Since he had been the one to greet them upon their arrival to the planet, Valon made the introductions of his family. They were warmly greeted by Phylior Antos and by Phylarina Zola, who shared that they were incredibly grateful Dev had been able to alert Security of the problem in time to deal with it. Valon’s siblings were also very cordial. Their meeting started almost immediately.
Kendra began by syncing a holo-vid message from her wrist unit to the holo platform. The vid had been put together by key members of the Alliance. It contained a lot of standard diplomatic language such as, ‘grateful for the opportunity to work together’ and “view this as a beginning’, etc. Once the diplomatic exchanges were complete, Valon signaled for Dayor to start their presentation.
“First, I’d like to provide you with a quick summary of the overall palace security routines. The palace security sweeps are done by pre-programmed sensors located throughout every area of the palace. The exact timing of the electronic sweeps shifts on a daily basis and only Valon, a small handful of Security Team members and I have access to the codes and details of the schedules.”
“Today’s sweeps had been scheduled for every three hours. That means the device had to have been planted and activated immediately after a scan had been completed in order for it to explode during the timeframe when Special Agents Voray and Hawthorne would have been in their quarters. This information immediately led us to the unfortunate conclusion that one of our own trusted security force members has been heavily involved in the action. It is the only explanation.”
He paused for a moment and then looked directly at Kendra and then Dev. “The good news is that the device was discovered. The bad news is that it, unfortunately, exploded right after it was placed in a containment unit. There’s nothing left of it except fragments. We don’t believe any information can be retrieved from it, not even through a psychometry read. Since we don’t have a lot of expertise in that area, we’d like to test that theory with the Special Agents’ cooperation and permission.”
Phylior Antos turned to Kendra and Dev. “What are your opinions? Is that something you could try?”
Kendra nodded her head. “Absolutely, Your Greatness. It’s definitely worth a try. Unfortunately, though, I think that Security Leader Keitos is probably correct. It’s doubtful we’ll be able to get enough of a psi-connection with only fragments remaining, but we’ll give it our best attempt.”
“Thank you. We’ll arrange it for later today.”
Valon nodded to Dayor and then took over the presentation. Through his body language, Kendra could see the obvious tension in his stance as he told them they had identified a possible guilty party.
He activated a holo of a serious looking man in a uniform. “Arton Venteg, a Senior Security Forceman, who had been on duty earlier today is now missing.” He spoke in the clipped tones of someone responsible for relaying bad news.
Through his presentation, they saw holos of the palace’s exterior scan vids, with views of Venteg’s transport unit leaving the palace grounds before his duty shift was scheduled to end. They also saw holo vids of the surrounding area that showed his vehicle as it sped over the open roads and through the green valley just east of the palace. Venteg was clearly headed in the direction of the nearest city.
Valon continued by explaining that Venteg’s transport unit had now also disappeared. In addition, his wrist unit communicator was no longer either functioning or traceable and the sub-dermal location sensor, implanted into his neck when he was assigned to the palace, had apparently been deactivated. He concluded his report by letting everyone know security forces were currently in route to his residence and that his family and friends were going to be questioned.
They didn’t yet know who he was working for or what his motives were. They didn’t feel others in the Security Force were involved, but until they found Venteg and had all of the answers, they couldn’t be sure. They had, of course, significantly increased the palace’s security protocols, but under the current circumstances, Valon had decided to postpone the meeting with the representatives from the other royal houses regarding the relic.
After a brief discussion, the meeting was adjourned and Kendra and Dev were escorted to their assigned quarters.
Chapter Four
KENDRA AND DEV’S DESIGNATED GUEST APARTMENT consisted of two sleeping rooms, privacy-sanitation facilities and a common area that included a sitting room and a small refreshment programmer. They only had two Earth hours before they would be expected in the royal dining quadrant for dinner and there was a lot for them to get done in that short amount of time.
Per standard ops, their first priority was to secure their quarters. Under the circumstances, there was no way they could rely on any safety precautions that weren’t their own so they split up the task of checking their quarters for anything suspicious, such as monitoring equipment or potentially threatening devices. Dev did a physical inspection, while Kendra operated a search-scanner.
Next on their agenda was to set up their jamming equipment. They needed to update Alliance Control of their current situation without being overheard by anyone, friend or foe. Once that was complete, they activated their communication links to their ship, which bounced the signals to the jump station and onward to Earth.
They provided their immediate supervisor with a brief summary of the events that had taken place since their arrival on Caliva.
“Your report is a far cry from what we were expecting, Special Agents.
“We’re aware of that, Sir.”
I’m placing this communication in hold mode so I can contact the Director.”
After a short wait, the holo pattern shifted from blue to green, telling them they were being tied into a conference link. Within seconds, they were back with their Supervisor, but were also looking at the faces of the Alliance Control Director and his assistant.
“Special Agents. Supervisor Randall has alerted me of your current status, but I’d like a more detailed verbal report. I’ve asked Assistant Director Porter to sit in. He handled the original holo communications with the Mali royal families regarding the artifact, so he’s familiar with them.”
Once again, they ran through everything that had happened since they’d docked at the Caliva jump station and had been transported to the planet.
“Sir, we’re not sure at this time what the Couros have in mind for us, but because of what happened, they’re being extremely supportive. Considering our original mission orders to do everything we can to psi-read the artifact and ultimately strengthen our ties with this planet, Special Agent Hawthorne and I both feel strongly that we should remain here and offer our assistance.”
The Director sat back in his chair and drummed his fingers on his desk, a signal known to everyone that he was deep in thought.
“Assistant Director Porter, what are your thoughts on this?”
“I agree with their assessment. It would also give them firsthand knowledge of what is discovered.”
He sat forward a moment later and it was obvious by the expression on his face that he had made a decision.
“Special Agent Hawthorne, do you have anything to add?”
“Only that I believe the Couros are viewing this security snafu and the threat to our lives as a huge embarrassment, Sir. To make things right, I feel they’d be willing to go along with almost anything we might propose.”
“Supervisor Rogers. Anything you can think of that needs to be addressed?
“No sir. I have complete faith in the judgement of Special Agents Voray and Hawthorne and feel we’ve covered everything that needs to be addressed at this time.”
“Fine. This assignment is being raised to a Level Five. The use of force on your parts, including any weapons you feel are necessary is allowed. You both have full rein on this one, effective immediately. Keep in mind, though, that, continuing to build a relationship with the royal families and the Couros, in particular, is of extreme importance. Make sure you play nice. I wan
t regular updates, a minimum of once a day.”
“Yes Sir. Understood.” On the holo platform, Kendra and Dev watched the Director lean toward his console to engage the disconnect button. Once the transmission ended, they turned to each other.
“Level Five, with no force limitation is more than I expected.”
Dev nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Same here. I’ll put through a request to Security Leader Dayor for permission to bring over some additional items from the ship. Once we get our communication equipment secured, we can get cleaned up for tonight’s dinner party. Oh, and try not to make goo-goo eyes at Valon until at least the second course.”
“What in the freakin’ stars are you talking about? I had a conversation with him about the palace. I was just trying to mend fences and maybe give us some common ground.”
“Uh huh. Just keep telling yourself that.”
***
The dinner party was a semi-formal event. Prior to their jump to this universe, Kendra and Dev had reviewed the basic customs of Caliva, so they’d know what to expect and what to do and what not to do. They’d been relieved to find that almost everything there was done with a basic common sense approach. Even so, they were grateful for the assistance of Valon’s sister, Marrette, as she helped guide them through the affair. Although he was subtle about it, she noticed that Dev seemed to be very taken with the princess.
Kendra found the food to be a delicious combination of meats, fruits, vegetables and grains. Many of the dishes were remarkably similar to those of Earth. There was even a pastry-like dessert that was made with a filling that, thank the stars, reminded her of her beloved chocolate.
The party was attended by people outside of the family, so any conversations about their assignment on Mali were strictly limited to the crystele star. As they mingled with the guests for after-dinner socializing, Kendra repeatedly found herself looking for the impeccably tailored black tunic that Valon was wearing. Whenever she connected with him, she’d find that he was looking back at her with those intense green eyes. It made her feel slightly self-conscious and she kept fighting the urge to check her formal uniform to make sure it was aligned properly. For probably the first time since she became part of the Alliance, she wished she was wearing something a little more fashionable. Embarrassingly, it also made Dev’s goo-goo eye comment seem pretty perceptive on his part.
They were scheduled to meet with Valon the next day and would offer their on-going assistance for the project. In the meantime, the only thing they could do was enjoy the evening, keep their eyes sharp and display the diplomatic skills for which they’d been trained.
***
Dev and Kendra met with Valon, Dayor and a select group of Security Force personnel. Their meeting was brief because they, unfortunately, had very little significant information to report.
Kendra and Dev let the group know they’d been in communication with their Director. They assured everyone that the Alliance was still fully committed to pursuing a resolution to the mystery of the crystele star relic. They also let the group know they’d been authorized to assist in any way with the investigation into the threat on their lives.
Valon was resistant to their continued involvement, at first. To him, their safety was of the utmost concern. Eventually, he accepted the Alliance’s offer.
Kendra and Dev returned to their quarters and, once again, checked and secured their rooms. They then holo conferenced the Director and their Supervisor. Dev was the first to report.
“Sirs, the Couros’ security forces have been working very hard, but haven’t really made much headway in their investigation. They’ve been to Arton Venteg’s residence and have interviewed a number of his friends and other family members. They’ve also done a complete search of his home, including doing security sweeps of the surrounding area. They’ve found very little. The interviews with his friends and family, however, provided them with some interesting information. They said that Venteg had been acting peculiar for about a week. To some, he’d seemed distracted, as if his mind was elsewhere. To others, he’d been outright nasty; snapping at them for no apparent reason.”
As planned, Kendra then took over the verbal report. “A few thought that perhaps he was having marital problems because they hadn’t seen him out with his wife recently. She hadn’t been at the house when it had been searched and there was no evidence that anyone had been there for a few days. When asked about the possibility that they had separated, everyone who knew them well felt that was a ridiculous consideration and insisted that the couple was devoted to one another.
The security team is now seriously looking at the possibility that his wife is involved in some way. She may have even been kidnapped in order to force Venteg into planting the bomb.
That was all they had. We’ll be receiving another update on their progress tomorrow.”
“Continue to keep us posted. What about the artifact? Anything further on that?”
“Yes Sir. Dev and I offered to examine the artifact. Our thought was that we could do an immediate read on it to see what information we can find regarding how it had become part of the Mayan cache. We were very surprised to find the Couros family doesn’t have possession of it. It was to have been brought here for the meeting with the representatives from the other royal houses.
“So, where is it now?”
“Apparently, an agreement had been reached with the two other royal families of Mali that it would be rotated from one to the other every year. The artifact is currently with the Paralu family, whose region is in the northern half of the opposite side of the planet from Caliva. The following year, it’s scheduled to move to the Zenays, whose holdings are in the southern half of that side of the planet. The third year, it will be back in Caliva with the Couros.
The Paralus were to have brought the artifact to the scheduled meeting to be examined. Since the meeting’s been postponed indefinitely, the Paralu have agreed to take it to a secure site away from any of the palaces. It will be guarded by representatives from all three royal houses. The Couros are making arrangements for us to travel to the site.”
“Be sure to let Supervisor Randall know when those arrangements have been made. Is there anything further to discuss?”
Kendra and Dev both shook their heads. “No sir. Nothing at this time.”
***
Kendra and Dev were invited, once again, to dine with the Couros. This time it was to be an informal family dinner. Even though the party the night before had been enjoyable, Kendra’s expectations were that this would be a fairly stuffy event.
When she and Dev arrived, Phylior Antos and Phylarina Zola were once again companionably seated at one end of a long sofa. This one was draped with a soft looking throw woven in a complex pattern of vibrant reds, oranges and umbers that mimicked the plumage of the happily chirping birds Kendra had noted the day they had arrived at the palace. At the other end sat their widowed daughter, Marrette. All three appeared to be listening intently to a little girl of perhaps four or five years old. Kendra recognized her as Astria, Marrette’s daughter.
The child was carefully holding a small furry animal with very large eyes and a tiny black nose. Kendra didn’t recognize the species from the holos she’d reviewed. She saw the little girl stop talking long enough to give her pet a kiss on the top of its head. In return, the animal stretched its neck to reach her cheek for a quick lick of its tongue, making Astria giggle.
Valon and his brother, Arturon, were seated nearby in comfortable looking tan colored armchairs. They were each sipping a vividly orange liquid from large mugs. At Valon’s feet was a large attar, a canine type of animal similar to a greyhound.
It could have been a scene depicted in an illustration done by the famous twentieth century Earth artist, Norman Rockwell. Kendra, who’d grown up with almost no family wasn’t sure if made her envious or nervous. She wondered if Dev was feeling the same way, but when she leaned toward him to quietly ask, she caught him staring at Marrette. Agai
n.
Their escort, one of Dayor’s security staff, announced their arrival. Both Valon and Arturon rose to greet them. The attar got to its feet at the same time, but with a hand signal from Valon, it laid back down.
Smiling warmly, Valon walked over and shocked them both by reaching his hand out, first to Kendra and then to Dev, in a standard Earth handshake.
“Welcome to you both. Did I do it correctly? The handshake. I researched it, so I could greet you in the style of your homeland.”
Kendra and Dev both laughed and Kendra said, “It was perfect. What a great surprise.”
Phylarina Zola witnessed the exchange from across the room and said, “I welcome our guests, as well. But, what was that you were doing with your hands?”
Within just a couple of minutes, all of the family members, including Astria, were on their feet laughing and shaking hands with each other.
Although more formal than any other family dinner Kendra had ever seen, she was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed both it and the comradery that was evident within the family.
After dinner, Kendra and Dev decided to repay the Couros for their kindness by giving them a small demonstration of their combined psi-abilities. Kendra asked the Phylarina to choose an object from the room that she’d like Kendra to touch-read. Phylarina Zola chose an old clown-like carved wooden figurine that she’d had since she was a child.
Kendra sat in a comfortable chair, holding the figurine. Dev moved to stand directly behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. The Couros family members all quickly crammed together on the long sofa directly across from them.
Kendra started by giving them a brief overview of how she works. “I don’t believe this statuette is all that old, so it should be fairly easy to read. I can’t really describe how I’m able to connect with and control my psi-energy. It’s just something I’ve been able to do for as long as I can remember. The ability is somewhat hereditary for the females in my family line. It doesn’t hit every generation, but according to records that have been found, it goes back at least as far as the late twentieth century. Images flash through my mind that I’ll describe to you as they appear. Sometimes I only get a few images and other times I get a lot of images. I’m not sure why.”
Baby, it's Cold in Space: Eight Science Fiction Romances Page 10
