The screen went black and Serena walked out of her captain’s quarters:
«Lyssa, is everyone sleeping?»
«No. They’re in the dining area.» the AI replied.
«Thank you.»
The woman walked to the dining area and saw her men sitting behind the table, grasping at their heads in heavy thought.
«It’s time.» She said and they looked at her. «Don’t do anything, alright? Be civil.»
Without a single another word she headed towards the cargo bay. Hearing her men silently following her made her feel her resolve dissolving, but she pushed any weakness down and kept her back straight, showing the proud military posture she was taught to keep in any circumstances from early childhood.
The cargo bay opened without any order from Serena, and the woman saw the sun-lit plaza beyond, where they landed at. It was filled with Imperial Guards and civilians that mingled some ways away, interested in the sudden entertainment of a high-end person being possibly arrested.
Serena looked back at her men and slowly nodded, then turned towards the guards and Captain Dillian, approaching with a regiment of the Imperial Guards behind him, all armoured and armed at the ready. The woman walked out into the sun, stepping calm and slow.
«I invoke my right to surrender to a person of high status, whose life I have saved a number of years ago.» she said, repeating her previous statement. «I invoke my right to yield to Empress Alathea Dal Keelan-Dir of the Laithorian Empire.»
She unclasped her belt and let it fall to the ground, showing everyone around that she wasn’t going to use her weapons or resist in any way.
Captain Dillian nodded, seeing this, and watched her make another few steps towards him and his men. When she stopped, watching Dillian closely, the man looked to the side, hearing a drone descending from the skies. The small, spherical device flew to the centre of the plaza and hovered in between Dillian and Serena.
A holographic representation of the Empress appeared, being translated through the drone, and everyone around instinctually straightened, silently greeting the image, though the Empress was looking straight at Serena.
«Welcome, Serena Dal Thara-Lyss, saviour of my life. I hear you are here to surrender to me.» the Empress said, her voice calm and soft.
«I am, Empress. I am being charged with false accusations and I want a fair royal trial.» Serena replied.
«And a fair trial you shall have! I am accepting your surrender and placing you under arrest. You shall have a Royal trial on your case, Serena. Guards, take her into custody and treat her as a royal prisoner.»
«I also want to plead for my friends…» Serena almost lost her voice, but quickly corrected herself. «My crew and my friends to be free until my own trial ends. They will not leave, they will not cause any trouble. I give you my word.»
«I was informed two of your… friends are also under investigation?»
«They were also falsely accused. But I assure you, if you hear me out and see what I have seen, you will know that there is foul play in these accusations. Neither Wolfin, nor Lindon will cause anyone any harm. I am sure of it. They will wait for your judgement on my case. And if your judgement will be against me… then they will face their accusations wilfully and accept whatever judgement you will place upon them.»
The Empress took a few moments to consider Serena’s words, then nodded gracefully:
«Very well, Serena Dal Thara-Lyss.»
Serena nodded to the Empress, slowly falling to her knees. She then raised her hands and clasped them at the back of her head.
Captain Dillian and two Imperial Guards approached her. The man looked into her eyes with the same respect, and nodded to her. His men respectfully and calmly cuffed her hands behind her back and helping her up, and they all headed to the military craft that was supposed to take her to jail to await trial by the Empress herself.
Wolfin grasped Hunters wrist when he wanted to follow:
«Now… we wait.» the Veluthian said, feeling his heart aching for his named daughter. «And trust her in her reasoning and judgement.»
«But…» Hunter met his gaze.
«Trust in your Captain, Hunter. And in the woman you love.»
Chapter 3. Prisoner
Serena walked against her will, stepping with two guards on each side. She couldn’t force herself to look up, feeling the hollow, lifeless sensation in her body, as if it was already not her own.
Her weapons were taken from the plaza, and her armour pin was removed, leaving her absolutely helpless against her captors. Serena hoped the Empress will keep her word – because if she doesn’t, there’s nothing left for Serena to believe in. Her whole military career was revolving around the Empress being just, fair and intelligent. If the Empress was as corrupt as Saalar Dorn Kalun, then the whole honour code of Laithorians meant nothing.
The woman was taken to the largest jail there ever was on Velutha – the jail where most people with authority spent their days awaiting judgement, or serving their time after having their cases heard. Serena hoped that her case will be in trial sooner than later, but it all depended on the Empress and her availability, her access to all the possible proof of the accusations that were brought upon Serena. All those false accusations can be easily disproven in the royal trial – the Empress can enforce a memory extraction to see if the accused was ever really engaged in any of the things they are being accused of.
Serena knew she had nothing to hide. She knew that her memories will show the Empress her innocence. But what the Empress would do was beyond her.
She hoped that the Empress remembered how Serena saved her life a long time ago, when they both were engaged on the battlefield somewhere in the neighbouring system. Serena remembered that she didn’t even know who she saved that day – not until a very pompous man came to get her and took her to the Empress, where Serena was issued a ship as a gift and praise for her courage and selflessness.
The woman also remembered how little her father thought of this, brushing it off:
«You weren’t fast enough. If you were any better, you’d never have allowed her to be wounded!»
It was true – Serena wasn’t there in time to save the Empress before she fell to an injury, though, not a life-threatening one.
Now… everything that happened that distant day meant so little, if the Empress wouldn’t even hear her case.
The military guards took her through all the bureaucracy every high-end person on Velutha went through after their arrest. The last on the list was implanting the inhibitor that minimised all the regeneration process in the prisoner’s body.
Finally, she was escorted to the prison cell – a small confinement with just a simple cot and a toilet corner. Not a window, not a whiff of fresh air – only the grey, lifeless walls of a prison cell that she was supposed to stay in until her case will be seen.
The complete silence she found herself in was supposed to unnerve anyone, who was thrown into this confinement. But to Serena it was quite usual to hear only her thoughts, her breath and the beating of her heart.
At first she was trying to count the time that was passing by, but without anything to help her with that, she stopped and just fell into a very still and quiet meditation, awaiting anything that would make her understand if she made the right call.
She wasn’t able to say how much time passed, when the door slid open and a guard stepped in, looking at her heavily.
«You’re being transferred, prisoner. Stand and turn around.» the man said.
Serena