{"id":1264,"date":"2016-01-26T07:33:03","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T13:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1264"},"modified":"2016-01-28T07:35:09","modified_gmt":"2016-01-28T13:35:09","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-clone-part-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1264","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Clone – Part 24"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Part 24<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Meia turned at the sound of approaching footsteps to see one of the guards come walking up to where she stood.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollow me, the council has made their decision,\u201d he said to her, not sounding very cheerful to her.<\/p>\n

She looked over at Carl and Ewa before following the man back into the room where the leaders were. She stood waiting to hear what they had to say, and what decision they had come up with as it would decide what path she took.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll help, the personal are being asked now,\u201d the person Meia assumed was Dave said slightly shocking her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do this quickly then,\u201d Meia replied realizing the longer she stayed in one area the more dangerous it was for both her and those with her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realize that,\u201d Dave replied giving her a glare. \u201cThat is why the personal are being gathered now from the people who are here now.\u00a0 We should be ready to go in about an hour, our people will provide the cover for you and after that it will all be up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Meia answered despite the fact she was already making changes to the plan in her mind. \u201cWhere is this freighter at?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe closest is the Delta shuttle port for transport of workers to the nearby mines,\u201d Dave answered. \u201cI agree, that time is of the essence for this mission and once all personal have volunteered and gathered you may leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still say we are rushing things,\u201d another member said and Meia had the feeling there was some argument over this. \u201cI mean, she just escaped and we\u2019re already helping her escape, I say again, I am against this course of action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is time for us to act, not react,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

Meia looked around at the rest of the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree, it is dangerous but we should act, and be nothing but quick,\u201d another one stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quicker I get away from you the better it is for you all,\u201d Meia said to the group looking at several and noting their expressions. \u201cLet me know when everyone\u2019s gathered and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Dave said to her as she turned to leave the room.<\/p>\n

Meia stopped in front of Carl and Ewa who were waiting for her. She paused then went inside a small room waiting as they followed a bit confused by her actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s worng?\u201d Carl asked. \u201cAre they not going to do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, they are, do not come along, and,\u201d Meia paused gathering her thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething is wrong,\u201d Ewa said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think almost everyone on that council except Dave is reporting to the Emperor. I wouldn\u2019t\u2019 come back after this,\u201d Meia said to the watching their faces in shock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis mission is a suicide mission for anyone involved, they will all be killed,\u201d Meia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you?\u201d Ewa asked. \u201cIf this is a suicide mission why go on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no choice in the matter and its my one shot to escape back to the Alliance where I can actually gathered real help to overthrow the Emperor,\u201d Meia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are sure about this, we\u2019ll try as well,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, you\u2019re still important to the rebellion, just in another way now,\u201d Meia said knowing things would probably change here once she was gone. If Carl and Ewa told the others I could cause a lot of problems within the rebellion, but It would also mess up her uncle\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

Another person approached.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ready,\u201d he told her, and she thought it was fast to gather the manpower to undertake such a mission.<\/p>\n

She walked back seeing the group assembled in front of her and knew they were ones who were already in the building, and probably assembled from people who the leadership might consider troublemakers within the rebellion, or spies who were there to get her captured once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, let me say good-bye and we\u2019ll be ready to go,\u201d Meia said watching as the man nodded and the group left to wait for her. She turned back to Carl and Ewa.\u00a0 \u201cStay low and out of sight, I think my leaving will cause a lot of problems for everyone, including those in the rebellion, especially if my escape is successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s a suicide mission why should we be worried?\u201d Carl asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no intention of failing, that\u2019s why,\u201d Meia said with confidence she gathered from somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you succeed, we promise to be careful,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Meia said, then headed off to where the others had gathered and counted about a half a dozen and might be just enough for the mission. She also realized any more would give them away.<\/p>\n

\u201cMa\u2019am, if you\u2019ll follow us we\u2019ll get you through the enforcers and to the port,\u201d one man said, who Meia assumed to be the lader.<\/p>\n

\u201cLead on,\u201d she said already making plans for how she would make it home.<\/p>\n

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

The communicator buzzed interrupting Randy\u2019s concentration on the reports he had been attempting to read. He was only looking at them trying to keep his mind occupied instead of thinking of ways this mission could go wrong.\u00a0 Meia kept popping up and he felt that something was wrong, but had trouble placing what that problem was.\u00a0 He reached over acknowledging the hail.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral, we\u2019ve reache the point, and all ships are reporting no problems,\u201d Kim\u2019s voice said.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, I\u2019ll be right there,\u201d Randy said closing the documents on his computer before locking it. He made his way to the bridge knowing he\u2019d have to alert Meia soon and have her brought to the bridge.<\/p>\n

Entering the bridge he saw everyone at their stations ready to do their duties. If nothing else, he had a well-trained crew on board the Akagi.\u00a0 Kim handing him the data pad which had the latest reports which he scanned through, all ships\u2019 engines were reporting normal.\u00a0 One nightmare seemed to have been avoided with this, now he had hope all ships were ready for battle if it came to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll ships have their orders?\u201d Randy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes admiral,\u201d Aaron replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, and the status on the engines?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll ships report they will be ready in five minutes,\u201d Arron said. \u201cThe trip is an estimated forty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBe ready for anything once we get there,\u201d Randy said to them. \u201cI have no idea what to expect but call red alert five minutes before we drop out of hyperspace, I want all ships ready for anything, and all fighters ready for immediate launch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstood,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be ready skipper,\u201d John\u2019s voice said as Randy looked over to see John had stepped onto the bridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, our missing is to get in touch with someone, hopefully someone who will listen to Meia, not start a shooting war. However, if we are attacked you have my permission to return fire.\u00a0 If we are attacked by superior numbers retreat at once back to this point,\u201d Randy said knowing the orders would go to the other ship captains.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s the easy part,\u201d John said. \u201cI\u2019ll go make sure all pilots are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll make sure all ships know the orders,\u201d Hans stated.<\/p>\n

Randy waited hearing the engines begin to power up knowing that in a few minutes they would be hurtling through space faster than the speed of light towards their target. Once they left everything became automatic, they would either be fighting or talking.<\/p>\n

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

Meia glanced at the group around her, many of them appeared nervous about what they were about to do. She understood the upcoming battle could not have more than a dozen participates in it, but it could decide the upcoming war in ways none of them could even begin to comprehend.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what\u2019s the plan?\u201d Meia asked hoping to see what they were planning on doing before actually getting that, and seeing if the plan could be changed at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur main objective is to get you on board a freighter at the Delta port, after that we\u2019ll work out own way out,\u201d the man who appeared to be in charge stated, not much of a plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about you after this?\u201d Meia asked, seeing some of them had already thought about that.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter you leave, we\u2019re to head back to HQ where we\u2019ll hide,\u201d the man said, his voice indicated they held little hope of actually making it back alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about I make it a bit simpler for us all,\u201d Meia sad to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d the man asked as they all came to a stop, waiting to see where the conversation was going.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must know that your leadership is already full of the spies of the Emperor and his men, and they probably already know where we are headed,\u201d Meia stated bluntly watching as no one seemed to deny that truth indicating they already knew.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do we do? We can turn you in,\u201d one stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can, but then what will you have gained? The man who betrayed me when I arrived here, they killed,\u201d Meia said.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we head to the Epsilon port.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? That\u2019s an additional thirty minutes away, in that direction,\u201d the leader said pointing in a different direction than they were headed.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly, we\u2019ll be doing what they are not expecting,\u201d Meia replied. \u201cAnd if we do the unexpect3ed we increase of chances of living.\u00a0 The other change, come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She watched them think it over for several seconds, an unexpected opportunity presented itself and now they had to make a choice. Meia didn\u2019t envy them, it could be a hard decision, to leave everything you ever knew behind to an uncertain future.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may stay behind, but leaving with me will make our odds of everyone surviving easier,\u201d Meia said. \u201cAnd it might help in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand?\u201d one asked confused by Meia\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are part of the rebellion, you have contacts, you can make a difference unlike anyone else in Cimalian history can,\u201d Meia stated looking at them. \u201cI don\u2019t want power, I was raised an Epsilon and despise the current rulers.\u00a0 What makes you think I want to take over and keep everything the same?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we just assumed, it seemed like everyone wants power, I know I\u2019d like some,\u201d the leader of the group said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen power, and know I have it, but it doesn\u2019t make me any better, only more isolated. Since leaving the Empire I\u2019ve gained more friend and freedom and actually learned who I was for the first time since I was five,\u201d Meia told them.\u00a0 \u201cNow, we either head to the Delta port where they are waiting for us, or to the Epsilon base where we might have a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

She waited as they struggled to make a decision. They then proceeded to a port.<\/p>\n

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

Randy turned on the communicator to inform Meia that the fleet was going to arrive at the destination in a few minutes. While waiting for her answer he looked on at the rest of the crew.\u00a0 Everyone appeared ready and alert for whatever events might happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral,\u201d Meia replied. \u201cI take it we\u2019re almost there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTen minutes,\u201d Randy replied. \u201cLong range scanners haven\u2019t picked anything up yet, but by the time you\u2019re up here we should have a clearer picture of what type of ships are in orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll be right there,\u201d Meia said<\/p>\n

The communications ended and Randy now felt nervous about the mission. So many things could still go wrong, and he had a feeling this mission would test his leadership abilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral, Captain John is asking for your orders,\u201d Aaron stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatience, we don\u2019t know what to expect after arriving,\u201d Randy replied back. He had no idea what to expect and hoped to gain a bit more information before actually making a decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d Aaron replied.<\/p>\n

The door opened allowing Meia to enter the bridge still wearing her flight suit. Randy made his way over to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou all right?\u201d he asked. He wanted to make sure she was fine, they were asking an awful lot of her, and the mission seemed to depend on how she performed.\u00a0 The last thing he needed was to ignore a major problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine, are we ready?\u2019 Meia asked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be leaving hyperspace in five minutes,\u201d Kim said. \u201cScanners are still clean around the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, let me know if that changes,\u201d Randy said, hoping things remained the same. He needed to know if they needed to retreat quickly, or if they could actually try for communications.<\/p>\n

End part 24<\/p>\n

Continued in part 25<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Clone by AJ Marks Part 24 Meia turned at the sound of approaching footsteps to see one of the guards come walking up to where she stood. \u201cFollow me, the council has made their decision,\u201d he said to her, not sounding very cheerful to her. She looked over at Carl and Ewa […]
Continue reading…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[3,25,28,27,5,12],"class_list":["post-1264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-original","tag-aj-marks","tag-cimalian","tag-original","tag-princess","tag-sci-fi","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1264"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1277,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1264\/revisions\/1277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}