He cowered within the doorframe of his tutor's home. Few here got a better shelter than another. At most, more rooms for more folks. Fighters screeched by overhead battling one another. He was lucky. His people had detected the incoming fleet a few years ago. At first it had seemed to be a single massive object coming in on an apocalyptic speed and course. Upon entering the solar system, the object split into several large chunks. He heard his parents talking about losing communications with this planet or that. It all happened so fast. His government had decided to begin preparations for evacuation early on. Engines screeched overhead.
Tara grabbed his arm as she ran by. She didn't waste any time listening to his wailing. He watched as alleys and streets passed by. Wreckage fell all around them. Parts of ships. Native and alien alike rained down upon them. Rekrete fell in chunks. Buildings collapsed all around them. The crowd began to thicken the closer they got to Tara's target. She weaved intensely. Soldiers began to be more common than the citizens they were devoted to protect. Explosions rocked the city. Lasers and bullets could be heard whizzing by.
A woman flagged them down as soon as they turned down a quiet alley that led in no particular direction. At a solid wall, she stopped, waving her arm in a circular motion. Before the wall had moved a few centimeters, Tara dragged him forward. After waving his hand in front, the doorway instantly parted. Again, his sister dragged him deeper into the bowels of the city. They entered a loud mass of bodies. Those who were near pressed against others to allow room for the royal family to pass unharassed. He glanced wide-eyed at those allowing for sailors, soldiers, and his sister to pass right on by. They moved through tragically ignored areas he had never noticed before. What seemed to be homeless denizens cowered as they passed. His stomach churned at the sight of unwashed masses streaming by and cowering on both sides…
"Where are mom and dad," he asked Tara. She gave him no response but to keep going silently.
Tara led him down twisting alleys led by armored personnel. It all seemed so practiced but all his practice had been hunkering down in school facilities and near his chambers. Was it all so far wrong? His people were screaming and wailing. Tara dragged him further on. They reached a quiet corner, yet soldiers blocked the way. When his sister approached, they parted to a small tunnel entrance. Tara pulled him forward, but his fear yanked away. Tara yanked again but gave up. Soldiers approached from behind as Tara smiled at him. Tara dove forward into the dark. As he peered into the dark frame, hands gripped his sides. Without warning, they thrust him down into the receding darkness. He bounced off walls, panels, and the occasional bolt. Tara grunted as they reached a dead-end and headed to another tunnel. He managed to dive into another hole right after her for fear of being left behind in the dark alone.
He launched from a chute into his sister's arms. Nobles he recognized from court were lined up in several groups waiting to enter through large doors. They passed swiftly through the gates and into a large chamber. His mouth agape, he stared up at the massive starship. A cart pulled up and they loaded into the back. The cart sped towards one of the ramps leading into the ship from the loading docks. Vehicles, supplies, animals and so much more were being loaded into different sections of the ship. A group of men in blue lab coats argued with a couple soldiers. The argument was brief, and the lab coats were shoved towards the ship, their arguments cut off.
The Prince struggled in his sister's arms. She sighed heavily, looking down at him.
"I don't know brother. Father went up with the Royal Fighter Squadron. Mother was trying to get the servants organized. They will meet us I'm sure."
He didn't believe her. Something was wrong and she knew it. Tara was always speaking to him like a child. She was only seven years older. He had listened at Council meetings and heard his parents speaking with many people. He was next in line for the throne. Yet she behaved as if she were the one who would have to shoulder the future responsibility.
It wasn't like the Prince was a burden to her. They played together when time permitted. Otherwise, he never knew where she was at any given time. His days primarily consisted of lessons with tutors on law, history, astronomy, and many others. When not in one of his lessons, he was tasked with attending one of his parents in this meeting or that. Thus had been his life since he was seven years old.
An explosion rocked the massive cavern. People screamed as rocks fell from the ceiling, bouncing off the ship and dock works. Pieces of rock bounced off the roof of the cart as it sped along.
"Your highnesses, when we get to the ship, you must follow the stewards. They will get the Prince to the Royal quarters. Princess… please be safe."
The driver stopped at a heavily guarded ramp and helped them both unload. They had nothing but the clothes on their backs. Several stewards pulled them into the ship. The Prince was separated from his sister as the driver had wanted them. His last view of her was her back as she was taken into a room full of people and electronics.
"Come this way your highness. We have the royal suite prepared for you and your family."
He looked into her eyes, "where are the King and Queen? Are they coming yet?"
She looked at the other steward, "I'm sure they are your highness. The King was simply clearing a path for us. The Queen is likely on her way as well."
They moved through the corridors composing the lower parts of the ship to the first of the elevators towards the residences reserved for their family. Sparks erupted from a panel they had just passed. The steward holding his arm squeaked in surprise. Another corner and they approached doors with the royal crest on them.
Hsssss
A quiet hum filled the small space as the private lift hoisted them up. None present dared to speak. Anxiety hung heavily around them. The royal offspring were ushered out of the lift by attendants and guards as soon as it came to a halt. The frequency of sailors they came across increased tenfold.
Tara grabbed the arm of one such sailor, " any word on the King? Has the Queen boarded the ship yet?"
The sailor, not bothering to even fully stop to show her the respect due her station, shook his head and continued on his way. Thrice more it continued until one of the attendants assured her that he would find out the information she sought as soon as they were both secure in their compartment. She accepted this and resigned herself to be isolated in relative "safety". There was not much she could do anyways beyond going to the bridge to ask the Admiral herself.
The Prince tugged her towards the room, aided in his efforts by their attendants. He was already accepting of their fate and wanted to finish the task as soon as possible. At least their compartment had been fitted with amenities that would be able to keep him occupied. Until they were in safe space, she couldn't risk leaving him in the hands of those around them. Both King and Queen would chide her to no end were she to make that choice.
The doors slid open to reveal a lavish lounge. He was seated on one of the sofas and brought trays of food. He was handed a glass of diluted wine and a headset for the monitor on the table next to him. Different stewards entered the room and stood at intervals around the walls waiting for him to need them.
The walls of the ship were thicker than she could picture, yet she still felt as if she could hear the explosions rocking their city every time the ship vibrated. A deep rhythmic boom resounded in her ears over and over. Each louder than the time before. She imagined a giant heart beating somewhere in the massive hidden hangars. She had often wandered through these 'rooms' imagining giants hibernating within their recesses. Were the giants awakening?
"Highnesses, please be seated," an attendant beseeched the Prince and Princess, "we shall be lifting off soon."
The woman's voice snapped Tara back from her meandering imagination. Of course it was no giant. The deep boom she was hearing was that of the vessel's engines firing up. Their drives were being spun up prematurely as well. It was a risk they were being forced to take. She remembered hearing the Commander of their Defense Force explaining to her parents that there was a one in three chance of the drives overloading and destroying the ships. She couldn't remember how many civilians would be on each ship, but nearly a third of the refugees dying would be a massive casualty rate regardless.
Tara helped the Prince fasten his harness. Once he was secured, she glanced to the attendants around them. Most were fastened in themselves. She bolted for the door. None among them were able to stop her. She kept her balance akin to that of the sailors and commandos still moving through the corridors. Tara slid into a transfer lift behind the crewmen exiting.
"Primary Command Bridge, priority one."
The lift slid effortlessly along the shaft horizontally and then upwards to where her parents should be commanding the evacuation. She danced in place impatiently waiting for the lift to stop moving. The doors had barely parted before she slid through into the corridor outside of the Bridge of the Androit. The Bridge door was open, almost waiting for her to arrive. Tara could hear the Commander ordering others about. She stepped through the entrance and in to organized chaos. Looking around, her parents were nowhere to be seen.
"Commander," she said, approaching the broad man from behind, "where are my parents?"
He glanced her direction before barking several more orders. Monitors reported situations both on the planet and beyond. The Royal Fighter Squadron was scoring kills near the launch tunnel exit.
"I asked you a question Commander. Where are the King and Queen?"
The Commander's shoulders rose and fell painfully as he took in a deep breath.
"Their Majesties are," he paused, "The King died overhead attacking a command carrier orbiting the southern hemisphere. The Queen died trying to make her way here when she stopped to organize the relocation of some wounded pilots."
Tara stepped back from him, her hand covering her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. Just days ago, this was all just emergency plans in case the invaders could not be stopped. When the First and Second Fleets had met them two days prior, most of the populace could scarcely believe they had been so soundly defeated. Were in not for the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Fleets arriving this morning, they would have been nearly defenseless.
She could picture her father, teeth clenched, as he worked his way through their enemies. Her mother, ever a force of nature just by presence, would of course have stopped to care for those who had been wounded protecting them.
"Your highness, the launch tube is under heavy bombardment. We have lost dozens of other escape ships just on this continent alone. I am afraid if we don't launch soon, we might not make it. The cavern's integrity is failing."
Sounds and movements began to blur. Hands guided her to a seat and buckled her in.
"Your Highness, I need your command to launch."
"When everyone is onboard… launch."
She rested her hand on her head as the Commander set about checking with the rest of the command crew. He looked her way, giving her a sad nod. There was nothing to do but make the decision she had to. If not, the majority of the planet's leadership would die in the eventual collapse of the cavern. On the display in front of her, the captains must have felt the same.
She could see a dozen smaller transports lifting off and heading toward the tunnels. The size of the Androit alone required an assisted launch into a different subterranean shaft. Another explosion and a digital girder fell onto one of the transports. The secondary explosion caused sparks to erupt from several panels and consoles.
"Commander! Is everyone on board?"
"Yes your highness, all necessary individuals."
Tara cringed at the wording, "launch. Get us to the rendezvous point as quickly as possible please."
The Commander spun and began barking orders. Alarms started all over the ship. She watched the crew work in coordination, checking and double-checking all systems.