Rebellion

[crushinator]

Footsteps echoed throughout the hall. A uniformed man soon appeared from the darkness at one end. He made his way across the patterned, tiled floor which was lined by huge columns of solid stone, no doubt from some exotic planet. They reached upwards, lost in darkness after reaching a height of twenty metres. The open space that ran the length of the hall was lit by a soft light that seemed to exist without a source, it was also lined by honour guards, four beneath each column, their faces masked by ornate helms that provided as much protection as a standard military helm despite their fashionable design.

They're heads never moved and they never acknowledged the proceedings going on before them in any way. Nonetheless, Hisao Nakai was sure that every eye was on him. After all, it was not often that a naval officer was summoned before the empress herself. He had never even had a direct order from her, let alone a summons.

The walk along the hall was needlessly long, assumedly to create a metaphorical separation of her highness from the real world as well as the physical one that was so commonly speculated to be out of fear. Hisao had counted 40 columns on one side of his long walk before he came to within earshot of the throne.

As he approached, about 20 honour guards appeared from the darkness each side of him and formed a defensive line before the steps that led up to the grand seat.

Instinctively, Hisao dropped to one knee, his eyes fixed on the tiles beneath him. He knew that even the slightest movement or sound would be considered a slight, or worse, a threat.

After a few moments of his silent worship, his ears were met by the sound of faint footsteps, the first sound he had heard since his own in more than hour.

A shadow appeared in his field of vision; someone had approached him from the throne and was now looking over him.

"Rise," a woman's voice commanded him.

Hisao did so, standing to attention. He knew not to make eye contact, so he simply stared straight ahead. He could however, see the woman in his peripheral vision. Her hair was big, and pink. She work a sleek, black outfit that had the feel of military efficiency and utility but at the same time was not like any uniform he had seen before and so had to be a custom made ensemble. The only skin he could see was that of her face.

The woman started walking in a circle around Hisao, starting to the left of him and moving anti-clockwise, inspecting him further. When she appeared to his right, she had removed her gloves. She stood in front of him; she was a few inches shorter than Hisao so his line of sight sat at the top of her head.

A flash of movement to Hisao's left, and his cheek suddenly burned with pain. The slap made his eye twitch, but he showed no further reaction. His discipline held through.

"This one's got some fight in him!" said the woman, loudly.

How she could get away with such lax vocal conduct in the presence of the empress could only be explained one way. This had to be the supreme executor. The empress' pet, or should that be the empress' right hand? Events in the throne room rarely reached the eyes and ears of anyone beyond its own confines, so it was difficult to know without reading into rumour and superstition. All Hisao had heard of the Supreme Executor was that she relayed all of the Empress' orders to the admiralty. The only thing the executor wasn't capable of was declaring war, peace or surrender. Hisao hadn't put much thought into the idea that the Supreme Executor was a woman, their strategies and policies always seemed too aggressive and brutal to have come from anywhere but the mind of a man.

"You may look upon me, if you wish."

Hisao hesitated a moment, unsure if it was a test of respect. His curiousity got the better of him however, and his eyes lowered onto the Executor's. They were golden, and filled with judgement and scrutiny. Every ounce of her concentration seemed to be on Hisao.

For some reason, Hisao's eyes kept their momentum and he found himself observing the entirety of the woman before him. Her hair was her most surprising trait, it was styled into drills. Bizzare. She stood with her hands on her hips and her boots were heeled. Hisao's eyes made their way back up to hers.

"Name, Rank and Assignment."

"Yes Ma'am. I am honoured to be Nakai, Hisao, Flight Lieutenant Second Class, currently assigned to the defensive wing of her excellency's flagship IKS Yamaku."

"Service Record.”

“Yes Ma’am. Graduated Yamaku Officer’s academy with honours in 2244, specialising in the command of light spacecraft, received the Azure Ribbon for my participation in the liberation of the capital city on Suzu Prime, was later promoted from Flight Officer to Flight Lieutenant after continued service of 2 years. Assigned to IKS Silence after a tour in the Orion Arm.”

A loud snap emanated from the top of the stairs, from the throne. The executor immediately spun on her heels and faced the sound.
Without turning around, she spoke with formality once again, “You have been summoned to her excellence. Do not look upon her and do no falter.” Her last words seemed almost like friendly advice, and Hisao did not intend to take such advice lightly.

The line of guards parted to allow the executor through, and Hisao followed matching the executor’s brisk pace. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hisao noticed the executor’s fists clench. They remained clenched all the way to the top of the stairs, where she stopped and commanded Hisao once more.

“Kneel.”

He did so as best he could but kneeling on an incline of stairs wasn’t easy, he supposed that this effect was intentional, to make subjects ill of ease. The executor carried on to the plateau at the top of the stairs.
A few moments past, and with Hisao’s attention focused on the floor he couldn’t know what was happening above him.

“Rise. You may look upon her excellency.”

Hisao rose. He also looked, and saw the most powerful woman in existence. She was strangely beautiful, her hair was blue and short and she was dressed in a similar uniform to the executor, sleek and black. A band of clear glass covered her dark blue eyes, it seemed to be displaying some text, some kind of heads-up display. She was looking at him. At him. The empress was looking at him. More than that, she was judging him. Her look was not dissimilar from that of the Executor a few minutes ago, but it was more considerate than that harsh, militaristic evaluation.

“Do you know why you have been summoned before Her Excellency the Empress Shizune Hakamichi, Protector of the Milky Way, Ruler of the Known Universe and Grand Justice to all her peoples?”

“No, Supreme Executor. I was only told to meet at some coordinates under Her Excellency’s orders.”

“Do you want to know?”

Hisao looked the Executor in the eye. For a moment he feared punishment, but soon realised the two women in front of him were awaiting his answer.

“If Her Excellency wills it.”

“WAHAHA!~” The Supreme Executor was bent over in laughter. She turned to the Empress.
“You’d come all this way and be happy without knowing why?” Her eyes teared up.
“WAHAHA!~”
“Are you sure he’s the one, Shicchan? He doesn’t have any semblance of a spine.”

The Empress shot her an incredulous look, her eyes fuming. The sudden change in mood was disconcerting.
The Executor was oblivious to her disapproval, and seemed to find Hisao’s fealty more than hilarious.
Realising that the laughter was not going to stop any time soon, the Empress returned her attention to the confused soldier in front of her.

She uncrossed her legs and started moving her hands in sharp, direct movements. It was a few seconds before Hisao realised she was communicating in sign language. It was lucky that he had learnt it at the academy.

[She will regret this.] The Empress’ eyes looked in the direction of the Executor as she said so. Something told Hisao that this was a fundamental truth and was inevitable.

Hisao felt the bewilderment building up inside him. Here he was at the top of a marble staircase, on the most secure planet in the galaxy, looking at the woman it was all built to protect. Not only this, but the second most important person in the galaxy had the discipline and sense of humour of a child.

[I know you can sign. You may do it freely.]

Hisao immediately regretted letting his mind wander. Unexpected informality or no, he was still in the presence of his Protector and Ruler. The person he had sworn to give his life for should the need arise.

[What does your Excellency want of me?]

This brought a smile to the Empress’ lips. It wasn’t as though his life was a plaything and she was glad he was giving it up willingly. No, this was a smile as though she needed her soldiers’ homage to live, she drank it in.

[I’m sure you are aware of the rumours.] The Empress’ face became strained, Hisao was slowly getting used to seeing her as a person, someone who could be put under pressure, someone who could make mistakes. He would have trouble treating her as such, if it so happened that he was allowed to. [That there is a fleet massing just outside the 22nd Jump-point.]

Hisao had indeed heard the rumours. He doubted there was a member of the Imperial navy that hadn’t. The word on the grapevine was that a separatist group from the Orange Sector had gained enough support to attract smaller groups to their banner. The leader of the group had started gathering ships to him, not all combat capable but enough to draw the attention the local Warden. Enough to destroy trade route patrol vessels.

[I have, your highness.]

The Empress removed the tired expression from her face in what seemed like a practiced move.

[They’re true. Our latest reports say the rogue fleet has enough firepower to take the jump-point gateway station if they wanted. But that they’re biding their time, growing by at least 5% every week.] She now looked at Hisao with a look as if challenging him. [Can you think of why that might be?]

Hisao considered it carefully, [The only reason they would bide their time was if they were being stopped from taking the jump-point or if they needed the extra ships for some other purpose.]

The Empress approved of the answer, [Go on.]

[Assuming they want the extra ships, that would mean they’re after a bigger target than the 22nd Jump-point.]

[Naturally.]

[The 22nd Jump-point is one of the most heavily fortified, thanks to being the gateway to several separatist hotspots.] Hisao was now glad of the year he spent on the patrol fleet in the Orion Arm, he knew most of the important details of every jump-point in that region of space. [It doesn’t lead anywhere particularly interesting, no one wants live on the separatist’s doorstep.]

[Warmer.]

[The only place it does lead to is the 21st Jump-point, which connects to...]

The Empress’ smiled coolly. Hisao had jumped through her hoop.

Hisao wondered why he hadn’t realised this before. Perhaps it was the distance between the separatists and civilisation he had built up in his mind, but the truth was now as clear as day. [The separatists want to attack the senate? Are they insane?]

Empress Shizune tented her fingers, considering her strategy. Her smile told Hisao that it was flawless.

[Not insane, just smarter than usual.]

Hisao was suddenly aware that the Executor had been silent for some time, and was watching Hisao and the Empress converse in sign language. Hisao thought he caught her looking a little depressed before she caught him and quickly put on a proud smile.

She spoke and signed simultaneously. “Imagine their faces when they find out that Shicchan dissolved the senate weeks ago!”

Hisao couldn’t help but gasp. How could the news not possibly have spread? How could a building full of the galaxy’s most important political figures be muted so absolutely?

Shizune’s look of concern brought Hisao out of his disbelief. [I know it sounds bad, but they were holding me back.]

Hisao took this as an invitation to reply. [Does this mean that...] Hisao couldn’t quite fathom what he had just heard. [You two are the only ones ruling the galaxy right now?]

His question got an uneasy smile from the Empress and a forlorn gaze from the Executor. They really do have an immaturity to them.

Clarity dawned on the Executor’s face and she retorted, [All the more reason for you to serve your Empress in your utmost capacity!]


A short while later and Hisao was exiting the great, dark hall and into the Foyer of the Imperial palace. The honour guards opened the tall, wooden doors and Hisao walked out into the sunlit courtyard. The smaller star of the system was setting, just how much time had he spent in there? It was easy to lose track of seconds, minutes and hours when the image of a god-like being comes crashing down.
Even so, the Empress’ words rang as clear in his head as any High Admiral who had instructed him in the past. You will be given command of a Fleet Battle Group. Hisao boarded the small shuttle that would take him to one of the many orbital defence facilities. It took off and Hisao felt the familiar weight in his stomach as the acceleration compensators kicked in.

Take it to the Separatists. Hisao deactivated the shuttle’s window shutters and looked out into the void of space. As the shuttle gained speed, it came up on the orbital facility surprisingly quickly and passed it just as quickly.

“Excuse me, pilot. Are we not docking with the Station?” asked Hisao.

The pilot replied instantly, “I’ve got orders to take you directly to your command vessel. The IKS Australia, nice little frigate, you’ll like it.”

Hisao felt a blush appearing on his face, and was glad the pilot was focused on his dashboard. “Sorry, I’m not exactly briefed on my orders.”

“No problem at all, sir. They said you wouldn’t be clued in yet.”

Flight Lieutenant Nakia (or should that be Captain Nakai now?) was walking out of the shuttle and through the airlock in no time. The pilot turned to him as they disembarked.

“Sorry for the high g’s back there, sir. I was under strict orders to get you up here ASAP.” He said as he removed Hisao’s personal belongings from the storage compartment and placed them on a hovering luggage trolley. Hisao found himself marvelling at the expensive piece of bag transportation technology, he supposed that no expense would be spared on him from now on, or until he proved himself unworthy of the privilege and he had no intention of doing that.

As Hisao looked out of the viewing window in the corridor he found himself in, and out onto several foreign constellations. A huge battleship unexpectedly jumped into the system. He almost expected to be blown of his feet by a shockwave, but the only impact the ship’s arrival had on Hisao was forcing a surprised expression.

“Is that...?” he began, before being made speechless by the impressive capacity that the ship’s main guns had for destruction.

His pilot friend replied helpfully, “The IKS Cloud Pegasus? Yep. That’s the flagship for the new battle group that’s forming up. What’s the matter? You never seen a Fire-class Dreadnaught this close up?”

All Hisao could do was shake his head. Of course, he had served with fleets containing several fire-class ships and even docked his fighter in some of their several hangar bays. But he had never looked away from his flight controls long enough to take in the sheer...enormity...of everything about the ship’s design.

A new voice piped up behind him, “Captain Nakai? I’m here to escort you to the bridge.”

As Hisao followed this nameless Ensign to his new bridge, no, his first bridge, he remembered the Empress’ last words to him. Do not disappoint me.

Hello everyone who reads this. This story started off as the scene with Hisao walking down the dark hall just appearing in my head, I wrote it out and took it from there. Any and all comments would be much appreciated as this is the first bit of recreational writing I've ever submitted to public opinion, I've started about 3 other KS fan fictions but they all seem to die sooner or later. I have ideas for how this particular story could progress, but thought I'd give it to you guys for fun.

[Mirage_GSM]

You're off to a good start. Nice job of creating the setting. Reminds me of Crest of the Stars a bit...
So far we don't know where you're going to take it - could become anything from military to romance. We'll just have to see...

[Hoitash]

I like it

KS meets Star Wars meets Warhammer 40k meets your personal imagination, very nice mix.

[Elcor]

Liking how this started, looking forward to seeing the updates.

[crushinator]

@Mirage_GSM: I agree it is very open-ended. I have some key events that definitely will happen in my head (or at least, basic ideas of key events) but I don't know how the parts in-between those events will play out. As GRRM would say, it seems I'm more of a gardener than an architect. I did try planning out a fan fiction before, but it petered out after a while. Maybe a tactic of 'see what happens' will serve me better.

@Hoitash: Thanks a lot. I'm a big star wars fan, but never really got into 40k other than playing the original Dawn of War. I've been friends with many people who are 40k fans though so their knowledge has rubbed off on me a bit.

@Elcor: Ah, Updates. I have no idea when the next one will be ready, or how long it will be. This one was 2761 words, I think I should be able to match that if I can get in the right state of mind.

Wow, 3 out of 3 commenters liked it. This is great. I hope I won't disappoint you.

[AusJake]

I'm not a real big fan of the whole sci-fi thing, but i really liked this. Keep it up!

[crushinator]

@AusJake: Hmm, what an interesting compliment. If this story can entertain a wide range of people (like those of us who aren't sci fi fans) then I guess it's all the better. Thanks!

Anywho, I managed to churn out a bunch of words today. Creative Process Spoiler: I actually wrote exactly 1200 words in addition to this, but thought I'd submit this bit first as it feels like a chapter or something. So rest easy knowing that there is more of the story ready to be submitted after I'm happy with it. [/bigheadedness]

We begin with some backstory that just kind of fell out my brain:


The Empire was founded approximately 20 years ago. The Emperors, formerly the governors of Hakamichi had long held much sway in the old senate, due to having the largest fleet in the galaxy, and were thus considered the deliverers of peace and justice. They were called upon when a band of pirates got too large or brave and were hailed as heroes when their inevitable victory came to pass.

Just how much power they had wasn’t known for certain until one historic war 20 years ago. The senate was attacked directly by a group of terrorists calling themselves separatists. Their demands were the termination of galaxy-wide authority and the reinstatement of planetary and even continental government.

It just so happened that the bulk of the Hakamichi fleet was out of the system, allowing a large group of separatist ships to enter the system and form a blockade. This also meant that the terrorists were left relatively unchallenged for several days.

Of course, the Hakamichi fleet swept in when the timing was perfect and obliterated the separatists in record time. They were not fast enough however, and most of the senate was murdered when the terrorists knew they were beaten.

The power vacuum left the galaxy on the brink of civil war, with many worlds claiming their right to seats which they had not held before. Every world blamed others for the slaughter of their leaders. The Hakamichis stepped up and threatened anyone who fired a shot in what they called ‘peacetime’ with full retaliation. With all the strongest senate members at each other’s throats, an alliance against the Hakamichi claim was out of the question. So the Empire was born, everyone was content to live under the rule of their saviours, they even formed a new senate but with the power of veto given to the Emperor.

The first Emperor, Jigoro I, was the mastermind behind his fleet’s victories and so the governance of the galaxy was treated much like a naval battle. Fleets were stationed at all the, as he called them, “weak links” in the economic system.

Jigoro’s death was a harsh blow to the Hakamichi dominion over the other senate member worlds. The most audacious members of the senate saw a chance to further their own interests. One particular world, Suzu Prime, a well known vestige of Hakamichi power, was even invaded by a particular aggressive member world. It was then that Shizune, the heir to the Empire, proved her worth by defeating the invading force with a masterwork strategy unlike anything Jigoro had formulated. Using only light fighters and ground forces, Shizune managed to overwhelm the siege. The enemy fleet retreated soon afterwards and accepted their sanctions without complaint.

With the galaxy on her side, Shizune requested she be given time to mourn her father, but never made significant public appearance since. The Empire spun this seclusion by popularising the Empress as a detached, god-like being. This PR strategy worked wonders, and the sign-up rate to the Imperial Military doubled as a result.

And so, Hisao Nakai wondered, why had the Empress spoken to him in sign language? It couldn’t have been to keep their conversation private form the Executor; she herself had signed fluently and spoken simultaneously, an impressive feat. That left a few options. Perhaps the Empress was making sure that Hisao could indeed sign, was this skill important to his mission in some way? Another possibility was that the Empress was deaf or mute or both. This would definitely be an interesting turn of events; after all, the Empress of the galaxy showing any kind of weakness would not be a wise idea. Come to think of it, it may explain her seclusion from the wider world, now that Hisao realised she wasn’t the god he had thought her to be.

Sitting alone in the strategy room of his command vessel had started to become a habit of his. This was his first command, and not a small one at that. His battle group numbered 20 vessels. Specifically, 5 combat frigates (including his own command ship), 5 ground force transports, 7 fighter carriers, 2 medical frigates and the dreadnaught, IKS Cloud Pegasus.

It was tradition for a new captain of a ship to name his vessel; Hisao had not yet decided on one for his command vessel in the day that he had been aboard, and supposed that it could wait another day. He had to go over the mission briefing a few more times before he could focus on the trivialities of being a captain. His first duty was to command, and that required knowing everything there was to know about the situation he was commanding in.

“Am I intruding, Captain, sir?”

Hisao looked up from his data-pad, which detailed everything about the 22nd Jump-station, their ultimate destination.

Before him stood his second in command, she had been hand-picked by some High Admiral somewhere. She didn’t have the honour that Hisao had of being chosen by the Empress, but she had proved capable so far by taking care of the everyday running of the ship and fleet while Hisao locked himself away.

“No. Come. Sit, if you want to Lieutenant Commander.” Hisao gestured to the seats next to him at the conference table.

“Thank you.” She said as she took the seat opposite him. “You can...call me Hanako if you want.”

Hisao felt his eyebrow rise up. He had tried to maintain a disciplined exterior so that his crew didn’t see the uncertainty he felt about having a command of his own. Such informality was the last thing he expected. His surprise must have come across as disapproval to his first mate, because she quickly tried to make reparations.

“I mean, of course...I will maintain the protocol of command if you so desire.” She brought her hand up to her face as if to cover it, but stopped herself.

“No. It’s OK. Hanako, I appreciate the sentiment. But only when we’re alone, OK?”

She nodded, seemingly happy with her misassumption.

“Is there something you wanted to say specifically?” asked Hisao.

“Well, there is the daily report...but it’s pretty much the same as yesterday’s so that can wait.” She tugged at the right sleeve of her blue command uniform. It looked a little big on her, or maybe it was just the lighting in here. The lighting, however, didn’t hide the scars peeking out from under that sleeve. Her service record didn’t mention where she got the scars, which meant it was either classified beyond Hisao’s security clearance or that it happened before she joined up to the Navy and no one had thought to record it. “I was wondering if you’ve made any progress on your battle plan.”

Straight for the jugular. Her directness was admirable.

“The truth is that I have exactly zero experience in ordering ships larger than fighters around in a battle. So even if I did have a plan, which I don’t, I doubt it would be good enough.” Hisao smiled at the idea of swapping all the might of the Cloud Pegasus for his old X-10 fighter squadron and their respective pilots. The battle group might actually have a shot at taking down a few enemy ships then. “But don’t go telling anyone else that. I can’t have anyone losing faith in me.”

“That’s very wise.” Hanako giggled, “That’s almost like the Empress.”

“Huh?” Hisao didn’t see the similarity.

“Well, she hides herself away. I often wonder if she’s hiding something in particular.”

Well, thought Hisao, at least she’s more clued in than he was. Hisao considered telling her about the Empress’ possible deafness when she spoke up again.
“What’s she like? The Empress. You met her, didn’t you.”

“I’m not sure if I’m cleared to answer that question. But let me just say that she’s nothing like what I expected, and neither is the Executor.”

Hisao thought he saw her flinch at the mention of the drill-haired woman. Her hand reached up to cover her face, this time making it all the way to making contact before she grudgingly removed it.

“I’ve met the Executor before.”

Hisao was intrigued, “Really? I’ve heard she rarely goes out into the field.”

Hanako shook her head. “No, I received a medal for taking command of a ship after the captain got hurt. It was an official ceremony. She was...lively.”

Hisao could relate. The Executor’s enthusiasm was apparent as soon as she opened her mouth for more than a second. The topic of conversation only served to remind him of the Empress’ words. Do not disappoint me. Hisao sighed, how was he to prove his worth? It was like she had asked a grasshopper to lead an army of rhinos.

Hanako saw his change in demeanour. “Captain, do you want some advice?”

Hisao perked up. Advice might be good right now. “Go ahead.”

“Name your ship.”

Well, that was unexpected. Hisao had expected a lecture on fleet formation theory.

“Name my ship? How is that going to help me defe-“

Hanako interrupted his denial, “There’s a reason that it’s a tradition for a new captain to name her...or his ship.”

The captain couldn’t do much but listen.

“You can’t love something without a name. Love your ship and she will love you back. You can’t win battles without having a connection to the ships you lead. They’re as much a part of the battle as any of the crew members.”

She was right. Even if it did seem frivolous, naming the ship might help the crew’s and even his own morale. “It’s a deal. I’ll name her tomorrow.” Hisao leaned back into his chair, he felt almost like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Got any more sagely advice?”

Hanako stood up, ready to leave. “Actually, yes.” She left the table and pushed her chair under it. “You have a fleet full of experienced captains...and first officers. Don’t be afraid to call on their expertise for devising your battle plan. Good night, Captain.” With that, Hisao’s concerned first mate left the conference room. He decided that he would call a fleet-wide captain’s meeting first thing tomorrow morning...making sure to invite all the first officers as well.

[Hoitash]

Very nice

At some point will Hanako kick someone into an engine turbine?

[crushinator]

@Hoitash: Not sure if I'm not getting a reference to something, but if you mean in a physical sense rather than a metaphorical sense then that would be pretty cool. Thanks for taking the time to read

[Beoran]

THIS! IS! YAMAKU!

Seriously, this fic is interesting SF play on the characters. It's fun so please keep at it.

[Hoitash]

@Hoitash: Not sure if I'm not getting a reference to something, but if you mean in a physical sense rather than a metaphorical sense then that would be pretty cool. Thanks for taking the time to read

Hanako's comment gave me a Mal Reynolds vibe, is why I asked.

You seem to enjoy mixing your sci-fi, after all Who doesn't, though?

[AusJake]

Excellent Second Part.
Also, i'm getting a feeling Lily is going to be leader of this separatist Fleet/Army/Nation Thingy, and her *view* of how the world should be run will be less... tyrannical then Shizune's? Typing this Made me picture Lily Saying "It's A Trap"

I don't know. its just the kind of vibe i got.
But yea, Keep it up!

[crushinator]

@Hoitash: I am ashamed and distraught that I didn't get the firefly reference. I frakkin love that show. It just shows that I need to watch it again. I never thought of the First Mate Hanako/Mal Reynolds comparison, but now you mention it it does seem familiar.

@AusJake: Thanks Your theory is very interesting. But I will say no more.

The third part is coming along nicely. You can expect the introduction of even more KS characters.
Like I said before, this is the first time I've submitted a fan fiction to public opinion, it's starting to get a little addicting. I'm starting to crave the comments, maybe someone should post some negative ones to straighten me out.

[AusJake]

Your theory is very interesting. But I will say no more.

I see how it is...

[Mirage_GSM]

If I had to speculate...
If Lilly were with the rebels, I'd expect Hanako in that camp as well... So my guess for the rebel leader is Kenji:-)