Mother's Instinct - A GWH Story

Mother's Instinct - Chapter 2

"Who is this? Identify yourself-" The stern-looking ginger girl on the holo-screen began, but she interrupted herself when she saw who she was talking to. Her stance changed to a brief surprise before going back to her serious gaze.

"Mikaro Sarashi. You shouldn't be here."

Neither should you, Mika almost snapped back before biting her tongue. Even though she was thankful they answered, there was no reason for the Nexians to use the underground communication channels ever since the defeat of the Empire; they weren't a "rogue" faction anymore. However, the young gunner decided not to be rude to those she needed the help of. Still, it was fairly odd...

"Greetings." She said, being subtly snarky. "I'm well aware of my position, but I contact you seeking an audience with the Nexis Prime. I'm in need of the aid of your people. Are you one of the Prime's assistants?"

Mika thought she recognized that face. She had definitely seen this girl once or twice during the war, following the Nexian leader around. Yeah, she was one of her assistants.

The interlocutor maintained her stern look, but she didn't answer right away. She seemed to be insecure about something. The black-haired woman could guess why; the UPC was likely monitoring her. But her behavior was so weird. If Nexia had a duty with them, why not just report her right then and there? Why the uncertainty? Was Largo right in believing they would be willing to help?

"...I am. Umm, one moment please."

She turned to one side and said something Mika didn't catch to someone off screen. The ginger had muted her audio, but it didn't take her long to turn back to the ex-Niji and have her voice be heard.

"You have been granted a brief audience with our leader, if you are able to come to Nexia right away. We promise you will not be turned in to the UPC." She added, before Mikaro could interject about it. But the woman wasn't so convinced yet. Her instincts were still telling her this was a bad idea.

"What's your name?"

"...Prilynne." The girl said after another moment of hesitation.

"Do I have your word, Prilynne?", the gunner inquired, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. We await your arrival." She answered hastily, and hung up without another word. Mika thought she detected a tinge of nervousness in that last statement.

She rarely went against her instincts. They had gotten her this far, so at least they were trustworthy. But she had already stated she wished to go all the way for Riku, and this was a part of that. It would probably be a good idea to plan an escape route in case they were waiting to ambush her, though. There was something about the Nexians' demeanor that seemed off, and Mika wasn't about to trust them completely.

The young woman set a course for their homeworld. It was time to find out if they were truly honest or not.

Observed from orbit, one could say that Planet Nexia looked like it was alive, although that statement could also be considered ironic. Its frigid atmosphere contained a naturally occurring compound that was lethal to male infants, and during the course of their history, its inhabitants had learned the science of cloning technology to survive. It had been a very hard road, but they had emerged victorious, and now they were one of the most technologically advanced cultures in their galaxy cluster. They were never able to overcome the problem with their atmosphere, though, so they were a civilization comprised exclusively of females. They preferred it that way.

Therefore, since technology was such an important part of their society, it had been integrated into the planet in a major way. The vast roads across its countries stretched out like warm pulsating veins across the snowy surface, reaching into city centers that glowed bright like beating hearts, seemingly unaffected by the low temperatures of the world. Ships of all shapes and sizes flew all over the place like blood cells, following the flow of the Nexian planetary organism. It was quite a sight to behold. Mika hadn't been here in quite a while, but it seemed like they had recovered well from the Empire days.

As soon as she arrived at the planet's orbit, a large carrier flew out to meet her. For a moment, she got startled, thinking the trap had been sprung, but the bigger ship had been sent by the Nexis Prime herself to escort her into the capital while avoiding the UPC's watch. The Revindication would also be docked in this carrier until she was ready to depart. So far, so good. Mika didn't want to discard her backup escape plan just yet, though. She appeared friendly with the Nexians, but she never dropped her guard. That was how she usually rolled, anyway.

It didn't take long for the escorts and her to reach the palace. The dark-haired girl had been here before as well, but she had to admit, it was one hell of a piece of architecture that impressed her every time. It was a massive, clean, pyramid-like structure with tons of ornaments and lights all over. On all of its four sides, many balconies and transparent elevator shafts gave it dynamism and life; both of them recurring themes in all aspects of Nexian society, apparently.

Standing in front of the main entrance was the ginger girl that had answered Mika's call. Despite the constantly stern look on her face, Prilynne looked very pretty with the palace at her back. The day was sunny, which made her pale features harmonize well with the cleanliness of the surroundings. She bowed her head at Mika when her party approached her, and she nodded back, their eyes always locked, scrutinizing each other carefully.

"Welcome to Planet Nexia. The Nexis Prime has been expecting you, Mikaro Sarashi. Please, come with me. I will take you to her."

She was being awfully polite, in contrast to their little conversation over the communicator. It could have been that she was just under orders to be welcoming, though. But Mika could see the anxiousness in her light brown eyes; they did not deceive. This chick was hiding something.

Prilynne dismissed the other guards and led their guest into the palace, which was also spacious and beautifully decorated with regal but simple objects all around. They walked together in silence until, a few moments later, they reached the throne room.

Located at the very heart of the pyramid, the room itself was a technological marvel. The walls and ceiling projected images of the outside, giving off the illusion that it was a platform suspended in midair that overlooked the city on all sides. The room itself was a grand hall adorned with marble pillars on either side, sporting a big conference table in the middle. The seat on the far end of the table was bigger and more elegant than the others, and that was where the Nexis Prime was sitting, waiting for the newcomer to arrive, along with other attendants sitting on the chairs near hers.

She stood up to receive Mika, a wide smile on her lips, her arms stretched to either side.

"Welcome, Mikaro! It has been far too long."

The soldier woman nodded at her, as she did with her attendant.

"Kathryn. Indeed it has."