“We were securing the last bit of supplies that we could. We had hardened ten landing craft hangars burying the hangars ten feet underground. They were loaded with supplies. He and a few of his engineers had dug pits under them and had made them as survivable as possible. We loaded them with everything we could. Hoping the spares and supplies left in them might survive. The supplies had included trucks, heavy earth moving equipment, medical supplies communications gear, food, militia survival shelters. But no weapons; we didn’t want people to have the means to kill each other over the supplies. In deeper hard shelters were landing craft. His team was sealing everything in.
“Earlier they had taken what else they could out to the space habitats. There were not many people left in orbit or on the habitats. The ones around Trena were thought to be in extreme danger. They would be in the path of the asteroids for forty-eight hours. We believed that the ones in orbit about Trena would all be destroyed. Most of the supplies went to McKay or other settlements and habitats that were in no danger of being hit by the asteroids.
“What was left, the evacuation command had hoped that any of the survivors who we couldn’t convince to evacuate might wander onto the remains of the base and several other dumps in the years after the rest of us evacuated and find the equipment usable.
“They had done this all over Trena. To this day we don’t know if they survived or not! We believe not; as no one has escaped from Trena using the catches.
“We finished closing General Langtree’s command and left for the palace. “The Marshal and the Queen had one last duty to perform…”
###
Lisa had seen the last of her family’s belongings packed and transported to the school ship. There was only one other thing she had to pack. If pack, was the right word? She was in Queen’s Garden. The ancient American Beauty Rose bush that had been under cultivation since the first queen planted it over four hundred years before was the final item to be packed. She was having Georgia and Maggie carefully dig the rose up and place it in a bucket of soil so they could transport it to Home, where Lisa was hoping to baby it and keep it under cultivation. She wanted to bridge the soon to be destroyed Serenity and the soon to be created royal compound on Home. She took pictures of her two friends as they carefully dug the rose bush up and transplanted the centuries’ old rose in the large bucket. With it safely in the bucket the women walked out of the garden Abby holding her mother’s hand. They put the bucket on one of the electric carts where Maggie drove it to General Langtree’s landing craft that had been moved from Fletcher to Serenity.
As they walked to the main building where they would witness the Queen’s abdication, Lisa looked to her daughter realizing she would be the one to fulfill her husband’s charter. Abby had no idea she would make history when she boarded the landing craft to leave Trena. She would literally be the last mother’s child to leave Trena. When they got to the queen’s residence they found that everyone but the Queen had joined the group standing before the landing craft.
Shortly after they arrived, the limo carrying the Queen pulled up in front of the landing craft. As the limo slowed to a stopped Mylea called, “Honors front!”
The assembled officers and enlisted men snapped a salute to the royal party as they stepped out of the vehicle. When they were at the foot of the landing craft’s ramp Lisa, and Abby walked up the ramp to the cargo bay of the landing craft, symbolizing that every last mother’s child had been evacuated from Trena. When her friends were safely aboard the landing craft Mylea turned and marched to where Marshal Wilson stood with Queen Agatha. She came to attention and requested, “Marshal Wilson, I request permission to report.”
“The Executive Officer’s request is granted.” Wilson said more formally than he would have otherwise. The eyes of the universe were on them.
“Sir the citizens of the Kingdom of Trena have been evacuated or accounted for.” Mylea said knowing that press of the galaxy was watching them. They were recording the formal abdication of Agatha, and their departure.
“Thank you XO.” Wilson said “You may case the colors!”
“Aye sir,” Mylea said, she turned to the command staff, “Attention to the colors”
All eyes turned to the flag post that held the flag of Trena. A starburst on a field of navy, the motto of the free world emblazoned on it “He who dares to succeed will never fail!”
“Lieutenant Jones!” Mylea called, “Case the Colors!”
With that Alice, Sergeant Anderson, Sergeant Hoi, Lamile, Mac, and Georgia all now dressed in their dress uniforms marched to the flag post in front of the Queen’s residence. At the flag post, Alice lowered the flag to the national anthem of Trena. When the flag was lowered, the honor guard folded the flag. Alice then presented it to Mylea who saluted and received the flag and in turn handed the flag to Wilson. He received the flag and commanded, “The command staff is dismissed.”
“Company,” Mylea turned on her heel and called “Dismissed!”
With that the assembled officers and staff of the evacuation command team boarded the landing craft. As they passed the Marshal and the royal party they shock each of their hands. When the last one boarded, Mike turned towards Agatha and said, “Your majesty with the presentation of your colors, I declare to you and the people of Trena that every last mother’s child has been accounted for and those who wanted to; have been evacuated from Trena.”
“You may stand down Marshal.” Agatha said she reached forward hugging him and whispered in his ear hoping that no one would hear her, but of course they did, “Thank you for the wonderful job you have done Michael.”
“Agatha,” Mike said hugging the young woman just as fiercely, “It has been an honor to serve you and our people.”
“It has indeed,” the young queen replied she released Michael and then walking with Jill to the assembled news people. She noticed that the Trena Primary was almost touching the horizon. She thought how fitting that the sun was setting on not only her world but on her monarchy.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the galaxy, Friends, and Enemies in about sixteen hours the beautiful planet of Trena will be destroyed. When I leave here in a few minutes my reign as ruler and monarch of this world, the world of my birth, the world that has kept me warm and safe for many years will be over. I am abdicating. There will be no Trena to rule. I have discharged my sacred and solemn duty to protect and serve the people of Trena.
As such I can stand down and join them on Home.
“I hereby abdicate my position and responsibilities.” The young queen stood quietly trying not to cry openly, but having a difficult time of it. Lisa who was watching from the top of the landing craft’s boarding ramp wanted to go to the young woman who had over the months she had become quite close to. But it would only make things worse for the young woman.
Lady Gray and the Galactic Council Representative now approached the Queen. The Council of Worlds had elected them to take the Queen’s abdication and retire her charter. The Queen signed a simple piece of paper giving up all claim and title to Trena. In effect letting it become salvage for the taking. It was countersigned by the representative to the Galactic Council. It was also witnessed by the young boy who had succeeded his father as Duke Horton. He would be the ruler of the Trena Off World Habitats, his father having been killed in the Republican attack.
“Agatha McAlister,” Lady Gray, the Ambassador from Earth, “With the imminent destruction of Trena it is with great sorrow that the Galactic Council accepts your abdication.”
“Cousin Aggie,” the young noble man spoke to the young queen, “I am sorry that you have given up your crown and that our kingdom is soon to be no more. I will try to rule the habitats as wisely as you have demonstrated. May the future bring peace to you and to the remains of the Trena System!”
“Thank you,” Aggie said, she turned from the ambassadors and began to walk to the landing craft. Numbly Queen Agatha walked to the landing craft. S
he walked up the ramp never looking back. As the ramp closed she nearly slumped. Lisa and Jill quickly helped the now abdicated queen to a seat. As Lisa sat down she grimaced a bit and said, “My water just broke.”
“What?” Michael asked, Lisa nodded and Michael looked to Langtree and said,
“David get this bus out of here now!”
“On the way sir,” David said and went to talk with the pilot.
Sixteen hours later as the first rocks began falling on Trena; Lisa gave birth to her children. Mike Jr., and Joyce, the twins born to Lady Wilson would be officially the last children born on Trena. They would be the very last mother’s children to leave the planet of Trena.
###
“We left Trena then,” Jill had written, “we were the last ones off world. Well almost. The news media, the galactic council rep, Princess Carroll, and a couple of others would be last. Sergeant Hoi would actually be the last Trena citizen to leave Trena. He escorted the rock to Home. He and a group of cadets with Lieutenant Jones stood watch in the main docking port of our ship. It was probably the most sacred icon of the Kingdom of Trena.
“Some of us watched the asteroids fall on Trena through the remote sensors that Dad had set up. I couldn’t; and neither could Aggie, it was just too painful,” The young monarch had written. “But I was too busy to watch the bombardment anyways. Dad and Mom let stay me with Mom while my brother and sister were born. It was the first time I have ever seen birth. It makes me understand how precious every mother’s child is. As the midwife gave me my little brother to hold while she gave little Joyce to Dad and Lisa to inspect, I too marveled both at my little brother and how far I had come in the last months.
“As Dad sat on the bed with Mom marveling at Joyce’s small hands,” Jill’s writing went on, “and I held little Mike in my arms; I wondered if I was up to the task of being these guys’ queen. Not just their queen but first their sister, then their friend. I wondered if I could keep them as safe as Aggie had tried to keep our people safe on Trena. Making if not the ultimate sacrifice, then a sacrifice a lesser woman wouldn’t. I pray that I am up to her standard.”
The future queen of Home closed the diary as she finished her reading.
The bell rang and the general spoke as the cadets left, “remember your papers are due next week.”
Epilogue
It was the very last class of the general’s course. The general started the lecture as the class room darkened and the whole front of the class was taken up by the image of the landing field outside of Ellis, and a small landing craft landing. The cadets had seen this several times on the anniversary of Landing Day. That day over two centuries ago when the last evacuee from Trena had first set foot on Home and Jill Wilson was formally enthroned as the Queen of Home.
###
The crowd had been growing for hours. The small space port outside of Ellis was crawling with people. Not just the new colonists of Home, but the interstellar news media. They were there to witness a rare event; the coronation of the very first monarch of a world. It wasn’t just the news media; but dignitaries from around this portion of the galaxy. Diplomats, presidents, kings and queens from worlds near and far were present. The list included Maxwell, the Earth Emperor, and Qau’lin, the Ruler of the Thonian Realm. The two of them wanted to show their continued support for the people who had evacuated from Trena to Home. They sat with many other dignitaries awaiting the arrival of the abdicated queen of Trena and the soon to be inaugurated queen of Home.
Finally the landing craft came in low over the space port made one pass and landed. As soon as the engines were shut down and the line chief made sure the safeties were in place, the ramp of the LC 4 opened. As its ramp grounded a band made up of the former members of Trena’s symphonies began playing ruffles and flourishes. While they played, a solitary young woman descended the boarding ramp. Queen Agatha. When the crowd saw her they burst out in applause. The sound was almost a physical wave, assaulting her. As she approached the podium that had been set up, the crowd got almost deathly quiet.
“Good day,” she began speaking, “Many months ago I swore to you that I would get every last mother’s child to safety. With the arrival of Abigail Wilson, the last mother‘s child to leave Trena and now the last child to be safely landed on Home I have completed the task that I set upon all those months ago.” As she said Abigail Wilson, the daughter of her marshal, the last child to be officially evacuated from Trena came down the boarding ramp. She carried a now beaten up and disheveled stuffed teddy bear. She approached the former queen.
“Thank you Aunt Aggie,” She said to the young woman who she had first met months ago in her mother’s kitchen.
“You are very welcomed,” The young woman took the child’s hand in her own and walked with her to the foot of the ramp to await the arrival of Jill.
With the former queen and the princess of Home now in position the Galactic Representative, in the person of Amanda Gray, the former ambassador to Trena from Earth, now the Galactic Council Representative to Home began speaking.
“This world is called Home,” Ambassador Gray spoke, “The very word home is charged with emotion. Such emotions of refuge, of shelter, of security and of peace come to mind when the word home is spoken. And while a home came be source of great turmoil, it can be place of tranquility, of joy! The people of Home have come together in an effort to end their turmoil and form a government. The people of Home through their newly installed government confirmed the owner of this world as their first monarch.
“It is with great pleasure then, that I introduce to the people of Home their initial monarch.” Lady Gray spoke clearly.
With that, Jill dressed in a white business suite came down the ramp of the landing craft to step on a world, that she had up to a few months before had no idea that she owned. She came down on her own, with no escort. At the foot of the ramp Aggie and her sister fell in beside her and escorted her to where the ambassador stood at the podium. As she was escorted to the ambassador her father dressed in his splendid Trena Mounted Patrol uniform escorted two home patrolmen and two home guardsmen who were carrying the rock. The symbol of the fealty the monarchs of Trena had sworn to the people of Trena upon; that Jill would swear her own fealty to the people of Home upon. They placed it before the podium.
“I present to you Jillian Wilson,” Amanda Gray continued when the party had reached the podium. Amanda waited a moment for the applause to settle. “With me are Agatha McAllister and Marshal Wilson who will be the Queen’s regents.”
Another round of applause erupted from the assembly. Jill looked out and saw a sea of faces including the entire corps of cadets, who were the most vocal. The sound was almost overwhelming.
When the applause subsided, Amanda continued, “Lady McAllister will witness the oath of office Jillian Wilson will take.” Agatha nodded, “Miss Wilson, are you ready to take the oath?”
“I am,” Jill said. Although she said she was ready she wasn’t sure she was. The oath, which was mostly symbolic, was a method to unite the people of Home.
“Jill Wilson do you agree to become the first monarch of the Kingdom Home,” Lady Gray asked.
“I do,” Jill replied.
“Then repeat after me.” Lady Gray said as the girl put her hand on the Rock, “I, Jillian Wilson do hereby swear this oath of fealty to the people of Home. Making this solemn oath with no reservations, and of my own free will!”
“I swear to protect the people of Home against all enemies foreign and domestic. To abide by the charter as presented to the Galactic Council that further protects all persons on or about the environs of Home.”
“Then finally I swear to faithfully serve the people of Home, to provide for their defense, and their welfare, assisting the people of Home in the pursuit of a future that will bring prosperity for all of my people!” The oath concluded.
Then surprising Jill and all who were there, two cadets brought forward
a crown. Mitch escorted Lamile, who Jill realized was carrying Aggie’s crown. It was the crown that the young queen had last worn on her own coronation some ten years before. She looked to Aggie who nodded. Not knowing what to do, Jill knelt before her friend as the two cadets brought the crown forward and presented it to Aggie. Aggie took the crown off the scarlet satin pillow and placed it on Jill’s head.
“Arise,” Aggie said, then turning to the assembled citizens of Trena she continued, “It is with great pleasure that I present to the people of Home and the Universe at large, Queen Jillian I, the inaugural monarch of Home. Long may she reign in peace and tranquility!”
With that the assembled citizens of Home thundered “Long live Queen Jill!”
When it subsided, Lady Gray said, “Her majesty has a few words she wishes to say.”
As the crowd settled a bit, Jill steeled herself for the words she would speak. Finally, as a near hush came over the crowd she began to speak, “Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. I will honor you by being the best that I can be.
“I have given great thought to what I would say today,” Jill continued, “But in the end it came down to a simple thing. I have seen how our people are living on Home, how some are living in the containers that brought their goods from Trena. How some are now living in the homes built for them from the precious resources of Trena, and some not even that. My father swore an oath that he would get every last mother’s child to safety, he has done that. I will not dishonor his or Queen Agatha’s effort to get us to safety. Because of this, until every last mother’s child has a safe and secure place to sleep; my family and I will not live in the residence that my grandmother is building for us. I cannot live in a dry, secure place while so many of our people have no proper home to sleep in.
“I will be working tirelessly to help get every last mother’s child under roof!” Jill spoke with passion. “I will be meeting with my regents, and those of you who can help to get this done in the next few days. We will get you under roof.”