The Quest: Chapter 6

[Astrid Vogler]

It had been three months since Astrid had arrived on Terra Alpha. Her wounds healed, and physically therapy complete she had returned to what would be the new normal. Work, sleep, and repeat.

She rarely did anything else and put in 90 to 100 hours of work at Leo's. She'd yet to make any friends. Sure, the Ryders were friendly, but after what had happened to Kim her co-workers kept their distance.

It was a late summer day, and Astrid was taking one of her few days off, which Tasha had more or less forced her to take. Having nothing to do she took to the streets to explore. After an hour of mindless wandering she turned into an exercise yard, not far from Leo's.

There was a grassy field to one side and to the opposite near the entrance was a patch of bare sand, packed hard from countless feet. Against the fence under a low overhang was a rack filled with swords.

Curious she entered the yard and walked over the rack, and drew the nearest sword. It was tarnished, the blade chipped in places, and the edge was blunted. A practice sword. She flourished the weapon, and made a practice strike in the air.

"You look like you know what you are doing," A young man said from the gate entrance.

Astrid blushed, and quickly returned the sword to its rack, "I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean... I was curious is all."

The man laughed, "Relax. It's fine. This is what this place is for. We built it during the Ajem War, and there was a thought that citizens might want to learn how to protect themselves. Now, it's mostly just used by some of our military what it's put in the regs that we have to learn swords. I'm Arthur by the way. Arthur Talon."

"Astrid Vogler."

"Yeah, I know who you are. We were wondering how long it would be before to poked your head out of Leo's."

"Well, you always left me a decent tip. All of you do. Someone told me you are the President's kid."

Arthur shrugged, "I reckon it runs in the family. All a little incestuous if you ask me. My Great-grandfather was president too. The first one."

"Sorry about your Aunt."

Arthur shrugged, "She was Xenexian. Something tells me she went out the way she would have wanted."

"Still..."

Arthur waved a dismissive hand, "Don't worry about it. No sense in crying over spilled milk. Grandma is still grieving. As is Aunt Trinity, but..." he shrugged, "Well, how are you?"

"Better thank you."

"You look good," Arthur said. "You looked like you were on death's door there for a while."

"I was."

Arthur smirked, "I suppose you were."

[Nick Ryder]

"What did I tell you kids about flirting with the staff?" An older gentleman's voice said from a nearby bench. He had a paper newspaper he was reading, with a steaming coffee mug next to him. "You have to be way smoother than that." he glanced over his paper. "Give the girl her day off Art, unless you're attempting to flirt and get a date out of her. Which didn't end so well for her last one." he cleared his throat and folded up his paper. "Come over here, both of you. Don't worry I'm not a crazy old man, I'm his great-grandfather. I also sign your paychecks. Both of your's. So tell me about Earth, your royal highness. You got me out of semi-retirement."

[Astrid Vogler]

Astrid sighed, "I'd appreciate you didn't call me that. George was just the sperm donor, and not my dad. Besides, I was never recognized by the royal family."

[Nick Ryder]

"I knew your father, he was an intelligent man. Shame you didn't know him." Nick replied. "I feel like our victory on Earth all those years ago, was not quite what it should have been. The remaining leadership vowed to rebuild and fix things. Then... it all went to hell and..." he sighed. "Earth is going to need a lot of help to get back to what it used to be, if that's even possible."

[Seraphina Morris]

"That's why we came back Grandpa Nick." a young woman in a trench coat said as she got out of a nearby car. "Ambassador Seraphina Morris."

"Ambassador now?" Nick said with a smile. "Been a minute since you've been on the planet."

"We've been busy with the new allied worlds. I wish we were within comm range when we heard Kim died, would have gotten here sooner." Seraphina said with a heavy sigh. "We practically grew up together when she lived with mom. Got into soooo much trouble together."

"Yeah didn't you two steal one of my cars and joyrode up to Riley City to surprise Trinity that one time?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't get mad at you too much."

"But you had us wax and wash all the cars and shuttles in the garage." Seraphina said with a chuckle. "Never told mom... always liked that." she looked at Arthur. "Besides, it was because you and your sister called us and we couldn't exactly refuse. So I wanted to tell Astrid, that the State Department is willing to help keep her safe, not that the family hasn't done a good job of it these past few months, but I'm pretty sure the President is going to want to start rattling some cages in the ol' Sol System."

[Astrid Vogler]

Astrid frowned, "The Prophet hasn't sent anyone else, but he will come for this planet."

Arthur sighed, "I still can't believe the Klingons joined the church. It's not like them. Right now the only thing that's keeping that lunatic off our lawn is the New Federation, and I don't have a clue how much longer they will be able to hold out. Even with the Cardassian aide."

[Seraphina Morris]

"That's why we came back here, they're slowly but surely getting off Earth, it seems the vow to 'never again sully themselves with the stars' only goes so far." Seraphina said with a sigh. "New Federation needs help, which we're giving them as much as possible, but we need more. It's been over ten years since we had mass refugees and even now... you're kind of the first in years to get off Earth. We feared they shut down subspace around the Sol System, it's taken us months to even get a probe into the system. As for the Klingons... well, they've been agnostic so long, perhaps it fit into some need they've had."

[Astrid Vogler]

"And while they detest technology, it only goes so far," Astrid added. "In a way they are the walking definition of contradiction. Electric lignts, and starships are okay, but replicators, phasers, whatnot are an abomination."

[Seraphina Morris]

"Well phasers are too 'clean' a way to die and replicators are creating something from nothing, 'only God should have that power'." Seraphina scoffed. "Whatever... but that's why I'm getting involved, we need to find a way to diplomatically handle this before it spirals out of control. Past two decades, Earth has been more or less cut off from by everyone because what little leadership was left wanted it be so. They gave up warp capability, sub light only. The system has minimal resources of trade value after the Scions of Sol stole what they could and then the Decimation, Dominus wiped out ten percent of Earth's population in minutes, tens of millions dead. I can see why they basically kicked the galaxy out." she sighed heavily. "Grandpa lost his leg."

"I replaced it." Nick said as he rapped his knuckles against his right leg. "Can't keep an engineer down. You should know that." he said with a wink. "Course what's ironic... look at the date of Astrid's arrival. Almost to the day of when your counterpart went back in time. The day the end came. We're months after that now."

"No Imperium, hasn't been an Imperium since that final battle on Earth." Seraphina replied. "Course, maybe there's a reason why Astrid came here now. I'm open to higher powers directing things, the Iljuna and all that. Still, time is malleable. Interesting how you saw Diana, my niece, as like... a Queen or something. You sure it was her?"

[Astrid Vogler]

Astrid frowned, "I think so."

Suddenly in a flash of white hot pain, as it felt like Astrid's head was being split open. The woman gasped in pain aa she clutched her head, and then oblivion.

Astrid was standing in an open field in some unknown plains. Blue skies stretched as far as they eye could see. Not unlike if one looked east from her home city of Denver. The difference was there were no towering peaks to the west.

The prairie grass was nearly up to her chin and the tops of the stalks were just starting to yellow. The grasses dipped and swayed under a soft breeze, just cool enough to carry away the summer heat making it comfortable.

Astrid found a narrow game path that snaked its way through the tall grasses. She followed it carefully picking her way over the uneven ground. A black beetle of some alien origin scrambled down the path trying to get away from Astrid.

After several hours of walking the grass had started to thin out, and she could see into the distance. There was a shallow depression, and at the bottom flowed a slow moving creek.

A single tall tree grew along the bank, its branches hung low over the water, the tips causing ripples in the surface as they drug through the current.

She picked her way down the low drop off and made her way to the edge of the water in the shade of the tree. It looked like a willow, but it was much larger than any willow on earth.

Astrid realized that she couldn't remember when she had last had a drink and she knelt down and peered into the water. It was crystal clear, and the submerged rocks sported a heavy color of green moss.

She scooped her hand into the cold water and brought the liquid to her lips. It was sweet tasting, and very good.

"It's a lovely planet wouldn't you say?" A voice announced from behind her.

She whirled around on her heel, her right hand instinctively fell to her right hip searching for a dagger that wasn't there.

A black cat stared up at her with unblinking lime green eyes. The slited pupils a mere line. "Astrid Vogler," the cat said in an incongruously masculine voice.

"You're a cat?"

"Technically, I am not a cat, and neither am I human," the cat replied.

Astrid raised an eyebrow and stood with her hands on her hips, "The who are you?"

The cat sat on its haunches, and cocked his head at her in turn. "Nothing. Or to be more specific, a physical representation of a thought. A conjured apparition if you will."

"A puppet on a string. The question who holds the strings."

"The time is too soon for that," the cat replied. "You must discover that on your own. You must take the heir west to the place were Aggimar rests his bones, and under this very tree you shall find the next clue to the location of the Lady's Sword."

"Who is Aggimar?"

"The Son of the president will know. The Daughter of the president must weild the sword. The blood of the true king flows through her veins. She must lead your people home, and back to their former glory."

Astrid sighed, "Am I not the last surviving relative of Queen Marrisa?"

"The House of Windsor is to die with you. Windsor was never a legitimate dynasty, nor were the Tudors, and the Plantagenets. The Stuarts share the Daughter's blood."

"So, I am not to live?"

"I don't know. All I know is that you are not to carry a child to birth."

The cat stood up, and started to slink away. "Is that it? Some cryptic message?"

The cat paused and looked over his shoulder at her, "It is all I have, and it's enough."

Astrid woke with a start. It was dark now, and she way lying in bed. A soft beep of the heat monitor instantly placed her. "Not again," she groaned.