Jacinda's Challenge (Imperial 3) (51 page)

"What?" Elliott couldn’t keep the shock off his face. "That's
impossible
! I have final say on what is investigated."

"That's what
I
thought! It's what I pay you for! But Ethan Michelakakis showed up at my Central site with an order signed by Prince Barek!"

"Signed by Barek? But Barek doesn't have any real power, not as the heir. Jotham's never given him any."

"Well, it seems he does now! You had better
fix
this, Pajari, or I'll find someone else to give my support to!" With that threat, Keane disconnected.

Elliott sat back in his chair, his mind racing. What the fuck was going on? Barek was signing orders? That can't be right. Barek will be returning to the fleet shortly... wouldn't he? Pushing a button on his comm, he connected with his aide.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get me the Palace!" he ordered. "Now!"

"Yes, sir!"

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"King Jotham's office," Chesney answered the comm.

"This is Assemblyman Pajari, put me through to King Jotham."

"I'm sorry, Assemblyman, but King Jotham is not available at this time." Chesney barely kept the satisfaction off his face that he could tell the presumptuous man that. "Could I relay a message to him?"

"Yes, inform the King that I need to speak with him about the Sokol Corporation," Pajari ordered.

"If you are referring to the current investigation, then you need to speak with Prince Barek, as he is in charge of it."

"Prince Barek is?" Pajari's eyes widened.

"Yes. Would you like me to transfer you to his aide?"

"Barek has an aide?!!"

"Of course. So would you like to be transferred?"

"Yes."

"One moment then," Chesney told him and hitting a button transferred the call.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Prince Barek's office."

"This is Assemblyman Pajari," Elliott told the face of a man he'd never seen before, hoping to intimidate him. "I need to speak with Prince Barek immediately."

"Let me see if he is available, sir." He put Pajari on hold before the man could say another word.

Barek smiled at his new aide. He had handled Pajari perfectly. Barek had been expecting this call. It had actually taken a little longer than he thought, but he was sure that was because Sokol had been chewing Pajari's ass.

"Keep him on hold for a few more minutes then transfer his call in to me."

"Yes, Sire."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Assemblyman Pajari, what can I do for you?"

"Prince Barek, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was informed by your father's aide that I needed to speak to you regarding the Sokol Corporation. I'm sure he is wrong."

"Chesney is never wrong. Why are you inquiring about Sokol, Assemblyman?"

"I... Well, I received a call from Keane Sokol, owner, and President of the Sokol Corporation. And he was quite... upset... when Ethan Michelakakis showed up at one of his mining sites with an authorization, signed by you, to investigate the facility."

"I'm sure he is upset, and he'll be even more upset when he realizes
all
the facilities that he received a government contract for are being investigated."

"What?!! But... but I chair the committee that decides who is to be investigated."

"So I've been informed." Barek gave Pajari a steady stare and saw the other man begin to sweat.

"Then how..."

"How what, Assemblyman?"

"Then how is this happening when
I
didn't approve it?"

"It's happening because my father gave
me
complete authority to investigate what happened on Nuga and make sure it never happens again. Anywhere."

"Of course, of course. What happened on Nuga was a terrible tragedy and it must be investigated, but there are certain procedures that need to be followed, Prince Barek, so that the People's confidence can be restored."

"I totally agree, Assemblyman Pajari."

"Sire, that can't be done if you are starting something you aren't going to be here to finish."

"What makes you think I won’t be here to finish it?" Barek demanded coolly.

"Because these things often become long, drawn out, and complicated things to investigate. I know I've been involved in many of them and with you returning to the Guardian..."

"I won't be returning to the Guardian, Assemblyman. I have officially resigned my commission and will now serve permanently at my father's side."

"I... I was not made aware of that, Sire."

"Should you have been?" Barek let Pajari hear his sarcasm. "It was a private, personal matter between myself and my father. As such I will now have plenty of time to investigate what happened on Nuga."

"Yes, of course. I agree and I can have a group of trusted inspectors on Nuga in just a few days. I will demand immediate answers from them so Nuga is repaired and running properly. There is no need for the investigation to go further than that."

"I disagree, Assemblyman. I have studied all the contracts granted to the Sokol Corporation, and they always list the same suppliers, the same personnel, and many times identical test results..." Barek let that hang there for a moment. “Because of this, I believe the corruption and mismanagement that led to the explosion on Nuga goes much further than just Nuga. Therefore, every site that Sokol manages that has received a contract from the House of Protection will be inspected by those that
I
trust."

"But, Sire, Ethan Michelakakis... He is a competitor of the Sokol Corporation. He will state there are problems where none exist."

"What makes you believe that?"

"Because, as I've said, he was never able to secure a major contract with us."

"Why is that? I've looked over his bids, in many cases they came in more favorably than Sokol's."

"One must look at more than just the bottom line when one considers awarding a contract, Sire. There is reputation and, of course, how they performed with past contracts."

"The reputation of the Zhao Corporation is without reproach, Assemblyman Pajari."

"When Harbin Zhao ran the company, yes, but the last ten cycles that's been lost with his son-in-law running it. Ethan Michelakakis."

"You question Ethan Michelakakis' ethics? With a father like Stephan? An Assemblyman you served with?"

"Yes, well, Stephan was a good man, but he wasn't perfect and made some large errors in judgment, as far as I'm concerned. His son is just the product of that."

"A product of what? Assemblyman Pajari?" Barek's tone had become deathly cold, but Pajari didn't seem to notice.

"A product of a mixed bloodline. When that occurs, it's no wonder the child has no concept of what it is to truly belong to a House and, therefore, has no loyalty."

"Just so I'm sure I understand, Assemblyman Pajari. You believe that Ethan Michelakakis is
not
a member of this House, even though he was born here and his father
was
from this House."

"But his mother
isn't
."

"Jacinda Michelakakis might have been born in the House of Healing, but she wed a man from the House of Protection, she has lived
here
for nearly forty cycles."

"That still doesn't make her a member of
this
prestigious House!"

"And that is your basis for believing Ethan would lie?"

"Of course, and in doing so he would sully the good name of a true and loyal member of this House."

"I see."

"Good, so I will inform Keane he may have Ethan removed by any means he sees fit."

"No." Although the word was quietly spoken, it froze Pajari as if he had been stunned.

"No?" Pajari questioned.

"No. You see Assemblyman Pajari,
I
trust Ethan Michelakakis, emphatically. He is
my
choice for this position and he will report directly to
me
. You can inform Keane Sokol that if I hear of him interfering with Ethan and the investigation he is conducting in
my
name, in any way, that he will be brought up on charges of gross negligence in the death of nearly five hundred people."

"I..." Pajari's eyes bulged at Barek.

"Have a good day, Pajari."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"No! Absolutely not!" Jotham words were hard and said as the King.

"Jotham..." Jacinda's words were gentle as if she were dealing with an upset child.

"I don't want you to go without me."

"It's only a few days early, Jotham, so Kia can make the final alterations to my gown." She put a hand on his arm. "It's important to me, that this dress reflect well not only on me but on
you
."

"I could care less what it 'reflects,' Jacinda. I know," he held up his hand as she opened her mouth. "I know that's the wrong thing to say, but it’s true. I have never seen you at an event that you didn't look amazing, Jacinda. You could be wearing a rag and you'd still outshine every other woman in the room."

"Jotham...." Jacinda's eyes softened.

"What I care about is that you are going to be away from me. Half a world away, and it doesn't matter that you'll be staying in the Royal Wing at the House of Knowledge. I'll still worry because I'm not with you. Kia can make the alterations once
we
arrive."

"Kia is going to be up to her eyeballs making alterations for Cassandra and others. She's already doing me a favor by making the dress on such short notice. It's the least I can do to work around her schedule."

"Jacinda..."

"Plus it'll give me a chance to hopefully talk to Stephanie."

Jotham heard the worry in her voice. "She's still not answering your comms?" He knew how upset Jacinda was about that even though she tried to hide it.

"No. So I thought I would try face-to-face this time."

Jotham took a deep breath. He knew she needed to do this and he needed to let her. It didn't mean he needed to like it. "Alright, but you will take my personal shuttle, a full guard, and you will
use
them." The look in his eyes told Jacinda not to argue. "All the time, Jacinda."

"Alright," she agreed.

"And you'll call me. Every day. Every night."

"I will."

"And..."

"Jotham." She put gentle fingers over his lips, stilling his words. "It will be fine. I will be safe. I won't take any chances."

"Swear it," he ordered.

"I swear."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Green walked into Deffand's office and sat down. He knew Jacinda planned to stay at the Palace that night
after
she convinced Jotham to let her go to Kisurri early, without Jotham. He couldn't help but smile because he knew she
would
convince the King. He had already told his men to pack and be prepared to leave.

"What's put that smile on your face, Green?" Deffand demanded looking up from the report, he was reading.

"Jacinda. She wants to leave for Kisurri early." His smile grew. "Without Jotham."

"Oh, that's not going to go over well." Deffand set his report aside.

"No, but she'll convince him."

"True. I'd better let my men know we'll be leaving early too."

"You think Jotham will change his schedule and go with her?"

"No, he has some meetings he can't miss. But I do think with her gone, he's going to rearrange his schedule and be working late so he can get there earlier." Deffand was about to pick up the report when a look crossed Green's face Deffand didn't like. "What's wrong?"

"Something happened several weeks back. I keep expecting Jotham to ask me about it, but he hasn't. I don't think Jacinda told him."

"Told him what?" Deffand asked.

"Not long after Jacinda was assigned protection, she was walking in the Public Wing when Assemblyman Pajari's wife confronted her."

"Confronted her? What do you mean 'confronted' her?" Deffand demanded.

"Madame Pajari was ranting on about how Jacinda shouldn't be there, shouldn't be allowed there, and that she needed to be escorted out of the Palace."

"She
what
?!!"

"Jacinda just stood there and took it. She wouldn't let me interfere except to escort her out. Madame Pajari didn't even notice I was escorting her deeper
into
the Palace instead of
out
of it."

"That woman is a menace," Deffand muttered.

"I agree. But what shocked me the most is that Jacinda told me it was what she had expected, that when it was realized she was the King's 'companion' there were going to be even more things said to and about her, and that was just the way it was."

"Jotham is never going to allow that."

"He will if he doesn't know about it."

"So why haven't you told him?"

"And have Jacinda upset with
me
? No way. I report to
you
. You have the responsibility of informing the King, and then Jacinda can be upset with you."

"Thanks a lot, Kort. Here I give you a dream position and you go and throw me under the transport."

"Dream position. Yeah, right. Jacinda is a security nightmare. She's on the go more than Jotham, and more often than not, it's at the spur of the moment."

"And you love the challenge."

"I do." Kort agreed. "Don't worry, Nick, she won't stay mad at you for too long."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Hello, Stephanie." Jacinda watched her daughter stiffen and knew she would have turned and walked away if it weren't for Peter Chamberlain walking beside her. Peter had informed her they would be walking this way and Jacinda had taken advantage of it.

"Mother," Stephanie acknowledged coolly. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we should talk." Jacinda turned her attention to Peter. "Hello, Peter."

"Hello, Jacinda," Peter said smiling at her. "Will I see you at last meal tonight?"

"I'm afraid not. Tonight I'm having dinner at my sister's."

"Brett will be disappointed. He has some more drawings he wants to show you."