The Time Voyager's Obsession

Rise - I

Jael’s men were as resistant to the change in leadership as Hana had been, but there was little they could do when their former captain was thoroughly incapacitated. All of their lives were now bound to the Voyager’s judgment, so begrudgingly they followed his lead.

By late morning, the supply party returned with five land speeders, and the last remnants of camp were broken down in preparation for the journey off of Hausafan. Jael was in too much pain to ride unassisted, so a stretcher was fashioned in one of the provision transports. With every slight jostle, he moaned, and Hana’s face grew tauter. She could feel Tiberius’s eyes upon her, but she refused to meet the Voyager’s gaze. The rift between them had grown into a great yawning chasm, widening with every passing moment they remained on the planet. Its cycle of destruction was still months away, but it was dead to her all the same.

“Are you ready to depart, my Queen?” Tiberius asked gently, coming to stand beside her. “If you would like more medicine for the pain-”

“I’m ready,” Hana cut him off sharply. If she had her way, the man would never touch her again. Her body would not become a slave to his sweet caress, no matter how much she longed for a release in the tension between them.

Tiberius’s face stiffened with guilt, his eyes tinged with regret, but he made no comment as to her withdrawn state. “Do you know how to operate a speeder?” he asked finally, with a sigh. Hana shook her head, admitting that she did not. There was no need for such vehicles in the subterranean boroughs of Astra Glacies. Hana could count on one hand the number of times she had traveled to the planet’s volatile surface. Tiberius bent to pick up his satchel and walked towards one of the vehicles. “Very well, you may ride with me then.”

Hana crossed her arms and met the Voyager's gaze with daggers in her eyes. She would rather be left behind on the hostile planet than be so near to him again. “I will ride in the provision transport with Jael. I can buffer him against some of the jarring and maybe spare him some suffering.”

Tiberius frowned, dropping his voice so that only Hana could hear. “Tahlia would never reduce herself to riding in a cart like livestock or serving someone she considered lower than herself. Your intentions are kind, but would be an error in judgment, nonetheless.”

“Really?” Hana replied sardonically, “You think showing a little empathy is an error in judgment? How am I not surprised, Captain? Am I not spoiled, selfish, or childish enough for your liking?” The desire to wound him flared within her, and she leered at Tiberius with open disdain. He did not flinch from the words she threw at him, but only glowered down at her with steely resolve.

“You promised that you would follow my lead,” Tiberius reminded her stoically.

“That was before you shoved your tongue down my throat,” Hana hissed. The Voyager’s eyes trailed to her lips hungrily before darting away, his face contorting with shame at the lust she evoked within him.

“Do as you will, then, woman,” he snapped dismissively. Turning his back on her, Tiberius walked to the cruiser, shoving his bag in a storage compartment before straddling it in a fluid motion. His hands rested poised on the handlebars as he awaited her decision, his face impassive.

Hana sighed, walking resignedly towards the vehicle. Though she longed to spite the man, she also needed to get off of Hausafan. Her portrayal of Tahlia was crucial to attaining that end, although she hated to further inflate the Voyager's swollen ego by admitting that he was right. She detected the trace of a smile flitting at the corner of Tiberius’s lips, pleasantly surprised at her approach. Hana scowled at him in turn.

“Hold tight to my waist and lean in when we go around the curves,” he told her as she clambered on behind him. Her hands encircled his waist, fingertips running over the chiseled lines of his torso. She was close enough to smell the smoke of the night’s fire clinging to his skin and hair. Hana leaned away, trying to distance herself from the invisible pull between them.

The cruiser roared to life, and Tiberius addressed the men before him. “Those on foot- we’ll meet you back at the ship. The rest of you fall in, stick to the shore, and stay out of the water.” The four speeders behind them sounded off in a collective rumble, and the machine beneath her lunged forward without warning. Hana’s loose grip turned into a death hold, her soft body melding into the bend of Tiberius’s back. The wind whipped at her face, her eyes stinging with tears. When she glanced down, the ground rushed beneath them, and the sight made her stomach lurch. She burrowed her face between Tiberius’s shoulder blades, hiding it away from the abrasive rush of air.

“You alright?” he called over the high-pitched whine of the engine.

“Fine,” she returned, though her tone spoke otherwise.

“Open your eyes, Hana; look out to sea.” Tiberius peered at her over his shoulder, the wind rushing through his hair.

“Eyes straight ahead!” she demanded in terror, clinging to him all the tighter. Hana felt his chest vibrate against her, and she realized, with irritation, that the Voyager was laughing at her. Mustering her courage, she glanced towards the ocean, her face softening at the natural beauty stretching out for as far as the eye could see.

“Oh!” she breathed in surprise. With the planet’s shortening days, the great star had already begun to set, though it was only early afternoon to Hana’s knowledge. Blazing oranges kissed the cresting waves with fire, the brilliant glow bathing the riders in light as they sped over the black shoreline. Hana rested her cheek on Tiberius’s back, taking in the riot of color with mixed emotions.

Part of her was saddened to be leaving the alien planet, although she knew it to be necessary. She’d learned and experienced so much, in only a few short days. All of her life, Hana had longed to know what lay beyond the violent atmosphere of her homeworld of Astra Glacies. Compared to the icy mining planet, the island was a paradise, one that she had quickly grown accustomed to. While Hausafan had dealt her a great deal of pain, it had also proven to be a source of endless beauty and passion, the likes of which Hana had never known. She had been with a man before, surrendering herself over to those baser human needs, yet never had she felt the momentary ecstasy that Tiberius Var had inspired within her body and soul. It had made Hana long for more than mere passion; she had wanted to experience connection with the Voyager. It had felt right, natural, fated even. His betrayal had come as a fierce blow. For that reason alone, she was ready to leave the planet behind her, along with their short-lived romance.

Within the hour, they arrived at the ship. Hana dismounted, still trembling from the steady vibration of the engine. She walked towards the looming vessel in wonder and trepidation. It was a goliath, by far the largest carrier that Hana had ever seen. She stood gawking at it, unaware of Tiberius’s presence behind her until he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. She inwardly cursed the jolt of excitement that ran down her spine.

“Have you flown before?” He spoke to her gently, his tone still pleading for forgiveness. Hana refused to give it to him.

“No,” she replied shortly, shrugging away from his touch, “but there’s a first time for everything, I guess.” She turned to face him, gazing up with indifference at the war of emotions raging within Tiberius’s hazy blue eyes. “What next, Captain?”

“Next, we get you settled into Jael’s former quarters. Perhaps, my Queen would enjoy a warm bath, free of leeches?” he asked playfully. His smile vanished when Hana glared up at him, unamused. She didn’t want to be reminded of her mistakes; after all, the man had made enough of his own. Clearing his throat, he continued on. “You will find many amenities available aboard the vessel. I’m sure that, after being denied luxury for so long, the next few weeks will provide a welcome reprieve. Perhaps, after you have had time to rest and convalesce, we can return to your training.”

“No,” Hana replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No?” Tiberius repeated, his expression darkening.

“I would like to travel in sim as Jael offered me before. I need time to myself, to think and heal,” Hana explained practically. She could see the stormy clouds gathering in Tiberius’s eyes, as she had expected they might. She had prepared her argument in advance as they rode along the beach.

“That is unwise,” he spoke in a low, threatening, voice. “You should take this time to prepare for the role that awaits you back on Naphus. You are not ready to pass as Tahlia. There is much I have to teach you, much you still need to learn.”

“As always, you ask for too much, Tiberius. I am tired and in pain. You want me to be a Queen? Then, so be it. This is an order, not a request. I am traveling in sim, and that’s the last of it.” Fury blazed within his slate stare, but Hana left before Tiberius could reply. She walked over to where her head officers were still gathered about their speeders.

“If I may have a moment of your time, there is something I would like to address,” she spoke with confidence, head held high. The guards snapped to attention at her words, fully focused on their Queen. “During my absence, I was subjected to much abuse, first at the hands of Sano Var and then by my captors at Mala Fide. I suffered severe head trauma, which will need to be repaired in sim. If I act strangely or do not recognize you, then I ask that you would forgive me of my error. I will be spending the duration of our journey traveling in sim, regaining my lost memories. Now, which one of you can escort me to Jael’s quarters? I wish to rest while we await the arrival of the others.”

“I will escort you there directly, my Queen,” one of the officers spoke up, stepping forward. Hana nodded, following at the man’s heel. She walked without looking back, having no desire to bear witness to Tiberius’s ire. As they approached the ship, a hologram appeared across the man’s visor shield, and the optical implant in his left eye glowed as he connected with the vessel’s command center. “Prepare for boarding,” he ordered. A massive door swung down from the ship's hull, and Hana followed the man aboard the cavernous vessel. She forced herself not to gape as they traveled deep into the bowels of the foreign carrier.

Somehow the ship seemed even larger within, a small city bound for the heavens. To her surprise, the halls were flooded with women, children, and the elderly, all of whom stopped to stare at her with haunted expressions as she passed. The officer led her towards the first available elevator, and she boarded quickly, anxious to be away from the unexpected scrutiny.

“Do we know each other?” Hana asked the officer as the elevator began to rise upward.

“Yes, my Queen. I am Gnoab, your second-highest-ranking officer. I was aggrieved to hear about the abuse you suffered. You have my sincerest apologies. I wish that I had been present to provide you with protection.”

“Thank you Gnoab, I wish that as well,” she told him, noting that she saw genuine remorse within the man’s face. “Tell me, why are there so many passengers aboard this vessel?” Hana queried.

“They are refugees, Your Divine Eminence. When we left Naphus, the world had fallen into utter chaos. The Taohk and Xeun have been engaged in a bitter war since word first spread of your disappearance. The guard knew that if the Taohkese civilians were left behind, they would likely be slaughtered after our departure. Captain Jael ordered that as many innocents as the vessel could carry be brought aboard,” Gnoab told her sadly. “They have nowhere else to go, and may be all that remains of my proud people.”

“How long since you left Naphus, Gnoab?” Hana asked gently, her heart breaking for the people’s plight, though she had never met them. “Have you had recent word of the planet’s state?”

“We have been engaged in our search for nearly a year now. That is when we first received word that Sano Var had passed through our system. It was our hope that you would be with him. As for Naphus, our last transmission was over a month ago and things were…” Gnoab trailed off, his throat bobbing as he swallowed painfully, “dire.”

“I will restore order to our world, even if it takes my life to do so,” Hana promised him, surprising even herself with the ferocity of her words. Yet, at the same time, she meant them. In one thing, Tiberius had been correct. The planet’s future was bigger than their singular lives alone. If Hana’s minor existence could help restore it to order, then she would gladly do so.

“There’s my Queen,” Gnoab said with a fond smile.