Over the next few days, Cassie regained her strength while the ship made its way to their next destination. From what she gathered; this planet was meant for nothing but relaxation. There were supposed to be nothing but fun events, lakes to enjoy, shopping, and spas. Of course, there was a club scene too, and nightlife, but Cassie got the sense that wasn't where she was heading while she was here.
Most of the men had left the ship already, but she was still hanging about, knowing she wouldn't be going anywhere until the captain had finished seeing things off. She had packed just a small bag for the weeklong stay but had no idea what exactly she would be doing. Ash had been hush-hush about it ever since he asked her to stay with him. Part of it she guessed was him being nervous about it, which also made her nervous, but she was trying to not let that get to her.
She made her way slowly down the stairs towards the atrium and kept trying to picture when to tell him how she felt about him. She was resolved now that she was going to. Especially because she was sure now, he was doing this because he felt the same way, but every time she pictured herself doing it, she felt butterflies in her stomach.
The last couple guys were just outside the docking bay. Beckett was finishing up giving the last of the men translation patches. He saw Cassie and smiled as she walked over.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Better. Much better," she replied as he once again placed the metal against her skin again. "I was surprised with how little my arm scarred. The technology you guys have is incredible."
"I'm just sorry I couldn't prevent it. But I'm glad you're impressed," he said as he pulled away from her. "Enjoy your week."
Cassie waved as he walked outside with the others. She then turned around and saw Ash still talking with one of the ship mechanics. She leaned back against one of the walls and waited quietly. The others were refuelling the ship and getting it set to be locked up for a full week. Unlike the first planet they docked on, no one would be guarding it, so it had to be locked up. Finally, the doors began to go up and she watched the mechanic nod to Ash before heading out of the bay as well.
Once they closed, Ash turned around, his hands now in his pockets. He had a small grin on his face as he walked over to her, picking up a small bag of his own and throwing it over his shoulder. He came and stood within a couple of feet and said, "Ready?"
"Of course," she replied with a smile. He held his hand out to her and she took it with a blush.
Ash squeezed gently and then began to walk out. He locked the door to the bay behind him and then began to lead her down the small streets towards the centre of town.
"What do you have planned anyway?" she asked falling in step with him.
"Hm," he said thoughtfully. He then looked over at her and smirked. "I guess you'll find out."
She opened her mouth in surprise at this. "You're not going to tell me?"
"Nope. How else can I surprise you?"
Cassie blushed deeply which caused him to squeeze her hand again. They finally hit the centre of town and when they entered it Cassie's attention turned to her surroundings. The buildings around them were all two or three stories each all painted white with some sort of bright trim around them like green and red. Many of the shops appeared on the bottom floors but judging from the laundry hanging on the balconies, she guessed people lived in the upper stories. Cassie also watched as all the people around them seemed to be shopping, eating, and walking merrily.
Outside one of the shops, she saw a little boy exit with his parents and she suddenly realized that this was also the first time she had seen any children on the planets they had visited.
"Ash," she said.
"Hm?"
"This planet is safe, right? Like no one comes to raid here, do they?"
"Not at all why?" he asked. There was a pause before he said, "Trust me. All the security checks we had to make coming in makes sure no one like that will enter."
"And such security is valid even outside the government?"
"Yeah. This planet is one of the few that does not abide by governmental law but is guarded by a different authority in the universe." Ash tugged gently on her hand, and she looked up at him. "Don't worry Cas, everyone here is safe. I promise."
She nodded and he gently pulled on her hand to continue down the road. They walked for a bit before coming to an inn.
"Bag please," Ash said letting go of her but holding out his hand. "This is where we are staying. I am just going to drop stuff off before we continue."
"Oh okay," she said handing him her bag. He nodded and walked inside while she waited.
The sky above was a bright blue with a shining sun above her head. She felt her nerves start to tingle a bit. She suddenly had the right mindset to tell him flat-out that she liked him because she wanted to spend the entire time past this nervousness. Not knowing his plan though she didn't want to ruin them by suddenly making an outburst. She fidgeted a little as she waited until she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned her head to see Ash looking at her with one of his eyebrows raised.
"You okay? You seem... dare I say anxious?"
She blushed and shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. So where are we headed now?"
He continued to raise an eyebrow at her, but after a moment of watching her, he sighed. "You better not be lying," he said as he walked past her.
"I'm not!" she called after him trying to catch up.
Ash didn't look back at her as he walked along the streets silently his hands in his pockets. She tagged along, but he didn't say anything, and she wondered if she had offended him in some way. He led her through some of the busier streets until they ended up walking down some narrower alleys where slowly by slowly the street population died down.
Cassie hesitated a little bit as the city part started fading away and there was nothing but a rocky path before them. He didn't stop however or look behind him. This seemed a bit crazy to her, but she trusted him and that allowed her to continue onwards.
"Ash," she said softly. He didn't respond. She looked up at him and his gaze was set on the scene in front of them. She looked out and noticed that there appeared to be some sort of cliff coming up. She felt her stomach drop a little and panicked slightly tugging on his arm.
He stopped and looked at her. "What's wrong?" he asked calmly.
She bit her lip for a moment but then said calmly, "I swear I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or your plans. I know you've been planning this out a certain way, but I guess I just want to be clear on why you asked me to stay with you this holiday."
Ash turned around so he was facing her, his facial features soft. "Why do you think I invited you to come with me?"
"Well," Cassie said feeling her heartbeat accelerate. "I was hoping it was to talk about us. Because..." She looked down and took a deep breath before looking up at his beautiful blue eyes. "I like you, Ash. A lot. And I was pretty sure you had similar feelings, which is why I thought you asked me to stay with you this week. But I don't want to spend the whole week with butterflies in my stomach wondering if I'm right or not."
She waited for what felt like a long minute in her head, though it only took a couple of seconds for Ash to smile brightly at her. "I know you've known how I felt about you at least for a couple of weeks now. Trust me and follow me."
She felt suddenly bubbly, excited, but also surprised as he held his hand out to her again. She took it lacing her fingers in his as they continued walking towards the impending cliff.
As they got closer and closer to the edge of the cliff, she could feel a breeze and she heard water and birds. Then as they reached the edge, Cassie found herself staring out at a valley full of smaller hills and cliffs. All of them had waterfalls pouring out from their ledges and there were plants growing up the sides of the canyon walls. At the bottom of the valley, which was at least a hundred feet below from where they stood, birds with two tails and glittering wings of all sorts of colours flew in and out of the water and the trees, chirping merrily as if they were kids playing at a large playground.
Cassie gaped as she stared out, her breath caught for a moment in disbelief of what she was seeing. After a couple of minutes, she finally smiled brightly and looked over to her escort who was turned watching her with a smile just as bright.
"Wow," she said softly. "This is incredible."
"One of the few legendary wonders we always hear about out here," Ash said softly. "I didn't believe that it existed until I came here. I knew you'd like it."
"Was this supposed to be a grand romantic gesture, and I ruined it, I take it?"
He smirked and squeezed her hand before pulling her into his arms. She immediately put her arms around his neck enjoying the comfort she now felt. "You didn't ruin anything, goof."
Cassie rested her head against his shoulder, and he leaned his head against hers. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like being with me. I know you didn't exactly choose this lifestyle."
"I might not have chosen this adventure, that's for sure," she said softly. She moved her head slightly and he lifted his to meet her gaze. "I do think I had a say in who I kept company with. You've always been good to me too."
Ash gently pushed his lips up against her forehead. She closed her eyes when he did so and then went back to resting her head on his shoulder. "I'll always be good to you. I care about you, Cas."
"I care about you too."
The two of them stayed for a little while more in the serene environment. Cassie found herself finding it hard to concentrate on the landscape for once and rather her attention seemed to be focused on the warmth and comfort of the embrace she now found herself. They were quiet for a bit, soaking in the moment.
Slowly his hands started to let go of her and she looked up at him as he did so. "What else do you have planned?"
"Hm..." He smirked again. "Well, you will just have to wait and see. However, if we are going to do any of them, I feel like we should probably do just a little bit of shopping."
"Oh really? What are we shopping for?" she said leaning in.
"Maybe just a few necessary items," he replied. "Try not to spoil everything."
The two laughed a bit and then headed back to town. Cassie enjoyed his jokes and his light-hearted side almost as much as the feeling of his fingers laced through hers. Maybe it was just the fact they had no other real responsibilities or maybe it was the atmosphere of the planet, but it could also be the fact that the two were now so excited to be moving on in their relationship that the time spent by his side was blissful and blurry.
Ash took her to his favourite spots around the planet, hiking through mountains, a picnic in the meadow, and a couple of his favourite shops. Each time it gave her more insight into his tastes and preferences and not to mention some time for more personal affection. Today they were going to go play around at the lake and Cassie was excited as always which is what woke her up early in the morning.
She opened her eyes to see the soft rays of sunlight entering the room. They danced along the floor and then the bed, crossing the sheets playfully. Ash was still asleep beside her on his back, his breathing steady and calm. She had started staying with him after one night when a storm knocked out power and heating in the hotel. After that night he suggested she stay with him for the rest of the trip, and she agreed readily since she was finding it easier to sleep with him next to her.
Cassie turned over gently so she could see him. His hair was messy like usual, but his features soft and his chest rising and falling slowly. She inched closer to him, doing her best to not wake him which she had gotten pretty good at. She laid her head down on his chest and then looked up at his face. His head was turned so that she could see the small birthmark on his chin and with a smile, she traced down his jawline as gently as she could.
His skin was soft except for where some stubble had grown overnight. She was impressed how much he could sleep at ease as she did things like this. She also felt it was a game to see how much she could get away with before he woke up.
Half an hour later she was busy playing with his hair when his arms shifted and wrapped themselves around her waist. She shifted slightly so that she was now lying on his shoulder, which worked to her advantage since she was suddenly met with his lips against hers.
When Ash pulled away, she was left with a smile on her face especially as he opened his eyes halfway, a sleepy look still in them. "Morning," he whispered.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she said with a giggle. Her fingers were still running through his hair as he started to slowly shift onto his side, so he was facing her. He had his eyes closed though as she did this and she realized she was probably soothing him back to sleep. She stopped and then gently kissed the bottom of his chin.
Ash moaned a little bit but opened his eyes again and smiled. "That felt nice, you didn't have to stop."
"If I hadn't, you would be asleep on me again."
"And the problem there is...?"
"Ash," Cassie said softly. He sighed, but then kissed her gently again. "Are we going to go to the lake right away then?"
"I wasn't planning on it. I figured maybe after lunch we'd go." He frowned a little as he brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Actually, this morning I need to go and take of getting supplies for the ship. I would say you are welcome to join me, but I am not going to kid you when I say it will probably be boring as hell."
She pouted slightly. "What do I do instead? I've gotten attached to you being next to me now."
"It's only going to be for a couple of hours. I will come to find you when I'm done, and we can go from there." He stroked her cheek and she smiled instinctively at his touch. "You know you could maybe go visit the library they have here. I know you said you would like to get some more books."
"True," she said quietly.
Ash let go of her and with another quick kiss on the cheek got up and stretched his arms overhead, causing his shirt to rise just ever so slightly and expose his back. Cassie just smiled to herself as he pushed himself up into a standing position and then headed towards the bathroom to shower and get ready. She just continued to lie in bed, moving into the position he just left so she could still enjoy his body heat. It was cosy enough she closed her eyes even though she was wide awake.
A little bit later she heard the water turn off and a couple of minutes after that she heard the door open. She heard him sigh and his footsteps get closer to her. But as he leaned over a couple of water drops hit her face and she opened her eyes immediately trying to shield herself.
"Your hair is still wet!"
"And you went back to sleep," he said. "I don't think it's all that fair if you go to the trouble to wake me up just to fall asleep yourself."
"Hey," she said pouting. "I was not sleeping! I just didn't want to get up yet. There's a difference."
"Yeah sure," he said. He reached out and began to tickle her sides causing her to twist about a little bit to get out of his grip. She cried out a little in between giggles, a grin on his face growing broader before he just pulled her gently into her arms. "Kiss me before I go."
Cassie lifted her head so she could meet his lips again which were soft and warm, though the drops of water falling from his hair were cold.
"Promise me you'll at least go out this morning?" he said pulling just inches away from her face.
"I promise, don't worry," she said.
He kissed her forehead before letting go of her and then getting off the bed. He picked up his trench coat from the chair and then his utility belt and put them on. Cassie watched him smiling to herself and as he put on his boots, she sat up and stretched a little bit.
"I'll see you later, Cas," he said with a smile before going to the door and heading out.
Cassie sat there in the room by herself pondering what to do. She stretched out her arms and legs thinking before deciding that the library didn't sound like a bad idea at all. With that in mind she decided to clean up and get ready for her own adventure outside.
The day was warm and sunny, and the market was busy as usual with people all over it. She went up to one of the stands and asked about the library and in no time, she had her directions.
On the way she picked up a bite to eat but before long she came upon a large blue building. It had golden pillars leading people towards the entrance with two large gold doors. A couple of people were entering and leaving it and with a smile upon her face, Cassie quickly headed towards it and entered.
The lobby was tall with glass windows shining in from a domed skylight and it cast rays upon the marble tiled floor. There was a desk for people to check out books as they left, but just past that there were shelves upon shelves of books and desks for people to read and research on. There were creatures of all sorts of different species spread out across the room and ducking down hallways that stretched deeper and deeper into the library.
For a moment Cassie just stood there looking dumbstruck at the scene before her until a couple of snake-like aliens hissed behind her to move. She got out of the way and watched them pass with their long yellow bodies slithering across the floor before straightening herself and beginning to wander off down the stacks.
Every possible genre that she had ever heard was here. Fiction, non-fiction, mystery, horror, and romance, plus genres she had never heard about. Her attention though quickly turned to a private room labelled history. Thanks to everything the crew and Ash had taught her, Cassie had a better understanding of the universe she now found herself, but her curiosity about the Sovereign society and how eventually they decided to use Earth as an experimental planet still lingered heavily on her mind. It took her a while to gather various books, but once she had a couple of stacks upon an empty desk, she took a moment to settle herself in for a long reading session.
Her interest in how the galaxy ran led her to many interesting discoveries. She learned just how the government ruled over all their properties and decided which properties they sought when looking for new ones. She also learned about their rise to power when demand for a coalition among planet leaders grew so high that a treaty of peace and protection was drawn up and then continued to grow. She also learned that the government of the Sovereignty was entirely human run. They had deemed themselves the superior beings of their universe and drove all others outside their boundaries.
There were stories upon stories of various battles and wars raged among their own planets and from outsiders. Each time the Sovereigns rose and conquered the enemy or the rebellion and each time they grew stronger and stronger until they became the force they were now.
After a couple of hours, Cassie was disappointed by the lack of information regarding Earth. There were references to it, or at least she guessed there were by the mentioning of a 'great experimental planet.' But none of these went into very much detail. She noted it in her head as a question to ask Ash later and instead began researching the various planets of the Sovereign holds.
One planet grabbed Cassie's interest the moment she came across it. It was a governor's planet called Darpa. The people living here were of course the better members of society, the older generations having served their time making significant contributions to the government. It was in this planet's particular article though that Cassie learned that kids of these people were forced to leave home at the age of thirteen to work their way in the world. However, unlike children of the colonies, they could achieve this far quicker by taking more prestigious roles like soldiers or inventors. Unless you happened to be the firstborn of the appointed governor.
Cassie was surprised to learn that in this role, a child could just rise to the status of governor through family bloodlines. This was because the families were the governor's descendants of the first Sovereign loyalists and contributors. The reason this book brought this up though was interesting and soon Cassie found herself engaged in its words:
The Holland family has ruled the planet for centuries upon centuries upon Darpa and was one of the most prestigious lines among the galaxies. As many know, those that belong to elite statures are granted the joy of preserving their bloodlines through genetic pooling; often selecting males as their firstborn. It is of surprise interest that the current heir, Russel, and his wife Farah had a daughter instead. Recent speculation says that it was some sort of malfunction in the gene pooling setup, and this has caused scientists to return and fine-tune all their instruments, so it doesn't occur again.
"Because for heaven's sake, people should freak out at the prospect of a girl running a planet," Cassie mumbled before continuing:
Presented now with a unique situation, the Hollands turned towards their esteemed leaders on Napolyon for guidance. After much speculation, it was proclaimed that the daughter could rule the estate and the planet in knowing she would have to pick the next highest class of male, like sons often had to pick the highest class of daughters, on the planet to rule beside them. It was also mentioned that should this occasion arise; it was entirely possible due to laws that the male could relieve his wife of duty and rule himself once established.
Cassie felt her blood begin to boil and she almost slammed the book shut in frustration. Even parts of Earth had advanced women's rights past this for the most part. It still wasn't perfect but to know she was now in a place where she was undervalued made her angry. She took a deep breath though and read further:
Of course, this vision will never come true due to the unfortunate circumstances of the death of the young heiress. While the Hollands grieve at the loss of their daughter, Ceyona, a new problem has arisen as to who shall now take over. Farah can no longer have children at her age and with no other children, the end of the rule for the line of Hollands will now be over. Instead, it was decided that when Russel does finally pass, Taylor Blanc, the intended male to have married into the line, would rule from henceforth.
Cassie frowned a little. There wasn't any information into what the unfortunate circumstances were that caused the death of the heiress. She realized it might be a private thing for her family only, but she was curious about it since she felt bad for the young girl. She closed the book softly and sat there for a moment in silence thinking about what an unlucky string of luck this family had been served. Then again, she wondered if the parents cared about their daughter at all considering they thought she was a mistake. This made her upset again and in hopes to get her mind off it she began to reach for the next book.
Upon opening the cover of it though she hesitated. This wasn't exactly like the other history books she grabbed, and she admitted she had searched for a record book like this in hopes of finding out one story.
The Most Dangerous Conspiracies Known to Date read the title. It was written completely by the Sovereign Government, and it appeared to be forgotten here in the library with its dust laded pages. Cassie felt a small voice in the back of her mind telling her not to look in it and just put it back, but she was too curious to leave it be.
She couldn't deny that she was in fact falling in love with Ash. She also couldn't deny the feelings of trust and security she felt with him. But she wanted to know what happened to him. Of course, everyone on the ship had confirmed the story Johnson told her, about his virtuous destruction of a very dangerous weapon, but no one else knew anything more and this was one subject he always diverted from when they talked. She respected that he had a right to his private matters, but all she wanted to know was how this event came to pass. She understood why he did it, but not why it had become his job to do it.
With a heavy sigh, she opened the book, blowing the dust off the pages and began to look at the records. It didn't take long for her to realize this book would not help her. There was no mention of it in the index and the skimming through chapters didn't reveal anything to her either, which she felt disappointed about.
Before closing it though she found another article that interested her. It was along the lines of scientists who had gone rogue, and one caught her attention.
The article talked about a scientist who though at one point had been top-notch in his field, decided to act out against government interest and tried to develop his technology on the edge outside the eyes of the Sovereigns. However, he was finally caught, and his operations stopped. The government then issued a statement saying that he was a rogue and that his trans-dimensional technology was a threat to all since it would be used to provide a gateway for their enemies to attack at the heart of the galaxy. His name was Robert Channing.
Cassie wondered if this technology and this work of his was related to how she got here. She wouldn't know for sure though unless she could ask him. Or perhaps find his notes or research. This pained her slightly thinking about home and how it had now been a few months since she had seen her family. They must be worried sick and thinking the worst. She felt guilty.
After noting the name of this scientist as well into her sketchbook, she began to put the books back. As she was placing the last book up on its shelf someone behind her said, "I truly think you might be the first person I have ever known who rather read history than a good story."
Cassie smirked and turned to see Ash leaning gently against the shelf behind her, his arms crossed, and a smile was on his face. "Well, you know what they say," she said grinning. "History is technically just facts twisted from someone's perspective, which means it could be nothing but a story."
"Hm, fair enough," he said. "Did you learn anything interesting, then?"
"Well," she said walking up to him. "I can say I am definitely not a fan of your galaxy now."
"Oh?"
"I assume it's mainly under the Sovereign vision, but you all don't seem to give women around here very many rights do you?"
Ash shook his head. "Not really. That's why for the most part you are one of the few girls out here on the outskirts. The rest don't step out of line for fear of reprimand." She pouted at him slightly, but he smirked, pulling her into his arms. "But out here all that goes out the window. Plus keeping you under any sort of that nonsense is just stupid."
"Oh yeah?" she said smiling back at him now as she put her arms around his neck.
"Yeah. You're too smart and the way you talk about things is too enjoyable to try to silence."
She kept smiling before pushing up on her toes a bit and kissing his lips gently. He kissed her back and for a few seconds neither one could pull away until someone near them coughed and the two quickly glanced behind them both blushing. They looked back at each other they held in a laugh. Then Ash held her hand and led her outside the library.