After a long period in the shower and a slow preparation for the day to come, Krag and Keiko strolled into the galley, Krag dressed in his formal blues and Keiko in her matching dark blue power suit, this time with an added Griffin patch on her left lapel.
Vidhee and Buster stood in their usual spot. Krag and Keiko eyed the two other crewmates and saw their hang-dog demeanors.
Krag clapped his hands. “Things aren’t so bad, people. Like you said, Mack, Griffin is back, better than ever. Worse case, we get kicked out and head to Ballison.”
“No, Cap. Worse case is that Captain Kakkarna seizes Griffin, throws us in the brig and calls for the constables.”
“That won’t happen, Sir Mack. Not as long as I am on board Griffin.”
“As you say, Vidhee. What happens when you leave?”
“I’ve communicated with the others on the Monarchal Legal Court. They indicated that this has become a legal crisis, with Princess Analyn defying the Senate. There will be fairly intense discussions between the Senate and the Crown before any action is taken.”
“That is good to know, Honorable Vidhee. Will you continue to remain on Griffin during the negotiations?”
“Yes, Ambassador Suzume. That is the safest direction.”
Vidhee froze and unfroze.
“Princess Analyn requests the presence of Ambassador Suzume and Captain Marston in Wisdom Seeker’s main conference room.”
“Please notify the Princess that we are on our way.”
“My Princess also states that no personal protection is required. Captain Kakkarna has guaranteed safe passage.”
“Things are looking up, people.”
Leaving the galley, descending the gangway and reaching the cargo bay, Krag and Keiko, surprisingly, saw the eight Royal Guardsmen still on board. One dashed over, slammed to attention with tail high and ears pointed straight up. Smartly snapping his paw to his forehead, the Guardsman waited for Krag’s acknowledgement. When Krag snapped his own salute in return, the Elonian warrior dropped his salute but held his stance.
“Relax, Guardsman. What may I do for you?”
“Nothing at the moment, Captain Marston. Princess Analyn has ordered that we remain on board Griffin and that we are under yours and Legate Buster’s command until her return.”
“Good to know. Thank you. Your name and rank?”
“Tribune Ambakai, Clan Kaporine, Captain Marston.”
“Carry on, Tribune. Ambassador Suzume and I are meeting with the Princess on Wisdom Seeker. We will return shortly.”
Tribune Ambakai went through the freeze, unfreeze.
“Princess Analyn has stated that you are in no need of an escort. We will await your return.”
“Thank you, Tribune Ambakai. If you need anything, please contact Legate Buster. He will see to any of your requests.”
“Sir!” the Royal Guardsman Tribune saluted again and marched back to his troops.
“That’s interesting,” Krag commented as he and Keiko left Griffin.
“Princess Analyn seems to be taking our safety very seriously.”
“Just how seriously, we will soon find out.”
A single Royal Guardsman waited at Griffin’s entry port and led the two across the bay’s large expanse, to the gravity lift and up to the twenty-second deck.
“I never get over how huge this ship really is. It’s like an entire city, travelling through space.”
“I can tell you that nothing in the Federacy even comes close.”
Arriving at the proper door, the Guardsman approached Sir Mahajani and saluted. Without a word, Princess Analyn’s Royal Bodyguard turned, keyed in a code and stepped back. The door slid into the bulkhead, revealing the same conference room where Krag and Keiko had first met King Kaporine. The two saw that the only beings in the room were Princess Analyn and Captain Kakkarna.
Keiko led. Krag followed. The door slid shut, leaving Sir Mahajani outside, standing guard.
“Your Highness.”
“Please enter, sit. Father will be in contact shortly.”
The tension permeated the room. Krag could feel Princess Analyn’s trepidation. The hologram activated. King Kaporine and Queen Naliana, sitting on their perspective thrones, blinked into existence. Attempting to read the Royal’s body language, Keiko noticed that the two Royal leaders held hands. Both Krag and Keiko began to rise.
“Sit. This is an informal meeting. Private.”
“Father, Mother.”
“Little Fire. What have you done?”
“Oh, Father,” The Princess wailed. “They were going to take them. Seize their ship!”
“I know, Anyl. The Senate did pass an Extreme Conditions resolution.”
Krag, Keiko and Captain Kakkarna just watched.
“It wasn’t right!”
“Right or wrong, impounding Griffin became lawful.”
“My brother orchestrated this!”
“Yes he did. And we are having an ongoing discussion about his actions.”
“Where is that beast?”
“Anyl! He is your brother.”
“I’m sorry, Mother. He makes me so mad, sometimes, I could growl!”
“Your brother seems to be dodging me, Little Fire. He knows how mad I am. But that doesn’t solve the problem. Well, two problems.”
“Now what has he done?”
“Not him. The Senate. They saw the video of Legate Buster on Griffin’s ramp. It terrified them. They have passed another resolution.”
“Oh, Bashia!”
“You are to return Griffin and its crew. The Senate will assume control. If you do not, you will be charged with contempt.”
“Me? I bet my loving brother loves that!”
“Anyl!”
“Sorry, Mother. So now I’m a criminal.”
“Only if you do not return the Humans.”
“You know what will happen, Father. Their ship will be torn apart. They will become animals in cages. Experiments.”
“If you don’t do this, you also know what will happen, Anyl. You know how our society works. The Kaporine Clan will receive the brunt of the punishment. This will become a political war that we cannot win. You will become a rallying banner used by the other clans to attack the Crown.”
Krag and Keiko stayed silent, watched and listened, trading glances and becoming more and more fearful of their futures.
“Oh, Father. What have I done?”
“My King?’
“Yes, Captain Kakkarna?”
“A request.”
“Yes?”
“Who is in the throne room, besides you and My Queen?”
“Just Johi.”
“A distant cousin. I request a personal audience.”
“Strange. May I ask why?”
“I have some private thoughts I wish to share.”
King Kaporine flipped open a lid on his thrones’ armrest, pushed a button and closed it back up.”
“Done. All recording devices have been disabled.”
“Thank you, My King. At this time, there is no good solution to this dilemma. If My Princess orders the return of Griffin and its crew, they will be swallowed up into the bowls of the Senate’s scientific facilities. If she does not so order, she becomes a criminal and our clan becomes a target.”
“Where is this going?”
“As I said, we need time. Or we need to remove the center of the controversy. We need to send Griffin and its crew home. Let them leave.”
“I thought of that. However, it won’t work. The Senate is in a lather. It will not drop the contempt charge. Anyl will still be charged with a crime.”
“I go with them, Father. Nothing has changed. We are ready.”
“I don’t want you to go, Little Fire.”
“Now, there is no choice, Father. Everyone loses if I stay.”
“If I may add another thought, My King?”
“Yes?”
“This gives us time. Then, when Princess Analyn returns with Gr
iffin, the Senate gets what it wants, minus the Humans. And, since Legate Buster will no longer be in Elonian space, the issue of a weaponized synthetic is solved.”
“Excellent points, Captain. Ambassador Suzume. What have you to say?”
“I suspect that your political lives will be in some kind of Hell, Your Majesty.”
“Hell?”
“A place which inflicts great torment.”
“Yes. Our political lives will be tormented greatly. In Hell, as you say.”
“What if, instead of sending just Griffin back, we send a fleet of merchants and negotiators? Would that help your position?”
“That was to be our ultimate goal, Ambassador Suzume.”
“Then we accelerate the timeframe. I am sure that Clan Gregor would jump at the opportunity to expand its merchant base.”
“I still do not want my Little Fire so far away.”
“Oh, Father. I am of bonding age. I am old enough. I can do this!”
“I know, Anyl. I just don’t like it.” King Kaporine paused to think about the future of his crown and his only daughter.”
“There is no other solution, Father. Captain Kakkarna has shown great wisdom in his analysis and solution. Griffin’s leaving, my leaving is the only answer.”
“It is not a good answer.”
“No, Father, it is not. But it is the only answer. Whatever we do, Clan Kaporine is now under political assault. With me and Griffin gone, there will be a great deal of howling but there will be no solution. This is the only way.”
“I see no other way.”
“Daruke, in his desire for power, has harmed our family, our clan. We can right his wrong, correct his direction. I must leave.”
“I will not have the harm to Griffin and its crew or the imprisonment of my daughter freeze my heart.” King Kaporine paused long, thought hard.
“Yes, Little Fire. You must leave.” The King took his queen’s paw and stared into the eyes of his bond-mate. “Do it. However, it is being done without our knowledge.” Turning back to the monitor, King Kaporine continued, “Captain Kakkarna, some ice under your feet will melt from not holding our wayward guests.”
“For you, My King, for My Princess, that is a heat I am willing to take.”
“Safe flying, Little Fire. I always knew that you would burn hot, melt much ice. I just didn’t know it would be in this manner.”
“Thank you, Father, Mother. When I return, all will be right.”
“That is what I am hoping for, Anyl. You do what you can and I will keep the aardbeasts outside the palace.”
A worried father and heartrending mother blinked from existence.
“Farewell, Father,” a very sad princess said to nothing.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Together, we will get through this.”
“I hope so. I have brought great shame to my clan. I must make it right.”
“You have brought no shame to Clan Kaporine, My Princess. Your brother is the one who has done this. You did only what was right, honorable.”
“Thank you, Captain. But it still freezes my heart. And makes my blood hot. I could claw my brother until he begs for forgiveness!”
“I understand, Your Highness. Let’s dampen our emotions. All of us are upset. Captain Marston and I are fearful. You are angry. Captain Kakkarna is the only one thinking clearly.”
“You are right, Ambassador Suzume. Please forgive my loss of control.”
“There is nothing to forgive. We have a plan. We will make it more than right, Your Highness.”
“I hope so, Ambassador Suzume.”
“Now, we must prepare to leave. The longer we are in Captain Kakkarna’s presence, the more trouble he will be in. Isn’t that right, Captain?”
“I am already walking in slushy ice, Ambassador Suzume. But yes, the sooner you leave, the better it will be.”
With an obvious end to the conference, Keiko and Krag rose, saluted and headed back to Griffin in preparation for their trip to Ballison.
To be Continued
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Read farther for a snippet of Marston Chronicles, Book 4 – War in the Stars.
Elonia Royal Court
King Kaporine held his royal position, both paws on the arm rests of the throne, back straight, ears forward and attentive. As he held court, listening to petitions from his people, his mind wandered towards his daughter and wondered where she was and what she was doing. He tapped his right paw on the throne pad, knowing that he could flip it open and contact her at a moment’s notice. But, for now, the Elonian king resigned himself to executing his duties as king and adjudicator.
Just as the next petitioner saluted and prepared to plead his case, the large double doors swung open and Prince Daruke marched in, tall and aggressive, his eyes boring into his father. Behind him strode the eleven Clan Senators, some somberly, some more determinedly.
“A moment, please, kind being. It appears my son requires an audience.”
The King waited as the petitioner withdrew and his son advanced. Once the twelve intruders arrived before the throne, Prince Daruke announce, “Everyone, leave us. We have matters of state to be discussed.”
The entire room focused on King Kaporine.
“Please leave us. We will resume tomorrow.”
The King, his son-the Heir Prince, and the eleven Senators waited until the room cleared.
“Johi, please leave and close the doors.”
Once the Head Servant completed his task, King Kaporine turned his attention to his son.
“What is this?”
“The Senate has voted. You have been relieved of the crown.”
“On what grounds?”
“Willfully allowing the escape of an accused criminal. Accused of Contempt and willful disregard of the Senate and the rule of law.”
“You mean your sister.”
“And, further, she has ignored a legal, dully issued Senate order to relinquish the Human ship Griffin and its crew. All with your foreknowledge and approval.”
“This is absurd!”
“Nevertheless, the vote has been taken. You are relieved of the crown.”
“And you are to assume the position of ‘King’?”
“As the Heir-Apparent and the vote of the Senate.”
“I demand Constitutional Recourse. A hearing before the Monarchal Legal Court.”
“It shall be arranged.”
With that final statement and without any royal courtesy, Prince Daruke spun on his paws, marched through the eleven senators and out of the throne room. The eleven followed, again, some determinedly and some somberly.
King Kaporine mindspoke a command to Johi. Within moments a single massive door opened and the King’s head servant rushed in.
“Johi. I have a task for you.”
“Anything My King.”
“Not for long.”
Johi’s look of consternation changed all of his demeanor. “What, My King?”
“It seems that the Senate has decided that Elonia needs a new king.”
“And that would be Daruke, no doubt.”
“You have eyes and ears everywhere, Johi. Yes, it would be Daruke. As I said, I have a task for you. Completely secret. No one is to know.”
“Of course, My King.”
“This armrest.” King Kaporine patted the right one.
“I need an exact duplicate. Scratches, wear patterns, everything must be an exact match.”
“I will get right on it, My King.”
Kaporine recognized how frequently Johi use the phrase, ‘My King’. He felt warmed at the
loyalty of his life-long servant.
“You have the artisans for this?”
“I know of some. In my position many beings want me to owe them favors. I will get it done, My King.”
“Complete secrecy.”
“At your command, My King.”
“Thank you. You may go and get started.”
“I will need access to the throne room, My King. Dead of night would be best.”
“Which two guardsmen do you trust the most?”
“I have two in mind.”
“Send them to me. I will have them put on the midnight shift. Will that do?”
“Yes, My King.”
“Good. You may go and get started. This is your first priority. Have your second take your place.”
“As you wish, My King.”
The King found it interesting that Johi never asked why a copy of the right armrest needed to be made. He wondered if the little being already knew about this ‘quant-com’.
Using mindspeak, King Kaporine summoned his Queen. She hurried into the room and the two talked of their son’s actions and what would be coming. With a still empty throne room, Elonia’s King flipped open the lid of the throne’s armrest.
Meeting in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 3) Page 25
