The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

Death and Destruction

"Sara! What are you doing?" Armetorius yelled, but it was too late. My Aura had already been set into action. 

Blue tendrils surged through space as I raised my arms, searching for my target. Soon, they closed around a large object. Closing my eyes and activating my Aural vision, I mentally surveyed the space station. 

My Aura was wrapped around its rear module, the only one the humans couldn't see with their cameras. They would never expect my attack. 

Before I could give HUSS a nice, long tug, my concentration was broken by an explosion that seemed scarily near and a blaring alarm. 

Note from Queen Saralee: The Human Union and its timing...

"Princess! The ship is going down! We need to get away!" Armetorius grabbed my arm firmly and led me through the chaos. Everyone on the warship was trying to squeeze through the small doorways that led to the emergency escape pods, and several soldiers and technicians had already been trampled in the process. 

Note from Queen Saralee: And we call ourselves the most sophisticated culture in the galaxy. Well, what can I say? Some of us are more sophisticated than others ;)

"It's Lord Kandain and Princess Saralee!" One of the Ice Guards operating the pods pointed frantically to us. "Let them through!" 

A group of about five Ice Guards walked forward, pushing back the crowd and giving us room to walk forward into the storage bay. To my horror, only eleven escape pods remained lined up against the wall. That was not nearly enough for all the people still on the main deck. So many loyal Lessaenites would die with the ship. So many lives that would've been spent serving my family...

And I could do nothing about it. I'd be lucky to escape with my life. 

Note from Queen Saralee: Yes, you can! Think, girl, use that amazing brain of yours!

I stepped into the nearest pod, along with Armetorius and his younger brother Tamarius. Before we could seal the pod, we heard a small shout from outside. 

"Wait!" Selaeyah Valior, the Chief of the Scientist Clan's older daughter yelled, leading her little sister Alsiyah to the pod's entrance. "Please let us in."

"This is a four seater pod...we can only take one of you," Armetorius sighed. 

"Alsi's only eight, and she's tiny!" Selaeyah pleaded. "I'm sure we could squeeze her in." 

"Alright," I shrugged, and the relieved sisters crammed into the escape pod. Armetorius pushed the large button to seal the pod, and the hatch slid shut. A panel in the warship's steel wall opened and we were ejected out into space just as the ship began to list. All I could think about was how humiliating this would be for Lessaenes, until I realized my Aura was still on HUSS. 

With renewed hope, I saw the huge space station in my mind's eye. Channeling all my anger towards President Drake Liermann and the Human Union in general, I let my Aura tear through HUSS's thick outer shell, each squeak of the breaking metal sending a burst of exhilaration down my spine. There was no way the humans could fight me, they couldn't even see me! They had no idea where the Aura was coming from. 

"Oh my gosh, Princess Saralee!" Selaeyah gasped, pointing to the smoldering form of HUSS as it glided through its orbit around Earth, coming into view. "Is that you?" 

"Yep," I grinned, pulling my hands apart and watching as cracks spiderwebbed across HUSS's belly and the space station began to burn. As my Aura receded, I was overcome with sudden, extreme fatigue and slumped in my seat, falling asleep as Armetorius set the pod's course for Lessaenes. 

.....................................

"She's awake!" Keilee's cheery voice was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. 

"Our little heroine," Chief Myers smiled. I looked around to see that I was on a bed surrounded by the entire Council and my siblings. 

"That was quite impressive," the Warrior Chief continued. "We knew your Aura was strong, but not this strong. Your single-handed destruction of HUSS could make us have to redefine the limits of Aural power, and possibly Aura itself."

"Thanks," I smiled weakly. "But I really want to know what happened. You know, after the battle." 

"None of our bombers survived," Chief Myers looked down sadly. "But we have plenty more of them, and they are just ships. What we took from them yesterday was so much more," his face brightened. 

"HUSS was the oldest piece of space technology still functional and in use. The humans have been building on it and improving it since before the Human Union was even formed! Of course, back then, they used to call it something different: the International Space Station, I think. It was an extremely important part of their history, and had a lot of sentimental value to them. I know this is going to be a huge blow to Earth." 

"Wow," I nodded, glad that for once, Keilee wasn't the center of attention. "Wait," I looked up, suddenly realizing something. "Where are Mother and Father?" 

"We are still waiting for them, I think their pod was a bit late," Keilee said. 

"Princess Keilee! Princess Saralee!" An Ice Guard yelled, frantically bursting through the door. 

"What is it? Are Mother and Father here?" Keilee asked. 

"Your Highnesses...I really don't want to be the one to tell you this, especially during such a joyous time..." he bit his lip. 

"What?" I inquired impatiently. 

Taking a deep breath, he began. "King Khariel and Queen Jessalyn of Lessaenes were killed in the explosion that also destroyed the Human Union Space Station. I am so, so sorry." 

It took a moment for his words to sink in. The entire room fell silent, and I could see the shock and surprise on their faces. 

"Oh, Sara," Keilee whispered, her usual loud, sarcastic personality gone. "Oh, Sara, they're gone! They're really gone forever!" She yelled, pulling me into a tight hug. I silently embraced my sister, completely at a loss for words. 

The Council too went silent, and I closed my eyes to keep back the tears.

I would not cry in front of the Council. Not now, not ever.