Chapter 23
Sis?! Panther's eyes darted between Giichi and Queen Kula. They're siblings?! He couldn't believe it, but the resemblance was unmistakable.
"Giichi!" Kula grinned, almost breaking into a jog as she moved to him. "Welcome home!" She gave Giichi a hug, pulling him in tight as she pat him on the back, bunting her head against his and following up with a cheek rub. "It's so good to see you again…"
What the hell is this?! Panther's legs trembled. Was he dreaming right now? This couldn't be real, could it? Weren't those two supposed to be enemies? Taking this moment out of context, you'd think Giichi was only returning home from a long trip, instead of being at war with his sister.
Giichi hugged his sister back, a soft smile on his face, although he wasn't as happy as her. A tear tugged at the edge of one of his eyes.
A clinking noise came from Giichi, Kula looking at her brother's wrists. "Why does he have these on?!" She glared at Sable, indicating the handcuffs. "Remove them at once!"
Sable's eyes scrunched up, tail twitching in embarrassment behind her. She waved for Rihat to remove them.
Panther had forgotten Sable was even there, as he glanced between her and the queen. What a bizarre contrast. With Sable as his first impression of the Royalist leadership, the queen would have to be even worse than her, right? Like the queen would also be a cackling, scheming madwoman, but on a whole other level. She might even have a map with offworlder population centers to destroy, with projected kill counts next to them. Yet so far, Kula appeared to be none of those things.
With a snap, Rihat removed the cuffs from Giichi's hands, stepping aside.
"That's better!" Kula beamed.
Giichi sighed, ears curled back as he craned his head up to her face.
Kula folded her hands together. The smile faded as her eyes met Giichi's. Words appeared to be on the tip of her tongue, like she wanted to ask how he was doing or if the trip was okay. Maybe she'd almost done it out of reflex, like it was her usual way of greeting guests. But how could she ask something like that now? What do you say to someone who is about to watch his entire nation fall?
If she were like Sable, it would have been easy for her to laugh or ridicule Giichi, but trying to be friendly paralyzed her. It would be ridiculous to pretend there was nothing wrong.
Silence lingered in the throne room, as everyone waited for the queen to speak again. After a minute, Kula decided now wasn't a good time to talk to her brother, and glanced at the other faces in the room.
Her eyes rested upon Panther, even though he stood further back than the others. After studying him, she smiled at Sable, as if congratulating her, before giving attention back to Panther.
"You are Panther of Lylat, I presume?" she brushed past Giichi, walking over to him.
Panther had been called many things, especially by women, but that was a new one. Strange how being a Lylatian was a notable trait around here. "Yes, I am."
Queen Kula stood before him now, Panther being a head or two taller than her, just like with Giichi. Yet she ruled all he saw before him, and she was Sable's boss. How crazy was that? She smiled at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Queen Kula Azer. You've already met my younger brother Prince Giichi Azer, I've heard."
Panther's eyes widened. Oh, right. Having a queen as his sister would make him royalty. Prince Giichi Azer… The jungle cat shook his head. I'll never get used to that. At least I don't have to call him Twinkieland anymore… Can't believe I didn't realize that name was fake.
He glanced over at Giichi in the background, the younger sand cat sulking as he observed their interaction.
"He's a handful, isn't he?" She smiled at Giichi.
With the pleasant, musical tone in her voice, you'd think she was discussing how Panther had met Giichi while playing croquet or hunting or eating at a banquet, or whatever people in a royal court did for entertainment. With a mixture of amusement and bafflement, he recalled all of his memories so far involving Giichi. We played video games together on the Retribution. On Fortuna, I hunted him down with Star Wolf and beat him up. And I helped him run away from super soldiers here on Thaljista... All of these are things princes do, right?
"Yes, I would say he is." Panther kept his expression as neutral as he could, although he found it difficult.
"He always has been trouble." She chuckled, as if this were an ordinary discussion about sibling antics. "For twenty years, I've lived here with him. He is the youngest, so he always got away with a lot…" The smile vanished from her face, as if recalling something painful. "Anyway, I hope you enjoy living here, Panther."
Next, she turned her attention to Sable. "Sable! I trust the trip was pleasant, aside from the attack in the desert?"
Instead of saying anything, Sable put a big grin on her face as she revealed Thaal-Ja's Calling to the queen. The bronze staff glowed under the throne room's lights.
The queen's eyes lit up upon seeing it. She accepted it from Sable. Kula turned it over in her hands a few times, fingers running across the intricate markings. "We have it." The words came out as a whisper. "Thaal-Ja's Calling is home now." She squeezed the staff, holding it close to her.
Giichi, quiet up until this moment, stormed over to Kula and reached out for the staff. He managed to get one hand on it before Rihat and Jima intercepted him, almost looking like they teleported across the room to get behind him.
"Sis…don't do it!" He kicked and struggled as hard as he could, but the Retinue's arms might as well have been made of iron. "Don't use that thing! Please!" Tears came to his eyes, pattering on the floor.
The queen grasped the staff in her hand, squeezing it. Panther expected her to scream at Giichi, discipline him, or something else, yet she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she looked to Nidi and Hanzu, the two remaining Retinue, waving for them to come over.
As they approached, she passed the staff to Nidi. "Please, put that in a safe place, and keep an eye on it."
Nidi and Hanzu bowed, the clouded jaguar and leopard leaving the room, shutting the door behind them.
"You may release him now," Kula said to Jima and Rihat.
Giichi lurched forward right when they let him go, almost falling to the floor. Climbing back to his feet, he turned his face up to his sister, eyes reddening from tears. "Sis, please… You're going to kill so many people!" He shook his head. "Come on! Those people in the south are Thaljistani like we are, even if they look different! You didn't have any problems with them until you became queen! What happened to you?! Why did you change like this?!" He rushed her.
Jima and Rihat tensed up, ready to intervene, but Kula held out a hand, keeping them at bay. They remained still, but their eyes never left her.
Giichi grabbed Kula by the shoulders, pulling her close. She didn't resist. "Sis, come on! Answer me! Why are you doing this?! Why?" He buried his face in her shoulder, still crying away.
Panther watched to see what would happen next. As before, Kula showed restraint, putting a hand around Giichi's back and patting him there, letting him sink into her. The two of them stood there for a minute or two, Kula waiting until Giichi had calmed down.
Pulling back, she turned to Sable. "I would like some time alone with my brother." She glanced at Panther next. "Maybe you could show Panther around in the meantime."
Sable was stunned, her eyes wide open. "But, but…!" She stammered, shaking her head. "W-we have the staff! Don't you want to go raise Thaal-Ja right now?! We could end this war within the next few hours!"
Giichi's head shot up at the mention of Thaal-Ja, as he looked at his sister, waiting for her answer.
Kula frowned at Sable, shaking her head. "No, I don't."
"What?!" Giichi exclaimed.
Sable's jaw almost looked like it was going to drop to the floor. Panther took a few steps back. He didn't understand why, but all of a sudden he didn't want to be next to her.
After she recovered, her eyes hardened, as she clenched her fists and rage boiled in her eyes. "You're serious?!" She sounded like she was only barely keeping control of her tone. "Your majesty, we've-!"
"No." Kula raised a hand to silence her, shaking her head. "I want to talk to my brother first. We have waited generations to raise Thaal-Ja. It can wait a little longer."
Stunned before, Giichi lowered his head now, ears curling behind him. Panther empathized. Thaal-Ja's rise would be delayed, but not for long…
Even that seemed too long for Sable, as she fumed at Kula's decision. With reluctance, she nodded, acknowledging the queen's wish.
"I will summon you when I'm ready to depart." She gave a curt nod to Sable, turning to Miyu. "Would you prepare another shuttle?"
Miyu bowed to the queen, and left the hall.
"Let's go into the garden, Giichi." Kula waved for him to follow, walking towards a doorway near the throne.
Giichi gave one more glance to Panther, before he turned to follow after his sister.
Sable seethed as she watched the two sand cats leave, not letting her eyes off of them until they were out of sight.
Panther kept his distance from her, watching to see what Sable would do now. She crossed her arms, still glaring at the portal for a minute or so afterwards, tail twitching behind her. Glancing off to the side, her eyes rested on Panther again. Surprised for a moment, she appeared to have forgotten he was there, but her frown turned into a smile again.
Panther's eyes widened. I don't like that look on her face...
"Panther…" She purred. "I just remembered there's something I need to show you." Her lips curled up into a toothy grin, walking out of the throne room and gesturing for him to follow. "I was going to wait until after we raised Thaal-Ja, but I suppose we have time to do it now. Come with me, please?"
He hesitated. What was so important that she needed to show him right now? What the hell kind of plans did she have for him? He wanted to say no. He wanted to run away. This woman was crazy. But what could he do? Giichi was his only friend on this planet, but the prince wouldn't be able to help him now. He was alone. No one would rescue him if Sable decided she didn't want him anymore...
With reluctance, he followed after her.
~X~
Exiting 'outside' through the throne room's rear door, Giichi and his sister walked into a large garden. The gravel path crunched underfoot, the grass alongside trimmed to immaculate perfection, as if it were a carpet. Flowers in a variety of colors dotted the landscape, set out into careful patterns. An artificial brook bubbled along near the path, pouring over a rocky outcropping nearby. They crossed over a wooden bridge, the slats creaking as they went to the other side. The rocky ceiling of the cave was still overhead, the fiber optics beaming the last rays of sunlight from outside.
Nothing had changed here in the past seven years. It was as if he'd never left.
He glanced back towards the throne room's exterior wall, eyes turned up to the other side of the stained glass windows. Azer was still up there accepting help from the Cornerians, like he had been for over a century and a half now. Giichi thought for sure that window would have been torn down and replaced, yet Kula had left it right where it was.
Also, she seemed happier to see me than Thaal-Ja's Calling. She barely even looked at the staff. Why doesn't she want to go to the Cradle now? He shook his head, rubbing it. It makes no sense! What's going on?
Kula walked ahead of him, as if they were taking an evening stroll after dinner, like back before all of this happened. The longer they walked in silence, the more pissed off he got. This quiet is killing me! He clenched his teeth together, ears curled back. This was no time for a walk! Within the next few hours, millions could be killed! Billions enslaved! The entire course of Thaljistani history would be changed for generations! Thaljistanis would be talking about this slaughter millennia into the future!
And what would future Thaljistanis say about my actions in all of this? That I was too stupid to see this coming and prevent it? I didn't do more to stop it? Or would they scorn me? 'The rebellious, villainous Prince Giichi tried to alter the course of history planned by the wise, noble Queen Kula, who brought us our current, prosperous era.' Because history is written by the winners, and that's what she will be if I don't stop this now! This is my final chance!
His mind made up, he jumped in front of her, barring her path. "Sis, you tell me right now! Are you going to do this? Use Thaal-Ja to kill so many of our own citizens? That's what they were eight years ago, you know!"
Kula remained silent, a neutral look on her face at Giichi's brazen outburst.
She could snap her fingers, and a guard would appear out of nowhere to drag him away. The two of them appeared to be alone, but he knew sentries hid amongst the trees and bushes around them, ready to spring into action at a second's notice. The garden—while beautiful—had been designed to give the guards plenty of places to hide and surprise intruders or unruly guests. It was why she had chosen this place to talk. Giichi tensed up, waiting for the unseen man to grab him from behind, yet none came.
While relieved he was still standing before her, he could not stop now. Billions of lives hung in the balance. "Answer me!" Giichi shouted.
Their eyes remained locked to each other, the only sound being the flowing stream next to them. She raised her hands, but it was to clasp them together like she was anxious. Could Giichi blame her though? It was probably the first time in a long while she'd had to deal with somebody arguing with her.
"Giichi, listen…" She kept her voice calm and gentle. "I know what I'm doing upsets you, and I'm sorry."
"You're…sorry?" Giichi narrowed his eyes. Oh, that was some bullshit there. "If you mean it, you'd talk to Razir. You'd work out a peace treaty with the FPA and come up with plans for reunification." He jerked his finger at her. "Do that, and I would believe you're sorry."
Kula sighed. "I wish it could be so simple."
"And why can't it be?" Giichi crossed his arms.
"We do owe a lot to Cornerians and other offworlders for getting us to where we are today." She looked up at the stained glass window of Azer accepting help from the Cornerians. "I appreciate them helping our ancestors."
Giichi raised an eyebrow. "So why do what you did? How come once you became queen, you kicked all the non-cats out of the northern territories and sent them south to the countryside?" Giichi gestured in the respective directions. "Why did you order every non-cat soldier to turn in their weapons and disband from the military? Their ancestors are from Lylat, but these people are our friends, neighbors, and citizens! It was this way for over a century and a half, until you came along!"
A pained expression crossed her face. Maybe she was being serious about what she said? She didn't seem proud of her past actions, but all the same she wasn't sorry enough to say they were wrong, either.
"Giichi, you weren't groomed for leadership like me or Razir. You may be a prince, but there are things you don't understand about ruling a planet."
"Yeah?" He glared at her. "Like what?"
She gave the stained glass windows another hard look. "Nations don't have friends." She turned to him. "Only interests."
"What do you mean?"
"The Cornerians helped us overthrow the lions." She gestured towards the glass window depicting Azer leading the charge on Gerrant with Cornerian weaponry. "But that doesn't mean we are friends with them. It only served their interest for the Ibhu dynasty to be gone, as the lions attacked them instead of trading with them. Suppose I left things as they were before my rule. The Cornerians could decide one day it's not in their interest to support us any longer, and cut off trade. Or worse, destroy us. Maybe encourage an insurrection amongst the non-cats, so they can move in and take over afterwards."
"That's ridiculous!" Giichi snarled. "We've prospered with them over the past hundred and fifty years! Why do you think they'd turn on us?"
"Part of being a leader is considering the long term, Giichi. The only constant is change. I want to make sure we're on the right side of it. For that, we need Thaal-Ja." Her eyes were turned up to the cave's ceiling, but her stare looked as if it pierced right through the rock to outside. "Thaal-Ja will transform our little planet into something greater. Make us part of something greater. We won't need to rely on anyone else to attain greatness anymore." She looked back at him, a sad look on her face. "I know it's hard for you to accept. It's hard for me to accept too, but some sacrifices have to be made in the meantime."
"Some sacrifices…" Giichi kicked at the gravel on the path beneath them. "What an understatement."
"We only need Thaal-Ja. It's the only thing that matters." She said it as if citing some sort of mantra, like no other argument needed to be made. "Everything will be right again once we have Thaal-Ja."
Giichi balled up his fists. Curse the day we discovered Thaal-Ja. It's torn the entire planet apart. "This is so stupid!" His eyes were getting watery again. "Why do we have to fight? We're family!" He patted himself, pointing at her. "You, me, and Razir. Why do we have to fight each other?" Tears came out of his eyes. "Were it not for us discovering how to raise Thaal-Ja, we would still be at peace..."
Kula didn't have an answer, as her ears curled back and she avoided looking Giichi in the face.
"Will all this be worth it, Kula?" He stepped in closer to where she couldn't avoid his gaze. "It's already cost us so much as it is…" His ears curled back, as he wiped away his tears. "The three of us got along so well until you and Razir decided we needed to raise up Thaal-Ja. Now look what the last eight years has brought us!" He turned his gaze towards a stone mausoleum off in the distance. An entire section of the garden was set aside for it, wrung around by an iron fence. "Mom and dad… This planet's been in chaos ever since they died. You don't live up to their legacy, not by a long shot!"
He wasn't speaking out of anger. Instead, it was disappointment. Disappointment things had to end up this way, with so many pointless deaths.
"Nail's dead too…did you hear?" Giichi rubbed his eyes.
"What?!" Kula's tail jumped. "Oh no, I'm sorry Giichi… I know how much he meant to you, even if he was..." Her voice trailed off.
Giichi knew what she was about to say. She was going to call him a canine. A non-cat. An offworlder. A longnose. One of those things. It didn't matter which one. The words 'even if he was' showed what she thought about Nail, even though she pretended otherwise. Sure, she'd respected Nail when he still resided in this palace, but to her he would always be an other, and not worthy of the same respect as a cat no matter what he did to prove himself. He would never truly be a Thaljistani, even though he was born and raised here like the two of them were. Her trying to cover those feelings up only made them more obvious.
"I've lived in this palace with you for over half my life." He waved at the garden around them. "You don't have the heart to go through what you're going to do with Thaal-Ja. Genocide and enslavement…" He shook his head.
"Genocide and enslavement?" Kula's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
Giichi's eyes narrowed. "Huh? You-" His words were caught in his throat, her reply catching him by surprise. "I was told the first thing you were going to do once you revived Thaal-Ja was attack Kinnor and kill as many non-cats as you could, and you'd enslave whoever survived."
She looked at him as if he'd grown a third ear or something. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"What?!" Now it was Giichi's turn to be surprised. "But Sable… She kept talking about it the entire trip here. And Razir's told me you're up to it as well…"
"Razir did?" Kula shook her head. "Well, if he did, our brother's a liar. You shouldn't listen to him. He was always scheming something, even back when we all lived here."
Giichi grimaced. She was calling Razir a liar? Well, why wouldn't she? The two of them were on complete opposite sides of this war, after all. Even so, those words pissed off Giichi. He looked up to Razir, and all his brother had done to protect the second class citizens of the Azerian Kingdom.
Nonetheless though, her comments stroked his curiosity. Folding his arms together, he looked up at her. "Okay, so what are your actual plans for Thaal-Ja?" He doubted she'd give him a straight answer, or an answer period. Why reveal your plans to your enemy?
However, her answer turned out to be on the candid side. "Believe it or not, I would prefer there to be as little loss of life as possible." She sat on a nearby bench lining the path. "My plan is to use Thaal-Ja to force the Separatists to surrender. If they comply, I will give all non-cats a chance to move to a new colony I'm going to set up in a neighboring system. They can live there from now on, apart from us. Of course, if the FPA resists, I will be forced to use Thaal-Ja's power, but I don't want to do that."
Giichi's eyes widened. "What about all the things Sable said?"
"She's always been like that. You should know." Kula shook her head, even managing a small laugh. "But I'm the queen, and in the end it's my choice."
He didn't know what to say. This was so confusing. He was about to rip into her for planning to butcher offworlders, but now he couldn't. Not knowing what else to do, he took a seat next to her. "But…don't you think making a totally new colony's going to cause problems too? Not everyone is going to be willing or able to move. What about the old? The injured? The sick? The babies, infants, and toddlers? And even ignoring that, are all these people are ready to be dumped into the middle of nowhere and rebuild civilization? It'll take decades! Not to mention the brain drain. You have any idea how many professionals we're going to lose? Doctors? Engineers? Scientists?"
"Thaal-Ja will—"
"Ugh!" Giichi threw up his hands, jumping off the bench. "Thaal-Ja's your answer for everything!"
"Listen…" Kula sat up. "We can talk again later. I know it's been a long day for you. Would you like to rest in your old bedroom? I had it cleaned and prepared once I heard Sable…retrieved you."
Retrieved me… You mean captured. "You're sending me to my room, like I'm a kid…" Giichi glared at her. "You know I'm not a teenager anymore, right? It's been seven years."
Kula frowned, but offered another suggestion. "Well, would you like to see the stable instead? I kept it in pristine condition for you. Everything is right where you left it."
The stable… Giichi's eyes lit up at the mention of it. He glanced off in the distance, in the direction he knew the stable was in. It was still there? It was the one thing he missed most about the palace after having to leave it. He almost wanted to run over there right now, but clenched his fists. "I…I don't want to."
"What?!" Kula was stunned. "But that's your favorite place on the grounds!"
"How do you expect me to just forget about the fact you're going to revive Thaal-Ja once we're done talking?!"
Kula frowned, shuffling her feet. "I know how you feel Giichi, but I'm sorry. Thaal-Ja will be raised tonight, whether you like it or not." She offered a forced smile. "But at least now you know it won't be horrible like how you thought it would be, right?"
Giichi's ears folded back. It'll still be a disaster. And even if you don't use it to destroy, what about your successors? We can't just make Thaal-Ja disappear once it's revealed! "Sis, I can't let you do this!" He marched towards her, getting ready to grab her. "I- Hey! What?!"
Someone grabbed him from behind by his arms, hoisting him up off the ground. It was a black robed puma, one of the hidden sentries like he'd been thinking about earlier.
Giichi kicked and struggled, but he couldn't do anything with how much smaller he was.
"Sorry Giichi." Kula looked up at him, shaking her head and folding her arms. "But I can see you won't let me leave if we keep talking. I'm departing for the Cradle now. You can either stand there on your own, or I'll have Malus hold you until I'm gone. It's your choice."
Giichi growled. He hated being so small and weak. Why couldn't he have been born a larger cat species, like this puma holding him up? Why couldn't he be big and strong like Nail?
Sighing, he let his head sink to his chest. "Okay, fine. I'll let you leave…" Giichi muttered in defeat.
The guard put him on the ground, Giichi dusting himself off.
"Good." Sable turned to walk away. "I'll have the kitchen deliver you some supper later. Goodbye for now, brother."
Kula walked away, soon disappearing out of sight behind some trees. This planet would be changed forever soon, and he'd lost his last chance to stop it. Giichi turned around, glaring at the guard. Malus' job was finished, so he walked in the other direction, disappearing himself and leaving Giichi alone. Giichi stood there for several minutes, hearing no sounds except the burbling stream next to him.
What do I do now?
Of course, what was about to happen outside these walls wouldn't affect him on a personal level. He could forget about the rest of Thaljista and enjoy the perks of royalty for the rest of his days if he wished…but his sister was about to tear apart so many things he held dear about his home world. There was nothing left to do but watch from his gilded cage as it all happened.
Giichi looked around the garden, eyes settled on the direction he knew the stable to be in. Sighing, he let his feet guide him that way. Might as well see how the place was doing. Nothing he did now mattered anymore. His memories of the palace grounds proved to still be accurate, as he had no trouble finding the old footpath he used for years to get to the stable.
A long, low building done up in beautiful brick masonry came into sight, a triangular roof with red shingles rounding out its appearance. Giichi himself had chosen this building's old-fashioned look, as he wanted it to resemble a centuries-old stable, like where you would keep animals for riding. Hence the nickname. This building didn't contain animals, but it did have something else you could use for transportation or fun.
He headed towards the far end of the building, looking at a large rolling door. It was a classic wooden piece stained a dark brown color. Giichi tugged on the handle, pulling it aside. Even though the door was massive, it slid easily on its tracks, like it had been recently oiled. Back in the day, he could have asked for this door to be motorized, but chose not to. Opening it up manually made the action more of a special occasion whenever he did it. Darkness greeted Giichi as he looked inside, although he still remembered there was a bank of light switches to his right. He swept his hands across all of the switches at once.
The lights flickered on, reflecting off an expensive collection of sheet metal.
Numerous hyper cars, super cars, sports cars and classic cars shone underneath the lights, a variety of eras of motoring represented here. The cars were organized into four rows running along the entire length of the building. Giichi walked along one of the aisles between them, gazing out at his collection. All of it together would sell for hundreds of millions of credits in Corneria. He spotted the blue Aquila Favonio, Aquila's previous flagship model before the Hyoodin came out. Thus it wasn't their hot new car anymore, but it was still fast and desirable. A few cars over, a rare McRae Sagittarius rested there, a blazing quick rally hatchback painted in white with red and black racing stripes. Race officials banned it from competition not far into its first season due to it being too fast, making examples scarce as it could not be used for its intended purpose any longer.
Giichi slid to a stop next to one particular car in torino red. It was an Aquila Saur, a small targa top sports car. This car was over fifty years old and far removed from Aquila's later Hyoodin, but still looked like it had come new out of the factory. My first car. The start of this collection. Giichi moved in closer, leaning over to examine the tan-colored leather interior. He had an old uncle who'd gifted it to him when he turned thirteen. Sure, that wasn't legal driving age on Thaljista, but he was royalty so no one cared.
Back then it had been a wreck, but with a lot of work and some help from a professional mechanic, he'd restored it to its current state. Everyone said he would crash it at such a young age, but he never did… All of the sweat and blood he'd put into the car ensured he treated it with the utmost care while driving it, as he did not want his hard work to go to waste. He traced his fingers along the curves, over the headlights.
Giichi leaned against the roof, hugging the car. "It's good to see you again..."
The car did not reply.
Despite the car's rudeness, Giichi pulled on the handle. It was unlocked, the door opening with a satisfying clunk. He slipped inside the seat of the Saur. Unlike the full-sized Hyoodin, the smaller Saur fit his size better. He always liked that about this car. Also, it seemed to have been reupholstered since the last time he'd sat here, the leather fresh. Did sis remember this car's history with him?
From the driver's seat, he looked along the rows of vehicles. As far as he could tell, all the cars were exactly where he'd left them the last time he'd been here, and all of them had been buffed to a mirror-like sheen with not a speck of dust.
She kept her word…
Normally, he would have been glad she paid such meticulous attention to detail, although being happy was difficult with present circumstances…
Giichi got out of the driver's seat and slammed the door shut, the noise echoing through the long room. He looked back and forth, taking in his entire collection again…but he did not smile.
At times I basically lived here. Even had an apartment built in the back of this building, so I could race all night and go to sleep right away without having to head back to the palace…
He headed back towards the front door, not looking at the cars anymore.
So much time playing with these expensive toys…and for what? If only I had spent even a fraction of that time with Kula, I could have prevented this war. I would have noticed the things going on in her head. I would have changed her mind before she went down this path. Shown her we're more powerful with offworlders helping us, not weaker. So many people would still be alive right now. And Kula and Razir, we'd all still live here and we'd all still be friends…
Giichi growled, turning off the light switches as he stepped outside. He grunted as he dragged the rolling door shut, slamming it closed with a crash.
~X~
Panther and Sable walked back towards the entrance courtyard, an attendant opening the door for them as they approached. The limousine and their escort were gone, but something else waited in their place.
His white Aquila Hyoodin rested at the bottom of the stairs, the scissor doors open and the engine running.
"I had it brought over from the Onyx while we were speaking with the queen." Sable grinned at Panther, walking down the stairs. "Don't you want to drive it? It's why you got it, right?"
Panther frowned. How naïve I was to make such a wish. If I'd known all this would have happened to me because of this damn car, I would have vowed to never look at exotic cars ever again. Nonetheless, there it was, waiting for him to jump in and take off. The driver's seat beckoned for him, alight underneath the glow of the dashboard's screens and gauges. Sighing, he followed after Sable to the car. Suppose I might as well. It is mine now…for all that matters. Reaching the vehicle, he slipped up his robe as he sat in the wine red leather seats, reaching up to shut the door.
Sable joined him in the passenger's seat, admiring the car's interior. "Oh my, Panther…" The elaborate chrome finishes shone back at her, reflecting light in dazzling patterns. "I don't know anything about cars, but this is beautiful! I'm sitting in a work of art! You have good taste."
Panther offered a smile, although was it right to accept praise from her?
Nonetheless, he felt relieved. So this was what she meant when she said she had something to show him. He'd been expecting something a lot worse. Guess I might as well enjoy myself. That's what she asked me to do, after all.
He returned his attention to the wheel, looking out over the sloped hood. The road waited in front of him. Hard to believe he'd had this car for months, but only now was he getting to drive it for the first time. These were not the circumstances he expected that occasion to be happening under, though.
He slipped the transmission into drive, applying gentle pressure to the accelerator. Driving the virtual version in Grand Tourer 6 taught him he needed to have a sensitive touch with this car, as it wanted to go fast at all times unless it was reined in. The car drove back down the gravel pathway out of the estate, gates opening up to allow them to depart out into the tree-lined street. He gave it a little more gas, and in two seconds they were going a hundred kilometers per hour down the narrow road. Panther gasped, stepping on the brakes and bringing it back to thirty.
Sable laughed next to him. "Impressive!"
He suspected she was laughing about him getting flustered by the car's speed as well, but he smiled back. It put him at ease. I was expecting to have beautiful women sit next to me while I drove this car, but I did not think it would be someone like Sable. Also, I need to be more careful about choosing my wishes. He looked back at the road. Night had descended upon the royal chamber by this point, the fiber optic cables pulsing in a way that resembled stars.
I thought I'd be more excited right now. Panther frowned. But it's hard to get excited, knowing what Giichi warned about will come to pass soon...
"So…" Panther said, as street lights slid past, lighting their car with an orange glow. "Umm… Did you want to go somewhere?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." She grinned at him. "It's what I need to show you."
Panther's eyes widened, his heart rate quickening. She planned this, didn't she? She wanted to catch me off guard with the car.
"Follow this road, and make a right turn at the next intersection." She raised her hand, indicating where he needed to turn. "It'll be the final house at the end of the street."
A house at the end of the street? Why there? Panther gave her a weird look, but stopped at the intersection like she said, hitting his turn indicator. Glancing at the street sign, the jungle cat did a double take. It read Caruso Lane. He looked at it again, making sure he read it correctly in the dim light. No, my eyes aren't tricking me. What is this?!
"Remember what I said on the Onyx?" Sable enjoyed his surprise. "About the House that raises thoeriece cattle?"
He'd forgotten. Was she dropping a hint before? Panther turned onto the street, taking his time as the houses slid past. At the end of the road, a massive mansion awaited him. While it was small compared to the Azerian Palace, it was still far more impressive than nearly any other house Panther had ever seen, dwarfing the other residences lining the road. Gulping, he pulled the car up next to the front gate.
A speaker next to the gate flickered to life. "State your business at the Caruso Estate," a curt voice said.
Panther didn't know what to say, but Sable undid her seatbelt and leaned over him towards the speaker, planting her breasts against his side. He gasped in surprise.
"This is Sable." She spoke like nothing was out of the ordinary right now. "I have an appointment with Father Casimiro Caruso."
"Sable?" The voice from the speaker paused, as if checking something. "Who is that driving the car? Is he a Caruso?"
Sable smiled at Panther and let out a laugh, like that was what she wanted to hear. "Yes, it is!"
"Who are you, sir?" the speaker asked. Even though he'd used 'sir', he sounded like he didn't want to talk to Panther.
"Umm…" The jungle cat didn't know what else to say, so he supposed he'd tell him. "Panther Caruso."
Another brief pause, long enough to make Panther sweat.
"No one in the Caruso family goes by that name. You're an impostor."
Panther sure didn't expect that. "But it's the only name I've ever had."
"You are breaking the law by impersonating a noble. I could have you arrested."
"What?!" Panther clenched the steering wheel in terror. Oh shit! What do I do?! What do I do?! Will they put me in jail?! He glanced in his mirrors. The road was clear behind him. Should he pull a U-turn and get out of here?
Sable however, gave him a soft smile, rubbing the side of his face with her hand as if nothing was wrong. She turned to the speaker again. "Please forgive Panther. He is from Lylat, and does not yet know our customs. If you let us in, I can clear this up."
The voice didn't reply.
Sweat rolled down the side of Panther's head. What were they doing on the other end? Were they calling the cops? The street was still clear. It wasn't too late to run...
A loud clunk sounded in front of the car, the gates opening before them. Panther looked down the dark driveway towards the large house at the end. Should he go in there? They could close the gates behind him and trap him inside.
"Relax." Sable gave Panther a lick, sending a shiver through his body. "You protected me. It's my turn to protect you."
Panther shook, still not over the shockwave she'd sent through him. Not to mention now was a really bad time to get horny. Was she honestly grateful about him protecting her and wanting to pay him back? He hated being on this planet and knowing nothing about what was happening around him.
"Well?" Sable nodded towards the driveway before him.
Gulping, Panther moved his foot from the brake to the accelerator, nudging the car forward onto the brick driveway. The driveway became a circle at the front door of the sprawling manor house, circling around a fountain in the middle. He pulled up to a set of stairs leading up to the front door of the house, Lit lanterns flanked the entrance and the flames cast strange shadows.
Two dark figures stood near the door, chatting with each other. Panther almost didn't see them in the dim light. They turned towards his car as he stopped, waiting there like sentries. The only details he could distinguish were that they were both pantherine. Should he get out of the car? Panther glanced towards the front gate, just in time to see it shut…
"Well, Panther?" Sable asked him.
Grimacing, Panther stepped out of the driver's seat, feeling exposed as he looked around. Though he could only see the silhouettes of the two men by the door, he sensed he was being watched by more people than just them.
Sable stepped out on her side of the car, heading up the steps like nothing was wrong. Gathering up his courage, Panther followed her up the stairs.
The two men near the door came into focus as he approached. He wasn't able to make out any details from afar because both were black jungle cats, their dark color and dark robes letting them blend into the shadows cast by the lanterns. Panther found himself focused on their yellow slit eyes, like his own. The effect was eerie, like he stared into two mirrors side by side.
"Come, let's go inside!" Sable didn't seem to notice the two, going straight for the front door.
"You still trying to find a mate here, Sable?" One of the two men called out.
She ignored him.
The other one joined in. "You know we all learned long ago what kind of snake you are, right Sable?"
Sable looked at him, returning a mocking grin before looking back at Panther…which did not reassure him. They called her a snake around here?!
The door opened as they approached, an attendant on the other side waving them inside. Panther stepped into a large foyer, almost every surface made of warm marble stones polished to a reflective sheen. Elaborate murals decorated the walls, depicting the surrounding countryside around Gerrant with the mountain itself being the most prominent. Tiles of red, brown, and black decorated the floor in elaborate patterns of circles, squares and star-like shapes.
The attendant seemed to already know where they were going without them saying, and guided them up a grand staircase on the far side of the foyer, taking them to the second floor. The hallway above had as much marble as the room below, more murals covering the walls. They made their way to a pair of double doors at the end of the corridor, the servant pushing them aside and gesturing for them to enter.
On the other side was a room with wood paneling, bookshelves, a fireplace, and large leather couches. Behind the desk sat yet another black panther, dressed in a fine robe and appearing more aged with a few gray hairs at the edges of his brow. He was busy looking at something on a hologram off to the side, but turned with annoyance at Sable approaching. However, he put on a bland smile to cover it.
"Sable…" The elder cat gave Panther a scrutinizing look before turning back to her. "How may I help you?"
"It's nice of you to have me, Casimiro."
"I only do it because I can't refuse meetings from the queen's personal attendant." He rolled up to the desk, folding his hands together on top of it. "Anyway, please sit."
Panther and Sable sat down, a silence settling over the room. Casimiro waited for her to say something, but Sable remained quiet.
Frowning, Casimiro spoke up first. "So…who is your guest?"
Sable smirked, turning to Panther. "Well, introduce yourself!"
Panther took a breath, gathering his courage. He remembered what had happened at the gate. "My name is Panther Caruso." Bracing himself, he waited for what would come next.
Yet the only thing Casimiro returned was silence. He looked Panther up and down, examining him and checking all the details of his face, as if looking over a piece of livestock. At least Casimiro wasn't threatening to turn him over to the police for giving out his birth name. "So what are you trying to pull now, Sable?" He glared at her. "Where did you get this 'Caruso' from?"
"I found him in Lylat."
"Oh, of course you did." Casimiro chuckled to her face.
She was undeterred by his sarcasm. "I've done my research. You may do a genetic test if you wish. I assure you his lineage is genuine." She rattled it all off with a confident tone. "He is a Caruso, descended from one of your sons, and that fact is as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow."
One of his sons… A dark look crossed Panther's face, clenching his fist.
"Do you know which one?"
"I don't." Sable shook her head. "I was hoping you could clear this up."
"As a matter of fact, I think I do know, looking at this boy." Casimiro checked Panther from every possible angle he could get while seated behind the desk. A grimace came to his face, like he was recalling something he wished could stayed buried and forgotten. "It's been years, but he reminds me Atur. Forty years ago, Atur was caught sleeping around by his wife. I would love to forget his face, but that is impossible with how much disgrace he brought us. We kicked him out of the family. He fled Thaljista and was never heard from again, thank Thaal-Ja." For the first time, Casimiro addressed Panther. "So, my supposed grandson, what can you tell me about your father?"
"...I can't say." Panther glared at Casimiro. "Never met him. Didn't even know his name until you said it."
"That so? Why?"
"He had a one-night stand with my mother." Panther shrugged. "I was the result."
Casimiro smirked, like he'd predicted that answer. Panther himself wasn't surprised by the things Casimiro said about Atur either. Based on what little he knew about his father, it fit the man's behavior to a T. He'd abandoned Panther, so why not the rest of his family too?
"Anyway, I presume you're here because of Sable, correct?" He spoke to Panther, but gave sideways glances to her.
Panther nodded.
"You know…" Casimiro cleared his throat, adjusting his position in his chair as if trying to shake something off. "She's been trying to join our family for years now. She's not actual nobility. Just someone who happened to have enough influence and luck to get to where she is now. She's been obsessed for years about marrying into one of the houses, thinking this might legitimize her position. It's not enough she's the queen's advisor." He stared directly at Panther, yellow eyes to yellow eyes. "I assure you, if she went to the trouble of bringing you out here, it's not because she loves you. She only sees you as a tool to get what she desires. Nothing more." Casimiro leaned in as close as he could, over the desk. At that moment, he appeared more like an actual grandfather who wanted the best for his grandson. "Take my advice, Panther. Get away from her, and never look back. You don't want to get tangled up with her."
A bit late there with your advice, grandpa… It would have been nice a couple weeks ago.
Even though Sable sat right there, she ignored all the things she was being accused of. "So you won't accept him as a Caruso?" She flashed a cute grin, tilting her head. Why was she so confident even though Casimiro shut down her plan?
"We will not." Casimiro glared at her, leaning back in his chair. "Between his father's legacy, and you obviously planning to capitalize on this boy's lineage, I want nothing to do with him. There is nothing to be gained from having him here."
Panther wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried. In truth, he did not want to be in this place, since it was where his piece of shit father had been spawned into existence. No wonder his grandfather gave him such a chilly reception. But what would Sable do with him if her plans failed? He would be useless to her then...
If Sable was afraid her plans were dashed, she didn't show it. "Thank you sir." She stood up. "We'll take our leave now. Come, Panther."
Perturbed, Panther got up and followed Sable back to his car. As they jumped back in and drove to the gate, Sable didn't appear bothered by what happened in there. "Oh well. I suppose it's time for Plan B."
"…and what's that?" Panther asked, as the gate opened before them.
"You will transform yourself into somebody they cannot ignore, someone they cannot reject." She grinned, looking at the road ahead. "You will continue your training with the Retinue. Though you were not trained like they were, you have the skills to become like them. You're already becoming more skilled with your glove, after all. I will also educate you in the ways of the court, and turn you into a true gentleman. By the time you're done, they'll be begging for you to join them."
Panther didn't know how the hell he was going to do any of that. Sure, he could act gentlemanly around women, but it was a façade to lure them to bed. A means to an end. She wanted him to be like that for real?
Also, training to be a Retinue? And more training with Jima?! His very being trembled at the thought. Jima only looked old enough to graduate from high school, and yet she'd ripped all those Separatists to pieces like nothing back in the temple. And Sable expected him to become as deadly as her?!
"…and if I can't do it?" Panther asked.
"Don't be silly." She smirked, patting him on the shoulder. "You won't fail. I mean…Giichi managed to slip out of the temple, but that wasn't your fault, right?"
Panther clenched the steering wheel, silent as the night.
"Anyway, we can worry about it later." Sable looked to the road ahead. "I'm so excited! We are going to raise Thaal-Ja tonight! Take us back to the Azerian palace. I have a shuttle to catch!"
~X~
Several hours later, Kula held Thaal-Ja's Calling, squeezing it in her hands.
Fifty years since they'd learned where Thaal-Ja was. Many more years to figure out how to revive Thaal-Ja with the staff. Still more years to find out the Cornerians had the staff in their possession. And one more year for Star Wolf to get their hands on it. Decades, all put together. The wait had begun even before she was born. But here they were, about to see the fruition of generations of work. Thaal-Ja would be raised, and Thaljista would become a new mighty power even greater than Lylat… Seeing Giichi earlier had put a damper on things, although she was still ready to proceed with her plans.
"We're ready, your majesty."
Kula looked up from where she sat, seeing Sable nearby. She seemed even more excited than Kula was, gesturing anxiously towards the center of the room. Other sand cats were in the room, lower ranking members of the house of Azer, along with representatives from the other Houses in Gerrant. They all waited expectantly.
The sand cat climbed to her feet, walking towards the middle of the dark room. Flood lamps illuminated the dark space, although they did little to penetrate the ambient darkness. The front half of the room was shaped into a half circle. Most of the walls and floors were solid black, providing nothing but an inky darkness around them that even the full powered lamps struggled to penetrate. Nary was a hard edge anywhere, most of the surfaces smoothed over into curves at where the corners would have been. Pedestals lined the curved part of the room, facing outwards towards the wall.
A slot sat in the center of the room, close to where the half circle began, waiting for the artifact Kula held in her hand now. She stepped up to the hole, taking a deep breath. The room waited around her, seeming to hold its breath. This was it. This was what she'd been waiting for, what all of them had been waiting for. She grasped the staff in her hand, pointed the tip at the hole, and placed it in. Then she waited. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Thirty. A minute. Two minutes. Five…
Kula frowned. Thaal-Ja should have responded by now… She removed the staff from the slot, and put it back in. Nothing happened, the room not revealing its secrets to her.
She looked at the others, all of them tense. Sable's eyes were wide. Her whole body shook, her breaths rapid and short as she watched and waited for Thaal-Ja to rise.
Kula chewed her lip, taking the staff out of the hole once more. She looked over the bronze staff again and again. What the hell was wrong with this thing?! What were they doing wrong? Had they made a mistake in their research somewhere? What the hell could it be?
Sable almost cried, terrified as she watched Kula.
"I don't understand!" Kula shouted. "What are we doing wrong?!" She examined the staff again. "Sable, bring me the texts!"
Sable dug through a box nearby, bringing out an old scroll, handling it with plastic gloves and laying it out slowly, as it was old, delicate parchment. It showed a diagram of Thaal-Ja's Calling, done up in old Thaljistani script to explain what it was. Kula had been trained to read it as a child, as part of her royal education. She checked the diagram closely, comparing it to the staff in her hand. All of the staff's details appeared identical. All of the markings. All of the grooves. All of the detailing. Everything. Except for…
Kula looked at the head of the staff, noticing something missing.
The head curved into a spade, with an inset in the middle of it to hold a blue gem. But that was where Kula noticed the problem. The diagram showed the gem, but this staff didn't have it.
"This gem…it's gone! This staff is useless without it!" Kula was on the verge of tears. The staff slipped to her hands, clattering to the floor. She slumped to her knees, burying her face in her hands. All of the time, money, and effort they'd put into retrieving this staff… It was all for nothing. The whole misadventure in Lylat had been a total waste of time. "Where is the gem?!"
~X~
"Hey Lawson! You awake over there?!"
Lawson let out a deep yawn, his long jowls flapping as he tried to keep himself awake.
"Barely…" He called back to Mitch, the husky on the next aisle over.
The brown bloodhound looked at his data pad, the bright green screen turning him bleary eyed. The Cornerian soldier returned to looking at the shelves in front of him, stacked high full of all kinds of cases of various sizes. This had been his job for the past couple weeks now, going from one case to the next, steadily marking them on the datapad's list. One. At. A. Time. For eight hours a day. Hundreds of other grunts roamed about the warehouse, doing the same thing. Would they ever find out what Star Wolf stole from this place? The shelves appeared to stretch on for eternity, both ends of the room not even visible from where he stood.
With how all these vaults were deep underground beneath the Cornerian military's main base near Corneria City, he hardly got to see the sun these days. It was dark when he went under, and dark when he came back up. What miserable work, spending the whole day in these endless, blaring white concrete corridors. What was even all of this secret crap they had here anyway, and why did they need to lock it down so tight? From what he understood he was cataloging antiquities. Why would Star Wolf be interested in this ancient stuff?
Ten-Forty-Thirty-Nine-Twenty-Oh-Four… He looked at a photo of a large silver box, using it to spot the matching case on the shelf. Once he found it, he used the datapad's camera to scan it. Check.
Ten-Forty-Thirty-Nine-Twenty-Oh-Five… The photo showed a small metallic case, almost like a briefcase. He found the matching one, scanning it. Check.
Ten-Forty-Thirty-Nine-Twenty-Oh-Six… It was the same case design as the previous item. He looked around at the nearby shelf, but the space where it should have been…was empty.
Lawson tilted his head. Was this it? Had he found the missing one? Could it be?
"Hey, Mitch!"
"Yeah?"
"Go get Bradly. I think I found our missing item."
"No shit?!"
"No shit! Hurry and grab him!"
"On it!" Running footsteps sounded from the next aisle over.
Meanwhile, Lawson stared at the empty spot, comparing the photos of the last two items he'd checked. Both cases were identical in appearance, but Star Wolf had taken only one. He glanced at the other sliver case resting on the shelf. "Why'd they choose the other and leave you behind?"
~X~
A/N: Oh, this chapter took a lot out of me. I had a lot of ground to cover. Also, I really didn't want to split it, because I wanted to finish off things with Thaljista for the time being before we cut back to Star Fox. Shock of shocks I know...Star Fox being in a Star Fox story… :P