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Departure
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Foxena
His plans had been made. Very carefully considered, analyzed, and were ready to be implemented.
Felix ibn Vladmir Ngo al-Sakai stood before the mirror and studied his reflection one more time. The dress gray uniform bore five black stars on each of the golden epaulets, the insignia of an Admiral-General. Although he was no longer the Commander-in-Chief, he had won the right to wear the rank.
A yellow sash ran from his right shoulder to end at his left hip in a pair of tails, a reminder of the swallowtail pennant of his home planet and personal demesne of Maratha. He had given the title of Emperor to his son, but he remained the Sovereign Count until his death.
His death.
Well . . .
A small, sneaking part of him still hoped that the Kashlani would merely try and imprison him, perhaps exile him for life to one of the Terran worlds within the Critters’ volume of space or to a Colony world. The greater part of him, though, was certain that this trip would end in his death.
He took one more look at himself in the mirror, brushed one sleeve with the back of a paw, and left the room to face his family and his aides.
The others who were marked, like him, to face Kashlanin judgement looked at him with varying degrees of hope or resignation. Like him, they would find out soon, one way or the other.
He smiled at his son, and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he said softly.
Vladmir looked up at him, eyes moist. “F-Father,” he stammered, one paw clutching at his mother’s skirt.
Felix straightened up and faced the others in the room. “Is the shuttle ready?”
One captain, part of his escort, stepped forward and saluted. “Yes, Sir.”
“Then we shall go.”
Less than a half-hour later, the shuttle docked within the battleship Ares, which broke Terra orbit and joined its destroyer escort.
An hour after that, the flotilla reached the inphase point and entered hyperspace, bound for Lalande.
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
FoxenaHis plans had been made. Very carefully considered, analyzed, and were ready to be implemented.
Felix ibn Vladmir Ngo al-Sakai stood before the mirror and studied his reflection one more time. The dress gray uniform bore five black stars on each of the golden epaulets, the insignia of an Admiral-General. Although he was no longer the Commander-in-Chief, he had won the right to wear the rank.
A yellow sash ran from his right shoulder to end at his left hip in a pair of tails, a reminder of the swallowtail pennant of his home planet and personal demesne of Maratha. He had given the title of Emperor to his son, but he remained the Sovereign Count until his death.
His death.
Well . . .
A small, sneaking part of him still hoped that the Kashlani would merely try and imprison him, perhaps exile him for life to one of the Terran worlds within the Critters’ volume of space or to a Colony world. The greater part of him, though, was certain that this trip would end in his death.
He took one more look at himself in the mirror, brushed one sleeve with the back of a paw, and left the room to face his family and his aides.
The others who were marked, like him, to face Kashlanin judgement looked at him with varying degrees of hope or resignation. Like him, they would find out soon, one way or the other.
He smiled at his son, and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he said softly.
Vladmir looked up at him, eyes moist. “F-Father,” he stammered, one paw clutching at his mother’s skirt.
Felix straightened up and faced the others in the room. “Is the shuttle ready?”
One captain, part of his escort, stepped forward and saluted. “Yes, Sir.”
“Then we shall go.”
Less than a half-hour later, the shuttle docked within the battleship Ares, which broke Terra orbit and joined its destroyer escort.
An hour after that, the flotilla reached the inphase point and entered hyperspace, bound for Lalande.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Leopard
Size 120 x 120px
File Size 46.8 kB
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