Chapter 12: Departure Time

Location: The Daedalus

Fifteen minutes later…


Commander Tranter Garside stood within the cavernous hanger bay, awaiting the arrival of the diplomat from the Acorn Archipelago. He had little interest in babysitting VIPs, there was plenty of that to be done working in the private security sector. He was an officer of the Terran Republic Armed Forces, not a mercenary working for the Knights of Tyrador.

"Commander Garside, the bridge reports that the Ambassador's vessels are inbound," Lieutenant Luxford reported.

She was a dark-haired woman in her early twenties, with violet eyes that instantly drew one's attention. She had a no-nonsense attitude, to the point where her colleagues viewed her as being humorless.

"Very good," he said, relieved that he could be done with all this.

He turned his attention back to the opening of the hanger bay, watching as the A2 Viking Armored Mechanical Hybrid pulled inside. The aircraft immediately transformed into its walker mode, taking up position by the doors to the hanger bay. A second set of aircrafts passed through the energy field that separated them from the exterior, settling on the Neosteel flooring. One was a sleek fighter jet painted in white, while the other resembled a gunmetal grey transport. Commander Garside was forced to endure several more minutes of waiting, but eventually the Ambassador emerged alongside the rest of her entourage. Though they were Mobians from several species, it was the two Humans that accompanied them that caught him off guard.

"Greetings, Ambassador. I am Commander Tranter Garside," he introduced, "And I welcome you aboard the Daedalus."

"Thank you, Commander," Sally said.

"As the Admiral no doubt informed you, we've got paperwork that you and your companions will need to fill out before we reach the capitol."

"Yes, he mentioned that it was for the issuing of government documents."

"That is correct," the Lieutenant stated, "The Prime Minister's Office will have them ready by the time we arrive."

"Lieutenant Luxford here will see to each one of you alphabetically."

"If you'll all follow me, we can get started."

Gesturing towards a nearby door, the woman waited until Sally herself stepped forward. She was doing it to set a precedence, not because her surname happened to start with the first letter in the alphabet. Following the woman into a room that resembled an office, her eyes took in the sight of exposed wiring and piping. A desk had been set up within the room, with a pair of chairs located across from each other.

"Are you sure we should be in this room? It appears that maintenance is being conducted."

"This vessel has not yet put into military service, therefore many of the systems are still undergoing testing."

Taking a seat behind the desk, Lieutenant Luxford selected a sheet of paper from a folder and placed it on the table along with a pen.

"As soon as we've finished, Commander Garside will escort you to the bridge to meet with Admiral Gaskaville."

"That's acceptable."


Location: The Daedalus

Ten minutes later…


Sally moved through the corridors of the Battlecruiser, following behind Commander Garside. Though the hallways were quite large, that didn't leave them much room when armoured Marines marched through. Forced against the walls, they could do nothing but wait for them to pass them by on their patrol. Eventually able to resume their journey, the pair soon arrived at a set of doors that barred access to the bridge. Another pair of Marines stood guard at the door, not bothering to open it for them. It fell to the Commander to be the one to do so, unlocking the door and granting themselves access. Admiral Gaskaville was standing motionless in the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Ambassador, are you ready to meet the Prime Minister?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sally said.

"Patch us through!"

An image was projected on the window, one belonging a youngish-looking man with red hair and blue eyes.

"Greetings, your Highness," the man said "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Victor Carmichael; Prime Minister of the Terran Republic. Admiral Gaskaville has told me you seek an alliance."

"That is correct, Sir," Sally said, "We hope that you'll consider entering an alliance with the Kingdom of Acorn and the United Federation in order to combat the increasing threat posed by Dr. Robotnik and the Eggman Empire."

"We will need to discuss this in greater depth."

"I would expect no less. This isn't something that you can agree to without consideration."

"The Daedalus is to transport you to Capitol City. Unfortunately, I'm out of the city recuperating from surgery and won't be able to meet you in person."

"I understand, Mr. Prime Minister."

"I'll have my aide meet you at the airport," Carmichael stated, "She'll bring you to my residence where my Deputy Prime Minister will be waiting."

"When can we expect to meet in person?"

"I'll be departing as soon as I can. However, I won't arrive back in Capitol City until after you've arrived."

"I'm eager to begin our negotiations."

"As am I, your Highness."

The image faded to nothing, with the cacophony of the bridge seemingly rising in volume.

"Helmsmen, take us home…full speed."

"Rodger, Admiral."

A rumble filled the ship, the engines pushing the massive vessel across the Murasian Landscape. Once the Daedalus had achieved a steady speed, the Admiral turned to the Kingdom of Acorn's Princess.

"I'm afraid you and your companions will have to get comfortable," Gaskaville stated.

"Is the journey to your capitol expected to take that long?" she inquired.

"This vessel has been undergoing field testing. Warping to your location has put a strain on the reactor. We're being forced to travel at regular speed."

"Lieutenant Luxford had previously mentioned something to that effect."

"I'll be making sure that this issue is mentioned in my report to the Supreme Commander."

"Where does your homeland lay?"

"Within Mount Murasia. We'll be heading in the direction of the continent's eastern coast."