Branca

Chapter 9

With her duffel bag packed, Branca leaves her bedroom to have lunch with her cousins.

"Are you all packed already?" asks André.

"Of course, you're not?"

"I'll do it after lunch."

"Alright. What about you, Gonçalo, have you started packing?"

"No, but I'll do it after lunch too. There's no hurry. We're leaving at dinner time, right?"

"Yes. That's what Roberto said."

"Then there's still time."

They finish eating and Branca ends up alone in the siting room, her cousins have gone upstairs to pack their bags for the journey home. Zu'olu come in and bows down.

"Miss, I need to take you to the king."

"What? Why?"

"We received a phone call telling us that the king wants to see you."

"Alright." She gets up from the sofa and leaves the house with Zu'olu.

They arrive at the throne room entrance and Zu'olu immediately goes to speak to the man behind the desk. This time the man enters the throne room alone. He comes back after a few minutes and tells them to wait. After a while a large group leaves the throne room and Branca is allowed entrance. She crosses the tall columns with the king's butler and salutes the king. Today his usual knot is inexistent and in its place is a ponytail. Branca can't seem to get past his beautiful face.

"Branca, I had a change of heart."

"You did, your majesty?"

"Yes, you gave me an idea. Instead of allowing you to take some technology from me, I believe it will cause a greater impact if I send a larger spaceship." Branca looks at the king quizzically. The king in answer to her facial expression says: "I'm going to allow the Ana'atar to take you all the way to Earth. It's a much faster journey."

"Won't that go against the Alliance's strategy, your majesty?"

"Of course, but what choice do I have? It must be done."

"It's a bold move, your majesty."

"I know it is. I prefer to play it safe but we have had our close encounters with the Alliance before and we managed to survive. You'll see how they're like. They attack without thinking."

"If they see you as enemies then that's natural, your majesty."

"I don't think it's natural to attack those that want their independence. Not everyone wants to be part of the Alliance. We have a right to choose."

"I agree with you. In a way I hope they attack, your majesty."

"You do?" Says the king surprised.

"Yes. That way it'll prove that the union is real. If they attack us then it proves that the ship is not theirs."

"You think the same way I do."

"It's a rude plan though, your majesty." She says with a gentle smile.

"Rude?"

"Yes. It's a simple plan. There's a lot that can go wrong."

"You're a Colonel, can you think of another way the Union can introduce itself to your planet?

"Any other strategy would take more time, time that we don't have, your majesty."

"So my rude plan is all that we have."