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A/N: Okay, I know, why am I starting a new story? I haven't gotten around to updating some of the others, but hey, I figure, why not? I was sitting around, thinking about certain things that were happening in my life and WHAM! Another idea, which actually had no relevance whatsoever to what I was thinking of or doing at the time popped into my head. Since then it has eaten away at me until I had to write something down or go crazy. So sit back, enjoy, criticize, constructively please. Thanks.
Chapter One
Pelia Space Academy, Terran Year 8723
"Aturious Prime is terraformed planet populated with over 24 different humanoid races, and politically allied with the Nine Galaxy Alliance. For almost two hundred years Aturious Prime has been the base of operations for the Gemma House, the leaders of the Alliance, a hereditary seat that is past only to the deserving bloodline. It is also the home of the greatest academy in the Known Universe, Pelia Space Academy. Since it's inception, Pelia has producedsome of the more famous Captains and Space Researchers--"
With a startling slam, a large textbook engraved with the words, "Hyperspace Mathematics" crashed into the holo-imager, causing the woman in white to distort and fade away with a disturbing hum. Across the spacious room, a young man glared angrily at the imager. His black and grey uniform was perfectly crisp and well within regulations, and withhis tan skin and dark hazel gaze he was a novice inductee's dream. But Setharon Verides didn't care what people thought of him; his record was proof of that. Setharon excelled in every class and would have been first in his level, if it weren't for his attitude. Fights were almost a weekly routine, and he knew the headmaster was nearly at his wit's end with him. The only thing that kept him from being thrown out was his family's patronage and standing in the galactic community. As punishment for his inability to follow the path his family had made for him, he was kept in constant communication with his brother and father, who had stationed themselves in Halien Dua, the sister planet of Aturious.
The image crystals had just been delivered and placed in his holo-viewer database. His sister, Katyahni had appeared on the screen, no huge surprise, considering her loyalty to Pelia Academy The Academy had launched her career with the Galactic High Command, securing her a place among the Gemman Family. It was even rumored that Farahn, a candidate for High Commander, was interested in marrying into the Verides, and Katyahni, for all her narrow-minded existence was the only daughter. Her little speech was no news to the boy, but extremely annoying. The words had grated on his nerves and, without thinking, he had sent his schoolbook hurtling toward his sister's head. He could still hear the disappointment in her initial message. So what if their mother and father were upset with his inability to fall wordlessly into his older brother's footsteps? Oh dear, the family honor was at stake.
Seth scoffed. Family honor. Those two words alone were enough to send him careening into voluntary exile. Now, on top of everything, his father's "ultimatum" was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. A babysitter? His father was ordering him to escort and supervise Verlaine Gemmiadi, second candidate for High Commander, and the council favorite for the duration of her academic career. The blue-blooded aristocratic brat was transferring to Pelia from Cosmica Three in the Verlouth System. Seth had heard many rumors about the girl's aloof nature and snobbish attitude. He bit down on his lip, increasing pressure until he could taste the metallic copper of his own blood. Damn his father. He used the one thing Seth had ever wanted to bait him with--upon graduation, his admittance to the Space Travel Association. To explore the unknown universe...that was what Seth wanted. Unfortunately, such an undistinguished existence was not what his family considered a worthy occupation for a member of the Verides family. Now, in order to ensure that a politically advantageous friendship between his family and herswas maintained, Seth's father, General Cerindo, was bribing him to be her friend. By Aturious' suns, she must be infuriating. Seth almost found himself wanting to say no, but he couldn't...and his father damn well knew it.
Seth had been hounding his parents for years for the opportunity to join the STA, but his parents were completely against it. The Space Travel Association had long been considered the wild card of the Space Coalition; it was interested in expanding knowledge of the universe, while the rest of the Coalition and the Alliance were more concerned with controlling and structuring the Universe already under their command. It was frustrating that he needed his parents to approve and supplement his initiation into the STA right out of the Academy, but otherwise he would have to wait five years to complete the standard military experience the government required of it's officer's progeny. Children outside the Alliance's clutches could enroll without a problem. Life truly was not fair.
Rising from his chair, he crossed over to the imager and lifted the crystal from it's center. He almost wanted to destroy it, along with the other little messages his family had sent him. Instead, he opened the drawer below his information desk and dumped the shiny crystals inside. "Why would anyone transfer halfway through term?" he asked angrily. The Gemman girl be damned, he would become her best friend whether she liked it or not. No one was going to get in the way of his goals, not even some blue-blooded head case that was the possible next in line to rule the Known Universe. He had little more than a year left at the Academy. He only needed to survive the Gemman girl for a meresixteen months and he could wash his hands of her. It didn't sound so hard, now that he thought about it. After all, he didn't have a problem getting along with the girls in Pelia. Well, most of them.
Almost as if summoned by his thought, the computer belted out two chimes announcing a visitor. "Not now," he yelled at the door. He knew exactly who it was, no one else would disturb him during rest period, and he was in no mood to deal with an Angrean temperament.
Without warning, the door swished open, and a very annoyed looking young woman entered.
Zeytla A'onir glared at him from beneath a curtain of natural pink hair. Her pale white skin and hair were stark contrast to the dull color's or the school uniform, but the alien girl's pleasing form gracefully turned the colorless garb into something pleasing to look at. It was unfortunate in Seth's opinion that he could not dredge up anything other than brotherly feelings for the girl, and vice versa. 'Gorgeous' wouldn't have been able to describe her.
Zeya now approached him with a look that would have set a weaker man's hair on fire. The Angrean girl had been messaging him for an hour with no response, and had decided to come see what the problem was. "I don't know who you think you are, Cadet Setharon Verides of the Verides Family, but when a friend messages you, it is usually customary to give some sort of response!" she snapped at him, tossing her hip-length hair away from her face. "You left so quickly after Practical Training, and Cadet Gremi told me that you had received a package from your father. Brios delivered it himself. I figured anything that required your brother to deliver it personally couldn't be good. So what's the malfunction?"
Seth snorted. "The old man has decided to dangle my aspirations in front of me to further his political career."
Zeya raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
Seth pinched his forefinger and thumb against the bridge of his nose and sighed. "The Secondary Candidate for High Commander is transferring here from Cosmica Three. Tomorrow, I have the lovely duty of escorting the little princess from the transport terminal and give her a tour of Pelia."
"So you are sitting on a baby?" Zeya asked.
"Baby-sitting, Zeya! I thought you had gotten the hang of Terrathyn slang?" Seth commented.
"Your language is so guttural. Angrean flows from the tongue a lot easier," Zeya replied primly.
"Yes, with about fifty different dialects that are completely useless," Seth criticized, and nearly grinned as the alien girl's hackles rose.
Such was Seth and Zeya's friendship. They met in the first year of training, with Seth wanting desperately not to be expected to fill his older brother's impossible shoes and Zeya asthe first female of her race to be accepted to such a prestigious institution. Both were expected to do great things, but neither intended to conform to anyone else's expectations; they would make it through on their own terms. They were placed in the same cadet group and had become good friends almost right away. Such an unmatched pair couldn't have been found; a hotheaded nobleman's son and an Angrean girl that was far too cheerful. Her happy attitude got on a lot of people's nerves, but whenever she was around Seth, the explosive temper most of her race sported shot to the surface. Most of the time that they studied they argued, and it wasn't uncommon to hear them fighting on the way to and from classes. But they liked it that way. Good natured arguing was better than dealing with impossible situations that they dealt with on a daily basis. For Seth it was his family; for Zeya, it was her entire race.
The Angrean was the first of her people to possibly be accepted into the Galactic Military. If she courted favor with whatever Commander was in charge, she could even receive a noble rank, and finally help her people out of the shadow of Their tumultuous past. It was terrible to be known as the race that nearly brought the Alliance to its end. The Fire Wars were long over, but many people still wouldn't let the past rest. Zeya had the hopes of her entire planet on her shoulders. That was a burden to which Setharon could somewhat relate, but definitely did not want.
"Don't try to pick a fight with me Verides, I will not be distracted. Why does your father want you to "baby-sit" the princess?" Zeya asked.
Seth shrugged. Moving to the medium bed positioned against the wall, he sat down and crossed his feet at the ankles. His room was more luxurious than most, due to his station, and held a holo-imager, two desks, a non-military style bed, a computer port and a more than capable toiletry area. But even with all of that, it was far too utilitarian for his tastes. The only items that showed anyone even lived in his room were the pictures on the far desk beside the floor to ceiling windows, most of Seth and his classmates, and a holo-vid mask hanging on the handle to the balcony. Zeya would constantly joke that her room looked more lived in than his dump, to which Seth would reply with a scathing comment on the uncleanliness of her room. Yeah, friends until the end.
"Well?" Zeya prompted.
"Dear old dad wants to keep all relations with the three branches of the Gemman Family open with the Verides. Katyahni could possibly end up marrying one, Brios is already best friends with the other's younger brother, and that just leaves little ole me left to keep the family name in power. You just have to love the politics." Seth replied.
Zeya grunted, "Obviously. So when is this new student supposed to arrive?"
"Tomorrow, midday. Her transport will be arriving at the Gynia Space Terminal," he answered, a defeated expression on his face.
Zeya placed her hands on her hips and harumphed. "This is not the end of the universe, cry baby! We have a half-day of classes tomorrow. I'll go with you to pick up the princessand afterward you can treat us to an Aturian zenonpy. I hear they have a new flavor!"
"All you ever do is eat. Aren't you afraid you're going to get fat?" Seth asked.
"Shut up!"
Verlaine paced her antechamber worriedly while her mother sat on the richly adorned chair placed at the center of the room. Iphenica Gemmiadi was watching her daughter with a calculating air. As the present High Consort, she was the second most powerful person in the universe...and even more desperate to ensure it remained that way. "Pelia Academy is the finest school this universe has to offer, and Aturious Prime remains the center of the Alliance stronghold. Your father has approved this move, and I believe it is for the best."
"But all my friends..." the younger woman protested.
Iphenica rose from her seat. "Your friends are only interested in the position you hold. You can be so much more of a presence at court with the families of the Alliance if you were closer to your father and the capital. Do not forget that your father will not live forever, and you must gain as much support from the council and noble ranks as you can!"
Verlaine shook her head, and crossed to the windows of her room. Cosmica Three was halfway through its summer season, which was only discernable from spring by a slight rise in temperature. Otherwise, the beautiful planet had an almost utopic feeling. Locals were playing in the hills outside the school and city walls. The colorful people were dancing around, and Verlaine could almost imagine for a moment that she could hear their laughter. Of course, she would never be allowed to join them. It just wasn't done. The loneliness of her position tore at her almost every day, until the feeling became almost physical pain. The truth was she only had one friend at Cosmica Academy, and she was more interested in knowing about Verlaine's wardrobe than how she felt. She almost wished she could renounce her candidacy and be a regular citizen, but she could never disappoint her mother like that.
Verlaine knew her mother loved her, of course she did. All the restrictions that Iphenica put on her were only to protect her. She could feel her mother come to stand directly behind her. The heat from her mother's body seared into her back, and Verlaine wished her mother would put her arms around her just once. But her mother didn't. Instead she said: "You can never forget who you are and what house you are from. Gemmaidi is an ancient name, a respected name. When you arrive at Aturious, remember that.
"Of course, mother," Verlaine replied.
"I have arranged for General Cerindo's youngest son to meet you at the Gynia Space Terminal and escort you to Pelia. He will be your guide, and I expect nothing more than a Gemmaidi from you," her mother told her.
Verlaine nodded. So General Cerindo's youngest son would be her escort. She remembered the general from a formal celebration she attended not all that long ago; he reminded her a lot of her mother for some reason, but he seemed pleasant enough. Brios, his oldest son, was there as well. She could only imagine what kind of stiff suit his younger brother would be, if Brios were any indication. Verlaine sighed. She truly was tired of politics. It just seemed so...heartless.
