Prince of Luster (19 page)

“You will use the arrival of the
Titan
to lure him out,” Adaman said as he nodded in understanding.

“Just remember … your people must do as I command or all will die horribly. Nothing they can say will save the
Titan
or her crew. Nothing will save Luster’s ruling family. My home world readies for the attack even as I speak. So if your citizens mean to prove their fealty and assure their survival, now is the time for them to take sides. Do so wisely and
live
. Understand?”

“Yes, I-I understand. I will make sure my people do as well,” Adaman meekly agreed and rose to do as Prometheus commanded.

• • •

“Greetings, Commander Starlaw. Or shall I address you as Your Highness?” Adaman smoothly asked.

“Governor … so good to see you in excellent health. The use of my rank is sufficient,” Darius responded, as he stood in front of the
Titan
’s vid-screen.

“Very good,
Commander
. I hope your household finds fortune smiling upon them.”

“They are exceedingly well, Governor.”

“To what purpose may I serve?”

Darius took a deep breath and cautiously watched the man’s eyes. “I was in this sector aiding a medical vessel in distress. Turns out a few days’ repair set everything to rights. But since I happened to be near, I thought I might pay my respects. I was also wondering if members of my crew might enjoy a three-day respite on your planet. They’ve been in deep space for some time and would like to patronize your merchants.”

“Despite my request for a few months of seclusion, our poor planet is yours,” Adaman gushed. “I only put our world off limits so that we might quell a small outbreak of criminal behavior. None of us wanted League enforcers to become innocent targets.”

“Understood, sir. And has that matter been safely addressed?”

“We are very near a peaceful existence once again, sir. If I may request you wait just a short time longer, I’ll instruct our constables and alert the populace that you’ll be among us. In this way, they may
all
participate in a safe shore leave, watching out for any malcontents. My business colleagues value League patronage and want no outbreaks against your crew. Such a thing wouldn’t benefit our small colony.”

“How long?” Darius asked.

“Would three weeks be sufficient, Commander? With tempers flaring, I wouldn’t want weapons of the magnitude your crew carries on our surface. Some of our more hostile criminals might get the idea to relieve you of them. Other moderates, and there are more of them among us than those of the criminal element, want nothing but peace. A little more time will help us better prepare and assure your safety and that of your crew.”

“Things are that violent in your so-called near-peaceful existence, Governor?”

“Not at all. As I’ve stated we are making progress in that regard. Our constables are more than equal to the task, Commander. But it would be better if our citizens and business owners know you’ll be among us. We want our malcontents to understand that no violence will be tolerated. Unfortunately, our world is a very poor one. Certain factions have become desperate. Such is the norm when humanity is faced with poverty. We need to assure everyone of your peaceful intent, and that you’ll be here only to enjoy shore leave. That you, in no way, will be replacing our own constables and were not requested here to renounce any faction. It’s just a matter of calling separate meetings of all work unions concerned and getting them to cooperate for the time being. I’m sure you can understand.”

“Governor, if our presence will cause too much of a problem, we can seek shore leave elsewhere.”

“No, no,” Adaman quickly denied. “The opportunity to have paying guests among us rarely comes. Indeed this is the exact point I shall put to all my disputing citizens. They’ll miss the chance to earn a few extra credits if they won’t behave themselves. As soon as that point is driven home, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble. Had I known you were arriving, I’d have spoken to my people much sooner.”

“My apologies,” Darius offered. “We were simply in the neighborhood, so to speak.”

“And you shall have your shore leave. To the limits of our humble abilities, we shall be honored to receive you and your crew … if you can but wait just a while longer. Our sensors tell us you’re still some distance. Perhaps, by the time you’re in orbit, all this petty bickering will have wound itself down at any rate. I’m only embarrassed that I must ask you to wait at all, sir. We are not normally as unreceptive as all this must seem.”

“Very well, Governor. I shall contact you again when the
Titan
approaches orbit.”

“My humble best to you and your entire crew, Commander. And may your leave be a memorable experience. We have little, but we will offer all we can.”

Darius bowed slightly. “Until we make contact again, sir. My best wishes for a quick resolution to your … problem.”

“Good journey, sir.” Adaman quickly shut off the communicator with a trembling hand.

• • •

“As soon as my brother’s short-range transponder is detected, contact me,” Darius ordered his second-in-command. “It’ll be faint; too irregular and inconsistent to mean anything to anyone else who might detect it.”

“Yes, sir,” the officer responded. “I’ll let you know the instant we ascertain his location. You realize that if he’s injured … or worse … the tracking device should still operate.”

Darius shook his head in denial. “Not the device he has implanted. It will only operate if his heart is beating. That’s how I’ll know Marcos is still alive.”

“I’ve never heard of such a tracking system, Commander.”

“It’s very new technology developed by our physicians and computer techs. It was not handed over to other allied planets.”

His second-in-command grinned. “Against treaties, sir?”

“We aren’t the only member of the League withholding such technology. Let’s just say this is one of those tracking methods that’s non-aggressive in nature and didn’t, therefore, need to be revealed to the other planets in the alliance.” Darius walked toward the vid-screen and stared into the blackness of space. “Creator help Forrell if any harm has come to my brother. That oily serpent was lying to me the entire time we communicated. He’s up to something. I can feel it in my bones.”

“But what can you do without provoking an incident, sir? As shifty as he is, Adaman Forrell is still unapproachable by any legal means. With or without proof of a criminal act, Marcos was still spying on his planet. On most worlds that could easily cost him his life.”

Darius glanced at his trusted officer. “I’ll have to ask for my crew’s complete trust. I’ll take responsibility for this entire mission. But my brother had
better
be all right. If he isn’t … diplomacy aside … I’ll make someone pay.”

“We’re behind you, sir. I had a cousin serving on the Corillian with Marcos Starlaw. And my kinsman told me many times how your brother saved his life and the crew’s. You should know there isn’t a man in the fleet who wouldn’t gladly die for him or you. Whatever your orders … count on us.”

Darius smiled and put his hand on the big man’s shoulder. “Let’s hope we don’t have to start a war to find out what’s going on with that blasted little rock. Marcos isn’t expecting me for months yet. I’m relying on my wife to placate my parents. Especially since we took off without their knowledge, and only a few weeks after Marcos departed. But I believe surprise can sometimes yield answers where diplomacy won’t. Still, I’ll deny your or the crew’s knowledge about my sudden desire to leave Luster. You only followed my orders, and that’s the story I’ll stick with. If my father wants to metaphorically hunt heads after this affair, mine will be at the top of the list.”

His officer laughed heartily. “I’ve been with you too many years and know you wouldn’t have done this without a very good reason.”

“Well … don’t stand too close. Upon our return to Luster, I’ll have a very large political target on my back. I’m only sorry I needed the
Titan
to do this and couldn’t come on my own. Just pray that coming after Marcos so abruptly was a good idea. Something tells me I should have made the decision to follow him
sooner
. I have a feeling he’s in big trouble. And not the kind he engaged when he was a boy, stealing fruit from the neighbor’s orchard. This is something else … something only one brother would feel for another when a situation is very wrong.”

Marcos kissed his way up the top of Nova’s left thigh, then to her midriff. He lingered there before gently teasing her left nipple with his lips. She softly moaned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. All they’d done for three days was eat, sleep, and make love. And he’d never been happier in his life.

When he moved further up her body, kissed her lips softly, and stretched out next to her, Una romped forward, her antennae sparkling with excitement.

“She wants you to pet her,” Nova said as she smiled.

Marcos laughed at the puppy’s antics, picked her up, and placed her in the middle of his chest. “I’ll personally build you a little box so you can sleep right by the huge fireplace I’ll design for your mistress. Would you like that, girl?” Una snuggled under his chin and began the rumbling, whirring sound that was either cat-like or predator-like. He was never sure which. But he knew she did it when exhibiting playful behavior. “Maybe we’ll find out what you really are and locate a companion?”

“Oh, Marcos, that would be fun. Then she wouldn’t be alone. Nothing and no one should ever be alone.”

Holding Una close to his chest, Marcos turned on his side to look at Nova. The flickering firelight lit her lovely eyes so they took on an even more gemstone-brilliant color. “You’re going to like Lus—I mean, Avalon so much.” He had to be careful. Instinct said she wasn’t ready to hear the truth about him. They’d have plenty of time. All winter. He’d let her know when Darius arrived. By then, she’d be so deeply in love with him that who he was wouldn’t matter at all. He was that sure of the outcome.

“Tell me some more about Avalon.”

He laughed. She never tired of hearing about his home. But in a world where light filtered through the atmosphere in such a way that there were only dull colors to view, it was only natural that she’d want to know about beautiful sunsets and starry nights. And the truth was, he loved talking to her about all the things he planned for them. “All right. Let’s start with my family.”

“You said you had a very large one. I’ll love being part of a big family. It sounds so wonderful,” she excitedly told him.

“My brother is a bit of a stuffed shirt. But he and I have always backed each other up in every venture. I know if anything ever happened to me, he’d make sure you were safe.”

“Don’t talk like that.” She frowned and put the fingertips of one hand over his lips. “Only talk about good things, Marcos. I know about the bad. But from now on, everything will be better.”

“You’re right, love. I’m sorry, but I wanted you to know my family will always be yours. No matter what.”

“Tell me more about your brother, then.” She snuggled close and scratched Una’s tiny tummy as the pup rolled on her back to play.

“Darius is a strong man. Very determined, and very good with his little girl. Her name is Cory.” He grinned. “His wife keeps him in line. If you ask me, she’s the real strength in that relationship. It took a while for her to adjust to three-hundred years of advancement, as she’s from Earth.”

Nova stopped petting Una and tilted her head. “Marcos, I thought Earth was off limits to anyone, by unilateral agreement of galactic planets. Isn’t it one of those technologically delayed places that mustn’t be introduced to weaponry until they can manage to make formal contact by themselves?”

He may have made a mistake mentioning Laurel—Darius’s wife. But he wasn’t used to lying; it didn’t come easily. “You’re right, of course. Earth’s communications are being monitored, and they aren’t ready for us to make contact with them as yet. But Laurel is a special case. She was severely injured when my brother made an unexpected landing on her world. His visit was a dire emergency, and since his vessel’s arrival on Earth was directly connected to Laurel’s injury, he couldn’t very well leave her to die. It’s difficult to explain. The circumstances would make more sense coming from him. ”

“But … he just took her?” Una boldly asked and stared at Marcos in confusion.

“She’d have died otherwise. Earth’s physicians couldn’t have saved her life. And though it took a while for her to acclimate, she’s happy, Nova. Truly she is. And she understands the circumstances behind my brother’s landing on her world in the first place. I’ll let them explain their meeting when you get to Avalon. You’ll understand everything then.”

“You and your brother don’t make a habit of going to Earth, do you? The penalty for traveling to banned planets is death.”

“Nova, love, I’ve never been there. And Darius
had
to land. It was a sort of emergency. There was no other alternative, believe me.”

She nodded. “I won’t ever tell anyone, Marcos. I promise.”

He smiled and stroked her cheek. He couldn’t tell her that Darius’s visit to Earth had been sanctioned by the Constellation League only because his brother had been tracking a killer who landed there. Laurel had been caught up in intrigue not of her making, and had almost died because of it.

“So then … what’s this
Earth
woman
like? My mother told me a story that explains why many of us have the same genetic makeup.”

“You’re speaking of the Expansion Theory, and it’s probably true. We have archaeologists and anthropologists on Avalon that have found very ancient writing. When the writings were interpreted, they reinforced the notion that there was a group of very advanced beings called Elders. And these enlightened ones went from planet to planet taking inhabitants, plants, and animals from one world and depositing them on others where they could thrive. Sometimes they were supposed to have left different technologies with those who were moved. It was supposed to have been an experiment to see what would happen with varied species, and different cultures, if they were placed in other environments and allowed to advance faster or slower.”