Augustus's Story

Kampf sat there quiet with his wife as he pondered the matter, only reluctantly letting go at the sound of footfalls outside of the door, regaining a roughly imperial posture as he awaited the father of his grandchildren. Shortly enough they entered and Josef maintained a hand in Wing's, not wanting it to seem like this was some formal meeting. "We did, Augustus. Please, take a seat." Josef did his best to seem amiable.

Viktoria lead him by the hand to the accompanying loveseat, sitting beside him and stroking his hand all the while, wanting him to know that she was there for him, as always. The princess tried to maintain some degree of propriety, though it was already showing that she worried over the state of her consort.

"We were wanting to discuss your... marital state."

His marital state? He didn't quite understand but he nodded. "Of course." He said and looked to Viki in confusion, then back to the rulers of the empire. "Viki is pregnant. In the Hegemony and Empire, I know she isn't supposed to be, without being married, and...and I'm not a public consort because of..."

He trailed off, thinking of how best to put it. "Because of the side effects of complications at my birth." Bigger words and thoughts than he usually said, but he knew them, and knew how to use them. He squeezed her hand. "I...I suppose I can't hide longer?" Though he desperately wanted to stay with Viki and the puzzles.

He hesitated a moment. "I don't think I could handle the large crowds, but I can try."

Wing watched a moment. "We have a solution for that. A body double, likely your mother, for situations like that. But you seem to have figured it mostly out." She squeezed her husband's hand, watching the pair.

Josef nodded at that, squeezing Wing's hand in reply to her own pressure. "We want you to wed our daughter, Augustus." There, a simple and straightforward matter, or at least he felt so. "For the most part you would be with her, in her quarters, and rarely make public appearances. Dances, at the very most." Because it was simply not proper for a lady to dance with one who was not her husband.

At least not in his eyes.

Viktoria leaned against her Augustus at that, smiling, eyes shut tight from pleasure. Oh, it sounded so wonderful! Augustus, Prince-Consort. He'd have to take her name, of course, but that meant everything was even better. Augustus Kampf. It sounded very proper in her eyes. "... thank you, father." She managed, holding back the squees of happiness she knew would come if she let down her guard.

Augustus Kampf. That wasn't too bad, he supposed. The young man nodded at that, and hearing the joy in his lover's voice made him smile to her, pleased. It was clear it made her so very happy. "Then I will gladly wed her." He said simply. "When should we do it? Will it be very public?" He would manage it. He could fo this. The young man squeezed her hand, pleased.

"...does mother know?" That could be tricky.

Wing raised an eyebrow at the last question, then smiled gently. "Oh no. I'll tell her myself shortly. You two can celebrate." Where they couldn't hear Hope's reaction and all could pretend the woman was thrilled. No doubt thrilled about a grandchild, and about her son getting married, but less thrilled about what came with that.

Such as showing up in public, properly clad, and in her Leoni form, admitting to have a few planets that were private, and being made to industrialize her planets.

This was going to be fun.

Josef simply shook his head in accordance with Wing, moving the woman's hand into his lap as he did, glad that such a matter was solved so very simply. He had, of course, been worried, but all of that seemed to be a moot point by now, and something that he was very much relieved over. Augustus was a smart one, despite his natural hindrances. "You two have much to plan, I imagine. I can tailor the wedding to whatever standards you see fit. Let me know as soon as you have the details hammered out."

Viktoria simply smiled, pressing a kiss to Augustus' cheek, restraining herself from further. "Soon, darling, we can be married soon." Oh, it would simply be so wonderful! Wed to each other, with two beautiful children on the way. No doubt they would do her name proud.

"Soon." He agreed and held her hand, ducking his hand at the kiss. "We'll work out what we ca tonight, sir. I know we need to hurry." Until, then supposed, they were formally engaged. It should be interesting. The young man kissed his Viki's cheek, shyly, in return. Wign watched them and smiled at the sight.

"You two go an plan. Josef and I have a few thigns we need to see to." She assured them and hastened the two lovebirds off to see to their desires. She smiled to Josed and squeezed his hand. "Is it to your pleasure, my Emperor? How it was handled? I know he is't the... most optimum of choices."

Viktoria quickly tugged on her August, wanting him away from the scene and into somewhere private where they could speak on the matter in greater detail, and in greater comfort for her love.

The Emperor, however, simply smiled and waited until they were gone as he leaned into Wing, arms moving to wrap themselves about her as he relaxed. "It was, darling." He spoke quietly, glad that the matter was settled so easily. "He is not, but, to be frank-" The Belkan hesitated, choosing his words. "I would rather have her with no one. Especially not these noble families. It's better she has someone for herself, to make her happy, than to get some political marriage."

One that he doubted would have the same spark as his own.

Hope looked down at the last scrapbook of her time on this planet, and then sighed. It has been some time since she had joined this world, these people. This Snow had gotten her absolution, and this Wing her empire. She had adopted children, and even given birth. And now…it was time to move on. She put away the last scrapbook and locked the door to the closet as she stepped out of it. Dressed again in her fatigues and a tank top, the woman hesitated, and removed her goggles, before hanging them from the doorknob. “That’s the last of that life. “ She whispered and looked away, closing her eyes. It was always hard, deliberately leaving a life behind, but it was, Hope knew, for the best. They’d begin to notice soon, notice that she wasn’t like other Travelers or other Erutin.

The Erutin smiled as she recalled the memories. Walther. Norrington. Kendra. Felix. They had all been such wonderful lovers. Rachel. Henry. Bo. Augustus. The twins. They had been such good kids. She had tried to help raise them well, though had known for centuries now that when it came to motherhood, she wasn’t the best. Still, she’d keep an eye out for them, and their children. It was only right.

The woman shook her head and then sighed. “It’s past time.” She reminded herself. “Far past time. You had sworn, you fool. After Pukak, you had sworn no more children.” Children. They complicated things. Even after she stopped keeping a personal eye out, she’d have to keep her devices looking, keeping an eye out in case one was ever born like her.

The woman checked herself over, and then nodded. It was time. A new realm, new worlds awaited. Was this what Max- no, what Vexar felt like? Did he choose to do this, or was he given no choice. She hadn’t been given one when the time came to move on from Pukak. Uncertain, Hope moved to the closest farther back in the deep hallway. Each door she passed represented a life she led, a world, a realm she had influenced. And now? Now it was back to the beginning. Hope quietly opened the very first door, and stripped of the fatigues and the tank top, folding them gently and putting them together, boots on top, on one of the shelves. She dressed in a flowing pale pink dress in its place, and slipped two golden anklets on her left ankle.

It had been some time since she dressed so. What age was the question? Hope closed her eyes and sighed, shrinking in size, until once more she was on the cusp of puberty. This was something she was certain Vex couldn’t do, to reset his age like this. Hope had always been way more fun than that fuddy duddy anyway. She smiled brightly to herself, clothes suiting this new form. “Right. Memory things locked up, dressed in a pretty new dress. I’m almost ready to go again. Uncertain, she eyed herself in the long mirror hanging on the back of the closet door. “Oh! Hair and eyes! I gotta change how I look.”

With her eyes closed, she concentrated. Chin length dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. That sounded good. A button nose, and full lips. That would do it. Now all she lacked was a new name. The woman considered things carefully. Names were precious things. “Nadya. Nadya….Alexeev? That sounds great.” She said and smiled, weaving a personal history for herself, carefully, oh so carefully.

“There. Only one thing left.” She whispered, and then looked to the markings on her left hand. On an Erutin of this place, it would have been nanites that made those marks. For her, it had been a tattoo. This dimensions Hope was alive and downtrodden somewhere, no doubt, if she had ever existed at all. Nadya knew of very few ways to get rid of a tattoo. This, she reflected, was going to hurt. A laser could remove the tattoo, of course, but it would still leave discolored skins.

Acid…acid would provide a cover story, she decided, and in time, she well knew, heal just fine, even the scar fading away to healthy skin. Until then, well. Gloves worked.

“Ship. Please purge all tracking devices, and prepare to remove the tattoo in the med lounge. I’ll also need…I’ll need an acid, ship, strong enough to burn my skin.” Though she’d only have to hold her hand down. The young girl strode to the med lounge. This would hurt, so very much. But sometime, extreme measures had to be taken.

After she had recovered, she’d have to hide the ship away once more, on some asteroid drifting through lightyears of uninhabited space. That was for the best, after all, that the ship never be discovered, this ship, with its impossible hall full of memories of lifetimes well lived. “Alright. Time to get back in the game, and change some destinies, hopefully for the better. You got this Nadya.” Just like she had this every other time. First step, erase the last signs that she had ever been Hope Anona, hero of the empire. Now, she was just Nadya Alexeev, orphaned human.

The Empress sighed as she said on the golden throne and the smiled, ignoring her blood-splattered gown. The deaths of those who had been so foolish as to allow harm to come to her husband were very necessary. She could see no way to allow them to live. For now, her Emperor was, simply, missing. Those who were meant to protect him had come back without him, uncertain where he had gone.

It must be kept quiet, the loss. But how could it? He was their God! But she…she was their goddess now. She had a duty to the Scatterrans she now ruled, along with her own people, and she would not fail. Of course, the fact that this was her second husband that had disappeared would cause suspicion. Wing sighed and sat back in the throne.

“How does one handle the loss of one’s husband and god? With dignity.” And perhaps he was not fully lost. The empress ignored as acolytes were called to remove the body of the fools who had severely complicated her life. Or was it Josef who deserved her ire? Really, men complicated things. She should have just remained his lover, rather than wed him. It would have made things significantly easier. The Empress steepled her hands as she sat on the golden throne and considered things.

“Abbess, I am informed that the private medical facilities for my husband and I were destroyed in a fire?”

“Yes, Empress.”

That was all too suspicious and spoke of possible rebellion. The facility held the secret to Josef’s lack of aging and the inability to kill him. There were others of course, other possibilities, but only if the other facilities had not been destroyed as well. News from them had yet to return to her. That alone made her rather suspicious.

“Very well. Call the head of the Landwachter to me. I would speak to him.” And after she spoke to him, she would speak to her people. But first, she needed heightened security where her husband’s clones were stored, in stasis, along with the material that should contain the majority of his memories. “And the head of my Seraphim. I would have the royal protection on my heirs doubled until whoever dared attack the crown in that way is caught.” She considered things carefully. Her people would need a scapegoat, someone to purge for the loss of their emperor. If he appeared later, then that only solidified his Godhood, but who knew when her Josef would appear once more.

“In the meantime, Director I need a house or a people to blame for the loss of the Emperor’s Earthly form. Of course, only his earthly form was destroyed, and I want that to be made clear. I will hold a press conference shortly to ensure that is well known.”

“Of course Empress.” The director, nondescript as ever, assured her. It would be done, evidence would be planted for the Landwachter to later find. The Director and his people never hesitated when it came to following the Empress’ orders. “I will come up with an appropriate enemy within a half hour. Would you like me to write the announcement as well, Empress?”

“Yes, yes. Now go. We’re both going to be rather busy. Someone inform my press secretary that she’s to gather the press for a conference in, say, three hours.” It would be done. The Empress’ will was always done. Years of war and conflict had hardened her heart and now, well, none would stand against her. She hesitated after a moment and then closed her eyes. “Abbess? See that the Seraphim bring my heirs and their children to the palace. I believe it is time for ranks to close in the imperial family, however briefly. And Abbess? That includes my heirs not in line.” They would not be left out, and whatever had taken her husband would not also take her children. She would not allow it. Now, the question of whether to change. Perhaps, but perhaps not. She’d decide after reading the statement her people put together for her. She had the bloodlust of two very different people to consider after all.

Hm? The Erutin Empress was about to hold a conference? Oh boy, Grin thought! Time to sneak away from Mommy and Daddy while they wrestled and find out more about who he really was! Hm...first thing he would need was a spaceship. Lots of important-looking people were boarding one...easy enough to blend in that way. Lots of them also had something around their necks. He'd have to grab a dropped one, those looked harder to fake. "Press pass," one of them said. While the flustered man tried to argue his way past the guard that he was a real reporter that had lost his pass, Grin just smiled to himself while taking careful notes about the dude he was impersonating. Once he got into the conference, it wouldn't matter if he got small details wrong. Access was the important thing.

"Oh, you're that Terracast reporter!" the woman next to him smiled and held out a hand for him to shake. Hm...she looked kind of like Mommy...what would Daddy do? Ah yes. "W-wait! What are you doing? I thought you Terrans had bathrooms for that! Go in there if you want to change!"

A few minutes later, Grin was holed up in the spaceship restroom, blushing and wondering what he did wrong. People were weird. Then the announcement came up that everyone was to report to their seats in preparation for takeoff. Time to come out and maybe not talk to that pretty lady ever again, lest he further damage his credibility. When the guard came to check their passes, Grin confidently whipped his out, but covered the name with his hand. "Grin Brown, Terracast." The guard nodded and went on with it, clearly at the end of a long shift.

Finally, the spaceship rocketed off, toward the Inner Empire. The paparazzi had arrived, eager to catch shots of the Empress in the latest fashions. Erutin fashion was rather unique in that it was rather baggy to accommodate minor to moderate changes in the wearer's physique to suit their whim, but it was also highly sought after by performance artists of all sorts who needed to change outfits quickly. Whether one was a cosplayer, a con man, or a street performer, they would want to know every detail of the gown. But Grin was here for something else as well...to have a rare opportunity to ask what an Erutin was. To ask questions that nobody else could answer. And maybe, just maybe, to discover something about himself. But first, the in-flight meal, which was predictably bland. Yecch. He held out hope that the banquet would offer better.