Pioneers: Creation

Nobles, Politics and a Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress

Nobles,  Politics and a Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress


         “Wow.”  Ruki looked back at Davnick to see the rookie staring up at the towering white castle before them, silhouetted by the setting sun.  It was old fashioned stonework made back when the planet was first settled, partially for defense against local ill-equipped farmers, partially for the luxury of vacationing Kerosian brass.  Little had been updated with dozens of towers poking at the sky over a blue-roofed structure spread out across acres upon acres of land.  “I’ve seen taller, but nothing so...grand.”  Ruki gave him an odd look.


         “You’ve never seen the Marble Keep?”


         “Not in person.  Never been to the Cultural City.”  That gave her some surprise.  She laughed.


         “Your first visit to the City of Corruption and you go to break into the Marble Keep,” she cackled.  “How rich!”


         “Well at least I got to spend a night in a fancy hotel first.  I tell ya, spending all your time stuck in a ship is draining.”


         “To you, rookie.  The city has the comforts, the stars have the excitement.”  Davnick shrugged and Ruki looked back up to the Marble Keep.  There truly was too much area to cover, especially for someone who could walk through walls.  The MPG might protect the outer defenses well enough, but they couldn’t protect a solid wall and they refused to guard the interior - something the merc learned when she grew curious the first time she herself caught sight of the great castle.


         It was easy enough to formulate a path in her head and easier still to follow the impromptu plan, flanking the castle to come to the junction between it and Koskov where security for both must have foolishly figured the other group would take care of things. And even if sentient eyes weren’t present it’s not like the cameras and motion trackers could see through solid ground.


         ‘Too many politics in too many things,’ she thought to herself.  ‘Makes for big holes where they’re needed most.’  Soon enough she and Davnick were walking through the decorated walls of the Marble Keep and mapping out their newest residence for until whenever the job was done.


-------------------------


         It had taken more than a day for Malcom to become reacquainted with his home, but once he did he became infinitely more relaxed.  Here in his mansion-sized room within the Marble Keep was where he belonged with all his guards and all of the great castle to protect him from whatever evils might try to do him wrong.  The only thing which gave him discomfort was the fact that Yenshin was no longer by is side at all times, though it was of little enough concern.  In any case the comforts here were too much for the worries to be a bother for long.


         ‘Some comforts more than others,’ Aiston thought as the needle was pushed under his skin.  The valimine, or “second sight” as many lessers called it, quickly pumped through his blood and took effect, numbing and relaxing the senses while quickening his thoughts to a racing speed.  The world grew dull while his thoughts raced by.  It was...exhilarating.


         “How princely,” a voice dulled by the drug cut through his mind.  Aiston slowly looked around until his eyes caught the blurred forms of Ruki and her pet.


         “What do you want, woman?” Aiston forced out with a tongue that felt as heavy as gold.


         “We just arrived and wanted to stop by for a chat,” she said in a voice so deep and slow it sounded like something out of a dream.  “But I see we interrupted something far more interesting than a chat, hmm?”


         “Valimine, it looks like,” the Cecile boy commented.  He sure had a strange voice when it was deepened as such...


         “Do not make me repeat myself, pirate,” Aiston threatened.  She made some strange noise then which he guessed was laughter.


         “Don’t get your robes in a twirl.  I needed to know the layout here.  Now, is there anything I should know or do you want to wait for a time when you’re not high?”  Malcom felt his face go red even through the numbed sensations of his body.


         “Tell me where you are residing and leave immediately,” he said with poison on his tongue.


         “Got a pen, Dav?  I don’t trust our employer to remember much of this.”  Malcom nearly gasped at the insult.  Before this was over he would kill her, no question.


         The blurred black form of Cecile spread out his arms and said, “Nope.  Nothing.”  Ruki’s form walked around the room a bit, stopping to rummage around a bare desk that would be covered in paperwork and files by the next day.


         “Ah.  Here we are,” she said.  She made a move as if scribbling something down then turned back to him.  “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take my leave, my lord.”  The God-awful sounding laugh rumbled through the air again.  Malcom blinked, but when he opened his eyes once more they were gone.  The noble shook his head.


         ‘Was it a dream?’ he asked himself as he scanned the blurry room.


         The next day he would wake up with a fogged mind and a piece of paper with writing on it which he had no recollection of.  He read it over and over again and wondered when the pirate had slipped into his room to deliver the message.


         11158 South Tower - R


-------------------------


         Two slashes and a block.  One slash, three blocks.  One feint, a block and a jab.  Heads all around watched the show.  They all wanted to see the new guy, the unconventional one.


         Two more blocks and another slash.


         Some looked on in interest, even wonder.  Most, however, shared an expression of distaste.


         A block, two jabs, three more blocks, two slashes and a jab.


         ‘Who is this guy?’ Kenshi knew they wondered.  ‘This person who tested so well, had such an extensive background, and yet has little fluidity to his movements - no readily apparent skill.’  He was unknown to them, simple as that.  He would be hated during his stay and admired by few.  He only hoped that wouldn’t play with his chances of getting into the Cindelliac Ball - or at least a section of the keep with some sort of access to Malcom’s side of the place.


         Five quick blocks and a fast horizontal cut.


         “End program,” he called out and the sparring sphere stopped it’s jagged movements, holstered it’s training weapons and flew back to storage with the rest of the spheres.  Not as good as a person, but Kenshi didn’t feel like hunting for a willing sparring partner.


         The crowd around him quickly dispensed, some scowling as they walked away.  He’d yet to prove himself to most, he guessed.  No matter.  Pride wasn’t a factor in this.  Holstering the training swords, Kenshi walked to the equipment racks to stow the few items he had taken.


         ‘Wish I was back on Qucksilver,’ he thought idly.  ‘Better training equipment, fewer people to deal with and a more comfortable bed.’  Couldn’t happen, though.  He needed to stay in the castle as long as he remained else screw his chances for Cindelliac.  Besides, he needed to try and keep tabs on Malcom.  At least the rooms were better than most he’d stayed in during his 28 years of life.  Whoever built the Marble Keep had comfort and luxury in mind, no doubt.  Gave him a reasonable night’s sleep.


         “At attention!” Gerald’s familiar voice called across the training grounds.  Everybody immediately stopped what they were doing, holstered their training weapons, turned toward the source of the voice and stood up straight with their heads held high and their hands behind their backs.  Kenshi followed suit and noticed two figures walked behind the overly friendly GA, both dressed in formal robes more expensive than anything he was like to wear anytime in his life.


         ‘The Emperor,’ Kenshi realized with some surprise.  Others looked how he felt, but he noticed they were all disciplined enough not to whisper or murmur in his presence.  And beside the handsome blonde ruler...a young woman, easy on the eyes.  Beautiful, really.


         “Desmond, Jerro!” Gerald called, his voice devoid of it’s usual pleasantry.  Kenshi stepped up to the trio gaining heated looks from the other MPGs.  “Desmond, you  missed your meeting and were not found inside your room,” Gerald said with a bit of a scowl.  Apparently he’d rubbed off on the man too badly.  But why was Berin Midolloni standing in front of him then?  And what meeting was he talking about?  Some sort of process he was unaware of?


         “I was training, sir,” Kenshi replied calmly, looking the GA in the eye.  Gerald looked to the floor.


         “You were called upon for a meeting in the emperor’s office last night for 8:00 this morning.  It is past 9:00.”


         “I received no call,” Kenshi rasped cooly.  Inside, though, his mind was racing and his guts were churning.  Was this sonofabitch actually gonna try and screw him out of the job just like that?


         “A mistake then,” the emperor spoke up, clearly sensing the tension.  “No problem, we can conduct our business here.  You are Jerro Desmond, no?”  Kenshi nodded.


         “Yes sir.”


         “Good, good.  I am Berin Midolloni and this,” he waved to the girl who looked more than a little nervous by is side, “is my daughter Alanya.”


         “Hi,” she said mildly.  Kenshi nodded to her and looked back at the emperor expectantly.  It was Gerald who spoke instead.


         “The emperor has decided upon hiring you as his daughter’s bodyguard.”  Kenshi looked from the GA to the daughter then back to the emperor.


         “It would be an honor, sir.”  At that Berin Midolloni cracked into a large grin.


         “You say that now, Desmond.  Or shall I call you Jerro?”  He suddenly had the feeling this man was more like Gerald than he wished.  He hoped desperately he was wrong.


         “Whatever your preference is.”  The emperor nodded and took a quick glance at his daughter.


         “Is there anything you will be needing for this job?  Anything at all?”  Kenshi too looked back at the girl and gave her a long look.  She bit her lip and looked all the more nervous, but said nothing.


         “Not so much needed, but a room as close to hers as possible and a spare key to her room could only help.”  Gerald looked outraged.  Apparently it was taboo to ask a ruler for something.


         “You will get none of these you ungrateful...”


         “It will be done,” Berin interrupted, ignoring Gerald completely.  Good.  Not like him after all.  “When can you start?”


         “Immedi...” Gerald started, but was interrupted by Kenshi this time.


         “If given a room and key today it would be most convenient to start tonight.  I could become more familiar with her area in the meantime.”  Gerald was looking like he could burst, but the emperor spoke before the GA could say anything.


         “Very good.  I will have Gerald drop off your new room key as well as my daughter’s later.”  He stuck out his hand and Kenshi took it firmly, careful not to use too much strength and break the ruler of the galaxy’s fingers.  “A pleasure, Jerro Desmond.”  Kenshi stuck out his hand to Alanya next and the girl took it timidly, her small, soft fingers barely holding onto his stronger ones.


         Once she let go the emperor turned around and led her out of the grounds, an irritable Gerald following only after sending Kenshi a scathing look.  The Terran glanced around at the dozens of fellow MPGs, many looking outraged themselves and one or two seemingly intrigued.  He spared them little notice, walking back to his quarters to re-pack and prepare for his newest assignment.


-------------------------


         Alanya was forced awake early in the morning by a messenger bot knocking urgently at her door.  Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, she closed the door behind the small floating black ball and sat down on her bed.


         “What does he want now?” she asked he machine irritably.  It responded by sending out a hologram of her father’s worried face just above it’s shiny surface.


         “Alanya, the meeting with your bodyguard is in 15 minutes!” he said quickly.  She looked over at the alarm clock.  7:46.  Crap!  The alarm didn’t go off!  “You cannot miss this!  God, I hope you aren’t still in bed.”  The hologram shut off and the messenger went to waiting patiently for the door to open again, but Alanya wasn’t paying attention.  Nearly ripping off her pajamas she jumped into the shower, rinsed herself with water she didn’t give time to adjust, threw herself beneath a drier and dressed as quickly as she could in the undergarments and the formal robes her father had told her to set aside last night.  She checked a mirror quickly, combing her fingers through straight, soft hair and slipped on a pair of formal slippers before racing for the door, opening it and nearly crushing the messenger bot as she slammed it shut.


         A record must have been made when Alanya made it to her father’s office, out of breath and with a stitch in her side.  Father raised an eyebrow, but Gerald did his best not to notice the spent princess.  Jerro Desmond was nowhere in sight.  Composing herself and smoothing out her robes, Alanya strode into the room to sit next to her father.


         “Almost late, Alanya,” he said with a relieved smile.  She checked the clock on the desk.  7:59.


         “Almost,” she breathed with a grin, still winded. Father, allowing her to catch her breath, turned to Gerald.


         “Tell us more about this Lt. Desmond.  You’ve said he is unconventional and lacks a pleasant personality, but what else?”  Gerald looked like he’d just gotten the best present ever, the way he was looking at her father.  Still, his voice kept that freakishly friendly tone.


         “He is quiet, my Emperor.  I daresay cold.  Even a touch insulting at times.”


         “But you did say he is good with a sword.”


         “Two swords,” Gerald corrected.  “And....guns.”  He said the word like it was a curse.


         “But he’s proficient?”


         “Proficient, yes.  Or perhaps he caught the testers by surprise.  He is one of 22 men in the history of the MPG to incapacitate all the testers.”  At the look of confusion on her and her father’s faces Gerald explained.  “We must of course personally test the MPG before they can become bodyguards.  Many complete tests before coming to the Marble Keep, but Guard Administrators have a tradition of assigning a few minor tests themselves, the last of which has the would-be bodyguard facing nine trainees with guns and plasma swords mixed between them all the while trying to protect a single hologram.”


         “And he beat them?” father said with something like awe in his voice.  She couldn’t entirely blame him.  “I’m jealous of you,” he remarked, glancing at Alanya with a grin.


         “The last to do so well was Lyle Yenshin.”  That wiped the smile off father’s face.


         “Well I’m sure our Desmond won’t prove to be so...corrupt.  Malcom is a bad influence.”  Gerald merely frowned.


         “He’s late,” the GA said.  Alanya checked the clock.  8:02.  “I apologize, my Emperor.  Such an insult from my men is akin to an insult from me.”  Alanya withheld a giggle at the absurdity of that.  Father let his laugh ring loud and clear, however.


         “It’s no worry, Gerald.  Two minutes is little enough.”  But then half an hour later father was frowning as well.


         “My Emperor, I am so very, very sorry.  This is nothing short of an outrage.  Shall I fetch him from his quarters?  Or should you like to find another bodyguard for your daughter?”  Maybe it was just her, but his voice sounded more than a little hopeful just then.


         “No, no.  We’ll find an explanation for this at his room,” father replied standing up.  It occurred to her once more how truly worried he was for her safety.  She couldn’t otherwise imagine father taking the time to visit a simple bodyguard late for an appointment.


         The walk was a long one.  Whoever had issued this man his room had given him a far corner of the castle - one where elevators must have been considered unnecessary.  By the time they reached the top of the circular tower Desmond was stationed all three were winded and Alanya suddenly couldn’t blame the man for being so late.


         Gerald was the one to step up and knock on the door.  Seconds later when there was no answer the knocking resumed.  When there was still no answer he looked back to give Father a helpless look then knocked once more.  No reply.


         “I am sorry, my Emperor.  I do not know where he has gone.”  Father was about to respond when a door behind the three opened and another MPG stepped out.  He took one surprised look at Father and bowed so low Alanya was afraid he might fall over.


         “Fencer, do you know where Desmond went off to?” Gerald asked.  Fencer looked nervous, probably for so suddenly having to speak in the emperor’s presence, but managed a response nonetheless.


         “He...he was in the training grounds earlier, but I don’t know if he’s still there.”  Gerald turned back to Father and she noticed her dad looked very unhappy suddenly.  Alanya couldn’t blame him.  Walking all the way up here...she was annoyed herself.


         “Would you like to still meet him, my Emperor, or should I prepare a different bodyguard?”


         “Yes, I do believe I’d like to hear what the man has to say for himself.  Lead the way, Gerald.”


         The long walk to the training grounds was easier than the one to Desmond’s quarters, though that might have been because of the annoyance surging through her.  All three were winded when they finally reached the nearest elevator to the grounds and started the short ride down.  As soon as the doors were open, Gerald cleared his throat and strode forward a few paces.


         “At attention!” his voice echoed around the large room and everyone stopped what they were doing to stand stiff-backed in a position of respect towards the three of them.  The trio all took a glance around to find the missing MPG.  “Desmond, Jerro!” Gerald yelled when they were unsuccessful, his voice angry.  It was odd to hear him talk without that overly friendly tone. 


         Thoughts of Gerlad’s voice was the last thing on her mind, however, when Lt. Jerro Desmond stepped up to them.  Statistics on a file could tell you everything to know about a man, but seeing him in person was a leap of a difference.  The man was huge.  And the unemotional expression...it made him frightening, if not for the many guards situated around them.  As she examined him she thought she saw a small bit of stubble across the man’s bald head, but she knew she must be seeing things.  The man’s hair was too dark and nobody she knew would want the shiny bald head with a thin beard style this guy had going.  But then again, this guy made it look intimidating.


         “Desmond, you  missed your meeting and were not found inside your room,” Gerald said, cutting through her thoughts.  His tone was pure contempt and Alanya wondered what this man had done to gain this much hate from someone so insanely friendly.


         “I was training, sir,” Desmond replied in a quiet rasp of a voice.  He stared coldly at the GA and Alanya noticed the superior look away.


         “You were called upon for a meeting in the emperor’s office last night for 8:00 this morning.  It is past 9:00.”


         “I received no call.”  No change of expression was clear on the man, though Alanya suddenly sensed anger as if it were emanating from the tall Terran.


         “A mistake then,” her father spoke up.  He must have noticed as well.  She saw he didn’t look annoyed any longer.  “No problem, we can conduct our business here.  You are Jerro Desmond, no?”  Desmond nodded.


         “Yes sir.”


         “Good, good.  I am Berin Midolloni and this is my daughter Alanya,” Father said, waving a hand toward her.


         “Hi,” was all she responded with.  Desmond gave her a simple nod and looked back at her father.  Gerald spoke instead.


         “The emperor has decided upon hiring you as his daughter’s bodyguard.”  The Terran glanced at each of them in turn.


         “It would be an honor, sir.”  She saw her father smile and she felt her own lips quirk, but held back her grin in front of this emotionless man.


         “You say that now, Desmond.  Or shall I call you Jerro?”


         ‘Why is father being so friendly with him all of the sudden?  Wasn’t this the man who had him walking all over the castle for an hour of his own time?’ Alanya wondered.


         “Whatever your preference is,” was the rasped, robotic response.  Father nodded and looked back at her for a moment.


         “Is there anything you will be needing for this job?  Anything at all?”  Desmond gave her a long, hard look, not saying anything for a moment which seemed to last forever.  She bit her lip to keep the nervousness from the look out of her face.  He turned back to Father.


         “Not so much needed, but a room as close to hers as possible and a spare key to her room could only help.”  Gerald looked about to explode with that one.


         “You will get none of these you ungrateful...”


         “It will be done,” Father interrupted, ignoring the GA coldly.  She was definitely missing something here.  “When can you start?”


         “Immedi...” Gerald started, but now it was Desmond’s turn to interrupt.


         “If given a room and key today it would be most convenient to start tonight.  I could become more familiar with her area in the meantime.”  Gerald was about to go into a fit, but Father spoke first.


         “Very good.  I will have Gerald drop off your new room key as well as my daughter’s later.”  With that, Father reached out his hand and Desmond took it, shaking once before letting go.  “A pleasure, Jerro Desmond.”  The bodyguard reached out his hand to Alanya next and she took it nervously, feeling the thick fingers grip hers firmly yet gently.  She let go after a second and turned to find her father walking away already.  She stepped quickly to follow. 


         Seconds later she, Father and Gerald were packed once more into the elevator.  They stayed silent the entire ride and Alanya took the time to observe that Gerald looked very unhappy for whatever reason.  When the doors opened the three turned to each other.


         “I will have the new keys sent to Desmond immediately, my Emperor,” the GA strained to say.


         “Very good.  Thank you for your help, Gerald,” Father said, turning before any reply could be made and walking off.  Alanya followed.


         “You were very shy today,” her father said after a moment.


         “I hate meetings,” she said.  He chuckled.  “What happened back there, Daddy?”  The Emperor of Midolloni frowned.


         “Gerald disliked the man and so used his limited power to disgrace him in my eyes and get rid of him.  He failed.”  Alanya scrunched up her face.


         “And what if I don’t like him?”  Father stopped and stared down thoughtfully at her for a moment before responding.


         “You don’t yet know him,” he said, continuing his walk.


         “He doesn’t seem very pleasant.”


         “I doubt most Terrans would be.”  He turned to look at her.  “That man realized what has happened today.  He will be thankful to us - to you - in the future.  And if he’s unconventional he might just let you get away with the things other bodyguards would all but forcibly keep you from doing.”  Alanya thought over this for a moment.  She didn’t like it any better.


-------------------------


         The chamber was dark as always, pitch black except for the 20 holograms which made a semicircle around General Yserrin.  Elders of the Sventh.  Corpses tired of blood ruling a race wanting blood.  It was difficult to hide his sneer.  The two ends held the youngest of the group, former Generals the both of them.  They became older the nearer to the center they sat, the oldest being a tiny pale Sventh, wrinkled a worn and as quiet as he was old.  The Magar - eldest of Elders.  Uriel Tsenn.


         “We have reviewed Emperor Berin Midolloni’s request, General Yserrin,” the wrinkled Elder to the left of Tsenn slowly said.


         “You are to assist Emperor Berin Midolloni in the greatest way you see fit,” said the Elder to the right.


         “This is not a request to ignore.  This is very dangerous to us should you or Emperor Berin Midolloni fail.”  This one was someone off to Yserrin’s left.


         “What has been requested of me?” he asked.


         “To retrieve information stolen from Midolloni and to give it back to Emperor Berin Midolloni.”  Now to the right.


         “The titan is a threat again, though not by Midolloni’s hand.”  Again, somewhere off to the left.


         “An unknown enemy.  Unknown but for two who work for them.”  Now someone to the right.


         “Ruki is a dangerous foe to have.”  Again to the left.


         “And Kenshi Tamaki a mystery perhaps more deadly than Ruki herself.”  The one to Tsenn’s left.


         “They hold information of this deadliest of weapons.” Somewhere to the right.


         “And it is unknown where they hide.”  To the right once more.


         “We cannot know yet if the information has reached it’s source.”  The far left.


         “But we must assume the worst.  The data from the Titan must be retrieved.”  The one to Tsenn’s right.


         “It will be taken care of,” Yserrin said, staring only at Tsenn.


         “Do not fail,” the one to Tsenn’s left said and the holograms faded out.  Altogether the lights of the room came back on, leaving the General’s eyes to focus once more on the black wall of the chamber.  He took his time turning around and striding back into the corridor.  The captain was waiting as he was ordered.


         “Bring Major Nell to my chamber, Captain.”  The Sventh hissed in respect and went off to find the traitor.  Yserrin kept his slow stride until he reached his personal quarters where he gazed in waiting at the stars of home.


         ‘Corpses and cowards.  To give such a weapon back to Midolloni...such power it could bring us.  And they are content to play the well-trained pet.  Corpses.  Cowards.  Fools.’  The door slid open with an electric hum.  Yserrin turned to see the bulky frame of Nell standing at attention, waiting for the General to speak first.


         “Major Nell, information was stolen from the Titan.  It is most likely in the hands of two beings named Ruki and Kenshi Tamaki.  Do whatever is necessary to bring it back to my hands.  Do not come back until you have the information.”  Nell hissed in understanding and acceptance.  “Dismissed.”


         The hybrid walked from the room and the ship.  Whether he returned or not was unimportant.  To be rid of the disgrace or to have in his possession plans for a ship greater than any other.  The General smiled.


-------------------------


         Days were long when all your time was spent preparing.  And besides a couple quick meals, that’s really all Kenshi had done.


         First up had been a trip to an old gadget storeroom for the MPG he doubted had been touched in months, if not years.  Trackers, transmitters and motion trackers had been grabbed right off the bat, along with a scouter since he’d declined to bring one from Quicksilver.  The girl wasn’t his primary objective here, but he had a job to do if things were to get done.  And that meant keeping tabs on her.  For the Malcom job, however, an old A/V recorder and a couple minuscule mics some GA must have once thought useful were all he picked up.


         When he arrived back at his room it had been a pleasant welcoming to find a spare key to the girl’s room as well as one to his own new one.  Somehow whoever had set this all up - Gerald, he was sure, held too much contempt for him to do any favors - had even managed to get him a room right beside hers.


         The next two hours had been all about moving things from one room to another.  It only took two trips with all the clothing and equipment, but the walk was long and unpacking was a hassle, as always.  To further good fortune, the rooms in the area looked to be suites.  Sized to a small house and more comfortable than anything he’d known save perhaps his newly renovated bedroom aboard Quicksilver.


         Another hour was taken walking the corridors around the room, becoming acquainted with what he needed to know about the layout of the castle.  The place was a labyrinth at first glance.  Corridors twisting every which way with little in terms of directions to keep you straight.  There was a method to the madness, however, and Kenshi soon found the keep patterned the same layout over and over then connected the pattern to a few central corridors.  At least the walk was kept from boredom by the wide selection of prize art scattered about the walls and courtyards.  Briefly he had to wonder if anyone truly knew the value of the Marble Keep.


         Manual labor finished, Kenshi had snuck in a quick dinner with his temporary home’s materializer before heading off to meet the girl and set up for the job.  It was after 7:00 when he was finally standing in front of her door in a black suit and white shirt with a striped black and white tie he’d taken with him from his ship and an AC pistol holstered at the small of his back next to two plasma swords he’d taken from a weapons locker the day before.  Dress code required MPG bodyguards to wear formal clothes when on the job so he’d settled with the suit over the bundles of robes he’d always found annoying to move in.


         Two knocks and five seconds waiting had the door opening with a nervous-looking Alanya Midolloni on the other side, now dressed in a casual sweatshirt and shorts.


         “Hi,” she said simply, looking at a complete loss for anything else to say.


         “Yo.”  There was a long silence.  “Mind if I come in?”


         “Sure,” she said, beckoning him inside and closing the door shut behind him.  “So what happens now?” she asked nervously.  Kenshi looked at her then started taking in the room around him.  Somewhat messy, but otherwise identical to his own.  Signs of extended use.  A bit of dust, built up plates and laundry she’d yet to properly store.  She’d lived here for awhile.  “I mean, are you just gonna follow me around all the time or...how does this work?”  He looked at her again and she seemed to shrink under his gaze.


         “You’re frightened.”  She bit her lip and shook her head in the negative.  ‘Probably didn’t help matters much,’ he scolded himself.  Kenshi gave her a small smile.


         “I’m around to make sure you’re safe.  If you want me to be by your side at all times I will.  If you want me to stay back I will keep track of you and stay out of your business.  I only ask that you allow me to be at your side in public.  You want to reach me, you can use this,” he handed her a transmitter the size of a small phone.  “One button to call me over, another for emergencies.  Would be good to keep this on you at all times.  Any questions?”  She shook her head no, looking a bit relieved.


         ‘Heh,’ he thought.  ‘No idea if this is even close to how these guys work.  As long as I look like I know what I’m doing and don’t get anyone asking questions.  Only need to last for a week.’


         Kenshi took one last look around the room before heading toward the door.  Opening it, he stopped at the entrance and turned around, subtly placing a motion detector - smaller in size than half a fingernail and as clear as a window - on the frame as he did so.


         “See you around, princess,” was all he said.  Not waiting for a reply, he closed the door behind him and walked across the hall toward his room.


-------------------------


         “One more day down and no closer than when we came,” Davnick said as he undressed himself for sleep.


         “Tamaki won’t leave until he makes a move,” Ruki replied, making sure to use his last name.  She still figured the less he knew the better.  Actual proof getting out that she was more than rivals with Kenshi would be annoying, to say the least.  ‘But you’re not...’


         “What do you think his plan is?  Any idea?”


         “Who knows.  Hell, he might not be on the damn planet.”  Davnick shot her a startled look.  The pirate sat back onto a chair in a corner of the room, content to hold off sleep for a little while more.  “Doubt it, though.  My bet is he’ll show his face during Cindelliac somehow.  A big display to discredit Malcom.”  Davnick paused before asking his next question.


         “What’s to say he hasn’t turned in whatever Malcom wants already?  It’d be simpler, wouldn’t it?”  Ruki chuckled.


         “Oh no.  In fact, I’d say it’d make things more complicated.  He’ll hand it to someone trustworthy in person.  Wouldn’t dare chance setting it on someone’s desk or some such where it could be taken back again.  In any case, he’ll wait.  Malcom’s prize shows up it’ll cause commotion.  Commotion comes about, Malcom becomes even more careful.  Then Tamaki’s job gets tougher.”  Davnick thought on it a moment.  Finally he nodded and started taking off his pants.


         “Wanna go for a quickie?” he asked with a glance and a devilish smile.  Ruki forced a small grin of her own to her lips and shook her head.


         “As tempting as that sounds, not now.”  Davnick shrugged and went under the covers.


         “So six days left,” he said.


         “Yep.”


         “Think we’ll find him before then?”


         “Maybe.”  Once more he paused.


         “Think we’ll make a move before then?”  Ruki turned to catch the rookie’s eye.  Here was a smart one.


         “No.”  Another long pause.


         “This isn’t about Malcom at all, is it.”  It wasn’t a question.


         “Malcom has his uses, as few as they are.  But he won’t get out of this unscathed.  What happens beyond that, I don’t know and I don’t care.”


         “I see...”


         “You worried you’ll go down with him?”


         “I have no idea what to expect,” Davnick replied, adjusting himself on the bed.  “I’m for a few winks right now.  See you in the morning.”  With that, the rookie leaned over to switch off his lamp and settled himself in.  Minutes later his breathing slowed and Ruki knew she was alone.


         Standing up from the chair, Ruki pulled her arms back and stretched.  That done she walked to the nearest window and looked out across the castle.  Not much of a view, but then it wasn’t exactly the best room in the place.  They’d searched the Marble Keep extensively before finding the most isolated area they could and finally set up shop.  Result was a fairly small room only made decent by the luxuries someone had decided to spend on it just so whoever built the place could say that even the simplest rooms were comfortable.  Not that she was complaining or anything.


         Few lights flickered and fewer stars shined in the cloudy night.  Cindelliac was always thrown during full moons - gave it a romantic atmosphere, nobles liked to say - but the clouds were too dense to make head or tale of where it was.  Looked like the weather station planned for rain the next couple days.  She wondered if that had been set up by the nobles as well.  A nice dew on everything to make it all seem so magical.  She wouldn’t put it past them.  Nobles liked their simple luxuries.


         Turning around, Ruki contemplated what to do with her time during the coming hours while she waited for drowsiness to come.  Then her eye caught onto Ally’s package.  Ruki cocked her head, finding it strange she only just now had become curious about it.


         ‘Other things on my mind,’ she reminded herself.  Her thoughts started to swing back to their normal path of the last few days, but she quickly concentrated on the package once more.


         It didn’t look like much; just a white rectangular box.  Seemed like something you’d get out of a clothing store, honestly, though knowing Ally it was probably some huge death ray or bomb or whatever.  She contemplated the wisdom of opening it for all of three seconds before curiosity became too much.  Tearing the paper latches and folds which held the box together, Ruki had the cardboard in pieces within seconds and was looking at the contents in confusion.


         ‘What the hell...?’  She fingered the material awkwardly until her hand strayed across a decorated square card.  ‘What is all this?’


         The answer came upon her as she read the card and right then, despite all the trouble Ally had caused, Ruki couldn’t help but loving the damnable scientist.


-------------------------


         It was well into afternoon the following day when Berin Midolloni excused the visiting Gendoleth councilman from his office and leaned back into his chair with a low groan.  The nobles were pouring in now and half of them were requesting to see him.  Damn him for allowing one to come in, now everyone knew they had the right.


         “General Yserrin here to see you, Emperor,” the old secretary called over the speaker.  Yserrin already?  The Elders must have reached a decision quickly.  Not like they had much choice.  Sventh were on a road to extinction the way they made enemies.


         “Allow him in in two, Dedores.”  He needed a good break before dealing with the grouchy lizard.


         Sliding open a drawer to his desk, the Emperor took out a simple hip flask, unscrewed the top and upended a long swig from the strong alcohol inside.  He felt the liquid burn down is throat and settle into his stomach warmly then, taking a moment to relish the warmth, screwed the top back on and slid the flask back into the drawer.  A minute later Yserrin came stalking through the door.


         “I’m surprised to see you back so soon, General Yserrin.  Have you brought news from your Elders?”  Berin watched the gigantic armored lizard flare his nostrils and realized with embarrassment the good general could probably smell the alcohol on him.  Yserrin made no comment, fortunately.


         “The Elders have agreed with your proposal, Emperor Berin Midolloni.”


         “Then what is being done about the situation?”


         “This is for only our kind to know.  Assist you we will, but we are not a race to divulge our own methods.”


         “I don’t understand how this is assistance, General Yserrin.  You plan on keeping us uninformed during all this?”  Yserrin sneered.


         “Anything you must know we will share with you, but you will never know any more than this.”


         “Understood.”


         “I must leave.  The smell here is revolting,” Yserrin hissed and stalked back out without another word, leaving Berin to scowl behind his desk.  Finally he sighed and rested his face in his hand.


         ‘Better than nothing, at least,’ he thought depressingly.


-------------------------


         Crowds around Malcom’s room were surprisingly thick.  Nothing like the streets outside, of course, but considering the rest of the enormous castle, this was a relative population center.  Most of it was children running around with each other, preparing to play in the courtyards as if it were a hotel they were visiting.  Only a few were adults, many surprisingly young for nobles.  Kenshi guessed the Cindelliac Ball had a greater attraction to the younger crowd.


         Leaning up against the walls, Kenshi watched them all pass silently, staking out Malcom’s room from a good 25 meters away.  The man had holed up in there all day, only the rare noble or MPG coming in and out for whatever reason.  Kenshi had tried to keep the stakeout going as much as he could, however the Alanya job was quickly becoming an annoying distraction.


         He freely admitted the girl stayed inside her own room more than he could have hoped for, perhaps too much for her own good, but three times now he’d been jerked away from the stakeout by the motion detector going off at his side, signaling the girl was leaving her room.  He’d kept his word and kept his distance, but being caught away from the girl was a sure way for him to lose his job and his chance for Malcom.


         ‘And what then?  Kill him?  Damn girl can lose me a lead, but if I ignore her I’ll be throwing any leads right down the trash.’


         Any further thoughts were cut short when Malcom exited the room, his bodyguard Yenshin in tow.  People gave the famed 11th prince awkward looks as he and his bodyguard parted through them and left for what was probably dinner.  Kenshi smirked to himself.


         Showtime.


         Thick as the crowd was, few gave him looks as he jacked open the room’s panel and let the bypass pad do its thing.  Just a well-dressed repair man doing work in the corridor, they probably thought.  Nothing like a break-in could happen here in the heart of Midolloni.


         The door slid open, the key panel closed shut.  Next to him an alarm system counted down from 10, urging whoever entered to type in some key code or be locked in until the MPG arrived.  Kenshi popped it open with a knife while the door slid shut, connected a wire to the bypass pad and keyed in the palm-sized machine in his hand.  The countdown stopped.


         Pocketing the knife and bypass pad, Kenshi took the time for a quick glance around the place.  Big was an understatement.  He’d had no idea the rooms here could be like this.


         ‘Strange how some minor princeling gets a mansion while the second princess has a mere bed and bath.  A damn good one, but still...”  He looked at the intricate red and black painting designs on the walls.  ‘Malcom put a lot of money into this place.  A lotta bribes too, I bet.’


         Awe out of the way, Kenshi made a quick scan of the entire area.  Living room, study, entertainment room, guard quarters, bedroom, two bathrooms, two kitchens and a faux nature room complete with holograms, sounds and smell dispensers.  All huge.


         ‘Can cross out the bathrooms, kitchens, guard quarters and nature room.  Living and entertainment rooms probably won’t have anything lest some guard stumbles upon something and the bedroom won’t likely have much lest a maid or nightly fix finds something.  Not unless there’s a safe, that is.  Study’s the best bet,’ he reasoned quickly.


         The study itself was surprisingly one of the smallest rooms in the area.  Not like that was saying much, it still being just a few shades smaller than his living room aboard Quicksilver, but it still was dwarfed by the rest of the “room”.  Books lined a half dozen shelves, various expensive items, artwork electronics or both, collected along surfaces and papers piled along a huge desk backed by an incredible chair and some original painting hanging from the wall.


         ‘And cigars,’ Kenshi thought with a smirk.  A thin box of thick cigars sitting right on top of the desk.  Picking the box up, Kenshi opened the lid and took a long whiff.  ‘Rum tipped, sweet and spicy,’ he thought pleasantly.  Kenshi quickly closed the box and stashed them inside his coat.


         Paperwork was first to be checked.  Various reports from fellow nobles were most common, financial obligations of one sort or another being next popular.  A few were personal letters from various nobles, but they were nothing but formalities.  Malcom had nothing of importance sitting here.


         The drawers were the same.  Old records, but nothing which would interest the MMC.  Might be the financials could point out some flaws in payments, but Malcom had too good a history in explaining such things away.  There were no safes, hidden or otherwise to be found in the room, nothing but legitimate paperwork.  Paperwork and...


         “Valimine?” Kenshi whispered, picking up the long tubes of a clear, slightly blue substance out of a previously locked drawer.  ‘Interesting, but it won’t tie him up long.  Drug charges would be little more than an annoyance.  There’s nothing in here.  Hopefully he keeps something in his bedroom.’


         Little luck was to be had there either, unfortunately.  There’d been a safe, sure enough, but a bypass pad, a knife, a little rewiring and a good kick later and he’d found himself with nothing but dust.


         ‘Shit.  Either Malcom keeps everything wrapped tight in his head or...’  Kenshi stared into the dusty safe.  ‘SHIT!!!’ he thought, drawing his gun and looking around the room.  Nothing there.  No setup.  ‘Malcom’s been tipped off somehow.  Cleared house until he’s clear.  Fuck.  All I can hope for now is that he left something behind.  Maybe a guard got a hold of something, wanted to boost his paycheck or...’


         A beeping interrupted the current line of thought and Kenshi pulled out a small black display box from his pocket.  Motion detector went off.  Alanya was off again, damn her.  Kenshi would have to forget searching the mansion unless he felt like going another day doing a stakeout.  And there was no time to place any bugs...


         ‘Fuck!’  Putting a second detector on the upper frame of the front door, Kenshi hurried into the crowded hallway and toward Alanya’s isolated quarters.  ‘A day wasted,’ he thought with a grimace.  But then he looked toward the transmitter for the newest motion detector.  ‘Almost.’


-------------------------


         Rain hammered down outside, but the soundproofing of the restraunt kept only the gentle murmur of people and the soft orchestra of music playing inside.


         Although the food materializers and chefs within the Marble Keep were top of the line, Aiston Malcom had long ago learned the delicacies of restraunts outside the castle could match, sometimes even surpass, those of the excellent chefs and machines.


         People stared - most of them nobles, others likely those who’d seen him in the news somewhere along the line.  Aiston simply ignored them.  If anybody tried to so much as approach him today he had Yenshin standing behind him until they arrived back at the keep and others from the MPG relieved him.  None of this was of interest to the noble at the moment, however.  What was of interest was one Lieutenant Cedric Rykov, tall Nidathu, handsome man, wide-eyed young man and aide to one Commander Burlai.


         “This is a very nice restraunt.  I must thank you for inviting me,” Rykov said as he cut a small slice from his rysna steak.  Aiston smiled back at him after swallowing a nibble of his own lightly seasoned and breaded shrimp.


         “It is my pleasure.  Those of the military these days should be given all the comforts they well deserve.”  Rykov’s handsome features beamed at that.  “Please enjoy your food.  Thanks are for noblemen such as myself to give.”  The aide was happy to comply and all but devoured the thick red meat.  Aiston was given the impression the man had never touched such high quality food.  It would make this easier.  He lifted another shrimp to his mouth delicately.


         “Still, I am curious to know why you have chosen me to accompany you here.  Why not Commander Burlai?  I’m sure he’d be much better company.”


         “The good commander has his work cut out for him chasing such dangerous figures and dealing with the likes of our Emperor.  I give him my compliments by treating his men well.”


         “I’ll make sure your compliment is well received,” Rykov said with that wide smile of his.  Silence broke out as both men resumed their eating.  Malcom took the opportunity to lean forward in toward the man.


         “I truly would like to help, my friend.  In such dangerous times the military should not need to work alone,” Aiston said.  Rykov swallowed his food.


         “What do you mean?”


         “I mean let me help you.  The men of the military like to keep so quiet about everything these days and it keeps men such as myself from providing help any way we could.”  The Nindathu looked curiously at him.


         “How would you be able to help?”


         “I have taken the time to form many contacts throughout the galaxy.  Some admittedly less...morally bound than men such as ourselves, but they can be of assistance - if they know what to look for.”


         “I’m not sure Commander Burlai would like that...”


         “Oh posh.  All great leaders like their secrets.  Do the man a favor: you tell me what you can, I tell you what I can and we’ll keep this arrangement to ourselves.  I am sure Commander Burlai would love to have his aide come upon valuable information for him.”  Rykov’s eyes lit up like strobe lights.  The man was his.


         “That sounds good.  Yeah.  Sounds reasonable.”


         “Good, good.  Now first we must talk business of the item stolen.”  Rykov’s handsome head bobbed up and down quickly, his blonde hair reflecting light as if it were gold, furthering the image of blind innocence.  “It would be terribly unfortunate to regain this item at some point only to have it stolen again or, perhaps just as terrible, have it destroyed.  There is currently one known copy of the item and for it to be lost could be catastrophic.”  Again, the aide bobbed his head enthusiastically.  “It is for this reason I ask that when you do finally regain this item you, in complete secrecy, send a complete copy to myself for safekeeping.”  The enthusiastic bob died there.


         “But that...that would be incredibly illegal.  Commander Burlai wouldn’t be happy with that.”


         “What the commander would like and what is best for the entirety of the galaxy are unfortunately two different things.  Will you help the galaxy, my boy?  Or will you restrict yourself to Commander Burlai?”  Rykov thought long and hard on that, never breaking eye contact with Aiston.


         Finally he said, “You will be given a copy as soon as we regain it.”


-------------------------


         “What did you call me here for?” Terrace asked quickly when he found his mercenary hiding up against a shaded grey stone wall in the late afternoon courtyard.


         “A present for you and hopefully a payment for me.”


         “Is it safe?  Ruki is indisposed?”


         “She has her own business to take care of.  Don’t worry about her.”


         “Make this quick.  I do not want to be seen with you,” Terrace growled to Cecile.  Indisposed or not, Ruki was an extreme danger both to them and the upper nobles residing in the keep.  Cecile pulled out a tiny square black plastic bag, sealed and seemingly unfilled.


         “Her blood.  Don’t know why you’d want such a thing, but here it is.”  Terrace snatched it away and pocketed it before handing a plastic money card over.  “She’s here for Tamaki.  Thinks he’s in the castle right now.  God only knows what either of them are gonna do, but she seems to think he’s got beef with Aiston Malcom.”  Burlai frowned at that.


         “Try to find out their doings.  I need anything I can get my hands on.”  That said, the commander walked quickly away, not wanting to spend a single nanosecond close to his merc more than he had to.  Fortunately Cecile said nothing more to keep him there.


         ‘Killers in the Marble Keep and all I need to do is be caught next to the wrong person and I’m a dead man,’ he thought on the way back to his room.  Once there and reassured of being alone he fell into a chair and settled back.  ‘Tamaki and Ruki in the castle.  Should I alert anyone?’  The idea was dismissed quickly.  ‘No, they’d catch wind and escape.  Too much ground to cover here.  But what has Tamaki got against Malcom?  Payment issues?  Or did he find handing over something so potentially powerful to someone so ambitious too dangerous an idea?’


         Terrace closed his eyes and leaned his head back.  ‘It’s too damn confusing.  Everybody’s after the same thing, Tamaki’s in the middle and I’ll be damned if anybody knows what Tamaki wants.’


---------------------------


         Alanya walked into the corridor carefully and quietly, as if afraid someone might be watching.  Hell, that’s exactly what she was afraid of.  Desmond had been her shadow since he’d been assigned to her, always around somewhere when she went out.  Want to stroll around the castle?  Desmond was there.  Want to watch the many visitors?  Desmond was there.  She’d been nervous at first, but now she was just annoyed.


         ‘Hopefully I can go for dinner without him catching me.  Wouldn’t Daddy love that?  His great bodyguard can’t stick with me for a day...’  She smiled at the thought and made her way towards the keep’s landing bay.


         It was a long walk - one riddled with more twists and turns than should have been necessary - but such was the price of a quiet room during busy times of the year.  Few people saw her on the way down and fewer recognized her - something she was actually thankful of.  What she was truly thankful of, however, was that Desmond had not been able to follow.


         The landing bay was more crowded than she had seen in a long time.  The area was filled to the brim with expensive cars waiting to take people off to dinner.  Some waited for their party, others simply got in and let their driver take them off alone in a limo or sports car or other top-of-the-line luxury car.  Outside the rain pounded down hard, but few gave it much notice.  The weathermen had warned people days ahead that they’d programmed this storm.  Her family plus each of their own bodyguards - her mother and sister had a female one each, she noticed quickly - waited by an enormous black limo, complete with a triple layer of bulletproofing and a passenger carriage similar in size to that of a small bus.  It was her mother who noticed her first.


         “Alanya!” the short, pretty, brown-haired woman called out as she walked toward her daughter and hugged her.  “I missed you when I arrived back!  How are you?”


         “Fine, mother,”she muttered into the shoulder she was squeezed against.


         “And this must be your new bodyguard I’ve been hearing all about!  Jerro Desmond is it?”  It couldn’t be.  It was impossible.  She’d made sure he hadn’t tailed her...


         “Yes ma’am.”  It was.  Alanya turned to see the large, bald, bearded Terran standing only a meter behind her, giving her a quick, cold look.  Oh yeah, she’d annoyed him.


         “Late as usual, sister,” Benjen said with a scowl as he walked up to the pair.  Alanya matched it with her own.


         “The better to avoid prissy people like yourself.”


         “Prissy?!  You know as well as I...”


         “Faye!  Benjen!  Alanya!  You’ll have us miss our reservations!” father interrupted over the crowds and cars.


         “We have an entire hour!” mother called right back, rolling her eyes as she did so.  Still, she started walking towards the limo with the two siblings in tow.  “And you two behave tonight.  Many people will be looking toward us and I don’t want any petty infighting.”


         “Yes Mother.” the pair mumbled together.  A moment later and the five family members plus seven bodyguards piled into the limo.


         Inside the family chatted away noisily.  Mother told stories about her spa trip with Father interjecting dumb jokes and Benjen and Relina commenting lightly about ‘proper this’ and ‘proper that’.  Alanya listened mostly, but entered in to mock her siblings when she could, much to her father’s humor and mother’s distaste.  On the other side of the car the seven bodyguards sat together, Desmond leaning back at the outer edges closest to the door and looking as antisocial as ever.


         ‘He looks bored,’ she thought.  She got so caught up in the unemotional way he stared at her it must have passed right over her head.  ‘Like nothing matters and he hasn’t seen an ounce of excitement in years.’  Even as she looked the man just stared at nothing, only occasionally scanning the interior for no real reason.  Next to him his fellow MPGs talked in hushed tones, but he completely ignored them.  ‘Of course I get stuck with the robot.’


         Suddenly the family around her started laughing at some joke father had apparently told, even Benjen having to gather all his composure to keep tears from gathering in his eyes.  Alanya smiled and let out a chuckle, but her eyes darted right back towards Desmond.  To him it seemed nothing had happened.


         Shaking her head, Alanya decided it better to ignore the man who ignored the universe.  Minutes later they were slowly descending toward the red-carpeted, brightly-lit Demoundos Point; considered the finest restraunt in Midolloni City.


         Through the windows she saw rich men and women of all sorts peering into the limousine expectantly, surprised and overjoyed to be able to eat at the same time in the same restraunt as the top of the Royal Family.  Alanya had to laugh at it.


         “Please do not laugh at the commoners,” Relina whispered to her.


         “Yes, bad show,” Benjen agreed.  Alanya stuck her tongue out at them.


         The ship touched down and, as per tradition, the MPG stepped out first.  What wasn’t tradition, however, was for the emperor’s bodyguards not to go first.  Most of the family and all the bodyguards scoffed at Desmond’s back, but Father merely smiled.


         He caught her eye and whispered for only her to hear, “I don’t know what the fuss is about.  He was closer to the door, after all.”  Despite her annoyance toward the robotic Terran she had to smile at him then.  Anything to make her family scowl like this had to be a good thing.


         Soon the guards had exited, making a perimeter for the family to walk safely through.  With father’s bodyguards in the lead the group made their way inside the heavily decorated restraunt, a few bystanders taking out cameras of one sort or another to shoot quick photos of the chance encounter.  A maitre d’ fitted in finely cut red, white and black robes stepped up the second they entered, shared a word with father’s first bodyguard and moved to lead them to their table - a nice, long mahogany piece set near a large tank of exotic fish serving as a wall and the small band which played a near continuous series of light, pleasant classical songs.


         The seating was much the same as in the limo, her family sitting on one side, the guards on the other.  To Alanya’s disappointment and growing annoyance she’d been pushed to the end of her family’s line opposite her father’s first guard while Desmond somehow finagled the seat beside her.


         ‘An entire dinner sitting next to this guy.  Is this how it’s going to be as long as I’m forced to have a bodyguard?’  Alanya wondered on that as her mother struck up a conversation on what she’d missed at home.  Jokes were all but over in public, as was usual.  Time again to tune the world out.


         The waiter came by multiple times - far more than with any other table, as usual - to take orders for drinks, appetizers and finally entres.  All the while her family kept up talks of business; gossip about General Yserrin, some law certain council members wanted passed about punishment for pirates, negotiations with neighboring galaxies and, of course, the latest rumors about Kerosia gaining power in a far border of the universe.


         “We’d help, of course, if Rhydollor or Ccrend would allow forces through their borders, but they are simply too stubborn,” Father was saying to the complete attention of Mother, Benjen, Relina and seemingly all the people around them.  “Meanwhile Kerosia will just keep gaining power and invading their borders.”


         “But why not let them be, Father?” Benjen asked.  “They are on the other side of the universe.  It is hardly our problem.”  Father frowned at that.


         “You forget history so easily,” he said, making his son blush.  “Kerosia gained power once thousands of years ago simply because good men did nothing.”


         “But the other galaxies would remember this as well.  It is sure they will put a stop to this,” Relina said between bites of her salad.  Father shook his head disappointedly and she caught sight of Desmond shaking his head as well, but when Alanya turned to look he seemed to have been oblivious for all she saw.  He merely looked boredly at his rysna steak and fit another piece into his black-bearded lips.


         Alanya turned back to her Father, expecting an answer toward Relina’s statement, but he was scowling heavily at something off into the corner of the room.  The rest of the family followed his gaze and Alanya couldn’t help but scowl as well.


         “Malcom,” Mother said with distaste.  “Sitting in his corner as usual, probably discussing more plans to create chaos within the Royal Family.”


         “Who is it he’s talking to?” Benjen asked, looking toward Father.


         “You never know with Malcom,” the emperor replied.  “That man is rotten to the bone.”


         “He’d have long been gone from us, if possible.  He is a slippery creature,” Mother agreed.


         Alanya looked back at the noble she’d heard so much about and in turn caught Desmond looking at him as well.  The bored look was gone, replaced now with a look of...something.  Something intense.  Like anger, but not quite.


         Conversations continued, bringing the young princess out of her staring, but Alanya soon found herself listening more to the mumbled tones of the MPG talking about this and that.  Sometimes they mentioned some “disgrace” named Yenshin, other times it was news about upstarts within the ranks of the MPG.  She’d noticed a few looks go to Desmond during this time and had to smile at the fact.  Desmond didn’t seem to notice, however.  Merely polished off his plate and leaned back in his chair to ignore the world around him, his bored look firmly in place once more.  Deciding for the thousandth time to ignore him, she began interjecting comments and questions to a few of the bodyguards, much to Relina’s and Benjen’s distaste.  By the end of dinner her family was still talking politics while she and the MPGs, minus Desmond, were laughing at the antics of Lodar, Benjen’s bodyguard, and Bekke, mother’s female bodyguard.


         “...and so Friee, he says, ‘Those are my sister’s pants!’” Lodar said in a semi-hushed tone.  Around him fellow MPGs laughed heartily, though also in hushed tones.  It was when Alanya finished laughing she felt nature calling.


         “I need to go to the bathroom,” she said to her father, forgetting proper etiquette in public.  Even the guards cringed at that.


         “You may be excused,” he said simply and turned back to his wife to continue some financial debate or another.  Alanya pushed herself up, gathered herself and started walking toward the restroom.  It wasn’t until she opened the door that she realized he’d followed.


         “You really don’t need to follow me to the bathroom,” she said without any attempt to hide her annoyance.


         “It’s my job,” Desmond rasped simply.  Alanya scowled, but said nothing more.  Inside was barely crowded, but the sight of several female bodyguards waiting outside their employer’s stalls had her whipping around to see Desmond entering behind her.


         “You can’t follow me in here!” she complained.


         “It’s my job,” he said again, his nonchalance seeping off him.  Alanya scoffed and entered a stall.  Business done with moments later, the princess stalked out of the bathroom and back to the table.  Minutes later the family was making preparations to leave and Alanya couldn’t be happier.


         ‘I just want to be alone.  Tomorrow I’ll talk to Daddy about this bodyguard business.  He’ll see sense.  He has to.  I can’t keep dealing with this.’


-------------------------


         Dinner was a good deal.  Five star restraunt with a damn good steak, time spent next to the leader of the galaxy and his family and nothing to be expected of the lowly Terran bodyguard.  Not a word in a conversation nor a dime for a tip.  Interesting experience.  One Kenshi really didn’t care about repeating.


         ‘They’re like any other family, just...spoiled,’ Kenshi thought as he glanced around at the group and returned his look to his plate.  A glutton’s dream sat in front of him and the Terran was both determined and prepared to finish off every last morsel.  Around him two conversations were taking place.  The family was talking loudly about the bad state of affairs on the borders while fellow MPGs conversed quietly of jokes, trainees and general gossip.  Alanya shot in sarcastic remarks here and there, mostly in the line of the joke and gossip department, but otherwise she seemed content to listen in on everything.


         Suddenly all went quiet and Kenshi heard the empress hiss one of the five names that could have completely unhinged him right then: “Malcom.”  The others said something, but Kenshi didn’t hear.  All his attention was fixed to the 11th prince, his bodyguard and the man sitting across from them.  Who was this new one?  Not an old contact.  No, this one was young.  Young and fit and eager.


         ‘Like a green officer for the MMC,’ he thought.  It was only a guess, but it’d be worth checking out later.  He’d need to remember the face.  Nindathu.  Blonde.  Handsome.  Young.  Kenshi shook himself out of it.  The conversations had resumed around him and some of the MPGs were giving him odd looks.  Alanya was all but ignoring her family now in favor of Lodar and Bekke’s jokes.


         Finishing his meal, Kenshi leaned back to observe the group around him.  Malcom left and the eager boy soon after, but the family took their sweet time and let most of their food go cold as they talked on.  A lot of it was show, he knew, just to keep people thinking they were always on top of things.  It almost made him smirk, but Kenshi didn’t feel like anyone questioning him on it.  What really almost broke him, however, was that the bodyguards were eating the same way, seemingly just as a strange courtesy to the family.  A waste.


         “I need to go to the bathroom,” Alanya said all of the sudden and Kenshi watched everyone cringe at that.


         ‘Heh, it’s like they’re afraid it’s a contagious disease,’ he thought, fighting down another smirk.


         “You may be excused,” the emperor replied with a small frown and the girl pulled herself out of her seat, gathered her robes and walked toward the bathroom.  Kenshi let out a long breath and followed reluctantly.  Like hell if he knew exactly what to do, but he’d guess a bodyguard couldn’t go lax on the job while their client took a piss.  Alanya only noticed him when she moved to open the door.


         “You really don’t need to follow me to the bathroom,” she said, not hiding the irritation she’d gathered for him and Kenshi thought for a moment he may have gone too far.  He mentally shook off the thought and stood firm.


         “It’s my job,” was all he said.  The girl gave him a mean scowl and walked into the bathroom.  A few other bodyguards stood guard for some seemingly important person or another as they did their duty and Kenshi quickly noticed all of them were female.  Each one looked at him distastefully.  Wonderful.


         “You can’t follow me in here!” Alanya complained, bringing him out of his observations.


         “It’s my job,” he said once more, his own annoyance growing, though he refused to show it. The little princess scoffed at him, but made no further complaint.  She stalked to her stall and left him to ignore the ugly glares other females gave him.


         ‘I’m listening to the richest women in the universe take shits in the greatest restraunt in the universe.  Yeah, my dream in life is complete,’ he thought, this time not being able to hold back his smirk.  The scowls sent his way increased all the more.


         Fortunately Alanya was quick - probably due to embarrassment - and she was leading him back to the table at a virtual speedwalk seconds later.  Everyone was still in their usual conversations when they sat down, but Alanya stayed out of them this time, pouting like a little child who didn’t get their way.


         It stayed like that for the rest of the night, everyone so lost in conversation the pair were barely noticed even as they went their separate ways back at the Marble Keep.  Kenshi and Alanya ended up walking side-by-side toward their isolated section of the castle, ignoring each other in the dim night lighting.


         When they reached their rooms Kenshi let out a quiet, “Goodnight,” but still the annoyed princess ignored him to barricade herself in her room.  Kenshi shrugged and entered his own room.  Minutes later he’d taken his suit off, was under the covers and fast asleep.


-------------------------


         Five days before the Ball found Ruki pacing her room impatiently.  Nothing to do now.  Noon was too early to pace the corridors and look for signs of Kenshi - if she wasn’t found, bracelet or not, she’d be the luckiest woman in the universe.


         Malcom hadn’t come yet, she’d been surprised about.  Or if he did it’d been when she was away and he hadn’t left any messages.  And she certainly wasn’t going to trouble herself sneaking into his room if he didn’t want her around.  Talk about populated areas...  Still, she couldn’t complain.  Not like she liked the man.  At all.


         Davnick stayed in most of the early hours as well, usually joking and hoping for more sex, but Ruki couldn’t bring herself to get horny enough for the man.  So whenever he failed too much in getting sex he’d throw on some fancy black robes he’d brought along, powder his nose to look like a proper, full-blooded Midollonian fop and do whatever.  He’d say looking for Kenshi.  She’d say getting laid.


         It’d been an hour since he’d finally left and Ruki found herself perfectly happy being alone for the moment.  Nothing like a man near demanding sex when you were in the middle of falling for your rival to get you on edge.


         ‘I’m not falling for anybody.  I’m not falling for anybody,’ she thought robotically and continued her line of thought.  Maybe she’d kill Davnick.  He was getting on her nerves, after all.  He’d not taken her mind off Kenshi nor helped buffer annoyance with Malcom.  Kill him or not kill him...  Kill him or not kill him...


         ‘Not kill him,’ she decided after a moment.  ‘I need some company for the week.’  But that certainly didn’t solve her boredom problem of the moment.  Nothing to do.  The room was a minor one and had nothing but a few nice wooden surfaces, a large, comfortable bed and an HV.  No computer or computer library, no radio, no food materializer.  Basic necessities and luxuries and little more.


         She kept pacing.  ‘Nothing to do, nothing to do.  Gotta do something, but there’s nothing to do.’  HV was on her last nerve.  It was good for a couple movies and shows, but it got boring after a day of doing nothing but watching it.  Had to do something, but nothing to do.


         ‘I’m getting outta here,’ she thought finally, a spark of an idea coming to mind.  ‘But I need some new clothes.’


-------------------------          


         Alanya hid herself away in her room for a good portion of the next day, just trying for a little alone time.  Nobody came and visited her here.  Her family was too wrapped up in the coming Ball to spare her notice and Desmond only bothered her when she left her room.


         Normally she’d be as excited as a little girl getting a pony with Cindelliac coming around, but with the shadow everywhere she went all she felt was annoyance and all she wanted was some alone time.


         ‘I need to talk to Daddy.  I need someone else.’  It struck her for a moment that Gerald was right.  Better off with a friendly bodyguard than a robot intimidating enough to stare down a rabid wolverine.  ‘If I didn’t know better I’d say he was a robot.  Like some new superguard they’re testing out on me.’  She let her mind run away with that one for awhile, imagining the tall Jerro Desmond have his skin melt away to reveal a great metal skeleton with lasers and invincible body armor and all that.  She giggled at the strange thought.  ‘I’d more like to see him burn if he wasn’t a robot.’


         It was around 3:00 when she finally stood up to see her father.  Gathering a simple set of purple, semi-formal robes together, the second princess walked out of her room and hurried off down the hall in hopes of losing Desmond.  When she looked back after a few turns, however, the MPG was well behind her, dressed up in the same formal suit he’d worn last night.  His tie was loose, his collar up, but the same emotionless face stared back at her as ever.  Alanya suddenly had the queer thought that he dressed strangely for the face he had - as if he looked like one man, but clothed himself and held himself like another.  Strange thought.  She scowled, but kept walking, her pace slowed now that she wasn’t trying to lose anyone.


         When she reached the lobby in front of father’s office, the area was packed with people trying to get their word in about this or that.  They’d wait hours for their few precious moments with the man.  Delores Craderly, the aging secretary, had her hands full keeping appointments straight with everyone.  You’d think the woman’d have a heart attack with the look she gave Alanya when her eyes locked on the princess.


         “My Princess, perhaps now is not the time to visit with your father,” Craderly said, glancing around the room.


         “It’s important,” Alanya insisted stubbornly and the secretary sighed in agitation.


         “Very well.  Your father should be finished with his current appointment shortly.”  As if on cue a full-blooded Quensari, complete with perfect white feathers and a small, frail body walked out of Father’s office with what looked like a smile on it’s short, hooked black beak.


         “Stay here,” she told Desmond before walking through the closing wooden door into the office without even waiting for him to ask for the next person.  She had the unfortunate surprise of seeing Benjen and Relina sitting on either side of a tired, but smiling, Father.


         “Alanya!  I was wondering if you’d come in today.  Do you need something?” Father asked with his warmest smile.  Beside him Benjen and Relina looked on smugly at her.  They obviously were feeling important with the opportunity of sitting next to the emperor while he visited nobles all day.  Father didn’t look to share their thoughts.


         “Yeah.  I need a new bodyguard,” Alanya said with a frown.  Father matched it.


         “Alanya...he’s the best we have available right now.”


         “So greedy, dear sis,” Benjen sneered.  “You should be thankful Father has put so much care into your well-being.”


         “Indeed,” Relina added.  “For someone so...crude you have been given an honor.”  That did it.  There went the senses.  Alanya sucked in a long breath.


         “YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT YOU PRISSY YES MEN!!!  I’VE HAD TO DEAL WITH AN ANTISOCIAL ROBOT THE LAST TWO DAYS WHO FOLLOWS ME WHEREVER I GO NO MATTER HOW PRIVATE THAT PLACE IS AND I’M TIRED OF IT!!! AND YOU TWO CAN’T KEEP YOUR HEADS OUT OF FATHER’S ASS LONG ENOUGH TO REALIZE THE UNIVERSE DOESN’T REVOLVE AROUND YOUR FUCKING POLITICS SO WHY DON’T YOU JUST TAKE ALL YOUR SHIT AND CRAM IT RIGHT UP YOUR ASS!!!”


         Silence.  Everybody stared at her, mouths agape.  It was a good half minute before Father finally responded.


         “Alanya, we’ll find you a new bodyguard when the Ball is over, ok?  But for now please just deal with him for my sake.  He is very qualified and it would ease my mind to know you’re well protected.  Ok?”  Alanya looked at him, tears starting to form in her eyes.


         “Fine.”


         “Thanks.  Now I need to deal with the people outside, ok?”


         “Alright.”


         “I’ll see you later, honey.”  Alanya didn’t reply to that.  Turning away, she walked back into the lobby to see a few gaping looks turn her way.  Dammit.  They’d all heard her.


         Desmond was the only one who didn’t look the least bit surprised at what had happened.  The second princess didn’t give him anything more than a passing glance as she marched out of the lobby and back to her room.  She’d show them.  Soon she’d show them she was her own woman.  They didn’t need to baby her like a child anymore.  She’d show them all.


-------------------------


         Evening couldn’t come too soon for the Emperor of Midolloni.  After what must have been a few hundred appointments, Berin was ready for a good long meal.  Thankfully Commander Burlai had agreed to the slight change of plans for their dinner together.  His wife, on the other hand, was more than a little annoyed he had dragged her away from appointments similar to his own.


         ‘How does she deal with such constant flattering and questions so well?’ he asked himself as the pair rode silently in their limousine.  Across from them their four bodyguards must have taken a hint and stayed silent themselves.


         This was one of the few appointments Berin would have not for simple formalities.  He needed to know what Burlai was up to and he wanted any scoops he could get for rumors on the borders.  Nothing worse than ruling an entire galaxy and not even being able to find out the happenings of your people at the outer edges - especially when you’re a mistake away from war.


         The Lighthouse was a nice seafood restraunt which gave a good view of Midolloni City’s bay, all lined with skyscrapers and ports.  Skimmer boats speeded along the ocean, spraying water behind while tankers destined for more water-filled worlds sat in waiting for their next assignment.  The restraunt itself sat along an old pier over the water.  The food served there, he had once heard, was often caught that very day.


         Once landed the four MPGs stepped out first and waited for the two heads of the Royal Family to come out behind them before making their way forward.  The usual looks of happy surprise flashed around alongside cameras as the six made their way inside.  Burlai waited alone just inside the entrance, a formal uniform looking nicely cut on his larger form.  No aides or guards accompanied him.  Good.  Berin wanted this to be just between himself, the politely smiling woman next to him and the officer.


         “It is good to see you again, Commander,” Berin said, holding out his hand.  Burlai took it gently and let the emperor shake.


         “The pleasure is mine, Emperor,” Burlai replied unsmiling.


         “Allow me to introduce my wife Faye.”  Berin motioned toward his beaming wife.  ‘She certainly knows her game faces,’ he thought with a smile.  ‘Who would think she is annoyed to all hell for being here this early?’


         “Again, my pleasure,” Burlai said as they shook hands.


         “You’re too kind, Commander,” she replied.


         “Come, let’s eat,” Berin said, grinning widely as a waiter stepped up to guide them to their table.  As asked for, they were given a fairly secluded spot which still gave the trio an excellent view of the bay.  The four MPGs set up a perimeter around the three, partly so no one would walk in on this conversation and partly so they themselves would not hear this conversation.  The trio took a few minutes to order appetizers and entres from one of the bodyguards to relay to a waiter before diving headfirst into the meat of the conversation.


         “What is being done about our current situation, Commander?” Berin asked unsmiling.  He’d been given little news since Burlai had been appointed to handle the Titan disaster and he was out of patience.  Burlai contemplated his answer before responding.


         “At the moment I have an informant for the situation who has been useful in collecting information.  He will be of great help when it comes time to trapping and capturing Ruki.”


         “There was another one, though.  What was his name?”


         “Tamaki,” Faye said, her own smile now gone.  “He was a former soldier, I believe, and has been Ruki’s partner for three years.”  Leave it to the wife to know all the file details.


         “Tamaki is a problem in and of itself.  According to my informant he had a separation with Ruki after the Titan incident.  He was the one to walk away with the stolen information,” Burlai said.  Berin frowned.


         “If Tamaki has what we’re looking for then Ruki is hardly a matter at the moment.  You seem to have set your informant in the wrong place,” the emperor said.  Burlai shook his head.


         “No, Tamaki is a loner.  He would never accept a follower, especially not one he knows nothing of.  Ruki, however, is rash.  She also knows more than we do of the situation.  Some key details she refuses to tell our man.  However, she also follows Tamaki and I have little doubt her knowledge on the subject will lead her to him first.  When that time comes I’ll be waiting.”  Berin took a moment to think on that.  Faye was right ahead of him.


         “What makes you think Tamaki hasn’t already sold the information?” the empress asked.  It was a few moments before Burlai gathered the words to reply to that.


         “Simply put, the informant has said Ruki thinks he has not.  I know it isn’t much to go on, but...Tamaki is like a ghost to the MMC.  He’s spotted occasionally, but disappears usually before we have a chance to do anything.  Ruki would know better than anybody.”


         “Usually?” Faye asked.


         “A few days ago a patrol ship disappeared not far from the Titan.  I sent two full SEALS teams in to investigate.  Both teams were neutralized by a single man who fit Tamaki’s description.”  That sent both Berin and Faye into shocked silence


         “How many men are in a team?” Berin asked.


         “16, Emperor.”


         “32 men dead...” Faye whispered.


         “No.  Tamaki didn’t kill a single one.  Incapacitated most of one team, stranded another.”  That sent another shocked silence down the two heads of the Royal Family.


         ‘Wouldn’t it be easier to kill them?’ Berin thought.  ‘Intriguing.’


         Wine came and the appetizers with it - the bodyguards setting it down in the waiter’s place - but all three barely touched what was in front of them.  Finally Faye asked a question so simple it had slipped Berin’s mind.


         “Do you have any idea where Ruki and Tamaki are now?”  Burlai cringed at that and Berin instantly knew this was going to be bad.


         “Ruki...is currently hiding within the Marble Keep with my informant...”


         “What?!” Berin and Faye hissed together.


         “...and from what my informant says Tamaki likely is as well.”


         “Why has this not reached me earlier, Commander?” Berin asked angrily.  Was this man mad?!


         “It would be a bad idea to ignite this.  My informant would warn me if anything big were to happen, but if we were to cause a commotion the result would end with us losing them, an informant and a few men along the way.  We have to wait to make a move or everything could go wrong.  I must stress the dangerous nature of both these people.  Ruki in particular has been just as successful in neutralizing our men as Tamaki and she has no qualms about murder.”


         “What are they doing here?” Berin asked.


         “Ruki is here for Tamaki.  Tamaki...Ruki seems to think he’s here for Aiston Malcom.”  Berin gritted his teeth.  Malcom.  Figures he’d have some part in this.


         “So Tamaki is trying to get the information to Malcom?” Faye asked.


         “No, not from what I’ve been told.  Ruki, it seems, is working with Malcom to try and get Tamaki for themselves and Tamaki seems to have some issue with Malcom.”  Neither Berin nor Faye had anything to say to that.


         ‘This is a mess,’ Berin thought, sizing up the officer before him.  ‘If this doesn’t end with a catastrophe I’ll eat my shoe, but what can I do?  Burlai seems to have at least some measure of control.’  The decision was easy enough to make.  “I’m leaving you in charge of this mess, Commander Burlai, but anything which goes awry I’m holding you personally responsible for.”  Burlai nodded.


         “I understand, Emperor.”  The entres arrived and Berin took a moment to nibble on a bit of herker lobster and take a sip of red wine before delving in to the next conversation.


         “What have you heard from the borders lately?  I understand you’ve been along the outer rim and I’m sure you’ve heard a rumor or two.”  Burlai took a gulped down his sip of wine before responding.


         “There’s not much to tell.  Everyone keeps a close look at our borders, as you well know, so we can’t gather any large force without fear of sparking something.  It creates much crime on our side.  Many fugitives run toward the rim to escape jail time.  Haqnen II is the worst.  It is a planet all it’s own.  It rules itself in territories and no MMC goes down unless it’s for a death wish.  War is constant there, but all differences are set aside if the MMC gets involved.”


         Conversation continued on that front for the rest of dinner.  Everything Burlai said continued to add to Berin’s unease and Faye didn’t look much better.  Finally, with all three stuffed and questions dry, Berin addressed one last issue.


         “Be careful what you say to the nobles in a few days.  They will be curious and will question everything you say.  Say you know where the info is and have everything under control, but that certain complications keep you from getting it back or making arrests.  Say anything further cannot be revealed in the case of a leak.  They will not like it, may even believe you’ve slighted them, but you must stay firm on this.”


         “I understand, Emperor.”


         “It was good to have this cleared, though I cannot say I am not worried,”  Berin said as he stood up and Faye and Burlai followed.


         “I apologize I cannot give you better news.”


         “Yes, well just make sure you change that.  Until next time.”  Burlai bowed.


         “Commander,” Faye said in a nod of farewell.  The pair paid and left, leaving Burlai behind with the universe on his shoulders.


-------------------------


         There’d been a lot of time to spare since Kenshi put the motion detector in Malcom’s doorway.  Of course, he needed to stay somewhat near to the noble and he’d found he needed to set the device to detect certain directions and count people, but once that’d happened things had been cakewalk.  Unfortunately the noble wasn’t stepping out of his room for anything.


         Kenshi soon found himself walking the corridors and trying to put them to memory, for all the work he had to do.  Already he’d tried looking up the man Malcom had been talking to the night before, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack.  He didn’t even know if the man truly was in the MMC.  Part of him wanted to step downstairs for a good training session, but he didn’t feel like dealing with changing at a moment’s notice and it wouldn’t be the greatest idea to get his suit all sweaty before Alanya was called on for some formal dinner or something of the like.


         It was in one of the more popular corridors where he met her.


         “Excuse me, do you know where the East tower is?  All these twists and turns have completely mixed me up,” a voice like a song asked somebody.  Kenshi turned his head to see a young man smile nervously and shrug to a beautiful woman.  Tall, tan, long black hair, shapely and clad in an expensive and revealing tight black dress, the woman caught glances from everyone.


         “Behind you and to the right,” Kenshi heard himself say and the beauty turned to him.  She smiled, looking him up and down.


         “Thanks,” she said simply and turned to walk away.


         ‘I’ve met too many beautiful women lately,’ Kenshi thought, shaking his head.  ‘It’s like I’m in some big screen movie or a crappy romance novel.’  The next second his universe was completely torn away from thoughts of beautiful women, however, when a uniformed MPG came running into the corridor.  ‘What’s an outside guard doing this far in?’


         “Everybody please go to your rooms.  There’s been a disturbance.”


         “What’s going on?” someone asked the guard.  The young MPG looked like he didn’t want to answer, but these were nobles.  They’d be furious if kept out.


         “The pirate Ruki has been spotted pacing the corridors in the North tower.”  Nearly everybody stared in stunned silence, the rest were just confused.  Kenshi saw the woman in the black dress stare surprised at the MPG and she briefly caught his eye.  Kenshi need not hear more.  Pulling out his pistol, he started sprinting toward the North tower, people backing out of his way as he thundered past.  When he arrived the MPG were all over the area.


         “What’s happening?” he asked immediately.


         “Sir, please, it would be...”  Kenshi flashed his MPG ID.  “My mistake, sir.  The pirate Ruki was spotted walking the corridors minutes ago.  We’re currently trying to flush her out.”


         “No need for your presence here, Lt. Desmond,” Gerald’s voice called from across the corridor.  “The situation is under control.”


         ‘Like hell it is,’ Kenshi thought, but he kept his mouth shut.  Ruki had followed him.  She’s the one who’d tipped Malcom off.  Woman had predicted his moves.  Did she know he was MPG now?  Likely.  Damn.  The Terran turned around and started back to his room, not even bothering to acknowledge Gerald.


         He needed to keep closer track of the info from now on.  Shit, what if she’d already found it?  He hadn’t known she was here.  Someone with her skills would find it easy enough to slip a little disk out from under his unwary nose.  So deep was he in his own thoughts he didn’t notice the person step out behind him.


         “So what’s going on around here?”  The woman in the black dress.  Kenshi turned to see her standing there, her face frightened, but she looked to be trying to keep it in check.


         “You’d be safer in your room,” Kenshi replied.


         “With someone like Ruki running around?  Hardly.  I’d feel safer with the only damn guard in this place with enough sense to keep a gun next to him,” she said with a small smile which lit up her round face like a flare in the dead of night.


         “Not much of a defense.”


         “But better than nothing.”  Her voice rang clear and soft, like she was singing to him.  Fucking beautiful.


         “Jerro Desmond.”


         “Narnia Cestlia.”


         “See you around...Narnia.”


         “You too...Jerro.”  Kenshi walked back to his room, a beast long hidden growling.


-------------------------


         Dark.  Nice and dark out.  The rain had stopped for now, but it would start up again in a few hours.  Alanya didn’t care if she was caught up in it or not.  All she knew was that tonight she was going out there and making her own way for a day or two.  Show them she wasn’t some fragile little girl.


         She’d packed already and put on casual clothes for the trip.  No point in nice clothing.  It could only get in the way. Besides that, some snacks, a toothbrush and $300 was all she had.  It wasn’t much, but that was part of the point.  She could live without much money or their petty protection.


         Strapping the bag across her shoulder, Alanya snuck out of her room as quickly and quietly as she could manage.  Her footsteps echoed loudly across the stone floors, making her wince, but she needed to be fast.  Desmond had a strange way of knowing when she’d left her room.


         Throughout the castle she ran, taking a lifetime of intimate knowledge of the floor plan and twisting through the corridors in case her bodyguard was somewhere behind her.  Whenever she looked back, however, there was nothing but gloomy dark halls.  Strangely, the MPG were out and about, patrolling the corridors and forcing Alanya to skirt around them completely.  She thought for a moment that they were after her, but that was ridiculous.  Desmond wouldn’t go to so much trouble.  Father had probably increased security for the approaching Ball.


         Once she was satisfied she had lost him, if he was even after her, Alanya made her way toward the front exit.  MPGs were stationed around the front like mad, more than usual even, but they were all too busy looking out to notice a woman in dark clothing creep out from behind them and into the foliage of the outside grounds.  Soon enough she was clear of the castle and walking the well-lit street in front of skyscrapers she’d been forced to see through windows her entire life.  Enormous white beauties she’d never been this close to.


         A few blocks into the city is where she started seeing other people.  Not the rich like she’d always imagined roaming the Cultural City, but what she guessed were the homeless.  Did such people actually exist so close to her home?  Unbelievable.  The ragged men and women gave her glaring looks as she went by, but made no move to speak to her or stop her.


         Soon enough the skyscrapers surrounded her like gigantic concrete forest.  It was incredible, despite the people she encountered.  Buildings so tall she couldn’t even begin to see the top.  Then a good kilometer or two from the Marble Keep, the hobos started becoming scarce and now the rich people she expected came in sight.  There was always two or three together in scarce packs roaming around the area.    All wore nice long, black coats with suits underneath and all gave her strange looks as she walked past.


         Soon enough her legs grew tired and Alanya knew she needed to find a place to rest.  Smiling a bit, she stepped up to a group of the black-coated men and asked, “Do you know where I might find a place to sleep for the night?”


         The three men looked at each other and laughed and Alanya stared confused and frowning.  Did she have a strange accent from being around royalty for so long?  She didn’t think so, but then she supposed no one would have ever bothered mentioning it.  A young, handsome man was the first to speak to her.


         “New here, aren’t you, girl,” he said with a smile as he looked her up and down.  “Yeah, I got a place for you to sleep tonight.  When my shift’s over, that is.  ‘bout a half hour.”


         “Who says she’s going wit you, Berns?  I gots the better money,” a larger man said with a baritone voice.


         “I’d say she’s going with me.  Seniority’s with me and she looks like fresh blood,” the last of the group, a man in his prime with long black hair said with a challenging look toward the pair.


         “Excuse me?” Alanya said, confused.  “What are you talking about?”


         “Fine, fine Jreggo, but tell me how she is.  She looks real nice to me,” the larger one said, ignoring her.


         “You give up so easily, Sco.  Doesn’t matter.  I called her first, she’s mine.”  What were they talking about?  She hadn’t so much as hinted at this...


         “Been a long night, Berns.  I want a good girl on top of me and I’ll make you a corpse if I have to.”  That seemed to shut the younger one up.


         ‘They think I’m a prostitute,’ she realized with a start.  But she wasn’t wearing anything revealing, why would they think that?  “I think you’re confused.  I’m not a...”


         “Shut up, girl,” the one called Jreggo said, grabbing her arm harshly.  “You’re mine tonight and I’m too tired for waiting.  We’ll go to my place later, but I’m having you now.”  Alanya tried backing away, but the grip was like iron.


         “Bu...I’m not a prostitute,” she said, her voice shaking.  It did nothing to stop Jreggo.  ‘I’m about to be raped,’ she realized.  ‘Take care of myself, yeah right.  I didn’t last an hour out here.  Daddy was right.  Desmond...he did what he needed and I was safe.  Stupid girl.  I’m nothing but a stupid girl.’


         “Keep watch.  We’ll be back in a bit,” the older man said gruffly, pulling her away between two dark buildings.


         “Fine,” the other two said glumly together as she was dragged off.


         “Please, I’m not really a prostitute.  Please!”


         “Shut up, girl.  I hate talkers.”


         “I’m a princess...  The Emperor’s daughter.  He’d reward you for returning me safely...”


         “Yeah, and I’m the Magar of Sventh.  Watch out or I might shove an explosive where you won’t like it.”  He grinned.  “Or maybe you would.”


         There was nothing else to say.  Tears ran silently down her cheeks as she was shoved against a wall, her bag being ripped away from her in the process.  A sob escaped her as her shirt and bra were torn apart and Jreggo started fondling her naked breasts roughly.


         ‘I only ever kissed a man,’ she thought through in her frozen mind.  ‘Only once and neither of us were very good.


         Jreggo’s hands were at the buttons of her pants when two gunshots rang out clearer than day.  The man before her tensed, but let her go, pulling out a pistol of his own.


         “Sco?” he called out loudly.  No answer came.  “Berns?  Sco?”  Still nothing.  Then a large figure in a trench coat appeared at the end of the alley, a pistol in hand.  “Sco, what’s going on?  Are we being attacked?” Jreggo asked as he lowered his weapon.  Sco raised his pistol and fired once.  Her would-be rapist’s head snapped back.  Alanya felt something wet fly across her breasts and realized she had just seen a man murdered.  She curled up, trying to cover herself.


         “Alanya,” a voice rasped.  Not Sco.


         “Desmond?” she asked hopefully, tears still streaking down her face.  She peaked out from behind her arms to see her bodyguard next to her, his features now visible in the little form a dim overhead lamp.  He still wore his black suit and white shirt, the tie loosened and collar to the shirt up.  Over it a shabby grey trench coat hung from his shoulders.  He looked worried.


         “We need to leave.  Now.”  She stayed curled up.  She couldn’t move.  It was frightening out there.  “We’re in mafia territory and these were three enforcers.  If we don’t leave now we’re going to be fighting off a lot of syndicate men.”


         “I...I need a new shirt...” she said, turning to him while covering her breasts.  Desmond took off the coat and draped it over her.  Immediately she felt warm.  Warmer still when he bent over and brought her into his arms.  She fell into his shoulder and smiled, tears still coming down as he picked her up and started walking toward what she guessed was home.  His grip on her hurt a bit, but she didn’t mind.  She was safe.


         Desmond spoke only once, rasping something she couldn’t make out and a second later she felt the cool night air disappear.  Then she was in her bed, the blankets wrapped tightly around her and the coat tighter still.


         She was terrified.  She was horrified.  She was comfortable.  She was safe.