Protector of the Realm (22 page)

“Yes, and I agree. The Council was surprised to hear the M’Aido dynasty was not extinct. We thought Zax M’Aido and his aunt were the last of their line.”

“They’re that famous?”

“They were close to royalty in the Onotharat Empire. I’m sure the rumors about the child’s existence are already spreading. M’Ekar has no doubt commissioned clever propaganda to strengthen his claim to the last M’Aido on his homeworld.”

Rae’s voice sank to a low rumble. “Armeo is a child, not a pawn to be used in a political game.”

“Make up your mind, Commodore. One minute you’re asking me to go through diplomatic channels to put pressure on the Onotharians, and the next, you insist we treat the boy like any child.”

“He
is
a child! He’s a fugitive, a refugee, if you like, who had to watch his home be burned to the ground by people out to destroy him and the woman he sees as his mother. Ms. O’Dal sustained a wound that would have killed her if left untreated.”

Knowing her emotional outburst was not helping their case, Rae forced herself to calm down. “Granted, I realize you need to use any means necessary to defuse this situation, Councilman, but Armeo deserves a chance to grow up within the bounds of his family. And as I’m now part of his immediate family, I will not sit idly by if I see he is in any kind of danger. I promised him and his mother, and so did Admiral Jacelon, to keep them safe.”

Councilman Thorosac rubbed his chin, as if he considered her statement. “You always were your father’s daughter in so many ways, Commodore. I respect your desire to keep your family safe, but so much more than individual interests is at stake here. If the boy falls into the wrong hands--”

“He won’t,” Rae interrupted. “I will not allow it.”

“Brave words. The Council will let you try this case in court, as planned. But I need to warn you. If we find any reason to believe you can’t handle the situation, we’ll be forced to move the boy into protective custody.”

The Council openly doubted her ability to protect Kellen and Armeo. Her fury, rising inside her like an unbending plasma storm, made her speak in a fierce growl. “You cannot do anything of the sort! She is my wife, and, by law, until the judge aboard the
Dalathea
has reviewed this case, I’m Armeo's guardian. His
parent
, in fact.” The emotional ramification of her words pierced through her anger and almost made her falter at the overwhelming truth in them, but she kept going. “They’re SC citizens, with the same rights as anybody else within these borders. You can’t touch them.”

“We would not be interested in Ms. O’Dal. She’s of little importance. The boy, however, is the catalyst that could throw our sector of space into turmoil. I needn’t remind you how our union of planets has fought for decades to sustain a peaceful existence.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Rae knew she was out of line but didn’t care, addressing the Councilman the way she would a crew member guilty of insubordination. “Would you separate the boy from his mother?”

“She’s not his mother. She’s his guardian, and the guardianship can be transferred to the Council, if necessary.”

“My father has agreed to also serve as a guardian of the boy. That should be good enough for the Council.”

“For now, yes. If you can keep the M’Aido child safe and out of M’Ekar’s reach, then your situation will remain as it is.”

“And why can’t the Council use its influence with the Onotharian government to get rid of M’Ekar?”

“He was married to a M’Aido and pulls a lot of weight in his homeworld. I admit it
is
puzzling how a reckless megalomaniac such as the ambassador can have such unrestricted power. There must be more to it.”

“All right. Leave it to me to take care of Ms. O’Dal and Armeo. My father and I are perfectly capable.”

Thorosac didn’t look convinced. “I hope so. We expect daily reports, Commodore.”

Rae clenched her teeth to avoid a rude reply. “Yes, sir.”

“Good luck. Thorosac out.”

The screen flickered, and the SC insignia replaced the Councilman’s face. Rae stared at it while she tried to calm down. She should have expected the Council’s stance but was shocked to hear Thorosac actually declare its intentions. His detached tone of voice had made his words sound even more callous. Unless she proved herself worthy of carrying out the task, the Council would take Armeo not only from
Gamma VI
, but also from Kellen.

Not even daring to think about Kellen’s reaction to this information, Rae punched a few commands into her computer. Something Thorosac had just said rang a distant bell in the back of her head.

Impatiently, she reached for her communicator and summoned Lieutenant Grey. Mentally picturing the striking tactical officer, Rae blessed the fact that the impressive woman was stationed at
Gamma VI
. Owena Grey was as tough as they came. Her stern expression accentuated something dark, like a restrained, potentially explosive force within. Her stark features made her face as intimidating as it was beautiful. Owena moved with lethal grace, not unlike Kellen, although the Gantharian was not as massive. Rae had always suspected the lieutenant carried a lot of emotional baggage, but as long as it didn’t affect her performance, Rae didn’t address it.

Ten minutes later, Rae saw through the transparent aluminum walls how Lieutenant Grey walked into the mission room and stopped momentarily to observe the view screens before she continued to the commodore’s office. Turning the walls from translucent to opaque, Rae nodded toward the visitors’ chair.

“We have a new problem.” Rae laced her fingers together on the desk, forcing them to stop trembling from either anger or the adrenaline rush she’d experienced while talking with Councilman Thorosac.

“What can I do?” Lieutenant Grey took out a handheld computer.

“We need to know more about Armeo M’Aido’s past, especially on his mother’s side. Something I learned just moments ago sparked my interest in that side of the family tree.”

“Why the sudden hurry, ma’am? Is this for the custody hearing?”

“No, not quite. I’m fairly sure we’ll obtain full custody of Armeo. No, and this is confidential, Lieutenant. It’s just as serious, if not more so. The Council may take Armeo into its custody, a ward of the state of sorts, if we can’t show enough evidence we can protect him.”

Grey’s thick, black eyebrows drew together, creating a dangerous look in her dark blue eyes. “They’d take him from Ms. O’Dal? The only mother he knows?”

“Yes. They didn’t include her in their plans. No doubt they consider her too reckless, too hard to control. If they try to take that boy away they may find out firsthand how dangerous she can be, eh? But we, Lieutenant, are going to make sure that doesn’t happen. Do you read me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I want you to use whomever you need with a level 1A security clearance to go through all of the records you can locate on Zax M’Aido and his time as a cadet at the Gantharian Academy of Pilots. I’m missing something here. Focus on his friends and acquaintances during that period. I also want you to find everything you can about the boy’s mother…what was her name…Tereya something. Damn, do we even know her last name?”

“It should be easy to discover in the academy records. I remember reading about the rumors at the time of his death. His illustrious family, which was close to royalty on Onotharat, ostracized him.”

Impressed with her memory, Rae nodded. “Yes, I read that too. Probably because he married a Gantharian. I know she was Kellen’s best friend. I’d like to ask her about Tereya, but I don’t want her to find out about the Council’s backup plan.” Rae shook her head in dismay. “I can only imagine her reaction.”

“I spoke with your wife at the reception yesterday,” Grey said. “She seems resourceful and ambitious. I can’t picture her sitting idly by when her foster son is in danger.”

“She never lets her guard down. I think doing that every single day for the last seven years makes it automatic.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“You realize I’ll be doing a background check on your wife as well.”

“Do whatever it takes. I want answers and I want them fast. I’ll deal with the fallout later. I need to be prepared for the unexpected. Right now, I can’t view the whole picture. That ties my hands when I need to develop a successful plan.”

“I understand. By the way, ma’am, I was on my way here to discuss the current situation along our borders when you hailed.”

“Go ahead, Lieutenant. What are our neighbors up to?”

“I’ve followed the patterns of minor attacks on the border, and they don’t make sense. They’re scattered, more annoying than dangerous. They start in one sector, calm down, and within the hour ignite somewhere else.”

Rae looked at her tactical officer, her mind reeling. “How long has this been going on?”

“The last six hours, with increasing frequency.”

“Damn, they’re testing our defenses, looking for our weaknesses, and trying to throw us off balance. And if they succeed, they’ll move in, cause a diversion, and try to get their hands on Armeo while we’re struggling to find our bearings. A dangerous game, don’t you think? I know his family has been a political icon for centuries, but this…” Incensed, she pounded her desk. “They’re willing to go to war to get Armeo, and they’re willing to kill him if they can’t have him. What the hell is so damn important about this boy? I can’t figure it out.”

“I’ll get on it, ma’am,” Lieutenant Grey said, rising from the chair. “If there’s anything in the records we’ll uncover it.”

“Thank you. Report to me on the hour.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The lieutenant stood at attention for a moment, turned on her heel, and walked out the door.

Rae turned the walls back to forty percent transparency, enough to see what was going on in the mission room. Her staff was hard at work, monitoring the ships approaching or departing in the ports. She was well aware that three generational ships had moored in the last few days, increasing the population aboard
Gamma VI
by approximately thirty-five percent. These nomads represented a major source of income for the commercial sectors on the space stations, and
Gamma VI
was no exception. Her duty was also to provide them a safe haven to restock their supplies and make necessary repairs on their vessels.

Something moving in the corner of her eye caught Rae’s attention, and she was surprised to see her wife purposefully approach. “Kellen, is everything all right? Have a seat.”

“I’m fine.” Kellen was dressed in what had become her usual attire since she arrived at the station--the same blue trousers and leather jacket that the crew members wore. She had tamed her long hair into a loose bun, snuggled into the base of her skull. She sat down and neatly clasped her hands, gazing at Rae with a new spark in her eyes. With her chin raised, she still appeared proud and arrogant, but for the first time she seemed almost eager. “I’m here to make a request.”

“Go on.”

“I’ve spent five hours in different simulated SC vessels, and now Lieutenant D’Artansis has offered to supervise me if you’ll let me try the type of ship I handled best. Here are my transcripts.” Kellen handed over a handheld computer.

Rae scrolled down the list, inwardly amazed at some of her daring flight patterns and realizing Leanne D’Artansis might have met her match. “Do you want to try one of our assault vessels? You know you can’t go outside the station beacons, but a short spin around the block isn’t out of the question.”
Don’t betray my trust now. You’re smart enough to realize this is a test, Kellen.

“Lieutenant D’Artansis will be in the navigator’s seat. She’ll determine how far from the station we can go.”

“Not far at all.” Rae gave her wife a stern look. “You’re a target. If you stay inside the beacons, we know what ships are present and where they are. You’ll have to wear one of the computerized suits to mask your biosignature. Since not many Gantharians travel this part of space, you’d be too easy to spot.” She paused and examined Kellen’s record in the assault-craft simulator. “Very well. You have my permission to go off-station for one hour. No more. Enjoy your flight and return safely.”

“I will!”

“Good.” Rae examined the new expression of enthusiasm shining from Kellen’s eyes. “So, are you considering this type of ship? Only members of the military operate them, you know.”

“Yes, I realize I’d have to apply for a commission. Right now, it’s impossible, but perhaps further down the line. It would give me something to work toward.”

Rae’s first reaction was to balk at the idea.
Is she serious?
“You’d be prepared to apply to the Fleet?” This was almost too much. She knew trusting Kellen at the helm of a spaceship was the same as providing her an easy way to escape. Only the fact that Leanne would be in the navigator’s seat, and Armeo safe back on the station, made it doable. Kellen would never leave her charge behind.

“If I’m going to live here, I’d be honored to serve. Do you think I’m not capable or that I wouldn’t serve the Supreme Constellations well?” Kellen’s eyes gleamed in defiance.

“You’re contemptuous when you speak of the SC Council, and yet you now talk about a possible application for a commission. Can you blame me for being…surprised?” Rae mitigated what she initially was going to say in an attempt to not alienate Kellen further.