201d Meia finished before he could seeing Carl\u2019s look of outrage at someone he might know as a traitor. \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter, the promise of a higher class status is a very attractive lure which the Emperor can use, it can turn any man or woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we could have brought you to your doom,\u201d Carl said at last.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, my uncle has plans for me, which gives me some room to maneuver,\u201d Meia said thinking about it. He wanted her alive.<\/p>\n

She looked over to see that Carl and Ewa were looking back at her with a strange mix of emotion. The simple truth for her was any plan they came up with she could modify, she only had to be aware of those who might try to stop her within the rebellion.\u00a0 She already was coming up with plans to get off the planet, all part of her original training as a pilot, especially an elite pilot.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Henry waited at his desk for any news to come concerning the capture of Meia, or from his clone, Mia in the Alliance. The last he heard the Alliance was reported gathering a fleet of ships around Pacifica, not that it surprised him and he had expected it for a while now.<\/p>\n

Footsteps interrupted his thoughts and looking up he saw Jezic walking towards him with a data pad in his hands and what Henry hoped was news. Perhaps this was the news he had been waiting to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSire, this was just received by intelligence,\u201d Jezic said handing Henry the data pad.<\/p>\n

He took it and scanned through the document rather quickly looking for the information he wanted and got something else instead. This information came from his sources inside the rebellion and what he read didn\u2019t settle well with him at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cDouble the guards round all transport landing bays at once,\u201d Henry said noticing a slightly confused look on Jezic\u2019s face at the order. \u201cIt seems that Meia is going to try to leave the planet by hijacking a transport at one of the landing docks, at least according to the rebellion which she has met up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t we just go to the rebellion\u2019s headquarters and take her?\u201d Jezic asked. \u201cWe\u2019ve know the location for so long, why not use that information to end this problem once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dear admiral, It serves a useful purpose for me, like finding criminals, and the leadership doesn\u2019t do a thing without my permission,\u201d Henry said. \u201cNo, raiding them will only cause the others to be more cautious in who they trust.\u00a0 Do not worry about them, they are under my control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you say sire,\u201d Jezic replied but Henry knew the admiral was unconvinced, not that it mattered.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell them to proceed,\u201d Henry said watching as Jeizic\u2019s eyes widened at that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that dangerous?\u201d Jezic replied with some resignation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts only dangerous if it\u2019s a threat to my rule, which Meia doesn\u2019t pose,\u201d Henry said smiling at the fact he had an ace up his sleeve as people liked to say, and unknown plan in case she tried. He knew Jezic didn\u2019t understand all the little intricacies that came with ruling an empire.\u00a0 He was only concerned with the enemy and destroying it.\u00a0 Henry always planned ahead and looked ahead to what his enemy might do next.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould I inform the guards that the Alliance might attack?\u201d Jezic finally asked, something for Henry to think about before he replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat might not be a bad idea, yes, after all we are expecting the Alliance to show up again. Yes, do that, it will be a great cover for increasing the guards around all the transports,\u201d Henry finally said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I have some alerts to put out,\u201d Jezic replied, bowing to Henry and hastily leaving the room to carry out his orders leaving Henry alone once more to his thoughts.<\/p>\n

He paused giving some thought to another potential problem, Mia. She had been programmed to be obedient during the cloning process but she could suffer from the slave flaw that Ann had.\u00a0 Of course that possibility could occur simply due to the impure DNA Meia had, that Epsilon heritage from his weak brother who developed a liking to a lower-class citizen.<\/p>\n

Henry thought about the fact Mia could come out saying she was the new heir, and daughter of Boris, but he could easily prove she was a clone, made up from genetic material, and even prove she wasn\u2019t the heir She was not much of a problem if anything happened.<\/p>\n

No, his plan would work and Mia was under his control and had so far performed her duties flawlessly. He could not afford doubt about the program now, especially after he had given permission for it to proceed.\u00a0 Everything would work exactly as he had planned.<\/p>\n

End part 23<\/p>\n

Continued in part 24<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Clone by AJ Marks Part 23 Meia followed into the basement of the building and took a look around the room. It appeared to be a place which held no importance to anyone looking in, but she took notice of the people in the room.\u00a0 One person in particular caught her attention, […]
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