Arsha looked out the window of her ready room and sighed. The deaths of her crewmembers during the operation that foiled the Under-Splitters weighed heavily on her mind. This was the first time she came to face mortality of ANY kind. She felt that the whole thing could have been avoided if she screened Melgem better. Her door then chimed. \u201cCome in,\u201d she sighed. Oak stepped in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making our approach to the Drelda Forest,\u201d he reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d replied Arsha. She left her ready room and entered the bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFae escort confirmed,\u201d reported Shalvey. \u201cThey\u2019re ready to shrink us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGive them the all-clear,\u201d directed Arsha. Shalvey relayed the go-ahead as yellow light surrounded the ship. The ship then got smaller, smaller, smaller still, and stopped once it was proportional to the Fae escort. Fairies, Sprites, and Pixies led the ship to a docking bay inside a tree. Nazay extended the landing struts and docked the Endeavor<\/em> safely inside the tree. The ramp lowered as Arsha, Shalvey, Oak, Orthena, and Melandra departed. A Fairy then approached the group with her procession. The procession consisted of her husband, the favorites of her harem, and her guard, the Empress\u2019 guard. Rellmeer Almaydia, the Empress of the Fae Republic, was meeting Arsha personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWelcome,\u201d she greeted in a terse manner. \u201cI understand you require parts for your ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCorrect,\u201d replied Arsha in the same manner as Rellmeer. They stared each other down for a bit…then a snort came from Rellmeer, then a snort from Arsha, then both ladies started laughing as Rellmeer pulled Arsha into a hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo wonderful to see you again, Little One!\u201d cheered Rellmeer. \u201cLet me get a look at Realmfleet\u2019s newest Captain!\u201d She broke off the embrace to get a look at Arsha. \u201cA fine looking Captain, if I do say so myself!\u201d she praised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d bid Arsha. Rellmeer\u2019s antennae then twitched as they sensed something. She hid it rather well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know you\u2019re just here to collect some parts,\u201d she offered, \u201cbut the Fae Republic is perfectly willing to take anyone wanting shore leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery kind of you,\u201d replied Arsha, not wanting to refuse the offer. All Fae subspecies are, after all, generous to their allies and friends and refusing their generosity is considered bad luck at best, very dangerous at worst. \u201cI think we\u2019ll take you up on that offer,\u201d continued Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSplendid!\u201d cheered Rellmeer. \u201cCome with me! I have a rather tremendous view of the Republic from my palace tower and I don\u2019t believe you\u2019ve seen it yet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arsha and Rellmeer arrived in Rellmeer\u2019s bedroom and looked out the balcony to see the Fae Republic going about its business. Fairies and Pixies were preparing their pollination squadrons to help the bees, Sprites were fixing roads, computers, lights, roofs, and other various aspects of life, all working to make the Fae Republic better. A Fairy senator could be seen working a drill for building a road. \u201cBeautiful, isn\u2019t it?\u201d sighed Rellmeer in happiness. \u201c700,000 years ruling the Fae Republic and I never get tired of the view. Progress makes this place better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah,\u201d mumbled Arsha. Rellmeer realized that Arsha\u2019s mind wasn\u2019t on the view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right, what\u2019s eating you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm?\u201d quizzed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t need my antennae to see your sadness,\u201d replied Rellmeer. \u201cYou\u2019ve been distracted by grief for a while and I\u2019m guessing this is recent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…It is,\u201d mumbled Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Do you wanna talk about it?\u201d urged Rellmeer. Arsha sighed before explaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy first assignment was to help investigate Lord and Lady Varsek\u2019s murder,\u201d she began. \u201cNext, I led a kingdom of Merfolk into battle. Later, I uncover a plot to cover up abuse towards a sentient people. A few months later, I was kidnapped and held for ransom, then helped uncover a Splitters\u2019 plot and foiled said plot while losing five crewmembers in the process. I attended their funeral and then it all came crashing down how dangerous my life is right now. I\u2019m supposed to be keeping watch over these people, yet five people died under my command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I see where this is coming from,\u201d realized Rellmeer. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to bring everyone home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s my job,\u201d confirmed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cArsha,\u201d replied Rellmeer, \u201cthat\u2019s a conceit most captains have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA conceit?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery captain always believes, early in their careers,\u201d explained Rellmeer, \u201cthat they can bring everyone home and let them get on with their lives. It always comes as a shock to them when someone under their command dies. However, they seem to forget one thing after they really experience mortality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo on,\u201d urged Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose crewmates,\u201d continued Rellmeer, \u201cknew the possibility that they might not see their families again existed, yet they believed the mission of protecting the Realms from any enemy outweighed any risk. To constantly dwell on their deaths would only belittle their sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re saying I should just move on,\u201d guessed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I\u2019d hardly put it like that,\u201d replied Rellmeer. Arsha considered what the Fae Empress just said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot something I do easily,\u201d remarked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA strength AND a weakness,\u201d observed Rellmeer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Perhaps,\u201d sighed Arsha. Rellmeer then hugged Arsha in sympathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you at least visited Thengo?\u201d she asked. \u201cI\u2019m sure she can help. She is an excellent counsellor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I haven\u2019t,\u201d replied Arsha, \u201cbut you\u2019re right. I AM overdue for an appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have time now,\u201d urged Rellmeer. \u201cTake advantage of it and talk to Thengo.\u201d Arsha then gave a small grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks for the talk,\u201d she bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s what I do,\u201d returned Rellmeer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few days had passed and nothing interesting was going on, so Arsha decided to watch a bit of a plot compilation of her favorite reviewer, Zadera. He was a Blender, upper torso of a brown-furred Inu with a light patch on his front and the lower body of an aqua-legged Cecaelia. He was waving a scanner over a wrist communicator when he heard a teleportation spell finishing. He looked up to see a clone of him in mad scientist gear and a robot puppet with only a hover-skirt and three-digited claws for hands. \u201cHow\u2019d it go?\u201d asked Zadera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbout as well as we thought it would,\u201d reported his mad scientist clone, Doctor Craziloon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s all bad,\u201d softened the robot, Bordo. \u201cWe feared the lower decks had been totally compacted, but some sections actually are intact for the most part. However, most of the armor is buckled and had been torn to shreds from the impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot to mention, the lower towers,\u201d continued Doctor Craziloon, \u201care scattered across about half a por of the moon\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust give me the long and short of it,\u201d directed Zadera. \u201cIs it salvageable?\u201d Bordo and Craziloon looked at each other before shaking their heads in the negative with pained looks. Zadera let off an irritated growl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Zadera,\u201d responded Craziloon, \u201c but, even if the towers were intact enough to generate the fields necessary to raise us off the surface, structural integrity won\u2019t hold in its current state and half the computer systems were fried when the emergency power grid overloaded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Relegay hadn\u2019t transferred into the Gazer <\/em>with us,\u201d supplied Bordo, \u201cshe\u2019d be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s lots of material we can salvage,\u201d continued Craziloon. \u201cMost of the cargo bays are still intact and, overall, the ship is there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we had five years and a team of space-capable engineers,\u201d mused Bordo, \u201cmaybe we can do SOMETHING, but those are in short supply.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe…\u201d suggested Zadera, \u201cmaybe we could ask Dor to help us. The Furious Army Orbital Station has gotta have resources that we can…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBordo is being needlessly optimistic, Zadera!\u201d interrupted Craziloon. \u201cThis isn\u2019t something you can slap some magi-tape on and call it a day! Some of the metals used in the ship\u2019s construction are not native to the Realms! Not to mention all the systems that were tied to wholly into Lord Maliz\u2019s presence on the ship! Trying to bypass them would be nearly impossible!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDAMN IT!\u201d swore Zadera as he slapped his chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t take it out on us, man!\u201d snapped Bordo. \u201cNone of us are happy about this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt got us!\u201d growled Zadera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWho got us?\u201d asked Craziloon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Creature!\u201d replied Zadera. \u201cOf course, we didn\u2019t find the Creature in the Realms! It was onboard Revieweron-1<\/em> the entire time! And then, when it saw that we were on to it, it attacked and destroyed the ship! Revieweron-1<\/em> was the only thing that could hurt it! Of course, it\u2019d try to take it out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cZadera,\u201d interjected Bordo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd now, it\u2019s gone and all we\u2019ve got is the Gazer<\/em>!\u201d continued Zadera. \u201cWe don\u2019t stand a chance against…!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the Creature,\u201d interrupted Craziloon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh no,\u201d argued Zadera, \u201cI\u2019m convinced now, more than ever, that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe accessed the flight archive,\u201d reported Craziloon. \u201cWe know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…What?!\u201d quizzed Zadera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a terra-mite,\u201d explained Bordo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Again, WHAT?!\u201d called Zadera. At that point, someone knocked on Arsha\u2019s door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome in,\u201d she bid. Thengo entered the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not interrupting anything, am I?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d assured Arsha. She motioned for Thengo to sit. Thengo took to a table designed for a Drider. \u201cHonestly, I should have done this on the way here,\u201d muttered Arsha. She then told Thengo the exact same thing she told Rellmeer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arsha looked out the window of her ready room and sighed. The deaths of her crewmembers during the operation that foiled the Under-Splitters weighed heavily on her mind. This was the first time she came to face mortality of ANY kind. 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