Protector of the Realm (49 page)

“So do I.” Kellen’s eyes met Rae’s over his head. “All three of us.”

Armeo turned within her embrace, about to pounce on Rae when Kellen held him back. “Careful. Rae’s been injured. She’s still in pain.”

“Not so much that I wouldn’t want a hug,” she said with a smile. “I’ve missed you, kiddo.”

Armeo leaned down and put his arms carefully around Rae. “Thank you.” He lowered his voice, whispering in her ear, though Kellen could still hear his words. “You brought her back to me, like you said you would.”

Kellen heard a tone of regret in Rae’s voice as she replied. “Actually, sweetheart, it was the other way around. Kellen saved my life and brought
me
back.”

“Then I owe you my deepest gratitude, Ms. O’Dal,” a husky voice with the same intonation as Rae’s, said to Kellen. “I’m Dahlia Jacelon.”

Extending her hand the human way to greet the older woman, Kellen drew a shallow breath, uncertain how to proceed. “Please, call me Kellen.”

“I’m Dahlia and you’re my new daughter-in-law, so I understand,” Rae’s mother said. “Guess this an excellent opportunity to welcome you into the family, such as it is.”

Recoiling as an unfamiliar feeling of shyness flooded her, Kellen only nodded. To be in the presence of a maternal figure, even though it wasn’t her own, so shortly after reading the O’Dal Chronicle Book unsettled her. Gillia O’Dal’s spirit was still strong within her, and watching Dahlia Jacelon stirred up emotions of need that Kellen found hard to fight.

“Damn it, Dahlia, you’re scaring the poor girl.” The admiral turned to his daughter, stroking his mustache repeatedly, as if he desperately needed to keep his hands busy. “Welcome back, Kellen. We’re so grateful and happy that you’re both safe. This young man has been a brave soldier, but we’ve all been very worried.” He suddenly reached for Kellen, who found herself wrapped up in a hearty embrace as her father-in-law placed a kiss on her cheek, his beard tickling her skin.

“Sir…Ewan…thank you. Thank you for taking care of Armeo.”

“He’s done very well,” Dahlia said, and Kellen wasn’t sure if the sophisticated woman meant her husband or Armeo. “I apologize if I seemed slightly surprised.”

That was not how Kellen would have described it. She doubted anything could throw the obviously accomplished diplomat.

“I hadn’t realized just how young and beautiful you are,” Dahlia explained. “The way everyone described you, I expected…something, someone else.” She dismissed her own lack of words with an impatient gesture, making Kellen wonder, slightly concerned, what people had been saying about her. “And Rae…” She turned to her daughter. “Are you sure you’re all right? Commander Todd briefed us about your condition a few hours ago over a subspace link.”

“I’ll be fine, Mother.”

Dahlia hesitated, as if the image of the frail-looking woman in the wheelchair had removed all of her professional resolve. Kellen wondered what the history between these women was, since Rae in turn looked so apprehensive.

Then Dahlia Jacelon knelt next to the wheelchair, apparently not caring in the least what the floor did to her trousers, and took Rae’s hands in hers. “Rae.” Kellen watched the diplomat in Dahlia give way to the mother. Ewan had taken out a cigar and was about to light it when the sight made him lower it slowly, a stunned look on his face.

Smoothing back her daughter’s hair, she tucked it behind her ears with evident tenderness. Kellen felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of Rae’s astonishment. “You’re safe.” Dahlia’s words, though clipped, still held all the emotions of a woman who had feared her only child was forever lost to her. “Thank all deities. Oh, Rae.”

Looking pale and tired, Rae tilted her head into her mother’s touch. “Mom. I’m glad you’re here…”

“You haven’t called me ‘Mom’ in a long time.”

“I know.”

“Let’s get you and Kellen installed in your quarters,” Ewan said, momentarily cupping his daughter’s neck, a tender gesture Kellen had not seen him bestow on anyone else but Armeo before. “You must be tired, and you’ll need to rest a few hours before the first briefing.”

Kellen began to object. “It’s too soon! Rae’s in no condition to--”

“I’ll be fine, darling,” Rae interrupted gently. “This is how it has to be. We need to present evidence within a few hours to keep the deadline the Council gave us. If not, it will all have been for nothing.” She turned to her father. “How long exactly until the first briefing? Have you interrogated M’Ekar further? Is that why Mother’s here?”

“Yes, and they’ve been exchanging a lot of interesting information lately.”

“I can only imagine. I want to sit in on some of those ‘talks’ in the next few days. I’d like to hear what he has to say in his defense,” Rae growled.

Kellen heard the pain enter Rae’s voice, and she released the brakes and pushed her into the closest elevator, nodding to the de Vies family, who entered the elevator next to them. “Rae, after the briefings, there’s no rush. Once the Council is aware of what we brought…”

With a hand clutched over the injured side of her neck, Rae shot her father and Kellen a dark look. “I hope you’re right.”

They reached their quarters, and Kellen noticed Dr. Meyer approach from the opposite direction, carrying a bag over her shoulder. Glancing at Rae’s parents, she saw Dahlia wink at her. “We thought Gemma better look at her right away. If I know my daughter, she’ll be eager to resume command of her station. Perhaps the doctor can talk some sense into her.”

Gemma reached them just as Armeo unlocked the door. Walking inside, he held the door open for the rest of them, a broad smile on his face.

“What’s this about keeping you in check?” Gemma ribbed the commodore. “I thought your goal in life was to keep me busy, by the looks of it.”

“Very funny,
Doctor,
” Rae said and attempted to rise from the wheelchair when they heard Armeo inhale sharply, followed by a strangled cry.

Kellen whirled around and stared in disbelief at the man who clutched Armeo. One arm choked him around the neck, while the other held a high-energy sidearm against his temple.

“Y’sak,” she gasped, staring at Armeo’s bodyguard in disbelief.

“What the hell is this?” Dahlia thundered. “Release the boy!”

Rae stood up, her arm pressed against her midsection. Pain flickered over her features, surpassed only by rage. “You! We trusted you…Get your hands off him!”

“I’ll give the orders here!” Y’sak hissed, pressing the disrupter harder against Armeo’s head.

Kellen saw everything in slow motion. Y’sak, tugging at Armeo, shouting at Rae and Dahlia to shut up. Armeo’s thin face, white, his eyes growing huge. Ewan reaching for his weapon. Y’sak, in turn, firing his sidearm, which went off with a blistering sound.

Y’sak’s high-energy weapon didn’t miss.

“Dad!” Rae cried out. Doubled over in pain, she moved toward Ewan, who sat on the floor, blood oozing from his shoulder.

“Stay right where you are, Commodore,” Y’sak ordered. “If not, you’ll be next.”

In the corner of her eyes, Rae saw Kellen reach toward her belt and unhook the two short
gan’thet
staffs that dangled from her hip. Never taking her eyes off the security guard, who once more pressed his weapon against the terrified child’s temple, Kellen moved furtively to her left.

Rae stopped and faced Y’sak. She realized she had to divert attention away from Kellen, who was obviously in full battle mode. Rae knew she didn’t have a chance of stopping her wife from performing her duty. “You won’t get away with this, Ensign.” It was hard for her to speak. The medication had worn off and she was in severe pain. Ignoring her pain, she reached for her communicator.

“I said don’t move and shut up!” He was breathing heavily and tugging at Armeo. The pale boy didn’t take his eyes off Kellen, as if he was waiting for something.

Dahlia and Gemma ignored the danger and helped Ewan to a chair. “It’s nothing,” he said in a strained voice. “Singed my shoulder, that’s all. Damn it, are you out of your mind, soldier?”

Kellen exploded into action. Raising one staff above her head, keeping the other in a defensive position, she launched at Y’sak. “Armeo, get down!”

Rae prayed the boy would react fast enough. She stared at her lover, seeing the
gan’thet
mastery in her every muscle when Kellen spun around, her right leg splitting the air. The rods glistened as they traced a pattern in front of Kellen, too rapid for the human eye to see.

Armeo ducked, breaking the stunned man’s hold of him. When Kellen hit Y’sak’s shoulder, she crashed him into the wall behind the door. The sidearm fell to the floor next to Armeo, who grabbed it with both hands. Scrambling on all fours over the floor, Armeo reached Rae, who pushed him behind her, relieving him of Y’sak’s sidearm. She tugged at her communicator, fury and pain mixing in her voice. “Intruder alert, commodore’s quarters. I repeat, intruder alert, commodore’s quarters.”

“Affirmative.”

Rae barely registered the confirmation when, his back to the wall, Y’sak snapped his hand downward and produced a stiletto from his sleeve. He waved it in front of him, and the blade hummed to life, glowing around the edges. His eyes grew increasingly wild and desperate.

“Ensign Y’sak, what’s going on?” Rae managed, swaying where she stood. “Talk to me.”

“You know this man?” Dahlia’s eyes blazed. “Is he part of your crew?”

“He is…
was
assigned to guard Armeo,” Rae hissed. “Ironically, this is the guard he felt most comfortable with.”

“Shut up!” Y’sak yelled, stabbing the laser knife in Kellen’s direction.

Rae bit back a cry of warning out of fear of distracting Kellen. One slash of that laser knife could kill her. Rae watched Kellen edge closer to him, moving sideways with her staffs ready. When Y’sak suddenly threw himself at her, she crossed her staffs and absorbed the energy when he wedged the knife between them. Twisting, she used the force behind Y’sak’s assault to twirl him in a semicircle above her body, then slammed him into the table.

She jabbed one staff onto his lower arm and sent the stiletto flying out of his hand. Having rendered him harmless, she jumped onto the table and towered over Y’sak, one foot across his throat and her staffs raised and ready for the final blow.

“Kellen, no. We have him now,” Rae shouted, but her words didn’t seem to reach the
gan’thet
master.

“Please, Kellen. Don’t kill him,” Armeo pleaded. When his words had no effect, he raised his voice. “Protector! Stand down.”

Kellen seemed to slip out of her
gan’thet
warrior skin. She stared at Y’sak, whose face turned purple while he fought to breathe, apparently still considering whether to kill him. But then she relented, removing her foot enough for the man to gulp for air.

Rae recognized the closing, traditional victory pattern when Kellen slowly lowered the rods. Lithely jumping off the table, Kellen resumed her defensive stance, fastening her gaze, intense from barely harnessed emotions, on Armeo. “Very well.”

Rae kept the sidearm directed at Y’sak, while she barked orders into the communicator. “Jacelon to Security. Where the hell is backup?” She didn’t dare take her eyes off Y’sak.

“ETA in thirty seconds, ma’am.” Over the comm system Rae could hear the sound of the security officers running.

“Gemma, how’s the admiral doing?” Rae didn’t dare look for herself.

Y’sak stirred on the table, which gained him a rod across his throat, hovering only millimeters above him. “Don’t move,” Kellen said in a dark, cold voice.

“Just a flesh wound. I can start treating it immediately. How about you, Commodore?” Gemma replied.

“I’m vertical.” Rae glanced at Kellen. “Search him. We don’t want any more surprises.”

Kellen fastened the rods onto her belt and slid her hands along Ensign Y’sak’s tense body. “No more weapons.” Her voice was cold and dull, containing no detectable emotions.

“Sit up, Y’sak. Slowly,” Rae ordered icily. “What the hell’s going on? We’ve trusted you with Armeo…”

“You weren’t supposed to come back!” The young security officer sounded frantic. His pupils were the size of pinheads, and Rae became certain he was under the influence of some drug. “I made sure you wouldn’t return.”

“You sabotaged the
Liberty
.” Rae shook her head in disbelief. Dizzy, she pulled a chair away from the table, grateful to sit down, yet still directing the high-energy weapon toward Y’sak.

“You weren’t supposed to make it to Gantharat.” His voice trembled. “Once you’d failed, the SC Council would’ve demanded we return Armeo to the Onotharians.”

“Why would you do such a thing?”

“It’s your fault she’s dead! If you hadn’t decided to engage in your personal little war…and for what? A brat you’d never seen before! Or a sexy woman half your age? You chose
them
over your own crew, your own people! You betrayed us!”

“You’re out of line, Y’sak.” Rae set her jaw. “Who died?”

Y’sak’s face distorted with obvious pain and rage. “I lost my sister in the battle after the Onotharian vessels decloaked,” he spat.

“Your sister?” Rae tried to think despite the pounding ache. “Only one woman died in the battle. Rosita Sanchez.”