Vengeance

Vengeance:An Atlympian Princess Story Series I

By John Swan (SwanArtistry)

Anyjia gazed hesitantly at the paper wrapped package that sat on her desk. Why would anyone send her something that was so clearly antiquated; creating paper from trees… that was preposterous! Her people had evolved millennia from using trees, one of nature’s most majestic symbols and necessities, and chopping them down to create materials for communication, utensils and other such materials. In a way it was barbaric…so how was it that something of that manner was sitting on her desk right now.

She had used a scanner to examine the package to verify the molecular content and it was indeed a package made from a quercus rubra tree. Her scans though could not penetrate beyond the exterior of the package, and that was rare from anything to be impervious, to her people’s technology, which was the most advanced set of technology that she has ever come across and few to none that could rival Atlympian technology. That would explain its slight red coloration. But how it got in her private apartments on her desk was another story.

Her home was a galaxy away from Earth in the Olympian Galaxy, and a system that was not accessible unless by a hyper light speed drive that was not developed by any other civilization other than her own… so how could something that NONE of her people would dare to use as well as some sort of container that their technology could not penetrate… It was a conundrum of a mystery.

Her royal apartments were secured, only ones allowed entry were her handmaidens but they were fiercely loyal to her and would have definitely brought the item to her themselves. Deciding not to take any unnecessary risk she signals for her lead hand maiden.

“Seyba?” she called into her communicator, disguised as a jeweled brooch.

“Yes, Milady?” Seyba replied back to her mistress.

“Do you know of a small paper wrapped package that has appeared on my desk?” asked Anyjia.

“No Milady…,” replied Seyba in a quizzical manner. The fact of the package being of paper wrapping seemed to catch her by surprise as well.

“Interesting…Please have palace Security come to my apartments at once,” ordered Anyjia.

“Right away your Highness,” replied Seyba with urgency. Not more than a minute or so palace security chief Yaraj was there with two other male security escorts. She was wearing her black security uniform which to any other species would look like a glamorous full length mermaid shaped gown with a foot length train and accented but a gold v shaped collar and matching gold gauntlets. When she turned around you could see the boning of the gown in the back revealing a corset fastening. Her long white hair, a characteristic of the Atlympian species was pulled up in a severe bun. Her violet eyes decorated with smoky makeup in contrast to her pale skin expressed

mystery and a sense of concern regarding the predicament of the package.

“And you say, Your Highness that this package was laying on your desk, when you returned from the meeting with the Zardarian Ambassador?

“Yes Chief Yaraj, once I returned to my apartments from this morning’s meeting it was here. Anyjia pulled her diamond shaped hand scanner from her red velvet gown pocket hidden. She went back over her scans making sure she wasn’t forgetting to note anything but with her species perfect memory and acute vision there wasn’t anything that she had missed. Chief Yaraj looked at her similar device at the data the Princess had transferred to her when she first arrived on the team. Her male deputies were both going over the Princess’s desk scanning every microliter of the desk making sure they didn't miss not a molecule. She brought her two most experienced and most esteemed deputies because of the seriousness of the situation; Amtep and Aptem.

They also happened to be her twin sons, who she trusted and had the most faith in their methods because she trained them herself and they have never failed her. They were as efficient as it comes when dealing with any security matters. They were almost identical in every way, both handsome with golden brown skin chiseled facial and body features, and long silver hair braided in twin plaits that start at an angle that looked like an ordinate v shaped diadem that started on top their head and ran down their back; a style that she and their father Altpem, Chief Ambassador to the

Milky Way Galaxy, had them wear them as children. They were nearly identical except Amtep had violet eyes (that matched hers) and a slight violet streak in his hair and Aptem had blues that matched the cerulean color of the sea (identical to his fathers). Aptem was more outgoing and extrovert and life of the party like his father as opposed to Amtep who was more of an introvert and mild mannered like her (until it has to do with their duty as security officers).

Aptem had taken the top of the desk as Amtep had taken the bottom of the desk, and was no small feat. This section of the Princess’s apartments, though modest by Atlympian standards, was a sight to behold compared to other civilizations. So much so that the Princess’s mother had entertained the Naboo Representatives centuries ago in this room they were so enamored by it that they designed their own throne room on Theed to look exactly like it, the exception is Naboo had a huge ornate window where the princess had a huge entryway that led out to a large spacious balcony. Both twins going over the desk looking as comfortable as any in their form fitting knee length tunic uniforms. The sun was high and shined in the entryway and glinted off the silver collars and gauntlets that were similar to Chief Yaraj's to signify their rank in the hierarchy of the Palace Security Officers. Though they had on all black under bodysuits that covered all down to their ankles and pointed wedged heeled boots they seems as comfortable and efficient in their examination of the

area.

“It seems odd...” stated Chief Yaraj.

“What that whoever left the package chose such an antiquated presentation?” asked Anyjia.

“No…well yes, and no,” replied Yaraj. “The container is already impervious to our scans…so why wrap it in an antiquated parchment…that makes no sense, unless…”

“Unless whoever sent it was trying to send a message,” finished Anyjia. But who could be wanting to send HER a message; or who could not? She had her share of enemies. There were some who were jealous of the Atlympian Protectorate and the vastness of the Empire, as well as enemies of her father, Emperor Nicholaius Romanjov and the few enemies she had picked up along the way. But none by her recollection would result in such mind games, or could penetrate palace security. So now there were several more questions that needed to be answered.

“Ma’am?” Amtep appeared next to Yaraji. “We have done a full spectrum and molecular analysis and could not find any residual traces of anyone or technology that could have left such an item on Your Highness’s desk. Unfortunately we haven't been able to find anything that would explain such a phenomenon."

"Phenomenon is the correct term in this instance," stated Anyjia. "The next best guess would be to open the item. See exactly what's inside."

"I would not recommend that," replied Yaraj. "At least not without proper containment. We don't know what Pandora's Box we can be opening."

"Agree," said Anyjia. "Have the item moved to a secure location. I will leave the details and specifics to your expertise. Hopefully we can bring this to a conclusion. I don't know who or why they have sent this item…but we will get to the bottom of this and see how they were able to get through our defenses UNDETECTED.”

Meanwhile light years away… On a moon orbiting a gas giant. A star craft that looks like it was molded out of black obsidian crystal and shaped as if it was designed to pierce the very fabric of space itself, landed smoothly on a landing pad that led to a sinister looking palace that seemed like it was made from the same material of the star craft. A ramp lowered from the side of the ship revealing an interior the color of scarlet and as if the craft was a beast from within. A figure shrouded in dark robes and flanked by two other figures in similar clothing exited the vehicle and made their way to the palace.

Once in the grand hall the figures knelt before a great throne that looked as though it was carved from a dark stone mountain by what could only be described as claw marks, from some grand beast. A form on the throne moved forward in what seem to be the only natural light that was

showing from a beam that came through a small precipice from above. It revealed the face of a hauntingly beautiful but cold female with hair the color of dark palace and a shimmering gown and wrapping cloak to match. She narrowed her moon silver gaze to the three figures kneeling before her.

“You were successful, my Acolyte,” her voice seductive but deadly, and she fashioned the reply as more of a fact than a question.

“Yes, Milady,” replied the Acolyte, he lowered his hood to reveal a handsome tanned face that was marred with a scar that ran diagonal across his face. His dark eyes a black as the palace they were in. He had long dark blonde hair with platinum streaks that was severely pulled back and

held with a gold square clasp.

“Very well done,” the female stood, her garments flowing behind her like a black river as she moved.

“We can move on to phase two of our plan.” She raised a sheer gloved hand that revealed gold talon nails that matched the gold thick circlet with an emerald embedded in the middle adorned on her head. She reached up to the gold clasp that binds her cloak. It was formed to shape an aggressive looking earth creature known as a bull. The horns of the ornament looked stained as if the bull itself impaled a carbon based creature and its life blood was left as residue. “Soon we will have revenge on the Atlympians and their pathetic royals and they will soon rue the day they crossed Lady Styx!”