Links-The Novel( Science fiction) Chapter 1: Assassination 'Listen to me Kanako, I know you don't want to marry Hectorilius, but it is tradition that you must marry the man your mother chose for you.' Uttered a man who sat in the throne of an enormous empire, one which stretched the entire length of the andromeda star-system.

'But father, this man... he's a- he's a warrior! A serious person!' I yelled, my heart breaking under my father's seriousness.

'Exactly the reason why we've picked him to be your husband!' said the old and withered man.

'I- I don't want a warrior for a husband. I mean... I- I-' I began to stutter. I didn't know what to say now. I was beginning to loose it.

'Look at you,' began the old man, his beard (touching his waste) shimmered under Planet Irredirad's Green Sun. 'You're so young that you don't know what you want... that's why the decision has been made for you. Now go, I have matters of the state to attend to.'

'I- But- Uh...' I sighed, I was defeated in front of my father. 'Yes father.'

'You're a princess Kanako, few women get to marry such a fine man as Hectorilius... enjoy it. Now go.' He ordered me.

I didn't want to talk anymore... I walked away.

'The princess does not wish to get married?' I was lounging in my bath, a depression carved directly out of soft-stone where I could lounge about for hours without having a worry in the world.

'No... I don't.' I replied.

'But why not?' asked Miu

'Look Miu, it's not that Hectorilious isn't good looking or anything... it's just that... I've never even met the guy and in less than a day... I'm supposed to be bound to him forever.' I uttered, rubbing my naked body with my hands, 'the concept of it is frightening to me...' I uttered.

'But it is tradition your majesty... your father was married to your mother in the same way, and her mother before that, and their mothers before that... and so on. How do you know what's going to happen? For all you know, Hectorilious might make a fine husband...' said Miu in an encouraging voice.

'You're right... after all, this is my fate, is it not? I mean, I am a princess. I'm my father's only daughter and as tradition has demanded for centuries, I'll be queen someday...' another daunting concept in my opinion. 'It's scary sometimes... the amount of responsibility that's going to be on my shoulders after I get married.' She said.

'Have you thought about children?'

'Miu!' I gave a mock cry of indignity.

Miu shuddered and then spoke again, 'I'm sorry princess... I was just asking.'

'I know you were...' I sighed into the water again. 'I'm just frustrated.'

'If I were in your place... I'd be frustrated too... but don't worry,' said Miu, 'The planets have a way of timing themselves just right for that magical effect all us Andromidans crave.'

'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' I asked.

'Yes, it is princess.' Replied Miu, 'did it work?'

'No.' I replied, 'and yes... somewhat.'

There was suddenly a knock on the door.

'Ara?' I asked myself, 'I wonder who that could be... and at this time of dark?' I asked Miu. Stepping out of the depression in the ground, I put on my clothes (not too much, just my underwear) and then, headed for the door, unlocking it with my thoughts.

'Princess, I've got your dinner.' Uttered a timid voice the door turned to liquid and fell into specific groves in the ground.

'Oh, it's you Cecilia, come in, please, come in.' I said, motioning the woman wearing only a tunic over her moderately covered body to enter. Her long waste-length green hair hanging loosely behind her head.

'Good evening princess.' She said politely, 'where shall I put your dinner?'

'Over there would be fine Cecilia... and how many times have I told you to call me Kanako?' I asked her playfully.

'I- Uh... sorry princess... I mean- Kanako.' She said, blushing hard.

I just giggled. I'd gotten used to things like this happening. After all, I'd been a princess for almost eighteen revolutions now... one gets used to this sort of treatment from her peers after such a long span of time. 'Well... it's the tenth hour, so, will you join me?'

'In what Kanako?' she asked me.

'In dinner of course. I mean... heaven knows that I can't eat this all by myself' I said, looking at the stuff on the tray.

'Oh! Uh... Okay, if Miu doesn't mind.' She asked me.

'Me? I don't even know what you're eating there... why I would mind?' she asked us. 'Go ahead Cecilia, eat.'

I awoke to a glorious day as the Green sunshine hit me on the face the next morning. But the thought struck me: today is the day I get married to Hectorilius. 'Damn it.' I uttered.

'Damn what?' asked the feminine voice of Miu.

I jumped and stared around my room. 'Oh... it's you Miu, what's going on? Why do you look so troubled?'

'My princess, I bring grave news... there is trouble in the colonies.' She said.

'What!?' I asked 'How?'

'It seems that there has been a plot most fowl to overthrow the emperor.' Said Miu.

'Huh? How do you know this Miu?' I asked, suppressing a yawn.

'I have my sources. The Emperor has been informed of the situation and wishes to see you immediately.'

I got dressed up and ran to the main door. What plot? What's Miu talking about...? I pushed open the doors and ran up to my father. 'You wanted to see me?' I asked him, panting hard from the running.

'Yes dear... I did actually... You see, someone is planning to assassinate me. Miu has told me - it is not safe here. You're my only daughter, if someone succeeds in-'

'Father, don't say such things!' I yelled.

'No Kanako, you need to listen now - I am an old king. You are my only daughter. I'll manage to survive. I'll fight if I have to. But know this: it is no longer safe for you here. Whoever's conspiring against me has a good network of spies around the castle. If they capture, then I'll be forced to negotiate. And if something were to happen to you... I could never forgive myself.'

'Father...' I began, feeling my eyes filling for the first time in years.

'I need you to go Kanako, I need you to leave this planet and head to the Sirius star system. I have a friend there called Cress. Meet him in the Tetric Asteroid field near Planet Shino. He'll hide you. Remember, take only what's needed. Cecilia and Miu will go with you. They'll be your bodyguards.'

'No, I am not leaving you.' I retaliated.

'It is not a request Kanako, the last time a rebellion like this happened, your mother too went against my will, and in the end, I had to bury her. you are not going to die the way your mother went or so-help-me-god! Now get ready! It's an order from father to daughter. From King to princess! Go!' he yelled.

'I-' Why does he want me to go so badly... he's never ordered me... things must be bad... really bad... 'Okay father... on your request I shall go. But if you'll ever need me - I'm always there.' I uttered, wiping the teers from my eyes and running away to my room.

'You have to understand Kanako,' began Miu, 'your father can't fight these rebels if he's concerned for you!'

'And what about my concern for him!? Does that mean nothing to him?' I asked her.

'Uh... King Dinilit ordered me to stay close to you princess.' It was Cecilia, 'and to give you this.' She handed me a gun and a heavy belt. 'Please wear the belt right now.' I did as she said, I didn't take the gun however. 'There is a small private transportation shuttle waiting for you princess. It's in the royal shuttle-bay. Bay 2.'

'Cancel it.' I said, 'I'm not leaving my father.'

'Princess, you can't possibly think that staying here,' began Miu, 'is going to help any more than not being here... if anything, it'll only hamper the king's-' The ground suddenly shook under my feet.

'What was that?' I asked them both. They shrugged. 'C'mon!' I yelled, taking the gun and running towards my father's room. I pushed open the doors.

The sight I saw was horrific. 'Princess...' came a malicious voice, 'how nice of your to drop by.'

'Who are you?' I asked him, 'and why are you sitting on my father's throne?'

'I am Hectorilius Percilius. King of Andromeda.' He introduced himself.

'Bull shit!' I yelled, 'my dad's king and the only way you'll ever become king is over his dead body Hectorilius!' I yelled, aiming the gun at the man's head. He smiled at me. My hands shook... I'd never shot anyone before in my life... and now I had to shoot my husband to be? What trickery was this?

'That can be arranged princess.' He said, 'Bring out the old man.' He said

A man was pushed out of the shadows. He fell to the ground. Hectorilius stood up from the thrown and pulled out something. The crack of the gun echoed throughout the hall...

'FATHER!' the carpet was damp with his blood. The wound the bullet had caused in his back was clearly visible. 'Y- No...' I uttered as my knees began to become week.

'Awe... are you sad? Or perhaps angry?' he asked me.

I didn't hear him... not for one bit. I was staring at the bleeding corpse of my father on the floor. His blood staining the carpets of the palace. Tears constantly streaming from my eyes. And then, my lip trembled and I looked at the man standing over his dead body. 'Why?' I asked him.

If anything, he seemed surprised. 'What sort of question is that?' he asked me. 'Isn't it obvious? He was king... I wanted to be king, so I kill him with my own hands and take the throne. It's not that complicated... Now, there's just one little problem.'

'What's that?' I asked him.

'You.' He shot at me as well. The bullet hit me on the chest. But I never felt the pain... or the impact. I just fell to the ground for some unknown reason.

'What the-' Uttered Hectorilius 'That damned belt of hers is a shield generator! Guards, cease her!'

I suddenly felt someone pull me from behind, the next thing I knew was that I was inside a vehicle. 'Huh?' I asked out loud.

'Princess, you must not get caught in the line of fire!' yelled Cecilia as she drove the vehicle towards the launch bays through the palace corridors, running over guards and a few other people in the process...

'We're in outer space!' yelled Miu.

'We're not out of it yet... but we will be.' Said Cecilia, pulling a switch. 'Engaging Hyperdrive in 3... 2... 1... Zero!' she yelled, pushing the switch down into its slot. There was a light jerk as I suddenly felt the windows in the small cramped ship close and then...

BOOM!

'Okay!' yelled Cecilia, 'we've cleared the Andromedian border... we'll be at that asteroid field in fifteen minutes princess... princess?' she asked looking at me.

I on the other hand didn't care anymore... what was the point to life? My father's dead... what can I do now? He isn't going to fight off any rebels any more now. If it hadn't been for this damned shield belt, I'd be with him right now...

'I'm sorry princess...' uttered Miu, 'for your loss, and yours as well Cecilia.'

'I-' she was about to say something to me, but decided not to.

Although I didn't realize it, I had tears streaming down my face now...

'Princess?' asked Cecilia, 'Is there anything I can do?'

Can you bring my father back? I don't think so... 'N- No...' I uttered, 'and I'm not a princess anymore...'

'Why not?' asked Miu, but the moment she'd done so, she realized that it hadn't been a good idea to do so.

'Because my father's dead. Andromeda has a new king now and his name is Hectorilius Percilius...' for some reason, the name echoed in my mind for a bit.

'Okay Princess, we'll be arriving in Sirius in... wait a second!' yelled Cecilia.

'What's the matter?' asked Miu.

'There's some sort of gravitational anomaly in front of us... wait a second... it's signatures are consistent with that of a-'

'A what?' I asked her.

'A blackhole.' Uttered Cecilia.

'Awe you've gotta be kiddin-' began Miu

'We're headed straight for it!' yelled Cecilia, 'I can't control the ship... we're about to-' I suppose "die" would've been a suitable fill in that blank.

The ship Jerked violently... it seemed that this was the end of our journey...

'Oh...' I yelled as I suddenly seemed to be punched in the stomach.

'I've engaged the dampening fields...' yelled Cecilia.

Then, the shaking got worse... and worse... and even worse... right up to the point where I thought I was going to die... and then...

CLASP... the sound of lightning. The windows opened.

'What the-' I began, 'this doesn't look like Sirius to me. Where are we?' I asked Cecilia.

'I don't know Princess... we're in uncharted territory...'

'I might not know much about ship designs... but when the window of your spaceship cracks... I'm guessing that it's a bad sign... right?' asked Miu.

'Yeah, it is bad... why?' I said.

'Because the window on my right has a crack in it.' She said.

'Son of a- Sorry princess!' she yelled, 'uh... we need to land before the dampening field gives in... we need to find a place where we. I'll scan this place for a good planet with conditions that'll support life.' Uttered Cecilia, 'Scanning... found one! It's approximately sixty light years away... we'll be there in three minutes... engaging hyperdrive!' she yelled. NEXT CHAPTER http://koolestfiction.com/Science_Fiction_Link_Ch_2

About the Author

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Single (Obviously...)

Likes: Food, Computer Games (Including, but not limited to... Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Doom 3, Doom 3: ROE, Sin: Emergence, Prey, Oblivion IV, Advent: Rising, Far Cry etc. etc. etc.), watching television, Watching Anime, Reading Manga and obviously: writing.

Hates: Spending time alone, doing the same thing