{"id":1891,"date":"2017-03-11T07:15:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T13:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1891"},"modified":"2017-03-15T07:36:04","modified_gmt":"2017-03-15T12:36:04","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-rebellion-part-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1891","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion – Part 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Part 7<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Randy looked over the reports of the ships in the fleet. So far he had three battle-cruisers, the Bismarck and newly repaired Hood to go along with the Akagi, three cruisers, including the new Eagle and two older ships, the Ajax and Babylon and six destroyers and two scout ships.\u00a0 It made fourteen ships in all under his command, the largest force he had yet commanded.<\/p>\n

The latest reports from HQ were worded strange, something to do with keeping communications to a minimum making him wonder what his father had planned this time. He wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to know either considering Amy Barnes had been mentioned.\u00a0 The chime interrupted any further thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnter,\u201d he said, still looking at the reports, hearing soft footsteps which indicated only one person had entered his office. He looked up not surprised to see Meia there.\u00a0 \u201cTo what do I owe the pleasure?\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched her sit down not saying anything which caused him to worry if something had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything all right? No one giving you trouble?\u201d Randy asked hoping for a reply and that it wasn\u2019t someone on board upset with her new position in the fleet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Meia finally said quietly. \u201cI feel that people should be questioning this, questioning everything that we\u2019re doing yet they seem to accept it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, well I think you\u2019re not seeing this like they are, to them it\u2019s a mission to perform,\u201d Randy answered. \u201cA lot of our new recruits came from Serria, Vernada and New Zeus, and add them to the veterans on board who already know you and feel comfortable with you, I actually expected you to receive a lot more teasing.\u00a0 Something I discouraged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did?\u201d Meia replied looking up at him and he wasn\u2019t sure if she was grateful or angry with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured you had enough to deal with without the crew giving you a hard time over all of this,\u201d Randy replied to her. \u201cHe felt slightly relieved when her face didn\u2019t reflect anger back at him.\u00a0 \u201cI know the type of stunts pilots can pull and I didn\u2019t want you to walk into that and feel uncomfortable, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe can be that way, and I guess I half expected it and when nothing happened I thought it was unusual,\u201d Meia replied back to him. \u201cMade it seem like the crew was too willing to accept what was going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, believe me some are angry about it,\u201d Randy said thinking about some of the reports he had received lately over the \u2018suggestions\u2019. \u201cBut, they are in the military, and we\u2019re trying to being back military command structure.\u00a0 It\u2019ll take a while but we\u2019re getting there, and if it wasn\u2019t\u2019 this way I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d even be an admiral.\u00a0 For years we had a lackadaisical approach to everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you put the best people in position who showed the most skill and put them in the right position, even if you are young,\u2019 Meia replied to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoungest ever,\u201d he said pausing. \u201cHey, I\u2019m supposed to building your confidence up not the other way around.\u201d\u00a0 He watched as she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGuess we share a similar fate, command at a young age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do realize I\u2019ll need a lot of support to pull this off,\u201d Meia said, focusing on her situation.<\/p>\n

Randy froze for a second pondering that thought. She would need a lot of support, and probably better quarters as well.\u00a0 \u201cAh, hadn\u2019t given that much thought until now.\u00a0 I\u2019ll have to look it over and see what I can do, and talk to the tech group, make it look like you have command access and such.\u201d<\/p>\n

He realized Meia hadn\u2019t thought of that at all by the look on her face. She was probably more concerned with other functions and the end game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should also get a better uniform,\u201d Randy said, seeing her look down at her uniform.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like this uniform,\u201d she replied back to him. I\u2019ll accept the patch, but I\u2019m trying to go in and change things, not keep everything the same,\u201d Meia said with conviction.<\/p>\n

Randy considered what Meia said. True, she did want to go in with change, yet he knew where they were also going.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou still need something to indicate your position, nice clothes,\u201d Randy replied back watching her think about that.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, but I\u2019m still a fighter pilot,\u201d Meia replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough,\u201d he replied, knowing he won a small victory, but he also realized he had to consider more than her position as Empress. Meia wanted change and to do that she had to lead by example.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when do we leave?\u201d Meia asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill loading last minute supplies, which has been harder than I anticipated and add in some strange agenda which dad won\u2019t tell me about, ugh,\u201d Randy replied thinking about the message he receive only a few minutes ago. \u201cHe might be trying to distance himself from the fleet for some reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOther than what is in the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and it probably has something to do with Amy Barnes,\u201d Randy stated recalling the information.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t seem to be one who likes to sit on the sideline watching,\u201d Meia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, she\u2019s also been outspoken all her life and will stand up for what she believes,\u201d Randy said. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing which is great, and bad, about her.\u00a0 She and her dad had a huge public argument years ago which resulted in him losing support and she left to Vernada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was it over?\u201d<\/p>\n

Randy had to think back. \u201cOh yeah, she slept with the President\u2019s daughters, caused a bit of a stir.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaughters, as in more than one?\u201d Meia asked, raising her eyebrow in question.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, both of them, at the same time, and got caught by the press,\u201d Randy said. \u201cNormally it wouldn\u2019t be a problem, but, well, its politics and both at the same time is what really caused the commotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCimalian politics are not like that,\u201d Meia said. \u201cThey are very strict outside the Cimal family, and inside I bet there are all types of skeletons hidden in the closet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet,\u201d Randy said as another report beeped on his screen. \u201cWell, according to this we should be ready by the end of the day.\u00a0 You hungry?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStarving now that you mention it,\u201d Meia replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, let\u2019s grab something to eat, these reports can wait a bit,\u201d Randy said. \u201cI think the mess hall is serving pasta and soup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Randy stood and followed Meia out the door heading to the mess hall deck.<\/p>\n

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

Jack looked at the final reports seeing the fleet had finally taken off and he now had to play the waiting game. He had a feeling the press would find out about the disappearance of the fleet and could only hope it took some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral,\u201d Chad said interrupting Jack. He looked up to see his aide standing there waiting.\u00a0 \u201cYour shuttle is here to take you to Corestar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCorestar?\u201d Jack asked in confusion before realizing he forgot. \u201cThat\u2019s today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir, your wife already sent your luggage over,\u201d he replied to him with a slight smirk.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, let me finish this up,\u201d Jack replied quickly going through the memos before shutting down his computer and grabbing his handheld computer. \u201cHow much time do I have, and any new questions from the President?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFifteen minutes and nothing new sir,\u201d Chad replied back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, and I got your recommendation and approved it,\u201d Jack stated absently. \u201cSally should do very well, provided she can resist Amy\u2019s charms.<\/p>\n

Jack thought he noticed another smirk on Chad\u2019s face but said nothing about it and hoped to learn more later on. Setting aside some files and stuffing a few more into a briefcase along with the computer and wondered how they had still not gone paperless in all this time, stood and headed out the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich ship is taking me there?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Musashi,\u201d Chad replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d Jack stated recalling the Musashi which was an older battle-cruiser of the same class of the victorious which he had been a pilot on so many years ago. \u201cKeep me informed of all developments, you can use Sally to inform me of anything regarding the Strike Fleet, don\u2019t want to risk the official channel yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d chad said as they made their way towards the landing pad.<\/p>\n

Stepping outside he was surprised the rain had stopped at the moment and the sun was shining through the clouds. He looked up and saw gathering clouds in the distance.\u00a0 He knew he would be gone before the storm arrive and hoped it was not an indication of how his meeting with the president would go as he boarded the shuttle.<\/p>\n

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

Meia sat down at her new desk looking over the surface wondering what she would do with so much room. She never had a desk before, or even an office space which probably accounted for the reason it was so bare at the moment.\u00a0 She had no idea what to put into an office.<\/p>\n

A knock at the door cause her to look up to see John standing there with a smirk on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYa know, I never thought of you as a bare walls type of girl,\u201d he stated looking around at the walls and back at her.<\/p>\n

Meia looked around the office before replying. \u201cNope, looks a lot like my quarters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow depressing, is this how they looked on your last ship?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever had a lot, wasn\u2019t something the lower classes could strive for. Only the upper classes could afford to have anything lavish where they lived,\u201d Meia answered thinking about it.\u00a0 \u201cAside from normal things, like a fridge, stove, bed, we didn\u2019t have much to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUgh, can\u2019t imagine living like that,\u201d John said to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess when you\u2019re part of it and its all you\u2019ve know you don\u2019t realize you\u2019re missing anything,\u201d Meia replied honestly giving it a bit of thought. \u201cI spent the first five years with my mom, then grew up in schools or on board warships learning to fly.\u00a0 I never had anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d John said sitting down in the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough, I doubt you came here to talk decorations, I\u2019ve seen your office,\u201d Meia replied recalling the colors he used.<\/p>\n

\u201cTouch\u00e9,\u201d John replied, adding in a slightly hurt look in her direction. \u201cBut you\u2019re right, didn\u2019t come here to talk about that, it\u2019s about squadron two twelve.\u00a0 I think we\u2019re all assuming you\u2019re going to take over but you\u2019ve never said yes or no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve thought about it,\u201d Meia replied still looking over everything. \u201cIt would give me a reason to have this desk, and something to really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it was an old squadron officer\u2019s desk, so you\u2019re not really displacing anyone on board,\u201d John said to her. \u201cI could get the squad to decorate it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia scratched her nose before answering no.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would have fun,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure some would, but the skulls and crossbones isn\u2019t my thing,\u201d Meia replied back to him. \u201cI need my office to look dignified, not like a squadron leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes, all hail Empress Meia,\u201d he said with a slight bow. \u201cWhoops, sorry, promised the skip I wouldn\u2019t do that sort of thing, but it did have a nice ring.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we both have some pull with the skipper,\u201d Meia relied back to him watching as John took a double take causing her to laugh at the look on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I think it\u2019s safe to say your fair game now,\u201d John replied back to her. \u201cBe sure to tell Randy that when something happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked earlier today about that,\u201d Meia replied starting to say something else when the engine pitch suddenly changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s the jump engines,\u201d John stated, something they both knew.<\/p>\n

It meant that she had to start acting like a leader, and not just a squad leader. Her nervousness increased with the increasing pitch of the engines the only difference when the ship jumped her nerves failed to go down.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like you could do with a shot,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

Meia\u2019s eyes went wide with what he said, she had never heard of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf vodka,\u201d he said clarify his meaning. \u201cIt can help you calm your nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, thought you meant something else,\u201d Meia said thinking about what it might mean in the Cimalian Empire. \u201cNever mind, best not to go there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you actually think I mean shooting something? Thought you knew me better than that,\u201d John said but Meia remained quiet.\u00a0 \u201cCome on, let\u2019s get you out in front of your subjects and show them how the empress takes a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, okay,\u201d Meia said, wondering what type of drink this was but followed John out of the room.<\/p>\n

End part 7<\/p>\n

Continued in part 8<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion by AJ Marks Part 7 Randy looked over the reports of the ships in the fleet. So far he had three battle-cruisers, the Bismarck and newly repaired Hood to go along with the Akagi, three cruisers, including the new Eagle and two older ships, the Ajax and Babylon and six destroyers […]
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-1891","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\/1891","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=1891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1898,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1891\/revisions\/1898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}