by Lee Watts
"Alex," she cooed in soft tones, "we need to talk."
Ugh, those words again, he thought.
"It's about us. I was thinking that maybe the reason you're hesitant to recommit to our engagement is that we haven't spent any quality time together."
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I know we haven't had much time. It seems there's always so much to do: the war, endless meetings, and-"
She leaned over and put a finger across his lips to hush him.
"No, I mean we haven't spent any quality time together."
Letting her finger slide from his mouth, she caressed his face with her hand before withdrawing it.
"Oh," Alexander said, getting the point.
"Is everything all right? Were you… hurt in the crash?"
"No, no nothing like that. It's just…"
"What then?" she asked. Crossing her legs, it purposely caused her already short skirt to rise a little higher. Sitting up straight so he could fully appreciate her figure, she asked, "Don't you find me attractive anymore?"
"It's not that. You're… gorgeous. It's just-"
"Just what, Alex? I want us to have time together."
"Vivica…" he began but stopped while wrestling within himself.
Take her, came the voice of Cyketh manifesting itself as feeling to Alexander. She's incredibly sexy and throwing herself at you. You could have her right here, right now!
Then came another voice, the spirit of the Comforter sent of the Elder, saying, You know it's not right, Alex. Deny the flesh. It is error to be with her before marriage. You know this. Be strong and show you love the Elder more than momentary pleasures.
The competing voices played out as mixed thoughts in Alexander's mind, and the conflict was only compounded by his feelings of devotion to Aulani. The Dridmor batted at his thoughts.
What devotion do you owe? You're not married to Aulani.
Then Cyketh flamed the lust for the seductive woman sitting before Alexander.
You are supposed to marry this woman anyway so, go on. What's the point of waiting? You're denying yourself someone it's okay to have. Lean in - touch her. You know that's all you have to do. The rest will flow by itself. Touch her.
But the Comforter retorted by bringing to Alexander's mind a passage of the Holy Codex.
It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
"I…" Alexander paused as he quickly changed his mind a dozen times, "I don't think we should," he uttered with effort in making his choice. By speaking the words, it seemed a weight lifted from him. He'd made his decision, and relief from the temptation came with it. "I'm the king, so I've got to lead by example and hold to a high moral standard. You understand, don't you?"
"Of course, and I love you for it," she bubbled. Kissing her first two fingers, she then pressed them against his lips. Gliding down from the desk, she sashayed toward the door, adding a little extra sway to her hips. At the door, she turned and added, "Of course, if you change your mind, I'll love you for that too," and then she left.
Cale was surprised to see Vivica returning from the king's office so soon. By the perturbed look on her face, he could tell the night had not turned out the way she'd planned.
"Lady Canton, a pleasure to see you. Anything I might be able to do for you this evening?" Cale queried.
Rolling her eyes in irritation, she let out a puff of annoyance.
"I don't think so," she quipped with a not-so-subtle hint of superiority and kept walking. Her haughty attitude gave him one more reason to make good on his arrangement with Saqir Nexos.
When the door slid closed, Alexander's heart was pounding rapidly, and he debated going after her. Conflicting impulses tore at him from sources he couldn't see or hear but affected him strongly all the same. Blowing out a long breath, he realized he needed more strength… quickly. In prayer, he asked the Elder for help. As if on cue, there was a beep at his office entry. His pulse quickened, half begging it wasn't Vivica returning and the other half desiring it to be her, he hit the switch at his desk that opened the door.
Instead of the shapely young blond there stood a muscular, fiftyish looking man with salt and pepper hair and neatly trimmed beard.
"Merrick, thank the Elder it's you."
"You were expecting someone else?" he asked as he entered the elongated room.
"Yes, I mean no. I mean, I hoped not."
"You sound a little confused. I was reading the Codex before retiring for the night and felt a pressing need to check on you. Is everything alright?"
Alexander blew out a long puff, not wanting to disclose his inner moral struggle.
"Yea… I'm fine. It's late; I was… trying to catch up on some work."
Seeing a blank space because of the datapads Vivica pushed to the side of the desk, it wasn't hard for Merrick to detect something was amiss.
"Come now, Alexander. I've known you too long for you to try and hide things from me. What's the problem?"
Alexander grimaced at the Guardian's ability to read him.
"Women," he grumbled.
"I was wondering how much longer you could avoid the issue."
"Not much longer," the vexed king admitted. "I don't know what to do. Ever since our return to the Realm, Vivica is acting like we're still engaged."
"Are you?"
"That's what Aulani asked, but… I don't know. I don't want to be. I love Aulani, but there's more to it than just what I want. I'm king now; I've got to think of what's best for the Realm - not just for me. Except for Marquis Mathews, most of the Remnant leaders were from Theeran colonies, and so those are the people I've put in key positions. My father was already accused of prejudice against the Enty worlds. There were rumors that some of their planets wanted to split away. I can't let the Realm fall apart, not now. A marriage to the most notable daughter of Enty would go far to smooth things with that half of the Realm. It would make the royal house as much Entian as Theeran. It's the kind of symbol the Realm needs."
"Sounds like a good political move," Merrick reasoned. "But good marriages aren't built on politics. What about love?"
"Oh, Vivica has declared her love in no uncertain terms," he affirmed with raised brows while thinking of her recent visit. "And she is the ideal of beauty. How could a man not be attracted to that?"
"I didn't ask if you were attracted to her, I asked if you loved her," Merrick prompted calmly, forcing the king to examine his own words.
Placing his elbows on his desk, Alexander rubbed his hands through his sandy-brown hair. He remembered how back on Acatus when Merrick noticed the budding relationship with Aulani that he had cautioned about the very thing now plaguing him.
"If I marry Aulani, it could be the wedge that drives the Realm in half, but if I try and live without her…" His words trailed off as he thought of the dark-eyed woman who had become so much a part of him.
"Come with me," Merrick directed, walking toward the door.
Snapped out of thought, the king rose to follow his mentor and protector.
"Where are we going?"
"I think you need some sense knocked into you," the Guardian hinted with a smile.
"You want me to do some battlestaff training don't you?"
"Exercising the body is a good way to clear the mind," Merrick answered.
"But I've got so much work to do here. Besides, I don't need sword training anymore. We're off of the island, there are no more predators."
"Alexander," Merrick stopped and looking over his shoulder at his student he continued with deadly earnestness, "there are always predators." Then he continued out of the room, Alexander following.
Pouring himself into battlestaff training with the immortal for a few hours, Alexander worked out his pent-up energy. Though his blade didn't flame like when the Guardian held it, it was still deadly in his now well-trained hands. His skill with the weapon continued to increase as he built on the three years of training while on Acatus. With Merrick's instruction, Alexander lost himself in the drills,
sweating out his turmoil.
***
"LaRouche, you're about as trustworthy as a Wylin shark. Why should I trust you?" asked Phyllis, the little old lady who, as it turned out, was better known as the heavy-handed crime boss known as The Hammer.
"Ah, why indeed?" Sosimo echoed. "You see, the difference between a Wylin shark and me is the shark will bite you every time. I only bite every other time, so with me, your chances are fifty percent better, and those are pretty good odds. Do we have a deal?"
"A deal? I'm not even sure we're having a conversation. I've had about enough of your doubletalk, so let me tell you how it's going to be. When you deal with me, you don't negotiate. I tell you the terms, and you take them. Got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am, but-"
"Don't talk back to your elders, Deary; it's bad manners. Here are the terms: you can go after Crimson to get your map back. I let him have my layer of the map in exchange for him giving me a percentage, so I don't want you killing him or blowing up that ship. It's quite the moneymaker for me, so I have an interest in that line of income continuing. I'll tell you where Crimson's working these days, but in exchange, I need something from you, collateral if you will."
"How about my good word?"
Phyllis laughed.
"I'm sorry, Dear. I just couldn't help myself, but I think you're going to have to come up with something else."
"How about a percentage of the findings," Shen Mei proposed.
Phyllis smiled.
"I knew I liked you girl - got a head on your shoulders. Yes. LaRouche if you're so sure you'll find The Vault where the ‘Treasures of Ages' are stowed as the legend says, then you should have no problem cutting me in for a percentage."
"Fine, how about two percent," Sosimo offered.
"For two percent I'll let you know which galaxy Crimson is in."
"What about five percent?"
"For five percent I'll tell you which quadrant it is."
"How about seven?"
"For seven, I think you get it down to the fourth sub-quadrant."
"Ten?"
"Now you're talking."
"So, we have a deal?" the pirate asked.
"Almost, see I'm giving you the information, but the payoff is dubious. So, I'll need something in case your little treasure hunt comes up dry."
"Like what?"
"Like you working for me for five standard years."
"Five years! You're joking."
"I never joke about business, LaRouche."
"Alright, but I've got to have time find The Vault before you call in the marker."
"Fair enough," Phyllis conceded. "I'll give you a year."
"A year! The Vault has been lost for a thousand years, and you're expecting me to find it in one!"
"Come, come, Deary. You said it yourself, Crimson now has all the map layers, and once you get that it should be a simple matter. How hard can it be?"
"If you'll remember the legend, it says you have to look at the map through the eye of the deceiver, there's some kind of a trick to it. That's the reason Crimson hasn't found it himself."
"Those are the terms, Deary - take it or leave it."
Sosimo mulled it over but realized he didn't really have much choice. He knew he would find the Treasure of Ages one day, but he didn't know if he would be able to do it in only one more year. He didn't relish the thought of the kinds of jobs The Hammer would have him doing if he couldn't find it. Sticking out his hand, he agreed.
"Deal," Sosimo said.
Phyllis reached out to take his hand, but when she did, Sosimo heard a sharp snap and felt something attach itself to his hand. Looking at the back of his gloved hand he saw a thin, metallic strip now firmly attached to him.
"What's that?"
"That's insurance, Deary. See, if you renege on our deal, then I push a button that releases a nasty little bug into your bloodstream. Ever hear of the Ligin blood flu?"
"No."
"Horrible stuff. Wipes out entire continents, and that's what's waiting for you if you decide to back out of the deal. Oh, and don't try removing the device, it's rigged to deploy at the slightest tampering. One year, Deary - clock's ticking. I'll have the coordinates of the Fame sent to your ship. I suggest you get going."
The visitors rose to leave.
"Oh, and Lanos," she called.
The portly information dealer froze, his heart racing as he waited for The Hammer to wreak punishment for disclosing her location to the pirate.
"You're in luck. See, I know LaRouche tricked you into bringing him here, so I'm going to let you go."
Lanos' shoulders dropped as he breathed a sigh of relief at the reprieve. Before he could reach the door, she added something.
"However, if you ever let it happen again, you'll be making a visit to the T'lec experiment labs, got it?"
"Yeth, Ma'am. Got it, Ma'am."
The old lady stood waving sweetly as if they'd stopped in for a friendly visit as they left in the hovercar.
"She drives a hard bargain," Sosimo groused.
"There'th no bargaining with The Hammer," Lanos stated. "There'th jutht the termth."
CHAPTER 14
"…Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." – Luke 22:42
"This is an IBS special report. Last month, the terrorist organization known as The Remnant invaded the Hegemony worlds of Theera and Enty. I have with me today Saqir Nexos, ousted administrator of the province. Administrator, can you shed some light on the situation?"
"I think the pictures speak for themselves," Saqir chided as the image of pillars of smoke rose over the capital city of Paran. "The main difference between the Hegemony and The Remnant is we were invited, they invaded. When the Hegemony was asked for its protection and to take on system administration, the transition of power was completely without violence, but just look at the death-toll already caused by their occupation."
"What about Province Regent Yorin?"
"The Hegemony made great efforts to evacuate as many innocent civilians as possible when the rebels began their indiscriminate attacks. Regent Yorin, in a selfless move, insisted his place be given so one more child could make it to safety. I fear he may not have survived the attack."
"Administrator, will the Hegemony launch a task force to arrest or drive out the Remnant?"
"For security reasons, I don't want to comment on any potential future operations, but I think there's been enough bloodshed. I call on the loyal Hegemony citizens on the occupied worlds to use all peaceful means available to show these terrorists they are not welcome - demonstrations, strikes, protests, whatever they can do without bloodshed. However, I must say I doubt The Remnant will permit such freedom of speech. They're known for their intolerance and for public executions of any with opposing views. I'm sure your viewers remember when a prominent member of this faction detonated a series of bombs killing not only Hegemony soldiers but also four hundred fifty unarmed priests of various faiths."
"What about the claims that Alexander Lyons, son of the late King Darius, is the one leading The Remnant?"
"As I've said before, these claims are ludicrous and unsupported. Alexander died with his father in the unprovoked attack by the Chinix. This was confirmed by evidence from the scene and the eyewitness report of a Realm Councilman. It was this Councilman, I might add, who was himself assassinated by the Remnant the day before the supposed return of Alexander. Our intelligence suggests that the rebels have either surgically altered someone to resemble Alexander, or have become so desperate and perverse as to clone him."
"Thank you, Administrator Nexos," replied the reporter. Turning to the camera, the reporter addressed the viewers. "As Theera and Enty begin their second month of Remnant occupation, the galaxy waits to see where these terrorists will strike next. Their reclusive leader, whoever he really is, has refused all requests for an interview. Until-"
"Switch it off," Alexander snorted in disgust. Aulani ros
e from her place at the table to turn off the screen. There were no foreigners in the room, so her presence as the official translator wasn't really needed, but Alexander requested she attend each of the meetings with him. He watched her as she moved to the monitor. Dressed in her typical loose-fitting combat fatigues, she kept her form discreetly hidden, quite the opposite of the pronounced Lady Canton.
Alexander often caught himself absentmindedly stealing glances at Aulani but wasn't alone in this. Even now he thought he saw the Marquis of Estrada doing the same thing, but wasn't certain. Nathan Mathews was only a few years older than Alexander. The Councilor was single, athletic, wealthy, and known for his courtly charm. Because of this, even though he was a loyal and trusted member of the new Council, Alexander was wary of his interest in Aulani.
"It's just like IBS to spin everything," Alexander heard someone say as he realized had let his thoughts wander yet again in thinking about Aulani. Forcing himself back into the moment, Alexander focused on the discussion.
"Yes, it's the media," the Marquis of Estrada chimed in. "If we say space is black, they'll say it was white, and then blame us for all the darkness."
"Still," the king mused, "we need to do some serious PR work. Plus, we have to get trade routes running again to keep the shipyards going and economy afloat. If the Hegemony turns the intergalactic community against us, we could quickly find ourselves facing multiple enemies."
"I doubt the AOW wouldst condone any actions leading to a shooting war with us," Caedmon remarked.
"Probably not," Alexander admitted, "but they could impose sanctions, or even set up a blockade under the guise of ‘containing the violence.' It could prevent us from trading with non-Assembly worlds."
With the main hall still under reconstruction, the discussion was held in the adjacent royal conference chambers. As the meeting ended for the mid-day break and the Councilors were exiting, a soldier quietly entered and whispered something to Merrick. Alexander noticed the odd look on the Guardian's face.
